Free Web NovelChapter 107: Chapter 78: New Department: Delicious Small Dining Table (2)
Su Chen turned his head and saw Ling Shuyu.
"Our current predicament is a lack of funds. This money could come in early. Not only would it solve our problem, but it would also give the company a new line of business—a long-term one at that."
Su Chen pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling troubled.
’My company is on the verge of bankruptcy, yet they’re already thinking about expanding and starting a new venture.’
’To be honest, for someone who’s never been a boss, this all feels a bit reckless.’
Ling Shuyu continued to voice her opinion. "Didn’t He Shuting study early childhood education? We can just have her manage this business. Boss, all you’d need to do is decide on the menu each day."
Su Chen suddenly turned his head. "You studied early childhood education? Then why did you decide to become a streamer?"
He Shuting awkwardly fiddled with the ends of her hair. "I also wanted to be in a little garden..."
Su Chen froze for a moment.
’I’m better suited to just having a good laugh with these goofy employees every day.’
"Boss, this is our best chance for a comeback!" Ling Shuyu was also very tempted by the idea.
"Alright." Su Chen stood up and brushed off his clothes. "Regarding this matter..."
Everyone’s gaze fell upon the boss.
No matter what, only he could make the final decision. Even Li Mingtao knew that the reason so many parents were willing to come was mostly because of that picture of the National Banquet Chef giving a thumbs-up.
Without Su Chen, this whole thing would be impossible.
"Ling Shuyu will be in full charge of this matter, and Zhang Li will report to her. Li Mingtao, you’ll be responsible for coordinating with the parents and the kindergarten. Once the business is up and running, He Shuting will manage the kids."
Hearing this, everyone was pleasantly surprised.
A long-absent look of pride returned to Ling Shuyu’s face.
"I only have one condition." Su Chen looked at Li Mingtao. "Within three days, I must receive the first month’s payment."
’Since Director Li is still being coy and not mentioning his resignation, I might as well use him as free labor.’
’Besides, most of the time, Li Mingtao is genuinely useful.’
’He’s truly skilled in networking and social interactions, especially when it comes to schmoozing people.’
’Sometimes, a company can’t do without someone like that. As long as Li Mingtao doesn’t try his tricks on me, I won’t call him out.’
"Leave it to me!"
Li Mingtao patted his chest in assurance and immediately prepared to leave.
For his son, Li Zihan, Director Li was sparing no effort this time.
In truth, Li Mingtao himself also greatly enjoyed this feeling of commanding the field and shaping the world.
Once the office was quiet again, Liu Shengnan asked uncertainly, "Are we really doing this? Which floor should we choose?"
The others, including Su Chen, all fell into contemplation. Which floor would be most suitable?
Aunt Fang passed by with a broom. "I suggest the 2nd floor. For one, the kids are only there for lunch, so we don’t need to worry about things like natural light. Also, simple renovations and transport would be more convenient on the 2nd floor. Most importantly, the 2nd floor is relatively safe height-wise. With so many kids, they can all take the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator in batches. Plus, the rent is cheaper."
"Rent?" Su Chen asked, puzzled.
’Isn’t the rent the same for every floor in this building?’
"That’s right. The rent on the 2nd floor is cheaper than the ones above. Floors 19 to 25 are the most expensive."
Seeing everyone’s blank looks, Aunt Fang smiled. "I live nearby. I heard it from a friend while we were chatting."
’I see.’ Su Chen nodded. "Aunt Fang has a good point. Liu Shengnan, you’ll be in charge of handling this. We’ll use our existing license. The 2nd floor can be a new department for the company. Let’s call it the Delicious Little Diner."
"Ling Shuyu, you will focus on this for now." After a pause, Su Chen added, "This floor is five hundred square meters. When renovating the 2nd floor, make sure the cafeteria is huge. And remember one thing: don’t base the size on the current number of kids. Make it at least twice as big!"
Ling Shuyu was rather confused. "Wouldn’t 1.5 times the size be enough?"
Su Chen shook his head. "Just do as I say. You can figure out the specific execution."
Su Chen’s reasoning was simple. Since they were already setting up a little diner, it was basically just a large cafeteria.
He might as well have the people from Xinghui eat on the 2nd floor too. Otherwise, when they came up to the 19th floor for lunch every day, the early arrivals could find a desk to sit and eat, but the latecomers had to just stand there holding their bowls.
Some people even tried to eat in Su Chen’s office, but thankfully, the sharp-eyed Aunt Fang stopped them.
’From now on, everyone eating the employee meals will go to the 2nd floor!’
Su Chen was actually getting a little interested in this sudden new project. He hadn’t been interested before because the money was too little, but if it could bring in 100,000 in revenue each month, there was really no reason to pass it up.
"Boss, we’ve got an order! Two orders, actually!"
Since Bai Xiaobo was out, Liu Shengnan had logged into his WeChat account for customer contact.
"The first is a meal for one. They want stir-fried chicken and tea eggs. The second has a budget of 500 and wants authentic Huaiyang Cuisine for two people."
Su Chen glanced at his watch. It was three in the afternoon.
The stir-fried chicken was nothing special, but the Huaiyang Cuisine piqued Su Chen’s interest.
He remembered that when he first started as a streamer, he liked to call it ’Suzhou and Zhejiang Cuisine’. It was only after he’d been in the business for a while that someone corrected him.
In Su Province, it’s hard to generalize the local food scene with the term ’Su Cuisine’.
Here, people from Southern and Northern Jiangsu would argue about it, so when it came to something like regional cuisine, they had to be distinguished.
Huaiyang Cuisine, Jinling Cuisine, Suzhou and Wuxi Cuisine, Xuhai Cuisine—trying to rank these styles was a near-impossible task. Everyone had their own opinion, and no one would concede to another.
