Culinary God in Wilderness

Chapter 438: Chapter 272: The Busy White Whale

"You want to open a farm stay with a wild survival theme?"

Zhao Pengfei raised his eyebrows in surprise. "That’s a very bold and innovative idea. If that’s the case, I suggest you also add hunting."

"If I remember correctly, Andre is a Professional Hunter, right? He must have a license. You could have him recommend you for one..."

"That won’t work," Erica suddenly interjected. "Andre’s license is from the United States. You have to test for a new one here."

"Oh, right, right. What was I thinking!"

"No, it’s a great suggestion," Lin Chen said, pinching his chin. "Getting a Hunter’s license isn’t too difficult. That alone would make our farm much more appealing than others. Plus, with our combined influence, we shouldn’t have to worry about getting customers when we open."

"The main problem now is finding a suitable location. It has to meet the requirements for a farm stay, have the right terrain, be easily accessible, and not be too far from the city."

"I plan to check out Salt Spring Island first, then follow the coastal highway southwest to scout out the area around Albion Port or Banfield. Are you familiar with those two places?"

Zhao Pengfei nodded without hesitation. "To be honest, I’m quite familiar with them. Sea fishing is a personal hobby of mine, and Albion Port and Banfield happen to be located at one of the inlets on Vancouver Island. Since they’re also ports, a lot of cruise ships and cargo ships dock there."

"Anyone going sea fishing usually ends up in that area. In other words, there’s a fair amount of foot traffic, but it’s mostly tourists."

"The local resident population isn’t large, but there are quite a few resorts. If you head further north, you’ll pass Long Beach and reach Clackacut. The area around Tofino Pier has a lot of resorts too. You could say that entire region was developed specifically for tourism."

"If you’re asking about seafood resources, I can tell you for sure that they’re abundant. But if you’re asking whether you can run a farm there—if there are any terrestrial plant and animal resources, or mountains and such—I’m afraid I can’t answer that."

"That’s fine, this is enough," Lin Chen said with a small sigh of relief. "At least we know the local tourism industry is thriving. That’s good news. If they can open resorts, I can open a farm stay."

Before long, the boarding announcement came over the loudspeaker.

After exchanging WeChat info with Zhao Pengfei, they went to their respective lines to board.

Maybe it was because of the photo with Zhao Pengfei, but several more viewers of the show trickled over to ask for a picture.

To avoid holding up the other passengers, the two of them had to step out of the line. Only after handling all the photo requests did they rejoin at the very back.

This gesture immediately earned them a lot of goodwill from others.

People who had several fans coming up for photos couldn’t be ordinary; they had to be famous.

The fact that they didn’t even try to get their spot back, but instead quietly went to the end of the line without causing trouble for anyone, was a testament to their character and integrity.

"Hey man, can I ask you something? Who were those two you just took a picture with? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of them."

Zhao Pengfei was now near the front of the line. He suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around, confused.

"You’re asking about them? Have you ever heard of the show *Wild Survival*? That young guy from Great Xia is the champion of the new season that just ended yesterday. It was filmed in Panama. He was also the champion of the last season in Alaska. Most importantly, he’s also a chef. He made a ton of delicious food in the wild using natural ingredients. I recommend you go back and watch it."

"It’s *Wild Survival*? So is the one with him his girlfriend?"

"Hard to say. But she took third place on the show. I just asked them, and they didn’t confirm it. They might still be in the ’getting to know each other’ phase."

"Huh?? That girl looks so slender, and she got third place? As far as I know, *Wild Survival* is a survival show, right? It’s hard enough just to find food. How did those two have the time and energy to get to know each other? Looks like the seafood in Panama really is abundant."

Similar scenes were playing out elsewhere in the line. Many people pulled out their phones and started searching on the spot. Some even decided to just go up and ask for a photo first and figure out who they were later.

Whether they recognized them or not, these people were at least somewhat famous, so there was no harm in getting a photo.

After they got off the plane and were pushing their luggage out, they were recognized again by people waiting to pick up arrivals.

On the way to Hos Shubei, the closer they got to the White Whale, the more people recognized them.

By the time they boarded the ferry, almost all the tourists on deck were heading to the White Whale.

When they finally got off the boat, Lin Chen, looking pale, leaned against a tree by the road and waved his hands dismissively.

"I can’t. I can’t take it anymore. I feel like I’ve taken a lifetime’s worth of photos today. I have a phobia of cameras!"

"A phobia of cameras? What’s that? You never mentioned it while we were filming the show."

"That’s different. During filming, the camera isn’t pointed directly at you most of the time. But when you’re taking a picture, you have to smile for the camera. I really can’t smile on command. I just freeze up completely when I see a camera."

