Food: Selling Boxed Meals at a Construction Site

Xu An didn’t haggle with the landlord next door. After hearing the price, he turned around and walked back into his restaurant without the slightest hesitation.

’This guy clearly thinks I’m a fat sheep ready for the slaughter. What’s there to even talk about!’

The only reasons he’d been interested in that shop were its proximity and the fact that he wouldn’t need a new business license—he would only have to update the shop’s information with the commerce department.

Three thousand a month, with a three-month deposit and three months’ rent upfront. Forget the fact that Xu An couldn’t afford that right now; even if he could, he wasn’t about to be such a sucker.

For that rent, if he just added another eight hundred to a thousand, he could lease a decent spot near the Hai City Library.

Seeing Xu An walk away without even making a counteroffer, the landlord next door was instantly filled with rage. He got on his electric scooter and rode off, cursing under his breath.

"What a punk. Barely a kid and already out here doing business before he’s even learned how to act. Your business is booming every day, you’re making so much money, so what’s wrong with letting me earn a little extra! With an attitude like that, your business won’t last. Sooner or later, you’ll end up just like my last tenant—bankrupt and back in your hometown farming sweet potatoes! Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant? What a piece of crap! Ptooey!"

The electric scooter wasn’t moving very fast, and his curses were quite loud. Jin Wu, sitting inside the Delicious Restaurant, didn’t hear the first part because it was too far away, but he heard the latter half perfectly.

’What did that guy just say?’

’Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant? Tenant? Going home to farm sweet potatoes?’

’Could it be that Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant couldn’t hold on either? That they’re losing money, breaking their lease, and going home to farm sweet potatoes?’

At this thought, Jin Wu grew excited.

’So this is all Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant amounts to—the very business his father held up as the one to surpass!’

’Now that even the most successful place, Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant, is going under, it’s perfectly normal that my own restaurant is failing, right?’

As if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, Jin Wu quickly made a decision.

’Forget applying for a business license. I’ll just transfer the lease, pack my bags, and head back to the village!’

There were no customers left in this area anyway. Staying open would just be a bottomless pit that devoured money.

’Dad will surely understand my decision!’

Jin Wu rushed to a stationery store, bought a large sheet of white paper, tape, and a marker. In big, bold letters, he wrote: "Prime Location for Rent. Contact Mr. Jin, Phone: 137-xxxx-xxxx..."

He turned, left his restaurant, locked the roll-up door, and taped the "For Rent" notice to it.

Done!

Then, Jin Wu hopped on his little electric scooter and made a special detour to the front of Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant to take a look. The place was empty except for Xu An. Then he saw the "For Rent" notice on the door of the shop next door, which made him even more certain of his conclusion.

’Without the workers, the biggest group of customers, none of the restaurants around here can survive.’

Xu An sat in his restaurant, wondering if he should really go lease a storefront in Hai City.

’But I’d have to get a new business license, pay over four thousand a month in rent, and hire more staff. All told, it’s not a small expense!’

While he was deep in thought, he caught sight of an electric scooter stopping in front of his restaurant. He initially thought the landlord from next door had come back, but when he looked up, he saw a younger version of Jin Dayong.

’Shouldn’t that guy still be locked up in a cell? How’d he get out? Is he here to cause trouble?’

He focused his attention and took a closer look, only to realize it wasn’t Jin Dayong. Though they looked very similar, this person was clearly much younger.

’I think I remember Liang Dani saying that Delicious Restaurant was a father-son business. Could this be Jin Dayong’s son?’

Jin Wu only stopped at the entrance for a moment before driving off. He didn’t linger, leaving Xu An with a head full of questions.

’He came all the way over here just to look at me?’

Then a possibility occurred to Xu An. ’Could it be that Delicious Restaurant is about to get its business license, and he’s here to prepare for reopening?’

Driven by curiosity, Xu An walked out of his restaurant, rounded the big corner, and went to the front of Delicious Restaurant. A "Prime Location for Rent" notice was taped to the closed door.

Xu An raised an eyebrow. ’So he’s not planning to reopen, he’s just quitting entirely!’

