I'm the Culinary God-Chapter 625 - 293: Chef Chen, I’ve figured you out! It’s no wonder it’s called steam pot chicken, the taste is truly exceptional! [Subscribe please]

Chapter 625: Chapter 293: Chef Chen, I’ve figured you out! It’s no wonder it’s called steam pot chicken, the taste is truly exceptional! [Subscribe please]

"Hello, our Head Chef Chen is busy in the kitchen. Perhaps you could wait a while?"

Boss Huang, you’re really stirring up trouble, Shu Yun thought, exasperated. If this ruins Head Chef Chen’s plans, she’ll definitely blame me later...

She was about to guide the handsome man to a seat when another man, around thirty-six or thirty-seven, entered. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

He had a neat crew cut and was dressed in casual wear, a clutch bag tucked under his arm. He looked at Ren Jie and asked, "Have you found Head Chef Chen? She helped me out a lot, and I need to thank her in person."

Ren Jie shifted his puzzled gaze from Old Huang and Shu Yun, then replied, "It seems she’s busy in the kitchen..."

"Then let’s wait a bit longer."

The newcomer was Ren Jie’s squad leader, Sui Fusheng.

Two days ago, the mooncakes Ren Jie brought back had solved a problem for Squad Leader Sui. His fiancée had heard Lin Ji’s mooncakes were delicious but didn’t realize how hard they were to get. Sui Fusheng had tried for three days without success, making her feel like he was just brushing her off. But once Sui Fusheng brought her the mooncakes and made a point of explaining how incredibly popular Lin Ji was, they were both overjoyed. His fiancée even apologized, which made Sui very happy.

Today, Ren Jie was off duty, so the two of them drove to Yingchun Street. They planned to pay for the mooncakes and personally thank Head Chef Chen for gifting them.

"Please, take a seat here for a moment... Xiao Dong, brew a pot of Biluochun Tea and bring some refreshments."

Although I can’t yet figure out the relationship between this handsome man and Head Chef Chen, since he’s here to see her, he naturally deserves the best treatment, Shu Yun thought.

Old Huang, sharp as ever, could tell something was afoot. Fearing he might say the wrong thing again, and with the steam pot chicken still hours from being ready, he excused himself to continue his deliveries, planning to return in the evening.

After Ren Jie and Sui Fusheng sat down, Shu Yun returned to the service desk and sent Chen Yan a WeChat message: "Boss Chen, a very handsome man is here looking for ’Head Chef Chen.’ He might not be as handsome as *the* Boss, but he’s definitely an eye-catcher."

The message had just been sent when Chen Yan, who was in a company meeting, announced, "Let’s adjourn for today. I have something to attend to." She then hurriedly walked out of the conference room. As she walked, she didn’t forget to send Shu Yun a voice message: "Hold down the fort for me; I’ll be there soon. Also, tell Tiantian to open the banquet hall doors. I’ll come through there to avoid any awkward encounters at the main entrance... And make sure you have a chef’s uniform ready for me. I need it urgently."

After sending the voice message upon reaching her office, Chen Yan kicked off her Chanel high heels, slipped into a pair of canvas shoes she had worn a couple of days prior, grabbed her car keys, and dashed out.

Weiwei watched in surprise. "What’s going on? Why is she rushing around like she’s got a dog nipping at her heels?"

「In the restaurant.」

Shu Yun discreetly finished listening to Chen Yan’s voice message, a slight frown creasing her brow.

Is Boss Chen playing some kind of role-playing game? Rich people certainly have elaborate whims, she mused. But grumbling aside, she still asked Song Tiantian to take the keys to the third floor, unlock the doors to the banquet hall, and then wait by the main entrance of the hall with a chef’s uniform and a head chef’s hat for Boss Chen.

While Shu Yun was discreetly making these arrangements, Xiao Dong, the team leader on the first floor, brought over the tea and refreshments.

Before the grand opening, Shu Yun had trained them thoroughly. The restaurant’s tea was categorized into several grades: the most common were Maojian Tea and Jasmine Tea; a step above was Longjing Tea; and the highest grade was Biluochun Tea. When the general manager (Shu Yun) requested Biluochun Tea, the unspoken instruction was to treat the guests with the utmost respect.

When preparing the tea, Xiao Dong specifically requested some freshly made pastries from the bakery department. Good tea deserves good pastries, after all, she thought.

As Xiao Dong brought over the tea and pastries, Ren Jie quickly stood up to receive them. Pouring tea for himself and Squad Leader Sui, he said, "Thank you, we can manage ourselves. Please don’t worry about us."

Sui Fusheng also chimed in, "We rough types don’t need to be waited on. Please, go on with your work."

After Xiao Dong left, Sui Fusheng, who had just called himself a ’rough type,’ picked up his white porcelain teacup. He took a sip and then praised, "No wonder everyone likes dining at Lin Ji! Even the tea is exceptional—aromatic, smooth, with a sweet aftertaste. Fifty grams of these tea leaves must cost hundreds! Head Chef Chen certainly commands a lot of respect!"

Ren Jie took a sip and agreed it was excellent.

However, the words of that portly middle-aged man (Old Huang) from earlier left him puzzled. Lin Ji doesn’t have a ’Head Chef Chen,’ but the manager at the front desk said they do. I don’t understand what’s happening, he wondered.

Putting down his teacup, he picked up an egg yolk pastry and tasted it. It was sweet but not cloying, with a rich egg flavor that paired perfectly with the tea.

He nodded in agreement. "These high-class Chinese restaurants really are different. Even their refreshments are better than what you find in regular pastry shops outside. It’s just a shame they’re so expensive. With our salaries and allowances, we couldn’t afford to eat like this very often if we really let ourselves go."

Sui Fusheng picked one up and tried it, agreeing it was delicious. "If you just stick to something simple like noodles, it might be affordable, but forget about lavish dishes with lots of meat and fish... I heard their roasted whole lamb costs several thousand and has to be pre-ordered... Why isn’t Head Chef Chen done with her work yet?"

Shu Yun overheard their conversation. Just as she was about to invent an excuse for Boss Chen, the roar of a sports car’s engine sounded from the street outside.

Ren Jie frowned. "I really dislike people who show off like that in sports cars. Back when I was choosing my police specialty at the academy, if I hadn’t been accepted into criminal investigation, I would have gone for traffic patrol. Then I could have really cracked down on these reckless rich kids and their speeding."