Tang Yuanyuan waited at the restaurant entrance early in the morning. She was no longer the timid, weak, and chubby girl she used to be. She had become confident, generous, and sweet. Although she was still a little chubby, she was only slightly chubby, which made her look even sweeter. If she had been thinner, she wouldn't have been as sweet.

Across the street in the Wuwei Restaurant, a pair of gloomy eyes were secretly observing Tang Yuanyuan. It was none other than Yu Wuwei, who was already infamous in the Pingjiang culinary world.

Just a year later, the once glamorous Chef Yu became unshaven, down on his luck, with oily hair and dandruff that was faintly visible. He had completely lost his chef's charm.

The other waiters were the same; some sat, some stood, all looking listless. One was even sleeping on the table, while the others were drowsy, yawning and tearing up. The whole restaurant was filled with an atmosphere of decadence.

Everyone watched with envy as the Baiweiju restaurant across the street bustled with activity, regretting their decision to work at Wuweilou.

"I heard Baiweiju is hiring waiters, when should we apply?" A few waiters huddled together, whispering among themselves.

"We've worked at Wuweilou before, won't Baiweiju think we're spies?"

"Forget it, it's not like we're doing espionage, it's just a restaurant. Anyway, once I get paid here, I'm going to apply for a job at Baiweiju. You can go or not, it's up to you."

“Then I’ll go too. A fellow villager of mine works at Baiweiju, and his monthly salary is fifty yuan higher than here. Boss Tang also gives out bonuses from time to time, and he provides three meals a day.”

“My fellow villagers are here too, and their benefits are much better than ours. The key is that their business is booming, unlike here, where the food in the kitchen has gone bad.”

“Let’s go together, take this month’s salary and leave. The boss said that he will give priority to those with restaurant work experience, so we will definitely be able to get the job.”

...

Several waiters huddled together and whispered, but their voices were not out of the reach of Yu Wuwei, who was deep in thought not far away.

Yu Wuwei's eyes were cold as he suppressed his anger and secretly made a note of these waiters. Hmph, they still want their wages?

Not a single cent!

Although angry, the conversation among the waiters gave Yu Wuwei an idea. After a moment's thought, Yu Wuwei went upstairs to his office and came down shortly afterward, tidying it up neatly and restoring some of its former glory.

Several waiters stared in astonishment as their boss swaggered into their arch-rival Baiweiju across the street, their jaws nearly dropping to the floor.

"Is the boss going to cause trouble?"

"I think so. We'll find out soon enough. Let's all observe from a distance and not get too close."

The waiters and chefs of Wuweilou all ran out, expecting a big fight, but several minutes passed and nothing happened. One of the waiters, full of curiosity, went over to peek and then quickly ran back.

"The boss is eating across the street!"

The others were even more confused. After a long while, someone finally said, "The boss is in a panic. Let's go back!"

Everyone returned to their restaurants dejectedly. Looking at the deserted lobby and then at the bustling crowd across the street in stark contrast, they felt a chill in their hearts and increasingly gloomy about the future.

As soon as Yu Wuwei entered Baiweiju, someone ran over to inform Father Tang.

Mr. Tang walked over, and before he could ask anything, Yu Wuwei said, "Come over for a casual meal, Mr. Tang, you don't mind, do you?"

"Guests are welcome, Mr. Yu, just take the order."

Mr. Tang remained calm and fearless. Yu Wuwei didn't even look at the menu. "I've long heard of Mr. Tang's exceptional culinary skills and his innovative ideas. Today I'd like to try something new. Mr. Tang, is that alright?"