Chapter 32 This girl is really hard to deal with
The next day was Sunday.
Because he drank too much last night, Zhang Jingdongdidn't wake up until past 9 AM.
He got up, washed up, went to the snack street to buy a chicken fillet pancake, and then went to the shop for a look around.
The renovation was already halfway complete, and many critical parts had been finished.
Zhang Jingdong was pleasantly surprised to find that some of the renovation details in the shop were even better than he had expected, clearly showing that Liu Jinhui, the supervisor, had put his heart into it.
Zhang Jingdong secretly decided that once this renovation was finished, he would give him an extra 10,000 yuan, and if there were any future renovation jobs, he would still look for him.
As he left the shop, Zhang Jingdong's phone suddenly rang.
He took out his phone and glanced at it; it was an unfamiliar number.
While he was still hesitating, an electronic voice suddenly sounded in his mind: "Target person has initiated contact with the host, rewarding 20,000 yuan!"
Zhang Jingdong subconsciously frowned, because he had Lin Shishi's number saved, and An Lu's number saved.
And besides those two, the only person who had his phone number but whose number he hadn't saved was Xiao Fei.
Could it be her?
Probably.
Yesterday, she was able to ask for my phone number in front of so many people; now, calling me herself is nothing to her.
Although Zhang Jingdong was a bit reluctant to deal with her, whether it was because of her personality or because of Lin Shishi.
But after all, he had just given her his phone number yesterday, and she had specifically said at the time that she would call him. He felt that if he deliberately didn't answer, it would seem too intentional and too impolite.
So he pressed the answer button, pretending not to know it was her calling: "Hello?"
"I'm Xiao Fei, where are you right now?"
Zhang Jingdong was instantly stunned; this girl was really assertive!
But he didn't plan to indulge her, so he said: "What do you want?"
"I want to talk to you, and also ask you for some tips on ocarina techniques."
"Sorry, I'm out doing something right now. I'm afraid I don't have time today."
"Wh-what?"
Xiao Fei's voice on the other end was a bit agitated, clearly not expecting Zhang Jingdong to refuse her invitation.
Mainly, from childhood to adulthood, all those boys had gone to great lengths to please her, confess their feelings, and ask her out.
Occasionally, they would even create very grand scenes, just to get her attention.
And now, she confidently took the initiative to invite a boy, but that boy actually said he didn't have time!
This really caught her off guard.
But Zhang Jingdong still said: "I said I don't have time today."
After a full five seconds, a voice finally came from the other end again: "Then... how about we meet at 8 PM, by Wengong Lake?"
At this moment, downstairs from West One Girls' Dormitory, Xiao Fei looked at the sky with a cunning expression.
She thought, I don't believe you can resist this either.
Zhang Jingdong was immediately amused; he didn't expect this girl to dare to use a honey trap!
But the more she did this, the more he couldn't fall for her trick.
So he directly said: "Sorry, I have plans with someone else tonight."
"You have plans with Lin Shishi?"
What... what kind of thought process does this girl have?
Zhang Jingdong hesitated: "Why would you think of her?"
"At West University, unless you have a date with her, you shouldn't refuse my invitation."
Zhang Jingdong couldn't help but say teasingly: "Xiao Fei, aren't you a bit too confident?"
"Don't you think I should be this confident? If you truly don't have any feelings for me, then why are you afraid to see me?"
Zhang Jingdong thought to himself, this girl is really difficult to deal with.
After a quick thought, he replied: "Afraid? You don't eat people, why would I be afraid?"
"Since you dare, then how about tomorrow night at 8 PM, still at Wengong Lake, we meet?"
Zhang Jingdong now confirmed that this girl wouldn't give up until she achieved her goal, so he said: "Alright, since you're so insistent, then it's settled!"
"See you tomorrow night!"
Xiao Fei finished speaking and directly ended the call.
To be honest, she originally just wanted to meet Zhang Jingdong, chat a bit, and then ask him for some tips on ocarina techniques.
But because of Zhang Jingdong's repeated rejections just now, she suddenly found him to be a very individualistic and interesting boy, so she decided to tease him properly.
At this moment, Zhang Jingdong looked at his phone, which had ended the call, smiled and shook his head, then opened his contacts, found An Lu's number, and dialed it directly.
It only rang twice before the other side picked up: "Hello..."
"Do you have any plans today?"
"No, do you need something?"
"Didn't you still owe me a meal? I'm planning to have you treat me today, how about it?"
"Hmph... Alright."
"Get ready, I'll come pick you up in a bit."
"Okay."
The reason he asked her out was because Zhang Jingdong wanted to poach another manager for his restaurant.
An Lu, after all, worked in a bank and had seen all sorts of people on a daily basis, so she had a certain eye for things.
At the same time, as a woman, she could also provide him with different perspectives.
Besides that, going to the restaurant alone would be a bit too conspicuous; having a woman by his side could reduce other people's attention.
After hanging up the phone, Zhang Jingdong thought for a moment, then took a taxi to a car rental agency.
Because he might be going to many places today, and taking taxis wasn't very convenient right now, it was better to rent a car.
As for his driver's license, he had already obtained it during the summer vacation after graduating from high school.
This was because his second uncle used to drive large trucks, but after a car accident, he quit and then opened a driving school in the county town.
His second uncle had made him get his driver's license.
Zhang Jingdong looked around the car rental agency for a long time and finally chose a black Honda Accord.
The reason he chose it was because it was almost the cleanest car among all of them.
After paying, he left the car rental agency, and Zhang Jingdong thought to himself that it was time to buy a car in a while.
Putting everything else aside, at least it would be convenient for doing things, and it would be clean and hygienic too.
Half an hour later, he arrived at the entrance of Luming Garden residential area.
He took out his phone and called An Lu again.
"Are you ready, old lady?"
"Where are you?"
"At the entrance of your residential area."
"Okay, I'll be right down."
Fifteen minutes later, An Lu gracefully walked out of the residential area.
She wasn't wearing a women's suit today, but a black dress with a very stylish design.
Zhang Jingdong hadn't noticed before, but she was actually so fair!
Her exposed collarbones and calves were simply like snow, absolutely captivating!
Of course, what was most eye-catching was still her beauty and tall figure, as well as that exquisite, mature and graceful demeanor.
In the short ten meters or so that she walked out of the residential area, she attracted the attention of all the surrounding men.
Even a guy driving a Porsche Cayenne slammed on his brakes right at the main entrance of the residential area because he saw her, which resulted in a chorus of honking.
The man didn't care about any of this; he directly made a sharp turn and drove the car over, then shouted to An Lu: "Hello, beautiful..."
However, An Lu didn't even glance at him, because she had been searching for Zhang Jingdong.
But she looked left and right, only seeing a black car parked not far ahead, but she didn't see Zhang Jingdong.
And just as she took out her phone to call Zhang Jingdong, the black car in front suddenly honked its horn.
An Lu was startled and her delicate brows instantly furrowed.
But then, when she saw the driver's side window of the black car roll down, revealing Zhang Jingdong's smirking face, she couldn't help but smile sweetly again and walked straight towards him.
"When did you buy a car?"
Zhang Jingdong casually said: "The car I bought hasn't arrived yet; this car I rented from the car agency. Alright, hurry up and get in, our schedule is packed today!"
Although An Lu didn't understand why, she still obediently turned around and got into the passenger seat.
Zhang Jingdong then restarted the car and drove past the Porsche Cayenne.
The big brother in the Cayenne watched as he drove away with An Lu, his heart practically bleeding: "Damn it, I actually lost to a broken Honda Accord!"
Chapter 33 Take her to LV
Zhang Jingdong said to An Lu while driving, "Besides eating, there's another task today."
"Task?" An Lu couldn't help but ask curiously, "What task?"
"My restaurant is opening next week, right? I've mostly got the chef team sorted, but now I'm missing a management team. To put it simply, I need to find a capable manager."
"It's definitely hard to recruit a suitable one on short notice now, so I want to poach one from another restaurant with a high salary. You can help me advise later."
An Lu instantly understood, but then her face showed some difficulty: "But I've never had experience interviewing others, let alone someone at a manager's level!"
Zhang Jingdong turned to look at An Lu: "I just need you to provide me with a woman's perspective, such as her demeanor, how she treats people, and whether she's sincere or not. I'll handle the rest."
An Lu immediately felt relieved: "Okay, I understand."
At the same time, she felt a little excited, after all, this was much more interesting than staying at home.
Half an hour later, the two arrived at Yu Xiangjiangnan on Yan Jing Road.
This was a Hunan Cuisine restaurant with an overall scale similar to Zhang Jingdong's establishment.
The two got out of the car and went inside.
