Chapter 28: Can the Anchor Cook? Stop Humiliating Yourself
"Insufficient manpower?" Qin Mu was taken aback for a moment and couldn't help but scrutinize the situation. He recalled that Liu Datou's construction team had over 300 workers.
Liu Datou explained, "Well, there were more than 50 workers just now... They mentioned that there's a voodoo competition in Miao Jiang recently, and if they don't participate, the village will surely lose. So, they all requested leave..."
Qin Mu: "..."
Liu Datou continued, "I've recruited all the available workers nearby, but we might still face a delay of half a day. Additionally, four of those who took leave were our construction site's cooks, so there's no one to prepare lunch, and it's too late to order a set meal."
He hesitated before adding, "This afternoon, we might not be able to work either."
Qin Mu was taken aback, realizing that if work stopped in the afternoon, it would lead to a full day's delay in the construction schedule.
"There's nothing we can do," Liu Datou sighed, feeling helpless. "This situation arose suddenly, and set meals must be ordered in advance. Moreover, our construction site is located in a valley, and it would take at least two hours for food to be delivered, which is too late."
Typically, lunch was provided on construction sites, allowing workers to continue working in the afternoon. However, with the sudden departure of the cooks, it was impossible to force hungry workers to continue working.
Qin Mu frowned, considering the situation a bit tricky, when he received another message from the system:
"Ding! The host is detected to be facing a shortage of cooks at the construction site, triggering a new live broadcast challenge [Food is Paramount to the People]."
"[Food is Paramount to the People]: The host is required to recruit a cook promptly, provide a hearty lunch for the workers, and achieve a positive rating of over 90% to ensure the project progresses smoothly."
"Mission reward: 2000 challenge points."
Qin Mu's expression shifted slightly as he realized that the system had triggered another challenging task. The rewards were quite substantial, and this task also provided him with a solution—to recruit new cooks.
He turned to Liu Datou and instructed, "There are many workers on the construction site. Go ask if there's anyone who knows how to cook, and gather them here."
Liu Datou's eyes lit up with the idea, and he nodded quickly.
Half an hour later, twelve burly men with dark complexions stood before Qin Mu.
"Each of you, cook a dish, and let's see," Qin Mu said, leading them to the construction site's kitchen area and providing each of them with a large pot. He allowed them to prepare a dish of their choice.
After tasting the twelve dishes, Qin Mu's face darkened. The dishes were barely edible and fell far short of being delicious or satisfying. Even achieving a 5% positive rating would be a challenge.
"These are already the best cooks we have on the construction site. Perhaps we should just make do with them?" Liu Datou suggested with a dry cough, recognizing the difficulty of the situation.
Qin Mu, however, firmly shook his head. He couldn't accept these subpar dishes. This matter not only affected the project's progress but also his chance to earn the 2000 challenge points.
Liu Datou lamented, "But we don't have anyone else now."
Qin Mu, however, smiled slightly and said, "I'll take care of lunch."
Liu Datou couldn't believe his ears. "Can you cook?"
Qin Mu confirmed, "Yes, I can cook."
Meanwhile, in the live broadcast room, the audience was bewildered by the turn of events and Qin Mu's claim that he could cook.
"Did I hear that right? The anchor says he can cook. Not just home-cooked meals, but a large pot of food on a construction site!"
"It's not easy to prepare a large pot of food, let alone make it delicious."
"I've never seen a tasty large pot meal in any cafeteria so far."
"While the anchor excels in painting and archaeology, attempting to prepare a large pot meal might not be wise. What if no one wants to eat it?"
The barrage was filled with questions and doubts about Qin Mu's cooking skills, with many viewers advising him not to embarrass himself.
Qin Mu, however, reassured them, "Don't worry, I'm pretty good at cooking." He then headed to the construction site's kitchen area.