June 6th, Monday...
Pei Qian woke up naturally at nine in the morning. His morale had been crushed for the past two days, owing to his gaming experience with Ruan Guangjian during the weekend. He was now cooped up at home, not wanting to go to work.
Pei Qian took out two small pieces of cake and a box of milk from the fridge after washing up. He was prepared to deal with them before continuing his unfinished game yesterday. The room was in a minimalist style, which was commonly known as the 'Four Bare Walls' style. Therefore, Pei Qian could only eat at the small coffee table next to the large balcony. This small coffee table was one of the very few pieces of furniture in the entire living room. There were also two small chairs next to it where its main purpose was to watch the scenery outside and drink tea.
The two pieces of small cake were wiped out in no time. Pei Qian threw the garbage into the trash can and left it at that. Someone would clean it up anyway.
The doorbell rang as soon as he settled on the sofa and picked up the controller.
"Hm?" Pei Qian was taken aback before he got up to open the door.
The butler stood outside the door, holding a squarish box in his hand. "Boss Pei, this is an express delivery sent to you from Dream Realization Ventures. Shall I bring it in for
you?"
The butler's name was Song Kai. He was 26 years old and had previously worked as a housekeeper in a certain rental company. He was Assistant Xin's candidate. He had been doing well so far.
Of course, there wasn't much to do in the first place.
Song Kai had often felt skeptical about life ever since he came to the Sloth Apartments.
Pei Qian thought about it. If Liang Qingfan was the only one in charge of the Sloth Apartments, he would naturally be overwhelmed. This project might never become popular, but the cleaning and management of the building had to be recruited.
He must hire at least one cleaner as long as there was one resident in this building.
It would be impossible to get Liang Qingfan to do everything when there were more houses next time, right? He was an architect after all. He had to be responsible for all the design works as well as the on-site construction.
Pei Qian, therefore, was interested in observing Song Kai for a few days. If he felt that this person was ok, he would also make him the person-in-charge of Sloth Apartments to give Liang Qingfan a helping hand. "Unpack it and give me the item directly," Pei Qian said.
Song Kai opened it, took out the squarish black box from within, and handed it to Boss Pei's hands.
Pei Qian reached out and took it. He found that this thing was heavier than he expected, but it was not too difficult to move.
That was the improved version of the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine. Zhang Wang arranged for it to be delivered directly to Pei Qian's residence.
Song Kai closed the door knowingly and took the empty box away.
Pei Qian held the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine and looked around the living room at a loss.
No place to put it!
This thingy was neither big nor small. It was too large to fit on the shelf as an ornament... yet too small to put in the corner of the room or next to the TV cabinet. In other words, this strange size satisfied Pei Qian.
Pei Qian eventually still decided to put it on the coffee table after he looked around.
Then, it looked strangely appropriate. He could reach it while sitting on the chair next to it. The operation for 'bickering' was rather smooth as well.
"Very good, Zhang Wang, I'll trust you once more. I'll invest in any project that you propose if you make this project a loss!".
The system obviously had restrictions on the backlog of goods. They did not allow producing goods endlessly when there was a backlog of goods. However, a backlog of 20,000 to 30,000 units should not be a problem.
That meant to say that as long as this project were to meet Pei Qian's expectations, it would be easy to burn millions to make 20,000 to 30,000 units of the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine.
Pei Qian began carefully examining this Fully-Automated Bickering Machine which he had high hopes for.
The Fully-Automated Bickering Machine was several times larger than the samples that Zhang Wang made previously. It was pure black with a matte texture, but with gold edges on it. It had a low-key and luxurious feel to it.
Pei Qian operated the first wave of the 'bickering'.
The Fully-Automated Bickering Machine would always go back to its original position every time it was lifted.
If the bar was continuously lifted, the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine would restore the lifted metal rods in the corresponding order. It would make a full recovery and be regarded as a 'continuous bar lifting' state.
A reading would be displayed on the box in a purely mechanical way at this time. Once all the sticks were restored, the 'continuous lifting' state would be over, and the number on the box would return to zero.
Other than that, Pei Qian also noticed that the materials inside the box seemed to have been improved. The Y shaped rod became gold, and its shape seemed to be redesigned, filled with a finely crafted texture.
The cost had doubled from 200 to 400 yuan after all. All this money was spent on these useless fine details.
Pei Qian played with it for two minutes before losing interest in it. Who would want to buy this lousy sh*t for 488 yuan? That would be mental!
Firstly, it served no practical purpose.
Secondly, it was a pure black box with gold rims. Even if it had a frosted texture, not many people would use it as an ornament since many better things could be bought for the same price.
Pei Qian was so satisfied that he gave He Desheng a call immediately.
"I received the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine. It's great; mass-produce and pay for it immediately! Hmm... it is cheaper if we make more? Let's stock 20,000 units of them first then!"
Producing 20,000 units for the first batch and leaving them all in the warehouse. Eight million yuan would be gone in an instant.
Of course, Pei Qian would consider continuing to increase stocks if the early sales were not good. However, the exact amount would have to depend on the system.
However, in any case, Pei Qian could be said to have high hopes for Zhang Wang's Fully-Automated Bickering Machine!
June 7th, dinner time...
At Ming Yun Private Kitchen...
'Ming Yun Private Kitchen' was how Tengda called it internally. Everyone else called it a 'nameless restaurant', which was made famous because people could not find it online at all.
Two tall blondes arrived at the front entrance of the villa.
"Elena, I did not expect this place to be so remote. I wouldn't have come along with you if I'd known."
"Alright, Jessica. A very good friend of mine made a reservation two months in advance. It's my first time here as well; complain only after you think this local restaurant is not worth its reputation after we tried it."
"Alright, but I would not give any face if their food isn't good."
"That goes without saying; I'm the same."
They spoke in English, their voice neither high nor low. They chatted as they walked in.
One of the waiters in the lobby noticed. He walked up immediately and greeted them in fluent English. "Hello, Miss Elena and Miss Jessica, right?"
The reservation system had its advantages and disadvantages for Ming Yun Private Kitchen. The disadvantage was that anyone who wanted to try it had to make reservations two months in advance. They had to wait for a very long time to eat a meal.
However, this also came with certain advantages. For example, the number of guests who dined every day was fixed so Ming Yun Private Kitchen would never be crowded. The privacy of every guest could be guaranteed. At the same time, the waiters could prepare in advance to cater to individuals.
Lin Canrong specially arranged for a more famous simultaneous interpretation service provider in Jingzhou to receive them.
This young man was Jia Nuo. His English name was Lucas and had been doing simultaneous interpretation work for several years. He was well-known in Jingzhou but was worried about the prospects of his work. Simultaneous interpretation might be highly paid, but it was too tiring so he was considering changing careers.
Lin Canrong offered this young man 40,000 yuan a month. He only needed to come and receive foreign guests when they came in to dine. The maximum number of receptions was eight times a month, and they would pay him extra if he needed to work overtime.
