CH 57

Yan Bin looked at the sales report of the ready-made dishes for the week with a displeased expression and furrowed brows. He said to the sales department manager standing in front of him, “Why did the sales decline even more this week compared to the previous week? Weren’t you all saying that our sales would surely rebound once the hype and novelty of Rainbow Garden’s ready-made dishes subsided?”

The sales department manager hesitated to speak and then said, “Well, Mr. Yan, we have analyzed the reasons. Perhaps it’s because Rainbow Garden introduced new dishes this week, so, maybe we need to wait a bit longer until the sales hype of their dishes subsides, Then our sales will definitely improve.”

“Are we now at a point where we can only hope for their sales to decline in order to boost our own sales?” Yan Bin pounded the table a few times and exclaimed loudly, “If their sales keep going up, does that mean the sales of our ready-made dishes will decline or even completely withdraw from the market?”

“In fact, it’s not just our sales that have declined,” the sales department manager murmured. “Through investigation and statistics, the sales of other companies’ ready-made dishes have declined even more. Compared to other companies, our sales volume is still decent.”

“So, are you suggesting that we can only compare ourselves to the worse performers now and we can’t compete with a food company that was established less than a month ago?” Yan Bin’s expression became even more unpleasant.

The sales department manager realized that saying more would only make things worse, so he remained silent.

“Why is it that their newly launched products can skyrocket to the top of the sales chart within a month, while we have to avoid direct competition and compare ourselves to the weaker ones?! Don’t you know how to study the reasons, change our marketing strategies, and increase our sales volume?”

“The sales of ready-made dishes are different from other products. The taste directly determines the sales volume. No matter how much marketing and advertising we do, if the taste doesn’t improve, it’s difficult to increase sales. Therefore, I think it would be better for us to research new dishes and find a way to surpass Rainbow Garden’s ready-made dishes in terms of taste. That will absolutely boost our sales.” The sales department manager felt unjustified in his position. If the taste couldn’t match up to their competitor, what use was his marketing expertise, no matter how well he executed it?

Yan Bin certainly knew that taste was everything in the food industry, but he was reluctant to admit that their ready-made dished didn’t match the taste of Rainbow Garden. He knew that all the dishes at Rainbow Garden were prepared according to Lu Jingjian’s cooking methods, while they hired experienced chefs with decades of experience or spent a lot of money to obtain cooking techniques. And now, they couldn’t hold up to the culinary skills of a young chef whom he had never respected before.

“Notify all department managers and supervisors to gather in the conference room immediately,” Yan Bin said. He had originally been prepared to strike a blow to Hong Boxiao and show him who the true leader in the food industry was. However, he hadn’t anticipated the fierce momentum of Rainbow Garden’s ready-made dishes, which directly defeated long-established brands with many loyal customers and climbed to the top of the monthly sales within a month. He had to find a way to turn the situation around. If relying solely on their company’s efforts wasn’t enough, then he would join forces with other companies to find a way to challenge Rainbow Garden’s dominance.

As Yan Bin walked out of his office, he caught a whiff of a tantalizing aroma. He stopped in his tracks and carefully used his nose to locate the source of the food. Then, he looked at his office assistant and asked, “What’s that smell?”

His assistant averted her gaze and nervously replied, “It’s, it’s the aroma of the bento I brought.”

“Bento?” Yan Bin looked at her and said, “Did you make it? Or your family made it?”

“I, I made it myself.”

“So, you can cook too. Go to the company cafeteria and make a portion for me. If it tastes good, I can offer a high price to purchase your cooking method,” Yan Bin said. He knew very well that taste was the most important aspect of the food industry. No matter how well they marketed their products, customers wouldn’t buy if the taste didn’t meet their expectations. He had been in the food and beverage industry for many years, and based on the aroma he had just smelled, the taste couldn’t be too bad. If they could enhance the taste of their company’s ready-made dishes, that would be great.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Yan!” The assistant quickly admitted before his lie could unfold, “The lunchbox I ate just now wasn’t made by me. It was from Rainbow Garden’s ready-made dishes. I was originally planning to bring it to the cafeteria to eat, but it was so delicious that I couldn’t resist and ended up opening it to have a taste.”

