Chapter 91 - 86: Banquet

Chapter 91: Chapter 86: Banquet

Leitel’s banquet was set to begin at 4:00 PM. Ning He woke up at 5:00 AM; her vision was clear, her throat was no longer scratchy, and her body barely ached. She quickly ducked into the bathroom for a shower, then hopped into the car with Connie and the others who had come to pick her up, arriving at Leitel’s house by six.

The banquet required a massive amount of ingredients. Gates’s subordinates drove a large refrigerated truck, while the food cart and other cooking equipment Ning He brought were set up in a circle in Leitel’s backyard.

Once the ingredients were inspected and confirmed to be in good condition, Ning He and her crew changed into their chef’s uniforms and got to work.

Vance and Youzhen led six classmates in quickly processing the various vegetables. They washed, chopped, and minced everything, portioning the ingredients into basins according to the specific quantities and combinations required for each dish.

Ning He and Connie Ahui handled the meat, marinating or blanching it in advance for later use.

The potato and beef brisket stew, which took the longest to cook, went into the pot at nine o’clock. Two fifty-centimeter-deep stockpots were filled to the brim; it would take at least four or five hours to simmer the meat until tender.

The dried tofu was also thrown into the pot to boil right after. For braised items like this, the longer they soaked, the more flavorful they became. Soon, a rich, savory aroma permeated the surroundings, wafting through the entire backyard. The passing servants couldn’t help but take a few extra sniffs every time they walked by, their eyes lighting up.

The most time-consuming ingredients to prep were the fish slices and fish balls.

Even though the fish arrived as pre-processed halved fillets, it still took Ning He over an hour to slice them all one by one.

She then marinated them with various seasonings, filling two large basins to the brim.

Connie was also keeping her hands busy. The fish meat for the fish balls had to be entirely beaten into a paste, the seasoning required precision, and rolling them into balls was a true test of skill. It took nearly three hours to roll a single basin of fish balls. Fortunately, the follow-up steps were simple; they just needed to be boiled into a soup before serving.

Ah Huai, meanwhile, was responsible for today’s tomato meat sauce. The spices had been pre-mixed by Ning He, which saved some effort. However, whether it was the carrots, onions, celery, and tomatoes, or the minced pork and beef, everything had to be stir-fried until the moisture evaporated and they turned slightly golden brown. Finally, a large amount of tomatoes was added, requiring a long simmering process to reduce the liquid and form a rich sauce. This final step was handed over to Vance. Having watched Ning He do it twice with his own eyes and having tried it himself, he was more than capable of taking on the heavy responsibility.

All the appetizers were ready by 3:00 PM, just waiting for the notification from the front to be plated and served.

Leitel was very busy today. He and Mrs. Leitel took a moment to come to the backyard to check on the situation. Seeing her directing everything so methodically and ensuring everything was properly arranged, they praised her profusely before leaving with peace of mind to set up the banquet in the front.

After a final check on the progress of the main courses and the tableware needed for serving, they all put on their name tags bearing the words "Heqi Chinese Restaurant." As soon as 3:30 PM rolled around, Ning He led Vance and the others to carry the appetizers to the buffet tables.

A red carpet had already been laid out in the hall, which was filled with fresh flowers. A crystal chandelier several meters long sparkled with brilliant light, adding a touch of luxury to the atmosphere.

The entire hall was filled with tables and chairs, except for an empty space in the middle reserved for dancing. At this type of banquet, guests spent most of their time socializing, dancing, and chatting. Even when eating, they often held their plates and talked simultaneously. Not many would actually sit down, so there were only about ten tables in the whole venue, accommodating forty to fifty people at most.

This was not something Ning He needed to worry about. She directed Vance and the others to place the appetizers at one end of the long table. The already plated dishes were neatly arranged at the very front for the guests to take directly. The remaining raw ingredients were placed on the side to be prepared on the spot later.

Once the four snacks were laid out, their beautiful color combinations and exquisite presentation were truly eye-catching. If the circumstances today hadn’t been so special, Leitel definitely wouldn’t have been able to resist eating a few himself first.

