Chapter 63
The next second, Principal Lao Xu closed his eyes and braced himself.
Under the stunned and anxious gazes of everyone, his hand, still holding the fried chicken box, gradually loosened.
That moment felt like it stretched on forever—
Lao Xu closed his eyes tightly, two lines of tears falling from his eyes, his face showing the ultimate pain followed by profound enlightenment:
“From this moment, I have seen the truth.”
He completely let go of his hand.
The fried chicken fell directly into the trash can.
However, the next second.
A breeze blew by.
It wasn’t a strong wind, but the light breeze of autumn.
The wind, carrying a slight chill, also brought with it the aroma of the salt and crispy chicken, inevitably drifting into Lao Xu’s nose…
The faint salty taste of the salt and crispy chicken, along with the fragrance of oil and the fresh aroma of the meat, surged into Lao Xu’s nostrils like a tsunami, spreading across every inch of his nasal membranes.
Suddenly, a heavenly white light seemed to appear in front of Lao Xu.
It was… so, so, so… fragrant!
It seemed that this was how humans worked—when you were about to lose something, you could remember every precious detail with crystal clarity.
Like that oil.
He had once loudly proclaimed to the world that such cheap fried chicken surely used gutter oil.
But now, the fragrance made him realize—it wasn’t gutter oil at all. It was high-quality rapeseed oil, and there was a touch of thick, creamy lard added. This rich and fragrant smell was something he only encountered during the New Year at his hometown—pure oil without any additives!
Just the scent of the oil made him imagine how the battered chicken pieces crackled and sizzled in the golden oil, slowly changing color.
And then, the salt and crispy chicken…
The familiar aroma suddenly pulled Lao Xu back into the youthful days of thirty or forty years ago.
Back then, he was just a carefree child, walking the streets with his classmates after school, carrying a large schoolbag, and with two coins from his mother stuffed into his pocket.
Back then, the street vendors seemed so tall to him, and he had to stand on tiptoe to see the chicken pieces frying in the oil.
Every day after school, he would have his regular portion of salt and crispy chicken—three or four friends would pool their money together to afford one serving, sharing it bite by bite. On a luxurious day, they would also have a cup of “Big Taipei” milk tea, filled with pearls.
But the most astonishing thing was the salt and crispy chicken in his memories, the crispy golden coating with a salty fragrance, and the steaming hot chicken inside…
And now, those sweet childhood memories were slowly sinking into the abyss of the trash can, along with the salt and crispy chicken he had let go of.
Gone with the wind.
Lao Xu’s heart trembled painfully.
No, he couldn’t hold on to his youth, but could he not even hold on to this last bit of deliciousness?!
No!!!!
He reached out instinctively, grabbing a piece of the salt and crispy chicken, no longer caring about his image, and shoved it directly into his mouth.
The moment the fried chicken touched his tongue, it was exactly as he had imagined, slightly hot.
As he bit down, the crispy shell, full of pepper and salt, cracked loudly between his teeth, and inside, the chicken was tender and small, with juicy meat flowing out, both tender and smooth…
The crispy outer shell and the fragrant, tender chicken continued to release juice as he chewed, and the fragrance of the salt and crispy chicken instantly filled his mouth!
His childhood had come back!
But it wasn’t completely back yet.
He had only tasted one piece of the fried chicken, but there was still a whole box of it, and because of his ignorance, it was falling into the abyss of the trash can.
He couldn’t let such waste happen.
Almost instinctively, Lao Xu bent over and dived into the trash can, looking wild, desperately trying to retrieve that serving of fried chicken—
It was at this moment that a reporter, having fiddled with his equipment for a while, finally turned on the camera with a “ding” sound.
“The equipment is ready, I’m resuming the broadcast now~”
The reporter said.
Nearby, the teachers, dazed and stunned, were nervously lining up, glancing over at the principal.
