Chapter 5, The Beginning

"If you pick it up, you won't have to spend any money. I really bought it with Guozi at the wholesale market for ten yuan," Lin Quan said, exaggerating the price with a rising tone. Fang Nan, listening from behind, couldn't help but chuckle. The rear wheels of the car bumped against the stones, causing a slight jolt. Fang Nan leaned forward, pressing her hand on Lin Quan's back, feeling her hair brush against her spine.

Where can I find so many people? I will go talk to my father and borrow 10,000 yuan from him to use for now

I wonder why your gaze seems off today. Riding around on your bike, yet your eyes lack a hint of lewdness. It turns out you are contemplating this matter. Do you intend to take over all these venues? Guo Baolin's eyes sparkled brightly, like a rat seeing the dawn.

This morning, Lin Quan was preoccupied with the matter of selling melons and did not notice that the decor of the building had changed significantly since his last visit. At that moment, he heard Zhou Yazhen mention that the head chef of the building had also changed, so he approached Guo Baolin and asked, "When was the restaurant renovated?"

Aunt Guo, just call me Xiaonan

A mouse was squatting on the steps under the door of the south hall in the waiting room, smoking a cigarette and trying hard to blow out thin smoke rings. Two young men, dressed in sleeveless vests and with blue tattoos on their shoulders, were squatting on the first step of the cement platform behind him, enjoying the cool air that poured out from the main entrance. Upon seeing Lin Quan riding over, the mouse stood up, wanting to greet him, but felt that it would lower his own status.

Guo Dequan wore a smile on his face, yet his brows would unconsciously furrow together. When he became aware of this, he would once again reveal a deep smile to dispel the worries in his heart

Lin Quan understood why Guo Dequan had the heart to change a store name that had been in use for nearly ten years. Geng Yimin was promoted to become the local official of Jing'an, and Zhao Zeng, who had followed Geng Yimin for ten years, also rose in status, transforming into the Deputy Secretary-General of the Municipal Committee. Through Zhao Zeng's connections, as long as the restaurant became a designated consumption venue for a certain bureau, it could bring Guo Delin profits several times greater than before. Whether Zhao Zeng could be of assistance was uncertain, and Guo Dequan's influence was evidently insufficient; he still hoped for the relationship between the Lin family and Zhao Zeng to come into play. Through Zhao Zeng's connections, as long as the restaurant became a designated consumption venue for a certain bureau, it could bring Guo Delin profits several times greater than before. Whether Zhao Zeng could be of assistance was uncertain, and Guo Dequan's influence was evidently insufficient; he still hoped for the relationship between the Lin family and Zhao Zeng to come into play

At this moment, Lin Quan still could not recall the name of the mouse, nor could he remember any connection he had with it. After exchanging a few insincere remarks, he rode off to the stronghold with Fang Nan

Lin Quan reflected on his relationship with Guo Baolin. Although he felt somewhat used by Guo Dequan, he could not remain indifferent to the matters concerning the restaurant: "What name should the restaurant change to?"

Guo Dequan stood at the stairway and gently cleared his throat. Lin Quan looked up and saw the angry expression on his face, perhaps to prevent Guo Baolin from saying something unpleasant. Suddenly, Lin Quan remembered that from his position, he might be able to see more from Fang Nan's collar.

Zhou Yazhen smiled and said, "The three of you are good-looking, but your personalities are cold, making it rare for you to have connections with girls. You can call me the same as the three of you, but what should I call you?"

This year, the small fourth floor, along with the annex to the north and the courtyard at the back, has all been renamed Guo. The old man has changed his timid and apprehensive demeanor, stating that he wants to elevate the eight large bowls by two levels. Last month, you insisted on staying at school and refused to accompany me back to Jinghai; it was during that time that the renovations took place

"How could he have such thoughts?" Guo Dequan said dismissively, though he could not hide his joy. There is an old saying in Jinghai: praising someone else's wife often raises suspicion, while praising someone else's son rarely prompts immediate denial

Fang Nan sold over 300 yuan worth of melons in the morning. The mouse was well aware of this, but he only received a 10% commission, which he also had to share with the melon seller. His face showed signs of difficulty, and he hesitated to agree. Lin Quan was planning to demand a 20% share, but before that, he mentioned the cost of purchasing the melons. His family also needed to arrange for two people, and all the sellers had to wear a uniform outfit. In the end, he was left with less profit than the mouse: "Our batch of Hami melons is sourced from restaurants, and it's cheaper than the wholesale price at Yushuang Road market. Guo Zi gets a larger share; why don't you go talk to him?"

