Yabemia, who was initially a little nervous, was amused by Sargeras's words. Suddenly, even a demon entering the restaurant seemed less frightening. A smile returned to her face, and she nodded, saying, "Welcome."
Sargeras stared at the smile on Yabemia's face, momentarily stunned. The smile was so pure, like the clearest dew on a mountain top at dawn, that it made his heart, which was enveloped by layers of magma, tremble.
So, such a beautiful smile existed in this world. Just looking at it brightened his previously oppressive mood. He chuckled sheepishly, put down his iron chair, and sat down at the table near the entrance. This girl must be a new waitress. He tried to lower his voice and forced a smile, saying, "I'd like five La Zhi Rou Jia Mo."
"Okay, please wait a moment." Yabemia smiled and nodded, quickly walking towards the kitchen. All the customers had finished ordering, and she began serving them in order according to Mai Ge's instructions.
"Good morning, Big Bald Head." Amy greeted Sargeras familiarly. Although he looked rather fierce, she still thought he was quite honest.
"Good morning." Sargeras quickly nodded in response. Right now, Amy gave him the feeling of 'not someone to mess with, not someone to mess with…', and the little girl was indeed quite cute, especially when she was setting traps for Crassus, which made him laugh uncontrollably. Seeing her sitting in front of Crassus today, he inexplicably wanted to laugh again.
With Yabemia's help, Mai Ge only needed to focus on cooking in the kitchen. One by one, Rou Jia Mo were delivered to customers, and plates of Yang Zhou Fried Rice were brought out of the kitchen, increasing efficiency by at least one third.
"System, can I get a bigger oven?" Mai Ge looked at the Bai Ji Mo waiting to bake in the oven, a process that would take about ten minutes.
"Host does not currently have the authority to upgrade kitchen equipment." the system's voice came.
"Then I won't upgrade it. Just give me another one like it." Mai Ge said without much thought.
"Adding kitchen equipment is part of restaurant renovation; host does not currently have the authority to purchase it." the system replied again.
"System, have you heard the story of Zhou Bapi? The one where the rooster crows in the middle of the night?" Mai Ge raised an eyebrow.
"Please use metaphors with caution, host. This metaphor is clearly not applicable to the current situation. This system did not make a rooster crow in the middle of the night. However, this system still suggests that the host extend business hours, which can effectively increase turnover." The system's serious voice sounded.
"Tsk tsk, you still say you're not Zhou Bapi? Imitating a rooster's crow is just a means to an end, your real purpose is to extend the workers' working hours." Mai Ge said with some disdain, then calmly replied, "System, the operating hours can't be extended by even a minute. I'm living a pretty comfortable life now, I have no worries about food or clothing. Earning money is so hard, spending 50,000 gold coins on a bunch of random stuff just doesn't interest me. Let's not upgrade this restaurant."
The system fell silent for a while, then tentatively said, "Upgrading your restaurant to level 1 has many benefits. It unlocks the ability to purchase medium-sized kitchen utensils and existing ones; it adds a basic security system to the restaurant, improving its safety; and it includes one free exterior and interior modification. These are just some of the upgrade benefits; there's an even bigger surprise package waiting for you."
"Amy's talent is amazing, I'll just be a lazy dad. Security systems and stuff, I'm not interested." Mai Ge said indifferently.
The system's silence lasted even longer this time. After Mai Ge had cooked two servings of Yang Zhou Fried Rice, it finally seemed to have made up its mind and said, "Small-sized Rou Jia Mo oven, 15 gold coins each, purchase limit: one!"
"A little less?" Mai Ge's lips curled up, but he still frowned as he asked.
"The ovens produced by this system have stable performance, and the Bai Ji Mo they bake..." the system said righteously.
"I'm not listening, it's just nonsense." Mai Ge shook his head, too lazy to listen to the system's sales pitch, and said calmly, "Then I'll buy one and pick it up tonight."
Although his expression remained calm, he was secretly a little smug. Sure enough, strategically underestimating the system was a very correct choice; this was how he turned a seller's market into a buyer's market.
Being a lazy dad isn't bad, but being able to stand up for his beloved daughter in crucial moments is every father's dream—this is his small blueprint.
"15 gold coins deducted. Oven customization in progress. Note: Ships tonight." A line of text floated through his mind, and then the system went silent.
Mai Ge continued cooking in a good mood.
Because Yabemia was working, Mai Ge prepared sixteen extra Rou Jia Mo that morning, which sold out before closing time again. The efficiency improvement was indeed noticeable.
At nine o'clock, closing time, Mai Ge walked out of the kitchen, gesturing for Yabemia, who was smiling and preparing to take an order, to stop talking. Smiling at the customer, he said, "Guest, our morning business hours have ended, and the Rou Jia Mo are sold out. If you'd like some, please come back during the next business hours."
"Oh, I see..." The customer was a little disappointed, but having heard about the restaurant's rules, he turned and left.
"Boss Mai, is that right..." Yabemia watched the customer's retreating figure, hesitating. Turning away a customer who had just entered the restaurant seemed a bit inappropriate.
"Our restaurant strictly adheres to its opening hours; it has been since the restaurant opened." Mai Ge explained with a smile as he walked to the door, flipped the "Closed" sign.
Yabemia nodded thoughtfully, a smile returning to her face. Yes, Boss Mai's restaurant was different from others.
"Although you made two mistakes, it's already quite good for the first day. Keep up the good work." Mai Ge said, looking at Yabemia with encouraging eyes.
"Yes, yes, I will." Yabemia nodded earnestly, her cheeks slightly flushed, her eyes bright and joyful.
Being recognized by a customer and praised by the boss—for the first time in her life, she realized that she could do something well, that she wasn't useless.
Mai Ge smiled and nodded. Yabemia looked delicate, but she was full of energy when she worked. She took on four tasks by herself: greeting customers, taking orders, serving food, and clearing plates. Although she made two minor mistakes, they were not serious, and she easily defused any awkwardness with her sincere smile.
To achieve this level of performance on her first day of work completely exceeded Mai Ge's expectations; her talent in this area was indeed quite impressive.
"Yes, Sister Mia is awesome! We sold even more this morning than before." Amy sat at the counter counting the gold coins, her eyes sparkling. Her love for gold coins was second only to her love for food.
"Then you can tidy up the restaurant first. Also, come in and I'll teach you how to use this dishwasher." Mai Ge led Yabemia into the kitchen, turned on the dishwasher, and gave her a brief demonstration of how to operate it.
The user-friendly, one-button operation was amazing. Although Yabemia was initially intrigued by the metal box that cleaned plates instantly, but she quickly learned how to use it. Everything in the restaurant was new and exciting to her. She hadn't seen anything else besides pots and pans.
"Come on, Little Amy, I'll take you for a walk, and we'll buy some goat milk for the Ugly Duckling." Mai Ge walked out of the kitchen and took Amy out. One of the benefits of having employees was that it freed up some spare time.