Chapter 173: Chapter 173: No, hasn’t he always been so generous?!
Saturday saw the Taste of Yore Sichuan Restaurant bustling again. Once it opened, customers began eagerly lining up to grab a number. In no time at all, even the evening numbers had all been snapped up. The business was ridiculously good. Shen Hai had specially hired a server to manage the crowds outside, specifically tasked with calling out numbers and handling reception. The ordinary-looking Taste of Yore Sichuan Restaurant experienced what it felt like to be wildly popular.
「Meanwhile, outside the Taste of Yore Sichuan Restaurant.」
Yang Juanjuan, the chairwoman of Taste of Sichuan Restaurant, watched the lively scene at the Taste of Yore Sichuan Restaurant with both envy and jealousy. Business like this should belong to her large restaurant! she thought. How can such a small place be so popular?
Taste of Sichuan was clearly on a downward trend, with its daily turnover decreasing. From the outside, it was evident there were many empty tables inside; the atmosphere even seemed a bit colder. Customers who saw this often chose not to enter. It was as if an invisible fortune was gradually ebbing away from the establishment.
"Sis, that head chef also owns a restaurant in Eastern Shandong, and... it’s no worse than ours," Yang Dalong advised from the side. "He seems to be quite a big name there. We can’t poach him."
"Even hiring him for just one week would boost our reputation. If that shabby little eatery could hire him, why can’t we, by offering more money?" Yang Juanjuan still wasn’t ready to give up.
In her desperation, having found a top chef who wasn’t permanently employed, she naturally wasn’t willing to let the opportunity slip away. Even if it’s just for a week, inviting Jiang Feng could reignite Taste of Sichuan’s popularity and reverse its current decline, she mused.
However, she didn’t know that Jiang Feng’s decisions on where to cook were based on system tasks and rewards, as well as his own mood. If he found a system task appealing, he would accept it. If not, he could decline. Upon declining a task, the system would offer a new one after two days; the choice was entirely his. So far, the system’s tasks had been very suitable, so Jiang Feng had consistently accepted them.
The Taste of Yore Sichuan Restaurant stayed busy until 9:30 PM. After finishing the last order, Jiang Feng changed his clothes and walked out of the Taste of Yore Sichuan Restaurant. Many people saw him and waved, greeting him warmly.
"Boss Jiang, off work?"
"Will you be here tomorrow?"
"The spicy chicken was delicious, do you have the recipe?"
The customers were very enthusiastic.
Jiang Feng replied with a smile, "I’ll be here tomorrow, as long as everyone likes what I cook."
Jiang Feng went to the backyard, found Little Black, and left with him. He hadn’t gone far when he saw a beautifully dressed woman in her late twenties and a crew-cut young man in a suit approaching.
"Boss Jiang! Boss Jiang, please wait a moment!" Yang Juanjuan called out with a smile, approaching him.
"Hello," Jiang Feng replied, always polite.
"Boss Jiang, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Let me introduce myself: I’m Yang Juanjuan, the owner of Taste of Sichuan Restaurant. Our restaurant is an old name in Chengdu, ranking among the top three, and it’s especially famous for its Sichuan cuisine. The reason I’ve approached you is, I’d like to invite you to our restaurant. Even just for a week would be fine, and I’m prepared to offer a high salary. For one week, I’ll offer 10,000 yuan. What do you say?" Yang Juanjuan stated her offer directly.
Jiang Feng had heard about this from Shen Hai before and had made a note of it. He wasn’t interested in working at Taste of Sichuan. Besides, to be frank, he was already earning more than 10,000 yuan a week at Taste of Yore Sichuan Restaurant.
"I’m not interested in cooking Sichuan cuisine at your place," Jiang Feng said calmly, "but I am quite interested in your restaurant. Would you consider selling it? Perhaps you could take the money and invest in another business."
Yang Juanjuan was slightly taken aback. In that moment, she sensed that Jiang Feng possessed a depth far greater than her own. Just moments ago, she had viewed Jiang Feng merely as a ’hired chef’ and discussed ’salary.’ But his single statement about acquiring her restaurant completely caught her off guard.
Actually, this reaction was understandable. Yang Juanjuan’s restaurant belonged to her husband; she was merely the manager. Under her management for a few months, the business had steadily declined. In contrast, Jiang Feng owned his restaurant outright. Furthermore, it was a renowned establishment for Shandong Cuisine and was flourishing. Jiang Feng’s resources and standing were far more formidable than hers.
Yang Dalong stood by, utterly speechless, his face a mask of embarrassment. How are we supposed to continue this conversation? We offer an impressive weekly salary of 10,000 yuan, and he counters by wanting to buy our restaurant! Who can make sense of this? he thought.
"Uh..." Yang Juanjuan stammered, also a bit stunned. "I... I haven’t considered that."
Jiang Feng replied nonchalantly, "I was just asking casually. It would be fine if you’re considering selling. If not, I can look for other suitable places. We can talk again if the opportunity arises."
With that, Jiang Feng walked away with Little Black, leaving Yang Juanjuan and Yang Dalong standing there in a daze.
It took a while for Yang Juanjuan to recover. "Is he always this... audacious?" she asked, still bewildered.
Yang Dalong looked at her. "It seems that way, judging by his assets."
"Sis, why don’t we sell the restaurant? Let’s invest in something else?" Yang Dalong asked again.
"You think I don’t want to?" Yang Juanjuan sighed. "But I can’t sell it. The restaurant belongs to your brother-in-law; he has the final say. Let’s just wait and see." The two of them then departed quietly.
