Ch. 851..860
Chapter 851: There’s Still Such a Loafer at Home_1
Third Old Master Zhekova, was a very meticulous and considerate person.
“Third Grandpa,” Adrian Zhekova called out, “Fourth Uncle, let me formally introduce you to my wife, Cindy Clarke, and our son, Morgan Zhekova.”
“Third Grandpa, Fourth Uncle,” Cindy Clarke greeted.
“Third Great Grandpa, Fourth Grandfather,” the little guy chimed in too.
“Good boy!” Third Old Master Zhekova’s gaze was warm as he gazed at the little guy with a smile.
Although he wasn’t as unrestrained as Old Master, who embraced the little guy as soon as they met.
...
But he also greeted the little guy with a smile, “Come here, I have prepared snacks for you early in the morning. Your Great Grandfather told me that you like playing on the Switch.”
The little guy nodded eagerly, “A new game called Animal Crossing has just been released. Great Grandfather just bought it for me, but I haven’t had a chance to play it yet.”
Because he had been so busy during the New Year.
He had not had any free time at all.
“Oh? That’s quite a coincidence.” Third Old Master laughed, “Your Great Grandfather told me you like the Switch, so I also bought one. And had someone buy the games as well.”
“Because I didn’t know what games are popular now, I had them ask around. This game happened to be quite popular and selling well, so I bought this one.”
“If you are willing, you can play here today,” Third Old Master said.
The little guy’s eyes sparkled as he rubbed his hands together, “Can I? Won’t it disturb your conversation?”
“I think, the sound from the game is not very loud, and it’s not like watching TV,” Third Old Master said.
If you’re watching TV, the volume is loud, and it interferes with conversation.
But if the conversation is loud and the TV volume low, you can’t hear what’s being said on the TV.
Playing games, shouldn’t require that much attention to sound.
The little guy was thrilled when he heard this, “Thank you, Third Great Grandpa!”
He didn’t expect Third Old Master to buy him a Switch just because he was visiting.
The little guy knew Third Old Master, not to mention having mobility issues.
Even if he were physically well, he wouldn’t normally enjoy such games.
This was bought specifically because the little guy was visiting.
Moreover, the little guy might only visit once a year.
For such a rare visit, Third Old Master had prepared so much for him.
It wasn’t about the money.
To Third Old Master, this amount of money was, of course, nothing.
The most important thing was Third Old Master’s goodwill.
The thoughtfulness of considering the little guy to this extent.
To prepare so much for a little guy visiting once a year.
The little guy was deeply moved.
He did not immediately start playing the game.
Instead, he came in front of Adrian Zhekova and waved to him.
Adrian Zhekova bent over to listen to what the little guy wanted to say.
“Third Great Grandpa is really nice.” The little guy said.
Adrian Zhekova nodded with a smile, “Yes, Old Master is very nice.”
“Can I come often in the future?” the little guy asked again, “Third Great Grandpa even bought me a Switch.”
“If I only come once, it would have been a waste of Third Great Grandpa’s goodwill,” the little guy said.
Thinking of the Switch bought specifically for him, left unused in the house for a year, the little guy felt like an ingrate.
Adrian Zhekova’s feelings towards Third Old Master Zhekova and Lyke Zhekova were not the same as towards Gabriel Zhekova.
As for the little guy’s getting familiar with Third Old Master’s house, Adrian Zhekova was quite pleased.
Thus, Adrian Zhekova stood up straight and smiled at Third Old Master Zhekova, “Third Grandpa, we’ll bring Morgan here often in the future.”
Old Master, living alone, was actually very lonely.
Usually, he could only chat with the caregiver and the house servants.
When he went out to enjoy the sun, he liked to go where there were more children.
Just to chat with the children.
Hearing what Adrian Zhekova said, how could he refuse.
Third Old Master happily nodded repeatedly, “Good, good.”
The little guy has already made himself at home, running towards Third Old Master.
Jumping directly onto Third Old Master’s lap, cuddling up to him.
“Third Great Grandpa, you’re so nice,” said the little guy in Third Old Master’s arms.
Third Old Master smiled, the wrinkles on his face deepening even further.
“You said it, you should come often,” Third Old Master laughed and held the little guy.
The little guy nodded vigorously.
Cindy thought to herself; if Old Master hears this.
Seeing the little guy getting along so well and so familiar with Third Old Master, Old Master would surely jump up in irritation.
Maybe even jumping high and bickering with Third Old Master.
Cindy thought, she must definitely not let Third Old Master know.
“Yes, yes!” the little guy nodded vigorously, “I keep my word.”
The little guy was not shy at all and quickly got close to Third Old Master.
After getting cozy with Third Old Master for a while, the little guy finally crawled off Third Old Master’s lap.
With the help of the servants at home, the TV was turned on and connected, and he started playing on the side.
Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke sat on the sofa.
Third Old Master sat directly in his wheelchair without coming down.
Only then did Cindy realize, why hasn’t she seen Lyke Zhekova’s wife?
She forgot to ask Adrian Zhekova about it.
Just thinking that since Lyke Zhekova is Adrian Zhekova’s Fourth Uncle, he must be married.
So she didn’t ask.
Not sure why she didn’t come today?
When Lyke Zhekova went to get a present for the little guy, Cindy quickly asked Adrian Zhekova in a whisper, “Where is Fourth Aunt?”
Fortunately, Third Old Master is old and his hearing is not very sharp.
Cindy spoke softly, so Third Old Master would not be able to hear.
Adrian Zhekova laughed and said, “Fourth Uncle never married.”
“Never married?” Cindy Clarke opened her eyes in surprise.
It was her assumption that since he’s Adrian Zhekova’s Fourth Uncle and not young, he must have been married.
That’s why she didn’t ask.
But to her surprise, Fourth Uncle was still single.
And Third Old Master didn’t push him to get married?
She knew that Third Old Madam Zhekova was not around anymore.
But, with such a bachelor at home, wouldn’t Old Madam be worried?
When explaining things to Cindy, Adrian Zhekova didn’t avoid Third Old Master.
He just said at normal volume, “At the beginning, Third Grandpa and Third Grandma were married for many years, but Third Grandma was unable to conceive.”
Third Old Master heard Adrian Zhekova’s opening and took over the explanation, “At first, we both were young and we weren’t in a rush.”
“But when we both approached thirty, we felt we ought to have a child. Otherwise, your Third Grandma would have become an elderly mother and childbirth would have been somewhat risky.”
“Who knew, when we didn’t want a child we didn’t pay attention, when we seriously thought about having a child, we found no motion.”
“At first, we were quite anxious, but even so, we didn’t consider vitro fertilization.”
Chapter 852: Call Fourth Grandmother_1
Third Old Master Zhekova said, “One reason is, our knowledge wasn’t as advanced back then.”
“The other is, if we had opted for IVF, it would have been very hard on your Third Grandma.” Third Old Master Zhekova added.
“We didn’t want to rely on external methods unless necessary. We preferred to let nature take its course.” He continued.
“After some time, we became more relaxed. Whether we had a child or not didn’t matter to us. The Zhekova Family had plenty of children. Who would there be left to carry out our funeral rites when we passed?”
“There’ll be no lack of people to pay tribute to us in the future, and our heirs from the Zhekova Family would inherit our estates. Knowing this, we became more relaxed and stopped fretting.”
“And perhaps because we became more relaxed, when I was 38 and your Third Grandma was 36, we finally had your Fourth Uncle.” Third Old Master Zhekova said.
...
Cindy Clarke did a quick calculation.
Based on Third Old Master Zhekova’s age, Lyke Zhekova would also be 37 this year.
So, Lyke Zhekova can also be considered a late child of Old Master Zhekova.
While they were discussing this, Lyke Zhekova returned.
He was holding gifts for the child in his arms.
It was a new iPad Pro, with the touch keyboard and Apple Pencil included.
Despite the child’s young age, he was quite up-to-date with these electronic devices.
While he didn’t always have the latest model,
he kept himself well-informed when a new model was released.
Due to Cindy Clarke’s education from a young age, the child would only replace an electronic device if it started to malfunction. If it was functioning smoothly, he wouldn’t replace it.
Now, being presented with a gift like this from Lyke Zhekova, the child was thrilled.
When Lyke Zhekova got something, he always went for the top model.
The kind with the largest screen and its corresponding keyboard.
The version with the greatest storage capacity.
All of this added up to quite a price.
Even with Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke present, he wouldn’t be allowed to waste money pursuing the latest models.
