《After divorcing my celebrity wife, I became the world's richest person》 Chapter 1: Chapter 1: One Day After Divorce, Reward Mobile Food Truck Suzhou City. Inside the Ximu Cafe. "Chen Yu, you finally decided to show up!" A woman''s irritated voice rose from the seat furthest in. To the uninformed, it might seem like just another scumbag had abandoned someone. But one nce at the pair made it clear that was impossible. The woman, despite wearing sunsses and a face mask, exuded a carefully curated fashion sense and an air of quality that made it clear she was no ordinary person. The man sitting opposite her was dressed quite simply, but still neat and clean. "Can''t we wait until Tuan Tuan is older before getting a divorce?" Chen Yu frowned. He had been stalling these past few days, not wanting his child to live in a single-parent family at such a young age. Fang Yuan, however, didn''t care about that, and as usual, she began using Chen Yu relentlessly. "How much longer do you n to drag me down? If I hadn''t threatened you with Tuan Tuan''s custody, would you have even showed up?" "If ites out now that I''m married, all my years of hard work will have been for nothing, do you understand?" "And look at you, what have you be now? Do you realize how big the disparity between us is?" Upon noticing that the only other table of customers and the waiter were looking over, Fang Yuan toned it down a bit, adjusted her sunsses, and spoke in a lower voice. But her words were still filled with disdain and contempt. "I want to divorce now!" "Fine, let''s get divorced..." Chen Yu gave in, "I don''t want anything else, just Tuan Tuan." "All these years, the money I''ve earned..." "Okay." Fang Yuan waspletely caught off guard by Chen Yu''s terms and was momentarily stunned. However, she quickly agreed to his condition. Over the years, she had actually made quite a lot of money and was originally worried Chen Yu would take this opportunity to make exorbitant demands. Just as she was about to recite the speech she had prepared, she heard such a response. She had thought through all the possible demands Chen Yu might make, but this one she had never considered. But after thinking for a moment, she concluded that Chen Yu was merely putting on a brave face. How could he possibly support himself and Tuan Tuan given his current situation? Was he going to return to dependence on his parents? Suddenly, a thought shed through Fang Yuan''s mind, and her expression instantly became guarded: "You can have the child, but afterwards you can''t reveal anything about us, or I will definitely fight to take the child back." "Fang Yuan, I''m not you, I would never use my child for the rest of my life." "Right, how could you possibly want Tuan Tuan now? You''re even afraid of marriage affecting your career, let alone Tuan Tuan''s existence," Chen Yu shook his head with a hint of sarcasm. Fang Yuan, somewhat infuriated and feeling humiliated, struggled to find words to retort. All she could do was angrily pull out the divorce agreement from her bag, wanting to sign it and leave as soon as possible. "I have prepared the agreement, sign it." Chen Yu took the agreement Fang Yuan had prepared and nced over it. Sure enough, the child was already meant to be his. The second Chen Yu finished signing, Fang Yuan snatched up the divorce agreement without a word and stormed off. Chen Yu looked out the window, lost in thought. 6 years ago, Chen Yu and Fang Yuan met at a concert and started dating not long after. Following that, it was only natural that they got married and had a lovely daughter. Their life was uneventful but warm. But shortly after Tuan Tuan was born, everything changed. Fang Yuan, by chance, participated in a variety show and unexpectedly became popr, began to be heavily promoted by entertainmentpanies, and stepped into the entertainment circle. In just three years, Fang Yuan had be a hot new star of the new generation. It was also during these three years that Fang Yuan neglected her child. Once, the child had a fever and was crying, but Fang Yuan didn''t pay attention, being busy soliciting votes online. Fortunately, Chen Yu discovered it in time and took him to the hospital. Afterward, Fang Yuan felt no guilt whatsoever, instead, she criticized Chen Yu. Later, she directly left Tuan Tuan with Chen Yu, dedicating herself entirely to her path to stardom. At that time, Chen Yu had struggled in this city for six years, finally getting an opportunity for a promotion. Chen Yu had no choice but to give it up, he even quit his job and found another one that was nine to five, involved less responsibility, and was closer to home. All to have more time to take proper care of the child. At first, Fang Yuan would asionallye to see the child,ter, she only returned during the New Year to meet the child, but even then, she would leave right after seeing him. As for Chen Yu, after Fang Yuan entered the entertainment industry and saw all kinds of high society circles, she increasingly looked down upon him. What she once considered handsome enough to ''eat with,'' she now couldn''t be bothered to give a second nce. Chen Yu could barely make ends meet living in Suzhou City while working as a junior white-cor worker. The people in the circle could easily spend more on a single meal than several months of his sry. Not to mention the job he now had that paid a monthly sry of three thousand. Even her assistants were better off than him. He simply wasn''t a match for her anymore. Especially a few days ago, when Fang Yuan attended a dinner hosted by a financier, he joked about her marital status, prompting her to realize she couldn''t drag it out any longer. This year, the entertainment industry was fraught with troubles, constantly challenging the public''s perception, and tolerance for celebrities was getting lower and lower. If her married status were to be exposed, given that she debuted with a single and pure girl image, her career would be over. She would not only miss the critical moment to step into the ranks of second-tier stars but would also be a copsed artist. That''s why Fang Yuan was in such a hurry to sever ties with Chen Yu, and even with Tuan Tuan. Buzz! Buzz! At that moment, the mobile phone on the table vibrated. Chen Yu''s thoughts were abruptly brought back to the present. "Proceedings at the civil affairs office at 8 am tomorrow." ........ The next day. After confirming with both, the staff at the civil affairs office stamped their divorce certificate. Officially ending their six-year marriage. Fang Yuan, having obtained the divorce certificate, ignored Chen Yu in front of her, walked past him as if he was air, and directly got into the nanny car that was already waiting at the door. She didn''t even want to dy herself by saying a few harsh words. Because in her eyes, Chen Yu was like mud that wouldn''t stick up, and spending more words on him was a waste of time. Seeing Chen Yu standing dazed at the door, Fang Yuan felt relieved, and the worries in her heart gradually dissipated. After all, if she didn''t divorce soon, her married status would sooner orter be unearthed, and then she would lose all her fame and fortune. And to Fang Yuan, Chen Yu looked "soulless and lost." At the moment he received the divorce certificate. He was stunned by a pop-up that suddenly appeared in his mind. "Congrattions host for unlocking the divorce achievement, activating the Perfect Comeback Life System." [First-time activation reward: one mobile food cart, including the skill: Fried Sugar Cake.] [System notification: The host will receive one point for every dor earned, as well as the corresponding experience points. One hundred points can be used to draw a lottery, where each draw can randomly grant aeback skill.] Chapter 2: Chapter 2 Dad, Why Dont You Marry My Teacher ``` As the system''s crisp voice echoed in Chen Yu''s mind, a multitude of virtual screens, brimming with vast amounts of information, flickered incessantly before his eyes. In an instant, Chen Yu felt bewildered, for fried sugar cakes were nothing more than ordinary breakfast fare found at street stalls, something he often made at home when taking care of Tuan Tuan. However, ording to the information provided by the system, these fried sugar cakes were practically an artistic craft. From the most basic step of fermenting the dough to the filling that came afterwards, each step left Chen Yu in awe. Furthermore, just the categories of the finished sugar cake products disyed by the system numbered in the dozens, not to mention the detailed ssifications within. Inparison, the fried sugar cakes he had made before could only be described as trivial rubbish. Fang Yuan removed her sunsses and, through the car''s rearview mirror, looked down on Chen Yu with disdain. The agent in the passenger seat covered her mouth to suppress augh, "If you ask me, this guy is just putting on airs. Your daughter''s tuition fees, plus the cost of dance sses, add up to at least ten thousand a month, I don''t even know what he hopes to achieve by fighting for custody." Although Fang Yuan''s face was full of scorn, her heart couldn''t help but tremble. She actually wanted to fight for custody, but her current situation made that impossible. "Who cares about him? I''m single now, set up my next appearances immediately!" Fang Yuan said coldly and urged the driver to start the car quickly. She had long been utterly tired of Chen Yu, so much so that she couldn''t bear to spare him another nce. After roughly digesting the information brought by the system, Chen Yu slowly lifted his head. He nced at the departing nanny car and then hailed a shared bike on the roadside, heading straight for Le Meile Kindergarten. Before he knew it, Chen Yu had arrived at the entrance of the kindergarten. His shared bike, however, seemed rather out of cepared to the luxury family cars lined up at the gate. As usual, Chen Yu stood under a Chinese parasol tree at the school gate. After all,pared to other parents, he felt the gap was too significant and feared cing a psychological burden on Tuan Tuan. It was only when nearly all the children had left that Chen Yu tidied up his clothes. Just as he was about to go in, a woman of exquisite figure and graceful posture came out of the school gate, holding Tuan Tuan''s hand andughing cheerfully. This woman was so beautiful it was beyond description, her perfectly carved featuresid upon a face of golden proportions, and a touch of light makeup gave her an ethereal quality. "Tuan Tuan''s daddy, why are you waiting here again? All the other parents go straight to the ssroom to wait for their children," she said. The slight annoyance andint in her voice didn''t irritate Chen Yu; instead, her gentle tone was like a breath of spring. "I just don''t want to interrupt the kids'' dance practice!" Chen Yu''s exnation was far-fetched. Almost all the children who came here to learn dancing came from wealthy or influential families. It was indeed out of ce for him to mix in, and it could even negatively impact Tuan Tuan. "You can''t say that; sometimes children needpanionship..." This was not the first time Chen Yu had heard such remarks, and heughed awkwardly, then took an envelope from his pocket and handed it over. "Teacher Tong Ya, this is for the dance ss fees you covered for Tuan Tuan! I''ve been a bit busy these past days and haven''t had the chance to bring it to you, I''m really sorry." Tong Ya did not reach out to take it but rather handed Tuan Tuan over to Chen Yu. "It''s alright, a few dayste is fine, I''m not in a rush! Take Tuan Tuan home first, the child must be hungry!" ``` With a smile, Tong Ya politely excused herself and adjusted the straps of her purse. "Tuan Tuan''s dad, no matter what, never give up. Tuan Tuan''s dance talent is extraordinary, and today she even won first ce in the preschool district preliminarypetition. Her future is boundless!" After saying these serious words, Tong Ya turned and walked away. "Dad, Ms. Tong Ya knows about you and Mom. She said she''ll find a way to waive the dance ss fees for the next few weeks, so you don''t need to worry about the rest." As she spoke, Tuan Tuan picked up a small trophy and waved it in front of Chen Yu. Chen Yu nced at the trophy, then ruffled Tuan Tuan''s little head. "It''s okay, Tuan Tuan. Just focus on your dancing and school, and leave the rest to Dad!" Tuan Tuan nodded obediently, but suddenly she tilted her head and looked at Tong Ya''s retreating figure. "Dad, I think Ms. Tong Ya is more like a mom! Why don''t you pursue her and let her be my new mom?" Chen Yu was taken aback and coughed violently a couple of times. "You little rascal, when did you start ying matchmaker?" Tuan Tuan stuck out her tongue, then skillfully climbed onto Chen Yu''s shoulders. "Dad, Mom doesn''t want us anymore, and you''ve lost your job. Where are we going to make money? Maybe I should stop dancing." Chen Yu pretended to be angry and pinched Tuan Tuan''s little nose. "What are you talking about, being so defeatist? My Tuan Tuan is the most talented dancer in the world, you can''t just stop dancing like that! Dad has already figured out a way to handle the money!" Tuan Tuan looked skeptical: "But it seems like we''ve got nothing left except for that envelope you carry, Dad. What are you going to do? You''re not going to do something rash, are you?" "Of course not! Dad is going to show you our business right now!" As they spoke, Chen Yu had already hopped on a shared bicycle and headed straight for the address provided by the system. A short distance from the kindergarten, there was a medium-sized, somewhat old camper van. Chen Yu took out the keys the system had prepared for him and opened the van''s door. At the entrance, all the necessary permits were already in ce, the kitchen was clean and tidy, and there were enough food supplies for two days. There was also a bedroom of modest size connected to the driver''s cabin. With Chen Yu''s driver''s license and health certificate, once he set the price for the fried cakes, he could start doing business immediately! "Wow! Dad, is this what you called our business? Where did you get this from?" Chen Yu pinched Tuan Tuan''s little cheek: "Dad has worked hard for many years and has saved some money. It was just enough to buy this mobile food truck!" "Long live Dad!" Tuan Tuan kissed Chen Yu''s face. "So, is this our home from now on?" Chen Yu nodded with a bitter-sweet feeling. The divorce had left him with almost nothing. If it weren''t for the system providing this food truck, he probably would have had to rent a ce to live. "Sort of! But in the future, Dad will definitely buy Tuan Tuan a big house!" Afterforting Tuan Tuan, Chen Yu reached for the small ckboard beside him and began writing the price list. Chapter 3: Chapter 3 Tuan Tuans Taste Test Turns into a Grand Opening "Sweet potato vor 1.5 yuan." "Purple potato vor 1.5 yuan." "Brown sugar 1 yuan." "White sugar 1 yuan." "ck sesame 2 yuan." Chen Yu was very adept at setting the prices and ced the sign to one side. His life in recent years, filled with the basics of daily needs, had given Chen Yu a firm grasp of the entire price system in Suzhou City. This pricing was definitely reasonable! "Daddy! I''m a little hungry!" For a child of Tuan Tuan''s age, who was growing, and having participated in a regionalpetition today, burning lots of energy, hunger had already set in. However, aside from the envelope Tong Ya had returned, Chen Yu had nothing on him. Years of instinct told him that this money absolutely could not be touched. Besides, the system-provided RV had nothing extra besides the raw materials for the fried cakes. Seeming to sense Chen Yu''s awkwardness, Tuan Tuan moved closer to him in an obedient manner. "Daddy! Why don''t you make me two fried cakes? This way, I can check out your cooking skills in advance, otherwise, the business tomorrow morning might be ruined!" Chen Yu pinched Tuan Tuan''s nose, both annoyed and amused. "It''s as if I''ve never made them for you before! Just wait!" Chen Yu rolled up his sleeves and headed to the kitchen area, following the skill information provided by the system to mix the water and dough. While the dough was resting, he prepared some filling to use. Even during a minor trial run, beads of sweat had formed on Chen Yu''s forehead. The steps provided by the system were not overlyplicated, but there were so many details to focus on that Chen Yu felt a bit overwhelmed at first. Fortunately, he had some previous experience and quickly adapted. As the oil heated up and the cakes began frying, a rich aroma immediately began to spread. "Wow, Daddy! It smells so good! The sugar cakes you fried before never smelled this good! Did you learn some new skills from somewhere?" "Of course! It''s all from your dad''s self-researched efforts!" Pleased with himself, Chen Yu was also slightly taken aback internally; just changing a few details made such a huge difference in the final product. When the first batch of sugar cakes was ready, Tuan Tuan eagerly grabbed one with oiled paper. She took a bite and the vor was fragrant, tender, and crispy, sweet but not cloying, and the filling seemed to melt in her mouth, effortlessly sliding down her throat. "It''s so delicious! Daddy, I want more, I want more!" Chen Yu too couldn''t quite believe it and ate one himself, the taste giving him an inexplicable sense of tion. "Young man, is this a mobile food cart? What are you selling here? It smells wonderful." An elderlydy dressed in red, fanning herself, approached, drawn by the smell, and looking like she was heading to join in the square dancing. "It''s just ordinary fried cakes, but we haven''t even started..." Before Chen Yu could finish saying the words about officially starting business, Tuan Tuan had grabbed a small stool and ced herself at the window, holding up the price sign Chen Yu had written. "Grandma! Would you like to buy one to try?" That adorable voice blossomed joy in the elderlydy''s heart. "Oh my, what a lovely girl! Then give grandma a ck sesame one!" Chen Yu couldn''t help but feel a pang of sadness seeing Tuan Tuan looking like a little money-grubber. Fang Yuan''s departure had hit Tuan Tuan hard, but it seemed to have spurred some growth in the little girl. Tuan Tuan decisively took Chen Yu''s phone, opening the payment page. Chen Yu wrapped a ck sesame sugar cake in oiled paper and handed it over. As soon as the elderlydy paid, she eagerly put the sugar cake into her mouth. "Oh my, this is tasty!" The olddy shouted loudly and then opened her fan, waving it a few times in the distance. "Hey,e over here, this handsome young man''s sugar cake is delicious!" With one call, she attracted arge group of elderly men and women. They were all dressed in uniform, clearly a group that often danced together in the square. Chen Yu''s head was full of ck lines; he had only made ten for his first batch, nowhere near enough for all the seniors. "Well, Granny..." Just as Chen Yu was about to exin, Tuan Tuan adorably brought her hands together in salute, making a curtsey. "Dear grandpas and grandmas, we just opened for business! Don''t rush, please wait patiently for my daddy for 15 minutes, the tasty fried cakes will be ready in no time!" Who could resist such a cute, adorable, and pretty little girl? Especially a bunch of elderly folks. "No problem, child, we''ll wait!" The first grandma who arrived pped her thigh and then began telling the others how delicious the fried cakes were! Seeing that the seniors agreed, Tuan Tuan quickly nudged Chen Yu. "Hurry up and make the fried cakes, Daddy! Business is here." Chen Yu didn''t say much, just cracked a slight smile and turned to get busy. "Dear grandpas and grandmas, just tell me what you want to eat, and I''ll write it down right away!" Saying so, Tuan Tuan took out paper and pen, while holding up a QR code for payments with her other hand. "I''ll have 5 purple sweet potato ones!" "Two in sugar, two ck sesame!" "Three red sweet potato, two brown sugar!" ... As Tuan Tuan noted down the orders, she also calcted the prices, and the seniors conscientiously scanned to pay. "ount credited with 7.5 yuan." "ount credited with 6 yuan." "ount credited with 6.5 yuan." ... Listening to the sounds of paymentsing from his phone, Chen Yu felt invigorated. Batch after batch of fried cakes were quicklyid out. "Oh my, eating such delicious fried cakes in my lifetime, I could die happy now. Give me another 20, any vor will do, I want to take them home for my family to try." The first olddy who hade didn''t even stop for her square dancing; she grabbed 20 fried cakes and rushed back home. Several young women working the night shift at the factory also followed the scent; each bought ten fried cakes. But by the time they reached the shuttle pickup point, the fried cakes in their hands had been polished off, all of them still looking unsatisfied. "Wow, these are so tasty, I''ve never eaten anything this delicious before." "Have all of you eaten your fill? Should we go back and buy a few more?" "Oh no, the shuttle bus is here, we don''t have time!" "It''s alright, these are meant to be an early morning treat anyway, maybe they''ll still be selling them here tomorrow morning!" As they spoke, the young women boarded the bus with faces full of regret. In the nearby square, a bewildered teenager with a skateboard stood there, looking around. "What''s going on? Howe those old men and women aren''t here fighting with us for the spot today?" "Strange, very strange, they all seem to be gathered over there, what are they doing? What''s that?" "Who knows? Maybe that shop is having a promotion, giving away eggs or something!" "That''s not right, it smells so good! How can the scent of fried cakes drift this far?" "Let''s go have a look. Without the old folks fighting for our spot, I suddenly feel like something''s missing." ... Chapter 4: Chapter 4 All Sold Out in One Night 7:00 pm. The usually bustling sports square had suddenly be deserted, with a group of square-dancing seniors leading everyone to gather in front of Chen Yu''s food cart. "Oh my, this is so delicious! How the heck is this made?" "No wonder these old men and women have stopped square dancing!" "Owner, give me another 30 with ck sesame filling!" "Over here, 60 more! 30 with sweet potato and 30 with purple potato!" ... The crowd was eating and taking away food so quickly that the system''s provided ingredients had already diminished by half. Fortunately, Chen Yu was by now familiar with all the processes, and his proficiency with frying cakes was remarkable, which also quickened his pace considerably. However, the swarm of people had indeed caught him somewhat off guard. Thankfully, Tuan Tuan had brought over some tables and chairs, and sat outside the food cart to keep track of orders and collect money, easing some of the load off Chen Yu. "Hurry up and give us 100, we''re going to a caf¨¦ to stay overnight!" Five teenagers had followed the crowd over, but these five were scruffy, clearly the types who hung around cafes all year round. "Five brothers, please wait a moment; we''ve really got too many people today! You can pay first and register your vors with me." The term ''brothers'' softly spoken by Tuan Tuan gave the five a somewhat fluttery feeling. People like them, addicted to games and frequenting cafes, were often looked down upon. But now, such a cute little girl was standing in front of them calling them ''brothers'', which rapidly lifted their self-esteem. "No worries, we''ll wait!" ... The first olddy who had bought a fried cake had already returned home. However, her little grandson was now lying on the floor, throwing a tantrum, refusing to eat his meal, and had even strewn rice and soup all over the floor. Her son and daughter-inw were at their wit''s end with the little boy. The grandmother hurried over to soothe him, but the aroma of the fried cake in her hand instantly stopped the young boy''s cries. "Granny, what is this?" The grandmother eagerly pushed the fried cake towards her grandson, "Something good, try it quickly!" The scent was already mouthwatering, and the little boy hurriedly grabbed one and stuffed it into his mouth. Under the astonished gazes of his family, the boy proceed to polish off 20 fried cakes. "Granny, I want more!" "Alright, alright, Granny will take you there now, maybe they haven''t closed up shop yet." Both the son and the daughter-inw swallowed hard involuntarily, the scent they had smelled before was truly astounding. ... The five teenagers heading to the caf¨¦ with their fried cakes had just stepped inside when they attracted arge group of kids at theputers. "Dude, what''s that and where did you get it? It smells amazing!" "If you have a bite of this, it''ll keep you alert and awake all night! You might even snag the top spot in the game." ... It wasn''t long before Chen Yu''s fried cakes caused quite a stir in the neighborhood. Those who had bought fried cakes earlier came back with friends and family, making Chen Yu''s food cart even livelier. By 9:00 pm, the crowd waiting at the food cart had finally started to thin out. "Ah, owner, this is truly tempting! We''ve been working all day and couldn''t find much to eat. Give us a few fried cakes." "Oh, this little girl is so cute, she must be your daughter, right?" Chen Yu served the fried cakes on several tes and set them on the table. "Yeah, daughter!" "Wow, the boss is handsome and makes such delicious fried cakes, and having a daughter who listens and understands so well, truly a role model for us all." "Not like us, working like dogs every day and still can''t find a wife." "Hmph, with dowries in the hundreds of thousands, plus they want a car and a house, only a fool would get married." "Exactly, long live being single!" ... Chen Yu suddenly had several ck lines running down his forehead. "I got divorced!" The moment they heard this, they all showed a bit of sympathy. "No worries, bro, with your good looks and a skillful hand, you won''t have any trouble finding a wife." "Hey, brother, is there a secret recipe to your fried cakes? They''re so fragrant!" "And they''re not greasy at all, there must be a secret recipe!" Chen Yu waved his hand: "I just use slightly better ingredients, that''s all!" "I can''t take it anymore, give me another 20 with ck sesame!" "Oh my God, this is so delicious, it''s my first time getting addicted to something as greasy as fried cakes! Give me a 100 more!" Chen Yu shrugged: "I reckon you''ll have to wait about ten minutes!" "Hey, we don''t mind waiting ten minutes, or even ten hours!" With a smile on his face, Chen Yu began to deftly make the fried cakes. It didn''t take long for him to turn all the remaining ingredients into finished products and toss them into the fryer in batches. When Tuan Tuan brought over the office workers'' fried cakes batch by batch, she stood by their side obediently. "Uncles, since this is greasy food after all, it would be best to eat a little less, for the sake of your health." Her adorable voice instantly melted the hearts of these rough men. "Don''t worry, our stomachs are strong and we digest well, no matter how much we eat, it''s fine!" "Right, with food this delicious, even if it kills me with its richness, I''d die satisfied!" "That''s right, don''t just worry about us eating, hurry and call the rest of the people from thepany over; many of them haven''t had a proper meal for days!" Before long, arge group of people in uniforms were summoned by these office workers. While they grumbled about work, they also praised Chen Yu''s sweet cakes, showing a dichotomy in their behavior. And these folks had huge appetites, soon finishing off all the remaining sweet cakes at a rapid pace. Even so, there were a few who, still not satisfied, stood in front of the food cart, gazing eagerly at Chen Yu. "I''m sorry, but today''s sweet cakes are all sold out. If you want more, you''d bettere early tomorrow!" A group of people, a bit dejected, patted their stomachs and dispersed reluctantly. [Congrattions to the host, today''s profit is 6235 yuan, reward points 6235!] The system''s notification tone gave Chen Yu a little thrill. He hadn''t expected this make-do business to earn such a high profit. This morning, he was a man forced into divorce and stripped of wealth, unsure of where his next meal woulde from. Yet by evening, he had his own little enterprise! Today''s profit was higher than what an ordinary person makes in a month. But Chen Yu remained quite calm. After all, the raw materials he used today were provided by the system, without any investment on his part. Starting from tomorrow, he would have to factor in the cost of raw materials! And he also had to figure out where to source them from. "Daddy! I helped you out a lot today, shouldn''t you pay me a sry? I''m still hungry. I''ve only eaten two pieces of sweet cake from the afternoon till now!" Chapter 5: Chapter 5 Pure Net Profit Chen Yu rubbed Tuan Tuan''s little head. "Tuan Tuan, you really were Daddy''s hero today! Haven''t you always wanted to eat the spicy chicken from that ce on the east street corner? Let''s go now!" "Yay, long live Daddy!" After cheering, Tuan Tuan very obediently began to help Chen Yu tidy up the food cart. This had almost be a habit for Tuan Tuan, as Fang Yuan had been busy filming for years, and Chen Yu managed everything at home. Whenever Chen Yu did the housework, Tuan Tuan always came over to help out diligently, and it had be a habit over time. After filtering the waste oil, cleaning the workbench meticulously, and thoroughly sweeping the entire food cart, Chen Yu finally took off his rubber gloves with satisfaction. [Congrattions to the host for a perfect end to a day''s business; reward: contact information for all ingredient suppliers.] Chen Yu was slightly surprised; it seemed that he wouldn''t be able to get the suppliers'' contact information if he didn''t clean up the food cart thoroughly. Truth be told, today''s ingredients could be considered top-notch, and if Chen Yu had to find the raw materials himself, he probably wouldn''t be able to find ones this good. At this moment, his phone had a few new phone numbers added to it. "Let''s go quickly, Daddy, or they''ll be closing up soon! Oh, we have to print out the payment code too. I''m so tired from receiving payments on the phone all day!" It was already ten o''clock at night, and except for a few 24-hour fast-food restaurants, almost all the shops on the street had closed. Fortunately, there was a print shop not far from them that hadn''t closed yet. After printing and copying the payment code, Chen Yu took Tuan Tuan to a small Sichuan restaurant. After ordering two servings of spicy chicken over rice, Chen Yu started making phone calls. "Flour at three yuan per pound, one hundred pounds per bag, right? Bring me ten bags at four o''clock tomorrow morning!" "Sweet potatoes, mix of purple and regr, at five yuan per pound, bring me two hundred pounds at four o''clock tomorrow morning!" "Original sesame seeds at ten yuan per pound, bring me one hundred pounds at four o''clock tomorrow morning." "White sugar, brown sugar, both at two yuan per pound, bring me one hundred pounds of each at four o''clock tomorrow morning." "Pure mineral water at ten yuan per barrel, bring me ten, um, barrels at four o''clock tomorrow morning!" The raw materials Chen Yu bought were double what the system had provided on the first day. After all, the initial stock of ingredients had sold out in just half a day. At this time, the Sichuan restaurant wasn''t busy, and although Chen Yu''s voice wasn''t loud, everyone could hear him clearly. The restaurant owner served the rice and then sat down beside them as if he were an old acquaintance. "Buddy, you sell breakfast fried pastries, right? Your ingredients are too expensive. Let me tell you a ce where you can get flour for just one yuan per pound, which could double your profits!" Chen Yu just smiled and showed no interest in engaging further with the owner. Flour for one yuan per pound would undoubtedly be of inferior quality, and buying it would only detract from the quality of his fried pastries. "Uncle Boss, my daddy doesn''t sell just any ordinary fried pastries! We can''t be so casual with the choice of ingredients. Flour that cheap must be fake," Tuan Tuan piped up assertively. If anyone else had said that, the owner would certainly have been furiously embarrassed, as that was the kind of flour he used in his restaurant. But Tuan Tuan''s voice wasn''t just sweet; he also looked cute, and even the fiercest-looking person would be disarmed by his charm. "Ah, but in business, you''ve got to consider profits first! No matter how well you make the fried pastries, they''re still just going to taste the same, no big difference." No sooner had the owner finished speaking than Tuan Tuan spit out the spicy chicken he had just put into his mouth. "It''s so yucky, not even as good as the pastries my daddy makes! It never used to taste this bad." The owner was less than pleased at that. "Little sister, you can''t just say anything you like, my spicy chicken is the most famous on this whole street!" Tuan Tuan pouted, "It''s really not as good as the fried cakes my dad makes. If you don''t believe me, you can try them tomorrow morning at the mobile food cart on the next street over!" "Alright, Tuan Tuan, that''s not polite! Finish eating quickly and go home, you have school tomorrow!" With a soft chide, Chen Yu wolfed down a te of rice covered in meat. He was indeed tired after a long day. Tuan Tuan didn''t talk anymore, but she really couldn''t eat any more of the spicy chicken rice, so she called the owner to pack it to take away. The hard times from her childhood made Tuan Tuan reluctant to waste anything. "Hmph, despising my rice yet still wanting to take it away! It''s just selling fried cakes, what''s so great about that? I''ll try it out tomorrow. If it''s not good, I''ll smash up your shop." Chen Yu didn''t even pay attention to the owner, simply taking Tuan Tuan back to their food cart. After settling Tuan Tuan in the only room of the food cart, Chen Yu quickly straightened up the driver''s seat andy down. The partition between the driver''s seat and the room was not very thick; any noise could be clearly heard, and there was also a small window the size of a head. "Tuan Tuan, do you miss mom?" Chen Yu suddenly asked. "No, I hardly ever saw her!" Chen Yu didn''t know what to say, after all, it was her mother. "Dad, I still think Teacher Tong Ya is very nice. You''re so handsome and now we have our own business, I bet you could win her over!" "You child! Go to sleep quickly! You have school tomorrow, right?" ... At four in the morning, there was a loud knock on the door of the food cart. A few cars, as if they had arranged it beforehand, parked outside the cart. "Boss, your goods have arrived, time to unload!" Chen Yu hurried out of the cart and after he settled the vendors and their goods, he washed his face and rolled up his sleeves to start working. However, the noise had awoken Tuan Tuan. "Dad, you''re up so early? I''lle help!" Chen Yu, feeling helpless, didn''t force Tuan Tuan to continue sleeping; she would have been woken up by his noise eventually. "Boss, you''re finally setting up. We''ve been waiting all night,e on,e on, I''ll order a hundred right off!" A youth who had spent the night at an inte caf¨¦ emerged with dark circles under his eyes, clearly having heard the cart. "Alright, but I just opened up, you''ll have to wait about twenty minutes!" "Ah! That long? That''s enough time for a game!" The youth hesitated for a moment, then made a call. "You guys go ahead and y! Don''t wait for me, I''m going to wait here for fried cakes!" "What? Are they the same fried cakes fromst night? Then I''m not ying either, I''ll be right over." Before long, the youths who were at the inte caf¨¦ the night before swarmed the ce, making the owner worried that someone was stealing his business, so he hurried over. "Oh boy, boss, your fried cakes smell so good, no wonder these monkeys aren''t even going to the anymore! Give me fifty as well!" Seeing so many people from the get-go, Tuan Tuan was also excited and quickly grabbed the printed payment code sign and got off the cart. "Scan the code, pay the money, choose your vor, everything''s right here!" Chapter 6: Chapter 6 Come to my house for fried cakes The elders in the nearby residential area, who usually couldn''t get up until five or six o''clock, were up early today, getting out of bed just after four. "Oh my, why is Auntie Wang up so early today?" "Going for sugar cakes! If we don''t go now, there won''t be any left." "What sugar cake has such power to get you up at four?" "It''s good stuff, sweet but not cloying, after eating one, you still want another." ... "Granny, hurry up. After eating the sugar cake, I''ve got to go to school!" "Oh dear, my grandson, it''s just past four, we''ve got time, we''ve got time." ... The food cart had only been open for less than half an hour, and already it was surrounded by people with no room to get through. Just the reserved fried cakes had already reached more than two thousand. Even the sanitation workers who came out to clean in the morning were drawn by the scent, gathering around, waiting to eat fried cakes. "Boss, do you have anything to drink here? It''s a bit stuck in my throat!" Chen Yu couldn''t help frowning, "Sorry, it''s just my second day opening, I haven''t had time to stock drinks yet, please bear with me!" "No problem! I just ate a little too quickly, these fried cakes are just too tasty! But for a food cart like yours, if you could hook up a small trailer behind, just for drinks or other small items, that would be pretty sweet." Chen Yu helplessly responded, "I know about that kind of trailer, but it needs to be customized and modified, it''s not easy to find a craftsman on short notice!" "Look for me!" The man suddenly perked up, pulled out a business card from his pocket, and had Tuan Tuan hand it to Chen Yu. "I''m Zhang Fan, I design custom vehicles. Your food cart looks good; just add a small trailer to the back and it will be perfect. If you trust me, I''ll design it for you today when I get back!" "Oh, that would be great!" Chen Yu replied, "Then let me know the cost when the timees, and I''ll transfer the payment to you." "Hey, no worries, the custom vehicle shop across the street is mine. I''ll do a good job, and I''ll deliver it to you directly! And load me up with a few dozen fried cakes to take home for my wife and kids." At six forty in the morning, the first wave of customers finally receded, but there was still a long line in front of the food cart. "I''m really sorry, everyone, I need to take my daughter to school! I''m closing for twenty minutes!" "Ah, boss, I''ve been waiting for a while now, can you get my fried cakes ready before you go?" "Yeah, boss, we''ve been waiting so hard!" ... Chen Yu was somewhat conflicted as there wasn''t any business that came to his door that he wouldn''t do, but in his heart, Tuan Tuan''s ce could never be reced by anything. Just as he was insisting on pausing to take Tuan Tuan to school, Zhang Fan''s family of three appeared to be having a tug-of-war as they left the garage. "Wife, it''s not easy for a guy who''s divorced and still taking care of a child. I''m just sparing some time to design a trailer for him, it''s nothing!" "What do you mean it''s nothing? Have you collected the debt they owed you? The designs you handed out, others just went to someone else to make them, not even paying you the design fees. How long are you nning to be Mr. Nice Guy? Don''t you realize we still have mortgage and car payments to make?" "Ah, wife, he''s just across the street, we are all neighbors, helping out a bit is nothing!" Zhang Fan tried to persuade her, while stuffing the fried cakes he held into his wife''s hands. It wasn''t until she took a bite of the fried cake that the displeasure on her facepletely disappeared. "My goodness! Is it really that delicious?" The couple had just arrived in front of the snack cart, and the smell of the fried cakes in their hands,bined with the aromas wafting from the cart, invigorated Zhang Fan''s wife. "Are you sure these are just fried cakes? Boss, give me a hundred of them, I want to take them to my workce and let my colleagues try." Chen Yu strained to listen, suppressing a chuckle, "I''m about to take my daughter to school, so I''ll have to stop for twenty minutes!" It was then that Zhang Fan''s wife noticed Tuan Tuan standing beside them. "Oh! What an adorable little girl! Hey, I feel like I''ve seen you somewhere before? Are you from the nearby Le Mei Le Kindergarten?" Tuan Tuan nodded obediently, "Yes, sister! I''m also ssmates with Luo Luo!" This endearment of ''sister'' made Zhang Fan''s wife''s heart bloom with joy, "Oh, you should have said so earlier, we''re on the way there! My daughter also goes to that kindergarten! Why don''t I let my husband, Zhang, take both of the kids, and you can stay here and help me with the fried cakes!" Chen Yu hesitated, after all, Zhang Fan had onlye by to eat fried cakes twice and they weren''t very familiar with each other. However, seeing that Zhang Fan''s daughter and Tuan Tuan seemed quite acquainted with each other, he let go of his concerns. "Then, Zhang, I''ll have to trouble you! I will give you a discount on the fried cakes you wanted." "No need for any discount! With fried cakes this good, how can I ept a discount?" Zhang Fan''s wife promptly scanned the payment QR code for the full amount. Chen Yu said goodbye to Tuan Tuan and sped up the cooking of the fried cakes. By nine in the morning, the area in front of the snack cart had finally quieted down. The raw materials delivered in the morning were already more than half gone, and the records on the payment QR code had reached an astonishing seven thousand eight hundred and twenty-three yuan. Subtracting the five thousand four hundred yuan spent on raw materials yesterday, he had a profit of two thousand four hundred and twenty-three yuan for the morning. The system also showed that he had umted eight thousand six hundred and fifty-eight points! That is, from yesterday afternoon to now, Chen Yu had made eight thousand six hundred and fifty-eight yuan. The remaining raw materials in the snack cart were now clearly audible to Chen Yu as well. Inside the kindergarten, Tuan Tuan had already started her special dance ss. "Tuan Tuan, why didn''t your dade to drop you off this morning?" Tong Ya''s inquiry seemed casual, but there was a certain expectancy in her voice. "My dad started his businessst night, and he was even busier this morning, so he had to ask Luo Luo''s dad to send me!" "A business? Wasn''t your father cleaned out? Where did he get the capital to start a business? Besides, if he''s running a business, how does he have time to take care of you?" "It''s not really like having a shop; it''s just a snack cart selling fried cakes! My mom didn''t leave anything when she went away, so my dad can only find a way to run the cart and take care of me at the same time." Tong Ya''s eyes filled with pity as she indulgently ruffled Tuan Tuan''s little head. "Tell your dad when you go back, the coaching fee for dancing has been waived. Let him not work so hard in the future!" "Really!" Tuan Tuan''s face lit up with excitement, "Thank you so much, Teacher Tong Ya! My dad will be very grateful to you, too. How about visiting my dad''s snack cart with me this afternoon? The fried cakes he makes are simply the most delicious things in the world!" Tong Ya paused slightly, her gaze drifting off for a moment. "Okay, after school, I''ll go with you!" Tuan Tuan pped her little hands in joy and excitedly threw herself into Tong Ya''s arms. But in the next moment, for some reason, Tuan Tuan''s face took on a touch of loss, even showing a hint of sadness. Chapter 7: Chapter 7 Not Enough for Sale Tong Ya hurriedly took out the tissues she carried with her and wiped Tuan Tuan''s little face. "Oh, what happened? You were fine just a moment ago, how did you turn into a little crybaby so suddenly?" Tuan Tuan rubbed his eyes, pretending to be aggrieved. "My dad is just a fried cake seller now, the teacher won''t look down on him, will she?" "How could she? To the teacher, your dad is a very responsible man!" "Then, Teacher Tong Ya, you promised, after school this afternoon you''lle with me, it''s very close to here, just two blocks away!" As he spoke, Tuan Tuan held out his little pinkie, wanting to make a pinkie promise with Tong Ya. Tong Ya smiled lightly and did not hesitate to make the pinkie promise with Tuan Tuan. "Alright then, go practice now! Today''s movements are quite difficult!" "Got it, Teacher!" Tuan Tuan tiptoed with delight, twirling around and gracefully made his way to the dance area, looking as though he had sessfully schemed something. The dance they practiced today was the ballet Swan Lake, which is simply hell-level difficulty for beginners. But for a prodigy like Tuan Tuan, it was a piece of cake; she even started dancing to the music, leading the other children along with her. Lunchtime arrived, and after settling the kids in the dance ss, Tong Ya served herself a meal and sat in the corner while dialing a number on her phone. "Xiaowei, I''m going to have to skip the hot pot we scheduled today. I might be backte!" Tang Xiaowei, apparently still half asleep, replied, "Why? What''s up?" "I have an appointment with someone, going out for fried sugar cakes!" "What? You''re going out for fried sugar cakes instead of having hot pot? Do you have a boyfriend?" Tang Xiaowei suddenly jumped up from the bed, fully alert. "That''s not the case, it''s not confirmed yet!" "Who is it that could make Miss Tong Ya care so much? You never just go out to eat with someone casually." At that point, Tang Xiaowei seemed to remember something, "It wouldn''t be that guy you had a crush on in college, would it?" "You know and still ask!" Tong Ya blushed slightly, "If you want to have hot pot, you can eat it by yourself! Don''t wait for me." "Oh my God! Ya Ya, you need to calm down, it''s been so many years of unrequited love, that man has never even seen you! And besides, isn''t he already married? Are you nning to be the other woman? The Tong family elders would have a fit if they found out!" "What nonsense are you talking!" Tong Ya hurriedly exined, "He just got divorced yesterday!" "Holy moly, that works! You didn''t stir things up, did you? Remember, we both snuck out, don''t stir up too much trouble!" Tong Ya was exasperated, "Do I look like that kind of person?" Tang Xiaowei breathed a sigh of relief, "That''s true! But you sure are passionate about your secret crush! It was just one nce at the freshman wee party, and here we are now! You''re even ready to be a stepmother." "Mind your own business! I know what I''m doing!" After hanging up the phone, Tong Ya suddenly became nervous, constantly thinking about the date that evening, and was even fretting over what to wear. At this moment, Chen Yu was already busy in his food cart. With the rush ofst night and this morning, he was practically preparing raw materials while selling fried cakes on the side. Even with the system boosting him, things were a bit chaotic. Having some free time during midday, he could prepare all the remaining ingredients into semi-finished products, so in the afternoon, when customers arrived, he could just fry them directly. The simple preparation of semi-finished products made the process much faster, and in just an hour and a half, Chen Yu managed to make eight hundred of each of the five vors of sugar cakes. All told, he could make a semi-finished fried cake every second. Roughly calcting in his mind, eight hundred of each vor amounted to a total of five thousand six hundred yuan. That was pure profit! But working so efficiently and rapidly on the fried cake semi-finished products, Chen Yu''s physical strength had reached its limit. From four in the morning until noon, he had barely stopped at all. Just as he had stored away the semi-finished products and was about to take a break, a group of over a dozen girls suddenly ran over. "This is the ce! The fried cakes this owner makes are simply peerless!" One of the young girls praised and then leaned over the food cart counter. "Boss, do you remember me? I bought some fried cakes from youst night when I was working! We just got off work, and we''re famished. Could you fry some up for us?" Chen Yu had wanted to refuse because he was truly tired. However, looking at these dozen or so factory girls, dragging their weary bodies and standing in front of him with dark circles under their eyes and growling stomachs, he couldn''t bear to do so. He had once experienced that kind of factory life, and not just these frail young girls, but even he had nearly been unable to cope with it. "Sure, what vor would you like?" Chen Yu stood up, instantly causing the group of factory girls to scream with excitement. "Wow, the boss is so handsome! Did you bring us here to buy fried cakes, or was it to sneak a peek at the owner?" "Not at all, it was too dark to see anything while workingst night. You''ll know how delicious these fried cakes are once they''re out. Wait and see." "Never mind the taste of the fried cakes, it''s true that the boss has some serious charm." Amidst the girls'' chatter, Chen Yu fried up twenty of each of the five vors of the fried cakes. When the girls bit into the fried cakes, their conversations suddenly stopped. "Oh my goodness, it''s really so fragrant!" "The boss is handsome, skilled, I''d want to have his babies!" "Dream on, the boss has a five-year-old daughter who is super cute!" Just then, Zhang Fan hurried over to the food cart. "Old Chen! Everything''s designed for you, with maximum space utilization. You can even put a fridge in there to use as storage, and if you drive away, you can take the trailer with you!" As he spoke, Zhang Fanid out a blueprint in front of Chen Yu. Zhang Fan was indeed a professional vehicle modifier. In just a few hours, he had already produced the blueprints. "It''s fine, do as you see fit!" After discussing some details, Zhang Fan took the blueprints back to the vehicle modification shop and started working energetically. After sending off the dozen or so factory girls, Chen Yu quickly closed the serving window of the food cart. If more customers were toe, he wouldn''t have enough fried cakes to sell that night. But at the rate things were going, he would probably need to double the raw materials by tomorrow morning. After carefully cleaning the food cart, Chen Yu ordered a Huangmen chicken from next door. After eating his fill, he set an rm for two hours andy down in the driver''s seat, falling into a deep sleep. In his dream, he was counting money¡­ Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Wife, Children At four in the afternoon, Chen Yu got up and freshened up a bit before heading straight to the school. He had felt somewhat uneasy when he asked Zhang Fan to take Tuan Tuan in the morning, so he decided to pick up the child himself after school. However, when Chen Yu arrived at the school gate and saw all sorts of family cars parked there, he suddenly had the idea of buying a car. But then he thought, he only owned a food truck now, and even if he bought a car, he wouldn''t have a ce to park it. After some consideration, Chen Yu decided to focus on saving money to buy a house. Just as he was meticulously nning this, the school bell started ringing. Chen Yu instinctively stayed away from the crowd, leaning against the tree. He had only waited a little while when he suddenly heard Tuan Tuan call out "Daddy". Then he saw Tuan Tuan happily pulling Tong Ya, running over to him. Tong Ya was dressed very simply today, a white short sleeve with ace blouse, paired with a pair of slim-fit jeans, exuding an ineffable purity and beauty. Parents picking up their children couldn''t help but nce over, but since their own children were there, they dared not behave improperly. "I''m really sorry, Teacher Tong Ya, for troubling you to personally bring her out every time!" Tong Ya''s face turned inexplicably red, and just as she was about to exin something, Tuan Tuan had already clung to Chen Yu''s legs. "This time it wasn''t Teacher Tong Ya who brought me out, it was me who brought her out," Tuan Tuan said. Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, "What nonsense are you talking about now?" "No nonsense, I''ve already made a deal with Teacher Tong Ya to invite her to our food truck to eat fried cakes," Tuan Tuan said. Chen Yu was stunned, "Fried cakes? What''s so good about them? Besides, Teacher Tong Ya teaches dance, how could she eat such greasy food?" "I can!" Tong Ya didn''t know why, but she answered as ifpelled and seemed somewhat eager. Realizing her out-of-character response, Tong Ya coughed lightly. "I made a pinky promise with Tuan Tuan this morning, agreeing to eat fried cakes after school. As a teacher, how can I go back on my word? I have to set an example!" Tong Ya said. This exnation did indeed seem far-fetched; which teacher would be so punctilious? Moreover, when Chen Yu had previously taken Tuan Tuan to dance, he had heard about Tong Ya''s personality. She was the quintessential ice queen! Once a student''s parent wanted to invite Tong Ya to dinner, but not only did Tong Ya not give face, she also transferred the child to another dance team. Such a principled person agreeing toe to his food truck for fried cakes? Chen Yu couldn''t believe it. But then he thought again, could this be a home visit from Teacher Tong Ya? Chen Yu picked up Tuan Tuan and pinched her little nose. "Have you done something wrong at school, and Teacher Tong Ya has asked to speak with your parents, so you came up with this idea to bring her to the food truck?" he asked. There was a slight look of disappointment on Tong Ya''s face; she hadn''t expected Chen Yu to think that way. "Well! Actually, I also heard that your fried cakes are famous far and wide, so I wanted to try them specially! It really has nothing to do with the child," Tong Ya said. Chen Yu didn''t say much more; after all, his fried cakes were made with the system''s help, so how could they not be delicious? "Well then! As long as Teacher Tong Ya doesn''t mind," he said. "Of course not!" Tong Ya replied. Chen Yu put Tuan Tuan down and held her little hand, while Tuan Tuan instinctively grabbed Tong Ya''s hand. And Tong Ya didn''t feel it inappropriate but rather leaned towards Chen Yu as if possessed. From a distance, the three of them looked like a family. "Hey, who is that guy? He''s so close to Teacher Tong Ya!" someone remarked. "Who cares who he is? Don''t all beauties like handsome guys?" another voice chimed in. "It''s too much, can someone do whatever they want just because they''re handsome?" ... The kindergarten wasn''t far from the food cart, and even on foot, it only took ten minutes. However, at the moment, the food cart had already been surrounded by a group of elderly people doing square dancing. "Oh, young man, we thought you''d quit!" "Come on,e on, everyone''s been waiting for so long!" "My grandson is still at home, crying out for food. Hurry up and give me fifty!" ... Seeing that there was business to be done, Chen Yu unconsciously let go of Tuan Tuan''s little hand, opened the vehicle door, and let down the food cart''s counter. Today was much easier than yesterday ¨C he started the stove, heated the oil, and fried the cakes. In less than five minutes, the first batch was ready. Tong Ya hadn''t expected that Chen Yu, merely by setting up a food cart, could attract such a crowd. It was just past four in the afternoon, and there were already so many people lining up here. This was only Chen Yu''s first day with a food cart! "Teacher, dad is too busy, he might not have time to entertain..." Before he could finish, a few elderly people had alreadye over. "Hey, little sister, are we still paying you today?" Tuan Tuan quickly agreed and took out a payment code from his backpack, handing it to Tong Ya. "Scan this!" After responding, Tuan Tuan moved a small table and two small stools out of the driver''s cabin of the food cart and asked Tong Ya to sit down with him. "Oh, boss! No wonder you only brought your child out yesterday. The mom is so beautiful; you must be afraid someone will steal her away!" "Look at this mother and daughter, they look so alike, both so beautiful!" "The boss is handsome too. The three of you as a family have off-the-charts good looks!" Tong Ya''s breath suddenly quickened, and she didn''t know what to say, but she was somehow enjoying the feeling. Chen Yu was flustered, "Auntie, please don''t talk nonsense. This is my child''s teacher, not my wife." "Oh, the teacher! I''m really sorry." Tong Ya didn''t say much, just blushed and replied that it was fine. "So where''s your wife? She must be beautiful too, otherwise, you couldn''t have such a beautiful daughter." Chen Yu didn''t shy away, "I just got divorced yesterday!" As soon as these words came out, the elderly men and women there looked at him as wolves seeing a fatmb, moving in closer. "Oh, you''re divorced! Such a handsome man with great skills, what a waste. Have you considered finding another one?" "I have a niece, twenty-two years old, just graduated from university not long ago, do you want to meet her?" "My niece is twenty-four this year, works in a government job, a stable ''iron rice bowl''. How about considering her?" "Don''t fight over him, my daughter, a graduate student and corporate executive, is definitely a match for this young man." ... The suddenpetitive scene stirred an inexplicable sense of crisis in Tong Ya. She really hadn''t anticipated that Chen Yu would be so in demand. But she didn''t know how to deal with the situation in front of her. She couldn''t just step forward and confess her feelings to Chen Yu! Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Scouting the Candidate "Grandpas and Grandmas!" Tuan Tuan suddenly shouted loudly, quieting down the scene. "Are you trying to find me a mommy?" "Yes, don''t you want your dad to find you another mommy?" "Of course, I do!" Tuan Tuan pped his little hands, "But I like them pretty, and also nice to me! At least like Teacher Tong Ya!" The old men and women were amused andughed, not expecting Tuan Tuan to be so picky. "Oh my, this teacher is like a fairy, it''s not easy to find someone as beautiful as her!" "Kid, you want your dad to be a bachelor for life!" "The child has quite the opinion! Then you''d better help your dad look carefully!" Who knew that Tuan Tuan pouted slightly with an air of arrogance. "Do I even need to look? I just like Teacher Tong Ya, and I doubt there''s anyone prettier than her, so I say it should be her!" With that, everyone''s gaze was drawn to Tong Ya. Even one of the old women moved closer, "This girl is so beautiful, there must be plenty of suitors. Maybe she already has someone!" Tuan Tuan immediately seized the opportunity, "Teacher Tong Ya, do you really already have someone?" Tong Ya''s face flushed red in an instant, and she subconsciously nced in Chen Yu''s direction, slightly raising her tone. "I''ve never been in love before." "Then do you have someone you like?" Tuan Tuan continued to pry. "No!" Tong Ya said almost reflexively, but in that moment, her gaze was fixed on Chen Yu. Tuan Tuan pped his little hands excitedly, "Dad, did you hear that? Teacher Tong Ya is still single!" Chen Yu merely bowed his head and continued with his work,pletely ignoring Tuan Tuan. In his eyes, this little girl was just following the elderly crowd, making a fuss over nothing. Immediately, Tuan Tuan felt a sense of disappointed frustration. The old men and women were allughing heartily. "Young man, did you see that? Your daughter is taking your matters to heart and even ns to introduce this beautiful teacher to you!" Chen Yu replied with a polite smile and continued making fried cakes, treating it as just a joke. Tong Ya, however, felt flustered by these jokes and pretended to look down at her phone to hide her bashfulness. As soon as she unlocked her phone, she saw a message from Tang Xiaowei. "Have you seen him yet? Quickly take a photo and send it over, I want to see who has hooked you so soullessly." Tong Ya subconsciously nced at Chen Yu. "He''s busy, how can I take a photo?" "Aiyah, Miss Tong has learned to guard her food," Tang Xiaowei''s text carried a hint of jealousy. "Talk nonsense again and see if I don''t tear up your mouth when I get back!" "Just kidding, send me a selfie and your exact location! I''m not worried about your safety, I''m just afraid you''re harboring improper thoughts about that father and daughter!" "Beat it!" Nevertheless, Tong Ya still picked up her phone, ready to take a selfie. "Teacher, are you going to take a selfie? Can I join you?" Tuan Tuan suddenly came over. "Of course you can!" Without refusal, she subconsciously hugged Tuan Tuan into her arms and struck a pose. For some reason, holding Tuan Tuan, Tong Ya suddenly felt an impulse never to let go. After taking several photos, she reluctantly let go of Tuan Tuan. Tang Xiaowei had just received the photos when she suddenly screamed. "Oh my god, this is too cute! Isn''t this the daughter of your male god?" "Yeah!" Tong Ya replied to the message, her face unexpectedly brimming with inexplicable happiness. "No wonder you''re willing to be their stepmother, with such an adorable girl, I''d be willing too!" "Don''t get any ideas about my male god." "I''m notpeting with you! But there are some things you really need to think through, the Tong Family''s higher-ups would never let you date a divorced man!" "Just eat your hotpot!" Tong Ya retorted and then put down her phone. At this point, the food stall had long be a bustling scene, all the folding tables and chairs were already set up on the adjacent open ground, clearly not enough to amodate everyone. Most people were standing nearby, wolfing down their fried cakes. Even Tuan Tuan was too busy toe over and talk to Tong Ya, looking somewhat flustered as he took money and noted down orders. Suddenly feeling a tad ufortable, Tong Ya instinctively stood up and went over to Tuan Tuan''s side. "Let the teacher help you with taking notes!" "No need, Teacher, I can manage on my own! It''s Dad who seems to be overwhelmed, making fried cakes and packing orders at the same time!" Tong Ya instantly understood Tuan Tuan''s implication, and her heart rate kicked up a notch. "Then I''ll go help your dad!" Tong Ya, while trying her best to maintain herposure and dignity, uncontrobly hastened into the food stall. In the kitchen area, Chen Yu was proficiently frying with both hands, managing two woks simultaneously. At the bar area, there were five wooden tray boxes neatly arranged with five different vors of fried cakes. Next to the trays was a stack of thick orders listing the vors, quantities, and names. Without any hesitation, Tong Ya grabbed a pair of spare gloves and began packing the fried cakes ording to the orders. "Uncle Chen, three brown sugar, three white sugar, two ck sesame." Her crisp and gentle voice suddenly rang out, startling Chen Yu. He hadn''t expected that Tong Ya woulde to help him in such a greasy environment. The addressed Uncle Chen immediately rushed over. "Ah, truly a teacher, so kind and even helping the students'' parents with work!" Uncle Chen took the fried cakes and seized the chance topliment her. Chen Yu was immediately a bit embarrassed, "Ah, Teacher Tong, I apologize for the inconvenience, I''m already embarrassed, how could I let you do the work?" "It''s okay, I''d be idle anyway!" As she spoke, Tong Ya began packing the fried cakes as quickly as she could, as if to show Chen Yu that she definitely wouldn''t be in the way. Chen Yu didn''t know what else to say, and after all, he was indeed busy frying and packing. "Teacher Tong, Tuan Tuan really hasn''t done anything wrong at school, you''re not here for a home visit, right?" Tong Ya paused for a moment, inwardly cursing him as a blockhead. "Didn''t I already say it, I''m here specially to taste the fried cakes you made!" To prove it, Tong Ya directly grabbed a piece of purple sweet potato fried cake and took a bite. The pure savory vor exploded in her mouth in an instant, causing Tong Ya''s pupils to dte considerably. "Wow, this is too delicious!" Tong Ya had never imagined that someone could make such a small fried cake so mouthwateringly delicious. Chen Yu''s face now bore a more confident smile; after all, receiving apliment from a beautiful woman like Tong Ya would cause any man''s heart to ripple. Chapter 10: Chapter 10: The Male God in My Heart By 7 p.m., Chen Yu called for Tuan Tuan to stop taking orders. "Why aren''t you taking orders anymore? I see there''s still a lot!" "I''m really sorry, these have all been sold!" Chen Yu''s face was full of apology. Tong Ya was also astonished at this moment, within just under three hours, so many fried cakes had been sold out. For some reason, Tong Ya suddenly felt a bit of inexplicable guilt, thinking if she hadn''t eaten one, Chen Yu could have sold one more. After dealing with the remaining orders, Chen Yu turned off one of the fryers and ced the remaining twenty semi-finished products into another fryer. "Eh, didn''t you sell out?" Tong Ya asked, puzzled. "These are specially reserved for you!" At these words, Tong Ya''s heart suddenly started pounding. "For me?" "Yeah, you''ve helped me so much! I should make a few fried cakes as a token of my gratitude, right?" Tong Ya''s cheeks, which had just heated up, instantly cooled down, and she pouted with a hint of resentment. "Well, thank you then!" Tong Ya said her thanks and then subconsciously took off her gloves to help tidy up the food cart. Just as Chen Yu was lifting the twenty fried cakes out of the fryer, he heard Zhang Fan''s hasty voice. "Chen! Your half-trailer is ready,e out and check it!" Chen Yu was taken aback, it seemed like Zhang Fan had just shown him the blueprint at noon! And now, in just half a day, it was done. When Chen Yu saw the food cart Zhang Fan had made for him, he wondered for a moment if this guy also had a system blessing. Because the half-trailer was crafted with extreme intricacy, resembling a mobile little house. The inside space was also very spacious and even had the electric wiring fully installed. "Zhang, nice workmanship!" Zhang Fan scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed, "Actually, this small half-trailer was custom-ordered by someone else before, but they changed their mind halfway and didn''t want it anymore, so I just made some slight modifications and brought it over to you." "I really appreciate it, then!" With that, Chen Yu took out the cash he had organized, counted two thousand, and stuffed it into Zhang Fan''s hands. "Oh no, there''s no need!" Zhang Fan hastily refused, "We''re neighbors, why give money? Besides, that little half-trailer would''ve been scrapped if it stayed with me!" "That''s not the way to say it, I should still pay you! I''ve checked, and such a half-trailer modification costs at least two thousand, so just take it! Otherwise, you won''t be wee toe for my fried cakes in the future." Seeing Chen Yu so insistent, Zhang Fan didn''t put on airs. However, after epting the two thousand, he returned five hundred. "Alright, Chen! One thousand five hundred is enough, if you give me more, I''m going to get upset!" While Chen Yu and Zhang Fan were going back and forth, the system''s prompt suddenly sounded. [Congrattions, host, on perfectly ending a day''s business,ting a profit of 7,993.5 yuan, earning 7,993.5 points!] Chen Yu was momentarily surprised, as the system usually settled ounts only after the food cart was cleaned up. Could it be that Tong Ya had already finished cleaning the food cart? However, Chen Yu was soon distracted by the system page that popped up. At this moment, his umted points had reached 14,228! After doing the math, he had twenty fried cakes left in the afternoon, four of each vor, totaling twenty-eight yuan. Plus the one with sweet potato vor Tong Ya ate, that made it twenty-nine point five yuan in total. In other words, the profit for the afternoon was five thousand five hundred and seventy point five yuan! It seemed that when the system calcted profit and points, it would deduct the cost of inputs. Probably by tomorrow, the one thousand five hundred yuan spent on the trailer would also be included. While Chen Yu was focused on the system, Zhang Fan had already stuffed five hundred yuan into his hand and left with a stride. At this moment, Tuan Tuan had already brought out the fried cakes Chen Yu made to the front of the food cart. "Dad is just too great, leaving twenty specifically for the teacher! Yesterday he wouldn''t even spare one or two for me to eat, it seems Dad has taken a liking to the teacher." Immediately, Tong Ya''s cheeks turned red, and inparison, Tuan Tuan was much more skilled at flirting than Chen Yu. With a light cough, Tong Ya hurriedly changed the subject. "By the way, why do your mom and dad want to get a divorce?" Instantly, Tuan Tuan''s face was filled with sorrow: "Mom was discovered by a talent scout, became a big star, and didn''t want us anymore! She thinks Dad and I would impact her career." Tong Ya immediately felt annoyed. This was simply a ssic case of a heartless woman! "Your dad, at the very least, has a graduate degree, is well-educated, handsome, and a good person. How could your mom leave him?" "Huh? Teacher, how do you know my dad has a graduate degree?" Suddenly embarrassed, Tong Ya said, "The kindergarten has files on the student''s parents! By the way, where did your dad learn to make fried cakes?" "He taught himself! He used to make them for me quite often!" Tong Ya was immediately amazed internally. The man of her dreams really was extraordinary; just through self-study, he could make such delicious fried cakes. The liking hidden in her heart grew a bit more; she even thought about whether she should take the initiative. While they were talking, Tong Ya unknowingly ate ten fried cakes. Typically, she wouldn''t touch food as greasy as this, but the taste of these fried cakes was really too unique. If she hadn''t controlled herself, she might have eaten all twenty. At this moment, Chen Yu had already connected the trailer to the food cart and walked over, pping his hands. "Starting tomorrow, we''ll be able to store more raw materials! We can even open a dedicated window for selling drinks." Tuan Tuan jumped up excitedly, "Yay, tomorrow we''ll have drinks!" Chen Yu, however, rolled his eyes: "Kids shouldn''t drink soft drinks too often!" Tong Ya, who was beside them, concurred, "That''s right, especially since Tuan Tuan dances, you really shouldn''t drink them, though drinking some dairy products is still fine." As she spoke, Tong Ya took out her phone, ready to make a payment using the QR code nearby. Chen Yu quickly stepped forward, grabbing Tong Ya''s wrist. "Oh, Teacher Tong Ya, you helped me out today, and I haven''t even had the chance to thank you. How could you pay?" "I should pay! These fried cakes didn''t just appear out of thin air!" Tong Ya switched to her other hand, insisting on moving the phone closer. Chen Yu became anxious, he reached out with both hands, grabbing onto both of Tong Ya''s wrists. Realizing how intimate the gesture was, Chen Yu quickly let go. "You don''t need to pay, Teacher!" Tuan Tuan suddenly jumped over, "I think from now on, the teacher can take me to and from school, and then Dad can take care of the teacher''s breakfast and dinner. That would settle it!" "You little girl, the teacher is so busy, how can she take you to and from school?" No sooner had Chen Yu scolded, than Tong Ya suddenly looked up. "I can do it! I''m usually not that busy, taking Tuan Tuan to and from school is not an issue!" Chapter 11: Chapter 11 Wait for You to Grow Up Chen Yu was stunned on the spot; he hadn''t expected Tong Ya to agree so readily. Before Chen Yu could speak, Tuan Tuan had already packed the remaining ten fried cakes and stuffed them into Tong Ya''s hands. "Then it''s settled, teacheres to pick me up for school every day, and my dad gives you fried cakes for free every day!" Speaking, Tuan Tuan directly took Tong Ya''s hand and headed to the curb, not giving the two of them a chance to talk any further, fearing they might back out. Chen Yu looked at Tuan Tuan somewhat annoyed: "You little rascal are getting more and more out of hand, even daring to boss around your own teacher." With a mischievous stick out of her tongue, Tuan Tuan ran into the food cart like a little swallow. Chen Yu wasn''t idle either, taking advantage of the daylight, he phoned nearby shops to deliver a double-doorrge refrigerator and some tables and stools. He also stocked up on a thousand yuan worth of various drinks and ice pops. But when Chen Yu tried to hook up the electricity for the semi-trailer, he immediately faced a dilemma. The system had provided three batteries in total. Although there were usually two batteries as backups, with a massive capacity, charging them was extremely troublesome. Now that one battery was only half charged, after connecting it to the semi-trailer, the electricity meter ticked down even faster. If he didn''t find a ce to charge soon, he feared his food cart wouldn''tst more than a few days of business. To ensure there would be no power interruptions the next day, Chen Yu, to be safe, swapped in a new battery and then made a call to the raw material suppliers. With the addition of the semi-trailer''s cold storage, Chen Yu was able to expand his operations. Twenty bags of flour, four hundred pounds of a mix of sweet potatoes and purple yams, original sesame seeds, brown sugar, and white sugar¡ªall at two hundred pounds each, and thirty barrels of bottled water as backup. All in all, these raw materials cost eleven thousand one hundred yuan, plus the additional expenses for the new semi-trailer refrigerator and tables and stools. In total, he had spent thirteen thousand eight hundred yuan. After ounting for the money spent on meals over the past two days, Chen Yu had exactly four hundred yuan left. However, judging by the current progress of the breakfast cart, at least over ten thousand yuan in profit would be made the next day! After happily calcting it all in his mind, Chen Yu called to order two servings of braised chicken in soy sauce. After a long day, he was hungry enough to feel his chest sticking to his back. At the moment, Tuan Tuan was obediently setting up a table and sitting in front of the food cart doing her homework. Only after Chen Yu was finished with his work did he sit down beside Tuan Tuan. Although the kindergarten homework was simple, it was all rather odd¡ªeither drawing pictures from looking at patterns or figuring out abstract letter problems. Chen Yu looked at it for a while and found some questions that even he, a graduate student, couldn''t react to right away. Fortunately, Tuan Tuan didn''t ask Chen Yu to help with her homework; otherwise, it would have been truly embarrassing. It wasn''t long before the braised chicken arrived. But Tuan Tuan was pouting, looking unhappy. "Dad, ever since I ate your fried cakes, I just can''t eat food from outside anymore! How about you just make fried cakes for me to eat from now on?" "You can''t just eat fried cakes as your regr meal!" Chen Yu quickly retorted, pushing a serving of braised chicken in soy sauce towards Tuan Tuan. "Then how about we ask Teacher Tong Ya to cook for us instead?" Chen Yu immediately rolled his eyes: "You''re already asking too much for the teacher to specially pick you up from school, now you want her toe over and cook too?" Tuan Tuan''s eyes swiveled: "Dad, haven''t you noticed that Teacher Tong Ya seems to have feelings for you?" "Don''t talk nonsense!" Although he scolded her verbally, Tuan Tuan''s words touched a soft spot in Chen Yu''s heart. Today, Tong Ya and Chen Yu with his daughter indeed looked like a family of three, one making the deep-fried cakes, another packing, and the third keeping the books, coordinating seamlessly as if cut from the same cloth. However, Chen Yu was extremely resistant to this beautiful picture. Let''s not even mention that Tong Ya herself is a single beauty, she''s also a dance teacher, and I heard she even won a nationalpetition. But what about him? Not only had he been divorced, but he also had a child to look after. With such circumstances, desiring to be with her would just dy her life, wouldn''t it? Tuan Tuan clearly rolled her eyes, "Dad, you''re really too dense! I clearly already feel that Teacher Tong Ya..." "Alright, let''s focus on making money first! Right now, we don''t even have a house, only a food truck. Even if Teacher Tong Ya is willing to marry Dad, where would we live?" Upon hearing this, Tuan Tuan also became enthusiastic. "Dad, you said our deep-fried cakes are selling so well, why don''t you hire a few more workers? That way, we could make more and earn more too!" "But then the taste would decline!" Chen Yu rubbed Tuan Tuan''s little head, "The reason why the deep-fried cakes are selling so well is because they taste good, and others can''t replicate my vor!" Tuan Tuan suddenly felt a bit disappointed, "That''s true, is there really no other way?" "There is a way; we could share the recipe, start a factory and make semi-finished products, providing them directly to fast-food restaurants!" "But wouldn''t that still sacrifice a bit of the taste?" Tuan Tuan was somewhat puzzled. "The taste might be a bit off, but it would still be absolutely delicious! Besides, we would only be making a semi-finished product. Even if someone nitpicked, we would still have some leeway. Moreover, there are so many fast-food restaurants all over the world, if we could sign half of the orders, the factory might even go public!" Naturally, Tuan Tuan couldn''t understand all this; she still had to count on her fingers for addition and subtraction within a hundred, how could she possibly understand the market? "Dad, you really deserve to be a postgraduate! That makes so much sense!" The father and daughter finished their stewed chicken cleanly and tidied up the ce a bit before heading back to the food truck. Chen Yu had justin down when Tuan Tuan pushed open the small window between them. "Dad, I want to watch cartoons. Can that car-mounted TV up front be used?" Chen Yu turned his head and nced at the car-mounted TV set up in the driver''s cabin. "It should work!" Saying this, he found the remote control. After all, the food truck was provided by the system, so it was unlikely there would be any unusable parts. Soon, the image appeared on the TV. Tuan Tuan excitedly pped her little hands and leaned her head against the small window. "Dad, do you have to wake up early tomorrow?" Chen Yu nodded his head, "Of course! The supplier wille by at four in the morning." "Then I won''t watch cartoons, you should go to sleep early, Dad!" Tuan Tuan obediently shrank back. Chen Yu instantly felt a pang of sadness, and the thought of buying a house strengthened in his heart. At the very least, he could give Tuan Tuan her own room where she could watch cartoons in peace. "It''s alright, Dad took a nap at noon! Tuan Tuan can watch for an hour." Tuan Tuan immediately perked up and kissed Chen Yu through the small window. "Thank you, Dad! When I grow up, I definitely won''t let you work so hard." A trace of contentment appeared on Chen Yu''s face, "Alright, then Dad will wait for you to grow up!" Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Making up ones mind The apartmentplex where Tong Ya lived was a very elegant and unique one, with rental prices starting at 6,000 yuan per month. The average wage-earning ss couldn''t afford to live there. "Oh, my dear Miss Tong Ya, you''ve finally deigned to return!" As soon as Tong Ya walked through the door, Tang Xiaowei grabbed her arm, her eyes full of anticipation, "What about that little girl? Didn''t you bring her back with you?" Ever since Tang Xiaowei had seen Tuan Tuan''s photo, she had been utterly smitten. Tong Ya rolled her eyes, "What do you think she is? Something you can just bring back with you? And by the way, how long has it been since you washed your clothes? The paint on them smells!" Tang Xiaowei was a cartoonist, who hardly ever went out and dealt only with her drawings and paints. Sometimes, when she painted, she would be so engrossed that she''d neglect food and sleep, and naturally, her personal hygiene took a back seat. "Oh,e on, I''m sacrificing for my art! So, how did your first date go? Did you get anything out of it?" Tong Ya blinked, then lifted up the bag she was carrying. "Behold, ten fried pastries!" "No way!" Tang Xiaowei looked at her with disdain, "You''re really prioritizing your love life over friends, huh? Don''t forget, you blew off my hotpot dinner to go fishing for a sugar daddy! And this is what you cate me with?" "These fried pastries are specially made, don''t you want to try them?" "Eat, how could I not!" Influenced by Tong Ya, Tang Xiaowei was also inadvertently trying to keep in shape, so she seldom indulged in such greasy foods. Stuck at home alone all the time, she had had her fill of takeout, and the pastries were a nice change of taste. But when she took a bite, she was stunned. Although the pastries had cooled down, they didn''t have that cloying feel that ordinary pastries have when cold. Instead, they were perfectly soft and chewy, almost like eating a delicacy. "Could this be a new dessert from Baxiangzhai?" Tong Ya hung up the bag in her hand, "Baxiangzhai?" "Yeah, the pastry shop I took you tost time, where they sell a mint pastry for two hundred yuan." A sense of satisfaction suddenly filled Tong Ya''s heart, as she saw this as Tang Xiaowei''s approval of Chen Yu. "I don''t have time to go to Baxiangzhai just to buy something special for you! It was made by my man god!" Tang Xiaowei''s eyes widened, "No way! Your man god has this kind of skill? No wonder you''re so devoted to him. With this kind of talent, he could keep you for the rest of your life!" Tong Ya shrugged her shoulders, "That''s why I''ve made up my mind!" "Made up your mind about what?" Tang Xiaowei asked instinctively. "To marry him!" "I agree!" Tang Xiaowei did aplete one-eighty in her attitude, "As long as he brings me pastries every day, it doesn''t matter if you be someone else''s stepmother, even if it involves the Tong family, I''d figure something out for you." "You''re selling me out for a few pastries!" "I really can''t help it, Ya Ya, they''re just too delicious!" Saying so, Tang Xiaowei hungrily grabbed an entire pastry and stuffed it into her mouth. "He can make much more than just pastries!" Tong Ya suddenly blushed for no reason, "Right, from now on, I will leave a bit earlier in the morning and won''te back for dinner in the evenings!" "What are you going to do?" Tang Xiaowei was instantly taken aback. "It''s not easy for him to take care of the child alone; from now on I will help him drop off and pick up the child from school." "You can''t be serious! We''ve barely started and you''re already ditching me?" Tang Xiaowei made a pitiful face. "Didn''t I say I would bring you fried cakes every day?" At the mention of fried cakes, Tang Xiaowei suddenly became serious. "Go ahead, girlfriend, for the sake of your happiness, I''m willing to make a sacrifice!" ... At a business dinner, Fang Yuan stood with a wine ss in a deliberately conspicuous spot, disying her slightly seductive posture to its full extent. "Miss Fang, sorry to keep you waiting." A somewhat short and middle-aged man, with a sleazy smile, leaned in beside Fang Yuan. Although Fang Yuan felt extreme disgust, she still put on a smiling face. "What are you saying, Mr. Huang! You are the investor of our y, the big financial god of the whole crew. We actors can afford to wait for someone like you," retorted Fang Yuan with a smile. "Not only is Miss Fang beautiful, but she also speaks so elegantly and gently; no wonder she has achieved her current status." As he spoke, Mr. Huang tried to touch Fang Yuan''s hand, albeit intentionally or unintentionally, but she skillfully dodged it. "You tter me too much, Mr. Huang! By the way, I heard that Mr. Huang is about to invest in a big-budgetmercial film. I wonder if I might be fortunate enough to take part in it?" "Of course! With the rapport between Miss Fang and me, ying a minor role is no big deal. However, if Miss Fang would honor us by taking our rtionship a step further, not just a minor role, but even the female lead wouldn''t be a problem!" Mr. Huang no longer hid his intentions, cing his hand directly onto Fang Yuan''s shoulder. "Oh my, Miss Fang! What brings you here? There are several shots over there waiting for you to make up!" The agent appeared just at the right time and pulled Fang Yuan back a little. "Oh dear, Mr. Huang, I''m really sorry. My Yuan Yuan has a lot of advertisingmitments these days, and she has to rush off right away. Please forgive us," said the agent politely. After making small talk for a few moments, the agent promptly pulled Fang Yuan out of the business venue and onto the nanny car parked by the roadside. Only then did Fang Yuan let go of the smile on her face, her expression turning to one of distaste. "Wasn''t this Mr. Huang said to be sessful and promising when he was young? What''s with this guy?" The agent quickly tried to soothe her, "That''s how it is in the entertainment circle. Many investors are even less presentable than Mr. Huang! Luckily we left quickly. If the paparazzi had snapped photos of that scene just now, who knows what kind of big news it would have caused." Fang Yuan waved her hand in front of her face, trying to calm herself down. "Don''t let me meet with such people again! By the way, how is the arrangement for stirring up the CP (celebrity pairing) going?" "Don''t worry, it''s all set. The other party''s studio has already responded! You can make a subtle announcement on your social media ount in a few days, but don''t be too certain. It will be more convenient when you disband the CP in the future." "Got it, got it!" Fang Yuan suddenly felt somewhat irritable. Although she was now very popr, if she wanted to survive in the entertainment industry, she had to spend a lot of time and energy ingratiating herself with various capital bigwigs to get resources. Even to maintain poprity, she had to stir up some scandals with little-known popr celebrities she had never met. After all, in this business, without investment and public poprity, mere traffic can''t be mized. For some reason, Tuan Tuan''s image suddenly surfaced in Fang Yuan''s mind. Chapter 13: Chapter 13 Not Responding to Messages ``` At four o''clock in the morning the next day, the rm sound rang through Chen Yu''s Bluetooth earpiece. Not wanting to disturb Tuan Tuan''s sleep, he had deliberately worn the earpiece, fearing that the rm would wake her up as well. Yet to his surprise, as soon as he got up, he found Tuan Tuan sitting noisily on the bed, looking at him through the small bed window. "Howe you''re awake so early?" Chen Yu immediately tensed up and subconsciously checked if his phone''s sound was ying out loud. "I went to bed earlyst night, so of course I woke up early today! Besides, how could Dad manage all by himself without me?" As she spoke, Tuan Tuan turned on the light, getting dressed with a little excitement. These past few days, she had experienced the joy of earning money, especially when the notification of each payment sounded, she felt an inexplicable excitement. Chen Yu helplessly exited the driver''s cab, unfolded the food cart''s counter, and lit up all the fairy lights around the cart. "Tuan Tuan! Once we''ve saved enough money to buy a house, you can sleep at home, and you won''t have to get up early and workte with Dad!" "I don''t want that!" Tuan Tuan pouted her small mouth: "I want to help Dad earn money and then help Dad find a new mom." Chen Yu rubbed Tuan Tuan''s little head and sighed. "These aren''t things you should worry about! You just need to study well and practice your dancing." Suddenly, Tuan Tuan grabbed Chen Yu''s hand: "So as long as I behave and do well in studies and dance, you''ll consider letting Teacher Tong Ya be my new mom?" Chen Yu was taken aback; honestly, Tong Ya was indeed nice, but he felt he wasn''t good enough for her. Just as Chen Yu was unsure how to answer, the material delivery master arrived. "Oh, boss, how booming is your business? You just got the supplies yesterday morning, and they''re already sold out? And today you''ve even doubled the order, can you really sell all that?" Chen Yu smiled politely: "I''ve just purchased a new trailer, if we don''t sell out, we can store the leftovers!" The material delivery master nced at the brightly lit trailer behind and didn''t say much else, simply helping Chen Yu unload all the supplies. No sooner had he sent off the masters, Chen Yu saw a white car drive over and park steadily beside the food cart. Then, Tong Ya elegantly stepped out of the car. "Hey, Teacher Tong Ya? What brings you here?" Chen Yu was somewhat surprised. Tong Ya shook her phone: "Someone didn''t reply to my messagesst night, I thought something might have happened to you two sleeping in the food cart, so I came over early to check." Chen Yu was slightly stunned and hurriedly took out his phone, only then noticing there were over a dozen messages from Tong Ya. "Tuan Tuan''s dad, are you asleep?" "Make sure Tuan Tuan gets to bed early; she has a dancepetition tomorrow." "You''ve had a long day too, so get some sleep early!" "Can Ie over early tomorrow to help out? It''s on the way to picking up Tuan Tuan anyway." ... Looking at the string of messages, Chen Yu suddenly felt embarrassed. He had been so exhausted yesterday that he had fallen asleep as soon as hey down. "Oh, I really apologize! Went to bed early yesterday, didn''t see the messages, and my phone is old too, sometimes there are no notifications at all!" Tong Ya folded her arms behind her back, forcibly hiding her embarrassment. "No worries! How about you give me your first batch of fried cakes as an apology?" "No problem!" Chen Yu hurried back to the food cart, beginning to prepare the fried cakes. ``` Tuan Tuan also ran down at this moment, throwing himself into Tong Ya''s arms. "Teacher, howe you''re here so early? You''re not missing my dad, are you?" Tong Ya''s face immediately turned beet red, "I''m just worried that you might have an ident sleeping in the food cart, and besides, I always get up to practice dance at this time every morning! So I just came straight here." This exnation indeed seemed a bit far-fetched, and Tuan Tuan didn''t believe it anyway. "So, does that mean the teacher is worried about my dad?" Tong Ya really didn''t know what to say, as if Tuan Tuan had seen right through her thoughts. However, she still felt a bit disappointed, as if, in Chen Yu''s eyes, she truly came because he didn''t reply to her message. The temperature in Suzhou City at four o''clock in the morning was already very low, and Tong Ya had only worn a T-shirt and a checked shirt when she left home, now feeling slightly shivery. Tuan Tuan had an idea and quickly went back into the cab, taking out three jackets from a box. These were family jackets they had bought before, all featuring SpongeBob. Fang Yuan found them childish and had never worn hers. Tuan Tuan put on his own, then handed the remaining two to Chen Yu and Tong Ya. It had to be said, Tong Ya looked quite proper in it. Twenty short minutester, the first pot of thirty fried cakes wasid out on the table. After hurriedly eating eight, Chen Yu returned to the cart to get busy again. From yesterday''s experience, it wouldn''t be long before the customers starteding! "Teacher, do you want some water?" Tuan Tuan took down two bottles of juice from the trailer. "No need, Teacher brought hot water! You should drink some hot water too, don''t always drink soda, it''s not healthy!" Tuan Tuan took Tong Ya''s cup and drank a sip with a giggle. "Oh my, if it isn''t just like a family of three, all dressed in parent-child outfits! Boss, I''ll take a hundred fried cakes!" Only then did Tong Ya realize that the clothes Tuan Tuan brought over were parent-child outfits. However, she didn''t say anything, just subconsciously zipped up the jacket a bit tighter, with not a trace of dislike on her face. Chen Yu was also stunned for a moment. As he was about to exin, Tong Ya had already entered the cart, expertly donning her gloves to stand by his side. Chen Yu was baffled; even if he tried not to overthink, he was somewhat bewildered now. Not only was Tong Ya not averse to the parent-child outfit she was wearing, but she also came over like the day before to help him. For a moment, Chen Yu suddenly realized that this felt like aplete and intact family. However, he quickly dismissed the thought and focused on making fried cakes. "The boss is really cool. The beautiful sister from yesterday has already been won over today! Looks like I don''t stand a chance anymore." "Who says you don''t stand a chance? You can still eat the boss''s fried cakes in the future!" "Boss, the usual order, forty fried cakes!" ... Before long, the crowd had already surrounded the food cart, packed tight. Luckily, when they bought the fridge yesterday, the store rmended an automated vending type, otherwise, it would have been a hassle. Just then, the owner of the nearby Sichuan restaurant came over with a few of his workers. "Oh brother, your spot is really bustling!" Seeing the Sichuan restaurant owner, Tuan Tuan crossed her arms and pouted, looking like she still remembered the grudge against him. Chapter 14: Chapter 14 Medium Lottery "Hmph, didn''t you say you''de to try our fried cakes yesterday? Why are you onlying today?" Tuan Tuan''s words immediately left the Sichuan restaurant owner feeling extremely embarrassed. He had actually heard about how popr Chen Yu''s food cart was yesterday. But remembering the bold ims he had made, he hadn''t dared toe over. However, his small Sichuan restaurant wasn''t very far from the food cart, and yesterday, the aroma of fried cakes had filled his restaurant all day long. "It''s my ignorance, I never imagined that a fried cake could be made so famous, well-known near and far! Here I am, bringing my staff to have a taste, give me two hundred to start with!" Although Tuan Tuan was still a bit annoyed, she didn''t say much since business hade knocking, she took note of the vors, received the money, and then handed the slip over to Tong Ya. With Tong Ya''s help, the efficiency of the fried cakes delivery greatly improved today. By the time it was nearly seven o''clock, the queue had dwindled significantly, but in just three hours, he had sold over nine thousand fried cakes. It was almost the same number as what he sold the entire day yesterday! The turnover also reached an impressive thirteen thousand yuan. With this calction, the initial cost invested yesterday had all been recouped. Indeed, having an extra person meant extra strength, and the money earned doubled too! However, Chen Yu was still somewhat worried, the self-service vending cab was a double-door refrigerator. Yesterday, he hadn''t paid for it, only giving two hundred yuan for tables and chairs. Such a modern refrigerator would need a trial period. Moreover, the owner was not far from the food cart and also liked Chen Yu''s fried cakes very much, so he didn''t even ask for a deposit. He didn''t know how much the refrigerator would cost. If it was too expensive, not much money would be left today. "Chen Yu!" Tong Ya suddenly called out, it seemed to be the first time she had used Chen Yu''s name, as she used to call him Tuan Tuan''s dad. "It''s almost time, I''ll take Tuan Tuan to school now!" Chen Yu waved his hand, "Go ahead, there aren''t many people now! And I''ve made so many semi-finished products, I can manage on my own!" As he spoke, Chen Yu packed another fifty fried cakes. "Take these, let the teachers at the school have a taste!" Tong Ya dly epted without protest, "Then I''ll consider this as helping you promote it!" After taking off her apron and gloves, Tong Ya directly took Tuan Tuan''s little hand and left, but she didn''t take off the parent-child outfit she was wearing. By ten o''clock in the morning, the number of peopleing to buy fried cakes had trickled down considerably, most were heading to the semi-trailer to buy beverages. After all, no matter how delicious the fried cakes were, they were usually just for breakfast or dinner, no one would eat them all day long as their main meal. After preparing a batch of semi-finished products and replenishing the vending machine inside the semi-trailer, Chen Yu finally took a break. By now, the amount on his phone''s payment app had reached eighteen thousand yuan, of course, this included the turnover from selling drinks as well. Seeing the half-remaining raw materials in the food cart, Chen Yu felt an indescribable sense of security. It looked like he only needed to maintain this amount of raw materials in the future. When he opened the system page, Chen Yu saw that his points had umted to eighteen thousand four hundred and twenty-eight point five. As expected, the system''s calctions were precise, subtracting yesterday''s cost, the profit up to now today was four thousand two