From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

Feng Zhengming had long anticipated that Gu Zhicheng from Qingdao would part ways with him.

Among the young chefs who went to Huiquanlou, Gu Zhicheng was the most skilled and had a very good mentor.

Feng Zhengming knew from the beginning that Gu Zhicheng was willing to follow him to Huiquanlou because he wanted to learn some skills and kitchen management experience.

And most importantly, Gu Zhicheng wanted to impress Feng Zhengming by working alongside him as a chef.

All of this cannot be attributed to Gu Zhicheng being overly opportunistic.

It can be said that everyone got what they needed from each other.

Moreover, over the years, whether at Huiquanlou or later at the Qingdao branch, the business has thrived.

Gu Zhicheng wholeheartedly helped Feng Zhengming manage the shop.

Now that he has a better opportunity, it is inevitable that he will leave Feng Zhengming's side.

Feng Zhengming also hoped that Gu Zhicheng would leave on his own initiative.

Only after he left could Feng Zhengming arrange for the newcomer to work at the store in Qingdao.

After all, Qingdao's economic status in Shandong Province has long surpassed that of Jinan in recent years.

Feng Zhengming still needs to personally manage the several stores in Qingdao.

However, Feng Zhengming has no plans to open a restaurant in Qingdao.

Maintaining just one branch of the rice shop and one restaurant in the island city would be enough.

After Gu Zhicheng left, Luo Qing led her daughter to sit down in front of her husband.

"Gu Zhicheng has completely severed ties with you, so you don't need to give him any more of the profits here."

Feng Zhengming: "It's just a small amount of money. At least it will prevent him from using his current power to cause trouble for me in Qingdao, so that our store in Qingdao can continue to operate smoothly."

Luo Qing: "He still dares to cause trouble for you? Does he not want to be a chef anymore?"

Feng Zhengming: "Hahaha, you think I can take him down with just a few words? He's tied to a lot of interest groups now, and he has people supporting him behind the scenes. I can't deal with him in Qingdao."

Luo Qing: "Is that exaggerated?"

Feng Zhengming: "He may not cause trouble openly, but he can do some dirty tricks behind the scenes, and we can't catch him red-handed."

Hearing her husband say this made Luo Qing feel annoyed, and she felt a sense of powerlessness, knowing he was a bad person but unable to do anything about it.

Feng Zhengming comforted him, "It's alright, he'll eventually slip up and I'll find a chance to deal with him sooner or later."

Luo Qing: "People really change so fast."

Hearing his wife's sentimental remarks, Feng Zhengming smiled slightly.

"It's nothing. People always have different ideas at different times."

In Feng Zhengming's view, Gu Zhicheng is now somewhat arrogant because he has gained a higher social status in Qingdao.

Moreover, he also has a vested interest group behind him, such as his apprentices.

Those who want to gain more benefits from Gu Zhicheng will also drag him down into the abyss.

Feng Zhengming's interactions with Gu Zhicheng and his understanding of the catering industry in Qingdao are based on his own experience.

It's clear that Gu Zhicheng himself may not yet realize the problem.

Gu Zhicheng was somewhat immersed in the excitement of suddenly gaining a very high social status.

He was completely unaware of the danger around him, nor did he consider that those who praised him might one day bring him down hard, and then join in to trample on him.

Feng Zhengming had long known about Gu Zhicheng's actions in Qingdao, and he had been sending messages to Gu Zhicheng.

The hope is that Gu Zhicheng will realize his mistake and stop making the same mistake again.

During his visit to Qingdao, Feng Zhengming had many meetings with Gu Zhicheng.

It can be said that this was a very clear warning to Gu Zhicheng about some things.

But Gu Zhicheng never heeded Feng Zhengming's warning.

Feng Zhengming: "What will happen to him next depends on his own fate. I have said and done everything I should, but he won't listen, or he may not want to listen. There's nothing I can do."

In terms of age, Gu Zhicheng is a few years older than Feng Zhengming.

Over the years, Gu Zhicheng has always had his own goals in mind.

He was definitely unhappy about being under Feng Zhengming's command all this time.

So now there is an opportunity for him to gain a higher status, even if it is only in this one city, Island City.

Gu Zhicheng felt that he had to seize the opportunity, at least in Qingdao, he couldn't lose to Feng Zhengming.

Feng Nuanyou remained silent, watching her parents chat.

The little girl didn't quite understand what her parents were saying.

However, she also roughly knew who the bad guys were and who the good guys were.

