Chapter 36

Chapter 36 – What? Chen Ran ran away?

Under the Best Actor’s video, netizens were frantically trying to figure out what had happened that day.

“Was anyone there at the time? This looks like it was from the day the variety show was filmed!”

“Why did the show only show Teacher Bai Jing and the Best Actor getting caught? This part wasn’t in there at all!”

“Come on, this is still Peach Blossom Spring, a food show—of course they’re not going to advertise other restaurants.”

“Just look at the number of people lining up—you can tell it was a hit. This episode of Peach Blossom Spring was filmed at a scenic spot, right? For a restaurant to blow up like that in a tourist area, it must be really good.”

Someone questioned: “Could this all be marketing?”

Immediately, many others jumped in to mock the skeptical comment: “Marketing? How much would it cost to hire the Best Actor for marketing? That shot was so iconic, no way it was staged.”

Another person replied with a newly made Best Actor meme: “Even if it’s marketing, who would pick a place like that? Look at that line! It’s hopeless now—anyone who’s eaten there, please tell us what it actually is!”

There had been a ton of people in line that day, not to mention Lu Bei—the bell pepper guy—who gained a bit of fame at school after the episode aired. Soon, many people learned that the little place that made the Best Actor drool was halfway up the mountain in a scenic area.

And what made the Best Actor crave like that… was a simple clear-braised pork knuckle.

“Isn’t that the same dish Chef Lü makes?”

“No, how good does a pork knuckle have to be for so many people to line up? And it’s limited to four slices per person? Four slices would be gone in a single bite!”

A bunch of students from Xinhua Vocational Institute jumped in to passionately speak up, and soon, everyone was shocked again.

“The one who made the pork knuckle—is that the same chef who wrapped a pancake while catching a fugitive? No way, such a coincidence?”

“But wasn’t that fugitive-catching pancake video taken down across the internet?”

“Dude, you really don’t get how things work here. The ones that get taken down—those are the real videos! And there was no official denial either. Think about why. I can’t wait anymore, I’m booking a flight now!”

“If it could make the Best Actor show that expression, then the pancake that caught the fugitive probably wasn’t a publicity stunt either. Wasn’t it an egg-filled pancake that time? I can’t imagine how fragrant that knuckle must be to make him crave like that with just a few slices wrapped in an egg pancake…”

“Stop it already!”

Besides the heated discussion, the comments were flooded with memes of the Best Actor.

The assistant looked at the memes worriedly and asked the Best Actor, “What should we do about this? Should we report the video and get it taken down?”

“Report it for what?” said the Best Actor, Qian Jun, seemingly unfazed. After all, he was originally a comedic actor. “It’s great! And now that there are memes, I can’t suffer this loss for nothing. Go get in line for that knuckle for me, would you?”

“No way,” the assistant said firmly, “Your agent made it clear: no more gaining weight!”

“What do you mean, gaining weight! What do you mean! Isn’t it totally normal for middle-aged men to get some fullness in their cheeks?”

Qian Jun sucked in his stomach hard: “Look, I can still pull this in flat. How am I fat?”

The assistant had to switch tactics: “Even if I go line up now, it’s probably too late. I heard you have to head straight up the mountain as soon as the park opens to even get a chance. We can’t eat it now, the show’s over. Should I book you a ticket? There’s good pork knuckle in the capital too!”

“Sigh, why is my life so hard? The people using my memes probably already got to eat it, and me? I just got a whiff…”

Qian Jun collapsed onto the bed in despair. The more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt, and finally decided to delay his return to Beijing by a day. “Book the ticket for the day after tomorrow! Tomorrow’s a workday—college kids have class, office workers are back at work. I’ll line up for that knuckle and then go back!”

“But your weight…”

Qian Jun rolled his eyes: “Fine, I won’t take the cable car, I’ll walk up. Walking up the mountain for four slices of knuckle—how would that make me fat? Do some homework for me. Find out what else that place has that’s good.”The little assistant couldn’t win against the Best Actor. But she had also gone up halfway with him during the Peach Blossom Spring filming—after all that climbing, four slices of pork knuckle really didn’t matter anymore.

