Lola was clueless when it came to business, pure-hearted, and even a little slow in some respects. She couldn't understand a word Bella Bell said, and shook her head in confusion.
Bella Bell chuckled, snapped her fingers, and a cheerful, slightly chubby man entered from outside.
Lola looked at the man—she recognized him. He used to be a secret guard for the Evans family, but thanks to his culinary talent, he was chosen by Princess Lily to become her apprentice-grandson and served as Head Chef at Eight Treasures Bistro.
That's right, this Head Chef was the very one who, just a few days ago, was "poached" by Princess Mira to become Head Chef at Suxin Pavilion!
Now, he's completed his mission and returned!
Suxin Pavilion is left without a Head Chef!
The Head Chef bowed to Su Li, Bella Bell, and Lola, then grinned: "Grandmaster, Master, I've completed my mission! First, I pretended to take the bait and let Suxin Pavilion recruit me. Then, using the spices I brought, I made their business boom, tricked Princess Mira into pouring all her assets into bidding for the spices and drove the price sky-high. Now, Princess Mira has spent everything on spices, dreaming of making Suxin Pavilion a fortune, but I've come back! Without me cooking, she can't recreate those dishes. With only the watered-down recipes from the auction, there's no way Suxin Pavilion can become the top restaurant in the Capital."
Su Li looked at the Head Chef and smiled, "Excellent! Well done—mission accomplished. You'll be handsomely rewarded!"
The Head Chef beamed, "Thank you, Grandmaster!"
Bella Bell added, "Alright, go collect your reward now!"
"Yes, Master, your disciple takes her leave!"
The Head Chef strode off, leaving Lola absolutely gobsmacked. She never imagined Su Li would pull off such a slick move—one moment clouds, the next rain—playing Princess Mira like a fiddle while Mira strutted around thinking she was oh-so-clever.
Su Li caught Lola's stunned expression and chuckled, "Honestly, if you just used those recipes from the auction, you could open a decent mid-tier restaurant. Feature a few of my signature dishes to draw in customers, pad the rest of the menu with everyday fare, and you could scrape by. But Princess Mira just had to open Suxin Pavilion right across from Eight Treasures Bistro. With our authentic flavors next door, who in their right mind would eat her watered-down dishes? She really dug her own grave."
Bella Bell nodded enthusiastically, "Exactly! If Suxin Pavilion were somewhere else, far from Eight Treasures Bistro, she could maybe snag some folks looking for a quick bite. But she just had to set up shop right across from us—she's blocked her own escape route. Suxin Pavilion is toast!"
Su Li laughed, "With Princess Mira's personality, there's no way she'd move Suxin Pavilion or settle for running a third-rate eatery. Her whole goal was to beat me, and she wouldn't be caught dead running a mediocre place. We'll just wait to take over Suxin Pavilion! It's a prime spot, and she's already spent a fortune decorating it. Saves us the hassle and the money!"
Bella Bell clapped her hands, "Oh wow, Master, that's genius! Princess Mira is going to lose her shirt this time!"
Meanwhile, Princess Mira swaggered back from the Prince of Qin's residence to the Chu envoy's palace, riding high on her own success. No sooner had she arrived than a servant from the Prince of Ling's residence came with a message: Prince Ling wanted to discuss the wedding arrangements.
Princess Mira haughtily dismissed the servant, "What's there to discuss? Isn't Prince Ling still under house arrest? Who knows if he'll ever get out! I'm a rich princess now—he'll be begging me for favors soon enough. Tell him to figure out how to please me himself! Now scram!"