CH 127

The convenience store is not too big, only about 50 square meters and there is a warehouse behind it which is mainly for storing goods.

Liao Jie was lying on the ground at the moment while holding a scanner in his hand as if scanning the codes of the goods on the shelves.

Lin Xian crouched down and said, “Master Liao Jie, just know that I am serious with my offer.”

”Kid, you are talking to the wrong person.” Liao Jie raised his head and said with drunken eyes.

“Liao Jie, a native of the province of Zhejiang, the former chef of Jirui Hotel, is suspected of being a descendant of an Imperial Chef. Entered a cooking competition 20 years ago but suddenly vanished. Since then, there has been no news about him or his whereabouts.”

Lin Xian paused and then smiled and said: “Master Liao Jie, I just want to try the authentic version of yellow croaker soup. I can pay 500,000.”

”I don’t know what you are talking about!”

Liao Jie continued to scan and ignore him.

Tang Ping on the side was dumbfounded at that moment.

When he learned about this task, he thought that Lin Xian was in search of his relative.

And now it appears he was not in search of his relatives.

But just to taste a certain dish, he hired a private detective to find a certain chef from 20 years ago.

Now he is willing to spend 500,000 more just to get this master to cook a certain dish for him.

Summing up all of the money he spent, the result is more than one million!

He is willing to spend one million just to eat one dish?

Hiss!

Tang Ping just felt like his head is spinning

Even if he worked like a dog for a whole year, he could only earn one hundred thousand at most.

And now, this dish is worth more than his salary for ten years?

Even Zhuang Tong, who is used to Lin Xian’s spending, cannot help but be surprised.

Because it is too exaggerated!

Lin Xian continued to persuade: “Is the price unsatisfactory? It’s okay, just let me know and I can satisfy your conditions at once.”

”Handsome boy. It is no use Liao Jie is dead!”

Just then, a bright voice came from behind Lin Xian.

Lin Xian turned his head and saw an old man with gray hair standing in front of him, his one hand seemed to be shaking uncontrollably.

Tang Ping reminded him: “Mr. Lin, this old man is the owner of the convenience store and also the owner of Jirui 20 years ago.”

Lin Xian stood up and introduced himself: “Old man, my name is Lin Xian. How should I call you?”

”I should be older than your father, so just call me Uncle Zhong.” Said the old man.

The old man then took out a piece of cigarette from his pocket and asked, “Here.”

”Thanks!”

Lin Xian took the cigarette and thanked him.

He rarely accepts and takes the initiative to smoke, he only does it occasionally when invited by others.

After taking a mouthful, Uncle Zhong smiled and said, “Come over here and let us have a cup of tea as we talk about things slowly!”

Lin Xian thought Uncle Zhong would make them Pu’er tea, but it turned out to be black tea.

Seated on the highchair by the window, Uncle Zhong asked: “How did you know Liao Jie?”

”Does Uncle Zhong know Gao Jianxiang?” Lin Xian smiled and explained what happened in Shanghai.

”I have a little impression of him. That young man seems to be working as a cook in the Northwest Hotel at that time.”

Uncle Zhong spits out a mouthful of smoke and with a complicated expression he said: “Handsome boy, do you really want to eat yellow croaker soup?”

”Yes!”

Lin Xian nodded seriously.

Hearing this, Uncle Zhong smiled bitterly and continued: “There is not one chef who would refuse to cook for someone like you who really loves to eat. It is a pity that you are late. If you have come ten years earlier, I would have barely cooked it for you.”

”Can you still cook it for me now?” Lin Xian wondered.

”Now?”

Uncle Zhong pursed his lips towards Liao Jie’s direction, sneered, and said: “Right now, that one is crazy, while the other one is useless.”

Looking at Uncle Zhong’s trembling hands, Lin Xian raised his eyebrows and said, “Parkinson’s disease?”

Uncle Zhong nodded his head and said: “Right! With these hands, I can’t even hold a knife. How can I cook?”

“No one else besides you and him can make the authentic yellow croaker soup?” Lin Xian frowned slightly.

In the system task description, he was tasked to find Liao Jie, but it was not specified that it should be him who should make the authentic yellow croaker soup for Lin Xian to taste.

Uncle Zhong said proudly: “At that time, there were 36 official dishes which were prepared by four chefs. Each of the chefs had 9 dishes. And the yellow croaker soup was one of the 9 dishes created by my Niu ancestor. How can the recipe be taught easily to outsiders?!”

”Official dishes? Isn’t it a Man and Han Banquet?” Lin Xian was dumbfounded.

Uncle Zhong sneered and said, “It is not that I look down on Manchu people but what do they know about cooking? The real Man Han Banquet is where the 36 official dishes are cooked by the four chefs of Yangzhou. Even emperor Chieng Lung couldn’t’ forget it after tasting it once when he went to Yangzhou. So he held a Man and Han Banquet after returning to the palace.”

”I see!”

Lin Xian gained some insights!

It turns out that the real Man and Han Banquet is the official dish of Yangzhou.

Lin Xian did not give up and continued to ask: “Then don’t you have an apprentice?”

“Yes, I have!” Uncle Zhong nodded.

Lin Xian’s eyes lit up and he asked hurriedly: “Where?”

Uncle Zhong responded with a smile: “As you can see. There he is lying down there!

The relationship between the two is not only that of a boss and an employee but also that between a mentor and an apprentice!

Lin Xian’s rising hope was immediately extinguished.

Looking at Liao Jie’s current situation, Lin Xian couldn’t help asking: “Uncle Zhong, what happened back then that made Master Liao Jie like this?”

”Sigh, poor man. On the day of the competition, his daughter was abducted by a group of traffickers. His wife went after them but then met her end in a car accident. These events are just too heavy of a blow for him!” Uncle Zhong sighed.

”Then, may I ask why you sold Jirui Hotel?”

”Sold?”

Uncle Zhong shook his head and said, “I did not sell it. I lost it to someone else!”

Lin Xian then asked, “Then why did you not open a new hotel somewhere else?” Lin Xian was confused.

”Handsome boy, it is not only the hotel that I lost but also the signboard of Jirui Hotel!”

Uncle Zhong patted Lin Xian on the shoulder, stood up, sighed, and said: “Go back now. There will be no more authentic yellow croaker soup!”

After that, Uncle Zhong walked out of the convenience store slowly, leaving Lin Xian, Tang Ping, and Zhuang Tong behind.

Judging from the current situation, the second task seems to be a dead end.

Because of Uncle Zhong’s Parkinson’s disease, he can’t even light up a cigarette, let alone cook.

As for Master Liao Jie, he received a severe blow from the loss of his family. Even if he can think normally again, it is difficult to say whether he would go back to cooking.

”Let’s go!”

After being seated for a while, Lin Xian stood up and took Zhuang Tong’s little hand, and walked out of the convenience store slowly.

When they got out, the situation in the street made him stunned.

The original very lively night market is now very quiet. The stalls are closed and there is not even a single person to be seen in the street. The silence was frightening.

The shops on both sides are also closed, leaving only two rows of streetlights illuminating the area.

After making a call to the hotel and instructing the driver to come and pick them up, the three of them continued to walk.

”Mr. Lin, someone is following us behind!” Tang Ping suddenly warned in a low voice.

”Not only at the back but also in front!”

Then they saw three men walking quickly out of the dark alley.