Chapter 505: Taking the Initiative in Three Days

They had made a lot of money this time.

Wang Yun led the group to a small inn.

Hotels required ID—something they didn’t have—so they couldn’t check in there. The inn was shabby and cold, but it was still better than sleeping on the street.

To save money, they booked four rooms total.

Wang Yun shared a room with Xiao Gang because Old Hu’s snoring was notorious and ruined his sleep.

Once everything was arranged, Wang Yun gathered everyone into one of the rooms for their very first proper meal since arriving on Lidao.

Of course, the pots, bowls, and utensils had all been borrowed from the innkeeper, who gladly lent them out for a small fee.

Now, eight pairs of eyes eagerly stared at a large bucket brimming with seafood.

Big Mouth squatted in the center of the room.

Washing, sorting, chopping, prepping. It took him less than half an hour to get everything ready by himself.

They had also purchased vegetables and bread from the innkeeper to serve as the main course.

“I’m about to start. Boss, crack open the window; otherwise, the smoke’s gonna get intense,” Big Mouth said as he glanced at Wang Yun.

Wang Yun swallowed hard. He wasn’t particularly hungry, but watching Big Mouth at work, he had a feeling the food wouldn’t disappoint. They might not have the familiar spices from back home, but with the right technique, anything could taste great.

“Alright. If you need help, just say the word.” Wang Yun stepped up beside him.

“I used to run a little restaurant. It wasn’t big, but we served more people than this.” Big Mouth waved him off. “Seafood’s the easiest thing to cook. Just watch, I guarantee you’ll all be satisfied!”

As he spoke, Big Mouth got to work.

He fired up the pan, heated the oil, and tossed in some lesser-known spices he had found.

Then came the powerful stir-frying.

Meanwhile, a second pot came to a boil beside him, and he dropped in seafood to blanch. Even while stir-frying, he didn’t waste a second. He was mixing dipping sauces with lemon, rosemary, sesame, and soy sauce into a large bowl of rich, fragrant dressing.

Just the sight of it was enough to make mouths water.

He kept the wok going; every five minutes yielded a fresh batch.

Seafood cooked quickly, and soon, the entire room was filled with an irresistible aroma.

Everyone was practically drooling.

“Damn, I really can’t hold it in anymore. Big Mouth’s a beast!” Old Hu wiped his mouth and rubbed his hands together, eyes sparkling as he stared at the plates.

The food wasn’t even done yet, and of course, he wouldn’t eat alone.

But the scent filling the room was just too much to resist.

Good thing it was morning; breakfast stalls were already open. If this had been the middle of the night or afternoon, that smell leaking from the inn might’ve drawn curious onlookers.

Who could ignore such an incredible scent wafting out of a shabby inn?

“Man, why does it feel like I’m on vacation?” Old Zhou chuckled.

It was his first time abroad. He’d expected to spend every day fleeing, hiding, surviving on scraps.

But instead, they first went to the sea and hauled in fresh seafood. Then they checked into a hotel. And now, now they were having a feast.

This felt exactly like a laid-back holiday.

The best part was that they’d made a huge profit.

“I won’t lie, I feel the same way,” Xiao Gao added with a grin.

“Well, what did you expect? Look who our leader is!” Old Hu said proudly. “Back in season one, it was just me, Boss, and Xiao Gang. You wouldn’t believe how rough we had it. We lived in abandoned buildings, ate instant noodles every day. Getting a sip of beer was a luxury. Nothing like this, sitting around chatting and feasting on seafood.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, big thanks to the boss! This trip was totally worth it!”

“Hey, Big Mouth, how much longer till we eat? I can’t hold back any longer!” Old Zhou asked again, practically drooling.

Big Mouth was drenched in sweat, still tossing the wok as he moved nonstop.

“Eighteen minutes.” Thirteen suddenly spoke.

Everyone turned to look.

He pointed at the pot and the remaining seafood in the bucket.

“Each pot takes around five minutes. One batch yields five pounds. There’s fifteen jin left. Including the time for heating oil and plating… we’ll be eating in about eighteen minutes,” he said seriously, more open than before.

Big Mouth glanced at the bucket and nodded.

“Our Thirteen’s a real math genius. His grasp on quantities is spot on. Yeah, looks like there’s about fifteen pounds left. It’ll be ready in no time, just keep chatting,” he said with admiration.

Thirteen looked around seventeen or eighteen, with a delicate, clean-cut appearance.

He was quiet, often seemed distracted while working, and rarely met anyone’s eyes when speaking.

It was obvious he was different from most people.

But when it came to numbers, Thirteen was always precise.

“No doubt about it. He’s got a gift for numbers,” Wang Yun said, sitting up and smiling with approval. “I’ve got a task for you. Three days from now, we’ll begin taking action. In these three days, I want you to memorize every street and shop within a ten-kilometer radius. And I’d like you to estimate the general number of people on the streets during peak hours. Think you can handle that?”