The first thing I did was to find out

Chapter 451 Pei Shenghua

Qin Huai wasn't sure what a normal exchange meeting would look like, but he had his own plans.

At 8:50 a.m. the next morning, Qin Huai and Zhao Cheng'an went to Babaozhai together. As a time-honored brand in Beiping, Babaozhai is a two-story standalone restaurant. Its exterior looks antique, but the interior decoration style is very modern, and it can be seen that it has been renovated in the last two years.

For this exchange meeting, Babaozhai even closed its banquet hall for a day, which shows how much importance it attaches to the event, considering the size of the Babaozhai banquet hall.

"Qin Huai, what exactly is the purpose of Babaozhai holding this exchange meeting with such fanfare? They actually closed for a day. When we at Zhiweiju hold exchange meetings, we're launching new dim sum items, and our sales are better than usual," Zhao Cheng'an muttered to himself.

Qin Huai: Zhiweiju's main feature in holding exchange meetings is to bring pastry chefs from all over the country into their own kitchen to make pastries. How could the business not be good?

"I don't know," Qin Huai said. "I'm only concerned about whether refreshments and tea will be provided when holding exchange meetings in the banquet hall."

As it turns out, it was provided by the wealthy and powerful Boss Ling.

Not only do they offer snacks and tea, but they also provide a variety of beverages, including Coca-Cola, Sprite, sparkling water, various fruit juices, and coffee. The beverage menu is even more comprehensive than that on airplanes.

Each restaurant's attendees were assigned specific seating, with those specializing in hot dishes seated at one table and those specializing in cold dishes at another. Normally, for these exchange meetings, either the restaurant owner or a second or third-in-command chef who is not the head chef would attend.

Since Babaozhai is a long-established brand in Beiping, it has been enjoying great success in the past two years and has been very generous with its spending. Moreover, this is the first time that such a large-scale exchange meeting has been held, so many restaurants have given Ling Guangzhao face and sent their head chefs.

Sitting next to Qin Huai is the legendary head chef of Chengfangju Restaurant, the "King of Melons," Pei Shenghua.

Qin Huai glanced at Pei Shenghua with some curiosity.

Pei Shenghua is currently at the peak of his career as a chef specializing in red-cooked dishes, and is considered one of the top Huaiyang cuisine masters among active Chinese chefs in China, second only to Xia Murui and Sun Maocai. Compared to Xia Murui, whose age has left many wondering why he hasn't retired yet, Pei Shenghua and Sun Maocai, who may not even have reached their peak yet, clearly have a promising future and are very likely to outlast the top-ranked chefs on the list of renowned chefs, becoming shining stars of Chinese cuisine and breaking into the top ten.

Logically, when people mention such a top master, the first thing that comes to mind should be his superb culinary skills, his amazing signature dishes, his lineage worth exploring, and his astonishing heritage.

result……

When Pei Shenghua is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind for everyone is his incredible gossip skills, which surpass even his culinary prowess. Compared to Tan Weian, a newcomer who spreads rumors and fabricates stories, Dong Shi, a gossip charlatan who rambles on and on without getting to the point, and Zhao Cheng'an, a gossip reporter who insists on facts and only publishes things with solid evidence, Pei Shenghua is undoubtedly the king of gossip.

As long as you're in the culinary world, whether it's a hot or cold dish, a real melon, a fake melon, a watered-down melon, or a secondhand melon, there's no melon king Pei Shenghua doesn't know. Other masters establish their status in the culinary world through reputation, while Pei Shenghua uses his status to gossip everywhere.

After all, he is a master chef ranked 24th in the list of famous chefs. If Pei Shenghua wants to gossip, everyone has to give him some face.

Take last night's video as an example. It is said that the owner and head chef of Weixianlou gave strict orders and even paid hush money to prevent the video from being released. In fact, it was not released much, but Pei Shenghua still managed to get his hands on the video.

This is the true value of the "King of Melons".

Seeing Qin Huai secretly watching him, Pei Shenghua became very generous and asked with a friendly smile, "Master Qin from Huang's restaurant?"

Qin Huai was surprised that Pei Shenghua actually knew him. You should know that the person from Huang Ji's company who attended the meeting was actually Huang Anyao, and Qin Huai was replaced at the last minute last night.

Pei Shenghua then said, "I heard that Huang Anyao was hospitalized with gastroenteritis and you were temporarily sent to the meeting instead. Is Huang alright?"

Now Qin Huai had truly witnessed the level of the Melon King, and exclaimed in amazement, "He's alright, Master Pei... how did you know?"

"Xiao Zhao told me this in a message last night."

Qin Huai: ...He knew Tan Weian was a liar, but he didn't expect Zhao Cheng'an to be the same. He didn't even wait until this morning; he said it last night.

Pei Shenghua smiled kindly: "Xiao Zhao told me that you, Xiao Qin, are rather introverted and don't know many people, so he asked me to guide you. Actually, I already guessed that. Most of the people in Huang's are like this, except Huang Jia is a little more outgoing."

