Starting from a Bankrupt Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant

Zhou Yan, who was in charge of washing the hotpot, had just dried his hands and looked toward the courtyard gate at the sound of voices.

A smiling Kong Guodong led two men through the gate.

The slightly pudgy, round-faced, and dark-skinned middle-aged man walking alongside Kong Guodong was none other than He Zhiyuan, the deputy editor-in-chief of Sichuan Cuisine magazine.

Following behind him, wearing a satchel and a pair of black-framed glasses, was his editorial assistant—Li.

So it was a group of old acquaintances.

Kong Qingfeng and all his disciples rose to their feet.

He Zhiyuan, however, quickened his pace. He walked up with a smile and shook Kong Qingfeng’s hand. "Second Master Kong, it’s been a while. How have you been?"

"I’m doing all right. I can still eat, walk, and go fishing," Kong Qingfeng said, gripping He Zhiyuan’s hand and sizing him up with a smile. "He, you’ve put on some weight and gotten quite a tan. If I didn’t know you were a deputy editor-in-chief, I’d think you spent all your days fishing by the river."

"I’ve been traveling all over the country gathering stories. The tan and the extra pounds are just occupational hazards," He Zhiyuan laughed heartily. "I don’t have the patience for fishing. I’ve got ants in my pants—can’t sit still for a moment. You’re the one living the good life in retirement, fishing to relax and clear your head."

Kong Qingfeng laughed too. "Retired, my ass. I still have to come to the base every other day to teach an afternoon class. At best, I’m only semi-retired."

The two immediately fell into an animated conversation, clearly old friends.

Li glanced around, his eyes landing on Zhou Yan. He paused, clearly a little surprised.

It was mainly because Zhou Yan was so tall. Standing there, he was a good half-head taller than the apprentice beside him.

He also had very distinctive features, a complete contrast to the row of round-faced, thick-necked chefs beside him. He was tall, lean, and quite handsome.

Ever since the photos had been developed, all the single young women at the magazine had been asking him about Zhou Yan.

Their magazine had interviewed plenty of chefs, but he was truly the first one to be this young and handsome.

Zhou Yan smiled at him.

Li gave a slight nod in return. He wanted to remind his boss about something, but seeing him deep in conversation with Kong Qingfeng, he didn’t dare interrupt and simply stood there quietly.

Sichuan Cuisine magazine was founded by the Provincial Food Service Company. Years ago, when Kong Huafeng and Kong Qingfeng went to Rongcheng for a culinary exchange, He Zhiyuan had been the one to host them. Even after all these years, they still occasionally corresponded by letter.

After exchanging pleasantries, Kong Qingfeng began introducing his apprentices and the other junior chefs to He Zhiyuan.

He Zhiyuan smiled and shook hands with each of them.

When he shook Xiao Lei’s hand, he said with a touch of emotion, "The Kong Sect is truly brimming with talent these days. It’s a shame the three Grandmasters—Xu Yunliang, Fang Yifei, and Song Bo—couldn’t make it back. Otherwise, I could have taken a big group photo to commemorate the occasion."

Xiao Lei smiled. "Our three senior masters are indeed too busy to return, but we can still take a group photo without them! I’m sure they’d be delighted if we could mail them a copy."

Kong Qingfeng nodded with a smile. "Exactly. The more successful the Kong Sect chefs become, the harder it is to get them all in one place. But no matter where they are, they are the pride of the Kong Sect."

"You’re right. I was thinking too small," He Zhiyuan agreed with a nod. "Alright, I’ll take a big group photo of the Kong Sect later. I’ll have several copies printed so you can all keep one as a memento, and we’ll mail one to the three Grandmasters as well."

Kong Qingfeng clapped him on the shoulder. "In that case, I insist on personally cooking a fine meal for you tonight."

"Deal! It’s been too long since I’ve had Second Master Kong’s Braised Yellow Perch," He Zhiyuan said with a wide grin.

"You rascal, you sure know how to pick the best dishes," Kong Qingfeng chuckled. He turned to Kong Guodong. "Guodong, go buy a couple pounds of yellow perch. If you can’t find any on the street, go borrow some from the restaurant. We’ll replace it first thing tomorrow."

"Got it," Kong Guodong replied. He walked over to Kong Liwei and beckoned him. "You. Go buy the yellow perch."

"Master, didn’t Grandmaster tell you to go?" Kong Liwei pouted. "I want to be in the group photo, too."

"You’ll just be an extra in the back row, it doesn’t matter if you’re in the photo or not. I, however, get to stand next to your Grandmaster," Kong Guodong said, waving him away.

"Besides, my master orders me around, so of course I’m going to order my apprentice around. Now, are you going or not? Don’t make me smack you in front of our distinguished guests."

Seeing Kong Guodong gesture as if to unbuckle his belt, Kong Liwei quickly hopped back a step and held out his hand. "Give me the money, then. I’ve only got twenty-eight cents in my pocket."

Kong Guodong dug a couple of bills from his pocket and gave them to him, instructing, "Pick ones that aren’t too big or too small. And bring them back in water—they have to be alive."

"Oh," Kong Liwei grunted. He stuffed the money in his pocket and headed out, his voice drifting back mournfully, "An extra in the back row... but still my mommy’s little pride and joy..."

Kong Qingfeng looked at He Zhiyuan and asked, "He, what did you have in mind for the interview? Do you need us to cook something? Or should we just chat over tea?"

At his words, everyone turned to look at He Zhiyuan. When Second Master Kong had gathered them, he’d mentioned that the magazine might want to do a feature on the Kong Sect’s techniques for cooking fish. In fact, they currently had a yellowcheek carp and a bighead carp living in the bathtub for this very purpose.

And He Zhiyuan had just requested Braised Yellow Perch, another one of Second Master Kong’s specialties.

He Zhiyuan looked at Kong Qingfeng and said, "Second Master Kong, I had a meeting with our editor-in-chief and the rest of the editorial team before coming. We decided not to focus on a fish dish this time. Instead, let’s talk about the Kong Sect.

"Let’s talk about how you and Kong carried on the tradition and built the Kong Sect into the powerhouse it is today, brimming with talent. You have chefs who have stayed to uphold the standard in Jiazhou, some who helm the kitchens at the Rongcheng Restaurant, others who are championing Sichuan Cuisine in the Capital, and even some who have traveled abroad with national leaders."

"Years ago, the celebrated Chef Kong Rui drew upon the strengths of many different culinary schools and passed his skills down to Kong Huafeng and yourself. You two masters then surpassed your teacher, developing a one-of-a-kind style that stood on its own, earning the prestigious name of the ’Kong Sect’."