Chapter 52

Chapter 52

The hot pot restaurant's business took off, while Xiang Xiang Stir-Fry Restaurant’s business started slipping.

They were both restaurants, so having a new restaurant open across the street was bound to have an impact.

Previously, Xiang Xiang would have customers queuing outside by noon, but on the very night the hot pot restaurant was packed, the Fat Manager noticed something was wrong.

The place was usually packed, but now only half the tables were taken.

Seeing the sparse crowd, the Fat Manager grew anxious: "What's going on?"

A waiter, Xiao Zhang, gestured across the street with a frown: "They've all gone over there. I've been watching for a while—as soon as the other place opened, several tables were filled, and now it’s nearly full."

The Fat Manager glanced outside and saw the bustling scene at the opposite restaurant, even with signs of a forming queue. Even on his busiest days, he’d never seen anything like it.

"What's happening?" he grumbled. It wasn’t like business had been this good at noon. "Go check it out."

Since the restaurants faced each other, the staff at Zhang Mingqing's place naturally recognized those from Xiang Xiang. Xiao Zhang barely had time to scan the opposite storefront before Song Xia shut him down. Left with no choice, Xiao Zhang asked a few college students nearby and got the scoop on their promotion—giving away free soup base with orders.

"For how long?"

"It’s not for everyone. They said it's only for the first week of opening, and you need a flyer to qualify."

So they were undercutting prices. The Fat Manager gritted his teeth. "We’ll give something too. Anyone who comes to eat gets a little dish of braised beef—scratch that, make it wood ear salad."

Braised beef would’ve cost too much—no way they could swing that.

Soon, Xiang Xiang Stir-Fry Restaurant started its own deal: a free plate of cold-tossed wood ear mushrooms for diners that week.

Business improved slightly over the following days, but only because the hot pot restaurant was so packed that some customers, couldn’t snag a seat and didn’t want to wander far, settled for the quieter stir-fry place across the street.

Lu Zhanrong was one of them.

The hot pot restaurant had opened a few days prior, but he only found out at noon that day. He had no idea the place would blow up this fast.

By the time he arrived, the restaurant was already packed, and yet again, he was too late.

After days of hype, most students in the area had heard about the place, and even nearby residents came to check it out. As a result, the restaurant was swamped during meal times.

Bummed about missing out on hot pot, Lu Zhanrong ended up at Xiang Xiang instead—just in time for their free wood ear mushroom promotion.

The mushrooms were free, but the quality was subpar—too big and obviously cheap stuff.

Indeed, Xiang Xiang had previously purchased a batch of low-grade wood ear mushrooms that hadn’t sold well. The Fat Manager figured this was his chance to clear inventory while appearing generous.

But he didn’t expect someone like Lu Zhanrong—a total food snob.

After one bite of the mushrooms, Lu Zhanrong lost all interest in the rest of the meal. The food was just meh, so he figured he’d just wait and come back early for dinner to secure a spot.

It was Saturday, and dinner service started at 4:30 p.m. Lu Zhanrong arrived early and was among the first in line.

Since he brought his girlfriend, the restaurant offered them a small hot pot—a rare sight, and the staff cheerfully directed them to pick their own skewers.

"Will you keep offering these small pots after the promotion?" Lu Zhanrong’s girlfriend asked.

Such tiny pots were unusual in Sichuan-style hot pot restaurants, but they were pretty smart, actually.

These pots were leftovers from Zhang Mingqing’s failed restaurant venture, which was originally meant for stew dishes. The business didn’t take off, leaving a lot of kitchenware unused. So they repurposed them into small hotpot pots, which are perfect for one or two people. There weren’t any solo diners in the shop, but plenty of young couples.

"Yes, we’ll keep offering them in the future. The broth for these small pots costs less too."

His girlfriend said excitedly, "This is my first time seeing such a fun way to eat. They charge per skewer—each one has a set price. Check out this little pot? It’s just right for one or two people, and the broth isn’t expensive either. If you bail on me next time, I can just come alone."

