Chapter 63 Joining the Municipal Bureau

Chapter 63: Joining the Municipal Bureau

The next morning, after dropping off Yushui, He Yuzhu was relaxing on a recliner at home, reading an illustrated edition of *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* published during the Republic of China era, which he had picked up at a flea market not long ago. On the table beside his hand sat a Yixing clay teapot with freshly brewed tea, a teacup, and a plate of his own stir-fried spiced peanuts. He looked thoroughly relaxed and content.

Just as he was engrossed in his reading, a knock came at the door. He Yuzhu got up and went to open it. Zhou Jianye was standing outside, holding his bicycle by the handlebars.

"Didn't you just raid my place yesterday?" He Yuzhu said as he ushered Zhou Jianye inside. "What brings you back again today?"

"I come bearing good news today," Zhou Jianye replied.

As soon as he stepped into the living room, Zhou Jianye spotted He Yuzhu's recliner, the book, the tea, and the spiced peanuts. "Well, look at you, living such a leisurely life!"

"I've got nothing else to do. Might as well read a bit and pick up some knowledge," He Yuzhu said with a straight face.

Zhou Jianye picked up the book from the table and glanced at it. "You're acquiring knowledge by reading *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*?"

He Yuzhu retorted righteously, "Of course. There is profound wisdom hidden within the pages of the *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*."

"All right, enough of your nonsense. I’ve pretty much sorted out the matter of you getting into the Municipal Bureau's cafeteria. In a bit, you'll come with me to the Bureau and show them what you're made of. Once you pull that off, it's a done deal."

"Fine by me. Whatever you say goes. When are we leaving?"

Zhou Jianye glanced at his watch. "Let's go now. I'll take you to meet my dad first."

"Alright." He Yuzhu grabbed his duffel bag and followed Zhou Jianye out.

After signing in at the entrance of the Municipal Bureau, Zhou Jianye led He Yuzhu to Uncle Zhou's office.

Zhou Jianye pushed the door open to take a peek, and seeing only his Uncle Zhou inside, he motioned for He Yuzhu to follow him in.

Seeing his son walk in with a young man who stood about six feet tall, Uncle Zhou immediately guessed it must be He Yuzhu. "You must be He Yuzhu, right? Come on in and have a seat."

He Yuzhu said, "Yes, Uncle Zhou, I'm He Yuzhu. Just call me Zhuzi."

"Come, come, sit down," Uncle Zhou greeted, gesturing for He Yuzhu to take a seat on the sofa.

Zhou Jianye went over to find some tea leaves to brew. Seeing Zhou Jianye scoop out a generous amount of tea leaves, Uncle Zhou felt a slight twinge of regret and wanted him to use less, but since He Yuzhu was right there, he didn't want to make a fuss. Instead, he simply snatched the tea canister away and said, "That's quite enough tea."

Zhou Jianye curled his lip slightly, picked up the thermos, and poured a cup of tea for everyone.

Uncle Zhou began, "Zhuzi, you're Xiaoting's junior fellow apprentice, and she looks at you like a real younger brother. That makes us family, not outsiders. In a moment, I'll have someone take you through the onboarding process."

"Thank you, Uncle," He Yuzhu said.

***

Uncle Zhou continued, "Zhuzi, Jianye and Xiaoting both told me you're currently a Level Three Sichuan cuisine chef, is that right?"

"Yes, Uncle, I earned my Level Three chef certificate some time ago."

"So, aside from Sichuan cuisine, do you have any other specialties?"

"Uncle, I inherited the Tan cuisine from my family, and I'm also well-versed in Shandong and Huaiyang cuisines. I know a bit about other styles too."

Uncle Zhou was immensely surprised to learn that someone so young had mastered so many culinary arts.

"Dad, I'm telling you, Zhuzi's culinary skills are top-notch. Even my father-in-law couldn't stop praising him," Zhou Jianye chimed in to praise He Yuzhu's talent.

"If even my in-law praises him, then your skills must be exceptional, Zhuzi. Looks like I'm in for a real treat from now on."

After the three of them chatted idly in the office for a while, Uncle Zhou picked up the phone and summoned Wang Lei, the head of the logistics department.

