Chapter 177: Chapter 177: A New Mission, I Really Can’t Figure You Out!
Taste of Yore Sichuan Restaurant buzzed with excitement on its last day.
Many people who hadn’t managed to snag a number could only sigh at their misfortune. It seemed they were fated to miss out on Sichuan cuisine.
Jiang Feng, for his part, was as busy as ever.
During his break, he chatted with Shen Hai.
"Boss Jiang, your Sichuan cooking skills are truly impressive."
"There’s a Sichuan cuisine competition coming up. Why not sign up?"
"A lot of Sichuan chefs will be heading there," Shen Hai suggested with a smile.
"A Sichuan cuisine competition?"
Jiang Feng wasn’t keen on participating in competitions himself, but he was quite interested in checking out the hustle and bustle.
It was only from chatting with Shen Hai that he learned Sichuan hosted a cuisine competition every few years, with a focus on innovative dishes. Many Sichuan chefs would participate, especially head chefs from major restaurant brands.
Jiang Feng planned to go and have a look; maybe he could find a few talented Sichuan chefs to hire. He still lacked any impressive Sichuan head chefs for his own venture. He needed to strategize for opening a new restaurant, and it was crucial to have everything in place beforehand. Otherwise, running a restaurant wouldn’t be easy.
"It would be good to attend such events. I’ll be able to see a wide array of dishes, making it a great learning opportunity for me," Jiang Feng replied.
This really is a good opportunity.
Shen Hai nodded in agreement. "Boss Jiang, with your skills, you could even snag the title of Culinary God."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Feng just laughed and said, "It’s not that easy."
Amidst all the hustle and bustle, Jiang Feng’s stint working at Taste of Yore Sichuan Restaurant came to an end.
In the evening, Shen Hai prepared a banquet specifically to send Jiang Feng off, expressing his gratitude for helping the restaurant stay in business.
Shen Hai drank a lot during the banquet. Taste of Yore Sichuan Restaurant was a small operation; closing for even a few days would have been very hard on Shen Hai. But Jiang Feng’s arrival changed everything.
Jiang Feng felt that Shen Hai and his wife Zhu Hong were both decent people. It seems the System chose a location with a trustworthy owner.
Afterward, Jiang Feng left Taste of Yore Sichuan Restaurant to start a new Chapter in his life. He had been merely a temporary presence at this restaurant, yet he had propelled it to an unprecedented peak of success.
After returning home with Little Black, Jiang Feng couldn’t wait to get a fresh carrot out of the refrigerator. With a small knife in hand, he tried his hand at simple carrot carving. Having gained the System reward skill—Advanced Knife Work: Carving Mastery—he was eager to test it out.
Carving carrot flowers was quite simple: it involved slicing the carrot and then shaping the pieces into petals. His hands were incredibly deft, the knife dancing in his grasp. Soon, a series of delicate carrot flowers emerged under his skillful knife. These were just basic carvings, a way for Jiang Feng to get a feel for the technique.
He fed all the carved carrot flowers to Little Black. Little Black wasn’t picky, happily eating everything Jiang Feng fed him.
Next, Jiang Feng attempted a more advanced carving: a dragon’s head from a carrot. This was a much more complex shape to achieve. Some culinary carvers would draw guidelines in advance to plan their work before making a cut. Certain parts, like the teeth inside the dragon’s mouth, were particularly difficult to carve without them breaking off.
Jiang Feng was fully absorbed in his work. After about twenty minutes, he had carved a lifelike dragon’s head. Touching it up with a bit of ink for highlights would make the dragon head even more strikingly lifelike.
Hmm, not bad!
This skill is quite useful, Jiang Feng acknowledged with satisfaction as he bit directly into the carved carrot dragon head. The carrot was exceptionally crisp and sweet, making a satisfying CRUNCH, CRUNCH sound as he chewed.
As he munched on the carrot, he found himself contemplating whether to sign up for this year’s Sichuan cuisine competition. Such competitions prioritized creativity first, then taste; the dishes had to be visually appealing. These contests focused more on presentation than practicality, though, of course, the flavor still had to be excellent. The dishes prepared by the chefs weren’t for everyday eating; the emphasis was on exchange and learning.
With his solid culinary foundation and newfound carving skills, Jiang Feng felt he could indeed make a showing.
I’ve always preferred to keep a low profile, and I’m not sure if these provincial competitions are entirely aboveboard, he mused. Still, it might be worth a try. Official competitions should be fairly run.
Seeing other chefs’ dishes and gaining experience would be beneficial. China boasted many incredible chefs. Jiang Feng had always believed in the importance of continuous learning.
The following days were relatively relaxing. Since the System hadn’t issued a new task yet, Jiang Feng took the opportunity to rest at home. He arranged outings to see giant pandas and attend performances, among other things. He had also befriended some enthusiastic foodies during this time, and socializing during his leisure hours added a pleasant dimension to his life.
Two days later, Jiang Feng received an unexpected phone call. It was He Fei, the owner of Taste of Sichuan Restaurant, who called to say he was genuinely considering selling. The asking price for such establishments was typically high; He Fei wanted twenty-five million. But Jiang Feng argued that it was an old building in an old district and not worth that much. In truth, one could estimate the restaurant’s approximate value by looking at nearby property prices and commercial rents in the area.
In the end, they settled on twenty million. Once the price was set, Jiang Feng planned to remodel, a project estimated to cost over three million. It was a steep price.
Jiang Feng didn’t have enough cash on hand, but for someone with capital, getting money was simple. With Jiangyue Terrace Shandong Cuisine Restaurant as collateral, the bank would approve a loan in no time. An opportunity like this, if it presents itself, must be seized.
