NIP Chapter 464 - 425: Undeniably an Indirect Insult
Chapter 464 - 425: Undeniably an Indirect Insult
minutes later...
Huang Jun followed the directions through the scenic park, and easily found his way to the front of the cafeteria.
"This is it!"
The sunlight, like golden satin, draped over the spacious and bright building. Through the polished glass windows, he could see the busy figures inside, confirming that he had found the right place.
Then...
His gaze swept across, and he immediately spotted Qian Guoxiang and Aunt Li standing on one side of the cafeteria entrance.
Just as he was about to greet them, he saw Qian Guoxiang with a friendly smile, enthusiastically waving his folding fan, and calling out, "Chef Huang, over here..."
Huang Jun quickened his pace, approached them, and said apologetically, "Assistant Chef Qian, Aunt Li, Aunt Lin, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting..."
"We just got here too!"
Qian Guoxiang waved his hand, indicating that Huang Jun shouldn’t worry about it.
Aunt Li and Aunt Lin also nodded with a smile, with Aunt Li saying, "Yes, we just arrived. Assistant Chef Qian just contacted the person in charge here, and they will be here soon."
As they were speaking.
The cafeteria door gently opened...
The person in charge, Lu Aiguo, hurriedly came over to greet them, with his phone in hand. Seeing from the WeChat message that they had arrived at the door, he looked around with his glasses...
And immediately spotted the four people at the entrance.
The young man at the front, tall and handsome, dressed casually, with neat short hair, and long legs like a model’s.
Hmm.
He looked a bit too young...
Not quite like the head chef of a kindergarten cafeteria.
At most, an assistant chef...
He then looked at Aunt Li and Aunt Lin beside Huang Jun, who, though still charming, were obviously just cafeteria aides at Dorami Kindergarten from their appearance and attire.
Finally, his gaze fell upon Qian Guoxiang.
His eyes involuntarily lit up!
Carefully scrutinizing Qian Guoxiang...
This elder, in his early sixties, was wearing a straight Chinese-style Tang suit, gently waving a delicate folding fan in his hand. Every detail exuded a calm and unruffled demeanor.
His silver hair glinted in the sunlight, his eyes revealing wisdom and experience accumulated over time.
Just by standing there, without saying a word, he naturally emitted the authority and professionalism unique to a head chef.
This is it!
Calm, composed, exuding professionalism from every pore—this is the head chef image he had in mind!
Only someone like this could orchestrate the kitchen and cook dishes that would receive endless praise.
"Hello!"
Lu Aiguo immediately went forward, enthusiastically shaking hands with Qian Guoxiang.
Faced with this sudden enthusiasm, Qian Guoxiang was momentarily stunned.
Lu Aiguo smiled and said, "You must be the head chef of Dorami Kindergarten, right?"
"I’m not..."
Qian Guoxiang began to correct him, but was interrupted by Lu Aiguo’s enthusiasm.
He heard the other continue, "I am Lu Aiguo, the person in charge of Xuanmen Bay Scenic Park Cafeteria. I’ve admired your name for a long time, and seeing you today, indeed, your reputation is well-deserved. It is truly our good fortune to welcome a head chef like you to our cafeteria."
Huang Jun: "彡(-_-;)彡"
The farthest distance in the world isn’t the distance between life and death, but that I am standing in front of you, and you don’t know that I am the head chef of Dorami Kindergarten.
It seems this person in charge doesn’t frequent the internet...
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have no impression of me...
After all, a little while ago, I was a bit of a sensation online...
Aunt Lin and Aunt Li: "(ノ￣ー￣)ノノ(º_ºノ)"
They shouldn’t be here; they should be in the kitchen, avoiding this awkward scene.
Qian Guoxiang: "¯\_(ツ)_/¯"
Admired your name... Although he did have some renown in the culinary world, you’ve got the wrong person...
"Mr. Lu, you’re mistaken; you’ve got the wrong person!"
Qian Guoxiang smiled, gently pulling back his hand, and warmly corrected, "Although I served as the executive chef at Nine-Star Cloud Peak Hotel before retirement, now, I’m merely an assistant chef at Dorami Kindergarten. And this young man beside me, he is the head chef at our kindergarten."
"You are not?"
Lu Aiguo looked shocked, glancing at Huang Jun, unable to believe, "This young man beside is the one?"
Exactly.
His mind was somewhat scrambled at the moment!
He had never expected the head chef hired by a kindergarten would be a young man under thirty.
He looked up and down, left and right, from any angle, he just didn’t match the head chef image in his mind...
Hmm?
Could it be that they were deliberately teasing him?
This doubt wasn’t without reason. It mainly stemmed from his preconceived notions about chefs, making it hard for him to associate such a young person with the identity of a head chef.
