Chapter 383: Highest State of Acting Cool
Translator: Xiong_Guoqi Editor: DesTheSloth
Three days passed in a flash. The reason why Yuan Zhou asked to start cooking at 8:30 p.m. was that he was considerate and didn't want to delay his customers' meal time.
As soon as Shen Min arrived, Yuan Zhou summoned her to him.
"Shen Min, I won't be here tonight. You can just go back when the time is up." Yuan Zhou said to Shen Min who walked to him.
"Ok. Don't worry, Boss Yuan." Shen Min nodded her head earnestly.
"Um. I'm leaving now." Yuan Zhou then went upstairs to change clothes with relief.
"Be careful on your way, Boss Yuan." Shen Min only said that when Yuan Zhou almost got to the second floor after quite a while.
"Ok." Yuan Zhou nodded his head.
"Hoo. When exactly can I get this habit cured?" Shen Min was quite helpless to this habit of getting nervous at the sight of her teachers or superiors.
About ten minutes later, Yuan Zhou stepped down the stairs with a sound of "Ta Ta Ta".
"Boss Yuan, are you going out on a date?" Once she finished asking that, Shen Min blushed instantly and then prepared to leave with embarrassment.
"No, I'm not. I'm going to improve my culinary skills." Yuan Zhou appeared extraordinarily earnest when he was saying that.
"Oh, I see. Bye, Boss Yuan." Shen Min answered solemnly immediately.
"Um." After a nod, Yuan Zhou walked out of the side street and prepared to take a cab to the hotel.
Actually, it was not strange that Shen Min would ask that. Yuan Zhou was dressed in a dark blue round-collar robe today, which made him look fairly handsome, good-looking and slender.
As he liked simplicity when going out, Yuan Zhou only took a bank note of 10 RMB, barely enough amount for the cab, for going there and 20 RMB for coming back since there was the night fee in the evening. Apart from all that, He had only a phone with him.
"Litter bro, your clothes are pretty good. They look great." When they were waiting for the green light, the driver complimented him smilingly.
"Thank you. This is the round-neck robe." Yuan Zhou first nodded to thank him and then answered.
"Oh. I know the character, Lord Dee, in the TV series of Renjie Dee likes wearing this kind of clothes." The driver indicated that he liked watching the costume dramas very much.
"Um. It's indeed similar to that." Yuan Zhou thought for a while and then found they really looked the same.
"Then do you also put your money in the sleeves?" The driver gazed at Yuan Zhou's puff from time to time.
"Yes. I can make a pocket inside." Yuan Zhou nodded his head.
"It's indeed true. Interesting." The driver then started to drive carefully after his curiosity was satisfied.
In less than 10 minutes, the driver made a turn and parked the car gracefully at the entrance of the hotel with a sound of "Zi".
"With those driving skills, you can even enter a competition." Yuan Zhou muttered inwardly with an expressionless look and then took out the bank note of 10 RMB and gave it to him.
"The amount is just right. Bye, little brother." The driver nodded his head and said goodbye to Yuan Zhou.
"Goodbye." Yuan Zhou also nodded his head.
"Hello. Come in, please." The doorman came over to lead him the way.
"Guanju Hall on the fourth floor, please." Yuan Zhou directly brought out the destination.
"Ok. Follow me, please." The doorman answered smilingly.
Although Yuan Zhou was dressed in Han Chinese clothing, nobody stopped to stare at him. Therefore, he arrived at the fourth floor quietly.
"It is almost the time. Why isn't that person here yet?" Master Chen complained while looking at the entrance.
And Yuan Zhou happened to hear that when he arrived.
The entire hall was arranged to be as well-lit as during the day. There were even shadowless lamps where Yuan Zhou would process the food ingredients.
On the long countertop, all tools required for steaming, oil-frying, stir-frying and boiling were all complete and furthermore, the three pots, bowls and wooden dippers were all laid out at the side.
Behind him were the plates and bowls used for carrying the dishes. They were as long as the kitchen countertop and were separated into several parts, where there were different patterns and styles.
On the left were six large sinks for washing the vegetables and next to them was the azure stone countertop for processing the ingredients.
"Great. It's fairly decent." Yuan Zhou nodded his head contentedly when he saw the food ingredients along the wall at the other side.
