I_LOVE_RICE+
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Chapter 78: She suspects you added something to the dish
🕑 Added 2025-02-07 09:37:22 +0000 UTC[You began working as the head chef at 'RikoRiko'.]
[You set very high standards for all dishes.]
[Because you knew how important 'RikoRiko' was to Chisato Nishikigi.]
[However, as mentioned earlier, the café's business situation wasn't optimistic. Only a few regulars visited the café, and in addition to the money from 'RikoRiko' that kept the café running, the orphanage's financial situation also needed to be improved immediately through the café.]
[Faced with financial difficulties and limited conditions, the originally cheap pricing strategy seemed weak. But if the prices were raised too high, it might scare away the remaining regulars.]
[Chisato Nishikigi came to talk to you about this issue.]
[As usual, she didn't realize she was subconsciously relying on you.]
[This was a decision with far-reaching consequences.]
[You had many thoughts in mind, but ultimately decided to choose—]
[1. Keep the current pricing strategy for the masses and prioritize retaining the current customers, as with your skills, low profits can lead to higher sales and attracting more customers isn't hard.]
[2. Take a middle-ground approach, keep the current affordable pricing for now, and raise prices once the business becomes booming.]
[3. Be very confident, believe that with your skills, even with high prices, there will definitely be people willing to pay, as you believe gold shines everywhere, and you are that deserving gold.]
[4. Personally simulate.]
The options popped up again, drawing Minami's attention.
"This is indeed a far-reaching decision."
Looking at the prompt in the simulation, Minami got out of bed.
This set of options, from one to three, all determined the fate of 'RikoRiko' café.
If Minami chose wrong, the café, which carried all the hopes of Chisato Nishikigi and Takina Inoue, would likely disappear on the spot.
This made Minami think deeply.
The first option was to keep the current pricing and retain customers.
But honestly, from the previous descriptions, it was clear that 'RikoRiko' had always struggled with business.
Even if they kept the prices low, the café would only retain a handful of regulars.
Choosing not to raise prices in order to keep a limited number of customers seemed misguided.
Moreover, the descriptions indicated that 'RikoRiko' needed money—lots of money.
The strategy of low profits and high sales... honestly, it didn't seem suitable for 'RikoRiko' at this moment.
What about the second option?
Minami looked down.
[2. You decide to take a middle-ground approach, keeping the current affordable pricing for now, and raising prices once the business becomes booming.]
The second option seemed appealing—attract customers first, and then raise prices.
But Minami felt this option was somewhat unrealistic.
This option painted everything too idealistically.
The food industry avoids raising prices without reason.
Once customers accept low prices, raising prices later without justification will make them feel "cheated" and make it hard to accept.
Minami's fingers flicked, and his gaze moved to the third option.
[3. You are very confident, believing that with your skills, even with high prices, there will definitely be people willing to pay. You believe gold shines everywhere, and you are that deserving gold.]
Confidence.
Extreme confidence.
Yes, from this description, Minami only sensed extreme confidence.
There was no need to lower prices—just increase the prices significantly, and everyone would be a "cash cow" in front of your dishes.
This option, from any angle, was extremely radical.
It gave off a "no success, no survival" vibe.
But strangely, this was the option that made Minami stop and think.
The reason was simple.
'RikoRiko' needed money.
It needed a lot of money!
High prices would undoubtedly scare some people away.
But once the café gained recognition, the money-making potential would far exceed that of the first or second options.
Then the problem arose.
Could the dishes really justify the high prices?
Minami thought for a moment and realized he was overthinking it.
With his LV4 cooking skill, he was already at a top professional level.
His cooking could absolutely justify the high price.
And besides, the world was full of people who enjoyed novelty.
Just like the high-end food videos on Bilibili in his past life.
People often spent tens of thousands on expensive ingredients or dining experiences.
High-priced dishes were a gimmick in themselves.
Compared to the first two ordinary options, the third option, the most radical one, seemed more appealing.
Moreover—
"Girls who want to pursue Chisato seem like they'll have to take some radical steps... otherwise, they might just fail outright."
Minami thought about the safe choice he made in the first round, the metaphorical "boiling the frog in warm water" approach.
The gradual approach indeed had decent results.
But... what was the outcome?
He never saw Chisato again.
On the contrary, the most radical "tailing" option in this round led to more interactions with her.
Minami felt that maybe, sometimes, taking risks was the only way to move forward.
Thinking this, his hesitation disappeared, and he selected the third option.
[As the head chef, you are fully aware of the orphanage's dire financial situation. The bleak operations of 'Riko-Riko' cannot be saved by 'low profit, high sales' or any 'compromise solutions.']
[To change the current predicament, only an extreme, radical approach—destroying everything and rebuilding—can solve all the problems.]
[At the same time, your unsubstantiated self-love plays a crucial role; you believe that people will always be willing to pay for your food.]
[You decide to raise the prices of all dishes.]
[Your overly radical plan shocks and even gets opposition from all the members of 'Riko-Riko.']
[When no one else believes in you, only Chisato unconditionally believes in you.]
[She entrusted all her trust to you, even more confidently and optimistically than you, believing that you can turn around 'Riko-Riko's' current business situation.]
[The girl's lively and unreserved trust deeply moves you, and you say nothing more, only wanting to respond to her trust.]
[After repeatedly observing the current state of the restaurant industry and the pricing of dishes at high-end restaurants, you launch new sets and new prices.]