This price might seem high, but it was not when compared to Jia Nuo's original simultaneous interpretation job.
Jia Nuo's service targets were mainly foreign companies in the past. His standard charges per day were about 8,000 yuan. However, that was calculated based on an eight-hour work system. That meant that he would quote 4,000 to 5,000 yuan if it was a four-hour meeting.
It was the year 2011 after all. These services would be more valuable a few years later.
Those who did not understand would calculate Jia Nuo's salary based on a 22-day work month. That would mean that his salary would be 100,000 yuan a month. However, that was not the case.
Simultaneous interpretation was very tiring work; moreover, a large amount of preparatory work was required for large-scale business meetings. They might even need to prepare for a week or two prior to the meeting which consumed a lot of energy and time. That work was very detrimental to health.
Jia Nuo's hourly salary might look high, but his annual income was only about 400,000 to 500,000 yuan.
Therefore, Jia Nuo accepted Lin Canrong's invitation. On the one hand, he would have a stable monthly income. He would be able to obtain 40,000 yuan while lying at home if no guests were requiring him. On the other hand, he would be able to obtain extra money according to the pricing standard so he was not at a loss anyway. Moreover, Lin Canrong felt that it was necessary to have such a professional onboard. It might be a loss if there were no foreign guests, but as a waiter in Ming Yun Private Kitchen, Jia Nuo had to learn the English vocabulary for catering, recipes, and details of various meals and go through special service training-including mannerism, wording, expression management, and the like.
To Lin Canrong, paying a basic salary of 40,000 yuan a month was very cost-effective. Moreover, the quality of translation would translate into totally different standards.
Dining paid attention to color, fragrance, and taste. The naming of the food was as poetic as possible. It was two totally different concepts when one simply conveyed the meaning or to translate it faithfully and elegantly to foreign friends.
A smile immediately appeared on Jessica's face when she heard his fluent English and saw his handsome appearance.
He could only say that this world was a sucker for looks...
Jia Nuo brought them to the largest private room. The tableware, tables, and chairs on the dining table had already been arranged for two; the decoration in the private room had been changed.
The meal had been booked in advance so there was no menu.
Most ingredients were special, and some dishes required more than a dozen steps in their preparation. That was why they could not be ordered on the spot. Elena smiled and said, "Lucas, the friend that pre-ordered for us told us that he ordered two of your most complicated and unique dishes. There are also new dishes this month. I hope that is not an exaggeration.
"In fact, my friend Jessica always had some prejudice against Chinese food. I'm looking forward to you being able to overturn that prejudice today."
Chapter 541 Steamed Chinese Cabbage in Supreme Soup
Jessica shrugged. "I don't want to be biased against Chinese cuisine either, but I went to Ming House a few days before, and it didn't meet my expectations."
Elena was evidently frustrated. "I already told you that that's not the best Chinese cuisine in Jingzhou."
Jessica: "You were very disappointed as well, weren't you?"
Jia Nuo smiled without chiming in on the ladies' conversation. Just as planned, he served the dishes one by one according to the schedule.
The first dish was a small appetizer—the Four Seasons Cold Platter.
The Four Seasons Cold Platter contained four appetizers: pickled cucumbers, vegetarian goose meat, braised bamboo shoots, and candied plums. There was a variety of flavors in that one dish.
Immediately after that came the Lettuce-Wrapped Shrimp Floss. It was made by dicing and stir-frying fresh shrimp, onions, celery, and other ingredients; mixing them with golden, fried, and crispy dough sticks; and then wrapping them all with lettuce.
Then came the famous traditional dish-the Braised Pork Belly Pyramid.
Elena was very adept with her chopsticks while Jessica looked like she was struggling more. Still, that did not stop her from enjoying the delicacies.
Before serving the dishes, Jia Nuo introduced each of their special characteristics and other details in English. He had prepared the introductions well. They were short and sweet.
If they were too short, he would not be able to cover every detail hidden inside the dish. Yet, if they were too long, the customers' enjoyment of the dish would be affected.
After all, most Chinese cuisines had to be served warm. Once too much time passed, they would not taste as good. At the same time, customers could not be expected to divide their attention and listen to complicated processes and steps while eating the food.
Trying to achieve too much often resulted in customers not being able to enjoy the taste of the food or remember details in the introduction.
Thus, Jia Nuo had revised the contents of his introduction multiple times to make sure that he had a perfect grasp of the timing. That would ensure that customers understood each dish well enough and yet managed to enjoy their taste without interruptions.
As Elena listened to Jia Nuo, she nonchalantly touched the sides of the plates. The minute details determined one's experience of dining in high-end restaurants.
Some high-end restaurants that didn't pay enough attention to details would not even bother to check if all water droplets had been wiped off the goblets after washing them.
If they neglected to do that, just a little bit of dust in the surroundings would cause marks to be left behind after the water droplets dried.
Of course, very few high-end restaurants committed such mistakes these days.
Another common problem was the temperature of the plates.
Cold dishes had to be served on cold plates, and warm dishes had to be served on warm plates. If waiters were slow to serve the dishes, the plates would get cold, and the dish would have to be prepared from scratch.
Elena had already lightly touched the sides of the plates for the three dishes that had been served so far. At once, she could tell that the temperature of each plate was within the acceptable range. Everything has been well taken care of.
On top of that, Elena had been taking note of the plating Matching of shapes, blending of colors, and types of cutlery... all of it was like art. The chef could give each dish emotions and a soul through his plating. The plating of the last three dishes could be called works of art, and Elena was very satisfied.
On the other hand, Jessica did not know as much. All she knew was that the Chinese cuisine that she was having today was different from anything she had had before. It looked about the same, but for some reason, it felt so mystifying that she could not find the right words to describe it. As Jessica ate, she exclaimed, "Is this Braised Pork Belly Pyramid one of the two complicated dishes that we ordered?"
Elena shook her head. "Apparently not."
She turned to Jia Nuo. "Lucas, the first few dishes were outstanding, but I've had all of them at other high-end restaurants before. Take the Four Seasons Cold Platter for example – I had it in an outstanding Chinese restaurant in Silicon Valley before.
"As for the Braised Pork Belly Pyramid, I had it at an elite private kitchen in Xiamen. Each has its own merits in terms of taste. You're not lacking compared to the other restaurants, but I'm not completely won over by you either."
Jia Nuo smiled. "Then, you must have had the next dish before as well; it's a Western dessert called Verjus in Egg." Elena and Jessica looked at the dishes that had just been placed in front of them.
It was... an egg.
Jessica was confused. "Did you boil this egg using Verjus drizzled in water? Lucas, I recall you saying that this is a dessert."
Verjus was a rich and sour juice made from raw grapes. It was not common in countries outside of England, and ordinary people would not like it either. However, Jessica and Elena were obviously pleasantly surprised.
To provide a picture of how they felt, one could think of how those born and raised in Beijing would feel upon finding Beijing's orange soda in Silicon Valley. Looking excited, Elena said, "Yes, this is a dessert. Everything on this plate can be eaten."