After ordering five dishes, Zhang Jingdong suddenly said to the waiter, "Do you have hennessy here?"
"I'm sorry, sir, we don't have wine here, only baijiu and beer."
Zhang Jingdong directly said, "Okay, could you please call your manager for me?"
..."Okay, please wait!"
Soon, a young woman in a professional suit came in.
"Hello, I'm the manager here. How can I help you?"
Zhang Jingdong turned to look at An Lu, then said, "I suddenly wanted to drink hennessy, but the waiter just said your restaurant doesn't have this kind of alcohol. Do you think you could help me find a bottle?"
The other party replied with a smile, almost without hesitation, "Of course, no problem. However, our restaurant truly doesn't have hennessy right now. I'll have to get it for you from somewhere else, so it'll take about twenty minutes. Is that okay with you?"
Zhang Jingdong nodded: "Yes!"
Then, after two dishes were served, the manager actually brought a bottle of hennessy.
Zhang Jingdong then said, "Thank you. Would it be convenient for you to give me a business card? That way, I can contact you in advance next time I come here!"
"Of course!"
The other party said, taking out a business card and handing it to Zhang Jingdong.
Zhang Jingdong took it, glanced at it, and then put it away.
Half an hour later, the two finished their meal, and the female manager personally saw them out of the restaurant.
Once in the car, Zhang Jingdong turned to An Lu and asked, "Use a few words to describe your impression of her?"
An Lu paused, then replied, "Neither humble nor pushy, calm and composed, attentive to detail."
Zhang Jingdong nodded thoughtfully, then restarted the car and quickly disappeared from the spot.
Over the next six hours, the two went to three other restaurants and used similar methods to test the managers there.
Only one was immediately dismissed by Zhang Jingdong, while the other two were also put on his shortlist.
However, Zhang Jingdong was most optimistic about the first one.
With these three candidates, Zhang Jingdong was completely at ease; he was confident he could finalize one of them.
So he then drove to Galaxy Shopping Mall.
It was time to buy some branded clothes.
Otherwise, if he went to a slightly more expensive restaurant, the greeter might give him a complicated look.
If An Lu, the great beauty, hadn't been by his side just now, when he asked for hennessy, they might have directly kicked him out, thinking he was causing trouble.
After getting out of the car, Zhang Jingdong was about to go in when An Lu suddenly said, "I don't recall there being any good restaurants here, do I?"
Zhang Jingdong smiled and shook his head: "Of course I'm not here to eat. I want to buy some clothes, and I'd like your help with choosing."
An Lu suddenly realized, then her pretty face flushed slightly: "...Okay, but... I've never chosen clothes for a man... so... are you sure?"
Zhang Jingdong said casually, "Just speak your mind later. If you think it looks good, say it looks good. If you don't, say it doesn't!"
An Lu pursed her lips: "Mm, got it!"
The two then entered the mall.
Zhang Jingdong hadn't been here much in his previous life, but he recognized a few major brand logos, so he quickly arrived at the LV counter.
And although An Lu knew Zhang Jingdong was rich, she hadn't expected that when he said he wanted to buy a couple of clothes, he actually meant LV!
Although she had never bought clothes there, she had heard that the cheapest items there cost several thousand, slightly more expensive ones cost tens of thousands, and the most expensive could be hundreds of thousands.
A female colleague of hers had a rich second-generation boyfriend who gave her an LV bag, which she said cost over thirty thousand.
Then she showed off this bag for over half a year, until she finally broke up with the rich second-generation, and only then did she stop mentioning it.
Although An Lu wasn't envious of this matter, she was still a girl, after all, and also liked beautiful bags.
So, looking at the gorgeous and exquisite bags not far away, a hint of longing couldn't help but arise in her heart.
But she also knew that any bag here could be worth half of her salary, and she simply couldn't afford it.
And just as she was lost in thought, Zhang Jingdong had already picked out three outfits and shoes and gone to the fitting room.
Soon he came out in the first outfit, first looked in the mirror, then asked An Lu: "What do you think?"
An Lu glanced at him, then instantly looked surprised: "Mm, very good, I didn't expect you to be a natural clothes horse!"
Zhang Jingdong immediately felt a little smug: "That's right!"
He then went to change into the other two outfits, and after coming out, both also received An Lu's praise.
So Zhang Jingdong neatly settled his clothes.
But he didn't rush to leave; instead, he headed straight for the bags An Lu had just been looking at.
He turned to An Lu and asked, "Which of these bags do you think is the prettiest?"
An Lu was first startled, then somewhat puzzled: "These... these are all women's bags. Why would you buy this?"
Zhang Jingdong casually said, "A female friend has a birthday coming up, and I plan to buy her this bag as her birthday gift."
An Lu's eyes dimmed for a moment, but she quickly recovered, forcing herself to say calmly, "...Is that so... Okay."
Then she looked carefully again, and pointed to a black chain-strap handbag in the upper left corner: "This one is good!"
Zhang Jingdong followed her gaze, looked at the handbag, and said hesitantly, "It looks okay, but I don't know what it looks like on someone. Could you try it on for me?"
A rare flicker of awkwardness, born of inferiority, flashed in An Lu's eyes, but she still nodded: "...Okay!"
She then asked the sales assistant to take it down, and she tried it on.
Zhang Jingdong then nodded with satisfaction: "Hmm... it's indeed good, let's take this one!"
Zhang Jingdong then went to the front desk to pay the bill, spending a total of over 160,000, with that bag alone costing over 50,000.
The two left the mall, and Zhang Jingdong turned to her, asking, "Are you still hungry?"
An Lu smiled and shook her head: "I've been eating all afternoon, let alone being hungry, I still feel especially full right now!"
Zhang Jingdong immediately chuckled: "Me too. Shall I take you home then?"
Although An Lu didn't want to go back so early, seeing that it was getting dark, she also didn't want to trouble Zhang Jingdong to take her somewhere else, so she just nodded: "Mm."
Half an hour later, the car slowly stopped at the entrance of Luming Garden.
The two chatted for a few more moments, An Lu said, "Goodbye," and was about to get out of the car.
Just then, a voice suddenly came from beside them: "Wait, you haven't taken your things yet!"
Chapter 34 Gaining Her Favor Again
"Things?" An Lu was momentarily stunned, "What things?"
Zhang Jingdong leaned over, took the bag containing the LV handbag from the back seat, and handed it to her, "This, of course!"
An Lu was completely bewildered now, biting her lip, "This... isn't this handbag the birthday gift you bought for your female friend?"
"That's right," Zhang Jingdong said, looking completely justified, "We're friends now, aren't we? You haven't had your birthday this year, have you? Consider this my early birthday gift to you!"
An Lu quickly waved her hand, "How can this be... No, no... This is too expensive, I can't accept it!"
Zhang Jingdong had long anticipated her refusal, so he had prepared his words in advance, "Let me ask you one thing, do you consider me a friend now?"
"Of course... but..."
"Don't 'but' me. Since you consider me a friend, then mutual help and gift-giving between us are perfectly normal. You might think this bag is expensive, but it's not that expensive to me."
"The principle is this: if you have 1,000 yuan and are willing to spend 500 yuan to make me happy, and I have 10,000 yuan and am willing to spend 5,000 yuan to make you happy."
"Here, the first 500 and the latter 5,000 are actually equivalent, because they both contain the same sentiment!"
At this point, Zhang Jingdong deliberately sighed, "I've said so much. If you truly consider me a friend, can you please give me some face and accept this gift?"
Seeing An Lu still hesitating, Zhang Jingdong continued, "You really still won't accept it? Alright then, when you get out of the car, let's just pretend we never met. I'll immediately delete your phone number, and we'll never contact each other again!"
Seeing that Zhang Jingdong was genuinely anxious, An Lu had no choice but to nod, "Okay, okay... I'll accept it then... You..."
Zhang Jingdong couldn't help but laugh, "Stop 'you-you-ing' me. Oh my, giving you a gift is too difficult. Are you afraid I'll give you a bag and then try to keep you as a mistress or something?"
When An Lu heard this, she immediately burst out laughing, playfully chiding, "What are you saying!"
Zhang Jingdong pouted, "Who told you to be so wishy-washy? It's such a simple matter, and you overthink it so much!"
"When it's my birthday, you can just give me a gift, right!"
An Lu shot Zhang Jingdong a sideways glance, "I won't be able to afford anything that expensive then."
"No need, you can just give me a pair of black stockings then..."
"Wh... what?"
Zhang Jingdong quickly rephrased, "I mean... you can just give me something you knitted yourself, like a scarf or a wallet, anything!"
An Lu blinked her beautiful eyes, "...Alright."
