Courtyard Houses: Starting with the principle of hard work paying off

Chapter 172 A Senior Cook, His Skills Are Known Throughout the Land (1 words)

September.

It's early autumn.

Time flies, and about half a year has passed since the second set of RMB banknotes was issued.

this day.

As usual, Li Hongbing worked in the kitchen of Fengzeyuan. As his culinary experience points gradually increased, a system notification for upgrading his culinary skills arrived as expected.

[Heaven rewards diligence! Congratulations, host, your cooking skill level has increased from lv4 to lv5, reaching a new level! Reward: 1000 yuan cash and 1000 servings of top-quality ingredients!]

It's been two years.

Or rather, it's been more than two years.

Li Hongbing finally maxed out his lv4 cooking experience points and officially upgraded to lv5 cooking skill level, achieving another qualitative leap in his strength.

The higher the level, the more time and effort are required to accumulate experience, making it extremely difficult.

same.

The rewards that come with it are naturally generous.

Not to mention the regular cash bonuses, which amount to a full year and a half of his current salary.

Because of the issuance and use of the second edition of RMB, the unit for cash rewards has changed from ten thousand to yuan, but the actual value has not changed much.

What pleased Li Hongbing the most was the physical reward of a thousand portions of top-quality ingredients.

Looking at them, these top-quality ingredients include many rare and precious items such as bear paws, grouse, butter crabs, and Yangtze River knife fish.

Even though hunting was not yet prohibited at that time, some things could still be obtained, but only in certain areas, and transportation was extremely inconvenient. Even in the capital, they were rare or even unseen treasures.

However, one thousand portions does not mean one thousand kinds. If each kind is ten portions, that makes one hundred kinds, which is still quite a lot.

These are treasures for chefs, possessing a unique appeal.

Li Hongbing had no shortage of common meats like pork, beef, mutton, chicken, and duck; he had already secretly purchased and stockpiled quite a bit. The reward from this system upgrade just filled the gap in high-end ingredients.

Now we're in for a treat!

[Host: Li Hongbing]

【Age: 19】

Strength: 82, Agility: 78, Constitution: 81, Intelligence: 88 (Standard adult value is 60)

skill:
【Clothing Design: lv3 (314/10000)】

[Running: lv3 (829/10000)]

[Cycling: lv4 (1516/50000)]

[Calligraphy: lv4 (16185/50000)]

【Eight Pieces of Brocade: Level 4 (43992/50000)】

[Cooking Skill: lv5 (0/200000)]

……

Looking at the information on the system panel, Li Hongbing's various skills and experience points have increased significantly over the past period, and most of them have been upgraded by one level. Those that haven't been upgraded are almost at the threshold of the next level.

To advance your cooking skill level from lv5 to lv6, you'll need a staggering 200,000 experience points. But thinking about it, that makes sense.

With a cooking skill level of 5, one has reached a high level of mastery. While one might not qualify as a culinary master, one could certainly rival some veteran chefs in the culinary world.

Of course.

He's a relatively weaker master; compared to top-tier masters like his own master Guo Youzhong, Li Hongbing is definitely still quite a bit behind.

Although Guo Youzhong is now getting on in years and is no longer in his prime, his experience and skills have become increasingly refined, and he is still quite fast and physically capable, far from being at the stage where his strength is declining.

Li Hongbing roughly estimated that to catch up with a top chef like Guo Youzhong, he would probably need to reach level 6.

Level 6 is the pinnacle, the true master of cooking.

As for the highest level 7, it's probably beyond divine skill, and it's unknown whether it can be found anywhere in the world.

These are all Li Hongbing's personal speculations and conjectures at present, and whether they are true or not remains to be verified.

In terms of physical attributes, he also received a comprehensive improvement during this period. However, Li Hongbing could clearly feel that once the attributes rose to seventy, the increase became slower and slower. And when they reached eighty or above, the difficulty and the rate of increase were several times, or even more than ten times, of the previous levels.

Just like skill levels, the higher the level, the more difficult it becomes, and the more accumulation and effort are required.

