Cooking System: Street Food Rules

The final day at the movie city food stall.

The fragrance of osmanthus still drifted far.

Because the May Day holiday had ended, there were far fewer tourists in the movie city, but people still lined up in front of Jiang Feng's stall.

Just then, Jiang Feng noticed a brown Li-Hua cat appear not far away. It twitched its nose and then started to move closer to the food truck.

The Li-Hua cat looked quite adorable. It seemed to have smelled the sweet scent of osmanthus cakes and wanted a taste.

Jiang Feng continued steaming osmanthus cakes while watching the kitty; it was quite amusing.

He had always liked cats and dogs, and whenever such animals came begging for food, he would usually give them something to eat.

As the Li-Hua cat drew closer, Jiang Feng picked up an osmanthus cake and tossed it to the cat.

The customers also noticed this cat. It looked especially cute.

"It's a Li-Hua."

"They're the fiercest fighters," two girls discussed with a laugh.

Startled by the tossed osmanthus cake, the Li-Hua cat jumped back a few steps. Upon realizing there was no danger, it cautiously approached and even sniffed the osmanthus cake. Its tender little nose twitched, and after smelling the floral fragrance, it immediately snatched the osmanthus cake and happily ran off, its figure bouncing and hopping joyously. It was quite an amusing sight, and the scene was particularly heartwarming.

Jiang Feng continued to busy himself with steaming cakes. The process wasn't complicated, but the steamer was large and could handle several tiers at once, so it still required some effort.

Before long, the Li-Hua cat snuck back again. It stood at a distance, stealthily eyeing Jiang Feng, seemingly still wanting osmanthus cakes. There were many people in front of the food truck, and with the hubbub of voices, it wasn't easy for the cat to approach.

But Li-Hua cats are known to be the most agile, with the best stamina, and they are the fiercest fighters. Some say that if a black Li-Hua isn't fighting, it's on its way to a fight.

The cat moved along the wall, passed the entrance of Paramount, then made its way behind the food truck. The back door of the food truck was open. With one leap, the Li-Hua cat jumped from the ground onto the steps and then climbed aboard.

This act went unnoticed by everyone. The customers' eyes were on Jiang Feng, who was busy making cakes, and Sun Zhuangfei, who was packing orders, so it was normal for them not to notice.

At that moment, Jiang Feng felt something rubbing against his trouser leg. Looking down, he saw the Li-Hua cat, which had somehow entered, right by his feet. It lifted its rear high, rubbing its body and head against him.

Jiang Feng was momentarily surprised. What? This kitty is so forward? Just offering itself up like this? This won't do; I already have a cat. I can't be casually cozying up to other kittens outside.

But the Li-Hua cat kept rubbing insistently and even let out a soft MEOW, its voice tinged with a pleading quality. Jiang Feng had not expected this at all. He had thought it was a tough fighter, but it had suddenly transformed into a weak, pitiful little kitten.

If his little black cat were here to see this, it would surely curse, "Tch, what a slutty cat!"

Jiang Feng knew it was after the osmanthus cake, so he picked up another piece and tossed it onto the floor of the truck. Sure enough, when the little Li-Hua saw the osmanthus cake, it immediately snatched it and ran to a corner to eat.

Sun Zhuangfei noticed what was happening inside the truck but said nothing. The customers didn't notice the commotion either. Business went on as usual, and the place was as lively as ever.

One always encountered some interesting incidents while running a stall, and this Li-Hua cat was probably one of them.

After finishing the osmanthus cake, the kitty lay down inside the food truck, resting comfortably. This one sure was carefree. Typically, a feral cat shouldn't be so unguarded. Perhaps the osmanthus cake was so delicious that it completely relaxed the cat, and it couldn't help but take a quick nap in the truck. The Li-Hua cat felt as if it were sleeping in a sea of flowers, the warm sun shining on its body, an indescribable feeling of contentment washing over it. The osmanthus cake had given it a unique experience.

It rested comfortably for a long while until, in a daze, it felt something shaking it. When it opened its eyes, it saw Jiang Feng gently shaking it awake.

"Wake up, I'm closing up," Jiang Feng said to the little Li-Hua. "You need to get off now."

The Li-Hua cat didn't understand Jiang Feng's words and just let out a drowsy MEOW.

"You should go home. I already have a cat; I can't keep you," Jiang Feng continued. "I've left you a piece of osmanthus cake. Take it and go."

He handed over another osmanthus cake. Upon smelling it, the Li-Hua cat instantly woke up. It promptly snatched the osmanthus cake, glanced back at Jiang Feng, then turned and jumped down from the food truck.

Observing its leisurely manner, it was likely the boss cat of the movie city. It was probably the toughest cat in this area. After all, cats have a sense of territory, especially Li-Hua cats, who love to be in charge.

