CHAPTER 699: CHAPTER 698: MANPOWER

The restaurant environment was no problem. This scenic tower, standing on the summit of a mountain, was stylish and had a sufficient grade. Dining here, customers could overlook the Far Moon Campus scenery, and regardless of their status, they likely would be very satisfied with the dining environment aside from the food.

Then, Xia Yu had to worry about another problem.

Staffing!

A severe shortage of staff!

Even if he were to call back the travelling Yuchuan Sisters overnight and add Hozoi Midori, he had only three people at his disposal, and they were all women.

Among them, Yuchuan Ayaka was, after all, the head chef in charge of Xia Yu’s small shop in his absence, and Hozoi Midori herself was an outstanding Chinese cuisine chef. The two of them being sous chefs was no problem, Xia Yu would definitely take the lead, throwing all processes outside of cooking to the sous chefs.

But in a large restaurant that normally operates at full capacity, kitchen staff was one thing; the boys and waiters serving plates and greeting customers were also indispensable.

The problem was here.

Where could he pull together a reliable service team?

Xia Yu rubbed his brows.

With just one day left, time was pressing. His designated Xia Family Restaurant business hours, from six in the evening to midnight, in a sense, almost coincided with the Xia Family store on the shopping street.

Of course, there were other considerations for business hours.

The restaurant was in the High Platform Area, and during the school festival period, the High Platform Area was also continuously open until midnight, which was the biggest difference between restaurants in the High Platform Area and other small shops in different areas.

You see, the Far Moon Campus even had its own hotel and resort, with a large complex on the other side of the mountain, accommodating numerous distinguished guests who had come to support Far Moon during these two days.

And at night, when the noise of the campus subsided, these guests would visit the quiet restaurants of the High Platform Area in succession.

From the start, Xia Yu had a very clear target audience.

The guests he wanted to attract and retain were precisely these nocturnal visitors, thus his restaurant wouldn’t clash with the daytime "School Festival".

Everything was carefully considered, except for the waitstaff issue!

Ah ah ah!

Scratching his head, he felt a bit stupefied.

A large restaurant with six floors, capable of accommodating hundreds of diners in 180 batches, how could it operate without a team of waiters?

Relying on just a few people to cook and serve dishes, as well as entertain guests...

Xia Yu decided to spontaneously combust on the spot.

"I must solve this problem during the day!"

Hmm-hmm.

It’s just hiring people. If it comes to it, pay for external hiring, whether reliable or not.

...

Plop!

A bamboo tube used for water deer hunting filled with water hit the ground, the sound carrying far across the courtyard in the early morning.

The old man, Senzaemon, wielding a bamboo sword, was practicing sword moves for the elderly, slow and deliberate, showing the onlookers the definition of a snail’s pace.

An out-of-place round of applause.

"General, your sword skills are still so exquisite," Dojima Yin delivered a clumsy flattery.

"Sword skills?"

Taking a deep breath and after several coughs to smooth out his breath, Senzaemon put down the bamboo sword. "It’s just casual practice, not worth mentioning as sword skills."

"Let’s not talk about this!"

He quickly changed the subject.

Hands resting on the bamboo sword, the Far Moon Commander stood tall, looking south toward the undulating mountains, where the scenic tower on the mountain top was faintly visible.

His eyes flashed. "Yin, have the business hours been set?"

"From six in the evening to midnight!"

"Is that so..."

The two looked at each other, a mischievous smile apparent in their eyes, and soon, similar smiles spread across their faces.

Dojima Yin laughed heartily: "I guessed he’d have to take the field himself!"

"He did boast that from this year on, he’d turn the ’School Festival’ into Far Moon’s golden card to the outside world; of course, he has to lead by example."

As he said this, Senzaemon’s face broke into a smile, like a blooming chrysanthemum. The old General, usually giving an impression of strictness and formality, rarely laughed so openly and heartily.

"Right!"

His laughter stopped, and Senzaemon gave a few instructions to the old butler standing silently at his side. In about ten minutes, male and female servants from the mansion were lined up in the courtyard.

"For the next three days, you’ll go to that place to help—"

Senzaemon raised his bamboo sword, pointing to the tower atop the southern mountains.

Dojima Yin mentally gave a thumbs up.

Look at that!

The identity of the father-in-law was about to be firmly established, with all the mansion’s servants dispatched to help. The gossip fire outside was probably going to quickly spread throughout the entire Japanese culinary circle.

Dojima Yin was pleased with this development.

But on second thought, a certain sorrow welled up in Dojima Yin’s heart.

It was time for the single Great Mage, capable of conjuring fireballs, to consider his own lifelong matters—Ah, where is my other half?

