Chapter 39: The Tyrant

Chapter 39: The Autocrat

Zhao Yu prepared the monkfish in various ways—pan-seared, deep-fried, stir-fried, baked, and simmered into soup—alongside braised sea anemone, steamed lobster, and barnacles, all drizzled with a secret sauce recipe taught by Cao Xu. The seafood feast was flawless.

When Gu Hansheng picked up his chopsticks, Zhao Yu watched him closely, waiting for his take.

Gu Hansheng picked up a slice of fish liver, took a bite, and set it back in his bowl, remaining silent for a long moment.

Zhao Yu watched him eagerly, but his face gave nothing away, and he finally asked, "How does it taste?"

Gu Hansheng still said nothing, his expression inscrutable.

Zhao Yu asked again, "Not good?"

"Try it yourself."

Zhao Yu also picked up a slice of fish liver—it was delicious, melting in his mouth. Neither the flavor nor the texture was off. Could the slice Gu Hansheng had taken be the problem?

Even food from the same pot can turn out different. If he could taste the slice in Gu Hansheng's bowl, he might learn how to make it better next time. He couldn't help but ask, "Can I try a bite of yours?"

Gu Hansheng pushed his bowl forward slightly, signaling he could go ahead. But the moment Zhao Yu picked up the liver, he regretted it.

The liver had only one small bite taken out of it. If he avoided the spot where Gu Hansheng had bitten, knowing Gu Hansheng, he might get offended. But if he bit the exact spot Gu Hansheng had bitten, that felt way too weird.

Gu Hansheng watched him with a teasing smile, taking his sweet time to see what he'd do.

The liver he had picked up couldn't be put back. Zhao Yu gritted his teeth and shoved the whole slice into his mouth. This slice was cut a bit thicker, but the taste and texture were fine.

Gu Hansheng watched his cheeks puff as he chewed, like a hamster stuffing its face with nuts.

"Is something wrong with the taste?" Zhao Yu asked, puzzled.

"I never said it wasn't good."

"..." Zhao Yu was speechless.

This guy clearly loved setting traps and got a kick out of his little games. Zhao Yu's reactions never failed to amuse him.

Once he'd had his fun, Gu Hansheng said, "I'm looking forward to eating your cooking at Yatai."

"Looking forward to it? Really?"

"Are you gonna be a kitchen assistant forever?"

"Of course not..."

What Zhao Yu wanted to know was whether "looking forward to it" meant Gu Hansheng approved of his cooking, and whether he thought Zhao Yu could one day be head chef.

He didn't need to ask—that was exactly what Gu Hansheng meant.

He held his chopsticks and sat down, feeling a bit giddy.

"What are you making for lunch tomorrow?" Gu Hansheng suddenly asked.

"Lunch?" Zhao Yu said. "I have to be at work before noon."

Gu Hansheng stirred the fish bone soup in his bowl, looking annoyed. "Then what about all those ingredients?"

"They're for me to practice with—I wanted to see how they compare to what's in the books."

"So they're just practice materials."

Zhao Yu almost choked on his food. "They're not practice materials. I'm not gonna waste food."

Gu Hansheng said nothing more, picked up his bowl, and downed the whole thing.

...

As noon rolled around, the kitchen at Yatai got busy. Zhao Yu was helping Cao Xu, getting better by the day. He was sharp—whenever Cao Xu raised his hand, he knew whether to grab the seasoning or pour hot water.

A customer ordered the amber beef cubes. Cao Xu said, "You do the sugar nest."

The sugar nest was the dish's signature—a hollow nest of pulled sugar draped over a square of beef. Since the sugar was amber, the dish was called amber beef cubes.

Making the sugar nest required serious precision—every strand had to be distinct, even, and clean. Even with a half-sphere mold, it was easy to break when you took it out. You couldn't let your hand shake even once.

In the whole kitchen, only Cao Xu and Che Shijie could claim a hundred percent success rate with the sugar nest.

There was a time limit on getting the dish out. With such a tight deadline, if Zhao Yu messed up, Cao Xu would get fined too. But he still chose to put the pressure on Zhao Yu.

Zhao Yu didn't say a word of protest. He grabbed the mold and the boiled syrup, flexed his hands, and got to work, totally focused.

The first try broke halfway through pulling the sugar. Zhao Yu cleaned the mold and quickly started a second one.

Che Shijie came over to grab something and, seeing Zhao Yu making a sugar nest, joked, "Chef Cao is way too hard on his apprentice. Making him do this now—aren't you just setting him up to get fined?"

Cao Xu said, "He's practiced a lot. If he can't handle this much pressure, how's he gonna grow?"

Che Shijie shook his head and comforted Zhao Yu, "Don't worry. Even if you get fined, I'll put in a good word for you."

Zhao Yu didn't have time to respond, too focused on pulling the sugar.

Che Shijie was a bit surprised. Usually, a newbie would be super grateful for that kind of care from the head chef, but Zhao Yu didn't seem to care. Watching the sugar nest gradually take shape in Zhao Yu's hands, he said no more.

The amber beef cubes were completed within the time limit, and Zhao Yu was drenched in sweat.

After the dish was sent to the pass, Zhao Yu had a moment of free time. It was still early, with few customers, and one stove had opened up.

He wiped his hands and thought about what Gu Hansheng had said yesterday about lunch. He wondered what Gu Hansheng had eaten for lunch, or if he'd eaten at all.

After a moment's thought, he asked Cao Xu, "Master, can I borrow the empty stove for a bit? It'll be quick."

Cao Xu said, "Go ahead, just don't hold up the real work."

"Thanks, Master." Zhao Yu opened the fridge, and at the very back were a few ingredients he'd bought with Gu Hansheng yesterday—things he'd planned to practice with in the afternoon.

