pjbooks Chapter 113 [Well done!]
Chapter 113 [Well done!]
Chapter 113 [Well done!]
The two young men's antics made the surrounding diners laugh.
High school is a time when you can eat a lot. If you're really hungry, you can gulp down a few bowls of rice, and maybe after a nap, it will all be digested.
For Song Yinxuan, the food was already so filling she could burp, but for the two of them, it was just the beginning, especially with a familiar brother by their side. They were not at all shy or reserved.
If you're hungry, just say you're hungry.
Seeing this, the dozen or so people, including Crow, Soy Milk, and the photography team, couldn't help but look over with worried eyes.
Even Song Yinxuan, who was sitting in front of the stall wiping her fingers with a wet wipe, looked embarrassed and hesitated to speak. They seemed to think that this was a filming accident.
But Liu Zhuohao didn't care at all; on the contrary, he felt that the scene was incredibly realistic and vivid.
He wiped his hands, looked at the two eager boys, and said in a cheerful tone, "Yes, definitely! Since you've both been lucky customers, I certainly don't want you to leave hungry and disappointed."
"Hungry? Then let's order more food!"
The two students' dim eyes instantly lit up, almost sparkling: "Boss, what else is there to eat? We can still eat!"
"What's the rush?" Liu Zhuohao pointed with a spatula at the golden, translucent, and fragrant chicken oil that had seeped out during the frying process on the hot plate. "The good stuff is right here. I'll make you some chicken oil rice. Use this broth to cook your food. It'll be delicious."
Upon hearing the words "chicken oil rice," the joyful expressions on the two boys' faces visibly vanished, as if to say, "Ah—it's just rice? And it's mixed with oil—"
Their genuine changes in expression drew another round of chuckles from those around them.
Liu Zhuohao took in their reactions, finding it amusing, but deliberately put on a stern face and raised his voice: "What, you don't like my chicken oil rice? Awei!"
He turned and called out to the back of the food cart.
"Wrong! Boss, what's wrong?" Huang Weixiong replied immediately.
"Bring out that whole box of steaks we've prepared!" Liu Zhuohao's voice, tinged with laughter, carried clearly. As soon as he said this, the two students instantly straightened their backs, their eyes widening like saucers, and they held their breath.
"This is an unexpected situation. It was my oversight that I didn't take into account the strength of people your age."
Liu Zhuohao turned to the main camera and frankly admitted, with a helpless yet amused expression, "Although our theme this episode is 'one chicken, multiple ways,' it seems that one chicken alone isn't enough to satisfy the appetites of our two future stars, so..."
He drew out his words as he looked at the boy whose hope had been rekindled.
"For an impromptu snack, bring out the steak!"
When Liu Zhuohao placed the large, thick-cut steak back onto the sizzling hot iron plate, the familiar sizzling sound and the intense aroma of caramelized meat filled the air.
He even felt a long-lost, itchy feeling of nostalgia.
Liu Zhuohao hasn't personally stood here to grill steaks for a while.
His future direction is to become a blogger and restaurant owner, rather than a head chef.
Since reopening his stall, aside from coming to "supervise" the construction a few days ago, he has been busy with video shooting, company registration, and other tasks.
After finalizing matters such as the shop location, I gradually moved away from the greasy stove.
"Gentlemen, how would you like it cooked? Black pepper sauce or mushroom sauce?" Liu Zhuohao asked with a smile as he expertly flipped the steak, then glanced at Song Yinxuan, who was rubbing her belly beside him. "How's it going, Teacher Cat? Can you still eat your steak? Shall I share a small piece with you?"
"Medium-rare! Black pepper sauce!" the two boys exclaimed in unison. Young people always like their food to have a bit of a stimulating flavor.
Young people in different places may have different preferences for extra spiciness or numbing sensation, or just mild spiciness.
Song Yinxuan wrinkled her delicate nose, her face full of sweet confusion, and waved her hands repeatedly: "I, um—I really can't eat anymore, my stomach is going to explode if I eat any more."
She exaggeratedly touched her flat stomach, her expression adorable.
"Okay, no pressure."
Liu Zhuohao didn't try to persuade him much. He appeared casual yet professional in front of the camera, pouring the sauce, letting it sit, and then taking it out of the pot.
