Chapter 64

Chapter 64: You want me to accept someone who can make three kinds of duck dishes...

As for whether someone at sixty can go to a haunted house, no one in the group dared to give a definite answer.

“Why not call and ask? Xiao He, help Brother Zhuang check.”

The sixty-year-old group member’s name was Zhuang Zhiping. He usually prided himself on being young, even skateboarding, and felt he wasn’t much different from the younger crowd. Everyone in the group just called him Brother Zhuang.

Today, he suddenly felt old.

He had assumed that food-tasting events shouldn’t have any age restrictions, but who would’ve thought—he got stuck on this!

All because of that Chef Chen, who had nothing better to do and went to cook in a haunted house? You’re really something—why not go cook on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau next?

He Xin made several calls, but maybe the haunted house was too popular now—they just couldn’t get through.

“Sorry, Brother Zhuang, I couldn’t get through. Should I try again later?”

Although Zhuang Zhiping was older, he was retired, had money and time, and didn’t like to flaunt his seniority—he was actually quite well-liked in the group.

He Xin felt bad for not being able to help. She had managed to get tickets to the haunted house though, and tentatively offered in the group: “How about... I pack half of it for you?”

The group went quiet.

It was already weird enough to go to a haunted house for a meal—now she wanted to pack leftovers from a haunted house?

Everyone in the group had met offline before. He Xin, being one of the group’s enthusiastic admins, was well-known to most.

People started imagining this 1.53-meter-tall soft-spoken girl being chased by a female ghost while holding half a lion’s head dish, and they couldn’t help but look sympathetic.

“Forget it, no need.”

“Come on, Brother Zhuang, it’s not a big deal! Sooner or later, she’s going to open her own restaurant! I don’t believe she’ll be working odd jobs her whole life!”

“Will she really open her own place though…”

Someone murmured this, sending a chill down everyone’s spine in the ‘Gluttons’ group.

A member who knew a bit of culinary history shared: “I heard this Chef Chen is imitating that legendary Chef Chen from the Chen family. I even looked it up—do you all know how long that Chef Chen worked odd jobs back in the day?”

“A whole ten years!”

“No way…”

The most shocked by the idea of “ten years” was still Zhuang Zhiping.

He thought he was still young and might live healthily to ninety—but who could say for sure?

Ten years from now, he’d be seventy!

“Actually, I think this Chef Chen’s working style is pretty interesting. If she ever opens her own place, something like a KTV-style or haunted-house-themed restaurant could be pretty fun too.”

“Alright, stop talking—Brother Zhuang might get scared to death!”

They kept chatting for a bit longer, and He Xin realized Zhuang Zhiping hadn’t said a word in the group! Even when he was mentioned, he didn’t reply.

This guy was usually very active in the chat.

She quietly messaged him privately: “Brother Zhuang, are you okay? Don’t worry, haunted houses are hard to get into—maybe next time Chen Ran will just work properly at some regular restaurant?”It was about twenty minutes later when she finally saw Zhuang Zhiping’s reply.

“I’m heading out right now!”

He Xin: ???

She was just about to try to talk Zhuang Zhiping out of it, but instead, she was persuaded by several long voice messages he sent.

“To be honest, Xiao He, I’ve seriously studied Chef Chen Ran. I even snuck into her fan group.”

“Think about it—she’s worked so many jobs, but aside from that one big banquet, has she ever repeated a menu? Even this time at the haunted house, she could’ve just kept making the red-braised lion’s head, but instead she came up with an even better, more authentic clear-braised lion’s head!”

“This chef holds herself to very high standards! A chef like this is destined not to repeat herself too much—she’ll constantly create new dishes!”

“For us food lovers, meeting a chef who demands so much from herself is a blessing in three lifetimes. We should be working hard to chase after her!”

He Xin transcribed the voice messages into text and shared them in the group. Just a moment ago, people were joking that Zhuang Zhiping probably wouldn’t make it this time—then they saw his rousing declaration.

Several members who had been too timid to go were suddenly stirred into action.

“I’m going too!”

“He’s right! It’s just a haunted house, right? Who can take me?”

