Chapter 753: Extra 27: The Return of Chen Yi’s Eldest Son, Chen Yue (Part Fifteen)

“This…”

Little Huang was visibly shaken as he looked at the contract Tuberculosis Rabbit had handed to him, his face filled with disbelief. He knew of this event; it was quite famous within the industry.

Tuberculosis Rabbit Company had partnered with several gourmet companies, selected the top contenders in each culinary category, and was planning to jointly open stores on Alien Race’s territory, aiming to promote Blue Star’s food culture abroad.

The costs of opening the stores would be covered by Tuberculosis Rabbit Company.

All they needed to cover were the personnel costs and some raw material expenses. All profits would not be touched by Tuberculosis Rabbit; they would get to keep everything, and the company would even be responsible for the security of their storefronts.

It could be said that Tuberculosis Rabbit Company wasn’t going to make any money from this event–not a single cent. The sole purpose was to promote Blue Star’s cuisine.

But for the companies that had been selected, it was an opportunity to make a fortune.

The event had caused quite a stir in the industry, but he had never conceived that they would be chosen. After all, the selection was typically the top names in each culinary category. With just a few dozen hot pot restaurants to his name, and his own brand not even well-established, how could he have been selected?

Just…

Who would have thought, while dining, this opportunity would be offered to him?

And it wasn’t a done deal; the slot had already been set aside for him to simply pick one, then take their place? Was it really that straightforward and blunt?

“Mmhmm.”

As if noticing the shock on Little Huang’s face, Li Yide smiled and explained, “Originally, Tuberculosis Rabbit told me to choose one to remove, but I thought, since you are all in the same line of business, there might be someone you don’t get along with among them, so I let you decide.”

“This… Is this okay?”

“Of course it is.”

Little Huang lowered his gaze to the names of three hot pot restaurants: ‘Ye Chang’an,’ ‘Piao Piao Xiang,’ and ‘One-Person Pot.’ Out of these, apart from ‘One-Person Pot,’ he had no interactions with the other two hot pot brands.

He knew the owner of ‘One-Person Pot’–a college classmate with whom he had clashed from a young age over a shared crush, eventually becoming arch-enemies. After graduating from college, they both opened hot pot restaurants and entered the gastronomic industry together.

However, he chose mass catering, focusing on flavor.

The other party went for ‘One-Person Pot,’ a niche track catering specifically to individuals dining alone, which initially did mediocre business. But perhaps due to its novel concept, it managed to attract investments from venture capital.

After that came a continuous opening of new locations.

The brand’s influence grew and grew, and now it owned over 900 hot pot restaurants–a substantial food company.

He hadn’t missed an opportunity to mock him, saying things like it’s not enough to rely solely on one’s own abilities in the outside world; it was essential to ride on the coattails of power.

…

“That’s the one.”

Little Huang’s finger rested on the name ‘One-Person Pot’: “Just cross this one out. Thank you, De. If there’s anything you need from me in the future, just say the word.”

“No worries, it’s a small matter.”

…

As Little Huang was about to strike up another conversation with the young lady from the day before, he heard a familiar mocking voice: “Heh, if it isn’t Little Huang. I was wondering who it might be.”

“Do you even know where you are?”

“Tuberculosis Rabbit Company’s Team Seven office. Do you realize that? And you just barge in?”

“Was the receptionist reluctant to let you in?”

“It’s good that they didn’t let you in. Did you think this place, like your shabby company, has no rules or regulations?”

Little Huang turned to look and saw a somewhat chubby man standing there, his face full of scorn.

He recognized this person.

The owner of ‘One-Person Pot,’ his long-standing nemesis.

–

“Hey.”

Seeing his familiar nemesis appear here made Little Huang pause momentarily, as if some thought had suddenly brought a smile to his face. Ordinarily, whenever he encountered this man, he would typically go out of his way to avoid him to prevent being humiliated.

But today, he suddenly had no intention of avoiding him.

However, before he could say anything.

“This…”

Little Huang was visibly shaken as he looked at the contract Tuberculosis Rabbit had handed to him, his face filled with disbelief. He knew of this event; it was quite famous within the industry.

Tuberculosis Rabbit Company had partnered with several gourmet companies, selected the top contenders in each culinary category, and was planning to jointly open stores on Alien Race’s territory, aiming to promote Blue Star’s food culture abroad.

The costs of opening the stores would be covered by Tuberculosis Rabbit Company.

All they needed to cover were the personnel costs and some raw material expenses. All profits would not be touched by Tuberculosis Rabbit; they would get to keep everything, and the company would even be responsible for the security of their storefronts.

It could be said that Tuberculosis Rabbit Company wasn’t going to make any money from this event–not a single cent. The sole purpose was to promote Blue Star’s cuisine.

But for the companies that had been selected, it was an opportunity to make a fortune.

The event had caused quite a stir in the industry, but he had never conceived that they would be chosen. After all, the selection was typically the top names in each culinary category. With just a few dozen hot pot restaurants to his name, and his own brand not even well-established, how could he have been selected?

