Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation
Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The aroma reached Su Xiaoman’s stomach quickly, forming an almost insatiable appetite; the terrifying hunger pang stimulated her every nerve! 

It smelled too good!

It must be very delicious!

Su Xiaoman inhaled the smell of the secret recipe smoked duck greedily. She felt that…the food she had eaten in the past had been too trashy! Utter scum! 

At the same time, she felt very fortunate that she could experience such an aromatic delicacy in her lifetime.

Her heart threatened to overflow with contentment and all her worries were flung away to Java Island!

Although Su Xiaoman was very eager to taste the smoked duck, she held herself back forcefully!

“I can’t… this… this is the secret recipe he gave me, he should be the first to try it!”

Right at this moment, Su Xiaoman suddenly thought of Huang Xiaolong.

She felt her heart being engulfed in a sudden warmth and felt touched.

Being in the food and beverage business, Su Xiaoman was fully aware of what such a valuable delicacy meant…

Riches!

Advancement!

Even the ability to change the course of her destiny!

It was Huang Xiaolong who had undoubtedly given Su Xiaoman a golden opportunity to change her miserable and poverty-stricken fate!

Tears rolled down her face silently. In this grey and bleak world, Su Xiaoman finally saw a glimmer of light.

In the past, Su Xiaoman had imagined countless times that one day, a knight in shining armor would appear in her life to rescue her. At this moment, an image of Huang Xiaolong’s eyes, clear as spring water and his brilliant smile appeared in her mind…

Su Xiaoman had a sudden realization, that the knight in shining armor in her life had finally arrived!

Wiping her tears, she took out her phone and dialed Huang Xiaolong’s number.

The call connected.

“Xiaolong, are you sleeping?” Su Xiaoman choked on a sob. “I followed your secret recipe and tried preparing several smoked ducks. I would like to invite you over to taste it… is that alright?”

“Good, good! Sis Xiaoman, I am outside your restaurant, it truly smells good… I am so hungry I may die…” Huang Xiaolong smacked his lips while laughing into the phone.

Huang Xiaolong noticed that more and more people were gathering outside Su Xiaoman’s fast-food restaurant. He smiled in gratification. “From now on, Sis Xiaoman will earn a lot of money, hehe, I am a godsend in her life and I have brought her prosperity, it would’ve been impossible for her not to make a fortune after meeting me…”

Very soon, Su Xiaoman walked out of the kitchen briskly while carrying a tray.

Naturally, the people outside saw that the tray had smoked duck on it. The duck meat was glazed in an orange-yellow luster, like the color of wheat grains harvested during the autumn season. The dish’s appearance was unrivaled. 

with smoked duck, tsk tsk; the duck meat shone an orange-yellow luster, like the color of harvested wheat grains in autumn season; the appearance of this dish was unrivaled.

“Lady boss! I want to eat!”

“Wow, it’s duck meat! Duck meat is my favorite, but… but I have never in my life smelled such a delicious aroma before, it’s like being in the seventh heaven…”

“Lady boss, how much is it? F*ck! It smells too good! What kind of duck meat is this? Oh my God, I can’t take it!”

“Lady boss, you have to sell it to me today, otherwise I shall die in front of you!”

“Lady boss, how much is it? Damn it, I’ll pay 200 bucks for one duck!”

“You think you can eat this for just 200 bucks? F*ck off, I’ll pay 500 bucks!”



Chaos!

The people outside the fast-food shop acted like wild beasts in mating season, crying out and yelling anxiously, their saliva pooling on the ground.

Su Xiaoman wore a body-hugging pencil skirt that accentuated the curves of her lower body and expressing a modern and fashionable charisma. Even though she did not put on any makeup, she still had a calm and elegant demeanor.

The aromatic duck meat coupled with the pretty lady boss drove the crowd outside wild.

“Everyone…everyone…please…please do not be anxious…I was only trying to make a few smoked ducks, I’m not selling them yet…” Su Xiaoman hastened to explain.

Her shop has always been quiet and deserted. The business had reached rock bottom. She panicked slightly seeing such a crowd blocking the entrance suddenly, and she tried to search for Huang Xiaolong amidst the crowd.

“Sis Xiaoman!” Huang Xiaolong passed the Sony LCD television he was carrying to the muscular man behind him, before rushing quickly into the shop.

