AGN -Chapter 373 It Worked

Although Tan Weian was hospitalized due to illness, and the Double Crab Bun research team was temporarily down one member, it had no impact on the progress of their work.

In fact, things were moving along very smoothly—even faster than before.

Of course, this was definitely not because Tan Weian had been slowing them down in any way. The main reason was that even while lying in a hospital bed on an IV drip, he was still deeply concerned about the progress, which moved Qin Huai and Zang Liang greatly—and even left Zheng Siyuan a little speechless.

The fact that Zheng Siyuan was “speechless” already showed he was emotionally affected.

For Tan Weian’s sake, all three of them worked even harder in coordination on making the Double Crab Bun. In Zang Liang’s words, they absolutely had to let Tan Weian eat a successful Double Crab Bun in the hospital—otherwise, if he only got to eat it after being discharged and returning to Yunzhong Canteen, then his hospital stay would have been for nothing.

To this, Qin Huai could only say he truly didn’t understand the brotherly bond between Zang Liang and Tan Weian.

Of course, Tan Weian did not disappoint his “family.” His condition was serious enough that one day in the hospital wasn’t enough—he stayed for a full three days, giving Qin Huai and the others plenty of time to work.

Finally, after the Double Crab Bun research team worked day and night for over two days, the three of them managed to complete the finished product just before Tan Weian was discharged.

More precisely, it was a product that all three of them were fairly satisfied with—something they felt represented their best or near-best level.

This time, all three participated in the tasting.

Each of them held a bun, standing in a row, looking at each other. As they ate, they kept glancing at one another uncertainly, trying to find confirmation on each other’s faces. But everyone was waiting for someone else to be the first to show certainty.

Qin Huai looked at Zheng Siyuan, Zang Liang looked at Qin Huai, Zheng Siyuan looked at the ground. Shi Dadan sat in what used to be Ou Yang’s “exclusive seat,” eating happily, occasionally glancing up at the three of them.

“This bun… is there something wrong with it? It’s pretty good,” Shi Dadan asked, genuinely puzzled.

Among them, Shi Dadan was the one who had eaten the most buns lately—not because he especially suited eating buns, but simply because he had the biggest appetite. No one could out-eat him. Even Tan Weian’s hospital stay didn’t stop him from eating less than one-third of Shi Dadan’s usual meal intake.

When it came to tasting, eating more was the ultimate advantage.

Although Shi Dadan didn’t understand the “current version’s answer,” he had eaten enough—and eaten enough good food—to actually have a valid say in judging the Double Crab Bun. At the very least, he had more authority than Ou Yang.

The three of them turned to look at Shi Dadan in unison.

Shi Dadan: “……”

Did he just say something wrong?

He gave an awkward, honest smile and asked, “Uh… is there a problem?”

Zang Liang stared at him intensely. “Old Shi, you think there’s no problem, right? You really think there’s absolutely no problem? You mean this bun feels completely fine to you?”

Shi Dadan: ?

“Weren’t those three questions basically the same thing?”

“I think this bun is pretty good. In fact, it’s the best I’ve had these past few days. It’s just… tasty.”

Classic nonsense, but effective.

Zang Liang suddenly jumped up, bursting into cheers.

“I think there’s no problem either! It’s done—we did it!”

“Qin Huai, Zheng Siyuan, we succeeded!”

“Did we make a successful version of the Double Crab Bun?! Does this bun have absolutely no problems?! Is the dough soft yet still chewy? Is the filling not watery but also not dry? Although it doesn’t have the rich oily aroma that usually soaks into a bun’s skin and makes it especially fragrant, some of the crab roe oil still coats the dough inside, giving it a very strong crab flavor.”

“And while it’s extremely fresh and delicious, you can also taste a subtle sea cucumber flavor. Calling it an ‘off taste’ wouldn’t be accurate, but it definitely isn’t something typically considered pleasant.”

“However, that doesn’t affect the overall experience. The soft, glutinous texture of the sea cucumber makes the filling feel more like a dish. And when you chew—especially when the filling mixes with the bun skin in your mouth—you just know it. Yes… this is it. This is the Double Crab Bun!”

Zang Liang’s forceful, resounding words lingered throughout the entire kitchen.

Zheng Siyuan slowly nodded.

“It should be right. There’s nothing wrong with the taste. It’s probably a success.”

Then the two of them turned to look at Qin Huai in unison.

Qin Huai: “……”

What now? One of you is excited, one is calm; one talks nonstop, the other barely says a word. You’ve already said everything there is to say—what am I supposed to add?

At least leave some lines for your dear Chef Qin, alright? I’m the team leader of the Double Crab Bun research squad!

And I’m talking about you, Zang Liang. Don’t you know the key lines are supposed to be reserved for the leader? I am the leader, and you just rattled everything off—what am I supposed to say now?

Qin Huai looked at them both, momentarily speechless. After a long pause, he finally said:

“Let Ou Yang eat the last two buns in this batch.”

“Then we’ll press our advantage and make another fresh batch to send to the hospital for Tan Weian. It’s 1 p.m. now. If I remember correctly, he’s supposed to be discharged at 3 p.m. this afternoon, after one final examination.”

“If we start early, we can still make it in time.”

Hearing this, Zang Liang immediately realized the seriousness of the matter and nodded solemnly.

“I understand. Don’t worry, we’ll finish the buns before 2 p.m. I think that hospital is pretty far from here, right? I’ll message Tan Weian right now and tell him not to rush his discharge—have him rest a bit longer so we can pick him up later.”

With that, Zang Liang went to the changing room to grab his phone, then came back and hurriedly continued preparing the filling.

Qin Huai exchanged a helpless glance with Zheng Siyuan.

Zheng Siyuan’s eyes clearly said: I already thought Zang Liang had a problem with his brain. It’s not like this is new.

“So… does this count as making the Double Crab Bun already?” Zheng Siyuan asked.

“Probably,” Qin Huai replied, though he wasn’t entirely sure.

From a technical standpoint, the three of them had already succeeded in making the Double Crab Bun. Any further improvement would just come from exceptional performance in coordination, or one person suddenly exceeding their usual level in a key step, pushing the dish to a higher tier.

Based on Qin Huai’s current judgment, the Double Crab Bun at this stage was probably between B-grade and B+ grade. Not low.

But whether it truly counted as “completed” still depended on whether Wang Gensheng would consider the task fulfilled after tasting it.

In the end, this Double Crab Bun was Wang Gensheng’s side quest.

Qin Huai had a general guess about Xu Nuo’s culinary ability—he felt Xu Nuo should be able to consistently make A-grade pastries. But right now, the Double Crab Bun hadn’t reached A-grade yet, so whether the mission could be completed was still uncertain.

Still, Qin Huai felt the odds were fairly high.

After all, the last time Wang Gensheng had eaten a Double Crab Bun was many years ago. Just like Gong Liang with the Four Happiness Tangyuan, people who attach deep emotions to certain dishes tend to have a “filter effect”—their memories beautify the taste. At the same time, those emotions also make them more forgiving.

As for how exactly that lowered standard would be applied, Qin Huai already had an idea in mind.

And as for now—

What the three members of the Double Crab Bun research team wanted most was simple:

They wanted their fourth member to eat the Double Crab Bun in the hospital, and only then be discharged.

No need to ask why.

It was all about sentiment.