Jia Nuo smiled as he began his introduction of the dish. "I guess Miss Elena is familiar with this dish. This little legg' is a product of close to a hundred steps and over seventy ingredients."
Elena reminded Jessica, "Jessica, you had better eat the eggshell, the egg yolk, and the egg white together. The mixture of different flavors would be perfect."
Jessica tried a small mouthful of the dish, and her eyes immediately lit up.
"Oh, what a familiar taste! What are these egg-like things?" Jia Nuo answered, "The egg white is coconut-flavored panna cotta; the egg yolk is Verjus cooked and boiled with spices; and the eggshell is chocolate. The 'birds nest' at the bottom is made from honey and syrup, and the surrounding embellishments are Kabosu jelly -a type of citrus-fruit unique to East Asian islands.
"This is an extremely complicated dish. Every step is akin to a science experiment. Accuracy and precision are required in every detail, including the preparation of ingredients.
"The chef must be extremely careful with the ratio of ingredients, the temperature of ingredients, heat applied, and the like. A single misstep, such as making it one or two degrees hotter or adding one or two additional grams of ingredients, could lead to failure."
Elena added, "Even in England, there are very few restaurants that can produce this dessert."
The dessert had obviously surpassed Jessica's expectations. Once again, she exclaimed, "It's delicious! Thank you for giving us this surprise. However... this dish strengthens my support for Western cuisine all the more."
Locals probably would not think that the dessert was that delicious. At most, they would wonder at the skills required, the dish's complexity, and its looks.
The egg's shell, white, and yolk looked extremely real. The shell, especially, looked no different from real eggshells—it was extremely thin.
However, the taste would not suit locals' taste buds because Verjus was too sour. Most people would not feel accustomed to it.
Still, it tasted just like home for Jessica.
There were meant to be two complex dishes, but the first had already raised Jessica's expectations through the roof. Elena could not help but worry if the next dish could live up to their expectations.
If it could not, it would not help Jessica to rid herself of her prejudices against Chinese cuisine. Although it would probably be delicious, the Verjus in Egg would still leave the deepest impression in Jessica's mind.
The waiter placed a flat bowl in the middle of the table.
Elena's eyes widened.
Inside the flat bowl were four or five pieces of leaves, spread out in the shape of a water lily. It was... cabbage?
The stalks and leaves did not look like they had been cooked at all. In fact, they looked raw. There was also clear soup in the pot with no hint of oil or color. All they could see was smoke. It looked no different from ordinary boiled water.
At first glance, the dish looked like someone had arranged raw cabbage in the shape of a water lily in the flat bowl before pouring boiling water on top of it.
Elena became doubtful. She knew that cabbage was one of the cheapest ingredients in the market. In fact, it was so cheap that people would describe cheap items as being sold at a 'cabbage price'.
Jia Nuo was in no hurry to introduce how the dish was prepared. Instead, he gestured at it and said, "This is Steamed Chinese Cabbage in Supreme Soup. Please try it before I introduce it to you."
Half-suspicious, Elena picked up a Cabbage leaf and put it into her mouth.
However, it did not taste cold and raw like she expected. Instead, it felt soft and tender in her mouth. Obviously, it was fully-cooked and yet surprisingly fresh. She had never tasted cabbage as refreshing and delicious as this before!
Then, Elena scooped a spoonful of soup. A delightful and indescribable taste stimulated her taste buds and took her breath away.
Jessica's face froze as well. Obviously, she had not expected this dish to taste so outstanding. Smiling, Jia Nuo explained, "This dish is made using cabbage that has become compact and firm all the way through, which normally happens in late autumn, when the ground starts to frost up.
"Once the cabbage becomes firm, it has to be harvested immediately. We're not in the right season now, but we can achieve the same effect by controlling the surrounding temperature very well."Then, we removed the two outer layers, leaving only a fist-sized portion with white leaves and tender stems. After soaking the roots of the vegetable in a prepared stock so that it becomes soft, we peeled off four or five leaves and formed a water lily on top of a flat sieve.
"We then used a silver needle to pierce the heart of the cabbage repeatedly, covering the cabbage with pores that are invisible to the naked eye.
"For the soup, we chose a chicken that was neither too fat nor too tender. It could neither be too oily nor overcooked. The fats and insides of the chicken were scraped off before it was repeatedly washed with water to get rid of the blood.
"Then, we blanched the chicken in boiling water, moved it into pure, boiling water, and then added other ingredients like abalone slices and white mushroom shreds. The soup was left to simmer for four or five hours until it was tasty enough.
"Then, we took the whole chicken out and added chicken flakes to the soup to absorb the oil. Finally, we added the meat paste formed from the chicken breast into the soup, left it to boil, and then ran it through a fine sieve.
"Combining the soup and the cabbage was the most important step. We needed two separate fires and pots. One pot was to hold the sieve with the cabbage leaves on top while the other was to hold the well-prepared soup.
"The pot with the sieve was to be kept warm over low heat. The pot with the soup was to be kept over even lower heat, so that the soup could be maintained between seventy to eighty degrees Celsius. Everything had to be precise. "After that, a large spoon was used to scoop the warm soup and pour it over the cabbage repeatedly. Once the soup was almost finished, the last bit was poured directly from the pot.
"Once the outermost layer of the cabbage was completely cooked and soft, it was placed inside a flat bowl, and more warm soup was slowly scooped into it. Only dishes prepared in this manner can be called Steamed Chinese Cabbage in Supreme Soup."
Chapter 542 Only Then Can We Fulfill Boss Pei's Expectations of Ming Yun Private Kitchen
Jessica tried the fresh cabbage and drank the delicious soup. Feeling emotional, she said, "Alright, Elena. I changed my mind. I agree with your point of view. The prejudices that I had against Chinese cuisine were a result of my ignorance. "This dish has completely changed the way I view Chinese cuisine."
Elena nodded subtly. "This dish surprised me, too. I know any other Chinese restaurants serve this dish, but very few of them can do it well.
"Thank you, Lucas. Your explanation of this dish has greatly enhanced its taste. Your deep understanding of delicacies has greatly inspired me as well."
Jia Nuo smiled. "Actually, I don't have that deep of an understanding of delicacies. I only do what I have to, based on the branch manager's instructions and present the details of every dish to the customers."
Obviously, that was the reason why Lin Canrong had made all the waiters explain the dishes on the menu.
Apart from the very few connoisseurs who were extremely sensitive to taste, most ordinary people would not be able to tell how much effort chefs put into creating each dish based on its taste alone.
Instead, most people could only describe delicacies in limited ways: they were either delicious, or fresh, or the like.
Waiters, who explained the details of each dish to customers at a time like that, could popularize the knowledge and create a certain type of environment and atmosphere for them. A 'common passion' would be formed between them.
High-end restaurants improved the taste of every dish at all costs. If they did not explain the relevant details to customers, the delicacies would not leave a deep impression in their minds.