Four o’clock arrived, and the guests began to show up one after another. Dressed in a tailcoat, Leitel completely shed his usual image of a gluttonous old man. He suddenly became elegant and thoroughly gentlemanly. Standing amongst these impeccably dressed guests, his presence was not only unyielding but even a cut above the rest.

’This old man really hides his depths well.’

Ning He retracted her gaze, leaving Vance and Youzhen in charge of the four snack stations while she went back to oversee the final preparations.

The cream of mushroom soup was delivered in insulated thermal buckets. The rest of the dishes were packed in chafing dishes specifically for buffets, lined up in a row with several beverage stations spaced out between them.

While Ning He and her team were busy, the guests in the banquet hall gradually grew more lively. Two of them in particular were paying close attention to the situation on her end.

One was Gates, dressed in a suit woven with flashing gold threads and wearing brightly colored gemstone rings that could blind anyone. The other was Leo, wearing a military uniform, burly and handsome, standing quietly in the crowd without making a scene.

The former had the attitude of watching a good show, while the latter had a solemn expression in his eyes, frowning from time to time, as if pondering something unknown.

The final main course of fried rice was brought out, and the guests had all arrived. Leitel went upstairs to fetch his wife.

Mrs. Leitel, dressed in a gorgeous gown, appeared at the top of the stairs arm-in-arm with Leitel. The banquet hall immediately erupted into thunderous applause and cheers.

Mrs. Leitel looked at her husband, her eyes overflowing with happiness and joy. Leitel kissed her cheek, and the couple slowly walked down the stairs and into the crowd under everyone’s watchful eyes.

Music poured through the banquet hall like a babbling stream. Mr. and Mrs. Leitel stepped into the center of the room, and under the emcee’s guidance, the banquet officially began.

"Isn’t that the female anchor from the news channel?" Connie immediately recognized the host on stage.

But soon, their attention was captivated by the love story the host was narrating.

It turned out that back in the day, Leitel had been a standard workaholic. He devoted himself entirely to the operational development of the academy and the applied research of Mechas, never even considering marriage.

At the age of forty, Leitel, a highly eligible bachelor, went to Qingqiao Castle to attend an academic exchange conference. During a field expedition, he accidentally saved Mrs. Leitel, who was only twenty at the time. Mrs. Leitel was the youngest daughter of the wealthiest man in Qingqiao Castle. She fell in love with Leitel at first sight and actively pursued him, only to be rejected by the man whose eyes held nothing but his career.

But Mrs. Leitel did not give up. She asked someone to get Leitel’s address and insisted on writing him a letter every week. Even when she heard that Leitel had been injured while testing a Mecha, she braved the dangerous weather to fly over and take care of him, finally moving his heart.

When the two got married, Beiluo City was coincidentally suffering from a beast horde disaster and was in imminent peril. Mrs. Leitel did not board the plane her family sent for her; instead, she stayed behind to face it side-by-side with Leitel. They exchanged rings right before Leitel left the city to fight, becoming husband and wife.

Today was their twentieth wedding anniversary.

It was also the grand ceremony that Leitel was belatedly gifting his wife.

Mrs. Leitel hadn’t even known about these arrangements just two days prior. Leitel had orchestrated everything in secret; even the gown she was wearing had been custom-made by him in advance.

The news anchor’s skills were no joke. She told the love story with deep emotion and dramatic flair. Connie’s eyes were red, deeply moved by the tale. Ning He, on the other hand, grimaced slightly, looking up, down, left, and right. Aside from his height, she simply couldn’t see any trace of the handsome, suave heartthrob the host had described in Leitel.

The emcee’s speech reached its climax as Leitel proposed to his wife all over again. Even someone as heartless as Ning He felt a little touched.

’True love actually does exist.’

But she quickly ran out of time to be sentimental. After the guests offered their blessings and cheers for Mr. and Mrs. Leitel’s romance, it was time to dance, and after the dancing, it would be time to eat.

Ning He and Connie did one last check on the status of the dishes and the quantity of the tableware. Finding no issues, she waved her hand, signaling for all the lids to be lifted.

In an instant, the myriad of aromas mingled together, drifting straight into the noses of all the guests on the dance floor.

As they listened to the music, danced, and chatted, all the guests, regardless of age or gender, had only one thought the moment they caught that scent:

’It smells so good!’