In a corner of the capital, Cuihua Tower stands there alone, no longer as prosperous as it once was.

The sunlight shines through the mottled windows onto the dusty tables and chairs.

The once exquisitely carved chairs now looked shabby, with dust dancing in the light.

In the kitchen, pots and pans were placed randomly, dried stains remained on the stove, and food ingredients were scattered all over the floor, emitting a smell of corruption.

Chef Xu stood in this messy kitchen with empty eyes and a rusty kitchen knife tightly grasped in his hand, as if he had lost his soul.

Manager Zhang paced back and forth in the lobby, his steps dragging, his face full of anxiety and helplessness.

The waiters leaned listlessly against the wall, chatting idly and ignoring the occasional customers who came in.

Zhang Wenyan, the owner of Cuihualou, sat alone in his office, surrounded by smoke. He looked out the window at the street, feeling mixed emotions.

"Go and ask Wang Jianye from Wang's All-inclusive Hotel for help? He was once our rival. How can I be so embarrassed as to do that?"

Zhang Wenyan muttered to himself, his brows furrowed.

He thought of his previous competition with Wang's entire restaurant chain and felt filled with regret.

"But Cuihua Tower is my hard work. I won't bear to see it go bankrupt!" Zhang Wenyan took a deep puff of his cigarette, and the cigarette butt flickered faintly in the darkness.

"What if I ask him for help and get rejected? Will my peers laugh at me? But if I don't go, there will really be no hope at all."

Zhang Wenyan's heart felt like it was being gnawed by millions of ants, and he was extremely conflicted.

In the end, the deep affection for Cuihua Tower overcame the inner pride.

Zhang Wenyan put out his cigarette, stood up, and a gleam of determination flashed in his eyes:
"No matter what, for the sake of Cuihua Tower, I will give it a try even if I am laughed at."

At the same time, the scene in all Wang’s restaurants was quite different.

The lobby was brightly lit, guests were laughing and talking, the table was filled with delicious food, and the aroma was overflowing.

"This dish is simply the most delicious thing on earth!" A guest picked up a piece of fresh fish, put it in his mouth, and an intoxicated expression appeared on his face.

"Yes, the cooking skills of Wang's Quanshi Restaurant are extraordinary." The guests next to him echoed and kept praising.

The waiters walked lightly between the tables, holding the trays in their hands steadily.

"Hello, this is the soup you ordered. Please enjoy." The waiter said with a smile in a clear and pleasant voice.

"Thank you, your service is really thoughtful." The customer responded with satisfaction.

In the kitchen, Wang Jianye was busy giving orders.

"Prepare this dish over a higher heat and cook it faster!" Wang Jianye said loudly, beads of sweat on his forehead.

Suddenly, Qin Huairu told Wang Jianye that Zhang Wenyan from Cuihua Tower had arrived.

Wang Jianye followed Qin Huairu to Zhang Wenyan.

Zhang Wenyan lowered his head, not daring to look Wang Jianye in the eye, and kept rubbing the corners of his clothes with his hands: "Master Wang, I...I'm here to apologize to you."

Wang Jianye looked him up and down and didn't speak immediately.

Zhang Wenyan bit his lip, mustered up the courage to continue, "Master Wang, I know that we have done a lot of wrong things in Cuihualou before, and now we have ended up like this, it is our own fault. But I really have no other choice, I can only ask for your advice."

Wang Jianye was silent for a while, then slowly said, "Please sit down first."

Zhang Wenyan sat down on the chair carefully, his body tense, as if waiting for judgment.

Wang Jianye poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and then said, "The methods you used before were indeed not fair. But the competition in the catering industry is cruel, and I can understand your eagerness."

Zhang Wenyan raised his head, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes: "Then you...are you willing to help us?"

Wang Jianye put down his teacup and looked at him deeply: "I hesitated whether to help or not. But we all want to make this industry better, and I don't want to see you fail like this."

Zhang Wenyan stood up excitedly: "Master Wang, for your great kindness, I..."

Wang Jianye waved his hand: "Don't be in a hurry to thank you. Whether you can change it depends on you."

Zhang Wenyan nodded repeatedly: "Of course, of course!"

His eyes were full of surprise and gratitude: "Master Wang, you are really magnanimous."

……

Wang Jianye is well aware of the difficulty of Cuihualou's reform, and he wants to get Cuihualou back on track more quickly.

