477: Chapter 477 Pre-made dishes are not allowed on campus.

It was currently mealtime, and the cafeteria was very lively. Almost every window had a long queue. Qin Chuan joined the line at one of the windows.

Soon, someone recognized Qin Chuan.

"You're Secretary Qin Chuan!"

"It really is Secretary Qin Chuan! This is so exciting!"

"Secretary Qin, please come straight to the front. There's no need to queue!"

Qin Chuan smiled slightly. "No need, no need. I'll just wait in line here."

He didn't wait for long—about three to five minutes. After getting his food, Qin Chuan took his tray, found a quieter spot, and sat down to eat.

The cafeteria food was still quite abundant. Qin Chuan had chosen several dishes: potato brisket, stir-fried pork, a vegetable dish, and a tomato and egg soup.

He first took a bite of the potato brisket, and his brow furrowed slightly. It didn't taste like the food he'd had last time. Upon closer inspection, its appearance was also much worse. It didn't seem freshly made; rather, it looked a bit like a pre-prepared meal.

He then tried a bite of the stir-fried pork. This dish was similar to before and seemed to be freshly stir-fried rather than a pre-prepared meal. The vegetables weren't pre-prepared either.

Many people were dining in the cafeteria, and it was quite noisy. Many conversations drifted into Qin Chuan's ears, especially from a few girls at a nearby table.

"The cafeteria food is getting worse and worse. I used to eat at the Third Cafeteria, but I heard a lot of the food there is pre-prepared. I specifically came to the First Cafeteria, but it turns out they have pre-prepared meals here too."

"This potato brisket I got is definitely a pre-prepared meal. And this minced meat tofu should be one too!"

"Experts say that eating overnight food is unhealthy. These pre-prepared meals can have a shelf life of one or even two years. It's terrifying just thinking about it."

"Sigh, it's all just 'tech and hard work,' but we don't have any choice at all."

...

Hearing these students' discussions, Qin Chuan became even more certain that pre-prepared meals had appeared in the school cafeterias in large quantities.

After taking office, he had once told everyone at a meeting that the cafeteria food must be handled well so that students could eat healthy and delicious meals. He specifically forbade pre-prepared meals from entering the campus. It seemed some people had turned a deaf ear to his words.

Logistics Minister Xiao Kanglin was the head of the Logistics Department, and the cafeterias were under his management. That fellow had just patted his chest and guaranteed that he would manage the cafeterias well. He was saying one thing to my face and doing another behind my back.

He ate a few bites hastily. Even a dog wouldn't eat that pre-prepared potato brisket. Qin Chuan didn't touch another bite, stood up, and walked toward the cafeteria's Back Kitchen.

At the entrance to the cafeteria's logistics area, he saw a sign that read "Back Kitchen Area, No Unauthorized Entry." He gave a slight cold snort.

The Back Kitchen of the First Cafeteria was very large. Many people were still busy at this time. The hygiene situation was acceptable, not particularly bad.

Qin Chuan had come in mainly to see if pre-prepared meals were truly being used, and if so, to what extent and what proportion they accounted for.

Upon entering, besides seeing many people busy at work, he also saw some ingredients. The most prominent items were various large packages of pre-prepared meals.

Each package was very large, clearly the kind specifically supplied to cafeterias. A chef opened one of the large bags, poured it into a large wok, heated it slightly, tossed it a couple of times, and then poured it into a large stainless steel basin. Someone immediately carried it to the window to serve the students waiting in line.

Seeing this scene, Qin Chuan's face turned a bit dark.

He saw more than just one type of pre-prepared meal. Besides the potato brisket and minced meat tofu from earlier, he saw at least seven or eight other types of pre-prepared meals.

Unable to help himself, Qin Chuan asked, "Master, this is a pre-prepared meal, isn't it?"

The chef clearly didn't recognize Qin Chuan and replied with a look of disdain, "What's there to be surprised about with pre-prepared meals? At least half of our food is pre-prepared now."

Qin Chuan continued to ask, "How long have you been using pre-prepared meals?"

"It's been a while, but we used to use them less. After the start of this semester, the higher-up leaders increased the procurement of pre-prepared meals. Now, more than half are pre-prepared."

Hearing this answer, Qin Chuan's face grew even darker.

With a grim face, he took a look around and then left the Back Kitchen, heading directly to the Logistics Department himself. He wanted to ask Logistics Minister Xiao Kanglin what was going on. This was what he had meant when he patted his chest and said he would definitely manage the cafeterias well and ensure everyone could eat healthy, delicious, and cheap meals.

It was now a little past 5:30 PM. Most of the people in the Logistics Department had already finished work, and the entire department office was quite quiet.

Most of the office doors were tightly closed, and the Logistics Minister's office was no exception. Qin Chuan knocked on the door, but there was no response, and no one came over.

He knocked a few more times, but it remained the same.

It seemed that Logistics Minister Xiao Kanglin had left work long ago, as had the people in the Logistics Department office. Just as he was about to leave, he saw an office door not far away that was half-open.

He walked over to take a look. The sign on it said "Deputy Minister's Office," and there seemed to be someone inside. Qin Chuan knocked, and a voice from inside said, "Come in."

So, Qin Chuan pushed the door and walked in.

Inside, a middle-aged man was busy, typing away at a computer. He was likely handling some official business and didn't even look up.

Seeing this, Qin Chuan nodded with satisfaction. Such a diligent person was rare to see. Once it was time to clock out, almost everyone from the Logistics Department had vanished. He was the only one who stayed to work overtime. Not bad, not bad.

Finally, the middle-aged man looked up. He was momentarily stunned, then reacted strongly, standing up with a start. "Secretary Qin, you're here!" he said with some excitement.

Qin Chuan smiled slightly. "Minister Xie, are you busy?"

This was Deputy Minister Xie Dongsheng of the Logistics Department. He had reported his work to Qin Chuan twice before, so they knew each other.

Through the system, Qin Chuan had also looked him up and knew he was a very excellent comrade—particularly upright and incorruptible, with outstanding working abilities.

"Secretary Qin, please have some tea."

Deputy Minister Xie Dongsheng enthusiastically brewed a cup of hot tea and then said, "Secretary, for you to come here personally, is there something you need me to do?"

Qin Chuan said, "I just went to the First Cafeteria for a meal and saw that the cafeteria is using pre-prepared meals in large quantities. Additionally, I heard that the situation with pre-prepared meals in other cafeterias is even more serious. What is going on? I once explicitly stated that pre-prepared meals cannot enter the campus."

After understanding what was happening, Deputy Minister Xie Dongsheng looked full of self-reproach. "Secretary, I am opposed to pre-prepared meals entering the campus, but Minister Xiao overrode all objections and insisted on promoting them to the school cafeterias. There was nothing we could do."

Upon hearing this, Qin Chuan's face darkened slightly. He began to inquire about the usage of pre-prepared meals in the cafeterias, the usage ratio, daily consumption, procurement volume, and even asked about the partner companies for the pre-prepared meals.

Deputy Minister Xie Dongsheng was very knowledgeable in this area. He remembered all the data clearly and answered in great detail. After some questioning, Qin Chuan had a clear picture of the situation.

He didn't lose his temper or say anything. He simply nodded and then left the Logistics Department with a serious expression.