Chapter 184: Chapter 184: You’re telling me this is a cook?!
Urban news segment.
Guo Li handed the edited clip to the department leader.
Program name: "The Fiery Food Stall, The Dashing Chef"
Due to the current lack of trending social topics in the city, this piece was naturally selected as news content.
Guo Li’s rival saw that her clip was chosen and didn’t take it to heart at all. After all, with many editors in the department, a news story needed to be submitted every few days. Sometimes, to meet quotas, they would edit segments on trivial city matters.
Soon, the news was broadcast on TV and also appeared on the urban news media accounts.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the news was released, the program’s ratings shot up by several percentage points in an instant.
The audience was very enthusiastic. Especially on Douyin, where typical news videos would get a few hundred likes, this news video quickly surpassed the 10,000+ likes mark.
Netizens left comments:
"Boss Jiang has really become popular; he’s even appearing on the news!"
"Hahaha, the moment I saw the title ’The Fiery Food Stall,’ I knew who it was about!"
"Well, I’ll be! A bunch of rich kids aren’t dining in Western restaurants eating steak but are jostling with us at a small stall?"
"Boss Jiang is quite a man of few words; he’s still so calm in the face of interviews."
"Seems like he’s always been like this, not much of a talker, but he always manages to say something worthwhile."
"This stall owner is so interesting—down-to-earth despite being wealthy, and his cooking skills are exceptional. It’s hard not to love him!"
This piece of news was very popular.
Guo Li was overjoyed to see the results. Who would have thought this news piece would perform so well? Life is just like that; you never know when a surprise will come your way.
The department leader even specifically praised Guo Li, as this news story had greatly benefited the entire news department. Guo Li’s career path would likely be smoother from now on. She was indeed astute and competent, always on the front lines searching for news stories, possessing a keen instinct for them. If she kept it up, she might even be the next "Queen of News."
The news made Jiang Feng a bit more popular again.
In the following two days, Jiang Feng’s stall was booming. Security guards were specifically assigned to maintain order. Many stall owners actively paid rent to set up shop in this area. Stalls in this area were regulated: they could only be set up in the food street; other locations were not permitted. Therefore, the stall owners had to find the person in charge of the food street. The person in charge added many new stalls and hired several more security guards specifically to maintain order when Jiang Feng’s stall was open. The scene was bustling!
In the afternoon, Guo Li came to the food street again with the cameraman Xiao Sun. This time they were not there to conduct interviews, but specifically to eat steak. When they were filming the news segment last time, the lively scene had already given them high expectations for Jiang Feng’s steak. However, they were working at the time and really couldn’t queue up. Now, having taken a half-day off, Guo Li had specially invited Xiao Sun to eat steak with her.
"It’s still so crowded! This stall owner is truly popular!" Xiao Sun was thrilled. He had wanted to eat it last time, but by the time the interview ended, Jiang Feng had already closed up shop. Today, he finally made it.
"It’s a good thing we came early. If we’d been any later, there probably wouldn’t have been anything left to eat," Guo Li remarked, glancing at the crowd behind them in the queue.
The two of them joined the queue and slowly inched forward. It was indeed shoulder-to-shoulder. Fortunately, the queue was relatively orderly, so they weren’t too inconvenienced.
After queueing for half an hour, they finally got their eagerly awaited signature steak. The steak was seared on the outside, its surface a deep brown. Slightly raised areas showed faint charring—not burnt, but perfectly cooked and glistening with rendered fat. When cut, the inside was pink, revealing the fine grain of the beef. It was sprinkled with black pepper powder, and the fragrance wafted from the beef.
The two found a place to sit down. Guo Li, impatient to dig in, immediately speared a piece of steak with her fork and put it into her mouth. The steak was still hot when it entered her mouth, almost scalding. The flavorful juices mingled with the surface fats, spreading across her tongue. The taste was surprisingly good. The beef was so tender it practically melted in her mouth, falling apart with the slightest chew. Both the texture and flavor were top-notch. It was an extremely enjoyable meal. The only downside, perhaps, was the portion size—one steak was simply not enough!
After tasting a bite, Guo Li nodded in satisfaction. As someone who appreciated a refined lifestyle, she rarely ate at street food stalls. This time, she had come out of curiosity, and also to fulfill the wish of Cameraman Liu, so she had brought Xiao Sun along. To her surprise, the steak tasted even better than she expected. No wonder so many people flocked here! This taste was no joke!
"It really is delicious!"
"This culinary skill is truly worthy of a master chef!"
"No wonder there are so many people!" Guo Li remarked admiringly.
Cameraman Liu also tasted the steak, his face alight with satisfaction.
