Chapter 142: Ah, Director Zhong

Chapter 142: Chapter 142: Ah, Director Zhong

An ordinary person might spend a few hours of their free time simmering a pot of pork and bamboo soup.

But they would never spend several days just to make a dish as demanding and failure-prone as chicken bean flower!

Therefore, a dish like this is an extreme test of a chef’s skill.

The clear broth alone would stump ninety-nine percent of chefs.

Viewers who weren’t in the know, however, were a little lost:

[I feel like I didn’t understand a single word...]

[A gourmet’s friend is a gourmet, too. Now that’s what I call professional!]

[I don’t care, all I know is they’re praising our Boss Nan for being amazing, and that’s all that matters!]

[Huh, why does this lady look so familiar?!]

[She looks familiar to me too. I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere.]

[OMG OMG OMG! Everyone! Isn’t that Director Zhong Yu?]

[Who’s Director Zhong? A director?]

[Are you dumb? She’s the head director of *A Bite of China*!]

...

The bullet comments exploded.

The speed of the scrolling comments more than doubled!

It was clear just how shocked and excited the viewers in the livestream room were!

As people started sharing what was happening in the stream on other platforms, related topics began to trend, and many people flooded into the livestream to watch the excitement unfold.

Nan Zhi’s livestream popularity had been neck and neck with Fu Chao’s, with each taking turns in the top spot.

But now, the name "Zhong Yu" was like a shot of adrenaline!

Countless people came to Nan Zhi’s stream to see Zhong Yu, causing its popularity to skyrocket and pull far ahead of Fu Chao in second place!

And this wasn’t the end, but merely the beginning.

Zhong Yu, however, was completely unaware of the commotion she was causing in the outside world.

She carefully savored each dish, her expression filled with focus and appreciation.

"It’s nearly flawless," she said.

Newcomers to the stream who didn’t know what was going on couldn’t help but ask:

[Did this reality show hire a state-banquet-level professional chef? For Director Zhong to give such high praise!]

[What professional chef? Nan Zhi’s the one who made it. Have you not seen any of the trending topics these past few days?]

[And here I thought it was just more shameless marketing from the show...]

[They’re really pulling out all the stops, even getting Zhong Yu. What’s next, are they going to market this as state banquet food?]

[Anyone making sour comments clearly doesn’t know Director Zhong. She’s famous for being picky and principled!]

[Remember when we had the fried rice stall at the night market, and that documentary crew came to film? It couldn’t be...]

[Don’t guess wildly! Keep your expectations low! Don’t get our hopes up just to be laughed at later!]

...

Kitchen.

Nan Zhi was at the stove, focused on her cooking, oblivious to the world outside.

Unfortunately, Fu Chao was buzzing in her ear, repeating every single comment Zhong Yu had made.

It seemed he was even more excited than Nan Zhi!

He probably didn’t even get this worked up when audiences praised the movies and TV shows he’d made!

Suddenly, he mentioned:

"...But Director Zhong seems to really like Lu Cuisine. She kept asking if you were formally trained in Lu Cuisine, and she also asked why the Kung Pao Chicken was made in the Sichuan style... Wait, is there a Lu Cuisine version of Kung Pao Chicken?"

Nan Zhi’s hands paused.

She finally turned her attention to Fu Chao.

"Did Director Zhong say she wanted to eat the Lu Cuisine version of Kung Pao Chicken?"

Fu Chao shook his head.

"She didn’t say that..."

Nan Zhi let out a disappointed "Oh," her thoughts drifting slightly.

But her hands didn’t stop moving; she deftly scooped the stir-fried dish out of the wok and onto a plate.

Fu Chao watched in amazement for a moment before continuing:

"...She just looked a little, um, disappointed? It’s weird, why would Director Zhong be disappointed?"

Nan Zhi handed the freshly cooked dish to Fu Chao.

"Then I’ll just make her a Lu Cuisine Kung Pao Chicken."

Fu Chao was stunned.