However, who doesn’t like the newest models?
The child instantly became attached to it.
He might not necessarily need the keyboard, but he would definitely find use for the iPad and Apple Pencil.
“Thank you, Fourth Grandfather,” the child said with delight.
Cindy Clarke couldn’t help twitching at the corner of her mouth when she learned about Lyke Zhekova’s real age, and the fact that he was still single.
And hearing the child call him Fourth Grandfather, she could barely look at him.
Third Old Master Zhekova laughed, “Look, your Fourth Uncle hasn’t even had a child yet, and he’s already a grandfather.”
Then, Third Old Master Zhekova’s mood grew a little somber, “When your Third Grandma was still with us, this boy thought he was still young and wasn’t in a hurry to find someone.”
“Then, after your Third Grandma passed away, no one was in a hurry to find someone for this boy,” he said with some frustration.
“With my legs and feet in this condition, I can’t socialize outside home, not even to find a suitable girl to introduce to your Fourth Uncle,” sighed Third Old Master Zhekova, feeling frustrated.
Adrian Zhekova then said, “My grandmother has been trying to introduce some girls to Fourth Uncle.”
Hearing that, Third Old Master Zhekova grew more frustrated, “It’s hard on your grandmother.”
“It’s so tough to find a suitable match for your Fourth Uncle. Young girls might not be the right match for him due to the age gap. And then there’s your Fourth Uncle’s seniority,” he said.
“Introducing someone of your generation ends up turning her into a Fourth Aunt when she joins the family. And now with Morgan, she’d be referred to as Fourth Grandma,” Third Old Master Zhekova said.
Upon hearing this, Cindy Clarke couldn’t help but twitch the corner of her mouth.
Girls who grew up with Adrian Zhekova and his peers would be of a suitable age,
but welcoming them into the family would mean an immediate upgrade in generation.
If they were younger than Adrian Zhekova and his peers, wouldn’t their generation be even more confusing once they join the family?
Indeed, it is quite hard.
No wonder, even with Old Madam’s involvement, Lyke Zhekova’s singledom couldn’t be resolved.
Lyke Zhekova’s mouth twitched as he said to Third Old Master Zhekova, “Dad, it’s the New Year, let’s not talk about such heavy topics.”
“Oh, so you know this is a heavy topic!” Third Old Master Zhekova was surprised that Lyke Zhekova was self-aware.
Knowing that the topic is heavy, why is he still single?
“Since you know it’s heavy, why can’t you hurry up and…” Third Old Master Zhekova began, but then realized he was saying it wrong.
“Why can’t you hurry up and find someone to marry!” He corrected himself.
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
Cindy Clarke thought, Third Old Master Zhekova and Old Master Zhekova were undoubtedly brothers.
Look at their temperament, they were so alike.
“You’re of this age and haven’t been married,” Third Old Master Zhekova exclaimed, disappointed.
A man approaching 40 and still unmarried!
“…” Lyke Zhekova couldn’t resist saying, “Are you hoping that I’d marry and then divorce?”
“At least you would have been married!” said Third Old Master Zhekova.
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
Third Old Master Zhekova paused before asking Cindy Clarke, “Cindy, do you have any suitable girls among your acquaintances?”
“No need for someone as young as you, otherwise the age gap with your Fourth Uncle would be too large and it would be unfair for the young lady,” explained Third Old Master Zhekova.
Cindy Clarke: “…”
She didn’t have many friends.
Her closest one was Peggy Lewis.
But the thought of Peggy Lewis becoming Fourth Aunt upon joining the family and transforming from Morgan’s godmother to Fourth Grandma made her cringe.
This picture was too beautiful that she dared not look.
Then, Cindy Clarke shook her head.
She was thinking too far ahead; Peggy Lewis might not even be willing.
“Well… Third Grandpa, my friends are all of the same generation as me,” said Cindy Clarke.
“Ah! How could I forget that?” Third Old Master Zhekova sighed. He was so anxious for Lyke Zhekova that he had overlooked this detail.
When Third Old Madam Zhekova was alive, since she lived separately from Old Madam,
Old Madam couldn’t interfere much with Lyke Zhekova’s marriage.
Old Madam did once introduce someone whom Third Old Madam Zhekova approved of, but Lyke Zhekova wasn’t interested.
Upon reflection, Adrian Zhekova’s marriage to Cindy was a result of their own fate and wasn’t arranged by Old Madam.
As such, Old Madam was at a loss about what to do about Lyke Zhekova.
Cindy Clarke then said, “I’ll pay more attention in the future to see if there are good girls.”
Adhering to the principle of more hands make light work,
Third Old Master Zhekova quickly nodded with pleasure, “Good, good.”
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
Truthfully, he wasn’t in a hurry at all.
Regardless of his age, he was enjoying his single life.
Adrian Zhekova then laughed and said to Lyke Zhekova, “Fourth Uncle, you won’t be able to enjoy your single life for much longer.”
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
“Now I’m married and with Morgan growing up so quickly, I have a wife and a son—it’s perfect,” Adrian Zhekova said.
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
Was this boy sure he wasn’t showing off?
“My grandmother doesn’t need to worry about me anymore,” Adrian Zhekova said, “Edward Dewer is a bit younger than me. Even if he waits until he’s my age to get married, he still has a few more years to go.”
Chapter 853: Truly Worthy of Being from Their Zhekova Family_1
“Adrian can afford to wait a bit longer. I guess within the next two or three years. Although Grandmother is anxious, she’s not frantically so.” Adrian Zhekova chuckled.
“But, your situation is different.” Adrian Zhekova grinned slightly, “You’re already 37, Fourth Uncle.”
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
What is this deep concern and urgent tone from Adrian Zhekova all about!
“Now that Grandmother doesn’t have to worry about Adrian’s affairs, it’s you she’s focusing on.” Adrian Zhekova gave Lyke Zhekova a heartfelt reminder.
Lyke Zhekova could not escape this.
...
As for Ethan Zhekova?
The boy has high standards, and he has Gabriel Zhekova and Mila Harrison looking out for him.
There is no need for Old Madam to intervene.
They are probably not even comfortable with Old Madam’s matches for Ethan.
Old Madam knew this too well; if she introduced someone from a higher social status, it is likely that they would look down on Ethan Zhekova.
Old Madam does not want to deal with that kind of displeasure.
If Old Madam introduced someone from a lower social status, Gabriel Zhekova’s family might not only dislike the match, but they could also accuse her of having ulterior motives.
This kind of no-win situation, where nothing you do will be appreciated, is what the Old Madam does not want to do.
Of course, it’s not as if families should help each other only to win each other’s gratitude or to have good deeds remembered and repaid.
But if you can receive a word of thanks or have someone remember your kindness, why not? It certainly beats helping thankless people.
Even if you don’t seek a return, at least you should recognize the kindness, right?
If good deeds result in complaints, who would be willing to help?
Old Madam might not be expecting anything from Gabriel Zhekova’s family, but she also does not want to be shunned instead.
Hence, Old Madam does not even interfere.
It’s left to Gabriel Zhekova’s family to sort it out on their own.
Ethan Zhekova is only a few months younger than Adrian Zhekova; they are practically the same age.
Old Madam, since she is not bothering about Ethan Zhekova’s affairs, naturally her worries fall on Lyke Zhekova.
Only now did Cindy understood why Lyke Zhekova, despite being more capable than Gabriel Zhekova, was not envied by Gabriel.
Probably because Gabriel saw that Lyke Zhekova is still unmarried right now.
When Lyke Zhekova does get married and have children, it will be the same generation as Adrian Zhekova.
They’d have to wait several more decades for Lyke Zhekova to have grandchildren.
In any case, Lyke Zhekova has always been a step behind, always one generation shy.
No matter what, succession to the Family Head couldn’t possibly fall upon Lyke Zhekova’s family.
So, even if Lyke Zhekova is exceptionally capable, Gabriel Zhekova never saw him as a rival.
Since Lyke Zhekova couldn’t possibly stand a chance at claiming the position of Family Head, even if Lyke Zhekova’s skills were outstanding, he serves as nothing more than generating money for the Zhekova Family.
This was great, so naturally Gabriel Zhekova had no reason to suppress Lyke Zhekova.
“Isn’t Morgan enough company for Old Madam?” Lyke Zhekova said bluntly.
The child may be playing games, but he was also listening to the adults’ conversations.
Now, Morgan stopped and turned to stare at Lyke Zhekova.