"Is that so..."

Erica nodded thoughtfully, then took out her phone, opened the camera app, and aimed it at him.

"Come on, give me a smile~"

In the viewfinder, Lin Chen looked like he was frozen solid, as stiff as a robot. The smile on his face was exceptionally forced, giving off the vibe that he was being made to perform against his will.

"Pfft... That’s hilarious. How did I never realize you were afraid of cameras?"

"Put that damn thing away!"

"No way. You need to get used to the feeling. You’re a celebrity now. People are going to be asking for photos with you all the time. What’s the deal with that ugly smile?"

On the way to the White Whale, Erica really did take pictures of him the entire way.

He went from feeling completely uncomfortable at first, to gradually becoming numb to it, until finally, he could almost ignore the camera’s presence.

However, when he had to smile, it was still just as awkward.

From a distance, through the side windows, the two of them could see that the White Whale was packed with people.

It was late afternoon, approaching evening. Although there was still some time before dinner, for Westerners who enjoy afternoon tea, this was one of the busiest times of the day.

This was especially true for a restaurant right on the coast, where you could enjoy the sea view while having snacks and taking pictures. It was incredibly pleasant.

They had just reached the entrance when Max, who had already heard the news from his customers, came out to greet them.

"Hey, Lin! And Erica! Welcome! And congratulations on winning first and third place!"

"Thank you," Erica said with a small smile, shaking his hand.

She had visited before the competition. Back then, she was just an unknown, ordinary customer, but her remarkable poise and appearance had still left a deep impression on Max.

When she first appeared in front of Lin Chen’s camera on the show, Max recognized her immediately.

"You look busy. Do you even have time for us?"

As soon as Lin Chen and Erica walked through the door, a dozen pairs of eyes in the restaurant snapped toward them. He froze on the spot.

"Everyone, sorry to interrupt."

Max clapped his hands loudly and announced, "Look who it is! Let’s give a warm welcome to the two-time champion of the Panama and Alaska seasons, Lin!"

The restaurant immediately erupted in enthusiastic applause.

"Way to go, Lin!"

"Congratulations on your win!"

"You didn’t let us down! You won the competition with your own skill and luck."

"Honestly, the food you made was truly delicious. Even though some of it was modified by Gray, no one can deny how tasty it was."

"You’re finally here! The last few times I came to eat, I thought Gray’s Chinese food tasted a little off. You need to teach him a thing or two. His Western dishes are fine, though."

"There are too many people here to eat. That old guy can’t keep up. I’ve been waiting for half an hour and my food still hasn’t come out. I wonder if I’ll get to eat a dish made by Chef Lin himself."

The diners all shouted at once, their faces full of laughter as they good-naturedly heckled him.

Lin Chen hadn’t expected such a lively atmosphere in the restaurant. His eyes swept around, and he noticed a clip of him cooking in his bamboo hut playing on a distant wall.

"Lin is our distinguished guest! How could we let him work in the kitchen after he came all this way? But it’s true, all the seats are full right now, and several other guests are waiting for a table. They’re taking pictures out back. Would you two like to go kill some time there as well?"

"Sure."

"No, thanks."

Lin Chen and Erica spoke at the same time, but gave completely opposite answers.

"You go take pictures. I’ll go to the kitchen and help Gray. We can’t let the customers wait like this. After all, I’m a partner chef here too."

With that, he walked straight toward the bar, waving at Max as he went.

"Get me an apron. Do you have a spare? And let me see the menu."

Seeing that Lin Chen was actually going into the kitchen to cook, Erica was stunned for a moment. Then she immediately pulled out her phone to record the scene, planning to post it online later.

On their way over, she and Lin Chen had a long discussion. Before they finalized a location, they had to start making vlogs in advance—as many as possible. They had to maintain their fanbase so they would have traffic when they actually opened for business.

The first thing he did upon arriving at the White Whale was to help in the kitchen. This was clearly a perfect promotional opportunity.

After a quick look at the menu, Lin Chen put on the apron and entered the kitchen, where he was immediately hit by a thick, tense, and fiery atmosphere.

The feeling instantly reminded him of his past experience working in a restaurant kitchen.

Compared to when he was here before, the kitchen was much more heavily staffed. There were four people just on prep, responsible for pre-processing various ingredients, making salad dressings, pickling vegetables, and other tasks. There were also three others dedicated to making desserts, busy in a separate small room.

At the stove station, there were only two people, including Gray. All eight burners, plus two large mobile stoves, were roaring with flames. There were also two trays stuffed in the oven on the side, and the grill was still emitting wisps of blue smoke, as if something had just been cooked on it.