Diners these days knew the rules better and better

After washing the chives and eggs, he arranged them one by one in insulated storage boxes and loaded them into the tricycle's cargo bed. He packed the bottles and jars as well, then mounted the little fan he had bought that morning in the best spot.

Shen Chuan changed into his washed and pressed suit, grooming himself meticulously.

He looked less like he was going out to run a stall and more like he was heading to a blind date.

Only after turning in front of the mirror a few times and confirming that his show-off outfit was in order did Shen Chuan ride his tricycle out. He planned to find a delivery rider at the main gate and have the rider take him to the food street, just like yesterday.

He had barely parked the tricycle when a familiar voice came from beside him.

"Great, Boss Shen! You're finally heading out. I was really afraid you wouldn't feel like setting up in this heat."

Shen Chuan turned his head and realized that the person calling him was Jiang Wenyan. Somewhat surprised, he asked, "What are you doing here?"

Jiang Wenyan scratched his head and smiled. "I was craving chive pockets, so I came here to wait."

His gaze fell on Shen Chuan. Seeing the suit without a single crease and the carefully combed hair, he couldn't help feeling a little impressed.

Dressing so neatly and formally in weather this hot was a skill in itself.

"Looking as devastatingly handsome as ever, Boss Shen!"

Shen Chuan calmly lifted his chin. "As the God of Cooking, cooking is my most formal business. Naturally, I have to dress appropriately."

[Ding! Show-off Points +10!]

Ten! Just ten points? Wasn't that showing off? Why was this guy's reaction so flat?

Shen Chuan was dealt a heavy blow. He had met his Waterloo right outside his door!

Showing off wasn't easy, either.

Jiang Wenyan leaned closer with a somewhat fawning smile. "Absolutely! Boss, need help setting up your stall? The first time makes us acquaintances; the second makes us friends. Satisfaction guaranteed."

Shen Chuan had come to the main gate precisely to find someone to ride his tricycle to his stall. He hadn't expected yesterday's neighboring stall owner to be waiting for him.

He had been very surprised when he first saw him, but managed to maintain a calm expression. "Sure. You ride and take me to Jiangwan Food District, set up the stall, and get everything arranged. Two hundred yuan for the job."

Jiang Wenyan immediately went over. As he unfolded the folding chair on the tricycle and placed it in the best spot without being asked, he said, "Boss Shen, can we negotiate? Could I take my pay in chive pockets?"

Just imagining eating chive pockets until he was full made Jiang Wenyan feel he could faint from happiness.

With his spending budget, he simply couldn't bear to eat his fill of chive pockets at ten yuan apiece.

He could even sell any he couldn't finish to his roommates. Perfect!

Shen Chuan rejected him outright. "No. If you buy too many, there won't be enough to sell."

After returning home yesterday and discovering that he didn't have enough Show-off Points to exchange for a recipe, Shen Chuan had specifically reviewed what had happened.

He found that when customers saw him showing off for the first time, their astonishment could easily produce a large number of Show-off Points.

But once they got used to his showing off, they couldn't provide many Show-off Points anymore.

That meant he needed to sell to more people to earn more Show-off Points. He had prepared more ingredients today than yesterday precisely because he wanted to sell to more people and earn more Show-off Points. How could he let Jiang Wenyan buy so many in one go?

"I can't?"

Jiang Wenyan felt a little disappointed, but then he thought that as long as he worked hard enough, he could become Boss Shen's personal stall-setting lackey. Whenever Boss Shen set up in the future, he would definitely be the first to know!

If he was the first to know, would he still have to worry about missing out on chive pockets?

"Then I'm definitely your first customer, right?"

Shen Chuan didn't dispute that and merely nodded slightly.

This guy had been waiting before he even headed out. Of course he was the first customer.

"Boss Shen, please!"

Seeing Shen Chuan nod, Jiang Wenyan immediately patted the chair excitedly. Once Shen Chuan had sat down securely, he hopped onto the tricycle. Before starting it, he sent a message to his roommates' group chat.

"Bros, Boss Shen's heading out! Time for chive pockets. Remember to ride my stall over to the food street."

Seeing that Jiang Wenyan's stakeout had actually worked, his roommates swiftly sent three worship memes to the group and began getting ready to leave.

Jiang Wenyan put his phone away contentedly and rode the tricycle toward Jiangwan Food District.

By the time the tricycle arrived at Shen Chuan's stall location, quite a few people had already gathered around. They were all customers who had bought chive pockets yesterday and had brought family and friends to try them today.

Some of them stood and others squatted, all looking toward the street entrance.

Someone sharp-eyed recognized Shen Chuan's stall and said excitedly, "That's the stall! The one selling chive pockets!"

At his shout, the people who had been wilting in the sun immediately stood up, their eyes wide and shining as they stared at the tricycle.

"He's finally here! I've been craving these so badly. I couldn't even stomach breakfast this morning. All I wanted was a bite of these delicious, non-greasy chive pockets."

"Exactly! Yesterday I was just passing by and saw everyone buying them, so I joined in and bought one. After eating it, I regretted it. How could one possibly be enough? I'm buying three today."

"Mine was different. I took the one I bought home for my daughter. She wolfed it down like I'd starved her all her life. I got curious and took it for a bite. That bite-oh my goodness! Why didn't I take a couple more?"

Jiang Wenyan parked Shen Chuan's tricycle beside his own stall. His roommates, who had arrived early to wait, immediately gathered around and greeted Shen Chuan as though they were old friends.

"Boss Shen, you finally came! I've been worrying ever since I got up this morning. What if you didn't feel like setting up because it was too hot today?"

Shen Chuan stood to the side with his arms folded, waiting for Jiang Wenyan to arrange everything on the stall. Hearing this, he said calmly, "I'm in a good mood today, so I thought I'd set up while I was at it."

Standing there in his suit and dress shoes with his arms folded, he looked less like someone running a stall and more like someone attending a banquet.

The customers seeing someone run a stall like this for the first time were brimming with goodwill and curiosity, and unseen Show-off Points kept flowing in.

Shen Chuan understood. It was just as he had thought.

Showing off in front of regular customers earned very few Show-off Points. They were already used to it, or had seen him show off and knew his style of running a stall, so they wouldn't generate many Show-off Points.

New customers seeing it for the first time could provide a little more.

Jiang Wenyan had already watched the delivery rider set up yesterday, so he knew the ropes today. To satisfy Shen Chuan, he had even practiced once at his own stall that afternoon.

Now he worked swiftly and steadily, soon putting everything that needed setting out in its proper place.

The knife and cutting board went on the far left, out of the way. The bottles and jars were arranged by height, and the fresh chives and eggs were placed within easy reach. Once everything was set out, he even took a paper towel and wiped down the already spotless counter again.

"Boss Shen, is this all right?"

"Not bad."

Shen Chuan nodded slightly, washed his hands, and stepped forward, addressing the customers gathered around the stall. "The chive pockets are made fresh to order, so they take time. Please line up on your own..."

Before Shen Chuan could finish, the disorderly crowd before him had already formed a long line of their own accord.

At a glance, it was quite orderly.

Shen Chuan paused slightly, then went straight into showing off. "Not bad. As customers of the God of Cooking, you're getting better and better at knowing my rules!"

[Ding...]

Sure enough, the moment he said this, the system's notifications for incoming Show-off Points immediately began dinging away.