The Reviled God of Cooking Tries to Slack Off - Chapter 133

Even though they were far apart, Lu Baiyu could still guess what was happening.

The internet was buzzing with news, and he kept a close eye on everything related to Jiang Tingzhou. Of course, he had seen what Bingcheng Chao had done. It didn’t seem like Zhou Bing’s style, so he immediately knew Jiang Tingzhou was behind it.

He didn’t think the Zhou family lacked ability—just that they were a little too conservative in their approach. But they’d been in business for many years, so they weren’t truly slow.

An Xiaoping, holding two items in his hands, listened to the conversation and responded with an “Oh.” He was about to report it to Jiang Tingzhou, but before he could, Jiang Tingzho—seated on the rocking chair—noted calmly, “I heard.”

The room had fallen quiet as soon as the deliveryman began speaking, so of course he had overheard.

The visitor didn’t linger. As usual, he dropped off the items and turned to leave. Just before stepping out, he slightly raised his voice and said, “Mr. Lu will be back next week.”

Naturally, everyone heard that.

Zhou Bing muttered under his breath, “Who cares when he’s coming back?” But as he turned to glance at Jiang Tingzhou, he saw the man inspecting the jar of honey he had just received.

Jiang Tingzhou unscrewed the lid, took one sniff, and instantly recognized it as lychee honey—top-quality stuff with a high level of sweetness, ideal for making desserts. This type of honey was only produced in limited areas during lychee flower season and was typically reserved by fruit farmers for their own use, rarely sold on the market.

Then he examined the box of berries. The flavor wasn’t common in China—clearly imported and kept fresh through specialized shipping. Berries were notoriously fragile, but this batch was fresh and firm. It was likely that a high-end import route had already been negotiated.

Clearly, Lu Baiyu had been active outside the southwest region recently. And things seemed to be going smoothly.

Small details often revealed bigger truths. Jiang Tingzhou could grasp the whole picture just from the few items sent to him.

Many of the sugar factory’s recent initiatives had gone viral online. Lu Group’s negotiations over the supply chain were conducted in strict secrecy—no public announcements, and minimal internal knowledge within the company to avoid outside interference. Yet Jiang Tingzhou always had the full picture.

Lu Baiyu didn’t just refrain from hiding things from him—he made sure to keep him informed, and that gave Jiang Tingzhou a sense of reassurance.

All these thoughts flashed quickly through his mind, but his expression barely changed. He simply placed the jar of honey aside and told everyone to enjoy the berries. Then, he carefully reviewed the resume of the manager that had been sent over, handed it to Li Shuyan for further evaluation, and poured a cup of tea for Zhou Bing.

“The sugar factory becoming a shareholder is a great development,” Jiang Tingzhou said with a smile. “Wen Qi will coordinate with Bingcheng. I’m very happy we’re taking this step together. I believe the future will only get better.”

Zhou Bing, catching  Jiang Tingzhou’s smile, quickly set aside his annoyance over Lu Baiyu and solemnly accepted the tea. “I’ll definitely make it happen.”

There were still many details to sort out regarding the equity partnership. But for now, everyone simply enjoyed the rest of their afternoon tea.

That weekend, the sugar factory’s commercial street was more vibrant than ever. Every shop was packed, and the factory’s garden had become one of the hottest attractions in Yongqing. Even Bingcheng Chao’s fast food flagship store had a long line of people waiting outside.

Rumor had it there was a hidden menu there—a sneak peek at Bingcheng Chao’s upcoming new product line, exclusive to that location.

From the office window, it looked like a sea of people outside. Business was booming.

Wen Qi came in to report with noticeably high energy. He had already connected with the Zhou family. When he’d first joined the sugar factory project, he hadn’t expected such an opportunity. Now, he was sincerely moved.

After finishing his official report, he added, “The restaurants on the second floor of the mall across the street have all closed down. But the clothing stores are doing really well—someone’s already taking over the vacated units. Looks like it’s going to become a full-on clothing center.”

No one dared open another restaurant nearby. Even if they tried, they’d have to pivot to a completely different concept.

A popular business creates a siphon effect, and with the sugar factory so close by, everyone could see that Jiang Tingzhou’s project was thriving.

But Jiang Tingzhou remained calmer than anyone else, as though none of this success had anything to do with him.

“I know,” he said. “You’ve done well, but what matters most is what comes next.”

He had weathered real storms and knew now wasn’t the time to relax.

“How’s Tao Jintian doing?” he asked.

Next week, the first three locations of the mid- to high-end brand Jinyuhui will officially open.

Opening a new restaurant required careful planning, and success in one location didn’t guarantee the same outcome elsewhere.

Jinyuhui was a completely different tier—refined and more expensive, close to the pricing of boutique private dining experiences.

A vegetarian dish was 50–60 yuan, meat dishes exceeded 100 or even 200 yuan. Average per-person cost ran into triple digits, and a group dinner could easily hit thousands. The clientele was completely different.

High prices couldn’t rely solely on the prestige of a silver medal from a cooking competition.

That’s why Jiang Tingzhou had prepared a grand tasting banquet as a pre-launch—something he and Tao Jintian had discussed repeatedly.

It wouldn’t be a small, private tasting, either. All three locations would host banquets simultaneously, inviting over 200 people, including journalists, food bloggers, magazine critics, and key figures who had followed the chef competition.

Zeng Rong had returned to help coordinate this massive event. The tasting would happen Thursday night. By Friday, feedback and media coverage would be in full swing. Saturday would mark the official grand opening.

With everything already scheduled, there wasn’t much time left.

“Don’t worry,” Wen Qi reassured him. “I met with Tao Jintian just yesterday. Everything’s in order. We’ve put in so much work—this brand is going to succeed.”

