Volume 4: It's Dark, Please Close Your Eyes Chapter 13 “Copycat” Recipes
For a well-known restaurant like Haitian Yiselo, the recipes for exclusive dishes such as the "Bai Xiang Secret Milk Soup" are almost all the secrets of the restaurant and the foundation of the business, and they are absolutely not allowed to be spread outside.
For a wealthy customer like Tang Zheng, if it was other requests, the shopkeeper might try his best to meet them, but buying a menu would mean stealing from the restaurant, and doing it so openly.
If it were any other restaurant, not cursing or beating him up on the spot would have been considered quite considerate.
However, Haitian Yisese Restaurant was, after all, known as the best restaurant in Licheng, and its service requirements were very high. The shopkeeper had seen a lot of ups and downs, so he forced a smile and bowed to Tang Zheng and said, "I'm sorry, I can't do what you say. Please forgive me..."
Tang Zheng smiled and shook his head: "Don't be impatient, I haven't told you which recipe I want to buy, and I haven't even mentioned the price yet, and you just rejected me directly. You have to be patient."
Seeing that Tang Zheng was still not giving up, the shopkeeper secretly thought that this man had no vision, "I have been patient here for a long time and I have been very kind not to ask the storekeeper to 'show you up', but he is still pestering me."
You didn't tell me which recipe? Isn't it obvious? You are not trying to buy the exclusive recipe of Haitian Yiselou, but a plate of fried tomato and eggs or spicy and sour potato shreds?
As for the price? That's even more ridiculous. Haitian Yisese Building has been here for more than ten years. He has seen many wealthy customers, but which wealthy customer can be more wealthy than his boss? To put it bluntly, Haitian Yisese Building is not short of money!
Tang Zheng looked at the veins throbbing on the shopkeeper's forehead, knowing that he was probably holding back a lot of anger and complaints. He just smiled lightly, flipped , shook out a note, and poked it in front of the shopkeeper: "Don't worry, the recipe I want is not your signature Baixiang Secret Milk Soup, but the Splendid Hundred Flowers Soup."
The shopkeeper was first dazzled by the note worth five hundred taels of purple gold that Tang Zheng shook out of his hand. Then, when he heard the name of the dish "Splendid Hundred Flowers", he almost suspected that he had been deafened.
"Don't be impatient. You heard me right. What I want is the Jinxiu Baihua Pin. As one of the biggest competitors , don't tell me that you haven't secretly tried to crack the other party's exclusive dishes. Five hundred taels of purple gold, for sale?"
Tang Zheng shook the "low-key" note with the Purple Gold City emblem in his hand again, and said seductively: "Think about it, what we are trading is the dishes from next door. You can not only hit your competitors, but also meet the needs of me, your distinguished guest, and easily earn up to 500 taels of extra income, which does not need to be included in the public account, and it is after-tax."
"This is a good deal that kills three birds with one stone. I believe that a smart person like the shopkeeper will definitely make the right decision."
After hearing Tang Zheng's words, the shopkeeper swallowed hard, sighed silently, and lowered his "proud" head.
Not long after, a copycat version of the "Jinxiu Baihua Puzzle" recipe was presented to Tang Zheng, along with a "copycat" research and development log.
Tang Zheng took the menu, studied it carefully for a moment, nodded with satisfaction, and snapped his fingers: "Okay, let's go. I have a piece of advice for you, don't fill your stomach too full, otherwise you will regret it tonight."
After hearing Tang Zheng's words, the other people who were still enjoying their food immediately put down their bowls and chopsticks, and followed Tang Zheng to leave.
At the entrance of Haitianyise Building, the shopkeeper and the chief chef watched Tang Zheng and his group of "strange guests" leave, with mixed feelings in their hearts.
"Boss, you said that guy spent 500 taels to buy an incomplete version of 'Splendid Hundred Flowers Blend' that we researched. Is there something wrong with his brain?" asked the chief chef, scratching his head.
"I don't know, but it seems that the incomplete recipe of our restaurant's 'Hundred Fragrance Secret Milk Soup' can no longer be kept. I can't understand it, I can't understand it..." The shopkeeper held the five hundred taels of paper in his hand, looked at Tang Zheng and his companions, and walked straight into the Jinxiu Pavilion not far away, shaking his head and sighing.
Just like that, not long after, Tang Zheng did the same thing again in Jinxiu Pavilion and successfully bought the "copycat" recipe of the Baixiang Secret Milk Soup from the "neighboring" store.
The shopkeeper of Jinxiu Pavilion was even more enthusiastic and even presented the complete recipes of the grilled fig salmon and the three-bearded eel and lychee roll. After all, although these two dishes are also famous dishes in Licheng, they have been around for a long time and the recipes have long been tasted by major restaurants and are no longer a secret.
"Huh, done. Now I can finally go buy groceries." After leaving Jinxiu Pavilion, Tang Zheng let out a long sigh.
