Chapter 123: The Great Restaurant Rescue Operation

Han Jiayi quickly finished preparing the meal and brought it to the table.

"So, this is the 'couple's set meal'?" Bai Renzong asked, looking at the spread before him.

It consisted of an extra-large, thick-cut steak, a serving of pasta, two side-by-side sunny-side-up eggs, a pair of fried chicken wings, and salmon crackers. There was only one drink, but it came with a heart-shaped, double-headed straw.

"That's right! Couples can share it together," Han Jiayi said with a cheerful laugh.

"Honestly, I think I could finish this all by myself," Bai Renzong teased, patting Han Jiayi’s head.

"Then I'll just eat a little less, it's fine," Han Jiayi replied with a sweet smile. "You need to make sure you're full, okay?"

"No, you need to eat more so I can stop worrying," Bai Renzong said seriously, cutting a piece of steak for her.

"Mm! I'll eat it myself, you should start eating too," Han Jiayi nodded, then sat down across from him and began to eat.

Becoming a two-star Michelin restaurant was only the beginning; one could not afford to slack off. Although some people might dismiss the Michelin guide by saying, "What does a tire company know about fine dining?" the reality was that their standards for auditing Western restaurants were terrifyingly strict—even for restaurants that had already earned their stars.

They would send anonymous reviewers back two or three times a year to ensure the establishment's quality hadn't slipped. If they felt the standards had dropped, a two-star rating could be downgraded to one, or even stripped away entirely. Therefore, one could not be careless just because the audit was over.

"So, are you planning to aim for three stars next?" Bai Renzong asked, studying Han Jiayi’s face. The way she chewed her steak like a tiny hamster was incredibly cute.

"Hmm..." Han Jiayi pondered for a moment. Only after swallowing the beef did she say, "Actually, I don't intend to go for three stars. It’s quite good as it is. To aim for three stars, I would essentially have to shift toward Yang Hua’s style—tinkering with the presentation and ingredients—which would drive up operating costs, and the restaurant would have to raise its prices."

"Then I wouldn't be able to afford it," Bai Renzong teased. "At the very least, I wouldn't be able to come and eat every day like this."

"I could make it at home, and you could just heat it up at noon," Han Jiayi smiled. "But the regular customers at the shop would surely feel the same way, so I'll stick to two stars. The average per-person cost at a three-star restaurant is usually around one or two thousand."

"Mm," Bai Renzong nodded. "I support your decision."

"Heh heh," Han Jiayi chuckled, then leaned over to take a sip of the drink.

At the same time, Bai Renzong also took a sip, and their faces suddenly came within inches of each other. Bai Renzong could see each individual eyelash and a tiny freckle on her fair, tender cheek.

Han Jiayi’s face flushed slightly, and she shifted her gaze away, though she didn’t pull her mouth from the straw, continuing to drink slowly. Inside, she was screaming, "Darn it, so close! Does this count as an indirect kiss? Wait, no, we already did that when we went to check out that beef offal noodle shop. Is the next step a real kiss... No, no! My brain is about to crash!"

But Bai Renzong took two more sips and pulled away, then patted Han Jiayi’s head. "Don't forget about tonight's food review."

"Mm..." Han Jiayi looked at the food on her plate and smiled to herself.

"You've really been working hard lately," Bai Renzong said, sighing as he looked at her. "If there's anything I can do for you, you must tell me, okay? Don't be shy; I'm your boyfriend, and I should be sharing the pressure with you."

"I know..." Han Jiayi nodded, feeling a warm glow in her heart.

"Here, eat more." Bai Renzong cut some more steak for her and placed a chicken wing on her plate.

"You eat too..." Han Jiayi said with a shy smile, placing the other chicken wing in front of Bai Renzong.

They ate their own meal, leaving others to "eat the dog food." After finishing, Bai Renzong wiped his mouth and scanned the QR code to pay.

"Alright, I'll head back now; I still have to work on the video," Bai Renzong said to Han Jiayi.

"Okay," Han Jiayi nodded with a smile, waving her small hand. "See you tonight..."

Bai Renzong smiled, took her hand, and kissed the back of it lightly. "See you tonight."

Han Jiayi glanced around, and taking advantage of the fact that no one was watching, she stood on her tiptoes and gave Bai Renzong a quick "peck" on the cheek before turning and dashing back into the kitchen like a whirlwind.

"This silly girl... how can she be so cute?" Bai Renzong shook his head with a sigh and left Yijiaxuan.

Back home, Bai Renzong took care of some chores and played the game he was planning to cover in the next episode for a while. Soon, the sound of Han Jiayi opening the door came from outside, and the three of them set off for the restaurant they were to review today.

The place was called "Red Castle Handmade Burgers." Everything from the buns to the patties and the sauces was handmade with fresh ingredients, and the location was quite decent.

Yet, for some reason, after a brief burst of popularity in the first few months, business had plummeted. That was why the owner had proactively reached out to Bai Renzong. Promotion was secondary; the main goal was to have him critique the food and pinpoint exactly what they were doing wrong.

