Chapter 509: Deserve to Be Single Forever

"Crazy?!" 

"That's how you responded to her?" 

That afternoon, after hearing about Little Lang's "glorious" incident, Xu Bo almost spat out his cola. 

"Yeah!" Little Lang slammed his cola cup on the table. 

"What's wrong with her? She comes to my restaurant every day to pick on me, and then she wants me to have a meal with her?!" 

"I should be her damn servant!" 

"I'm a grill master, not a dining companion." 

"She's got some nerve!" 

Chen Jianhai nodded in deep agreement! 

Xu Bo looked at Chen Jianhai in shock: "I'm talking about him, why are you nodding?!" 

Chen Jianhai replied, "Because my brother Lang did the right thing! I'd have done the same." 

Seeing Xu Bo's confused expression, Chen Jianhai spoke righteously: 

"It's like this: I run a hotel, working hard every day to serve guests." 

"But instead of respecting my work, a guest opens the door and asks me to sleep with her at night. It's the same logic!" 

"That's why my brother Lang has a good temper. If it were me, I'd have cursed her out long ago!" 

"Who does she think she is?!" 

"I run a hotel, not a brothel!" 

Little Lang: "Exactly!" 

Xu Bo: ... "Are these even the same thing?!" 

Little Lang: "What's not the same about it? It's the same thing!" 

Chen Jianhai: "Exactly!" 

Xu Bo looked at his two brothers with a headache, feeling for the first time in his life that he couldn't get through to them. 

"You two deserve to be single forever!" 

Little Lang scoffed: "Hmph, who cares~" 

Xu Bo glanced at Little Lang, took a deep breath, suppressed his frustration, and asked: 

"After you cursed her out, what happened next?" 

"Then she smiled at me... Damn it!" 

Little Lang looked as if he had been deeply insulted, his face turning red with anger. 

"Try that with someone else!" 

"If she weren't a woman, I'd have punched her already." 

"Damn it!" 

Xu Bo closed his eyes, feeling his head buzzing. 

After calming down for a while, Xu Bo took a deep breath and tried to guide Little Lang patiently: 

"You cursed her out, and she still smiled at you. What more do you want?" 

Little Lang: "I don't want anything from her!" 

"Brother Hai said that as a boss, I should be magnanimous and not stoop to the level of difficult customers. So I didn't say a word and just walked away." 

Chen Jianhai slapped the table emphatically: "Exactly! We men need to be tolerant." 

"There are plenty of picky customers out there. We need to learn to be magnanimous!" 

With that, Chen Jianhai and Little Lang high-fived each other, 

exuding a sense of brotherly camaraderie. 

Magnanimous my foot... 

"Wen Zifan must be blind to have fallen for you." 

Xu Bo cursed silently in his heart. 

At the "Sai Shang Xiao Chu" restaurant in Rainbow Mall on Cloud Road in Zaomen City, 

Chen Jianhai, Xu Bo, and Little Lang were sitting together, a rare occasion. 

Since becoming the head chef at Lang'ai Hotel, Xu Bo had been living a life of non-stop hard work. 

Every time Chen Jianhai opened a new hotel, Xu Bo would pack up his pots and pans and travel to the new location, working day and night, tirelessly ensuring the quality and dishes of the hotel's dining services.

Recently, 

Chen Jianhai had been busy with various contract signings, 

while Xu Bo had been occupied with developing dishes and recipes for the seven restaurants at Lion Castle Hotel. 

It was only today that they finally caught a break and took a rare day off. 

"By the way, Da Bo, how's your competition preparation going?" Chen Jianhai asked. 

Since the last Nanjiang City Five-Star Hotel Chef Competition, Xu Bo had been fully preparing for the Annual Gourmet Festival Chef Competition, often staying up late in the kitchen to brainstorm and develop new dishes. 

To be honest, 

even though the two of them lived and worked in the same hotel, 

Chen Jianhai felt like he hadn't seen Xu Bo in almost two months. 

"It's still early. The competition isn't until winter," Xu Bo said, taking a bite of mapo tofu. 

"Do your best." Chen Jianhai nodded and said: 

"Now that we have three hotels, you, as the head chef, can't stay in just one hotel forever." 

"After you finish the Gourmet Festival Chef Competition, I'll work on some channels to promote your reputation." 

As he spoke, Chen Jianhai shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth and continued: 

"Actually, I wanted to promote you after you won first place at the Nanjiang Five-Star Hotel Chef Competition." 

