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

"Splash—"

The two greasy spring doors in the back kitchen were pushed open roughly, slamming against the wall with a dull thud.

Everyone turned around and saw Deputy Factory Director Li striding in with a dark face, followed by a young man with a nonchalant expression.

That's... Zhou Jianguo?

Ma Hua's eyelids twitched suddenly, and an ominous premonition instantly filled his heart.

He rushed forward, but his eyes darted past Li Huaide toward the door, his expression panicked: "Director Li, where's my master? We've been rushing to get the food ready like crazy! This big boss's boiled cabbage can't be delayed! Without my master cooking, who can manage this feast?"

"Shut up!"

Li Huaide shouted sharply, his spittle almost spraying Ma Hua's face.

He's on edge right now, he has no time to listen to MCA's nonsense.

Deputy Factory Director Li surveyed the surroundings, his gaze sweeping across everyone's faces like a knife, before gritting his teeth and announcing, word by word:

"He Yuzhu has committed serious violations of discipline and shown disrespect for his superiors. He has been dismissed and is under investigation! From this moment on, the stove in this kitchen belongs to Zhou! Comrade Zhou Jianguo is now fully responsible for it!"

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, not only Ma Hua, but everyone in the kitchen stared wide-eyed.

Why let a fitter who wields a sledgehammer be in charge of cooking?

Or is it a banquet for a high-ranking leader?

Was Director Li scared out of his wits, or did he think his official position was too secure?

MCA was extremely anxious.

He was truly blindly loyal to Sha Zhu, and at this moment, he had lost all reason. The veins on his neck were bulging, and his finger pointing at Zhou Jianguo was trembling.

"Director Li! You...you're playing with everyone's lives! Him? Zhou Jianguo? Can he even tell the difference between sugar and salt? This is a banquet for a high-ranking leader! It's a political task! If we mess it up, who will take the blame?"

"I'll take responsibility!" Li Huaide roared, veins throbbing on his forehead.

"You can't afford that!"

Ma Hua is really going all out; this is not only to protect his master, but also to uphold the dignity of their chefs.

He ripped off his apron and slammed it heavily onto the greasy floor with a "thud," striking a pose of utter indifference.

"Cooking is a skill! It's not something you can do just by having strength! You can let him do it, but I, MCA, am not going to put up with it! I won't tell you where the seasonings are, I won't teach you how to control the heat, I want to see how he turns this pile of raw meat into a dish!"

This is a blatant coup!

Ma Hua's mind was racing with calculations: if the kitchen was paralyzed, the higher-ups would blame them, and Director Li would definitely have to beg the master chef to come back. This was a classic case of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao," and this move was a sure thing!

Li Huaide was trembling with rage, pointing at MCA: "You...you've gone too far! Believe me or not, I'll remove you from the party too!"

Just when the situation was about to get out of control and the air seemed to freeze.

"Oh."

A soft laugh broke the silence.

A mixture of sarcasm and disdain spilled from Zhou Jianguo's mouth.

He strode forward, not even glancing at Ma Hua, and walked straight to the counter.

There was a piece of pork tenderloin that Sha Zhu had just cut in half.

Zhou Jianguo stretched out two long, slender fingers, picked up the piece of meat, and shone the light of the dim bulb above his head.

"Is this what you call the skill of a master chef?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it quieted the noisy kitchen.

"Smack."

Zhou Jianguo casually tossed the sliced ​​meat back onto the cutting board.

"Pork tenderloin has a long, thin bundle of muscle fibers. When processing this type of meat, the principle of mechanics—cutting beef and lamb across the grain and pork with the grain—is crucial. This piece of meat has an entirely oblique grain, and every cut is made at the ligament junctions of the muscle fibers."

Zhou Jianguo turned around and stared at Ma Hua:

"If you cook it like this, the fibers won't break down completely, the texture will be dry and you won't be able to chew it. Is this what you call being knowledgeable? You don't even understand the most basic biomaterials science, and you dare to call yourself a chef? I think you'd be more suited to be a waste disposal worker."

