「In the kitchen.」

Lin Xu didn't yet know that he was about to become the company's general manager.

After stir-frying the chili peppers until they were just tender-crisp, he poured the beef, from which the fat had been filtered, back into the wok. He first stir-fried them briefly to mix the peppers and beef, then drizzled a little Cooking Wine along the edge of the wok. The evaporating alcohol helped remove any gamey odor from the beef.

Then he began to season: a small spoonful of salt, a small spoonful of sugar, and a little Light Soy Sauce.

He continued to stir-fry for another thirty seconds to ensure the seasonings were evenly distributed, then dished it out and plated it.

Elder Gao, who was standing by and worrying about his own love troubles, watched the beef on the plate, his eyes suddenly lighting up. "The flavor is good, and the beef is cooked just right," he remarked.

Slices of richly colored beef lay nestled among the green and red peppers. Both the peppers and beef glistened with oil, yet there was hardly any grease on the plate's bottom. This technique, achieving an oily fragrance without visible grease, was a true test of culinary skill. A slight misstep, with too little oil, could make the beef dry and tough, and even the Green and red peppers could get burnt.

Lin Xu said with a smile, "This is a method I came up with on my own; I didn't expect it to turn out this well."

Elder Gao also said with a smile, "If you can make Stir-fried Beef with Peppers this perfect, then you should be good at cooking other similar dishes like stir-fried pork or stir-fried pork liver. It's all the same technique."

Really?

Then I'll have to give it a try.

Lin Xu said, "I haven't tried those yet, but I'll give them a shot later. I'll still need your guidance then."

As the master and disciple were chatting, Shen Guofu entered the shop after putting Dundun down.

Elder Gao, who hadn't paid any attention at first, promptly came forward to shake hands when he heard that it was Shen Jiayue's father. After all, this was the father of his disciple's fiancée, and he had to show ample respect.

After the pleasantries were exchanged, Shen Guofu, pointing to Dou Wenjing beside him, said to Lin Xu, "Xu, this is Manager Dou from our company, in charge of tax affairs. Seeing you're too busy to handle tax matters yourself, I've asked her to come and help you sort things out."

Lin Xu, upon hearing this, quickly greeted Dou Wenjing, "Hello, Manager Dou. I appreciate your help."

"Oh, no need for 'Manager.' I'm Dou Wenjing. You can just call me Wenjing; Yueyue calls me that too," Dou Wenjing said. Although she held considerable sway in the company's finance department, she didn't dare act haughty in front of the boss's son-in-law. Instead, she tried to build a little rapport.

Lin Xu said with a smile, "Wenjing, how should we handle the taxes here then?"

Dou Wenjing explained her idea.

Open a company?

Lin Xu felt it was somewhat comical to turn his small roadside stall into a company. However, with such high revenue now, not incorporating could indeed become a hidden risk.

While he was contemplating this, a waitress brought over several glasses of Sour Plum Soup.

Dou Wenjing took a sip, and her eyes immediately lit up. The flavor was cool, tart, and sweet. One sip seemed to dispel most of the summer heat, making every pore in her body feel refreshed. This Sour Plum Soup was much better than the one from the shop below their company building.

If this restaurant were near our company, I'd come eat here every day, just for this delicious Sour Plum Soup.

While she was still marveling, she heard Lin Xu ask, "Wenjing, is it troublesome to open a company?"

Dou Wenjing quickly put down her Sour Plum Soup and said, "Not at all. All your permits are in order, so we can probably complete the procedures in a day. If you write me a letter of authorization later, I can handle it for you this afternoon."

This is Mr. Shen's son-in-law; she might be able to latch onto his coattails in the future. So, she needed to get as close as possible now and demonstrate her value. That was the way to win the bosses' favor and be promoted and entrusted with significant responsibilities.

Lin Xu said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Wenjing."

Dou Wenjing replied, "Not at all, not at all. It's what I should be doing."

Once this was settled, it was almost dinnertime.

Lin Xu brought over the Stir-fried Beef with Peppers he'd cooked, along with Tiger Skin Chicken Feet, steamed chicken with black bean sauce, steamed pork ribs with black bean sauce, and a few other dishes.

Just as they were about to start eating, Shen Jiayue walked in. She was now only responsible for the company's boxed lunches and basic tasks, so she had quite a bit of free time.

"Oh, Wenjing? What brings you here?" Shen Jiayue asked.

"I'm here to help your boyfriend's shop with tax filing. Aren't you working today, Yueyue?" Dou Wenjing replied.

"I am. I just came to pick up the boxed lunches."

Though she said she was there to pick up boxed lunches, the moment she saw the Stir-fried Beef with Peppers on the table, the girl gleefully sat down beside Lin Xu and unceremoniously snatched the bowl of rice from his hands.

Ever since their relationship was revealed, this girl acted more and more like she was part of the family.

Shen Guofu chuckled as he watched. Although he felt his daughter, at her age, was indeed a bit thoughtless, from her perspective, wasn't being 'spoiled' enough to be 'thoughtless'—to do as she pleased and follow her heart—a form of happiness in itself?

Lin Xu got up to get another bowl of rice. Then, everyone sat down and began to eat.

Shen Jiayue unceremoniously picked up a slice of beef, popped it into her mouth, and after a few chews, exclaimed, "Wow, this beef is so tender! Dad, don't just focus on those Chicken Feet; quickly try this! It's fragrant, spicy, and tender. I feel like this is the true way to eat beef!"

After saying this, she quickly shoveled down a few mouthfuls of the perfectly steamed rice. Spicy dishes like this really do go best with rice!

Elder Gao tried a piece and gave his disciple a thumbs-up, saying, "Not bad. The beef is cooked perfectly, tender and fresh... You must have used plenty of Scallion and Ginger water, right? For this kind of beef, Scallion and Ginger water, egg white, and starch are absolutely essential."

Hearing Elder Gao say this...

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