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
“Ahem!” Lyke Zhekova coughed lightly, cleared his throat, and said, “What I meant is, Old Madam must be quite busy caring for Morgan every day, right?”
“Not at all.” Without waiting for Adrian Zhekova to add anything, the little lad had already spoken up, “I have to attend nursery during the weekdays, so I can’t go to Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother’s place. Although the nursery finishes early, their place is really far away. By the time I reach there and then have to go back home, it’s quite time-consuming. So I can’t play there for long.”
“So, I only visit them on the weekends.” The child gave Lyke Zhekova a huge grin, “Fourth Grandfather, don’t worry! Great Grandmother has plenty of time.”
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
Truly worthy of being a part of the Zhekova Family.
After saying that, the child continued with his play.
Right now, the trouble wasn’t in their home so the child wasn’t under any pressure.
The Third Old Master Zhekova couldn’t help but laugh on the side.
This child is way too clever.
Third Old Master Zhekova couldn’t help but envy the Old Master and Old Madam.
Even though the child only went to their house once a week, having such a lively and quirky presence indeed livened up the place.
Old Madam and Old Master’s life must be filled with happiness, having fun with this child around.
The Third Old Master Zhekova looked on with envy, desiring all the more for Lyke Zhekova to get married and have children soon.
Having a grandson to play with him would make him happy, making life less boring.
However, Third Old Master Zhekova knew that it might take a while if he was relying on Lyke Zhekova.
Third Old Master Zhekova said to the child, “Morgan, I remember you promising to visit Third Great Grandpa’s place often.”
Upon hearing this, the child paused his game again and turned to face Third Old Master Zhekova. He nodded very seriously, “Third Great Grandpa, I promise you! I will keep my word!”
“Very good.” Third Old Master Zhekova couldn’t close his mouth from all the laughter.
He kindly offered, “You will be quite busy during the week, having to go back to the family mansion.”
Lyke Zhekova’s lips twitched a bit upon hearing that.
Based on Third Old Master’s words, there seemed to be a sense of the child being super busy.
“Moreover, not to mention, when you start primary school and enter Jetaime Academy, you’re going to have to study all the subjects and take on additional extracurricular classes, you’ll be even busier then,” Third Old Master continued.
For now, the child only attends nursery and has yet to enter Jetaime Academy.
Cindy believed that future responsibilities in Jetaime Academy would be heavier.
Therefore, she wanted to have Morgan enjoy his childhood as much as possible during his time in the nursery.
Fortunately, the nursery department of Jetaime Academy doesn’t teach too advanced content.
So, even if Morgan doesn’t enter Jetaime Academy during his nursery years, he wouldn’t fall behind the others.
“As long as you can visit me during holidays and mini vacations like Labor Day, National Day, and Valentine’s Day, I would be very happy,” Third Old Master said.
Though the Qingming Festival is also a mini vacation,
But visiting him during Qingming…
Felt a bit ominous.
He was still alive, after all.
The child promptly nodded in agreement, “I’ve got it! I’ll definitely visit Third Great Grandpa.”
Third Old Master Zhekova nodded, feeling so happy he was on the verge of tears.
Third Old Lady Zhekova had been gone for five years already.
Lyke Zhekova is frequently busy with work and even though he visits on weekends,
He doesn’t come every weekend, sometimes he has to work overtime, sometimes he has to travel for business.
Plus, Third Old Master Zhekova was hoping that Lyke Zhekova wouldn’t frequently come back.
Lyke Zhekova should take advantage of his time off to move around, meet some nice girls.
Hurrying to start a family was the best outcome.
Usually, Third Old Master Zhekova was quite lonely at home.
Even though there were caregivers and staff around-
The feeling was just not the same.
Now that the child has promised to visit during the holidays,
Third Old Master Zhekova felt as if he had something to look forward to.
He no longer felt that each day was lackluster and dull.
“By the way, after the holiday ends, Cindy, you will be resuming your competitions, right?” Lyke Zhekova asked.
Chapter 854: Pingla naturally won’t do it _1
“Mm.” Cindy Clarke nodded, “But they haven’t notified us about when the next round will be, although I assume they’ll probably notify us tomorrow.”
Adrian Zhekova wouldn’t know when they will be notified unless he asked Billy Houston; the competition organizers wouldn’t bother him with such small details.
“Then I’ll ask later.” Lyke Zhekova chimed in.
Seeing Adrian Zhekova’s lips twitch, it was apparent he was still present and felt usurped.
How could Lyke, as an uncle, go over Adrian’s head to ask questions for Cindy?
Seeing Adrian’s reaction, Lyke immediately explained, “I was just thinking that I would attend the next round of the competition too.”
...
“You two kept it such a secret before that I had no idea,” Lyke grumbled, “You both went to watch Cindy’s competition without informing me, and I’ve never been to one.”
Adrian Zhekova then explained, “Second Uncle and Third Uncle also didn’t know.”
“At the very beginning of Cindy’s competition, we were just acquaintances and hadn’t started dating yet,” Adrian clarified.
“We started dating after that, but we didn’t announce it until after we were married, and only our family knew,” said Adrian.
“Later the competitions were paused due to holidays, so we thought we would wait until New Year’s when the elders were all here to introduce you all at once,” Adrian mentioned.
Lyke waved his hand dismissively, “Anyway, I’m thinking that I never had a chance to support Cindy’s competition in person before, so I must go and support her no matter what.”
Aria Evans said these words too.
Although it was not exactly the same, the meaning was the same.
Cindy didn’t have any Clarke family members to support her at the competition, but she had the Zhekova family there.
With the support of her relatives, Cindy felt exceptionally warm.
Having her relatives to support her on-site won’t make her nervous, but rather motivate her.
Cindy then told Lyke, “Then, when we get the notice, I’ll let you know immediately.”
“Oh, very well,” Lyke happily agreed.
“Since it’s rare for us to gather like this today, why don’t I cook a couple of dishes for Third Grandpa and Fourth Uncle?” proposed Cindy.
Cindy didn’t suggest cooking an entire table of dishes.
She just thought of cooking two or three dishes for Third Old Master Zhekova and Fourth Uncle to try.
According to the Old Madam, if you make too many dishes, it would seem unsuitable.
As if she came specifically to work.
Although Third Old Master Zhekova and Lyke definitely would not see it this way.
If Cindy were to cook an entire table of dishes, perhaps Third Old Master Zhekova and Lyke would feel awkward.
For this visit, it was their first contact with Third Old Master Zhekova and Lyke the Fourth Uncle.
Naturally, Cindy and Adrian Zhekova also prepared gifts.
Now that she’s cooking two or three dishes, it also serves as a gift.
Upon hearing this, Third Old Master Zhekova and Lyke were interested and looked forward to Cindy’s cooking.
Although they hadn’t watched Cindy’s competition before,
They didn’t specifically watch the live broadcast or replay of the competition since they didn’t know about Cindy and Adrian’s relationship at that time,
Still, after all, the industry that the Pingla Group is involved in is exactly related to this.
Even if they don’t watch the replay, they would still pay attention to the news about the Cooking Competition.
Notably the distinguishable and eye-catching contestants, they’d be specifically clipped out.
Even if they are upper management, they would watch too.
For these outstanding contestants, if they have potential and can continue to progress, they will keep observing.
Then in the future, they will inject new blood into Restaurants under Pingla Corp.
And naturally, Cindy has her clipping as well.
Lyke has seen it.
Of course, Lyke saw Cindy’s culinary skills.
“That’s excellent indeed,” Lyke stated, “For every contestant that performed exceptionally well in every iteration of the Cooking Competition, the organizers would clip a video and pass it to us to watch.”
“If someone is particularly outstanding, the group will follow up. If we ascertain that they are suitable, we will hire them for Restaurants under Pingla Corp,” said Lyke.
“How many people have been selected up until now?” Cindy asked curiously.
Now she doesn’t need to fret about being invited like previous contestants.
As long as she wants, she can go to any Restaurant under Pingla Corp. for further study.
Quire, Eastco Resto, any of them.
She could even open an independent restaurant.
However, Cindy was quite curious about how many people Pingla has chosen.
“Actually, not many, in all these years, there’s been just Michael Greene and Eastco Resto’s chef, Kyle Falls,” Lyke clarified.
The head chefs of other restaurants were all selected through competition.
There are graduates from the Academy under Pingla and those who came from other restaurants.
Mainly, Quire and Eastco Resto, these two Star-rated Restaurants, although they have branches, the branches have not been awarded any stars.
As for the main ones, they were long occupied by Michael Greene and Kyle Falls.
