Chapter 27: A Thriving Line

Michelle started her morning routine at Nikola Park just as she always did, with a run. She circled the park repeatedly, stopping each time she reached a particular corner to look around.

It's odd; why hasn't it arrived yet today? Could it be that it's not coming?

Her Sawk tugged at her sleeve, puzzled.

"Sawk~ Sawk~~"

Since Sawk hadn't shown up yesterday, it had no idea what its trainer was anticipating.

"Ah~" Michelle snapped back to reality and quickly said, "It's nothing. Let's keep running!"

Sawk nodded and turned to look at the spot Michelle had been staring at, still bewildered. What was so interesting about this place? Why did Michelle always pause to watch when they passed here?

Just as Michelle and Sawk moved on, Andrew's food truck slowly rolled into view.

He parked the truck, opened the side window, and placed the Komala on the counter, just as he had done the previous day.

"Komala, be good now."

With that, Andrew began his preparations.

He checked the dough and filling, found everything in order, and started making the buns.

His hands moved swiftly. In no time, a batch of perfectly round, white buns appeared on the counter, each with exactly 25 pleats, as if made from a mold.

After preparing part of them, Andrew began steaming them to avoid delays when customers arrived.

Just as he started steaming, a sweaty young girl approached.

"Morning, boss." She greeted Andrew.

"Good morning! You're up early." Andrew responded warmly.

"Mm, morning exercise." Michelle wasn't very talkative, so her answers were brief.

Noticing her focused gaze on the steamer, Andrew said with a smile, "They're not ready yet; you'll need to wait a bit."

Michelle shook her head. "It's fine."

At this moment, Sawk was dumbfounded. Was this really the trainer who always valued time so highly?

Shouldn't a typical trainer prefer to run a few more laps rather than waste time waiting for breakfast?

"Sawk~~"

Sawk tugged at Michelle's sleeve again.

Understanding its confusion, Michelle explained with a neutral expression, "Coming back later will only waste more time."

She knew that a long line would soon form.

Sawk: ???

As time passed, steam began rising from the steamer, carrying with it a delicious aroma.

"It smells even better…" Michelle said softly.

Sawk thought Michelle was talking to it and tugged at her sleeve as if asking, "What did you just say?"

Michelle calmly shook her head. "Nothing."

Soon, Sawk's attention was also drawn to the mouthwatering aroma wafting from the steamer.

As the aroma spread, customers began to gather, and a long line formed quickly.

"Boss, is it ready? I'm starving," someone asked impatiently.

"Almost there! Good things take time!" Andrew replied with a smile, his hands never stopping as he shaped dumplings and steamed buns one after another.

This boss is amazing! Michelle was mesmerized and marveled inwardly.

"Boss, your dumplings and steamed buns are incredible! I only bought two yesterday and regretted it immediately!" someone chatted with Andrew while waiting.

"Yeah, I regret it too. By the time I wanted to buy more, the line was too long."

Andrew smiled and said, "Then buy more today."

"Definitely, I want ten!"

"I want twenty!"

"Can you eat twenty?"

"Can't I share with my wife?"

…

With the rich aroma, steam, and cheerful chatter of the customers, Andrew's spot became the busiest place in Nikola Park.

Finally, the first batch of dumplings and steamed buns was ready. As the steamer was opened, the swirling steam and tempting aroma filled the air, causing excitement among the waiting customers.

So fragrant!

Michelle, at the front of the line, immediately said, "Boss, fifty dumplings and fifty steamed buns."

Andrew looked surprised. "Can you eat that many?"

Sawk was also stunned by its trainer! The dumplings and steamed buns were quite large; could they really finish a hundred?

"Yes," Michelle said decisively, then added to Sawk, "We'll take them home and share with everyone."

Alright, Sawk nodded quietly.

"Just a moment!" Andrew said with a smile and quickly packed the buns for Michelle.

Fortunately, Andrew had prepared in advance. Otherwise, relying solely on Roma tree leaves to wrap the dumplings and steamed buns, those buying in bulk might not have been able to take them all.

Yesterday, since it was the first time for customers, most bought only one or two at a time, with a few buying three to five. Wrapping them in leaves was perfectly fine.

Anticipating that some might buy more today, he had bought some packaging bags from the system store with the happiness points he earned yesterday.

The dumplings and steamed buns were wrapped in the aromatic Roma tree leaves and then placed in packaging bags, making them easy to carry!

After receiving the dumplings and steamed buns, Michelle couldn't wait to eat and even handed one to Sawk.

Hoo~ Hoo~

The freshly steamed buns were very hot, but Michelle didn't wait and took a big bite.

Mmm~~… So delicious!

She closed her eyes, her face showing an expression Sawk had never seen before.

With curiosity, Sawk took a bite of the bun and instantly understood its trainer's previous odd behavior.

The freshly dumplings and steamed buns sold out quickly, and Andrew had to announce to the remaining customers, "Please wait a moment. This batch is sold out, and the next one isn't ready yet."

Hearing this, the people in the back groaned in disappointment.

"Can you people in front buy fewer at once?"

"Yeah, yeah, aren't you afraid of overeating?"

"Boss, are you trying to make us starve?"

....

When the old man arrived near Andrew's stall with his Growlithe, he was immediately taken aback by the long queue. "Wow, so many people?"

Since Andrew only accepted cash and didn't take online payments, many who wanted to eat yesterday couldn't because they didn't have cash with them. Therefore, today, those people had come prepared with cash, eager to taste the tantalizing aroma that had tempted them the previous day.

The crowd at Andrew's stall was thus even larger than the day before!

