From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

The story of Feng Zhengming's salary increase is not over yet; news of salary increases has spread to his stores in various locations.

The news spread like wildfire across the country in an instant.

Suddenly, his name was heard by many people again.

Over the past year or two, Feng Zhengming's name has gradually faded from people's view.

Even though he won the title of one of the world's top ten restaurants of the year.

In reality, it did not cause much of a stir across the country.

His restaurant was named one of the world's top ten restaurants of the year.

It's probably more about the Shanghai catering industry and the city as a whole that attaches great importance to it.

Just like how Shanghai took the opportunity to establish its reputation as an international culinary capital.

For most ordinary people, it might seem like Feng Zhengming's restaurant deserved to be named one of the world's top ten restaurants of the year.

After all, he was the national culinary champion.

His restaurant deserves to be among the world's top ten restaurants of the year, right?

Many people might think that this kind of thing would be difficult for Feng Zhuangyuan.
But when the news spread that all of Feng Zhengming's stores across the country were raising wages together.

This has become something that everyone has to pay attention to.

Salary increase? So many people have worked for years, from youth to middle age, without ever getting a raise.

Even with today's economic development, export trade has become increasingly easier since China joined the WTO.

Many factories are constantly recruiting staff.

In reality, the wages people received did not see the obvious increase they had imagined.

This time, news spread that Feng Zhengming's branches across the country would raise wages.

After many people started paying special attention to this matter.

Suddenly everyone realized that Feng Zhuangyuan's wages in all those stores across the country were so high.

Once this information reached the majority of people, it naturally sparked discussions across the country.

In addition, it was already 2002, and the Internet made the spread of information very fast.

Next, many people began to come to the branches in various parts of Shandong, Hebei, Henan, and Hongcheng in Jiangxi Province, wanting to apply for jobs and hoping to work in Feng Zhuangyuan's branches.

Even in Hangzhou and Beijing, many people from other places have come to the shops looking for work.

The store managers and head chefs of each restaurant called Feng Zhengming immediately to inquire about his situation.

Feng Zhengming's reply to them was very simple.

"Tell them that the store doesn't need any staff for the time being. You also need to manage your own store staff well. Tell your staff that if any of them don't want to work hard, someone will take their place at any time."

This is actually the effect that Feng Zhengming truly wanted to achieve.

He hoped to attract widespread attention across the country by raising wages.

He knew that many people would go to his branches in various places looking for work.

This way, pressure can be put on everyone in each store.

Let the staff in each store know that there are many people outside who are eager to get their current jobs.

If they don't perform well, or if they are found to have problems, they can be replaced at any time.

As for the store manager and the head chef in charge of the kitchen, Feng Zhengming trusted them completely.

After all, the store managers and head chefs of each store were all carefully selected by Feng Zhengming and his fellow apprentices.

Moreover, the store manager and the head chef form a mutually restrictive relationship.

In addition, Feng Zhengming would give them a share of the profits from each store.

Therefore, both the store manager and the head chef have a very strong sense of unity.

Over the years, it's not that no one has tried to recruit them.

However, the conditions offered by others were not very attractive to them.

A nationwide debate about wages has begun.

Feng Zhengming, the person who sparked the discussion, remained silent.

All his branches followed his instructions and announced that they had no shortage of staff and would not be recruiting for the time being.

This naturally puts pressure on other restaurants and eateries across the country.

To address this issue, the restaurants and eateries of Jinan first united.

Together they approached the catering association, the chefs' association, and the provincial authorities, demanding that some measures be taken to suppress Feng Zhengming.

Each company's request was simple: Feng Zhengming couldn't just raise his salary arbitrarily.

The catering association and the chefs' association certainly can't control Feng Zhengming.

So this matter was eventually reported to the provincial level.

The provincial authorities are also somewhat at a loss regarding this matter.

It's their own store; they can decide how much to pay their employees.

If someone else's store is making good profits, you can't stop them from raising their employees' wages, can you?

However, the provincial government cannot ignore the opinions of other restaurants and eateries.

After all, it wasn't just one or two restaurants that approached the provincial authorities this time; it was many restaurants and eateries that came to them together.

Tao Jingwen and Chen Zhiheng were once again assigned to take charge of this matter.