Uncle Zhou instructed, "Xiao Wang, this is He Yuzhu, the master chef I've brought in to succeed Master Huang. Take him to complete the paperwork in a moment, and then show him around the cafeteria. Have him whip up a few dishes for lunch so Bureau Chief Liu and the others can taste his cooking."

The moment Wang Lei heard this, he realized He Yuzhu had a very close connection with the newly arrived Zhou, who was now in charge of logistics. "Understood, Bureau Chief."

Uncle Zhou turned to He Yuzhu: "Zhuzi, go with Section Chief Wang to finish your paperwork, and then everything at noon will depend on you."

"No problem. I guarantee I won't let you down."

He Yuzhu followed Section Chief Wang to complete his onboarding procedures.

Watching Zhou Jianye still sitting there sipping tea, his father scolded, "What are you still doing here? Why aren't you heading back to the precinct?"

"Well, since it's almost lunchtime, I figured I'd cadge a free meal here with you."

Having finished his paperwork with Wang Lei, He Yuzhu arrived at the cafeteria.

Wang Lei first sought out Zhao Sheng, the head of the cafeteria: "This is Master He Yuzhu, the new chef coming in to replace Master Huang."

He then introduced them to each other: "This is Section Chief Zhao Sheng of the cafeteria."

He Yuzhu quickly greeted him, "Hello, Section Chief Zhao."

Section Chief Zhao smiled: "Hello, Master He. Welcome aboard."

"Thank you, Section Chief."

Wang Lei instructed, "Section Chief Zhao, gather everyone around so they can get acquainted, and have Master Huang show Master He the ropes. At noon, let Master He prepare a few dishes for the Bureau Chief and the others to sample."

***

"Got it. Let's head into the kitchen, then."

With that, Section Chief Zhao led Wang Lei and He Yuzhu into the kitchen.

"Everyone, stop what you're doing for a moment and come over here," Section Chief Zhao called out, bringing the staff together. "Let me introduce a new colleague to you all."

Pointing at He Yuzhu, Section Chief Zhao announced, "This is Master He Yuzhu. Starting today, he is a member of our cafeteria family, and he will be taking over Master Huang's duties. Let's give him a warm round of applause of welcome."

After polite applause from the staff, everyone dispersed to return to their respective tasks.

Section Chief Zhao then introduced He Yuzhu to Master Huang, saying, "Master Huang, please help Master He get familiar with the work routine over the next few days. This noon, Master He will be cooking a few dishes, and I'll need you to assist him."

"Alright, Section Chief," Master Huang agreed readily.

He Yuzhu followed Master Huang to get acquainted with the environment.

After He Yuzhu walked away, Section Chief Zhao handed Wang Lei a cigarette and asked, "Section Chief, what's this He Yuzhu's background? You even escorted him over in person."

Wang Lei lit the cigarette, took a puff, and said, "He was arranged by the newly appointed Deputy Bureau Chief Zhou."

Section Chief Zhao raised an eyebrow: "Ah, a connection hire? Will he actually be able to handle Master Huang's job? Master Huang was in charge of the private VIP banquets."

Wang Lei replied, "Don't let his youth fool you; he holds a Level Three chef certificate. Besides, Deputy Bureau Chief Zhou just arrived—is he really going to assign an incompetent person and bring trouble upon himself?"

"Such a young guy is already a Level Three chef?"

"Could that possibly be false? I personally processed his paperwork and checked his certificate. It's real, and he earned it a few years ago." Wang Lei stubbed out the finished cigarette butt with his foot and tossed it into the trash can. "Anyway, I have matters to attend to, so I'll be heading out."

Meanwhile, Master Huang was showing He Yuzhu around the kitchen: "My job is to handle the private small-scale banquets, specifically cooking for the leaders' private dining rooms. If there are any official receptions hosted by the Bureau, I'm responsible for those too. When I have spare time, I also pitch in with the bulk cooking and guide the other cooks. From now on, these will be your responsibilities."

"Understood, Master Huang. I've got it memorized," He Yuzhu replied.

"All right, it's getting late, and it's time to start preparing lunch. Cook one dish for me so I can see your skills firsthand." Master Huang wanted He Yuzhu to demonstrate his craftsmanship.

"No problem at all." He Yuzhu rolled up his sleeves, put on an apron, and prepared to show off his culinary prowess.