After The Vicious Cannon Fodder Was Reborn

Chapter 71: Lamb Spine Hot Pot



The three people stayed at the headquarters of FlyNews all afternoon. During the period, Tao Mu and Yun Yi very enthusiastically introduced the functions and development status of each department of FlyNews to Li Xiaoheng.

In the evening, Tao Mu took the initiative and treated all employees who worked overtime to eat a takeaway meal from a five-star hotel. Then brought Li Xiaoheng and Yun Yi back to his small apartment opposite Beijing Film.

"Brother Li said he wants to eat the home-cooked food I made. So I will show off to everyone this evening." Tao Mu took the two to the fresh supermarket outside the community first. When the clerk saw Tao Mu, she immediately greeted him enthusiastically: "Isn't this Xiao Tao, come out to buy groceries again? If you ask me, there are really not many boys like you who are diligent and good at cooking now. If a girl can find someone like you, it would be a blessing cultivated over eight lifetimes. By the way, there is new lamb today, which is very fresh. Would you like to have some?"

Tao Mu smiled and greeted the clerk auntie, then turned to ask Li Xiaoheng and Yun Yi: "Do you all eat mutton? Up for eating lamb spine hot pot?"

Yun Yi was a native of Beijing, and he liked to eat lamb. He would go to Wen Juxiang twice a month to satisfy his craving. Although Li Xiaoheng was also a native of Beijing, he went to country M to study after graduating from high school. After a few years, don't know whether he would still be used to eating mutton.

Li Xiaoheng smiled and said, "I don't usually eat lamb. But I believe in your craftsmanship."

Tao Mu was amused when he heard the words: "Then you can rest assured. My craftsmanship is very good."

Tao Mu was really not bragging about himself, he was also considered to be a direct disciple taught by Mr. Song himself. He was really not afraid of anyone in terms of cooking.

Tao Mu bought ten catties of lamb spine, two catties of mutton leg bones, a large piece of mutton and a lamb chop under the enthusiastic introduction of the clerk auntie. He then went to the seasoning area and bought a lot of seasonings such as black bean sauce, Chinese cinnamon, fennel seed, etc. Then he went to the vegetable area to select a few fresh vegetables, and the three young men each carried two large bags full of ingredients and left the supermarket. Before going upstairs, Tao Mu went to the pharmacy to buy a few large Chinese herbal medicines such as Indian long pepper, Chinese foxglove and Mongolian milkvetch. Only then did they go upstairs with big bags and small bags.

It was the first time Yun Yi came here. After entering the door, he took a turn around in interest, and finally stood in front of the photo wall, letting out the same sigh of emotion as Li Xiaoheng: "Sure enough, Xiao Mu, you were so cute when you were a kid."

Tao Mu cleaned up the ingredients in the kitchen, and said with a smile: "What do you mean cute? That's called handsome. I was very handsome when I was a child. The aunties in the orphanage like me very much. The neighbors also like me. And it was because our old man saw that I was handsome when I was a child, so he wanted to accept me as a direct disciple and even wanted to pass Song Ji to me."

Yun Yi took off his coat and wanted to go into the kitchen to help. But Tao Mu shooed him out: "Look at how small the kitchen is, can it still fit a third person?"

The second person who was washing vegetables in front of the faucet glanced at Yun Yi who was standing at the kitchen entrance with inexplicable pride: Who told you to walk around without occupying favorable terrain when you first entered the house.

Standing at the door of the kitchen, Yun Yi was very embarrassed: "But I can't just let you two do all the work in the kitchen while I watch by the side. That's not good."

"What's not good" Tao Mu said with a smile: "Do you think brother Li can cook? He can only help me wash the vegetables at best. Later, the both of you will go to the living room and sit. Just watch TV and chat. There are fruit drinks, snacks, and beer in the refrigerator. You can eat something casual for now, but don’t eat too much, lest you won’t be able to fit in dinner later."

Yun Yi's heart moved: "There is still fruit in the refrigerator? How about I go and mix a fruit salad?"

