"What place are we going to today?" Jiang Hui asked curiously.

Ling Zhenfei said, "Since I agreed to have you as my assistant, there are many tasks that you need to take care of. For instance, tonight I'm having dinner with President Qin Lan of the Fengming Group, and having an assistant would make the occasion seem more formal."

Jiang Hui laughed, "I wondered why you called me out of the goodness of your heart, it turns out you thought of me when you needed my help."

"You could say that, since my agent isn't here, I'll have to rely on an assistant. Don't forget your role, assistant cum secretary."

"Then I truly am honored," Jiang Hui said, her voice tinged with slight displeasure.

"How are things at the restaurant?" Ling Zhenfei asked Jiang Hui.

Jiang Hui replied, "The recruitment is almost done. We're now in the final stages of training."

Ling Zhenfei thought for a moment and then asked, "That applicant for the Head Pastry Chef position named Tang Tang, did they make the cut?"

Jiang Hui responded, "Not yet. The chefs, pastry chefs, and mixologists—these important positions will be decided in tomorrow's second interview. You should come and have a look."

Ling Zhenfei nodded, "Mhm, good, I'll take a look tomorrow."

As the two chatted, they quickly arrived at Honghe Valley Restaurant, a very famous high-end restaurant in Binyang City, and a brand under the Fengming Group.

As soon as Ling Zhenfei and Jiang Hui got out of the car, someone came to greet them: "Li Hao, is this Mr. Ling? President Qin is waiting for you upstairs, please follow me."

Ling Zhenfei followed the person into the restaurant, observing every little detail along the way, including the decor style of the Honghe Valley and the demeanor of the staff.

The staff at such an upscale restaurant were well-trained and professional, their warmth and passion apparent in every smile and gesture.

Seeing how excellent other restaurants are is the key to making one's own restaurant even better.

Led by the staff member, Ling Zhenfei and Jiang Hui were taken directly to the executive dining room at the very top floor.

The environment of this room was arguably the best; the grand private room offered a stunning night view of Binyang City.

Upon entering, they saw Qin Lan waiting in the chair. When she noticed Ling Zhenfei walking in, she quickly rose to greet him.

Qin Lan was a well-known female magnate in the industry, and a very special one at that due to her exceptional beauty. She embodied the phrase, "though she could have relied on her looks, she chose to rely on her talent instead."

Qin Lan was dressed very casually, but casual did not mean inattentive. Her attire was notably unique, making a striking impression.

Ling Zhenfei noticed that by Qin Lan's side were two other individuals who were certainly not ordinary—a telltale sign they were also managers, suggesting they came thoroughly prepared.

Besides these three, there were seven or eight others who had been sitting down and stood up upon Ling Zhenfei's arrival.

Qin Lan began introducing them to Ling Zhenfei. The two by her side were in charge of the Honghe Valley Restaurant, while the others were managers from several major restaurants in Binyang.

These people had all been using produce from Xishan Manor, but had recently canceled their orders. Now here they were, invited by Qin Lan, seemingly to show Ling Zhenfei their united front.

Once Ling Zhenfei was seated, Jiang Hui stood behind him, holding his coat in a perfectly professional manner befitting an assistant.

Jiang Hui was beautiful and carried herself with poise, attracting the attention of the bosses around her, even Qin Lan couldn't help but take a few more glances at Jiang Hui.

After seating themselves, Qin Lan instructed someone behind her and then the dishes were immediately served.

"Boss Ling, let's eat while we talk. You should also try our Honghe Valley Restaurant's products and see how they are," she suggested.

Ling Zhenfei didn't stand on ceremony; he really was hungry, so he picked up his chopsticks and took a few bites at random before putting them down.

Qin Lan looked at Ling Zhenfei in surprise and said, "Boss Ling, I heard you're also going to open a restaurant."

"President Qin, you are really well-informed. Indeed, we are opening very soon," he confirmed.

Qin Lan said with a smile, "Then why don't you give some advice to our restaurant? Let us know if there's anything we're lacking."

Ling Zhenfei nodded, "I really wouldn't want to speak of your restaurant's shortcomings while I'm here, but since you asked, I'll give you some advice."

Everyone was surprised to hear Ling Zhenfei's words. Qin Lan's remark was usually just a formality and people would generally only offer compliments such as 'very good', but Ling Zhenfei was not the same.

Ling Zhenfei picked up his chopsticks and pointed at a few dishes.

"President Qin, I truly don't understand how your restaurant's chefs could cook the dishes to this state. Lacking the vegetables from Xishan Manor, your establishment is already at a disadvantage in the high-end dining scene, and now it seems the chefs are not putting in the effort either," he critiqued.

Upon hearing this, Qin Lan's expression darkened, "Boss Ling, if there's anything else, just say it. I can accept it."

Ling Zhenfei said, "To be honest, right now it's just that Xi Shan Restaurant hasn't opened yet. Once it does, Honghe Valley is done for, at least in terms of decor and dishes, we'll completely outshine Honghe Valley."

As Ling Zhenfei spoke, the two managers by Qin Lan's side couldn't sit still any longer, seething with the desire to argue but held back by Qin Lan.

The other company boss remained composed, evidently taking delight in the drama and curious to see how it would unfold.

With a smile, Qin Lan said, "Boss Ling, don't you think you're being a bit too boastful? It's one thing to belittle Honghe Valley and praise your own restaurant, but don't you think you're going a bit over the top?"

Ling Zhenfei shook his head helplessly and said, "President Qin, I didn't want to say it, you asked me to. I'm not one for lies, so let me be frank: even a simple stir-fry using the vegetables from Xishan Manor would taste better than this entire spread of yours."

"How arrogant!"

"Nonsense!"

The two people beside Qin Lan shouted angrily at Ling Zhenfei, and had President Qin not been there, they might have come to blows.

"Mr. Ling, I acknowledge that Xishan Manor's vegetables are indeed delicious, but your statement is just too much of a joke, and I have to disagree with that," said Qin Lan.

The surrounding magnates chimed in, "President Qin is right. Boss Ling's words sound fine, but empty talk is of no use. You'll need to produce some evidence to prove it."

Ling Zhenfei said with a smile, "If you don't believe me, that's fine. Anyway, I can't stomach this table of dishes. How about this: I have some Xishan Manor vegetables in my car. I'll just grab a bit, and without needing your chefs to lift a finger, I'll go and do a bit of cooking myself, and it will be better than what's here."

"Boss Ling, now you're really joking, right? Even if our chefs are of average skill, you can't dismiss their work as utterly worthless. These are some of the top chefs in the country."

Despite maintaining a composed facade, Qin Lan was clearly getting angry.

Ling Zhenfei said with a smile, "Is this matter worth getting so tense over? Let's just let the facts speak for themselves. I'll have my assistant fetch the vegetables, and then I'll personally take to the kitchen to cook a few homestyle dishes for the magnates here to taste and see how my cooking fares."

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