This setup is perfect for students, Lu Zhanrong thought to himself.

Other restaurants charge a lot just for the broth, serving a huge pot regardless of how many people there are.

The hotpot pots at this place are also unique, seemingly bought specifically for hotpot. The small pots are especially delicate, perfect for one or two people.

Lu Zhanrong just grunted. This place had caught his attention, but if it fell short, he wouldn’t be back. However, his girlfriend was in high spirits, rattling off which friends had already been here and what the shop’s signature dishes were.

"I heard the crispy pork and meatballs are especially good. The crispy pork’s three bucks a plate, fried fresh. Jingjing and the others had it for lunch and loved it. See that pot over there? That’s where they fry the crispy pork. Grab me a plate while I pick some stuff."

Lu Zhanrong huffed but went along with it, walking over to the crispy pork station.

The pork was fried to order. When someone ordered, it was tossed back in the oil for a quick ten-second crisp-up before being scooped out.

When customers arrived, the woman let them pick their own plate. Whichever one they chose, she’d scoop it into the fryer with a strainer. The amount going in was roughly the same as what came out, making sure no one felt shortchanged—pretty smart.

The woman frying the pork wore an apron and a mask, looking clean and professional.

"How much for a plate of crispy pork?" Lu Zhanrong asked.

"Three yuan."

The plate was stacked high, a solid portion. Lu Zhanrong arched a brow, grabbed a plate, and passed it over.

By now, more people had entered the shop, some specifically for the freshly fried crispy pork. As plates were taken from the rack, new ones quickly replaced them. Some folks just grabbed the pork to go, letting it cool slightly before packing it into small plastic bags.

Pretty slick.

When Lu Zhanrong returned with the crispy pork, his girlfriend had already brought back a small basket of ingredients.

"Guess what this ran me," she said excitedly, pointing at the food in the basket. "Just over five bucks! I also got some meatballs to try later. I heard their pork meatballs are really good too. Is the crispy pork ready?"

She took a piece and bit into it, her eyes gradually lighting up. "This crispy pork is amazing! Even though it’s all lean meat, the flavor is really good. The Sichuan pepper’s aromatic but not gritty—it gives a nice numbing sensation in your mouth. And it’s so fresh since it just came out of the fryer. Try a piece!"

Lu Zhanrong followed her lead, picking up a piece and chewing it.

The aftertaste was delightful, fried to perfection. The batter recipe was excellent—not greasy but not soggy either. Even picky Lu Zhanrong had to admit it was good. After eating several pieces, he started on the hotpot ingredients.

At first, he’d been ready to trash this place, determined not to give it a good review. But he soon realized he was wrong. For the price, this place held its own against fancy spots charging dozens per person. The only downside was the lack of beef or lamb, but most customers here were college students, and with an average spend of three to five yuan per person, it perfectly matched their budget.

The meal was thoroughly enjoyable, costing only a little over ten yuan in total.

"See? I told you it was delicious and affordable. Even at Xiangxiang, a decent meal costs about three yuan per person, but the taste can’t compare to hotpot," his girlfriend beamed. "What do you think?"

Lu Zhanrong smiled faintly. "Not bad at all."

Who knew about anyone else, but his girlfriend was already hyping their next visit, even though they wouldn’t have flyers for free broth anymore.

Lu Zhanrong also found himself reminiscing about the meal.

At this price, it was something people could enjoy regularly, and college students could definitely afford it.

As for the crispy pork, it's indeed great to take away as a snack. This is truly a treasure of a shop.

For Zhang Mingqing, poor business meant worrying about making a profit, while booming business meant stressing over how to serve these customers well.

Before six o'clock, the shop was already packed, with a crowd waiting outside.

Many grew impatient after waiting too long, and some started causing a scene at the entrance.

Among them were genuine customers, but there were also rivals looking to cause trouble under the guise of dissatisfaction.

