Chapter 97

(Chapter 6 delivered, Xiaodao once again pleads for monthly votes. I haven't rested all night, watching the gap in the new book monthly vote list widen, and I really can't bear it. Now it's double time, everyone, please support this handicapped party, thank you, and wish everyone a happy New Year, all the best ~)

As the cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

Lu Siding stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

Lu Tai, with his right hand, swiftly stabbed the fish roe several times, then squeezed it with his left hand, forcing out the thick, fishy liquid from the small holes he had made. He then lightly flicked it, and the liquid fell into the water basin.

Lu Tai continued this process, scooping out each piece of fish roe from the boiling water pot and using an incomprehensible method to squeeze out the fishy liquid. Finally, one by one, the white, translucent fish roe was placed on the cutting board.

After completing this work, the spicy and sour fish roe was basically ready.

Next, Lu Tai heated a pot of the restaurant's essential bone broth, added the fish roe, and let it boil for a bit. He then poured in the seasoning broth he had prepared, brought it to a boil, thickened it, added scallion oil, and after serving, sprinkled various vegetable toppings. Thus, a non-traditional spicy and sour fish roe was made.

Holding the dish with both hands, Lu Tai proudly said to Lu Siding, "Uncle Lu, try the spicy and sour fish roe I made. How does it taste?"

Lu Siding was completely stunned.

Although he had tasted Lu Tai's cooking before and knew that Lu Tai's culinary skills were quite remarkable, he never imagined that they had reached such a level.

Without even mentioning how Lu Tai so quickly and accurately removed the fishy smell from the fish roe, just the aroma of the seasoning broth he prepared was enough to surpass all the chefs he had ever seen. That aroma was probably on par with the top chefs in the country who prepare state banquets.

Picking up a piece of fish roe with his chopsticks and putting it in his mouth, Lu Siding's eyes involuntarily closed. The taste was indescribable, salty and fresh with a hint of spiciness, the spiciness mingled with a lightness, the flavor was exquisite and well-balanced. This deliciousness made Lu Siding chew repeatedly, yet he was reluctant to swallow, only closing his eyes and deeply enjoying it.

After a long time, Lu Siding reluctantly swallowed the minced meat in his mouth, opened his eyes, and loudly praised it. He eagerly reached for the second piece.

Lu Tai quickly moved the plate to the side, refusing Lu Siding's desire to continue tasting, and smiled at everyone around, "Come, come, everyone, try it."

Sun Fat was the first to rush over, followed by countless chopsticks reaching out to Lu Tai. In the blink of an eye, Lu Siding noticed that the plate in Lu Tai's hand was left with only half a bowl of broth, and all the fish roe had been eaten.

Everyone who tasted the fish roe was immersed in the incredible flavor, and the kitchen was so quiet that a pin could be heard dropping.

Even the secretary of Manager Zhang shed tears after eating the fish roe.

A colleague who didn't get any fish roe poked the secretary, "Hey, you're not sucking up, are you? Tasting a dish and crying? Be careful, you might end up kissing the horse's hooves."

The secretary of Manager Zhang covered his mouth and lowered his voice, "Get lost. When I was eating, I inhaled too hard and got a mouthful of spicy and sour soup in my windpipe. I didn't dare to cough loudly, so the tears were from holding it in."

With a dish of spicy and sour fish roe, Lu Tai completely conquered the entire kitchen of Dingtian Restaurant. Whether chefs or kitchen helpers, they all referred to Lu Tai as Master Lu, showing him the utmost respect, even more so than when they saw Lu Siding.

Even if Lu Tai might become the head chef of Dingtian Restaurant, just to get a bit of his guidance, these chefs would be willing to treat Lu Tai like a grandmaster.

Lu Siding was also delighted. With a super chef like Lu Tai joining, Lu Tian's challenge to Dingtian Restaurant could be treated as a joke. No matter how skilled Lu Tian was, he definitely couldn't match Lu Tai's godlike culinary skills.

