National Tide 1980.

"The course of Heaven is constant; it does not exist for Yao, nor does it perish for Jie. Responding to it with order brings good fortune, while responding with chaos brings misfortune."

These words are from Xunzi's "On Heaven".

The general idea is that natural laws have their own operating principles; they do not exist because of a sage ruler like Yao, nor do they disappear because of a tyrant like Jie.

People who govern in accordance with the laws of nature will obtain good fortune, while those who act against the laws of nature will encounter misfortune.

Throughout our five-thousand-year history, the truth of these words has been repeatedly verified, and even today it remains an unshakable ironclad rule. It is undoubtedly a testament to experience and a profound saying.

Just like now, this applies to Japan's economic downturn as well.

Yes, Japan's economic cycle has entered a clear downward trend, and the overall environment of Japan's high-end consumer market is facing severe challenges, just like the objective law described by "the natural order".

Specifically in the catering industry, most businesses will experience a decline in business, with few customers and even closure.

This is the punishment from Heaven, and it will never change according to the will of a single brand or store.

However, it cannot be ruled out that a very few restaurants may be able to thrive against the trend, survive the cycle, and become unique lucky ones.

why?
This is not good luck, nor is it unreasonable.

This is largely due to the boss's response and decision-making abilities; in other words, "responding with order brings good fortune, while responding with chaos brings misfortune."

To put it simply, no rule is absolute. The laws and conditions remain the same, but success or failure depends on the "response".

As long as the response is wise enough and the measures are appropriate, even the worst situation can be turned into an opportunity to turn danger into safety and misfortune into good fortune.

…………

November 28, 1990, 11 p.m., Ginza, Tokyo.

The rain, which had been falling for almost a day, had indeed stopped, but the increasingly fierce cold wind that followed was anything but gentle.

It swept through the streets and alleys, carrying withered leaves and moisture, making everyone who dared to step out into the streets shiver.

In such terrible weather, even office workers who are used to having a drink after get off work every day have given up the idea of ​​going to an izakaya for a drink.

Almost everyone on the street was hunched over, wrapped in coats, and desperately wanted to get back to their warm homes.

Logically speaking, this day should be a rather desolate day for Tokyo's catering and entertainment industries; it would be good if a few customers came in, and there was simply no choice.

However, the "Golden Jade Hall" restaurant at 2-chome 7-7 in Ginza is a unique and special establishment.

Even now, the area in front of this store is still incredibly lively.

Instead of seeing the deserted and dismal business of other restaurants, the restaurant was packed with customers, forming a long queue that circled the street corner.

Whether they were corporate executives in custom-made suits, articulate artists, fashionable ladies, or wives adorned with expensive jewelry, they were all wrapped in their coats and jackets, patiently waiting in the biting wind.

Occasionally, you can spot some well-known models or celebrities in the queue.

It's easy to imagine how unusual this scene must have looked.

So much so that almost every passerby can't help but stop and look, and sigh with admiration.

Of course, those who come here specifically to eat for the first time will likely have the same shocked reaction.

Here is a group of people walking from Ginza 3-chome.

"Why are there so many people here?"

"Yeah, the restaurants we just passed were almost empty, so why is there a queue here?"

"Is this the restaurant we're going to?"

"No way, the queue is ridiculously long. If we didn't make a reservation, who knows how long we'd have to wait to get in for a meal..."

The two people having the conversation were Masao Hashimoto, president of Hashimoto Corporation, and Kenichi Kobayashi, president of Kobayashi Food Machinery.

They were all regular customers who frequented the Flower Sea Nightclub when Yoko Mochizuki used to run it.

I was actually invited by her today, and I came specifically to support her and patronize the "Peony Club" business.

According to Ginza's rules, if there's still time before going to the club, guests and female hosts can have a meal together first, which is a perk for guests.

So today, after arriving in Ginza and meeting Yoko Mochizuki and Chiemi, they came here together on the recommendation of Chiemi, the madam they had just met.

Unexpectedly, they were startled by this exaggerated scene as soon as they crossed the street corner.

"Madam, should we go to another store?"

