Chapter 198

Qin Huai fled back to the kitchen as if his life depended on it. After thinking for a few seconds in front of the cooking station, he felt that since the private hospital where Qu Jing works is so far from Huang Ji, and she is still willing to insist on coming over for a gathering during her lunch break, there is no escaping it.

How much does their hospital pay doctors a month? How are they so rich!

Qin Huai took a look at the already brushed pastries.

Because he knew Seeing Ouyang was coming, he specially made a few more.

6 for Seeing Ouyang, 6 for Chen Gong, 2 for Huang Jia, 2 for Huang Anyao, 1 for Dong Shi, totaling 17.

Not a small amount.

But now...

Qu Jing's new colleagues have all come; as Qu Jing's friend, shouldn't he also contribute and show something for Qu Jing's colleague relationship in another city?

Chen Huihong has already set an extremely good example; if grass and tree spirits can do it, why can't he, the male lead of a system novel, do it?

Anyway, it can't be hidden anymore, so why not help Qu Jing become a superstar at the Gusu branch.

Hopefully, the Gusu branch's cafeteria and security guards won't call for delivery.

Qin Huai nodded in self-consolation and called Qu Jing.

"Hello." Qu Jing's voice came from the other end of the phone, and Qin Huai could faintly hear a sharp female voice on the side.

"What?! Jingjing knows Master Qin, that's great; our Neurology Department will be able to walk sideways in the hospital from now on!"

Qin Huai:...

"How many people are there in your colleague gathering this time?" Qin Huai asked.

"This gathering? Our department plus the Cardiology department has a total of 16 people."

Qin Huai: "... Oh, I see. There will be a batch of Crab Shell Yellows coming out of the oven in a while; I'll have the waiter send 32 to you guys. Don't make a scene; there are no Crab Shell Yellows on the menu today."

"Are there any doctors in your department who have a good relationship with you?" Qin Huai asked again.

Qu Jing thought for a moment: "Director Liu takes good care of me, and Dr. Lou is also a very good person."

Qin Huai then breathed a sigh of relief: "Then call me when you finish eating, and I have some snacks here that you can just take back and share with the doctors you have a good relationship with."

"Remember what Sister Hong said? When you go to a new place, you have to get along well with new colleagues; sharing snacks is the first step."

This was indeed said by Chen Huihong; it was what Chen Huihong said to Qu Jing at Qu Jing's house after she finished swiping oranges from Luo Jun's house that night.

"Hmm, I remember." Qu Jing said solemnly.

After hanging up the phone, Qin Huai gave a thumbs up to his own wit.

That was close; it's a good thing he asked how many people were at the gathering in advance, otherwise the existing quantity of pastries wouldn't be enough for everyone to have one, and he would have to make more.

Qin Huai felt that sending pastries was indeed a bit too flashy, which is not good for Qu Jing. To improve the relationship with colleagues, two Crab Shell Yellows per person is enough.

"Brother Jia." Qin Huai stopped Huang Jia, who had just rested at the warehouse door for three minutes and was walking towards the stove after the rest, "I have friends eating in private rooms 111 and 777 today; can you serve more snacks for these two rooms?"

"Friends came to Gusu specifically to play and eat, right? Don't worry, I'll take care of all the main dishes." Huang Jia indicated that he is familiar with this business, and after saying that, he looked at the pastries that had already been made, "I was wondering why you suddenly made so many snacks today."

Qin Huai smiled and continued making snacks, pondering while making them whether arranging for Seeing Ouyang and Assistant Chen to share a private room was a correct decision.

Would Assistant Chen really be willing to share a private room with a stranger?

In fact, Assistant Chen is quite willing.

As a life assistant to the CEO, Assistant Chen is responsible for handling all kinds of trivial matters in life all year round. Having handled many trivial matters, Assistant Chen has his own set of work insights.

If you want to get close to someone quietly, the best way is to get close to the friends around him first.

Assistant Chen was worrying about how to reasonably get close to Qin Huai in a short time since he came to Gusu from Shancheng, and Seeing Ouyang delivered himself to the door.

