Chapter 9

Han Mingchen worried that if this continued, Cheng Lang drinking every day for tips would dampen the customers' enthusiasm. After all, people came to places like this to enjoy the thrill of throwing money around. If they found out that White Jade Capital's resident singer only performed two hours a day yet could effortlessly earn ten million or so a month... Han Mingchen feared the customers would feel inferior and leave White Jade Capital, this place of heartbreak, for good.

"We can't fish a pond dry," Han Mingchen explained earnestly, looking at Cheng Lang. "You understand what I mean, right?"

"I understand." Cheng Lang sighed. "Don't flaunt your wealth. We're in the service industry. Even if we earn more than the big spenders, we can't show off in front of them."

Take those contractors at work, for example. Which one of them wasn't loaded? Yet in front of their client-daddies, they still had to act like grandsons. If Daddy said go east, they wouldn't dare go west. If Daddy said chase a dog, they wouldn't dare kill a chicken. Wasn't it all just to make a living?

Hearing how understanding Cheng Lang was, Han Mingchen nodded with a wistful look. "It's best that you understand."

"So, in order to protect the customers' self-esteem, starting tomorrow, don't let them request songs when you're singing, and try not to drink the alcohol they send you either." As Han Mingchen spoke, he felt his request was truly excessive. Why should an employee give up a monthly income of ten million just to accommodate the customers' feelings? That was simply asking too much.

Thinking this, Han Mingchen couldn't help looking at Cheng Lang with a trace of guilt.

Cheng Lang said, "I'll fully cooperate with the company's requirements. I only have one question: what if a customer insists on making me drink?"

It was a bar, after all. Situations like that were unavoidable. Some customers, wanting to show off their status, insisted on making the star performer drink and sing. If the performer refused, they would even keep throwing money around. Sometimes things escalated to the point where security had to step in and clear the place out.

Han Mingchen froze when he heard that.

Cheng Lang looked troubled. "They say the customer is God. White Jade Capital's service philosophy is also to satisfy every customer request as much as possible. So if a customer wants me to drink and sing, I can't exactly say company policy forbids me from drinking or singing, can I?"

Han Mingchen: "..."

Han Mingchen scratched his head. "What you're worried about makes sense too."

Han Mingchen thought it over and felt this matter couldn't be handled with a blanket rule. He needed to find a solution that satisfied both sides—one that protected the customers' self-esteem while also meeting their desire to request songs and send drinks.

"Then keep a lower profile and use your judgment," Han Mingchen said, patting Cheng Lang on the shoulder and shamelessly passing the problem off to his employee. "You're so smart. I believe you can resolve this perfectly."

Cheng Lang smiled. "I'll do my best."

After a pause, Cheng Lang added, "Then this restriction doesn't apply when I'm promoting drinks during my usual shifts, right?"

"What drinks are you promoting?" Han Mingchen did not understand. "Didn't we just agree that you won't proactively ask customers to request songs or send drinks anymore?"

"No, Chen, you meant the two hours when I'm singing onstage." Cheng Lang patiently explained, "Outside those two hours, I still have another three-hour part-time job!"

Han Mingchen froze. He blinked, then suddenly said, "You don't need to come in for those three hours anymore."

Cheng Lang grew anxious. "But—"

"No buts!" Han Mingchen said. "Isn't it just two hundred yuan an hour? I'll cover it."

"This isn't about the money!" Cheng Lang shook his head. He had wanted to meet more people and build connections while working as a server promoting drinks at White Jade Capital. After all, the customers who could afford to spend money at White Jade Capital were either rich or powerful. Cheng Lang felt that when starting a business, more friends meant more paths. Even if he only became a familiar face to them, he might have a chance to speak to them in the future.

Han Mingchen was taken aback. "I didn't expect you to be this ambitious."

Cheng Lang looked at Han Mingchen, suspecting this big brother might not have very good eyesight.

Chapter 9

No matter what, this was White Jade Capital's first time trying to persuade its own employee to fleece the customers less. Han Mingchen was clearly not very practiced at it. Especially with Cheng Lang being so reasonable and fully cooperative, Han Mingchen kept feeling that his employee was getting the short end of the stick. He wondered whether he should make it up to him in some other way.

"How about this?" Han Mingchen pondered for a moment. "If you have any difficulties at work, you can bring them up. The company can see whether we can help solve them."

Cheng Lang did not hesitate. He immediately took the opening. "Nothing at work, but personally..."

Cheng Lang looked at Han Mingchen. "If it's convenient, could I discuss something with our bar's purchasing department?"

Han Mingchen raised a thick brow. He could not understand what Cheng Lang would have to discuss with the purchasing department.

"It's like this." Cheng Lang shamelessly explained, "I opened a milk tea shop across from the school. Chen, you know how bad the market is right now. It's not easy to run a milk tea shop either. If I don't have some standout gimmick, why would I attract those students to spend money at my shop? Isn't one-yuan powdered milk tea tasty enough?"

"This is what I'm thinking. White Jade Capital is the most famous money-burning den in the city. With an average spend of one thousand yuan per person, most students can't afford to come in. But yearning for a higher class of life and higher-quality consumption is an instinct everyone pursues. So could I find a way to let students experience White Jade Capital's atmosphere even without entering White Jade Capital? For White Jade Capital, it could also be a way of cultivating potential customers." As Cheng Lang spoke, he subtly hinted at his request to Han Mingchen. "So I was wondering whether I could discuss it with someone in purchasing. When the purchasing department orders alcohol and beverages, could they also bring in some stock for me?"

Han Mingchen suddenly understood. "You want to sell White Jade Capital's alcohol and beverages at your milk tea shop." And under White Jade Capital's name.

Cheng Lang explained, "Don't worry. I definitely won't tarnish White Jade Capital's class. My milk tea shop is also meant to follow a craftsmanship-focused trend."

What kind of craftsmanship-focused trend could a milk tea shop possibly follow? Han Mingchen chuckled, not particularly concerned with Cheng Lang's words. "Actually, the alcohol and beverages supplied to White Jade Capital are common goods found in five-star hotels and some high-end establishments. There's nothing particularly unique about them. If you source them yourself, distributors won't refuse your order."