200: Free tasting

Once the old customers had mostly entered, the group of hype men finally found their opportunity and started making a scene.

Little did they know, as soon as they finished speaking, there was movement over at Food Under Heaven.

Several people dressed as chefs approached the exquisite chicken cages beneath the aquarium wall. They reached in and grabbed several large roosters.

"Everyone, to celebrate the opening of our Food Under Heaven, we are offering a free tasting today. We guarantee that all ingredients come from the Tongcheng Daqingshan Farm and Ranch. We will absolutely never use frozen goods or inferior products to deceive our consumers. We strive to present the highest quality."

After speaking, the chefs raised their knives and brought them down right in front of the crowd. The large roosters were slaughtered on the spot with practiced efficiency, and within just a few minutes, they were placed into the boiling water pots nearby.

Furthermore, to make it even easier for people to watch, the boiling pots were specially made from glass.

"What on earth is Food Under Heaven playing at?"

"I don't get it. I watched them add the water just now; it just boiled, and I didn't see them add any seasoning. Can something boiled in plain water even be edible?"

"Who knows? Maybe this is that legendary high-end ingredient that doesn't need any cooking at all."

"If they lack culinary skills, they should just admit it, instead of making a fool of themselves. They don't even know how to skim the scum off while boiling a chicken. It's truly unwatchable."

"I used to be a chef. Looking at them, it seems they want to make white cut chicken, but they are certainly too unprofessional. white cut chicken usually requires young chickens a few months old. Once they are too large or too old, the meat becomes tough. By throwing them all in like that, they have no way to control the heat. I'm certain the texture will be terrible."

"It's more than just terrible; just looking at this cooking method kills my appetite. Everyone, let's just leave. We came out to eat to enjoy good food, not to watch people make dark cuisine."

As the words fell, apart from those few who were jumping around the most, no one moved. This was because they had severely underestimated the appeal of the word "free."

Moreover, the free item today was chicken meat costing 100 per jin. Even if the cooking method was too crude, the chicken was slaughtered right before their eyes. If nothing else, the freshness alone gave them no reason to miss out.

Furthermore, during the boiling process, everyone was not idle. Guided by the waiters of Food Under Heaven, the crowd was surprised to discover that the areas inside and outside the store that looked like flower beds were actually planted with all kinds of vegetables. From time to time, kitchen staff would come out and, right in front of the seated guests, pluck one or two fresh, succulent vegetables, wash them simply, and put them into the pot.

"It really is picked fresh on the spot. If nothing else, in terms of freshness, Food Under Heaven is truly admirable."

"Yeah, it looks pretty good. I grow vegetables on my balcony and rooftop too, but theirs look much more succulent than the ones I grow."

"Succulent? Who knows if they used pesticides?" someone said sourly.

"Pesticides? They have such a large store open here and they are washing it in front of customers. If they had used pesticides, would they dare to just rinse it off and serve it? Can you use your brain before speaking? Do you really think everyone else is as brain-dead as you?"

"Hmph, just putting on an act. It doesn't mean the food made this way will taste any different; it's just a gimmick to sell at high prices. Look at the prices yourself—cabbage at 20 per jin. The fools inside are real idiots. And those patches of black soil, there's nothing in them, yet they dare to price it at 200 per jin. That's absolutely ridiculous."

"Wait, come to think of it, there really is something priced at 200 per jin. Premium termite mushroom? Where is the termite mushroom?"

As people noticed the price tags, they began to look around curiously. But after looking for a long time, they couldn't make heads or tails of it.

The waiter nearby, seeing that someone was finally curious, curled the corner of her mouth slightly. She picked up the watering can nearby and began to sprinkle water onto the soil.

"Everyone, our requirements for ingredients at Food Under Heaven are absolutely beyond your imagination. Take this termite mushroom, for example; it is at its most fresh and tender moment just as it emerges from the soil."

As the words fell, the beautiful waitress had already elegantly withdrawn the watering can and stood to the side again. The crowd looked into the soil, still not feeling like there was anything there. Just as they were about to speak, someone suddenly let out an exclamation.

"Look, something is actually growing out."

"Damn, is it really that magical? Must be special effects!"

"Awesome, mushrooms can be sold like this? I've really opened my eyes today."

