Chapter 338 - 338 222 Delicacies

338: Chapter 222 Delicacies 338: Chapter 222 Delicacies Zhang Xiaoman shook his head, deciding not to dwell on those meaningless matters any longer, and refocused her attention back on the banquet itself.

This gathering was mainly for the initial members of the Star Alliance to get to know each other better and to familiarize themselves with this branch located on Dragon Sleep Mountain.

As for things like celebrating the establishment of the Star Alliance’s structure, those were all just incidental.

After all, the organization she envisioned wasn’t a traditional company in the usual sense.

If they were to hold a full assembly all the time, how cheap would that be?

It’s not a den of scammers.

Therefore, gatherings like this wouldn’t be common in the future.

Even if they were to happen, they would take place on Rebirth Island, where the base would be established.

That, she estimated, would be a long time in the future.

Sitting by Zhang Xiaoman’s side were Lin Sisi and Ye Cang, while her mother had requested to sit at another table, wanting to keep her identity a secret.

Zhang Xiaoman had no objections to this arrangement.

Next, it was time to eat, and in keeping with the dining traditions of Hua Xia Country, of course, the toasting ritual couldn’t be skipped.

However, Zhang Xiaoman didn’t favor such formalities and simply let everyone eat without having to come over specially for toasts.

It must be said that the culinary creations prepared by Dragon Sleep Mountain were exceptionally delicious; as the chef announced the names of the dishes, one after another exquisite delicacy she had never heard of before appeared on the table.

“This dish is called ‘Leaping Dragon Gate.’ It is made from the large lotus roots found in the Jade Lotus Pond at the Dragon Viewing Platform.

The ends are cut off and the middle part is cooked in a special mandarin duck pot, with one side containing high broth and ice, and the other side simmered in clear soup.

Finally, it’s cooked together with a particular small fish of significant medicinal value from the pond.

It has a unique taste and also possesses the effect of warming the yang and replenishing qi,”

a one-armed young man seated at the table introduced the dish to everyone.

He was none other than Ye Fei.

Seeing Ye Fei speak so fluently about these subjects, Zhang Xiaoman knew that he must have prepared thoroughly.

Moreover, she could guess his intentions from the somewhat anxious glances he occasionally cast her way.

But she didn’t take the previous incident to heart for two reasons.

First, out of respect for Ye Cang, she didn’t hold a grudge, and second, with her current disposition, such trifling matters truly weren’t worth her attention.

Interestingly, it turned out that Ye Fei was also someone who enjoyed adventure and was a devoted fan of Lord Bear.

Today, having met his idol, he was extremely excited, finding plenty of common ground with the people from the Light Blue Clan.

“This dish is called ‘Seven Clever Steamed Hong Lotus Roots,’ also sourced from Jade Lotus Pond, using large lotus roots with seven holes.

It is said that once in ancient times, it was a dish used for sacrificial offerings.

The roots are filled with a mixture of three types of meat and four types of livestock, then cooked together with ingredients like white fungus, honey, American ginseng, rock sugar, and autumn pear.

It not only tastes delicious but also has excellent health benefits,”

Ye Fei continued, pointing to another dish on the table and introducing it to the crowd.

With his authoritative manner, Zhang Xiaoman thought that here was a talent in the culinary arts.

“This dish is called ‘Twenty-Four Bridge Moonlit Night.’ It involves cutting tenderloin into thin strips, which are then marinated for forty-nine days, and adding them to small tofu balls, twenty-four at a time.

They are surrounded with quail eggs, yams, sweet potatoes, and melons, then all placed together in a high broth and simmered slowly over a low flame, then reduced to thicken the sauce—an absolutely rare delicacy,”

Ye Fei’s presentation continued, announcing dish after dish with meticulous detail in his descriptions.

“This dish is called ‘Wilderness Wind.’ It’s made with beef from the rear leg and offers three layers of texture: crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle, and tender and juicy on the inside.

It’s a treasured flavor passed down from the grasslands,”

“This dish here is ‘Green Willow Wind,’ the main ingredient also being beef, which needs to be cut into extremely fine strips, the resulting dish offering an enduring aftertaste…”

“This dish is ‘Five Immortal Rabbit’…”

“This dish is ‘Turtle and Snake Plate’…”

“This dish is ‘Golden Crowing’…”

“This dish is ‘Ice Heart Cicada Wings’…”

One after another, the delicious dishes were served on the table, leaving the diners hardly able to catch their breath.

Now, Zhang Xiaoman understood why Xiao Shun had been so exaggerated at the beginning.

It seemed he hadn’t been wrong, as the chefs here at Dragon Sleep Mountain indeed had some serious skills.

Zhang Xiaoman even entertained the thought of poaching that chef, or if nothing else, having him teach a couple of disciples to cook for the Star Alliance headquarters.

If they could eat food of this level every day, it would be a truly wonderful thing.

However, poaching directly was out of the question, after all.

This was a chef taught by the Ye Family.

He couldn’t just eat a great meal and then swipe their head chef.

That would be quite inappropriate.

But speaking of chefs, Zhang Xiaoman couldn’t help but think of the few new recruits at the Star Alliance Base.

Although they were managing to live there without major issues, their meal situation was somewhat problematic.

He couldn’t very well expect them to subsist on gardening and fishing every day.

It seemed necessary to arrange a chef for them as well.

Rubbing his temples, Zhang Xiaoman felt he had yet another vexing issue to deal with.

Simply finding a chef wouldn’t be enough; he would also have to arrange for regular shuttle service to take him out to buy groceries.

Fortunately, with the speed of the Dawn, a round trip would take just over twenty minutes.

If he truly went about it this way, it wasn’t without feasibility.

Seeing his expression, Ye Cang couldn’t help but ask, “Star Lord, is there something troubling you?”

Zhang Xiaoman looked at him and shook his head, “It’s not exactly troubling, I just suddenly remembered that we’re lacking some staff at our main base…”

He was reluctant to elaborate, naturally not wanting to put Ye Cang in an awkward position.

However, the old man quickly understood what Zhang Xiaoman was concerned about and immediately asked, “Is the Star Lord perhaps worried about the matter of a chef?”

Zhang Xiaoman looked at him in slight surprise, thinking that experience certainly came with age.

But since Ye Cang had already figured it out, he no longer concealed it and nodded in affirmation.

Ye Cang simply laughed and said, “Star Lord needn’t worry.

We have three chefs on Dragon Sleep Mountain.

They’ve grown up here since they were little.

If the Star Lord doesn’t mind, you could choose one to take back to Rebirth Island.”

Zhang Xiaoman waved his hand, “These are people from your Ye Family.

How could I just walk away with them?

Don’t worry, I’ll just recruit one when I get back.”

“The Star Lord is overthinking it.

Not to mention that Dragon Sleep Mountain is now a base of the Star Alliance, but those three chefs themselves are all very eager to join the island’s community.

Joining the Star Alliance is a great opportunity for them, one they wouldn’t easily refuse.”

As they spoke, one of the chefs who was serving the dishes happened to overhear their conversation.

His hands trembled with excitement as he looked towards Zhang Xiaoman full of hope.

Zhang Xiaoman naturally noticed his reaction and understood what it meant.

He couldn’t help but shake his head with a smile.

It seemed like his visit to eat a meal might actually end up with him taking a chef back with him.

“That sounds good, but let’s still ask for their opinions first.

If they’re willing to go, then that’s the best outcome.

If not, there’s no need to force them—I’ll just hire someone else.

As for who specifically, I’ll leave that decision to Elder Ye.”

ps: Can you guess who it will be?