Free Web NovelChapter 13: Chapter 13: Cafeteria Reform, Li Mingtao’s Troubles
Liu Shengnan was a true native of Jingzhou, but she had gone to school elsewhere since she was young. This led to her developing eating habits that were completely different from those of other Jingzhou locals.
But today was probably the most satisfying meal of her life.
Piled in her bowl were the wrappers from eight whole steamed buns!!!
Each wrapper, steamed until light and fluffy, was soaked through with the savory juices of the pork knuckle!
Even without any meat, they were bursting with meaty flavor.
As for everyone else...
Almost everyone was holding a "two-in-one" bun.
Even Su Chen couldn’t resist trying one.
’This is freaking double the pleasure!’
After six buns, Su Chen felt like he was stuffed up to his throat. If his stomach wasn’t bursting at the seams, he would have even gone for another one!
’So this is the power of an S Level rating...’
With his belly sticking out, Su Chen slowly walked back to his office and flopped comfortably onto the sofa.
He also couldn’t help but wonder, ’If I keep eating like this, am I going to turn into a huge fatty?’
There was also an important matter at hand—he had to change the operating model for the company cafeteria.
Su Chen had observed that his employees had each eaten at least six of these massive meat buns.
Even He Shuting, who had the smallest appetite, had eaten five.
If he kept charging only five yuan per breakfast, he’d be taking a huge loss.
Su Chen rubbed his belly, walked over to his desk, and started to think about how to move forward with this.
...
After finishing his seventh bun, Li Mingtao cast a reluctant glance toward the kitchen.
’If I wasn’t about to be late, I could’ve eaten another one!’ he thought to himself.
Today was his first day at his new job. He had already greeted Su Chen when he arrived this morning. It was ten minutes to eight, so Li Mingtao had to leave right away.
At the door, he happened to run into Bai Xiaobo, who was just arriving.
"Oh, Director Li. Leaving so early?"
Li Mingtao opened his mouth to speak, but he felt the buns were already at the back of his throat, as if a single word would make him throw up. He simply ignored Bai Xiaobo and stepped directly into the elevator.
"Hmph... What’s with him? So high and mighty. Once this company goes bankrupt, who’s gonna even know who you are?" Bai Xiaobo muttered toward the elevator doors. He clocked in but didn’t even go to his desk, instead making a beeline for the cafeteria.
Meanwhile, in the cafeteria.
"There’s one last bun left. Who can eat it? Once it’s gone, I’ll go wash the pots," Aunt Fang said, holding a bowl with a single, plump white bun inside.
Everyone else, however, struck the same pose.
They were all slouched back in their chairs, butts perched on the very edge, hands rubbing their bellies.
"I’m too full! I can’t eat another bite."
"It’s all the boss’s fault for making these buns so delicious. I’ll never be able to eat the ones at home again."
"SOB... If I keep eating like this, I’m definitely going to break 120 pounds!"
Liu Shengnan shot a look at He Shuting, then pinched the fat on her own belly.
’Why do skinny people always complain about being fat?’
’Are you trying to make us actual fat people feel bad?’
The buns were delicious, but given the circumstances, it was clear that no one could manage the last one in Aunt Fang’s hand.
Aunt Fang was just thinking that if no one ate it, she’d take it home for dinner. Just then, someone appeared at the door. Her tone shifted instantly. "Xiaobo? Hurry, I saved a bun for you. Come have a bowl of millet porridge too."
Bai Xiaobo dropped his bag and rubbed his hands together. "Thanks, Aunt Fang! Buns are my favorite."
But after Bai Xiaobo sat down, he realized the atmosphere in the cafeteria felt a little off.
’Why are all my colleagues clutching their stomachs?’
’And who’s that high schooler I’ve never seen before? Why is his mouth so greasy?’
’And He Shuting, the one who fought me for food yesterday... what’s a girl like you doing with a toothpick dangling from her mouth?’
Bai Xiaobo glanced around at everyone. Seeing that no one seemed to want to talk to him, he snorted, lowered his head to take a sip of porridge, and then bit into the bun.
"Holy shit!"
After just one bite, Bai Xiaobo’s eyes went wide. "Aunt Fang, did you make these? They’re amazing!"
Aunt Fang waved her hand dismissively. "I don’t have that kind of skill. Our boss got up early to make them for everyone. Delicious, right?"
Bai Xiaobo devoured the bun in huge bites. "Mhmm! Delicious!"
He finished the bun in two or three bites, slurped down the rest of his porridge, and looked toward the kitchen. "Are there more buns warming up in there?"
