After the meeting, Chen Yu immediately began to contact local media and advertising companies. He called an advertising company and said, “Hello, I’m Chen Yu from Wang’s All-inclusive Hotel. Our new restaurant is about to open, and we would like to ask you to help plan some promotional activities.”

The voice of the person in charge of the advertising company came from the other end of the phone: “Okay, Manager Chen, do you have any specific requirements?”

Chen Yu said: “We need some attractive activity plans, such as discounts, free special snacks, etc. In addition, we would like to ask you to contact several local media to do some special reports.”

The person in charge of the advertising company replied: “No problem, we will give you a few proposals as soon as possible. When would it be convenient for you to meet and discuss in detail?”

Chen Yu looked at his watch and said, “Come to our hotel at ten o’clock tomorrow morning.”

After hanging up the phone, Chen Yu called a local media outlet: “Hello, this is Chen Yu from Wang’s All-Inclusive Hotel. Our new restaurant is about to open, and we would like to ask you to do a special report.”

The voice of a media reporter came from the other end of the phone: “Okay, Manager Chen, do you have any specific requests?”

Chen Yu said: “We hope that the report can highlight the characteristics and advantages of our restaurant, such as Korean-Singapore fusion dishes and high-quality services.”

The reporter replied: “No problem, we will arrange for reporters to come over for an interview. When is convenient for you?”

Chen Yu said, “Come to our restaurant at 10 a.m. the day after tomorrow.”

After hanging up the phone, Chen Yu walked into the kitchen and saw Master Li working on new dishes with other chefs.

Chen Yu walked out of the kitchen and came to the purchasing department, where he saw Xiao Zhang talking on the phone with a supplier. Xiao Zhang said, “Boss Li, our new store is about to open, and we need a lot of fresh ingredients. Can you guarantee the supply?”

The supplier’s voice came from the other end of the phone: “No problem, we will deliver on time and ensure the freshness of the ingredients.”

Xiao Zhang said, “Okay, let’s do this then.”

After hanging up the phone, Xiao Zhang said to Chen Yu: “Manager Chen, the supplier has confirmed that there will be no problem with the supply of ingredients.”

Chen Yu nodded: “Okay, thank you for your hard work.”

Wang Jianye walked into the meeting room and saw Chen Yu preparing a publicity plan. He asked, “Chen Yu, how is the publicity plan going?”

Chen Yu replied: “We have contacted the advertising company and local media. They will come over to discuss in detail at 10 am tomorrow.”

Wang Jianye nodded: “Okay, we must do a good job of publicity so that more people will know about the opening of our new store.”

Chen Yu said: “I will keep a close eye on it and make sure everything goes well.”

Wang Jianye walked out of the conference room and came to the decoration site of the new store. The workers were busy working, and the sound of electric drills and hammering could be heard. He walked into the store, looked around, and then said to a worker: “The wall here needs to be polished again to ensure it is smooth.”

The worker nodded, picked up the sandpaper and started sanding.

Wang Jianye walked out of the shop, stood on the roadside, and watched the people coming and going.

After hanging up the phone, Wang Jianye walked into a nearby coffee shop, ordered a cup of coffee, and sat down at a window seat. He took out his notebook and began to organize his next work plan.

At 10 a.m. the next day, representatives from the advertising company and local media arrived at the hotel on time. Chen Yu received them in the conference room. The head of the advertising company took out a promotional plan and handed it to Chen Yu: “Manager Chen, this is our preliminary promotional plan, please take a look.”

Chen Yu took the plan, looked at it carefully, and then said: “This discount promotion is good, but the part about giving away special snacks can be further refined.”

The head of the advertising company nodded: “Okay, we will adjust it again.”

The reporter from the local media asked, “Manager Chen, when can we start the interview?”

Chen Yu replied: “We will arrange for the chef and waiter to be interviewed at 2 o’clock this afternoon.”

The reporter nodded: “Okay, we will be there on time.”

At 2 p.m., local media reporters arrived at the restaurant on time. Chen Yu led them into the kitchen, where Chef Li was preparing new dishes. The reporter asked, “Chef Li, can you introduce the characteristics of the new dishes?”

Chef Li replied: “Several of our new dishes are a fusion of Korean and Singaporean characteristics. For example, this Korean curry beef is made with Korean hot sauce and Singaporean curry leaves. The taste is very unique.”