Obviously, Lin Canrong's careful and meticulous planning had all paid off at that moment.
Elena said, "Lucas, can I ask you more about Chinese and Western cuisines?" Jia Nuo pondered for a moment. "I'm afraid I don't know enough to answer your questions, but I can invite the branch manager over."
Elena: "If it wouldn't interrupt his work, I would really appreciate it!"
Jia Nuo left the private room and returned a moment later with Lin Canrong in tow.
Lin Canrong smiled and said, "My surname is Lin, and I am the branch manager of this restaurant. Are both of you satisfied with our food and service?"
Although Lin Canrong was also learning English, he was old and busy with work. Thus, it was still difficult for him to communicate smoothly with foreigners.
That was why he had to trouble Jia Nuo to translate his words.
Fortunately, Jia Nuo had worked as a simultaneous interpreter before, and translating Lin Canrong's words for customers was chicken feet to him.
Elena nodded. "We're very satisfied! This is the most amazing meal I have ever eaten. You pay a lot of attention to the details and hold yourself to high standards for both Chinese and Western cuisine alike. That has left a deep impression on me.
"I'm a gourmet enthusiast, and I've always been confused about something that I want to clarify with you, Branch Manager Lin. I wonder if you can help to resolve my confusion."
Lin Canrong replied humbly, "I wouldn't dare to say that I can help to resolve your confusion, but I would be happy to discuss my views."
Elena asked, "The taste of food is intensifying now, and many dishes are made so that one can no longer taste the original ingredients. I wonder what you think about that, Branch Manager Lin."
After some consideration, Lin Canrong said, "That is indeed a trend in the world of delicacies.
"I think there are two main reasons for this. "The first is the stiff competition. The food industry is cruel. Even the best restaurants in the world have to continuously research new dishes and provide entertainment in the restaurant.
"If they do not try to spruce up the environment, they would be seen as making no attempt to improve. After all, the customers' attention can be easily drawn away by other things in the restaurant.
"On top of that, there is the problem with customers' demands. Many other brands would deceive or tempt consumers, leaving them with too stark comparisons and too much stimulation.
"As a result, consumers lose their ability to appreciate certain flavors and constantly seek more intense ones.
"As the food and beverage industry continues to use intense flavors to excite consumers' taste buds, a vicious cycle would form. As a consumer, I would definitely want to eat 'more delicious' food. However... I think that does not match the philosophy behind Chinese cuisine. "Chinese cuisine is about neutrality. Each dish has its place, with every ingredient having its unique taste. Strive to bring out natural flavors and infuse flavor to those that lack it. There is no one-size-fits-all in food. Cater to the individual's palate..."
"Simply put, every ingredient should have their own unique taste. When trying to match various ingredients, the chef has to make sure that their natural flavors blend well and not try to forcefully blend them together using artificial flavors.
"A single dish also should not remain the same for too long. Instead, the chef has to match the dish to each consumer's special requests.
"That's why our restaurant is constantly trying to balance those two factors. We want to keep the food's original flavors without adding artificial flavoring or additives, make our food nutritious and healthy, and continuously improve the taste of our dishes at the same time.
"Take the Steamed Chinese Cabbage in Supreme Soup that both of you had today, for example. There's a saying that cabbage is still the most delicious among all vegetables. Although it's a very common ingredient, as long as you cook it with care, you could still make it as desirable as other precious and uncommon dishes."
Jia Nuo accurately translated the message that Lin Canrong was trying to convey, causing the two ladies to nod profusely.
Jessica was listening very intently. If she had heard these words before today, she would have scoffed and acted like she had not heard it. She would write it off as an excuse for Chinese cuisine tasting worse than modern Western cuisine. However, after eating today's dishes, she could finally understand the rich and philosophical concepts she was hearing now.
'Steamed Chinese Cabbage in Supreme Soup' completely embodied what Branch Manager Lin had been saying about the competition being which dish could taste blander. No modern artificial flavoring had been added, and the soup looked extremely clear. Yet, its blandness also contained an exquisite taste. Elena nodded. "Branch Manager Lin, your words make a lot of sense. They've been of great help to me. Thank you! How do you view the difference between Western and Chinese cuisine, Branch Manager Lin? Which do you think is better?"
Lin Canrong smiled. "Deliciousness is subjective. Everyone's taste is different. I don't think there's a need to say that one is better than the other.
"Every dish has its roots in its culture. What's more, Western cuisine seems to be more acceptable to the rest of the world now because Western culture has been more widely accepted.
"Many people are also content with a smattering of knowledge about Chinese cuisine. They judge the food based purely on how intense the flavors are. Obviously, they would be reviewing Chinese cuisine based on the wrong system, and it would be impossible for them to arrive at the right conclusions.
"The beauty of Chinese cuisine has to be understood against its specific cultural backdrop. It's not just food to satisfy one's appetite, but it's also an expression of thought and philosophy. "Take a very common dish, Dongpo Pork[1], for example. If you don't understand its historical background, it would be no different from ordinary braised pork. "However, if you know the story of Su Dongpo, the reason why he invented this dish and even saw the beautiful scenery by the West Lake in Spring... then, the meaning of the dish would be different altogether.
"Only one who has read Su Dongpo's poems and seen his calligraphy can taste Dongpo Pork; otherwise, one would only be eating ordinary braised pork.
"Many Westerners don't understand these and review Chinese cuisine according to Western standards. Of course, they would arrive at the conclusion that Chinese cuisine is worse than Western. However, that would be an obvious mistake.
"Going back to your initial question... "I don't think it's wrong for modern Western cuisine to pursue an exquisite taste by controlling quantities. I also don't think that it's wrong for Chinese cuisine to focus on its culture.
"Our restaurant does not discriminate against either style but strives to understand every single dish while providing a taste that would best appeal to and suit our diners."
Jia Nuo elegantly and concisely translated Lin Canrong's speech while fully capturing the meaning behind every word.
Elena nodded profusely. At last, she sincerely said, "I see! Branch Manager Lin, you have a deep understanding of food indeed. I'm amazed!"
Jessica was moved as well. "I will get rid of my prejudice against Chinese cuisine. So it's not that it tastes horrible, but that other Chinese restaurants do not measure up."
Lin Canrong smiled. "Not at all. I am just a struggling student, trying to understand the extensive and profound food culture."
Elena said, "Branch Manager Lin, I am actually a food blogger. Can I write everything that I experienced today on my blog? You have a unique understanding of the food and beverage industry, and you've given me a whole new perspective." Still smiling, Lin Canrong nodded. "Of course, you can."
After sending the two foreign friends away, Jia Nuo wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Branch Manager, those two don't seem like ordinary people. It's a good thing that you make us memorize the details of every dish, or I might have made a fool of myself.
"Still, your final speech about the difference between Chinese and Western cuisine and culture was very well-put. I could see that our foreign friends were fully convinced."