"If I had known, I would have come earlier." The old man grumbled to his Growlithe as he joined the line. Despite the wait, he was determined to get a taste of the dumplings and steamed buns; he had nothing else to do anyway.

Flamel, who had just arrived and was equally surprised by the length of the line, found herself in the same situation.

She had promised to bring delicious food to Princess Kimia today, so she had left early. Little did she expect to encounter such a scene!

Flamel checked her phone and figured she still had time, so she silently joined the queue.

Soon, a new batch of dumplings and steamed buns was ready, and the line began to move slowly.

Andrew was working furiously, moving so fast he seemed like a blur. He was packaging food for customers while constantly shaping and steaming more buns to keep up with demand.

Komala was also hard at work, its eyes closed but its small hands swiftly taking cash from each customer without making a single mistake.

When it was finally the old man's turn, he waved his hand and said, "I'll have one hundred of each—cabbage, radish, and chives dumplings, and fifty steamed buns!"

Andrew was stunned. "Sir, is that too much?"

The old man smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "Not at all. I have many children at home. We'll finish it." His Growlithe nodded in agreement.

"Woof woof~~" That's right!

"Alright, but this batch won't be enough. You'll need to wait a bit." Andrew said with a sigh.

"No problem," the old man replied cheerfully. "I have plenty of time."

Andrew first packed the remaining dumplings and steamed buns and handed them to the old man with a smile. "Please wait a moment."

As soon as he got the dumplings and steamed buns, the old man and his Growlithe eagerly started eating, making those still in line salivate.

The old man was so inconsiderate, buying so much at once! The moment the dumplings touched his lips, he immediately noticed the difference from yesterday. "Young man, why are these dumplings suddenly so much better?"

"You're sharp!" Andrew said as he worked. "I adjusted the filling recipe."

The old man understood immediately. "No wonder!" He gave Andrew a thumbs up. "You're impressive!"

Yesterday, his Growlithe had preferred the steamed buns, but today it was drooling over the dumplings.

As the old man chatted with Andrew, Flamel peered at him and was struck by a sense of familiarity.

This vendor… why does he look so familiar?

Flamel stared at Andrew, trying to place who he resembled, but couldn't figure it out!

Because Andrew was wearing a chef's hat that hid his golden hair, Flamel didn't connect him with any royal figures.

When the new batch of dumplings and steamed buns was ready, the old man happily left with his full bag, humming a tune. His Growlithe jumped down and happily followed him.

Seeing the Growlithe's eager expression, the old man affectionately said, "Alright, let's go home and eat with Grandma and Skitty."

Not long after the old man left, it was finally Flamel's turn. "Boss, I'd like five of each type of dumplings and five steamed buns."

"Alright, please wait a moment." Andrew said without looking up, quickly packing the food for Flamel.

Flamel's eyes were fixed on Andrew's profile, trying to remember who he resembled.

"Here you go!" Andrew handed the packed dumplings and steamed buns to Flamel.

Flamel then asked, "Can the side dishes be taken away?"

Andrew replied, "Yes, the side dishes are on the table for customers to take."

"Alright, thank you."

Even after leaving, Flamel couldn't remember who the vendor looked like.

Carrying a bag of dumplings and steamed buns into the palace, Flamel went straight to Princess Kimia's office, where the princess was working at her desk.

Knock knock knock~~~

Flamel knocked and entered the office. "Good morning, Your Highness."

Princess Kimia looked up with a smile. "Flamel, you're a bit late today."

Flamel placed the dumplings and steamed buns on the desk. "I promised to bring breakfast for you today."

Princess Kimia was surprised. "Really? I've already had breakfast."

"Of course." Flamel began unpacking the food, and the rich aroma filled the room.

"What's this…" Princess Kimia swallowed involuntarily.

"This is dumplings and steamed buns. There was a huge line for them. I almost didn't get any." Flamel explained.

"It smells so good." Princess Kimia moved closer to smell the food and instantly forgot that she had already eaten breakfast. After all, who says breakfast can only be eaten once?

"Princess, let's have your Gardevoir join us. I bought extra." Flamel said as she released her Pokémon.

Her Pokémon was a Florges, a gift from the royal family when she became a princess's personal secretary.

"Alright." Princess Kimia nodded and released her Pokémon, a Shiny Gardevoir.

"Florges ~"

"Gardevoir~~"

The two Pokémon were immediately drawn to the irresistible aroma of the food.

"Let's sit down and eat together." Princess Kimia invited the two Pokémon, unable to wait any longer.

The two humans and two Pokémon sat around the table, eagerly picking up a dumpling each.

Princess Kimia marveled at the soft, elastic texture of the bun. It was an extraordinary food, surpassing even the fluffiest bread she had ever tasted.

With a bite, the rich juice mixed with the cabbage filled her mouth. Each chew combined the fresh, crisp vegetables with the soft, chewy dough, creating a unique flavor that was simply irresistible!

Taking a deep breath, Princess Kimia finally recovered from the deliciousness.

At this moment, the palace guards, maids, and officials passing by Princess Kimia's office all involuntarily stopped.

What's that smell? They sniffed the air curiously.

Meanwhile, Prince Raleigh, who was deeply engrossed in his research, also caught the enticing aroma.

He looked up and asked the nearby official, Alva, "Alva, what's that smell?"

Alva paused, sniffed the air, and then shook his head. "Prince Raleigh, you should focus on your research."

Raleigh hesitated for a moment, then pushed his chair back and walked straight to the door, following the irresistible smell.

(The End of this Chapter)