Truth Usually Begins Unbelieved

Qin Fen woke from a comfortable sleep. The moment he got up, he realized not only had all his fatigue vanished, but his entire body was brimming with energy.

"Looks like that old mountain ginseng that wasn't even worth the price of cabbage was somewhat useful." Qin Fen tidied himself up and headed out.

The moment he entered the restaurant today, he noticed something was off. Quite a few people were sitting in the hall chatting. Several female coworkers immediately greeted Qin Fen when they saw him come in, and Qin Fen returned their greetings with a smile.

"Not busy today? Why's everyone standing around out here chatting?"

As soon as Qin Fen finished speaking, the apprentice who had been clamoring to learn knife skills immediately chimed in. "Brother Qin, Master Zhang is sick today."

"Being sick doesn't mean the business can just close, does it? If he gets sick, do we all just take the day off?" Qin Fen found it rather amusing. If that were the case, wouldn't every restaurant owner have to bow to their chef's whims?

"His apprentice Wang Wei is inside mixing his master's secret sauce right now, so we aren't allowed in. Looks like he's been assigned to cook today."

"Oh, so that's why you're all so free. Fine, I'll sit for a while too. Give me some of those pancakes of yours. They're leftovers from yesterday, right? It's fine, I'll make do." After saying that, Qin Fen picked one up and put it in his mouth.

Zhang Ye really kept things tightly guarded—secret sauce and all. Qin Fen curled his lip speechlessly. What era was this? Still, it was someone else's business, so he could not be bothered to comment.

He had the cashier open a can of Wong Lo Kat for him, then slowly ate. He had always been easygoing by nature. He neither spoke of, discussed, nor judged other people's affairs. He was like a quiet pufferfish: leave him alone, and he would entertain himself; mess with him, though, and Qin Fen would puff up and shout, "Yamete!"

Sun Yating walked in through the main entrance wearing a short skirt suit. She swept her eyes over everyone, then took out her phone with an unhappy expression and began talking nonstop. Apparently worried about disturbing others, she deliberately moved into the corridor.

Qin Fen glanced at her and found his opinion of her rising further. She knew how to handle situations and had tact. The person on the other end of the call was undoubtedly Zhang Ye. To preserve his image in front of everyone, Sun Yating had stepped aside and lowered her voice, even though she was clearly in a bad mood and irritated.

This woman was pretty good—smart, rich, sensible, and top-notch. Whoever married her would really strike it rich. Yes, the key was that she was well-endowed.

After ending the call, Sun Yating returned to the hall and clapped her hands. "Everyone knows what happened today, right? Some dishes are already prepared, while Master Zhang has arranged for his apprentice Wang Wei to make the others. Some specialty dishes may not be available. I'll let you know which ones later, so don't write up an order if customers ask for them."

Such minor turbulence was not enough to stump this woman.

"Mm, how about I give it a try?" Qin Fen set down his drink. Ordinary dishes should not be a problem, he thought quietly.

"You?" Sun Yating looked at Qin Fen, somewhat hesitant. His knife skills were beyond question—she had seen them herself—but cooking was another matter entirely.

"Can you do it? Do you usually cook?" Sun Yating could not exactly ask him outright whether he had ever cooked at home or studied cooking. This was not private home cooking or everyday family dishes that he could just muddle through.

"No. You know my situation. How about I try making a dish on the spot?" Qin Fen asked cautiously. He was not entirely sure himself. Experience was experience, but he had never actually put it into practice.

Pfft! He Wen, the apprentice food runner nearby, sprayed out a mouthful of tea. An idol indeed! Try making a dish? Brother Qin, you really were something. So he had never made these dishes before, but those knife skills were genuinely awesome.

The other apprentices stared wide-eyed as well. Was this some kind of joke?

"No way. If you've never made it before, no one can guarantee they won't mess up, especially on the first try."

"I don't think he's lying. President Sun seems to know him well, which is why she asked."

"He really can't cook? I'll be damned."

Others did not know, but Sun Yating did. He had worked as a security guard before. "Are you sure you can do it? If you can, then give it a try. It's fine whether it works out or not."

"There's winter melon soup in a jar among the specialty dishes, right? I saw Zhang Ye preparing it. If so, I'll try that one. Give me a few minutes to search Baidu for the recipe. There seem to be many styles and methods. I'm not very familiar with the different types and cuisines, and I haven't made it before, but once I look it up, I should know how." Qin Fen spoke honestly. He dared swear to the heavens that, in the spirit of seeking truth from facts, he had not uttered a single lie.

Lying would not help anyway. Wouldn't they find out as soon as he tried?

Qin Fen was usually like this—sometimes he acted a little unserious—but when it came to proper business, he was always rigorous. Serious men were like that. He would never pretend to know what he did not.

The moment everyone heard the first half, they nearly lost their footing. He needed a few minutes to search Baidu? Those words echoed through everyone's minds. When they heard the second half, the men felt their balls crack while the women felt menstrual cramps.

Once he looked it up, he should know how? Then why were there so few chefs from New Oriental, and why were so many girls still unmarried? The people present felt as though their brains were not enough to process this.

He Wen's face twitched awkwardly. Those words had been spoken without the slightest hesitation. Brother Qin, you really were a true man—nothing like those idiots who could not do something but pretended they could. But since you clearly could not do it, maybe you should not try.

"No way, he really can't cook? Then what's the point of trying? Does he think being a chef just means looking things up on Baidu?"

"You don't understand. There are lots of people who rely on Baidu these days. Of course, skilled cooks can find the steps and try making dishes they aren't good at."

"Do you think Qin Fen looks like a skilled cook?"

"Mm." The person answering hesitated. One look at Sun Yating's face told him everything. "I don't think so. I think he's just showing off."

Sun Yating was so speechless her facial muscles twitched. "Forget it, Qin Fen. If you just want to liven things up and encourage everyone, I appreciate the thought." She smiled as she scolded him, giving Qin Fen an out. That line about learning it just by looking was too absurd. Ninety-nine percent of people would think Qin Fen was showing off. To spare him embarrassment later, the clever proprietress immediately went with the flow and dissolved the awkwardness without a trace.

"Mm, how about I try? I'll think it over. At worst, we'll waste a little ingredient." Qin Fen added sincerely. Heaven knew he was being completely earnest.

The apprentices' already shattered balls shattered all over again. They had believed the boss lady's attempt to smooth things over, but now he was insisting again. Damn.

"President Sun, why not let Brother Qin try?" Several female servers nearby spoke up. Trying would not kill anyone.

Sun Yating was just about to speak when Wang Wei opened the door and walked out, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "President Sun, there's no need, right? I can handle it. My master said it would be better to leave these dishes to me. After all, I've studied them and watched them being made. Besides, Qin Fen doesn't know the secret sauce. If the flavor comes out wrong, that wouldn't be good."

"You called your master?" Sun Yating frowned, hearing a trace of hostility in Zhang Ye's words.

"Mm. After all, my master is in charge of the kitchen, so it's best that he has the final say on matters inside." Wang Wei looked at Sun Yating and spoke softly. "When outsiders do too much, it's easy to ruin the restaurant's reputation." After saying that, he fixed his gaze on Qin Fen.