Though reassured, Jiang Tingzhou still visited all three locations over the next few days, inspecting every detail personally.

This mid-range dining market was competitive, full of veterans. Two directors of the Yongqing Restaurant Association were active players. One, from Xinyi Restaurant, was part of a major chain, and its general manager Guan was an old friend of President Zhong.

Breaking into this space meant entering a battlefield.

The team reviewed everything repeatedly to avoid mistakes.

Bingcheng Chao handled overall structure and staff training. The Zhou family, always rigorous in management, applied their experience to Jin Tianhui’s setup. Store managers were recruited at high salaries by Li Shuyan and Wen Qi, or recommended by Lu Baiyu—every one of them seasoned professionals.  Even sudden inspections could be handled flawlessly.

As for the kitchen teams, no one had any concerns—after all, they were trained by Tao Jintian.

He couldn’t be everywhere at once, so he remained stationed at the sugar factory flagship store. The other kitchens were manned by chefs he’d personally trained—some were drawn by his reputation, others were apprentices or long-time colleagues from his hometown.

Taste was expected to be the brand’s biggest strength.

Jiang Tingzhou was especially cautious when visiting the Shangying location. He treated his visit as a rehearsal and randomly ordered a few dishes.

While not on par with Tao Jintian himself, the dishes met the expected standard. Tao Kang, his cousin, had clearly mastered Tao Kang’s techniques.

Tao Jintian relaxed when Jiang remarked, “Very good.”

“Everything looks great,” Jiang Tingzhou said. “I’m counting on you for Thursday’s tasting. Once Jinyuhui is established, you’ll all be rewarded generously.”

He meant it.

The Blazing Jianghu and Northern Hometown teams were profitable, with chefs receiving substantial bonuses. Everyone knew the money was accounted for.

All employees were well-prepared and motivated. 

Jiang Tingzhou didn’t linger. Upon leaving, Tao Kang, head chef at Shangying, appeared as if he wanted to speak, following him out.

But before he could say anything, Tao Jintian intercepted him.

“What are you trying to do?” Tao Jintian asked.

Tao Kang replied, “I just wanted to talk to Mr. Jiang—it’s my first time meeting him, can’t I say a few words?”

“No. Boss Jiang is very busy,” Tao Jintian said. “If it’s important, tell me.”

“You asked for it,” Tao Kang said. “I was just going to ask about a pay raise for the kitchen staff. Didn’t Mr. Jiang just say he wouldn’t treat us unfairly? What’s wrong with asking him for a raise?”

“I knew it!” Tao Jintian glared.

The Tao family were all chefs. Tao Kang, in his thirties, had been cooking professionally for over a decade. He was skilled but greedy. Everyone worked for money—asking for a little extra was normal. Tao Jintian, valuing talent and family ties, had already offered generous terms. 

Tao Kang had signed the contract happily when he first saw the generous offer. But now, seeing the restaurant’s pricing, he felt dissatisfied.

Jiang Tingzhou didn’t hear any of this as he walked off.

Tao Jintian let out a sigh of relief and scolded his cousin firmly.

“If we succeed, of course your pay will go up. Boss Jiang always keeps his word. But the store hasn’t even opened yet; you’re asking for an annual salary of over a million. Go ask around—who else pays that? Do you think Boss Jiang is unreasonable?”

Tao Kang remained defiant. “I’m your cousin. This brand is built on your name. What’s wrong with keeping it in the family?”

“This isn’t some village project!” Tao Jintian snapped. “This is serious business. You want more money? Earn it.  You’ll get this money once the business performs well. Until then, I absolutely will not give you this salary. And you are not to embarrass me in front of Boss Jiang.”

If Jiang Tingzhou heard this, Tao Jintian would be utterly embarrassed.

Tao Jintian was serious and authoritative. As the most capable in the family, he had managed things since youth. “Tao Kang, the contract is signed. Everything is in writing. If you don’t follow it, you will be held liable and may even owe the store money. I don’t want to hear this again. You must focus on your work. Opportunities like this don’t come often. If you still don’t get it, I’ll have your parents come speak to you directly.”

That worked. Bringing up the elders, Tao Kang lowered his head, his arrogance deflating.

Having grown up together, Tao Jintian knew how to handle him. With the tasting event approaching, he didn’t want conflict, so after the tough love, he softened his tone.

He softened his tone, appealing emotionally: “Boss Jiang values this project, as do his partners. You’ve seen Bingcheng Chao’s recent work. Work hard, and a million-yuan annual salary is possible. Our families have always had a good relationship; I wouldn’t shortchange you. When success comes, returning home with glory will reflect on the Tao family, won’t it?”

Tao Jin had learned this persuasive style from observing Jiang Tingzhou. Everyone has different management needs; as long as they are approached correctly, people listen.

After a pause, Tao Kang said, “Fine. I won’t bring it up again.”

Tao Jintian breathed a sigh of relief, patted his shoulder, and said, “Work hard. We all have a bright future ahead.”

He couldn’t let down Boss Jiang’s expectations.

But after he left, Tao Kang rubbed his chef’s uniform and sneered to himself. “Returning home in glory? Ha… I’ll get what I’m owed, one way or another.”

With stores expecting tens of millions in revenue, why shouldn’t he get a million?

Tao Jintian wouldn’t pay—but someone would.

The Jinyuhui tasting banquet went surprisingly smoothly. No accidents, no issues.

Except—on Thursday night, as everyone assembled for the event, the most important chef at the Shangying location, Tao Kang, was nowhere to be found.

Not only was he missing, but so were the two sous-chefs he trained and the apprentices he brought from his hometown.