Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Trying to Poach the Boss?
"Director Li, you really know how to get things done! Haha, you so easily solved the cafeteria problem that’s been bugging us for over half a year. Now, no one will be going to management to complain anymore."
Zhou Kai, also holding a cup of hot tea, was clutching a large steamed bun in his right hand, his mouth slick with grease as he ate.
He could never get tired of these buns. Wang Rui was the one who had brought them for the two of them.
"It’s nothing, really. The credit isn’t mine. It’s all thanks to my generous friend, who was willing to open his cafeteria to the public," Li Mingtao said, putting on a humble front.
In reality, he was panicking like crazy.
’What on earth is going on? I was only away from the company for two days, and the Delicious cafeteria is already open to the public?’
’And I only found out about it opening to the public from an employee in my own General Affairs Office! Su Chen and his people didn’t notify me at all!’
When Li Mingtao saw Bai Xiaobo’s business card posted by Wang Rui in the company group chat, he was completely dumbfounded.
Following that were the sporadic cheers and praises from company employees. Now, even colleagues from other departments would smile and greet him when they saw him, their attitudes noticeably warmer.
All these changes left Li Mingtao utterly stupefied.
’I didn’t do a single thing, yet I’ve somehow solved a major problem that was plaguing the company?’
’The most frustrating part is, I can’t even explain the full story, or they’ll find out I’m a total fraud!’
Just as Li Mingtao was lost in his bewildered thoughts, Zhang Li pushed the door open. "Director Li? Oh, you’re eating?"
’The assistant from the Design Department?’
Li Mingtao had heard a little about how this young assistant had followed Ling Shuyu to the General Affairs Office the day before to throw her weight around. After understanding the reason why, Li Mingtao had planned to stay out of it.
’Your Design Department is handling the reception, and my General Affairs Office can go to finance to get the budget approved for you.’
’We can also book the menu at the cafeteria for you.’
’That’s part of our job. But for you to come to our department and swagger around, not to mention dump this difficult problem on us—that’s just not right.’
Besides, Li Mingtao had his own little scheme. If the reception was held in their own cafeteria and ended up being a disaster, it would be the perfect opportunity for the big boss to discipline that relative running the place.
"Ah, Xiaozhang, have you eaten? There are still two buns here," Li Mingtao said politely.
There were four buns in total; he and Zhou Kai each had two.
A certain amount of politeness between colleagues was necessary.
"Wow! Thank you, Director Li!" Zhang Li immediately grabbed the buns from the desk and held them in her hand.
Li Mingtao froze for a moment.
’Wait... you’re actually taking them?’
’Aren’t you supposed to say something polite like, "I’ve already eaten," or "No, thank you"?’
’People from the Design Department really are a tough bunch!’
Holding the buns, Zhang Li said, "Director Li, President Ling asked me to talk to you about something."
"It’s about the client reception, isn’t it? I already know."
"You already know?"
Zhang Li hadn’t had much contact with this new director. She just thought that for someone who had only been here a few days, he was quite capable to have immediately solved the cafeteria problem that had troubled everyone. She hadn’t expected him to know what she was there for before she even said a word.
"Yes, about hosting the clients the day after tomorrow," Li Mingtao said, his gaze drifting over the two buns, a pang of pain shooting through his heart. "My suggestion is to increase the budget compared to previous receptions and host them in Jingzhou City. Alternatively, your Design Department can come up with a concrete reception plan, and I’ll communicate with our company’s cafeteria about it."
Zhang Li frowned slightly. "Director Li, please let me finish first."
Li Mingtao picked up his teacup and nodded.
"President Ling’s feeling is that she has very little confidence in our cafeteria. But if we host them in the city, we won’t be able to start discussing the proposal right after dinner. So..."
Li Mingtao mused to himself.
’So, in other words, they need to start working immediately after dinner, but the meal also has to be absolutely top-notch.’
’Isn’t that just ridiculous?’
"So, President Ling sent me here because she thinks the chef from the 19th floor across the street is quite good. She wants to see if you can step in and invite them to our cafeteria to prepare the banquet for this reception."
After a pause, Zhang Li added, "And if possible, it would also be fine to have them stay and work in our company’s cafeteria."
This last part was her own addition.
"PFFT! COUGH, COUGH..."
"Director Li! Director Li! The water isn’t even hot!" Zhou Kai exclaimed, quickly grabbing tissues to wipe the table.
Li Mingtao had sprayed a mouthful of hot tea everywhere.
He was so stunned when he heard they wanted to invite the other party’s chef to help—and even wanted to poach him—that he nearly choked to death on the tea.
’Wait a minute...’
’I’ve seen people poach employees, but I’ve never seen anyone try to poach the boss himself!’
’If you’re going to poach their boss, why not just acquire their whole company while you’re at it?’
"No, absolutely not." Li Mingtao wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and immediately shot it down. "That is absolutely out of the question!"
"Why not?" Zhang Li was puzzled. ’How can you say no before we’ve even tried?’
"Ah, Zhang Li, there’s something you don’t know..." Zhou Kai said, shaking his head with a laugh. "The ’chef’ you’re talking about is actually the boss of the company on the 19th floor across the street."
"Huh?" Zhang Li was completely bewildered. "Aren’t they a company? Isn’t that their company’s cafeteria? A company cafeteria where the boss personally cooks?"
Zhou Kai nodded. "That’s right. Otherwise, do you have any idea how much effort Director Li put into this whole cafeteria matter for our company? When it comes to hosting clients, you can’t make things too difficult for him."
Li Mingtao was very pleased to hear this. He smiled. "However, I can try to talk to them for you and see about hosting the reception over there. How does that sound?"
Since the topic had come up, Li Mingtao was just saying it to go with the flow. ’Since you, Su Chen, have already opened for business, I might as well bring you a customer. Then I can say I’ve done my part. At the very least, maybe you can pay back that little bit of money you owe me sooner.’
’If it doesn’t work out, then there’s nothing I can do.’
...
Zhang Li didn’t even know how she left the General Affairs Office.
All in all, she was completely and utterly dumbfounded.
This news had completely subverted her understanding of both the traditional restaurant industry and traditional companies!
’If you’re a restaurant, I can understand the boss cooking himself and hiring a few waiters. But why would you open a restaurant in such a godforsaken place?’
’And if you’re a company, why is your boss personally cooking? Personally cooking for his employees?’
’The key thing is, you even make the food so damn delicious!’
’Does... any of this make sense?’
Likewise, back in the Design Department, Ling Shuyu was also completely baffled after hearing Zhang Li’s report.
"I don’t think Li Mingtao’s suggestion is entirely out of the question," Ling Shuyu said after a long moment of thought. "But not in the sense that we eat across the street and then come back here to review the proposal."
"Then what?"
Ling Shuyu flashed a confident smile. "Why don’t we eat across the street, and then review the proposal right there?"
"But the problem is..." Zhang Li hesitated.
Although they had only been there once, everyone had seen the state of that place, Delicious.
The fallen sign at the entrance, the completely empty office area... there wasn’t even a single computer, let alone a comfortable office and multimedia equipment.
"They don’t have it, but we do!" Ling Shuyu said, completely unconcerned.
"Right now, this plan is indeed a rather good option. Of course, that’s assuming the 19th floor can actually handle this reception. Didn’t Li Mingtao say he would liaise with them? Give him the client’s information and tell him to get a proposal back to us before noon."
"Okay," Zhang Li agreed.
Ling Shuyu had always been swift and decisive. If something came up at eight o’clock, she wanted a plan by twelve.
Not daring to delay for a second, Zhang Li trotted off again in the direction of the General Affairs Office.
