Gourmet: Midnight Vending-Chapter 371 - 345: Winds and Clouds Are Rising!

"The fate of Jingya Pavilion has given us a great lesson: when dealing with this kid Chen Mo, we can’t afford to drag it out. We must strike fast and decisively!"

"He’s been running a street stall for so long that his cooking speed is incredibly fast. The key is, this kid’s skills are actually quite good. So here’s what we’re going to do..."

Yang Wenhua, the creator of the Five-Pepper Bun at Shuyue Pavilion, is the mastermind behind those expensive buns that come with ID numbers.

And the reason Shuyue Pavilion’s Three-Piece Bun is such a hit locally also has a lot to do with this chef.

"Boss, is it really worth it for our big restaurant to compete with a street stall? Isn’t that a bit beneath us?"

In Yang Wenhua’s heart, he really didn’t want to place a bet against Chen Mo.

Winning would be great, boosting his reputation even higher and bringing a considerable amount of internet traffic to Shuyue Pavilion in the short term.

But Yang Wenhua already had a high enough profile in Yangzhou and didn’t need it to be any higher.

If they lost, Shuyue Pavilion would continue to operate as usual, but where would Yang Wenhua’s reputation go?

"You’re wrong."

The boss negated Yang Wenhua’s statement, "This is a rare opportunity. If we wait any longer, the other two famous houses might not be able to hold back. Going head-to-head now is the perfect opportunity. With traffic increasing, Yangzhou is on the verge of becoming the next viral tourist city. The restaurant that captures this opportunity is bound to become famous across the internet!"

Yang Wenhua inwardly griped but maintained a blank expression on his face.

He and Shuyue Pavilion were complementary; without this place, his bun business wouldn’t do so well.

If Shuyue Pavilion lost him, the bun’s reputation would decline.

Since the boss had already made up his mind, he had nothing more to say, "Alright, I’ll go today."

"Yes, don’t worry, I’ve arranged everything. There’s no way we can lose."

Yang Wenhua didn’t have much resistance to orchestrating fake supporters.

The market is like a battlefield; the showdown between Shuyue Pavilion and Chen Mo’s food cart wasn’t just an ordinary contest but a real battle. Measures weren’t too far-fetched.

"Alright, I’ll go prepare."

Leaving the office, Yang Wenhua casually scrolled through a few short videos on his phone, several of which were clips from last night’s scene at the North Gate of the Ecological Garden.

On Douyin’s trending list, the headline [Yangzhou Master Chef VS Street Vendor] had quietly entered the rankings, currently at 93—less noticeable, but it’s clear that the buzz is far from diminishing and still rising!

...

Currently, on the highway.

"Oh my! Boss Xiao Chen already won, we shouldn’t make this trip for nothing, right?"

"Of course not! We’ll follow Boss Fang’s plan. Even if Boss Xiao Chen doesn’t need us to help with the challenge, at least we can make a pretty penny on this trip."

"It’s indeed thanks to President Fang!"

On a bus, forty or fifty people looking drowsy but brimming with excitement in their conversations.

LuLu held up her phone, "Folks, the old guards of Jingzhou support from afar. This is a silent war; let’s not lose face for the people of Jingzhou!"

It was early in the morning; when the live stream title changed to [On a Campaign for Mo], the audience quickly surged to over ten thousand, absolutely insane.

And after LuLu’s shout, the live room kept receiving gifts. This graduate of the School of Communication had truly mastered the live streaming business.

He Chunming was scribbling in a notebook, occasionally running to the front to show it to Fang Zhizhong.

"Look, how about this? We can deeply bind our foot massage shop with Boss Chen’s stand, offering food with foot massages or discounts on foot massages with Boss Chen’s food."

Fang Zhizhong nodded, "We’ll see how it goes. If it’s the latter, some netizens might say Xiao Chen won unfairly. Let’s see if there are any better plans."

Dunzi was excitedly snapping photos with his phone, occasionally posting them on his social media, wishing he could livestream this ridiculous journey to everyone.

But the most excited was a middle-aged man in the back row.

"Haha, finally I get to ride the bus! Honey, going to Yangzhou in March for fireworks, supporting Boss Chen, and getting to vacation—how delightful!"

Guo Aiping gave him a side-eye, "Don’t talk to me."

Ever since Old Zhao had his circumcision, Guo Aiping was nice for a few days. But after Old Zhao recovered, she realized, cutting or not, it made no damn difference!

What didn’t work still didn’t work.

Now Old Zhao’s status at home had fallen tremendously, even lower than before the circumcision. This time, if he hadn’t secretly taken a little blue pill, it would’ve been hard for him to come out.

Seeing Guo Aiping didn’t want to talk to him, Old Zhao, feeling a bit awkward, turned his head to happily gaze at the scenery outside the window.

As for Gold Medal Salesperson Nana, she now had a commanding female CEO persona.

She glanced at the various messages on her phone.

"Boss Xiao Chen’s challenge has hit the trending lists on both Douyin and Weibo. It seems there’s a promoter behind it."

From a distance, Fang Zhizhong said, "Indeed, Yangzhou Culture and Tourism is likely the hidden hand behind this. While it’s crucial for us to support Boss Xiao Chen in this contest, the key is to seize the opportunity. We must also promote our Wanglong Mountain Resort and see if this opportunity can leave an impression on netizens."

Such was Fang Zhizhong’s insight.

For a businessman like him, there’s no action without reason. Escorting forty to fifty people to support Chen Mo isn’t entirely out of the question, but it’s limited if that’s all they do—the returns are too low.

Seeing that Wanglong Mountain Resort was soon to be completed, many people were still unaware of the upcoming events in Yangzhou.

Fang Zhizhong’s thinking was simple: he wasn’t aiming for immediate profits. All that mattered was that in this wave, he could let netizens know that in Jingzhou, there was a place called Wanglong Mountain Resort. That would be the biggest gain. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

This was an advertising effect beyond any price.

The bus continued to advance, expected to arrive by the afternoon. As the scenery constantly changed, the passengers on the bus grew increasingly excited.

...

And at this moment, Chen Mo was happily eating freshly cooked hot buns.

"Truly excellent, the aroma of grade A flour is unrivaled."

"The bun’s filling is loose but not scattered, and the broth is rich. I must have one every day from now on."

Chen Mo devoured six buns in one go, stretched comfortably, and took a sip of today’s newcomer, guava juice.

Delicious!

The timing was perfect; Huang Bo was just reversing into the parking spot. After parking, he hastily ran over, "Boss, here’s the report."

Freed from the worry of unemployment, Huang Bo willingly did tasks as free labor.

"Alright, set up your stove first. Let me show you how. Tonight, you’re the star."

"And what are you going to do?"

Chen Mo smiled, a bit mischievously.

"You’ll find out when the time comes."