pjbooks Chapter 98 [The Stall Reopens]
Chapter 98 [The Stall Reopens]
Chapter 98 [The Stall Reopens]
"Follow-up to my rights protection efforts after being reported."
Liu Zhuohao clicked on the latest video. At the beginning of the video, the background was still that familiar rented room.
But the atmosphere is completely different from the previous episode, which was full of a heavy and serious atmosphere. There is no black and white filter, and no "--deng" sound effect that symbolizes stagnation.
Instead, the warm afternoon sunlight streamed in through the window, casting clear patches of light on the simple desk.
He looked calm and even had a relieved smile in front of the camera, a stark contrast to his furrowed brows two weeks ago.
"Two weeks have passed."
The person in the video speaks out, "Now I can tell everyone that this matter has been resolved satisfactorily. I have successfully protected my rights, the whistleblower has received the punishment he deserves, and has issued a public apology."
He paused, then smiled and said, "And I also took this opportunity—to unexpectedly receive commendation from the regulatory authorities."
This sentence was like a pebble thrown into a pond; a dense barrage of high-level comments almost flooded the screen: "High energy ahead! Officially certified!", "Group photo!! Liu Ming!!!", "Checking in to commemorate this moment! Witnessing history!", "Mom asked me why I'm kneeling to watch the video————"
As both a party involved and a viewer, Liu Zhuohao has watched the barrage of comments gradually fill the area from the initial blank screen when he first clicked on the video.
"So, what exactly did I go through during this process?"
When your own image disappears from the video, it is replaced by a recap of what happened before.
In the previous video of her rights protection, she clearly reviewed what she had experienced in a few short clips within two minutes.
During this process, the video filter remains black and white.
Until a video brought a turning point.
The news anchor's announcement, the camera footage of several uniformed staff members shaking hands with him in the meeting room, the close-up of the written commendation document stamped with a red seal, and the blurry image of the whistleblowers bowing their heads and apologizing at the mediation scene —
The outcome of the rights protection effort was shown after the recap.
When a clip from a local news station appeared in the video, and that slightly youthful yet calm and composed face appeared on the TV screen, the comments section exploded.
As if pent-up emotions had finally found an outlet, many fans watching the video felt that this was a "historic moment" for the website.
Shouldn't this be considered a form of recognition?
Looking at the screen filled with dazzling barrage of comments, Liu Zhuohao couldn't help but smile slightly, feeling both amused and sentimental.
Just as other bloggers in the group said, I seem to be the first person on Bilibili to appear on a legitimate local news program with an original blogger identity and a positive image.
This way of gaining popularity is completely different from those internet celebrities in our memory who rely on sensationalism and ugliness to attract attention, such as Sister Feng.
In addition to the videos on Bilibili, Liu Zhuohao also shared related content on Weibo.
Compared to the bullet comments and other comments on Bilibili, the comments on Weibo are as direct as ever.
"Haha, seeing those whistleblowers bowing their heads and apologizing in the news is so satisfying! Boss Liu is tough!"
"Hilarious! The person who reported this must be kicking themselves. They wanted to ruin someone, but ended up putting that person on TV and getting an award instead."
"Am I the only one focusing on the wrong thing? This guy looks pretty clean and neat, and he cooks in a clean and efficient manner."
"I think just an apology is too lenient on them; they should be made to pay a fortune!"
"If it were me, I would have done it—"
In the comments section, some were satisfied, some felt the apology wasn't enough, some were concerned about their appearance, and some wanted to vent their anger through direct violence.
"Wow, 50,000 followers!"
Liu Zhuohao looked at his Weibo account and was surprised to find that he had 50,000 followers.
He didn't manage Weibo much; it was more like a social media platform for posting content.
Most of his fans are from Bilibili (a Chinese video-sharing website), who follow him to learn about his daily life.
A small portion of the visitors were drawn by the event itself.
A trending topic on Weibo only brought this few followers to the account, which is even slower than the growth rate of followers on Bilibili, which shows that this trending topic was inflated.
"Yellow V verification approved."
Since trending on social media, Liu Zhuohao has wanted to put more effort into managing his account, making job information verification, real-name verification, and super topic interest verification essential.
Having a yellow V verification code is essential to prevent malicious account registration and impersonation.
Those with verified yellow V accounts have more than 100 loyal followers and their content published within the last 30 days has received more than 30 views.