After reading it, Xu An turned to leave, but in the next second, he froze. He slowly turned his head back to look at the four large words: "Prime Location for Rent."

It was true that the front doors of Xu’s Fast Food Restaurant and Delicious Restaurant were over a hundred meters apart, but the distance between their back doors was no more than fifty-something meters. It wasn’t far, but it wasn’t close either. Still, it was within an acceptable range!

’The shop next door is a lost cause, and renting a place near the Hai City Library is too expensive. But this Delicious Restaurant... that’s worth considering!’

’Why not give it a shot?’

Xu An swiftly pulled out his phone and dialed the number on the "For Rent" sign. The call connected almost immediately.

"Hello, who is this?!" Jin Wu’s impatient voice, accompanied by the sound of wind, reached Xu An’s ears.

"I saw the ’For Rent’ sign on your restaurant and wanted to ask about the terms of the lease transfer."

SCREEECH—

The sound of a sudden brake screeching came through the phone. The wind noise on the other end vanished, leaving only Jin Wu’s voice.

"I’ll transfer it at the original price, no extra fees whatsoever." Jin Wu’s tone was ecstatic. "Boss, what kind of business are you planning to do after you lease the place? If it’s food service, I can sell you some of the equipment in the shop for cheap."

"Oh? What kind of equipment do you have?"

"A super-capacity twenty-four-tray rice steamer, a double-pot noodle cooker, four high-power stoves, and some other miscellaneous stuff." Jin Wu thought for a moment, then continued, "Don’t worry about the small stuff, you can have it for free. For the main equipment, I’ll let it go for seventy percent of the original price. Is that acceptable?"

With every piece of equipment Jin Wu listed, Xu An clicked his tongue internally. ’Jin Dayong really is extravagant. All this equipment is top-of-the-line.’ But a price had to be haggled down, no matter what.

"Boss Jin, seventy percent is a bit high, don’t you think? You wouldn’t get much for this equipment on the second-hand market."

"Are you serious about renting or not? If you are, I’ll give it to you for sixty percent. This equipment is all brand new, not second-hand junk."

"Let’s say forty percent. It was new when you bought it, but it’s been used. Selling it now makes it second-hand."

The other end of the line went silent. Only heavy breathing could be heard. After a long pause, a voice finally came through: "Fifty percent. If that works for you, I’ll head to the shop right now to handle the handover."

"Deal!"

Jin Wu had only been gone for a short while, returning to the front of Delicious Restaurant in less than five minutes. As he parked his scooter, he asked, "Are you the one who just called... Boss Xu? What are you doing here?"

"I’m the one who just called." Xu An stood up and gave Jin Wu a perfect smile, showing all eight teeth.

...

Silence. Silence was the Kang Bridge of the evening.

He had just been thrilled that someone was taking over the lease so quickly, never imagining it would be someone who was practically an enemy...

Jin Wu desperately wanted to turn and leave, but he also genuinely wanted to get rid of the burden that was Delicious Restaurant as soon as possible.

He gnashed his yellowed teeth, finally shut his eyes, steeled himself, and pulled a key from his pocket. He unlocked the roll-up door of Delicious Restaurant. "Come in and we’ll talk."

How should one put it? Jin Wu was far easier to deal with than Jin Dayong.

When the lease for Delicious Restaurant was originally signed, rent for July, August, and September had been paid. After some negotiation from Xu An, he only had to pay the rent for September plus the security deposit. The rent for August was essentially thrown in for free.

Afterward, Xu An went into the kitchen to inspect the equipment. After confirming everything was in good condition and working properly, he worried that delays could bring trouble—that if he waited until tomorrow, Jin Wu might change his mind. He quickly called Xu Heping.

"Heping, how much money do you have on you?"

"..." Xu Heping was still in a cold war with Xu An and didn’t feel like talking to him.

"I’ve found a shop I want to rent, but I’m short about six thousand..."

"A shop?" Xu Heping finally spoke. "What shop? Where is it?"

"Delicious Restaurant."

...

Silence fell on both ends of the line. In the end, it was Xu Heping who spoke first.

"Wait there. I’m on my way."