Movie/TV series: Starting with Ode to Joy, I opened my own private kitchen.

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Chapter Forty-Seven: Guan Juer's Arrangements

After Mr. Li left, Guan Juer stood awkwardly in front of Su Chang.

"Brother Su Chang, is this a bad idea? Maybe I should just stay as an intern?"

"Sigh! Guan Guan," Su Chang sighed softly, "You really didn't listen to what I said yesterday. Now that you've exposed our relationship, what do you think people will think of me if you go back to being an intern? Won't you make me lose face?"

Su Chang was afraid that Guan Juer wouldn't understand, so she tried to explain it to her as directly as possible.

“But…” Guan Juer wanted to say something more, but Su Chang interrupted her.

"No buts, Guan Guan, just do as I say." Su Chang patted Guan Juer's shoulder and said domineeringly, "Just do your job well, don't worry about anything else. If anyone does anything against you because of our relationship, just tell me, and I'll handle it."

Guan Juer felt a little more at ease looking at Su Chang's domineering demeanor.

"Thank you, Brother Su Chang, I understand," Guan Juer nodded and said.

"Yes, that's more like it." Su Chang said with a smile, "Sit down for a while. I believe President Li will help you vent your anger about yesterday's grievances."

Not long after, Mr. Li came in, panting, with three people knocking on the door. Guan Juer was slightly surprised as she leaned against the three. Su Chang wasn't familiar with them, but she could roughly guess who they were, though she didn't say anything.

"President Su, this is Michelle." President Li introduced the only woman among the three with a fawning smile.

Michelle smiled seductively and nodded at Su Chang, even giving him a flirtatious wink. However, this only made Su Chang more disgusted. He wasn't unfamiliar with women; where did this woman, a mere public bus, get the audacity?

Mr. Li then pointed to a middle-aged man with a bald head next to him and said, "This is Manager Feng, the Human Resources Manager."

Manager Feng put on a fawning smile and quickly extended his hand to Su Chang, saying, "President Su, I've heard so much about you!"

Su Chang simply nodded slightly, her face expressionless, and showed no intention of shaking hands.

Finally, Mr. Li pointed to the last middle-aged man and said, "This is Ms. Guan Juer's manager, Mr. Deng."

President Deng greeted Su Chang with a smile, a shrewd glint in his eyes.

Su Chang didn't say much, only nodded slightly, waiting for President Li's next move. His face remained calm and composed, making it impossible to discern his inner thoughts.

General Manager Li cleared his throat, looked at Manager Deng seriously, and said, "Manager Deng, shouldn't you give an explanation regarding Guan Juer being framed?"

Manager Deng's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and said with a forced smile, "President Su, President Li, this is all due to my poor management. The subordinates acted recklessly. I will definitely teach them a lesson when we get back."

Su Chang sneered and said, "Manager Deng, next time? Do you think there will be a next time?"

Mr. Deng quickly bowed and apologized repeatedly, saying, "President Su, please forgive me this time."

At this moment, Michelle spoke up: "President Su, I know I was wrong. How about we have dinner together tonight as an apology?"

Su Chang glared at her fiercely and said, "No need, I have things to do, and I'm a germaphobe." Su Chang didn't give her any face. After speaking, he stood up and said to Guan Juer, "It's too noisy here, and there's a disgusting smell. Guan Guan, you stay here and watch how President Li deals with these three people. Tell me the results when he's done. I'm going to the restroom."

"Okay, Brother Su Chang." Guan Juer replied obediently, a smile unconsciously creeping onto her lips. Of course, she knew what Su Chang was talking about, but she had to suppress her laughter because President Li was also present.

After Su Chang left, General Manager Li sighed helplessly. He had wanted Su Chang to let the two department managers off the hook, since they were middle-level managers and had the ability to do so. It wasn't easy to cultivate such talent, especially since they had left their mark. However, seeing Su Chang's performance, he had no choice but to give up, no matter how reluctant he was.

