Chapter 344: Volunteering
“Not only that, but I also know that Du Quan was the person in charge who rejected you.” Su Henian smiled.
“That seems to be the name.” Qin Lang became even more surprised.
He remembered that the person who rejected him indeed had that name, which made him wonder why Su Henian knew such a trivial detail.
“You don’t have to be surprised.” Su Henian saw Qin Lang’s confusion and his expression turned serious. “I know because Du Quan has been fired.”
“And the reason he was fired was because he rejected your job application.”
“When you won the Dongxia City Cooking Championship, someone at the Breeze Restaurant in Dongxia City recognized you as the guy who had been rejected by Du Quan during a job interview without even testing your cooking skills.”
“Du Quan naturally had to take responsibility for this negligence.”
“Of course, if it were only this, he would not have been fired, he would have only been demoted. But Du Quan already had many problems, and the accumulation of these mistakes led to his dismissal.”
“The branches of the Breeze Restaurant shared this information as a warning to other branches to pay more attention to outstanding Spirit Chefs and not to judge a chef by their seniority.”
“Alt Hui happened to mention you to me, so naturally I knew that you were the Genius Spirit Chef who got Du Quan fired.”
“This…” Qin Lang’s expression changed from surprise to intrigue. “So that’s the hidden story behind it.”
He couldn’t help but sigh.
It seemed that the Breeze Restaurant’s ability to open branches in various cities and become a top player in the catering industry had its reasons.
The previous incident with Du Quan was just an example.
“Speaking of which, this is good news for me as well.” A smile appeared on Su Henian’s face as if he had remembered something amusing. “Last year, I was managing the Breeze Restaurant in Dongxia City.”
“At the time, Du Quan and I were on the same level, and we were competitors. His arrogant and conceited personality greatly annoyed me. Our relationship became very tense, and when a transfer opportunity came, I applied for it.” “Mingjing Province is a new market for the Breeze Restaurant. Here, I can flex my muscles and better use my talents.” Su Henian’s eyes sparkled as he said this.
“Not having to work with that annoying guy anymore has really lightened my load.”
However, he scratched his head awkwardly right after, “but this meant that I could not see Alt Hui and Su Zhi every day.”
“Su Zhi misses you.” Thinking of the first time Su Zhi mentioned her father, the faint sadness in her eyes, Qin Lang couldn’t help but remind him.
This couple, they both seemed like workaholics.
“I know.” Guilt appeared on Su Henian’s face. “But after I finish this Qualification Battle, I will be able to catch my breath. It would be a good choice to go back to Dongxia City or have them come here.”
“What exactly is the Qualification Battle?” Qin Lang couldn’t help but ask.
This was the second time Su Henian had mentioned it.
“The Qualification Battle… It’s a bit complicated.” Su Henian thought for a moment, then looked at Qin Lang. “Do you know about the Tower of Food?” “I just learned about it today.” Qin Lang nodded.
“In that case, explaining it will be easier.” Su Henian laughed, though a trace of helplessness could be seen in his smile. “Ever since I came to Mingjing Province, I chose Ye Zhi City as the location for our branch, with the support of our headquarters.”
“Speaking of which, this is related to the ‘Zhi’ character in Ye Zhi City.” Su Henian laughed and continued, “The Breeze Restaurant has been operating in Tianhua State for many years, but it has little foundation in Mingjing Province.”
“A Dragon Crossing the River.” Qin Lang nodded in understanding.
“That’s a good way to describe it, it’s basically that.” Su Henian nodded. “So, it’s not easy for the newly-arrived Breeze Restaurant to make its name known and attract local Food Guests.”
“On the one hand, there are already many high-end restaurants here, many of which are no less excellent than the Breeze Restaurant in terms of dishes.”
“On the other hand, Ye Zhi City has a different situation from Dongxia City. Here, there is a Food Competition Arena, the Tower of Food, established under the leadership of a local Second-Level Food Recommender.” Su Henian’s expression became serious as he mentioned this.
“For food guests, the Tower of Food is a must-visit Food Holy Land in Ye Zhi City. But for restaurant owners, it’s a place of intense competition.”
“If the Breeze Restaurant wants to establish itself in Ye Zhi City, we must leave our mark in the Tower of Food, climbing up to the highest floor step by step.”
“But for a restaurant to appear in the Tower of Food, it’s not that simple. There are quite tedious requirements.”
“Not only will they consider the culinary skills of the restaurant, but also factors such as Comprehensive Dish Level, Local Operating Time, Position-holding Situation, etc.”
“Just a short while ago, our Breeze Restaurant finally met all the requirements. Next, we need to challenge a restaurant already established in the Tower of Food.”
“As newcomers, this is a necessary step.”
“If we win the Qualification Battle, we will be awarded a spot in the Tower of Food, and the challenged restaurant will lose its position in the Tower.”
“On the contrary, if we lose the Qualification Battle, the Breeze Restaurant will not have a place in the Tower of Food, and we will not be able to initiate another Qualification Battle within a year.”
“I see.” After hearing this, Qin Lang had understood the essence of the Qualification Battle.
It’s a necessary route for new restaurants to enter the Tower of Food, similar to a Ranking Competition.
However, he quickly furrowed his brow, “Uncle Su, did I just hear you say that the head chef at your restaurant is sick and hospitalized?”
“Yes.” Su Henian’s eyes dimmed a bit, a hint of helplessness on his face. “Just recently, our chef, who was supposed to compete, fell ill and was hospitalized. And the Qualification Battle is tomorrow.”
“If you lose, does that mean the Breeze Restaurant will not be able to enter the Tower of Food for at least a year?” Qin Lang asked seriously.
“According to the rules of the Tower of Food, that’s correct.” Su Henian nodded, “As newcomers, there’s no way our Breeze Restaurant can challenge the rules set by a Second-Level Food Recommender.”
“The restaurant will probably have to arrange for another Spirit Chef to step in.”
“It’s difficult…” Su Henian sighed. “In Tianhua State, every branch of the Breeze Restaurant employs at least two outstanding chefs. But this newly- started branch in Mingjing Province only has that hospitalized chef who is an outstanding chef. Most of the others are assistant chefs, with not many even at the excellent level.”
Now, Qin Lang understood the difficulties facing Su Henian.
Without a suitable Spirit Chef to step in, the outcome of tomorrow’s Qualification Battle was clear.
If the Breeze Restaurant lost this time, Uncle Su would probably be very busy after that.
Thinking of the young girl in Tianhua State who missed her father, Qin Lang sighed in his heart.
“Uncle, can I help?”