Chapter 37 - 32: Searching

Chapter 37: Chapter 32: Searching

While Ning He was busy serving the burly man, the other food festival venues across Beiluo City were also coming to life. Adults and children alike flocked to the various squares, eager to eat, drink, and have fun.

The members of the "Beiluo City Food Share" chat group were also out in full force today, searching for the vendor who had sold tomato meat sauce noodles at the shelter last time.

"...They’ll almost certainly be at this food festival. The group admin has put up a reward of one thousand original coins for whoever finds them first. Let’s split up and move fast."

The small groups of people quickly dispersed, each heading to a different event location. However, their search was limited to the Third and Fourth Rings; no one even considered the Fifth Ring.

「In a coffee shop in the First Ring.」

Leitel sat with a few old friends, a look of impatience on his face.

"...We’ve been searching for two weeks. We’ve sent people to all the market stalls in the Third and Fourth Rings, and there’s been no sign of them. Are you sure we’ll find them today?" an old man leaning on a cane said with a pout.

Leitel sighed. "We’ll try one more time. If we still can’t find them, then we’ll have to give up. I figure with skills like theirs, and with the noodle shop closed, they wouldn’t miss a chance like this to make some money."

The gray-haired old man nodded. "That makes sense. If they don’t show up, it just means it wasn’t meant to be. We can’t force it."

A portly, middle-aged man frowned slightly. "Won’t we miss them by only searching the Third and Fourth Rings? After all, their skills are excellent and their prices are low. Their rating should be high enough. Maybe they applied to be in the First or Second Ring."

The thin old man to Leitel’s left shook his head.

"The spots for the food festival in the First and Second Rings are all monopolized internally. Other vendors can’t get a spot, no matter how high their rating is."

The portly, middle-aged man snorted.

"This system should have been changed long ago. It’s always the same few shops fighting for spots. There’s no sense of urgency, no healthy competition. Every single one of them just sticks to their few signature dishes without any innovation. We’ve been sick of them for ages!"

Leitel waved his hand dismissively. "Alright, we all know how it is, no need to dwell on it. Beiluo City doesn’t rank high in the Alliance, so we can’t attract any truly famous chefs. We only have a handful of inherited culinary techniques. It’s asking too much of them to innovate. Let’s just see if we can find those young people this time. If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to get a change of pace more often."

At his words, the men felt a mix of anticipation and nervousness, all hoping their fellow group members would bring good news today.

Ning He was completely unaware of the tense search she had sparked. At that moment, she was handing the hefty, freshly-made *budai mo*, stuffed to the brim with filling, to the burly man.

"Eighteen original coins in total."

’The egg portion was liquid egg, less than a whole one, so pricing that part at five coins still left a good profit margin.’

A price of eighteen original coins wasn’t low; for a little more, you could buy a meat dish.

But just moments ago, the mountain of vegetables Ning He had grabbed, plus the liquid egg and shredded tofu, had become a colorful medley in the wok. As she tossed the wok, the ingredients traced beautiful arcs through the air. It was a true feast for the eyes.

Add to that the aroma of the ingredients, coaxed out by the perfect heat and mixed with the fragrance of a scoop of deep red sauce, and Johnny had found himself unconsciously swallowing his saliva as he waited.

It was a natural human reaction to the aroma of food. But Johnny was used to eating well; vegetables and eggs were nothing special to him. For him to have such a reaction could only mean one thing: this cook had some serious skills.

’Just this wok-tossing technique alone, I’ve only ever seen one other person who could do it.’

Johnny took the *budai mo*. It was wrapped in a wax paper bag and still hot to the touch, but he didn’t even flinch. A wave of fragrance invaded his nostrils, and his mouth began to water again uncontrollably.

It was a rich, complex aroma of vegetables, egg, and beans, intermingled with a slightly sharp, spicy scent.

The *budai mo* was stuffed so full that its opening gaped wide, clearly revealing the steaming, sauce-red filling that was about to overflow.

The color alone was incredibly appetizing.

