National Tide 1980.

Don't be fooled by Chef Zhou's dejected and self-destructive state.

In fact, as the current manager of the restaurant, Wu Yunjie, the agent of the Guo Group, is the most depressed and saddened person in the face of such a deserted restaurant.

In the past six months or so, since the collapse of the Japanese stock and housing markets, the impact of the Japanese economy on the high-end catering industry has been obvious.

As large corporate hospitality expenses in Japan gradually disappear, young people no longer regard dining as a primary means of cultivating relationships and pleasing the opposite sex, resulting in a significant reduction in hospitality budgets.

Therefore, the continuous decline in the turnover of Tangong Restaurant has become an irreversible trend.

Wu Yunjie saw it all and was very anxious.

Especially in the last two months, the restaurant's business has plummeted, which has made him very anxious and unable to sleep at night.

Of course, he wouldn't just sit idly by and wait to die; he had to come up with some solutions.

For example, try to innovate and use new dishes that blend Cantonese and Shandong cuisine to appeal to younger customers.

Alternatively, they may promote the concept of medicinal cuisine to cater to the preferences of middle-aged and elderly Japanese customers who are superstitious about tonics.

For example, they tried holding some promotional events, running prize-winning promotions, or indirectly lowering prices.

The problem is that with Japanese people's wallets now severely shrunken, debt burdens soaring, and the Japanese government introducing a consumption tax, it's no longer easy to entice customers to spend money willingly with just a historic signboard or a novel food gimmick.

The measures he took had very little effect.

This can be seen from the unopened brochures of "Imperial Cuisine of the Qing Dynasty" and "Imperial Medicinal Cuisine" that are gathering dust in his office.

Six months ago, he had 5,000 copies printed and placed in the restaurant for customers to take, hoping to increase revenue.

However, there are still more than 4,000 unsold orders, and the turnover has decreased instead of increased.

Without a doubt, all that money was wasted, and it also cost him the trust of his employees.

That's not all. You have to know that it's almost November and the year is about to end, and it's time to take stock.

Even now, Wu Yunjie hasn't come up with any new way to turn the situation around.

How could he not be frustrated when he was at his wit's end?

The pressure I felt was immense.

He knew very well that the year-end celebrations and other events at the end of the year were probably his last chance to change his poor business situation.

If he still can't make the restaurant successful by Christmas and New Year, he won't be able to explain it to the group or the other shareholders of Tangong Restaurant the following year.

Without a doubt, he knew that he would be ridiculed and criticized, and would have to bear all the responsibility.

He might be demoted, or even fired completely, leaving the Guo Group with a shame that he can never wash away.

Sigh, he worked so hard to run the restaurant well, but it turned out like this. It's really not what he wanted...

Just as Wu Yunjie was frowning in worry, the restaurant door suddenly opened and a young couple walked in.

They looked like first-time visitors.

This was somewhat of a good omen, and Wu Yunjie's spirits lifted.

However, the couple didn't seem very satisfied with the menu displayed at the entrance.

They frowned as they looked at the menu, and soon began to complain to the waiter who was seating them.

"Two thousand yen for a serving of Mapo Tofu?"

The boy pointed at the menu, his face showing a puzzled and angry expression. "I've had this dish at other Chinese restaurants for only four or five hundred yen. Are you serious about the prices here?"

The waiter quickly smiled and explained, "Sir, our restaurant has been recommended by television stations several times; it's a renowned high-end restaurant. Most of the dishes we serve were once enjoyed by the Chinese royal family. Our chefs are also truly famous chefs from China. As for your feeling that the prices on the menu are a bit expensive, that's because our prices already include a 10% service charge and a 4% consumption tax. We would never be like some small restaurants that deliberately make the menu prices seem cheap and then add it to the bill..."

Even so, the boy was not completely moved by his words.

"After all that talk, isn't Mapo Tofu still just Mapo Tofu? Just because yours is more expensive and you claim it was served by the Chinese royal family doesn't mean the taste is any different. Look at the pictures on the menu; the dishes look exactly the same as in other restaurants. Don't try to fool me!"

At this moment, Wu Yunjie stepped forward and couldn't help but interject, "This guest, you may not know this, but the dishes in our restaurant are quite authentic. We're not just boasting about being 'authentic Chinese cuisine.' Of course, it's different from those 'Japanese-style Chinese restaurants' on the street. Take Mapo Tofu on this menu, for example. We can cook it to Japanese tastes or according to authentic Sichuan flavors. Although it's the same dish, the taste is completely different. If you can handle a little spice and want to try absolutely authentic Sichuan flavors, I highly recommend you give it a try. It's a rare opportunity; not all Japanese people can find our restaurant like you do. I dare say, no other restaurant has this capability or level of expertise."

