Before coming, his sister had specifically instructed him: "This Mr. Lin is President Shen’s son-in-law, so be sure to speak politely. Don’t proactively ask to add his WeChat unless he suggests it, to avoid causing annoyance. In short, you must treat Mr. Lin with the same respect you show President Shen."
Others might not know, but Secretary Zou was very clear on how much President Shen valued his son-in-law.
After Zou Cheng left, Lin Xu walked around the car a couple more times before taking the car keys and heading back to the shop. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ NovelHub(.)net
Now he had a car, and not just any car, but a luxury vehicle many could only dream of.
However, Lin Xu didn’t feel particularly happy. It’s more satisfying to drive a car I earned with my own money. Driving someone else’s car, even if it’s my father-in-law’s, feels somewhat alienating.
Just as he was thinking this, the system’s notification chimed in his mind:
"The host has not lost himself in the wealth of material possessions, instead finding new determination. As a special reward, a premium special ingredient—Steamed Meat Powder—is awarded. Congratulations to the host."
There are rewards for this too? And it’s even the Technique for Steamed Meat Powder! Doesn’t that mean I can now make dishes like Steamed Rice Flour Meat, Steamed Rice Flour Chicken, Steamed Rice Flour Ribs, and the like? Not bad at all. If only I had known, I would have refused my father-in-law’s offer of the shop last time to see if it would trigger a similar reward. Hmm, if that worked, it could be yet another way to game the system.
After the ordeal of receiving and test-driving the car, Lin Xu had completely missed his usual nap time.
Since I can’t sleep, I might as well try making this Steamed Meat Powder. This afternoon, I’ll start by steaming some pork belly to see how it tastes. If it’s delicious, the shop will have another new dish on its menu. The steamer’s utilization rate would also increase again. It’s a pity the shop is closing soon; otherwise, I definitely would have added a couple of steamed dishes to boost the restaurant’s turnover.
"Is that big G-Wagon outside your car, Boss? It’s really beautiful!" a young employee exclaimed, looking out at the Mercedes G63 with eyes full of envy and longing.
Lin Xu smiled and said, "My father-in-law lent it to me. I’ll return it to him once I’m no longer working at Fishing Platform."
He’d need a car for Fishing Platform. But after the new store opens, he would be living in the residential complex nearby, so there’d be no need for such an ostentatious vehicle. Besides not having many opportunities to drive it, he’d also have to constantly worry about it getting scratched.
Lin Xu put the car keys into the cash register drawer and casually ruffled Dundun’s round, chubby head. There had been no lottery chances lately, so their father-son interactions had become much less frequent. He played with the little guy for a while before heading back to the kitchen.
First, he washed his hands, then took out regular rice and glutinous rice from the storage room. He put them into a basin in a one-to-one ratio, washed them twice, and then added water to soak. The rice for the Steamed Meat Powder needed to be thoroughly soaked first, then stir-fried until dry so the grains would crumble easily.
Just as he had started soaking the rice, Dou Wenjing came in with a man carrying a laptop bag.
"Mr. Lin, this is Chief Designer Zheng Xiaoguang from Jinghua Design Office. He’s very skilled in designing high-end projects like upscale restaurants, hotels, and clubs. The preliminary sketches are ready. Please take a look, and if you have any requests or requirements, let Mr. Zheng know so he can make adjustments."
It’s ready so quickly? Lin Xu wiped his hands and stepped outside.
The designer, polite and refined, exchanged greetings with Lin Xu before taking out his laptop. He opened it and displayed the completed design drawings.
First was the kitchen.
"I designed the kitchen on the second floor," Zheng Xiaoguang explained. "The larger the area for casual diners on the first floor, the more customers it attracts. Conversely, if the kitchen and front desk occupy more than half of the first floor, it significantly reduces its appeal to casual diners."
As expected of someone skilled in designing restaurants and hotels; he truly understood the psyche of walk-in diners. Not all customers are leisurely—many are pressed for time during meals. Having to climb stairs to the second floor just for a bowl of noodles would be a hassle for those who prefer convenience; they might as well choose another place.
Zheng Xiaoguang continued to explain the design drawings as Lin Xu looked them over. For instance, considering the restaurant served many steamed dishes, he had specially designed a larger steaming room to ensure ample space in the future. Additionally, to facilitate serving, several small service elevators were planned. The waitstaff on the first and third floors would just need to wait in the service area, saving labor costs for dish delivery.
Furthermore, the kitchen was divided into different zones: a barbecue section, a cold dish section, a stir-fry section, and a pastry section. Finally, everyone won’t have to work crammed together in a noisy crowd.
After inspecting the kitchen, they moved on to the private rooms on the third floor. There were over twenty private rooms designed, varying in size. The smaller ones could seat six or seven people, while the largest featured a big round table that could accommodate twenty-four.
Returning to the second floor, they noted that the kitchen occupied half the space, while the other half was designed with booths to offer diners some privacy.
As for the first floor, it housed the reception area and the space for casual diners. On each side of the reception desk, there was an elevator for guests. Next to these was a long, oversized aquarium. It could be divided into different sections to house various freshwater and seafood species, allowing customers to make their selections more visually.
After viewing the entire design plan, Lin Xu felt that the style and everything else were quite good and matched his own vision.
Having reviewed the interior design, the final part was the facade. The exterior wall was designed in a new Chinese style—modern yet unobtrusive, somewhat similar to the current store’s style.
Pointing to the shop front, Zheng Xiaoguang said, "Our design firm collaborates with many calligraphers. We can have them inscribe the store’s name at a low cost to make it appear more upscale. If the budget allows, we could even engage a disciple of Master Lishan, who has gained significant fame in recent years, to do the inscription."
Master Lishan’s... disciple? Lin Xu couldn’t help but chuckle. The store’s logo name was personally inscribed by Master Lishan himself. If the facade were done by his disciple, wouldn’t Geng Lele’s grandfather tear the place down?
He said with a smile, "No need, we know other calligraphers."
Zheng Xiaoguang thought Lin Xu was worried about being scammed and was just about to try persuading him further. Just then, Geng Lele’s voice piped up from the doorway, "Boss Lin, my grandpa’s here to take you as his disciple!"
Zheng Xiaoguang turned around. He saw a girl in a high school uniform leading an old man dressed in practice clothes into the restaurant.
Upon seeing the old man’s face, Zheng Xiaoguang was momentarily stunned. "Master... Master Lishan?"