Johnny couldn’t resist any longer. He gripped the wax paper bag and took a huge bite.

Then, his eyes widened, his pupils filled with sheer shock.

The thin outer bread was exceptionally soft, yielding effortlessly to his teeth. But once past it, his teeth were met with an onslaught from a variety of vegetables.

Stir-fried by Ning He over a blazing fire, all the vegetables had lost their raw edge and released their fragrance, yet they still retained their original crisp tenderness.

But the crisp tenderness of each vegetable was distinct.

The carrots were crisp-tender with a hint of sweetness; the onions were crisp-tender with a touch of sweet and spicy fragrance; the chives were soft and juicy with a bit of a kick...

The shredded tofu was firm and chewy, bursting with the aroma of soy protein. And the egg, of course, made the filling rich and delicious, adding that special fragrance that comes from the Maillard reaction.

But what truly shocked Johnny was the flavor: savory, fresh, fragrant, and spicy.

He wasn’t like most people; he’d had complex seasonings before, but they were usually dominated by a savory soy-sauce base.

This *budai mo*, however, had not only that savory base but also many other layers of flavor he couldn’t quite identify.

A little sour, a little sweet, a little spicy, and was that a hint of garlic?

So many different flavors were blended together perfectly. Paired with the wide variety of ingredients, every chew was a new taste experience.

He could feel his tongue tingling slightly from the intense flavor stimulation.

"Make me ten more, exactly the same."

Johnny swallowed the mouthful, his eyes blazing as he stared at Ning He.

"You got it! Please have a seat over here and wait a moment."

Ning He nearly broke into a huge grin. She called over Ah Huai, who had a free moment, to help scoop the fillings while she manned the wok. With three being made per batch, the stall was a whirlwind of bustling activity.

Meanwhile, a few more stalls arrived in the food area. These ones had the number 3 stuck to their sides, indicating they were third-level stalls permitted to sell meat dishes.

It was quite surprising to see so many Level 3 stalls in the Fifth Ring, where the average income was less than 1,000 original coins.

The owners of these stalls were clearly in no hurry. After choosing their spots, they began to set up at a leisurely pace, apparently preparing for the lunch rush.

Ning He made the ten *budai mo* as quickly as she could and handed them to Johnny. All that was left in Johnny’s hand was an empty wax paper bag; the *budai mo*, weighing well over half a pound, was already in his stomach.

Johnny was very satisfied. He planned to take these back for his buddies to try.

"Where did you used to sell? I’ve never seen you before."

Just as he paid and was about to leave, Johnny suddenly remembered something and asked.

Considering the matter of the mutated mountain goat, Ning He felt it was necessary to build a good rapport with him. She smiled and explained:

"Actually, we’re from the Fourth Ring. We usually make breakfast in the Mecha Academy cafeteria. We only set up a stall when we have a rare day off."

Ning He mentioned the Mecha Academy to boost her own prestige and make it easier to get friendly with him, but to her surprise, the burly man’s expression soured.

"The Mecha Academy? Hmph. They get all the good stuff."

Johnny’s expression was tinged with faint disdain as he gestured toward Ning He with a tilt of his chin.

"We need a cook where I’m from, too. If you’re interested, you can try out at the barbecue joint on Seven Wolves Street. The pay will be to your satisfaction, I guarantee it. You’ll definitely make more than you do at the Mecha Academy."

With that, without waiting for Ning He’s reaction, the big guy strode away.

’Seven Wolves Street? A barbecue joint?’

Ning He was a little stunned, but also a little thrilled.

’I’m stunned by his attitude toward the Mecha Academy, but thrilled at the chance to interact with him more and find clues about obtaining mutated creatures within the city.’

’Still, this guy spends money freely and dares to openly bring contraband—a mutated creature—into the city. I have no idea what he does for a living, so I’d better be careful.’

’Tsk... The Fifth Ring is just as shady as Sister Helen said.’

Before Ning He could think any further, another large group of newly arrived customers flooded into the food area. Her stall was quickly swarmed, and they were once again plunged into a whirlwind of activity.