Zhang Jingdong, fearing she might change her mind, simply and decisively got out of the car, carrying the bag.
Seeing this, An Lu also got out of the car.
On the way, the two, as usual, did not speak.
It wasn't until they reached the bottom of Building 8 that Zhang Jingdong handed the bag to An Lu and said, "The reason I thought of buying you a bag was that I noticed you really liked this one when we were at the store."
"Now that I've bought it for you, if you want to make me happy, wear it often. Don't be afraid of wearing it out, because I'll buy you a new one every year for your birthday!"
An Lu quickly said, "No need... I..."
Zhang Jingdong said directly, "Don't worry, I know what kind of person you are."
"If you were a gold-digger, with your looks and figure, how many rich second-generation heirs and upstarts would be rushing to give you these things."
"And you also know what kind of person I am. If I didn't consider you a friend, I'd find even a ten-cent hair tie too expensive to give you."
"So let's not be so reserved. You don't have many friends, and neither do I. Since fate brought us together, why don't we just be good friends? At least if something happens, we'll have someone to discuss and deal with it together, don't you think?"
Zhang Jingdong's words deeply resonated with An Lu.
She realized that he truly understood her, and he genuinely cared about her.
So An Lu, a little shy and a little moved, nodded, "Okay, I promise you!"
Seeing that she was finally persuaded, Zhang Jingdongthen said gently, "Alright, go up. Get some rest early."
An Lu obediently nodded, "Mmm, you... drive carefully on your way back. When you arrive... send me a text message!"
When she said the last sentence, An Lu's face instantly flushed.
"Host successfully gained 10 points of favorability from the target, rewarding 20,000 yuan!"
Zhang Jingdong's heart instantly brightened, and he pursed his lips, "Okay."
An Lu looked deeply at Zhang Jingdong, then reluctantly turned and entered the building entrance.
Only then did Zhang Jingdong walk away with a contented look.
...
The next afternoon at three o'clock, Zhang Jingdongsecretly snuck out of Xijiang University after half an English class.
He first returned to his Chunfeng Garden apartment, took a shower, changed into an LV outfit, and then went to the Yiri Sanqiu Teahouse on Datong Road.
He requested a private room on the second floor and ordered a pot of Longjing tea and some snacks.
Ten minutes later, he answered a phone call, and soon a young man entered, who was none other than Han Xu, Boss Chen's apprentice.
Zhang Jingdong didn't get up, pouring him tea as he said, "Sit."
Han Xu was slightly stunned, then sat down properly opposite him.
Zhang Jingdong asked, "Are things on your end dealt with?"
"They're dealt with."
"Perfect. The renovation here is almost finished. We can open as scheduled this Saturday."
At this point, Zhang Jingdong paused, then continued, "Now that we have you as the head chef, we still need two main chefs and four assistant chefs."
"You're in this line of work. Do you have any classmates or friends who you can bring along? You know each other, so it'll be easier to work together then."
Han Xu quickly shook his head, "I'm sorry, Boss, I've been with my master ever since I started learning this trade. I don't have any classmates or friends in this line of work."
Zhang Jingdong smiled with satisfaction upon hearing this, "I'm not testing you. I've been really busy lately and don't have time to find suitable helpers for you, so this matter can only be left to you."
"Just figure out a way to handle it. As for salaries, you can discuss with them to pay 1.5 times what other restaurants offer. I only have one condition: they must be capable, understood?"
Han Xu then reluctantly nodded, "Alright, in that case, I'll give it a try and do my best not to disappoint you!"
"Good, then you can go. If you have any questions later, feel free to call me."
"Okay, Boss, I'll be leaving then!"
Han Xu said, then got up and left the private room.
Half an hour later, Zhang Jingdong received another call, and soon the door to the private room was pushed open again.
This time, the person who entered was the manager of Yu Xiang Jiangnan, the Hunan Cuisine restaurant Zhang Jingdong and An Lu had visited yesterday.
Zhang Jingdong stood up this time, greeting her, "Sister Yuan, you're here. Please, have a seat..."
Manager Yuan bowed slightly, "Mr. Zhang, you've been waiting."
"No, no... I just arrived too. Please, sit..."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhang Jingdongwent straight to the point, "Sister Yuan, since you've come for the appointment, I won't beat around the bush. I've opened a new restaurant, and I'd like you to be the manager."
"As for the compensation, I'll pay you 8,000 a month. What do you think?"
When Manager Yuan heard the first part, she subconsciously wanted to refuse, but when she heard the latter half, she was instantly shocked!
Because her current salary was less than 5,000, and Zhang Jingdong was suddenly offering her almost double!
This...
She forced herself to calm down and asked hesitantly, "Mr. Zhang, may I ask what kind of restaurant you've opened?"
Zhang Jingdong replied with a smile, "It's also a Hunan Cuisine restaurant, similar in scale to Yu Xiang Jiangnan, located on Ziqiang Road, opposite Xijiang University."
Manager Yuan slowly blinked, "This... Mr. Zhang, to be honest, I didn't expect you to offer me this amount."
Zhang Jingdong had long anticipated this and immediately said, "Since you're so sincere, I'll be straightforward with you too."
"Firstly, I believe you're worth this price, because yesterday I saw your ability to handle unexpected situations. I originally wanted to offer you 6,000, but I was afraid you wouldn't come, so I simply went straight to 8,000."
"Secondly, I'm not short on money, so I'm not opening this restaurant to make a profit. I just want to open a popular, thriving, and well-regarded restaurant."
"So whether it's the chefs, managers, or even the servers, I'm willing to spend more to hire the best."
"Do you find my reasons acceptable?"
Manager Yuan then seemingly casually glanced at the LV logo on Zhang Jingdong's jacket, then nodded.
"I understand, Mr. Zhang, but I might need a little more time to consider. I'll give you my answer tomorrow morning, if that's alright with you?"
Zhang Jingdong knew that she had actually already agreed in her heart, and the reason she said this was because she had, after all, worked at Yu Xiang Jiangnan for so long and didn't want him to think she was coming to him purely for money.
And Zhang Jingdong was, of course, willing to play along, immediately saying, "Of course."
Chapter 35 He actually became her teacher!
After Manager Yuan left the private room, Zhang Jingdong drank another pot of Longjing tea before contentedly leaving the teahouse.
He had dinner at Yulinglong, and it was almost 7 PM by the time he returned to Chunfeng Garden.
He took a shower, then sat down in front of his computer and started a movie.
However, at this moment, he couldn't quite get into Teacher Cang's performance.
He was debating whether or not to go to his date with Xiao Fei later.
If he didn't go, it would be as if he was really afraid of her.
But if he did go, at night, a single man and a single woman, by Wengong Lake, what if she really fell for him… and then things got out of hand?
She was, after all, a campus beauty comparable to Lin Shishi, and her figure was so stunning.
If she really tried to seduce him… that would be truly hard to resist!
Just as he was hesitating, his phone suddenly rang.
He glanced at it, and sure enough, it was Xiao Fei!
He thought for a moment, then answered: "Hello…"
"You're not going to chicken out later, are you?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Jingdong's masculine pride was instantly piqued.
He teased, "Actually, I was just about to call you and ask you the same thing! After all, with the night so hazy, for a girl to go on a date alone… it really takes a lot of courage!"
"Tsk tsk, alright, since you've said so, I'll go wait for you by the lake now. Don't be late later, okay!"
Zhang Jingdong stood up at this point and looked at Wengong Lake in the distance: "Okay, I'll head over now too."
"Then how about I wait for you downstairs at our dorm building later?"
"No need, I'm not in the dorm."
"Tsk… Alright then, see you later."
After hanging up, Zhang Jingdong stood in place, staring blankly at Wengong Lake in the distance for a minute, then tidied up a bit, grabbed his ocarina box, and went downstairs.
About ten minutes later, when Zhang Jingdong arrived by Wengong Lake, he saw Xiao Fei's figure in the distance.
Under the dim yellow streetlights from afar, he saw her wearing a white T-shirt and a black short skirt.
Beside her stood a large instrument case, giving her the air of a musical talent.
His heart stirred, and he walked over.
When he got closer, he deliberately said, "I didn't think you'd actually come!"
Xiao Fei turned around at this point, glanced at Zhang Jingdong, and playfully said, "You're finally here! You, a guy, actually made me, a girl, wait for you!"
Zhang Jingdong pouted: "You said you wanted to ask me for guidance, so I'm the teacher, and you're the student. Of course, the student should arrive before the teacher, otherwise, wouldn't it break the rules?"
Xiao Fei was first stunned, then pursed her lips: "Well, that is true."
"Since that's the case, I've already waited for you for a long time, so why don't you give me some pointers?"
