Divorced and Determined: The CEO’s Ex-Wife Fights for Love

Ouyang Lin sent three strong young men to serve as Lu Qin's drivers and assistants for carrying ingredients.

"Mr. Lu, if you need anything, just say the word. We're at your service."

The three young men stood respectfully.

"First, take me to check out the kitchen at Wangjing No.1, then we'll head to the market."

"Understood."

The car was a luxurious black Mercedes MPV with a highly conspicuous license plate: Hai A·000001.

Someone opened the door for Lu Qin—this was full VIP treatment. He insisted on inspecting the kitchen first. A craftsman must sharpen his tools before he can do his job well. After all, making forty servings of Liver Paste Soup was no small task, and proper preparation was essential.

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Wangjing No.1 was located on a hillside in the northern part of Qinglian District, Haishi. Nestled among trees, it looked like a secluded mountain retreat—exuding an air of exclusivity and luxury.

When the car arrived at the entrance, the electronic gate opened automatically—clearly, the license plate had been registered in advance.

For the past two days, Wangjing No.1 had been fully booked by the Shengyang Group to exclusively serve the birthday banquet of the group's patriarch, Ouyang Peng.

The kitchen was massive—nearly 800 square meters, with designated sections for washing and cutting, hot cooking, stir-frying, workstations, refrigerators, steam cabinets, and nearly ten cooking stations. The kitchen staff numbered over thirty people.

In the hot kitchen, a group of chefs was preparing a dish. Ouyang Lin was sampling a plate of twice-cooked pork. Twice-cooked pork was a common dish and wasn't originally on the banquet menu. However, Ouyang Lin had suddenly requested that it be added, so it had to be tested first.

Chef Gu Tielin, an expert in Sichuan cuisine, prepared the dish. Twice-cooked pork was one of his specialties—a staple dish for any Sichuan chef.

Ouyang Lin took a bite, then shook his head.

"Nope, still far from good enough!"

His blunt statement stunned Gu Tielin and the other kitchen staff.

"Did Mr. Ouyang just say that Chef Gu's twice-cooked pork is 'not good'?"

This couldn't be right!

Chef Gu's skills were well recognized. Gu Tielin frowned. What exactly was wrong with my dish?

He had never received such a harsh critique before. Gu Tielin had trained under the Sichuan cuisine master Yang Huaian, inheriting the authentic techniques.

Although he had since explored fusion cuisine and modern styles, his foundation in traditional skills remained solid. Hearing Ouyang Lin's critique, he held back his temper.

"Mr. Ouyang, what's wrong with this dish?" He asked, unconvinced.

Ouyang Lin put down his chopsticks and explained.

"The lean meat isn't fragrant enough, the fat isn't delicate enough, the skin isn't chewy enough, the spiciness isn't bold enough, and the aftertaste is lacking."

He spoke calmly. His assessment was based on the twice-cooked pork he had tasted earlier—made by Lu Qin. Even though Lu Qin's dish had been made that morning—with much of the wok aroma already faded—it still outshone the freshly cooked version from Gu Tielin.

Gu Tielin was stunned.

"Is he just nitpicking?"

He frowned, took another bite, and tasted carefully.

It was delicious!

Where was it lacking? The lean meat was fragrant, the fat was delicate, and the aftertaste was rich!

This was clearly just finding fault for no reason!

Irritated, he said, "Mr. Ouyang, I've tasted it myself, and there's nothing wrong with this dish."

To prove his point, he had the other chefs try it too.

"It's delicious! Spicy and aromatic!"

"Absolutely tasty. Chef Gu's skills are as great as ever!"

"Fantastic dish!"

The kitchen staff gave honest opinions—no flattery. The dish was genuinely good.

Gu Tielin looked at Ouyang Lin, thinking,Is your taste different from everyone else's?

But Ouyang Lin simply sighed and patted his shoulder.

"I know your skills, Chef Gu. But this dish won't be on the banquet menu."

Compared to Lu Qin's version, there was still a clear gap. Liver Paste Soup was already a time-consuming dish. Since Lu Qin had to make so many servings, he wouldn't have time for twice-cooked pork.

Otherwise, Ouyang Lin would have definitely asked Lu Qin to cook this dish and spicy boiled fish—which would have stunned everyone at the banquet.

Face-Off?

Gu Tielin frowned.

As a top chef, his skills were rarely questioned—aside from his mentor, who would critique him for self-improvement. Now, this outsider, Ouyang Lin, had dismissed his dish outright.

But Ouyang Lin didn't seem to be deliberately insulting him. Plus, he was still entrusting him with the banquet. So, what was really going on? Gu Tielin was confident that his dish was good enough for the banquet.

"Mr. Ouyang, if you think my dish isn't good enough, then find someone better and have them make it!"

He refused to back down.

At that moment, Lu Qin called the lobby manager—a number provided by Ouyang Lin.

"Mr. Lu, let me show you around Wangjing No.1 to familiarize yourself with the layout."

The lobby manager knew that Lu Qin was an invited chef, so he needed to be familiar with the venue. However, the manager hadn't expected him to be so young.

"Mr. Lu, you're truly impressive at such a young age! Even our top Sichuan chef, Chef Gu, couldn't master Liver Paste Soup!"

"Not at all," Lu Qin said humbly.

"Wangjing No.1 has been operating for twenty years. We have eight banquet halls, fifty-six private dining rooms, and our largest room accommodates sixty guests…"

"All our ingredients are carefully selected and sourced from special suppliers across different regions…"

Walking through the lavish hall, the manager introduced the restaurant with a smile. Lu Qin nodded. There was no restaurant in Jiangcheng that could match Wangjing No.1's scale. The manager led him to the kitchen.

"This is the main kitchen. Up front is the stock-preparation station, where we cook broths over low heat. These are gas stoves, and here we have the large wok station… Over here, we have double-wok setups with thirteen burners…"

After familiarizing himself with the kitchen, Lu Qin asked, "I need to speak with the head chef. I'd like to see if I can get three burners reserved for my use."

The kitchen was large, so securing three burners shouldn't be an issue—but with such a big banquet coming up, it was best to confirm in advance.

"Of course, Mr. Lu, right this way. I'll introduce you to the head chef."

Most of the kitchen staff were in the prep area, working on ingredients for the banquet. Meanwhile, in the hot kitchen.

"Chef Gu, your twice-cooked pork is already quite good. But I've tasted an even better version—that's why I'm being so critical. No offense."

Ouyang Lin spoke sincerely.

After trying Lu Qin's version, other versions just didn't compare. But his words caused a stir in the kitchen.

"A better twice-cooked pork?"

Gu Tielin raised an eyebrow. At that moment, the lobby manager entered with Lu Qin. Ouyang Lin's eyes lit up.

"Speak of the devil!"