"It's okay, there will be another chance next time, let's go back and prepare well." A young man comforted him. The young man patted the uncle on the shoulder, and although he also looked disappointed, he still tried to force a smile, trying to bring a glimmer of hope and courage to the uncle.

"But this opportunity is so rare. I don't know when the next one will be." The uncle sighed heavily, looking at the closed door of the hotel, unwilling to leave for a long time.

"Don't lose heart, as long as we don't give up, we will be able to realize our dreams one day." The young man encouraged, pulling the uncle away slowly. Their backs looked a little lonely under the street lights, but with a hint of unyielding stubbornness.

……

In Tianfu Food Court, after Li Yong successfully signed up, he hurried back to the restaurant. As soon as he entered the restaurant, he couldn't contain his excitement and shouted excitedly: "Master Gao, I was selected!"

When Gao Qianjin heard the news, he suddenly raised his head with a satisfied smile on his face. He quickly stood up and said, "Good boy, you really bring honor to our Tianfu Food House! You must learn well when you go there, learn all the real skills of Master Wang Jianye, and bring honor to our restaurant when you come back!"

Li Yong nodded vigorously, his eyes gleaming with determination, and responded: "Don't worry, I will definitely live up to your expectations!"

At Cuihualou, Wang Qiang returned to the store happily and went straight to the manager's office.

"Chef Xu, I was chosen!" Wang Qiang couldn't hide his excitement.

Chef Xu was checking documents. Upon hearing the news, he patted him on the shoulder happily and said, "Not bad, not bad. This is a rare opportunity. You must seize it! Learn more new dishes and cooking techniques from Master Wang Jianye."

Wang Qiang said seriously: "Manager, I understand. I will definitely work hard!"

In Fengze Garden, the waiter hurriedly brought back the good news.

"I was chosen!" Zhao Peng shouted loudly.

The store was instantly filled with joy and people gathered around.

"amazing!"

“This is really great news!”

Zhang Mingsheng smiled and said, "This is your chance. You must study hard when you get there, and don't bring shame to our Fengze Garden!"

Zhao Peng nodded repeatedly, "I know, I will definitely work hard and make our Fengze Garden business more prosperous when I come back after I finish my studies!"

The steel stove gleamed brightly, and the neatly arranged knives glowed coldly under the light.

Li Yong from Tianfu Food House, Wang Qiang from Cuihualou and Zhao Peng from Fengze Garden, with full of longing and anxiety, stepped into the kitchen of Master Wang Jianye and began this arduous learning journey.

The kitchen was filled with the aroma of home, with pots and pans clattering and knives and chopping boards clanging.

"This dish of squirrel mandarin fish requires great attention to knife skills and cooking time. Not even a little bit can be sloppy!" Wang Jianye said loudly. He looked focused and his hands moved smoothly. Under his knife, the mandarin fish instantly turned into slices of fish as thin as cicada wings. The slices were crystal clear and looked like works of art.

Li Yong stared closely at Wang Jianye's operation, with beads of sweat on his forehead, and he was nervous and excited. "Master, this is too difficult. I always can't control the thickness of the fish fillet." There was a hint of anxiety and self-doubt in his voice.

Wang Jianye glanced at him and encouraged him, "Don't worry, practice more!"

At this time, the chef Chen Xiaoyang came over, looked at Li Yong's work, shook his head and said, "The fish fillet is not cut well, Li Yong, you need to work harder."

Chef Ma Hua also said: "Yes, knife skills are the basis, we need to work on them carefully."

Wang Qiang was also trying with full concentration, secretly competing in his heart: "I must do better than Li Yong!" His eyes were full of determination and stubbornness to refuse to admit defeat.

Chen Xiaoyang glanced at Wang Qiang and said, "Wang Qiang, determination alone is not enough, you also need to be careful."

Ma Hua continued, "This dish is not simple, don't underestimate it."

Zhao Peng also did not dare to slack off. He carefully used the kitchen knife in his hand to move the fish meat, frowning and muttering, "This is really a challenge."

Chen Xiaoyang looked at Zhao Peng and said, "Zhao Peng, don't be nervous, stay calm."

Ma Hua also encouraged: "Take your time, you can do it."

The entire kitchen is filled with a tense and enthusiastic learning atmosphere.