The boy was somewhat surprised by Wu Yunjie's appearance. "Who are you?"

"I'm the manager of this restaurant. If you'd like to try it, as a thank you for your first visit, I can offer to waive the service charge and give you a 10% discount. Would you like to give it a try?"

Perhaps it was Wu Yunjie's status as the restaurant manager that made an impact, or perhaps it was his exceptional attentiveness that led him to agree to offer a discount.

Anyway, Wu Yunjie's words did indeed make the young man a little excited.

The young couple huddled together and started whispering.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, driven by their desire for authentic Mapo Tofu, they will most likely become two new customers of Tangong Restaurant.

However, at this crucial moment, some customers who had finished their meals came out of the restaurant.

The person leading the way was a regular customer.

Originally, the waiter escorted them out, and that was it.

But as the guest passed by the door, he saw Wu Yunjie.

Well, this customer actually came to Wu Yunjie to complain.

He didn't hold back in criticizing today's meal, expressing his dissatisfaction with considerable emotion.

It was precisely these words that immediately changed the couple's mind.

“Manager, what’s wrong with your restaurant? Many of the dishes aren’t as good as they used to be. It’s become no different from those cheap Chinese restaurants on the street! Like today’s Mapo Tofu and Twice-Cooked Pork – I repeatedly asked for authentic flavors, but your chef told me we were missing the right seasonings, and in the end, what we got was the same as what you get elsewhere. What’s the point of me coming here? You can’t treat me like this! Are you only going to make the expensive dishes properly, and then treat the cheap ones like this? If you continue like this, I won’t come here again…”

Well then, where is the credibility of what Wu Yunjie just said?

The girl immediately tugged at the boy's sleeve, the two exchanged a glance, and then turned and left.

Clearly, the two young couples no longer believed Wu Yunjie was trustworthy and considered him a conman.

Even if Wu Yunjie knelt down and begged them, they would not dine at the altar palace.

As for Wu Yunjie, he was utterly devastated by this destructive outcome.

But he couldn't blame this regular customer for ruining his business; on the contrary, he had to apologize and explain to the customer for the restaurant's shortcomings.

After all, the restaurant was in the wrong, and if they lost this customer, the loss would be even greater.

And so, Wu Yunjie managed to keep himself from breaking down. He said all the nice things he could and finally managed to calm the other person down, bowing and scraping as he saw the guest off.

The problem is, even if he gets through this hurdle, there are still tests to come.

After all, when someone's luck runs out, anything can happen.

Wu Yunjie never expected that at this moment another waiter would come to inform him, "Manager Wu, the Osaka branch called and said that many of their regular customers have strong opinions and are demanding that the authentic Chinese food taste be restored. However, they are lacking many seasonings and do not know what to do. They would like to speak with you."

A sudden, unexpected blow; it may not cause much physical harm, but it can be extremely humiliating.

Wu Yunjie was utterly humiliated and lost face in front of his employees.

The indescribable sense of frustration and shame completely extinguished his will to live.

He didn't say another word after that, his face completely gloomy as he locked himself in his office to answer a call from Osaka.

The sole purpose of this phone call was to inform Wu Yunjie that his idea of ​​catering to everyone's tastes had completely failed.

Currently, neither store is doing well in Kyoto nor Osaka.

This approach not only failed to attract new customers to the restaurant, but also alienated existing customers.

Without a doubt, it was a thankless and blind adjustment.

Even Wu Yunjie himself couldn't deny this fact.

But then again, Wu Yunjie was actually quite aggrieved.

It wasn't for any other reason; the key point is that he did it out of necessity.

Due to Japan's high labor costs and rising prices, the time-consuming and ingredient-intensive preparation methods in traditional restaurant recipes have become expensive and difficult to replicate.

Given the current severe economic situation, Wu Yunjie cannot help but worry that if he continues with the old operating methods, the restaurant's costs will remain high, and it will also suffer losses.

Instead, it's more cost-effective to make Japanese-style modified Chinese food.

Because, relatively speaking, Japanese Chinese food is rather rough, simple to make, warm and filling, and just thickening it with cornstarch is enough to make Japanese people like it.