Simultaneously.

The effect of increasing an attribute by even a small amount also increases.

"Master, I would like to try the senior cook exam."

During the afternoon break, Li Hongbing went directly to Guo Youzhong's side and said the following.

Having received the salary of a mid-level cook for more than two years, Li Hongbing wanted a raise as his culinary skills improved.

Although Li Hongbing received an extra income from a technical subsidy and had already received a slight raise in salary after mastering Sun Maoju's unique skill of bringing dead fish back to life, he is not satisfied with that now.

"Feeling confident now?"

When Guo Youzhong saw that Li Hongbing had taken the initiative to bring up this idea, he was surprised and also somewhat moved.

His apprentice, after being taken under his wing, achieved a remarkable leap from apprentice to intermediate cook in just over a year, a feat that was truly astounding.

Now, more than two years have passed, and Li Hongbing is still only a mid-level cook, but that doesn't mean he has faded into obscurity.

Two years is not even enough time for an ordinary apprentice to graduate normally.

During this period, Li Hongbing not only mastered Sun Maoju's top-notch knife skills, but his overall strength also increased dramatically.

Guo Youzhong, as the mentor, has seen all of this.

Currently, Li Hongbing's skill in preparing some dishes is not much weaker than some of the experienced chefs in the kitchen, so if Li Hongbing wants to take the exam for senior chef, he has a very good chance of passing.

It has only been a little over three years since Li Hongbing became an apprentice, not even three and a half years!
Absolutely outrageous!

In all his years, Guo Youzhong had never seen anyone so talented and progressing so quickly, and yet he had managed to "pick up" such a talent.

This alone is enough for him to brag about for the rest of his life.

"Compared to the master chefs in the kitchen, there may still be some gaps, but let's give it a try!"

In response to Guo Youzhong's question, Li Hongbing smiled and said...

Before today, Li Hongbing might have needed some luck to participate in the senior cook assessment, but now he is completely confident.

"Alright, I'll go with you to find Manager Gu."

Upon hearing Li Hongbing's answer, Guo Youzhong did not object and immediately showed his support with his actions.

Currently, culinary skills assessments are still conducted internally and are relatively flexible, requiring only an application.

Whether an application can be assessed depends largely on whether the head chef in the kitchen recognizes the applicant's abilities; it's somewhat similar to a recommendation or guarantee.

Without this, even if you think you've reached the required level and insist on participating in the promotion assessment, you can still get the opportunity. But if you don't pass, it won't be so easy to do it again next time.

otherwise.

Some people don't meet the standards, yet they demand assessments every now and then, which not only wastes everyone's time but also wastes ingredients.

Assessments are not child's play, and opportunities should not be wasted.

"Are you about to take the advanced chef exam?"

When Guo Youzhong and his apprentice Li Hongbing approached Gu Jianliang and proposed the idea of ​​applying for the assessment, Gu Jianliang was somewhat stunned and looked at Li Hongbing in disbelief.

Gu Jianliang wasn't very knowledgeable about professional and technical matters. He was mainly responsible for internal management and the restaurant's operation. He only knew that Li Hongbing was constantly growing and improving, but he didn't have a clear idea of ​​what level he had reached.

Just then, Li Hongbing came over and said he wanted to apply for the senior cook exam, and his mentor Guo Youzhong looked very supportive, which made it hard for Guo not to be shocked.

Although he wasn't very knowledgeable about professional culinary assessments, the difference between a mid-level cook and a senior cook, seemingly just one level, was far greater than the difference between a junior cook and a mid-level cook, or even an apprentice and a junior cook.

Gu Jianliang was well aware of these things.

Senior cooks in the kitchen of Fengzeyuan are clearly at a level where they can directly take charge of cooking.

But now, those who can cook in the kitchen of Fengzeyuan are all well-established masters with decades of experience.
Li Hongbing is not even twenty years old yet.

Even though he had a high opinion of Li Hongbing, he still found it hard to believe this fact.

