Everything I bought on online shopping platforms was genuine.

Ms. Zhang, Chapter 291: Shameless!
Inside the private room with the character "袁" on it, Comrade Yuan and his group of five sat down and drank the tea prepared by the waiter.

Although the tea is not top-grade, it is still a high-end product that costs several thousand yuan per ounce, but here it can only be considered a free bonus.

Although there isn't much tea, Lin Mo only operates his business once a week, which is four times a month, so he doesn't need much tea in total.

After all, with such high prices, we have to offer something good for the customers to see, so they feel their money is well spent.

However, the waiters clearly hadn't specifically learned tea-making techniques, so the taste was definitely slightly inferior to Lin Mo's, not to mention their smooth and skillful tea-making movements.

Nevertheless, such free tea is more than enough to entertain guests, at least enough that these wealthy bosses can't find any fault with it.

"You know what, although this restaurant is a bit out of the way, the store is small, and the environment is just average, the private room is quite nice, which shows that they put thought into it," said Mr. Li, who deals in building materials, patting his round belly with a smile.

Hearing this, the other three nodded in agreement. Old Yuan, standing to the side, laughed and said, "This shop was originally a teahouse. Liu's daughter spent a week setting it up, so the external environment is naturally not ideal. However, this restaurant only has three private rooms. I paid half of the renovation cost in exchange for these private rooms. If Liu's daughter dares to cut corners, I won't stand for it, hahaha!"

Old Yuan said that on purpose to arouse the curiosity of the others. Sure enough, the next second, a man with thinning hair, wearing glasses, and a somewhat gaunt figure asked curiously, "Oh? For you, Boss Yuan, to go to such lengths, it can't just be to support a junior, right? What's so special about this restaurant?"

The man is in the business of star-rated hotels—note, hotels, not restaurants. He primarily provides accommodation, though he also provides food and drinks, but that's just a side benefit. Old Yuan wouldn't make such a basic mistake.

If you bring a restaurant owner along, wouldn't that be considered a bit disruptive? After all, the saying "rivals in the same trade are enemies" isn't just a saying.

The remaining two men were a bald man, over fifty years old, tall, who worked in mining—the kind of person whose family owns mines—and a bespectacled, refined-looking man who worked in port trade.

It can be said that each of the people in this room is a leader in their respective industry in Jiangning.

"Wow, that's quite a high level."

Just then, Mr. Li, the general manager of the building materials company, suddenly exclaimed in surprise. The others all looked over, and Mr. Li handed the menu to the man sitting at the hotel table, smiling, "Old Qian, you'll see."

The man took the menu, looked at the prices of the dishes, and was stunned. He then frowned. At these prices, the cost of the dishes alone would be hundreds of thousands.

Of course, given his status, it wasn't that he had never attended a dinner party of this caliber before; rather, he couldn't understand why such an ordinary restaurant would set its prices so high.

He's eaten meals costing hundreds of thousands, even more, but those included drinks and entertainment, and they were all in the capital, Shanghai, and other top-tier cities where land is incredibly expensive.

Although Jiangning is developing well, it is still far behind those places. Most importantly, in terms of the price of the dishes alone, it is much higher than the restaurant where he spent more money in a previous meal. Does Jiangning have the environment to support a restaurant of this level?
The other two took the menu, glanced at it, and had the same expression.

Seeing this, Comrade Yuan, who was sitting in the main seat, did not show any unusual expression on his face. He even took a sip of tea with a slight smile on his lips.

But in his heart, he had rolled his eyes at Liu Ruyan, that little fox, more than once. She was so cunning, practically a carbon copy of Liu Zhengyuan, that black-hearted maggot.

When Liu Ruyan sent him the menu, his eyes twitched as he looked at the prices. If he hadn't personally experienced Lin Mo's cooking skills, he would have cursed her as crazy just for the prices.

But at the same time, I'm glad I made that decision. Although I paid half of the renovation cost, at least I can reserve a seat for myself and won't have to wait in line for meals in the future, which is already quite worthwhile.

After these people taste Xiaolin's cooking tonight, he's sure they'll have something to say about it. After all, they're not short of money. Although they can't eat here every day or at every meal, this is definitely their first choice when entertaining business partners.

So what if the food is a little expensive? As long as it tastes good enough, our partners are happy, and the cooperation goes smoothly, what does the cost of this meal matter?

Most importantly, this restaurant is only open one day a week, with only one seat available at a time, and the decision is always made by Liu Ruyan. At most, including Liu Ruyan's own seat, it can only accommodate two tables a day.

As for Lao Yuan's own position, Liu Ruyan will not move it, but by the same token, if his family members are not present, it cannot be used by anyone else, even if Lao Yuan agrees, unless you are present in person.

