Chapter 215 - 188: Building Momentum

Chapter 215: Chapter 188: Building Momentum

「In a cramped tenement building somewhere in Hai City.」

A tall, thin middle-aged man emerged from the cramped and spartan kitchen, humming a tune. He held a plate of slightly charred millet chilies in his left hand and carried half a bottle of baijiu in his right as he sauntered nonchalantly toward the narrow, rectangular living room.

He placed the millet chilies—his bar snacks—and the baijiu on the coffee table, then plopped down onto a sofa that had long lost its spring. He crossed his feet and propped them up on the table. After fumbling around on the sofa with his right hand, he finally fished out a remote control from behind him. He pressed the power button, and the TV screen lit up, showing the Hai City local channel. The news broadcast was still three minutes away.

The man picked up a millet chili and tossed it into his mouth, producing a series of crisp CRUNCHES. He then took a small sip from the bottle of baijiu, so content that his eyes narrowed into slits. ’Chilies really are the best bar snack. The spicier, the better. It’s a shame the chili shop owner hasn’t restocked the Shuanshuang Spicy peppers lately, so I have to make do with these millet chilies.’

’Millet chilies aren’t bad, but they’re just missing something. Normally, a single Shuanshuang Spicy pepper is enough to go with a two-ounce pour of liquor. With millet chilies, I need two ounces of peppers for a two-ounce pour.’

After an ad for a kidney supplement looped three times, it finally ended. Following the usual routine, an ad for a medicinal balm should have been next. After the balm ad, there was usually one for a popular health tonic, and then the news broadcast would begin.

But today, after the kidney supplement ad finished, the familiar jingle for the medicinal balm didn’t play. The man found this a bit strange. He opened his narrowed eyes, and what greeted him was a visual assault of delicious-looking braised dishes from Xu’s Braised Shop.

’These braised dishes look alright, but they aren’t spicy enough. They don’t qualify as a proper bar snack for me.’

The man reached for another slightly charred, deep-fried millet chili and tossed it into his mouth. His teeth ground it to bits, and he washed it down with the fiery baijiu. He let out a long, contented sigh, and the room was instantly filled with the pungent aroma of chilies.

As the red background in the ad receded, the man caught a glimpse of a chili pepper placed at the very peak of the braised food. His eyes suddenly shot wide open. He took his feet off the coffee table and leaned forward, moving closer to the TV to get a crystal-clear look at the pepper, which still had a single drop of braising liquid clinging to it.

’This... this... isn’t this the Shuanshuang Spicy pepper I’ve been dreaming of?!’

At the same time, a recent conversation with the chili shop owner surfaced in his mind. The owner had said that a restaurant owner had bought up the Shuanshuang Spicy peppers to develop some insanely spicy food and that an ad would be aired during primetime on the Hai City local channel. But he had watched for days and seen nothing, assuming the shop owner was just pulling his leg. He never thought it was actually true!

’To think there’s such a kindred spirit in the world! If I could just have a drink and a chat with him, I could die without regrets!’

Just as all his attention was focused on the Shuanshuang Spicy pepper, a steady male voice rang out from the TV.

"...Grand opening event... Third prize... Second prize... As long as you can eat two Shuanshuang Spicy peppers in one sitting, you will win the first prize for this event! Ten thousand yuan in cash!..."

’Ten thousand yuan in cash? Ten thousand yuan in cash!’

The man looked suspiciously at the bottle of baijiu on the coffee table. ’Did I get some fake liquor today, or am I hearing things?’ he wondered. ’What kind of shop and what kind of event is this? So extravagant! They’re just giving away ten thousand yuan in cash as a prize.’

’I must have misheard. I definitely misheard.’

When the ad played for a second time, the moment the Hellish Braised Flavor dish appeared, the man stared at the TV screen with his full attention. His ears were perked, afraid of missing any key information. This time, he heard it loud and clear: the first prize was ten thousand yuan in cash!

The man’s breathing grew ragged. ’Ten thousand yuan! It’s really ten thousand yuan! That’s my entire yearly salary! This is a gift from the heavens!’

’Thank god I have a habit of watching the Hai City local channel. Thank god I have a habit of watching the evening news. Thank god I noticed this ad. Thank god the event doesn’t start until tomorrow... If I’d only found out after it was over, I’d probably spend the rest of my life waking up in the middle of the night, beating my chest and wailing in regret.’

’What incredible luck!’

’Tomorrow afternoon, right? That first prize... I, Old Wu, have it in the bag!’

「Hai City Local TV Station Office.」

Tonight, it was Xie Yuting’s turn to be on duty. Her colleagues had gradually left for the day at five, leaving her to hold down the fort. After finishing up tomorrow’s work, Xie Yuting picked up her phone, ready to slack off for a bit, when she received a message from her senior, Tang Wen.

"Tingting, the promotional ad for Xu’s Braised Shop’s grand opening has been approved by your station. It will air tonight at 6:59 PM, 7:30 PM, and 8:00 PM sharp. I’m counting on you for the rest!"

"Xu’s Braised Shop Grand Opening Event Materials.zip"

After replying with an "OK" sticker, Xie Yuting turned to her computer and found a document titled "Xu’s Braised Shop Grand Opening Event Interview Application." She opened it and began filling out the application form, cross-referencing it with the materials Tang Wen had sent. When she got to the "Reason for Application" section, her hands paused for a moment before she started typing furiously, line after line of text appearing on the screen.