“Xiaolong, I wanted to let you taste it… see if the flavor is right…” Su Xiaoman only had her eyes for Huang Xiaolong as soon as she saw him. 

“Mmmm, Sis Xiaoman, I only know the secret recipe for this dish. I haven’t tried it before…” Without thinking further, Huang Xiaolong grabbed a piece of smoked duck from the tray, stuffed it into his mouth, and started chewing it unattractively. 

The duck meat was crisp yet soft, it was aromatic and tender, and melted in his mouth! Swallowing it, it gave a refined tea aftertaste. Huang Xiaolong felt intoxicated, as though he was standing amongst hundreds of blooming flowers in spring! His taste buds were engulfed in an indescribably exquisite sensation!

It was fabulously delicious!

While Huang Xiaolong was eating, he reached out automatically to grab hold of the remaining pieces of smoked duck from the tray.

Initially, there were several food lovers outside the shop who could no longer contain themselves and were about to rush into the shop to fight for food. However, the sight of Huang Xiaolong grabbing and eating, dressed in his tasteless outfit covered with dirt and food bits disgusted them. The food lovers reluctantly gave up on their animalistic urge to fight for food and resorted to curse and swear at Huang Xiaolong.

“Xiaolong, eat slower, eat slower.” Seeing how Huang Xiaolong was stuffing his face with food, Su Xiaoman took a few tissue napkins from the table quickly and carefully wiped off the grease stains from Huang Xiaolong’s mouth corners and cheeks.

“Sis Xiaoman, this is so delicious,” Huang Xiaolong muffled in between swallows. “Back in the day, this was Qianlong Emperor’s favorite palace dish. If the Emperor loved it, could it not taste good? If it does not taste good, the royal chef would have been beheaded…later…after Qianlong Emperor passed away, this dish was lost in history…thankfully the royal chef gave me the secret recipe…otherwise I would not be able to taste such excellent duck meat…” 

Huang Xiaolong was busy chewing the duck meat and spoke quickly, thus Su Xiaoman could not hear him clearly and merely fussed over him relentlessly. “Xiaolong, please eat slower, don’t choke on the food…”

“Sis Xiaoman, you should try it too.” Huang Xiaolong tore a piece of duck meat off and fed it to Su Xiaoman without much thought.

Before she could think it through, Su Xiaoman opened her mouth to be fed with a mouthful of duck meat. 

After chewing for a while, she suddenly blushed and her earlobes flushed crimson. She looked down in embarrassment.

Uh…this piece of duck meat was covered in Huang Xiaolong’s saliva!

Right at this moment…

“Everyone be gone!”

A fierce male voice hollered out. A group of hooligans, their upper arms bared with tattoos covering every inch of their bodies, emerged from the crowd.

The leader of the group was Brother Tiger, with Brother Earthworm by his side.

The grand arrival of Brother Tiger and his more than ten lackeys behind him, looking like they were up to no good, immediately caused the crowd gathered at the restaurant’s entrance to scatter away like birds.

“Xiaoman… tsk tsk, where did you find this secret recipe? This duck meat smells really good…” Brother Tiger walked into the shop brazenly, his eyes filled with greed and gleaming with mania.

Flower Lake Street’s main businesses were food and beverage, as well as late-night suppers. Brother Tiger himself had also set up several barbecue stalls, along with a Cantonese-style restaurant.

Just like Su Xiaoman, Brother Tiger was fully aware of the potential of a secret recipe.

Taking roast duck as an example, “Quanjude” restaurant’s secret recipe created a brand that was perpetually famous nation-wide!

It even became a form of food culture!

The owners were even able to list their company on the A-share stock market!

At the very least, Su Xiaoman’s smoked duck’s aroma was comparable to that of Quanjude’s.

Brother Tiger was tempted!

Vaguely, he knew he had found a way to make a fortune, to become a somebody in the circle of bigwigs in Coast City!

“Yeah, the duck meat tastes great,” Huang Xiaolong said to Brother Tiger while gobbling up the meat. “This was Qianlong Emperor’s favorite dish back in the day. Commoners wouldn’t have been able to taste it. Even if they knew the secret recipe, they wouldn’t have dared cook it for themselves for fear of being executed alongside their families if they were found out…”

“What? Qianlong Emperor’s favorite dish?” Brother Tiger trembled!

The pungent aroma in the shop convinced Brother Tiger to believe at least eighty percent of Huang Xiaolong’s words!

