On this particular day, Qiao Lu woke up early and headed to the wet market with Qin Feng to buy groceries.

While picking out vegetables, Qiao Lu said, “Master, recently a lot of people from other restaurants have been coming to me, saying they want to know how to make Twice-cooked Pork. It seems they’re really interested in this dish.”

“I don’t mind if they try to learn it. Whether they can actually make it, well, that depends on their own skills.”

Qin Feng chuckled. Over the past few days, he had gotten used to people from various restaurants showing up daily.

“Master, when can I start cooking dishes? I’ve been practicing for several days now.”

Hope gleamed in Qiao Lu’s eyes.

Qin Feng turned to glance at her and said, “Let’s wait until your knife skills improve. You’ve only been practicing for a few days! Some chef apprentices stay in the kitchen for two or three years before they’re allowed to cook anything. You’ll just have to wait it out.”

Hearing this, Qiao Lu’s eyes widened in disbelief. Two or three years? Who knows when her turn would come at this rate?

After buying the groceries, the two returned to the restaurant and began preparing ingredients for lunch. Luckily, with only enough for 40 to 50 servings, the work wasn’t too overwhelming.

By 11 a.m., Qin Feng stepped outside and found a long line of people already waiting. Most of them were familiar faces, and his expression darkened.

“Master, those chefs are here early again, probably still trying to figure out how to make Twice-cooked Pork,” Qiao Lu observed. She had grown used to seeing the same group of people, coming day after day as if they couldn’t get enough.

“Get back to work,” Qin Feng said sternly. He noticed that these people had completely filled up the space, leaving no room for actual diners. It was clear he needed to address this issue.

Ever since Huang Yuan had tasted Twice-cooked Pork at Yi Shao Jian, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. This time, he had brought his girlfriend along to share the experience.

When they reached the alley, they were greeted by the sight of a long queue. Huang Yuan marveled at the restaurant’s popularity and decided to check out the situation up close.

But just as Huang Yuan was about to step forward, someone from the queue grabbed his collar and shoved him back. “Hey, kid, get in line!”

Caught off guard, Huang Yuan stumbled to the ground. Standing up, he pointed at the person and snapped, “What’s your problem?”

“Problem? You looking for a fight, kid?”

The man, clearly hot-tempered, threw a punch without hesitation. The people in the line were mostly chefs from competing restaurants, so they weren’t inclined to play nice.

Before long, the two were grappling in a full-blown fight.

Hearing the commotion outside, Qin Feng hurried out. Seeing the brawl, he immediately stepped in and pulled them apart.

After figuring out what had happened, Qin Feng’s face turned grim. Addressing the line, he said, “Anyone here from other restaurants, leave now. Go back and tell your bosses that tomorrow night, I’ll be waiting for them at the restaurant. If they don’t show up, that’s on them.”

The people in line exchanged glances before quietly dispersing.

Qin Feng helped Huang Yuan into the restaurant and apologized, “I’m so sorry for the trouble.”

“Didn’t expect the place to be this popular. It’s really hard to get a meal here,” Huang Yuan replied with a smile, brushing off the incident.

“Don’t worry, things will get better soon.”

To make up for the inconvenience, Qin Feng cooked two dishes for them on the house, and the restaurant continued its regular operations.

At 5 p.m., Qin Feng asked Qiao Lu to pick up Nannan from kindergarten and bring her home to play. He assured her that he could handle the rest of the evening at the restaurant alone.

Once the day’s business ended, a group of around 20 or 30 people arrived at the restaurant.

The moment they saw Qin Feng, they stood up and surrounded him.

“Boss Qin, hello, I’m Zhu Dachang, owner of Dachang Restaurant. Here, have a cigarette.”

“Boss Qin, you’re really a rising star!”

“Indeed, so young and already so skilled. You make us old-timers feel ashamed!”

“So, Boss Qin, why did you call us here today?”

Qin Feng gestured for everyone to quiet down before speaking. “Ladies and gentlemen, I invited you here to discuss something. I know many of you are interested in my restaurant’s new dishes. But as you can see, this is a small place. When your restaurants send people over, it leaves no room for regular diners. Therefore, I’ve decided to develop a new dish and will share the recipe publicly for everyone to learn. So please, refrain from sending anyone else here. What do you think?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Dachang patted his chest and said, “Boss Qin, you’re so generous to share your recipes. I admire that. Don’t worry, we’ll stop sending people over.”

The others chimed in one after another, agreeing to the proposal.

Relieved, Qin Feng thanked them and saw them off.

Just as the crowd was dispersing, Zhu Dachang approached him and asked, “Boss Qin, if I may ask, who was your master?”

“My teacher isn’t famous, just a chef from the countryside,” Qin Feng replied casually, deflecting the question. After all, in this world, he didn’t actually have a mentor.

“I see. Well, Boss Qin, be careful. In the culinary world, pedigree matters a lot. If your background isn’t solid, it could cause trouble down the road,” Zhu Dachang warned in a low voice.

Qin Feng thanked him and pondered over the day’s events. Most of the visitors were from smaller establishments, with no one from high-end restaurants present. Even the chefs sent to spy weren’t from the major players.

He thought it over but couldn’t figure out why. Shaking his head, he locked up and went home.

Once home, Qin Feng browsed online for a baking oven to make desserts in the future. After some deliberation, he settled on one priced at over 10,000 yuan. Although the cost was steep, he figured he could afford it, given that the restaurant was making over 10,000 yuan in profit daily. Gritting his teeth, he placed the order.

Meanwhile, in a villa, Liu Ming sat with his master, Xue Yuan, the famed culinary king, looking respectful.

“Master, there’s this chef in Jianghai City who’s been getting a bit too cocky. Just because he made a few popular dishes, he’s acting like he’s better than everyone else. He even said our chefs here can’t compare to him and that the Chefs’ Association is just for show, with no real skill.”

“Did he really say that?”

Hearing this, Xue Yuan’s face darkened. As the president of the Chefs’ Association, he wouldn’t tolerate anyone disrespecting their reputation.

“Of course, many people heard it,” Liu Ming added, twisting the story further. He felt that if they didn’t nip Qin Feng’s success in the bud, it would be too late later.

“Hmph, I’d like to see how skilled he really is,” Xue Yuan declared. He decided to investigate personally. The association’s reputation was at stake, and he wouldn’t let it be tarnished.