"You'll find out tomorrow!"
Seeing the eager, curious looks of his employees, Chen Jianhai raised his chin, looking profound and mysterious.
"Oh, by the way," Chen Jianhai looked at the spiral staircases on either side and seriously instructed, "When designing this, I forgot about the task of serving dishes."
"Although the four-story dining area isn't very tall, serving dishes might be a bit troublesome. Be careful going up and down."
The strongest order taker in history smiled confidently, "Don't worry, Boss. When it comes to taking orders and serving dishes, I've never been bested!"
Chen Jianhai was momentarily stunned, then broke into a smile: "Great!"
...
Having ensured his hotel's kitchen and dining area were in order, Chen Jianhai leisurely strolled around, hands behind his back, inspecting other hotels' setups. The more he saw, the more surprised he became.
These brother hotels had some hidden talents!
Take, for instance, the Yue Mei Hotel next door, which had taken comfort, color, and coziness to the extreme.
The pink sofas paired with small decorative lights made it look like a quaint little coffee shop in a quiet corner of some foreign city—trendy and charming.
Even the tableware was exquisite, clearly custom-made.
The hanging oil paintings had an abstract beauty,
the only incongruity being a young man sitting on a sofa with a look of utter despair, casting a melancholy gaze.
On the other side, the Nanjiang Glory Grand Hotel, run by Liu Qinglu, had opted for a distinctly Chinese style.
Soft, elegant music played, embodying the concept of a round heaven and a square earth to perfection, evoking a dreamlike return to the Tang Dynasty.
Unfortunately, it was stuck between two vastly different themes.
"Farewell, my friend, I must travel far, to places you've never been~~"
Chen Jianhai sang a sentimental tune as he glanced at the melancholy young man on the Yue Mei sofa and the bewildered Liu Qinglu standing by the elegant music, hands in his pockets, and walked out.
"I said the moonlight is beautiful tonight~~~~ you said yes!"
"Gah…!"
Cui Meng and the chefs were agitated by Chen Jianhai's singing.
With bloodshot eyes, they glared at him, faces filled with murderous intent.
What's the point of fancy renovations!!!
This is a battlefield for chefs, not a decoration showcase!
Our chefs' signature dishes are not just for show!!!
We'll see who stands out when the dishes are served…!
...
Nanjing First People's Hospital
Xu Yong sat on a hospital bed, an IV in his left hand, looking very ill.
His assistant stood before him, face full of anger and frustration.
"So they had actually signed the contract with Wangchao Fisheries beforehand?" Xu Yong asked softly.
"Yes! They had already signed the contract that morning, but they still forced you to drink at the table… those old bastards!!" The assistant gritted his teeth in fury.
"They've gone too far. Once we recover, we must find a way to deal with them!"
Xu Yong gently shook his head and smiled bitterly, "We won't recover from this."
He looked up at the ceiling, sighed deeply, took out his phone, and made a call.
...
Lang Ai Hotel
Chen Jianhai sat in his usual coffee spot, lounging behind a screen, daydreaming and enjoying life.
The hotel's air conditioning was just right, neither too cold nor too warm, making it comfortably cozy.
As Chen Jianhai was drifting into sleep,
a deep voice came from across him. Xu Yong had somehow seated himself on the sofa.
"Boss Chen!"
Chen Jianhai glanced at him, surprised.
Xu Yong had always been arrogant, acting like he owned the world, with an air of superiority in his speech and behavior.
It had only been a few days, but he seemed completely changed.
Xu Yong smiled, "I heard that it was you, Boss Chen, who took me to the hospital that night. Thank you."
Chen Jianhai sat up a bit straighter, feeling slightly embarrassed by such genuine gratitude.
"It was nothing. Everyone has times when they drink too much."
They both shared a brief smile.
After a moment, Xu Yong took a deep breath and slowly spoke, "Boss Chen, I'm here today to ask you for a favor."
"Although the northern sea resources have been contracted to Wangchao Fisheries, you can still purchase fish under the hotel's name."
"I want to buy fish from you at a high price… just to get through the Nanjiang Beer Festival."
Chen Jianhai stared at Xu Yong, his expression becoming serious.
Compared to this Xu Yong, who was asking for help, he preferred the old Xu Yong, who was arrogant and proud.
Xu Yong looked at Chen Jianhai with the last glimmer of hope in his eyes.
For the Nanjiang Beer Festival, their fisheries company had contracted a theme tent.
If a professional fish supply tent had no fish, the broad Nanjing would have no future.
The ridicule alone would drive someone to despair.
He stared at Chen Jianhai, hoping he would help.
But when he saw the smile on Chen Jianhai's face, Xu Yong's heart sank.
Chen Jianhai smiled calmly: "Do you think I need your money?"
Xu Yong fell silent, stood up, and said, "Sorry to bother you," then turned to leave.
The deal couldn't be made, so there was no need to continue humiliating himself.
But after a few steps, Chen Jianhai's lazy voice came, "We don't use up all the fish from our fishery every day. Might as well let you have them."
Xu Yong whipped around, looking at Chen Jianhai in disbelief.
"But only for the ten days of the beer festival," Chen Jianhai said seriously. "During these ten days, I'll supply you with fish at market price, but after that, you'll have to figure it out on your own."
This was the biggest concession Chen Jianhai could make.
After all, he had already agreed to a partnership with Wangchao Fisheries, and out of loyalty to his partner, he should keep a distance from other fisheries companies.
This deal didn't affect company interests and was purely based on their personal relationship.
Most importantly, he couldn't just watch Xu Yong sink into despair without offering help.
Xu Yong looked at Chen Jianhai in shock, then bowed deeply, "Boss Chen, thank you, I owe you one!"
"Hey, what the heck!"
Chen Jianhai stood up in alarm.
What's this about!
A simple thank you would do, no need for a ritual.
"I've always said, let's make money together…" Chen Jianhai mumbled, putting his arm around Xu Yong's shoulder.
"There's no need for favors. If it weren't for you and Wanshen's wedding, I wouldn't have grown my business this much. Consider this payback."
"If you ever make it big in the future, don't forget your old buddy…"