If he weren't still stuck on the road, Assistant Chen would have loved to fly into private room 777 immediately, drink and chat with Seeing Ouyang, and have a good talk about Master Qin.

What Qin Huai doesn't know is that what he should really pay attention to is not the doctor gathering in private room 111, nor the shared table in private room 777 where people haven't arrived yet.

It is the heavyweight customer in private room 888.

Xu Cheng is sitting in the private room looking at the menu, while the assistant is sitting on the sofa on the side looking at his phone; judging by the typing state, he seems to be replying to work messages. The private room waiter is standing beside Xu Cheng, carefully observing this guest who used a friend's VIP card to book the private room in advance.

"Is Master Huang Shengli here today?" Xu Cheng looked through the menu roughly and found that there were very few snacks, only San Ding Bao and fermented rice steamed buns, and not the Wu Ding Bao that the assistant mentioned.

"Master Huang is resting at noon today; he will be here in the evening." The waiter said.

"So the head chef at noon is Huang Jia?"

"Yes."

Xu Cheng swiped the ordering tablet with little interest: "Huang Jia, huh, then there's nothing to eat. His Braised Whole Pig Head is just okay, and it needs to be booked in advance."

"Eel Paste in Sizzling Oil... the skills are not up to par."

"Forget it, it's rare to come to Gusu, let's eat some specialty dishes."

"For hot dishes, order Eel Paste in Sizzling Oil and Squirrel Mandarin Fish; you go to the kitchen and ask which seasonal vegetable is the freshest today and stir-fry one. For snacks... one portion of San Ding Bao, one portion of fermented rice steamed buns. Does your restaurant's new Master Qin have any other specialty dishes?"

"Regarding Master Qin, the Tangerine Peel Tea is made by him, and the sales are quite good; more than 1,000 portions can be sold every day." The waiter said.

"Tangerine Peel Tea?" Xu Cheng was a bit surprised, "Then bring two portions."

"Okay, let me confirm the menu with you here..." After confirming the menu, the waiter smiled and left the private room, closed the door, looked at the private room door with some doubts, not very sure, thought for a moment, and went straight downstairs to find the foreman.

"Sister Cao, that guest in private room 888 seems to be a celebrity; I find him a bit familiar, do you want to go..." The waiter found the foreman.

The foreman was still standing at the kitchen door in charge of the overall situation, distributing and counting snacks. Hearing the waiter say this, she said:

"I remember private room 888 at noon today was booked by a member."

"Yes, it was booked by Mr. Yang, but the person who came is not Mr. Yang."

The foreman nodded: "I see. You call Xiao Wang over and let her come to keep an eye on it; I'll go up and take a look."

After saying that, the foreman walked upstairs.

Huang Ji's private rooms are rarely full at noon; everyone knows that noon is the special session for flour-based snacks. Huang Shengli hasn't officially returned yet, so the probability of him coming to Huang Ji at noon is very low; wanting to wait for Huang Shengli's random drop is more likely in the evening.

The foreman arrived at the door of private room 888 and knocked twice lightly.

"Come in." Xu Cheng's voice came from inside.

The foreman revealed a standard smile; even though this smile froze slightly the moment she entered the door, it was still decent and not noticed by the people in the private room.

"Hello, may I ask if you want the snacks you ordered to be served now or later?"

"Are the snacks ready?" Xu Cheng asked.

"Yes, a batch of snacks just came out of the oven."

Xu Cheng nodded: "Serve them now."

"Okay." The foreman left with a smile. The moment she walked out of the private room, the smile disappeared instantly, replaced by full shock and disbelief. The foreman walked quickly to the kitchen door at an unprecedented speed, went straight in, ignored Dong Shi, who had finished cutting the pier and was taking the opportunity to chat, asking 'Is there something wrong, Foreman Cao?', and flashed to Huang Jia's side.

Huang Jia, who had just finished pouring oil on the Eel Paste in Sizzling Oil, was startled by the foreman's flash, and his hand holding the pot shook, asking: "Sister Cao, what's wrong? Didn't the buns just come out of the oven?"

