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The savory aroma of the meat dominated the air, more fragrant than any braised dish Jiang Ci had ever tasted.
The machine used for braising was programmable and semi-automatic, equipped with several stainless steel baskets that could be raised and lowered automatically. They could be used to separate meat and vegetables when some ingredients required longer cooking times and others less.
After setting the timer, the machine would automatically start the braising process. Once done, the food would soak in the marinade, absorbing all the flavors.
After washing the ingredients and placing them in the pot, Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan set the timer and each returned to their rooms to rest.
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pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:
Hu Bo and his teammates packed up their belongings and left the base before dawn.
They had been out on a mission for nearly a month and were fortunate enough to stumble upon a nest of level four mutated beasts. They managed to wipe out the entire nest, bringing back a considerable amount of crystal cores, as well as the pelts and bones of the mutated beasts.
Having endured the hardships of living in the wild and surviving on nutrient solutions for so long, they were practically sick of it. They were all looking forward to a hearty meal at the hotpot restaurant.
Along the way, the survivors were discussing what dishes they should order. What they were most eager for were the various types of meat at the hotpot restaurant—thick, generous slices that would allow them to truly savor the joy of eating meat in large bites.
Soon, they arrived at the area where the hotpot restaurant was located. Since they had come early, there weren’t many people around yet. From a distance, they could see the warm, yellow light emanating from the restaurant, like a beacon that lifted their spirits just by looking at it.
As they took a few steps forward, they were hit by a rich aroma of sauce and meat—a scent they had never encountered at the hotpot restaurant before.
“What’s that smell? And why is it so fragrant?” one of the survivors asked.
“It smells so familiar. Wait, it’s on the tip of my tongue, just what is it again?”
The survivors chattered excitedly as they quickly made their way to the entrance of the hotpot restaurant.
Hu Bo noticed that many survivors were gathered around the pot helmet stall. He was puzzled. Could it be that Boss Jiang had introduced a new flavor of pot helmet? And why had she opened so early today?
Filled with curiosity, Hu Bo unconsciously quickened his pace.
Although the doors of the hotpot restaurant weren’t open yet, the lights had already been turned on. As Hu Bo approached, he noticed that a new glass window stall had appeared next to the pot helmet stall.
Inside the glass window, Jiang Ci was arranging various brown meats and vegetables on plates. The sauce-covered ingredients glistened temptingly under the light, looking as if they had been thoroughly soaked in the braising liquid. The survivors could only imagine how delicious they must be.
“When did you start making braised dishes? They look so good.”
“Quick, Boss Jiang, sell us some to satisfy our cravings while there still aren’t many people around,” one survivor urged impatiently.
“Wait a moment, I’m not done setting up yet. Don’t rush. There’s enough for everyone today,” Jiang Ci replied without looking up. “I’ll start selling once I’m done.”
Seeing Jiang Ci’s response, everyone could only watch eagerly as she continued her work. As more and more dishes were arranged in the glass display, the aroma of the braised dishes grew even more intense.
Jiang Ci was determined to arrange the braised dishes in an aesthetically pleasing manner, and despite the constant urging from the crowd, she persisted until she achieved her desired effect.
When the braised dishes had just come out of the pot, Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan had already tasted them. The meat was savory, tender, and firm, while the vegetables remained crisp, fresh, and sweet. The flavor was indescribably delicious.
After a while, the survivors outside saw Song Jinchuan bring out a small blackboard with the words ‘Self-Serve Milk Tea’ written on it.
“Self-serve milk tea? Five third-level crystal cores per person? That’s quite expensive. You could buy a whole lot of meat dishes with that,” the survivors commented, their attention shifting from the braised dishes to the self-serve milk tea.
“I don’t think it’s expensive at all—this is milk tea after all! Oh my god, I’ve been dreaming of having a sip of milk tea for so long, so today, I must try it no matter what!”
Following the braised dishes, the second new item—milk tea—once again caused a commotion. Some survivors thought it was too expensive and weren’t very interested, while others found it to be quite a good deal.
However, all of them had one thing in common: they were all eagerly anticipating the store’s opening.
While Jiang Ci was arranging the braised dishes, Song Jinchuan wasn’t idle either, placing all the milk tea toppings into the boxes on the self-service counter.