"It’s so delicious! This trip was definitely worth it!" Liu said, beaming.
They had joined the line quite late. By this point, Jiang Feng had finished cooking the last piece of steak. He looked up to see a dense crowd outside. Most weren’t queueing for steak; they were just there for the spectacle. Some squeezed through the throng, others stood on trash cans, and one fellow had even climbed a tree.
Seeing these "cranes among chickens," Jiang Feng was somewhat taken aback.
What’s everyone looking at? I’m just selling steaks. If you want to eat, just queue up. Why are you all here for the show?
Jiang Feng shouted to the people at the back, "Everyone, sorry, the steaks are sold out. I’m closing up now. I already notified those further back in the queue that our stock of steak and chicken cutlets is limited. I hope you understand."
Immediately, a rustling murmur rose from the back.
"Ah? None left?"
"Damn it, I knew I should’ve come earlier!"
"Boss Jiang, it’s so hard to get one of your steaks!"
At this, the onlookers began to shout:
"Boss, let your guy play a tune!"
"That’s right, we came for the music!"
"Give us a little taste! Let us hear it!"
"Hey buddy, play a tune on the violin!"
The surroundings instantly became noisy.
Guo Li, sitting at the table eating her steak, felt a bit of pressure at this sight. The public’s gaze can be quite intense, especially when they’re expectant.
Sun Zhuangfei, who was serving plates, saw this scene and immediately tensed up. Previously, when customers were just eating and there weren’t so many onlookers, the atmosphere was more relaxed. Immersed in his own world, he had felt at ease. But now, with so many people demanding a performance, the pressure mounted rapidly.
Jiang Feng saw Sun Zhuangfei frozen in place and noticed he seemed a bit nervous. The current scene was somewhat unexpected. Many people were gathered here specifically for a performance. If there wasn’t one, they would likely be disappointed, perhaps even angry.
Guo Li noticed the atmosphere was off and also saw Sun Zhuangfei was very nervous. She sighed; the situation seemed difficult to manage. At such times, it’s hard to please everyone.
Just then, Jiang Feng finished grilling the last steak. He first called to Sun Zhuangfei:
"Xiao Sun, take this steak to the customer."
"You brought your violin today, right?"
"Let me borrow it."
Hearing Jiang Feng’s words, Sun Zhuangfei was slightly taken aback. He quickly carried the steak over and then said, "Boss, please use it."
Jiang Feng opened the violin case and took out the violin. He clicked his tongue.
I hadn’t wanted to perform in public; showing off isn’t my style, I prefer to keep a low profile. But it looks like I have no choice now. The timing, the place, the mood—it’s all set up. I’m being forced to put on a show.
Jiang Feng took the violin and stepped down from the food truck.
The onlookers were visibly astonished.
Holy crap?
What’s going on?
The boss is going to play himself?
He knows how to do this too?
Guo Li immediately took out her phone, equally shocked. She realized what Jiang Feng was about to do, but she hadn’t expected that he could play the violin too. This was too preposterous.
Jiang Feng maintained his composure, unfazed by the grand scene; after all, he had a solid grounding and cared little for others’ opinions.
The onlookers took out their phones, filming Jiang Feng from multiple angles.
Jiang Feng had a slight smile on his face as he loudly said to everyone, "Ladies and Gentlemen, sorry, but today’s steaks are all sold out. Many of you came for the music, so before I head off, I’ll play a piece for everyone. Good or bad, I hope you’ll enjoy it."
As soon as he spoke, the previously noisy crowd went silent. The crowd seemed to sense something momentous.
Sun Zhuangfei also stood quietly to the side, looking somewhat dumbfounded.
Jiang Feng naturally positioned the violin, stood straight, and assumed a playing stance. His demeanor was gentle, exuding an air of elegance. Though dressed casually rather than in a suit, he looked exceptionally clean-cut and sharp.
Everyone was expecting Jiang Feng to choose a gentle violin piece. But Jiang Feng suddenly began to draw the bow rapidly across the strings.
The piece he chose was "I Will Be Your Slave." This piece was rather energetic, with a strong rhythm. His movements were crisp and precise, each note perfectly timed.
The rousing melody reverberated through the crowd. Many were stunned, their heads and bodies involuntarily swaying to the rhythm. Jiang Feng’s sense of rhythm was perfect. While playing, he was completely immersed: at times smooth, at times exhilarating; sometimes as light as wind rustling through wheat fields, sometimes as frenzied as a wild hare. He seemed utterly uninhibited.
The people around were dumbfounded.
This is a cook?
Are you telling me this is a cook?
A cook with this kind of skill?
Good heavens, I’ve really seen something today!
This is absolutely mind-blowing!