CHAPTER 61: CHAPTER 61: TRAFFIC JAM ON THE FIFTH RING ROAD

The filling was simply mixed evenly, and Wang Fan placed the bowl with the filling into the ingredient preservation box.

Then he started to wrestle with the already risen dough.

Wang Fan’s recipe included over ten methods for crab roe buns alone, with different ways to prepare the dough—some using boiled dough, some using leavened dough, with thick or thin skins, varying greatly.

Wang Fan chose the most classic style.

It was the kind of thin-skinned crab roe bun that could "duang duang duang" endlessly.

The visual impact when he first saw it was still fresh in Wang Fan’s memory today.

The dough for soup dumplings is always a physical task, and Wang Fan started kneading after taking out the dough.

Even Wang Fan had to divide the huge dough into four parts to knead.

Flattening, folding, strip stacking, pounding, kneading, thrusting, throwing, wiping—all kinds of techniques were used, and Wang Fan finally stopped after two hours.

Pinching a small piece of dough and pulling it gently, the dough was easily stretched thin and long, clearly showing that gluten had been worked into it, which was the secret to the crab roe bun’s skin being "duang duang duang" without breaking.

Wang Fan began to make crab roe buns.

Wang Fan usually makes regular small soup dumplings with 24 pleats, but crab roe buns demand more, so he pinched 32 pleats.

It was a different technique and rhythm, and Wang Fan was also attentively learning and memorizing it.

"Cluck cluck cluck..."

The crowing of a big rooster entered his ears, causing Wang Fan to be momentarily stunned.

What’s going on?

Isn’t it usually the sound of the system indicating the end of a task?

Looking at the time, he was even more surprised to find it was already 5:30.

There wasn’t time to think it through, so Wang Fan hurriedly freshened up, packed his things, and headed out.

...

...

"What’s going on? It’s already 5:30, why hasn’t he come yet?"

Aunt Wang asked Old Liu, puzzled: "He said there should be one more day today, why hasn’t he come?"

Old Liu shook his head: "I don’t know either, he didn’t say yesterday that he wouldn’t come today. Could it be traffic jam?"

Professor Jiang chimed in: "It’s possible, many companies have started their holidays, so the road is indeed a bit congested."

Not far away, Officer Zhong was also waiting in his car, but unlike others, he had someone seated beside him today.

Xue Ning looked at Officer Zhong curiously and said: "Officer Zhong, are you kidding me? Where’s the bun vendor?"

Officer Zhong quickly replied: "I swear I’m not joking, I bought the buns here yesterday. Normally, the owner sets up at 5:00, I don’t know why he’s late today."

Xue Ning nodded lazily, leaning back against the seat: "Keep an eye out then, I’m going to catch up on some sleep."

Saying that, he raised his scarf over his face, shut his eyes, and fell asleep.

Officer Zhong opened a crack in his side window, and increased the car’s air conditioning.

He felt shivers all over, even his breathing was a bit disrupted.

"Hurry up, boss."

Officer Zhong could only silently pray for Wang Fan to arrive quickly.

...

Wang Fan wanted to arrive early, but the traffic congestion on the Fifth Ring Road was making him desperate.

"Ding, detected host in congested area with anxious mood, enable automatic driving mode?"

"Huh?"

Wang Fan was startled, the voice did not sound like the system in his head.

Looking down, he saw a line of text lit up on a center console screen that had never turned on before, with two options.

With nothing to do in the traffic jam, he delegated it to the system.

Thinking this, Wang Fan’s finger pressed ’Yes’.

"Ding, automatic driving mode has been activated, super speed, please fasten your seatbelt."

Wang Fan nervously tightened his seatbelt, anxious and hopeful about the system’s next move.

minute... 2 minutes... 3 minutes...

Wang Fan scratched his head, where was the action?

Where was the super speed?

"Ding, severe traffic congestion, please drive properly, automatic driving function disabled."

"Damn it! Are you messing with me!"

Wang Fan almost spat out old blood, amazed.

How heavily must the Fifth Ring Road be clogged for the plug-in system to have no solutions at all?!

No miracle occurred, and by the time Wang Fan arrived at Shibapan, it was already 7:00.

The 40-minute journey took two hours due to the jam.

"Why is the boss so late today?"

"If he doesn’t come soon, I’m going to be late, what do I do?"

"Without the boss’s buns, I’m definitely not going to be in form at work today."

"What’s up with the boss? Did the bun shop collapse and run off with his sister-in-law?"

"I’m not going to work until I have the boss’s buns today!"

In front of Wang Fan’s bun stand, there were still over a dozen loyal fans waiting in line, stretching their necks looking for Wang Fan’s shadow.

Old Liu, with sharp eyes, saw Wang Fan’s car and excitedly shouted: "He’s here, he’s finally here."

After speaking, he took out his phone and messaged the group: "Target spotted, assemble quickly."

The others also noticed Wang Fan’s car.

"Damn, he’s finally here, good thing I didn’t give up."

"A perfect day, just wonder what filling the buns will have today."

"No matter the filling, I’m getting 10, the boss’s products are always premium."

Feng Haoyu licked his lips, eagerly saying: "Hope the boss makes crab roe buns today? I’ve craved them for long."

Li Wei rolled his eyes: "Bold thought. Even if the boss makes them, would you dare buy them? Don’t you know how expensive crab is?"

Feng Haoyu sneered: "Can’t I dream? He made crystal shrimp dumplings, what’s one more crab roe bun."

Officer Zhong also noticed Wang Fan and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

His hand almost reached for the handbrake, seconds from heading to work.

Pushing Xue Ning’s arm with the back of his hand: "Xue Ning wake up, the boss is here, let’s get some buns."

Xue Ning looked so peaceful in sleep that Officer Zhong hesitated to wake him, but with the buns limited, he had no choice.

Wang Fan parked the car and started unloading, and Old Liu went over to help him.

"Why are you so late today? I’ve been waiting here for over two hours."

Wang Fan said helplessly: "Got up a bit late and got stuck in traffic for ages, really sorry."

Old Liu laughed: "No worries, you’re here now, it’s not wasted waiting."

Wang Fan said: "But no need to wait tomorrow, after tomorrow I probably won’t be coming here anymore."

Old Liu was disappointed: "Why? Your business is thriving here. Look, your stand’s always full, yet you’re leaving?"

Wang Fan had pondered this.

Stability seemed his biggest pursuit in his previous life.

Yet, as he encountered more cuisines, he seemed changed.

Wanting to explore, visit culinary origins, and see China’s beauty with his uncle through system missions.

Though unsure when tasks would be assigned to those places.