CHAPTER 234: CHAPTER 220: WHO EXACTLY IS IT

Gu Qili hurried to the kitchen, and someone who saw her immediately greeted: "Supervisor."

"Where is Luan Yi?" Gu Qili asked in a grave tone, her face stern.

The person was taken aback. Usually, Gu Qili was always smiling and easy-going. Seeing her suddenly turn stern, they stuttered in response, "In, in the restroom."

Gu Qili turned around and rushed toward the restroom. At that moment, she felt an uncontrollable impulse; she wanted to drag Luan Yi out and give her a severe beating.

But as she reached the restroom door, she forced herself to calm down.

The rules at the French Restaurant were very strict, especially regarding the responsibilities and management of supervisors. If a supervisor got into a quarrel with anyone during work hours, the result would be immediate dismissal.

Gu Qili’s hand tightened on the doorknob so fiercely that it rattled slightly from side to side. Meanwhile, someone inside was about to open the door, perhaps feeling the strong force holding the handle from the outside, and they too increased their strength while knocking on the door twice: "Is someone there?"

Hearing the voice, Gu Qili slowly withdrew her turbulent thoughts and the anger festering in her gut, and loosened her grip.

The person who came out was Luan Yi, who had just washed her hands. Seeing Gu Qili standing by the door, she was slightly taken aback, said nothing, and left her behind.

Even after Luan Yi’s footsteps had faded, Gu Qili’s clenched fists had not relaxed.

Stay calm, she must remain calm. This might be a trap set by someone, hoping to inflame her anger and cause her to lose control. If any fights or arguments really broke out in the restaurant, not only would she fail in her current role as acting supervisor, but she might also struggle to continue working at the French Restaurant. The restaurant’s rules were very strict, and she always adhered to dealing with matters professionally.

The gradually sobering mind made Gu Qili feel a tinge of fear. Had she not restrained her impulse earlier and actually started a fight with Luan Yi, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"Supervisor, supervisor, are you alright?" Zhu Ping and that waiter, who had been following behind, came up concernedly calling her.

Gu Qili unclenched her fists and turned to smile at them: "I’m fine, I was just heading to the restroom. You guys go back to work."

"Good to know you’re alright, supervisor. You looked so ferocious just now, I thought you were about to commit a crime if you had a knife." The waiter stuck out his tongue, "I’ll head back to the kitchen then."

After the waiter left, Zhu Ping stepped forward, concerned, and asked: "Qili, are you really okay?"

Gu Qili shook her head, then suddenly asked her, "Zhu Ping, when did you notice the bottle was missing?"

"It was when you went to Manager Qi’s office. I was going to the back storage to fetch something, and habitually glanced inside and noticed the bottle was gone. Before that, I had passed by AV’s lounge and saw the bottle sitting there intact."

"I see, thank you." Seeing that she seemed quite remorseful, Gu Qili patted her on the arm, trying to comfort her: "It’s broken, so be it. If nothing else, I’ll ask AV to brew another bottle."

She knew that brewing a new bottle in time was impossible since Mu Shuoqian’s birthday was next week, and even a homemade wine couldn’t be made within a week, let alone that she no longer had access to such fine Pinot Noir grapes.

"I’m sorry, Qili." Zhu Ping apologized again, bowing her head deeply.

"I’ve already said it’s not your fault, don’t blame yourself." Gu Qili walked with her towards the exit, "Go on back to work."

Zhu Ping looked up at her again, then dropped her gaze and softly acknowledged with a hum.

After Zhu Ping left, Gu Qili handled some work then went to the kitchen. From afar, she saw Luan Yi standing by the sink, washing dishes, wearing a pair of big yellow rubber gloves.

Despite having been assigned to the kitchen for so long, she still couldn’t adapt to the heavy workload here. Her pace in washing dishes was so slow it looked as though she was sculpting each dish. The kitchen manager periodically came over to urge her along. She pretended not to hear, and because she was Qi Meihui’s niece and was here to gain life experience rather than to really work as a waitress, the manager didn’t press it further.

After scolding her a few more times, the manager noticed Gu Qili and walked over to ask, "Supervisor Gu, what can I do for you?"

Gu Qili pulled him aside and inquired routinely: "How has Luan Yi been performing recently?"

"Still the same, quite lackadaisical and unteachable, with absolutely no proper work attitude," the manager complained bitterly, as if eager to transfer this problematic worker away immediately.

"Has she been in the kitchen washing dishes all day today?"

The manager affirmed confidently: "Yes, except she just went to the restroom a while ago."