New recruits can come in, but it’s somewhat difficult for them to replace those two.
In other restaurants, top students from the Academy under Pingla were proud and unwilling to go.
Ordinary students can’t enter either.
Only a few with a good mentality managed to get in.
Those who were genuinely valued and personally invited by the Pingla Group are scarce.
Although the Cooking Competition is held every year, there are not many who have received invitations from the Pingla Group.
“I’ve watched previous iterations of the Cooking Competition,” said Cindy, “there were many outstanding contestants, why didn’t Pingla invite them?”
It wasn’t as if there weren’t enough restaurants.
There are countless Restaurants under Pingla Corp., if they were to make some arrangements, they would have enough places.
Even if there are not enough, given Pingla’s longstanding tendency to cherish talent, adopting the principle that as long as it’s a talent recognized by Pingla, they will never let it go.
To open a new restaurant specifically for a talent, Pingla is capable of doing it.
“What we’re looking for is not just the current outstanding performance,” explained Lyke, “We need a full-scale examination and study of the contestants, to see their potential.”
“If they’re doing excellently now, but they’ve already reached their potential and will make no further progress no matter how much they develop, then we won’t take them,” added Lyke.
“What we’re looking for is someone who is outstanding now and has the potential for continuous development, whose future prospects are immeasurable. Then, Pingla will provide a considerable proposition and even spend big money to continue nurturing them,” Lyke expounded.
Continue nurturing means that the talents valued by Pingla may not bring any benefit to Pingla in the short term.
Pingla is looking at long-term benefits.
Naturally, Pingla would sign a contract with them to ensure the company’s interest.
To avoid having them run off after nurturing them, thus making a wedding dress for someone else; this is definitely something Pingla won’t do.
Chapter 855: It’s Started Again_1
But, Pingla was able to give up short-term benefits and concentrate solely on cultivating talent.
Only a conglomerate like Pingla would have such confidence.
No ordinary company would dare to do this.
Only the strong foundation of Pingla can provide such a confidence.
“I watched the clip of your competition before, and I couldn’t help but drool,” Lyke Zhekova laughed, “I was thinking at that time, it’d be great if I had the chance to taste it.”
“Unexpectedly, you turned out to be a member of our Zhekova Family. It’s really fate,” Lyke Zhekova said joyfully, “I must taste it well today.”
...
“Then I’ll go and see what ingredients we have at home. I’ll think about what kind of dishes to make for Third Great Grandpa and Fourth Uncle,” Cindy laughed.
“Ok, Ok.” Third Old Master Zhekova quickly nodded, asking the housekeeper to take Cindy to the kitchen to have a look.
The chefs who were preparing dinner in the kitchen were unhappy when Cindy and the housekeeper entered.
Although he was only responsible for the meals of Third Old Master Zhekova, he was a serious professional chef.
He used to work in a five-star hotel.
After all, those who came to take care of Third Old Master Zhekova’s diet couldn’t be random. They naturally needed to have their own merits.
But with a few words from Cindy, she was going to make three or four dishes.
It seemed as if his cooking was not as good as Cindy’s.
The chef couldn’t help but say: “Madam, the kitchen is smoky. You are the guest today. It’s inappropriate for you to cook in the kitchen.”
“It’s okay. I will only make two or three dishes for Third Great Grandpa and Fourth Uncle to taste,” Cindy said.
“Madam, do you think my cooking is not good?” The chef frowned.
This Cindy was stepping on him as soon as she came. She was too disrespectful.
“After all, I am a professional chef. I think it’s enough for me to prepare dinner,” said the chef.
The chef thought, what if Third Old Master Zhekova ate them and felt that there was no difference with or without him, and he would not need him anymore?
Moreover, Cindy, an amateur, was interfering with his professional kitchen.
That was outrageous.
Cindy paused and then smiled: “I am also a professional chef.”
“Don’t worry; I’m not here to undermine you. As a junior, I just want to prepare something as a gift for the elders. It won’t affect you at all.” Although Cindy didn’t react coldly, her words clearly showed that she understood what the chef was thinking.
Seeing this, the housekeeper immediately said: “Brenan, what are you doing?”
“The Madam is here as a guest, just trying to show off her culinary skills a bit. It won’t affect you at all,” the housekeeper said.
Originally, the housekeeper didn’t expect Brenan to think like this. Mainly because they were in the host’s home, Brenan dared to show dissatisfaction with the host’s relatives. This was very puzzling.
But after hearing Cindy’s statement that pointed out Brenan’s thoughts, the housekeeper understood.
The housekeeper silently shook her head, thinking Brenan was silly.
“Additionally, the Madam is quite famous in the Cooking Competition. Is she incapable of preparing a few dishes?” The housekeeper reminded.
Brenan’s face was visibly disdainful.
He’s thinking about who participates in that Cooking Competition!!
They were basically some unknown chefs.
There were no chefs from well-known hotels or restaurants like him as the head chef.
Among the top ten now, apart from Cindy, the rest were all students!
How amateur could they get?
How great could Cindy be if she were outstanding among a bunch of students?
If they really had a competition among the entire society, what limelight could Cindy steal?
The housekeeper wrinkled her eyebrows, pulled Brenan aside, and whispered: “Brenan, don’t forget who you work for! You are now offending your master!”
“Could Madam come to cook for Old Master every day? It’s just that she’s in a good mood today and wants to show off a little, she won’t take anything away from you. You’ll still work as you normally do in the future,” said the housekeeper.
“Do you want to make Madam angry and get fired by Old Master? Do you think Old Master and the Sir will side with Madam or you?”
The housekeeper shook her head: “I don’t know what are you upset for!”
What was there to be upset?
Brenan was usually stubborn.
Because his cooking skills were good and he worked diligently.
Because of his stubbornness, he took his job very seriously.
So even though he was a little stubborn, no one cared about him and didn’t get angry with him.
They didn’t expect that he would suddenly become stubborn again now.
And he didn’t even notice who he was up against!
After being reminded by the housekeeper, Brenan finally realized the seriousness of the matter and nodded in agreement: “I thought wrong.”
Only then did the housekeeper let out a sigh of relief, and hurriedly explained to Cindy: “Madam, Brenan is just this stubborn. He tends to overthink things. Please don’t mind him.”
Cindy laughed and shook her head, not planning to do anything.
He was one of Third Old Master Zhekova’s people.
She shouldn’t make Third Old Master Zhekova do anything to this chef because of such a small matter.
Since the chef had been working here for a long time, it was clear that Third Old Master Zhekova was quite satisfied with him.
If she got the chef fired because of her, it would be a hassle for Third Old Master Zhekova to start looking for someone else.
“Housekeeper, can you show me where everything is? Where are the condiments and what ingredients do we have?” Cindy said.
“Ah, okay,” the housekeeper quickly replied.
The housekeeper also used to be Brenan’s sous-chef, so she knew all about it.
The ingredients were also listed by Brenan and sent by others.
The housekeeper was very clear about what ingredients they had, as she would do the sorting.
Brenan was still upset, but Cindy ignored him.
The housekeeper didn’t bother with him either. She would be fine as long as he kept quiet.
The housekeeper accompanied Cindy to show her around.
After checking the ingredients at home, Cindy asked the chef about the dishes he planned to make for the evening.
She wanted to avoid making the same dishes as the chef.
It’s not that the dishes will be exactly the same.
For example, the chef intended to make a chicken dish, and she would too.
The chef was going to make a tofu dish, and she would too.
Although the flavors are different, if the same ingredients appear repetitively on the dining table, it wouldn’t be good.
After clarifying, Cindy decided to make Sour Plum Ribs, Golden Shrimp, and a vegetarian dish called Crispy Cool Cabbage.
They were very authentic traditional Beijing cuisine.
Unfortunately, there was no Perilla in the house.
If some Perilla was added to the Sour Plum Ribs, it would taste even better.
There were fresh green plums at home, and there were plum pies in the snacks that Third Old Master Zhekova prepared for Morgan.
Cindy tasted it, the plum pie was sour and sweet, but the sour taste was stronger.
This was perfect; it could be mixed with the green plums which were too sweet.
Cindy boiled the green plums to make a green plum sauce, and added finely chopped plum pie into the green plum sauce.
She first fried the rib rows until the surface of the ribs was golden and crispy.
There were occasional bits of fat on the ribs, but Cindy didn’t remove them; the fatty parts became even crispier when fried.