Early the next morning, the two of them disguised themselves, wearing full-coverage sun-protective clothing that covered their faces entirely, ready to start climbing.

The Yanglian Mountain scenic area opened at 6 AM daily, and a lot of people were already gathered there, waiting to hike up and try the legendary pork knuckle.

“Did you guys see that video of Qian Jun? What he smelled seemed to be this very pork knuckle!”

“I came here just because of that video! But from what I saw, there were tons of people lining up in front of that shop…”

Qian Jun couldn’t help pulling down part of his sun protection hood to listen, hearing a local from Xinhua proudly saying, “That Chef Chen used to work at the kindergarten downstairs from us—the aroma of her lion’s head meatballs… Whenever lunch was ready, it was so fragrant I’d wake up from my nap!”

“With skills like that, why is she always moving around? Even working at a kindergarten? Why not open her own place?”

Nobody knew the answer to that, so the conversation kept circling around Chen Ran’s signature dishes.

Soon, Qian Jun had memorized them: the clear-braised pork knuckle was one, but only a few slices per person were allowed. Guobaorou (crispy sweet and sour pork) was another, but only if the shop wasn’t too busy. There was also sour plum spare ribs, now sold only in small portions.

“While you’re in line, make sure to look into the kitchen. If you can catch Chef Chen making guobaorou live, it’ll be totally worth the trip. That wok work is faster than me playing with a yo-yo!”

It was almost 6 o’clock. As soon as the scenic area gates opened, the previously cheerful crowd went silent and began silently climbing the mountain!

Even though people could queue to buy small portions of sour plum ribs and pork knuckle, it was still just a tiny shop! Getting a seat and eating a full meal inside would be brag-worthy for days.

Startled, Qian Jun quickly grabbed his assistant and started up the mountain.

In the small halfway-uphill shop, Chen Ran had already gotten up at 4 AM. The auntie had also woken at 4, yawning heavily.

She looked at Chen Ran hesitantly. “Hey… Ran, are you leaving tomorrow?”

Auntie really liked Chen Ran and enjoyed cooking with her. She especially loved the staff meals Chen Ran made every day.

But… she was just too tired!

“Yes,” Chen Ran nodded. “You’re free starting tomorrow!”

Chen Ran was actually quite fond of this auntie, and felt a bit guilty about dragging her into such exhausting days.

“It was actually pretty good at first. I mean, I even got a share of the profits from the shop,” Auntie said, rubbing her still aching lower back. “But now I realize—some money’s just too hard to earn!”

Chen Ran chuckled, “Auntie, it’s not your fault. Normally, with this level of customer traffic, a place like this should have at least two floors. Inside and out, you’d need at least ten staff.”

“You really know your stuff. Auntie thinks with your skills, you’ll open your own big restaurant someday!”

Chen Ran smiled.

She did want to open her own place, but judging by the system, it probably wasn’t happening anytime soon.

Effortlessly picking up a pork knuckle, under the glint of the knife, Chen Ran swiftly disassembled it from the inside while leaving the outer skin perfectly intact.

Satisfied, she nodded.

The Double-S recipe system had elevated her skills across the board. She even felt like her knife skills were on the verge of a breakthrough—but she just couldn’t quite catch that elusive spark of insight.

After getting a few knuckles on the stove to stew, Chen Ran, who hadn’t done this in a while, asked the system in her mind, “Hey system, shouldn’t my next skill task be issued by now?”

Auntie’s question had reminded her—she still hadn’t decided where to go next. Shouldn’t the system give her a hint?

She asked the system, “Back then, how did Chef Chen—the god of cooks—do it? Just go wherever, no plan? Give me some direction, please. That was in the Republic era! It’s not like there were a ton of restaurants back then!”Combining the tales of how the Culinary God Chen once traveled everywhere doing odd kitchen jobs, along with the system’s comment about reclaiming the spatula, Chen Ran had already guessed: back then, Chen the Culinary God's cooking skills were likely taught by the system in this very same way.

Before the system could reply, Chen Ran angrily jabbed at the system panel twice, glanced at the crowd slowly climbing up the mountain, and began prepping for the day.