After discussing it, the two decided to hold a symposium and let the restaurant and hotel owners they had invited sit down and chat.

Then we'll gather everyone's suggestions and tell Feng Zhengming to see how he'll respond.
At the meeting, the business owners began to complain on the spot.

"Oh dear, our business is really impossible to continue."

"Yes, Feng Zhengming's actions have made many people in our store feel that we are paying too little, and they all want to switch jobs."

"This is deliberately driving up our labor costs."

“Feng Zhengming has many stores, now covering the entire province, and also has branches in several major cities across the country. He earns a lot, so naturally he does. We only have one store, how can we afford to raise wages like this?”

"We must stop him from doing this; we can't let him raise wages so casually."

"The problem is that he not only raised wages for the stores in Shanghai, but he also wants all the stores across the country to raise wages to the same level. How are we supposed to keep up with the wage levels in Shanghai?"

Hearing everyone say that, Tao Jingwen and Chen Zhiheng could only look at each other helplessly and smile bitterly.

Before they arrived, they already had a general idea of ​​what these bosses were thinking.

To put it bluntly, the news that Feng Zhengming's stores had raised wages put considerable pressure on them.

People have started causing trouble in their shops.

Although Feng Zhengming's stores have clearly stated that none of them intend to hire new staff for the time being.

Other restaurants and eateries can indeed hold out without raising wages.

The staff in each of their shops had nowhere to go.

But if you don't raise wages, people can simply stop working properly. Even if they don't dare to quit outright, they can still deliberately delay the food service, which is something the boss can't easily get angry about.

Most importantly, the bosses also know that if they fire these people, it won't be easy to find suitable replacements.

Especially in the kitchens of restaurants and hotels, some chefs began to have ideas.

They also demanded a pay rise, and that the entire kitchen team should receive a raise.

After discussion, the bosses generally agreed to give the kitchen staff a raise first.

After all, the kitchen is the real key to a restaurant.

The wages have increased, which has temporarily stabilized the kitchen staff.

But the bosses still felt uneasy.

This situation of being forced to raise wages makes bosses very unhappy.

That's why they were conflicted and wanted the provincial government to intervene and stop Feng Zhengming from raising wages arbitrarily.

If you, Feng Zhengming, want a raise, you can raise yours, don't be so high-profile.

Tao Jingwen and Chen Zhiheng listened to everyone's complaints.

Finally, Tao Jingwen said, "We are aware of everyone's opinions. We will compile them and then inform Feng Zhuangyuan. As for whether he will listen, we cannot guarantee that."

Chen Zhiheng: "After all, the province can't exert pressure or directly interfere with the wage increase in his store. We can only coordinate."

The bosses probably all guessed this outcome, and they could only accept it helplessly.

After the symposium, Tao Jingwen and Chen Zhiheng discussed it and decided to go to Huiquan Building to talk with some of Feng Zhengming's senior classmates.

They knew very well that asking Feng Zhengming about this matter would be useless.

Since Feng Zhengming has raised wages for all the staff in all his stores, he will absolutely not lower them back, nor will he pay any attention to the complaints of other restaurant owners.

Tao Jingwen thought that Feng Zhengming's senior brothers might be worth discussing this matter with.

We can't let Feng Zhengming lower his salary back, but at least we can make sure he doesn't act so high-profile anymore.

Li Huidong and Yang Bin also met up about this matter.

Yang Bin didn't care about this at all.

"Senior brother, don't worry about them. If you ask me, those restaurants and hotels should be made a fuss. Those bosses want people to do their jobs well, but they are unwilling to pay them enough wages. Who would work hard then?"
We can't let them continue using their methods, controlling the store's employees on one hand and taking advantage of customers on the other.

Li Huidong also knew that Yang Bin had a lot of opinions about some restaurants and hotels.

Especially some restaurants and eateries with ridiculous or nonsensical names.

In Yang Bin's eyes, those restaurants and hotels were probably not as good as Jubinyuan, which was owned by Cheng Guosheng.

Although Cheng Guosheng put a lot of fancy things into Jubinyuan, at least he really had some skills.

If you go to Jubinyuan Restaurant now, you can say that the prices there are indeed on the high side.

You absolutely cannot say that the food at Jubinyuan is bad.

