The first thing I did was to find out

Chapter 412 Fate
Master Zhou is a very considerate chef, though this consideration may only apply to Qinhuai.

Qin Huai felt that Master Zhou was quite considerate.

Qin Huai left work at 3 pm with his takeout box.

In Master Zhou's words, Qin Huai was new here, so there was no need for him to do too much work today. Normally, for someone like Qin Huai who came to exchange ideas, the first day should be spent being shown around by Boss Su, who would also arrange for Qin Huai to meet with his peers and engage in conversations.

But the weather wasn't cooperating; Boss Su was in a meeting and wouldn't be back until 7 p.m. at the earliest. Master Zhou felt that Boss Su wasn't someone of such high status that Qin Huai would wait for him at Zhiweiju until 7 p.m. Qin Huai wasn't feeling well today; he was carsick, and people who get carsick should go home and rest.

Therefore, at only 3:19 pm, Qin Huai left work carrying two takeout boxes.

Inside the takeout box were egg tarts made by Chef Zhou himself, using his superb puff pastry technique, which were far superior to 100% puff pastry on the market, and the last batch of shrimp dumplings made by Chef Zhang before he left work.

It's safe to say that customers who came to Zhiweiju to buy dim sum this afternoon were in luck. If they were lucky, they could buy both egg tarts made by Chef Zhou and shrimp dumplings made by Chef Zhang, both of which were meticulously made and of exceptional quality.

Master Hua wanted to serve Qin Huai a bowl of 14-count dragon beard noodles, but Master Zhou immediately rejected it. In Master Zhou's words, Master Hua's noodle-stretching skills were good, but his soup-making skills were a bit lacking; he had focused too much on specialization.

If you don't have a good broth, the 14-cup dragon beard noodles are just a gimmick. After all, the noodles are too thin, and if you don't cook them properly, they'll fall apart in no time. Cooking too much will also make them fall apart. Normally, you'd have a bowl of soup with a small bite of noodles to taste and have a fresh experience.

There's no good soup at Zhiweiju right now; the good soup is still simmering and won't be ready until after 5 pm. If Chef Hua really wants to demonstrate his excellent noodle-pulling skills, he should do it tomorrow. If he really has that much time, he should spend more time on his unlucky apprentices.

Upon hearing this, Master Hua lost his desire to stretch noodles. He felt a bit like fighting Master Zhou, but he didn't dare, because he knew he couldn't win.

In short, Qin Huai changed his clothes in the locker room at 3:22 and prepared to go out through the back door to eat egg tarts.

Egg tarts should be eaten hot, fresh out of the oven and fragrant, with a crispy crust and a slightly hot but very tender filling that is rich in flavor. They should be piping hot but comforting to eat – that's the best kind of egg tart.

Qin Huai opened the packaging box of egg tarts and walked towards the passage leading to the side door.

Tan Weian suddenly appeared in the break room, having changed out of his employee uniform. When he saw the egg tart in Qin Huai's hand, a strange light flashed in his eyes.

Qin Huai handed the takeout box to Tan Weian: "There are two egg tarts in total, one for you and one for me?"

Tan Weian immediately grinned from ear to ear, but still pretended to be reserved and said, "Oh dear, how could I accept this? Chef Zhou specially baked egg tarts for you. But how did you know I was hungry and really wanted to eat egg tarts? What a coincidence, I just ate one without thinking."

As he spoke, as if afraid Qin Huai would change his mind, Tan Wei'an quickly reached into the takeout box and precisely pulled out an egg tart, without even a tremor. It was only because they were still inside Zhiweiju that the conditions didn't allow it; otherwise, Tan Wei'an would have already opened his mouth wide, taken a big bite, and written his name on the egg tart.

"You get off work this early every day?" Qin Huai asked, somewhat surprised.

Tan Weian arrived later than Qin Huai, but they finished get off work at almost the same time. They finished get off work at 3 pm, which is extremely early for any high-end restaurant, unless you are a dim sum chef who has to come to work at 6 or 7 am. Not to mention that this is a well-known gathering place for dim sum enthusiasts.

Based on Qin Huai's understanding of Tan Weian, it was impossible for Tan Weian to start work at 7 a.m. He had never worked as a breakfast shop chef; he genuinely couldn't get up that early.

When Tan Weian was working at the Cloud Cafeteria, his deadline was 7:30 am.

"How is that possible? Normally, I'm lucky if I can get off work at 7 p.m. Boss Su is great in every way, but he just loves to hold meetings. In the morning, he calls meetings with the senior chefs to mediate conflicts, and in the evening, he calls meetings with us to regulate our behavior. Sometimes, if he talks a bit too much, we might not be able to get off work until 8 p.m." Tan Weian lowered his voice and began to complain about his boss.

"Why do the master chefs have their meeting in the morning?" Qin Huai asked curiously.

Tan Wei'an was momentarily speechless: "...Because Master Zhou and the others don't want to stay late."

Qin Huai gained a deeper understanding of the relaxed demeanor of the master chefs at Zhiweiju.

