Each pot is stir-fried for about 4 minutes, and Wang Fan pours boiling water into it to cover the chicken pieces, then covers it with a lid and moves on to the next pot of chicken.

As the number of simmering pots increased, the rich aroma of chicken enveloped the shop like a fog that wouldn't dissipate.

This aroma was incredibly strong and delicious, incomparable to that of ordinary chickens.

Not just the people inside the shop, but even those strolling around outside were deeply attracted to the smell.

Wang Fan didn't need to lure customers; many diners were drawn by the aroma alone.

Di Renjie's popularity was indeed high; many diners had seen his videos, and waiting for food was almost like a mini fan meetup.

However, compared to crazy fans of celebrities, these fans were much more rational, and they quietly sat aside after taking a photo, waiting for the food.

Wang Fan continued to cook chicken methodically. After adding boiling water to the last pot, the smell from the first pot indicated that it was time for the final step of reducing the sauce over high heat.

After stewing for over 40 minutes, the rich broth had accumulated so much power that opening the lid was like a dam bursting, akin to a moment of epiphany.

"Wow!"

The diners watched Wang Fan with wide eyes, inhaling deeply, and even heavy smokers felt the urge to quit smoking because their lung capacity wasn't enough to out-sniff others.

Wang Fan took out a skimmer and first scooped out the chicken pieces, then cleaned up all the remnants in the pot, because leftover bits would affect both the presentation and the enjoyment of eating.

After putting the chicken kidney of the large rooster into the pot, Wang Fan suddenly turned to Chen Shuo and asked, "Do you like it spicy?"

Chen Shuo was stunned and quickly replied, "Very spicy, it's not enough if it doesn't make your lips tingle!"

Wang Fan nodded, grabbed a handful of chopped small chili peppers, and threw them all into the pot before adding garlic cloves and chopped green onions.

Adding garlic cloves too early would make them mushy, and early-added green onions would not only become mushy but also bitter.

He sprinkled in a bunch of fresh Sichuan peppercorns and continued to stir-fry.

As the juice in the pot reduced, he grabbed another handful of chopped thin-skinned spiral peppers and put them in.

These thin-skinned spiral peppers had a nice level of spiciness, loved by many in the Lu Dong Region.

And they had to be added at the end, or else they'd become mushy too.

Finally, a spoonful of lard was drizzled in for brightness and flavor, signaling the completion of a big plate of Linyi stir-fry chicken.

In the Lu Dong Region, it's usually eaten with pancakes, but Wang Fan thought his pancake-making skill wasn't quite there yet, and, well... weren't steamed rice easier to prepare?

Besides, a big plate of sauce-red stir-fry chicken paired with a bowl of gentle, jade-like white rice — who could deny that this wasn't a perfect match?

"Here's your chicken, please enjoy. If you think it's poor quality or overpriced, feel free to say it out loud, and I'll waive the bill for you."

Wang Fan placed the tray in front of Chen Shuo, making a somewhat quiet yet very imposing statement.

His words instantly received a round of applause.

"Boss, you're amazing, those words are truly impressive. Whether it tastes good or not, I'll definitely say it out loud."

"Only extraordinary people dare to say that. This move by the boss is top-tier; just for this alone, I must try the chicken."

"Hey brother, you're not a shill, right? You better be honest about the taste later."

Chen Shuo patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, I'll be truthful, a Huaxia person won't deceive another Huaxia person!"

Just as he was about to dig in, Di Renjie came over with a smile.

"Brother, how about a deal, let's share the meal? My order will be ready by the time we finish this plate."

To be honest, Di Renjie wasn't used to making such requests, but the aroma was too tempting for him to resist.

The spicy and savory aroma, the bright and glossy color, and the slight hint of soup all indicated that this was a top-quality stir-fried chicken.

He was eager to find out how this compared to the famous local restaurant he once dined at.

Faced with Di Renjie's proposal, Chen Shuo readily agreed: "Sure, when you're out and about, we're all friends, let's eat together."

Di Renjie's assistant fetched a set of tableware from the counter and expressed gratitude to Chen Shuo, and the two began to eat together.

Di Renjie picked up a piece of small chicken leg meat for a careful inspection.

"Judging by the tightness and thickness of this chicken leg skin, it's definitely from an old chicken. Real stuff is used here. These chickens aren't cheap, at least 20 yuan per pound."

Saying this, he took a bite and then frowned.

Now they were the only ones in the room eating, with everyone's eyes on them. Seeing him frown made everyone wonder.

"What's going on? Is this chicken not tasty?"

"Di Renjie is known for speaking the truth; is he about to debunk a myth now?"

"Could this place become a debunking site? Suddenly I'm looking forward to it!"

While everyone anticipated Di Renjie to expose a fraud, he started to smile again.

"Ha, it truly deserves its name as an old free-range chicken, the meat is really tight, you can't tear it off easily."

Darn!

What you said is completely different from what we were expecting!

The diners who were hoping for a drama felt like they had been played.

Di Renjie then began his review: "This chicken meat has to be torn apart to eat, and once you do, you'll notice a bit of crispiness to it; its fibers are coarser and not particularly easy to chew, but!"

Closing his eyes to savor it carefully: "It is indeed extremely flavorful! The aroma of the old free-range chicken completely blends with the sauce, offering a soy-savory, slightly sweet, slightly numbing, very spicy, and extremely rich taste."

"Richness is the soul of Linyi stir-fry chicken."

He then took a spoon and scraped at the plate for some sauce. It took three attempts to get half a spoonful. The sauce slowly dripped onto the rice, dying its pure white color a dark red.

"With this chicken broth, whether you pair it with rice, noodles, or pancakes, it will surely tantalize your taste buds."

Chen Shuo nodded repeatedly as he took big bites of chicken.

Just look at him, that's what you call professional. If it were me, all I could say would be, "Whoa, it's damn good!"

Di Renjie gnawed at the small chicken leg meat till it was clean: "No doubt, this stir-fried chicken deserves five stars. Honestly, each stir-fried chicken I've had in Linyi had its own flavor, with each claiming to be the most authentic, so I can't say if this one is authentic, but I'm convinced that the one made by Little Boss Wang is the best tasting I've had. I'll absolutely give it a five-star rating."

After saying this, he noticed Chen Shuo had a pile of chicken bones in front of him, and immediately he was anxious: "Brother, save some for me! Are you starving?"

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