The Reviled God of Cooking Tries to Slack Off - Chapter 119

The first news Jiang Tingzhou received upon returning to Yongqing came from the association—and it was good news: he had officially been promoted to vice president.

Whether Liu Ping had any personal motives or not, Jiang Tingzhou’s performance in the chef competition and his contributions to the association had been the most outstanding in recent years.

By any standard, the vice presidency rightly belonged to him.

This sort of promotion required an in-person appearance. 

Early that morning, Jiang Tingzhou had already run into Du Juan when he went downstairs to the association office.

When he recently discussed Yu Li’s seasoning packet collaboration with Haoshi, it was like a pie falling from the sky. Du Juan now treated him like a God of Wealth—her face lit up the moment she saw him, she hurried over to congratulate him.

“Mr. Jiang, congratulations! What a great start to the new year. I swear, you even look more handsome than before,” she said with a smile. “Someone like you should’ve been sitting in front of me long ago. Otherwise, the Yongqing branch would’ve really become a one-man show for certain people.”

Jiang Tingzhou took it in stride. Still the same as ever, he smiled lightly, lowered his head slightly, and returned a New Year’s greeting. “Thank you, Madam Du. I couldn’t have done it without your support.”

“That’s how it should be,” Du Juan replied. Then she leaned in and lowered her voice: “But be careful. Your rise has been… unusually fast. I’ve also heard Liu Ping thinks highly of you. You’re stirring things up. You’ve poked some sore spots.”

“What do you mean, Madam Du?” Jiang Tingzhou asked.

Du Juan widened her eyes in mock surprise—of course, she meant President Zhong and Vice President Zhao.

Vice President Zhao was known for his bad temper. He’d been openly rude to Jiang when he first joined and clearly wanted to put him in his place. His company also happened to make desserts and snacks—direct competitors of the sugar factory.

President Zhong, by contrast, seemed mild-mannered and always tried to mediate, but in reality, he played the long game and kept tight control over the association’s voice and direction.

Later that day, Zhou Bing offered a similar warning. He looked concerned and added, “Today’s meeting definitely won’t just be a regular meeting.”

“It’s fine,” Jiang Tingzhou said calmly. “I understand.”

Aside from these two, Jiang also received a reminder from Boss Xu. He had said that the restaurant business in Yongqing wasn’t easy, especially for new establishments, and part of the reason could be traced back to President Zhong, who was a shrewd operator.

Zhong Qianqian ran a major business empire, with over a hundred chain stores nationwide and extensive investments. Many of the well-known restaurants in Yongqing had her behind them. Her success had a lot to do with her position in the association.

The promotion ceremony confirmed for Jiang Tingzhou that Zhong Qianqian, who looked so easygoing, was anything but.

Truthfully, this meeting wasn’t particularly important to him. Vice president was just a title—a formality. But after his collaborations with Haoshi and Bingcheng Chao had risen to the front row, to the seats their scale of business rightfully deserved.

The atmosphere was much livelier than when he had first joined the board. Even the applause felt more genuine. No one dared to underestimate him anymore.

President Zhong gave a polite congratulatory speech, but afterward, Vice President Zhao—sitting beside her—took the floor.

His tone had changed drastically from before, though Jiang Tingzhou saw right through the performance.

“Boss Jiang, the chef competition was a real success. I’ve heard that all the top contestants chose to work with you,” Zhao said. “There’s been a lot going on in the association lately. If you need anything, just say the word. We’re all friends here. Lending a hand is only natural. Given the past, surely Mr. Jiang won’t hold a grudge against me?”

A “helping hand”?

Back when they were looking for sponsors for the chef competition, these same people had all avoided getting involved. And now, they wanted to extend a helping hand?

Jiang Tingzhou smiled faintly. “I wouldn’t hold a grudge over something so small. But I also don’t need any help. My partnerships with Haoshi and Bingcheng Chao are solid. I’ve run restaurants before, so there’s no need for concern, Vice President Zhao.”

Zhao had gone out of his way to be polite, only to be rebuffed so directly. His expression changed slightly, as if he was about to lose his temper, but President Zhong glanced at him, and he fell silent.

President Zhong was above him in rank and still kept her tone warm. “Then I’m relieved.” 

But after the meeting, she asked Jiang Tingzhou to come to her office for a private talk.

“Mr. Jiang, besides congratulating you on becoming vice president, I also want to mention—President Liu Ping seems to think quite highly of you. He was the one who personally suggested the promotion,” she said. “If any real opportunities come your way in the future, it’ll be a win for the entire Yongqing branch.”

Jiang Tingzhou remained composed. “President Zhong, you flatter me. I’m still far behind someone like Liu Ping. He’s a major figure. I know my place.”

Despite the pleasantries, Jiang Tingzhou had no intention of relying on Liu Ping’s favor. He’d always depended on himself.

Zhong Qianqian smiled and pressed on: “Don’t be modest. President Liu has always had high standards. Everyone around him was promoted by him. You have great potential. But making real progress with him won’t be easy—it’ll take time.”

Jiang Tingzhou replied bluntly, “President Zhong, I prefer to be direct. If there’s something you want, just say it.”

Clearly, Vice President Zhao’s probing had failed, so now she was trying personally.

Zhong Qianqian chuckled. “It’s nothing. I just want to help. I know about your cooperation with Haoshi and Bingcheng. I won’t interfere—go ahead and do your thing. But as for the two new stores you’re planning to open, those can be chain stores. Don’t worry, I’ve been in Yongqing for a long time. I’ll certainly help you.”