“Alright, enough,” He Xin came in to douse their enthusiasm. “You can’t even get tickets from scalpers anymore, save it. I shared that to see who could go with Brother Zhuang and look out for him—make sure he doesn’t actually get scared.”

Not long after, Xu Ruyi experienced the same kind of worry as He Xin.

“Boss, can I ask—what’s the age limit for our haunted house?”

Xu Ruyi had just finished explaining the safety rules to the first batch of visitors that morning when she heard this unexpected question from the side.

She tapped and swiped on her tablet as she replied smoothly, “You have to be an adult. Even if a minor is accompanied by a parent, they still…”

Halfway through, Xu Ruyi looked up and saw the elderly man in front of her with a head full of gray hair—and she felt a sudden jolt inside.

Remembering that middle-aged man in his fifties who insisted on entering last time but ended up fainting in the haunted house, she quickly changed her tune: “Anyone over fifty-five isn’t allowed either!”

She had actually looked up the haunted house’s upper age limit before, but maybe due to the target audience, most haunted houses didn’t have one.

Middle-aged visitors were already rare, let alone elderly ones!

Still, seeing the disappointment on his face, Xu Ruyi offered some explanation.

“Please understand—our haunted house has one of the top-tier atmospheres in the business. Just recently, someone in their fifties fainted inside. It’s really for your health and safety.”

Zhuang Zhiping silently cursed: Which useless guy got scared and fainted in their fifties just from walking through a haunted house!

He heard a few sneezes behind him, turned around suspiciously, then turned back to plead with the boss.

“Look here—this is my medical checkup from three months ago. Honestly, some young folks might not even be in as good shape as me!”

Xu Ruyi tried to deflect while quickly scanning the report. The old man really was in great shape! Not only did he not have any of the common conditions, he wasn’t even overweight. The arm he extended even had muscle on it.

She looked sadly at her own skinny arms and resolved to learn from Chen Ran and start lifting her kettlebell every day.

Still, a refusal was a refusal.

“It really won’t do... Sir, please understand—our business is tough too...”Zhuang Zhiping sighed and was about to make one last attempt when he suddenly heard Xu Ruyi waving to someone behind her: “Over here, are you here to apply for the NPC role?”

His eyes lit up!

“Little girl! Do you have any requirements for NPCs? I heard there’s an old ghost man in your haunted house, right? You’re afraid I’ll get scared as a visitor, but I won’t be scared if I’m the one playing the ghost, right?”

With his thinking broadened, he suddenly thought of even more possibilities: “Even if I can’t be a ghost, you must need a cleaner, right? Do you provide staff meals? I don’t even need a salary!”

Xu Ruyi paused in thought...

But the pause made the person behind her—also here to apply—anxious!

“Hey, hey, hey, little girl, we had a deal! I already did the interview and even brought three sets of Hanfu myself! Look!”

The person behind opened their bundle and dramatically shook out several sets of Hanfu.

Before retiring, Zhuang Zhiping had worked in the clothing business. He glanced over and noticed the Hanfu was made of real silk with hand embroidery.

His eyelid twitched—this was clearly another applicant with ulterior motives!

“Little girl! I’ve acted in stage plays before! If you don’t believe me, I’ll perform a monologue for you…”

Xu Ruyi felt a headache coming—she still had to go to the control room and operate the haunted house mechanisms!

“No pay is a no-go! I don’t want the hassle. There’s only one NPC slot left, and it’s for someone to help guests divide up the three-stage duck. You two figure out the shift between yourselves. If not, I’ll hire someone else!”

“Deal!”

Wang Zhaoshan hurriedly pulled down his mask, and when Xu Ruyi saw his face, she nearly laughed in exasperation.

Wasn’t this the guy who fainted from fright in the haunted house a few days ago?

Afraid of ghosts, fainted, didn’t get to eat anything tasty—so now he’s trying to sneak in as an employee to achieve his goal from another angle?

She couldn’t help but emphasize again: “If you faint, your pay gets docked… and you lose your lion’s head meatball!”

Recently, because Chen Ran had been practicing the three-stage duck dish every day, they’d accumulated a large stockpile of ducks and pigeons. As a result, lion’s head meatballs had become rare in staff meals.

The few remaining lion’s heads had to be cherished.