After a moment of silence, Lin Canrong said, "Actually, I only recently realized that by chance. Coincidentally, it came in handy today." Jia Nuo was stunned. "You only realized that by chance? Branch Manager, that sudden realization really came at the right time, right?"
Lin Canrong looked stern. "It looks like a coincidence, but in reality... it was planned.
"I looked for Boss Pei earlier, intending to open a new branch, but Boss Pei rejected my suggestion. After that, I went back to think hard about what Boss Pei thought Ming Yun Private Kitchen's role was.
"Subsequently, I understood. Ming Yun Private Kitchen is a unique restaurant that pursues quality over quantity. It's meant to provide the best experience for all diners.
"The best experience, by nature, cannot be copied. Boss Pei kept emphasizing that Ming Yun Private Kitchen cannot set up another branch but has to spend as much money as possible on improving details. "I kept trying to find gaps to fill so that every aspect of this restaurant could be perfect. Our restaurant would not give foreigners special treatment. Instead, we will treat every customer equally and provide the perfect dining experience for all.
"Today, we only hosted two slightly pickier diners from overseas, but this means a lot because we have passed the test. As long as we take every day as our first day, treat every customer as our first customer, and value every diner's feedback; we will become the best.
"I learned all of those things while reflecting on Boss Pei's intentions, including the difference between Western and Chinese cuisine, as well as current developments in the food and beverage industry.
"I think that we can only fulfill Boss Pei's expectations of Ming Yun Private Kitchen by working hard to meet this same standard!"
[1] This is the traditional braised pork belly.
Chapter 543 Thinking of Tricks for Shang Yang Games
June 9th, Thursday... After planning for the manufacturing of the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine on Monday, Pei Qian had more free time over the next two days.
Every now and then, he checked in on Tengda Games, Deposit Fitness, and Fish-Catching Take-Out. Everything looked peaceful and calm.
At noon, Pei Qian ate lunch at Fish-Catching Internet Cafe as usual. As he sipped his coffee, he organized his mind map of inter-departmental relationships.
Ding. His cell phone rang. Pei Qian picked it up and frowned at once. It was a message from the Management Trainee at Ming Yun Private Kitchen.
"Boss Pei, there has been an obvious increase in the number of foreigners making reservations at Ming Yun Private Kitchen over the past two days."
An obvious increase in the number of foreigners? Something seemed fishy!
Pei Qian immediately became cautious.
Before this, during their meeting, he had repeatedly instructed all Management Trainees to report any 'abnormalities' to him immediately and not to wait until the next Management Trainee meeting. That way, Pei Qian could greatly minimize the chances of any 'delayed back-stabbing'.
After all, for many types of threats, a day's delay in realizing could make a world of difference.
The Management Trainee at Ming Yun Private Kitchen was obviously doing a good job.
"Do you know the reason?" Pei Qian replied at once.
The Management Trainee answered, "I'm not sure. I'm guessing that a particularly influential foreigner came and had a meal here and then shared this restaurant with his or her friends.
"Branch Manager Lin has been focusing a lot on service during this period. The foreigners are having a better dining experience in this restaurant. Explaining the dishes and our country's traditional food culture in English has been especially effective."
Pei Qian remained silent for a moment and then answered, "Well done. Thank you."
Pei Qian was very satisfied with this Management Trainee's report.
See, this is what I call a professional underling!
I have to single this Management Trainee out and praise him at the next meeting, so that the other Management Trainees will learn from him!
After getting hold of this important message, Pei Qian began to analyze the situation very seriously. He had not expected that Lin Canrong's decision to make all waiters learn English would be this effective.
However, from the looks of the current situation, things didn't look that serious.
Lin Canrong was spending more money training his waiters and making them learn foreign languages. However, Ming Yun Private Kitchen's prices remained the same, and it was still fully booked every day.
So what if there were more foreigners reserving tables? They would not generate more profit for the restaurant, would they? "Hmm... on the surface, it's not that dangerous. Still, I can't afford to be careless. What if there's a hidden and unexpected threat?"
Pei Qian glanced at his watch.
"It's almost 1 PM. I should stick to my original plan and drop by Shang Yang Games. After that, I'll figure out exactly what's happening at Ming Yun Private Kitchen."
Pei Qian considered it for a long time but could not figure out how an improvement in Ming Yun Private Kitchen's reputation would pose any real danger to himself. Thus, he cast it aside for now.
In the afternoon, Pei Qian arrived at Shang Yang Games. On the way here, Pei Qian took time to surf the web on his phone and study what netizens thought about the 'arms race' between GOG and IOI.
He could only say that the situation did not look good!
If the competition between the two games could be split into two stages, GOG would have already won both stages and put an end to the competition.
In the first stage, GOG had won over the majority of gamers who had been sitting back to observe the industry by turning the game into a dual-terminal game, maintaining a smooth network, enabling quick matching, giving out cash at the end of each competition season, and the like.
On the other hand, IOI had only opened its local server after GOG finished distributing cash, and it did not even have a mobile version.
In the second stage, IOI kick-started the arms race by updating the game at top speed and releasing two new heroes each month, in the hopes of stealing some of GOG's players away.
However, GOG began crowdsourcing heroes, and subsequently released two incredibly popular heroes, Traveller Bao Xu and the Literary Genius of the Winds, Ruan. It also distributed generous rewards as part of its crowdsourcing efforts, thus keeping its players focused on GOG's new heroes.
All in all, IOI was updating its game very quickly, but it still could not poach many gamers over.
Although the 'arms race' between both games would continue for the next few months or even a year—from the looks of the current situation, there was already a clear winner.
As long as Min Jingchao did not mess up, GOG could continue crowdsourcing heroes to maintain the quality of their heroes and hold the gamers' attention.
In summary, the entire Internet did not think things would go well for IOI.
Pei Qian was troubled. No matter whether it was GOG or IOI that became popular, he would still generate profits. However, Pei Qian was still rooting for IOI a bit more for now.
After all, he had to send Lin Wan away first.
No matter how much his own game earned, things would still be within his control. He could still distribute cash and share profits with gamers to diffuse the situation.
However, the betrayal by Lin Wan and her siblings was unpredictable. They posed the greatest threat! Just speaking about it made Pei Qian furious. Thanks to Lin Chang, Tomorrow is Beautiful had participated in a film festival, won an award, had its overseas screening extended, and made millions of US dollars. What's more, it was still a long way from being taken down.
It was clear where the biggest threat lay!
Pei Qian knew full well that everyone in Shang Yang Games was feeling discouraged. It was the perfect time for Boss Pei to offer some encouragement. Once he arrived at Shang Yang Games, Pei Qian walked straight into the conference room.
He already informed them of his visit in advance, and all the core members of Shang Yang Games were already waiting in the conference room.
"Boss Pei."
Everyone stood up as a form of respect, but they had disappointed expressions. Lin Wan was no exception.
Pei Qian's heart thudded.
What's up with all of your faces? Don't you dare give up!
