The Reviled God of Cooking Tries to Slack Off - Chapter 127

After hearing what Jiang Tingzhou said, President Zhong on the other end of the line grew even more furious. He could hear her slamming the table as she snapped, “So you’re determined to go against me, aren’t you?”

“Hey, now that’s not quite right,” Jiang Tingzhou replied calmly. “First of all, I didn’t start any of this. Everything that’s happened since can’t be pinned on me. Secondly, this isn’t about going against you.”

His principle had always been: If others don’t provoke me, I won’t cause trouble. But if they do, I won’t let it slide.

He was already being polite enough to still refer to her as “nin”

And once the buzz around those influencer reviews died down, his side would come out ahead. Jiang Tingzhou never franchised—every restaurant was personally managed. He didn’t stand to gain directly from intervening. He could have ignored it.

But he couldn’t bring himself to stand by and do nothing.

Back when he first started in the food business, he had no connections or insider knowledge. He’d stumbled plenty, learning lessons the hard way. The food and beverage industry demands high upfront investment and has a steep learning curve. Even veterans can lose money if they’re not careful.

And those who were tricked into franchising—lured by flashy ads—were often inexperienced. Many had scraped together hundreds of thousands in savings just to open a small store and hoped to earn a modest living. But once deceived, they’d likely fall into contractual traps and have nowhere to turn.

If they lost everything, their families would be devastated.

He couldn’t let that happen.

But President Zhong only sneered. “Business is business. Everyone takes responsibility for their own risks. They signed those contracts voluntarily—how is that cheating? Some people made plenty of money working with me. Why didn’t you speak up for them?” Boss Jiang, don’t pretend to be so righteous. You’re in Liu Ping’s good graces now, and you’ve got ambition. If you want my position, just say so.”

Jiang Tingzhou replied, “Yes, I do have ambition. And the sugar factory needs to move forward. I won’t deny that. But that’s a separate issue.”

From a purely business standpoint, he didn’t need to get involved.

Zhong Qianqian was still a major player. One financial hit wouldn’t bankrupt her. Her past success and reputation still held weight. She remained the CEO of a large corporation and the head of the industry association. Offending her now meant a full-on falling-out, with no way to turn back.

The food service world has always been full of shady practices. Jiang Tingzhou couldn’t fix all of it alone. All he could do was ensure he ran his business properly and lived up to his staff and customers.

But—knowing what Zhong Qianqian planned to do, watching her company exploit and drain those inexperienced people of their blood and sweat, he couldn’t just turn a blind eye.

At that moment, he finished the last bite of flower rice and pickled radish on his plate, set down his chopsticks, and said, “Think of it however you want. I don’t regret it.”

President Zhong laughed in rage. “Fine, Jiang Tingzhou. Very good. Let’s see how this plays out.”

She hung up furiously.

Just then, Tao Jintian, who had arrived at some point, stepped forward. He’d overheard the conversation and now looked serious.

“Boss Jiang,” he said, “I think you did the right thing.”

Jiang Tingzhou was sitting at the store entrance, having waited there to receive him. Hearing that, he smiled and said, “You’re still willing to follow me, even though I might be offending people and causing trouble for your business?”

“How could I not trust you?” Tao Jintian replied. “Besides, I’ve always believed business should have principles. You can’t just chase profits. I’ve been hearing about the situation lately. Opening a restaurant isn’t as easy as I thought.”

Sooner or later, they’d all have to face fierce industry competition.

Tao Jintian was also worried—maybe even more than any of his competitions had.

His brand, Jinyuhui, had recently begun preparations. And it was far more complex than managing just one or two stores. Although Jiang Tingzhou had assigned a professional team to assist him, Tao Jintian was still incredibly busy.

Because he wasn’t just opening one store—he was opening three.

The plan was to launch a chain with a strong initial impact. The flagship store would open at the sugar factory, while the second and third branches would simultaneously launch in Yongqing City’s largest shopping mall and a popular pedestrian street in Ying City.

Tao Jintian had never run such a large operation before. The pressure was immense—but so was the motivation. That’s why he came to the current restaurants today—to learn from experience.

Now, as he followed Jiang Tingzhou into the kitchen and chatted with the chefs, a delivery arrived at the back entrance.

Some of the ingredients had already been moved inside. The last few bags contained chili peppers, being carried into the kitchen.

Seeing this, Tao Jintian suddenly remembered something. “Our supplier is Lu Group Fresh, right?”

Jiang Tingzhou nodded.

Before opening, he had compared many options. Lu Group offered the most consistent quality, had the largest scale, and provided stable service. Some specialty ingredients required for Jianghu and Northeastern dishes had to be sourced from specific regions and shipped overland.

And with multiple stores—and more on the way—the demand would only grow.