Qin Huai listened to Pei Shenghua's words and thought about it carefully, and found that it was indeed true. However, there was one exception: Dong Shi was frighteningly outgoing, and Huang Shengli rarely dared to send Dong Shi out to socialize because he was too noisy.

"Xiao Qin, let me introduce you. The one who looks unkempt is Li Ming from Shen Du Rong Ji. He's an expert at making beef and mutton, but he's a bit unbalanced and doesn't like marketing, so his name isn't on the list of famous chefs. Don't let his current appearance fool you; he was a famously handsome young man when he was young. Girls used to fight over him. But after he got married, he didn't pay attention to his physique and got this fat."

"Hey, Xiao Qin, I remember you're quite young. Are you dating anyone? If not, do you have a type of girl you like? You can go back and ask Xiao Zhao. I'm a well-known matchmaker in the Jiangnan area; I set up several couples every year. I have quite a few pretty good girls here, take a look..."

"This one……"

Ten minutes later, Qin Huai completely forgave Zhao Cheng'an's gossiping and finally understood why Zhao Cheng'an had stayed with Pei Shenghua for half a day yesterday without finding out any information.

Pei Shenghua is incredibly good at gossiping. He can casually mention any chef, and Pei Shenghua can effortlessly recount their background, signature dishes, illustrious achievements, and fascinating past—his memory is astonishing. While it's unclear why he has a penchant for matchmaking, it's not annoying; it's more like a reflexive sales pitch, purely a personal hobby.

Qin Huai was so engrossed in watching the drama unfold that he almost forgot why he was there. If Ling Guangzhao hadn't spoken on stage, he would have completely forgotten about him.

When Qin Huai searched for information about Ling Guangzhao last night, he saw Ling Guangzhao's photo. Just by looking at the photo, Qin Huai could guess that Ling Guangzhao was a very confident person, perhaps even a little arrogant. The words "spirited and high-spirited" were practically etched on his face.

Indeed, he was dressed smartly in a suit and tie, looking very energetic. He was young and good-looking, and even had his hair styled. At first glance, someone who didn't know better might mistake him for a domineering CEO who had just returned from abroad in a novel about chasing after one's wife.

"Good morning, fellow industry professionals and culinary masters. My name is Ling Guangzhao. Some of you may recognize me. I am delighted that you have all traveled a long way to Beijing to attend today's exchange meeting at Babaozhai. The purpose of this exchange meeting at Babaozhai is to bring together masters in the industry to exchange culinary skills and experiences, strengthen connections, and help Chinese cuisine get better and better."

"..."

After speaking eloquently for about 15 minutes, Ling Guangzhao finally got to the point. He first created a large group chat and added everyone to it. Then he suggested that different regions, cuisines, and restaurants could increase communication and exchange, sending chefs to each other for training. He then talked about the business philosophy and experience of Babaozhai over the past two years, the truth of which was unknown. He casually revealed a bit about the salaries and benefits of Babaozhai chefs, and then praised Tong Deyan's current culinary skills, giving a detailed introduction to the new dishes that Tong Deyan had recently launched.

To Qin Huai, these words sounded like Ling Guangzhao flexing his muscles at the chefs present, showing that Babaozhai had plenty of money and offered top-notch salaries and benefits. He claimed that as long as a chef was skilled, they would respect every chef. He even mentioned that Chef Tong, who used to have a bad reputation and was ostracized by the industry, was now a respected figure at Babaozhai and had even improved his culinary skills by introducing new dishes.

This wasn't a networking event; it was practically a poaching contest. Some restaurant owners were there for the meeting, and Qin Huai discreetly observed that their faces were green with envy. He estimated that by the end of this morning's meeting, Ling Guangzhao's reputation among restaurant owners would be even worse than Tong Deyan's reputation among chefs.

As for the chefs present... actually, they don't care about these things. Many high-end restaurants poach each other's staff, but it's all done secretly. Back in the day, Zhiweiju retained many master pastry chefs with high salaries and stock options. These things are best left unsaid; they're done in private, while on the surface, everyone has to put on a facade of harmony. Even insults are done in private, or subtly posted on social media.

The kind of behavior that Ling Guangzhao exhibits, such as directly holding exchange meetings and posting recruitment ads to poach talent...

Qinhuai can only be described in two words: awesome!
The morning meeting lasted less than two hours, with only Ling Guangzhao talking at length; the rest of the time was for free discussion. The banquet hall had a wide variety of snacks and unlimited drinks. If it weren't for a few restaurant owners nearly storming out in anger, the overall atmosphere would have been quite pleasant.

Most chefs rarely have the opportunity to travel or take vacations due to their work. Holidays are their busiest time, and most of their rest time is spent at home with their families. Industry exchange meetings are one of the very few opportunities for industry professionals to gather together, and exchange meetings of the scale of Babaozhai are even rarer.

