The Reviled God of Cooking Tries to Slack Off - Chapter 131

Although Jiang Tingzhou’s own store had a strict management system, few could compare to Bingcheng’s unwavering commitment to cleanliness—inside and out, top to bottom.

It was demanding, yes. But this was exactly what guaranteed that every dish served to customers was clean and safe. It wasn’t one of those back-alley joints using gutter oil, spoiled ingredients, or kitchens crawling with filth.

“I think Bingcheng does an excellent job in this regard,” Jiang Tingzhou said. Then, as inspiration struck, he added, “I’ll have Xiaoping recommend a few video production and livestream teams. Don’t worry—they’re professionals. They’ll quickly come up with a plan to ride this price war wave. And then you—”

“Boss Jiang, wait a moment.” Zhou Bing was a little stunned. He never doubted Jiang Tingzhou’s judgment, but he still had to ask: “I’m not afraid of spending the money. But will this really work? If we make a big deal out of this, won’t customers just think we’re bragging? Isn’t it kind of… shameful to promote something that should be a given?”

“Why would it be shameful?” Jiang Tingzhou asked.

Zhou Bing hesitated. “Isn’t ensuring food safety the basic responsibility of every restaurant?”

His father had taught him that from the very beginning.

Jiang Tingzhou fell silent for a moment before saying, “You’re absolutely right. It should be standard.”

But in reality, very few actually did it.

Fresh, clean ingredients, high-quality oil, a spotless kitchen that’s cleaned daily—these all cost money.

Now that food delivery has taken over, customers can’t see the back-of-house environment, creating room for shortcuts. And for merchants driven purely by profit, it’s easy to “cut costs” in areas customers won’t notice.

And not just the low-end places—even many expensive brands do the same. Fancy decor up front, chaos in the kitchen.

“That’s exactly why your system is worth promoting,” Jiang Tingzhou said. “If you’re upright, you don’t fear the shadows. These so-called ‘basics’ are rare now. Doing them right is your edge.”

And right now, that edge was exactly what the Zhou family needed. They couldn’t let “bad money” drive out good in this industry.

Even if Bingcheng was currently experimenting with low-price, high-volume models, their overall pricing still leaned high—especially with the launch of premium items. But if the public began to believe in the brand’s promise, if they understood what Bingcheng Chao really stood for, that trust would become a unique and irreplaceable asset.

That kind of reputation couldn’t be faked. And once established, no price war could shake it.

“Compared to saving a few bucks elsewhere,” Jiang Tingzhou said, “people would rather spend a little more for clean, reliable food. And your system is something that can’t be copied easily. That kind of trust has to be built—top to bottom, day by day. If you hadn’t actually done it and were just faking a gimmick, then sure—it’d be wrong. But this? This is real. What’s real deserves to be seen.”

This wasn’t the era where good wine needed no bush. With competition this fierce, every chance to earn customer recognition counted.

Zhou Bing thought it over, exchanged glances with the two vice presidents sitting beside him, and finally said, “Then let’s give it a shot.”

Bingcheng had never done this before. This would be their first time.

They didn’t have much choice anyway. President Zhong’s aggressive discount campaign had launched in full force these past few days.

She wasn’t holding back. This time, she’d secured partnerships with the two biggest food delivery platforms in the city, maxed out platform subsidies, and filled every ad slot available.

From a business perspective, it made sense—she was using money to grab market share. But Bingcheng’s delivery stores were pushed to the sidelines.

Previously, they had decent display placement. But even with steady sales, their visibility had dropped dramatically. Worse, a flood of suspicious negative reviews suddenly tanked their score—from 4.5 down to 3.8.

Now, when customers browsed under “Fast Food,” they had to scroll forever to find Bingcheng Chao. Another store had even popped up, with a nearly identical name and branding. The menu was copied too, tricking many customers into clicking the wrong one.

It was clear: someone was deliberately targeting them.

