The Game of Life

Chapter 601: Chapter 599: The Dismal Business of Jubao Building

By the time Sun Jikai hurriedly found the message from Assistant Wang and called Sun Maochai, the response he got was that the number was no longer in service.

Yes, no longer in service.

Only after calling Assistant Wang did Sun Jikai learn that this so-called Sun Maochai’s phone number was exchanged by his grandfather with Sun Maochai during a Cantonese cuisine culinary exchange over a decade ago.

After exchanging phone numbers, Sun Guanyun and Sun Maochai had no contact whatsoever, merely recording the number in an address book, not even saving it into a cell phone.

It’s only normal that Sun Maochai would have changed his phone number after so many years.

“Assistant Wang, please find Master Sun Maochai’s phone number through other means for me, and once you do, call to inform him of grandfather’s demise and invite him to the funeral,” Sun Jikai said.

“Okay,” Assistant Wang replied, “Is there anything else you need me to relay?”

“No, that’s all. Thank you,” Sun Jikai ended the call and sighed deeply as he returned to his room.

Whether it was due to a juvenile sense of pride or a pointless self-esteem, after failing to reach Sun Maochai by phone, the idea of not wanting to ask for Sun Maochai’s help suddenly popped into his head.

He did not want to entrust the future of Jubao Building to a stranger he had never met, even if this stranger was his grandfather’s junior fellow disciple.

Although going against his grandfather’s dying wishes felt almost unforgivably wrong, he wanted to rely on his own skills to take Jubao Building even further. Despite the temporary managerial chaos causing a significant drop in revenue, the foundation was still there. Jubao Building had a seasoned team of chefs, and once everything was back on track and functioning normally, Jubao Building could return to its former glory.

As for how far it could go in the future, that would depend on his own abilities.

Thirty years in the east river, thirty years in the west river, never underestimate the young and poor.

.

Meanwhile, Jiang Feng had booked a ticket for that afternoon, arriving in the evening.

Due to the rush, he, Wu Minqi, and Sir hastened back from their midday business to quickly pack up and head to the airport.

The three of them sat together, Sir by the window, Jiang Feng in the middle, and Wu Minqi by the aisle.

From the moment she boarded the plane, Wu Minqi kept her eyes closed to rest, while after reading a bit of an offline novel on his phone, Jiang Feng noticed that Sir was neither looking at his phone nor watching the boring in-flight movie. Instead, he was staring out of the window at the blue sky and thin clouds, lost in a daze.

Sir had been in such a trance for two days now.

“Grandfather,” Jiang Feng said softly.

Sir turned to look at him.

“You know, birth, aging, sickness, death, they’re all very normal things.”

There was a hint of confusion in Sir’s eyes.

“I mean, you don’t need to be so… so… so upset.” It took Jiang Feng a long time to mutter the word “upset,” but he felt that Sir’s condition wasn’t exactly one of sadness, “It’s truly regrettable that Sir Sun passed away like that, but…”

Suddenly, Sir smiled, “Do you think I’m soul-shattered, heartbroken, and distressed because that old-timer Sun Guanyun left without a word?”

Jiang Feng: ?

Grandfather, you’re not following the script.

“Am I the sentimental type? I’m not your grandmother,” Sir said.

Jiang Feng: …

“I just happened to think of some things,” Sir said, once again gazing out the window, though it was unclear what he was looking at—perhaps memories, perhaps the past.

“These past two days, I just keep thinking of things related to that old-timer Sun Guanyun, so many things, that I easily drift off into thought,” Sir continued, “I’m alright.”

Jiang Feng didn’t think Sir seemed alright at all.

“This time in FZ, let’s stay a few more days,” Sir said.

“Ah?”

“It’s been many years since I last visited Jubao Building. The last time I went was because of Master Sun’s passing. Decades have flown by in a blink. Staying a few more days will at least give me a few more glimpses.”

.

The hours on the plane flew by quickly, with Sir staring out of the window the whole trip, watching the day turn into night, witnessing the entirety of the evening.

Wu Minqi was startled awake twice, once by the flight attendant delivering the meal, and again by the pre-landing announcement. The roused Wu Minqi was still somewhat groggy, her eyes bleary and her hair a bit disheveled, she confusedly asked Jiang Feng if they were almost there.

“I booked a hotel in the city center. Let’s go straight there by taxi, drop off our luggage, and then go grab something to eat,” Wu Minqi said.

She hadn’t touched the airplane meal and was feeling hungry by now.

“Okay, what shall we eat?” Jiang Feng asked the key question.

“Let’s go to Jubao Building,” Sir said.

Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi both paused, then nodded as if in agreement.

Because of the hurry, the hotel was something Wu Minqi had searched for online, randomly picking one that was conveniently located and booking it. The location was indeed good, albeit slightly overpriced. After dropping off their luggage, the three took a taxi straight to Jubao Building.

Getting out of the taxi, Jiang Feng felt as if he had stepped into another world.

Jubao Building hadn’t changed at all, the same sign, the same decorations, almost exactly as he remembered from his memories. The only difference was the street outside had changed, the small paths had become major roads, the bungalows no longer there, replaced by skyscrapers and bustling traffic.

The Jubao Building, once looked up to and seen as grand and imposing in his memories, now appeared quite ordinary.

Sir took the lead, and the three of them walked in.

Almost instantly upon entering, all three of their expressions changed subtly.

Sir furrowed his brows while Jiang Feng and Wu Minqi looked somewhat surprised.

