Food: Senior year internship, you take over the university cafeteria

Chapter 50 Fish in the School Lake

The following morning, window number 07 was as busy as ever.

The rising steam, carrying the aromas of rice, noodles, and soy sauce, spread in the dim morning light.

Wang Sheng's movements were as precise as a machine, his eyes were calm and steady, and the abundant energy brought by the [Stamina Enhancement Card] allowed him to handle even the busiest morning rush hour with ease.

Zhao Gang and Lin Xiaowen worked together swiftly and efficiently, handling everything from cashier duties and packaging to restocking ingredients.

The popularity score slowly but steadily climbed in the background, from 51880 to 51950 and then to 52020. Every sincere positive review is a real accumulation.

However, the golden lucky cat that Su Weiwei named "Yuanbao" and placed high hopes on was...

After Wang Sheng temporarily settled it in a relatively clean and well-ventilated corner of the backyard, placed a water bowl and a small handful of cat food, it strolled around with elegant (or rather, lazy) cat steps, and then "whoosh," it nimbly climbed over the low backyard wall and disappeared into the morning light and the piles of debris in the alley behind the canteen, vanishing without a trace.

"Tsk, this Yuanbao, he's already skipping work after just starting?"

Zhao Gang caught a glimpse of the vanishing golden light and joked.

"Let it go. It's used to being wild; it's probably just patrolling its territory."

Wang Sheng didn't care much; stray cats have wild instincts, and you can't force them.

I hope he'll come back.

As the morning rush hour noise gradually subsides, the work area enters a short break to prepare for the lunch market.

Wang Shengzheng and Brother Liu were checking the sales data of "Shengji Northeast Branch" dumplings from last night and discussing whether the recipe needed to be adjusted.

"Hey! Fat cat! Stop right there! Put the fish down!!"

A furious roar, accompanied by heavy breathing and the sound of running, suddenly rang out from the back door passage of the cafeteria, growing louder as it approached!

Wang Sheng paused, looking up in surprise.

The big, fat orange cat that had disappeared for over an hour reappeared!

But this time, its demeanor was anything but "calm"!

It was like a high-speed, furry orange cannonball, its four claws flailing as it raced out of the tunnel!

What's most eye-catching is that it has a large carp in its mouth, still struggling and with its scales shimmering with a bluish-gray luster under the light!

The fish looked to weigh over two pounds, its tail thrashing wildly, splashing water everywhere!

Behind the orange cat, a boy wearing a sports vest and beach shorts, carrying a folding stool and a simple fishing rod holder, was chasing after it, his face flushed and panting.

He had clearly been chasing for quite a distance; his forehead was covered in sweat, and his hair was soaked and stuck to his forehead.

"Huff—huff—dead—dead cat! Stop! That's—my fish!"

The boy was out of breath, pointing at the orange cat, his voice trembling.

The orange cat, carrying a fish in its mouth, charged straight for window number 07 with a clear objective!

It ran up to Wang Sheng's feet, then braked suddenly and stopped.

It spat the still-throwing carp in its mouth onto the clean floor tiles at Wang Sheng's feet with a "plop," and then—it actually kicked off with its hind legs and lightly jumped onto an unused plastic stool that hadn't been taken away yet!

It sat on the stool, chest puffed out, head held high, its amber cat eyes looking down at the boy who was chasing after it, then down at the fish on the ground, and finally, its gaze landed on Wang Sheng's face.

That look in his eyes—

Wang Sheng swore that he definitely saw a hint of "smugness" and a sense of entitlement in it, as well as the idea that "it's my fish, so take care of it!"

E

,

Wang Sheng looked at the large, lively carp on the ground, then at the "Cat Grandpa" on the stool, and finally at the fishing boy who was supporting himself on his knees and was almost out of breath. He was speechless for a moment.

