Chapter 294: Xu Damao's Mischief

Liu Guangqi's celebratory vigor in assigning work hadn't completely faded in the Siheyuan, and in the Central Courtyard He Yushui's bringing a police contact over still left a lingering novelty; a hidden bad water had already fermented in Xu Damao's heart to the critical point.

His missing front tooth gap seemed to constantly remind him of the humiliation Sha Zhu had dealt him, and this feeling, he could not swallow no matter what.

Openly, he couldn't beat Sha Zhu; filing a black complaint, the last conference didn't bring him much profit. Xu Damao's Sanjiao Yan darted around, finally fixing his gaze on the very foundation of Sha Zhu's livelihood—his cooking skill and his increasingly valued position in the Steel Factory canteen.

The opportunity came quickly. Early that morning, the Steel Factory Logistics Department notified the canteen that comrades from a sister unit would come for exchange and learning at noon; the plant leaders ordered a decent banquet, specifically naming Sha Zhu to take the helm. In an era that valued workers' meals, this was a great endorsement of a chef's skill.

Sha Zhu received the notice, his back straightened double, walking with swagger. He specially took premium Pork Belly, Big Carp, and the rarely seen Yellow Flower Wood Ear from the storeroom, rolled up his sleeves, ready to showcase his talent so that the leaders and the sister unit's comrades could witness his "Chef He" prowess.

"See? At the crucial moment, it still comes down to our skill!" Sha Zhu said while splashing water at the sink, proudly bragging to the assistant chef Ma Hua, "Red Braised Pork must be fatty yet not greasy, melt in the mouth; Spicy Braised Carp needs that fresh, fragrant, numbing spiciness; and that Vinegar Stir-fried Cabbage—hey, even a hair's breadth off in heat isn't the same taste!"

Ma Hua naturally nodded repeatedly, flattering, "Master, your skill is beyond words! No one in the entire Steel Factory can match you!"

All this was observed by Xu Damao, who pretended to come to the canteen for hot water but was actually scouting. He listened to Sha Zhu's triumphant voice, watched the rare ingredients, and felt countless ants crawling inside him; a malicious thought sprouted, quickly growing into a towering poisonous vine.

"Sha Zhu, you usually show off with this, right? Today I'm going to make you lose face in front of the leaders!"

Xu Damao retreated to the corridor without a flicker, his mind racing. Poison the dish directly? He didn't have the nerve, nor could he obtain poison. Sabotage the ingredients? Too easy to be discovered.

His gaze swept over the row of spice jars in the canteen corner and finally settled on an inconspicuous small earthen jar—Sha Zhu's own secret weapon for Sichuan dishes, a jar of Special Spicy Sauce made by simmering mutton fat with various chilies and Sichuan pepper; when making Spicy Braised Fish or Mao Xue Wang, a single spoonful boosts the flavor layers and releases an aromatic scent.

Because the sauce is extremely hot, Sha Zhu uses it with great caution, keeping the jar in an inconspicuous spot.

That's the one! Xu Damao's mouth twitched into a cold, snarling smile. He knew the banquet would definitely feature the signature "Spicy Braised Carp".

As noon approached, the back kitchen of the canteen roared with heat, burners booming, woks clanging, aromas filling the air. Sha Zhu was fully focused, wielding the big ladle like a general commanding thousands of troops. Several key hot dishes were already ready to go into the pot.

Xu Damao spotted a gap—Sha Zhu turned to fetch the fried meatballs, Ma Hua was called to move the cabbage, another assistant chef was busy with his own task—he slipped in like an eel, hurried to the corner, and grabbed the jar of spicy sauce.

His palm sweated from tension, his heart thumped like a drum. He quickly unscrewed the lid, used a pre‑ready small spoon, heaped out a large scoop of the dark‑red, mutton‑fat‑laden sauce, aimed at a bowl of sauce Sha Zhu had already prepared for the fish (containing soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, cooking wine, etc.), flicked his wrist, dumped the spoonful—enough to make an ordinary person jump—in, and flicked his fingers a few times to stir the mixture thoroughly.

After completing this, he returned the spicy sauce jar to its place, fled the scene swiftly; the whole process took less than ten seconds. Back in the corridor, he pretended to tie his shoes, his heart still pounding wildly, but a sense of vengeful pleasure dominated.

"Ma Hua! Where's the fish sauce bowl?" Sha Zhu's loud voice rang out.

"Here, Master!" Ma Hua hurriedly handed over the tampered bowl of sauce.

Sha Zhu, without suspicion, took the bowl, still shouting commands: "Increase the fire! Heat the oil! Get ready to add the fish!"

