The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 344 Working Meal (Two-in-One Chapter)

Time: The sixth day after returning from time travel, a little after 4:30 pm.

Location: On the second floor of the Deyuelou Panjiayuan flagship store, in the small office of Hu Biao and Boss Hu.

"This shouldn't be happening, and it doesn't make sense. Why is no one coming?" Sitting in the secondhand boss's chair left by the previous owner, Hu Biao looked at a blank form in his hand and muttered to himself.

His expression and tone were like those of a miserable old man who, along with his wife, were both respectable Chinese men, but had just given birth to a black baby.

Of course! Anne certainly didn't do anything to wrong him; the above was just a metaphor.

Hu Biao's unfortunate and miserable state was all because he miscalculated.

Previously, the Deyuelou restaurant was known for its roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), youpo mian (oil-splashed noodles), hot pot meat, maoxuewang (spicy blood curd), pork stew with vermicelli, and various other braised dishes. As soon as they were launched, they were wildly popular among foodies.

It has long been proven that the dishes learned from the time-traveling journey have definitely been enhanced by that mysterious place, and there is no doubt about their deliciousness.

Even after eating it, it can evoke pleasant, subtle emotions such as sunshine, warmth, and the taste of home.

Therefore, Hu Biao believed that the plan, tentatively set at three tables for lunch and three tables for dinner, totaling six tables, would quickly become a hit and reach a point where demand exceeded supply.

So, starting early on the third day after his return, he prepared a lot of high-end ingredients such as sea cucumber, abalone, and bird's nest.

After all, Deyuelou's private kitchen mainly serves Shandong cuisine, and the other dishes that Hu Biao is good at are added based on the guests' tastes.

Shandong cuisine is actually a type of cuisine for the wealthy, so it naturally requires the preparation of some more valuable ingredients.

That's why Hu Biao's meal wasn't cheap; the price depends on the average person, but it's generally no less than 1200 yuan per person.

In addition, customers cannot order food. Once they have chosen a certain level of table service, Chef Hu will ask if they have any dietary restrictions, and then they can arrange everything else themselves. They just need to wait to eat.

It was a bit pricey, and there was a rule that you couldn't order food, but Mr. Hu had his reasons.

First, Hu Biao believed that his skills and the quality of the ingredients in his shop were fully justified at that price.

Secondly, there are too many wealthy people in the capital city, and other high-end shops have the same price, or even more expensive.

Why should his Deyuelou restaurant be cheaper? A bunch of poor guys wouldn't eat these home-cooked dishes anyway.

Thirdly, Hu Biao was confident enough that even if he stir-fried a plate of tofu, he could satisfy the diners.

As for the form in Hu Biao's hand, he deliberately handed it to the lobby manager, Ling Lanfang, so that she could use it to register and make reservations for diners.

However, this form has been printed out for three or four days now, and there is still not a single word on it.

In other words, his private restaurant has not opened for business for such a long time; many of the pre-prepared ingredients have been used as staff meals in order to ensure freshness.

It was the employees, including Four-Eyes, Iron Rooster, and Ling Lanfang, who ate their fill of oil every day.

He didn't do nothing. Initially, Hu Biao didn't plan to offer any discounts on the promotional advertisement for the private kitchen at the store entrance, but seeing things were going badly the next day, he put up a sign for a 10% discount.

On the third day, feeling a bit panicked, I covered it with an 80% discount sign.

This morning, Hu Biao gritted his teeth and put up a 50% off sign.

Unfortunately, it's still to no avail. Dinner service is about to start, but there's still not a single word of reservations.

Disturbed and agitated, Hu Biao couldn't sit still in his office.

After changing into a snow-white chef's uniform, he left the office and headed straight for the large kitchen downstairs, intending to cook some dishes such as twice-cooked pork in advance for later use in rice bowls.

As soon as they went downstairs, they found that even though it was still twenty minutes before dinner ordering and business hours started, there were already dozens of people queuing at the cashier.

And people kept coming in from the entrance and joining the queue.

Upon seeing Hu Biao, they all greeted him warmly.

While responding to them, Hu Biao remained remarkably calm.

