The factory canteen was the hardest hit by Sun Meili's arrest.
These past few days have been turbulent, leaderless, and filled with anxiety.
However, workers generally reported that the stir-fried dishes were much tastier than before, suggesting that Master Xiao might have returned.
The original head chef, Huang Fusheng, is still at home awaiting the outcome of his investigation. Rumors circulate that he is also implicated in Sun Meili's corruption case, and he is certainly out of a job as head chef.
The canteen director, Wang Defa, is also under investigation. Besides the unclear canteen accounts, there is also an investigation into his alleged improper relationship with Sun Meili.
However, rumors say that both of them vehemently deny all charges.
The security department and the disciplinary committee interrogated them for three days but failed to get them to confess.
But Sun Meili's denials were useless. The factory's finance department worked overtime to reconcile the accounts, and the accounting problems have been clarified. The suppliers who delivered goods to the canteen are also being investigated, and the chain of evidence is becoming increasingly clear.
The amount of money involved left even the security officers handling the case speechless.
If this is fully substantiated, they'll be spending the rest of their lives in jail.
The canteen kitchen.
The lunch service had ended. Apprentices were cleaning the stoves, while the chefs gathered in small groups at the corridor, smoking and chatting.
A plump figure dragged his heavy steps towards them. The chefs, seeing him, quickly hid their cigarettes behind their backs and greeted him with smiles, "Director Wang."
Wang Defa looked rather haggard. In just three days, a lot of white hair had grown at his temples, his beard was unkempt, his sunken eyes had heavy dark circles, and his face had become much thinner, making him look like he had aged ten years.
Wang Defa paused, his gaze sweeping over the chefs' faces. His voice was somewhat hoarse as he asked, "Where's Xiao Lei?"
"Master Xiao is sharpening his knives in the water room." one chef replied.
Upon hearing this, Wang Defa walked straight towards the water room.
"Why does Director Wang look so haggard all of a sudden?"
"He's scared. I heard from a friend in the security department that Sun Meili is involved in something that might exceed 50,000 yuan. If he gets involved, he might be in big trouble."
"Fifty thousand! Wow—that's a lot!"
"The meat and vegetables we've been buying these past two years are nowhere near the quality of what we bought a couple of years ago. That's why Master Xiao went on strike."
"Then what does he want with Master Xiao today?"
The chefs whispered among themselves, their eyes all turning towards the water room, some even taking a few steps in that direction.
Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!
Inside the water room, a cleaver was being honed back and forth on the whetstone. Xiao Lei was bent over, his expression focused and serious.
The cleaver was gleaming, its blade gleaming coldly.
Wang Defa appeared at the doorway, blocking the light and casting a shadow that fell directly onto the whetstone.
Wang Defa said in a deep voice, "Xiao Lei, let's talk."
Xiao Lei scooped up some water and splashed it on the knife. He slowly straightened up, gently scraping the blade with his fingertips, before looking up at Wang Defa and smiling, "What do we have to talk about?"
"My transfer notice came down today. I'll be moving to Linqiong soon. Before I leave, as the canteen director, I've decided to do one last good deed for the workers." Wang Defa grinned, revealing a set of yellow teeth, his voice hoarse and low. "I've submitted my nomination to the deputy factory director, making you the head chef of the factory canteen and the person in charge of the stir-fry section, so the workers can enjoy delicious, safe, and reliable large-pot dishes and stir-fries."
Xiao Lei sneered, "A shameless person like you, with no scruples and no manners, would you have good intentions? Telling me this, do you expect me to thank you?"
"No need for thanks. We won't see each other again anyway." Wang Defa's expression turned sinister. He clenched his fists, his voice trembling slightly: "You two, master and apprentice, are really my nemesis, forcing me to leave. Zhou Yan is quite capable; he ran that shabby restaurant successfully, stealing all the business from the cafeteria's stir-fry section. This whole mess started because of him."
"But it doesn't matter, you two are both skilled. Let the master fight him. I want to see whether the workers prefer your cooking or your apprentice's. We'll see who comes out on top!"
"I'm going to Linqiong to see you two fighting like dogs, a bloody mess!"
Wang Defa grinned, a hint of madness in his smile.
"You can't escape." Xiao Lei put the kitchen knife he was holding back into the cloth bag on the table next to him, and looked at Wang Defa with a hint of pity in his eyes: "This morning I handed over all the evidence of corruption in the canteen that I had collected over the past two years to Section Chief Luo of the security department. Wang Qi is the one who has been supplying the canteen with the most pork in the past two years. He is your nephew. A lot of the pork in there was diseased. You can check the accounts with the security officers after you go in."
Wang Defa's smile froze, his eyes widened, and his lips trembled slightly. "You...you're talking nonsense!"
Footsteps sounded outside the door. Luo Weidong arrived at the water room door with two officers, his expression serious. "Wang Defa." he said, "someone has filed a formal complaint against you for illegally purchasing a large quantity of diseased pork during your tenure, which is suspected of endangering the lives and health of workers and constitutes a serious violation of laws and regulations."
