PCJ – Chapter 506 A Wave of Approval

Zhu Songtao tried cooking every dish he could and figured out the optimal amount of seasoning to use each time. Whether it was his apprentices, Wu Yuan, or Zhang Jiaohua, they all ended up eating so much that their stomachs were stuffed.

“Xiao Wu, Xiao Zhang, don’t worry. If Koufu Restaurant doesn’t become the number one spot in Beijing, you can hold me accountable!” Zhu Songtao declared confidently.

“Of course! If I wasn’t confident, how would I dare to set up Koufu Restaurant on such a grand scale? From now on, I’ll have to rely on you, Master Zhu, and all the other chefs,” Wu Yuan said.

Zhang Jiaohua, who remained mostly quiet, didn’t seem concerned. Since he had already handed full control of the restaurant to Wu Yuan, he intended to trust him completely. Jiaohua could tell Wu Yuan was genuinely putting in effort and had a knack for this line of work.

Outside the restaurant, Wu Yuan immediately asked Zhang Jiaohua, “Jiaohua, what do you think? Are you satisfied with Master Zhu’s skills?”

“Very satisfied. Just manage the restaurant on your own. Don’t bother me over trivial matters—I’ve got school to attend,” Zhang Jiaohua said impatiently.

Wu Yuan scratched his head. “Aren’t you the actual boss of this restaurant?”

Wu Yuan purposely scheduled the grand opening on a weekend to ensure Zhang Jiaohua could attend.

“Fatty, how’s the promotion going over the past few days?” Hao Yue asked with concern after arriving.

“Relax! I may not be good at everything, but I have plenty of connections. We’ve got quite a few people from Gulou Hutong coming. It won’t be an empty scene on opening day,” Wu Yuan said with a grin.

“Fatty, is that all you’ve done for promotion? That won’t work. This restaurant is far from Gulou Hutong, and the dishes aren’t cheap. Even if the neighbors come to support you once, they won’t keep coming back,” Hao Yue said worriedly.

Zeng Lei laughed. “Don’t worry about this guy. He’s not that foolish. The location he chose is perfect—there are several businesses nearby. Over the past few days, I’ve helped him build connections with some of them. As long as we secure these steady customers, the business will thrive.”

“This guy is getting craftier,” Hao Yue said with a playful scowl.

A lot of people showed up for the opening, but many left immediately after looking at the menu. The prices were steep.

“Fatty, what’s going on? Why are they leaving?” Zhang Jiaohua asked, puzzled.

“What else could it be? They think our prices are too high! I even promised them a 50% discount, yet they didn’t even try the food before leaving. They’ll regret it later! I’ve made a note of these people—no discounts for them in the future,” Wu Yuan said.

“Fatty, aren’t you afraid the restaurant will go out of business because no one comes?” Zeng Lei asked, worried.

“What’s there to worry about? With food this good, once people try it, they’ll definitely come back. Koufu Restaurant is meant to cater to a high-end crowd. If the business gets too busy, how can we maintain quality?” Wu Yuan replied confidently, his perspective somewhat unconventional.

Although some left, many still stayed.

“This restaurant owner is cunning. I thought the 50% discount would make the prices reasonable, but the menu prices are sky-high. If they go back to full price, this place won’t have any business. Look at this Dongpo Pork—over 200 yuan! Even with a discount, it’s still over 100. Are they using golden pigs?”

“Exactly! This owner is blinded by greed. I’m telling you now—this restaurant won’t last long before it shuts down.”

“Maybe they’re confident in their skills?”

“Skilled chefs are a dime a dozen in Beijing. Even those claiming to be former imperial chefs are everywhere. Don’t tell me their chef used to cook for the Jade Emperor!”

Everyone burst into laughter.

When the waiter brought out the Dongpo Pork, the aroma alone caused the skeptics to pause.

“Jiaohua, watch. Once these guys taste our food, I guarantee they’ll become loyal customers,” Wu Yuan said confidently.

“That goes without saying,” Zeng Lei chimed in.

The skeptics, drawn in by the aroma, couldn’t help but marvel.

“Have you ever smelled Dongpo Pork this fragrant?” one man asked.

Their expressions made it clear—they were experiencing this for the first time.

“Amazing! No wonder the price is so high. Without even tasting it, just smelling it makes my stomach growl.”

“What are we waiting for? Let’s dig in!” said another, reaching for the dish still in the waiter’s hands.

“Wait a moment. Did you order Dongpo Pork?” the waiter asked.

