Chapter 318 - 180: Rare Reward: [Fish-Flavored Shredded Pork]

Chapter 318: Chapter 180: Rare Reward: [Fish-Flavored Shredded Pork]

Zhou Yan stopped in his tracks. He’d forgotten all about this side quest.

’But what does "Influence Calculation in Progress" mean?’

’Is it still calculating the aftereffects of the Sichuan Cuisine magazine’s release?’

’Influence must be about how far it has spread.’

Come to think of it, the new issue had been out for three days. Anyone who was going to buy it probably already has.

Logically, if it didn’t finish calculating today, it should finish tomorrow.

’I don’t know what the reward will be. Being kept in suspense like this actually makes me look forward to it.’

Zhou Yan hoped it would spread a little wider and drop him a higher-rarity reward, like a high-end dish or something.

He planned to buy a few more copies of the magazine next time he went to Jiazhou.

Over the past two days, customers who came to eat at the restaurant couldn’t help but flip through the magazine displayed on the menu wall, and then they would shower him with praise.

’I have to admit, it feels pretty good.’

Because of the magazine, the number of customers ordering Kneeling Beef had increased these past two days.

With the endorsement of a professional magazine, the once-ordinary Kneeling Beef suddenly seemed high-class and sophisticated.

The sixty-cent price suddenly seemed rather affordable.

Some regulars who often ate Kneeling Beef even specifically asked Zhou Yan if he would raise the price now that he was in a magazine.

’It’s definitely going up, but certainly not this year.’

’These days of getting a bowl of Kneeling Beef for just sixty cents won’t last another two years.’

"Brother, look at my marble." Zhou Momo ran over, holding up a glass marble as if presenting a treasure. "Bingwen Guoguo gave it to me."

"Mm, it looks really pretty." Zhou Yan smiled and patted her head. The little one’s leather jacket had already been swapped out for her little floral-padded coat by Mrs. Zhao, and her hat was hanging behind the counter.

’Such a nice outfit should be saved for the right occasion. If she wore it to play on the slide, she’d rip two holes in the leather in no time.’

Zhou Yan changed his clothes and went out for a run.

Halfway, he ran into Lin Zhiqiang, who had just left his house. The two of them chatted as they jogged along.

"Zhou, next Monday at noon, can you save me two jin of braised vegetables? My wife wants to bring some for her colleagues to try. Especially the braised tofu skin—save half a jin of that for her," Lin Zhiqiang said.

"No problem, Lin. I’ll definitely save them for you," Zhou Yan replied with a smile. ’Meng wants it, so of course I have to make sure it’s taken care of.’

"Congratulations on getting into the magazine! To be featured in a trade journal at only twenty, you have a promising future." Lin Zhiqiang looked at Zhou Yan with admiration. "I was already thirty the first time I made it into the newspaper."

"Lin, you were featured in the paper for technical innovation and won provincial and national awards. That’s on a completely different level from a food magazine like this," Zhou Yan said with a smile. "You’re giving me too much credit."

"How is it any different? We’re all shining in our own fields." Lin Zhiqiang waved his hand and said seriously, "You took Kneeling Beef from a damaged recipe, perfectly recreated it, and even upgraded and improved the process. Isn’t that also technical innovation? The article was really well-written. It let even us laymen understand just how skilled you are."

Zhou Yan’s face reddened upon hearing this. Hearing the story he’d made up on the spot being praised by an acquaintance was still a bit awkward.

"You might not even realize it, but this is your resume. You’re making a name for yourself in the industry. In the future, when people talk about the great chefs of Jiazhou, they won’t be able to avoid mentioning Zhou Yan of Suji." Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile, "If Kneeling Beef ever makes it out of Suji and becomes a famous dish of Jiazhou, just like the article said, then people in the industry will think of you whenever this dish is mentioned. That’s the real value of this feature article."

Zhou Yan nodded thoughtfully. He really hadn’t considered it on such a deep level.

At first, he had just wanted to get into a magazine to advertise his little restaurant and have a foot in the door for when he went to Jiazhou in the future.

Lin Zhiqiang changed the subject. "By the way, in a couple of days, a major client is coming to inspect the factory. The factory director has put me in charge of receiving them. What do you think I should take him to eat that would leave a deep impression and make him more willing to sign a contract?"

"Aren’t you in charge of the technical side, Lin? Why are you responsible for reception now?" Zhou Yan was a bit surprised.

"The client is from overseas, a second-generation overseas Chinese. Not many people at the factory speak English, so the director was worried about a communication barrier. But sending someone of a lower rank might make the client feel slighted, so he put me in charge." Lin Zhiqiang’s smile held a hint of helplessness. "I’m a tech guy, what do I know about hosting people? But there’s really no one else for the job, so I just have to bite the bullet."

"Which country is he from? And where is his ancestral home?" Zhou Yan asked.

"The United States. His ancestral home is said to be in Hang City," Lin Zhiqiang said with a smile. "There’s another reason the director asked me to host him: An He’s hometown is in Zhejiang Province, so he thinks I’d be more understanding of certain things."

Zhou Yan thought for a moment and said, "Many overseas Chinese retain some of their old habits. You’ve studied abroad, Lin, so you should know this better than I do. If this client’s tastes lean toward Zhejiang Province, they’ll be relatively light. You generally can’t go wrong if you follow Meng’s preferences. Unless he specifically asks for it, try to take him for lighter foods to avoid him not being used to it."

"He’s a businessman, so you could take him to pay respects at the Leshan Giant Buddha. Many businesspeople are willing to do that. You could even make a trip to Mount Emei. The climb is sure to leave a lasting impression."

"The textile factory’s products are one thing, but making sure he’s well-accompanied and has a good time should make him more willing to sign."

Lin Zhiqiang nodded repeatedly after hearing this. "That makes sense. You’re much more thoughtful."

He returned to the restaurant, covered in sweat from his run. Zhou Momo was sitting under the light, drawing. Comrade Zhou sat beside her, a cattail fan in hand, shooing away mosquitoes for her. His usually stern face was creased with a simple, happy smile.