“Brother Tiger, we have hit jackpot! Calling it the emperor’s dish, this gimmick is undefeatable! We just need to capitalize on this. Just imagine how many rich people will be willing to splurge their money to taste it? Whoever eats it would get to experience what it’s like to be an emperor for a round!” Brother Earthworm’s face was flushed with excitement.

“Xiaoman, listen up, write me the secret recipe word for word, and part of your 1 million debt will be repaid…” Brother Tiger’s eyes darted all around, “Return 500,000 instead! This is such a good deal for you, selling one tiny secret recipe to me for 500,000. Xiaoman, you have struck gold!”

“This…” Su Xiaoman’s eyes flashed with anger. She shook her head slightly, “Brother Tiger, this secret recipe isn’t for sale… regardless of how much you offer, I’m not selling it.”

From Su Xiaoman’s perspective, this secret recipe was not just the chance of a lifetime to change her destiny, but within it encompassed Huang Xiaolong’s kindness as well. No matter what price she had to pay, she had to keep it!

“Xiaoman! Don’t overestimate yourself!” Brother Tiger flew into a rage. “You’re only a woman, what do you want this secret recipe for? Hmph! Don’t you understand that such knowledge can cause you trouble?”

“Um… Brother Tiger, right? Didn’t we agree that the gambling debt will be paid back? Don’t worry, Sis Xiaoman and I won’t refuse to pay back…” Huang Xiaolong spat out a piece of duck bone and smacked his lips. “Since you guys are always harassing us to pay back the money…alright, I’ll go to your casino and play a few rounds to repay the 1 million debt…”

“Oh?” Brother Tiger’s eyes sparkled, as though he were calculating something. “Sure! Since you peasant wants to play, then come to my casino… however…you have to bet on the secret recipe! If you lose, it’s mine! Do you understand?”

“Sure.” Huang Xiaolong laughingly replied. “Deal.”

“I’ll wait for you, peasant!” Brother Tiger laughed in great satisfaction as though he had already won. “Hahahaha… let’s go!”

Brother Tiger waved his hand and led his lackeys away.

“Xiaolong…” Su Xiaoman looked at Huang Xiaolong worriedly. “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault, I caused trouble. I should not have cooked the smoked duck… and now you’re caught up in this mess…”

“Sis Xiaoman, why are you saying this? Don’t worry, we won’t lose the secret recipe to them.” Huang Xiaolong said it in a matter of fact tone. “Sis Xiaoman, bring me to Brother Tiger’s casino.”

“Xiaolong, don’t go!” Su Xiaoman avoided the mention of casinos like the plague, as though it were a scary evil lair.

“Sis Xiaoman, trust me.” Huang Xiaolong said earnestly. “Tonight, I’ll return all the money.”

After saying that, Huang Xiaolong walked out of the shop and spoke to the muscled men who were helping to carry his prizes, “Big brothers, please come in and sit for a while. Wait for me for an hour, oh, scratch that, just half an hour is enough. Once I’ve repaid the money, I’ll bring you guys to my home to drop the things off.”

The muscled men exchanged glances and ended up nodding their heads in agreement.

After all, Cui Feiyan had entrusted this task to them personally, they could not mess it up, otherwise, they might lose their jobs.

“Sis Xiaoman, let’s go to the casino now.” Huang Xiaolong grinned. “By the way, could you please go to a nearby supermarket or convenience store to buy something for me?”

“Xiaolong, what do you want me to buy?” Su Xiaoman asked.

“Feodora chocolate, made in Germany. It’s also called Feodora Duchess 60% cocoa original flavored chocolate.” Huang Xiaolong laughed as he continued, “This chocolate is very bitter and has a slight tobacco flavor.”

“Ah? Chocolate?” Su Xiaoman’s brain was slow to react. “Xiaolong, aren’t we going to the casino? You…why are you buying chocolate?”

“Oh… precisely because we’re going to the casino, hence I want to eat chocolate.” Huang Xiaolong explained. “Someone once told me that if you’re going to gamble at a casino, you have to eat a lot of Feodora chocolate… then you will be able to win a lot of money, completely undefeatable!”

“Is this…is this even possible?” Su Xiaoman mumbled, stupefied. “Who told you this?”

“Sis Xiaoman, please hurry up and buy the chocolate for me.” Huang Xiaolong said while walking out of the shop. “That person died a long time ago.”

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