Wu Ye sipped his tea, smiling and chatting with Xiaowen, "Little girl, where did you hire your cook from?"

Zhao Xiaowen smiled, "We didn't hire a cook; our cook is actually our boss."

"Pfft!"

The sip of tea Wu Ye had just taken sprayed out, "Your boss, Lin Chen?"

"That's right. How about that? Becoming his first customer is a very honorable thing, you know." Zhao Xiaowen said, smiling.

"Sister, I was wrong. Can I not eat even though I ordered?" Wu Ye admitted that Lin Chen was good at fighting, but as for cooking, he wouldn't believe it even if he were beaten to death.

Wu Ye had just finished a meal prepared by a five-star chef, and the thought of eating something made by Lin Chen seemed like torture, so he started to have second thoughts.

Zhao Xiaowen said with a beaming smile, "Of course you can, but the dishes Little Chen stir-fries are so delicious that you'd regret it for the rest of your life if you didn't eat them."

After hearing Zhao Xiaowen's words, Wu Ye's curiosity was piqued, "Really? I've got to try it then! But if it's not tasty, I won't pay."

"Don't worry. I'm just afraid you'll be so delighted after eating that you won't want to leave." Zhao Xiaowen replied with a slight, confident smile.

Just then, a bell rang, and Zhao Xiaowen said with a smile, "The dish is ready. You can take your time and enjoy it in a bit."

Zhao Xiaowen walked into the kitchen where Lin Chen had stir-fried the first dish, kung pao chicken. Gazing at the fragrant chicken on the countertop, her mouthwatering almost uncontrollably.

Holding back her drool, Zhao Xiaowen brought the kung pao chicken to Wu Ye's table.

A tantalizingly spicy scent that whetted the appetite filled the restaurant, and even though many people had half-filled their bellies at Yongsheng Restaurant, this aroma still triggered their hunger, making them feel peckish once more.

All eyes fell on the plate of kung pao chicken at Wu Ye's table.

Wu Ye didn't have high expectations for the dish Lin Chen whipped up. However, seduced by the irresistible aroma of the kung pao chicken, he couldn't help but pick up his chopsticks.

He captured a piece of chicken and popped it into his mouth, and Wu Ye was momentarily stupefied.

Wu Ye was a foodie, and kung pao chicken was an essential item in his meals. He had tasted it countless times in his life, in both star-rated hotels and street stalls, but he had never tasted kung pao chicken as delicious as this.

The chicken was silky and crunchy at once, the tenderness of the chicken paired with the aromatic crunch of peanuts was simply a heavenly delight.

What five-star chef? Compared to Lin Chen's kung pao chicken, the food he had just eaten seemed like swill.

Watching Wu Ye savor his meal, other patrons couldn't help but salivate.

At that moment, one of Wu Ye's underlings timidly asked, "Boss, may I have a piece?"

"If you dare to touch it, I'll chop off your hand!" Wu Ye protected the kung pao chicken as if he feared someone would snatch it away.

In the kitchen, the knife work was a flurry, with potatoes, cabbage, and radishes being chopped into countless pieces by Lin Chen before being thrown into the wok to fry.

Lin Chen fried the dishes at a rapid pace, with nearly every dish completed within three to four minutes. As dish after dish was served, more and more people got to enjoy the delicacies made by Lin Chen.

A strange scene unfolded in the Little God Chef's Private Kitchen: no clinking of glasses, no highbrow conversations, just the sound of chopsticks against plates and bowls, everyone quietly enjoying the food in front of them, their faces revealing expressions of pleasure.

The most tormented people at that moment were Zhao Xiaowen, Zhao Gang, and Wu Mei. So much delicious food, each dish deeply tantalizing their stomachs, yet they could only watch others eat.

Zhao Xiaowen had made up her mind that once the guests were gone, she would definitely have Lin Chen stir-fry a few special dishes to properly appease her stomach.

Soon enough, the eight dishes on Wu Ye's table had been devoured down to the last, even the soup was consumed without a drop left.

"Xiaowen, I want to order more dishes." Wu Ye's stomach was already full, but the cravings in his belly still egged him on to keep ordering.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wu, but each table can only order a set meal of eight dishes per meal," Zhao Xiaowen reminded with a cheerful smile.

When Lin Chen first set this rule, Zhao Xiaowen was somewhat puzzled. One more dish would mean more money, so why wouldn't Lin Chen want to earn more!

Now Zhao Xiaowen finally understood. Lin Chen's cooking was simply too delicious, and once someone had the first bite, they couldn't stop. Without such a rule, there would really be no way to control it, especially since seating was limited.

"Is takeout possible?" Mr. Wu still didn't give up.

Zhao Xiaowen shook her head and pointed to the restaurant's notice at the entrance: "Sorry, that's not possible. Our restaurant's dishes cannot be taken out."

"Xiaowen, considering the relationship between Little Chen and me, we're like brothers. Can't you let me slip through the back door?" Mr. Wu said ingratiatingly.

Zhao Xiaowen shook her head firmly: "I'm really sorry, Mr. Wu, but even if it were his father, Lin Chen said it wouldn't be allowed."

"Damn!" Having hit a wall, Mr. Wu finally gave up.

"Then, can I come back this evening?" Mr. Wu asked hopefully.

This time, Zhao Xiaowen finally nodded: "Yes, if you like our restaurant's dishes, you are certainly welcome to come back for dinner!"

Watching the tough guy who made the nearby area tremble act like a pitiful, tail-wagging dog in front of her, Zhao Xiaowen felt a twinge of smug satisfaction.

The restaurant was a hit on its first day of business, just as Lin Chen had anticipated—a complete sensation.

Some diners even didn't want to leave after eating, planning to wait and have another meal in the evening.

However, upon hearing the frustrating rule that each meal could last no more than two hours and that the doors closed at three, these people had to leave the restaurant, looking back three steps at a time.

Here's a WeChat conversation between a handsome guy who had just eaten at the restaurant and his girlfriend:

"Xiaoli, guess what? I discovered a restaurant today, and the food is out of this world. Let's go together tonight!"

"Is it really that amazing? Don't lead me on. Can it be better than a five-star restaurant?"

"Five-star restaurants? Please, do not compare the divine dishes made by the chef to the creations of mere mortals…"

"Okay, if it's really that good, let's try it. But if you're lying, I'll never let you off the hook."

...

A social media post by a beauty known as Xiaomei Rabbit:

"Having eaten at the restaurant today, I truly feel like I've wasted the past twenty-something years of my life. It was mind-blowingly delicious."

"@Xiaomei Rabbit Aren't you exaggerating a bit? I've never heard of this restaurant before!"

"@DaFeiNiu It just opened today. I highly recommend it. The food was so good, I couldn't stop eating. I'm thinking of going back this evening."

"@Xiaomei Rabbit Let's go together tonight then, so I can try the delicious food you're talking about and see if it's as good as you say."

In just one afternoon, Lin Chen's restaurant served eighteen tables of guests, and nearly every table of guests posted on microblogs or in their social circles.

They unanimously described the dishes Lin Chen made as transcendent and unparalleled in the world.

As the word spread through social media and microblogs, more people came to know of Lin Chen's little gourmet restaurant, and Lin Chen's popularity surged to over five thousand, still climbing.

Lin Chen, watching his popularity rise, was beaming with joy. This time, he had made it big.