Jiang Beicheng had a certain fondness for the catering industry.
After his parents' divorce, his father was often away, and Jiang Beicheng lived with his mother.
He had witnessed firsthand how his mother turned Li Ji into a benchmark for business dining in Jiangcheng.
The smiles of customers enjoying the service and food, along with the happiness of Li Ji's employees earning high salaries, were still vivid in Jiang Beicheng's mind.
The familiar faces before him—some were girls who grew up alongside him, others were older sisters who watched him grow—brought a sense of joy from their reunion.
As Jiang Beicheng dined with them, discussing plans for the new restaurant, his face beamed with genuine delight.
**[Smile +1]**
**[Smile Count: 3/10]**
"In my vision, the new restaurant's management model and employee welfare system will follow the framework my mother established," Jiang Beicheng stated directly. "I'll allocate 40% of the shares to the management and employees.
Of that, 30% will be open for the management to invest in through various assets like money or expertise, and the remaining 10% will be an equity pool to reward outstanding employees.
Basic salaries and social insurance benefits will remain unchanged."
The table erupted in excitement.
The old drive was back.
In the years since leaving Li Ji, they hadn't fared too well.
Despite being top talents in the catering service industry, salaries in Jiangnan City's dining sector couldn't match Li Ji's standards from before.
Earning four or five thousand was already considered good, let alone benefits like social insurance or equity rewards.
Of course, their enthusiastic response to Jiang Beicheng stemmed from their trust in his character. They believed Young Master Jiang would treat them the same way his mother did.
He saw them as people, ensuring they earned professional respect.
"Quick, share this news in the group chat!" one of the older sisters said excitedly.
Jiang Beicheng: "There's still a group?"
Xu Ru replied, "There's always been one. Madam Li set it up herself. She said that anyone who left Li Ji would always be family, no matter when. If things didn't go well out there, they could come back anytime."
Jiang Beicheng once again felt the greatness of his mother and the wisdom of a female business leader.
It was something worth learning from.
"Sister Xu, add me to the group too," Jiang Beicheng said.
Xu Ru did as he asked.
The moment Jiang Beicheng joined, the group of dozens of people exploded with activity.
"Welcome home, Young Master Jiang!"
"Welcome home, Young Master Jiang, to inherit the family business!"
"Thank you, Young Master Jiang, for taking us in!"
"Young Master Jiang, give us the word—when's the restaurant opening? I'll resign right away!"
"…"
Jiang Beicheng stared at the group owner's profile picture for a moment, lost in thought.
It was his mother.
Joining this group brought a warmth and enthusiasm that truly felt like coming home.
Snapping back to reality, Jiang Beicheng sent a few red envelopes to the group.
"Details are still being discussed, so don't rush. Manager Xu will update everyone in the group on future progress."
The chat was flooded with "OK" emojis.
"Young Master Jiang, can I come back even as a cleaner?" one message read.
Jiang Beicheng replied, "Of course, Aunt Zhou."
Aunt Zhou: "Thank you, Young Master Jiang. If Madam Li knew you were bringing all these old colleagues back to restart the business, she'd be so happy.
She always said she wanted to take Li Ji nationwide."
Reading the cleaner's message, Jiang Beicheng felt deeply moved.
The greatest wealth his mother left him was this group of trustworthy old colleagues.
He remembered his mother saying she wanted to turn Li Ji into a national chain like Xinrong Ji.
A revenue of one billion a year!
Back then, everyone believed that goal was achievable.
No one expected his mother would end up bedridden.
For Jiang Beicheng, reaching a billion in revenue was easier than upgrading a system.
If he could fulfill his mother's dream, build a nationwide high-end business dining brand, and lead more people to prosperity and a better life, wouldn't that be a wonderful thing?
No sooner said than done.
Young Master Jiang was decisive and bold.
After the meal, Jiang Beicheng sat down with the store manager, Xu Ru, and the executive chef, Wu Zhonghui, to discuss specifics.
