Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

The shops on the street are densely packed, one next to the other, with signs of different sizes and made of different materials. Some are brand new and shiny, while others are slightly mottled. They sway gently in the breeze, as if soliciting business from passers-by.

Wang Jianye stood upright in Xuzhou's most prosperous commercial district, his eyes fixed on the bustling crowd in front of him. It seemed as if he wanted to imprint this lively scene deeply into his mind.

He was wearing a neatly pressed suit, which was not expensive but very neat, and his hair was combed meticulously.

Chen Yu, who was standing next to him, was a little thin and wore a pair of black-framed glasses. His eyes behind the lenses showed a shrewd look.

At this moment, he held a thick market research report tightly in his hands, his voice trembling with excitement: "Mr. Wang, look at the flow of people in Xuzhou. Wow, there are people everywhere! The consumption potential is simply huge.

If we can open a branch here, we will definitely be able to open up a whole new market.”

Wang Jianye nodded slightly, a smile on his face, "Well, Xuzhou is indeed a rare and good place. The opportunity is in front of us, and we must seize it firmly."

However, fate seemed to deliberately add some twists and turns to their grand plan.

Just as they were happily preparing for the new store and fantasizing about a bright future, troubles quickly loomed like a dark cloud.

Brother Hu is as big as a mountain. He is 1.85 meters tall and weighs at least 200 kilograms.

The long scar on his face, extending from the left corner of his eye to the corner of his mouth, looked particularly hideous in the sunlight.

On weekdays, he always had a cigarette in his mouth and walked with a crab-like gait, followed by a group of younger brothers with dyed yellow hair and wearing colorful shirts, wandering around the streets all day long.
On this day, the sunlight shone through the window into the shop under preparation.

Wang Jianye and Chen Yu were sitting in front of a table covered with blueprints, seriously discussing the details of the decoration.

Suddenly, there was a loud "bang" and the store door was kicked open. The door, which had not been installed securely in time, shook violently and almost fell off the door frame.

A few hooligans came in swaggeringly, led by a tall and thin man, about 1.75 meters tall, but as thin as a bamboo pole, with a disgusting ruffian look on his face.

He was chewing gum, making a "crunch, crunch" sound, his eyes full of arrogance, and asked, "Are you two the bosses who are planning to open a store here? Do you know whose territory this is?"

Wang Jianye's brows knitted into a knot and he slowly stood up: "We are here to do serious business. What can you do for us?"

The tall and thin man sneered, his laughter full of sarcasm: "Huh, doing business? If you open a store here, you have to pay protection fees.

If you don’t pay, I tell you, there’s no way you can open your store.”

When Chen Yu heard this, he was so angry that his face turned red. He couldn't help but take a step forward and said loudly: "You are obviously extorting money. Why should we give you money?"

When the tall and thin man heard this, his eyes suddenly widened, as if he wanted to eat someone, "Oh, you dare to talk back? Believe it or not, I will smash your store right now!"

As he spoke, he stretched out his skinny hand and grabbed the drawing on the table.

Wang Jianye was quick to reach out and stop him, saying in a calm tone, "Don't be impulsive. Let's talk it over."

The tall and thin man shook off Wang Jianye's hand and said impatiently, "Stop talking nonsense to me. Tomorrow, prepare 10,000 yuan and send it to the Hongyun Tea House at the corner of the street.

If you dare not come, you will be in trouble."

After saying that, he walked away with his group of younger brothers, whistling.

Wang Jianye looked at the shop door that had been kicked in, his face as black as the bottom of a pot.

Chen Yu stamped his feet in anger and shouted, "Boss Wang, this is too much of a bully! We can't just swallow our anger and let them succeed."

Wang Jianye pondered for a while and said slowly: "It's obvious that this group of people are habitual offenders. They must have done this kind of thing more than once or twice.

We can't panic, or we'll lose our composure.

In this way, you can first arrange a few employees who are quick and courageous to take turns on duty to strengthen the security work at the store entrance.

Also, please contact the local Chamber of Commerce and explain our situation to them in detail to see if they can get some help."

Chen Yu nodded vigorously and replied, "Okay, Mr. Wang, I'll do it right away."

After Chen Yu left, Wang Jianye paced back and forth in the store, carefully checking every corner.

