The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 346 That Big Pig's Trotter Has Grown Capabilities (Two-in-One Chapter)

Time: Around 2 PM on the 15th day after the journey back.

Location: The owner's office on the second floor of Deyuelou Panjiayuan flagship store.

Hu Biao, facing Annie, chattered on and on like a machine gun:

"There are no wrong nicknames, only wrong names; this old saying is absolutely true. Old Yu, that taciturn fellow, he really keeps his mouth shut."

The fact that he lost his Leica camera after being shot during his time travel was something he kept quiet about all along.

After spending a whopping 49.8 yuan to win the bid at the spring auction, he casually mentioned the matter in the group chat.

He's so tight-lipped, how about we arrange for him to do underground work next time we travel through time? No matter how badly the Japanese beat him, he probably won't utter a single word..."

"Our private dishes at Deyuelou are already booked up to 37 days in advance."

Most of these bookings were for the highest tier of 9999 yuan per person, with some in the middle tiers of 6666 yuan and 3333 yuan per person, but none were for 1200 yuan per person.

Every table insisted on ordering a serving of bull penis, whether it was braised or stewed.

Just procuring enough of this stuff every day is a pretty tiring task..."

"I plan to open two more branches like the one in Majuqiao, located in Zhongguancun and Tiantongyuan respectively; the store managers will be selected directly from the head office, choosing two good performers..."

"After seeing the video circulating online of Xiao Cui performing a tracheotomy on someone with a kitchen knife on the street, a military hospital in Nanjing..."

They believed she had a natural heart suited for the battlefield and planned to recruit her.

However, after being recruited, there is no corresponding military rank, and the related benefits are not much better than what she has now; so Xiao Cui is now undecided about whether to change her workplace.

I've been asking for everyone's opinions in the group chat for the past couple of days..."

There's nothing we can do about Hu Biao's incessant chatter.

Perhaps it was because I had spent so much time with him in the past few months, spending at least five days a week at the Deyuelou restaurant.

Anne has accumulated so much work that her agent is going crazy.

In addition to taking time to learn to fly at the club, Annie has been extremely busy lately dealing with all the backlog of work.

Since Hu Biao met Annie the night after returning, on the night of the team's online meeting; today, Annie and Mina came to the store together, and this was the first time the two had met.

Even when Hu Biao sends messages, Annie often takes a long time to reply, and the two barely exchange a few words throughout the day.

In short, Hu Biao's behavior boils down to him missing his girlfriend.
When Annie and Mina arrived together half an hour earlier, Hu Biao, who had just finished cooking, even left the task of washing the pot to the miser.

He stayed by his girlfriend's side and told her everything that had happened recently.

Like beans pouring from a bamboo tube, he began to tell Annie's story.

As for her cheap sister-in-law Mina? She's a grown woman; she can take care of herself and sit on the sofa playing on her phone.

However, Annie's mood was rather unusual today; more accurately, she seemed a bit down.

Although he didn't show it on his face, he was clearly distracted when responding to Hu Biao's story.

Actually, Annie also had a very busy day. The reason she took Mina to Deyuelou was simply because she encountered some annoying things and some annoying people, and she was so annoyed that she just went on strike.

Just to clarify, the art director in charge of shooting the commercial today originally planned to use someone she knew for this particular commercial.

There must be some unspoken interests between the two of them.

However, the advertiser, or the client, preferred Annie, believing that Annie's image and temperament were more suitable.

The art director naturally didn't dare to confront the client directly, but during today's shoot, he kept deliberately making trouble for Annie, finding fault with everything she did.

He simply wanted to force Annie to leave so he could use the excuse that Annie was being difficult to get his own people to take over the filming.

To be honest, Annie isn't a complete novice in this industry.

This wasn't the first time she'd encountered something like this, and she hadn't paid much attention to it at first.

I thought I could just rely on my professionalism and qualities that far surpassed the other model to complete this job, and I couldn't be bothered to argue with this kind of person.

Unexpectedly, the art director went too far and became increasingly demanding.

Anne finally snapped, thinking to herself, 'So what if I act like a big shot? Everyone has connections and networks. If you're so capable, go ahead and replace me.' Then she just walked away.

Then, I invited my cousin Mina, who happened to be free today, and the two of us went to Deyuelou, a place we hadn't visited in a long time.

Firstly, she wanted to see her own big pig's trotters, and secondly, she wanted to have a good meal to cheer herself up; you know! She, the future boss's wife, had never tasted the Shandong cuisine that Hu Biao had just learned.

Even so, Annie was still somewhat depressed after arriving at Deyuelou.

She didn't tell Hu Biao these things because she didn't want her unpleasant work experiences to affect her boyfriend.

Indeed! She's not without connections in the capital; in fact, she knows a few influential figures. If she could just ask one of them to say a word, no one could take this advertising shoot job away from her.

However, this also means that you will owe the big boss a favor from now on.

Given Annie's personality, she hates owing favors to others the most, and she really doesn't want to owe favors unless absolutely necessary...

After babbling on and on, Hu Biao finally noticed that his girlfriend seemed a bit off today.

His narration immediately stopped.

