"Hello, Master!"

Upon seeing Old Gao, Shen Jiayue hurriedly greeted him.

Old Gao nodded weakly and then sat down at the dining table.

Che Zai put down his chopsticks and asked, "Old Gao, what would you like to eat? I'll get it for you."

"Just half a bowl of rice..."

Seeing his master hanging his head like a sick chicken, Lin Xu curiously asked, "What's wrong, Master? Did that leopard-print lady bully you?"

He was initially just watching the drama unfold.

But seeing his master like this, Lin Xu started to worry. Might that leopard-print lady have become so enraged after being rejected that she found someone to beat his master up?

"Sigh... A single misstep can cause lifelong regret."

Old Gao sighed deeply and said to Lin Xu, "Xiao Xu, you must never mess with those wealthy older women in the future. They have too many tricks up their sleeves!"

Lin Xu: "..."

What about wealthy young ladies? There's one sitting right next to me, and she's pretty cute too.

Shen Jiayue, who had been focused on nibbling the duck head in her hand, immediately raised her head after hearing Old Gao's words. She first glanced at Old Gao, then at her darling Xu.

Something's up! Something definitely happened when I wasn't around.

Lin Xu figured that the leopard-print lady might come to the restaurant often in the future. It would be better to clarify things upfront rather than let the staff speculate negatively.

So, he explained everything in detail.

Everyone listened, agape with astonishment, even forgetting to eat the Pickled Pork and Fatty Intestines on the table.

The renowned Gao Xiaoshuai from the live-streaming community was actually Old Gao?

The dignified lady who visited the restaurant yesterday was actually the mysterious tycoon Die Lianhua?

No wonder she casually spent one thousand yuan and chatted with the boss yesterday; that really fit Die Lianhua's persona of someone who saw money as dirt yet fiercely guarded her riches.

Although Shen Jiayue had already learned about Old Gao's latest alter ego in the group chat yesterday, she didn't watch live streams and wasn't much interested in the dynamics of the live-streaming world.

After hearing Lin Xu's explanation, she was also slack-jawed, finding it hard to believe that a middle-aged female fan could possess such formidable strength.

While Lin Xu was explaining, Old Gao also added some details.

Lin Xu was stunned. "You said she gifted how many Carnivals in total?"

"Five hundred and twenty. She said she wanted to gift me 'a 520.' I thought she meant a brand of cigarettes, so I didn't pay much attention..."

Five hundred and twenty Carnivals?

Each Carnival costs three thousand yuan, so 520 would amount to...

3,000 × 520 = 1,560,000.

That was equivalent to the price of a brand-new Range Rover.

WOW, Master's charm is truly something else!

Meanwhile, Shen Jiayue felt secretly relieved:

Does pursuing a boy cost so much money? Lucky I snagged my darling Xu with just some snacks back in school and saved a lot of pocket money. I'm really good at managing a household... That being the case, treating myself to a piece of Fatty Intestines isn't too much, right?

She picked up a piece of Fatty Intestines with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

YUM...

These Fatty Intestines seem to be braised and then fried. They have a crispy outer layer blended with an appetizing spicy flavor, and upon biting into them, the taste of the braising sauce mingles inside. Soft and fatty, they're truly satisfying to eat.

As she enjoyed the delicious Fatty Intestines, she couldn't help but shovel a couple of mouthfuls of rice.

AHHH, these Fatty Intestines are so delicious, I can't stop eating them!

Nearby, Lin Xu was still engrossed in getting the juicy details.

Seeing that his master's mood had stabilized somewhat, he curiously asked, "Master, what happened last night? Why did you end up staying at Senior Brother's house?"

As soon as this was mentioned, Old Gao sighed deeply again. "Yesterday, I was live-streaming at the recreational park. She said her phone was out of battery, so I let her use my phone to call her assistant to bring a charger. After that, I pocketed my phone and left. Little did I know, she followed me wherever I went. It wasn't until I went to a phone repair shop that I discovered she had installed a tracking app on my phone…"

TSK! Is this what he calls 'underhanded'? It's really hard to guard against.

Lin Xu had thought that was the end of it, but he didn't expect there was more to come:

"After uninstalling the software, I thought everything was settled. Just as I was about to head home, I saw her standing at the entrance of my residential complex. I then took a taxi to a hotel. As soon as I checked in, she showed up again. I rummaged through this bag and found that a tracking device had been slipped into it at some point."

Shen Jiayue was so shocked that she stopped eating her rice. "Is that leopard-print auntie a secret agent or something?"

She can track phones and even has tracking devices; this is just like a plot from a spy movie.

Old Gao shook his head. "No, she's in the car rental business."

Car... rental?

Lin Xu's face showed a look of realization.

Car rental companies are experts at GPS tracking to prevent vehicle theft.

The leopard-print auntie used this on Master; that's her using her professional expertise, alright.

A simple GPS locator forced the great 'Sea King' to hide at his disciple's place. Rich people really do rely on technology!

After speaking, Old Gao, looking disheartened, began to eat his rice.

Seeing the Pickled Pork with Dried Vegetable on the table, he picked up a piece and tried it.

His eyes then lit up. "This steamed pork is nicely done—tender and flavorful. The seasoning is just right; it doesn't overpower the natural taste of the pork but also highlights the salty-umami flavor of the Dried Vegetable. It's quite perfect!"

Although life had thrown a series of bewildering incidents at him, when it came to cooking, Old Gao suddenly seemed like a different person. He was not only full of energy but also able to make very astute comments on the entire dish.

"Not bad at all. I definitely couldn't have achieved this flavor when I was your age. Your talent truly puts me to shame."

He had lived a freewheeling life, but he had always held a devout heart towards cooking. Tasting his disciple's skills now, his gloomy mood instantly cleared!

Lin Xu hadn't expected his master to praise him so much. He smiled and said, "It's all thanks to your guidance, Master. Ever since you told me last time that cooking is an art of subtraction, I've been pondering the profound meaning behind it."

Old Gao's interest was piqued.

After shoveling down a couple of mouthfuls of rice, he pointed to the duck dishes nearby and said, "Not all cooking is about subtraction. Braised dishes like this require addition. And when adding, you need to find the proper hierarchy among the main and supporting spices, as well as their pairing with other ingredients."

He picked up a duck foot and tasted it.

Then he said, "The braising time is spot on, and the color is fine too. However, you should use fewer Sichuan peppercorns. The numbing flavor is too strong; it's more suited to the palate of people from Sichuan. As for the spiciness of the chili, it's adequate, but it lacks aroma. I suggest you change the type of chili. What kinds of chili did you use?"

"Chili King, Devil's Pepper, and Lantern Pepper."

Upon hearing this, Old Gao immediately said, "Switch the Devil's Pepper with Northwest Line Chili. This will make the spiciness slightly milder, but the aroma will be richer. It will better suit the taste preferences here in Beijing."

As soon as he finished speaking, the system's notification tone sounded in Lin Xu's mind:

"Host has listened to the advice of the State Banquet-level Master. 'Excellent Level Duck Braising Technique' has been upgraded to 'Superior Level Duck Braising Technique.' Congratulations to the Host!"

Master is truly Master! Even if the system hadn't upgraded it, Lin Xu felt that following Master's advice would likely elevate the flavor to another level.

While he was lost in thought, Old Gao caught sight of a BMW 760 slowly stopping at the door. He quickly shoveled two pieces of meat into his bowl, grabbed his bag in one hand and the bowl in the other, and crouched as he headed towards the storage room.

While walking, he didn't forget to call out, "Just say I'm not here!"

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