Chapter 209: Chapter 209: The Delicious Fried Chicken, Business Starts to Pick Up!
Jiang Feng’s small shop operated from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
The fried chicken shop didn’t need much decoration, just a new sign that read: "Secret Recipe Delicious Fried Chicken."
There was one cashier, one waiter to clean the shop, and two staff dedicated to delivering takeout orders.
Sun Zhuangfei saw so many people and even chatted privately with Jiang Feng.
"Boss, why do I get the feeling these people aren’t regular waitstaff?"
"They seem quite educated," Sun Zhuangfei commented.
Jiang Feng didn’t know why he thought that and simply said, "It’s fine. Don’t worry about it; just do your job well."
Jiang Feng started to prepare the fried chicken, and Sun Zhuangfei watched nearby, learning.
The fried chicken used only thigh meat.
He placed the raw chicken thighs on the cutting board, made a horizontal and then a vertical cut down to the bone, and pulled the meat apart.
This allowed the marinade to penetrate better.
Then, he added scallions, ginger, salt, oyster sauce, and pepper, mixing them thoroughly with the raw chicken to marinate it.
Each chicken thigh marinated in a bowl for half an hour.
Sun Zhuangfei, wearing gloves, assisted him.
Next, Jiang Feng began to prepare the crispy batter, a mixture of cornstarch, flour, baking powder, and water, blended to the consistency of thick yogurt.
He then dipped the marinated chicken into the batter until it was fully coated. After the first coating, he quickly dipped it in water, shook off the excess, then coated it with batter a second time before frying it.
That was how the fried chicken was made.
Besides the fried chicken, the sauces also needed to be prepared.
Jiang Feng concocted four types: Cheese-Crusted Fried Chicken, Amber Sweet & Spicy Fried Chicken, Honey Mustard Fried Chicken, and Spicy Meat Sauce Fried Chicken.
The sauces were all expertly blended by him and were exceptionally fragrant, perfect for the fried chicken.
A young police officer named Zheng Chuanlin was at the counter, working the cash register.
His gaze occasionally drifted towards the bar across the street, but otherwise, his behavior was normal.
Soon, the shop received a takeout order.
The customer ordered a serving of Spicy Meat Sauce Fried Chicken.
Upon seeing the order, Jiang Feng immediately started frying.
The batter-coated chicken thighs hit the hot oil, and instantly, countless tiny bubbles erupted.
The chicken, originally coated in white batter, turned golden brown upon frying, its skin becoming crispy.
The aroma of the fried chicken was incredibly enticing.
Ma Jiang, who was preparing for a delivery, couldn’t help but gulp at the smell.
Jiang Feng placed the freshly fried pieces of chicken into a paper box and closed the lid.
Next, he added disposable gloves and a small drink.
Ma Jiang glanced at the address and immediately left to make the delivery.
Jiang Feng watched him leave without expression.
Still inexperienced, huh? Who ever heard of delivering just one order at a time? You can’t make money that way. But Ma Jiang wasn’t planning on making money either.
Not long after, a young couple came in.
They entered the shop and chose to order by scanning a QR code.
They ordered a portion of Amber Sweet & Spicy Fried Chicken, and Jiang Feng got busy again.
Before long, a box of Sweet & Spicy Fried Chicken was delivered to their table.
At that moment, the couple was still chatting normally.
Once they smelled the fried chicken, they were instantly captivated.
"It smells so good!"
"Try it quick!"
They both donned disposable gloves and picked up a piece of fried chicken that was still piping hot.
After blowing on it gently a couple of times, they bit directly into the chicken.
Instantly, rich juices squeezed out from the chicken, momentarily scalding their mouths.
The exterior of the fried chicken was crispy, and with a gentle bite, the meat inside was tender and juicy.
The fragrance wafted from the chicken.
This piece of fried chicken had been carefully marinated by Jiang Feng before being fried to perfection. The flavor, needless to say, was incredible.
"Wow!" The girl’s eyes lit up as she ate the chicken.
The taste of the fried chicken was completely unexpected. The outside was very crispy, dry in a good way, and aromatic.
Yet the meat inside was another story entirely: not only tender but also brimming with juice.
"This place is so delicious!" the girl exclaimed in astonishment.
She had thought it was just ordinary fried chicken but never imagined it would taste this good. It was a complete surprise.
The chicken was fresh and tender. The fried batter was also fragrant and crispy. The combination was simply perfect.
The boy sat silently beside her, wolfing down the chicken.
This fried chicken was indeed extraordinary, much tastier than usual fried chicken cutlets.
He didn’t know how it was made, but the inside of the chicken was exceptionally well-seasoned.
As he ate, his mouth filled with savory oil, and he felt he could swallow his own tongue from the deliciousness.
This was actually to be expected. The chicken had been marinated for a long time before frying, allowing the seasonings to penetrate deep into the meat. High-temperature frying brought out the flavors, which were then locked in by the batter, making it both fragrant and tender.
After finishing the fried chicken, the couple was thoroughly satisfied.
"This place is really good. I wonder why business is just average."