「That night」
Yang Juanjuan tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Mulling over the day’s events, she abruptly sat up in bed. Is he really that audacious?
she wondered. I offer him a job as a chef, and he wants to buy my restaurant? Actually... that might not be a bad idea. I’ve been wanting to invest in a beauty salon; they’re much more profitable than restaurants. This is worth considering.「Back home」
After Jiang Feng returned with Little Black, he quickly freshened up and then went to bed.
「The next day」
The Taste of Yore Sichuan Restaurant was as lively as ever.
"Finally, it’s my turn!"
"So many people!"
"Boss, please, give me a number! I’ve been queuing for so long, please!"
"Boss, I have a friend who’s on his deathbed! His last wish is to taste Boss Jiang’s Sichuan cuisine!"
"Boss, let me in! I won’t take up a seat; I can eat standing up!"
Customers at the entrance began to queue, clamoring desperately. Everyone was going all out.
Liu Lei had his wife and child wait to the side while he charged into the crowd to get a number, like a warrior shouldering a great family responsibility. The scene was chaotic, with everyone shoving and snatching for numbers. Shen Hai’s head was spinning. Such good business can be a real headache, he thought.
Before long, Liu Lei emerged from the crowd, his clothes disheveled. He straightened them and took a deep breath.
"Did you get one?" his wife quickly asked, concerned.
"Of course! And it’s a good one; we should be able to eat by one o’clock," Liu Lei said with satisfaction, brandishing the number card in his hand.
"That’s great!" His wife and son both beamed with joy. Just getting to eat there was enough. They glanced towards the entrance, where many people were still jostling for numbers. The scene was lively yet chaotic.
Just then, a young man holding a slip of paper excitedly bragged, "HA HA HA! I got in line! I got a number!" He had a big grin on his face, looking quite smug.
He had barely finished speaking when another young man with blond hair, looking like a spirited troublemaker, suddenly leaped up and snatched the numbered slip from his hand. The blond-haired youth grabbed the slip and bolted.
"DAMN IT! DAMN IT!" the young man roared, finally reacting after several seconds of shock. "Someone stole my number! He stole my number! Stop him!" He shouted angrily as he pushed his way out of the crowd and started chasing.
Others glanced over but no one offered to help. Serves him right for showing off! they thought. If you get a number, just keep quiet. Getting robbed after flaunting it like that is his own darn fault.
Witnessing this, Liu Lei clutched his own number card tightly. Can’t let mine get snatched, he thought.
"My, this is exciting! That chef is incredibly popular!" Liu Lei’s wife remarked, her face alight with gossipy excitement as she watched the chase unfold.
Liu Lei nodded. "You bet! Just his spicy crayfish alone—I’ve never tasted anything so delicious!"
The family temporarily left the entrance of the Taste of Yore Sichuan Restaurant, deciding to wander around the mall for a bit. After all, they could see the live queue situation on their smartphones, so there was no need to linger at the restaurant’s entrance. The scene at the entrance was exceptionally lively.
Just then, Jiang Feng also hurried over, having woken up a bit late today. Fortunately, the apprentices in the kitchen had already prepared the side dishes according to his instructions. Moreover, Jiang Feng had marinated some meat the day before, so he could start cooking right away.
As Jiang Feng appeared, someone in the crowd yelled, "Boss Jiang has arrived! Everyone clear the way!"
The shout even caught Jiang Feng off guard. A hint of helplessness touched his features; he had hoped to slip in unnoticed but was spotted anyway. Only then did the rest of the crowd fully notice Jiang Feng.
"Boss Jiang, save a number for me, please!"
"Boss Jiang, my roommate is on his deathbed! He just wants to eat your cooking before he passes!"
"Boss Jiang, my wife said if she can’t eat your dishes, she’ll divorce me! You’ve got to help me!"
Several people immediately pleaded with him.
Jiang Feng had grown accustomed to such remarks from his days running a food stall. He had a standard way of handling it: squeeze through the crowd while greeting everyone.
"Hello, everyone! Thanks for your support!"
He squeezed through the crowd into the restaurant and then went to the kitchen, changed into his chef’s clothes, washed his hands, checked the side dishes, and prepared to get busy.
The kitchen was much quieter, filled only with the sight and aroma of various ingredients and seasonings. Jiang Feng felt very much at ease in this environment. He checked the beef heart and beef tongue simmering in the pot, ready to slice for Husband and Wife Lung Slices. Nearby, a basin held cleaned fish soaking in water, ready to be made into Water-Boiled Fish Slices. The ingredients were all fine, just waiting for the orders to come in.
Two apprentices were now helping in the kitchen. They were young but diligent. One, a quiet young man, was exceptionally honest. He diligently chopped and washed vegetables, always completing assigned tasks to the best of his ability. The other was a bit smoother, occasionally trying to be clever, but since it was a kitchen environment, it wasn’t a major issue.
Jiang Feng was a good judge of character and had his own standards for evaluating them. I’ll hire the honest one when I open my own restaurant, he planned. What a kitchen needed were down-to-earth, hardworking individuals. Since there was no direct interaction with customers, honesty and dependability were even more precious qualities.
Soon, it was opening time. Shen Hai began letting people in according to their numbered slips, carefully scanning each one to verify its authenticity. Just the day before, someone had managed to sneak in using a counterfeit. People would resort to any means to taste Jiang Feng’s cooking.
As the owner of the Taste of Yore Sichuan Restaurant, Shen Hai found himself becoming versed not just in menus, but in military strategy too!