The courtyard house, without the script of Sha Zhu.

Zhang He, too, was well aware that Cao Wei was sensible.

But next, they would have to face Lou Bancheng. Lou Bancheng was a powerful figure in Beijing, whose every move could shake the city.

Moreover, this was after liberation; before liberation, the enemy was even more terrifying.

Zhang He was also afraid that Cao Wei might do something that would displease the other party.

Cao Wei, of course, nodded knowingly, but in his heart he was already making plans.

Lou Bancheng is definitely a useful connection, at least until that period of reckoning arrives.

Putting aside everything else, Cao Wei was well aware that in a few years, when the public-private partnership was established...

Fengzeyuan will not escape its fate either; it will gradually undergo reforms.

As a result, the number of customers will gradually decrease, and things will gradually increase, just like many companies on the verge of bankruptcy.

Big decisions are impossible, while trivial matters keep piling up.

And they frequently fire people.

Although Cao Wei was well aware that Zhang He and He Daqing might be able to find him a good position, or rather, recommend him.

However, this would also trouble the two of them, as Cao Wei doesn't like to bother others with things he can handle himself.

He believed that his skills alone would be enough to attract the other party.

In that case, there's a high probability that the other party will approve of you.

If the other party can introduce me, I will be able to get into the steel rolling mill smoothly.

And by the way, we can also go and have some fun with those beasts.

It can also solve work-related problems.

It can be said to kill two birds with one stone.

Therefore, Cao Wei naturally did not take it lightly.

The next day, Cao Wei waited until around ten o'clock before leisurely arriving at Fengzeyuan, only to find that...

Manager Huang couldn't help but roll his eyes at him helplessly.

Afterwards, he saw a car parked near the kitchen of Fengzeyuan.

Manager Huang then led Cao Wei to the two men in black next to the car and began to introduce them.

"Gentlemen, this is Cao Wei, the young genius chef who is the latest addition to Fengzeyuan's kitchen team that Chairman Lou wanted."

When the man in black heard Manager Huang speak like this, and glanced at Cao Wei, a fleeting look of surprise crossed his face, but he quickly nodded, somewhat numbly. They opened the car door for Cao Wei and let him get in.

The two returned to their car and drove towards Lou Bancheng's villa.

However, to their surprise...

At Cao Wei's age, it should be possible that this is his first time riding in a car, but his expression showed no surprise or curiosity, but rather a hint of emotion.

The two were even more convinced that this chef, who was so young, deserved to be valued by Chairman Lou; even his character was exceptional.

In fact, for Cao Wei...

Cars of that era didn't really hold much appeal for him.

He was simply nostalgic for the antique designs on the car, nothing more.

As the car arrived at the villa's entrance, the man in black spoke in a deep voice.

"Cao Wei, please go down and undergo an examination."

Cao Wei was well aware of the troubles of these wealthy families, so he didn't say much. After getting out of the car, he looked at the gatekeeper next to him.

As he let the other party inspect the box, Cao Wei opened it and began to explain.

"This is my personal knife; it makes cooking easier."

After opening the box, the guard found that it contained only knives and some other items, posing no significant danger, and nodded slightly.

Immediately afterwards, a middle-aged man, around forty or fifty years old, dressed in black and exuding a certain elegance, walked over.

"Hello, I am Mr. Lou's housekeeper. Please come with me."

After nodding and carrying the suitcase, Cao Wei followed the butler.

Looking at that seemingly luxurious villa, its current decorations are already comparable to those of twenty or thirty years from now.

This made Cao Wei inwardly marvel at the other party's wealth.

He remained calm on the surface and didn't say a word the whole time, which made the butler raise an eyebrow and mutter a curse in his heart.

"At such a young age, it's no wonder that she has caught the attention of Chairman Lou. Putting aside her skills, her temperament alone surpasses that of most of her peers."

Afterwards, Cao Wei was led to the kitchen by the butler.

Lou Bancheng's kitchen is slightly larger than Fengzeyuan's kitchen, measuring about 70 or 80 square meters.

The area is a bit large, about seventy or eighty square meters.

The decor was rather luxurious, but this didn't attract Cao Wei's much attention.

At this moment, the butler spoke up in a deep voice, "Mr. Cao, could you please see if there's anything else you need here? I'd like to prepare it for you in advance."

Cao Wei glanced at it briefly and noticed that the half-pig on the ground had a lot of deer legs on it, and even seafood and abalone.

The ingredients were almost all fresh, and he couldn't help but marvel at how wealthy the other party was.

He found that most of the ingredients were available, but as if he had thought of something, he added another instruction.

"I'm not making dumplings because I'm missing a bit of pickled cabbage, but because I feel like I'm missing this ingredient in a dish."

After listening, the butler nodded and then beckoned another man in black to come over. He then instructed the man to buy a few jars of pickled cabbage.

The butler then looked at Cao Wei and gave him some instructions.

"I'll let you know when it's time to cook."

"Um."

Cao Wei nodded and estimated that there would be at least another half hour.

Feeling a bit bored, he simply stood at the door and lit a cigarette.

However, the cigarette wasn't completely finished yet.

He bumped into a beautiful woman who looked to be only about thirty years old and was remarkably well-preserved.

Upon seeing Cao Wei light a cigarette, the woman frowned, then slowly spoke.

"Smoking is not allowed in the kitchen."

Upon seeing this, Cao Wei immediately stomped it out.

As a time traveler, he looked at the other person's appearance and heard their familiar words.

My subconscious thought was that I had come to the home of a high-ranking official.

After discovering that it wasn't true, I couldn't help but mutter to myself.

"Why are these people acting like NPCs, periodically refreshing their chat with similar messages?"

Seeing that Cao Wei had also extinguished it in time, the woman's expression softened considerably. However, as if she had thought of something, she couldn't help but ask another question.

"Why did you suddenly order pickled cabbage? It's not like we're making dumplings."

Cao Wei naturally guessed that the other party was probably also curious, so after chuckling, he went around in circles.

"Well, this is a side dish I'm preparing to make, and it's something I just invented. You'll see when the time comes."

Upon seeing this, the woman merely raised an eyebrow, but ultimately said nothing.

After the butler brought the sauerkraut, he spoke to Cao Wei.

"You can start cooking now."