Zhang Jingdong took his time: "Alright, seeing as you're so sincere and persistent, play a piece, and I'll help you see what problems you have."
Seeing that Zhang Jingdong agreed, Xiao Fei immediately opened her instrument case and took out her ocarina.
She prepared herself briefly, then played a section of "hometown scenery" for Zhang Jingdong.
Zhang Jingdong only heard the beginning and couldn't help but secretly marvel, because this girl played really well.
Let's put it this way: if it were performed at a freshman welcoming party, or even on some TV shows, her performance would definitely shine.
Most audiences would simply applaud and wouldn't be able to find any flaws.
Unfortunately, Zhang Jingdong's ocarina skill was at a master level now, so he could still find some flaws, however minor.
So, after Xiao Fei finished playing, Zhang Jingdong said with a serious expression: "How many years have you been studying this?"
Xiao Fei paused, then replied: "8 years."
"You learned from a teacher, right?"
"Yes."
"You've always been learning from a teacher, right?"
"…Yes."
Zhang Jingdong sighed: "So that's where the problem lies. Your biggest problem is that you've always been learning from a teacher, so you'll never be able to play with your own rhythm."
"Rhythm?" Xiao Fei rarely lost her usual confidence, looking confused: "This rhythm you're talking about… isn't it the beat?"
Because Zhang Jingdong had correctly said that she had always been learning from a teacher, she subconsciously felt that he could really teach her something, so she used the honorific "you" for him.
Zhang Jingdong accepted it with a clear conscience, then shook his head: "Of course not. The rhythm I'm talking about is… you know Tai Chi, right?"
Xiao Fei nodded blankly: "I do."
"Have you seen the movie 'Tai Chi' starring Li Lianjie?"
"I have."
"Did you think the Tai Chi Li Lianjie performed was particularly beautiful?"
"…Mm."
"Why was his performance beautiful? It's because he has his own rhythm."
"Look at those old men who practice for fun in the park. Why don't their performances look good? Because they are all in the beginner stage, still learning the standard, learning other people's rhythm."
At this point, Zhang Jingdong openly and intently stared at Xiao Fei's pretty face, continuing: "Learning anything is generally divided into three stages."
"The first stage is learning the standard and striving to meet it."
"The second stage is reaching the standard, then continuing to work hard to achieve fluidity."
"And the third stage is forgetting the standard, finding your own rhythm, and forming your own style."
"Your biggest problem right now is that you've always been in the second stage. Although you've achieved fluidity, you still keep yourself within the standard."
"And in the future, if you want to go further, you'll have to gradually forget those standardized things and gradually find your own rhythm."
When Xiao Fei heard this, she suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment.
She completely understood.
All the pieces she played were strictly according to the sheet music, meticulously, even every breath striving to be the same as her teacher's demonstration.
And in this way, the pieces she played would always be monotonous, never as spontaneous and free, yet as beautiful as heavenly music, as Zhang Jingdong played on stage yesterday.
She was stunned for a moment longer, then suddenly gazed at Zhang Jingdong with excitement and a hint of adoration: "You're right, I understand, I know what to do, thank you!"
"The host has gained the target's adoration and sincere gratitude, rewarding 50,000 yuan!"
Zhang Jingdong looked at Xiao Fei's eyes and expression at this moment, and his vanity was instantly greatly satisfied.
After all, she was the dignified campus beauty of West University, someone he would have felt inferior to and dared not approach in his past life.
And now she was looking at him with such humble and adoring eyes, tsk tsk, who could resist that!
He forced himself to calm down for a full five seconds before finally waving his hand very casually: "You're welcome, it's just a small favor!"
"Besides, you do have a certain level of skill after all, otherwise, even if I told you all this, you wouldn't understand it at all, and wouldn't know what to do next."
Xiao Fei blinked her beautiful eyes at this moment: "How about this, can you pick one evening a week to listen to my music, then point out my flaws and give me some guidance?"
Perhaps she felt this was a bit too abrupt, and she suddenly realized that she wasn't very familiar with Zhang Jingdong, not even counting as friends yet.
So she quickly added: "I can pay you."
Zhang Jingdong smiled and shook his head: "I'm not short on money, and… I'll probably be very busy for a while, so… I'm sorry!"
Xiao Fei was instantly a little flustered again, mainly because she couldn't believe that there was a guy at West University who could reject her twice.
But Zhang Jingdong had just shown her his ability, and Xiao Fei really wanted his continued guidance.
So, helpless, Xiao Fei almost subconsciously grabbed Zhang Jingdong's hand directly: "I… I beg you! Just spare one evening a week… oh no, two hours, just two hours, to listen to my music and give me a little guidance, okay?"
"I really beg you!"
Good heavens!
The moment Xiao Fei held his hand, Zhang Jingdong was already a little broken!
Seeing her pitiful, infinitely pleading look now, he couldn't resist it at all!
After all, she was Xiao Fei!
And she was begging him like this!
Alas, a hero really can't get past a beautiful woman!
So Zhang Jingdong sighed: "Alright, for your studiousness, I agree!"
Seeing that Zhang Jingdong finally agreed, Xiao Feiimmediately squeezed Zhang Jingdong's hand again.
"Thank you, thank you… Zhang Teacher!"
Chapter 36 I can finally become handsome!
Zhang Jingdong never would have thought that what started as a somewhat petulant and exciting date with Xiao Fei would turn into the current situation.
He had inexplicably become her music teacher!
Looking at Xiao Fei's incredibly excited and joyful expression at this moment, Zhang Jingdong couldn't help but recall her explosive performance at the campus music festival the day before yesterday and her cool demeanor in front of everyone.
Suddenly, he felt an unspeakable thrill!
He then said, "No, I'm just curious, you're studying music so diligently, do you want to become a musician in the future? Or is it just a pure hobby?"
Xiao Fei paused, then said serenely, "I've loved playing all kinds of instruments since I was little, but if I were to make a living in the future, I might choose to become a singer."
"This way, I can continue my music career and also support myself."
"So that's how it is." Zhang Jingdong nodded thoughtfully, "Alright, then I wish you success."
"Thank you."
Xiao Fei suddenly realized she was still holding Zhang Jingdong's hand at this moment and quickly let go, her face flushed.
To cover her embarrassment, she then asked in return, "What about you? You play the ocarina so well, how did you practice?"
Zhang Jingdong pursed his lips, "When I was little, my grandpa liked to play the ocarina, and then he taught me for a while, and after that, I just played around... Maybe it's pure talent, because honestly, I didn't know I was that good before!"
Zhang Jingdong knew that if he explained it to Xiao Fei in a serious manner, she wouldn't believe him.
After all, she herself specialized in this, and it would be easy for her to find his flaws.
So he simply went for something difficult, claiming he relied purely on talent, since no one could really explain that.
After all, Gauss came up with Gauss's theorem at 17, and no one could do anything about him.
Sure enough, although Xiao Fei found it somewhat unbelievable, she had to admit that it might really be the case.
Because in her impression, even some so-called ocarina players on TV weren't as good as Zhang Jingdong, so his skill could truly only be explained by talent.
So she said, "I think you could participate in some music competitions; with your current level, you'll definitely win awards!"
Zhang Jingdong thought to himself, 'Am I crazy? Me, participate in that?'
But he said earnestly, "I think that for anything, you can only truly enjoy it when you treat it purely as a hobby, but if you treat it as a means to seek fame and fortune, then I might no longer be able to derive enjoyment from it!"
"Furthermore, when others participate in competitions and win big awards, it's basically all for money in the end, and I have other ways to earn more money."
"So I will always treat the ocarina as a hobby, just playing a couple of tunes when I have nothing to do; it's quite nice!"
Xiao Fei's eyes instantly lit up when she heard this.
Besides appreciating Zhang Jingdong's view on music, she also felt a strong sense of confidence and a noble sentiment of indifference to fame and fortune from his words.
Because in her previous understanding, the purpose of studying music was to participate in competitions, win awards, and become a winner in everyone's eyes.
And now, Zhang Jingdong possesses such a high level of skill, yet he is willing to give up the pursuit of fame and fortune, which she found truly rare!
"Congratulations, Host, you have gained 10 favorability points from the target character, rewarding you with 20,000 yuan!"
Zhang Jingdong never expected that just by saying that, he would gain favorability points from this girl; he was instantly overjoyed.
And he had already accumulated 30 favorability points again, so now he could draw a prize!
This was simply an unexpected surprise!
Xiao Fei noticed the joy in Zhang Jingdong's eyes, but she thought it was a display of his self-contentment, and then said, "You are the most unique boy I've ever met. I really admire your attitude towards music."
