School Beauty's Invincible Martial Expert

The passport was already there, and the visa had been arranged through a contact.

Parting was just the first hurdle in Chen Zihan's life. As she was leaving, she kept looking back, wishing that Xiao Han could break through all the obstacles and rush to her side. Maybe, like the heroines on TV, she could give up the opportunity to study abroad.

Unfortunately, that was only television, and it could never be reality.

In the end, Chen Zihan still left, maybe for a return in six months, or maybe a year, or perhaps after four years.

Xiao Han also slowly walked away from the airport, stepped out, and looked up at the sky, at the azure, washed clean sky. The scattered white clouds seemed like flying fish, leaping through the air.

Returning to Hanmen Catering from the airport, Xiao Han's mood was consistently low.

Bang!

While serving, a dish accidentally fell to the ground.

"Xiao Han, what's wrong?" Liu Xiaolei hurried over.

"I was distracted," Xiao Han said with a bitter smile, "Xiao Lei, I'm sorry!"

"It's okay, it's okay, let's have the auntie clean it up," Liu Xiaolei quickly shook her head, "Hurry and notify the kitchen to prepare another dish for the guests."

"So tired!" Li Dapang quickly nodded.

Liu Xiaolei pulled Xiao Han into the office.

"Xiao Han, you've been out of sorts lately," Liu Xiaolei asked anxiously.

"It might be a post-college entrance exam syndrome," Xiao Han smiled and said, "It'll be fine in a few days."

"Do you need to take a few days off?" Liu Xiaolei asked, "I can arrange sick leave for you, and your salary won't be cut."

"No need," Xiao Han shook his head.

"Since you insist, I won't press it," Liu Xiaolei smiled and then said, "Just be extra careful for yourself. If it's really not working out, find a place to rest, okay?"

"Okay!" Xiao Han nodded.

Liu Xiaolei was very busy; during her absence, the intercom buzzed with calls. Liu Xiaolei hurriedly ran out.

......

Eight days after the college entrance examinations, Hanmen Catering Branch No. 2 was finally opening. It took three months to select the location, complete the renovation, and finalize everything, and a five-star BJ hotel's chef had been poached. Zhao Lizhong was indeed skilled, living up to his years of experience in the catering industry.

The day of the opening.

At 888 St. in the commercial center of LJ city. A large number of flower baskets had already been placed at the entrance. These flower baskets flanked both sides of the door, and a red carpet extended from the doorstep all the way to the street.

"Wow, they're opening a restaurant here today?"

"How long can it last? I doubt it will succeed," another wondered.

"Yeah, several groups have already tried their hand at this location. Who knows if it's going to work out this time," yet another echoed.

Many on the street were curious and gathered to watch.

The sign at the door was still covered with red silk, concealing the name of the restaurant. Clearly, a grand celebration was underway today. Zhao Lizhong had invited many friends from the industry to support the event. Yang Lu had also brought many friends to support.

Hanmen Catering Branch No. 2 was finally opening, which was tremendous news for Xiao Han. He watched as his business, starting as a tiny spark, gradually expanded, forming a force to be reckoned with. His career was soaring to new heights, which was indeed a cause for celebration.

"Xiao Han, how do you want to arrange the ribbon-cutting today?" Yang Lu came over to Xiao Han.

"Let the District Party Secretary lead it," Xiao Han instructed, "It's already tremendous that Secretary Chen can come."

"Okay then..." Yang Lu nodded, her expression serious, "And... what about you?"

"Don't worry about me," Xiao Han shook his head, then added, "I never wanted to be the face of this. I'm not suited for such things. I'm too young to stand on stage, and besides, no one knows I'm the actual owner behind Hanmen."

"Hehe, when do you plan to reveal that?" Yang Lu asked curiously.

"No plans for now," Xiao Han shook his head, "At least, not any time soon."

"Really?" Yang Lu blinked her eyes and said, "That's not a bad thing at all, even if it gets out. Maybe you will become a legendary figure. To be so young and already have such a successful career, that's something many people envy and cannot achieve."

"Forget it," Xiao Han shook his head and said, "I think I should keep a low profile. After all, I am still young and inexperienced. Being exposed too early is not good for me personally."

"Xiao Han, are you even human?" Yang Lu looked at him intently.

"Uh…" Xiao Han looked back at her in surprise.

"Don't misunderstand me," Yang Lu quickly shook her head, then said, "I mean, why aren't you proud or boastful at all? Everyone has vanity, everyone loves to compare, but you don't. Moreover, you are so young yet you have such a great career, just a high school student and yet you possess a net worth of millions, even tens of millions. But you are not in the least bit boastful.

I've thought several times, if it were me, I would eagerly tell everyone that I am Xiao Han, I am the owner of Hanmen!"

