Chapter 312: Can I Apply?
Chefs usually finish work very late. Chen Jianhai felt miserable from drinking last night, so around ten o'clock he was too sleepy to function. After saying goodbye to Xu Bo and the others, he returned to the hotel to sleep.
"By the way, be careful when you go out. The ground near Yue Mei Hotel is tricky and you might trip. I almost fell during the day."
Before leaving, Chen Jianhai reminded Xu Bo and the others.
Normally, tripping wouldn't be a big deal, but Xu Bo and the others' hands are precious. If they tripped and hurt their arms or hands, it would be a serious matter.
"Got it! You go to sleep early," Xu Bo replied.
Just as Chen Jianhai stepped out of the tent, Qiaokeli walked in with a backpack and a nervous expression.
"Hello, would you like to order something?" The most enthusiastic order taker welcomed her warmly.
"I'd like a cup of chocolate dirty milk tea," Qiaokeli said as she quietly sat in the seat closest to the baking area.
She sat there until almost midnight.
Finally, when the last customer left, the most enthusiastic order taker approached her and asked, "Hello, would you like to order anything else? Our chefs are about to finish for the night."
"You're about to finish?" Qiaokeli's eyes lit up as if she had been waiting for this moment.
She grabbed her backpack and, to the astonishment of the order taker, rushed to the kitchen area, shouting, "Can I apply to make desserts here?"
...
The kitchen fell silent.
Everyone stared blankly at the suddenly appearing Qiaokeli, but Xu Bo reacted quickly. He stopped cleaning his work area and curiously looked at the girl with pigtails, asking, "You want to apply?"
"Yes! I studied dessert making abroad for two years and have a year and a half of work experience!" Qiaokeli nervously pulled out a resume from her bag and held it in front of her chest. "I love making desserts and I'm good at making chocolate. Can you give me a chance?"
Her voice trembled with nerves.
Many chefs and diners around curiously stretched their necks to look, but Qiaokeli didn't care anymore.
Ever since she rode that giant swing ride, she feared nothing in the world!
Normally, the hiring process involves submitting a resume online, waiting for an interview, a cooking test, and finally passing an assessment.
But driven by some impulse, she just rushed up here.
Xu Bo looked at her resume for a while, then said, "Hongpei, there's a dessert chef applicant here. See what you think."
Hongpei walked over.
He glanced at Qiaokeli and then at her resume, unsure of Xu Bo's intentions.
"Don't look at me. She's applying to be a dessert chef. It's your call whether to hire her," Xu Bo said bluntly, pushing Hongpei forward.
"This..." Hongpei was caught off guard.
Though skilled in making small cakes and cookies, he hadn't delved much into chocolate desserts.
But having a colleague who could make chocolate would be nice.
"Joeni, should I interview her?" Hongpei asked tentatively.
"It's up to you. If you think she's suitable, hire her," Xu Bo said, leaving the decision to him.
With Xu Bo's approval, Hongpei felt more confident.
He checked the time, then turned to Qiaokeli and said, "You have one hour. Use the kitchen ingredients to make a chocolate dessert."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Qiaokeli was thrilled that they were giving her an interview opportunity. She was so excited she almost jumped.
Since the restaurant had closed, she followed Hongpei into the kitchen through the side door, washed her hands, changed into clean work clothes, and stood in the dessert area.
"Chocolate, cocoa powder, milk, cream, sugar, condensed milk, molds, and parchment paper are all here. Everything's available!"
She quickly scanned the workbench, checking the ingredients and tools.
For a dessert chef,
The design, taste, and creativity of a dessert are inseparable.
"But time is limited..."
Qiaokeli frowned slightly. Many delicate and interesting chocolate desserts take time, and she only had an hour.
"While the design and appearance can be refined later, the taste is always the highest standard by which a chef is judged!"
"Since my name is Qiaokeli, I'll make a clean chocolate mousse cake tonight."
With determination flashing in her eyes, she began to work swiftly...
...
On the other side of the kitchen.
"Joeni, do you trust this girl to let her come in for an interview?" Daoduner whispered a reminder.
The kitchen staff, along with the most enthusiastic order taker, all twelve pairs of eyes, were watching Qiaokeli as if she were a thief.
After all, this was the kitchen,
In a few days, they would have a chef competition. If this girl were a saboteur or a troublemaker, it would ruin everything.
"Doesn't seem like it," Xu Bo shook his head.
He's good at reading people, and Qiaokeli seemed like an innocent and fearless type, quite straightforward.
Any other girl wouldn't come for an interview in the middle of the night.
And frankly speaking,
If she were here to cause trouble, they could easily handle her with twelve men. They could just lift her out by her pigtails if needed.
"Her technique looks good, rhythm is steady, and she's skilled with the ingredients," Hongpei quietly commented.
"We have too much male energy in the kitchen. It would be good to have some women around. I'm tired of seeing just you guys every day," Shengyu said.
"Exactly, having a dessert-making girl would be sweet," another chef chimed in.
...
They say when men gossip, women have no chance.
The chefs work hard every day, standing all day until they are exhausted. Seeing a new young face like Qiaokeli brought a bit of joy to their tired lives.
But the joyful gossip only lasted about ten minutes.
Compared to chatting, everyone preferred to finish cleaning up quickly and go home to sleep.
Xu Bo, meanwhile, took some tape and nails and walked out of the work area, frowning at a protruding wire on the ground near Yue Mei Hotel.
"Strange... I fixed this wire last time. Why is it sticking out again?"
Xu Bo squatted down and put the wire back in place.
"I didn't notice before, but this wire is really annoying..."