"Dylan? What are you doing here? Were you the ones causing such a commotion just now?"
While waiting, a familiar voice sounded from nearby. Turning his head, Dylan couldn't help but sigh inwardly, lamenting how small the world truly was.
The newcomer was precisely Li Wanwan, accompanied by three other girls. Hojo Miyoko was among them, currently looking at him with a strange expression.
"Yeah. This place is really ripping people off, selling dishes made by a third-rate chef at Special Grade prices. They definitely need to be taught a lesson."
Dylan briefly explained the reason. He didn't want to leave Li Wanwan with the impression that he was arrogant and unreasonable.
Those drama tropes where friends hold onto misunderstandings until death without explaining things – he always found them incredibly stupid, a typical case of having a mouth but not using it.
"Dishes by a third-rate chef? That's unlikely, isn't it!? I've been to this restaurant many times, and the food has always been excellent. Could it be you're just not used to the flavors here?"
Dylan's words puzzled Li Wanwan. Remembering he had just returned from Denmark, perhaps he wasn't accustomed to the local cuisine, she offered a possible explanation for him.
"I'm quite certain. It's the cooking that's bad, not that I'm unused to the flavor here."
Shaking his head, Dylan stated firmly. This wasn't his first time eating this dish; before, he'd eaten it dozens of times. This was the first time he'd encountered someone who could make Wenchang Chicken like this!
"Not because you're unused to the taste..."
"Taste it yourself and you'll know! It'll be clear whose fault it is!"
Li Wanwan frowned, and the others behind her also looked puzzled. But Hojo Miyoko stepped forward at this moment, picked up the chopsticks from the table, and voiced her thoughts.
A piece of Wenchang Chicken, dipped in sauce, then tasted. Hojo Miyoko's brow furrowed subtly. She then stepped behind Dylan.
"Sister Wanwan, this Wenchang Chicken is overcooked. Even if it's by less than a minute, for a dish like this, it's a major error."
"Overcooked? Let me try..."
As they spoke, Li Wanwan and the girls behind her came forward, looking at the plate of Wenchang Chicken with varying expressions.
"I understand why you're so angry now! If someone dared to try and fool me with cooking like this, I'd feel like smashing up their restaurant!" A girl with a striking figure, wearing a crisscross halter neck bodycon mini dress, exclaimed indignantly after spitting the piece of chicken into a napkin.
"I don't even need to taste it. This thing looks substandard just by looking. Not a trace of blood near the bone; the meat must be tough and chewy." Another girl, wearing a white t-shirt, baggy shorts, and flip-flops, radiating a lazy, laid-back vibe, commented. She was a local.
"Don't worry! All the restaurants in this area belong to my family! I'll make him apologize to you later. If that guy doesn't apologize, I'll raise their rent!"
"Oh right, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Wang Wanqing. You can call me Sister Wanqing. From now on in Guangzhou, just mention my name, and I'll protect you!"
Wang Wanqing spoke with domineering confidence. Because Dylan knew Li Wanwan, she naturally showed him some face ('love the house, love the crow'). Moreover, Dylan was very handsome, making a good impression instantly.
Men like beautiful women; don't women also like handsome men?
"Could it be they serve different quality food depending on the customer? The dishes in our private room were top-notch, but out here, it's this kind of mediocre, low-quality stuff!"
"If it's really a restaurant that discriminates based on appearance, then it's better if it closes down soon! Shows absolutely no chef's integrity!"
Li Wanwan tapped the table displeasedly. At the same time, a noise came from the kitchen. A man wearing a chef's hat, around thirty years old, walked out, his face etched with impatience.
"Who's causing trouble here? Are you dissatisfied with the food I made?!"
The man swaggered out aggressively, immediately locking onto the group of girls and questioning them arrogantly.
Because he had come out too hastily, he hadn't asked the waitress who had complained about him. However, he hadn't yelled at the wrong people, as they had just sided with Dylan.
"This Claypot Rice and this Wenchang Chicken – which one did you make? Or did you make both?"