Jiang Feng was a decisive man. Once he made up his mind to buy the restaurant, he didn’t hesitate. He currently had about thirteen to fourteen million in cash. Including the restaurant, his small villa, and various artworks, his total assets likely exceeded a hundred million.
However, right in the midst of his negotiations, a task from the System opportunely appeared.
[Task initiated: Set up a stall for 7 consecutive days at Liulang Bay, sell 100 servings of Western cuisine each day (steak, French lamb chops, French snails, Italian pizza, etc.)]
[Task reward: Ten million cash reward]
[Recipe acquired: Steak recipe *3]
[Accept the task?]
Seeing the System task, Jiang Feng was momentarily stunned.
What in the world? Setting up a stall in Liulang Bay to sell Western food?
Liulang Bay was one of the hottest food streets in Chengdu, with many stalls selling various delicious snacks. Chengdu was renowned for its snacks, which were both countless and delicious. Now, the task was asking Jiang Feng to sell Western cuisine there. This is utterly bizarre!
Jiang Feng’s methods were, as always, unpredictable. Netizens had thoroughly analyzed his past stall ventures. He’d sold steamed buns, rice combo sets, stinky tofu, and even ice cream. The common thread was his tendency to do whatever struck his fancy. It seemed there was nothing he couldn’t do.
It was just like the line from the movie *Culinary God*: "I really can’t figure you out!"
So, setting up a stall on a snack street to sell Western cuisine? It didn’t seem entirely out of the question. It seems no one’s ever tried this before. There’s no harm in giving it a shot. Let’s go all out with a Western food stall, focusing on steak!
With that, he contacted a freight company to transport his food truck from Eastern Shandong to Chengdu. This food truck, a converted minibus, was like a trusty old workhorse for Jiang Feng. It had excellent performance and was perfect for setting up a stall.
Considering the need to hire staff for the stall, Jiang Feng reached out to a young man in advance. This young man was named Sun Zhuangfei and had been an apprentice to Jiang Feng at Taste of Yore Sichuan Restaurant. He was hardworking, diligent, and didn’t talk much. What Jiang Feng particularly appreciated was the young man’s meticulousness. For instance, he was exceptionally meticulous when chopping and washing vegetables. Take the spicy boiled fish, for example: he would meticulously remove the fish’s slime and scrape off every single scale, just as Jiang Feng instructed. Jiang Feng found him to be a great help.
When Sun Zhuangfei received Jiang Feng’s request, he came for an interview immediately. Jiang Feng told him about the upcoming plans.
"For the next week, I’ll be setting up a stall to sell Western cuisine at Liulang Bay, starting from tomorrow, around five in the afternoon. My plan is to sell steak. You’ll be with me, mainly responsible for setting up and clearing tables."
Sun Zhuangfei held Jiang Feng in very high regard and was incredibly impressed by him. Having witnessed Jiang Feng’s Sichuan cooking firsthand the previous week, Sun Zhuangfei couldn’t help but be impressed. Jiang Feng’s culinary skills were truly formidable. Besides, Jiang Feng was a renowned figure in his own right, his exploits widely documented online. After learning more about him, Sun Zhuangfei’s admiration for Jiang Feng grew boundless. So, upon hearing that Jiang Feng wanted to hire him again, he rushed over without a moment’s hesitation.
Jiang Feng offered him good pay: three hundred and fifty yuan a day. After all, Jiang Feng wasn’t short of money and was known for treating his employees well.
Sun Zhuangfei immediately agreed, "No problem, Boss, I’ll be there on time tomorrow."
Jiang Feng then noticed that Sun Zhuangfei’s clothes were somewhat dirty and even a little torn. After a moment’s thought, he transferred a thousand yuan to Sun Zhuangfei via WeChat.
"Go get some new clothes. You just need to be fairly clean when working at my stall," he said. "Running a stall means you’re face-to-face with customers, unlike working in a back kitchen. If we look presentable, customers will also feel more comfortable eating our food."
Hearing Jiang Feng say this, Sun Zhuangfei hurriedly nodded in agreement. "Don’t worry, Boss!"
Sun Zhuangfei thought, A boss like this is one in a million! He even gives you money for clothes!
Everything was settled.
At that moment, Jiang Feng had yet to realize the gravity of the situation.
「The next day」
Jiang Feng’s food truck arrived. He rented a small courtyard to park the vehicle, cleaned the food truck thoroughly, and then started marinating the beef in advance. Making good steak wasn’t simple, especially top-tier steak. Jiang Feng always took his cooking seriously.
With the beef ready and all the side dishes prepared, he drove the food truck towards Liulang Bay. The routine of running a stall was about to begin anew. This should be quite relaxing and fun, Jiang Feng mused.
Before long, Jiang Feng arrived at the designated stall area in Liulang Bay. From a distance, he saw someone standing at his spot—a young man. This individual was dressed in a full tailcoat, complete with white gloves, standing ramrod straight with his chest out, looking for all the world like a butler from a grand estate.
Jiang Feng couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of his mouth. He could tell that person seemed to be Sun Zhuangfei.
Sun Zhuangfei’s sheer theatricality almost made Jiang Feng choke.
Seriously? Is all this really necessary for a street stall? Are you planning to give a piano recital or something? And a tailcoat, of all things?
Sun Zhuangfei, however, firmly believed that since Boss Jiang was preparing to sell Western cuisine and had even provided money for clothes, it was imperative to dress in a manner befitting the sophistication of Western dining. Therefore, he had bought a tailcoat. It wasn’t a brand name and was quite cheap—under a thousand yuan.
This will surely make the boss proud! he thought with conviction.
Little did Sun Zhuangfei know, Jiang Feng, at that very moment, felt utterly and completely mortified.