What Tao Mu was going to make was lamb spine hot pot in red soup, as well as grilled lamb chops and braised lamb, which could be said to be half a whole lamb feast. Yun Yi worried that everyone would suffer from excessive internal heat after eating too much mutton, and felt that making a fruit salad or something could reduce the heat. (Excessive internal heat comes from traditional Chinese medicine)

Tao Mu actually thought of this as well, and was planning to make a snow fungus and sweet pear soup and put it in the refrigerator first. But adding a fruit salad as well was also fine.

Yun Yi said again: "I'll help you chop vegetables. Don't look at my mediocre cooking skills, I can still help out with such things."

Tao Mu turned his head and looked at the time, and it was past five o'clock in the evening. He really had to hurry up, otherwise it would be too late: "Okay. Then, brother Li, you can go out first. The three of us really can’t turn around in the kitchen. Besides, you just flew back from country M, and you must be tired too. Go lie down for a while and recover from jet lag, we'll eat in a while."

Other than washing vegetables, Li Xiaoheng, who had not acquired any kitchen skills, could only be ostracized from the kitchen. Standing at the door of the kitchen, he calmly looked at Tao Mu and Yun Yi, who cooperated very tacitly, and made up his mind to learn how to cook when he went back home.

It was early winter, and Yun Yi was wearing a white turtleneck sweater. He stood in front of the cutting board, making uniform and even cutting sounds as he cut the vegetables. Tao Mu turned his head and said with a smile: "Brother Yun, you have good knife skills."

Yun Yi smiled slightly: "I am studying surgery, this is basic operations."

Tao Mu looked at the neat row of lotus root slices under Yun Yi's knife, smiled and praised: "People who can use the scalpel are indeed different. The hand is very stable."

Standing at the door of the kitchen, Li Xiaoheng subconsciously looked at his own slender hands: his hands were also very stable when he was trading. The knife should be no problem for him too.

Tao Mu made a lamb spine hot pot, a dish of grilled lamb chops, a dish of red braised lamb, a pot of snow fungus and sweet pear soup, and a dish of steamed lotus root stuffed with sweet-scented osmanthus glutinous rice. Chef Yun Yi also added a fruit salad to the meal.

Though they rushed so quickly, it was already 7:30 in the evening when all the dishes were finally served on the table.

"It's a bit late." Tao Mu scratched his head, raised a can of cold beer and smiled: "After dinner, everyone can only go work out at our respective homes."

"Come, let's all have a toast." Yun Yi also raised his glass: "Thank you, Chef Tao for preparing us such a sumptuous dinner."

"Can't forget everyone else." Tao Mu smiled and toasted: "I am also very grateful to brother Yun and brother Li for your friendly assistance. This meal can be regarded as a welcoming dinner for brother Li."

Li Xiaoheng smiled and clinked glasses with Tao Mu, and then with Yun Yi: "Thank you Xiao Mu for this kind of intention. I accept it."

Yun Yi couldn't wait to clamp a piece of lamb spine and take a bite. In an instant, the rich mutton aroma filled his mouth with a hint of spiciness. Yun Yi's eyes lit up, and he gave Tao Mu a thumbs up: "It's delicious. It's really delicious."

"It must be delicious." Tao Mu was particularly shameless and boasted: "It's my ancestral craftsmanship. There is absolutely no match."

As he said, he used public chopsticks to clamp a piece of lamb spine for Li Xiaoheng, pointed to the plastic gloves on the table and smiled: "Brother Li, please don't be reserved. You must eat lamb spine hot pot with your hands."

Li Xiaoheng put down his chopsticks, put on plastic gloves obediently, and lowered his head to nibble on the piece of lamb spine. The lamb meat was very delicate, tender and plump. It melted in the mouth and was not greasy at all. And though it was obviously spicy, it didn't feel so spicy that it would give you heartburn. On the contrary, it tasted particularly fragrant. With just a bite one could nealy become drunk from it.

In Yun Yi's words, it was the kind of fragrance that could lift the top of one's skull.

