Chapter 26

More outrageous things were yet to come.

One day, a TV station actually came for an interview!

Seeing the group of equipment and the radiant host getting off the minibus, Bak instinctively squatted down behind the grill to hide!

Neither killers nor unlicensed street vendors like to be exposed, right?

If this place wasn't considered a somewhat neglected area, the city management would have long since come to drive him away!

The attitude of the TV crew was quite good, and it wasn't a mainstream channel. It was one of those local food programs in big cities that focus on the gossip and street life of the citizens. They were very serious about interviewing the stall owner to see if he had any experience living and working in Eastern Europe, which could explain the authentic grilled meat. They wanted to summarize the recent popularity of grilled meat, just as Bak had said. This kind of food isn't hard to imitate, and the people who had been eating it recently might well be chefs from various places.

Then, to make matters worse, they encountered the beautiful girl Fang Lingying sitting at a small table, with a spread of food that was completely different from everyone else's!

The director and host exclaimed and quickly surrounded her. Without getting the owner's or the girl's permission, who was just starting to eat tiramisu, they set up a series of lights, reflectors, cameras, and microphones!

Poor Fang Lingying still had a spoon in her mouth when she was fixed in the frame. People who haven't been on camera before tend to freeze up and don't know how to express themselves!

They even interviewed her, as they couldn't find the owner, and Bak was good at hiding: "Are you the owner's family? Why is your food different from others?"

Fang Lingying swallowed a mouthful of cake before replying: "I... I, is this really going to be broadcast?" Her eyes were wandering, and her hair was messy.

The host, familiar with the business, said: "We will edit it to make it look good. You can also adjust your expression, makeup, and content." A makeup artist immediately came over to help Fang Lingying tidy up a bit.

Fang Lingying swallowed another mouthful of saliva and formally said: "I... I am helping them taste new products. It used to be just grilled meat, but they will gradually introduce a series of new products... Would you like to try some?" She relied on the makeup artist's quick work to improvise an explanation for why she was the only one eating these things.

The host was waiting for this response and, with a look of surprise, immediately took a spoon and started eating. The camera followed, and Fang Lingying was out of the frame. Starting from another angle, the camera went through all the dishes, even thanking her for the meat sandwich she timidly made, and then wolfed it down!

What a camera-friendly girl, really going all out for the show!

After eating, she left the camera and drank water to adjust, actually choking on the food!

But when it came to commenting on the food, she was much more professional and had a gimmick: "Really, from the appearance, this absolutely captures the 'color' in the phrase 'color, aroma, and taste'! It's truly colorful. Come closer, camera, the red soup, the yellow grilled side dishes, the coffee-colored pastries, the snow-white meat sandwiches, and of course, the tender grilled meat, the main character. See? My chopsticks... Hey, cameraman, don't drool, okay? The camera is shaking... Now, about the aroma..." She even fed a piece of meat to the cameraman: "And the taste, this is the essence of the broth after it has evaporated, so there's no need for extra sauce. The broth seeps into the meat skin, and the moderate char really enhances the flavor... Do you want more?"

The entire camera crew nodded in agreement!

The host fed the cameraman some more and continued: "But the effect of grilling goes beyond this. It's not just the grilling that makes the taste so refreshing. It's also the combination of various side dishes, soups, and pastries. Each bite brings a new texture and flavor. The grilled meat is so tender it almost melts in your mouth, and each chew releases a burst of fresh juice with a slightly numbing and spicy flavor, gently stimulating the tongue. At first glance, these grilled meats don't seem special, but a lot of effort has gone into making them so delicious! I never thought grilled meat could reach such a level of deliciousness, and this is my first time tasting it... Do you want more?"

The cameraman, playing along, raised a thumb in front of the camera!

This time, everyone watching was drooling and nodding!

Even the talkative Fang Lingying was outmatched by the professionals!

The surrounding diners and later the TV audience all laughed heartily.

Bak, holding a giggling sister, watched the scene from a corner behind the crowd, with a headache!

Can the girls be on camera? Is he willing to be on camera?

What a nightmare!

It's just a casual grilled meat, right?

How did it get to this point?

In the end, he kicked Liu Changyuan, who was wearing a chef's hat, to act alongside Fang Lingying, and it took a lot of effort to send off that group of ladies!

As a result, the menu had to be expanded because the next customers all said: "Soup! Grilled meat! Side dishes! Pastries! The whole set, nothing missing!"

Looking at the three helpers, who were tired but bright-eyed, all of whom were children who had been poor and were eager to see the business do well, Bak agreed.

Actually, the Ba family had a rich history.

This was one of the few things Ba Dacheng was proud of, even though no one believed they were descendants of that Ba family.

There were no relatives in the family, but over two thousand years ago, in the mountainous area a few hundred kilometers away, the Ba surname was the national surname. There was a famous general, Ba Manzi, who, after losing a battle, pledged his head to borrow troops, promising to repay with three cities. After winning, he sternly told the lender that the country could not be divided, and to make up for his broken promise, he cut off his head and had it delivered by his loyal followers.

