“Then let’s go in quickly!” Manager Zhang urged, his voice laced with eagerness. He wasted no time, practically dragging Xu Ying towards the director’s office. Sun Erming followed, a knowing smile playing on his lips.
As they walked, Manager Zhang caught a whiff of something extraordinary—the rich scent of cooked meat mingled with the fragrant oil. He inhaled deeply, his mouth watering involuntarily. “Do you smell that?”
“Smell what?” Sun Erming asked, puzzled, detecting no scent of perfume.
“It’s so fragrant, it makes your mouth water just by smelling it!” Manager Zhang blurted out, then swallowed hard, his face flushing crimson with embarrassment.
Sun Erming immediately understood. He quickly lifted the basket he was carrying. “Is it this?”
As the basket was raised suddenly before Manager Zhang, the meaty aroma intensified, assaulting his senses. Manager Zhang took another deep breath, his eyes widening in delight. “Yes, that’s it! What is this? It smells incredible!”
Xu Ying smiled. “Manager Zhang, this is my newly developed All-Purpose Fried Delight. I’ve only prepared a few samples today for you to taste.”
Manager Zhang swallowed again, casting a sheepish glance at Xu Ying, his eyes gleaming. “Then I won’t stand on ceremony.” He opened the basket, revealing a layer of cloth for warmth. As the cloth was lifted, the fragrance intensified, filling the air. The fried delicacies nestled within were a beautiful golden hue, instantly whetting the appetite.
Manager Zhang carefully picked up a small piece of fried mushroom and placed it in his mouth. A satisfying crunch echoed as he bit into it. It was both crisp and wonderfully fragrant. “What is this?” he exclaimed, his face alight with pure enjoyment. “It tastes like mushrooms, but also like meat! It’s utterly delicious. Better than the chicken soup my wife makes, better than any meat I’ve ever had!”
“This is fried mushroom,” Xu Ying explained, gesturing to the contents of the basket. “There’s also fried chicken fillet, fried crispy pork, fried potato slices, and fried lotus root.”
Manager Zhang couldn’t stop drooling as he listened to the names. But these were for the director. He dared not eat too much. If he ran out of samples, the director wouldn’t get a taste, and then the cooperation would fail, plunging him back into despair. Originally, he’d felt only 50% sure, but now, Manager Zhang was overflowing with confidence, certain of success by at least 90%.
“Let’s go find the director,” Manager Zhang declared, his head held high. He strode forward with a newfound swagger, a stark contrast to his earlier nervous demeanor.
The three of them walked swiftly, reaching Director Wang’s office in mere minutes. Manager Zhang took a deep breath and knocked on the door. “Director, I’ve brought Master Xiao Xu from the state-owned restaurant.”
Director Wang raised an eyebrow, a flicker of confusion in his mind. Why had he brought the chef from a state-owned restaurant? Still, he cleared his throat and said, “Come in.”
Manager Zhang opened the door and entered, with Xu Ying following close behind. Director Wang looked up and saw a young girl, seventeen or eighteen years old. He frowned. “Manager Zhang, what are you doing? Why did you bring a little girl here?” But as Xu Ying drew nearer, the intoxicating aroma of fried goods wafted from her basket, and Director Wang couldn’t help but inhale deeply. It smells so good!
“Hello, Director Wang,” Xu Ying said, her voice calm and clear. “I am a chef at the state-owned restaurant. Manager Zhang mentioned you might be interested in cooperating with our All-Purpose Fried Delights. I’ve brought some samples today. Perhaps you’d like to try them first before we discuss cooperation.” With that, Xu Ying placed the basket directly on Director Wang’s desk, opening it and retrieving a small plate of the fried delicacies.
As the fried goods were unveiled, their aroma instantly permeated the air, causing Director Wang to swallow hard. Then, a thought struck him. His daughter-in-law had been raving daily about a young chef at the state-owned restaurant, whose cooking was exquisite. Could this be the very same girl? Director Wang scrutinized Xu Ying, his eyes piercing, as if trying to read her every thought. Yet, Xu Ying stood her ground, facing his intense gaze with remarkable composure.
Before his retirement due to injury, Director Wang had been a soldier, a leading cadre in the Corps. Most ordinary people would feel a sense of overwhelming pressure under his stare, unable to meet his gaze directly. But Xu Ying, having weathered her own storms, felt no fear. Manager Zhang and Sun Erming, however, were visibly intimidated, shrinking back, trying to make themselves as small as possible.
“Director Wang, would you like to taste it first?” Xu Ying interjected, saving Manager Zhang and Sun Erming from their discomfort. “These fried delights have just been made and are still hot. They won’t taste as good if they get cold.”
“Alright,” Director Wang said, his stern demeanor softening. He chuckled playfully. “I think these fried delights look good, so they’ll definitely taste even better.”
Xu Ying had placed a pair of chopsticks in the basket. Manager Zhang had seen them earlier but dared not use them. Director Wang, however, picked them up without hesitation and selected a piece of fried lotus root. Xu Ying had chosen pork belly for the fried lotus root, with a perfect 30% fat and 70% lean ratio, ensuring the meatiness complemented the lotus root perfectly. The fragrant lotus root, combined with the delicious pork belly, left an endless aftertaste with just one bite.
Director Wang’s eyes gleamed. He couldn’t help but praise, “It’s delicious! Truly the work of a master chef. Everything she cooks is delicious!” Next came the short crispy pork, then the fried chicken tenders, followed by the potato chips… Manager Zhang and Sun Erming watched, swallowing hard, their mouths watering. Director Wang, completely abandoning his image, began to devour the food in large mouthfuls. He finished several large plates of fried food effortlessly, yet he still yearned for more, even scraping the last bits of seasoning with his chopsticks. If it weren’t for the presence of others, he might have even picked up the fallen crumbs from the plate.
Director Wang ate and drank until he was completely satisfied, letting out a contented burp. He looked up at everyone, a hint of embarrassment on his face. He dryly clenched and rubbed his fist a few times, then looked at Xu Ying with immense satisfaction. “Master Xu, you’ve created a truly amazing product. But aren’t these fried goods already cooked food? Your state-owned restaurant could easily make and sell them yourselves!”
Xu Ying smiled generously. “We certainly could make and sell them ourselves, but preparing fried food takes time, and our state-owned restaurants have many other dishes to prepare. To be honest with you, Director, these fried goods aren’t actually made in a state-owned restaurant. They’re processed in a food factory. These fried goods can be refrigerated or even frozen. When you want to eat them, you can simply take them out of the freezer, defrost them, and fry them directly.”
Director Wang’s cheerful mood instantly soured at the mention of the “food factory.” He looked at Xu Ying, his face etched with pain. He could only reluctantly consider parting ways with her. If Xu Ying weren’t associated with the food factory, he would jump at the chance to cooperate. After all, these fried delights were so utterly delicious. And if, as she claimed, they could be frozen and fried at home, countless people would surely flock to buy them. Even if not many people owned freezers, they could buy smaller quantities at a time and fry them at home. Or perhaps the department store could even have a dedicated section for frying them. With such delicious fried goods, there would be no fear of lacking business.
But they were from the food factory. Director Wang’s expression slumped. “Comrade Xiao Xu,” he said, “our department store does not cooperate with food factories.”