In the 1970s, it started with contracting out communal dining.

1978 years.

In the kitchen of the canteen at Tianjin No. 1 Steel Plant.

As the sun gradually set in the west, the sweltering kitchen was nearly empty, with only the muffled sound of cleavers striking the cutting board filling the spacious room.

"Knock knock knock knock—"

The cleaver struck the cutting board with a continuous yet peculiar rhythm.

The owner holding the kitchen knife had his eyes closed.

Chen Wei closed his eyes, not looking at the cutting board in front of him, and simply swung the cleaver in his hand in rhythm with the movement of his hands.

With his arms straining and muscles seemingly controlled by some force, he effortlessly mastered precise knife skills the moment he picked up the cleaver.

"Shuashuashua——"

The old blade swept across the emerald green cucumber at an incredibly fast speed.

"Thump—"

The strange rhythm ended.

Chen Wei didn't even look at it, and casually tossed the rubbish into the large basin next to him.

The cucumber mountain in the large basin instantly grew another layer in height, and it swayed precariously as if it couldn't bear the weight—fortunately, the cucumber didn't slip off.

It simply stretches and deforms along with the force of its fall.

In an instant, one could see the seemingly broken yet incredibly thin slice of the straw raincoat.

Looking at that pot of cucumber slices, every single one was an identical, evenly thin slice. There were over a hundred cucumber slices in the large pot, and they were all exactly the same!

However, Chen Wei didn't even glance at the masterpiece. He just sighed softly and stared blankly at the air in front of him.

【Ding--】

[Proficiency +1]

Knife skills (beginner): 99/100

A system notification suddenly sounded in my mind.

That's right, this is the cheat code Chen Wei brought with him after transmigrating.

Like the interface of some games, the functions of this system are also very simple.

That is, equipping certain items can trigger corresponding skills.

Just like now, the old-fashioned kitchen knife that Chen Wei is equipped with allows him to automatically master knife skills that are no less than those of a kitchen assistant who has been chopping for five years.

Furthermore, you can increase your proficiency through continuous practice, but I wonder what rewards you'll receive once you've maxed out your proficiency.

Chen Wei had only been in this world for three days, which was far from enough for him to figure out all the issues.

In his previous life, Chen Wei was laid off by ten companies in a row, and finally collapsed from a heart attack on his way to claim compensation.

When I opened my eyes again, it was 1978, a year with an incredibly slow pace of life.

The original owner was also named Chen Wei. He was a quiet and honest man with little education, so his uncle, who was the head of the administrative department, arranged for him to work as an apprentice in the cafeteria.

There's no 007 here, no KPIs, and no risk of layoffs—Jin Yi General Steel will be a large state-owned enterprise of great importance in the country in 2026. At that time, Jin Yi General Steel is not a place that a tired middle-aged man like Chen Wei with no connections can get into.

However, Tianjin No. 1 Steel Plant is still a small factory with only a few hundred employees.

This gave Chen Wei the opportunity to be "arranged" by his uncle to work in this state-owned enterprise that would become famous throughout the country in the future.

A secure job! Isn't that like being born into privilege?

Chen Wei couldn't be more satisfied with his current life!

Is this his uncle who took advantage of him...?

It seems they have high hopes for the aged flavor...

"Section Chief Chen, are you looking for Chen Wei? He's right behind us!"

A familiar greeting came from the doorway, and Chen Jianguo, wearing a beige polyester "official shirt," had already lifted the curtain of the kitchen door and walked in from the outside.

Chen Jianguo, the head of the logistics department, is 45 years old this year. Half of his hair is bald. The unusually hot temperature has soaked his shirt with sweat, leaving a map-like yellow stain.

As soon as he entered, his gaze was fixed on Chen Wei.

After giving a perfunctory reply to the person greeting him at the door, Chen Jianguo, clutching the mung bean popsicle in his hand, walked towards Chen Wei with an unfriendly expression.

"You brat, you didn't deliver the gift I told you to your master! I saw that bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) hidden under your bed!"

"Uncle, why are you in my dorm again...?"

Chen Wei explained with a hint of helplessness.

"Giving gifts to Wang De was useless; he wouldn't let me cook."