It was 8 PM, typically the busiest time for a restaurant, yet the occupancy rate in the main hall of Jubao Building was less than thirty percent—business could be described as particularly dismal.

There were three waiters at the entrance, but only a younger one saw them and came over with a big smile, asking, “Hello, the three of you, right? Please, this way.”

The waiter led the trio to a table for four near the window and pointed at the QR code on the table, “Our restaurant offers QR code ordering. If the elderly gentleman is not used to ordering this way, we also have menus. I can go get one right now if you need it.”

“No need,” Sir’s expression eased slightly, “Can I still make a reservation for Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall now?”

The waiter was startled and replied, “Yes, you can make a reservation for tomorrow, for either lunch or dinner.”

“A reservation for tomorrow?” Sir’s face was full of dissatisfaction, “Can anyone just make a reservation like that? No need for membership or anything else?”

The waiter was confused by Sir’s attitude; not understanding why a customer would be unhappy about being able to make a reservation, he explained, “Previously, our Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall could only be reserved by premium members. But recently, the restaurant has launched a promotion, so regular customers can also reserve one by just leaving a deposit even if they are not members.”

“Then book three for the day after tomorrow’s lunch,” demanded Sir.

“Alright, I will give you a form in a moment. Please provide a contact name and phone number, and the deposit will be settled with the bill,” the waiter said.

Sir nodded in understanding, and the waiter left.

“You guys pick something,” Sir started zoning out in his seat again.

Wu Minqi took out her phone and scanned the QR code on the table and began to browse the menu, whispering to Jiang Feng, “Fengfeng, don’t you think the business at Jubao Building is a little too quiet?”

Jiang Feng nodded, stealing a glance at Sir, who seemed not to be reacting, and said, “It’s so abnormal. Anyone can reserve Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall now, and they can even make reservations for tomorrow. Isn’t that dish one of Jubao Building’s signature offerings?”

Sir remembered the Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall from Jubao Building, priced at 1888 yuan per small pot, for many years.

“Look, so many dishes are unavailable,” Wu Minqi pointed at the menu on her phone screen, which showed many of the fresh seafood items were sold out.

“Check if they have the Baked Lobster with Superior Soup,” suggested Jiang Feng.

Wu Minqi flipped through the menu further and shook her head, “It’s sold out.”

With many dishes on the menu sold out for unknown reasons, the two had to casually choose a few dishes they had eaten before and then started looking around at the other customers in the main hall.

Truth be told, the decoration of Jubao Building was still quite impressive. As someone who also owned a standalone restaurant building and who had seen the interior of Jubao Building decades ago, Jiang Feng could fairly acknowledge that Jubao Building must have spent a lot in its latter renovations. It had an antique feel yet fused with some modern elements; it was quite comforting to look at. The only discomforting part was the menu, filled with sold-out items that frustrated any viewer.

Though the menu was not to their liking, the food was served quickly—within minutes, the first dish they ordered had arrived at their table.

After tasting a mouthful, Jiang Feng too understood why Jubao Building’s business was so quiet.

The taste was actually okay, not bad, but it didn’t match Jubao Building’s prices.

It felt rather careless.

It was like when you feel your mother didn’t want to cook and just threw together a couple of dishes to get it over with—you might not have the proof, but you could taste it.

Jiang Feng casually stirred the stir-fried lotus root on his plate and noticed that the cutting was sloppy, clearly done by a chef who was slacking. As a well-known high-end restaurant, such a dish should have never made it to the table for customers, yet there it was, being served to them for 58 yuan.

Even Eight-treasure House wouldn’t dare to do this. Though their dishes were expensive, they wouldn’t make customers feel it was done carelessly, but rather, make you simply think their chefs weren’t skilled enough.

The following dishes were the same, the knifework and cooking both carried an air of indifference. Jiang Feng believed the chefs at Jubao Building were skilled, but it seemed like none of them really wanted to put in the effort. He wondered if Jubao Building owed them wages or what the issue could be.

Perhaps that was also why Jubao Building’s business was so sluggish.

Jiang Feng observed carefully, from the moment they entered to ordering, to now, halfway through their meal, only one customer had come in, taking a seat at the table behind them and currently ordering.

“Waiter.” The customer at the table behind Jiang Feng signaled for the waiter; the same one who had led Jiang Feng and his companions inside rushed over.

“Hello, sir, may I help you?” the waiter inquired.

“Can I make a reservation for Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall now?” asked the customer.

“Yes, you can reserve it for tomorrow right now. Regular clients just need to leave a deposit,” replied the waiter.

“Then book me one for the day after tomorrow, I have some things to do tomorrow,” stated the middle-aged man.

Noticing the customer behind also reserved Buddhas Jumping Over the Wall for the day after tomorrow, Jiang Feng couldn’t help turning his head in surprise to take a look at him.

He was a middle-aged man in a suit, about forty or fifty years old, with the appearance of a successful person, exuding a strong presence.

Jiang Feng wasn’t sure if he was a celebrity, as the man looked somewhat familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before, prompting an extra glance or two.

The middle-aged man caught Jiang Feng looking at him, and as their eyes met, he smiled and then froze.

Jiang Feng: ?

The middle-aged man stood up and walked towards Jiang Feng.

Jiang Feng: ???

He passed by Jiang Feng and approached Weiguo, who was staring blankly at the dishes on the table, with an unhappy look.

“Jiang senior brother, long time no see.”