Volume 3 Hello, Eri Chapter 201 The Tortoise and His Warm Waterhole (I)
Yuan Zhisheng was stunned: "When did you make the reservation?"
"I made a reservation through Mint Club while on the plane. If you want to book a top nightclub, you have to go in advance. We can go together after we finish the task."
"Have you decided to go a long time ago?"
"Yeah, I heard that Japanese male escort clubs are the best in the world. Of course I'm not interested in men, but I won't miss the top stuff."
"You'll slowly get to know Caesar after spending more time with him." Lu Mingfei happily watched Yuan Zhisheng get humiliated again. "Going to a gigolo bar is a normal recreational activity for a guy like him. We only need to worry about whether there is enough champagne. Regardless of the outcome of the bet, you are actually the one who goes to drink with him. From the moment you proposed the bet, you've actually gotten into his car."
"This can't be called a stolen car. My invitation is always open and I will not refuse anyone, even if you are a beggar." Caesar smiled.
The police car was driving in the busy traffic. After turning off the police lights, it was still a qualified sports car. Yabuki Sakura was responsible for driving, and Gen Chisheng was in the passenger seat. Although it was a bit crowded for three people to sit in the back seat, it was not a big deal for Lu Mingfei to sit on Chu Zihang's body and let him hold her.
After leaving Yokohama, we went through Kawasaki City to Shinagawa District. Now we are in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The closer we get to Tokyo, the busier the neon lights and pedestrians outside the car window become. Tokyo at night is still colorful, and the bright lights are dazzling. As the most densely populated city in the world, every pedestrian seems to be interpreting what it means to be in a hurry. Every time the traffic lights at the intersection switch, the hurried flow of people is brisk. It is rare to see those who walk unsteadily. Most of them are JK girls who secretly stroll around in groups after class, and uncles who come out of Kabukicho and drink until their faces are red.
The three members of Kassel Academy were all visiting Japan for the first time. They were all staring at the scenery outside the car window, the endless stream of traffic reflected in their pupils.
Some people say that every capital city in the world follows a template. The movements of the crowds in a hurry follow a certain pattern. Everyone seems to be running on invisible tracks. Every time a subway train arrives at a station, the black crowds are as busy as a crowded ant colony, struggling to make a living, perhaps just for a few dollars' reward.
But if you look closely , you will find something different. Tokyo is also a metropolis full of neon lights, exuding a seductive beauty, but there are often shops with small lanterns or signs hanging on the roadside. A small Japanese-style door decorated with wind chimes separates the world in the shop from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo.
As a otaku, Lu Mingfei has watched a lot of Japanese dramas. She can roughly understand the yakiniku, curry rice, pork cutlet rice set meal or ramen on the signs of these shops. They are a bit like those small restaurants on the street in China, selling affordable food and serving local daily life. A country's catering is often the result of historical and cultural accumulation.
"This is a country governed by rules. The whole country is a complex machine. Everyone is a part of this machine, and it is governed by rules and runs at high speed. It's scary to think about such a life." Chu Zihang and Lu Mingfei were looking at the same car window. Chu Zihang turned his head and saw her blank eyes. He said, "Are you thinking about this too?"
"No... Isn't it like this in big cities? Even my uncle is packed like a dog during rush hour every morning and evening. He always has to pull his tie and blow a few breaths when he comes out of the crowd." Lu Mingfei said softly, "I'm just a little hungry. I used to think that the food sold in Japanese restaurants looked delicious when I watched Japanese dramas. Now that I'm really here, everything seems to be delicious. I can't help but be a little envious."
"Of course when filming a drama, every aspect will be presented as perfect as possible. Even the home-cooked meals on the table will have beautiful platters. In fact, you don't have to worry about this." Chu Zihang still has the mindset of a straight science man. You tell him how delicious the fried food at the street stalls is, and he tells you that the roadside is full of gutter oil.
"How can I not understand!" Although I have been accustomed to Chu Zihang's style for many years, it is still a little funny and I want to punch him every time I am disturbed by him. "I just want to experience the local flavor and try what the anime heroines eat! Pork chop rice, tempura beef, five-eye fried rice, etc.!"
