Courtyard House: In times of famine, my hamster became a spirit.

The greasy cotton curtain in the back kitchen was suddenly flung open.

The waiter stumbled into the kitchen.

He was holding a plate of almost untouched Mapo Tofu, his legs trembling like a leaf.

Meanwhile, He Yuzhu was lounging on his personal tattered rattan chair with his legs crossed.

Holding a chipped enamel mug in his hands, humming a Peking Opera tune, he was completely content.

Hearing the noise, he didn't even lift his eyelids; instead, the smug smile on his lips deepened.

"Oh, you're back?"

He Yuzhu slowly blew away the foam from his teacup, glancing sideways at his apprentice Ma Hua and Liu Lan, who was chopping vegetables. His tone was laced with a sickeningly boastful arrogance: "See that? That's efficiency! Big bosses are picky eaters. When they encounter truly good food, they don't even bother to say anything, they just finish the plate! This plate Xiao Zhang brought back will be cleaner than a dog licked clean!"

Ma Hua quickly stopped, his face full of obsequious flattery as he chimed in, "Master, who is that? The authentic successor of the Tan family cuisine! Even if it were the Emperor himself, let alone the factory leaders, they'd have to give your cooking a thumbs up and shout 'Absolutely amazing!'"

Although Liu Lan usually disliked Sha Zhu's smug attitude, she didn't say anything this time.

After all, in the steel rolling mill, no one could outdo Sha Zhu on the stove.

Feeling completely comfortable, He Yuzhu swaggered towards the waiter and reached out to take the tray.

"Come here, let me see. Did the big boss even dip his steamed bun in the soup?"

However, the expected flattery did not work.

The waiter looked at He Yuzhu approaching, his eyes brimming with fear.

He slammed the tray down on the cutting board.

"Clang!"

A sharp crack shattered the relaxed atmosphere in the kitchen.

The plate was not as clean as new.

On the contrary, the whole plate of tofu lay sprawled out like a lump of mud.

Because of the violent movements, the murky, dark red oily soup splashed out, and a strange smell, a mixture of burnt and raw fishy odor, spread throughout the kitchen.

He Yuzhu's smile froze.

He stared at the dish that was almost untouched, his brows furrowed into a deep knot.

My first reaction wasn't that there was something wrong with the food, but rather that I felt I was losing face.

"Hey! You little brat!" He Yuzhu slammed his hand on the table, his usual arrogant demeanor rising. "Don't you know the rules? How do you carry dishes? You've spilled them everywhere! If Director Li sees this..."

"I was just about to ask you, He Yuzhu, do you even know the rules?!"

A chilling voice, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, suddenly exploded at the doorway.

Before He Yuzhu could react, the heavy curtain was roughly yanked open.

Deputy Factory Director Li's face was ashen; his usually smiling, chubby face was now contorted with extreme anger.

He strode in, each step making a loud thud on the floor.

Behind him followed Officer Wu, who was hunching over.

The once noisy kitchen seemed to have been muted.

Everyone instinctively shrank back, trying to hide themselves in the shadows.

Everyone could see that the sky had fallen.

He Yuzhu is the only one who is truly foolish.

In his eyes, the steel rolling mill was his own little territory. Deputy Director Li had to beg him to give him special treatment, and if the sky fell, he would be the one to hold it up.

"Oh, Factory Director Li?"

Instead of toning down his act, He Yuzhu greeted him with a grin, even reaching out to pat Deputy Factory Director Li on the shoulder, "What's this, coming personally to urge them to prepare the food? I knew it, the big boss would definitely eat it..."

Before he could finish speaking...

Deputy Factory Director Li didn't give him a chance to talk nonsense. Taking advantage of the momentum from rushing in, he swung his arm and slapped that grinning face across the face.

"Smack!!!"

The slap was crisp, loud, and even echoed.

He Yuzhu staggered from the blow, his head tilted to the side, and the enamel teacup in his hand fell to the ground with a "clang," spilling scalding tea all over his trouser leg.

Quiet.

A deathly silence.

The cleaver in Ma Hua's hand clattered to the ground, almost hitting his own foot.

Liu Lan covered her mouth, her eyes practically bulging out of their sockets.

In all these years at the steel rolling mill, who has ever seen Deputy Director Li personally take action?

They were beating up He Yuzhu, the tyrant of the kitchen!

He Yuzhu was stunned by the beating.

He covered his burning left cheek, his ears ringing.

It took a full three seconds for the feeling of humiliation to surge straight to the top of my head.

"Li Huaide! Are you insane?!"

He Yuzhu's neck veins bulged as he straightened his back: "You dare hit me? This kitchen is my territory! What right do you have to hit me? You think I won't serve you anymore?!"

"Would I hit you?"