"And I believe that because of your choice, your music will definitely become more and more beautiful in the future!"
Zhang Jingdong, having received this girl's praise, had his vanity satisfied once again.
Although he wanted to chat with this girl for a few more moments, he was more eager to go back and draw a prize, so he said, "Thank you. When I'm in a good mood someday, I can play a couple of tunes just for you!"
"Alright, I've given you some pointers today. Now you can practice on your own as I told you. I have something else to do, so I'll be leaving!"
Xiao Fei clearly didn't expect Zhang Jingdong to leave so soon and suddenly felt a sense of frustration, feeling that she truly didn't have enough charm in Zhang Jingdong's eyes.
But now he was her teacher, and she couldn't force him to stay, so she just said, "Then... alright, I will definitely practice well next time."
"Next week, please let me know when you have time, and I'll report my homework to you."
Zhang Jingdong nodded, "Okay, it's settled!"
The two then walked out of the small park together, talking. Xiao Fei was about to seize the opportunity to talk to Zhang Jingdong about some music-related matters, but then she realized that Zhang Jingdong was going in the opposite direction.
She immediately hesitated and said, "Zhang Teacher, aren't you going back to the dorm?"
Zhang Jingdong waved his hand, "I rented a place outside. I stay there when I have something to do. Goodbye!"
Xiao Fei instantly felt a renewed sense of curiosity towards Zhang Jingdong: "...Goodbye."
"The target character has developed curiosity towards the Host, rewarding you with 20,000 yuan!"
Zhang Jingdong's heart lightened, and he immediately turned to look at Xiao Fei again, teasing, "Next time we meet, don't dress like this again!"
"It's late at night, and you're so beautiful and have such a good figure. Do you really take me for a saint?!"
After speaking, he turned and left directly.
Xiao Fei watched his receding figure and instantly smiled brightly, her eyes regaining their usual confidence.
No wonder, so he was pretending all along!
I knew it, how could any normal man not succumb in front of me!
But this guy's self-control is quite impressive!
Maybe I should dance for him alone next time?
That could work!
Thinking of this, a strange smile gradually appeared at the corner of Xiao Fei's mouth.
Zhang Jingdong, of course, had no idea of this girl's plan. At this moment, he only had one thing on his mind—go home and draw a prize!
At this moment, he wished he could fly, so he walked faster and faster, finally breaking into a run.
Finally, ten minutes later, he arrived home.
He locked the door, then went to the bedroom and drew the curtains.
He took a deep breath, then with a thought, "System, I want to draw a prize!"
"Host has accumulated 30 favorability points, meeting the conditions for a prize draw. You may draw a prize."
"Would Host like to begin the prize draw?"
"Yes."
"Prize draw begins..."
"Prize One: Schumacher's racing ability."
"Prize Two: Appearance Evolution Potion."
"Prize Three: Invisible Height-Increasing Insoles."
"Host can only choose one out of three!"
When Zhang Jingdong heard 'Appearance Evolution Potion', he was instantly ecstatic: "Finally, I've got you! I can finally become handsome!"
So, after the system finished speaking, he hurriedly and cautiously said, "I choose the Appearance Evolution Potion!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a glass bottle filled with red liquid suddenly appeared in his hand.
It was Zhang Jingdong's first time seeing a tangible item given by the system. He stared at it for a long time and couldn't help but ask, "System, is this the Appearance Evolution Potion? Do I drink it directly?"
"That's right, drink it quickly, and you'll become handsome!"
Zhang Jingdong was instantly a bit confused, mainly because those words sounded too much like brainwashing rhetoric from some cult leader.
However, the system had already proven its authenticity with real money and Bruce Lee's martial arts.
So Zhang Jingdong hesitated slightly, then twisted open the cap and drank it in one gulp.
After drinking it, he went directly to the bathroom, stood in front of the mirror, and meticulously stared at himself.
Then he saw that his originally somewhat large pores were visibly shrinking, and in some places, they almost disappeared, becoming very clean.
But after another ten minutes, he found that his face had not undergone any other changes.
He immediately became anxious and couldn't help but say, "System, this... is this Appearance Evolution Potion only going to have this much effect?"
"To prevent the Host from being discovered, the Appearance Evolution Potion will gradually transform the Host's appearance to a 95-point rating over two months, so the Host doesn't need to worry!"
Zhang Jingdong suddenly realized, although he was slightly disappointed, as he had thought that he would instantly become a handsome man after drinking this, but now he had to wait two months.
However, he quickly came to his senses and also agreed with the system's arrangement.
After all, if he immediately became a handsome man, it would be difficult to explain.
At least the people in his dorm, as well as Lin Shishi and Xiao Fei, would have huge doubts about him, and he wouldn't be able to explain it to them.
Forget it, it's just two months. He's waited almost forty years in these two lives, what's another two months!
Thinking of this, Zhang Jingdong immediately returned to his ecstatic state and couldn't help but begin to envision his life after becoming a handsome man.
Tsk tsk, he was already starting to get rich, and becoming a billionaire was only a matter of time.
If he added this heaven-defying appearance, he would truly be a genuine tall, rich, and handsome man!
That life would be too awesome!
Chapter 37: The Development of a Domineering CEO
Zhang Jingdong spent over half an hour in front of the mirror, then played on the computer for an hour, and then went back to the mirror for another half an hour.
There was no other way; it's often said that women love beauty, but men are not far behind.
If you don't believe it, go find any man on the street and ask him to choose between ten million RMB and becoming Daniel Wu at twenty years old; absolutely 99% of people would choose the latter.
"Alright, it seems today only improved the rough pores, but I did get a bit handsomer, so I'll just wait for a miracle to happen."
At this moment, Zhang Jingdong suddenly heard his phone ring and immediately returned to his bedroom.
He picked up his phone and saw that it was Sun Miancalling.
So he answered: "Hello…"
"Brother Dong, it's almost 11 o'clock, why haven't you come back yet?"
Zhang Jingdong touched his face and said, "Uh… I'm not coming back to the dorm tonight!"
"Not coming back to the dorm? Then where are you staying… Oh… I understand, I apologize for disturbing you!"
When Zhang Jingdong heard that drawn-out "Oh," he immediately knew this guy was thinking nonsense and was about to explain, but the guy had already ended the call.
However, on second thought, he decided to let it go; even if he explained the situation to him, he would definitely not believe it.
Zhang Jingdong then went back to the mirror for another half an hour, and finally realized that his eyebrows also seemed to have improved, no longer as rough as before.
He immediately felt a bit happier, so he returned to his bedroom with a contented look and got into bed.
That night, he had a very long dream.
In his dream, he became a super handsome man who surpassed Chen Teacher and was even better than Daniel Wu.
Then Lin Shishi, Xiao Fei, Li Yiran, An Lu, Liu Yifei, Anne Hathaway, Monica Bellucci, and a group of other top beauties all confessed their feelings to him.
He deliberated for a long time, and finally just said, "How about we all live together?"
And to his surprise, they all happily agreed.
But just as he was happily thinking of sharing a bed with them, he suddenly heard his phone ring.
He woke up instantly!
He picked up his phone and saw that it was Manager Yuan calling.
He quickly checked the time again, damn, it was almost 9 o'clock!
What a dream.
He immediately answered the phone: "Hello, Sister Yuan…"
"General Manager Zhang, I've thought about it, and I'm willing to accept your invitation!"
Zhang Jingdong was immediately delighted: "I knew you would make the right decision. I wish us a pleasant cooperation!"
They chatted for a few more sentences, then ended the call.
Zhang Jingdong opened his message inbox and found seven or eight messages from his dorm mates, all asking why he hadn't gone to class and if he had put in too much effort last night.
Then they said it was fine, he didn't need to go, the teacher hadn't called roll.
Zhang Jingdong then put down his phone, got out of bed, went to the bathroom to wash up, and then spent another half an hour looking in the mirror.
"My eyebrows seem to look even better, tsk tsk, what some beauty expert said in my previous life was indeed true: when a person's eyebrows improve, it instantly boosts their overall appearance."
After careful observation, Zhang Jingdong felt that he should be able to score 80 points now.
Thinking this, he went to change into an LV outfit, stood at the bathroom door, and looked at himself in the mirror from a distance.
Damn, with the boost from this LV, his overall score should be 85 now!
He was practically a budding cool young CEO!
He smugly adjusted his hairstyle in front of the mirror again, then went downstairs.
The Honda Accord was still downstairs; he had rented it for a week that day.
He got into the car, thought for a moment, and then drove to the Crystal Palace Hotel.
As one of the most famous five-star hotels in Jiangdu, it was famous for two things.
First, a large number of wealthy people stayed there.
Second, the probability of encountering beautiful women there was very high.