Chapter 856: Chapter 856: The Old Master is Really Not Polite_1
She then added plum sauce to the pot and simmered it over low heat until the liquid reduced, sprinkled in some chili powder, salt, and a dash of soy sauce, and simply served the dish.
As for the Golden Shrimp, Third Old Master Zhekova happened to have fresh shrimp at home.
Cindy Clarke and the housekeeper jointly peeled the shrimp, removed the heads and tails, slit open the back, and took out the digestive tract.
After absorbing the surface moisture of the shrimp with kitchen paper, they added salt, rice wine, and white pepper, vinegar, and marinated the shrimp for about 10 minutes before adding cornstarch.
They then fried the cornstarch-coated shrimp in the oil pot.
Then, removed it and reheated the oil before fry it again.
...
Following this, Cindy Clarke tidied up the oil pot and cleaned the pot before adding a little more oil, then put in crushed salted egg yolks to stir-fry, and added in the shrimp, coating it thoroughly with the salted egg yolks.
Just like that, another dish, Golden Shrimp, was ready.
Chef Shane was also preparing his dishes nearby.
But he still found some spare time to glance at Cindy Clarke’s work.
Shane found that every dish Cindy Clarke made was actually very simple and homely.
An average person could replicate her dishes without needing a professional chef-available.
But after they were cooked, they were extraordinarily fragrant.
The fragrance was unlike common dishes.
It was quite magical.
Shane stared at Cindy Clarke, puzzled.
The steps were just as expected, and nothing seemed special at first glance.
How did it turn out so differently when cooked by Cindy Clarke?
As for the presentation, it was not so different from what you’d expect from high-end restaurant chefs.
Of course, it looked better than an average home-cooked meal.
Shane furrowed his brows, thinking to himself, it looks good and smells good, but it might not taste as good.
Cindy Clarke didn’t even glance at Shane, completely indifferent to what he thought.
At this moment, Cindy Clarke began preparing the Crispy Cool Cabbage dish.
This dish was even simpler.
She tore the leafy part of the cabbage into small pieces and set aside the stem.
She then mixed sesame paste, honey, sugar, salt, sesame oil, fragrant vinegar, and soy sauce together and stirred well.
Finally, she mixed it evenly with the cabbage.
The steps looked simple, and the dish looked unremarkable, even its presentation wasn’t great.
But Cindy Clarke just picked up the cabbage with her chopsticks and casually stacked the pieces on a plate.
Then, roasted white sesame seeds were sprinkled on top of the cabbage.
An otherwise unremarkable small cold dish was suddenly presented with a touch of elegance.
Shane sneered secretly.
He thought Cindy Clarke would make something spectacularly complex and mindblowing.
Instead, it was just these three simple dishes.
He was mistaken.
He had overestimated Cindy Clarke.
Also, how could he judge Cindy Clarke by the standards used for state banquet chefs?
That was indeed unfair to her.
It seems that the youth group of the Pingla Culinary Competition is just mediocre.
During the competition, they looked impressive.
Given the judges’ comments, you’d think their dishes were outstanding.
Turns out, they were just average.
They’d really overinflated things just because they couldn’t taste the dishes themselves.
The standard of these three dishes was no higher than that of a regular restaurant.
According to the judges of the cooking competition, it seemed that Cindy Clarke could even join Eastco Resto or Quire restaurants.
However, to Shane, it was apparently mediocre.
It might be suitable for a normal restaurant.
But it was far from the standard of a high-end restaurant.
It was just like ordinary home cooking.
The presentation wasn’t elaborate enough, and the dishes weren’t refined enough.
They wouldn’t even pass the threshold of our five-star hotel.
And yet, they dream of placing these dishes in Tang Yan and Quire’s menus?
The judges, they must be appeasing the Zhekova family, scoring them leniently without conscience!
Little do they know, it is all because they are limited by ingredients they have at home.
The twenty-four kitchen secret ingredients are not necessarily abundant in home kitchens, lacking versatility.
Furthermore, as this was a family feast, Cindy Clarke had no intentions to cook anything fancy.
Dishes that look good usually come in smaller portions.
They are more suited to be served in restaurants.
Not suitable for a family dinner.
Don’t underestimate the simplicity of the three dishes Cindy Clarke made today. She can arrange them visually, conforming to a high-end restaurant scene if she wants to.
However, today, all she wanted was the elders to taste her skills, hence she prepared three dishes of home-style cooking.
Since it is homely cooking, the primary aim is to ensure the elders feel joyous while eating, not eating one or two pieces and then running out.
Culinary presentation sacrifices are made to ensure ample portions.
But since this is a family feast, there isn’t too much emphasis on appearances, it is all about the flavor.
Even though the family owns some valuable ingredients.
Like lobsters, for instance.
But Cindy Clarke just wanted to show off her skills, delicacies like lobsters are delicious no matter how you cook them.
Even a simple steam-cook can bring out their flavor.
Also, using these ingredients insouciantly isn’t proper either.
It’s not that the Third Old Master Zhekova is stingy.
Third Old Master Zhekova definitely wouldn’t mind this.
But Cindy Clarke believes that there should be a balance.
Just as Cindy Clarke completed her three dishes, Chef Shane had also been preparing his dishes.
There were only five people dining, the little one is tiny, and Third Old Master Zhekova is old.
Neither of them eat much.
Therefore, not many dishes were prepared.
There were just eight dishes in total, along with a soup.
The housekeeper then served the dishes one by one onto the table.
Third Old Master Zhekova and the others arrived at the dining area.
The housekeeper intentionally placed Cindy Clarke’s dishes close to Third Old Master Zhekova and Lyke Zhekova.
Although there were many plates, the housekeeper understood that the ones Third Old Master Zhekova and Lyke Zhekova were most interested in were the dishes Cindy Clarke prepared.
“It was a rush, so I only prepared three dishes,” said Cindy Clarke, “Third Grandpa, Fourth Uncle, if you enjoy it, I will make more when we come next time.”
Third Old Master Zhekova waved his hand and said, “What if you end up preparing too many dishes?”
“Each time you visit, bringing some homemade pastries and preparing one or two fresh dishes for us to taste would be great,” Third Old Master Zhekova said with a warm smile.
The corner of Lyke Zhekova’s mouth twitched.
Thinking to himself, Old Master is indeed not shy.
When Cindy Clarke made her polite offer, he agreed right away.
Not only wanting pastries but also dishes.
Not asking for just one or two things!
However, Cindy Clarke really did mean what she said.
Seeing that Third Old Master Zhekova didn’t hold back with her, Cindy Clarke was even more pleased.
“Of course,” said Cindy Clarke, “Third Grandpa, please have a taste.”
“Ah, okay.” Third Old Master Zhekova picked up a piece of Sour Plum Ribs that was placed nearest to him.
Actually, this dish was just Cindy Clarke’s alteration of Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, only changing the sweet and sour sauce to plum sauce.
However, what Third Old Master Zhekova didn’t expect was that, with a bite, the ribs were so tender, yet the exterior had a slightly crispy texture.
Even the juice from the meat squirted out.
“After frying the ribs once, the surface will become somewhat crispy, and this will help retain the juice from the ribs better.” Cindy Clarke explained with a smile.
Chapter 857: Chapter 857: I Can Do It Too_1
The sour and sweet plum sauce on the surface of the ribs tasted completely different from the sweet and sour sauce.
The sweet and sour taste with a hint of the fruit’s fragrance was very pleasant and refreshing.
Lyke Zhekova saw Third Old Master Zhekova enjoying the food so much that he didn’t even bother to comment anymore.
He did not wait for Third Old Master Zhekova’s evaluation either.
Lyke Zhekova also picked up a piece and took a bite, even hearing the subtle crunchy sound.
“It seems like there are small particles in the sauce, which give a chewy feeling,” Lyke Zhekova said.
...
“We don’t have Green Plums at home, so I used Green Plums as a substitute for the sauce. However, Green Plums are too sweet, and the resulting plum sauce is not sour enough, so I added crushed Dried Plum,” Cindy Clarke explained.
So, that’s how it is.
“Normally, you can’t eat too many ribs before getting tired of them, but with the plum sauce, the taste is completely different. It’s sour, sweet, refreshing and fruity, which neutralizes the grease of the ribs,” Lyke Zhekova said.
Chef Shane, the Housekeeper, and Third Old Master Zhekova’s caregiver ate in the kitchen.
They could also clearly hear the conversation in the restaurant.
Upon hearing Lyke Zhekova’s comments, Brenan couldn’t help but scoff.
It was not like he hadn’t seen the finished product Cindy Clarke had made.
