Outside the Delicious Restaurant, the line of people waiting is still endless.

Inside the restaurant.

Huang Tao and his two right-hand men are busy at the stove, working like a house on fire, not a moment to spare.

Ding Suqin single-handedly handles the responsibilities of packing and taking orders, managing it with ease.

Soon, Dongpo Pork runs out.

It was the first to sell out.

She looked at the delivery guy wearing a kangaroo hat and a yellow vest with an apologetic face and said, "Sorry, the Dongpo Pork is sold out. Could you see if you can switch to another dish? Our roasted duck, crab stir-fry cakes, and marinated flavors are all very good..."

"Hold on a moment, I'll ask first~"

The delivery guy in the kangaroo hat and yellow vest paused her words, then took out his phone and dialed his employer.

A moment later, the phone connected.

"Hello, the Dongpo Pork you asked me to buy has sold out. Would you like to choose something else or cancel the order?"

The delivery guy reports the situation over the phone, then nods after hearing the response from the other end: "Okay, got it, I'll head out then."

After hanging up, he smiled and said to Ding Suqin, "Sorry, we don't need anything else."

With that, he turned and headed towards the store entrance.

During this time, some of the delivery guys in the line behind, upon learning the Dongpo Pork was sold out, immediately called their employers.

Following their instructions, they all quietly exited the line and left.

This caused the waiting customers to show little delighted expressions.

With those delivery guys gone, it meant their chances of buying something increased slightly.

Even though Dongpo Pork was sold out, there were at least more chances to buy other food.

They held onto beautiful hopes!

Yet, Ding Suqin was dumbfounded.

What's going on?

Why did all these delivery guys leave?

She was curious about which customers these delivery guys were buying for?

But she had no time to think or analyze now because a customer wanted to order.

She quickly threw herself into the great work of accounting and packing.

...

As time passed.

The clock on the wall silently pointed to 7 o'clock.

The ingredients Huang Tao prepared in the store were all sold out.

There were still a few customers in the shop who hadn't finished eating.

As for those who didn't manage to buy anything, they all sighed helplessly when they heard Ding Suqin's apology.

Of course.

Everyone knew that complaining was useless, after all, Boss Huang wasn't made of iron, he needed rest too.

With understanding, everyone dispersed on their own.

The customers who stayed to dine didn't forget to say goodbye to Huang Tao before leaving.

"Boss Huang, we've finished eating, we'll go now, see you tomorrow!"

"Boss Huang, take care of yourself and rest up, don't overwork, or else it affects our meals."

"See you, Boss Huang, see you tomorrow morning."

Huang Tao waved at them with a smile, "Take care, everyone, see you tomorrow morning."

Seeing all the customers had left, Ding Suqin stood up and started working.

Efficiently wiped and disinfected the tables, then mopped the floor, cleaned the trash cans, and took out the trash.

What puzzled her was...

There were obviously more diners this evening compared to noon, and usually, the more customers, the messier the place should be.

But after they finished eating, the tables got cleaner and cleaner.

So, there was only one truth.

That was, the customers helped clean up after eating.

The neighbors voluntarily tidying up tables and dishes was one thing, but now even customers from other streets started pitching in, voluntarily joining the ranks of free labor...

These days!

Aside from the Delicious Restaurant, there probably wasn't another place where customers willingly worked for free!

It saved her quite a bit of work.

She only needed to clean the floors and take out the trash.

Xu Hao and Zifeng quickly cleaned all the cooking utensils, separating the raw from the cooked.

Then they started sweeping the kitchen floor area.

Huang Tao sat next to Xuanxuan, keeping her company while pondering.

He had already announced the new batch of Dongpo Pork in the update group at noon, so why didn't he see even the shadow of a chef tonight?

After thinking about it, dining hours are the busiest times for chefs, there's no time for them to line up and taste.

Realizing this, he almost laughed at his own foolish midday action.

Perhaps he had been too exhausted recently, so exhausted his IQ wasn't online.

In this case, how was he supposed to complete the task issued by the system?

Should he arrange a gathering and invite them over to taste Dongpo Pork?

But that seemed so abrupt!

Just as he was thinking, a voice came to his ears: "Hello, is Boss Huang in?"

He looked up and followed the voice...

At the door was a middle-aged man wearing branded clothes, followed by two women, one about his age, the other around twenty-seven or eight, looking somewhat familiar.

Yang Xiabing immediately recognized Huang Tao and reminded her dad, "Dad, that's Boss Huang."

Yang Jiaqing took a step forward and warmly extended both hands towards Huang Tao, "Boss Huang, hello, hello, let me introduce myself, my name is Yang Jiaqing."

"Hello, what can I do for you?"

