Chapter 509: Chapter 24 Family Issues
In the city of the vaulted heavens, dining has never been an issue. Thanks to students from all over the world, parents, and investors drawn by the emerging industries, the local food service industry could be described as booming. In the residential areas of the Thorn District, one could find eateries from the Empire and izakayas from Zero Island, while the commercial streets of the central district mainly catered to students’ tastes with fast food and simple meal restaurants. The malls housed a variety of international and fusion cuisines, and traditional restaurants were commonplace in the Two Wings District. Superpower Users never worried about having nothing to eat, their main concern was where to dine tonight and what to eat.
However, if one ruled out the city’s prevalent new cuisine and the more affordable home-style meals, the options would shrink significantly. If one also had requirements regarding the environment and style, most likely, they would end up heading to the Cangshou District. In Dragon Head, where the rich and high-ranking officials lived, the term “dining” was hardly mentioned, but “banqueting” was frequently used. When local subjects of the Empire needed to entertain important guests or receive big clients, they usually went to the Cangxing Building in the west of Dragon Head.
This 30-story building, designed by an old architect from Ustus, was topped by a busy kitchen run by a chef from Divine Capital. Although Cangxing Building bore the title of a “building,” it actually only rented a few floors of this skyscraper. Master Hong, when he first arrived from the capital, often felt dizzy as he looked out from the revolving restaurant at the very top, cursing under his breath that only a foreign devil with a fried brain would design such a damned building. A few years later, after growing accustomed to it, he even took to Western cuisine and added a few innovative dishes to the menu.
Tonight’s visitor was a VIP, and Hong didn’t dare to be negligent, so he personally took charge of all the dishes. The sweet and sour carp had just come out of the pan, and the crescent-shaped giant fish rested on a bed of fried lotus root slices, with its crevices filled with lotus seeds and its mouth holding a ball of carrot. Drizzling it with the prepared sweet and sour sauce, the fragrance was immediately enveloping.
Hong was very satisfied with the look of this signature dish and decided to personally serve it. The guests were seated by the window, one a silver-haired youth with an unfamiliar face, and the other was Mr. Qin whom he had seen before. As Hu placed the fish on the table and announced the dish’s name, he felt a bit nervous inside.
Mr. Qin tasted it first and complimented, “Full of color, aroma, and flavor!”
Hong’s heart settled, and he cracked a smile, “I’m glad you’re satisfied.”
“I’ve always liked this dish. It’s fresh, bright, and festive,” Qin An put down his chopsticks and started some small talk. “I remember Master Hong had retired early, I didn’t expect to see you here again.”
Hong felt warmth in his heart that this old customer still remembered him, whether a bigwig or not, it was comforting.
“Ah yes! As you mentioned, I’ve left my old building in Divine Capital in the hands of my apprentice. But oddly enough, my little grandson just awakened his superpower for throwing balls.” Hong shook his head, “Mr. Qin, as you know, the safety here isn’t great. Opening a restaurant allows me to snag an apartment in the Cangshou District, and I can be at ease with the child living there.”
“Being an elder is not easy,” Qin An nodded understandingly. “I won’t disturb you any further.”
“Ha ha, you’re right. Enjoy your meal, I’m off to prepare the dessert soup.”
Hong excused himself and returned to the kitchen. Qin An turned around, spread his hands indicating the array of dishes on the table, and laughed, “Even though we didn’t arrive in a luxury car, we made it to the revolving restaurant in Cangshou District. This meal, it must be in the four digits, right?”
Gongsun Ce had just taken a bite of fish and nearly choked upon hearing that.
“Cough, cough!” Gongsun Ce gulped down a big mouthful of water and said awkwardly, “I was just teasing her…”
“I was teasing you too,” Qin An said nonchalantly.
Gongsun Ce wasn’t quite comfortable; Qin An talked like an old fogy but was very progressive in action. But the more he thought about it, the more it seemed normal. A family of high reputation, even if one possessed the most stubborn and out-of-touch old-fashioned ideas, shouldn’t send such people out for tasks. If every time they sent out a bunch of showy, dull-witted fellows under their family name, how could such a family be sustainable long-term?
Fortunately, Gongsun Ce had thick skin and wasn’t unused to fancy dining, and since it was the Qin family treating tonight, he wouldn’t miss the chance to feast for free. He then loosened up, filled his belly for a while before asking, “I was wondering if there’s anything you need my help with?”
Qin An slowly stirred his fish soup with a spoon and said, “Brother Gongsun is shrewd, you must have figured it out before asking me?”
Gongsun Ce put down his chopsticks and pondered the actions of the Qin brothers before answering:
“I think none of you seem inclined to take Qin Qianbai away by force. On one hand, as a Superpower User, she ought to stay here, and on the other hand, fleeing from home, seeing her family might further destabilize her emotions, increasing the danger. So, you must want me to occasionally look after her, help her get used to the city, teach her to control her superpower, and incidentally sort out some of the troubles she caused upon arrival. Once her condition has stabilized, and she’s past the initial phase of awakening her superpower, you’ll be at ease to return home with good news.”
Qin An nodded, “You’re exactly right.”
Gongsun Ce thought about the meaning behind those words, “Do you have other things in mind?”
“That will be discussed later, let’s talk about Little Qian first. Brother Gongsun, what do you think?”
Gongsun Ce spoke frankly, “I think the whole situation is absurd. How could Qin Qianbai, at her age and coming from a prestigious family like yours in the Divine Capital, have managed to run away successfully? Moreover, that such a child, who should be well looked after, harbors panic towards her own family and exhibits ignorance in many aspects, it’s all very strange.”