He held the plate, looking dumbfounded.

"Huh? You’re going to make Kung Pao Chicken? Specially for Director Zhong?"

He emphasized the word "specially."

Who didn’t know that Nan Zhi treated Director Zhong the same as any other customer?

Even yesterday, when Xu Lin had frantically hinted that Nan Zhi should put in extra effort and show off her skills to maximize the value of Zhong Yu’s visit...

Nan Zhi had just pretended not to understand and carried on as usual.

Even Xu Lin had been helpless against her.

But now, why had Nan Zhi suddenly changed her mind?

Fu Chao looked at Nan Zhi searchingly.

But she clearly had no intention of explaining, her eyes fixed forward as she continued to rinse the wok and prep ingredients.

Fu Chao had no choice but to take the dish and go out.

Arriving in the main dining area, he saw that Zhu Jin and Zhong Yu’s meal was nearing its end.

Afraid they would leave early, Fu Chao stepped forward, meeting their surprised gazes.

"Please wait a moment. Our Boss Nan is making Kung Pao Chicken."

"Hmm?"

Zhu Jin pointed quizzically at the nearly empty plate of Kung Pao Chicken on the table.

"Our dish has already been served."

Fu Chao had to explain briefly and concisely.

Zhu Jin perked up immediately.

"Is your Boss Nan that accommodating? She’s making Lu Cuisine Kung Pao Chicken just because she heard Zhong Yu wanted to try it? In that case, can I order something that’s not on the menu?"

"Sorry, no."

Nan Zhi came out herself, carrying the dish.

Many customers in the restaurant were glancing over, and the bullet comments in the livestream were buzzing with curiosity.

Fu Chao, however, asked directly:

"Nan Zhi, why did you come out?"

"To serve the dish."

Nan Zhi explained with a smile.

Then, her gaze shifted and met Zhong Yu’s.

"Ms. Zhong."

Nan Zhi didn’t call her Director Zhong, treating Zhong Yu simply as a customer.

A special customer, however:

"Your Kung Pao Chicken has arrived."

Zhong Yu smiled slowly.

"Alright, thank you."

She picked up her chopsticks again and tasted this Lu Cuisine-style Kung Pao Chicken—

The Sichuan version of Kung Pao Chicken is known for its scorched-chili-and-lychee flavor profile. It’s characterized by being sweet first, then sour, with a spiciness woven into the sweetness, and a strong emphasis on the scorched chili notes.

The Lu Cuisine version, however, while prepared similarly, places more emphasis on flash-frying over high heat, highlighting the savory and fresh characteristics of Lu Cuisine!

Nan Zhi’s plate of Kung Pao Chicken was a masterpiece of this style. The chicken pieces were uniform in size and sported a reddish-brown color. The sauce was bright and glossy, coating the chicken to make it look plump and succulent, yet it didn’t pool on the plate or separate. And the seasoning was simply sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce!

The chicken was tender yet firm to the bite, crisp and delicious. The different flavors intertwined on the palate, complementing each other perfectly to create a sensation that was just right!

Zhong Yu smiled after just one bite.

She asked with absolute certainty:

"Your grandfather’s surname is Nan, isn’t it?"

"Yes."

Nan Zhi nodded.

In that exchanged glance, they had already communicated something only the two of them could understand.

The onlookers were left scratching their heads, and the livestream’s bullet comments filled the screen with question marks:

[If Nan Zhi’s grandfather’s surname isn’t Nan, what would it be?]

[Damn it, I feel like they’re speaking in a code we can’t understand!]

[I have a bold guess. Could it be that Zhong Yu knows Nan Zhi’s grandfather?]

[Nan Zhi learned to cook from her grandfather. Hmm, the logic tracks!]

[Anyone Zhong Yu knows must be a master chef! Can someone dig up some info on him?]

[What are you talking about? We don’t even know for sure what they meant!]

...

Fu Chao also had many questions he wanted to ask.

But deep in his heart, a faint trace of regret flashed through him.