By the time all the preparations were done, it was still an hour earlier than the usual opening time.
As soon as the doors opened, the survivors swarmed in. Hu Bo and his teammates also chose a spot in the hall with a good view.
“Boss, how much are the braised dishes?” Hu Bo and his companions were already a bit impatient. After ordering the hotpot and side dishes, they walked over to the glass display window to inquire.
“Meat dishes are two third-level crystal cores per pound, and vegetable dishes are two second-level crystal cores per pound,” Jiang Ci said, then pointed to a small sign next to her. There were too many people asking about prices, and she still had to fry pot helmets on the side, so she just wrote the prices on the sign.
“We’ll take five pounds of meat dishes and one pound of vegetable dishes,” Hu Bo swallowed his saliva. After all, they had come out specifically to satisfy their cravings, so they couldn’t be stingy with the crystal cores.
“Alright, wait a moment,” Jiang Ci flipped the pot helmet in the pan, fried it, and placed it in the oil-draining basket before coming over to weigh the braised dishes for them.
Hu Bo and his teammates chose chicken feet, chicken legs, duck necks, duck wings, and other braised dishes that looked delicious, making up five pounds. For the vegetable dishes, they picked kelp and lotus root slices, which were always safe choices.
Jiang Ci weighed and plated their dishes, then let them take them away.
Hu Bo and his teammates carried their braised dishes back to their seats, just in time as the hotpot was also brought out.
However, the hotpot, which usually drew all their attention, was temporarily cast aside as everyone’s eyes were fixed on the braised dishes.
Chopsticks darted into the plates to pick up the meat. Hu Bo snagged a duck wing, though he had originally wanted a chicken leg since duck wings have less meat compared to chicken legs.
But when the duck wing entered his mouth, Hu Bo realized he was wrong. The duck meat was firm but not tough at all, tender and flavorful. It was so delicious that once he started, he couldn’t stop.
Jiang Ci thought she had prepared enough braised dish ingredients for today, but after the first batch of survivors bought them, a long line started forming before she even noticed.
Fortunately, Song Jinchuan prepped a lot of ingredients early in the morning every day, so he was able to spare some of his time to come and help now.
Jiang Ci was so busy that her hands were almost flying, and she somewhat desperately asked the system, “Can we hire more people in the store? I’m willing to exchange points for it.”
[Considering the current special circumstances, we have applied for temporary staffing for the host. Temporary staff cannot be bound to the host and need to sign a confidentiality contract. If they cause any negative impact on the store, all their crystal cores will be deducted as compensation, and they will never be hired again. The store will also blacklist them,] the system’s voice was very serious.
After all, this was related to the future development of the store, so caution was necessary.
However, Jiang Ci’s goal of hiring employees to help had been achieved.
In addition to the braised dishes, the newly introduced milk tea had also become a new favorite among the survivors.
Zhong Xiaofeng, Zhong Chu, and Wang Jun, the logistics director, had also come to the base today. When Zhong Xiaofeng saw the new self-service milk tea, her eyes lit up, and she immediately pulled Zhong Chu into the crowd.
“We’re here to buy mineral water!” Wang Jun shouted helplessly.
Zhong Xiaofeng gave Wang Jun a thumbs-up in his direction, “We’ll leave the mineral water to you. We’ll order the hotpot and wait for you!”
Watching the two of them walk away, Wang Jun shook his head and obediently lined up at the back of the queue for mineral water.
Zhong Xiaofeng and Zhong Chu entered the shop and headed straight for the self-serve milk tea area.
A queue had already formed in the milk tea area, but since it was still early and some people had been drawn to the braised dishes section, the line wasn’t too long.
Soon, it was Zhong Xiaofeng and Zhong Chu’s turn. Song Jinchuan was nearby, collecting crystal cores and handing out milk tea cups to the survivors.
The milk tea cups Jiang Ci had prepared were larger than the ones outside. A huge iron barrel was already filled with the fragrant milk tea, and ice cubes had been placed in an insulated container.
In front of the survivors was a row of various milk tea toppings: taro balls, taro paste, pearls, popping boba, sago, red beans, and more. Jiang Ci had selected all the popular toppings sold outside before the apocalypse.