[You introduced the "Prestige Set (10,000 yen per serving)," the "Luxury Emperor Set Exclusive (30,000 yen per serving)," and the "Super Luxury Set Exclusive (50,000 yen per serving)."]
[Meanwhile, all dishes at 'Riko-Riko' Café have been raised to a higher price bracket.]
[The sets are launched with great enthusiasm.]
[However, just as the members of 'Riko-Riko' expected, the sudden price hikes only drove customers away.]
['Riko-Riko's' already poor sales figures have now become even worse.]
[Facing this situation, you have no intention of giving up; you remain calm, actively preparing dishes while quietly waiting for an opportunity.]
[During these difficult days, Chisato stayed by your side, never leaving.]
[Whenever you were deep in thought, she would cheerfully bring you a cup of coffee, and whenever you were at a loss for words, she would always bring up some topic.]
[Gradually, she seems to have realized something.]
[Her tenderness toward you has clearly exceeded the boundaries of friendship.]
[Once she realized this, her gaze became harder to tear away from you. Occasionally, when working, she would rest her face on her hand, staring blankly at you until the store manager reminded her, and she would awkwardly blush in response.]
[You did not ignore her feelings for you, but right now, the most important thing is 'Riko-Riko's' business issue, so you can only temporarily set aside your thoughts.]
[And the day the opportunity arrived was not as far off as everyone thought.]
[Finally, one day, the delicious aroma from 'Riko-Riko' caught the attention of a hungry customer, drawing him in and keeping him there.]
[Upon seeing the exorbitant prices of the dishes at 'Riko-Riko,' the customer's first instinct was to turn away.]
[However, he was still drawn back by the aroma coming from the kitchen.]
[Unable to bear leaving, he decided to give in and order a set meal, figuring he might as well get cheated if he was going to be.]
[The rare customer lifted your spirits, and the dishes you had been diligently preparing now finally had a chance to shine!]
[You prepared a set meal with a rating of 4.8 points.]
[You served the dish and waited.]
[Even Chisato couldn't help but feel nervous at this point.]
[But—when faced with a dish rated 4.8, no customer could resist the deliciousness.]
[Your dish received high praise from the customer, and in the end, he even left an additional 10,000 yen as a tip.]
[He told you that your dish gave him a taste of pure happiness he hadn't felt in a long time.]
[Incredible cooking! After saying this, the customer left.]
[He gradually became a regular at 'Riko-Riko,' even bringing friends along to dine.]
[The once quiet 'Riko-Riko' began to attract customers.]
[Over time, in addition to the regulars who were drawn to your dishes, there were also curious onlookers who started eyeing your new restaurant.]
[The high prices you set did scare away many, but as you expected, the high prices themselves became a kind of gimmick.]
[Although most people were intimidated by the prices, there was still a small group of curious and not-so-poor people willing to spend money to try.]
[And just a simple attempt was the beginning of the entire downfall.]
[Your dishes make it impossible for anyone who has tasted them, even just once, to forget them.]
[On one hand, they curse you for pricing your dishes so high and being so unscrupulous, but on the other hand, they willingly take money out of their pockets to pay for the meal.]
['Riko-Riko' gradually gained some fame in the neighborhood, and business became booming.]
[This sudden change shocked the 'Riko-Riko' employees who had previously lacked confidence.]
[They were too young to imagine that the exorbitant prices you set with a wave of your hand would attract so many customers who were willing to pay.]
[The idea that Chef Minami might be a 'devil of cooking' began to spread among a few employees in 'Riko-Riko'.]
[Meanwhile, the booming business motivated them to work harder, and the constantly rising revenue further fueled their enthusiasm.]
[When the month's revenue was calculated at the end of the month, everyone, except for you, was stunned by the amount.]
[This month's revenue for 'Riko-Riko' was ten times the revenue from the previous month.]
[After deducting the necessary costs for operating the orphanage and the daily expenses of 'Riko-Riko,' the amount of money left was still considerable.]
[What was even more shocking to them was that despite setting up outdoor tables in the small courtyard, they couldn't keep up with the surging enthusiasm of the customers.]
[On rainy days, some customers were even willing to stand outside with umbrellas, waiting for a table to become available in 'Riko-Riko.']
[The plates collected from customers' tables were always clean, with almost no leftovers.]
[This almost addictive behavior caused Chisato to approach you and quietly ask if you had added something special to the dishes.]
[For her, who was always quirky and imaginative, you didn't know how to respond.]
[You told her that you had simply made the dishes, and the customers liked them.]
[As for adding something special, you only added some seasoning, and anything else was nonsense.]
[Reassured by your words, Chisato relaxed.]
[Every night, she would make time to massage your shoulders and waist after you had worked for long hours.]
[Every time she saw you twist your neck and shoulders uncomfortably due to exhaustion, her eyes were filled with tenderness and concern.]
[The terrifying customer flow, high profits, and consistently high repeat customer rates gradually made 'Riko-Riko' the focus of the food scene in Tokyo.]
[More and more people wanted to come to 'Riko-Riko' to taste the food.]
[But the overwhelming full occupancy made it impossible for them to find a way in.]
[To taste the 'happiness-inducing dishes,' some people even began to line up outside 'Riko-Riko' at dawn.]
"Hmm…"
Feeling the memory of the long line forming outside 'Riko-Riko' in the simulation, even Minami was a bit surprised.
They started lining up at dawn?
Just for a bite to eat?
Are the people in Tokyo that bored with nothing to do?
