The dinner rush had finally slowed.
Steam still rose from the hotpot stations, and the rich aroma of broth and spices lingered in the air. Staff members moved quickly, clearing tables and preparing for the next wave of customers.
Liu Meilin stood behind the counter, reviewing the restaurant's accounts.
The numbers were astonishing.
Only three days after opening, the restaurant was already operating at full capacity.
Outside, a line of customers still stretched down Golden Street.
She was just about to return to the kitchen when a calm voice spoke from behind her.
"Miss Liu."
She turned.
A young man stood near the entrance.
He looked to be in his mid-twenties, dressed neatly in a dark coat. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes were sharp and observant.
Unlike the other investors who had visited earlier, he didn't seem overly confident or flashy.
Instead, he quietly studied the restaurant.
Every detail.
The hotpot tables.
The open kitchen.
The ramen station.
The crowd outside the window.
"You're here for dinner?" Liu Meilin asked politely.
The man shook his head slightly.
"I'm here for business."
He stepped forward and extended his hand.
"My name is Gu Yichen."
Liu Meilin shook his hand briefly.
"Liu Meilin."
He glanced around the restaurant again.
"Your concept is interesting."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting?"
Gu Yichen nodded.
"A modern casual dining restaurant with an open kitchen, signature ramen dishes, and personal hotpot stations."
He pointed subtly toward the tables.
"You're combining convenience, entertainment, and flavor in one place."
Liu Meilin froze for a split second.
That description…
It sounded too familiar.
Too modern.
In the 1990s, most restaurant investors only cared about location and price.
But this man was talking about dining concepts and customer experience.
Those ideas wouldn't become popular until the 2000s.
She studied him carefully.
"You seem very knowledgeable about restaurants."
Gu Yichen smiled faintly.
"I study successful business models."
He walked slowly through the restaurant while speaking.
"The open kitchen builds trust with customers."
He pointed toward the ramen counter.
"Signature dishes create brand identity."
Then he gestured toward the hotpot tables.
"And interactive dining keeps customers coming back."
Liu Meilin's eyes narrowed slightly.
Those were exactly the strategies used by modern restaurant chains decades later.
How could he understand them now?
Gu Yichen stopped near the window, looking at the long line outside.
"Your restaurant is already trending across the city."
He turned to her calmly.
"But one restaurant isn't enough."
Liu Meilin crossed her arms.
"What do you mean?"
Gu Yichen's eyes gleamed with quiet confidence.
"You should expand."
He spoke as if it were obvious.
"Five restaurants within the next two years."
"Then a brand franchise."
"Then nationwide expansion."
For a moment, Liu Meilin felt as if she had just stepped back into the modern business world she once knew.
Those were exactly the steps she had planned with the system's expansion blueprint.
But she had never told anyone.
Not even her family.
So how did this man think the same way?
She looked at him more seriously now.
"Mr. Gu."
He met her gaze.
"Yes?"
"Your ideas sound… very modern."
Gu Yichen chuckled softly.
"Good business ideas don't belong to a time period."
He leaned slightly against the table.
"They belong to people smart enough to see the future."
Liu Meilin's heart skipped a beat.
For the first time since coming to this world…
She felt like she was talking to someone who could almost see the future too.
But unlike her
He didn't have a system.
He simply had an extraordinary mind.
Gu Yichen placed a business card on the table.
"I want to invest in your restaurant."
She glanced at the card.
Gu Capital Investments
He continued calmly.
"I won't interfere with your management."
"I won't control your brand."
"I will simply provide the capital needed to expand."
Liu Meilin looked up.
"And what do you gain?"
Gu Yichen smiled.
"A share of the future."
Silence filled the restaurant for a moment.
Then Liu Meilin slowly smiled back.
This man…
Was going to be very interesting to work with.
And somewhere deep inside her mind
The system quietly activated again.
[System Notification]
High-Level Business Partner Detected
Recommendation: Cooperation Beneficial
Liu Meilin glanced at Gu Yichen again.
Perhaps…
Her restaurant empire had just found its first powerful ally.