Hearing the reporter’s voice, they finally reacted, just like the principal a moment ago, trying to stop him: “No, no, don’t film, don’t film aaaahhh!!”
But it was already too late.
…The high-definition camera faithfully recorded this scene and broadcast it to the thousands of viewers in the live stream.
The viewers had originally been watching the promotional video for Longteng Summer Camp.
They were intensely discussing it.
In the video, the “outstanding student representative” wearing a dark blue uniform, looking handsome, somehow resembled the person they had seen not long ago, frantically kneeling on the ground, picking up fried chicken to eat.
But the video had been too short, and they hadn’t yet reached a conclusion. Some said it was him, others said it wasn’t, each with their own opinion.
Soon, the promotional video continued, showing the appearance of the principal of Longteng Summer Camp.
The principal, dressed in a suit, though older, spoke with full authority and presence.
He smiled appropriately, introducing: “Our Longteng Summer Camp has excellent academic discipline, especially with our elite teaching staff, like myself, a graduate of Harvard University, with a doctorate in education from Columbia University…”
[Such a large summer camp, probably the only normal person there is the principal:))]
[Yeah, the students are crazy… I feel sorry for the principal, who worked so hard for years to run the camp, only to have it ruined by these crazy people haha but it’s so funny]
[Doesn’t this indirectly prove that the fried chicken is really delicious?]
[I feel sorry for the principal +1]
Right after that, the live broadcast suddenly cut, and the promotional video came to an abrupt halt.
The screen showed the scene sent from the summer camp site by the reporter—
A person was frantically diving into the trash can without any concern.
It was rare to see someone dive into a trash can with such determination, as if the trash can contained his most precious and valuable treasures. The audience held their breath, wondering what had happened…
After a while, the person finally emerged from the trash can.
He still had a banana peel on his head, his face smeared with dirt, but his wrinkled old face showed a delighted expression.
In his arms, he tightly held a takeout box.
The man carefully climbed out of the trash can, removed his high-end suit, and delicately wiped the takeout box in his arms. After a while, he cautiously opened the box and picked up a piece of salt and crispy chicken, bringing it to his mouth.
“Mm…” He revealed an incredibly blissful smile.
And the audience finally got a clear look at his face.
…Wasn’t this the principal in the promotional video, wearing a suit just a little while ago?
He had claimed to have graduated from Harvard and Columbia, had years of experience in education, set an example for students, and provided the best teaching staff to nurture the highest moral character.
The audience: “…Hmmmm???”
[??? Parents of the summer camp: rnm, refund us!]
[Is this scripted??? Is it real??? This is such a breakdown]
[Dying of laughter, so crazy, does this fried chicken have some kind of brainwashing function ahhhh]
[I have a feeling this is going viral, leaving my name here]
[+10086]
…As many viewers predicted.
The live stream took place around four or five in the morning.
By 8 or 9 a.m., more and more people woke up from their sleep and lazily opened their social media on a relaxed weekend morning to check out the latest local news.
And the recording of the live broadcast, with its enormous contrast between the events before and after and the overly bizarre and chaotic developments, drew more and more people to comment, share, and laugh.
Especially the sharp contrast between the perfectly timed “promotional video” and the reality, which made the hashtag #LongtengSummerCampFriedChicken soar to the trending list…
*
After finishing another day of street vending, Jian Yunlan happily rode his tricycle back to the Jian family villa.
Although the development of today’s street vending had been a little outrageous.
Outrageous to the point that not only the students who climbed over the wall, but even the teachers and the principal had joined the frenzy over the salt and crispy chicken.
By the time the stall was about to close, looking at the customers with eyes glowing green, Jian Yunlan was genuinely worried they might rush over and start biting him.
Fortunately, with the fierce Taotie guarding the area, nothing happened.
After returning to the villa, he took a nap and slept lazily until 11 or 12 a.m. before waking up.
After waking up, like most people, Jian Yunlan lay in bed and scrolled through his phone.