The boy's gaze darted rapidly between the cat and the fish before finally settling on Wang Sheng. His eyes lit up instantly, as if he'd found a savior: "Boss Wang! Senior Wang! This—this is your cat, right?"

Wang Sheng looked at the still-throwing "evidence," then at Yuanbao's indifferent expression, and roughly understood what was going on. He nodded: "Hmm, so it's—a stray cat we just took in, named Yuanbao. It—took your fish?"

"It's not just stolen!"

The boy, his face a mixture of indignation and amusement, pointed at Yuanbao and exclaimed, "I'm in the school's fishing club, nicknamed the 'Fishing King'! This morning I finally managed to catch two carp in Mirror Moon Lake on our school. I'd just pulled the second one ashore, and before I even had a chance to remove the hook, this cat—this cat was like a golden lightning bolt! 'Whoosh!' it darted out, snatched the fish, and ran! It was so fast, I couldn't even stop it with my net! It chased me all the way here!"

Brother Liu leaned closer, his eyes lighting up as he looked at the robust carp and the other one in the net: "Wow! This fish is great! Wild from Mirror Moon Lake, the water quality is excellent, the meat must be firm and sweet! Much better than those farmed ones in the market!"

The fishing prodigy waved his hands repeatedly, a slightly ingratiating and sly smile on his face: "Senior Wang! I've caught the fish, and I've confirmed the cat is yours. Forget about compensation! The fish the cat bit can't be eaten, but I have another fish..."

He abruptly changed the subject, his eyes becoming incredibly eager, "I only have one request! Senior! You see—you're such a good cook, could you—cook this fish for me? Freshly killed and cooked! I'll pay for the processing! Double is fine too! I just want to eat something fresh! I've been craving carp from Mirror Moon Lake for so long, but I don't know how to cook it myself, and it's impossible to get any in the dorm!"

This turn of events surprised both Wang Sheng and Brother Liu. Looking at the expectant, almost glowing eyes of their fishing buddy, and then at the remaining wild carp that hadn't been bitten and were clearly top-quality ingredients, they found it hard to refuse.

Moreover, the other party voluntarily waived compensation and requested processing—this is more like food delivered to their doorstep and—a challenge?

"Fish in Mirror Moon Lake—is fishing allowed at school?"

Wang Sheng asked cautiously.

"Rules are rules, but people are flexible!" The fishing king chuckled, lowering his voice. "Our association is on good terms with the logistics department, so we set up a 'Research on Ecological Balance' sign. Catching a few fish occasionally to improve our meals is harmless! Don't worry, senior, it's absolutely clean and compliant!"

He patted his chest and assured them.

Wild, fresh, and top-quality ingredients delivered right to your door—the cravings of diners are so intense.

[Ding! High-quality fresh ingredient detected: Wild carp from Mirror Moon Lake (approximately 2.3 jin)! Triggering the temporary quest "The Diner's Craving"!]

[Task Requirements: Using this ingredient, create a dish that will make diners feel happy.]

[Task Reward: Random Sichuan Cuisine Skill (3 stars) 1]

Good guy!

Wang Sheng glanced at the system shop, and with a slight thought, the redemption information for [Sichuan Cuisine Skill: Braised Carp] instantly appeared:

Sichuan Cuisine Techniques: Dry-Fried Carp (Classic Home-Style, Oily but Not Soupy)

[Redemption requires: 3000 popularity points]

[Description: A classic Sichuan fish dish. The key lies in "naturally reducing the sauce," resulting in a dish with a bright red color, a thick, glossy sauce, and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside fish. It combines salty, savory, fragrant, spicy, slightly sweet, and slightly sour flavors, creating a rich and mellow taste with a lingering aftertaste.]

For Wang Sheng, who currently boasts over 50,000 popularity points and whose numbers are steadily increasing, 3000 popularity points are well within his acceptable range.

Let alone a one-on-one exchange!?

"Okay." Wang Sheng nodded without further hesitation, and with a thought, he ordered, "Exchange!"

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