Of course, that was just a thought—there was no way he'd actually go through with it.
I mean, if you killed a bunch of people all at once, what happens next?
The FBI would probably show up.
Not a good look.
That said, it didn't stop Dexter from feeling happy.
After cheering up for a good while, Dexter calmed down and opened another treasure chest—this time a Bronze Chest.
> [You have opened a Bronze Chest. Congratulations, you have drawn the Skill: Top-Tier (Soup Dumplings) (Includes all ingredients needed for ten baskets of soup dumplings)—Do you wish to claim this reward immediately?]
Oh, snap!
Soup Dumplings!
He'd almost forgotten how much he loved these things.
Claim it!
Whoosh. Ten already-made baskets of soup dumplings silently appeared.
"My luck is seriously on point today," Dexter chuckled to himself, seeing the bounty. He immediately found the steamer baskets and got them steaming.
As for opening another chest? Not right now. This was enough.
It didn't take long.
The incredible aroma of the soup dumplings began to waft out.
Veronica and V both smelled it, sniffing the air in unison. They exchanged a look, both knowing this was something new.
In an instant, the customers waiting at the door for dinner also caught the scent.
One guy couldn't take it anymore and shouted, "Hello! When are you opening? It's almost five!"
Once one person spoke up, others quickly chimed in.
Before long, the area outside the restaurant was a chorus of chatter.
Right about then, since it had been so long since he'd eaten them, Dexter decided he wouldn't wait until closing time. He carried three baskets of Soup Dumplingsout of the kitchen and called out to Veronica and V, "Come on, I made something new. Come have a taste."
Hearing that, Veronica and V were delighted and nodded eagerly.
The customers outside were basically stunned: "Whaaaat??"
What is the deal? What's going on?
We're waiting outside!
And you guys are eating inside?
Are you kidding me? I'll trash your whole restaurant!
A few hot-headed customers immediately started yelling as they snapped back to reality.
Dexter heard it...
Hmm.
Kinda loud.
"Should we maybe pull the curtain closed?" Dexter suggested.
This time, it was Veronica and V's turn to be stunned: "Wait, seriously?"
"Boss, I don't think that's right," V said, holding back a laugh.
"But opening the door and letting them in wouldn't be right either, would it?" Dexter countered seriously.
Veronica's eyes lit up. "It's totally right! We can sell the fruit platter."
Ding!
"V! That's brilliant!" Dexter grinned. "Alright, let's open up. Twenty-five dinners tonight."
"Got it!" Veronica and V answered together. Without wasting time, they went to open the door and let people in.
Dexter didn't help. He sat right down and started eating.
It was so good.
"Boss, I want this too. What do you call it?" A pretty customer who had been there several times rushed in, her face full of craving, and asked Dexter.
"Soup Dumplings—$188 for one serving," Dexter looked up and replied to the beauty. "Only seven left. Oh, wait, five left."
The beauty paused: "Boss, why did it go from seven to five all of a sudden?"
"Because I'm keeping two for myself," Dexter said, completely unfazed.
"... " The beauty sighed. "I'll take one."
"Sure thing. Wait for me to finish, though. You can get a fruit platter first," Dexter smiled.
The beauty didn't feel like talking anymore. She shot Dexter a small glare, a little peeved, and sat down nearby.
And just like that, in the blink of an eye, the five portions of Soup Dumplingswere sold out.
Also, because Dexter and his crew were all eating, they managed to sell several fruit platters.
The customers buying the fruit platters didn't necessarily crave the fruit...
But having to watch Dexter and the others eat without them was brutal, so they settled for some fruit to hold them over.
After Dexter finished eating and wiped his mouth, he apologized to the customers who had been waiting for so long. "Sorry about the wait, guys. I'm heading in now to make your dinner."
Then, Dexter turned to Veronica. "V, call Kevin. I saved one serving of Soup Dumplingsfor him. Tell him to get over here ASAP. It won't taste good cold."
Veronica was stunned: "!!!"
What kind of amazing friend was this?
Veronica was deeply touched. She flashed a huge, bright smile and nodded quickly. "Okay, thank you, Boss!"
"No problem," Dexter said, and then he turned and ducked into the kitchen.
Veronica pulled out her phone to call.
"Kev, Dexter made a new thing today. It's totally bomb, and he saved a serving for you. Get over here!"
Clang!
Kevin's body tensed. "On my way!"
The call ended.
Kevin shot out of the house, jumped in his car, slammed the gas pedal, and sped toward Dex Restaurant.
He arrived at the restaurant and ate.
When he was done:
"Dexter, you're the real MVP," Kevin said, overjoyed, as he rushed into the kitchen to talk to Dexter.
"Gross, cut it out," Dexter replied with a joking look of disgust. "I'm not treating you for free, though. I need you to do me a small solid."
"You name it!" Kevin answered right away, without a second's hesitation.
Dexter didn't waste any time. He quickly packed up the last serving of Soup Dumplings and handed it to Kevin. "Run this over to Carl for me."
"That's it?" Kevin thought it was going to be something harder. "No problem, I'll go right now."
Over at the Gallaghers' house, a mix of grief and anger filled the whole place, creating a seriously weird atmosphere.
Monica was wailing.
Fiona looked heartbroken.
Ian watched with a stone-cold expression.
Lip's face and eyes were full of fury.
Carl was sitting on the couch, finally realizing he had really messed up big time. He was a little guilty and kept quiet.
Debbie watched Fiona and Monica fighting, looking really anxious.
Frank was sitting in his wheelchair, only thinking about getting Monica to sign the papers so he could get the money.
Liam, who didn't understand anything, was playing by himself in the crib.
Steve was standing off to the side, smartly staying out of the mess and keeping quiet.
Roberta was firmly planted next to Monica, playing the role of the fierce protector.
Just then, Kevin walked in holding the Soup Dumplings. Although he heard the argument inside, he didn't think much of it—this was the Gallaghers, after all. He didn't even bother knocking and just pushed the door open.
Once inside, especially when he saw Monica...
Kevin instantly regretted it.
I really should have knocked!
Kevin thought to himself. He didn't want to get pulled into the drama the Gallaghers were currently wrapped up in and just wanted to bounce. So, after a moment's hesitation, he didn't even say hi to Monica, just grit his teeth and called out to Carl. "Carl, Dexter made you some dinner. He asked me to drop it off."
Carl immediately cheered up. He laughed, jumped off the couch, and ran over to Kevin. "Cool!"
He reached Kevin, took the paper bag, and quickly opened it, looking puzzled. "What is this?"
"It's a kind of dumpling. It's awesome. You enjoy it. I gotta go to work now," Kevin said. Without pausing, he turned and bailed out of there.
Carl didn't say anything. He sat down at the kitchen table and took a big sniff. "Smells incredible!"
Up until this moment, because of Monica's sudden appearance, the entire Gallagher family, plus Steve, hadn't eaten dinner yet. They were all pretty hungry.
So, naturally, when they smelled that amazing scent, their attention was all at least a little distracted.
Steve was the most distracted. He couldn't help but start drooling a little, seriously wanting to just leave and grab dinner at Dexter's restaurant.