CHAPTER 214: CHAPTER 214 HE HURRIEDLY SLIPPED AWAY, AS IF HE HAD MADE UP HIS MIND.

"Go to the shop for fried chicken? And you can’t even order takeout? Who would bother going?"

"The owner of the fried chicken place is a chef who’s incredibly popular online."

"Can you trust stuff from internet celebrities?"

"Not only is he highly skilled, but he’s also handsome."

"I’ve seen plenty of handsome guys; I’m not going just for that."

"Yesterday, a fugitive was arrested by the police right at the fried chicken shop. While being caught, he kept demanding a serving of fried chicken."

"No way."

"There’s a video here."

"What the heck?"

"Going or not?"

"Let’s go, let’s head out now!"

At this moment, Liang Yun was persuading her best friend, Ruan Feifei, to join her for fried chicken. After much coaxing, Ruan Feifei finally agreed. This was the reality for many young people today: one group would willingly queue for two hours just to eat, while another preferred lounging at home, relying on takeout for everything. Ruan Feifei was the latter type.

By the time the two arrived at the fried chicken shop, many people were already waiting, all of them there for the fried chicken.

"Good thing we got here early to get in line." Liang Yun immediately pulled Ruan Feifei to get in line inside.

"There really are a lot of people. But can you seriously not order delivery?" Ruan Feifei asked again.

"No, apparently they can’t even keep up with in-store demand, so they don’t have enough stock for delivery," Liang Yun explained.

"This owner doesn’t know how to run a business. He should just finalize the fried chicken recipe, hire more people, and get a bigger shop, right? If they offered delivery, they’d definitely make a fortune."

"Don’t you know the story of this little shop’s owner? Do you think he actually cares about the money from this fried chicken place?"

"No clue. Is he rich?"

"Extremely rich. His restaurant, and the gold and jade in it... that’s not something an ordinary person could possess."

The two discussed quietly in line. Meanwhile, Liang Yun made sure to show Ruan Feifei some videos about Jiang Feng. That’s how Ruan Feifei learned about Jiang Feng.

"Setting up stalls to sell snacks everywhere? And he’s always super popular? Are his skills really that good?" Ruan Feifei exclaimed in surprise.

"Just look around and you’ll know," Liang Yun added.

Ruan Feifei glanced around; indeed, the place was packed, inside and out. The owners of several neighboring shops poked their heads out, practically green with envy.

Why does his shop get so many customers? Why don’t they come to mine?

But there was nothing to be done; this was the power of viral popularity. Ruan Feifei slowly started to believe that Jiang Feng was extraordinary.

Soon, the fried chicken shop opened, and the crowd surged forward like a swarm. The line started to move, and Jiang Feng shouted out to the crowd, "No pushing! Form a line and maintain order!"

Hearing him, many people dutifully formed a line.

At that moment, a burly, middle-aged man cut directly from the side to the front of the line. "I want an order of spicy fried chicken."

The employee, a young man, was taken aback and didn’t know what to say.

Jiang Feng, busy nearby, noticed this and immediately walked over. "Please get in line, thank you."

"Can’t you just make mine and get it over with?" the middle-aged man retorted, his expression belligerent.

"Please go to the back of the line to purchase." Jiang Feng remained expressionless.

At this point, two men further back in line, filled with a sense of justice, couldn’t take it anymore and shouted, "He told you to get in line, so get in line! Have you no manners?"

"If you’re not going to line up, then don’t just stand there!"

Hearing them, the middle-aged man felt he’d lost face and turned to curse, "What business is it of yours?"

The two men didn’t back down. "So you cut in line and think you’re in the right?"

Just as the atmosphere grew tense, Ma Jiang and Zheng Chuanlin, both in police uniform, walked in.

"What’s going on here?" Ma Jiang asked, looking at the man who had cut in line.

The moment the line-cutting man saw the police, he instantly deflated. "Nothing, it’s nothing, no problem at all." He hastily scurried out of the shop, moving with surprising speed, as if he’d suddenly resolved to do something.

"Boss Jiang, we’re here again," Ma Jiang greeted Jiang Feng.

"Welcome," Jiang Feng replied with a smile.

"We really have to thank you for this incident," Ma Jiang added.

"I’m just selling fried chicken; I didn’t do much. It was nothing," Jiang Feng demurred.

"We’re here to investigate and gather evidence. We just wanted to stop by and say hello. We’ll get back to our duties now."

"Okay."

After Ma Jiang said his goodbyes, he left the shop. Jiang Feng went back to making fried chicken.

After this little drama, the line proceeded in an orderly fashion. Jiang Feng’s fried chicken really was different from the usual fare. The meat was succulent, always fresh, never frozen. The batter was perfectly crisp, while the inside remained tender. The marinades and sauces were meticulously balanced. Plus, it was always freshly fried. One could clearly taste its fresh and fragrant flavor.

Since there were no seats, many customers stood around eating their fried chicken from paper boxes, their faces alight with enjoyment. Watching them, those still in line grew even hungrier.