In the eyes of the wide-eyed crowd, the patches of termite mushroom soil seemed to come alive, with small mounds of earth rising up. Subsequently, mushroom heads twisted and poked out one by one. Within a few short minutes, they grew to the length of a finger. On the caps of the termite mushrooms, there were even droplets of round water, looking delicate and dripping with freshness.

Following the exclamations of the crowd, the people who had already taken their seats to eat also noticed this scene. They, too, widened their eyes in shock.

"Brother Zhang, is this the surprise you told me about? Awesome! Our procurement department at Easy Dragon Pavilion has never bought anything like this. Growing on-site! If this could be replicated in our store, heaven knows how crazy the customers would be."

Young Master Guo stared at the termite mushrooms with burning eyes, full of astonishment. Zhang Aiguo was also full of surprise, constantly looking at Ye Tian, who was accompanying them at the table.

"Little Tian, has your experiment succeeded?"

"Yes, there are basically no issues left. I've been researching precise control for the past two days, and it's showing initial results."

"To be able to precisely control even the growth time and still call it 'initial results'—Little Tian, you are too modest."

"Hehe, it really still lacks a bit of refinement. Being able to achieve this effect is just due to using some small tricks."

"Is it triggered by the water?" At the table, the old man also felt a bit of surprise. He didn't expect that in just these few days, Ye Tian had actually researched something significant.

"Yes, I discovered these past few days that after the termite mushrooms reach the stage of breaking through the soil, there is an incubation period of up to half a day. During this time, as long as you control the moisture level, you can shorten this time to achieve the effect of direct breakthrough. So, I cultivated these termite mushrooms last night using small white ball bacteria."

"Interesting. It's a pity you aren't following me to do research, kid," the old man laughed.

"Specialization is key. With you here, old man, how could it ever be my turn to do research?"

"Little Tian, these price tags of yours today—they were intentional, right?" Beside him, Zhao Rubing's eyes flashed with brightness as she couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, although our products are making their first appearance, the quality is there. Using them to demonstrate professionalism is absolutely no problem."

"That's right, Director Zhao. This is also the consensus I reached after discussing with Little Tian. Inviting Young Master Guo over this time is to further build momentum. When the time comes, your Food Under Heaven, my Imperial Treasure Pavilion, and Young Master Guo's Easy Dragon Pavilion will all use such special labeling, so that whenever people see Tongcheng Daqingshan Farm and Ranch, they will think of high-end, perfect quality. And I believe that as the labeling gains traction, more high-end catering companies will definitely get involved."

"Thank you, everyone!" Zhao Rubing smiled with relief and nodded at Zhang Aiguo and Young Master Guo.

"Director Zhao is too polite. Being able to cooperate with you here in Copper City is our honor. With the quality output from your side, we are the true beneficiaries in every aspect. It is completely a win-win situation."

"I wish you a happy cooperation."

The private room was harmonious. On the street, it was clamorous with voices. The atmosphere at the scene did not diminish with the passage of time.

After witnessing the magic of the termite mushrooms, the crowd had become completely interested in this mysterious Food Under Heaven. After some observation, more good ingredients were discovered by the crowd.

"Damn, I thought chicken at 100 per jin was already incredible, but look at what I found? A goose for 3000?"

"This goose is so big. Could it be the legendary Lions Head Goose?"

"What else could it be? Besides the Lions Head Goose, what goose would dare to sell so expensively? And the size of this Lions Head Goose is even larger than what I've seen before. Look at the flesh bumps on it; it's simply top-notch. I feel that chicken at 100 per jin is indeed a bit expensive, but if the quality of this Lions Head Goose is worth 3000 each, it's actually quite reasonable."

"If the Lions Head Goose is 3000 each, I accept it. But can anyone tell me what that chicken over there priced at 5000 each is? Is it a fighting chicken?"

"Dizzy, there really is a chicken priced at 5000. That chicken... damn, has all its meat grown onto its chicken feet? How did they get so thick? Can it still walk?"

"Awesome. Just looking at the thickness of those chicken feet, I don't even dare to imagine what it would feel like to eat it."

"So scary. The chicken is scary, and the price is scary too. Have I been out of touch with the world for too long? How come I've never seen these ingredients?"

"That's called a dongtao chicken, a special divine chicken from the Nanyue region. Because the difficulty of breeding it is too high, the price has always been very high. It usually only appears in high-end restaurants. A single leg can easily sell for two or three thousand. For them to sell such a large chicken for only five thousand, it can be considered a conscientious price."

