Chapter 6: The Interview

To be honest, Zhao Guojiang regretted it the moment he arrived at the orphanage gates.

This remote location, the peeling and dilapidated front gate, the rundown-looking orphanage…

Was it really as good as Lu Qingqiang had claimed?

He must have been duped.

For all he knew, this could be a front for human trafficking.

No, he had to leave.

But just as Zhao Guojiang was about to turn around, he heard the voices of children coming from inside.

Hmm?

Was he overthinking it?

Could this really be a proper orphanage?

Not some shady operation?

Well, yeah, that made sense.

After all, this was China.

Not like those sketchy places in northern Myanmar he’d seen in videos.

No human trafficker would dare be so brazen here.

Forget it. Since he was already here, he might as well take a look.

He was just a middle-aged man with nothing of value on him. What could anyone possibly want from him?

His hair loss? His meager income?

The only thing he had going for him was his cooking skills.

Gritting his teeth, Zhao Guojiang stepped inside.

He saw children, the orphanage’s interior, and construction workers busy at work.

He also saw… a luxury car.

If he wasn’t mistaken, that was a Maserati. Even the base model cost at least seven or eight hundred thousand yuan, right?

If the boss could afford a car like that, then maybe she really wasn’t lying to him.

“Hello, I’m here for the interview,” Zhao Guojiang said.

After he spoke, two women came out of the building.

The older one looked every bit the wealthy lady.

She was well-maintained and carried herself with a distinguished air.

Her clothes were simple and elegant, with no visible brand logos, but they perfectly complemented her refined demeanor.

She exuded grace and poise, like a woman of both beauty and substance.

The younger woman beside her was Lu Qingqiang, the one who had visited his home earlier that morning.

He hadn’t really taken a good look at his future boss before.

Now that he did, she seemed quite young.

And she was beautiful at first glance.

Her clothes were plain, she wore no makeup, and her skin was a bit dark and thin.

But if Zhao Guojiang were to say, her complexion actually looked pretty good.

She looked healthy.

It was just that, standing next to the radiant Madam Lu, she appeared a bit darker and more sallow by comparison.

“Master Zhao, you’re here. If it’s convenient, could you make two of your signature dishes?” Lu Qingqiang asked.

“Sure,” Zhao Guojiang nodded.

Lu Qingqiang led Zhao Guojiang inside and gave him a brief overview of the orphanage’s current situation and future plans.

She wasn’t about to hand over the full blueprint, of course.

But giving him a general idea was no problem.

“Master Zhao, don’t judge our orphanage by how run-down it looks right now.”

“This is just how it is before renovations.”

“Once the renovations are done, the kitchen will be at least five times bigger, fully stocked with vegetables and meat.”

“You’ll be the head chef.”

“You’ll decide what the kids eat.”

“If it gets too busy for you, you can ask me to hire one or two kitchen assistants.”

“You’ll be in charge of picking them.”

“Our orphanage will only use the freshest ingredients.”

“You’ll have full control of the kitchen. No one will interfere.”

“If any issues come up, just talk to me and we’ll work it out.”

“As for salary, it’s 24,000 yuan a month, pre-tax.”

“You’ll get four days off a month, and you can adjust your schedule as needed. All standard benefits are included.”

“We’ll be planting vegetables and raising livestock in the backyard. Fruit trees will be planted on the mountain behind us.”

“Eventually, all the vegetables, fruit, and meat we eat will be self-supplied.”

“I just think homegrown produce is safer and gives peace of mind when feeding the kids.”

“What do you think?”

“Hmm, makes sense,” Master Zhao nodded.

“The kids are all well-behaved and not picky eaters at all.”

“I’ll give you a tour later so you can meet them.”

“Do you have any other questions?”

After hearing all this, Zhao Guojiang felt much more at ease.

What? The salary really was 24,000?

He’d have full control over the kitchen?

And he could grow his own fruits and vegetables?

Even the mountain behind the orphanage belonged to them?

This… this was actually pretty great.

Not bad at all.

“Boss, if I need to take time off in the future, will my pay be docked?”

“How long is the probation period?”

“Do I really have full say in the kitchen?” Zhao Guojiang asked.

“For sick leave or bereavement leave, you’ll still get paid. Take the time you need.”

“For personal leave, we’ll deduct pay as usual.”

“Probation period? As long as you’re happy with us, and we’re happy with you, you can start work tomorrow.”

“The kitchen is yours. Of course you’re in charge,” Lu Qingqiang replied.

Before transmigrating into this novel, she had been a struggling employee herself.

She had nothing but contempt for heartless capitalists.

Now that she had become the director of an orphanage, she was determined to be a humane and considerate boss.

“Then, Boss, when should I start cooking?”

“You can start now.”

“Alright.”

Lu Qingqiang led Zhao Guojiang to the kitchen.

The current kitchen was still the old one—cramped but very clean.

Aunt Liu and the others who had gone grocery shopping hadn’t returned yet.

But that didn’t stop Chef Zhao from getting to work.

There were still some vegetables and meat left in the kitchen that Aunt Liu had brought over from the Lu Family, along with a full range of seasonings.

He pressed down on a slab of beef nearby and immediately knew what it was.

This was Chianina beef, priced at around 70 euros per kilogram—about 544 yuan.

Not outrageously expensive, but definitely not something your average restaurant would splurge on.

And the vegetables were indeed high-quality organic produce.

As a chef, he had high standards for ingredients.

The better the ingredients, the more reluctant he was to waste them.

Which meant he would put even more care into his cooking.

In just a few moments, he had already decided what dishes to make.

Throughout the process, Madam Lu didn’t say a word. She simply kept sneaking glances at Lu Qingqiang, a warm (and slightly obsessed) smile on her face.

Her Qingqing was just so beautiful.

The more she looked, the more she liked what she saw.

Especially those bright, sparkling eyes—like gemstones.

And the way she handled things—calm, organized, and capable.

Such a lovely daughter. How could she have been mistakenly switched at birth and suffered all those years?

No, now that they had finally found her, Qingqing deserved the very best the world had to offer.

She didn’t want to come home yet? That was fine. She could visit Qingqing often.

The environment here wasn’t great? So what? The Lu Family had money. They could renovate her living space into something luxurious.

Seasonal dresses, shoes, handbags, jewelry—she’d have people deliver them all.

Most importantly… she would support Qingqing’s orphanage project unconditionally.

After all, her daughter was not only beautiful and kind-hearted, but also incredibly responsible.

Just as she was sneaking another peek, Madam Lu suddenly got caught.

“Mom?”

“I wasn’t staring, really, I just happened to glance over,” Madam Lu quickly explained.

“…” Lu Qingqiang.

This Madam Lu was actually kind of amusing.

“Miss Lu, Madam, we’re back.”

Aunt Liu and the driver, Xiao Zhang, walked in carrying bags full of groceries.

“Perfect timing. Master Zhao is cooking in the kitchen. Take the new ingredients in and see if he needs anything else.”

“Got it.”

Just as Zhao Guojiang finished stir-frying some yellow beef, he turned and saw Aunt Liu and the others bringing in fresh produce.

Among them was a batch of large black tiger prawns that immediately caught his attention.

Hmm, time to make a dish of scallion oil black tiger prawns.

Translator’s Notes

– Chianina beef: Chianina beef is a high-quality beef from Italy, known for its tenderness and flavor, often used in premium dishes.