1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 367 Good dog! Pshaw, good system! (6.2k combined)

"Uncle-Master Lu, is the friend you're talking about yourself? Why are you helping Wanxiu Restaurant poach chefs?" Zhou Yan asked Lu Xiaoji.

"Ahem, don't talk nonsense. I'm still the head chef at the guesthouse." Lu Xiaoji coughed twice.

“Now is now, but what about later?” Zhou Yan stared at him.

Lu Xiaoji glanced around and lowered his voice, saying, "It's hard to say what will happen in the future, because Wanxiu Restaurant has indeed given too much."

"Did you get a lot?" Zhou Yan asked curiously.

Lu Xiaoji stretched out a hand from her side.

"Five hundred! That's quite a lot." Zhou Yan suddenly realized. No wonder Lu Xiaoji, the head chef of the guesthouse, was tempted. It was at least three or four times his salary.

The guesthouse is state-run, and the salary standard is not much different from that of Leming Hotel. There is a salary cap, and with seniority, professional title and other miscellaneous factors added up, one hundred and fifty is considered high.

Wanxiu Restaurant offered 500 yuan to poach Lu Xiaoji; it all depends on how much Lu Xiaoji loves the guesthouse.

It seems he's already interested.

The guesthouse is really awful.

He didn't even dare to think about what would happen if the guesthouse's star host ran away. Where would he take leaders when they came down to inspect and needed to be entertained?

Wanxiu Restaurant?

Oh!
That makes sense.

Wanxiu Restaurant is poaching customers everywhere, most likely because they want to monopolize the high-end catering industry in Jiaozhou.

Most of the top chefs in Jiaozhou have gone to Chengdu. Special-grade chefs are extremely rare, and even first-grade chefs can be counted on one hand.

Wanxiu Restaurant brought a top-tier chef from Rongleyuan to open a new restaurant in Jiaozhou, and they're poaching talent everywhere. It's clear they want to recruit all the famous chefs in Jiaozhou to Wanxiu Restaurant.

Skilled chefs are a scarce resource. If you poach a restaurant's star chef, that restaurant will immediately go out of business.

This made Zhou Yan somewhat wary.

Isn't what Wanxiu Restaurant is doing now exactly what he plans to do next year?
The simplest way for a new restaurant to rise to prominence is to poach renowned chefs.

For many diners, the ambiance is one aspect, but the chef is of paramount importance.

Zhou Yan's original plan was to train a group of chefs himself and then poach a group of Kong-style chefs from Leming Restaurant, so that the chef team of the new restaurant would be basically formed.

Unexpectedly, Wanxiu Restaurant beat them to it and has started a massive excavation campaign, targeting everything from Leming Hotel to the guesthouse. It seems that Feiyan Restaurant will also be affected.

Zhou Yan didn't even dare to think about it. If Wanxiu Restaurant were to wipe out Li Laosan and his apprentice, would Feiyan Restaurant go out of business the next day? Or would it go out of business?

Lu Xiaoji looked at Zhou Yan and said, "I think with your braised beef, snowflake chicken soup, and braised rock carp, you could negotiate a price of 500 with Wanxiu Restaurant without any problem. If you're interested, I'll take you to meet Boss Mei this afternoon. She's quite easygoing and generous."

“Alright, let’s meet him first. I’ll trouble Uncle Lu to introduce us.” Zhou Yan smiled and nodded, not in a hurry to refuse.

He also wanted to meet the owner behind Wanxiu Restaurant, whose methods and ambitions showed that he was poised to sweep through Jiaozhou.

“We’re on the same side, why are you saying such nonsense?” Lu Xiaoji patted Zhou Yan’s arm with a smile, her eyes filled with a complicated look: “You and Lu Chuan are classmates, and you started learning to cook two years later than him, how come he doesn’t even have half of your skills?”

“Lu Chuan is busy right now, you can repeat it to him when he gets here later.” Zhou Yan smiled, revealing his back teeth.

