Chapter 49: A Restaurant and Influence

Two weeks later

At the outskirts of the village, there was bustling activity as An Ji, holding design drawings, gestured with the foreman.

“Is there anything you don’t understand?” An Ji asked the foreman, who nodded repeatedly.

“No, leave it to my team. We’ll definitely finish building within a month,” the burly foreman assured with a pat on his chest.

During this period, ‘You Jian’ restaurant was thriving, offering nutritious set meals with slim profits, popular main courses, and desserts after meals. Its romantic and warm retro atmosphere was one of the reasons customers flocked, spreading word of mouth and attracting people from surrounding towns in a short time.

Some were curious, some skeptical, and of course, there were also envious individuals.

At that moment, Chen Xin was in the restaurant’s account room discussing seafood with Mrs. Lu and An Xue.

“Master, it takes at least a month for seafood to arrive from the sea to here. By the time it reaches Wuding Town, it may not be fresh anymore,” An Xue, who had matured through these days of training, analyzed from the side, her disguised appearance making it impossible to recognize her original features.

Mrs Lu also nodded in agreement, clearly endorsing An Xue’s analysis.

Ancient transportation was limited to dirt roads and horses, a fact that couldn’t be changed. Chen Xin had no intention of altering the ridiculous concept of female dominance; every world had its own developmental trajectory, whether backward or advanced, and Chen Xin wasn’t one to disrupt the existing order without reason.

“Let’s put this matter on hold for now. Mrs. Lu, who’s causing trouble lately?” Chen Xin had no intention of letting go of the seafood business; she had methods, but it wasn’t time to implement them yet.

“Someone from Fragrant Restaurant sneaked into our ‘You Jian’ restaurant’s kitchen at midnight and poisoned the food. Luckily, I was vigilant and placed several large ‘mousetraps’ in the kitchen and near the well every night,” Mrs Lu said with a chilling expression.

Because Mrs. Lu was always the last one to go to bed at night, she would set mouse traps every night after settling accounts as usual. She also instructed the kitchen staff not to enter the back kitchen after work hours. Anyone who dared to sneak in would face Mrs. Lu’s consequences, while others would have to bear their own consequences.

Chen Xin’s mouth twitched, reminding her of something she had always overlooked.

No matter where business is conducted, in order to survive, one must have a ^[1]“Protective umbrella” is a metaphorical term that refers to a source of protection or support that helps shield someone or something from harm or difficulty. It could be a powerful ally, … Continue readingprotective umbrella for guidance. In modern times, she held sway over both black and white realms, with the Chen family as her background and the title of young master as her authority and sharp weapon. Not to mention her personal strength, no one dared to offend her.

Therefore, now that she lacked a powerful background, she could only create one for herself.

Influence!

It’s imperative to gain influence now!

Seeking protection by flattering officials? She couldn’t do it.

To be honest, there was nothing in this world that Chen Xin wouldn’t do, nothing she wouldn’t dare to do, and nothing she couldn’t accomplish. It just confirmed the saying: “Nothing is difficult in the world if you have the heart to do it.”

“Where are they?” There was a hint of amusement in Chen Xin’s eyes as she casually asked.

“That night, Xiao Xiao and I dragged the person out to the doorstep and left the trap on their foot,” said Mr. Lu solemnly.

Despite her appearance of being old-fashioned and honest, her mind was full of deceit, commonly known as being sly.

Even the usual taciturn An Xue couldn’t help but smile. Fortunately, hatred hadn’t completely engulfed her; she was a rational child.

However, Chen Xin didn’t know that in the world of female dominance, thirteen-year-old An Xue would be considered ready for marriage and childbirth in another year or two.

“Master, more and more customers are requesting to open branches under their names. What do you think?” An Xue’s smile faded as she brought up the main issue.

Mrs Lu also chimed in, “Indeed, boss, ‘You Jian’ restaurant is too popular. The chefs are overwhelmed, and sometimes there aren’t enough seats. Especially on the second floor, even during the day, they like to light lamps and read, especially the men who gather there for discussions. These days, we have to inform you in advance of the banquets. There are even seven banquets waiting in line, all from the Xugu City, hosted by officials and dignitaries.”

Chen Xin tapped the table and looked at the distant mountains outside the window. “You handle the branch opening. Offer generous terms to suitable talents, but they mustn’t be dishonest. Whether they’re shopkeepers or accountants, you decide, with Mrs Lu assisting. This is a great deal of trust I’m placing on you, An Xue, and the Yu family won’t falter.”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

An Xue and Mrs Lu stood up, bowing respectfully to Chen Xin. She was their master (boss), always commanding respect.

“An Xue, I have something else to ask you. Mrs Lu, you may leave for now.”

“Yes.” Mrs Lu exited the room.

Chen Xin turned to An Xue and asked, “Do you know of any assassin organizations in the martial world?”

As the wealthiest family in Yunwen Kingdom, the Yu family undoubtedly had many connections, and they likely dealt with a considerable number of people.

“There are a few. The most famous one is ‘Black Night,’ which prefers operating at night. As long as the payment satisfies them, they dare to kill government officials. Because officials are fearful, endangering the court’s stability, the empress has ordered their extermination several times, but without success.”

“Interesting. Continue,” Chen Xin said with a glint in her eyes and a faint smile.

An Xue nodded. “Next is ‘Flying Bird.’ Each member has extraordinary light skills, and they only accept five contracts a month. Whether they accept or decline contracts depends on their master’s mood.”