As more diners visited, people gradually figured out strategies for dealing with this small scenic spot restaurant.

The assistant had found the exact guide for Qian Jun yesterday—the one with tens of thousands of bookmarks.

First, you had to start hiking early. If there were any available seats inside, grab one right away. If not, take a number.

The waitlist for tables and the queue for pork knuckle and sour plum ribs were handled separately—visitors had to get both numbers.

The ones who had the stamina to hike up early just to eat here were mostly regulars by now. They were all familiar with the routine, heading in to grab seats without needing to be told. Some even came out to voluntarily maintain order.

“Stop crowding—don’t delay Chef Chen’s cooking! I’ll hand out numbers today, everyone stand properly!”

“Where’s the little red flag from yesterday? I’ll help you give out numbers too… oh, here it is.”

“Did Qingjiao-ge show up yet? Haha, you’re behind me in line today!”

Most of them were already part of a group chat. Only a few came because they saw the Best Actor’s video. The whole process of lining up had turned into something more like a massive social event.

Qingjiao-ge liked this scene the most. He was a sophomore in college, feeling a bit lost in life. Unexpectedly, while waiting in line, he met a senior majoring in a related field.

The two had a deep exchange. Qingjiao-ge and his roommate were now both preparing to enroll in a training course recommended by that senior.

“What’s the big deal about lining up? I’ve got Jiu-ge! He saved me a seat inside. I’m going to order my all-time favorite—tiger-skin green peppers—like crazy today!”

Chen Ran overheard from inside and smiled: “No problem!”

Today was her last day at the small restaurant. Qingjiao-ge had helped maintain order so diligently—making him some tiger-skin green peppers as a treat felt right.

However, her basic skills still hadn’t leveled up. Even though she made the dish with care, it lacked the brilliance of those from the system's recipe book.

When the dish was done, a line of small text hovered above it:

[A passable tiger-skin green pepper dish]

“System, you see this? How am I supposed to improve like this?”

Chen Ran’s fundamental skills were now all at B-level. As officially recognized entry-level skills for a system-approved chef, they ensured every dish came out “passable.”

Under her gaze, the line of text slowly changed:

[A tiger-skin green pepper dish with slightly excessive oil, overly soft texture, lacking in visual appeal but with acceptable flavor]

Chen Ran’s face darkened.

This system really embodied the idea of “never-ending curiosity” in every function, didn’t it?

Every time she complained, the system would reveal some new detail.

Still, this wasn’t the time to bicker with it.

Chen Ran looked at Qingjiao-ge and the group of programmers at his table animatedly chatting. She quietly took the plate of tiger-skin green peppers away, planning to eat it as part of the staff lunch.

She washed a new batch of peppers and, after some thought, decided to change the prep method from deep-frying to low-oil pan-searing.

Generally, tiger-skin green peppers are pan-seared in home cooking, while restaurants—since they don’t worry about wasting oil or fire and prioritize speed—tend to use deep-frying.The cleaned green peppers had their stems removed, were first crushed slightly with a knife, then pan-seared until they developed the tiger-skin texture, and finally stir-fried with sauce reduction.

This time, the evaluation result for the tiger-skin green peppers became [a refreshing and appetizing plate of tiger-skin green peppers].

Chen Ran nodded in satisfaction. Looks like she could rely on this evaluation feature to improve going forward!

However, today was destined to be too busy for her to refine every single dish. Just remaking the tiger-skin green peppers was already pushing her limits.

The auntie washing dishes was practically leaving afterimages with her hands!

“Ranran, let me tell you, my son does catering for rural banquets. I’ve helped him before, and even then, I’ve never washed this many dishes!”

Chen Ran nodded in heartfelt agreement. Next time she looked for a job, she’d definitely choose a restaurant with more help.

“Let’s just bear with it for now. It’ll all be over tomorrow. Tonight, I’ll go post a notice saying I won’t be here starting tomorrow.”

Chen Ran thought she was being very considerate—if she posted the announcement about closing down in the morning, the shop would definitely descend into chaos!

