Chapter 80: Recruiting Talent

Feeling someone approaching, Yang Guofu slowly focused his eyes.

Seeing Li Ling and Ling Yao, he tugged at his lips, his voice hoarse and weak, “Xiao Ling, I’m sorry.

 Uncle Guofu won’t be able to make you your birthday noodles.”

He had promised Li Ling that he would make her a bowl of his signature noodles.

But now he was fired, even his job was gone, and his future was uncertain. He didn’t know what to do or how to tell his family.

“Uncle Guofu, don’t be sad. I believe with your skills, you’ll find a job soon.”

 Li Ling didn’t know how to comfort Yang Guofu, but she believed in his cooking skills.

 Everyone who had tasted his food had praised it.

“Thank you, Xiao Ling.” Yang Guofu was touched, but he was fired from the state-owned restaurant.

Unless he went to a private restaurant, no state-owned unit would hire him.

The treatment at private restaurants couldn’t compare to the state-owned restaurant.

The state-owned restaurant paid monthly pensions and assigned housing.

Their family currently lived in the housing assigned to him by the state-owned restaurant.

He was fired, which meant their family had to move out of their current house. He really didn’t know how to face his family.

His wife and son had advised him not to help Yang Mei, but he didn’t listen.

 He felt that Yang Mei was his older brother’s child, and since he was capable, he should help her.

 Unexpectedly, he ended up losing his job because of Yang Mei.

“Can I call you Uncle Guofu?” Ling Yao asked.

Yang Guofu turned to look at Ling Yao and nodded.

“Uncle Guofu, what kind of dishes are you best at?”

Hearing Ling Yao’s question, Yang Guofu was a little surprised, but he answered truthfully,

“Shandong cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Hunan cuisine, I can do them all. I’m best at Sichuan cuisine.” His voice was filled with confidence.

He had been learning cooking from his master since he was sixteen. He had been a chef for almost thirty years now.

 He was very confident in his cooking skills.

Ling Yao smiled and pointed to the teahouse across the street, “Uncle Guofu, let’s go sit in the teahouse for a while.

 I have something to talk to you about.”

Yang Guofu hesitated slightly and nodded, “Alright.” He didn’t want to go home right now.

The three of them went to the teahouse. Ling Yao ordered a pot of Biluochun tea, a plate of melon seeds, and two plates of snacks.

Ling Yao poured a cup of tea for Yang Guofu and went straight to the point, “Uncle Guofu, I want to open a hotpot restaurant.

 Are you interested in being the head chef?”

She had seen Yang Guofu’s cooking skills in that show in her previous life. His cooking skills were exquisite.

Every dish he cooked was delicate, like a work of art, making people intoxicated. The judges at the show had all praised his cooking.

“You want to open a hotpot restaurant?”

Yang Guofu and Li Ling looked at Ling Yao in surprise.

Ling Yao smiled faintly and nodded, “Uncle Guofu, if you’re willing, we can go look at storefronts now.

And if you have any requirements, feel free to ask. As long as they’re reasonable, I’ll agree.”

Yang Guofu shook his head with a smile, “Opening a hotpot restaurant isn’t easy.

Besides the store, you also need employees, equipment, renovations, and so on. There are so many things involved.

 Can a little girl like you handle it?”

He didn’t want to discourage Ling Yao, but opening a hotpot restaurant wasn’t easy. It would cost at least ten to twenty thousand yuan.

Ten to twenty thousand yuan wasn’t a small amount.

He had worked at the state-owned restaurant for over ten years, and his current savings were only a little over ten thousand yuan.

They had saved it with great difficulty by being frugal.

Ling Yao smiled confidently, “Uncle Guofu, don’t worry about those things. I have my own plans.”

Yang Guofu thought Ling Yao was being unrealistic. He had been a chef for so many years and knew the catering industry best.

 Opening a restaurant wasn’t easy.

Besides, Ling Yao was just an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl. The catering industry was fiercely competitive and constantly changing.

Without experience, background, or connections, how could she possibly open a restaurant?

He thought Ling Yao was simply daydreaming and being impractical.

Seeing that Yang Guofu wasn’t saying anything, Ling Yao didn’t rush him, “Let me talk about the benefits first.

 If you’re willing to be the head chef of the hotpot restaurant, I’ll pay you five hundred yuan a month, pay your pension, and assign you housing.

In addition, you will receive a ten percent share of the hotpot restaurant, and you can get a share of the profits at the end of the year.”

Yang Guofu’s eyes widened. Such treatment was unheard of.

He couldn’t deny that he was tempted, but he was worried that Ling Yao’s promises wouldn’t come true and he would be disappointed.

After all, his salary at the state-owned restaurant was only two hundred yuan a month.

“Uncle Guofu, you don’t have to answer me now. You can go back and think about it.

Once you’ve decided, you can go to the Second Middle School to find me or go to number nine, Wuque Alley to find me.”

Ling Yao had always wanted to enter the catering industry, but she hadn’t planned on doing it so soon. After meeting Yang Guofu, she changed her mind.

Yang Guofu’s cooking skills were top-notch in the culinary world.

With this opportunity to recruit him, how could she miss it? So, she decided to move her plans forward.

Now, Longteng Pharmaceutical had a large amount of money flowing into her account every month.

 And the new mall was also generating tens of thousands of yuan in revenue every day.

She already had over a million yuan in her account.

“Alright, I’ll go back and think about it before I give you an answer.” Yang Guofu was conflicted.

On the one hand, he really wanted to try it. On the other hand, he was afraid that it would all be in vain.

“Ling Yao, what is hotpot?” Li Ling had never heard of hotpot and was curious.

“Hotpot is when you put all the dishes in a pot and cook them. It’s like a big hodgepodge.

 All kinds of dishes are jumping, rolling, and blending together in the pot, creating a feast for the eyes.

Of course, the most important thing is the soup base. I really like spicy hotpot.

That spicy and numbing flavor, that feeling of the food dancing on your tongue, it’s simply unforgettable.” Ling Yao hadn’t eaten hotpot since she was reborn.

Now, she was starting to salivate just thinking about it.

“Is it really that delicious?” Li Ling couldn’t help but swallow.

“You’ll know when I open the hotpot restaurant. It’s getting late. Let’s go back.” Ling Yao put down her teacup.

“Okay.” Li Ling nodded. She felt a sense of anticipation and longing.

Ling Yao got off the bus and saw a familiar military jeep parked at the entrance of the alley.

Her heart started to beat uncontrollably. She recognized it as Lu Qingyun’s car.

She couldn’t help but quicken her pace.

“Ling Yao, why are you walking so fast?” Li Ling also quickened her pace.

Ling Yao realized that she had unconsciously quickened her pace. She also realized that she was actually eager to see Lu Qingyun.

Her face flushed slightly. It turned out that she did have some feelings for Lu Qingyun. This feeling was like a seed, silently sprouting in heart.