Chapter 184 - 169: Professional Matters

Chapter 184: Chapter 169: Professional Matters

The "Hellish Braised Flavor" he’d made yesterday was sealed in an insulated container and stored in the freezer. Peering into the container at the bright red "Hellish Braised Flavor," one might think it was completely harmless.

But after last night’s experience, he knew the power of the Shuanshuang Spicy. Xu An didn’t dare open the container in the shop to sort through the food. Instead, he took it out to the alley behind the back door, walked to the farthest corner, and geared up completely before cautiously opening the lid. A wave of spiciness, even more intense than the one he’d encountered when opening the shop that morning, billowed out. Prepared this time, Xu An’s eyes only reddened, and he didn’t sneeze. That was progress.

After getting all the products ready for the photoshoot, Xu An grabbed a large bag and headed out. He had barely stepped out of Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant when he froze. He could smell it—the unique aroma of the Shuanshuang Spicy was seeping through the cracks of the food containers, subtly permeating the air around him.

Taking the bus from Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant to Red Brick Creative Park would take almost forty minutes. It was a direct route, which meant Xu An would be carrying this Shuanshuang Spicy—this biochemical weapon—on a single bus for a full forty minutes.

A scene played out in his mind.

To avoid bothering anyone, he would sit in the very back row of the bus and open the pitifully small window for ventilation, doing his best to minimize the impact. But the potent Shuanshuang Spicy was not so easily contained; its smell would seep out of the containers, little by little. At first, only Xu An would be able to smell the sharp odor. But as time went on, the air inside the semi-enclosed space of the bus would be invaded by the Shuanshuang Spicy, and the spicy aroma would slowly grow stronger...

The passengers near Xu An would be the first to be affected, one after another breaking into sneezes. As the spicy aroma grew more concentrated and drifted farther, even passengers at a distance would start sneezing. Eventually, the driver at the very front would catch a whiff of the pungent smell and let out a massive sneeze. That sneeze would cause his hand to jerk the steering wheel, or maybe his foot would slam down on the accelerator...

Just imagining the scene sent a chill down Xu An’s spine.

In the end, Xu An abandoned the idea of taking a bus or a taxi. He took an insulated chest from the shop, secured it to the back of his bicycle, and placed the prepared braised foods inside.

Under the scorching sun, Xu An pedaled furiously. Sweat beaded on his forehead, slid down his face to his neck, and finally trickled down his chest, disappearing into his shirt.

Although Xu An and Wei had collaborated many times over a long period, Wei had always been the one to bring his equipment to Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant for the photoshoots. This was the first time Xu An had ever been to the company where Wei worked. As he arrived at the entrance and took in the three-story building before him, he couldn’t help but click his tongue in admiration.

The three-story building was one of a kind, with an exquisite, beautiful exterior and a unique architectural style. Its overall color scheme was off-white, complemented by large, floor-to-ceiling windows and abundant greenery, giving it a vibrant yet elegant feel.

Carrying the insulated chest through the company’s main doors, the first thing that caught his eye wasn’t the beautiful, long-legged young women at the reception desk. Instead, it was the five towering, pure-white display shelves to his left. The shelves were filled with the company’s award-winning trophies and project showcases. A quick glance was all it took for Xu An to spot promotional posters for several brands well-known throughout Hai City...

As Xu An was examining the trophies and projects on the shelves, the sound of footsteps—CLACK CLACK CLACK—echoed from a grand, white staircase nearby. He looked up to see Wei.

"Boss Xu, this way." Wei was quite familiar with Xu An and knew he was in a hurry, so he skipped the pleasantries and led him directly into a room with three doors.

Upon entering the room, Wei pulled two sets of... hazmat suits and gas masks from a cabinet against the wall. ’No wonder they call this the studio for shooting extremely smelly products,’ Xu An thought. ’The gear is incredibly thorough. What in the world have the employees at Wei’s company been through to be this prepared?!’

The two had already discussed the advertising concept for Xu’s Braised Shop on the phone, but a phone conversation could only go so far. Wei pulled out a notebook and, opening it to his notes, began asking questions one by one.

For instance, was "Hellish Braised Flavor" meant to be a flagship product for Xu’s Braised Shop or just a gimmick? Would it be a permanent item or only available during special events? What were the rules for the event? Were there prizes? If so, what were they? What was the desired outcome of the ad campaign?

Wei fired off a volley of questions that left Xu An speechless. The ad campaign had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, and he hadn’t considered most of the points Wei was raising.

’Professionals really are on another level,’ he thought. ’They’re so thorough. I guess some money is just worth spending.’ And so, Xu An paid to upgrade the service. Wei would now handle everything: copywriting, liaising for approvals, revisions, and all the rest. All Xu An had to do was kick back and wait for Wei to deliver the finished ad for his review.

With the content, direction, and style of the shoot all confirmed, and the preliminary communication complete, Xu An and Wei put on their hazmat suits and gas masks. They opened the insulated chest Xu An had brought, took out the braised foods one container at a time, placed them on a table, and finally, opened all the lids.

’I have to say, these gas masks are incredibly effective,’ Xu An thought. Once he had it on, he couldn’t smell the Shuanshuang Spicy at all. ’I’ll ask Wei what brand they are later. I should buy one for Zhang Dezhen and another as a spare for the shop. A hazmat suit might be a good idea, too.’

