Chapter 83: Everyone Praises the Delicacies of Bai Lingzi

“Did you see that? Even the foreigner loves the food from this place.”
“Of course I saw it, I’m not blind. He looked utterly enchanted while eating just now.”
“Although Kunlun’s food is a bit pricier, it’s worth every penny. They use genuine ingredients, the chef’s skills are superb—even the foreigner couldn’t stop praising it.”

As Smith left carrying his takeaway, the crowd queueing outside began whispering among themselves, their conversations abuzz with speculation.

Soon, “Even the foreigner says it’s good” became the new catchphrase for the touts, giving them fresh ammunition to draw in customers.

And it was true—some diners, not knowing the full story, echoed the sentiment, adding to the buzz. This wave brought in a new batch of patrons, but the real impact was felt on the third day.

During these times, the common people harbored a sense of pride, eager to prove that their nation was second to none—especially in the realm of food, a field where their heritage excelled.

So when word spread that “even the foreigner says it’s good,” business at the shop exploded on the third day. Everyone wanted a taste of the food that even the foreigner had praised.

This surge kept Chen Huajiang and his entire staff both exhausted and elated, busy to the point where even Lin Laogen and Black Tiger had to pitch in to serve customers.

By closing time, everyone was completely spent.

Chen Huajiang handed each tout a five-yuan red envelope as their wage, and ten yuan each to the waiters and chefs—a generous gesture by any measure.

This display of sincerity and generosity lifted everyone’s spirits, sweeping away the fatigue of the long day.

But once the doors were shut, Black Tiger and the others could barely keep themselves upright.

“Damn, I’m absolutely wiped out. My hands are so sore, I can barely hold a cigarette without bowing my head,” Black Tiger grumbled as he smoked.

“Used to wish for good business, but today I found myself hoping for less,” Da Guang sighed from the side. He’d helped out all day, probably doing more work than Zhang Hong and Wang Cuihua combined.

Being brothers, Da Guang naturally had to support Chen Huajiang.

Er Mao and the others nodded in agreement, cigarettes dangling from their mouths, the shop filling with a haze of smoke.

It wasn’t ideal—it would leave a smell in the shop—but Chen Huajiang was too tired to care. Unlike the others, who could rest, he still had to tally up the day’s earnings and balance the books.

On one side, the air was thick with smoke; on the other, the abacus clattered busily.

Only when Chen Huajiang finally stopped calculating did everyone turn to look at him.

“Well? How much did we make today?”

“Business was booming, so many people bought membership cards! Must’ve been even better than yesterday, right?”

“Come on, Chen Huajiang, don’t keep us in suspense. Give us the real number,” they urged, their excitement barely contained.

Even Lin Laogen paused with his smoking pipe, watching Chen Huajiang with anticipation.

On the first day, they’d made two thousand eight hundred yuan. Yesterday, it was three thousand six hundred. And today, even more customers had come, and more membership cards had been sold.

Everyone expected that the revenue would be much higher.

Chen Huajiang raised his right hand, indicating a six, then a five.

“Six thousand five?!”

“My god, no wonder we’re so exhausted! We actually made that much?”

“I never would have believed it before—a single day’s takings, six thousand five hundred! Even if those membership cards cover future meals, that’s still a staggering amount.”

Excitement swept through the group as Chen Huajiang gestured the figures, shocked exclamations echoing through the room.

Even Black Tiger slapped the table in excitement, his face flushed with exhilaration.

He’d never imagined a restaurant could be so profitable—so wildly lucrative.

Six thousand five hundred in one day!

Old Lin’s smoking pipe slipped from his hands, and he bent down with trembling fingers to pick it up.

Six thousand five, one day’s revenue of six thousand five hundred.

In the past, he would have thought such numbers pure fantasy, utterly unbelievable.

Could money really be made this easily? It seemed impossible.

But working here for three days, he’d witnessed everything with his own eyes. Whether or not he wanted to believe it, he had no choice.

“All right, calm down, all of you.”

“We made it clear last time—this isn’t just today’s income. It includes payments for future meals. We’re not running a scam; it’s not like we’ll vanish overnight.”

Chen Huajiang smiled. Now, with over ten thousand yuan in cash flow, he felt confident—truly on top of the world.

And all this was earned in just three days. Though there would be ongoing costs, as a former tycoon who’d once dominated the business world, he knew that abundant cash flow meant endless opportunities.

As long as the capital chain held, he could keep rolling the snowball.

“What if we did run?” Black Tiger suddenly asked, stroking his chin. “Or, say, we open a shop for a month, sell a load of membership cards, then close up and disappear?”

His words instantly froze the jovial atmosphere, everyone turning to Black Tiger in disbelief.

They’d never considered that possibility.

No wonder Black Tiger had been a shrewd operator in his past life—his mind always turned quickly.

“And where would you go? You think you could outrun the authorities?” Chen Huajiang replied coolly. “With this amount of money, it’d be classified as a major case—they’d hunt you to the ends of the earth.”

“Business is built on trust and reputation. If you ever want to grow bigger and stronger, don’t even think about such schemes. Otherwise, you might make money—but you won’t live long enough to spend it.”

He fixed Black Tiger with a stern, serious gaze, genuinely worried that he might try something reckless.

“Haha, Brother Chen, you’re overthinking it. I was just joking. I want to make money to enjoy life, not to risk it,” Black Tiger said quickly, waving his hand in embarrassment.

The tension in the room eased, and the lively atmosphere returned.

Time passed day by day, and after reaching a climax on the third day, Kunlun’s business gradually stabilized.

A week later, Chen Huajiang signed a one-year lease contract with Niu Quan, handing over three thousand six hundred yuan, along with a membership card as a token of appreciation.

Chen Huajiang had drafted the contract according to modern standards—thirteen pages detailing every obligation and right.

He made sure to include Nantian Restaurant under the contract’s scope, stipulating that if Nantian Hotel reclaimed the restaurant’s brand, they would owe him triple compensation for any investments made in that name.

“It’s just a small token of appreciation—there’s two hundred yuan credit inside. Manager Niu, I hope you’ll continue to support our business.”

“Our membership cards can be topped up or withdrawn at any time.”

After signing, Chen Huajiang handed the card to Niu Quan.

At first, Niu Quan looked dissatisfied, but on hearing the last part, he brightened and accepted the card with a flick of his hand.

“Boss Chen, you’re a capable man. Making Nantian Restaurant so vibrant and full of guests benefits Nantian Hotel as well.”

“I agree with what you said before—this is a win-win business for both sides.”

Niu Quan shook hands with Chen Huajiang, smiling broadly.

Still, in his heart, he thought Chen Huajiang was being unnecessarily complicated. If he wanted to offer a benefit, why not just give cash? Why add another step?

What he didn’t know was that Chen Huajiang was hedging his bets—these days, even giving supermarket membership cards was commonplace.

Between companies, supermarkets, and enterprises, such exchanges were everywhere.

Even if this ever came to light, it wouldn’t harm Chen Huajiang in the least.