Guo Dequan has purchased the entire establishment, so the restaurant no longer has to pay rent. No wonder Guo Dequan has become bolder and wants to open a high-end restaurant. However, the original offerings were too common and no longer suited the new style and standards. Lin Quan tilted his head and asked Guo Yazhen, "Should the restaurant change its name?"

Guo Baolin's wide-open eyes sent a chill down one's spine, and Lin Quan quickly explained: "There must be someone flexible and adaptable; wherever there is a shortage of manpower, I will support that area."

Aunt Guo, this is my sister whom Guo Zi just got to know, and we are currently discussing matters related to the summer practice

No need, have you ever seen someone pulling off a trick with empty hands? This is a no-cost business, just enough for us to stir things up for these two months. For now, let's find four people to guard the station square, and we will assess the situation in other areas in a couple of days.

The mouse, realizing it could not escape, braced itself and stepped down the stairs.

Fang Nan felt somewhat guilty, slightly bending her body, and she did not dare to sit down firmly. She nodded towards Zhou Yazhen, thinking of calling her "Aunt" like Lin Quan, but she just could not bring herself to say it.

Lin Quan understood his father Lin Mingda's temperament; he would never ask anyone for favors in such matters. His hand holding the chopsticks paused over the plate, and he remained silent

Fang Nan, feeling excited, leaned over and asked, "So what should I do?"

I will find a way for this. You need to take care of all the rotten melons at the fruit and vegetable wholesale market, and also to get so many sets of clothes from the restaurant all at once. Is there no problem on your end?

Guo Baolin does not like to hear his mother say this, as he randomly taps a pair of chopsticks made of aluminum foil against the cup and plate; Fang Nan, following Zhou Yazhen's tone, calls out to her, which makes Guo Baolin even more displeased. Lin Quan glances elsewhere, completely disregarding his feelings.

As they turned into the cement path at the entrance of the courtyard, Fang Nan could not help but quietly ask, "Those melons picked up from www.hetushu.com, didn't cost much, did they?"

At that time, Lin Quan did not think too much. After having lunch, he rode his bike towards the bus station square, with Fang Nan sitting on the rear rack, holding onto the back of his shirt. It was only when they were almost at the bus station square that he realized this would make Lin Quan uncomfortable, yet he did not change to hold his waist; instead, he reached out to grab the support under the bike seat.

Guo Baolin enjoys opposing his family in various matters, which highlights Lin Quan's cleverness and understanding. Zhou Yazhen is even closer to him than to her own son, sitting down beside him: "Xiao San, the building has just changed its head chef, and you haven't come to try the food yet. Let me prepare a few dishes for you to taste." As she spoke, her gaze did not leave Fang Nan.

It is said that it is strange; doing something wrong seems to bring people closer together. Upon arriving at the place, Fang Nan appeared composed, no longer exhibiting the restraint of the morning, as if he and Lin Quan had not just met yesterday.

The mouse's expression changed slightly, and Lin Quan was also unaware of how Guo Baolin dealt with Huang Mao and Parrot Head in the morning, which left the mouse feeling uneasy. After some thought, the mouse said: "I brought this person to you, and based on our friendship, I cannot take this money; it all has to go to the melon seller"

There is not much to say, the school stipulates that summer social practice must last for twenty days. Guo Zi told me that since we have free time, we might as well find something to do, pass the time, and earn a little pocket money.

Lin Quan glanced out the window at the shimmering water of the moat and the gently swaying willows, and the name "Xiushui Pavilion" indeed complements the building and the water. However, the sudden change of the restaurant's name and its operational style has a significant impact on the establishment. At noon, the number of diners at the restaurant is far fewer than before, indicating that the change in style has caused the restaurant to lose its original patrons without attracting new ones. The transformation has turned it into a relatively unknown establishment, making it quite difficult to become a designated dining venue for certain departments or even the municipal committee.