Zhang Mingqing had never seen business this good before. Apart from verbally reassuring customers to be patient and wait, she had no other options. As time passed, the crowd grew, and hints of trouble began brewing, with signs of potential chaos.

"What's the deal? If you can't handle this many customers, don't issue so many coupons! We just wanted to take advantage of the promotion to have a meal, but now it sounds like you're trying to back out."

"Yeah, just close up shop already."

...These were clearly troublemakers.

No matter how much Zhang Mingqing tried to reason with them, they wouldn’t listen.

There were also real students who, after finally making the trip and waiting half an hour without a seat, were understandably annoyed.

Saturday afternoons had a lighter schedule at school, and Xu Meng, concerned about the business, wanted to check in. After dinner, she swung by the shop. She had been tied up at school for days and couldn’t come earlier. From afar, she saw a crowd gathered outside, with the shop completely full and many people standing by the entrance. She quickly biked over and found the place in chaos—workers were cleaning tables inside while more were being set up outside.

"You're here!" Zhang Mingqing greeted her warmly but was too busy to chat. "Look at this mess outside."

Even the boss herself had stepped in, standing at the entrance to help hand out queue numbers to waiting customers.

The servers were doing their best to turn tables quickly. As soon as a group finished and paid, at least two staff members would rush over—one clearing plates and bowls while the other wiped the table down with a large cloth. New diners could be seated right away.

The real issue was the chaos up front. Everyone at the entrance insisted they had arrived first.

Zhang Mingqing remembered some but not others, sparking arguments over who should be seated next. Even worse, sometimes a large table for six would be given to a couple, squandering a big table.

"This won’t do." Xu Meng grabbed a stack of order slips from the counter and pulled a pen from her pocket. "Let’s give out queue tickets. The shop has large, medium, and small tables, right? We’ll label them A, B, and C accordingly, with A being the largest."

Seeing Zhang Mingqing still confused, Xu Meng demonstrated. "Who’s next?"

Zhang Mingqing, who had a good memory for faces, pointed at someone. "Him!"

"How many in your party?" Xu Meng asked.

The man hesitated. "Two."

Xu Meng wrote "C01" on a slip and handed it to him.

At first, Zhang Mingqing didn’t get it, but as Xu Meng continued assigning slips—C02, C03, B01, A01, etc.—she suddenly understood. Xu Meng was numbering the customers, organizing the chaotic crowd into groups based on table size.

Then came the process of calling numbers.

As tables were cleared, they’d call out the next number in line, crossing it off the list. Skip your turn, lose your spot.

Soon, the chaos was under control.

In the meantime, Xu Meng called out to those waiting, "We also have hot-out-the-fryer crispy pork inside—it’s quick to serve, so you can grab some to snack on while you wait. Our crispy pork is fried fresh and tastes amazing."

Zhang Mingqing perked up. Why hadn’t she thought of promoting the crispy pork during the wait?

It was the shop’s biggest money-maker, even more so than the hot pot. Despite selling a large plate for just three yuan, the cost was likely only half that, and production was fast—fried up quick in batches and ready in no time.

The waiting crowd, bored out of their minds, perked up when they heard about quick-serve dishes they could eat right away, and felt tempted to try some.

That’s how the crispy fried pork started selling one portion after another.

You might think these students are broke—though they haven’t started working or earning yet, the surrounding universities are among the country’s top-tier institutions. Even if their families weren’t loaded to begin with, the scholarships and rewards they received upon admission were substantial. Except for those in particularly dire straits, most could swing eating out every week or two. But their spending power only stretched as far as places like Xiang Xiang Stir-Fry Restaurant, where a meal ran just three to five bucks a head.

With so many universities in the area and tens of thousands of students, the spending power was undeniable. Xu Meng wasn’t shocked by the booming business.

She had only intended to check in after the restaurant had been open for a few days, never expecting it to be this packed.

Meanwhile, some people, seeing the chaos gradually subside and their table number called, quietly ducked out with their friends.

