Chapter 74 of 100

Chapter 74

12 min read3,006 words

Chapter Thirty: The Threat of Closure

"Damn bastards!" Fang Bin couldn't help but curse inwardly as he watched the busy health inspectors in the kitchen and Sun Fatso standing at the kitchen door.

Since that day, for four or five consecutive days, every time it was lunch or dinner, as long as there were no town or factory leaders dining here, Sun Fatso and his group would show up uninvited. They would inspect the hygiene, check the staff's work permits, and demand health certificates. They worked in a sloppy and dragging manner, disrupting the normal operations of Fang's restaurant. By now, everyone understood that the town's health inspection department was deliberately targeting the Fang family.

But Fang Bin couldn't figure out where they had offended these people. They had paid all the required fees and made all the necessary contributions. These bastards were still causing trouble!

They would nitpick and find fault with everything. When they couldn't find any issues, they would deliberately arrange for a few people to come and go through the kitchen's back door, intentionally letting flies in, and then causing trouble. Could Fang's restaurant guarantee that there would be no flies inside the kitchen, let alone outside?

In the past few days, the Fang family had tried to find out more through connections. However, whether it was Zhao Jianguo or Zhu Dajun, the information they got from their contacts was consistent. This matter was instigated by a powerful deputy mayor of the town, who was not only the strongest contender for the next mayor but also had a relative in a leadership position in Pingchuan County. This deputy mayor had very high "prestige" in the town government and was decisive. His attitude was clear: as long as the Fang family willingly gave up 60% of their shares, everything would be fine. If they refused, they would have to face closure. Even Zhu Dajun and Zhao Jianguo were powerless in this situation.

"Mr. Fang, this is the health inspection report. Please sign it!" Sun Fatso called Fang Bin over.

Fang Bin took the form and glanced through it. Good grief, there were at least fifteen or sixteen items listed. He read through each item. Having been a restaurant owner for a long time, he was familiar with the health inspection standards and quickly noticed something odd.

"Mr. Sun, this item, 'The minimum usable area must not be less than 25 square meters, and there should be a wall skirt of at least 1.5 meters made of waterproof, non-absorbent, and washable materials, with a certain slope for easy cleaning.' I don't remember this being in the regulations." If the kitchen must be at least 25 square meters, how large would the dining area need to be? With this requirement, at least 90% of the restaurants in town would have to close! And who in this town uses tiles in their kitchen, let alone afford it? At most, they would use waterproof paint on the walls near the sink.

"Also, 'The food preparation area must have UV disinfection lamps, which should be turned on regularly for disinfection; the areas for cutting, grilling, and preparing cooked foods must also have UV disinfection lamps, which should be used to disinfect the cutting boards and the space regularly.' What are these UV disinfection lamps?"

Fang Bin found it increasingly strange. These requirements were not in the health inspection standards he had seen in Hai Zhuang Town before.

For example, this item: "Rice, flour, and other grains must have a health inspection certificate. The use of fermentation agents, food alkali, and other additives must be documented." In Hai Zhuang Town, rice, flour, and grains are provided by the surrounding villages. Where would these farmers get a health inspection certificate? Or does it mean that every time they buy grain, they must submit it to the health inspection department? If they buy everything from state-owned institutions, the quality might not be guaranteed, and the cost would undoubtedly increase.

Another item: "The restaurant must have a dedicated refrigerator for storing meat." Fang Bin knew about refrigerators and had seen them, but could an average restaurant afford one? Fang's restaurant had a dedicated butcher who would deliver the required types and quantities of meat early in the morning. In the summer, they would buy meat as needed, with the largest market right outside the door. Was it necessary to have a dedicated refrigerator just for this? Even in Pingchuan County, restaurants didn't seem to be this extravagant.

Another item: "Waste oil must be stored in a sealed container labeled 'Waste Oil' and must be processed centrally. Waste oil can only be sold to waste oil processing units or waste collection units, not to other units or individuals. A record must be kept of the sale time, type, quantity, purchasing unit, purpose, contact person's name, phone number, address, and the signature of the recipient, and this record must be kept for a long time. Waste oil must not be disposed of casually."

Waste oil, Fang Bin thought, probably referred to the oil left over from frying food daily. Fang Mingyuan had said that this oil should not be reused as it was harmful to health, so the Fang family usually discarded it. Although it was a bit painful, they had to follow Fang Mingyuan's insistence and the support of the old man. If they followed the recommendations in Sun's report, there were no waste oil processing units or waste collection units in Hai Zhuang Town, and Fang Bin had never heard of any in Pingchuan County. Even if there were, would they really transport the waste oil from Hai Zhuang Town to Pingchuan County, which was dozens of miles away?

"Cough!" Seeing Fang Bin's face turn increasingly pale, Sun coughed lightly and said, "Mr. Fang, these are the latest inspection standards set by our Hai Zhuang Town health inspection department. High standards and strict requirements are necessary to ensure quality. Your restaurant is the pride of Hai Zhuang Town, and we cannot afford any mistakes. Only by following these standards can you do better in this business, ensuring that customers eat with peace of mind, leaders dine with confidence, and we can work more easily, right?"

"Right, and we restaurant owners will be the ones worrying! Did you consider the costs for restaurants when you set these standards?" Fang Bin pushed the form back to Sun with a cold laugh. He could see that Sun Fatso was here to cause trouble.

"Oh, I almost forgot one more thing. The health certificates of your staff are invalid, and they must be re-examined!" Sun Fatso slapped his head and added a few more lines to the report.

"Invalid health certificates? We had our staff examined at the factory hospital. What's wrong with them?" Fang Bin asked urgently. This was getting out of hand.

"According to the latest regulations, from now on, all staff at Fang's restaurant must be examined at the Pingchuan County Hospital, and they must be examined every month! This is to ensure the health of the leaders who dine here. Leaders are busy, and we must provide good后勤保障 (logistical support). We must ensure they eat well and stay healthy! If your staff work while sick and something goes wrong, you won't be able to bear the responsibility," Sun said calmly.

"Every month?" Fang Bin gasped. With over a dozen staff members, the monthly examination fees would amount to several hundred yuan, a significant expense.

"Alright, Mr. Fang, these are the rules! You can question them, but as long as you run this restaurant, you must follow them!" Sun placed the report in front of Fang Bin without any room for negotiation. "You have five days. We will come back to inspect in five days. If you don't meet the standards, you will have to close for rectification!"

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