Bak had heard this story so many times that his ears were tired, and Ba Dacheng never tired of telling it. But unconsciously, Bak had a deep character imprint.

Indeed, one must have principles, and necessary flexibility or even deceit is allowed as long as it doesn't violate the big principles.

Thus, his character wasn't so rigid.

He was righteous but not petty.

Now, with two diligent helpers and the enthusiastic Liu Changyuan, Bak's grilled meat stall could offer a more diverse menu.

The steamed buns that were once exclusive to Fang Lingying, Liu Changyuan now bought an extra hundred every day, which were mostly sold as a main dish. As for the tiramisu cake, Liu Changyuan used his salary to buy several types of cheap cookies to experiment, finding that they didn't necessarily need the expensive imported Italian cookies. For a street stall, a similar taste was enough.

Bak, not being rigid, agreed to his substitution.

A bunch of experimental cookies became the property of the two sisters. Liu Shufen made them two waist pouches from old clothes, originally for collecting money and items when they were out, but now they often filled them with cheap cookies, looking like two pretty girls who would proudly take out a couple to share, even feeding Bak on tiptoe, which was quite embarrassing.

Shouldn't such girls be eating Danish cookies and other high-end treats?

They still wore masks and gloves, but at Bak's request, they no longer wore short shorts and T-shirts. Instead, they wore more modest jeans and shirts, with waist pouches containing a notebook and pen, and could skillfully take orders.

So, with the main dish, special soup, signature grilled meat, secret pastries, and a daily changing side dish, the street stall's business became more substantial.

To quote the words of Liu Changyuan, the economics graduate who had been fired: "This is called increasing the unit customer consumption..."

Even after appearing on TV, more customers came by reputation, but the number of customers served each day remained the same. However, the average spending per person increased from 15 yuan to 30, 40, or even more, naturally boosting sales.

Bak, busy, was observing Liu Changyuan.

The young man, who had not yet entered society, was free from the dirtiness of the world. As the street stall grew like a sprouting seed, with Bak shielding him from the storms, his not-so-dull mind began to work, and his initiative was high.

Moreover, the family's poverty and the income within reach made the young man work even harder.

So, Bak entrusted him with the daily procurement. After finding no issues with the accounts for several days, he gave him 250 yuan a day as a salary and let him ride the tricycle to buy ingredients, while he focused more on processing and preparation at home.

This was already more than the combined salaries of Liu Changyuan's parents. The young man felt the value of his work and became even more diligent and thoughtful.

One day, he discussed with Bak the idea of selling drinks: "Anyway, I can just bring a few more boxes of beer and soda when I go to buy supplies. I've calculated it, and we can make an extra 100 to 200 yuan every night. A beer that costs 2 yuan in the supermarket sells for 5 yuan at the street stall."

Bak, who was also adapting to the role of a businessman, replied: "I think... you see, we don't pay for a stall, and no one charges us protection fees or competes for the spot. The supermarket owner helps us reserve the spot with boxes every morning... wouldn't this cut off their benefits?"

Liu Changyuan was conflicted: "But everyone else sells drinks."

Bak, decisive, patted his shoulder: "A man should be generous. You have to be willing to take a loss to fit in. Let's do it this way. This summer, we'll make money, and then we'll think about what to do in the winter, aiming to make money every day."

Liu Changyuan nodded reluctantly: "Okay! I'll follow Bak's lead..."

He really did listen to Bak and continued to focus on the existing specialties. He spent nights on the computer, and the next day bought several white plastic tablecloths, which gave the street stall a touch of European elegance, making it stand out even in the crowded area.

Slightly more distinguished, it was very different from the other stalls that served fiery pork kidneys and spicy crayfish, becoming the first choice for clean-conscious girls. Couples with girls were also the least price-sensitive, so Liu Changyuan seemed to taste some success and found a direction. He continued to study the European street stall pictures he found, adding a few white light bulbs with glass shades, the power for which he pulled from the small supermarket, making the grilled meat stall much brighter and more distinct from the other street stalls.

Because to make the dishes look more appealing, most street stalls used red canopies and warm lighting, which could hide any issues with the food. The different lighting, however, made the grilled meat stall more recognizable. As soon as you entered the street stall area, it was easy to distinguish the clean and high-end impression, yet the prices were not high.

Xiao Yi and Xiao Zhao's job was to keep the place clean, constantly sweeping and wiping to ensure the ground was always clean and free of dirty water.

With their white butterfly-like movements, the business couldn't be better!

Bak wanted to pay the two sisters, but they refused, saying it was strange for family members to pay each other. They even dragged Ba Dacheng and Liu Shufen into the discussion.

The parents stood on the side of their daughters, so Bak had no choice but to take the sisters to buy shoes.

Just ordinary shoes for a dozen or so yuan, the two sisters wore them and ran with Bak.

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