Chapter 119: Invited to Be a Boss
Translator: Xiong Guoqi Editor: DesTheSloth
Having gotten prepared psychologically, Boss Guan started to savor his dishes ahead of Director Qi.
Although he was a big boss, Boss Guan liked eating vegetables. However, Director Qi didn't know that as it wasn't obvious, otherwise he would have already booked a table of vegetarian dishes.
Therefore, Boss Guan first aimed at the Jin’ling Grass dish. With the verdant artemisia selengensis being picked up between his dark brown chopsticks, the different colors formed a sharp contrast and made this dish appear more delicious. He then ate it in one bite.
The juice contained in the artemisia selengensis flowed immediately into his mouth. The crisp, delicious and refreshing taste flooded his mouth with saliva. It felt like the tender green color of the spring was brought into the mouth.
The dish from home, Melt-In-The-Mouth Chicken Feet, was cooked differently as well. Looking at the glistening brown chicken feet, Boss Guan at first was worried about the grease but when he thought of the previous Jin’ling Grass dish, he started to pick up one chicken paw and eat without hesitation.
There was nothing special about it when it was first picked up. Unexpectedly, the skin melted in the mouth with just a gentle suck, leaving only the jade-like chicken bone there. With a "Ge zhi, Ge zhi" sound, he curiously chewed the bone, resulting in the crystal bone marrow flowing into his throat. Instantly, an icy cold feeling exploded in his stomach, as if he had eaten a piece of iced watermelon on a broiling day, which was refreshingly comfortable.
Boss Guan suppressed the impulsion to eat it up quickly like what he had done to the Jin’ling Grass just now. Next, he tasted the Phoenix-Tail Prawns, the signature dish of Jin’ling cuisines, which he had eaten many times.
"Do the prawns taste as delicious as the other two dishes just now?" Boss Guan suddenly looked forward to tasting the dish.
The prawns, that were exquisitely sculpted, were picked up and stuffed into Boss Guan’s mouth directly.
"Director Qi, this place is really a rich land for fostering more talents. This taste is marvelous," after swallowing contentedly, Boss Guan said that.
"It’s said that this Boss Yuan even defeated the famous Chef Yu in World Foodie Hotel. Since we are treating you to dinner, of course, we’ll serve the best ones," Anxious to drink up a gulp of broth, Director Qi answered after a little while and meanwhile gave an affirmative smile to Shuxiao.
"This restaurant is hard to be found but the taste is definitely top grade."
"That’s true. Thank you, Director Qi. The culinary skills are even much better than the best chef in my Junya Hotel," Boss Guan’s discontented mood had already been removed by then and he had only one thought.
"Come on, come on. Let’s eat quickly. It’s not good to leave such delicacies uneaten," while talking, Boss Guan signaled them to talk after eating.
"Ok, you are the boss. Let’s eat first, eat first." Director Qi agreed at his convenience. He had been trying hard to suppress the appetite just now, as business affairs mattered most. Now that the client had proposed to talk after eating, naturally the host must accommodate the guest.
As for Shuxiao, he had always been eating from the start. Only during some occasions when Director Qi was talking, he obediently looked up and watched him while still slowly chewing the dishes in the mouth.
Soon, the three people swept clean all the dishes on the table. Boss Guan felt that he hadn’t eaten something so well and delightfully like now in a long time. Every time he was invited to dinner before, it was basically drinking alcohol and talking about business. He had never had a dinner once focusing on eating as the main theme like this time.
He couldn’t help but want to pat his belly. Luckily, he managed to refrain from this urge.
"Brother Guan, what do you think of the dishes? The surroundings of the restaurant are pretty good, too. Look, people have even started to wait in line outside to eat," Director Qi was a dutiful official of the investment attraction agency and constantly praised his city.
"Boss Guan, what else do you want to eat?" having received the signals from Director Qi, Shuxiao smartly asked.
"Is there any alcohol here in the restaurant so we can drink a little bit?" Boss Guan was fairly curious about the alcohol since the dishes were so excellent.
