"But I have a condition."

Lu Qingyang picked up a white flour bun, raised his eyebrows when he heard it, crossed his arms, and looked at him leisurely: "Tell me about it."

"You are not allowed to tell anyone in the class that I work here."

He could almost imagine how many mocking and strange looks he would receive if his classmates, especially those gossipers, knew that he, a "top student", was actually working as a waiter and wiping tables in a restaurant.

This was even harder to accept than failing the exam.

After listening to this, Lu Qingyang showed a hint of understanding and a bit of amusement on his face. He took a bite of the steamed bun and said vaguely but firmly: "Let it go. I'm not that bored."

He hadn't originally planned to use this to publicize the news. He was so busy at the restaurant that he didn't have time to care about gossip among his classmates.

After receiving Lu Qingyang's assurance, Zhao Rui felt relieved and his expression relaxed.

Lu Qingyang looked at him with a clear mind.

He really felt that during the recent peak in customer traffic, the front office had relied on Ma Hongxia, Liu Xiaohua, and Sister Zhang and Sister Li, and it was really difficult to turn around. Since Zhao Rui had come to him on his own initiative and had accidentally experienced it, he seemed to be in good shape. Most importantly, he was clearly completely mastered by Mr. Chen's skills. So why not take advantage of the situation and grab him as a temporary helper.

On the contrary, he seemed to have nothing to do after school every day except hanging out in the library. He came here to sweat, get a good meal, and maybe even curb his inexplicable arrogance.

And what about Zhao Rui? He had his own plans.

The most direct benefit of agreeing to stay is that you can eat employee meals every day.

Wages have become secondary.

The deeper reason was that he wanted to stay by Lu Qingyang's side as an undercover agent and find out how he actually learned.

In the next few days, Zhao Rui really became a non-staff employee of "Xinweiju".

Every day after school, he no longer rushed to the library first, but instead, carrying his schoolbag, his feet involuntarily turned towards the restaurant.

The work is indeed not easy.

Wipe the table quickly and cleanly, collect the dishes steadily without making too much noise, replenish the dishes in a timely manner, and respond to the various needs of guests from time to time.

In the first few days, Zhao Rui was still in a hurry, and was reminded by Ma Hongxia's loud voice from time to time, or silently condemned by Liu Xiaohua with that "Why are you slow again" look.

Back pain is a common occurrence, and there is always an indelible smell of cooking fumes on the body.

However, as Lu Qingyang expected, the ultimate benefit of "full stomach and delicious food" perfectly offset all the fatigue and discomfort.

The daily employee meals became Zhao Rui's biggest activity.

Mr. Chen never treats his own people unfairly, and the ingredients he uses are even more substantial than those he uses for guests.

There was plenty of rice and steamed buns, and occasionally the kitchen would try out new products so that they could be the first to try them.

Zhao Rui always ate until his belly was full, feeling that all the energy consumed during the day was fully replenished by this solid and delicious meal. He even felt that his brain worked faster because of the sufficient nutrition.

Zhao Rui himself didn't realize that his attitude towards Lu Qingyang had subtly changed without him noticing.

The sharpness of the tit-for-tat confrontation was gradually worn away.

He saw with his own eyes how Lu Qingyang handled four things at the same time with ease, appeasing the waiting guests, coordinating the speed of the kitchen serving dishes, and checking the accounts.

He even began to feel that what Lu Qingyang said might make sense - practice is indeed important.

The formulas and theorems in books are dead, but how to manage a team, how to deal with emergencies, how to satisfy customers, how to turn a single ingredient into an amazing delicacy... these are things you can never learn in a library.

It made him no longer so theoretical in his views on many issues, and he began to reflect on his previous narrow-minded idea that "all things are inferior, only reading is superior".

Of course, the thought was only fleeting, far from shaking his core beliefs, but the seed had been planted.

…

"Xinweiju" has a good business, but it is inevitable that some dishes will have a little "surplus" due to various reasons (such as not controlling the quantity when trying out new products, or certain ingredients must be used up on the same day).

Lu Qingyang would not waste food. He would pack it in a clean lunch box and bring it to school.

Sometimes it is a few pieces of perfectly baked sesame cakes, sometimes it is a small bag of freshly fried, crispy shredded radish, sometimes it is even braised pork and braised bones.

He never deliberately showed off. Usually, during breaks or lunch, he would naturally put his lunch box on the table and say to the classmates he was close to: "My family made a little extra food, but it would be a waste if no one ate it. Can you all help me out?"

Everyone was a little embarrassed at first, but the aroma was too tempting to resist.

Especially when a brave classmate took the first bite and then exclaimed in amazement, the situation got out of control.

Soon, the area next to Lu Qingyang's seat became the most popular spot during breaks.

"Qingyang, this sesame seed bun is so delicious! It's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and it has a salt and pepper flavor!"

"This is amazing! The shredded radish is sweet and not greasy at all!"

"Oh my god, how is this braised pork made? It's fatty but not greasy, and melts in your mouth! It's a hundred times better than my mom's!"

The students ate with great enthusiasm and praised the food highly.

Lu Qingyang noticed that Zhou Zhe had excellent grades and often helped him take notes.

But because my family is poor, I often can't afford to eat.

Zhou Zhe's face always had an unhealthy paleness, and his body was as thin as a bamboo pole that could be blown down by the wind at any time.

At lunch time, everyone either went to the cafeteria or took out their own lunch boxes. Only Zhou Zhe was often the last one to leave the classroom, or he would just gnaw on a dry and hard steamed bun with hot water. Sometimes, he would simply not eat and bury himself in books, as if to offset his hunger.

Although the staff shortage of "Xinweiju" was alleviated by the joining of Zhao Rui, the customer flow continued to grow, and there was still a shortage of staff when it was busy.

Lu Qingyang had an idea: ask Zhou Zhe for help.

Not only give him a place to eat, but also pay him wages.

But as soon as this thought came to his mind, he remembered Zhao Rui's "confidentiality agreement".

He had just promised Zhao Rui not to tell anyone that he worked here, but he turned around and brought another classmate in. It seemed a little inappropriate.

Lu Qingyang was well aware of Zhao Rui's pitiful and awkward self-esteem.

So, after the staff lunch that day, while Zhou Zhe was away, Lu Qingyang stopped Zhao Rui who was about to sneak back to school to read.

"Zhao Rui, I want to discuss something with you." Lu Qingyang went straight to the point.

Zhao Rui looked at him warily: "What? You want me to clean two more tables?"

He has gradually gotten the hang of his job these past few days. Although he still complains, he doesn't do any work.

"No." Lu Qingyang shook his head and motioned him to sit down. "Have you noticed Zhou Zhe?"