Chapter 176: Chapter 176: What, I was ignored by a dog?
A video of water-boiled fish persuading a jumper not to leap from a building went viral online.
Netizens initially thought it was just a stunt but later realized it was real.
Everyone was immediately in stitches.
Under the related video, netizens shared their opinions.
"I ordered water-boiled fish at a Sichuan restaurant, and before it even arrived, the police took it away, saying it was for a rescue. Who am I supposed to complain to?"
"I suspect he did it deliberately for the water-boiled fish!"
"Is that water-boiled fish tasty? I want to try it."
"Foodies always have such peculiar points of interest."
"Hahaha, if it’s Executive Chef Jiang’s water-boiled fish, then that makes sense. His food is always delicious."
"Who’s Executive Chef Jiang?"
The video was everywhere online. Many marketers like to jump on social media bandwagons, and this kind of video was their favorite to post, resulting in a large viewership.
Jiang Feng was currently popular in the Eastern Shandong Region and Chengdu.
After all, it was a regional delicacy, and he didn’t make videos himself, so for now, he was only popular in a few areas.
Going viral across the whole network would take time.
However, netizens from other regions had heard of him, more or less.
「The day after the jumping incident.」
Water-boiled fish became a hit.
Diners lined up early once again.
And coincidentally, almost everyone ordered water-boiled fish.
Gourmet food + top chef + center of gossip.
The experience was maxed out!
Who wouldn’t want a "limited edition, so-tasty-you-won’t-jump-off-a-building, personally-cooked-by-the-chef water-boiled fish"?
Now, the water-boiled fish had been labeled "so tasty you won’t jump." That was ridiculous.
As Jiang Feng was making water-boiled fish in the kitchen, he saw Shen Hai enter and said, "Boss Shen, go buy some more fish quickly. Everyone’s ordering water-boiled fish today, and we might not have enough for the lunch rush."
"Make sure the fish market uses freshly killed fish."
Upon hearing this, Shen Hai hastily agreed, "Alright, no problem. I’ll get in touch right away."
"After yesterday’s incident, everyone’s ordering water-boiled fish today."
"They all want to taste what it’s like."
It wasn’t just the customers; even Shen Hai ordered a large serving for himself and tried it with his wife.
The spicy and smooth texture was truly good.
Ordinary fish seemed to transform in Jiang Feng’s hands, becoming incredibly tender and flavorful.
Moreover, in his handling of the "Sichuan heat," Jiang Feng emphasized the "spicy" aspect rather than the "numbing."
Some water-boiled fish dishes use too many Sichuan peppercorns, making the initial sensation numbing. If this numbing effect is too overpowering, the texture isn’t as enjoyable.
Jiang Feng, however, made "spicy" the primary flavor of his water-boiled fish, with the numbing sensation serving only as a complement.
As a result, his water-boiled fish was very pleasant to eat.
Every table of guests had a dish of water-boiled fish.
"No wonder it’s so good you won’t jump; it really is delicious!"
"He cooks this fish so tantalizingly!"
"I don’t know how it’s made; I really want to learn!"
"That’s something only a top chef can do. You can’t just learn it that easily."
The customers were buzzing with comments.
「Meanwhile, in the kitchen’s backyard.」
There was a small courtyard behind the Taste of Sichuan Restaurant, where Little Black played and ran around joyfully each day.
When a relative of Boss Shen Hai came into the yard and saw Little Black, thinking the dog was cute, they decided to feed him.
So, they went into the kitchen and grabbed two frankfurters.
Frankfurters are among the favorites of cats and dogs.
No cat or dog can resist the temptation of frankfurters.
Shen Hai’s relative opened the frankfurters and waved them in front of Little Black.
He made clicking sounds, "Here boy, meat! Come on!"
Little Black, who was lying down resting, glanced up when he heard the call.
Then, he stayed put.
Shen Hai’s relative was taken aback.
What? Doesn’t this dog eat frankfurters?
"Frankfurters, delicious stuff."
He offered the frankfurters and said to Little Black with hopeful eyes.
Little Black seemed to feel something was off with this person. He had been lying down comfortably but then slowly stood up, turned around, found another spot, and lay down again.
Shen Hai’s relative was stunned.
What? I’ve been ignored by a dog?
I’m offering him frankfurters!
Just then, Zhu Hong, Shen Hai’s wife, came by.
Seeing this scene, she said, "That’s Boss Jiang’s dog; he’s smart as a whip. Unless Boss Jiang says it’s alright, he won’t eat anything fed by others."
"That dog is truly remarkable."
Upon hearing Zhu Hong, the relative didn’t believe it.
He won’t even eat if I feed him? I don’t believe it. I have to try.
The relative ate the frankfurters himself. Then, after thinking for a bit, he went to a nearby deli, bought some ribs, and returned to the courtyard.
He called out again, "TSK, TSK, TSK. Little Black, come eat some meat."
He reached out with the ribs, full of expectancy for Little Black to eat the meat.
Little Black lifted his head, looked at him for a few seconds, and then, the relative watched in disbelief as the little black dog seemed to sigh.
Then, Little Black turned and ran off again.
The relative was petrified on the spot.
He felt mocked by a dog.
Seriously, he won’t eat?
Not even ribs?
He didn’t bother with it anymore, ate the ribs himself, and then went to help out in the restaurant.
