The Reviled God of Cooking Tries to Slack Off - Chapter 74

Wen Qi was a renowned overachiever—his work ability was consistently impressive. Not only did he swiftly establish contact with several people on the list Jiang Tingzhou provided, but he even made arrangements to monitor the situation at the Jiang household.

Since he had already gone to such lengths, and given Jiang Tingzhou’s thorough understanding of the Jiang family, the latter explained the situation to him in detail.

Wen Qi had expected Jiang Tingzhou to continue the discussion and make a swift decision. But instead, Jiang Tingzhou asked, “Mr. Wen, are you feeling dizzy? I saw you drank quite a bit yesterday.”

Wen Qi replied, “I’m fine.”

He was used to drinking heavily. Though he was slightly dizzy, he could still function normally.

Jiang Tingzhou said, “That wine has a lasting effect. You know how things are—some matters take time. And the sugar factory isn’t like other places. We value hands-on effort here.”

Wen Qi was stunned, then heard Jiang Tingzhou add, “But, Mr. Wen, you’re even more capable than I imagined.”

Wen Qi coughed lightly at that and couldn’t help the smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He forced a calm tone and said, “Oh, it’s nothing—just doing my part.”

After that phone call, he threw himself into recruiting even harder, and it didn’t take long for results to show.

To follow up, Wen Qi invited Jiang Tingzhou to dinner, wanting a proper, in-depth conversation.

He had wanted to invite Jiang Tingzhou out since their first meeting at the sugar factory, but never got the chance. He had always been the one attending Jiang Tingzhou’s events. Now he finally had the opportunity to return the favor.

This time, Wen Qi made careful preparations.

He booked a restaurant well in advance, arrived early, and brought a large bouquet of sunflowers. “Boss Jiang, I thought these would look lovely in your yard.”

The bouquet was eye-catching. Sunflowers were the focal point, bright and beautiful.

“Boss Jiang, I think sunflowers suit you,” Wen Qi said. “They represent warmth, brilliance, and…”

He was used to dealing with many clients—once a cooperation was established, he would nurture a personal connection beyond work. Teamwork never ended at the first deal. Especially since he truly had feelings for Jiang Tingzhou.

And Wen Qi did have a personal motive today—he believed most people softened in such an environment.

But Jiang Tingzhou’s first response was: “Edible.”

He was dressed simply, as always. After accepting the bouquet, he examined the sunflower and said, “There are actual seeds in this.”

But decorative sunflowers might have seeds, yet not necessarily edible ones. Jiang Tingzhou thought it a pity. He considered planting a few live ones in his barely used courtyard, so he could snack on sunflower seeds later. The bouquet would wilt quickly, though, so after a simple “Thank you,” he set the flowers aside and asked: “I heard your recent work’s going well?”

Wen Qi: “…”

Jiang Tingzhou really was here to talk about work.

So Wen Qi responded truthfully: “Yes, quite smoothly.”

Among the people on Jiang Tingzhou’s list, many held senior positions and appeared to be ordinary employees. At first, Wen Qi only sent people to make inquiries. Many of them had long been fed up with the Jiang environment. A few were hesitant at first, but once Wen Qi mentioned Jiang Tingzhou’s name, they immediately agreed to leave and work for him.

At Jiang Corp’s, only those who played politics got promoted. Even competent, hardworking employees could be replaced by relatives. Naturally, most had no loyalty or sense of belonging.

Jiang Tingzhou nodded. He had expected this.

In his previous life, it was only after Jiang Tingzhou had taken charge that these people advanced. Even without memories from that life, everyone knew the results Jiang Tingzhou achieved at the old Gongyan restaurant. For hardworking employees, choosing a more reliable boss made perfect sense.

Wen Qi was very comfortable with this kind of task. It wasn’t difficult for him, so he felt at ease discussing it.

Besides, he had done business in this restaurant many times. It felt like his territory now—he was in his element. 

But just as he began to speak, not only did the waiter arrive, the restaurant’s chef came over too.

Surprisingly, the chef came for Jiang Tingzhou.

He greeted him warmly, saying it had been a while and how glad he was to see him again.

Wen Qi: “…”

He knew Jiang Tingzhou was a renowned chef, but this was a Western restaurant. The head chef here was a foreigner—usually aloof. Yet he was suddenly very cordial toward Jiang Tingzhou.

Jiang Tingzhou exchanged a few polite words with the chef. Luckily, the conversation didn’t last long. But soon after, the waiter returned with a bottle of wine—one even finer than the one Wen Qi had specially prepared.

“This is a gift from the restaurant,” the waiter said, smiling at Jiang Tingzhou. “Our chef said this wine pairs perfectly with the steak. If you notice anything lacking in the meal, please let us know.”

Wen Qi: “…”

He had nothing to say.

Jiang Tingzhou offered a brief explanation: “The circle of senior chefs is quite small. I know most of them in Yongqing and have exchanged ideas with many.”