In recent years, however, some restaurants and eateries with strange names have sprung up in Jinan.

Many of them claim to be time-honored brands from many years ago.

The skill level of chefs in actual restaurants and eateries varies greatly.

Therefore, Yang Bin really detests such restaurants and eateries, feeling that they are the ones affecting the reputation of Shandong cuisine.

Shandong cuisine is now famous throughout the country thanks to Feng Zhengming.

Tourism has become increasingly popular in China in recent years.

Many people started making special trips to Jinan, hoping to taste authentic Shandong cuisine there.

Although Feng Zhengming has various restaurants in Quancheng, some people still feel that eating at Feng Zhuangyuan's restaurants all the time is not interesting and want to try some different styles of Shandong cuisine.

What no one expected was that this windfall of wealth was exploited by some people with ulterior motives.

Not only in Jinan, but also in other parts of Shandong, various restaurants and eateries claiming to be authentic, time-honored Shandong cuisine restaurants have begun to appear.

Li Huidong sighed: "Those things are beyond our control. Why do you think Zhengming hasn't come back to Qilu recently? Isn't it because he doesn't want to be dragged into supporting certain people after he comes back?"

Yang Bin also looked helpless: "It was the right thing for Zhengming not to come back, so that those people wouldn't come knocking on his door."

Li Huidong: "This time, Zhengming only raised wages, but it has already made many people restless."

Yang Bin: "So we'll just stay silent?"

Li Huidong: "What else do you want to say? Now is the time for them to be anxious. We don't need to say anything at all. Let them be anxious first."

After hearing what his senior brother said, Yang Bin thought about it for a moment and made some plans.

"Senior Brother, you're right. We don't need to say anything more; let them make a scene."

Li Huidong: "Actually, Zhengming's target this time is not them. I think Zhengming's purpose this time is probably still in Beijing."

Yang Bin asked curiously, "The capital? Is Zhengming targeting the capital?"

Li Huidong: "It's not aimed at the catering industry in Beijing. He just wants to improve his reputation so that he can build momentum for reopening Yanxilou in Beijing later."

Yang Bin suddenly realized: "That's right, he really does seem to be building momentum now. Many people are saying that he is a conscientious boss."

Li Huidong: "He is indeed a conscientious boss. Don't laugh at me, Lao San. If it weren't for Zhengming all these years, I might have been squeezed out of the factory canteen long ago and would only be an unknown cook."

Yang Bin laughed: "Hahaha, senior brother, why don't you look at me? If it weren't for Zhengming's help, I wouldn't have been able to come back to Quancheng at all, and I would probably be stuck farming in the countryside."

Li Huidong: "It's not necessarily a bad thing for you to stay in the countryside and farm. Isn't rural tourism popular now? You can open your own local restaurant. With your skills, you'll definitely be fine."

Yang Bin: "But my skills can't be improved. If I stay at home to farm for a few years, I'm afraid I'll lose all my skills."

Li Huidong agreed with this point.

If you don't use your cooking skills for a long time, they will indeed deteriorate, and you might even forget them.

Moreover, Yang Bin would certainly not have achieved his current success.

“Over the years, we have really taken advantage of Zhengming. Both of our families have bought new houses in the best locations in Jinan. I was a little embarrassed to buy a new house there at first, but Zhengming insisted that I buy it.”

Yang Bin: "Haha, it's nothing. Senior Brother, your share of profits over the years is enough for you to buy several sets."

Only Feng Zhengming's fellow apprentices knew what a magnanimous boss he was.

The annual bonuses for the senior members are absolutely very high.

This is something that even chefs in many high-end restaurants cannot match.

After all, even top chefs probably don't earn as much in a year as Feng Zhengming gives his fellow apprentices in terms of current chef income.

This is also why many top chefs choose to open their own restaurants or eateries after they become famous.

After all, owning your own restaurant is always better than working for someone else and earning more.

Only on Feng Zhengming's side can all the chefs in the kitchen receive very high wages.

As a result, the chefs in the restaurant rarely have the idea of ​​opening their own shops.

However, as senior brothers, Li Huidong and Yang Bin still felt somewhat guilty.

So over the years, knowing that Feng Zhengming needed manpower for his expansion, his senior colleagues have been doing their best to help train young chefs. (End of Chapter)