"Everyone thinks differently," Xiao Han shook his head.

The success of Hanmen Catering Store No. 1 attracted many celebrities. When Hanmen Catering Branch No. 2 opened, Zhao Lizhong and Yang Lu invited many celebrities to the opening ceremony.

This included the District Party Secretary of Wangjiang District and the Secretary-General, as well as several well-known businessmen from Wangjiang District, and even the chief and deputy chief of the local police station, who all attended the ceremony and personally presented floral baskets.

The District Party Secretary personally went on stage to cut the ribbon for the opening ceremony of Hanmen Catering Branch No. 2.

With the sound of firecrackers, the Second Store officially opened. Many onlookers eagerly awaited. At the entrance, a black sign with several neat white characters stood out for its clarity and transparency: Hanmen Catering.

These four big characters were written in script, and beside them a row of red cursive read: Branch No. 2.

Hanmen Catering's chain stores had finally opened two locations. They were three stores short of their goal for this year. The facade of Branch No. 2 had two floors, the first floor covered over two hundred square meters and the second floor was one-third larger than the first, estimated to be about three hundred square meters. The first floor housed the kitchen and the main hall.

The second floor was designed for private rooms.

Everything was done according to Zhao Lizhong's design. The interior decor of Branch No. 2 was completely in Chinese style. Enter through a Chinese-style lobby, purely constructed of wood. Facing the door, a large statue of Guan Erye and a golden incense burner were placed.

Past the lobby, it seemed like a different world entirely. Uniform Chinese dining tables filled the space. Above the main hall, there were Chinese-style lights, wooden chandeliers, and the walls were adorned with wooden decorations. It looked very delicate, elegant, and beautiful. It was apparent that a lot of thought and money had been spent on the decor.

The main hall was already beautiful, but the private rooms upstairs were even more so.

Walking up the stairs from the main hall, the corridor on the second floor was carpeted in brown.

Each private room had its own doorframes and lintels in uniform Chinese style. It was said that these doors and lintels were all custom ordered from outside the city because such designs could not be found in LJ City. At a glance, they looked extremely beautiful.

The second floor originally had a decor, but Zhao Lizhong had it all ripped out and renovated. Simply demolishing the original decor of the second floor had already cost tens of thousands. The remodelling, along with many materials being transported from outside, placed a significant financial burden.

On the opening day, it was a chance for everyone to see what a real restaurant looked like. Not only was the artistic style beautiful, but it also fully showcased the charm of Chinese culture.

"Excellent!" District Party Secretary Chen's eyes sparkled as he said, "This is the first time in my life I've seen such a Chinese-style restaurant. It shows me the beauty of our Chinese culture and fully demonstrates that Chinese art is a world treasure."

Crash...

The crowd burst into applause. Someone shouted, "Secretary Chen, well said, very well said."

"Secretary Chen, this way, please!" Yang Lu quickly ushered Secretary Chen towards the second floor.

The ambiance on the second floor seemed even more enchanting to Secretary Chen, each room's decor was so beautiful and lovely. Finally, Secretary Chen visited every private room, seeing styles ranging from bronze artifact to seal script to blue and white porcelain...

"The blue and white porcelain style is quite good," Secretary Chen said with a smile.

"Yes, I also think it's nice," the secretary nodded. Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire

"How about this, let's arrange today's meal in the blue and white porcelain room, what do you think?" Yang Lu asked curiously.

"Sure!" Secretary Chen nodded.

The blue and white porcelain style embodied the typical essence of Chinese decor. The walls around and the huge table, all bearing the rich style of blue and white porcelain, were extremely beautiful, giving off a strong Chinese vibe.

"Nice, really nice."

"Tsk tsk, the person who designed this beautiful style must be truly talented."

Many people were full of praise.

Facing everyone's endless compliments, Zhao Lizhong appeared extremely happy. Who doesn't want their work to be appreciated? Who doesn't want their creation to be praised? Inside the private room, everyone was exceptionally cheerful.

On the opening day, all items were discounted by fifty percent, and drinks were free.

At noon that day, Hanmen Catering Branch No. 2 was extremely busy, with many people even lining up at the door. Since Branch No. 2 had just opened and had not yet found a suitable hall manager, Liu Xiaolei was reluctantly transferred over from Store No. 1.

Liu Xiaolei had been working at Store No. 1 for several months, and was very skilled in internal operations, managing everything with calm confidence. Thus, the hotel's operations faced no trouble whatsoever. Inside the kitchen, several stoves were busily at work, and the dozen or so waitstaff in the hall were also bustling about non-stop.

[PS: Please give a recommendation ticket. A little bit of reward would be appreciated. With the utmost gratitude, the author humbly thanks everyone.]