"But that competition was too small and local, so the prestige wasn't high enough." 

"Promoting it wouldn't have had much impact, and the reputation wouldn't have been strong enough." 

"After you finish this Gourmet Festival, I'll promote you with ads and campaigns. We'll make videos, run promotions," 

"If necessary, we'll see if we can get you an honorary guest professorship at some top culinary school, and promote your signature dishes and achievements." 

"This way," 

"Whenever you're at a hotel, the website will note that Chef Johnny is currently there, and guests can enjoy his classic dishes during their stay." 

Chen Jianhai spoke while popping a peanut into his mouth, his tone serious. 

"...Or maybe we won't note it on the website," 

"Once your reputation grows, people might start asking if you're at the hotel." 

"This way, it's like opening a blind box. Maybe the effect will be even better." 

"But these are all things to consider later." 

"For now, just focus on your noodles and recipes in the kitchen. I'll handle the rest." 

Xu Bo frowned slightly: "Isn't that a bit too high-profile?" 

"And our hotel kitchen is full of talented people. If we're promoting someone, there are plenty of candidates." 

"Aside from the bakers and sushi chefs," 

"just the plating skills of the 'Great Effort' themed dishes are enough to build the hotel's reputation." 

"Everyone's been working hard..." 

Xu Bo fell silent for a moment, then said: "Hai Zi, when it comes to fame and honors, let the others go first." 

"I don't mind." 

Chen Jianhai shook his head and looked deeply at Xu Bo. 

You don't mind, but I do! 

When he was at his lowest, it was Xu Bo who gave up studying abroad and brought a truckload of pots and pans to help him at the hotel. 

Without Xu Bo, his hotel wouldn't be where it is today. 

Whether out of public or private concern, he was determined to provide Xu Bo with the best kitchen environment and help him become the greatest hotel chef, no matter the cost! 

But~ 

While that's what he thought, he couldn't say it out loud. 

Chen Jianhai picked up a piece of pork belly and tossed it into his mouth, saying: 

"Although there are many talented people in our kitchen, you're the only one who's won awards and built a reputation." 

"The 'Great Effort' plating is highly praised, but it's also very region-specific." 

"Once you leave Little Horse Armor Island, without the freshest octopus and seafood, his dishes won't attract anyone, no matter how beautifully they're presented." 

Hearing this, Xu Bo also fell silent. 

Chen Jianhai continued: 

"Compared to them, your flexibility is clearly an advantage." 

"Whether in Nanjiang, Little Horse Armor Island, or Lion Castle Hotel, as long as you have a dough board, you can make noodles." 

"That's something none of them can match." 

Chen Jianhai laid out the facts and reasoned with Xu Bo one by one. 

Xu Bo initially held a negative attitude, but as he listened, his expression showed hesitation. 

Chen Jianhai added: 

"The bakers, platers, steak chefs, and soup masters are all my employees, and I'll promote them heavily in the future too." 

"But when it comes to dishes, whether in the kitchen or in promotions, there needs to be a core focus." 

"And that core responsibility can only fall on you." 

"...Alright." 

Seeing Chen Jianhai's earnest expression, Xu Bo took a deep breath and nodded. 

At this point, Little Lang, who had been quietly gnawing on a bone, spoke up. 

"Isn't this a good thing? Da Bo, why are you being so indecisive? It's like Brother Hai is putting you on the spot." 

Xu Bo sighed: 

"My dad always told me that in business, the worst thing is to achieve success by stepping on the hard work of others." 

"I'm worried that Hai Zi promoting me so much will make the others uncomfortable and eventually affect the hotel." 

"Let's not talk about this anymore." Xu Bo paused and said: 

"Recently, the dining services at Lion Castle Hotel have been running smoothly. The Lang'ai Hotel Beverage Industry Exchange and Discussion Conference is about to start, so I'll be heading back to Nanjiang by the day after tomorrow at the latest."

"Since there will be many attendees at this international conference, I suggest we consolidate our resources and bring our best staff back to Lang'ai Hotel to focus on providing excellent service."

"As for the restaurants at Lion Castle Hotel, I've already made all the necessary arrangements. Everything will proceed as usual."

Chen Jianhai nodded: "Good! The kitchen and dining services are entirely your responsibility. You can reassign staff as needed."

"When you leave, I'll go with you." 

Hearing their conversation, Little Lang quickly interjected: 

"You're both going back to Nanjiang? Then I'm coming too!" 

