Chapter 889 - 759: Stirring Things Up (Part 2)

Fu Yu smiled: "That’s true, but I have nowhere else to brag, at most I’ll flaunt it to you to get you worked up."

Zhao Meng snorted coldly as soon as he heard it: "Worked up, me?"

Fu Yu immediately leaned to the side: "I’m just trying to ignite your work enthusiasm, hey! Gentlemen use words instead of fists... Oops, the frog legs in the bowl are about to spill!"

Zhao Meng got up and tried to boot him, while Fu Yu dodged around the kitchen counter.

The two of them made a fuss, causing everyone around to laugh.

Fu Yu has always been the live wire in the kitchen; as long as he’s around, Zhao Meng, the fire-breathing dragon, won’t explode so easily.

Fu Yu received an invitation letter from the Provincial Gourmet Association, and the news quickly spread around the shop.

Anyone who heard the news was particularly envious of Fu Yu.

Gu Yunwu, upon hearing about this, couldn’t help saying sarcastically to Zhao Meng: "Old Zhao, you really know how to train people! Look at Xiaofu, he’s bringing you so much honor. They say the young surpass the old, and Xiaofu’s already surpassed to the point where it’s enviable!"

Zhao Meng chuckled and said: "It’s mainly because he’s willing to work hard. I’ve exhausted my scant resources long ago; in a year or two, who knows who’s going to be leading whom."

"Besides, my mentorship was nothing; it’s mainly thanks to his talented master! The kid’s lucky; he casually apprenticed and got a famous chef as a mentor. The credit doesn’t belong to me, it all belongs to his mentor!"

Zhao Meng’s words immediately blocked Gu Yunwu’s jealousy.

It also subtly reminded everyone else that Fu Yu’s current level is because he had a famous teacher, and his mentor is already renowned.

Thinking about Liu Yunong, Fu Yu’s current achievements also seemed justified and natural.

However, despite saying that, Gu Yunwu couldn’t help but glance at Zhao Meng with envy, saying sarcastically: "Old Zhao, speaking of which, you’re purely enjoying the spoils without lifting a finger. Liu’s chef trained apprentice does well outside, and you get to share the glory too."

Zhao Meng didn’t mind, smiling as he said: "It’s good enough to share the glory! Besides, it’s like the old adage, ’previous generations planted the trees for later ones to enjoy the shade’; when Fu Yu makes it big in the future, I can enjoy the good life thanks to him, and I’m content with that!"

Gu Yunwu laughed in agreement, turning away with a smirk.

This Old Zhao, his skin is getting thicker!

Everyone else watched the two chefs bicker, each trying to keep a straight face, but with sidelong glances not wanting to miss any of the fun.

Zhao Meng and Gu Yunwu have always been at odds, even though they appeared cordial. If you work in the kitchen for a few days, you’d easily figure out their dynamic.

The chefs’ discord puts their subordinates in a somewhat awkward position. Veteran staff are better off, sticking to their roles, mostly interacting with their own crew, so they don’t have to worry about picking sides.

It’s the new interns who find it a bit troubling.

Each follows their respective chef, having to watch and act accordingly during work.

Luckily, they’re only here for a two-month internship, and no matter what happens in the kitchen during the day, after work they head back to school together as good mates, as if nothing happened.

In fact, none of them are foolish. Even though they’ve only been interning for a few days, they’ve quickly gotten a grasp on everyone’s temperament in the kitchen.

For instance, Chef Zhao may look grumpy and unapproachable, but he’s actually straightforward and very fair in assigning tasks.

On top of that, there’s the good-natured Chef Fu, the jokester Chef Sun, and the honest Chef Zhang, so the work atmosphere is fairly harmonious; at least Sun Mingze and his fellow male classmates all agree on this.

On the other hand, the two interns assigned to Chef Gu would chat privately, saying that Chef Gu is all smiles but sly on the inside.

Even after a long day’s work, Sun Mingze and his peers got to participate in things like frying, which provided some relief.

Whereas the two interns under Chef Gu spent their days chopping vegetables without any opportunity to learn cooking techniques.

Seeing the two chefs get into it again, the interns exchanged knowing glances.

They’re always like this, and nobody takes it seriously. No matter what happens in the kitchen, back at school, they’re still good classmates and friends.

In two months, once the internship ends, it’s uncertain if they’ll ever get to see this bunch from the kitchen again.

At that moment, Yao Shi came in, seeing everyone cheerfully rowdy, not knowing the root of it, so he purposely put on a stern face, saying, "What are you all stupidly laughing at? During work hours, focus on your work and mind your professional image! If the boss hears about this, what will they think?"

Everyone chuckled awkwardly, each scuttling to find something to occupy themselves.

But they didn’t really take Yao Shi’s words to heart.

Chef Yao is like that, serious when needed, but generally quite good-natured and down-to-earth.

If anyone sought his help, he’d always readily lend a hand.

So the kitchen staff aren’t really afraid of him.

Nonetheless, proper respect is maintained; even Zhao Meng and Gu Yunwu stopped slacking off, standing up to fake-like they were organizing lunch preparations, casually assigning afternoon prep duties.

When no one was looking, Zhao Meng gave Fu Yu a signal, suggesting he mention the invitation letter to Yao Shi.

Fu Yu did as suggested, picking up the invitation letter from the shelf and handed it to Yao Shi: "Chef Yao, I previously participated in the video cooking competition at the Provincial Gourmet Association’s annual meeting, and today I received an invitation for the award ceremony."

Yao Shi was initially taken aback, then immediately smiled with delight as he took the invitation, opening it to read carefully.

This was indeed great news!

Yao Shi smiled and said, "Wow, you’ve got some skills! Getting an award at the Provincial Gourmet Association’s annual event is no easy feat!"

Fu Yu modestly smiled: "It’s mainly just good luck."

Yao Shi took out his phone, snapping pictures of the invitation inside and out, and said under his breath, "I’ll add this to the new medicated cuisine section for promotion later; at this level, it certainly makes for prestigious bragging rights."

Fu Yu was both amused and pained.

Yao Shi’s mind seems to always come up with a bunch of money-making ideas without much effort.

As he took photos with his phone, Yao Shi savored the thought.

After all, this was an invitation to the cooking video competition’s award ceremony organized by the Provincial Gourmet Association!

Receiving an invite implies you’ve made it to the rankings.

This is a provincial-level competition, and those who participate are either well-known newcomers or apprentices under some big name.

Standing out among these hidden talents is truly a mark of capability!

Such an excellent promotional opportunity had to be seized.

Yao Shi selected from the photos he took, finally picking one for the cover and one showing the invitation’s content.

Two photos paired with a line: Seems like the future belongs to the young.

After double-checking for typos and ensuring the photos were clear, Yao Shi posted it to his social media.

He posted on his personal social media and then specifically logged into the official restaurant page to post again.

The official post included an additional advertisement for their medicinal dishes.

Moreover, under the photo of the invitation’s content, the name "Fu Yu" was underlined more prominently, making it stand out!

Just as Yao Shi had expected, the moment these posts went up, they drew numerous likes and comments from followers.

Likes and comments rapidly began to increase.

This wasn’t all; Yao Shi then called the finance office, informing accountant Xin Li about the matter.