His hands began to wander, exploring the curves of Daisy's back with increasing boldness."Don't..." Daisy's breath came in short gasps, her resistance waning with each passing moment. Her eyes began to cloud over with desire, her body becoming more responsive to Evan's touch.Evan found himself in a predicament. His playful attempt at teaching Daisy a lesson had awakened genuine passion in her, and to his surprise, in himself as well. He was at a loss for how to proceed without crossing a line.As he grappled with his dilemma, he felt a tingling sensation on his back. Daisy's hands had found their way beneath his shirt, her fingers tracing delicate patterns on his skin.Heavens above!This was too much to bear.Evan's breathing became labored. He gently removed Daisy's hands from his back, only to pull her closer, reveling in the softness of her youthful body pressed against his own.Just as the passion between them reached a fever pitch, the shrill ring of a phone cut through the ai
Even Daisy was conspicuously absent.Naturally, Ava and Bella were also unaware of Evan's foray into the restaurant business, having no knowledge of his recent property acquisition in the city center.Shortly after opening, taking advantage of the empty dining room, the masked Evan began inputting the day's menu and prices into the computer, displaying them on the scrolling screen in the main hall."Breakfast Menu:Soy Milk & Youtiao: $100Rice Porridge & Xiaolongbao: $150Spicy Pepper Soup: $100Lunch Menu:Donkey Meat Sandwich: $500Knife-Cut Noodles: $300'Donkey Rolling': $500"Indeed, Evan was determined to run an unapologetically unconventional establishment. The menu was fixed, prices non-negotiable. Patrons could either accept the offerings or dine elsewhere.With the menu set, Evan retreated to the kitchen to prepare. He meticulously washed and chopped ingredients for the day's dishes, readying all necessary components before returning to the dining area.The entire morning p
His entourage joined the chorus of protests."How can a restaurant refuse to serve us?""This is blatant discrimination against out-of-towners!""Do you think we can't afford it? We'll pay ten times the price!"Evan cast a disinterested glance at the group. "Having money doesn't grant you special privileges. You're in my establishment now, and here, my word is law. What I choose to serve and to whom I choose to serve it is entirely at my discretion. Your opinions on the matter are irrelevant."His statement left the lackeys speechless. Indeed, they were on someone else's turf, and they had no say in how business was conducted here.The gold-chained man, however, narrowed his eyes, as if reaching a realization. With a sly grin, he said, "Your reluctance to serve egg fried rice or do business with us... could it be that you've gained your reputation through deceit? Perhaps you've greased Nathan Knight's palm generously. Hmm, judging by your establishment's decor, you're certainly not sh
Impossible, he couldn't possibly know! Reassured by this thought, his expression softened slightly, and he spoke in a deep voice:"Whether you acknowledge it or not, you've already forfeited your dignity as a chef. Do you have any idea who I am? I'm Larry Black from the neighboring city, champion of this year's October Elysia Food Festival. The fact that you don't even dare to showcase your skills in my presence speaks volumes about your lack of dignity!""That's right, you're nothing but a restaurateur without an ounce of dignity now!" one of his lackeys chimed in."As a chef, you've lost even the most basic sense of pride. How do you expect to survive in the culinary industry? What a pity!" another added.Evan paid no heed to the taunts of these minions. With a faint smile, he leaned in close to Larry Black and said in a low voice, "You know exactly what I'm referring to."In an instant, Larry Black's expression transformed from shock to ghostly pale.He knows!He knows everything!
The clamor from his underlings finally prompted Larry Black to speak. He cleared his throat, composing his thoughts, and then said in a solemn, cold voice, "Very well. Since you want a contest, I'll oblige. However, I have some conditions for today's competition!""Go on," Evan replied, his demeanor as calm as a gentle breeze, showing neither joy nor sorrow, as if the impending contest had nothing to do with him. It was as though victory was already in the bag!"My conditions are simple. I require witnesses!""For the sake of fairness, let's choose the witnesses randomly. Neither of us should have an advantage. This is a bustling area with many office buildings, and it's almost lunchtime. I'll have my men bring in a few white-collar workers from the nearby offices to taste our culinary creations!""Furthermore, I want my subordinates to livestream the entire competition process, broadcasting it to the public!"Larry Black rattled off a series of demands in one breath.Evan agreed to a
"Well, well! Weren't you full of bravado earlier? Why are you standing still now?" Larry Black sneered, retrieving beef from the refrigerator while casting a disdainful glance at Evan, who stood calmly to the side."Seeing you frozen in place, clearly at a loss, brings me such joy," he continued with a contemptuous smile. "Let me be frank - I knew all along you couldn't handle beef properly, let alone master this particular dish!"Remarkably, he had mistaken Evan's composure for hesitation!Evan remained impassive, completely unfazed. He casually waved his hand, not even deigning to acknowledge the bald man's taunts.Larry Black's attempt at provocation fell flat, leaving him slightly deflated.At that moment, one of his lackeys, following their predetermined plan, initiated a live stream that had been set up in advance. Addressing the handful of viewers, he gloated, "Ladies and gentlemen, witness the downfall of this new restaurant's chef!"The audience for the live stream was sparse
"I agree, he doesn't seem to be the songwriter. In fact, I'm not even sure he's making tea-fragrant beef at all!"This time, Larry Black refrained from observing Evan. He let out a derisive snort, muttering, "Trash!"Yet Evan remained unfazed, as if cocooned in a soundproof bubble, oblivious to his surroundings.He continued his culinary journey.After removing the fried tea leaves, he cleaned the wok, added olive oil, and heated it. He then tossed in the marinated beef slices.Following a quick stir-fry of the beef, he once again cleaned the wok, added more olive oil, and heated it. He then added chili and Sichuan peppercorns, frying them until they turned a deep brown.Once the spices were properly toasted, he added ginger and garlic slices, sautéing until fragrant.Next, he reintroduced the fried tea leaves and beef, seasoning with salt, MSG, chicken powder, sugar, and light soy sauce. He stir-fried everything until well combined, finished with a glaze of oil, and then plated the d
"I need no favors from you. Are these evasions an attempt to back out? Fine, if you're so reluctant to let the judges taste your dish, you can admit defeat right here, in front of everyone!"Following their boss's lead, his lackeys chimed in."That's right, surrender! Admit defeat to our boss!""You lack confidence in your own creation? Could it be all style and no substance?""Well, since you insist, let's have the judges sample the dishes," Evan replied with a faint smile. Ah, I had hoped to give you one last opportunity, but you're so eager to face your downfall. What can I do? I'm at a loss as well!"Judges, please step forward. We'll taste from left to right. On the right is Larry Black's dish, and on the left is the masked chef's creation," one of Larry Black's underlings called out, summoning the randomly selected white-collar judges.Simultaneously, the lackey livestreaming the event grinned at the camera, addressing the online audience with apparent pride: "Ladies and gentlem