When She Stops Being Dramatic

Chapter 81: Chapter 48: The 1950s’ Wife of Chaff (48)

The fact that Zhu Yun could become the top woman at the Space-Time Administration Bureau, able to withstand any test thrown her way, naturally meant she was extraordinary.

In her view, any one of her skills, if honed to perfection, could pave a grand path to success. For the past few months, she hadn’t just been going through the motions as the cafeteria’s head chef for a paycheck, nor was she simply resting on her laurels and relying on her innate ”Culinary Excellence” skill.

Zhu Yun believed that anything from the Space-Time Administration Bureau was absolutely exceptional; she could probably cook a gourmet meal with her eyes closed. However, truly mastering a skill and making it second nature required immense time and effort. The results of such dedication were even more astonishing.

So, to earn her future laziness, she had put in some serious hard work. She practiced in the cafeteria by day and brought home ingredients to keep refining her skills by night. The time she spent practicing with her knife and ladle was almost unbelievable.

Zhu Yun packed three or four days’ worth of effort into one. Combined with her innate attributes, her culinary skills could naturally be called a cut above the rest!

Director Wang had already assigned a few veteran kitchen hands to act as assistants for the two competitors.

All the master chefs glanced at Zhu Yun, who had been calm and smiling faintly from the very beginning, without a hint of nervousness. Then, their gazes immediately shifted to Director Gao.

The knife skills of a chef from the Imperial Kitchen were formidable, as many exquisite food presentations depended on them.

These chefs were top-tier talents from all corners of the country. Sometimes, to win the favor of their superiors, they would even have to put on a show of their skills on the spot.

As an heir to this tradition, Director Gao not only possessed superb knife skills and an eye for dishes that were a feast for the senses, but most importantly, he was an expert showman.

He brought out a fish, a different-sized knife in each hand, and began to twirl them with abandon. The cold glint of the blades was almost painful to the eyes, earning him vigorous applause and cheers from the crowd.

It attracted the attention of the kitchen hands at the front who were preparing breakfast, all of them craning their necks to watch the spectacle.

Initially, the master chefs of the First Cafeteria had wanted to cheer for Director Yun and be her loyal supporters. But after Director Gao’s flashy display, they remembered that Director Yun had apparently come from the countryside, honing her craft by catering for weddings and funerals. Therefore, they couldn’t in good conscience...

Their firm conviction crumbled in three seconds flat. They each shot Zhu Yun an apologetic glance before standing on their tiptoes to join the crowd watching Director Gao.

”Sigh, you know, Director Gao was hired by our factory for a hefty salary. It’s just that ever since he was promoted to director, he rarely cooks anymore. Only when we have distinguished guests will the factory leadership specifically request him.”

”That’s right. We have so many chefs coming and going in the cafeteria. If you hadn’t brought it up, I would’ve forgotten...”

As everyone reminisced about Director Gao’s glory days, they sighed with emotion, having already decided the outcome of the competition in their minds.

Only a single kitchen hand silently stood by, handing Zhu Yun what she needed. And only Director Wang remained steadfastly at her side, his forehead beaded with sweat. He kept an eye on the commotion next to them while murmuring nonstop:

”Director Yun, you’re still young. You can’t always act on impulse. The people appointed by the factory leadership can’t be perfect at everything. But you have a quick mind and are cut out for bigger things. Don’t worry too much about being outshone in knife skills...”

Zhu Yun shot him a look before lowering her head to continue working on the fish.

The kitchen hand needed to pass her ingredients with perfect precision, which made him the sole witness to the entire process.

At first, he had been worried for Director Yun. But then he saw Zhu Yun’s knife work. She moved with a casual air, yet her actions were extraordinarily deft. Her speed was so fast that her hands were just a blur.

He felt like his eyes were about to pop out of his head. He stood frozen in place for several seconds until Zhu Yun prompted him. He snapped back to reality, his eyes sparkling with admiration, instantly becoming her number one fan.

Around ten-thirty, with his forehead drenched in sweat, Director Gao finished cooking amidst a chorus of compliments from the crowd.

Some busybodies had already taken the opportunity while Director Gao was cooking to run and inform the leaders in the office building.

By now, a few leaders who had finished their work had started to trickle in, tea mugs in hand, to ”inspect” the situation.

Director Wang stepped forward with a smile to greet them, explaining helplessly, ”Director Yun is, after all, a bit young and impetuous. She has a vitality that we old-timers lack. But she really is indispensable when it comes to managing the cafeteria.”

”I’ll have to ask you leaders for a favor later. All the master chefs have excellent skills, but the role of a deputy director shouldn’t be judged on culinary arts alone.”

”Director Yun was just giving Director Gao a bit of face...”

The leaders frowned upon hearing this. ”We heard they made a bet? That Director Yun has to resign if she loses? And you didn’t step in?”

Sweat poured down Director Wang’s forehead. He wiped his face and said, ”It’s my fault. I didn’t handle my duties properly.”