Aunt Fang let out a noncommittal "Ah..." and said, "I’m going to wash the pots."
He Shuting, also rubbing her stomach, said, "Oh, I just remembered I have to stream for a bit today."
Liu Shengnan finished the porridge in her bowl. "I’ll help you with your makeup!"
Xiaobin slung on his backpack. "Mom, I’m going to do my homework."
Bai Xiaobo watched in confusion as everyone scattered. ’Why is everyone acting so weird today?’
「One minute later.」
Everyone in the office pricked up their ears, listening to the roars coming from the cafeteria.
"DAMMIT! Is there no justice in this world? You guys ate all seventy-two buns?!"
"You’d rather stuff yourselves sick than leave a few more for me? I was only like, ten minutes late!"
"Damn it! Is this that petty workplace scheming I’ve heard about?"
"These buns are so damn good, and I barely got a taste! Who ate the most? Spit ’em out!"
Everyone silently lowered their heads, pretending to be busy with their work.
’Like anyone would actually spit out a bun they’d already eaten.’
...
Meanwhile, on his very first day at the new company, Li Mingtao had already run into an extremely tricky task.
Back at Delicious, Li Mingtao had gone from a junior office clerk to the position of Office Director in just six months.
At his new company, Li Mingtao’s position was still Office Director. After all, his resume was very clear.
[8+ years of office management experience]
Li Mingtao was sitting in his private office as the deputy director gave him a brief introduction to the job.
"Director Li, you just started today, and well, this is the situation. The hardest part right now is our department—everyone comes to us with their problems! If this keeps up, things are going to be tough for both of us!"
Li Mingtao nodded. "I understand. You can go for now."
As soon as the door closed, Li Mingtao pinched the bridge of his nose, a headache already starting to form.
The situation at this new company was complicated.
The big boss had so many businesses that he was completely hands-off. But not only was he hands-off, he had also installed a bunch of his relatives to run logistics and the cafeteria.
It was fine at first, but lately, the relative managing the cafeteria had been getting more and more out of line.
Taking advantage of the fact that the High-Tech Development Zone was in the suburbs, with almost no restaurants in the entire industrial park and difficult food delivery, the cafeteria meals had been getting worse and worse.
The relative had also instigated the boss to issue new rules, like prohibiting high-power appliances in the office for "electrical safety."
This made it impossible for employees to even bring their own lunch.
The employees were full of complaints, but the person in question was the big boss’s relative. Forget about ordinary employees; even the company’s second-in-command was unwilling to get involved, simply dumping all the problems on the administration office.
And this new company’s policies were vastly different from those at Meiweilai Company.
Take the meal subsidy, for example.
At Meiweilai Company, the monthly meal subsidy was deposited directly onto the employees’ cards, and they would just swipe their cards as usual to eat in the cafeteria.
This new company, however, did things differently.
The standard price for lunch in the cafeteria was 20 yuan per person, with a 10-yuan subsidy.
However, this subsidy wasn’t given to the employees directly.
Instead, when an employee went to eat in the cafeteria, they only had to pay 10 yuan!!!
In other words, if you ate in the cafeteria, you could get a 20-yuan lunch for just 10 yuan. But if you didn’t eat in the cafeteria... fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
...then sorry, you didn’t get the subsidy at all.
One of the responsibilities of Li Mingtao’s department was to track how many employees ate in the cafeteria each month, and how many meals they had in total.
At the end, they would pay out the company’s total subsidy amount to the cafeteria manager.
’This is a blatant case of embezzlement and collusion, all at the employees’ expense!’ After sorting out all the connections, Li Mingtao felt this matter was extremely thorny.
He couldn’t just change the policy.
The most he could do was talk to the second-in-command, but the cafeteria manager reported directly to the big boss.
Yet he couldn’t just ignore it.
It was obvious that the second-in-command had made him director to test him. Otherwise, why would he get a salary of eight thousand a month right off the bat?
As he mulled things over, time flew by.
Before he knew it, it was noon.
Li Mingtao stretched, getting ready to clock out for lunch.
The company had a one-hour lunch break, which was plenty of time for him to go back to Delicious, clock in, and have a meal.
Li Mingtao had just stood up when the deputy director pushed the door open and came in, a smile on his face.
"Director Li, come on. I’ll take you up to the cafeteria to have a look."
Li Mingtao wanted to refuse, but then he remembered it was his first day and the cafeteria was a pressing issue.
So, he nodded. freeweɓnovel.cøm
"Alright, let’s go have a look."