Song Xia, after a long stretch of work, finally noticed Xu Meng helping outside and lit up. She turned to the nearby staff and said, “It’s her again. Thank goodness she came.”

A server chimed in, “No wonder things calmed down all of a sudden. So it’s because Xu Meng’s here. That girl’s got skills.”

Song Xia’s lips curled slightly. She really was—the moment she arrived, the whole atmosphere in the restaurant shifted.

————

Over at Xiang Xiang Stir-Fry Restaurant, Fat Manager smirked as he watched the chaos across the street.

Some of the troublemakers at the door were hired by him—hired troublemakers from the streets specifically brought in to stir up trouble.

The recent surge in business at the hotpot place had cut deep into Xiang Xiang’s business. As an ex-gang boss who knew all the dirty tricks, he knew just how to exploit the situation. These hired troublemakers made a scene right as customers tried to enter, all to frustrate Zhang Mingqing and keep her patrons stuck outside. The chaos had Zhang Mingqing scrambling.

Fat Manager crowed, “See? I told you women can’t handle business. If her place stays this chaotic, how long can this hype last? A few days, and the novelty will wear off—no one’ll bother going there anymore.”

Xiao Zhang, ever the sycophant, chimed in, “You’re absolutely right, boss. Watching those women run around like headless chickens is priceless. If they can’t hack it, they shouldn’t have tried, right?”

For some reason, his words didn’t land well. Fat Manager shot him a glare.

They leaned back to enjoy the show.

But even with the chaos at Zhang Mingqing’s place, business at Xiang Xiang Stir-Fry Restaurant showed no signs of picking up. The lunch crowd was thin, and dinner was even worse—many customers would rather queue up across the street than eat a ready-made meal at Xiang Xiang. This infuriated Fat Manager, who stormed back inside after lingering at the entrance and hurled a plate in anger.

On one hand, he wanted more people to flood the rival restaurant, worsening the disorder.

On the other, he wished those same customers would come to his place instead.

Fat Manager worked on commission—his earnings were directly tied to the restaurant’s revenue. So even as an employee, he took the slump as hard as the owner did.

But soon, he noticed the chaos across the street was subsiding.

The hired troublemakers, realizing they were outmatched, started bailing.

With them gone, normal customers started flowing back into the restaurant.

“Manager, look over there!” At the call, Fat Manager sprang to his feet and strode to the entrance.

Zhang Mingqing’s place was running like clockwork now. The earlier disorder had been reined in, and excess customers waited patiently in line outside. The first wave of diners had finished their meals, and the staff efficiently cleared tables, allowing more patrons to enter in an an organized manner.

Seeing this, those still in line grew less restless.

Having waited this long, a little more time didn’t bother them.

Some, too hungry and impatient, simply went inside to order crispy fried pork, then sat on small stools by the entrance, munching as they waited. With food in their mouths, the wait felt less agonizing—some even kicked back and started a card game.

“What the hell’s happening?” Fat Manager snapped.

Zhang had been watching from the shop entrance and saw everything clearly: "A girl just arrived at their shop. She looked familiar—the moment she arrived, the chaos stopped. I could tell she was the one calling the shots."

Sure enough, there was a young girl, about seventeen or eighteen years old, standing at the entrance. She had arrived without drawing any attention—Fat Manager hadn’t even noticed her arrival.

She multitasked—chatting with customers while occasionally passing out small slips of paper.

Most waiting customers would go inside to order some fried pork bites, then come out to eat while they waited. Gradually, the crowd grew less anxious.

Fat Manager asked, "Who is she? Is she one of their staff?"

Zhang shook his head. "Doesn’t seem like it. She was there during the opening day too—she was the one who had them set up the hotpot outside."

Ah, so it’s her. Fat Manager finally understood—this was the person who had helped Zhang Mingqing with the seasoning.

When it came to key personnel from the rival shop, Fat Manager had only one strategy: Money talks—just throw cash at them to steal their talent.