CH 74

Hearing these words, Gao Jianxiang was not angry, his eyes even lit up and asked in a pleasantly surprised tone: “Have you tasted an authentic yellow croaker crystal soup?”

”No! This is the first time I have eaten a croaker crystal soup. It just feels like something is missing.” Lin Xian shook his head.

Gao Jianxiang was a little disappointed, but then he smiled and said, “You felt something strange the first time you ate yellow croaker crystal soup. It seems that you have a natural talent in gourmet.”

”Sir, what’s your last name.”

” Lin, Lin Xian!”

Lin Xian smiled and shook hands with him and asked: “Chef Gao, sit down and let us talk.”

After Gao Jianxiang sat down, he smiled and said, “To be honest, Gui Hua Lou has been in operation for so many years and Mr. Lin is the first customer to taste my authentic yellow croaker crystal soup and say that there’s something missing with it.”

”Can Chef Gao elaborate? I am very interested in this!” Lin Xian asked calmly as his heart was moved.

”There is no secret in this matter.”

Gao Jianxiang chuckled and continued, “My yellow croaker crystal soup is not really authentic because a key step to make it is missing.”

”Key step?” Lin Xian raised his eyebrows and was a little surprised.

His father, Lin Guodong is a chef, so Lin Xian knows a little bit about cooking.

For example, for a piece of braised pork, some people make it taste mediocre, while some can make it taste delicious.

The gap would be due to the skipping of key steps in the cooking process.

The key step mentioned is not necessarily just a mere step.

It may be the seasoning, a unique cooking technique, or it may be the cutting skills.

What surprised him is that the incomplete version of the yellow croaker crystal soup cooked by Gao Jianxiang is already very delicious. So how delicious is the complete version of the yellow croaker crystal soup could be?

Gao Jianxiang nodded and continued: “Presumably, the waiter should have already explained it. The crystal yellow croaker crystal soup was once the top dish of Man and Han Banquets. The people who know how to cook this dish are basically descendants or apprentices of the chef of the imperial palace.”

”It was a coincidence to be able to learn this yellow croaker crystal soup. More than twenty years ago, I was still learning how to cook in Yanjing and had the honor to watch a private cooking competition. At that time, during the third round, Master Liao Jie made it. He just used the yellow croaker in the soup he made.”

After a slight pause, Gao Jianxiang sighed: “Unfortunately, Master Liao Jie hurried at the last moment due to an emergency.”

”For more than 20 years, I have been trying every means to restore or recreate this yellow croaker crystal soup. After countless improvements, I always feel that something is missing. In the end, I want to understand the difference should be brought about by the most critical process.”

At this moment, the task in Lin Xian’s brain suddenly changed.

[ Man and Han Banquet ]

[ Task 1: Completed! Evaluation: S ]

[ Task 2: You have found the reason why the yellow croaker crystal soup is not authentic. Please continue to work hard. Find Liao Jie and unveil the real taste of the yellow croaker crystal soup! ]

[ After completing Task 2, Task 3 will automatically be opened. ]

[ Task Progress: 2% ]

[ Final Reward: Depends on the task evaluation. ]

…….

Task 1 was successfully completed, but the progress only increased by 2%. It seems that this Task should have many parts.

Generally speaking, this kind of large-scale series of tasks will have a very generous reward in the end.

Lin Xian doesn’t know what the final reward would be when he completes the tasks.

Thinking of this, Lin Xian hurriedly asked: “Chef Gao, do you know where Master Liao Jie is now?”

”I have no idea either!”

Gao Jianxiang smiled bitterly and said: “If I knew where he is, I would have gone to him to learn the complete version of the yellow croaker crystal soup. Since the cooking competition, I have never seen him again. After so many years, I don’t know whether he is still alive or already dead.”

Sure enough, Lin Xian knew that this task would not be simple.

But Master Liao Jie should be alive. Otherwise, if he is dead, he wouldn’t have been tasked to find him in the second part of the task.

Just knowing the name and the occupation of a person who had disappeared more than 20 years ago, it can be imagined hard to find that person. It is like finding a needle in the haystack.

Fortunately, being able to make a soup filled with yellow croaker shows that Liao Jie is either a descendant of the cooks of the imperial palace or has a relationship with any of them.

As for the other descendants of the chefs of the imperial palace, there are actually so many. If Lin Xian wants, he can still reach out to them.

So Lin Xian smiled and said, “Chef Gao, I am very interested in this yellow croaker crystal soup. Can you tell me some information about Master Liao Jie?”

”Actually, I don’t know a lot about him. I only know that his hometown is in Zhejiang Province. The hotel where he used to work is very famous, the Jirui Hotel in Yanjing. If Mr. Lin has the time, you can go to Jirui Hotel and ask about him.”

Chef Gao Jianxiang then continued: “If Mr. Lin is lucky enough to find Master Liao Jie, I hope you let me know! This is my phone number. I won’t disturb your dinner any longer!” Gao Jianxiang said while handing out a business card and then stood up. He then went back to the kitchen.

Seeing Chef Gao leave, Zhang Mengyao raised her eyebrows and said, “Lin Xian, you don’t really intend to find that Master Liao Jie, do you?”

”We’ll see what fate will bring!” Lin Xian smiled slightly.

He will not let go of the pleasure of leisure just to find someone just because of this task. He would just spend money at most and entrust detectives and investigative companies to find the person.

He wants to do whatever he wants, if he finds him then good. He doesn’t want to force it.

Yan Xiaoman sighed: “The incomplete version is already so delicious. I can’t imagine how delicious the complete version would have been!”

Foodies are indeed Foodies. Their focus is really different.

Lin Xian squeezed her face and said: “When I have the opportunity in the future, I will take you to a real Man and Han Banquet!”

”Really?”

Yan Xiaoman’s eyes lit up and said in surprise.

“Of course!” Lin Xian laughed.

”Ahem!”

Zhang Mengyao on the side said angrily: “You are not allowed to sprinkle dog food while we are eating. Or else don’t blame me for being impolite!”

”Heh, single dog!”

Lin Xian curled his lips and began with mockery.

After dinner, the three of them went out again to stroll around the mall.

Time began to gradually enter October and the weather has slowly turned cold.

Lin Xian plans to buy autumn clothes.

When they heard that Lin Xian was going to go shopping, the two women got excited.

Originally, Lin Xian found it hard to handle Zhang Mengyao while shopping. Now there’s another woman, Yan Xiaoman, who gets even more excited about shopping.

The three of them wandered all afternoon and rested for less than half an hour in between.

Looking at the big shopping bags when returning to the hotel, Lin Xian lay on the sofa, not wanting to move.

Lin Xian bought five sets of autumn clothes in total.

As for Zhang Mengyao, Lin Xian also gave her a complete set of Dior brilliant blue and gold lipstick, enough to last her several years.

”Sigh, I spent less than 200,000 yuan after shopping. How do I spend the remaining 8 million yuan?”