Lu Xiaoji was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, and couldn't help but shake his head: "The people of the Kong faction are all the same."

After the elaborate ceremony, everyone went downstairs to take several more photos. They had specially invited a photographer from a photography studio to help take some wedding photos to keep as a memento.

Although Zhou Yan was the best man, he consciously stood to the side.

After the photo shoot, the wedding ceremony was halfway over. Everyone headed to Wanxiu Restaurant to prepare for the banquet. The bride and groom also needed to rehearse their speeches for the occasion, so they had to arrive at the restaurant a little early.

Wanxiu Restaurant is located on the banks of the Minjiang River. It is built along the river and is quite large, with three one-story banquet halls that can accommodate three couples to hold their wedding banquets at the same time.

Near the main entrance is a two-story restaurant. The first floor is a hall for individual customers, and the second floor has private rooms.

Upon arrival, Lu Xiaoji began to introduce the place to Zhou Yan as if it were a treasure trove of knowledge.

"Uncle-Master Lu, you come here quite often, don't you?" Zhou Yan said with a smile.

"Ahem, knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle. This is a principle your mentor taught us. We definitely need to understand this kind of competitor first," Lu Xiaoji said seriously.

“That makes sense.” Zhou Yan nodded in deep agreement and strolled around with Lu Xiaoji.

The layout of this restaurant is quite nice. One floor covers an area of ​​about 500 to 600 square meters, with 800*800 white tiles covering the floor and wallpaper on the walls, along with a lot of wood trim.

Furthermore, the area was divided using screens as partitions, and the lighting fixtures were quite stylish. When the lights were turned on, the entire hall was very bright and looked very high-end.

In contrast, the Leming Hotel does indeed have a sense of aging and decline.

Zhou Yan didn't go up to the second floor, but according to Lu Xiaoji, the renovation cost for a single room was as high as 800, which is definitely not low.

The tables on the first floor include both round and rectangular tables. The round tables are all equipped with turntables, and the bowls and chopsticks are all uniformly white porcelain, giving the overall impression of high-end style.

Zhou Yan looked at it carefully, memorizing the details, and planned to write them down later in a secluded place.

When it comes time to renovate the restaurant, I'll have a better idea of ​​what level of high-end decoration is possible in Jiaozhou at this time.

Feiyan Restaurant and Leming Restaurant are outdated. If he wants to open a restaurant in Jiaozhou, he has to benchmark it against Wanxiu Restaurant.

This wasn't Lu Xiaoji's first time here, but looking at the hall, he couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "This building alone must have cost at least 100,000 to 200,000 yuan to build, not to mention the three banquet halls behind it. He also hired so many waiters, chefs, and general helpers; the total investment must have been several hundred thousand yuan. Where do you think a sole proprietor gets the money to do something like this?"

Zhou Yan said with a smile, "Individual businesses have their own methods. Wanxiu Restaurant mainly targets high-end banquets and large feasts, impacting large restaurants like Leming Restaurant and Feiyan Restaurant. It has little to do with individual businesses."

Lu Xiaoji laughed upon hearing this: "You see things clearly. Leming Restaurant is still in a bit of a mess. Even a holdout like Lao Luo has gone to open a restaurant there. He grew up in Leming."

Zhou Yan didn't dare to reply. When Lao Luo left Leming Hotel to open his own restaurant, he and his master had to take a large part of the blame. The father and son were too confident, and they had to take the blame for the failed location selection.

Today is a good day. Three banquet halls are hosting three banquets. City people are gradually getting richer and starting to follow the trend. Instead of eating at the affordable open-air banquet, they want to hold their banquets at restaurants to show off their status.

It just so happens to be the weekend, and many tables in the lobby on the first floor and the private rooms on the second floor have been booked. The waiters have already started setting out the tableware and preparing cold dishes.

