Chapter 10: I Have a Friend

"Not inheriting such a big business, if your dad knew, wouldn't he smash the kitchen?"

Back in the day,

Chen Jianhai, Xiao Lang, and Xu Bo were all second-generation entrepreneurs.

They had been ironclad friends since childhood.

Compared to his two good brothers, Chen Jianhai's life was a bit tougher, but that was because he had invested most of his family's money into the hotel.

Otherwise, without the strong financial support from his family, the Langai Hotel would have gone bankrupt long ago.

For the past six months, Chen Jianhai had been struggling like he was digging into a gold mine, constantly worrying about how to increase revenue and cut costs.

"Sigh, I'm serious."

Xu Bo sighed, looking worriedly at the countertop, and said:

"I don't even like doing business; I just like cooking and making noodles, letting others enjoy my pastries and noodle dishes."

"Then come to my barbecue shop. I just happen to need someone to make dumpling soup and cook instant noodles."

Xiao Lang said while chewing on a piece of meat.

"You've got to be kidding!"

Xu Bo rolled his eyes at Xiao Lang,

"Your place is smoky and cramped. Going there would be a waste of my skills."

Chen Jianhai said, "Then you could just open your own pastry shop. You'd be your own boss and make money. How great is that?"

"Sigh." Xu Bo let out a deep sigh.

"Being your own boss is too tiring and worrisome. It wouldn't let me focus on improving my cooking skills and researching new dishes."

Xu Bo sighed again, looking troubled.

"I don't want to go to just any place."

"I just want to find a quiet place to be a chef, letting others come to eat what I make. Why is that so hard..."

Chen Jianhai kept his head down, eating, while inwardly rolling his eyes.

...

After eating, the three of them were full and sprawled on the couch.

The TV was showing a soccer match, while Xiao Lang and Xu Bo were playing a game.

They were both intensely focused on the screen, deeply engaged in the battle.

All their skills were unleashed in a frenzy, desperately attacking the enemy.

Chen Jianhai opened a bottle of cola and checked the app to see the feedback on his hotel.

Little did he know, as soon as he opened the page, a flood of notifications came in.

"Ding ding dong~"

"Ding ding dong~"

"Ding ding dong~"

...

The notifications popped up like crazy, almost making Chen Jianhai drop his phone.

"What's going on?!"

"Are they debt collectors or asking for money?"

Xiao Lang, on the brink of death in the game, spared a moment of concern for Chen Jianhai.

Chen Jianhai kicked him and scolded, "Play your game, you never say anything nice!"

Once the phone quieted down, Chen Jianhai looked closely and saw dozens of new comments under his hotel.

"The sea view is great, very close to the beach. The hotel lobby is beautifully decorated, and the bed is very comfortable."

"The unbeatable sea view is amazing!!! It makes you feel incredibly relaxed."

"For this price, staying in such a nice hotel is a steal!"

"My girlfriend loved it and wants to come back next time..."

Among the many positive reviews, there were even photos taken by guests.

And to be honest, the photos were really well taken, with great angles.

If it weren't for the beautiful faces blocking the view, the promotional effect would be even better.

After reading through a dozen positive reviews, Chen Jianhai felt more and more energized.

He sprang up from the couch,

Holding his phone with both hands,

he carefully read each comment.

Excitedly, he liked every positive review!

But as he continued reading, Chen Jianhai's face darkened.

"In such a big hotel, I didn't see a single staff member, only the owner at the front desk. The restaurant door was locked. I highly suspect the hotel doesn't provide breakfast because they don't have a chef (shrug)."

"Honestly, the hotel is cheap, but there's no shower gel in the bathroom, only soap!?!"

"The facilities are outdated. The hotel's floor creaks as you walk."

"The garden and landscaping are poor, and the pool is average. But the swimming rings are quite new and nice. Hotel rating: 3 stars, 2 stars for the swimming rings."

"No doorman!!! Seriously, no doorman."

"Other than the lobby being somewhat eye-catching, the hotel's facilities are ridiculously lacking. The only good view is the sea."

"Sigh, you get what you pay for. Compared to five-star hotels like Yuemei, it's really lacking. But for a hundred bucks a night, it's not a bad deal."

Chen Jianhai's eyes flashed with anger.

A night to play around?

Not a bad deal??

I'm already losing money here!!!

The bed alone is worth more than the stay, okay!

I'll curse you all to death, you idiots!

Gritting his teeth,

Chen Jianhai's eyes were red,

Replying under each negative comment:

"Dear guest, hello!

We sincerely thank you for choosing to stay at Langai Hotel.

We apologize for not providing a perfect stay experience and leaving a bad impression. We will continuously improve our services and work capabilities to ensure your satisfaction (*￣︶￣)."

...

Throwing his phone onto the couch in frustration.

Chen Jianhai had to face the reality: the hotel was severely understaffed!!!

Old employees had resigned.

New employees couldn't be hired. Right now, the entire hotel was relying on him alone, which was unsustainable.

"If only there were employees who didn't want anything in return, only wanted to work; didn't want a salary, only wanted to contribute..."

As he pondered, Chen Jianhai's eyes suddenly lit up, looking at his good brother.

"Xu Bo, didn't you just say you wanted to be the head chef at my hotel? Were you serious?"

"Not at all!"

Xu Bo didn't even lift his eyelids, directly rejecting Chen Jianhai.

Chen Jianhai: ???

"You didn't say that just now!"

Xu Bo's lips curled into a "scumbag smile," saying:

"I was just venting to you guys. Did you take it seriously?"

"I'm not going to abandon my family's big business to be your chef. If my dad knew, he'd break my legs."

"Besides, my family has already enrolled me in a school abroad. I have to study economics. I don't have the time."

"But if you're really short on staff, I can introduce someone to you."

Chen Jianhai curiously asked, "Who?"

Xu Bo said, "I have a friend,"

"He's a good buddy I met at the Culinary Association."

"He's known as the Crazy Noodle King, Noodle Maniac, and a hardcore pastry enthusiast. Like me, he hasn't found a job yet. If you need someone, I can introduce him."

"Oh."

Chen Jianhai lost interest upon hearing the guy's nicknames.

Crazy Noodle King, Noodle Maniac, and hardcore pastry enthusiast...

None of these names sounded serious.

What skilled chef would have such childish nicknames?

"Hey! You don't believe me, do you!"

Xu Bo got angry, sitting up from the couch, and said:

"I'll have him report to you tomorrow. You can test his cooking skills."