He walked up to her and hugged Annie's head tightly in his arms; just as when she had comforted him when they had just returned from this time travel, he comforted his girlfriend.

He didn't say anything, he just gently stroked the top of Annie's head.

After a minute or two, sensing that Annie had calmed down a bit, he didn't ask Annie why she was like that. Instead, he asked:
"I've been so busy lately, I bet you haven't been eating well, right? I'll go make you some new Shandong dishes that I learned, I guarantee they'll be delicious, and they'll cheer you up after you eat them."

"Okay, add a spicy blood curd dish too, it goes well with rice," Annie replied, her tone noticeably improving.

Then he turned to Mina, who was playing on her phone on the sofa, and asked, "What would you like to eat? Don't be shy with Boss Hu."

"Eat my ass! I've already been fed enough by your dog food." Mina rolled her eyes at the two of them and then complained.

Then, he revealed his own thoughts:

"Give me a serving of bull penis, I've heard it's good for women."

"No problem! Should we braise it whole, or cut it into smaller pieces?" After giving an 'OK' sign, Hu Biao jokingly asked his sister-in-law about a technical detail.

Before Mina could even say anything, Annie asked in confusion:

"Not cut? How are we supposed to eat that?"

After asking the question, he realized something and felt both annoyed and amused. He then lightly patted Hu Biao on the shoulder.

But the last bit of unhappiness in my heart also completely vanished.

Then, the three of them went downstairs together.

Hu Biao was planning to go to the kitchen to show off his culinary skills and cook some delicious dishes for his girlfriend and sister-in-law so they could have a good meal.

Especially his girlfriend, she's lost weight.

Annie, the future boss, was about to sit at the cashier.

You know what! It's been almost half a month since she last sat there as the future boss's wife, and she actually misses the feeling of sitting there.

Mina simply said that she was bored being alone in the office, so she decided to find another place, such as behind the cashier, to continue playing on her phone.

Unexpectedly, it was the three of them who walked down the stairs.

Then they saw a well-dressed, rather imposing old man standing in front of the cashier, talking to Ling Lanfang about something, looking rather depressed.

They didn't even wait for Hu Biao, the boss, to come forward and ask what was going on.

Annie, the future boss, suddenly had a bright idea; she quickly stepped forward and said:
"Are you Chairman Chen? Is there some problem you're facing...?"

******
Chen Yanlong felt somewhat helpless, even a little depressed.

Around noon today, he was invited by a business partner to have lunch at "Deyuelou" in Panjiayuan, a place he had never heard of before.

Chen Yanlong didn't care much about this. As the chairman of a listed company, what delicious food hadn't he eaten? Today's lunch was less about having a meal and more about networking and maintaining good relationships with business partners.

At such dinner parties, people generally don't care what they eat or where they eat; often a table full of delicious dishes is laid out, but people rarely touch their chopsticks and instead gather together to drink.

When she arrived at the place, she was surprised to find that the food was exceptionally delicious. The place was decorated in a way that was neither cheap nor particularly upscale.

A large table of prominent people, and although their table manners were rather refined after the meal began, it was truly just a simple dinner party.

Everyone ate until they were about 60-70% full before raising their glasses to toast each other and chatting; this shows that the owner of this little-known restaurant is truly skilled.

One of the dishes, stewed ox penis, in particular, has a magical effect.

Not long after finishing his meal, Chen Yanlong felt a faint warmth in his lower abdomen. Under the influence of this warmth, his prostate problems made urinating much easier.

As a businessman, he naturally realized that this thing was not only beneficial to himself, but also a powerful tool for networking.

So I lingered in the store for a while, intentionally being the last to leave.

The purpose was to book a private dining room to treat a business partner who would be arriving in two days to a good meal and, incidentally, finalize a collaboration.

Unexpectedly, the lobby manager in front of me, with relatively dark skin and a thick accent from the Guilin-Liuzhou region, told me:

"I'm sorry, sir! If you want to book Chinese food, you'll have to wait 40 days."

If you wish to book dinner, you will need to wait 52 days.

"The reason these dishes taste and taste so good is because our boss personally handles and processes them; however, due to his limited energy, he can only prepare three tables for lunch and dinner to ensure quality."

When Chen Yanlong heard this statement, he didn't really care.

In the capital city, some famous private restaurants and Michelin-starred restaurants all require reservations, otherwise you won't be able to get a table even if you walk in.

But he knew even better that these were only for ordinary customers.

For someone of his status, it's nothing at all; it's just a matter of spending a little more money and owing a small favor.

What was the result? The lobby manager remained unmoved, and even when she was asked to call the boss out so she could talk to him, she refused.

She said that her boss was currently busy with more important things and couldn't spare any time.

Under Chen Yanlong's management in the capital, he could handle almost anything, but this was the first time he had encountered a setback in a small shop of this caliber.

However, he couldn't very well make a scene on the spot, otherwise it would be too beneath him, so he could only leave feeling frustrated.

Just then, a tall girl with a somewhat familiar face walked quickly toward her and greeted her warmly.

After hesitating for a moment, he recognized that this should be the model from his company's most recent advertisement.

