Chapter 147: Reporter Interview

Chapter 147: Chapter 147: Reporter Interview

Xie Hua was a reporter for the Yanjing Daily.

As one of the country’s most established newspapers, the Yanjing Daily was a top player in the domestic market and held significant influence across various sectors.

Xie Hua had been with the company for three years and was proud to identify himself as a Yanjing Daily reporter wherever he went.

He was constantly grinding to advance his career, striving to become the most outstanding and highly-regarded employee among his colleagues.

Judging by how he’d been treated recently, Xie Hua had almost believed he was on the verge of success...

Why almost?

Because Xie Hua found that he’d seemingly been iced out overnight.

’Otherwise, why would I suddenly be dispatched to do a field report on some obscure little restaurant?!’

’This out-of-the-way restaurant has zero journalistic value. Even if I write the most flowery, over-the-top article praising it to the heavens, will anyone actually read it?’

’Oh, right. The restaurant is apparently a spin-off from some variety show. Everyone from the waiters to the chefs are celebrities.’

’So that’s why my boss specifically sent me here?’

’Another marketing gimmick?’

Xie Hua, a man with lofty professional ambitions, felt his ideals had been sullied by money. His mood sank.

He was practically radiating a gloomy, apathetic aura.

"Sigh."

Xie Hua let out a heavy sigh.

Suddenly, someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey buddy, don’t worry. If we wait long enough, it’ll be our turn eventually."

Xie Hua looked up, confused.

"Our turn for what?"

When he focused and got a clear look at the scene before him, his pupils constricted!

While he had been lost in his dreary thoughts, he had somehow ended up in a massive crowd. He was near the back of a line, with at least fifty people ahead of him!

’Is some supermarket doing a giveaway? Business is booming!’

Puzzled, Xie Hua apologized to the person behind him.

"Sorry about that. I’m trying to get to the small restaurant next door. I must be in the wrong place."

He was about to leave when the friendly man behind him quickly pulled him back.

"What other small restaurant? This is it! We’re all in line for it!"

"W-What?"

Xie Hua was flabbergasted, unable to believe his eyes!

"All these people are in line to eat? Is the restaurant giving away free food or something?"

Otherwise, Xie Hua couldn’t imagine what could possibly possess so many people to stand here and wait so willingly!

The friendly man burst out laughing.

"Free food? Our Boss Nan doesn’t even give a ten percent discount!"

As he spoke, several people behind the man nodded in agreement.

"Forget discounts. We’re lucky he doesn’t raise the prices."

"I’d rather the boss raise the prices. The line gets harder to get into every day."

"Didn’t they just expand the restaurant? It feels like it made no difference!"

"Do you have some kind of misunderstanding about how popular Nan Family’s Small Restaurant is?"

"..."

Looking at the crowd of men and women of all ages, Xie Hua’s professional curiosity was piqued.

"Are you all friends?"

The friendly man replied with a solemn and earnest expression.

"No, we’re eating buddies."

"Huh?"

’Is "eating buddies" some kind of special, sacred relationship?’

’Aren’t they just friends?’

After a detailed explanation, Xie Hua finally understood—

It turned out that this group, including the friendly man, were all members of a local Yanjing foodie group chat, and the friendly man was the group’s admin.

The members ranged from diligent corporate drones who had been working for years, to rich second-generation kids whose life goal was to eat, drink, and be merry, and even simple, naive college students who had yet to be beaten down by society...

The group’s daily communications were almost entirely free of idle chit-chat, filler, or fake ads. It was purely heartfelt food recommendations from each member!

On their tireless quest for good food, they covered everything from high-end restaurants costing over a thousand per person to inconspicuous street food stalls... You could say that for these foodies, delicious food was the one and only truth!

"...If anyone is caught giving a false recommendation more than three times, we kick them out of the group directly!"

The friendly man lifted his chin, proudly explaining their rules.

The people behind him all nodded along, their eyes filled with the pride of shared conviction!

Xie Hua was taken aback.

’This group of people seems a little too... newsworthy!’

Xie Hua quickly pulled out his essential reporter’s gear: a voice recorder and a small camera.

"Actually, I’m a reporter from the Yanjing Daily. I came to do a field report on this Nan Family’s Small Restaurant, and I’m very curious about why you’ve all come here. Would you mind telling me more about it?"

The friendly man was pleasantly surprised.

"Oh, you’re a reporter? If you film us, will we be on TV? What time does your news program air?"

"We’re the Yanjing Daily, not a TV station..."

"Oh."

The friendly man was a bit disappointed, feeling like he’d missed a chance to show off on his social media.

It made Xie Hua start to doubt himself.

’Since when was being a reporter for the Yanjing Daily so unimpressive?’

Still, the man was as friendly as ever. He gave a cheerful nod.

"Sure, ask whatever you want!"

Xie Hua was just about to speak.

When a young man behind the friendly man suddenly tugged on his sleeve.

"Dude, don’t."

"What’s wrong?"

"What if the reporter writes an article and Nan Family’s Small Restaurant gets even more popular? We can barely get in line as it is. If more people come... I’ll really have to camp out in front of the restaurant overnight!"

Xie Hua felt compelled to politely remind him:

"That would be a public nuisance. You’d be taken away."

So camping was probably not an option.

The young man’s face turned red.

"Th-Then I’ll just stand!"

Xie Hua was truly baffled.

"Is this little restaurant really that captivating? Or are you all actually here for the celebrities?"

"Celebrities? What celebrities?"

"You don’t know?"

Xie Hua had no choice but to explain the origin of Nan Family’s Small Restaurant.

The friendly man and the others listened, then said:

"Oh."

Xie Hua couldn’t help but ask:

"You’re not surprised?"

The friendly man waved a dismissive hand, speaking for all the foodies present:

"Who cares who runs it? As long as the food’s good, that’s all that matters!"

With his reporter’s insight, Xie Hua could naturally tell that these people were speaking from the heart.

Having been forced to come here for a field report, he originally had a negative preconception of Nan Family’s Small Restaurant.

But now that he thought about it calmly, he realized he had been biased.

Xie Hua collected his thoughts and began his interview with a professional and serious attitude.

"So, could you tell me in detail how you first discovered this restaurant?"

The friendly man slapped his chest.

"Of course, I was the one who recommended it! My parents live right around here. I live in another district, but I come to see them once a week. Last week when I came over, I saw the old couple sneaking out, saying they were going to ’snatch’ something. I thought they’d been scammed by a pyramid scheme, so I secretly followed them. That’s when I discovered they were going to buy braised meat! The braised meat from this very restaurant. Let me tell you, it’s divinely delicious... GULP..."