There was determination in his eyes. From time to time, he reached out to touch the wall and knock on the ground, thinking about how to deal with the situation.

At this moment, Xiao Li, who was in charge of purchasing, ran into the store out of breath, his face full of anxiety: "Boss Wang, this is bad! I don't know what happened to several suppliers I contacted before, but they suddenly changed their minds and said they dared not supply us. It seems that someone is putting pressure on them."

Wang Jianye's heart sank. He knew in his heart that this was most likely the work of Brother Hu and his gang.

"Xiao Li, don't worry.

You have to work hard to find suppliers in the surrounding towns and villages. I don’t believe that you can’t find any willing to cooperate with us.”

Xiao Li wiped the sweat from his forehead, responded, turned around and went out in a hurry.

Chen Yu asked along the way and arrived at the Xuzhou Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber of Commerce's office is located in a slightly old building. The lighting in the corridor is dim and there are some yellowed notices posted on the walls.

Chen Yu walked into the president's office and saw the president sitting behind an old desk. His hair was a little sparse, and he was wearing a pair of reading glasses, looking down at a document.

Chen Yu cleared his throat and said politely, "Hello, President. I am an employee of Wang's All-Inclusive Hotel. I came here today to report something to you."

The president raised his head, took off his glasses, and motioned Chen Yu to sit down. "Young man, take your time and tell me what's going on." Chen Yu then told him in detail how Brother Hu and his gang had come to their house to demand protection money and how they had interfered with their search for suppliers.

After hearing this, the president frowned and said, "Brother Tiger and his gang have been rampant in this area for a long time, and our Chamber of Commerce has been trying to find a way to discipline them.

Our Chamber of Commerce will definitely do its best to help you with this matter.

Well, let me introduce you to a few trustworthy suppliers, all of whom are members of our Chamber of Commerce. They should not be threatened by Brother Hu’s gang.

In addition, I will join other businesses to report the situation to the relevant departments and strive to eliminate this evil force as soon as possible.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Yu showed a look of gratitude on his face, "Thank you so much, President! With the support of the Chamber of Commerce, we feel more confident."

Chen Yu returned to the store and told Wang Jianye exactly what the Chamber of Commerce president had said.

After hearing this, Wang Jianye finally showed a relieved smile on his face, "Great, with the help of the Chamber of Commerce, we have a chance to turn things around.

However, we must not relax our security at all." Before he could finish his words, a loud noise suddenly came from outside the store.

Wang Jianye and Chen Yu ran out quickly, only to see a few hooligans standing at the door of the store, holding spray paint in their hands, spraying some messy patterns on the wall and cursing at them.

A few customers passing by were about to enter the store to make inquiries, but were shouted at loudly by them and were so scared that they quickly turned around and left.

Seeing this, Wang Jianye rushed forward and asked loudly, "What are you doing here?"

The leading thug turned around and saw the tall and thin guy who had been there before.

"Hey, Boss Wang, you haven't paid the protection fee yet, and you want to open a store? No way!"

Wang Jianye suppressed his anger and said word by word: "I have already told you that we will solve the problem through legal means. What you are doing is illegal."

The tall and thin man looked disdainful, "Illegal? In this area, I have the final say.

Brothers, keep making trouble!" At this time, the employees in the store heard the noise and rushed out, surrounding the gangsters.

The two sides were talking to each other, and the atmosphere was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring, ready to explode at any moment.

Just when the two sides were in a stalemate, a burst of "Woo-wah" sirens suddenly came from the distance.

A police car drove up quickly and stopped in front of the store.

Several security guards got out of the car. The leading security guard was tall and had a stern face. He was wearing a neat police uniform, with handcuffs and a walkie-talkie on his waist.

He shouted, "What are you all doing here? Come back to the police station with us."

It turned out that the president of the Chamber of Commerce called the police immediately after learning that Wang Jianye and others were harassed again.

As soon as the gangsters saw the security guard, their arrogance disappeared instantly. They lowered their heads and obediently let the security guard take them into the car.

Before leaving, the tall and thin man glared at Wang Jianye fiercely and said through gritted teeth: "Just wait for me."

After this incident, Wang Jianye knew that Brother Hu and his gang would not give up easily.