Finding people for this matter must be handled by the mouse. Women who sell fake train tickets, yellow documents, and phone magnetic cards, as well as those who solicit passengers for small inns at https://m.hetushu.com, swim among the crowd in the station square. They all have to act according to the mouse's wishes. Lin Quan asked the mouse to find a few such individuals, who should have decent appearances and at least look clean and tidy. The price of a cantaloupe is 1 yuan each, and for each piece sold, they receive a commission of 0.1 yuan. Lin Quan does not concern himself with how much others are paid. However, to prevent them from hiding and pocketing the money from selling melons, their identification cards must be collected first. Lin Quan asked the mouse to find a few such individuals, who should have decent appearances and at least look clean and tidy. The price of a cantaloupe is 1 yuan each, and for each piece sold, they receive a commission of 0.1 yuan. Lin Quan does not concern himself with how much others are paid. However, to prevent them from hiding and pocketing the money from selling melons, their identification cards must be collected first

Lin Quan stepped onto the stairs with one foot, stabilizing the balance of the vehicle, while Fang Nan had already jumped down and stood to his left

What are you talking about

Guo Baolin shrank back slightly, as if fearing that Lin Quan would assign him to sell melons

Xiushuig Pavilion

Isn't it necessary to pay the salary in advance? Otherwise, how can people trust us

"I have this idea, but the name 'Eight Big Bowls' has been used for nearly ten years. It's not easy to just change it on a whim, and I still have some reservations." Guo Dequan walked down the stairs and sat across from Fang Nan. He waved to Yi Ping, the cashier standing behind the counter, and quietly instructed her to relay a message to the chef in the back. Turning back to me, he said, "The procedures on the business side have already been completed. We are currently in a trial operation, and we will officially change the sign at the end of the month. I posted something at the municipal committee, but can we ask Secretary Zhao to visit us a few more times before then?"

Lin Quan glanced at her, feeling somewhat reluctant. However, it would be even more difficult for him to let her spend the whole day doing tasks like peeling and cutting. "If the cantaloupe is slightly rotten, it must be discarded. During this season, there are no fewer than sixteen or seventeen stalls selling cantaloupe in the wholesale market, and it is not a problem to recover two to three hundred rotten melons every day. The tasks of peeling and cutting really cannot be entrusted to outsiders. Once prepared, it also needs to be delivered to the station, and this must be done by you and Guo Zi."

Lin Quan raised his head, and Guo Baolin's mother was standing behind him, her hand about to rest on his shoulder. Zhou Yazhen's face was lined with many fine wrinkles, yet this could not conceal the fact that she had once been as beautiful as a flower. Her hand pressed on Lin Quan's shoulder, while her eyes and the book were assessing Fang Nan. Guo Yazhen was afraid of crowds; when there were too many people, the noise would give her a headache. Although the restaurant was busy at noon, she generally would not come to the front. She had come out now, probably because someone had spat in the back.

Fang Nan was wearing a light blue uniform specially designed for female staff at the Ba Da Wan Restaurant. Sitting down, her graceful figure was not easily discernible. Her shoulder-length hair fell smoothly, and at that moment, she did not exhibit the fatigue and haggardness from when she had just disembarked from the train yesterday. Her exquisite face was as smooth as jade, with her brows and eyes resembling the moon, radiating a captivating brilliance. Anyone who saw her with us would be unable to resist the urge to approach Zhou Yazhen and gossip.

Fang Nan did not withdraw her hand, half-pulling the garment with her palm pressed against Lin Quan's back. On this hot day, even through the thin cotton shirt, she felt that her hand was icy: "Just with the way you were trying to bluff earlier, I almost believed you. Now I understand how you manage to get something for nothing, giving someone a dime while pocketing nine dimes for yourself."

At the train station, there are four passages. Between the two bus transfer stations, there is also a constant flow of people. Although the passenger traffic at the long-distance bus station cannot compare to that of the train station, it is still the largest long-distance bus station in Jiangbei. I actually hope that Sister Fang Nan can occupy all these places by herself

Guo Baolin stood there with his neck stuck out, pondering for a while but unable to figure out what idea Lin Quan was concocting. There were only four waitstaff in the restaurant, and to bring out eight or nine sets of uniforms, they would have to strip the ones off the waitstaff. However, Guo Baolin, excited by the prospect of pulling off a scheme without any investment, ambiguously agreed.

Guo Dequan knew that Lin Quan was young, yet he completely lacked the frivolity characteristic of his own son. Seeing the serious expression on his face, he realized that Lin had understood his meaning, and quickly changed the subject: "Let's talk about your summer practice."

Where is it a waste? It took me quite a bit of thought. Did I not also involve the three of us?

Once the total number of people is found, it will no longer concern you

In places with a high flow of people, I took a general look. I still need to go around in the afternoon to confirm, but it seems that about eight or nine people will be needed