The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

Ai Houkuan looked at the Dongpo Pork on the plate, half fatty, half lean. Clearly, it was pork belly, but the layers were particularly distinct. It looked brightly red and exceptionally appetizing.

He couldn’t help but silently praise it in his heart.

No doubt it’s the secret signature dish; it’s indeed well-made. Just by looking at the color of this dish, one could tell that the meat must be fresh and delicious.

Knowing that this soft and tender Dongpo Pork is hard to pick up, Ai Houkuan simply used a spoon to divide the approximately two-inch square piece of meat in front of him in half.

However, even knowing that the Dongpo Pork was stewed extremely tender, when the spoon pressed down, the piece of meat trembled slightly and split into two, revealing the exquisite and tempting three-layered pork inside. It was still very satisfying and gave a sense of accomplishment.

Ai Houkuan couldn’t resist putting the small half piece of Dongpo Pork he had picked up into his mouth.

It was fragrant, glutinous, fatty but not greasy, with a hint of wine aroma.

Upon careful savoring, the taste was pure, the juice rich, tender and soft but not falling apart, extremely delicious!

Almost no need to chew with the teeth, just pressing it with the lips and tongue, the whole piece of meat melted away.

Delicious!

So fragrant!

Perhaps he was truly hungry, but with this small piece of Dongpo Pork going down his stomach, Ai Houkuan only felt his appetite sparked with interest, fully whetting his appetite.

He almost anxiously sent the remaining larger half of the Dongpo Pork into his mouth, carefully savoring the indescribable fragrance of the pork.

So magical!

Clearly, it was stewed so tender it almost melted in the mouth, but when plated, it could still maintain its square shape.

Looking at this plate of Dongpo Pork, there appeared to only be nine pieces, yet the portions were actually quite generous. If it were ordinary braised pork, such a large piece consumed directly would basically satisfy and slightly cloy.

But now, Ai Houkuan only felt he hadn’t had enough.

If this whole plate of meat were for him alone, he felt he could easily finish it all without rice.

And if paired with a bowl of fragrant white rice, scraping up the sticky sauce from the bottom of the plate and mixing it together...

Even immortals wouldn’t trade for this!

Smacking his lips, Ai Houkuan couldn’t help but look at the empty plate before him.

What a pity, he hadn’t eaten enough!

No wonder they say it’s a secret dish of the restaurant, indeed extremely delicious!

As he was mulling over this, Xiao Peng, sitting beside the main seat, sincerely said, "This Dongpo Pork is simply amazing!"

The others present couldn’t help but agree.

Dongpo Pork was not really considered a luxurious dish; it could be found in many traditional restaurants.

The people present had significant official positions and were often entertained, having tasted all kinds of delicacies.

But this plate of Dongpo Pork fit for a state banquet almost amazed their senses.

Someone beside commented with regret, "Alas, it’s a pity that this restaurant always limits the dishes to one plate per table; it’s really not enough!"

Xiao Peng responded with a laugh, "It is indeed delicious. No problem, we’ll come back to Bei’an next time we get the chance."

With that, Xiao Peng turned his head to look at Ai Houkuan.

Ai Houkuan, sensing what was wanted, quickly nodded and said, "Right, when the leaders come to Bei’an next time, come find me. I’ll be sure to host you properly and fulfill my duties as a host!"

Everyone laughed at this; although they knew Ai Houkuan was just saying it as a decorum, it was still well-received.

The atmosphere at the dining table thus opened up.

Time passed slowly; initially, the leaders were casually chatting, occasionally guiding Ai Houkuan with a few words. Later, after eating and drinking, they started talking about the difficult situations they faced before being promoted to their current positions.

This kind of conversation surprisingly brought everyone closer together, making their words more heartfelt without them even realizing it.

The meal carried on until ten o’clock in the evening.

Ai Houkuan saw the now satisfied leaders back to their hotel rooms one by one.

