Super Zoo-Chapter 361 - 357
The bag clearly contained a living thing, and judging by the size and weight of the bag, it was a massive creature!
Everyone was both eager and curious as they looked up at the stage, waiting for Hong Feifei to reveal the answer.
But before Hong Feifei could make a move, the host was the one to speak first, laughing as he said, "Mr. Hong’s culinary skills need no further introduction. Every chef here gives him the thumbs up, and even if Mr. Hong made a simple egg fried rice, I believe it would still surprise us all. However, today, Mr. Hong has brought us even bigger news!"
Even bigger news? The crowd was momentarily taken aback. What kind of good news could it be? Was it possible that the beautiful chef was getting married and inviting everyone to eat? That wouldn’t be particularly good news, but if the bride herself was to cook, or even just direct the kitchen staff to prepare a wedding banquet, now that would be real good news! Everyone present would feast to their hearts’ content.
After the host finished speaking, he turned his head to look at Hong Feifei and smiled, "Mr. Hong, would you like to make the announcement, or should I?"
"I’ll say it," Hong Feifei said generously as she took over the microphone, bowed slightly to everyone present, and then began to speak amidst the anticipatory gazes of the audience.
"The host was joking just now, it’s not really good news. My father is planning to close Hong Cai Restaurant and retire back to his hometown. As you all know, I have always been the head chef of Hong Family Cuisine, and now that Hong Family Cuisine is closing, my father can enjoy a peaceful retirement, and as his younger generation, of course, I support it. But our Hong family’s techniques, cultivated over nearly three hundred years, cannot be lost with me, so next, I will look for another restaurant to continue working. I hope that all the seniors and bosses here will take good care of me."
After finishing her announcement, Hong Feifei bowed deeply to everyone in the audience.
The banquet hall immediately erupted with discussion.
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The implication was clear to everyone: with Hong Family Cuisine closing down, the stunning chef was looking to change jobs!
At least half of those present were involved in the catering industry and were leading figures in their field. The row of chefs were all employed at well-known, large restaurants.
An excellent chef is undeniably vital to the development of a restaurant business! For a chef of Hong Feifei’s caliber, her personal abilities went unquestioned. Her presence alone was a jewel in the crown of any restaurant, capable of satisfying the most discerning of gourmets and creating a renowned brand. Even more importantly, with a top-tier chef like her overseeing the kitchen, even if she didn’t cook personally and only offered supervision and guidance, the culinary level of the kitchen staff would leap dramatically.
Moreover, she was both young and attractive. In any industry, a beautiful woman certainly has advantages—’a beautiful female chef’ is a huge draw in itself. Even an average cook, if she is attractive enough, can draw crowds of customers.
No wonder the host had called it ’good news’.
Previously, when Hong Feifei was employed at Hong Cai Restaurant, it was part of her family’s private holdings, and other major restaurants couldn’t attract her away no matter how much they offered.
But now that Hong Cai Restaurant was closing and Hong Feifei had expressed her willingness to work for another restaurant, it was an opportunity that was too good to miss.
"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, aren’t we in need of a chef?" Nangong Huang was extremely excited, whispering incessantly, "What an opportunity! I’ve heard of Hong Feifei before. She started cooking at five, managed banquets at ten, and by fifteen, was firmly leading several of Hong Family Cuisine’s top chefs—a legendary figure in the industry. She’s proficient in all eight major Chinese cuisines and has several unique family recipes. If we could recruit her, Zoo Restaurant would definitely flourish! Brother-in-law, let me tell you, with someone like her, even if she made a pile of shit it would sell for the price of shark fin…"
"What kind of nonsense is that..." Suming was utterly disgusted by his words.
Of course, it would be excellent to recruit Hong Feifei into their fold.
Even if it weren’t Hong Feifei, any of the master chefs present would be enough to support the Zoo Restaurant.
The problem was, they obviously wouldn’t want to come to the Zoo. Why would they eschew the professional, high-end large restaurants to work at the Zoo Restaurant, only slightly better than a roadside diner in terms of prestige and far inferior in terms of income and social status? Were they not thinking straight?
The expertise of the chefs present today had reached such heights that it was not a matter of the restaurants choosing them, but they choosing the restaurants.
Suming was not bothered. Knowing one’s strengths and weaknesses is key, and with the current standard of Zoo Restaurant, he had no hopes of hiring a chef of Hong Feifei’s level. Thus, there was no sense of disappointment.
"We’ve got no chance. But look and learn from her!" Suming pointed to Hong Feifei on the stage.
When it comes to job seeking, some people beg humbly and others might not even take notice, but though Hong Feifei said ’Please take care of me,’ there wasn’t a hint of humility in her words—she exuded pride. It sounded like any restaurant that hired her was actually being looked after by her instead.
Indeed, not long after Hong Feifei finished speaking, voices from the crowd responded.
"Mr. Hong, I am the Deputy General Manager of Danyang Tower. If you are willing to work with us, no matter what your salary was at Hong Family Cuisine, we will double it!"
"Mr. He, don’t you think that’s a bit stingy from Danyang Tower? Hong Family Cuisine is Mr. Hong’s own business. Does she care about the money?" someone retorted. "Mr. Hong, we at Man Yingyi offer you a minimum of fifty thousand per month, plus a car to use!"
