Chapter 166: Chapter 166: Looking for Boss Jiang’s Intelligence Group!
"Where on earth did Executive Chef Jiang go?"
"Why isn’t he opening his stall?"
"Should we go to his restaurant to ask? Maybe he’s gone back to his hometown?"
In Chengdu, many foodies were searching for Jiang Feng. Primarily, it was because the food Jiang Feng cooked was truly delicious and really suited everyone’s palate. Some even went to the official account of Jiangyue Terrace Shandong Cuisine Restaurant to ask, "Could you please tell us where your boss has opened his small stall?"
The official account quickly replied, "We are also looking for him."
Upon seeing this message, the diners were stunned. Good heavens, even the Shandong Cuisine Restaurant had no idea where their boss had gone. That was truly preposterous.
「 」
Right now, Jiang Feng was at home, fiddling with the Culinary God’s Cleaver. After working for a week, one ought to rest. It was impossible to work nonstop. The system had already notified him of next week’s task, but he would only be able to accept it in two days.
The task was: [Work as a chef in the designated Sichuan restaurant for one week, preparing 100 Sichuan dishes daily.]
[Task Reward: Culinary Knife Skill Progression—Carving Mastery]
This time, the reward was a culinary skill. He had previously acquired general knife skills, which referred to chopping vegetables, slicing noodles, and so on. But this time, the knife skills pertained to food carving. Chinese culinary arts emphasize perfection in color, aroma, and flavor; top-tier dishes must not only taste good but also look appealing. Some chefs possess exceptional knife skills, capable of carving a phoenix out of a single radish. These are skills that require years of arduous practice to master. And now, with the system directly awarding him such a skill, Jiang Feng was naturally willing to accept.
Knife skills, not bad at all. No matter which Sichuan restaurant it is, I need to work hard to complete the task next week. After that, I’ll be able to make flowers bloom under my knife, Jiang Feng thought to himself.
Next, he began to enjoy his leisure time. Sometimes he would visit scenic spots, other times he’d watch a movie with a young woman; life was quite relaxed.
「Meanwhile, on the backstreet.」
Many people came looking for Jiang Feng but found no trace of him. One fellow came up with an idea: he created a group chat and then pasted its QR code on the stall’s shutter.
It read, "Information group to find Boss Jiang. Anyone who wants to know or already knows Boss Jiang’s location is welcome to join."
Believe it or not, after the WeChat group was established, people kept joining. One, two, three... soon the number exceeded three hundred.
"Has anyone found Boss Jiang yet?"
"Not yet, but I’ve heard about the situation in Eastern Shandong. He usually sets up his stall for seven days, then rests for two before setting up again. It should be the same this time."
"He actually dares to take days off? How dare he!"
"Does anyone know where he lives? We should go urge him to open up!"
"No clue about that!"
"Let’s form a united front! Whoever finds Boss Jiang must immediately notify everyone in the group!"
"The food he makes is genuinely delicious. I’m traveling to Eastern Shandong next week. I’ll go to the Jiangyue Terrace Shandong Cuisine Restaurant he opened and give it a try; I hear it’s pretty good too."
The atmosphere in the group was exceptionally lively. People continuously joined to ask for information about Jiang Feng. He never expected that, just to find him, the foodies would actually establish an intelligence-gathering group. How utterly ridiculous, he thought.
Thankfully, there were only a few hundred people in the group. Considering Chengdu’s vast size, the probability of a few hundred people randomly encountering him in the city was very low. So, he wasn’t worried about being found. Diners kept asking each other for news about him. Every so often, someone would come to the alley on the backstreet to inquire, but alas, there was no sign of Jiang Feng.
「Two days later, Jiang Feng arrived at a Sichuan restaurant designated by the system.」
It was a Sichuan restaurant located on a commercial street. The establishment was modest, a single unit with about a dozen tables inside. At the moment, the restaurant had no customers, and a notice seeking a chef was posted outside.
#Urgently Hiring A Chef#
#Hiring a Sichuan Cuisine Executive Chef, favorable terms, salary negotiable, short-term or long-term welcome#
#Sincerely Seeking Applicants#
The notice was simple, and such an advertisement was unlikely to attract many people. Any Sichuan chef with decent skills would directly apply to large hotels.
At this very moment, Shen Hai, the owner of the Sichuan restaurant, wore a deeply troubled expression. His restaurant used to do very well, with good income. But who would have thought that a couple of days ago, the head chef suddenly fainted and was rushed to the hospital? The head chef had been dealing with health issues for many years; his hands would tremble after working for extended periods. After being hospitalized and undergoing an examination, it was discovered that he had a tumor. Fortunately, it was detected in time, and its removal didn’t lead to major complications. However, he needed to stay in the hospital for a while.
Shen Hai and his head chef had been partners for many years. They were both relieved that the chef’s health problem was found promptly, and they were grateful to heavens for the timely discovery, reflecting on the unpredictable nature of fortune and misfortune. With the head chef hospitalized, the two apprentices couldn’t handle the workload. Moreover, other restaurants poached them, and both apprentices left. Consequently, the Sichuan restaurant’s business came to a standstill. Shen Hai and his wife, Zhu Hong, began searching for a Sichuan chef through various channels. But finding a Sichuan chef capable of taking on such responsibility was not easy.
