Hu Jun was a companion who was conscripted into the military along with Gu Jinchen from Yiyang Town, and he was also Gu Jinchen's fellow soldier in the army.
Previously, he had returned with Gu Jinchen and later became a constable.
Over time, he had made a name for himself in that role.
When Gu Jinchen and his wife got married, Hu Jun happened to be away on a mission and was not present.
It was only recently that he returned.
Now that he had caused them trouble, inviting them for a meal and catching up on old times was only appropriate.
After seeing Hu Jun off, Gu Jinchen then led his wife back to the restaurant and rested for a while before starting to serve customers.
It was a fact that Lu Manager and Chef Luo were greedy for the money from First Class Pavilion.
Even if they were not the masterminds behind the poisoning incident, they were caught red-handed as accomplices and could not escape punishment.
Although the attempted murder did not succeed, and they might avoid the death penalty, years in prison were inevitable.
"Just sit here and collect the money, don't overexert yourself."
"Call me if you need anything!"
After carefully instructing Luo Ge, Gu Jinchen joined the staff in bustling about.
Fortunately, the matters concerning Lu Manager and Chef Luo were handled discreetly in the back courtyard, so it did not disrupt the front business, and the staff were unaware of it.
On regular days, the manager and head chef had their rest periods, so their absence for a day or two did not cause any issues.
The restaurant was busiest during mealtimes, and things slowed down in the afternoon after the lunch rush.
However, there were still occasional customers coming in, allowing the staff to take turns resting.
When the evening dinner rush arrived, they would get busy again until the last customer left after dark.
Only then could they start cleaning up and go home to rest.
"Er Zhu, go tell everyone to put their tasks aside for now and gather in the back courtyard."
After the last table of customers left, Gu Jinchen and his wife called all the staff to the back courtyard.
"Got it." Er Zhu immediately went to summon the others.
"Er Zhu, why did the owners call us here?" the staff asked curiously as they gathered.
Everyone was curious about what happened to Lu Manager and the others since they disappeared without explanation.
However, since Luo Ge and the others did not say anything, no one dared to ask.
Er Zhu had some idea, so he could guess the reason for the owners gathering everyone now.
But it was not something he could disclose, nor did he want to gossip.
So in response to their questions, he only shook his head, "How would I know the owners' thoughts? You'll find out when they tell you."
"If you want to know, just listen."
As he finished speaking, they saw Gu Jinchen and Luo Ge waiting in the back courtyard. The chatter immediately quieted down, and everyone lined up obediently.
Seeing their obedience, Luo Ge nodded with a smile.
"Apologies, everyone. You should have been able to finish your work and go home to rest, but now we've delayed your time."
"But don't worry, we're not the type to procrastinate. We'll only share a few things with you and then leave."
After clearing her throat, Luo Ge scanned the faces of everyone present.
"I'm sure you've all heard, to some degree, about Lu Manager and Chef Luo leaving First Class Pavilion, right?"
"My husband and I have only recently taken over First Class Pavilion, and the business may not be as prosperous as before. The future prospects are still uncertain for you all."
"If any of you wish to leave and consider your own future, my husband and I can understand."
"We have settled the wages for Lu Manager and Chef Luo, and they have left First Class Pavilion today."
Luo Ge and her husband did not intend to publicize what Lu Manager and the others had done.
Although they were well-prepared and prevented their attempt, the fact that the long-time staff in their restaurant had done such a thing, nearly endangering the customers' safety, was already unsettling enough just to hear about it.
If this incident spread and was maliciously exploited by others, would any customers dare to eat, drink tea or wine at their establishment?
At that point, they might as well close down the business altogether.
With this in mind, Luo Ge turned to address everyone.
"Now that we've gathered you all here, we want to ask if anyone else wishes to leave First Class Pavilion like Lu Manager and the others to try their fortune elsewhere."
"If there are any, you may tell us during this opportunity.
Seeking new horizons is a good thing, and we won't stop you. We'll settle your wages later, and you can leave immediately."
Luo Ge's words gave everyone a way to save face. Even if some did leave for another place, they didn't expect them to hold any fondness for First Class Pavilion, only hoping they wouldn't speak ill of it.
Otherwise, constantly being wary of ill-intentions would truly be mentally and physically exhausting.
Besides, people's actions were their own choices, which was normal. They couldn't force anyone to stay.
Even if some did leave, it would only be a loss for Luo Ge and her husband, not a deep enmity.
So there was no need to make enemies.
Upon hearing Luo Ge's words, those who had considered leaving with Lu Manager and the others felt moved.
Everyone exchanged glances and then huddled together to discuss.
There were also those completely unmoved, merely observing, like Er Zhu and the esteemed Chef Xu, who had always been suppressed by Chef Luo.
Er Zhu felt that the current owners were good people, and he was familiar with the place, so he didn't want to leave.
Moreover, he didn't want to be a disloyal person.
As for Chef Xu, he had long suffered from being suppressed and unable to rise, but now was finally his chance to shine. He had even less desire to leave.
Furthermore, he felt that the owners would surely be successful, so following them would not be a mistake.
There were also a few others - two young cleaners, an old woman who washed vegetables, and two apprentice chefs under Chef Xu - who showed no reaction to the situation.
The others had varying thoughts on the matter.
Observing this scene, Luo Ge and her husband already had a general idea in their minds.
