Era: You're asked to cook a home-style dish, but you cook Wellington.

In an instant, the kitchen was bustling with activity. Number 40 was working non-stop on the ingredients in his hands, some chopping and preparing, others cooking. The entire kitchen was like a battlefield.

"Master Gao, please prepare the dishes according to this menu. Would you like to double-check it?"

Old Zhou was holding the menu in his hands.

Gao Yang took the menu and quickly scanned the names of the dishes with his fingertips. His eyes swept over the forty people working in the kitchen. Everyone was doing their job without any panic. Although they had only been working together for three days, they had already developed a basic understanding of each other.

He quickly checked the menu, then handed it back to Lao Zhou in a steady and powerful voice.

"Yes, you must follow this menu exactly. There can be no mistakes. Serve one dish at a time before serving the next one. If the order is wrong, it could be dangerous."

Old Zhou responded loudly, nodded emphatically, and immediately took the menu to each stall to deliver it.

"Received! We guarantee to prepare the meal as requested!"

Old Zhou handed out the menus one by one, giving personal instructions.

The chefs in front of the stove were working at full power, with flames leaping half a meter high as they tossed, stirred, and seasoned the food in one smooth motion.

The rich aroma instantly filled the entire kitchen.

The chef skillfully chopped the ingredients, arranging them neatly and evenly on the plate. The waiter who served the dishes moved swiftly but kept the plate steady throughout, not daring to let it wobble even slightly.

Gao Yang stood in the center of the kitchen, his sharp eyes scanning every step of the process, from the food preservation cabinet to the serving area, keeping a close eye on everything and not missing a single detail.

He specifically assigned two trusted people to guard the food outlet, checking every dish that was to be sent out of the kitchen to prevent any outsiders from getting close.

"Seafood stall, hurry up! The first batch of shrimp and crab for the customers in the front hall needs to be served immediately!"

"The pastry team has prepared special multigrain buns, which will be served alongside the fisherman's stir-fry!"

The sounds of food being served, instructions being given, and the clanging of kitchen utensils mingled together, creating a bustling yet orderly scene.

Everyone was determined to show their best skills while also protecting the kitchen.

…………

lobby.

Looking at the guests, Su Wanqing felt a slight sense of relief.

Although it was a three-day trial operation, most of the guests were invited to show up and would leave after the meal; not many actually stayed.

Her fingertips gently caressed her palm, her gaze sweeping over one waiter after another.

The dishes they were holding were almost identical, and they were being served one after another, just as Gao Yang had envisioned.

"It's delicious. I never expected the Su family to be able to find such a chef."

"What? Rumor has it that the person in charge of the kitchen for this Su family project is President Su's fiancé."

"Really? How could President Su's fiancé possibly cook for us himself?"

"Why isn't it true? His name is Gao Yang. He's an excellent cook. Several big shots have tasted his dishes. Look, those are the ones enjoying their meal."

At the banquet, guests clinked glasses and chatted in hushed tones. Many people smelled the aroma of the dishes and couldn't help but praise them, their eyes filled with approval as they looked at Su Wanqing.

Several members of the Su family's collateral branch sat in a corner, their faces grim, yet they had not yet found a pretext to cause trouble.

"Damn it, are we just going to let her steal the spotlight all by herself?"

A man from a collateral branch of the Su family lost his temper, his face darkening.

He held the knife and fork, almost overturning the plate in front of him.

The other person beside them remained unhurried.

"Don't worry, they'll get what's coming to them soon enough."

"Brother Zhaoyang, do you know something? Tell us quickly!"

Su Zhaoyang's lips curled into a cold smile as he looked at Su Wanqing in the corner, his brows furrowed with the pleasure of impending revenge.

"Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough."

At that moment, Su Wanqing saw Su Zhaoyang's expression and her heart skipped a beat.

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a sense of foreboding rose from the depths of her heart.

Suddenly, a "click" sound rang out.

An old man ate something and suddenly lay down on the ground.

The old man was foaming at the mouth, his eyes were tightly closed, and he couldn't be woken up no matter how much they called him.