When he opened his social media, he was stunned.
Because the first two trending topics were clearly labeled:
#LotusPondCommunitySpicyHotPot# and #LongtengSummerCampFriedChicken#!
Jian Yunlan almost suspected someone was spying on his life.
The incident began yesterday.
…Yesterday, in A City, two major events made it to the trending list.
The first event came from the Lotus Pond Community.
Lotus Pond Community, located in the city center, had been facing worsening security issues in recent years. Although nothing serious had happened, thefts, robberies, and other small crimes were frequent and persistent.
Until last night, a knife-point robbery occurred near the commercial area of Lotus Pond Community.
The news headline read:
[Knife-point robbery in the city center, robbers all captured, criminal police praised for swift response.
Criminal police team leader Wang, in an interview, said: At the time of the incident, our entire team was nearby, waiting for the spicy hotpot, and we suspected the hotpot shop owner was too afraid of the local troublemakers to open the stall. The police turned their frustration into action]
Jian Yunlan: “…”
He had a bad feeling.
He clicked on the interview video, and his bad feeling was confirmed.
The video briefly reviewed the scene of the crime. It happened in the city center, during the busiest time of the night, with large crowds, including the elderly, children, and those with disabilities—so the situation was quite dangerous.
A few armed robbers took several hostages from the crowd, demanding money and shouting, “Money, hand over the money!” “Stop struggling, we have people in the police station!” “Heh, no cops can beat me, shoot if you dare!”
“…And then I shot,” Criminal police leader Wang smiled at the camera.
Reporter: “…”
“Everyone is praising the police for how quickly they responded, thanks to their timely arrival, there were no casualties among the people,” the reporter cleared his throat and asked, “Team Leader Wang, could you tell us how you managed to get to the scene so fast?”
Team Leader Wang looked into the distant sky, his expression turning somewhat melancholic.
The usually strong and unwavering man seemed to show a rare moment of vulnerability.
The reporter was deeply moved and immediately began to imagine a scene from a movie:
The hero, having lost his beloved in a brutal knife-point robbery, carried this regret as his greatest sorrow.
He vowed never to give criminals an opportunity, and to always be the first to arrive at the scene of a crime.
After that incident, he kept his promise, always arriving at the scene first, saving countless lives, but his lover would never return…
The reporter’s eyes filled with tears, preparing to hear a similar tragic backstory:
“Team Leader Wang, please, we’re all mentally prepared.”
— Team Leader Wang sighed deeply, pinched the bridge of his nose, and sorrowfully said:
“Tonight wasn’t even our shift… At the time of the incident, our entire team was nearby, waiting for Boss Jian to set up his spicy hotpot stall.”
Reporter: “?”
Other criminal police officers also showed sad and angry expressions, accusing:
“Yes, yes, Boss Jian usually sets up his stall at seven o’clock, but since those thugs caused trouble and smashed his stall last time, he hasn’t come back. Boo hoo hoo!”
“Boss Jian’s spicy hotpot is the finest delicacy in the world! We’ve been suffering for days without it!”
“It’s all because of those thugs and robbers that Boss Jian isn’t coming back…”
“So, we turned our grief into strength!”
At first, the reporter thought they were joking.
But to his surprise, the officers were all serious. In their eyes, there was a longing for the spicy hotpot, and their expressions were solemn and determined. Under the spotlight, they looked like blood-soaked heroes carrying a heavy burden of pain.
Of course, there was also anger.
Anger towards the criminals.
Their eyes burned with fire, and the reporter had no doubt that if any criminal dared to show up now, they’d be swiftly punished with thunderous force, just like the robbers today.
Feel their resentment and fury over not being able to eat spicy hotpot!!!
Reporter: “…………”
Such a humorous news story, once released, undoubtedly shot to the top of the trending list. Not only people in the same city, but also people across the country were laughing:
[Hahahahah, what’s going on???]
