Chapter 41: Reform
The new mansion was located in the central city, very close to the Moonlit Pavilion. Qin Feng only walked a few streets and arrived at the doorstep of the Moonlit Pavilion.
It had to be said that the Moonlit Pavilion was indeed the most luxurious restaurant in Jinyang City. It had three floors, and both in terms of materials and decorations, it was top-notch.
To be able to manage such a restaurant, which had been running at a loss for years, Qin Feng couldn’t help but sigh in admiration of his father’s extraordinary talent for losing money.
“You guys, move all the ingredients into the kitchen,” Qin Feng instructed the people accompanying him as he entered the restaurant.
The servants immediately got to work. He casually approached a table and chairs, touched them with his hand – they were spotless. It seemed that the Manager of this place was someone who knew how to manage things.
Before long, the Manager of the Moonlit Pavilion heard the commotion and came downstairs.
The Manager was a middle-aged man with a small mustache, slightly plump. Upon seeing Qin Feng, he immediately put on a flattering smile. “Young Master, you’re here. Would you like me to pour you a cup of tea?”
“Tea can wait. What’s your name?” Qin Feng had never been involved with the affairs of the Moonlit Pavilion before, so he didn’t know the Manager’s name.
“Reporting to Young Master, my name is Peng Qing.”
“Peng Manager, huh? Alright, bring me the price list of your dishes.”
At Qin Feng’s words, Peng Qing gestured behind him, and a waiter immediately handed over a white scroll.
“Young Master, I thought you might need this, so I prepared it in advance.”
This guy was quite astute. How else could he have managed to run the Moonlit Pavilion like this? Qin Feng was curious. He took the price list and was stunned on the spot.
The prices of the dishes listed were not just high; they were outrageously high!
Jinyang City was a small town, and the standard of living wasn’t high. However, the prices of these dishes were almost comparable to those in Heavenly City. Ordinary people couldn’t afford them!
Qin Feng smirked, “This it the price list?”
“It was decided by the master,” Peng Qing smiled bitterly.
I knew it. Nobody else would be so unreasonable except that guy! Qin Feng put down the scroll and asked tentatively, “Manager Peng, do you think these prices are reasonable?”
Peng Qing shook his head, “I’ve advised the master that the prices are too high, and ordinary people can’t afford them. We should lower them. But master said that the Moonlit Pavilion uses the best ingredients and follows a high-end route. If ordinary people can’t afford it, then so be it. Young Master, you know, although I’m the Manager, I can only follow the master’s orders in such matters.”
Qin Feng had a preliminary evaluation of Peng Qing as a capable person. He asked again, “If you were in charge of changing the Moonlit Pavilion, what would you do?”
“Jinyang City is not the same as Heavenly City. Most people here are common folks who only seek basic sustenance. If it were up to me, I would use less expensive ingredients to reduce costs, lower the prices of the dishes, and increase the restaurant’s profit by attracting more customers,” Peng Qing confidently explained.
“Good!” Qin Feng affirmed. Then, he cursed his father in his heart once again. How could he have such a brilliant person under him and still manage to keep the restaurant in constant losses? It’s truly a sin!
Could it be that his father had an aversion to money?
“Your idea is excellent, but if I were you, I wouldn’t abandon the high-end route while attracting ordinary people.”
“I’d like to hear the details,” Peng Qing said humbly.
“The biggest feature of the Moonlit Pavilion is its luxury. Combined with its three-story structure, we can cater to different customers on each floor. For example, the first floor can serve ordinary people, the second floor can cater to martial artists and cultivators, and the third floor can be reserved for wealthy merchants and officials. This way, we can ensure a basic profit from ordinary customers daily and make the wealthy patrons feel superior, making them more willing to visit our restaurant,” Qin Feng explained briefly.
Upon hearing this, Peng Qing pondered for a moment, then his eyes lit up. “Young Master, you’re truly talented!”
“Get paper, pen, ink, and inkstone!”
A waiter fetched paper, pen, ink, and inkstone from the account room. Qin Feng immediately revised the prices of the dishes. He differentiated the prices for different customers with black lines, making distinctions.
“From now on, Moonlit Pavilion will follow these prices!”
Peng Qing stared for a while and finally understood the menu. He chuckled dryly, “Young Master, your handwriting…”
“Hmm?”
“It’s truly unique. Most people can’t imitate it!”
Qin Feng patted him on the shoulder and said, “Manager Peng, I’ve already instructed the chefs in charge to prepare the new dishes. The success of this restaurant will rely on you. Don’t worry, if the restaurant’s profits are high, your monthly bonus will naturally be high.”
Peng Qing got excited immediately. “Young Master, rest assured. I, Peng Qing, will spare no effort for Moonlit Pavilion, and I won’t complain.”
“Good, go and get busy.”
Qin Feng dismissed everyone and chose a seat by the window. He sipped tea, ate melon seeds, and waited for mealtime.
Time passed, the sun shone high, and the streets became busier with pedestrians. However, although it was clearly time for dinner, no one came to the restaurant.
Qin Feng frowned and called Peng, “Is it always this empty at this time?”
Peng Qing was also curious, “Although ordinary people come infrequently, but there are always a few wealthy patrons, we usually see three or five of them. But today’s situation has never happened before.”
Qin Feng had initially planned to boost Moonlit Pavilion’s reputation with hotpot and spread the word, attracting customers. But with no one showing up, his plan seemed to be going down the drain.
His expression turned grim, “When things go against the norm, there must be a reason. Send someone to find out what’s happening outside.”
Peng Qing immediately instructed a waiter to go outside and investigate. In less than a quarter of an hour, the waiter returned breathlessly, “Young Master, Manager Peng, it’s a disaster! The restaurants under the City Lord’s Mansion have drastically reduced their dish prices. Commoners have flocked there. Moreover, the wealthy patrons and merchants who intended to come here were led away by the City Lord’s Mansion’s people.”
“What? What are their current prices?” Manager Peng furrowed his brows and asked.
The waiter reported the prices truthfully.
After hearing this, Qin Feng fell into silence, and Manager Peng slammed the table, “With these prices, they are definitely selling at a loss. What are they trying to do?!”
Qin Feng sneered, “No need to ask. They naturally want to bankrupt all the other restaurants in Jinyang City with their financial power and then dominate the market alone.”
Manager Peng was stunned, “Doesn’t that mean we have no way out?”
“Not necessarily.” Qin Feng stood up, “I’ll go out and handle it. You guys take care of the restaurant. If everything goes as planned, you’ll be busy tonight.”
They like playing dirty tricks, huh? Today, I’ll show them just how terrifying the marketing methods of the 21st century can be!
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