Xiaoqing Restaurant was Qin Zhongquan's first stop after his adoptive mother took him from the nursing home. It wasn't a well-known establishment, just an ordinary private restaurant at the time. Qin Zhongquan wasn't sure why he chose this place. Perhaps it was the unique, handmade flavors that offered a different dining experience, perhaps it was a nostalgia that deepened with age, or perhaps he only recognized the first two characters on the plaque at the time—in any case, nothing is clear.
He straightened his clothes, spread out the paper menu handed to him by the waiter, took out a light golden coin from his pocket, and let it swirl and roll on the paper.
"Exploding insect pupae."
"One order of crispy insect pupae with a secret dipping sauce." The waiter held up a palm-sized order taker, recording and repeating clearly.
"White mushroom soup."
"A cream of mushroom soup."
Qin Zhongquan turned to the second page and repeated the coin spinning process, but this time, before the coin came to rest, he hurriedly said, "Signature Ramen."
"One serving of hand-made ramen." The waiter leaned over and continued in a slightly lower voice, "Sir, this dish is limited in quantity each day. You're a little late, so you may not be able to place an order later."
"How could this be?"
The waiter waved his hands helplessly and replied apologetically, "According to my predecessor, there were some problems with the machine producing the raw materials, the kind that couldn't be repaired. The boss doesn't want to change the formula, so they've had to raise the price and limit purchases. In my opinion, that machine is too old. It should be a blessing that it's been used this long." He glanced in one direction and continued, "Look, the machine is right there! It was like this when I got here, about four or five years ago, and no one has fixed it in a thousand years."
Qin Zhongquan followed the waiter's gaze. A machine, spray-painted green, lay quietly in the center of the hall, protected by a transparent casing. The machine bore many signs of wear, some nearly worn away, but the crucial inscriptions remained intact. The longest line read, "Yang's Craftsmanship, 2152 Collector's Edition." A sign stood beside the transparent casing, though Qin Zhongquan couldn't see it clearly from his angle. He guessed it contained some information.
"Well, then make a note of it first. If you don't have it, you can use a similar item to make up for it. Tell me about it so I can be mentally prepared."
"Yes, sir." The waiter leaned over and pointed to the left column of paper, moving it a short distance from top to bottom. Then he said, "You can choose these."
Qin Zhongquan didn't answer immediately. He seemed to be struggling internally for a moment, then placed the coin next to one of the items. "Then how about fresh fried rice?"
"Your choice is really tasteful, a fresh risotto." The waiter used polite words.
"One more—" Qin Zhongquan flipped through two pages, pinching a piece of paper and comparing them repeatedly. Then, with a wave of his hand, he said arrogantly, "I want both of them."
"One smoked croaker and one grilled meat on a slate plate." The waiter paused. "Would you like some sauce?"
"No, I can dip it myself. By the way, what kind of meat is this barbecue?"
"The Dimetrodon front leg meat comes from the New Magic City Comprehensive Breeding Building in the south. It's very fresh."
"Oh, this is my first time trying this, what are your thoughts?"
The waiter rolled his eyes, seeming to think. "Regular customers recommend wrapping the side dishes in the grilled meat and dipping them in sauce, preferably hot sauce, but many people can't handle that level of spiciness."
"Okay, I'll try!"
"Well, is there anything else you need?" the waiter asked again.
Qin Zhongquan flipped to the last page of the menu and headed straight for the alcoholic beverages printed on it, but then a look of disappointment crossed his face. "Isn't there anything produced on Mars here?"
“You can order it out for an extra fee,” the waiter said, offering other options.
"Forget it, let's just get a bottle of the best one you have!" Qin Zhongquan didn't make any more trouble.
"Okay, sir. The total is 277 Universal Dollars. We accept payments in other currencies." The waiter stood up straight and read out the bill, confirming it several times. After Qin Zhongquan paid a 10% deposit, he uploaded the order data.
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