Chapter Forty-One: A Shout

Xu Fei held the receipt, staring at the amount written on it, and for a moment he was at a loss for words.

Third Brother An parked the car.

“Come on, let me buy you a drink,” he said.

Xu Fei smiled and nodded at Third Brother An. “We should have a drink, but this time, let me treat you to something good.”

“What are you laughing at?” Third Brother An asked, curious as he watched Xu Fei grinning at the receipt. He walked over and took a look.

“This...?!”

At a glance, Third Brother An was stunned.

“How can it be so much?”

For ten thousand kilograms of millet, they had paid two thousand yuan when buying it, but the receipt clearly stated four thousand five hundred yuan.

It had doubled!

Third Brother An had been driving trucks for years, but had never seen such a profitable deal.

Just buying and selling, like that?

“Moonlight Pavilion, right?”

In Donghai City.

Moonlight Pavilion was said to have once hosted a guest of utmost importance.

Its signature dish was braised yellow croaker.

It may seem like a simple home-cooked meal, but the chef here, Master Zhao, had made his name known across several provinces over ten years ago.

Zhao Tianwei.

It was said his ancestors had served as imperial chefs.

His braised yellow croaker was not only delicious but also renowned for two peculiarities.

The first: upon tasting, it had the flavor of braised fish, but the flesh retained the freshness of sea fish.

Savory, salty, sweet, and umami—all four tastes combined.

This skill had secured Zhao Tianwei’s reputation as Donghai’s top chef for over twenty years without challenge.

The second peculiarity: when the dish was served, the fish’s eyes could still move.

Zhao Tianwei’s assistant claimed he’d prepared the fish himself, and it was undeniably dead.

This braised yellow croaker had become a symbol of Donghai, its fame surpassing even Master Zhao himself.

People spoke of the fish, having long forgotten the chef who created it.

To achieve such artistry, Zhao Tianwei must be a humble man, truly a master.

Third Brother An glanced at the Moonlight Pavilion before him.

He stood with his mouth agape.

“Fei, are we really going in?”

“What’s wrong?”

“No, I just...” Third Brother An’s heart ached.

At present, this braised yellow croaker wasn’t something money alone could buy; reservations must be made a week in advance.

“Third Brother, let’s try our luck. If fate favors us, maybe we’ll get to taste it.”

Third Brother An nodded.

One plate cost eighty-eight yuan—a sum that equaled three or four months’ wages for a single person.

He hesitated.

Even with Xu Fei treating, he found it hard to accept.

His own wife could make braised yellow croaker.

“All right.”

Just to taste Master Zhao’s craftsmanship would be enough.

Even if Zhao made a plate of stir-fried bean sprouts, it would be a delicacy.

Compared to him, Old Fourth Li’s cooking wasn’t even food—it was filth.

The two entered Moonlight Pavilion.

“Fourth, you’re here.”

Zhang Mingyang and a few others stood in the lobby.

Xu Fei introduced Third Brother An to everyone.

“Where’s Director Shen?”

“Chen went to pick him up,” Zhang Mingyang replied, pointing to the counter.

“Guess what I just found out?”

“Braised yellow croaker available today?”

Zhang Mingyang grinned and nodded, pulling them upstairs.

The four entered a private room by the window, from which the outside scene was visible.

The streetlights had just come on.

Pedestrians no longer hurried as in the daytime.

Leisure was written on every weary face. Xu Fei glanced outside and noticed a familiar figure approaching Moonlight Pavilion from the street corner.

Him? Why is he here?

It wasn’t Director Shen, whom he was waiting for.

It was Ma San.

Beside him were two of his underlings.

Why would this creditor come to Moonlight Pavilion?

“So, Fourth, how did it go?” Zhang Mingyang asked with a smile.

Xu Fei took the receipt from his pocket.

Zhang Mingyang and Wang Yiming glanced at it, taking it from Xu Fei. When they saw the numbers, both were stunned.

“So much?!”

Wang Yiming excitedly held the receipt up for a long look.

“Two thousand turned into four thousand? Fourth, this business looks promising!”

Zhang Mingyang drained his teacup in one gulp, laughing foolishly. “Fourth, tell us, what’s the next step?”

Xu Fei nodded with a smile. “It depends on how this batch sells at the grocery store. If it moves quickly, I think we can restock in a week.”

“No wonder you brought us to eat at Moonlight Pavilion. At this rate, not only can we afford to eat here, we could dine here every day if we wanted.”

Zhang Mingyang shouted toward the door.

“Waiter!”

“Yes, sir?” The waiter entered.

“We want to reserve the braised yellow croaker today.”

Everyone laughed.

“I’m sorry, someone just reserved the braised yellow croaker.”

“What?” Zhang Mingyang’s face fell.

“What do you mean? Didn’t I just say I wanted it?”

The waiter smiled awkwardly. “Sir, you didn’t actually reserve it earlier. Someone came and paid right away, so...”

“Paid? Are you saying I didn’t pay, or that I can’t afford it?” Zhang Mingyang, irritated, stood and confronted the waiter. “Tell me, whatever they paid, I’ll pay double!”

His voice rose, and at that moment, someone emerged from the adjacent room, speaking heavily: “Who’s making such boasts? If Ma San wants something, who dares compete with me? Do you not know your own name?”

Zhang Mingyang stepped outside, glancing sideways at Ma San. “So what, Ma San? If I want to compete, what of it?”

Ma San, recognizing Zhang Mingyang, was momentarily surprised. He lifted his hand in greeting. “So it’s Mingyang?”

“Bah!” Zhang Mingyang frowned. “Ma San, you think you can call me Mingyang?”

Ma San, stung by Zhang Mingyang’s repeated retorts, felt his dignity slipping. He pointed at Zhang Mingyang. “Zhang Mingyang, what’s your problem? I’m giving you face because you know my big brother, and you’re pushing your luck?”

The tension between them rose.

The two underlings from Ma San’s room came out.

“Third Brother, who is it?” Wang Yiming, Xu Fei, and Third Brother An stepped out as well.

“Damn, Xu Fei, you’re here too?”

Xu Fei’s expression darkened.

“Ma San, we’re all here just to eat. No trouble.”

“So, you think with Zhang Mingyang backing you, I’d be afraid of you? Don’t forget you still owe me money, Xu Fei.”