**"A Symphony of Flames: The Unforgettable Kitchen Inspection"**

He moved effortlessly between the stoves, his steps perfectly composed, his actions as fluid as a cloud and as smooth as water, as if every moment, every position had been precisely calculated.

Had they seen this in the usual blacklisted shops they inspected, they would have called the fire department, the environmental protection bureau, and the safety supervision bureau all at once.

Yet, Liu Yang was at ease in this "battlefield of fierce flames," taming the six fiery dragons with ease.

Surprisingly, despite Liu Yang's intense operations, there was none of the usual grease and chaos; instead, the place was clean to the point of not seeming like an operating kitchen.

The stainless steel countertops were polished to a shine, reflecting human figures;

The ceramic tile floors were spotless, with not a single water stain in sight;

Seasonings were neatly arranged on the shelves as if on parade for a military inspection;

Even the wall-mounted range hoods were mirror-like as if freshly delivered from the factory.

Most miraculously, the six stoves spewed fire—logically, when stir-frying, oil splatters would fly everywhere—but around these stoves, there was not a single stain. The black surfaces gleamed with a matte finish, not a drop of oil to be found.

The entire kitchen was cleaner than a surgical operating room, exuding an uncanny sense of perfection.

The two inspectors looked at each other in disbelief. They had inspected hundreds, if not thousands, of restaurants, but this was the first time they had seen a kitchen cleaned to such a degree. This level of cleanliness would make even the five-star hotel owned by their bureau chief's wife feel ashamed.

Director Li and Xiao Zhang stood at the entrance of the kitchen, like two statues struck by lightning.

Xiao Zhang's jaw was almost touching the ground, his mouth open wide enough to fit a large steamed bun;

Director Li's hand, which was adjusting his glasses, was suspended in mid-air, the lenses fogged up, clearly dazed by the scene before them.

Their eyes followed Liu Yang's figure back and forth, their movements more exaggerated than their usual glances during inspections.

Every time Liu Yang spun from one stove to another, their necks would twist in response, as if watching an intense table tennis match.

Director Li intended to take out his notebook to jot something down, but the pen tip poked at the paper for a long time without even a dot being written.

Xiao Zhang was in an even worse state; his hand, holding the camera, trembled as if he had Parkinson's disease. He struggled to focus the lens but failed to press the shutter—

After all, no one would believe such a scene even if it were captured in a photograph.

"This... maybe we should record the seasoning ratios?" Director Li poked at his notebook, his gaze wandering, unsure of what to write.

The blank page seemed to mock their professionalism. In the past, when inspecting substandard restaurants, their notebooks were filled with issues—greasy floors, foul-smelling refrigerators, moldy corners... But now?

Xiao Zhang, holding the camera, his hand shaking as if he had the chills: "Director Li, should I photograph the cutting board or the work?" He looked around; every corner gleamed with cleanliness, and even the exhaust pipes were spotless. This left the professional, who was used to capturing unsanitary spots, at a loss.

"This angle..." He squatted down to focus on a corner, trying to find something amiss, but it was cleaner than his balcony.

"If you're going to take a photo, I suggest using a tripod," Liu Yang said with a smile, "The lighting here isn't great."

The two inspectors stood there awkwardly, like students who had entered an exam room only to find a test paper filled with questions they couldn't answer.

This was probably the first time in their professional careers that they were at a loss due to excessive cleanliness during an inspection.

The two inspectors looked at each other as if to confirm whether the other had witnessed this "kitchen magic show."

They had inspected stores for years, but this was the first time they had seen "a one-man show that could have been performed by six people."

What left them even more agape was that in this battlefield, which could be called a "hellish kitchen," Liu Yang was the only one in command.

In contrast, the three shop assistants outside, although the store was beginning to bustle with customers coming and going, appeared calm and composed.

Xiao Li leaned against the cash register, cloth in hand, methodically wiping the bowls and chopsticks that had just been collected, humming a tune;

Ah Qiang moved gracefully between the tables, carrying a tray with the posture of an experienced dancer, a professional smile on his face;

Xiao Wang meticulously wiped the empty tables, occasionally glancing up at the new menu hanging on the wall, probably contemplating his craftsmanship.

The three worked in harmony, each with their own role, managing the front hall in an orderly fashion.

Compared to the "solo performance" leaping between the six stoves in the kitchen, it was as if they were on vacation.