Dojima Yin looked up at the sky with a pained expression, at that moment composing a poem of the single dog.

...

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

Without realizing it, a whole day had nearly passed.

On the third day of the school festival, the number of customers skyrocketed due, in part, to Lei Zhe’s disturbance the previous day.

Central District.

As the end-of-day approached at six in the evening, Xia Yu’s Chinese food cart was still surrounded by enthusiastic diners.

"Hey, Little Xingping, give me another pepper bun, I want to bring it back as a gift for my best friend to try!"

"Sorry, I’m late. Do you still have any Schezwan Dan Dan Noodles?"

"Another plate of Chili Oil Dumplings, please. I’ll pay double the food tickets, thanks!"

The customers buzzed around like bees.

Xingping Chuangzhen didn’t find it irritating. On the contrary, the clamor of the customers energized him even more, filling him with fighting spirit. After a busy day, he wasn’t very tired.

"Okay, just a moment!"

He was about to light the stove when a voice woke him up, "Xingping, we’ve run out of ingredients!"

"Ah!"

Xingping Chuangzhen’s hand froze mid-air with a spatula in grip, and he could only apologize to the waiting diners.

"No worries, Little Xingping, keep it up. We’ll come back tomorrow!"

The customers offered encouragement to the young student and then dispersed.

Mizuhu Yumei, who had skipped out from the Curry Rice Research Association to help him, finally got a chance to catch her breath: "That’s it for today!"

"Who would have thought the customer numbers would suddenly spike on the third day? Xingping, it’s gonna be even busier tomorrow; we must find some help, or you’re going to lose!"

Mizuhu Yumei, wiping sweat, said this but noticed Xingping Chuangzhen seemed a bit dazed.

"What are you looking at?"

Following his gaze, she exclaimed in surprise, "Why are all the Elite Ten gathered at the entrance of Kogama Restaurant?"

Indeed.

Members of the Elite Ten, even Chief Si Yingshi, were there, and after a while, Koga Shoji came at a leisurely pace, having taken off his chef’s jacket.

Thus, the Elite Ten gathered and made their way toward the High Platform Area.

As they passed by, Mizuhu Yumei and Xingping Chuangzhen realized that Koga Shoji looked very tense, even more so than when handling the festival’s customer flow—a semblance of facing a great enemy.

This was...

Xingping Chuangzhen blinked, confused.

At this moment.

Before six o’clock had struck, at the base of the wide stone staircase in the High Platform Area leading to the summit’s scenic pavilion, a group of people had already gathered.

The well-trained butlers and maids of Tiqie Mansion lined up, awaiting orders.

"Oh wow!"

A light yet mischievous female voice spoke, and alumna Qian Rixiangzi arrived, "Chef Xia, if you’ve already pulled in a bunch of servants, why did you call us asking for help?"

"Explain!"

Mizuhara Fuyumi, with her deadpan face, demanded.

Shigong Xiaoci Lang grumbled discontentedly, "Honestly, if you had backup plans, why make it sound so urgent over the phone? We rushed over here, leaving our shops behind!"

Faced with the alumni’s scrutiny, Xia Yu broke out in a sweat.

"That’s not it!"

He cried, sounding wronged.

"Who knew the General would send support right at this moment? It’s all so sudden!"

Saying this, he shot a resentful look at Dojima Yin, who had led the servants here, "General, if you had come soon enough, I wouldn’t have needed to ask the seniors for help."

"But..."

With a twitching smile, he surveyed the alumni, "I only asked for one or two high-quality waitstaff from each restaurant, didn’t I? What’s the situation with you guys showing up personally? I need servers, not head chefs!"

"Let’s go! Hurry up!"

He gestured as if ushering them away.

"Wow!"

Qian Rixiangzi covered her mouth, "Is it really okay to just take advantage and not acknowledge us afterward?"

Mizuhara Fuyumi, still with her deadpan expression, threw in another jab, "Chef Xia’s standards are dropping, just as disgusting as Shigong!"

Shigong Xiaoci Lang, caught off guard, raised his eyebrows fiercely.

"What?! Say that again!"

"Shut up, all of you!"

Xia Yu massaged his brow, silencing the alumni, and seeing everyone looking towards him, he spread his hands, "So, are you leaving or staying? Let me be clear, if you stay, you have to help!"

"Of course we’re staying!"

They answered in unison.

Snap!

Xia Yu snapped his fingers and beckoned, "Then let’s get to it!"

He stepped over to the railing of the stone walkway, first moved away the ’No Trespassing’ sign, tossing it into a corner, then with the help of the arriving alumni, began to dismantle the railing and carried it away.

And so, the gateway was open wide.