Patrol duties could not be slackened. After enjoying the delicacies, soldiers like Wu Yong, who were capable of fighting, still had to remain at their posts.
More than two hundred assistant chefs busied themselves again, each with an excited expression.
The previous Warrior's Blood had already proven the value of Zhang Wei's recipes.
After all, under any other head chef, learning such a high-level recipe would be impossible without three years of apprenticeship in the kitchen.
But with Zhang Wei, anyone could learn!
He held nothing back!
Although Zhang Wei himself might not have cared for such recipes, the fact that he was willing to teach them wholeheartedly to people he had no particular connection with was a testament to his magnanimity!
With ample ingredients prepared, Zhang Wei continued his instruction.
From ingredient selection to usage.
From principles to effects.
...
Everything left the chefs utterly convinced!
*Plop~*
An assistant chef knelt on the ground.
*Plop~*
*Plop~*
One by one...
Zhang Wei was taken aback.
What was going on?
They were learning perfectly fine, why were they suddenly offering New Year's greetings?
The suddenness of the situation meant he hadn't prepared any red envelopes.
"What is this..."
The leading chef said, "Mr. Zhang Wei, we have no way to repay your kindness in imparting knowledge and answering our questions!"
"The Warrior's Blood before was already an immense favor from you, we... we feel ashamed to continue stealing your techniques."
Zhang Wei said nonchalantly, "It's just a recipe. Besides, it's all for the Allied Army."
"Sir, I am the four-star副厨师长 (fù chúshīzhǎng - sous chef) of Zhenwei Qiyuan. In my restaurant, your recipe could be taught as a treasured secret..."
"Exactly, we feel undeserving."
In the sincere gazes of these people, Zhang Wei
sensed an unusual plot.
Right after he finished teaching the first dish, 'Warrior's Blood', these fellows had been whispering together furtively.
It seemed... there was a scheme!
Zhang Wei initially wanted to tease them, but this situation was not appropriate.
He chose a steady response: "Oh~ Then what do you suggest we do?"
"We absolutely refuse to learn your supreme skills for free. We implore Mr. Zhang Wei to accept us as disciples, so we can honor you with the礼 (lǐ - etiquette) of disciples!"
So that's it!
Zhang Wei remained silent, analyzing the meaning of their words in his mind.
On one hand, these people were latching onto Zhang Wei, allowing them to learn his skills legitimately without being scorned.
After all, the recipe for Warrior's Blood belonged to Zhang Wei. According to industry rules, even if they learned it themselves, they absolutely could not teach it to a second person, as it would be considered a leak of secrets. Da Feng Novel Network
Furthermore, this recipe could not be used in any public or profit-making occasion, such as hotels or competitions; it could only be for private use.
Both of these scenarios involved acquiring money or fame... and money and fame were the lifelong pursuits of most chefs!
Conversely, chefs held a high status. If Zhang Wei suddenly took in two hundred individuals from a high social stratum as subordinates, it would make everything he did much more convenient.
The energy that these two hundred people could generate when gathered together was terrifying to contemplate!
Most importantly, with the support of these chefs, it would undoubtedly be of immense help to Mo Du in controlling the Northern Lands in the future!
Seeing Zhang Wei's silence,
the crowd broke out in a nervous sweat.
The few leading individuals exchanged glances, their expressions filled with "as expected!"
Given Zhang Wei's social standing, accepting disciples was undoubtedly a very serious matter. These people were surely not qualified.
High-profile individuals like him were surely particularly stubborn...
"It seems... we have to use our ultimate move!"
"No choice, this was to be expected!"
*Dong~*
Everyone kowtowed in unison. The leading few shouted loudly, "Sir, we know we are not worthy of being your disciples, but our sincerity can be seen by the sun and moon!"
"Sir, please accept us as registered disciples. Just having our names associated with you would be our endless honor!"
The more feudal a society, the more rigid its class system.
Among them, the master-disciple relationship was even more profound than that between father and son. There was an essential difference between 老师 (lǎoshī - teacher), 教师 (jiàoshī - teacher), 师傅 (shīfu - master), and 师父 (shīfù - master).