The reporter nodded: “That sounds great, can we take some photos?”

Master Li said, “Of course.”

The reporter took a few photos and then interviewed several waiters. One waiter said: “Our service tenet is to satisfy customers. From the moment customers enter the door, we will provide the best service.”

The reporter nodded: “Very good, we will include all of this in the report.”

After the interview, Chen Yu escorted the reporter out of the hotel. He returned to the conference room and saw Wang Jianye sorting out the publicity plan. Wang Jianye asked, “Chen Yu, how did the interview go?”

Chen Yu replied: “It went very smoothly. The reporters were very interested in our new dishes and services.”

Wang Jianye nodded: “Okay, we must do a good job of publicity so that more people will know about the opening of our new store.”

Chen Yu said, “I will keep a close eye on it and make sure everything is done properly.” Wang Jianye walked out of the conference room and came to the decoration site of the new store. The workers were busy working, and the sound of electric drills and hammering could be heard. He walked into the store, looked around, and then said to a worker, “The wall here needs to be polished again to ensure it is smooth.”

The worker nodded, picked up the sandpaper and started sanding.

……

Wang Jianye sat in the hotel office, holding a copy of the latest food supply report. Outside the window, the sky was gloomy and heavy rain was pouring down. The streets were flooded and pedestrians hurried to avoid them. This rare big fish not only affected Singapore’s transportation and life, but also had a serious impact on the supply chain of the catering industry. The rain hit the window, making a dense knocking sound, as if reminding Wang Jianye that the current predicament was far more severe than the weather.

The office door was hastily pushed open, and the purchasing manager hurried in, holding a stack of documents in his hands, with beads of sweat on his forehead. His shirt was half wet by the rain, and his trouser legs were also stained with mud and water. It was obvious that he had just rushed back from outside. He walked up to Wang Jianye and said anxiously: “Boss Wang, this disaster has had a huge impact on the supply of food. Some Korean specialty sauce suppliers said they could not deliver on time and in quantity, and local vegetable prices have also risen ridiculously. If this continues, our costs will increase significantly, and there may also be problems with the supply of dishes.”

Wang Jianye looked solemn, with his hands crossed on the table, and his eyes swept over the purchasing manager. His brows were furrowed, and there was a hint of anxiety in his eyes, but he soon regained his composure. He was silent for a moment, and then said: “We can’t just sit there and wait for death. On the one hand, we should actively look for alternative ingredients. The purchasing department should contact other suppliers to see if some similar ingredients can be allocated from other regions. Master Li, you should cooperate with the purchasing department to study which ingredients can be replaced, while ensuring that the taste of the dishes is not greatly affected. On the other hand, communicate with existing suppliers and strive for their support during difficult times, such as priority supply and stable prices.”

The purchasing manager nodded and quickly wrote down a few key points in his notebook. His fingers were shaking, obviously troubled by the pressure in front of him. Chef Li also spoke up: “I will study the feasibility of alternative ingredients as soon as possible to ensure that the taste and quality of the dishes are not greatly affected.”

Wang Jianye continued, “Time is tight, so everyone should act separately. The purchasing department should contact other suppliers immediately, and Chef Li should try to find alternative ingredients as soon as possible. Please report any progress to me at any time.”

After leaving the office, the purchasing manager immediately called several suppliers. He first contacted a supplier in Malaysia. There was a noisy background sound on the other end of the phone, and it was obvious that the other party was also busy. The purchasing manager took a deep breath and tried to make his voice sound steady: “Hello, I am the purchasing manager of Wang’s All-Series Restaurant. We are in urgent need of a batch of Korean specialty sauces. Do you have similar alternative products?”

The supplier on the other end of the phone replied: “We have some sauces made in Malaysia. The taste is somewhat similar to Korean ones, but there may be slight differences.”

The purchasing manager said, “Can you send some samples first? We need to test them.”

The supplier replied: “No problem, I will arrange the shipment right away.”

After hanging up the phone, the purchasing manager contacted several local suppliers. He called a vegetable supplier and said pleadingly, “Hello, there is a problem with the vegetable supply of our restaurant, and the price has risen sharply. Can you give us some discounts and give priority to our supply?”

