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

"What a delicious taste!" Zhang Tieniu couldn't help but exclaim.

On the other side, Chen Wei had already calmly ladled the pot of hot and sour shredded vegetables into a large porcelain basin next to him.

He then turned around and handed the pots and pans to Yang Zhengbao to wash, while he spread out the spicy and sour shredded vegetables at the bottom of the basin to cool slightly.

At the bottom of the bowl, the stir-fried shredded vegetables in a spicy and sour sauce were perfectly cooked. The three colors of vegetables were intertwined, creating a beautiful color combination. The rich and oily sauce clung to each distinct shred of vegetables, perfectly blending the three colors together.

Zhang Tieniu paid special attention to the sauce at the bottom of the bowl and found that it was different from the sauce he had made himself. The sauce made by Chenwei was more saturated in color and had a richer flavor. In particular, the way it slowly flowed at the bottom of the bowl showed that it was very effective at holding the sauce.

When the hot and sour shredded vegetables were laid out, Zhang Tieniu smelled an even stronger aroma.

The combination of sour and spicy flavors made his mouth water, and his mouth was gushing with fluids.

But Zhang Tieniu noticed something: the hot and sour shredded vegetables just covered the bottom of the bowl. Was the portion too small?

You have to understand that this steel plant feeds 500 people every day, so who can eat this little bit of food!

It looks like it's only enough for about ten people?

But the next moment, his doubts were resolved.

Chen Wei took the large double-handled pot that Yang Zhengbao had washed and wiped clean with a soft cloth, and put it back on the stove.

The same familiar process was followed, and in just 5 minutes, another 10 servings of hot and sour shredded vegetables were ready.

Holy crap! This kid is cooking pot after pot!

Zhang Tieniu was stunned. He had never imagined in his life that someone would cook meals in such a large pot!

In Zhang Tieniu's mind, it's normal that food cooked in a large pot tastes slightly worse than food cooked in a small kitchen.

Zhang Tieniu is probably not the only one who thinks this way; most people share this view.

After all, no matter how skilled the chef is, if there are too many ingredients, it is inevitable that the heat will not be controlled properly, especially for dishes like hot and sour shredded vegetables that are stir-fried over high heat. The more ingredients there are, the more difficult it is to stir-fry!

But Zhang Tieniu witnessed something truly remarkable today. In order to achieve a consistent taste, Chen Wei actually divided the large pot of rice into ten portions and cooked them in batches for ten people each. This was truly the first time in the world.

"As a chef, you need to be responsible for every dish you make."

Suddenly, Chen Wei's words echoed in Zhang Tieniu's ears.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "So this kid really did it!"

If Zhang Tieniu's gaze towards Chen Wei just now only showed admiration for his skills, then at this moment Zhang Tieniu felt that Chen Wei's entire character was worthy of respect.

The last vestige of pride in his heart was instantly shattered, leaving only deep shame.

Someone like Chen Wei deserves to be called a master chef; compared to him, I'm just a joke.

Zhang Tieniu lowered his head and gave a bitter laugh. Then, he said something that no one present had expected.

"Chef Chen, may I try your hot and sour shredded vegetables? I want to learn cooking from you. After I finish this dish, I'll go chop the vegetables!"

Chen Wei was stunned for a moment, then turned around and glanced at him.

Unexpectedly, this kid's attitude made a 180-degree turn.

His arrogant expression vanished, replaced by a face full of sincerity.

"Sure, all the employees in our factory can eat the food I cook. But the kitchen staff, like the other employees, have to pay for their meals—two cents worth of food coupons. Just put them in the box over there! By the way, since today is your first day, haven't you received your food coupons for this month yet?"

Chen Wei suddenly seemed to remember something, reached into his pocket, took out a two-cent food coupon, and stuffed it into the money box.

"I'll pay for you. You can exchange your wages for food coupons next month, then you can pay me back. Go get your own!"

He seemed completely unconcerned, casually remarked something, and immediately lowered his head to continue with his work.

Zhang Tieniu looked at Chen Wei with gratitude in his eyes. He lowered his head and wiped his cheek hard before quickly walking over and serving himself a bowl of hot and sour shredded vegetables.

The aroma of the dish became even more enticing as soon as it entered Zhang Tieniu's lunchbox.

Zhang Tieniu frowned as he looked at the hot and sour shredded potatoes in his lunchbox. He picked up his chopsticks and, imitating Chen Wei, poked at the shredded potatoes. He was immediately startled and frowned again.

"Crispy?"

I just stir-fried some potato shreds and they were all soft and mushy. How does Chef Chen guarantee that these potato shreds will still be crispy when they come out of the pan?

His potato shreds were clearly much thinner than mine, so they should have crumbled at the slightest touch.

Filled with doubt, he immediately picked up a mouthful of hot and sour shredded vegetables and put it in his mouth, savoring it carefully.

The moment the spicy and sour shredded pork entered his mouth, Zhang Tieniu froze.

The first sensation is sourness, but not the pungent sourness he produces. Instead, it's a mellow, lingering sourness, like aged wine, that slowly spreads across the back of the tongue.

Then comes the spiciness, not the burning, stinging kind, but like a pot of charcoal fire in winter, warm but not dry. The spiciness perfectly balances the sourness that makes the back of the tongue feel soft, stimulating the taste buds.

"Click—"

With one bite, you feel the potato shreds breaking apart crisply in your mouth, while the carrot shreds inside are just cooked and still have a bit of chewiness. Finally, there's the seaweed shreds with their perfect balance of firmness and softness. The three layers of texture unfold between your lips and teeth, each vegetable shred perfectly showcasing its own unique characteristics.

In addition to his precise control over knife skills, Chef Chen also has a perfect grasp of the heat.

After slowly recalling Chen Wei's process of making this hot and sour shredded dish, Zhang Tieniu couldn't help but chuckle bitterly.

If any step is not properly controlled, this level of quality cannot be achieved.

This Chef Chen in front of me is unfathomable!

Thinking back to his arrogant demeanor just moments before, Zhang Tieniu finally let out a bitter laugh.

His rudimentary skills are no match for Chef Chen's.

No wonder Wu Xiaochun said he was showing off his skills in front of Guan Yu; this time he really brought shame upon himself.

Turning his head to look at the dish he had just made, compared to the hot and sour shredded vegetables Chen Wei had made, Zhang Tieniu's dish was so bad that even a pig wouldn't eat it.

"Chef Chen!"

He was still holding chopsticks in his hand, but Zhang Tieniu's voice sounded incredibly firm.

"Please teach me how to cook! I was ungrateful just now, I give up!"

The seven-foot-tall man said this with a wry smile, which made Chen Wei turn his head to look at him, only to see that the other man looked very sincere.

This Zhang Tieniu is quite interesting. If he has this kind of attitude, he might actually stay. He might even be more useful than Wu Xiaochun.

Chen Wei raised an eyebrow and smiled, then casually pointed to the sink behind the kitchen.

"Then go wash your face, pick out a good kitchen knife, and get ready to work!"