Chapter 423: The Right Flower for the Right Soil

Chapter 423: Chapter 423: The Right Flower for the Right Soil

CRASH! A newly stir-fried dish, plate and all, was smashed on the floor.

"It’s been days, and this is what you’ve managed to come up with? You call this something to cook with? It’s worse than dog shit!"

Manager Quan’s words were merciless, his expression utterly foul.

The cooks stood in a line, so thoroughly berated they couldn’t even lift their heads.

The head chef had no choice but to brace himself and step forward.

"Manager, it’s not that we’re slacking... It’s just... we still need more time."

"I can give you time, but who’s going to give Quanju Xuan time?!"

The more Manager Quan thought about it, the angrier he became.

It was bad enough that Liuxian Building was working with Ji’s Flavor Industry, but now they had even developed new dishes—and not just one, but a whole set menu!

Customers were all flocking to Liuxian Building for their "sweet and sour banquet," and business at Quanju Xuan had plummeted.

What was infuriating was that the small portion of customers who didn’t go weren’t loyal to Quanju Xuan; they just didn’t like sweet dishes.

Even more infuriatingly, these people immediately went to Hongfu Restaurant instead.

Hongfu Restaurant specialized in spicy cuisine. Spicy Diced Chicken, Pear-Fried Chicken, Water-Boiled Fish—Manager Quan was sick to death of hearing about them these days.

Because that place was often so packed there were no tables, customers had no choice but to return to Quanju Xuan, where they wouldn’t order anything else but would incessantly ask if they could make those few dishes.

As angry as Manager Quan was, he was also curious what kind of divine dishes could make people crave them after just one taste.

However, he had used every dirty trick in the book over the years, and his reputation preceded him. Both Liuxian Building and Hongfu Restaurant were on their guard, so getting his hands on their secrets wouldn’t be so easy this time.

Faced with such a reversal of fortune, Manager Quan at first couldn’t accept it. After calming down, he found the situation very strange.

’What kind of luck have Liuxian Building and Hongfu Restaurant stumbled upon? They both suddenly have new dishes. Could there be an expert guiding them from behind the scenes?’

’No, that’s not right. I haven’t heard that either of them hired a new head chef, nor have I heard of any unusual activity, other than them both working with Ji’s Flavor Industry... Ji’s Flavor Industry!’

’Could it be that the female owner of Ji’s Flavor Industry gave them the recipes?’

The thought had just popped into his head when he immediately dismissed it.

’If she really had recipes like that, she would have opened her own restaurant. Why would she be stupid enough to give them to someone else?’

What he didn’t know was that Ji Huan’s initial targets for partnership, besides Liuxian Building, had included his very own Quanju Xuan.

After all, its customer traffic was huge; partnering with it would be as good as partnering with ten other places.

Hongfu Restaurant was an unexpected addition. And when she told Manager Hong that no more than three establishments would receive this special treatment, the third spot had actually been reserved for Quanju Xuan.

Who would have thought that shortly after she said this, she would run into Manager Quan throwing his weight around.

His impression score was docked completely. She no longer wanted to partner with him, let alone give him any recipes.

Unable to succeed externally, Manager Quan could only increase the pressure internally.

The newer cooks couldn’t understand it. Ji’s Flavor Industry’s seasonings were so good—using them was like adding wings to a tiger. Why couldn’t they just cooperate properly instead of trying to secretly figure out their secret formulas?

’Putting aside how unscrupulous it is, the key is that it’s a waste of time.’

’We’re a restaurant. If we spend all day researching seasonings instead of creating dishes, how is that any different from neglecting our proper business?’

’We can just buy it with money, so why do we have to crack the formula ourselves?’

’Isn’t it enough to understand it and know how to use it?’

’Besides, if it could be cracked so easily, could it even be called a secret formula?’

They didn’t understand, but the head chef did.

He had been at Quanju Xuan for five years. In that time, he had not only witnessed it grow from a small eatery into one of the top two restaurants in all of Yeyang, but he had also seen through Manager Quan’s character.

To achieve his goals, he wouldn’t hesitate to use any dirty or foul means, any vicious or underhanded trick.

Furthermore, he was extremely competitive. He couldn’t stand to see a competitor do better than him, and if he discovered something good, he had to claim it for his own.

His targeting of Ji’s Flavor Industry probably stemmed from this mentality.

And that wasn’t all.

’Once he gets his hands on all the formulas, his next step will definitely be to find a way to ruin Ji’s Flavor Industry.’

’When Ji’s Flavor Industry shuts down, Quanju Xuan will be the only place in the city with those seasonings.’

’At that point, even if other restaurants came to his door with piles of silver, he probably wouldn’t sell to them, to say nothing of his arch-rival, Liuxian Building.’

’Becoming the sole dominant player would be just around the corner.’

To an ordinary person, this idea might seem a bit far-fetched, but Manager Quan had built his fortune on such flights of fancy.

And facts had proven that as long as one dared to dream, nothing was impossible.

This time, however, it was unlikely to go as he wished.

