Chapter 150 This kid is good; he's always been excellent.

Ji Qingqing thought that staying to work would mean helping to pick vegetables, pack takeout orders, or walk Wen Xinglan and Wen Xingrui around. She never expected that An Fusheng would drag her to learn how to cook.

Learning to cook is also an option. An Fusheng is a good cook, so if she learns to cook, she can make whatever she wants to eat herself.

but!

Cooking all the time is so tiring!

After working for three days, Ji Qingqing's whole body ached, and she felt like her arms no longer belonged to her.

An Fusheng, however, said matter-of-factly, "Everything is difficult at the beginning. It's like this at the beginning. Your muscles haven't adapted yet. It will be fine in a few days. Maybe you can even develop strong muscles."

Ji Qingqing: "Is that the muscle I want? That's a unicorn arm! Do you believe that the first punch I throw after I develop a unicorn arm will hit you!"

An Fusheng rubbed the tip of his nose: "That's still better than being powerless."

Despite her complaints, Ji Qingqing kept cooking.

An Fusheng watched from the side and gave instructions: "Flip the vegetables faster, otherwise the bottom will get overcooked and the top won't be cooked properly, it won't taste good and it will be a waste of ingredients."

Ji Qingqing snapped, "You cook it yourself."

An Fusheng: "You stir-fry it."

Ji Qingqing: "Yueyue and I, two weak women, are here tossing and cooking, while you, a tall and strong man, are standing next to us. Is that appropriate?"

An Fusheng: "Who told me to be the master? In the kitchen, there are only masters and apprentices, no men and women. Hey, watch the heat carefully and don't get distracted."

"Let me do it, let me do it, I'm a boy!" Zhaolin ran over excitedly.

An Fusheng patted his head: "Your most important task now is to learn about ingredients. Go back and categorize the ingredients."

"Oh." Zhaolin returned dejectedly.

Zhaolin was very discouraged when he returned after being away for a few days and found that his master had a new apprentice. Now the new apprentice was already cooking, while he was still learning to identify ingredients. He always felt like he was in kindergarten, even though others were in junior high school.

In particular, An Fusheng asked him to sort the ingredients with Wen Xingrui and Wen Xinglan.

"Huh? What's the name of this dish again?" Zhaolin picked up a small green vegetable with thin leaves and fell into deep thought.

There are so many vegetables in spring. An Fusheng would pick a bunch for him to identify each time. Although he would explain to him while picking them, these vegetables all looked similar, but their names and characteristics were very different, making it really hard to remember them.

After thinking for a long time without being able to remember, Zhao Lin glanced at An Fusheng. An Fusheng was busy instructing Wen Yue and Ji Qingqing on how to cook and had no time to pay attention to him. Very good. Zhao Lin secretly opened his notebook. "Oh, so it's Zi Yunying."

Indeed, a bad pen is worse than a good memory.

Zhaolin's notebooks are more comprehensive than other people's journals, containing text, pictures, and even food specimens.

"Aster clover is rich in vitamin C, calcium, iron, and antioxidants. It can clear heat and detoxify, lubricate the intestines and promote bowel movements, and nourish the liver and improve eyesight. People with weak spleen and stomach and pregnant women should eat it with caution. Common ways to prepare it at home include cold aster clover salad, hot pot, and stir-fried aster clover with dried tofu... Master!"

"ah?"

"How about we have wild vegetable hot pot for lunch today?"

"Sure, then go to the backyard and pick some wild vegetables, you can pick the ones you grew yourself too."

"Okay!"

Zhaolin picked up the vegetable basket and said to Wen Xingrui and Wen Xinglan, "Let's go pick some wild vegetables."

Ji Qingqing looked enviously in the direction where Zhaolin and the others had disappeared, "I want to go pick vegetables too."

An Fusheng: "Focus on cooking, don't look around. Now you can add the garlic sprouts."

Ji Qingqing angrily threw the garlic sprouts into the pot and continued to stir-fry: "I've demystified you."

An Fusheng didn't seem to care at all: "Oh."

Ji Qingqing sighed, "The best way to dispel a man's charm is probably to become his colleague, no, to become his superior and subordinate, because you only feel tired, not love, when facing your boss."

An Fusheng: "Add salt, then remove from heat."

...

Five days after An Fusheng gave the proposal to Wen Min, Wen Min said that the leader wanted to talk to An Fusheng directly.

So Wen Min took An Fusheng to see the leader.

"Don't be nervous, just say what you want to say. You're there to discuss business as a business partner, not to meet with a superior. Besides, he's definitely interested in your proposal, so don't worry," Wen Min reassured An Fusheng.

An Fusheng nodded and said, "I know."

I was still a little nervous, but I inexplicably relaxed once I entered the boss's office.

The leader was Director Zhang, who had visited the welfare home last time.

Director Zhang appeared very amiable. When he saw Wen Min and An Fusheng come in, he greeted them warmly and even made them tea. However, Wen Min quietly took over the task.

Wen Min said, "Director Zhang, didn't you want to talk to Fusheng in person? I brought him with me. Fusheng is an honest man, and he doesn't have any ulterior motives. However, he built Xingchen Restaurant up from scratch. He wants to partner with someone now so that Xingchen Restaurant can develop better. But he is still young and inexperienced. Please give him some guidance."

“You always tell me you’re an outsider, but aren’t I just like you? Hahahaha!” Director Zhang laughed heartily. “I brought Fusheng here today to learn from him, hahahaha.”

An Fusheng: "Director Zhang, you flatter me. I am also a novice. Xingchen Canteen has benefited from your correct guidance since its establishment, which has made it better and better step by step."

Director Zhang pointed at An Fusheng and smiled at Wen Min, saying, "You said he was honest, but all he said was flattery."

