Chapter 118: Chapter 103: Making a Show

After returning, Ning He took some time to rest. Then, one free morning, she thoroughly organized the ideas brewing in her mind.

Aside from her "system," which was basically a cheat, all she could rely on were her culinary skills and a depth of gastronomic knowledge and experience that far surpassed this world’s professional chefs.

If she wanted to convince people to spend a lot of money, she’d have to show them what she was really capable of.

Ning He took out her little notebook and began to write and doodle.

’Hmm, this one is sensational enough.’

’Is this one a little too intense?’

’This one takes too long to prepare. I’ll put it on the back burner.’

’This one looks a little plain. It needs some extra flair.’

After tinkering for a long while, Ning He had filled three whole pages.

She had the raw ideas, but she still needed a way to package them to attract customers.

Heqi Chinese Restaurant had opened smoothly because she’d already built up a large base of customers. The Black Panther Company, however, had a limited client base and a formidable competitor. For a service with such a high price tag, how exactly was she going to advertise it?

Clients of this caliber were beyond Mia and Natie’s reach, so using the forums was no longer a viable strategy.

But if she relied solely on the Black Panther Company’s existing clients, she wouldn’t get more than a few jobs a month. And if she was going to do this, she was determined to earn as much as possible.

Just then, her phone rang. It was a call from Cindy.

Beiluo City’s official media account had a food channel on the Alliance’s shared social media platform, which was managed by the local television station. After Editor-in-Chief Liang Hui personally visited Heqi Chinese Restaurant, she immediately had her staff upload the video Cindy had filmed. It quickly garnered the most comments and likes the channel had received since its launch. The video was even reposted by the Alliance’s vegetarian organization, which gave it high praise.

Liang Hui acted decisively, assigning Cindy to produce a special feature. This meant Cindy would come film at the restaurant every now and then. To avoid disrupting normal business hours, Cindy always made sure to ask Ning He beforehand for a relatively quiet time to schedule the shoot.

"Let’s do two o’clock today. I have a new dish you can film."

The promotion on this platform targeted Alliance members outside of Beiluo City. While it was useful for shaping the city’s public image, it had almost no impact on Ning He’s business, so she didn’t pay it much mind.

’It’s no trouble, anyway. I might as well cooperate.’

Cindy happily agreed.

"Great! I’ll be there right on time. I’m sure the comment section will be full of people who are jealous of me again. Oh, by the way, Ning He, I have some good news. To thank you for always cooperating with our TV station’s filming, the editor-in-chief said we can shoot a commercial for you, free of charge, and air it for a week. Just think about what kind of ad you’d like and let me know ahead of time. I promise Karen and I will take care of it."

"A TV commercial?" A light bulb went off in Ning He’s head, and she shot to her feet.

’Why didn’t I think of this sooner?’

"That’s right. The editor-in-chief also said you can have up to a full minute, so don’t be shy. Ask for whatever you want," Cindy added.

’What a lifesaver!’

"Cindy, are you free right now? Can we talk about this immediately?" Ning He’s voice was tinged with excitement and urgency.

Cindy laughed. "Of course I’m free. You have no idea—every time I’m scheduled to film at your place, I make sure to clear my entire afternoon. I’m always worried something else might pop up and derail my plans."

In the end, they met at the restaurant at twelve o’clock noon.

The lunch rush for the spicy hot pot was busy, and the first floor was already full. Vance and the others were bustling about, serving customers. Connie and Ah Huai had been busy with the noodle shop recently, and they were exhausted from running back and forth, so Ning He told them to go home and rest after they got back from the canteen, and to come in after two. In any case, Youzhen was handling the prep work with two of her classmates, so there wouldn’t be any delays.

Ning He had Cindy and Karen join her for lunch on the second floor, serving them oil-splashed noodles with a vegetarian minced topping. Afterward, they began to discuss the commercial.

"...The buffet business is doing well, but I can’t handle any more customers than I already have. I was wondering, could we change the focus of the commercial and advertise something else?" Ning He asked.

Cindy was curious. "Something else? Do you have another restaurant?"

Ning He scratched her head. "You could... say that. I’m collaborating with someone on a new food tasting event, but the barrier to entry is pretty high. If I could advertise it on the TV station, it would be much more effective."

Cindy’s interest was piqued. "A food tasting event? What’s the barrier to entry?"

"Well, you have to sign up for an out-of-city service with a security company and join a ’food tour.’ Then you get to try all sorts of dishes you’ve never seen before and critique them. As for the barriers, first, the registration fee is considerable. Second, you have to be brave. After all, leaving the city is risky. Plus, some of the dishes might be psychologically challenging, so we need diners who are adventurous," Ning He explained as best she could.

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