Chapter 74

Perhaps because he was back home, feeling settled and at ease, Yan Li slept in late.

His parents had already gone to the shop; Yan Li shuffled to the bathroom in his cotton slippers, and on his way back, he paused deliberately in front of the dog he'd cleaned up yesterday.

The dog glanced at Yan Li, whimpered a few times, and tucked its tail to retreat to its nest.

"Not much of a bladder, huh."

Yan Li was disappointed—he'd thought it was some tough, fearless guard dog, but it turned out to be a cowardly, useless mutt.

Back inside, breakfast was already laid out on the table; Yan Li reheated it in the kitchen, eating while scanning today's intelligence report.

【Daily Intelligence 1: Yan Jiang was immensely proud of his son Yan Li's success abroad; after boasting for a long time at the Bai Lou Village convenience store last night, he went on to visit his older brother Yan Hai's house…】

Well, would you look at that!

So that's why Old Yan came home so late yesterday—he'd been visiting relatives.

【Daily Intelligence 2: Zhang Hong has been preoccupied with her son Yan Li's marriage prospects, so she's intensely curious about the woman who called him yesterday, determined to pry the truth out of Yan Li…】

He's only twenty-two—does his mom really need to be this anxious?

Still, thinking of his eldest cousin, who married in his early twenties, and a cousin who became a father at just nineteen, Zhang Hong's concern was understandable.

But Zhang Hong's been anxious about this for years; Yan Li has no intention of marrying.

He's in the prime of his life, with countless vistas ahead—he won't stand idly by.

【Daily Intelligence 3: Chen Jianjun, deputy director of Zao City Television, has a fondness for crime-themed TV dramas and has a moderate chance of purchasing Yan Li's series "Conquest."】

This system had clearly been honed by him—no matter where he went, it triggered intelligence related to "Conquest" and local TV stations.

Yan Li hadn't expected that returning home for the New Year would bring business opportunities.

He'd see if there was a chance to close a deal soon—if he landed a contract right after the holiday, it'd be a perfect start to the year.

"…"

The remaining two pieces of intelligence were useless; Yan Li skimmed them, tidied up the house, and went out to meet friends.

He still had a good reputation among his hometown folks.

Childhood buddies, relatives, schoolmates, and friends from the martial arts school—he could call out once and gather a whole crowd.

When Yan Li met these old friends, it wasn't just for nostalgia—he also wanted to identify capable people he could bring to Jingcheng to help him.

With "Conquest" concluded, Yan Li's funds had significantly increased, and his business would expand accordingly.

A bigger business needed more people.

Some could be hired through standard channels, but Yan Li preferred those he knew well and could trust.

At the dawn of the new century, though not as chaotic as before, remnants of rough-and-tumble frontier spirit still lingered.

For instance, the internet cafe Yan Li had always wanted to open—even after securing connections, hiring two admins wouldn't be enough.

Later, he planned to invest in film and television, but film crews were full of all kinds of people; seasoned veterans often formed cliques and pulled all sorts of underhanded tricks.

Without sufficient reputation or influence in the industry, even a wealthy investor could be easily fooled and manipulated.

So in such situations, no matter how eloquent Yan Li was, how sharp his mind, or how well-informed he was, nothing was as direct or effective as having a dozen strong, fiery young men standing firm.

One hero needs three helpers!

Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang built their empires on a band of fellow villagers; even Xiang Yu and Cao Cao relied on their hometown men as their core.

Yan Li was a lone drifter in Jingcheng; if he brought over some hometown relatives and old friends, his courage would triple.

Still, bringing people over was one thing—selecting the right ones required careful vetting.

Many had relied on hometown ties to seize power, but more had been betrayed by them.

Fortunately, Yan Li had already known these friends well before, and now with the system's help, he understood them even deeper.

Double safeguards—more secure than ever!

After two days of wandering, Yan Li met many old friends and had a rough list of candidates.

But these were only preliminary picks—he'd need to screen them twice more.

Besides, his operations weren't fully launched yet, his plans weren't clear, so talking too much now would be pointless; he kept conversations light, mainly strengthening bonds.

To be honest, among these friends, given their ages, backgrounds, and experiences, very few had truly made it.

