Yu-Gi-Oh!: Ultimate Duelist

Lin Hao ate the skewers with big mouthfuls. The tender and juicy skewers emitted an enticing aroma in his mouth.

While chewing, he said, "How is it? It tastes good, right?" His eyes were full of anticipation, hoping to get the approval of Lin Xue and Chen Siyu.

Lin Xue nodded and said, "I didn't expect that you are such a foodie, brother. You can find a place like this." She had a teasing smile on her face and a skewer stuffed in her mouth, looking very cute.

Lin Hao's brow was suddenly filled with black lines, and he said helplessly: "What do you mean by foodie? This is because your brother has a keen eye for food and knows whose food is delicious. I just have a keen insight into food, and I'm not just a foodie." He tried to clear his name and didn't want to be labeled as a foodie by his sister.

Lin Xue was eating skewers and said in a vague voice, "Tsk, what's wrong with being a foodie?" She retorted nonchalantly and continued to enjoy the delicious skewers.

Chen Siyu smiled and said, "This boss's cooking is quite good. The spiciness alone is perfect for our local palate." She narrowed her eyes slightly, a look of satisfaction on her face. Hunan people have always loved spicy food, and the spiciness of this barbecue was just right for her taste buds.

Lin Hao said mysteriously, "Hey, you don't know what's going on here, right?" His eyes flashed with a cunning light, which successfully aroused the curiosity of Lin Xue and Chen Siyu.

Lin Xue and Chen Siyu immediately asked curiously, "What do you know?" They stared at Lin Hao, waiting for his answer.

Lin Hao said with a smile: "This boss is from Anhui Province. They don't like spicy food here. When he came to Hunan Province, where people love spicy food, he couldn't stand it. But in order to make the food he made suit our local taste, he took risks." He told the boss's story vividly, as if he had witnessed it with his own eyes.

Seeing that Lin Xue and Chen Siyu were attracted by his words, Lin Hao continued: "He mixed five levels of spiciness based on his body's reaction. The first one is that his mouth feels relatively spicy, but the impact is not big; the second one is that his mouth is burning and it takes half a day to dissipate; the third one is that his face turns red after one bite, and he dares not eat anything; the fourth one is that he has to go to the bathroom after one bite." His description was vivid and vivid, making Lin Xue and Chen Siyu feel as if they saw the boss's painful expression when he tried various levels of spiciness.

Lin Xue asked, "What is the fifth one?" Her eyes were wide open, full of curiosity.

Lin Hao said with a smile: "As for the fifth method, he no longer dares to try it." There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone, which made people laugh.

"Haha, this boss is so funny." Lin Xue said with a smile. She laughed out loud at the boss's story and thought he was very interesting.

"So what's the spicy level of what we're eating now?" Chen Siyu asked curiously. She was very interested in this question and wanted to know how spicy the food she was tasting was.

"That was the fourth one," Lin Hao replied. A smug smile appeared on his face, as if he was proud of finding such a unique barbecue stall.

"No way, this spiciness feels just normal," Lin Xue said in disbelief. She couldn't believe she was eating something so spicy that even her boss couldn't stand it. She felt the spiciness wasn't as exaggerated as she'd imagined.

"It's my fault, they can't handle spicy food," Lin Hao said with a shrug. He understood the boss's difficulties, as people in different regions have different tolerances for spiciness. But he also admired the boss's efforts and innovation; being able to adjust the spiciness to suit local tastes was commendable.

They ate skewers and talked about the boss's stories, and their laughter echoed around the barbecue stall.

……

Just when Lin Hao and his friends were enjoying their meal and chatting animatedly, a few ruffians came swaggering over.

Their footsteps were heavy and arrogant, as if carrying an indomitable aura.

The leader was a bald man with a face full of flesh, looking like a bully from a horror movie. His scalp shone oily in the light, like a polished stone.

There was a thick chain hanging around his neck. The chain was heavy, and every link seemed to tell of his dominance and tyranny.

He glanced at the barbecue stall with a fierce look, like a hungry wolf looking for prey, which was chilling.

Then, he shouted to his boss, Ma Ge: "Hey, boss, it's time to pay this month's protection fee." His voice was hoarse and harsh, like the pulling of an old bellows.

When Ma Ge heard this, he immediately became angry.

He stopped what he was doing, his busy hands now clenched into fists, and he puffed out his chest, as if determined to fight the injustice of the world to the end.

He said, "You guys come to collect protection fees every day. How can it be easy for me to earn a little money after working hard? I won't do it!" Ma Ge's voice was full of anger and indomitable spirit. His eyes were firm and resolute, as if telling these gangsters that he would not give in easily.

The bald thug's face darkened upon hearing this. His brows were furrowed tightly, as if twisted into a knot.

He said viciously: "Hmph, you dare not hand it over? Believe it or not, we will smash your stall." His words were full of threats, and the fierce tone made people terrified.

Ma Ge said angrily: "This is a public place, what kind of money are you collecting?" Ma Ge's voice was full of doubt and anger. He didn't understand why these people were so domineering and dared to collect protection fees in a public place.

The bald gangster said with disdain: "This area is my territory, and you have to pay in my territory." His tone was full of arrogance and conceit, as if the whole world was under his control.

Ma Ge said: "If you cause trouble, I will call the police and let them deal with you." There was hope in Ma Ge's eyes. He hoped that the police could come and stop these people's evil deeds.

The bald thug was not someone to be trifled with. Upon hearing this, he became even more angry and said, "As soon as the police come, we will run away. You set up a stall here every day, and we will come here every day to cause trouble for you. Let's see how you can continue." His words were full of threats and provocations, as if he was declaring war on Brother Ma.

Ma Ge said more angrily: "You..."

Before Ma Ge could finish his words, he was interrupted by the bald gangster.

An argument erupted between the two sides, the noise growing louder and louder. The sound was like a surging ocean wave, crashing against everyone's eardrums. The surrounding diners cast concerned glances, but no one dared to intervene.