As Fugui spoke, he shook his head helplessly. "Back then, I thought, if I had power, who would dare treat me like this!"
"So I took my travel money and went to find a master and learn his arts, all so I could pass the entrance examination for the Demon-Quelling Office!"
"Once I have the authority of the Demon-Quelling Office backing me, let's see who dares eat at my place without paying, or demand a stake without putting up any money!"
"In this world, the greatest sin is having neither power nor influence!"
Shen Lang nodded thoughtfully. "But Brother Fugui, when that powerful figure wanted a stake in your restaurant, even if he refused to pay, wouldn't cooperating with him mean no one would dare provoke your family's restaurant afterward? Wasn't that another path? Why refuse?"
"Because he wanted fifty percent of the revenue, not fifty percent of the profits!"
Fugui shook his head and said helplessly, "Running a restaurant costs more than just the food. There are wages, lamp oil, losses, and so on. All of those cost money."
"If he took fifty percent of the profits, I might have been able to scrape by. But he wanted fifty percent of the revenue! That would have turned my business into a money-losing venture!"
"The better the business, the more I'd lose!"
"So that's why!"
Only then did everyone understand the difficulties Fugui had faced.
After finishing his story, Fugui turned to the two of them and asked, "What about you, Shen Lang? I won't ask Brother Ye. You must be a disciple of a secluded sect out gaining experience. After all, neither your abilities nor your knowledge are anything an ordinary person could match."
"There's not much to tell about me." Shen Lang waved a hand. "I'm just a