Chapter 2957 Jiangnan Cuisine in a Western Restaurant

The two clashed openly and covertly, but neither gained the upper hand.

"Dad, let the mayor sit down quickly. It's not right to let the mayor stand all the time," Yang Yuxin reminded him, seeing that the two had said enough.

"Yes, yes, Mayor, please take a seat." Yang Guoqiang then released Qin Feng's hand, which he had been holding, and invited Qin Feng to sit in the seat of honor, while he himself sat in the seat of host next to Qin Feng.

Yang Yuxin sat on the other side of Qin Feng, and Yang Zhijie and Ding Haiyang also sat down.

Zhang Xinming stood behind Qin Feng. As his secretary, he was not usually allowed to sit at the table in such situations.

"Sit down, what are you standing here for?" Qin Feng said to Zhang Xinming.

"Secretary Zhang, please have a seat." Yang Yuxin stood up and invited Zhang Xinming to sit down, then instructed the waiter to start serving the dishes.

A Western restaurant, with its entire layout and decor in a Western style, inexplicably had a large Chinese round table, and all the dishes served were from the Jiangnan region. Moutai liquor was also placed on the table, making everything seem so out of place.

"I originally wanted to invite the mayor to a gathering at the Lixin Hotel, but Yuxin told me that the mayor misses his hometown and loves the local cuisine, so he wants to eat at her Western restaurant instead. The facilities here are simple and the hospitality is inadequate, please forgive me, mayor." Yang Guoqiang said to Qin Feng as the dishes were served.

"I'm a native of Shazhou, and I've never left the Northwest in my entire life. I've eaten Northwest cuisine my whole life. This time, I'm just taking advantage of the mayor's presence to try Jiangnan cuisine for the first time. Putting aside the taste, the presentation alone is refreshing and very appetizing," Yang Guoqiang continued, commenting on the Jiangnan dishes on the table.

Qin Feng knew that Yang Guoqiang wasn't referring to Jiangnan cuisine, but rather to him, Qin Feng.

"Jiangnan cuisine emphasizes color, aroma, and taste. It's not just about looking good, but most importantly, it's about tasting good food. It's not just for show. Mr. Yang, you should definitely try it. You won't be disappointed."

"Of course we should try it, and this is all thanks to the mayor. But I'm worried that the ingredients and water from Shazhou might not be able to make authentic Jiangnan cuisine. As the ancients said, 'Oranges grown south of the Huai River are sweet oranges, but those grown north of the Huai River are bitter oranges.' I'm afraid that the Jiangnan chefs here in Shazhou won't be able to adapt to the local climate and won't be able to make the real Jiangnan flavor, which would disappoint the mayor."

Yang Guoqiang was practically telling Qin Feng that even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake.

"I don't think so. Whether it's an orange grown in Huainan or a trifoliate orange grown in Huaibei, although the names are different and the taste may be slightly different, they are still the same thing. It's just that different places call them different things. Just like the dishes in Jiangnan, the taste may be slightly different due to different ingredients, but it won't be too far off."

"And there won't be any issues with adapting to the local environment. Take Professor Yang's Western restaurant, for example. It's a Western establishment, and it attracts a lot of customers even in Shazhou. So what about our own Jiangnan cuisine? We're from the same country, on the same land, so our tastes are pretty much the same. Don't you think so, Professor Yang?" Qin Feng said with a smile.

Qin Feng was telling Yang Guoqiang that although he was a local bully in Shazhou, this was China, with a country and organizations above him. No matter how strong he was, could he go against the country?

"The mayor is right. We have to try this Jiangnan cuisine to see if it suits our tastes. Only after tasting it will we know if it's good or not. Mayor, don't you agree?" Yang Guoqiang smiled throughout.

"Yes, we have to give it a try." Qin Feng smiled, but his eyes flashed with a cold light.

"Mayor, let me toast you. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to honor this old man like me, and thank you for your continued support of the Yang family and Lixin Group." Yang Guoqiang raised his glass to Qin Feng.

Qin Feng did not pick up his wine glass, but smiled and said to Yang Guoqiang, "Old Yang, I won't drink this wine."

"Qin Feng, my dad is toasting you to give you face. Don't be ungrateful. Your mayor title means nothing to the Yang family. If you want to put on airs, go somewhere else. You have to drink this glass whether you like it or not." Yang Zhijie glared angrily at Qin Feng.

After Yang Zhijie finished speaking, the table fell silent.

Qin Feng wasn't angry; he just smiled.

"Zhijie, how dare you speak to the mayor like that?" Yang Guoqiang reprimanded Yang Zhijie slowly, but his tone was not at all "stern".

If Yang Guoqiang really intended to reprimand Yang Zhijie for his rudeness, he should have interrupted Yang Zhijie when he first started to attack Qin Feng, instead of waiting until Yang Zhijie had finished speaking before giving such a light reprimand.

"Mayor, I'm sorry, I've spoiled this child since he was little, he's been ignorant, I apologize to you," Yang Guoqiang continued.

"It's alright, Mr. Yang is telling the truth. Everyone knows who's really in charge in Shazhou. The people of Shazhou have two metaphors, right? The first metaphor is that our Lixin Group's Mr. Yang is the real mayor. Any construction or policy that needs to be implemented in Shazhou must first be approved by Mr. Yang, otherwise it won't be able to be implemented."

"The second analogy is that you, Elder Yang, are the underground emperor of Shazhou. In Shazhou, you can decide who lives and who dies, whoever you want to promote or remove from office," Qin Feng said, waving his hand.

"I can't agree with what the mayor said. How can we take the nonsense of ordinary people seriously? But I do want to ask, is there something you're worried about that you can't drink today?" Yang Guoqiang said with a smile.

"There's nothing to worry about, but I have work tonight, and I can't drink alcohol while working. I have no choice, so I hope Mr. Yang understands," Qin Feng explained.

"The mayor is truly dedicated to serving the people, working so late at night. He must be very tired."

"Not really. I don't usually work overtime, but there were some unexpected work arrangements tonight, so I have to work overtime temporarily," Qin Feng waved his hand.

A table full of dishes was laid out, all of them Jiangnan cuisine. The chef was very skilled and the dishes suited Qin Feng's taste perfectly. Qin Feng ate heartily, completely disregarding the image of the mayor.

Apart from Qin Feng, the others at the table barely ate anything. Yang Zhijie, who was standing to the side, looked at Qin Feng with disdain as he ate heartily.

Yang Guoqiang barely touched his chopsticks, instead sitting there chatting and laughing with Qin Feng. Qin Feng would chat with Yang Guoqiang occasionally during the meal, and their conversations were full of veiled barbs and innuendos.

However, although a lot was said, none of the core content was mentioned.

Qin Feng knew that Yang Guoqiang had invited him to dinner today so that Qin Feng would beg for mercy, admit defeat, and agree to his conditions.

Yang Guoqiang kept quiet, waiting for Qin Feng to bring it up first. After all, in Yang Guoqiang's view, it was Qin Feng who was in a hurry, Qin Feng who was in a passive position, and Qin Feng who should be begging for mercy.