A Sumptuous Dinner
The bright red wine in the exquisite glass goblet is as vivid as blood, exuding an alluring sweetness. The high-grade glass, clear as fine crystal without any bubbles, remains a luxury item that only the Upper Class can afford.
For many people, whether a glass has bubbles or not, or whether it is pure and transparent, does not affect whether it is used to hold wine or a beverage. But this is the biggest difference between the Upper Class class and the lower class.
"I will be setting up a Logistics Company soon, which will have about seventy to one hundred jobs..."
The mayor interrupted Lin Qi directly, saying, "I think one hundred is just right."
Lin Qi did not refute, but just looked at him. The two looked at each other for a moment, and Lin Qi nodded. "Okay, one hundred jobs. In addition, there are clubs, various athletes, related institutions and personnel, which will probably provide two or three hundred job opportunities. There is also the Warehouse District that I plan to build. By the end of the year, I can provide you with at least eight hundred jobs, and more will be added next year."
The mayor shook his head. Even with what Lin Qi had mentioned, it was still far from enough. He was very clear about one thing: Lin Qi couldn't possibly handle the workforce needs of an entire group by himself. That was impossible, and he couldn't do it.
In fact, he already had a more comprehensive solution. Firstly, those businessmen who had taken over Heng Hui's assets could not be left penny-free. They acquired a large number of high-quality assets at prices far below market value, which could be considered as free. They had to prove their value to the mayor, the governor, and the entire society.
Secondly, once Listoan really leaves, he will also leave behind a large void in assets and business. It is impossible for a political defector to retain his own interests here. At that time, these interests will be divided up by others, and those who swallow them will naturally have to take on the responsibility of supporting society.
His current statement is actually just an attempt to squeeze out the maximum potential of Lin Qi's side, just like capitalists exploit businessmen. Politicians sometimes exploit businessmen as well.
If we don't push them, who knows if these businessmen are telling the truth? Besides, wouldn't it be even better if some unexpected surprises came up?
However, the number of 800 jobs was indeed somewhat unexpected for the mayor. When Lin Qi said that he could provide 500 jobs by the end of the year, he felt that this might just be a way of expressing his opinion.
With 500 people, each person would need to earn over 100,000 yuan per month. With 800 people in a job, the minimum salary would be close to 200,000 yuan.
Based on the gross profit margin of light industrial goods mentioned in the previous "《Transaction Newspaper》," Lin Qi would need to sell goods worth over one million dollars a month to earn enough to cover the wages of these workers, which the mayor thought was somewhat unlikely.
However, this answer would satisfy the mayor. Regardless of whether Lin Qi gave this answer through gritted teeth, it at least proved one thing: that he held a very important place in Lin Qi's heart.
As they were talking, there was a knock on the door. Soon, led by the restaurant manager, a waiter pushed a food cart in, followed by a chef.
This was not a meal with a sense of ceremony—if a sense of ceremony were required, one dish would often be served before the next, but this was clearly not suitable for the dining habits of politicians and businessmen.
They like to whisper in closed rooms, discussing confidential matters. This kind of dining ritual, where people constantly come in and interrupt their conversation, has never been liked by either of them. Only some people who want to prove that they can afford a meal costing hundreds or thousands of dollars would do it.
Most of the time, unless there are special requirements, places like this, where you can have a private space to dine, will not serve dishes one by one.
As the waiter introduced the food on the cart, he arranged it for the Mayor and Lin Qi. When it was time to serve the main course, the chef pushed the cart to a position about three meters away from the table, a safe position where the fumes would not splash onto the guests.
He lifted the silver plate lid, and instantly a burst of flames rose with a sizzle. Under the lid were two tender steaks, their surface color already changing, but now the change was happening faster and more noticeably.
These are two steaks that have already been slightly processed; now the chef is just making them look more expensive.
Flames, sprayed spices, and a rich aroma of liquor—the cook used spirits as fuel, so the room didn't smell greasy, but rather had a strong liquor scent.
Finally, he put the plate lid back on and extinguished the flames. The whole process took about three minutes. After finishing, the cook stood aside and bowed to the Mayor and Lin Qi at the table to show his respect.
When he lifted the plate lid again, there was no longer a flame inside; instead, a mist-like substance rose up, quickly drifting to the top of the room and filling it with a rich aroma.
"Searched veal tenderloin..." After the chef plated the main course, the restaurant manager personally served the Mayor and Lin Qi a sumptuous main course. After everyone bowed and saluted again, they quickly left.
