novelraw Chapter 352 - 326: You Really Must Be Thirsty!
Chapter 352 - 326: You Really Must Be Thirsty!
"Thanks, Chef Huang, I’ll head over first..."
Fan Guangjian thanked Huang Jun and happily carried a large bowl of broth and leftover pork rice, heading to the canteen.
To avoid drawing attention from colleagues, he deliberately chose a corner seat.
With just this little broth, if he shared it with colleagues and bosses, he wouldn’t get to drink it himself.
So...
No need to inconvenience anyone, as long as it’s not himself!
"Hey, Guangjian, come sit over here..."
Li Longwei saw Fan Guangjian coming out from the kitchen and was about to invite him over when he noticed him sneaking around with a bowl of broth.
Hmm.
Something’s fishy!
Li Longwei exchanged glances with Bao Weilin, both had a curious look flash in their eyes.
In the next second...
They both, without a word, sidled up next to Fan Guangjian, their eyes focused on the bowl of broth on his table.
Li Longwei was the first to ask, "Guangjian, what’s in this bowl?"
Uh...
Just what he feared, huh...
Fan Guangjian turned his head with a helpless expression and honestly said, "This is broth."
Li Longwei frowned, puzzled, "You brought broth over intending to..."
Fan Guangjian answered straightforwardly, "Of course, to drink it as soup!"
Li Longwei and Bao Weilin: "..."
Are you serious?
Or...
Are you planning to joke them to death and inherit their debts?
Bao Weilin broke the silence first, smiling wryly, "I’ve heard of broth over rice, but it’s the first time I see broth drunk as soup."
Li Longwei then looked at Fan Guangjian with an expression as if saying "I don’t get it, but I’m shocked," teasingly reminding, "This broth is so thick, can it really be drunk as soup? You must be really thirsty!"
"When I was a kid, I could eat medicine like candy, why can’t such aromatic broth be drunk as soup..."
Facing the teasing, Fan Guangjian retorted confidently.
Li Longwei and Bao Weilin: "..."
You’re quite something!
Disregarding their odd looks, Fan Guangjian picked up the bowl and started drinking.
As the broth hit his tongue...
A rich aroma instantly filled the air, creating a deep and hearty taste sensation.
The broth’s texture was thick and smooth, gliding through the mouth lightly, bringing an ultimate sense of comfort.
The flavor complex and enchanting.
Long hours of simmering had allowed the essence of various spices and seasonings to blend perfectly, forming a rich yet delicate texture.
This smooth texture lets one feel the broth gently slipping over the tongue with pleasure when savoring.
And the broth’s taste is complex yet harmonious.
Umami, sweetness, saltiness, and just the right touch of spiciness.
The mix of star anise, cinnamon, clove, and bay leaf gives the broth an enchanting aroma.
And just enough sugar balances the strong spices, adding a hint of sweetness, making the overall flavor rounder.
The addition of salt enhances the fundamental salty taste of the broth, enriching its layers.
While a bit of chili brings a subtle spicy touch...
In short, this bowl of broth is rich and smooth, each mouthful emitting an enticing aroma, with no greasy feel.
The aftertaste lingers long.
Fan Guangjian closed his eyes, face filled with complete enjoyment, suddenly shivered with a blissful "Ah~"
This sight made Li Longwei and Bao Weilin shiver.
How on earth can you make drinking broth look so creepy!
But...
Why does it still look quite delicious?
Seeing him so satisfied, Bao Weilin couldn’t resist leaning over for a closer look.
Li Longwei also, seeing him enjoy it so much, had a slight temptation to try it, but noticed the broth almost gone and hesitated with the boss around, wouldn’t want to steal a colleague’s broth; plus, having teased Fan Guangjian earlier, asking now felt awkward...
Fortunately, Fan Guangjian had no intention to share, immersed in enjoying the deliciousness the broth brought, feeling his body and soul warmed and satisfied, as if his organs were being nourished by the warm broth.
"Guangjian, how’s the taste of this broth? It’s pretty good, right?" Bao Weilin finally couldn’t suppress his curiosity, asking with an awkward smile.
Listening to Bao Weilin, Fan Guangjian paused, raised his head, and replied, smiling, "Actually, when drunk alone, the taste of this broth is generally not that good!"
He lowered his head and continued drinking, still with a look of indulgence.
Li Longwei and Bao Weilin looked at each other.
Not good?
Then why drink so enthusiastically!
Not good?
Then why drink so blissfully!
Who are you fooling!
They looked at Fan Guangjian with a "How come I don’t believe it" expression.
Fan Guangjian responded with a "Whether you believe it or not, I do" look.
Bao Weilin and Li Longwei: "..."
This guy, so arrogant, huh?
Hit it!
But the boss is here...
Can only give up for now!
Wait until there’s a chance later, then settle this once and for all.
