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30. Chapter 30
Yu Antong dialed Fu Xin, arranging to meet at the Fairy Banquet.
After hanging up, Yu Antong said, "Mr. Wang, shall we head over now?"
Mr. Wang nodded, "Very well."
Setting down his teacup, Xing Lixuan said to Yu Antong, "I’ll come with you."
Mr. Wang glanced at Yu Antong, questioning, "What does this mean?"
What's CEO Xing implying?
Though Wang Ge is considerably older than Xing Lixuan, on the business battleground, he genuinely fears facing Xing Lixuan. If Xing Lixuan intervenes in this deal, Wang Ge might not get any advantage.
Yu Antong said, "It's just a meal outing.” There’s no need for such caution.
Xing Lixuan gave him a look, his gaze unwavering and commanding.
He then nodded to Mr. Wang, "Antong's health hasn’t been the best. I'm uneasy about him going out alone. I hope you understand."
"It’s no bother at all," Wang Ge hurriedly responded. "The bond between Lixuan and Mr. Yu is truly admirable. What’s wrong with Mr. Yu’s health?"
Honestly, observing Yu Antong's radiant complexion, he couldn’t perceive any serious ailment. He suspected it might be a pretext by Xing Lixuan.
Yu Antong replied, "It’s just a minor stomach issue."
Eating out gives him a perfect excuse not to drink.
Mr. Wang, ever the diplomat, said, "While a stomach ailment might not be grave, it should not be overlooked. Mr. Yu, please refrain from drinking during the meal."
——
Inside the private room at the Fairy Banquet, Yu Antong introduced Wang Ge and Fu Xin to each other. Lightly jesting, he said, "The two of you discuss business. I’m merely here with my partner, freeloading a meal."
Fu Xin, dressed sharply in a suit that exuded an air of business professionalism, extended his hand to Wang, "It's an honor to finally meet you, Mr. Wang!"
Wang Ge shook his hand, smiling, "Mr. Fu, you truly are a rising star among the younger generation."
Wang Ge and Fu Xin exchanged pleasantries before taking their seats. To Wang Ge's surprise, Xing Lixuan and his spouse were genuinely there for dinner. Wang Ge had been apprehensive about Xing Lixuan's potential interference, yet throughout the meal, Xing Lixuan only attended to Yu Antong, barely glancing their way.
Wang Ge mused, the outside rumors suggested that Yu Antong had used some tricks to marry into the Xing family, but from his perspective, it was evident that Xing Lixuan was the one trying to win Yu Antong over.
Yu Antong pushed away the shrimp Xing Lixuan offered, murmuring in complaint, "Enough, I told you I'm not hungry. You're so bothersome."
Xing Lixuan, with his ever-pleasant demeanor, replied, "How about some meat then?"
Yu Antong shook her head, "I'll just have some pickled radish."
"A toast, Mr. Wang, to our fruitful collaboration!"
Fu Xin drew back Wang Ge's attention, and Wang Ge raised his glass, "To a successful partnership!"
This was Fu Xin's first time observing the dynamic between his young boss and Mr. Xing. Who could have imagined that the typically aloof Mr. Xing could be so tender?
After bidding Mr. Wang farewell, Yu Antong inquired, "Why are there so few customers in the restaurant today?"
Usually, by mealtime, the place would be packed, with many waiting for tables, but today only about 80% of the seats were taken.
"Did you come in from West Street? You might have missed it," Fu Xin explained, "The Shen family opened a restaurant named 'Ju Ying Tower' next door. They had a grand opening today with a 70% discount, attracting most of our customers."
After the previous food poisoning incident, Ju Ying Tower suffered a significant loss, and business was sluggish for over a month. Yet being an established brand, they bounced back once the scandal blew over.
This branch of Xian Ren Banquet is located at the northwest corner of Phoenix Street, while the newly opened Ju Ying Tower by the Shen family sits on the northeast corner.
Yu Antong huffed, hands on her hips, "Shen Yunqing is deliberately making things difficult for me. Offering such a discount, isn't he afraid of running a loss?"
A 70% discount is essentially a predatory pricing strategy in any industry. The Shen family had never offered such significant discounts at the openings of their other branches; it was clear they were targeting Yu Antong.
