Siheyuan: Starting as a Chef Apprentice

"Mr. Wang, we have received reports from the public that there are serious hygiene problems in your kitchen." The deputy leader said seriously.

Wang Jianye smiled calmly: "We welcome the inspection. We have a clear conscience."

The inspection lasted for a full two hours. Health department personnel wore white gloves and used professional instruments to check every corner - from the temperature and humidity in the food storage room, to the oil stains in the gaps of the stove, and even the employees' hand washing procedures were strictly checked.

Finally, the deputy leader announced publicly in the hotel lobby: "After a comprehensive inspection, all hygiene indicators of Wang's Hotel meet national standards, and some links are even better than the standards. The so-called 'hygiene risks' are pure rumors!"

Xiao Zhang immediately released the results through the hotel's official account, along with photos and videos of the inspection process. Subtly, public opinion began to change.

Three days later, Wang's Restaurant formally filed a lawsuit and announced that it would hold a week-long "kitchen open week" event. As soon as the news came out, it immediately sparked heated discussions.

On the first day of the open day, many curious customers and several media came. Master Li personally led the team to visit and explained in detail the hygiene standards of each process.

"Our knives are disinfected three times a day, chopping boards are strictly separated according to raw and cooked food, and even the rags are divided into seven colors for different uses." Master Li introduced proudly.

A mother with her children exclaimed: "It's cleaner than my kitchen! Those reports are outrageous."

However, an accident happened the next day. During the visit, a young man wearing a baseball cap suddenly took out a dead rat from his bag, threw it into the food preparation area, and then shouted: "Look everyone! A rat! I said they have a hygiene problem!"

There was an uproar at the scene, and some people started taking pictures. Wang Jianye immediately realized that someone was deliberately making trouble. He calmly walked forward, put on gloves, and picked up the mouse.

"Look, everyone," he said loudly, "This rat's body is stiff and cold, and it has obviously been dead for a long time. If it is a rat from our kitchen, it should be fresh, right?" He turned to the young man, "May I ask what your job is? Why do you know so much about 'the rat in our kitchen'?"

The young man's face turned pale and he turned to run, but was stopped by the security guard. After questioning, he admitted that he was hired by "a competitor" to create trouble. This scene was recorded by the media present and was reported on the local news that night.

In Shiyun Building, Sun Fu flew into a rage and smashed everything in the office. "Waste! All waste!" he roared, "Not only did they fail to bring down Wang's, but they also ruined themselves!"

Lao Zhou said tremblingly: "Mr. Sun, the situation is not good now. Those people have been detained by the police. What if they betray us?"

"Shut up!" Sun Fu glared at him fiercely. "Go prepare some money. I want to meet Wang Jianye in person."

That night, Sun Fu came to Wang's Restaurant alone. The lobby was full of customers and very lively, in stark contrast to the recent quietness of Shiyunlou.

Wang Jianye received him in his office. "What a rare guest, Boss Sun." Wang Jianye said calmly.

Sun Fu forced out an ugly smile: "Old Wang, let's not beat around the bush. I admit defeat this time. You name a price and we can settle this privately."

Wang Jianye shook his head: "Boss Sun, this is not a matter of money. The catering industry relies on real skills, not these despicable means."

"Don't be so shameless!" Sun Fu suddenly changed his face, "I have been doing business in Huai'an for so many years, my connections are not comparable to yours!"

"Then we'll see you in court." Wang Jianye stood up. "By the way, I forgot to tell you that those people have already identified you, and the police have evidence of your financial transactions."

Sun Fu’s face turned pale instantly and he staggered away.

A week later, Wang's Restaurant's "Open Kitchen Week" was successfully concluded, with more than 2,000 visitors and wide acclaim. The health department also awarded them the title of "Health Demonstration Unit". However, news about Sun Fu buying off the media and hiring people to perjure was everywhere, and Shiyunlou's business plummeted.

The court ultimately ruled that several media outlets should publicly apologize and compensate for the losses, those who gave false testimony were punished by law, and Sun Fu was also investigated for unfair competition.

In the evening, Wang Jianye stood in the hotel lobby, which was bustling again, and looked at the full house with a gratified smile on his face. The waiter Xiao Li came over and said, "Mr. Wang, there are many new customers today. They all said they came because of our 'kitchen open week'."

"Remember, Xiao Li," Wang Jianye patted him on the shoulder, "the most important thing in the catering industry is integrity. As long as we stick to this, there will be no obstacles that we cannot overcome."

Outside the window, the afterglow of the setting sun shines on the street and also on the sign of Shiyunlou opposite. The once dazzling neon lights now seem a little dim.