The beef used for the pan-fried veal sirloin comes from the westernmost part of the world, selected from a special breed of cattle called Kuerlike. This breed is not native to this world, but was artificially bred to better suit high-end consumption.
It has more fine fat than regular beef and has always been the top choice among beef. Just a small piece of veal tenderloin weighing about 300 grams, without cooking, costs as much as 120 yuan.
If you factor in the cost of cooking, ambiance, and service, it now costs 199.99 yuan per serving.
It might seem that this meal would be very expensive, but that's not entirely true. The only things Lin Qi actually had to pay for were the main course for two people, the pan-fried veal sirloin, and the red wine they ordered.
The other dishes were actually side dishes for the pan-fried veal tenderloin, and some of the ingredients came from the scraps of those two tenderloins. So it didn't seem expensive. To be able to dine with the mayor in such a high-end environment, Lin Qi only had to pay less than a thousand dollars for the meal. In many people's eyes, he had already gotten a great deal.
Even if the price increases tenfold, many people will still scramble to pay for the meal if they can sit at the table.
The unrelated people quickly left, the door was closed, and the room returned to calm.
"The veal tenderloin here is delicious, you'll definitely love it!"
Lin Qi nodded slightly. He picked up his knife and fork and cut a small piece off the edge of the steak. The juices and a little blood, along with the liquefied butter, created a very delicate texture when you put it in your mouth. It wasn't as chewy as regular beef, but it wasn't mushy either. It was just tender, so tender that you could cut the beef completely with just a light press of your teeth.
From the outermost sauce to the marinade, to the flavor of the meat itself, then the juices, the blood, and the raw, primal taste of beef released as you chew and mix the beef and chopped meat together, Lin Qi raised an eyebrow. "Very delicious."
The mayor smiled. He felt a simple joy in Lin Qi's approval. Sharing something good with a friend and having a friend who also liked it was enough to make many people feel satisfied.
After eating a little something, the two slowed down their eating pace. While Lin Qi was precisely and quickly cutting the food with his knife and fork, he said something that caught the mayor off guard.
"Actually, I can provide more jobs. I have plans to acquire some factories, but there are still two major problems that haven't been solved yet..." He wiped the cut beef chunks on the sauce and put them in his mouth. The constantly changing flavors made filling his stomach a pleasure.
He scooped a spoonful of the country-style soup with a silver spoon, and the rich broth gave him a more complex texture and more layers of flavor.
Country-style thick soup is also delicious. The name of this dish is by no means meant to belittle country people, but rather to describe the charm of the dish and its contents.
White mushrooms, celery, potatoes, corn kernels, beef cubes, and chicken cubes were simply fried and then stewed in a pot with milk, flour, cream, and butter. After stewing, it became very thick, but was then baked in the oven for a while.
This results in the soup being served with a distinctly charred crust on the surface. Once the crust is broken, the aroma released from the broth is enough to make anyone swoon. It is said that the recipe for this country-style soup originated from a rural stew.
Whether this claim is true or not is hard to say, but combined with the advertisements on the menu and the stories told by the waiters, most people believe it to be true.
Running a restaurant is difficult these days. You not only need chefs who can make beautiful dishes, but also people who can create stories for those dishes.
As Lin Qi was enjoying his sumptuous dinner, the mayor sitting opposite him suddenly stopped eating. He frowned as he looked at Lin Qi, who seemed to have no guile and wore a faint, satisfied smile. Suddenly, he felt that he couldn't quite understand this young man.
Before this, although Lin Qi had performed very impressively, he felt that he could at least guess some of Lin Qi's thoughts. But at this moment, he felt that he might have been a little arrogant.
Everyone knows that businesses in the real economy are going to fail very quickly these days, and even large capital firms are avoiding continued investment in the real economy and instead increasing their investment in finance.
At this point, Lin Qi suddenly says he wants to acquire the factory. Doesn't that sound a bit ridiculous?
But he was a young man capable of creating miracles, and the mayor realized that Lin Qi was waiting for him here, namely those two troublemakers.
This made the delicious food in front of him suddenly seem less appealing. He frowned and thought for a while before continuing to cut the beef, asking casually, "If you have any trouble, feel free to tell me. Perhaps I can offer some solutions."
He didn't explain the method, nor did he make any guarantees. He was a little unsure whether the "trouble" Lin Qi mentioned was the same kind of "trouble" he was referring to!