"Oh no, they've been poisoned. It's that Cai family member."

Lin Zheng was also present. The moment he saw the man's face, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his entire face was filled with deep terror.

"This is really bad."

Not to mention Yuncheng, even in Beijing, Mr. Cai is highly respected, and many people are his juniors.

He collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth and unconscious, causing an uproar in the audience.

The guests, who had been clinking glasses and exchanging toasts, all stood up at once, and gasps and whispers mingled together, causing the scene to instantly spiral out of control.

Some people hurriedly retreated, some stepped forward to check, and many more looked terrified, their eyes fixed on the food on the table, instinctively backing away.

"Mr. Cai! Mr. Cai, how are you?"

"Call an ambulance immediately! Call a doctor right away!"

Lin Zheng rushed forward, squatted down to check Cai Lao's breathing, and then felt his pulse. His face was ashen.

His voice was trembling.

"His breathing is weak; his condition is very bad!"

These words caused an uproar throughout the room.

Su Zhaoyang sat in the corner, a smug smile flashing in his eyes, but he pretended to be panicked and shouted.

"What else could it be? There must be something wrong with the food! A perfectly healthy person collapsed after eating it; what else could it be but food poisoning!"

His instigation completely panicked the guests present. They put down their cutlery and their gazes toward Su Wanqing instantly changed, turning to doubt, anger, and fear.

"What is the Su family doing! A person died during their trial operation!"

"Is this chef even competent?! How could perfectly good food be poisoned?!"

"President Su must give us an explanation! If anything happens to Elder Cai today, no one can bear the responsibility!"

Accusations and questions rose and fell, all pointing the finger at Su Wanqing.

Su Wanqing's face turned pale, her body swayed slightly, and her fingertips clenched so tightly that they turned white. The unease in her heart was completely confirmed.

She forced herself to remain calm and gave stern instructions.

"Quickly, save them first! Contact the island's medical station and call the doctor immediately!"

However, the chaotic scene was impossible to control. Su Zhaoyang was still fanning the flames, constantly guiding everyone to steer the matter towards the poisoning of the food, clearly intending to escalate the situation, completely ruin the project, and bring Su Wanqing to ruin.

Other relatives from the Su family's collateral branches, not minding the commotion, went around spreading these rumors.

The way the group of people looked at Su Wanqing instantly changed.

They were Cai Lao's students and had received his protection quite often. Now that Cai Lao was lying on the ground, how could they calm down?

They formed a circle and kept walking towards Su Wanqing, their eyes filled with menacing intent.

Seeing that things were going badly, Qian Liu immediately led his men to stop them. The two sides were instantly on the verge of a fight, and the tables and chairs were knocked askew as they shoved each other, creating a scene of extreme chaos.

"Get out of the way! Su Wanqing needs an explanation today. If anything happens to Elder Cai, your Su family won't get away with it!"

"The food was clearly poisoned, yet they're trying to cover up the culprit. This isn't over!"

These people were all furious, their emotions running high, and they were waving their arms, trying to break through the blockade.

Qian Liu and his group gritted their teeth and held their ground, daring not to back down in the slightest, but they were gradually unable to withstand the enemy's offensive.

Su Wanqing was shielded behind the crowd, her face still pale.

Forcing herself to stay calm, she shouted sternly, "Everyone, calm down! The matter hasn't been investigated yet. Saving Elder Cai is the top priority. I, Su Wanqing, on behalf of the Su family, guarantee that I will not shirk any responsibility, but I will also not allow anyone to frame me!"

"You're still trying to argue even now! The person's already fallen; if it's not your fault, whose fault is it?!"

Su Zhaoyang mingled in the crowd, fanning the flames once more, deliberately raising his voice.

"I think the problem stems from unclean ingredients in the kitchen and poor cooking skills, which led to this fatality. This project should never have been put in Su Wanqing's charge!"

His words ignited the crowd's anger, and the pushing and shoving became increasingly intense.

Just as the situation was about to spiral out of control, the alarm went off.

"Stop it, all of you!"