In this back and forth, Liu Ruyan gained a great advantage. Of course, Comrade Yuan himself also benefited. If there were people he wanted to befriend, he could simply come over in person. Overall, he got a share of the benefits.

"Of course, I didn't do this on a whim to support the younger generation by paying half of the renovation costs myself. It's because the owner of this restaurant is truly a reliable cook. I've already ordered the dishes; you'll see for yourselves once you try them."

The thought that these people were not even as good as him, and might have to ask him for help in the future, immediately made Old Yuan feel much better.

"Then I'm really looking forward to it. If Old Yuan praises it so highly, it must have something special about it!"

"That's right, I trust Mr. Yuan's judgment, haha!"

"I just took a look, and this place mainly serves Chinese cuisine, which really tests the chef's skills."

Hearing this, the other four were somewhat taken aback, but they didn't take it too seriously. After all, they had eaten all sorts of things. For men, the most important thing was their career and making money. As for their appetites, they didn't care much. But they still had to say nice things.

They are all top performers in their respective fields; they certainly possess intelligence and emotional intelligence.

Just as the group was talking, there was a knock on the door of the private room, and then four waiters came in carrying dishes and opened the four covered plates.

"Wensi Tofu, a dish served at state banquets"

"Huaiyang's famous dish, Eight-Treasure Gourd Duck"

"Longjing Shrimp, a dish served at state banquets"

Cold Jellyfish Salad

The four waiters were clearly not as good as the waiters at the farmhouse last time. Although they were waiters, they had seen a lot and had been trained. They could recite the dishes Lin Mo made off the cuff.

Not only can they praise the origin of the dishes, but they also know the general cooking methods, the place of origin, and the historical background of the dishes very well. After all, these are professional talents that Liu Ruyan specially found in order to make a good start.

"Wow, it smells so good!"

As soon as the lid was opened, although there was no dazzling golden light, the rich aroma still invigorated the group.

"Alright, stop waiting, let's start eating and chat!" Old Yuan said, even though not all the dishes had been served yet, he couldn't wait any longer.

As soon as Comrade Lao Yuan, who was at the head of the table, spoke, the other four people also started to pick up their chopsticks.

"Mmm~ this tastes..."

"My goodness, Old Yuan really knows how to enjoy life!"

"Who said this dish is expensive? This dish is amazing!" The moment they tasted it, everyone was amazed by the flavor and were stunned for three seconds.

The special effect of "Wednesday Chef" is that even with the same ingredients and the same cooking methods, dishes cooked by him on Wednesdays will taste significantly better than those of other top chefs.

This is why they dare to say in their introduction that they can elevate their culinary skills to the highest level on Wednesdays, far exceeding the standards of state banquets.

It's important to understand that the level of a state banquet is definitely top-notch in the culinary world; otherwise, it wouldn't be called a state banquet level.

To surpass the level of state banquets, the taste must naturally be significantly improved, at least enough for ordinary people to taste a noticeable difference. After all, not everyone is a chef and can taste subtle differences. Clearly, Lin Mo achieved this on Wednesday.

As one state banquet dish or famous local dish after another was served, the taste of each dish was amazing.

Some dishes were even served in smaller portions, and they were gone in no time as soon as they were put on the table.

The four men opened two bottles of baijiu (Chinese liquor), but no one wanted to drink them. Instead, they drank a lot of beer like water.

As the final few main dishes, each priced at 88888, were served, everyone in the room raved about them, including Old Yuan, who had already eaten there once.

"Old Yuan, this place is amazing! This is the real Buddha Jumps Over the Wall! The taste and the price are not expensive at all. If you don't come and eat here, you'll really have lived in vain!" said Mr. Li, the general manager of the building materials company, with a smile.

Mr. Qian, who runs a five-star hotel, nodded repeatedly: "And this boiled cabbage in clear broth, the soup is crystal clear and the flavor is rich and mellow. It's not the first time I've had it, but it's the first time I've tasted something so amazing. Perfect timing, I need to entertain some guests soon and I was having trouble deciding where to go, this place is just right!"

Mr. Qian's words reminded everyone that it was more prestigious to entertain important guests here, even though the price was a bit high, but there were advantages to it.

Hearing this, Old Yuan's lips curled up slightly. He'd been putting up with you bunch of vegetable-stealing dogs for so long, just waiting for you to say that. It was time for him to put on a show!
"Ahem, Lao Qian, you'd better be careful, this restaurant isn't so easy to book," Comrade Yuan said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Mr. Qian was taken aback: "Three private rooms are indeed difficult to book, but since you, Lao Yuan, are willing to cover half of the renovation costs, you must have connections. Just give us a heads-up when the time comes, right?"

