novelonline Chapter 1508: Giving Choi Kookmin a good whack is not as good as giving it to me.
Chapter 1508: Giving Choi Kookmin a good whack is not as good as giving it to me.
Chapter 1508: Giving Choi Kookmin a good whack is not as good as giving it to me.
Choi Kookmin's jaw nearly dropped to the ground, his eyes were wide open, and his mouth was agape enough to fit an egg.
"What? Your dad? Huo Dongfeng! He wants to learn how to make bread from Ji Qiang?"
Not only Cui Guomin, but also Li Xiaozhen, Grandpa Cui, and Grandma Cui next to him all had the same expression—dumbfounded and incredulous.
Only Erpang was still immersed in his wonderful fantasy, his eyes narrowed into slits and a happy smile on his lips: "Once my dad can bake bread, I can eat as much as I want every day! As much as I want! Whatever I want! Pineapple buns, cream buns, caterpillar buns, Black Forest buns... Hehehe..."
Cui Guomin and Li Xiaozhen exchanged a glance, then huddled together and whispered, "Huo Dongfeng making a cake, I just can't picture it in my mind."
“I can’t imagine it either.” Li Xiaozhen shook her head: “You’d say Huo Dongfeng is good at fighting, slaughtering pigs and cattle, but making cakes…that’s delicate work, isn’t it? Kneading dough, fermenting, baking, and then decorating and decorating, can his big hands handle it?”
Cui Guomin deeply agrees.
Back then, Huo Dongfeng's reputation as one of the Three Heroes of Donglin was renowned throughout Donglin City. He was a formidable figure who could make anyone in the Donglin underworld tremble with a stomp of his foot. When it came to fighting, he could easily take on several opponents by himself.
This person is now wearing an apron, kneading dough, and making cakes? The contrast is too great!
Grandpa Cui shook his head, stroking his chin, and said, "I doubt it. If he were a law-abiding person, he wouldn't have been in jail for so many years. Even if he's just out and wants to live a good life, he definitely won't be able to stand the constraints in the long run. He'll quit after a few days and go back to his 'old ways'."
The old lady was kind-hearted. She hugged Erpang and comforted him, saying, "No matter what, as long as your dad is willing to learn, that's all that matters. Whether it's making cakes or doing something else, as long as it's a respectable job, that's better than anything else."
Erpang nodded vigorously: "Yes! My dad said I'll work for Uncle Ji from now on and won't go anywhere else!"
……
In fact, Huo Dongfeng and Hongwei's "apprenticeship" process went quite smoothly at first.
The first task Qin Hao assigned them was kneading dough. Whether it's cake or bread, it's all pastry, and the most important thing is to knead the dough well. Kneading dough requires strength, but Huo Dongfeng and Hongwei had plenty of strength.
Huo Dongfeng rolled up his sleeves, revealing two muscular arms, stood in front of the workbench, pressed his large hands onto the dough, and began to knead it. His posture didn't look like he was kneading dough; it looked more like he was fighting with it.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Huo Dongfeng slammed the dough onto the worktable, and the entire kitchen floor trembled.
Hongwei was no less impressive; his method of kneading dough was even more exaggerated—he would lift the dough up and then slam it down hard, making a louder "bang" than Huo Dongfeng. While slamming it down, he would mutter, "It's just kneading dough, what's so difficult about that?"
Qin Hao watched from the side, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. This wasn't kneading dough; it was practicing martial arts. But the effect was quite good; after their handling, the dough quickly became smooth and elastic.
This gave Huo Dongfeng and Hongwei some confidence in learning to bake cakes. Huo Dongfeng patted his chest and said, "Brother, isn't this pretty simple? All you need is strength! Don't worry, it won't be long before we're proficient!"
Qin Hao smiled but didn't say anything.
After three days of dough-kneading training, the nightmare began.
On the fourth day, Qin Hao began teaching them how to make the most basic pineapple buns.
