Liu Shanhua smiled, probably thinking the young girl was being overly dramatic.
“Are you an employee of Jiang Ji?”
The girl glanced at the flyer in her hand, hesitated for a moment, then said, “I guess you could say that.”
“What do you mean, ‘guess’?”
“Well, I’m just temporary.”
“A college student doing part-time work?”
“Yep yep! Here you go, take this—remember, the day after tomorrow, come try us out!” With that, she dashed toward another passerby. “Miss, over here! Do you know Jiang Ji Jianbing? Yes, the super popular one online—let me tell you, we’re opening the day after tomorrow…”
Liu Shanhua glanced at the flyer in his hand. The photo of the jianbing looked decent, and the font was eye-catching, but that was about it.
He shook his head, casually tossed the flyer into a nearby trash can, and turned back into the shop.
No matter how delicious the jianbing was, it didn’t change the fact that it was just a basic staple food.
Cao Ji was different. Although it started with jianbing, over time it had developed a comprehensive menu.
Not only did it have jianbing, but also more upscale, refined dishes. In this regard, he was confident Jiang Ji couldn’t compete.
But had Liu Shanhua flipped the flyer over for a better look, he’d have seen that it wasn’t just about jianbing—there were many curiously named private dishes listed as well.
To keep an air of mystery, there were no pictures, but the names alone were enticing.
For example: “Crystal Beads Inside a Crystal House.”
Or: “Half an Apple, a Third of a Pear Tree.”
Elegant and playful. Most importantly, all of these dish names were submitted by young fans.
Through a process of collecting, submitting, selecting, and announcing, these mysterious-sounding dishes already had a following despite no one having seen them.
And it was all thanks to Cao Dou’s wild imagination—he even consulted Wu Qian, a seasoned internet marketing expert, multiple times for ideas.
Thanks to his hard work, the initial marketing was spot on.
Now all that was left was opening day to see the results.
…
Back in the shop, Liu Shanhua immediately called a brief staff meeting.
He gathered everyone to give a pep talk and boost morale, ultimately deciding that the store would open the day after tomorrow.
“Boss, is this a good idea? Jiang Ji is opening the same day.”
“I know.”
“Then why…”
Liu Shanhua smiled faintly, speaking in a calm tone. “Opening a business has to follow the almanac. There are only so many good dates in a short span. It’s normal to overlap. After all these years of good reputation and branding, are we afraid of sharing a date?”
“But Jiang Ji is really popular…”
Recently, they’d seen a lot of people going in and out of Jiang Ji next door. When they asked, it turned out they were fans stopping by just to check it out.
Even before opening, Jiang Ji naturally drew in traffic. And their own shop?
Deserted. No one cared.
Liu Shanhua didn’t explain further. He simply said, “That’s the plan. Everyone, get ready.”
“Also, go to the university district and hire some college students to hand out flyers. Offer 200 yuan a day, with lunch included.”
“Okay.”
They had thought the job would be snapped up instantly, but…
“Boss, we can’t find anyone! Those students say it’s too far and won’t come.”
“What?” Liu Shanhua frowned. “How did Jiang Ji get college students then?”
“How can we possibly compare with Jiang Ji?”
Liu Shanhua frowned.
The man realized belatedly that his words might be misinterpreted and quickly tried to correct himself: “Jiang Ji is super popular online—they don’t even need to recruit. The college students come on their own. There are so many people that they even set up some kind of queuing system, only allowing three at a time.”
“But even so, there are still tons of students signing up. They’re practically fighting for the chance to be unpaid helpers. I really don’t know what these kids are thinking these days.”
Liu Shanhua raised his eyebrows. “Find out how much Jiang Ji is paying them. We’ll offer double.”
He didn’t believe no one would come.
The employee looked awkward. “Well… actually, Jiang Ji doesn’t pay them at all.”
“No pay?!”
“Yeah.”
Liu Shanhua was shocked. “Then what are these students doing it for?”
“Apparently, it’s for the two meals they get—lunch and dinner.”
“Huh?”
“The boss next door, who’s also the head chef, personally cooks for the students. Everyone who’s eaten it says it’s amazing. Word spread fast, and now everyone wants to try. That’s why they keep flocking over.”
He had seen it with his own eyes: after a full day of work, the students would linger outside the store, reluctant to leave, clamoring for a midnight snack.
