Chapter 349 - Clash of the Titans
Chapter 349: Clash of the Titans
The name of the restaurant was New Magical Kitchen.
The location of the restaurant was in the city center, about a ten-minute walk from the original Magical Kitchen.
Preparations for the restaurant were done in secret. They only publicized its existence one day before opening, and they also ran an aggressive Internet advertising campaign.
The restaurant featured authentic magical cuisine with the original crew of chefs from Magical Kitchen. It immediately sent shockwaves across the Internet.
The next morning, banners and flags were seen flying in front of the restaurant. The scene was festive.
Luxury cars stopped in front of the restaurant one after another. Old Master Luo and the other regulars arrived, save for those who felt that it was inconvenient to show up because they were close to Tai An Group.
Many journalists from the media and writers from various food and lifestyle magazines were invited to the opening ceremony.
The public square in front of the restaurant was packed with people by ten o’clock. Many people heard of the news and joined the crowd which almost spilled onto the road.
Tang Hao had tasked Shi Yiwen with organizing the opening ceremony. He was seated in the middle of the crowd.
At half-past ten, the opening ceremony was about to start.
Upbeat music started playing. The atmosphere in the public square became more festive than ever.
Suddenly, a line of black cars drove in from one end of the road.
The cars approached the public square and stopped not far away. The doors to the cars opened, and bodyguards in black suits stepped out.
More and more people got out. Next were people dressed in suits and leather shoes and carrying briefcases.
From the three cars in front, a group of people in their forties and fifties stepped out. Ling Rui was together with them.
Ling Rui glanced at the restaurant after he got out of the car. His eyes flashed with malicious intent.
‘That Tang kid is utterly despicable. How dare he exhort Master Chef Ding and the others to leave while taking the bronze jars with them? Magical Kitchen could not operate because of him.’
The Ling family was caught off-guard by that move.
They had expected the kid to continue operating Magical Kitchen even if he did not want to hand over his shares. They would continue analyzing the bronze jars, and when they managed to find the secret, they would kick the kid out of the picture.
They did not mind the fall out with the kid, as long as they had one of the bronze jars in their hands.
However, they did not expect that the chefs would follow the kid to the new restaurant while bringing along the other four jars with them.
He nearly popped a vein when he heard the news.
He reacted even more violently when he heard that the kid had secretly prepared to open a new restaurant.
It would be bad news for them if the kid’s restaurant was operational. By the time they knew how to replicate the bronze jar, it would already have been too late.
“Did you think you’ve managed to fool us? Don’t even dream that you can open the restaurant today.”
He grunted coldly with a vicious expression on his face.
He turned around and greeted someone in the car. “Father!”
A man in his fifties came out of the car. He was tall, thin, and had a sharp gaze. His demeanor was rather intimidating.
That person was Tai An Group’s previous president, Ling Mingshan.
Ling Mingshan looked toward the public square after he got out of the car. “This restaurant seems to be very popular. There are so many familiar faces.”
“Father! That kid shouldn’t have been this influential. They must be here just because of the magical cuisine. When we reopen our restaurant, our crowd will definitely be many times bigger than this,” Ling Rui said.
Ling Mingshan nodded.
He thought that someone from a small district could not have wielded that much influence. It all depended on that magical cuisine.
He had tried the magical cuisine before, and it was indeed as magical as its name suggested.
That had strengthened his resolve of dominating the market with magical cuisine.
His gaze became colder as he looked at the public square.
“Let’s go!” He ordered his people. With him walking in the lead and the group of people in black suits following behind, it was quite the spectacle.
A commotion started in the public square.
“It’s the people from Tai An Group!”
“Oh my god! That’s Ling Mingshan! He’s here!”
Everyone was surprised.
They heard about rumors about the enmity between Tai An Group and the newly opened New Magical Kitchen.
Tai An Group could not tolerate the presence of New Magical Kitchen. Even Ling Mingshan, who had retired behind the scenes, made his appearance.
“These bastards are shameless!” Master Chef Ding, sitting together with the other chefs, cursed under his breath.
Some of the guests were not happy when they saw the people from Tai An Group closing in.
They had waited a long time for New Magical Kitchen to open because they missed the food. Now that Tai An Group arrived with the evident intention of causing a scene, they might not be able to enjoy a meal in peace today.
Tang Hao sat there impassively.
President Ling had told him about the news since yesterday night.
“Who’s the boss here? Come here now!” Ling Mingshan roared loudly as he came near. “The name of your restaurant is New Magical Kitchen. That is an obvious infringement of a Tai An Group trademark.
“Magical Kitchen belongs to Tai An Group, and the prescriptions belong to Tai An Group too. No one can even dream of stealing it from us.
“Also, where’s that Tang kid? He has ripped up the contract, which is a clear breach of terms. I am here to serve him legal papers today. All you chefs won’t be spared too. Tai An Group will sue you until you are bankrupt!”
He waved his hand, and the group of lawyers came from behind.
The public square was instantly filled with loud curses and shouts.
The chefs could not take it anymore. They stood up from their seats and started cursing loudly as well.
“Don’t you have any shame, you Ling bastard? You’re the one who’s burning bridges, but you’re playing the victim here.”
“We burned bridges? Do you have any evidence? If you don’t have any, then you’d better watch your mouth. I can sue you for slander,” Ling Mingshan said coldly.
“You…” The chefs were furious.
Ling Mingshan smirked condescendingly.
The group of uneducated boors was no match for him. He would sue the pants off of anyone who would stand in Tai An’s way.
“You want to open a restaurant with Tai An’s property? Let me tell you, there’s no chance!” Ling Mingshan waved his hand again, and his bodyguards spread out and formed a wall.
“There is only one option for you today. Shut the restaurant down this instant!” Ling Mingshan said coldly.
The commotion in the public square became louder.
“This is utterly shameless. That Ling Mingshan is just like before.” Everyone was indignant.
Ling Rui, standing behind his father, was happy when he saw the scene. He looked around the crowd and yelled, “Get out here at this instant, Tang kid! Are you a coward now?
“Weren’t you very arrogant earlier? I’d like to see how you can keep up with your arrogance. Now that we’re here, don’t even dream of opening the restaurant.
“I’ve warned you, Tang kid, you’ll regret it if you cross my Tai An, “Ling Rui yelled brazenly.
Ling Mingshan’s expression was as cold as ever.
His son had told him that he was beaten up by the Tang kid the other day.
“Why aren’t you standing up yet, Tang kid?” He roared again as he scanned across the crowd.
Suddenly, he heard a voice from beyond the human wall.
“What’s going on? Where are these people from? Are they gangsters?”