Most of the waitresses are young women, between twenty and thirty years old, and they are all quite good-looking. They wear uniform black and red uniforms, which are neat and energetic, giving them the feel of Western restaurant waitresses.

When she makes eye contact with a customer, a smile immediately appears on her face. Although she doesn't greet them proactively, she's already far ahead of the average waiter in a state-owned restaurant.

Zhou Yan could tell that this was definitely an advanced idea brought from Rongcheng, and its arrival in Jiaozhou was somewhat like a game-changer.

You must learn.

"Lu Xiaoji, it's been a while since I've seen you. Your apprentice is getting married. Would you like to go on stage and say a few words today?" A tall, thin middle-aged man in a chef's uniform came out and shook hands with Lu Xiaoji.

"What's the point of talking? They didn't even tell me to go up and speak. Let the old man say a few words, or maybe his father-in-law. I'm just a cook, I only know how to cook, I don't know how to speak politely." Lu Xiaoji shook his head and introduced the man: "This is Zhou Yan, the grand-disciple of Master Kong Huaifeng."

“Zhou Yan, this is Yan Ge, a chef from Rongleyuan, now the head chef and partner of Wanxiu Restaurant.”

"Oh, Zhou Yan, right? Hello." Yan Ge extended his hand to Zhou Yan.

"Hello, Master Yan." Zhou Yan reached out and shook hands with him.

He looked quite thin, but his handshake was exceptionally strong; his slender fingers were as robust and powerful as steel bars.

Releasing his grip, Yan Ge looked at Zhou Yan with a hint of a smile. "He looks quite thin, but he's very strong. He must practice his knife skills a lot."

“My master is strict in his teaching, and I have to practice.” Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

To be honest, he does look quite slim when he's dressed.

There's no way around it, long legs make you look thinner.

When summer comes and I wear a tank top, I'll show off my muscular physique and give them a shock.

"Is Xu Yunliang your senior martial brother?" Yan Ge asked, looking at Zhou Yan.

“Yes.” Zhou Yan nodded.

“He passed the Level 1 Chef exam in the same year as me, and his skill level is quite high. He made a very good braised rock carp.” Yan Ge nodded. “Okay, you guys go ahead and look around. I’m very busy today.”

After saying that, Yan Ge turned and headed towards the kitchen.

“This guy has worked at Rongleyuan for over ten years. I attended a training course at Rongleyuan when I was young, and we were classmates. Apart from being a bit arrogant when it comes to cooking, he's a decent person,” Lu Xiaoji said.

“He came from Rongleyuan, he should be proud,” Zhou Yan said with a smile. Rongleyuan’s status in the Sichuan cuisine industry is no different from that of the Whampoa Military Academy.

It's no exaggeration to say that it's a place where hidden talents abound, with top Sichuan cuisine masters gathered there. It's the highest-level and most important training base in Sichuan.

Outstanding young chefs from various cities and prefectures most want to participate in advanced training programs at Rongleyuan.

Of course, Rongleyuan itself is also one of the most famous restaurants in Chengdu and one of the birthplaces of modern Sichuan cuisine.

Being able to enter Rongle Garden, gain a place there, and become a first-class chef demonstrates that Yan Ge's skill level is definitely not low.

“You have a good attitude.” Lu Xiaoji looked at him with a smile. “When he was twenty, he was definitely not as good as you. It’s only because Grandpa Kong and Second Grandpa Kong retired, and Song Bo and Fang Yifei went out of Sichuan in recent years, that he could not be so arrogant in front of the Kong faction.”

Speaking of the Confucian school, Lu Xiaoji looked proud.

Zhou Yan smiled but didn't say anything, but the advisor must be a very charismatic person; at least Lu Xiaoji greatly admired him.

"Come on, let's go take a look at the banquet hall." Lu Xiaoji walked towards Banquet Hall No. 1, which was connected to the back of the hall.