Deputy Factory Director Li was trembling with rage. Pointing at the plate of foul-smelling tofu on the cutting board, he roared:

"I want to kill you right now! You're tired of living! Open your dog eyes and look! This is your so-called 'masterpiece'? The big boss almost flipped the table after taking one bite! Is this cooking? This is poisoning! Are you trying to kill me, trying to kill thousands of people in the factory?!"

Spit sprayed all over He Yuzhu's face.

But He Yuzhu is a typical stubborn mule; he won't move if you try to lead him, and he'll only back down if you try to push him.

He shoved aside the Ma Hua who tried to break up the fight, and shouted with his neck stiff, "Bullshit! Can't you speak properly? What do you mean by poisoning? That's the wok hei (wok aroma) of authentic Sichuan cuisine! It's just that one of his big bosses is picky, like a wild boar that can't eat fine chaff! Let me tell you, if this dish were in a state-run restaurant, everyone would be fighting over it!"

"hiss--"

A collective gasp filled the kitchen.

Calling the top leader a wild boar? This idiot Zhu must have a death wish!

Deputy Factory Director Li laughed in a fit of rage, a laugh that sent chills down one's spine.

"What a fine example of a wild boar that can't eat fine bran..."

He took a step closer, his eyes sharp as knives: "He Yuzhu, listen to me carefully! Here are the exact words of that high-ranking leader!"

"People say the Sichuan peppercorns are all burnt, they taste burnt and bitter! Don't you know anything about this?"

He Yuzhu's pupils contracted.

"People say the fermented soybean paste wasn't cooked properly! It tastes like raw, moldy beans, and it's incredibly fishy! Doesn't that show you don't know what you're talking about?"

He Yuzhu's face began to turn pale, and he unconsciously took a half step back.

"And this tofu! It's scalding hot on the outside, but raw inside! Is this what you call the foundation of Tan family cuisine? Is this what you call improvement?"

Every word is precious, every sentence incisive!

These comments are exactly the same as what Zhou Jianguo said outside!

He Yuzhu knew best that he had indeed been cooking over high heat haphazardly in order to save time and because he underestimated Sichuan cuisine.

He thought that as long as the spiciness was strong enough, he could cover it up, but he never expected that he would be stripped down to his underwear!

Cold sweat trickled down his temples.

"That...that's a different style! This is He's unique Sichuan cuisine!" He Yuzhu's eyes darted around, but he was still stubbornly holding onto his last trump card. "Li Huaide, don't try to intimidate me with those words! In this Beijing, besides me, He Yuzhu, who else can take this job? If you're so capable, fire me, and let's see who serves you this meal!"

This "irreplaceability" tactic is his shield against his rampant tyranny.

He bet that Deputy Factory Director Li wouldn't dare.

However, at that very second...

A gentle breeze blew in through the back door, which wasn't fully closed.

That wasn't a cold wind, but rather a strong aroma of meat.

The smell hit He Yuzhu hard in the face and also jolted Li, the deputy factory director, awake from the brink of despair.

This smell... it's from Zhou Jianguo in the lobby!

Compared to this stinky tofu in front of me, it's like heaven and earth!

Deputy Factory Director Li's nostrils twitched, and the hesitation in his eyes completely vanished.

He looked at He Yuzhu, who was still shouting and arguing, and suddenly calmed down, a calmness that was frightening.

"Okay, very good."

Deputy Factory Director Li nodded, pointed to the gate, and spoke in a low voice, yet his voice carried a chilling undercurrent:

"He Yuzhu, do you really think the world will stop turning without you? I'm officially informing you now, you're not responsible for cooking this meal! Take off your apron right now and get out of the kitchen! Immediately! Right now! Get out!!!"

The word "Get out" echoed in the kitchen for a full three seconds.

He Yuzhu was completely stunned. This bastard actually dared to do that?!

"Fine! Li Huaide, you've got guts!"

The humiliation of being publicly expelled completely broke He Yuzhu. He ripped off his dirty apron and threw it to the ground. "If they don't want me here, there are plenty of other places that will! Don't regret it! When no one cooks and the big boss gets angry, let's see how you handle that! Don't come begging me to come back!"

After saying that, he slammed open the curtain and rushed out.

The kitchen fell into dead silence.

Only that plate of cold tofu emitted a mocking, foul odor.

Officer Wu, trembling with fear, rushed over, his voice trembling with tears: "Factory...Factory Director, is Sha Zhu really gone? The big boss is waiting! Where are we going to find a head chef?"

"Chase my ass!"

Deputy Factory Director Li gritted his teeth and cursed, then turned to look in the direction of the canteen hall.

That Zhou Jianguo.

He could tell everything just by smelling it—that young man who could make such a fragrance in a corner with just a fire hook and an aluminum lunchbox.

I'm going to try anything, even if it seems hopeless!

Deputy Factory Director Li straightened his collar, which had been askew from anger, and the panic in his eyes turned into a gambler's ruthlessness.

"What are you standing there for? Come with me to the lobby!"

"Go and fetch Master Zhou!"