Chapter 40

After a day and a long night of trekking, at dawn, Dongku and his group arrived at a hill near Hulin. There, they changed out of their guns and Japanese military uniforms and hid them. Dongku still dressed as a businessman, Huzi as his assistant, and Liu Zhong and the others in the guise of laborers. The group left the mountains and, as the frost on the ground melted, they headed towards Hulin.

By chance, the guard at the checkpoint was the same pockmarked collaborator. Seeing Dongku and his group, he hesitantly asked, "Sir... are you returning to the old restaurant?"

"Ha ha! Yes, it's been over two months, I'm back to take a look." Dongku said, turning to glance at the few people behind him. He then turned back and flicked a silver coin to the guard.

The pockmarked guard, with a fawning smile, skillfully caught the coin and bowed deeply, ushering Dongku into the checkpoint.

Liu Zhong and the others followed behind, remembering Dongku's words: observe more, listen more, speak less. They remained silent and followed Dongku into the checkpoint.

Before they even reached the old restaurant, Dongku noticed the changes. Although it was only around nine in the morning and not yet mealtime, there were already people coming and going. Looking at the facade, Dongku saw that it had been expanded.

"Business is booming?"

Dongku muttered to himself as he led the group towards the old restaurant.

"Master Dong, you're here!"

The waiter at the door, with his keen eyes, immediately recognized Dongku and ran up to greet him before Dongku could get closer.

"Ha ha... you've worked hard..."

Dongku laughed and flicked a silver coin, acting like a boss.

"Master Dong, I can't accept this..."

The waiter, trembling with respect, tried to return the coin.

"Keep it. Your keen eyesight deserves a reward."

Dongku waved his hand to stop the waiter and walked inside.

"Sir, please take your time..."

The waiter's face lit up with a smile as he hurriedly led the way.

As soon as they entered the hall, Dongku saw that the doors on both sides had been opened, revealing tables and chairs. This confirmed his earlier suspicion that the old restaurant had indeed expanded.

Dongku then saw Uncle Cheng nodding at him from behind the counter and nodded back in greeting. He asked, "Waiter, what's available at this hour?"

"Master Dong, at this hour, we have steamed buns, red bean buns, pickles, and a beef platter. Hot dishes will be ready soon."

"Oh..."

While the waiter was speaking, Dongku noticed that some customers' tables already had cold dishes. "Take my men upstairs first and serve them some platters to eat while they wait for the kitchen to open."

"Master Dong, we have private rooms upstairs. I'll arrange it for you right away..."

The waiter quickly said, gesturing to Liu Zhong and the others who had entered and were standing to one side.

"Hmm?"

Dongku looked towards the room on the right, sensing something unusual.

At that moment, the door was pushed open, and a group of rowdy Japanese ronin entered, laughing and talking loudly. Without waiting for the waiter to speak, one of them said in broken Chinese, "Four plates of marinated beef... two liters of sake, quickly..."

Saying this, he ignored Dongku and the others and headed straight upstairs.

The waiter gave Dongku an apologetic look and turned to shout, "Four plates of marinated beef, two liters of sake upstairs..."

"Got it..."

Dongku understood. It seemed that the upstairs area was occupied by the Japanese ronin and the Japanese army, which was why they wouldn't let him go up.

Understanding this, Dongku smiled and said to the waiter, "Take my men to a private room. Serve them beef and steamed buns first. If there's any porridge in the kitchen, give them a bowl each."

"Yes, yes, we have our own little porridge."

The waiter, seeing that Dongku didn't mention going upstairs again, quickly agreed and led Liu Zhong and the others to the room on the right.

After Liu Zhong and the others left, Dongku walked towards the counter.

"Master Dong, it's a relief to see you safe and sound."

Uncle Cheng clasped his hands and said.

Safe and sound?

Dongku quickly thought about the meaning of these words and suddenly realized that the kidnapping had already reached Uncle Cheng's ears.

"Ha ha... the bandits only wanted money and were quite principled. They released me once they got the money..."

Dongku clasped his hands and laughed. "I'm sorry to have worried you, Uncle Cheng."

"Not at all, not at all, just call me Old Cheng."

Uncle Cheng said, walking over and opening the counter. "Master Dong, the boss has instructed me to take you inside to settle the dividends."

"Dividends..."

Dongku then remembered that he still had dividends here.

"Great! I have something to discuss with the boss."

Saying this, Dongku turned and walked around the counter to the inside.

As soon as he entered the small courtyard, Uncle Tie was standing there, seemingly waiting for him. Seeing Dongku, he extended his hand with a cold expression and said, "Master Dong, please come in."

"Uncle Tie, you're too polite."

Dongku walked inside, thinking that they must have a way to communicate, otherwise Uncle Tie wouldn't be waiting here.

Yan'er opened the door after Uncle Tie knocked. This time, Uncle Tie didn't follow inside but stayed outside.

"Boss Liu, business is booming."

Dongku put on his shoes and said sincerely as he walked in.

"Yes, it's all thanks to Mr. Dong's recipes! Please, have a seat."

