Feiyang Chain Internet Cafe (Bonus Chapter 19)

Emerging from the alley with a staggering 500,000 yuan in my pocket, I had never felt so wealthy since entering <Star Abyss>. Unconsciously, I had a feeling of "riding the crest of success," and the way I looked at people changed.

After hailing a taxi, he headed straight for the address Lu Xiaobei had sent.

It was rush hour, and the car wasn't moving fast. It took almost half an hour to finally reach our destination, and in the distance, a university came into view.

Huaining University is said to be the best institution of higher learning in Huaining City.

Right next to Huaining University, there is a building with a sign that reads "Sister Yu's Old Hot Pot". Next to it is a brightly lit foot massage parlor called Dream Paris. On the wall under the Hot Pot Restaurant's sign, there is a large sign that reads "For Rent". Judging from the storefront downstairs, the Hot Pot Restaurant has also closed down.

I frowned. Had Lu Xiaobei made a mistake?

After getting off the bus, I stood outside the now-closed Hot Pot Restaurant, completely bewildered.

"Ding Han!"

Just then, Milo's voice came from behind him. He actually pushed open the door of the Hot Pot Restaurant and said with a smile, "Come in?"

"Ah?"

I stepped inside and immediately smelled a sour, rotten odor. This Hot Pot Restaurant hadn't been open for so long; it was practically stinking inside.

"Ding Han!"

At that moment, another man appeared.

He was dressed in a suit and tie, and his hair was slicked back and shiny, so I almost didn't recognize him at first glance.

"Old... Old K?!"

A few seconds later, I was dumbfounded. It was Old K?!

At this time, I can no longer associate him with the decadent young man in Feiyang Internet Cafe who stayed up late every day to hack legends and was neither human nor ghost.

"Haha, isn't that me? Long time no see!"

Old K strode forward and hugged me.

"No."

I was still in a daze. "Old K, I remember you didn't look like this before?"

"You fucking know how to talk..."

Old K looked speechless, then turned to Lu Xiaobei: "Xiao Bei, you're the boss, say something to him!"

Today, Lu Xiaobei's outfit was also a pleasant surprise. Unlike her previous casual and relaxed attire, she was wearing a more business-like women's suit, making her look much more capable.

"What on earth is going on?"

I was a little dazed. "Xiao Bei, why are you dressed like that? Are you sick?"

"I'm sick, my foot!"

Lu Xiaobei glared at me and said, "I've always been like this in BH City."

"..."

I remained completely bewildered.

"Ding Han, let's stop with the useless talk and take a look at the layout of this Hot Pot Restaurant together."

Old K said, "Let's go."

"Oh..."

I walked side by side with Lu Xiaobei, while Milo and Old K walked ahead.

"This Hot Pot Restaurant was poorly managed and closed down a month ago. The owner is heavily in debt and is preparing to run away. He originally planned to turn the three-story building into a hot pot city, but unfortunately, he mismanaged it. He thought that the business would thrive because of Huaining University, but unexpectedly, the business failed."

Old K said, "The Hot Pot Restaurant has three floors. The first floor is larger, while the second and third floors are smaller. The floors are open and airy, with the staircase in the middle. The space can definitely be designed as a large internet cafe. The question is how much investment is needed."

"Open an internet cafe?"

I frowned.

"Um."

Lu Xiaobei said, "I called you here today so you could do an on-site inspection and see if this place is suitable for conversion into an internet cafe. I plan to invest with Old K to transform this place into a large internet cafe with no less than 300 machines, as our Feiyang Chain Internet Cafe's Flagship Store in Huaining City."

"..."

I was completely confused by what they were saying.

"Ding Han, you really don't pay any attention to Xiao Bei's movements at all!?"

Milo glared at me with exasperation. "Do you know what Xiao Bei has been busy with these past few months since he left Creek City?"

"What are you busy with?"

I was surprised.

"Well..."

Milo pointed to Lu Xiaobei beside him and said, "Standing in front of you now is the owner of Feiyang Chain Internet Cafe industry. In the past few months, Feiyang Chain Internet Cafe has invested heavily in building a Flagship Store in Beihai, Jiangning, and Donghai, and business is booming. This store in Huaining City will be the fourth one."

"..."

I stared at Lu Xiaobei, dumbfounded.

"Didn't expect that, did you?"

Lu Xiaobei opened her bag, took out a book, and waved it at me.

The book cover featured a stunningly beautiful woman, and the title looked very familiar.

My 23-Year-Old Beautiful Boss!

Good heavens, this book was published in simplified Chinese so quickly, but even I, the author, haven't received a sample copy. How did Lu Xiaobei manage to get one ahead of time?!

She smiled and said, "See? On the third day after leaving Creek City, I went to the BH City Administration for Industry and Commerce to register the Feiyang Chain Internet Cafe trademark. The entire operation and expansion strategy of the chain internet cafe was learned from this book. The business of the first three Flagship Store is particularly good, you could say they're booming. You didn't expect that, did you?"

It's actually a copy of the formula from my book.

In the book "My 23-Year-Old Beautiful Boss", Ding Han did indeed design the development ideas and business strategies of Feiyang Chain Internet Cafe for the female protagonist Lu Xiaobei. Unexpectedly, Lu Xiaobei actually took it seriously and copied it into reality.

"So..."