"Master, your method of buying other people's recipes from competitors is quite exciting, but after all, the recipes of both companies are incomplete. Will it really work?" Xiaotang said with a little concern.
"I don't think we should worry. As the saying goes, the person who knows you best must be your enemy. Haitian Yiseselou and Jinxiuge are both famous restaurants that have hired a large number of famous chefs. Their strengths are similar. Sooner or later, their unique dishes will be cracked by the other side. It's just a matter of time. Whether it's Baixiang Secret Milk Soup or Jinxiu Hundred Flowers, they have been launched for quite some time. It is estimated that the opponents have already figured out 80% of them. Therefore, the gold content of Tang Zheng's two recipes is still quite high." Jiang Wuyan analyzed with a smile.
"Haha, yes, there is one more thing. Actually, for me, developing 80% of the recipes is even more effective than the complete version.
The complete recipes would give me a preconceived idea and a fixed mindset, which would make it difficult for me to innovate and play with these two famous dishes. However, these two "copycat" recipes are different. They are incomplete, which is more conducive to my performance!" Tang Zheng added with a smile.
"Ha... So even just to buy a recipe, you can come up with so many circuitous tactics, so treacherous!" Xiaotang felt much more at ease after hearing what Tang Zheng and Jiang Wuyan said. She couldn't help but become cheerful again and complained happily.
"Well, that's a good point. Your share of food for dinner is gone," Tang Zheng replied seriously.
"Master, I was wrong!"
…
Just like that, with laughter and joy all the way, Tang Zheng started shopping again. It was not until nearly sunset that the group finally bought all the ingredients. This time, even the "shopping bags" that Tang Zheng had prepared were not enough, and everyone returned to the Alsophila Academy carrying large and small bags.
When they returned to the Alsophila Academy, Ji Lan and his companions had already prepared the venue and kitchen utensils that Tang Zheng requested. Everything was ready, and they were just waiting for Tang Zheng to show off his cooking skills to decide the outcome of the bet.
"Junior brother Tang Zheng, do you need to take a rest first, or can we go over and start now?" Ji Lan, who was waiting at the gate of Alsophila Academy, greeted them with a smile when he saw Tang Zheng and his companions appear.
"No need to rest. I'm a very persistent man. Just get started." Tang Zheng replied with a smile.
Seeing this, Ji Lan nodded without saying much, and took Tang Zheng directly to the venue they had prepared.
"Uh, wait a moment." Tang Zheng suddenly called out.
Ji Lan and the others turned to look at Tang Zheng with puzzled expressions. Tang Zheng scratched his head and said, "Since we have a big dinner tonight and a bet, do you mind if I invite a few more people?"
Su Miyan and the others frowned slightly. Although this bet was a bit of a joke, it was still related to the reputation of the two academies. What did Tang Zheng mean by his attitude that he was sure of winning? Was he afraid that there wouldn't be enough witnesses?
However, although they were a little unhappy, they finally did not object and followed Tang Zheng to call Fang Junji, Shisan and others.
At this moment, a large group of people from the three academies walked into the Alsophila Academy.
Whether it was the five super popular beauties from Alsophila Academy, the dark horse Yisu Academy who had just defeated them, or the mysterious Bailu Academy, they were all extraordinary and eye-catching figures, attracting the attention of the students and instructors in the academy. No one knew what they were going to do, and everyone's curiosity and gossip were burning...
Well, of course, if they knew that such an idol-level lineup was actually just there to watch Tang Zheng cook a meal, I'm afraid the Alsophila Academy would have been filled with everyone's rolling eyes.
"Wow, not bad, a private beach, an infinity pool, a luminous fountain... This scenery is a great place to have a party." Tang Zheng was brought by Ji Lan and others to the deepest part of the Alsophila Academy, to a large beach next to the huge "inland sea".
The scenery here is even more beautiful than the private rooms in Haitianyise Building and Jinxiu Pavilion today, and it is also equipped with the unique academic temperament of Alsophila Academy.
To describe it in one word: stunning.
"Thank you, sisters, for helping me find such a good place to cook. It's an honor for me, a good warrior who wants to be a good chef." Tang Zheng nodded slightly to Ji Lan and the others. Without waiting for everyone to react, he picked up all the ingredients and walked to the table made of a large piece of white jade, and slowly arranged the ingredients.
"Master, it's about to begin. I wonder which casting furnace he will use to cook this time?" Xiaotang said to herself with anticipation as she watched Tang Zheng finally start his cooking show.
"Well, I also want to watch the cartoon 'The Tadpole Looking for Its Mother' played by the teacher. Haha, after watching the cartoon, I will have a big dinner. Tonight is really perfect!" Little Bell said happily beside him.
Listening to Xiaotang and Xiaolingdang's words, except for the few people from Tangjiabao, everyone else was a little confused. Some were curious, some were disdainful, and some were expectant.
However, everyone's eyes were fixed on Tang Zheng, watching him stare intently at the food in front of him, and slowly pull out the frost-like dagger from his waist, Han Jiang Xue.
