I'm the Culinary God

Lin Xu grabbed an almond, cracked open the shell, and popped the kernel into his mouth:

"Think anyone’s going to cause trouble later?"

Considering the last time Cheng JianShe took an apprenticeship, Qi Zhentao’s mentor group nearly caused a scene, but was ultimately thwarted by He Jiajun, turning the tide.

If those who were expelled show up to stir trouble today, He Jiajun might have a headache.

Xie Baomin chuckled and said:

"To prevent any disruption, the Chinese Cooking Association has stripped those people of all titles, and without any accolades, it’s hard for them to make a fuss... Besides, Qiuqiu’s uncle is here today, and that old man has quite a temper..."

Just as he spoke, an elderly man with a cane walked in, full of vigor and energy; the cane in his hand seemed less of a walking aid and more like a weapon.

Seeing the old man, Xie Baomin quickly greeted him:

"Hello, Uncle Qiu."

The newcomer was the master of Huaiyang cuisine, Qiu Yaozu, exuding an aura of authority and dignity.

Just from the name, you could tell Qiu Yaozu carried the family burden of living up to his ancestors, perhaps never daring to slack off.

Qiu Yaozu glanced at Xie Baomin and snorted, then glanced sideways at old Dai, before finally focusing on Lin Xu.

When he saw Lin Xu, the old man’s expression finally softened:

"Little Xu, spend less time with these two bastards; they never come up with anything good."

Lin Xu held back his laughter, nodding as he said:

"I got it, Uncle Qiu."

Although Lin Xu should technically call Qiu Yaozu ’grandfather’ due to age, because of hierarchy, he had to join his seniors in calling him Uncle Qiu.

Qiu Yaozu said:

"Since that kid from the Qi family is now our apprentice at the Fishing Platform, he’s one of us. Don’t just watch the fun, help out when needed."

Seems like the old man was already showing favoritism even before the apprentice ceremony started.

Dai Jianli said:

"Don’t worry, Uncle Qiu, we won’t just stand by and watch, especially since they might not even show up because Joyful Media plans to report this as news in the culinary world."

A lot of people are like that; they’re not afraid of causing a ruckus behind closed doors, but they behave once a camera is pointed at them, fearing their unsightly side spreading online.

Qiu Yaozu nodded, then turned to Lin Xu and said:

"Remember to visit my home when you’re free, I heard from Zhenhua that your three-head banquet dishes are well-prepared. Since old Gao doesn’t have time to teach you, I’ll reluctantly teach you some slightly decent dishes on his behalf."

Slightly decent dishes?

Lin Xu chuckled to himself, thinking that the old man was planning to give him a backdoor lesson in high-end cuisine.

He readily agreed:

"I was just thinking of visiting Uncle Qiu to learn about the cooking techniques of Huaiyang cuisine."

Hearing this, the smile on Qiu Yaozu’s face grew larger:

"Such a good kid, how did old Gao get so lucky?"

With that, he and members of the Qiu family headed further inside.

Today was not just a big day for the Qi family, but also for the Qiu family. It signified Qiu Zhenhua, the Huaiyang chef, finally spreading his roots outside the Fishing Platform and extending the apprenticeship tradition beyond.

They postponed it until now to wait for the Qiu family to gather.

Besides being the head of Building Six at the Fishing Platform, the Qiu family also operates several restaurants in Yangzhou and Shanghai, always representing the Huaiyang cuisine standard.

Everyone gathered in Beijing today to bolster the presence of Qiu Zhenhua and his apprentices.

After Qiu Yaozu left, Zeng Xiaoqi entered with a few photographers.

No wonder Dai Jianli just mentioned Joyful Media coming to interview; they had their insider.

For Zeng Xiaoqi, using her role to elevate her prospective boyfriend is quite normal; even if she didn’t come, Chen Yan would’ve pushed her to.

People who enjoy the excitement never feel it’s too much.

"Where’s Sister Yan? Didn’t she come?"

Seeing Zeng Xiaoqi and her group enter, Lin Xu was a bit surprised.

He initially thought his sister-in-law would be there too, but only a few news crew members showed up.