Though high-end restaurants competed fiercely, Jiang Tingzhou had good relationships with many chefs.

Wen Qi’s expression stiffened. He nodded, understanding implicitly: if one tried to impress in a restaurant environment, with Jiang Tingzhou present, it was futile. 

Inside a kitchen or dining hall, this was Jiang Tingzhou’s domain.

In a restaurant, Jiang Tingzhou was king.

Upstairs in a private room, Lu Baiyu observed everything and snorted.

Ever since last time, he’d been keeping an eye on Wen Qi. That man was too casual and far from discreet.

He knew the red wine was from the head chef—his idea—yet the waiter said it was from “the restaurant.”

Wen Qi claimed this was a work meeting, but Lu Baiyu could see his true intentions. However, he believed Wen Qi’s tactics wouldn’t work on Jiang Tingzhou.

Jiang Tingzhou was only interested in the sugar factory. He didn’t even drink the wine—just sniffed it—before returning to business.

Wen Qi seemed to realize that, sighed, and steered the conversation back to work. 

After recruiting the people Jiang Tingzhou asked for, he was still unsure about the next step.

The names on Jiang Tingzhou’s list were truly talented individuals. Although they held senior positions in the Jiang estate, many were young but adapted well in their new roles. Li Shuyan also praised their suitability. But the most experienced senior chefs of Jiang Corp were not on the list. Did the sugar factory really need chefs right now? And why bring them in so quickly?

Jiang Tingzhou asked, “You sent someone to ask the chefs, didn’t you? What did they say?”

“I offered a high price, but no response,” Wen Qi said. “They’re hard to persuade.”

Jiang Tingzhou nodded, as though he’d expected this.

For a chain like Gongyan, chefs were essential. Jiang Yisheng may be cunning, but he was foolish when it came to this issue.

“The chefs at Gongyan aren’t all the same,” Jiang Tingzhou continued. “They’ve worked with Jiang Yisheng for years. Some of them are loyal—not to him, but to the old Jiang family.”

The Jiang family had royal chef origins. After Jiang Tingzhou apprenticed under Master Wang, he also learned the Jiang family cuisine. Though Gongyan expanded and quality varied among chefs, the veteran head chefs at key branches were always reliable—and they weren’t particularly close to Jiang Yisheng.

“They’re good people. They’ve worked hard for years without slacking,” Jiang Tingzhou said. “But the Jiang family is corrupt to the core.”

The older chefs had once worked for Jiang Tingzhou’s grandfather—Jiang Moli’s father. They were essentially Jiang Yisheng’s uncles, and he still played nice in front of them.

He knew if those chefs left, Jiang Corp’s restaurant would collapse. Many of them were deeply loyal and hadn’t seen through Jiang Yisheng yet. Even Jiang Moli might not fully realize how cruel he truly was.

But Jiang Tingzhou did.

When Jiang You’s accident occurred, Jiang Tingzhou not only didn’t return—he recruited people away for the sugar factory. He made no effort to hide it, and word spread quickly.

His attitude toward the Jiang family was obvious: the split was irreversible.

Jiang Yisheng’s reaction was predictable. He wouldn’t repent. He only cared about profits. 

First, he squeezed money from the Lu Group, and now he used online marketing accounts to spread sympathy bait—saying things like, “No matter what, no family is truly unbreakable.”

He shifted all blame onto Jiang You, playing the victim to whitewash himself. He posed as a wronged, loving father and used that pity to plant stories online. Though he didn’t attack Jiang Tingzhou outright, the narrative insinuated Jiang Tingzhou was cold and heartless.

Despite his efforts, Jiang Tingzhou’s public reputation was hard to shake. Still, Jiang Yisheng’s habit of playing the victim made him dangerous.

Worse yet, people actually believed that after selling assets and laying off staff, Gongyan had stabilized. In reality, that stability was due to a few remaining master chefs.

Even without Jiang Tingzhou, their cooking ranked among the best in Yongqing.

They were Jiang Yisheng’s final lifeline.

Jiang Tingzhou told Wen Qi this matter was urgent. He seemed to foresee Jiang Yisheng’s next move—if he played the sympathy card for too long, it would eventually backfire.

Wen Qi, while busy with the sugar factory, also put significant effort into poaching people.

Lu Baiyu continued observing from upstairs. He was aware of the recent poaching and the upcoming chef competition. He didn’t intend to relax in any area that might help Jiang Tingzhou.

But Wen Qi, to Lu Baiyu’s surprise, had only brought flowers and managed to recruit quality chefs despite how difficult that was.

“I brought a gift for Boss Jiang today—an after-meal snack. Please try it and see if it still tastes the same.”

He opened a small box. Inside was a layered almond pastry—one of the signature desserts of Gongyan restaurant.

“This was made by the head chef of the Sanfen branch,” Wen Qi said with a light smile. “He’s joining the sugar factory today. Boss Jiang, I think this kind of dessert would be popular here.”