The lamb chops were also grilled to the point of perfection. The skin was golden brown and crispy, sprinkled with sesame seeds, cumin seeds, ground chili and pepper, but the inside was very tender and there was not much juice, so it would not feel fatty, but also definitely not too dry. The taste was just right with a slightly burnt aroma. The braised lamb was so fresh that one almost couldn't resist swallowing one's tongue.

Even a person like Li Xiaoheng who didn't eat mutton very much, was surprised to realize that he had eaten at least four or five catties of mutton by the end of the meal. Sure enough, Tao Mu's cooking skills were amazing.

"Sure enough, you are all carnivores." Tao Mu looked at the remaining half of the steamed lotus root stuffed with sweet-scented osmanthus glutinous rice and the fruit salad that hadn't been touched much. Instantly, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "All the meat is gone but you leave behind the vegetable dishes. The contrast is a bit tragic."

Yun Yi couldn't help laughing: "It's okay. I am on duty at night. If you are worried about it wasting, I can pack up the leftovers and take it with me. Anyway, I will be hungry by the middle of the night."

"You not only eat a lot, you even want to pack up the rest with you." Tao Mu deliberately put on an incredulous appearance: "Big brother Yun, you are too much!"

Li Xiaoheng touched his extended, faintly swollen belly, and blinked his eyes inexplicably. It seemed that he ate the most of this meal.

Will Tao Mu dislike him?

Tao Mu didn't mean to complain about the two bigwigs. After eating and drinking, he seemed to inadvertently put forward a topic he had prepared for a long time: "Hey, I say, if you two partner together, how about doing a Sky Eye project?"

"Sky Eye?" Yun Yi and Li Xiaoheng looked at each other, wondering what Tao Mu was selling.

"It's the inspiration given to me by Yun Duo's experience in H Town." Tao Mu toughened his skin and shamelessly spoke in front of the two tycoons who created Sky Eye Technology in the previous life: "…..just want to create a nationwide surveillance system software, plus face recognition system….."

Tao Mu explained a little bit about the main operating projects of the future Sky Eye Technology in front of the two bigwigs. He even wrote a detailed and comprehensive plan and handed it to the two big bosses.

It seemed that there was indeed destiny, and when Yun Yi saw this plan he unconsciously felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity rushing over him.

Tao Mu smiled and said to Yun Yi: "Big brother Yun, haven't you been learning programming on your own recently. I think you will definitely be interested in this project. The technology shall depend on you~"

Yun Yi was startled instantly: "I have been learning programming for less than two months. Aren't you too optimistic towards me?"

"Believe in yourself, you can do it." Tao Mu was confident about the future richest man, and he did not allow Yun Yi to doubt himself: "Anyway, we have time so don't worry."

Yun Yi looked at Tao Mu blankly: Bro, you know that you are spoiling things through excessive enthusiasm, do you?

Classmate Tao Mu, who finally returned the business plan to its rightful owner, was feeling pleased and refreshed, and expressed casually: "I believe in your strength, big brother Yun Yi. This little problem will definitely not trouble you."

He then asked Li Xiaoheng again: "If big brother Yun really made this technology, would you like to invest in his project?"

When it came to work, Li Xiaoheng considered it very seriously, and solemnly said: "Very likely. The development prospects of this project are very good, and it is also of a public welfare nature. Once it is done, whether it is a return on income or a word-of-mouth publicity to the company, it will all be very impressive."

Tao Mu was immediately satisfied: "I knew you two would hit it off right away. Sure enough, there is a tacit understanding."

What do you mean?

Yun Yi and Li Xiaoheng looked at each other with question marks. They didn't understand Tao Mu's thinking at all.

Tao Mu, however, presented a cool and unrestrained manner of "flicking one's clothes and retreating after accomplishment". Before, because he successfully rescued Yun Duo and her friends, he almost butterflied away Yun Yi's future of becoming the richest man.

Although Tao Mu never regretted what he had done, every time he faced Yun Yi, he would inevitably feel a little guilty. As if he had accidentally changed a person's future.