She was referring to the Jianghu and Xingyun Feasts.

Jiang Tingzhou wasn’t a selfish businessman. If both parties could profit, he didn’t mind sharing. 

But this was different.

“I’m sorry, President Zhong. I have no plans to franchise those two stores—at least not in the next few years,” Jiang Tingzhou said. “It’s not a funding issue. I’ve already discussed it with the chefs who hold shares, and they agree.”

Not all restaurants are suitable for franchising, Jiang Tingzhou understood that well.

Tao Jintian’s food, for instance, worked as a chain because it appealed to a broad audience and his cooking methods could be taught. Even less skilled chefs could replicate 70% of the taste after training. Plus, Tao Jintian could constantly develop new dishes, which was essential for a successful chain.

By contrast, the Jianghu and Xingyun Feasts required much higher culinary skills—real skills that couldn’t be shortcut. Everyone knew the techniques, but execution was another matter. For example, stir-fried noodles weren’t a secret recipe, but mastering the heat control was key—and that couldn’t be taught overnight.

Similarly, authentic Northeastern food depended on precise flavor control. Not many chefs could truly get it right, especially in places like Yongqing.

In other words, there just weren’t many chefs capable of maintaining the quality those restaurants demanded.

That made them unsuitable for large-scale expansion—just like Master Qiu’s Qibao Restaurant, which only opened branches after years of training apprentices.

Jiang Tingzhou didn’t plan to avoid expanding forever. Eventually, they’d open bigger restaurants and earn more. But for now, they had to build a solid foundation. When enough qualified chefs were trained, expansion would follow.

Zhong Qianqian waved dismissively. “Tingzhou, you’re listening to the chefs too much. They just need to cook. You don’t understand the business side. I’ve been in this industry for years. Honestly, most customers can’t tell the difference. It’s all about how we market it,” she said. “With the popularity from the chef competition still fresh, now’s the time to expand quickly. I’ve done this before. Once we build momentum, we can bring in franchisees and collect fees…”

She only cared about making money—not the food.

It was a quick-cash strategy. If marketed right, each franchisee might pay hundreds of thousands. With enough of them, it could turn into tens of millions. On paper, it looked like a good shortcut.

But Jiang Tingzhou cut her off.

“I’m sorry, President Zhong. The sugar factory’s restaurants prioritize quality. We don’t do franchises—only direct operations. I don’t do anything that damages the brand. Whether the customer can tell or not, I can,” he said. “That’s my decision. Please don’t press further.”

Zhong Qianqian’s smile disappeared.

“Mr. Jiang, don’t be so naive,” she said. “Among Liu Ping’s favored people, the sugar factory is nothing. If you don’t produce quick results, he might forget about you soon enough.”

It sounded like a threat—but Jiang Tingzhou wasn’t afraid of threats.

Zhang Xiaocong’s social media drama had already been quietly suppressed. If people knew about it, they’d realize Jiang Tingzhouhad always been a headstrong person who feared nothing.

“President Zhong, as I said—I don’t need any help,” he said calmly. “I have a meeting. I’ll take my leave.”

As soon as he left, he heard the sound of a table being slammed inside the office.  Zhong Qianqian was probably furious that her offer had been rejected. But Jiang didn’t care.

Outside, he ran into Zhou Bing, who looked nervous. “Did she try to meddle in your business again? Trying to push franchising or something?”

Jiang Tingzhou glanced at him. “You guessed it?”

“Guess? She’s always like this. When my dad first made money with Bingcheng Chao, she wanted to invest—even though we didn’t need it,” Zhou Bing said. “After we refused, she made things difficult for us. Luckily, we had loyal customers, or we would’ve gone bankrupt. It hasn’t been easy. You better watch out.”

Competition in this industry was fierce. Everyone wanted a piece of the pie—even if it meant stirring up trouble.

Jiang Tingzhou remembered Zhou’s words. But he didn’t expect trouble to come so soon.

The next day, he went to the sites for the Jianghu and Xingyun Feasts. He’d arranged to meet the chefs there.

The restaurants were located just behind the sugar factory’s main store. There were fewer trees in that garden area, and the wide view made it a perfect spot. The sun was bright, and many people were lounging on picnic mats, enjoying the warmth. The area was lively and full of promise.

Yongqing, a city of migrant workers, emptied out during the New Year. But once people returned, it would get busy again. It was the perfect time to open a new restaurant.

The foot traffic was well-established. It was a great location. By any calculation, it was a guaranteed profit.

The chefs had all bought shares in the restaurant. Everyone was excited and ready to do great things. But when they arrived at the newly renovated site, something was clearly wrong.

“Mr. Jiang, a water pipe burst,” the construction team told him. “It must’ve started leaking last night.”

The damage was serious. Many newly installed materials had been soaked—especially the wooden ones, which now had to be replaced.

The construction manager was baffled. He’d double-checked everything and had been ready to hand over the site. But a closer inspection of the water pipes showed signs of sabotage.

The timing was suspicious. The cameras hadn’t been hooked up yet. And the ones in the sugar factory garden didn’t catch anything—there were too many people coming and going.

Still, as soon as Jiang Tingzhou saw the mess, he already had a good idea of who was behind it.

Business competition was one thing—but when money was involved, people could go too far. He’d heard of rivals poisoning koi ponds, scalding money trees, even stealing statues of Guan Yu. But he never thought such tactics would be used on him.