Cooking System: Street Food Rules

Jiang Feng looked at the crowd outside the funeral parlor, bewildered. At this moment, he didn't realize they had come for him.

Is someone influential being cremated today? So many people at the funeral. This person has quite a reputation!

Jiang Feng's face was all smiles.

But as his car drew near, someone shouted, "It's Boss Jiang."

Instantly, people swarmed towards him.

Jiang Feng had been smiling, but his face transformed at lightning speed, and his smile was gone. If someone could have captured his before-and-after expressions in a photo, they could have used it as a meme.

The meme would be titled: Hehe; not hehe.

Damn, they're here for me.

What's happening?

Jiang Feng parked the car and got out. Seeing so many people ahead, he was a bit surprised. He even confirmed that they were all living humans.

"Boss Jiang, you're really here!"

"This is outrageous!"

"Haha, it really is you!"

"Indeed, the power of the masses is great, they actually found you!"

Everyone crowded around, talking excitedly. Many people were taking photos with their phones. Jiang Feng had truly become a top influencer in the small vendor industry.

Jiang Feng waved to everyone. "Thank you all for your support. My store is expected to open after 11 o'clock. I have to go and prepare the Big Bone Soup now. I'm going to head inside."

While talking, Jiang Feng walked towards the shop. The others followed.

There were also a few streamers broadcasting live. Fang Hui was the happiest among them. He said to the camera, "Look everyone, this is Boss Jiang, the living Boss Jiang! I told you it was him! It was worth searching all day! Who would have thought he'd open a small store here! He's kept it so well hidden!"

The number of viewers in the live streams was high, and many people were sending gifts.

"It really is him!"

"Found him, nice job!"

"Props to the streamer!"

The audience was sending a barrage of comments.

Jiang Feng made his way into the shop, and after entering, he quickly locked the door behind him. It was just after nine o'clock. They weren't open for business yet and weren't ready to receive customers. If he let people in, who knew what chaos the small shop would descend into.

Sun Zhuangfei was in the shop, having already chopped up the bones and started removing the off-flavors and scum. This kind of prep work, he was particularly good at. Moreover, Jiang Feng had taught him well, and he had learned earnestly. Once Jiang Feng arrived, he could start simmering the Big Bone Soup straight away. It had to be freshly made.

"So many people came today, what's the situation?" Jiang Feng asked after entering the shop.

"Boss, I sent you messages. It seems like a streamer found your location," Sun Zhuangfei replied. "Then everyone found out and came over."

Jiang Feng then noticed Sun Zhuangfei's messages.

I was driving just now, didn't notice. They found me so quickly? How did they find it? This place was found too? No customers recognized me the day before yesterday. Jiang Feng remarked to himself. People nowadays were truly incredible; to be able to track him down like this... there was nothing more to say.

"Boss, what do we do?" Sun Zhuangfei asked.

"Just conduct business as usual. Sell as much food as we've prepared," Jiang Feng said with a calm demeanor, already adjusting his state of mind. "Close up shop once it's sold out." After all, it was always like this. He was used to it.

"Okay," Sun Zhuangfei agreed.

The two started bustling about in the kitchen. Jiang Feng worked on the soup; Sun Zhuangfei prepared the sides. They needed to cut more sides today since there were visibly more people.

Outside, the crowd was bustling. Many people wanted to enter the shop, but the doors were closed, so they had no choice but to give up. To have the rice noodles, they had to queue up as per the rules.

Not long after, the funeral home staff also began their workday. Jobs at the funeral home were also officially staffed, not civil service but part of a public institution. Work started just after nine o'clock. Arriving early would mean there was nothing to do.

Boiler operator Zhao Qiang and hearse driver Wuh Wei arrived together, both somewhat stunned by the situation at the funeral home's entrance.

What was happening? What had occurred? Why was there such a crowd? A cremation gone wrong? An accident? A few ominous thoughts began to well up in their minds.

They immediately went to ask about the situation and only then did they understand that these people had come early to enjoy the Big Bone Soup.

"This Big Bone Soup really tastes good. I've never had soup this good. Not a drop is left each time," Wuh Wei said, relieved, as he chatted with the customers.

"Of course, Boss Jiang's cooking skills are certified," the customer responded. "Whatever he makes, it's never bad."

"Boss Jiang?" Wuh Wei was curious. He indeed had never heard Jiang Feng's story. After chatting with the customer, Wuh Wei came to know that Jiang Feng was a big-shot chef who used to run a restaurant, with exquisite culinary skills, always making a variety of delicious food. And he did it on a whim, setting up shop wherever he felt like, very carefree.

Having understood more about Jiang Feng, Wuh Wei and Zhao Qiang got the picture. No wonder. No wonder the Big Bone Soup he made tasted so excellent. It was made by a master chef.

The two said goodbye to the customers and then returned to their work.

Inside the funeral home, news about Jiang Feng spread quickly, and the employees all learned of Jiang Feng's story, finding it quite astonishing. Some people even came out wanting to take pictures with Jiang Feng.

Meanwhile, two elderly people stepped outside for a walk, ambling into the area. This road, the pair walked every day, offering views of others being taken to cremation, showcasing the myriad aspects of life. But today, the situation was slightly different.

