Divorced and Determined: The CEO's Ex-Wife Fights for Love-Chapter 233

Chapter 233

In the service industry, dealing with picky and unreasonable customers is nothing new. When you open for business, you’ll inevitably encounter all kinds of customers.

But what can you do? The customer is always right, you have to serve them well.

This was also a crisis management situation for the hotel. Moreover, this particular customer was no ordinary guest; it seemed they came from a military district.

Shen Muyan didn’t dare to offend him, so she did everything she could to meet his requirements. While on her way, she called Lu Qin.

Lu Qin was well-known for his skills in Sichuan cuisine and noodles, but Shen Muyan didn’t know if he could make lamb soup.

After all, no one is perfect. How could anyone do everything?

But to her surprise, Lu Qin said he could make it. When Lu Qin arrived, Shen Muyan and the others were in the kitchen.

The strange, picky customer was still sitting in the dining area, probably not leaving until he got the lamb soup he wanted.

Chef Bai had given up. He told Shen Muyan and the restaurant manager,

“Ms. Shen, as you can see, I’ve done my best. Everyone has tasted the lamb soup I made, and it’s fine. The problem lies with the customer. It’s impossible to satisfy everyone’s taste; who knows what he’s expecting?”

Chef Bai was frustrated because the customer had spit out the soup he painstakingly made. That was the greatest insult to a chef.

Spitting out the food meant the customer didn’t appreciate the chef’s work.

No matter how good the dish was, if the customer didn’t like it, there was nothing you could do.

At that moment, Shen Muyan’s phone rang—it was Lu Qin, saying he had arrived.

When Lu Qin entered the kitchen, he immediately smelled the rich aroma of lamb soup.

“It smells great.”

“You are…”

Everyone turned to look at Lu Qin. The restaurant manager didn’t know who this handsome young man was, and was about to ask when Shen Muyan spoke up, “This is Chef Lu, whom I invited to make lamb soup noodles.”

Shen Muyan and Lu Qin exchanged a glance.

Chef Bai sized up Lu Qin and thought, Shen, having invited this young guy, might be a little desperate. Usually, just like in medicine, older chefs tend to have more experience and higher skill. Younger chefs are generally still maturing.

Shen Muyan led Lu Qin outside, explained the situation, and emphasized the picky customer.

Lu Qin thought for a moment, then looked at Shen Muyan and first brought up the money.

“If this works, how much will I get?”

Lu Qin stretched out two fingers and rubbed them together.

Shen Muyan rolled her eyes and said, “Are you a chicken feather on a shuttlecock, falling into a money trap?”

“One hundred thousand?” Lu Qin said with a smile.

“I’m providing the materials, and you’re just selling your skills. How can you ask for one hundred thousand? At most, one thousand.”

Shen Muyan gave him a look, annoyed that despite their relationship, he was still trying to bargain.

“Eight thousand!”

“One thousand five hundred.”

…

After haggling, they finally agreed on a price of thirty thousand.

Shen Muyan was eager to see what made a thirty-thousand-yuan lamb soup so special. She asked Lu Qin how he planned to make it and what ingredients he would need.

Lu Qin shook his head and said, “I’m not sure yet. I’ll need to assess the situation first.”

Shen Muyan was speechless, but she felt more at ease with Lu Qin there. Lu Qin entered the kitchen, took a look around, and then smiled.

“Let me first taste this lamb soup noodle. Please serve me a bowl.”

The restaurant manager personally served Lu Qin a bowl of lamb soup. After tasting it, Lu Qin nodded.

“Mmm, not bad. The flavor is pure, the broth is rich and delicious.”

Chef Bai’s face lit up. He knew exactly what level his lamb soup was at, and the flavor was undoubtedly top-notch.

Shen Muyan asked, “Is this lamb soup okay?”

Lu Qin replied, “Compared to what I make, of course, it’s not the same. I would say this is above average.”

Arrogant!

Chef Bai was not happy to hear this.

This young man is being too boastful. His tone is bigger than his skills! He thought.

“Above average?”

“Oh? You think you’re that good? Can you show us your skills?”

It sounded like a challenge.

The restaurant manager didn’t expect this young man invited by Shen Muyan to be so arrogant. He sided with Chef Bai.

There are many people like this nowadays—loud but lacking skill. The kitchen staff had already categorized Lu Qin as one of those types.

Chef Bai was responsible for the entire kitchen, and his culinary skills were beyond question. But now, this unknown young man was saying that Chef Bai’s lamb soup, compared to his own, was far inferior. They absolutely didn’t believe that.

The lamb soup in the pot had already been tasted, and it was delicious!

Was this Lu Qin really going to make something much better?

They definitely didn’t think so.

“No rush, I need to meet the customer first.”

Lu Qin analyzed the situation based on what Shen Muyan had told him earlier. He thought for a while and concluded that the problem likely wasn’t with the dish itself but with the customer. So, it was necessary for Lu Qin to meet the customer.

Shen Muyan took him to meet the customer. After the brief exchange, Lu Qin didn’t say anything special, just a simple greeting, and then returned to the kitchen.

“That’s it? What was the purpose of meeting the customer?” Shen Muyan asked in confusion.

Chef Bai and the others also wondered why Lu Qin had returned so quickly.

Lu Qin replied, “The customer is probably from East Province. He has a slight accent.”

Chef Bai asked, “What does that have to do with it?”

“Lamb soup has four major regional styles: Lingbao lamb soup from Hunan Province, Cangshu lamb soup from Su Province, Shanxian lamb soup from East Province, and Pingquan lamb soup from Beiping. Each style has a long history and its own unique legend. Naturally, the taste of the lamb soup differs from place to place.”

“For example, Lingbao lamb soup has the oldest history. During the Qin Dynasty, when the Qin army defeated the Six Kingdoms Alliance at the Hangu Pass, the king sent eight hundred fat lambs from Qin Chuan to the front lines to reward the soldiers. The soup was rich and savory, and the soldiers couldn’t stop eating it. The cooking pot used at that time was called Xun, a type of copper pot, which gave the lamb soup its earliest name, Xun Soup…”

“As for the Shanxian lamb soup from East Province, it has a stronger, more distinct gamey taste. But this is a pleasant kind of gamey flavor. The customer has been saying the lamb soup doesn’t taste right, which indicates that the cooking method is wrong.”

After Lu Qin finished explaining, everyone was stunned. No one had expected this young man, who had been so boastful earlier, to actually know what he was talking about.

Chef Bai’s heart skipped a beat. Could it really be that the cooking method was wrong?

He was starting to think that maybe Lu Qin was onto something!

He knew that his lamb soup was good, but could it be that he had missed something crucial?

Regarding the four styles Lu Qin mentioned, Chef Bai had heard of them but didn’t know how to cook them. His own skills in making lamb soup came from Hunan Province, which only used a simple, plain recipe, and as long as the taste was fresh and rich, it was considered good enough.

Shen Muyan’s eyes sparkled.

It was clear that Boss Lu was truly talented—there was no doubt about his skills in cooking.

“Can you make Shanxian lamb soup?” she asked.

“Yes,” Lu Qin said and nodded.