Era: You're asked to cook a home-style dish, but you cook Wellington.

Over the next few days, an eerie atmosphere settled over the Grand Hotel.

"Still no customers today?"

At the junction of the main hall and the kitchen, almost everyone was gathered, their faces drooping, their eyes filled with anxiety and unease.

Several waiters leaned against the wall, listlessly rubbing rags, wiping the cabinets back and forth until they were so shiny they reflected light.

The chefs in the kitchen stopped what they were doing, their brows furrowed as they whispered among themselves. Even the usually bustling stove was deserted.

Since the opening of the Golden Dragon Hotel, the business of the Grand Court Hotel has been getting worse day by day.

Whether it's dining or lodging, customer traffic has plummeted. The lobby, which used to be packed, now only has a few scattered tables of customers, mostly regulars. The huge space feels unusually empty, and you can even hear your voice echoing.

Zhou Guodong clutched today's business ledger in his hand, his fingertips turning white, his voice heavy as if he were pressing down on a stone.

"From this morning until now, we've only served three meals, and only two rooms have been booked, which is less than a fraction of what we usually get."

As the head chef of the grand mansion, Su Wanqing entrusted him with an important task. Now that there are no customers, his pressure is undoubtedly the greatest.

Lin Ran would occasionally glance at the landline phone on the front desk, sighing softly.

Wang Biao clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and said angrily, "Damn it, those Jinlong Hotel are shameless! They copied all our decorations and dishes, and even charged us half the price! Aren't they deliberately targeting us?!"

His words silenced everyone, and the crowd's spirits sank even lower.

The Golden Dragon Hotel had only been open for a few days when the crisis surrounding the Grand Court Hotel never stopped.

First, the newspapers reported that the kitchen of the Grand Hotel used expired ingredients. Then, someone came forward and said that the waiters at the Grand Hotel had a terrible attitude. Whenever there were many people dining in the hall, someone would come and cause trouble, turning the whole hotel upside down.

"These people are going too far, they're despicable."

Lin Ran slammed her fist on the table and couldn't help but swear.

"Calm down, calm down!"

The little girl next to her trembled in fright and quickly tried to calm her down.

Gao Yang wasn't that flustered.

He comforted her while tidying up the ledger.

"Don't worry, the Golden Dragon Hotel across the street is just cheap, but in other aspects it's not as good as ours at all."

He acted nonchalantly, as if the decline in data wasn't a big problem.

Indeed, in his previous life he owned many restaurants and had seen many ups and downs.

In his eyes, undercutting customers, spreading rumors and slander, and hiring people to cause trouble are nothing more than the crudest and most despicable thuggish tricks.

You can hold out for a while, but not forever.

What truly retains customers is always the taste, quality, and reputation.

But to others, Gao Yang's words sounded like he was just putting on a brave face.

Lin Ran bit her lip, her eyes slightly red: "Gao Yang, that's true, but now all the customers have been scared away. If this continues, Haoting really won't be able to hold on."

"Look, they also have Western food, and they can make Wellington steak, and the price is half of ours. You have no idea how many people are attracted to them."

"What's even more infuriating is that the other side specifically sent a few thugs to guard our door. Whenever customers want to come over, they chase them away!"

Wang Biao clenched his fists, his knuckles white, his chest heaving with anger: "If you ask me, let's just confront them directly! Why are they resorting to such underhanded tactics!"

"That's right, we have so many of us, even if Brother Qian isn't here, we're not afraid of them!"

Filled with righteous indignation, the crowd rolled up their sleeves, ready to rush out the door in unison to confront them.

"Going there will only give people something to talk about."

Gao Yang gently shook his head and reached out to stop everyone's actions.

He looked up at the bustling storefronts across the street from the window, as if an invisible net was covering the Grand Court Hotel.

"They'd love for us to act impulsively, they'd love for us to make mistakes."

"So we're just going to wait around? Neither Mr. Su nor Brother Qian are in the store, what do we do?"

Gao Yang did not answer, but silently shook his head and continued making the ledger.

The current situation is exactly as he predicted, and it even matches the trend that Su Wanqing had foreseen long ago.

However, he and Su Wanqing remained unmoved, calmly sitting in the rear, showing no panic and issuing no orders.

This was something the two of them had agreed upon, and it was a tacit understanding between them.

The opposing side is run by the Green Dragon Gang, and they will definitely try every means to strike at Haoting. As for the key to breaking the deadlock, it depends on that important figure from the capital, and this important figure is Su Wanqing's target.

All Gao Yang had to do was wait for the right opportunity in the rear.

However, the time is not yet ripe.

"Ring ring ring".

The front desk phone rang, the sound particularly jarring in the quiet lobby.

A spark of hope instantly ignited in everyone's eyes.

"Is this a reservation?"

"Are you booking a room or a meal?"

"Finally, someone's here?"

Lin Ran's eyes lit up with excitement, and she almost ran over, already thinking about how to recommend it to the customer.

"Hello, this is the Grand Court Hotel. Is there anything I can help you with?"

After listening for a few words, her breath suddenly caught in her throat.

"Oh, okay, it's alright. We look forward to seeing you again next time."

Lin Ran's expression gradually darkened, and finally she softly hummed in agreement before hanging up the phone.

"How is it?"

Facing the hopeful gazes of the crowd, she slowly shook her head.

"Sigh, all my expectations were dashed."

The light in everyone's eyes faded, and like a deflated balloon, his shoulders slumped, and he leaned against the platform, speechless for a long time.

Zhou Guodong sighed deeply, shook his head, and looked utterly exhausted.

"That means there won't be any bookings for tomorrow."

He has worked at Haoting for half his life, learning step by step from the youngest apprentice to where he is today.

For him, the mansion is his second home, an inseparable part of him.

"Damn it, I just don't understand. Nobody has any evidence, so why are they saying we're guilty? We use good oil in our cooking, and my master personally oversees all our ingredients every day. These newspapers must have been paid off by the Green Dragon Gang!"

Wang Biao grew angrier the more he thought about it, his eyes turning red. He slammed his fist against the wall, then went to the back to silently process his emotions.

Everyone felt bad upon seeing this.

The jarring opening music and shouts coming from the Golden Dragon Hotel across the street seemed to penetrate the walls and reach everyone's ears.

This lively scene should rightfully belong to the Grand Court Hotel.

Now, just a wall separates two worlds: one bustling like a market, the other deathly silent like winter.

Gao Yang's fingers, which were holding the pen, paused slightly.

He remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he knew that Brother Long was trying to drive Haoting to its doom.

Low prices, plagiarism, spreading rumors, causing trouble, stealing customers, and ruining reputation – with this combination of tactics, an ordinary restaurant would have gone bankrupt long ago.

Sensing his companions' low spirits, he put down his pen and was about to go over and comfort them.

At that moment, a voice came from the hall.

"Come quick, come quick! The food at Haoting Restaurant is filthy! I've had diarrhea all day!"