National Tide 1980.

The behavior of Gong Mingcheng and Director Luan's families on their first day in Kyoto made Wu Yunjie realize the truth.

Although we've only just met, the quality a person displays in their every gesture is enough to demonstrate their knowledge and refinement.

Without a second thought, Wu Yunjie understood perfectly well that people like Gong Mingcheng and Director Luan were unlikely to offer any helpful advice on the operation of Tangong Restaurant.

If you try to discuss how to run a restaurant with them, you're just making things difficult for yourself.

He felt it was better to talk about food, drinks, and fun with these people, rather than work.

We should just get through these next few days, fool them, and get them out of here.

From this point on, Wu Yunjie had given up all hope of getting any other help from Gong Mingcheng and Director Luan, except for discussing the supply of those rare ingredients.

Sure enough, in the following days, Wu Yunjie became even more certain that these people were nothing but good-for-nothings.

Moreover, he was the kind of vulgar, good-for-nothing who couldn't even describe it.

First, to avoid the embarrassment of being kicked out by the shopkeeper the next day.

That evening, Wu Yunjie not only used the Guo Group's connections to urgently find a hotel in Kyoto for the members of the inspection team to move into the next day.

Furthermore, he made arrangements with the inspection team members overnight, saying that after visiting Kinkaku-ji in the morning, they could move to a place closer to Dankyu Restaurant to stay, hoping that they could cooperate and pack their luggage early the next day so as not to embarrass everyone.

But to everyone's surprise, this group of people messed up as soon as they got down to business. When they gathered the next morning to go to Kinkaku-ji, they hadn't packed any luggage at all. Most of them had stayed up all night playing mahjong and hadn't even gotten up yet; they were all still sleeping in their rooms.

Moreover, three people decided to go on the trip.

Having no other choice, Wu Yunjie had to swallow his pride and bow to the shopkeeper to apologize. After much negotiation, he finally got the shopkeeper to agree that the inspection team could postpone their move until the afternoon.

Then, around noon, the people who had gone sightseeing in the morning returned, and those who had stayed up all night playing cards gradually got up.

Wu Yunjie urged everyone to pack up quickly, rest for a bit, and then take a car to Tangong Restaurant for a meal.

But Gong Mingcheng rubbed his sleepy eyes and said, "Forget it, there's nothing new to eat here anyway, let's just eat here."

Director Luan yawned and said, "That's right, when you come to Japan, of course you have to eat Japanese food. Why would you eat Chinese food?"

This casual request left Wu Yunjie in a difficult position, as the restaurant had already firmly stated that it would not provide lunch for these people.

After much persuasion, he finally convinced the delegation to pack their bags and leave.

However, while they dragged their feet and dawdled, they complained a lot about it, believing that the Japanese were too inhumane, but they were completely unaware of their own problems.

The same thing happened afterward.

Gong Mingcheng and Director Luan were extremely perfunctory in their handling of official business. They simply strolled around the Tangong Restaurant, shook hands with a few employees, took a few photos, and considered their inspection work complete.

He was quite dissatisfied with the declining profits of Tangong Restaurant, and his words revealed his distrust of Wu Yunjie. He demanded that Wu Yunjie produce a financial statement showing that the profits had returned to the original operating level before the Spring Festival.

However, they said they were helpless and unable to help with the food supply shortage.

Director Luan even posed as an expert, shamelessly declaring, "What 'rouge rice' and 'imperial yellow'? Those are just gimmicks. It's just some tricks that guy surnamed Ning is playing. We've never heard of them in Beijing. Young man, don't be fooled. With my twenty years of experience, I can tell you with certainty that the real good stuff in the catering industry comes from seafood like bird's nest, sea cucumber, abalone, and shark fin. Understand? Delicacies from land and sea! These things make up half of it."

What's most amazing is that he not only said it, but he also practiced it in his daily life.

They ordered a whole table full of bird's nest, sea cucumber, abalone, shark fin, and foreign liquor, and then acted like the host, urging their own people to eat and drink to their hearts' content.

"Eat up, eat up. This is our own restaurant, and we don't come here often. Let's eat more to show respect to Manager Wu, right? Come on, have a drink!"

"Manager Wu, this crab is quite big! We don't have these in Beijing. What's it called?"

"And this fish, it tastes quite good. Is it a sea fish from Japan? How much is it per pound?"

