One month later, the Xuzhou Intermediate People’s Court formally accepted the commercial defamation and unfair competition case. On the opening day, the court’s audience seats were packed, with many catering industry colleagues and media reporters coming to pay attention to this “catering war”.

Wang Jianye sat in the plaintiff’s seat, looking solemn. Beside him were Lin Zhiyuan and Zhao Haichuan, both wearing their best clothes, nervously waiting for the trial to begin. In the defendant’s seat opposite, Sun Fu had a disdainful look on his face, and behind him was a team of well-known lawyers hired at high prices.

When the leader announced the opening of the court, the entire yamen fell silent. Wang Jianye’s lawyer first presented the case and a series of evidence. As photos and recordings were displayed in the yamen, exclamations were heard from time to time in the audience.

When it was Sun Fu’s lawyer’s turn to defend, this experienced lawyer used all his tricks.

“The source of these so-called evidences is unknown and their authenticity is questionable.”

“My client was just socializing with these health inspectors”

“The negative reviews on the Internet are the spontaneous behavior of consumers and have nothing to do with my client.”

But in the face of overwhelming evidence, these excuses pale and powerless.

When Lin Zhiyuan and Zhao Haichuan appeared in court to testify and recounted their experiences, even the leaders frowned from time to time.

The most dramatic scene occurred when the last witness, the former financial director of Shiyunlou, appeared in court to testify.

With a trembling voice, the middle-aged woman described in detail how Sun Fu instructed her to falsify accounts and how payments to health inspectors and water army companies were disguised as “advertising fees” and “consulting fees.”

“You’re lying!” Sun Fu suddenly stood up from the dock, his face livid, “I never…”

“Defendant, please control your emotions!” the leader slammed the gavel sternly.

When all the evidence and testimony were presented, the leader announced a recess for deliberation. Wang Jianye and his two companions sat on a bench outside the government office, nervously awaiting the final verdict.

“Do you think we will win?” Lin Zhiyuan asked in a low voice, tapping his knees with his fingers.

Wang Jianye took a deep breath and said, “The evidence is solid, there should be no problem.”

Zhao Haichuan snorted coldly: “In this world, money makes the world go round. Sun Fu hired such an expensive lawyer.”

An hour later, the leaders reopened the court and announced the verdict: Sun Fu was found guilty of commercial defamation and unfair competition and was required to pay 80 yuan to Wang’s Restaurant, 50 yuan to Jiangnan Restaurant, and 20 yuan to Sichuan Flavor House, and to make a public apology in the city media.

There was an uproar in the government office. Wang Jianye breathed a sigh of relief and shook hands with his two companions. Sun Fu, who was sitting opposite him, looked ashen and could only stand up with the help of his lawyer.

When he walked out of the government office, the sun was shining brightly. Wang Jianye looked up at the blue sky, feeling mixed emotions. This victory was hard-won, but more importantly, it set a benchmark for the Xuzhou catering industry – vicious competition will eventually be punished by law.

“Boss Wang, congratulations!” A reporter came forward and asked, “What does this victory mean for the catering industry?”

Wang Jianye faced the camera with a solemn expression: “This means that competition in the catering industry will be more standardized and transparent. We welcome healthy competition, but we will never tolerate malicious slander and unfair means.”

That night, Zheng Guodong, president of the Xuzhou Catering Industry Association, personally called Wang Jianye and said that he would take this opportunity to carry out industry-wide rectification and standardize market order, and invited Wang Jianye to serve as deputy director of the industry standardization committee.

A month later, at the annual meeting of the industry association, Wang Jianye was awarded the title of “Model of Integrity Management”. Wang’s Restaurant’s business was booming, while Shiyunlou was deserted under the pressure of public opinion and eventually closed down.

It was another autumn day, and Wang Jianye stood in the newly renovated lobby of Wang’s Hotel, looking at the newly added certificates of honor and media reports on the wall, his heart filled with emotion. This long struggle has finally come to an end, but he knows that the ups and downs in the catering industry will never stop.

“Mr. Wang, the location of the new store has been determined.” The assistant’s voice brought him back to reality, “Do you want to go take a look?”

Wang Jianye nodded and walked out.

……

The autumn sun poured into the office of Wang’s Hotel through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Wang Jianye stood in front of the window, looking at the bustling crowd on the street.

Since winning the last lawsuit against Sun Fu, Wang’s Restaurant’s business has been booming, but he knows in his heart that competition in the catering industry will never stop.

So you must be careful, after all, it is better to be safe than sorry.

