"We definitely have to blame He Xiaowei!"

Deng Linhui took a sip of the black sesame paste on the table to moisten his throat and continued,

"We all know that this Seventh Dining Hall was originally rented by He Xiaowei to open a gym. He couldn't manage it anymore and transferred it to Jiang Yu to open this Seventh Dining Hall.

Back then, weren't the two of us always advising He Xiaowei to find a way to make Boss Xiao Jiang owe us a favor? That way, we'd have a connection with him, making it easy for us to come and eat in the future, right?

What did He Xiaowei say back then?"

Duan Yiming recalled for a moment and indeed remembered something like this, he said:

"He Xiaowei said, 'No rush, no rush, I've got a plan.'"

"Exactly! He Xiaowei said he had a plan."

Deng Linhui clapped his hands and continued, "But Boss Xiao Jiang has already started the No. 7 dining room on the second floor, and even got the reservation calls set up. He Xiaowei, where's your plan?"

"Uh, I didn't expect Boss Xiao Jiang to act so quickly!"

He Xiaowei raised his hand to scratch his head and said helplessly,

"I did have a plan at the time, which was to team up with Boss Xiao Jiang to open a restaurant on the second floor. I would be responsible for funding the renovation, hiring waiters, and other preparations, while Boss Xiao Jiang only needed to cook.

I was even willing to offer him a 60% share of the business and take 40% myself!

With such favorable terms, he couldn't get that deal at any other restaurant or hotel, right? Boss Xiao Jiang definitely wouldn't refuse!

But damn it, I hadn't found the right opportunity to talk to him yet, and he already set up the restaurant himself...

So, how's that my fault?"

At this point, Zhu Youfeng, who had been sitting nearby listening to their conversation, suddenly chimed in:

"Ahem, I heard that the conversion of the second floor of the dining hall into a restaurant was funded by a 2 million sponsorship, and Senior Brother Xiaojiang didn't spend a penny."

Upon hearing this, He Xiaowei spread his hands and said,

"See, I wasn't wrong, was I? If there was no sponsorship, even if the restaurant was to be set up, it probably wouldn't have been so quick, and then I'd have a chance?

What a pity, time waits for no one, you really can't blame me for this!"

Deng Linhui pouted and mumbled, "After all, isn't it because you were too slow? If you had acted earlier, there wouldn't have been room for others."

"Well, since the opportunity is already missed, it's missed, and it's useless to regret it later."

Duan Yiming smiled as he spoke,

"I think rather than wasting time lamenting missed opportunities, it's better to think about how we can build a relationship with Boss Xiao Jiang."

"How do we do that?"

"Lao Duan, among us, you've always had the sharpest mind. Do you have any good ideas?"

"Come on, tell us quickly! If it's really useful, we'll all put in the effort!"

"..."

Duan Yiming saw the eagerness written all over their faces, as if they couldn't wait to take action immediately, and couldn't help but laugh himself. He waved his hand and said mysteriously:

"This thing, you guys really can't help with it; probably only I can handle it."

"Come on, just say it, will you?"

"Exactly, tell us and we'll know if we can help!"

"Quick, tell us! Stop dawdling like you're not a man!"

"..."

Seeing everyone's anxious looks, Duan Yiming had no choice but to say,

"Actually, it's pretty simple. You know Boss Xiao Jiang has set up a phone reservation, right?

That's still quite troublesome. Firstly, you need a waiter to always be on standby by the phone; secondly, the waiter has to constantly ask the customers various questions. The customers get annoyed, not to mention the waiter gets annoyed too!

The most important part is that there's only one reservation phone line; once someone gets through, nobody else can, and whether you can secure a reservation is all up to luck. It's not fair at all!

I want to use my professional skills to help Boss Xiao Jiang design and develop a software reservation system for the No. 7 dining room, which can automatically start at a set time, allowing everyone to compete for a spot simultaneously, depending on whose internet is better and whose hands are faster.

Moreover, after securing a spot, customers can fill out their information, like name and phone number, through a form. We can also pre-load a menu, complete with prices, for customers to choose their dishes in advance.

Once they've submitted all the necessary information, the system will automatically generate a reservation number, and customers can screenshot it to enter and exit the campus.

Well, that's all I could think of for now, what do you guys think?"

When they heard this, everyone couldn't help but look at each other, realizing that Duan Yiming indeed had a sharp mind. This software idea seemed great, at least much more convenient than phone reservations.

"Good! Brilliant! Lao Duan is amazing, just a quick thought, and he has an idea!"

"Indeed, this idea is way more reliable than He Xiaowei's original plans!"

"With this reservation software, the restaurant at least saves on manpower, no way Boss Xiao Jiang won't be interested!"

"Haha, doesn't this mean we can come here to order food anytime we want in the future?"

"..."

While Duan Yiming and the others were in the private room discussing the reservation software, Jiang Yu was still busy in the transparent kitchen.

At noon today, two out of the four tables of guests ordered recommended dishes.

The other two tables, presumably not locals and not from the Sichuan or Hunan regions, only ordered a few dishes from the recommended menu that appeared not spicy.

For example, Thousand Layer Century Egg Tofu, Smoked Chicken Feet Stuffed with Fresh Squid, Fermented Bean Curd Braised Pork, Scallion Grilled Sea Bass, of course, Napa Cabbage and Minced Meat Rolls, and Mushroom and Meat Slice Soup.