Wu Yunjie did not answer any of the questions directly, because people simply did not allow him to answer. Often, as soon as he finished asking a question, he would turn around and start chatting with someone else about other things.

What's most infuriating is that these people are still talking about yesterday's card game.

"Director Gong, your luck is simply incredible! You pulled the Seven Pairs three times yesterday, and the Deluxe Seven Pairs are still on your estate. I'm impressed, I'm impressed."

Director Luan's wife gave Director Gong a thumbs-up.

"What do you mean by 'lucky hand'? It's just that this guy plays cards well. I lost quite a bit too; all the money went into his pocket. He's a true 'three-in-a-row' player."

Director Luan would joke and feign reproach, but he would only say things that Director Gong liked to hear.

Gong Mingcheng and his wife laughed so hard their eyes narrowed into slits.

One said, "There are wins and losses in card games. Tonight, I'll give you a 3-0 handicap."

Another said, "Director Luan, you're too modest. Our Mingcheng only won a few rounds yesterday because we were lucky. Today, it's hard to say. Fortune changes, and I think it might be your turn to win three rounds in one go."

Wu Yunjie witnessed all of this, sat there without saying a word, but was disgusted by the low taste of these people, and could barely eat.

He truly regretted it; why did he have to invite these monsters who only knew how to eat seafood and play mahjong?

At the same time, I can't quite understand how people with such low character could possibly have the vision to invest in a restaurant like Tangong Restaurant.
Moreover, why would the Guo Group partner with such a person to run a business?
Even if you're optimistic about the Japanese market, it doesn't seem necessary. It's better to go solo than to deal with people like that.

Later, the inspection team didn't go anywhere. Instead, at the suggestion of the two leaders, a fierce mahjong game broke out again that afternoon.

And this fight lasted for three days and three nights.

It's quite suitable for them to stay in a hotel; food and drinks are all provided, they can just call room service, and they don't even need to go to the restaurant.

Wu Yunjie was completely convinced of their gambling addiction.

He counted on his fingers; the inspection team had been in Japan for several days, and their visa processing time was almost halfway through.

If the fighting continues like this, the inspection team's trip to Japan will have been in vain; they've done nothing and seen nothing.

He had intended to persuade the members of the inspection team to take care of their health and make the most of their time, at least to see some sights in Kyoto. But when he tried to persuade them, the two leaders said, "What's there to see in Kyoto? The buildings are all too small. The Temple of Heaven is just a royal garden. If I really wanted to see ancient architecture, why would I have come all this way? Manager Wu, could you show us something interesting?"

What's interesting?

Wu Yunjie was completely baffled. Did these people want to see a geisha's song and dance performance?

In the end, it was Gong Mingcheng who gave him some pointers.

“We don’t want to stay in Kyoto anymore, it’s so boring. Let’s go to Tokyo instead. Tokyo is more modern and there are more interesting things there.”

"Tokyo? But we don't have a shop in Tokyo!"

"Don't be so stubborn. Just because it's not available now doesn't mean it won't be available in the future. We can go and check out the market first."

"That...makes some sense."

"Then it's settled. You know, it's not easy for people like us to go abroad. I've been to Tokyo once, and I remember there's a lively Kabukicho district with special performances. To be honest, Director Luan really wants to see it. We shouldn't let him have any regrets, don't you think..."

And so, Wu Yunjie finally understood, and quickly bought Shinkansen tickets for the inspection team, embarking on their journey to Tokyo.

Wu Yunjie is a law-abiding man who has never been to a red-light district before. However, this time, due to the investors' requirements, he also went to see the most alluring striptease.

Not only did he look, but he was also dragged into taking many photos with the dancers by Director Luan and Gong Mingcheng. Luckily, he wasn't married yet, otherwise he didn't know how he would explain these photos to his wife if she saw them.

However, this trip to Tokyo wasn't entirely "accompanying" him, because he had long heard of the fame of the Dangu Restaurant's Ginza branch in Kyoto, and this time he secretly went to the restaurant, which had been renamed Jinyu Mantang, to "steal" its techniques.

I must say, it really had a profound impact. You wouldn't believe it until you saw it, and once you did, you were shocked.

After seeing Ning Weimin's restaurant, he finally understood what authentic imperial cuisine was, and saw the difference in their management levels. He completely lost any desire to compete with this restaurant.

Of course, looking at the two investors who were obsessed with hunting for women and novelties in Kabukicho every day, he now somewhat understood why Pierre Cardin, which was doing so well, was withdrawing its investment.