Seeing her parents stop, Feng Nuanyou reached out her little hand and took her father's hand.

"Hehehe, Dad, you're so amazing, you won't lose to the bad guys."

Upon hearing this, Feng Zhengming looked up at his daughter.

Feng Nuanyou and her father looked at each other, a smile on her little face.

Feng Zhengming quickly laughed as well.

"Okay, my Youyou said that Daddy is awesome and won't lose to bad guys. Daddy definitely can't lose. He must make the bad guys get what they deserve, right?"

Feng Nuanyou: "Yes, yes, bad people should be punished for doing bad things."

Luo Qing looked at the father and daughter, and she smiled as well.

She knew that her husband had many ways to punish Gu Zhicheng.

However, her husband still hoped that Gu Zhicheng could see the error of his ways and return to the right path.

After all, Gu Zhicheng had followed Feng Zhengming for so long, and his skills were quite solid.

Feng Zhengming wasn't in a hurry to leave the island city. He wanted to seize the last days of summer so he could take his wife and children to play on the beach.

In addition, Feng Zhengming also needs time to adjust some things at the two branches.

Feng Zhengming did not completely replace most of the staff in the store.

However, both stores have changed their store managers, with Feng Zhengming replaced.

The new store managers have all undergone training in Shanghai.

They are more adept at operating and managing rice shops and restaurants.

With their cooperation and that of the new chefs transferred from the kitchen, Feng Zhengming was at ease.

Although the taste of the two stores in Qingdao has remained basically unchanged despite the staff changes, some people with ulterior motives have still leaked the news.

Rumors circulated that Feng Zhengming was ostracizing Gu Zhicheng, and some even said that he was jealous of Gu Zhicheng's growth, so he deliberately suppressed Gu Zhicheng, took back the two branches, and replaced all the staff.

These rumors quickly spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys of the city.

However, those who spread these rumors soon discovered that whether they were locals or people from other places, everyone treated these rumors as jokes to be told over tea.

Feng Zhengming's two stores in Qingdao are still doing brisk business. Both locals and tourists from other places still prefer to choose Feng Zhengming's two stores.

This puzzled those who intended to spread rumors unfavorable to Feng Zhengming.

Those rumors were clearly detrimental to Feng Zhengming, so how could they not affect his shop's business?
Luo Qing was furious upon hearing the rumors and almost went to confront Gu Zhicheng. However, Feng Zhengming stopped her.

"Don't worry, let them spread those rumors. In fact, I think the more they make a fuss, the better."

Luo Qing asked, puzzled, "Why? They're clearly slandering you."

Feng Zhengming: "Do you think people on the street would believe the rumors they spread?"

Luo Qing paused for a moment, thought about it carefully, and then she roughly understood what her husband meant.

Why are those rumors treated as jokes over tea?

It's because everyone knows who Feng Zhengming is. Feng Zhengming is a genuine national culinary champion.

The rumors that Feng Zhengming was jealous of Gu Zhicheng and that Feng Zhengming was intentionally suppressing Gu Zhicheng were, to many people, a complete joke.

Given Feng Zhengming's status and current abilities, why would he need to suppress Gu Zhicheng?

Some people even felt that Gu Zhicheng had really gotten arrogant, actually thinking he could compare to Feng Zhuangyuan.

So the rumors did spread very widely, but nobody took them seriously at all.

People still prefer to eat at Feng Zhengming's restaurants in Qingdao.

After the rumors had been circulating for a while, Gu Zhicheng also discovered the problem.

He summoned the people who were spreading the rumors and then ordered them to stop spreading those rumors.

"Do you guys even have brains? What's the point of spreading those rumors? Do you really think everyone else is stupid and doesn't know who Feng Zhengming is?"

Despite Gu Zhicheng's angry rebuke, the group of apprentices still did not give up.

“Master, Feng Zhengming is indeed very capable, but this is Qingdao, and there are still many chefs in Qingdao who support you.”

“That’s right, Master. He was the champion of the National Culinary Competition, but which year was that? We really don’t need to be afraid of him now.”

“Master is currently based in Shanghai. Even if he returns to Shandong, he is still from Jinan. Our Qingdao is not a place that Jinan can easily take advantage of. Our Qingdao is the strongest economy in Shandong.”

“That’s right. Our Qingdao cuisine doesn’t need to be afraid of those chefs from Jinan. They can’t control us.”

After listening to his apprentices' words, Gu Zhicheng felt a sense of helplessness.