These are dishes that are not particularly spicy.

Apart from these dishes, these two tables also ordered a few famous local dishes.

For instance, one table ordered two famous Jinling dishes: Stewed Shengqiao and Phoenix Tail Shrimp.

The other table ordered Guangdong dishes: Sand Ginger Pork Knuckles, Stuffed Tofu, and Sweet and Sour Pineapple Pork.

Jiang Yu had not handled these dishes before, so although he knew how to make them delicious, he did put in a considerable amount of thought.

Take the famous Jinling dish Stewed Shengqiao for example, just by hearing the name, those unfamiliar with it wouldn't even know what it is.

In fact, the main ingredient of "Stewed Shengqiao" is eel.

After the beginning of summer, eels are robust and plump, offering the best taste, and their nourishing function peaks.

The dish "Stewed Shengqiao" is actually very suitable for dietary supplements during the Minor Heat solar term.

Currently, it is early spring, which is not the best time to eat "Stewed Shengqiao," but since the customers requested it, Jiang Yu did not refuse.

To make the dish Stewed Shengqiao well, you actually need to master several tricks.

First, "sheng" is the foundation.

Split the lively, plump eel open, slice along its backbone with the tip of the knife, then use a flat shovel to remove the bones, ensuring the bones are clean and the fish is intact.

Second, "qiao" involves skill.

Use the back of a knife to tap the eel flesh into a hash pattern until the slices curl, then slice them into six-centimeter diagonal strips.

Third, frying relies on experience.

Heat the oil to sixty percent, fry until golden, and when the fish surfaces form "sesame flowers," scoop them out, then fry them again to make them crisper.

Finally, "stewing" is the essence.

Place the Shengqiao into the pot, add in pork belly and fried tiger-skin pigeon eggs, and during stewing, controlling the heat is paramount—overcook and the meat becomes tough, undercook and the broth is bland.

Once done, the pork belly with skin provides fat and gelatin to the otherwise lean eel, and the tiger-skin eggs absorb the eel's freshness and the pork belly's aroma, making the fish tender and moist, highly tempting.

The Phoenix Tail Shrimp is another traditional Jinling famous dish, known alongside Squirrel Fish, Egg Shaomai, and Beauty Liver as the "Four Famous Jinling Dishes."

There is a record of Phoenix Tail Shrimp in the literature "Baimen Recipes" written by late Qing, early Republic of China Jinling scholar Zhang Baoheng:

"As for the method of making Phoenix Tail Shrimp, the upper half of the shrimp is shelled, the lower half is left intact, and when fried, the top is white and the bottom is red, resembling a phoenix tail."

The key in the making of this dish is in strict selection of ingredients, definitely using fresh river prawns and auxiliary ingredients like egg whites and peas.

Additionally, duck oil must be used when frying the shrimp meat.

Once the Phoenix Tail Shrimp is finished, the shrimp meat is white, with a bright red tail shell, resembling a phoenix tail, garnished with green peas, the colors are vibrant, the shrimp is fresh and tender.

Jinling cuisine places great importance on the freshness of ingredients, especially adept in fine knife work, its cooking techniques are mainly stewing, simmering, roasting, and braising.

Jiang Yu was extremely careful when making these two Jinling dishes "Stewed Shengqiao" and "Phoenix Tail Shrimp".

Especially the dish "Stewed Shengqiao," which greatly tests knife skills and heat control.

First, the spine of the eel must be extracted, then use the back of the knife to diagonally tap the eel meat.

Tap it as you would make squid criss-cross cuts, until the eel's meat texture rises slightly, then cut it into small sections.

Then, place the cut eel pieces into the oil for frying until golden, while ensuring the oil temperature is crucial.

The oil should both make the eel curl immediately upon entering the pan, locking in the moisture instantly, yet not overfrying it—also testing the chef's skill.

After finishing these two Jinling dishes, Jiang Yu then continued with the Guangdong dishes: Sand Ginger Pork Knuckles, Stuffed Tofu, and Sweet and Sour Pineapple Pork.

The Sand Ginger Pork Knuckles is a very classic Guangdong dish.

Sand ginger is rare in Jiangzhou, and even scarcer in the North, but in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions, sand ginger is one of the soul spices in cooking.

Sand ginger, also known as galangal, though it looks not much different from ginger, is indeed different.

Sand ginger's texture is tender and crisp, with a unique aromatic spiciness that not only deodorizes but also enhances freshness and aroma—attributes that ginger does not possess.

Sand Ginger Pork Knuckles is actually a cold dish, and its preparation is not complicated.

Once the pig knuckles are cleaned and chopped into small pieces, they are stewed until tender, then removed, drained, and cooled before drizzling with sand ginger sauce.

The most pivotal aspect is adjusting the sand ginger sauce.

With system recipes in hand, this dish was not difficult for Jiang Yu to make.

As for Stuffed Tofu and Sweet and Sour Pineapple Pork, Jiang Yu also spent considerable thought to complete all these dishes.

After finishing these, he finally let out a long sigh of relief:

"The issue of hiring in the kitchen must be expedited onto the agenda, otherwise, if things continue like this, I'll be exhausted sooner or later."

Just as he sat down on a chair in the kitchen to take a breather—he hadn't even had time for a sip of water—a newly hired server, Xiaoma, rushed over:

"Senior Brother, a guest in a private room has requested to see you!"

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