The banquet hall is also four or five hundred square meters, with fifty tables. Round pillars support the hall, making it look spacious and grand, and a stage is set up in the middle.

A table was set up at the entrance, and the Minister of Rites, who was clearly the most educated member of the Lu family, a young man of about twenty years old, was currently looking completely bewildered as he repeatedly confirmed his name with the old man at the table.

"Smoky Light Surge?"

"Correct!"

"The 'xun' in 'smoking cured meat'?" "Smoking your grandpa! Smoking Sun Wukong! What kind of college student are you?!"

“Sun! I understand!” The young man suddenly realized, and then wrote the three characters “Sun Guangyong” in the booklet.

"You..." The old man was furious after reading it. "Don't you recognize me? I even held you when you were little! You really are something else!"

"Get out of the way! I think your university is a bit crooked." An old man with white hair next to him couldn't stand it anymore, so he knocked him down on the spot, crossed it out, and rewrote the three big characters "Sun Guangrong".

The Minister of Rites, who had been stripped of his official hat, left with his face covered.

Zhou Yan laughed out loud.

Not just anyone can become the Minister of Rites. Zhou Yan learned a profound lesson and decided he would never do that job again.

Zhou Yan took out a red envelope from his breast pocket and stepped forward in line.

"Zhou Yan, the 'Yan' in inkstone." Zhou Yan handed over the red envelope and said with a smile to the newly appointed Minister of Rites.

"This name sounds quite refined." The old man looked up at Zhou Yan, smiled, wrote Zhou Yan's name in the booklet, and then opened the red envelope, inside which was a brand new ten-yuan note.

Then write ten yuan after the name.

The way the people in line behind Zhou Yan looked at him changed. This young man was really generous, giving a gift of ten yuan.

The gift money for the booklet is usually five dollars.

"Here, have some wedding candy." The old man grabbed a handful of candy for Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan didn't stand on ceremony and took it, putting it in his pocket.

The candy must be brought back to Zhou Momo.

Lu Xiaoji followed behind Zhou Yan and gave him a red envelope.

Zhou Yan glanced at it and saw that the Minister of Rites had written: Lu Xiaoji - Fifty Yuan.

This master is very generous.

This Minister of Rites is quite capable.

Guests have been arriving one after another, and acquaintances are gathering in small groups to chat, making it quite lively.

Lu Xiaoji was quickly pulled away by other relatives to chat, while Zhou Yan found Ma Yongqiang and chatted with him for a while.

Lu Chuan and Chen Rong were memorizing their scripts, their tension visibly evident, their foreheads covered in sweat despite the cold winter weather.

"Look at him, he's got the nerve to do anything, even act like an old man. But when I asked him to go on stage and say a few words, he was shaking with nervousness," Ma Yongqiang laughed. "You have no idea how simple his speech was, only eight sentences in total, and he said he memorized it for half a month."

Zhou Yan laughed when he heard this. This kid is usually quite talkative.

"Your work at the supply and marketing cooperative must be quite relaxed, right?" Zhou Yan asked casually.

“I’m in charge of the warehouse, so I’m pretty idle all day long.” Ma Yongqiang nodded and began to chat with Zhou Yan about some interesting things that happened at the supply and marketing cooperative.

In comparison, the two bridesmaids were clearly busier, as they were currently preparing the wedding ceremony with the emcee.

Adhering to the principle of having space and avoiding waste.

In a little while, Lu Chuan and his group will perform the changing of address procedure again for the relatives and friends present.

Ma Yongqiang whispered, "How's your chat with the other bridesmaid going? Chen Rong, that cousin of yours, is so cute. She has a really nice personality, and it's so interesting to talk to her."

"It's alright, we're just having a normal chat," Zhou Yan replied casually, his gaze fixed on the waiter who was setting out the dishes, who had already started serving the cold dishes.

The four cold dishes looked like: [a pretty good spicy chicken slice], [a pretty good Sichuan-style chicken gizzard], [a pretty good smoked fish], and [a pretty good shredded beef].