No wonder! In contrast to the lack of customers at the private kitchens on the second floor, the popular restaurants on the first floor, serving noodles, roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), rice bowls, and braised dishes, are now booming.

Thanks to its cleanliness, hygiene, delicious taste, and affordability.

Nowadays, for people in the surrounding shops and office buildings who are planning to have a work lunch or order takeout, Deyuelou is always their first choice.

The only reason not to choose Deyuelou is that the restaurant was already packed.

If you order food through the mini-program, it will also show that the store is currently too busy to handle orders and is temporarily suspending order taking.

Therefore, it's not surprising at all that many regular customers who treat Deyuelou as their canteen are queuing up and reserving seats before the restaurant has even opened for business or when they've started taking orders.

Hu Biao was already used to this kind of scene.

As he walked, Hu Biao instinctively stopped when he saw a familiar, pretty office lady.

Don't overthink it! When it comes to looks and figure, this girl can't compare to my girlfriend.

Hu Biao stopped because he vaguely remembered that the girl who was usually very active in the 'Deyuelou' foodie group was named Zhao Ying.

I work at an internet company, and my biggest hobby is eating delicious food.

Every month when I get my salary, the first thing I do is find a Michelin-starred restaurant in the capital and have a meal there, even if it costs one or two thousand yuan.

Since the other party has the ability and passion for it, and their home-cooked meals are sure to be better than those tire-themed restaurants, and even offered at a 50% discount, why not recommend them?

After Hu Biao stopped, he immediately began to promote it:

"Beautiful lady! How about checking out our private kitchen dishes? A high-end Shandong cuisine set meal for one person, which used to cost 1200 yuan, is now only 600 yuan!"
Opportunities are limited; buying now is a steal.

"Boss Hu, I still have almost two weeks until I get paid. Where am I going to get that much money for a meal?" the girl said pitifully after hearing this.

Seeing that his recommendation had failed, Hu Biao could only dejectedly go to the kitchen to cook.

In a bad mood, he swung a large pot and ladle wildly; little did he know, the opportunity to turn Deyuelou Private Kitchen's fortunes around was about to appear...

*****
It was just past six o'clock in the evening when the sky in the capital was beginning to darken.

"Wow! How come this store is so popular after just a few days?"

Looking at the long queue that almost stretched to the door and the tables that were almost all full, Mr. Liu was quite troubled.

He is the owner of an interior design company near Panjiayuan; he has seventy or eighty employees, making it a medium-sized design company in Beijing.

For well-known reasons, business is tough for interior design companies these days, and their peers are just barely managing to stay afloat.

Fortunately, his company has finally secured a large order recently. If they can get it, he won't have to worry for at least six months.

He put in a lot of effort into this, revising the design countless times, until finally the client's expression improved.

If we try a little harder today, we'll have a chance to win.

Unfortunately, the client, who was scheduled to start the discussion meeting at 2:30 pm, didn't arrive at the company until after 4:30 pm because of other commitments.

We had only discussed a small part of the plan when it was time for dinner.

Originally, this was a good thing, as Chinese people are more accustomed to discussing business at the dinner table; Mr. Liu thought that if he could get the other party drunk at the dinner table, he might be able to close this big order on the spot.

As it turned out, the client, Mr. Zhang, came in three people today, but he declined the offer of a big meal.

They kept saying there was no need for trouble, that they could just find a place nearby to have a working lunch, preferably within an hour, so they could continue discussing the plan in the evening.

Finding that the other party's attitude was too firm and very businesslike, Mr. Liu had no choice but to agree.

Then I remembered that a while ago I went to a small restaurant called Deyuelou nearby, and the garlic sprout twice-cooked pork rice bowl there was actually even better than the premium twice-cooked pork at Lao Chuanban, and the dining environment was also quite nice.

They set off with their secretary, the client, and three others, making a total of five people.

Thinking that it was quite close and driving would be a bit troublesome, after obtaining the client's consent, the group walked for seven or eight minutes to get there.

To liven things up along the way, he kept praising Deyuelou, saying that although it wasn't famous, the food at the restaurant was really delicious.

Then, before the praise had even completely faded from his lips, the scene above occurred.