"This place is indeed very good." Zhou Shijie said proudly with a smile.
"You have truly done a lot of work. Thank you." Courtesies were never missed by Yuan Zhou.
"Um. Now it's your turn to say something." Zhou Shijie went up only to say that.
"Alright." Yuan Zhou nodded his head.
"Today's leading role has arrived now. This old man has starved all day long and waited for a whole day just to taste this meal. I believe everybody is probably the same." Zhou Shijie wasn't solemn today as how he had been during the contest. Once he went up to the chefs, he joked with them.
"Haw-haw. We are also waiting to see Boss Yuan show his awesomeness." These chefs were still waiting for Yuan Zhou to give them the reasons.
"Exactly. Boss Yuan, you have to handle us all by yourself." Dressed in casual clothes, the talking chef crossed his arms over his chest and looked at him smilingly.
"Yeah. Boss Yuan still has to bother with us." Another chef immediately chimed in.
Chu Xiao just sat at the side and watched them without saying any word. Of course, his expression showed obvious disbelief.
"Hey, why don't you say something to persuade him?" Xing Min was slightly worried when he saw that, but since it wasn't appropriate for him to say anything, he had to ask Lee Yanyi beside him.
"It's none of my business." Lee Yanyi just revealed a look of puzzlement.
"What a stubborn old guy! Pity, what a pity!" Xing Min then became flustered and exasperated. He patted his thighs and muttered vaguely, all about bad words to Lee Yanyi.
Lee Yanyi nevertheless just kept silent and waited to eat.
Naturally, Yuan Zhou could get the sarcasm from their words, but he just remained expressionless. Only when these chefs finished talking did he start to say.
"Please, do you have the colorless crystal rod?" Yuan Zhou said to the waiter beside him.
"Yes, we do." The waiter didn't expect Yuan Zhou to talk to him and hence only answered after a slight hesitation.
"Please give it to me." Yuan Zhou said deservedly with his expression unchanged.
"Ho Ho. Let me wait and see how you act out later." The disdain revealed on Master Cheng's face was almost flowing out.
"The thing is actually like this. Due to my mysophobia problem, my plate presentation would probably be quite different from those made by others." While Yuan Zhou was talking to the serving girl, he washed his hands.
According to the old customs, Yuan Zhou repeated the actions three times. Only when they saw how Yuan Zhou washed his hands and wore the face mask did those chefs stop talking. After Yuan Zhou did all that, however, he took up a daikon and immediately started to sculpt while speaking.
"Shua Shua Shua". While the kitchen knife was dancing in the air, the thin daikon slices fell off like the lunar aureole. In a short while, Yuan Zhou had sculpted the daikon in his hand into a beautiful ancient court lady.
With a big downward bun, the court lady was dressed in layers of gowns. The skirt angle was flown upward and the scarf was blowing in the wind. The gentle smile revealed on her face, the plentiful and plump temperament and romantic charm as well as the white and smooth skin all indicated Yuan Zhou's superb craftsmanship.
"Damn!" As a master that had been famous for long, even Master Cheng couldn't help rubbing his eyes.
"That was way too fast." Master Fang became flabbergasted.
"Sh*t! I also want a plate presentation like this one."
"No wonder he doesn't want others to cut the vegetables for him."
"...." Other chefs thought of their interjections bitterly in the heart.
"I never expected him to be that good." Chu Xiao was also a little surprised.
The first was that Yuan Zhou used the kitchen knife; secondly, the time was very short; thirdly, it was almost a work of art rather than a decoration of a plate presentation. Chu Xiao had to admit that Yuan Zhou's knife skill was really better than his.
"I like this style of presentation. It's unique and is of a minority." This time, a rare faint smile appeared on Yuan Zhou's face, which made him seem extraordinarily sincere.
Unique?
Was that only unique?
As for being the minority, it was indeed so, as none of the chefs on site could reach that level.
Then, the chefs that watched at the side only wanted to say inwardly, "I don't know what to say, but we all like this style of plate presentation. Get us a dozen, oh no, ten dozen, please."
No wonder he didn't want others to help...
"Master Yuan seems to be a very tough guy." Zhou Shijie said to the other two people at the side while stroking his beard.
However, the sculpture was only the very start. Yuan Zhou's presentation of culinary skills had barely begun.