Chapter 496: It's You?!
"Phew…"
Walking out of the training space, Qi Han let out a light breath.
The training progress of Zilong Sheds His Armor was even better than he had expected. Perhaps because many of his techniques had already reached the Perfect level, the training speed of this 4-star dish was faster than that of Peony Fish Fillet before.
He had already been practicing this dish for over ten days. According to his own estimate, he would need about another month of practice to completely master Zilong Sheds His Armor.
By that time, he should already be back in Shrek City, so he wouldn't have to worry about the disturbances and unusual phenomena caused when cooking a 4-star dish attracting unnecessary attention.
Thinking happily to himself, Qi Han shifted his gaze toward the entrance of Han Shi.
Over the past ten days, Han Shi had accumulated quite a number of loyal customers. And after the imperial decree issued yesterday, Mingke Street—once almost deserted—had suddenly become lively. Although construction wasn't fully completed yet, residents from other parts of Mingdu City had already started coming over to take a look.
As a result, Han Shi, with its long queue of customers every day, stood out even more.
Starting from yesterday, the number of customers had increased significantly.
Originally, Qi Han thought it would take thirty days to complete Side Quest 10 issued by Ru Yi, but judging from the current situation, he might reach the required one thousand returning customers in just a few more days.
However… perhaps it was time to consider hiring a waiter?
Looking at the crowded line outside, Qi Han frowned slightly in thought.
As the number of customers increased, he was starting to struggle to manage everything alone. He found himself missing the days when he had staff helping him run the shop.
Alright… decision made. After the lunch service, he would hang a recruitment sign outside.
He wasn't sure about the wage standards in the Sun-Moon Empire, but the salary he offered should still be attractive enough. It shouldn't be too hard to hire someone.
…
"Ah Yun, look! That shop over there has such a long line at the entrance!" After strolling through several open shops on Mingke Street, Zhao Yuqing quickly noticed how different Han Shi looked compared to the others. She tugged lightly at Meng Yun's hand in surprise. "Want to go check it out?"
Meng Yun followed the direction Zhao Yuqing pointed, took a glance, then shook her head. "Yuqing, we've been walking around for quite a while. Let's find somewhere to eat first. That place has such a long line—it'll probably take forever to get in, and we don't even know what kind of shop it is…"
The shopkeeper nearby overheard their conversation and gave Meng Yun a meaningful look before suddenly smiling and speaking, "If you two are hungry, now would actually be a perfect time to line up there. That place is the most popular restaurant on Mingke Street. I've heard every dish there tastes the best in all of Mingdu City."
Hearing this, Meng Yun and Zhao Yuqing exchanged a glance and nodded at the same time.
It was lunchtime, and both of them were already quite hungry. Since it was a restaurant, waiting in line didn't seem like a bad idea.
As for the claim that it served the best dishes in all of Mingdu City… neither of them quite believed it, assuming it was just an exaggeration from the shopkeeper.
The two quickly left the shop and headed toward Han Shi, joining the end of the line.
Although there was a queue in front of Han Shi, it wasn't as extreme as the lines back in Shrek City. There were about fifty or sixty people waiting, and after more than half an hour, it was finally their turn.
Even before entering Han Shi, during the time they spent waiting, the two had already caught the rich aromas drifting out from the dining area—an intoxicating blend of various dishes. Just that mixed fragrance alone surpassed anything they had ever tasted before. And having stood in line while hungry, breathing in those delicious smells the whole time, they were completely starving by the end.
Seeing that there was no one else ahead of them, the two girls hurried into Han Shi. They saw a handsome young man walking toward them, speaking as he pointed to the empty seats in the dining area.
"Please sit over there."
Zhao Yuqing was just about to say something when Meng Yun beside her suddenly cried out in surprise.
"It's you?!"
…
Just yesterday, because of an imperial decree from the Sun-Moon Emperor, many residents of Mingdu City had come to Mingke Street. These people also noticed the extremely popular Han Shi, and quite a few who could afford it had tried the dishes there.
Then today, those new customers came again—not only returning themselves, but also bringing along friends and family.
Unlike the earlier batch of "fake customers," this group had genuinely discovered a hidden gem of a restaurant, and their reactions were much more natural.
As a result, Han Shi was completely packed today. Throughout the entire business hours, Qi Han was so busy he barely had a moment to rest.
Hiring a waiter as soon as possible suddenly became extremely urgent.
At this moment, lunchtime service was about to end. As usual, Qi Han greeted the two new customers who had just entered the shop—but one of them suddenly became visibly excited upon seeing him.
"It's you?!"
Hearing her exclamation, Qi Han finally took a closer look at her.
After examining her carefully, he remembered who she was.
Wasn't this that unlucky girl from the Jing Yang Mountain Range?
The one who had almost been killed by her senior and whom he had casually saved.
Faced with Meng Yun's excitement, Qi Han remained calm. After all, saving her had just been a casual act for him—what he had really been after at the time was that ten-thousand-year Gargoyle…
"We meet again." He nodded, then once again pointed toward the empty seats in the dining area. "Please take a seat and order first."
"Ah… okay." Meng Yun finally snapped out of it and pulled along a confused Zhao Yuqing toward their seats.
We meet again…
She had originally thought they might not meet again for a long time, yet unexpectedly, it happened so soon.
But… wasn't he a powerful five ring expert? Why was he running a restaurant?
Meng Yun felt puzzled, but clearly this wasn't the right place to ask. She decided to find a chance to talk to him after the meal.
"Ah Yun, do you know him?" Seeing her roommate's curious expression, Meng Yun shook her head slightly. "We've just met once before."
What had happened in the Jing Yang Mountain Range couldn't be told to anyone. Otherwise, this benefactor—whose name she didn't even know—might end up in danger. As for how they met, she could only brush it off vaguely.
…
In the dining area, Zhou Yuan sat quietly, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.
As expected, something was off.
Judging from their reaction upon meeting, Meng Yun and Qi Han clearly knew each other.
It seemed necessary to have the Secret Intelligence Division secretly question Meng Yun and find out what she knew.
Of course, not now.
Capturing Meng Yun in the dining area would immediately put Qi Han on guard.
It wouldn't be too late to arrest her after she returned to the academy.
As for the Imperial Teacher and Hall Master Hongchen…
Although the Imperial Teacher had always been protective of his own people, the fact that Meng Yun and Qi Han knew each other was undeniable. Even he likely wouldn't object.
Thinking of this, Zhou Yuan subconsciously glanced at De Hongchen, who was sitting on the other side, happily enjoying his meal.
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Latest Chapter: Chapter 505: Qi Han's Choice[1]
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-155496005
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