"Manager Gu, I'd like to give it a try."

Li Hongbing did not back down because of Gu Jianliang's reaction, and directly stated his position.

Upon hearing this, Guo Youzhong chimed in to support his apprentice, saying, "Manager Gu, I'm not just bragging, but my apprentice's skills are actually quite good now. He might not be able to pass the senior cook exam."

“Master Guo, I have no doubt about you, and I believe that Hongbing’s strength is not bad. It’s just that his progress is a bit too fast. I can hardly believe it for a moment.”

Gu Jianliang couldn't help but smile wryly. Fearing that Guo Youzhong and his apprentice Li Hongbing might misunderstand, he quickly explained and said, "I've approved this assessment application. Let's go straight to the kitchen now!"

If Li Hongbing can really pass the senior cook assessment, Gu Jianliang will be happier than anyone else.

After entering Fengzeyuan, in a series of reforms under the public-private partnership, Gu Jianliang not only introduced renowned chefs such as Mu Changxun, Zhu Jiade, and Wang Shizhen last year, who are no less famous than Guo Youzhong, but also tried to cultivate a new generation of young chefs in the kitchen and strive to build a complete talent pool.

Li Hongbing is an outstanding member of the younger generation.

Among the younger generation, not only is he unmatched, but he has also left all his peers far behind.

I originally thought it would take some time for Li Hongbing to mature, but now I realize that the surprise came too suddenly.

If Li Hongbing can step up and set a strong example, it will obviously be a great encouragement and help to the training of young chefs.

Even though Gu Jianliang didn't actually contribute much to Li Hongbing, he still made a contribution to the development of the chef team at Fengzeyuan.

Moreover.

Without the job performance evaluation system he introduced, Li Hongbing would not have been able to rise to prominence so quickly, allowing people to witness his growth and progress, which could even be described as a "meteoric rise."

only.

We'll have to see how Li Hongbing performs next to determine if he can truly pass the senior cook assessment.

"Comrades, please take a moment to pause your work. Comrade Li Hongbing will be conducting the assessment for senior cooks. Chef Mou, Chef Zhu, and Chef Wang will be in charge of supervising and assessing the process!"

The three of them went to the kitchen, and Gu Jianliang made a decision right in front of everyone.

Obvious.

Gu Jianliang wanted to mold Li Hongbing into a typical example, or a role model, even if Li Hongbing's growth could not be replicated by another.

Moreover, this is clearly a relatively quiet time in the kitchen, so even if we need to prepare ingredients in advance for dinner, there's no need to start so early.

After Gu Jianliang said these words, everyone in the kitchen, from apprentices to junior and intermediate cooks, as well as the other master chefs, was stunned.

An uproar erupted immediately.

"Advanced cook assessment?"

"real or fake?"

"This... I remember the last time Li Hongbing took the intermediate-level cook exam was the year before last, right? It's only been a little over two years..."

"Are you kidding me? Two years, from intermediate cook to senior cook?"

"How many senior chefs do we have in our kitchen?"

"There are quite a few, but..."

"Li Hongbing's skills have improved so quickly? Old Guo is really tight-lipped; he didn't mention a word about it!"

"More than two years..."

"..."

Although Li Hongbing has been working in the kitchen for more than two years, spending every day with everyone, apart from his master Guo Youzhong, no one else really knows his true culinary skills.

After all, Li Hongbing was always in charge of cutting and preparing food in the kitchen, and the only thing that people could directly see about his rapid improvement was his knife skills.

During this period, in order to train his apprentice Li Hongbing, Guo Youzhong directly adjusted his own day off to be the same as Li Hongbing's.

And on this day, they would often prepare the corresponding ingredients for Li Hongbing, so that he could come to their home at noon or in the evening to practice and receive guidance in person.

This kind of one-on-one teaching is comparable to feeding someone.

It not only involved time and effort, but also a considerable amount of money.

It can be said that Guo Youzhong, as the master, went to great lengths for Li Hongbing, his last disciple.

The assessment will now begin.