The reason so many people came this time is not only because the master chefs wanted to give face to Babaozhai by coming in person, but also because many people came with the intention of resting, relaxing, and chatting.

Social skills are very important in these situations.

Social butterfly Pei Shenghua is surrounded by countless chefs, while Zhao Chengan is also running around trying to get a firsthand look at the latest gossip.

Qin Huai sat at Huang Ji's table, and many chefs assumed he was Huang Anyao and didn't bother to approach him. Pei Shenghua wanted to introduce Qin Huai to some friends, but Qin Huai politely declined, saying he was genuinely introverted and socially awkward.

Qin Huai has her own plans.

Qin Huai has his eye on Tong Deyan.

To be fair, Qin Huai thinks Tong Deyan is actually a pretty good person. His history of betraying his master might be indelible, but such behavior isn't uncommon in the culinary world. Masters and apprentices often turn against each other, as do fellow apprentices and even brothers. Tong Deyan's ordinary act of betraying his master is insignificant compared to those sensational scandals.

Tong Deyan has poor interpersonal relationships, mainly because he has a terrible temper. He often turns hostile or angry for no reason, and the people involved don't even know what they did to offend him, but they just know they've offended him.

If Xia Murui's bad temper was simply due to her tendency to curse and attack indiscriminately, then Tong Deyan's bad temper seemed highly targeted. Those targeted were often unaware of the reasons behind it, and this inexplicable personality further damaged Tong Deyan's already poor reputation.

Of course, this is just the version Qin Huai heard.

During their brief exchange in City A, Qin Huai felt that Tong Deyan was a pretty good person.

Although he seemed distant and spoke in a stiff tone, he judged people by their actions, not their intentions. Qin Huai was unfamiliar with many things when catering out for the first time, and Tong Deyan was willing to proactively remind and help him. Tong Deyan even added Qin Huai on WeChat, inviting him to Beiping to try his authentic, delicious dishes, and regularly liked Qin Huai's posts on WeChat Moments.

What a master of red-cooked dishes!

Qin Huai didn't tell Tong Deyan about his trip to Beiping via WeChat, but he posted it on his Moments, and Tong Deyan liked it.

Qin Huai, holding a glass of lemonade, walked over to Tong Deyan, who had been sitting motionless in his seat, neither playing on his phone nor speaking, staring at the people around him with a stern face, seemingly isolated from the world.

"Master Tong," Qin Huai greeted him first.

Upon seeing Qin Huai arrive, Tong Deyan gave him a polite, slight smile and nodded.

"Sit down," Tong Deyan said succinctly.

There was no one next to him, all the seats were empty, so Qin Huai plopped down next to Tong Deyan.

"Lunch today is a buffet, nothing special, just some cold dishes, bread, desserts, snacks, and hot dishes. There's not much to do this afternoon either, just the same as now, except we're chatting in a smaller banquet hall."

“Come to the kitchen at 4 o’clock. I promised you last time in City A that I would cook some of my signature dishes for you when you come to Beiping. You can eat them tonight,” Tong Deyan said. “Do you have any dietary restrictions?”

"No, no," Qin Huai quickly replied.

Tong Deyan nodded, ignoring Qin Huai, and continued to stare at the group of people in the northwest with a stern face.

Qin Huai: ? That table is at least twenty or thirty meters away from Tong Deyan. What is Master Tong looking at?

Qin Huai cleared his throat and said, "Master Tong, may I use your Babaozhai kitchen this afternoon?"

Tong Deyan said calmly, "You should talk to Ling Guangzhao about this; he should have no objections."

“I’ve made some progress in making pastries lately. Didn’t you taste my cooking in City A last time? I’d like to ask you to take some time to try my pastries and see if there’s anything else I can improve. I usually only have the opportunity to exchange ideas with pastry chefs, and I rarely have the chance to exchange ideas with a master chef like you. I would like to hear your opinion.”

"I heard Mr. Ling say this today, and I feel that he has many unique insights into dim sum. I wonder if you could help me by letting Mr. Ling taste it and give me some feedback."

Tong Deyan's expression was no longer indifferent; it became one of utter disbelief, as he looked at Qin Huai with a hint of exasperation: "Are you sure you want Ling Guangzhao to taste it for you?"

Qin Huai nodded.

“I’ll talk to him for you,” Tong Deyan said, then hesitated for a moment and asked, “Are you short of money?”

Qin Huai: ?
"There shouldn't be any shortage."

Tong Deyan's expression relaxed a lot: "If Ling Guangzhao says anything strange to you, just ignore him."

"He's a bit mentally unstable and likes to think about all sorts of random things. His only redeeming quality is that he's generous with money. If you're not short of cash, you don't need to pay him any attention."

Qin Huai: ...?
and also?
Tan Weian, Zang Liang, what else did you two talk about without my knowledge?
(End of this chapter)