"It's nothing major. It's just that the restaurant was participating in a food ranking competition, and it was suddenly removed from the list today." Mai Ge was startled by Crassus and quickly said. If he had really burned everyone in the Catering Association to death, he and his daughter would probably have to run away. Couldn't he have been a little more tactful in solving the problem?
"I see. Well, when I have some free time, I'll talk to Michael for you, he might be able to help." Crassus nodded, then turned to Amy and smiled, "Little Amy, the convoy transporting materials has already set off from Luo Du and will arrive in Chaos City soon. I'll personally build you a magic castle then. However, those old guys heard I've taken on an apprentice and sent three little grand-apprentices to congratulate me, they definitely don't have good intentions. So, these next few days we need to diligently study the spells I've already taught you, and then we'll show them the power of melee magic…"
"It seems I'll have to figure this out myself." Leaving the school, Mai Ge rode his bicycle towards the Sherlock Detective Agency. For Crassus and the others, a small ranking list wasn't worth their time, it was far less important than teaching Amy how to use magic.
…
"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. I need to go back and thoroughly investigate what this Catering Association is all about. I might have to make a trip to the City Lord's Mansion." Mai Ge left the Sherlock Detective Agency, placed a yellow document bag in his bicycle basket, and rode back to the restaurant.
"Boss, what do we do now? Our restaurant has been removed from the list. Should we still let the customers vote today?" Following Mai Ge in, Yabemia asked with a worried expression.
"We have enough voting slips for the remaining two days of voting." Sally's face also showed a hint of resentment, but she was much calmer than Yabemia.
"Don't stop voting. May be we still have a chance to turn things around. Let's put aside the matter of being removed from the rankings for now. Don't bring your negative emotions to the guests." Mai Ge parked his bicycle and smiled at the two of them.
"Boss, are you really okay?" Yabemia asked Mai Ge with some concern. Even she was so angry, Mai Ge must be feeling even worse, yet he was speaking to them with a smile.
Sally looked at Mai Ge with a hint of surprise.
"Of course it's alright, the final rankings haven't been decided yet, have they?" Mai Ge smiled and shook his head, casually placing the documents from his bicycle basket into the counter drawer. Looking at the two of them, he asked, "What would you like for breakfast? I'll make it for you. We'll be launching a new dish tonight, let's try it together at lunch time."
"New dish?" Yabemia's eyes lit up immediately. Seeing the smile on Mai Ge's face, her previously gloomy mood brightened again. After thinking for a moment, she said, "I want a bowl of Sweet Tofu Pudding and a Rou Jia Mo. But Boss, what is the new dish this time?"
"I'd like a serving of Yang Zhou Fried Rice." Sally said, looking at Mai Ge with a hint of curiosity. She hadn't expected Mai Ge to be launching a new dish so soon after introducing the Braised Chicken Rice.
"You'll find out at lunch time. Sit down and rest for a bit. I'll go make you breakfast." Mai Ge said with a smile, not telling them directly, and turned to walk towards the kitchen.
"What delicious food will it be?" Yabemia wondered with anticipation.
"Being unfazed by honor or disgrace is why he can constantly push his limits and create even more delicious food." Sally thought, watching Mai Ge busy in the kitchen.
If Mai Ge's culinary skills were the reason she stayed, then it was his kind and composed personality that gradually won her over.
Why would a man like this bring his daughter to the Chaos City to open a restaurant? And who was the elf who gave birth to Amy? Why had Mai Ge and Amy never mentioned her, and why had they never even seen her? Sally had a series of questions she wanted answered, yet she dared not ask them aloud.
After Sally and Yabemia finished breakfast, Mai Ge glanced at the time, it was just opening time. With a smile, he opened the restaurant door and welcomed the customers inside.
Yabemia also wore a bright, energetic smile, while Sally's expression remained as cool as ever, but not arrogant, exuding elegance.
The customers, already disheartened by the restaurant's removal from the list, assumed the atmosphere would be rather sour, since the restaurant owner would undoubtedly be the most upset in such a situation.
Seeing the smiles on Mai Ge and Yabemia's faces instantly cheered them up. This was still the same cheerful restaurant, even the arguments about differing tastes while waiting in line seemed lively and amusing.
"Welcome! I hope everyone has a good morning." Mai Ge said with a smile, turning to nod to Yabemia and Sally before heading towards the kitchen.
Customers are the foundation of a restaurant. This mission could fail, but Mai Ge didn't want the restaurant's problems to affect the guests' dining experience and mood, that's not something a high quality restaurant would do.
After the busy breakfast time ended, Mai Ge took off his apron, said something to Yabemia and Sally, and took the documents from the drawer upstairs. Before starting to prepare the ingredients, he planned to find out what kind of background this Catering Association had. Even Dianping (a Chinese review platform) wasn't as corrupt as it was.
Information about the Catering Association was limited, Mai Ge read it all in about twenty minutes.
In short, this is a private association that was recruited by the government, but now retains an official title while continuing to operate as a private organization and is not subject to official supervision.
About forty years ago, a middle-aged man began collecting information on restaurants in Aden Square under his own name. He ranked the restaurants and food in the square by hand according to his personal taste. This man was Laurie, the founder of the Catering Association.
His food ranking list gradually gained popularity among some customers, allowing them to easily and quickly find various delicacies. At the same time, it gradually attracted some people who also loved food to join his group, slowly forming the prototype of a Catering Association—the Food Association.
After more than 20 years of development, the Food Association has grown and the reputation of its food ranking list has become increasingly famous. It has almost become the food trendsetter in Aden Square. Restaurants and dishes that make it to the top of the list are generally very popular.
Then, when Laurie retired, he handed over the Food Association, which had already grown to a considerable size and had its own headquarters, to a young man named Warren.
This young man named Warren was indeed a talent. Not long after taking office, he reformed the selection model of the food ranking list, changing it from internal members tasting and scoring to a guest voting model.
The Food Association has entered a period of rapid development, and the ranking list remains effective. Moreover, it has eliminated the subjective factors of a few people's tastes in the past and selected more dishes that can be liked by the public. It has become the most authoritative list in the catering industry of Aden Square. A single ranking can determine the business of a restaurant.
Later, the Food Association was recognized by the City Lord's Mansion and renamed the Catering Association. The food ranking list was given an official certification seal, and voting slips were charged. The Catering Association transformed from a loose food association into a Catering Association that served customers and the catering industry, and entered a profit-making model.
"If he hadn't later taken money to manipulate the rankings, he would indeed be a genius." Mai Ge said with some regret, putting down the documents in his hand.