……

The lobby of Wang's Hotel was bustling with people, and it was the peak dinner time. Wang Jianye stood by the cashier, looking at the full restaurant, with a gratified smile on his face. Since the last hygiene incident subsided, the hotel's business has not only recovered, but has become more prosperous than before.

"Boss Wang, this is today's turnover statistics." Xiao Liu, the financial officer, handed over a report, his voice full of excitement, "It has increased by 15% compared to the same period last week."

Wang Jianye took the report, and his fingers gently ran over the numbers, feeling a sense of accomplishment. His eyes passed through the bustling lobby and fell on the slightly deserted sign of Shiyunlou across the street. Since Sun Fu's unfair competition was exposed, Shiyunlou's business has plummeted, while Wang's Restaurant has turned a disaster into a blessing and won the trust of more customers.

"Mr. Wang, what are you thinking about?" Chef Li came over with a towel in his hand that he had just used to wipe the sweat off his face.

Wang Jianye retracted his gaze and turned to Master Li: "I'm thinking, it's time to expand the business. With our restaurant's current reputation and customer flow, we can definitely open a branch in the new city."

Master Li's eyes lit up: "This is a good idea! The new urban area is developing very fast now. There are many high-end residential areas and white-collar workers gather here. They are exactly our target customer group."

As the two were talking, Xiao Zhang from the Public Relations Department hurried over and said, "Mr. Wang, I just received a call from Xuzhou Food Magazine. They want to interview you about the business philosophy and future development plans of Wang's Restaurant."

Wang Jianye nodded slightly, secretly delighted. This was a good opportunity to promote the expansion plan. "Let's schedule it for the afternoon of the day after tomorrow. I'll prepare well."

Three days later, Wang Jianye sat in his newly renovated office, facing the reporter from Xuzhou Food. The sun shone through the French windows, shining on his meticulously ironed shirt.

"Mr. Wang, after the last turmoil, Wang's Hotel has become even more prosperous. What do you think is the key to its success?" the female reporter asked with a smile.

Wang Jianye crossed his hands on the table and said sincerely: "Integrity. The most important thing in the catering industry is to be worthy of the trust of customers. We insist on using the freshest ingredients and the most stringent hygiene standards so that customers can eat with peace of mind." "I heard that you have plans to open a branch? Can you reveal some details?"

"Yes." Wang Jianye's eyes sparkled with confidence. "We plan to open the first branch in the new city district, and it is expected to open within three months. The new store will retain the special dishes of Wang's Restaurant, and at the same time introduce some innovative dishes based on the consumption characteristics of the new city district."

After the interview, Wang Jianye stood in front of the window, looking at the high-rise buildings in the new city in the distance, and he had already started planning the blueprint for the branch in his mind. He took out his mobile phone and dialed a number: "Hello, is this Lao Zhou? I'm Wang Jianye. I heard that you have a lot of houses in the new city, and I want to find a suitable store to open a branch."

A week later, Wang Jianye and his assistant Chen Yu came to Xincheng District to meet with real estate agent Zhou Qiang. Zhou Qiang was a middle-aged man in his early 40s, dressed in a suit and tie, smiling, but there was always a glimmer in his eyes that Wang Jianye could not understand.

"Mr. Wang, you've come just in time!" Zhou Qiang came up to shake hands enthusiastically. "I just received an excellent storefront, located in the New Town Commercial Center, with a large flow of people and surrounded by high-end residential areas, which is particularly suitable for opening a restaurant."

The three of them arrived in front of a brand new commercial building. The store was located on the first floor, with an area of ​​about 300 square meters, good lighting, a reasonable layout, and a ready-made bar in the center.

Wang Jianye walked around the store, carefully observing every corner and evaluating it in his mind. This place is really good. The location and size meet his requirements. He turned to Zhou Qiang: "Is the property right clear? Are there any restrictive clauses?"

Zhou Qiang assured him, "Don't worry, Mr. Wang. The property rights are absolutely clear. The previous tenant was a clothing business and moved out when the contract expired. The owner is an old friend of mine and the price is negotiable."

Chen Yu reminded quietly: "Boss Wang, do you want to check out other stores?"

Wang Jianye shook his head: "It's a rare opportunity. This kind of prime position is not easy to find." He turned to Zhou Qiang and said, "Let's talk about the specific conditions."

In Zhou Qiang's office, Wang Jianye read the lease contract carefully. The terms looked standard: three months' rent for a deposit and a five-year lease. The only thing that made him hesitate was Zhou Qiang's request for a deposit of 200,000 yuan.