"Our Jiangnan Residence also offers fifty thousand, with an additional 10% commission!"
A 10% commission means, for every dish prepared, 10% of the sale price goes to the chef personally. Top-tier chefs like Hong Feifei would surely be responsible for high-end banquets wherever they go. Jiangnan Residence, which had made the offer, is a private club, where it’s not uncommon for a single table to run tens or even hundreds of thousands. Just taking the commission alone, the amount at the end of the month would be staggering.
"Mr. Hong!" a middle-aged fat man wearing a diamond ring large enough to blind someone stood up and said in a deep voice, "I have an only son, who just returned from studying in Italy at the age of twenty-three. Not to brag, but he’s quite the catch, with looks and brains..."
Someone laughed, "Mr. Bai, Mr. Hong is looking for a new position, what does this have to do with your son?"
"Hey, I won’t lie to you all. Mr. Hong is a gem. I was thinking of finding a daughter-in-law who is as presentable as Mr. Hong and can also handle the kitchen!" The wealthy fat man Mr. Bai said with a big laugh, "Mr. Hong, if you’re willing to come to my Haiyan Pavilion, I won’t talk about money. I’ll arrange for my boy to marry you, and in the future, the whole Haiyan Pavilion will be yours."
The venue erupted in laughter, as many people knew Mr. Bai’s flamboyant personality. He was known for being straightforward and candid, expressing his thoughts without malice and not with the intention of making improper advances toward Hong Feifei.
Hong Feifei still wore a smile on her face, but a hint of displeasure briefly flashed across it, as she seemed reluctant to discuss matters of marriage.
The scene resembled an auction, where within just two minutes, several well-known restaurants were ’bidding’, with offers as bold as Mr. Bai’s, pledging family fortunes.
Even the master chefs seated in the first row couldn’t sit still anymore. The three master chefs who had demonstrated their skills earlier couldn’t contain themselves and rushed to the stage, arguing vehemently in front of Hong Feifei. Each was red-faced, seemingly desperate to snatch her away.
Luckily, Suming had not spoken up. Could he say come to the Zoo Restaurant and sell boxed lunches, with a monthly salary of five thousand yuan? If he had said that, he probably would have been laughed to death. Worse, he might be perceived as causing trouble and promptly thrown out of the banquet hall.
However, from the brief bidding, Suming also surmised the astounding profits of the restaurant business!
For a moment, everyone forgot the original purpose of the meeting, all eyes on which restaurant Hong Feifei would choose, while the large woven bag still lay on the shore, rustling with movement.
Hong Feifei herself has yet to express an opinion. She first calmed the chefs who had made their way onto the stage with a few words, persuading them to return to their seats, then picked up the microphone, smiling as she said:
"Esteemed seniors and elders, please quiet down a moment."
When the main act spoke, it sure had an effect, and the chaotic venue immediately fell silent, everyone waiting to hear what she would say.
"Firstly, I want to thank everyone for their love and support, especially President Bai. However, I’m afraid I have to disappoint you, as I am not ready to consider personal matters at this time." Hong Feifei was adept at handling social situations, tactfully declining Mr. Bai. After expressing her gratitude to everyone present, she moved on to the main topic:
"As for work, there’s no rush. With so much support from all of you, I’m at a loss for how to reciprocate, other than to prepare a dish as a chef, to express my heartfelt thanks."
After finishing her words, Hong Feifei didn’t dawdle. She set down the microphone and picked up a large alloy case, spreading it out on the chopping board.
Every chef has their own set of familiar tools, many of which are specialized. For a chef, their tools are akin to a swordsman’s sword. The chefs who had gone up on stage each also had such a personalized tool case.
"Impressive!" Suming muttered to himself.
"What’s impressive? Brother-in-law, are you talking about her knives?" Nangong Huang asked, puzzled. He thought Suming was referring to the array of variously shaped utensils in Hong Feifei’s toolbox.
"No," Suming shook his head.
He called it impressive because this beautiful chef not only knew how to cook but also how to seize the moment and manipulate the atmosphere. She was holding out for a better deal!
She had initially thrown out a job-seeking message to spark the first round of competition but didn’t immediately accept any offer; then, by cooking this dish in front of everyone, she was proving her worth and showcasing her skill, thus attracting better terms from the various restaurants. Experience more tales on novelbuddy
If he wasn’t mistaken, this dish would definitely showcase her ultimate skill! After pulling off an impressive display, her value would soar even higher on the basis of the first round of ’bidding’.
Makes sense, as she was once the young owner of the Hong Family Cuisine. Now that Hong Family Cuisine was no longer operational for some reason, as she struck out on her own, she naturally wanted to secure sufficient benefits for herself.
"Hong Family Cuisine?" Suming frowned slightly. He felt as though he had heard the name before but couldn’t remember where, at least not right away.
On stage, Hong Feifei undid the rope tying the mouth of the large woven bag and pulled the tail of the bag forcefully backwards.
With a rustling sound, the woven bag came off.
The entire audience gasped as a ferocious creature was revealed before them!