With 10,000, you can gradually advance to Orange V, or even Gold V like those first and second-tier celebrities.
However, the conditions for advancing depend on the activity level of the fans.
This is not an easy task.
Unless, like those celebrities, they set up their own studio, hire people, or call on fans to help them generate data.
"Verification successful, everyone can—"
Liu Zhuohao originally planned to post a blog entry to announce his successful verification and ask for comments to make his super topic and comment section more active.
But halfway through editing the text, he suddenly stopped.
Because he realized he didn't seem to have much content to encourage people to post. He wasn't a celebrity, he hardly uploaded any photos, didn't have any exciting activities, and his schedule didn't offer anything to look forward to. He also lacked...
For a moment, Liu Zhuohao wanted to call on his fans to help boost his activity level, but he really couldn't think of anything they could post.
You can't just leave emojis, flowers, or "111" in the comments section, right? Anyone can tell that's fake data, and one report and it's confirmed.
After a long while, Liu Zhuohao gave up the idea and posted a routine update as usual.
"The matter has been resolved satisfactorily, time to reopen the stall!"
He then added a group photo of the group of them standing together in front of the food truck.
"Boss!"
A knock came from outside the door, and Huang Weixiong's impatient voice rang out, "We should probably get going."
Liu Zhuohao glanced at the bottom right corner of the screen with a hint of helplessness. It was only 15:34 PM, but he still replied with "I understand," turned off the computer, and got up.
Night market stalls are reopening!
"We're reopened! Thank you for waiting!"
Huang Weixiong stood behind the familiar, gleaming food cart, took a deep breath, and tried to make his voice carry through the noisy crowd of people in the night market, just like he always did.
Although they lacked a bit of the carefree, street-smart air of the youth, their earnestness was refreshing.
Liu Zhuohao turned his gaze away from him and looked at the long queue in front of him. A winding line had already formed in front of the food truck, and many people were craning their necks to look.
Whispers broke out: "If it weren't for that chance to be on camera, I wouldn't have waited in line for so long —"
-
-
"Who isn't? It's a bit... well, you know, a little bit... to queue for an hour or two just because someone has a stutter."
"Just joining in the fun, since we're already here anyway."
"Boss Liu is right. If there were more stores, we wouldn't all have to crowd here."
""
These whispers, not deliberately suppressed, clearly reached Liu Zhuohao's ears.
His expression remained unchanged. Some people are willing to queue for half a day for a trendy food or a chance to be on camera, while others simply cannot understand it and think it's a waste of time. Many more are probably just following the crowd, seeking something new.
There are all kinds of people in this world.
"I'm so sorry to have kept our loyal customers waiting for so long!"
As Huang Weixiong deftly flipped the steak on the hot plate, the sizzling sound of oil and the aroma of meat filling the air, he raised his voice to explain, "I've been busy lately, the boss has been dealing with important matters."
"Now that everything's sorted out, they immediately sent me back to set up my stall for everyone. Please forgive any shortcomings in my skills; I'll learn as quickly as possible!"
His words drew a burst of good-natured laughter and encouragement: "Little Huang can do it too! We believe in you!"
"Take your time, no rush, just don't overdo it!"
"Is Boss Liu supervising from behind? Haha!"
Liu Zhuohao stood at the side and behind the food cart, in a position where he could keep an eye on the stalls and also look at the food stalls.
He wasn't wearing an apron, his arms were crossed, and his gaze was calmly fixed on the every movement of the two people in front of him.
Huang Weixiong had been setting up a stall for some time before the business closed down.
But right now, it wasn't just him; Cheng Bing was also getting started.
He was standing in his original spot, deftly using tongs to flip the steak on the scalding hot plate.
Hearing the teasing from the group, Liu Zhuohao smiled and took half a step forward, then picked up the conversation in a steady voice:
'
Please be understanding and give them some practice.
"The usual rules continue today, and the benefits remain the same—"
He gestured to the conspicuous little box and register next to the food cart.
"Everyone who makes a purchase today can participate in a lucky draw after paying. The grand prize remains the same: a free chance to be the star of our next lucky customer's video shoot!"
"This time, in addition to lucky customers, I also invited a blogger who is somewhat well-known to participate in the shoot."
"For those fans who follow us on Bilibili, you can look forward to it, but I don't think there will be many, since our stall mainly serves our local regular customers."