Yan Bin’s face immediately turned ugly. “Besides you, who else is eating Rainbow Garden’s ready-made dishes in the cafeteria?”

“M-m-most of the staff are eating it because it’s really delicious,” the assistant said, avoiding eye contact with Yan Bin and speaking cautiously.

“Even our own company’s employees are contributing to their sales. No wonder their sales are so high,” Yan Bin expressed his frustration, clenching his fists tightly. “Spread the word. For the next month, the cafeteria won’t serve any dishes. Every employee must eat our own company’s ready-made dishes in the cafeteria every day, and they will have to pay for it themselves!”

………………………………

Rainbow Garden Villa finally opened its doors. The high cost of dining there prevented most people who fell in love with Rainbow Garden’s ready-made dishes from entering. However, all reservations were fully booked within two days.

Shenghong Group has a wide range of industries and holds a certain status in various sectors, which has led to numerous collaborations with major companies. With the opening of Rainbow Garden Villa, many high-ranking executives from these companies made reservations to show their support for Shenghong Group and celebrate the opening.

Mr. Hong, the patriarch of the Hong family, also woke up early. After freshening up, he skipped breakfast and left his home in high spirits to go to Rainbow Garden Villa. He intended to be there to welcome and entertain his invited friends.

Mr. Hong hadn’t tasted the dishes personally prepared by Lu Jingqian yet. Due to the busy preparations for the resort’s opening, he didn’t want to bother them by requesting special treatment. However, Rainbow Garden’s ready-made dishes had already become a staple on their family’s dining table, and coupled with his trust in Hong Boxiao’s abilities, Mr. Hong had great confidence in the opening of Rainbow Garden Villa.

Lu Jingqian should have gotten up by now, but he was still being pressed down by Hong Boxiao, deeply engaged in a passionate kiss. He held Hong Boxiao’s broad hand that roamed his body, and as the kiss turned from deep to shallow, he mumbled, “Let go of me. Today is the opening day, and I need to get up. You should too.”

“The time for welcoming guests hasn’t arrived yet. They won’t come so early. Don’t worry,” Hong Boxiao’s lips descended, kissing the addictive skin he couldn’t get enough of. After tasting the person beneath him, he felt completely addicted and wished to be intimate with him on the bed all the time. He could now truly understand the feeling of a monarch no longer attending court early in the morning.

Lu Jingqian’s body turned soft like water under the combined effect of the kisses and caresses. However, considering the significance of today, he couldn’t allow Hong Boxiao to fool around any longer. He struggled hard to break free from Hong Boxiao’s restraints and finally managed to get up from the bed.

Lu Jingqian glanced at the red marks on his body and quickly dressed before Hong Boxiao entered the dressing room, fearing that his beastly instincts might take over again.

“You said your grandpa would bring friends to support the opening today, right? You better go and wait to greet them. It would be impolite if they arrive and you were not there,” Lu Jingqian said to Hong Boxiao as he finished dressing. Hong Boxiao was worried that Lu Jingqian might get too tired today, so they only cuddled and slept together last night without going further. But even though it was just one night without any further intimacy, he was already unsatisfied this morning. He embraced Lu Jingqian, showering him with kisses all over, leaving red marks all over his body before stopping.

“Old people usually get angry easily, but they won’t arrive so soon. Besides, the banquet starts at noon, and they’ll need to have breakfast and rest before coming,” Hong Boxiao replied as he dressed.

“Anyway, I don’t care about entertaining guests. I’m only responsible for the kitchen and cooking. You, Ou Wenyu, and the resort manager can handle the rest,” Lu Jingqian said before quickly walking into the bathroom. After washing up, he hurriedly made his way to the kitchen.