[The police officers’ belief… So it was the spicy hotpot all along]
[Robbers: The clown was me all along, sorry :)]
[What kind of spicy hotpot is this, is the spicy hotpot in A City really that good? Looks like I need to travel there]
[Team Leader Wang really shot decisively, so cool (likes)]
[Did you remember what the robbers shouted, ‘We have connections in the police station’? They really did have connections, haha!! They’re locked up in the police station!]
Usually, when someone arrogantly says “I have connections in XX,” people think they have connections somewhere to bail them out, which is why they’re so bold.
But these robbers weren’t like that.
…They really did have connections in the police station!
They were the ones locked up there.
Soon, people discovered that the “connections” the robbers referred to were a few Alpha thugs in their gang. Not long ago, these thugs had been arrested for disturbing the peace in the neighborhood and causing trouble at food stalls. They ended up in the detention center.
Yes, they were part of a gang led by the infamous “Pao Hui,” a few thugs who had been wreaking havoc around Lotus Pond Community using their stinky pheromones.
It wasn’t long before videos surfaced of the Alpha thugs causing trouble at the spicy hotpot stall, only to be subdued by the customers working together. This raised the hilarity of the entire situation to a whole new level.
[This spicy hotpot stall is full of hidden talents]
[Wow!!! Who is this silver-haired, dark-skinned handsome guy? Is he a cosplayer or some internet celebrity? Please share his contact info!]
[Hahaha, the muscles of these older brothers and sisters are so cool <333, the lines, the sense of power… My gym motivation has just been set]
[Isn’t this the famous lawyer Lu Ling? Killing a chicken with a butcher’s knife!]
[The aunties doing square dance delivered a mental blow, penta kill]
[I saw our school’s heartthrob in the crowd]
[I heard after Boss Jian stopped coming, the residents of the community teamed up to dismantle all the thug hideouts… just to get him back!]
[So how good is this spicy hotpot really, that so many big shots are crazy about it like this?! Orz]
The video was filmed from an obscure angle, so people only saw the customers but didn’t catch a glimpse of Boss Jian, adding to the sense of mystery and piquing curiosity about the hotpot’s taste.
This is why the hashtag #HetangCommunitySpicyHotpot# made it to the trending list.
As for the other trending topic, #LongtengSummerCampFriedChicken, it was because of last night’s live-stream incident.
After several comparisons of the recorded footage, everyone confirmed that the “elegant and handsome” student Fu Changfeng in the promotional video was the same person as the one in the live stream, half-kneeling on the ground picking up fried chicken to eat!
And the multiple twists in the live-stream storyline, perfectly inserted promotional video, and the principal, Old Xu, going from doubt, mockery, and understanding to finally joining in—all contributed to making the show incredibly entertaining.
Several classic scenes were made into memes and widely spread.
[Hahahahaha, is this my life? Sitting in a trash can eating fried chicken.jpg]
[Before: I despise junk food. After: Mmm, salty crispy chicken, I chew, chew, chew!]
[That awkward feeling for someone else… Imagine being the principal, one second praising your outstanding and self-disciplined student, and the next second seeing them on the ground picking up fried chicken to eat…]
[Hello, nice to meet you, you also like fried chicken and have your own opinions]
[Can someone come forward and describe how delicious fried chicken really is??!! I’m craving it!!]
[It’s really delicious, absolutely amazing, I’ve been jumping over walls for three days just for a bite, a taste of the world’s unique delicacy (slurp) (wiping saliva)]
[Are you all using the same lines? The spicy hotpot stall next door says the same thing, ‘world’s unique delicacy,’ why don’t you guys fight it out?]
[Hah??? What’s spicy hotpot, hmph]
Because of the angle at which the reporter from Longteng Summer Camp filmed, and for privacy reasons to protect the unrelated civilians, the fried chicken stall owner didn’t appear on camera.