Not only the kitchen staff, but even the front-of-house servers, upon hearing the news that Li Hongbing was taking the senior chef exam, came over to see what was going on, crowding the entire kitchen.

The assessment of senior chefs was naturally extremely rigorous. Gu Jianliang personally selected three master chefs: Mou Changxun, Zhu Jiade, and Wang Shizhen. They were on par with Guo Youzhong and were among the most skilled chefs in Fengzeyuan's kitchen, each possessing unique expertise.

With so many people watching, it's impossible for them to let things slide.

Because everyone knows Li Hongbing's knife skills, this segment wasn't specifically set up. Instead, the three master chefs discussed and assigned a classic Shandong dish, braised sea cucumber with scallions, and then Li Hongbing was allowed to choose one that he was good at making.

There are two dishes in total.

Braised sea cucumber with scallions: The sea cucumber, one of the main ingredients, is naturally soaked and prepared directly in the kitchen.

If Li Hongbing were to start from the step of soaking dried sea cucumbers, even if it took up the entire afternoon, the assessment would not be able to proceed.

The process of soaking sea cucumbers alone, according to traditional standards, takes more than a day or two.

There is a division of labor in the kitchen; it's impossible for one person to be responsible for all aspects of the entire dish at the same time.

Just for soaking sea cucumbers, Fengzeyuan's kitchen has a dedicated work area and a dedicated chef.

Mu Changxun and his group specifically asked Li Hongbing to make this dish. If they made that request, it would be clearly a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for him.

Li Hongbing has made braised sea cucumber with scallions at Guo Youzhong's home more than once, as it is one of the most classic signature dishes of Shandong cuisine.

It tests one's skills, but it's by no means obscure; Li Hongbing had already mastered all the key points and essence.

Besides this dish, Li Hongbing also chose Wensi Tofu, which is known for its demanding knife skills. Since he was given the freedom to choose, Li Hongbing naturally wanted to play to his strengths and show off his best knife skills.

On this point, Li Hongbing is realistic and remains clear-headed.

The purpose of participating in the assessment is to pass it, not to challenge oneself at this time.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Li Hongbing quickly and efficiently prepared the two dishes without any hesitation.

Li Hongbing focused solely on preparing the two dishes, striving to demonstrate his best abilities, without concerning himself with anything else.

After the first dish of braised sea cucumber with scallions was served, while the master chefs Mu Changxun, Zhu Jiade, and Wang Shizhen began to taste it, Li Hongbing had already started making Wensi tofu.

Therefore, after tasting the second dish of Wensi Tofu, the three master chefs unanimously gave it a rating that it met the assessment standards and passed.

This result shocked many people.

But for Li Hongbing and his apprentice Guo Youzhong, there was little suspense.

"Congratulations! Comrade Li Hongbing, congratulations on passing the senior cook assessment. From today onwards, you will officially become the youngest senior cook in our Fengzeyuan."

Based on his understanding of Li Hongbing and his apprentice Guo Youzhong, and considering them to be newcomers, Gu Jianliang didn't believe they would make baseless accusations. Since they dared to apply for the assessment, they must have at least some confidence and ability. However, when the results were announced, Gu Jianliang couldn't help but get excited.

No wonder he was so unsteady at that moment.

A nineteen-year-old senior cook!

In about three years, Li Hongbing went from standing up to take the junior cook exam to becoming a senior cook. Every step he took was completed under his witness, and it was also an achievement that came about during the period when he presided over the public-private partnership reform and development of Fengzeyuan.

Next.

Amidst the envious, gratified, or complex gazes of everyone, Gu Jianliang publicly decided on Li Hongbing's future salary and job transfer.

Li Hongbing's promotion to senior cook and the recognition he received from other master chefs meant that he was now qualified to cook in the kitchen and would no longer have to do the chopping and preparation work.

Li Hongbing's salary will be adjusted from 64 yuan to 91 yuan.

The salary was 86 for the job grade, plus a technical subsidy of five yuan, which was a subsidy for exceptional knife skills.