The reason he didn't react immediately was that he had only seen Miss Anne's photo in the planning proposal and knew that filming should start today.

When it comes to the actual filming, if there's anything he needs to be responsible for or involved in, his subordinates will naturally follow up.

"Hello, Ms. An! I had lunch here today and found the dishes and taste quite good. I wanted to reserve a table here in the next couple of days, but I didn't expect it to be fully booked."

After remembering who the visitor was, Chen Yanlong spoke casually, without showing any particular difference in his perception of the beautiful woman.

Upon hearing this, Annie instinctively glanced at Hu Biao.

Without Annie even needing to greet him, Hu Biao stepped forward and said, "Hello, Chairman Chen, I'm Hu Biao, the owner here. It's not that I'm trying to market or push business out, it's just that a mealtime is so short."

My personal abilities are limited; I'm afraid I won't be able to handle more than three tables.

However, since Chairman Chen is a friend of our Annie, even if it's to avoid kneeling on the washboard, Chairman Chen, if you want to come over for a meal, just let me know half a day in advance.

"I'll definitely pull myself together; I've got everything arranged for you."

Chen Yanlong was surprised that he had resolved the trouble so easily, and his mood immediately improved.

Thinking that besides the meal the day after tomorrow, there might actually be a chance to use this amazing chef in the future, he felt a desire to befriend him and a smile appeared on his face.

As he pulled a personal business card from his pocket and handed it over, he said:

"Then I'll trouble you, Mr. Hu! Please book a table for me the night after tomorrow, about eight to ten people, the highest standard, there are no dietary restrictions, but a few guests like to eat bull penis."

This is my business card. Let's keep in touch.

After finishing his conversation with Hu Biao, he turned to Annie and asked casually, "Ms. Annie, I remember that advertisement was supposed to be filmed today. Did something go wrong?"

Annie didn't take this opportunity to badmouth the so-called art director to Chen Yanlong, the highest-ranking person in charge of the client.

Because if you were to say that, it would make you seem like you have a very low perspective.

He simply said, "It's nothing! Maybe the art director and I just don't share the same aesthetic tastes."

But for someone like Chen Yanlong, the above sentence was more than enough; after saying a few words of farewell to everyone, he left directly.

After getting into a luxury car driven to the door, he immediately dialed the phone number of a relevant person in charge.

He stated it in an irrefutable tone:
"Tell that XXX advertising company, and their art director, that if they can shoot this ad, great; if not, we'll find another company..."

At most twenty minutes later, Annie was sitting behind the cashier, chatting with Ling Lanfang and the other girls in the store.

The specific topic was where to order some higher-end uniforms for everyone in the store to wear as work clothes, so that Deyuelou would look more like a large restaurant.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar number called.

After answering the call, I found it was the art director from today's shoot; but this guy was nowhere near as arrogant as he was this morning.

He immediately came up with a bunch of reasons and sincerely apologized to Annie.

Then came a barrage of flattery, which Annie found almost nauseating.

Although the words sounded nice, the underlying meaning was: he looks down on people, please be magnanimous, Miss An, and let him go, I must do you the honor of coming over this afternoon to continue filming, and so on.

"I'm spending today with my boyfriend! We'll talk about the filming tomorrow."

After saying that in a condescending tone, Annie hung up the phone.

At this moment, Anne's face was radiant with an indescribable glow, her eyes and skin seemed to be glowing. When she saw that her cousin Anna was also a woman, she was a little envious.

Actually, after telling Chen Yanlong that "it doesn't fit the art director's aesthetic," Annie already knew that today's mess was sorted out.

But to my surprise, the time was so fast and the effect was so good.

More importantly, she didn't ask any big shot to solve this mess; instead, her own husband stepped in and it was resolved with remarkable ease.

This means that this man, who just a few months ago was doing odd jobs for a day and playing for three days, is now a different person.

The man who was initially disapproved of by some of her friends, who even thought she was crazy to have chosen him, has unknowingly grown to the point where she can rely on him.

Even though she always prided herself on being an independent woman, she was still a girl after all. This feeling of having a strong support system and that she hadn't misjudged him was just too good.

Just then, Hu Biao came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of uncut braised ox penis.

As he walked, he loudly proclaimed, "Two ladies, go wash your hands, then dinner is ready."

Annie immediately went to greet Hu Biao, hugged her husband's neck, and gave him a big kiss on the cheek.

Then, while Hu Biao looked on in surprise, he waved his hand and cheerfully shouted, "Mina, wash your hands, dinner's ready!"

"Eat? I'm not eating! You guys keep stuffing my mouth with dog food, I can't eat anymore; I'm going to ask a handsome guy out and have him treat me to a big meal."

After uttering a curse, Mina glanced longingly at the bowl of bull penis.

She left Deyuelou without looking back, still carrying her bag.

However, instead of calling a handsome guy to invite her to a fancy meal as she had promised when she left, she went to a Shaxian International restaurant and ordered a chicken leg rice.

The main thing was that after she picked up the phone, she looked at the long list in her contacts.

Suddenly, I felt that these men, who were spraying men's cologne and acting like roosters, were all incredibly frivolous and utterly uninteresting...

(End of this chapter)