“Mr. Wang, this is last month’s financial statement.”

Liu Ming, the financial director, walked in and placed a document on the table. “Sales increased by 20% compared to the same period last year, but the growth rate has begun to slow down.”

Wang Jianye took the report and frowned. He flipped through the numbers and tapped his fingers on the table. “The growth rate has slowed down. It seems we need a new growth point.”

Liu Ming hesitated for a moment and said, “Young people now like to check in at popular online stores. Should we also consider making some changes?”

“Internet celebrity restaurant?” Wang Jianye shook his head. “That kind of short-lived thing is not what we pursue.” But he knew in his heart that Liu Ming’s words made sense. The traditional catering model does need innovation.

In the afternoon, Wang Jianye drove to the Cultural and Creative Park in the east of the city alone. This is a habit he has developed recently, taking time out every week to go to the emerging business district to look for inspiration. The Cultural and Creative Park gathers many young entrepreneurs, full of vitality and creativity.

Walking along the cobblestone path, Wang Jianye was attracted by a small shop called “Taste Memory”. The window displayed various cultural and creative products related to food – postcards printed with local snacks, refrigerator magnets in the shape of buns, aprons with traditional recipes painted on them.
“Sir, are you interested in our products?” A gentle male voice came from behind.

Wang Jianye turned around and saw a man in his early 40s wearing black-framed glasses. He was wearing a simple dark blue shirt and a wooden bracelet on his wrist, exuding an artistic temperament.

“These designs are very unique.” Wang Jianye nodded, “It’s a good idea to combine food with cultural creativity.”

The man with glasses smiled: “Thank you. I am Su Mingyuan, the designer of this restaurant.” He extended his hand. “You seem to know a lot about catering?” “Wang Jianye, the person in charge of Wang’s Restaurant.” Wang Jianye shook hands with him and suddenly felt that the other person looked familiar. “Wait. Have we met somewhere before?”

Su Mingyuan pushed up his glasses and looked at Wang Jianye carefully. Suddenly his eyes lit up: “Xuzhou University, Class of 2001? You are Wang Jianye from the Department of Economics?”

“You are Su Mingyuan from the Art Department!” Wang Jianye suddenly realized, and the two laughed at each other. College classmates from 20 years ago met again in such an occasion.

Su Mingyuan enthusiastically invited Wang Jianye to come into the store for a detailed discussion. The store is small but exquisitely decorated, with various cultural and creative products neatly placed on wooden shelves, food-themed watercolor paintings hanging on the walls, and even a small coffee bar in the corner.

“I didn’t expect to meet you here.” Su Mingyuan brewed two cups of hand-brewed coffee, and the aroma filled the small space. “I heard that your restaurant is very big.”

Wang Jianye took the coffee and said with a wry smile, “It’s just a superficial glimpse. Traditional catering is getting harder and harder to run, and I’m worried about not finding a breakthrough.” He looked around, “But you’ve turned your hobby into a career, which is great.”

Su Mingyuan shook his head. “To be honest, business is not easy. The cultural and creative product market is highly competitive, and it is difficult for a small brand like us to break through.” He pointed to a placemat with a Xuzhou clay pot chicken pattern on the shelf. “For example, this one took two months to design, but the sales are very poor.”

Wang Jianye picked up the placemat and looked at it carefully. Suddenly, his eyes lit up: “Wait, this clay pot chicken pattern is our restaurant’s signature dish!”

“Really?” Su Mingyuan was surprised. “I just thought clay pot chicken was a specialty of Xuzhou. I didn’t expect it to be such a coincidence.”

Wang Jianye’s heart suddenly started beating faster, and a bold idea took shape in his mind. “Mingyuan, what do you think would happen if we worked together? Wang’s Restaurant would provide the elements of its signature dishes and brand support, and you would be responsible for designing and developing a series of exclusive cultural and creative products.”

Su Mingyuan was stunned, with his coffee cup hanging in the air. “Are you talking about cross-border cooperation?”

“Exactly!” Wang Jianye stood up excitedly and paced back and forth in the small space. “We can develop a series of peripheral products such as tableware, aprons, and cultural shirts. The restaurant can also be renovated to incorporate these cultural and creative elements to create a unique dining experience.”

Su Mingyuan’s eyes gradually brightened, but soon dimmed again. “It’s a good idea, but it’s not easy to implement. First of all, it requires a professional team, secondly, the investment is not small, and most importantly, the market acceptance is unknown.”