Looking at the man yelling incessantly before him, Dylan asked with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, simultaneously taking two steps forward to stand in front of the girls.
Encountering Li Wanwan here was indeed unexpected, but so what? He wouldn't hold back a single word that needed to be said!
Although the other party might resort to violence, with his current strength, there was absolutely no way he would let that happen, so there was no safety concern.
"Of course! I made both of them!"
"What I make is the most authentic Guangfu cuisine! No one else's compares!"
"Besides this restaurant, you won't find such authentic Guangfu cuisine anywhere else in Guangzhou! You should count yourselves lucky to eat here today!"
The man stood with hands on hips, looking fearless and arrogant, causing everyone present to frown, feeling a sense of helplessness as if arguing with an idiot.
You call this stuff authentic?
You might as well declare your own province.
For a moment, it was unclear whether he was genuinely foolish or just playing dumb to evade responsibility. After all, it takes all sorts to make a world.
"Truly laughable! If a guy like you can call himself the most authentic Guangfu chef? Then I think this restaurant is finished!"
Surging internal energy erupted from Dylan's palm, instantly pulling the dishes from the table into his hand, which he then flung towards the man's face.
In an instant, the clean white chef's uniform was stained with yellow grease.
"How dare you throw food at me?!"
Seeing his ruined uniform, fury flashed across the man's face. He was about to attack but was subdued by Dylan first, kicked to the ground with one foot.
"I will pay this bill. On the condition that you eat all of this food. Not a single bit left. Otherwise, I don't mind breaking your arms and legs."
Dylan rarely showed such a fierce side. It was mainly the man's shameless words that provoked him. Letting such scum work in a kitchen was simply an insult to the culinary profession!
Originally, if the other party had been willing to apologize and admit fault, the matter would have passed.
But now, not only did this guy refuse to apologize, he stubbornly insisted he was right, even elevating himself by disparaging other Guangzhou chefs. That changed things!
"Someone like you... in all my years as a chef, this is the first time I've seen the like."
Dylan spoke coldly. Did this guy not even know if his own cooking tasted good?
Daring to call overcooked Wenchang Chicken authentic! If the people of Guangdong knew, they'd probably drown him in spit!
"Go get your restaurant's head chef. This man is no longer suitable for handling this matter."
Suddenly, a deep voice carrying a hint of authority came from behind Dylan. Everyone looked towards the sound and saw it was the old man speaking.
"..."
The waitress nodded in response. Although she didn't know who the speaker was, his voice seemed to possess a kind of magic that made one instinctively reluctant to disobey.
"Master Baiyao! What are you doing here?"
Looking at the old man before them, Li Wanwan frowned in thought for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise.
"Master Baiyao? Could it be the Master Baiyao, known as Guangzhou's Saint of Soup Brewing, whose soups are not only incredibly delicious but can also treat all sorts of illnesses?!"
Hearing Li Wanwan's voice, Wang Wanqing also gasped in surprise, staring fervently at the old man before them, her breathing quickening.
Legend had it that the soups brewed by Master Baiyao were, at minimum, 'glowing' level dishes! Moreover, he himself started in traditional Chinese medicine and could use dietary therapy methods, allowing people to heal their ailments while enjoying delicious food.
"Master Baiyao travels among the common people year-round because he cannot bear to see suffering. When he encounters sick families, he proactively buys ingredients to brew medicinal soups for them."
"Afterwards, not only does he refuse any payment, he even leaves behind the soup recipe. Many soup varieties available on the market today were developed by Master Baiyao, hence he is deeply loved by the residents of Guangzhou."
"What he's wearing is a 'Wanmaru Robe' (Robe of Ten Thousand People)! Made from pieces of cloth contributed by over a hundred households, sewn by skillful villagers! It's said to have the miraculous effect of warding off disasters, exorcising evil, and turning misfortune into good fortune."
Around them, hearing the name "Master Baiyao," people immediately reacted.
Those heavily patched clothes weren't rags, but a Wanmaru Robe spontaneously organized and sewn for him by the populace!