"First, divide the kneaded dough into small portions, each weighing eighty grams." Qin Hao took out an electronic scale and demonstrated to them: "It has to be precise, not too much and not too little. Then roll it out, wrap the filling inside, seal it, and roll it into a ball."
Huo Dongfeng confidently picked up a lump of dough and placed it on the electronic scale. The scale showed: 123 grams.
It's 43 grams more.
"Too many," Qin Hao said.
Huo Dongfeng tore off a piece and weighed it again: 67 grams.
Thirteen grams less.
Add another piece: 85 grams.
Five grams more.
Another 73 grams.
Seven grams less.
……
After ten minutes of struggling, Huo Dongfeng finally produced a 79.5-gram dose. He let out a long sigh and wiped the sweat from his brow: "It's more tiring than practicing martial arts!"
Hongwei's situation was even worse. He didn't care about the weight; he just grabbed a handful and put it on the scale: 158 grams.
"Too many," Qin Hao said.
Hongwei tore off a large piece and weighed it again: ninety-two grams.
"Still too many."
Another 64 grams.
"not enough."
Hongwei panicked and glued the piece he had torn off back on. He weighed it: 103 grams.
"..."
Hongwei was devastated: "Why is this thing so difficult!"
After finally getting the dough pieces sorted, the next step was rolling it out. Qin Hao demonstrated: Gently roll the rolling pin until the dough becomes a round sheet, thin at the edges and thick in the middle, and of uniform size.
Huo Dongfeng picked up a rolling pin and pressed it onto the dough. He used too much force, and the dough stuck directly to the rolling pin; when he pulled, it tore.
I tried another one. After rolling it out a few times, the dough became polygonal, one side so thin it was transparent, and the other side so thick it was like a steamed bun.
Even more impressively, the dough he rolled out was perfectly oval-shaped, like a shoe insole.
Filling the dough. Qin Hao demonstrates: Take an appropriate amount of custard filling, place it in the center of the dough, then slowly seal the edges, pinch them tightly, and roll it into a ball.
When Huo Dongfeng was wrapping the filling, he used too much force, and the filling squeezed out from the side, making his hand sticky.
If the dough isn't sealed tightly when making the large roll, it will definitely burst open during baking.
Roll into a ball. Qin Hao demonstrates: Gently knead with both hands until the dough becomes round and smooth.
Huo Dongfeng kneaded the dough, and it deformed into a cylinder.
With a powerful tug, the dough was shaped into a triangle.
……
The first attempt ended in total failure. Of the twenty doses, not a single one was usable.
Looking at the pile of oddly shaped dough on the cutting board, Huo Dongfeng was somewhat discouraged: "Brother, this thing... is much harder than I thought."
Qin Hao patted him on the shoulder: "It's okay, everyone's like this at the beginning. When I was learning, I wasted ten times more flour than you guys. Take it slow, practice makes perfect."
Huo Dongfeng and Hongwei were both embarrassed, feeling that they had been too stupid to waste so many raw materials.
Qin Hao didn't mind and joked, "It's okay, we'll deduct it from your profit sharing later."
Upon hearing this, the two quickly perked up and continued practicing.
……
During this period, Er Mei frequently visited Huo Dongfeng.
The first time, Er Mei drove his Crown car, accompanied by four henchmen, and swaggered into the cake shop. Leaning against the car door, a cigarette dangling from his lips, he shouted into the shop, "Big Brother! Let's go for a drink!"
Huo Dongfeng, wearing an apron and with his hands covered in flour, poked his head out from the work area: "Now? I'm busy right now."
"What's there to be busy about! It's just a run-down cake shop, what's there to be busy about!" Ermei said dismissively. "Come on, come on, I've made a reservation, let's have a good drink together! The rest of the guys are waiting!"
Huo Dongfeng hesitated for a moment, but seeing how enthusiastic the two women were, he couldn't refuse. He took off his apron and said to Qin Hao, "Brother, I'll be right back."