In the scorching oil pot, the fried carp, crisp outside and tender inside, sizzled. Sha Zhu skillfully tossed minced scallion, ginger, garlic, Doubanjiang and other seasonings to aromatize, then lifted his wrist and poured the bowl of sauce, now spiked with the "extra kick", into the wok.

"Sizzle—!" a sharp blast rang out, a hotter, even slightly choking, pungent heat surged, making even Sha Zhu furrow his brow and mutter, "Today's chili sauce really packs a punch!"

But he didn't overthink, assuming he had just shaken too much or that this batch of chilies was especially hot. He quickly stir‑fried, letting the sauce coat the fish evenly, then thickened it, drizzled Ming Oil, sprinkled scallions, and a glossy, steaming "Special Spicy Version" Spicy Braised Carp emerged, its appearance especially tempting.

The banquet opened on time. In the Small Canteen, plant leaders sat with several cadres from the sister unit; the table displayed seven or eight dishes meticulously prepared by Sha Zhu, with the Spicy Braised Carp at the center, both colorful and fragrant, whetting everyone's appetite.

"Come, come, pick up your chopsticks! Taste comrade He Yuzhu's skill, especially this fish—it's his specialty!" Factory Director Yang Weiguo called out enthusiastically.

The guests all reached for their chopsticks. A bespectacled cadre was the first to pick a piece of fish and put it in his mouth.

In an instant, his complexion changed! An indescribable, flame‑like spiciness erupted in his mouth! The heat was overwhelmingly domineering, scorching not only his tongue but also his throat, making tears instantly well up; he opened his mouth, gasped, unable to speak, only fanning himself vigorously.

The other guests, seeing this, also curiously tried, and without exception each turned red from the heat, coughing nonstop; some even gulped down half a cup of cold plain water, yet it still couldn't soothe the burning.

"What... what's happening?" Yang Weiguo's face darkened instantly; he tasted it himself, spat it out immediately, and erupted in anger: "He Yuzhu! Come here!"

Sha Zhu was still in the back kitchen, basking in anticipation of praise, when he heard the leader's roar; his heart lurched, and he rushed over. Upon entering the Small Canteen, he saw a table of people grimacing, disheveled; almost no one dared to touch the Spicy Braised Carp.

"He Yuzhu! What are you doing! Who do you intend to kill with this fish's spiciness?" Yang Weiguo pounded the table, "You were assigned to prepare the banquet, not to sabotage it!"

Sha Zhu was stunned; he reflexively defended, "Factory Director, this... I just cooked the fish the usual way..."

"Nonsense! Taste it! Could this be the usual method?" Yang Weiguo, furious, flung his chopsticks onto the table.

Sha Zhu, unwilling to accept, picked a small piece of fish and put it in his mouth. The next moment, his face twisted instantly! The extreme heat was like a red‑hot iron awl, shooting straight to the crown, making his scalp tingle! This flavor...

It was far more than his usual amount! At least several times more! Moreover, the spiciness lacked layers, just pure, destructive heat that completely masked the fish's natural fragrance and the other seasonings.

Someone's messing with it!

A buzzing thought in Sha Zhu's mind produced the first name—Xu Damao!

He jerked his head up, eyes blazing as he scanned the crowd at the canteen entrance, and indeed caught Xu Damao's face, brimming with uncontainable smugness and mockery!

"Xu Damao! Was it you who did this!" Sha Zhu roared, about to charge forward.

"Enough!" the leader barked, "Still think it's not chaotic enough? He Yuzhu, you have greatly disappointed me! For this incident you must write a thorough self‑inspection! The banquet was ruined, the impact extremely detrimental! Half a month's salary will be deducted! Let this serve as a warning!"

Sha Zhu felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him from head to toe, his whole body chilling. He stared at the leader's iron‑gray face, at the guests' displeased expressions, then at Xu Damao's sinister sneer; a huge wave of grievance and anger threatened to overwhelm him. He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms.

"Xu Damao... you're ruthless! This Grudge between us is now dead!"

A meticulously prepared banquet finally ended hastily amid awkwardness and lingering spiciness. Sha Zhu not only lost face but also faced a salary deduction and a written self‑inspection.

Meanwhile, Xu Damao hid in the shadows, savoring the pleasure of successful revenge; even his missing front tooth seemed less painful.

In the Siheyuan's air, the invisible scent of gunpowder rose strongly again. Everyone knew the conflict between Sha Zhu and Xu Damao would not end here; the next clash would only be more intense.