Qin Huai and Tan Weian walked side by side toward the side door. Almost the instant they pushed the door open, Tan Weian stuffed an egg tart into his mouth and took a big bite. The crust fell to the ground, and at the same time, a soft but clear sound of delicious crumbs being chewed was heard.

Tan Weian was already immersed in the joy of eating egg tarts.

Qin Huai, still holding the egg tarts, glanced at the takeout window, wondering what kind of pastries were being sold and whether he should buy some to take home.

"You still haven't told me why you left work so early today," Qin Huai reminded him, glancing out the window and noticing that there were quite a few more snacks than when he was queuing at lunchtime.

All sorts of new products have been added, including Hundred Flower Cake, Dragon Beard Candy, Fresh Flower Cake, Custard Bun, and Yam Hibiscus Cake. There are more customers queuing up than at noon, with at least 50 people in a long line. It looks like it's definitely worth buying.

It seems that Zhiweiju's dim sum business is truly like opening blind boxes; you never know what surprises will be released next.

Qin Huai walked directly to the back of the line and started queuing.

Tan Weian, still engrossed in eating egg tarts: ?
No, buddy, we're all employees now. Whatever you want to eat, just come back and get it packed. I, Tan Weian, might not have that kind of influence, but you, Qin Huai, can get Chef Zhou to personally bake another batch of egg tarts. What can't you pack up?
Do you really love shopping and spending money?

What kind of new way of flaunting wealth is this?
Tan Wei'an could only queue up with Qin Huai and continue eating egg tarts. Only after he finished did he have time to explain, "It's all thanks to you."

"My good fortune?"

"Master Zhou said that since you're new here, you're probably not familiar with the area. I live nearby and I'm lazy, so I know the surrounding shops much better than Su Qian and the others. He suggested that I accompany you for a stroll around the area tonight and take you to a few fruit shops nearby to pick out fruit and see which one you like. Master Zhou will have Boss Su talk to the fruit shop so that we can buy fruit from them from now on."

"Oh, and also, Master Zhou asked me to help you find a few nearby traditional Chinese medicine bone-setting clinics. Although Boss Su doesn't have the investment in this area, Zhiweiju can help you top up your card. Don't worry, whatever you have at Huangji, we at Zhiweiju will definitely have too!"

"Our traditional Chinese bone-setting techniques are also quite good."

Qin Huai: ...

Qin Huai took a bite of the egg tart with a blank expression. Mmm, it was truly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Master Zhou's superb puff pastry technique was simply a game-changer when applied to egg tarts. Qin Huai could feel the layers of the flaky pastry peeling and unfolding on his tongue, the wonderful sensation of chewing between his teeth.

It's really hard to believe this is an egg tart.

"So," Qin Huai looked at Tan Weian, "how much did you actually say? Was there anything you didn't say?"

Tan Weian: ...

Tan Weian glanced discreetly at the other takeout box in Qin Huai's hand, which contained shrimp dumplings made by Chef Zhang.

"Maybe... no." Tan Weian chuckled awkwardly. "Qin Huai, you know me. The master chefs at Zhiweiju have all watched me grow up since I was a child. They are no different from my elders and relatives. Everyone is very interested in you."

"This is a task assigned to me by the organization; I dare not disobey it!"

"How about this, I'll buy you a whole Golden Pillow durian later as my apology!" "Get lost, I don't like durian."

"How about we buy a bunch of bananas?"

"can."
.
In the end, Tan Weian managed to eat a shrimp dumpling at Qin Huai's house. Qin Huai also landed in Hangzhou and, after making a modified version of Four Happiness Dumplings, Three Delicacies Buns, and Chicken Noodle Soup at Zhiweiju, arrived at the accommodation arranged for him by Boss Su.

Boss Su's house is an old house, but the decoration is very new, and it has introduced Qin Huai's favorite smart home system. The level of intelligence is such that Ouyang could happily play with it all night, and then get reported by the neighbors and go to the police station for a talk.

Incidentally, Tan Weian didn't buy bananas for Qin Huai either, because Su Qian had already prepared them.

There was a reason why Su Qian arrived so late. Qin Huai's house not only had his favorite bananas and mangoes, but also his favorite cheese sticks in the refrigerator.

Tan Weian lounged leisurely in the new sofa that Boss Su had just bought, eating cheese sticks while watching videos, and exclaimed: "Damn, Qin Huai, your internet is so much faster than mine. Can I apply to move in with you? Anyway, your apartment is a two-bedroom, and it's even closer to Zhiweiju than mine, so I can get up two minutes later in the morning."

"Don't even think about it." Qin Huai refused decisively. If Tan Weian had made this request before today, Qin Huai might have agreed, but after witnessing what Tan Weian had said today...

Qin Huai didn't want to hear from the head chef of Zhiweiju in a couple of days: "Little Qin, I heard from Xiao Tan that you find your pillow uncomfortable. I have some here..."

Tan Weian could only continue watching videos: "What do you want to eat tonight? There aren't many good restaurants around here, but there's a pretty good pork trotter rice delivery place. If you want to eat out, there's a night market here. The food isn't great, but it's still edible."