And these two things seemed to have a very close causal relationship.
The reason Zhang Jingdong went there, besides having lunch, was also to verify two things.
First, whether he looked like a rich person now.
Second, whether his overall impression was that of a nouveau riche or a CEO.
As for the difference between a nouveau riche and a CEO, it was actually just one point: appearance.
Someone rich and handsome is a CEO; someone rich but ugly is a nouveau riche.
Zhang Jingdong parked his Honda Accord on the roadside three hundred meters away from the Crystal Palace Hotel, then walked to the Crystal Palace Hotel.
Upon entering, on his way to the Western restaurant on the second floor, he indeed saw many beautiful women.
His heart stirred, and he thought, "Start searching."
"Search initiated…"
"Target Person 1: Sun Xiaoxiao, Appearance 92 points, Figure 91 points, Skill 95 points, Overall Rating 92 points."
"Target Person 2: Sun Yajing, Appearance 93 points, Figure 92 points, Skill 92 points, Overall Rating 92 points."
"Target Person 3: Zhu Chen, Appearance 92 points, Figure 92 points, Temperament 95 points, Overall Rating 93 points."
"Target Person 4: Sun Jiaqian, Appearance 93 points, Figure 92 points, Temperament 95 points, Overall Rating 93 points."
Zhang Jingdong couldn't help but sigh inwardly: It truly lives up to its reputation; there are actually four target persons!
And when he arrived at the Western restaurant, he even saw Zhu Chen and Sun Yajing from a distance.
To verify his current outward appeal, Zhang Jingdongdeliberately walked past these two people one after another.
Afterward, he found a very prominent table, ordered an Australian sirloin, a Caesar salad, a pan-fried salmon, a black truffle risotto, and a bottle of rose fruit wine.
According to the prices on the menu he had just seen, he roughly calculated that this meal would cost at least two thousand yuan, which could be considered a small luxury!
Then, when all the items were served, he very casually glanced at the two women.
Zhu Chen was fine, but Sun Yajing clearly showed interest in him.
Zhang Jingdong then calmly began to eat.
And when he finished eating and stood up to leave, Sun Yajing suddenly walked up to him: "Hello, may I get to know you?"
"Target character actively approaches host, reward 10,000 yuan!"
Zhang Jingdong smiled freely: "Of course, my name is Zhang Jingdong."
Sun Yajing then extended her hand: "My name is Sun Yajing."
Zhang Jingdong then also extended his hand and lightly shook Sun Yajing's hand.
"Would you like to have a drink and chat properly?"
Zhang Jingdong spread his hands: "I'm sorry, I have something else to do. Another day."
"Please leave me your contact information. I'll call you when I have time."
Sun Yajing was initially a bit disappointed, but when she saw Zhang Jingdong asking for her phone number, she immediately understood that he really had something to do and wasn't just brushing her off.
She immediately regained her smile, opened her handbag, and pulled out a business card to hand to Zhang Jingdong.
Zhang Jingdong took the business card, glanced at it, and then said, "Before I leave, I want to ask, do you think I look like a rich person?"
Sun Yajing was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting Zhang Jingdong to ask this question.
But she also knew that lying at this moment might be seen through by the other party, so she honestly said, "Judging solely by your attire and the way you just dined, you don't seem like a truly rich person."
"Firstly, because the logos on your clothes are too obvious, and secondly, you ate too quickly just now!"
"However, looking at your eyes now, you are clearly a rich person!"
"Because your eyes are full of confidence, a kind of confidence that you can afford everything in this hotel!"
Zhang Jingdong nodded thoughtfully: "Your analysis is quite reasonable. So, when you came over to talk to me just now, was it because you thought I might be rich, or because I… am handsome?"
Sun Yajing couldn't help but smile at this point, mainly because she had never seen a rich person as straightforward, even somewhat naive, as Zhang Jingdong.
She then said, "The former accounts for 40%, and the latter accounts for 60%!"
Zhang Jingdong's heart stirred, and he couldn't help but continue: "Do you really think I'm a bit handsome?"
Upon hearing this, Sun Yajing quickly scrutinized Zhang Jingdong again and then said, "Among rich people, you are quite handsome, and most importantly, you are so young and full of energy!"
Zhang Jingdong was immediately happy and said with a smile, "Thank you for your honesty. I'll call you another day… Goodbye!"
After speaking, he went downstairs with a contented look.
Chapter 38 Everything is ready
After Zhang Jingdong left the Crystal Palace Hotel, he arrived at Kangning Employment Agency on Nanshan Road.
After being reborn, his biggest advantage in mixing in his original city was his familiarity with the area.
In his previous life, Zhang Jingdong had hired several temporary workers here and vaguely remembered the boss's nickname was Old Huang.
Upon entering, a young girl greeted him, "Hello, may I help you...?"
Zhang Jingdong glanced at Old Huang, who was staring intently at a computer not far away, and casually said, "I want to hire 15 restaurant servers, 6 females and 9 males."
At this moment, Old Huang slightly turned his head and glanced at Zhang Jingdong.
"Okay, please follow me."
Zhang Jingdong followed her to her workstation.
"You can tell me your general requirements for these servers."
Zhang Jingdong immediately said, "The age should preferably be around 20, not exceeding 27. As for height, males should not be shorter than 1.75 meters, and females should not be shorter than 1.6 meters."
"Regarding appearance... well-proportioned features. I don't require them to be very handsome or beautiful, but they must look energetic."
Upon hearing this, the other party was a bit confused, wondering if he was recruiting restaurant servers or bar servers.
Zhang Jingdong noticed the confusion in her eyes and continued, "Regarding their salaries, it's 600 per month during the probation period, 1000 per month after becoming full-time, and a bonus of two months' salary at the end of the year."
At this, the other party's face instantly regained its earlier vibrancy.
Because in Jiangdu, a restaurant server's salary at that time was at most around 600, but now he had raised it to 1000, making it much easier to find people.
At this point, Zhang Jingdong continued, "How much do you usually charge to help find such a server here?"
The other party hesitated slightly and replied, "300."
Zhang Jingdong said with a relaxed air, "My requirements are quite high, so I'm willing to pay you 500 per person."
"But I have one more request, which is that you must help me find all these people before noon tomorrow. How about it, can you do it?"
The other party immediately showed a difficult expression, "You... the time might be a bit tight..."
Before she could finish, Old Huang, who was not far away, stood up directly and said, "Okay, no problem."
"Please rest assured, according to your conditions and the price you offered, I will definitely help you find all these servers before noon tomorrow."
Seeing Old Huang finally step up and make the final decision, Zhang Jingdong immediately said, "Okay, then I'll leave it to you!"
Next, Zhang Jingdong signed an agreement with the other party, paid a 2000 yuan deposit, and then left the employment agency.
It was unusually hot today; walking twenty or thirty meters on the road could make one sweat profusely.
So Zhang Jingdong first went to the nearby Abundant Harbor to drink a glass of iced lemonade and eat a mango smoothie to cool down, and then he went to Dafeng Furniture Factory.
Besides used furniture, there were also many used kitchen utensils for restaurants here.
Opening a restaurant is always an industry with a very high failure rate.
Because many people think that opening a restaurant is a business anyone can do, so when they have some spare money and want to start a business, their first choice is to open a restaurant.
But when they actually do it, they suddenly realize that it's not like that at all.
Therefore, many restaurants close down due to poor management in less than half a year, or even two or three months.
And the tables, chairs, and kitchen utensils they bought were basically new, so there would be people specifically going to these restaurants to collect these items.
The reason Zhang Jingdong could find this place was also from the guy who opened a hot pot restaurant in his previous life.
He had money to buy new ones, but he felt it wasn't worth it. After all, riding a bicycle to a bar, he should save where he could and spend where he should.
He walked around inside, finally selecting tables, chairs, kitchenware, and almost everything he could think of needing for a restaurant, spending over a hundred thousand yuan.
Afterward, the boss who sold him the kitchenware arranged a large truck for him to transport all the items back to the store.
...
By 9 AM the next day, the store's renovation was completely finished.
Zhang Jingdong conducted an inspection under Liu Jinhui's detailed introduction.
Finally, Zhang Jingdong felt very satisfied, so he not only settled the remaining balance with Liu Jinhui but also gave him an extra ten thousand yuan.
Liu Jinhui initially refused to accept it, but Zhang Jingdonginsisted repeatedly.
In the end, both compromised, and he gave an extra two thousand yuan.
Moreover, Zhang Jingdong also promised that if there were any future projects, he would definitely find him again.
Liu Jinhui immediately expressed his thanks repeatedly, and then told Zhang Jingdong that if there were any problems with the store's future renovation, he could call him anytime before he left.