Yu Antong gave Xing Lixuan a playful pinch, "This is what you get for attracting unnecessary attention!"
Xing Lixuan held her hand, "I don't even know him."
Listening to this, Fu Xin thought that there must be some personal grudge between his young boss and the Shen family heir. He silently hoped that this would motivate his boss to be more proactive in business rather than using the pregnancy as an excuse to slack off.
Fu Xin urged, "Boss, we can't just sit idly by and watch our customers drift away to our competitors..."
Yu Antong calmly sat down, "Why worry? Ju Ying Tower's discount will surely cause them daily losses. How long can they sustain it?"
"At most three days, then they'll have to revert to their regular prices," Yu Antong continued, "As long as we maintain the quality and taste of our dishes and introduce a few new ones, our customers will come back."
Fu Xin sighed quietly, lamenting his unsuccessful attempt to motivate his somewhat indifferent boss, "Then, why not come up with some new dishes? When was the last time you visited Xian Ren Banquet?"
Yu Antong guiltily patted her stomach, indeed, with the recent end-of-term exams, the passing of Granny Xing, followed by her pregnancy, many events had converged, keeping her away from devising new dishes for a while.
"I've been busy with something," Yu Antong said with a hint of guilt. Suddenly standing tall with confidence, he pointed to his stomach, "I told you, I'm busy expecting a child."
Inside the room, the air conditioning was turned up high. Yu Antong took off his thick down jacket, revealing a white sweater underneath.
Fu Xin took a fleeting glance at Yu Antong's flat abdomen. The next moment, Xing Li Xuan, possessively, stepped in front of Yu Antong.
Fu Xin slowly lifted his gaze, meeting the inscrutable eyes of CEO Xing, “…”
An eerie silence enveloped the room for a few seconds before Fu Xin finally conceded, "Alright then."
With CEO Xing being so accommodating, what else could he say?
Yu Antong had no intention of hiding it from those around him. After all, once the child is born, he didn't want anyone insinuating that it was through surrogacy or anything. The child was truly his.
He spoke the truth, but evidently, no one believed him.
"No matter," Yu Antong thought with a mischievous smirk. "Wait till my son is born to prove you all wrong."
As for the provocation from Shen Yunqing next door, Yu Antong didn't take it to heart. He had always intended to give his employees the holiday off for the New Year. It's just that the news of his pregnancy had sidetracked him, making him forget to send out the notice earlier.
So, attracting more customers to Juying Tower wasn't a big deal to him. He hadn't planned on making that money anyway.
Yu Antong said to Fu Xin, "Let Juying Tower drop their prices. We can close for a break and go home for the New Year. Inform the branch managers and head chefs. I'll hold a meeting tomorrow and hand out bonuses, then everyone can take their holiday the day after."
"Wait, what?" Fu Xin initially planned to inspire Yu Antong to challenge Juying Tower. Not only had their New Year's Eve dinner plans fallen through, but now they were taking a break too?
"During the Spring Festival, there's a surge in customers. It's the golden period for the catering industry. How can we close?" Fu Xin hurriedly explained to his boss, fearing he didn't understand the intricacies of the catering business, "We either take leaves after the festival or take turns. Nobody simply shuts down."
"Apart from a few small businesses, go out and see for yourself during the New Year. Which big restaurant is closed? It's the peak business time; we absolutely can't take a break."
Yu Antong firmly responded, "If this boss isn't worried about earning less, why should you be? I'll give you a bonus for the holiday. I promise you won't be at a loss, okay?"
Fu Xin began to wonder if there was a future in working for a boss with no ambition. Frowning, he said, "This isn't about the bonus..."
"Listen to me," Yu Antong interrupted, "Money can always be made, but time spent with loved ones is precious and should be cherished."
Ever since discovering that he would only live for another half year, Yu Antong's sense of belonging to this world deepened. He had more ambitious plans for Xianren Banquet. A company without a proper culture wouldn't last long.
"A good company not only strives for product excellence but should also emphasize human compassion," Yu Antong said earnestly, "I believe that is the essence of a strong company culture, one that binds its employees."
