Ohm let out a dry, rasping laugh before narrowing his eyes. “So, what do you want me to do?”
Feng didn't waste a second. He beckoned someone hovering awkwardly at the door. A lanky man in a cream suit, his hair almost entirely silver, stepped in with a look of profound anxiety. This was
Guo Zhenhao
, one of the directors at CK Group. He bowed deeply to Ohm, who was currently sitting on a table.
“I am Guo Zhenhao, Master…”
Ohm raised a hand slightly, his sharp gaze pinning the newcomer. “And what is your plea?”
Zhenhao glanced at Feng as if seeking a lifeline before stammering, his voice trembling. “Please, Master… help me get my money back! That bastard Yongchang cheated me out of everything!”
Ohm’s brow furrowed, and he let out a loud, indignant huff. “Ha! Do I look like a debt collector in a motorcycle helmet to you?!”
Phueak, standing nearby, curled his lip in exasperation.
Talk about being dramatic,
he thought.
Does he have to be this extra? It’s embarrassing.
“I—I apologize!” Zhenhao stammered, bowing frantically. “I believed you were a deity of mercy, Master… I acted out of desperation. I’m at a dead end. I don’t know what to do with that villain anymore!” He began to let out muffled sobs.
Ohm remained silent for a moment, exchanging looks with Feng before glancing at Phueak, who merely arched an eyebrow and mouthed something silent and annoyed.
“Ugh, fine, fine. Consider it a favor,” Ohm conceded before pointing at Phueak. “You, Little Pig! Get ready. Today, we shall take flight like dragons!”
“On it, Boss!” Phueak saluted and vanished into the kitchen. Ohm hopped down from the table, flashing a quick, sharp smirk. “Since I’m helping you this time, next time you’d better have some useful intel for me.” He snapped his fingers and strode into the kitchen.
Ohm tied an apron around his waist and took his station at the cutting board. Phueak, meanwhile, opened a massive pot where black-boned chicken had been simmering with orange and yellow Cosmos flowers and dozens of Thai herbs. The broth had turned a rich, concentrated orange, sending a fragrant steam that punched through the air, hitting the senses of the men waiting outside.
At the board, Ohm used a heavy cleaver to finely mince pork tenderloin, mixing it with paper-thin slices of truffle and Chinese wine. He tossed the mixture into a cast-iron wok. Orange flames leapt toward the ceiling in rhythm with his rapid-fire tossing until the pork turned a shimmering gold. He carefully placed the meat into pink sacred lotus petals arranged in a circle at the center of the plate.
Phueak took over the next component, mixing rice flour and oil, letting it rise before kneading it into small pieces. He meticulously carved dragon scale patterns onto the dough before deep-frying them until they puffed up like golden crackers.
To finish, Ohm crafted a dipping sauce using Flower Mead vinegar, red wine, and finely crushed aged ginger, placing the small bowl beside the lotus petals.
The exotic dish was served on a
Khan Tok
(traditional Thai pedestal tray) lined with dry ice, sending a mystical fog swirling around the table. Pink lotus petals stuffed with truffle-sauteed pork, served with crispy ‘dragon scales,’ chicken broth, and flower-mead vinegar.
“This is ‘The Dragon’s Hidden Path,’” Ohm announced, gesturing toward the masterpiece. Behind him, 3D holographic images flickered to life: blooming lotus flowers among cosmos fields, and little pigs floating in the air only to be snapped up by a flying dragon.
Zhenhao stared, mesmerized. “Please, taste it,” Ohm invited.
As Zhenhao lifted his chopsticks to a lotus petal, a holographic maze of complex financial routes projected from the petal in his hand, ending at a mocking image of Yongchang’s face reflected in the dipping sauce.
“The pork hidden within the lotus represents the truth concealed beneath the beautiful facade of a close friend's loyalty,” Ohm explained as the visuals shifted. “Your funds were siphoned into Yongchang’s personal accounts, using your company’s reputation as a shield.”
Zhenhao and Feng shuddered in shock, staring at the food and the grinning face of Yongchang.
“Beauty, in reality, is the bitter taste of memories of being betrayed by those you trusted most,” Ohm said, his eyes narrowing into a smirk.
The two directors dipped the lotus wrap into the sauce and took a bite.
Flash!
A mix of tart, sweet, and creamy flavors collided with the umami of the pork, the earthy aroma of truffle, the heat of ginger, and the fermented tang of the mead vinegar.
“Huuu… it tastes like it shouldn't be good, but it’s delicious!” Zhenhao cried out, still chewing. Feng, eyes tearing up, grabbed a ‘dragon scale’ cracker and bit down. His eyes widened at the perfect crunch and tenderness. He couldn't stop.
“What is this dough?!” Zhenhao blurted out, stuffing more into his mouth. He held the last piece aloft. “It’s the Ascending Dragon! It’s unparalleled… and it goes with the lotus so strangely well… just like my sweet, sweet money! That bastard must be enjoying his ill-gotten gains without a shred of shame! Dammit!” He cursed, crumbs flying from his mouth.
Ohm and Phueak watched them, bewildered. The directors then lifted the broth and gulped it down, their eyes bulging in unison. The umami, the fragrance it was a sensation they had never experienced.
“This chicken soup! Why?! It’s nothing like the soup back home! It’s… it’s…” Feng’s eyes rolled back. Zhenhao finished his bowl in record time.
“It’s delicious! Intense! Just like the trust I gave that villain! Why does it clash so much but fit so well?! I can’t believe how good this is!” Zhenhao wailed, his voice echoing Feng’s cries of delight.
Phueak turned to Ohm. “Whoa, is it really that good? It’s like they’re possessed. Is there a Dragon God in your food, Boss?”
Ohm sighed, staring out the window at the rain. “Dragon God, my foot… I’ve been cooking for years and I’ve never seen a reaction like this.” He shook off the confusion and stepped to the center of the shop, pointing at Yongchang’s image.
“Whatever! From now on, we start the game. We hunt this cheater our way!” He slammed a foot onto a chair and pointed heroically toward the door.
"And now... the hunt for the Great Scaled Sovereign has officially begun!" Ohm’s voice thundered. Behind him, a flash of light projected a silhouette of a small creature leaping through the air, looking oddly heroic until...
"Uh, Boss? What the heck is a 'Scaled Sovereign'?" Pheuak poked his head out from the kitchen, looking genuinely confused.
Ohm froze mid-pose, his aura of cool confidence shattering instantly. He cut a side-eye at his troublemaking subordinate who had just ruined his grand moment. He rubbed his temples in exasperation.
"It’s... it’s just a fancy word for a Lizard, Pheuak. A tiny, tiny dragon. Get back in the kitchen!"
Post-chapter author note:
The menu and ingredients made with edible flowers were designed in collaboration with Flowers You Can Eat Thailand.