At Yutu Chinese Restaurant, the premier Black Diamond Restaurant in Jiangnan City, it is considered the pinnacle of Chinese dining in the city.
Before opening this establishment, the owner, Liao Zhi, had sought guidance from Li Yun, the mother of Jiang Beicheng. In the years since Li Yun's passing, Yutu has become the benchmark for the business dining industry in Jiangnan City.
Tonight's dinner was arranged by Shen Ping at Yutu Chinese Restaurant.
Located in Palm Springs, another affluent area of Jiangnan City, the restaurant is a standalone lakeside commercial property.
Renowned for its unique courtyard-style architecture and traditional Chinese decor, it is affectionately called the "Courtyard on the Water" by its patrons.
The ambiance is exquisite, offering diners the serene feeling of being in a Jiangnan water town.
The average cost per person is over 1,000 yuan.
"Young President Jiang, what a rare guest," said Liao Zhi, the owner, as he came out to greet them.
He had originally come to welcome his old friend Shen Ping but was surprised to see Jiang Beicheng.
"President Liao, it's been about four or five years since we last met, hasn't it?" Jiang Beicheng said with a smile, shaking hands with Liao Zhi.
"Something like that. The last time we met was before you went abroad," Liao Zhi replied warmly. "But I heard you bought that standalone commercial property in Guanghuan to open a restaurant? Young President Jiang, let's exchange and learn from each other in the future."
Liao Zhi was a very courteous man with a good reputation in Jiangnan City's dining industry.
Jiang Beicheng guessed that Zeng Wei must have told him about the property. Smiling, he said, "President Liao, you're the senior here. I'm the one who should be learning from you."
"No, no, no. Do you think I achieved this level of success on my own?" Liao Zhi said humbly. "I sincerely hope Young President Jiang can carry forward your mother's passion for the culinary arts. The dining industry in Jiangnan City needs more outstanding peers to create something extraordinary together."
Qi Tai, who was standing beside Jiang Beicheng, could sense Jiang's influence in the culinary world.
He asked Shen Ping about Jiang Beicheng's family background to better understand this potential business partner.
After Jiang Beicheng and Liao Zhi finished their pleasantries, Shen Ping and the others went to their private dining room.
The room's windows opened to a man-made lake where lotus flowers were in full bloom this season, creating a comfortable and pleasant dining experience.
The waitstaff were all dressed in elegant qipao, with graceful appearances, charming smiles, and refined manners.
As soon as tea was served, a young woman carrying a pipa entered, gave a polite bow to the three men, and began to play and sing.
She performed pingtan, a traditional storytelling and ballad-singing art from the Suzhou region.
Her voice was soft and melodious, deeply moving.
"Is the dining scene in Jiangnan City always this competitive?" Qi Tai asked Shen Ping and Jiang Beicheng with a laugh.
Shen Ping replied candidly, "In this industry, President Jiang's mother was a pioneer. She was undeniably the top figure in Jiangnan City's business dining scene back in the day."
Qi Tai said, "Hearing you say that, President Shen, I'm even more excited about Young President Jiang's Beicheng Restaurant. Let's take this chance over tea to discuss cooperation. Once the ladies arrive, we probably won't get to talk business."
Jiang Beicheng raised his teacup in a toast to Qi Tai.
Qi Tai got straight to the point. "President Jiang, let me first tell you about my operations. I have fishing vessels engaged in deep-sea fishing in Hong Kong, Zhanjiang, and Zhoushan. My company supplies all the common seafood available on the market. For clients introduced by President Shen, I naturally offer the most competitive prices, lower than the market average, with guaranteed quality and quantity. President Shen and I aren't just old classmates; we've worked together in Hong Kong and started businesses together in Guangzhou for many years. I trust his character, and I'm willing to build a genuine relationship with the friends he introduces. President Shen also told me a bit about your family's background, and with such a strong social reputation, I'm even more confident in partnering with you. What are your thoughts, President Jiang?"
Jiang Beicheng was equally straightforward. "President Qi, here's the situation. At this stage, I can't confirm our demand volume. If the demand doesn't meet your expectations, let's treat this dinner as an opportunity to make friends. We can still do business as usual and keep in touch moving forward."
Qi Tai waved his hand. "President Jiang, let's not talk about demand volume just yet. You know the market environment isn't great right now, and the industry is highly competitive. The old mindset of scaling up is outdated; now it's about doing things smaller, finer, and with more precision. You are my premium client. Besides, deep-sea fishing isn't my only business. This dinner is about making friends and building connections for the future."
Qi Tai's business acumen was sharp, and he had a clear view of the market.
In the past, businesses made money by selling the chicken. Now, you have to make money even on the labor of slaughtering it.
Based on his experience dealing with restaurateurs, Qi Tai was almost certain that Jiang Beicheng's Beicheng Restaurant would gradually expand to first- and second-tier cities, potentially becoming a mainland version of "Ji Rong" (popular chinese restaurant)
The mainland has a strong consumer market but lacks a prominent local brand.
If Jiang Beicheng could succeed in this path, the demand would be significant.
He could go from being a premium client to a high-volume premium client.
Business requires long-term thinking and a gambler's mindset. From their brief interaction today, Qi Tai felt that Jiang Beicheng's family connections, social skills, and personal character could propel his career forward.
"Since President Qi is so forthright, I'll be more direct and share my requirements," Jiang Beicheng said.
He was extremely stringent about ingredient selection. "President Qi, we will establish our own ingredient inspection standards. Every batch of ingredients sourced from you will be sampled and tested. All metrics and inspection results will be made public for our customers to see. If we find any substandard products during our cooperation, I will immediately terminate our partnership and reserve the right to pursue legal action per the contract terms to protect the legitimate interests of our company and customers."
Qi Tai nodded with a smile. "I understand why President Li became the top figure in Jiangnan City's business dining scene. President Jiang, the stricter your standards, the more I respect you for taking genuine responsibility for your customers. It's like the three of us dining here today—if the ingredients were garbage, no matter how nice the environment or how beautiful the musician, the pleasant mood would vanish instantly. Those are just the cherry on top; the key is satisfying the palate."
"I like that analogy, President Qi," Jiang Beicheng said with a smile.
"Hahaha, President Jiang, to a pleasant partnership!" Qi Tai laughed and shook hands with Jiang Beicheng. Glancing at the time, he said, "What's going on? The tea's almost gone, and they're still not here. Sorry, President Jiang, let me make a call."
He immediately called his mistress, Shen Dan, his tone less than pleased, throwing in a few choice expletives to urge her along.
Just as he hung up, the sound of hurried high heels echoed outside the private room.
Shen Dan pushed open the door. "Sorry for keeping the bosses waiting."
Qi Tai looked displeased. "If you're coming, come early. Otherwise, don't come at all. Making President Jiang wait for you?"
"It's a small matter, President Qi," Jiang Beicheng said with a smile, patting Qi Tai's shoulder, not taking it seriously.
Zhou Yu and Li Xingying, standing at the door, froze when they heard his voice.
Why was Jiang Beicheng here?
Weren't they here to meet their senior, Shen Dan's, boyfriend?
"Thank you both for your understanding," Shen Dan said with a smile, apologizing.
She had brought two junior schoolmates to dinner today to introduce them to her man, Qi Tai. Though their relationship wasn't conventional, he had come with her to Jiangnan to visit family.
She didn't expect to be scolded upon arriving at the private room.
It was quite awkward.
Zhou Yu hesitated at the door, not daring to step inside.
But Li Xingying was different. She walked in confidently. Of the three bosses at this gathering, besides Qi Tai, the other two already knew her.
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