It was just that; it was not as exaggerated as Lyke Zhekova described.
Seeing this, the Housekeeper chuckled and said softly, “We always eat the same food as the Old Master. The food on this table was just separated from the dishes recently served.”
Brenan usually made a little extra to leave for the people working in the family mansion.
“But Mrs. Clarke didn’t know about our custom, but did you notice? She also made a little extra and divided it,” the Housekeeper said.
Brenan looked down, and indeed, in addition to the dishes he cooked, there were also those three dishes made by Cindy Clarke.
“You can try it yourself to see how it tastes,” the Housekeeper said, and picked up a piece of ribs herself.
Just now, after hearing what Lyke Zhekova and the Old Master said, the Housekeeper was dying to taste the ribs.
Finally, she quickly took a bite.
Even though she had heard Lyke Zhekova’s description, she still had no guards up.
When she bit down, she first felt the crispy texture of the ribs’ surface along with the crispy flavor of being fried.
Then, there was the delicate texture of the meat connecting to the bone.
Finally, there was the flavor-packed juice of the meat seeping out from its fibers.
Three different textures, each following the other, attacked her.
Just when the Housekeeper thought it was the three layers of texture, unexpectedly, within the sauce, there were tiny little particles.
They had a strong sour taste and balanced the sweetness of the sauce.
“It’s delicious,” the Housekeeper exclaimed in surprise.
Brenan laughed. “Auntie, we follow the Old Master in our meals and eat the same dishes. You’ve eaten good food before. You’re making a fuss over a plate of ribs?”
“You should try it yourself,” the Housekeeper said, laughing. “You’ll know once you taste it.”
The caregiver also took a bite: “It’s really delicious. I’ve never had anything like this before.”
The caregiver usually ate the same meals made by Brenan.
What she said was the equivalent of slapping Brenan in the face.
She had never eaten anything like this before, isn’t it because Brenan hadn’t made it before?
To extend the meaning, it could be perceived that Brenan was inferior to Cindy Clarke.
After the caregiver finished speaking, she realized that she had misspoken.
It was because the food was so delicious.
The fragrant taste completely relaxed her, causing her to lose her rationality.
Now she wanted to explain, but she didn’t know how to explain it properly.
It seemed that no matter what she said, it just wouldn’t be appropriate.
But explanations were always better than staying silent.
The caregiver could only awkwardly say, “I’m not saying your dish is not delicious, it’s just that I’ve never eaten this way before.”
The Housekeeper couldn’t help but laugh.
This child, she was better off not saying anything.
She was too honest, she didn’t even know how to comfort others.
Brenan was not annoyed and did not take the caregiver’s words seriously.
He picked up a piece of ribs and tasted it.
Is it as delicious as they said? He would know after trying it himself.
After only one bite, Brenan was stunned.
His face froze, and he couldn’t speak.
“Is it very delicious?” the Housekeeper asked softly.
Brenan remained silent. Although he admitted it in his heart, he just couldn’t nod his head.
“I know you are not convinced. But you should also think about it. The ingredients at home are not as abundant as those in a restaurant or in a major competition’s food storage room,” the Housekeeper said.
“Just like what Cindy Clarke just said, there are no green plums at home, so she had to use Green Plums instead. This is not an excuse she made. There is no need for her to make excuses for such trivial matters.”
“Also, it’s not like the food doesn’t taste good, and she needs to make excuses to save face,” the Housekeeper persuaded. “You’ve seen it, it’s already very delicious. If there were sufficient ingredients, Cindy Clarke could definitely make it even tastier.”
“Can’t she prove her abilities by making excellent dishes with limited ingredients?” the Housekeeper said.
Brenan’s face was stiff, and he couldn’t speak.
In fact, he had already agreed in his heart. It was just that he couldn’t swallow his pride and say nice words.
If you asked the Housekeeper, she would say that Brenan had been a chef here for a long time already.
But he had never made such a dish before.
This indicated that Brenan’s imagination was lacking and not innovative enough.
What he knew was all from what he had learned at school.
And learned from the master chef after starting work.
He just followed what others had taught him step by step.
The food that Brenan cooked was not bad but lacked a lot of surprises.
That moment, they heard Lyke Zhekova and the others in the restaurant start eating another dish, the Golden Shrimp.
According to Lyke Zhekova, Shrimp Balls would be a more appropriate name.
The shrimp curled up naturally into a ball shape when heated in the pot.
It was coated in egg yolk, making it even more like a shrimp ball.
The shrimp entered the mouth, first tasting the salty aroma of the salted egg yolk and its sand-like texture.
The shrimp was coated in wet starch and fried, causing the starch to form a crispy shell around the shrimp.
The shrimp was marinated and didn’t have any fishy taste anymore.
The shrimp was juicy and crunchy, and it had a subtle sweet taste.
“Recently, food related to salted egg yolks has been popular,” Cindy Clarke said. “Salted egg yolk noodles, salted egg yolk biscuits, salted egg yolk ice cream. Speaking of which, I didn’t think of salted egg yolk ice cream.”
“I previously thought that the sweet taste wouldn’t match the salted egg yolk well,” Cindy Clarke said.
Salted egg yolk not only has a salty taste but also a slight aftertaste of the egg yolk and the taste from being fermented and marinated.
“Unexpectedly, it tastes quite good,” Cindy Clarke felt that she needed to expand her creative thinking in this aspect.
Brenan listened to the evaluations of the people in the restaurant while also picking up a piece of shrimp to taste.
“The cooking method is simple. I’ve watched Cindy Clarke cook, and I can also make it,” Brenan said.
“Yes,” the Housekeeper nodded, “I’ve also watched. The dishes that Mrs. Clarke made today are all simple home-cooked dishes.”
“Have you noticed? There are more expensive ingredients at home, but Mrs. Clarke didn’t use them,” the Housekeeper said.
Chapter 858: Chapter 858: Don’t you want to work that much?_1
Brenan hadn’t really noticed it before.
But now that the housekeeper mentioned it, he recalled that Cindy Clarke never really used fancy ingredients.
“I think, Mrs Zhekova isn’t trying to show off as you think. She’s just being considerate as a youth, thinking that since she’s a chef, why not cook some dishes for the elders?”
The housekeeper didn’t say that why would Cindy Clarke, for no apparent reason, try to overshadow another unrelated chef?
For Cindy, there was no benefit in doing so.
These words were somewhat blunt, and the housekeeper decided not to say them out of consideration for Brenan.
...
However, Cindy Clarke definitely had real skills.
It wasn’t as negligible as Brenan thought.
Brenan himself knew that solely based on taste, Cindy was indeed far better than him.
In fact, he isn’t worried about Cindy overshadowing him.
No matter how you look at it, Cindy is the young mistress of the Zhekova Family.
Could she come here and take his job away?
He understands all these.
He just feels that as a professional chef himself, even though Cindy participated in the Cooking Competition, she did so as an amateur.
Cindy running an online food delivery service is just like him running a small restaurant.
What qualified her as a professional chef?
Even if she performed superbly in the Cooking Competition, who knows the overall standard of that competition?
Perhaps she was just a general among dwarfs.
After eliminating all other contenders, in the end, it was just students from Pingla Academy and Cindy remaining.
He refused to believe that Cindy could outperform him, a professional chef from a five-star hotel.
But, he has already had a taste of it now.
Cindy could make simple dishes, like home-cooked meals, taste fantastic.
The housekeeper let it be with a smile and said nothing else.
When dinner was over, it was already quite late.
Adrian Zhekova and his family had been here since the afternoon and they stayed well into the night.
Even though Third Old Master Zhekova reluctantly let them go.
But time didn’t allow and Adrian could only bid his farewells with Cindy and little Morgan.
It was apparent that Third Old Master Zhekova hated saying goodbye to Morgan.
Adrian then said: “We’ll bring Morgan over more often, but Third Grandpa, you’d better not find us annoying then.”
“No way, how could I find you guys annoying.” Third Old Master Zhekova was overjoyed, “You must visit often then.”
“We will.”
***
The Spring Festival holiday gradually passed by unnoticed.
Perhaps it was because he spent the holiday so leisurely and satisfactorily.
For the first time in his life, Adrian didn’t want to go to work.
Before, when he was single, he didn’t feel this way without Cindy and Morgan by his side.
During the Spring Festival holidays back then, aside from spending it with his family elders and going to pay New Year visits according to traditions.
He would just gather with his brothers.
But it wasn’t like they could gather every day.
After all, they’ve each established families and had many affairs to handle.