Seeing that Gu Qili still seemed somewhat doubtful, the manager added, "We urgently need these dishes so I’ve been overseeing her work, you know her pace; without supervision, she could take forever to finish."

"That’s very kind of you."

The person in charge thought to himself that it wasn’t really a hardship, he just wanted to send the person away quickly so he could have a few peaceful days.

After Gu Qili left the kitchen, she returned to her office. Even after sitting down, she could still hear the kitchen supervisor’s voice echoing in her mind. He said Luan Yi had been washing dishes in the kitchen all along, and the only time she left was just now when she ran into her. Zhu Ping said that the bottle was missing when she went to Qi Meihui’s office, which meant Luan Yi didn’t even have the ’time to commit the crime.’ If it wasn’t Luan Yi, then who could it be?

Was it Qi Meihui? Impossible, she had been ostentatiously acting against her and wouldn’t use such petty tricks, not to mention she didn’t know how important that bottle of wine was to her.

Who then? Who else in this restaurant harbors a grudge against her and wants to use this opportunity to remove her from the supervisor position?

However, Gu Qili soon lost the inclination to ponder this issue, as she had to prepare for the arrival of the general manager and his party the next noon. Personal matters had to be put aside for the moment.

The next day at noon, the general manager and his party arrived as expected. To welcome them, the French Restaurant closed to the public for the day. At that time, the glittering restaurant was filled only with smiling waitstaff. Some were so excited to see the general manager that they hadn’t slept all night.

It was said that the general manager was famously amiable and well-liked, the most respected and beloved in history.

Mu Shuoqian and Li Ruhai also appeared, accompanied by the translator Jiang Wei. To Gu Qili’s surprise, Mu Haotian had also made a special trip, indicating the importance he placed on this visit with the general manager.

The group toured the French Restaurant in grand style, with Qi Meihui providing explanations and first leading them to the kitchen, and then to the wine cellar.

The general manager was most interested in the wines, spending the longest time in the cellar, occasionally talking excitedly with Reynolds beside him, and even giving Mu Shuoqian a thumbs up in praise at the height of their conversation.

The French Restaurant’s wine collection was vast, including various world-famous wines, some of which were of antique level and stored in special protective wine cabinets. Many were brought back by Mu Shuoqian from auctions. Despite this, he didn’t seem any less imposing, maintaining his composure and speaking appropriately, displaying an aristocratic demeanor.

Gu Qili ogled his figure for quite a while until the general manager, guided by Reynolds, approached her. The general manager smiled and extended his hand: "Miss Gu, hello.

"Ah?" Gu Qili was a bit slow to react; just a second ago her attention was focused on the man she loves, and the next it had swiftly moved to the general manager’s face. Seeing his extended hand, Gu Qili hurried to shake it, "General manager, hello."

People around did not expect the general manager to specifically go and shake hands with a waitstaff.

"I’ve heard about you from Reynolds, you speak very well. I heard you’re also writing a paper discussing wine culture. Could I take a look at it sometime?"

Indeed, Gu Qili had consulted Reynolds about her paper, and didn’t expect this blabbermouth to have already told the general manager.

Reynolds seemed to have read her mind and subtly winked at her.

Gu Qili quickly said: "It would be an honor."

Just then, Qi Meihui walked up and said with a smile, "Mr. General Manager, it’s lunchtime now, you may take your seat."

"Oh, lunch? I often eat French cuisine, so I don’t really want to have it this noon. Miss Gu, do you have any recommendations?" The general manager was amiable and kind, making Gu Qili feel like she was talking to the friendly uncle next door, greatly reducing any feeling of unfamiliarity.

Upon hearing this, Mu Haotian frowned slightly and quickly said, "Mr. General Manager, our restaurant’s French cuisine encompasses the essence of culinary culture, you might want to try it."

The translator conveyed his thoughts, but the general manager shook his head: "I’ll be staying here for the next week, I can eat at any time. This noon, I want something special."

Gu Qili realized the general manager was seeking her opinion and quickly looked to Mu Shuoqian for help. He just smiled slightly at her, casually glancing at a mural beside the restaurant.

The mural depicted a lush green vineyard, with a man and a woman drinking under rich clusters of grapes, and behind them, two children were playing—a sweet and warm style of painting.

Gu Qili was suddenly inspired and cheerfully said, "Mr. General Manager, I do know a small place, would you be interested?"

A small place?

At these words, Mu Haotian’s face darkened, wondering how the general manager in all his glory could go to just any ’small place’; it should have had the grandeur and luxury befitting his status.

Just as Mu Haotian was about to speak, the general manager had already cheerfully agreed, "Sounds good."

Mu Haotian glared fiercely at Gu Qili, who pretended not to notice.