The top spot on the food charts, held for over a year, had been mysteriously surpassed. Moreover, her interview hadn’t featured a single dish; she had spent the entire time just listening to customers’ anecdotes.
This interview was a complete failure. A TV show isn’t a radio program. What’s the point of just listening to customers talk? We need to film the food, make the audience drool in front of their TVs!
That’s why she chose to stay. She planned to film the dish preparation in the kitchen and then the restaurant’s offerings. If time allowed, she even wanted to capture the bustling scene of customers flocking in during the evening.
"Hello, we’re not open yet... Why are you back?" Song Tiantian was very curious. She didn’t understand why the beautiful host who had just interviewed them had returned. Is she planning to continue interviewing our boss?
"I filmed the first part of the segment earlier. Now I’m here to shoot the second part," Zeng Xiaoqi explained, then headed towards the kitchen.
"Boss Lin, I’d like to film your kitchen staff preparing and cooking the dishes. Is that okay? I promise I won’t get in your way; just pretend I’m not here."
She knew many restaurant kitchens prohibited filming because they were often dirty and disorganized. Filming such conditions wouldn’t be visually appealing and could even ruin customers’ appetites. Thus, maintaining an air of mystery was preferable.
But Lin Ji’s kitchen was semi-open. Theoretically, filming was allowed. After all, when she had come in earlier, all the customers were taking pictures with their cell phones.
"You can film, but you need to be careful. There are open flames on the stoves, and we’ll be deep-frying food here soon, which is quite dangerous."
"No problem, Boss Lin, I’ll be careful."
Zeng Xiaoqi had initially planned to use a tripod but worried it might hinder everyone’s work. So, she decided to carry the camera on her shoulder.
When she graduated from university and interned at a TV station, she had carried a camera on her shoulder in the news department for over half a year. Then, one time, when the on-screen reporter fell ill, she seized the opportunity, finally putting down the camera to become a reporter holding a microphone.
Years passed. Carrying the camera on her shoulder again made Zeng Xiaoqi feel like she was back in her internship days.
The kitchen was bustling. But thanks to their long-standing coordination, everyone worked busily yet methodically. Those who needed to chop vegetables chopped, and those who needed to wash ingredients washed.
As for Lin Xu, he was constantly busy: one moment adjusting the master stock, the next marinating meat slices, then making noodle toppings, preparing Dough, and concocting sweet and sour sauce. He didn’t have a moment’s rest.
A business van with a Fishing Platform pass parked steadily in front of the restaurant. The van door slid open, and Xie Baomin led a few chefs into the store.
"Junior Brother, oh Junior Brother, if you were going to close the shop, you should have just closed it. Why did you have to make an announcement? Now look, this situation is unmanageable, isn’t it?"
After receiving Lin Xu’s call, Xie Baomin checked the online comments and discovered that the buzz around Lin Ji’s Food was alarmingly high. He immediately brought several efficient chefs from Building Two to provide support.
This popularity was both an opportunity and a challenge for his junior brother. If it wasn’t handled well and customers started complaining vociferously, the reputation of Lin Ji’s Food would be completely ruined.
While filming the food preparation in the kitchen, Zeng Xiaoqi saw Xie Baomin, and her eyes widened in surprise. Wasn’t this the rather aloof executive chef from Fishing Platform?
The last time there was a foreign affairs event at Fishing Platform’s Building Two, CCTV and Yanjing Satellite TV both went to cover it. To increase exposure for the travel channel, Zeng Xiaoqi had also tagged along. During the interview, this executive chef only spoke to CCTV and left the Yanjing Satellite TV reporters to be handled by the front desk manager of Building Two. That had infuriated the Yanjing Satellite TV reporters. So, a few days ago, when Fishing Platform invited various media outlets for a live broadcast event, Yanjing Satellite TV only sent an intern reporter who filed a small, unremarkable news piece. The travel channel hadn’t even known about the event.
Seeing Xie Baomin again now, Zeng Xiaoqi could hardly believe her ears. Junior... Junior Brother? Was Boss Lin Chef Xie’s junior brother?
Lin Xu smiled helplessly. "I didn’t expect it to get this popular either. Thank you so much, Senior Brother. I feel bad for always troubling you whenever something comes up." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel•fire.net
"We’re martial brothers; saying that makes us sound like strangers. Oh, you have a reporter here for an interview?"
Zeng Xiaoqi smiled and greeted Xie Baomin, "Hello, Chef Xie. I’m Zeng Xiaoqi, a host from the Yanjing Travel Channel. I was at Fishing Platform last time covering the foreign affairs event..."
She was afraid Xie Baomin wouldn’t remember her, so she stated her name upfront to avoid any awkwardness for either of them.
"I remember you," Xie Baomin said. "You looked quite unhappy that day because I didn’t agree to your interview. I was rushing to a mobilization meeting then, so I couldn’t spare the time. Today, make sure to get plenty of footage of my junior brother and promote Lin Ji’s Food extensively in your report. Tonight, I’ll personally cook for you."
What?! The executive chef from Fishing Platform is going to personally cook for me? This trip was absolutely worth it! Zeng Xiaoqi’s face lit up with delight.
"Don’t worry, Chef Xie," she said. "We plan to make this a two-part program. The first part has already been filmed and sent to the station for editing. I’m currently filming the second part, intending to feature more of the delicious food to attract viewers."
While they were chatting, Boss Hu arrived with a meat delivery and also helped Uncle Shen bring over some vegetables.
"You’re closing the shop, Boss Lin, so I brought you a box of chilled chicken legs. Let’s continue our partnership when you reopen!"
Old Hu was very astute. Fearing they might not continue their cooperation after Lin Xu’s new restaurant opened, he brought a box of high-quality chilled chicken legs along with the meat delivery.