“Got it, got it, I’ll definitely do a great job!”

As a food critic, Wang Zhaoshan had tried three-stage duck before and knew how to eat it properly.

But even with his status as a food critic, he had only eaten it once.

This kind of intricate, time-consuming dish was typically reserved for centerpiece performances. Wanting to eat it casually on a normal day was nearly impossible.

Though Zhuang Zhiping wasn’t a professional food critic, he was part of the foodie group and often invested time and effort in tasting various delicacies.

But even he had never eaten a dish like three-stage duck.

“Brother, have you ever eaten three-stage duck?”

Wang Zhaoshan instantly puffed up with pride—he actually had: “Yeah, just once. It was unforgettable… I never thought I’d get to eat it again now.”

“So… will the two of us actually get to eat it this time?”

Wang Zhaoshan paused mid-step.He suddenly remembered what the job actually involved.

The position he and this elder brother had gone through all the trouble of preparing props to apply for was to be the NPC responsible for carving the Three-Stage Duck at the ghost banquet—because the way to eat this dish was extremely particular. If not eaten in the correct sequence, one couldn't fully appreciate the seven layers of flavor.

But… who’s ever heard of an NPC responsible for carving a dish actually getting to eat it themselves?

“Seems like… we’re not allowed, huh?”

The two of them looked at each other.

Such a legendary dish, and it turns out they were just mute toolmen—able to see it and smell it, but not eat it?

And the worst part was, this was a job they themselves had fought for…

Zhuang Zhiping quickly collapsed the group chat window, put away his phone, and mentally prepared to disappear from the foodie group for a few days.

When he had first gotten the news, he was so excited he had already posted it in the group!

Several people had praised Zhuang Zhiping for being sharp-witted, and someone even shared some culinary knowledge about just how legendary the Three-Stage Duck really was.

“They’re even making Three-Stage Duck? This Chef Chen’s got skills! Everyone keep your mouths shut, don’t let this get out! That haunted house is already hard enough to book—if this spreads, we’ll never get to try it!”

“Someone can actually make Three-Stage Duck? I thought it had gone extinct… Just deboning a pigeon is already hard enough—let alone extracting all the bones through a one-and-a-half-inch incision…”

While everyone was chatting, a stranger’s ID appeared with a more skeptical take.

“To be honest, at this point, I find it hard to believe. Sure, perfecting a technique like deep-frying with sediment control is something you can study and practice on your own, but a dish like Three-Stage Duck—without a master guiding you step-by-step—it’s almost impossible to figure out.”

“I’ve followed this Chef Chen Ran as well. It’s a pity the Chen family didn’t train such a talented chef properly. While the recent marketing has given her some visibility, it’s important not to go overboard… For a dish like Three-Stage Duck, aside from those few national-level master chefs, only Old Freak Xu might be able to pull it off if he came out of retirement.”

“If you’re going just to try the lion’s head meatballs or to enjoy the haunted house, that’s fine. But if you’re going just for the Three-Stage Duck, you might want to manage your expectations.”

This skeptic rarely spoke in the group, but was known for actively attending food events and being quite fair in his culinary reviews.

He repeatedly tagged Zhuang Zhiping, but unfortunately, Zhuang had already folded up the chat and didn’t reply at all.

“Why isn’t he responding?”

The skeptic’s surname was Bai, first name Bai Qing. He was quite knowledgeable about food culture and had served as a cultural consultant for several TV dramas.

Back when everyone in the foodie group was abuzz about Chen Ran, he had also taken notice.

Bai Qing had even considered—since the Chen family didn’t seem to value such a promising culinary talent—whether he could find her a new master to train under.

While Chef Chen the Elder had once wandered from job to job to hone his skills, in this age of information, knowledge could be exchanged without even leaving the house—there was no need to repeat the old path.

But now, Chen Ran’s cooking skills had already risen to a very high level. If he were to find her a new mentor, they would need to be someone capable of standing up to the influence of the Chen family.

After tagging Zhuang Zhiping a few more times with no response, Bai Qing couldn’t resist calling an old friend.

“Hello, Old Pan?”

“Aiyo, three calls from you in one day—what is it now?”