The kitchen staff started working before dawn. Although most of the ingredients were prepared in advance, there were still some dishes that Lu Jingqian insisted on making fresh to ensure the taste and texture. So there were quite a few dishes that needed to be prepared on the spot.

After training during this period, the chefs selected by Lu Jingqian were able to match his speed and quickly respond to his instructions.

Although these chefs were older than Lu Jingqian, they were very obedient and worked exceptionally hard in front of him just to learn cooking techniques from him. These chefs had signed long-term contracts with Rainbow Garden Villa, and those who were chosen by Lu Jingqian to assist him would become head chefs at various branches in the future. Therefore, Lu Jingqian had to teach them the preparation methods for some dishes.

Just as Hong Boxiao sat down in the lobby and picked up a teacup, before he could take a sip, the manager reported that his grandfather was about to arrive at the resort. He quickly put down the teacup, wondering why his grandfather had come so early, and hurriedly walked outside.

While on the way to the resort, Mr. Hong personally called and urged his friends, so not only was he about to arrive, but his friends were also already on their way due to his insistence.

Hong Boxiao stood outside the main gate of the resort and saw his grandfather’s car pull up and stop. He walked over and personally opened the car door, helping his grandfather out. “Grandfather, why did you come so early?”

“I woke up early this morning and left without having breakfast. I’ve been making phone calls to urge my friends along the way,” Mr. Hong said after getting out of the car.

“Hasn’t Grandfather had breakfast yet?” Hong Boxiao looked at Hong Dongbo and said, “Dad, you haven’t eaten either? I’ll ask the manager to inform the kitchen to prepare some breakfast for you to fill your stomach. The banquet won’t start until noon.”

“Let the kitchen make more preparations. I don’t think your grandfather’s friends have eaten yet,” Hong Dongbo said.

The whole mountain villa is owned by the Hong family, but after Hong Boxiao manage the company, he build and renovate the mountain villa. Because Mr. Hong used to live in another mountain villa, so he had only come here a few times. Seeing the new appearance of the whole area, Mr. Hong nodded his head in satisfaction, thinking that it looks much better than the last time he came here.

Hong Boxiao looked as Mr. Hong pointed to several designated areas and said, “These are all designed and drawn by Shaoxuan himself, and then someone was commissioned to execute them. He said the previous decorations looked awkward.”

“I also think it looks much better this way. The previous decorations always felt a bit off, but I couldn’t pinpoint what exactly made them feel that way,” said Mr. Hong

“Shaoxuan said the previous decorations were artificially created in a faux antique style, forcefully trying to create a classical atmosphere, but lacking the true classical beauty.”

“That’s true.” Nodded Mr. Hong in agreement. “For someone so young to have such a high appreciation for classical aesthetics, it’s truly rare.”

“Shaoxuan learned from his grandfather, who was an expert in this field. It’s a pity that his grandfather is no longer here. Otherwise, you two would surely have had a lot to talk about,” Hong Boxiao said.

“I know about his grandfather. He was involved in the culinary world, so his relationship with Old Man Yan should be quite good.” Said Mr. Hong. Mr. Hong and Old Man Yan were arch-rivals, and their circles of friends did not intersect.

After all of Mr. Hong’s friends arrived, Hong Boxiao and his father accompanied the elderly guests in conversation. Then, they notified the manager that the breakfast prepared for the elderly could be served.

Since the guests had not yet arrived, the manager was temporarily free and personally led a team to deliver breakfast to the elderly. He said to Hong Boxiao and his father, “Head Chef Lan heard that the elderlies hadn’t had breakfast and came over to personally make a few breakfast dishes.”

Hong Boxiao thought to himself, “Let others handle the breakfast. There’s so much to do today. What if he gets exhausted?” But he couldn’t say such a thing in front of so many people, so he could only keep those thoughts to himself and not show any signs of fatigue.

