Secretary Xiao seemed worried that his boss would scare off the hard-won meal companion on their very first meeting, so he quickly played his trump card.
"Besides this booklet, President Feng also has a gift for Miss Su."
Su Yuhan's hand, which was reaching for the booklet, paused. "A gift? What kind of gift?"
As if by magic, Secretary Xiao produced an exquisitely wrapped jewelry box from out of nowhere. He opened it, and nestled inside was a pair of beautiful sapphire earrings.
Su Yuhan had previously worked in jewelry appraisal, so she could tell at a glance that the sapphires on these earrings were quite valuable.
"This is..."
"This is a new product for the season from a jewelry brand our company partners with. It's made from top-grade sapphires and has a market value of around fifty thousand."
"Fif... fifty thousand?"
"Yes. President Feng felt that the pearl earrings you were wearing today didn't quite complement your skin tone, so he specifically instructed me to select these earrings for you as a gift for your first dinner together."
"Oh... how could I possibly accept?" Despite her words, Su Yuhan's movements as she took the gift were exceptionally swift.
"Please go back and tell President Feng that I will study the contents of this booklet day and night, burn incense and pray daily, and treat it as my sacred guide. Make sure he sees a completely different me at our next meeting."
"...Alright."
Having resolved his boss's potential worries, Secretary Xiao hurried back.
Once he was gone, Su Yuhan's head, which had been dazed by the "sugar-coated bullet" of a first-meeting gift, began to clear.
'These earrings are nice, but I can't sell them right away.'
'Feng Lv gave me these earrings, so he'll definitely expect to see me wearing them next time. And it's highly likely this style is actually one that Jiang Yuxi likes.'
'Judging by how this guy had way too much time on his hands—enough to compile over a hundred of the female lead's habits and preferences for me—he clearly wants to mold me into Miracle Qianqian.'
'Getting a convincing fake made to swap out the real one is also unreliable. I can't speak for others, but this guy can spot a 0.2-millimeter discrepancy in a pair of pearl earrings. How could he not see through a trick like that?'
'After thinking it over, my only option is to wait a year until the female lead returns and I can retire from my post. Only then can I sell this thing. I just hope it doesn't depreciate too much by then.'
'All in all, tonight was a fruitful trip. Although I received a gift that's a bit of a white elephant for now, I at least got a free meal and picked up some information that will be useful for future investments.'
Su Yuhan stuffed the jewelry box directly into her pocket. Just as she was about to head home to check on the Feng Corporation's stock, a young man dressed as a waiter rushed past her, chasing after a middle-aged man in his early forties.
"Boss, it's bad! Something happened to Master Zhu!"
Su Yuhan's footsteps paused. She was instantly in the mood for some drama.
"What happened to Master Zhu?"
"The restaurant is packed tonight, and Master Zhu was so busy he couldn't catch a break. He finally got a chance to use the restroom between plating dishes. But who would've thought some inconsiderate jerk left water all over the floor. Master Zhu didn't notice when he went in, slipped, hit the back of his head, and was sent straight to the hospital."
"How is he now? Is the injury serious?"
Hearing this, Su Yuhan mentally gave the boss a passing grade. When an employee was injured, his first reaction wasn't to worry about business or the mess he'd have to clean up, but to worry about the employee's well-being. That alone made him better than nine out of ten unscrupulous bosses.
"The injury isn't too serious, maybe a slight concussion. He'll need to rest for a while, but his life isn't in danger. The problem is, without Master Zhu overseeing the kitchen, it's a complete mess back there. Customers out front are already complaining about the slow service."
The boss's heart sank when he heard this. He had paid a great price to hire Master Zhu, whose ancestors were rumored to have been imperial chefs. His skills were beyond question.
Many of the restaurant's regulars came specifically for him. There were a few of Master Zhu's apprentices in the kitchen, but unfortunately, none of them had mastered the craft yet.
If he were to force them into a role they weren't ready for, he was afraid it would end up ruining the restaurant's reputation.
"Other customers are one thing, but a VIP has a reservation here shortly. Everything was arranged in advance. Telling them now that the chef is gone... whether they're understanding or not is one thing, but it's guaranteed to be a mood killer."
The boss had originally hoped to use this opportunity to get closer to the VIP. In this situation, he'd be lucky if the person didn't blame them. If things went wrong, their entire restaurant could be done for.
Su Yuhan never expected to find a business opportunity while eavesdropping on some drama. Without a second thought, she stepped forward and asked, "Are you looking for a chef? Perhaps I could give it a try."
"You?" Both men in the conversation were taken aback. The boss, in particular, subconsciously sized Su Yuhan up, his brow tightly furrowed.
"Young lady, our chef's skills have been passed down through generations. He's not comparable to a chef from an ordinary hotel. You... you're too young. Did you, by chance, study under a famous master chef?"
"Not at all. My master was just the owner of some little hole-in-the-wall joint."
The boss's face showed his disappointment, and the waiter grew a bit angry. "Are you just trying to cause more trouble? How can our chef be the same as a cook from your little self-run diner?"
"You won't know if we're the same or not without a test, right? Besides, you can't find anyone more suitable right now anyway. Take me to the kitchen. I'll cook a few dishes from your menu. If you taste them and think they're authentic, hire me. If not, don't. You don't have anything to lose, do you?"
Su Yuhan's words hit the nail on the head. In their line of work, reputation was meaningless; delicious food was the only thing that mattered.
The fact that this boss could run his business so successfully meant he was a decisive man. He stroked his chin, thought for a moment, then immediately waved Su Yuhan over.
"Come on. To the kitchen."
Between seven and eight o'clock, a restaurant kitchen is at its busiest. But most of the time, as long as there's one person to give orders, the chaos can be managed, and everyone can work together with a single purpose.
But now, lacking such a person, the kitchen had devolved into a smoky mess. Everyone was running around in circles, but none of them seemed to know what they were busy with.
This was the scene that greeted Su Yuhan and the others when they entered the kitchen.
The boss rubbed his temples, a headache brewing. The thought that Master Zhu would need to rest for several days made his vision darken and his head pound.
Someone in the crowd noticed them and shouted, "The boss is here! The boss is here!"
In an instant, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked nervously at Su Yuhan's group.
The boss swept his gaze over the staff, said nothing, and turned to gesture to Su Yuhan with his eyes.
Su Yuhan showed no stage fright. With a faint smile, she stepped forward, picked up a brand-new kitchen apron, and deftly unfolded it and put it on.
"Alright," she said. "Just you watch."