“I heard that Chef Chen has reappeared. Do you remember what I said before, about asking you to mentor that young lady…?”

Pan Shiyou was different from other chefs—his family had a proper business, which was one of the reasons Bai Qing hoped he could take in Chen Ran.

At the very least, he wouldn’t be controlled by that old man from the Chen family.Bai Qing casually flattered Pan Shiyou a few times before continuing, “I think maybe this girl’s gotten carried away by all the marketing hype… I just can’t bear to watch such a promising talent be wasted like this. Could I trouble you to come with me and check it out?”

“That’s fine,” Pan Shiyou hesitated for a moment and then nodded. “I’ll go with you. I’d like to see Chen Ran’s skills for myself too.”

He was also a Dibang (Earth List) chef featured in Records of Famous Chefs, ranked more than ten spots above Chen Ran.

To be honest, when the Records of Famous Chefs first came out, he felt a bit unconvinced.

In the Chinese culinary world, without investing serious time and effort, one’s skills don’t just suddenly improve out of nowhere.

When Bai Qing first approached him, it wasn’t just sympathy for the girl being kicked out of her family—it was also a calculated decision on his part.

“I heard she’s working at the haunted house now? Then you’ll have to pull strings for the tickets!”

“No problem.”

Bai Qing had a wide network of contacts and finally managed to get two admission spots—right on the day Three-Skin Duck would debut at the haunted house.

It would also be the second time Chen Ran officially made the dish.

Xu Laoguai had said confidently, “A dish has to be tasted by guests. Right now the haunted house is all we’ve got, so let the guests there try it.”

“Back in the day, your Chen family ancestors wandered far and wide, meeting all sorts of diners—that’s the same spirit.”

Chen Ran felt a bit embarrassed.

At first, she had been hired simply as a haunted house employee, and the dishes were paired with the haunted house’s storyline.

But now, Xu Laoguai no longer even appeared as an NPC. He spent every day teaching her to cook. He even called back his second disciple from the countryside, who had been sent away, to help with the prep work like killing ducks and pigeons for Chen Ran.

Xu Laoguai’s second disciple was named Du Zhaohu. His name sounded fierce, but he looked honest and quiet.

As he helped Chen Ran prep ingredients, he introduced himself, “This is my useless second disciple… But don’t worry, he’s been living in the countryside for ten years. I guarantee he hasn’t touched that stuff again!”

Turning his head suddenly, Xu Laoguai smacked Du Zhaohu: “This is your Shigu Chen. She’s the one who helped you get your revenge!”

With a loud thud, Du Zhaohu dropped to his knees. Chen Ran panicked and rushed out from behind the chopping board to catch him. “Grandpa Xu! Let’s keep things separate! Let’s not mix things up!”

She finally understood why Xu Laoguai was called “Old Freak Xu.” That old man probably didn’t have much of a temper back in the day either.

So now, as she cooked, Du Zhaohu assisted her. The two of them were very proper in how they addressed each other—she called him “Uncle Du,” and he called her “Shigu Chen.”

“Shigu, the clear broth needs to be ‘smashed’ again.”

The more times clear broth is “smashed,” the clearer it gets. It sounds mysterious, but it basically means adding cold water to the boiling broth.

Chen Ran went over, gauged it, and added cold water again before covering the pot.

“Alright, once it comes to a boil this time, we can add the stuffed duck.”

This was her second time making Three-Skin Duck, but her first time doing it completely on her own. Of course she was nervous—especially since she couldn’t taste the flavors herself.

Luckily, she had the appraisal skill provided by the system.

When the broth boiled again, she carefully lowered the stuffed duck into it and stayed by the stove, watching the heat level attentively.

Unlike other dishes, the cooking process for Three-Skin Duck required the chef’s full attention from start to finish. You couldn’t just set a timer and come back in an hour and a half.

This was also one of the main reasons why the dish had nearly gone extinct.The three layers of different poultry each required different levels of heat; it was essential to adjust the flame constantly and observe the color right by the pot.

Over the past few days, she had watched Xu Laoguai repeat this process many times, but this was the first time she was doing it entirely on her own.

Du Zhaohu waited quietly by the side.

He understood better than anyone how skilled this Chef Chen truly was.

