Courtyard House: Become Stronger Through Blind Dates

The atmosphere in the kitchen of the Oriental Hotel was somewhat subtle in the afternoon.

As soon as He Yuzhu entered, the previously noisy food preparation area instantly quieted down.

Almost all eyes were focused on him.

There were concerns, curiosity, admiration, and a couple of people waiting to see the joke go wrong.

Wang Jianguo and Li Weidong were the first to rush over: "Master He, you're back!"

"We've heard about the match this morning. Are you alright?"

Li Weidong, also looking nervous, said, "Yes, Master He, we heard that you... you know what happened to the judges? And you even hit someone?"

He Yuzhu laughed and said, "What could possibly happen to me? I was just disqualified from the competition! The competition was pointless anyway, it was all rigged."

He didn't lower his voice, and many people who were listening heard him, immediately sparking a murmur of discussion.

"A conspiracy? Really?"

"It must be true...!"

"Tsk, if it's true, then that's really..."

Master Chen pushed through the crowd and walked over to He Yuzhu, saying, "Zhuzi, Director Zhao wants you to go to his office as soon as you arrive."

"Okay, I'll go right away." He Yuzhu nodded, placed the wooden box containing Shen Yuan on the worktable, and turned to walk towards Zhao Dezhu's office.

As soon as he left, the kitchen erupted in chaos:

"Master He has really gotten himself into big trouble this time..."

"I heard that Old Sun has a very high status in the circle, this is troublesome..."

"Director Zhao asked him to go, could it be that...?"

Hearing these comments, Wang Jianguo quickly said, "Don't talk nonsense! Master He's skills are so good, he'll definitely be fine!"

Li Weidong chimed in, "Exactly! That person's using underhanded tactics, and we're not even allowed to fight back?"

When he arrived at the office door, He Yuzhu knocked.

"Come in," came Zhao Dezhu's voice from inside.

He Yuzhu pushed open the door and went in. He saw Zhao Dezhu sitting behind his desk, holding a teacup in his hand, looking at him with a smile.

"Director, you wanted to see me?" He Yuzhu asked.

"Zhu Zi is here? Sit down!" Zhao Dezhu pointed to the chair opposite him and poured He Yuzhu a cup of tea. "Come, come, have some tea to calm your nerves."

He Yuzhu was a little confused by his posture, but sat down as instructed.

Zhao Dezhu looked at him with a smile and got straight to the point: "The commotion at the Cultural Palace this morning was quite something, wasn't it?"

He Yuzhu frankly said, "Yes, I made an authentic Nine-Turned Intestines dish for the judge, and he was so moved that he vomited on the spot."

"His grandson tried to hit me, but I kicked him, and then I was disqualified and had to come back."

Zhao Dezhu's lips twitched as he listened, and he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Hahaha, Pillar, you're really something!"

Zhao Dezhu laughed for a while before saying seriously, "As soon as you left, I received a call."

"Good heavens, it hasn't stopped all afternoon. There are calls demanding answers, sarcastic remarks watching the drama unfold, and even someone trying to poach our employees!"

"Poaching someone from the wall?" He Yuzhu asked in confusion.

"Yeah, they said if I couldn't protect you, they could send you to work for them... I'll go to hell with them!" Zhao Dezhu spat. "Do you think my people are so easy to poach?"

He took a sip of tea and continued, "Even our direct supervisor called."

He Yuzhu felt a slight tightness in his chest and looked at Zhao Dezhu.

Zhao Dezhu said smugly, "The leader was quite aggressive at first, asking me what was going on. I just told him everything I knew."

"Hehe, the key point is that Old Man Sun wants to pave the way for his grandson, so he's deliberately suppressing you."

"The leader didn't say anything after listening, so I said, 'Sir, although He Yuzhu has a bit of a temper, he's only sixteen! Isn't it normal for young people to have some youthful vigor?'"

Zhao Dezhu mimicked his superior's tone, saying, "'What? Only sixteen?' The superior blurted that out on the phone, and his attitude changed immediately!"

"And then?" He Yuzhu asked curiously.

Zhao Dezhu laughed and said, "Then the boss exploded, cursing on the phone: 'Damn it, you're bullying my people? And you're trying to play the victim, complaining to me first?'"

"The leader said at the time, 'Old Zhao, let Comrade He Yuzhu focus on his work, I'll handle this! I'm going to call their catering association's superior right now and ask them how this association operates! If they can't do it, they should disband it as soon as possible, always resorting to these crooked tricks!'"

After Zhao Dezhu finished speaking, he leaned back comfortably in his chair: "So, Zhuzi, don't worry! Our Dongfang Hotel is a state-owned enterprise, a legitimate government-run hotel!"

"His semi-official association and his arrogant, senior chef aren't qualified to mess with us!"

"Thank you, Director!" He Yuzhu said sincerely.

He was genuinely touched; this was completely different from what he had expected!

He originally thought that even if he wasn't expelled, he would at least get a scolding.

"What are you thanking me for?" Zhao Dezhu waved his hand. "You're a valuable asset to our restaurant. If I don't protect you, who else should I protect?"

He said regretfully, "I regret not going with you this morning to see how that old man Sun eats shit, hahaha..."

He Yuzhu was speechless, thinking to himself: Director, are you using your curiosity in the wrong place?

"Alright, alright, I'm not teasing you anymore! Go back to work and get back to business. We have two more tables to entertain tonight, so show me what you're made of and let those people who're waiting to see us fail see. We're a chef at the Oriental Hotel, and we rely on skill, not some crooked trick!"

"Yes, mission accomplished!" He Yuzhu stood up and answered loudly.

As He Yuzhu left the director's office, he felt completely relaxed and walked with a spring in his step.

Seeing his smiling face and relaxed expression, the members of the Sichuan cuisine team secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Wang Jianguo and Li Weidong came over again, and He Yuzhu briefly explained what Zhao Dezhu had said. The two of them were so excited that they almost jumped up.

"That's great, Master He! I knew Director Zhao was overprotective of his own..."

"Indeed, Director Zhao is awesome!"

He Yuzhu laughed and scolded them, sending them off to work, while he rolled up his sleeves and went to the stove.

Perhaps because he had the support of his superiors, He Yuzhu felt exceptionally well today.

He went all out, not only finishing his own tasks but also taking care of a few dishes for Chef Chen.

Seeing that He Yuzhu was having a great time, Master Chen was happy to relax and watched from the side with a smile.

Thanks to He Yuzhu's leadership, the entire Sichuan cuisine team became much more efficient, and the atmosphere was exceptionally harmonious.

The two banquet tables that evening received unanimous praise from the guests for the dishes prepared by Chef He Yuzhu.

One guest even called Zhao Dezhu over specifically to praise him highly.

Zhao Dezhu beamed with joy and went to the kitchen to praise him when he returned.