A Turn for the Better

Fatty Wang's eyes were practically glued to Qin Fen's hands. Watching them dance in a blur, he waited eagerly in his heart. Why hasn't he cut his hand yet?

When he suddenly heard Qin Fen speak, he gradually collected himself and looked at the kid staring unblinkingly at him.

"Say that again? Heh." Fatty Wang sneered. Don't think you're some hotshot just because you can peel an Apple without looking. "I said I'm docking five hundred from you. Including the earlier amount, that makes six hundred. Clear enough?"

Qin Fen's hand trembled, and a strip of peel fell to the ground. The cut was perfectly even, without the slightest variation in width. It was clear that his skill had been honed through countless repetitions.

"I see. Then there's nothing more to say." Qin Fen spoke naturally, his face calm as well.

The colleague beside him, who got along well with him, felt his heart skip a beat upon hearing that. He knew Qin Fen's temperament better than anyone. The calmer he was, the angrier he was. If he were grinning and trying to smooth things over, there would still be room to reconcile.

Thinking of this, he immediately stepped out of the guardhouse and walked toward them. "Boss, it's really hot today. How about we go inside and sit down? It's easy to get heated in weather like this. Qin Fen, apologize to the boss already. Let this be the last time, and we'll call it even."

"Apologize? You think an apology settles everything? Without a sense of responsibility, what can you possibly do well?" Fatty Wang was not so easy to deal with. The sight of Qin Fen irritated him from the bottom of his heart.

From afar, he spotted a car pulling over. A burst of wicked anger immediately rose within him, becoming even harder to suppress.

"Today, you must give a thorough self-criticism. Your pay is definitely getting docked. An apology can come afterward." The more Fatty Wang spoke, the more excited he became.

He looked at Qin Fen as though he had been injected with adrenaline.

"When did I say I was going to apologize?" Qin Fen flicked his finger, and the Apple spun on his fingertip like a ball.

This time, it was not just Fatty Wang who stared dumbly. His colleague was equally stunned. Holy shit, you usually just bite into them with the peel on. What's gotten into you today? This is creepy as hell.

"What do you want, then?" Fatty Wang's face darkened. Something was wrong. This kid had always been slippery.

Qin Fen suddenly raised the hand holding the knife. The small blade spun eerily in his palm, exactly like when the Food God carved roast duck. With several flashes of light—swish, swish, swish—he held up one side of the Apple toward Fatty Wang.

The two men opposite him looked closely. Two words had been carved into the Apple: Idiot!

"See that clearly? I quit. Dock however much you want."

His colleague was dumbfounded. Those two words had been carved so neatly.

Fatty Wang was stunned. This brat wanted to rebel? It was completely beyond his expectations.

"Don't regret this. Your rent is due soon, you know. If you resign on your own, you might not get paid for this month." Fatty Wang immediately smiled. So he wanted to act tough? Fine.

Qin Fen smiled as well. Just as he was about to speak, a voice suddenly cut in. "I don't think he'll regret it."

The three turned their heads, and a red Mercedes-Benz convertible slowly drove over.

Sun Yating! All three of them were instantly drawn to the woman who had suddenly appeared!

After getting out of the car and walking over to Qin Fen, Sun Yating snatched the Apple from his hand. A strange smile appeared on her face. She had come back early to handle something, never expecting to witness this scene.

Aside from feeling a little embarrassed that Qin Fen had been picked on, what shocked her most was his knife work. It was simply exquisite beyond measure. Without years of experience, no one could have done it. Even more frightening was that he had never looked at all. He had peeled it blind, showing that this technique had seeped into his bones.

What kind of man was the most charming? A serious man. Qin Fen's casual confidence had been elevated even further. In that moment, she had nearly screamed, terrified that he would cut his hand.

As someone in the restaurant business, she understood deeply that he was an expert, at least equally skilled with both hot and cold dishes.

"You want to hire him?" Even Fatty Wang's voice changed. His colleague looked as if he had seen a ghost. You two had not known each other for that long, had you?

"That's right. Qin Fen, how much do you make a month?" Sun Yating asked softly with a smile.

"Two thousand four hundred."

"I'll give you five thousand a month, with one month's salary paid in advance, plus full social insurance and a housing fund. Any problem with that?"

Sun Yating casually doubled his pay. His colleague's face was filled with envy. Five thousand just like that, with insurance and a housing fund included? This was fucking ridiculous. He had just been worried that Qin Fen would lose his job, but in the blink of an eye, the guy was about to soar.

"Of course there's no problem. Boss, I'll be following you from now on." Qin Fen put away his knife.

"Work hard. I think highly of you." With that, Sun Yating patted Qin Fen on the shoulder.

"Qin Fen, don't regret this." Fatty Wang panicked. What was going on?

"What regret? Are you sick? Didn't you hear what I said? Qin Fen is leaving. He starts work today. Forget that tiny bit of salary. Let's go." With that, Sun Yating twisted her waist and headed toward the Mercedes-Benz.

She opened the car door, turned around, and saw that Qin Fen was still standing there in a daze, not following her. "What are you staring at? Get in. Come back to the restaurant with me."

Damn it, Qin Fen really was a scheming bitch. When had he latched onto a rich woman? His colleague's face twisted in agony. He had switched sides far too thoroughly. When he turned his head, he saw Fatty Wang's greenish face and quickly backed away. This was not a good time to appear in front of him. Who knew whether he would find someone to vent his rage on?

Looking at the luxury car, the beauty, and the security uniform, Fatty Wang's muscles twitched nonstop. He was about to cough up blood. A salted fish could turn over too? That made no sense!

"Oh, coming." Leaving the still-dazed Fatty Wang behind, Qin Fen darted into Sun Yating's beat-up car and sat in the passenger seat.

The car started and slowly left the residential compound. Qin Fen looked at the calm Demoness beside him, feeling a little dizzy. Was this New Oriental? New Oriental's chef program? He had only just thought about it, and it had already come true?

"What are you looking at? Do I have flowers on my face?" Sun Yating touched her cheek.

"No." Qin Fen swallowed. The moment she touched her face, raising her arm naturally created a certain curve and squeeze. Women all had something there—it depended on whether they squeezed it. It was already frightening enough normally; if she squeezed it too, that was downright insane.

"Then look ahead." Sun Yating's lips curved upward. "The boundless scenery lies atop perilous peaks, right?"

Qin Fen shuddered. Demoness. Would it kill you not to say it out loud?

The two fell silent. Qin Fen took out his phone, checked the friend group, and read the Food God's latest psychological update. He confirmed one thing.

Merit, right? What was recharged was Merit. The two realms were separated, and the Mortal Realm no longer had immortal or spiritual energy. That meant there was now only one thing that truly connected the two realms: Merit.