Chapter 181: The Chickens Were Missing Again

A lot of people came again today—over fifty. And that was because Rock had suggested online that people should come on different days. Otherwise, Liu Heming would have been exhausted again.

Now Liu Heming really didn’t mind. Whoever wanted to come could come. Anyway, he had just one standard for spending. But those who came today couldn’t enjoy the Morel Mushroom Soup.

” Dexter, look. This is a small website I made for you temporarily. When you have more crops next spring, you can upload more photos,” Rock said as he handed the computer to Liu Heming.

Liu Heming took a look. The interface was quite nice. There were many photos of everyone interacting with the animals, as well as bowls of Boiled Fish in Chili Oil.

“Thank you, Rock. It looks beautiful. Seems like I should charge Lewis for advertising,” Liu Heming joked.

“But I still suggest that if you have time later, you could build some houses here. Then people who come to play could stay here. The distance from the town to here is quite far,” Rock said with a smile.

“We’ll see. But if I build houses, Lewis might not be happy,” Liu Heming said, glancing at Lewis, who looked conflicted.

“Hehe, right now there aren’t many people, so I can still accommodate them. If more people come later, my place won’t be able to hold so many guests. The inn has just been expanded. I don’t know if there will be that many visitors if I expand again,” Lewis said, rubbing his hands.

He felt that by relying on Liu Heming, making money had become really easy. Even though the food sales at his restaurant were greatly affected, it didn’t hurt their overall income, and the inn’s business kept getting better.

Honestly, he didn’t want Liu Heming to build houses on the ranch. But he also didn’t know how many people would choose to come here in the future. Besides, Rock was right—the distance from the town to here was indeed quite far.

“These are matters for the future. I don’t have that much time to cook for so many people. Maybe later I’ll hire a full-time chef. Let’s not think about it for now,” Liu Heming said with a laugh.

“I saw many iron griddles made in your Blacksmith Workshop. Are you planning to open more fast-food restaurants elsewhere?” Liu Yi asked as he walked over after visiting the Blacksmith Workshop.

“Yes, but funds are too tight right now. A restaurant here requires little investment, but in a big city, it would cost at least over a hundred thousand US Dollars. I can’t afford that now. I can only keep saving,” Liu Heming replied with a nod.

“Why don’t you try a Food Truck? A Food Truck costs just over twenty thousand US Dollars. Not only is the investment much lower, but it’s also very mobile,” Liu Yi suggested with a smile.

“And since we’re in the internet age, if your Food Truck becomes popular, you can post your location online. That way, people who like your food can find you easily. How about Houston? It has the largest Chinatown in the United States. I think everyone would love to taste your Pancakes.”

“Do I need to apply for permits from the government? Is it easy?” Liu Heming asked after thinking for a moment.

“As long as you operate legally and maintain the Food Truck’s cleanliness and staff health, that’s fine. The approval process is simple. I can help you with it when I go back. You can also buy an old van and modify it—many auto shops can do that.”

“Is it really that simple? Then I can just sell on the street?” Liu Heming asked, a bit incredulous.

“Of course. Street food culture is very popular in the United States. Life is too busy; being able to get food nearby saves a lot of time waiting in restaurants,” Liu Yi shrugged.

“If you really plan to do it, set one up near my place too. Then when I want to eat, I won’t have to fly all the way here,” Rock chimed in.

Hearing Rock say that, Liu Heming started to seriously consider it.

An investment of over twenty thousand US Dollars was indeed much cheaper than opening a restaurant. But there were still some issues to handle—he needed to see if Amelia or any of the others would be willing to go there and help him run the business, and he also had to arrange their accommodation.

There were many things involved. His mind felt a bit messy right now; he couldn’t sort it out quickly. But no matter what, Liu Yi’s idea was really good.

It seemed like his fast-food plan could start earning money soon. Liu Heming felt pretty happy. Today, the Boiled Fish in Chili Oil he made for everyone used all Snakehead fish. Snakehead meat was better than Grass Carp.

” Dexter, marry me. Then I really could be like Sasha and not have to work,” Nina sat next to Liu Heming again after dinner, bringing up the old topic.

“You’re a good girl, but you’re always so frivolous. Wouldn’t it be better to find someone and marry properly?” Liu Heming said, glancing at her irritably.

“I want to marry you, but you won’t agree,” Nina said, acting innocent.

“Go away, go away. You don’t even do your own job properly. Why do you keep hanging around here? There are so many bad guys waiting for you to catch,” Liu Heming waved his hand, slightly annoyed.

Now he had built up a bit more resistance to Nina’s charms since they had known each other for a while. He thought this girl was just frivolous and loved to fool around. If you took her seriously, you’d lose.

Nina was a bit troubled too. It seemed like this guy had seen through her little tricks. Not only had she let him take advantage many times, but she hadn’t gained anything from it.

She pinched Liu Heming’s arm hard, then, before he could retaliate, ran off laughing to play with Alex.

Liu Heming rolled his eyes. How could such a nutty person be an FBI agent? And even lead her own team? Was this some kind of joke?

After chatting with everyone a bit more, he went outside and counted the chickens.

One, two, three… sixteen. Liu Heming was upset. His chickens had been taken again. He decided he couldn’t just let it go tomorrow; he needed to pay more attention. Otherwise, soon enough, all the chickens he raised would be gone.

He still planned to stew a chicken for the New Year. Even though Roast Turkey was delicious, he thought Stewed Chicken with Mushrooms tasted better. Next year, he would look for more mushrooms in the forest. In winter, a pot of Stewed Chicken with Mushrooms would be really good.