The owner was a man just over 1.7 meters tall, in his thirties, slightly chubby, with a shaved head and glasses—he looked like a very easygoing person.

Bai Renzong narrowed his right eye, and three attributes floated above the owner's head: "Honest" (30%), "Easily Discouraged" (20%), and "Optimistic" (15%). A typical "honest man" set of traits.

"Hello, hello. I'm the owner, Li Jianguo," the owner stepped forward to shake Bai Renzong’s hand. "I never expected to see you in person today... You look much more handsome than in your videos."

"You're too kind," Bai Renzong said, completely unfazed, his expression serious. "Let's get straight to the point."

He asked about the menu and procedures. The shop focused on burgers, with fried chicken and fries as sides. The variety wasn't huge, but they had twelve different types of burgers—beef, chicken, fish, and shrimp. As for the price, being handmade, they were naturally more expensive than Wallace, but cheaper than McDonald’s or KFC.

"It's rare for a fried chicken and burger shop to struggle with business, honestly..." Bai Renzong delivered a soul-crushing blow with his first sentence, leaving Li Jianguo visibly disheartened.

"Anyway, let's taste them first. We'll know once we eat," Bai Renzong said, looking at the menu. "Let's try a few different ones. I'll have a pineapple chicken burger, a classic cheese beef burger, and a deep-sea cod burger."

He then handed the menu to Han Jiayi. "Mumu."

"Don't call me Mumu..." Han Jiayi pouted, though she took the menu anyway. "I'll have... this bun-less egg, bacon, and cheese beef burger. It uses a fried egg instead of a bun! The calorie count should be lower."

"Then I'll have this Devil’s Vine Pepper Beef Burger!" Wang Bei said excitedly. "It sounds intense, right?"

"And a few sides," Bai Renzong said, scanning the menu. "The German sausages, Orleans chicken wings, golden potato wedges, and three Cokes. That'll be all."

"Can we even finish all this?" Han Jiayi asked with some concern.

"If we can't, we'll pack it up to take home for breakfast tomorrow," Bai Renzong replied. "We're here to help them find the problem. If you don't eat a variety, how can we identify the issue?"

He stood up and waved at Wang Bei. "Let's go, let's take a look in the back."

The shop wasn't large, but the kitchen was relatively tidy, and the preparation process was clear. While the ingredients weren't top-tier, there were no issues with hygiene—a hard feat for a small roadside shop.

Soon, their burgers were served. Looking at the table full of burgers and fried chicken, Bai Renzong sighed.

"It feels like I'm back to before I knew Mumu..." Bai Renzong patted Han Jiayi’s head with a touch of nostalgia. "Alright, let's eat."

The three of them each grabbed a burger and took a bite, followed by a moment of silence.

"Actually, I think it's not bad..." Bai Renzong muttered, frowning. "The beef flavor is very rich, and the patty is quite thick—it must be 1.5 centimeters thick, right? Much thicker than the patties at McDonald’s or KFC, and the cabbage is fresh. The sauce is a mix of mayonnaise and garlic sauce; it’s sweet and tangy, and paired with the savory cheese, it doesn't feel dry at all."

For this portion size, selling it for over twenty yuan was completely acceptable. As an adult male, one burger was enough to be full. Why would a shop like this be struggling?

"I agree, it's pretty good..." Han Jiayi said with interest. "How could business be bad? Could they have been targeted? Like people leaving fake bad reviews on delivery apps?"

"No, no!" Li Jianguo shook his head quickly. "Our business mainly relies on delivery orders now."

Bai Renzong thought for a moment, then grabbed a second burger and took a bite. He raised an eyebrow. Then, he grabbed the third one, the pineapple chicken burger, and took a bite; his expression darkened.

"Mumu, give me a bite of yours," Bai Renzong signaled to Han Jiayi.

Han Jiayi felt a bit shy, but she happily passed the burger over.

After taking a bite, Bai Renzong nodded. "I know the reason now."

He turned to the owner and said, "In your shop, all the burgers taste the same."

"Eh? That..." Li Jianguo stammered. "I wouldn't say that... we do make adjustments..."

"I know, very subtle adjustments," Bai Renzong nodded. "But overall, they don't go beyond the flavors of sour, sweet, or salty. Your sauces essentially fall into three categories: Thousand Island with peanut butter, mayonnaise with garlic sauce, and mustard with ketchup. Haven't you noticed? They are all sweet, sour, and salty. To the average person, it all tastes the same."

Han Jiayi tasted Bai Renzong’s classic cheese beef burger, then took a bite of Wang Bei’s Devil’s Vine Pepper burger. She muttered, "It's true... they are all sweet and tangy; it’s just the texture that's different."

"And the key is that there is too much sauce; it completely masks the taste of the meat," Bai Renzong frowned. "So, even though you have many types of burgers, they all taste the same, just with different textures. Of course, people would get tired of it quickly."

Bai Renzong shook his head. "This won't do. Order one of the remaining burgers; I have to help you improve them all."

"O-okay! Right away!" Li Jianguo responded and hurried back to the kitchen to give instructions.