As Gu Jianliang left, the crowd gradually dispersed. Guo Youzhong, however, called Li Hongbing aside and said with a look of satisfaction and emotion, "Hongbing, I've taught you everything I needed to. There's nothing more I can teach you now. All you need to do next is continue to accumulate experience. In time, you'll soon surpass your master..."

“Master, the way you’re saying that makes it sound like you’re trying to get rid of me. I still want to stay by your side to learn and receive your guidance!”

Upon hearing Guo Youzhong's words, Li Hongbing immediately expressed his opinion. Even among senior cooks, there are varying levels of skill, with differences that can be significant.

Even if Li Hongbing is very confident, he has to admit that he is not yet at Guo Youzhong's level.

"Humility is a good thing, but what I said is also true. However, even if you surpass me as your master in the future, I will only be happy. At the same time, I want to tell you something."

Interrupted by his beloved disciple Li Hongbing, Guo Youzhong wasn't angry at all. But looking at Li Hongbing's humble demeanor, he couldn't help but say, "Humility can't just be lip service. You must always remember one thing: there are always people better than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding. Learning has no end. Even if you surpass your master, there might be someone even stronger waiting for you!"

"Master, I remember."

Upon hearing this, Li Hongbing nodded seriously.

"Don't be so serious."

Seeing Li Hongbing's serious expression, Guo Youzhong couldn't help but laugh and say, "Actually, what I wanted to say just now was that you can graduate today."

Your skill level has long reached the standard for graduation, but you haven't mentioned it, and neither have I. However, now that we've reached this point, it would really be unreasonable for you not to graduate.

If someone didn't know better, they might think that I, Guo Youzhong, am incompetent at teaching apprentices, or that I've taught a stupid one.

Guo Youzhong also expressed his helplessness when this was mentioned.

As for the last sentence, it was purely a joke.

Li Hongbing had already learned all of my skills as a master. If I didn't let him graduate, I wouldn't have much to teach him, which would only make me feel embarrassed and disgrace my position as a master.

It's not that I can't teach Li Hongbing anything at all, it's just that my abilities are limited.

As he just said, what Li Hongbing lacks now is only experience and refinement, and that's relative to the veteran masters like them.

After Li Hongbing completes his apprenticeship, no matter what level he reaches or how much he achieves in the future, his master will only feel proud and honored.

"Brother Hongbing, I'm almost ready to graduate next year, and with you doing this, are you trying to kill me...?"

As Guo Youzhong left, Wu Jun, who had been waiting on the sidelines, immediately launched into a tirade of complaints.

Although Wu Jun was genuinely happy for Li Hongbing every time he saw him pass the test, he was also extremely disappointed.

Under the tutelage of Master Chef Wang Mingli, Wu Jun has made considerable progress in the past two years and is already quite good among his peers in the kitchen. However, compared to Li Hongbing, he is like the moon compared to a firefly.

Wu Jun never thought of surpassing him, but now not only is the gap widening, even catching up has become an unrealistic fantasy.

I feel numb!

"Just focus on your studies, why are you comparing yourself to me?"

At this moment, no amount of comfort or encouragement would be of any use to Wu Jun. Given their current relationship, Li Hongbing wouldn't bother with formalities and would simply speak the truth.

As apprentices who entered Fengzeyuan in the same batch, their relationship over the past three years has been pure and genuine, without any complicated thoughts. Li Hongbing hopes to continue this relationship without any changes.

Moreover, Wu Jun is not some kind of culinary genius with exceptional talent, and the gap between the two is now quite large.

To put it bluntly, even arrogantly, if Wu Jun insisted on comparing himself to himself, he probably would never catch up in this lifetime, and would easily become withdrawn and get stuck in a rut.

"Only a fool would want to compete with you!"

"Isn't this just making things difficult for myself?"

"When you passed the junior cook exam, I was arrogant and thought I could catch up with your progress. But when you became an intermediate cook, I had long given up on that idea."

"And even my master said that I must never compare myself to you, because you're not human... uh, not an ordinary person..."