"You can forget about getting food at Huang Ji's level. Huang Ji's dishes are top-notch in Hangzhou. Do you like dumplings? There's a dumpling restaurant nearby that's pretty good, and their pickled vegetables are especially delicious. I highly recommend their pickled radishes."

Qin Huai felt that Tan Weian was a bit out of his mind from playing on his phone.

"I'm not very hungry, anything will do," Qin Huai said. "What do you usually eat?"

"You usually eat at the restaurant, right? Oh, right, you have Mr. Su's WeChat, right? Tell Mr. Su what dishes you want to eat tomorrow, and he'll order them for you. If you don't have any dishes you want, please send them to me. I want Dongpo pork, sweet and sour pork with pineapple, and Song Sao fish soup. Those dishes are especially delicious at the restaurant Mr. Su ordered from!"

Qin Huai decided to trust Tan Weian's recommendation and sent a message to Boss Su. Boss Su didn't reply immediately, probably still in a meeting.

"Tan Weian, I have something I want to ask you," Qin Huai said.

"Go ahead," Tan Weian said, still playing on his phone.

"Today, Master Zhou told me that I should start working with him tomorrow. I didn't think much of it at the time and nodded in agreement. Now that I think about it, it feels a bit strange. Do you think Master Zhou wants me to learn from him and exchange ideas, or does he want me to help him out? Are there any special rules for helping out at Zhiweiju, such as having to brew tea? I don't know much about tea leaves. Will Master Zhou be angry if I don't brew the tea well?"

"Of course not, Master Zhou is already..." Tan Wei'an's attention was at least half diverted by his phone, and he almost blurted out without thinking that Master Zhou was going to fight Master Hua for his precious apprentice. But his years of gossip-loving vigilance made him think for a couple of seconds and shut up in time, glancing at Qin Huai.

Qin Huai was watching him.

He was staring intently, clearly observing his expression.

Tan Weian immediately heard the alarm bells ringing.

"You're not trying to trick me, are you?" Tan Weian exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes." Qin Huai nodded with a smile, inwardly cursing the game system for calling him a master liar. It was an insult; he was super honest, okay? He told the truth about everything.

"I saw you playing on your phone, so I wanted to get some information out of you."

"I felt that Master Zhou was acting strangely all day. I could tell that Master Zhou wasn't the type of person he was, and his attitude towards me was indeed very different from his attitude towards others."

"Does Master Zhou want to take me on as his apprentice?"

Tan Weian: Not only Master Zhou, but every master chef at Zhiweiju probably wants to do it now, but apart from Master Hua, the other master chefs don't dare to compete with Master Zhou.

"Maybe... a little... perhaps... should... maybe... okay, that's right, your feeling is correct." After struggling for a few seconds, Tan Weian chose to confess.

When it comes to gossiping behind someone's back, Qin Huai is no match for him. But when it comes to reading people and knowing how to use jargon, ten Tan Weians are no match for Qin Huai.

Qin Huai nodded.

Tan Wei'an was somewhat surprised: "You're not surprised? You're not... how should I put it, conflicted? Hesitant? Lost in thought and tossing and turning at night?"

Qin Huai: ...He knew it was the right thing to do not let Tan Weian move in.

"What's there to worry about?" Qin Huai broke off a banana. "Master Zheng really wanted to take me on as his apprentice. Actually, I did want to become Master Zheng's apprentice before, but then I realized it might not be suitable. Plus, Master Zheng's personality... he's a bit inconsistent, so he's not really suitable to be a master. That's why I've been pretending to be stupid."

"What?! You actually considered becoming Zheng Da's apprentice!" Tan Weian's face was filled with disbelief that he didn't know about such an important matter; it was truly a miscalculation.

"Of course I've thought about it. Chef Zheng's cooking skills are so good, it's hard not to be tempted," Qin Huai said.

Tan Weian: I didn't see it at all.

"What about Master Zhou? If Master Zhou wanted to take you as his apprentice, would you become his disciple?" Tan Weian asked impatiently.

"I don't know," Qin Huai said half-honestly. "After all, this is only my first day meeting Master Zhou. I know that Master Zhou's cooking skills are better and his philosophy is better, but becoming an apprentice depends on fate."

“If fate allows, I will become an apprentice. Just like Master Cao, although I did not formally become Master Cao's apprentice, Master Cao is indeed my master.”

Tan Weian felt he understood.

Tan Weian looked at Qin Huai earnestly: "If you and Master Zhou are destined to be together, could you do me a favor?"

Qin Huai: ?
"Could you please have Chef Zhou prepare a complete set of boat-shaped dim sum for me to enjoy? The last time Chef Zhou prepared a complete set of boat-shaped dim sum was more than a year ago when he was assigned the task of entertaining foreign guests."

"I didn't even have a chance to help out that time, I didn't even get to take any photos, so I couldn't post them on WeChat Moments."

"I want to have this meal once, and then post it on my WeChat Moments in a proper, satisfying way!"

Qin Huai: ...

(End of this chapter)