Chapter 306: Chapter 194: Jing Jie, You’ll Be Scolded for Being a Capitalist! Dishes Suitable for the Finals! [Seeking Monthly Ticket]_2
Unlike his worried demeanor from before the meal, Zhuang Yizhou’s face was now wreathed in a happy smile. Upon seeing Lin Xu, he even made a detour to greet him.
"Boss, Director Dou and I have come to an agreement. I’ll start working once the store renovations are complete. Just wait and see my performance then!"
Lin Xu was speechless. Did Sister Jing give him some kind of super stimulant?
After Zhuang Yizhou walked away, Lin Xu sent a message to Dou Wenjing, inquiring about their discussion.
"I offered him an annual salary of 300,000 yuan, with bonuses calculated separately. I also promised him that if he passes the probation period, he’ll be guaranteed a contract with President Chen’s Joyful Media and receive significant promotional backing from the company. He accepted."
Unbelievable...
Originally, Zhuang Yizhou had asked for an annual salary of 360,000 yuan, and she had just slashed 60,000 yuan right off the bat. That 60,000 yuan was essentially exchanged for a few words from his sister-in-law.
Sis, if the netizens found out about this, they’d definitely call you a capitalist!
After grumbling internally for a moment, Lin Xu put away his phone and, along with his whole family, followed Xie Baomin to the basement level of Building One, where their seafood section was located.
Passing through a long freshwater area, the group arrived at the seawater section and saw the Giant Grouper swimming back and forth in a massive tank.
"Wow, it’s huge! You’ve gone to a lot of trouble, Master Xie."
Shen Guofu was overjoyed. He snapped several photos in front of the tank.
Afterward, he posted them to his Moments:
"The main course for my daughter’s engagement banquet tomorrow. What does everyone think?"
He had many foodies among his Moments contacts. As soon as he posted it, comments started pouring in:
"Where’s the engagement banquet, Old Shen? I’ve known Yueyue since she was little. I definitely have to give a gift tomorrow."
"Count me in! How could I miss such an event?"
"I was just telling a friend how amazing your son-in-law’s cooking is. I’ll be sure to give a big red envelope tomorrow."
Shen Guofu replied to the messages with a wide grin.
Meanwhile, when Dundun saw the fish, he immediately leaped down from Han Shuzhen’s arms.
He arched his back before the tank, fur bristling, and let out a series of low growls, as if he had spotted prey. He was completely oblivious to the fact that the fish could swallow him whole in one bite, its mouth alone larger than his entire body.
Lin Xu chuckled, picked up the little fellow, and said, "That thing could swallow you in one gulp, and you’re still trying to provoke it? We’ll be eating it for lunch tomorrow. How about I give you a few extra pieces then, huh?"
Only then did Dundun settle down.
Chen Meijuan remarked, "This little one is really like a child; you have to coax him." She then took Dundun from Lin Xu’s arms and cradled him.
Well, after his maternal grandma had held him for so long, it was his paternal grandma’s turn to enjoy a cuddle.
The group strolled around the seafood section, observing various colorful groupers, crabs larger than a man’s palm, and lobsters and mantis shrimp as thick as an arm.
The sight made the group, who had just eaten their fill, feel a bit hungry again.
「At one fifty in the afternoon.」
The group returned to the banquet hall.
"You’ve got this! Go, go!" Shen Baobao exclaimed, giving Lin Xu a loving hug. She hoped he would win the championship smoothly.
Chen Yan wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Ew, gross!"
She was just about to mock her younger cousin and future cousin-in-law a bit more when Shen Baobao cut in, "Cousin, I’m getting engaged tomorrow. You’d better prepare a big red envelope for me. Otherwise, I’ll announce to all our relatives and friends tomorrow that you’re looking for a match!"
Chen Yan was rendered speechless. How is that any different from a public execution? AAARGH, you little brat, how can you be so cruel?
She had considered not coming tomorrow, but the thought of that huge, plump Giant Grouper in the seafood section made her reconsider.
Fine, a red envelope it is. I’ll just think of it as paying for the meal. I won’t eat anything starting this afternoon. That way, I can really go all out at lunch tomorrow, eat my fill, and even pack some leftovers to take home. I’m determined to eat back the value of that red envelope!
「Back at the competition venue.」
Guo Xinghai was in the rest area, playing on his phone. Seeing Lin Xu, he smiled and said, "I’ve done all I can. The rest is up to you..."
Lin Xu replied, "Don’t just focus on the judges and scores. Cooking isn’t only about pleasing others; the most important thing is to please yourself, to find joy in it."
When Lin Xu first opened his restaurant, his main thought was making money. But as his understanding of cooking deepened, he found himself enjoying it more and more. Just standing by the stove, even doing nothing, gave him a sense of commanding the entire world.
Pleasing yourself? Finding joy in it?
Guo Xinghai mulled over Lin Xu’s words. The more he pondered them, the truer they seemed.
Throughout today’s competition, from the first round until now, he had been fixated on the scores, constantly thinking about how the judges would rate him. Although he had cooked with care, the entire process was predicated on pleasing the judges.
Would the judges like this level of doneness? Would it score higher if it were more tender? Would shredded ginger be better than minced?
His mind was so preoccupied with these considerations that there was no room left for his own style.
Lin Xu, on the other hand, treated the judges like his regular customers. When he was making the Yangzhou Fried Rice, he’d glanced at the judges’ figures.
Hmm, they look like they usually eat quite well. I’ll add a bit more lard to make it even more satisfying for them.
"I understand now. Thank you, Lin Xu," Guo Xinghai said sincerely, feeling as if a fog had lifted.
Not long after, Huo Yifan and Zhuang Yizhou also arrived.
Zhuang Yizhou, having secured a new job, was in a more relaxed state now. He commented, "This next round will be tough. The judges just ate lunch, so they’re not as hungry as they were before. When they were starving, anything would have tasted delicious."