hundred yuan, and naturally, the umted points were also four thousand two. Adding to the previous amount, it was exactly this number! The system had sent a message before that reaching a hundred points would allow one drawing opportunity. Besides the initial free drawing offered by the system, he hadn''t yet taken any drawings. Out of curiosity, Chen Yu clicked open the drawing page. [Congrattions to the host for activating the medium-level lucky draw, 10,000 points per draw.] Seeing the system message, Chen Yu subconsciously checked the information beside it and found that the slot for the previous 100-point draws was for the low-level lucky draw. These points were all hard-earned, and at 10,000 a pop, Chen Yu truly hesitated to part with them. After a moment''s consideration, he clicked on the low-level lucky draw. [Lucky draw result: None!] Chen Yu was immediately shocked, which meant he had just wasted 100 points for nothing. Indeed, you get what you pay for! Gritting his teeth, Chen Yu directly selected the medium-level lucky draw. [Congrattions to the host for obtaining a new skill, deep-fried vegetable dumplings!] Then a flood of information windows popped up before his eyes. Chen Yu was instantly overjoyed, meaning that from now on his food cart wouldn''t just have sweets. Although deep-fried vegetable dumplings and sugar cakes were both fried, their preparation and techniques were entirely different. It seemed that making vegetable dumplings was moreplex than sugar cakes, with a variety of techniques and points for attention, making Chen Yu feel that this wasn''t just about dumplings, but about crafting a work of art. Fortunately, there was only one vor. However, for this one vor, the filling required over twenty different ingredients, resembling some sort of secret recipe. This time, the system also included several phone numbers, presumably those of ingredient suppliers it had automatically selected for him. Even though the system had just swindled him out of 100 points, this feature was quite considerate, saving him a lot of time in sourcing the ingredients. Without hesitation, Chen Yu immediately called these suppliers. ording to the proportions given by the system, he ordered ten pounds each of beef,mb, pork, and codfish meat, forty pounds of leeks, forty pounds of cabbage, ten pounds of mushrooms, ten pounds of seasoned tofu, along with various seasonings. The beef andmb were thirty yuan per pound, while pork and codfish meat were eight yuan per pound. The leeks, cabbage, mushrooms, and seasoned tofu were supplied by one vendor, who provided them all for one yuan per pound. All together, the total came to exactly one thousand yuan! When making sugar cakes, the ratio of flour to filling was one to one, so there were still five bags of flour left from the first day. Without any surprises, there would be ten bags left today. Since flour can be stored for a long time, Chen Yu had bought a little extra when stocking up. The afternoon would be a good time to try frying some vegetable dumplings! With a n in mind, Chen Yu didn''t rest anymore but got up and continued making the semi-finished sugar cakes. At twelve o''clock noon, the deliverymen from the threepanies arrived with the ingredients for the vegetable dumplings almost simultaneously. After calcting the time, Chen Yu dared not rest anymore, and only moved a chair to sit and continue working. By three o''clock in the afternoon, all the sugar cake ingredients had been made into semi-finished products, and the food cart was packed full. If the space hadn''t beenrge enough, it probably wouldn''t have all fit! After a quick inventory, there were nearly ten thousand pieces! Based on the sales experience of the past two days and to be strict, the ingredients today should be able to produce twenty thousand fried cakes. But even with the system''s support, Chen Yu''s hands weren''t precise enough, leading to an excess of around a hundred or so from the morning. Chapter 15: Chapter 15 A Larger Facade ``` Chen Yu nced at the time on his phone, took a sip of water, and after a short rest, he began to prepare the stuffing for the specialty dish. The food cart was already fully equipped with cooking tools, and together with today''s purchased stuffing ingredients, there was a total of 140 pounds. In just about ten minutes, Chen Yu had the stuffing ready. Then he used sixty pounds of flour to make the dough for the specialty dish. By just after four o''clock, Chen Yu had produced six hundred half-finished specialty dishes. As Chen Yu was marking the price of five yuan each for the specialty dish on the ckboard, the square dancing uncles and aunties had already begun to arrive in droves. "Hey, young man, have you added something new today?" Chen Yu smiled, "Yes, justunched a secret recipe specialty dish!" "Wow, a secret recipe specialty dish! And it costs five yuan each? Other ces sell their specialty dish for just one yuan each!" "I''ve used special ingredients, so it''s a bit more expensive," Chen Yu didn''t exin too much. After hanging the ckboard, he went back into the food cart. To be honest, the specialty dish at five yuan each was indeed pricey. The uncles and aunties were still habitually buying the fried cakes. "Hey, Old Chen, you''ve set up your stall already!" Zhang Fan, carrying a backpack and apanied by his daughter, found a familiar table and sat down with ease. "The usual, give me thirty fried cakes to take away!" No sooner had he spoken, Zhang Fan saw the new specialty dish added to the ckboard. "What''s in this specialty dish? Five yuan each!" "Secret recipe specialty dish! Want a couple? It''s on the house," Chen Yu was generous, taking two of the specialty dishes and dropping them into the oil. Zhang Fan had indeed done him a great favor; giving away two specialty dishes was no big deal. "Oh, I couldn''t possibly ept that! I insist on paying!" Zhang Fan immediately took out his phone and transferred the money for the specialty dishes as well. Chen Yu was helpless, but as he was busy, he couldn''t decline. When the specialty dishes were fried and ready, their unique aroma immediately filled the area around the food cart. "It smells so good! What on earth is this specialty dish made of? It''s incredibly fragrant!" "It''s a totally different vor from the fried cakes!" "Sigh, if this young man''s fried cakes are so delicious, then of course his secret recipe specialty dish is different!" ... At this moment, Zhang Fan was utterly conquered by the fragrance of the specialty dish, and he bit into one without hesitation. "Oh my goodness! What is this? A heavenly specialty dish? It''s so delicious, scrumptious! Forget five yuan each, even ten yuan each would be worth it!" Zhang Fan''s daughter, Luo Luo, was also drawn by the fragrant smell and took the other specialty dish. After one bite, Luo Luo jumped up excitedly. "Uncle Chen''s specialty dish is so yummy, Daddy, I want more!" Zhang Fan, not caring whether he could finish it all, took out his phone again and transferred another fifty yuan. "Old Chen, give me ten more! I''m taking them home for my wife!" "Alrighty!" Chen Yu responded and began to fry ten more specialty dishes. "For real, is it that delicious?" ``` A middle-aged woman drew closer and pulled out her phone, ready to pay. "Give me two to try too!" "Auntie, today is the first day of the trial opening for these vegetable pockets, and we only have a little over five hundred. Starting now, we''re limiting purchases to one per person!" Upon hearing this, those in line instantly became restless. At first, they thought the price was a bit expensive and had no ns to buy, but when they heard Chen Yu mention the limit, plus Zhang Fan''s expression and the unique aroma of the vegetable pockets, the men and women were suddenly impulsive. "Young man, let me buy ten more sugar cakes from you so that I can get another vegetable pocket!" Chen Yu shook his head, "I''m really sorry, sir, but today the vegetable pockets are just for a trial sale. They will be avable without limits starting tomorrow!" The old man looked regretfully at the half-eaten vegetable pocket in his hand, "I was even thinking of getting one for my grandson. Sigh! I can only wait until tomorrow!" In truth, Chen Yu also wanted to sell all six hundred vegetable pockets, but since it was a new product, he had to save some for Tuan Tuan and Tong Ya to try! By five o''clock in the afternoon, Tong Ya drove up in a white sedan with Tuan Tuan and parked next to the food truck. "Wow, there are even more people here today than yesterday!" Tong Ya eximed in surprise, quickly taking out an apron and gloves from the car and intuitively rushing into the food truck. The apron and gloves were something she bought especially at noon; the ones inside the truck were a bit toorge and weren''tfortable when she wore them the past two times. Tuan Tuan also set up a table, took out paper and pen, and sat down skillfully. "Ah, isn''t that thedy teacher from yesterday? Why is she wearing a mother-child outfit today? She couldn''t have gotten together with this young man, could she?" Tong Ya blushed and her heart thumped at thement, but she didn''t bother to rify and adeptly packed food for the customers. Chen Yu seemed to have already gotten used to such teasing, and having Tong Ya by his side gave him an inexplicable sense offort. So he just kept making fried cakes and vegetable pockets, not responding or exining. Tong Ya stole a nce at Chen Yu, then immediately suppressed all her emotions. "Wow, there''s a new product today, huh?" Tong Ya asked subconsciously, trying to divert her attention. "Right, I specially saved some for you and Tuan Tuan!" Tong Ya''s heart skipped once again! However, Tong Ya was indeed busier today, asionally needing to restock the sales fridge from the semi-trailer parked nearby. By nine o''clock at night, all the fried cakes and vegetable pockets were sold out, with a turnout even more sensational than the day before. "Boss, you''re closing up shop already? Any more fried cakes? It''s hard to find something to eatte at night here for those of us staying overnight." The inte caf¨¦ youths, who had already bought fried cakes and vegetable pockets, came back only to seem somewhat dejected. "Sorry, they''re all sold out!" Chen Yu apologized. "Then we''lle back around four-thirty in the morning! Boss, your fried cakes are absolutely top-notch, they not only invigorate us but also help us achieve the highest score of the venue!" After the group of inte caf¨¦ youths left, Chen Yu and Tong Ya had already jointly cleaned up the food truck. [Congrattions Host on perfectly concluding a day''s business, today''s profit seventeen thousand five hundred yuan, umted points seventeen thousand five hundred! Your total points now stand at twenty thousand seven hundred twenty-eight point five!] Hearing the system''s prompt, Chen Yu immediately felt that his hard work throughout the day had not been in vain. With the system there to calcte profits and points, Chen Yu didn''t worry excessively, simply checking his ount bnce and the cash on the counter. He now had a total of thirty-one thousand seven hundred yuan in hand! By these calctions, he was getting closer to his goal of buying a house. However, Chen Yu nced at the food truck behind him, then at the row of storefronts in front. Maybe it was time to rent a bigger storefront! Today, while working, he clearly felt that the food truck was quite cramped, and besides, he didn''t have a good solution for the charging issue of the food truck! Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Moral Kidnapping "What are you thinking about?" Tong Ya crept up behind Chen Yu and asked softly. Chen Yu then realized, "The number of customers we''re serving daily has already exceeded this food cart''s capacity. I''ve been thinking whether I should switch to arger venue!" Upon hearing this, Tong Ya didn''t even think twice before pulling out her phone. "Actually, if you need it, I could invest. I do have some spare cash!" Chen Yu repeatedly waved his hands, "No need! In fact, you''ve already troubled yourself enough. You''ve beening here to help out these past few days, and I don''t know what to say." "It''s okay. As a teacher, I should care about my students'' family situations too!" Just then, Tuan Tuan suddenly popped out. "Dad, why don''t you just marry Ms. Tong Ya as a thank-you!" Chen Yu had a head full of ck lines, this little girl just wouldn''t quit! Tong Ya also coughed twice to ease the embarrassment. "I saw you have a used battery over there; I can take it back and charge it for you if you need!" A weight finally lifted from Chen Yu''s heart, "Really? That would be great!" Tong Ya didn''t say much, just went ahead and picked up the battery, cing it in the trunk of her car. "Hold on, Ms. Tong Ya, this one is also about to run out of charge!" Tuan Tuan pointed at the nearly empty electric meter of the car. "Then let''s take it down, and I''ll bring it back with me as well!" Chen Yu felt a bit embarrassed as he took down the battery and reced it with thest spare one. "A single battery can onlyst for a day, right?" Tong Ya quickly grasped the food cart''s battery consumption. "That''s right. I was just worried about how to charge them!" Tong Ya leaned back with her hands behind her and unconsciously lifted one foot, "Actually, you can tell me directly if there''s anything I can help with in the future. If possible, I''ll do my best to help." Chen Yu was taken aback, "Ms. Tong Ya, if you''re justing over to help out of kindness because I am a single father with a child, there''s really no need. That would make me feel..." Before he could finish, Tong Ya immediately understood Chen Yu''s implication. As a man, especially someone like Chen Yu with considerable responsibilities and a strong sense of pride, her unsolicited, day-to-day help would only add psychological pressure to him. "You''ve misunderstood, Chen Yu! Actually, I''m helping you entirely out of gratitude!" Chen Yu was utterly confused, "Gratitude? But you''ve been the one helping me all along! And you''ve even taken such good care of Tuan Tuan in her dance sses. I feel like I''ve done nothing!" "No! It''s from back in college!" Tong Ya hurried to exin. She was truly afraid that Chen Yu would stop her froming here because of this. "College?" Chen Yu was even more puzzled, "We knew each other in college?" "I thought you remembered!" Tong Ya suddenly felt a bit aggrieved, "In your junior year, at the end of summer when the freshmen were enrolling, you performed CPR on a student who had heat stroke and took her to the hospital. The hospital fees were paid by you!" Chen Yu opened his mouth slightly, instinctively stepping back to look Tong Ya up and down. "That person was you?" On the side, Tuan Tuan also jumped up excitedly, "Dad, you knew Ms. Tong Ya that early on!" Chen Yu let out a light sigh, "That was just something I did on a whim! Plus, that year Ipleted my credits and went on to the graduate department, so I never saw Ms. Tong Ya again!" "But I have always seen you! At the orientation party, you yed the guitar on stage. Then there was the advanced mathpetition, thesis defenses; I was in the audience every time! I always wanted to pay you back the hospital fees, but I could never find you after the events!" Chen Yu suddenly felt an unexpected sense of relief. "I was enrolled in two graduate programs at the time, so I was very busy with coursework. I didn''t even recognize all my ssmates!" Tong Ya''s smile suddenly became yful and warm, "So remember that! Everything I do now and in the future is out of gratitude, got it!" The implication of her words was to tell Chen Yu that under no circumstances was he to send her away. Tuan Tuan promptly stepped forward and grabbed both Chen Yu and Tong Ya''s hands. "Wow, Dad, you''re so mean! Luckily, Ms. Tong Ya ran into you again so she can repay the favor. You''ve got to ept it properly!" Chen Yu''s mind was filled with ck lines. Was this moral ckmail? Tong Ya covered her mouth and chuckled, then went back to the car carrying the battery. "I''ll being over again tomorrow morning!" Chen Yu felt resigned, as it seemed he really had no reason to refuse Tong Ya now! "Wow, Dad! When did you learn to make these dumplings? They are so delicious! If I had known, I would have taken a few more for Ms. Tong Ya." Chen Yu also sat down and picked up a dumpling. "If it''s delicious, eat more, this is our dinner tonight!" "Yay!" Tuan Tuan cheered and then started gobbling up the food. Chen Yu, on the other hand, dialed his phone to arrange for tomorrow''s supplies. Four hundred pounds of a mix of sweet potatoes and purple sweet potatoes. Two hundred pounds of brown sugar and two hundred pounds of white sugar. Two hundred pounds of ck sesame seeds. One hundred pounds each of beef,mb, pork, and cod. Four hundred pounds each of leeks and cabbage. One hundred pounds each of shiitake mushrooms and marinated tofu. He then went on to stock up on a thousand beverages, just like the day before. Flour, bottled water, and seasoning were exactly enough for the next day''s use, so Chen Yu did not ce another order for them. Moreover, Chen Yu specifically asked the delivery driver to arrive an hour earlier because now there were two kinds of goods that needed to be prepared in advance. When all was calcted, the cost for the next day would be 14,400 yuan! Chen Yu did some rough calctions in his head and thought that if the sales were as good as today, his turnover might be close to 60,000. Just then, a rather rough voice interrupted Chen Yu''s thoughts. "Old Chen, how do you find the fridge? Is it convenient to use?" "Convenient, quite handy! Oh, by the way, Old Xie, it''s been a day on trial, let me transfer the money to you!" Xie Jiang also hurriedly took out his phone, "We''re all neighbors here. I''ll give you a 20% discount, 3,200 yuan! Just let me make a little profit!" "Oh, how could I ept that!" "Old Chen, don''t be so polite to me! Just reserve a few fried cakes and dumplings for me tomorrow morning." Chen Yu stopped refusing and scanned over 3,200 yuan with his phone. With that settled, Chen Yu now had 14,100 yuan left in hand! This money was pure profit for him to keep! "Dad! I''m going to watch some cartoons and then sleep!" By this time, Tuan Tuan had finished the dumplings and had also effortlessly cleaned up the table. Chen Yu let out a yawn as well, after the busy day, he was truly tired. "Let''s go, Dad will watch with you!" "Hooray!" Tuan Tuan grabbed Chen Yu''s hand, "When can Ms. Tong Ya join us to watch cartoons?" Chapter 17: Chapter 17 I Broke Down Chen Yuy in the driver''s seat, his expression distant as he watched the cartoon on the car TV. He didn''t know if the recent time spent with Tong Ya had loosened something inside him, or if it was Tuan Tuan constantly mentioning Tong Ya to him. Images of Tong Ya would sh through his mind every so often. Possibly because he was so tired from the day''s events, Chen Yu fell into a deep sleep before he could carefully sketch the figure in his mind. When Tong Ya rushed back home, she found Tang Xiaowei clutching her sketchpad, eagerly staring at the door. "You''re finally back! Did you bring any fried cakes today?" Tong Ya rolled her eyes. "Nope!" "What? I haven''t eaten all day, just waiting for the fried cakes! You actually didn''t bring any for me, really, once there''s a man in the picture, one forgets her own life-or-death bestie." Tong Ya, helpless, put the stuffed turnovers she had brought onto the table. "New products from the food cart! Give them a try!" Tang Xiaowei quieted down, suspiciously unwrapping the bag. The aroma that wafted out immediately made her taste buds react. "Did your crush make these too?" Tong Ya nodded proudly, as if Chen Yu was already her man. Tang Xiaowei, touching the slightly cool turnovers, picked one up and took a bite. "Oh my, this is delicious!" Tang Xiaowei''s exaggerated expression was as if she had been revived, and she wolfed down the remaining turnovers with relish. "Tong Ya! I''m sold, your taste is really unique, I can''t even argue with it. If it were me, I could eat something this tasty for a lifetime, no matter how many kids I''d have to bear!" Tong Ya huffed. "So, you''d just sell me out like that!" "It''s not about selling out! Some people can''t wait to sell themselves! But I still think yesterday''s fried cakes were good. Remember to bring me some more tomorrow when youe back." Tong Ya picked up a toy and threw it at her. "Eat this!" ... At four o''clock the next morning, Chen Yu was woken up by the rm in his earphones. He quickly got up, shook his somewhat groggy head, and hurried out of the car. As soon as he stepped out of the van, the supplier arrived with the ingredients. "Whoa, brother, all this is for you!" "How good is the business at your food cart anyway?" "I deliver to five breakfast stalls, and they don''t need as much as your one food cart." ... Chen Yu wasn''t much of a talker, and coupled with having just woken up and his head still feeling heavy, he simply smiled and asked them toe by for fried cakes and turnovers when they had a chance. By five o''clock, Chen Yu had already prepared tworge tubs of filling. "Oh my, you got up so early?" Tong Ya had already brought the battery to the food cart. Chen Yu quickly made a shush gesture. "Don''t wake Tuan Tuan up!" To their surprise, the curtain of the small room was suddenly lifted. "Hmph, I''ve been awake for a while now!" Chen Yu was resigned; Tuan Tuan seemed to have already gotten used to such an early routine. Tong Ya didn''t say much more and just put on her apron and gloves. "Is there anything I can help with?" Chen Yu looked around. "Each material corresponds to a meat grinder; you can just shred them ording to the times listed on them." This was already the easiest and most rxing task in the food cart. Without hesitation, Tong Ya got to work. Chen Yu, on the other hand, was busily preparing the finished fried cakes and turnovers. "Xiao Chen! You told me yesterday that the turnovers were unlimited today, give me ten of them!" An old man didn''t even wait for Chen Yu to reply, he just swiped fifty yuan. "Well, old man, you''re gonna have to wait a while!" Chen Yu responded and then picked up ten vegetable dumplings to throw into the fryer. By 5:30 in the morning, the area in front of the food cart was already packed with people. "Chen, are you some kind of chef from a five-star restaurant? Otherwise, how could the food you make taste so good?" "I thought the boss only knew how to make fried cakes, but it turns out you''ve got other skills too!" "When will you add some new dishes?" ... Most of the crowd here at this moment were regr customers, who no longer teased Tong Ya. But there were still some new faces, incessantly praising how good-looking Chen Yu''s family of three was. Chen Yu had no time to exin; after adding the vegetable dumplings, his workload had almost doubledpared to yesterday. Even though he had started preparations at four o''clock, he was still a bit flustered. If not for Tong Ya''s help, he probably couldn''t have managed. And for some reason, today the crowd didn''t decrease but increased even more around six o''clock. However, Chen Yu seemed to think of something, looking at Tong Ya with a surprised gaze. "Aren''t you going to school today?" Tong Ya chuckled, "It''s Saturday today!" Chen Yu pped his forehead, he had been so busy that he had even lost track of time! No wonder there were so many people today, probably many hade from far away. And earlier, the office workers who ate fried cakes here squeezed four tables together, ordering a hundred vegetable dumplings and two hundred fried cakes. They said it was for a weekend gathering. It was not until eleven o''clock at noon that the stream of people gradually began to thin out. Chen Yu hurriedly checked his raw materials, finding that more than half had already been used up. Especially the ingredients for the vegetable dumplings, with only a third remaining. Just as he was considering whether to restock, Tong Ya, very understanding, stepped forward. "Finally, we can catch a breath. Today''s Saturday¡ªmost people will choose to go out and gather, and what remains should be enough. Besides, you''ve been tired all morning, it would be great if we could close the stall earlier today so you can rest properly!" Chen Yu took a deep breath, and moved his body to ease some of the soreness in his back. "My goodness, I am indeed tired!" But after merely sighing, Chen Yu moved a chair over, sat down, and continued to make semi-finished fried cakes and vegetable dumplings. Tong Ya, feeling helpless, could only assist him on the side while restocking the self-service fridge. Only after using up all the raw materials did Chen Yu satisfiedly stretch, leaning back on the chair. Just as he was about to take a rest, he suddenly noticed many message notifications popping up on his phone. "I want to see Tuan Tuan, let''s set a time!" "You dare not reply to my messages now, is that it?" "Can you or can you not? Reply to me!" "What do you mean Chen Yu? I have visitation rights!" ... Chen Yu was somewhat annoyed by this barrage of messages. On the day of their divorce, Fang Yuan had clearly written in the agreement that she permanently gave up the visitation rights. Chen Yu thought for a moment and replied directly. "Aren''t you afraid of being caught by the paparazzi, affecting your career?" Just after sending the reply, the phone screen suddenly went dark. Chen Yu felt frustrated; this phone had already been used for five years, it was already malfunctioning, and being close to the fryer these past few days, it seemed to have finally broken. Chapter 18: Chapter 18 Gifts Tong Ya had just returned to the food truck when she saw Chen Yu continuously tapping on his phone. "Is your phone broken?" Chen Yu, feeling helpless, replied, "It''s been roasted by the frying pan. I need to get it fixed, or else I can''t contact the supplier for tomorrow''s raw materials." "Let me go fix it for you!" Tong Ya didn''t bother with formalities and quickly grabbed Chen Yu''s phone before leaving the food truck. Within fifteen minutes, Tong Ya returned, bounding back with a box in hand, glee evident in her steps. "I''m sorry, I identally dropped your phone on the way, and it''spletely beyond repair now. Consider this mypensation to you." Chen Yu''s mouth fell open slightly, his face full of surprise. In Tong Ya''s hands was thetest model 5G smartphone, costing over ten thousand yuan each. "Teacher Tong Ya, I really can''t ept this! I''m standing by the frying pan all day; even the best phone will end up getting roasted." "No, it won''t. I specifically bought a vacuum metal case for you!" Chen Yu was momentarily at a loss. He indeed needed a phone, especially one that could withstand high temperatures. Now, Tong Ya had fulfilled both these requirements for him. Chen Yu reluctantly epted the phone, "Then I''ll transfer the money to you." A flicker of disappointment crossed Tong Ya''s eyes. "Dad! You''re really letting down Teacher Tong Ya''s kind intentions!" Chen Yu frowned, "You child, how have I taught you? You can''t always think about taking advantage of others." Hearing this, Tong Ya quickly straightened up. "Chen Yu, consider this smartphone a gift for the opening of your food truck! If you feel like you''re taking advantage of me, you can give me a gift for my birthday next month!" Chen Yu looked up slightly, seeming to agree that transferring money might not be the right move now. Moreover, by next month, he should have a decent amount of savings, just in time to arrange a nice birthday party for Tong Ya. It would also serve as a thank-you for all the care she had provided during this time. "Okay, next month it is!" Seeing Chen Yu''s agreement, Tong Ya heaved a sigh of relief. As they spoke, the elders and aunties who danced in the square began arriving one after another. They kept a regr schedule regardless of the weekend, showing up on time every afternoon in the vicinity. After these elderly and regr customers dispersed, the food truck quickly quieted down. Still, by eight o''clock in the evening, all the fried cakes and vegetable rolls had sold out. As Chen Yu finished cleaning the food truck, the anticipated system notification rang in his mind. [Congrattions to the host for perfectlypleting a day of business. Today''s profit is 45,420.5 yuan, earning an equal number of points. Current total points are 66,149.] Chen Yu couldn''t contain his excitement. Who would have thought his food truck could over 40,000 yuan in a single day''s profit? However, Chen Yu quickly reined in his excitement and dialed the supplier''s number. He was truly exhausted and feared he might fall asleep if he waited any longer. The order was the same as yesterday, except today Chen Yu added fifteen bags of flour and twenty buckets of mineral water. Calcting the costs, tomorrow''s expenses would be 19,900 yuan, and the savings he had umted amounted to 40,712 yuan. A small sense of achievement rose in Chen Yu''s heart. At this rate, he''d be able to buy his own house soon. Looking at the 60,000-plus points, Chen Yu was tempted to see what new skills he could pull. However, he tried to restrain himself. Currently, making fried cakes and vegetable rolls already left him half-dead from fatigue. If he added another dish, he might not have the energy to cope. Moreover, earning money had be stable now, and Chen Yu felt no impatience whatsoever. Additionally, he was curious to see what kind of skills woulde from a high-stakes lottery that cost a hundred thousand per draw. "Chen Yu, what are you thinking about?" Tong Ya suddenly interrupted Chen Yu''s thoughts. "Nothing much!" Chen Yu responded hastily. "I''ve reced the battery for you, and I''ll take this one back to charge!" Chen Yu did not refuse but simply shook his newly bought mobile phone. "Thanks for your phone!" Tong Ya''s cheeks flushed slightly, "Then you must remember my birthday." "Definitely!" Upon receiving Chen Yu''s affirmative response, Tong Ya finally drove away. Having been tired out by the day''s events, Tuan Tuan quicklyy down in bed and fell asleep. Chen Yu yawned, checked the perimeter of the food cart, and then got into the vehicle himself. A film set. Fang Yuan, wearing her costume and holding her phone, sat there trembling. However, she quickly masked her emotions and proceeded to erase all the messages on her phone. "Chen Yu! You''re ruthless." Just as Fang Yuan was about to curse out loud, her agent hurried over. "Dear ancestor! Why are you still here? Hurry on over, today is the best chance to hype up your ''ship''!" Fang Yuan quicklyposed herself, trying to transform her anger into a look of tender affection. Then, following her agent''s lead, she approached a popr young actor. Since the terms had already been negotiated before, their conversation seemed flirtatious but was restrained at the same time. As Fang Yuan gradually got into character, she repeatedly told herself to forget Tuan Tuan, to forget everything from the past, in order to chase a better future. Lost in thought, Fang Yuan became even more invested in her role. Coupled with a bit of acting, an unknowing observer might truly believe she and the young idol were an ambiguously romantic couple. "Sister Fang Yuan,e and have some food! There''s a nighttime scene to shootter!" Called by the crew, Fang Yuan then separated from the young actor. But when she saw that the crew had brought her deep-fried cakes and vegetable turnovers, her brow furrowed. "Who ordered this? Don''t they know I''m watching my figure? How can I eat such greasy food?" "Sister Fang Yuan, give it a try! It''s oily but not greasy; it''s a unique find for tens of miles around! If we hadn''t gone early, they might have already sold out." Fang Yuan said she wouldn''t eat it, but she couldn''t resist when the fragrance wafted into her nose. She unconsciously bit into a vegetable turnover and felt as if she had been struck by an electric shock. "Ah, this is delicious! Where did ite from?" "It''s several blocks away from here! If Sister Fang Yuan wants more, you can wait for the stall to open tomorrow morning, I think they start at three or four a.m." Fang Yuan maintained her elegance and finished the vegetable turnover and sugar cake in her hands. "Since we have a night shoot today anyway, why don''t we go to this breakfast spot early tomorrow morning? My treat." Upon hearing this, all the crew members became excited. It was also their first time tasting such delicious food. The popr young actor nearby was also conquered by the fried cakes in his hand, gobbling them up voraciously. Chapter 19: Chapter 19 Coming by Reputation Perhaps because he went to bed early, Chen Yu woke up before four o''clock. Just as he got off the food cart, preparing to wash up, he saw Tong Ya''s car parked to the side. Tong Ya was dressed in casual wear, wrapped in a coat, shivering slightly next to her car. "Tong Ya?" Chen Yu hurried over, "Why have youe so early?" "Who knows, maybe after a whole day yesterday, my body clock has started to sync up with yours! And I''m not your teacher, so don''t call me ''teacher'' anymore." Chen Yu felt a bit embarrassed, "Hurry into the food cart to warm up!" The heat from cooking all day had kept the interior of the food cart at a constant temperature. Just as Tong Ya was about to enter the food cart, the delivery guy with the raw materials arrived. "Wow, boss, no wonder you work so hard, your wife is so beautiful!" Tong Ya had always been praised for her beauty since she was young and was used to it. Yet this praise made her feel an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. Without waiting for Chen Yu to speak, she quickly directed the delivery guys to bring the raw materials inside the food cart, afraid that Chen Yu might break this feeling of satisfaction. As soon as the delivery guys left, Tong Ya had already put on an apron, helping Chen Yu sort out the ingredients just like yesterday. "I''ve been watching you make fried cakes and vegetable pastries thesest two days, and there''s nothing strange about it, so howe they taste so good when you make them?" Chen Yu, while mixing the dough, "Are you here to steal the recipe?" "That depends on whether you''re willing to teach me!" Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, "Actually, it''s not that difficult, you just have to control the details of every step of the process." Tong Ya stuck out her tongue yfully, "That''s as good as not saying anything!" At four in the morning, Zhang Fan arrived at the food cart in a hurry. "Chen Yu, could you prepare two hundred fried cakes and a hundred vegetable pastries for me? I''m in a bit of a hurry and need to go." "So sudden?" Chen Yu was surprised; it was his first time seeing Zhang Fan so flustered. "There''s a mathpetition, and I just got the news, so I hurried over to pick up some breakfast for my colleagues from you." Chen Yu looked at the prepared raw materials on hand. "Can you wait for twenty minutes?" "Sure! I''lle back to pick them upter!" With that, Zhang Fan paid the money directly. "Wow, what a lucky start to the day! Such a big order right from the get-go!" Tong Ya eximed, genuinely happy for Chen Yu. Chen Yu was calmly frying the cakes and pastries in the oil, "Zhang is a regr! Hees every morning and evening." "Yeah, food carts like this rely on returning customers. These past few days, I''ve noticed you''re getting more and more regrs. Have you thought about hiring some employees?" Chen Yu shrugged, "It''s just a food cart; I can still manage. If I hire others, they might do the job half-heartedly, and the taste would suffer." "What about me?" Tong Ya suddenly turned to Chen Yu with a yful tone. "I won''t do things half-heartedly, and I''ll only cost you some fried cakes and vegetable pastries!" Chen Yu felt a bit embarrassed; truthfully, he didn''t know what to do. Tong Ya said she was here to help, but after these two days, she was like a full-time employee, guarding the ce day and night. Yet paying her a sry and treating her like a regr employee didn''t seem quite right either. As he was lost in thought, the local cafe youths had gathered around the food cart as usual. "Boss, you started cooking so early today." Chen Yu politely replied, "This is just someone''s order, you''ll have to wait a bit longer." "No worries, boss. We can''t even get into our game without your rice cakes; we''ll wait however long it takes." When Zhang Fan came over again, Tong Ya had already packed the fried rice cakes and vegetable pastries and handed them over. "Wow, that was fast! I thought I came early!" Zhang Fan took the bag, seemingly reminded of something. "Right, the lease on the shop next to me is up in a week. Old Chen, if you''re interested, I can talk to thendlord for you." Chen Yu''s face lit up with joy. He was clearly feeling that the food cart was not enough anymore, and if he hit the jackpot with the lottery a couple more times, even if he didn''t want to, he wouldn''t be able to avoid moving into a shop. "That''d be great! Thanks a lot, Old Zhang." "Don''t mention it, I''m off now!" By six in the morning, as always, the food cart was bustling with people. There was even a foreign tour group that hade seeking its local fame. Fortunately, both Chen Yu and Tong Ya were fairlypetent in foreignnguages, or else it would have really been a waste of time trying tomunicate. Tuan Tuan was also fluttering about like a little swallow, moving through the crowd. Only these past couple of days, with the sudden increase in customers, her writing speed clearly couldn''t keep up. Before long, several minivans parked nearby. "Is this where you bought it from?" Fang Yuan couldn''t believe her eyes: "You can make something this delicious in a food cart?" The agent beside her was also amazed, "Such a small food cart, and yet it attracts such a huge crowd. It''s nothing short of miraculous." Fang Yuan was a public figure now, after all. She and several actors didn''t get out of the car, instead having their staff line up for them. But when she rolled down the window, she was shocked to find that the person standing at the food cart''s counter was none other than Chen Yu. "How can it be him?" The agent also saw Chen Yu through the window. In the entertainment industry, the agent might be the only person who knew everything about Fang Yuan. Fang Yuan frowned deeply, her gaze fixed intently on Tong Ya beside Chen Yu. "Where did this womane from?" Seeing Tong Ya, Fang Yuan suddenly felt somewhat ashamed of herself. In terms of looks, although she wasn''t inferior to Tong Ya, Tong Ya had an indescribable quality and charm about her. What she couldn''t ept, though, was how such a beautiful woman could be selling breakfast here with Chen Yu. A sense of envy emerged spontaneously, and Fang Yuan felt the urge to confront them. But then she thought better of it. She was already divorced, and the past of this marriage absolutely must not be discovered by others. Stepping out now would be career suicide. Fang Yuan''s eyes subconsciously wandered to Tuan Tuan, who darted through the crowd like a little swallow, then she promptly urged the driver. "Forget it, pay for the breakfast and let''s go somewhere else to eat!" "Yuan Yuan, the breakfast here is really good, you can tell by the line..." "I said somewhere else!" Fang Yuan cut off the driver directly. The agent quickly tried to smooth things over, "Let''s go, this kind of food is too greasy anyway! Yuan Yuan still needs to maintain her figure!" Perhaps because of the Saturday revelry, there were even more peopleing to buy the fried rice cakes and vegetable pastries on Sunday morning than the day before. They kept at it until noon, when the crowd finally began to dwindle down. Chen Yu showed no sign of wanting to rest; he just stretched, pulled up a chair, and sat down to continue making the semi-finished products. Tong Ya, on the other hand, stretched out her own body and then sat down beside Chen Yu, pressing on the spinal area at the back of his head and started to gently massage it. Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Youth Palace Chen Yu''s body shuddered violently, and even the filling he had just scooped up almost fell off. Tong Ya''s hands were always delicate and soft, and rubbing his shoulders like that instantly refreshed him, as if he''d been struck by lightning. "How''s that? Comfortable, right?" Tong Ya giggled, "You stand all day; be careful not to hurt your cervical spine." "Wow! Dad, you actually let Teacher Tong Ya give you a shoulder rub!" Tuan Tuan, holding two bottles of juice, suddenly climbed onto the food cart. Chen Yu was about to exin but was preempted by Tong Ya. "You little rascal, which dance ss student hasn''t been massaged by me! Besides, your dad has been busy for several days. If I don''t help him loosen up his muscles and bones, he could easily run into problems." Tuan Tuan set the juice aside and hugged Tong Ya''s neck from behind. "Teacher Tong Ya, do you want to give my dad shoulder massages for the rest of your life?" Tong Ya''s heartbeat suddenly elerated, and her face flushed to the roots of her neck in an instant. Chen Yu rolled his eyes: "What nonsense are you spouting, little girl? Are you asking for a spanking again?" Tuan Tuan pouted and hid herself behind Tong Ya. "By the way, Dad, lots of customers say we have too few ice cream vors!" Chen Yu snorted, "I bet it''s you, little girl, who''s tired of those few vors!" Tuan Tuan stuck out her tongue, then went into the room to get her backpack and sat quietly beside them, starting on her homework. "Oh, Chen Yu, we don''t have much of the raw materials left today. Can we pack up around seven or eight o''clock?" Tong Ya suddenly asked. Chen Yu nced around the food cart subconsciously: "The crowd is definitely going to be smaller on weekend afternoons, probably just the elderly whoe for the square dancing! We might sell out by six or seven o''clock." "That''s great! There''s a dancepetition at the youth center tonight that I signed Tuan Tuan up for half a month ago. I''ve been so busy these past few days I almost forgot about it!" At the mention, Tuan Tuan immediately jumped up excitedly. "Really?" "Of course it''s true!" Tong Ya became serious, "But before we go, you have to finish your homework, okay?" Tuan Tuan raised her hands and cheered, then pecked Tong Ya on the cheek and continued on with her homework. This scene, which resembled that of a warm family of three, quickened Tong Ya''s pulse once more. Chen Yu noticed Tong Ya''s change as well: "Are you feeling okay? Why is your face so red?" Tong Ya quickly fanned herself, "No, it''s just too hot!" Chen Yu didn''t ask further, just nced at the food cart''s built-in refrigeration unit. When the food cart was handed over to Chen Yu, it was stocked with arge amount of solid cooking oil. Plus, the frying pot on the food cart had a filtration system, so the oil consumption wasn''t high. They used on average two big blocks per day. After a few days, even the solid oil was running low, with only one block left in the refrigeration unit. He would have to make a phone call tonight to restock. At four in the afternoon, the square dancing seniors arrived as expected, and it seemed there were even more people today than usual. "Young Chen, did you hire this girl to work for you? She''s been here for two days already, hasn''t she?" "With such a beautiful girl by your side, no wonder Young Chen isn''t keen on blind dates." "This girl is perfect¡ªbeautiful and hardworking. Just marry her, Young Chen!" ... This sudden rush to get married caught Chen Yu off guard. Tong Ya didn''t say anything but just busily packed things up on her own. Indeed, apart from these seniors, there weren''t many other customers today. Even so, the fried cakes and vegetable dumplings were selling out fast. By six in the afternoon, everything was sold out. [Congrattions, Host, for perfectlypleting a day''s business. Today''s profit is 40,700 yuan, earning 40,700 points. Your total umted points now stand at 106,840.] Chen Yu''s breathing immediately became rapid; he hadn''t expected the points to umte to 100,000 so quickly. With that, he could now take a shot at the high-level lottery. However, Chen Yu didn''t rush to draw the lottery. Instead, he calmed his emotions and first made a call to the raw material supplier. The same ingredients as yesterday, only today he added ten more blocks of solid cooking oil. Each block weighing ten jin, at five yuan per jin, the total cost was 500 yuan. Adding it up, the cost for tomorrow would be a total of 19,600 yuan! After paying the money, Chen Yu found that his savings had reached a staggering 80,920 yuan. In Suzhou City, that amount of money was enough for a down payment on a modest house. Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan had also changed their clothes; all three of them got into Tong Ya''s car and headed straight to the Youth Pce. Perhaps since there was apetition, there were an unusuallyrge number of people at the Youth Pce today. Tuan Tuan, holding Tong Ya and Chen Yu''s hands, bounced joyfully. The scene immediately drew envious nces from the people around them. "This family of three is so beautiful!" "It''s gics, good heredity, huh!" "The child is so big, and they''re still so loving; truly a model family." "I think I''ve seen that child before; he was the champion of thest dancepetition at the Youth Pce!" ... Hearing the discussions along the way, Tong Ya not only didn''t get angry but instead her heart raced, and, like a little girl, she couldn''t help but sway her body. By the time they reached thepetition venue, all thepeting children had already entered into tense preparations. But Tuan Tuan was not at all flustered and casually changed into her dance costume before going to the prep area. Chen Yu and Tong Ya made a cheering gesture for her from outside, then took their seats in the audience. "I''ve told you before, Tuan Tuan''s talent for dance is truly unparalleled!" Tong Ya became excited for no particr reason. Chen Yu also nodded with a smile on his face, "It''s because of your good nurturing!" Hearing Chen Yu''s praise, Tong Ya immediately bit her lower lip. "Right! If Tuan Tuan can win the championship this time, she will get a prize of 10,000 yuan! That''s just enough for the tuition fees." Chen Yu was slightly taken aback; it seemed Tong Ya had been trying to figure out how to take care of Tuan Tuan for a long time. "Thank you!" This thank you, said with a quickened breath from Tong Ya, made her feel it was Chen Yu''s recognition of her. Thepetition began, and Tuan Tuan was the first to take the stage. From those graceful dance moves, Chen Yu could actually discern a kind of aesthetic derived from life experiences. It appeared the events of this period had greatly influenced Tuan Tuan. But the little girl was able to integrate all her emotions into the dance, which was a testament to her talent. Chen Yu suddenly felt that the best thing he had ever done was to send Tuan Tuan to learn dancing, regardless of the cost. As the music stopped, Tuan Tuan froze on stage in an incredibly wide movement. The thunderous apuse erupted suddenly; everyone present knew that the championship had already been swept by Tuan Tuan. Chapter 21: Chapter 21 Going Back with a Load on the Back The rest of thepetition seemed dull and vorless. After all, they were just five or six years old, and at that age, dancing relied purely on talent. Compared with Tuan Tuan, the other children either had uncoordinated body shapes or simply danced terribly. Chen Yu watched until he even fell asleep. 