After agreeing with Lu Siding on the time to go to the food competition site, Lu Tai left Dingtian Restaurant with Sun Fat in Lu Siding's luxury car.

What Lu Tai didn't know was that after he left, a heated argument broke out in Lu Siding's office, and the person arguing with Lu Siding was none other than Zhang Guangtu, the manager of Dingtian Restaurant, who had previously acted like a mouse in front of Lu Siding.

"Boss, if you're unwilling to take action, then let me handle it. This Master Lu absolutely cannot be let go. We must bring him to Dingtian Group. Think about it, boss, if Lu Tai is poached by another food group, can we still survive in Jibei City? No, this time, no matter what, I must bring Master Lu to Dingtian Group."

Lu Siding sighed, "Old Zhang, you've been with me for over ten years. Do you think I don't know how important Lu Tai is? I once offered him a salary of 2.4 million yuan plus future stock options, but I couldn't persuade him. What more can I do?"

Zhang Guangtu's face was shiny with sweat, his skin almost bleeding from excitement, "Then raise the offer. Master Lu is priceless! Without even mentioning that, if our group can introduce the fish roe dish Master Lu made today, I can guarantee a 25% increase in our turnover, and that's the most conservative estimate. If things go well, it could double."

Lu Siding closed his eyes and leaned back on the sofa, "Old Zhang, I've told you, money means nothing to Lu Tai. I'm confident in my judgment. When I offered him a 2.4 million yuan salary, Lu Tai didn't show the slightest excitement. He rejected me as calmly as if I had offered him 2,000 yuan. So, Lu Tai is definitely not as ordinary as our investigation suggests. Either he has an extremely powerful force protecting him, or he himself has wealth that makes him indifferent to fame and fortune."

At this point, Lu Siding sat up, his eyes almost glowing, "Whichever it is, Lu Tai is not someone we can offend. Lu Tai values relationships deeply. Just look at how he treats Sun Jituo. If he considers someone a friend, he will go to great lengths to help and protect them. So, don't do anything with Lu Tai. Leave it all to me. I will find a way to bind Lu Tai to Dingtian Group, and then he won't be able to get away."

Seeing Zhang Guangtu still wanting to say something, Lu Siding's face darkened, "Go do your work. I'll handle Lu Tai. Don't make any moves, understand? Don't be clever on your own, or you'll ruin my plans."

Lu Tai and Sun Fat didn't speak during the car ride.

When they arrived at Haoyunlai, Lu Tai smiled, thanked the driver, and said goodbye. As soon as he turned around, he saw Sun Fat howl and pounce on him like a mountain of flesh.

Lu Tai, caught off guard, found Sun Fat, like an octopus on steroids, wrapping his arms around Lu Tai's neck and his legs around Lu Tai's waist, holding him in an extremely intimate position.

Lu Tai, who often saw Sun Fat's crazy antics, had never seen him this crazy before. He couldn't help but laugh and cry, "Fatso, what's wrong with you? Get off, or people will think we have an abnormal relationship."

Sun Fat clung to Lu Tai's back, gritting his teeth and spitting out each word, "Lu Tai, I, Sun Fat, have known you for nothing. You actually... actually treat me like this?"

Sun Fat's words made Lu Tai shiver, a chill running from his heels to the back of his head.

This fatso is really crazy, completely and utterly crazy.

Lu Tai's hand deftly slipped through the gap in Sun Fat's arm, applying a bit of force to dislodge it. His other hand grabbed Sun Fat's back and lifted him to the front.

Throwing him to the ground, Lu Tai frowned and asked, "Fatso, you often act crazy, but usually for a reason. Why do I feel that your craziness today is a bit off?"

Lying on the ground, Sun Fat stared at Lu Tai and said, "Lu Tai, I can't be brothers with you anymore. I'm so disappointed in you, really, so disappointed, you've disappointed me so much!"

By the end, Sun Fat was almost roaring. (To be continued. Please search for Piaowen.com for better and faster updates!)