Wang Jianye patted his old classmate on the shoulder and said, “Of course there are risks, but there are greater opportunities! Didn’t you just say that it’s hard for small brands to break through? With the popularity and customer flow of Wang’s Hotel, your design can directly reach the target customer group.”

Su Mingyuan was lost in thought, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of his coffee cup. Wang Jianye could see the struggle in his heart – he was eager for this opportunity, but also afraid of failure.

“How about this,” Wang Jianye decided to give him a push, “Let’s do a small pilot first. You design three samples, and I’ll set up a display corner in the hotel to test customer reactions. If the response is good, we can deepen our cooperation.”

Su Mingyuan raised his head, hope glittering in his eyes. “Okay, it’s settled! But…” He hesitated, “I need to have a deep understanding of your food culture and brand philosophy in order to design a product that truly fits your needs.”

“No problem!” Wang Jianye took out his phone and checked his schedule. “Are you free tomorrow afternoon? Come to my restaurant and I’ll have the chef personally explain to you the stories behind each of my signature dishes.”

When leaving the Cultural and Creative Park, the sun had already set. Wang Jianye sat in the car, looking at the “Taste Memory” shop getting farther and farther away in the rearview mirror, full of expectations. This accidental encounter may become a key turning point in the transformation of Wang’s Hotel.

The next afternoon, Su Mingyuan arrived as scheduled. Wang Jianye personally took him on a tour of the entire restaurant, from the lobby to the kitchen, and even the food storage room that was not usually open to the public.

“This is our head chef, Master Li, my partner of twenty years.” Wang Jianye introduced to Su Mingyuan.

Master Li is a burly man with a little flour on his apron and a serious expression on his face, which is unique to chefs. “What kind of cultural and creative products did Mr. Wang ask you to design?” he asked directly, with a doubtful tone.

Su Mingyuan nodded neither humbly nor arrogantly: “Yes, I want to know the characteristics and cultural connotations of our signature dishes, especially the clay pot chicken.”

Master Li snorted, “Food is food, what’s the point of culture?” He turned to Wang Jianye and said, “Boss Wang, we run a restaurant. Is there any use in doing these fancy things?”

Wang Jianye had anticipated Master Li’s reaction and patiently explained, “Master Li, times are changing. Customers nowadays not only want to eat well, but also want to have a good experience. Isn’t it because of the story and craftsmanship behind your clay pot chicken that your signature dish has become popular?”

Master Li frowned but did not argue. Wang Jianye knew that although his old partner was stubborn, he would support him in the end as long as it was for the good of the restaurant.

Over the next two hours, under Master Li’s reluctant but detailed explanation, Su Mingyuan learned about the historical origins, material selection, and cooking secrets of clay pot chicken. He quickly recorded in his sketchbook, occasionally interrupting to ask for details.

“So this ‘three simmers and three stews’ technique is the key?” Su Mingyuan confirmed, pointing to the sketch on the notebook.

Master Li nodded, his attitude more relaxed than at first: “That’s right, if the heat is not controlled well, the chicken will not be tender and tasty enough.”

“Great!” Su Mingyuan said excitedly, “This process can be transformed into a design element. For example,” he quickly drew a few strokes, “the three stages of heat can be abstracted into graphics and used to decorate the edges of tableware.”

Wang Jianye leaned over to take a look and couldn’t help but exclaim: “Wonderful! It’s both beautiful and meaningful.”

Master Li couldn’t help but take a glance. Although he didn’t say anything, Wang Jianye noticed a glimmer of recognition in his eyes.

After the visit, Wang Jianye took Su Mingyuan to the office and the two began to discuss specific cooperation plans.

“I need to form a small design team,” Su Mingyuan said, flipping through his notes. “At least one graphic designer and one product designer are needed.”

Wang Jianye nodded: “I will pay for it. In addition, there is an unused private room on the second floor of the hotel that can be converted into your studio. This way you can be exposed to the hotel environment and customers at any time.”

Su Mingyuan looked up in surprise: “Are you sure? This is a huge investment.”

“If we are going to do it, we will do it the best we can,” Wang Jianye said firmly. “But I have a condition – we must see initial results within three months. If the market response is not good, we will adjust the direction in time.”

Su Mingyuan took a deep breath and held out his hand: “Deal!”

A week later, the quiet private room on the second floor of Wang’s Hotel was completely transformed into a creative studio. Su Mingyuan brought his two partners – the young and lively graphic designer Lin Xiaoyu and the experienced product designer Zhao Ting. (End of this chapter)