In those days, there were very few ways for people to learn a trade, and everyone still believed in the old saying that teaching an apprentice would starve the master.

Wang Defa, the head chef at the factory, was an old-fashioned fellow who always believed that an apprentice who hadn't endured more than a decade of hardship like he had in his youth wasn't qualified to work in the kitchen.

Now that Wang Defa has broken his leg, he feels even more strongly that they, the apprentices, should be treated coldly at his home, so Chen Wei is not going to go.

As for Wang Defa's Huaiyang cuisine... he wasn't interested either.

Having seen so many delicacies from later generations, Chen Wei didn't really think Wang Defa's cooking was that good.

Since he had the opportunity to lie down and relax, he naturally took the opportunity to do so. After all, it was a secure job, and Wang Defa couldn't possibly fire himself!

Seeing that he couldn't reason with his uncle, Chen Wei had no choice but to give up. He grabbed the mung bean popsicle from Chen Jianguo's hand and stuffed it into his mouth.

As a cool, crisp popsicle slid down his dry, hot esophagus, Chen Wei felt every pore on his body open up.

I couldn't help but let out a long sigh, "That felt so good!"

In this sweltering weather, we should eat something refreshing, and it would be even more comfortable if we could have an electric fan blowing on us.

Seeing the boy's lack of ambition, Chen Jianguo's face darkened even more.

Lin Jun, an apprentice who joined the factory a month earlier than Chen Wei, had long been busy serving Wang Defa at his house, while this kid was still hiding here chopping vegetables.

What are you cutting all of this for...?

Chen Jianguo's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the pile of cucumbers in the large basin next to him.

The cucumbers in the bowl looked as if they had been machine-cut, with each slice being the same thickness. The skillful, almost broken cuts made each cucumber distinct, yet somehow still intact.

That knife skill... this kid's got some skills!

But it was precisely because this brat was quite capable that Chen Jianguo was unwilling to let him remain a lowly kitchen helper forever.

"cough--"

He coughed loudly.

"Wang Defa may be petty, but he's got skills! If you network a bit, at least you can get a job as a kitchen helper, so I can legitimately give you a raise!"

Chen Jianguo lowered his voice and said with some helplessness.

I forgot to mention that Chen Wei is now considered a handyman, earning only twenty yuan a month, which is less than the salary of a junior nurse in the clinic. Chen Jianguo's concerns are not without reason.

However, Chen Wei didn't think so.

He doesn't like being treated coldly.

Moreover, he possesses the system; why would he need to curry favor with Wang Defa?!

Chen Wei quickly stuffed the mung bean popsicle into his mouth, picked up the cleaver again, and silently began to chop the last ten pounds of cucumbers.

The system's proficiency level increases way too slowly; it only gives you one point of proficiency for every ten pounds of cucumbers you eat.

Fortunately, Chen Wei's job in the kitchen was chopping and preparing vegetables, otherwise the kitchen would not have been able to be fully cleaned.

Chen Jianguo watched his nephew silently chopping vegetables, and he almost exploded with anger.

He raised his hand, wanting to slap this brat.

Chen Wei's knife moved with lightning speed, but his eyes were tightly closed, and his fingers were pressed firmly against the blade as he moved them rapidly.

Chen Jianguo was terrified, and ultimately did not strike with the outstretched hand.

The progress on the last ten pounds of cucumbers under his hands has accelerated a bit more. Although there is only a slight difference in speed and accuracy, Chen Wei can clearly feel that his proficiency is about to be maxed out.

"Knock knock knock knock—"

"Knock knock knock knock—"

"bite--"

Finally, the familiar notification sound came to my mind.

[Congratulations on your upgrade! Reward recipe: Hot and Sour Shredded Three Delicacies!]

The second equipment slot is now available!

My skill level is finally maxed out!

"Thump—"

Chen Wei casually slammed the cleaver onto the cutting board, startling Chen Jianguo with his sudden action.

"Uncle, the cafeteria doesn't have a cook right now! We can't have everyone bringing their own lunch every day. How about this, I'll cook lunch tomorrow! But... if I sell out of food, you'll have to approve a request for an electric fan for me!"

It's time to let these people experience the shock of being cheated!