At eight in the morning, Lin Xu drove his car, with Dundun, to the Fishing Platform.

After parking in the lot in front of Building No. 2, he carried a drowsy Dundun out of the car and strode toward the reception desk of Building No. 2.

Dundun was lethargic because he had stayed up until almost midnight, just like Lin Xu, who had been playing billiards in the basement gym with his father-in-law—dubbed the 'Yanjing Ding Junhui.'

Fortunately, his mother-in-law, fuming, had dragged her husband away by the ear; otherwise, the little furball might have stayed up even later.

The billiards tables, cues, and other equipment in the basement were all high-end, and the space was ample. Having not played for a long time, Lin Xu found himself somewhat addicted.

He planned to continue honing his skills with his father-in-law when he had time later.

He'll truly show him the prowess of the 'Finance University Trump'!

"Wow, so you're Dundun? Hello, hello! There are so many little toys for him here. Chef Xie specifically instructed us not to throw them away but to keep them for this little cat to play with."

Just as he walked in, the cheongsam-clad reception manager approached him.

His senior brother had introduced her yesterday in the teahouse. Her surname was Gu, and her name was Gu Junli.

"Hello, Manager Gu. Dundun likes to lie on the reception desk when I'm working, so I'm hoping you can take care of him."

"Don't mention it, Chef Lin. It's my duty."

Dundun struggled out of Lin Xu's arms, jumped onto the reception desk, and pulled his little mat to the side, trying not to disrupt the front desk's normal operations. Then, he plopped down on it and continued his deep slumber.

This left Gu Junli, who had picked up a toy hoping to play with the cat, feeling a strong sense of defeat.

They say Dundun clung to Shu Yun like a child when she was here. Why does he act so aloof with me?

Could it be that not only people but cats too have learned to judge by appearances?

Seeing her holding the toy, Lin Xu gently reminded her, "Dundun played too long last night and didn't sleep much, so he might need extra sleep today. He'll look for you to play when he wakes up. He enjoys playing with beautiful women."

Upon hearing this, Gu Junli looked at Dundun with even more curiosity.

Huh? Are you perhaps a lecherous cat?

Lin Xu continued to the kitchen.

Seeing him, his team members came up to greet him.

If the boss didn't show up soon, they'd start suspecting they'd been sold to the Fishing Platform.

"Just one more week, and we can move to the new restaurant. Just hold on a bit longer."

When they heard the new restaurant would be ready in about a week, they all perked up.

"Ah, that's great! Finally, we can go back to work!"

"This kitchen is too idle. We're not used to it."

"Exactly! Every day I have to find work for myself. Today, I plan to cut twenty pounds of Potato Strips."

"I just kneaded some dough. I'm not planning to do anything else today; I'm just going to practice making hand-rolled noodles."

TSK TSK TSK... Such initiative; no wonder they earn such high salaries.

Lin Xu knew they were under great pressure.

After all, the new restaurant was aiming to be a high-end establishment where their current skills would only suffice for assisting and providing backup. So, they were practicing hard now, hoping to be able to stand on their own in the kitchen sooner.

"Make sure to balance work with rest. Don't exhaust yourselves."

After chatting for a bit more, Lin Xu waved his hand, letting them get back to their tasks.

It was still early, and the dishes he usually prepared had already been handed over to other chefs. With nothing else to do, he wandered over to the seafood section to see if there were any fish, shrimp, or crabs in need of "rescue."

「At ten-thirty in the morning.」

After eating the lunch prepared by Head Chef Cheng JianShe, everyone became busy and tense.

Today, the Ministry of Commerce was hosting a high-profile banquet in the restaurant's third-floor banquet hall, and all dishes had to be flawless.

"Junior Brother, are there any dishes on this menu that you can make?"

Lin Xu had already studied the Ministry of Commerce's menu before lunch and didn't hesitate to answer his Senior Brother, "Oil Braised Large Shrimp, Fried Crispy Silverfish, Ginger-Sauce Lotus Root Strips... I can make these three."

Lin Xu was proficient primarily in home-style dishes using techniques such as dry-frying, sweet and sour, poaching, and black bean sauce, which were rarely featured in business banquets.

For example, the dishes on this menu—such as Herb Beef, Sauce Cod, Lotus-Scented Pork Riblets, and Rosemary Beach Lamb—were all suitable for individual servings on a plate or in a small tureen, completely different from the usual shared dishes.

"Heh? You know how to make Oil Braised Large Shrimp too, Junior Brother? Then you do it! Today, your Senior Brother is going to show these people from the Ministry of Commerce the real strength of Building No. 2!"

By this time, all the ingredients to be used had already been properly prepped and portioned.

As for the cooking, Head Chef Cheng JianShe and the other head chefs were personally overseeing it, ensuring the highest possible quality for the dishes.

Lin Xu started to prepare the Oil Braised Large Shrimp.

Chef Xie Baomin was initially somewhat worried, but upon observing his Junior Brother's technique, he was instantly shocked. It's the classic method! These Ministry of Commerce folks are in for a real treat today!

「Noon arrived.」

Dish after dish was served in an orderly fashion to the third floor.

After finishing his tasks, Lin Xu wiped the sweat from his face with a towel, then ladled some of the leftover Matsutake soup into a bowl to taste.

Wow, this flavor is truly exquisite!

No wonder Matsutake is rated as one of the top three premium ingredients. This umami flavor is so exceptional it's breathtaking!

After tasting it, he grabbed some takeout containers.

He packed some of the leftover dishes and soup, then called for a delivery runner to take it to Shen Baobao.

Ever since the cooking competition, the girl hadn't been to work. This was a perfect opportunity to pack some extra dishes for Uncle Tan to try as well, hopefully preventing any deductions from Shen Baobao's salary.

「In the Dongming Building.」

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