"I think so too. Such delicious fried chicken should be really popular."
After their fill of chicken, they enjoyed a cup of sour plum drink. Feeling refreshed all over, they left contentedly.
Meanwhile, Jiang Feng received many takeout orders.
Today’s youth subscribed to the philosophy of moving as little as possible. Isn’t it nice to have food delivered right to your door? Why should I have to go out to eat? It’s a total waste of time.
The pace of life today is so fast that even eating has to be done in the simplest way possible.
Inside an office building somewhere, a few programmers were still focused on writing code.
For them, the afternoon was just the beginning of their workday.
After coding for a while, they started to feel hungry.
"Let’s order takeout. What do you guys want?"
"I’m looking!"
"There’s a new fried chicken place here that looks decent."
"Fried chicken? I’d rather have a burger!"
"Let’s just go with fried chicken. I’ll have a portion!"
After some discussion, they made up their minds.
They placed their orders, and soon enough, steaming hot fried chicken arrived.
The group immediately stopped their work and gathered, planning to eat before continuing.
Once they began tasting the fried chicken, they couldn’t maintain their composure.
"This is incredibly delicious!"
"Ah, what seasonings did this place use? Why is it so fragrant?"
"Pass me your sauce. I want to try the meat sauce flavor. This fried chicken tastes amazing!"
They quickly became excited.
Generally, fried chicken is considered greasy. Fried foods usually taste good.
But the fried chicken Jiang Feng made wasn’t just good; it was on another level.
Tearing open the outer batter, they found the meat inside was exceptionally fresh and oozing with rich juices.
This was far beyond what ordinary fried chicken could achieve. All one could say was that the taste was incredible!
The programmers devoured all the fried chicken, yet still wanted more.
They hadn’t used gloves, eating directly with their hands, and couldn’t resist sucking their fingers afterward.
Truly finger-licking good!
"Let’s order some more tonight. I see this fried chicken shop is open late."
"I was thinking the same thing."
"It’s really good! We’ll order from here from now on!"
They came to a consensus.
Little by little, word of the business spread.
Jiang Feng wasn’t in a rush.
Selling fried chicken here is quite good, and few people recognize me. This way, I can focus on the food.
At the same time, Ma Jiang and the others were each diligently performing their duties.
They worked with incredible energy and enthusiasm, as if they had an inexhaustible supply of strength.
And the best part? They worked for free. It was an unbelievable stroke of luck.
They frequently glanced at the bar across the street.
According to their intelligence, the wanted fugitive was likely hiding in that bar. However, they couldn’t obtain a search warrant. Moreover, bars often had many hidden doors and secret passages; if someone was deliberately concealed, finding them inside wouldn’t be easy. So, their only option was to stake out the place.
In the evening, when there were fewer customers, Jiang Feng made a few extra portions of fried chicken for Ma Jiang, Zheng Chuanlin, and Sun Zhuangfei to share.
This was Ma Jiang’s first time tasting Jiang Feng’s fried chicken, and he praised it endlessly.
Zheng Chuanlin, however, seemed to have expected it and ate to his heart’s content.
At this moment, these undercover officers, especially Ma Jiang, hadn’t realized the gravity of the situation.
On the first day, due to the small number of customers, the total volume of deliveries was manageable. But what would happen next was uncertain.
After all, once you tasted Jiang Feng’s fried chicken, you were bound to become a repeat customer. With so many people coming back for more, the number of takeout orders would naturally increase.
And that was without his regulars even knowing. If Jiang Feng’s regular customers found out his little shop offered delivery, who knew how many delivery drivers would soon be swamped in the area.
Amidst the comings and goings, the first day of sales concluded successfully.
It was a little past 11:00 PM.
"That’s it for today. We’re planning to head out," Jiang Feng said to Ma Jiang.
"Sure, no problem. Just closing up as usual," Ma Jiang replied.
"Aren’t you guys keeping watch at night?" Jiang Feng asked curiously.
"There’s a night watch. Arrangements have been made; it’s not our responsibility," Ma Jiang said with a smile. "Just keep treating us like employees."
Hearing this, Jiang Feng didn’t pry any further. He would just focus on his own tasks.
My first day of business in Yangzhou has been quite an experience. A few undercover cops working as my staff. Whether we can actually lure out this so-called fugitive, well, that’s up to luck.
Jiang Feng glanced at the bar across the street.
Many distinctively dressed men and women were outside; some waited for others, while some entered in groups of three or five.
Sun Zhuangfei also took a glance over there, but none of them were interested in such things.
"Head back and get some sleep. Come over after noon tomorrow. Wash the chicken thighs and then marinate them," Jiang Feng said to Sun Zhuangfei. "It should be even busier tomorrow."
"Okay, Boss," Sun Zhuangfei immediately responded.
The group then left.
It appeared to be an unremarkable day, but Jiang Feng’s fried chicken shop had already made an impact in the surrounding area.
By nine or ten in the evening, even people from the bar were coming out to eat his fried chicken.
The delicious taste of the fried chicken captivated many, making them reluctant to leave or eager to return.
A surge in popularity seemed inevitable.