Courtyard House: Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) Traded for an Aircraft Carrier, the Whole Count

The atmosphere at the steel rolling mill was so solemn it was almost frozen the next morning.

The main road in the factory area was swept spotless, and even the weeds along the roadside had been pulled clean. Although the workers were still busy at their posts, their eyes couldn't help but drift towards the main gate.

10 o'clock sharp.

A black Hongqi sedan, escorted by two jeeps, slowly drove into the steel rolling mill gate. The small bright red flag on the hood of the car fluttered in the wind.

Factory Director Yang and Deputy Factory Director Li, along with a group of factory leaders, had been waiting for some time. The car door opened, and an elderly man in a gray Zhongshan suit stepped out. His hair was gray, and he was slightly thin, but his eyes were surprisingly bright. He exuded an aura of authority that was not angry but dignified, the kind of temperament that only a founding father who had emerged from the hail of bullets possessed.

"Big leader, welcome to the steel rolling mill for guidance!" Director Yang stepped forward quickly and firmly grasped the old man's hands.

"Stop with the nonsense." The high-ranking leader waved his hand, his voice booming. "Jianguo, I couldn't sit still in the car. Where's that 'auspicious omen' you mentioned? Take me to see it!"

The group headed straight to a specially set-out showroom.

When the giant sweet potato, still fragrant with the scent of soil, appeared before the top leader, even this seasoned revolutionary, who had seen it all, couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

He strode forward quickly, unlike Deputy Factory Director Li who made a fuss, and gently stroked the huge sweet potato tuber as if he were caressing the orphan of a fallen comrade.

"Good...good!" The high-ranking leader's voice trembled slightly, and his eyes reddened a little. "With this, the people will be able to have enough to eat. This is an immense act of merit!"

He turned around, his piercing gaze sweeping across the room: "Who planted this?"

Factory Director Yang quickly pushed Jiang Chen forward: "Big Leader, this is Comrade Jiang Chen, currently the deputy head of our factory's security department. He's the one who led the team to successfully cultivate these sweet potatoes on that barren, rocky slope."

The high-ranking leader sized Jiang Chen up and down. The young man before him stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his eyes clear and firm. He showed no stage fright in front of such an important figure as himself, but instead exuded a calm and confident demeanor.

"Good young man!" The high-ranking leader patted Jiang Chen heavily on the shoulder, his eyes full of admiration. "Young, energetic, and capable! To be able to grow such grain on a rocky slope shows that you have the country and the people in your heart. Not bad, not bad at all!"

The inspection went exceptionally smoothly, and the top leader was in a very good mood. However, at lunchtime, an unexpected incident occurred.

Chef Sha Zhu, who was originally scheduled to be in charge of cooking, was not only put in solitary confinement after being punished by Jiang Chen, but also had his right wrist dislocated and just reattached, so he couldn't hold a spatula at all.

Deputy Factory Director Li was sweating profusely in a panic and hastily hired two so-called "famous chefs" from an outside restaurant to save the day.

Inside the small canteen's private room, dishes were served one after another.

The high-ranking leader had been enthusiastically picking up a piece of braised pork with his chopsticks, but as soon as he put it in his mouth, his brows furrowed. He chewed it a couple of times, his face instantly darkening, and he slammed his chopsticks down on the table.

"Snapped!"

The crisp sound instantly lowered the temperature of the entire private room to freezing point.

"This meat is tough and fishy, ​​how can we eat it?" The high-ranking leader's tone was cold and hard. "Is this how you treat your guests? Or do you think you can easily fool this old man?"

Factory Director Yang and Deputy Factory Director Li broke out in a cold sweat instantly. They knew that the top leader was from Sichuan and had a discerning palate, especially emphasizing "freshness, aroma, numbing spiciness." The cook they had temporarily hired was mediocre, and the dishes he prepared were simply not up to the top leader's standards.

"This... Big boss, the original head chef was injured..." Director Yang explained with a forced smile, but in his heart he was cursing Deputy Director Li to the bone.

"I won't listen to explanations!" The big boss snapped. "If you can't cook well, it means your logistics are inadequate! How can you manage production if you can't even arrange a proper meal?"

As a joyous occasion was about to turn into a political disaster, the atmosphere in the private room became so oppressive that it was suffocating.

Just then, Jiang Chen, who had been standing in the corner in charge of security, suddenly heard a clear notification sound in his mind.

[Ding! Mission triggered: Conquer the boss's stomach.]

[Task Reward: A personal friendship with a high-ranking leader (political ally), and an increase of 1 cubic meter in system space.]

Jiang Chen's lips curled into a slight smile. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for.

He stepped forward, his leather shoes snapping together with a crisp "snap," and then gave a standard military salute.

"Reporting to the leader!"

The powerful report broke the deathly silence in the private room. The senior leader looked up at the young man who had just made a deep impression on him, his expression softening slightly: "Kid, what do you want?"

"Reporting to the leader, when I was in the army, I learned a bit of Tan family cuisine from the old cook, and I also understand some of the essence of Sichuan cuisine." Jiang Chen looked intently at the leader. "If you don't mind, I'd like to give it a try."

Upon hearing this, both Director Yang and Deputy Director Li were stunned.

Deputy Factory Director Li was so anxious that he kept giving him meaningful glances: "My goodness, why are you making things worse at a time like this? You're good at farming, but cooking is a professional skill. If you mess it up, you'll lose your head!"

The high-ranking leader was also taken aback for a moment, then a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, followed by a laugh with a touch of amusement: "Oh? You're an expert at farming, and you can cook too? You're quite an interesting young comrade."

He picked up his chopsticks again, pointed towards the kitchen, and said, "Alright! I'll give you that chance. Go ahead and let me taste your cooking. If you do well, I'll reward you; if you're just bragging, I'll criticize you!"

"Your satisfaction is guaranteed!"

Jiang Chen saluted again, turned around, and strode out of the private room.

Upon arriving at the kitchen, Jiang Chen found the two temporary cooks standing dejectedly to one side. He waved them out and closed the door behind him.

He looked at the ingredients laid out on the cutting board—beef and fresh vegetables, which were rare in this era, but to him they were nothing special.

"How can ordinary ingredients produce amazing results?"

Jiang Chen unbuttoned his sleeve and took out a packet of silver powder that shimmered with a faint light from his system space.

Molecular Gastronomy Seasoning Pack (Sichuan Flavor)

[Description: A high-tech seasoning from 2077 that can restructure the texture and flavor of ingredients at the molecular level, stimulating the ultimate taste experience.]

There was also a piece of translucent mutated wild boar tenderloin that I had previously traded in the wasteland dimension.

Jiang Chen tied on his apron, looked at the ingredients on the cutting board, and a confident smile appeared on his lips.

"Sha Zhu? Tan Family Cuisine? In the face of this era's culinary savvy defy expectations, they're nothing but idiots."

He picked up the kitchen knife, and the blade flashed.

"Today, I'll show you what true 'heavenly taste' really means."