He decided to send his favorite apprentices Ma Hua and Cheng Jie to Cuihua Tower to help teach cooking skills.

At the same time, Qin Huairu, who is experienced and good at communication, was sent to guide the waiters.

When Ma Hua and Cheng Jie stepped into Cuihualou, the owner of Cuihualou, Zhang Wenyan, immediately showed gratitude and humility. He walked up to them quickly, shook hands with Ma Hua and Cheng Jie tightly, and said:

"It is an honor for our Cuihua House to have you two masters here. I, Zhang Wenyan, will humbly accept your guidance."

His eyes were full of anticipation and a glimmer of hope for the future.

When Chef Xu heard the news, he was so happy that he couldn't stop smiling.

He was waiting in the kitchen early, and when he saw Ma Hua and Cheng Jie, he greeted them warmly:

"Hurry, hurry, I'm looking forward to your coming!"

Ma Hua is tall and has a focused and sharp look in his eyes.

He tied on an apron, rubbed his hands together, and began his cooking demonstration.

He took out a piece of tender beef from the refrigerator. The beef had clear texture and rosy color.

Ma Hua placed the beef on the chopping board, held the knife in his right hand, and gently pressed the beef with his left hand. He raised and lowered the knife like a violent storm, yet with incredible precision.

With every cut, the beef was cut into evenly thin slices, so thin that you could almost see the scene on the other side through the slices of meat.

His eyes were firm and confident, as if the knife in his hand and the ingredients on the chopping board were his closest friends.

Cheng Jie appears to be more calm and reserved.

He stood in front of the stove, lit the fire, and the blue flames jumped happily. He picked up the spatula skillfully and poured in the golden cooking oil.

After the oil was hot, he quickly put the chopped onion, ginger and garlic into the pot. In an instant, a "crackling" sound was heard and the aroma filled the air.

There was no trace of panic on Cheng Jie's face. He stir-fried calmly, the spatula in his hand like a baton, guiding the ingredients to dance happily in the pot.

Chef Xu stood aside with his eyes wide open, afraid of missing any details.

His heart was in turmoil as he recalled his previous cooking skills. Those self-righteous techniques and habits seemed so crude and immature in front of Ma Hua and Cheng Jie.

"I used to cook based on my experience, thinking I was good enough. Now I know there are always people better than you."

Chef Xu secretly regretted, "But this is an opportunity. I must learn well and bring Cuihualou back to life."

He looked at Ma Hua and Cheng Jie, his eyes full of expectations and determination for the future.

Other chefs from Cuihualou also gathered around. Some of them showed admiration, while others had a hint of doubt and dissatisfaction.

"Are these two really that powerful?" a young chef muttered in a low voice.

"It looks like he has some skills, but we can't underestimate ourselves," another chef responded.

At this time, Qin Huairu was instructing the waiters in the lobby. At first, the waiters seemed a little lazy and casual, with irregular standing postures and insincere smiles.

"Everyone should remember that service is not just about serving tea and water, but also about conveying emotions."

Qin Huairu said patiently with a smile on her face.

She personally demonstrated the correct standing posture and gestures, "Like this, with your chest and head held high, and your arms naturally bent."

The waiters watched her demonstration and began to try to adjust their postures.

After a period of instruction, the waiters gradually changed. They stood more upright and their smiles became more natural and friendly.

Zhang Wenyan, the owner of Cuihualou, was observing all this silently, feeling deeply moved.

"We must succeed this time. We cannot let Cuihua Tower fall into decline again." He made up his mind secretly, "I must fully cooperate and provide them with the best conditions."

Therefore, Zhang Wenyan personally purchased the latest kitchen equipment to ensure the freshness and quality of the ingredients.

In his spare time, Chef Xu sat with Ma Hua and Cheng Jie to exchange cooking experiences.

"I have always felt that cooking is a skill, and as long as you can make delicious dishes, that's enough," said Chef Xu.

Ma Hua smiled and said, "Master, cooking is not just a skill, it is also an art, it is the love and expression of life."

Cheng Jie continued, "Yes, when we were at Wang's full-line restaurants, we often discussed how to innovate dishes and how to make guests feel our dedication while enjoying the food."

They talked about their experiences at Wang's Hotels, those busy and fulfilling days, and those moments when they worked together to overcome difficulties.

Over time, the kitchen of Cuihua Building has undergone tremendous changes.

