Chapter 164 - Chapter 164: Little Wolf Cub and Big Bad Wolf (2)
Chapter 164: Little Wolf Cub and Big Bad Wolf (2)
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Ji Chi wasn’t afraid of facing challenges head-on, even if it meant preparing a sizzling beef steak with the audacity of cooking a pig over boiling water. He had no intention of letting Jiang Junlin in on his secret; after all, he had already sent a basket of sword orchids to the grave, flowers designated solely for such solemn occasions. In Jiang Junlin’s heart, Ji Chi was best left as a lifeless entity, a pianist’s most sincere blessing.
“Truly apologetic, I have no parents or relatives to offer sacrifices,” Ji Chi replied candidly.
Jiang Junlin stared at his retreating figure and let out a cold chuckle. “Didn’t Bai Yueguang die? Didn’t she go to sweep the grave?”
Ji Chi turned back around, addressing Jiang Junlin, “Chairman Jiang, are you still having a meal? Or perhaps you’d prefer to settle things through a brawl?”
Jiang Junlin changed the channel, disinterested in the financial news, opting for a movie channel instead. Ji Chi ceased speaking as well. After a while, the meal was ready. Ji Chi had prepared two portions of steak, a half-cooked egg, sauteed mushrooms, asparagus blanched in high-quality broth, and a plate of lettuce.
Jiang Junlin cast a glance at the poorly-presented steak, immediately knowing that its texture might not be up to par.
However, Ji Chi enjoyed his meal heartily. “Weren’t you hungry?”
Jiang Junlin sliced into the steak, and after a prolonged effort, it was evident that he had overcooked it – the steak was tough. Jiang Junlin had no choice but to focus on the soup instead, a soup made with old duck and ham, a combination that usually couldn’t go wrong. But to his surprise, the soup was overly salty. Jiang Junlin put down his spoon with an impassive expression. He then glanced at the mushrooms, took a deep breath, and took another bite. He realized that the sauteed mushrooms lacked seasoning.
With the soup being too salty, it was only logical to assume that the blanched vegetables were similarly over-seasoned. Jiang Junlin maintained his stoic demeanor, pondering how Ji Chi’s taste buds must have been compromised. Even an amateur couldn’t possibly cook this poorly.
Ji Chi wasn’t a fan of the soup, so he concentrated on the steak. He combined the mushrooms and lettuce while eating and found nothing wrong. But seeing Jiang Junlin hesitating with each bite, not touching the lettuce or asparagus, Ji Chi’s frustration grew.
After all the effort he put into making the meal, Jiang Junlin wasn’t appreciating it?
“Jiang Junlin, you’re going too far,” Ji Chi grumbled. “You wanted a meal, 1 made it, and now you’re not eating. Are you just toying with me?”
Jiang Junlin placed the soup in front of Ji Chi. “Drink.”
Ji Chi took the bowl, lifted it as if it were a glass of wine, and downed it in one go. He swallowed hard, then swiftly washed away the salty taste by gulping down a glass of water.
“I diluted the soup a bit with water. Will you still drink it?” Ji Chi was flexible, sporting a delicate smile.
Jiang Junlin frowned. “Can’t you cook?”
“I can manage some simple dishes. This high-quality broth was my first attempt, learned from a video on the spot. Don’t expect too much,” Ji Chi said, sniffing the broth. “It does smell good, just a bit too salty.”
He felt no guilt whatsoever. The lettuce was salty, the mushrooms were bland, but together they balanced out. Come on, he thought, stop being so finicky!
However, when he looked at Jiang Junlin’s expression, Ji Chi couldn’t help but chuckle. He pointed at the fried egg. “Try the fried egg, it’s slightly runny. I only added three drops of soy sauce. How could that go wrong?”
Jiang Junlin thought a simple fried egg would be edible, but to his surprise, he discovered eggshell in his bite.
Jiang Junlin’s expression remained devoid of emotion, his patience wearing thin. “Order seafood congee!”
Ji Chi, also fed up with the situation, promptly picked up his phone and ordered seafood congee. In truth, he hadn’t even eaten his fill with just the steak. “You should have suggested seafood congee earlier instead of making me cook.”
“Ziyu said you can cook, and that you can even make Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. Are you deliberately doing this?” Jiang Junlin’s voice carried his usual coldness.
Ji Chi responded with a puzzled expression.
