The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

Lin Xuesong hung up the phone and turned to the waiter: ”Your Manager Jia just mentioned it, get in touch with the back kitchen right away, go check if the dishes are ready to be served?”

The waiter, feeling helpless, wanted to explain that if the back kitchen had finished the dishes, there would be a server to fetch them. If no dish was served, it meant the back kitchen hadn’t finished yet.

But saying this to a customer urging for their food was like playing music to a cow.

So, the waiter replied with an especially polite attitude: ”Alright, please wait a moment.”

After speaking, the waiter stepped out and turned to another private room for instructions under her charge.

...

Back kitchen.

Fu Yu finally freed up a stove.

He glanced at the order list; there were ten dishes in total, and the easiest ones to make were the spicy clams and sweet and sour pork.

Fu Yu instructed Zhang Jinyu to prepare the ingredients while he plated the dish he just finished cooking.

Once he handed over the dish, Zhang Jinyu had also prepared the ingredients.

Fu Yu started cooking.

First, he sorted through all the clams.

Dead and stale ones thrown away.

Then, he sliced green onions, ginger, and red and green peppers diagonally, and cut dried chili peppers into sections for later.

The clams went into boiling water until the shells opened, then he scooped them out to drain.

He placed the wok on the fire, heated the oil, and added green onion, ginger, and chili segments to sauté until fragrant.

The drained clams were placed in the wok, doused in rice wine.

Added Korean chili paste, oyster sauce, and stir-fried evenly on high heat.

Stir-fried until the sauce dried up, and scattered in some scallion segments.

Zhang Jinyu stood beside, watching Fu Yu cook without blinking.

Seeing a plate of spicy clams, surprisingly all the clam meat stayed firmly attached to the shells, not a single piece had fallen off.

Zhang Jinyu couldn’t help but ask: ”Chef Fu, how do you manage to stir-fry clams so the meat doesn’t fall off?”

Considering that during stir-frying, it’s inevitable for the clam meat to fall off due to shell collisions.

Having a few fallen pieces in a plate is normal, but to ensure none fall off requires a skill not many possess.

At least Zhang Jinyu had never seen anyone achieve this level.

Fu Yu thought, with a system by your side, anyone can do this.

Then he said, ”Stir-frying clams is a dish that truly tests your cooking skills, especially the wok tossing, you need to control the force you throw with and the speed you pull back at. It’s like practicing Taichi, balancing yin with yang, firm with gentle, both internally and externally refined... Understand?”

Zhang Jinyu: ”...”

So profound, but still didn’t get it.

Fu Yu was plating, turned to call Zhang Jinyu: ”Hand me the blanched broccoli.”

Zhang Jinyu turned to get the bowl, accidentally knocked the handle of the spatula with her sleeve when handing it to Fu Yu.

The spatula handle swept sideways towards Fu Yu.

Fu Yu reflexively grabbed the spatula.

The spatula didn’t fall, but his hand was covered in oil.

Zhang Jinyu quickly apologized: ”Ah! Sorry, are you alright, Chef Fu?”

Fu Yu shook his head: ”It’s fine, get me a tissue, my hands are full of oil...”

He hadn’t finished speaking when his phone in the pocket rang.

Fu Yu, ignoring his greasy hands, hurriedly instructed Zhang Jinyu, ”Jinyu, help me get the phone out!”

Zhang Jinyu quickly took out Fu Yu’s phone, looked at the caller ID, and reported: ”Chef Fu, unknown number.”

Fu Yu assumed it was a delivery call, said: ”Answer it for me, it should be the courier, just ask them to drop it at the front desk.”

Zhang Jinyu connected the call: ”Hello? Um? Who... oh, hello, what can I do for you... oh, wait a moment!”

Zhang Jinyu held the phone up to Fu Yu: ”Chef Fu, they want to talk to you.”

Fu Yu reached for tissue, casually said: ”Who is it? Tell them to wait! I can’t answer now!”

Zhang Jinyu relayed: ”Hold on a bit, he...”

Fu Yu continued wiping his hands while Jia Rundong abruptly hung up.

Zhang Jinyu quickly reported to Fu Yu: ”Chef Fu, they hung up.”

Fu Yu responded with an ”Oh”, and asked casually: ”Wasn’t it the courier?”

Zhang Jinyu shook her head: ”No, he said he’s from some place? It’s too noisy here, I couldn’t hear clearly.”

Fu Yu didn’t think much of it, said casually: ”If it’s urgent, they’ll call back, it’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

They continued with their tasks.

Jia Rundong sat in his office, his face was completely darkened.

He clearly heard Fu Yu on the phone just now, telling him to wait?

Couldn’t answer the call?

No hands to pick it up?

Jia Rundong angrily got up, hurried to the back kitchen.

The management staff left work at five every day.

It wasn’t time yet, he was sorting out issues found while inspecting the front hall’s hygiene today, and planning the shop’s promotional activities for the upcoming National Day.

But after receiving Lin Xuesong’s call, he quickly set aside his work to deal with this matter first.

When Jia Rundong arrived at the back kitchen, he saw Zhao Meng and Gu Yunwu were there, and Fu Yu was busy tossing the wok at his stove.

Seeing Jia Rundong come over, Zhao Meng greeted with a smile: ”Manager Jia, what brings you over?”

Jia Rundong waved his hand and walked over to Fu Yu: ”Has the dish for room 205 been started? If not, start it now!”

Fu Yu’s hands didn’t stop: ”It’s being cooked! Already one dish on the table.”

Jia Rundong felt relieved knowing the dish was already on the table.

But seeing Fu Yu talk to him without even glancing over, he got ticked off.

This guy, too arrogant!

He knew Fu Yu had just transferred to a regular position over a month ago and had officially begun taking orders now.

In this short time, he even created two innovative improved dishes, establishing his place in the back kitchen.

But in Jia Rundong’s eyes, Fu Yu was just a newcomer.

Newcomers should be humble, obedient, mind their business and manners...

This person was simply too presumptuous!

Jia Rundong looked at Fu Yu and said: ”Xiaofu, there’s a rule in the shop, during working hours, phones must be kept available at all times. Why didn’t you answer my call just now?”

Fu Yu finally turned his head, looking at Jia Rundong with amazement: ”I didn’t miss any calls? Who called me?”

Fu Yu’s words were totally unintentional; he genuinely couldn’t remember when Jia Rundong ever called him.

He simply hadn’t received a call?

As for the call that Zhang Jinyu had taken but couldn’t even catch the name, he dismissed it as a spam call.

But to Jia Rundong, it felt like a slap to the face, burning painfully!

This was his first time as the front hall manager being spoken to so disrespectfully!