Chapter 548

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Protagonist:

Lu Feng

After Ma Wenliang and the others had all finished eating and set down their knives and forks, the waiter came over briskly once more, holding not only feedback forms printed with the Western Restaurant's logo but also carrying a delicate mousse cake for each of them.

"Gentlemen, thank you very much for your willingness to cooperate with our restaurant's feedback survey. This is a dessert our restaurant is presenting to you all. Thank you again for your feedback."

The waiter's smile was gentle as she distributed the feedback forms and pens to everyone at the table.

Ma Wenliang and his group were quite straightforward; what they wrote on the feedback forms were their respective most genuine impressions of tonight's dishes.

Before long, they had all finished filling out their feedback forms.

The content of their feedback was basically much the same, the core point being that they did not recommend the Western Restaurant make that Swedish Meatballs dish in the future.

Because they genuinely felt it could not compare to Lu Family Restaurant's Lion's Head.

However, not all of them wrote complaints; the two who had ordered the Steak Set Meal felt the steak's flavor was still quite good, and they wrote that down honestly, expressing satisfaction with the steak's taste.

Scenes like this kept playing out in the Western Restaurant tonight.

The customers dining in the Western Restaurant tonight were all invited by the waiters to fill out feedback forms; for such an effortless little task, plus with free dessert being given away, there were still many people willing to cooperate.

Having the waiters collect the customers' opinions was not Head Chef Yang Zhenguang's idea, but Zhou Li's.

In the afternoon the Hall Manager reported to him that Yang Zhenguang would be launching Swedish Beef Balls in the evening, and put it very tactfully that he intended to go head-to-head with the Lu Family Restaurant next door.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Li couldn't help but frown.

She knew that as an internationally renowned Special Chef, Yang Zhenguang's culinary skill was beyond doubt.

But she did not agree with this head-on confrontation with Lu Family Restaurant.

However, Zhou Li also understood Yang Zhenguang's personality, knowing that once he decided on something it was very hard to change; if she opposed him directly it would inevitably spark an argument and damage the harmony between them.

After thinking it over, Zhou Li simply had the Hall Manager arrange for the collection of customer opinions.

She planned to use the customers' genuine feedback as a point, then find an opportunity to dissuade Yang Zhenguang.

…………

At nine in the evening, customers in the Western Restaurant gradually thinned out; there were still a dozen or so tables of diners in the hall.

Yang Zhenguang, who had been busy in the Open Kitchen for several hours, rubbed his somewhat sore shoulders, his gaze sweeping over the restaurant's customers, his face revealing no joy or worry.

The Swedish Meatballs he had personally made tonight had sold a fair number under the waiters' enthusiastic recommendations, but he was not satisfied.

This dish was one of his signature dishes; he felt the sales volume had not reached his expectations.

Yang Zhenguang rolled his stiff neck, just about to find a corner to rest for a bit, when he saw Zhou Li holding a blue folder walking toward him.

"Special Chef Yang, you've worked hard tonight."

Zhou Li looked at Yang Zhenguang, first saying respectfully, then lifting the folder in her hand: "But I have a document here I'd like Special Chef Yang to take a look at. Is it convenient for you now?"

Yang Zhenguang frowned, his gaze landing on the folder in Zhou Li's hand, a trace of puzzlement in his eyes: "What is this?"

His mind was still on tomorrow's Swedish Meatballs, wondering whether to tweak the old recipe, not knowing what Zhou Li wanted with him holding some unknown document at this hour.

Zhou Li did not answer directly, raising her hand to point at the stairwell: "It's not convenient to talk here, Special Chef Yang, let's go to your office upstairs and talk."

Her tone was still calm, but her eyes held a few degrees of seriousness.

Yang Zhenguang's gaze lingered on Zhou Li's face for a few seconds, discovering that her smile now faintly revealed a hint of gravity.

Zhou Li's expression right now, although not showing any dissatisfaction, also did not look happy.

He faintly felt it might be related to the Swedish Meatballs he had made tonight.

But even if Zhou Li really was coming to blame him for tonight's decision, he was not panicked in the slightest.

Because after the Swedish Meatballs were launched tonight, although the sales volume did not meet his expectations, he felt the effect was still quite good.

Many more customers came to dine in the evening, much better than the empty-at-noon situation.

Showing that his signature dish was still very popular with these customers.

If Zhou Li expressed opposition, he did not intend to yield.

His and Zhou Li's positions in the restaurant were not ranked above or below each other; he did not need to go through Zhou Li's approval for what he did.

Yang Zhenguang nodded, following Zhou Li toward the second floor without a word.

The two went up to the second floor one after another, neither speaking the whole way.

Pushing open the office door, Yang Zhenguang and Zhou Li entered one after the other.

This was Yang Zhenguang's exclusive office, decorated with great taste; the desks and bookshelves in the room were all solid wood.

The office was tidied meticulously, and at the very back there was even a small room for resting.

Unlike an ordinary corporate executive's office, the innermost bookshelves displayed not books, but a dazzling array of honor guards and award certificates.

Awards large and small crowded the bookshelves, appearing exceptionally dazzling under the lights.

These were only a small portion of the achievements from Yang Zhenguang's decades-long career as a chef; relying on his superb Western culinary skill, he was famous both domestically and internationally.

These trophies and certificates were the best proof of his culinary skill.

No wonder he could still be so confident in launching Swedish Meatballs to face off head-on with Lu Feng after tasting his dishes.

"Sit."

Yang Zhenguang gestured at the sofa in the office, saying to Zhou Li in a flat tone.

Then he poured Zhou Li a cup of tea, only then opening his mouth to ask about the matter just now.

Zhou Li sat on the sofa, placed the folder in her hand on the coffee table, looked up at Yang Zhenguang, and said with a serious face: "Special Chef Yang, these are the feedback forms filled out by the customers who dined at the restaurant tonight. I've already looked them over, and I think... you also have a need to take a look."

"Feedback forms?"

Yang Zhenguang was stunned for a moment, then nodded in realization: "Alright, I'll take a look."

As the restaurant's executive chef, understanding customer feedback is also one of his job responsibilities.

However, Yang Zhenguang originally thought Zhou Li had come to argue with him about tonight's unauthorized change of the main dish, the launch of Swedish Meatballs.

He didn't expect Zhou Li wouldn't bring up this matter at all, which made him a little surprised.

But Yang Zhenguang also didn't take it too seriously, just treating it as a routine work report.