Actually, not to mention the two presidents, Yoko Mochizuki, who was also quite surprised when she looked at the long queue in the distance, was completely unprepared.

That's what she whispered to Chiemi.

Yoko Mochizuki never expected that a Chinese restaurant like this would be so successful in Ginza.

In her past impression, the most popular restaurants in Ginza were either Japanese or Western restaurants; there were hardly any Chinese restaurants.

So, in addition to her surprise, she couldn't help but doubt whether the restaurant was really that good, and she was also worried about the long wait times.

Both company presidents came specifically for her. Although the more famous the restaurant, the better, it would be counterproductive and disappointing if the restaurant didn't live up to its reputation or if there were no seats available.

However, her worries were clearly unfounded for Chiemi.

Chiemi didn't care at all; on the contrary, she was confident and smiled as she made a promise to her.

"No problem, don't worry. Even though I didn't make a reservation in advance, this restaurant will definitely give me some face. They certainly won't keep us waiting long."

That's not all. Chiemi turned to the two presidents and explained, "President Hashimoto, President Kobayashi, you may not know this, but the Chinese imperial cuisine here is the most authentic in all of Tokyo. The chefs are all from the capital of China, and the menu is strictly based on the Qing Dynasty imperial court's menu. So it already had a very good reputation. I heard that a table can turn over nine times a day. In addition, this restaurant was featured in the newspaper yesterday. After a media investigation, it was confirmed that this restaurant is currently the most popular restaurant in Tokyo. As a result, thanks to the power of the media, the restaurant's business is even better now. It seems that quite a few people have been attracted by this report out of curiosity and have come here specifically to try it today."

These words were quite powerful.

This not only successfully dispelled other people's concerns about the restaurant's quality and the long waiting time, but also further increased the two presidents' interest in the restaurant.

"I see. So, we're going to dine at Tokyo's most famous Chinese restaurant today? I'm really looking forward to it. To be honest, although I've eaten Chinese food quite a few times, I've never had authentic imperial cuisine."

"Hmm, for a shop to still be doing so well these days, it must have something special about it. Thanks to the madam, it looks like we're going to have a great time and sample some delicious food today."

Both President Hashimoto and President Kobayashi nodded with smiles, looking as if they had gained an unexpected advantage. Taking advantage of this, Chiemi deliberately steered the conversation towards health and wellness issues that were of utmost concern to people their age.

With her superb eloquence, she introduced the two presidents to rare Chinese ingredients such as the "Golden Jade Abundance" brand's unique Imperial Rouge Rice and Imperial Oil Chicken, boasting about their health benefits.

In this way, she aroused the two presidents' curiosity about "Golden Jade Abundance" and their anticipation for "Imperial Cuisine" to grow stronger and stronger.

It must be said that, despite being five years younger than Yoko Mochizuki, Chie Mi is still quite young.

But she is, after all, one of the madams of Ginza, and has long since developed a composure and skill beyond her years.

Her performance just now impressed Yoko Mochizuki, who was a few years older than her and a senior in the industry. She couldn't help but nod in approval and give her a score of over 85.

And so, chatting and strolling, the group soon arrived at the store where a long queue had formed.

At this point, they could clearly see that in the waiting area, people would occasionally approach the staff member who was holding a thick reservation book and responsible for registering and issuing numbers.

"Are there any seats available tonight? We're willing to wait."

The waiter, however, always shook his head helplessly.

"I'm so sorry, there are just too many people today. If you're going to register and wait, optimistically, you might have to wait for more than an hour. Given the poor weather conditions today, please think carefully before you do."

A stylish woman in a mink coat, who seemed to have been waiting for a long time, finally couldn't help but publicly complain.

"I'm telling you, it's so hard to book a seat here! I called two weeks ago and followed all your instructions exactly, and they're still saying there are no seats left. Can you tell me exactly how far in advance I need to call to reserve a seat?"

Her words also resonated with another woman wearing gold-rimmed glasses, who looked like a lawyer.

"That's right! Getting a meal here is incredibly difficult. Especially now that the newspapers have reported on it, who in all of Tokyo wouldn't want to try 'Golden Jade Hall'? I'm afraid it'll be even harder to make a reservation in the future..."