“I’d like to, but they might not recognize it. First of all, do you remember the name of this restaurant?” Comrade Yuan asked.

The group exchanged puzzled glances, but Mr. Li, the general manager of the building materials company, frowned without speaking and said, "I think it's called 'Wednesday'?"

"That's right. This restaurant is only open on Wednesdays. It's closed on other days and doesn't accept customers. Even I can't do anything about it. Secondly, I paid half of the renovation costs in exchange for the right to eat without queuing on Wednesdays and to always have a place to eat. Moreover, I can't let anyone else use my private room unless I come by myself."

"These are all Liu's ideas. There's only one public seat per week, and she decides how to arrange it. Of course, she also has a private room," Old Yuan said with a smile, explaining the restaurant's operating rules and Liu Ruyan's role in them, giving her a push and showing off his insider connections.

"What? We're only open on Wednesdays? That's a huge loss of money!"

"Exactly, it's incredibly irrational to be so greedy and refusing to spend money."

Upon hearing this, the others couldn't help but speak up. In their opinion, Lin Mo's restaurant, which could produce such delicious food, must have no shortage of customers. Even if the prices were outrageously expensive, there would never be a shortage of wealthy people in the country. Just the people of Jiangning alone could ensure that Lin Mo's restaurant would have business every day.

After looking at the menu and the dishes on the table, everyone had a rough idea of ​​the price of the meal. At the very least, it would cost 300,000 yuan per table. Even if they took one table a day, that would be 9 million yuan a month, and over 100 million yuan a year. Moreover, the restaurant wasn't big, and there were practically no costs involved. Making money was as easy as drinking water.

An annual income of over 100 million is not a small amount, even for people like them.

"Hunger marketing? That's the trick of the Liu family girl?" Suddenly, Old Qian seemed to have figured something out and spoke up.

Comrade Lao Yuan smiled and nodded: "Yes, but not entirely. The boss originally had this plan. Of course, the detailed plan was definitely made by that girl Ruyan."

And if nothing unexpected happens, she's waiting to gain fame so she can raise her prices!

Upon hearing this, the bosses felt a bit of a headache. They weren't short of money and could afford to eat there even if prices went up, but opening only one day a week was really taking advantage of human nature.

Everyone present was shrewd, and after tasting Lin Mo's cooking, naturally no one questioned the decision. But this back and forth meant losing money.

If they owned a restaurant like that, they'd want to keep it open every day. If Lin Mo knew what they were thinking, he would definitely exclaim that they understood him perfectly. "I also want to make money, but my resources don't allow it. I can only make more money by raising prices."

"Mr. Yuan has a good eye! He actually managed to reserve a spot for himself here. How about you come over for a meal sometime when I'm busy? I'd like to patronize you too?"

"That's right, Lao Yuan, why don't you name a price and I'll transfer this private room to you!"

Faced with the envious looks from the others, Comrade Yuan squinted and smiled, "Easy, easy!"

The private room with the character "Liu" was different. There were four guests, including Ms. Cheng, who were her usual mahjong partners. Although they were amazed by the taste of the food, they at least maintained the composure of wealthy ladies and ate very elegantly.

At this moment, Lin Mo brought out the last dish, "Moonlight Over the West Tower," and lifted the lid in front of everyone, revealing a plate of blooming flowers.

"This dish is also called 'Full Moon Over the West Tower,' featuring two colors and eight patterns. The broth has been simmered for over four hours. Please enjoy it," Lin Mo said with a soft smile, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

On the contrary, Ms. Cheng brazenly sized up Lin Mo, especially after seeing the delicious dishes, which had completely won over the previous generation's [Emperor Ruyan].

The way she looked at Lin Mo now was one of increasing satisfaction, just like a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law.

"Wow, I didn't expect the restaurant owner to be such a young man, and so handsome too!"

Wang Cui, a fellow card-playing friend who was often with Ms. Cheng and was also known as Aunt Wang, Liu Ruyan's friend, spoke up.

Looking at the "Blooming Prosperity" necklace with pearls around her neck, Lin Mo smiled and said, "You flatter me. It's just a small business. Thank you for coming!"

"Hahaha~ Young man, you really know how to talk. Are you married? Do you have a girlfriend? If not, I have someone in mind!" Aunt Wang from the [Blooming Prosperity] Holy Body said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Ms. Cheng's eyes widened immediately. Steal my son-in-law? That won't do! Your daughter is already remarried, and you still want to cause trouble for others?
"Yes, yes, thank you for your trouble!" Lin Mo quickly declined.

The next second, a business card was shoved into his hand. Aunt Wang from "Blooming Prosperity" smiled and said, "Call me when you have time!"

Lin Mo:
Ms. Cheng: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

"Shameless!"

(End of this chapter)