Zhang Jingdong himself walked around the store for a while, looking at the items he bought from the furniture factory yesterday, simply arranged in various places.
Then he called Manager Yuan and Han Xu.
Half an hour later, Manager Yuan arrived first, bringing a beautiful female manager.
The latter was brought by Manager Yuan from her previous restaurant and was also her niece.
Zhang Jingdong also raised her salary to 1800 per month.
Ten minutes later, Han Xu arrived with a group of head chefs and assistant chefs, a total of 8 people.
Zhang Jingdong asked Manager Yuan to consider how to arrange the items in the hall and private rooms.
Then he asked Han Xu to lead the chefs to organize the items in the kitchen.
At 11 o'clock, Zhang Jingdong began to wonder if Old Huang could handle it.
Mainly, there were still many tasks here that required those servers.
Just then, his phone suddenly rang. He took it out and saw it was an unfamiliar number!
He quickly answered, "Hello...?"
"Is this Mr. Zhang? This is Kangning Employment Agency."
"Yes, it is."
"The 15 restaurant servers have been found according to your conditions. When would you like to come over?"
"Okay, I'll come over now!"
After hanging up the phone, Zhang Jingdong told Manager Yuan and then drove to Kangning Employment Agency.
Upon entering, there were already more than a dozen people standing in the hall.
At this moment, Old Huang personally came over to greet him, "Mr. Zhang, you're here... These are them, please take a look..."
Zhang Jingdong then came to the front of the crowd and quickly surveyed them.
The 6 females and 9 males basically met his conditions, and among them, two males and two females could even be considered handsome and beautiful.
Zhang Jingdong then nodded with satisfaction, "Hmm... not bad, I'll take them all!"
Afterward, he followed Old Huang to pay the money, signed contracts with those servers, and finally brought the group back to the restaurant.
When Manager Yuan saw this group of servers, all excellent in both height and demeanor, she immediately smiled and said, "Boss, where did you recruit them from? The quality is too high!"
Zhang Jingdong said with a relaxed air, "These days, as long as you're willing to spend money, I can even invite models from TV for you."
Manager Yuan suddenly understood and then gave Zhang Jingdong a thumbs-up, "Boss is truly generous!"
Subsequently, Zhang Jingdong gathered everyone, said a few simple words, and then had Manager Yuan assign tasks to everyone.
He himself left the store, made a phone call, and then drove to the Tianlongmen sign shop next to Dayue City, two stops away.
"Boss, I'm here to pick up the sign I ordered last Friday."
The other party glanced at Zhang Jingdong, then at the LV he was wearing, and was instantly stunned.
Mainly, compared to the person from last Friday, the person in front of him now was not only much more handsome but also dressed four or five levels higher.
Zhang Jingdong noticed the other party's thoughts and immediately said, "My sign is called One Xiang Restaurant. Do you remember now?"
Only then did the other party finally react, looked closely at Zhang Jingdong again, and finally had some impression.
"Yes... I remember now, please follow me!"
Chapter 39 From now on, I am the boss
Zhang Jingdong followed the other person inside for a look, then paid and carried the sign out of the shop himself.
Because it only had three characters, the sign was wide but not very long, so Zhang Jingdong simply leaned it diagonally across the back seat of his car.
He started the car and leisurely drove back to the restaurant.
Once everyone had finished most of their work in the shop, Zhang Jingdong gathered everyone at the shop entrance.
Then, he personally, along with two waiters, hung the sign up amidst everyone's applause and cheers.
After coming down, Zhang Jingdong stepped back to get a good look.
Hmm... not bad!
Although there weren't many characters, it had quite an imposing presence.
Around 6 o'clock, a uniquely styled small truck suddenly drove into Ziqiang Road and finally stopped in front of the shop.
Immediately after, two people got out, opened the truck bed, and successively brought three roasted whole lambs and twenty cases of ice-cold beer into the shop.
Zhang Jingdong looked at everyone's incredulous and pleasantly surprised expressions and grandly declared, "Everyone worked hard today, so I ordered roasted whole lamb to reward you all!"
As soon as he said this, it instantly received a round of applause and cheers.
"Boss is generous!"
"Boss is awesome!"
Manager Yuan then half-jokingly said, "Boss, before everyone gets too drunk, why don't you say a few words?"
Zhang Jingdong paused, then said, "Alright, I'll say two sentences."
"First, everyone work hard. As long as our restaurant's business gets better and better, I will definitely ensure that everyone earns more and more, and you'll be able to eat roasted whole lamb every week!"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone couldn't help but applaud and cheer.
Mainly because this sentence was truly heartwarming.
After everyone quieted down, Zhang Jingdong continued, "Second, everyone eat and drink well tonight, and don't go home until you're drunk. Alright, let's get started!"
Everyone clearly didn't expect that Zhang Jingdong's "two sentences" earlier literally meant just two sentences, and they were all amused.
At the same time, they were also moved by Zhang Jingdong's pragmatic yet humorous nature, and once again offered their boss a huge round of applause and cheers.
Subsequently, Zhang Jingdong led by example, first tearing off a large piece of meat, then picking up a bottle of ice-cold Da Wusu beer and directly chugging it.
The others also followed suit, and for a while, everyone began eating and drinking, with smiles on their faces. Even Manager Yuan, who was usually gentle and dignified, let loose and drank directly from the bottle.
Halfway through the meal, a male waiter timidly walked up to Zhang Jingdong, speaking with a strong Shandong accent, and said, "Boss, I... I toast you... I'll finish this, you just need to take a sip!"
Zhang Jingdong immediately laughed, "I know you Shandong people can hold your liquor well, but I'm in a good mood today, so I'll finish one with you!"
Saying that, he turned and grabbed a full bottle, clinked it with the other person, and then started chugging directly.
The other person clearly didn't expect Zhang Jingdong to be so bold; he gave a simple smile and then also started chugging.
Both of them drank very quickly, finishing their bottles in just three to five seconds.
The people around them immediately cheered them on.
With this precedent, the other employees around them all started coming over to toast Zhang Jingdong, and by the end, they even formed a line.
Seeing this, Manager Yuan quickly said, "There are so many of you. If each of you has a bottle, how many bottles will our boss have to drink? Everyone switch to cups!"
Upon hearing this, everyone obediently went to get cups.
Zhang Jingdong secretly let out a sigh of relief and then gave Manager Yuan a look.
Thankfully, he found such a perceptive and capable manager, otherwise he might have collapsed here today.
But even with cups, the sheer number of people was overwhelming.
And the reputation of the deadly Da Wusu was not for nothing.
After drinking over ten bottles, Zhang Jingdong felt a slight dizziness.
Fortunately, he had already drunk with everyone by this point.
Just then, Manager Yuan brought him a plate of shredded lamb, which Zhang Jingdong took and ate in one go, instantly feeling much better.
Around 9 o'clock, people gradually left the shop.
Zhang Jingdong, being a bit drunk, was repeatedly urged by Manager Yuan, so he left early.
After leaving the shop and walking a certain distance, he turned around and looked at the sign above the shop entrance.
A sudden, inexplicable sense of ease filled his heart.
Tsk tsk, from now on, I'm a boss!
He stood there for a while before turning to leave.
When he returned to Chunfeng Garden, his phone rang just as he opened the door and stepped inside.
He glanced at it; it was An Lu calling.
He then answered, "Hello..."
"You... where were you just now? Why didn't you reply to my message? I thought you..."
An Lu's voice was filled with concern.
Zhang Jingdong instantly understood and quickly said, "Don't worry, I'm fine. Everything at the shop was set up today, so I just had roasted whole lamb and some drinks with the employees."
"Because there were a lot of people and it was noisy, I didn't hear it... I'm sorry!"
"Oh, is that so? Alright... You... you drank too much?"
"It's alright, just over ten bottles of Da Wusu."
"That much! You... do you need to go to the hospital to sober up now? Don't get alcohol poisoning!"
"Don't worry, I can hold my liquor. I walked all the way back myself. It's seven or eight hundred meters from the restaurant to my place!"
"Alright then, you... get some rest early."
Zhang Jingdong felt the girl's genuine concern and gently said, "No rush, what did you need me for?"
"I... I didn't need anything. I just... had nothing to do after coming home tonight, and then I just wanted to... wanted to ask you... what are you doing?"
Zhang Jingdong's heart stirred, "Oh... so you missed me..."
"You... what are you saying? I... how could I? I... I was just curious about what you were doing!"
Zhang Jingdong knew the girl was thin-skinned, so he immediately said, "Alright, so that's how it is. Well, I wasn't wrong earlier, you want to know what I'm doing, which is short for you missing me!"
