As a Magnate, I Started Checking in at a Convenience Store

Chapter 369: My Knife Skills Aren’t Bad, Right?

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

In the early evening at 6:15, Zhou Chao notified Qin Fen and the others in the group chat once again, and then he strolled towards One Forty Restaurant with Jiang Li.

They arrived at the restaurant quickly. At that moment, Li Yang, Shen Lan, and his sister Guo Yan were sitting at the dining table, chatting and enjoying some fruits.

“Second Brother, you’re here!”

“Yeah, how long have you guys been here?”

“We just arrived not long ago. Have some fruits first.”

Has Abdullah arrived yet?”

“Look, speak of the devil, and he appears!” Li Yang looked towards the entrance and remarked.

As Zhou Chao turned around, he saw Abdullah entering with his female companion and bodyguards.

“Zhou!

“Take a seat and let’s chat for a while!”

At that moment, Lin Wu and Miles also entered the restaurant. Lin Wu was carrying the two large lobsters he had caught earlier.

Zhou Chao went over and took the lobsters. Miles immediately said, “Take me to the kitchen!”

“All, please follow me, Boss!” Miles hesitated for a moment, but then quickly regained his composure and led Zhou Chao towards the kitchen. At the same time, Manager Muir also noticed Miles and hurried over.

“Mr. Miles!” He looked at Zhou Chao curiously, trying to figure out who this seemingly young man was. His first impression was that he was handsome, and then he began to wonder who he might be.

“You’ve come at just the right time. The Boss plans to go to the kitchen. You should accompany him.”

“The Boss?! The island owner!” Muir couldn’t believe his eyes as he looked at the young man who appeared to be overly young to be the new owner of Lanai Island. Even the experienced Muir was taken aback.

“Muir, Manager Muir?” Miles’ voice brought Muir back to reality.

“Island owner, I’m very sorry. I was just surprised by your age!”

“Haha, no worries. I’m used to it. Let’s go, take me to the kitchen!”

Muir then led Zhou Chao and Miles into the kitchen. By this time, Zhou Chao’s lobsters had also made their way into Miles’ hands.

As the three of them entered the kitchen, they immediately attracted the attention of many people. After all, they had heard the rumors that the new island owner would come to their kitchen to cook. So, when Manager Muir brought someone in, everyone couldn’t help but look.

When they saw the two people behind Manager Muir, they were stunned. There was no other reason; the man behind the manager was just too handsome and had an extraordinary presence.

“Mr. Miles, hello. Manager, you said the island owner was coming, right? Where is he?” Mike put down his work and approached. He also greeted Miles.

Muir quickly gave Mike a meaningful look, trying to convey that the handsome guy behind him was the island owner. Unfortunately, Mike didn’t catch the hint.

“Manager, what’s wrong with your eyes? Do you need to go to the hospital for a check-up?” Mike said seriously.

This caused laughter from Zhou Chao and Miles.

“Mike, this is the new owner of Lanai Island!” Miles took the initiative to introduce Zhou Chao.

Upon hearing Miles’ words, the entire kitchen fell silent for a moment, with only the sound of boiling pots and pans in the background.

“The steak is about to burn if you don’t flip it!” Zhou Chao looked at the bewildered kitchen staff and reminded them.

Mike and the kitchen staff immediately snapped back to reality and hurriedly checked their dishes to make sure nothing was going wrong.

Everyone found that their dishes had no problems, and they let out a sigh of relief.

“Is…Island Owner, hello!” Mike stammered as he looked at Zhou Chao.

Zhou Chao had a kind demeanor and said gently, “Hello, I apologize for interrupting your cooking.”

N-No, it’s just that these guys lack concentration. They need more practice,” Mike replied nervously.

Upon hearing Mike’s words, Zhou Chao and the other two burst into laughter.

“Chef Mike, could you please give me a stove and a cutting board? I want to prepare some hometown dishes.”

“Island Owner, please wait for a moment. I’ll arrange it right away!” Mike immediately turned and walked into the busy kitchen, clearing a space for Zhou Chao.

Muir also provided Zhou Chao with a set of chef’s uniform.

After changing into the chef’s uniform, Zhou Chao took a look at the available ingredients and seasonings. After a quick assessment, he had a rough idea of what he could make.

“Island Owner, would you like me to assist you?” Mike quickly approached.

“No need, I’ll just make something simple. You don’t need to trouble yourself,” Zhou Chao replied, understanding that Mike was concerned about the quality of his cooking and didn’t want to embarrass him.

Mike glanced at Manager Muir beside him and reluctantly nodded.

Soon, they brought over the required ingredients, including the two large lobsters.

“Mike, do you have a Chinese-style cleaver here? I didn’t see one,” Zhou Chao asked, surveying the kitchen, which mostly had Western-style knives.

“Island Owner, are you referring to the wider Chinese cleaver? I don’t think we have one in the kitchen.”

“Oh.”

“Island Owner, I have one, but I’ve never used it before,” a soft voice came from the dishwashing area.

Everyone turned to look, and they saw a young man with yellowish skin carefully watching them.

“Are you from Huaxia?” Zhou Chao asked.

“Yes, just like the Island Owner.”

“Okay, fetch your cleaver,” Zhou Chao said, and the young man hurriedly ran to the back lounge. He soon returned with a Chinese cleaver in hand.

