r18novel Chapter 1193 Want to Know the Plan
Chapter 1193 Want to Know the Plan
Now that He Yuzhu has become a head chef, he finally has a few errand runners around him. Although he is not as arrogant as he was when he was first promoted, he can't hide the pride between his brows. After all, he was personally promoted by Director Zhu, and he looks down on everyone with a condescending attitude, as if the entire canteen has to obey his orders.
Upon seeing Zhong Yi enter, He Yuzhu merely raised his eyelids lazily, nodded, and spoke with little respect, even a hint of perfunctoriness: "Director Zhong, what brings you to my kitchen today? Is there some new order from the factory, or are you here to inspect the hygiene?" In his view, Zhong Yi's position as director wouldn't last long. Director Zhu clearly valued him more and would eventually hand over the position to him, "Director Zhu's confidant."
Zhong Yi suppressed his displeasure—if it weren't for his master's matter, he wouldn't bother with this smug face. He walked over and said in a calm tone, "Zhu Zi, can I have a word with you in private? There's something I want to talk to you about."
He Yuzhu reluctantly stood up, dusted off his pants, and muttered to himself: "What's with this soon-to-be-outdated director putting on airs? Can't he say what he wants here?" But on the surface, he still replied perfunctorily, "Sure, Director Zhong, just say what you want to say, I'm listening." He was certain that as long as he clung to Director Zhu's coattails, he would eventually be able to surpass Zhong Yi, and then even getting him to serve him tea and water would depend on his mood.
He Yuzhu followed Zhong Yi out of the office building. The afternoon sun was scorching, making the asphalt road gleam white, and the air was thick with the smell of hot, dusty earth. Standing there for even a short while made one feel lethargic. But he stubbornly held his neck, chin slightly raised, his eyes filled with a deliberate arrogance, like a victorious rooster: "Director Zhong, what urgent matter has you called me out of here in the middle of the day? The chefs in the kitchen are waiting for me to start cooking. If I delay lunch for thousands of people in the factory, can you take responsibility?"
Zhong Yi didn't take He Yuzhu's attitude to heart, assuming it was just He Yuzhu's usual recklessness. He had his own plans: what did a moment of arrogance matter? Once his master was free to deal with Zhu Tao, this kid would be like meat on a chopping board without his backer, and they'd see how arrogant he could be then. But now wasn't the time to break off relations; he had to keep him calm and go along with his nature.
So Zhong Yi suppressed his displeasure and put on a smile, which looked quite warm: "Zhu Zi, I do have something to talk to you about.
He Yuzhu leaned against a nearby sycamore tree, its bark scorching hot from the sun, but he seemed oblivious. He shook off non-existent dust from his sleeves, his tone becoming even more dismissive: "You're the director, I'm just a cook, there's a huge difference in rank. If you need anything, just give the order directly. Why do you need to call me out specifically? Are you saying the vegetables in the kitchen aren't fresh and you're going to deduct my pay? Let me tell you, the vegetables are delivered by the purchasing department. If they're really spoiled, it won't be my responsibility."
Zhong Yi felt a tightness in his chest from Zhu Zi's sarcastic words, as if a wad of cotton was stuffed inside. He could only patiently explain, "Zhu Zi, what are you saying? We're all on Director Zhu's side now, practically brothers. Don't be so formal. I became this director because of the support of my brothers."
He Yuzhu chuckled, his disdain barely concealed—he didn't take Zhong Yi, this "latecomer," seriously at all, considering him nothing more than an opportunist. But too lazy to escalate the situation, he went along with the conversation: "Alright, Director Zhong, I was just kidding. So, what do you want? If you keep dawdling, we'll really miss lunch."
Zhong Yi breathed a sigh of relief, took two steps forward, and lowered his voice to a whisper, as if afraid of being overheard: "Zhu Zi, you know, I only started working for Director Zhu later, and there are still many things I don't know how to do. I'm not exactly one of his confidants. You're close to the director, always around him, do you know what his next plan is? If there's anything I can do to help, I can prepare in advance, share the director's burden, and do my part."
His words were half true and half false; in reality, he wanted to get Zhu Tao's background out of He Yuzhu. His master had told him that Zhu Tao had been making frequent moves lately and was getting unusually close to several workshop directors. He might be plotting something, and they needed to figure it out in order to deal with the problem effectively.
He Yuzhu narrowed his eyes, sizing up Zhong Yi, a thought creeping onto his mind: This kid is usually so indifferent to me, but today he's suddenly so enthusiastic, even asking about the factory director's plans. Is he genuinely interested in helping, or does he have ulterior motives? But he didn't show it aloud, only saying lazily, "Director Zhong, you're overthinking it. Director Zhu doesn't have any special plans lately. Everyone in the factory is just doing their work as usual, producing what needs to be produced, and performing maintenance what needs to be done. If something really happens, he'll definitely give the orders; it's not up to us to guess. Speculating too much will only upset the factory director."
Zhong Yi cursed "old fox" inwardly, but his smile was barely holding on: "Yeah, I was too hasty. By the way, Zhu Zi, isn't Gu Nan's apprentice still in the kitchen? I heard that kid is all talk and no action, always causing you trouble because he's relying on Gu Nan's influence. I'll talk to the factory manager about it in a while, and then you'll be the deputy director, and you can get a raise. That would be so prestigious, and you wouldn't have to keep putting up with him in the kitchen."
He Yuzhu nodded, his tone finally becoming more serious, a barely perceptible glint of expectation in his eyes: "Director Zhong is right. If we work hard with Factory Director Zhu, our future prospects will definitely be bright. It's much better than following that old fox Gu Nan—he only cares about his own interests, how could he genuinely care about his brothers? Following him, we'll only ever be cooks for the rest of our lives."
Zhong Yi was seething inside, after all, his master had been so good to him and his junior brother, but he could only nod in agreement: "You're right, Director Zhu is the most reliable. I'll head back now, so be sure to let me know if there's any news, and we can look out for each other."
"I understand." He Yuzhu waved his hand without even lifting his eyelids.
Watching Zhong Yi's retreating figure, He Yuzhu's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a shrewd expression. He snorted, his mind perfectly clear—he could guess Zhong Yi's intentions to some extent; he was simply trying to climb the social ladder and extract information to advance his own career. He turned and walked towards the kitchen, briefly instructing the apprentice as he passed the stove, "Keep an eye on the fire, don't let the ribs burn, I'll be right back," before heading towards Zhu Tao's office. Zhong Yi's unusual behavior might be up to something; some things needed to be discussed with the factory manager personally to be on the safe side.