Universe Infinite Canteen

After seeing off the last guest, Ma Lu glanced at the time, which was exactly 7:40 PM.

He Xiaoqian and another part-time female student had cleaned up and left for home.

Meanwhile, Ma Lu began to prepare for the special guests arriving in the evening, drafting the menu.

The six-star ingredient he used was the Chinese Toon Dancer brought back with the Burdock Ninja this time.

Accompanied by another eight types of Energized Plants and seven kinds of meat, they together made up the dish Unity is Strength.

For the following eleven dishes, he took a shortcut, hastily assembling them with the restaurant's leftover ingredients, planning to just get by.

Upon receiving the menu, Old Wang looked at it and asked, "Why choose Unity is Strength?"

"Ah, because we've just brought back the Chinese toon, which is perfect for this dish."

"But among the recipes I gave you, there are 27 dishes that contain Chinese Toon Dancer, and there are four you could completely gather the ingredients for at this stage. Why didn't you choose one of the other three?"

"Well, I didn't really think about it that carefully. My first reaction after looking at the recipes was to choose this one."

Scratching his head, Ma Lu said, "If I had to give a reason, it's probably because tonight's clients are here for a department team building, and Unity is Strength can enhance friendship and bonds, making the connections between department members closer, which seems quite suitable for them."

Old Wang nodded, "Your intuition is sharp, and you have a preliminary grasp of the principles of menu creation. Next, you should try to tailor a set menu around a single theme."

"Theme?"

"Yes, like the menu you created for Chen Zhengyi last time. The first three dishes embodied the spirit of spring, summer, and autumn, respectively. Together, they built a simple theme of the four seasons."

"In the end, cooking is also a form of creation, just like writing, where authors use pens and paper to express themselves, while chefs use the dishes they create.

"An article needs to revolve around a central idea, just as a banquet needs a theme. Otherwise, no matter how delicious the dishes are, if they are presented in a disorganized manner, they will only remain at the level of tasting good and fail to provide a deeper emotional impact.

"Previously, we didn't have enough ingredients to discuss themes, but now that you've brought back a good number, you can try to build themes moving forward.

"This task isn't easy, but it's an essential skill for becoming a top chef."

"But the problem is I'm not a chef," Ma Lu said. "Why don't you make the menu? I'll just focus on gathering ingredients."

Old Wang shook his head, "I've told you that my sector has been severely damaged; strictly speaking, I can no longer consider myself a Cosmic Chef.

"Moreover, even if my sector were to recover, as a silicon-based life form, I naturally lack the emotional understanding of you carbon-based beings and would find it hard to create dishes that touch every diner on my own.

"But you're different. From the way you resolved Yan Wu's test question, it's clear you have a talent for cooking."

"Who, me?" Ma Lu's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you sure? I've only ever been good at making instant noodles all my life."

"That's because you haven't undergone professional training. Have you noticed that you've actually learned quite a bit these past days? If you're willing, I can systematically teach you…" Explore stories at My Virtual Library Empire

"Forget it, let's not," Ma Lu interrupted Old Wang with a wave of his hand. "Cooking in the kitchen is too hard and not very glamorous. I still prefer being the boss. Besides..."

He looped his arm around Old Wang's shoulder, "Don't I have you? You're right; we're the perfect partners. Let's stick to the usual drill: I'll gather the ingredients, and you do the cooking. I will also take care to create the menu as you've requested."

"Alright," Old Wang didn't push further.

Ma Lu then made some adjustments to the menu at hand, trying to align it as much as possible with a theme, following Old Wang's advice.

At 8:25 PM, a Mercury Silver GL8 van pulled up outside the Universe Infinite Canteen.

Nine people disembarked in one breath, among them six men and three women, ranging in age from 20 to 30, all uniformly dressed in black suits.

Within the group were two Baldies, both towering over 1.8 meters, muscles rippling, and sporting tattoos on the backs of their necks, they looked downright menacing.

The others also bore unwelcoming expressions, even the three women seemed formidable, and there was even a heavy scent of blood about them.

Each one looked like a murderer.

Had they encountered a gang or a group of assassins?

Upon seeing the crowd entering, Ma Lu's eyelids couldn't help but twitch, and he stopped Ma Youyou, who was about to go greet them, choosing to go over himself instead.

"Good evening."

"Good evening," the leading Baldy replied politely, and returned the greeting before casting a stern gaze toward his colleagues, barking out.

"What are you standing around for, hurry up and greet the boss, do I have to teach you everything?"

So, the next moment, a chorus of "Good evening, Boss" filled the hall.

The head Baldy then turned his attention back to Ma Lu, saying warmly, "We're from Red Ridge, we have a dinner reservation here."

"Oh, welcome, welcome, please sit anywhere," Ma Lu gestured casually to a table at the center of the dining room.

However, upon hearing this, the Baldy didn't move but instead put his hand in his pocket, furrowing his brows.

Ma Lu almost thought the man was about to draw a switchblade or a gun.

But after rummaging around, the Baldy pulled out a business card and handed it over with both hands, observing business etiquette.

Ma Lu took it, and the first thing he saw was the man's name, or rather, his nickname—Baldy.

Next was his title—Producer for the Red Ridge Project Team at Hakimi Network Technology Co., Ltd.

Afterward, there was a website link and a slogan—If you are a real man, come to Red Ridge! Women are welcome too.

On the back of the card was a picture of a crowd of Skeletons brawling with passion.

Ma Lu paused for about two seconds, then ventured, "You're from a game... a game company?"

"That's right." Baldy nodded, then lit up a cigarette, "Boss Ma, when you have time, you can also play our games, they're very lifelike, and the freedom of play is quite high, definitely surpassing other products on the market."

"Oh, oh, oh, okay," Ma Lu indicated he didn't smoke and then exchanged business cards with Baldy.

Afterward, Baldy enthusiastically introduced the others in the group to Ma Lu. He pointed to the other Baldy and said, "This is our artist, Teacher Beigong Meng.

Then, pointing to a woman with a scar on her face, "This is our number planner, today's Teacher Mengmengda.

"And our copywriter, Little Weige. This one is our level designer, I'm the Worst at Kindergarten."

The cutest names for the toughest fights, right?

Ma Lu suppressed the impulse to tease inwardly and calmly shook hands with each member of the Red Ridge Project Team.