He deftly cut the whole steak into bite-sized pieces with kitchen shears, placed it back on the hot plate, and quickly stir-fried it in the black pepper sauce, ensuring each piece was evenly coated with the thick, glossy sauce. Only then did he remove it and place it separately on the prepared...
Next to the glistening chicken fat rice.
To prevent the sauce from soaking into the rice and affecting the taste, he specially placed a bright green lettuce leaf between the rice and the beef as a divider.
"Here you go, special black pepper beef chunks with chicken oil rice." Liu Zhuohao gestured to Huang Weixiong to bring two overflowing plates to the two boys. "Is this enough? Would you like more?"
As he deftly cleaned the remaining burnt bits from the iron plate with a shovel, he casually asked a question.
The two students, no longer caring about the flavors mixing, eagerly mixed the richly sauced beef chunks into the golden, glistening rice, then buried their heads in their food and began to gulp it down. With their mouths stuffed full of rice and meat, they managed to utter indistinct words: "That's enough! Boss, this is super delicious!"
Seeing them wolfing down their food with obvious satisfaction, Liu Zhuohao showed the most relaxed smile of the night.
He turned to Song Yinxuan and asked in a casual tone, "So, what about today's filming—"
"Is this it?" Song Yinxuan blinked in confusion, then subconsciously glanced at the several camera positions that were still running around her.
"Based on my estimated dishes, the main filming content is almost done." Liu Zhuohao looked around at the photography team, who had been busy since the afternoon and whose faces were now showing signs of fatigue, as well as the crowd of onlookers who, although they had changed batch after batch, seemed to have no less enthusiasm.
A plan that I had already conceived before suddenly came to mind.
Liu Zhuohao's smile widened, and he suddenly clapped his hands, his voice booming, not only to Song Yinxuan but also to everyone present: "Then—let's have a special ending!"
Song Yinxuan's round face, still slightly chubby, was full of confusion: "Huh? How are we supposed to film the ending?"
They naturally started discussing it right there in front of the camera, which was still being recorded.
Creating self-media content, especially this kind of life documentary content, doesn't need to be as rigorous and rigid as filming movies or variety shows. What's needed is this authentic, casual, and vibrant feeling.
"Ah Wei!" Liu Zhuohao called out again, this time with even more laughter in his voice.
"Boss, is there anything else you need?" Huang Weixiong ran over, wiping his hands as he finished delivering the food.
"Call Cheng Bing and Yang Boran over here!" Liu Zhuohao's gaze swept over the two lucky customers who were engrossed in their food, and then over the countless curious and expectant eyes around them.
Finally, he announced loudly, "Let's bring out that whole box of steaks we prepared today! Let's all four of us start cooking!"
He paused to make sure everyone heard him, then, facing the focused gazes from all directions, said firmly, "Thank you to the photography team, the editors from the platform, and the city management officers and traffic police who helped maintain order outside. Thank you for coming overtime so late at night."
"We grill steaks right here, cut them into small pieces, pack them in disposable containers, and serve them as a late-night snack for everyone to try!"
Thank you all for coming and supporting us tonight!
"However, our supplies might not be as plentiful as those available here, so we can only offer a small taste to tide you over. This is just a small token of our appreciation for your hospitality!"
Liu Zhuohao's voice was loud and clear, even in the noisy night market.
A brief silence fell over the room after those words were spoken.
"Wow--!!!"
After a brief silence, the photography team, who had been holding cameras, reflectors, and headsets, erupted in cheers and whistles like a tsunami!
Those professionals who were just moments ago meticulously carrying cameras, holding reflectors, and wearing listening headsets instantly abandoned their reserve, their faces beaming with undisguised smiles.
The fatigue from work seemed to be largely dispelled by this unexpected on-site benefit.
The crows, the soy milk vendor, and even Song Yinxuan standing at the stall stared at him in disbelief. This was an unexpected event.
The question immediately popped into Song Yinxuan's mind, and she even murmured aloud, "With so many people here—is there enough to go around?"
The photography team, platform editors, and staff maintaining order, plus the local residents and passersby just in the front row alone, meant there were at least a couple hundred people watching.
Even if you fried and cut all the steaks in that box into small pieces, it would probably be a drop in the ocean.
Her voice was very soft, drowned out by the surrounding noise.
But since the two were so close, Liu Zhuohao could tell what she was saying from her pink lips opening and closing and the undisguised worry on her face.
He knew this better than anyone else.