When parting with an old chief, the provincial leader Xiao Peng, who had come, left him his phone number and said, "Houkuan, next time there’s a chance, I’ll come to Bei’an again, and you must treat me to this private kitchen; their dishes are truly authentic."

Ai Houkuan repeatedly agreed.

After seeing everyone off, he drove home alone.

Stopping at a red light, he watched the cars speeding by in front of him and suddenly realized that he seemed to have found something.

It was an attitude when dealing with leaders, a communication method that can make others recognize and appreciate oneself.

At that moment, Ai Houkuan felt like he had found a key to open a wondrous door.

...

Surprisingly, the business in the store was exceptionally good today. However, no matter how good, the quantity of dishes is limited.

Fu Yu, while busy in the kitchen with everyone else, was quietly calculating the orders sent over from the front hall in his mind.

Sure enough, once the anticipated forty tables were all ordered, the kitchen stopped taking orders, and the front hall stopped accepting customers.

At half past ten in the evening, the restaurant closed on time.

Fu Yu took a ride back to Qianlima with Liu Yunong.

While driving, Liu Yunong, unusually, chatted with Fu Yu with great interest.

The conversation topic initially revolved around the dishes cooked today, and somehow it shifted to Fu Yu’s day off today.

Liu Yunong was deliberately inquiring about Fu Yu’s exact schedule for the day.

Fu Yu, unsuspecting, answered all the questions from his mentor.

Liu Yunong asked, "Xiaofu, it’s rare to have a day off today, where did you go?"

Mentioning the day’s activities, Fu Yu couldn’t help but smile, "Oh, I went to the Grand World."

"To buy furniture?"

"I initially planned just to browse... but later found a bed I liked and bought it."

Liu Yunong was particularly excited, "Why suddenly buy a bed? Aren’t you staying in the store’s dormitory now? Unlike other furniture, buying a bed means carefully choosing one that’s both convenient and comfortable to sleep in."

Fu Yu nodded, "Right, exactly, I was quite hesitant at first, but later I found it really worth it."

Liu Yunong inquisitively continued, "Why suddenly buy a bed? Aren’t you staying in the store’s dormitory now?"

Fu Yu explained, "Oh, I got a new place and want to do some simple renovations. Today I originally planned to visit renovation companies, but by chance, I bought a bed first."

Liu Yunong lowered her eyes and slowly replied, "Really, you went shopping alone, didn’t ask a friend to accompany you?"

Fu Yu smiled slightly, "No, I went with a friend. She’s got a great eye, and she helped me pick the bed."

Liu Yunong nodded stiffly without expression, "Oh, really."

The two chatted about other things afterward, but it was clear Liu Yunong was a bit absent-minded.

After they reached their destination, Fu Yu got out, waved goodbye to Liu Yunong, and after watching the car leave, immediately took out his phone to call Liu Yuqing.

Liu Yuqing answered quickly, with a somewhat surprised tone, "Hello, you’re done?"

Fu Yu didn’t rush in but stood on the sidewalk by the back door, talking on the phone.

"Yeah, just got back."

Liu Yuqing, curious, asked, "What’s the matter? Busy until now?"

Fu Yu had left in a hurry earlier, making Liu Yuqing quite curious and guessing on the way back if something had happened at the store.

She even called Jiang Mo, who was working today, attempting to find out what was going on.

She found out everything was normal at the store and that Fu Yu hadn’t returned at all.

Fu Yu casually said, "Oh, it’s my mentor here who suddenly called me over."

Liu Yuqing was taken aback, suddenly sensing something was slightly off.

Fu Yu wasn’t aware of her relationship with Liu Yunong, nor had he ever inquired about it.

Perhaps because their names were similar, yet as Fu Yu always referred to Liu Yunong as his mentor, he overlooked her name.

He called Liu Yuqing "Xiaoqing," following along with others.

It was as though he never thought to associate the two people together.

After all, if these two weren’t standing together, although their brows and eyes had vague resemblances, due to differences in age, character, and social standing, their manner of dress, and personal demeanor were worlds apart.

Generally, people wouldn’t associate the two together.