He took out a few simple items, quickly prepared them, then heated the wok and started cooking.

Che Shijie walked over and asked, "What are you making?"

Zhao Yu said, "Stir-fried green pagoda."

Che Shijie stood beside him, watching, and suddenly said, "Your master's just like that. Several people before you were driven away by his harshness. I can see he's pushing you hard too—don't take it to heart."

Zhao Yu glanced at him. "I know. Master only does it for my own good."

"You're pretty easygoing." Che Shijie smiled. "That's a relief, then. If there's anything you don't understand in the future, feel free to ask me for help."

Zhao Yu looked up at his retreating back, finding his show of kindness rather strange.

Che Shijie was a good-natured man who was tactful with people, a stark contrast to Cao Xu. But when Zhao Yu first arrived, Che Shijie hadn't said a single word to him. This "good-natured man" treated him just like everyone else did—as an insignificant rookie who had gotten in through connections.

Now that Zhao Yu had finally managed to become an apprentice, Che Shijie suddenly started looking out for him.

Although Zhao Yu found it strange, he didn't have time to think about it. He quickly finished two dishes, packed them with rice into an insulated container, and called a local courier to deliver it to Tuotu Tower.

Once the lunch rush started, the kitchen grew busier. Zhao Yu was slicing a cucumber when the manager suddenly walked in with a menu and said to him, "A guest specifically requested that you make these dishes. When they're ready, please deliver them as well."

"Me?"

The manager smiled. "Thanks for the hard work. Make it quick."

Zhao Yu took the menu, feeling a little uneasy. It wasn't that the dishes were hard—but per the kitchen's unwritten rules, he, a "chef" without even a chef's certificate, wasn't allowed to cook independently. Taking on this special request could easily step on toes.

Eyes bore into him from all sides—some jealous, some resentful. Some people had been doing grunt work for months, and compared to them, Zhao Yu's path seemed way too smooth.

Of course, Zhao Yu didn't care about others' stares. He was just worried Cao Xu might be upset.

"Master..."

"What are you standing around for?" Cao Xu took the menu from his hand and glanced at it without any complaint. "These should all be things you've learned. If they tell you to cook, then cook. But if it doesn't taste good, I won't let it out of this kitchen."

"Yes!"

Zhao Yu's worry instantly melted away, and he focused entirely on cooking.

Cao Xu was at the station right behind him, glancing over now and then to check his technique and give tips.

Racing against the clock, Zhao Yu finally got the dishes done in time, then wheeled the cart toward the private room with the server.

Pushing open the door, he saw only one guest standing by the table. Zhao Yu looked at the silhouette—that unmistakable height and build left no doubt. Out of everyone he knew, it could only be Gu Hansheng.

"...I'll be going to Austria next week." Gu Hansheng turned around, continuing as he watched Zhao Yu plate the dishes. "The advertising team will head over first. Have you seen the ad campaign proposal?"

Zhao Yu set the plates down one by one in front of Gu Hansheng and was about to leave with the server when his arm was suddenly grabbed.

Gu Hansheng was still on the phone. Zhao Yu had no idea why he was holding him back, and he didn't want to cut him off, so he motioned for the server to go on ahead.

"...Your agent emailed me saying you absolutely had to treat me to a meal. That wasn't just lip service, was it? I'm taking it seriously... No problem, I'll be looking forward to it..."

Gu Hansheng was still on the phone. Zhao Yu tried to pull his arm away and got a look in return. This guy was a total control freak—whether Zhao Yu was busy or not, he'd keep him there.

I'll put on gloves—Zhao Yu mouthed, and only then did he let go.

Zhao Yu put on gloves, cut into the crispy pigeon, tore off the meat, and put it on Gu Hansheng's plate, then scooped him a bowl of fish congee. This was normally the server's job, but since Gu Hansheng wouldn't let him leave, he did it all himself, subtly rushing him to eat before it got cold.

"...We'll talk when we meet. I'll let you go for now. See you then."

Gu Hansheng finally hung up. Zhao Yu said, "Mr. Gu, the pigeon should be eaten soon. The congee is hot, so you can let it sit for a bit. Is there anything else you need? If not, I'll head back."

"Head back where?"

"The kitchen is still busy."

"The world won't end without you." Gu Hansheng said. "Get another set of silverware."

Zhao Yu grabbed a set of silverware from the cabinet and set it down, thinking a friend was on the way, but instead Gu Hansheng gave him a look that said "sit."

"Chefs aren't allowed to eat in the dining area," Zhao Yu said.

"Right now you're Zhao Yu, not a Yatai chef."

"But I'm on the clock—"

"Your job right now is to eat with me. That's what the customer wants."

Zhao Yu slowly sat down, not sure what Gu Hansheng was up to. But Gu Hansheng did nothing at all—he really just had Zhao Yu sit with him for a meal, then left.

That afternoon, Gu Hansheng returned to Tuotu. His secretary said, "Mr. Gu, a package came for you."

"What is it?"

"Looks like food. Delivery?"

"I didn't order anything. Toss it."

"Understood."

Gu Hansheng was about to push open his office door when he suddenly stopped and turned back. "Let me see it."

Opening the insulated container in the bag, the first thing he saw was the stir-fried green pagoda cabbage.

He'd been annoyed that Zhao Yu had promised to make him green pagoda cabbage but flaked on him, which was why he'd gone to Yatai at noon and made him sit through lunch. But Zhao Yu hadn't forgotten.

The secretary asked, "Mr. Gu, should I still throw it away?"

Gu Hansheng closed the lid. "Next time, just put it directly in my office."

"Understood." The secretary watched curiously as he carried the container into his office, wondering if she'd imagined it—because she could've sworn she saw the corner of his mouth twitch up.