To put it bluntly, Wu Yunjie was just trying to simplify the complexity of the dishes using this method. What did he do wrong?
In the office where no one else was around, Wu Yunjie finally couldn't help but reveal his inner vulnerability after hanging up the phone.

He ripped off his tie, practically collapsed into his seat, and began to sigh and complain about how unfair life had been to him.

He felt that no one in reality could understand his predicament.

The restaurant staff, whether Japanese or from mainland China, clearly regarded him as an idiot.

It's truly pathetic, laughable, and pitiful that I've gone to such lengths.

Yes, he originally disliked the two mainland shareholders for their bureaucratic manners and low taste, fearing it would negatively impact the operation of the two Japanese restaurants.

To this end, he obtained the authority from headquarters and cautiously approved almost all personnel appointment requests from the mainland, excluding many people who were clearly connected through connections.

Unexpectedly, despite his concern for the restaurant, what truly destroyed it wasn't the incompetent parasites, but rather the changing face of the Japanese economy.

He didn't even wait for any chaos to occur inside the restaurant before he couldn't withstand the pressure of Japan's economic collapse.

What kind of situation is this? A powerful and developed country like Japan has an economy as fragile as paper...

Just as he was wallowing in self-pity, another coincidence occurred.

Wu Yunjie suddenly noticed a newspaper on his desk.

On the readily visible lifestyle section, there was a short news item that happened to be introducing the current state of Tokyo's restaurant industry.

The title is: "Tokyo's Dining Industry in an Economic Winter: French and Japanese Restaurants Remain Strong, Chinese Restaurants Buck the Trend and Turn Over Tables."

Such important news, with such an eye-catching title, not only happens to be relevant to my industry, but it is also the career achievement I have been longing for.

Needless to say, he immediately felt the urge to read.

The newspaper article read: "[Tokyo News] In the winter of 1990, due to the continued slump in the Japanese economy, Tokyo's restaurant industry generally faced the predicament of declining customer traffic and shrinking revenue. According to the latest statistics from the Tokyo Metropolitan Restaurant Association, the city's restaurant revenue in November decreased by 8.3% year-on-year, and some restaurants providing high-end dining services had already experienced a wave of closures. However, the high-end dining market still had bright spots, with many well-known restaurants maintaining their popularity against the trend."

"Among them, the century-old French restaurant 'La Roche' in Ginza has seen its reservations remain the same this month as last month, thanks to its classic dishes and private service; the two Michelin-recommended Japanese restaurants in Shinjuku, 'Sushi Tsubohachi' and 'Ryugin', still maintain an occupancy rate of over 85% in the evening."

"Most noteworthy is the recent surge in business at 'Jin Yu Man Tang,' a Chinese restaurant in Ginza specializing in imperial Chinese cuisine. Due to the increased evening customer traffic, they've extended their closing time from midnight to 2 AM daily, and on weekends they've even stayed open all night, achieving an extreme nine-times-a-day table turnover rate. This has made them a rare 'famous restaurant with long queues' during this economic downturn."

It has to be said that after reading this news, Wu Yunjie's head was buzzing, and he was completely stunned.

This is not just because other restaurants are run better than his.

It's not just because a Chinese restaurant has become the top choice in Tokyo's Ginza restaurant industry.

He also remembered the picture and name of that Chinese restaurant.

A house overflowing with gold and jade?

If he remembered correctly, wasn't this the restaurant that the original owner of Tan Gong Restaurant had spun off?

Yes, that's absolutely right. He even secretly went to Tokyo last year and pretended to be a customer to experience it once.

What was that person's name again?

Oh, right, his name is Ning Weimin!

Even though they're only a few years apart in age, how come there's such a big age gap between them?

Turning over the TV nine times a day and not closing until 2 a.m., don't be ridiculous, this really isn't a reporter exaggerating.

How on earth did he do it?
Is it really just a matter of relying on a few monopolistic high-end ingredients?

No, it's not that easy to run a restaurant, especially a high-end one...

His mind was filled with inexplicable questions, and Wu Yunjie felt that his understanding of the world was being shaken.

His heart felt as heavy as a stone. He didn't want to admit that he had been outdone by others, yet he couldn't deny the reality that he was inferior to them.

He sat in his chair in silence for at least five minutes before finally making a decision.

He needs to call and book tickets so he can leave for Tokyo as early as possible.

He wanted to see for himself how "Golden Jade Abundance" was doing.

If the report is true, then he must find out the other party's business methods no matter what... (End of this chapter)