CHAPTER 327: CHAPTER 327: BEAUTIFUL EXOTIC STYLE, A NEW JOURNEY!

Jiang Feng arrived at the meeting point by car. Soon, the regular celebrity guests for this season of "Chinese Restaurant" all trickled in. Jiang Feng already knew the list of participants, so he wasn’t surprised when he met them. Everyone was very polite.

Four celebrity guests were participating in this recording of "Chinese Restaurant": Huang Xiaoming, Yeang Zi, Wang Junkai, and Zhao Liying. Including Jiang Feng, there were five people in total. After the first episode, there would be additional guests flying in for later episodes; that is, other stars would join the operation of the Chinese Restaurant.

After Jiang Feng met everyone, they began to get acquainted. The other four, all from the entertainment industry, already knew each other; it was a gathering of familiar faces. It was Jiang Feng’s first time meeting them, so he felt a bit like an outsider initially. However, Jiang Feng had a positive attitude and a sincere personality. After chatting with the others for a while, he naturally blended in.

"I saw your video making the ’Phoenix Court Dish’; it was incredible! After watching it, I really wanted to try it, so I specially hired someone to cook it for me," Zhao Liying said to Jiang Feng, her voice full of admiration.

Zhao Liying had long been a fan of Jiang Feng’s videos. After all, food is paramount for everyone, and even celebrities love good food. The cuisine Jiang Feng showcased ranged from down-to-earth street snacks to grand state banquet dishes, appealing to people from all walks of life.

"That dish is indeed a very unique and cleverly designed example of court cuisine," Jiang Feng replied graciously.

From their first conversation, they discovered they were quite compatible. Everyone was rather sincere. This was actually the most important aspect. If the participants didn’t know each other and didn’t talk during the show, creating a bad atmosphere, it would be uncomfortable to interact.

Huang Xiaoming enjoyed playing the role of a domineering CEO, but off-screen he was a nice guy, eager to be the big brother, with the others happily going along with him. Yeang Zi and Wang Junkai acted like bantering siblings with a good relationship, always giggling and bringing a lot of fun to the show.

So far, everything was looking good. Soon, the group boarded a plane directly to Italy. Upon arrival in Italy, they had to take another car trip to reach Taormina. The plane had taken off from Capital City, and once they reached Taormina, the show would officially begin.

As the group moved, numerous photographers followed, cameras in hand, recording their every action. When they alighted from the vehicle, everyone curiously observed their surroundings. This was where they would be living for a month.

Jiang Feng looked into the distance, seeing a small town built halfway up a mountainside, filled with exotic charm. The chief director then addressed the group:

"Welcome to Sicily Island."

"Next, you will open a Chinese restaurant here and promote Chinese culinary culture."

"Now, you need to head over to the Town Hall of Taormina."

"The Mayor will receive you there."

The five listened intently to the director’s instructions. At that moment, none of them knew what would happen next. After all, the script was prepared by the director and planners, who had poured a lot of effort into the program behind the scenes. Their attitudes were very professional. From this alone, it was clear that this season of "Chinese Restaurant" would surely be different from previous ones. Each guest was genuinely committed, which promised a good show. If everyone were merely going through the motions, the interactions would be awkward.

Their luggage remained on the coach while they boarded a seven-seater nanny car and headed towards the Town Hall. Perhaps due to travel fatigue, there was little conversation among them. Huang Xiaoming would occasionally comment on the passing scenery. In this season of "Chinese Restaurant," Huang Xiaoming was the Manager. It was evident he felt considerable pressure and wasn’t as relaxed as usual. The others were much more relaxed. In the car, for instance, Zhao Liying fell asleep, looking completely at ease. Nearby, Yeang Zi and Wang Junkai were watching videos, occasionally sharing funny clips and laughing together. Jiang Feng quietly closed his eyes to rest.

Jiang Feng was very clear about his position; he never liked to steal the spotlight, always preferring to be low-key and focus solely on his culinary skills, an area in which he was determined to excel.

Soon, they arrived at the Town Hall. They felt somewhat reserved as they entered. After all, being personally received and assigned tasks by the Mayor of Taormina was a rather solemn occasion. They walked inside. Huang Xiaoming led the way, followed by Wang Junkai, then Zhao Liying and Yeang Zi, with Jiang Feng bringing up the rear. The Mayor, a kind-looking, white-haired elderly man in a suit, greeted them.

Each of them went up to shake hands with the Mayor, greeting him in English with, "Nice to meet you." After the handshakes, they all took their seats.

Jiang Feng found this experience quite interesting. Previously, he had been setting up street stalls and running restaurants in various parts of China. Now, he was in Taormina, Sicily Island, Italy, opening a Chinese restaurant and being received by the local Mayor. This was all thanks to the online following, reputation, and popularity he had accumulated. Previously, Jiang Feng hadn’t paid much attention to online traffic, as he was focused on his brick-and-mortar businesses. But now, this very traffic had brought him to a much larger stage.

The production team had prepared a welcome gift for the Mayor: a gift box filled with exquisite porcelain from China. This gesture of reciprocity was also in keeping with Chinese tradition.

After everyone was seated, the Mayor began to speak, with an interpreter translating his words.

"Hello, partners of "Chinese Restaurant." Welcome to Taormina, a small but very famous town.

Please note that the "Chinese Restaurant" you will be opening is the first Chinese restaurant in Taormina."

