Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Director Li, What a Savage
While everyone else watched with schadenfreude, Li Mingtao smiled and ladled a layer of the pitch-black "eggplant and potato stew" onto his own rice.
At the same time, he thought to himself.
’These young people are still too naive. Since the boss proposed this plan, he must have thought it through carefully.’
’If he gets discouraged by everyone’s reaction to the very first meal, what happens if the plan gets shot down?’
Besides Su Chen, Li Mingtao probably had the clearest picture of the company’s financial situation.
Right now, Su Chen truly couldn’t spare a single dime.
What was even scarier was that in twenty days—the day everyone’s contracts were up—the rent for their office floor would also be due!
’Whoever can fleece the most wool in the final stretch will be the real winner!’
Li Mingtao stared at the layer of eggplant and potato in his bowl. If he hadn’t known beforehand that the boss had cooked this dish, his first thought upon seeing this stuff would’ve been that someone had an upset stomach and taken a dump on his rice.
’No, no, I can’t think like that...’
Realizing he still had to eat it, Li Mingtao quickly pushed the disgusting thought from his mind. With grim determination, he scraped a tiny bit of the stew and mixed it with a heaping spoonful of rice.
"Huh?"
The moment Li Mingtao put the food in his mouth, a rich, complex flavor flashed across his taste buds.
’Something’s not right!’
Because he had taken so little of the stew, the flavor was fleeting. But the aroma lingering in his mouth seemed to be enticing his taste buds.
’Hurry up and eat, dammit!’
Li Mingtao’s brain was frantically issuing commands.
’Another bite!’
This time, Li Mingtao mixed half a spoonful of eggplant with half a spoonful of rice.
"BOOM!"
When he put that spoonful of mixed rice into his mouth, Li Mingtao instantly felt an unprecedented explosion of flavor erupt in his mouth!
’What is this magical flavor?’
’No, it’s not just the flavor.’
’It’s more about the texture!’
The faint flavor of eggplant, carried by the soft, mealy mashed potatoes—this texture mixed with rice was enough to make a person wolf down three whole bowls.
And when you added in the unique aroma of minced chili and garlic...
"GURGLE..."
Li Mingtao’s stomach let out a few quiet gurgles. He hadn’t been that hungry before, but after just one bite of the mixed rice, he was suddenly starving!
As a mature, middle-aged man, Li Mingtao resisted the delicious temptation.
He put down his bowl and impassively took his wife Zhang Yali’s bowl.
"Why aren’t you eating?" Li Mingtao asked deliberately.
Then, he very naturally used the large iron ladle in the pot to pour a thick half-bowl of the stew over his wife’s half-bowl of rice.
Seeing this, the younger employees all sucked in a sharp breath.
’Director Li is a ruthless one!’
’He’ll pull any stunt to suck up to the boss!’
’No wonder he’s the director. Damn!’
"Hey, don’t!" Zhang Yali wanted to refuse, but with her husband’s boss right there, she could only hide her hand under the table and viciously pinch and twist the flesh on Director Li’s waist a full 720 degrees.
Li Mingtao grit his teeth against the pain in his side.
’Hah, women!’
’What the hell do they know?’
’Right now, everyone thinks this pot of pitch-black eggplant and potato stew is some kind of cursed food, but only those who have actually tasted it know how delicious it is.’
’No wonder the boss himself has almost finished his second bowl.’
’In a situation like this, as the... well, to be precise, as the second person to try it...’
’The first person to try it is already getting ready to start on his third bowl.’
’So, as the second, of course I have to hurry up and get a big, full bowl for my wife and kid!’
Not only that.
He had to get a heaping bowl for his son, too!
"Daddy, I don’t wanna eat poopoo..."
His son, Li Zihan, was three years old and could just barely express what he was thinking.
PFFT!
Hearing Li Zihan’s words, Bai Xiaobo couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.
But Bai Xiaobo quickly realized his gaffe and said to everyone with an awkward laugh, "I just thought of something funny!"
Li Mingtao shot him a look, then turned to his son and said sternly, "Kids can’t be picky eaters. Hurry up and eat!"