As their studies progressed, various rigorous assessments appeared before them like insurmountable mountains.

During an exam, Li Yong looked at the complicated ingredients in front of him and felt uneasy. "I must pass this time and not fall behind." He encouraged himself secretly, his hands trembling slightly.

Wang Qiang's eyes were firm, as if he was telling the world: "I must get the highest score!"

However, the results were not what they had hoped for. Li Yong's dish had a wrong seasoning, Wang Qiang's heat control was not precise enough, and only Zhao Peng barely passed.

"How could this happen?" Li Yong lowered his head in frustration, feeling lost. "Am I really that bad?"

Wang Qiang clenched his fists and gritted his teeth: "I will definitely be able to do it next time. I won't lose to anyone!"

At this time, the head chef Chen Xiaoyang came over, looked at their work, and frowned.

"Li Yong, seasoning is the soul of a dish. Your deviation is too big. You need to find the reason." Chen Xiaoyang said seriously.

Chef Ma Hua also echoed: "Yes, Wang Qiang, if you don't control the heat well, the taste of the whole dish will be ruined."

In this fierce competitive atmosphere, the relationship between them became delicate and tense at first.

"Hmph, Zhao Peng, don't be so proud. I will surpass you next time!" Wang Qiang stared at Zhao Peng unconvinced.

"Everyone should work hard and not just focus on each other." Zhao Peng responded seriously.

Chen Xiaoyang patted them on the shoulders and said, "Don't just focus on competing. Learn from each other and make progress together. Our business relies on real skills."

Ma Hua also said earnestly: "Yes, you have to understand that improving cooking skills is not achieved overnight, don't be too impatient."

But the setbacks gradually made them realize the importance of cooperation.

"Let's help each other, so that we can make progress together." Li Yong first proposed. However, Wang Qiang was a little hesitant and frowned and said, "Is it really possible? We were competing with each other before."

Li Yong looked at Wang Qiang sincerely and said, "It's not a good idea to keep competing. We have to learn cooking skills together." Zhao Peng also advised, "Yes, Wang Qiang, it's better to work together than to fight alone."

Wang Qiang thought for a moment and finally nodded: "Okay!"

So, in the days that followed, they often got together to exchange experiences.

"Wang Qiang, look at this method of cutting vegetables. The angle should be like this." Li Yong held the kitchen knife and demonstrated carefully.

Wang Qiang looked at Li Yong's movements and asked doubtfully, "Won't this cut your hand?"

Li Yong smiled and said, "You may feel uncomfortable at first, but it will be fine once you get used to it. You can give it a try."

"Li Yong, the key to controlling the heat is to observe the color of the flame and the changes in the ingredients." Wang Qiang also shared his experience without reservation.

Li Yong scratched his head and asked, "What if the fire suddenly gets bigger or smaller?"

Wang Qiang patiently explained: "This requires timely adjustments to maintain stability."

Zhao Peng patiently answered their questions, "The proportion of the ingredients should be adjusted appropriately according to the freshness of the ingredients."

At this time, Chef Chen Xiaoyang passed by and saw them communicating. He smiled and said, "Not bad, not bad, you know how to cooperate, but don't just talk and don't practice."

Chef Ma Hua also came over and said, "That's right, you need to practice more to really master it."

Li Yong nodded quickly: "Brother Xiaoyang, Brother Mahua, we got it."

Wang Qiang also responded: "We will practice hard."

Zhao Peng said firmly: "Don't worry, we won't let you down."

After returning from their studies, they each returned to their own hotels.

At Tianfu Food House, Li Yong couldn't wait to incorporate what he had learned into the development of new dishes. He stood in front of the stove, his expression focused and nervous, with a little sweat on his forehead. He carefully selected the fresh ingredients and skillfully cut them with the kitchen knife in his hand, ready to show off his skills. He followed the steps he had conceived in his mind and carefully mixed the spices, looking forward to creating a stunning new Sichuan dish.

However, when this innovative Sichuan dish he carefully prepared was served, he looked at the customers expectantly.

"Why does it taste a bit weird? It's too salty, and the taste of the spices completely covers up the umami flavor of the ingredients themselves." A customer frowned and said dissatisfiedly, with an expression full of disappointment on his face.

