Chapter 386: A Pheasant is a Pheasant, It Can’t Become a Phoenix

The people living in the employee dorms weren’t lazing around just because it was a day off; everyone was already up.

Cai Su and Deng Ying were busy in the kitchen. Sang Yue sat on a chair in the fast-food area, her expression grave as she watched the tornado in the distance.

After a long moment, she sighed. "This weather is just too awful, too terrifying."

Shen Lu nodded in complete agreement. Before transmigrating here, the worst natural disaster she’d ever encountered was flooding, and she hadn’t even been deeply affected because her residential complex was on high ground.

"The tornado isn’t going to hit the base, is it?" Sang Yue asked worriedly.

"I don’t know. These kinds of tornadoes move fast, and their paths are unpredictable."

"Your shop is in a terrible location. If a tornado comes through, it’ll be the first thing hit. Boss Shen, can this building withstand a tornado?"

"It should be fine."

’Forget a tornado; her shop would be fine even if the planet exploded.’

Sang Yue wasn’t convinced. ’How good could the quality of an unfinished building be?’

Unfortunately, with winds this strong, there was no way to run. Otherwise, she would have definitely urged Shen Lu to evacuate with everyone.

Breakfast was simple: just a bowl of noodles for each person.

Shen Lu took out some ordinary ingredients she had bought too much of and stored in the System Warehouse, giving them to Deng Ying and the others to prepare.

Everyone sat together in the fast-food area, prepping vegetables while watching TV. It was a rather leisurely and warm atmosphere.

Yang Jing didn’t join them. Her job was to take care of the vegetables in the greenhouse, so she went out to work after breakfast.

Liu Qiang didn’t dare go outside. He felt the transparent greenhouse wasn’t very safe; the sheet-metal house was sturdier.

He hid in the house, staring blankly at his son. When he got too bored, he started watching Yang Jing work in the fields.

He didn’t know if it was his imagination, but he felt that Yang Jing looked prettier than before.

’How strange. He’d lived with this woman for over a decade, and before the divorce, even a single glance at her felt tedious. Now that they were divorced, he actually found her pretty?’

’There must be something wrong with my eyes.’

Yang Jing didn’t stay in the greenhouse for long. All the sunflower seeds had been planted, and the scallions had been thinned. For now, there wasn’t much work to do in there.

She made one last round of inspection and then went back to study.

Shen Lu had given her a Light Brain. At first, she was unwilling to accept it, feeling it was too valuable.

Shen Lu explained that all employees would get one for easier communication and so she could go online to learn how to grow vegetables.

Yang Jing thought about it, realized it made sense, and accepted it.

She cherished everything she had now and was determined to do a good job cultivating this large plot of land in the greenhouse for Boss Shen. Whenever she had free time, she would open up tutorials to study, and she would even ask others about things she didn’t understand.

Shen Lu couldn’t be more satisfied with this dedication to learning.

But Liu Yaozu was very dissatisfied. He had a faint feeling that something was wrong.

"Why did Shen Lu buy her a Light Brain? Why not buy one for me?"

The days of recuperating in bed were so boring. Liu Yaozu had even counted all the hairs on his hand. If only he had a Light Brain.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t dared to ask Shen Lu before, and now she never even entered the sheet-metal house, so he had no opportunity. When he occasionally saw the brand-new Light Brain on Yang Jing’s wrist from the window, he was consumed with jealousy.

"Dad, go get it for me. I want that Light Brain."

Liu Qiang shot him a sideways glance. "If you want it, go get it yourself."

"But my legs... it’s not convenient for me to walk, is it?"

"Yaozu, you’ve been recovering in bed for a month now. There’s no problem with walking slowly on crutches. In fact, if you keep lying down, your muscles will atrophy."

The doctor had explained all this; Liu Qiang wasn’t just making it up.

Liu Yaozu had heard it too, but he pretended not to know. After all, he was lazy. ’Isn’t it nice to just lie here and let myself rot?’

’It felt so good to be waited on hand and foot for everything.’

Liu Yaozu scoffed. After a moment, he again told Liu Qiang to call Yang Jing over.

He still wanted that Light Brain.

Liu Qiang initially didn’t want to bother with his son, but then he remembered something else and headed to the front of the shop.

Liu Qiang found Shen Lu prepping vegetables in the fast-food area and once again brought up the matter of her finding him a new wife.

Shen Lu was thoroughly annoyed by his shamelessness and spoke very bluntly.

"Go ask around. Which father makes his daughter act as a matchmaker for his new wife? Besides, you’re the one who wants a new wife, not me a new mother. I have my own mother."

"This is your responsibility!"

"Responsibility? What responsibility do I have? If you insist on arguing about this, fine. Go talk to Shen Lan yourself. She’s the one who should be responsible for you. Besides, the Shen Family is a wealthy family in the Upper City District. If you want a new wife who’s young, beautiful, gentle, and rich, she’s your best bet."

Shen Lu gave a cryptic smile. "You don’t know, do you? Shen Lan opened a high-end private kitchen in the Upper City District. It caters exclusively to rich, powerful, and high-status guests. Her network is huge."

As she spoke, Shen Lu even showed Liu Qiang a video that Shen Lan had posted.

Liu Qiang stared at the heavily filtered image of Shen Lan in the video, barely recognizing her.

’Is this really the Shen Lan he raised?’

"Then give her a call."

Shen Lu immediately dialed Shen Lan’s number.

After a good while, Shen Lan slowly answered, her tone arrogant. "What do you want?"

’Shen Lu must have seen that I opened a private restaurant,’ Shen Lan thought. ’She must be so bitter and envious, right?’

Shen Lu smiled. "I heard you opened a private kitchen?"

Shen Lu let out a small scoff. ’Just as I thought.’

"Yes, I did. It’s not like cooking is hard. Anyone can learn it easily."

"True, cooking certainly isn’t hard. It’s something anyone with hands can do," Shen Lu retorted casually, then suddenly asked, "Have you heard of the Kitchen King competition?"

"Duh. The Kitchen King competition is the most-watched contest in the entire Imperial City right now. Who doesn’t know about it?"

"Did you sign up? I did."

"How dare you sign up?" Shen Lan said with disdain. "The dishes in the competition are judged on color, aroma, taste, concept, presentation, and nutrition. All you know is how to make a few large-pot dishes and home-style meals, and you think you can enter a prestigious event? Don’t make a fool of yourself."

"The entry barrier for this kind of competition is low. It’s the taking part that counts, right? And what if the judges happen to like my home-style cooking? After all, when you’re used to eating exotic delicacies, a simple bowl of congee and a side dish can be a refreshing change of pace."

"Heh. Come if you’re not afraid of embarrassing yourself. Just don’t let the judges’ comments make you cry."

"So, are you going?" Shen Lu steered the question back on topic.

"Of course I’m going! Shen Lu, a wild chicken is still a wild chicken; it can’t become a phoenix. Even if I was held back for years in the Lower City District, my superior genes will let me shine anywhere!"

"I’m looking forward to our match."

"You should worry about how you’re going to pass the preliminary round first."

"Oh, right, one more thing. Don’t hang up yet." Shen Lu enabled call sharing so Liu Qiang could join the conversation. "Dad has something to talk to you about."

"I have nothing to say to him." Shen Lan hung up, cold and ruthless.

Shen Lu and Liu Qiang looked at each other. "Well, it seems Shen Lan doesn’t want to talk to you."

"She must be embarrassed to talk in front of you. Give me a Light Brain, and I’ll contact her privately," Liu Qiang said, trying to save face.