Meng Huai had always believed in doing things properly when hosting guests, but the waitress was clearly taken aback.
"Customer, are you sure we don't have vegetables at our establishment? Our selection of vegetables is arguably the most comprehensive in the entire capital city!"
As the waitress spoke, her eyes were filled with pride. The audience, who had been watching the livestream, heard the waitress's words and wanted to see the menu. The assistant then showed them the menu.
The viewers all commented that the variety was indeed extensive, and the prices were also quite steep.
However, everyone was also very curious about Meng Huai's statement. They then heard the waitress add, "Ah, let me rephrase. It should be except for the Imperial Military Academy's research institute cafeteria, as we shouldn't boast too much. It's rumored that the institute's cafeteria is supplied by the ancient botany department's laboratory, so we can't compare."
Meng Huai looked up at the waitress and nodded, "Indeed, the variety of vegetables in the research institute's cafeteria is even greater."
"Yes, I heard that their recent chili stir-fried pork and other chili dishes are very popular. However, we can't acquire chili..."
The waitress chatted with Meng Huai for a while. Suddenly, she remembered what Meng Huai had said and replied, "If you have any other dishes, that's fine too. Our restaurant's service principle is customer first."
The waitress offered a big smile. Having gotten the answer she wanted, Meng Huai nodded and ordered dishes and soup bases with An Ran.
"You may serve the dishes."
After speaking, Meng Huai gave instructions to the robot, asking it to pick some vegetables and deliver them here.
Normally, the teachers from the laboratory also had their orders handled by robots. These were simple tasks for the robots. The distance was short, and they were delivered quickly.
The waitress knocked on the door and informed Meng Huai, "Customer, your vegetable delivery robot has arrived. May we take them to be washed?"
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, it's our duty."
With that, the waitress took the vegetables to the kitchen, instructed someone to wash them, and then deliver them to private room number one.
In the kitchen, the person responsible for washing handed this task over to a robot. Soon after washing, the cleaner arranged the vegetables on plates and was about to call someone to serve them. At this moment, the head chef of the kitchen came out. Upon seeing the vegetables, his eyes widened.
The head chef looked at the vegetables and asked the cleaner who was arranging them excitedly, "Where are these vegetables from? We don't have these in our restaurant!"
The cleaner, who usually only spoke to the head chef when his work was unsatisfactory and he was receiving criticism, was seeing the head chef so excited for the first time.
He stammered, "They are from private room number one, and it seems they were brought by the customer."
"I see..."
The head chef began to plan something.
At this time, the soup bases and dishes were all served. Seeing the assistant filming nearby and not sitting down to eat, Meng Huai beckoned her, "Let's eat together. Just set the camera aside."
An Ran also said to the assistant, "Yes, let's eat together."
Thus, the three of them sat together eating hot pot. The viewers in the livestream watched their meal and drooled. However, the three of them paid no attention to the audience in the livestream; they ate and chatted.
After a while, there was a knock on the private room door: "Hello, the dishes have been washed and are being brought to you."
Unknown to Meng Huai and the other two, the person leading the waitress was the head chef himself. Of course, the head chef also introduced himself.
"Good afternoon to our esteemed guests. I am the head chef here. Are you satisfied with today's meal? I have prepared some pastries and drinks for the three of you."
...
The viewers in the livestream were stunned. Some asked, "Is this how this restaurant operates? I've never seen the head chef, nor have I been offered drinks and pastries. I suspect the one I visited is not the same restaurant as the streamer's!"
Others commented, "Is this staged by the streamer with money?"
Regardless of the audience in the livestream, the three of them looked at the drinks and pastries placed before them and expressed their thanks to the head chef: "Thank you."
The head chef rubbed his hands and finally asked his main question, "I'm truly sorry to disturb your meal, but could you please tell us the source of these vegetables! We don't have these in our restaurant. As a chef, it's truly a pity to see such ingredients and not be able to prepare them into dishes!"
After the head chef's words, An Ran and the audience understood why they had received these complimentary items. An Ran pointed at Meng Huai, "She brought them."
The head chef looked at Meng Huai excitedly, his eyes shining, "May I know where this customer bought them, or...?"
Meng Huai replied calmly, "These? I grew them."
"Grew them?"
"You grew them yourself?"
A lot of exclamations came from the private room at this moment, even the viewers in the livestream were shocked.
The head chef, thinking of something, said to Meng Huai, "Customer, are you perhaps from the ancient botany department of the Imperial Military Academy's research institute?"
Many people knew Meng Huai's identity, and the comment section was flooded with messages: "Of course she's not from the ancient botany department, she's from the logistics department!"
Then everyone heard Meng Huai say, "I am not from the ancient botany department."
Everyone nodded in agreement, naturally affirming Meng Huai's words. The chef felt quite disappointed. However, Meng Huai soon added, "But I have a plot of land at the ancient botany department, and these were all harvested from there."
Hearing this, the head chef suddenly looked up, his eyes conveying, "What are you saying? What are you saying?"
Many people were curious how a student not from the ancient botany department could have land there to grow things!
The head chef also asked with great joy, "Then, esteemed customer, would our restaurant have the honor of purchasing some of your produce?"
Meng Huai nodded, "It's possible, but I need to supply the teachers at the laboratory first, and then I can give you the surplus." She thought to herself, as for her own personal consumption, she had plenty in her space. The growth in her space was astonishingly rapid!
But what Meng Huai said made the head chef even more astonished, "The laboratory's... teachers? And they also purchase from you?"
Meng Huai gave a look that suggested there was much more they didn't know, and revealed a little, "The recent chili was something I sold to them."
"My heavens! The viewers in the livestream were going wild. Many were frantically commenting: 'If I remember correctly, that waitress just mentioned chili stir-fried pork! Chili, I've never heard of it before!'"
The head chef was also speechless. He never expected this person to be such a big shot! If this deal could be made, would it allow him to get a raise?
The head chef became even more cautious in front of Meng Huai, "Esteemed customer, I won't disturb your meal with your friends anymore. Could I have your contact information so we can discuss cooperation after you're done with your business?"
"Of course!"
Finally, the head chef received the contact information and left, closing the private room door with satisfaction.