"..."

As Wu Jun spoke, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Because of Li Hongbing, he has received less criticism in the past two years. Although it is partly due to his hard work, it is mostly because his master, Wang Mingli, has accepted his mediocrity.

Even the most talented person would be mediocre compared to Li Hongbing.

Wang Mingli had already seen through it all.

Comparing Wu Jun, his apprentice, to Li Hongbing is not about him competing with Li Hongbing, nor with his old friend Guo Youzhong, but rather about him competing with himself.

It's just me getting angry at myself.

Wang Mingli didn't understand; he was just furious.

……

Before get off work.

Li Hongbing received his new work permit directly. He turned to the front page and saw that it stated his rating as a senior cook. A smile appeared on Li Hongbing's face.

Now, he has almost reached the highest technical rank that a cook can achieve.

The eight-level worker system has not yet been implemented and popularized nationwide. If this system were followed, even if Li Hongbing couldn't get the highest level of cook, he could at least be guaranteed a second-level cook position.

The rank standards for professions like cooks, projectionists, and broadcasters are actually the opposite of those for mechanics, agricultural and fishery workers, carpenters, and electricians.

Just like in the original drama, Yi Zhonghai, as a fitter, had the highest level of skill, which was level eight, while the highest level of a cook was only level one.

This time.

Li Hongbing did not publicize his promotion to senior cook.

Because before this, Li Hongbing's current strength and income level meant he no longer needed to prove anything to others; he had long since passed the stage of being cautious and timid.

A monthly salary of sixty-one yuan was more than enough for him to spend as he pleased and squander recklessly.

Li Hongbing didn't even mention this to Chen Xueru.

Chen Xueru never asked much about Li Hongbing's work and income, except for which days he was off.

As for Chen Xueru's daily operations of the silk shop, Li Hongbing generally wouldn't interfere unless it might affect future business strategies or Chen Xueru took the initiative to discuss it with him.

Neither of them worried too much about unnecessary things, and they both believed in each other's abilities to handle their own responsibilities.

As a result, Chen Xueru found out about it the next day.

"Why didn't you tell me about something this big?"

When Li Hongbing came over after get off work that evening, Chen Xueru immediately became resentful.

"It's not a big deal, and you've never asked about these things before."

Li Hongbing was somewhat puzzled as to why Chen Xueru reacted so strongly.

"I didn't ask because I already know about all of your past! The news that you became a senior cook has spread all over the streets. I only heard about it from other people. If this gets out, how embarrassing would it be for me?"

Chen Xueru complained, then said irritably, "Besides, for you, such a happy occasion should be shared with me first. I can be happy for you and celebrate with you. I'm your boyfriend now!"

"Uh... my bad! I didn't think that much..."

As soon as Chen Xueru said those words, Li Hongbing understood why she was angry.

Li Hongbing hadn't expected that his passing the senior cook exam would cause such a stir not only within Fengzeyuan but also among many outsiders, leading Chen Xueru to hear the news from an outsider.

When Li Hongbing passed the intermediate-level cook exam, there wasn't such a big commotion.

However, Li Hongbing himself did not realize that the level of intermediate cook and senior cook was obviously not the same, and he overlooked the value of the senior cook title.

Moreover, this matter has become big news in the entire culinary world of Beijing.

Some well-informed people naturally treated this as industry gossip and news, and it spread like wildfire, gradually becoming a hot topic.

A nineteen-year-old senior cook!

Nowadays, a senior cook would be roughly equivalent to a head chef or a renowned chef in a high-end hotel or restaurant.

After this ordeal, aside from his youth, Li Hongbing's popularity and fame are now comparable to those of established veteran masters.

His greatest advantage is precisely his age.

At only nineteen years old, she has already reached such a level and height. Many people cannot imagine how brilliant her future achievements will be.

Chen Xueru was angry mainly because she felt she had lost face, and also because she had long since taken all of Li Hongbing's affairs as her own.