It wasn’t like their single days where everyone could come out when summoned.
At that time, his summoning call could rally a crowd.
On days without gatherings, Adrian didn’t bother going out.
The number of unmarried brothers was decreasing.
Seeking the company of married ones.
Seeing them shower each other with love and lead happy family lives with their children made him feel like a sore thumb.
Searching for unmarried ones?
Thinking of Clifford Wells, Adrian gave up this idea.
The holidays were less fulfilling than working.
As such, Adrian couldn’t wait to throw himself back into work as soon as the holidays were over.
But this year is different.
With the company of Cindy and Morgan, his holiday was filled to the brim, not a moment felt empty.
He didn’t have to mention each of the family visits.
During the downtime, he could stay at home with Cindy and Morgan without feeling bored in the slightest bit.
He could also accompany Morgan for outings and spend some parent-child time.
The holiday just passed by unknowingly.
Adrian felt that he hadn’t had enough of his leave and wanted it to go on.
Regrettably, with Ethan Zhekova eyeing him like a tiger, he couldn’t be at ease to delegate tasks to Ethan for completion.
Next thing he knew his position could have been snatched away by Ethan.
As for Samson Zhekova, he was even more carefree, only managing affairs of Pingla Academy and not willing to do anything more.
Lyke Zhekova…
Though young, he was an elder, and Adrian did want to assign work to him.
But Lyke didn’t care about rank when refusing him without pressure.
Now, Adrian was really envious of Zane Hamilton.
Even though he, Zachary Hamilton and Zander Hamilton are cousins, they treated each other like brothers.
Moreover, Zane and Zachary always found ways to push their work onto each other.
In critical times, they could even share workloads allowing each other to take a break.
How delightful that would be.
Adrian was sighing while tying his tie in front of the mirror in the morning.
“What’s wrong?” Cindy heard him sighing since he woke up and he never stopped.
At first she thought he would only sigh a few times, so she didn’t ask.
But unexpectedly, Adrian just kept sighing without any pause.
“I don’t want to go to work.” Adrian said in frustration.
Cindy: “…”
Why did Adrian suddenly act like a child who didn’t want to go to school?
“Why don’t you want to go to work all of a sudden?” He didn’t seem like someone who didn’t cherish his work.
“I used to stay at home feeling bored with nothing to do, going to work gave me something to do.” Adrian explained.
“But now I have you, right? I’m not bored, so I don’t want to work anymore.” Adrian added.
Cindy: “…”
“How about, you come to work with me?” Adrian’s eyes lit up, thinking this could indeed work.
“You forgot, I received an email from the Competition yesterday, the Competition is this Saturday.” Cindy said.
As the holiday ended, it was the first day of work and today was Monday.
Cindy had 5 days left to prepare.
“Even though I don’t know the competition topic, I want to consider in advance the various categories like desserts, soup, and stir-fry.”
“I don’t need to perfect every single dish, I just want to have a foundation, and not only start thinking when facing the competition.” At least this way, she would have a rough idea.
For example, for soup, she could add some creativity.
Something like stir-fry could also use some creativity.
Even if the given topic at the competition didn’t match the dishes she envisioned, at least the creativity was there, providing a foundation on which adjustments could easily be made.
“How can I practically research if I accompany you to the Company?” Cindy asked.
Hearing this, Adrian sighed once again: “Without you accompanying me to the Company, I’d feel even less motivated.”
Cindy: “…”
“I’ll come to find you at noon?” Cindy suggested, “Do you have any lunch appointments?”
“Even if I do, I can drop them.” Adrian immediately replied.
Cindy: “…”
Does he not want to work that much?
Chapter 859: Chapter 859: Who are you veiledly disparaging!_1
“You plan to give up your job for something like this, is that okay?” Cindy Clarke had a feeling that she was causing trouble.
It seemed like Adrian Zhekova was ready to sacrifice everything for her!
Adrian Zhekova smiled and said, “It’s just the first day at work, there won’t be any social obligations.”
Everyone was still dealing with the workload accumulated during the holidays on the first day.
“Then I’ll work on some dishes in the morning and bring them to you at noon,” Cindy Clarke said.
She was treating the CEO of Pingla Group as a taste tester.
...
But Adrian Zhekova seemed to enjoy it.
Even if it was an experimental dish from Cindy Clarke’s hands, it would be delicious.
After settling this with Cindy Clarke, Adrian Zhekova reluctantly left for work at the company.
Cindy Clarke stayed home to work on her cooking.
At 10 a.m., Sheldon Rowland called the internal line.
Adrian Zhekova pressed the speaker button on the landline.
He heard Sheldon Rowland say, “Master Adrian, a representative of the International Culinary Competition has arrived.”
“Without an appointment?” Adrian Zhekova frowned.
Sheldon Rowland had reported the morning schedule early in the morning.
There was no recorded appointment.
“Yes,” Sheldon Rowland nodded.
Because it was a representative of the International Culinary Competition, Sheldon Rowland thought it might be worth asking.
After all, Adrian Zhekova didn’t have any other appointments this morning.
However, Adrian Zhekova frowned.
Showing up without an appointment?
Didn’t the representative of the International Culinary Competition know such basic etiquette?
Adrian Zhekova intuitively felt that the motives might not be so simple.
The representative didn’t even bother to make an appointment and just showed up.
Adrian Zhekova wanted to meet and see what the other party was really up to.
“What’s the representative’s name?” Adrian Zhekova asked.
Sheldon Rowland looked down at the business card passed to him, “Jenny Kirk.”
Adrian Zhekova paused, he recognized the name.
However, he couldn’t remember much about her.
After thinking for a while, he remembered who Jenny Kirk was.
Wasn’t she the one who went to the family mansion with Gabriel Zhekova during the New Year?
He forgot what she looked like.
So, she is coming this time as a representative of the International Culinary Competition?
Adrian Zhekova changed his mind immediately: “Don’t see her.”
Sheldon Rowland’s mouth twitched. Just from hearing Adrian Zhekova asking the question, Sheldon knew that Adrian was planning to see her according to his many years of working experience with Adrian Zhekova.
But unexpectedly, after hearing the name, he immediately changed his mind.
This meant Adrian Zhekova was familiar with Jenny Kirk.
After quickly analyzing it in his mind, Sheldon Rowland responded, “Yes.”
After hanging up, Sheldon Rowland then said to Jenny Kirk, “I’m sorry, Miss Kirk, you don’t have an appointment, the CEO really doesn’t have time to see you.”
For people who came without an appointment, Sheldon Rowland was very experienced.
When they requested to see Adrian Zhekova, Sheldon Rowland would first state that without an appointment, they could not see him.
If they insisted, Sheldon Rowland would ask about their identity.
If it was important, he would pretend to be reluctant and express that he would contact Adrian Zhekova to see if he could make time.
If Adrian Zhekova agreed then he would not offend the person.
If Adrian Zhekova did not agree, it would align with his previous statement that meetings could not be scheduled without an appointment.
Just before consulting Adrian Zhekova, Sheldon Rowland had handled Jenny Kirk in this manner.
Upon hearing this, Jenny Kirk bit her lip and asked, “So there’s not even five minutes of time?”
“Sorry, without an appointment, it really is difficult to schedule,” Sheldon Rowland said, “Why don’t you schedule an appointment and come back, Miss Kirk?”
Jenny Kirk was a little unwilling to accept this.
The last time she visited the mansion, she was rejected and didn’t get in, making the trip for nothing.
This time, she was not willing to waste another trip.
Even though she couldn’t hear what Adrian Zhekova said on the phone.
But from Sheldon Rowland’s conversation with him, Jenny Kirk could roughly guess.
It must be Adrian Zhekova asking Sheldon Rowland who she was.
Only after hearing her name did Adrian Zhekova refuse to meet her.
Jenny Kirk pursed her lips and heaved a sigh.
If she had known, she would not have used her real name.
So, Jenny Kirk thought, even if she really made an appointment.
Adrian Zhekova might not see her.
He was likely to make up excuses that he was busy and keep rescheduling to a later time.
Delaying and not meeting her.
Jenny Kirk understood this, so she absolutely could not just leave like this.
Jenny Kirk thought for a bit, looked back, and saw that there were sofas and coffee tables here.
She said, “Then can I sit here for a while?”
Sheldon Rowland really had no reason to force her away, so he could only say, “Please, feel free.”
As for being courteous to Jenny Kirk by asking her what she wanted to eat or drink, there was none.
At this time, the phone on Sheldon Rowland’s desk rang again.