"All that can be served here is on the menu. But Boss Guan, do you want to try the watermelon juice?" Shuxiao suggested.
"Yeah, I suggest no alcohol today. Let’s just eat something and have something to drink," Director Qi was yet good at talking skillfully.
"Alright. One dozen of the drinks," Boss Guan said casually.
"The watermelon juice prepared by Boss Yuan was ordered by cups. Don’t worry, let me order some." Shuxiao received the task of ordering the watermelon juice without any hesitation.
"Ok, you do it," after he savored the taste here, Director Qi had believed in the capabilities of Shuxiao. Although the restaurant appeared inferior, the dishes were top grade for sure.
The three of them talked about the business while drinking the watermelon juice. It had basically been decided that Boss Guan was prepared to invest and the only concern was the funds to be transferred.
Before they left, Boss Guan specifically summoned Yuan Zhou.
"Boss Yuan, you are so young yet have such marvelous culinary skills. That’s really admirable," Boss Guan first complimented him.
"Thank you." Yuan Zhou received the compliment with a nod.
"I don’t know if the restaurant belongs to you, or….." Then, he began to ask the most important thing.
"Yes, it’s mine." Yuan Zhou had already guessed the boss’s true meaning but didn’t intend to take the initiative to refuse him; after all, the boss hadn’t said anything special.
"Could I have your phone number?" How could the wise Boss Guan immediately reveal his purpose?
"Sorry, I can’t. Take care," Yuan Zhou refused him indifferently. What a joke! The customers here had already perked up their ears, listening to their talk. If he accepted his invitation, then he wouldn’t have a moment of peace later.
"No problem. Then we won’t disturb you doing business. I will contact you tonight," As a first generation that had created the giant business from nothing, Boss Guan had some true capabilities.
Yuan Zhou neither rushed to agree nor deny the offer. His phone number was not really a celebrity’s phone number.
Having finished speaking, Boss Guan, Director Qi, and Shuxiao went out of the restaurant together. After all, customers were increasing and the business they came to discuss also came to an end. It was better to give the seats to others in need.
As usual, Yuan Zhou shut the restaurant at the agreed hour in the evening and the customers inside had already gotten used to the schedule.
"System, are there any new missions recently?" thinking how silent the system was recently, Yuan Zhou asked.
What followed was a long silence. To Yuan Zhou’s questions, the system never reacted unless absolutely necessary.
"Ding Ling Ling," the outdated ringtone from his phone rang. Yuan Zhou took out the phone and looked in surprise at the phone number, with the last three numbers of 668, before answering it when the ringtone rang again.
"Hello?"
"Master Yuan, this is Guan Peng, the customer that had dinner at your restaurant tonight." At the other end of the phone, Boss Guan directly gave his name with a polite tone.
"Hello." Yuan Zhou’s courtesy was faultless but his tone was as indifferent as ever.
"Sorry for disturbing you at this time of day but I wanted to say something with you," not preparing to make small talk, Boss Guan directly said, straightforwardly and frankly.
At this time, Boss Guan had already gained almost all the fundamental information related to Yuan Zhou; therefore he revealed much confidence in his voice.
"Ok, go ahead," placing the phone between his shoulder and ear, Yuan Zhou carried up a bowl of the broth with his hands and prepared to feed the Maltese.
"Master Yuan, do you have the interest in taking control of the kitchen in a 5-star hotel?" The information obtained by Boss Guan showed that the hotel where Yuan Zhou had once worked was merely a 3-star hotel. For a 5-star hotel, he would be definitely interested.
"Nope," Yuan Zhou refused without further ado while opening the back door and walking out.
"Master Yuan doesn’t seem to get my meaning. I mean you work as a head chef and take control of the kitchen of a 5-star hotel," Boss Guan said unhurriedly.
"I have told you that I’m not interested," Yuan Zhou didn’t actually feel impatient; he merely repeated what he had said.
"Forgive my frankness, please. But I want to invite you to be the boss of this hotel…" Boss Guan continued to offer more attractive bait.