At Shen Hai’s Sichuan restaurant, some sculptures were displayed on the counter next to the cash register: a statue of the God of Wealth, a cute panda, and dragon carvings. Shen Hai had posted the job advertisement online and was now sitting in the restaurant, phone in hand, waiting for replies. His wife, Zhu Hong, was calling relatives and friends, inquiring about chefs.
Shen Hai gazed at the sculptures on the counter, lost in thought. Then, for some unknown reason, he suddenly stood up, clasped his hands together, and bowed to the panda sculpture. He murmured to himself, "Please help me find a suitable chef soon!"
Zhu Hong had just hung up the phone. Turning around, she saw him and her anger flared instantly. "What’s the use in praying to a panda? Is a panda going to find you a chef or something?"
Hearing Zhu Hong’s words, Shen Hai knew better than to provoke an enraged tigress, so he silently lowered his hands.
Just then, the restaurant door was suddenly pushed open. Jiang Feng slowly walked in and asked, "Anyone here?"
Shen Hai and Zhu Hong both looked towards Jiang Feng. Seeing a young, handsome man, Shen Hai replied, "Sorry, we’re not open for business yet."
Hearing Shen Hai’s words, Jiang Feng responded with a smile, "Hello, I’m here to apply for the position of Sichuan Cuisine Head Chef."
Jiang Feng’s words left the two of them slightly stunned. Apply for Head Chef of Sichuan Cuisine? So young?
"You want to apply?" Shen Hai asked. "Our standards here are quite high." Initially, Shen Hai didn’t take Jiang Feng’s words seriously, merely trying to politely dissuade him. It wasn’t surprising; chefs as young as Jiang Feng were rarely seen in the market, a fact Shen Hai, with his long experience in the catering business, certainly understood.
"No problem," Jiang Feng said. "I believe I can meet your requirements." He didn’t beat around the bush or try to be mysterious, directly introducing himself, "My name is Jiang Feng. I’m the owner of a Shandong Cuisine restaurant and also a Shandong Cuisine chef. Recently, I’ve been learning Sichuan cooking techniques and have mastered a few dishes on my own. You can search online for videos about me; there should be some. I’d like to gain some experience in a Sichuan restaurant."
Hearing this, Shen Hai was momentarily stunned. He sized Jiang Feng up for a few seconds, then his expression changed completely, and he shot to his feet. "Holy crap! It’s you!" he exclaimed. "It’s you! It really is you!"
Shen Hai rushed over in a few quick strides, carefully confirming that it was indeed Jiang Feng himself. The excitement on his face was palpable. Shen Hai knew of Jiang Feng; not only that, he had even gone to the backstreet once to eat his spicy crayfish. After all, Jiang Feng’s stall was known as a "Divine Shop," and as a fellow restaurant owner, Shen Hai had felt compelled to check it out. At the time, he had marveled, thinking, No wonder they’re so popular! He truly has the skills. He never imagined that Jiang Feng would now appear in his restaurant like this. Shen Hai was somewhat overwhelmed with excitement.
Zhu Hong looked at the two men, a hint of confusion in her eyes. Something’s fishy, she thought.
"Honey, this is the great chef I told you about, incredibly skilled—Executive Chef Jiang, Boss Jiang!" Shen Hai said excitedly. "He’s very famous in Eastern Shandong! His culinary skills are exceptional!" he hurriedly explained to his wife.
Zhu Hong approached and curiously asked, "Hello, Boss Jiang. Are you interested in applying for a position at our restaurant?"
Jiang Feng nodded. "Yes, I’d like to cook Sichuan dishes for this week.
"But I must also make it clear: I can only work for one week, and then I’ll have to leave.
"You can look for other chefs during this period; there should be enough time."
Upon hearing this, Shen Hai quickly agreed. "No problem! It’s a great relief to find an immediate solution like this. We desperately need a chef like you!"
Zhu Hong also agreed to this condition and then asked Jiang Feng, "In that case, would it be convenient for us to sample your cooking?"
Jiang Feng replied with a smile, "Of course. I’m here to apply, and you are the owners. We’ll follow standard procedure. A cooking trial is certainly expected."
The three of them hit it off immediately. Jiang Feng went to the back kitchen and began to prepare Sichuan dishes. He wrote down the Sichuan dishes he was proficient in on a piece of paper—a total of fourteen, covering almost all the mainstream ones. Shen Hai and Zhu Hong selected four, and Jiang Feng got busy.
The subsequent process went very smoothly. After tasting the Sichuan dishes, Shen Hai and Zhu Hong immediately agreed to hire Jiang Feng as the head chef and offered him the highest possible salary. The two parties confirmed the contract details. For instance, Jiang Feng requested that his name not be used to promote the restaurant and that his working hours not exceed the specified business hours. Shen Hai and Zhu Hong, on the other hand, stipulated that he must not be absent during the seven days, among other conditions. Both sides got what they needed and reached an agreement.
Next, Shen Hai would need to find two apprentices to help, and the waitstaff were also duly notified. Jiang Feng could come directly and start working. Everything fell into place.
That went rather smoothly. So, for this coming week, I’ll be a Sichuan cuisine head chef, Jiang Feng thought to himself. Time to familiarize myself with Sichuan cooking techniques.
Shen Hai and Zhu Hong were also quite excited. They had merely hoped to hire a chef skilled in Sichuan cuisine, but instead, they had managed to invite the Culinary God himself. Who could they even tell about this kind of luck! Shen Hai bowed several more times to the panda statue. In his eyes, keeping a panda statue in the shop was indeed a very wise decision.