General Manager Li turned to look at the two department managers, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes: "You two, go to the finance department to settle your wages. I will have the finance department calculate your compensation, which can be considered as compensation for your many years of dedication to the company."

The two men turned pale. They never expected that President Li would fire them directly. They had worked so hard for so many years to get to their current positions, giving up so much, and now it was all for nothing.

"Mr. Li, we know we were wrong, and this really has nothing to do with me. Please give me another chance!" Manager Deng pleaded.

Mr. Li shook his head: "Don't you understand yet? Your biggest mistake wasn't whether you knew or not, but that you shouldn't have let Ms. Guan suffer. Besides, this was also Mr. Su's idea. Do you think I would dare to go against the company's big boss's wishes?"

Manager Feng wanted to say something more, but was interrupted by General Manager Li: "No need to say anything, just go quickly. If the big boss decides to blacklist you, do you think you can still stay in Shanghai? Besides, our company is just a small business of the big boss, so don't think about those things."

Upon hearing Mr. Li's words, the two could only leave the conference room dejectedly. Before leaving, they glared fiercely at Michelle, wanting to remember her forever.

Watching their retreating figures, Mr. Li sighed inwardly, "The workplace is like a battlefield; one wrong step leads to another. You've messed with the wrong people, so you'd better stand up straight when you get punished."

Then, Mr. Li looked at Michelle and said coldly, "Michelle, you're fired. Go to the finance office, collect your salary, and get out of here. You can also leave Shanghai now. We will announce this to all the companies. You will be blacklisted."

"General Manager Li..."

"Get out!" Michelle was about to beg for mercy when she was interrupted by President Li's angry roar. He was really angry now. Just because of this green tea bitch, two middle managers he had trained for so many years were gone. How could he not be angry?

Michelle then looked at Guan Juer. She knew Guan Juer was kind, and with Guan Juer's background, she could stay with just one word from Guan Juer. She had already given her body to stay in the company, so she didn't have many concerns now.

Michelle clung to Guan Juer's leg, crying and begging her to save her. Guan Juer looked troubled. Although kind, she wasn't stupid. Su Chang had come to avenge her today; was she going to sabotage Su Chang? However, Michelle kept crying and explaining her predicament, claiming that she wouldn't be able to live if she lost her job.

Just as Guan Juer was hesitating, a dignified voice came: "Guan Guan, you need to learn to refuse. Let her get lost. If you make a mistake, you should admit it. If you're going to get beaten, you should stand up straight."

The three looked in the direction of the sound and saw Su Chang walk into the office. He glanced sharply at Michelle, then said to President Li, "Do as you say. I don't want to see this disgusting woman again."

Mr. Li nodded hurriedly in agreement, but secretly vowed to take good care of Guan Juer in the future. As for Michelle, such an insignificant person, he didn't care at all, whether she lived or died.

After chatting with General Manager Li about how to train Guan Juer, I said goodbye to the two of them and prepared to return to Pinzhentang, since Pinzhentang still needed to open.

Chapter Forty-Eight Xu Li

At 11 a.m., Su Chang hurriedly returned to Pinzhen Pavilion and saw Xiao Cai busy in the room. The whiteboard outside had once again shown 5 remaining attempts. Su Chang nodded with satisfaction. Just like in the TV series, he was honest and hardworking and a good helper.

Su Chang went to the dressing room to change into a casual outfit, and finally felt much more comfortable. Although he could easily pull off a suit, he always felt tense, and casual clothes were much more comfortable.

Su Chang had just come out, intending to give Xiao Cai some cooking advice, when two beautiful female guests entered. Su Chang quickly greeted them with a smile.

"Sister Gan Jing, what brings you here today?"

"Hehe! What? Not welcome?" Gan Jing replied casually with a chuckle. Seeing Gan Jing's relaxed and teasing manner, the beauties beside him were all startled and withdrew their gazes from Su Chang.

"No, no, Sister Gan Jing is always welcome. Is it just the two of you eating today?" Su Chang quickly waved her hand and asked ingratiatingly.

