"If you act like that dumbass earlier, I swear that I'll personally kick you out of this building." The manager threatened.
Ye Han can only give a slightly scared nod at the manager.
"To start again, introduce yourself."
"My name is Ye Han, currently uhmmm…"
The manager slightly tilted her head at the delay. "What's the holdup?"
'It's kinda embarrassing to say that I'm still a teenager even though I am much older than the establishment of this continent. An old fossil pretending to be a kid, shameful. What was my registered age again?'
"Let me just check my ID, I forgot my age."
The manager can only blink her eyes in surprise. 'What kind of dumbass forgets their age?'
"Oh here, it says that I'm 17 years old. Yup, I am Ye Han 17 years old."
'It says?!'
"I am still in my high school, 1st year. Enrolled at the Eastern Continent Academy."
"Isn't that a combat school? Why are you still applying for a job?" The woman questioned.
Hearing the question, Ye Han instantly understood her problem. "I'm in a scholarship. And besides, I have a lot of free time in my hands."
She picked up a board and started writing there. "That's understandable. So why do you want to get this job?"
"I need money." Ye Han answered without hesitation.
The sound of a ballpen writing on paper echoed throughout the room. Ye Han anxiously waited for the Manager's reply, ultimately regretting his choice of words.
'I was too direct. Now she'll think I'm disrespecting her, just like that idiot earlier.' He thought worriedly.
After 2 minutes of excruciating silence from the manager, she finally brought the board and pen on top of the desk.
"If this would have been those company job interview, you would have been kicked out by the interviewer themselves." She started. "But fortunately, this is just a small establishment. And I believe in the value of actual performance, not the flowery words spewing out of a person's mouth."
She then stood from her seat. "Follow me." She motioned Ye Han to follow her.
Not to disappoint his possible employer, he immediately followed her like an obedient puppy.
***
Ye Han found himself inside a decent sized kitchen. It was a fully functional kitchen equipped with the necessary tools and ingredients. All of the equipments were arranged in an orderly fashion. The food and spices are stored in shelves and freezers. The placed looked clean with no obvious dirt or grime staining any areas.
He can only widen his eyes in amazement. 'This kitchen is even bigger than my apartment!'
The manager remained silent while observing Ye Han. "Make me some food."
Ye Han stared blankly at the manager.
"Did you not hear me? I'm hiring you as a cook, now better whip something, I'm starving."
"Right away!"
Cooking is a simple thing for Ye Han. During his earlier career, there were times where he would cook for all his party members. And his time in the military, he also served as the cook for the barracks.
Cooking before only followed a basic principle, as long as it fills you up, it's a good meal. But today's cooking became much more complex than its ancient counterpart. Due to the numerous types of edible food, especially the sheer amount of flavorings one could mix in a dish made the palate of an average person varied.
He could try making a simple stew, but it would take too long. A bowl of soup is also a good choice, however, he doubts whether it could make him pass. A simple roast is another alternative, but his instincts are screaming at him not to.
'What am I supposed to cook? Maybe I'll try some scrambled eggs. It's easy and I have read and watched a lot of tutorials on how to make it.'
With the dish in mind, he skillfully put on an apron hanging from one of the stands. Then he tied his hair in a bun using a single chopstick.
'Showtime.'
From the array of pots and pans, he chose the long cylindrical pot. Turning the stove on at low heat, he waited for the pot to heat up.
While he was waiting, he took a bar of butter and 3 eggs. He sliced off a sizeable cube from the bar. Feeling the heat from the top of the pot, he found it to be at the right temperature and dropped the butter immediately.
In a bowl, he whisked the 3 eggs until scrambled thoroughly. As soon as the butter started foaming, he poured the whisked eggs inside.
Using a wooden spatula, he stirred the eggs constantly, eliminating the formation of large eggs. Once the egg has started to set up a little bit, he removed it from the heat. He then skillfully chopped some chives and proceeded to dump it all to the eggs. Finally, he added 3 tablespoons of goat cheese. Putting it back to the heat, he continued stirring until the texture felt creamy.
Once done, he poured the creamy eggs on top of a simple slice of bread. He did not even bother himself adding any decorations or improve the plating. With all the eggs poured on top, he presented it to the manager.
"This is scrambled eggs with goat cheese and chives. Enjoy."
The manager has been observing the whole spectacle and is astonished by his skillful display. And as soon as the scent of the dish wafted in her nose, she forcefully gulped down her saliva. After a stressful day and a stressful applicant, all she wanted is a decent meal to relieve her fatigue. And this is the perfect dish.
The plate already came with a fork and as soon as the eggs landed on her tongue, she moaned a little. The savory taste of the chives blended perfectly with the goat cheese. The fluffiness of the eggs made her think that she was eating dessert. She closed her eyes in satisfaction and carefully savored the dish.
'What is she doing?' Ye Han thought. 'That was just a simple recipe I watched online, I bet real chefs can make something much better than mine. But why is she putting on an overly exaggerated expression? I did not put drugs in there right? And that moan earlier creeped the sh*t out of me.'
When she had finished all of it, she eyed Ye Han meaningfully. Her eyes filled with various emotions. After a moment of silence, she took Ye Han's hand. With cheeks flushed, ragged breath and slightly shaking hands, she said out loud. "Marry me!" She looked at him with a predatory gaze, kind of a pedophile who finally lured a child inside a van.
"What?"
"Ah no! I mean you're hired. That's right, you're hired. You're the perfect guy for the job."
She gave a sheepish smile in an attempt to cover up for her earlier mistake, but her eyes never left the aspiring cook. Ye Han, fearing for his career, chose to forget the bizarre situation earlier.
"Follow me to my office. We'll settle your contract."