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

The next morning, in the kitchen of the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill.

As usual, He Yuzhu hummed a little tune with his hands behind his back and swaggered across the threshold, waving the dirty rag in his hand like a handkerchief from a folk dance.

His gaze swept across the cutting board, and the group of kitchen helpers who were chopping vegetables wished they could bury their heads in the food; no one dared to meet his eyes.

The only one who wasn't quite right in the head was the new apprentice. His hand trembled, and the cleaver clattered against the chopping board.

"Hey! Did your eyes get into your crotch?" He Yuzhu frowned, his reckless attitude already kicking in before he even reached the stove. "Those radishes are chopped like clubs, even pigs would complain they're too hard! Ma Hua!"

The apprentice, Ma Hua, was washing a pot when he heard this. He jumped up, wiped his hands haphazardly on his apron, and ran over: "Master, you're here."

He Yuzhu didn't even look at him directly, and went straight to his own enamel mug.

I opened the lid; it was empty.

"What do you mean?" He Yuzhu's face darkened, and he slammed the lid of his teacup with a loud bang. "Where's your sense of propriety? You haven't even brewed a proper cup of tea, and you expect me to serve you?"

"Master..." Ma Hua's face was scrunched up like a bitter gourd, his eyes darting towards the office, his voice barely audible, "Today... today the wind is blowing. Director Liu came in just now, his face as black as soot, and he confiscated our whole can of high-quality liquor, saying it was public property..."

"Bullshit! That's my tea leaves!" He Yuzhu glared, slamming the rag he was holding onto the stove, splattering oil everywhere. "Has this Fatty Liu not been scolded for days? He's itching for a beating, isn't he? He's acting like he owns the place, doesn't he even know who's indispensable to this canteen!"

As he spoke, he reached for the stainless steel basin next to the stove, which he used to hoard food: "Where's that piece of pork tenderloin from today? Did you save any for me? Sister Qin's family is starving tonight, they're counting on it."

Normally by this time, Ma Hua would have already quickly cut the meat and hidden it at the bottom of the lunchbox.

But today, the basin was even cleaner than He Yuzhu's face, without a single drop of oil.

"Master, there really wasn't anything left..." Ma Hua was almost in tears.

"You've gone too far!" He Yuzhu had just raised his hand, intending to give this clueless apprentice a good whack, when the thick cotton curtain at the back door of the cafeteria was suddenly lifted.

A cold wind suddenly rushed in, swirling around two security officers in grass-green uniforms, while Lao Liu, the canteen director with a grim expression, stood in the middle.

The only noise in the kitchen was the exhaust fan whirring, so embarrassing it made you want to curl your toes.

He Yuzhu's hand was still raised in mid-air. He turned his head and saw Lao Liu's tense face. Instead of calming down, Lao Liu laughed.

He put his hands behind his back, a roguish smile playing on his lips: "Hey, Director Liu, bringing the security guys here for an inspection? Feeling a bit craving something good? Want me to treat you to a special meal? As long as your Fenjiu is on hand, I'll put in the effort..."

"He Yuzhu." Director Liu interrupted him coldly, his voice devoid of its usual politeness and apprehension, displaying the condescension of a superior towards a subordinate.

He Yuzhu was taken aback: "What's going on? You're not even calling me Master He anymore?"

Director Liu ignored his teasing and pulled a piece of paper with a bright red stamp from his briefcase under his arm.

He didn't hand it to He Yuzhu, but turned to face all the kitchen staff and cleared his throat.

"Everyone, stop what you're doing!"

Everyone stood up straight, some gloating, others terrified.

"Following a notice from the factory management," Director Liu said, shaking the paper, "it is noted that canteen worker He Yuzhu has long been characterized by low moral character, disregard for labor discipline, repeated misappropriation of collective resources, and a lax work style, which seriously damages the image of the working class..."

Every word was like a nail driven into He Yuzhu's forehead.

He Yuzhu's smile froze, and his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

His not-so-bright brain hadn't yet grasped the true destructive power behind this set of official jargon.

"...After deliberation by the factory leadership, it has been decided that He Yuzhu is hereby removed from his positions as team leader and head chef of the No. 1 canteen, effective immediately!" Director Liu's voice suddenly rose, revealing a triumphant satisfaction. "He is being reassigned to the preliminary processing area, responsible for washing vegetables, scrubbing pots, and cleaning the kitchen drains. His original position will be taken over by Chef Yang, transferred from the No. 2 canteen. Effective immediately!"

"boom!"

It was as if a thunderbolt had exploded in He Yuzhu's mind, startling him so much that he almost jumped up.

who am I?

I'm Sha Zhu!

I am the storefront of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill!

The chef of the Tan family cuisine is so skilled that even high-ranking officials would give him a thumbs up!

You want me to wash the vegetables?

Through the sewer?

"Fatty Liu, are you drunk?" He Yuzhu stepped forward, veins bulging on his neck, and reached for the paper. "Are you kidding me? Fire me? Do you think the thousands of workers in this factory will agree to that? Do you think Deputy Director Li will agree? Let me tell you, without me in charge of cooking, you're going to cook the banquet yourself? Aren't you afraid of poisoning the guests!"

This is the source of He Yuzhu's confidence.

He was convinced that this was just Director Liu using the situation as an excuse to scare him.

However, the expected panic from Director Liu did not materialize.

Old Liu merely shifted slightly to avoid He Yuzhu's dirty hand, looking at him with an expression as if he were an idiot, and sneered, "He Yuzhu, you really think you're someone important? Mentioning Deputy Factory Director Li?"

Old Liu stepped forward, lowered his voice, and said in a volume only the two of them could hear, "This official document was personally signed by Deputy Factory Director Li. This morning, Director Li specifically instructed: Our steel rolling mill can operate without anyone, but it will never lack a dishonest cook. That Chef Yang was also personally selected and transferred by Director Li."

These words struck me like a thunderbolt.

He Yuzhu froze on the spot.

Deputy Factory Director Li... signed it personally?

"Impossible...absolutely impossible..." He Yuzhu's lips trembled, his eyes unfocused. "Just two days ago he praised my cooking as authentic..."

"Times have changed, Sha Zhu." Director Liu patted him on the shoulder, the force not too light, but full of humiliation. "Take off your apron, that's what the head chef wears. There are two hundred pounds of potatoes in that sink over there, go on, that's your new battlefield. Oh, and don't be lazy, if you don't finish peeling them before you leave work, you'll lose work points."

Two security officers stepped forward, their hands on their belts, glaring menacingly.

He Yuzhu looked at the two dark, hollow eyes, and then at the kitchen helpers around him who he used to boss around—they were now looking down, trying their best to hide the smiles on their lips.

That immense sense of loss was like an invisible hand crushing his dignity, throwing it on the ground, and trampling it.

He wanted to explode, to smash up the dilapidated kitchen, but the words "Deputy Factory Director Li" echoed in his mind—a mountain he couldn't climb over.

Finally, with trembling hands, he untied the white apron that symbolized his authority and threw it on the ground.