The overall level is quite good, with two dishes reaching a "very good" level, and the lower limit is also relatively guaranteed.

The portion wasn't large, and it was served on a white plate, but the presentation was quite elegant.

Shredded beef in lantern-shaped sauce is a dish used to elevate the overall look of the four cold dishes. It has a bright red color, is as thin as a cicada's wing, as fine as silk, and is glossy and oily, making it look truly tempting.

As Zhou Yan was looking around, Lu Xiaoji's voice came from behind him: "Zhou Yan! Emergency!"

"What?" Zhou Yan turned around and looked at him with some confusion.

Lu Xiaoji pulled him aside and said in a low voice, "Wanxiu Restaurant has two tables booked by guests. One of their chefs missed the bus and won't make it to lunchtime. They'd like you to fill in and cook a couple of dishes. What do you think?"

“Uncle Lu, isn’t this inappropriate? I’m here to be a groomsman today, and I’m going to serve tea later.” Zhou Yan shook his head. “Besides, Wanxiu Restaurant has so many chefs, any one of them can take their place, right? I’m an outsider, and if I rashly go into their kitchen to cook, wouldn’t that be ruining their chefs’ job? I can’t do that.”

“That makes sense, but today’s situation is urgent, so it’s a little different.” Lu Xiaoji looked at him and said, “The customer ordered braised rock carp. They originally hired a chef from Jiajiang to make it, but Wanxiu Restaurant doesn’t have a chef who can make braised rock carp. You’re the only one they could find. You won’t work for free; you’ll get paid.”

"If there's no chef who knows how to make braised rock carp, how did this dish end up on the menu?" Zhou Yan asked in confusion. Such a big restaurant shouldn't make such a basic mistake.

Lu Xiaoji said, "The guest is supposedly a friend of the proprietress. The proprietress said to order whatever he wanted, and Wanxiu Restaurant can serve any dish. Because he is an important guest, the menu cannot be changed. When Yan Ge came to me, you were the first person I thought of."

Zhou Yan understood. The owner of Wanxiu Restaurant had exaggerated too much, and the chef she had temporarily hired had made a mistake, so she was now being put on hold.

If this braised rock carp doesn't make it to the table today, it will be a disgrace to the owner of Wanxiu Restaurant.

“Don’t worry about serving tea. There are two bridesmaids and one groomsman. If we’re really short-handed, I’ll have my son fill in,” Lu Xiaoji said. “That lousy college student who couldn’t write his name just now is my son.”

Zhou Yan suddenly realized why Lu Xiaoji's face had been so dark earlier. He smiled and said, "Uncle Lu, it would be more appropriate for you to have someone from Wanxiu Restaurant talk to me about this. Last time I went to the guesthouse to cook, it was at the invitation of Director Chen of the Municipal Economic Commission. I went to support Jiaozhou's investment promotion efforts."

To be honest, I don't care about spending ten or twenty yuan on two dishes. Today I'm making braised rock carp for Wanxiu Restaurant; it's about building their reputation. I'll have their manager come and discuss it with me.”

Lu Xiaoji nodded upon hearing this, "What you said makes sense. I hadn't thought that much about it. Okay, then I'll go and talk to Yan Ge and see what they think."

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded.

The proprietress of Wanxiu Restaurant is definitely a shrewd businesswoman. Zhou Yan wanted to meet her and find out more about her.

Anyone who can be regarded as an important guest by her must have an extraordinary background.

Zhou Yan wouldn't accept ten or twenty yuan for offering roasted rock carp to help Wanxiu Restaurant gain fame.

After waiting for about five minutes, a woman wearing a fur coat and a dark red cheongsam underneath walked in through the main entrance of the banquet hall, followed by Lu Xiaoji.

