"Call the police!"
Bai Xiao’s decision was crisp and decisive.
The head chef was escorted out by the security guards; his belongings in the locker had been cleared out and he was thrown into the cleaning storeroom, with two guards watching over him as they waited for the police to arrive and deal with the situation.
The people in the kitchen quickly dumped all the broth from the pots, replaced it with fresh water, and added the cleaned chicken and pork bones to the soup, but usually, it was the head chef’s job to do this, and no one knew how the broth should be cooked or what ingredients were needed to create that delicious taste.
Everyone in the kitchen looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Actually, making broth is quite simple; this easy task, if done with care and attention, can be done well. Have none of you ever paid attention to how this broth is made?" Bai Xiao felt a sudden burst of frustration, realizing the strict division of labor.
Each person only cared about their own work, without a thought for what others were doing.
The others lowered their heads, indeed only focused on their own tasks, and once done, they could rest or play.
Who would bother to mind others’ business?
The dishwashing boy timidly raised his hand.
"I know how to make the broth."
His words hit the room like a stone dropped into a pot.
All eyes were on him, as if they were ready to devour him.
"Do you all have a problem with that?"
Bai Xiao was puzzled. It was one thing not knowing how to do it themselves, but why were they looking at someone who could with such hostility? What was going on? It wasn’t as if the kitchen was their private property and it was a heinous crime for someone else to be capable.
The second chef, who was in charge of cutting meat, stepped forward, "Ms. Bai, we can’t argue with what you’ve done today. Skimming from the restaurant to line one’s own pockets is wrong—no boss would tolerate that kind of person. But this kid, he was the one who reported the chef, and now he’s stepping forward saying he can make the broth. Don’t you think there’s a problem here? He has ulterior motives; if he saw the chef doing that, why didn’t he report it to the manager earlier?
If this had been dealt with sooner and the manager had warned the head chef, maybe he would have corrected his ways, and today’s events wouldn’t have happened.
Now, all the customers outside are waiting for the broth. Without three to five hours, it can’t be properly simmered, yet he stands up claiming he can make the broth. What’s his agenda? I believe both Manager Wang and you, Ms. Bai, can see it’s clearly an attempt to push the head chef out and take over his position.
Of course, the salary of a head chef and a dishwasher are not the same, nor is the work. If he’s going to make the broth, we won’t accept it."
The others also stood up; at this moment, they realized that if the dishwasher could replace the head chef today, then perhaps the next dishwasher could replace any one of them. They now understood that the work they did wasn’t considered skilled labor; there was no technical content, and with practice, anyone could do it well.
The kitchen had likely never been so united before. The one concept in their minds was that if they let this happen today, there would be no good days ahead for them.
They united strictly to threaten, and to be honest, the two managers of the restaurant only understood management in theory. If faced with an actual kitchen strike, they would probably be panicked inside.
Potentially, the kitchen might not be able to turn out a single dish today.
Bai Family’s Hot and Spicy Hotpot Restaurant might have to close for the day.