Chapter 101: The Counterattack, Part 1
The three of them hadn’t walked far before they arrived at the large cake shop. As soon as they stepped inside, they were struck by the luxurious décor and the dazzling array of cakes of all shapes and sizes, artfully displayed in the center of the shop and along the glass cabinets around the walls.
Several pretty young women assisted customers, either handing them cakes or allowing them to choose for themselves. They took cake orders, recorded them, phoned for deliveries or prepared orders as needed, managing the shop with an air of orderly efficiency.
He Zhixing and the others wandered along the shelves, taking in the variety of modern, stylish packaging—boxes and bags designed to keep the cakes fresh and appealing. He felt as if he were being teased by some omnipotent being, confronted by a bewildering range of small cakes in little boxes: round ones, square ones, oval ones, crescent-shaped, heart-shaped, frilled, tall cups, short cups, in shades of red, yellow, purple, pink, with cartoon designs, romantic and cozy arrangements, and more.
There were new-style yellow-and-white bean paste buns, petite wrapped jujube buns with frilled edges, golden bull bread, new pineapple buns, jelly and rose-flavored crystal cakes with a translucent sheen, mini heart-shaped coconut cakes, little golden bull-style and purse-shaped egg tarts, shredded chicken and beef burgers, intricately decorated mini flower-tube cakes, new-style spring rolls, marble cakes, as well as glutinous rice and lotus leaf wraps, an assortment of sweet and fruity treats, and every kind of pastry imaginable—wife cakes, chicken cakes, crispy cakes, husband cakes, mooncakes, mini mooncakes, water mooncakes, plain mooncakes, red bean cakes, New Year cakes, buns, and steamed rolls.
After their exploration, He Zhixing and her companions bought several new-style frilled jujube buns, a variety of small cakes, and many other types not found in their own shop, filling a large bag. There were still many varieties left unpurchased, but for now, they took only one big bag, planning to return later or in the evening. They were careful not to arouse the staff’s suspicion or give cause for concern.
Back at their place, Lan Jie regarded He Zhixing with a curious eye as he lugged in the large bag filled with delicacies in their colorful boxes. He Zhixing told her, “We’ve got lunch sorted for today—this whole bag of cakes and bread!”
Lan Jie took the bag, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Can we possibly eat all this?”
Opening the bag, she exclaimed, “Hey, these aren’t like ours! They’re all new styles and designs!”
He Zhixing replied, “Exactly. I bought the ones we don’t have here, so we can study them and try making them ourselves. If others have good products, we can learn from them. So when we try them later, don’t finish them all—save one of each for me.”
“But can we really learn from other people’s new breads, cakes, and desserts? How will we figure out the recipes? Each kind of cake has its own unique formula.”
He Zhixing smiled with an air of mystery. “Don’t worry about that—you’ll see for yourself tonight.”
He continued, “But before we find out tonight, I need to make a call and arrange something.” As he spoke, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number. “Hello, Sister Li? Please help me arrange a meeting with the district chief where our company is located. Tell him I’d like to see him.”
Hu Li asked, “Is it the same District Chief Liu Zhimin who met with you before?”
“Yes, that’s right! Call him and tell him I’ll be waiting for him at the Jinfeng Hotel in the new district on West Ring Road at five this afternoon. Tell him I’d like to get together, and also ask him to invite District Chief Hou Yuan from the new district—there are some things I’d like to discuss.”