Chapter 199: Chapter 199: The Golden Pagoda and the White Snake!
Li Pao’er stood in place for a long time.
The stuffed pancakes and egg soup were all sold out; not even a bit of egg flower was left.
He had ultimately come too late.
He could only slump to the ground, as if his soul had been lost.
The mountain peak was bustling.
Many people were there for check-ins and photography.
Even though breakfast was sold out, it didn’t affect the tourists’ desire to take photos and check in.
Jiang Feng had originally been standing by the stove taking pictures with people. Before he knew it, he had walked out and found himself standing on a high platform.
This place was perfect for pictures, allowing the distant mountains to be captured in the background, and Jiang Feng served as a nice addition.
Sun Zhuangfei and the old man were responsible for cleaning up.
There was nothing Jiang Feng needed to do.
Jiang Feng had become a photo attraction himself; just standing there was enough.
After one group finished taking photos, Jiang Feng was about to end the session when a few more girls surrounded him with bright smiles.
One of them took charge of the camera, while the others posed next to Jiang Feng.
Jiang Feng wore a smile, having given up on resisting. Go ahead and take the pictures, whatever. It doesn’t matter anymore.
While taking photos, Jiang Feng also checked on the progress of Sun Zhuangfei’s cleanup work.
Once Sun Zhuangfei had packed all the pots and pans, Jiang Feng gestured to descend, then went over, picked up the shoulder pole, and started down the mountain.
The two of them put on their caps and masks again and changed into different coats.
No matter what, the hustle of the day was finally over.
The guests at the mountaintop were still savoring the deliciousness of the stuffed pancakes and the tomato egg flower soup.
Those who hadn’t had breakfast, upon hearing others discuss it, asked, "How was that breakfast, anyway?"
As soon as they heard this, the group immediately perked up.
"It was incredibly delicious! You have no idea just how tasty it was."
"The stuffed pancake was bursting with filling; bite into it and it just explodes with flavor. I don’t know how he made it so fragrant."
"And that soup! The egg flowers were so soft and tender in my mouth, and the tomatoes were finely chopped. I felt totally refreshed after drinking it."
"This trip was so worth it!" one person replied, his face full of satisfaction.
Hearing this, those who hadn’t had breakfast could only sigh with regret.
The situation on the mountain peak was very lively.
Many social media influencers reported on the situation there.
Jiang Feng became famous in Chengdu once again.
The Sichuan Cuisine restaurant was still undergoing renovation and would open soon. It would be the second traditional Chinese restaurant opened by Jiang Feng, and he was looking forward to it.
At the same time, he had to go back and check on the Shandong Cuisine Restaurant for a few days.
Jiang Feng planned to return as soon as he was done selling at the mountaintop.
「The next day」
The mountaintop was as bustling as ever.
The sun hadn’t been up for long, yet the mountain paths were already blocked by guests.
Today was Jiang Feng’s last day selling at this spot, and he had prepared two flavors of stuffed pancakes, in a very generous quantity.
Allowing more people to taste the stuffed pancakes would be a perfect completion to his work.
After he finished selling his wares, Jiang Feng called several moving company employees over to help move the cooking utensils back to the small shop.
When the movers came up the mountain and saw the sea of people, they were stunned.
What’s happening on Mount Qingcheng? So many people! Did the Venerable Lord Lao show himself? Or has a mythical creature appeared?
After asking around, they discovered it was all because of Jiang Feng.
"Is that boss really that amazing?"
The movers looked at each other in disbelief.
Previously, when we came up the mountain, we wondered if this boss was just bored, running a stall on the mountaintop. Could there really be any customers? But now, seeing the scene... wow! We really underestimated things.
The number of customers was extraordinary.
After much difficulty, they squeezed their way to the mountaintop, where they saw Jiang Feng surrounded by a large group of people taking photos.
Sun Zhuangfei came over to greet them and arrange for them to start moving things.
"Is your boss really that impressive?" a mover asked Sun Zhuangfei. "Tourists come over just to take pictures with him?"
Sun Zhuangfei nodded. "Yes, he is quite impressive."
Hearing this, the movers immediately replied, "Then we’ll have to get a photo with him later too!"
"Even if we don’t know him, getting a picture can’t hurt. It’ll definitely be worth it!" another added.
...
The stall on the mountaintop concluded perfectly.
Jiang Feng once again stood at the peak of Mount Qingcheng, overlooking the vast mountain scenery.
He felt completely free.
Since he had hired the movers, Jiang Feng didn’t need to do anything. Sun Zhuangfei took care of it all, moving things down the mountain with the workers.
[Task completed. Reward received: Golden Pagoda]
[Due to outstanding task completion and extremely high customer satisfaction, an additional reward has been awarded: White Jade Snake]
The system’s voice echoed in Jiang Feng’s mind.
The rewards from the system are always pretty good. However, the combination of the pagoda and the white snake inevitably brought to mind the Legend of the White Snake. Could it truly be as the song says, "Under Mount Qingcheng lives Bai Suzhen, cultivating for a thousand years in her cave"? It’s just a shame that in the end, she was suppressed by Monk Fahai beneath the pagoda.
On the way down, Jiang Feng walked beside the group, carrying only a small bag.
"Sun Zhuangfei, have you heard the story of Bai Suzhen?" Jiang Feng asked on a whim.
Upon hearing this, Sun Zhuangfei pondered for a moment before responding, "Is she the white snake that flooded Chen Pavilion Pass?"
His answer caught Jiang Feng by surprise.
Flooding Chen Pavilion Pass? That’s wilder than any unofficial history! Even Nezha would have to call you ’Big Bro’ after hearing that.