Zeng Xiaoqi took off her woolen hat and said:

"Around eight this morning, Yan Baobao cryptically posted in the group that she was going to be Sherlock Holmes, who knows what she and Officer Ren are up to now."

Be Sherlock Holmes?

Is she taking Ren Jie as Watson?

Lin Xu silently chuckled to himself, then tossed the almond shells he’d peeled into the trash and followed them inside.

Despite its ordinary appearance, this restaurant held hidden depths; at its very back was a banquet hall, no less grand than the second floor of the Yanjing Hotel.

This was a property under He Jiajun’s name; the old man was now warmly holding Qiu Yaozu’s hand, engaged in animated conversation.

Old Dai laughed and said:

"Goodness, just for an apprenticeship, even the whole mentor group came along."

Xie Baomin found a quiet spot to sit and took a sip from his thermos:

"One side offers a broad avenue, the other a dead alley; you’d make the same choice..."

As he spoke, he looked towards the entrance of the banquet hall:

"Oh, look, old Meng is here... Now that Meng Dexing has arrived, things are about to get interesting. Old Dai, get those pumpkin seeds out, let’s start snacking."

Lin Xu saw an elderly, frail-looking man with a cane walk in, with dull, lackluster eyes—was this the Meng Dexing who treated his apprentices like parasites?

With such a weak presence, he didn’t seem capable of withstanding even one of Qiu Yaozu’s hands.

Why’s he here? Planning to stir up a tragic story for sympathy, then perform a teary reconciliation with Qi Zhentao?

Seeing old Dai take out some seeds, Lin Xu grabbed a handful and started snacking while watching the scene unfold.

Truth be told, having seeds to munch on made this scene rather relaxing.

While the atmosphere was bizarre here, outside the Sixth Ring at a village entrance, a new Wrangler with temporary plates was parked by the roadside. In the passenger seat, Chen Yan muttered quietly:

"How long do we have to keep watching? Old Man Sun seems to be taking it easy, gone off to fish. Are we just going to watch till it gets dark?"

She’d thought she’d be acting like Detective Conan or legendary Sherlock Holmes, but soon after exiting the Fifth Ring, Old Man Sun grabbed his fishing gear, got off, and took the bus to fish with Uncle Shang.

Before leaving, he instructed them to watch the vehicles entering and leaving the village, noting their frequency and license plates to catch traces of the underground casino.

No sooner did Chen Yan finish speaking than an electric scooter approached from the distance.

Ren Jie leaned over and gave Chen Yan a quick peck before the scooter passed, then said:

"If we stay till dark, people might get suspicious. Two or three hours is the max; after that, we’ll need to swap locations or change cars."

To ordinary folks, surveillance can be boring and tedious.

But to police, it’s an art form.

Chen Yan pouted and was about to protest Ren Jie’s sneak attack when a black Mercedes-Benz van slowly approached on the overhead bridge in the distance.

Ren Jie glanced at it, then sent the license plate he’d noted to a temporarily assembled group chat.

The group was created by Old Man Sun, with dozens of members, each with coded names and generic avatars.

The chat was silent; no one spoke. Only when Ren Jie sent the license plate would someone reply it was received, and the chat would fall silent again.

As the vehicle neared, Ren Jie leaned over and gave Chen Yan another quick kiss.

As the two vehicles crossed paths, the Mercedes suddenly stopped, its window lowered, and a red-haired youth poked his head out, laughed, and said:

"It’s just a pair of lovebirds, probably looking for a spot to fool around. Six, you’re overly cautious, no one knows this place, and there’s certainly no surveillance..."

A slightly hoarse voice replied from within the car:

"Better safe than sorry. If this weren’t urgent, I wouldn’t be here. If we’re caught, it’d be red-handed, and even those behind us might not protect us."

The window rolled up, and the car moved on.

Meanwhile, Ren Jie, in the car, quickly sent the overheard conversation to the group chat...

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I just realized today is the Winter Solstice—happy Winter Solstice, everyone! I’ve felt dizzy all day long, but fortunately, no headache. Managed to write ten thousand words. This Chapter is 5600 words; remember to keep your monthly tickets till the end of the month!