You could tell that at home, Li Mingtao was the one who played the bad cop.
His son lowered his head, feeling wronged, and started picking at his fingers.
Meanwhile, Bai Xiaobo pretended to lower his head and shovel rice into his mouth, while freeing up a hand to find the small group chat they had created at the company.
This small group chat was just for the younger employees, a place they used to complain about the company. Who knew that just a few days after they started complaining, the company would be on the verge of bankruptcy.
So, the group chat hadn’t served its purpose in a long time.
[Director Li is so ruthless. His son said he didn’t want to eat (poop emoji), and he still told him not to be picky. What a savage!]
DING-DONG~
DING-DONG~
DING-DONG~
As if on cue, the phones on the table began to chime with notification sounds. Bai Xiaobo peeked up to observe his colleagues’ reactions.
’Wait, why is the boss picking up his phone too?’
’Huh? Director Li, why are you also...’
’Oh, my god!’
Bai Xiaobo quickly dropped his bowl and grabbed his phone. Sure enough!
[Meiweilai Company Work Group]
"Director Li, what I meant was..."
Li Mingtao, his expression dark, waved his hand dismissively. "Just watch what you say from now on." After speaking, he put his son’s bowl back down. "Good boy, hurry and eat."
Phew...
Bai Xiaobo breathed a sigh of relief.
’Director Li is being really easygoing today.’
Little did he know that while Li Mingtao was annoyed when he saw the message, his reason told him this was not the time to discuss other matters.
’The priority right now is to chow down!’
Zhang Yali stared miserably at the heaping bowl of food in her hands, while their chubby son, Li Zihan, caught between them, pitifully scooped some into his mouth with a spoon.
For the first time, the little boy began to doubt his father’s love.
’Why is Daddy making me eat poopoo?’
But after Li Zihan took a bite, he found it was delicious and quickly took another.
Huh?
’Poopoo is yummy!’
A three-year-old doesn’t have many ways to express himself. After tasting the deliciousness in his bowl, Li Zihan stopped talking and just buried his head in his bowl, chowing down!
Grains of rice stuck to both of his chubby cheeks.
’This food is way better than the stuff at kindergarten!’
Li Mingtao was also getting ready to get his second bowl of rice.
Just then, Su Chen had already finished his third bowl.
"You all go ahead and eat. When you’re done, you can get ready to head home for the day."
Su Chen put down his bowl, patted his satisfied stomach, and left the cafeteria.
After leaving the cafeteria, Su Chen immediately returned to his office and locked the door from the inside.
He couldn’t wait to look at the system panel in his mind.
Just now!
The system had changed again!
「 」
Meanwhile, back in the cafeteria, the atmosphere visibly relaxed after Su Chen left.
"Shengnan, why aren’t you eating? Didn’t you say potato and eggplant stew was your favorite?" Bai Xiaobo, having already forgotten his earlier behavior, deliberately teased the girl next to him.
Liu Shengnan pushed up her glasses, not wanting to engage with him, and took out her phone to text her boyfriend.
Li Mingtao, however, whispered to Zhang Yali beside him, "Hurry and eat. It’s actually really good. You’ll know once you try it."
"Mommy! More!" Their young son, Li Zihan, held up his empty bowl to Zhang Yali.
Huh?
Zhang Yali was a little surprised.
Usually, when she cooked at home, getting this child to eat was like pulling teeth; she’d have to scold him before he’d eat properly.
How could he just...
She got up, served her son a small spoonful of rice, and ladled a little bit of the stew on top. Seeing Li Zihan impatiently scoop up a big spoonful and shove it into his mouth, she said, "Eat slowly! Be careful, it’s hot."
She glanced at her husband. He had just finished speaking to her and had already wolfed down another half-bowl of rice.
Zhang Yali gripped her spoon and mixed the rice and stew together in her bowl.
’It doesn’t look great, but once it’s mixed, it’s not so unacceptable looking anymore.’
Zhang Yali comforted herself as she brought a spoonful of the mixed rice to her mouth.