He now had a bad feeling that this opportunity he valued might not be an opportunity at all, and could very well become a blunder in his career, or even a disaster...

………………

In this decadent and extravagant era, Wu Yunjie is truly a clear-headed person.

However, most people do not have his abilities, nor can they see their own destiny clearly.

Especially for girls who aspire to enter the entertainment industry, choosing the wrong agency is tantamount to ruining their own future.

Also in October 1989, in a photography studio called Jiaochuan Entertainment Agency, ten young and beautiful girls, with their backs to the camera, twisted their bodies and danced a hot dance, presenting their bare backs to the glittering camera lens.

They all thought they were auditioning for a role in an EIE company advertisement.

Little did they know that their energetic performance was merely a scheme orchestrated by their agency to make it easier for a perverted, wealthy man named Harunori Takahashi to choose toys.

Their desire for fame and their dream of becoming stars may actually lead them to a tragic life, or even reduce them to slaves who can be arbitrarily humiliated.

Behind the camera, standing two or three people, were all lackeys working for that rich man.

One of them was a casting director, another was a representative from Jiaochuan Entertainment, and the third was a representative from EIE Entertainment.

It could be said that their whispers at this moment were like comments on steaks at a butcher shop, discussing the bodies of these girls.

The director said, "Look, number two, out of all the girls, her butt is the prettiest. It's definitely not the kind that's skinny and bony, or loose and flabby. Her thighs are also very well shaped. President Takahashi will definitely like it."

The agent chimed in, "That's right, but I still think number seven is the best. Her features are the most beautiful, and she's perfect for this ad. Especially her breasts, have you noticed? They're just the right size, they can bounce around, but they're not too bulky."

Ultimately, the decision rested with the EIE representative. "Yes, you're all right, I agree, but unfortunately, none of these girls possess a perfect face, upper body, and lower body simultaneously. I don't think their standards are sufficient to please our president."

"This still isn't enough," the director said, somewhat troubled. "It's almost impossible to have both a perfect figure and a perfect face at the same time."

"Are you trying to say that our standards are too high?" The EIE representative chuckled. "To be honest, I've already lowered my standards. If we were to follow the president's wishes, it would be best if they were mixed-race with European ancestry."

"Mixed...mixed-race?" the director said incredulously. "Is this the president's personal preference?"

Representative EIE nodded. "I suppose so. Last year, the president was quite taken with a madam in Ginza. She was a mixed-race woman with a great figure and beautiful looks, but she was a bit ungrateful and kept rejecting his advances. The president was very annoyed by this, but it seems the harder she was to get, the more interested he became. After that, he became even more infatuated with her. So I know that if we discover such an ideal woman and recommend her to the president, he will definitely reward us handsomely."

However, after saying that, even he himself sighed, because he knew it was unrealistic.

The director was right about something: there are no perfect women in this world.

How could it be such a coincidence that I could find a woman who is perfect in every way?

Unexpectedly, the agent came up with a more feasible idea: "Don't be so rigid. Actually, we can be flexible. In my opinion, the most important thing for the president when looking for a woman is that she can arouse his interest. Perfect women are hard to find, but special girls are not hard to find. For example, twin sisters, or blonde, blue-eyed European girls, the president might be interested in those as well."

These words immediately stirred the thoughts of the other two.

With both sides agreeing, the EIE representative stated, "That's good, that's good. I think we can be more targeted in our auditions and appropriately enrich the selection criteria to attract more girls to audition."

The director then said, "If that's the case, I have an even simpler way. Why not just find a famous actress and offer her to President Takahashi? I think Yoko Minamino would be quite good..."

However, before he could finish speaking, the other two took it as a joke.

One of them said, "Are you talking nonsense? How could Minamino Yoko possibly listen to us?"

Another person said, "You're joking a bit too much. Our agency was only recently established and we don't have any reputation in the industry yet. How could we possibly sign an artist of this caliber?"

Unexpectedly, the director said very seriously, "No, I know that Nanye has been having a very unpleasant falling out with her agency recently, almost to the point of being blacklisted because of the contract termination. We could really try signing her, right? If we do, then she won't be able to do whatever she wants anymore..."

It has to be said that sometimes bad ideas are born this way; it's not that there are no good things, it's that there are no good people.

At this moment, as the EIE representative and agent exchanged glances, they both revealed sly smiles of interest.

"Really? Tell me in detail about the information you have..." (End of Chapter)