Cisco asked, "So, should I be looking forward to this hundred-thousand-dollar meal?"
Lin Li savored the coconut-flavored ice cream, a hint of coconut melting in his mouth, an incredibly delightful taste.
Exhaling a coconut-scented breath, he affirmed, "Yes, look forward to it. Not just tonight, I've pre-ordered fresh ingredients for over half a year. Walmart will deliver them daily, and every evening, you can choose to enjoy Eastern delicacies with me."
Cisco didn't take it seriously. He wasn't picky about food; the Big Belly Burger type was perfectly fine for him. He could eat them for three weeks straight without getting tired of them. Lin Li, on the other hand, was extremely impressed by this. He had tried eating four or five in a row and felt like he couldn't eat any more, not because he was full, but because he genuinely couldn't stomach it. What kind of food was this? Dry, the bread and meat didn't go together, and it was topped with salad dressing and lettuce. The texture was completely off. As a result, he developed an aversion to this kind of foreign food and had no choice but to intervene. 'You primitives, my great Chinese cuisine will taste so good it'll make you burst in minutes!'
Cisco drove into the Star Labs garage. Lin Li carried Barry in a princess carry, with a large bag hanging from his hand. They took the elevator with Cisco. Cisco bit into a licorice twist, carrying a magazine to the control room hall, while Lin Li carried Barry to Surgery, where Caitlin was already waiting.
He gently laid Barry flat on the hospital bed.
"Is there anything wrong with Barry's body?"
Caitlin asked, while hooking Barry up to glucose for energy replenishment, setting up monitoring equipment, and examining him.
Lin Li said, "No, he just overexerted himself. He needs some energy replenishment, and once his internal energy repairs the damaged cells, he'll be fine."
Caitlin nodded, focusing on examining Barry.
Lin Li continued, "Caitlin, are you free tonight?"
Caitlin paused, scrutinizing Lin Li warily, and asked, "What do you want?"
"I'd like to invite you to dinner, to thank..."
"NO, I'm busy. Lin Li, I'm not going on a date with you. You're a good person, but you can give up on that idea."
Caitlin firmly refused. 'My husband died, and I'm in a terrible mood. I'm not interested in another person.'
Receiving a 'good person' card out of the blue, Lin Li said with a wry smile, "Caitlin, listen, I am faithful to the one I love. One day I will go back to see her and complete the proposal that hasn't been done yet."
"Also, I have no intention of pursuing you."
"I happened to buy some ingredients today and wanted to invite you, Cisco, and Dr. Wells to dinner to thank you all for helping me. I have no intention of pursuing you."
"Let me solemnly remind you again, I have no intention of pursuing you."
Lin Li raised the bag in his hand, signaling, 'You're really overthinking this, miss.'
Caitlin's cheeks flushed slightly, and with her fair complexion, the blush on her face was clearly visible.
"Damn it, Lin Li, why can't you just say everything at once? Now get out of here and stop hindering me from treating Barry."
Caitlin fiercely chased Lin Li out of Surgery. This was truly embarrassing, utterly humiliating. And to be 'solemnly reminded' was even worse. If she couldn't beat him up, Caitlin would have loved to slap him hard a few times.
To eat or not to eat? To agree or not to agree?
With Lin Li's emotional intelligence, he couldn't quite gauge Caitlin's mood. He felt that going back in might result in him getting hit, so he left Surgery and went to the control room hall, where Wells also happened to be.
"Dr. Wells, are you free tonight? I plan to cook dinner to thank you all. You absolutely must come!"
Lin Li learned his lesson from Caitlin and blurted out his sincere invitation all at once.
Cisco bit into a licorice twist and chimed in, "Doctor, you should go. This is a hundred-thousand-dollar, expensive meal. I'm looking forward to it."
Dr. Wells appeared flattered and said, "Alright... alright, I can eat dinner before going home."
"OK, I need to go prepare dinner. Cisco, Walmart will be delivering some more goods soon. Call me when they arrive. Also, remember to call Caitlin around 6 PM."
Lin Li reminded Cisco, then returned to his living quarters in the residential area.