These words are not culinary jargon, but rather have a strong industrial dissection style.

Ma Hua was stunned.

He opened his mouth wide to refute, but as his mind raced, he was horrified to discover that Zhou Jianguo was absolutely right!

Before the MCA could even react...

Zhou Jianguo made a move.

Instead of grabbing the lighter spatulas, he picked up the large, double-handled iron wok on the stove with one hand, which weighed over ten kilograms.

Normally, Sha Zhu has to use a clever technique to flip this pot, and he also has to use his knees to push it up for leverage.

In Zhou Jianguo's hands, this heavy, dark iron pot was like a plastic toy.

"Buzz—!!"

Zhou Jianguo suddenly jerked his wrist.

The large iron pot left a trail of afterimages in the air, emitting a metallic buzzing sound that only extremely high-frequency vibrations can produce.

The bottom of the pot rubs against the flame, and Zhou Jianguo controls the pot with one hand, as if it were an extension of his arm.

The flames shot up more than a meter high, like a crimson fire dragon.

"Slipping the pan."

Zhou Jianguo coldly uttered two words.

This fluid movement and control of the center of gravity are far superior to Sha Zhu's flashy,江湖-style moves!

This is not just cooking, it's pure violent aesthetics!

Ma Hua's mouth slowly opened wide, and a "clucking" sound came from his throat.

A true expert's skill is immediately apparent.

That incredible wrist strength and that rock-solid control of the pot alone are skills that can't be acquired in just three to five years of training!

But it's not over yet.

Zhou Jianguo took out the remaining half of the [Special Supply Pure Fragrant Peanut Oil] that was a system reward from the system space.

He lifted the lid with one hand.

The wrist is tilted.

The amber-colored grease drew a crystal-clear golden line in the air before falling into the already scorching hot iron pot.

"Sizzle—!!!"

The moment the hot oil touches the pan, there is no burnt smell or black smoke like with inferior soybean oil.

A rich, nutty aroma, amplified by the high temperature, filled the entire kitchen!

This smells amazing!

Everyone's nostrils were twitching wildly, and some even made sounds of swallowing saliva.

The MCA is the first to be affected.

He's a chef, and his sensitivity to ingredients is a hundred times higher than that of the average person.

What kind of oil is this?

What the hell is this magic oil?!

This purity, this aroma, I've never seen anything like it, not even at state banquets!

How could someone who has access to such top-tier resources be just a fitter?!

This is clearly a food god who came to the mortal world to experience life!

"Clang!"

Ma Hua's knees buckled; this time, he truly knelt down.

He shakily picked up the apron he had just thrown on the ground, held it in both hands, and slowly moved to Zhou Jianguo's side, bending over at a ninety-degree angle, his voice trembling uncontrollably:

"Sir...no, Master...please...please fasten it..."

The entire kitchen was deathly silent.

All the kitchen helpers who had been watching the show with glee just moments before now lowered their heads and began frantically washing and chopping vegetables, afraid that if they were even a second too slow, they would be singled out by this "god-like person."

Li Huaide, standing at the door, watched this scene with his heart pounding. The ecstasy of winning big almost made him burst out laughing.

Steady!

This time it's completely secure!

Zhou Jianguo isn't cooking, he's clearly refining elixirs!

"Good! Well done!"

Li Huaide wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, gave Zhou Jianguo a thumbs up, and turned to run back to the private room to report on the progress. His steps were so light that he seemed ten years younger.

Zhou Jianguo ignored the awe-inspiring gazes around him.

He took the apron handed to him by Ma Hua, tied it around his waist, held the pot in one hand, and picked up the kitchen knife on the cutting board with the other.

At that moment, the coldness in his eyes vanished, replaced by focus.

Even though it's just cooking a meal.

But now that we've taken action, let these frogs in a well see what real human life is all about.

[Ding! Host has started cooking. Would you like to use the "God-Level Sichuan Cuisine Mastery Experience Card"?]

Zhou Jianguo silently recited in his mind: "Use it."

The next second, a massive torrent of memories surged into my mind!