Universe Infinite Canteen

Of course, he hadn\'t forgotten the matter at hand and took out the ingredients they had collected from the Collection Bag.

Among them was a special ingredient, which, after repeated discussions with Old Wang, was specially customized for the hardware store owner.

Having obtained this special ingredient, and to ensure its freshness, Old Wang didn\'t waste any time; he had already prepped the other ingredients and packed everything together, rushing to the front of Jin Xin Plumbing and Hardware Department Store with Ma Lu at their earliest convenience.

The three High-Dimensional Artifacts in Yan Wu\'s hands were crucial for the Universe Infinite Canteen to successfully open, and Ma Lu was determined to get them as soon as possible, the sooner the better, so he could move on to the next phase of work.

It had to be said that the Werewolf Boss was quite dedicated, opening his shop promptly at 10 a.m. every day and working until 8 p.m.

Sometimes he even took on installation jobs on-site, looking no different from the other small business owners on the street.

When Ma Lu and Old Wang arrived, Yan Wu was in the shop as well.

"I\'m borrowing your kitchen," Ma Lu called out as soon as he entered.

Yan Wu raised his eyebrows, "Oh, it looks like you guys are quite confident this time, but I still have to remind you, what I require is a dish that can move me, not one that satisfies me. Meaning deliciousness is not the sole criterion."

"Stop the chatter, I already know how to move you," Ma Lu said with confidence.

"Tsk tsk, then I\'ll be looking forward to it," said Yan Wu as he tossed a set of keys to them.

The Jin Xin Plumbing and Hardware Department Store was just Yan Wu\'s storefront; he also had a house nearby, about a five-minute walk away, and it was a quadrangle dwelling.

He claimed it was passed down from his ancestors, but in reality, it was all just him transferring from one identity to another.

Ma Lu had been there once before when making the Flameheart Earth Dragon Orange Brew, and the place was kept quite clean, with a date tree planted in the middle of the courtyard.

This time, Old Wang went over to cook by himself, while Ma Lu stayed in the shop.

Yan Wu fiddled with a U-lock and said offhandedly, "When do you plan to start work on your shop?"

"The construction crew will be on site the day after tomorrow. The workload isn\'t too big, so it should be done in about two weeks," Ma Lu replied.

"That\'s pretty fast," Yan Wu nodded, "I\'ll come to support your opening, but are you sure you can make a dish that will move me in two weeks?"

"We don\'t even need two weeks; I plan to take you down today."

"Confidence is good, but have you forgotten your last failure?" Yan Wu grinned. "I\'m not trying to make life difficult for you, but this realm really is in need of a Cosmic Chef.

"Like the way of hardware, the path of the culinary arts is also thorny. Without enough strength, even if your restaurant opens, it might not be a good thing. You could encounter other troubles down the line."

"Troubles? What troubles?" Ma Lu felt there was more to what the werewolf was saying.

But Yan Wu changed the subject instead of expanding on it, starting to make small talk with Ma Lu.

The Werewolf Boss styled himself as engrossed in hardware, but in reality, he wasn\'t the kind to turn a blind eye to outside matters and dive into his hobbies; nor did he have the air of a reclusive master.

Like an average middle-aged man, he was enthusiastic about sports and current affairs, spouting opinions far and wide, from tutoring outside school to the Isreali-Palestinian conflict, and not forgetting to curse Big A in the end. It seemed like he had likely been shortchanged before.

About fifteen minutes later, Old Wang brought the dish he had prepared to Yan Wu\'s table.

This time Ma Lu didn\'t have Yan Wu close his eyes, but there was a stainless steel dish cover on the plate, so it was impossible to see what was underneath.

"Playing the same old cat-and-mouse game, huh?"

Yan Wu sneered, evidently, the Flameheart Earth Dragon Orange Brew from last time didn\'t teach them enough of a lesson.

The hardware store owner took another sniff, and then... he felt a hundred different scents rush into his nostrils at once.

Yan Wu couldn\'t help but sneeze, "What is this...?"

"Spices, lots of them, not just spices, there\'s also perfume and other strong-smelling stuff," said Ma Lu.

"Don\'t get it wrong, it has nothing to do with the dish inside. It\'s just a defensive measure to prevent you from getting the answer in advance, given your sharp nose."

"You\'re ruthless."

Yan Wu had no choice but to give up on the idea of using his nose to discern the ingredients, but this only made him more curious about what dish Ma Lu and Old Wang had prepared to pass his test.

"So when can I lift the lid?"

Ma Lu passed over a pair of disposable plastic gloves, "Whenever you\'re ready to tuck in, you can open it any time."

Yan Wu frowned slightly, "Oh, so there\'s not even any cutlery? Eating with hands, what\'s inside, roast ribs, big bones, or crayfish?"

Ma Lu gave a mysterious smile but didn\'t answer.

As he spoke, Yan Wu also put on the gloves, reaching out eagerly, he lifted the stainless steel lid in front of him.

But when he saw what was on the plate, he first paused, then anger surged in his heart.

The look he gave Ma Lu and Old Wang even contained a hint of murderous intent.

"Is this the dish you\'ve made to impress me?!"

"Exactly," Ma Lu admitted rather frankly.

"I\'ll give you another chance," Yan Wu struggled to contain the killing intent in his heart, saying word by word, "Did you bring the wrong dish?"

"No," Ma Lu replied calmly, pointing to the fierce wolf\'s head on the plate, "this is the dish."

"Heh," Yan Wu scoffed coldly, "If your aim was to anger me, then I must say you\'ve indeed succeeded. But what after that? Have you thought about how you\'re going to bear my wrath, boy?"

"It\'s not good to be angry on an empty stomach, how about you fill up first, then consider how to punish us." Ma Lu countered, "Or is it that you don\'t eat wolf meat, perhaps because there\'s some kind of... blood relation between you?"

"Don\'t compare me to that beast, werewolves and wolves are completely different creatures," said Yan Wu.

"But presenting the head of a wolf in front of a werewolf is undoubtedly a serious offense. If it had been the younger me, you would already be dead, and..."

Yan Wu took a deep breath, "You haven\'t even cooked this dish, have you? Are you intending to feed me raw meat?"

"Sashimi, to preserve the natural flavor of the ingredient to the fullest extent," Old Wang finally spoke up.

"This is indeed a dish, we prepared long for this dish, and although the main ingredient isn\'t as expensive as the previous dish, this is the one best suited for you."

Yan Wu frowned, "What is the name of this dish?"

"The Call of the Wild," Ma Lu said leisurely.