Chapter 122 Are you out of your mind?

After the apprenticeship banquet, He Yuzhu finally settled down and worked diligently at Hongbinlou. He learned the essence of Sichuan cuisine from Li Baoguo while practicing hard at the three stoves, and his skills improved day by day.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and He Yuzhu had gradually adapted to the rhythm of Hongbinlou's kitchen, becoming more and more adept at his work.

That day, he was busy in the kitchen, stirring the food with his spatula. The firelight made his face glow red when Zhao Xiaonian, the waiter in the front hall, rushed in, looking flustered.

Zhao Xiaonian is a native of Tianjin. He is only sixteen years old, but he is very clever and capable.

He was eloquent, considerate, and quick-witted, making him a favorite among the manager and guests at Hongbinlou Restaurant.

At first, Zhao Xiaonian was simply curious about He Yuzhu—after all, he had never heard of a chef who could graduate in three months and be taken in as an apprentice by Li Baoguo.

So he would often go to the kitchen to get close to He Yuzhu and chat about everyday things. Over time, the two became acquainted.

While rapidly tossing the wok with the spatula, He Yuzhu looked up at Zhao Xiaonian and asked, "Brother Xiaonian, what brings you to the kitchen? Isn't the front of the kitchen busy? Is there something you need?"

Zhao Xiaonian quickly stepped closer, lowered his voice, and said urgently, "Zhuzi, something bad has happened! When I was greeting guests in the front hall just now, I saw a table of guests holding a portrait, asking each of us waiters if we had seen the person in the painting."

He paused, then quickly added, "I took a close look at the portrait, and the person in it looks about seven or eight parts like you—the eyebrows, eyes, and build are remarkably similar! And those people don't look like good guys. I was uneasy, so I came all the way here to let you know!"

Upon hearing this, He Yuzhu paused in his tossing of the wok, then immediately lowered his voice and became serious: "How many people are there? What are they wearing? What do they look like?"

Zhao Xiaonian frowned, thought carefully for a moment, and said, "There were three people in total. They were dressed like guards and servants of a wealthy family. They looked quite neat, but I still felt something was wrong, and I felt uneasy."

"How should I put it, they had an indescribable murderous aura about them, and their eyes were very cold. They were clearly people who had seen blood and had their hands dirty. They were definitely not clean and did not look like ordinary guards."

These days, waiters greet and see off people in restaurants every day, and they've seen all sorts of people. Their ability to read people and their keen observation skills are naturally unmatched by ordinary people. Zhao Xiaonian's judgment is probably not wrong.

He Yuzhu's heart sank, and he asked again, "Brother Xiaonian, are you sure you're not mistaken? The person in the painting really looks seven or eight parts like me?"

"It's almost certainly true! I've checked it several times, there's no mistake!" Zhao Xiaonian said confidently, then asked worriedly, "Zhuzi, have you run into some trouble with someone you shouldn't have? Otherwise, why would someone be looking for you in various restaurants with your portrait?"

"No way, I go straight home after work every day and never linger outside. I've never argued or had any conflicts with anyone, so how could I get into trouble?" He Yuzhu casually lied, his tone deliberately relaxed.

But he had already roughly guessed in his heart that the person who came must have been sent by Ma Lie.

After all, back at the Tanggu fish market, Ma Lie boasted as soon as he opened his mouth that his father was the township head, and he was so arrogant and domineering, looking down on everyone. He was clearly someone you couldn't mess with.

Since his father was able to become the township head, he must have some connections and influence in both official circles and the underworld, so finding someone's trail wouldn't be difficult.

As for why those people would go to the restaurant to look for someone, He Yuzhu had already figured it out clearly and was not surprised at all.

Firstly, he rode his bicycle to the Tanggu fish market that day. Bicycles were a rare item at the time, so he was quite a target and easily remembered.

Secondly, he later went to the fish market to purchase fish. Since people in Tanggu could not find him, they naturally assumed that he was a purchasing agent for various restaurants and eateries in Tianjin.

Government offices and wealthy households are places they wouldn't dare to inquire about casually, as it could easily cause trouble; however, restaurants and eateries, with their high turnover of people, are easier to access information about, making them their primary targets for investigation.

Seeing He Yuzhu's solemn expression, Zhao Xiaonian became increasingly worried and quickly said, "Should I go and talk to your master, Chef Li? He has extensive connections in Tianjin and knows many officials. He might be able to help you out. It's better than you having to bear it all alone."

He Yuzhu pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "No need for now, don't disturb Master, lest he worry. Go back to the front hall and keep an eye on those people for me, watch their every move."

"When they're about to pay and leave, come and call me right away. Don't be late."