“Can we order it now?” They realized they hadn’t ordered it earlier, deeming it too expensive.

“You can order it now, but you’ll have to wait for your turn. This isn’t your dish,” the waiter said politely but firmly, refusing to budge.

“Waiter, do you realize that speaking like this can easily offend customers? With one word to your restaurant manager, I can have you fired,” one of the customers said angrily.

The waiter, however, remained calm and replied, “Our boss said not to worry in situations like this. With so many customers, we can’t serve everyone anyway. For unreasonable customers, we absolutely won’t back down.”

“What kind of boss is this? Is he really afraid of making too much money?” The customers were dumbfounded.

“Fine, fine. We’ll add a Dongpo Pork to our order. I refuse to believe we won’t get to eat it today,” one of the men said, exasperated.

“Oh, by the way, our boss also said that anyone who causes trouble at our restaurant will be blacklisted. Even if they’re royalty, we won’t serve them,” the waiter added proudly, turning his back on the customers with an air of triumph.

“Unbelievable! This boss is seriously arrogant. But if someone can craft food of this quality, they’ve earned the right to be proud. Still, I’ve never seen a restaurant in Beijing treat customers this way,” one of them muttered.

After a while, the dishes they had ordered, including the newly added items, were served.

Eagerly, they dug into the food.

“This is amazing!”

“So this is what Dongpo Pork tastes like. I feel like I’ve wasted decades of my life not knowing.”

“Exactly. The Dongpo Pork at other high-end restaurants in Beijing is also over 200 yuan. At first, I thought the prices here were outrageous, but now they actually seem reasonable. Of course, it would be better if the 50% discount lasted longer. Without it, I wouldn’t dare come regularly.”

The restaurant was filled with compliments, boosting the already prideful attitudes of the waitstaff. Unlike other places where the customer is king, this restaurant’s policy was clear: customers who didn’t respect the establishment or its staff were not welcome.

For food lovers, great service mattered less than great food. Subpar service could be tolerated, but bad food was a dealbreaker.

Although the lunchtime crowd initially seemed sparse, the early customers began calling their friends to join them. Soon, the restaurant was packed. Some who had left after seeing the prices were lured back by their friends’ rave reviews, kicking themselves for leaving earlier.

“I thought this place was a rip-off, but the food here is incredible. Lao Xiao and the others refused to come—boy, will they regret it. The 50% discount is only for today. But honestly, I don’t think it’ll be a matter of discounts in the future; it’ll be a matter of whether you can even get a seat,” one returning customer said with a sigh after tasting the food.

“Jiaohua, we did it!” Wu Yuan exclaimed excitedly.

Zeng Lei gave him a playful smack on the head. “Don’t celebrate too soon. This is just the first day, and the dishes are half-price. Your menu prices are insanely high—how can people afford to come every day? I know I can’t.”

“That’s because this restaurant isn’t targeting people like you with fixed salaries. Even if you come just once in a while, it’s enough. If everyone in Beijing came here just once, we’d make plenty of money,” Wu Yuan said smugly.

Zhang Jiaohua, uninterested in the restaurant’s operations or profits, wasn’t particularly excited.

“Fatty, since things are running smoothly here, I’ll leave the rest to you. I’m heading back—I have school tomorrow,” Zhang Jiaohua said, heading for the door.

“Hey, hey! Don’t just leave. At least have a meal before you go,” Wu Yuan called after him.

“I’ll just be in the way here. It’s better if I go,” Zhang Jiaohua said, walking out briskly.

Before long, Koufu Restaurant’s reputation spread in the area. Nearby restaurants began to worry. Though one establishment couldn’t monopolize all of Beijing’s business, the opening of Koufu Restaurant immediately caused a sharp decline in their sales.

The food industry cried out in alarm: “The wolf is here!”

Back at Fourth Middle School, Zhang Jiaohua was well-known among his peers.

“Zhang Jiaohua, you’re back?”

Zhang Jiaohua nodded. “Yeah, I just got here.” Truthfully, he didn’t even know the person speaking to him.

“Zhang Jiaohua, you’re a star at Fourth Middle now,” Xu Xiaoting said, appearing beside him.

“But I don’t want to be a star. It doesn’t benefit me in any way,” Zhang Jiaohua replied, shaking his head in exasperation.

“What’s wrong with being famous? Why do you dislike it so much?” Xu Xiaoting asked, puzzled.

“Because fame attracts trouble. It’s not necessarily a good thing,” Zhang Jiaohua said with a wry smile.