To make sure everyone could eat in peace, it was better to announce it later in the day.

But plans never keep up with changes.

Qian Jun, who had sprinted up the mountain, was lucky enough to snatch a seat inside the restaurant!

The assistant was quietly texting the agent with her phone, both of them thinking that letting Qian Jun come for this meal actually seemed like a pretty good idea. At the very least, Qian Jun would never willingly spend this long on a stair-stepper at the gym.

Power-hiking up the mountain for over thirty minutes, then sitting down to eat four slices of pork knuckle before power-walking back down? For someone like Qian Jun who couldn’t resist snacking, this practically counted as a weight-loss plan!

If only all of Qian Jun’s favorite restaurants were halfway up a mountain—or no, right at the summit!

“Auntie, we’ll take two portions of every dish that comes in servings. Then one extra plate of sweet and sour crispy pork, yes, and two bowls of rice, one plate of lettuce with oyster sauce…”

Nothing seemed off while Qian Jun was ordering. But once he started eating, the unexpected happened.

After all, wearing a sun hoodie and face cover while ordering was a bit odd but acceptable. But keeping the face cover on even while eating? That just looked too strange…

Strange or not, the real kicker was that the moment he was pulled out of his panda hood had already been turned into a viral reaction meme—replayed countless times by netizens! That made his lower face especially recognizable.

Worst of all, seated at the next table was none other than Qingjiao-ge.

The senior was mid-sentence when he suddenly noticed Qingjiao-ge’s gaze drifting to the side. Following his line of sight, the senior instantly recognized the actor.

He got excited.

“Qian Jun! Teacher Qian! I’m a huge fan of yours—I’ve paid for tickets to every single one of your films! Please sign something for me!”

What? Qian Jun?

As both a comedian and a Best Actor winner, Qian Jun’s nationwide recognition was undisputed. Besides, in this restaurant—where everyone had probably seen the famous clip of the panda head slowly being pulled off—who hadn’t recognized him?

Some people had even been present when it happened live!

Phones were already coming out to film!

The assistant thought to herself, Oh no. But she was used to situations like this—after all, this wasn’t the first time Qian Jun had been caught sneaking into a viral food spot.

At least this time, he had his assistant with him.

“All right, all right, everyone, let’s take group photos in an orderly manner. Short videos are fine too, but please try to post them later, okay? Please understand, Teacher Qian Jun is just a hardworking, dedicated actor…”Qian Jun was now middle-aged. The public image his company had been shaping for him was gradually transitioning toward that of a beloved veteran artist, so in situations like this, it was better to stay approachable—strong-arm tactics wouldn’t be appropriate.

But being approachable often meant lacking authority. So every time Qian Jun got recognized, it would quickly lead to a massive crowd of onlookers.

Qian Jun sighed and decided to pack everything to go—there was no way he could eat here now.

However, what the two didn’t expect this time was that the crowd was surprisingly cooperative!

“Don’t worry! We’ll just take a photo and post it in a few days! If you’re still worried, I’ll turn my phone off right after taking the picture!”

“Exactly, it’s already hard enough to get a spot at this tiny shop. If Teacher Qian gets posted online…”

“Yeah, I probably have to wait hours for a seat today. If more people show up, I’ll never make it.”

The two girls who were waiting in line to take a photo with the Best Actor shivered in unison at the thought of an even longer queue.

What an unexpected blessing!

Qian Jun was a little touched.

In the past, whenever he visited a popular spot to eat, he’d almost always end up packing his food. But the dishes from these trendy restaurants usually weren’t suitable for takeaway.

Especially this time—the sweet and sour crispy pork…

He’d just seen Chen Ran prepare the dish! That bold, sweeping wok-tossing motion, that pristine plate served without a drop of excess sauce—if he couldn’t eat it fresh and hot on the spot, it would be such a shame.

“Thank you, everyone! I’ll eat quickly and free up the seat right after!”

And in this shop, not only did he not have to worry about being swarmed, he even noticed… everyone seemed to want him to leave early so they wouldn’t be held up in line.

