Know your enemy and yourself to remain undefeated

Shen Chuan's latest show-off move seemed to set the whole place alight, drawing an even bigger crowd.

Spectators, people filming videos, and customers lining up for pancakes all crowded around the stall. The line kept growing, and for a while, the place was absolutely bustling.

Even the nearby stall owners were drawn by the commotion.

This stall had done good business over the past two days, but never anything this exaggerated. Why was it especially busy today?

It was still so early, yet not only had a crowd gathered, people were also letting out excited screams every so often, as though they had seen something particularly thrilling.

Some of the more curious stall owners could not resist coming over to watch.

They all ran roadside stalls. With his business doing so well, it could only help to come over and learn a thing or two.

As the saying went, know your enemy and yourself to remain undefeated.

The young man selling small wontons and boiled dumplings coaxed his neighbor, who sold griddle-fried squid, into going over with him.

Behind the stall with the long line stood an owner dressed in a suit and leather shoes, meticulously groomed from head to toe. Even his hair was styled in the latest fashion among celebrities. He looked so handsome that he could have been about to walk the red carpet.

Everything about him seemed out of place amid the everyday bustle of a roadside stall, making onlookers feel as though they had wandered onto the set of a variety show.

The wonton and dumpling vendor's first thought was that some food variety show was filming, and fans had recognized the young man, causing this huge scene. He immediately looked around for cameras.

"But I don't see any cameras or a production crew?"

His neighbor selling griddle-fried squid heard his muttering and looked around too, agreeing with his guess.

After all, ordinary stall owners were not this handsome, nor did they groom themselves so meticulously. He was probably some celebrity who needed to look presentable on camera, which would explain the formal outfit.

"Could there be hidden cameras?"

The two looked around like thieves, blocking the way as they did. The young woman selling one-yuan sushi who had followed them over spoke up helplessly, "What are you two doing? You're blocking my view!"

"We think this stall owner is a celebrity filming a show. We're looking for cameras."

A celebrity!?

The young woman's eyes instantly lit up. She pushed the two men aside and squeezed toward the front of the line without looking back.

The two men she had pushed aside: ...

She reached a good viewing spot up front just as Shen Chuan tossed a pancake dough disc into the air. While it spun and spread, he lowered his head to flip the pancake in the pan, casually picked up his ice water and took a sip, then raised his hand to catch the falling dough steadily.

The sight left even the stall owners dumbstruck.

Looking around, they spotted plenty of familiar vendors. They glanced at one another, all dressed for work in plain T-shirts and trousers that allowed easy movement, with aprons over their chests. At a glance, they were steeped in the greasy, smoky air of street life.

And him? He wore a suit and leather shoes, calm and composed, neither calling out nor pitching his wares, yet so many people surrounded him. They were even scrambling to buy his scallion pancakes at 15 yuan apiece, as though money meant nothing.

Thinking of all the efforts and promotions they had tried to keep their own stalls going, they suddenly found it all rather unreal.

So running a stall could actually be this classy?

Or was it because the owner was handsome?

Was he really not a celebrity?

They would feel a little better if he were.

But after seeing the cooking skills he had just shown off, none of them dared claim they could do the same. What celebrity had cooking skills this badass?

And looking around again, they saw that some customers who had bought scallion pancakes had not even left. They stood nearby eating while watching the owner make pancakes as though watching a performance.

The rich aroma of scallion pancakes kept wafting into everyone's noses.

And the expressions on these customers' faces were... outrageously exaggerated.

Some shook their heads inexplicably as they ate, letting out an "Mmm" and shaking their heads with every bite.

Others ate so fast they nearly choked to death and frantically pounded their chests.

Instinctively, one stall owner thought that selling drinks next to this scallion pancake stall would surely be good business.

Just how delicious were these scallion pancakes to make everyone so eager for them?

The whole group's attention was drawn to the aroma drifting from the scallion pancakes.

By now, the line in front of Shen Chuan's stall was already extremely long, but the stall owners swallowed and could not resist joining the end of it.

Right, know your enemy and yourself to remain undefeated!

As more and more people lined up and gathered to watch, some grew impatient. Seeing others eat while they could not, they began urging Shen Chuan to hurry.

"Boss, could you go a little faster? This line is so long. When will it be our turn?"

"Yeah, boss, we're practically starving to death waiting."

Shen Chuan raised his hand to catch the spinning dough, gave it a light turn with his fingertips, and settled it steadily into the pan. His movements remained unhurried as he said:

"Impatience won't get you a hot flying pancake. My pancakes have their own rhythm. Good food takes patience."

"After all, getting to eat the God of Cooking's scallion pancakes is your good fortune!"

The customers: ...

[Ding! Show-off Points +60!]

[Ding!...]

Several system notifications sounded in succession. Shen Chuan's expression remained unchanged, and he was very pleased with his latest bit of showing off.

The watching stall owners were also stunned by his answer.

If customers at their stalls grew impatient and urged them to hurry, they would immediately soothe them politely. Sometimes, if possible, they would even add a little extra or give them a small snack. Yet with Boss Shen, it turned into this!?

Were the customers really this easygoing?

"Fine, we'll wait, boss. I've actually gotten tanned just to eat your pancakes! Speaking of which, could you sell me a few extra later?"

Someone in the crowd teased him with a laugh. "You sure talk big, boss. If the taste doesn't live up to that confidence, watch out-everyone might refuse to buy it!"

Shen Chuan still showed little reaction. His gaze remained composed as he replied mildly, "The God of Cooking's skills can stand up to anyone's scrutiny."

[Ding! Show-off Points +15!]

Those who had tasted Shen Chuan's cooking did not find it awkward at all for him to call himself the God of Cooking. Instead, they sincerely gave him a thumbs-up, expressing their agreement.

It was just like calling someone who excelled at studying a study god.

Calling someone who cooked delicious food the God of Cooking followed the same logic.

As long as everyone accepted it, whatever you said went!

The person who had said that was clearly joking too.

While waiting in line, he had watched so many people ahead of him buy scallion pancakes, and not one had looked displeased after taking a bite. Every one of them was so amazed that they practically wanted to praise the owner to the skies. Clearly, the pancakes really did taste good.

Otherwise, with this many people, there was no way not a single one would complain about the price.

People could accept paying 15 yuan for a scallion pancake, provided the taste justified the price. Otherwise, someone with a bad temper might say nothing, only to throw the pancake away right in front of the owner the next second.

The stall owners on the food street knew this all too well.

When the food was truly awful, they had even seen customers smash up a stall in a fit of anger.