The woman was very tall, over 1.7 meters in heels, taller than Lu Xiaoji. She looked to be around 30 years old, quite pretty, with big wavy hair, makeup, bright red lips, and black high heels clicking on the floor as she walked towards Zhou Yan, exuding a strong aura of a powerful woman.

As soon as she entered the door, she immediately attracted a lot of attention.

Ma Yongqiang, who was standing next to Zhou Yan, subconsciously straightened up and sucked in his stomach.

Zhou Yan looked at her calmly.

"Hello, Master Zhou, I'm Mei Xiu, the owner of Wanxiu Restaurant." The woman walked up to Zhou Yan, extended her hand to him, and spoke in very standard Mandarin.

"Hello, Ms. Mei, this is Zhou Yan." Zhou Yan shook hands with her.

Mei Xiu smiled and said, "Master Lu just told you about the situation. Could we move to the private room next door and talk?"

“Okay.” Zhou Yan nodded. The boss came to talk to him personally, which showed his sincerity.

The door to the private room closed, and Mei Xiu gestured for Zhou Yan to sit down. She then sat down opposite him and smiled, saying, "I heard from Master Lu that Master Zhou's braised rock carp is a true inheritance from Master Kong Huaifeng. Today's guest is very important to me. The matter came suddenly, so I am taking the liberty of asking for your help. Master Zhou, please feel free to name your terms; we can discuss them."

[Ding! Side Quest Triggered: Emergency Assistance! Mei Xiu is facing a crisis of breaking her promise to an important guest and has asked you for help! The world of martial arts isn't just about fighting and killing; it also involves human relationships and social interactions. Wanxiu Restaurant, as an outstanding representative of the current catering industry in Jiaozhou, is worth contacting to learn from and surpass!]

[Task Reward: Choose one dish from the Wanxiu Restaurant menu! Accept: Yes/No]

The familiar notification sound rang in his mind, and Zhou Yan raised an eyebrow, unable to suppress a smile.

Learn and surpass!
Good dog! Pshaw, good system! Good system!

"Master Zhou?" Mei Xiu reminded him again, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Zhou Yan looked quite young, about the age of an apprentice in the kitchen of Wanxiu Restaurant. He had been quite calm when he saw her earlier, his gaze unwavering, but now he seemed a little dazed.

"Oh." Zhou Yan came back to his senses and sat up a little straighter. "Master Kong said that if you want to hire someone from the Kong School for a high-end banquet, you should contact me directly. I can't let the Kong School down."

Please be more specific.

“It will cost extra,” Zhou Yan said.

Mei Xiu smiled upon hearing this: "Alright, the price I agreed on with Chef Lin is twenty yuan, but I'll raise it to fifty for you to make this braised rock carp. What do you think?"

Zhou Yan smiled and stood up: "Lu Xiaoji is my martial uncle, and Lu Chuan, who is having his wedding here today, is my good brother. Since Boss Mei said so, I'll help out. Consider it making friends."

"Thank you." Mei Xiu stood up as well.

"You're welcome." Zhou Yan's smile was genuine. He earned fifty yuan for cooking a dish for Wanxiu Restaurant, and he could even steal a dish from Wanxiu Restaurant.

Earn money with blood!

He'll have to study Wanxiu Restaurant's menu carefully later and choose the most challenging dishes that will fetch the highest prices.

What does it mean to learn and surpass?!
She really won his heart.

Even so, Mei Xiu still had to thank him.

Mei Xiu then asked, "I wonder if Chef Zhou knows how to make spicy chicken?"

"I really don't know how to make that, but my Kung Pao Chicken is pretty good," Zhou Yan said casually.

"Kung Pao Chicken?" Mei Xiu raised an eyebrow and looked at Zhou Yan, saying, "Could you please have Chef Zhou try this dish? If your Kung Pao Chicken is served at today's banquet, I'll give you an extra twenty yuan."

　I'm going out tomorrow, so there won't be an extra update today~~ No need to wait.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)