Wen Min: "He wasn't flattering me. It's always been a sensitive issue for our welfare organization to engage in profit-making activities. The Starry Sky Canteen has been operating peacefully for the past six months. How could we have done that without your guidance?"

Director Zhang: "Alright, alright, why are you filming too? Let's stop with the empty talk and talk about the plan."

Wen Min: "Okay, you guys chat, I'll make you some tea."

Although Director Zhang had already reviewed the plan, An Fusheng still gave a general introduction. Director Zhang listened attentively and occasionally raised some questions, which An Fusheng answered one by one.

“I personally approve of the partnership model you mentioned, and I think it’s the most suitable for the future development of Xingchen Restaurant. The concept and development direction of the new restaurant also align with our expectations. However, I don’t think we should be too ambitious. Currently, you only have experience in operating takeout. Whether you can manage the physical restaurant well after it’s built is still unknown. Isn’t it a bit premature to start planning to open branches now? It’s good for young people to be ambitious, but being too eager for quick success and instant benefits might easily lead to a fall,” Director Zhang said with a smile.

An Fusheng: "You're right. Actually, my current plan is to first run the Xingchen physical restaurant well and accumulate enough experience before planning to open a branch. The reason I wrote all of this in the plan is to let you see that the restaurant may go further in the future. Of course, having a clear path in the past can also give us a clear direction in operation and management."

"Good, good, that puts my mind at ease. I was just worried that you young people would be too impulsive, focusing too much on expansion and development, and that your steps would be unsteady, leading to a fall that would be difficult to recover from. Now that you've said that, I feel relieved."

"Director Zhang, please rest assured. I know that if Xingchen Restaurant can be developed, it will have a very important reference for the development of welfare undertakings in this city and even the whole country. I was raised in a welfare home, and I know that the development of welfare undertakings is of great significance. I will stay humble and take one step at a time to run the restaurant well."

"Not bad." Director Zhang nodded repeatedly.

Director Zhang continued, "But the current development of the catering industry is not optimistic. There are too many catering businesses now, and many are closing down. We conducted an incomplete survey, and last year there were about 12 million catering stores of all sizes in our city, but more than 3 million closed down, with a closure rate of over 25%. This data is terrifying!"

With the internet so readily available and people's fast-paced lives, they lack the time and energy to delve into details. The quickest and most direct way to purchase something is by comparing prices. Many business owners have recognized this and are desperately trying to lower prices and reduce costs. But this is wrong. In the food and beverage industry, quality ingredients and delicious taste inevitably increase costs on ingredients. However, if costs increase, prices can't be raised, profits can't support operations, and naturally, the business goes out of business. This is the dilemma.

An Fusheng said, “Director Zhang, you have a higher perspective and a broader, more comprehensive view. But based on my experience running Xingchen Restaurant for the past six months, my views may differ from yours. I’d like to share my perspective with you, and please feel free to point out any errors.”

Director Zhang laughed and said, "You said it, don't be so polite."

An Fusheng said, “I think many people are now in the catering industry just to make quick money, not because they really want to settle down and establish themselves in the industry. I don’t know if you have noticed this phenomenon: if a hot pot restaurant becomes popular in a shopping mall or an area, several similar hot pot restaurants will soon appear in that area. If a barbecue restaurant becomes popular, more than a dozen barbecue restaurants will soon appear around it. As a result, there is serious homogenization and the taste is not much different. Customers will compare prices, and in order to attract customers, the merchants will start to engage in price wars. The quality of the food will get worse and worse. Gradually, customers will be disappointed and never come back. Without customers, the store can only close down.”

Director Zhang: "So how do you break this deadlock?"

An Fusheng: "I believe the core principle of running a restaurant should be to provide diners with a safe and flavorful meal. This flavor isn't just about deliciousness, but about the taste of everyday life. The standard of deliciousness is subjective, and we can't be perfect, but the taste of everyday life exists in everyone's memory and imagination. As long as we put our heart into it, they can feel it. This is my biggest realization after running Xingchen Restaurant for the past six months. We strictly control the selection of ingredients, the research on flavors, and the quality of our food. Our prices are 10%-15% higher than similar takeout options, but business has always been good. We haven't done much advertising, but our customer base has remained stable. Why? Because we use high-quality ingredients, and every dish is cooked to order. Customers trust us and are not only willing to pay for that peace of mind, but they also recommend us to their friends and family. That's why our customer base has always been relatively stable."

Running a restaurant is a demanding business, a process of refining flavors, and a long-term endeavor. I have a long-term vision for our restaurant's development, so I want to focus on quality rather than chasing after customers or trying to exploit them. I also believe that as long as we treat our customers sincerely, they will give us the best response.

Director Zhang nodded. "That's how it should be."

An Fusheng: "This is just my shallow understanding, and it may still carry the naiveté of someone who is inexperienced in the ways of the world. Please feel free to criticize and correct me."

Director Zhang: "From the consumer's perspective, I think you've hit the nail on the head. After a long day of work, when we go out to eat with friends and family, who doesn't want to comfort themselves and relax? Who doesn't want to eat something safe and reliable? If it tastes good too, it's like what you young people call 'buying it without hesitation.' I agree with your philosophy: we should deliver what customers expect. That's what the catering industry should do. We are a government agency and a welfare institution, so we should consider things from the people's perspective. We should also set a positive example in this industry."

...

After discussing the business philosophy, Director Zhang and An Fusheng explored the hotel's equity structure, the establishment of the operational team, and expressed high hopes for the hotel's future. They talked for a whole afternoon, and Wen Min lost count of how many pots of tea they brewed.

After their conversation, An Fusheng went out first, and Director Zhang said to Wen Min, "This kid is good. He has ideas and can stay focused. He won't be bad at anything he does in the future."

Wen Min: "He has always been outstanding."