Fame spreads far and wide once achieved.
"What kind of bogus event is this? They didn't even invite me. I've never heard of crayfish before."
"Shameless! Crayfish are just an invasive species, and they're holding a crayfish festival? Can they be any more shameless?"
"Without inviting me, the number one figure in Chinese cuisine, I can declare without even tasting it that this crayfish is just a meaningless fad with no future."
"I truly can't fathom what these people are doing, all this haphazard nonsense. They don't think at all."
"Just that Zhonghai City, it has a good location, but no industry, no agriculture. What gives them the right?"
"However, those crayfish do taste pretty good."
"To each his own. If you like it, eat it yourself. Don't impose your views on us. We are simply and unconditionally opposed to eating crayfish."
"Crayfish for life!"
Criticism against Zhang Tianxing and Zhonghai City was mounting. However, Zhang Tianxing paid it no mind.
What was the use of him caring? The only thing he could do now was to figure out how to make crayfish taste even more delicious.
Zhang Tianxing was not one for empty talk; he believed in proving himself with results.
He understood one thing: those people were waiting for his reaction. No matter what he said, they would immediately lash out.
The best approach was to remain steadfast and focus on his own work.
Strangely enough, the more people voiced their opposition, the better Zhang Tianxing's business became.
In the past few days, he had sold out his stock early every single day.
"Apologies, we've sold out of crayfish for today. Please come back early tomorrow."
"What? Your crayfish are sold out? This store is living up to its name! Calling yourselves a crayfish restaurant but having no crayfish? One-star review!"
This criticism arrived just in time. Zhang Tianxing could only accept it with a heavy heart.
There was nothing he could do; the more haters he had, the faster the crayfish sold.
Wen Jing had even written some articles, preparing to respond, but Zhang Tianxing stopped her.
"No need to pay them any mind. We'll just secretly get rich."
Hearing Zhang Tianxing's words, the four of them burst into laughter.
"Zhang Tianxing, are you out of your mind? You call this 'secretly getting rich'? Everyone in Yangcheng knows how popular the crayfish are!"
"Exactly! Everyone knows Zhang Ji Barbecue. We have to stay until two in the morning every day. I feel like my biological clock is messed up. You owe me night shift pay, and it needs to be extra."
"Extra pay is a small matter. Right now, we have plenty of money."
"Someone said we could take crayfish home, but that only happened once. I haven't even taken home a crayfish shell since..." Zhu Dayong lamented pitifully, his words dripping with tears as he railed against the cruelty of Zhang Ba Pi (Skinflint Zhang).
"Indeed, Zhang Ba Pi, your reputation has gone viral. You need to be careful about what you say. Your words should match your actions, don't make empty promises, it's not good!"
Zhang Tianxing accepted it all. These classmates were too endearing. He never expected the former campus belles to have such a charming side.
Back in school, they seemed unapproachable. The circumstances were different then, and their friendship had also evolved.
"Zhang Tianxing, are we just going to do nothing then?" Wen Jing asked with a smile.
Being wronged like this was not her style. She believed in fighting back when wronged.
Zhang Tianxing shook his head. How could they do nothing? He would let the whole country witness it later.
He would show people that the crayfish supply chain wasn't built in a day, and the scale of this industry would surpass everyone's imagination.
If Heaven had not given birth to me, Zhang Tianxing, Chinese cuisine would have been in darkness for eternity. Would I be hacked to death if this saying got out?
That would be too reckless. Zhang Tianxing's goals had not yet been achieved; he was still far from the revolution's success.
Recently, Zhang Tianxing had become the darling of various media outlets. It couldn't be helped; the crayfish were too popular lately.
Just the guest list for the evening gala was astonishing.
"Good heavens, is this the lineup for the Spring Festival Gala?"
"Exactly! Andy Lau, Teacher Zhou, Queen Wang – these are all top-tier stars, and they're all coming to support Yangcheng's crayfish."
"It seems Yangcheng's crayfish are about to explode in popularity. These stars have a massive fan base."
"But I heard some good drama is about to unfold."
"What good drama? Tell us. Is it about the cake not being divided fairly?"
"When the monkeys are in charge in the absence of the king, who can say otherwise? How good are these crayfish, really?"
"Just try a meal and find out. Follow your own path and don't listen to others. Your own feelings are the most authentic."
"I don't know why, but Andy Lau is actually coming. That's quite a face he's showing."
"Isn't he? Isn't Andy Lau filming a movie or TV series? How does he have time for this?"
"We don't understand the entertainment industry. It's probably because he was bribed with money."
"I haven't heard about that. This is officially organized by Zhonghai City. The money surely can't be that much, it's not a private company footing the bill."
"There must be a reason for such an unusual event. It seems something big is about to happen in the entertainment industry, or else, a mere inaugural crayfish festival wouldn't warrant such a grand spectacle."
...
Fang Youliang was in a very good mood. Yangcheng was finally going to develop. Now, no one could stop Yangcheng's rise.
Who would have thought that the path to breaking the deadlock wouldn't be in the primary or secondary industries, but in the tertiary industry?
He had been worrying about how to change Yangcheng's landscape, and unexpectedly, a small crayfish had opened up the possibilities.
This was precisely why Fang Youliang had leveraged his connections to ensure the crayfish festival went ahead.
However, it hadn't taken much effort; it was mainly due to the astonishing actions of Zhang Tianxing.
First, the reports from various newspapers had laid a solid foundation for the crayfish.
Crayfish orders had also performed well at the international trade fair.
Especially when that kid Zhang Tianxing went abroad to deliver goods and, on his way back, captured three red-notice fugitives. If these series of events hadn't happened right before his eyes,
Fang Youliang wouldn't have believed it; it was too exciting, exceeding all imagination.
What solidified Fang Youliang's resolve was this: this wasn't just about one person's enterprise; it was about the developmental path for the people of Yangcheng.
Given the current situation, the demand for crayfish was growing, and wild crayfish could no longer satisfy the market.
The path of family-based aquaculture was inevitable, and Zhang Tianxing was once again at the forefront. He had even visited the shrimp ponds, observed them,
and considered the feasibility of crayfish farming, even consulting experts and scholars (a separate chapter for this).
The conclusion reached was that the crayfish industry had great potential, representing an opportunity for Yangcheng's development and allowing the city's economy to reach new heights rapidly.
Fang Youliang had no other aspirations; he simply wanted his citizens to earn more and live better, that was all.
He never expected that in officialdom, flowers often wouldn't bloom when intentionally planted, but willows would sprout when planted unintentionally.