"Not only that, Master Baiyao is also one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Guangdong Chefs Association, known as a living fossil of Guangdong Province!"
"It's said he's already ninety-six this year, but seeing him today, he doesn't look much different from a sixty-year-old!"
Hearing that the old man before them might be the famous Master Baiyao, people in the vicinity gradually gathered around, their faces filled with respect.
An old man like this, who practiced medicine to help the world and cared for all under heaven, would be beloved wherever he went. Those who had initially held contemptuous attitudes towards his attire now wished they could slap themselves twice.
In the Guangzhou region, if anyone dared to speak ill of Master Baiyao, others wouldn't even need to act – their own parents would be the first to disown them.
Although the robe used cloth from only a hundred households, over the many years, the number of people Master Baiyao had helped with his medicinal soups far exceeded a mere hundred.
People whom hospitals couldn't save, Master Baiyao could often work miracles with his medicinal soups, snatching them back from the hands of King Yama.
And after achieving this, he even refused to charge consultation fees, only accepting payment for the raw ingredients, perfectly embodying the phrase 'desireless and seeking nothing'!
Such a person, in ancient times, might even have been called a saint, with monuments erected, temples built, biographies written by later generations, worshipped for millennia.
Dylan was also somewhat numb now, standing rooted to the spot, his mouth twitching slightly. He had originally thought this guy was at most a retired, down-on-his-luck Special Grade Chef. Now it seemed his background was immense...
"What happened? Why is everyone gathered here?"
"Brother-in-law, save me!"
A resonant voice came from nearby. And the thirty-year-old man who had been lying on the ground playing dead, spouting nonsense earlier, now acted as if he'd found his savior, struggling to get up.
"Stay put. This doesn't concern you."
Dylan cursed under his breath, then turned his gaze to the plainly dressed old man, or rather, Master Baiyao, waiting for him to speak.
"Yisheng, what are you doing here?"
"Esteemed guest, could you perhaps lift your foot first? Let's move some chairs, sit down, and talk things over slowly. There's no need for such anger."
Looking at the foot pressing down on his own brother-in-law's chest, Ma Wen felt a sense of satisfaction and vindication, but also a headache coming on.
His brother-in-law getting stepped on in his own restaurant... his wife would probably raise hell with him when he got back.
As for what happened, Ma Wen already had a guess. This kind of thing wasn't the first time, just that it had never been this severe before.
This time, they had likely kicked an iron plate.
But it didn't matter. As long as the money was right, most customers would choose to settle things quietly. It's just... this guy really knew how to cause trouble for him!
Clearly lacking any talent for cooking, yet delusionally believing his skills were amazing. After failing so many times, he should have understood long ago.
Sometimes he really suspected the guy was missing a screw; he wouldn't listen no matter what was said, just stubbornly insisted, just like his sister...
"You've really outdone yourself! Actually managing to keep someone like this in the kitchen! Don't you know the saying 'one mouse dropping ruins the whole pot of porridge'?"
A familiar voice sounded beside him, striking Ma Wen, who was pondering how to resolve the issue, like a thunderbolt. He stiffly turned his head and saw the person he had been constantly thinking about.
"Teacher..."
Ma Wen called out awkwardly. He had imagined many reunion scenarios, but never thought it would be under these circumstances.
"Teacher?!"
People on the scene couldn't help but gasp, clearly not expecting the head chef of "Tianfu" Restaurant to be Master Baiyao's disciple. Was this a case of friendly fire?
"Don't call me Teacher. I don't have the qualifications, nor do I recall teaching you to act this way, trifling with customers so casually."
Master Baiyao spoke with slight anger. Precisely because this was his disciple's restaurant, he was this angry.
Although he had only taught Ma Wen some soup-brewing techniques, and the soups Ma Wen brewed hadn't disappointed him... today, he wanted to teach him a little something about how to be a proper person.
"I'm sorry, Teacher! He's my brother-in-law! If I didn't let him work here, there would probably be no peace at home! And actually, I only assigned him dishwashing and vegetable cutting tasks; I never intended for him to cook! Today's incident was entirely an accident!"
