The Cheat Emperor of the Culinary World

Chapter 91: Chapter 90: What Did He Realize?

Fu Yu requested his leave and hurried back to his room to call Yao Shi.

He originally intended to tell Yao Shi about the matter in advance.

Unexpectedly, Yao Shi’s line was busy.

Unable to get through, Fu Yu decided to wash up first.

After freshening up, he lazily plopped onto the bed.

He tried dialing again.

Yao Shi’s line was still busy.

Fu Yu planned to try again later, but as he lay there, he got drowsy with drink and gradually fell asleep.

The next morning.

Fu Yu woke up in a haze and relieved himself. His muddled brain slowly became clearer.

He washed a pair of underwear hastily.

Quickly took a shower.

Only then did he remember about contacting Yao Shi last night.

He checked his phone and saw that Yao Shi had indeed returned his call later.

He must have been in such a deep sleep that he didn’t hear it at all.

Fu Yu hurriedly called Yao Shi back.

Well, it was busy again.

Fu Yu couldn’t help but mutter, ”Chef Yao is way too busy, always on the phone!”

Yao Shi was indeed swamped.

He had started making phone calls to contact people as soon as he got home last night.

Those who could help promised to reach out, and even those who couldn’t offered to ask around.

After a night passed, he started receiving feedback this morning.

Yao Shi didn’t even go to Qianlima today; he drove straight to the music restaurant.

He stayed in the office, taking one call after another.

At first, his face still held a trace of hope, but later on, his expression turned completely grim.

Just as he thought, the eight-dish eight-bowl banquet was indeed rare and unique to Fushun’s local cuisine.

In Bei’an, there simply weren’t any restaurants that offered these dishes.

He contacted everyone he could think of, but many hadn’t even heard of this banquet.

Those who had heard of it didn’t have much experience with it either.

Yao Shi was genuinely at a loss.

They say the more trees there are, the more strange birds you’ll find.

Who would have thought he’d encounter such a situation today?

Regardless, it was impossible for the customer to bring their own chef to cook.

No matter how challenging it was, he had to figure out a way to prepare this eight-dish eight-bowl spread.

At that moment, the headwaiter knocked and came in.

”Boss, Ms. Qin, the customer who made the reservation, is here.”

Yao Shi felt a headache coming on.

She showed up first thing in the morning, and he hadn’t even figured out a solution yet.

Yao Shi waved his hand, ”Go ahead and take her to the VIP room, I’ll be there shortly.”

After the headwaiter left, Yao Shi thought for a moment, then picked up his phone to call Zhao Meng.

Zhao Meng was busy inspecting ingredients, so it took a while before he answered.

Yao Shi got straight to the point: ”Zhao Meng, I remember you had a classmate from Fushun, right? Didn’t you tell me once that he served you the local eight-dish eight-bowl banquet?”

Zhao Meng, surprised, replied, ”Ah, yes, there was such a thing. Why?”

Yao Shi said, ”Get in touch with your classmate immediately to see if he can help bring in a chef who can prepare the eight-dish eight-bowl banquet. Money is not an issue, as long as we can bring someone in. We’ll cover food, lodging, and travel expenses. Contact your classmate now, as I have something else to handle for the moment. I’ll catch up with you later!”

Zhao Meng was taken aback but responded, ”The eight-dish eight-bowl banquet? Fu Yu can do it! How come...”

Before he could finish his sentence, Yao Shi had already hung up.

Zhao Meng was left puzzled, thinking that even if they didn’t trust Fu Yu, he could handle it.

But since Yao Shi said he was busy and would get back to him later, Zhao Meng didn’t rush to call back.

Yao Shi hung up and, filled with concern, went to the VIP room.

Getting a chef from Fushun is definitely not easy.

Not only because of the distance, but also because restaurants generally can’t spare a chef for several days.

If a head chef leaves for a few days, the restaurant owners wouldn’t agree easily.

Yao Shi pondered, thinking if necessary, he might have to invite a chef from a small Fushun restaurant and offer them extra compensation.

Spending money on this task can’t be avoided.

However, this banquet-booking customer is quite generous, so the cost is insignificant in comparison.

And if he’s able to bring someone over, he wouldn’t mind spending extra money to learn the skills himself.

What if the customer decides to hold a wedding banquet someday?

By then, he’d be prepared to handle it himself.

That’s how it is being a boss, planning way ahead beyond the immediate step.

As Yao Shi was calculating, he arrived at the VIP room.

Before entering, he heard voices inside.

”Since we’re all familiar, it’ll be easier. In fact...”

The headwaiter, who was speaking, then noticed Yao Shi approaching and quickly said, ”Our boss is here!”

Yao Shi walked in with a warm smile when he saw who was inside, stunned.

Yao Shi exclaimed, ”Fu Yu? What brings you here!”

Fu Yu, who was sitting on the sofa listening to Liu Yici and the headwaiter chat, quickly stood up when he saw Yao Shi come in, ”Chef Yao! They invited me here to help with the eight-dish eight-bowl banquet.”

Yao Shi looked at Fu Yu in disbelief, then glanced at the two smiling female customers.

He never imagined that what Fu Yu had mentioned earlier was true!

Fu Yu indeed knew the customer who booked the banquet.

Liu Yici, always straightforward, smilingly said, ”Oh, so you’re the music restaurant’s owner, nice to meet you.”

Yao Shi shook hands with Liu Yici and Qin Yue in turn.

The restaurant usually has staff responsible for customer communication, so Yao Shi doesn’t normally appear.

This was the first time meeting these two customers who made the reservation.

Liu Yici continued with a laugh, ”We only just found out that Chef Fu knows you.”

In front of others, Fu Yu was cautious and didn’t mention his part-time job at the music restaurant, only saying he knew Yao Shi and they got along well.

Yao Shi, quick on the uptake, understood what was happening and quickly agreed with a smile, ”Yes, we’re friends.”

Liu Yici chuckled, ”That’s great. We were initially worried you wouldn’t approve, but since you know each other, it makes things much easier.”

Qin Yue, who had been silent, then said, ”When I hosted a family dinner before, I had Chef Fu come over to prepare an eight-dish eight-bowl banquet. It was fantastic, so we thought of doing it again this time, with two tables.”

Yao Shi was dumbfounded.

Fu Yu had already once gone to a customer’s home to prepare an eight-dish eight-bowl banquet?

When did this happen?

Why didn’t he know?

Then, a flash of understanding crossed his mind.

Suddenly recalling that, there was indeed an occasion when a customer at Qianlima specifically requested Fu Yu for on-site service.

Zhao Meng was the one who accompanied him back then.

Originally, Yao Shi intended to inquire about it, but got sidetracked by two large orders of seafood congee.

He got busy afterward and forgot all about it.

So the customers who had come to invite Fu Yu to their home were the two people before him?

Unexplainably, Yao Shi suddenly recalled something that the headwaiter, Gao Wenjing, had once said.

Yao Shi glanced at the two sophisticated, well-preserved middle-aged ladies, and then at the handsome and spirited young man beside them.

For some reason, he felt like he understood something...