dkrc Chapter 33 The Competition Begins
Chapter 33 The Competition Begins
evening.
Lin Shuyao was called out of the dormitory by Cheng Zheng.
Cheng Zheng stood under the tree, his figure made even more upright by his military uniform, with broad shoulders and long legs, the afterglow of the setting sun outlining his cold profile.
Lin Shuyao hadn't slept well last night. After class, she went back to her dorm and took a short nap. Her eyes, still slightly watery from just waking up, held a hint of unconscious allure. A few strands of hair softly clung to her fair cheeks. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear with her fingertips, her red lips curving upwards as she looked up at him: "Comrade Representative, what are your instructions?"
Cheng Zheng's gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he cut to the chase: "You can cook Soviet food?"
"I know a little," Lin Shuyao said softly, picking up a ginkgo leaf that had fallen onto her shoulder and playing with it in her hand.
"You forgot what I told you before? I know a priest in a church. He's Soviet. You know my family is poor. When I was little, I didn't have enough to eat, so I loved to go to the church to mooch food. The priest was kind. He not only gave me food, but also taught me some new dishes and I learned some Soviet language along the way."
"What a pity..." Lin Shuyao tilted her hand, and a ginkgo leaf slowly drifted to the ground. Her voice lowered as well. "Father Grandpa passed away last year. He left this world forever, sob sob sob..."
She touched the corner of her eye, her small nose slightly reddened, and her shoulders trembled slightly, looking as if she was heartbroken at the thought of something sad.
She and Shen Qing were from the same hometown. There was indeed a church near Shen Qing's adoptive parents' home, and the priest was a real person who had passed away. Moreover, Shen Qing mentioned in his diary that he liked to go to church several times. All of this information can be verified.
Cheng Zheng glanced at the corners of her red, tear-filled eyes, paused for a moment, and then said, "I advise you not to get involved in this selection."
Lin Shuyao looked up, puzzled. "Why? Don't you believe me like them?"
"In short, don't waste your energy; rewards aren't so easy to get."
"Who said I went there for the reward?"
"Then why?"
"I did it for you!"
Lin Shuyao took two steps closer to Cheng Zheng, tilted her head slightly, and continued, "You are both the factory representative and the leader of our technical department. If expert Ivanov returns to his country, it will definitely affect your work. I want to help you share some of the burden."
The autumn sun danced in her clear eyes, and her expression was sincere, as if he was all she could think about.
Cheng Zheng's Adam's apple bobbed, and his fingers twitched slightly at his sides. Lin Shuyao curved her lips into a smile, her voice becoming even sweeter and softer, with a hint of coquetry: "Even if I lose the selection and lose face in front of all the factory workers, I'm still willing to participate, just for you."
After saying that, Lin Shuyao realized she was being pretentious and secretly rubbed her arms.
But she was determined to win back that scoundrel!
"I've said everything I need to say. If you insist on participating, that's fine with you, but don't get your hopes up too high."
Cheng Zheng glanced at her with a calm yet complex expression, left with a single sentence, and departed.
Not only were they not moved, they also dampened her enthusiasm!
That heartless scoundrel!
Lin Shuyao stomped her foot at his departing figure.
Fortunately, she has her good friends who care about her.
Not long after Cheng Zheng left, Gao Tingting received the news and came to find Lin Shuyao.
"Qingqing, are you really going to participate in that selection? You're the only woman in the whole factory to sign up, you're amazing!"
"Yes, the bonus is secondary. I just want to do my part for the factory. What if we can keep Ivanov as an expert?"
"It's a good thing you weren't there for the prize money. To tell you the truth, I heard Ivanov has already bought his plane ticket back to the Soviet Union and is leaving the day after tomorrow. He won't be there as a judge at all. No matter how delicious your dishes are, you won't get his personal approval. The reward on the notice is just a formality; it's something the higher-ups put on him for show."
It turned out to be the case.
Lin Shuyao suddenly understood why Cheng Zheng told her not to waste her energy; he was implying something to her.
She thought he looked down on her.
But then she asked, "Tingting, who told you this news?"
A hint of guilt flashed in Gao Tingting's eyes. Who told her that? Of course, it was her own brother, Cheng Zheng.
"Ahem, I overheard one of the boss's secretaries talking to someone. Don't tell anyone about this."
"Don't worry." Lin Shuyao made a gesture of sealing her mouth.
Lin Shuyao is confident of winning the competition if Ivanov is willing to be a judge, but now he is not coming at all, so no matter how well she performs, it is useless. How can she get him to come?
"Tingting, can you do me a favor?"
Lin Shuyao took out paper and pen, buried her head and started writing quickly. She filled most of the paper, then handed it to Gao Tingting. "Tingting, when the competition is about to start, find a way to get this to Comrade Ivanov. Make sure it's in his hands."
Gao Tingting looked at the various circles and twisted characters on the paper: "Qingqing, you also know Russian?"
Lin Shuyao nodded: "Daily communication is no problem."
Gao Tingting's eyes immediately lit up: "Qingqing, you're amazing! You don't know, my brother made me learn Russian, and I've been studying for half a year, and I still haven't even memorized a few letters, but you can already write them all!"
Lin Shuyao studied Russian for four years in school, but only had a superficial understanding. It wasn't until she went to France, met a Russian girl, and lived and worked with her every day that her Russian went from theoretical knowledge to fluent communication. She said, "The most important thing in learning a language is to have a language environment. If you want to learn in the future, I can practice with you."
"Really? That's great! I'll ask you for advice sometime."
"Sure, you can learn anytime you want." Lin Shuyao agreed with a smile, then remembered something, pulled Gao Tingting over, and whispered a few words in her ear.
Gao Tingting patted her chest and said, "Leave it to me. You just focus on the selection tomorrow, and I'll take care of the rest!"
the next day.
The selection process is about to begin.
Liu Dazhu and his apprentices, who already worked in the canteen, had gathered at the expert stove in the back kitchen. They were all dressed in special chef uniforms, their faces shining with determination, and they were eager to show off their skills.
Besides them, all the cooks from the canteens of Factory 306—those who chopped vegetables, washed dishes, and worked on cutting boards—also came to the kitchen to join in the fun.
Some employees from less busy departments also came, but they couldn't go into the kitchen and instead gathered at the tables in the lobby outside the window.
The clock on the wall points to 2:55.
"Hey, why hasn't that female contestant from the technical department arrived yet? Did she give up?"
"When I registered yesterday, she acted all arrogant. Did she finally wake up last night and realize her own limitations?"
"She signed up yesterday just to show off in front of everyone, but when it comes to the real competition, her true colors will be exposed, so of course she won't dare to come."
"Maybe he went back to the factory yesterday and inquired about Master Liu's skills, and got scared, so he chickened out!"
"If she were on the battlefield, she would be a complete deserter. She ran away before even fighting. It's shameful."
"Yeah, if she had actually come today, even if she lost the selection, I would still respect her courage. But she didn't even dare to come. A woman is a woman, she doesn't have the spirit of us men..."
"Exactly! Why are you such a delicate girl trying to cook like a man? You should just stay home and serve the men... Hahahaha!"
Amidst laughter, Lin Shuyao finally appeared.