Qin Hao nodded without saying anything.
That time, Huo Dongfeng didn't return until midnight, reeking of alcohol.
The second time, Er Mei came again. Huo Dongfeng went again.
Third time, fourth time...
At first, Huo Dongfeng was quite happy, thinking that his brother was loyal and still remembered him after they left. But gradually, he realized that something was wrong.
Every time Ermei invited him for drinks, she brought a whole bunch of people. There were at least five or six, sometimes more than a dozen, a large entourage. And while they were drinking, her henchmen would stand guard around, preventing anyone from getting close. Two stood at the door of the private room, two in the corridor, and there were lookouts downstairs.
This made Huo Dongfeng very uncomfortable.
What he valued most was brotherhood, and he loved drinking and eating heartily with his brothers, speaking freely and without restraint. But now? Surrounded by people, the way his underlings looked at him wasn't the way they looked at their brothers, but the way they looked at "the boss's boss," with awe and obsequiousness, but no sincerity.
In particular, one day, Hongwei successfully made his first birthday cake.
That day, Hongwei carefully decorated the cake, stroke by stroke, for a full two hours. When the eight-inch buttercream cake was finally finished, Hongwei's hands trembled with excitement: "Big brother! Look! I... I made it!"
Huo Dongfeng looked at the cake—although the frosting was a bit crooked and the colors weren't quite even, it was indeed a complete birthday cake, with the words "Happy Birthday" written on it. He suddenly realized that he couldn't continue fooling around with Er Mei like this.
He promised his son that once he learned how to bake cakes, he would let him eat his fill. A real man keeps his word!
From then on, whenever Er Mei came to see him again, Huo Dongfeng would make excuses to avoid her.
"The shop is busy today, I can't leave."
"I have to get up early tomorrow and can't drink alcohol."
I'm not feeling well, let's do it another day.
Ermei initially tried to persuade him, but seeing Huo Dongfeng's resolute attitude, she stopped pressuring him.
Huo Dongfeng ignored all of that. He cleared his mind of all distractions and focused all his attention on learning to make cakes.
Kneading the dough, dividing it into portions, rolling out the wrappers, filling them, shaping them into balls, fermenting them, baking them… he practiced each step repeatedly. If he failed, he would start over; if he failed again, he would start over again.
Hongwei and the other man encouraged and challenged each other, making rapid progress.
Finally, a month and a half later, Huo Dongfeng made the first cake that met Qin Hao's standards.
It was a chocolate cake. The chocolate shavings were evenly sprinkled, the cherries were neatly arranged, and although the buttercream frosting was still a bit rough, it already looked quite presentable.
Qin Hao took a bite and nodded: "Passed."
Huo Dongfeng was as happy as a child, hugging Qin Hao so tightly he almost choked him. Then he carefully put the cake into a box, tied it with a strap, and rode his bicycle to pick up Erpang from school at four o'clock sharp in the afternoon.
……
At the entrance of the Experimental Primary School, Huo Dongfeng stood in the crowd, holding a cake box in his hands, feeling both nervous and expectant.
Erpang walked out of the school gate and immediately saw his father. He ran over and looked at the box curiously: "Dad, what are you carrying?"
"Guess," Huo Dongfeng said, deliberately keeping everyone in suspense.
Erpang's eyes lit up: "Cake?"
"Hmm!" Huo Dongfeng opened the box: "Look, this was made by Dad! Your birthday is coming up soon, so Dad made one for you in advance so you can try it!"
Erpang stared at the exquisite chocolate cake, his eyes practically popping out of their sockets. He had never felt so proud! His dad could bake cakes! And make them so beautifully!
"Classmates! Classmates!" Erpang suddenly shouted, startling everyone around him: "Come and see! This is a cake my dad made! My dad made it himself!"
Suddenly, a group of elementary school students gathered around, chattering excitedly.
"Wow! So beautiful!"