I frowned. "Your running away from home was a lie, wasn't it?"

"Ah?"

Lu Xiaobei looked guilty. "Not really... I did run away from home, but I took tens of millions of Old Lu's investment to open an internet cafe. Do I need to explain something like that to you?"

And what about you?

I pointed at Milo's nose. "You bastard, I treated you like a brother, and you colluded with Lu Xiaobei to lie to me, saying you were pregnant and that the child was mine or something. Do you admit it or not?"

"Damn it..."

Milo rubbed his nose. "This really isn't my fault. It was Xiao Bei's idea. She said what you did in Creek City wasn't righteous enough, and this is your punishment."

"Lu Xiaobei!"

I turned to the culprit. "And what about you? You said we'd already slept together. Would a girl joke about her reputation like that?"

"This is no joke..."

Lu Xiaobei blinked. "We really did sleep together, it's just a pity I didn't get pregnant, it's all your fault, you useless guy."

"Ha?!"

Old K looked completely bewildered. "This plot... you guys didn't tell me about it before? Ding Han, Xiao Bei, you two... what's wrong with you two?"

"Don't worry about it."

Lu Xiaobei's eyes were a little red as he said, "Ding Han, do you still remember the slap Old Lu gave me? He called me shameless and said I had no self-respect. He's already said all those things. If I don't make that thing a reality, wouldn't all his insults have been for nothing?"

"You..."

I stared at her, dumbfounded, then pointed at her head. "Lu Xiaobei, is your brain filled with shit?!"

"You're all I can think about!"

Lu Xiaobei suddenly shouted something with red eyes.

"..."

Milo and I both fell silent.

"That..."

After a while, Old K finally smoothed things over, saying, "I'm a bit confused. Weren't we supposed to be inspecting the site today? Are we still going to rent it or not? Is this Feiyang Internet Cafe's Huaining Flagship Store going ahead with it?"

"What else would I have come all this way for?"

Lu Xiaobei glared at me angrily. "Is it all for getting yelled at by this bastard?"

Milo quickly pressed me down. "Don't be angry, don't be angry. We finally got together, can't we have a good chat? Xiao Bei, you too, don't provoke him anymore. Ding Han is so stubborn, don't upset him..."

"Oh!"

Lu Xiaobei stepped forward and took my hand. "Okay, don't be angry. How about I treat you to dinner later?"

"Come on."

I pulled my hand away and said, "I've looked at the site. It's alright. The location is good, backing onto Huaining University. Students can walk there in just a few steps. There are already three or four internet cafes of moderate competitiveness around here, and there are restaurants across the street. The overall atmosphere meets the key elements for opening an internet cafe. Opening it shouldn't be a problem. The problem is how much investment is needed."

"No rush, let's talk about it at the restaurant."

"OK."

Across the street, in a private room at the restaurant.

Old K ordered a table full of dishes and said with a smile, "Eat as much as you like, this meal is on me."

"That's not right..."

I looked at him and said, "Old K, I remember you weren't well-off before, but this time when we meet, you seem like you've been kept by a rich woman. Your whole demeanor has changed."

"Damn it..."

Old K was speechless and said, "I originally wanted to hide my identity, but now that you've put it that way, I really don't want to anymore. Let's just say this: although my family's financial situation can't compare to Xiao Bei's, getting a few hundred investments is definitely not a problem. I just had a falling out with my father before because I was neglecting my work. This time, there was a local war in Creek City, so I was brought back to Huaining City to settle down."

"So you're planning to take over my business?" I wondered, guessing how the story would end.

"No."

Old K said, "I plan to invest in opening this Flagship Store with Xiao Bei, and then continue playing Legend of Mir every day in the internet cafe, living a life of debauchery."

"Awesome..."

I gave him a thumbs up. I admire people like him the most—so magnanimous! Screw you! You can't even scratch that surface. I'll be lying down before you even try!

"So, how much do you plan to invest in this Flagship Store?" I asked.

Around six million.

Lu Xiaobei said, "I've done the detailed calculations. The renovation, purchasing equipment, obtaining the business license, plus the internal catering, etc., all added up, will cost about 6 million."

"Um."

Old K said, "I plan to invest 2.5 million. Xiao Bei, the rest is up to you. I can't take too much, or the old man will show his teeth."

"I'll offer 3 million."

Lu Xiaobei looked at me and said, "Ding Han, I can't stay in Huaining City to oversee this Flagship Store, so we need an operations manager to stay here. I've already talked to Old K, and we plan to have you in charge of the store's operations. I'll provide an additional 500,000 RMB as your investment in the store, and convert it into a 10% share. All you need to do is nod your head."

"..."

I was dumbfounded.

Milo said, "What are you waiting for? Xiao Bei is giving you, her, and Old K another chance to work together. How many times in life do you get such an opportunity? Or are you hesitating because you're not interested in this chain of internet cafes?"

"No."

I shook my head. Deep down, I knew very well that Lu Xiaobei was using her money to try and get me a 10% stake. If I actually got those shares, I would owe her far too much.

Finally, I said softly, "Xiao Bei, Old K, I'll cover the 500,000 myself. That way, I'll feel more at ease taking the 10% stake."

Coincidentally, I have 500,000 in my Dimensional Storage Space today, a rare day when I have savings, and Lu Xiaobei and Old K just happened to run into me!