10 p.m. Tong Ya shook the sleeping Chen Yu. "Thepetition''s over, get up, we should head back!" Chen Yu then came to his senses and noticed that Tuan Tuan had changed clothes and was sleeping soundly in Tong Ya''s arms. Thinking about it, Tuan Tuan had been following him day and night; how could she not be tired? In Chen Yu''s heart, the determination to buy a house grew stronger¡ªto at least give Tuan Tuan a proper ce to sleep. "Give the child to me!" Chen Yu quickly extended his hands to take Tuan Tuan from Tong Ya''s arms. It was not until that moment that Chen Yu realized Tong Ya''s arms and legs were trembling slightly. It looked like Tuan Tuan had been sleeping in Tong Ya''s arms for quite some time. "Are you okay?" Chen Yu asked with concern. Tong Ya didn''t answer immediately, but shifted her body with difficulty. "Ouch! My arms and legs are numb!" Just then, Tuan Tuan suddenly woke up. "Daddy, you''re awake!" Chen Yu quickly set Tuan Tuan down and steadied Tong Ya with his hand. "What''s wrong with Miss Tong Ya?" Tuan Tuan also looked worried. Chen Yu scolded impatiently, "It''s all because of you, little girl, for falling asleep in your teacher''s arms, you''ve made her arms and legs go numb!" Tuan Tuan''s face showed regret, "Then, Teacher, can you walk? If not, let my dad carry you!" Chen Yu was taken aback for a moment, then turned his head to see a mischievous smile sh across Tuan Tuan''s face. Tong Ya went along with it, "I really can''t walk! It hurts so much!" "Daddy, hurry up and carry Miss Tong Ya, look how much pain she is in!" Chen Yu had no choice; he couldn''t just leave Tong Ya there. "You don''t mind me carrying you, do you?" Chen Yu asked uncertainly. "Of course not!" Tong Ya casually draped her arm over Chen Yu''s neck. "Then hold on tight!" Chen Yu held onto Tong Ya''s legs and lifted her up on his back. But when Tong Ya''s softness touched Chen Yu''s back, his body involuntarily stiffened for a moment. By this time, the visitors at the youth center had already dispersed, leaving only those who hade to watch the dancepetition and couples watching movies. As Chen Yu walked past them with Tong Ya on his back and Tuan Tuan by his side, he immediately received envious nces. "Look, they already have a child and still so affectionate!" "These days, the children are the ident, and the parents are true love!" "Should I say it or not, their family of three has such high attractiveness!" ... Chen Yu felt helpless, not knowing how to exin. Hearing thesements, Tong Ya subconsciously tightened her arms around him. All the way to the underground parking garage, she remained tightly pressed against Chen Yu''s back, reluctant to let go. Chen Yu also went straight to opening the car door, cing Tong Ya on the passenger seat. "You look ufortable, should I take you home first?" "No need!" Tong Ya waved her hand: "It''s just numbness in my hands and feet, I should feel better once we get to the food truck!" In fact, she was already feeling better, but Chen Yu''s broad andfortable back made her reluctant to leave. Chen Yu didn''t say much more and drove straight back to the food truck. When he returned, he actually saw Zhang Fan sitting at the entrance of the food truck, with several cigarette butts already on the ground. "Oh, Old Chen, you''re finally back!" Chen Yu approached somewhat sheepishly: "I went out for a bit today, is there an emergency?" Zhang Fan quickly took out his phone: "It''s about the shop next to mine I told you about. Their rent expires the day after tomorrow, and they''re moving out tomorrow. Here''s thendlord''s number, I''ll send it to you!" Chen Yu hadn''t expected Zhang Fan to be waiting there just to help him secure a shop. "That''s really so kind of you!" "What''s there to thank for!" Zhang Fan casually sent over pictures of the interior of the shop. "Old Chen, this shop isn''t just big, it''s enormous. The previous tenants ran a restaurant but didn''t manage it well and couldn''t keep going after a month." Chen Yu nodded continuously, flipping through the pictures in his hands. He suddenly discovered that the shop had three floors, the bottom two weremercial halls, and to his surprise, the third floor was a separate residential area. Three bedrooms and a living room, a kitchen and two bathrooms, nearly two hundred square meters of huge space. "Old Zhang, are they renting out all three floors together?" "Yeah! This entire area is mixed-use, residential andmercial together. This shop is all three floors connected, they only rent it out as a whole! And I''ve noticed you and the child have been sleeping in the food truck, what if something happens someday?" Chen Yu became immediately excited, especially when he saw that the rent was only twelve thousand. He made up his mind on the spot. Real estate prices in Suzhou City aren''t low, a two hundred square meter residential space alone would go for at least seven or eight thousand a month, not to mention with the twomercial floors, this price is quite a bargain. It would at least give Tuan Tuan a peaceful ce to sleep. "Okay, I''ll take it! Tomorrow at noon, I''ll arrange to meet with thendlord!" "Since you''ve decided, I''ll talk to thendlord for you, maybe I can even get you a discount!" After confirming with Chen Yu, Zhang Fan gave his phone a shake and headed back to the garage. Tong Ya at that moment was putting the reced battery into the car trunk. "Dad, does that mean we can have our own shop now?" Chen Yu rubbed Tuan Tuan''s little head: "Yes! Once we have the shop, Dad can expand the business." Tuan Tuan cheered instantly, hugging Chen Yu tightly. Tong Ya was also happy for Chen Yu, though she maintained herposure. "Then I''ll head back first! See you tomorrow!" After giving a greeting, Tong Ya got into the car. When she drove around a street corner, she suddenly stopped the car. Her hands clenched into fists, and her feet rapidly tapped back and forth inside the car. "I just knew it, he definitely could do it!" Trying to calm her excited heart, Tong Ya started the car again. Tang Xiaowei seemed to have gotten used to Tong Ya bringing her food at night, so she didn''t eat the whole day again. But when she eagerly waited for Tong Ya to enter, she found that Tong Ya hadn''t brought anything this time. "Tong Ya, where are the veggie buns? The fried cakes? Don''t tell me you didn''t bring anything for me?" Tong Ya huffed: "Always eating and drinking for free, and now you have demands!" Tang Xiaowei''s mouth instantly formed an ''o'': "Tong Ya, you really are heartless when ites to the opposite sex! Do you know I''ve been waiting for you all day, and I haven''t eaten a single thing?" Tong Ya couldn''t bear to let her best friend stay hungry, and still showed concern: "Really? You''ve been starving all day? I remember there were still some veggie buns left from yesterday, weren''t there?" Chapter 22: Chapter 22 The Feeling of Home Tang Xiaowei looked aggrieved, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "The things your god of a man makes are too delicious, I think I''m addicted! I got up in the middle of the night yesterday and finished everything!" Tong Ya felt helpless, "We went to the Youth Pce today; we can''t bring any for you! How about ordering some takeout to tide you over?" "Wow!" Tang Xiaowei cried out like a child. "It''s all your fault for letting me taste something so delicious! I can''t live without your god of a man anymore!" Tong Ya rolled her eyes, "Go eat something fast, don''t really starve yourself to death!" Tang Xiaowei suddenly stopped crying and then, like a rogue, sprawled on the ground, clutching at Tong Ya''s leg. "I''m totally on your side now, hurry up and conquer your man so I can go over and mooch meals without shame!" Tong Ya snorted lightly, "Just for the sake of food, youpletely sold me out!" "How can I be med, it''s only because your man cooks so well! It''s all because you brought his cooking back for me to taste!" Tong Ya pouted, feeling as if somehow she was the one at fault! "All right, all right, I''ll definitely bring more for you tomorrow, hurry up and order that takeout!" ... Fang Yuan sat in the vi''s hall, elegantly eating her steak. A timid assistant at her side held a notebook, crunching some numbers. "Sister Yuan, our people have been watching near the food truck all day. Based on the foot traffic and the prices, a rough calction suggests that the food truck''s daily sales could reach sixty thousand, and the cost might be at most twenty thousand!" Fang Yuan paused momentarily while cutting her steak. That meant Chen Yu''s daily profit had already reached forty thousand! Although,pared to her acting ie, it wasn''t as much. But acting only feeds you while you''re young, businesssts a lifetime. Chen Yu, just by running a food truck, was able to achieve such incredible revenue. If he were left to develop further, in no time at all, he could very likely be a local tycoon. "Howe I never realized he had such ability before?" Mentallyining, Fang Yuan vigorously cut off another piece of steak, stuffed it into her mouth, and chewed it with grinding teeth. "Sister Yuan, why did you have me investigate such a small shop?" Fang Yuan suddenly turned around, her fierce gaze startling the assistant. "Didn''t I eat breakfast from that cest time? I found it delicious, so I wanted to check it out, is there a problem with that?" The assistant shook her head repeatedly, "Sister Yuan, if there''s nothing else, I''ll be leaving!" "Wait a minute!" Fang Yuan took out five hundred yuan from her bag and handed it to the assistant. "Go buy five hundred yuan worth of fried cakes and vegetable pastries early tomorrow morning and bring them to the set, I''m treating everyone!" "Oh, thank you Sister Yuan!" The assistant thanked her and left the vi cheerfully. Fang Yuan sat alone, silent for a long while, suddenly picked up the te, and threw it violently on the ground. "No, I can''t let him make a fortune!" ... At three in the morning, Chen Yu was woken by the rm in his earbuds. As he left the food truck, he saw the delivery man bringing the raw materials. Tong Ya also arrived just before or after these delivery men. Since the delivery men had already seen Tong Ya, they didn''t say much and left after delivering the materials. Chen Yu seemed to have gotten used to Tong Ya''s presence, merely calling her to join him in the food trailer. "These past few days, I''ve noticed that the fried cakes and vegetable turnovers you make taste so good, and arge part of that reason is because the dough is kneaded well!" Chen Yu was somewhat surprised, "You''ve observed quite meticulously! Actually, the quality of the flour and water, as well as the proportion of the two and the fermentation time, all affect the final product''s taste!" A look of admiration twinkled in Tong Ya''s eyes, "Who would have thought that there''s so much knowledge in kneading dough!" Chen Yu smiled, "Isn''t it just like life? Perhaps because of a minor reason, someone''s entire life can be ruined." Tong Ya had already mastered the technique of preparing the fillings. Without Chen Yu''s guidance, she was quite skilled at doing it herself. It may have been because it was Monday, but it wasn''t until 4:30 that customers gradually began to show up. And it was this extra half hour that allowed Chen Yu to prepare plenty of semi-finished products. Only today, there were many new faces. Moreover, these people, after buying the fried cakes and vegetable turnovers, hurried off as if they were thieves in a hurry. Chen Yu didn''t think much of it, focusing meticulously on making his fried cakes and vegetable turnovers. By six in the morning, there was a mountain of people in front of the food trailer, and Chen Yu felt he almost couldn''t keep up. Zhang Fan, as usual, came to the food trailer in a hurry. Chen Yu had already prepared his order. But just as he handed over the fried cakes and vegetable turnovers, Zhang Fan suddenly climbed into the trailer. "Old Chen! You need to be careful these days; I feel like someone''s out to get you!" Chen Yu was momentarily stunned, "I haven''t offended anyone, who would be out to harm me?" "Old Chen, it''s not that your food trailer is too popr! I just saw in the group chat that several breakfast vendors have made the same vegetable turnovers and fried cakes as you! But not only are theirs bigger, but they''re also doing a buy five, get one free deal!" Chen Yu smiled, "Everyone''s in business, and besides, breakfast food is all the same; nobody has decreed that they can''t make the same things as me." Zhang Fan sighed helplessly, "You! Your heart is too kind. If it were me, I''d have grabbed my weapon and gone to settle the score with them by now! Anyway, watch your back." "I''ll remember your warning!" Zhang Fan waved his hand, "I''ve also made arrangements with thendlord for you. He wille over after twelve noon; don''t forget, ah!" "Alrighty!" After Zhang Fan left, Tong Ya too pursed her lips. "If you ask me, you should apply for a patent for your fried cakes and vegetable turnovers. Then let''s see if they dare to steal!" "Rest assured, nobody can steal my stuff! Even if they know the recipe, they don''t know the exact method!" Tong Ya nodded, "You''re right, just the technique for kneading the dough is enough for them to learn for a lifetime." Perhaps because she was too tired yesterday, Tuan Tuan only woke up at this moment. "Oh no, it''s already sote! Daddy, Teacher Tong Ya, why didn''t you wake me up?" Tong Ya smiled gently, "Hurry up and get ready, we need to go to school soon!" Tuan Tuan pouted, clearly unhappy. But after ncing at the time, she had no choice but to go and wash up first. By six fifty, Tong Ya too seemed reluctant to take off her apron and gloves. "I''ll take Tuan Tuan to school first! If you really can''t manage on your own, take a break. Don''t wear yourself out!" Chen Yu''s movements paused for a moment. It seemed that for many years, this was the first time someone had cared whether he was tired or not. In the first few years with Fang Yuan, what he heard every day, apart fromints, was all kinds of grievances! In that moment, Chen Yu inexplicably felt the sense of having a ''family''. Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Renting a Shop "Boss Chen, what are you daydreaming about? Hurry up and give me ten fried cakes!" Chen Yu then snapped back to reality and quickly packed the order for the customer. All morning, Chen Yu noticed that the several new faces that hade in the morning returned a few more times, each time buying every kind of fried cake and vegetable pastry on offer. Chen Yu didn''t mind, he just busied himself with his own work. Fortunately, he had prepared enough semi-finished products in the morning; otherwise, he really wouldn''t have been confident in handling the morning rush. However, by ten o''clock in the morning, the stream of people abruptly stopped. After all, it was Monday, and once the rush hour for work had passed, there weren''t many people around. Chen Yu, as usual, checked the remaining raw materials. There were still half of the vegetable pastries left, but the fried cakes had been consumed quite a bit. After all, inparison, fried cakes were cheaper, and many people liked to eat something sweet in the morning. Afterward, Chen Yu hurriedly moved a chair and seized the opportunity to prepare more semi-finished products! At noon, an elderlydy with white hair, leaning on a cane, knocked on the food cart''s door, looking quite cheerful. Chen Yu quickly put down what he was working on and stepped out of the food cart. "Are you the one looking to rent a house?" "Yes! Yes!" Chen Yu quickly responded and was ready to wash his hands. Unexpectedly, the olddy grabbed Chen Yu''s hand. "Zhang Fan told me this morning, and I didn''t believe it. It turns out the person renting my house is really you!" Chen Yu was slightly stunned, "You know me?" "Know you? I eat your fried cakes and vegetable pasties every day. But it''s inconvenient for me toe over, so my daughter buys them for me!" Saying so, the old woman took out the rental agreement from her bag. "The agreed rent was twelve thousand, but since it''s you renting it, I''ll charge you seventy thousand for half a year, though utilities are not included, eh!" Chen Yu was a bit surprised, he hadn''t expected the olddy to be so straightforward. He hurriedly helped the olddy sit down at the table beside them. "If that''s really the case, then that''s wonderful!" The olddy''s face was brimming with a smile, "I like you young people, so full of energy and vigor! And you, you''re a handsome young man. I heard you''re divorced? Do you have someone else?" Chen Yu was at a loss for words for a moment, "I don''t have any ns to remarry just yet. After all, with a child to take care of, I also want to make more money while I''m young to give my child a future!" "That''s good, that''s very responsible!" After praising him, the olddy then took out a pen and changed the price on the rental agreement! "This seventy thousand, you don''t have to pay me all at once. If times are tough for you, just give me ten thousand for now, and the rest can wait another month or two ¨C no rush!" "How can I ept that? You''ve already given me a discount on the rent, I''m very grateful!" The olddy grandly waved it off, "Just as long as I can eat your fried cakes and vegetable pastries every day!" Chen Yu nodded repeatedly, "Definitely, for sure!" After the olddy made the changes to the contract, she handed it to Chen Yu. "Take a look, is there anything else that needs to be added?" "Auntie, this is already very good!" "What ''auntie''? That''s too formal! My surname is Li, just call me Aunt Lee!" With that, Aunt Lee took back the contract, "They''re moving out right now, and they should be done by the afternoon. Once you close up shop in the evening, Aunt Lee will take you to see the house. If you''re not satisfied, I won''t force you!" "No! No! No! I''m very satisfied!" Aunt Lee''s genuine enthusiasm left Chen Yu somewhat overwhelmed. "Then I won''t keep you from your work! I''lle over this evening!" After tidying up the contract, Aunt Lee left happily, leaning on her cane. Chen Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief, having settled both the shop and his living situation. Stretchingzily, Chen Yu returned to the food cart to keep bustling about. By three in the afternoon, Chen Yu had finished preparing all the remaining semi-prepared items. Just as he stepped down from the food cart, ready to stretch his limbs a bit, he suddenly heard the sound of a loudspeaker in the distance. "Authentic fried cakes, authentic vegetable pastries, new products on sale, buy three get one free!" Chen Yu frowned slightly, realizing it was just as Zhang Fan had said; these people were indeed ying underhanded tricks. They had bought his fried cakes and vegetable pastries and turned around to make their own versions! However, Chen Yu just smiled and paid no attention. Nearly all breakfast stalls have their own discussion groups and even offer delivery services. Yet, until now, Chen Yu had neither started a discussion group nor offered a delivery service. Even so, his business had already be incredibly popr. Therefore, he didn''t care about these people trying to steal his techniques! After all, the techniques he used for making vegetable pastries and fried cakes were provided by his system, unique in the entire world! At four in the afternoon, the groups of seniors dancing in the square came to support him as usual. But some were intercepted halfway by the breakfast storefronts. "Come in and try, seniors, our shop hasunched new products! They''re just like the ones from the cart over there, but with bigger portions, and you get one free when you buy three!" "Like the ones over there? Then why should I eat yours, when Boss Chen''s are so delicious?" Nevertheless, some seniors couldn''t resist the temptation and bought a fried cake symbolically. But after taking a bite, they spat it out on the ground. "What is this stuff? Compared to Boss Chen, this is trash! The ones I make at home taste better than this! Refund my money!" ... From inside the food cart, Chen Yu could see the scene unfold in the distance. These breakfast shops were located along the street, and anyone who wanted toe to Chen Yu''s ce had to pass by them. But no one paid any heed to their calls; they all headed straight for the food cart. Even after some of the seniors had a taste, even fewer people visited those stores! Chen Yu simply nced up before returning his attention to his work. "Young Chen! Those shops next to you are going too far, it''s like they''re trying to steal your livelihood!" "Yes, young Chen! You have to be careful, I reckon these people would do anything for money!" "This kid is handsome, kind-hearted, and sincere, how can he guard against those old hands?" "I say, from now on, we should stick with young Chen and not buy from them anymore!" ... Chen Yu felt warmth in his heart as he listened. These past few days, these elderly folks had taken great care of him, not only bringing their whole families to eat his fried cakes and pastries but also inviting everyone from their apartmentplex. As Chen Yu worked, he politely responded. "Thank you, uncles and aunties! By the way, I''ve already found a ce across the street. I might move there tomorrow, and then you all won''t have to stand and eat like this!" "Oh, that would be wonderful! Young Chen, you should have done this much earlier!" "With your food cart business being so good, it''s about time to expand!" "And you should set up an ess control at the door, beating out any sneaky-looking characters whoe in!" "Is it the restaurant that used to be across the street?" "Then I need to go back and spread the word for you!" ... Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Malicious Reporting At 5 p.m., Tong Ya drove frantically to the restaurant with Tuan Tuan. "Tuan Tuan had apetition today, so we got backte!" Without thinking, Tong Ya exined, then hurriedly put on her apron and gloves and went into the food truck. "Chen Yu, boss, you haven''t started seeing this girl, have you? Why does shee to help every day?" Chen Yu was taken aback for a moment. Before he could speak, Tong Ya quickly exined. "Actually, we''re university ssmates and have always been very good friends. He got divorced, and I felt sad, so I came to help out a bit!" This exnation immediately gained everyone''s approval. After all, they were university ssmates, and it seemed natural to lend a hand when one was in trouble. Chen Yu didn''t feel it was right to say much more, especially since Tong Ya had previously mentioned she was here to repay a favor. By 6 p.m., the food truck was surrounded as usual, packed to the brim. In contrast, the breakfast stall next door was deserted, without a soul in sight. "Old Wang, what do you think he puts in there? Why is it so delicious?" "How should I know? I had someone buy some yesterday and tried to reverse engineer it. Sure, we can make it, but the taste is miles off!" "What are we going to do? With this food truck here, won''t we be reduced to starving?" "Tell me about it. My bun shop hasn''t opened for two days now. Howe no one ever tires of his sugar cakes and vegetable pastries? People should buy some buns now and then to change things up!" "If you ask me, he''s definitely using something illegal. Why don''t we report him and let the authorities check it out properly!" "Yeah, that sounds great. Whatever we can''t figure out, the authorities definitely can!" ... Amidst their chatter, a group of people noisily took out their cellphones and dialed numbers. By 8 p.m., all the fried cakes and vegetable pastries had sold out. Luckily, Chen Yu had set aside fifty sugar cakes and thirty vegetable pastries beforehand. Aside from serving as their dinner, he also needed to take twenty sugar cakes and ten vegetable pastries back for Tang Xiaowei. Otherwise, Tang Xiaowei might actually starve to death! As they were cleaning up, the piercing sound of police sirens suddenly rang out. A few authoritative officials headed straight for the food truck. "Sir, we are from the health department. We received a report that you added some bad substances to the food. Please provide samples for testing!" Chen Yu was initially stunned, then quickly realized what was happening. It looked like a malicious report from a few neighboring shops. "Sorry, all the fried cakes and vegetable pastries sold out today, only a few left over are for us to eat!" "We still need to check those!" The officials were quite overbearing and moved to a table, ready to take away the remaining fried cakes and vegetable pastries. "Wow! You guys are so mean, taking these away, what will we eat? Daddy has been busy all day and hasn''t eaten anything, and you''re just taking the food away!" A adorable little girl was sobbing and wiping her tears¡ªhow could anyone resist? Tong Ya stepped forward as well, "Our documents are in order here, fair and square. How could we possibly use something bad? There must be some mistake!" A little girl had almost melted them with cuteness, and now here was a stunningly beautiful woman with great temperament. Take another look at Chen Yu''s already handsome features. How could this not look like a family of three! Moreover, as the old saying goes, ''the countenance is the portrait of the soul'', the health officials were also convinced in their hearts there was nothing wrong with the food truck. After all, what they were selling, they were eating themselves! "Sorry, but since we received a report, as per regtions, we still need to inspect it!" One of the officials took an instrument out of the vehicle. "Don''t worry, we''ll only take one for sample testing!" Tuan Tuan stopped crying then, "Do you really need just one?" The officialpletely dropped his authoritative tone, "Why would uncle lie to you?" Pouting, Tuan Tuan took out two fried cakes from the bag, handed one to the official, and ate the other in front of him. This made the official quite embarrassed. Such a small child, eating these as meals, not only had no issues but also looked so pretty and cute. They couldn''t believe there was anything wrong with this food to save their lives! Yet, they still had to follow the necessary procedures. The official ced one fried cake into the instrument for analysis. Before long, the instrument disyed a normal reading. "Sorry, it looks like we received a malicious report. We''ve caused you trouble, and as for those who made the malicious report, we will deal with them severely!" Chen Yu waved it off generously, "It''s no problem!" Almost all the owners of the breakfast stores in the distance were poking their heads out, quietly observing everything happening in front of the food cart. But when they saw the officials leave and Chen Yu remain unscathed, they were momentarily stunned. They''re all ordinary ingredients, so how can Chen Yu make such delicious food? Just as they were shocked, the officials'' vehicle abruptly stopped in front of their stores. "You are suspected of making a malicious report, pleasee with us!" The shop owners were baffled. "Nonsense, it was an anonymous report, how do you know it was us?" The officials sneered, "Did you really think we''re just sitting around doing nothing?" At this moment, Chen Yu also saw the scene from afar. Tuan Tuan stood with his arms akimbo, showing a look that seemed to roar like a fierce dragon. "I knew it must have been these people causing trouble!" Tong Ya stood with her hands behind her back, behind Chen Yu. "Now I understand why you said making fried cakes is just like life!" Chen Yu felt a bit proud, "Actually, as long as you are good enough, no one can beat you!" Afterward, Chen Yu picked up a cloth and continued to clean the food cart. [Congrattions, host, for perfectlypleting one day of business. Today''s profit is forty thousand and five hundred Yuan. You have earned forty thousand and two hundred points. Your current total points are one hundred and forty-seven thousand and forty.] Chen Yu smiled satisfactorily upon hearing the system''s voice. His daily profit was now basically maintaining at over forty thousand. Not considering the costs needed for tomorrow, his total personal savings had also reached one hundred and forty thousand and seven hundred and twenty Yuan. This amount was more than enough to pay Auntie Li half a year''s rent in one go. While he was pondering, Zhang Fan was already hastily approaching with Auntie Li. "Little Chen! Something came up, and I waste. Lucky that I ran into Xiao Zhang who gave me a lift!" Chen Yu hurriedly went to greet them. "No problem, Auntie Li, I was just about to call you!" Auntie Li enthusiastically grabbed Chen Yu''s hand, "That''s great, the previous tenant has alreadypletely moved out. Do you have time now? Come with me and see if the ce is to your liking!" Chapter 25: Chapter 25 New House Aunt Li was just about to leave with Chen Yu when she suddenly noticed Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan standing nearby. "Eh, is this your wife? Did shee to see the child?" Chen Yu waved his hands repeatedly, "No, she''s the child''s teacher! And also my college ssmate." For some reason, Tong Ya felt an inexplicable sense of loss when she heard Chen Yu introduce her that way, even though she knew he was a married man with a child. Chen Yu seemed to have already settled on the identity of Tong Ya as a college ssmate. "Oh my, this girl is so beautiful! She really matches with Little Chen!" After praising her, Aunt Li directly dragged Chen Yu to the shop across the street. Tong Ya was left standing there. This shop was right next to Zhang Fan''s car dealership, and it was the biggest one on the street. Since it used to be a restaurant, a lot of the decor could be utilized by Chen Yu. Only minor modifications were needed before it could open for business. Chen Yu already had a blueprint in his mind for this ce, and he could start construction with a decorating team tomorrow. What he was most eager to see now was the room on the third floor. The three-story building was connected by a staircase. Upon reaching the third floor and turning right, a few steps down a narrow corridor revealed a rtively spacious double security door. "Actually, the previous restaurant, when they rented the ce, didn''t rent out the third-floor rooms because they found it expensive, and they already had a ce to live, so there was no need to rent another!" Aunt Li, whether out of overenthusiasm or because she truly considered Chen Yu as one of her own, didn''t hold back any information. "Anyway, since they didn''t take the third floor, they still had to pay me nine thousand in rent! Little Chen, take a look. If you don''t like it, I can even give you a discount on the rent from the original rate." The moment the main door opened, Chen Yu waspletely astonished. The decoration here was simply exquisite. All kinds of furniture and appliances were avable, even the bedding was perfectly prepared, ready for someone to move in straight away. Especially the two bathrooms, which were fully equipped with sanitary fixtures, and therger one even had a bathtub installed. "This ce was renovated two years ago, but no one has lived here since¡ªit''s been empty until now!" As she spoke, Aunt Li started removing the white cloths covering the furniture. Chen Yu, Tong Ya, and Zhang Fan hurried forward to help. "Aunt Li! I''m very satisfied with this house. We can proceed with the previously agreed rental of seventy thousand for half a year, and I can pay you all at once." Aunt Li''s smile grew even more kindly, "Don''t worry, Little Chen, you''ve worked hard running a food cart and taking care of a child. Suddenly renting such a big shop space must be putting a strain on your finances¡­" "It''s all right, Aunt Li! We can sign the contract right now!" Aunt Li was taken aback for a moment: "Well, okay then! But if you ever find yourself short of money, feel free toe to Aunt Li!" Chen Yu smiled, agreed, and after signing the contract, he immediately transferred the money. Aunt Li checked the payment record with a heartyugh, "Alright then, I''ll be off. From today, this is your ce!" Just as she reached the doorway, Aunt Li turned back. "Oh, and when you move and open your new store, you must remember to reserve some fried pastries and vegetable turnovers for me!" "Don''t worry, Aunt Li!" Chen Yu said as he politely saw Aunt Li out the door. Zhang Fan stretched and yawned, "I should be going too! By the way, Chen, after you move, you can let me modify the food truck a bit. I can definitely sell it for a good price!" Without waiting for Chen Yu''s response, Zhang Fan hurried downstairs. For some reason, Tong Ya found Chen Yu standing before her more charming than ever. What kind of personal charm must it have taken to make so many neighbors help him without regard to cost? Chen Yu looked at the house in front of him with great satisfaction. "Tuan Tuan, this is our new home too! Stay here and wait for me to bring up our things!" "Hooray!" Tuan Tuan pped his little hands excitedly, "From now on, I can lie on the sofa and watch TV!" Chen Yu affectionately ruffled Tuan Tuan''s little head and hurried off to the dining cart. He brought up all their clothes and daily necessities in one go. The shop would definitely need to be renovated in the next few days, and he would have to rely on the business of the dining cart. Bringing these things up freed up even more space. By the time Chen Yu returned to the third floor, Tong Ya had already served up the fried cakes and vegetable pastries and started eating with Tuan Tuan. "Dad, when can we start doing business in the shop?" Tuan Tuan asked with a look of anticipation. "At the very least, we have to wait a few days, we need to get it decorated!" Tuan Tuan immediately looked a bit disappointed, "Several more days? Doesn''t that mean Dad still has to suffer in that cramped dining cart?" "It''s alright! Tuan Tuan, you must remember, ''To endure hardship is to be superior''. Besides, this is hardly hardship at all." Tuan Tuan nodded obediently and then offered Chen Yu a vegetable pastry. After the three of them had eaten, Tong Ya took the fried cakes and vegetable pastries left for Tang Xiaowei and went home. Chen Yu then made a phone call to order the same raw materials as yesterday, but he didn''t buy any solid cooking oil. He calcted that tomorrow''s cost would be neen thousand one hundred yuan. Added to the seventy thousand yuan rent he had just paid, he had spent eighty-nine thousand one hundred yuan in one go. Now he had only fifty-one thousand six hundred twenty yuan left in savings. He estimated that the uing renovation would cost a bit more. He didn''t know if these expenses would be counted into the cost by the system. Just as Chen Yu was calcting in his head, the doorbell suddenly rang. Chen Yu hurried to open the door and found Zhang Fan had returned, bringing Xie Jiang with him. "Old Zhang, Old Xie! What brings you here?" "It''s not a big deal!" Zhang Fan patted Xie Jiang''s back, "Xie Jiang works in home electronics but also takes on some renovation work on the side. Hearing that you were going to renovate, he asked me to bring him over." Xie Jiang chuckled, "My business is just starting up, it''s still small scale! But if you let me take care of the renovation, I guarantee the quality will be spot on!" Chen Yu was just worrying about the renovation tomorrow. "That''s perfect! I was just thinking about finding someone tomorrow. Since that''s the case, I''ll leave the renovation to you!" Xie Jiang''s eyes widened; he hadn''t expected Chen Yu to agree so readily. Overwhelmed with excitement, he seized Chen Yu''s hand and began to shake it. "You can count on me, Old Chen! Let''s do this; we start the renovation first, paymentes after. If you''re not satisfied, I won''t take a dime!" "How can that be right?" Chen Yu pulled out his phone, "Here''s what we''ll do. I''ll give you ten thousand as a down payment right now, and if it''s not enough, you cane find me anytime!" Xie Jiang''s face twitched slightly with emotion, but he didn''t y hard to get and took out his phone to receive the money. "Rest assured, Old Chen! I will make sure your new shop is the finest on the entire street!" After saying this, Xie Jiang immediately turned around and went downstairs, calling someone on the phone as he walked, seemingly arranging for materials. Zhang Fan was also helpless, "Don''t mind him; that''s just the way Old Xie is. If you trust him, he''ll work ten times as hard for you!" Chen Yu nodded, "I certainly know what kind of man Old Xie is! I''ll leave the remodeling of my dining cart to you guys in the future!" Chapter 26: Chapter 26 Coming to Steal the Masters Techniques On her way back home, Tong Ya drove very slowly. There was always a smile on her face, and from time to time she hummed a few lines of a song. Upon reaching the residentialplex, she parked the car and her smile never ceased. Uncontrobly, she started dancing in the underground garage. Her arms were wrapped as if resting on someone''s shoulders. With graceful motions, she spun around in the garage, as though there truly was someone facing her and dancing along. "Ghost ah!" A shrill scream suddenly erupted, snapping Tong Ya back to reality. In the middle of the night, dancing a partner''s dance alone, and doing so convincingly, was bound to scare someone. Tong Ya was frightened too, her heart still pounding as she hurriedly went upstairs. When she ran into the room panting, Tang Xiaowei was still sitting on the sofa staring eagerly at the door. "What are you doing? Sitting here every night without even turning on the light, you scared me to death!" Tong Yained with a touch of resentment and then ced the fried pastries and vegetable turnovers she had brought back on the table. Tang Xiaowei, who was extremely hungry, didn''t mind the greasiness on the bag and grabbed a turnover to gnaw on it. "I was just waiting for you to bring me some food!" No sooner had she spoken than Tang Xiaowei noticed Tong Ya''s unusually heavy panting. Grunting so fiercely didn''t seem like the aftermath of just strenuous exercise. An adult-only scenario quickly formed in Tang Xiaowei''s mind. "Tong Ya! You didn''t actually get it done, did you? Completely conquered the kid''s father?" Tong Ya naturally understood, "You just wish I''d fall into that trap! Eat your pastry!" Tang Xiaowei pouted, "If I could eat something this delicious every day, I''d haveid back long ago and let someone have their way!" Tong Ya rolled her eyes, "By the way, my male god has taken over a shop, and he might need staff after a while. Do you want to go?" Tang Xiaowei put on an arrogant face, "Please, I wield a paintbrush! An artist! How can I stoop to waitressing?" "You''ll have fried pastries and vegetable turnovers to eat every day! And maybe they''ll introduce new dishes after expanding the shop." Tang Xiaowei stiffened briefly before rising up righteously after a short internal struggle. "Artists need to experience life too, right? Otherwise, where would inspiratione from?" Tong Ya looked at her with contempt, "Then just wait for my notice!" Tang Xiaowei stuffed a pastry into her mouth with a choke, "You really have a bit of a bossdy vibe!" ... Before three o''clock, Chen Yu awoke from his sleep with a start. He couldn''t tell if it was the unfamiliar bed in his new home or the sudden change in environment that made him ufortable. pping his face to wake himself up, Chen Yu quietly washed up and went downstairs. The main reason for renting this house was to provide Tuan Tuan with a peaceful ce to sleep. If he woke her up, all his efforts would have been in vain. As soon as he got down to the dining cart, Chen Yu saw Tong Ya''s car parked by the road. With a helpless sigh, he went over and knocked on the car window. "Tell me, you''re not my employee, what''s the point of you rushing over so early every day?" Tong Ya yfully got out of the car, "I''m here to repay my debt; just consider me your little long-term worker!" Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, initially epting the reason when Tong Ya first mentioned it. But there had to be a limit to repaying a favor, and all he did was, after all, a small effort in driving Tong Ya to the hospital. Over the past few days, Chen Yu suddenly realized that now this reason seemed to be one he was using to convince himself, allowing Tong Ya to stay by his side. "You should take a good rest too, and besides, you''re not working here full-time. You''re a teacher!" Tong Ya pouted like a child. "Since ancient times, isn''t repaying a debt of gratitude always like this? Lady White Snake, Sea Snail Maiden, Red Fish Lady, which one didn''t work from dawn to dusk tirelessly?" Chen Yu''s head was filled with question marks¡ªhow could youpare real life to fairy tales? Before he could reply, the supplier for the raw materials arrived. Chen Yu hurriedly received the materials into the food truck, banging out his preparations at a rapid pace. After all, the renovation of the storefront was today, and there might be many things he needed to do. Tong Ya also put on her work gear, following Chen Yu around like a little shadow. Though these past few days had been tiring, Chen Yu''s pace had unknowingly picked up. And his techniques for kneading dough and preparing fillings were firmly etched into Tong Ya''s memory. As usual, after crushing the raw materials, she deftly shaped the fillings herself, her skills so professional they even matched Chen Yu''s. "Looks like it won''t be long before you learn all the tricks I know! You''re taking my job away from me!" Tong Ya giggled, "So you should work harder ande up with some new dishes!" Chen Yu turned to look at the store behind him. "It is about time toe up with some new dishes!" Working together, the two were indeed fast. After Chen Yu finished the dough, he immediately started wrapping fried cakes and vegetable turnovers. To his surprise, Tong Ya had learned this process as well. Butpared to Chen Yu, Tong Ya was still slow. Chen Yu could produce five while Tong Ya could barely finish one. "Wrapping clockwise is a bit faster!" Chen Yu didn''t mind at all and kept instructing her. Tong Ya was eager to learn, and sure enough, her speed improved a lot. She looked at her aplishments, feeling very pleased. By four o''clock, when the crowd starteding, the two had already wrapped quite a few semi-finished products. At six-thirty, Xie Jiang also arrived with dozens of workers in front of the food truck. "Old Chen! Our crew''s meals will be settled here for the next few days, so you''ll have to work a bit harder!" Chen Yu was somewhat surprised, "You guys are here to renovate for me, I should be treating you to meals! Why settle any meals here?" "No way, everything must be kept separate! No confusion." Saying that, he directly paid. "Boss Chen, are you switching to a bigger shop?" A young girl asked expectantly. Chen Yu pointed to the shop across the street, "Yes, right across! Once the renovation is finished, we''ll move in there!" With that, the queue of people at the scene erupted into chatter. "With business booming like this, it''s time to expand. Otherwise, we can''t even get a seat to eat!" "Make sure to let us know ahead of time when you open, so we cane support you!" "We''ve got to do justice to Boss Chen''s grand opening!" ... Word spread from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred, and soon everyoneing to the food truck knew Chen Yu was expanding his business. At six-thirty, Tong Ya washed up a bit and went to the third floor to pick up Tuan Tuan from school. Just then, Chen Yu suddenly noticed a girl skulking around the food truck. She was dressed in a panda costume,pletely wrapped up, and in her hands, she held a paintbrush and a sketchpad, continuously sketching something. However, Chen Yu merely nced at her and didn''t pay much attention to it. Chapter 27: Chapter 27: The Girl Who Paints It was just after ten in the morning when the flow of people finally began to dwindle¡ªChen Yu let out a sigh of relief. However, the girl in the panda outfit from this morning was still sitting at the flower bed not far away. Chen Yu immediately became curious. The girl''s appearance was on par with Tong Ya''s, and she possessed a distinct quality. She didn''t at all seem like someone who was there to cause trouble. After quickly tidying up the tables outside, Chen Yu packed up two stuffed pastries and four fried cakes and walked over to her. When he got there, he was taken aback to find that her drawing board featured the very scene of him selling fried cakes that morning. And the girl''s brushwork was incredibly lifelike; she had captured everything in vivid detail. It looked like she''d spent the whole morning observing closely! "Been drawing all morning, you must be hungry by now, right?" Chen Yu''s voice, quite maic, suddenly rang out, startling Tang Xiaowei. She would shut herself away to drawics every day, and it was indeed a bit dull. And Tong Ya was nowpletely immersed in Chen Yu''s world, barely paying Tang Xiaowei any attention. Every morning when she woke up, Tong Ya would already be gone. She was really curious to see what kind of man could make Tong Ya fall so hard. At the same time, she also wanted to see if hot fried cakes and stuffed pastries would taste better. "Are these for me?" Tang Xiaowei asked, seeming a bit dazed at the moment. "Is there anyone else here?" Chen Yu replied, somewhat annoyed. "But, boss, I didn''t bring any money when I came out!" Chen Yu tilted his head to examine the painting in Tang Xiaowei''s hands. "How about I give you some more fried cakes and stuffed pastries in exchange for this painting?" Tang Xiaowei didn''t hesitate as she handed over her oil painting to Chen Yu and started munching on the fried cakes and pastries he had handed her. Chen Yu frowned slightly. The girl, who seemed quite dazed, was eating like a starving wolf. He put the painting in the food cart, served a few sugar cakes and stuffed pastries on a te along with a bottle of water, and ced them on the table in front of the cart. "Little sister, don''t squat there,e and sit here to eat!" Tang Xiaowei nodded eagerly and sat down at the table, devouring the food. Chen Yu sighed helplessly and returned to the cart to continue preparing semi-finished products. "Old Chen, are the fried cakes and stuffed pastries I asked for earlier ready?" Xie Jiang came over with a group of workers in tow. "They''ve been ready for a while!" Chen Yu immediately grabbed arge stainless steel tter, filled it with two hundred fried cakes and one hundred stuffed pastries, and set it on an outside table. The workers, who had already tasted the delicious food that morning, couldn''t wait to pounce on it. "Eat slowly, there''s more if it''s not enough!" Xie Jiang, however, waved his hand, "Old Chen, no need for formalities between us! You do your thing, and we''ll pay together after we help ourselves!" Chen Yu smiled and responded before heading back to the cart. "By the way, Old Chen, the construction should roughly take shape by tonight, soe over and have a look then!" Chen Yu extended his hand in agreement, then sat down to continue his busy work. Tang Xiaowei, witnessing this scene, suddenly felt a special kind of warmth. She had never experienced this kind of neighborly and supportivemunity feeling before. Now this very scene unfolded before her, suddenly stirring her emotions. "Right, I''ll put these drawings into theics!" Muttering to herself, Tang Xiaowei proceeded to eat all the fried cakes and vegetable pastries in front of her. Afterward, she took out some drawing paper from her backpack,id it on her drawing board, and started to sketch. Xie Jiang and the other workers, having finished their food, conscientiously cleaned up the tables and chairs. Having paid, they said goodbye to Chen Yu and left. It wasn''t until two in the afternoon that Chen Yu finished turning all the remaining ingredients into semi-finished products. Only then did he stretch leisurely and step down from the food truck. But to his surprise, Tang Xiaowei hadn''t left. Moreover, several oil paintings had been moved onto the table next to her. The paintings captured the very scene of him greeting Xie Jiang and the others moments ago. "Little sister, are you here for some artistic inspiration?" Tang Xiaowei chuckled, "Artes from life! Don''t worry, boss, I won''t reveal your privacy; these are just practice sketches, I can give them all to you!" Chen Yu waved his hand, "No need! What''ll you have? It''s on me!" A gleam shone in Tang Xiaowei''s eyes, "Really?" "If you''ve been drawing my food truck for so long, I should at least treat you to a meal, but I only have drinks, fried cakes, vegetable pastries..." "That''s enough!" Tang Xiaowei interrupted Chen Yu directly, "Bring on more fried cakes and vegetable pastries. I''ve found that these two things help me find inspiration!" Chen Yu, having no choice, went back to the food truck to fry some more for Tang Xiaowei. By four in the afternoon, Tong Ya had picked up Tuan Tuan and arrived at the food truck. But when she saw Tang Xiaowei nibbling on a vegetable pastry while painting, she lookedpletely astonished! "Xiaowei, howe you''re here?" Tang Xiaowei looked up abruptly and quickly stuffed thest bite of the vegetable pastry into her mouth. "I was bored at home, so I went out for a stroll to find some inspiration!" But Tong Ya looked Tang Xiaowei up and down, then suddenly ran to the food truck''s serving window. "Chen Yu, did this kid pay for her food?" Chen Yu was taken aback, "This girl squatted in front of my food truck all morning; seems like an art student. She was drawing all this time! I gave her something to eat because I was afraid she''d get hungry." Upon hearing this, Tong Ya was immediately enraged, rolled up her sleeves, and moved forward to grab Tang Xiaowei''s ear. "This is outrageous! The fried cakes and vegetable pastries I bring you every night, all for free, and here you are, scavenging food and drink!" Tang Xiaowei, wincing in pain, covered her ears, "It''s not my fault, the boss was kind and gave them to me because he took pity on me! Plus, I didn''t take it for nothing, I exchanged my paintings for it!" "Even at this point, you dare to argue! Just drawing a few sketches and you expect to trade for such tasty food!" Tang Xiaowei suddenly got serious, "Tong Ya, you can insult me, but don''t insult my work!" "Still being so sanctimonious with me!" Tong Ya grabbed Tang Xiaowei''s ear and dragged her to the food truck bar, "Cut the nonsense, pay up now!" Chen Yu, witnessing this scene, was taken aback. "Looks like you two know each other!" Realizing she might have overreacted, Tong Ya quickly let go of Tang Xiaowei''s ear, crossed her hands behind her back, and posed yfully and cutely. "That''s right, she''s the foodie roommate I always tell you about!" Chen Yu gestured dismissively, "Then she''s family, what''s there to pay for! Besides, her painting is indeed good, every detail is lifelike! Hanging them in the shop will be a feature." "Boss, you''ve got good taste!" Tang Xiaowei immediately perked up, "Then I''ll paint a few more!" Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Painting Murals Tong Ya looked at Tang Xiaowei with annoyance. This guy was clearly here for the fried cakes and vegetable pies. However, she didn''t say much else, just put on her apron and gloves, and entered the food cart. Tang Xiaowei seemed to have grasped that Tong Ya wouldn''t dare to be too barbaric in front of Chen Yu. She gradually became more and more unrestrained. "Boss! Then I''ll draw a few more! Can you cover my dinner today as well?" "Cover what? You still need to pay!" Tong Ya suddenly scolded, "You really think it''s falling from the sky, free for you to eat!" Tang Xiaowei was startled. Tong Ya indeed had to act moredylike in front of Chen Yu. In Tong Ya''s mind, she probably already considered everything belonging to Chen Yu as hers. Tang Xiaowei pursed her lips, "Just now the boss said we could trade with drawings! You''re not the boss''s wife, why are you saying it''s not okay?" Tong Ya stood up angrily, "It doesn''t matter whether I am or not! Go clean up that bench,ter you will help Tuan Tuan collect money!" This scolding scared Tang Xiaowei. "Why are you so fierce! I''ll go, isn''t that okay?" No sooner had Tang Xiaowei turned her head than she saw Tuan Tuan. She had seen him in a photo before and was almost melted by his cuteness at that time. Now that she saw him in person, Tang Xiaowei was even more excited and directly went to pick Tuan Tuan up. "So you''re called Tuan Tuan! I''ve finally met you, sister!" Tuan Tuan''s little face looked somewhat puzzled. "Sister, do we know each other?" Tang Xiaowei felt a bit awkward, "Well, I''m a good sister of your teacher Tong Ya! Let me help you collect money." Hearing that Tang Xiaowei was a friend of his teacher, Tuan Tuan nodded and, like a little adult, began to teach Tang Xiaowei hand in hand. Soon, customers had already surrounded the food cart. "Hey, young boss Chen, another pretty girl hase here!" "Being handsome is different after all, attracting all the pretty girls." "Girlie, do you have a boyfriend? Want me to introduce one to you?" ... A group of uncles and aunties bombarded Tang Xiaowei with a three-questionbo, leaving her flustered. "Xiaowei is our waitress here, you can ask her to ce an order, pay the bill!" Tong Ya suddenly shouted, branding Tang Xiaowei with a waitress''sbel. By eight o''clock in the evening, all the fried cakes and vegetable pies had sold out. Tang Xiaowei had never done such a thing before, and as soon as she rxed, she slumped down there. "Oh my God, just taking money and cing orders, and I''m this tired. Tong Ya, how have you been managing these days?" Tong Ya didn''t respond but walked over and lifted her up with quite the air of a boss''s wife. "You better get up and clean the tables now, or forget about eatingter!" Tang Xiaowei pouted and started to reluctantly wipe the tables. After cleaning up the food cart, Chen Yu also heard the system''s voice in his mind. [Congrattions, Host, for perfectlypleting a day''s business. Since costs exceed profits, no points umted for now, current total points are one hundred forty-seven thousand and forty.] Chen Yu was slightly stunned. Although he had guessed it would be this result yesterday, he still felt somewhat disappointed. It looked like he wouldn''t see any point umtion until tomorrow, at the earliest. After steadying his emotions, Chen Yu went ahead and called to order raw materials, as was his routine. The same raw materials as yesterday, totaling neen thousand one hundred yuan. Chen Yu roughly calcted today''s turnover, and the savings he now had on hand reached ny-two thousand three hundred and twenty yuan once again. Seeing this result eased some of the disappointment in Chen Yu''s heart. No matter what, he could always maintain a profit of over forty thousand per day. "I''ll take the battery back to charge!" Tong Ya gently patted Chen Yu''s back. "No need!" Chen Yu pointed to a shop next door, "I have a ce to charge now! In a few days, we won''t need them anymore." Just then, Tuan Tuan suddenly grabbed Tong Ya and Chen Yu''s hands. "Let''s go quickly, let''s see how the shop renovation is going!" Tang Xiaowei had just finished packing up her drawing board, and when she saw Chen Yu and the others walking toward the shop, she suddenly felt a sensation. "They really look like a family of three!" Muttering to herself, she hurriedly followed them. By the end of the day, Xie Jiang and his construction crew hadpletely overhauled the entire shop. Using the old restaurant''syout as a base and incorporating Chen Yu''s own design ideas, Xie Jiang indeed made it absolutely perfect. With this rate of progress, in at most two more days he would be able to move in. Plus, Xie Jiang used environmentally friendly materials,pletely harmless. Even if there was a slight release of formaldehyde, Xie Jiang had cleaned it up during the construction. At this moment, Xie Jiang had also gathered the workers, paid them their daily wages, and then sent them home. "Old Chen! How does it look?" Chen Yu nodded repeatedly, "This has surpassed my imagination! Thank you for your hard work, Old Xie!" "You''re being too polite!" Xie Jiang said as he took out some certification. "Here are some official proofs, in case relevant departmentse for inspection in the future, they will be useful!" Chen Yu was surprised, he had dealt with construction teams before. Such certificates were not something many teams would provide. He had not expected that Xie Jiang would get all the documents ready on the first day of construction! "Old Xie, I don''t even know what to say! By the way, is the ten thousand yuan I prepaid enough? If not, you''ve got to tell me." Xie Jiangughed heartily, "Don''t be fooled by the transformation here; we just made some simple modifications on the original basis. All the raw materials added up to just over four thousand, and the rest is just the workers'' wages and food, not really much expense!" Just at that moment, Tang Xiaowei suddenly screamed. "This wall, it''s just perfect!" Tong Ya frowned, "Xiaowei, what''s wrong with you now?" Tang Xiaowei pointed at the wall, "I can paint a three-dimensional mural here! Just give me one day, and I promise you''ll be satisfied." Although Tong Ya hesitated, she didn''t refuse. She knew Tang Xiaowei''s drawing skills well; she had a bit of fame both in theic and oil painting circles. And originally, she was a mural painter herself. The highest-priced mural she ever sold went for twenty thousand yuan. Chen Yu smiled slightly, "Alright, this wall will be yours to handle then! After it''s done, you name your price; I can''t let you work for nothing!" "No need to wait, I''lle with the construction crew tomorrow! I''ll do my painting while they do their work. We all need to apply putty anyway, so nobody will get in the other''s way!" "And also, I don''t want any payment, just give me more fried cakes and vegetable pies," Tong Xiaowei said with a smile. Xie Jiang was also stunned for a moment. "Old Chen, I didn''t expect you had such a master around! I was wondering what to hang in this ce, but now it seems, painting a mural is just perfect!" Chapter 29: Chapter 29 Sleep Together Xie Jiang, following Chen Yu''s instructions, modified some details on the blueprint. After the final decision had been made, Xie Jiang packed up the blueprint and left in a hurry. Chen Yu looked at the shop with great satisfaction, not hiding the excitement on his face. He now had a ce to live and a shop. The n to buy a house could be put on hold for now; it would be better to buy a car first. That way, if there were any emergencies, he would be able to handle them on time. Moreover, Chen Yu already had savings of over ny thousand, so with a little more saving, he could afford a car easily. As he was nning the future, Tuan Tuan suddenly hugged Tong Ya. "Miss Tong Ya, why don''t you stay over tonight?" Tong Ya''s heart fluttered with joy; this was exactly what she wanted. But Chen Yu scolded, "How can that be? Miss Tong Ya isn''t even married yet; how could she casually stay overnight outside?" Tuan Tuan pouted, clearly unhappy. "We have three rooms at home! What''s wrong with Miss Tong Ya sleeping in one? Or does Dad want to sleep in the same room with Miss Tong Ya?" Chen Yu got a bit angry: "You really need spanking every three days, don''t you? Who are you learning this from every day?" Tuan Tuan stuck out her tongue and hid behind Tong Ya. "It''s okay, Chen Yu. These past two days of driving back and forth have indeed worn me out; I can stay with Tuan Tuan tonight and take her to school tomorrow morning." "Oh, hooray!" Tuan Tuan jumped enthusiastically and burrowed into Tong Ya''s arms like a victor, casting a nce at Chen Yu. "Miss Tong Ya is so enlightened; Dad is so old-fashioned!" "What about me?" Tang Xiaowei was a bit confused. Tong Ya quickly tossed her the car keys. "Don''t you have to paint a mural tomorrow? You need to go back and get the paint!" Tang Xiaowei''s mouth hung open, about to use Tong Ya of valuing romance over friendship, but she was silenced by Tong Ya''s stern nce. "Fine, I''m going!" she said resentfully and turned to look at Chen Yu. "Boss, can you save me some deep-fried buns and vegetable turnovers tomorrow morning?" Chen Yu nodded: "Of course." With a confirmed answer, Tang Xiaowei drove off with a hint of grievance. Tuan Tuan clung to Tong Ya, urging her to hurry upstairs. Chen Yu lowered the shop''s folding gate and locked it. Just as Chen Yu reached the third floor and was about to open the door, there was a sudden crack in his waist. Crying out in pain, Chen Yu stumbled and copsed on the sofa. "What''s wrong?" Tong Ya ran out of the room, visibly worried. "I think I just sprained my back!" Chen Yu said with an expression of helplessness on his face. Without overthinking, Tong Ya quickly stepped forward, grabbed Chen Yu''s waist, and pressed down gently. With just one touch, the sharp pain disappeared entirely. Those cool, slightly gentle fingers were quiteforting to Chen Yu. "You''re just too tired; since the new shop is being renovated, why not take a day off tomorrow?" Chen Yu shook his head: "I haven''t bought the car yet, the house isn''t settled, and Tuan Tuan''s future is even more uncertain; how can I dare to rest?" Compassion filled Tong Ya''s eyes, but she didn''t dare to express her feelings outright. Tuan Tuan also ran out of the room at this moment. "Dad, it''s just one day of rest; it''s okay!" Chen Yu ruffled Tuan Tuan''s little head. "Dad''s fine; just need a good night''s rest." After massaging for a while, Tong Ya took out a bottle of medicinal liquor from her bag. "Dance teachers'' special medicinal liquor for twisting injuries, it''s really effective!" After applying the medicinal liquor, Chen Yu indeed felt much more rxed in his body. "Alright, wash up and go to sleep quickly! We still have to get up early tomorrow." Chen Yu stretched his limbs and went to the small bathroom to turn on the showerhead. Although the food truck also had a ce to wash up, the space was too cramped, and Chen Yu had never really had a proper shower there. Tong Ya took Tuan Tuan to therger bathroom. With Tong Ya looking after him, Chen Yu was at ease, so after showering, he went straight to his room to sleep. At two fifty in the early morning, Chen Yu woke up out of habit. Just as he was about to brush his teeth, he found that Tong Ya had already quietly brushed her teeth and even prepared his toiletries for him. Chen Yu felt a warmth in his heart right away. Moreover, the toiletries he had been using before had all been reced with new ones by Tong Ya. Chen Yu hadn''t noticed when Tong Ya had bought them. Turning his head, he whispered a thank you and quickly finished washing up. He and Tong Ya tiptoed down the stairs. They had to let Tuan Tuan get a good sleep after all. At that time, the supplier delivering raw materials had also arrived punctually. Chen Yu and Tong Ya tidied up the food truck and started getting busy. After a day yesterday, Tong Ya had already mastered the essence of making fried cakes and vegetable pastries. I''m not as fast as Chen Yu yet, but pretty quick now. "How about that? I''m not worse than you, am I?" Tong Ya had a proud look on her face, with anticipation in her eyes, as if she was waiting for Chen Yu to praise her. But Chen Yu just sighed softly. "After all, you are a dance teacher, you shouldn''t be doing this with me every day." Tong Ya pouted, stretched out her hand, and made an elegant peacock dance gesture with her fingers. "Don''t you think this movement is exactly like the one you make when shaping the fried cakes?" Chen Yu was amused and realized that no matter what he said, Tong Ya would always find a reason to argue. Today, indeed, Chen Yu had it a lot easier, with Tong Ya taking on nearly half of the work. "Eh, Boss Chen, it seems a lot faster today! I didn''t have to wait long before it was my turn." Chen Yu didn''t know how to exin and just responded with a polite smile. Usually, the crowd that lingered in front of the food truck dispersed incredibly quickly today. By six-thirty, there were only a few people left queuing in front of the food truck. And the turnover that morning had actually been slightly higher than the previous day. At that moment Tong Ya also tidied up and went to pick up Tuan Tuan for school. By eight in the morning, Xie Jiang brought the construction team over for breakfast. "Old Chen,st night I discussed it with the guys in the chat group, and we''ll work extra tonight to ensure that you can open for business in your shop tomorrow." The neighbors eating breakfast in front of the food truck were also genuinely happy for Chen Yu. "When Boss Chen opens a new shop, you must hire a few more people so we don''t have to queue up for so long." "A few days ago, I brought my colleagues from the office to eat your fried cakes, but they left because they found the queuing too troublesome." ... Chen Yu responded with smiles to everyone. During this time, he had long be close with the regrs in the vicinity. After finishing breakfast, Xie Jiang led his construction team into the shop with great enthusiasm. By ten o''clock, most of the customers had dispersed, and Tang Xiaowei arrived leisurely at the food truck in Tong Ya''s car. "Sorry for beingte. Have you kept my fried cakes and vegetable pastries?" Chen Yu immediately took a te from the counter and handed it over. Chapter 30: Chapter 30 Champion Prizes Tang Xiaowei just couldn''t help herself anymore, directly stood with her te and began to gobble up her food. Chen Yu tidied up the dining cart''s bar a bit, then took down a bottle of hot milk and passed it over. "Eat slower!" Tang Xiaowei nodded her little head like a bobblehead and sat down next to him. "By the way, I brought all my paints, and I even have my own putty! You''ll see the mural tonight." She said with a choked voice, hurriedly took a sip of the hot milk, and pressed it down. Chen Yu looked up at the direction of the store, but he didn''t go over. He still had to knead dough and prepare fillingster, and if he wasn''t careful and got dust on himself, it could get into the fried cakes and turnovers, which would be more trouble than it''s worth. Tang Xiaowei might have arrivedte, but she was dedicated. After finishing her food, she quickly greeted Chen Yu and then hopped happily into the shop. Chen Yu smiled and went back to continue working on the dining cart. The new store had a ratherrge cold storage, and in the future, he really could prepare the semi-finished products in advance and freeze them in the cold storage. At four o''clock in the afternoon, the neighbors, as usual, slowly began to crowd in front of the dining cart. Just then, a somewhat rough-looking woman suddenly squeezed up to the dining cart''s bar. "Boss, give me two thousand fried cakes and a thousand turnovers!" This statement instantly enraged all the people waiting in line. "If you buy so much at once, when will it be our turn?" "Exactly, and you cut in line too! No manners at all." ... Chen Yu sized up the woman before him, immediately discerning that she was likely a middleman. Nothing more than buying fried cakes and turnovers from him and reselling them somewhere else. And he suspected that this woman was sent by the owner of the breakfast shop on the nearby street. "I''m sorry, but I only sell that quantity to regr customers!" The woman instantly got angry: "The Consumer Rights Protection Law stiptes consumer freedom, you refusing to sell to me is against thew, you know that?" Chen Yu snorted coldly, "Sorry, but I took electivew courses in college, and the Consumer Rights Protection Law also states that if one party in a transaction is forced against their will, it constitutes coercion." With that statement, the surrounding customers started pping in approval. After being outwitted, the woman felt embarrassed and didn''t dare to linger, leaving resentfully. Not long after, Tong Ya hurried to the dining cart following Tuan Tuan. As soon as they got off, Tuan Tuan held a trophy and a check, running all the way up to the dining cart. "Dad, the awards from the Youth Center have been announced, I won some prize money!" The customers around cast envious nces. "Oh my, look at that, now that''s someone else''s kid." "At such a young age, able to win big prizes and get prize money,pared to my children, they''re simply useless." "I''m so jealous, I can''t take it, when I get back, I''m definitely going to give my naughty kid a beating to get my anger out." ... Chen Yu was also happy for Tuan Tuan: "My daughter is just awesome!" Tong Ya also came over with a smile on her face: "Because of Tuan Tuan, the school received a sum of money approved by the relevant departments, so her tuition and dance ss fees are all waived, and she even received an additional schrship." As she spoke, Tong Ya took out a red envelope from her pocket. From the thickness of the envelope, Chen Yu knew it was ten thousand yuan. He hadn''t expected Tuan Tuan, so young, could bring ie to the family, which added ayer offort to his heart. But now was the peak time for customers to flock in, and Chen Yu really couldn''t afford to idle around. Tong Ya very considerately took Tuan Tuan back to the third floor of the store. Before long, the two came over in matching parent-child outfits to help Chen Yu. At eight o''clock in the evening, just after thest customer had left, a light rain began to patter down from the sky. He hurriedly called for Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan to return to the shop first, then he meticulously cleaned up the food cart before following them, running into the shop. [Congrattions Host for perfectlypleting a day''s business. The profit umted over two consecutive days is ten thousand and four yuan, earning ten thousand four hundred points. Your current total points umted are one hundred and fifty-seven thousand four hundred and forty.] Seeing the points starting to umte again, Chen Yu was secretly thrilled. At the same time, he also roughly calcted in his mind. Including the ten thousand yuan for Xie Jiang, his total savings on hand was now one hundred twenty-three thousand and twenty yuan. If he counted the twenty thousand yuan that Tuan Tuan had brought back today, he could actually afford a fairly decent car. However, Chen Yu didn''t n to use Tuan Tuan''s money. Since the money was earned by Tuan Tuan, it should be saved for Tuan Tuan. As Chen Yu was making calctions in his mind, he checked the food cart again. Then he hastily ran back to the shop. At this moment, the shop had beenpletely refreshed, and they could start normal business once everything was in ce. Xie Jiang was leading the construction crew in the final touches and some detail adjustments. Tang Xiaowei''s mural had also received its final strokes. Just then, Chen Yu''s phone suddenly rang. "Little Boss Chen, the weather forecast says this rain will continue for several days, and there will be heavy storms over the next two days. Do you think you could take advantage of the lighter rain now to have some more supplies delivered?" "Of course, send me enough for four days!" Chen Yu requesting four days'' worth of food supplies was based on his own calctions. The store''s freezers and refrigerators were all ready to use, so there was no problem with having more supplies. However, he had to ensure the freshness of the food. Even with freezers, he didn''t want to keep the supplies for more than four days. After the owner agreed, Chen Yu then called several other food suppliers and ordered four days'' worth of supplies from each of them. By now, Chen Yu no longer needed to buy bottled mineral water. A direct drinking water system had been installed during the previous renovation of the restaurant. Xie Jiang also had a specialist enhance and upgrade the entire system. In less than half an hour, all the suppliers had followed one after another to deliver their supplies. "Luckily the rain is still light today, Boss Chen, your ordering is so timely. If it were tomorrow morning with a downpour, we couldn''t have made it over!" Chen Yu thanked them repeatedly and then transferred the payment. With arge order, the suppliers also gave Chen Yu a discount. The cost for four days of supplies came to just seventy-five thousand yuan. It looks like I won''t be able to umte any interest tomorrow either. And the bnce on his phone was left with only forty-eight thousand and twenty yuan. Xie Jiang, meanwhile, with the construction crew, conveniently stored all the supplies in the coolers. "Old Chen, everything is taken care of for you! Plus, of the ten thousand you gave me earlier, I still have one thousand three hundred left. I''ll transfer it to you right now!" Chen Yu hastily intervened, "Old Xie, I wanted to ask you, for tables, chairs, benches, kitchenware, and the like, do you have any connections?" Chapter 31: Chapter 31: New Kitchenware Xie Jiang couldn''t help but be stunned for a moment. Although the store''s renovation wasplete, they had yet to settle on the kitchen equipment. He really couldn''t expect Chen Yu to dismantle the equipment from his food cart and use it in the store. Xie Jiang smacked his head. "Look at me, forgetting about this. I''m afraid the tables and chairs won''t be ready until tomorrow, but I have aplete set of kitchen utensils that can be installed right now!" Without hesitation, Xie Jiang called over a few workers and moved an entire set of kitchen equipment from his store. All kinds of pots, pans,dles, kitchen knives, and stainless steel tables and chairs specifically for kitchen use were there in their entirety. There was even a stainless steel insted barrel for cooking porridge. Whether Chen Yu could use them now or not, Xie Jiang brought them all over. "Chen, I brought one of each of my avable kitchen utensils. See what you need." Chen Yu rubbed his hands together. He currently only had two main offerings: fried cakes and vegetable turnovers. But in the future, the system would undoubtedly provide more skills, and these kitchen utensils would surelye in handy one day. "Xie, I''ll take them all. Name your price!" Xie Jiang hesitated for a moment. "Chen, it looks like you''re really nning to expand." As he spoke, Xie Jiang started tapping on his calctor. "The whole set for the kitchenes to eight thousand yuan! You can have it for six thousand seven hundred yuan." Chen Yu examined the kitchenware. Not only was itplete, but the quality was also excellent. Eight thousand yuan was definitely a bargain. "Xie, did you undercharge me again?" "We''re neighbors, after all, looking out for each other! These kitchen utensils don''t actually cost much. All things considered, I''ve already made a thousand yuan in profit. Besides, I made quite a bit from the renovation as well!" One had to say that Xie Jiang was indeed honest, telling Chen Yu everything outright. Chen Yu wasn''t the type to fuss either, and he paid the six thousand seven hundred yuan on the spot. "Then I''ll count on you for the tables and chairs tomorrow." "Don''t worry about it! I''ll be off then." Saying this, Xie Jiang called for the workers, and they all donned their raincoats and scattered. Chen Yu stretched his limbs and began arranging the kitchen utensils in their ces. Tong Ya was ready to step forward and help when Tang Xiaowei, leaning against him, seemed on the verge of copsing. Painting murals was an extremely energy andbor-intensive task. Especially since Tang Xiaowei had finished it all in one day, she was now utterly exhausted. Upon seeing this, Chen Yu quickly went over to support Tang Xiaowei. "Why don''t you take her home first?" Tong Ya really wanted to stay behind like she did the day before. Although there was nothing romantic between her and Chen Yu, the warmth of feeling like family had already be addictive to her. But with Tang Xiaowei in such a state, he couldn''t help but worry. "Alright, then, I''ll be off. You should get some sleep early after you''re done!" After expressing his concern warmly, Tong Ya helped Tang Xiaowei towards the exit. Just as they reached the doorway, she suddenly turned back. "Oh, and say goodnight to Tuan Tuan for me." Chen Yu wore a smile on his face. "Of course." Around ten o''clock at night, Chen Yu finally got the kitchen sorted out. Pleased with his work, he closed the folding door, ready to go upstairs to sleep. But as he passed by the mural, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Indeed, the painting was a work of deep artistry, not only exquisitely done but also vivid and lifelike. Suddenly, Chen Yu took out his phone and transferred ten thousand yuan to Tong Ya. "Xiaowei worked hard today, this is herbor fee. Please pass it on to her." Tong Ya and Tang Xiaowei had long since returned home, and Tang Xiaowei had already taken a nap and woken up refreshed. When Tong Ya saw the message, she was stunned for a moment, but she did not respond to the question. "Are you done with your work?" Chen Yu immediately responded, "Done, getting ready to sleep." Tong Ya, "Tired or not?" Chen Yu, "Not too bad, how about you?" Tong Ya, "If you''re doing okay, of course I''m not tired." Chen Yu, "Still, you should go to sleep early." Tong Ya, "Okay, good night." Chen Yu, "Good night." The short conversation left Tong Ya with a girlish sensation. Her cheeks blushing, she sat on the bed for quite a while before transferring the money to Tang Xiaowei. Suddenly, a sharp scream came from the living room, followed by Tang Xiaowei bursting into Tong Ya''s room. "Tong Ya, what''s this about? Did you strike it rich? You sent me a red packet of ten thousand in one go." "It''s from my Chen Yu, your sry. He said you shouldn''t have to work so hard for nothing!" Tong Ya''s tone carried a hint of pride, implying, see how considerate my man is. "Aiyo, you don''t even avoid mentioning him in front of me now, ''my Chen Yu.'' Would you dare to say it like that in front of him?" Tong Ya, indignant and embarrassed, "Stop it, or I''ll tear your mouth apart." Just as Tong Ya stood up, a tearing pain suddenly shot through her lower abdomen. Only then did she remember that today was the first day of her menstrual cycle. On the first day of her period, she always felt unbearable pain, sometimes apanied by a high fever. Seeing her like this, Tang Xiaowei immediately understood what was happening. "Look at you, so caught up with your male god that you forgot about yourself!" As she spoke, Tang Xiaowei hurriedly prepared a cup of brown sugar water for Tong Ya and also gave her a thermometer. It had been raining outside that day, and the temperature had plummeted as a result. Giving the extra strain Tong Ya had been undertely, a fever was inevitable. Indeed, Tong Ya''s temperature had reached 37.2 degrees. "Oh dear, that escted quickly," Tang Xiaowei eximed. "Shall I call in sick for you tomorrow?" "No!" Tong Ya stubbornly refused. "Tomorrow''s the first day of his new store''s opening, I need to help out, and the child needs me." "Oh my, mydy, the child isn''t even yours, why are you so invested? Moreover, you''re the one in poor shape right now." Tong Ya''s eyes were resolute, and she simply wouldn''t listen to reason. "How about this, take some medicine first. If you''re fine tomorrow, we''ll talk then, but if the fever doesn''t subside, you''d better stay home obediently!" A hint of grievance appeared in Tong Ya''s eyes. She had grown ustomed to her days with Chen Yu. The thought of being suddenly disconnected for an entire day was distressing for her. At 3 a.m. the next day, Chen Yu woke up from his dreams out of habit. He washed up quietly and tiptoed downstairs. He took a wooden sign that was left from yesterday and wrote on it with marker, "Shop relocated to the opposite side." Then, holding an umbre, he hung the sign on the food cart and also switched on the festoon lights on the cart. Afterpleting these tasks, Chen Yu moved the tables and stools from inside the cart to the shop. Although these were just foldable and small tables and stools, they were better than nothing. It certainly beat leaving his spacious shop bare with nothing at all. Heating the oil, kneading the dough, preparing the filling, Chen Yu worked fluidly and diligently. Soon, however, he felt an emptiness in his heart, as if something were missing. Chapter 32: Chapter 32 Substitute Shopping on a Rainy Day "Tong Ya!" Chen Yu almost subconsciously called out Tong Ya''s name softly. But the next moment, he shook his head. In fact, he knew in his heart that after spending the past few days together, he seemed to have be inseparable from Tong Ya. And he admitted that he had developed some subtle feelings for Tong Ya. Still, he forcefully suppressed these thoughts to the bottom of his heart. Only because he was clear that he was divorced and had a child. And Tong Ya was too perfect; Chen Yu didn''t want to disrupt her life. Besides, Tong Ya had her own things to deal with and couldn''t possiblye to help in his shop every day! Chen Yu kept brainwashing himself with these reasons. But the more he thought about it, the more frustrated and disordered his mind became, even slowing down the work in his hands. Before long, Chen Yu suddenly stood up. "She couldn''t have run into some trouble, could she?" Talking to himself, Chen Yu almost instinctively picked up his phone and sent a message. "Are you awake?" After sending the message, Chen Yu regretted it. The question seemed as if he was questioning why she hadn''te to help. But it was toote; the message couldn''t be taken back. "Are you thinking about me?" The sudden reply made Chen Yu freeze for a moment. As he was pondering what to reply, another message from Tong Ya came through. "I have a fever, and I feel terrible. I''m afraid I won''t be able to take Tuan Tuan to school today." "How could this be? You were finest night." "I got my period." Tong Ya seemed to do it on purpose, not avoiding the topic in her messages. However, Chen Yu sighed with relief, d that Tong Ya was just sick. "Then you should rest well." Tong Ya: "But I feel awful. I want to eat your fried cakes and vegetable turnovers." Chen Yu: "Sure, I''ll bring them over at noon when I get a chance." Tong Ya: "Okay, I''ll wait for you." Chen Yu breathed a sigh of relief, then set his phone aside and continued to busy himself. The rain outside was getting heavier, and by four-thirty, no customers had shown up. Chen Yu took the opportunity to make some extra semi-finished products. Before long, two elderly women hurried into the shop with their umbres. "Chen Yu, you really moved so suddenly." "This ce is indeed spacious." Chen Yu quickly got up, "Sorry, aunties, I haven''t bought chairs and tables yet." "Hey, no worries. We''re used to these kinds of small stools." The two elderly women rubbed their hands together, set their umbres aside, and then took out severalrge and sturdy food bags from their bodies. "Chen Yu, it''s raining and cold, and the ground is slippery. Many neighbors have trouble walking and can''te out, so they asked us to buy for them." Chen Yu didn''t say much, just made an okay gesture and began to make fried cakes and vegetable dumplings. Both women were regr customers, and many neighbors had been brought in by them. They would definitely not make secret purchases without Chen Yu''s knowledge. As the two elderly women kept receiving messages and sorting orders, a considerable sum came up¡ªthree thousand fried cakes and a thousand vegetable turnovers. "Aunties, there''s so much. You might not be able to take it all back. Should I help you take it backter?" The two elderly women waved their hands. "No need, we both came on mobility scooters." Chen Yu looked out through the window and saw that indeed, each of the elderly women had arrived on a small, older-model mobility scooter. Until six in the morning, there weren''t many customers in the shop at all. But Chen Yu didn''t have a moment to himself. Those who came today were mostly running errands for the neighborhood. Even the nearby inte cafe had sent a few representatives over. Just then, Tuan Tuan came downstairs with a backpack, looking somewhat annoyed. "Daddy, I''ve noticed you''ve be naughty. It''s been several days in a row that you haven''t woken me up! You let me sleep sote every day, like azy pig." Chen Yu helplessly replied, "Isn''t it just to let you get a bit more rest?" Pouting, Tuan Tuan stomped into the kitchen. However, when she saw how busy Chen Yu was, she immediately felt puzzled. "Daddy, there are no customers in the shop. What are you preparing all this for?" "These have all been reserved! People wille to pick them up in a few minutes." Tuan Tuan nodded her little head and, no longer sulking, quickly began to help Chen Yu with the packing. "By the way, why didn''t Teacher Tong Yae today?" "She''s sick!" Chen Yu responded instinctively. "What? Teacher is sick? I want to go see her." Chen Yu ruffled Tuan Tuan''s little head, "How about Daddy goes to see Teacher Tong Ya at noon, okay?" Tuan Tuan immediately became excited, "Then you must bring flowers, red wine, and candles." Chen Yu had his head full of ck lines, "What on earth do you think about every day, you little girl?" "Obviously about a stepmother! Teacher Tong Ya is so perfect! And now that she is sick, it''s the perfect opportunity for Daddy to propose. Don''t you want to be with Teacher Tong Ya?" Chen Yu''s body shook violently. It wasn''t that he didn''t want to, it was that he didn''t dare to think about it! The barrier in his heart¡ªhe simply couldn''t get over it. "Don''t meddle in adults'' affairs. Right now, our main goal is to make money." Tuan Tuan involuntarily pouted, "Humph, Daddy is such a blockhead!" At that moment, four youths with dark circles under their eyes rushed into the shop, holding umbres. "Boss, is it ready?" "Just in time!" Chen Yu quickly handed over the packed fried cakes and vegetable pies. At 6:45, taking advantage of the break when there were no customers, Chen Yu took Tuan Tuan by the hand and walked her to school. But unexpectedly, right at the school gate, the little girl turned around and ran back. "Remember, you must go see Teacher Tong Ya!" Tuan Tuan, having issued her reminder, ran back to school again. Chen Yu let out a light sigh, feeling somewhat conflicted inside. When he returned to the shop, there were a few people waiting at the door. "Young Boss Chen is back!" "I thought it was raining, and Young Boss Chen had closed up for the day." ... Chen Yu kept apologizing, "I just went to drop my child off." By nine in the morning, Chen Yu finally had some leisure time. The entire morning was mostly about running errands, and the sales even turned out to be a bit more than usual. Without taking a break, Chen Yu continued as usual, preparing the semi-finished products. By eleven, Chen Yu specially made fifty fried cakes and thirty vegetable pies, then closed the shop door, hailed a taxi from the entrance, and headed straight to Tong Ya''s residential district. The location Tong Ya had sent was clear, and before long, Chen Yu arrived at Lucky District, directly finding Building 13, Room 405. The one who came to open the door was Tang Xiaowei; she wasn''t surprised to see Chen Yu. However, her gaze was fixed on the fried cakes and vegetable pies in Chen Yu''s hands. Tong Ya, hearing the noise, also hurried over. Perhaps because of her illness, Tong Ya looked somewhat frail. But the loose clothing she wore at home added a few touches of cuteness to her. Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Confession Forget It Seeing Chen Yu, Tong Ya''splexion instantly improved a lot. "How was business today?" Tong Ya asked with concern right away. After all, it had started pouring rain from early morning, and it showed no signs of stopping even now. "It''s been the same as usual, though everyone was cing orders for delivery." Chen Yu said with a smile on his face, taking out a household medical kit from his person. "I''ve prepared these medicines myself, I''m not sure what caused your fever, so I''ve brought them all over." Tong Ya''s cheeks were already slightly red from the fever, but now they turned even redder, as if she was bleeding. She quickly took the medical kit, turning around to hide her bashfulness. The medicines equipped in this kit were all mild and suitable for women. And the mixture ratios were meticulously selected. They must have been previously prepared by Chen Yu for Fang Yuan. Tong Ya didn''t mind but silently marveled in her heart, wondering why such a good man was not cherished by anyone. "This medicine should do it!" Chen Yu, upon inspection, immediately understood that Tong Ya''s fever was caused by menstrual difort. He didn''t ask further, just pushed away the fried rice cakes and vegetable turnovers that Tang Xiaowei had handed him. "You can''t eat these anymore, I''ll go buy you some porridge." Tong Ya, however, reached for a vegetable turnover regardless. "The porridge outside isn''t as delicious as your fried rice cakes and turnovers!" Chen Yu felt helpless and was about to ask something more when his phone started ringing. At this moment, Tong Ya''s eyes were also looking dazed. In her heart, she had been wrestling with herself, feeling that Chen Yu''s long trip to see her meant he must have her in his heart. Why not just confess then! Having made up her mind, Tong Ya swallowed all the medicine she had just taken out. Just as she was about to speak, Chen Yu put down his phone somewhat anxiously. "Old Xie has arranged the tables and chairs for me, and they''re about to be delivered to the shop, so I need to go back first. I''lle back to see you after I close the shop this evening." Tong Ya''s pupils dted slightly, "Then I''ll go with you, since I took the day off already, and I can be of help." "No way!" Chen Yu became a bit flustered, "With you being sick like this, you need to rest properly!" "I''m fine now!" Tong Ya immediately spun around, "After taking your medicine, I''m feeling much better, and in the past when this happened, just going out for some fresh air would make me feel okay." Chen Yu hesitated, as there had always been a voice in his heart wanting Tong Ya by his side. But Tong Ya''s condition truly worried him. "I can vouch," Tang Xiaowei suddenly raised her hand, "Just take her out for some fresh air, and she''ll be as lively and bouncy as a rabbit." Tong Ya immediately made an expression of sisterly solidarity to Tang Xiaowei, then hurried back to her room to change clothes. In the end, Chen Yu agreed and took Tong Ya down to the underground garage with him. Chen Yu didn''t let Tong Ya drive; instead, he made her sit in the passenger seat. On the way, Chen Yu drove very slowly, keeping the ride as smooth as possible. Tong Ya could also sense Chen Yu''s special care for her, which made her heart flutter. Before long, she rolled her eyes slightly and then pretended to be tired, leaning sideways towards Chen Yu. However, there was a bit of a gap between the driver''s and passenger''s seats. As Tong Ya leaned over, she ended up lying straight across Chen Yu''s thighs. Chen Yu frowned slightly but seeing Tong Ya sleeping soundly, he didn''t call out to wake her. He just slightly shifted Tong Ya''s body to ensure that she wouldn''t bump into the handbrake or gearshift. The rain was still pouring heavily when Chen Yu returned to the store and saw Xie Jiang and a few workers standing at the doorway smoking. Arge truck was parked at the entrance, covered with a thick moisture-proof tarp. Tong Ya was pretending to be asleep but knowing that they had reached their destination, she pretended to wake up and reluctantly got off Chen Yu. "You stay in the car, I''ll grab an umbre ande get you!" After giving the instruction, Chen Yu got out of the car. Xie Jiang hurriedly greeted him, "Lao Chen, I''ve brought everything over, all brand-new. You should check the goods first. If you''re not satisfied, I''ll help you exchange them." As he spoke, Xie Jiang directly lifted a corner of the moisture-proof cloth. Chen Yu''s eyes lit up, as all these tables were made of solid wood with alloy frames, absolutely sturdy and durable, and moreover, stylish and beautiful. "Of course I''m satisfied! I''ll take them, help me move them inside." "Alright!" Xie Jiang responded and immediately directed the workers to unload. Chen Yu hurried back to the store, grabbed an umbre, picked up Tong Ya from the car, and took her straight back to the third floor. Before long, Xie Jiang and the workers neatly arranged the tables and chairs throughout the first and second floor''s halls. "Lao Xie, it''s pouring so hard and not many customers areing. Actually, the tables and chairs could have been delivered a few dayster, it''s no problem." Xie Jiang patted his chest, "A promise made is a promise kept, I had to get it done for you!" Chen Yu didn''t say much, he just took out his phone, ready to make the payment. Xie Jiang, too, quickly presented the bill. Their rtionship had grown close, and the formalities of the past were no longer necessary. Xie Jiang hardly made any profit from these tables and chairs. For nearly a hundred sets of exquisite tables, Xie Jiang only took away eight thousand yuan. These tables would sell for at least two hundred yuan a set in the home furnishing market. Chen Yu certainly got himself a great deal. "Well, Lao Chen, then I''m off. I wish you great sess on your opening!" "Joy to you too, joy to you too!" After exchanging congrattions, Xie Jiang left with the workers. At that moment, Tong Ya came downstairs, wrapped in Chen Yu''s overcoat and wearing his cotton slippers, her face flushed with shyness. "It''s a bit cold, I borrowed your coat to wear, you wouldn''t mind, would you?" "Not at all." Chen Yu smiled slightly and quickly poured a cup of warm water for Tong Ya. "Rest for a bit, I need to hurry and prepare the semi-finished products for the afternoon." Tong Ya curiously surveyed the hall. "With such heavy rain, I''m afraid you won''t sell as much as usual. Take some rest too, don''t overwork yourself." Chen Yu was quite touched in his heart, "Don''t think the rain matters, the neighbors are all buying on behalf of others. This morning''s turnover was actually higher than usual, and it will definitely be more in the afternoon." Tong Ya sat in the hall, resting her chin in her hands, watching Chen Yu for a long time. The more she watched, the more she found the man in front of her irresistibly charming. Unconsciously, saliva actually dribbled from the corner of Tong Ya''s mouth. She quickly wiped it away, and suddenly noticed that the newly delivered tables seemed dirty. She hurriedly got some hot water, found a few rags, and began to wipe down the tables. Xie Jiang and his team had already renovated the entire store''s gas and water pipes during the construction. Together with the earlier water purification system, all the faucets in the store, including the third floor, could freely switch between hot and cold water. As she wiped the tables, Tong Ya couldn''t help but feel excited for no reason. Wiping the tables, she hummed a tune and from time to time even took a dance step or two. This caught Chen Yu, who was busy preparing semi-finished products in the kitchen,pletely off guard. Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Sales Increase by Fifty Percent It was 4:50 in the afternoon, and there were still no customers. Tong Ya had leisurely wiped down all the tables and chairs, arranging them neatly and orderly. Chen Yu was busier than ever. Returning at 12:00 noon, he had been making semi-finished products non-stop until now, feeling half of his body grow numb. He made a rough count and, in five hours, had produced a total of twelve thousand fried cakes and six thousand vegetable pastry semi-finished products. Chen Yu wasn''t worried about whether these could be sold or not since he now had a cold storage facility. Even if they didn''t sell out today, they could be stored in the freezer. After storing these semi-finished products, Chen Yu stretched his back and stepped out of the kitchen. "Tong Ya, I''m going to pick up Tuan Tuan. Don''t wander around," he said. Chen Yu suddenly spoke to Tong Ya as if he was dealing with a little kid. "Then I''ll wait for you toe back," Tong Ya replied yfully. Chen Yu drove Tong Ya''s car straight to the school. By this time, kindergarten teachers were standing at the entrance with umbres, sending out children one by one. When Chen Yu arrived, one of the teachers busily called out Tuan Tuan''s name. Tuan Tuan, excited, rushed out and dove into Chen Yu''s arms. "Daddy, howe you''re picking me up in Teacher Tong Ya''s car? Is Teacher Tong Ya here?" "Yeah, she''s at the store right now," Chen Yu tapped Tuan Tuan''s little head. Now this little girl''s head was filled with thoughts of Tong Ya. "Hooray, I''m going back to see Teacher Tong Ya!" Tuan Tuan cheered and climbed straight into the car. Chen Yu fastened Tuan Tuan''s seatbelt and started the car, soon returning to the store. By this time, several elderly men and women were already sitting in the hall. Tong Ya was kindly serving them hot water. "This rain is so weird; it''s been pouring all day nonstop!" "Tell me about it, I was so bored being cooped up at home." They usually came out at this time to dance in the square, but it looked like dancing was out of the question today. Seeing Chen Yu''s return, the elderly customers quickly gathered around. "Young Chen, we calcted on the way here we would need about five thousand fried cakes and three thousand vegetable pastries. Do you think you can manage?" These elderly customers came from differentmunities and seemed to have made their ns on their way there. "Yes, I can manage. I already have the ready-made semi-finished products; just need to fry them up," replied Chen Yu. The elders quickly took out their prepared lists so they could separate the orders for packing. "I knew it, businessman Chen is meticulous in his work, he wouldn''t take a break even on a rainy day." "With the grand opening of his new store, how could businessman Chen afford to ck off?" "My grandson will throw a tantrum if he doesn''t get to eat his fried cakes and vegetable pastries every day." ¡­ While the elders were praising Chen Yu, their gaze suddenly fell on Tong Ya. Before, they thought Tong Ya was just there to help out, which they barely believed, but now, with the heavy rain and her still in the store, they couldn''t help but be suspicious. "Businessman Chen, don''t tell me you''ve already made this girl your girlfriend?" Chen Yu became flustered, "No, that''s not it..." "Aunties, you''re mistaken; it''s just that the rain is heavy, and I''m sick, so he''s just temporarily taking me in," Tong Ya quickly exined, then put on gloves and an apron to join Chen Yu in packing. However, those uncles and aunties kept whispering among themselves, roughly saying that Chen Yu and Xiao Ya made a good match. By 6:30 PM, Chen Yu had all the fried cakes and vegetable pastries that the uncles and aunties had ordered packed up. Now, with fourrge deep-fryers working simultaneously, in just an hour and a half he had fried up a quantity of eight thousand. This was almost equivalent to a big half of the usual afternoon''s shipments. In the past, this would have been unthinkable with his small food cart. Just after the uncles and aunties had left, Zhang Fan entered the shop from next door,ing up the steps. "Old Chen, I''ve got your food cart deal sorted. They only need to make a few modifications, and they''ve already transferred the money to me," Zhang Fan said. "That''s great!" Chen Yu was instantly excited. He no longer needed that food cart, so being able to sell it was definitely an ie. Zhang Fan didn''t say much and took out his phone. "Although the food cart is second-hand, it was converted from an RV after all. It''s worth a market price of 150,000," Zhang Fan said. While saying this, Zhang Fan transferred 150,000 to Chen Yu. Chen Yu was stunned for a moment, "Didn''t you say the other party needs to make modifications? Why did you give me all of it?" Zhang Fan patted Chen Yu on the shoulder, "The total they transferred was 180,000. I''ve already kept 30,000 for materials and the cost of modifications, which is enough." Chen Yu didn''t say much, "Then thank you very much." Zhang Fan waved his hand, "No problem, it''s just business! By the way, do you still have your stuff in that food cart? If not, I can haul it away right now." "I''ve already moved everything to here; you go ahead and take it." "Got it!" Zhang Fan rubbed his hands together and called a few workers from the shop. They hauled the food cart and the trailer into the car shop together. Seeing the extra 150,000 in his phone bnce, Chen Yu decided to buy a car the next day. In weather like this with heavy rain, it''s really inconvenient to get things done without a car. "Boss, do you have fried cakes for sale today?" Six somewhat clean-looking young men, holding umbres, arrived at the shop. Chen Yu recognized at a nce that these six young men were the inte cafe youths who often came to buy fried cakes and vegetable pastries. Compared to before, they looked much healthier. "Yes, how many do you need?" Chen Yu quickly went back to the kitchen. "Three thousand fried cakes and a thousand vegetable pastries, is that enough?" "Of course, it''s enough!" Chen Yu called them to take a seat, "Please wait a moment, I''ll be right back." Before long, several more people arrived at the shop one after another. Apart from those who bought a few items on their way to or from work, the rest were all bulk purchases. In the end, the half-finished products Chen Yu had made during the day were not enough, so he had to make more. It wasn''t until 10 PM that Chen Yu finished thest big order. Just as he was about to sit down and rest, the system chimed in with a notification. [System notification, automatic settlement of the day''s revenue at 10 PM.] [Today''s profit is 12,300 yuan, earning 12,300 points, currently umting a total of 169,740 points.] Chen Yu was surprised for a moment. Yesterday, he had spent 75,000 yuan just on raw materials, not to mention tables, chairs, benches, and the whole set of kitchenware, and yet he still managed to profit today. However, upon careful consideration, Chen Yu felt relieved. Before this, he would usually stop doing business by 8 PM due to depletion of raw materials. But today he had been open until 10 PM, without even a break to rest in between. Moreover, the raw materials used today were much more than usual, with sales alone reaching over 100,000. After making some quick calctions, Chen Yu realized that his current savings amounted to 285,320 yuan. Chapter 35: Chapter 35 Recruiting Waitstaff Chen Yu closed his eyes, barely able to contain the surprise and excitement in his heart. Although his body was now beyond its limit and he didn''t know when he would fall asleep, the feeling of fulfillment gave him an unprecedented sense of refreshment. However, his body still started to sway uncontrobly. Tong Ya hurried forward to support him, "Are you alright? Go and rest for a bit, you''ve been tired all day." Chen Yu, however, waved his hand, "The raw materials in the cold storage might onlyst until the day after tomorrow. We need to find a way to get more." Tong Ya had no choice but to agree verbally while helping Chen Yu up the stairs. The next morning when Chen Yu opened his eyes, he found it was already five o''clock. He was startled for a moment and hurriedly jumped out of bed. The lobby on the first floor was already filling up with people. Tuan Tuan and Tang Xiaowei were moving among the customers in an orderly manner. The rich aroma of fried cakes and vegetable turnovers had long filled the shop. Only then did Chen Yu notice that Tong Ya, with her head covered in sweat, was struggling to make fried cakes and turnovers in the kitchen. Her body was naturally frail, and it was uncertain whether she had recovered from her illness the day before. What''s more, her speed making fried cakes and turnovers was indeed too slow, and customers had be impatient and started to urge her on. "Boss Chen is down!" Someone shouted, and all the customers looked over in unison. "No wonder this girles every day. It turns out she''s a disciple trained by Boss Chen." "The fried cakes and turnovers she makes taste the same as Boss Chen''s, but the speed is too slow." "Boss Chen, are you feeling better? If not, go back and rest. We''lle again tomorrow." ... Chen Yu immediately understood that Tong Ya wanted him to rest a bit more. He had also called Tang Xiaowei over to act as help. Without hesitation, Chen Yu rolled up his sleeves and entered the kitchen. When he saw the delicate figure of Tong Ya drenched in sweat, he felt an inexplicable tremor in his heart. He unconsciously took a tissue to wipe her sweat and moved a chair for her to sit at the side. "It''s okay, leave the rest to me!" Tong Ya smiled sweetly and obediently sat down, taking a sip of warm water. Perhaps because he was well-rested, Chen Yu felt a surge of inexhaustible energy throughout his body. As the speed increased, the customers'' wait time began to shorten. Yesterday, Xie Jiang had brought over a set of tables and chairs that came with an ordering system. The customers only needed to scan the QR code on the tables to ce their orders directly. Both the bar and the kitchen had printers, which better consolidated all the information. This was much more convenient and faster than the handwritten tickets that Tuan Tuan used to make. Chen Yu, looking at the ticketsing out from the side, felt a few more pangs of satisfaction. While he was sleeping, Tong Ya had assigned numbers to all the tables on the first and second floors. They just needed to te the fried cakes and turnovers ording to the order quantities, slip in the tickets, and people outside could get their orders based on the ticket numbers. This model indeed sped up the operation. However, the number of people visiting the shop today seemed to be more than usual; not only were the first and second floors full, but there were also peopleing in and lining up outside. Chen Yu couldn''t help but think, it looks like we need to hire some waiters. At six forty-five, Tong Ya took off her apron and went to school with Tuan Tuan. Tang Xiaowei was swamped. It wasn''t until ten in the morning that the stream of customers began to die down. Tang Xiaowei was so exhausted she was panting heavily, sitting there and gulping for air. "Oh my God, I feel like I''m falling apart! Why does it seem like the flow of people is more than double since we switched from the food truck to the new store?" Chen Yu felt the same way. At this rate, he would have to call and order another batch of raw materials tonight. Moreover, the n to buy a car that had been set for today would probably have to be put on hold. He had to hurry and get the semi-finished products for the afternoon ready. "Xiaowei, help me write a sign to put outside, saying we''re hiring wait staff and kitchen help." Tang Xiaowei agreed and quickly wrote a sign, cing it at the entrance. If things kept going like this, Tong Ya would only call her over day after day to work for free. Chen Yu''s hands moved incredibly fast, working non-stop from ten in the morning until four in the afternoon. Tang Xiaowei also took advantage of this lull to rest for a while. Just then, a few young girls who often bought fried cakes and vegetable dumplings from Chen Yu timidly walked in. "Boss, are you hiring here?" Looking up, Chen Yu saw the same four factory girls from before. "Of course we''re hiring!" Chen Yu put down his work and hurried out. "I remember you were working at the factory. You left your jobs there?" The four girls looked at each other embarrassedly. One of them plucked up the courage to step forward. "We were deceived by a crooked agency. They promised us a monthly wage of five thousand, but after deductions, we only received twelve hundred. And one of my friends here even ended up owing the factory two thousand yuan." Chen Yu frowned slightly. These girls clearly came from the countryside and had just reached adulthood. However, judging by their regr visits to Chen Yu''s ce to eat, they were definitely the hard-working, enduring type. "These crooked agencies are despicable!" Chen Yuined, and then gestured for the four girls to sit down. "Then stay and try it out. However, the working hours here might be a bit long. Can you handle that?" "Yes! The boss is handsome, makes great fried cakes, and must have a good heart. We just don''t know if all four of us can stay." "Of course you can," Chen Yu replied. "But to start, the wage might not be high. I can only promise you three thousand a month for now, with the possibility of an increase based on your performance." "That''s fine!" The four girls immediately perked up with excitement. But soon, their faces turned sorrowful. "Boss, we were wondering if you provide amodations? The factory kicked us out of the dormitory." Chen Yu cocked his head to one side, noticing the four girls were carrying quite a lot of bags. "We do, just rest here for now." Tang Xiaowei, who was quite friendly, brought over a kettle of hot water for the four girls. She had to figure out a way to keep these four girls, so she wouldn''t have to bear the burden anymore. Chen Yu immediately called Auntie Li. "Hello, Auntie Li. Do you have anyrger houses for rent? I want to use them as employee housing." "There are some single apartments that are vacant near that smallmunity behind your store. I''ll be right over." Before long, Auntie Li arrived at the store in a whirl, driving a scooter for the elderly. Meanwhile, Tong Ya also entered the store, bouncing in with Tuan Tuan in tow. Chapter 36: Chapter 36 Arranging Accommodation "Chen Yu, your shop is doing better and better, now you''re even hiring workers, unlike those wastrels in my family who only know how to spend money." As soon as she entered, Auntie Li showered Chen Yu with praise. Chen Yu felt somewhat embarrassed by thepliments. He quickly pointed to four girls standing nearby. "These four youngdies will be staying for now, how many rooms do you think would be appropriate to rent?" Auntie Li looked over the four timid girls. "A bunk bed in one room will be enough for them." After considering for a moment, Chen Yu said, "Then I''ll rent two rooms, I might hire more people in the future." Auntie Li waved her hand, "We''ll talk about that when the timees." One of the young girls timidly stepped forward, "Excuse me, boss, we have two other sisters who went for a cleaning job interview on the next street, can theye and stay as well?" As soon as she finished speaking, the young girl bashfully tapped her own head. Chen Yu was lucky enough to take in these four. Now they were pushing their luck, wanting to bring two more. Anyone would get angry. But after some thought, Chen Yu surprisingly agreed. "Then quickly bring them over, I''ll arrange the dormitory for you right now." The four girls burst into cheers. "Boss, you''re the best, we''ll definitely work hard in the future." In the midst of their talking, the seniors dancing in the square had already arrived at the shop. Chen Yu was at a loss, not sure whether to arrange the dormitory for the girls first or to make fried cakes. "I''ll go arrange the dormitory for them!" Tong Ya naturally saw Chen Yu''s dilemma and quickly stood up to help. Chen Yu had no choice but to agree. "Auntie Li, how much is the rent? Just text me the amount, I''ll transfer it directly to you." "Okay, got it!" Chen Yu was actually afraid that Tong Ya would end up fronting the rent money herself. By five o''clock, the shop was already overflowing with people. Chen Yu was truly feeling overwhelmed. In this area, Auntie Li was a well-knownndlord. She owned countless properties, not to mention that half of the shops at the entrance of the neighborhood were hers. At this moment, the other two girls had also been called over. Tong Ya led them, following Auntie Li, to building number three. This building had been constructed as single apartments, targeting single upants. The rooms averaged from sixty to eighty square meters each. Auntie Li checked the room numbers written on her hand for a while and found two rooms facing each other. "3301 and 3330, these are the two!" When the doors opened, all six girls were momentarily stunned. "Oh my, there are private bathrooms." "And the balcony is so big." "This is so much better than the factory dormitories." Tong Ya was also stunned for a moment; these two rooms were top-notch even within the single apartments. And with two double beds, four people living in one room was more than spacious. After the six girls put down their luggage and changed their clothes, Tong Ya led them back to the shop. At this point, Chen Yu was already swamped with work, while Tang Xiaowei and Tuan Tuan were struggling to keep up. After the expansion of the store, business had definitely improved, but it had also be busier. Tong Ya didn''t hesitate and quickly assigned work to the six young girls. Essentially, she divided the areas among them to manage. Tong Ya habitually entered the kitchen, offering Chen Yu a helping hand. "Here are the personal details of those six girls!" Tong Ya pulled out a list andid it in front of Chen Yu. "Oh right! I''ve ordered four wooden bunk beds from Master Xie Jiang. He''ll deliver them tonight." Chen Yu was somewhat surprised; he hadn''t expected Tong Ya to have already taken care of everything. There was no denying that those six girls were truly hardworking and reliable. With their addition, Chen Yu instantly felt much more relieved. Now, he only needed to focus on making fried cakes and dumpling corners; he didn''t need to worry about anything else. It wasn''t long before Aunt Li sent a message. "Two rooms total three thousand, including water but not electricity." Chen Yu was somewhat surprised; theplex behind was considered high-end, and renting a studio apartment alone would cost nearly two thousand. Aunt Li had clearly given him a discount. Chen Yu didn''t hesitate and directly transferred six months'' rent, eighteen thousand yuan. By nine o''clock in the evening, Xie Jiang had delivered the custom-made wooden beds and some matching bedding to the apartment dormitory. "Miss Tong, everything is taken care of. Here''s the key to the apartment, I''m returning it to you." Tong Ya didn''t move but gently nudged Chen Yu instead. Chen Yu had been a bit busy earlier, so she had stepped in to take over. Now that Chen Yu was here, there was nothing for her to do. After all, she wasn''t the real boss''s wife yet. Chen Yu hurried out of the kitchen. "Old Xie, your efficiency is as fast as ever!" Xie Jiang chuckled, "Can''t neglect my own people, can I?" With that, Xie Jiang handed the bill to Chen Yu. Chen Yu nced at the total amount at the bottom of the bill and directly transferred two thousand yuan. "Oh, right, Old Xie, here are the fried cakes and dumpling corners I kept for you. You can take them now." Xie Jiang rubbed his hands together, "Old Chen, my whole family loves eating these! But now that your store has expanded, you should reallye up with some new items!" Chen Yu nodded. Even the tastiest food would be tiresome if eaten too much. "I''ll introduce some new ones once things stabilize in the next couple of days." "I won''t bother you anymore, you''re busy." Xie Jiang waved and hurried off. At ten o''clock at night, there were still a few scattered customers in the store. They were probably residents from the nearbyplex. [Today''s profit is sixty-eight thousand two hundred yuan, earning sixty-eight thousand two hundred points. The current total umted points are two hundred thirty-five thousand nine hundred forty points.] Chen Yu was initially stunned, then remembered that today''s turnover was all pure profit. However, the system had ounted for the rent and the cost of the wooden beds as expenses. Moreover, Chen Yu''s current savings had reached three hundred fifty-five thousand three hundred twenty yuan. Chen Yu closed his eyes, trying his best to calm his excited emotions. He decided then and there that he wouldn''t purchase raw materials tomorrow; instead, he would take some time to buy a car. The shop behind came with a parking spot, and it was about time he bought a car, lest the spot remained unused. "You must have earned a lot today, right?" Tong Ya asked softly. Chen Yu opened his eyes, "Back when I had the food cart, the profit had already stabilized at around ten thousand a day. These past two days, it''s been close to sixty thousand." "Hearing that, I''m tempted toe work for you," Tong Ya joked. Chen Yu waved his hand, "That won''t do. You''re a fine dance teacher. What would you be doing working for me?" Tong Ya giggled, "Oh, by the way, didn''t you mention wanting to buy a car? One of my colleagues, their family sells cars. Maybe they can give you a discount." "Then I''ll limit the supply tomorrow and take some time to buy the car." With ns in mind, Chen Yu slowly began to tidy up the kitchen. Now, unlike with the food cart, cleaning up was actually a bit of a hassle. Chapter 37: Chapter 37 Stress Reduction As the crowds dispersed, six young girls began to clean meticulously. They worked with remarkable dedication, which even Chen Yu couldn''t help but admire. They were also incredibly efficient with their hands and feet. Before Chen Yu had finished tidying up the kitchen, they had already cleaned up both floors of the dining hall spotlessly. They even wiped down the windowsills. Thest table of customers on the first floor felt somewhat embarrassed as they realized the surroundings had been cleaned so thoroughly. "Boss, your new waitresses are really good. The ce is cleaned up as if no business had been conducted today." Realizing that their metaphor might not be quite appropriate, the table of customers decided to take the remaining fried cakes and corner pastries home with them. Tuan Tuan was sitting obediently in the main hall, doing her homework. After the six girls finished cleaning, they looked over at Tuan Tuan from a distance. "The boss is handsome, and his daughter is beautiful too." "That must be the boss''s wife working with him in the kitchen, right?" "Don''t talk nonsense; the boss is divorced. That one, they say she''s the boss''s college ssmate." "So, they''re not together then?" As they whispered among themselves, Chen Yu came out with a list in hand. "Chu Hong, Li Yu, Zhang Qian, Su Qing, Zhao Meng, Han Cai! Did I get anyone''s name wrong?" "No!" the six girls answered in unison. "Good. These first few days since the store opened, I will be arranging your specific duties step by step. For now, just familiarize yourselves with the environment." "All right, boss." Chen Yu looked at the girls before him with satisfaction. "As for the employee meal..." "Boss!" Chu Hong raised her hand. "We can just have the leftover fried cakes and corner pastries." "That''s right, we used to eat here a lot when we were working elsewhere, and we couldn''t fit anything else in," Su Qing chimed in. Chen Yu shook his head. "That won''t do, the employee meal needs to be more formal." "All right, let''s just be casual since it''s the first day!" Tong Ya walked over with a bag and distributed ten fried cakes and two corner pastries to each of the six girls. "Take this as your dinner for today. When you leave, each of you can also take a drink of your choice." The six girls immediately lit up with joy, but they didn''t know how to address Tong Ya. Calling her "boss" wasn''t quite right, and calling her "boss''s wife" wasn''t appropriate either. After exchanging nces, they all eximed, "Long live sister!" Tong Ya smiled with satisfaction at their cleverness. "Okay, go to sleep early. We start work at four in the morning tomorrow, but there will be a lunch break at noon." The six girls had no objections; they were used to working twelve hours a day at the factory, sometimes even more. And the work they did there was far more exhausting than here. After giving their instructions, the six girls happily left work. Tang Xiaowei, who had been waiting, quickly stood up and grabbed Tong Ya''s arm. "We should head back too." Tong Ya was reluctant to leave but could not withstand Tang Xiaowei''s tugging. After greeting Chen Yu and Tuan Tuan, she left with Tang Xiaowei. Chen Yu also closed the folding door and carried Tuan Tuan upstairs to the third floor. Perhaps due to having slept for an extended period earlier, Chen Yu had already woken up at two thirty. After he had washed up and came downstairs to open the folding door, he found Tong Ya already standing at the entrance. Last night, Tong Ya had left after ten, and now, not even three o''clock, she was already there. "You''re not fully recovered yet; why didn''t you rest more?" Chen Yu was a bit annoyed. Tong Ya giggled, "I''ve been having a bit of insomnia, my neighbor was renovating in the middle of the night and it was super noisy, so I came over to sleep at your ce for a while." Without waiting for Chen Yu''s consent, Tong Ya dashed up to the third floor andy down on Chen Yu''s bed. Chen Yu let out a soft sigh and went into the kitchen to start working. Tong Ya wasn''t really there to sleep. She spread Chen Yu''s quilt over herself and took a deep breath. After lying there for about half an hour, Tong Ya got up and tidied the bed. By this time, Chen Yu had already mixed tworge buckets of dough and was letting them ferment. He was using arge meat grinder to prepare the filling. Previously, when he was at the food cart, he had used a small domestic meat grinder. Each time, he could only grind a small clump of raw material. Now it was different; arge piece of pork thrown into it was turned into minced pork in no time. "I''m here to help!" Tong Ya was already dressed in an apron and had put on gloves, ready to enter the kitchen. Chen Yu jumped in surprise, "Weren''t you going to take a nap? You came down so soon." "I don''t know why, but I felt like the sleep quality on your bed was just so good, half an hour was enough to fill me up." Chen Yu, having no choice, moved a chair over for Tong Ya. At three-thirty in the morning, six girls wereughing and chatting as they entered the store. "Wow, the boss is up earlier than us and already hard at work." Chu Hong eximed in surprise and then leaned on the kitchen window. Chen Yu was also taken aback, "Aren''t you supposed to start work at four? Why are you here so early?" Zhang Qian pouted, "We''re used toing in early for work at the factory." Chen Yu smiled, "There are no such rules here, and besides, the dormitory I provided for you is not far from the shop. It''s only a five-to-six-minute walk." "We can''t do that!" Han Cai quickly stepped forward, "You''ve been kind enough to take us in, we can''t let you down." "Alright then, Chu Hong, Li Yu, Zhang Qian, Su Qing, you foure to the kitchen. Zhao Meng, Han Cai, you two arrange the tables and chairs." "Okay," the six girls uniformly responded and started to get busy with their tasks. Chu Hong and Li Yu were responsible for preparing the filling with tworge meat grinders. Zhang Qian and Su Qing were following Tong Ya, learning how to make vegetable turnovers and fried cakes. The essence of fried cakes and vegetable turnovers actually lies in the dough mixing, the proportion of filling, and the amount of seasoning. The remaining steps are not only tedious but also not that important. Now that Chen Yu had manpower at his disposal, it would be foolish not to use it. During the renovation, Chen Yu had expanded the kitchen and added a smaller kitchen on the second floor. Now the kitchen on the first floor was very spacious, and with six people bustling about, there was more than enough room. Indeed, many hands make light work. By four-thirty in the morning, all the raw materials in the cold storage had been turned into fillings. Chen Yu had also mixed up a total of fiverge iron buckets of dough. There were also quite a few semi-finished products umting. When the flow of customers picked up, Chen Yu no longer felt as much pressure as before. At six forty-five, Tong Ya took Tuan Tuan to school. "Tong Ya, you really treasure this child, personally doing school drop-offs and pick-ups every day." Li Juan, like Tong Ya, was running a dance ss. She was one of the few friends Tong Ya had at the kindergarten. "Of course I treasure her!" Tong Ya said dotingly, ruffling Tuan Tuan''s head, "Our kindergarten''s dance ss blossomed because of this kid." As Tong Ya spoke, her face was full of pride, as if Tuan Tuan was her own daughter. Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Buying a Car ``` Li Juan also rubbed Tuan Tuan''s little face, Who wouldn''t love such a cute and charming little girl? "By the way, Tong Ya, didn''t you say you have a friend who wants to buy a car? There''s an event at the dealership this afternoon, you should go check it out if you''re free." "Sure!" After some small talk, Tong Ya took Tuan Tuan to the ssroom. Suzhou City Film and Television City. Fang Yuan was hanging from wires, filming a fight scene. Lately, the quality of the projects she''d been getting was inexplicably getting worse. The roles shended wereplicated, exhausting, and didn''t pay well. "Cut! Actors, take a break." At the director''smand, the entire crew breathed a sigh of relief. Fang Yuan headed to the rest area as well, grabbed a bottle of water, and gulped it down. At that moment, she couldn''t care less about her image; she was just too thirsty. "Yuan Sister, you must be exhausted?" The assistant hurried over to massage her shoulders and legs. Just then, a few actors huddled around a tablet couldn''t stop squealing. "Wow, this little girl is so cute." "She dances so well, even better than us professionals." "I really want to hug this little girl and squeeze her." ¡­ Fang Yuan craned her neck and caught a glimpse of the tablet''s screen. She suddenly got excited, ran over, and snatched the tablet. The supporting actors didn''t dare to get angry at Fang Yuan. One of the actors rolled her eyes and said, "Yuan Sister, cute, isn''t she?" Fang Yuan''s eyes went wide; the little girl on the screen was Tuan Tuan. Her graceful dance moves already showed a unique charm. With the right training, her future held no limits. But Fang Yuan felt a knot tightening in her heart. She so wanted to tell everyone that the dancing girl was her daughter. But her public persona was that of a single woman, without a history of marriage, let alone a child. Hastilyposing herself, Fang Yuan returned the tablet. "Make the most of the break; we have more action scenes to shoot this afternoon." She said awkwardly before going back to her seat to rest. At that moment, her agent handed her a phone. "It''s Han Sister calling!" Fang Yuan quickly took the phone: "Mom!" "My dear daughter, how have you beentely?" Fang Yuan hesitated for a moment: "Pretty good!" "That''s good. Just eat and drink well, don''t mistreat yourself, your mom will work hard to maintain your image!" "Thanks, Mom." Fang Yuan''s tone was somewhat downcast. "Daughter, you''re not still hung up on that good-for-nothing Chen Yu, are you? Don''t forget, you''re a big star now, with a better life ahead of you." "I know!" She replied perfunctorily and handed the phone back to her agent. Fang Yuan''s mother, Han Mintao, had been in the entertainment industry in her early years andter established an agency. Fang Yuan never intended to enter show business, but was unexpectedly discovered by a talent scout during a variety show. When Han Mintao heard the news, she immediately signed Fang Yuan to herpany. Backed by a massive influx of resources, Fang Yuan quickly rose to fame. After hanging up, the agent handed Fang Yuan a notification for her next job. "Han Sister said to cancel all other engagements after this drama and focus on building a variety show image." Fang Yuan propped her head with one hand: "You handle it." ¡­ By noon, all the ingredients were made into semi-finished products. One has to admit, these six girls are truly worth their salt. ``` They only spent the morning following Tong Ya and learning how to wrap, and they grasped the technique in no time. After practicing for a few hours, their speed almost caught up with Chen Yu. Perhaps in a little while, these six youngdies would be able to independently run the shop. Once they finished, the six girls went back to sleep. Chen Yu also stretched his waist, he hadn''t felt this rxed in a long time. By four in the afternoon, the shop no longer needed Chen Yu at all. With the oil temperature and frying time set, Chu Hong and Li Yu were fully capable of making fried cakes and vegetable dumplings. Zhang Qian, Su Qing, Zhao Meng, and Han Cai were responsible for delivering orders and packaging. Everything was well organized. Chen Yu suddenly realized that as long as he mixed the dough and prepared the fillings, there was no need for him to do the rest himself. This way, not only could he ensure the taste of the final product, but he could also rx a bit. At five in the afternoon, Tong Ya came back to the shop with Tuan Tuan. "Wow, Daddy, why are you outside today?" More than one person had asked him this question today. Chen Yu was a bit tired of exining. "Because the six new sisters are amazing!" "Then you can rest more from now on!" Tong Ya''s face was also full of joy. Chen Yu got up and stretched his muscles. "This is a good time to go buy the car." Tong Ya quickly took out a discount coupon from her person. "This is from my colleague; I think the cars are at a ten percent discount today." After giving some instructions to the six girls, Chen Yu went to the car dealership with Tuan Tuan and Tong Ya. As soon as they arrived at the dealership, Li Juan greeted them warmly. "You''re Tuan Tuan''s dad?" Chen Yu nodded: "I am." "Ah, so handsome, no wonder Tuan Tuan is also so pretty," she eximed. Tong Yaughed, "Alright, Li Juan, let''s take a look at the cars." Li Juan quickly led Chen Yu to the electric vehicle section nearby. Chen Yu had previously mentioned that it was not cost-effective for him to buy a fuel car at the moment, and that a new energy vehicle would be better. Such cars generally have a grand appearance and don''t embarrass one on the road. Plus, when in a hurry to the market to buy items, one doesn''t need to worry about dirtying the car. After looking around, Chen Yu took a liking to a car model with a character shape. After the test drive, he immediately signed the contract. After the discount, the car only cost one hundred and thirty thousand, and that included insurance and various other fees. It was only on the way back that Tong Ya felt a bit of regret. If she had known, she wouldn''t have driven her own car over; that way, she could have experienced Chen Yu''s new car on the way back. Six o''clock in the afternoon. Chen Yu and Tong Ya returned to the shop to find no more customers inside. The whole shop was tidied up and clean. The six girls were lined up, sitting in the hall looking at their cellphones. Seeing Chen Yu return, they quickly got up. "Boss, we''ve sold all the fried cakes and vegetable dumplings, so we cleaned up the shop a bit. Also, we didn''t know how to handle the used oil," said Chu Yu, reporting to Chen Yu like a little supervisor. "There''s a filtering and cleaning system for that, I can teach you how to use itter," he replied. Saying this, Chen Yu immediately called the raw materials supplier. This time, he directly ordered one hundred and fifty thousand worth of raw materials. "When the raw materials arrive, I''ll take everyone out for a meal, consider it our first team-building exercise." The six youngdies immediately became excited;ing from the countryside straight to the factory, they had never had a group meal before, let alone knew what team building meant. Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Finally Confessing Chen Yu brought the six girls to the kitchen and personally demonstrated the automatic filtration system to them. This system was much more user-friendly than the one on the dining cart, and simpler to operate. In just a few minutes, it filtered out all the grease and residue from the frying pan. When the clean oil flowed back, Chen Yu disassembled the removable parts and cleaned them. After washing and reassembling the parts, the system''s notification rang in Chen Yu''s mind. "Congrattions, Host, for perfectlypleting a day''s business. Today''s profit is fifty-nine thousand eight hundred and forty Yuan, earning fifty-nine thousand eight hundred and forty points, umting a total of two hundred and ny-five thousand seven hundred and eighty points." Chen Yu couldn''t help but feel excited. It wouldn''t be long before he could use the high-level draw three times in a row. Moreover, after buying the vehicle and paying for the raw materials, he still had seventy-three thousand five hundred and twenty Yuan on hand. Chen Yu immediately transferred seventy thousand Yuan into his current ount. It was also time to start thinking about saving up to buy a house. Just after depositing the money through mobile banking, the delivery man for the raw materials arrived at the doorstep. This time, most of the deliverers came in small trucks. Chen Yu, ordering so much all at once, was already considered a super VIP customer. All the suppliers delivered a bit extra on top of the original order. The six girls were quick and helped the deliverers carry the raw materials into the cold storage room. Chen Yu roughly calcted that one hundred and fifty thousand Yuan worth of raw materials shouldst eight days based on the dining cart''s previous turnover. But ording to the business turnover of the past two days, it might only be enough for five days. After sending off the delivery man, Chen Yu closed the folding doors and headed to the hotpot restaurant on the next street. "What would everyone like to eat? Order whatever you want, I''m treating today." The six girls were a bit shy, and since it was their first gathering, everyone seemed a bit reserved. Tong Ya gave a light cough, "Then I''ll start." She thoughtfully asked everyone about their dietary restrictions and ordered dishes based on each person''s preferences. And with Tong Ya''s adjustments, the atmosphere at the dining table soon became lively. The six girls gradually opened up, chatting about this and that. After the meal, their rtionship with Chen Yu had grown much closer. The initial reserve was gone. At nine o''clock in the evening, the six girls went back to the residential area together. Chen Yu, carrying Tuan Tuan, apanied by Tong Ya, returned to the shop. Tuan Tuan was weary after the day''s events and soon fell asleep in Chen Yu''s arms. After carefully settling Tuan Tuan on the third floor, Chen Yu went downstairs, ready to take Tong Ya home. But just as they reached the doorstep, Tong Ya suddenly stopped, her face flushing to the extreme. "Can I not go?" Chen Yu paused for a moment, "It''s not veryte today, plus, I can drive you home." This reply was somewhat obtuse, as if deliberately avoiding something. "What I mean is, not just today, can I live here from now on?" Chen Yu of course understood what she meant; in fact, ever since Tong Ya had starteding over day and night to help him, he had begun to suspect. And Tong Ya had always been hinting at him, but all her hints were deftly dodged by him. "You''re a single teacher, staying here doesn''t look good. Rumors could spread and it would affect you negatively." "I don''t care!" Tong Ya''s breathing quickened, her gaze bing more determined. "I like you, I want to be with you!" Finally, she had said it! More than once, she had wanted to confess her feelings to Chen Yu, but each time Chen Yu had skillfully avoided her attempts. ``` Chen Yu had a perfect opportunity to see her that day, but it slipped by nheless. She didn''t want to wait any longer! Now that the shop had hired more staff, the business was gradually getting on track. She feared she would no longer have the excuse of helping out to stay by Chen Yu''s side. Chen Yu froze for a moment; he hadn''t expected Tong Ya to dere her affection for him so bluntly. "Stop joking around." Chen Yu tried to avoid the issue, but Tong Ya suddenly drew closer, her onyx-like eyes fixating on him. "I''m serious. Starting from now, can I be your girlfriend?" "No!" Chen Yu closed his eyes, trying not to meet Tong Ya''s gaze. "Why?" Tong Ya took another step forward, her slightly heated breath brushing Chen Yu''s face. "We''re not suitable for each other." Chen Yu stepped back to dodge. "You and I are both single; what''s not suitable about that?" Tong Ya was a bit confrontational. "It''s not about being single or not." "Then what is it? Do you still want to get back with your ex-wife?" "No!" Chen Yu suddenly became somewhat distracted: "It has nothing to do with her." "Then you have someone else you like?" Tong Ya was suddenly worried. "No!" Chen Yu sighed softly: "The reasons areplex; I can''t exin them all to you." "But it''s notplex for me. Just tell me what the problem is; I don''t believe there''s anything in this world that can''t be solved." Chen Yu, helpless: "You''ve seen it yourself, I''m a single father." "So what? Moreover, you''ve noticed, Tuan Tuan wants me to be her mother." "But what about your family? What would they think?" Chen Yu, after all, was nearly thirty and thought things through very rationally. He admitted that after spending time together, he had indeed developed a fondness for Tong Ya. And he faintly felt that Tong Ya had be a part of his life. But marriage is not child''s y; there were too many aspects to consider. Even if Tong Ya was sincere about being with him, there were still her family members to think about. Who would want their child to marry a divorced man with a kid? Chen Yu didn''t want to cause trouble for anyone; right now, all he wanted to do was focus on making money. Tong Ya exhaled a turbid breath. "The day I started college, my mother passed away. But my father didn''t care at all, his mind was solely on his business." At this point, Tong Ya paused. Actually, that day she wasn''t truly suffering from a heatstroke; she had taken pills. Her mother''s death and her father''s indifference had left her utterly disappointed with the world. But unexpectedly, it was Chen Yu who came along and took her to the hospital. Chen Yu gave her a second chance at life and a reason to keep living. So, in Tong Ya''s heart, Chen Yu was everything. Tong Ya slightly steadied her emotions: "Two years ago, I ran away from home with Xiao Wei, with no ns to go back, so you don''t have to worry about my family at all." Chen Yu hadn''t expected Tong Ya to be so resolute, but he still couldn''t get past that hurdle in his heart. "But my family might not agree." "I''ll try my best to get them to agree!" Tong Ya wouldn''t give up: "Whatever they don''t like about me, I''ll change it, until they do." Chen Yu suddenly stood there, stunned, silently looking at Tong Ya. ``` Chapter 40: Chapter 40 No Refusal Just when Chen Yu was trying to think of another reason to refuse, Tong Ya suddenly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. "After all that talk, you still haven''t said it''s because you don''t like me. You have feelings for me too, don''t you?" Chen Yu took a deep breath and answered very truthfully, "Yes! But with your qualifications, you could find someone better." "You are the best!" Tong Ya''s arms slowly tightened: "No one could be better than you." Chen Yu didn''t speak again, nor did he push Tong Ya away from his embrace. "You don''t have to worry so much!" Tong Ya looked up at Chen Yu: "I will help you resolve all your concerns, just as long as you don''t reject the kindness I have for you, okay?" Actually, Tong Ya didn''t necessarily need Chen Yu to ept her right then and there. As long as Chen Yu didn''t refuse, she would consider it a sess. She could then be openly nice to Chen Yu in the future, even spoil him, without having to avoid their rtionship in public anymore. Chen Yu was silent for a long time: "Then you should at least bring over your personal belongings." A glimmer of excitement shone in Tong Ya''s eyes. Although Chen Yu hadn''t explicitly agreed, he hadn''t refused either. And he had even agreed to let her stay here. "Okay! Then you can''t go back on your word. I''ll go get my things now and be back in an hour. Wait for me." Having said that, Tong Ya turned and left the house. But the girl yed a little trick as she left¡ªshe took Chen Yu''s car. Chen Yu was still in a daze at that moment. Having such a sincere woman in this world who cared for him, what more could he ask for? After adjusting his emotions, Chen Yu went straight into the kitchen and started kneading dough. As soon as Tong Ya got back, she began to pack up, which gave Tang Xiaowei a fright. "What are you doing? Moving out?" Tong Ya was busy stuffing clothes and daily necessities into her bags. "Yeah, from now on, you''ll be living here alone." Tang Xiaowei''s mouth hung open: "Where are you going? You''re not going home, are you? We had agreed to stick together..." "Who said I''m going home?" Tong Ya''s face was filled with joy: "I''m moving in with my future boyfriend." Tang Xiaowei was stunned for a moment: "Future boyfriend? Did he agree to be with you?" Tong Ya hesitated for a bit: "Sort of!" While speaking, Tong Ya had already finished packing, a handbag, and a backpack ready to go. "And remember to visit the shop sometimes." Tang Xiaowei couldn''t believe how quickly things had developed between Tong Ya and Chen Yu. But she didn''t say much; Chen Yu''s character had truly impressed her over time. Not only was he diligent and hard-working, but his fried cakes and turnovers were made so well that she also felt the urge to offer them to him for free. "Humph, out of sight, out of mind! Don''t forget to bring me some goodies when you have time." Tong Ya nodded, then suddenly put down the backpack she was holding and stepped forward to hug Tang Xiaowei. "Xiaowei, if you feel lonely living by yourself, I can rent you an apartment behind the shop, and you can move in too." "Alright!" Tang Xiaowei patted Tong Ya on the shoulder: "Let''s go, I''ll see you out." ... When Tong Ya returned to the shop, Chen Yu was still busy there. In just that little while, Chen Yu had already kneaded tworge buckets of dough. Tong Ya didn''t disturb him, treading lightly as she went up to the third floor. She didn''t directly ce her personal belongings in Chen Yu''s room, but instead tidied up another room. Tong Ya was clear in her heart; Chen Yu allowing her to move in was already his biggest concession. The two of them were not yet at the stage of sleeping together. Tong Ya was also consciously maintaining this tacit understanding. Just as Tong Ya was about to go down to help, Chen Yu had alreadye up to the third floor. He was actually a bit worried that Tong Ya would move directly into his room. "Howe you''re up here? Are you done with your work?" Tong Ya asked, somewhat puzzled. Chen Yu smiled slightly, "It''s veryte, let''s go to sleep." "You should go to sleep early too." After responding, Tong Ya went back to her own room. At half-past three in the morning, when Chen Yu opened the store, six young girls had just arrived. With the experience from the first day, they didn''t need much direction from Chen Yu and got busy on their own. Chen Yu found that he only needed to make the dough and sprinkle seasoning into the filling for the vegetable pockets, and he didn''t need to do anything else. When Tong Ya came downstairs, she simply sat there, joining in to wrap fried cakes and vegetable pockets. "Hey, Sister Tong, did you sleep herest night?" Chu Hong suddenly asked. "Yeah!" Tong Ya didn''t avoid the question. The six young girls were taken aback simultaneously, their eyes gleaming with the light of gossip. However, they didn''t ask any more questions, and Chu Hong felt she had been a bit too nosy. Tong Ya just smiled, "From now on, I will be living here, so I can help everyone in the morning." With that exnation, the six young girls understood. Without explicitly stating her rtionship with Chen Yu, Tong Ya yed it smart. And there was nothing Chen Yu could do about it. A bit after four in the morning, customers started to trickle in. Usually, those who came at this time were inte-addicted teens from the neighborhood. Buttely, it seemed that these inte-addicted teens weren''t as interested in inte cafes. By four or five in the morning, they woulde in groups to Chen Yu''s ce to eat. Today, Chen Yu also made specific work arrangements. Chu Hong was in charge of frying, Li Yu managed the counter, and Zhang Qian served as a full-time waitress in the lobby. Su Qing, the fastest at making semi-finished fried cakes and vegetable pockets, stayed in the kitchen exclusively to prepare them. Han Cai and Zhao Meng acted as floaters, helping out in the lobby when it was too busy, and returning to the kitchen when needed. This arrangement greatly improved work efficiency. By six in the morning, semi-finished products were piled up like a mountain, adequately covering the needs for the day. And the whole shop operated smoothly and orderly. Chen Yu immediately decided to store all these semi-finished products in the cold storage. Then he took out flour and raw materials and started working on them again. At forty-five minutes past six, Tong Ya took off her gloves and went upstairs. Tuan Tuan was already up, but she was a little surprised to see the extra personal items in the bathroom. "Miss Tong, did you bring your personal items over?" Tong Ya rubbed Tuan Tuan''s little head. "Yeah, from now on, I''ll be living with Tuan Tuan." Tuan Tuan''s mouth opened wide: "Did Dad agree to you living here?" "What? Do you not want me to?" "Of course, I want it!" Tuan Tuan excitedly grabbed Tong Ya''s hand. "Does that mean you and Dad are together?" "Sort of!" Tong Ya blushed a little. "I confessed to your dad." "Really?" Excitement was written all over Tuan Tuan''s little face. Tong Ya pinched Tuan Tuan''s little cheek, "So do you agree for the teacher to be your mom from now on?" Without a second thought, Tuan Tuan threw herself into Tong Ya''s arms. "Mom!" Chapter 41: Chapter 41 Preparing Staff Meals The affectionate and excited shouts made Tong Ya''s heart tremble involuntarily. She didn''t know how long she had been looking forward to that "Mom." "It''s a bit early to be changing how you address me!" Tong Ya''s face fell slightly, "Your dad has only agreed to let me stay here; he hasn''t epted my confession yet." "Humph, Dad is so wooden! Miss Tong Ya is so nice, why won''t he ept you?" "It''s okay!" Tong Ya finished adjusting Tuan Tuan''s backpack, "Your dad just has a lot to consider. Besides, we''re already living together, so I can chase after him all the time now." Tuan Tuan pped his little hands and blinked his big eyes, "Do you need my help?" Tong Ya pinched Tuan Tuan''s little nose, "Of course I do! But, Miss Tong Ya barging into your life like this, can you ept it?" She still cared a lot about Tuan Tuan''s opinion; though he was young, he had his own thoughts. "As long as you are nice to Dad, it''s alright. Plus, I