"What? You're planning to go out and deal with those people by yourself?" Zhao Xiaonian immediately became anxious upon hearing this, raising his voice several decibels before quickly lowering it again. "Are you out of your mind? Those people look like fierce demons. What if something happens to you if you go out alone?"

He Yuzhu quickly reassured him, "Don't worry, I'm not going out to fight them head-on. I just want to quietly follow them and find out who they are and who sent them."

"I honestly don't recall ever offending someone like that. I'm feeling uneasy and need to find out the truth. Don't worry, I'll be extra careful and won't act rashly. I'll definitely protect myself."

As He Yuzhu spoke, his hands never stopped moving. In the blink of an eye, a dish with perfect color, aroma, and taste was ready. He skillfully flipped the wok and plated it, his movements fluid and seamless.

Zhao Xiaonian was still worried and frowned as he advised, "Why don't you tell your master? If something really happens to you, I can't take the responsibility, and I won't be able to explain it to Chef Li."

Looking into Zhao Xiaonian's sincere eyes, He Yuzhu knew that he was genuinely worried about him, so he relented and said, "Alright, I'll listen to you. You go to the front hall and keep an eye on those people for me. I'll go tell Master right away so he'll be aware of the situation."

"Okay, I'll go back to the front now and keep a close eye on things for you. I'll call you immediately if there's any movement!" Seeing that he had relented, Zhao Xiaonian breathed a slight sigh of relief and nodded quickly.

"Hey, hey, don't go yet!" He Yuzhu quickly called out to him, pointing to the freshly cooked dish on the table. "Take this dish to the guests. It's the dish that the table in the front of the restaurant is urging us to serve. Don't keep the guests waiting."

Zhao Xiaonian rolled his eyes helplessly and said with a smile, "You little rascal, all you do is order me around. You just made me keep an eye on people for you, and now you're making me serve you dishes. You'll have to make it up to me later."

He Yuzhu smiled and quickly said, "Hehe, thank you so much, Brother Xiaonian. You've worked hard. I'll definitely treat you to a good meal another day and reward you properly so you can eat your fill."

"I'll take that seriously, so don't go back on your word!" Zhao Xiaonian picked up the plate and added, "Also, when you go to see your master, don't speak too hastily, and don't act impulsively."

"Tianjin is a mixed bag, full of all sorts of ruthless characters, a place where dragons and tigers hide. If you really get caught up in it, it would be a huge loss. You'd better think twice before you act."

He Yuzhu nodded and said seriously, "I understand. I know what I'm doing. Don't worry, I won't act impulsively."

After Zhao Xiaonian left the kitchen with the dishes, He Yuzhu tidied up his things and headed towards where Li Baoguo was.

However, he did not tell Li Baoguo the truth, nor did he say that someone had come looking for him with his portrait, nor did he say that he might have gotten into trouble. He simply made up an excuse, asked for a short leave, and said that he had to go out to take care of some personal business and would be back soon.

He Yuzhu knew that although Li Baoguo had a wide network of connections and knew many people, asking someone for a favor would ultimately leave him indebted to them and would also cost him a lot of money.

Li Baoguo is his master, so he certainly wouldn't let him spend his own money or do favors. In the end, Li Baoguo would still have to step in and resolve the issue. He didn't want to cause any more trouble for his master.

After much thought, He Yuzhu still felt that it wouldn't be too late to find out about those people's background and their purpose before making any plans. If he really couldn't solve the problem, it wouldn't be too late to ask his master for help.

Seeing that He Yuzhu was only asking for a short leave and his expression was relatively calm, Li Baoguo didn't ask him what he was going to do. He simply nodded and agreed to his leave request.

He knew in his heart that his apprentice was always principled and stubborn. If he didn't want to talk about something, even if he pressed him repeatedly, he wouldn't get a single truth out of him. So he simply didn't ask and trusted that his apprentice could handle his own affairs.

After taking leave, He Yuzhu didn't linger. He turned around and went back to his own kitchen to continue working. However, he was more vigilant and kept an eye on the activity in the front hall, waiting for news from Zhao Xiaonian.

About half an hour later, Zhao Xiaonian rushed over again.

"Pillar, those people are about to leave."

He Yuzhu immediately instructed, "Go and tell the front hall that I'm not taking any new orders for the time being. I'm going out for a bit."

Zhao Xiaonian quickly asked, "Have you told your master about this?"

He Yuzhu waved his hand: "No, it's not worth troubling Master with such a small matter."

Zhao Xiaonian stamped his feet in frustration: "Why won't you listen to advice? Wouldn't it be more effective to go directly to the police than to confront them head-on?"

He Yuzhu calmly retorted, "Brother Xiaonian, they dared to come to Hongbinlou openly with sketches to inquire about things. Do you think they're afraid of the police?"