By Alice Yan

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A street food vendor in eastern China has trended on social media because of the unique way he carries out his business and his humorous interactions with customers.
Some people have even described him as being as passionate about his job as the popular cartoon character, SpongeBob.
Li Junyong, 48, has been selling chicken steak on the street in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province for years.

As a result, he has earned the nickname “Chicken Steak Brother”, the mainland news outlet Shandian News reported.
Li attracted significant attention after a local food blogger met him by chance on the street at a particularly hectic time.
“I am extremely busy. I have to finish these orders quickly. Then I must arrive at the gate of No 5 Middle School. The students will be released soon and they will be waiting for me,” Li was filmed explaining to the blogger while he busily fried chicken steaks.

“If I am not there on time, they will call me a liar because we have an agreement that I sell chicken steaks at their school gate after they are released from school,” he added.
“Please understand me, OK?” he asked the blogger.
The video, released on September 21, was liked by 700,000 internet users, as audiences applauded Li as sincere as well as cute.
In the coming days, more videos were released showing that Li has strict business rules, including the fact that he prioritises serving students after r 4.30pm every day.

He also lowers his prices for students.
To save time, Li also requires his customers to open a plastic bag in their hands before he passes them the cooked steak.
“What I need is speed,” he tells his customers.
Internet users have also been attracted by Li’s considerate and humorous exchanges with customers.
“It is hot. Please pay attention not to scald your hand,” he said to a female customer when handing her a cooked steak.

Li tells another buyer: “Look, this steak is so big. It is bigger than your imagination.”
When he is finished frying a steak, Li tells his customers: “A delicacy is coming.”
As the queue of patrons at his stall grows, Li tells them: “It will be your turn soon. I have no reason to let you wait any longer.”
Many people have joked that while Li sells chicken steaks for six yuan (85 US cents), he provides an emotional value of 60 yuan (US$8).
After Li shot to fame, more people, many of them tourists, flocked to his stall, forming a queue hundreds of metres long.
Li has asked his wife, his mother and his brother-in-law to help with the business. Internet users affectionately call them the Chicken Steak Family.

“I will definitely not raise the price,” Li told the media. “My principle is to surrender as much profit as possible to my customers. I am content if I can earn a basic income.”
Li’s story triggered an outpouring of support and praise on mainland social media.
“The stark contrast is that he is only an ordinary street vendor but he is quite serious about his job. The other cook in the world who is so passionate about his work is SpongeBob,” said one online observer.
While another comment read: “I am touched that he said students need him more.”