If one could live freely, speak freely, and avoid dealing with those tiresome social interactions and obligations that they despise, who the hell would want to be a smooth-talking, emotionally intelligent person?
It's too exhausting.
But living in this society driven by personal connections, many times you have no choice but to go along with it.
Jiang Beicheng hadn't yet made long-term plans for his career. Perhaps one day he would adapt to this society of favors and connections, but for now, he just wanted to live life on his own terms.
If he didn't want to do something, he wouldn't do it.
If he looked down on someone, he simply wouldn't associate with them.
Even in front of Zeng Wei, the (catering) industry leader in Jiangnan City, he had no qualms about expressing his contempt for someone like Zeng Haifeng—a petty, morally corrupt person.
Zeng Haifeng, agitated, said, "Jiang Beicheng, our Zeng family is taking the initiative to help you, and this is your attitude…"
Before he could finish, Zeng Wei raised a hand to stop him, still maintaining a smile as he addressed Jiang Beicheng. "Nephew Beicheng, how about this? I'll give you Li's Restaurant outright.
It was your mother's life's work, after all.
Now that it's in your hands, I can rest assured.
In a few days, there's a gathering of the Catering Association in the city. Come with me and sit down with everyone.
A lot of your mother's old friends are there, and they're all quite concerned about you."
He still wanted to use Jiang Beicheng to build his public image.
Li's Restaurant had already been run into the ground by Zeng Haifeng. It was currently under investigation by the market regulatory authorities, and the outcome of the penalties was still uncertain.
Zeng Wei's gesture seemed generous, as if he were expressing gratitude to Jiang Beicheng's parents, but in reality, he was playing a calculated game, aiming to establish himself as the big brother in the circle of veteran caterers.
The word "loyalty" was something he had to claim, as it was the only way others would respect him.
Jiang Beicheng was the perfect tool for him to craft this persona.
To be honest, if Jiang Beicheng didn't have the system, he might have gone along with Zeng Wei, regardless of his motives, at least to make his life a bit easier.
But now, he had no need to cater to anyone's whims.
"Old Zeng, this gift is too heavy. I can't accept it," Jiang Beicheng said directly. "As I've said before, if you're thinking of my parents' old friendship, just be more understanding if we have any conflicts in the future.
There's no need to say anything else."
He turned to look at Zeng Haifeng, who was silently fuming. "If your abilities are lacking, you can improve them. If your management skills are poor, you can learn. But if your character is rotten, there's no saving you.
Learn a thing or two from your father about how to conduct yourself."
With that, he bid farewell to Zeng Wei and left.
Jiang Beicheng's rejection of Zeng Wei's generous offer wasn't entirely because he looked down on charity. It was because Li's Restaurant's dirty dealings had been exposed, and its reputation was in tatters, with netizens cursing it online.
Thankfully, the public's anger was directed at the Zeng family for ruining the brand his mother had built.
Taking over the current Li's Restaurant would be worse than starting fresh and building a new high-end business restaurant.
Jiang Beicheng felt pity for the old employees who had followed his mother. They had once truly treated Li's Restaurant as their home.
Their sense of honor and belonging had been strong.
"Young Master Jiang."
As he stepped out of the company, he ran into Xu Ru, the store manager, who had come to report to Zeng Wei.
"Sister Xu, has the penalty decision for Li's Restaurant come out yet?" Jiang Beicheng asked with concern.
"Not yet. There are rumors it's going to be severe. Mr. Zeng has already pulled some strings, but the final outcome is still unclear," Xu Ru replied.
Jiang Beicheng said, "If I hadn't caused that scene, you wouldn't have had to shut down."
"Young Master Jiang, you did the right thing. Honestly, whether it's me or Old Wu, we both wish Li's Restaurant would close down sooner rather than later," Xu Ru said, holding her resignation letter. "I came here today to submit my resignation to Mr. Zeng."
Jiang Beicheng was somewhat surprised. "What about Old Wu?"