He cleared his throat and said, "It seems like publicity for IOI's local server hasn't been going well recently. Don't worry, everyone. Don't look so dejected. Say whatever's on your mind."
Everyone exchanged knowing looks. At last, Lin Wan spoke first.
"Now, we understand what it's like being competitors of Tengda. There's nothing we can do about it. Our own family members are often the hardest people to deal with. What's more, we have a useless teammate."
Pei Qian's heart sank. "A useless teammate?"
Are they referring to me? Do they know that I was the one who came up with the Literary Genius of the Winds?
Pei Qian began to panic inside
Wang Xiaobin explained, "We're referring to Finger Games, Boss Pei. We already knew that we would not be able to compete with GOG if things carried on this way, and so we wrote a couple of emails to Finger Games to give them our suggestions. "Yet, from their replies, it was clear that they were rejecting them.
"What's more, they seemed to be blaming us. Their emails seemed to imply that IOI has been doing well and receiving good feedback in every other region around the world except for ours. Obviously, they think that there's a problem with our management strategy."
Pei Qian heaved a long sigh. Oh, it's not me. That's fine, then. You gave me a scare. I thought I was exposed.
Lin Wan shrugged. "They can't blame us. After all, people who have not experienced being Tengda's opponents would never understand how terrifying Tengda really is. "Now, I can say that I understand what it's like."
She sighed softly. "On top of that... Boss Pei, just a line or two from you can turn the entire situation around.
"Er..." Pei Qian cleared his throat. "What are you talking about? I'm fair and just." Ye Zhizhou spoke with heavy insinuations. "Min Jingchao originally thought about recruiting more people to speed up GOG's production of new heroes, but you rejected him, didn't you, Boss Pei? How would he have thought of crowdsourcing heroes if you had not given him hints?"
Pei Qian: "...this is a misunderstanding."
A knowing look appeared on everyone's face. Pei Qian was speechless. This is really a misunderstanding! My heart has always been on your side!
What's more, even if I did secretly help them, it was not by providing the crowdsourcing idea...
It's too late; there was no way for Pei Qian to clarify the situation. He decided not to get caught up in this problem. Anyway, he had already become used to this attitude.
Now, Finger Games was not allowing IOI to be modified. Shang Yang Games could only think of other resolutions.
"So, what are your thoughts about the future operating strategy?" Pei Qian asked.
Everyone exchanged confused looks, but no one said anything.
Lin Wan sighed. "Boss Pei, we're still trying hard to come up with something."
That sounded bad to Pei Qian.
It was obvious that they had all lost their fighting spirit. They probably thought that GOG was leading by far too much, and even Finger Games was unwilling to modify the game. How could they win based on publicity alone?
Boss Pei had been the one who had given them this task. Of course, no one would say anything as discouraging as 'we can't win'. Still, they could not come up with a better solution.
At any moment, Pei Qian expected Lin Wan to say something like 'I don't think I'm capable enough. I want to remain in Tengda to learn more.'
Quickly! I have to rack my brains to come up with a plan for Shang Yang Games.
Pei Qian thought as hard as he could. All of a sudden, a light bulb switched on. He had an idea. If all else failed, distributing cash would solve the problem!
GOG only became popular at the start because it distributed cash, right? Then, IOI should do the same!
Since they could not modify the game, they could resort to overwhelming marketing strategies to oppress GOG.
Pei Qian cleared his throat. "As we said before, 50% of each department's profit can be freely used for the department's various expenses. Set that sum aside, and I will allocate another special fund for you.
"The fund will be used for two things: marketing by live streamers and internet cafes! "Look for some live streamers and UP Masters and then sponsor them to produce content relating to IOI. They can do things like introduce new heroes and create tutorials, as long as they focus on creating the impression that the game is extremely popular overseas.
"After that, enter partnerships with various internet cafes. Let those who play IOI use the majority of skins for free and enjoy a stipulated discount on their per-hour charges.
"Snatch the spotlight back by force!"
Based on Pei Qian's memory, that was how LOL had marketed their game as well, and it had indeed been effective. He could not go wrong by copying others' homework, right? At his first meeting with the Management Trainees, they had reported an important piece of news: all departments had a large-scale plan to spend money, which included supplementing salaries, purchasing office supplies, and the like.
Pei Qian guessed that the various department heads had finally understood the meaning behind the Tengda Cornerstone Award. As they envied Upwind Logistics, they each came up with a plan to spend money on a larger scale.
Since that was the case, Pei Qian had to lend them a helping hand!
Thus, he decided to let all departments freely use 50% of their profit on its various expenses, to help them spend money quicker.
Of course, Pei Qian also provided additional funds for loss-incurring businesses like Upwind Logistics and Fish-Catching Take-Out to increase their losses.
Until now, Shang Yang Games was still generating profits from games like Bloody Battle Song and Be Quiet. It was also earning income from IOI's local server.
In addition to 50% of those profits, Boss Pei's special fund would pave the way for them to spend more money, conduct aggressive marketing, and fight their way through!
Ye Zhizhou pondered for a long while. Suddenly, a realization dawned on him. "So that's it! I've learned another trick from Boss Pei. When there's no special way out, don't hesitate to resort to brute force! "Is this what martial artists mean when they say 'not moving trumps any trick'?
Pei Qian: "...more or less."
He had not intended for it to be so complex, but Ye Zhizhou's bootlicking was not far off.
Lin Wan's brow furrowed as she asked, "Well... Boss Pei, if GOG mindlessly follows suit and burns money together with us, what should we do?"
Chapter 544 Your Tengda can Run, but It can't Hide!
That question stumped Pei Qian. That's right. If GOG mindlessly follows suit, what should they do? Pei Qian knew that there had already been inconsistencies in his decisions. Before this, Tengda had been competing with other companies, which could not compete with Tengda when it came to burning money. After all, other companies would either burn their bosses' money or their investors' money. Unless the boss did not care for money-just like Pei Qian, they would not be as carefree when it came to spending.
Thus, Tengda would always be able to burn the most money.
However, GOG was Tengda's game, and it had the same spending capacity!
Still, Pei Qian quickly calmed himself down. It was just a minor problem with the system.
I just have to make sure that IOI perpetually has more funds than GOG, right?
If they were comparing who could spend more
-of course, the one with more ammunition would have the greater advantage! What's more, if both games tried hard to spend as much money as possible, it would be excellent for Pei Qian!
He had just been worried that there were not enough avenues to spend on.
At that thought, Pei Qian smiled. "Don't worry. I will make sure that you always have more money than GOG."
It was not possible to limit GOG's funds. After all, Pei Qian had just allowed them to freely spend fifty percent of their profits a while ago. He could not change that policy all of a sudden.
If anything, he was more worried that people might misunderstand him. What if they started thinking hard about Boss Pei's 'deeper intentions? What if they assumed that he was hinting at everyone to stop spending money freely?