These toppings were very cheap to exchange, and a small amount of points could buy a large quantity.
Zhong Xiaofeng held her milk tea cup and looked at the array of toppings in front of her, almost drooling in anticipation, “These are all the toppings I used to love.”
The two of them first filled their cups with a little more than half of the milk tea. As the tea was poured from the large barrel, a rich and creamy aroma wafted out.
After adding the variety of sweet toppings, it became a dessert drink that could make the survivors scream with delight.
Zhong Xiaofeng and Zhong Chu carried three full cups of milk tea back to their seats, not even forgetting to make one for Wang Jun.
Besides them, many others also had cups of milk tea on their tables.
The originally full self-service topping station soon had several boxes emptied, with Song Jinchuan quickly rushing to replenish the toppings.
That day, Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan were so busy they barely had time to eat. By nine in the evening, Jiang Ci ignored the expectant looks of the survivors outside, telling them to come back tomorrow, and then closed the shop.
If she didn’t close the shop, she felt she might collapse.
This was probably the most exhausting day Jiang Ci had experienced since arriving in the apocalypse. The moment the door closed, she slumped into a chair, completely unwilling to move.
Song Jinchuan, however, still had the energy to do the final cleanup.
Jiang Ci also managed to drag herself to the computer and ordered some food for the two of them. In total, they had only eaten one meal the entire day, and by now, the both of them were past the point of hunger.
When Song Jinchuan finished cleaning up and came out, he also brought their dinner with him.
While eating, Jiang Ci brought up the matter of hiring more people.
“Starting tomorrow, we’ll hire a few survivors to help. Otherwise, we really won’t be able to handle the workload. They’ll work during the day and return to their respective bases at night. You know more about the survivors, so help me take a look tomorrow,” Jiang Ci said to Song Jinchuan.
Song Jinchuan nodded, “Alright.”
That night, after preparing braised dishes for the next day, Jiang Ci fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Though exhausted, she woke up punctually the next morning, her biological clock waking her up on instinct.
While Song Jinchuan was in the kitchen preparing the side dishes, Jiang Ci started drafting a job posting.
She exchanged a large sheet of paper and a pen from the system, filling the paper with details about the job requirements and benefits, leaving the specifics to be discussed in person.
Once finished, Jiang Ci promptly posted the job notice outside.
The survivors queuing at the door quickly gathered around to see what Jiang Ci had posted.
When the four bold words ‘Job Recruitment’ appeared before their eyes, the survivors instantly erupted in excitement.
After all, they had long envied Song Jinchuan’s job, with some even asking Jiang Ci daily when she would start hiring again.
“Boss Jiang, you’re finally hiring! Look at me, I’m strong and healthy. I don’t even need a salary; just let me eat my fill every day,” one survivor exclaimed.
“Those who want to apply can register with Song Jinchuan later, followed by an interview. Please make sure to read the requirements carefully. Employees won’t be provided accommodation and will need to commute daily between the base and the hotpot restaurant. If the distance is too far, you might want to reconsider,” Jiang Ci addressed the crowd outside.
“No problem, I can start walking at dawn!”
Jiang Ci had thought such requirements might deter some survivors, but to her surprise, they already had solutions in place, undeterred by the challenges.
At a loss for words, Jiang Ci turned and went back inside the hotpot restaurant.
By the time the doors opened, Song Jinchuan was surrounded by a crowd, all eager to apply for a job at the restaurant.
Song Jinchuan roughly estimated that there were probably hundreds of applicants.
Seeing such enthusiasm, Jiang Ci decided not to open for business that morning. Instead, she organized a recruitment event to hire staff first.
The applicants were a diverse bunch, ranging from ordinary survivors to many with special abilities.
Some survivors came from distant bases and, to meet the requirements, even suggested setting up tents outside the restaurant.
Jiang Ci quickly waved her hands in refusal, “The area outside isn’t particularly spacious. We need that space for parking and to accommodate our customers. If you all set up tents here, we won’t be able to run our business.”
Song Jinchuan primarily judged applicants by their demeanor and physical strength. Those with clear eyes and decent physical strength were directly propelled to the second round of interviews.