An expectant buzz immediately rose from the crowd.
"Don't worry if you didn't win the grand prize."
Liu Zhuohao added, "The other prizes are general vouchers for the new store. If you win one now, you can use it as cash once my store opens. Register your phone number, and it's valid indefinitely. No deception!"
The promise of this voucher once again reassured customers.
As Liu Zhuohao spoke, his eyes never left Cheng Bing's workbench, since it was his first time helping out at the stall.
"There's not enough oil, add some more, to the side." He suddenly whispered a reminder, just loud enough for Cheng Bing to hear, "Preparing steak is different from cooking a whole cut, it has to be well-done, remember that, well-done!"
Cheng Bing was startled and immediately did as instructed.
"Flip it over, don't hesitate, the iron plate is hot enough."
Almost simultaneously, Liu Zhuohao gave another instruction, his tone calm but unquestionable: "Being fully cooked is one thing, but you need to control the cooking time on both sides."
Cheng Bing was completely focused, with beads of sweat on his forehead, but his movements became noticeably smoother after being reminded.
The counter next to him, managed by Huang Weixiong, was equally busy. He was already skilled at handling seasoned steaks and whole-cut steaks, and occasionally he would take a moment to glance over and give Cheng Bing an encouraging look.
Liu Zhuohao spoke up from time to time: "Pour the sauce over now, in a circle, don't pile it up in one place."
"There aren't any special cooking techniques for searing steak. You just need to follow the steps: how many seconds to sear each side, when to add the seasoning, and when to—"
He is gradually handing over the responsibilities of the stall to others.
Liu Zhuohao knew that in the coming days, besides filming videos, he would spend more time away from the stove and appear as the business owner rather than the chef who cooked the food himself.
He can cook, but he's never been a chef in the traditional sense.
Liu Zhuohao doesn't deliberately train his knife skills, nor does he deliberately practice tossing food in the wok. He doesn't study recipes, doesn't travel to different places just to find a dish that's unusual, and doesn't do many of the things a chef should do.
Researching food?
No, he prefers to savor delicious food.
Liu Zhuohao came from an unorthodox background, relying on standardized processes built up through countless practical experiences and internet data.
How many grams of black pepper, how many grams of salt, a spoonful of dark soy sauce, a few drops of sesame oil, how long to marinate, how many minutes to fry — this ensures a stable production of dishes that are not unpalatable, have good appearance, and are produced efficiently.
This was the foundation upon which he once stood, and it was also the reason why he was able to pass on his skills to Huang Weixiong, Cheng Bing, and others.
"Have a good meal, everyone!"
Seeing that Cheng Bing had gradually stabilized his pace and had handled several orders without any major mishaps, Liu Zhuohao slowly strolled around the limited space in front of his stall with his hands behind his back.
He smiled and greeted the diners, who were sitting on low stools and enjoying their meals, with familiarity, his gaze sweeping over the plates in front of them.
"How's the taste? Is it to your liking?"
A middle-aged man who looked like a regular customer swallowed the meat in his mouth and said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Boss Liu, to be honest, it doesn't taste as good as the one you cooked yourself."
"How could that be?" Liu Zhuohao waved his hand with a smile, as if chatting casually. "This kind of seasoned steak, to put it simply, is just about cooking the meat until it's done. There's no secret recipe."
"If you're interested, you can buy a few pieces of similar meat from me or the market, and try making it at home in a frying pan. You can do it pretty much the same way."
He did not hide his secret recipe.
"It's that simple?" A young customer next to him looked up curiously. "Boss Liu, aren't you afraid someone will learn this and steal your business?"
"What's there to be afraid of?" Liu Zhuohao raised his voice a little to make sure the customers queuing around him could hear him too. "What tutorials aren't available online these days? If you really want to learn, if you really want to find them, you can find tons of them with just a few clicks."
Besides—
'
He changed the subject, pointing to the long queue next to him that showed no signs of shortening, a helpless expression on his face: "It's actually a good thing that more people are willing to do this business; it can help me share the pressure."
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"Look at this line, so many people are waiting. I can't let everyone wait for nothing, I would feel bad about it."
"Wouldn't it be better if someone nearby set up a stall to sell it, or if they sold it at another night market? That would help spread the cravings and make sure everyone could get their hands on it without having to wait so long."