Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Xu Meng pitched in at the front counter for half an hour. Seeing the crowd gradually stabilize, she chatted with Zhang Mingqing beside her and learned that business had been booming these past few days, with at least a hundred tables served daily.

"Today’s Saturday, and it’s the dinner rush, so there are even more people," Zhang Mingqing said, her lips quirking into a small smile.

With business thriving, her mind had settled somewhat.

She had been the busiest these past few days, but she felt no exhaustion—as if she were running on fumes. Money truly was humanity’s best motivator. "Once I get things in order here, I’ll properly calculate the accounts in a few days. Don’t worry, your commission and pay for the spice blends won’t be a penny short."

Her words flustered Xu Meng, who quickly clarified, "I didn’t come here to ask for money! I just wanted to see how business was going after the opening."

Another group of customers arrived. Zhang Mingqing asked how many in their group, wrote them a slip, and handed them a number to wait for their turn. Seeing that diners inside were gradually finishing up and leaving, and that the staff, though busy, were working in an orderly manner, the waiting customers remained calm and patient. Soon enough, several tables were called in, putting the waiting customers at ease.

Zhang Mingqing silently admired the situation, thinking to herself that she had truly found a lucky charm. She regarded Xu Meng with even greater respect.

When she first met her, she had only seen a pretty young girl. But as she got to know Xu Meng better, she gradually recognized what set her apart—excellent academic performance, superb cooking chops, and a quick wit.

Someone like her would land on her feet anywhere.

Zhang Mingqing’s face lit up. "I was just teasing you. Look how well business is going—I don’t even have time to think about anything else right now except getting everything in order. By the way, isn’t today Saturday? Shouldn’t you be at school?"

"Saturday isn’t as strict. The school thinks we’ve been working too hard, so Saturday night study sessions are optional now. I just wanted to stop by and check on things before heading back—I didn’t expect it to be this busy here." Busy was good—busy meant profits.

Before Zhang Mingqing could say more, Song Xia rushed out from inside.

"What’s wrong?"

"We’re running low on broth seasoning," Song Xia stammered, initially addressing Zhang Mingqing before quickly turning to Xu Meng upon seeing her. "Business has been way better than we expected—we accidentally used up all the spice stock."

Xu Meng was stunned. She hadn’t left much when she last visited.

She had assumed a newly opened shop wouldn’t attract so many customers…

Luckily, she had come today. Otherwise, halfway through service, they would’ve had to tell waiting customers they were out of hotpot base—talk about a customer service nightmare!

Xu Meng no longer had the mood to chat. She hurried to the kitchen in the back. Fortunately, she had instructed Liu Jingyuan to prepare the beef fat in advance, and it was already rendered, likely waiting for her to make the seasoning. Seizing the opportunity, Xu Meng prepared four fresh batches before leaving. By the time she finished, it was quite late.

But the place was still packed. Since Xu Meng couldn’t stay out too late, she bid farewell to Zhang Mingqing and pedaled home.

The distance from the university district to her current residence was farther than to her school, and with it being nighttime, Xu Meng pedaled more slowly.

Just as she left the university area, she got the feeling she was being followed.

When she slowed down, they slowed down.

When she sped up, they sped up to keep pace.

Having been tailed by Xu Jiefang before, Xu Meng knew better than to take shortcuts now. She deliberately stuck to main roads.

Yet, like gum stuck to her shoe, the person persistently kept up with her.

Finally, Xu Meng had enough. She angrily wrenched her bike to a stop—only to see Han Jiming standing not far away, smiling at her.

"It’s just you?" Xu Meng pressed a hand to her chest, visibly relieved.

Han Jiming’s eyes danced with laughter. "You’re so skittish. I’ve been calling your name—I thought you were deliberately avoiding me."

Why would I deliberately avoid him!

Xu Meng shot him a reproachful glance, her eyes shimmering like autumn waters, making hearts flutter.

Han Jiming's face instantly flushed red-hot, and he struggled to avert his gaze, his voice tightening slightly: "I just got out of school and saw you busy in the shop. I didn't want to bother you then, so I thought I’d wait until you came out. But I ended up chatting with someone for a bit, and by the time I looked up, you'd disappeared. If I hadn’t chased after you on my bike, I might not have caught up at all."

His voice was deep and pleasant, and Xu Meng couldn’t help but smile faintly. Earlier, she had been tense, thinking she was being followed, and though she’d heard someone calling her, she hadn’t paid much attention.

The intersection was crowded, so they decided to walk their bikes instead.

"Excuse me, wait a moment!" Someone called from behind—it was the Fat Manager.

With his round head, round eyes, and always smiling, he wasn’t the type to easily provoke dislike. If Xu Meng hadn’t known his true nature, she might have found him amiably simple, a harmless, good-natured guy.

The Fat Manager hurried forward with a smile, handing Xu Meng a business card. "Hello, hello! I’m the manager of Xiangxiang Catering Company. May I have your name?"

Xu Meng didn’t take the card. With Han Jiming by her side, she felt completely confident.

"No need for the card," she said coolly. "What is it?"

The Fat Manager’s smile faltered for a moment before quickly returning. "Our catering company is expanding and looking for top talent. I was wondering if you’d be interested in joining us. Rest assured, we'd pay double what you’re getting at Boss Zhang’s place."

He had been following Xu Meng for a while, only slowing his pace when Han Jiming appeared.

He had observed her closely—her simple attire didn’t suggest wealth, but the young man beside her seemed different, from his clothes to his bearing, clearly not an ordinary person.

