The thought of another recipe as potentially explosive as the Instant Noodles had Xiangling buzzing with excitement.
Curious, Hu Tao leaned in to peek at the paper strip, her head bumping lightly against Xiangling's.
[Coca-Cola Recipe]: A special beverage recipe from another world. Cool, refreshing, and thirst-quenching. With this, you can manufacture a limitless supply of Coca-Cola.
Felix raised an eyebrow as he read the description.
This... this was actually a top-tier item.
"It's a recipe for a cola," Felix announced, pointing to the text. "Coca-Cola."
"A cola recipe?!"
Xiangling's face lit up with pure joy. "That's amazing! I love cola!"
She had tasted cola before from the shop. That fizzy, refreshing burn as it went down her throat was unbeatable. And now, she had the recipe? That meant she could drink it like water every single day!
"A cola recipe..."
Chef Mao was equally pleased. He had tried cola too—a bit weird at first, medicinal almost, but after a few sips, the taste grew on you. It was definitely unique.
It wasn't a staple food like instant noodles, but as a beverage, it had huge potential for promotion.
"Shopkeeper, there's something I need to discuss with you."
The next second, Chef Mao turned serious. He pulled a folded piece of white paper from his pocket and handed it to Felix with both hands. "Could you look at this? Would you agree to these terms?"
"Hm?"
Felix raised an eyebrow.
What required a written contract?
He glanced at the paper. As he read the terms, a strange expression crossed his face.
What is it with these people and forcing shares on me?
Written clearly on the paper was a proposal for profit sharing regarding the Instant Noodles: 70% to Felix, 30% to Wanmin Restaurant.
"Shopkeeper, this applies not just to the noodles, but to the cola as well," Chef Mao said earnestly. "For any food recipe I get from you, I want to give you a share of the profits. If I don't, my conscience won't rest easy."
The explosion of the Instant Noodle craze had been shocking. Chef Mao knew deep down that this success wasn't due to his culinary skills, but the miraculous item from the jar.
Even though he paid for the jars, the credit belonged to the Shopkeeper. Without Felix, Wanmin Restaurant would just be a local eatery, not a name spreading across Teyvat.
He had thought it through. He would give the lion's share of the profit to Felix. What Chef Mao wanted was something more valuable than Mora: Reputation.
If Wanmin Restaurant's name could be known in every corner of the world, that would be his true success.
"And for any future beverages, like this cola or the coffee, I want the same terms."
Chef Mao scribbled an addendum onto the paper as he spoke. Once finished, he looked at Felix anxiously. "Shopkeeper, please check if there are any issues. If not, we can sign the contract right now."
Felix: "..."
Felix's eyelid twitched.
He hadn't expected this level of gratitude.
"Fine," Felix nodded, seeing the determination in the chef's eyes.
There was no downside to accepting free money. He signed the simple contract with Chef Mao.
"Phew."
Chef Mao let out a long breath of relief.
Finally, he accepted.
If Wanmin Restaurant didn't already have a profit-sharing agreement with Lady Ningguang (who had saved them from bankruptcy), he would have offered Felix the entire restaurant's profits.
"Since you're gifting me profits, I'll give you a piece of advice in return," Felix said with a smile.
"Coca-Cola is easy to mass-produce. Once you have it ready, don't just sell it at Wanmin Restaurant. You need to leverage the hype."
"You've been to the cinema. You know how crowded it is. If you sell cola there, the public will accept it instantly."
Felix continued, outlining the strategy. "Combine it with Xiangling's Popcorn. Cola and Popcorn are the golden pair. They will bring massive profits."
"The cinema belongs to Ningguang. Since she backed Wanmin Restaurant back in the day, she will absolutely agree to let you sell concessions there. Just think about the daily foot traffic."
"Right!"
Chef Mao's eyes went wide.
The Shopkeeper is a genius!
Why hadn't he thought of that? The cinema had a turnover of a thousand people every hour, running for fifteen hours a day. That was over 15,000 potential customers daily! Even if only one in ten bought a drink, he would be swimming in Mora.
And it was a win-win. Ningguang would get her cut, Wanmin Restaurant would get the fame and sales, and the cinema would have better service.
"Thank you for the guidance, Shopkeeper!" Chef Mao bowed profusely. "I was so focused on the jars, I didn't even think to link the products back to the movie I just watched!"
Next to him, Xiangling was beaming. "The Shopkeeper is so smart! Selling them at the movies... that's perfect!"
"So, when are we going to the movies?"
Hu Tao cut in with a grin. "Your dad is done with his jars. Let's go find Yanfei, grab Yoimiya, and head to the cinema! You can research your popcorn later tonight, Xiangling. No rush, right?"
"Yeah," Xiangling nodded. "I can experiment tonight. Let's go have fun during the day! We can discuss the Jueyun Karst trip with Yanfei while we're at it."
"Shopkeeper, thank you again for today!"
Chef Mao bid his farewells, clutching his recipes like treasures, and practically skipped back to Wanmin Restaurant.
As he exited the shop, the crowd outside noticed his glowing expression.
"Yo, Chef Mao! You look happy. Get a good haul?"
"Did you get another recipe?"
"Tell us, tell us! What's the new item?"
"I got a beverage recipe!" Chef Mao announced proudly to the gathering crowd. "Once I whip it up, it'll go on sale. The price will be affordable, just like the noodles!"
"A drink? Interesting."
"Shame it's not food, but knowing Chef Mao, it'll be good."
"Thank the Archons it's Wanmin Restaurant. If Liuli Pavilion got it, they'd charge a fortune."
...
Back inside the shop.
"Shopkeeper, want to come with us?"
Hu Tao leaned over the counter, her face inches from Felix's. She flashed a cheeky, persuasive grin. "It won't take long. Come on, do it for Director Hu Tao's sake? Give me some face?"
"Alright."
Felix nodded.
He knew the story of Journey to the West inside out, but he hadn't seen a movie in ages. A short outing wouldn't hurt.
Smiling, Felix reached out and pinched Hu Tao's cheek.
"Since it's Director Hu Tao asking, I'll give you some face."
It had become a habit, pinching her cheek.
"Mmph! You're pinching my face again!" Hu Tao pouted, her cheeks puffing up like a chipmunk.
"Haha."
Felix chuckled, let go, and walked toward the door. Hu Tao and Xiangling followed, buzzing with excitement.
Outside, the Fatui guards, Doyle and Wenqi, snapped to attention.
"Shopkeeper, you're heading out?"
"Yes," Felix nodded. "Going to watch a movie. You two can go watch it too if you like. No need to guard the door for now."
"Understood!" The two Fatui nodded eagerly.
Meanwhile, south of Lingju Pass.
Chongyun walked along the path, holding an Evil Repelling Talisman, with Xingqiu strolling beside him.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Xingqiu paused, tugging on Chongyun's sleeve. "Chongyun, look over there. Is that a group of people gathered together?"
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