Bai Xiao and his team walked into the kitchen, which was filled with steam.
About a dozen people in white chef uniforms were bustling around.
The division of labor in the kitchen was very clear, which was quite satisfying.
Bai Xiao stretched out his hand and took a rag, wiping down the stove and every cabinet item as he walked, closely inspecting the rag in the process.
He nodded in approval, very satisfied; it seemed the hygiene was still very good.
With Wang Sanxi, the general manager accompanying, the kitchen staff paid no attention to them, probably mistaking them for some health and epidemic prevention inspectors.
They had seen this situation many times and were no longer surprised by it.
Their hygiene standards were well sorted; everyone was responsible for their own area, leaving virtually no dead corners. If the standards were not met, deductions from wages and bonuses would apply.
Nobody here would fight against their own bonuses.
Bai Xiao walked over to two large pots used for preparing soup bases.
These could hardly be called pots; they were more like barrels, made of stainless steel. Underneath, a small fire was slowly simmering, and you could see pig and chicken bones churning in the rolling white thick soup, while a large exhaust fan above buzzed loudly, expelling all the steam from the kitchen.
It didn’t smell until you got close; the soup emitted a strong fishy odor as you approached the pots.
A chubby chef was squatting in the corner smoking. He suddenly looked up, startled by Wang Sanxi and several others standing in front of him. He quickly threw his cigarette on the floor, stomped it out, and stood up to awkwardly greet them.
Bai Xiao was unimpressed; this was not a good attitude for work.
The problem seemed very likely related to these two pots.
"Turn off the fire now. Get me a large strainer." Bai Xiao asked a nearby chef for a white coat and put it on.
The chubby chef looked at Wang Sanxi, confused about what was going on.
"Just turn off the fire when you’re told to."
Wang Sanxi was also furious, feeling he had finally made some achievements and could stand on his own in front of his elder brother. He hadn’t expected today might wreck the reputation of Bai Family’s spicy hot pot, making him almost want to strangle the chef.
Bai Xiao climbed onto the stove; the container for cooking the soup was tall and large, much taller than the stove.
Taking the strainer, he began to gently stir the contents of the soup pot.
"Manager Wang, what’s going on?" The chef had now realized something must be wrong.
A sense of dread hit him.
Had his actions been discovered?
It shouldn’t be possible to find out.
The chicken had been boiled in the pot until the meat was tender and the bones soft; it would be odd if anything could still be detected. Even Sun Wukong with his fiery gaze probably couldn’t tell what was boiled in the pot now?
Bai Xiao got down and asked, "Where are the chicken, duck, and pork bones delivered this morning?"
This was too much for the chef to keep calm.
"The chicken and pork bones delivered this morning have already been cooked in the pot."
Bai Xiao turned to look at Wang Sanxi, who was also clueless; how would he know these matters when he isn’t managing the kitchen daily?
A dishwasher, looking about eighteen or nineteen, quietly pointed to the freezer near Bai Xiao’s feet.
The chubby chef panicked and kicked over, "You plague carrier, what business is this of yours, get out of here!"
"Manager Wang, this kid is just a temporary dishwasher, he doesn’t know anything. The chicken and pork bones delivered this morning have already been cleaned and used for the soup."
The robust chef pushed his hefty body forward, positioning himself in front of Bai Xiao.
Bai Xiao chuckled; the hidden message here was too plain to ignore.