Upon entering the store, Mr. Liu and his secretary were utterly dumbfounded by the scene before them. What a mess! So many people were queuing up; when would their clients finally get a meal? Even if they managed to cut in line at a high price, there wouldn't be a single seat available. Were they supposed to stand and eat with their plates?
If you switch to another place, you'll have to walk around for another ten minutes or so before you can find something that's even slightly suitable.

More importantly, the client, Mr. Zhang, was frowning at the moment, seemingly quite displeased, and probably unwilling to continue for so long.

Poor Mr. Liu was caught in a dilemma, especially considering that this trivial matter had angered the client and caused the large order to fall through.

Even now, he harbors a resentment in his heart:

"Damn it! Why is this Deyuelou restaurant doing so well...?"

To be honest, Mr. Liu has managed to grow a small company with only two or three employees into what it is today in just over a decade, making him a billionaire. He must be incredibly shrewd.

In a very short time, a solution was devised.

More precisely, after seeing the advertisements for private kitchens posted at the bar, he immediately had an idea.

After stopping Ling Lanfang, who was wearing a suit and a "Lobby Manager" badge, he hurriedly asked:
"Hello! Do you still have tables available for your private kitchen?"

"Sir, there are still tables available, but you can't order from the private kitchen. Everything will be arranged by our boss. But you don't need to worry about the taste."

Ling Lanfang answered calmly, but she was secretly overjoyed.

There's nothing I can do! Although the Shandong cuisine staff meals made by my own boss using ingredients that can't be kept overnight are absolutely delicious.

However, the long-term employees saw that the ingredients they prepared every day could not be sold, and they were quite worried about it.

Relieved upon hearing this, Mr. Liu then asked the crucial question: "It's okay if we can't order, but we're in a hurry. Can the food be served within half an hour?"

Ling Lanfang was a little unsure about this.

But it wasn't a big problem. She took the walkie-talkie clipped to her waist and called out:

"Boss, boss, we have some customers who want to eat at our private kitchen, but they're a bit pressed for time. They're asking if you can serve the food within half an hour."

Soon after, a very excited voice came through the walkie-talkie:

"Half an hour? Of course, no problem. Ask our esteemed private dining guests if they have any dietary restrictions and what price range they would like to book."

Upon hearing the phrase "Dear Private Guest," to be honest, Mr. Liu inexplicably felt like he was being taken advantage of, and the feeling was quite strong.

And suddenly I became quite worried about the taste of that so-called private kitchen dish.

The problem is that even at this point, he doesn't care about any of that.

After asking the three people from the client's company if they had any dietary restrictions, they answered directly into the walkie-talkie:
"There are five of us, and none of us have any dietary restrictions. Just give us a standard meal, but the key is that the food must be clean and served quickly."

As he said this, poor Boss Liu had given up all hope for the taste of the home-cooked food. His only wish was to get through this damned work lunch as soon as possible.

After that, Ling Lanfang led Boss Liu and the other four people up to the second floor.

Hu Biao picked up the towel hanging around his neck and wiped the sweat from his forehead, calming down his excitement about the opening of his private restaurant.

Then, he quickly calculated in his mind which dishes he needed to prepare within half an hour, and how to make the meal look classy.

At the very least, it should make their distinguished private dining guests feel that they are getting more than their fair share.

Fortunately, Hu Biao not only prepared enough ingredients today, but also did some pre-prepared steps such as washing, soaking, cutting, and pressure cooking before cooking.

A meal can be prepared in half an hour, which is not a difficult task.

It's nothing more than having the miser assist on the sidelines while he keeps an eye on two or three large pots.

So in the time that followed, Hu Biao prepared six dishes with exceptional speed and efficiency: braised sea cucumber with scallions, braised pork intestines, sweet and sour carp, stir-fried double crispy, premium tofu, and candied yam.

By this time, only 23 minutes had passed.

Seeing that it was still early, and that six dishes didn't sound as appealing as eight, we decided to have a meal.

Hu Biao then instructed his assistant, Tie Gongji, to scoop out a portion of the stir-fried pork with garlic sprouts that had been prepared in a large pot beforehand and arrange it on a plate.

Then, after seeing the butcher's wife deliver the promised delicacy—a bull penis—that he had already stewed in a pressure cooker, he had an idea.

