Chapter 43: Dismissal
For a full two hours, Gu Heng had lost track of how many courses he’d eaten. All he knew was that Bai Mingze and his two apprentices hadn’t stopped for a moment.
The meal was paired with a selection of sakes. They drank their way from the Sudou Family’s Hua Xunguang to Beixue, and from Beixue to the Fourteenth Generation of the Great Ultimate Supreme White Dragon Spring. Today, Gu Heng and Jiang Ruan had sampled nearly all of Japan’s top ten most famous sakes.
Finally, they reached the dessert course.
Jiang Ruan was long past her limit; only Gu Heng could still manage to eat a little more.
The golden-yellow tamagoyaki was dense and smooth, with a rich and complex flavor.
As the meal drew to a close, Fan Hong and Qi Min, who had gone to review the surveillance footage as Gu Heng instructed, finally returned with the results.
Qi Min and Fan Hong walked into the private room side by side, followed by a pale-faced Wu Tao and a deferential-looking Xu Liang.
"Just give me the results."
Gu Heng took the fresh, warm towel from a server, dabbed his mouth lightly, and addressed Qi Min and Fan Hong.
"Chairman Gu, our review of Sushi Yun’s surveillance footage from the last two months shows that General Manager Wu Tao was absent from his post without leave 13 times. Five of those instances occurred on weekends or public holidays."
Fan Hong reported to Gu Heng in a low voice.
"Manager Qi, what do you think should be done about this?"
Gu Heng nodded slightly and turned his gaze to Qi Min.
"Chairman Gu, according to the group’s rules and regulations, I believe that effective immediately, Wu Tao should be dismissed from his position as General Manager of Sushi Yun Omakase, have his executive benefits revoked, and be demoted to the rank of a regular employee."
Qi Min gave her recommendation in a clear voice, without any hesitation.
"Hmm..."
"Then we’ll do as Manager Qi suggests."
"Announce the decision to the entire group tomorrow. Let this be a warning to everyone."
Gu Heng was quite satisfied with Qi Min’s recommendation. But Wu Tao, standing behind her, went weak in the knees upon hearing Gu Heng’s final decision. He collapsed onto the floor, completely devastated.
Over a decade of hard work, gone in an instant.
It was a devastating blow that anyone would find hard to bear.
No one present paid any attention to Wu Tao. After all, he had brought this fate upon himself.
At the opportune moment, Qi Min asked, "Chairman Gu, now that Wu Tao has been dismissed, who do you think would be a suitable replacement for the general manager position at Sushi Yun Omakase?"
"I’ve only recently taken over the group, so I’m not very familiar with the mid-level management yet. Do you have an ideal candidate in mind, Manager Qi?"
Instead of answering, Gu Heng turned the question back to Qi Min.
"Chairman Gu, I believe Vice Manager Xu Liang would be an excellent choice."
Qi Min’s gaze shifted. It rested on Fan Hong’s face for a brief moment before finally landing on Xu Liang. "Vice Manager Xu has been with the group for nearly a decade, and he’s always been diligent and conscientious. Furthermore, ever since Sushi Yun Omakase opened, he has been assisting Wu Tao with coordinating the restaurant’s overall operations, so he’s very familiar with how things are run."
Xu Liang, who had been standing behind Fan Hong the whole time, felt his heart begin to race when he heard Qi Min nominate him.
One might think that as the restaurant’s vice general manager, he was only a step away from the top job. In reality, the group’s standard promotion track required him to return to corporate headquarters and gain experience as a deputy director for several years before he’d even be considered for a general manager position.
Now, Qi Min’s simple words had allowed him to bypass several years of that detour.
"Assistant Fan, what’s your opinion?"
Gu Heng looked toward Fan Hong, his expression unreadable.
"Chairman Gu, to be honest, Vice Manager Xu and I are very close personally, so it might seem unfair for me to give an opinion. However, as the saying goes, one should recommend the worthy, regardless of personal ties."