The supplier replied: “The market conditions are indeed not good now, but we have been cooperating for many years. I can try to give you some discounts and give you priority in supply.”

The purchasing manager breathed a sigh of relief and said with gratitude: “Thank you, the operation of our hotel depends on your support.”

Meanwhile, Chef Li was busy in the kitchen. He had several different sauces in front of him, testing their taste and texture one by one. The kitchen was filled with the smell of various spices, and there was a faint hint of steam in the air. Chef Li picked up a small spoon, scooped a little bit of the Malaysian sauce, put it into his mouth and tasted it carefully. His brows furrowed slightly, then he made a few notes in his notebook and then tested another sauce.

Wang Jianye walked into the kitchen and saw Master Li busy at work, so he walked over and asked, “Master Li, how is the testing of alternative ingredients going?”

Chef Li put down the spoon in his hand, looked up and replied: “We have tested several sauces. The taste of this one produced in Malaysia is closer to that of Korea. Although there are slight differences, after adjustments, it should be able to meet the needs of the dish.”

Wang Jianye nodded, with a hint of expectation in his tone: “Okay, let’s finalize it as soon as possible to ensure that the taste and quality of the dishes are not affected.”

Master Li wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, “I will continue testing and try to finish it today.”

Wang Jianye walked out of the kitchen and came to the purchasing department. The purchasing manager was sorting out the feedback from suppliers, and the table was piled with documents and quotations. Wang Jianye walked over and asked, “How is the contact with the supplier going?”

The purchasing manager looked up, with a trace of fatigue on his face, but a glimmer of hope in his eyes: “The supplier in Malaysia has agreed to send samples, and the local supplier has also agreed to give us some discounts and give us priority in supply.”

Wang Jianye nodded, his tone firm: “Okay, continue to follow up and make sure everything goes well.”

The purchasing manager took a deep breath and replied, “I’ll keep a close eye on it.”

The next morning, Wang Jianye arrived at the restaurant and saw Master Li busy in the kitchen. The kitchen was filled with the aroma of various ingredients. Master Li was standing in front of the operating table, holding a small spoon in his hand, carefully tasting the sauce he had just prepared. Wang Jianye walked over and asked, “Master Li, have you completed the test of alternative ingredients?”

Chef Li put down the spoon and smiled with relief: “It’s done. The sauce produced in Malaysia has been adjusted to meet the needs of the dish. The vegetables from the local supplier have also been confirmed, and the price and supply quantity have been agreed upon.”

Wang Jianye nodded, with a hint of relief in his tone: “Okay, thank you for your hard work.”

He walked out of the kitchen and came to the purchasing department. The purchasing manager was sorting out the feedback from suppliers, and the table was piled with documents and quotations. Wang Jianye walked over and asked, “Has the supplier confirmed it?”

The purchasing manager looked up, with a trace of fatigue on his face, but a glimmer of hope in his eyes: “The supplier in Malaysia has confirmed the shipment, and the local supplier has also agreed to give priority to supply.”

Wang Jianye nodded, his tone firm: “Okay, continue to follow up and make sure everything goes well.”

The purchasing manager took a deep breath and replied, “I’ll keep a close eye on it.”

Customers at the restaurant began to notice a slight change in the taste of some dishes. One regular customer said to the waiter after dining: “Today’s kimchi pot seems to taste a little different. Did they change the recipe?”

The waiter smiled and replied with a hint of apology in his tone: “Yes, due to the recent supply of ingredients, we have slightly adjusted the recipe, but tried our best to maintain the original flavor. I hope you like it.”

The customer nodded, with a hint of understanding in his tone: “It tastes good, but I’m a little uncomfortable.”

After hearing the customer’s feedback, Wang Jianye walked to the kitchen and said to Chef Li, “Customers are somewhat sensitive to changes in taste. We need to continue to adjust and try to make the changes less obvious.”

Master Li nodded, with a hint of determination in his tone: “I will continue to optimize the formula to ensure customer satisfaction.”

Wang Jianye called Chen Yu, with a hint of urgency in his tone: “Chen Yu, we have found some solutions to the problem of food supply, but customers are somewhat sensitive to changes in taste. Can you use publicity and communication to make customers understand our adjustments?” (End of this chapter)