He called to Huang Weixiong, Cheng Bing, Yang Boran, and others to start cooking, heat up the iron plate, and take out the chilled steaks one by one.
This unexpected turn of events was actually a contingency plan he had prepared long ago.
We invited so many people to help with filming tonight, and even troubled the city management and traffic police to coordinate and maintain order at the scene. How can we expect them to leave on an empty stomach after filming? It's unreasonable and unethical.
These prepared steaks were originally intended as a token of appreciation to the core staff, since there were no plans to open a stall.
Several cameras on tripods were still diligently recording, but it was obvious that the photographer in charge of the camera positions, the lighting technician adjusting the lights, and the assistants responsible for recording sound and clapping were all relaxed and smiling. Some of them had even started whispering about trying Boss Liu's cooking later.
Some of the temporarily free staff couldn't help but look towards the food truck, their steps already itching to get in.
With so many people, we might have to give out a dozen or twenty more portions from the audience later, which definitely won't be enough to eat.
But Liu Zhuohao wasn't worried at all. His hands moved steadily as he cooked the steak, the fat dancing happily on the hot plate, and the aroma spreading fiercely with the white smoke.
This is a night market.
The place in the city with the most food options at night!
The only difference is whether you eat at your own stall or at another stall.
The food was given out for free by Liu Zhuohao and the others; it was more of a perk for those who weren't in the photos earlier. But if you really wanted to eat your fill, you'd have to spend some money at the night market.
On the right is the fragrant grilled squid, on the left is the steaming hot stir-fried kway teow, in front is the sweet and tempting licorice fruit, and behind is the sizzling oyster omelet —
This whole street is lined with food stalls.
Under the lights, Liu Zhuohao deftly cut the first thick-cut steak into even small pieces. The sizzling pieces of meat fell into a small mountain of disposable lunch boxes next to him, drizzled with sauce, and the aroma of meat filled the air.
He looked up and smiled at the young photography assistant who was standing closest to him, staring expectantly. "Here you go, bro. You've worked hard. This is your first one, be careful it's hot."
The young man took the still-hot lunchbox, his face beaming with joy. He eagerly picked up a piece and put it in his mouth, hissing from the heat but nodding repeatedly and giving Liu Zhuohao a thumbs up.
"It's delicious, Boss Liu."
He muttered to himself, "I was just watching from the sidelines, but now I can actually eat it right here. The taste alone will definitely make a difference in my impression."
"Come, come, have a taste of this. There's not much."
"Here, this is for you, be careful it's hot."
"Little sister, this is yours—"
Liu Zhuohao and Huang Weixiong and a few others were grilling steaks inside, while Li Zekai was carrying things out.
At first, he was the only one working as a waiter.
But later, after getting the items, Crow and Soy Milk asked for a few more bamboo skewers and distributed them to the onlookers.
With them taking the lead, other members of the photography team, as well as some urban management officers and traffic police officers, all shared the food they had received.
There wasn't much food; you could say each person could only get a small bite. It was like when Liu Zhuohao first set up his night market stall and, in order to attract customers, he deliberately made it a tasting event.
Yet, no one complained about the food; the atmosphere was harmonious and joyful. Even some stall owners from the surrounding area offered discounts or samples to blend into the atmosphere.
"Well done, young man."
As Liu Zhuohao was frying his steak, a voice suddenly rang in his ears. He turned his head to look and saw a middle-aged man wearing a well-tailored, crisp dark executive jacket looking at him with a smile.
"You are—"
Liu Zhuohao stopped what he was doing, called Huang Weixiong next to him to help watch the fire, wiped his hands on his apron, and carefully asked, while naturally taking out a cigarette case from his pocket.
Without even thinking, just by looking at his clothes, he knew that this person who came over to talk was no ordinary person.
Even now, some urban management officers and traffic police are still maintaining order and keeping some onlookers outside.
Aside from the photography team, his presence here is clearly different.
"I'd say I'm a director. My surname is Cheng."
Director Cheng smiled and accepted the cigarette Liu Zhuohao offered. He looked around and said, "This job was done very well. It enhanced the atmosphere and boosted consumption in this night market. More importantly," he paused, then looked back with obvious approval, "it was well-organized and showed good character."
"We didn't let the comrades who came to help late at night work for nothing, and we didn't forget the neighbors who have always supported us. We did a good job without any problems."
"This is so fresh and delicious, so rare."