The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 570 Cao Dongdong's Ideal
"A strong yearning for ideals...?"

Cao Dongdong looked troubled.

With Zhao Qian's advance demonstration, he knew roughly how to do it.

but…

"Qin Lang, it seems I... have no ideals."

Cao Dongdong's expression was somewhat embarrassed when he said this.

"No ideals?" Qin Lang was taken aback. "We've known each other for so long, I don't think you're someone without ideals."

“But…” Cao Dongdong scratched his head, “I don’t think I really have any.”

"You know my family's situation; we have everything we could want."

"What about things other than material things?" Qin Lang asked, "For example, ideals in cooking, or other ideals?"

"You should have some, shouldn't you?"

"Is there...?" Cao Dongdong looked bewildered.

Seeing Cao Dongdong's appearance, Qin Lang seemed to understand something.

Cao Dongdong may not have been without ideals, but... he never truly understood his own ideals.

"Dongdong, you clearly have a well-off family background, why do you want to learn cooking?"

"Of course, it's to become a Spirit Chef!" Cao Dongdong said without hesitation. "Becoming a Spirit Chef is a really cool thing."

"only…"

Cao Dongdong looked at his hands. "I've become a Spirit Chef."

"I don't have the same idea as Zhao Qian that I must become a strong person."

"Even if I only have Tuantuan as my food spirit right now, I am very satisfied."

"So becoming a spirit chef is my ideal..."

"I think I've already achieved it."

“But…” Qin Lang tried to continue guiding the conversation, “Aren’t you very concerned about the Food Recommender assessment? If one Food Spirit is enough, why are you so concerned?”

“Because…” Cao Dongdong pondered for a moment, then suddenly fell silent.

After a moment, he scratched his head somewhat awkwardly, "Because you two already have several food spirits, I... don't want to fall too far behind."

Qin Lang's brows furrowed. "Since you don't want to become a powerful Spirit Chef, why don't you want to fall behind us...?"

"Because I'm afraid!" Cao Dongdong's voice suddenly rose a few decibels.

"I'm afraid... you'll find me a burden... and won't travel with me anymore."

Qin Lang fell silent for a moment, then clenched his fist and punched Cao Dongdong hard in the chest. "You bastard, you actually think this way about me and Zhao Qian?"

"No... I just..."

Before Cao Dongdong could say anything more, Qin Lang abruptly interrupted him.

“Back in Pang Long’s cooking class, you were the only one who secretly helped me, lending me your notes from the advanced courses,” Qin Lang said, enunciating each word clearly.

"Throughout our journey, in every city we visited, we stayed at the Tianzhou Hotel that you had booked in advance. You were also our travel guide and advisor most of the time."

"Dongdong, you're a very important teammate, how could we possibly look down on you?"

"But..." Qin Lang paused slightly, "You should have your own ideals and your own goals in life."

"It's not about how you should act because of me or Zhao Qian."

“But I really didn’t…” Cao Dongdong began, but was interrupted again.

"If not, then find one now!" Qin Lang slapped Cao Dongdong hard on the shoulder. "Think about it, what is something that makes you genuinely happy while doing it, and that you're willing to keep working hard at it!"

“Fira—” A glimmer of light burst forth from Cao Dongdong’s Tian Shu Star Vein, and Tuan Tuan flew out of the star vein on its own initiative, rubbing against Cao Dongdong’s cheek, seemingly to encourage him.

“Tuantuan…” Cao Dongdong was slightly moved, then his eyes became firm. “Alright! In that case, let’s find our ideals together!”

As he spoke, he picked up Tuantuan and walked aside to ponder.

Slightly relieved, Qin Lang then looked at Qiao Yu on the other side.

"Miss Qiao Yu, you..."

“I heard your conversation with Cao Dongdong just now,” Qiao Yu suddenly said. “Actually, those words also touched me a lot.”

She paused slightly, "My mother left me a long time ago. From childhood to adulthood, my father has always been my role model and my pride."

“So…” Qiao Yu’s eyes showed a moment of confusion, “I joined the security management team not because I had any noble ideals or wanted to do something for the citizens, but simply because my father was the captain of the security management team.”

“And I want to be like him.”

“But…” Qiao Yu slowly squatted down, her tone somewhat dejected, “I’m actually a terrible member of the security team, right?”

“Even though I entered this place and saw everyone who was missing, all I could think about was my father and the security team. I didn’t even consider rescuing everyone together.”

Hearing Qiao Yu's words, Qin Lang sighed slightly.

To be fair, Qiao Yu was indeed not a qualified member of the public security management team.

But the members of the security management team are also human beings, and Qin Lang would not impose on others any moral demands that exceed those of ordinary people just because of his profession.

“Miss Qiao Yu,” Qin Lang said softly, “I have visited many cities and met many members of the public security management teams during my travels.”

“Some of them, like your father, risked their lives for others.”

"But there are also some who don't do this job well."

"But I believe that people can gradually improve themselves through their own efforts, so the key to this matter lies in..."

"Do you want to become a member of the security management team?"

Hearing this, Qiao Yu was stunned.

She often complained in hushed tones about the sheer volume of documents at the Public Security Bureau, and she was also often annoyed by the rude attitude of petitioners. Whenever she complained to her father, the response she received was always that she was not suited for this job.

Although this truth is hurtful, but...

She might not be suited to be a member of the Public Security Bureau, nor would she want to be. The heavy sense of responsibility was far beyond what her lively and outgoing personality could handle…

and so…

Aside from the security management team, what is her ideal?

Seeing Qiao Yu's thoughtful expression, Qin Lang knew that she seemed to have grasped the key to the problem.

Qin Lang wasn't very familiar with Qiao Yu, so this was all the help he could offer.

"Qin Lang!" Cao Dongdong's excited voice came from behind.

Unlike his previous bewildered look, Cao Dongdong's face was now filled with excitement. "I know! My dream is desserts!"

"Before, we all set up a stall together. Although it was tiring and hard work, I felt very happy when I saw customers smile from the bottom of their hearts because of my egg yolk pastries!"

"When I'm studying desserts, I feel like time flies by, and I get a great sense of accomplishment when I successfully develop a new dessert."

"So!" he exclaimed excitedly, "My dream is to continue down the path of desserts! I want to become the world's number one pastry chef!"

"I..." Cao Dongdong's words were cut short by the sudden appearance of azure light.

Seeing the other person disappear into thin air with a bewildered expression, Qin Lang smiled.

This guy has finally figured it out.

(End of this chapter)