On a nearby wall, two other cats were craning their necks, curiously looking in this direction. They couldn't believe their eyes when they saw the Li-Hua cat acting cute at Jiang Feng's feet. The Li-Hua cat was indeed the boss of this area; no other cat dared to provoke it.

After it jumped off the food truck, Jiang Feng called out to it, "Meow Meow, I'm leaving and not coming back!"

The Li-Hua cat, still holding the osmanthus cake, turned its head, tilted its neck back, and let out a MEOW in response.

The two feral cats on the wall were even more confused. They desperately wanted to ask the Li-Hua cat: Tiger Stripes, why did that person call you Meow Meow? But they didn't dare. It was better not to know.

Jiang Feng and Sun Zhuangfei finished packing up. Jiang Feng was in a particularly good mood. This week of running the stall had been relaxing. Although there were many customers, there weren't as many miscellaneous issues. Moreover, every day, many young women in cheongsams took pictures in front of Paramount; they were youthful and vibrant, a pleasant sight. The osmanthus cakes also received constant praise from customers. Many people in the vicinity tried to imitate him.

"Our stint in Foshan is over. You can hang around here for two days, then go wherever you want," Jiang Feng said to Sun Zhuangfei.

"Thank you, Boss," Sun Zhuangfei readily agreed. He planned to see if he could find a place to learn Foshan's shadowless kick or perhaps visit a related museum.

"Boss, where are we going next?" Sun Zhuangfei asked, curious about their itinerary.

"We should be heading back to Guangzhou. I plan to open a Jiangyue Terrace there, so I still need to scout locations," Jiang Feng replied. "Besides, Guangzhou has a lot of delicious food. We'll do some more research."

"Great! I also think Guangzhou has a lot of good food, but the flavors are a bit mild. They don't use much spice. I'll have to bring my own jar of chili sauce when I go out," Sun Zhuangfei said. Having learned Sichuan cuisine and grown up in Chengdu, he was accustomed to spicy food from a young age. The lighter cuisine in Guangzhou would take some getting used to.

"Different cuisines have different styles. But since you've learned Sichuan cuisine, you don't need to deliberately adopt the Cantonese style," Jiang Feng said while packing.

Once everything was packed, many people nearby came to greet Jiang Feng. He waved, saying goodbye to his fans, then drove the food truck away.

「His time selling at the movie city was over.」

He was gone, but tales of his deeds continued to circulate. In particular, "Authentic Executive Chef Jiang's Osmanthus Cake" became a signature item in front of Paramount. Another stall there, selling reasonably tasty osmanthus cakes, also did decent business. Jiang Feng's influence in the area persisted.

After finishing at the stall, Jiang Feng returned home. The dog and cat immediately ran out to greet him. Little Black was as excited as ever, face beaming, tail wagging, looking exceptionally happy. The little black cat, however, sensed something was off. It came to Jiang Feng's feet, sniffed him, and detecting the scent of another cat, instantly started to MEOW unhappily.

"It's okay, be good. That cat just rubbed against me a bit," Jiang Feng explained with a laugh. "I didn't pay it any mind."

But the little black cat clearly wasn't convinced and ran off with a flick of its tail. Jiang Feng chuckled helplessly. He went into the house, took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and then found the little black cat to comfort the little fellow.

The system's task was completed. The reward was a golden sculpture of the Canton Tower. The Canton Tower is Guangzhou's iconic landmark, and reproducing it in a one-to-one scale model was no small feat. The sculpture felt heavy in his hand, and being made of gold, the entire tower exuded an air of opulence. He had acquired another treasure.

Additionally, Jiang Feng planned to use this period of leisure to visit each Jiangyue Terrace. This was partly to handle kitchen matters and inspect the restaurants' development, and partly to check the accounts and review their profitability. After all, he would need to buy more restaurants soon, which would cost a considerable amount of money.

Being a boss isn't easy. Although he didn't have to do any tasks requiring Staminia, there were many things to worry about. The initial stages were especially exhausting. Once a restaurant's development stabilized, he wouldn't need to fret much and could just wait to count the money.

Since Jiang Feng was going to inspect the restaurants, Sun Zhuangfei was tasked with looking after the pets. After Jiang Feng informed the restaurants of his impending visits, the lobby managers and executive chefs at each location went on high alert, immediately instructing staff to begin cleaning thoroughly, ensuring no spot was overlooked.

He used to hate inspections when he was a student or working within the system because it meant a lot of extra work. Now that Jiang Feng was the one doing the inspecting, he didn't feel particularly strongly about it. Nevertheless, he told the restaurants not to make a big fuss and just maintain their normal standards. He wasn't someone who made a big deal out of things.

The boss might say that, but the employees couldn't afford to listen so casually. It would be troublesome if anything were actually discovered. Consequently, no matter which restaurant Jiang Feng visited, it was always exceptionally clean, spotless. The kitchens were even more bustling than usual. Even chefs who were supposed to be on their rotating days off came in to work. After all, with the boss visiting, everyone had to put on their best performance.