Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Carrot Carving
Everyone present wore a look of horror on their faces.
When the Gourmet Association had just been established, it was nothing more than a social organization. Even though it later formed a corporation, it maintained the original organization's loose nature.
Hence, its finances were highly irregular.
Just a cursory investigation would reveal a multitude of violations.
Chen Yu didn't care about all that; he already had the contract, which in a way, served as incriminating evidence.
As long as he handed it over to Zhou Shengtao, and with further investigation by the relevant departments, it would be enough to uproot the entire Gourmet Association.
At the very least, it could reorganize it.
By the time the crowd moved to encircle him, Chen Yu had already vaulted out of a side door.
Hu Yan stood there, his weathered eyes wide with shock.
"What are you spacing out for, chase after him! You must snatch that contract from his hands for me."
No one dared to slack off, as their signatures and fingerprints were on that contract. If anything went wrong, none of them could escape.
On the streets of Suzhou City, a dozen luxury cars chased after a hybrid electric vehicle, speeding past.
Such a scene quickly caught the attention of passersby and even alerted some media outlets.
Two news agencies even called in helicopters to follow and report on the chase.
Chen Yu's eyebrows were tightly knit, the accelerator floored, and the steering wheel turning rapidly as he continuously wove through the crowd and traffic.
At that moment, he regretted not buying a supercar after he had come into money; how could a hybrid compete with luxury cars in speed?
If it weren't for his constant detours through streets and one-way roads, these people would have caught up to him long ago.
Fortunately, the relevant department wasn't too far from the Hua Mei Lai Hotel.
Before long, Chen Yu arrived at the entrance but failed to stop due to the high speed, crashing through into the courtyard.
Several officers immediately went on alert, surrounding the vehicle, but when they saw Chen Yu, they hurriedly helped him out of the car.
"Mr. Chen, what happened to you? You're in such a rush!"
Chen Yu caught his breath, "Block those guys behind me, I need to find Zhou."
Inside the hall, Zhou Shengtao and several people were intensely poring over a pile of documents.
The giant screen beside them constantly switched between various photos.
Seeing Chen Yu come in, Zhou Shengtao quickly stood up.
"Chen, you're just in time, I have a favor to ask of you."
Chen Yu didn't immediately respond but laid the documents he brought onto the table.
"Zhou, people from the Suzhou Gourmet Association are outside. I've got a share distribution chart here, with all their signatures on it."
Zhou Shengtao's eyes flashed with joy as he hurriedly took the contract from Chen Yu.
"Great, I've been looking for a reason to deal with those guys!"
As he spoke, Zhou Shengtao made a gesture to his deputy, and the formerly busy officers stood up and left the room.
Zhou Shengtao then pulled Chen Yu in front of the screen.
"This case is connected to several previous cases. Following the portrait you drew, we can narrow down the suspects but still can't apprehend the culprit accurately! Fortunately, we've found a relatively clear figure in another surveillance video."
Chen Yu merely glanced at the screen before he picked up a drawing board and started to draw rapidly.
Before long, the face of a middle-aged man emerged on the paper.
Zhou Shengtao's eyes were brimming with excitement, "Chen Yu, well done! Additionally, those people we arrested near your house have given up the owner of the Heavenly Mansion Street, Wu Qiangsen. Unbelievably, he's connected to a case from several years ago."
While he spoke, those from the Culinary Association who had followed Chen Yu here were being taken in one by one.
In their wildest dreams, they never imagined that Chen Yu would actually drive to the relevant authorities.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Zhou Shengtao, Chen Yu headed straight back to his shop.
But when he returned, he found two mobile kitchens placed at the entrance of his shop.
An old man, over fifty, and Li Gang each stood at their stations, their knives flashing rapidly through the air.
Before long, each of their hands bore a plate of carved garnishes.
However, the old man's carvings were more exquisite and sophisticated than Li Gang's by several notches.
"Young man, I admit your cooking skills are indeed very good, but you're lacking a bit of innate talent. If you would take me as your master, perhaps it could make up for your deficiencies. In a few years, your culinary skills could reach new heights," the old man said.
Li Gang's hands trembled slightly; his knife skills were what he was most proud of throughout his years as a chef.
However, his face showed no hint of defeat.
The old man in front of him was at least thirty years his senior!
If he could reach the old man's age, he was confident that he could surpass him in terms of knife skills.
With a snort, Li Gang placed the dish aside.
"Old man, you're just taking advantage of your age and experience. But to speak of taking me as your disciple, you're not qualified."
The old man's eyes narrowed, a flash of viciousness fleeting across his face.
"That's fine, you don't have to do anything. As the chef of this restaurant, according to our agreement before the competition, this restaurant is mine now," the old man asserted.
Li Gang casually shook the cleaver in his hand and put it back in its place among the kitchen wares.
"Who told you I'm the chef of this restaurant?" he retorted.
The old man stared, wide-eyed. "What do you mean? If you're not the chef, why did you come out to compete with me?"
Li Gang laughed, "Our chef had to step out for a bit, so at best I'm just a helper! You got excited over beating a helper, what's there to be proud of?"
As he spoke, laughter erupted from the crowd, even Chen Yu couldn't help but crack a smile.
Wang Qingshan approached from the side, "Old man, since we're competing, one dish or two doesn't make much difference. How about we each prepare a signature dish and see who's better?"
The old man was livid with rage. He had come here to avenge his disciple, Wu Qiangsen. His aim was to take over this restaurant.
Who would have thought that after painstakingly showing off his knife skills, it turned out that he was only competing with a helper?
Now, an overweight man had popped up, looking to challenge him, and it was enough to make anyone lose their temper.
Just as the old man was about to explode in anger, Chen Yu appeared beside Li Gang as if he had all the time in the world and casually picked up a knife from the table.
Seeing Chen Yu step forward, Li Gang and Wang Qingshan immediately made room for him.
A murderous look flashed in the eyes of the old man.
"And who might you be?" he inquired.
"I'm also a helper!" Chen Yu nonchalantly twirled the knife in his hand, and in the blink of an eye, a radish lotus blossom appeared in his hand.
This seemingly effortless action produced a radish carving that was breathtakingly perfect, even more so than the actual flower.
The old man swayed slightly, his gaze towards Chen Yu now filled with a tinge of wariness.