"Is this a cake? It looks even better than the ones sold in stores!"
"Erpang, your dad can bake cakes?"
Erpang was so proud his nose almost reached the sky: "Of course! This is my dad, and he made this birthday cake himself! From now on, my dad will be the best pastry chef in Donglin City!"
Huo Dongfeng! A man as strong as an iron tower! Upon hearing these words, tears immediately welled up in my eyes.
He quickly turned away, pretending to look elsewhere, so his son wouldn't see his loss of composure. But the surge of emotion in his chest was impossible to suppress.
"Dad, can I share some with my classmates?" Erpang asked from behind.
Huo Dongfeng had his back to him, his voice a little hoarse: "Yes, you can divide it up."
Erpang happily accepted the cake box and began distributing the cake to his classmates. Everyone ate a piece, enjoying it immensely and saying it was delicious. Erpang became even more pleased with himself and distributed the cake with even more enthusiasm.
As a result, after all the students had finished distributing their portions, Erpang looked down and saw that the box was empty.
empty!
He didn't keep a single piece for himself!
Erpang was dumbfounded. He held the empty cake box, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Erpang, didn't you keep a piece for yourself?" a classmate asked.
"I...I forgot..." Erpang pouted, and tears finally fell.
Huo Dongfeng turned around and saw his son's aggrieved look, feeling both amused and heartbroken. He squatted down and wiped Erpang's tears: "It's okay, Dad can make cakes now. If you want to eat one, Dad will make it for you anytime."
Unexpectedly, Erpang cried even harder, sobbing uncontrollably, "That...that's different...that was the first cake you made...I...I didn't even taste it..."
Huo Dongfeng felt a pang of sadness and hugged his son tightly.
"Alright, alright, don't cry." Huo Dongfeng picked up Erpang and put him on the back of the bicycle. "Dad will go back now and make you another one. Even if I don't sleep tonight, I'll make you an exact replica!"
Erpang nodded, sobbing, and hugged the empty box as if it were a precious treasure.
Huo Dongfeng mounted his bicycle and pedaled furiously into the setting sun. The wheels rolled rapidly across the road, making a buzzing sound.
"Dad, slow down..." Erpang called from behind.
"It's alright, Dad's riding steadily!" Huo Dongfeng said without turning his head.
As soon as he finished speaking, the front wheel of the bicycle ran over a stone, and the bicycle veered sharply to the side.
"what--"
"boom!"
The bicycle and its rider fell into the roadside ditch.
……
The next day when Erpang went to school, his left hand was wrapped in a thick bandage and hung around his neck, looking quite tragic.
Class teacher Ms. Wang was startled: "Huo Xiaoyang, what's wrong with you?"
Erpang lowered his head, his face flushed, and whispered, "My dad... was riding his bicycle too fast... we fell into the ditch..."
Teacher Wang was stunned for several seconds, then couldn't help but burst out laughing.
After class, the news spread throughout the class. The students all gathered around, asking questions all at once.
"Erpang, how fast is your dad riding?"
How deep is the ditch?
"Is your dad alright?"
Erpang was initially embarrassed, but after being asked more questions, he started to tell the story: "Let me tell you, my dad's bicycle was so fast it was like flying! Cars on the road couldn't catch up with it! Then there was a ditch ahead, and my dad said, 'Watch this,' and tried to leap over it—but he didn't make it..."
The students listened with great interest and forgot that the bell had rung.
Although he hurt his hand, Erpang was still very happy. His dad said that once his hand was healed, he would make him an even bigger cake so he could eat his fill.
……
Two months have passed since Huo Dongfeng was released from prison.
The second branch of "Exquisite Cake" has entered the trial operation phase.
This branch is located in the east of the city, a bit far from the city center, but it's near several residential areas and a middle school, so there's good foot traffic. Qin Hao personally selected the store location and designed the interior himself, continuing the style of the first store—simple, bright, with open shelves and clearly marked prices.
