Once everyone had taken a seat, Qiulan brought over a few cups of tea. Cheng Su took a sip to moisten her throat, then opened the notebook in her hand.
"I’ve called you all here for a meeting today, and I suppose you already have an idea why," Cheng Su began with a smile. "I have started another business, and since it has just opened, the management team isn’t mature yet. Therefore, I will be spending more time there. That’s also why I’ve decided to promote Qiulan to be the foreman."
Qiulan looked over gratefully.
"Firstly, you’ve been with me from the beginning. You are honest and responsible, willing to work hard without complaints. That’s what I appreciate about you," Cheng Su praised.
"Sister Su, please don’t flatter me, I still have so much to learn from you!" Qiulan said modestly.
"Look, she’s even learned how to talk diplomatically!" Cheng Su laughed, cutting off Qiulan’s attempt to explain further. "I’m not saying you’re insincere. In fact, in the food service industry, we need to ’speak human when we see people and speak ghost when we see ghosts.’ It’s all part of social skills. Everyone likes hearing nice things, don’t they?"
Qiulan blushed.
"There’s no need to go out of your way to butter someone up; just be yourself. Qiulan, you’re a good girl, pure enough, but that’s not all there is to it. You need to show some backbone, to get tough. Now that you’re in charge of just two or three people, it’s a great opportunity to practice. In the future, if our restaurant expands, as the first foreman, you may even get promoted further. Then you’ll have more people under you, and without some courage and the ability to command respect, you won’t be able to manage a team effectively."
Qiulan quickly responded, "Sister Su, I will learn diligently, please teach me more."
Cheng Su nodded thoughtfully, then added, "Even though we work, we can still continue to learn. Read books, take classes, learn specialized knowledge relevant to your field. Like now, you’re in the food service industry; you could study something like hotel management. Spare some time to learn—little by little every day—and one day, you’ll have a wealth of knowledge."
Qiulan’s eyes sparkled as she stammered, "I, I can continue my education too?"
Cheng Su smiled, "That’s up to you. I can’t make your decisions. If you want to add value to yourself, then learn."
Qiulan nodded, biting her lip.
"Alright, back to the main point." Cheng Su turned to Old Song, "As I said, I might not have much time to spend at the restaurant in the future. So, with Qiulan becoming the foreman, she’ll be managing the whole restaurant’s operation. Old Song, she’s still young and inexperienced, so I hope you can assist her. After all, you have decades of experience in the food industry."
Qiulan also looked eagerly at Old Song.
Old Song chuckled, "This young lady is quite sharp. I’ll be there; just don’t mind if I’m a bit long-winded, Qiulan."
"How could I? I can’t thank you enough for teaching me!"
"Also, Old Song, I really intend to expand the restaurant. The courtyard next door has been a tough negotiation—they’re asking for a high rent. If they don’t ease up soon, I’m considering just renting it anyway," Cheng Su continued. "Now that I’m busy with the company’s factory, I definitely won’t have time to help you cook. When I hired you, it was to be the head chef. Xiao Jiang, he..."
A shadow fell over Old Song’s eyes.
"I’ll be frank, I see that Xiao Jiang is not truly dedicated to cooking, but he’s quick-witted and articulate. Old Song, I’m thinking of giving him the role of handling procurement," said Cheng Su.
Upon hearing this, Old Song’s eyes widened as large as saucers; suggesting Xiao Jiang for the position of procurement officer? That’s a massive show of trust!