When the Mayor finished this statement, a change flickered in the eyes of the five guests. Huang Xiaoming and Yeang Zi led the applause, their expressions filled with excitement. Jiang Feng also smiled; he could feel the weight of those words. After all, when abroad, everyone wants to promote the culture of their homeland. Seeing their reaction, the Mayor smiled kindly.

Then, as the atmosphere settled, he continued, "The "Chinese Restaurant" you will be managing previously housed a very famous Italian restaurant. It’s in a prime location and enjoyed a large daily customer flow. Last month, that restaurant’s revenue was no less than 1,000 euros per day. So, I’ve set a modest goal for all of you: in the next 21 days of operation, the total revenue of "Chinese Restaurant" must not be less than 20,000 euros."

As the Mayor finished speaking, a palpable sense of pressure descended upon the five of them. Manager Huang Xiaoming, in particular, took a deep breath, adjusted his posture, and sat up straighter.

Zhao Liying spoke up, "A thousand a day?"

Wang Junkai also asked for confirmation, "Twenty thousand euros?"

Twenty thousand euros was equivalent to over 150,000 yuan. A monthly revenue target of 150,000 yuan was undeniably a lot of pressure. This task, of course, had been arranged by the production team; it was merely delivered through the Mayor. This also signaled that this season of "Chinese Restaurant" would inevitably face immense pressure. It was precisely this pressure that would make the show more interesting to watch.

Once the Mayor had announced the business target, the meeting concluded. The five were then led out by staff members to officially head to the Chinese Restaurant.

They strolled down the ancient streets. Jiang Feng maintained his usual calm demeanor and didn’t seem particularly nervous. He admired the surrounding scenery, noting the cliffs and the azure sea visible in the distance. It really is quite pleasant.

The restaurant had already been renovated by the production team. The investment in this program was substantial; to put it one way, the shop was filled with Pure Yogurt products everywhere. The restaurant was spotlessly clean, with eight tables set up. Upon entering, the five couldn’t help but express their admiration.

"Wow, what a beautiful restaurant!"

"The ambiance is really nice!"

They then headed into the kitchen, which was very spacious; it wouldn’t feel crowded even with seven or eight people inside. Jiang Feng’s interest was piqued, and he carefully inspected the kitchenware. After all, these items were left over from the previous Italian restaurant, so there were bound to be some differences from what he was used to for Chinese cooking. For instance, there was no large steamer, but there was an oven, quite suitable for baking pastries. Other than that, most things seemed manageable, as Jiang Feng was confident he could adapt.

"The kitchen this time is really big!" Huang Xiaoming couldn’t help but exclaim.

"Chef Jiang, take a look and see if you need anything else. We’ll figure out how to get it," Huang Xiaoming said, looking towards Jiang Feng.

In "Chinese Restaurant," Jiang Feng’s role was "Head Chef." Huang Xiaoming was the Manager, Zhao Liying served as both an assistant chef and the "diplomat" or front-of-house liaison, while Wang Junkai and Yeang Zi were waiters. The roles had all been clearly assigned.

Jiang Feng responded, "The kitchenware is quite complete. We can make basic dishes without any problem. I don’t need anything else for the moment."

"Alright." Hearing Jiang Feng’s confident assessment, everyone nodded.

With the pressure of the revenue target looming, Jiang Feng was undoubtedly their cornerstone. Without him, the others would feel quite lost trying to run such a restaurant, serve foreign customers, and promote Chinese culinary culture. To put it plainly, Jiang Feng was shouldering the most difficult part, while the others just needed to perform their assistant roles well. This considerably reduced the pressure on everyone else. Jiang Feng, however, didn’t seem to feel the burden. After all, he had lost count of how many small eateries he had run before, and he had even opened five large restaurants. Running a small restaurant like this should be a piece of cake for me. However, things were not as simple as he might have anticipated; the production team would surely introduce challenges to increase the difficulty.

Next, the group went to inspect their living quarters, which were located right next to the restaurant and were part of the same establishment. Each person had a separate room. The beds were new, covered in fresh white linens, and on each bed, there were several bottles of Pure Yogurt. The accommodations were quite nice. Seeing how spacious their rooms were, their faces lit up with joy. A comfortable living space naturally leads to a better mood. Each room was equipped with a TV and an en-suite bathroom, making things very convenient. After touring all the rooms to assess the situation, they began to decide on the room assignments.

Everyone chattered excitedly as they discussed the rooms. Huang Xiaoming, as the Manager, fully embraced his role and began to make arrangements. For example, he pointed out that the outermost room, which could potentially be entered through a window, was too dangerous for the female members to occupy. Everyone unanimously agreed with this. There was also a relatively smaller room, and Huang Xiaoming volunteered to take that one himself.

Jiang Feng, on the other hand, proactively chose the outermost room. This room had the best view, offering a direct sight of the outside scenery from its window. The only downside was its potential vulnerability to break-ins. However, with the production team’s cameras installed everywhere, it was highly unlikely anyone would actually try to climb through a window. Besides, Jiang Feng was physically strong. Although he hadn’t had formal combat training, he was more than capable of handling a few ordinary troublemakers if necessary.

With the rooms assigned, everyone began moving their luggage. Personal belongings were taken to their respective rooms, while items related to the kitchen were placed in the back kitchen. Just as they were settling in, the production team announced their first official task.

Life at the Chinese Restaurant had officially begun.