"The Japanese are really good at exporting their culture. Japanese restaurants are almost all over the world." Caesar nodded and joined the conversation. "Most of them are a bit bland for my taste, but they are unique in seafood dishes. They are the culmination of thousands of years of culinary experience. You should try more."
“With your life experience, shouldn’t you say that although I haven’t been to Japan, I have learned all about Japan from beginning to end?” Lu Mingfei complained, “You can even recommend dishes!”
"Italy is a country in Europe that loves food. If you travel to Europe and are not used to the local food, I suggest you try Italian food, which is very suitable for the Chinese taste," said Chu Zihang.
"Don't talk like you know a lot about Italy!" Caesar's voice cooled, but he returned to normal when talking to Lu Mingfei about food. "I not only like top-notch food, I also like authentic food. You know Italy is close to the sea, but it can't compare to the Japanese in seafood cooking. My family used to hire a Japanese chef, and after eating his food, I couldn't eat Italian food anymore. Braised golden eye snapper is really delicious with rice."
Caesar didn't mind sharing his experience in food tasting. He disliked Chu Zihang, but not Lu Mingfei. When the only sweet girl in the team said she loved to eat, the tall, rich and handsome guy was naturally willing to play with her.
"Boss, you made me hungry..." Lu Mingfei muttered softly.
"Sukiyabashi Jiro or Ryugin Restaurant? They're both in Tokyo, and it doesn't take long to drive there. Michelin three-star restaurants usually require reservations of more than a month. I wonder if Mint can get a seat tonight." Caesar picked up his phone. He would be happy to invite Lu Mingfei and the people from the Japanese branch to have a big meal in Tokyo. As for Chu Zihang, he had to bring him along for the sake of courtesy.
"No need to bother." Yuan Zhisheng, who had been listening to the tour group in the back seat, spoke up. "Tonight our family has prepared a welcome banquet for you. Our head chef will personally prepare the meal. He once served the Emperor's family and has repeatedly impressed foreign ambassadors with his delicious food at state banquets. His treatment is definitely better than that of a Michelin chef."
"My thoughts of poverty and poverty are playing tricks on me again..." Lu Mingfei covered her face. "To be honest, I don't like going to famous restaurants. Overly gorgeous decorations and environments will make me feel psychologically stressed. Cheap ramen that costs a few hundred yen a bowl in the alleys on the street is my home."
Yuan Zhisheng didn't know what to say. This was more than a cold shoulder. It was like kicking away the 99 roses in your hand. The slap also made you turn 360 degrees in the air. Even if you refuse, please be polite! The banquet that I spent so much effort on was defeated by a sentence "I think it's not as good as the ramen on the street". If the chef knew this, he would definitely look up at the stars, smoke a cigarette, and doubt his life.
"I used to not believe that some people are destined to be poor, but now I believe it. I can't believe you've spent so much time at Kassel Academy and still maintained your true nature." Caesar was happy. He said this not to look down on Lu Mingfei's loser mentality, but to admire her. "Then how about we stop by the street and try the simplest little shop?"
Yuan Zhisheng had no way to refuse. To be honest, there were only three lunatics in the world who would give up a state banquet and choose to eat at a roadside stall. This made Yuan Zhisheng really think that they might be here for tourism. They might have a pretentious artistic style in their bones. They liked nostalgia, authenticity, and the lost gems in the streets that only they could find, and they were proud of it.
Fortunately, the police car had already driven all the way to Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward. This area could be said to be completely under the influence of the Snake Eight Families.
Yabuki Sakura called the family headquarters and turned the police car into the alley. A few minutes later, two black commercial vehicles drove in front and behind the alley and blocked the police car. Men in black suits got out of the cars and took the luggage from the trunk of the police car to the commercial vehicles. Yuan Zhisheng raised his hand to signal everyone to change to another commercial vehicle. The key of this car was inserted in the driver's seat and was not removed.
Lu Mingfei watched helplessly as her luggage was taken away by the car driven by Yabuki Sakura, while the remaining men in suits got into the police car.