"Is the deposit too high?" Wang Jianye asked with a frown.

Zhou Qiang smiled and explained: "Mr. Wang, this location is very popular. Two catering companies came to see it yesterday. If you hesitate, it may be gone tomorrow. This deposit is just a token of sincerity, and it will be deducted from the rent after signing the contract."

Wang Jianye thought for a moment, and finally nodded, thinking that the branch plan could not be delayed any longer: "Okay, I'll ask the finance department to transfer the money tomorrow."

On the third day after the deposit was paid, Wang Jianye was discussing the new store menu with Master Li in the kitchen of the main store when his cell phone rang. It was Chen Yu calling in an extremely urgent voice: "Boss Wang, something happened! I just went to the new store to measure the specific dimensions and found someone inside renovating it. They said the owner asked them to come!"

Wang Jianye's heart tightened: "What do you mean? Haven't we already rented it?"

"I checked. There is a dispute over the property rights of that store. It cannot be rented out at all! The contract Zhou Qiang gave us is fake!"

Wang Jianye's kitchen knife fell onto the chopping board with a clang, and his face turned pale instantly. A deposit of two hundred thousand was not a small sum. He forced himself to remain calm: "I'll be there right away."

Outside the Xincheng District store, Wang Jianye met the real owner, Mr. Lin. The other party was an old man in his sixties, and he looked helpless: "Boss Wang, my store was sealed by the court half a year ago because of a financial dispute with the previous tenant, so it cannot be rented out at all. I know that Zhou Qiang, a black intermediary who specializes in cheating out-of-town businessmen."

Wang Jianye felt dizzy and had to hold on to the wall to steady himself. He took out his cell phone and called Zhou Qiang, but only heard the notification tone "The number you dialed is powered off."

"Mr. Wang, what should we do now?" Chen Yu asked anxiously.

Wang Jianye took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with determination: "Call the police and contact a lawyer. I must get this money back!"

Back in the office, Wang Jianye convened an emergency meeting with the team. After carefully studying the contract and transfer records, Chen Ming, the legal director, said solemnly, "Mr. Wang, the situation is not optimistic. The official seal on the contract is forged, and Zhou Qiang's company registration information is also fake. We may have encountered a professional fraud gang."

Master Li slammed his fist on the table: "What a bunch of bastards! Mr. Wang, we can't just let this go!"

Wang Jianye was silent for a long time, and suddenly asked: "Chen Ming, check whether Zhou Qiang and Sun Fu have any contact."

An hour later, the results of the investigation shocked everyone - Zhou Qiang's wife was Sun Fu's cousin, and the two were indeed related.

"As expected." Wang Jianye sneered, "Sun Fu can't compete head-on, so he resorts to underhand tactics."

Chen Ming pushed his glasses and said, "Although the chain of evidence is not complete yet, we can first report it as contract fraud and apply to freeze Zhou Qiang's bank account."

"Let's do it." Wang Jianye stood up, his eyes determined, "Also, the branch plan cannot be stopped. Chen Yu, you are responsible for finding a new store, and this time you must check all the background."

In the next two weeks, Wang Jianye rushed between the Public Security Bureau, the law firm and the new city district. The process of recovering the deposit was extremely difficult. Zhou Qiang seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth, and his bank account had long been emptied. To make matters worse, the development of new dishes also encountered a bottleneck.

In the kitchen, Master Li and the young chef Xiao Zhang were arguing fiercely.

"Traditional taste is our foundation and cannot be changed casually!" Master Li waved the wok, his face flushed.

Xiao Zhang was not to be outdone: "But there are many young people in the new urban area, so we should innovate and add more fashion elements!"

Wang Jianye stood at the door, listening to the quarrel inside, feeling exhausted. There was commercial fraud outside and team disagreements inside, and the branch plan was about to be shelved.

"Stop arguing!" He walked into the kitchen, his voice was not loud but full of authority, "Everyone stay after get off work tonight, and we will have a good talk."

As night fell, the lights in the meeting room of Wang's Hotel were on. A dozen people from the chef team and management team sat together in a solemn atmosphere.

Wang Jianye looked around at everyone and spoke slowly, "I know everyone has different opinions on the new restaurant's dishes, which is normal. But arguing won't solve the problem." He turned to Master Li, "Master Li, please tell me what you think first."

Master Li sighed: "Mr. Wang, I am not against innovation. But the reason why Wang's Restaurant is successful is because of our traditional taste. If we change it randomly to cater to the market, is it still Wang's?" (End of this chapter)