Market research, site selection, and renovations were assigned to Xu Ru.
Building a new kitchen team, coordinating with the seafood market, and arranging aviation logistics partnerships were tasked to Wu Zhonghui.
The goal was to open before the summer vacation.
Both had submitted their resignations that day, and Zeng Wei had already approved them.
Zeng Wei likely knew the government's stance, as the online backlash was too significant for Li Ji to escape lightly. Continuing to support Li Ji's high-salary employees was less practical than closing it down entirely.
The Zeng family was now thriving in the hotpot business and had no energy to manage Li Ji.
Xu Ru and Wu Zhonghui reaffirmed their loyalty to Jiang Beicheng, hoping to make up for their guilt from the past few years and work with him to open the new restaurant.
Working with familiar faces made things smooth.
Jiang Beicheng decided to delegate and trust them.
After heated discussions in the group, the name "Beicheng Restaurant" was finalized.
After lunch, Jiang Beicheng went to the commercial pedestrian street to meet Li Xingying.
Originally, he had planned to have lunch with Li Xingying, but plans changed, and he had to stand her up.
Li Xingying was understanding. After getting her hair done at Old Pi's salon, she went to Starbucks to wait for Jiang Beicheng.
When Jiang Beicheng arrived, she was sitting by the glass window, sipping coffee, with a half-eaten mousse cake on the table in front of her.
She sat there quietly, alone.
Her new hairstyle had a hint of Hong Kong flair, and from the side, she exuded a much stronger feminine charm.
The most eye-catching thing today was that Li Xingying was wearing black stockings—those sheer, summery ones that slightly revealed the flesh tone of her thighs.
It made her look more "alluring."
She paired them with a black hip-hugging skirt with white polka dots and a tight black t-shirt.
The girl knew how to dress, playing to her strengths and minimizing her flaws. The all-black outfit highlighted her fair, porcelain-like skin, with her face drawing attention up top.
And her long legs stole the show below.
Jiang Beicheng walked up to her. "Cake not good?"
Li Xingying looked up, smiling, and shook her head. "Brother Pi kept me for lunch, so I'm too full to eat more."
"Not bad. Only met him twice, and you're already buddies with Old Pi," Jiang Beicheng said.
"Of course, it's all thanks to your influence, Young Master Jiang, and that box of cigars you sent."
As always, her emotional intelligence was on point.
Jiang Beicheng shook his head with a smile and glanced at the time. "I'm two hours late. To make up for it, I'm giving you a chance to 'slaughter' me this afternoon."
In other words, they could shop freely on the commercial street, and he'd foot the bill.
Li Xingying was naturally thrilled. She had already accepted the possibility of something more intimate happening with Jiang Beicheng, and with his generous spending, she wasn't about to refuse.
She teased, "Can I act a bit more reserved? I don't want to look too greedy."
Jiang Beicheng played along, "Then I'll just assume you're genuinely reserved."
"Hahaha!" Li Xingying covered her mouth and laughed. "Young Master Jiang, you're actually pretty funny.
Want some coffee?"
"Nah, let's go shopping first. I'll head to an old friend's place to hang out later," Jiang Beicheng said.
Li Xingying nodded.
She stood up and followed Jiang Beicheng out of Starbucks.
Walking side by side, her makeup and outfit drew quite a few glances from passersby.
Jiang Beicheng tilted his head and smiled. "We're turning heads walking down the street like this. Handsome guy, gorgeous girl—people probably think we're a couple.
But aren't you standing a bit too far from me?"
Li Xingying instantly got his hint and laughed at his flirty words. After giggling, she reached out and hooked her arm through his.
They exchanged a smile.
To Jiang Beicheng's surprise, Li Xingying didn't lead him to high-end malls like Vientiane City or Xingguang 68. Instead, she headed straight for the JD Mall.
Without hesitation, she made a beeline for the DJI drone counter.