Chapter 293: Chapter 190: The Cost Explosion of Yangzhou Fried Rice! A Good Chef Understands How to Tailor Dishes to the Customer! [Seeking Monthly Ticket]
While the competition was in full swing, countless netizens following the Lin Ji’s Food topic were also paying close attention to the event. Those who couldn’t watch the live broadcast even asked their friends on the scene for a live play-by-play with text and photos.
When they learned that the third round of the competition was about staple foods, the netizens went wild.
Human High-Quality Waste: "Damn, they’re actually competing with staple foods!"
Mulan Bro Request for Website: "This cooking competition really doesn’t take the usual route."
White Ram Shouting: "Yeah, while others compete with Basic Knife Skills, they’re going straight to fancy knife work here. Other competitions avoid staple foods, but this one features them as a main event."
Extravagant Pecs Gentleman: "They’re deliberately going against the grain of regular food competitions."
Spring Breeze Cannot Blow You: "Last round, the carving community exploded. Which industry will Boss Lin cross into this time?"
Invisible Chicken Wings: "Anyway, it won’t affect our Voiceover circle, no matter how much it blows up."
Nine Billion Girls’ Nightmare: "Miss above, don’t jinx it just yet. Who can guarantee that Boss Lin won’t cross into the Voiceover circle?"
...
「Back door of Building One.」
On Yanjing TV Station’s high-definition video relay truck, Zhen Wensheng watched the live broadcast screen and spoke into the walkie-talkie, "Camera Five, give us another close-up of the double fish Lin Xu made. Other cameras, move closer to the stoves to capture as many details of the contestants’ preparations as possible."
After speaking, he asked Zeng Xiaoqi, who was sitting beside him, "How are the ratings now?"
"Since Lin Xu’s double fish appeared on camera, the ratings have been rising. Now, we’re only two percentage points behind ’Lively News Tracking’ on the People’s Livelihood Channel."
Hearing this, Zhen Wensheng immediately pumped his fist.
He had staked almost his entire career on this gourmet competition.
Now, at last, it was paying off.
’Lively News Tracking’ was a ratings backbone for Yanjing TV Station. In the past, the travel channel’s ratings would be left far behind by it. He never thought that today’s live broadcast could actually keep pace.
After the excitement subsided, he picked up the walkie-talkie and said, "Give Lin Xu as much screen time as possible. He’s our ratings guarantee!"
After putting down the walkie-talkie, Zhen Wensheng took a cigar from his pocket and held it under his nose, sniffing it, but didn’t light it because smoking and open flames were strictly prohibited inside the broadcast truck.
"Xiaoqi, when you have a chance, revise the proposal for that food program. Flesh out the details. Once this event is over, I’ll submit it to the station. If it’s approved, we’ll get it started immediately."
If Lin Xu can bring in the ratings, then a food program about him should strike while the iron is hot.
The goal was to make this handsome chef a flagship figure for the travel channel.
Of course, the travel channel wouldn’t shortchange him.
Once Lin Ji’s Food opens, there will be extensive coverage. As a channel related to tourism, it’s perfectly normal to report on a restaurant that has close ties to tourism.
Zeng Xiaoqi hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly.
She nodded and agreed, "Understood, Director Zhen! I’ll start preparing as soon as today’s live broadcast ends."
After finishing her words, she tentatively suggested, "Director Zhen, Lin Xu’s family owns a scenic area. It’s not large, but it’s quite beautiful, complete with viral attractions and natural wonders. There’s even a campsite suitable for stargazing. Shouldn’t we take the chance to promote it a bit?"
Zhen Wensheng hadn’t expected Lin Xu to have such a strong connection with his channel.
His family even ran a scenic area!
So he said with a smile, "Sure, let’s make a trip there when we have time. If the scenery is really good, we’ll shoot a special feature. You can do the Voiceover, and we’ll air it during an off-peak slot."
"Yes, Director Zhen!"
If you want someone to help out, you have to offer something in return.
That’s how a cooperative relationship could last.
「At the competition scene.」
The contestants had already begun to select their ingredients.
As a Cantonese cuisine heir, Guo Xinghai naturally picked rice noodles and beef, clearly planning to make stir-fried beef with rice noodles.
Wei Qian chose fresh noodles, pork belly, and long beans, looking like he was going to make a common North China dish: long beans braised with noodles.
Huo Yifan didn’t try to compete with Lin Xu this time. Instead, he picked Tomato, Egg, and Sliced Noodles, probably planning to make a tomato sauce noodle dish.
Zhuang Yizhou, who had been hovering in third place, chose eggs and rice vermicelli, possibly aiming to make egg-fried rice vermicelli.
Everyone chose ingredients they excelled at preparing.
Lin Xu mingled in the crowd and first checked the prepared rice. It indeed turned out to be somewhat hard and cold leftover rice.
As expected of a high-end event.
The ingredients were prepared with such care.
Taking a portion of rice, he then selected a small handful of green peas, a small piece of premium Jinhua Ham, a few scallions, six eggs, a piece of Chicken Thigh meat, a Water-soaked Sea Cucumber, a small handful of plump Sea Scallops, another piece of Chicken Thigh meat, a piece of duck gizzard, several Large Shrimp, a couple of rehydrated mushrooms, a few slices of fresh bamboo shoots, as well as lard, cornstarch, and condensed chicken broth, among other ingredients.
"What is Boss Lin planning to make?"
"It’s so complex; it must be Yangzhou Fried Rice."
"That’s right, it’s definitely Yangzhou Fried Rice."
"How come the one I eat isn’t this complex? It’s just egg and diced ham sausage, without so many ingredients."
"You had the cheap kind. The one Boss Lin is making usually sells for over a hundred yuan a serving, and only that type of fried rice truly deserves to be called Yangzhou Fried Rice."
"Does it taste good?"
"It’s beyond just ’good.’ Honestly, thank goodness the plate isn’t edible, or I’d devour that too!"
"Damn! I’ve never experienced anything like it. I’ve got to learn how to make this later!"
In the live broadcast room, upon seeing the ingredients Lin Xu chose, some netizens started sharing their knowledge.