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

"My name is Li Zhengye. I'm still quite curious about you. It's no easy feat to survive against us."

The man was wearing a crisp black jacket and had a kind smile on his face.

With just one sentence, Gao Yang guessed which faction this was from.

Li Zhengye guessed what Gao Yang was thinking and smiled as he spoke.

"This has nothing to do with my boss. I'm just a small fry, so you'd never guess who I am."

Gao Yang nodded.

Indeed, given that person's meticulousness, how could he possibly send his direct subordinate over at a time like this?

"Come in, please, let's go inside and talk."

Gao Yang led the people to the kitchen.

"I'm sorry, the island is currently closed off, and most places have no power, so I could only bring you here."

He pulled up a chair and brewed a cup of Biluochun tea.

"Come, have a taste, this is new tea."

The steam obscured Li Zhengye's glasses, making it impossible to see his expression.

After a moment, he took a sip of tea and put the teacup aside.

"Gao Yang, from my personal perspective, I don't want to be your enemy. In my opinion, you are a legendary figure."

"I've investigated you. Two months ago, you were a poor soul who was completely fooled by women, losing 50,000 yuan and getting into trouble with thugs. Now you have achieved such success."

"I think if it weren't for our differing stances, we could even become friends."

Li Zhengye's eyes showed little emotion, as if it were none of his business.

Gao Yang ran his fingertips along the rim of the teacup, looked up at Li Zhengye with a calm expression, and didn't respond to his suggestion of being friends.

"Mr. Li came all this way not to catch up with me, is he?"

Li Zhengye smiled, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, his tone remaining calm.

"Smart people speak in a way that saves trouble. I'm here to show you a way out."

"You and Su Wanqing simply can't sustain this island project of the Su family."

"I know everything. Su Zhenhai is forcing his way out of the Su family, the Cai family is putting pressure on him, and the public opinion is relentless. You're doomed sooner or later."

Gao Yang lowered his eyes, took a sip of tea, and spoke softly.

"What is a way to survive?"

"Abandon this project, leave Yuncheng, and never get involved in the Su family's affairs again."

Li Zhengye leaned forward slightly, his tone carrying a hint of admonition.

"I can ensure your safe departure and give you some money, enough for you to start a new life."

"It's that simple?"

Gao Yang raised his eyes, his gaze sharp.

"You went through all this trouble to set up this scheme just to drive me away?"

"You are a variable."

Li Zhengye spoke frankly.

"Without you, Su Wanqing can't support this project, and the Su family will obediently hand over this land. We don't want to be ruthless, we just don't want you in our way."

"Besides, this is just my opinion. In my boss's eyes, you were destined to die anyway. This time, I begged him to persuade you."

"After you leave, we will take over the Su family. You can still come back and choose any place in our territory to continue being the head chef. We will also give you the greatest support to make you famous throughout the country, or even the world."

Gao Yang put down his teacup, the bottom of which tapped softly on the wooden table.

"The conditions you proposed are very tempting to me."

"But I still have one question."

"What if I don't agree?"

Li Zhengye's smile faded slightly, though his tone remained gentle, a chill could be clearly heard beneath it.

"Gao Yang, you may be able to dodge once, but you can't dodge a second time. This time it was the employees causing trouble, but next time we won't be so lenient. No matter how capable you are, you can't beat us."

Whether you can win or not, you'll only know after you try.

Gao Yang remained unmoved, showing no sign of backing down.

"I appreciate Mr. Li's kindness. I will walk my own path without needing anyone else to show me."

Li Zhengye looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then smiled again, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"I admire your courage. Since you're determined to choose the path of death, there's nothing I can do."

"I will report to my superiors that the Su family no longer has any reason to exist."

He sat up straight, straightened the hem of his jacket, and made as if to leave.

Unexpectedly, Gao Yang stopped him.

"Don't rush, now that you've come all this way, I should at least treat you to a meal."

Li Zhengye looked at the determination in Gao Yang's eyes, said nothing, and nodded.

"Hold on."

Gao Yang got the answer, turned around and took a steak from the refrigerator.

This is a sirloin that has thawed overnight; the large grains of sea salt on it have long since melted.

He had planned to use these two days to develop some seasonal recipes, but he never expected to use them here.

"What are you planning to do?"

Li Zhengye stared at Gao Yang's retreating figure, his eyes filled with an unfathomable darkness.

"It's nothing, just frying it."

Gao Yang didn't intend to do anything complicated. Just like with Li Zhengye, he didn't feel any deep hatred or resentment.

He heated the pan and drizzled some olive oil over it.

As the oil temperature gradually rises, a refreshing aroma fills the air.

"Why are you all targeting me?"

He tested the temperature of the pot with his hand and suddenly blurted out this sentence.

Li Zhengye thought for a moment and replied, "I may have been a bit harsh, but our initial target wasn't you, it was Su Wanqing. It's just that you've been sabotaging our plans and causing us a lot of trouble."

"Of course, you can choose to leave the Su family now, and we will naturally stop targeting you."

Gao Yang didn't reply. Seeing that the pot was emitting a little white smoke, he gently put the steak into the pot.

Instantly, with a sizzle, oil smoke rose up, and the meat juices burst open upon contact with the heat.

Just like an insect falling into a spider web, the high temperature quickly locks in the surface of the steak, preventing any juice from escaping.

The unique aroma of beef burst forth, filling the kitchen.

The steak sizzled in the pan.

Neither of them spoke.

Gao Yang seized the opportunity and quickly flipped the item over.

A layer of brown, crispy crust floated on the surface of the steak, making it look quite appealing.

Once the second side had developed a crispy crust, Gao Yang, holding the tongs, flipped the pancake over with steady and nimble movements and then tossed a small piece of butter to the side of the pan.

Once the butter has melted and started to bubble, tilt the pan slightly and use a spoon to repeatedly pour the hot butter sauce over the steak.

The aroma of milk mixed with the caramelized scent of beef instantly filled the kitchen.

Li Zhengye's eyes lit up, and he took a light sniff.

"It smells very good."

Soon, the steak was ready.

Gao Yang deliberately set the steak aside and let it sit for five minutes before cutting it.

"Click."

With a crisp crack, the steak was split in two, and the pink color of the beef was clearly visible in the cross-section, indicating top-notch cooking.

"Try it. If I could, I wouldn't want to be your enemy."

A fleeting look of regret crossed Li Zhengye's eyes.

He lied; trying to protect Gao Yang wasn't that simple.

From the very beginning, Gao Yang destroyed the Green Dragon Gang and saved Lin Zheng, from rescuing that old geezer from the Su family to this new project with the Su family, the name Gao Yang has already caught that person's eye.