"Xu Cheng is here." The foreman's voice was filled with a calmness caused by being too shocked.

"What?" Huang Jia thought he heard wrong.

"Xu Cheng is here, in private room 888, didn't book with his own membership card, but booked the private room with Mr. Yang's membership card." The foreman swallowed, trying to make herself continue calmly, "He didn't come for Master Huang."

If Xu Cheng came to eat Huang Shengli's dishes, he would definitely greet Huang Shengli in advance and set the menu. It's impossible to be silent like this and go to the trouble of borrowing someone else's membership card to book a private room.

Huang Jia was also made a bit nervous by the foreman's state: "S... so he is here for..."

"Qin Huai." Both said in unison.

Huang Jia didn't know what to say for a moment.

As Qin Huai's friend, he felt happy for Qin Huai. As Qin Huai's peer, he was unprecedentedly jealous of Qin Huai at this moment.

"What dishes did Xu Cheng order?" Huang Jia asked.

"Eel Paste in Sizzling Oil, Squirrel Mandarin Fish, Stir-fried Seasonal Vegetables, San Ding Bao, fermented rice steamed buns, and Tangerine Peel Tea. Most importantly, Xu Cheng specifically asked the private room waiter what specialty dishes Qin Huai has."

Huang Jia was already unable to speak.

But the foreman still had to continue, and her voice had even started to become excited: "Do you think it's possible... just saying a little bit of possibility, this time Qin Huai might be like Master Sun from FJ, and our Huang Ji will become the second Treasure Gathering Building!"

Huang Jia knows what the foreman is talking about.

Xu Cheng's status in the food and culinary circles today is due to an event many years ago before "Knowing Taste" was founded.

In the last century, FJ's Treasure Gathering Building was recognized as the number one restaurant in the south, and the head chef of Treasure Gathering Building, the old Master Sun Zheran, was the undisputed number one person in Fujian and Cantonese cuisine.

In an era when the average wage was only thirty or forty, a meal at Treasure Gathering Building could cost several hundred. During the period when Sun Zheran ruled Treasure Gathering Building, it could be said that it was unrivaled.

It was such a famous restaurant that fell into fierce infighting due to inheritance issues. Sun Zheran's son, Sun Guanyun, and his disciple and adopted son, Sun Maocai, tore their faces off for the position of heir to the restaurant, and finally decided to determine the winner with culinary skills.

At the end of that century-old battle, Sun Maocai won the competition, gave up the inheritance rights, and left for Hong Kong. Sun Guanyun got the restaurant, but his Dao heart was broken, and he never recovered.

Treasure Gathering Building also gradually declined from the number one restaurant in the south, and was once unknown.

The turning point happened ten years after Treasure Gathering Building declined.

Sun Guanyun realized the Dao for ten years and created the current signature dish of Treasure Gathering Building, Eight-Treasure Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon. The dish is a brilliant and amazing dish, but the situation of Treasure Gathering Building at that time was far inferior to that year, and relying solely on the word-of-mouth of diners, it was impossible to make a big name in an era of underdeveloped communication.

Many times, it's not that the spirits cannot pass their tribulation, but that they don't want to. Their tribulation was never others, but their own hearts; they couldn't get past their own hurdles, and because of various reasons, they couldn't forgive themselves, leading to deeper obsessions and eternal damnation.

According to informed sources, Xu Cheng was amazed after eating the Eight-Treasure Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon, immediately came to the kitchen to reveal his identity, interviewed the head chef Sun Guanyun, and after returning home, his thoughts flowed and he wrote a food review, which was published in the newspaper.

This food review caused a sensation for a time, was serialized by many newspapers, and even reprinted in newspapers in Nanyang. Since then, the Eight-Treasure Chestnut Fragrant Pigeon has become famous in the south, and Treasure Gathering Building has returned to the throne of the number one restaurant in the south.

Since then, chefs in major restaurants have had a case study in their dreams. Many chefs, even the new generation like Huang Jia, occasionally daydream, and the scene they dream of is Xu Cheng pushing open the kitchen door, asking with a smile: May I ask if the xx dish was made by Master xx? I am very satisfied, I want to interview him and write a special food review for him.