Huang Tao politely shook hands with Yang Jiaqing and invited them to sit down together.

Yang Jiaqing smiled happily, "Boss Huang, I'm here to discuss a collaboration with you."

Huang Tao looked puzzled, "Collaboration? What kind of collaboration are you thinking of?"

Yang Jiaqing rubbed his hands together, "I had the pleasure of tasting your Dongpo Pork and other delicacies today, Boss Huang. I've heard from the locals that your pan-fried buns and century egg and lean pork congee are also delicious!"

Huang Tao nodded, "Mm, the taste is quite good!"

"I also heard my daughter say that Boss Huang, your restaurant, just after opening, was invited to the food festival by the Deputy Director of the Business Bureau, and it was the only small restaurant to be invited over the years. You even won three major awards; your culinary skills are absolutely top-notch!"

As he spoke, Yang Jiaqing gave a thumbs up.

Speaking of which.

What exactly are you trying to say?

Out of courtesy, Huang Tao patiently listened to him finish speaking.

After a bunch of introductory words, Yang Jiaqing finally got to the point and revealed his true purpose, "Boss Huang, I want to join your franchise."

"Franchise?"

This was completely unexpected for Huang Tao, causing him to look surprised.

"Yes, we want to franchise!" Ding Shujuan smiled gently.

Yang Jiaqing continued, "The franchise fee is 500,000, and if it's possible, I'll have my lawyer draft a contract tomorrow. What do you think, Boss Huang?"

Huang Tao was stunned.

How long has it been!

The brand "Delicious Restaurant" has already attracted others to join as a franchise?

And the franchise fee is 500,000!

However, he had never thought about franchising before!

Xu Hao and others, who had just cleaned up, were a little surprised when they heard the conversation.

The boss is impressive!

He managed to attract a tycoon waving a wad of cash, seeking to join the franchise!

"Boss Huang, your culinary skills shouldn't be limited to this small restaurant alone."

Seeing that Huang Tao didn't speak, Yang Jiaqing reasoned with him, "You must understand, I'm also a businessman. I'm very clear on the real value a restaurant like yours can bring. You have to trust me. With my capability, in less than two months, I can open 'So Delicious' outlets all over the province. In six months, there will be at least 1,000 franchise stores nationwide. In less than two years, the 'So Delicious' brand can go public..."

These impassioned words didn't move Huang Tao.

Huang Tao just felt it was somewhat exaggerated.

Unrealistic.

He smiled and politely declined, "Sorry, my restaurant does not accept franchises."

"What? Boss Huang, did you say no to franchising?"

The smile on Yang Jiaqing's face froze in mid-air.

Huang Tao nodded, very confidently, "Yes, I think it's quite good now. I don't want to make it so exhausting. So, no franchise, sorry."

Of course.

There will definitely be branches in the future, but not now.

And even when there are.

Those will be direct-operated stores, not franchise stores.

Besides, Huang Tao really doesn't care about the 500,000 franchise fee now.

If he just puts in a little more effort, that amount is just a matter of a week or two.

Moreover, he clearly understands that if others bring money to franchise, he has to provide the recipes.

People can't just be after the "So Delicious" nameplate, right?!

Yang Jiaqing and Ding Shujuan started to feel a bit anxious.

Although the couple started from scratch, they always had a good eye in business.

With Huang Tao's culinary skills, any franchise store would definitely be successful anywhere!

Not to mention the shops they own.

They would surely be booming!

But the problem is... the other party refused outright!

"Boss Huang, why don't you reconsider? If you think the franchise fee I offered is too low, just tell me, and we can negotiate! The franchise fee isn't set in stone, right?"

"That's right! Sixty thousand, seventy thousand... just name your price, and we can negotiate!"

Xu Hao and the others almost gasped.

Whoa~

Do these tycoons increase prices in tens of thousands as a unit?

"No need to reconsider. My previous answer was made after careful consideration."

Huang Tao smiled slightly, "Please, all three of you, feel free to leave! If you enjoy the food at my restaurant, you're always welcome to come and eat."

Seeing Huang Tao refuse so straightforwardly.

Although Yang Jiaqing and his wife felt quite regretful, they couldn't say much more.

"Since Boss Huang has no intention to franchise, we will have to give up. However, Boss Huang, if you ever change your mind, please give me a call, or you can tell me directly. I'll come to your restaurant often to eat."

With that, he also handed over a business card.

Huang Tao politely accepted it and extended his hand, "Take care, I won't see you out."

Xu Hao and the others understood and admired Huang Tao's decision.

After all, if the boss opened up to franchising.

The franchise fees alone would be a huge profit.

Yet the boss outright declined.

This shows the boss's determination to stick to his original intention, wanting to maintain the good reputation of So Delicious continuously...

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