"Vice Manager Xu is just as Manager Qi described—always diligent and conscientious. I support her proposal to promote him to General Manager of Sushi Yun Omakase. I’m also willing to vouch for him. If he runs into any issues in his new role, I will share the responsibility."
Faced with Gu Heng’s question, Fan Hong was silent for a moment before answering with a sincere expression.
At that moment, standing behind Fan Hong, Xu Liang listened to his words, and a wave of overwhelming gratitude washed over him.
’My benefactor!’
’From this day forward, I, Liang, pledge my undying loyalty!’
"Since both Manager Qi and Assistant Fan strongly recommend Vice Manager Xu, he shall serve as the acting General Manager of Sushi Yun Omakase for now."
"We’ll set a three-month probationary period. If, at the end of that period, Sushi Yun Omakase is being managed well, we’ll make the position permanent."
Gu Heng said no more, making the final decision on the spot.
As for the intricate politics between Qi Min, Fan Hong, and Xu Liang, he couldn’t be bothered to think too much about it.
Wherever there are people, there are politics. Four girls in a dorm room can create seven different group chats, to say nothing of a restaurant group with assets in the hundreds of millions.
Some factions and cliques were only to be expected.
Gu Heng just needed to understand how to maintain a balance of power.
’Experience is the best teacher. I’ll just have to watch and learn as I go.’
’In time, I’ll naturally come to understand it all.’
"Thank you, Chairman Gu!"
"Thank you, Manager Qi!"
"Thank you, Assistant Fan!"
Xu Liang was too excited to contain himself, bowing repeatedly in gratitude. "I won’t let you down! I’ll continue to work hard, contribute to the group’s success, and achieve new heights!"
Gu Heng nodded slightly and then stood up from his chair.
"Alright."
"That’s all for tonight."
"You’re all dismissed. Go about your business."
Gu Heng’s gaze swept over Fan Hong and Qi Min. "I’ll be leaving now."
"Chairman Gu, you drove here."
Fan Hong suggested at the right moment, "Why not have Manager Xu drive you home?"
At these words, a hint of expectation appeared on Xu Liang’s face.
"Hmm..."
"Then I’ll have to trouble you, Manager Xu."
After a moment’s thought, Gu Heng accepted.
"No trouble, no trouble at all!"
Xu Liang waved his hands repeatedly, overwhelmed by the honor.
"Have you had enough to eat?"
Gu Heng turned his head and asked Jiang Ruan.
"I have."
Jiang Ruan looked at the people before her. ’Never mind the executives like Fan Hong, Qi Min, and Xu Liang—even Bai Mingze’s two apprentices behind the counter probably make a lot more money than I do.’
’And yet, those two didn’t have the right to say a single word the entire night.’
’It’s been less than a year since I graduated, and now I’m in the middle of such a high-powered scene. Today has been a real eye-opener. I feel like the door to a whole new world is slowly swinging open for me.’
"Then let’s go."
After speaking, Gu Heng led the way out of the private room.
Jiang Ruan followed close behind, with Qi Min, Fan Hong, and the others flanking them.
The group quickly walked to where Gu Heng’s car was parked.
"Manager Xu, you must ensure you get Chairman Gu home safely."
Qi Min instructed Xu Liang with a serious expression.
"Don’t worry, Manager Qi."
Xu Liang replied readily, "I will definitely drive carefully and get Chairman Gu home safely."
"Get in."
"It’s not easy to get a cab here. I’ll give you a ride home."
Gu Heng opened the back door and said softly to Jiang Ruan.
"Oh..."
Jiang Ruan looked around. They were in a quiet corner of the city, and it was almost ten o’clock. There really didn’t seem to be any cars passing by. "Alright then, thank you, President Gu."
"It’s nothing."
Gu Heng smiled.
Then, he gave a casual wave to Fan Hong and the others, got into the car with Jiang Ruan, and they quickly drove away...