Reborn in 1985: From Selling Braised Duck to Becoming the World's Richest Man

Hearing Liang Ming's reassuring words, Jiang Meizhuang felt less worried.

"Okay, I'll listen to you."

After finalizing the preparation details for several branches, Liang Ming asked Chen Jianghe to coordinate the operations.

After Chen Jianghe left, Liang Ming suddenly asked Jiang Meizhuang a question:

“Sister Meizhuang, Xiangmanlou chain restaurant company is growing bigger and bigger, and it needs more and more talent.”

"We need to train a group of reserve talents."

"To avoid the situation where, when our catering company wants to open more branches, we can't find anyone to manage the restaurants for us."

Hearing Liang Ming's words, Jiang Meizhuang smiled helplessly and said, "Brother Liang Ming, how could I not know what you're talking about?"

"But how easy is it to cultivate talent?"

"Many of our restaurant's long-term employees are illiterate and rough. Letting them manage the restaurant's accounts is like taking their lives."

Hearing Jiang Meizhuang's words, Liang Ming's expression turned serious, and he said:

"Our Xiangmanlou chain restaurant company is developing rapidly and needs talent to manage it. As long-term employees, they will be eliminated if they do not actively learn."

"If they can't read, let them learn, let them go to night school."

“They’re all adults. As long as they’re willing to put in the effort to learn, read the ledgers, and manage the accounts, they shouldn’t have any problems.”

Since the resumption of the National College Entrance Examination in the late 70s, more and more people have been admitted to universities, become highly qualified talents, and made efforts to contribute to the country's economic development.

By the mid-1980s, with the development of education, in addition to the regular college entrance examination, many universities began to offer correspondence education, also known as "night school"!

The purpose is to provide working workers with a channel for learning and receiving education.

Liang Ming recalls that next year, the country will launch its first adult college entrance examination, through which adults can receive higher education and take various professional certificate exams.

Liang Ming didn't expect many highly skilled individuals to emerge from among the old employees of Xiangmanlou Restaurant; as long as they could learn some knowledge, it wouldn't hurt.

"Okay, then I'll pick out the veteran employees who are worth developing and send them to night school in the next few days."

Jiang Meizhuang also felt that Liang Ming's words made sense, so she nodded and said.

"We want to ensure that these long-term employees who are willing to attend night school have no worries. If they miss work because of their studies, their wages and full attendance bonuses will still be paid, and we will cover their tuition fees."

Liang Ming thought for a moment and said:

"If they do well on the exams later, Xiangmanlou Restaurant will give them bonuses."

Upon hearing Liang Ming's words, Jiang Meizhuang's beautiful eyes widened in amazement as she said:

"Brother Liang Ming, once you implement these measures, won't these veteran employees be completely bewitched by you and work for you wholeheartedly?"

She had never heard of a private company owner who would proactively send his employees to night school, cover their tuition, pay their full salaries, and even give bonuses for good grades...

"If you want a horse to run, you have to feed it grass!"

"We invest more upfront so that we can reap huge rewards later," Liang Ming said with a smile.

The reason he was willing to cover his employees' tuition fees, pay their wages, and give them bonuses was not because he was foolish and had too much money, but because Liang Ming was playing the long game.

If these long-time employees can become highly skilled professionals by attending night school, the return they bring to Xiangmanlou Restaurant will be absolutely earth-shattering.

The goal of becoming the number one private restaurant in Taoyuan City is too small.

If we're going to do it, we'll do it the largest chain restaurant in the entire province!

"Brother Liang Ming, aren't you worried that these veteran employees will start their own businesses after they've completed their training?"

Jiang Meizhuang smiled and asked Liang Ming.

"Start your own business?"

Upon hearing this, Liang Ming chuckled:

"Today, the largest privately-owned restaurant in Taoyuan County is our Xiangmanlou Restaurant!"

"Once Chen Jianghe opens the other branches, our Xiangmanlou chain restaurant company will be one of the top private restaurants in the entire city."

"Even if they do complete their studies, they still need a platform to utilize their knowledge."

“If they’re not stupid, they should be able to see that the platform that Xiangmanlou Restaurant can provide for them is much larger and broader than the bamboo platform they can build themselves!”

As he finished speaking, a confident smile appeared on Liang Ming's lips.

Does this country lack talent?

Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, selected a capable person who could govern a country from a small county called Pei.

Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, rose to power with the help of several hundred brothers from Fengyang and overthrew the Yuan Dynasty.

Therefore, a platform to showcase talent is more important than the talent itself!

“Brother Liang Ming, what you said makes sense. I’ll listen to you.”

Seeing Liang Ming's confident and charismatic demeanor, Jiang Meizhuang's lips curled up slightly as she spoke.

"Sister Meizhuang, there's a little more."

After seeing that Jiang Meizhuang agreed with his suggestion, Liang Ming continued:

"In addition to training our existing employees, we also need to recruit some young talent!"

"A young talent? Brother Liang Ming, what do you mean?" Jiang Meizhuang asked curiously.

"In a few months, it will be the college entrance examination. After the exam, many high school graduates will enter the workforce and look for jobs."

Liang Ming suggested:

“We can hire a group of high school graduates with high salaries to help us manage the hotel.”

Even though the college entrance examination pass rate is very high decades later.

However, in the 80s, only 3% of the high school students who took the college entrance examination were able to go to university.

Those high school graduates who didn't get into university were considered educated talents at the time.

In some remote areas, they could even become teachers in local primary schools, educating and nurturing students.

"Brother Liang Ming, that's a great idea!"

Jiang Meizhuang first agreed with Liang Ming's opinion, and then said:

"But how exactly do we recruit?"

"The college entrance exam hasn't started yet. Schools will be on holiday after the exam..."

Liang Ming thought for a moment, then said to Jiang Meizhuang:

"Sister Meizhuang, leave this matter to me."

Hearing Liang Ming say this, Jiang Meizhuang nodded.

After leaving Xiangmanlou Restaurant, Liang Ming drove to the braised duck shop in front of the No. 1 Middle School in the county.

It's almost noon, and a long queue has already formed at Liang Heiya braised duck stall near the school gate.

Before Liang Ming even got close, he saw Li Cui leading her newly recruited employees, constantly loading goods for customers and calculating their bills.

"Manager Li Cui, it seems business is very good today," Liang Ming said with a smile as he walked into the shop.

"Boss, you've come at the right time. There's a pot of braised duck in the kitchen; it's from the cafeteria of the No. 1 Middle School in the county."

"Please help me, take it in."

Upon seeing Liang Ming, Li Cui didn't stand on ceremony and immediately gave him instructions.

"..." Upon hearing this, Liang Ming's lips twitched slightly.

Well, now I'm just an employee.

Without wasting any words, Liang Ming loaded the iron bucket of braised duck onto the car and arrived at the gate of the No. 1 Middle School in the county.

The gatekeeper recognized Liang Ming and, while opening the gate, smiled and said:

"Oh, Mr. Liang, are you delivering the goods yourself today?"

"There was no other way. I was the only one with plenty of free time in the store, so I was forced to come and deliver goods."

Liang Ming chuckled awkwardly.

At this point, he lit another Liqun cigarette, handed it to the gatekeeper, and asked:

"Sir, is Principal Li Jin at the school?"

Upon seeing the cigarettes, the gatekeeper swiftly snatched them, tucked them behind his ear, and chuckled:

"Yes, Principal Li should be in the school cafeteria right now. If you go now, you'll run into him."

Upon hearing this, Liang Ming's eyes lit up.

I'd like to chat with Principal Li about their catering company's recruitment efforts...