“Ding! Congratulations on completing the mission of issuing a challenge to all chefs in the world. Your reward of half of half of a strength point has already been delivered. You have now accumulated an entire strength point; would you like to use it now?” the system asked.
“No,” Mag immediately refused. He did not want to be electrocuted in public.
At the conclusion of the contest, the number of spectators had swelled to close to 2,000. This was undoubtedly a superb PR stunt for Mamy Restaurant, and would earn it a lot of popularity and renown.
“Boss, get me another 10 roast beef kebabs and a glass of beer.” Febid was finding it difficult to take his eyes off the kebab-roasting rack.
“If possible, I’d also like two kebabs and a glass of beer,” Scheer chimed in with a smile. She was normally meticulous to a fault with her daily caloric intake, but she wanted to make an exception for the extraordinarily delicious kebab-and-beer combo.“I wouldn’t mind having some more kebabs and beer, either.” The professor chuckled.
“Boss Mag, why don’t you just open the restaurant for a dinner service tonight? Even if you only sell roast beef kebabs and beer, that would be fine. Our stomachs have been getting tortured this entire time, and we’d all love to taste your new products,” Harrison yelled from within the crowd, drawing extensive support from the surrounding bystanders. Everyone was eager to taste such a delicious roast meat kebab, even if the price was going to be quite expensive.
Furthermore, with so many people around, there was no way that the restaurant owner wouldn’t open for business. He was clearly using this cooking contest as an advertising tool to attract more customers, so he definitely wouldn’t turn so many customers away.
Mag looked around at the countless pairs of expectant eyes and shook his head with a smile as he said, “My apologies, but the remaining beef kebabs are dinner for myself, my daughter, and my employees, so I won’t be selling them. If you would like to taste the kebabs, you can come back tomorrow during normal business hours.”
“He turned down Young Mistress Scheer and Febid!”
“Why? What did I do to deserve this torture…”
“Sigh, looks like I’ll have to come over bright and early to line up tomorrow. I can already envision the long line in front of the restaurant entrance tomorrow.”“Well, considering even Young Mistress Scheer was rejected, I don’t feel so bad now. I’ll just have to come back tomorrow, I guess.”
A burst of whining rang out from the crowd upon hearing Mag’s polite yet firm rejection. There were also many people who were surprised by the fact that he had turned down Scheer, particularly when she was only requesting two more kebabs.
“Alright, then it looks like I’ll also have to come back to taste these delicious beef kebabs another time.” A hint of surprise also flashed through Scheer’s eyes. Mag was the first man to have ever rejected her twice. However, there was no displeasure on her face as she rose to her feet and smiled as she said, “Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Mag. I look forward to seeing you revolutionize more delicious cuisine.”
“You’re quite welcome.” Mag nodded in response. He took a glance at her elegant departing figure before expressing his gratitude to the other four judges. He also turned down Febid’s request for another glass of beer in a completely non-negotiable manner.
“Boss Mag, you just earned yourself a new restaurant. Are you going to move Mamy Restaurant over there or open another branch? If I recall correctly, Ricky’s Rotisserie is several times larger than Mamy Restaurant.” Harrison squeezed his way through the crowd toward Mag with a curious look in his eyes. Many of the other bystanders who were preparing to leave also paused to hear his answer. Mamy Restaurant was indeed too small. Many of the customers could already envision the pain of not being able to secure a seat at the restaurant.
“I’m not particularly sure about what I’m going to do with that restaurant, but Mamy Restaurant isn’t going anywhere, at least not for the immediate future.” Mag shook his head with a smile.
Harrison nodded and chuckled as he said, “Alright, then I’ll be hoping for a new branch of Mamy Restaurant to open up soon. That way, we won’t have to wait so long for a seat.”
Mag only offered a smile, and did not reply. It was true that he hadn’t decided on what he was going to do with Ricky’s Rotisserie yet.
“Go home, everyone. Mamy Restaurant will be releasing three flavors of roast beef kebabs and beer tomorrow. Each kebab will consist of five cubes of beef, and I welcome everyone to give it a taste,” Mag announced loudly.
“Five cubes! So generous!”
“I’ll be sure to come here bright and early tomorrow morning. Boss Mag, you’d better not make this dish unavailable in the morning like you did with your grilled fish!”
“Let’s go find something to eat. I’m about to starve to death.”
Mag’s words created another stir in the crowd as everyone departed. The lawn in front of the restaurant had been completely flattened, creating a rather miserable sight.
“Father is so awesome!” Amy looked up at Mag with admiration in her eyes. However, she then pouted as she said, “But… I still want to have more roast meat.”
“Meow-“Ugly Duckling chimed in as it rubbed its head against Mag’s foot.
“Alright, Father will make some for you.” Mag felt as if his heart were about to melt as he looked at these two adorable angels. He turned to Yabemiya, who was packing away the empty glasses, and said, “Don’t worry about that, Miya. Just get the tables back where they were, then come and have some dinner with me and Amy.”
“Alright!” A sweet smile appeared on Yabemiya’s face. She was also curious just how delicious the kebabs were. After all, even a customer as esteemed as Young Mistress Scheer had been asking for seconds.
“That bastard is way too stingy!” Febid looked back at Mag from nearby, and stomped his foot with frustration. However, his body sagged like a deflating balloon as his gaze fell on the roasting rack. He wore a conflicted and distressed look on his face as he murmured to himself, “How could such delicious roast beef exist? It’s much more delicious than anything I could’ve ever imagined. If it weren’t for the fact that I tasted it for myself, I wouldn’t be able to believe that such amazing food could exist. What am I going to write in my food review? I can’t think of any criticism at all!”
The crowd dispersed, and peace and quiet returned to Mamy Restaurant. It was getting quite late, and the stars and moon had appeared in the night sky. The four lamps in each corner of the outdoor dining area lit up, basking the entrance of the restaurant in a warm and comforting glow. Yabemiya and Amy sat at the table with their chins resting in their hands, looking with anticipation as Mag roasted kebabs for them. The aroma of beef wafted through the air, making their stomachs growl involuntarily.
Mag suddenly turned back, and said, “By the way, Amy, Miya, I’m going to hold a moon festival celebration at our restaurant tomorrow, so we need to make some preparations after the meal.”