The discussion was over. Now, it was Wei’s time to shine. At this stage, there was nothing left for Xu An to do. He took out a notebook and a pen and jotted down all the questions Wei had just asked.

After setting out the braised foods, Wei didn’t start shooting right away. Instead, he took out several measuring cups and poured the braising liquid from each portion into them. Then, he squatted on the floor with the cups and a pile of strange-looking materials and began mixing. In no time at all, five bottles of concocted liquid sat beside him. In both color and viscosity, they were identical to the original braising liquid!

For the second time since arriving at the company, Xu An was filled with admiration. ’I really found the right company and the right person in Wei. His level of professionalism is off the charts!’

As Wei began the photoshoot, Xu An zoned out, pondering whether he should add a challenge and prizes to the "Hellish Braised Flavor" event.

Given Xu An’s penny-pinching nature, he didn’t think it was necessary. In his past life, the Hell’s Spicy Noodle Shop had one and only one challenge: finish an entire bowl of their hell ramen, and your whole table’s bill was on the house. But that was clearly not suitable for Xu’s Braised Shop. After all, the Shuanshuang Spicy was far more terrifying than that hell ramen. He couldn’t very well have an ambulance and a medical team stationed at his shop every day! The public outcry in Hai City alone would be enough to bury him. Using it as a gimmick for the first day was one thing, but there was no need to continue it.

Still, Wei had a point. Without a challenge and prizes, the only customers he’d attract would be those who could handle extreme spice. Xu An’s goal was to use this event to boost sales for his entire braised shop, not just to push the "Hellish Braised Flavor" itself! This was Hai City, where spicy food lovers were a minority. It might work in a city known for its spicy cuisine, but it was clearly not suitable for Hai City.

’So, a challenge event is a must!’ If he was going to hold an event, he definitely needed prizes. What was the most enticing prize? His mind conjured images of tempting stacks of cash. ’It seems no prize is more appealing than cold, hard cash!’

’Alright, cash plus products it is!’

First, for third place, it’d be best to have more winners, so let’s say ten people. If they can finish half a pound of "Hellish Braised Flavor," they’ll get a one-hundred-yuan cash prize, plus two pounds of vegetarian braised items and one pound of mixed braised items, with their choice of flavors.

Second place will be for five people. The challenge has to be harder, but not impossible. Since third place is half a pound, let’s make second place one pound of "Hellish Braised Flavor." The prize for succeeding will be three hundred yuan in cash, plus three pounds of vegetarian braised items and two pounds of meat braised items, with their choice of flavors.

"And for first place, it’ll have to be just one person, of course..."

As he wrote this, Xu An’s pen paused. ’Following the progression from second and third, the first-place challenge should be to finish two pounds of ’Hellish Braised Flavor’. But isn’t that a bit too plain? Not enough of a gimmick?’

The news story he’d seen while doing research popped into his head again: some guy in China had swallowed seven Shuanshuang Spicy peppers in one go... ’What if the first-place challenge is to eat the Shuanshuang Spicy peppers themselves? And the prize for succeeding could be one thousand yuan in cash and ten pounds of braised food of their choice?’

’One thousand yuan... that’s about a third of an average person’s monthly salary. The impact isn’t big enough.’ Xu An lifted his pen, crossed out the word "thousand," paused, and then slowly but firmly wrote "ten thousand." A ten-thousand-yuan prize for completing the challenge! Now that was a big enough gimmick!

’But compared to the prize money, is eating just one Shuanshuang Spicy pepper too easy? Since that guy ate seven and was fine, setting the number at two should be okay, right? For safety’s sake, I’ll need to add a condition. To attempt the first-place challenge, a person must first eat a hundred and fifty grams of "Hellish Braised Flavor." Then, after half an hour, a medical team will check them. Only if they’re cleared can they attempt to eat the Shuanshuang Spicy peppers.’

Looking at the now-complete plan for the challenge, Xu An nodded in satisfaction. It had gimmick, it had substance. With the motivation of a ten-thousand-yuan prize, Xu’s Braised Shop was sure to be an instant hit!

After putting down his pen, Xu An mentally calculated the total cost of the prize money and suddenly realized something was off. This event alone would cost him a full twelve thousand five hundred yuan in cash, plus a significant amount of braised food. Add in the costs for the photoshoot, the ad placement, and other miscellaneous expenses, and he was about to spend over twenty thousand yuan in one go!

’Maybe I shouldn’t do the challenge after all?’

But the CLICK, CLICK of Wei’s camera from the side reached his ears, causing him to reconsider. The ad was already being filmed, and he was planning to air it on television. He’d already spent so much money; it wasn’t the time to cheap out on the final push. Xu An’s gaze fell on his notes for the first-place challenge, and his expression relaxed slightly.

’I’ve personally tasted the power of the ’Hellish Braised Flavor,’ and fresh Shuanshuang Spicy peppers should be even worse. The chances of anyone completing this challenge are practically zero. So, the total payout will really just be two thousand five hundred yuan plus some braised food. I can accept that level of cost.’

’Nothing ventured, nothing gained!’ he thought. ’Let’s do it!’