Starting from a Bankrupt Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant

Chapter 272: Chapter 164: A God Has Appeared

"Oh my god! This cover photo looks amazing! Zhou Yan, is this your beef soup?"

"What beef soup? Chief Editor He said it’s Kneeling Beef!"

"You even got a solo shot in the interview! It’s a really handsome picture!"

"Two whole pages dedicated to you! That’s some serious prestige!"

"It goes on sale tomorrow, right? I’ll definitely go to the newsstand and buy a few copies. You have to sign one for me then, okay? I can take it back to my shop and brag."

Zhou Yan first put the photos from the envelope away. Facing his enthusiastic seniors, he was a bit overwhelmed and could only smile, nod, and agree with them.

"What cover? What interview? What did I miss?" Kong Liwei looked utterly bewildered, staring at Zhou Yan, who was completely surrounded and had clearly become the darling of the group. He had no idea what was going on.

"Junior Brother Zhou has an exclusive interview in the latest issue of *Sichuan Cuisine* magazine, and the cover features a dish he made," Zheng Qiang explained to him. "Our Kong Sect has a new genius."

Kong Liwei’s jaw nearly hit the floor. It took him a moment to process this explosive news before he said in shock, "Holy crap! Two and a half years of cooking, and he’s on the cover of *Sichuan Cuisine* magazine!"

"This isn’t just a genius, this is a god descending among us!"

He Zhiyuan put his camera away and waited off to the side, in no hurry.

’Look at the enthusiasm of these Kong Sect disciples. The copies of *Sichuan Cuisine* at Jiazhou’s newsstands will probably be sold out by tomorrow.’

’They’re all contributing to our magazine’s sales.’

Once everyone had finished talking, He Zhiyuan and Zhou Yan went into the courtyard, found a quiet corner, and discussed the details of the next day’s interview.

"I’m sorry, Chief Editor He, but I really can’t reveal the recipe for my braising liquid. It’s a craft handed down from my grandmother," Zhou Yan said, shaking his head firmly.

"I see..." Although He Zhiyuan had expected this, he was still a little disappointed.

’He had thought that after hearing the story of his Master’s generosity in teaching his craft, Zhou Yan would be inspired to reveal the secret recipe for his braised dishes as well.’

’If that’s the case, this interview on braised meats won’t have enough depth.’

Zhou Yan hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Besides, I don’t think I’m worthy of an interview about braised dishes. In comparison, my grandmother, the elderly Mrs. Zhang Shufen, is the true heir of Zhang’s Braised Shop."

"She started selling braised meat during the Republic of China era, and for a time, she made Zhang’s Braised Shop an iconic flavor in Suji and even all of Jiazhou. With just a braised meat stall, she single-handedly raised five sons."

"This allowed my grandfather to fight on the front lines against the Japanese invasion and later in the Korean War, where he ultimately sacrificed his life for his country."

"Her braised dishes witnessed China’s journey through turmoil. They witnessed that era. Her story has far more depth than mine."

"Why don’t you try interviewing her? I’ve even come up with a headline for you: ’Shocking! This Woman Held Up Half the Sky with a Pot of Braised Meat!’"

Hearing this, He Zhiyuan’s eyes gradually lit up. He clapped his hands and said, "A legacy of braised dishes! Women holding up half the sky! The sacrificial spirit of the Sichuan Army! Excellent! There are so many great elements here!"

As a deputy chief editor, he had a very keen nose for good content.

As soon as Zhou Yan said it, a rough outline for the article had already formed in his mind.

"Zhou Yan, you’re a true genius!" He Zhiyuan said, looking at Zhou Yan with eyes full of admiration. "If you weren’t such a delicious and talented cook, I would definitely poach you for our magazine’s editorial department! I’m sure your articles would be well-written and brilliant!"

"You flatter me, Chief Editor He. I’m no writer," Zhou Yan said with a smile, waving his hand.

’In all seriousness, he wrote all his own video scripts. The whole "Department of Shock" clickbait style was years out of date, but its main advantage was that it was simple and definitely attention-grabbing.’

He Zhiyuan said, "In that case, I’ll have to trouble you to go back and talk to the old lady first. See if she’s willing to accept an interview with our magazine. And I can’t guarantee we’ll publish it even after the interview, because this is a rather last-minute addition. The editorial department will have to discuss it before making a decision."

"I understand. Anyway, the old lady won’t mind," Zhou Yan nodded.

’The old lady might not care, but he did.’

’He wanted everyone to know about Zhang’s Braised Shop, to know about Comrade Zhang Shufen!’

’Call it a selfish desire on his part.’

’Perhaps many years from now, someone would flip open to a certain page of an old magazine, read the story of the elderly Mrs. Zhang Shufen, and speak her name aloud.’

’How wonderful would that be.’

Dinner was even more lavish than lunch.

The Kong Sect’s new Saint Heir, Zhou Yan, was "forced" to cook a Huo Xiang Carp and a Finely Diced Beef with Two Peppers, receiving unanimous praise.

After eating, all his senior brothers looked at him with gazes of pure admiration.

"Zheng, did Junior Brother Zhou really only study for two and a half years? Not since he was two and a half years old?" Kong Liwei asked, sidling up to Zheng Qiang after mixing the finely diced beef into his bowl of rice.

Beyond envy, all that was left was sheer respect.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yan was completely engrossed in slurping down some Braised Yellow Perch.

[An exceptionally good portion of Braised Yellow Perch]

The Yellow Perch, personally cooked by Kong Qingfeng, tasted absolutely amazing!

’Even though the evaluation was "exceptionally good,"’ Zhou Yan thought, ’it should be infinitely close to "perfect."’

The numbing spiciness was balanced by the sour fragrance of pickled peppers and greens. This complex flavor profile had perfectly infused the fresh, tender Yellow Perch.

The wild-caught Yellow Perch, chosen to be about a finger-and-a-half wide, had almost no bones besides the main spine. The flesh was smooth and tender, melting in your mouth with a single slurp, an incomparable umami flavor.

Zhou Yan glanced at He Zhiyuan, who was also intently slurping his Yellow Perch, and couldn’t help but give him a mental thumbs-up.

’Chief Editor He is a true connoisseur; he knows exactly what to order.’

After dinner, while it wasn’t yet dark, Zhou Yan, Xiao Lei, and Zheng Qiang took their leave and rode their bikes back to Suji.

"Master Zhou, you have another interview tomorrow?" Xiao Lei asked as he rode alongside Zhou Yan on the way back.

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