As a result, no one realized that the fried chicken stall owner and the spicy hotpot stall owner were the same person…
In a big city like A City, two trending topics related to snack stalls both happened on the same day, attracting nationwide attention.
Naturally, people were curious: which was better, the spicy hotpot or the fried chicken?
At first, it was a friendly discussion.
But gradually, as more and more food lovers from Lotus Pond Community and Longteng Summer Camp arrived at the scene…
To defend their beloved Boss Jian fried chicken stall owner, the discussion began to take on a more heated tone, reminiscent of the previous sweet tofu vs salty tofu debate:
[Our spicy hotpot is the true uncrowned king of A City’s snack stalls, Boss Jian is the ultimate snack stall owner, the strongest! Amazing!]
[Heh]
[Heh+1, what’s that spicy hotpot of yours compared to our fried chicken? [Image] Only those who have never seen the world would say spicy hotpot is good]
The user “Wolong Fengchu” posted a picture of a piece of fried chicken with golden, crispy batter slightly falling off, revealing tender white chicken meat that shimmered with oil under the lights…
It did look delicious!
Netizens immediately began to pick sides.
[Casual observer here, but honestly, this fried chicken does look good]
[I can smell it through the screen]
[Wow, how can the skin be so golden, you can imagine how tender the chicken inside is…]
Seeing the situation turn against them, the Lotus Pond Community food lovers quickly posted pictures to turn the tide.
[[Image][Image] It’s just a picture, who doesn’t have one! Your fried chicken doesn’t even compare, cut it out, looks good but definitely tastes terrible. Only those who’ve never seen the world would hold it up as something great]
[Yeah, Boss Jian’s spicy hotpot is not only good-looking and fragrant but also delicious. Nothing, not even that mysterious fried chicken, can compare! [Video]]
— In the video, you can see the bubbling beef bone broth, glistening with red oil. The person filming picks up a piece of fatty beef, the curled meat coated with oil, chili, sesame, and garlic, and the aroma seems to travel through the screen…
With this video release, the public opinion shifted once again, and onlookers swayed like a reed in the wind.
[Wow, wow, I’m unilaterally announcing that you guys win =?=]
[This spicy hotpot really looks so fragrant, I’m drooling just from watching the video]
[I’ve decided, tonight I’m having spicy hotpot, let’s go to that group!]
…Seeing the situation turning in their favor, the fried chicken fans weren’t happy and once again presented evidence, calling the spicy hotpot fans “country bumpkins with narrow views.”
So, residents from Lotus Pond Community and teachers and students from Longteng Summer Camp all claimed that their snack stall owner was the best. The atmosphere of the debate became more intense!
Their argument escalated, not only trying to prove that their fried chicken/spicy hotpot was the best but also attacking the rival snack.
Even when they saw the “enemy’s” photos and videos, many couldn’t help but swallow their saliva, but they forced themselves to stay strong, determined to defend Boss Jian/fried chicken owner and give them the recognition they deserved!
The hashtag #TheBattleOfASnackStallsInACity# quickly trended.
The only ones suffering were the onlookers.
They swayed left and right, watching fried chicken and spicy hotpot pictures and videos being thrown at them, able to see but not eat, and could only sadly open their food delivery apps to satisfy their cravings.
…Meanwhile, Jian Yunlan was browsing through the comment sections of various posts and couldn’t help but feel a pang of unease.
He registered a new account and weakly replied to the thread:
[Is it possible that the fried chicken and spicy hotpot are sold by the same person?]
As a result, he was immediately met with furious insults from both sides.
[Impossible! With Boss Jian’s passion and dedication to spicy hotpot, he would never sell something as lowbrow as fried chicken!]
[…Haha, our fried chicken is lowbrow? Ridiculous. The fried chicken owner is noble and virtuous, how dare you compare your so-called spicy hotpot to that?]
Jian Yunlan: “…”
Sigh.