Jinyuhui had higher menu pricing, and the ingredients needed to be more refined. Only Lu Group could reliably meet those standards.

“I remember using their ingredients during our dish testing,” Tao Jintian said. “They were excellent. But… why haven’t I seen Mr. Lu around lately?”

He had gotten used to seeing Lu Baiyu following Jiang Tingzhou around. It felt odd not seeing him now.

“He’s on a business trip,” Jiang Tingzhou replied casually. “Sorting out supply chain partnerships.”

Although there were teams handling the details, the major deals still needed Lu Baiyu to negotiate in person—especially with Lu Group’s new fresh food app just launching. They were handling both B2B and B2C orders, including major clients like the sugar factory.

So lately, he had been busier than ever, traveling across the country.

“Oh, I didn’t expect Mr. Lu to personally handle those matters,” Tao remarked.

To Jiang Tingzhou, it was normal.

Even if Lu Baiyu was the successor of a massive logistics company, he couldn’t afford to neglect the basics. To manage big things, you had to start with the small ones. Even the quality of a single chili pepper could affect the final product.

Jiang Tingzhou had the same attitude.

He knew that Lu Baiyu was currently in the southwest, and today’s peppers had been shipped from there. 

This batch of millet peppers was particularly fresh and aromatic. Just pinching one and smelling it, Jiang Tingzhou could tell they were top-quality.

He stood there for a moment, holding half a chili pepper in his hand, lost in thought.

Though Lu Baiyu wasn’t physically present, he hadn’t faded into the background. If anything, he was constantly reminding Jiang Tingzhou of his presence—almost as if he were afraid of being forgotten.

Jiang Tingzhou had never been the type to report his whereabouts to others, but now, thanks to Lu Baiyu, somehow, he found himself receiving very detailed updates.

He even knew which hillside in which town Lu Baiyu had visited the day before. Not because Lu was simply sharing his location, but because he always found some way to mention things Jiang Tingzhou might be interested in—and Jiang Tingzhou always remembered them.

For example, Lu Baiyu had once sent a photo of a small local restaurant where he’d tried a signature dish: Double-Pepper Rabbit. He asked if Jiang Tingzhou might want to consider adding it to the next menu update.

Rabbit meat wasn’t popular in Yongqing, but it could be introduced as a fresh new item.

Jiang Tingzhou had taken it seriously, even consulting with the chef—who happened to be skilled at preparing it.

So Jiang Tingzhou replied: “Let’s do it.”

Another time, Lu Baiyu sent a video from a citrus orchard, the trees bursting with ripe fruit. He filmed it beautifully—you could practically smell the sweet citrus just watching it.

The sugar factory had recently ordered a batch to make cookies, cakes, and orange candies.

Jiang Tingzhou also had a yard full of fruit trees. The lemons he’d planted had started to bear fruit, though they weren’t ripe yet. He checked on them every day.

Despite how busy things were at the sugar factory, he never neglected his garden—always planting something new and keeping it lush.

So he had simply replied to Lu’s message: “Very good.”

He didn’t respond to most messages—too many people were trying to reach him these days. But he could never ignore Lu Baiyu’s persistence.

Lately, Lu Baiyu had been sending updates about chili peppers—greenhouse-grown batches, locally made chili sauces, and oils. Jiang replied that they looked good, and sure enough, the new batch had already been delivered to the store.

The quality was top-notch, and the kick that customers loved came from these very chilies.

That day, the delivery driver—wearing a Lu Group uniform—hadn’t left immediately. He spotted Jiang Tingzhou and pulled out a small package from the truck.

“Mr. Jiang, what a coincidence seeing you here. This is something Mr. Lu sent specially for you.”

Jiang Tingzhou was a bit surprised. 

He opened the box to find jars of chili sauce and chili oil—handmade in the local area, just as Lu Baiyu had described. There was also a small note, clearly in Lu Baiyu’s handwriting, asking him to taste it and give feedback.

Jiang Tingzhou often cooked at home, so these would definitely be used.

“There’s one more gift,” the driver added. “Also for you. It’s still in the truck.”

The kitchen delivery that day hadn’t been large, so there was no need for a big truck. In fact, the listed ingredients had already been dropped off—but something extra remained.

The courier pulled back the heavy fabric at the back of the truck to reveal the other half of the cargo space—filled entirely with flowers.

Jiang Tingzhou turned his head—and froze.

Half the truck was packed with red roses. Neatly stacked, fresh, and vibrant. The petals were in full bloom, and the color was intense. The sight was breathtaking.

“These are Yunnan red roses,” the driver explained, then added—as instructed—“They’re edible. Locals use them to make rose tea, rose jam, and flower cakes.”

Lu Baiyu knew that Jiang Tingzhou wasn’t particularly fond of decorative flowers—but he’d be interested if they could be eaten.