Sometimes, only a student who can score 90 points can understand just how formidable someone scoring 98 is.

Du Zhaohu had once asked his master: where did Chen the chef’s talent truly lie? Was it in her knife skills, her control of heat, or her sense of seasoning?

What surprised him was that Xu Laoguai gave him two words he hadn’t expected.

“Focus.”

“Some people, when they put down the knife and the wok, become just ordinary folks. But don’t be fooled by how young Ranran is—when she puts down the knife, she’s still a chef.”

Back then, Du Zhaohu didn’t understand what his master meant. But after spending a day in the kitchen assisting Chen Ran, he understood.

Xu Laoguai had taught Chen Ran how to apply force properly when chopping. Since then, even when she signed for deliveries, the strength in her pen came all the way from her shoulders!

Du Zhaohu let out a faint sigh.

He chose one egg white to challenge himself. But when Chen Ran chose an egg white, it was because she had never even considered there was another option.

“It’s ready.”

When he heard Chen Ran say it was ready, Du Zhaohu quickly brought over a porcelain basin, and together they transferred the Three-Skin Duck into it.

“Nervous?”

Du Zhaohu couldn’t help but ask Chen Ran.

“Not anymore.”

She had been nervous at first because she’d suddenly received a random task from the system.

[Random Task: Use a perfect Three-Skin Duck to awe the clueless visitors!]

[Reward: Unlock S-rank recipe with Three-Skin Duck flavor effect mission]

Setting aside the reward, this was the first time she’d ever seen an exclamation mark in a system task!

The last time the system reacted this strongly, it had been when someone unexpectedly tried to take her in as a disciple… Could it be someone was coming again?

Chen Ran made a casual guess—and ended up being right.

After the haunted house was revamped, the map became more elaborate—and the food offerings… more abundant.

Xu Ruyi seemed to have given up resisting. Under pressure from Xu Laoguai, she begrudgingly added a line to the haunted house description.

“Dishes such as Stewed Lion’s Head, Wensi Tofu, and Three-Skin Duck may appear at random.”

The first wave of guests tasted Chen Ran’s Stewed Lion’s Head. The second wave drank their fill of Wensi Tofu soup—and even, under Wang Zhaoshan’s guidance, learned to use the middle of their tongue to taste the delicate flavors.

The third wave of guests, incredibly lucky, were the ones who got randomly assigned the Three-Skin Duck!

Wang Zhaoshan had originally been scheduled to rest, but after pestering persistently, he managed to win the chance to help Zhuang Zhiping carve the Three-Skin Duck.Xu Ruyi was rather suspicious and repeatedly warned them: “You can only carve and serve the guests—absolutely no sneaking bites!”

She simply went to the props storage and got two ghost masks for them to wear, only then feeling assured enough to leave.

Finally, a large wave of guests finished the puzzle-solving segment, got chased by spirits and monsters to the final scene, and were locked into chairs by chains.

The scene was eerie and full of ghostly atmosphere—the NPCs were covered in blood, the tables and chairs were strewn with bones, and the lighting flickered ominously.

Everything about the setting screamed “top-tier haunted house,” except the guests themselves—each of them was grinning from ear to ear.

“Hurry! Shove that sacrifice into my mouth already!”

“Punish me! Come on!”

Wang Zhaoshan’s face twitched slightly beneath the mask. He glanced at Zhuang Zhiping, and together the two of them brought the porcelain basin to the center of the table and gently lifted the lid.

A delicate aroma wafted out slowly.

The scene had been carefully designed—not only were the NPCs bloody, even the pungent smell of fresh blood had been simulated.

And yet, that faint, clear, even refreshing fragrance seemed to quietly, gradually, and effortlessly suppress the heavy scent of blood!

Pan Shiyou, whom Bai Qing had specifically invited to come and take on a disciple, straightened in his seat the moment he smelled that aroma.

The dish in the porcelain basin was still steaming, a white mist rising from it. When the mist dispersed and he got a good look at the dish inside, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

He looked at Bai Qing in disbelief.

This was Three-Skin Duck!

This old guy had asked him to take as a disciple someone who could make Three-Skin Duck?

Would it still be too late if he became the disciple instead?