Chen Jianhai: "How can you go? You've got this huge East Sea Dragon Palace here. If you leave, that picky customer will cause chaos!" 

Little Lang's face immediately darkened. 

"Do I care about her?!" 

"Brother Hai, you're running three hotels. Now that I have two businesses, can't I go check on my old place?!" 

"Besides, I still have connections on Little Horse Armor Island. I need to go back and see." 

"I can't just let the hard-earned territory slip away!" 

Xu Bo looked at Little Lang, once again showing the expression of a helpless father. 

After the meal, the three walked out of the restaurant and took the elevator to the first floor. 

On the first floor, directly opposite Little Lang's East Sea Dragon Palace BBQ, a large area was tightly enclosed by construction barriers from "Ocean Star Luxury Decoration Company." 

On the outside, it read: "Summer Momo Opening Soon, Stay Tuned!" 

Thanks to the joint efforts of Lin Suyang, Zhu Songzhou, and others, Summer Momo Coffee had successfully entered Zaomen's Rainbow Mall and Nanjiang's Yuanbao Mall. 

As the亲儿子 of his hotel chain, 

Chen Jianhai was determined to make it succeed. 

Recently, aside from the mall入驻 he negotiated with Zhu Songzhou, he had also tasked Lin Suyang with scouting locations in office buildings and bustling streets in Nanjiang and Zaomen, leasing over twenty stores to spread Summer Momo Coffee like a web across the beverage market. 

Electronic screens at subway stations, bus stops, and malls were all plastered with Zhu Tingting's Summer Momo ads. 

Almost overnight, 

Summer Momo and Zhu Tingting forcefully entered the lives of Nanjiang and Zaomen residents. 

Moreover, Chen Jianhai allocated a significant portion of the publicity budget to upgrade and expand the Summer Momo Coffee app, continuously strengthening the "Daily Coupons" feature to ensure that every user saw a plethora of coupons when they opened the app. 

Unlike his steady approach to running hotels, 

Chen Jianhai was determined to challenge Yue Xinyuan head-on, ready to fight for market share. 

After all, while there are many strong hotels in a region, there are only one or two coffee shops that can withstand competition. 

If he could punch harder, he might just carve out a piece of the market! 

In short: Bring it on! 

"Sigh... Good thing I signed those two contracts and made some money!" 

Chen Jianhai looked at the under-construction Summer Momo Coffee shop, feeling a pang of regret. 

If it weren't for the contracts with the nursing home and Little Fortune God, he might not have been willing to spend so much on rent and advertising fees.

After all, no matter how you look at it, Lion Castle Hotel is still operating at a loss.

With few guests checking in and now a fat guy, Jin, coming to freeload meals every day, the expenses have increased.

Plus, there are so many employees to support, and the budget for the next batch of employees' overseas training is already on his desk, waiting for his approval.

Next year, there will also be tuition fees to reimburse for employees returning from further studies.

The money earned is substantial, but the expenses are always greater. 

Looking down at his "Real Man" knockoff clothes, Chen Jianhai sighed quietly. 

Actually, pure cotton clothes are quite comfortable to wear. 

... 

While Chen Jianhai, Little Lang, and Xu Bo were wrapping up their work in Zaomen and preparing to return to Nanjiang together, 

at the Sunset Bar of Jasmine Hotel on Little Horse Armor Island, 

Lu Bin, dressed in a gentlemanly bartender's outfit, polished his cocktail shiner until it sparkled. 

Since arriving on Little Horse Armor Island, Lu Bin had brought his wife along and started living a vacation-like life here. 

Since joining Lang'ai Hotel, Lu Bin's life had been nothing short of fantastic. 

As a hotel employee, he didn't even need to buy a house; he could simply live in the hotel's staff dormitory. 

And since he was married, he was allocated a private room. 

Although it was a staff dormitory, given the hotel's scale and rating, the room wasn't much worse than a guest room.

Plus, with three free meals a day, he could happily pursue his passion for mixology while earning some extra income.

He often woke up laughing from his dreams.

Since arriving at the Sunset Bar on Little Horse Armor Island, he had fallen deeply in love with the place. Every day, he would raise a cocktail of a different color to the sunset, viewing the colorful world through the foam of the alcohol.

Today, like usual, Lu Bin mixed himself a purple cocktail, just about to raise it to the sunset when his phone rang.

"Johnny-ge?"

"Alright, got it. I'll be back the day after tomorrow."