It took a few more minutes for a braised ox penis to arrive.

At this point, all eight dishes were finally ready; however, Hu Biao was smoking outside the back door, relieved that his private restaurant had finally opened for business.

He didn't realize that the last dish he unintentionally added was the biggest reason why Deyuelou's private kitchen quickly became so popular...

At the same time, in a private room on the second floor.

Faced with the eight dishes that were finally served within half an hour and looked quite good, Boss Liu breathed a sigh of relief.

He spoke cautiously, addressing the powerful clients politely:

"Mr. Zhang, Secretary Wang, Manager Xie, it's my fault for not arranging things properly today. Please just have a quick bite for now. I'll definitely treat you all to a proper meal in the future. I hope you'll do me the honor of joining me."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Zhang, the boss from the client side, did not reply immediately.

The main problem was that he hadn't eaten much for lunch and was starving by now; and the food at this restaurant was surprisingly good in terms of both appearance and aroma.

Especially that unscientific, alluring aroma, once it reached his nostrils, made his mouth water without him even realizing it; it was incredibly tempting.

So he decided to eat a few bites of food first to fill his stomach before being polite to Boss Liu.

However, when he casually picked up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth, this big boss, who had definitely eaten and seen a lot of fish, couldn't help but have his eyes light up.

Because when you eat this fish, there is absolutely no muddy or fishy taste from the river.

Overall, the taste is a perfect balance of sweet and sour, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a rich and layered flavor. It can be said that it tastes even better than the Eight Great Restaurants.

He didn't even know if it was his imagination, but he tasted a faint warmth of the Yellow River, the mother river.

Then he picked up a piece of braised sea cucumber with scallions, and the taste did not disappoint him either; in fact, it was a huge surprise.

The rich aroma of scallions and the freshness of sea cucumber blended perfectly together; it's no exaggeration to say that at that moment he could vaguely feel the sea breeze blowing and seagulls crying in his ears.

After that, he lost all interest in chatting with Boss Liu and focused entirely on enjoying the food.

The other secretaries, including Secretary Wang and Manager Xie, and even Boss Liu's secretary, all reacted the same way, and for a moment all they could see was everyone burying their heads in their food.

"Is it really that delicious?" Upon seeing this, Boss Liu picked up a piece of braised pork intestines with his chopsticks, somewhat skeptical.

Then, he didn't want to say anything more.

The chopsticks flew across the table in East Germany. After finishing this unusual working meal, General Manager Zhang, while loosening his belt, which was a bit tight from eating too much, muttered:
"Mr. Liu, the proposal you've put forward this time is quite good. Let's sign the contract when we get back; there's no need for further discussion."

"Damn! This huge order that I've been eyeing for so long was actually secured so easily." That was Mr. Liu's first thought after hearing the news.

"I'll have my secretary ask the front desk later if they offer membership cards here. If they do, I'll top up 100,000 or 200,000 yuan first. From now on, this Deyuelou will be the designated hotel for the company's high-end clients."

This was Mr. Liu's second thought as he looked at the almost empty table.

If this is the only situation, it can only be said that Deyuelou's private kitchen business has improved and has a promising future, but it is still a long way from becoming a hit.

The key reason was that after returning home, Mr. Zhang felt as if his body, which had been somewhat weak, had been rejuvenated.

After some conversation, looking at his radiant wife, Mr. Zhang vaguely understood something.

Regardless of how late it was, he immediately made a phone call: "Secretary Wang, go to Deyuelou Restaurant tomorrow morning and reserve a table for dinner."

What standard? If a standard of 1200 yuan per person is already so good, then a standard of 9999 yuan per person is bound to take off.

Of course, we'll order the highest standard, about eight people. Oh, and we need to make sure to mention to the restaurant that we absolutely must order the braised ox penis.

After hanging up, Mr. Zhang quickly dialed another number:
"Mr. Ma, I'd like to invite you to dinner tomorrow night, but you're busy? Let me tell you, I know a medicinal diet that's even more effective than those little blue pills."

Now you're free, right? Okay, see you tomorrow night at 6:30.

"Hello, Director Qian! I'm Xiao Zhang..."

(End of this chapter)