Chapter 361 - 152: Cthulhu Soup Dumplings

Chapter 361: Chapter 152: Cthulhu Soup Dumplings

So comfortable.

Running the stall must have been more tiring than he thought.

Everyone slept especially soundly that night. So much so that even though Su Chen was awake the next morning, he just lazed in bed, not wanting to move a muscle.

’What kind of mission is this, System? Is it trying to work me to death?’

Rolling over, Su Chen glanced at his phone and decided to lie in for another half hour before getting up.

Then his damn phone rang!

"Did you see the news?"

"The news?"

Su Chen was a little baffled by Ling Shuyu on the other end of the line. "What news?"

"Our company’s blown up."

Ling Shuyu’s tone was perfectly calm, as if she were talking about something completely ordinary. So, Su Chen didn’t think much of it. "Weren’t we already getting popular a few days ago? That’s normal."

On the other end, Ling Shuyu remained composed. "Open up TikTok and take a look."

Su Chen didn’t hang up. He turned on the speakerphone, moved the phone away from his face, and opened TikTok.

"So many clout-chasers reviewing restaurants, so let a real chef break it down! Jingzhou, Delicious, 222 yuan for three people!"

The first video that popped up was from Old Tang.

Su Chen couldn’t help but chuckle halfway through. This Old Tang was hilarious. When he reviewed other restaurants, he’d at least offer a few comments.

But this time, for his visit to Delicious, his entire review was just two words: So good!

However, the number of likes and comments on the video took Su Chen by surprise. It was posted just after one in the morning. How long had it been? And it already had over a hundred thousand likes?

He opened the comment section.

"What the hell? Boss Su sells a single pastry for forty thousand, and now he’s out at night running a street stall selling home-style stir-fry?"

"Holy crap, I thought normal people couldn’t afford to eat at Boss Su’s place, but now it’s 222 yuan for three people? I’m getting a cab to Jingzhou right now! Operation: Catch Boss Su at the Botanical Garden starts tonight!"

"Awesome! This has to be the first time Old Tang’s eaten something so good he’s speechless, haha. The whole review was basically just two words over and over: ’So good, so good, so good!’"

"Did Boss Su kick a hornets’ nest of influencers? How come everyone in the video is an influencer?"

Reading the first few comments, Su Chen finally realized something was off.

He scrolled down to the next one.

"There’s a mysterious Boss Su online recently. Let’s do a quick visit to see if he’s the real deal! Jingzhou Delicious, 222 yuan!"

He patiently watched this video to the end as well.

Su Chen broke out in a cold sweat.

Teacher Sui’s video was quite objective. He pointed out the strengths of each dish and even subtly expressed that there were many unique aspects of the food he couldn’t figure out how they were made.

This video’s numbers were insane.

Likes: 245,000

Comments: 71,000

"Is this Boss Su from Jingzhou really that amazing? Everything he makes is delicious? Whose apprentice is this guy? I’ve never heard of him before. Don’t tell me he’s just some persona cooked up by an influencer agency?"

The top-liked comment was one expressing doubt.

"Showing up in a G-Wagen to run a street stall... I wouldn’t believe you if you said this wasn’t a publicity stunt. Teacher Sui, blink twice if you’ve been kidnapped!"

"The video can’t be fake... I watched the livestream of this boss making pastries with his own hands. In any case, I’m heading to Jingzhou to check it out at dawn!"

"It’s definitely real. Boss Su’s company account has even posted tutorial videos. Can Teacher Sui help ask when they’re updating with the black stockings video?"

He scrolled through several pages of comments. Aside from the few doubtful ones at the top, most people said they would definitely come check it out if they got the chance.

He wasn’t sure if it was the algorithm feeding him content, but Su Chen scrolled through several more videos in a row, all posted by bloggers who had visited his stall in Jingzhou last night.

But what really made Su Chen break out in a cold sweat was this.

When he opened TikTok’s hot search list, he was stunned to see the name "Delicious" sitting there at number five!

"Nearly a Hundred Bloggers Visit Delicious"

The topic was flooded with marketing accounts posting all sorts of wildly inaccurate reviews.

"Boss, how’s it looking?"

Su Chen was pulled back to reality, remembering he was still on the phone with Ling Shuyu. "I see it."

All sleepiness was gone now. Su Chen scrambled out of his covers, his mind racing. How should he handle this sudden viral explosion?

If this were the old him, Su Chen would have unhesitatingly seized the opportunity to make a huge fortune and then retire.

But things were different now.

He wasn’t just on his own anymore.

He had more responsibilities now, more things riding on his shoulders. And because of that, Su Chen understood a certain truth from past experience.

The traffic from going viral on the modern internet can make you a fortune when it arrives, but just when you’re ecstatic, it will quietly disappear, leaving you with nothing but a mess to clean up.

Examples like that were countless.

Not many people could find their footing amidst the storm of internet traffic, but those who did, without exception, gained rewards far greater than just money.

"What are you going to do now?"

Su Chen thought for a moment. "I have a task for you."

"Yes!" Ling Shuyu’s voice suddenly became alert and energetic.

"First, I need you to contact Teacher Cui Yufen. Ask her if she can send a few of her available apprentices to Jingzhou to stay for a few days."

"Okay." Ling Shuyu had a good idea of what Su Chen was planning.

"Second, you need to coordinate with the municipal government. It’s best to focus all our efforts on building the third-floor cafeteria first. The hotel on the 32nd floor can be put on the back burner, as long as we don’t delay the construction schedule."

After working around the clock with lots of overtime, the third-floor cafeteria was actually more or less finished. It was pretty much just waiting for the equipment to be brought in and installed before it could become operational.