Soon, it was Liang Yun and Ruan Feifei’s turn.

"Finally, it’s our turn! I’ll have the sweet and spicy fried chicken, mild, please," Liang Yun said to the cashier.

"I want one with a sweet and sour taste," Ruan Feifei also said.

After the two placed their orders, Jiang Feng began to fry the chicken. One whole chicken made two servings, as its five main parts could be neatly divided in half. Jiang Feng coated the chicken in batter and placed it in the fryer. Soon, the chicken was fried to a golden-brown crispness, its battered skin glistening with oil, and an irresistible aroma instantly filled the air.

"Why does his fried chicken smell so incredibly good?" Ruan Feifei exclaimed in surprise. "The Zhengxin chicken cutlets I used to buy never smelled anything like this!"

"He’s a master chef, of course he has his secrets! How could it compare to ordinary fried chicken?" Liang Yun, ever the Jiang Feng admirer, reflexively defended him.

Ruan Feifei and Liang Yun moved to the side. As luck would have it, two customers were just leaving, and they managed to snag their seats. After putting on disposable gloves, they each picked up a piece of tender, delicious fried chicken. Dipping sauce was provided separately. Customers could pour it over the chicken or eat the chicken plain, as many preferred the original flavor, making the sauce an optional extra.

Ruan Feifei picked up a drumstick first and, without bothering with sauce, took a bite.

CRUNCH, CRUNCH.

Her teeth first met the crispy batter, registering its satisfying crunch, before sinking into the incredibly tender and smooth chicken meat beneath. A little juice oozed from the meat, carrying an unexpectedly rich aroma. Fried meat is inherently delicious, and Jiang Feng’s chicken was also marinated beforehand. The various flavors, transformed by the high heat, melded into an intoxicating fragrance.

Ruan Feifei found it absolutely divine. Gripping the drumstick bone, she devoured the meat in a few large bites. Grease slicked the corners of her mouth. Then, remembering her composure, she hastily wiped her mouth with one of the provided paper napkins. Even after eating a whole drumstick, it didn’t feel overly greasy.

The fried chicken meal also included a bottle of sour plum drink. After the fried chicken, she took a sip of the sour plum drink. Ruan Feifei let out a contented "Ahhh." The sensation was truly wonderful.

This fried chicken was not only crispy but also juicy, each mouthful bursting with flavor—the ultimate indulgence. She grabbed another piece of fried chicken and continued eating, unable to stop as the chicken vanished piece by piece.

"This is so delicious! And I was planning to go on a diet," Ruan Feifei marveled.

"Yes, it’s truly delicious, even better than I expected," Liang Yun nodded, her eyes shining.

This fried chicken was far superior to any from the chain brands, which was hardly surprising. Jiang Feng was a genuine master chef with exceptional culinary skills. The fried chicken he meticulously prepared was bound to be tastier than any mass-produced version.

The stream of customers entering the shop was endless. Many passersby, initially just curious about the commotion and not intending to wait, found themselves irresistibly drawn to the end of the line after catching a whiff of the aroma, as if their feet had a mind of their own. Only when they were actually standing in line did they belatedly realize what they’d done.

Damn, am I under some kind of spell?

In his first week in Yangzhou, Jiang Feng’s small shop achieved incredible success, at the very least amassing a local fanbase. Business at the fried chicken shop was booming. Of course, a good deal of this was thanks to the wanted fugitive, Zhou Laohu, and his two memorable ’endorsements’:

"Give me a fried chicken!"

"Let me have a fried chicken!"

Who, upon hearing those two incredibly earnest pleas, wouldn’t want to come and taste this fried chicken for themselves—the very chicken that could captivate a fugitive to such a degree?

They remained swamped for over four hours. Around 8:00 PM, Jiang Feng announced that the fried chicken was sold out. It had been another busy day, much livelier than the last, proving that advertising really made a difference.

After paying his employee, Jiang Feng prepared to drive home. He still had to take Little Black for a walk. Working at the fried chicken shop didn’t offer many opportunities to walk the dog, so Little Black usually stayed in their rented apartment. The little fellow had grown accustomed to this routine, patiently waiting at home for Jiang Feng’s return.

That night, Jiang Feng checked his system rewards.

[Daily task completed. Additional reward: Huaiyang Cuisine—Crab Cream Lion’s Head]

The additional reward for today’s task was this Huaiyang Cuisine recipe. The "Huai" in Huaiyang Cuisine represents the Huai River Basin, and the "Yang" represents the Yangtze River Basin. Thus, Huaiyang dishes primarily feature aquatic products and emphasize the freshness of ingredients, along with finesse in knife skills and heat control.

Knife skills, precise heat control, and fresh ingredients—none of these posed a challenge for Jiang Feng. Therefore, as long as he mastered the recipes and techniques, he could effortlessly prepare Huaiyang dishes. He could already be considered a master chef of Huaiyang Cuisine.