“Nice working with you!” Ling Wei said as she stretched out a hand at Tang Hao.
Her hand was fair and delicate and her fingers were long and slender.
Her hand was cool and smooth to the touch.
“Nice working with you!” Tang Hao returned the smile.
This collaboration was win-win. President Ling had always wanted to create a brand of her own and make a name for herself. The collaboration brought many capable people together. As for Tang Hao, he wanted to set up a restaurant so that it would be easier to topple Yu Lin Group in the future.
Both parties were very satisfied with the arrangement.
“Congratulations!” Master Chef Ding and the others came to congratulate them.
“Master Chef Ding, you promised that you’ll join us once the collaboration is a go,” Ling Wei said with a smile.
Master Chef Ding slapped his chest. “No problem. You don’t have to worry about that, President Ling!”
Then, he quickly pulled Tang Hao into the kitchen. “Come with me, Little Brother, show me your skills!”
Now that Master Chef Ding had joined his company, he was considered an ally. Tang Hao did not keep any secrets from him and shared with him all the tricks to remove the medicinal taste.
The chefs were amazed by what they heard.
“This is incredible!” Master Chef Ding exclaimed.
“So that’s the trick behind it. There’s more to it if you want to activate the medicine’s full potency. If you just put the herbs into the pot and cook them, the effects would be reduced. You can’t call that medicinal cuisine.
“However, if you process the herbs in a certain way and activate the potency of the herbs, that’ll make all the difference,” Tang Hao said as he pointed at the herbs on the table.
“How should we process them though?” Master Chef Ding asked.
“The trick is in the soaking. The container matters a lot, too. I’ll bring over a container soon, and you’ll know it when you try.”
“Oh!” The chefs nodded in understanding.
The container that he mentioned was none other than the bronze qi gathering jar.
Tang Hao left the restaurant, got in his car, and drove around the block. He took out a qi gathering jar from his pocket dimension, then returned to the kitchen.
That qi gathering jar was about the size of a hand basin, which was a lot smaller than the ones he used in his factory. He had it custom-made when he received Ling Wei’s phone call two days ago.
The chefs exclaimed in surprise when they witnessed the jar’s effects.
They inspected the bronze jar as though they made a ground-breaking discovery. They carefully handled it like a rare treasure.
Tang Hao stayed there the entire afternoon to impart culinary skills to the chefs, as well as discussing with them the menu of the new restaurant.
It was already very late when he left Imperial Kitchen.
Tang Hao drove his car and returned to his apartment.
When he almost arrived at his apartment, his phone started ringing. It was from Zhao Qingxue.
Tang Hao was surprised. He picked up the call.
“Is there anything, Officer Zhao?” Tang Hao asked.
“Tang Hao, do you still have any of the medicine you gave me before?” Zhao Qingxue stammered.
“What medicine?”
“Um, you know, that medicine!” Zhao Qingxue said sheepishly.
Tang Hao was clueless for a long while. “Oh!” He remembered what it was and chuckled.
“So, that’s the medicine you’re talking about! I say, Officer Zhao, why do you need it?”
“I have no other choice!” Zhao Qingxue said exasperatedly. “I’ve just transferred here and I need to catch up with work. There’s a big case recently and I’ve been working overtime. I only get to sleep three or four hours a day.
“I’ve just gotten off work and I’m about to go home!
“So, do you still have that medicine? When will you be in Provincial City for classes? I’ll come look for you.”
Tang Hao smiled. “Of course I still have it! I’m in Provincial City now. How about I deliver it to you? You should still be at the provincial headquarters, right?”
“Yup!”
“I’ll come over then! Just wait for me.”
After ending the call, Tang Hao stopped the car and spent the next three minutes concocting a potion for her. Then, he drove toward the provincial police headquarters.
He arrived at the destination in about ten minutes.
From afar, he could see a tall and beautiful figure standing at the entrance. Her police uniform made her look almost heroic.
Tang Hao slowed down the car and stopped in front of her.
Zhao Qingxue opened the car door and sat inside.
Tang Hao examined her face closely. She looked lethargic and the quality of her skin was deteriorating.
Tang Hao was shocked. “You’re endangering your life, Officer Zhao!”
Zhao Qingxue glared at him. “Don’t be so dramatic. Where’s the medicine?”
Tang Hao handed her the potion. “You shouldn’t overwork yourself, Officer Zhao. You’ll have many bodily problems soon.”
What’s there to worry about? I’m still young. Also, don’t they call you a divine doctor? If there’s a problem, you can cure it!” Zhao Qingxue opened the bottle and downed a gulp.
Tang Hao was speechless. He thought about it carefully and realized that she made sense.
“I say, Officer Zhao, why must you become a criminal police officer? I’ve heard that it’s the toughest division in the police force.”
“Because it’s my dream! Don’t you know that everyone in my family is a police officer? Even my mom is. My dad and a few other uncles were all criminal police officers. Thanks to them, I’ve always wanted to be one since young.
“Don’t you think that criminal police officers are very cool? There are so many bad people in this world, and I want to do my best in stopping crime so that the world can become a better place.”
Zhao Qingxue’s lips curled upward as she spoke.
“Ah!” She suddenly exclaimed and her face was blushed red.
“I hope you don’t think that I’m childish!” She said sheepishly as she looked at Tang Hao.
Tang Hao chuckled and shook his head.
“No! I think it’s good that you have ideals that you want to achieve, Officer Zhao.”
“Really?” Zhao Qingxue blushed even harder, though she secretly felt happy.
That was the first time she heard that from someone. Tang Hao’s words had affirmed her ambitions.
“Right, where are you staying now?” Tang Hao asked.
“Oh! I’m staying at Clearwater Gardens. Do you know where it is?”
‘Yes!” Tang Hao replied. He started the car and drove toward her house.
They arrived about twenty minutes later. The car went into the residential area and parked under her apartment.
“We’re here!” Tang Hao said.
However, Zhao Qingxue showed no signs of leaving.
He turned around to see that Zhao Qingxue was sitting there with an awkward expression on her face. She hemmed and hawed for a while and finally said, “Do you think you can massage me for a bit?”
She spoke very softly and her face was red, as though she was extremely embarrassed by that request.
Tang Hao was taken aback.
Then, he chuckled and agreed to it.
He parked the car and followed her upstairs.
A black car was parked not too far away. A young man sat in that car. He was none other than Jiang Yunbo.
His expression became sullen when he saw the two people go upstairs.
His eyes were burning with jealousy and resentment.
“Dammit, this immoral couple! Zhao Qingxue, you filthy whore, is that how you treat me even though I’ve bared my feelings to you?
“Don’t blame me for being merciless!”
He muttered to himself. His face slowly contorted into something ugly.