"Haha! Okay, let me introduce you. This is my best friend, Xu Li, a psychologist." Gan Jing pointed to the mature, peach-like beauty next to him and introduced her to Su Chang.

"Do you remember the problem you mentioned to me about Peng Jiahe and Lu Yuan last time? Peng Jiahe and Lu Yuan will be coming over later, so they can have their check-up done here first. After all, Lu Yuan is quite resistant to seeing a psychologist."

"Hello, Sister Xu Li. Let me arrange a private room for you first. It'll be quieter in the room. Have some tea first, and then we can order food when Lu Yuan and Peng Jiahe arrive." Su Chang couldn't stand Xu Li's drooling gaze. After all, even though he was handsome, he wasn't Tang Sanzang (a monk in Journey to the West), and her eyes seemed to want to devour him.

"Okay, let's go to the private room first." Gan Jing nodded in agreement with Su Chang's suggestion.

Su Chang led the two into the private room.

"Sister Gan Jing, Sister Xu Li, please have a seat. I'll have Xiao Cai bring you some tea later. I just arrived at the shop today, so I'll go prepare the dishes first. Call me if you need anything." Su Chang said and quickly left, afraid that she might be directly suppressed by that vixen Xu Li.

Su Chang returned to the kitchen and said to Xiao Cai with a smile, "Xiao Cai, go brew a pot of tea and send it to the private room, then come back and teach you how to prepare the dishes."

When Xiao Cai heard that Su Chang was going to teach him how to prepare dishes, his eyes lit up instantly, and he excitedly said, "Okay, Master! I'll go make tea right away!" After saying that, he happily ran off to make tea. Su Chang shook his head helplessly, thinking to himself, "This brat seems dull on the surface, but isn't he quite clever? He's already calling me Master." However, Su Chang didn't take his little trick to heart.

Inside the private room, Gan Jing looked at her best friend speechlessly. She shook her head helplessly and scolded, "Look at you! That look of yours was terrifying! You scared Su Chang away! What are you doing? Trying to eat her alive?"

Xu Li, however, disagreed. She raised her eyebrows and said smugly, "Hmph, I'm divorced anyway. When I see a handsome young man like Su Chang, I have to pounce on him! It's not like he has to take responsibility. When I get old and lose my looks, I won't even have the chance to find someone I like! You're a well-fed man who doesn't know the hunger of an empty man. You don't even need a man by your side."

Gan Jing was speechless. She rolled her eyes and said, "You're hopeless! You still want to eat young grass like an old cow."

Just then, Xiao Cai knocked on the door and came in to bring tea, and the two quickly stopped talking.

Xiao Cai placed the tea on the table and politely said, "Miss Gan, Miss Xu, the tea is ready. Please enjoy."

Gan Jing smiled and nodded, saying, "Thank you, Xiao Cai."

Xu Li winked mischievously and asked Xiao Cai, "Xiao Cai, when will your master be finished?"

Xiao Cai replied with a smile, "I don't know, Miss Xu. We only take five tables of guests a day. We're busy whenever the guests arrive."

After saying that, Xiao Cai left the private room. He was thinking about going to learn how to prepare dishes from Su Chang as soon as possible.

After Xiao Cai left, Xu Li's face immediately showed dissatisfaction. She pouted and complained to Gan Jing, "Look, Xiao Cai just left like that, and I haven't even finished asking my questions yet!"

Gan Jing looked at Xu Li helplessly and gently reminded her, "We're here today to help Lu Yuan and Peng Jiahe get medical treatment. Don't forget our business."

Xu Li retorted dismissively, "Seeing a doctor and finding a man are not mutually exclusive. I'm a professional psychologist, don't I even have that much sense of propriety? The patient hasn't arrived yet, so what's wrong with me finding a man first?" Her eyes revealed a hint of stubbornness and willfulness.

Gan Jing was speechless after hearing Xu Li's words. He shook his head and said with a wry smile, "I really don't want to talk to you anymore."

