Chapter 90 - 72: Zhang Li: I’m Going to Turn to the Dark Side
Chapter 90: Chapter 72: Zhang Li: I’m Going to Turn to the Dark Side
"I, Liu Ahbao, swear on my Senior Technician certificate that every single word I said about Meiweilai Catering Company in my last video is true. Delicious is absolutely a restaurant worth visiting! If I’ve said a single word that isn’t true, I’ll never set foot in the culinary world again!"
As he posted the video, he made sure to tag the "Uncle" blogger.
DING DONG!
Unexpectedly, a reply came quickly, posted as a comment under his new video.
[Uncle Explores Shops: A shill is a shill. You took their money to do a job for them. We’re not judging. Everyone’s got to make a living to support their family, right?]
[Huakai Fugui: Uncle looks like an honest guy. This little fatty, on the other hand, doesn’t look like a good person at all. I’m with Uncle on this one!]
[Hooligan Sheep: After all, Uncle is one of us locals. He’d never lie to his fans.]
[Zouzou Tingting: A "Senior Technician certificate"? Please. You can get ten of those printed on the street for 80 yuan.]
Reading these comments, Ah Bao was consumed with rage. It felt like being framed—accused of eating two bowls of noodles but only paying for one!
’I wish I could just rip open my gut right now and show all you netizens! I’m not a fucking shill!’
Forcing himself to calm down, Ah Bao tossed his phone aside and stopped looking. Instead, he contacted the product manager for Delicious.
"Hey man, I need two orders of stir-fried chicken for 4 PM."
"Bai Xiaobo: You got it! Stir-fried chicken is 88 yuan an order with an 8 yuan service fee, so for two, your total comes to 192 yuan~"
After paying via QR code, Liu Ahbao immediately strapped the camera to his head.
Then, he started recording a new short video.
"I’m paying for the meal and the ride! I’m inviting two fans to come eat at Meiweilai Catering Company right now! If you don’t think it’s delicious, I’ll pay you back ten times the cost!"
He was going to make another video!
And for one reason only: to prove he wasn’t a shill!
At Meiweilai Company, afternoons were always pleasant.
Since there were hardly any customers in the evening, the staff had little to do in the afternoon.
He Shuting was scrolling through Douyin, looking for inspiration. Liu Shengnan was buried in the account books, trying to figure out if the business could possibly be saved within the next week.
Meanwhile, Bai Xiaobo was all smiles, chatting with his crush, Zhang Qing. She was asking if she could get a small discount the next time she came for stir-fried chicken.
And in the kitchen.
"Sister Ling, I can’t eat anymore! I really can’t eat another bite!"
Ling Shuyu ladled a bowl of noodles. "Come on, just one more bite. You didn’t eat lunch, did you? Just help me taste a tiny bit more."
She’d lost count of how many small pots of noodles she had made, and Zhang Li had, unsurprisingly, become the designated taste tester.
"Sister Ling, your flavor is already very close to Boss Su’s, but it just feels like something is missing. I really can’t put my finger on it. Why don’t you try some yourself?"
Ling Shuyu wanted to try it herself, too.
’But she’d eaten an extra order of stir-fried chicken for lunch. Who could possibly eat any more!’
"Sister Ling, none of you have eaten either, right? Get someone else to taste it!" Zhang Li pleaded pitifully.
’When did eating become such a painful experience?’
"Come on~" Ling Shuyu said, holding a single chopstick-full of noodles to Zhang Li’s lips.
The poor girl opened her mouth and managed to get just one single noodle inside.
Seeing the look on Zhang Li’s face, Ling Shuyu sighed. ’What exactly is wrong with it?’
She held her phone, repeatedly watching the video He Shuting had recorded. As far as she could tell, she had followed every one of Su Chen’s steps to the letter.
’So why does the flavor... just feel off?’
Just then, a commotion outside the door startled her. She stopped what she was doing and went out to see what was going on.
"Someone’s coming to eat at 4 PM?"
"Yep. It’s an order from that little fatty who was here at noon. He seems to be in a hurry."
"I’ll go get the boss then."
"What’s going on?" Ling Shuyu asked.
"That little fatty who was here at noon just placed another order for two stir-fried chickens," Bai Xiaobo explained. "He’ll be here soon. He can really pack it away."
"Two orders?" Ling Shuyu said, puzzled. "Something about this seems off."
"What’s all the chatter about?" Su Chen asked, stepping out of his office.
"That little fatty from lunch—the one with the camera on his head—ordered two more stir-fried chickens. He’s coming to eat in half an hour," Bai Xiaobo said.
"Alright." Su Chen rolled up his sleeves and headed for the kitchen.
Ling Shuyu followed him. "Something about this isn’t right."
"Oh?"
"I can’t put my finger on it, but it just feels wrong. There’s definitely something else going on."
Su Chen smiled. "Our job is to cook. If someone wants to eat, we cook. The rest doesn’t concern us."
"You have such a good attitude," Ling Shuyu sighed, feeling like she was worrying for nothing.
"What’s the alternative?" Su Chen spread his hands. "Let’s say there is something else going on. What are you going to do about it?" With that, he went into the kitchen.
’He’s right...’ Ling Shuyu stood there, stunned. ’What could I do about it anyway?’
Her gaze on Su Chen grew clearer. ’How can the boss be so young, yet so insightful?’
Meanwhile, the person who had placed the order was in a rideshare, having just successfully picked up two of his fans.
"Buddy, we’ve never met before, right? You’re from Jingzhou, I’m from E Province. You need to make that clear for my camera!"
"AHEM." Zhan Yang faced Liu Ahbao’s camera. "I swear! I really don’t know this streamer. He invited us to eat in the Development Zone, and I’m just here for the free food."
"Great. And what about your companion?"
Zhan Yang gave the driver an address. "I don’t know that guy, either. We’re online friends."
"Alrighty, let’s go!" Liu Ahbao was in high spirits.
With this video, he was sure he could clear his name!
Meanwhile, Zhan Yang, sitting in the back seat, found the whole situation rather amusing.
’I was just bored at home on my day off,’ he thought. ’Never expected something this good to just fall into my lap.’
He opened his phone to a group chat called [Foodie Discovery Squad] and tagged @Lai Ri Fang Chang.
"Brother Fang Chang, the car’s almost at your building."
[Lai Ri Fang Chang: Dude, don’t call me Fang Chang! I just finished getting ready. I can head out now!]
Zhan Yang was just an ordinary office worker. In his spare time, he loved to hunt for local delicacies in Jingzhou. He was even part of a small, like-minded group where everyone would often recommend good restaurants to each other in their chat.
That’s why he followed quite a few food bloggers, especially the local ones.
Today was his day off from work, and he’d stumbled upon the whole affair while scrolling through Douyin. As soon as he saw the video posted by "Ah Bao Explores Shops," Zhan Yang had signed up.
Getting to try a new restaurant was one thing.
But turning down a free meal? He wasn’t a fool.