"Yeah, this dish looks good, but the taste is really not that good, it's so disappointing." Another customer echoed, shaking his head, "I thought I could try something new, but it turned out to be worse than our old signature dish."

"I was expecting a pleasant surprise, but ended up being disappointed. The quality is not good enough." Another customer complained, "The food doesn't taste good either, and the ingredients don't seem to be properly processed."

Li Yong's heart sank instantly, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. "How could this happen? I've tried my best."

At this time, Tianfu Food Restaurant's chef Gao Qianjin came over, tasted the dish, frowned and said, "Li Yong, you put too many spices and they are too mixed. The original flavor of the ingredients is covered up, and you also put too much salt, so the overall seasoning is unbalanced. You can see that the knife skills for the ingredients are not delicate enough, which affects the taste. Although it is a good thing to have new ideas, the basic skills cannot be lost."

The chef also came over and said, "Li Yong, your new dish has a good idea, but in the actual operation, the details are not well grasped. For example, the proportion of spices is very important. You can't just go for more or new things. You have to focus on balance and coordination. There are also some problems with the control of the heat, which makes the freshness of the ingredients not reflected."

Li Yong felt guilty, but he was not discouraged. He decided to start over, carefully recalling every detail of his study and reflecting on his mistakes.

He went into the kitchen again, reselected the ingredients, and handled each step more carefully. This time, he reduced the amount of spices, paid more attention to the combination of spices, and carefully controlled the amount of salt. When cutting vegetables, he was fully focused, striving to make every cut precise and show the best form of the ingredients. As for the control of the heat, he stared at the stove intently and adjusted the heat in time according to the changes in the ingredients.

After many attempts and improvements, he finally made a dish that satisfied him.

When he brought the new dishes to the table again, the customers all smiled with satisfaction after tasting them.

"This time the taste is much better, fresh and delicious, not bad!"

“The taste is also great, and the ingredients are handled just right.”

Hearing these praises, Li Yong finally breathed a sigh of relief and a gratified smile appeared on his face.

In Cuihua Tower, Wang Qiang also encountered the same dilemma.

In the kitchen, Wang Qiang wanted to show off what he had learned, and he concentrated on handling the ingredients. He carefully selected the best ingredients, and skillfully cut and marinated them, not daring to be careless in any step. When cooking, he strictly controlled the heat, seasoned according to the techniques he had learned, and his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat.

However, when the dish was served, the customer commented, "This dish is not as delicious as I imagined. It is too woody and the seasoning is unbalanced."

"I think this dish is too greasy and has no appetite at all." Another customer also expressed dissatisfaction.

Wang Qiang's face turned pale. "Is my improvement still not enough?"

At this time, Chef Xu from Cuihualou came over, tasted the dish, and said solemnly, "Wang Qiang, your problem this time is that you cooked it for too long, causing the meat to become tough and dry. Also, when you were seasoning, you didn't grasp the proportions of the various seasonings well, so the taste is unbalanced. Although you have tried to improve, you still need to grasp the details more accurately."

After hearing this, Wang Qiang fell into deep thought, but he was not discouraged. He returned to the kitchen, carefully recalled the teachings of his master Wang Jianye, and looked up a lot of recipe information.

When trying again, Wang Qiang was even more cautious. He strictly controlled the cooking time of the ingredients, accurately measured the amount of each seasoning, and kept adjusting and trying.

After many trials and improvements, Wang Qiang finally made a satisfactory dish.

When the dish was served again, the customer praised it after tasting it: "This dish is great, the texture is fresh and the taste is just right!"

Wang Qiang finally showed a relieved smile.

Zhao Peng from Fengze Garden is no exception.

In the kitchen, Zhao Peng was preparing new dishes with great enthusiasm. He carefully selected high-quality ingredients and handled every step carefully. He skillfully cut the meat and prepared the side dishes, meticulously following the steps he had learned to cook. He poured oil, put the food in the pan, and stir-fried it in one go, and his forehead was covered with sweat, but he didn't even bother to wipe it off.

However, when the dish was served, the customer put down his chopsticks and complained, "This dish is too greasy and does not reflect the characteristics of Fengzeyuan at all."

"Yeah, the taste is not authentic enough and not up to the standard of Fengzeyuan in the past," another customer said.

Zhao Peng said anxiously: "We will improve it, sorry." (End of this chapter)