If this kind of change developed in a good direction——for example, Gou Rixin, Tao Mu was naturally happy. But if it was Yun Yi, Tao Mu couldn't be sure whether his change was good or bad, and so this would inevitably make him feel a little uncomfortable.

But it was all right now. No matter what Yun Yi chose to do in the future, he had put the second possibility in front of Yun Yi. Even if Yun Yi still felt that being a cardiologist was happier than being the richest man, Tao Mu would have no regrets. By now, he regarded Yun Yi as his good friend and no longer had the mentality of holding on to a golden thigh, so his mindset naturally changed.

He now had FlyNews, and he was also cooperating with Li Xiaoheng to short international crude oil. After the international crude oil turmoil came to an end, he had completed the accumulation of his startup funds and he still had ten years of future knowledge to invest in various emerging companies and shoot various movies and TV shows with small costs and big returns. He could completely rely on his own efforts to become a new capitalist bigwig and technology tycoon.

Like a young seedling struggling to grow into a towering tree in the midst of a storm, like a fledgling bird that was struggling to grow into an eagle, Tao Mu ambitiously accumulated strength and capital.

He felt that even if his relatives and friends preferred a life of peace and average prosperity, he could still strive to become a big tree and eagle that sheltered the wind and rain for them. When the storm approached, he would open his arms and protect all his relatives and friends under his wings.

He will make up for the regrets of the previous life and cherish those who treated him sincerely.

Perhaps this was what he should do the most after being reborn.

Thinking about it this way, Tao Mu slept especially soundly that night. It was a pity that this good mood was broken the next day——

After more than two months of selection, the National School Beauty And School Hunk Competition finally ushered in the finals on December 12th. After more than one hundred players had gone through multiple rounds of elimination and withdrawing from the competition, only four male and female contestants were left. Among the eight people, the final winners of the National School Hunk and National School Beauty were Gu Xun, a senior from Beijing Film, and Chu Zi, a junior from Yan Film respectively.

Of these two people, one was a newcomer who won the Golden Crow Award for Best Actor in the first movie he acted in, while the other was a popular starlet who became popular overnight with a costume idol drama. The selection of these two could be said to have been well-received.

However, after the notary invited by the program crew announced the total number of netizens' votes. Because of Shen Yu's loss, Shen Yu's fans broke out with great dissatisfaction. They left messages online questioning the fairness of the voting process. Thinking that the program crew must have acted unfairly due to Tao Mu's attitude, causing Shen Yu to lose his win.

——After all, during the show, Shen Yu complained in front of the media that Tao Mu was not good to him, which once caused netizens to criticize Tao Mu himself.

Shen Yu's brainless fans believed that Tao Mu must be retaliating. Otherwise, it didn't make sense that their beloved little prince would lose to that ugly Beijing Film student in the voting session. (Beijing Film senior: blame me for not having an idol face!) A large group of brainless fans commented on the Internet, and accused Tao Mu of using the National School Hunk title as a favor everywhere they could, deliberately favoring Beijing Film, and using the championship to please his senior.

Some remarks even spread over on the hot search of Weibo next door. A lot of gossip media also followed the trend with reports that only added fuel to the fire. Some netizens who didn't know the truth were immediately led by the nose. Even the other two male contestants who entered the finals together had a lot of criticism. Subtly implying that the program crew might have been influenced by a certain someone——

After all, the two contestants who won the champion title of Nation School Beauty and National School Hunk could have their pick either to sign with Longteng Entertainment or Summer Star Entertainment, and could also make direct debuts in idol dramas under the company's arrangement. This kind of treatment was definitely something to inspire extreme jealousy for contestants who were interested in entering the entertainment circle.

In such a jealous state of mind, these young boys and girls became affected by the outside world, so it was reasonable that they would blurt out something rashly.

The program crew saw this bad trend, and had to call Tao Mu to ask what to do next.

Tao Mu…..Tao Mu was also particularly speechless!

Sure enough, this group of people indeed had grudges with him in the previous life, and they won't let him live a single good day!

TN: Some important announcements

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