It looked just like a bunch of hungry little puppies stretching their necks and barking to be fed.
It was honestly unbelievable.
Liu Shanhua’s expression darkened. He muttered, “Is it really that good?”
The employee subconsciously smacked his lips. “I don’t know.”
That wasn’t entirely true—he hadn’t tasted the dishes made by Boss Jiang himself, but he had eaten one of his pancakes.
And once you tried that taste, you could never forget it.
It was just that fragrant. That delicious.
Cao Ji also sold pancakes—in fact, it was their signature item. Not only did they sell the look, but also the “nostalgia,” all packaged up to seem high-end and sophisticated.
But for some reason, eating this kind of pancake in such a fancy restaurant just didn’t sit right. It felt off, awkward, lacking authenticity.
Pancakes, just hearing the name, brings to mind those little street stalls in narrow alleys—not fancy or luxurious, but full of life and soul.
Liu Shanhua said, “We may not have the people, but we still have to hand out flyers. Either hire someone to do it, or do it yourselves.”
With that, he turned and walked away.
That night, Liu Shanhua returned to his hotel. He planned to stay here for the next three months.
Maybe he wouldn’t even need the full three months before achieving success and retreating.
After showering, he pulled out his phone and called Yu Shangmei to report the day’s work.
“…You plan to open on the same day as Jiang Ji?”
“Well, if we’re going to go head-to-head, it’s more exciting to face them directly.”
“Shanhua, your aunt didn’t misjudge you.”
Liu Shanhua’s face was expressionless, but his tone was respectful and sincere: “Thank you for your trust, Auntie. I’ll do everything I can to fulfill the mission.”
“Good. If you need support, just ask.”
Liu Shanhua said, “I think we’re still lacking in publicity. Jiang Ji already has a solid online following. If we’re going head-to-head, we can’t fall too far behind. Don’t you agree?”
“Makes sense. Got any ideas?”
“Besides opening-day discounts, I’ve already prepared soft articles for the company’s media accounts to post tomorrow.”
Yu Shangmei replied, “No problem. I’ll let the PR department know.”
“Also, I’d like to invite a popular food influencer to attend on opening day. Ideally, we can also get a few food critics to come and taste the food. I’ve already arranged for a TV station to cover it. With all these elements, the content will be much more appealing.”
“Alright, go ahead with it. As for the food critics…”
Liu Shanhua said, “I remember you have a connection with Master Nie Guotao?”
Yu Shangmei was silent for a moment.
“If we can get him to come, it’ll be a sensation online. It would be a huge boost for the Cao Ji brand.”
After another pause, Yu Shangmei finally said, “…Okay. I’ll give it a try.”
Liu Shanhua smiled.
….
At the same time, in the Jiang family home at Yutianhua Residence, they were also preparing for the grand opening.
Jiang Da had drafted a menu of 32 original dishes and was personally training Cao Sanpang and the others, day and night, until they were familiar with every step.
From handling raw ingredients, to cooking techniques, to plating and serving the finished dish to customers—everything was standardized and professionalized.
Only this way could the dishes fully meet Jiang Da’s standards.
Of course, some critical steps still required his direct oversight to ensure the final result was perfect.
But on that point, things couldn’t be too standardized—otherwise, they’d lose their soul and become mechanical.
This current “standardized + flexible” model was originally suggested by Jiang Fuyue. After trial and error proved it worked, they decided to implement it.
Sanpang and the others hadn’t worked this hard in a kitchen for a long time.
Exhausted, yes—but the excitement and sense of hope were unlike anything before.
“Senior Brother, your cooking has improved by leaps and bounds!”
“Even better than Master back in the day.”
“Right! I never knew you could do this with carrots and cilantro—it’s delicious.”
“And this dish—you’d never guess the ingredients just by looking at it. Even after tasting, you still have to think about it.”
“Also, that knife work and plating are incredible. I’ve never seen anyone arrange food with a ‘knock-the-bowl and eggplant flower’ combo before…”
“I just want to know how the broth is made. How is it so white, so rich, yet not greasy at all?”
A bunch of happy chefs huddled in the spacious kitchen, cooking and discussing enthusiastically.
Jiang Da stood at the center, surrounded by them, answering questions one by one with the poise of a true master…
Han Yunru withdrew her gaze and turned to exchange a look with Jiang Fuyue.
