diskusbooks Chapter 164 Playing the Mystery
Chapter 164 Playing the Mystery
"Master, what's wrong...?"
When the eldest apprentice, Xiao Chen, saw Zhou Benchang's sallow, prosperous face, he was so startled that he almost dropped the silver spoon in his hand.
He jerked his wrist so hard that he almost spilled the spoonful of scallop broth he had just ladled onto the marble island.
He had followed Zhou Benchang for many years and knew that the old man valued "chef's demeanor" and "noble air" most in his daily life. It was normal for him to remain calm even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of him.
At this moment, Zhou Benchang's eyes were bloodshot and his chest was heaving violently, clearly indicating that he was genuinely enraged.
"Shut up!! You and the three of them keep a close eye on the heat in the pot!!"
Zhou Benchang's voice was hoarse and somewhat distorted. He angrily ripped off the chef's uniform hanging on his chest.
He was furious.
Having lived most of her life within the red walls of the capital, she was an old matriarch who was always waited on hand and foot.
This morning, on this remote old street, I was humiliated like this by a migrant worker cook and an old man!
His knife skills and his eight-year-old secret recipe were described as "soulless decorations" by these country bumpkins!
He wanted to see for himself what kind of "delicious" food was worth these country bumpkins praising it so much! He was determined to tear off their veil of hypocrisy!
"Clang!!"
Zhou Benchang kicked open the heavy, soundproof steel door on the side. He didn't even have time to put on his coat, wearing only a thin white shirt, and plunged into the old street.
With a sullen face, he didn't pause for a second, and headed straight for "Human Fireworks" with a belly full of resentment.
But when he strode across the middle section and saw the long, dark line still stubbornly circling the wooden door despite the order being cut off, Zhou Benchang, with his self-important attitude towards the Red Wall Master, immediately let out an extremely unconvinced and arrogant sneer.
"Playing hard to get!!"
Zhou Benchang cursed inwardly, took a deep breath, and was about to put his hands behind his back, adopt the airs of a grandmaster, and swagger into the narrow wooden door, while also scolding the arrogant young man in public in the tone of an elder.
But just as he swept along the wooden door inwards...
"Clang!!"
Zhou Benchang froze, his eyes widening instantly, and his jaw snapped open with a "crack," nearly causing him to drop to the ground in shock!
Behind the counter, a young man in an apron was bending over, skillfully pulling out number tags from the wooden shelves, and smiling as he reassured the elderly neighbors who hadn't managed to get a spot.
That face, those delicate features, and those slightly narrowed black eyes—even if it turned to ashes, Zhou Benchang would never mistake it.
Su Chen!! The second young master of the Su Group!!
This second young master was a frequent sight at the top-tier private banquets in the mansion in the south of the city; he was a truly pampered and spoiled individual!
But at this very moment, this esteemed second young master of the Su family is actually working like an ordinary waiter in this run-down, hole-in-the-wall restaurant, wiping tables and serving dishes?!
Zhou Benchang was completely bewildered, his mind a jumble of thoughts.
When Su Ang spent a fortune to invite him to come and oversee things on Changjie overnight, he naturally kept all the business secrets about Su Chen and these shameful family scandals tightly under wraps.
Young Master Su has always been competitive. He invited Zhou Benchang over to use the orthodox "one move to settle the matter" at the state banquet and crush Chen Feng to death on the stove. If he were to reveal the shameful fact that his own younger brother was working as a waiter next door, wouldn't Su Ang's arrogant and superior status in the business world be completely exposed and lose face in front of others?
"Second...Second Young Master..."
Zhou Benchang's words got stuck in his throat, and he froze outside the door, unable to go in or back out, looking utterly ridiculous.
Meanwhile, the dozen or so casual customers at the very end of the long queue in front of "Human Fireworks" were all taken aback when they saw the chef from the No. 1 restaurant across the street, who had stormed over there without even wearing an apron. Their faces immediately showed strange expressions of surprise and amusement.
"Hey, isn't this Master Zhou from next door, the one who makes chicken soup for state banquets? What brings you to our little temple?"
An old neighbor, holding a queue number in his hand, chuckled and made a joke.
Several newly returned individual tourists around him had somewhat shifty eyes.
Although they had privately criticized Zhou Benchang's soulless chicken soup, none of them dared to openly say "it's not good" in front of such a bigwig in the city's catering industry.
"Um... Chef Zhou, are you here to order Brother Chen's new dish too?"
The bespectacled office worker awkwardly touched his nose, but didn't let him wait in line for nothing; he just casually glanced towards the east end of the long street.
"But you're too late. Brother Chen only makes a hundred orders a day, and the order deadline was just two minutes ago."
If you're really so upset that you want to try Boss Chen's cooking, I suggest you walk east along this alley and try "Old Liu's Noodle Shop" up ahead.
The braised pork noodles over there, though not as good as Brother Chen's, still have some of Boss Chen Feng's secret recipe and skill, and they're piping hot right now...
"You...you all!!"
Hearing this seemingly well-intentioned but actually slap-in-the-face advice, Zhou Benchang was so angry that his chest heaved violently and his whole body trembled.
He, a renowned master chef, wanted to get something to eat, but a group of uneducated diners sent him to an old man's restaurant without even a chef's license to scavenge for a cheap meal?!
This is absolutely ridiculous!
His temper flared up instantly, and he was about to explode on the spot, even using his seniority to cut in line and overturn Chen Feng's stove.
But when he looked up and saw Su Chen's calm gaze suddenly sweep over him from behind the counter, the swear words that were on the tip of Zhou Benchang's tongue got stuck in his throat and he couldn't utter them no matter what.
The second young master of the Su family is watching right here.
Even if Zhou Benchang thinks highly of himself, he is ultimately just a working-class person who has taken money to stand up for the Su family. He shouldn't be doing anything like bullying, cutting in line, or making a scene in front of the second young master of the Su family.
Then all the "aloof and respectable" demeanor he had cultivated in the elite circles of the southern city over the past few decades would truly be wasted by him.
"Hmph!! I'd like to see what kind of trouble that old Liu can stir up!!"
Zhou Benchang's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. Feeling aggrieved and unable to save face, he angrily flung his sleeves.
He didn't even dare to breathe loudly, let alone greet Su Chen to his face. He turned around angrily, his big leather shoes splashing through the dirty water on the ground, and like a whirlwind, he ran towards Old Liu's noodle shop like a madman, gritting his teeth!