A few eerie chicken cries echoed from the kitchen, and the chefs paused, staring in shock at the gruesome scene —Ye Chui skillfully bled, plucked, and cleaned the live chicken in a swift and efficient manner, leaving it pristine.
Despite the somewhat bloody scene, it didn't repulse anyone. Watching Ye Chui's seamless movements, it gave off a strong sense of shock, as if witnessing a mesmerizing dance.
When Fang Jun returned to the kitchen after parking the car, the three chickens had already been prepared by Ye Chui and were neatly placed on the cutting board for later use. At this point, without Ye Chui saying anything, Tian Xiaodu immediately shouted, "What are you all looking at? Hurry up and do your own thing. Don't try to sneak a peek here!"
The kitchen became busy again.
As the head chef, Tian Xiaodu would personally cook for Han Lao today. Instead of choosing his specialty dish, 'Fragrant Eggplant Mash,' he opted for the 'Spicy Chicken' that Ye Chui had taught him before.
Wearing a white chef's uniform, Fang Jun joined in the bustling activities. At this moment, his eyes subtly glanced towards the exhaust hood above Ye Chui's stove —it was where he secretly installed a camera yesterday.
He wanted to secretly record Ye Chui's cooking process.
Although he was somewhat dissatisfied with Ye Chui, the fact that Ye Chui's recipe for 'Spicy Chicken' was sold for 120,000 yuan proved that the recipes in his possession were extremely valuable. Fang Jun might have some reservations against his mentor Tian Xiaodu, but he had no qualms about such things. In fact, he was quite enthusiastic about it.
"What's so special about Ye Chui? He just knows a few ancient recipes. If I also know these ancient recipes and practice a bit, I can definitely do better than Ye Chui!" Fang Jun couldn't help but feel resentful.
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
In the luxurious private room on the second floor of Wan Lai Fu, Yang Yong's handkerchief was soaked, and his forehead was still dripping with sweat. Standing next to Han Lao was too much pressure.
The old man sat in the center of the room, closing his eyes to rest, but his slightly thin face showed signs of displeasure, his mouth pouting as if he were unhappy with everyone.
Han Yuyan, exuding a mature charm, stood obediently behind him, massaging his shoulders.
Yang Yong had originally prepared a lot of kind words to say to Han Lao, but after the scene at the entrance just now, he couldn't say a word. Wiping his sweaty forehead once again with the damp handkerchief, he felt the pressure of standing beside Han Lao.
At this moment, a knock on the door sounded. Yang Yong, feeling relieved, quickly opened the door. Several waiters were standing outside, holding freshly cooked dishes.
The dishes prepared by the chefs at Wan Lai Fu were now ready.
Yang Yong quickly made way for the waitstaff to bring in the freshly cooked dishes and arranged them on the table. He approached Han Lao with a beaming smile, "Han Lao, these are the signature dishes of our restaurant. Please taste them and see how they suit your palate."
Han Lao finally opened his narrowed eyes, glancing at the dishes on the table. These dishes were meticulously prepared by Wan Lai Fu's top chefs, who had started their preparations early in the morning.
Yang Yong, as the restaurant manager with considerable experience, had hosted various food enthusiasts, and these dishes had received praise from them.
With a proud expression on his face, Yang Yong felt that Wan Lai Fu, as a five-star restaurant, didn't need to rely on a small chef like Ye Chui. Their chefs were more than capable of entertaining Han Lao with these exquisite culinary creations. The dishes were like works of art, complete in color, aroma, and taste.
"What is this mishmash!? How can a five-star restaurant like Wan Lai Fu use this garbage to serve guests!? Where's the promised chicken feast? Take these away quickly! I want to eat chicken! Just looking at these things makes me nauseous!" Han Lao complained with a somewhat petulant demeanor, resembling a child, albeit a terrifyingly irritable one.
Yang Yong's smile froze on his face again. He tried to speak, "Han Lao, these are our signature dishes. Why don't you try them first?"
