Chapter 341 Power
Countless memories emerged from the depths of Shen Cong's soul, those past events that he was unwilling to recall.

At first, Shen Cong was just an ignorant boy who learned cooking because he loved it.

He once truly loved cooking, even though he had no talent in it.

But every time he cuts out beautiful shapes and makes delicious food, he feels great joy.

But the joy that cooking brings him is short-lived, just like the carefree days of youth, which will disappear one day.

What followed was something deeper and richer than the pure joy brought by cooking, something that made his blood boil and made him toss and turn in sleep.

Its name is power.

When did Shen Cong realize his love for power?

It was probably on that day that the master who always laughed at his talent and had no patience to teach him, the master who always looked down on others, the master who was extremely strict and rude to everyone, bent down deeply and received a guest in luxurious clothes with a smile on his face.

That guest was even more arrogant than him. He made a pretentious and incorrect criticism of his dishes. He didn't care how the food was or whether the chef's skills were really good. He just wanted to highlight his ability and status by belittling others. He just wanted to see others grovel and apologize repeatedly.

And that day, Shen Cong's master did just that. Even though he knew the customer was just talking nonsense, he still kept smiling, accepted all the criticisms, and even followed the customer's words to belittle himself to please him.

Because as long as he can please this person, his restaurant will be able to earn a lot of money, and he will be able to get the help of this customer. In the future, wealth and fame will follow. What can't he do if he wants?

That day really opened Shen Cong's eyes.

He used to think that he was scolded by his master only because of his poor ability and talent, so his master was too lazy to spend time teaching him.

Since he has no future, why should the master spend time and energy on someone with no future like him?
But that day, Shen Cong understood that what determined the master's attitude was not strength, not talent, but power.

It is something that has absolutely nothing to do with cooking, yet has a profound impact on it.

If he had power and status, no matter how poor his talent was, even if he didn't even know how to hold a kitchen knife, the master would still smile and try his best to please him like he does now.

If that's the case, why should he work hard on his cooking skills?

The sense of accomplishment he wants, the praise and admiration he wants from others, can be easily obtained by just having power.

And those people, even if they close their eyes and talk nonsense, will try their best to please and praise him.

From that day on, Shen Cong could no longer find joy in cooking.

Because he found that the pure sense of accomplishment and happiness he was striving for was ridiculous.

Since then, Shen Cong put his cooking skills aside and tried his best to climb up, pursue power and status, make friends with people who are beneficial to him, and build his own network of relationships.

He can easily get what others have worked hard to gain. This is the benefit that power brings him.

How could he not be tempted and addicted to such benefits?
While power brings him benefits, it also brings him a deep sense of crisis.

Because it is not something that others can't take away from you, like strength or talent.

Power is something that can be lost, something that can be taken away by others.

Everything Shen Cong had was given by power, and when he lost power, he lost everything.

There is nothing left.

There is nothing. So how could Shen Cong give up the power in his hands?
Because once he gave up power, he gave up everything.

His whole life was built on this.

The only thing Shen Cong can do is to try his best to grasp everything around him to maintain his position and power.

It's impossible to let go, it's impossible to let go forever.

How can you convince such a person?
How could he be persuaded?
This is absolutely impossible.

At least Shen Cong thought it was impossible for anyone to do it.

But at this moment, the feelings conveyed by this wonderful taste made his strong obsession loosen a little.

Countless memories echoed and swirled in his mind, allowing him to look at everything he had experienced from another perspective.

It allowed him to put aside his obsession and desire for power and see things that he had not noticed or that he had disdained to notice.

See the goodness in people's hearts beyond power.

Shen Cong also saw the sincerity that he had ignored.

He saw Chef Tang and the scene when they first met.

His elder brother, who was extremely strict and merciless when it came to cooking, always reminded Shen Cong of his former master.

But completely different from Shen Cong's master, Chef Tang is a man who will not succumb to any power.

Shen Cong saw it with his own eyes that day. Those high-ranking officials bossed Chef Tang around and yelled at him. It was as if the past scene was replayed. But Chef Tang did not give them any face at all, and personally drove them out of the restaurant, never allowing them to eat at Longzhen Restaurant again.

Shen Cong was thinking at the time, isn't he afraid? Isn't he afraid of retaliation from officials? Isn't he afraid that it will implicate other people? Isn't he afraid that the restaurant will go bankrupt?
It is extremely unwise to act impulsively without considering the consequences.

Afterwards, those officials did want to retaliate, but ultimately failed to do so.

Because Chef Tang is not just a simple chef, he is also the top and most famous chef in Shanghai. There are countless people who love his dishes and are willing to help him.

Therefore, Shen Congcai wanted to make friends with Chef Tang and use his network of relationships to strengthen himself.

But at this moment, Shen Cong heard the voice that he had ignored at that time.

He got to know Chef Tang not just because Chef Tang had a strong network of connections.

It was also because Shen Cong was involuntarily attracted to him, attracted by his integrity in not fearing power.

Shen Cong despised his irrationality in his heart, but at the same time, in some ways he appreciated it.

If his master was someone like Chef Tang, would his life be different?

Will he be able to continue firmly on the path of cooking and experience the pure joy and satisfaction again?

Such a voice echoed loudly in my heart.

Even if Shen Cong covered his ears tightly, he could not escape the voice coming from deep in his heart.

(End of this chapter)