That would achieve the exact opposite of what Pei Qian wanted. Thus, GOG should still be allowed to spend whatever they had. All Pei Qian had to do was ensure that IOI's local server always had more funds than GOG.
GOG wouldn't be able to turn the tables around now, would it?
Everyone's eyes lit up again. Indeed, Boss Pei lived up to his reputation! Just a single move from him could solve all of their problems! It was not hard to think of spending money, but he was being so decisive and firm about it, without displaying any hint of worry. Not everyone had that amount of courage.
On top of that, only someone like Boss Pei could promise that IOI would always have more money than GOG. With renewed motivation, Ye Zhizhou said, "Alright, Boss Pei. We'll start planning immediately to regain our foothold!"
After leaving Shang Yang Games, Pei Qian relaxed.
He glanced at his watch; it was past 3 PM. It did not seem like a bad idea to go home, lie down on the sofa in his living room, and bask in the afternoon sun.
At that moment, his cell phone rang. It was Li Shi.
Pei Qian: "?"
All of a sudden, he felt like he was facing a formidable enemy. Don't tell me that something went wrong with Thriller Hostel. Otherwise, could this be about the Golden Maze?
Could Li Shi be interested in investing in Dream Realization Ventures as well?
That's not right. Li Sh could not possibly want to invest in the Fully-Automated Bickering Machine, right? He was not high on drugs; how could he be so irrational?
Pei Qian immediately began to panic upon seeing Li Shi's name. He was afraid that Li Shi would invest in his projects without any hesitation and then cause the projects that had been secretly incurring losses to become popular. Yet, he could not ignore Li Shi's call. Behaving like an ostrich would not save him from being stabbed in the back.
Pei Qian had no choice but to accept the call.
"Hello? Boss Li, what's the matter?"
Li Shi's voice sounded through the phone. "Boss Pei, it's nothing much. I have a friend who wants to meet you to talk about something. I wonder if you have the time.
"I think you've heard of this friend of mine before. You might even have met him. He's Wang Peng, one of the creators of Quanmin Reviews.
"Wang Peng, Xue Zhebin, and I are partners. We started Ming House together. Do you remember?"
Pei Qian's eyes widened. He did remember. He remembered him very well. That name is still in my little notebook! Although he was pretty low on the list, Pei Qian could never forget about him.
Back then, Wang Peng and Xue Zhebin had a meal at Ming Yun Private Kitchen and then marked it out on Quanmin Reviews' application. They had written a long review and instructed their programmer to leave the name of the restaurant blank.
That was how Ming Yun Private Kitchen's losses turned to profits. Pei Qian's hatred for him ran deep! How dare he come and see me?
Pei Qian wanted to turn down the invitation by saying that he was overwhelmed with work. However, on further thought, he decided that it would be best to meet him.
What if this man secretly plots against me? If I don't meet him, I would remain in the dark, wouldn't I?
Pei Qian pondered for a moment. "I have time right now and tomorrow. I'll leave it up to Boss Wang."
Li Shi was overjoyed. "That's great! Shall we meet at Fish-Catching Internet Cafe's Handong University branch in an hour?"
Pei Qian: "Alright, but... what is this about?"
Li Shi laughed. "Boss Pei, you'll find out when we meet. We wouldn't waste your precious time!"
Pei Qian: "..."
Why was it that the more he heard, the more terrified he felt?
At Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, Handong University branch...
A short while after Pei Qian arrived, Li Shi and Wang Peng walked into the restaurant. "Boss Pei!"
"Boss Li, Boss Wang."
After exchanging a couple of hypocritical pleasantries with both men, Pei Qian sat down with them. A bad feeling arose in Pei Qian's gut as he observed Wang Peng's wide grin.
What was he so happy about?
"Boss Wang, why did you want to meet me?" Pei Qian asked, feeling slightly worried. Pei Qian had an ominous feeling every time someone met him full of smiles!
Wang Peng grinned at Boss Pei but did not answer his question. Instead, he glanced at Li Shi and said, "I heard from Boss Li that you're a lucky charm, Boss Pei. Whoever gets close to you will get lucky!
"If they treat you kindly, they would reap extremely generous rewards as well. "After what happened with Ming House, I was still half-doubtful. However, I am completely convinced now!"
Pei Qian looked confused. After a moment of silence, question marks filled his mind.
What's he trying to say? I'm a lucky charm? Why don't I feel the same way?
Your good luck is bad luck to me!
Seeing Boss Pei's indifference, Li Shi smiled and said to Wang Peng, "Boss Wang, just cut to the chase. Boss Pei doesn't like being left hanging
"What's more, Boss Pei is extremely busy all the time. There are a lot of things that require his attention. I don't think he even knows about this."
Pei Qian opened his mouth, but no sound came out of it. Something about what Boss Li had said didn't sit right with Pei Qian, but he could not find any major mistakes either.
Wang Peng nodded. "Alright, I'll cut to the chase, then. Boss Pei, do you know that the nameless restaurant has become famous on foreign websites thanks to a famous food blogger?!" Pei Qian,"??!" I didn't know that!
Li Shi noticed Boss Pei's unchanging expression and sniggered. "See, I told you that Boss Pei's extremely busy. How could something as small as this bother him?
"Branch Manager Lin must have handled everything on his own. If he had to report every little thing to Boss Pei, wouldn't he be as good as useless?"
After realizing that Pei Qian knew nothing about this, Wang Peng became even more excited.
"Boss Pei, you didn't know about this? That's great. Let me tell you all about it! My job requires me to keep an eye on famous food bloggers overseas. Many of them frequently travel around the world just to try gourmet food with three Michelin stars.
"On Tuesday night, I noticed one food blogger with a few million followers publish a new post. What's more, that post had been shared multiple times by others.
"Excited, I went to take a look. That's when I realized that there were no pictures. It was just a long post filled with words. "At that moment, I felt confused. Due to the time difference, this blogger often posts extremely late at night. She often travels to various parts of the world, takes pictures of classic delicacies, and then accompanies those pictures with her own reviews.
"The difference between this blogger and amateur food bloggers is that she has a very good appreciation of food. At the same time, she knows how to satisfy the hopes of ordinary people, so that her reviews do not look too over-the-top and unrelatable. That's why she has so many followers.
"However, based on my recollection, she rarely published posts that are made up of pure words.
"On closer inspection, I realized that she was talking about your nameless restaurant, Boss Pei. It was no wonder that there were no pictures. It's because the nameless restaurant forbids customers from taking any, haha!"
The hand that Pei Qian was using to hold his coffee cup stopped in mid-air. All of a sudden, he understood why Ming Yun Private Kitchen was seeing an increasing number of foreigners making reservations. Obviously, it was all thanks to this food blogger!
Fortunately, he had already been mentally prepared for this. Pei Qian maintained a calm expression and repeatedly told himself: "Don't panic. Even if Ming Yun Private Kitchen becomes famous, it cannot generate more profits for you!"
He sipped his coffee and asked, "And then?"