Having worked together for so long, Jiang Ci trusted Song Jinchuan deeply. No matter how many employees the restaurant might have in the future, Song Jinchuan would always remain special to her.
Thus, the employees he selected were directly approved by Jiang Ci.
In the first round, several hundred people were eliminated, leaving only a few dozen to proceed to the second round.
In the second round, Jiang Ci had them try their hand at chopping vegetables and serving tables. Speed and efficiency were just the basic requirements.
After interviewing so many people, Jiang Ci realized that employees as versatile as Song Jinchuan were rare.
In the end, she kept one man and one woman in the kitchen, both very efficient and neat. Their names were Li Hong and Zhao Shi. For serving tables, she kept a woman named Mao Qianqian, who was a wind-attribute ability user. Her steps were exceptionally light, and she was also physically strong. She mentioned that before the apocalypse, she often helped with farm work at home, so no physical task was too difficult for her.
For the pot helmet and braised dish stalls, she kept a young man named Xue Yi, who was also a fire-attribute ability user, and had excellent control over temperature.
In total, there were four people hired, all living relatively close to the hotpot restaurant, and able to arrive within two hours.
“Don’t be discouraged, everyone. We’ll be hiring more people once the hotpot restaurant expands again,” Jiang Ci comforted the unsuccessful candidates.
After seeing off the other survivors, only the newly selected employees remained. Jiang Ci then took out four contracts from her space and had them sign.
“I’m sure you all know that my hotpot restaurant is quite special. In this post-apocalyptic world, it’s practically a piece of meat everyone is eyeing, so I can’t afford any mistakes. Therefore, you need to sign a contract to ensure you won’t betray the restaurant,” Jiang Ci said straightforwardly.
“Of course, as long as you work hard, matching benefits will be provided. Your working hours are from eight in the morning to nine at night, with two meals provided daily—lunch and dinner. Every month, Song Jinchuan will distribute supplies to you as your salary. You can choose any appropriate daily necessities, and Song Jinchuan will explain any further details to you.”
Jiang Ci carefully explained their jobs, first addressing the issues and then the benefits.
Their salaries couldn’t be paid in points like Song Jinchuan’s, nor could they have access to the employee mall. Instead, Song Jinchuan would purchase the corresponding supplies from the employee mall for them first and then distribute it to them.
Jiang Ci planned to give each of them a monthly allowance of 2,500 points. Although it wasn’t as much as Song Jinchuan’s, it was still enough to buy a considerable amount of supplies.
The survivors thought that having two meals provided was already the best benefit, but they didn’t expect to receive supplies as well.
For a moment, everyone was excited.
“Boss, what kind of supplies can we get? Do you have things like toilet paper and sanitary pads?” Mao Qianqian asked.
Her tone made it clear that she had been struggling with these supplies. Sanitary pads were essential for women, but they were in short supply, causing frequent price increases.
“Yes, you can exchange your salary for any daily necessities. Just ask Song Jinchuan for the specifics,” Jiang Ci replied.
Jiang Ci had mentioned Song Jinchuan several times, so the survivors understood that although they were all employees, Song Jinchuan held a different status in the restaurant or in Jiang Ci’s heart.
Upon hearing this, everyone cheered. No wonder so many people were eager to work at the hotpot restaurant—the benefits were simply too good.
After finalising the employees and signing the contracts, it was almost noon. Jiang Ci went to the computer to order the staff meals.
Since a formal contract had been signed, the ordering system on the computer had also been updated to directly include meals for six people, indicating that the new employees in the store had already been recognised by the system.
“It’s noon now. Let’s grab something to eat first and then get ready to start work,” Jiang Ci said to everyone after placing the order.
The survivors were deeply moved that they could eat even before starting work, silently vowing to work harder for Jiang Ci.
After all, wasn’t their struggle to survive in the apocalypse all about making sure they had enough to eat and staying alive?
Mao Qianqian and the others had initially thought they would be eating the usual dishes from the hotpot restaurant for lunch, but to their surprise, what was placed before them were large portions of set meals!
The set meals contained generous chunks of twice-cooked pork, fragrant garlic sprouts, and crisp bok choy.
the translator has nothing to add ◡̈
