Infinite Cosmic Cafeteria Chapter 40: To-Go

Translator: Stellar Novels Editor: Stellar Novels

Even though Ma Lu had just eaten a freshly baked bun, he couldn’t resist the freshly made Sandfish Burger.

However, he restrained his urge and took out his phone to snap a few photos before finally picking up the burger and taking a big bite.

The double patties brought double the joy. Thousand-Toothed Sandfish meat has always been popular in bars and restaurants on The Giant Screen for good reason.

It has a unique texture with a natural fruitwood-smoked aroma, yet unlike actual smoked meat, it isn’t dry or tough and retains the tenderness and juiciness of fresh meat.

Moreover, when making the meatballs, Old Wang nailed the balance of fat and lean meat, with a ratio of about 30% fat to 70% lean, and included some connective tissue to add extra chewiness to the patties.

As for the sauce, it seemed to be the same secret tomato sauce used previously for the Deep-Fried Jackal Meat Patties, but with a twist.

“Eggs—you added eggs? And not just raw; you boiled and crushed them. Is it meant to replace the mayonnaise? I’ve always thought mayonnaise combined with cheese can be a bit too rich, but this feels much better. Plus, the egg bits add another layer of texture.”

Finishing the burger, Ma Lu felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

He glanced at the two half-finished burgers left on the table from their practice run.

Since they already had sauce on them, they couldn’t be wrapped up, and Ma Lu was full, but tossing them would be wasteful.

So, he pulled out his phone and messaged Brother Xiao Yang, asking if he wanted to come over for some burgers.

Brother Xiao Yang’s reply came quickly.

—I’ll be right there.

Ever since trying the Deep-Fried Jackal Meat Patties, Brother Xiao Yang still acted dismissive about Ma Lu’s snack business, but his actions told a different story.

While he didn’t come by every day, he had tried every dish that Universe’s Best Snack Stall had launched, often more than twice. At this point, he could be called a loyal fan.

Of course, Brother Xiao Yang could never admit that Ma Lu and Old Wang’s business had taken off, as it would make him look incompetent as a supposed mentor.

Especially since they were using his tricycle, it felt like a case of “The orange tree thriving in the south.”

(Translator's Note: “The orange tree thriving in the south.” is derived from a Chinese saying, “橘生淮南则为橘，生于淮北则为枳,” which translates to "Oranges grown south of the Huai River are oranges, but when grown north of the Huai River, they become hedge thorns." This proverb emphasizes how the environment can significantly affect the nature of things, including people and situations.

Initially, his stance was—if you guys can’t sell everything, I can help minimize your losses.

But after two days of getting nothing, Brother Xiao Yang realized that with the current popularity of Universe’s Best Snack Stall, waiting for leftovers wasn’t going to work.

So he quickly changed tactics, using his proximity to intercept them before they set up shop and found a new excuse: quality control.

Ma Lu didn’t bother calling him out on it. Business coming to his door was always welcome, especially since Brother Xiao Yang never forgot to pay each time he “checked the quality,” and what he said didn’t really matter.

In less than two minutes, there was a knock at the door.

Ma Lu opened the door, and Brother Xiao Yang walked in, muttering, “Trying out new items again? I’m here to check them for you.”

Old Wang was still in the kitchen frying patties. Brother Xiao Yang, making himself at home, went straight to the couch and sat down.

He then said to Ma Lu, “Wasn’t Deep Sea Supreme King Roast selling well? Why stop now? You guys never seem to tire of switching things up.”

“As long as it makes money, it’s not tiring,” Ma Lu replied.

“How much are you planning to sell the burgers for this time?”

“35.”

“Wow, with prices like that, you make KFC and McDonald's look like they’re doing charity work,” Brother Xiao Yang gasped. “I feel embarrassed to even use their coupons now.”

“Says who? I checked, McDonald’s Angus Double Cheeseburger goes for 43.5, which is 8.5 more than ours.”

“But theirs is Angus.”

“So do ours.”

Seeing how confidently Ma Lu said this, Brother Xiao Yang was momentarily convinced, mainly because he recalled the food he had eaten here before. Though he couldn’t always pinpoint what it was, the quality always felt genuinely impressive.

It was even better than what he’d had at some upscale restaurants.

Could it be that these two were really using top-tier, pricey ingredients?

No, wait, almost got sidetracked—the main point isn’t that.

Brother Xiao Yang frowned, “Why would a snack stall use such high-end ingredients?”

“Because we’re a snack stall with ambition. We plan to open a proper restaurant someday and can’t afford any black marks on our history.”

“But who in their right mind would eat Angus beef from a street stall?!”

Unable to suppress his long-held urge to complain, Brother Xiao Yang shouted this and immediately felt a wave of satisfaction.

However, he quickly realized something was off—Ma Lu was still staring at him.

“I—I don’t count. I’m just here to check your quality,” Brother Xiao Yang quickly added.

“Whatever, it’s fine, as long as you pay.”

“Hmph, let me be clear—if it doesn’t taste good, I’m not paying.”

Ma Lu didn’t respond to this; he simply went to the kitchen and brought out the freshly made Sandfish Burger from Old Wang.

Brother Xiao Yang swallowed hard and reached out…

Three minutes later, he had finished the entire burger but was still too busy licking the sauce off his fingers to speak.

Ma Lu silently slid the A4 paper with the payment QR code in front of him.

Even as he scanned the code to pay, Brother Xiao Yang remained stubborn. “The taste is alright, but I don’t really like onions.”

“There’s one left.”

“…………”

“Pack it up. I’ll take it home for my mom to try.”

Brother Xiao Yang scanned the code again, grabbed the wrapped burger, and was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something. He looked around the room and asked, “By the way, did you guys get a dog recently? I keep hearing something running around upstairs.”

“Oh… A friend had to go back to his hometown for a bit, so he’s left his dog with us for a while.”

“Really? Then make sure to keep my figurines safe. Don’t let the dog mess them up,” Brother Xiao Yang reminded.

“Of course, don’t worry.”

“Where’s the dog?”

“It’s out for a walk with some local college students.”

“College students these days must have too much free time,” Brother Xiao Yang muttered a bit more before finally heading downstairs to go home.

Ma Lu then posted the burger pre-order list in the two fan groups.

As expected, complaints about the price immediately flooded in, with many people saying it was too expensive. But since there were plenty of people in the groups, quite a few who weren’t short on cash or were eager to try something new started signing up, and in no time, they had over 30 orders.

However, there was still a lot of hesitation. It wasn’t that they doubted the burger’s taste—it was just that the price was indeed steep.

Even with comparisons to similar items at KFC and McDonald’s, most students wouldn’t splurge on Angus even at those chains.

Ma Lu didn’t argue; he simply posted the photos he had taken earlier, one by one, in the group.

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