Chapter Sixty-Four: The Black Tome

Originally, Su Rui also wanted to take the opportunity to learn a few tricks from Li Can, but since she still had to deal with matters regarding her house, she was left with no choice but to head home first.

Inside the Little Neighbor’s Kitchen, only Li Can, Steadfast Cat, and five middle-aged men in their forties remained.

Apart from Steadfast Cat, who was curled up in a cardboard box sound asleep, everyone else was gathered around the central table, upon which five steaming, fragrant dishes were arranged:

Stir-fried Beef with Peppers;
Mapo Tofu;
Kung Pao Chicken;
Dry-braised Spare Ribs;
Pork Shank with Garlic in Spicy Oil.

To facilitate Li Can’s guidance, Boss Ma and the others had each gone home earlier to prepare their signature dishes and bring them back.

“Let’s start with Boss Ma’s stir-fried beef,” Li Can said, picking up his chopsticks. Before tasting, he commented, “The essence of this dish lies in its tender, juicy beef, smooth on the palate, with a hint of fresh coriander to enrich the layers of flavor. However, you’ve added a bit too much dark soy sauce.”

Boss Ma forced a smile, not daring to argue. The others listened intently, afraid to miss a single word.

“The color of stir-fried beef tends to be rather dark to begin with. If you don’t control the amount of dark soy sauce, the dish will look greasy, and—” Li Can leaned in to sniff the plate, “the blood hasn’t been thoroughly washed from the beef.”

“You can tell just by smelling it?” Boss Ma was shocked.

“My sense of smell is a bit sharper than most,” Li Can explained.

“No wonder.” Boss Ma nodded, then chuckled awkwardly. “But Li Can, I washed it several times. It should be clean.”

“Rinsing?”

“Yes.”

“That’s the issue,” Li Can shook his head. “No matter how many times you rinse beef, you only remove the surface blood. The blood hidden in the meat’s fibers is hard to get out. You need to slice the beef first and soak it in water. Also, while marinating the beef makes it tender, I don’t recommend using egg—egg whites tend to foam, which is why your dish looks less appealing.”

Boss Ma was inwardly amazed, thinking he’d only added half an egg white—it was barely noticeable to the average person.

Li Can picked up a slice of beef and chewed thoughtfully. “Your control of the heat is pretty good, and there aren’t any other major issues. Once you address the blood, dark soy sauce, and marinating process, your stir-fried beef will improve dramatically.”

All the bosses, including Ma, took careful mental notes of every word, gaining a far deeper appreciation for Li Can’s culinary skills.

Previously, they’d thought Li Can was simply skilled in a particular style or possessed some secret cooking techniques. Now they realized that wasn’t the case at all.

He was a true master chef—no flaw could escape his eye.

“Next is Boss Zhu’s dish,” Li Can said, turning to the plate of Mapo Tofu. “This is a renowned traditional dish. Do you know its origin?”

“Its origin?” Boss Zhu was stumped and shook his head.

“About two hundred years ago, there was a woman surnamed Chen, whose face was marked with pock scars. People called her Chen Mapo. The tofu she made with hot oil, chilis, Sichuan peppercorns, and fermented black beans was exceptionally flavorful. That’s where Mapo Tofu gets its name.”

Li Can gestured to the dish with his chopsticks. “Authentic Mapo Tofu should actually be called Chen Mapo Tofu. Its hallmark is tender, snowy-white tofu adorned with brown-red minced beef, vibrant green garlic shoots, and a bright red chili oil. Its appearance is like jade inlaid with amber, its aroma rich and intoxicating. As for the taste, it’s defined by eight essential characters: numbing, spicy, hot, tender, crisp, fresh, fragrant, and lively.”

“Alright, Li Can, you’d better stop—I can’t bear to look at my own dish anymore,” Boss Zhu interrupted, taking his plate away before Li Can could even try it, making the others laugh in spite of themselves.

“In fact, your cooking skills aren’t bad. You just lack the authentic technique,” Li Can said with a smile. “Nowadays, with so many real recipes available online, a little refinement will help you create a Mapo Tofu that’s uniquely yours.”

“Thank you for your guidance,” Boss Zhu said sincerely, full of respect.

Li Can then offered pointed critiques of the remaining three dishes, each time hitting the key issues directly, convincing everyone entirely and leaving no room for doubt.

It was almost laughable—they’d always believed Zhao Gang’s cooking was extraordinary, but now, compared to Li Can, Zhao Gang’s skills seemed little more than a joke.

“No need to be discouraged,” Li Can encouraged them, “I’ll teach you how to make scallion oil. With it, every dish will taste a bit better. As for your own specialties, that’s something you’ll have to refine with care.”

“Of course, of course!”

“Follow me, then.”

Li Can led them into the kitchen. However, the space was so cramped that the five burly men had to squeeze in tight, their faces turning red from holding their breath and tensing their muscles.

Seeing their discomfort, Li Can didn’t waste words and demonstrated the complete method for making scallion oil.

Five minutes later, the group returned to the spacious main hall as if they’d been granted amnesty, each with eyes shining with excitement.

The process for making scallion oil was far simpler than they’d imagined.

Yet this simple technique could elevate the appearance, texture, and flavor of nearly any dish.

“Why did I never think of using scallion oil before?” Boss Ji muttered to himself.

“Because you’re an idiot,” Boss Ma teased.

Afterward, they continued to ask Li Can for advice on various cooking skills, and it wasn’t until nearly midnight that they reluctantly parted ways.

Li Can locked up the roll-down door and glanced at the cardboard box beneath the counter. Inside, Steadfast Cat was still sleeping soundly.

“This little one is growing so fast. In just a day, he’s already much bigger than when he was born, and his fur is starting to shine.”

Back in the kitchen, Li Can began preparing ingredients for the next day: Dark Star Soup and Volcanic Immortal Pork, as always.

There was simply no choice—the tentacled creature was so massive that even with brisk business during the day, the supply of ingredients was far from exhausted.

Time passed quickly; over two hours slipped by in the blink of an eye.

Once the kitchen was tidied, Li Can went upstairs to wash up and get ready for bed.

Yet, perhaps because he’d been working until four or five in the morning these past few days, he found himself unable to sleep.

“That’s right, after killing that little monster last time, I picked up a black-covered book, didn’t I?”

Li Can switched on the light, pulled a backpack from under his bed, and took out the black book inside.

Aside from the pure black cover, which bore no words at all, the book felt just like any ordinary volume.

Leaning against the headboard, he opened to the first page. It was the table of contents:

1. How to Properly Understand Eating Methods...
2. The Structure of Human Society...
3. How to Respond to Sudden Evolution...
4. Detailed Evolution and Power Comparison...
5. Our Natural Enemy—The Clan of the Gods...
...

Li Can sat up abruptly, eyes narrowing.

“The Clan of the Gods...?”

(To be continued...)