The young man was polite, but not too humble in front of his superiors, and the way he
spoke and conducted himself was impressive. The mayor could tell that Keith was a
highly capable young man. For the first time, the mayor addressed James, who was
standing beside him.
Chief Cooper, should we have something to eat before we leave? James chuckled. All
right. We have a lot of people, though, Mrs. Sanderburg, I don't want to trouble you.
Keith's mother waved him off with a smile, and was about to head into the kitchen when
Sander's eyes lit up. She blurted out, Oh, but Mayor Anderson, don't you know Keith is a
fantastic cook? In fact, why not let him show you his culinary skills by making you
dinner?
Oh, the mayor said curiously, Keith, I didn't
know you had such a wide range of talents. It seems we're in luck today.
Even Quinn looked over with a trace of curiosity in her eyes. Keith frowned slightly. He
didn't know how to cook.
Sander was clearly trying to embarrass him in front of his superiors, but the mayor had
already spoken, and he seemed genuinely excited that Keith was going to cook for them
all. It didn't really leave Keith with many choices. If this had happened to old Keith, he
might have just run away at this point.
But now, he stood up and said with a smile, It'd be my pleasure to cook for you all. I'll be
right back. Keith's parents looked at each other.
Keith barely ever set foot in the kitchen, other than to grab the occasional midnight bowl
of cereal. How could he possibly cook a whole meal? Keith's mother wanted to go and
help him, but the mayor laughed and said, Let the young people do it, Mrs. Sanderburg.
I'm sure you deserve a night off.
Quinn, James winked. Why don't you go help Keith? You still owe him a favor. Quinn was
happy to help.
Since Keith was on her team, she'd received a share of the credit when he caught the
bank robbers, and once she'd connected the criminals to the string of robberies from a
few years back, her captain had started talking about her next promotion. Although
she'd already thanked Keith in person, she still felt like she owed him. Furthermore, she
wanted to see if the hammer fist expert really could cook as well.
She stood up and nodded before making her way out of the room. A cold smile spread
across Sander's face as she watched them both disappear into the kitchen. Her evil plan
was working.
In the kitchen, Keith stared at the pile of food in front of him, and the corners of his
mouth curled up. He picked up a kitchen knife and got to work chopping vegetables.
Culinary mastery skill activated.
Keith's movements became almost invisible to the naked eye as he diced the shallots. As
Quinn watched from beside him, her face revealed a look of disbelief. Keith's knife
technique was superb.
He was so fast that his hand was a blur, and on top of that, every slice was cut evenly, as
if processed by a machine. Quinn could barely believe her eyes. The rhythmic sound of
the knife hitting the chopping board was intoxicating, and every step looked like a work
of art.
Quinn watched in a daze, unable to tear her eyes away. She didn't even dare make a
sound, as if her words would break the wonderful scene before her. Just minutes later,
there was a sizzle of stir-frying, and the fragrance of the dish floated through the
kitchen, making her mouth water.
The aroma drifted into the living room, and though everyone continued chatting
casually, their thoughts drifted away as they caught a whiff of the delicious food. Each
and every one of them swallowed discreetly as they began to salivate. Twenty minutes
later, looking at the table full of steaming dishes, the mayor laughed.
Keith, you really are something. You caught a group of seasoned criminals, and you
whipped us up a feast. I can't wait to see if this tastes as good as it smells.
The mayor scooped up a forkful of food. The moment it was in his mouth, his eyes went
wide, and he let out a groan. He saw the table full of people staring at him in
anticipation.
And he swallowed and looked up to Keith, saying, I've never tasted such delicious
chicken in my life. The others all gasped. It must be the most delicious food in the world.
James saw this and couldn't bear it any longer. He laughed and said, Wow, is it really
that delicious? I'll try it too. He picked up a piece of chicken and put it in his mouth.
His expression was even more exaggerated than the mayor's. But the difference was
that he didn't say anything. He just kept shoveling food into his mouth as if he was going
to swallow his own tongue.
When the others saw this, they didn't wait any longer. One by one, they took the food
and began to stuff it into their mouths. Then there was a burst of exclamations.
As Quinn chewed, her eyes narrowed to slits. She'd eaten quite a number of delicacies in
her life, but compared to the home-cooked dishes in front of her, there was a world of
difference. She was growing more and more impressed with Keith.
Keith's parents heaved a sigh of relief at the same time and looked at their son with a
smile. Their child had finally grown up, and it looked as though he had a promising future
ahead of him. Meanwhile, Sandra's face was filled with disbelief.
How is this possible? I didn't think Keith ever stepped foot in the kitchen. She tried a
mouthful of food, and her expression turned from shock to enjoyment before finally
settling into an ugly expression. When Keith saw this, he said, What's wrong, Sandra? Is
it no good? I know you wanted to make a fool of me, so I'm sorry to disappoint you.