She secretly wondered to herself: Xu Li has changed so much since her divorce. How did she become so willful? Is it because she's getting older and starting to act like a wolf? If Su Chang were here, she would definitely tell her that Xu Li has been holding back for too long, which could be considered a mental illness. Otherwise, why would she fall head over heels for Lu Yuan after he confronted her and then protected her in the drama?

Xu Li seemed oblivious to Gan Jing's strange behavior. She remained absorbed in her own emotions, muttering to herself, "I refuse to believe I can't win over this little man!"

Her expression was firm and determined, as if she had made up her mind to devour Su Chang.

Not long after, Lu Yuan led Peng Jiahe to the store.

Su Chang was teaching Xiao Cai how to prepare dishes when he saw the two of them come in. His eyes lit up and a warm smile appeared on his face. He wondered if it would be like in a TV drama. He quickly put down what he was doing and went to greet them.

"Hey, Bull Terrier, long time no see! Jiahe, you're here too." Su Chang looked at Peng Jiahe and asked curiously.

"Su Chang, my name is Lu Yuan, can you please stop calling me Bull Terrier?" Lu Yuan said helplessly. Why do I always want to punch Su Chang whenever I see him, but unfortunately I can't beat him?

Peng Jiahe covered her mouth and laughed wildly, afraid that she would laugh herself sick, completely ignoring the resentful look in Lu Yuan's eyes beside her.

"Jiahe, how have you been lately?" Su Chang greeted Peng Jiahe warmly, then turned to Lu Yuan and asked, "How's your work going? What do you think of my suggestion?"

Peng Jiahe casually shrugged.

"It's alright, I've been taking care of my grandma at home lately."

Lu Yuan shrugged and said helplessly, "I definitely didn't go to Jiang Haokun's place. But my sense of taste hasn't returned yet, so I don't dare to open a restaurant. I've been delivering packages recently, and the income is okay. It should be enough to take care of Jiahe and Grandma."

Su Chang shook his head helplessly. He knew this was Lu Yuan's last act of stubbornness: "Fine, you decide what to do, but I have to remind you, Jiahe is not 18 years old yet. Do you really not want her to go to school? This is China. What will she do in the future if she doesn't go to school?" After saying that, Su Chang didn't say anything more. After all, Peng Jiahe's guardian was not him. He led the two to Gan Jing's private room.

Along the way, Lu Yuan's mood clearly dropped. He had never thought about Peng Jiahe's education before. He himself grew up in an orphanage and wasn't a good student. In order to take care of Gan Jing's education, he started working in society at a young age and had no concept of education. He only thought about Peng Hai's dream and didn't pay much attention to Peng Jiahe's education. It was only after Su Chang reminded him that he realized that Peng Jiahe should go to school.

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Chapter 49 Lu Yuan's Fury

Su Chang led Lu Yuan and Peng Jiahe to Gan Jing's private room, and the group greeted each other.

When Xu Li saw Su Chang, her eyes lit up and she smiled warmly, chatting with Su Chang non-stop: "Su Chang, are you done with your work? Come and sit down for a while."

Su Chang nodded slightly and replied with a faint smile, "Hehe! I just came to see what you've ordered so I can continue cooking. I'm a chef, I don't have time to rest."

Xu Li continued, "Oh, I see. Then remember to come over and have something to eat with us when you're done with your work."

Su Chang smiled and said, "Okay, okay, I'll definitely come over when I'm done."

At this moment, Lu Yuan and Peng Jiahe joined the conversation. Lu Yuan said with a smile, "Su Chang, you really are a heartthrob!"

Peng Jiahe playfully added, "That's right, that's right, didn't Sister Jiang Lai and the others come?"

Su Chang smiled helplessly and said, "Hehe! Just kidding. This is Sister Gan Jing's best friend. Don't talk nonsense. Jiang Lai is busy with her own things. She leaves early and comes back late every day. I haven't seen her in a long time."

After ordering, Su Chang quickly left the private room to go to the kitchen.

After Su Chang left, Xu Li became serious again. She straightened her back, her eyes sharp, as if she had instantly transformed into a dignified and authoritative older sister.