"Old Wu is planning to resign too. Don't blame him for what happened with Li's Restaurant. He had no choice.
Zeng Haifeng forcibly took back Old Wu's shares, so he has no say in the company.
And you know, there aren't many restaurants in Jiangnan City that serve Taizhou cuisine, and none can match Old Wu's salary.
He had no choice. He brought his whole family here to settle down and could only go along with making dirty money. But every dish he cooked, he did so with care and responsibility.
Your actions gave him a way out. Last night at dinner, he said he's going back to his hometown."
Jiang Beicheng truly understood the meaning of "when corruption becomes the norm, integrity becomes a crime."
He didn't blame Xu Ru or Old Wu. They were just workers who had to follow their boss's orders.
If they were lucky enough to have a good boss, that was their fortune. If not, they could only drift along with the current to survive.
On the contrary, because of the commotion he caused yesterday, these two of his mother's old employees had lost their jobs, and Jiang Beicheng felt a pang of guilt.
"Sister Xu, let's have lunch together. Bring Old Wu along," Jiang Beicheng said.
"Alright, Young Master Jiang. I'll go up and submit my resignation letter, and I'll see you in a bit," Xu Ru replied.
Jiang Beicheng nodded with a smile. On his way to book a restaurant, the idea of opening his own restaurant grew stronger.
Though Li's Restaurant was no more, his mother Li Yun's conscience and sense of responsibility as a restaurateur were still etched in Jiang Beicheng's mind.
[System detects strong ambition for a career]
[Smile Fund—Career Investment Fund activated]
[Investment Project: Catering]
[Investment Amount: 15 million]
[This fund is designated solely for career investment.]
Jiang Beicheng was stunned.
He hadn't expected the system to provide not only living support funds but also additional career investment funds.
It felt very considerate.
A budget of 15 million was more than enough to open a 500-square-meter high-end business restaurant in Jiangnan City.
Jiang Beicheng planned to follow his mother's management philosophy, releasing some equity to employees to foster a sense of ownership and boost their initiative.
After booking the restaurant, he sent the location to Xu Ru.
To his surprise, more than a dozen of his mother's former employees showed up.
They were all thrilled to see Jiang Beicheng.
They affectionately called him "Young Master Jiang."
"Young Master Jiang, do you remember me?"
Jiang Beicheng smiled. "The piano-playing lady from the restaurant."
"And me, Young Master Jiang?"
Jiang Beicheng: "The tea ceremony expert."
They were all young, beautiful women his mother, Li Yun, had personally trained, sending them to learn skills that would help them establish themselves in the city.
"Young Master Jiang," Wu Zhonghui, the executive chef, greeted politely, his morale low and his heart heavy with guilt.
Jiang Beicheng patted Wu Zhonghui's shoulder. "Old Wu, Sister Xu told me everything. You had no choice.
You brought your whole family to join my mother back then. If you couldn't make it in Jiangnan City, you'd have to take your family back home.
I'm the one who feels guilty."
"No, Master Jiang, I don't mean to blame you," Wu Zhonghui hurriedly explained.
Jiang Beicheng waved his hand. "Old Wu, no need to overexplain.
My mother is gone, and Li's Restaurant may be gone too, but you restaurateurs must continue in this industry.
If you still love this trade, let's create a new benchmark for business dining in Jiangnan City.
Let's continue down my mother's path."
The group at the table stared at Jiang Beicheng, stunned.
It took them a moment to react.
"Is Master Jiang going to rebuild Li's Restaurant?" Xu Ru asked excitedly.
"Great, we can come back to work!"
"I left because I couldn't stand Zeng Haifeng's attitude."
"We always hoped Young Master Jiang would come back to take over the family business and lead us forward."
"I'm starting to miss Madam Li again."
The group of former employees was overcome with emotion.
Jiang Beicheng smiled. "I was only considering opening a restaurant, but seeing how enthusiastic and passionate you all are about this industry, shall we create something glorious together?"