Chapter 399 - 202: Great Minds Think Alike

Chapter 399: Chapter 202: Great Minds Think Alike

’What a generous boss!’

’He just liked this kind of straightforward and generous boss. The way he returned a favor was so decisive and substantial.’

"You’re welcome. You’ve earned it. There’s something else I’d like to discuss with you." Qian Siyuan looked at the two of them with a smile. "Coming back to Sichuan this time, I’ve gained a profound appreciation for the charm of Sichuan Cuisine. ’One dish, one style; a hundred dishes, a hundred flavors.’ It’s truly captivating and addictive.

I want to go back to New York and open an authentic Sichuan Cuisine restaurant. I find the culinary skills of you two, master and apprentice, to be exquisite, and I feel a special connection with you. Therefore, I’d like to invite you to the United States to be my head chefs.

As for compensation, I’ll offer you a salary of ten thousand US dollars a year. I’ll also give the two of you twenty percent of the restaurant’s shares—ten percent each. No matter how the restaurant expands in the future, your share percentage won’t change, and you’ll always receive dividends.

I’ve also been looking into the situation these past few days. In Manhattan, New York, Rongyuan Garden has been in business since 1979. I’ve even eaten there twice myself. Their business is booming, and their prices are far higher than the Sichuan Cuisine restaurants here in the mainland."

"Go to the United States and open a Sichuan Cuisine restaurant?" Xiao Lei was a little surprised to hear this, a hint of hesitation on his face. This was a bit beyond his depth.

"Mr. Qian, I’m afraid I can’t go to the United States right now." Zhou Yan’s attitude, however, was very clear.

The terms Qian Siyuan offered were exceptionally generous. A salary of ten thousand US dollars was no small sum. He had chatted with Lin about the exchange rate a few days ago while jogging; 1 US Dollar was equivalent to 2.32 RMB.

In other words, his salary alone would be twenty-three thousand a year.

In an era where everyone envied a "ten-thousand-yuan household," this was incredibly appealing.

Moreover, he had promised stock dividends. All they had to do was go over, and they would each get a ten percent stake.

The better the business, the more they would earn.

And they would be earning US Dollars!

But Zhou Yan’s small restaurant was now making a profit of nearly ten thousand a month. This salary was no longer attractive enough for him.

Suji was just the beginning. Once he had enough savings, he would definitely expand his restaurant to Jiazhou, and then to Rongcheng.

Although he didn’t have a deep understanding of this era, as a second-tier university student who had received a higher education, he knew full well that China was in a period of rapid development following the Reform and Opening-Up.

China was the real land of opportunity.

Besides, what was more important to Zhou Yan was that his family was here.

If he went to the United States, who knew what year or month he would ever come back.

So what if he sent money home every year?

He would miss Zhou Momo growing up. By the time he returned, Mrs. Zhao and Comrade Zhou might already be old, and who knew if his grandmother would even still be alive.

’Things are great just the way they are now. The family is together, working hard to earn money and live a good life, each day full and happy.’

’This isn’t something money can measure.’

"Then I’m not going either," Xiao Lei added.

"You’re not very familiar with other countries, so I can understand how you feel. But you don’t have to refuse so quickly. You can take your time to learn more and think it over," Qian Siyuan said with a smile.

"New York Rongyuan Park is a Sichuan Cuisine restaurant jointly operated by the Sichuan Catering Company and a Boss Wu. It’s a public-private partnership, which is why their chefs are able to go to the United States. But you two are private business owners. Whether you can get visas to go to the United States is something I’ll need some time to look into. It might even have to wait for policy changes in a few years.

Whether this partnership works out or not, the two of you and I will always be friends. Perhaps another opportunity for collaboration will arise in the future. Who knows?"

"You’re right. Who knows what the future holds," Zhou Yan said, nodding with a smile.

"Right," Xiao Lei echoed, nodding along.

Qian Siyuan had the cameraman take a group photo of the three of them, then two more of just Zhou Momo. After getting Zhou Yan’s address, he said his goodbyes.

Zhou Yan stuffed the thick red envelope into his pocket. It was a hefty, solid stack.

"Here, your money for the braised meat." Xiao Lei counted out 330 yuan for the braised meat and gave it to Zhou Yan on the spot.

They were now cooperating on a per-table basis. For every table with three braised meat dishes, Xiao Lei would take fifty cents, and the rest would all go to Zhou Yan.

By this calculation, Zhou Yan could earn about one yuan and sixty cents per table.

The month was almost over. Just from his master’s outdoor banquets, he had already earned over four hundred yuan.

Today alone, his profit was around one hundred and sixty.

"When he just mentioned going to the United States, why did you refuse so decisively? Don’t they say the grass is always greener on the other side?" Xiao Lei asked with a laugh.

"Only those who want to go abroad but don’t have the chance imagine the grass is greener over there," Zhou Yan replied, looking at him with a smile. "But Master, have you really thought about it? Ten thousand US dollars is twenty-three thousand RMB. One year’s salary is enough to make you a ’ten-thousand-yuan household’ twice over. Plus, there are dividends at the end of the year. Americans have money and are willing to spend it on food. Earning US Dollars isn’t like us, scraping together a few jiao and yuan at a time."

"Twenty-three thousand! That’s almost two thousand a month?" Xiao Lei was shocked. "That much? We only make eighty to a hundred yuan for one outdoor banquet. We work for two days, and the two of us only get about fifty yuan each. Eight banquets a month would be a lot, and that’s only about four hundred yuan a month."

Zhou Yan nodded. "And if business is good, the dividends would probably be quite substantial too."

Xiao Lei considered it seriously. "Work for a year, and you could buy a house in Rongcheng and furnish it just right. Work for three to five years, save up enough money, and you could come back and retire."

"Buying a house wouldn’t be a problem, but I’m afraid sixty or seventy thousand yuan won’t be enough to retire on," Zhou Yan said with a laugh.

"Sixty or seventy thousand isn’t enough? Look how rare a ’ten-thousand-yuan household’ is these days! Meat is only one yuan per pound. If I had sixty thousand yuan, I could just put it in the bank and live off the interest. I could eat meat every day and not run out." Xiao Lei pouted. "You kid, you’re just too ambitious."