Soaring Reputation

Chapter 187 Soaring Reputation

As expected, just one day later, all sorts of rumors began to circulate in the city.

Just as Master had feared, some people with ulterior motives began to use the medicine as a pretext to spread rumors.

Seeing that there were suddenly fewer people in front of the hot pot restaurant on the third day, Zhu Zhu was anxious from upstairs. She saw Fang Shi and Zhu Huan'e sitting there as if nothing had happened, and she became even more anxious.

"What's the rush?"

Fang Shi felt her intense gaze, calmly took a sip of tea, and said, "Eating too much of anything can get boring. Don't underestimate a person's ability to adapt. Even the most delicious food can't be eaten every day."

Moreover, in order to prevent the situation that his master mentioned, "taking too much medicine will harm the body," he had already taken preventive measures when he was researching the recipe. Although this soup is fragrant, it is actually very easy to get tired of it. In addition, the medicinal properties of the soup also have a nourishing effect on the body, which will further stimulate the body's instinctive food selection function.

This has three advantages.

Firstly, as mentioned yesterday, hot pot restaurants have limited space and can barely accommodate half a street's worth of people. If people don't get tired of the food, some wealthy individuals will come every day and fill up the seats, which will actually crowd out other ordinary diners and prevent more people from enjoying hot pot.

Secondly, as Master worried, taking too much medicine can harm the body. So, once diners have eaten the medicinal food, within three meals, their bodies will be nourished, reducing their craving for medicinal food. In addition, the food is rich and greasy, so they will control themselves and not overeat.

This is actually a kind of side effect, a sign that the body is overloaded and about to be burdened. However, Fang Shi makes this greasy sign even stronger by selecting raw materials, so that diners will consciously restrain themselves before they actually overeat. This is much more effective than the restaurant's own hard work in advertising. Some of the inspiration comes from his previous life when he first started working and didn't know how to cook. He ate too much instant noodles and the essence of that first bowl being incredibly delicious, but the second bowl making him want to vomit is still fresh in his memory.

The third benefit is for other restaurants and eateries in the city. Although he mainly distributes small stir-fries and side dishes, these dishes have been genuinely tested by the culinary world of his previous life. Compared to dishes like medicinal hot pot that rely on the advantages of raw materials, these side dishes depend more on the chefs' skills. Even if the restaurants steal recipes from each other later, the final taste will vary depending on the chef, giving diners who are tired of hot pot many choices.

Even the richness of hot pot can make the side dishes more refreshing and delicious for diners, creating a mutually beneficial relationship between hot pot restaurants and other restaurants.

In conclusion, monopolies are always short-sighted and detrimental; only by allowing diners throughout the city to move around can the catering industry truly thrive.

That is why Zhu Huan'e remained as calm as Fang Shi.

When it comes to spreading rumors, Dan's shop is large and powerful, so there's nowhere it can't use some methods.

Only when other businesses realize this situation can hot pot restaurants truly enter the Emerald City food scene, become a recognized part of the industry, and stop being targeted in the future.

Inside the Kuaiyi Restaurant.

"What?!"

The innkeeper, who was full of anticipation, was waiting for his servant to bring back good news, but what he received this morning was that no one had any problems eating hot pot.

As usual, it was that unlucky waiter who said in great fear, "Yes, boss, our people have been asking around, observing customers coming and going near the entrance of the hot pot restaurant, and even keeping watch at some clinics, but no one has had any problems eating there."

The shopkeeper, refusing to believe it, slammed his chair back and excitedly emerged from behind the counter, his furious face almost touching the servant's: "Not a single one?!"

"Yes—not only did they not find one, but the other group of people who went to find an alchemist also failed to find one willing to accept money. Shopkeeper, I'm afraid that the proprietress has already used the name of the Xuan Dan Sect to make contact with various forces in the city. We—we—we'd better not get involved in this mess."

"roll!"

The manager wouldn't listen to a word, and sat back down behind the counter, muttering to himself, "Is my family's restaurant, which has been passed down for three generations, going to fall apart in my hands?"

"Shopkeeper—" This servant was indeed loyal; he didn't leave even after being scolded.

He had lived in this restaurant since he was a child, and he had a deep affection for it. He still felt that he should study the recipes given to him by that little immortal. It was clear that the manager was so stubborn, yet he dared not speak up.

Just then, another servant boy returned from outside the door to inquire about something.

The shopkeeper quickly perked up and asked, "How is it? Is there good news? Or did someone get sick after eating hot pot?"

"No," the servant shook his head, but before the shopkeeper could get angry, he added, "but it is indeed good news."

"Then hurry up and tell us!" The servant beside him urged, seeing that he was still keeping him in suspense.

The waiter later said, "It's other restaurants. Many customers who were taken away by that hot pot restaurant have come back today, and those regulars who had eaten at the hot pot restaurant were full of praise after trying their new dishes—Manager, business is back!"

"How is that possible?" The shopkeeper felt it was unreal. "The hot pot broth was so delicious. If you ate that, how could you possibly eat those stir-fried dishes?"

The waiter said, "According to the diners at Fulai Restaurant, hot pot is delicious, but after eating it twice in a row, it gets a bit greasy. Although it still smells good, it doesn't have much of an appetite. On the contrary, stir-fried dishes are more refreshing and pleasant, and they are still quite tasty."

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper pondered for a few seconds and then suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. To have considered such details so early on, that's quite a clever plan."

The image of the boy as a wicked cultivator immediately vanished, replaced by a sense of admiration.

"You two, hurry to the kitchen and tell the chefs to study the recipes the little fairy gave you carefully. They not only need to make the dishes in the recipes, but also to understand the principles behind them and create even more dishes, understand?"

"Yes!" The servants breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the manager had finally given up his obsession.

"That shopkeeper, he's been spreading those rumors outside—"

The shopkeeper simply shook his head and said, "Just don't give any more away."

This kind of thing is not only wrong, but even if you feel guilty, you can't go to apologize in person. You can only give up and not do it again.

Ultimately, it's still a competitive relationship between peers. But now that they've discovered they can coexist, there's no need to cause trouble. As for a friendly demeanor? Let's wait until one of them backs down.

A few more days passed, and the bustling scene at the hot pot restaurant finally subsided, gradually becoming a part of the daily lives of city dwellers, but business was still booming.

What surprised the city's diners even more was that, within a few days, all the restaurants in the city seemed to have suddenly realized something, launching new dishes one after another, and each restaurant had its own unique menu. This delighted the gourmets, who would think about which restaurant they hadn't tried before to visit at mealtimes every day.

After a few days of decline, restaurants throughout the city found that business was booming again. Even people who didn't usually eat out would save money and occasionally come to enjoy a good meal, something that was extremely rare before.

Now, Fang Shi's reputation in the entire catering industry of Emerald City has soared, spreading by word of mouth among the chefs, reaching an unimaginable level of fame.