Most importantly, Qin Hao was finally freed from the tedious kitchen work. Huo Dongfeng and Hongwei took over his original job as a pastry chef, in charge of cake and bread production for both stores.
Becoming a master pastry chef is indeed not easy. It requires experience, a feel for the ingredients, and a precise grasp of the cooking process. However, if you're just following a recipe, two months is enough time.
To help the two learn faster, Qin Hao meticulously refined every step. The weight of the dough, the amount of baking powder, the grams of sugar and salt, the baking temperature and time—everything was accurate to the decimal point. He even wrote a special "operation manual," clearly outlining the production process for each product.
As long as you strictly follow the manual, you should not encounter any problems.
Qin Hao's method proved effective. Huo Dongfeng and Hongwei quickly got the hang of it, and although their products weren't quite as good as Qin Hao's own, they were already maintaining basic quality. The first batch of customers gave positive feedback, saying, "The taste is the same as the original shop."
After opening the branch, Huo Dongfeng and Hongwei were finally able to receive their share of the profits. According to the original agreement, the profits would be split 30/70, with Qin Hao taking 70% and the two of them each taking 15%. Although the percentage wasn't high, the cake shop was profitable, and each of them could earn two to three thousand yuan a month.
This is higher than the salary of middle managers in many state-owned factories.
This fueled their enthusiasm, especially Huo Dongfeng. Despite his burly appearance, he was actually very shrewd. Back when movie tickets were extremely hard to come by, he devised a plan to monopolize movie tickets and then resell them at a higher price, supporting a large group of his men. Unfortunately, in those days, there was zero tolerance for speculation and profiteering. In addition, they fought many battles with other gangs in their efforts to monopolize movie tickets. Eventually, they encountered a crackdown and Huo Dongfeng was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. He was only released a few years early due to good behavior in prison.
If this person lived in the 1980s, he might have really achieved great things.
That afternoon, Huo Dongfeng found Qin Hao, his face beaming with excitement: "Brother, with my and Hongwei's production capacity, it's enough to supply the sales of three branches. When are we opening our next branch?"
Qin Hao was doing the accounts when he heard this and rolled his eyes: "Opening a branch costs money. Do you think opening a store is so easy? Rent, decoration, equipment, raw materials, none of them are free. I'm working from dawn till dusk, and I even go to nightclubs to sing, all to expand the business as soon as possible."
Huo Dongfeng winked and said, "Really? I thought you were just attracted to the beauty of the Nightclub owner. Miss Yang is indeed quite attractive and has a great presence."
Qin Hao said frankly, "Of course, that's the main reason."
Huo Dongfeng gave a thumbs up: "Hmm, decisive and responsible, just my style!"
Then, changing the subject seriously, he said, "But brother, relying on singing in bars to earn money to open a branch is too slow. Even if you sing twenty shows a month, you'll only make a few thousand yuan, plus commission on flower baskets, at most a little over ten thousand. Opening a branch requires at least thirty to fifty thousand yuan. How long would it take you to save that up?"
Huo Dongfeng leaned closer and lowered his voice, saying, "How about I think of a solution?"
Qin Hao frowned and looked at him: "You mean by 'finding a solution'? You don't mean borrowing from Er Mei, do you?"
Huo Dongfeng nodded and said matter-of-factly, "Given my relationship with Ermei, lending her 100,000 or 200,000 shouldn't be a problem. He's rich now, 100,000 or 200,000 is nothing to him. And he won't refuse if I ask."
Qin Hao put down the ledger in his hand and said seriously, "Old Huo, I know you and Ermei have been brothers for many years, and I understand that I couldn't persuade you to continue associating with him. But I also have my own bottom line. You and I both know where Ermei's money came from. It's all stained with blood, and it could get into trouble at any time. I don't want the police to come and shut down my shop one day."
Huo Dongfeng was stunned upon hearing this. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found himself speechless.