"Alright, never mind," Jiang Feng waved his hand, not wanting to continue.
The journey back was smooth sailing all the way.
After returning home, Jiang Feng took out the Golden Pagoda and the White Jade Snake.
The pagoda was entirely made of gold, shining brilliantly. He estimated its value to be around seven or eight million.
The White Jade Snake was entirely white, a piece of natural white jade carved into a somewhat curved shape.
At the head of the snake, there was a natural black spot that, after carving, served perfectly as the snake’s eyes.
This level of craftsmanship could only be achieved by a "master." Only simple embellishments were needed to finish the jade piece, perfectly complementing its natural beauty. Such a work is of considerable value.
Then, Jiang Feng rested in Chengdu for two days before driving his off-road vehicle to Eastern Shandong, taking Little Black with him.
The journey was long, but Jiang Feng was in no hurry. He enjoyed the scenery along the way and leisurely made his way back.
「Back in Eastern Shandong」
Everything was as usual.
Jiang Feng didn’t make a big deal of his return and immediately went to Jiangyue Terrace Restaurant to inspect the situation.
The kitchen was bustling with activity. Each chef was busy at work.
Zhang Hu followed Jiang Feng and briefed him on the situation in the kitchen.
Afterward, Jiang Feng went to observe the restaurant’s operations.
The revenue was still considerable. Currently, it could bring in several hundred thousand a month.
"The day after tomorrow, I’ll be the executive chef for two days," Jiang Feng told Liew Mei and Zhang Hu. "Tomorrow, have those chefs who applied for the job come over. I’ll test their dishes."
Hearing that Jiang Feng would be cooking personally, Liew Mei immediately replied, "No problem, boss. I’ll change the advertisement board tomorrow afternoon."
Zhang Hu also said, "I’ll call those chefs over tomorrow. Their skills are exceptionally good, and they are people of good character."
For chefs skilled in Shandong Cuisine, Jiangyue Terrace Shandong Cuisine Restaurant was very attractive.
As a signature Shandong Cuisine restaurant, any chef would naturally want to showcase their skills here.
The better the chefs, the better the taste of the food at the restaurant, and the better its reputation would be.
With a good reputation, it would attract even better chefs.
That’s how the restaurant could continue to develop and thrive.
After inspecting the restaurant, Jiang Feng returned to his villa.
Being the boss felt pretty good.
「The next day」
Jiang Feng interviewed several chefs, tasted their dishes, provided feedback, and observed their improvements on the spot. Finding them to be quite good, he decided to keep them on.
At the same time, on the sign on the first floor of Jiangyue Terrace Shandong Cuisine Restaurant, an additional message was added:
Tomorrow’s star chef: Jiang Feng
It was accompanied by a photo of Jiang Feng.
Photos of other chefs showed them in white chef uniforms, standing sideways with arms crossed.
Jiang Feng’s photo showed him in casual clothes, running a street stall.
He hadn’t taken any special photos for this. This one was found by an employee online, but he looked very good in it, exceptionally handsome.
Jiangyue Terrace was as lively as ever since its opening.
A few regulars came to Jiangyue Terrace, looked up at the sign, and were instantly stunned.
"Look at that! Executive Chef Jiang is going to be cooking tomorrow!"
"Did they put up the wrong sign?"
"He’s finally back!"
"Executive Chef Jiang, I’ve been looking for you for so long!"
The regulars were instantly excited.
Then, many people took photos, sent them to friends, or posted them in foodie groups.
Some called their friends directly.
News of Jiang Feng’s return spread quickly.
Conveniently, tomorrow was a weekend, and the number of customers was expected to be substantial.
At that moment, Jiang Feng was resting at home, considering what to cook the next day.
Since he owned a Shandong Cuisine Restaurant, he definitely had to prepare Shandong Cuisine.
Just then, a message from the system suddenly popped up.
[Activate random task: Cook at the Jiangyue Terrace Shandong Cuisine Restaurant for two consecutive days and serve 500 guests.]
[Task reward: Special Exhibition Safe]
[Special Exhibition Safe: An immovable display case that can be installed in the restaurant, highest theft-proof level. Ordinary manpower and lock-picking tools cannot open it; suitable for displaying rare items.]
Hearing this message, Jiang Feng was a bit surprised.
A random task has been triggered. An exhibition safe? With so many rare items I own, it would be nice to display some in the restaurant to enhance its style. However, some items are displayable, while others are best left out of sight. For instance, my one-to-one replica of the Imperial Jade Seal is identical to the lost original in every aspect except the patina of age. If someone knowledgeable in history were to see this Jade Seal, they might want to investigate further.
I’ll just display gold and jade items. Gold and jade items are easier to explain. After all, I have receipts for the gold, and no one really scrutinizes jade, Jiang Feng mused.
When the system rewarded gold items, it also provided receipts for the source of the gold to prevent any legal scrutiny.
This saved Jiang Feng a lot of trouble.
「The next day」
Jiang Feng arrived early at the Jiangyue Terrace Shandong Cuisine Restaurant. He prepared the ingredients and seasonings, ready to cook delicious food for two days.
The newly hired chefs joined the busy kitchen.
The Shandong Cuisine Restaurant bustled with prosperity.
Before the restaurant even opened, a crowd had already gathered outside.
Customers queued up at the entrance.
Driving by, a couple noticed this scene. The husband, puzzled, asked his wife, "Hey, what’s going on? Why is there such a long line at Jiangyue Terrace?"
His wife offhandedly remarked, "Could it be that Executive Chef Jiang has returned?"
Upon hearing this, the husband had a sudden realization.
"Damn, that’s totally possible!" he exclaimed. "Let’s go check it out!"