After ordering the seafood congee, Ji Chi put down his phone. “The baby has been tinkering with my image. In his eyes, 1 have to be perfect. He once spread rumors that we went fishing together, and now he’s spreading rumors that I can cook. With such a flashy image, do you think that’s me? Will the next rumor be that I can give birth?”
“Reflect on yourself. If he said you can, why can’t you?”
Ji Chi hesitated for a moment. “True, why did he say that out of the blue?”
The two of them exchanged glances. How could Jiang Junlin know why Ziyu would say he could cook? Besides, Ziyu’s tone whenever he mentioned Ji Chi was quite familiar. Yet Ji Chi had only met him a few times.
Ji Chi smiled and said, “The baby and 1 hit it off instantly, like kindred spirits.”
“Hmph!” Jiang Junlin snorted. Ji Chi’s straightforward and unyielding nature made it hard to believe he would hit it off with anyone so easily.
However, Ji Chi was concerned about something else. “Did you come here because Ziyu said 1 can cook?”
If he had known that Ji Chi couldn’t cook, he probably wouldn’t have come.
But Jiang Junlin had eaten Ji Chi’s noodles before, so he should know that Ji Chi’s culinary skills were average at best.
“I suddenly felt like having Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.” Jiang Junlin’s tone remained consistently detached.
“I fell for it!”
On his face, Jiang Junlin wore a look that clearly said, “You’re just making things up. Look at how I don’t believe you.”
Ji Chi snapped his fingers. “No wonder there’s a rumor in City A that it’s hard to get a dinner reservation with Chairman Jiang. Don’t worry, for your sake, I’ll make sure to learn how to cook authentic Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.”
“No need!” Jiang Junlin glanced at the poorly-cooked steak. “You can’t even get a steak right, so don’t trouble yourself further.”
“Is this a challenge from you?”
Jiang Junlin stared at him. “Just being honest.”
“True, 1 can make millions in a minute. Am I crazy to waste my time cooking?” Ji Chi muttered.
They moved from the dining room to the living room. Ji Chi brewed tea while waiting for the seafood congee. Jiang Junlin took the chance to criticize Ziyu’s cooking skills, which were on par with Ji Chi’s – both equally subpar.
Ji Chi thought to himself, it’s because you’re so hard to please!
As they waited for the seafood congee, Ji Chi glanced at some oranges and smirked as he started peeling one. He asked Jiang Junlin, “Chairman Jiang, care for an orange?”
Jiang Junlin’s ears turned red. He glared at Ji Chi with an expression that suggested he was merely trying to test Jiang Junlin’s reaction.
Ji Chi casually peeled the orange, piece by piece, eating it while casting a mischievous glance at Jiang Junlin. Jiang Junlin’s face grew darker.
Jiang Junlin forcefully shifted the topic to business. “How is Chen Rushi’s situation being handled?”
Ji Chi was informed about this matter as well. “To be honest, I think Chen Rushi has gone mad. Even if Miss Gu has successfully performed surgery on your grandmother, circumstances change, and surgeries aren’t all the same, with varying degrees of difficulty. How could he be so certain that Miss Gu could save him? He’s gambling with his life.”
“Black Hawk Group, from its core to the Chen family, is caught up in internal struggles. Chen Rushi’s condition can’t stay hidden for long, and he wants to resolve it as soon as possible. Otherwise, he’ll be replaced by the Chen family sooner or later.”
“What’s strange is that very few people know about Chen Rushi’s condition. Dr. North has been avoiding any association with the Chen family for a while, so it’s unlikely she leaked the information. Who could have leaked it to the Chen family? Within Black Hawk, we don’t want internal strife, so it’s unlikely to be our doing.” Ji Chi didn’t know who leaked the information to the Chen family.
If chaos erupted in the Chen family, Black Hawk would naturally fall into disarray. Third Brother was a newcomer to Black Hawk, having joined recently, and while he managed to control the lower ranks of Black Hawk, his mysterious identity led to suspicion.
Ji Chi looked at Jiang Junlin, “Was it you?”
Jiang Junlin sipped his tea and said nonchalantly, “You never informed me about Chen Rushi’s condition, and Gu Ci doesn’t talk about these matters.. How could I know? Besides, even if Huanlan and Black Hawk do business, how would Black Hawk’s turmoil benefit me?”