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

"Snap—"

A sharp rap on the head landed squarely on Wu Danian's neck.

Liu Da was incredibly strong and nearly killed Wu Danian.

He said gruffly, "You brat, I've been training you for three years and I know what kind of person you are! And you're trying to lie like that! Is there food in the cafeteria? Is that old bastard Wang Defa back?"

Liu Dayou grinned from ear to ear, finally finding a place to satisfy his hunger.

Without waiting for Wu Danian's reply, he grabbed his lunchbox and ran outside.

"Line length! No! No...no..." Wu Danian chased after him for a few steps, but couldn't catch up with Liu Dayou.

He slumped his shoulders in defeat, thinking to himself.

Oh no, now the entire equipment department will know about Chef Chen's culinary skills. Chef Chen's cooking is so delicious, will he still be able to get a table next time he goes there?

When Liu Dayou was almost at the cafeteria entrance, he realized that he wasn't the only one who had come to scout out the cafeteria.

Liu Youqing and Ma Wen, who should have been working diligently in the production department, were actually anxiously pacing around the canteen entrance with their lunchboxes in hand.

"Hey! Old Liu, are you up to no good?"

Liu Dayou's slap nearly scared Liu Youqing to death.

Turning around, she quickly covered Liu Dayou's mouth.

"Keep your voice down! It must be those two brats, Wu Danian and Wu Ernian, shooting around everywhere. I should have warned them beforehand not to spread rumors. Otherwise, with so many people around, nobody will get any food!"

Liu Dayou frowned.

What's going on? When did this cafeteria turn into an underground party meeting?

"Have you been watching too many movies from film studios? I'm just here to get food, not to meet with you! What's with all the secrecy?!"

Liu Youqing pursed his lips and simply told the truth: "You don't know? There was a big surprise in our cafeteria today!"

"What surprise? That old bastard Wang Defa broke his leg, and the kitchen has been in complete chaos these past few days! What good food can you expect a few apprentices to cook for us? If they really offered that kind of treatment, why would the logistics department have told us to bring our own lunch? That would be pointless!"

Liu Dayou rolled his eyes, clearly not expecting any surprises in the nearby cafeteria.

He shoved Liu Youqing and Ma Wen apart, saying, "Alright, alright! It's not lunchtime yet. I won't hold it against you two today, but if you sneak out again, I'll tell your line leader!"

Liu Dayou put on airs of officialdom, making the two people opposite him feel awkward.

The two exchanged a glance, swallowed the words that were already on the tip of their tongues, and turned to leave dejectedly.

Liu Dayou strode into the cafeteria; his voice preceded his arrival.

"Oh my god! I'm starving! Sister Wang, do you have anything to eat? Steamed buns or cornbread will do, please get me some quickly!"

He stopped speaking midway through his sentence.

Suddenly, I caught a strong, overpowering aroma wafting through the cafeteria.

What's that smell? It smells so good!

Could it be that old bastard Wang Defa has really come back?!

But it takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone. Didn't he just break his leg a few days ago?

"Sizzle—"

Just then, I heard the sound of seasonings being added to a pot, which seemed to come from nowhere.

Then the overpowering fragrance became even stronger, wafting straight into Liu Dayou's nose.

The sour, spicy, numbing, and fragrant flavor made Liu Dayou's mouth water.

"What...what's this smell? It smells so good!"

Liu Dayou couldn't hold back any longer. He lifted the kitchen curtain and slipped into the kitchen.

Standing in front of the stove in the back kitchen was a tall, thin young man with fair and delicate features. He was at least 182 cm tall and was holding a large iron ladle, methodically tossing it with a very serious expression on his face.

The large pot of food, along with the big iron ladle in his hand, looked to weigh dozens of pounds, but in this kid's hands, it was like a toy. He tossed the ladle, flipped the pot, and poured sauce over it, his movements were smooth and fluid, even more skillful than Wang Defa.

Who is this?! The new head chef?

Just then, Wang Xiuli came to greet her.

"Is this new guy?" Liu Dayou pointed to Chen Wei, who was cooking.

"Absolutely! Don't underestimate our young Chen just because he's only been here for four days; his skills are superb!" Wang Xiuli's eyes crinkled with a smile as she praised Chenwei.

"How many days have you been here???"

Liu Dayou's mind went blank.

He had heard from Wang Defa some time ago that he was going to recruit a new, obedient apprentice.

This must be the kid in front of us!

But isn't this kid an apprentice?

What is an apprentice? An apprentice is someone who knows nothing but does whatever they're told!

This kid looks even more capable than Wang Defa. Can he be called an apprentice?

And what did Wang Xiuli just say? What did she mean by "only been here for four days"?

Can an apprentice who has only been working for four days be allowed to work in the kitchen? Is the food they make even edible?

"Sizzle—"

As if responding to Liu Dayou's inner thoughts, there was another cheerful sizzling sound from the oil pan. Then, Chen Wei, who was standing behind the stove, was seen beaming as he ladled ten servings of freshly stir-fried hot and sour shredded vegetables into a large basin next to him.

[Temperature control proficiency +1]

Another ten servings. Watching the proficiency level on the transparent panel slowly increase, Chen Wei was very satisfied. He turned to wash the pot and change the water, preparing to cook the next batch.

Liu Dayou, standing opposite him, was already drooling uncontrollably.

Good heavens! Is this kid really an apprentice?

Did they really only stay for four days?

The moment the shredded potatoes came out of the pot, Liu Dayou felt an indescribable aroma explode in his mind, captivating him completely.

I wish I could bring over that huge bowl of shredded potatoes right now and devour it with gusto.

"Plop—"

After swallowing hard, Liu Dayou finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Um... Chef Chen? I'm... starving. Could you give me a serving of freshly cooked food?"

As he spoke, a blush appeared on the dark face of the eight-foot-tall man.

He's been a tyrannical and domineering man his whole life, and he's never been so careful with anyone before.

Chen Wei looked up and then noticed the burly man standing in front of him.

The other person was wearing a dark blue work shirt covered in oil stains, and his hands were so greasy that their original color was unrecognizable. Judging from the uniform, he was probably a line leader in the equipment department.

"sure!"

Chen Wei was worried that no one would promote his business and that his vegetables wouldn't sell by lunchtime.

He nodded immediately, picked up a large ladle, and filled Liu Dayou's lunchbox with a whole spoonful.

"Just give Aunt Wang the one-cent vegetable coupon!"

"Why!"

Liu Dayou weighed the lunchbox, which was almost overflowing in his hand, and nodded happily.

He didn't have time to say anything, threw down the food ticket, squatted down, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, and started shoveling food into his mouth.

He didn't forget to ask Aunt Wang in a rough voice to get him a cornbread.

"Here you go! One definitely isn't enough, I'll give you four!"

As if she had anticipated something, Aunt Wang smiled and handed over four cornbread buns.

Liu Dayou couldn't answer, he just kept nodding.

The moment the food entered his mouth, it unleashed its magical power.

The first bite is sour and appetizing, spicy and comforting, and numbing to the point that your tongue trembles!

The second bite offers three distinct textures: the crispness of the potato, the aroma of the carrot, and the chewiness of the kelp.

The third bite, the fourth bite, the fifth bite!

Liu Dayou shoveled several mouthfuls in a row, unable to stop eating.