With decent pay and his own excellent reputation, recruiting them would take just a few words…

————

This year had no New Year's Eve; the 29th day of the 12th lunar month was the Spring Festival.

Old Yan and his wife, having shut down their restaurant, didn't rise early like other families to bustle about for the holiday—they didn't get up until nearly noon, lounging on the sofa watching TV.

This was also Yan Li's family's tradition!

They were too busy during the year, so they counted on the New Year for just two days of rest—no energy for unnecessary fuss.

Even though they had a professional chef at home, the New Year's Eve dinner was just dumplings, maybe with a few cold appetizers.

First, they were too lazy to cook on such a rare day off; second, since they ran a restaurant, they didn't lack for festive delicacies.

In past years, Yan Li had done the same—but this year, he took on the responsibility of preparing the New Year's feast himself.

He wanted to show Old Yan a real display of skill!

Earlier, Yan Li had asked his mom—after he sent back the braised meat recipe and menu, Old Yan had never tried it once.

He hadn't even really looked at it—just glanced over it once and tossed it aside.

Too dismissive of his own son's words; Yan Li intended to show Old Yan what "a scholar's transformation in three days" meant, and what "the pupil surpasses the master" truly looked like.

He took out the seasonings he'd bought these past two days; the meat at home was already ready—he tidied up and began braising.

While the meat simmered, Yan Li prepared the other dishes—washing, chopping, marinating, mixing, never stopping.

"My son is truly capable."

Zhang Hong was deeply pleased—this time, her son had matured and become more responsible; if only he'd find a girlfriend, it'd be perfect.

Old Yan, belly protruding, hands behind his back, came out to inspect Yan Li's cooking, occasionally offering a comment or two.

"This knife work is rusty, I'm out of practice."

"Oh, by the way, add a bit of cornstarch to tenderize it."

"You put too little soy sauce—hmm, but a lighter taste is fine too."

"..."

But as Yan Li's preliminary preparations neared completion—even the cold dishes were already made—Old Yan spoke less and less.

No matter their skill level, veteran chefs always have sharp eyes.

Especially Old Yan, who came from a self-taught background, having never formally apprenticed; half his craft was stolen, half self-taught, so his perception and insight had to be keener.

Had he taken his son's words seriously, carefully examined the recipe and method, he wouldn't have been outmaneuvered by Yan Li today.

Now, seeing Yan Li's preliminary steps and dipping sauces, Old Yan began to sense a few clues.

Damn it, this kid really stumbled upon something good!

If Yan Li's cooking had merely stirred some emotion in Old Yan, and Old Yan still believed his own signature dishes weren't bad and could find a way to save face.

Then, as the braised pork slowly matured, its rich aroma spread continuously, stirring the few dogs in the yard into agitation, Old Yan finally lost his composure.

He sniffed, his eyes constantly darting toward the pot, but Yan Li stood beside him, so he hesitated to step forward and open it—frustrated, he paced around the kitchen.

At that moment, neighbors from next door also caught the scent and arrived in small groups, spotting Yan Jiang and calling out loudly.

"Uncle Er, what are you cooking? It smells so good."

"Not mine. Yan Li made it."

Yan Jiang muttered, though slightly embarrassed, he wouldn't steal his son's credit.

One neighbor teased: "Yan Li's good! His skills are way better than your dad's."

Hearing the commotion, Yan Li stepped out and smiled: "My skills? They're all from my dad's teaching. I just picked up a new recipe outside, wasn't sure about it, so I came back for Dad's advice. When the braised pork's done, everyone try some—if it's good, we'll add it as a new dish for the New Year at the shop."

It was fine for father and son to joke around at home, but in front of outsiders, they still had to give Old Yan some face.

Hearing his son's words, Old Yan's round face flushed slightly; he mumbled a few replies to the neighbors, then pulled out cigarettes and offered them around.

Yan Li also took one; just as he reached for his lighter, Old Yan reached out and lit it for him. Yan Li tried to pull away but couldn't escape—he lit the cigarette, and Old Yan patted his son's shoulder, then prepared to help tend the fire and lend a hand.

Everything was understood without words!

(End of Chapter)