His own apprentices can say whatever they want.

But Gu Zhicheng knew very well that their remarks were nothing more than the limited perspective of frogs in a well.

Gu Zhicheng was well aware of what the honor Feng Zhengming now held represented.
That's something that a local chef with fame and status in the island city can't compare to.

Why do most people treat the rumors spread by the apprentices as mere gossip and jokes?
Because everyone knows very well that Gu Zhicheng has no right to be suppressed by Feng Zhengming using any means.

Gu Zhicheng understood this in his heart, but he didn't want to reveal everything to his apprentices.

He has achieved his current status in the island city and is praised by these apprentices.

It was entirely because his apprentices in the island city were unaware of the situation outside.

It could even be said that most chefs in Shandong Province are unaware of what's happening outside.

They didn't know the significance of Feng Zhengming's old-style restaurant being named one of the world's top ten restaurants of the year.

They were even less aware that the honor of being one of the top ten restaurants was not something that just anyone could obtain.

Therefore, many of them felt that even if Feng Zhengming was the top scholar in the country, his skills would not be much better than Gu Zhicheng's.

The saying goes, "Ignorance is bliss."

They praise Gu Zhicheng because they don't understand him.

Gu Zhicheng didn't reveal everything: "Alright, stop spreading those rumors. Do your jobs well and hone your skills. Don't embarrass me in public."

Although Gu Zhicheng did indeed become a little arrogant because of the praise he received.

But he did one thing very well, which was to uphold the bottom line of a chef and to be very strict with his apprentices' skills.

Therefore, it can be said that Gu Zhicheng's character is flawed, but his skills and ability to teach apprentices are still commendable.

Those ridiculous rumors quickly vanished.

When Gu Zhicheng's apprentices stopped spreading rumors.

Naturally, no one else would spread it.

Everything in the island city seemed to have returned to calm.

However, the local chefs in the city were still not convinced by Feng Zhengming.

They still harbored some hostility towards the out-of-town chefs that Feng Zhengming had sent to the two restaurants.

Before leaving Qingdao, Feng Zhengming convened a meeting with the key personnel of both stores.

"As you all know, you will face some discrimination in Qingdao. I don't think that's a bad thing. You just need to do your best and remember to stick to your craft. That's the key to establishing yourself anywhere."

As for those colleagues in Qingdao who are hostile to you? Ignore them; those clowns won't amount to anything.

"You two need to run these two branches well, and let everyone who comes to Qingdao know that you are the best chefs under my command, Feng Zhengming."

After hearing Feng Zhengming's words of encouragement, the key personnel in the two stores in Qingdao all became serious.

"Don't worry, Uncle-Master, we will definitely run both stores well and won't let you down."

"Yes, isn't it Gu Zhicheng? We will definitely surpass him."

“That’s right. The chefs in that island city are ostracizing us, so we need to achieve something to show them.”

Feng Zhengming: "That's good. I'm relieved to see you all have such fighting spirit."

After encouraging everyone, Feng Zhengming also gave them a sense of confidence.

"No matter how they try to exclude you, just ignore them. Just make sure you cook delicious food and that every customer who comes to the restaurant enjoys the food and the service."

If they resort to underhanded tactics, just tell me, and I'll take care of them all.

Hearing Feng Zhengming say this gave everyone more confidence.

As for the store managers of the two stores, they all expressed their support to Feng Zhengming.

"Don't worry, boss, we will manage the store well."

"Yes, we will not allow problems to occur among our service staff."

Feng Zhengming nodded: "I haven't changed the service staff yet. You can keep an eye on them. If anyone is unruly, you can fire them directly without asking me or worrying about the consequences."

In Feng Zhengming's mind, the two branches in Qingdao will definitely undergo a major reshuffle next.

These two branches must be firmly held in our hands, and their reputation in the city must be guaranteed.

Feng Zhengming knew that Gu Zhicheng would not and dare not openly target his two stores.

But some people under Gu Zhicheng and behind him might not be able to resist.

Feng Zhengming wanted to wait for those people to emerge before he could thoroughly clean up the island city.

He still doesn't want the culinary industry to become too profit-driven.

Qingdao is, after all, part of Shandong province, and Shandong cuisine cannot afford to lose even in places within the province.

After giving instructions to the key personnel of the two branches in Qingdao.

Feng Zhengming and his wife, along with their daughter, left Qingdao, traveling north and visiting several other cities to check on their branch stores before finally returning to Jinan. (End of Chapter)