Sheldon Rowland answered it. It was a call from a colleague at the front desk.
“Assistant Sheldon, I’m really sorry, I just let that guest in,” the front desk said with a nervous voice.
Originally, Jenny Kirk would not have been able to pass the checkpoint at the front desk.
But Jenny Kirk’s business card was very intimidating.
Especially as it was related to the International Culinary Competition.
The front desk thought about it and let Jenny Kirk come in after registering.
However, later on, the front desk felt more and more that something was not right.
The front desk was a bit anxious and made another call.
Sheldon Rowland said in a deep voice, “I remember this time, there won’t be a next time, I won’t cover for you again.”
Sheldon Rowland glanced at Jenny Kirk before continuing his conversation with the front desk, “No matter who it is, if there is no appointment, it’s not allowed.”
“Last time when Richard Lopez and his family came, despite being the CEO of a big company, you said you would stop them and you did,” Sheldon Rowland said, “You did well that time.”
“So remember, just follow that standard in the future,” Sheldon Rowland said.
“Yes, I understand, there won’t be a next time,” the front desk hurriedly said, “Assistant Sheldon, I’m sorry.”
“And, thank you,” the front desk added in a pitiful voice.
Adrian Zhekova did not make it difficult for her.
He hung up the phone.
But Jenny Kirk heard Sheldon Rowland’s conversation clearly.
Jenny Kirk sat on the sofa, glaring heavily at Sheldon Rowland.
What Sheldon Rowland said was intended for her to hear!
Just an assistant, and he was so arrogant.
Who was he trying to scold indirectly?
Jenny Kirk thought, as the representative of the International Culinary Competition for domestic contact, she had a lot of say.
If Pingla wanted to gain an advantage in this competition, they still had to rely on her.
Pingla couldn’t communicate with the International Culinary Competition.
Even if they could establish contact, it would take some time to build a good relationship.
There were too many people trying to forge a good relationship with the organizers of the International Culinary Competition.
It was not just Pingla.
Since it was an international contest, naturally there were participants from many countries.
Chapter 860: Chapter 860: Adrian Zhekova Doesn’t Mind Pretending_1
Every nation has organizations or companies that want to use various means to gain some advantage in competitions.
But Pingla isn’t the only one trying to contact the event organizers.
In her opinion, Pingla might be the overlord domestically, having people at its beck and call.
But on an international stage, Pingla might not be that significant.
Especially when compared to those world-renowned financial conglomerates, could Pingla truly compete?
Actually, Jenny Kirk doesn’t have a clear understanding of Pingla’s prowess.
...
The only connection she and Adrian Zhekova have is that they graduated from the same university.
Plus, when she was a freshman, Adrian was already a senior.
By then, Adrian was rarely seen on campus.
Let alone meeting with Jenny Kirk.
Jenny Kirk’s understanding of Adrian, truth be told, is no different than anyone else’s.
Not to mention her understanding of Pingla.
She has no access to the evaluations made by financial conglomerates on Pingla.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have such naive thoughts.
Jenny Kirk felt that with her being the shortcut, why should Pingla go through the trouble of forming connections and bonding with the event organizers?
The key is, even if they try to get close, there’s no guarantee they’ll achieve their goal.
There are too many factions wanting to gain an advantage.
But because she has the final say here.
There are things she could absolutely decide.
If they directly liaise with her, it would save many tasks.
Jenny Kirk didn’t believe that Adrian Zhekova could remain indifferent in face of such a huge advantage.
Though it’s just a culinary competition.
It’s an international event that garners a lot of attention.
Especially within the professional field.
If Pingla’s contestants shine in the competition, even progressing to later stages and having more and more people remaining, Pingla will undoubtedly be able to make its name globally.
Jenny Kirk believed, as long as she explains all these to Adrian Zhekova.
He would know what to choose.
***
Cindy Clarke prepared lemon spicy boneless chicken feet for Adrian’s lunch.
Every single chicken foot was deboned by hand after she carefully cut the chicken skin open.
Additionally, she prepared pepper fried chicken wings, potato stewed salmon, and a tofu seaweed vegetable salad to supplement his vegetable intake.
For dessert, she made caramel-fried sweet potatoes.
Having prepared all this, Cindy took the containers of preserved food and headed out to Pingla.
Just as Cleave Roland parked the car in front of Pingla, Cindy received a call from Adrian.
Seeing the name “Mr. Zhekova” displayed on the mobile phone screen, Cindy thought, this couldn’t be Adrian giving her a call to let her know he suddenly had a social engagement, right?
If Adrian had arranged a social engagement in advance, he would definitely tell her beforehand.
He wouldn’t wait until now to tell her.
If nothing happened, she has already arrived at the building; why would Adrian still call her?
Cindy answered the phone: “Adrian?”
“Where are you?” Adrian’s voice on the phone was particularly lingering.
Cindy: “…”
So, he especially made a phone call just to ask where she was?
“I’m already downstairs at the company.” Cindy said, “What? Do you suddenly have something to do?”
“No.” Adrian said languidly, “I’ve just been waiting for a long time and haven’t seen you come, so I made a call to ask.”
“For seven consecutive days, you were with me day and night, by my side all the time. Suddenly coming to work today and not seeing you when I look up, I feel empty.” Adrian said.
I feel very unfulfilled.
Cindy: “…”
This guy, it’s just a holiday after all.
Why does he seem like a different person when he goes back to work again?
Too clingy!
“I’m already downstairs, I’ll be up soon.” Cindy had to say, “Wait for me.”
“I’ll come down to pick you up.” Adrian said immediately.
That way, he could see Cindy sooner.
Cindy: “…”
“Aren’t you busy today?” Cindy got out of the car and asked him.
“It’s okay.” Mainly, he was so preoccupied with thinking about Cindy, he had no mood to work.
“Wait for me.” Adrian reminded her again.
After hanging up, he left the office.
He turned a corner and was just about to head to the elevator.
Who knew that he would hear a female voice calling: “senior!”
Adrian didn’t stop his steps, thinking about whose senior this could be here.
It definitely wasn’t calling for him anyway.
The voice naturally belonged to Jenny Kirk.
Seeing Adrian come out, she knew that her decision to wait here was correct.
Earlier, when she decided to wait here, she thought that even if Adrian wouldn’t see her, he would still not stay in his office all the time, right?
Even if he does not come out, won’t he come out for lunch?
Indeed, she was able to catch up with him now.
But who knew, even when she affectionately called out “senior”, Adrian acted as if he didn’t hear it and didn’t stop for a moment.
Jenny Kirk: “…”
Did she not call out loud enough?
Or is he doing it on purpose?
“Senior!” Jenny Kirk quickly followed Adrian and called out again.
Adrian didn’t think the senior being called was him.
Because he certainly didn’t have any juniors in the company.
Even if there were employees who graduated from the same university, they wouldn’t dare relate to him in this way.
“Adrian senior!” Jenny Kirk shouted louder.
By calling his name this time, Adrian couldn’t still pretend it wasn’t him being called, right?
Adrian frowned, has that senior really been calling him just now?
Who’s that, her voice is so annoying!
His goosebumps had raised!
Adrian frowned deeply, finally stopping his steps and turning to look. It was Jenny Kirk.
This woman is still not leaving?
“Senior!” Jenny Kirk stood firm in front of Adrian and called out with delight.
“You are?” Adrian pretended not to recognize Jenny Kirk.
Of course Adrian remembered Jenny Kirk.
Even if he didn’t remember the things from many years ago, at least during the New Year, Jenny Kirk came to the family mansion with Gabriel Zhekova.
Adrian still remembered that.
Jenny Kirk’s face flushed, appearing offended.
Was she that unnoticeable, leaving such a slight impression on people?
Adrian actually had this I-don’t-know-her look on his face!
“I’m Jenny Kirk. We attended the same university, and at that time, you had business dealings with my father, so we often met each other.” Jenny bit her lip, “Senior, have you forgotten?”
“I really don’t have much impression.” Adrian said mercilessly.
Jenny Kirk: “…”
“It’s okay.” Jenny Kirk tucked the stray hair behind her ear, “Now that we’ve met, as long as you remember, senior.”
“The representative of the International Culinary Competition organizers that just mentioned wanting to meet, is that you?” Adrian asked again.
If he pretended not to know this, it would be too fake.
Of course, Adrian wouldn’t mind pretending to be a bit fake.
“It’s me.” Jenny Kirk nodded, delighted.
At least, there was a title that could make Adrian remember.