The old man saw from a distance a large crowd standing at the entrance of the funeral home. He panicked immediately. Such a scene had never occurred before.

Where did these people outside the funeral home come from? And most crucially, they were queuing up! They had actually formed a long line!

The old man asked nervously, "Do you, do you see those people? What are they... what are they doing?"

The old woman also felt a bit panicked. They had never encountered such a situation before.

Could it be that these people in line weren't human? Were they souls on their way to the underworld?

"I see them. They're all ordinary people, and a few are even playing on their phones!" The old woman took a closer look and responded.

Hearing her say this, the old man looked over again. He saw several streamers broadcasting live on their phones and felt relieved.

It's good that they're human. Better not be souls emerging from the funeral home. If one counted them, there would be about that many.

The old man was startled but after recovering, he cursed, "These people are crazy, scaring others so early in the morning! What are they queuing for here!"

Then, the pair continued their stroll.

Passing by, they glanced over and saw that the big crowd was actually queuing for Big Bone Soup. It had nothing to do with the funeral home.

"That Big Bone Soup, I've heard from Second Aunt Liu that it tastes especially good," the old woman suggested as she looked at the shop's situation. "Shall we also try it for lunch?"

"They haven't even opened yet, and there are already so many people; who knows how many there will be later," the old man remarked upon seeing this.

"Let's come and see at noon."

"Okay."

The two leisurely departed.

In the store's kitchen, Jiang Feng was busy cooking Big Bone Soup and preparing the side dishes for the rice noodles.

He figured today would be busy. Previously, with fewer customers, two people had been entirely sufficient. Now, with more customers, it seemed he'd need to hire someone.

How did they find it so quickly? Still feels outrageous. Hangzhou is so big, it must be hard to find one person, right? Jiang Feng mused as he cooked the rice noodles.

Sun Zhuangfei silently chopped the bones. It was a good thing he'd bought a few more bones today. They'd be able to serve more customers.

In the midst of the bustling activity, it was past 11 a.m. Jiang Feng looked at the crowd outside and opened the small store's door. He specifically posted a notice forbidding live streaming inside the shop. It was chaotic enough already. If streamers came in, introducing things and waving their phones around to film, it would be even more disorderly.

The customers swarmed in. Soon the small shop was packed with people.

If it were just diners looking for him, he wouldn't have minded much. But this time it was different. Because several streamers were pulling stunts, launching a "find Jiang Feng" campaign, the matter blew up online, attracting lots of onlookers.

Jiang Feng remained calm and composed, merely saying to Sun Zhuangfei, "Take five orders at a time. Start the next round once they are complete."

Sun Zhuangfei nodded, "No problem, Boss."

"Let's start. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can close up."

The customers lined up in an orderly fashion. Jiang Feng specifically came out to assess the situation and maintain order.

Jiang Feng was always sharp-witted. He knew for sure that some small-time streamers would try to come in. Many streamers, for the sake of viewership, lacked moral standards; if not stopped, they might even burst into the kitchen to broadcast live. He clearly understood that when navigating the world, one needed influence and background. He couldn't just act rashly. There's strength in numbers.

Seeing two or three streamers enter, Jiang Feng told them, "Sorry, no live streaming is allowed in the shop; it's too chaotic. Please turn off your stream or leave."

He was expressionless as many people immediately turned to look at those streamers.

The streamers continued to babble into their phone cameras, loudly, contributing to the shop's noise. The streamers clearly heard Jiang Feng's words, but they still found seats and started streaming live. Two or three even pointed their phones at Jiang Feng.

The small-time streamers' main tactic was a defiant "I'm not leaving, what are you going to do about it?" They knew Jiang Feng wouldn't physically force them out. In fact, they would have loved for Jiang Feng to make a move, even to go so far as to position their faces to be hit – because if Jiang Feng really did get physical, then the streamers could utilize it to gain significant traffic.

Thus, Jiang Feng said to the customers, "Everyone, please help me out. I have to cook Big Bone Soup and can't manage the shop on my own. The live streaming is affecting everyone's dining experience. I hope you can help supervise a bit. Thank you, everybody."

Upon hearing this, the customers immediately grew indignant. Several of them shouted at the streamers, "Hey, you! Are you deaf? The shop says no live streaming, yet you still barge in, have you no shame?"

"Streamers, get out! Can't you understand 'no live streaming allowed'?"

"This is someone's business, can't you show some decency?"

Not only the diners but also the audience in the streamers' live chat rooms were scolding, "Watching your stream is embarrassing. The shop says no live streaming, and you still force your way in, with no manners at all."

"This kind of behavior is detestable."

"Aren't you leaving? How thick-skinned can you be?"

With the customers' urging, the few small-time streamers turned awkward. Some walked out of the store; others told their audiences they would stop streaming for now and turned off their broadcasts.

The shop instantly became a bit quieter.

Jiang Feng expressed his gratitude to the people, "Thanks, everyone. You guys are awesome!"

Upon hearing Jiang Feng's words, the men immediately burst into smiles.

"Boss, you just focus on your work; we'll keep watch here."

"Definitely no one will stream!"

"Boss Jiang, don't worry, we'll help you keep an eye on the place. We all came here just to eat, and even we get annoyed seeing those streamers."

The shop's atmosphere heated up.