Douluo: A Century-old Legend I Am the Second Uncle Chenxin

Chapter 1821 A Planned Team of Chefs

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Today's four chapters (2/4)

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Bao Ruoxi seemed to have anticipated Lin Dong's silence. She didn't lower the hand holding the steamed bun; instead, she became even more determined.

She tilted her head slightly, looking at Lin Dong's expressionless yet sharply defined face:
“Brother Winter, you… helped me before, do you remember? It was… right after I was captured, it was so crowded, someone almost knocked me over and trampled me, and you… you blocked that person from falling…”

She tried her best to describe that vague yet vivid memory, "I...I always remember it. This bun...this bun is really delicious, and it works really well. You...you should try it, okay?"

Her voice carried the innocence and sincerity unique to children, as well as a hint of grievance and stubbornness at not being responded to.

In the corner, Xiang Feng, who had been watching from the sidelines, nudged Bian Zhu, who was still stretching, with his elbow and said in a low voice with a hint of self-deprecation, "Hey, Zhu, it seems we're the ones who got the free ride."

Bian Zhu didn't mind at all, grinning and saying in a very good mood: "It's good enough that it exists! That Ruoxi girl is kind-hearted! Besides, the effect is really real!"

A few more breaths seemed to have passed.

Just as Bao Ruoxi's face turned slightly pale, and her arm holding the bun began to tremble with soreness, almost giving way—

Winter's icy gaze flickered very slightly.

The right hand, which had been hanging by his side, was finally slowly raised.

He didn't look into Bao Ruoxi's eyes, but simply extended two fingers and steadily pinched the steaming bun that was gradually losing its heat.

Then, a voice, almost inaudible and cold-textured, drifted out very faintly, as light as a breeze that might dissipate at any moment:

"Thank you."

After saying that, he quickly withdrew his hand, and the steamed bun disappeared from his palm.

He resumed his frozen demeanor.

But Bao Ruoxi heard it clearly.

The slight grievance and stubbornness on her little face vanished instantly, replaced by immense joy and relief. Her eyes curved into crescents, and she beamed with an incredibly bright smile.

She nodded vigorously, as if she had fulfilled some extremely important wish, and then, without disturbing Winter any longer, she ran lightly back to her friends with a heart full of joy.

As Chen Xiaojun watched this scene, a very faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

He picked up the cup of coarse tea, which had long since gone cold, and murmured as if to himself, "Even the smallest things are worth remembering. Even the coldest ice can melt."

Seeing everyone busy, Gu Yuanchao finally couldn't help himself. Taking advantage of this brief break, he pursed his lips, his voice hesitant and tinged with a hint of nervousness, and stammered, "Young Master, um...you...you agree to let Xiao Jian learn to be a combat chef?"

Whoa! These words were like throwing a stone into a pond. Upon hearing this, Chen Mu's ears perked up instantly, and his eyes swept over Gu Yuanchao and Chen Xiaojun, his eyebrows and eyes saying, "Oh ho? The main event is here."

Two or three meters away, Mai Zheling, who had just finished admiring her daughter giving Lin Dong steamed buns, was still smiling like an aunt when she was startled by these words. Her eyes widened, and her face showed a look of surprise. "Oh my god, Lao Gu, you really dare to ask?" — The affairs of the Gu family had long been spread throughout the steward's office, and he was so used to hearing about them that he was almost sick of them.

Chen Xiaojun didn't even lift his eyelids, and gave a faint "hmm".

Over the past few years, Chen Xiaojun has developed a rather unmoved demeanor.

This lukewarm response made Gu Yuanchao even more uncertain, and he hurriedly said, "But, young master..."

But as soon as he spoke, he saw Chen Xiaojun pick up the freshly poured teacup next to him and slowly bring it to his lips.

He instinctively swallowed back what he was about to say, watching anxiously.

Chen Xiaojun took a leisurely sip of his cool tea, glanced at everyone present, and slowly put down his teacup. His voice was still steady and calm, yet it carried an undeniable force that compelled listeners: "The culinary profession should not be overlooked by us."

He reiterated, "Therefore, our family partnered with the Gourmet Hall to invest in and establish the Chef Soul Master Academy in Chang'an. After four years of hard work, we finally welcomed our first batch of Chef Soul Masters. It is they who have supported our large-scale expansion of personnel in the Imperial Guard, the Medicine Market, and the Supermarket industries this year."

Mai Zheling was deeply moved and proud. He puffed out his broad chest and couldn't help but praise in his uniquely loud voice, "Young Master is right!"

These words expressed the sentiments and values ​​of these kitchen workers, and touched their hearts.

But what does this have to do with my son Zijian?! He's not even a Soul Master?! Gu Yuanchao thought anxiously to himself, but dared not show it on his face.

Chen Mu's lips twitched almost imperceptibly as he thought to himself, "Is Lao Liu starting to bluff again? This roundabout way of talking..."

Chen Xiaojun, seemingly oblivious to Gu Yuanchao's barely concealed glare, continued his explanation: "But that's not enough. We not only need to attract external chefs, but also need to build and cultivate a truly loyal and reliable team of chefs who belong to the Chen family, as the core foundation. Only then can we establish a large-scale, systematic team of chef soul masters. And this team..."

He paused, then emphasized, "This naturally includes battle chefs—soul masters who combine culinary skills with combat and can play a unique role on the battlefield."

“Young Master, but…” Gu Yuanchao finally couldn’t help but speak again, trying to steer the conversation back to his son.

Chen Xiaojun raised his hand, gently but firmly stopping him from speaking: "I know what you want to say, Uncle Yuanchao. Are you worried that Zijian is not a Soul Master, and this path is too uncertain, or even futile, and will delay his progress?"

Gu Yuanchao, realizing that his thoughts had been exposed, nodded silently, his eyes filled with the worry of a father.

Chen Xiaojun sighed and counted on his fingers: "Our Chen family really doesn't have much of a foundation here. Of the fourteen surnames in Zhaowu and twenty-seven families in the high-ranking category, only Uncle Xin's family truly ranks high-ranking with chef-related martial souls. Add to that the four medium-grade martial souls of Jiao, Tao, Mai, and Ma, and we can only be considered decent. The number of chef-related soul masters we have is meager and far from meeting the current needs of the family's development."

Just then, Xin Shouyi, who had just returned, overheard the second half of the conversation and chimed in with deep sympathy: "That's why the young master has been so focused on recruiting Soul Masters with chef (kitchen)-type Martial Souls all these years, whether it's kitchen utensils, food, or ingredients."

“Uncle Xin is right,” Chen Xiaojun nodded, “but this is only the first step, the cornerstone for ensuring our daily life and basic combat readiness logistics operations.”

He changed the subject and said with a faint smile, "But that's far from enough! What I hope for is that our Chen family's culinary team will not only be able to ensure logistics in the future, but also have the ability to directly participate in combat—whether it's offensive and defensive tactics or battlefield support capabilities!"

"This well-organized team of chefs is the ultimate goal of our Chef Soul Master development!"

(End of this chapter)