I'm the Culinary God

After sighing, Zhu Yong grabbed a pair of scissors and began to prepare the small lobsters. "We have a lot of seafood dishes in Building 15; I can prep this stuff with my eyes closed. Boss, just leave it to me. You can start cooking once I'm done."

Yes, during the visit to the new store just now, that beautiful hostess was clearly full of expectations for the boss's skills. So I shouldn't steal the boss's thunder right now. It's also a good chance for us to see how delicious this much-praised small lobster really is.

Taking a small lobster from the foam box, Zhu Yong first snipped off its head to remove the stomach sac. Then, he cut off the eight small legs, saying to Wei Qian, who was helping nearby, "Once the legs are snipped off, it looks much neater. They're inedible and just spoil the look."

After removing the legs, he pulled out the intestinal tract and then made a cut along the belly of the small lobster, on the inner shell near the tail. "These small lobsters are really big, so the tails don't cook through easily. Cutting the inner side of the tail helps it absorb flavor better without affecting the presentation."

Once he was done, everyone gathered to look at the prepared small lobsters. They indeed looked much tidier, and the shell on the back of the tail remained intact, making for a very presentable dish.

Lin Xu examined a small lobster and seriously discussed the pros and cons of this preparation method with Wei Qian and the others.

"The presentation is great, but it's not very efficient."

"If you cut off the legs like this, some customers might think we're using dead small lobsters."

"I think this method might make the meat looser, but it could cook faster. It used to take ten minutes for the flavor to infuse, but with this method, it might only take six or seven minutes to be ready for the sauce to reduce."

While they were discussing, Lin Xu heard the system's notification: "The host has seriously discussed the cooking method with the staff. The Excellent Level spicy small lobster has been upgraded to Superior spicy small lobster. Congratulations, host!"

Wow! That's a pleasant surprise. It looks like I'll have to gather everyone to discuss dishes more often from now on.

While everyone was busy with the small lobsters, Lin Xu poured the silkworm pupae into a pot and boiled them for a while. He then scooped them out, let them cool, and used a chef's knife to cut them in half. After cutting them, he removed the black core from the middle, making the entire silkworm pupa edible.

Just as he was busy, there was a knock at the door. Dou Wenjing went to open it, and Shen Baobao and Chen Yan walked in.

"Dundun, call your auntie!" Chen Yan immediately scooped Dundun into her arms upon entering.

Shu Yun, who was playing with blocks nearby, laughed at Dundun's disgruntled expression. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy being held by a beautiful woman? Lots of people wish for such an opportunity."

Dundun, however, only wanted to play his game and had no interest in a beautiful woman's embrace. He squirmed out of Chen Yan's arms and scampered into a cardboard box behind the sofa.

A good cat doesn't pick a fight with a shrew; if I can't afford to provoke her, I can certainly afford to hide.

Shen Baobao put on her Minion slippers and approached the kitchen door, feigning seriousness as she asked, "Do you need any help?"

Lin Xu replied, "Just take good care of the ladies for me. Oh, and there's juice, drinks, and ice cream in the fridge. Help yourselves to whatever you want."

"Okay dokey!" Shen Baobao agreed and immediately stepped into the role of hostess. She offered drinks, handed out juice, and even dug out snacks like sunflower seeds and peanuts for everyone. Chen Yan watched in amazement.

"I've never seen you this diligent at home! When guests come over, you usually can't even be bothered to move. Yet here, with your brother-in-law, you're as demure as a little wife. I should really take a picture and show it to your uncle and aunt."

"If my parents saw it, they'd just say, 'Yan Bao, when are you going to find someone?'"

Chen Yan was speechless. Can we please not talk about the one thing I'm trying to avoid?

She sighed softly, lifting the hem of her skirt as she sat down on the carpet beside the sofa. "I want to find someone too, but they're all either duds or smooth-talking playboys. I don't even feel like having a meal with them, let alone spending more time together."

Chen Yan's face was filled with melancholy. Her thirtieth birthday was fast approaching, yet she still hadn't found that special someone to share her life with.

Shen Baobao suggested, "You could ask Dundun for help. Dundun works wonders; whatever you ask for, you get. Don't believe me? Try it!"

Chen Yan scoffed, "Pfft, I stopped believing in that stuff when I was three. Only you and Lele still get a kick out of it like silly children."

Dundun thought, It seems Auntie really wants to stay single forever. Since that's the case, this cat will begrudgingly fulfill her wish!

In the kitchen, Lin Xu finished preparing all the silkworm pupae, removing their black cores and slicing them in half. He placed them in a bowl, added two handfuls of starch, and kneaded vigorously to ensure the starch adhered firmly to the cut surfaces.

By the time he was done, Qin Wei had already prepared the dried chili segments and was steaming the oysters with garlic sauce in the rice cooker. Ji Minghui, who had been quiet all along, had meticulously cleaned the whelks, cutting off the tip of each one.

"Boss, are these silkworm pupae for dry-frying?" Zhuang Yizhou asked, noticing the small lobsters were nearly prepped and volunteering to deep-fry the ingredients.

"Yes, dry-frying," Lin Xu confirmed. He placed the vegetables brought from the Fishing Platform into the sink to soak. They couldn't just eat seafood; they needed some vegetables for balance, otherwise, the meal would become too rich too quickly.

He poured oil into the wok and, once it was hot, deep-fried the small lobsters in batches. After the small lobsters, he fried the dry starch-coated silkworm pupae.

Once everything was fried, Lin Xu began the final cooking process. Meanwhile, Zhu Yong and the others leaned against the kitchen doorway, discussing their impressions from the tour of the new restaurant.

"Wow! The layout inside is very logical. The kitchen is huge and spacious, and each private room has its own unique character. Once the new restaurant opens, it'll definitely become the new benchmark for Yanjing's dining scene!"

Zhuang Yizhou even took out his phone to show Wei Qian, Qin Wei, and Ji Minghui the photos he had taken. As chefs, the sight of such a spacious and well-lit kitchen immediately made their eyes burn with envy.

This is going to be our workplace from now on!

As they were discussing, Shen Baobao started stuffing beers into the refrigerator's chilling compartment and even began freezing some ice cubes in an ice tray.

Zeng Xiaoqi watched her curiously and asked, "Boss Lady, are you planning to drink? You won't be able to drive later if you do."

Shen Baobao had indeed planned to drink a little, creating a situation where she couldn't drive and would be 'forced' to stay over.

Just as she was daydreaming about snuggling up to sleep with Xu Bao, her cousin Chen Yan picked up her juice and, with a couple of hearty GULPS, drank two large mouthfuls before saying to Zeng Xiaoqi, "It's fine. I'll drive her back later. It's quite convenient to get from the North Fourth Ring to the West Fourth Ring—just a quick press of the accelerator."

Shen Jiayue: (What in the world?!) Do you think you're so funny, Yan Bao?!