"Wow! Lin Ji’s Food just got a new huge pot; Tiger Skin Chicken Feet are now in unlimited supply! Everyone who wants some should hurry over!"
"Not only are the Chicken Feet unlimited, but the Sour Plum Soup is also unlimited now. There’s as much as you want."
"And they’ve newly added Crispy Meat today; the flavor is absolutely incredible!"
"For real? I’ll go right after work."
"So, does this mean us poor souls who get off work late don’t have to starve anymore?"
In discussions about Lin Ji’s Food, many customers were sharing the latest updates about the restaurant.
The Lin Ji fans, browsing online, were all intrigued.
Previously, to eat the restaurant’s Chicken Feet, you had to get there before 1:00 PM or 7:00 PM; otherwise, you’d risk them being sold out. But now, they were unlimited. This was simply fantastic news.
"They should have switched to a bigger pot sooner. I used to hesitate to buy too many, afraid there wouldn’t be enough for customers who came later."
"Me too. I used to bring just a little home each time. But now that it’s unlimited, I’ll buy at least forty or fifty pieces to take back later."
"Can you even eat that many?"
"If we can’t, we’ll just steam them for the next meal. They taste even better that way."
"Really? Then I’m going to buy more too."
Not just online, the customers in the restaurant were also discussing these things.
Everyone sharing tables became acquainted. Eating and chatting simultaneously reminded some of the older folks of the days when they lived in large communal courtyards. Back then, a single courtyard could house over a dozen families. When it was mealtime, everyone would bring their bowls out to the courtyard to eat, chatting lively together. Those with TVs would even bring them out for everyone to watch. Neighborly relations were much closer back then than they are now.
Before 11:30 AM, all fifty seats at Lin Ji’s Food were already filled with customers. Newcomers had to line up and wait.
Xie Baomin knew that his junior brother’s restaurant was doing well, but he hadn’t expected it to be this good.
"Junior Brother, it would be great if you expanded a bit. This place is still a little too small. If you expanded, business could reach a new level."
Lin Xu smiled and said, "A big store is hard to manage. I’ve just entered this business, so it’s better to be cautious."
He had no immediate plans to expand the store. Currently, the store’s daily turnover was just over 40,000 yuan. From a restaurateur’s perspective, this was already very profitable. If he expanded blindly, it might backfire. It was better to continue as it was. Besides, he had the system. If he really needed to expand the store, the system would surely provide relevant tasks and hints.
"Boss Lin, is this a new chef you’ve got here?"
Several regular customers were somewhat curious when they spotted Xie Baomin in the kitchen. They had just hired Chef Xu a few days ago. Had they hired someone new again?
"Why does this new chef look a bit familiar?"
"Right, I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere too."
"He seems familiar..."
Lin Xu ceremoniously introduced Xie Baomin to these customers, "This is my Senior Brother, Xie Baomin, currently the Executive Chef at the Fishing Platform State Guesthouse. He’s here helping out on his day off, not as an employee of the shop."
The moment they heard he was the Executive Chef at the Fishing Platform State Guesthouse, customers immediately whipped out their smartphones to take photos and record short videos.
"Lin Ji’s Food truly is full of hidden talents! It wasn’t enough to have Master Gao, who’s like a ’Sweeping Monk’; now there’s also Chef Xie from the Fishing Platform!"
"I remember now! Chef Xie was interviewed on the news channel a few days ago."
"Exactly, it was him! A network reporter had even gone into the kitchen to film the catering arrangements for the visiting dignitaries, which were all under Chef Xie’s direction."
"This is Lin Ji’s prestige!"
"In the future, Boss Lin can also do a tactical lean back and say, ’What’s this about an unknown roadside eatery?’"
News that the Executive Chef from the Fishing Platform State Guesthouse was helping out at Lin Ji’s Food spread rapidly online. Many people had never eaten at Lin Ji’s Food or even heard its name. But they knew the Fishing Platform State Guesthouse. The Executive Chef from the Fishing Platform was helping out at a small restaurant called Lin Ji’s Food. This news immediately attracted the attention of many netizens.
Goodness me, the owner of this place must be incredibly influential to get someone like him to help out.
Looking at the map, it wasn’t too far from Yingchun Street either.
"Let’s go, time to check in!"
Just like that, due to Senior Brother Xie Baomin’s presence, the already busy lunch rush saw even more new customers flocking in to "check in."
"They all came because of you, Senior Brother. Should I pay you an advertising fee?"
Xie Baomin smiled and said, "Between us martial brothers, helping each other is natural. If the Fishing Platform needs your help someday, I believe you wouldn’t refuse, right?"
Refuse? Of course, I wouldn’t. But the State Guesthouse is a major establishment. Even if they needed help, it probably wouldn’t be my turn, right?
Lin Xu thought his senior was just being polite. He immediately said, "If there’s anything you need help with, Senior Brother, just say the word. As long as it’s within my capabilities, I will definitely not shirk or refuse."
Although Xie Baomin maintained a calm expression, he was secretly thrilled.
With my Junior Brother’s promise, the competition at the end of the month is in the bag!
「Two in the afternoon.」
The shop finally quieted down. The kitchen staff also got some time to rest. Xie Baomin wiped the sweat from his face and went with Master Gao to the teahouse diagonally across the street to have some tea and chat for a while.
After the two of them left, Lin Xu asked Che Zai and Xu Xinhua, who were cleaning the kitchen, "Do you guys know anyone skilled? If so, we could recruit them. Otherwise, the three of us can hardly keep up in the kitchen."
Today, they had Xie Baomin helping, and Master Gao also lent a hand from time to time. Otherwise, the kitchen would have absolutely descended into chaos.
Xu Xinhua thought for a moment and said, "How about we ask Niu Chuan to come over? Almost everyone in the building where we live works in catering. Among all the chefs there, Niu Chuan from Unit 507 is famously capable."
Che Zai nodded. "Niu Chuan is indeed capable and strong, but the restaurant where he works just gave him a raise, so he might not be willing to come."
"What’s his salary now?"
"Six thousand eight hundred yuan!"
Lin Xu breathed a sigh of relief. Only just over six thousand? He had thought it was raised to over ten thousand.
"Is he really that capable?"
Xu Xinhua nodded. "He’s really capable, stronger than both me and Che Zai. However, his stir-frying skills aren’t up to par, so he’s never been assigned to a wok station. He can only work as a lead kitchen assistant."
Lin Xu made up his mind. "You two go talk to him. If he agrees to come, his starting salary during the probation period will be eight thousand yuan. After probation, we’ll sign an employment contract, and his salary will increase by at least another thousand."
Actually, one could hire a kitchen assistant for three to four thousand yuan. But that type of kitchen assistant mostly just drifts along, lacking commitment. The moment they feel a bit tired, they’re likely to just pack up and leave. Lin Xu didn’t want to spend all his energy on recruiting. So, he chose to offer a high enough salary right away to secure their loyalty.
After settling this matter, just as he was about to take a breather, Geng Lele suddenly sent him a message on WeChat: "Boss Lin, our shop’s logo and new packaging designs are all ready. I’ll send them over for you to take a look."
After saying that, she sent a series of pictures.
"I drew inspiration from the design concepts of many domestic and international food brands. I also incorporated some culinary elements into the logo and adopted a trendy style that younger people prefer, which I think fits our shop’s vibe quite well."
Lin Xu opened the pictures. A question mark slowly formed in his mind.
I get the principles, but this logo you designed... doesn’t it just look like a... little kitty?