Episode 10 recap: Lu Mei Lin was completely defeated.
Assistant Pan looked at the menu in her hand. She had only seen it on TV and hadn't encountered it in real life. A Bao indicated that everything was in place and now it was up to the big snake. Lu Mei Lin, accompanied by a local shop owner, arrived at Zhi Zhen Garden to cause trouble, using methods such as chef poaching, power outage, shortage of supplies, and damaging the establishment. Finally, the battle to defend Huanghe Road began.
Mr. Fan learned that Zhi Zhen Garden had lost its head chef and volunteered to lend a helping hand. He discovered that A Bao had already found a chef from Hong Kong, but he hadn't arrived yet. Mr. Fan decided to personally go to Ye Dongjing to find him. Ling Zi posed as a Japanese person and bought all the snakes. Fat Chef blocked the entrance of Zhi Zhen Garden, directing customers to go to Jin Meilin to eat. Mr. Fan went to Ye Dongjing to find A Bao and informed him that Zhi Zhen Garden had turned into chaos. He intentionally took the menu from the kitchen and informed Li Li in advance.
Li Li handed the menu to Assistant Pan, who realized that she had only seen these dishes on TV. Li Li called General Bao, who told her to go across the street to meet someone. As she walked towards the main street, rumors spread that she was running away. When she arrived at the other side, she discovered that the person she was supposed to meet was Ye Shu. Meanwhile, A Bao was making fried rice in Ye Dongjing. Huanghe Road was the most prosperous street in Shanghai, and the ten restaurants led by Lu Mei Lin were the bullies of this area. Now, A Bao was helping Zhi Zhen Garden launch the Huanghe Defense Battle.
Ye Shu secretly gave advice to Li Li from behind. Lu Mei Lin and her entourage entered the private room at Zhi Zhen Garden. Mr. Fan and A Bao were dining in Ye Dongjing, promising to eat whatever Zhi Zhen Garden served. Just as they finished speaking, a team of over twenty chefs from Hong Kong arrived at Zhi Zhen Garden.
Little Jiang Xi intercepted Tao Tao's car, purposely blocking him from delivering goods to Zhi Zhen Garden. Li Li went to the private room to propose a toast to Lu Mei Lin, but she was ridiculed by Lu Mei Lin. Tao Tao intentionally prevented Little Jiang Xi from seeing the goods, but it turned out to be a diversion. The real delivery truck successfully reached the back entrance of Zhi Zhen Garden while they were arguing.
The Hong Kong chefs efficiently coordinated their tasks, with each person having a clear role. Li Li served the signature dishes to everyone on time. In a fit of anger, Lu Mei Lin flipped a plate. At that moment, her former lover and his group also barged into Zhi Zhen Garden. However, Ye Shu had already anticipated this situation and informed Li Li about Lu Mei Lin's tactics of power outage, shortage of supplies, and chef poaching.
Li Li was not afraid of Lu Mei Lin and declared that as someone from out of town opening a restaurant in Shanghai, she wasn't to be underestimated.
Lu Mei Lin, an old acquaintance, came to Zhi Zhen Garden. Li Li invited Du Hong Gen to a private room to talk. Assistant Pan told Li Li that Du Hong Gen used to be involved in transportation in Hongpu and later suffered losses in the disco business, but he has since recovered.
Li Li mentioned that being someone from the north, she may not understand the customs of the south. Du Hong Gen tore up her menu and allowed only the remaining dishes to be sold. Li Li emphasized that the prosperity of Huanghe Road benefits everyone, and for its development, she suggested redirecting customers to Jin Meilin for tomorrow's wedding banquet reception, as they couldn't accommodate it themselves.
Du Hong Gen expressed his unwillingness to play second fiddle to her and stated that they call the shots on Huanghe Road. He then smashed the windows of Zhi Zhen Garden. Du Hong Gen assured Li Li that there would be people coming to order wontons starting tomorrow, guaranteeing that she would not be short of customers for a day. At this point, Li Li handed a sealed envelope to Du Hong Gen, which was a gift from Ye Shu to Li Li. When Du Hong Gen opened it, his expression immediately changed. It turned out to be the promissory note for the 300,000 yuan he borrowed from General Bao in the past. Du Hong Gen left Zhi Zhen Garden and was violently attacked by Lu Mei Lin, who despised him for being weak. Du Hong Gen tried to persuade Lu Mei Lin to stop and asked her to see what was inside the envelope.