"Don't worry, Ying will take your luggage to the Peninsula Hotel, and you will stay there after tonight." Yuan Zhisheng put on sunglasses and started the engine, and the young master of the Sheqi Eight Families took the driver's seat.
"Where are they going to drive that police car?" Lu Mingfei was a little curious. When the men in suits came to work, she saw their underwear. There were complicated tattoos on their arms, which completely matched her impression of the underworld.
"Probably somewhere like Tokyo Bay." Yuan Zhisheng said calmly, "If we robbed the police car, it would be equivalent to declaring war on the Yokohama Police Department. When the police wake up, they will spare no effort to track down the lost police car. The family will not become enemies with the police over such a small matter. We only need to get rid of the culprit and the police will not be able to find any evidence. If the person in charge has problems, we can still fish them out."
It was indeed the style of the underworld... The tone was relaxed as if the offender was a policeman, and he was some kind of messenger of justice. Combined with that cold and handsome face, Lu Mingfei always felt as if she saw the second Chu Zihang. It was just that Chu Zihang was a killer, and Yuan Zhisheng was a gangster leader. The existence of a killer only meant killing people in a fight, while a gangster leader usually meant committing all kinds of evil and destroying the bodies, which was much more vicious than a killer!
The innocent girl Lu Mingfei said that she was terrified! She never thought that one day she would become friends with a gangster boss. If the guys in Shilan Middle School knew about this, they would definitely treat her as the woman of a gangster boss, right? She always felt that since she became a member of Kassel, she seemed to be getting further and further on the road to becoming a bad woman!
There is a van parked on the side of the small street behind the National University of Tokyo.
This kind of rickshaw is called a yatai car in Japan, which is almost an upgraded Plus version of the domestic roadside stalls. It has a canopy, which looks a bit like an ice cream truck when it is opened. There are several wooden benches under the canopy. Customers sit on the benches to eat noodles while the ramen chef operates the car. Although it is small, it has everything. Once the customers come in, the cloth canopy hanging from the canopy can cover their upper body, creating a private dining environment.
People who come to such places to eat are usually workers, office workers in a hurry, or poor students who still need student loans. Even in elite places like the University of Tokyo, there are children who are poor and hardworking like the protagonists in Japanese dramas.
This has kept the boss's business pretty good. Although the environment is much worse than that in the store, the unique taste can win the favor of customers. Nowadays, most stores are popular with food industrialization, which is low-cost and fast to process. The stores basically prepare industrial prefabricated products, and they only need to prepare them quickly when customers come.
The boss still uses the traditional method of making noodles by hand. Passers-by can always hear the sound of the boss throwing and pulling noodles. Everyone likes to taste this old tradition, just like eating ramen cooked by their grandparents at home.
As the night grew darker, the boss was still preparing noodles for tomorrow's meal. There was a small TV on the stand, playing films with local Japanese characteristics. Although the sound was not turned on, it seemed that one could imagine the girls moaning just by watching them.
This is the boss's entertainment when no one is around. Repetitive work always makes people feel bored. Even though they are busy making a living, they always have to add some different colors to the monotonous life.
The black business car stopped quietly by the roadside. The ramen chef saw the reflection of the car in the puddle on the roadside, followed by a series of cheerful shouts in Chinese, which he could understand some of.
"This is it! This is it! It looks very local!"
The girl's voice was very nice. The ramen chef could imagine that she was a sunny girl who was probably here for a trip. She was still wearing wooden clogs after the rain and was running all the way from the car, making clattering sounds, as light as a deer in the woods.
She was the first to come in, and looked at the layout of the trolley curiously. It's not like there are no similar things in China, but they are very rare. Usually, things unloaded from trucks are set up on the roadside. There are very few places like Japan where a private space is specially arranged. This is very much to the taste of a former Cinderella like her.
“It’s a rare experience to eat on the street.”
“I wonder if he will sell braised large intestines.”
"In Japan, it's usually braised pork intestines in miso sauce, which are sold in izakayas as a side dish for drinking. In a small shop like this, there may not be many things to choose from. But are you sure you want to experience the so-called authentic Japanese ramen in a shop like this?"
After a brief discussion, three men came in one after another through the curtain, filling up the four benches.