Yet, in his mind, he was convinced she was like all the other chefs he’d poached before—someone who’d follow him eagerly for the right price.

Xu Meng narrowed her eyes slightly, pretending interest. "Your company must be quite formidable. Besides the shop near the university, how many other branches do you have?"

The Fat Manager was taken aback. Most cooks would ask about pay first—how much they’d earn, how many days off they’d get.

When he didn’t respond immediately, Xu Meng pressed on. "Looks like my question stumped you. Never mind then. Goodbye."

She'd figured out his game—targeting only the core staff from Zhang Mingqing’s shop.

What happened to them after they were poached clearly wasn’t his concern.

If this were just normal competition, why was he so fixated on Zhang Mingqing? What made her shop so special?

The Fat Manager clearly hadn’t expected such a question. Flustered, he stepped in front of Xu Meng and started rambling: "Our boss has great connections. We’ll definitely open many more stores in the future. If you join now, I can even ask him to consider giving you a stake. Trust me, that shop owner across the street doesn’t have the same backing. You won’t regret working for our boss."

Seeing the man’s actions, Han Jiming frowned but remained silent, his good manners keeping him quiet.

Xu Meng suddenly laughed, putting on an innocent look: "Your boss is opening a hot pot restaurant too?"

The Fat Manager eagerly nodded. "Yes, yes! Interested? We’ll offer even better terms."

Some lousy stir-fry place, yet he'd talked so many cooks into jumping ship with empty promises. Were they all that dumb? Xu Meng thought angrily, though her smile never wavered.

She hated this kind of dirty competition most.

"No."

"What?"

"You don't even have a real restaurant, what makes you think you can poach me? I'm not brainless—I know exactly what you're up to. You lure me over with a high offer now, then drive the competition out of business. As for where I’d earn money afterward, that’s none of your concern."

Xu Meng rolled her eyes. "Do I look stupid to you?"

Her expression clearly said, "You done? Because I don’t want to hear it."

Han Jiming was amused by her expression, though his gaze toward Fat Manager grew noticeably impatient.

Fat Manager glanced at Xu Meng, then at Han Jiming, before tossing out a final, "Just wait and see."

Xu Meng watched him leave, then muttered once he was out of earshot, "What, they think I'm an idiot?"

Unlike those other suckers who thought they’d hit the jackpot.

Han Jiming chuckled. "Yeah, you’re smart."

He meant it sincerely.

And it dawned on him why he liked Xu Meng and enjoyed her company. Unlike the people he’d known before, she wasn’t scheming or complicated. That didn’t mean she wasn’t clever—she just didn’t do those infuriating, fake-smart moves.

Growing up, he’d been surrounded by people trying to curry favor, some even skilled at reading his every thought. But dealing with them was exhausting.

They liked to analyze him, and he hated being analyzed.

Xu Meng wasn’t like that. She didn't put on airs, spoke her mind, and never bothered with flattery. If someone like Sun Miao rubbed her the wrong way, she’d just tell them off straight up.

She was interesting—just different from everyone else!

————

Fat Manager hadn’t expected to fail this time. This girl wasn’t like the others.

The chefs he’d poached before had all got benched before being dismissed.

Causing trouble for him wasn’t easy either—with so many people in the store, anyone trying to make a scene would have to weigh their own strength.

After Xu Meng’s rejection, Fat Manager considered many tactics, including hiring new chefs. He even thought about switching to a hotpot business. But after years in the food industry, he knew the market was already dominated by the opposite shop. Their own store was smaller, and trying to compete would only make them cannon fodder.

As the days dragged on, Xiang Xiang’s business kept bleeding customers.

He could stay calm, but his boss couldn’t.

Keeping the store open meant huge daily expenses—rent, utilities, wages, and ingredients that would spoil. Soon, news broke that Xiang Xiang had served expired food, triggering protests at the school. Even without social media, the news traveled fast—students’ families, locals in the city, gathered outside Xiang Xiang to protest. Even bribes couldn’t stop it. Once the scandal blew up, fewer customers came.

The proprietress summoned him and tore into him: "I hired you to work, not to sit around! You’re a grown man—can’t you think of something? If we’re hit with food safety issues, why not sneak some flies into their store to give them some payback?"

The manager winced. "Boss’s wife, it’s not that I don’t want to, but students can’t be trusted. If word gets out, we’re finished. I’ve tried hiring some outside help, but they got caught the moment they tried anything."

The proprietress wanted the rival store, not a gangster move.

If he actually tried something like that, he’d be locked up the next day—maybe even done for disturbing the peace. That was no joke. No paycheck's worth doing time.

"Boss’s wife, how about we check out other locations?"

"No. This is the one I want. Period."

The Portly Manager cursed inwardly at the boss lady for being out of her mind—competing for a man was one thing, but trying to drive him into the ground? Did she even know her own background? Though he thought this, he still respectfully retreated from her office with a submissive tone.

The rival shop was bustling with customers, while Xiangxiang's reputation was in the gutter.

The boss lady had scraped together limited funds from her man, nearly all of which were sunk into this shop.

When profits were rolling in, no one complained, but now, with high expenses and so many mouths to feed, cost-cutting became a priority. Day-old ingredients got recycled, and over time, problems piled up. Meanwhile, business at the rival shop only grew better by the day.

The heart of a hotpot restaurant lies in its broth base.

If that rival shop were to shut down again this time, it would surely be game over for them.