Chapter 286: Chapter 187: Undermining Foundations with a Buy-One-Get-One-Free Deal? The Cooking Competition Officially Begins! [Seeking Monthly Ticket]_3
With that, he took out his phone and quickly typed out a string of messages.
Wei Qian was casually chatting with Lin Xu when his phone suddenly rang. He took it out and immediately said, "Hey, speak of the devil! Zhu Yong is here, and he wants to take a photo with you."
Hearing that his nominal number one fan had arrived, Lin Xu stood up. "I’d better go meet him. While I’m at it, I’ll see if he’s interested in switching jobs."
Since Zhu Yong had managed to break into the top three last year, there was a high probability that he’d be recognized by the system. Lin Xu knew he needed to show some sincerity to avoid being rebuffed when trying to poach him.
After speaking, Lin Xu patted Shen Baobao, who was eating snacks like a little hamster, and said, "Let’s go. I need to meet someone."
"Oh... this Horse Hoof Cake is so delicious! Can you make some for me when you have time?"
Horse Hoof Cake?
Just as Lin Xu thought of this, a system notification sounded in his mind:
"Host has dedicated time to researching desserts, triggering the reward task [Horse Hoof Cake]. The Host is required to make an Excellent Level traditional Chinese snack, Horse Hoof Cake, within one week and gain Shen Jiayue’s approval. Upon completion, a reward draw for an Excellent Level stewed dish will be granted once."
As expected... As long as Shen Baobao craves something, the system triggers a reward task. This one isn’t bad. The method for making Horse Hoof Cake isn’t difficult, and the reward is a stewed dish Lin Ji’s Food urgently needs. I’ll try making it after the competition and see what dish I can draw.
With that in mind, Lin Xu promptly picked up the plate of Horse Hoof Cake. "Let’s go. I’ll carry it for you so you can eat while we walk."
"Okie dokie!"
Wei Qian, who had endured their public display of affection, led the way. Lin Xu and Shen Baobao followed, heading towards the entrance of the banquet hall where Zhu Yong was.
Before they even arrived, Zhu Yong hastened to meet them, "Wow! I’ve finally met you, Boss Lin! I’ve wanted to visit you at Building No. 2 several times, but my uncle always stopped me. He was worried your senior brother would lead me astray..."
Is he sure it’s okay to sell out Chef Song like this?
Lin Xu held the Horse Hoof Cake for Shen Baobao in his left hand and shook Zhu Yong’s hand with his right. "I was planning to visit you these past few days, but I heard your uncle’s sugar cane was all stolen, so I didn’t dare to come."
"Haha, my uncle is still upset about it."
He says his uncle is upset, yet he’s laughing so loudly... Lin Xu accessed the system and checked the chef recruitment page, finding Zhu Yong’s name shining brightly.
There was no question about it. Time to start poaching! But Zhu Yong is Chef Song’s nephew. Wouldn’t poaching him directly be inappropriate?
He was just about to find some reason to ease into the topic when Wei Qian interjected from the side, "Zhu Yong, Lin Ji’s Food is hiring a head chef. I’m planning to switch. How about you?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yong immediately asked, "What are the requirements, Boss Lin? As a die-hard fan of Lin Ji’s Food, you’ve got to lower them a bit for me. Don’t worry, if I come over, I’ll work just as hard as the guys on the team!"
He even knew the guys on the team—he really was a die-hard fan of Lin Ji’s Food.
Lin Xu, curious, asked, "Does your uncle agree to you switching jobs?"
"What does it matter if he doesn’t agree? I’ve asked for a pay raise several times, but he keeps saying young people need more experience. He even says several chefs are already in line waiting for raises..."
So that’s how it is.
Lin Xu immediately said, "Then come on over. We’ll double your salary."
The young chefs at Fishing Platform earn just over ten thousand. Doubling it would only be a bit over twenty thousand. For just over twenty thousand dollars, I can recruit a chef who made it to the top three in a cooking competition. This deal is definitely worth it.
Of course, this was just the salary; Dou Wenjing would discuss the other benefits with Zhu Yong.
As long as they work hard, they won’t have to worry about making money at Lin Ji’s Food.
After this conversation, Lin Xu was pulled by Zhu Yong to take a photo with Lu Lu, who had been waiting for a while.
Indeed, this girl, whose name invoked Lin Daiyu, was a Sanda coach from Sanlitun with explosive fighting power.
Originally, Lin Xu had worried that Zhu Yong, being a delicate "weeping willow," might end up fighting with Lu Lu, who seemed more like a Lu Zhishen type. But now it seemed more likely that Lu Lu would be the one to beat up both of them.
「Before long.」
Guo Xinghai arrived. Together, everyone headed into the event venue.
「Just before ten o’clock.」
All the contestants had arrived. As the Fishing Platform trio was preparing to enter, a group of head chefs wearing uniforms embroidered with the national emblem filed in, immediately causing an uproar in the live broadcast room.
"Wow! So cool!"
"This is the prestige of Fishing Platform."
"Why didn’t that group of old masters come last time?"
"I heard the organizers wanted to invite them, but one of the old masters said, ’Did Fishing Platform give you too much face?’ And after that, the matter was dropped."
"Why do I feel like it was Boss Lin’s master who said that?"
"What a coincidence, I get that feeling too!"
"No matter who said it, the animosity has certainly been established."
"I hope Boss Lin will bring glory to Fishing Platform."
"Yes, yes, go Boss Lin!"
After Xie Baomin and his group came in, they made a point of stopping in front of the trio to offer some words of encouragement. Afterwards, they took the seats that the older gentlemen had occupied last time.
「Ten in the morning.」
The competition officially began. After a series of preliminary procedures, the main event commenced.
This time, the head judge was Liu Zhengyu, the chairman of the National Tourism Association. He stood up and said, "First, let me explain the competition rules. In every round, all contestants will participate. Rankings will be decided, and an elimination quota will be determined. Meanwhile, all contestants’ scores will be added to their respective teams’ totals; eliminated contestants’ scores won’t count. At the end of the competition, the team with the highest score will win the Platinum Award issued by the National Tourism Association."
"Wow! What an innovative approach!"
A single competition would not only determine individual awards but also the strongest foreign-related hotel.
Guo Xinghai said, "I can mess around in individual competitions, but when it comes to the reputation of Fishing Platform, if I screw up, my third uncle will definitely beat me up."
Lin Xu and Wei Qian also became serious.
We must get first place for our team!
「Very soon.」
The competition began.
A chef brought a large, clear bucket filled with hot water and placed it in front of all the contestants. Then, he took out a box and poured a full box of strange and curious powders into the bucket. After pouring them in, he stirred the mixture thoroughly. Then, he ladled out bowls of the resulting soup and distributed them to all the contestants present.
The head judge, Liu Zhengyu, spoke up, "A qualified chef must have a clear understanding of flavors and seasonings. Please taste this and write down the names of all the ingredients. You have five minutes. The timer starts now!"