“Not bad, it’s a knife from Wang Ma Zi. You have good taste,” Zhou Chao commented as he inspected the knife, finding it to be of decent quality.

He then proceeded to the stove.

As the young man was about to return to his dishwashing duties, he heard Zhou Chao call out, “Come over here and take a look, learn something!”

With a joyful expression, the young man wiped his hands and quickly walked over to Zhou Chao.

Zhou Chao stood in front of the cutting board and quickly prepared the large lobsters. Then, he took a piece of tofu from the water.

For a moment, the entire kitchen was filled with a rhythmic sound, and Mike’s staff couldn’t help but focus their attention on Zhou Chao’s cleaver and the tofu in his hands.

“Th-this is the ‘Knife Falls Like a Storm’ technique! Is he making Wensi Tofu?!” The dishwasher looked as if he had witnessed something unbelievable, his eyes wide open.

Miles, Mike, and others were all puzzled, looking at the dishwasher with curiosity.

“Nan, what did you mean by that?” Mike asked curiously, looking at his dishwasher.

“Chef Mike, it’s a way to describe a chef’s knife skills at their peak. As for Wensi Tofu, it’s a famous Chinese dish that truly tests a chef’s knife skills. It requires slicing tofu into threads as fine as needles.”

“It can’t be. Even as a Michelin two-star chef, I couldn’t achieve such knife skills!” Mike simply couldn’t believe what the dishwasher was saying.

Wang Nan smiled and said, “Let’s wait and see!”

Everyone turned their gaze to Zhou Chao. Soon, he had finished slicing the tofu into fine threads and gently placed them into clear water, causing the tofu to slowly dissolve, forming delicate tofu threads.

“This… It’s impossible!” Mike was completely shocked, and he leaned in so close that his head was nearly in the water.

“That’s enough, Mike. It’s almost done!” Zhou Chao couldn’t help but speak up; he didn’t want to waste any more time.

“I’m sorry, Boss, I was just so surprised!” Mike stood up immediately upon hearing Zhou Chao’s words.

“Everyone, get back to work, and I’ll start cooking as well. You need to be quick; my friends are still waiting outside!”

Hearing Zhou Chao’s words, Mike’s face tensed up, and he quickly assured, “Boss, don’t worry, we can serve the dishes anytime!”

After all, Western cuisine was known for its quick preparation.

Zhou Chao then took two cucumbers and swiftly started slicing them, creating a rhythmic and swift sound in the kitchen.

Soon, he finished slicing the two cucumbers, and then Zhou Chao began preparing the sauce.

Mike and Manager Muir watched as two perfectly intact cucumbers remained on the cutting board, and they exchanged puzzled glances.

“What do you think the Island Owner sliced just now? It doesn’t seem like anything changed!” Manager Muir whispered.

“You’re asking me? How would I know!” Mike gave him a speechless look.

ii

Nan, do you know?” Both of them turned their gaze to Wang Nan, the dishwasher.

“Chef, Manager, those are ’Cucumber in Straw Raincoat.’ When you pull it apart, it reveals slices.”

Zhou Chao’s movements were swift, and in no time, he had prepared the ginger sauce. Then, he pulled the two cucumbers apart, forming a circular shape, and drizzled the sauce over them. A cold dish was completed.

“This… It’s real! So thin, it feels like every slice is the same!” Mike was once again amazed by Zhou Chao’s knife skills.

After finishing the dish, Zhou Chao started working on the Wensi Tofu.

However, he added a little twist to it by incorporating some lobster meat. He shaped the lobster meat into small balls and added them to the Wensi Tofu. It was quickly done because the tofu soup only needed a moment to be prepared, with the focus on the accompanying ingredients.

“Alright, let’s get the dishes ready! Oh, there’s still some Wensi Tofu left in the pot; you can try it!” Zhou Chao then took off his chef’s uniform and walked out.

Manager Muir quickly had the dishes served, and once all the dishes were brought out, Mike’s attention turned to the remaining Wensi Tofu in the pot.

He grabbed two bowls and scooped out a little.

Mike took a sniff and was greeted by a pleasant aroma. He scooped a spoonful and tasted it. Instantly, he was stunned.

“Mike, what’s wrong? Is it not delicious?”

No, it’s too delicious. I’ve never had such a delicious dish before, not even my mentor could cook something this good!”

“Really?” Muir also tasted it, and after a moment, he too got lost in the flavors.

“Zhou, you finally came out. We’ve been waiting for you for a long time!” As soon as he stepped out of the kitchen, Abdullah warmly greeted him.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting. Hey, Qin Fen, who won today?”

Hearing Zhou Chao’s question, the others burst into laughter, leaving Zhou Chao somewhat puzzled.

“Ah Li, what’s going on?”

“Hahaha, let me laugh for a moment!” Jiang Li rubbed his belly and couldn’t stop laughing.

Zhou Chao looked at Guo Yan and Shen Lan, who were in a similar state, and could only turn his gaze to Li Yang, signaling him to explain.

“Today, the three of them participated in a competition. They all scored zero hits, with Wen Xuan doing a bit better—he hit one target. The other two didn’t hit anything!”

After hearing Li Yang’s explanation, Zhou Chao looked at the three who had their heads buried on the table..