"You... you're really drunk. I... I'm not talking to you anymore. Go to sleep quickly, I need to rest too, goodbye!"
"Wait a moment..."
"What is it?"
Zhang Jingdong suppressed a laugh, "Next time you want to know what I'm doing, you don't need to text, just call me directly. Even if someone holds a knife to my throat, I will definitely answer your call!"
An Lu was immediately amused, "What you're saying is too exaggerated!"
Zhang Jingdong remained composed, "The main thing is to express my desire to answer your call, understand?"
An Lu's heart instantly warmed, "Alright... I understand! You go wash up and rest quickly. Put a glass of water by your bedside, you get thirsty easily in the middle of the night after drinking... Goodbye!"
Mid-sentence, the girl probably felt she had said too much and quickly hung up the phone.
Zhang Jingdong stood there, staring at his phone, for a full ten seconds before sighing, "Strange... we talked to this extent, and I still didn't gain any favorability!"
"Alright, it seems I need to go deeper and increase the stimulation!"
He chuckled self-deprecatingly, then went to the bathroom.
After washing up, he stared at himself in the mirror for about ten minutes.
He murmured, "My skin looks better, and my nose seems a bit straighter..."
"Hmm?" Zhang Jingdong's eyes suddenly lit up, "My nose is straighter, so will that part also get bigger accordingly?"
He quickly looked down.
"Doesn't seem like it..."
"But never mind, mine is already big enough. If it gets any bigger... I might only be able to find girlfriends in Western countries in the future!"
Zhang Jingdong pouted, then returned to his bedroom feeling satisfied.
Chapter 40 Asking Her for Help
The next day was Thursday.
In the morning, Manager Yuan personally trained everyone in the front hall, while Han Xu guided the chefs in the back kitchen.
In the afternoon, Zhang Jingdong, the boss, finally skipped class. He discussed the restaurant's opening promotional activities with Manager Yuan, then went to a print shop to print 10,000 flyers and 100 large posters.
Xijiang University and Jiangdu Industrial Universitycombined have nearly 100,000 students, which would just barely be enough.
After leaving the print shop, he first went to Jiangdu Industrial University.
He parked his car in the small plaza in front of the dining hall building and, carrying a backpack filled with flyers and posters, walked to the first female dormitory building.
Just then, two girls came out of the building. Zhang Jingdong walked straight up to them and said, "Hello, could you wait a moment?"
Seeing Zhang Jingdong dressed in designer clothes and looking quite handsome, both girls instinctively stopped.
Zhang Jingdong, seeing their reaction, immediately continued, "It's like this, I just opened a new restaurant on Ziqiang Road and need to do some promotion, but I'm a boy, so I can't enter the female dormitory."
"So, what do you think? If you help me distribute these in this building, I'll give each of you 100 yuan. What do you say?"
The two were initially a bit hesitant, but when they heard "100 yuan," their eyes immediately lit up.
One of them asked, "Are you really giving us 100 yuan each?"
Zhang Jingdong nodded, "That's right."
Zhang Jingdong said, taking out his wallet, pulling out a 100 yuan bill and a business card, and handing them over: "This is your advance payment and my business card. After you're done, give me a call, and I'll give you another 100."
The other person looked at her best friend beside her, then joyfully said, "Okay."
Seeing that they agreed, Zhang Jingdong immediately gave them the money, then unzipped his backpack and gave them a stack of flyers.
Watching them enter the dormitory building, Zhang Jingdong walked to the next dormitory building.
For the next half hour, he used similar methods to find people to help him distribute flyers.
Estimating that they would need at least three or four hours to distribute them, Zhang Jingdong returned to West University.
It was already past 5 o'clock, so he called Lu Yuan.
"Hello, Brother Dong."
"Are you in the dorm?"
"Yes, what's up?"
"Is everyone else there?"
"They're all here."
"Perfect, then. Go to Feng Ge Barbecue and wait for me now. I'll be right there. Oh, and don't wear slippers; wear sneakers. After we eat, I need you guys' help with something."
"Whatever help you need, just say the word. We'll get things done first, then eat."
"Haha, no rush. We'll talk about it during dinner."
Twenty minutes later, at Feng Ge Barbecue.
Zhang Jingdong ordered a table full of skewers but no alcohol, instead ordering a pile of iced drinks.
Zhang Jingdong saw that everyone in the dorm looked hesitant, then said, "It's like this: I just opened a new restaurant on Ziqiang Road, opposite the school gate. It officially opens this Saturday, so tonight I'd like to ask you all to help me distribute flyers in the various male dormitory buildings."
"Let's not drink tonight. Tomorrow, I'll treat you again, and we can have a good drink then!"
As soon as he said this, everyone was stunned!
Although they all knew Zhang Jingdong was rich, they hadn't expected him to be rich enough to open a restaurant!
And because of Zhang Jingdong's way of doing things, they instinctively ruled out the idea that he had opened just a small restaurant.
Sun Mian was so surprised that he stammered, "Brother Dong... how... how much did you spend to open this restaurant?"
Zhang Jingdong calmly replied, "Renting the storefront, buying tables, chairs, kitchenware... all of that together should have cost around 300,000 yuan so far."
"Over 300,000 yuan!?" Zhao Liuquan's mouth instantly dropped open. "Brother Dong, what kind of restaurant did you open?"
"Didn't we go to Chuan Xiang Ju a few times before? My restaurant is about the same size as theirs, but my place mainly features Hunan Cuisine."
Sun Mian couldn't help but exclaim, "You truly live up to your name, Brother Dong! You don't make a move unless it's to directly target the top. Awesome!"
Lu Yuan then raised his glass, "Don't say anything else, Brother Dong is awesome... Let's all wish Brother Dong a prosperous business and great success!"
The others also raised their glasses in agreement.
Zhang Jingdong finally raised his glass, "No need for more words. Although this restaurant is my endeavor, it's also the property of our 641 dormitory."
"It's still the same saying: as long as I, Zhang Jingdong, eat meat, there will absolutely be a share for my brothers. Cheers!"
Everyone clinked glasses and then drank their drinks dry.
Because they had to help Zhang Jingdong with something later, everyone finished their meal in about twenty minutes.
Afterward, each person took a stack of flyers and went to a dormitory building.
East One has a total of five male dormitory buildings, so the five of them could handle it perfectly.
And as they began to act, Zhang Jingdong first used the previous method to find people to distribute flyers downstairs at the other two female dormitory buildings, finally arriving at East One female dormitory building.
He hesitated for a moment, then called Lin Shishi.
After two rings, the other side picked up: "Hello..."
"Senior, are you in your dorm right now?"
"Yes... what's up?"
"Could you come down for a bit? I might need your help with something?"
"...Okay, I'll come down now."
Five minutes later, Lin Shishi gracefully emerged from the dormitory building.
At this moment, she wore no makeup and had on a pair of black-rimmed glasses, yet she possessed a unique kind of beauty.
Lin Shishi had just been thinking about whether to put on some makeup, but she was afraid Zhang Jingdong had an urgent matter, so she came down directly.
When she saw him staring at her, a hint of shyness quietly appeared on her face.
Although she was stunningly beautiful, she had never cared about how she looked in front of others before.
But for some reason, facing Zhang Jingdong now, she felt an inexplicable timidity.
She even worried for the first time about whether she looked good at that moment.
To divert his attention, she proactively asked, "You... what do you need me for?"
Zhang Jingdong finally reacted and replied, "It's like this: I opened a restaurant on Ziqiang Road, opposite the school gate. It's officially opening this Saturday, so I need to do some promotion these two days."
"Senior, could you and your dorm mates help me distribute flyers in your building?"
"Of course, I won't let you work for nothing. I'll give each of them 100 yuan, and as for you... I'll treat you to a meal... Is that okay?"
Although he tried to sound casual, the content of his words was clearly not that simple.
Lin Shishi first looked surprised: "You opened a restaurant? You... you opened it yourself?"
Zhang Jingdong patiently explained, "Yes, I earned some money a while ago, didn't I? I thought about starting a slightly bigger business."
"This restaurant has almost used up all my capital, so I definitely have to make it a success!"
Lin Shishi immediately understood upon hearing this.
And seeing the confidence and determination in Zhang Jingdong's eyes at that moment, she couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.
She then said, "Okay, I'll find people to help you distribute them, but you don't need to give us money. We're friends; this little bit of help is nothing."
Zhang Jingdong seized the opportunity, "Then how about this: on opening day, you bring your dorm mates to my restaurant. I'll treat everyone to a meal. You can also help me fill the place up and give us some feedback."
Lin Shishi hesitated slightly, then nodded, "Alright, let's do that then."