But he also became more determined to open a store in Xuzhou.

He gathered his employees together and said loudly: "Don't be afraid, everyone. We are here to do business honestly. We have the support of the Chamber of Commerce and the police. They can't cause any big trouble.

We will speed up the preparations and strive to open the restaurant as soon as possible so that the people of Xuzhou can taste our cooking skills."

After hearing this, the employees nodded one after another, with a look of unwillingness to admit defeat in their eyes, and they threw themselves into their work with great enthusiasm.

In the following days, Wang Jianye and his team worked non-stop to negotiate cooperation with suppliers in the surrounding towns and villages. In order to find suitable ingredients, they often drove the somewhat shabby van on rugged country roads.

At the same time, they continued to work intensively to improve the decoration of the store, paying attention to every detail, from the laying of floor tiles to the installation of ceiling lamps.

Staff training was also not neglected, from the etiquette standards of waiters to the preparation of dishes by chefs, all received strict training.

Although they were still harassed by Brother Hu and his gang from time to time, with people throwing stones at the store door in the middle of the night or calling to threaten them, they were able to successfully resolve the situation with the help of the Chamber of Commerce and the police.

Finally, after countless days and nights of intense preparation, the Xuzhou branch of Wang's full range of restaurants opened its doors.

At the entrance of the store, red lanterns were hung high, colorful balloons fluttered in the wind, and firecrackers kept popping. The sound was so loud that it hurt people's ears, and attracted many passers-by to stop and watch.

Wang Jianye stood at the door, wearing a brand new suit, with a confident smile on his face, warmly greeting every customer.

……

Xuzhou City, this place full of the atmosphere of life, was very lively in the mid-1990s.

There is a constant flow of traffic on the main road, and the sounds of bicycle bells and car horns interweave into a noisy city sound.

Pedestrians are walking in a hurry. Some are busy going to work, some are rushing to the vegetable market to buy vegetables, and others are taking advantage of their free time to stroll around.

The street shops are densely packed, one next to the other, with various signs, some made of wood, some made of iron, and some made of plastic, colorful and very beautiful.

In the shops, the shop owners were shouting at the top of their lungs, and the customers were bargaining with them. The noise made the whole street bustling with activity.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, Pengcheng Restaurant is like a dazzling pearl, attracting a lot of attention.

Its spacious store is a magnificent two-story building decorated in an antique style.

The vermilion door is heavy and majestic, as if telling of the extraordinary nature of the restaurant.

The golden signboard hangs high, shining brightly under the sunlight, attracting people's attention from a distance.

Inside the restaurant, the tables and chairs are neatly arranged, all solid wood tables and chairs, exuding an ancient atmosphere.

The waiters were dressed in the same blue uniforms with small name tags on their collars. They shuttled between the lobby and the private rooms, carrying trays with steaming dishes on them. They walked hurriedly but steadily as they were busy serving food and refilling water for customers.

Every day from morning to night, this place is crowded with customers and bustling with people. In the Xuzhou catering industry, it is a well-known name. Whoever mentions Pengcheng Restaurant has to give a thumbs up and praise it, "This restaurant is authentic!" The restaurant owner Liu Decai is now sitting in his spacious office.

He was a little overweight, with a belly that was slightly bulging like a small ball. He always wore a pair of black-framed glasses on his face, and his eyes behind the lenses were shrewd.

At this moment, his face was terribly gloomy, like the sky before a storm.

Steam was rising from the teacup on the table, and the aroma of tea was everywhere, but he had no intention of tasting it.

Just now, he received news that the business of the foreign Wang's Quanxi Restaurant, which had only been opened in Xuzhou for a few days, was gradually picking up, which made Liu Decai very angry.

"Hmph, this foreign monk actually dares to chant sutras in our Xuzhou territory and wants to steal my job? No way!" Liu Decai gritted his teeth and said to himself.

He paced back and forth in the office, his leather shoes making a "tapping" sound on the wooden floor, and every step seemed to vent his dissatisfaction.

The more Liu Decai thought about it, the angrier he became. Finally, he could not hold back any longer and reached out to pick up the phone on the table, quickly dialing a few numbers with his fingers.

...(End of chapter)