Li Hongbing didn't tell her about this, and Chen Xueru felt that Li Hongbing didn't value her. He didn't share such an important thing in his career with her right away, and she also failed to celebrate with Li Hongbing right away.

Talk about it.

Li Hongbing also felt wronged.

It wasn't that he didn't value Chen Xueru; he simply didn't take her seriously.

Becoming a senior cook was not something Li Hongbing was particularly proud of.

It's not that he doesn't care at all, but what he really cares about is getting a raise.

But rather.

Chen Xueru has no shortage of money.

Even if Li Hongbing's current salary were to double or triple, it wouldn't mean much to Chen Xueru.

As a genuine young woman of considerable wealth, Chen Xueru did not value this aspect.

Then it all went wrong.

"Really?"

After listening to Li Hongbing's explanation, Chen Xueru looked at him and believed him in her heart, but she still pretended to be skeptical.

What she cared about was not anything else, but Li Hongbing's concern, honesty, and sincerity towards her.

Since I don't pursue material things at all, I can only pursue things on a spiritual level.

"real!"

Li Hongbing reached out and gently pinched Chen Xueru's nose, a smile involuntarily appearing on his face.

Couples in love often have minor disagreements, which are not only not annoying, but also quite interesting and can even enhance their relationship.

Of course.

If someone is too dramatic, it becomes unbearable.

Fortunately, this is not the future. Chen Xueru is just a woman with a strong personality and some of the little emotions that women should have, but she doesn't have those bad habits.

After appeasing Chen Xueru, Li Hongbing, who originally intended to keep a low profile, caused a sensation throughout the entire hospital with a loud shout from Sha Zhu two days later, announcing his promotion to senior cook.

"Li Hongbing, you passed the senior cook exam?"

That day, as soon as Li Hongbing returned, Sha Zhu ran over and loudly asked this question.

It's clear.

Sha Zhu just wouldn't believe it.

It was only at this point that we realized that Sha Zhu was clearly severely behind on the news.

Although Yi Zhonghai's initial plan failed, thanks to Li Hongbing's intervention and He Daqing's return, Sha Zhu and his master did not become estranged, and the relationships among the fellow disciples gradually improved. However, even though Sha Zhu maintained contact with them, their daily communication and interactions were not very frequent, given that they were both working at the steel mill.

Sha Zhu had obviously only heard about Li Hongbing becoming a senior cook today.

"Since you already know, why are you still asking?"

Seeing that Sha Zhu seemed determined to hear his answer in person before he would believe it, Li Hongbing was speechless.

It was obvious that Sha Zhu had already learned about the situation from people in the industry, probably his master Dong Congyou or his fellow disciples, but he still insisted on coming over to verify it in person.

"You've really become a high-class cook?"

With Li Hongbing's admission, Sha Zhu's last glimmer of hope vanished, and he stared blankly at Li Hongbing, looking utterly hurt.

Seeing this, Li Hongbing raised an eyebrow and said, "What's wrong? Now that I'm a senior cook, aren't you happy for me?"

Li Hongbing was not angry when he said this.

Because Li Hongbing knew very well that Sha Zhu wasn't there to cause trouble. He was probably just unable to accept the fact that Sha Zhu had been completely outshone by him and couldn't bear the difference in his situation.

"I……"

Sha Zhu was completely embarrassed. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that he couldn't say anything.

Unlike Wu Jun.

Wu Jun was completely outmatched by Li Hongbing from the start, so he had no desire to compare himself to Li Hongbing, and even if he did, it quickly dissipated.

When Li Hongbing first entered Fengzeyuan, Sha Zhu had already been apprenticing for about a year, giving him a significant head start over Li Hongbing. Even though he was overtaken later, Sha Zhu had already left his apprenticeship and become a junior cook after entering the steel rolling mill.

Although Li Hongbing was already a mid-level cook at the time, the gap between the two was not an insurmountable chasm.

Even though their relationship had undergone a complete transformation, and Sha Zhu could never go against Li Hongbing, he was still unconvinced in his own professional field.