Just thinking about this picture, Huang Jia's face was already twisted with jealousy.

This is a scene that only exists in his daydreams, and it is limited to daydreams. Because Huang Jia knows very well that he no longer has such an opportunity; he has already been listed in the famous chef record, and Xu Cheng already knows who he is. This scene that every unknown young chef dreams of is destined to be impossible to happen to him.

Huang Jia could only say: "Normal reception, don't make a scene."

He took a look at Qin Huai, who was still kneading dough unknowingly.

Wild paths are really good.

Huang Jia thought with tears in his eyes.

The foreman nodded solemnly to show she understood and hurried out. Huang Jia took a few deep breaths to calm his mood, walked to Qin Huai's side, and said gently: "What do you think of the batch of San Ding Bao and fermented rice steamed buns that just came out of the oven?"

Qin Huai:?

Did Huang Jia take the wrong medicine? Why is his voice so gentle, even with a bit of kindness; this is not his persona.

"Is there any problem?" Qin Huai took a look at the San Ding Bao and fermented rice steamed buns that the kitchen assistant was clipping and plating.

【San Ding Bao B+ grade】

【Fermented rice steamed bun B grade】

Stable performance, no problems at all.

"Nothing." Huang Jia smiled more kindly, "I just think that you, Qin Huai, must be tired after making snacks all morning, so I'm here to show some concern."

Qin Huai:??

"You have friends coming to our Huang Ji to eat today, and you specially made other snacks for them, right? I see these snacks haven't been served yet, why don't... you keep some?"

Qin Huai:???

Huang Jia must have taken the wrong medicine today.

Qin Huai turned his head and looked at Huang Jia a few times, trying to get some information from his expression, but failed, so he asked directly: "Brother Jia, are you... hungry?"

"I saved two apple-shaped pastries for you here; do you want to eat some pastries to pad your stomach first?"

"Let me see, the Crab Shell Yellow will be out of the oven in 5 minutes, the meat filling for the Dream-Fulfilling Shaobing hasn't been stir-fried yet, but the Jiang Mi New Year Cake and Lard New Year Cake can be eaten. Why don't I wrap a piece of Jiang Mi New Year Cake for you? Do you eat Jujube Paste Yam Cake?"

Huang Jia heard Qin Huai report the menu like this, and knew that today must be stable.

But it's not enough; he has to help Qin Huai.

"I want to eat pastries." Huang Jia said with a serious face, "I also want to eat Crab Roe Shumai."

"Ah?" Qin Huai was truly stunned this time, and even began to suspect whether Huang Jia had some problems in his marriage and was stimulated; why did he suddenly make such an unreasonable and inexplicable request.

The crabs are off the market; there are crabs in the Huang Ji kitchen now, but can this Crab Roe Shumai be delicious?

"Crab Roe Shumai can be made with egg yolk filling, but I really want to eat pastries." Huang Jia indicated that he could only help this much, "Can you put down the work in your hands first and focus on making pastries."

Qin Huai felt that Huang Jia was likely stimulated; Huang Jia had taken good care of him these days, so he still had to help his brother at a critical moment.

"Okay, I'll do it now." Qin Huai nodded, indicating that he would definitely do it with heart and do it well.

Huang Jia nodded with satisfaction, found a corner, squatted down, and called Huang Shengli.

"Hello, Master, have you finished your physical therapy?"

"You finished? That's great, hurry up and come to Huang Ji now, Xu Cheng is here!"

"Sister Cao and I both feel that he is 80-90% likely here for Qin Huai. I just tricked Qin Huai into making me a portion of pastries. The filling I stir-fried is not good, so you still have to come over and help stir-fry the filling."

"You set off now, ride a bicycle... no need to be so urgent, Xu Cheng just placed the order, you can just take a car; if you ride a bicycle, your waist will..."

"Anyao is pedaling and you are sitting in the back, right, the bicycle at home."

"Good, good, good, you tell Anyao to pedal faster."

(End of chapter)