Especially the head chef from Hu Jin Kindergarten he just met, whose steady demeanor and mature appearance perfectly matched his traditional image of a chef.
So, indeed!
Suddenly seeing a young head chef like Huang Jun, it was inevitable for him to feel a sense of disbelief.
Of course, if Qian Guoxiang and Aunt Li knew what he was thinking, they would surely greet him with: Who ever said head chefs need to be old and slightly chubby?
While he was still puzzled, he saw Qian Guoxiang nodding: "Yes, indeed, this is our kindergarten’s head chef, Chef Huang, Huang Jun. And I am merely his assistant chef."
Aunt Li also nodded earnestly and said: "That’s right, he is our kindergarten’s head chef."
Lu Aiguo: "ヾ(-_-;)"
It seems it’s true...
This really is the head chef...
Well, this is quite awkward...
"I knew it!"
Lu Aiguo responded quickly, clapping his hands with a sudden realization on his face, then turning to Huang Jun again with a smile: "The moment I stepped out, Chef Huang, I could see at a glance your extraordinary presence; clearly, you are a standout in the culinary world."
"Mr. Lu’s words are quite truthful." Qian Guoxiang nodded in agreement, lightly shaking his folding fan.
Aunt Li also nodded in agreement: "You have a discerning eye!"
"You are absolutely right!" Aunt Lin also nodded, smiling.
Huang Jun: "..."
The four of you are so synchronized, you could go perform stand-up comedy...
And Mr. Lu, your ability to change your stance is faster than face-changers in Sichuan Opera...
"Ahem~" Huang Jun cleared his throat, changed the topic, and proposed: "Mr. Lu, how about we go inside and chat?"
"Sure!" Lu Aiguo nodded: "Chef Huang, we have prepared all the ingredients you need, please come inside."
With that, he made a gentlemanly gesture to invite them, leading Huang Jun and his team towards the canteen’s interior.
The group walked through the brightly lit foyer, stepping into the spacious kitchen.
Here, stainless steel countertops and various cooking equipment gleamed under the lights, and fresh ingredients were neatly arranged on the workstations, everything appearing very organized.
As Lu Aiguo walked, he introduced the canteen’s condition to Huang Jun: "All our equipment here is the most comprehensive, and the ingredients have been carefully selected, very fresh and of high quality."
"Good! Thank you." Huang Jun thanked while nodding, checking the ingredients and tools.
Meanwhile, several young assistants in Hu Jin Kindergarten’s back kitchen cast curious glances at Huang Jun’s group when they saw them, quietly discussing among themselves...
"Who are those people? Those people Mr. Lu personally brought in, are they also kindergarten head chefs?"
"That young one at the front looks familiar... seems like Chef Huang from Dorami Kindergarten?"
"Be confident, remove the ’seems like’, he is Chef Huang from Dorami Kindergarten."
"I’ve heard that Chef Huang from Dorami has quite the knack for cooking."
"That’s what the internet says, but the real situation needs to be verified..."
"However, I’ve heard our Director Li secretly went to find this Chef Huang some time ago due to President Liu’s daughter’s school transfer, trying to poach him to be our head chef! But in the end, Huang Jun politely declined..."
"Where did you hear that? Is this information reliable?"
Just as they were discussing this, they suddenly felt a chill on their backs.
Turning around, they saw Chef Zheng with a somewhat sullen face beside them, they quickly stopped talking, then hurried back to their work stations to continue working.
Chef Zheng’s face was indeed gloomy because of those young assistants’ discussions.
He never expected that despite his diligent work in the kindergarten, he would hear from others that Director Li once considered replacing him.
It truly felt like his dedicated efforts were wasted...
And now, the reason he could still stay at this position was due to the other’s polite refusal.
It was undoubtedly a kind of indirect insult.
Speaking of which.
Is this Chef Huang really that impressive, worth President Liu and Director Li’s high regard?
Speaking of which.
Is Chef Huang’s culinary skill really as impressive as the rumors suggest?
However, in the next second...
When he clearly saw Qian Guoxiang beside Huang Jun, his eyes couldn’t help but light up, showing a surprising glow.
Yes, it was indeed Qian Guoxiang.
Perhaps...
No, no, it is certain.
Qian Guoxiang surely doesn’t know him, but he definitely recognizes this Qian Guoxiang.
Yes, indeed, former head chef of the Nine-Star Cloud Peak Hotel.
In the culinary industry, almost everyone knows the name Qian Guoxiang.
Now, this industry giant was actually following beside Huang Jun.
Could the rumors be true that Qian Guoxiang went to Dorami to be an assistant chef?
If even an esteemed chef like Qian Guoxiang is willing to become an assistant to Huang Jun, then this young Chef Huang surely has exceptional abilities.
Looks like while cooking this time, he’ll need to give his 120%, to avoid getting outdone by the other party...