Some highly influential figures had disciples all over the world.
There were also significant differences among disciples themselves!
Registered Disciples: The most distant relationship with the master, generally learning little, merely maintaining a nominal master-disciple title.
Outer Disciples: Generally, a chef's assistant was his outer disciple. Scholars in private tutoring schools and teachers in academies could also call their students outer disciples.
They generally learned from textbooks or superficial aspects of the master's skills.
They could also be referred to as teachers or instructors at this time.
Inner Disciples: Could already learn parts of private techniques, and their title would be upgraded to Master.
Personal Disciples: Truly inheriting the legacy, acting as both father and teacher, capable of learning the genuine skills!
Based on Zhang Wei's teaching, the status of these individuals was between outer and inner disciples.
It depended solely on Zhang Wei's attitude towards Warrior's Blood.
Was it a private secret technique?
Or a trivial skill that could be casually discarded.
Looking at the expectant gazes of over two hundred people, Zhang Wei pondered for a long time and said, "I have never taken disciples before, I fear I cannot teach you well."
The crowd was speechless.
Such detailed explanations and professional guidance could not be achieved without at least ten years of teaching experience.
And yet he claimed to have never taken disciples?
Hypocritical!
The crowd kowtowed, "We know our aptitude is dull, but we will never bring shame upon you. We beg you to accept us!"
The sight of over two hundred people kneeling in unison was absolutely astounding.
Especially among the crowd were many middle-aged uncles, and even elderly men with white hair.
Learning has no prior or later; the accomplished are respected!
"Since that is the case, I shall agree to your request."
"However, registered disciples would be too distant. Let's all start as outer disciples."
"Don't worry, I will treat everyone equally and teach with my heart."
"Once your skills are more refined, you can proceed to learn the next steps."
Because
All the chefs began to cheer, proud to be Zhang Wei's disciples. This also marked the rise of an undeniable force in the Northern Lands!
The crowd began discussing the matter of the master-apprentice ceremony.
Zhang Wei immediately spoke, "It is wartime now, and time is of the essence. Let's keep it simple."
But Zhang Wei hadn't expected that they would attach such importance to such matters! He couldn't refuse even if he wanted to!
With Zhang Wei's social status, opening a school and taking in disciples required an extremely grand master-apprentice ceremony.
If the ceremony was too modest, wouldn't it imply that his disciples were incapable of handling matters properly?
Zhang Wei had no choice but to say, "Then how about this, we'll have a simple token of respect for now. After we return victorious, we will hold a grand celebration and invite friends and family!"
This proposal was immediately supported by everyone.
The crowd's opinion was that the sooner, the better; they were clearly enthusiastic about latching onto a powerful figure!
...
After the farce of the master-apprentice ceremony concluded, Zhang Wei immediately proceeded to teach the second dish.
This time, the target was those severely wounded and near death.
A strong medicinal aroma wafted over, and stretchers were carried in one after another.
The sheets on them were not clean, speckled with dark bloodstains.
Zhang Wei stepped forward and casually opened one of the sheets, revealing a severely wounded soldier wrapped like a mummy.
Half of his body was gone, his torso had lost at least twenty-five percent, and apart from his head, only one arm remained intact.
"Such tenacious vitality."
"Is this the power of Gourmet Cells..."
Zhang Wei moved to other stretchers. Almost every wounded soldier looked like a broken mummy, some even losing their human form. More than half of them were unconscious.
A man in a white coat stepped forward, "Hello Mr. Zhang Wei, I am the head of the accompanying doctors, you can call me Qiu En."
Qiu En continued, "As you requested, I have classified all the wounded soldiers. These are the ones with the most severe injuries. However, rest assured, most of them have already passed the critical stage."
In the Great Gourmet Era, a few transparent holes were not enough to be considered a serious injury. Losing limbs was commonplace. Even unfortunate souls with detached torsos could potentially be saved.
"What are our medical methods? Do we have sufficient medical equipment?"
Qiu En replied, "The equipment has suffered significant wear and tear, but it's sufficient for now. Shall I demonstrate?"
"I'd like to see."
Qiu En gestured, and his subordinates brought over the accompanying medical equipment.