After discussing his thoughts with Fu Xin, the latter paused for a moment, then smiled, "I knew I chose the right boss to follow."
[Note: fantuankanshu.com seems like a web address, which remains unchanged in translation.]
He had been overly eager for quick success. His thoughts were even less mature than those of a college student who hadn't graduated. Fu Xin truly admired and respected his young boss, Yu Antong, now.
As Fu Xin left to organize things, the mature demeanor of Yu Antong vanished in a second. Gleefully, he turned to Xing Li Xuan, "Wasn't I just incredibly wise and far-sighted? Even Fu Xin, the workaholic, was persuaded by me."
"Yes, you're a rising star in the business world," Xing Li Xuan praised with a smile, helping him put on his down jacket.
Yu Antong strained to see his toes, "A rising star? More like an orangutan with my current state."
The bulky down jacket seemed to transform the 'rising star' into an orangutan.
The next day, Yu Antong held a meeting with the employees at the main branch.
"In the past six months, due to everyone's hard work and dedication, our restaurant 'Xianren Banquet' has thrived. I want to express my gratitude." Yu Antong bowed slightly, then produced a stack of red envelopes, "All the fine words can't compare to tangible rewards. As a thank you for your hard work, we're taking paid holidays for the New Year, and I hope we can make Xianren Banquet even better next year."
Upon hearing this, the staff cheered enthusiastically. They had heard rumors of an upcoming holiday, but they hadn't expected not only to get the time off but also to receive their usual wages and a bonus.
This was the kind of treatment one would expect in a white-collar job in a neighboring office.
"Thank you, boss!"
"We will definitely work even harder!"
Guo Jianying, the manager of Xianren Banquet's third branch, couldn't help but wipe away a tear. He had been in the restaurant business for many years, working hard to provide for his family and missing numerous New Year's celebrations with them. He never expected this young boss to be so generous.
Where else could one find such great benefits in the catering industry? He silently vowed to reward his boss's kindness with even harder work in the coming year.
Other employees felt the same. Six months ago, they had feared unemployment. Now, not only did they have stable jobs, but they also earned more than before.
As Yu Antong handed out the red envelopes, someone knocked on the door. A waiter went out to check and returned with a bouquet of vibrant red roses.
"Boss, someone sent you flowers!"
"Who sent them?" Yu Antong glanced at Xing Lixuan, who stood beside him, and hesitated about whether to accept the bouquet.
Who would send flowers to this place? And just when Xing Lixuan was present? It felt like he was caught in an illicit affair.
And he hadn’t even been out much recently. Where did this suitor come from?
"Wow! Congratulations, boss! Are we going to have a boss lady soon?" The employees, unaware of Yu Antong's marital status and assuming Xing Lixuan was just a friend, cheered upon seeing the romantic gesture.
Someone initiated applause, and others quickly joined in.
Holding the roses, Yu Antong felt the weight of Xing Lixuan's piercing gaze, as if the bouquet was a hot potato.
Xing Lixuan's eyes swept over the card attached to the roses. He gestured for Yu Antong to read it, "Aren’t you curious about the sender?"
Holding the card as if it were a thorny rose, Yu Antong hesitated, "Should we?"
Xing Lixuan replied, "Why not?"
Yu Antong thought, which idiot did this to me?
Is this a sign that I'm heading towards a divorce and single fatherhood?
Author's Note: Thanks to the angels who cast their overwhelming votes or nourished me with nutrients from 2020-01-08 17:39:54 to 2020-01-09 18:41:33~
Special thanks to the little angel who sent rocket fireworks: Xiang Guagua, who sent 2;
A big thank you to the angels who dropped landmines: "含情脉脉" and "白天", one each.
Thanks to the angels who generously donated nutrient solutions: "炭" with 74 bottles; "夏木", "大可", and "jacky0328" with 10 bottles; "桐之樱" with 9 bottles; "喵小四" with 6 bottles; "易只小北烊" with 5 bottles; "undercover" with 3 bottles; and "lazycat", "the author himself", and "清梨" with 1 bottle each.
Thank you so much for your support, I'll keep doing my best!
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