"Five thousand? Conscientious price? Alright, it seems it's not their fault; it's my fault—I'm too poor. But I want to know, it's just food, is it really worth spending such an exorbitant price to eat it?"

Thump, thump, thump! The crowd was still discussing. On the cutting board in front, however, came a sound of chopping. The first batch of chickens that went into the pot had now been fished out. From beginning to end, the person in charge of cooking seemed to have only added a little salt. But now that they were fished out, they appeared glossy and smooth, very tempting.

The chopping master's knife skills were also good. A chicken was cut into small pieces evenly and neatly according to the parts in just a few strokes. Then, a waiter immediately carried it to the long, snow-white display table. And in the plates, they placed a handful of exquisite bamboo skewers.

"Everyone, the free tasting of free-range mountain chicken from Tongcheng Daqingshan Farm and Ranch officially begins. However, due to the excessive number of people, everyone can taste two pieces at a time. If you still want to eat, you can continue to queue."

As the words fell, many waiters also brought up plates. The audience, who had been waiting for a long time, could no longer hold back at this moment and quickly squeezed into lines according to the tables. Fortunately, everyone saw that there were still plenty of chickens in the pots being cooked one after another, so there was no need to worry about not getting any today. That was why there was no commotion caused by fighting for positions.

In the private room, those old customers who were still waiting for their dishes were also attracted by the attention at this moment and looked outside. Soon, the first few people in line simultaneously skewered two pieces of chicken on bamboo skewers, with smiles on their faces. Because they were the first to choose, they naturally could grab the best parts. They uniformly took the two thickest pieces of meat from the chicken leg area. They tentatively bit them into their mouths, with slightly frowning expressions. Because it was hard to imagine whether chicken boiled in plain water was actually good or not.

However, the next moment, several people were stunned on the spot. The chewing motions in their mouths also became faster and faster. Their eyes flashed with sharp brilliance.

"Say, brother, you've got the chicken, move along. Why are you standing there?" The person behind waited for a long time without seeing the person in front move, and couldn't help but start urging.

"Mm, okay, okay, I'm going now." Saying that, the person stared straight at the chicken in front of him and moved his feet with difficulty. Very reluctant to leave.

"How is it, brother? Is the chicken at 100 per jin good?"

"Is it good? ...It's not good, it tastes terrible. Everyone, let's disperse; stop queuing." The person swallowed the last bit of chicken, speaking with conviction. Then he quickly ran to the back of the line to queue again.

"Damn, it's not good, and you're still queuing?"

"This scumbag, shameless."

The crowd, who had originally started to feel disappointed upon hearing the person's words, perked up and laughed out loud. Their footsteps became even firmer.

Soon, the line began to move. From the front of the queue, exclamations could be heard continuously. Then, one could see figures quickly running to the back of the line.

Five minutes passed. Ten minutes passed. The crowd, who should have dispersed after finishing the tasting, didn't leave at all. And as more and more people joined, the tasting line became larger and larger.

"Brother, which part did you eat just now? I ate the chicken wing; it was so fresh, fragrant, and Q-bouncy. I never imagined that chicken could be this delicious. That fragrance, even after eating it, could linger in the mouth for a long time."

"Yeah, I was unlucky. When it was my turn, the good parts were all skewered, leaving only chicken breast. But that chicken breast really amazed me. Boiled in plain water, with only salt, but it made me eat the feeling of a chicken leg. Fresh, tender, and juicy. One bite, and it has both texture and fragrance. It's the first time I've known that chicken meat really not being fresh is directly related to the taste."

"This is what the Cantonese mean by 'chicken has the flavor of chicken.' No, that's not right. The flavor of this chicken has far exceeded the chicken flavor I know; there is absolutely no comparison. The most critical point is that their quality is truly up to standard and absolutely healthy. From beginning to end, there was no cover-up at all. I previously thought they were shooting themselves in the foot, but now it seems I am the most ignorant one."

"Yeah, yeah, only after eating it do I know that this chicken at 100 per jin is truly worth it. If you don't have enough financial strength, buying a jin to eat is definitely a treat. This is real gourmet food."

"Come to think of it, if it can be bought by the jin, it's not like it can't be eaten. Since I've spent the money, I'm really willing to pay for this kind of quality. It's just a pity about those geese at thousands each and the whatever dongtao chicken. If only I could taste them."