The Game of Life

Calculating in his mind, Ling Guangzhao decided that the next one to poach should be Zhang Guanghang who had also put in quite an effort for Sir Xia’s funeral these past few days. In a few days, he would pay a visit; Zhang Guanghang should give him this much face.

No matter how influential the backer of Taifeng Building might be, in the culinary circle they were still newcomers, and Zhang Guanghang could easily decide which one was the better choice.

Only, it was a pity for Ji Xue, Jiang Weiguo, and Jiang Yuanchao. That Ji Xue wouldn’t budge an inch; even when he offered such a high salary, she didn’t hesitate for a moment before refusing. He really didn’t know what kind of spell the owner of Taifeng Building had cast on her.

Jiang Weiguo and Jiang Yuanchao were both too old. Ling Guangzhao had never considered poaching these two sirs. He couldn’t understand what the owner of Taifeng Building was thinking, hiring two such elderly gentlemen as head chefs.

Lost in thought, Ling Guangzhao wasn’t paying attention to where he was walking and inadvertently ended up right in front of Tong Deyan.

As Ling Guangzhao looked up and saw Tong Deyan, he muttered an expletive under his breath and turned to leave.

Unfortunately, Tong Deyan had recently been spending more time with Pei Shenghua and was quicker with words than Ling was with his feet.

“Mr. Ling is out and about poaching again, not even sparing the newly opened Taifeng building. His dedication truly moves people!” The moment Tong Deyan opened his mouth, the people around him wanted to scatter in all directions.

At this time, everyone nearby was thinking the same thing: Here we go again, here we go again. How could Ling Guangzhao be so careless as to wander close to Tong Deyan?

Everyone in the culinary circle knew that Tong Deyan and Ling Guangzhao were at odds, always squabbling when they met, their conversations laced with innuendo so potent that bystanders might suspect they’d come to blows the next second. Yet every time, it ended with verbal sparring and not physical conflict, typically with Ling Guangzhao in retreat.

“I was just having a word with Master Jiang. How it turned into poaching in Master Tong’s mouth is beyond me,” said Ling, unruffled.

“With your history, Mr. Ling, as soon as you speak, people assume it’s poaching,” Tong Deyan replied with a sneer. “Even during Sir Xia’s funeral, you didn’t forget your true calling. Your work ethic is indeed admirable, Mr. Ling.”

Ling took a deep breath, ready to demonstrate the skills he had been practicing diligently these days, in order to talk back to Tong Deyan and regain the ground he had lost before.

Tong Deyan didn’t give him another look and turned to walk away.

Ling Guangzhao: ???

Why aren’t you following the script this time???

“They didn’t get into it this time,” remarked a member of the informed melon-eating crowd, feeling a bit disappointed.

“That was still not getting into it?” asked a member of the uninformed melon-eating crowd in shock.

“You didn’t see them at an event in Magic City. For some reason, the organizers arranged for Ling Guangzhao and Tong Deyan to sit next to each other; the two of them bickered for the entire two hours of the event,” said a member of the informed melon-eating crowd.

The uninformed melon-eating crowd: (g)°q°g>)

Jiang Feng, a melon-eating member of the crowd who only caught half of the story as he passed by: ???

“Why do they always squabble when they meet?” Jiang Feng asked curiously.

The informed melon-eating crowd member didn’t recognize Jiang Feng, but that didn’t stop him from sharing the juicy gossip that everyone in the culinary circle knew: “Tong Deyan used to be a chef at Eight-treasure House.”

Jiang Feng:!!!

He hadn’t expected that his casual inquiry would reveal such a big piece of gossip.

“Later, there was some unpleasantness between the two of them. I heard it was because Master Tong was dissatisfied with Ling Guangzhao’s cuts in the budget for food supplies. Anyway, the result was that Master Tong paid a large sum in breach of contract fees and resigned, and that’s how their feud started,” a well-informed gossip explained.

An uninformed gossip objected, “What I heard was that Master Tong resigned due to Ling Guangzhao’s management style.”

“Ling Guangzhao’s management style does have its problems. He’s made plenty of money, but he nearly wrecked the reputation of Eight-treasure House.”

“As long as money was made, what’s the issue? Nowadays, how many stores don’t have their reputation ruined? Lu Chen, I see that your store’s reputation is almost wrecked too.” The uninformed gossip, who obviously didn’t have a great relationship with Master Tong either, sneered, “Master Tong offended so many people, I think he just couldn’t mix in with Eight-treasure House anymore, so he put on a show and resigned.”

Lu Chen felt slightly annoyed upon hearing this, his brow furrowing imperceptibly as he asked, “I remember you don’t have much of a relationship with Sir Xia either, so why did you come here today?”

“Our head chef came, and the restaurant was closed, so I just tagged along. Hey, doesn’t Bai Zishi always have a bad relationship with Sir Xia? I remember Sir Xia publicly embarrassed him a few years back, yet he also came.” The uninformed gossip exclaimed in surprise, “Oh my, it’s getting late, I should leave now, why aren’t you leaving?”

“I’m waiting for Sir Xia’s cremation to be done so I can escort him to the cemetery,” Lu Chen said.

Most of those who had stayed behind had the same intention.

“You really have time on your hands, going all the way to the cemetery. I’m leaving first,” said the uninformed gossip and then left.

Another gossip who had been silent suddenly spoke up, “I didn’t expect Sir Xia to not even bother scolding him.”

“Maybe he thought he was beyond help, his heart was crooked and couldn’t be straightened anymore,” Lu Chen replied without looking at him, instead turning to someone nearby, “What did Sir Xia berate you over on the phone?”

“He scolded me for everything. At first, I was confused. I hadn’t been in touch with him while he was hospitalized, so when he suddenly called and chewed me out, criticising everything about me yet giving me pointers on my cooking, it felt like he was leaving his last words.” The person next to him was full of emotion, “I didn’t expect it to actually be his last words.”

“Yeah, it’s unexpected how life can be snuffed out so suddenly. He sounded so vigorous on the phone too,” Lu Chen also expressed with regret.

“What did Sir Xia say to you?” The person asked with curiosity.

“What else could he have said? He gave me an earful as well, scolding me because I didn’t even know that lotus seed pod tofu requires a layer of cooked lard in the pot before anything else.” Lu Chen gave a wry smile, “Sir Xia really cared.”

“Yeah, he did care.”

“By the way, which restaurant’s chef are you? I don’t recall having seen you before,” Lu Chen turned and asked Jiang Feng.

“I’m a colleague of Zhang Guanghang, a chef at Taifeng Building,” Jiang Feng replied.

“Oh, Taifeng Building, no wonder I haven’t seen you before,” Lu Chen nodded and continued chatting with the others.

Jiang Feng listened to their conversation and looked at the people who stayed, some whose faces and names he knew, like Master Tong, Zhao Shan, Wu Ke, and others whose names he couldn’t recall despite their familiar faces. There were also many other chefs he didn’t know at all. They stayed to see Xia Mushi on his final journey for the same reason.

Xia Mushi, on his deathbed, had called them, scolding them fiercely but also awkwardly pushing their culinary skills to the limit with his advice.

All these people were his juniors, and at the end of his life, he fulfilled the duty of an elder by guiding them.

Everyone must die, but some depart as weighty as Mount Tai, others as light as a feather.

Xia Mushi might not have been a mentor universally praised, but he was a good

mentor..