Just…

Who would have thought, while dining, this opportunity would be offered to him?

And it wasn’t a done deal; the slot had already been set aside for him to simply pick one, then take their place? Was it really that straightforward and blunt?

“Mm.”

Seeing the shock on Little Huang’s face, Li Yide smiled and explained, “Originally, Tuberculosis Rabbit wanted me to make the call, but I figured since you’re all in the same line of business, there might be someone you don’t get along with, so I let you decide.”

“Can I really do that?”

“Of course, you can.”

Little Huang looked down at the three hotpot restaurants, “Ye Chang’an,” “Piao Piao Xiang,” “One-Person Pot.” Of these, he had little to no dealings with the first two brands, except for “One-Person Pot.”

He knew the owner of “One-Person Pot.” He was a college classmate of his, and ever since they were in class together, they had been at odds over a girl they both liked, turning into archenemies after graduating college, both opening hotpot restaurants and entering the competitive arena of the food industry.

However, his choice was mass-market dining, focusing on taste.

The other chose “One-Person Pot,” carving a niche market catering to diners eating hotpot alone. Initially, the business was mediocre at best, but somehow, perhaps due to its novel concept, it managed to secure venture capital funding.

Afterwards, it was store openings one after another.

The brand’s influence grew increasingly stronger, and now it had become a dining company with over 900 hotpot restaurants.

He often ridiculed him for it, saying things like success was not just about personal abilities; one must rely on power to make it.

…

“It’s him.”

Little Huang’s finger rested on the name “One-Person Pot.” “Cross this one out, De, thanks. If there’s ever anything you need from me, just ask.”

“No worries, it’s a small matter.”

…

As Little Huang descended the stairs, ready to chat more with the young lady from the day before, he heard a familiar mocking voice at his ear, “Hah, isn’t this Little Huang? I thought it was someone else.”

“Do you even know where you are?”

“This is the office of Group Seven at Tuberculosis Rabbit Company. Do you know where you are, that you just show up?”

“Did the receptionist not let you in?”

“That’s right, you shouldn’t be let in. Did you think this place is like your shoddy company, without any rules or regulations?”

Little Huang turned around to see a somewhat corpulent man standing there with a mocking expression.

He knew this person.

The owner of “One-Person Pot,” his archenemy.

–

“Hey.”

Seeing this familiar enemy here, Little Huang briefly hesitated as if he were suddenly struck by a thought, and, unexpectedly, started laughing. Normally, when he encountered this man, he would go out of his way to avoid him, otherwise, he couldn’t escape being humiliated.

But today, he suddenly didn’t plan on avoiding him.

Before he could say anything… “This…”

Little Huang was shocked as he looked at the contract Tuberculosis Rabbit handed over, his face filled with disbelief. He knew about this event; it was well-known in the industry.

Tuberculosis Rabbit Company had teamed up with a number of gourmet enterprises to select the top few contenders in each culinary track, planning to open stores jointly on Alien Race territory and promote Blue Star’s food culture.

The costs of opening the store were to be borne by Tuberculosis Rabbit Company.

They only needed to cover the personnel expenses and some raw material costs, and all the profits would not be touched by Tuberculosis Rabbit, going entirely to them. Moreover, they would be in charge of the security of their store locations.

One could say that the event was not profitable for Tuberculosis Rabbit Company–not a single penny; it was purely to promote Blue Star’s food culture.

But for the selected companies, it was an opportunity to make a fortune.

Though the event made big waves in the industry, he had never considered it, as the selection was for the headliners in each culinary track, and he only had a few dozen hotpot stores without a well-established brand; how could he have been chosen?

Yet…

He didn’t expect that while having a meal, this opportunity would fall into his lap? And it wasn’t a set-up; the spot was already secured. He just had to pick one to replace. Was it really that simple and crude?

“Mm.”

Seeing the shock on Little Huang’s face, Li Yide smiled and explained, “Originally, Tuberculosis Rabbit wanted me to make the call, but I figured since you’re all in the same line of business, there might be someone you don’t get along with, so I let you decide.”

“Can I really do that?”

“Of course, you can.”

Little Huang looked down at the three hotpot restaurants, “Ye Chang’an,” “Piao Piao Xiang,” “One-Person Pot.” Except for “One-Person Pot,” the other two hotpot brands meant nothing to him.

He knew the owner of “One-Person Pot.” He was his college classmate, and they had been at odds ever since they liked the same girl in class, becoming bitter rivals. After graduating from college, they both entered the restaurant industry.

His choice was mass market dining, focusing on flavor.

The other chose “One-Person Pot,” targeting diners who wanted to eat hotpot alone, a more niche market. Initially, business was so-so, but perhaps due to the novelty of the concept, it secured capital investment.

Then came a succession of new store openings.

The brand’s influence increased, and now it was a dining company with over 900 hotpot restaurants.

He had often used this to mock him, saying one can’t make it on ability alone and must rely on the power of others.

…