Sweat beaded on Ma Wen's forehead as he explained rapidly. He naturally knew his brother-in-law's skill level, hence he never had any thought of letting him cook.
However, this guy always took advantage of his break times, using his status as the brother-in-law, to occupy a station in a corner of the kitchen and start cooking.
Some new waitstaff, unfamiliar with the situation, coupled with the busy rush of customers, would get confused and mistakenly serve his dishes.
Or perhaps, he did it intentionally, deliberately placing the dishes at the serving counter. Such things hadn't happened just once, but the impact was usually minor, so Ma Wen hadn't paid special attention.
"An accident? Seeing his practiced manner, arrogant face, and fearless demeanor, you must have cleaned up plenty of his messes behind the scenes."
"If the person who came today wasn't me, would you have just repeated the previous steps? Pay hush money, silence them, then pretend nothing happened?"
"Or perhaps be more direct – threaten them, show off the might of your 3-Star Special Grade status?"
Master Baiyao spoke, seeing through the situation. As the saying goes, 'large stores bully customers.' For a big restaurant like "Tianfu", silencing someone would certainly be an easy task.
He refused to believe that in all this time, there hadn't been a single person unwilling to accept benefits, insistent on spreading the word.
Yet, there were no negative rumors about "Tianfu" Restaurant in the culinary world.
"I wouldn't dare, wouldn't dare..."
Hearing Master Baiyao's words, Ma Wen waved his hands repeatedly, insisting he wouldn't dare, his head bowed low, being scolded like a grandchild.
However, Master Baiyao seemed to just be getting started, scolding him continuously for over ten minutes before venting his anger. Finally, looking at his face, he said, "Serve every dish on the menu, from beginning to end. Consider it making amends. We'll wait for you in a private room."
"Now, take this disgraceful fellow and get back to the kitchen! If anything like this happens again, don't bother running this restaurant anymore. I'll have the Guangdong Chefs Association revoke 'Tianfu' Restaurant's operating license."
As his voice fell, Master Baiyao looked apologetically towards Dylan, or more accurately, towards where his foot was pressing down, and said with a slightly lowered posture, "I see they know they were wrong. How about we let today's matter end here? I will personally supervise their rectification."
"Since Master Baiyao has spoken, it wouldn't be right for me to continue playing the bad guy."
"I hope he truly learns his lesson this time. And then never steps into a kitchen again for the rest of his life. You are really not suited for cooking; go try working hard in a different direction."
Thinking of the taste of the earlier dishes, it was clear some effort was made, but the flavor was truly disappointing, even worse than some home cooks.
"Clearly, there was nothing wrong with what I made! Why does nobody understand?!"
Dylan had just moved his foot. Freed, Zhao Yisheng struggled to his feet, gave the group a pained look, and then ran straight out of the restaurant, disappearing into the night in the blink of an eye.
"Yisheng!"
Ma Wen called out anxiously but didn't pursue him. Now wasn't the time for that. The opportunity his Teacher had painstakingly secured for him couldn't be wasted!
Although he had been scolded like a grandchild, if it was just scolding, it was a completely painless punishment. It was clear his Teacher still cared about him.
"You two, go bring him back! Make sure nothing happens to him! Everyone else, follow me back to the kitchen! Prepare a banquet according to the highest standards!"
"Yes, Head Chef!"
Ma Wen said to the two chefs standing at the front behind him, who had been watching the commotion. Then, looking at the others, he took a deep breath and shouted loudly, clearly preparing to go all out for this banquet.
He understood in his heart; this was his Teacher giving him a chance to redeem himself.
"Young friends, since the matter is resolved, why don't we gather in a private room somewhere?"
Having settled the matter, Master Baiyao reverted to his previous demeanor. Although he addressed them as 'young friends', his gaze remained fixed on Dylan.
This fellow... just now, he actually pulled the dishes from the table over out of thin air! If I'm not mistaken, that must be the internal energy skill passed down within certain hidden families.
Indeed, this lad's identity is not simple!
_____
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