What's wrong with me, a school principal, listening to students' suggestions?

Zhou Dahai's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

His mouth opened and closed, closed and opened again.

The expression on his face changed rapidly within three seconds.

Surprise, hesitation, excitement, inner conflict, and finally, it's so good!

"Master, two million! To make a communal meal."

His youngest apprentice tugged at his sleeve quietly from behind.

"Shut up."

Zhou Dahai rebuked in a low voice, but his tone clearly lacked confidence.

"I brought the contracts with me today."

Seeing his conflicted expression, Lin Yucai added insult to injury.

"A prepayment of six months' salary, one million, will be credited to your account tomorrow."

"Try it for a month first. If you're not satisfied, you can leave anytime. You don't need to get your prepayment back."

Zhou Dahai took a deep breath and straightened his back.

"Principal Lin..."

His tone changed.

The arrogance of before transformed into a subtle, somewhat polite... ingratiating tone.

"Principal Lin, please have a seat here!"

"Xiao Li! Go brew a pot of the finest Longjing tea!"

Su Qingyan stood to the side, dumbfounded as Zhou Dahai personally pulled out a chair for Lin Yucai.

They were even more attentive than the hotel lobby staff.

The people who were trying to drive them away just three minutes ago are now practically begging to serve Lin Yucai water to wash his feet.

Indeed, money is the best stepping stone.

No, it's a battering ram.

Lin Yucai raised an eyebrow at Su Qingyan and sat down in the chair with his head tilted back.

What is a "persuasion-obeying system"?

Isn't this a classic super-rich system?!

So cool!

……

The contract was signed swiftly and decisively.

Zhou Dahai led a team of four chefs, including three apprentices.

The annual salary of two million yuan, including all staff salaries, was allocated by Lin Yucai.

Year-end bonuses vary depending on performance, starting at 500,000.

"Chef Zhou, you'll be on set tonight."

Lin Yucai put away the signed contract.

"Tonight?" Zhou Dahai was stunned. "Isn't that a bit too rushed?"

"Breakfast will be served at 6:30 tomorrow morning. There are 500 students, and not a single one can go hungry."

Zhou Dahai gasped.

Breakfast for 500 people, prepared from scratch, with only one night to prepare.

But he glanced down at the number on the contract.

100 million!

"No problem!" He slapped his thigh and shouted at his three apprentices.

"What are you all standing there for? Go back and pack your things!"

"Bring all your best-kept secret weapons!"

"Also, go to the food market and I'll make a list."

The three apprentices scrambled out of the room.

Lin Yucai nodded in satisfaction and winked at Su Qingyan.

Su Qingyan followed him out of the Imperial Kitchen and into the elevator.

The moment the elevator doors closed, Su Qingyan finally couldn't hold back anymore.

"Lin Yucai, where did you get three million?"

"Let's talk about it when we get back to school."

"Tell me first, is this money clean?"

"Cleaner than your face."

Su Qingyan was momentarily speechless and decided to ignore him for the time being.

At 8 p.m., Zhou Dahai's team arrived at No. 13 Middle School.

Four people dressed in white chef's uniforms stood at the entrance of the cafeteria, collectively silent.

The canteen at No. 13 Middle School was more like a large shed than a canteen.

The paint on the walls was peeling off, the cement floor was full of potholes, and the only exhaust fan was only half a blade still spinning weakly.

The grease on the work surface was so thick that it could be scraped off to cook, and the iron pot on the stove was so black it looked like it had been dug out of a coal mine.

Zhou Dahai's youngest apprentice covered his nose and gagged.

"Master, this place... isn't even as good as the barbecue stall downstairs from my house."

"Shut up, you've taken the money and you're done talking."

Zhou Dahai's expression wasn't good either, but he still rolled up his sleeves and went inside first.

"Clean first! From the ceiling to the floor, scrub until it shines!"

The four of them worked from nine o'clock to one o'clock in the morning.

Su Qingyan originally just came to take a look, but she couldn't help herself as she looked around.

I changed into a pair of flat shoes, rolled up my sleeves, and joined in wiping the stove.

Lin Yucai wasn't idle either; he was in charge of leading people to move the ingredients.

Zhou Dahai's purchase order was a full three pages long...

Australian Wagyu beef, abalone, fish maw, old hen, Jinhua ham, and various seasonal vegetables.

It took the three apprentices visiting four different markets to finally gather enough money.

The food ingredients filled the entire kitchen storage room.

The cleaning was completed at 2 a.m.

The kitchen has been completely renovated.

Although the hardware is still old, at least it's clean.

The stove was polished to a shine, the iron pot was scrubbed three times, and the floor was mopped twice.

Zhou Dahai began preparing the ingredients.

This chef is something else; he stands in front of the stove and puts on an apron.

At that moment, his entire demeanor changed.

The somewhat slick and cunning fat chef from a moment ago was gone, replaced by a top chef exuding a professional aura.

The knife danced on the cutting board, making a dense and rhythmic sound.

The potatoes were cut into even strips, and the radishes were carved into exquisite flowers.

The old hen was simmering in the clay pot, and the soup gradually turned milky white.

The abalone sauce slowly thickened in another pot, filling the entire kitchen with its aroma.

Su Qingyan stood at the door, completely absorbed in watching.

"You still think I'm crazy?"

Lin Yucai came over and handed her a bottle of mineral water.

"Whether he's crazy or not is another matter, but Zhou Dahai is definitely quite capable."

Su Qingyan took the water, unscrewed the cap, took a sip, and didn't look at him.

"No, that's right, they won the national gold medal."

"But you still haven't told me where the money came from."

"I'll definitely tell you tomorrow."

Lin Yucai chuckled, explaining that he hadn't come up with a reason yet.

……

Four o'clock in the morning.

Zhou Dahai's team is still busy.

The Buddha Jumps Over the Wall soup has been simmering in the large vat for two hours. The sweet and sour pork ribs have been fried for the first time and are waiting to be fried again. The steamed shrimp with garlic and vermicelli are arranged on four large plates.

Lin Yucai leaned against the door frame of the canteen, looking at the brightly lit kitchen, feeling more at ease than ever before.

Of the three million, almost one million was spent.

Does it hurt your heart?

It would be a lie to say I don't feel sorry for her.

But he knew the money was well spent.

His system was already linked to the school, so if he wanted to continue receiving system rewards, he had to protect No. 13 Middle School.

If No. 13 Middle School wants to survive, the first step is to win back the students' hearts.

The quickest way to win someone's heart is always through their stomach.

……

At 5:30 a.m., the sky was just beginning to lighten.

In the dining hall, three rows of long tables were covered with clean white tablecloths.

The plates, chopsticks, and soup spoons were all replaced with new ones.

The table was covered with dishes...

Sweet and sour pork ribs, braised lion's head meatballs, garlic vermicelli shrimp, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and old hen soup.

The staple foods include white rice, handmade steamed buns, and scallion pancakes.

"Principal Lin, the dishes are all ready."

Zhou Dahai stood at the kitchen door, his face covered in oil and sweat, but a hint of satisfaction on his lips.

"Thank you for your hard work. I'll definitely renovate the cafeteria properly when the students are on holiday."

Lin Yucai patted him on the shoulder.

"Breakfast is served promptly at 6:30 a.m., and there are 500 students, not a single one is missing."