I'm the Culinary God-Chapter 553 - 270: Huge Top-up Comes With Rewards? Classic Shanghai Dish—Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs! [Subscribe Please]
A boss from Shanghai who’s on good terms with General Manager Yan? Shen Guofu thought. So, does that mean the restaurant can expect an influx of high-end clients from Shanghai? This would be really beneficial for my son-in-law’s establishment... He hurriedly expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, General Manager Yan, for promoting my son-in-law’s business. I’ll cover all expenses tonight."
Yan Lin immediately waved her hand and said, "No need. Even though we are partners, inviting friends to dine is entirely personal. It wouldn’t be right to let you pay, Shen. Besides, Lin Xu’s culinary skills are indeed fantastic, and they’re worth sharing with good friends."
She paused momentarily and then instructed her secretary, "Go downstairs and get a card charged up... put three million on it. Then, get seven more cards, each charged with one million. I left Beijing in a rush last time and got complaints from a few old friends. I’ll charge these cards for them as an apology."
TSK TSK TSK... The employees from both sides who were dining felt a pang of envy.
Getting a card charged with a million just like that—such friends are truly enviable, they thought. I really wish I could take a picture of this moment and show it to my useless friends so they could learn the proper way to make friends. If we had friends who could casually charge up a million, we wouldn’t just lend them our video streaming accounts; we wouldn’t even mind if they changed the passwords!
After the secretary left, Yan Lin stood up and said, "Please continue eating. I’m going to check on Dundun. I originally came for him today but got carried away by the delicious food here. Now that I’ve had my fill, it’s time to play with the little guy for a while."
She knew her authoritative demeanor was strong, and staying in the private dining room would make everyone feel uneasy. Eating wouldn’t be as enjoyable, and they wouldn’t dare to chat loudly. So she decided to leave and give the employees a relaxed dining atmosphere.
She wasn’t like Shen Guofu in this regard, she thought.
Shen, at that moment, was boasting about his son-in-law’s culinary skills to the employees. When no one was paying attention, he snatched the last piece of the black bean pork ribs from the plate, showing no airs of a boss at all.
No wonder the employees of Shen Group were so supportive of him, Yan Lin mused. This ability to mingle with the staff wasn’t something an ordinary boss could achieve.
When I started my business, I too tried to be close with my employees, Yan Lin recalled. But it led to them taking too much liberty, becoming indiscreet in their speech and conduct, even offending clients and nearly bankrupting the company. Since then, I’ve always maintained a distance from employees and strived for strict management. When I first saw Shen Group’s employees being so laid-back, I instinctively felt that such a company had no great prospects and might falter soon. But after studying Shen Guofu, I realized that this smiling, chubby boss was especially good at getting along with his employees. During his company’s tough times, more than one employee voluntarily used their savings to help the company survive the crisis. A boss who could get employees to dig into their own pockets to support the company—how could he not be successful?
However, being able to partner with Shen Guofu is mostly thanks to Dundun. Initially, I felt it was a wasted trip and I was in a bad mood, but then I met that sprite-like cutie. Especially when Shen introduced Dundun as his grandson with such a serious demeanor, it made me find it quite amusing. How adorable would a cat have to be for a big boss to proudly declare it his grandson? I didn’t expect this cat to be so incredibly well-behaved; I find myself missing him whenever he’s not around.
Stepping out of the private room, Yan Lin saw Lin Xu, wearing chef’s attire, standing at a small service station on the third floor, playing with Dundun using a cat teaser. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶
The man and cat were in sync, both enjoying themselves immensely, just like father and son.
"Can I join you?" Yan Lin asked. She had never played with a cat teaser before and thought it looked fun.
Lin Xu was trying his best to touch Dundun’s body with the cat teaser, while Dundun did his best to block it and attempt to capture the teaser as if it were prey.
During the fun, the little guy even purposefully huffed loudly, making playful ’GRRRR’ sounds to intimidate the cat teaser.
I never thought playing with a cat could be so entertaining, Yan Lin mused. I feel like I could do this all day without getting bored!
Lin Xu put away the cat teaser, looked at Yan Lin, and asked, "Have you finished your meal, General Manager Yan?"
"I’ve finished, and those Grilled Pork Chops are truly classic. I want them again tonight."
I’m not going back tonight, Yan Lin decided. I’ve got to enjoy myself a bit more, indulge in the flavor of the pork chops! Maybe I’ll mix some rice with the sauce and green onions to reminisce about how I ate as a child.
Seeing the imposing female boss eager to try her hand at it, Lin Xu handed her the cat teaser, "You can give it a try, General Manager Yan. Dundun is very good at cooperating."
Indeed, other cats might need to be enticed by their owners, but Dundun is different, Lin Xu thought. Playing games with this little guy always makes you feel like you’re the one being teased. It’s as if he’s the one using the cat teaser on you!
"I won’t hit him, will I?"
"No, it’s covered with feathers. Even if you hit him, it won’t hurt."
Yan Lin awkwardly waved the cat teaser. Dundun gently mewed twice, seemingly reassuring her, warming her heart.
This little cutie is too clever! she thought.
While playing, General Manager Yan also chatted with Lin Xu, "Chef Lin, besides Fried Pork Chop and Grilled Pork Chops, what other local dishes can you make?"
Local dishes? Lin Xu thought for a moment and said, "Braised Pork Belly, that’s something I’m quite good at. As for others..."
There are also Shengjian Buns, but that’s not really a dish. The Crab Bun is a dish from the Yangtze River Delta region, but strictly speaking, it’s Suzhou cuisine, not local Shanghai cuisine, he mused.
"Braised Pork Belly is fine," Yan Lin said. "It’s okay if you’re not skilled in other local dishes. Just being able to prepare a table of dishes from the Yangtze River Delta region is enough. I’m inviting friends over for dinner tonight, and I want everyone to taste the flavor of home."