His residence was no longer the very small single room he had before. That room was only for researchers who sometimes couldn't leave or go home, providing a temporary place to sleep. Now that Lin Li was a permanent resident of Star Labs, that room was too small.
The house he lived in now was almost 90 square meters, with three bedrooms and a living room. It had an overall metallic style, simple and minimalistic, with no decorations, making it seem a bit cold.
Back in his residence, Lin Li arranged all the large bags of ice cream and desserts into the refrigerator, then poured out the beef, chicken, pork, and pre-cleaned crucian carp from the bottom of the bag.
Speaking of fish, foreigners don't like to eat fish, or rather, they don't like to eat things with bones or thorns. Lin Li found the reason quite strange: they don't like spitting out bones and thorns.
But Lin Li actually managed to buy crucian carp at a Walmart supermarket. As far as he knew, crucian carp seemed to have quite a few bones.
Additionally, foreigners who eat chicken, pork, and beef prefer large cuts of meat and dislike meat with bones that need to be spit out. He had originally planned to make sweet and sour spare ribs, but noticing the dietary differences here, he changed it directly to sweet and sour pork loin—meat with no bones and less flour.
As for crucian carp, that was even easier. Fry it in oil until even the fish bones are crispy and crunchy, then add a secret chili soy sauce seasoning. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. When eating, dip it slightly in the sauce, and the delicious fish flavor will explode in your mouth, making it irresistible. This couldn't help but remind Lin Li of all the times he ran around with her, exploring streets and alleys for delicious food. This fried fish was something she discovered in a small alley. Later, to coax his girlfriend, Lin Li ate it almost every day for several months, slowly befriending the owner and successfully sneaking into the kitchen to learn the recipe.
Thinking of this, Lin Li's mood instantly darkened. With a bitter smile, he continued to prepare the ingredients. Almost every item he handled reminded him of her.
The chicken he bought was black-bone chicken, which Lin Li also loved to eat. It was excellent for making soup, known for its nourishing properties: nourishing yin, invigorating the kidneys, enriching blood, replenishing essence, benefiting the liver, reducing fever, and strengthening the body. It can regulate human immune function and anti-aging, especially after her menstrual period. Lin Li would cook it every time, making her complexion rosy and healthy.
Not long after, about half an hour later, Cisco informed Lin Li that Walmart had delivered the goods, and Barry had also woken up. Lin Li invited Barry as well.
"Barry, are you free to stay for dinner tonight? We can also celebrate your victory over a formidable enemy."
"No, Lin Li, I must rush back to let Joe know I'm safe. Tonight, I might have a talk with Joe."
Lin Li understood what was going on. He just wondered how Joe would treat Barry as The Flash after this incident.
Therefore, he wished him well, saying, "Then I can only wish you good luck. Communicate well; there's nothing that can't be solved."
"Okay, thank you, Lin Li."
After talking to Barry, Lin Li went to move his large quantity of desserts, ice cream, and various seasonings. What was amazing was that in this foreign, other world, Lin Li actually found Lao Gan Ma (Old Godmother chili crisp), which filled him with emotion.
Lin Li was from Guangdong and had a varied diet; there was nothing from across the country or various species that he wouldn't dare to eat, except for spicy food, which he avoided. However, his girlfriend was from Sichuan and especially loved Lao Gan Ma. Therefore, half of the seasonings in their home were various chili sauces. Several times during meals, Lin Li's girlfriend would quietly tear open a piece of meat, pour chili sauce in the middle, then close the meat back up, and with a loving expression, pick up the meat for Lin Li to eat. Faced with his affectionate lover, Lin Li would always eat it in one bite, then his eyes and nose would stream with tears and snot, an 'appreciative outpouring.' And his girlfriend would always bang on the table, laughing heartily as she watched Lin Li's 'appreciative outpouring.' Lin Li would always call her a wicked 'Lao Gan Ma,' and the two would playfully bicker, their dinner table always filled with laughter.
Every meal was a joyous feast, full of happiness and lively fun.
Lin Li looked at the Lao Gan Ma, his eyes a little moist, recalling all the past amusing incidents.
...