Chapter 46: Level 3 Task

Ding: Congratulations! Your inn’s experience points have reached full capacity. You’ve obtained an upgrade task: “Recruit an Excellent Chef.”
The sudden system notification made Lin Dong swing his fist violently.
Crack, crack…
The silver rabbit was chewing on a carrot, appearing focused, but in reality, it was watching Lin Dong’s every move, ready to defend itself against any sudden attack.
Level 3—once this upgrade task was completed, the inn system would reach level 3!
Lin Dong rubbed his face hard. It took some time before his excitement subsided.
The top priority was undoubtedly to complete the upgrade task as soon as possible.
Upgrade tasks were random, and their difficulty depended on individual luck. This task involved finding an excellent chef, which was clearly much harder than finding an excellent worker last time.
After thinking for a while, Lin Dong rushed into the lobby and asked Thin Bamboo to call Wang Liuzhi, who was busy preparing for the new inn’s opening.
“Xiao Liu, find some people—the more, the better!”
Wang Liuzhi, already annoyed by the trivial matters of the new inn, perked up at these words. “Boss, is there a problem?”
Lin Dong was amused. “Is it really a problem worth making you so happy?”
Wang Liuzhi smiled awkwardly. “I’ve been staying at the inn every day—what kind of problem could there be? I need you to find people to investigate whether there are any skilled chefs in Xilan City.”
“Skilled chefs?” Realizing what was asked, Wang Liuzhi felt slightly disappointed. “If we’re talking about skilled chefs in Xilan City, I guess only those from Fulei Restaurant qualify. But… Fulei Restaurant has been closed for seven or eight days. Kuang Tianwei and the chefs are missing. It’s said they sold the restaurant to someone else and went to open another one in another county.”
Lin Dong shook his head. The chefs at Fulei Restaurant might be skilled in Xilan City, but they were all over forty years old and certainly didn’t possess the initial attributes of an excellent chef.
After thinking for a while, Lin Dong said, “This is very important. Don’t overlook any restaurants, inns, or even noodle stalls or night markets in Xilan City. If we still can’t find anyone, send everyone to Qiufeng City. Money isn’t an issue—what matters is finding the right person. Remember, the older they are, the higher their expectations for cooking skills.”
“Hmm! I’ll take care of it right away!”
Wang Liuzhi nodded and turned to leave, but then suddenly turned back.
“Boss, speaking of cooking skills… I just remembered one person.”
Lin Dong’s expression brightened. “Who?”

“He’s the owner of a noodle stall,” Wang Liuzhi recalled and said, “I had a meal there two years ago when I happened to pass by. It was just a few simple home-cooked dishes, but they were so good they made you want to swallow your tongue whole. But this guy is tall and big, has an unusually loud voice, and a terrible temper. After going there once, I didn’t dare to go back.”
“Daren’t go back?” Lin Dong was puzzled.
Wang Liuzhi chuckled awkwardly, “Just for a few coins, he chased me two blocks with a kitchen knife.”
Only then did Lin Dong remember that this man used to be someone who liked to eat for free.
“Where is the noodle stall?”
Wang Liuzhi tapped his head and after a while said uncertainly, “It should be on Honggu Street.”
“Okay, I’ll go check it out. You keep looking for others.”
Not wanting to miss any chance, Liu Xiu had appeared out of nowhere for the last upgrade task. This time, Lin Dong also hoped to succeed at the first try, so he made up his mind right away.
After leaving the inn, the two went their separate ways. Recalling the location, Lin Dong headed straight for Honggu Street.
After walking around Honggu Street three times, Lin Dong began to doubt Wang Liuzhi’s words.
At the end of the street, there was indeed a noodle stall near a side alley. The owner was indeed tall and big—judging from a distance, he was at least 1.9 meters tall. But with people coming and going on the street and it being near mealtime, none of the four tables at the stall had even half a customer.
Reluctantly, but determined, Lin Dong decided to give it a try.
As soon as he sat down at a table, the owner came over quickly, smiling, but without saying a word to greet him.
With messy hair, a full beard, and large eyes, coupled with his towering and imposing figure, standing on the street, not only would children avoid him, but Lin Dong guessed that his presence alone would keep anyone within three meters from approaching.
Lin Dong said, “Boss, I’d like a bowl of Yangchun noodles. What side dishes do you have?”
The bearded man grinned widely and held up a wooden board in front of Lin Dong.
Looking down, there were rows of dish names written on it: stir-fried cabbage, fried eggs, shredded meat stir-fried with eggplant…
There was even a menu?
Remembering what Wang Liuzhi had said, Lin Dong felt a spark of interest and looked up, asking, “Is it because your voice is too loud and you’re afraid of scaring me?”
The bearded man nodded hurriedly.
“It’s okay. No matter how loud your voice is, you can’t scare me,” Lin Dong said with a smile, waving his hand. “Do you have any special dishes?”
“I’m good at cooking everything! Just order whatever’s on the board, and I guarantee it will satisfy you!” the bearded man said, patting his chest.
His voice was as loud as thunder. Even though Lin Dong was prepared, he still felt a slight pain in his ears.
That voice was indeed very loud—almost as loud as the Shaolin Lion Roar.

