Chapter 124: The Twin Blades United

While Li Jianguo busied himself preparing other varieties of burgers, Bai Renzong began to sample the rest.

As he ate, he started picking them apart: "There are still many issues with the details. Take this Classic Supreme Beef Burger, for instance. The sauce and cheese are on top, with the patty and bacon underneath. One bite and the top feels too runny while the bottom feels too dry."

He then took a bite of the Deep-Sea Cod Burger and frowned even more deeply: "And this Deep-Sea Cod Burger—the cod fillet is already soft in texture, yet you add cheese on top of it. It just becomes a mushy mess in the mouth."

Finally, Bai Renzong took a bite of the Pineapple Chicken Leg Burger and held it up to the camera: "The pineapple is cut too thick, making it too tough, but the burger itself is too soft. I took a bite, couldn't bite through the pineapple, and the whole burger fell apart... How is anyone supposed to eat this?"

Li Jianguo’s expression grew increasingly grim and dejected as he listened.

Seeing this, Han Jiayi quickly intervened: "Please don't mind him. This is just his style; he doesn't mean to belittle you... Don't worry, he will help you improve the menu later."

She then gave Bai Renzong a gentle tug, complaining, "Lao Bai..."

Bai Renzong snapped back to reality and cleared his throat: "My apologies, I got a bit too carried away."

"You really are..." Han Jiayi whispered with a frown, "Be a bit more mindful. After all, they don't know you that well."

"Mm, I understand." Bai Renzong said, patting Han Jiayi on the head. "Fortunately, I have you."

"Hehe, that's true..." Han Jiayi smiled, pursing her lips.

Wang Bei, who was secretly filming their little interaction on the side, cheered, "Nice, very nice... just like that, perfect."

Soon, the other types of burgers were served, and Bai Renzong’s head-shaking and sighing only intensified.

"Alright, while there are many problems, they can be summarized into two points," Bai Renzong said, holding up an index finger. "First, the texture issues, which manifest in various details. Second, and this is the critical one, the sauces all taste the same and are used too heavily. Aside from minor differences in mouthfeel, they all taste identical, which makes them cloying very quickly. That is why business was great for the first few months, but then everyone got tired of them."

"So, how do we improve it?" Han Jiayi glanced at Li Jianguo’s face, asking before he could have a breakdown.

"Actually, many of these burger varieties are unnecessary. A small shop like yours can't manage that many different sauces to pair with them," Bai Renzong replied, then waved at Han Jiayi. "Come on, Mumu, it’s your time to shine."

Han Jiayi pouted slightly and followed him into the kitchen.

"Why the long face?" Bai Renzong gently flicked the tip of her nose.

"Hey, can you not call me Mumu in front of outsiders..." Han Jiayi pleaded.

"Why? Isn't it cute?" Bai Renzong asked with a smile.

Han Jiayi fidgeted and said, "It’s not that it isn't cute, it’s just... give me some face. I am a two-star Michelin chef, after all."

Bai Renzong eyed her askance, while Han Jiayi frowned, opening her eyes wide and looking at him pitifully.

"Alright, alright." Bai Renzong cupped her face. "Go on, time to get to work."

Han Jiayi rolled up her sleeves, tied her apron, and began to bustle about the kitchen.

Soon, they returned to the front counter with four types of burgers.

"We can roughly categorize them by their patties: beef, chicken leg, cod fillet, and shrimp," Bai Renzong explained. "We’ve made improvements to each one. Give them a try."

Li Jianguo nodded and took a bite of one. His expression immediately grew dazed, as if his spirit had wandered off, and then he frowned: "This aroma... how can it be so rich?"

"Your beef quality is decent. Using an overly heavy sauce only masks the natural flavor of the meat; it’s purely..." Bai Renzong paused, "...well, maybe 'squandering a gift' is too strong a term, but it’s certainly wasteful."

"Pfft..." Wang Bei laughed behind the camera. Han Jiayi knitted her delicate eyebrows: "This man, really... why does he have to be so blunt? It wouldn't kill him to say something nice..."

Bai Renzong continued: "A little garlic sauce, a touch of black pepper, and two slices of cheese. The cheese is made from milk; it won't mask the beef's flavor but rather enhance it. Plus, the cheese is enough to solve the dryness issue of the patty without needing extra sauce."

"Understood, understood..." Li Jianguo nodded repeatedly and picked up the second burger.

Taking a bite, there was a loud "crunch," unbelievably crispy.

"Oh..." Li Jianguo exclaimed, his face filled with intoxication.

If Han Jiayi had made that face, Bai Renzong would have found it cute, but coming from this bald, chubby man...

"Why is it so crispy?" Li Jianguo asked, puzzled. "It’s a cod burger; logically, it shouldn't have such a crispy texture. How do you fry it to this degree? If you fry it too long, wouldn't the cod burn?"

