Bab 162: Chapter 162: Giving Other Hotels a Chance
Chen Jianhai brought Wen Zifan out this time with the intention of familiarizing her with the area and the association. In the future, if there were any tasks requiring visits to the association, he could leave them to Wen Zifan and not have to handle everything himself.
After about sixteen minutes, Chen Jianhai signaled Wen Zifan to get off the bus. Her heels were quite high, so Chen Jianhai naturally offered his hand to help, which Wen Zifan accepted.
As they stepped off, Wen Zifan looked around at the bustling street filled with delicious aromas and the elderly shoppers carrying groceries. It was hard to believe that the Nanjiang City Hotel Industry Association would choose this location.
"Are you thirsty?" Chen Jianhai asked, eyeing a Snow King store across the street.
"Not thirsty," Wen Zifan replied, shaking her head.
"Then wait for me, I'm getting a lemon water."
Before Wen Zifan could react, Chen Jianhai had already dashed off. He had wanted to get a lemon water last time but was deterred by the long queue. Now, with fewer people, he seized the opportunity.
A moment later, Wen Zifan saw Chen Jianhai returning with two lemon waters.
"Buy one, get one free. Hold this for me," Chen Jianhai said, handing the one with less ice to Wen Zifan. He then inserted a straw into his drink and started sipping eagerly. Wen Zifan looked at the "less ice" note on her cup and then at Chen Jianhai's full cup of ice, her eyes reflecting a knowing look.
He probably got the "buy one, get one" offer, but chose less ice for her while keeping the iced one for himself. However, since she was on her period and suffering from cramps, she didn't even want to drink anything cold, let alone iced drinks. But since her boss had kindly bought it for her, it would be impolite to refuse.
Watching Chen Jianhai drink his lemon water, Wen Zifan mischievously asked, "Boss, do you need me to put a straw in your cup?"
Chen Jianhai, engrossed in drinking and seemingly aiming to finish his lemon water in one go, nodded repeatedly without speaking.
About ten seconds later, having downed the entire cup, Chen Jianhai let out a satisfied belch. "Refreshing!"
He threw his empty cup into a trash can, pulled out a "Special Judge" badge from his pocket and hung it around his neck. Then he grabbed the lemon water from Wen Zifan, thanked her, and took a sip as he confidently led the way.
"Let's go inside."
Wen Zifan frowned slightly. This scene was unfolding differently than she had imagined. She followed behind Chen Jianhai, casually asking, "Boss, why didn't you get both cups with ice?"
"One to drink, one to carry," Chen Jianhai explained seriously. "Who knows if there will be water available inside? Besides, too much ice makes it hard to hold."
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Upon entering the association, the staff warmly greeted them upon seeing Chen Jianhai's "Special Judge" badge and guided them to an annex building next to the association.
On the second floor, in a large reception room, the staff member said, "Please wait here. The competition will start around 9:30, and someone will come to escort you."
"Thank you," Chen Jianhai replied, sitting on the sofa, feeling a bit nervous. He had never been a judge before, let alone a special judge. He had watched numerous competition videos on the bus, trying to see how others did it. It seemed all a judge needed was tea, a pen, and a chair for the duration. It didn't seem too difficult.
Around 9:25, a staff member entered, warmly inviting, "Mr. Chen, the competition is about to begin. Please follow me to the venue."
"Alright."
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The competition venue wasn't far from the reception room. Upon entering, Chen Jianhai saw a square setup. Opposite the entrance was the main stage, with scoring staff and judges' seats on either side. Contestants sat in three rows of seats at the back, facing the entrance. In the center were five iron-framed beds with pillows, sheets, and bed covers on the tables in front.
A banner reading "Association Hotel Room Service Competition" hung high above the stage.
"This setup looks pretty official," Chen Jianhai thought, examining the venue.
"Mr. Chen!" a voice called out. Turning around, Chen Jianhai saw Su Jie, the secretary-general of the Coconut Umbrella Hotel Industry Association, approaching with a welcoming smile.
"Secretary Su, hello!"
Chen Jianhai had a good impression of Su Jie. Seeing him approach, he warmly extended his hand.
Su Jie greeted enthusiastically, "Mr. Chen, we're so honored that you could come. Thank you for supporting our association!"
Chen Jianhai modestly replied, "I'm just here to learn and gain some experience."
As they chatted, Su Jie led Chen Jianhai to the judges' seats. Wen Zifan found a seat in the audience, watching the competition with curiosity.
Chen Jianhai asked, "This is my first time participating in this competition. Is there anything specific I should know?"
Su Jie patiently explained, "The association holds skill competitions for hotel staff every year, and the room service competition is just one of them. There will be a cooking competition for five-star hotel chefs in a few days, which is one of the highlights. These competitions are meant to promote interaction and communication among member units and prevent working in isolation."
Pausing, Su Jie lowered his voice, avoiding the other judges and staff, "But the room service competition usually isn't very exciting. After all, room service is pretty standard across hotels. It's just making a bed, and there's not much variation. The cooking competition is the real highlight, with chefs showcasing their best dishes."
Chen Jianhai's interest piqued. "Can I attend the cooking competition?"
"Of course!" Su Jie replied, smiling. "The cooking competition is the most prestigious event, with the largest venue and extensive media coverage. Winning dishes are submitted to higher authorities for evaluation as Nanjiang specialties. It's a great opportunity for hotels and chefs to gain fame."
Chen Jianhai listened intently, nodding frequently. Just as Su Jie thought he would ask more about the cooking competition, Chen Jianhai abruptly changed the topic, "Why don't we have any staff from our hotel in the room service competition?"
Su Jie's expression turned complicated, and he smiled wryly, "Mr. Chen, the association invited you as a special judge. It's only fair to give other hotels a chance."
Chen Jianhai was puzzled, "What do you mean?"
"Your bed-making skills are famous on the Nanjiang University forum and the Nanjiang Tourism Center website. They've even been used as teaching material in some universities. Your appointment as a special judge was unanimously approved by the association and the Nanjiang University Training Center. With such a skilled boss, your staff doesn't need to compete," Su Jie explained. "This competition is more symbolic. Sometimes, it's best to give other hotels a bit of face…"
Su Jie advised earnestly.
Status Power Mingguan
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Power 
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