Courtyard House: In times of famine, my hamster became a spirit.

The private room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"If there's fire in your heart, the aroma won't dissipate."

These words, neither too light nor too heavy, struck the heart of the high-ranking leader, a heart that had been sealed by the passage of time.

The old man slowly turned around.

At this moment, most of his previous thunderous rage, with his beard and hair standing on end, had dissipated, replaced by the look of an old sergeant scrutinizing a greenhorn.

Sharp, yet carrying a hint of anticipation.

Zhou Jianguo was standing there.

A faded dark blue work uniform, with a few bits of metal still stuck to the cuffs, looked completely out of place in this opulent private room.

But he stood tall and straight, neither showing off nor bowing down.

This kind of temperament that emanates from within is worlds apart from He Yuzhu, who was greasy and spouted nonsense just now.

The leader's initially terrible mood was somewhat calmed by this composure.

The old man's gaze shifted downwards, and he saw the object Zhou Jianguo was carrying—a dented and battered aluminum lunchbox with crisscrossing scratches on the lid, marking its age.

"Young comrade," the high-ranking leader's voice was deep and imposing, carrying the air of someone accustomed to a position of power, "Well said. Which workshop are you from? And what's that precious thing you're carrying?"

Upon hearing this, Deputy Factory Director Li, who had finally managed to relax, started to worry again.

Oh no! Barbie Q is gone!

His vest was soaked with cold sweat, Li Huaide's heart was pounding, and his sanity was plummeting.

Others might not know what it is, but how could he not know?

That container contained the leftovers from Zhou Jianguo's meal.

Why would someone pull out a box of leftovers in this situation?

This isn't just a slap in the face; it's tearing the face off of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, throwing it on the ground, and then stomping on it!

This kid came here carrying a bomb to take everyone down with him!

Fear instantly overwhelmed reason.

Li Huaide disregarded all decorum, took a big step forward, and stood between Zhou Jianguo and the top leader.

"Boss! It's a misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding!"

Li Huaide frantically wiped the oily sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief while forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace:

"This is one of our factory's fitters, he doesn't know the rules! He's here... here to give a report! Yes, a report on his thoughts!"

As he spoke, he frantically waved his hands behind his back at Zhou Jianguo—"Damn it! Get out! Get out of here right now!"

But he still had to make amends: "That lunchbox... just contained some leftovers, it was filthy! I was afraid it would offend your eyes! I'll have him take it out and dispose of it right away!"

After saying that, Li Huaide turned around and was about to push Zhou Jianguo, his eyes filled with pleading and ferocity: If you dare to lift the lid, I'll tear you apart!

However, his hand grasped at empty air.

Zhou Jianguo simply turned slightly to the side, smoothly avoiding Li Huaide's pull.

A hint of mockery flashed in those deep, dark eyes.

Trying to cover it up?

late.

Zhou Jianguo bypassed Li Huaide's broad frame and faced the top leader directly, his tone steady and his words precise and meaningful:

"Director Li, I don't understand what you're saying."

"What's in this lunchbox is the food from our canteen, the grain grown by our farmers with their sweat and toil, and the driving force that keeps our thousands of workers wielding sledgehammers and carrying out construction."

At this point, Zhou Jianguo paused, his gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping across Li Huaide's pale face, his voice rising an octave:

"How come in your mouth, the logistics director's mouth, the food we working class eat becomes something shameful and filthy? Something that can't be presented in public?"

Crit!

True damage!

This huge label is not only heavy, but also poisonous!

Li Huaide's mind went blank, as if his CPU had overloaded and burned out.

He opened his mouth wide, but not a single word came out of his throat.

There's no way to respond to that!

Accepting the offer means you despise the working class, which means you have a serious problem with your stance!

"snort!"

The high-ranking leader slammed his teacup heavily on the table with a loud "crack," which startled Li Huaide so much that he almost knelt down on the spot.

The old man raised his eyebrows, his eyes showing no anger, but rather a long-lost admiration.

He glanced at Li Huaide and said sternly:

"Well said! Whether it's delicacies or simple fare, as long as it's for our workers, it's good food! What, am I, this old man, becoming pampered now? Can't even stand the food our workers eat?"