After a moment, he slapped his forehead and apologized repeatedly: "I'm sorry, brother, I didn't think this through. I was only thinking about speed and didn't consider the consequences. Don't worry, I won't mention this again."
Qin Hao's expression softened: "It's alright, I know you mean well. But Lao Huo, what you said really reminded me. Opening a branch store with our own money is indeed a bit slow. We need to think of another way."
Huo Dongfeng's eyes lit up: "So who are you planning to get money from? It can't be Miss Yang, can it? She definitely has money, and she's good to you..."
Qin Haoyi interrupted him sternly: "Do I look like the kind of person who uses a woman's money?"
Huo Dongfeng looked at him suspiciously, then suddenly realized something and his eyes widened even more: "Then you wouldn't happen to be..."
Qin Hao smiled and said, "That's right, just as you think."
……
Dingqing Building, General Manager's Office.
Grandpa Cui sat behind his desk, his eyebrows almost furrowed together. He looked at Qin Hao across from him with a suspicious expression: "Isn't your cake shop doing quite well? I heard you can earn over ten thousand a month. Why would you think of borrowing money from an old man like me?"
Qin Hao rubbed his hands together and chuckled, "I was just thinking of opening another branch, but I'm short on cash, so I'm borrowing some from you. I'll pay you back with interest once I make some money."
Old Master Cui had worked at Dingqinglou for decades, rising from apprentice to head chef and then general manager, and had accumulated some savings. Under normal circumstances, Qin Hao would never have targeted his retirement money. The main issue was the unreliable Cui Guomin. Cui Guomin had tried to profit from Old Master Cui's several entrepreneurial ventures, always squandering his money and ultimately losing everything, leaving Old Master Cui penniless.
Rather than letting Choi Kookmin ruin things, it's better to give it to him. At least he can make money work for him, and he can pay back more when it's time to pay it back later.
Grandpa Cui stared at Qin Hao for a long time without saying a word. He couldn't figure out what this young man was up to. But one thing he was sure of—Qin Hao wasn't an unreliable person. He was methodical and intelligent, and the success of his cake shop wasn't just luck.
"How much more do you... still need?" Old Master Cui asked.
Qin Hao thought for a moment, then tentatively asked, "How much do you have?"
Old Master Cui nearly choked on his tea, glaring at him and yelling, "You really dare to ask for that! If I had a million, would you take it all?"
"One million is not too much, and one hundred thousand is not too little," Qin Hao said shamelessly, without the slightest hint of embarrassment.
Grandpa Cui was amused by his words and pointed at him, saying, "You, you've got quite the thick skin. Fifty thousand at most! No more!"
Qin Hao's eyes lit up: "Fifty thousand it is! That's almost enough to open a branch."
Grandpa Cui was both angry and amused: "So you don't have a single penny and you're relying entirely on me?"
"Ahem..." Qin Hao coughed twice, somewhat embarrassed: "Isn't it because all the money I have gone into opening this branch? Rent, renovations, equipment, raw materials, everything costs money. You don't know, these days, money doesn't go far in business."
Grandpa Cui waved his hand: "Alright, alright, stop complaining to me about being poor. Go back and get ready, come collect the money this afternoon!"
Qin Hao stood up and walked out with a grin. He had just stepped out the door when Old Master Cui called him back.
"Ji Qiang!"
Qin Hao turned around: "Grandpa, is there anything else?"
Grandpa Cui looked at him with a serious expression: "Take it easy, this is all my retirement money! I've saved it up my whole life!"
Qin Hao nodded seriously, his tone resolute: "Don't worry, sir, you won't lose out. I'll repay you with interest in six months, at most a year."
"I've been a general manager for so many years, and I've never seen a business that's guaranteed to make a profit!" Old Master Cui muttered.
Qin Hao grinned: "That's because you didn't meet me long ago."
Old Master Cui was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and scolded, "I'm starting to regret lending you the money. You're shameless!"