Fan Guangjian had absolutely no idea what his two colleagues were thinking. He picked up his chopsticks and continued to dig into the remaining pork trotter rice in front of him.
Picking up a piece of pork trotter, he was just about to stuff it into his mouth.
Right at that moment...
A strong gaze suddenly struck him, making Fan Guangjian involuntarily look down...
He saw a large yellow cat lifting its proud head, staring at him intently with its round eyes. To be more precise, those eyes were locked onto the pork trotter meat in his hand.
Its mouth was drooling a bit; when it saw Fan Guangjian looking at it, it leaped forward with force, tracing a graceful arc in the air.
As it landed, it quickly adjusted its posture, using its front paws to firmly support its body, while kicking its hind legs up, perfectly completing a somersault in place...
Seeing this.
Fan Guangjian blurted out in shock, "What the heck, this cat can actually do a somersault..."
In his excitement...
The chopsticks in his hand shook, and the piece of pork trotter slipped off the tips, falling straight down with a crisp "thud," landing heavily on the hard, smooth marble floor.
In that instant, Orange pounced like lightning...
As Orange got closest to the pork trotter, they were only 0.01 centimeters apart. Orange was sure of victory over the pork trotter, but a second later, a large hand, as fast as a flash, swept past Orange and picked up the piece of pork trotter steadily.
Orange’s astonished front paws froze mid-air: "∑(´△｀)?!"
Once it recovered, Orange: "(•́へ•́╬)"
It looked up to see Fan Guangjian blowing on the pork trotter, eyes filled with disbelief and anger, as if silently shouting: Foolish two-legged beast, put down that pork trotter, let this feline handle it...
Initially, Li Longwei and Bao Weilin, who were watching the fun, were also stunned with their mouths agape when they saw this.
This big yellow cat is quite the sneaky one!
They originally thought the big yellow cat would succeed, but who would have thought it would fail at the last moment.
Even more unexpected was...
Fan Guangjian wouldn’t even let the pork trotter that fell on the ground go...
They initially wanted to see him in agony for losing the pork trotter, suffering to the point of not being able to breathe.
Looks like that’s not happening now!
Li Longwei reminded, "It fell on the ground, you shouldn’t eat it!"
Bao Weilin agreed, "Yeah, it’s covered in dust, better not eat it."
Fan Guangjian, however, ignored others’ advice, shaking his head like a drum: "Wasting food is shameful! Besides, I believe in the ’five-second rule’ — if food is picked up within three seconds of falling, it’s still clean."
Finishing, he blew on the pork trotter again, trying to remove the specks of dust, then unhesitatingly popped it into his mouth, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
After all, such delicious pork trotter, to eat even one bite less feels like a disservice to his taste buds.
Orange: "..."
You damn two-legged beast...
Li Longwei: "..."
Uh~
Playing the one of "a little dirt never hurt" kind of attitude...
Man, I wouldn’t even help an old lady cross the road, but I salute you!
Bao Weilin: "..."
Indeed, they can’t quite understand the world of foodies, this eating is just too enticing...
Guan Shiming watched this scene, shook his head speechlessly.
This Fan Guangjian, truly the greatest foodie the special police team has ever seen...
Based on this move, he truly lives up to the title of ’greatest foodie.’
But such behavior, to some extent, damages the image of the special police team...
Anyone who didn’t know better might think that the department is skimping on their meals, not letting them eat well...
He’ll have to have a good chat with him about this!
But alas...
This guy Fan Guangjian, truly a case of never learning, there’s no remedy for him...
Several times, he’s been so vexed he wanted to just kick him out of the special police team.
In the end, he was only kept on because of his exceptional skills.
Oh well...
As long as he continues to utilize his abilities and contribute to the special police team, such trivial matters can be ignored.
Otherwise, Fan Guangjian might start doodling little curse circles calling him a "living Hades."
He tried to lighten the awkward atmosphere, smiling and saying to Liang Yinqiu, "Director Liang, are all the cats in your kindergarten this spirited?"
Yue Xifeng laughed and nodded, "Yeah, cats nowadays are really smart, just to eat, they can even come up with little tricks like doing somersaults. Seeing them like this, you can’t help but admire their ingenuity."
Liang Yinqiu smiled gently, "This Orange, indeed, is very smart. Back then, Chef Huang discovered it in the park and just fed it once, which unexpectedly earned its lifelong allegiance. Later, it brought two kittens along to find Huang Jun, so our kindergarten decided to adopt the mother cat and her kittens.
Oh~
Once again, it’s the allure of Huang Jun’s cooking.
But come to think of it!
The delicacies made by Huang Jun are irresistible even to the people in the special police team, who can’t help but want to taste them upon smelling their aroma, let alone these adorable cats.
It’s just...
Thinking that after this meal, it might be very difficult to eat Huang Jun’s cooking again...
His heart feels a slight pang of pain.
Speaking of which.
How can he snag another meal?