Han Yuyan, standing beside Han Lao, gave a soft snort and said with a smile, "Manager Yang, Grandpa came here today just for the chicken dishes. Otherwise, with Grandpa's status in the culinary world, your five-star restaurant wouldn't be enough to attract him. Remove everything else; we're only interested in the chicken dishes."
"Alright, alright." Yang Yong couldn't help wiping his forehead again, indicating the waitstaff to remove the dishes. When he initially invited Han Lao, he used the excuse of treating him to a chicken feast.
However, he didn't expect Han Lao to be so serious about it. Now, it seemed they could only rely on Ye Chui. "Please wait a moment, Han Lao. The chicken feast will be ready soon. I'll go to the kitchen and urge them."
The waitstaff picked up the dishes that had just been placed down and were about to leave. However, Han Lao suddenly shouted, "Wait."
The waitstaff immediately stopped.
Han Lao picked up the chopsticks placed on the side, pointed at one of the dishes about to be taken away, and said, "Let me taste this dish."
The dish he pointed to was the Spicy Chicken personally made by Tian Xiaodu!
Yang Yong's face brightened, and he quickly had the waitstaff bring the Spicy Chicken to Han Lao. After spending 120,000 yuan to buy this recipe from Ye Chui, it had become Wan Lai Fu's signature dish in just one week. In Yang Yong's eyes, Tian Xiaodu's version was no different from the one Ye Chui had made.
With eager anticipation, Yang Yong watched as Han Lao picked up a piece of golden chicken and chewed it slowly. However, there was no change in Han Lao's expression after the first bite. He closed his eyes, seemingly savoring the taste.
He picked up another piece, and this time, he ate much faster. After finishing, he remained silent.
Yang Yong felt suffocated with nervousness, wiping the sweat from his forehead once again with the damp handkerchief. "This dish has some interesting elements," Han Lao finally spoke after a moment, but before Yang Yong could smile, Han Lao shook his head, "Unfortunately, the cooking time is a bit off. The chicken is a bit too dry, affecting the texture. The chef's skill is lacking. What's the name of this dish?"
"Spicy Chicken," Yang Yong quickly said, "It's an ancient recipe that our restaurant spent 120,000 yuan to acquire."
"120,000 yuan? Not bad. This dish is indeed worth that price," Han Lao nodded.
Yang Yong quickly continued, "The next dishes we're preparing for Han Lao are also ancient recipes, just like this Spicy Chicken. They are all chicken dishes."
Upon hearing this, Han Lao's eyes immediately lit up. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and have them bring the dishes over for me to taste. Also, bring the chef along!"
"Yes, yes, I'll go urge them right away," Yang Yong nodded hastily and exited the private room. Han Lao lost his appetite for the Spicy Chicken, as even though it was a good dish, it had flaws. At his level as a gourmet, he pursued culinary perfection.
In the kitchen, a group of chefs was anxiously waiting at the entrance. They had just sent out the dishes they had worked hard on and were waiting for feedback. Originally, they thought they would have to wait for a while, but soon a waiter hurriedly walked over.
"How is the situation?" Fang Jun anxiously asked. He had prepared his specialty dish, 'Three Shredded Delicacies,' hoping to gain Han Lao's appreciation. Fang Jun, despite being a chef, was single-mindedly seeking wealth and status, intending to build a relationship with Han Lao.
"Not good..." the waiter shook his head, "Han Lao didn't touch any of the dishes on the table, and he let them take them away. As for the Spicy Chicken made by Head Chef Tian, he took two bites, said there were flaws, and didn't eat any more."
"What? This..." The chefs were all dumbfounded.
They had spent a week preparing the dishes, expecting feedback from above. However, Han Lao hadn't taken a single bite of the entire table of dishes. Even the Spicy Chicken made by Master Tian, after just two bites, was deemed flawed, and he didn't touch it again. How picky could this old man be?
At this moment, Yang Yong's stout figure appeared at the kitchen door. He had hurried over and asked, "Is Ye Chui's dish ready? We're counting on him today!"
The chefs exchanged glances, unsure how to respond to Yang Yong.
***
stones~~