"No... I dare not..." Li Huaide's legs went weak, and he could only stiffly retreat to the corner of the wall, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

He had already cursed Zhou Jianguo's ancestors for eighteen generations in his mind, and had also begun to devise a hundred ways to write his self-criticism.

With Li Huaide no longer an obstacle, Zhou Jianguo no longer hesitated.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, he carried his lunchbox and walked steadily to the dining table laden with exquisite dishes.

"Boss, since you don't mind, then I'll make a fool of myself."

Fingertips gripped the edge of the lunchbox.

"Click".

With a soft click, the aluminum cover was lifted.

At that moment, the secretary and his entourage instinctively leaned back, and Li Huaide closed his eyes in despair.

He knew all too well what was inside.

The cold cabbage soup and solidified lard looked disgusting.

Showing this thing to a high-ranking leader is simply visual pollution!

Sure enough, as the lid was lifted, the contents of the lunchbox were revealed under the light.

Appearance?

Extremely bad!

It was even extremely shabby.

At the bottom of the lunchbox, only a thin layer of solidified reddish-brown grease remained, with a few limp, dull-colored cabbage leaves lying pitifully inside, along with a few grains of leftover rice stuck to them.

It's like throwing a piece of junk into a pile of jewels.

The chief secretary frowned, about to reprimand this reckless behavior.

However, the leader in the main seat did not show the furious expression that everyone expected.

Instead, the old man's nostrils twitched slightly.

Then, his eyes widened, and his body, which had been leaning back in the chair, involuntarily leaned forward, getting closer to the unassuming, tattered lunchbox.

Li Huaide cautiously opened one eye, wanting to see if the big boss had fainted from anger, but what he saw shattered his worldview—

The top leader is closing his eyes, looking completely absorbed in... smelling it?

Yes, smell it.

The expected rancid smell of swill did not appear.

Conversely, the moment the lid was opened, a faint yet extremely rich aroma wafted out from the crack.

That's the system-produced [Special Supply Pure Fragrant Peanut Oil].

In this era where people generally lack oil and fat in their diet, this peanut oil with extremely high purity and pressed using a special process is a game-changer!

Moreover, although Zhou Jianguo's previous cooking involved large-pot dishes, this spoonful of broth was the essence. Through fine adjustments, the oil perfectly locked in all the saltiness and savory flavor.

Although it has cooled down now, the complex aroma that has been tempered by time is actually less pungent than when it was fresh out of the pot.

That smell was so tempting it made my mouth water!

The gloom that had been looming over the top leader visibly dissipated.

Instead, there was the hunter's surprise and fervor, like suddenly spotting prey on a vast snowfield.

"The oil smells so good..."

The top leader muttered to himself.

Then, in full view of everyone, this high-ranking old man actually picked up the ivory chopsticks on the table and reached for the extremely simple aluminum lunch box.

"Commander!"

The secretary was horrified. "It's cold! And it's leftovers...it's unhygienic!"

Li Huaide was also terrified. If the leader got food poisoning, even executing him wouldn't be enough to compensate for it!

"Stop talking!"

The top leader didn't even turn his head; a soft shout immediately shut down the secretary's words.

Hand rises, chopsticks fall.

A cabbage leaf, soaked in reddish-brown broth, was precisely picked up.

The oil solidified on the vegetable leaves, and under the light, it even shimmered with an amber-like luster.

Without hesitation, I put it in my mouth.

chew.

The private room was so quiet that you could even hear Li Huaide's teeth chattering.

The taste is slightly cool.

The temperature of the mouth quickly melted the solidified special peanut oil.

In that instant, the rich, salty flavor, sealed within the oil, spread across the leader's taste buds!

This is not a delicacy.

This was the most comforting and reassuring thing in that era—"profits"!

The top leader closed his eyes.

In a daze, he seemed to return to that cold, windy night, where his comrades gathered around the campfire, sharing a pot of cabbage stewed with the last bit of pork lard.

Although it's rough and simple, one bite warms you up from head to toe, and makes you feel like you can still go on with life!

This is the flavor he's been looking for!

This is the "soul" he is willing to lose his temper to pursue!

"Snapped!"

The top leader suddenly opened his eyes and slammed his hand on the table.