Liu Rujì, without makeup, had a faint smile on her beautiful face as she offered Dongku a seat and poured him a cup of tea.

"Oh? Are the recipes selling well?"

"To be honest, Mr. Dong, I didn't expect them to be so popular, especially the hot pot and teppanyaki. They are always full, and the profit from teppanyaki is quite high. With the new and unique flavors, a table can make a silver dollar in profit, and sometimes even two silver dollars."

Liu Rujì said, pushing two silver coins towards Dongku.

The booming business was expected, and Dongku wasn't too surprised. He didn't look at the two bundles of silver coins wrapped in red silk and smiled. "Boss Liu, I noticed the restaurant has expanded, taking over the spaces on both sides."

"Yes. On the tenth day after launching the hot pot and teppanyaki, the place was packed. We had no choice but to take over the adjacent spaces and plan to renovate after May."

"Boss Liu, will the layout remain the same after the renovation?"

"Not yet decided. Do you have any suggestions, Mr. Dong?"

Liu Rujì's eyes sparkled with intelligence as she asked, holding the teapot and looking at Dongku.

"Ha ha! I wouldn't call it a suggestion, just some personal thoughts. There are many places to eat, and I have some ideas."

Dongku laughed heartily, drank the tea in one gulp, and before Liu Rujì could ask, continued, "Anle Town has a small population, and the current space is sufficient. As for the layout, I first need to know who you want to target for profit."

"Who to target for profit..."

Liu Rujì thought for a moment and said, "I think it should be the wealthy."

Dongku nodded in agreement. "Boss Liu is right. Business should target the wealthy for higher profits and more capital. In Anle Town, who do you think is wealthy?"

"Who is wealthy?"

Liu Rujì hesitated, then her eyes lit up. "Mr. Dong, you mean..."

"Ha ha! Boss Liu, you are very wise. The locals can't afford these dishes, and there are only so many wealthy people. The real wealthy are the Japanese army, the settlers, and the puppet army!"

Liu Rujì didn't respond, her eyes lowered in thought as she refilled Dongku's tea.

"Boss Liu, if the upstairs area is reserved for the settlers and Japanese soldiers, the left side for the puppet army, and the right side for regular customers, the space will be fully utilized, and the customer flow will be guaranteed. However, there is the issue of safety..."

"Safety is not a problem for now. I will consider Mr. Dong's suggestion."

Liu Rujì's expression remained unchanged as she smiled and looked at Dongku.

"The puppet army includes Koreans, who are far from home and have a deep affection for their native cuisine. I've been to Korea, and their kimchi is excellent. The mountain vegetables like cat's ear, cucumber, and ferns will soon be available. Collect some, and after three days of fermentation, they can be served. Adding some Korean dishes should attract many Koreans."

Liu Rujì's eyes brightened, and she leaned forward, listening intently without interrupting Dongku.

Dongku took a sip of tea and continued, "As for the upstairs area, if it is renovated in a Japanese style and some Japanese dishes like sashimi and sushi are added, it will maximize their spending. However, management will require more effort. Use women from the settler group or nearby Japanese residents to create a home-like atmosphere."

"Mr. Dong, you are truly remarkable!"

Liu Rujì's eyes widened in surprise. She never expected Dongku to have such a deep understanding of business and advanced service concepts.

"Ha ha... don't flatter me. I've seen many places to eat and have my own ideas. However, this model is suitable for a small place like Anle Town. It would be difficult to implement in larger cities like Harbin or Shenyang."

"Oh? Does Mr. Dong have a better plan? Perhaps we should change the current profit-sharing to a partnership. What do you think?"

"Not a good idea," Dongku waved his hand. "I am a lazy person, and I know nothing about management. I don't want to stay in one place for long. Involving me in the day-to-day management would not only be a waste of time but also make me miserable."

"Can Mr. Dong write down the recipes for kimchi, Korean dishes, and sashimi, and we will continue the profit-sharing as before?"

"That's simple. I have nothing to do and can still earn dividends. Why not? But Boss Liu needs to adjust the management to avoid chaos and maintain a peaceful environment."

Dongku smiled faintly. These were just basic courses he had learned during his training as a special agent. He could talk about them, but he couldn't manage them.

After a pause, before Liu Rujì could speak, Dongku continued, "The quality and flow of customers determine the success of a business. If Boss Liu is serious about expanding in the food industry, I can indeed collaborate. I believe the dining plan I designed and some lost recipes can not only succeed in Shenyang and Harbin but also in the West."

"Mr. Dong, your talent is impressive. Let's try your plan in Anle Town and see the results. If it works, the investment will still be mine, and Mr. Dong will continue to receive dividends. What do you think?"

"Ha ha..."

Dongku laughed heartily. "A few storefronts are no big deal for me. Let's put that aside for now. I'll first compile the recipes suitable for here and let Boss Liu familiarize herself with them. We can train some chefs and make plans from there."

Just as he finished speaking, Dongku suddenly heard two breathing sounds.

Dongku's eyes narrowed, and his ears twitched. "Hmm? There are people behind the paper door! And they are trained fighters!!"

(End of the page)