The new stove has more powerful fire, the new knives are extremely sharp, and all kinds of fresh ingredients are neatly arranged.

Guests also gradually felt the changes in Cuihua Tower.

“The dishes at Cuihualou taste different recently and seem to be tastier,” said an old customer.

"Yeah, the waiters' attitude is much better too, it feels brand new," another guest agreed.

However, the reform process was not smooth.

Once, a batch of newly purchased ingredients had problems during transportation, resulting in some dishes not being able to be supplied normally.

"What should we do?" a chef asked anxiously.

Chef Xu frowned, but soon calmed down: "Don't panic, let's think of a solution together."

After some discussion, they decided to temporarily adjust the menu and launch some special dishes that can be made with existing ingredients.

Thanks to everyone's joint efforts, the crisis was successfully resolved.

On a quiet night, Chef Xu stood alone in the kitchen, looking at the brand new environment, his heart filled with emotion.

"It has not been easy along the way. I have to thank Wang Jianye for that."

In the kitchen, Ma Hua led the chefs of Cuihualou to research new dishes day and night.

"The taste of this dish is still not unique enough. We need to adjust the proportion of spices." Ma Hua said with a frown.

The chefs at Cuihualou tried again and again, and the failed dishes filled the trash can.

"No, it still doesn't work. Let's try again!" Ma Hua was a little annoyed, with beads of sweat dripping from his forehead.

The training of the waiters was not all smooth sailing.

"The smile should be natural and the movements should be standard. Why can't you remember them?" Qin Huairu said sternly.

The waiters looked aggrieved, and some even wanted to back out.

"This is too difficult. I don't want to do this anymore," a waiter complained.

Manager Zhang quickly comforted them: "Everyone hold on for the future of Cuihua Building."

As the days passed, Cuihua Tower gradually improved.

One day, several customers came to the store.

"I heard Cuihualou has reopened, so I came to try it," said an old customer.

"I don't know if there have been any changes. I hope we won't be disappointed," said another guest.

The waiter greeted them warmly and showed them to their seats.

After tasting the new dishes, old customers were delighted: "Not bad, an improvement!"

The new customer also nodded and praised: "It tastes really good, I will come here often in the future."

As more and more guests came, Cuihua Building was full of life again.

"I finally see hope." Zhang Wenyan was filled with emotion, tears flashing in his eyes.

He personally went to Wang's entire hotel chain and found Wang Jianye.

"Master Wang, thanks to your guidance, Cuihua Tower was able to come back to life. I will never forget this kindness." Zhang Wenyan bowed deeply.

Wang Jianye quickly helped him up: "It's fine as long as it can be fixed. Let's work together to make the catering business better."

The industry is talking about Wang Jianye's good deeds.

"Wang Jianye is really generous. If I were in his shoes, I might not necessarily help my competitors," said a restaurant owner.

"This is the demeanor of a great man, worthy of learning from," another person echoed.

Employees of all Wang's hotels also have different opinions on Wang Jianye's decision.

"Boss, this is too kind. What if Cuihualou competes with us again in the future?" an employee said worriedly.

"The boss has his ideas, we just need to do our jobs well," said another employee.

As time goes by, Cuihualou and all Wang's hotels have more positive interactions.

Sometimes, the two restaurants will exchange dishes and business experiences with each other.

"Your new dish is a good idea. Let's try it out." said the chef of Cuihualou.

"No problem, let's make progress together." The chefs from all Wang's restaurants responded with a smile.

……

During their time at Cuihualou, Ma Hua and Cheng Jie demonstrated extraordinary talents with their superb cooking skills and conscientious and responsible attitude.

The dishes they taught have won praise from Cuihualou's diners time and time again, the cooking techniques they taught have benefited Cuihualou's chefs greatly, and their suggestions on kitchen management have made Cuihualou's operations more efficient and orderly.

Their outstanding performance, shining like bright stars in the catering industry of Beijing, naturally attracted close attention from other restaurants.

Those restaurant owners, each with ulterior motives, tried their best to lure Ma Hua and Cheng Jie, two capable men, to their own restaurants.

Some bosses personally approached them with a big smile on their faces and offered them astonishingly high salaries: "As long as you come to my restaurant, your salary will be doubled, you will get generous benefits, and there will be a dedicated team of chefs for you to deploy."

Some sent eloquent middlemen to describe the bright prospects with eloquent words: "With us, you will have more resources and can give full play to your talents." (End of this chapter)