The staff placed about twenty delicate and exquisite steamer baskets on the table. The manager personally went over and opened the lids of the steamers, saying, “The Head Chef made these personally. The light-colored ones are sweet desserts, while the dark-colored ones are savory snacks. Please try them and see if they suit your taste.”

“I love sweet things. I’ll try this Little Longevity Peach1.” The Longevity Peach was small and cute, pleasing to the eye. Old Man Wu, who had a sweet tooth, picked one up and tasted it. As soon as he bit into it, a burst of sweet juice flowed into his mouth, accompanied by the fragrance of peaches. It was delicious and refreshing. Old Man Wu raised his thumb and said, “Very good! Sweet but not cloying, fragrant, and tasty. Ask the kitchen to prepare ten, no, twenty portions for me to take home and enjoy!”

The manager looked at Hong Boxiao with a troubled expression, and Hong Boxiao used his eyes to signal him to leave first. He would handle the situation here.

“I’ll try the shrimp dumplings2.” Old Man Li, who loved shrimp dumplings, saw the translucent, reddish-white shrimp dumplings. With a clear goal in mind, he picked one up and put it in his mouth. The delicious soup burst in his mouth, leaving a lingering aftertaste. Old Man Li didn’t say whether it was good or not, but quietly transferred all the shrimp dumplings to his own bowl and started eating. Everyone knew he loved shrimp dumplings and didn’t compete with him. They began trying other dim sum dishes.

The elderly people who were previously chatting soon fell silent, except for occasional sounds of amazement. Although Lu Jingqian had made over twenty baskets of dim sum, the small portions in each steamer were quickly devoured, leaving nothing behind.

“This amount is not enough to eat. Boxiao, ask the kitchen to send over a few more servings. These twenty baskets count as one, right?” Old Man Zhang, who had a hearty appetite, didn’t think this small amount of dim sum would even be enough to fill his stomach alone.

“Yes, yes, yes! We were all urged by your grandfather to come early. We didn’t even have breakfast yet, so hurry up and bring more of these dim sum over.” Old Man Zhao chimed in, and the others agreed as well.

“Grandpas, the banquet will start in less than three hours. We have prepared quite a few dishes today, all of which are specialties from our Head Chef. It would be better to save some room in your stomach for the banquet. Otherwise, it would be a shame to miss out on all the delicious dishes later.” Hong Boxiao advised. He knew the kitchen must be extremely busy now, with no time to specially make more dim sum for these elderly gentlemen. Even if they could manage it, he didn’t want to add to their burden.

“These dim sum won’t fill up our stomachs. As long as the dishes are good, we will certainly be able to eat them later. This, this, these shrimp dumplings, bring more of them quickly!” Old Man Li felt anxious. The taste of the shrimp dumplings had already captured his heart, and not being able to eat them right away felt like a torment.

Hong Boxiao looked at his grandfather, pleading for help. Mr. Hong was lost in his own thoughts, but upon seeing his grandson’s gaze, he snapped back and said, “What’s the rush, all of you? We just opened today, and the kitchen must be too busy. Once today is over, I’ll make sure the kitchen prepares enough, so you can eat to your heart’s content.”

“Let’s go, let’s go,” Mr. Hong stood up and said, “When you weren’t here earlier, I noticed the garden at the back is well-maintained. Let me take you for a walk, aid digestion, so you can eat more at the banquet.”

The elderly gentlemen reluctantly stood up, and Old Man Zhang complained, “Just a few bites of dim sum, there’s no need to aid digestion.”

“Why are you grumbling?” Mr. Hong patted him and said, “Everyone will stay overnight today, and we’ll have dim sum tomorrow morning. That should be enough, right?”

The faces of the elderly gentlemen finally showed a slightly satisfied expression, and they walked together toward the garden at the back.

Hong Boxiao felt sorry for Lu Jingqian, who would have to wake up early tomorrow to make dim sum for the elderly gentlemen. However, his grandfather already made a promise, so he couldn’t say anything.

Zia’s here:

小寿桃

虾饺