Qian Jun took a big bite of the crispy pork. His mood, like the dish, was both sour and sweet. The sweet part was finally being able to enjoy his meal. The sour part… was realizing he didn’t even compare to a plate of sweet and sour pork?

He took another huge bite, savoring the perfect crispiness, and had to admit—

All right, it really was better than him.

He quickly finished eating, quickly took photos, quickly got ready to leave. The smoothness of it all nearly brought Qian Jun to tears.

He even had his assistant pull out his phone and add Qingjiao-ge’s group on WeChat. Qingjiao-ge patted his chest and promised, “Don’t worry, everyone in this group has been screened! They’re all real food lovers. Scalpers were kicked out ages ago!”

Seeing the group name display “Chen Ran Fan Group 6,” Qian Jun broke out in a cold sweat inside. He never imagined the first fan group he’d ever join wouldn’t be for a triple-award-winning actor or a Cannes-winning actress—but a chef.

And what’s more, he joined it willingly!

Before leaving, he even ran over to Chen Ran and asked, “Chef Chen, can we add each other on WeChat? I promise I won’t ask for special treatment!”

They both paused in silence for a moment.

Qian Jun hadn’t expected he’d ever have to make this kind of promise to anyone. Chen Ran hadn’t expected someone this famous would take the initiative to add her on WeChat.

“Sure,” she said readily, pulling out her phone and scanning the code with Qian Jun. “How were the dishes?”

Qian Jun gave a double thumbs-up, then pulled his face cover back on. “Absolutely amazing!”

Whether it was the superb quality of the dishes or the warm atmosphere of the little shop, Qian Jun couldn’t help but want to relive the experience again and again.

Especially that pork knuckle—unbelievably delicious!

He’d heard that Lü Yi had trained under Uncle Chen of Zhiwei Zhai for his braised pork knuckle. He’d tasted Uncle Chen’s cooking too, but compared to this young chef—it felt like something extra had been added.Chen Boduan’s pork knuckle revealed layers of rich aroma and the interplay of various vegetables enhancing the flavor.

But Chen Ran’s version of clear-braised pork knuckle—what came through was only the pure, sincere fragrance of the knuckle itself.

Yes, he was willing to use the somewhat lofty word “sincerity” to praise this dish.

Ultimate simplicity—that was all.

Qian Jun couldn’t help adding, “Chef Chen, I won’t bother you anymore! I’ll come again tomorrow!”

The assistant behind him heard that and exaggeratedly spread his hands in helplessness, then turned to follow the Best Actor out.

But Qian Jun’s hope was destined to be disappointed.

After a whole day of work, dozens of pork knuckles were sold out, even the broth was completely given away. While there were still a few customers left, Chen Ran pasted a huge piece of paper on the door.

“Chef has changed.”

She had thought it over and decided this was the best wording. Writing “I’m leaving” sounded too arrogant. Saying “Don’t bother lining up tomorrow” would seem to belittle the next chef.

Simply writing “Chef has changed” would do just fine!

The few remaining customers were no longer core members of the Chen Ran fan group, and the line committee members had already left. When they saw the notice Chen Ran posted, they quickly took photos and shared them in the group, unable to hold back their questions.

“Chef Chen, why are you leaving again!”

“Where are you going this time? You’ve got to leave us a hint, right?”

“Yeah! You cook so well—why not just open your own little shop?”

One person who clearly knew something couldn’t help but try to persuade her further: “Now that you’re so well-known, you don’t need to worry about the Chen family pulling any tricks anymore, right?”

After all, this was the era of social media!

With everything Chen Ran had done—meatballs at the kindergarten, catching a fugitive at the pancake stall, feeding the Best Actor so well—she was basically the god of food in this online age! If she opened her own shop, she’d be a traffic magnet. Who would dare mess with her openly?

Chen Ran didn’t want to explain that she still had a main mission from the system. She’d only completed five work tasks so far.

She could only push the story back onto the legendary Chef Chen.

“Our Chen family’s ancestral Chef God traveled the world, refining his culinary skills in small shops everywhere. I want to follow in his footsteps.”