Upon opening it, Lu Mei Lin discovered that her husband had lost everything in a gambling game in Hong Kong, and it was General Bao who came to her husband's rescue when he was in dire straits. He had never demanded repayment of the debt over the years, considering it a face-saving gesture. However, Lu Mei Lin was now desperate to earn money while her husband continued to gamble without remorse.
Hong Ling recounted the process of transporting the snakes, and A Bao instructed them to rest as soon as possible. Du Hong Gen continued to persuade Lu Mei Lin that without his support behind the scenes, Jin Meilin would have gone bankrupt long ago. Angered, Lu Mei Lin drove him away. The other restaurant owners approached Du Hong Gen, requesting the banquet for the next day and expressing their willingness to share Zhi Zhen Garden's broth.
Li Li returned to Ye Dongjing and thanked him for saving Zhi Zhen Garden, stating that his help could only solve the immediate problem. To ensure long-term security, she agreed to share the costly gas tank with other restaurants. Li Li understood the implication and agreed to his suggestion. She expressed her gratitude for the assistance of the Hong Kong team and announced the start of Hong Kong Food Week, offering a 50% discount.
In the following days, other restaurants followed suit one after another. Lu Mei Lin spared no expense to hire chefs from Hong Kong through Little Jiang Xi. Finally, Li Li opened the top-level private room for A Bao, as he had known that Du Hong Gen would not be able to retrieve the borrowed money, and it would be more valuable to let the promissory note gain significance.
A Bao's arrival alone at Zhi Zhen Garden sparked gossip among the people of Huanghe Road, and he was the first customer to be seated in the top-level private room. A Bao didn't place an order but asked Li Li if she knew someone named Mr. A.
Jin Fenghuang closed down, and after Li Li took over, Zhi Zhen Garden opened in its place. It instantly gained immense popularity.
What is Huanghe Road? It had already formed a distinct group, with Lu Mei Lin and ten other bosses as the pioneers who first established themselves here.
They used to be the leaders on this road. Unfortunately, their glory has faded. Since Li Li arrived, Zhi Zhen Garden has taken the meat, while they may not even have soup to drink.
A tall tree attracts the wind, and Li Li's success with Zhi Zhen Garden has made everyone envious.
The bosses on Huanghe Road followed the same three tactics repeatedly: power outage, poaching chefs, snatching suppliers, and finally, causing trouble at the establishment. CEO Bao had once predicted that Zhi Zhen Garden would not last more than three months, and it seems like his prediction may come true.
However, Li Li won't just sit back and do nothing. She knows that the key figure on Huanghe Road is CEO Bao. A strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake, so she seeks his help.
Why did Ye Shu and CEO Bao offer assistance to Li Li?
First and foremost, it was to repay a favor owed to CEO Bao.
Money debts can be repaid, but favors are difficult to return. Li Li had informed CEO Bao in advance about the news of high-quality imitations of San Yang shirts.
This early warning allowed CEO Bao to make adequate preparations, ensuring the smooth progress of San Yang's sales.
This favor had to be repaid. Moreover, Li Li ventured alone into the Shanghai scene and opened such a large Zhi Zhen Garden on Huanghe Road.
With the intelligence of Ye Shu and CEO Bao, how could they not be interested in the people behind her? The person behind Li Li is undoubtedly extraordinary.
Zhi Zhen Garden has an exclusive private room that has never been opened to the public.
It is likely where Li Li's backer resides.
Businessmen do not seek unprofitable ventures. Ye Shu and CEO Bao chose to help Li Li partly because they recognized the significance of the person behind her.
In this battle to defend Huanghe Road, Ye Shu and CEO Bao's assistance is a gesture of help, repaying favors, and also a test...
I'm looking forward to the upcoming plot involving Mr. A!