In particular, his master Dong Congyou and his biological father He Daqing praised Li Hongbing in various ways and urged him to learn from Li Hongbing. This naturally aroused Sha Zhu's competitive spirit, and he wanted to prove that he was no worse than Li Hongbing.

Before Sha Zhu could catch up with Li Hongbing, he heard that Li Hongbing had become a senior cook, almost on par with his master and father. How could he accept this?

Although the starting points were different, Sha Zhu's current feelings are probably not much different from Wu Jun's.

however.

While Sha Zhu was stunned, the people in the front yard who heard the news were all shocked and asked Li Hongbing for confirmation in disbelief.

"Hongbing, was what Shazhu just said true?"

"You're a high-class cook now?"

"So you're a senior cook now?"

"Now that you've become a senior cook, your salary must have increased again. How much do you make a month now?"

"Goodness, you treat performance reviews, promotions, and salary increases like it's nothing?"

"You've only been working for a short time, and you've already received so many raises..."

"..."

Compared to Sha Zhu's delayed information, the people in the courtyard were neither insiders in the Beijing chef circle nor often in the Qianmen area. Moreover, only a few days had passed, and without Li Hongbing's initiative to reveal anything, their ears were practically useless. Unless by chance, they wouldn't find out so quickly.

Li Hongbing's rise to fame, while bringing him recognition, has only been confined to a certain circle in the short term, and hasn't yet caused a city-wide sensation.

"Hey, Uncle Yan, Aunt Yang, and everyone else, I didn't really want to reveal this. After all, I'm not a high-profile person, and a high salary isn't necessarily a good thing; it can easily attract jealousy..."

At this point, Li Hongbing naturally had no need to hide anything and immediately said, "The monthly salary is quite substantial, eighty-six yuan, plus a five-yuan technical subsidy, making it exactly ninety-one yuan."

Whether he's showing off or not is no longer important, because in the eyes of the people in the compound, Li Hongbing is awesome no matter what.

Seeing how concerned everyone was, Li Hongbing decided to satisfy their curiosity.

"My God, ninety-one a month, that's almost three months' salary for me..."

Shocked by Li Hongbing's high salary, Yan Bugui exclaimed first, then couldn't help but ask, "Hongbing, what's the meaning of your five yuan technical subsidy?"

Upon hearing this, Li Hongbing explained directly: "In our Fengzeyuan, the technical subsidy is given to chefs who have a special skill. For example, knife skills, or a famous signature dish that others don't have or can't match. My knife skills are relatively good, so I get an extra five yuan subsidy."

"Wow, your benefits are really good. In addition to the salary, you also get subsidies. No wonder it's Fengzeyuan."

Yan Bugui couldn't help but feel envious.

And at this time.

Sha Zhu, who was knowledgeable about the matter, saw Yan Bugui's relaxed tone and complained irritably, "Uncle Yan, it's not as simple as you think. Do you think this subsidy is really that easy to get?"
For example, the signature dish that Hongbing just mentioned isn't something you can get a subsidy for just because you make it well. You have to make it better than the other chefs in the kitchen, or even create it yourself, and get widespread recognition from diners.

And this knife skill is no ordinary knife skill. As far as I know, there are no more than three people in the entire Fengzeyuan kitchen who have received this knife skill subsidy.

Hongbing himself took one spot, and with so many top chefs and renowned chefs, do you think these subsidies are really that easy to get?

It's one thing to feel a huge sense of loss and be unwilling to accept it immediately.

But facts are facts.

After overcoming that mental hurdle, Sha Zhu was completely convinced of Li Hongbing's abilities and had nothing more to say to him.

Li Hongbing spoke lightly, but Sha Zhu knew what was going on. He couldn't let Yan Bugui, an outsider, underestimate their profession as cooks.

What he was protecting was not just Li Hongbing, but also the entire chef's skills and reputation.

It was also himself.

The more capable Li Hongbing is, the less shameful it is for Sha Zhu to be inferior to him.

"Ouch, this..."

(End of this chapter)