Wang Peng could not help but feel moved. "Boss Pei, your calmness in the face of great waves is really admirable.
"You know, that's a blogger who would even pick on Michelin restaurants. She has an extremely picky taste. Yet, this time, she wrote a long article, praising the nameless restaurant in every way possible!
"She wrote about details like service and the taste of the various dishes she had. She included a lot of details and praise for two dishes in particular-Verjus in Egg and Steamed Chinese Cabbage in Supreme Soup! "She also emphasized something that satisfied her the most: No matter what questions are asked, the waiter was able to answer her smoothly.
"What's more, Branch Manager Lin had many extraordinary and thought-provoking insights into the development of the food and beverage industry, which helped to deepen her understanding of Chinese food culture!
"Boss Pei, that's rare praise. "Sadly, the Michelin Guide has not entered China yet. Otherwise, Michelin reviewers would surely have paid a sneak visit to the nameless restaurant as soon as the blog post was published. Then, you could get two or three Michelin stars and..."
Pei Qian's heart thudded as he listened to this.
What the hell? Was this food blogger that influential?
It was a good thing that the Michelin Guide had not entered China yet, or... the consequences would be dire!
Pei Qian did not think that Michelin was that impressive. After all, it had standards that favored Western cuisine, and it was not that helpful for studying Chinese cuisine.
Still, Pei Qian knew that many people followed Michelin guides! Even if Michelin wanted to award the restaurant three stars, Pei Qian would immediately turn it down.
Otherwise, what would he do once crazy diners from all around the world fought to visit the place? Wouldn't he lose control of the situation?
It was just as well that the Michelin Guide had not entered China yet. Even if it would in a few years, it would start from bigger cities like Shanghai and Beijing and not a small city like Jingzhou.
Pei Qian instinctively heaved a sigh of relief.
However, on further thought, something seemed amiss. Had Wang Peng come all the way down just to tell him about this?
The food blogger did sound impressive, and she had praised Ming Yun Private Kitchen. Yet, so what if more foreigners were making reservations and having meals there?
The outcome was still the same. Ming Yun Private Kitchen was already fully booked for the next two months. Even if its reputation improved, it would not earn Pei Qian any more money. What was there to be afraid of?
Li Shi nodded. "It's a pity that you can't get three Michelin stars. Although you can't trust Michelin to review Chinese food, it still wouldn't be a bad thing to have.
"Honestly, after trying my hand in the high-end food industry, I have a newfound respect for you, Boss Pei. It's easy to get a high-end restaurant from thirty to sixty marks out of one hundred, but it's extremely difficult to get it from ninety to 95 marks!
"Boss Pei, you were able to improve the nameless restaurant even after it hit ninety marks, precisely because you put effort into working on things that are invisible to everyone else!" Pei Qian: "..."
Before Pei Qian could say anything, Wang Peng spoke up. "We all know it's a pity, but there's an ancient saying that this is a blessing in disguise! "Boss Pei, Boss Li, have you ever thought about this question?
"The Michelin guide hasn't entered our country yet. In other words, foreigners would not be able to visit local restaurants based on it. What would both of you refer to when thinking about enjoying local delicacies, then?"
Pei Qian's heart sank. "I would rely on... food bloggers' recommendations?"
Wang Peng laughed. "That's right, Boss Pei! Just think about it. None of the local restaurants have any Michelin stars, but the nameless restaurant has been praised by a famous food blogger who has criticized Michelin restaurants before
"If you think about it, it's as good as awarding the nameless restaurant with three Michelin stars, right? That's akin to placing the nameless restaurant's flashing signboard on the map of delicacies!
"Both foreigners and locals alike would want to try it!" Pei Qian: ??
Wang Peng continued speaking. "What's more, Boss Pei, you've only gotten it half-right. People would rely on recommendations of reliable food bloggers, but they would also rely on our Quanmin Reviews!
"Boss Pei, ever since your nameless restaurant became popular, our Quanmin Reviews has benefited as well. That's because Quanmin Reviews was the first to discover the restaurant and the one responsible for giving it its name. Quanmin Reviews also contains the most and the best reviews for the nameless restaurant!
"Those who search the nameless restaurant would be led to Quanmin Reviews. That page alone has saved us a lot on advertising expenses!
"Thus, my co-founders and I convened an urgent telephone conference and decided to take this opportunity to write a topical promotion. We will combine the ultimate dining experience at the nameless restaurant with Quanmin Reviews and then ride on this food blogger's popularity to make this as hot as it can be!"
"For good sales, only a single spark is needed to cause an explosion!
"That's why I say that you're a lucky charm, Boss Pei! You didn't even have to do anything to direct so much traffic to Quanmin Reviews! Of course, you don't have to worry. Quanmin Reviews will not forget your kindness.
"To express our thanks, we have decided to recommend all of Tengda Corporation's physical stores in our topical promotion as
well."
Pei Qian had already felt light-headed when he first heard about this news, but he recalled that Ming Yun Private Kitchen would not be able to earn more money no matter how much more popular it became. That had calmed him down.
Now, hearing these words, Pei Qian's mind instantly filled with question marks again. "???"
Wang Peng did not seem to notice Boss Pei's confusion. He continued speaking happily. "Our topical promotion will be called 'Beautiful Jingzhou'. In it, we will list all of Jingzhou's famous scenic spots, historical sites, high-end restaurants, and the like.
"The highlight would be the nameless restaurant, but we would also mention Fish-Catching Internet Cafe, Fish-Catching Take-Out, the shared phone booths, Deposit Fitness, and even Thriller Hostel! "After all, it's extremely difficult to make a reservation in the nameless restaurant. It wouldn't be easy for everyone to travel all the way to Jingzhou either. Of course, they should experience all of those special activities and places.
"On top of that, we have decided to give Tengda's businesses perpetual benefits. The businesses like Fish-Catching Internet Cafe and Deposit Fitness would be ranked among the first few on Quanmin Reviews' search results. It would also be given a special star, and recommendation efforts would be intensified!
"This is what it means to reciprocate kind gestures, right, Boss Li?"
Once Wang Peng finished talking, he turned to Li Shi. Li Shi was grinning as he nodded subtly as if to say 'you're very teachable'.
Obviously, Boss Li had taught Wang Peng to do all of those things.
On the other hand, Pei Qian fell into a long silence.
Wang Peng smiled at him as if to say "I may not be able to deal with the nameless restaurant, but how about your other businesses? Tengda Corporation is huge. You can run, but you can't hide.
"Your nameless restaurant can't earn any more money now, but your other businesses can! At the end of the day, you can't escape it! Someone, come and throw more money at Boss Pei!"
Pei Qian had intended to research the reason behind the increasing number of foreigners visiting Ming Yun Private Kitchen tomorrow. However, from the looks of the current situation, there was no need to anymore.
It was too late!
Pei Qian was speechless. Are all of you on steroids?!
The Management Trainee only reported the news to me at noon today, and yet you've already completed scheming against me by the afternoon?