And so it got out of control, attracting more and more customers to join the queue.

Someone said they just saw a famous film director queuing up.

Some people say they've heard that high-ranking political figures also plan to try it here.

Some people even said that foreigners from embassies came to join in the fun...

For a time, there was a lot of discussion in the waiting area at the entrance, but it was all about the praise for "Jin Yu Man Tang".

This makes it all the more impressive that someone can skip the queue and go straight into a restaurant to dine today.

So, did Chiemi and her group successfully enter the house?

It must be said that Chie Mi wasn't exaggerating; she actually kept her word and succeeded immediately.

To everyone else, Chiemi, dressed in a gold kimono, simply walked calmly to the doorman, took out a business card from her purse, flashed it, and easily gained permission to enter.

"Ms. Chiemi, thank you for coming. Your reservation is confirmed. Please come upstairs."

Afterwards, Chiemi accompanied the others, and amidst many envious glances, they walked up the stairs leading to the restaurant.

This not only delighted the two presidents, but also made them feel a special sense of presence, causing faint smiles to appear on their lips.

Yoko Mochizuki, who had been feeling anxious, was completely relieved and even felt a sense of pride.

To succeed in this industry in Ginza, the biggest secret is to always do things that make your customers happy, and ideally, make them feel a little bit like they're in love.

Only in this way will customers be willing to patronize you, spend a lot of money on you, and become completely infatuated with you.

Whether viewed from a business perspective or an ambiguous one, the principle of making customers happy is essentially the same: never treat everyone the same, but rather make them feel that they are "unique."

Today, Chie-mi led them and her group into the restaurant without any hindrance, which achieved this effect.

It only highlights a slight privilege of not having to queue, which seems like a small matter.

But it satisfied all their vanity in front of the customers waiting in line outside, and made them feel superior.

The positive effect of this move is absolutely equivalent to the power of a hundred repeated compliments.

Even if the food today was mediocre, the fact that there was never a queue was enough to make the two presidents willingly spend a lot of money on this meal.

However, because things were going so smoothly, Yoko Mochizuki found it increasingly unusual the more she thought about it.

She couldn't help but deliberately fall a few steps behind and move closer to Chiemi, asking, "Didn't we not have an appointment? Why would they say that?"

Unexpectedly, Chiemi's words only made the background of the matter seem more mysterious.

"Don't take what he said to heart. He said it for the people in line to hear. He can't just openly give us preferential treatment and let us cut in line, can he? If he did, the other customers would definitely complain."

"I see. I didn't expect the madam to be so familiar with the people at this restaurant. That's wonderful."

"That's not it. I don't know the people at the entrance, but they do recognize our club's business card. To put it simply, whether it's me or you, whenever we come here, as long as we can show our club's business card, the people at the entrance will give us special treatment."

"Why is that? Is the madam's 'Peony' really that famous in Ginza?"

"Of course not. The real reason is that our club is a member of the Crimson Clouds faction. Actually, the Crimson Clouds Club has a special partnership with this restaurant, so we benefit from it as well."

She then lowered her voice and whispered, "Do you know what the people in our club call this Chinese restaurant in private?"

"what?"

"A branch of the Crimson Clouds Club."

"Ah, what does this mean?"

"It means exactly what it says. As members of the Crimson Glow faction, everyone from Crimson Glow down in every club will receive special care here. We all feel as comfortable here as if we were at the Crimson Glow Club. And besides not having to queue, there are many other conveniences for everyone here."

"Other conveniences?"

Yoko Mochizuki genuinely wanted to know the answer, and at that moment, many questions popped into her mind that she wanted to ask.

For example, what is the Crimson Haze series?
Why does it look like the Yakuza?
How many members are there exactly?
For example, why can the person at the door verify an identity based on just a business card?
What if someone tries to take advantage of the situation?
Unfortunately, the conditions for discussing these topics in detail are not currently available.

The staircase wasn't very long, and the two company presidents ahead of them were already waiting at the store entrance.

So after climbing the stairs, they had to stop talking and focus their attention back on the two club presidents who needed their company. (End of Chapter)