The Taste of Sichuan Restaurant was still bustling. A table remained hard to come by, and the atmosphere was as lively as ever.
Ever since everyone found out about Jiang Feng’s presence, it had been like this.
Fortunately, he was only working for a few days, so the crowd wasn’t a problem.
During these days, Shen Hai had already found a new head chef for Sichuan cuisine.
Admittedly, the new chef couldn’t compare to Jiang Feng, but he was able to keep the restaurant running normally.
Jiang Feng had brought immense popularity to his Sichuan restaurant. Even if Jiang Feng wasn’t there in the future, the business would likely remain strong as long as the basic quality of the food was maintained.
Shen Hai was very grateful to Jiang Feng and gave him a substantial commission every day.
Jiang Feng naturally accepted it, since he was quite tired every day.
In the kitchen, several apprentices watched as Jiang Feng sliced fish.
Jiang Feng’s knife skills were very steady. After cutting the fish into several pieces, he made an oblique cut, and a translucent slice of fish fell away.
It was very captivating to watch.
This wasn’t the showy coolness of someone like the actor Xiao Tingfeng; rather, it was a composed and restrained charisma.
It captivated people’s attention, though it was hard to pinpoint why.
The apprentices admired him greatly.
For someone his age to have such skill was truly inconceivable.
At nine in the evening, Jiang Feng finished the last order.
Tomorrow would be the last day.
"[Daily task completed, received additional reward:]
"[Sichuan Cuisine——Napa Cabbage in Consommé recipe.]"
The extra reward for today was pretty good.
Napa Cabbage in Consommé, a genuine state banquet dish, sounds unremarkable, but the preparation is quite complex.
This dish is a representative of the state banquet menu, and you can almost always find it there.
You wouldn’t see it in an ordinary restaurant.
Because it’s too much work and doesn’t fit the restaurant’s service model.
It might only be seen at private, custom-ordered meals or upscale banquets.
Learning it now was a good opportunity; Jiang Feng could try making it when he had some free time.
Jiang Feng now really liked various gourmet recipes; once learned, cooking became effortless and relaxed for him.
It felt as if a famed historical chef was guiding him forward.
"Boss Jiang, tomorrow is the last day, right?" Shen Hai greeted Jiang Feng, his voice tinged with reluctance.
"Yes, once I finish tomorrow, I’ll take a rest," Jiang Feng replied casually.
"Right, you’ve worked hard. This period has been busier than I ever expected."
"It’s no problem, I’m used to it. I came prepared."
Shen Hai treated Jiang Feng with great respect.
Part of it was due to his culinary skills, and the other was because of Jiang Feng’s wealth and status.
He was just an ordinary restaurant owner and couldn’t really compare with a major restaurant tycoon like Jiang Feng.
Jiang Feng, however, had always been amicable and didn’t think much of it.
Jiang Feng headed to the backyard.
Little Black saw him and immediately ran over happily.
During the afternoon break, Jiang Feng would make a special batch of dog food just for Little Black.
It was all meat, low in oil and salt, but very tasty.
The dog food he made was very healthy, and only Little Black, his dog, enjoyed such treatment.
Of course, since Little Black was his dog, he would definitely take good care of him.
Little Black was strong and healthy, his fur soft, lustrous, and glossy.
Walking with his head held high and chest puffed out, he looked very imposing.
This little guy had a broad and sturdy chest that felt great to touch.
People who liked dogs couldn’t help but take a second look at Little Black.
"Look at that little black dog, he’s so... black!"
"He’s shining black!"
"So beautiful, how can a dog look this handsome!"
"Is that a local breed? He’s too good-looking!"
Passersby would always exclaim in admiration.
Jiang Feng leashed Little Black, walked him to the car, and let him sit in the backseat.
Then, he drove away slowly.
Outside, the sky had darkened, and the Taste of Sichuan Restaurant finally quieted down.
Everything was as usual.
After getting home, Jiang Feng started looking into restaurant locations.
He had earned quite a bit of money. With some loans, he could afford to buy a restaurant.
He also wondered if the system would award him a restaurant.
If it did, great; if not, he would rely on himself.
After all, he had enough resources; his home safe was full of treasures, so he would never be poor.
「At the same time.」
The business at the Taste of Sichuan Restaurant was declining.
This restaurant belonged to a wealthy boss, He Fei. He Fei had married Yang Juanjuan because she bore him a son, and he later put her in charge of managing the restaurant.
Of course, the premarital assets were all clearly accounted for; a wealthy man wouldn’t give his wife much of his fortune even if they were married.
He Fei had many businesses, and the restaurant was just one of them. Previously, the executive chef had helped oversee it. Now that the executive chef had left, the restaurant began to decline.
He Fei had initially wanted to invite the executive chef back, but Yang Juanjuan didn’t want to admit she was wrong.
Yang Juanjuan proposed selling the restaurant to invest in a beauty salon, asserting that beauty salons were very profitable, much more so than a restaurant.
After much persuasion, He Fei actually began to consider the idea.
After all, it wasn’t as if he couldn’t afford to lose one restaurant.
Moreover, investing in a beauty salon didn’t require high capital, and selling the restaurant would leave some cash to invest in his other businesses.
Anyway, the restaurant had become a liability.
He Fei was now inclined to sell the restaurant, but it still depended on the offers received, as this was no small matter.
It all depended on how much the buyer was willing to offer.