"Section Chief Luo..." Wang Defa's face turned pale as he tried to argue.
The two officers stepped forward, one on each side, and restrained him, neither giving him a friendly look.
"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you, I resigned today." Xiao Lei slung a cloth bag over his shoulder and smiled at Wang Defa. "A restaurant in Rongcheng invited me to be their head chef; the salary is higher than what I earned as a head chef at the factory. A friend also invited me to Jiazhou to open a restaurant with him. The shop is all renovated, located near the Leshan Giant Buddha Wharf. He said it can earn tens of thousands of yuan a year. I'm still considering which one to go."
"You...you..." Wang Defa's chest heaved with rage, his face turning even uglier.
"Zhou Yan was fired because of me, you villain. As his master, I'll never forget that grudge." Xiao Lei glared at him coldly. "You want me to be a kitchen helper? I don't care if I just coast along until retirement. But if you want me to harm my apprentice, I'll definitely send you to jail first."
"I've had enough of this lousy job. I'm a national second level chef. Wherever I go, people will call me Master. I won't starve."
With that, Xiao Lei nodded to Luo Weidong and left.
Outside the corridor, a dozen chefs and apprentices stood in a row against the wall, looking at him with utmost respect.
"Master Xiao, take care."
"Come back and visit often."
"Here, take this and share with your friends." Xiao Lei smiled, pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, tossed it to one of the chefs, and waved. "I'm leaving."
Xiao Lei slung his bag over his shoulder and went out.
Wang Defa was dragged out like a dead pig by two officers, his legs weak and his face ashen. He seemed to have already foreseen his fate.
"Pah!"
"You fat pig!"
The chefs glared at him with disgust, hurling the most offensive insults.
"Master Xiao, please reconsider. The canteen is short of someone to manage things. If you're willing to stay, you can be the head chef and promoted to deputy canteen manager…" Deputy Factory Director Liu Yusheng stopped Xiao Lei at the canteen entrance, earnestly trying to persuade him.
"I'm sorry, Director Liu, my mind is made up." Xiao Lei said calmly, pushing his bicycle towards the factory gate.
"Sigh." Liu Yusheng watched Xiao Lei's retreating figure and sighed deeply.
…
"What? You want me to organize a large banquet?"
At the restaurant entrance, Zhou Yan looked at Zhou Jie, who was covered in sweat, with a look of astonishment.
Zhou Jie took the large bowl of water from Aunt Zhao, gulped it down in two mouthfuls, and said anxiously, "The village chef who was preparing the banquet went back to get spices, but his bicycle got caught on a tractor, and he broke his hand. He's in the Suji Health Center now.
I just came from the hospital. He was screaming in pain and told us to find another chef ourselves. It happened so suddenly, where are we supposed to find a chef? Tomorrow's an auspicious day, and I asked five or six people, but none of them were available."
"You're the only chef in our family. My father called me here to ask if you can take over, otherwise we'll have to go to Jiazhou to hire someone."
"I definitely can't. All my best dishes are hanging on the wall; they can't support a large banquet." Zhou Yan shook his head. This situation had indeed come very suddenly; desperate people had come to him for help.
A large banquet usually involves nine-course feast; how could he possibly prepare that now?
It's already afternoon; the village chefs have probably prepared most of the ingredients, so he's even less capable of taking on the task.
Zhou Hao is now a platoon leader, and his family has two plaques for first-class meritorious service; leaders will definitely attend the wedding banquet.
This banquet needs to be held respectably.
Zhou Yan isn't a fool; he wouldn't dare to take on this responsibility. He's better at making braised dishes.
"Then... what should we do?" Zhou Jie was getting anxious.
"Don't panic, the sky won't fall." The old lady, who hadn't spoken until now, stood up.
Zhou Jie immediately shut his mouth, and everyone looked at the old lady, as if they had found their pillar of support.
The old lady looked at Zhou Yan and asked, "Zhou Yan, you've been learning to cook for over two years. Do you know any chefs who can organize large scale banquets? Someone who can spare two days."
Zhou Yan immediately thought of his master, Xiao Lei, and nodded, "My master, Xiao Lei, is a national second level chef. He used to be the head chef, managing the large scale cooking for nearly three thousand people in the textile factory. I can go ask him if he can spare some time to help."
The old lady nodded, "Go quickly. If Master Xiao can't spare the time, you should hurry to Jiazhou to find a chef."
"Okay." Zhou Yan took a pack of cigarettes and put it in his pocket, walking quickly towards the factory gate. Just as he was about to tell the security officer, he saw a familiar figure carrying a cloth bag and pushing a bicycle towards the factory gate.
"Master!" Zhou Yan's eyes lit up, and he quickly stepped forward to greet him. "Emergency! I need your help urgently! Are you free tomorrow to help organize a banquet?"
...