After the divorce, he took care of his child and sold fried rice; his ex-wife was filled with regret

What began as disdain, doubt, and contempt instantly transformed into extreme awe, fervor, and a deep desire to explore.

The person who could make Old Master Ye bow down so respectfully, even clasp his hands and exclaim in amazement, even if he was just a chef who could flip a wok, was someone that none of them could ever hope to reach!

Zhao Tianyi and Qin Lang, who were standing behind Lin Fan, also stepped forward very sensibly.

They stood on either side of Lin Fan, their backs ramrod straight.

Qin Lang, in particular, completely abandoned his usual carefree and irresponsible demeanor in front of his elders, his face now filled with pride and smugness.

Zhao Tianyi glanced at the group of business tycoons at the main table, who were usually aloof but now looked utterly shocked. A grin spread across his face, his tone laced with familiarity and barely concealed smugness:

"Grandpa Ye, Father."

"Let me introduce myself to the elders."

He turned to the side and pointed with utmost respect to Lin Fan beside him.

"This is the founder of 'Lin's Shop,' which recently captivated most of Jiangcheng with a bowl of clear soup noodles on Phoenix Golden Street."

"Tonight's grand finale, 'National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance,' which has been praised by all the seniors, was personally crafted by Master Lin Fan!"

With Zhao Tianyi's formal introduction, coupled with Old Ye's undisguised fervent endorsement, the situation became clear.

The doubts in the hearts of the top executives at the main table vanished instantly, replaced by extreme eagerness.

"Oh, it's Master Lin! I've heard so much about you!"

"Truly, heroes have emerged from among the young throughout history! Just now, Elder Ye said that the 'Boiled Cabbage in Clear Broth' was 'The Great Form Without Form,' and this 'National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance' was 'Exquisite Craftsmanship.' I never imagined they were made by the same person. I admire them, I truly admire them!"

The bigwigs who were just moments ago dissatisfied with Zhao Hongming's suspense were now all smiles, raising their wine glasses and stepping forward, trying to make a good impression on Lin Fan.

Facing this group of business tycoons who could shake Jiangcheng with a mere stomp of their feet, Lin Fan remained calm and composed.

He was neither flattered nor pretentious; he simply nodded politely in greeting. His humble yet dignified demeanor only made these bigwigs feel that he was unfathomable.

"Master Lin, this dessert today has really satisfied my old man's cravings."

Old Ye held onto Lin Fan's hand tightly, then turned to look at Zhao Hongming beside him, a hint of admiration in his eyes:

"Old Zhao, your son is quite capable! He managed to persuade Master Lin to come out of retirement!"

Zhao Hongming was overjoyed. He quickly stepped forward, patted his son on the shoulder, and said modestly:

"Elder Ye, you flatter me. Tianyi is just lucky to have met Master Lin; it's a blessing he's earned in eight lifetimes!"

After saying that, Zhao Hongming immediately turned his head, winked at the lobby manager who had been following behind him, and raised his voice eight octaves:

"What are you all standing there for?! Don't you have any sense of propriety?! Go get a chair right now! And get that 50-year-old Romanée-Conti bottle I've been saving in my office; I want to personally offer it to Master Lin!"

The lobby manager seemed to snap out of a daze, nodded repeatedly, and ran off to make the arrangements like a gust of wind.

The guests who had been listening intently were now experiencing a tremendous surge of emotions.

Add chairs? !

That's the absolute center table for tonight's banquet!

Those who could sit at that table, apart from Ye Weiguo, a titan in the business world, were all chairmen of top-tier corporations and the most powerful and influential figures in Jiangcheng!

Even those listed company bosses with hundreds of millions in assets can only obediently sit in the second seat tonight!

Now, Zhao Hongming is actually going to add a chair to a main table that's already full, and invite a young man in a chef's uniform to sit down?!

This isn't just giving face; it's practically elevating Lin Fan to an equal position!

"Chairman Zhao, Mr. Ye, I appreciate your kind gesture."

Just as everyone was shocked, Lin Fan unexpectedly shook his head slightly.

"There's no need to add chairs. I'm only here today at the request of Qin Lang and General Manager Zhao to fill in at the kitchen. Now that all the dishes are served and the guests are satisfied, my task is complete."

"This front hall is a place for celebrities to socialize. My appearance here is already breaking the rules. It's not only inappropriate, but I'm also afraid of spoiling everyone's enjoyment. Besides, my daughter is waiting for me, and I have to go back to be with her."

These words plunged the entire room into a deathly silence once again.

They refused?!

He actually refused?!

That was an invitation to sit at the same table personally extended by Elder Ye and Chairman Zhao!

If it were anyone else, they would probably be so excited that they would burst into tears and sit down eagerly. This is a powerful connection that many people would give up their entire fortune for!

But this Master Lin actually refused with a seemingly perfunctory reason like "I have to go back to be with my daughter"?!

"Master Lin! You're slapping me, Old Zhao, in the face!"

When Zhao Hongming heard that Lin Fan was leaving, he immediately became anxious, and sweat broke out on his forehead.

He quickly stepped forward, almost pleadingly blocking Lin Fan's path:

"Rules? At Grand Hyatt, you, Master Lin, are the ultimate rule today! Forget about being a chef; if someone with your astonishing skills doesn't deserve to sit at the head table, then none of us have the face to sit and eat!"

"That's right, Brother Lin!"

Mr. Chen, the real estate executive next to him, quickly stood up, changed his form of address very familiarly, and echoed with a beaming smile:

"Your 'national beauty' performance today has truly opened our eyes in Jiangcheng! If you don't sit down and let us old folks offer you a toast, we won't be able to sleep soundly tonight!"

"Young Master Lin, do you look down on us old men and are unwilling to do us the honor?"

Ye Weiguo deliberately put on a stern face, pretending to be angry as he leaned on his cane. "You've cured my cravings again. If I don't thank you in person, people will think I, Ye, am impolite!"

"If you think this outfit isn't suitable, this old man will take it off right now and eat with you in a shirt!"

As he spoke, Ye Weiguo actually reached out to unbutton his suit jacket.

This startled everyone around.

"Oh dear! Elder Ye! No, no, you mustn't!"

"Please calm down, Elder Ye!"

Qin Lang and Zhao Tianyi quickly joined in, each grabbing one of Lin Fan's arms and whispering words of advice:

"Brother Lin! Ancestor Lin! You've come all this way, please give Qin Lang and me some face and sit down for a cup of tea! Look at Old Master Ye's attitude, if you don't sit down, this banquet will really have to be canceled on the spot!"

"Yes, Brother Lin, I've arranged for someone to take care of Princess Tuantuan in the VIP room upstairs, and Miss Shen is with her too. Absolutely nothing will go wrong. Just five minutes! Is five minutes alright?"