"We just added some potato chips," Han Jiayi said with a smile. "This method is often used abroad. When making tuna sandwiches, you add some chips inside to enhance the crunch. Since the chips are dry, it also prevents the cod burger from feeling too mushy."

"I see..." Li Jianguo suddenly realized. "And the sauce is..."

"Mustard," Bai Renzong replied. "But with a bit of lemon juice added to brighten the flavor and aroma. The slight acidity also helps firm up the fish without ruining the overall taste."

Next was the chicken leg burger. Li Jianguo took a bite, and there was a faint "crackling" sound. It wasn't as crispy as the cod burger, but it was much lighter. Li Jianguo’s eyes widened: "Such a light texture... how can you make the breadcrumbs fry up so airily?"

"It’s simple," Han Jiayi explained with a radiant smile. "You coat it in breadcrumbs and give it a quick fry, then take it out and coat it a second time for a second fry. This creates two layers of crust, and the air trapped between them makes the shell lighter and less greasy. Some Japanese tempura shops use this technique."

"Ah!" Li Jianguo clapped his hands. "Amazing..."

For the final shrimp burger, Li Jianguo took a bite and exclaimed in surprise: "Wow! This shrimp flavor... so intense!"

"We crushed the shrimp shells and added them to the batter, then fried them separately into a thin, crispy wafer to put inside," Bai Renzong explained. "Actually, the umami in shrimp and crab shells is far more concentrated than in the meat. This adds both a satisfying crunch and boosts the shrimp flavor."

"But you can't just fry shrimp with the shells on as a patty," Han Jiayi added. "It’s very hard to get the shells crispy that way."

Wang Bei turned the camera toward Bai Renzong. Though he remained expressionless, he winked at the lens: "Our combination is simply perfect, isn't it? This is what you call a 'dual sword strike.' Let's just say Mumu and I are a match made in heaven..."

Although there were only four burgers, each one was memorable.

It wasn't like before, where even with a dozen types, every single one was just a combination of sweet, sour, and salty with cheese—all tasting the same and with a chaotic texture. Where it should have been dry, it was runny; where it should have been runny, it was too dry.

However, Li Jianguo was still a bit reluctant to let go of his old menu: "But... those old ones were my hard work too. Especially the Pineapple Chicken Leg Burger; we only used the best imported pineapples."

"Then just cut the pineapple thinner," Bai Renzong said impatiently. "Being 'generous' isn't always the right approach."

Li Jianguo hesitated: "But, but, the variety will be much smaller."

"Actually, I have an idea," Han Jiayi spoke up. "Why don't you start a DIY burger station? Offer patties, cheese, bacon, ham, lettuce, and sauces, and let the guests choose their own combinations. That way, the variety isn't an issue, and if it doesn't taste good, they won't blame it on you. For the fixed menu, these four are enough."

As she spoke, Han Jiayi turned to Bai Renzong and winked with a smile: "What do you think?"

"I think," Bai Renzong said, pulling Han Jiayi into his arms and kissing the top of her head, "you are a little genius. This idea is fantastic; I’m tempted to order one and DIY it myself..."

"Hehehe..." Han Jiayi touched the spot on her head where he had kissed her, smiling shyly.

"Okay, we will give it a try," Li Jianguo nodded repeatedly.

"Good, then our mission is accomplished," Bai Renzong nodded with satisfaction. "We’ve provided our input; you can consider how to improve things yourself. We’ll come back for a follow-up visit in a while to see how things are going."

"Done..." Wang Bei let out a long sigh of relief and prepared to turn off the camera. But after a moment of thought, she pointed to her own Devil's Sichuan Pepper Burger: "Hey, Lao Bai, my Devil's Sichuan Pepper Burger is actually not bad. Want to try it?"

Bai Renzong looked at the burger with interest, tore off a small piece, and tasted it.

It felt like swallowing a firecracker; an intense, burning pain and numbing spice spread through his mouth, accompanied by the fragrance of sesame paste.

"Pfft... cough, cough!" Bai Renzong covered his mouth and coughed violently, his hand groping the table. He finally managed to grab his cola, only to find there was only a small sip left.

Han Jiayi quickly handed him her drink: "Here, here! Take mine! I still have some in this bottle!"

"Spectacular!" Wang Bei immediately aimed the camera at Bai Renzong. "Unexpected bonus! Now we’ve got some great blooper footage!"

Bai Renzong took Han Jiayi's drink, downed it in one go, burped, and stood up, walking away with a breezy air like a general returning from a bloody battlefield.

Before leaving, he pointed at Li Jianguo: "This Sichuan Pepper Burger, you can keep that one..."

With that, he waved to Wang Bei and Han Jiayi: "Alright, let’s head back!"

"Pfft..." Wang Bei tried to stifle her laughter, grabbed the packed burgers, turned off the camera, and followed Bai Renzong. "Camera off, going home!"

Han Jiayi followed behind, covering her mouth and giggling: "Lao Bai trying to act tough is so cute..."