Lin Dong had gained some confidence in the bearded man’s cooking skills. The lack of business at the noodle stall was almost certainly due to his loud voice and appearance. With such a fierce appearance and voice, ordinary people really wouldn’t dare to come back a second time.

“One portion of each dish listed on the wooden board!” Lin Dong placed one or two silver coins on the table.

“Sure! Please wait a moment, it’ll be ready soon.”

The bearded man was overjoyed. He licked his lips and, after shouting loudly enough for people on the other side of the street to hear, got to work.

Before long, a fragrant aroma filled the air, and a bowl of smooth spring noodles was placed on the table.

Lin Dong couldn’t resist trying them. He picked up the bowl and took a sip—the broth was clear and flavorful. He tasted another bite of the noodles; they were light, refreshing, delicate, and smooth. Lin Dong couldn’t help but give the bearded man a thumbs up.

The bearded man smiled simply, cut a piece of lean meat, swung his right arm, and with a flash of the knife, even Lin Dong was dazzled by his skill. In just an instant, the whole piece of meat was turned into strips of nearly uniform length and thickness. After watching him cut more than a dozen green peppers into eight pieces each, Lin Dong was beaming with joy. Such knife skills could rival those of a famous chef.

During this time, while the bearded man was busy, Lin Dong asked a few questions from time to time. The answers only strengthened his belief that his upgrade task would succeed.

The bearded man’s name was Jiang Kui. He wasn’t old—only 22 this year. He had been raised by his uncle, who ran the noodle stall, since childhood. After his uncle passed away three years ago, he took over the stall. Although business was slow, the little savings he had allowed him to get by.

Soon, a plate of brightly colored green pepper and meat strips was served. Lin Dong picked up a forkful and put it in his mouth—it was steaming hot, tender, and delicious. In a place like Xilan City, even in any restaurant, such a dish, though ordinary in appearance, could easily be considered a signature dish.

After trying a plate of scrambled eggs with onions as well, Lin Dong was almost certain that his target was right in front of him.

“Jiang Kui, with your excellent cooking skills, why don’t you work as a head chef in a big restaurant?”

A thunderous voice replied, “Where? With my voice and appearance, who would want me? Besides… this noodle stall has supported me for over a decade. It’s the only thing my uncle left me. As long as I’m not starving, I’ll keep running it. And…”

“What else?” Lin Dong pressed.

The bearded man shook his head. No matter how subtly Lin Dong tried to probe further, he refused to reveal any other reasons. With his loud voice and appearance, it wasn’t a problem at all to work as a helper.

It wasn’t a big problem for Jiang Kui to be reluctant to leave the noodle stall that had raised him. Although Liu Xiu had been at the inn for less than three months, his rank had already risen to level 3, ahead of Wang Liuzhi and the others, and his persuasion skills had improved dramatically, making it easy for him to convince Jiang Kui. What gave Lin Dong some headaches was another reason that Jiang Kui refused to mention. Hatred? A woman? Since Jiang Kui wouldn’t speak up, it must be related to one of these two things, and judging from his tone, the latter was likely 90% probable. With no other choice and after trying all the dishes listed on the wooden board with no results, Lin Dong, though unwilling, had no choice but to leave. His spiritual energy in the dantian was nearing its peak, and a breakthrough was imminent. Despite his eagerness to complete the inn’s upgrade tasks, Lin Dong wisely approached Sanjiaoyan to investigate which unmarried girls lived on Honggu Street and nearby streets, as well as any signs of Jiang Kui’s unusual behavior. As for Wang Liuzhi, Lin Dong didn’t cancel his plans; having two backups meant just spending a little more money.