This led the two inspectors to wonder who the real boss of this shop was.

Watching this, the inspectors shook their heads, thinking this might be the "annual drama of one person working while everyone else is idle."

Director Li rubbed his eyes, fearing that the dish of Twice-Cooked Pork he had just eaten had given him hallucinations.

"This..." The two inspectors exchanged glances, their eyes filled with confusion as if to say, "Did we walk into the wrong scene?"

This was not an inspection; it was more like witnessing a supernatural phenomenon in the culinary world.

Liu Yang's smile carried a hint of inscrutable depth, like a martial arts grandmaster cultivating his disciples:

"The three outside are newcomers; they need to be gradually trained."

He spoke nonchalantly as if he hadn't been the one darting between the six stoves just moments ago.

Director Li finally snapped back to reality, the tension in his mind slightly easing.

He had almost forgotten that he was there to inspect the shop, not to gawk at "strange culinary phenomena."

"Uh... Master Liu..." Director Li's hand trembled as he took out the form,

Looking at the "culinary god" before him, who moved with ease among the six stoves, he finally couldn't help but voice the doubt in his heart,

"Could you take a moment to fill out this form? But... with so many works under your control..."

This question would have been a normal concern in any of the shops they had inspected before.

After all, even Nezha with his eight arms wouldn't dare claim to manage six stoves with different heat levels at the same time.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yang's lips curled into an enigmatic smile, an expression more mysterious than his "Wasabi Ice Cream":

"I can handle the heat; don't worry."

He spoke casually as if commenting on the pleasant weather.

The system in his mind silently operated, probably congratulating itself on successfully covering up this lie once again.

A few minutes later, Liu Yang finished filling out the form while flipping the wok.

Director Li glanced over and directly marked an incredibly high score in the grading column—

A score higher than any he had given in his lifetime of inspections, probably even larger than the face of their bureau chief.

But under today's circumstances, aside from a perfect score, he truly didn't know what else to give to express his astonishment.

This was more magical than all the bizarre incidents he had encountered in twenty years of food hygiene inspections combined.

"We won't disturb you further. See you at the preliminary contest!"

This tone was incomparably more polite than when he usually sealed off substandard restaurants as if he was afraid of offending this "divine cook."

Xiao Zhang watched in amazement—

It was the first time he had seen his usually stern leader speak in such a nearly fawning manner.

The turn of events was too swift!

As they packed up to leave, both cast several reluctant glances back before departing. Their demeanor, far from the dignified presence of professional inspectors, resembled that of satisfied diners who wished to take some leftovers for the night.

In the backyard of Fu Man Lou, Xiao Yuanshan slumped in a master chair, like a fish that had been squeezed dry of its last drop of water.

The cigarette in his hand lazily emitted smoke upwards, as if sighing the endless breaths of his life on his behalf.

This morning had been a torment for him; customers had flooded in like at a fair.

He had barely managed to satisfy the picky palates of the diners when two inspectors arrived.

Xiao Yuanshan let out a long sigh, nearly crushing the cigarette in his hand—

The surprise inspection had come too abruptly, without even a moment to have the staff prepare a simple garnish like a carrot flower.

What was worse, they insisted on touring the kitchen. Had it not been for Chen Zisheng stalling them with a twenty-minute discourse on "island nation experiences," they wouldn't have had time to even wipe the floor.

Those years-old grease stains were as ingrained as his ancestral martial arts skills; no cloth could erase them.

The most unfortunate incident involved Wang Xiaoliu, the reckless one, who, while scrubbing the wall, chipped off a piece of the ceiling's old grease with a shovel, sending it directly into a dish of sweet and sour pork.

The customer had nearly overturned the table, and Xiao Yuanshan had to calm the guest while being wary of the inspectors noticing anything amiss.

"This mess..." Xiao Yuanshan lay sprawled in the master chair, feeling like a salted fish dried by the fumes and surprise inspections.

Today's events had been more exhausting than his apprenticeship days.

It was said that serving a monarch was like keeping company with a tiger; being a head chef seemed to be even more demanding than attending to an emperor.

With his eyes closed, he reflected on the day's farce and planned to teach Wang Xiaoliu a lesson someday—

How to remove the old grease without it falling into the dishes.

After all, such matters must not be known to outsiders, especially since he was the one in charge of the kitchen.