"Manager, that Thirteen-Spice Powder and the spicy-hot seasoning are incredibly complex. Only the Five-Spice Powder, with its less jumbled aroma, is relatively easier to identify... For the past few days, we’ve worked day and night, tried every method we could think of, and we’ve finally made a little headway. We’ve confirmed three of the spices..."

Manager Quan, who had been pacing with his hands behind his back, stopped in his tracks. His anger flared up.

"Five-Spice Powder! As the name implies, it has five spices in total! Do I have to be the one to tell you that? You’ve had days and you can’t even identify five spices? You have the nerve to mention you’ve only figured out three? At this rate, are you going to take until next year to crack the thirteen spices in Thirteen-Spice Powder?!"

"Well..." The head chef was at a loss for words.

He had thought the same thing at first, but no matter what he tried, it was never right. No matter which five spices he combined, the resulting flavor was just strange, with none of the magical quality of the original.

So he was starting to suspect: could it be that Five-Spice Powder didn’t actually have just five spices?

But he obviously couldn’t say this to Manager Quan. ’We can’t even crack five spices. If I let him know there are more than five...’

"We’ll keep trying. We’ve already confirmed most of them, so the rest will be much simpler..."

’In truth, it’s not simple at all. Even if we knew all the ingredients, so what? The proportions of each one are the most difficult and crucial part.’

Manager Quan waved his hand dismissively. "I don’t care about the process, I only want results! Two spices left. I’ll give you two more days!"

He stormed out of the back courtyard and, as luck would have it, ran into a few waiters huddled together, whispering.

He vaguely heard words like "delicious" and "lining up."

Then he saw the oil-paper packet one of them was holding. What was there not to understand? ’They’ve gone to another shop to buy themselves a snack!’

With nowhere to vent his simmering rage, Manager Quan strode forward with a cold expression and berated them.

"You ungrateful dogs, biting the hand that feeds you! It looks to me like none of you want your jobs anymore! If you don’t, then pack your bags and get out right now! Since other places’ food is so good, go work as their doormen!"

The young waiters were instantly scared into silence. The one holding the oil-paper packet looked particularly aggrieved.

"Manager, we don’t think other places’ food is better... We-we were just passing by Ji’s Flavor Industry and saw they were selling these numbingly spicy duck necks. We couldn’t resist, so we bought one..."

Hearing "Ji’s Flavor Industry," Manager Quan’s expression shifted slightly.

"Ji’s Flavor Industry has started selling food?"

"They started yesterday. They’re selling some kind of braised snack platter. It was sold out before noon. Today, a huge crowd gathered there again..."

As the young waiter spoke, he held out the oil-paper packet ingratiatingly. "Manager, would you like to try it? It’s really delicious. Their owner told everyone it’s a casual snack suitable for all ages. She even said something about how cracking melon seeds and gnawing on duck necks are some of life’s greatest pleasures..."

As soon as the paper packet was opened, a unique aroma wafted out. Just looking at its color made one’s mouth water.

Manager Quan frowned, looking at it with disdain, and sneered.

"Women are so petty. To think she’d sell cheap offal like this. It’s only good enough for country bumpkins like you!"

Despite his words, he snatched the oil-paper packet before he left.

The young waiter was both relieved to have escaped disaster and incredibly regretful.

’He’d only just had a little taste of that duck neck...’

Just then, another waiter pulled out an identical oil-paper packet from behind his back.

"I didn’t manage to get a duck neck, but I got the braised snack platter I missed out on yesterday, hehe..."

Just as they were discussing where to hide and eat it, the manager suddenly returned.

His lips were red and swollen, and his forehead was covered in sweat. He looked very strange.

"Manager, are you not feeling well? Should I go get a doctor for you?"

"N-No need..." Manager Quan took a few deep breaths and said, his tongue thick, "You, go buy a few more of these from Ji’s Flavor Industry and take them to the back kitchen. Have them... study it..."

The head chef, who had come looking for him, heard this and his vision went black.

At the same time, they were discussing the same matter at Liuxian Building.

After tasting it, Manager Liu nodded repeatedly, quite impressed.

"The texture is delicious, the spiciness is unique, and yet it doesn’t lose the original flavor of the meat. It’s very special."

But considering the seasonings and the recipes Ji Huan had provided, it wasn’t surprising.

The accountant whispered, "It seems Hongfu Restaurant and Ji’s Flavor Industry have reached another agreement. They put up a sign for a braised snack platter at noon today. Should we..."

Manager Liu thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"There are many good things in this world. You can’t expect to have them all for yourself. You need to know your own limits, and more importantly, whether something is a good fit for you."

Every flower should be planted in the right soil. Liuxian Building followed a high-end path. These braised snacks were fine as appetizers, but they weren’t suitable for a formal dining table.

"Let’s wait and see. Since she can braise offal, maybe she’ll braise other things too. It’s possible she’ll come up with something suitable for Liuxian Building..."

Di Rong, sweating profusely, finished gnawing on the duck neck in his hand and looked up at Santai. "Where did you buy this? Is there any more?"