The three of them walked in, and at this moment Ling Zhenfei saw that there were already quite a few people sitting around this large table. Seeing them arrive, everyone stood up with smiles to welcome them.

Each person was in a suit and tie, looking every bit the successful person. Anyone unaware might think they were about to start a meeting here.

After some polite exchanges, everyone took their seats, and of course, Ling Zhenfei was placed in a very important position.

Ling Zhenfei didn't insist otherwise; wherever they instructed him to sit, he would make a little small talk and then sit down. He was the main figure here, so his seat was naturally a good one, a fact Ling Zhenfei understood.

Indeed, there were quite a few people there that night, and at first glance, all seven or eight of them were people who had seen a lot of the world, with the look of successful big bosses on their faces.

Someone spoke then: "Today, we are very pleased that Mr. Ling could come. It's truly an honor for us. Right now, there's no place in the Capital City where Mr. Ling isn't known."

This person was Tan Wangdong, as introduced earlier.

Before coming to the restaurant, Ma Long had briefed Ling Zhenfei about the key person here, which was Tan Wangdong, a formidable figure who currently owned four or five upscale restaurants in the Capital City.

These restaurants were spread across different parts of the Capital City, with one located near International Plaza, aptly named the International Plaza Store.

Once Ling Zhenfei's Xi Shan Restaurant opened, the first to feel the impact would definitely be the nearby high-end restaurants.

The path Xi Shan Restaurant was taking was high-end, so it wouldn't affect the smaller restaurants much, but it would significantly impact other upscale establishments.

Therefore, everyone present tonight was from the high-end restaurant scene.

Even among upscale restaurants, there are two types: Western and Chinese cuisine.

Western cuisine is generally considered more expensive, but in reality, fine Chinese cuisine can be just as pricey.

Ling Zhenfei said, "Boss Tan, thank you for hosting us. We should be the ones expressing our gratitude. You know I'm new here, and there's much I don't know about the rules, so I'll need plenty of assistance from all of you."

Tan Wangdong replied, "Mr. Ling, you're being too modest. Your Xi Shan Restaurant is a benchmark in the industry. If there's anything amiss, it should be us learning from you, Mr. Ling."

Ling Zhenfei said, "Learning from each other, learning from each other."

Hypocrisy was something Ling Zhenfei originally didn't want to engage in, but sometimes it wasn't within his control; society forces one to adapt.

At this point, the dishes started coming in. This is typically how Western meals are served: each person gets a portion, no fighting over food, quite an elegant experience.

The one serving the drinks must have been brought by Tan Wangdong and his group, and the wine seemed to be their own as well. One look, and it was clearly expensive.

Tan Wangdong said, "Mr. Ling, please taste this. It's deep-sea Bluefin Tuna. The reason we chose this place to invite you is mainly due to the excellent taste of the tuna here."

Ling Zhenfei looked at the Bluefin Tuna sashimi, and indeed, the fish looked incredibly fresh and tender.

Ling Zhenfei hadn't indulged much in sashimi, as he was a very traditional chef and his recipes came from that one book, so his cooking was in Chinese cuisine.

It was only because of wanting to open a restaurant that Ling Zhenfei had done some learning of Western cuisine, so he hadn't eaten much of it.

He had a taste, and the flavor was indeed excellent, preserving the natural taste of the dish, with the fish being deliciously fresh—it indeed had a different kind of allure.

Ling Zhenfei said, "Not bad, not bad, it truly is delicious."

With just this one bite, Ling Zhenfei made a decision that Xi Shan Restaurant would expand its operations. After all, he now had resources, and Moergawa's fishery was very developed, making it quite simple to get quality fish.

The Capital City midsection of Xi Shan Restaurant was already divided into two parts: one for Western cuisine and one for Chinese, as soon as Cao Xueyi started the renovations, indicating she had long had her eye on the Western cuisine market.

Ling Zhenfei's idea was still very straightforward now: just make his restaurant increasingly diverse without being toppled by any other restaurant.

"Indeed, very tasty, a different sort of flavor."

Ma Long also said, "Old Lü's restaurant's fish are certainly unmatched. This gathering, I don't want to be too long-winded—just say why you invited Ling Zhenfei, what you want, and speak straight."

Chen Qian chimed in, "Right, we're all part of the same circle here. Whatever needs saying, just say it directly, and we can discuss how to resolve it if possible."

After finishing their lines, Tan Wangdong and his associates exchanged a look, and finally, Tan Wangdong smiled at them and said, "Actually, there's not much. We just have a few goals.

First, of course, is to meet the renowned Divine Doctor Ling. It's truly an honor for us to meet the now well-known Divine Doctor Ling.

The second point is to ask Mr. Ling to leave us a breathing space, not to make our situation too difficult."

Hearing this, Ling Zhenfei was taken aback. He said, "What do you mean leave you a breathing space? Have I done something that makes it impossible for you to go on?"

Tan Wangdong said, "Your Xi Shan Restaurant is too strong. With its opening, how are we supposed to survive?"

Ling Zhenfei chuckled and said, "Just earlier, you kept saying I was too modest, underrating myself. I believe it's you who's doing so. My Xi Shan Restaurant is merely a small eatery. With so many of your restaurants, are you saying a single new restaurant opening would render you incapable of continuing?

If that's truly the case, perhaps you really have no business running a restaurant, as it would mean poor management."

Tan Wangdong said, "As the saying goes, there's no harm without comparison. And everyone knows Xishan Manor has always liked to hype things up, so we have to be on guard."

Ling Zhenfei smiled gently and said, "I haven't even opened yet, and you're already worried. Do you think Xi Shan Restaurant even needs hype?"

Tan Wangdong said, "We're just taking precautionary measures. If we wait till Xi Shan Restaurant opens, we might not even have the chance to cry."

Ling Zhenfei said, "Alright then, I'll listen to you who like to take precautions. Tell me, what do you want to do, what do you want me to do?"

Tan Wangdong turned to his side and said to the people with him, "Everyone, speak up. Mr. Ling has asked us what we want. How do we go about it?"

"I think we could invest. By earning money, we'd have shares in it, so we wouldn't lose out too much."

Ling Zhenfei said, "I'm sorry, but Xi Shan Restaurant is about to open soon, and there's no shortage of funds, so there's no need for investment."

"I believe the deliciousness of Xi Shan Restaurant's vegetables comes from using special produce. If Xi Shan Restaurant could provide us with the same vegetables, our restaurants would also do very well."

Ling Zhenfei laughed and said, "Indeed, some restaurants in Binyang are still using our vegetables, but because the Xishan Manor's supply is limited, they are only offered in limited quantities."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.