The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

Actually, Zhang Jinyu didn’t catch a good time.

If it were a regular day and Fu Yu was in a good mood, he often casually gave a few pointers during the cooking process.

Whether it concerns the ratio of seasonings, controlling the heat, or plating techniques.

These are all experiences he has gathered through his own practice, enough to be incredibly beneficial to others.

But now, even though Fu Yu appears calm and collected, his mind is actually in chaos.

The phone in his pocket is set to the maximum volume, with the ringtone vibrating, ensuring he can notice any incoming messages immediately.

But how long has it been?

There’s still not a word from Zhao Meng’s side.

He doesn’t even know how things are, whether the person is alright!

If it were before, before he became a full-time employee, Fu Yu would have already thrown down his work and gone to the hospital.

But now that Zhao Meng isn’t here, he has to handle all the orders by himself.

He must independently manage and cover up this incident for Zhao Meng.

After delegating his current tasks to Zhang Jinyu, Fu Yu began preparing the Summer Seafood Soup.

This Summer Seafood Soup is also a signature dish of the restaurant.

Originally, it was called Crab and Tomato Soup, but later, fresh mushrooms were added, making the broth even more delicious.

Yao Shi saw the addition of ingredients and simply renamed the dish Summer Seafood Soup, which sounded upscale and sophisticated, naturally allowing the price to go up as well.

Every time they recall this incident, everyone in the store admires Yao Shi.

With such a business mind, it’s no wonder he’s making a fortune!

Sliced potatoes, blanched and peeled tomatoes, and fresh crabs cut into pieces for reserve.

Add some oil to the pot, sauté ginger and garlic until fragrant, then add the tomatoes, and sauté over low heat.

Once the tomatoes release their juice, add the potato slices and continue sautéing.

When the tomato juice is ready, add water to the pot, and introduce crab, mushrooms, shrimp, fish balls, and other ingredients.

After the water boils, simmer for about ten minutes before removing from heat.

The soup bowl used is a classic wide-rimmed large porcelain bowl, paired with the brightly colored seafood soup that is appetizing to behold.

Fu Yu sprinkled some mint on the soup as a garnish.

This was another of Yao Shi’s improvements; it used to be green onions, but changing it to mint made it seem both sophisticated and fresh.

As the orders in hand dwindled, Fu Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Standing nearby serving dishes, Wang Yuxuan couldn’t help but ask, ”Chef Fu, are you worn out?”

Fu Yu smiled, ”It’s fine, I got used to it following Chef Zhao. Besides, he already had all the prep work done, I just had to do the cooking.”

The food runners didn’t understand the cooking process, and Fu Yu didn’t want too many to know about Zhao Meng’s true situation, so he dismissed them with vague responses.

At one-thirty in the afternoon, Fu Yu finally received a call from Sun Qingning.

He said Zhao Meng was fine, just had a potassium deficiency, and the hospital had administered potassium, so he was alright now and could go back after the IV.

Fu Yu breathed a genuine sigh of relief.

As long as he’s okay.

But what’s with this potassium deficiency?

Fu Yu, amidst his busy schedule, specifically took time to search for information on his phone.

Only then did he realize that when a person is deficient in potassium, they may feel weak in their limbs, but as long as potassium is replenished promptly, it’s not a big problem.

As for Zhao Meng’s potassium deficiency, Fu Yu estimated it was due to frequent sweating.

After all, the kitchen workload is heavy, and the temperature is high, so sweating would naturally be more severe.

And once a person sweats a lot and frequently, it can lead to an excessive loss of potassium.

Plus, if potassium intake is insufficient over time, it could lead to a deficiency.

Fu Yu thought he’d buy some bananas and oranges during lunch, and make sure Zhao Meng eats one daily going forward.

Previously, everyone was busy with work, so the news spread slowly.

Once the lunch rush was over and everyone gathered to eat, the news of Zhao Meng’s sudden collapse in the kitchen spread instantly, even reaching the front hall.

The kitchen is always the most well-informed place in the store.

If Zhao Meng were in serious trouble this time, by the time this bunch gossiped and exaggerated, it would be hard to clarify later.

Chefs aren’t like other professions, health is paramount.

If they get sick, it could have a significant impact.

This is also why Fu Yu was so intent on maintaining Zhao Meng’s reputation, fearful of idle talk damaging Zhao Meng’s name.

Fortunately, Fu Yu acted in time, and those spreading the news didn’t make up stories, only saying Zhao Meng had a bit of a headache due to low blood sugar and went to rest in his room temporarily.

Especially when some saw Fu Yu rushing out to buy two bags of fruit to take to the dormitory after lunch, thinking it was to boost Zhao Meng’s blood sugar.

Someone even helpfully suggested, ”We have fruit in the store, why spend money on it?”

Fu Yu smiled and said nothing.

Sure, the store has fruit, but having one occasionally is fine. If it’s consumed daily and seen by everyone, that wouldn’t look good.

As a head chef, Zhao Meng surely needs to set an example.

Fu Yu was quite earnest in maintaining Zhao Meng’s image.

Yao Shi, after taking care of things at the hospital, came back.

As soon as he entered the kitchen, Yao Shi immediately provided an explanation to everyone.

”Chef Zhao has been busy with orders these past few days, completing over thirty table settings in just three days, which was tough on his body, and that’s why he collapsed. Even so, he managed to keep the kitchen organized without delaying dish service or affecting the store’s orders...”

Everyone had noticed how busy Zhao Meng was, and upon hearing this, they sighed.

It’s tough enough for them to stand consecutive shifts at the stove, let alone handling over thirty orders in three days!

No one had time off during those days because it was so busy.

Seeing that, one could imagine how great Zhao Meng’s pressure was.

Zhao Meng must have been thoroughly exhausted!

When Fu Yu returned to the dormitory after his shift that evening, Zhao Meng was already back.

Lying on the bed, with two boxes of pills, a few bags of fruit, and a carton of milk placed on the side cabinet.

”How are things in the kitchen?”

”No problem, you had all the prep work planned out, I just needed to cook, and today’s order cycle wasn’t busy, mostly small tables, so I wasn’t too swamped.”

Fu Yu said this while placing the bananas and oranges he bought on the windowsill, sitting down next to the bed to peel an orange.

Zhao Meng sighed with relief, ”That’s good.”

”But, Chef Zhao, what’s up with your health? Why are you low on potassium? What did the doctor say? Is it serious?”

Zhao Meng chuckled, ”Oh, it’s nothing serious, when it occurred, I just felt weak all over. The doctor examined me and started an IV drip, barely half a bottle in, and I felt fine.”