Zhou Bing checked the registration. Sure enough, it was set up by someone under Zhong Qianqian.

But this time, Bingcheng didn’t panic or scramble. Instead, they doubled down on doing things right.

First, they focused on stabilizing their ratings. Then they rushed to list the eggplant meat sauce noodles online and quickly launched a large-format poster for their 1+N combo meal—priced just over 100 yuan.

The delivery side took a hit. But the low-priced entry-level products brought an influx of customers to physical stores. The in-store buzz was palpable. 

A week later, profit margins had actually gone up.

“I thought with all the cheap combos, we’d lose money,” Zhou Bing said as he reviewed the data. “I never expected to make money. That’s never happened before during a price war.”

In the past, price wars meant big discounts and thin profits. But this time was different.

The noodle series had low profit margins, yes—but they sold in volume. Small profits, big turnover. And the new snacks—the authentic Dengji shortbread and desserts from the Sugar Factory—were flying off the shelves. People bought them casually after meals, and the margins on those were solid.

The newly opened flagship store in Sugar Factory Commercial Street also contributed to the boost. Many customers didn’t bother squeezing into morning market stalls anymore—they came straight here for solo set meals.

“This is just the beginning,” Jiang Tingzhou said.

A slight uptick in profit margins wasn’t enough for him. But after this adjustment, a new wave of customers had arrived.

Young professionals—fresh out of school, on tight budgets—were loving the affordable, tasty meals. Many began recommending them online, drawing natural attention.

Jiang Tingzhou knew that was the spark to nurture.

There hadn’t been much marketing before. But now, the MCN company was fully engaged, and had prepared a detailed campaign.

It wasn’t just lazy product placement or scripted customer testimonials. Real customers don’t randomly care how kitchens clean up or how staff wash their hands.

Experienced marketers knew how to blur the line between real and curated—to spread reputation quietly, effectively.

They started with trending internet topics—like college students sharing part-time job experiences. From there, they could insert stories from behind the scenes, through the lens of a student worker.

The trick? Make it look authentic. Less praise, more venting.

【“I was excited at first, the pay was way better than other places. But man, the work is brutal. We had to wipe down the kitchen counters dozens of times a day. Expired stuff in the warehouse had to be destroyed—on camera. Even peeling vegetables required gloves. Mess up handwashing? You get fired.”】

【“If it weren’t for the paycheck and the free meals, I’d have quit already. But I can guarantee—this place is clean. I worked there, I know.”】

These weren’t fabricated either. Real part-time students had experienced this, and the team even interviewed them for material.

Once the posts started circulating, traffic spiked. And what surprised the marketing team was how quickly real users chimed in.

【“I worked there too! Part-time pay was 50% above average. It was strict, but the food was legit. Meals were good too—just like what chefs made for guests. Afterward, I couldn’t get used to other jobs.”】

【“I used to be in Bingcheng’s finance department. Switched jobs now, but I still eat at their stores. I trust them, even feed their food to my kids.”】

【“I order from them all the time. A bit pricey, sure, but it’s fresh. And the spice levels can be customized. I’m super picky—no onions, no garlic. Their kitchen actually follows instructions. If it can’t be adjusted, they’ll tell you upfront. You don’t get that anywhere else.”】

【“Why is the score only 3.8? I’ve been loving their noodles lately. Tastes better than those with 4.8 ratings. Thought something was wrong with me when I saw those bad reviews.”】

【“Your taste is fine. Sounds like someone’s messing with them.”】

As the conversation grew, even the MCN company called Jiang Tingzhou.

“Boss Jiang,” they said, “we only bought traffic at the start. It’s all organic now. We haven’t even used all our promo spots yet. Should we keep going?”

“Of course,” Jiang Tingzhou replied. “The more, the better.”

A store that does honest work is like gold.

 Even if it hadn’t shone before, once polished a little, its brilliance could not be hidden.