When the appointed time arrived, the HR personnel led these people to the kitchen.
The HR department didn't beat around the bush and directly stated how many kitchen helpers the company currently needed, as well as the application process.
The job of a kitchen helper tests one's skills, but there aren't many other strict requirements. With so many people coming, it's all about the skill of the hands.
"Our unit originally had two head chefs, but one of them has retired. Currently, there is only one head chef in the kitchen. The job you are applying for today is prepared by Chef Mo."
The HR person stood in front of a group of people and gave a detailed introduction.
She introduced the chef, who was standing not far away, to everyone present.
Chef Mo came out, coughed lightly, and said with a serious expression, "I won't introduce myself. Once you've been hired as a kitchen helper, I'll tell you everything you need to know."
"I've prepared three things for you: first, slicing potatoes; second, slicing tofu; and third, fried rice with eggs."
When everyone heard the first and third points, their faces relaxed.
And what about cutting tofu? Isn't that simple?
The potatoes were a bit tricky, since it was a job interview and the potatoes needed to be cut very finely and evenly.
Chef Mo didn't explain, but told them to line up and try one after another.
Zhou Mingli had a plan in mind. He followed the crowd to join the queue, glancing around and vaguely noticing a few people with serious expressions and furrowed brows.
Cutting potatoes is a test of one's skill in cooking home-style dishes, and fried rice is also predictable—simple, but it still needs to be made delicious and can be cooked in large batches.
As for this sliced tofu...
Zhou Mingli believes that Chef Mo was most likely referring to the type of sliced tofu that makes Wensi Tofu.
Some people may have never left Beijing, and Wensi Tofu is not something that everyone can eat often, so they may not know what "cutting tofu" means.
But it was clear that most of the people present who were frowning had probably guessed the difficulty of cutting tofu.
Why should a kitchen helper in a government agency learn to cut tofu?
Zhou Mingli lowered his gaze, neither asking nor saying anything more.
The chef prepared three tables and called three people over directly from the queue.
There were both men and women, all dressed respectably.
The head chef stood right in front of them, watching their movements.
Chef Mo didn't prepare a whole potato for each person, but rather a quarter of a potato for each person, and a quarter of a block of tofu for each person, which can be said to be the ultimate application of thrift and frugality.
Two grown men not only chopped a perfectly good potato into a mess, but they also didn't know the correct way to hold a knife when cutting vegetables!
Chef Mo's face was incredibly grim. Watching them make their third cut, he said bluntly, "That's enough! Get out of here! You can't even cut a potato properly. Are you here to help me cook or to cause me trouble?!"
The two men, their faces flushed red from Chef Mo's scolding, sheepishly put down their knives.
The woman in front of the stove trembled slightly at the shout.
Fortunately, she quickly regained her composure and continued cutting.
Chef Mo glanced at her, and just as she was about to cut the tofu, he said, "Alright, you can finish now."
The woman was taken aback, then looked at the tofu in front of her. "Chef Mo, I... I haven't cut it yet."
Chef Mo rolled his eyes. "You can't cut potatoes well, but if you ruin my tofu, are you going to pay me?"
The woman's eyes welled up with tears as she listened to what he said.
Chef Mo stood in front of the stove and said to the job applicants, "Food is very precious, and I cannot allow you to waste it. If any of you can't even cut a potato, you should leave this job interview immediately, or I'll have to tell you myself!"
The people present looked at each other, comparing the potatoes the woman had cut to their own.
Those who are not even a third as good as her would naturally feel discouraged.
Some, however, held their heads high with arrogance, showing utter disdain for Chef Mo's attitude.
So what if I can't cut vegetables?
Their uncle (elder brother, grandfather) is a leader!
The relatives have already spoken to HR; they're just here today to go through the motions, and they're guaranteed to get the kitchen helper job!
Little did they know that everyone present who was applying for the job was thinking the same thing.
If you don't have any connections, you probably wouldn't know that there are two kitchen helpers working here.
Every three people who went up, some had just gotten their knives when Chef Mo gave them a good scolding and told them to come down and make room for others.
Some people were scolded until their faces turned red.
Zhou Mingli waited for a while before it was his turn.
Cutting potatoes is not difficult, but Zhou Mingli did not start immediately.
He looked at the quarter block of tofu and felt the knife in his hand.
Zhou Mingli focused his attention on the potatoes.
Three more men arrived who can't even cook.
Chef Mo looked down on these people.
Someone who can't cook applies for a kitchen helper job. I really don't know what the manager and these applicants are thinking. Aren't they just causing trouble for him?
Chef Mo was inwardly complaining. Before he could even say anything to kick the man out, he saw the man standing on the left roll up his sleeves to his forearms and elbows, hold a knife, linger on the tofu for a moment, and then quickly look back at the potatoes.
Chef Mo swallowed back his words of dismissal, his gaze falling on the man. He watched as the man worked efficiently, the rhythmic chopping sounds of his hands moving smoothly and quietly.
Chef Mo's expression turned more serious when he looked at the man.
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