Chen Ran remembered a line from Chen Yuncong that she had once scoffed at but kept in mind all this time: “Chef Chen had a saying—A chef mustn’t believe ‘you can’t please everyone.’ A chef’s job is to make everyone pleased.”

She adjusted her chef’s hat and put on a fresh pair of disposable gloves. “At the very least, I need to see just how hard it is to please everyone, right?”

Someone couldn’t help capturing her saying that, and posted the clip in the fan group.

Suddenly, the group became lively.

“Ran-jie is amazing! No wonder her pork knuckle is so incredible!”

“No wonder her skills are so good at such a young age!”

“Have you guys noticed? Chef Chen seems kind of disconnected from society—maybe she spends all her time cooking?”

As everyone actively chatted in the group, someone suddenly noticed something unusual…“Wait, pay attention to the key phrase! ‘To witness how hard it is to cater to all tastes’... doesn’t that mean…”

Green Pepper Bro had also realized it!

“Crap, Chef Chen is running off again!”

Everyone started tagging the group member who first posted the video. That member was still immersed in the touching moment, feeling emotional and helping Chen Ran close up the shop, even accompanying her down the mountain and into the car—only then did she notice the messages in the group.

Thousands of tags!

She finally realized—she had been so moved she forgot to ask where Chen Ran was heading next!

“…Yes, I just saw Chef Chen off. She’s already left Yanglianshan.”

The group was filled with people wailing and lamenting. Green Pepper Bro went crazy—why did he have to go back to the dorm to play games today?

Would skipping one ranked match have killed him? No. But missing one serving of Chen Ran’s pork knuckle? That really would make him cry!

Ji You, with a profile picture that didn’t match her personality, spoke in the group: “It’s fine. Let’s think about what to do next time we encounter this situation.”

She calmly analyzed the current state: “It’s clear from the video that Chef Chen is firmly set on improving her skills by cooking in various places. So let’s look at it another way.”

“A lot of group members have been complaining that Yanglianshan is too far. If Chef Chen comes to their cities instead, wouldn’t that be more convenient? So the biggest issue now is that we need to quickly figure out where she’s headed.”

Ji You knew that Ms. Wang was very eager to shape Chen Ran into the new generation of celebrity chefs, to overthrow the male-dominated chef world.

As a seasoned assistant and a loyal fan of Chen Ran, Ji You was quietly moving the plan forward.

“I suggest we first share this video clip of Chen Ran to help build up her reputation! Then, everyone can stay alert for any sudden food hype locally. If we go at it from both ends, we’ll definitely be the first to discover Chef Chen’s next stop!”

“Also, the friend who just sent her off—please report what kind of car she took and which direction it was heading!”

“We also have group members who are good at persuasive wording and writing. They can draft some posts so next time we catch Chef Chen on the move, we can express our care while discreetly figuring out where she’s going!”

After Ji You’s few messages were posted, the whole group was stunned.

So professional! This foodie group was full of hidden talents from all walks of life!

“Got it! I’m writing something now!”

“I have a few thousand followers—I’ll share the video!”

“Hold on—don’t repost just yet! Let me edit it first. I’ll make sure our Chef Chen looks amazing!”

Wan Jiaxin was the first to act. Before writing her copy, she quickly forwarded Ji You’s suggestions to a few other groups.

Like Ji You, she wasn’t just acting out of foodie obsession—Zhao Dajun had also told her to keep an eye on Chen Ran. As the two of them exchanged ideas, they found their goals aligned and ended up adding each other as friends.

And so, without Chen Ran even realizing it, an invisible net had already quietly spread.

At this moment, she had followed the system’s hard-won clue to a lavish-looking street in the neighboring city.

“You sure it’s here?”

After completing her last job, Chen Ran had argued with the system the whole way about whether mainline missions should include rewards.

In the end, the annoyed system gave her a work location tip, and also a mission to improve her seasoning skills.

But… this new workplace looked kind of suspicious, didn’t it?Chen Ran walked along the street and finally saw a job posting.

"White Swan KTV is hiring one kitchen staff member. Monthly salary: 6000+, three-day probation. Permanent position upon passing."

KTV? Isn’t this workplace a bit suspicious this time?