like Miss Tong Ya, and I want you to be my mom." Tuan Tuan showed his talent for dancing right when he started kindergarten, which Tong Ya had discovered. Over the years, their rtionship had grown far beyond that of a teacher-pupil; many thought they looked more like mother and daughter. "Okay, then you''ve got to remember to help me, okay?" "Of course, can you buy me snacks to eat?" Tong Ya hesitated for a moment, after all, it wasn''t good for such a little child to always eat snacks. "Then I''ll buy them for you once a week." "Deal!" Tuan Tuan stretched out his little hand, "Pinky promise, no backsies." Tong Ya also stretched out her hand and hooked fingers with Tuan Tuan''s, then took him to school. The business at Chen Yu''s shop was more than twice as busy as it was when he had just a food cart. Previously, due to the limited size of the food cart, many customers missed out. Now with arger space, they had continuous supplies of ingredients and enough staff, effectively oveing all previous shorings. By ten in the morning, the shop was still bustling with activity. And the semi-finished products piled in the freezer not only met today''s demand but were more than enough for tomorrow''s as well. It wasn''t until noon that the flow of customers gradually dwindled. Chen Yu then allowed the six girls to go back and take a nap. At half-past four in the afternoon, Tong Ya walked towards the shop, holding Tuan Tuan''s hand. "Tuan Tuan, what does your dad like to eat? Or does he have any hobbies?" Tuan Tuan paused, "I dunno. Whatever I want to eat or do, he just goes along with it." All of a sudden, Tuan Tuan felt that he had be so ustomed to Chen Yu''s care that he didn''t even know what his dad liked to eat or what his hobbies were. Tong Ya ruffled Tuan Tuan''s little head, "Has he always been like this?" "Yes, he was like that with his ex-wife too!" Tong Ya felt an inexplicable twinge of heartache, "Then let''s both dote on your dad together, okay?" "Okay!" Tuan Tuan gripped Tong Ya''s hand tightly. At that moment, the shop was filled to capacity, but everyone including Chen Yu looked quite rxed. Chu Hong and Li Yu calmly dropped the semi-finished products into the fryer. Chen Yu, meanwhile, helped others with their packaging. "Daddy!" Tuan Tuan called out and lunged into Chen Yu''s arms. Tong Ya, who hade back with him, just stood there looking at Chen Yu. In her dark, jewel-like eyes, she no longer hid her affection for Chen Yu. Chen Yu only met Tong Ya''s gaze briefly before looking away, appearing somewhat awkward. "Dad, I heard Miss Tong Ya confessed her feelings to you, did she?" Chen Yu pinched Tuan Tuan''s nose, "How did you know about that?" "I just want to ask, when can I call Miss Tong Ya mom?" ``` Chen Yu didn''t answer, but simply put her down on the ground. "Go home and do your homework. It''s not your turn to worry about adult matters," he said. Tuan Tuan pouted and somewhat resentfully went up to the third floor. "The child was just asking. Why be so fierce?" Tong Yained, casually taking out a tissue to wipe the sweat from Chen Yu''s brow. The hall was now filled with people who were startled to see Tong Ya''s gesture. "My goodness, could it be that Boss Chen has a thing going with this young woman?" "I have to say, they really do make a good match." "That girl is sincere, too. Ever since Boss Chen''s food cart started, she''s always been right by his side." "Boss Chen is hardworking and reliable. Who knows what kind of woman would divorce him, leaving behind such a cute daughter too?" "No wonder he wasn''t interested when people tried to set him up before. With such a great woman by his side, why look for someone else?" ... Chen Yu didn''t refuse Tong Ya''s offer to wipe his sweat, but he quickly took the tissue from Tong Ya and started to wipe himself. "I''m going to buy some vegetables. Now that I have some free time, I need to arrange an employee meal that isn''t just spring rolls and fried cakes all the time." "Then let me go with you!" Tong Ya said. Tong Ya tentatively took hold of Chen Yu''s arm and they both headed to the nearby farmers'' market. On the way, seeing that Chen Yu hadn''t refused her, Tong Ya boldly hooked her arm through his. Chen Yu merely paused for a moment, then continued walking ahead. "How much for the greens, boss?" Chen Yu crouched down in front of a vegetable stand. "One yuan per bunch!" "Give me five bunches and chop off half of that winter melon, please!" "You got it!" Just as the owner was about to fetch the vegetables, he caught a clear view of Chen Yu''s face. "Eh, aren''t you Boss Chen?" Chen Yu nodded. "I really love the fried cakes and spring rolls from your ce! Eh, what brings you out today? Is the business closed?" "We''ve hired waitstaff at the shop, so I have more spare time. I''m out shopping for some vegetables for employee meals." The stall owner smacked his head. "Almost forgot! When I visited yesterday, I saw those six girls. They are quite capable." With that, the stall owner looked over at Tong Ya. "Eh, isn''t this the girl who used to help you? You two are together now." Tong Ya didn''t speak but just chuckled and nestled her head closer to Chen Yu. Their intimate gesture would lead anyone to assume they were boyfriend and girlfriend. Chen Yu did not respond and instead looked at the meat stand next to them. "Boss, is this yours too?" he asked. "Yep, just got in some fresh beef this morning; want some?" "I''ll take three jin, and add some corn to that, please." "Right away!" The owner efficiently packed up Chen Yu''s meat and vegetables. "That''ll be one hundred twelve yuan total." After paying, Chen Yu returned to the store with Tong Ya. Though the ce was now crowded, everyone here was a regr. After finishing their meals, they would all voluntarily clean up their tables spotlessly. Moreover, many customers would ce their orders, take their receipts to the counter, and just go straight to the window to pick up their fried cakes. So, for the entire day, Zhang Qian, who was in charge of managing the hall, didn''t even need to clean up. Han Cai and Zhao Meng didn''t leave the kitchen either, as they were continuously preparing semi-finished products. ``` Chapter 42: 42nd Chapter: Unrestrained and Unscrupulous It was 9:30 PM, and the flow of customers began to thin out. The entire shop had been cleaned spotlessly, leaving only a window open and a deep-fryer. They were there to cater to any sporadic customers who might arrive. Chen Yu also brought out a newrge pot, set it on the gas stove, and began to prepare the staff meal. The six girls truly worked hard all day long. With their cooperation, almost half of the raw materials in the cold storage were turned into semi-finished products and stored in the freezer. Tomorrow the kitchen on the second floor could be opened, and just one person assigned to handle the deep-frying would suffice. Chen Yu''s culinary skills were quite good, and before long, tomato and beef brisket stew, winter melon and corn pork rib soup, and stir-fried greens with eggs were all served up. With vegetable pastries as the main dish, a steaming pot of food was ready to eat. "This is our first staff meal, if you think there''s anything that''s not good, please feel free to give your feedback!" "Noints here!" Chu Hong was the first one to speak, "With the boss''s fried cake and vegetable pastries tasting so good, the cooking has got to be top-notch." The other girls echoed in agreement. However, while all six girls were full of praise, none of them dared to be the first to pick up their chopsticks. Seeing this, Tong Ya quickly grabbed a piece of beef brisket and brought it to Chen Yu''s mouth. "You''re the boss, you have to be the first to eat!" Chen Yu was taken aback. It looked like Tong Ya was about to feed him. Just as he was about to refuse, the brisket already touched his lips. With no choice, Chen Yu opened his mouth and ate it. The six girls stared in amazement, thinking it wouldn''t be long before they''d have to call Tong Ya the "Boss''s Lady." But this at least set the precedent for Chen Yu to be the first one to eat, and so the six girls lost their previous restraint. Chen Yu was a bit stunned, besides Tuan Tuan, this was the first time someone had offered him food this way. Before he could react, Tong Ya''s second chopstick was already at his mouth. "Alright, I''ll do it myself, you eat too!" Hearing Chen Yu speak, Tong Ya obediently sat down and started eating her meal like a good little girl. Tong Ya now only had eyes for Chen Yu, so she''dply unconditionally with any request he made. At 10 PM, a system notification sounded timely in Chen Yu''s mind. [System automatic settlement: No points umted today, total points earned to date are 295,780.] It was normal not to have any point umtion today since he spent 150,000 on raw materials yesterday. Chen Yu did a rough calction in his mind; the day''s turnover was about 97,000 yuan. At this rate, tomorrow he could start umting points again. Just then, Tang Xiaowei suddenly appeared at the door carryingrge and small bags. Tong Ya quickly stood up, "Xiaowei, what are you doing here?" Tang Xiaowei, out of breath, put her bags down on one side, "I''ve decided, I''m going to rent a house in the neighborhood behind us." Tong Ya was stunned, "You decided so quickly." Tang Xiaowei looked rather pitiful, "If you don''t go back, who will bring me food?" However, the next second, Tang Xiaowei''s expression changed as she sniffed the air and approached the dining table. "Boss, from now on I''ll paint in the mornings ande here to help out in the afternoons! I don''t need a sry, just let me have a meal." Chen Yu couldn''t help but suppress augh. The first time he met Tang Xiaowei, he thought this girl was a bit of a clown. Perhaps due to her main job as aic artist, she sometimes blurred the line between reality andics. Moreover, Tang Xiaowei ran away from home with Tong Ya, and now since Tong Ya had moved here, it seemed a bit inappropriate to leave Tang Xiaowei alone in a ce so far away. "Of course, you can." Chen Yu readily agreed, "Tonight you can sleep with Tong Ya in one room, and tomorrow I''ll help you rent a ce from Aunt Li." Tang Xiaowei looked gratefully at Chen Yu and then sat down on her own. At half-past ten in the evening, the six young girls voluntarily cleaned up the dishes and kitchen, then went back to the dormitory together. Chen Yu also helped Tang Xiaowei move her luggage to the third floor. After a quick shower, Chen Yu returned to his room and casually opened the system''s page. The points were about to hit three hundred thousand now, and Chen Yu also wanted to see what skills he could draw from the high-level lottery that cost a hundred thousand a try. He pressed his hand down and the points immediately reduced to one hundred ny-five thousand seven hundred eighty. Then, a barrage of information appeared in Chen Yu''s mind. [Congrattions to the host for obtaining the skill of marinating.] Chen Yu was slightly surprised by a myriad of marinating sauces bombarding his view. Spicy pickled chicken feet, soy sauce pork trotters, five-spice beef, spicy mule meat¡­ An entire system of marinated vors was now presented in Chen Yu''s mind. Indeed, it was a high-level lottery, and the oue made Chen Yu very satisfied. With a breath of relief, Chen Yu decided on the spot that he wouldunch one type of marinated delicacy for a trial run tomorrow. Just as he was preparing to sleep, Tong Ya suddenly sent a message. "Are you tired today? Do you want me toe over and give you a shoulder rub?" Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, realizing that the sense of distance between him and Tong Ya was gradually fading. Moreover, since he had agreed to Tong Ya staying, this girl had be somewhat unrestrained. "I''m okay, I''ve hired help, so I''m quite rxed." "Alright then! Sleep early." Tong Ya sent a goodnight emoji. But that emoji was actually a picture of a little cat with blue and red stripes, tucked in under a nket. Chen Yu was helpless but didn''t say much else. He also chose a goodnight picture from the system''s built-in emojis and sent it over. In the room next door, Tang Xiaoweiy on the bed with a helpless look on her face. "We''re already living under the same roof; why are you hiding and sending private messages?" Tong Ya turned her head and pouted, "Mind your own business." Tang Xiaowei clutched her chest as if wounded. "It''s true, with the opposite sex you lose your humanity. You''re just rubbing it in my face." Tong Ya quickly turned around and hugged Tang Xiaowei. "There, there, after a while, I''ll introduce a boyfriend to you." But Tang Xiaowei just hummed lightly, "In the world ofics, I can create a male god. I don''t need to find one in the real world." For Tang Xiaowei,ics were her everything. Tong Ya didn''t say anything more and carefully went to Tuan Tuan''s room. Having taken care of the big one, she also wanted to look after the little one. Chen Yu massaged his temples, just as he was about to put down his phone and sleep, he suddenly saw a transfer notification on his phone. When he opened it, it was surprisingly from his mother Li Lan, who had transferred five thousand yuan to him. "Xiao Yu, with something as big as a divorce, why didn''t you tell the family?" "Take this money for now, take good care of Tuan Tuan, don''t let the child suffer." "If you really can''t make ends meet, bring the child back home." ¡­ Chapter 43: Chapter 43 Take It Slow on the Road A series of messages hit Chen Yu right in his tender heart. "Mom, it''s okay, I''ve opened a shop now, and the daily profit is decent enough to support Tuan Tuan." Li Lan, "Opened a shop? What kind? Do you need your dad and me toe over and help you?" Chen Yu, "No need, I''ve already hired some waiters, you guys don''t need to worry." Li Lan, "Then after we finish the errands at home in the next few days, your dad and I wille to see you." Chen Yu, "Okay, mom! Call me when youe, and try to sleep early!" Li Lan, "You too, sleep early." After calming his breathing slightly, Chen Yu opened the transaction for that 5,000 yuan. Then he transferred another 20,000 yuan to Li Lan. "Mom, I''m doing quite well now, take this money and have dad check his rheumatism." Li Lan sent a sighing emoticon and epted the 20,000 yuan. Chen Yu''s family was ssified as urban-rural residents, and their financial status could barely be considered average. In the past few years, his father Chen Guang had contracted rheumatism, which caused their family situation to sharply deteriorate. Putting down his phone, Chen Yu silently swore to himself that he must bring both his parents over. The next day, Chen Yu slept until four in the morning before getting up. Previously, he had to wake up early to prepare the semi-finished products. Now, the semi-finished products he had prepared in the freezer just the day before were more than enough to meet the supply for the entire day. Therefore, he didn''t need to push himself so hard anymore. Yet, as soon as he came downstairs, Tong Ya and the six girls were already, as usual, taking out the ingredients from the cold storage room and getting ready. Aplex emotion suddenly surged in Chen Yu''s heart. What kind of employees get up earlier than the boss? "From now on, everyone cane to workter, start at four-thirty, and rest a bit more!" After saying this, Chen Yu started to pour the flour into an iron bucket to knead the dough. But upon hearing his words, Han Cai, the youngest of them, suddenly started to cry. "Boss Chen is so kind. At the ces we worked before, the bosses wished we wouldn''t sleep at all for twenty-four hours." The other girls suddenly felt the same way. Tears also appeared in Su Qing''s eyes, "Last year, when I was working in an inte cafe, I stayed up for three nights straight without sleeping, and the boss didn''t even provide meals." Before long, the kitchen was filled with one cry after another. Chen Yu hadn''t expected that a single sentence of his could stir up such strong emotions. He felt somewhat at a loss. Tong Ya hurried to console them, "Alright now, since fate has brought us together to work here, we''re like a family. From now on, treat this ce like your home." All six girls nodded in agreement. Zhao Meng suddenly looked at Chen Yu, "Boss Chen, you''re like a brother to me. How about from now on I call you Brother Yu?" Chen Yu didn''t like them always calling him boss either as it felt too formal. "Of course, you can. Most of you are about ten years younger than me, so all of you can call me that from now on!" The look Tong Ya gave Chen Yu added anotheryer of adoration. Indeed, the man she had set her heart on possessed an invisible charm. At four-thirty in the morning, customers gradually starteding into the shop. And Chen Yu no longer needed to be as frantic as before, he just had to prepare the dough and then add the seasoning to the dish corner. By six in the morning, Han Cai would deliver the fried cakes and dish corners reserved for the neighbors next door. After kneading two morerge buckets of dough, Chen Yu wiped the sweat from his forehead and sat down to the side. Just as he opened his phone to check the time, he suddenly realized it was already Monday. Chen Yu couldn''t help but p his forehead, having been too busy recently. Moreover, Tuan Tuan, as a dance specialty student, only got a weekend off every other week. And just like that, he hadpletely forgotten about the time. While Chen Yu was chiding himself, he suddenly flipped his phone over subconsciously. It was still the phone that Tong Ya had bought for him. Truth be told, he had never used such a good phone in all these years. He needed to figure out when to give Tong Ya a gift in return. At 6:45 in the morning, Tong Ya suddenly approached Chen Yu. "Tuan Tuan and I are off to school!" Chen Yu nodded his head, "Go on, and take it easy on the road." Tong Ya was overjoyed, her face blushing as she leaned in closer again. "Is this your way of showing concern for me?" Chen Yu was startled and before he could react, Tong Ya suddenly kissed him on the face and ran off without looking back. Chen Yu froze for a moment, his breath even stopping for an instant. Luckily, the four girls in the kitchen were busy, one working over the frying pan while the other three were heads down, preparing the semi-finished products. No one noticed what had just happened. Breathing a sigh of relief, Chen Yu subconsciously touched his cheek. He actually found the moment somewhat enjoyable, to his surprise. No sooner had he entertained that thought than he shook his head. And he kept reminding himself in his heart that he must not hold Tong Ya back. Then, as if invigorated, he suddenly sped up his work. By 8 a.m., the children in the dance specialization ss had already begun their training. Tong Ya, dressed in her dance attire, maintained a splits position while staring nkly into the mirror. Tuan Tuan, seeing this, bounced over in front of Tong Ya. He also mimicked her, taking up a splits position. "Teacher Tong Ya, what are you thinking about? You haven''t even assigned today''s dance yet." That snapped Tong Ya back to reality, her face flushing as she leaned forward a bit. "This morning I kissed your dad!" Tuan Tuan''s mouth hung open, "Dad didn''t refuse." Tong Yaughed, "It was a sudden attack; he didn''t have time to react." "Then what was his reaction?" Tuan Tuan''s eyes gleamed with gossip. "I didn''t see," Tong Ya said, her face full of regret. "I was too nervous at the time, so I ran away." Tuan Tuan clenched his little fists, shaking them excitedly, "Then next time you kiss him, you must tell me in advance. I''ll help you watch." "Sure!" Tong Ya reached out and pinched Tuan Tuan''s cheek. "Oh, by the way, Teacher Tong Ya, didn''t you ask mest time what my dad likes to eat?" Tong Ya nodded, her face full of anticipation, "What does he like?" "I think it''s fish!" Tuan Tuan was somewhat unsure, "I remember he seems very happy every time we eat fish." Tong Ya immediately understood and had an idea in mind. At 9 a.m., Zhang Fan came to visit Chen Yu''s shop. At this time, Chen Yu was fairly free, so he found an empty table and sat down to rest. "Chen, having hired servers makes a difference. Back at the food cart, you didn''t even have time to rest." Chen Yu smiled, "I''m just sneaking in some downtime." Zhang Fan sat down opposite Chen Yu, "By the way, Chen, why don''t you join a delivery service? Your sales could easily double." Chen Yu had thought about this as well, but everything mustn''t be rushed. They were just getting started, and stability was key. Moreover, the shop didn''t even have a name yet. Chapter 44: Chapter 44 Making Fish for My Husband Chen Yu took a sip of water. "No rush, let''s decide on a shop nameter." "Chen, you''re reallyid back. Most people choose a lucky name before opening a store!" While he was speaking, Zhang Fan looked around at the bustling shop, as if the name was no longer important. Just then, two hesitant guys entered the store and found a corner to sit down. They didn''t order, just casually looked around. Zhang Fan immediately sensed something was off, "Chen, those two guys..." Chen Yu gestured dismissively, "They''re from the breakfast shop down the street, they''ve beening here a lot these days." "They''re obviously spies, why not kick them out?" Chen Yu seemed indifferent, "Let it be, it''s not like we''ll lose a piece of flesh." Zhang Fan immediately felt new respect for Chen Yu. If it were anyone else, they would''ve lost their temper by now. Zhang Fan didn''t say much more, just took out a business card and handed it over. "This sign maker is pretty good. Old Xie and I both had ours done there. If you need it, call them and say my name for a 20% discount!" As soon as Chen Yu epted it, Xie Jiang dashed into the shop, flustered. "Chen, how long will it take to prepare three hundred fried cakes and a hundred vegetable pastries?" Chen Yu quickly stood up, "They''re ready now! Do you have guests at home? That''s a big order." Xie Jiang sighed, "The contractor who fitted out your ce insists on eating your food, threatening to walk off the job if not." Chen Yu smiled, quickly asking Chu Hong to pack for Xie Jiang. Just then, someone from the garage next door was shouting for Zhang Fan''s name. It seemed that a customer had arrived. Embarrassed, Zhang Fan excused himself and hurried back to the garage. Xie Jiang, having paid for the fried cakes and vegetable pastries, also left in a hurry. It looked like he was in a rush with his work too. Chen Yu stretchednguidly and nced at the two people in the corner, a flicker of apology in his eyes. The breakfast shops on this street were barely hanging on because of his business, and now it seemed the neighboring streets were affected, too. But Chen Yu didn''t think too much of it, after all,petition is part of doing business. "Wow, there are so many customers so early." Tang Xiaowei''s voice suddenly arose beside him. She was wearing a dolphin mascot costume, still seemingly groggy and looking quite adorable in her confusion. Chen Yu was not surprised in the least, this girl''s taste in clothing was always bizarre, as if living entirely in aic book world. Her appearance, however, did attract the attention of many customers. "Not too many, we''re already past the morning rush," Chen Yu replied. "Oh, by the way, I spoke to Auntie Li, she''lle over at twelve to take you to see the apartment." "Thank you!" Tang Xiaowei rubbed her somewhat bleary eyes. "Um, is there anything to eat? I''m so hungry." Chen Yu quickly signaled Han Cai to get three vegetable pastries and five fried cakes from the counter. Tang Xiaowei ate voraciously, without any concern for her image. "Waking up to food is such a great feeling!" After patting her satisfied belly, Tang Xiaowei hopped to the storefront to help attract customers. She was no less pretty than Tong Ya, and her dolphin costume made her even more adorable. Even several young girls came over to take photos with her. At twelve o''clock noon, Auntie Li hurriedly arrived at the shop. "Young Chen, you hired another server? Aren''t the two apartments I gave you enough?" Chen Yu hurriedly called Tang Xiaowei over. "It''s her, the one you metst time. She''s the one who painted that mural over there." "A painter!" Auntie Li was quite excited and eagerly took Tang Xiaowei''s hand. "Auntie happens to have a room that''s perfect for you to live in." As soon as Tang Xiaowei heard this, she hurriedly went to the third floor to bring down her luggage. At that moment, the six girls were just about to take their noon break in the dormitory, so they all helped move Tang Xiaowei''s luggage together. Chen Yu stretched his limbs and then returned to the kitchen to keep working on the dough. Given the current pace, by today they could make all the raw materials in the cold storage into semi-finished products. Four in the afternoon. The moment school let out, Tong Ya took Tuan Tuan straight to the farmers'' market. After browsing around for a while, she picked out a seafood shop that seemed quite decent. "How much for this ckfish?" Tong Ya asked directly. The fish seller was a woman in her forties. "Larger ckfish, twenty-four per pound, smaller ones eighteen per pound!" Tong Ya was somewhat confused; she rarely went to the farmers'' market to buy groceries and didn''t know there was such a distinction for ckfish. "What''s the difference?" "Actually, there''s not much of a difference, it mainly depends on how you want to eat it," the vendor exined. Tong Ya hesitated slightly, "It''s for my man... husband to make a nourishing soup." As she said this, Tong Ya''s face turned as red as blood. Surprise was clearly written on Tuan Tuan''s little face. She didn''t care much about that and quickly echoed, "Yes, it''s for making a nourishing soup for my dad." The vendor smiled, giving her a knowing look. Then she scooped up a big fish, processed it on the spot, and turned it intorge chunks suitable for making stew. Immediately after, she grabbed two ready-made seasoning packets from the side. "Just put this packet directly into the pot when you get back; you don''t need to add anything else, just a bit of cooking wine," she said. Tong Ya was somewhat surprised; she hadn''t expected the sellers to be so user-friendly these days. "Thank you, big sister." After that, Tong Ya went on to a vegetable stall and bought some meat and vegetables, perfect for making the staff meal that evening. At five in the afternoon, Tong Ya returned to the shop with Tuan Tuan. Though the shop was bustling with a sea of people, it had be more orderlypared to before. Chen Yu had already rearranged the staff. Chu Hong was in charge of the first-floor kitchen, Zhao Meng took care of the front hall on the first floor. Li Yu handled the second-floor kitchen, while Han Cai was responsible for the second-floor hall. Zhang Qian stayed at the bar. Su Qing was still in the first-floor kitchen working on semi-finished products. Moreover, at noon, Chen Yu had upgraded the ordering system. He made a clear division between the first and second floors. From now on, second-floor customers wouldn''t need to run up and down anymore. Tong Ya quickly took the meat and vegetables she bought back to the first-floor kitchen. "I''ll make the staff meal today; I bought some fish, too." Chen Yu frowned slightly, "You bought the staff meal with your own money?" Seeing a hint of annoyance on Chen Yu''s face, Tong Ya stood there as obedient as a child. "I thought it would be convenient on my way back, so I bought some!" Chen Yu breathed a sigh of relief, "It''s okay, what''s done is done, but however much money you spent, take the same amount from the barter." Tong Ya wanted to refuse; in her eyes, everything she had belonged to Chen Yu. Spending her own money on a staff meal seemed trivial to her. But then she thought about it, this seemed to be about the rtionship between the shop and the individual. Business and personal matters shouldn''t be mixed. "Alright, I''ll go get it right away." Chapter 45: Chapter 45 Launching New Products At 7:30 in the evening, the number of people in the shop had started to scatter. Actually, the shop was always teeming with people,rgely because customers often had to wait quite a while for their turn. Moreover, many people just bought food to take home and didn''t sit down to eat. Now with the cooperation of two kitchens, this problem was naturally solved. After seeing the crowd thin out, Tong Ya wanted to take out the fish she had bought and stew it. However, the kitchen in the shop was vastly different from a home kitchen. There were some things she simply didn''t know how to use. Especially the wok, it was sorge and sometimes even required an open me, which made her feel a bit apprehensive just thinking about it. "I''ll do it!" Chen Yu appeared behind Tong Ya very gently and took the knife from her hand. Tong Ya quickly stepped aside, feeling a bit embarrassed as she stood by to assist. In no time, Chen Yu, whose cooking skills had reached a miraculous level, had a table full ofvish dishes ready. At Chen Yu''s call, the six girls temporarily put down their work and gathered around. "Brother Yu, I want to make a suggestion," Chu Hong suddenly spoke up. "What suggestion?" "We have been discussing these past two days and feel that the tasks given by the shop seem a bit too easy." Chen Yu was slightly taken aback, as the staff in other shops yearned for 24 hours of rest a day. Yet these girls actuallyined about having an easy time. Li Yu also nodded in agreement: "And if our shop only sells fried cakes and vegetable turnovers, it''s a bit monotonous, shouldn''t we introduce some new products?" Chen Yu smiled faintly, "I have been nning on that. Braised delicacies will be added to the shop tomorrow, then you will be busy." "Really?" Tuan Tuan suddenly got excited, "My dad used to braise pig trotters for me, and they were especially delicious." Tong Ya had a face full of anticipation. If simple fried cakes and vegetable turnovers could be made so delicious, then the braised delicacies would certainly be no less. Chen Yu didn''t say much more, and after dinner, he led everyone to start tidying up the shop. By 8:30 in the evening, Chen Yu heard the prompt in his mind. It had to be said, the six girls'' professional abilities were getting stronger by the day. In just about ten minutes, they had already cleaned up the shop. Even the system approved of the cleaning results. [Congrattions to the host for perfectlypleting a day''s business. Today''s profit is forty-four thousand yuan, earning forty-four thousand points. The current total umted points are two hundred and thirty-nine thousand seven hundred and eighty.] Chen Yu exhaled softly. Today he finally had a point addition. Furthermore, Chen Yu''s payment ount had already umted more than one hundred and seventy thousand, and the cash in the bar was also seven or eight thousand. Chen Yu immediately transferred one hundred and thirty thousand yuan to the demand ount, adding to the seventy thousand already there, rounding it up to two hundred thousand yuan. On Chen Yu''s hand, including the few thousand left over from before, was a total of over fifty thousand yuan. The six girls and Chen Yu said their goodbyes, then went back to the apartments behind the shop with Tang Xiaowei. However, before they left, Chen Yu gave the keys to the shop''s main gate to Chu Hong. In case one day the girls arrived too early and he had not woken up. It would be unreasonable to let them stand outside in the wind! Tong Ya also gave Chen Yu a meaningful nce, then went upstairs to the third floor with Tuan Tuan. Without hesitation, Chen Yu called the meat supplier he had used before and directly ordered them to deliver five hundred pounds of pig heads and five hundred pounds of pork knuckles. After all, the supplier rmended by the system was definitely reliable. Although he had specified the parts of the meat, the supplier still charged Chen Yu eight yuan per pound. But Chen Yu was cautious when buying seasonings. He had the supplier deliver some of everything, necessary or not. After all, these condiment sellers were very shrewd, even able to derive recipes based on the customers'' needs. Less than twenty minutester, the butcher arrived at the door, driving arge truck. The deliveryman this time looked burly, with a sullen face. He didn''t want to say more than necessary and helped Chen Yu carry the pork into the cold storage as soon as he got out of the truck. After the butcher left, Chen Yu went upstairs to sleep. It wasn''t until five o''clock the next day that Chen Yu finally got up. When he came downstairs, he found that the shop was already operating in an orderly manner. However, Chen Yu did not see the figure of Tong Ya. It seemed that Tong Ya had not gotten up yet. After all, she had been busy with him for so long; it was time for her to have a good rest. Moreover, yesterday, all of the raw materials had already been turned into semi-finished products for fried cakes and vegetable dumplings. There were no worries about sales for the next three days. Chen Yu didn''t bother to manage too much, so he rolled up his sleeves and went straight to the kitchen on the first floor. He took out three pig heads and threerge elbows from the refrigeration room. Since it was his first time, he didn''t dare to make too much at once. Although the system had provided him with an urate recipe, he still had to do the handiwork himself. Chen Yu roughly processed the elbows and pig heads with a kitchen knife before immersing them in clean water, adding cooking wine and ginger slices. After simmering for a while to force out the blood and scum, he washed them clean, then used a tool full of spikes to jab at them repeatedly. At the same time, he applied soy sauce and other seasonings evenly. After processing the elbows and pig heads, Chen Yu began to blend the soup. In the world of braises, there''s a distinction between clear braise and spice braise. Clear braise requires the simmering of a special broth, which is extremely troublesome. And the ingredients needed are very expensive. The broth used for the famous Poached Sliced Beef in Hot Chili Oil is known as a clear braise. Inparison, spice braise seems simpler, but its essence lies in the recipe. Every person who makes braise has a unique spice braise recipe. Even those century-old shops that have been handed down for hundreds of years use spice braise for their century-old broth. Soon after, Chen Yu mixed various seasonings into arge pot. When the temperature reached sixty degrees Celsius, Chen Yu ced the elbows and pig heads into the pot and covered it with a lid. He first cooked it on high heat for nearly twenty minutes before switching to a low heat for a slow simmer. After two full hours, Chen Yu finally turned off the heat. The instant the lid was opened, the overflowing aroma instantly spread everywhere. Even Chu Hong, who was earnestly making fried cakes and vegetable dumplings, couldn''t help but look over. "Yu, what''s that smell? It''s so fragrant!" "Five-spice sauce elbows!" Chen Yu replied, then took a small bowl, scooped out a small piece of pig head meat, and passed it over. Chu Hong quickly took it and stuffed it into her mouth. "Wow, this is delicious! Yu, your cooking skills are really good." The enticing aroma also attracted the attention of customers outside. A few neighbors even went around to the kitchen doorway to peer inside. If the kitchen door wasn''t locked from the inside, they might have rushed right in. Chapter 46: Chapter 46 Spicy Braised Delicacies "What''s Boss Chen cooking that smells so delicious?" An elderly man was pressed against the disy window, almost sticking his head inside. "The store is introducing sauce-vored pig''s head and knuckles!" Chen Yu replied with a smile. "How much per pound?" the old man asked urgently. Chen Yu thought for a moment, "Fifty yuan per pound!" The old man hesitated, as the price was indeed more expensive than the marinated delicacies outside. But the aroma was simply too tempting. "Half a pound of pig''s head, half a pound of knuckle, and two vegetable dumplings, please!" Chen Yu quickly brought out the kitchen''s specialized electronic scale, weighed half a pound of each, and handed them over. The old man paid the money, then found a table with delight and began to devour the marinated treats. This made the other customers nearby envious. They rushed to the disy window to buy some for themselves. At six ten in the morning, Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan walked down slowly from upstairs. Feeling a bit embarrassed, this was Tong Ya''s first time sleeping in. Yet, as she came downstairs, all her emotions were overtaken by the fragrance that pervaded the lobby. Tuan Tuan, with her little nose working overtime, trotted all the way into the kitchen. "Daddy, what delicious food are you making that smells so good?" Chen Yuughed and took out arge piece of pig''s head meat from the pot. He then split it into two pieces, and gave them to Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan respectively. After gobbling down their shares, their eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh my, this is so tasty!" Tong Ya eximed without thinking. She had tasted many marinated foods before, but what Chen Yu made was the tastiest she had ever had. Tuan Tuan was so excited she couldn''t even speak, her little hands trembling as she held her bowl. "How much are you nning to sell this per pound?" Tong Ya asked with expectant eyes. Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, "Fifty yuan per pound, the price is already put out there." Tong Ya became anxious, "Such delicious marinated food, and you''re selling it for so little?" The best marinated food she had eaten could sell for two thousand yuan per pound. The marinated food made by Chen Yu was even tastier. Even if it were sold for three thousand yuan, it wouldn''t be overpriced. "It''s not too little!" Chen Yu smiled, "After all, the cost is there. To price it at fifty yuan, I''m already making a handsome profit." Tong Ya was stunned and found herself admiring the man in front of her more and more. He was doing business honestly, not fixated on profits, a rare and excellent man in the world. After having another small piece of the knuckle, Tong Ya reluctantly put down her bowl. She knew these marinated delicacies were for sale, not just for her to eat. "Then I will take Tuan Tuan to kindergarten first. You must save some marinated food for me when Ie back in the evening." Chen Yu smiled slightly and nodded. Tong Ya picked up Tuan Tuan''s backpack, ready to leave, then suddenly ran back to Chen Yu. "I haven''t even left yet, and I''m already missing you!" With that, Tong Ya ran off with Tuan Tuan, her cheeks flushed with joy. Chen Yu stood frozen for a long time before he could react. That girl was getting more and more brazen with her sweet nothings. Three pig''s heads, three knuckles, totaling twenty-five pounds, sold out in less than half an hour since they came out of the pot. Chen Yu didn''t dare to ck off and quickly took out fiverge cylindrical pressure cookers from the storeroom. He also set up a huge pot at the same time. What he had made earlier was just a test. Now that he had the hang of it, he could use the pressure cooker to shorten the cooking time. Chen Yu poured water into that huge pot, adding white vinegar and ginger slices. After using this pot to remove the blood foam from the heads and knuckles, he ced them in the pressure cookers to stew. Chen Yu roughly calcted the ratio of stewing time between the pressure cooker and a regr pot. With bold strokes, he set to work. The whole process took nearly half an hour to stew a pot. Each of the fiverge pressure cookers could stew forty pounds of marinated delicacies at a time. That is to say, in half an hour, two hundred pounds of marinated delicacies could be produced. When the first batch of five pots of marinated delicacies was ready, the entire shop instantly buzzed with activity. "Young Boss Chen, quickly sell me three pounds; I''ll take it home to eat," "I''ll have two pounds!" ... In turn, no one was interested in the fried pastries and cakes anymore, with everyone''s attention now focused on the marinated delicacies. By noon, the shop was still swamped with people. Usually, at this time, the flow of customers would have died down. With the introduction of marinated delicacies, it was as if the shop hadunched a lunch service. However, the shop did not offer staple foods like noodles or pancakes, so many people were eating the pastries with marinated delicacies. As a result, the sales volume of pastries greatly increased today. Chen Yu thought about whether he should coborate with other businesses outside to bring in some noodles or pancakes. The bustling scene continued until five in the afternoon. The previously popr pastries and cakes had already umted arge flow of customers for the shop. Hence, the marinated delicacies were an instant sess whenunched. Up to now, the fourth batch of marinated delicacies was about to sell out. After one more round, the five hundred pounds of pig''s heads and five hundred pounds of hocks that came inst night would be sold out. Just as Chen Yu was busily preparing for the fifth round, Tong Ya suddenly called. "Do you need me to bring some vegetables back for you today?" One couldn''t tell if Tong Ya was doing it on purpose or not, but she deliberately spoke in a coy, high-pitched voice. Chen Yu cleared his throat, "Then when youe back, bring fifty pancakes." "Okay, wait for me." Chen Yu quickly hung up the phone, as just thosest few words made him feel as if he had been electrocuted. If she continued like this, he would be numbed to death. At that moment, arge number of customers rushed to the disy window, afraid that they would not get their chance at the marinated delicacies. Su Qing, Han Cai, and Zhao Meng were frantically trying to maintain order. The kitchen on the first floor had stopped the production of pastries and cakes and becamepletely dedicated to marinated delicacies. Up to now, thest batch, weighing one hundred and ny pounds, had all been reserved and sold off. Those who couldn''t get in line could only leave in disappointment. "Boss Chen, make more marinated delicacies tomorrow; many of us didn''t manage to buy any," "This is too delicious, much better than the marinated delicacies from the shop on East Street," "Boss Chen''s culinary skills are truly beyondpare," ... When Tong Ya arrived with Tuan Tuan, thest batch of marinated delicacies was just ready. The enticing aroma made them rush into the kitchen involuntarily. But soon, as the crowd dispersed, thest batch of marinated delicacies also sold out. Fortunately, Chen Yu had the foresight to set aside nearly ten pounds of marinated delicacies. However, coinciding with the peak of the evening rush hour, there was still arge influx of customers entering the shop to buy pastries and cakes. It wasn''t until eight o''clock in the evening that the flow of customers finally began to diminish. Chen called over his staff and brought out the ten pounds of marinated delicacies they had set aside. The wafting aroma instantly made everyone salivate. Chapter 47: Chapter 47: The Leap of Quality Tang Xiaowei''s eyes widened, and without much concern, she picked up a tbread and started to eat with chopsticks. "This is even better than the braised pork from Duan Fu Ji!" As Tang Xiaowei stuffed meat into her mouth, she praised with tears in her eyes. Chen Yu knew Duan Fu Ji; it was a high-end eatery in the capital that specialized in braised vors. Reportedly, an ordinary pound of their braised pork could sell for thousands of yuan. Now, including Tang Xiaowei, there were ten people in the shop. Chen Yu had originally thought that leaving ten pounds of braised meat might be a bit much, but now it seemed a little less than enough. It had to be said, the vor of the braised pork was truly exceptional. When Chen Yu first got the recipe for the braised pork, he felt it was quite ordinary. Previously, the spices he used for braising were not much different from those provided by the system. The only differencey in the amount and proportion of the ingredients. It didn''t seem like much, some ingredients were a bit more, some were less, but the taste produced waspletely different. "I think, even the chefs from Duan Fu Ji might not be able to achieve this vor." Tong Ya was also there, sighing, and she still thought that the braised pork was indeed a bit too cheap. By nine o''clock in the evening, everyone still leaned back in their chairs, caressing their bellies with satisfaction. Especially the six young girls, this was the first time in their lives they had tasted such delicious braised meat. "Alright, everyone tidy up and go back to rest soon, we meet here at four-thirty sharp in the morning." The six young girls responded and went about their business. After a while, the system notification sounded in Chen Yu''s mind. [Congrattions to the host for perfectlypleting a day of business, today''s profit is 127,500 yuan, earning 127,500 points. The total cumtive points are now 367,280.] Chen Yu carefully calcted today''s turnover and found that after introducing braised meat, the sales volume of fried cakes had obviously decreased. However, the turnover of vegetable twists increased byparison. This situation might only apply to today, as many people could only use vegetable twists as their staple food while eating braised pork. Moreover, today''s turnover also broke through to 137,500 yuan. Indeed, every time a new skill was unlocked, there would be a qualitative leap in turnover. After deducting the ten-thousand-yuan cost of buying meat and ingredients yesterday, there was roughly 170,000 yuan left in Chen Yu''s ount. Adding the cash from the counter and the money previously set aside for minor expenses, it just surpassed 180,000 yuan. Chen Yu calmed his excited heart and transferred 150,000 yuan into his current ount. At that moment, the six young girls tidied up the cleaning utensils and bid Chen Yu farewell, bouncing back to their dormitory. Chen Yu then made a phone call, just like yesterday, and ordered 1,000 pounds of pork. The next day, Chen Yu got up early and entered the braised pork into the ordering system. He then began working on his own. However, braising was aplete cuisine in itself, and to make all the varieties, the current manpower and shop space were far from sufficient. Yet with the current savings in hand, expanding into a reasonablyrge shop was simply not enough. Just the equipment needed for making various braised foods and specialized tools represented a significant expense. Plus, the cost of front-of-housebor, refurbishments, and misceneous expenses would be at least several hundred thousand yuan. Indeed, at this stage, making money steadily was the best strategy. At four-thirty, the six young girls also arrived at the shop on time. They were basically familiar with all the procedures, and without needing any further instruction from Chen Yu, they began to work on their own divided tasks. Today is Wednesday, and ording to past experience, Wednesday and Thursday are the busiest two days. But now with the addition of marinated dishes, perhaps things might be different. Tong Ya also arrived in the kitchen early today, but now she no longer had a ce of her own there. So all she could do was sit idly by and watch Chen Yu. It''s just that her smitten nces always made Chen Yu a bit ufortable. "Tong Ya, why don''t you sit somewhere else, ore next to me and give me a hand?" Tong Ya pouted, her impish charm on her face intensified. "Call me Ya Ya, and I''lle over!" Chen Yu was taken aback for a moment, this was a tant threat. Yet, as Tong Ya continued to gaze at him, he indeed felt ufortable. "Alright, Ya Ya,e over!" "Okay then!" Tong Ya immediately hopped over to Chen Yu''s side: "What do you need me to do?" "Bring me the white vinegar!" As instructed by Chen Yu, Tong Ya quickly got to work. Today Chen Yu had put two morerge pots to use, so they could process a little more pork at a time. "Oh right, there''s a dancepetition this afternoon, a student-teacher event, and both Tuan Tuan and I need to perform. Could you manage toe see it?" Chen Yu didn''t think much before answering, "Of course." After all, the shop was already on the right track, and with Chu Hong, a young girl here, he didn''t have to worry about anything. And judging from yesterday''s experience, they should be able to finish preparing a thousand pounds of marinated meat by three in the afternoon. Then they could just leave it on a low me in therge pots to keep warm. By then, all he would have to do is leave a few instructions with Chu Hong, assigning her as the shift leader for some light management, and the whole shop could operate on its own. "Then I''ll call youter, you have toe, okay!" Tong Ya emphasized once more. "Got it!" In the morning, people still mostly bought deep-fried cakes and vegetable triangles; after all, no matter how delicious the marinated dishes were, it felt a bit odd to have them for breakfast. Possibly because of the preparation needed for the dancepetition, Tong Ya took Tuan Tuan to kindergarten at six o''clock. Just as Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan had left, Zhang Fan rushed into the shop in a hurry, holding a basin in his hand. "Old Chen! I didn''t manage to get much marinated meat yesterday, take the opportunity now while it''s quiet to give me ten pounds! No, make it fifteen." Chen Yu was stunned for a moment: "Better take less! It''s just your sister-inw and the kids at home; they can''t eat that much." "Old Chen, you don''t know, I''ve got guests over for lunch, and your marinated meat is just perfect." Chen Yu waved his hand: "Thene back for it at noon. I''ll set it aside especially for you. If you take it now, you''ll still have to reheat it by lunchtime." "Okay, then. But for now, give me a couple of pounds to take back for eating." "Alright then!" Chen Yu immediately chopped off one pound of pig''s head meat and one pound of pork knuckle and handed it over. Zhang Fan then swiped 500 yuan: "Old Chen, I''ll pay for the ten pounds all at once, and I''lle back for the remaining eight pounds at noon." Byparison, today''s customer flow was a bit higher, seemingly drawn by the marinated meat. Moreover, today''s sales of vegetable triangles were significantly higher than the deep-fried cakes. If things continued this way, the vegetable triangles might sell outpletely today. Before noon even arrived, the four hundred pounds of marinated goods had already sold out. Byparison, this pace was quite a bit faster than yesterday''s. Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Female Lead At noon, Chen Yu was busy preparing the ingredients when Zhang Qian entered the kitchen with a strange expression on her face. "Brother Yu, there are two guys outside acting all sneaky. They''ve been here several times in the past few days, always staring at the kitchen." Chen Yu looked up and sure enough, he saw two shifty-looking fellows. One of them he had seen before; it was the spy previously sent by the breakfast shop nearby. "Don''t mind them, since they''vee through the door, they''re guests. Just serve them well," he said. Zhang Qian nodded and didn''t say anything more, just went out and served the two men a cup of tea. The breakfast shops in the vicinity had suffered greatly due to Chen Yu''s impact, with more than half already closed down. Only a fewrger-scale ones were still struggling to stay open. It could be said that now, this street and several others nearby were dominated solely by Chen Yu''s store. At the moment, the owners of thest few shops sat together, disheartened with no spirit left. "Forget it, I''ll also pack up in a few days. The more sessful that kid''s shop is, the less hope there is for us." "Now that they''ve introduced braised meat, we have even less of a chance." "Before we could at least sell some braised eggs and meat since our fried cakes and vegetable pastries weren''t as good as theirs, but now, there seems to be no hope." "If I can''t stay here, I''ll find another ce. I refuse to believe that with our skills, we can''t find somewhere else to thrive." ... In the western part of Suzhou City, there is a natural reserve area. Arge number of crew members gathered here, along with many celebrities and their studio teams, arriving in droves. Fang Yuan was also there, surrounded by her own team, staking out her territory. "Yuan sister, this reality show has a script, so you don''t need to worry. If we follow the script, anything beyond it will fetch extra money from the organizers," someone from her team assured her. Fang Yuan was holding a script, pondering how to get more screen time. Just then, a rich aroma suddenly wafted over from not far away. At a neighboring campsite, a female celebrity around Fang Yuan''s age had her assistant distributing braised delicacies. "I never expected to find such delicious food in this little ce. Thest time I tasted this vor was at Duan Fu Ji in the capital city." "Don''t even mention Duan Fu Ji. Their ordinary braised meat costs a thousand bucks, and the better ones are worth several thousand more." "All thanks to Su sister this time, we get to enjoy such tasty treats," they said. ... Fang Yuan stood up and saw that the celebrity in the middle seemed to be Su Rui. Su Rui''s star status was much higher than Fang Yuan''s, having debuted as a child star before the age of ten. In the entertainment circle, she is definitely a big shot! Whether it''s about resources, assets, or connections, she is many times more powerful than Fang Yuan. At that moment, Su Rui''s assistant approached Fang Yuan with a small bowl of braised pork knuckle. "Yuan sister, my boss Rui asked me to bring this for you, please enjoy," the assistant said. Fang Yuan smiled and took it, taking a dainty bite as if she were ady. "Delicious! Where did you buy this from?" she asked. "Rui sister bought it on her way here, from a shop she passed by. I heard that shop used to be just a food cart," the assistant replied. A jolt went through Fang Yuan''s heart as she thought to herself, it definitely can''t be Chen Yu. But the rich taste made her involuntarily recall the fried cakes and vegetable pastries she had before. After the assistant who delivered the braised meat left, Fang Yuan''s own assistant quickly sensed something was amiss. "Yuan sister, are you feeling unwell?" the assistant asked. Fang Yuan shook her head, forcibly suppressing the emotions in her heart. "You, find two people to check out the ce where west bought deep-fried buns and vegetable turnovers!" The assistant was bewildered for a moment, as she didn''t know about Fang Yuan''s past. Besides, this wasn''t the first time Fang Yuan had tasked her with visiting that small food cart. However, she didn''t dare to refute and could only agree. Just then, the executive director of the event organizers suddenly walked over to Fang Yuan. "Miss Fang, do you have any open dates after this reality show wraps up?" Fang Yuan quickly stood up, "I''ve been quite busy recently, so my schedule is probably fully booked. What''s the matter?" "It''s like this, there''s a film, and the investors specifically requested you for the role of the third female lead!" Upon hearing it was for the role of the third female lead, Fang Yuan was ready to decline. But the executive director suddenly took out a script, "However, the investors mentioned that if Miss Fang is willing, they would also consider you for the role of the leadingdy." Fang Yuan couldn''t help but widen her eyes. Until now, she had always been in TV dramas and had never been involved in the big screen. She had never even considered bing the leadingdy in a film. However, Han Mintao had always told Fang Yuan that in the entertainment industry, there were no pies falling from the sky. If you wanted to obtain something, you had to exchange something of equal value. Despite her excitement, Fang Yuan did not immediately ept the offer. "I''ll have to think about it, as I can''t allow my schedule to be too conflicted." The executive director didn''t say much more and just stuffed the script into Fang Yuan''s hands. "Please do get back to me as soon as possible." After the executive director left, Fang Yuan couldn''t wait to open the script. Yet, the so-called script was nothing but a bunch of nk pages, with a room card tucked inside. Fang Yuan immediately understood, this was not about offering her a film role at all! But she wasn''t in a position to make a scene right now, so she just put away the so-called script and sat down. Then she called Han Mintao. ... At twelve noon, instead of waiting for Zhang Fan toe get it, Chen Yu had Han Cai deliver the eight pounds of braised meat they had set aside. But it was less than ten minutester when Zhang Fan came in, bringing with him eight strapping men in full spirit. "Old Chen, make it twenty more pounds for me. These brothers of mine have juste back from fixing cars in the wilderness, and they need to replenish a lot of energy." The eight sturdy men were already eagerly looking at Chen Yu. It was clear at first nce that these eight were rescue firefighters from the outskirts. They usually volunteered for emergency rescues or handledmunity fires. Judging by their weary appearance, this mission must have been hard on them. Chen Yu immediately cut out twenty-six pounds of meat and handed it over, "The extra six pounds is on me." "How can we ept that?" one of the sturdy men objected, "This braised meat is so delicious that we''d find fifty too cheap. Now you''re giving us an extra six pounds as if looking down on us?" Saying so, the sturdy man counted out thirteen hundred yuan in cash and pped it on the counter. Zhang Fan quickly stepped forward to intervene, "It''s already been agreed that I''m treating everyone today. Besides, with the rtionship between Old Chen and me, is there any need for you guys to pay?" With that, Zhang Fan scanned thirteen hundred yuan on the adjacent payment code. Li Yu, who was responsible for the cash register today, had the sense to quickly take the thirteen hundred yuan in cash and stuff it back into the sturdy man''s hand. Chapter 49: Chapter 49: The Fairy Descends to Earth Zhang Qian, who was responsible for the first floor lobby, did not dare to be negligent in the least and hurriedly cleared a table to seat Zhang Fan and his party. Although Chen Yu did not refuse Zhang Fan''s payment, he still gave an extra two pounds of braised meat. Zhang Fan naturally noticed, but it was exactly Chen Yu''s busiest time. If he went over to decline, he feared it might affect Chen Yu''s business. After all, they were neighbors, and such favors could be returned in the future. By four o''clock in the afternoon, Chen Yu had stewed all the pig heads and hocks. After tidying up a bit and giving Chu Hong a few instructions to remember to buy tbreads in the afternoon, Chen Yu changed his clothes and headed to the kindergarten. After all, he had promised in the morning that he would go to see Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan''spetition today. At half-past four, Chen Yu arrived at thepetition venue as per the information Tong Ya had sent. The scale of thispetition was not small, with kindergartens from several nearby districts sending representatives. However, many of the dance teachers from these kindergartens were not very professional. Inparison, Tong Ya had an overwhelmingly strong advantage. "Daddy!" Tuan Tuan, who must have seen Chen Yu backstage, suddenly ran over. People around were stunned to see Tuan Tuan and couldn''t help but turn their gaze towards Chen Yu. "Brother, is this your daughter? She''s so cute." "She also has a good figure, definitely a dancer in the making." "Sigh, it seems there''s not much hope for my daughter then." ... For a moment, Chen Yu felt somewhat embarrassed by all thepliments and hurriedly ruffled Tuan Tuan''s head, sending her back backstage. Just then, Chen Yu suddenly saw Tong Ya standing on the edge of the backstage, making a heart gesture at him. Shortly after, Chen Yu received a message on his phone. "Watch carefully, oh, this dance is a recent creation of mine, especially for you!" Chen Yu was momentarily stunned and didn''t know how to respond. Unexpectedly, another message came through. "No need to say more, just watch!" The host had already taken the stage by that time and after a generous speech, the dancepetition officially began. The first few dances seemed quite childish, and Chen Yu was totally uninterested. It was unclear how much time had passed before Tong Ya finally took Tuan Tuan on stage. Both were dressed in red and white ancient-style costumes, and as soon as they stepped on stage, they waved their fans and struck a fixed pose. As the music started, their bodies twisted into incredible arcs. Such flexibility, along with the costumes and the onstage smoke, made them seem like ethereal fairies descended to earth. Chen Yu was spellbound. At that moment, the audience also fell silent, gazing somewhat foolishly at the stage. Not until Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan had finished dancing did the audience snap back to reality. Chen Yu was still lost in the dance they had just performed. Tong Ya had perfectly expressed her desire to be Tuan Tuan''s mother through the dance. Because there were quite a few participants, thepetition went on until eight o''clock in the evening. Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan unsurprisingly won first ce. After receiving the award, Tuan Tuan pulled Tong Ya by the hand and ran to where Chen Yu was. "Daddy, was I amazing?" Chen Yu smiled slightly, pinched Tuan Tuan''s cheek, "Amazing!" Following that, Tuan Tuan took Chen Yu''s hand and the three of them left the venue together. "My god, they are a family of three!" "No wonder they danced so well together." "A family of three all with high attractiveness, truly envious." ¡­ On the way back, Tong Ya stared unblinkingly at Chen Yu. The distance from the kindergarten to the shop wasn''t long, but Chen Yu felt like he had walked a great length. "Do you feel it?" Tong Ya suddenly asked. Chen Yu nodded his head but said nothing more. Tong Ya didn''t press further, just sweetly smiled. Tuan Tuan pouted a little and looked at Chen Yu with slight frustration. In fact, Chen Yu did want to respond but his mind was entirely upied by the information popped up by the system. [Congrattions Host for perfectlypleting a day''s business, today''s profit is 180,400 Yuan, you have been awarded with 180,400 points, the current total umted points are 547,680.] [System notice: When the host''s cumtive points reach one million, a special lottery draw can be conducted.] Chen Yu was delighted. A lottery draw at 100,000 brought him a series-based skill like the marinated food. He also didn''t know what a lottery draw at one million could bring him. Thinking of this, Chen Yu couldn''t help feeling excited. Adding the over 20,000 Yuan left from purchasing raw materials yesterday, Chen Yu now had about 210,000 Yuan in liquid funds. While calcting in his mind, Chen Yu headed back to the shop with Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan. Sure enough, the entire shop had been cleaned up, and the remaining ten pounds of braised meat was ced on the table, being heated slowly on an induction cooker. The six girls waited respectfully for Chen Yu''s return, but Tang Xiaowei didn''t mind those, having already started to eat the pancakes. "Brother Yu, you''re finally back," Chu Hong quickly stood up, ready to greet them. Chen Yu waved his hand: "Next time I go out, you don''t need to wait for me." Saying that, the three of them quickly washed their hands and sat down at the table. At 8:45 p.m., everyone finished eating and went back to rest. Chen Yu stayed behind to check on the inventory. The past two days had seen a big consumption of dumpling pastry, and there wasn''t much semi-finished product left in the cold storage. The fried cakes could barely manage for tomorrow. After a rough calction in his mind, Chen Yu made a phone call. Just likest time, he ordered raw materials for the fried cakes and dumpling pastry worth 150,000 Yuan, including beverages. Pork heads and elbows were ordered at 500 pounds each, and various seasonings were acquired for another 2,000 Yuan. Since he still needed to spend time preparing the semi-finished dumpling pastry and fried cakes tomorrow, Chen Yu dared not rashly increase the quantity of the marinated foods. Moreover, marinated foods have high demands on the freshness of the ingredients. The raw materials for this aspect were better brought in fresh daily. In this way, today''s costs came to another 160,000 Yuan. Chen Yu immediately took the remaining money, depositing 40,000 Yuan into his current ount. He left a little over 3,000 Yuan on his phone for emergencies, and nearly 7,000 Yuan was ced at the cash register. With that ounted for, the current ount now had 390,000 Yuan. At 9:30 p.m., threerge trucks stopped in front of the shop. Today''s driver had changed back to the previous ones. "Boss, your business is really booming. Now we can only deliver your goods in trucks; the smaller ones just can''t fit everything." Chen Yu didn''t say much and just chatted with them with a smile. After he helped the drivers move the raw materials into the cold storage, Chen Yu then closed the foldable door and went back up to the third floor. Chapter 50: Chapter 50: Not Answering the Phone Tong Ya was currently watching cartoons with Tuan Tuan. The sight made Chen Yu feel an inexplicable warmth. Just as he was about to brush his teeth and sit down to join them, his phone rang with a video call. Seeing it was Fang Yuan, Chen Yu hung up with some annoyance. "Chen Yu, why did you hang up my call? I have some time right now, let me video chat with Tuan Tuan," the message still rang with a presumptuousmanding tone. "Dad, why didn''t you answer the phone?" Tuan Tuan asked, lifting his little head. Without avoiding Tong Ya beside him, Chen Yu handed the phone to Tuan Tuan directly. "Your mom wants to video chat with you, do you want to take it?" Tuan Tuan''s small face scrunched up, and he immediately turned his head away. "No, she doesn''t want us anymore, so why should I answer her call? Besides, is she really my mom?" Chen Yu chuckled softly, then replied with a text message. "Tuan Tuan doesn''t want to video chat with you." Afterward, he set his phone to silent and tossed it aside. Seeing this, Tong Ya felt a bit excited inside. At least she could be certain that there was no chance of Chen Yu reconciling with his ex-wife. After brushing his teeth and taking a quick shower, Chen Yu put on the pajamas that Tong Ya had prepared for him and went back to his room. He had be ustomed to Tong Ya preparing all sorts of things for him in advance during this recent period. "You guys should go to sleep early too, don''t stay up toote!" After saying this, Chen Yu went to bed. The next day at four o''clock in the morning, Chen Yu got up and went downstairs to open the door. The stock of half-finished dumpling shells was running low, so he had to get up early to knead the dough. By the time the six girls arrived for work, Chen Yu made some new arrangements. Li Yu was in charge of the second-floor kitchen, preparing the fried cakes and the half-finished products. Chu Hong, as usual, took care of the first-floor opening. The rest were in the first-floor kitchen, preparing the fried cakes and the half-finished dumpling shells. Chen Yu was busy today, constantly moving between kneading dough, preparing ingredients, and processing pig''s heads and knuckles. It felt like he was back to the busy days when he worked at the food cart. Until six-thirty in the morning, Chen Yu hadn''t stopped for a moment. Kneading dough was not only a technical task but also one that required a lot of physical strength. Continually kneading batch after batch of dough without stopping would wear anyone down. By now, the shop was bustling, and Su Qing was the only one left making half-finished products in the first-floor kitchen. It must be said that this girl''s skills had be faster and even surpassed Chen Yu''s, after the training of the past few days. This morning, the dumpling shells were consumed faster than the fried cakes. The previously made half-finished dumpling shells had already sold out, but thankfully they could be replenished in time. At six forty-five, Tong Ya had already gone to the kindergarten with Tuan Tuan out of habit. But just after stepping out the door, she sent a text message to Chen Yu. "Ah, what should I do, I didn''t get to say goodbye to you before leaving, and now I''ll miss you for the whole day!" Chen Yu nced at it, then put his phone back in his pocket. Even if he wanted to reply now, he couldn''t, as he was indeed too busy. Chu Hong had to handle the fried cakes and dumpling shells on the first floor, so most of the time, cutting and selling meat was still Chen Yu''s job. By twelve o''clock in the afternoon, Chen Yu was feeling somewhat exhausted. However, remembering that it used to take only two days to prepare all the half-finished products, Chen Yu gritted his teeth and persevered. After all, this meant he could rx for three days afterward. By five in the afternoon, all the marinated meats had sold out. During this period, Chen Yu had already umted a substantial flow of people here, including the residentialmunity behind the store and several buildingplexes around it. Even the merchants on the nearby streets hade to regard this ce as their fixed dining hall for both breakfast and dinner. Now with the addition of braised dishes, the shop was bustling even at noon. Chen Yu even considered getting more pork tonight and introducing a few new vors. Just then, Tong Ya suddenly called. "Hello, my dear future boyfriend! Do you need me to bring you some tbreads today?" Chen Yu was momentarily stunned, Tong Ya was bing increasingly bold in her flirtations. The little modesty that remained before hadpletely disappeared. Moreover, since being rejected thest time she confessed, Tong Ya seemed to have skipped the process altogether. She directly pushed their rtionship to a state that was more than friends, but less than lovers. And under Tong Ya''s influence, Chen Yu had surreptitiouslye to ept this state. Chen Yu cleared his throat twice, taking a moment to calm his emotions. "Yes, like yesterday, fifty tbreads." At this moment, Tong Ya had already arrived at the farmers'' market with Tuan Tuan. As soon as she hung up the phone, Tuan Tuan looked at her with expectant eyes. "Teacher Tong Ya, you seem to have moved one step closer to bing my mom." Tong Ya''s face turned red as she pinched Tuan Tuan''s chubby little face. "I''m just tentatively trying to test your dad''s bottom line, in case I touch it one day and mess things up." Tuan Tuan, acting like a little grown-up, patted her chest. "Don''t worry, you''ve still got me! The two of us together, I don''t believe we can''t win over my stubborn old dad." Tong Ya chuckled and pinched Tuan Tuan''s little nose. "Then I''ll count on you!" With that, Tong Ya pointed to a snack stall not far away. "Pick whatever you want to eat, today it''s my treat." Tuan Tuan pped her little hands with excitement and ran straight toward the stall. Half-past five in the afternoon. Xie Jiang rushed into the shop, looking disheveled. "Old Chen, I heard your shop hasunched new products, quickly let me have a taste." Chen Yu felt a bit embarrassed, as the sign on the braised meat already disyed a "sold out" notice. Just like yesterday, only ten pounds were reserved for the staff meal. With the addition of braised foods, the past two days had been very busy, with hardly any time to rest at noon. The six girls previously could still go back to rest a bit and bring back some fried cakes and turnovers for lunch. Now, working straight until seven or eight in the evening, they definitely deserved a good, filling meal. "Old Xie, there really isn''t any left today, how about I save you two pounds especially tomorrow noon?" Xie Jiang sighed resignedly, looking as if he had just returned from finishing a construction job. "What a pity, toote no matter how I rushed! Alright then, make sure to save me some for tomorrow." "And tomorrow is Friday, I''ve got a lot of workersing over, I''ll arrange a dinner party at your ce." After saying this and buying some fried cakes and turnovers, Xie Jiang left. By this time, Tong Ya had also returned to the shop with Tuan Tuan. As soon as she entered, she headed straight for the kitchen, put down the tbreads, and made her way to Chen Yu. "Have you secretly drugged me these past two days?" The sudden question bewildered Chen Yu, and he quickly reached out to touch Tong Ya''s forehead. "What''s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Tong Ya giggled and took the opportunity to hold Chen Yu''s hand. "No, it''s just that, for some reason, I can''t help but think of you." Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Quotes from a Scumbag Chen Yu couldn''t help but be taken aback. This girl sure had a variety of tricks up her sleeve. From the time Tong Ya confessed her feelings until now, one couldpose a whole anthology of love phrases. But those words were spoken so subtly that even Chen Yu couldn''t find a reason to refuse them. Even if Chen Yu were to look for faults and ask Tong Ya not to say such things in the future, she would simply put it off with the excuse that it was just a small joke among friends. Chu Hong and Su Qing, who were busy with their tasks, couldn''t help but get startled and looked over with a touch of gossip in their eyes. Chen Yu cleared his throat, "First, take Tuan Tuan upstairs. From now on, her homework is your responsibility." "Okie dokie!" Tong Ya responded, then took Tuan Tuan''s hand and went up to the third floor. As soon as they got to the room, Tong Ya took two candied haw sticks out of Tuan Tuan''s backpack. "Teacher Tong Ya, where did you learn to say those things you''ve been saying to Dad recently?" Tong Ya smiled mysteriously and then took out her phone, clicking open an interface that looked like an e-book. The title on the screen read in big letters, "yboy Quotes!" Tuan Tuan''s mouth hung open in surprise, "Teacher Tong Ya, you really know how to apply what you''ve learned." ... At eight in the evening, the flow of customers gradually decreased. However, Chen Yu was almost certain that if there was more supply of braised food, at this time the shop would definitely still be packed. But if that were the case, the six girls would not be able to cope. These past two days, they would return to the dorm at nine in the evening and be punctually at the shop at four-thirty in the morning. Deducting the time spentmuting, they truly had only seven hours of sleep. If it were cut down any further, then he would truly feel like a shameless capitalist. Chen Yu called over the girls, quickly tidied up the shop a bit, and gathered around the table. After having tasted the braised food thesest two nights, everyone had gotten addicted. Their eyes were now brimming with anticipation. Tong Ya also came down the stairs with Tuan Tuan. Today, Tang Xiaowei was unusually quiet, though. Normally, Tang Xiaowei would be the first one to rush over at mealtime, but today she was sitting alone in the corner, continuously moving her paintbrush. "Xiaowei, it''s time to eat. What are you still drawing?" Tong Ya ran over with concern. On Tang Xiaowei''s drawing board were all the bits and pieces of the shop. Moreover, she had slightly adapted these scenes into a coherentic. "Wow, you''re drawing us!" Tong Ya couldn''t help eximing. Tang Xiaowei nodded, "I had the idea for theicst time on the food cart. I drew a few sketches and sent them to the publishing house, they immediately gave me a fifty thousand advance." Chen Yu was startled for a moment, then quickly stood up and moved beside Tang Xiaowei. The cover of theic announced that it was adapted from a true story. It also detailed the location of Chen Yu''s shop. Chen Yu looked at theic somewhat excitedly; it was clearly helping him advertise. He initially thought about printing out some flyers over the next few days. Now, it seemed thatics were much more effective than flyers. "No wonder the customer traffic has been on the rise these past few days. It''s youric that''s had a promotional effect." Chen Yu offered his praise and then picked up theic next to him to flip through. Tang Xiaowei giggled, "I had to do my part; I can''t keep freeloading off of you." Tong Ya pouted, "And you have the nerve to say that. You''ve drawn inspiration from the shop''s story, so you should pay royalties." Tang Xiaowei knew that Tong Ya was being protective of her food and didn''t say much. She merely tidied up the draft drawings and sat down to eat together. It was eight-thirty in the evening. After eating, everyone began cleaning up the shop under Chen Yu''s lead. [Congrattions Host for perfectlypleting a day of business, today''s profit is 28,400 yuan, earning 28,400 points. Your current total points umted are 576,080.] Chen Yu hadn''t expected to maintain yesterday''s sales, and in just one day, he had already broken even with yesterday''s costs. Without any hesitation, Chen Yu immediately called to order pork for the next day. Just as he hung up the phone, Chen Yu noticed a girl hadn''t left. "Brother Yu, why didn''t you let us stay to restock yesterday?" Chu Hong''s words carried a hint of grievance. Chen Yu waved his hand dismissively, "The delivery man brought the raw materials in by himself; we didn''t need to exert that effort." The six girls nced at each other and then sat down neatly beside him. "When we were working in the factory, the delivery guys were toozy to help us unload, and even if some were willing, they would get annoyed after a couple of times." "Yeah, Brother Yu, we''ve experienced this firsthand. If you''re going to order raw materials in the future, please order them earlier so we can help you unload." ... Chen Yu didn''t say much. After all, what the girls were saying made sense. Even though he had be friendly with the raw materials delivery man, anyone would get annoyed with moving goods weighing over a thousand pounds too often. Before long, the truck carrying the pork arrived at the doorstep. The six girls got to work immediately, each shouldering some of the load. Although they weren''t very strong, each time they could only carry a few dozen pounds. But after several trips back and forth, they quickly ced the pork into the cold storage. This time, indeed, the delivery man didn''t lift a finger. After unloading, he drove off immediately. After the girls had left, Chen Yu sat down and quickly went through today''s ounts. One thousand pounds of pork exactly amounted to 8,000 yuan, and this time Chen Yu counted out 8,000 yuan in cash from the counter to pay. Along with the more than 3,000 yuan left on his phone from yesterday, Chen Yu directly deposited 190,000 yuan into his checking ount. He left just over 1,000 yuan in his phone for emergency use. With this, the savings in the checking ount had reached 580,000 yuan. It seemed that whether it was buying a house or opening a new store, both goals were going to be achieved soon. [Congrattions Host for surpassing 500,000 yuan in savings, triggering a hidden reward.] Chen Yu was slightly surprised as the system''s virtual screen popped up before his eyes. [The system can provide a supplement to the host''s current skills to improve operational efficiency, but points will be deducted ordingly.] "Skill supplement?" Chen Yu was puzzled for a moment, then opened the page before him, and a flood of information immediately flooded in. Automatic dough mixing machine diagrams, skills toplement noodle-making. Chen Yu immediately became excited, the system was indeed reliable, these two items were exactly what he needed right now. Without any hesitation, Chen Yu immediately clicked to confirm and acquire them. [Congrattions Host for receiving the skill supplement, remaining points are 476,080.] Chen Yu''s mouth opened slightly in shock, one diagram and one set of noodle-making skills had actually cost 100,000 points. That was equivalent to one high-level lottery draw. But thinking about how he could skip the dough mixing process in the future, Chen Yu felt quite relieved. And the noodle-making skills were a systematic set of skills. However, these skills also included some machinery design diagrams. Chapter 52: Chapter 52 New Machine ``` ncing at the blueprint that appeared in his hands, Chen Yu hurriedly went next door to find Zhang Fan. Although Zhang Fan was a car mechanic, he had at least studied mechanical manufacturing and might know someone capable of building these machines. Chen Yu was surprised when heid the blueprint in front of Zhang Fan, it excited him. "Old Chen, how did youe up with such precise instruments?" "Studied them before!" Chen Yu replied with a smile, trying to brush it off. "You really are a genius, dough mixers, rolling machines, pancake makers, shaved noodle machines, noodle presses... and they''re all fully automatic." Zhang Fan''s eyes sparkled as he looked at Chen Yu: "I can make these things. Would you let me have a go?" "Of course!" Chen Yu agreed cheerfully. "However..." Zhang Fan suddenly propped up his chin: "These things all seem tock a very crucial coreponent." Chen Yu was slightly taken aback and was about to check the blueprint. [System Notification: The host will have the machine activated by the system after acquiring the machine, but corresponding points will be deducted.] Chen Yu had a headache, realizing that the points needed seemed to increase as he progressed. Yet, possessing these machines not only would make his life much easier, but the restaurant''s revenue might even increase. "I''ve already made the coreponents myself, it''s just that some of these external parts are a bitplicated." After this forced exnation, Zhang Fan didn''t say much, just took the blueprints. "Don''t worry, Old Chen! I studied mechanics after all. By tomorrow morning, I guarantee you''ll be able to use these machines." With that, Zhang Fan excitedly took the blueprints to his workbench. Looks like he wasn''t nning on sleeping tonight. Seeing Zhang Fan''s serious demeanor, Chen Yu didn''t want to disrupt him and decided to head back to the restaurant. Suzhou City, west side, reality show filming location. Fang Yuan sat there with her mobile phone, looking dejected. ording to the reports from her assistant over the past two days, Chen Yu''s shop might already be bringing in over a hundred thousand in daily turnover. This made Fang Yuan feel somewhat ufortable. She had never imagined that Chen Yu, who was so meek when they were together, would suddenly possess such a brilliant business mind. Moreover, now he even dared to decisively refuse requests like video calling her and Tuan Tuan. It was as if Chen Yu hadpletely changed after their divorce. However, thinking about the twenty million she would receive forpleting the reality show eased her mind. ... At four o''clock in the morning, Chen Yu rose early again. He wasn''t sure if Zhang Fan could build the machine overnight, so he still had to get up early to prepare the dough. At four-thirty, the six girls also arrived at the shop on time. Today was Friday, and as usual, there would be a rush of customers in the evening. Fortunately, the semi-finished products made yesterday were enough to cope with today''s crowd. By six in the morning, Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan, as if they had agreed in advance, came over to help. Chen Yu had just finished working a bucket of dough, sitting there drenched in sweat, panting for breath. Without any hesitation, Tong Ya reached for a tissue to wipe his sweat. Chen Yu frowned slightly: "It''s already past six, what are you doing in the kitchen? Get ready and go to school with Tuan Tuan!" "The dancepetition ended yesterday afternoon, and the kindergarten has already started holiday. School doesn''t start again until next Monday morning." ``` Chen Yu was somewhat surprised, as the kindergarten''s holiday schedule really didn''t follow the usual pattern. Just then, Zhang Fan hurried into the shop and called Chen Yu to fetch the machinery. Chen Yu quickly called Zhao Meng and Han Cai and rushed to the next door. Before long, several machines were set up in the kitchen. The kitchen had been designed to be exceptionally spacious, so even after adding the braised meats, it only upied half the space. Even with these machines now in ce, there was plenty of room to spare. Chen Yu touched the machines with a hint of excitement, thinking he could finally take it easy. [System notification, the machinery core is automatically activated, current points bnce, 376,080.] Chen Yu couldn''t help but gape, as yet another hundred thousand points were deducted. "Old Chen, hurry up and install your core to test it out and see if it works," urged Zhang Fan from outside the kitchen. He also wanted to see how impressive these machines would be when in operation. Chen Yu pretended to tinker with the machinery for a bit, then immediately plugged it in. "Old Zhang, you really have some skills! How much is it? I''ll transfer it to you right now." Zhang Fan waved his hand, "Since the design is yours, I just provided some materials andbor. Just give me five thousand for these machines." Chen Yu took another look at the machines, noting that they were made of high-quality alloy. At five thousand yuan, it seemed that Zhang Fan hardly made any profit. "Old Zhang, how about I just give you six thousand! You''ve toiled all night, you should get some hardship pay," Chen Yu suggested. Zhang Fan got annoyed, "Old Chen, you''re treating me like an outsider now. Aren''t we buddies? Every time Ie here to buy food, you always sneak in an extra one or two for me!" "The other day I came here for braised meat, and you even added two extra pounds for me. Now you''re haggling over this, I''m really getting angry." Chen Yu couldn''t argue with Zhang Fan and ended up transferring five thousand. Up to now, Chen Yu''s ount had almost reached twenty thousand in sales and he estimated that today''s revenues might even surpass yesterday''s. Without hesitation, Chen Yu eagerly tested the dough mixer. The machine could connect to fiverge barrels at once and would automatically operate if water and flour were mixed into it in a certain ratio. This was much faster than Chen Yu mixing dough by hand. Looking at the machines in the kitchen, Chen Yu immediately phoned the flour supplier to deliver a hundred bags of flour. The quantity startled the supplier. A hundred bags of flour meant ten thousand pounds, and they had just delivered flour to Chen Yu the night before. Tong Ya was also puzzled, "Why do you suddenly need so much flour?" Chen Yu pointed to the machines in front of him, "We can''t just let these machines sit idle here, can we?" "Are you saying you''re going to introduce new products?" Tong Ya''s ck jade-like pupils widened slightly. "Not exactly new products, just some staple foods!" Before long, arge truck stopped at the shop''s door. At that moment, Chen Yu''s ount just happened to have a little over thirty thousand, so he transferred the payment to the driver. Han Cai and Zhao Meng quickly pushed out two small carts from the cold storage to help unload the truck. These two small carts were previously given to Chen Yu by Xie Jiang during the renovation. After all, each bag of flour weighed a hundred pounds, and Chen Yu himself might not be able to carry it, let alone the two youngdies. With the help of several delivery men, it didn''t take long to store the flour in the refrigerated warehouse. Thankfully, they had cleared out half of the raw materials from the refrigerated warehouse the day before, otherwise, ten thousand pounds of flour might not have fit. Chapter 53: Chapter 53 Ordering System Upgrade At nine in the morning, Chen Yu switched on all the machines. The tbreads and noodles soon began releasing their enticing aroma. After a round of experimentation, Chen Yu had a rough idea of the pricing. A pound of flour could make about threerge baked tbreads, priced at two yuan each. As for the noodles, a pound of flour could yield tworge bowls, each priced at three yuan. Such prices were much cheaper than those outside. Besides, these items were meant to pair with the marinated dishes, so there was no need to mark up the prices too high. Once Chen Yu entered the prices into the ordering system, the whole store immediately went crazy. It was nearing noon now, and a lot of people had alreadye in for lunch. A bowl of noodles, three ounces of marinated dishes, two tbreads, half a pound of marinated... Combinations like these suddenly became all the rage. By twelve at noon, the number of people in the store was more than double that of yesterday. There were even people who brought tables and stools to sit outside. Looking at the sea of people before him, Chen Yu felt the two hundred thousand points deducted by the system yesterday were well worth it. Plus, he was certainly feeling much more rxed now. Just then, Xie Jiang arrived with a group of more than twenty workers, entering the shop with great fanfare. "Old Chen, is my marinated meat ready?" Chen Yu stuck his head out of the kitchen, somewhat embarrassed. "It is, but we''re out of space now!" Xie Jiang waved his hand dismissively, "We rough folks don''t need seats! I see you''ve got noodles and tbreads now, so just prepare forty bowls of noodles and ten pounds of marinated meat for us; we''ll eat outside." Chen Yu hurriedly made the noodles and then divided the ten pounds of marinated meat into forty portions to put in the bowls. "My God, this is so delicious!" Xie Jiang couldn''t help shouting after taking a bite. The workers beside him started wolfing down their food as well. "The noodles are firm, the marinate is fragrant! If we had some chili and vinegar, it would be even more amazing." "No way, I need five more big bowls!" ... With the addition of the main dishes, the number of customers honestly got a bit overwhelming. Even though Chen Yu was now saving quite a bit of effort, managing so many machines at the same time was still a bit too much for him to handle. In the end, he had to stop making fried cakes and vegetable turnovers on the first floor and even called Han Cai from outside to help, along with Chu Hong, in managing these machines. Tong Ya hadn''t expected the day to be this busy; she didn''t even have time to talk to Chen Yu. By three in the afternoon, the lunchtime crowd had just begun to dissipate when the dinner crowd started toe in. Until six o''clock, the shop was packed with a lively throng of people. Xie Jiang also returned with the group of workers, hoping to have an early dinner. But seeing the bustling scene in the shop, he immediately didn''t want to cause too much trouble for Chen Yu. So he only ordered a bowl of noodles for each worker. Taking advantage of a moment when Chen Yu was delivering noodles, Xie Jiang pulled him aside. "Old Chen, if you ask me, the ordering system in your shop is a bit outdated; you should consider making some changes." Chen Yu was instantly intrigued, "How should we change it?" "You set up a few ordering stations where customers can scan and order through a code, then they''ll get a receipt. With the receipt, they can go straight to the counter to pick up their food!" Chen Yu pped his thigh in agreement. This way, they could eliminate the process of servers delivering meals. They only needed to assign one or two waiters to clean up the hall. The rest could focus on monitoring the kitchen. "Where can I buy this system now?" Chen Yu quickly asked. "You just need to modify your existing system and add some small devices; I have them ready. I''ll bring them to you now!" With that, Xie Jiang ran back to his store, still holding his bowl. His store wasn''t far from Chen Yu''s, and soon, one of his helpers sent over a pile of parts. "Old Chen, when your ce is free tonight, I''ll help you install it." "Thank you so much!" Chen Yu shook Xie Jiang''s hand excitedly, relieved that his big problem was being solved, "How much is it? I''ll transfer the money to you now." "Hey, what money?" Xie Jiang was somewhat annoyed: "I was the one who installed your system in the first ce, and now it''s just a little upgrade; consider it after-sales service." Chen Yu wanted to decline, but Xie Jiang just pushed his hand away. "Old Chen, if you keep this up, we can''t be friends anymore." Chen Yu sighed softly and didn''t insist further. By 8 PM, the restaurant was still serving many customers, but the flow of people had finally begun to die down. After all, today''s braised meats were nearly sold out. Seizing the lull, Xie Jiang quickly helped Chen Yu upgrade the system. This system was simple, just like before, it used QR codes, but now it had an added ticketing system. The waiters needed to asionally load ticket rolls into the system. There were a total of twelve ordering points set up across two floors, six on each level. And the two kitchens werepletely separated. The second floor was specifically for selling fried cakes and vegetable pastries, whereas the first floor focused on braised foods and noodles. This way, when customers came to pick up their food, there was directionality to it, avoiding long queues at a single window. By 9 PM, the whole store had been cleaned and thest customer had been seen off. Chen Yu specially set aside some tbread and noodles, as well as ten pounds of braised meat. Today was definitely the busiest day ever; the six girls were exhausted. Moreover, they had been working from 4:30 in the morning until now, without a break even for a moment. Just after dinner, the meat delivery guy arrived at the door, but today Chen Yu had directly ordered two thousand pounds from him. After unloading the truck, Chen Yu gathered the six girls together. "Tomorrow morning, everyone can sleep a bit more;ing to the shop by five will be fine, and about the distribution for tomorrow, has everyone got it?" After giving instructions, they went back to the dormitory. [Congrattions, Host, for perfectlypleting a day''s business. Today''s profit is ny-nine thousand two hundred yuan, earning ny-nine thousand two hundred points. The total umted points are now four hundred seventy-five thousand two hundred eighty.] The revenue was indeed less than the previous two days; it mainly fell short in vegetable pastries. After all, during the previous two days, staple foods weren''t on the menu, and many people ate vegetable pastries together with braised meats. Now with the staple foods avable, customers naturally chose to forego vegetable pastries selectively. It seemed that fried cakes sales had also decreased somewhat. This was an inevitable result due to the change in the store''s sales structure. Moreover, the day had indeed been a bit chaotic. Therefore, Chen Yu went direct and got two thousand pounds of pork to change tomorrow''s sales structure. After buying the pork, Chen Yu still had over ny thousand in liquid funds. He directly deposited the ny thousand into his current ount, leaving just over two thousand as daily expenses. Now, there was a total of six hundred seventy thousand in his current ount. Not until this moment did he stretchzily, lower the folding door, and return to the third floor. Chapter 54: Chapter 54 Coming to Find Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan had already taken their baths and were sitting on the sofa watching TV. But Chen Yu suddenly realized that the two of them were actually wearing matching parent-child pajamas. And in the bathroom, the pajamas prepared for him were also part of the set. Chen Yu suddenly felt hesitant; he found that his rtionship with Tong Ya had been progressing much too quickly these past few days. Although he hadn''t yet epted Tong Ya''s confession, now they were indeed living together like a family of three. After adjusting his breathing slightly, Chen Yu let out a sigh and put on the pajamas anyway. His previous pajamas had long since be worn out, and it seemed that Tong Ya had disposed of them. When Chen Yu emerged from the bathroom in his pajamas, Tong Ya''s heart raced. Pajamas are quite intimate by nature, and Tong Ya''s gesture was a way of testing Chen Yu''s boundaries. "Get to sleep early," Chen Yu said just three words before he returned to his room. Tong Ya'' s heart, which had been hanging, finally rxed, and she bumped fists with Tuan Tuan. "Teacher Tong Ya, pajama operation sessful, you''ve moved one step closer to being my mom," Tuan Tuan said. Tong Ya pinched Tuan Tuan''s little nose: "I didn''t expect you to be so clever!" At four in the morning, Chen Yu got up early and went down to the first-floor kitchen to process pig heads and hocks. He also turned on the dough mixer. When the six girls arrived, Chen Yu helped them take the first batch of dough that had been mixed to the second-floor kitchen. He also prepared the spices needed for the vegetable buns. ording to yesterday''s arrangement, Li Yu and Su Qing would stay in the second-floor kitchen, selling fried cakes and vegetable buns. Zhao Meng and Han Cai would take turns being responsible for the cleanliness of the two floors'' dining areas. Chu Hong and Zhang Qian would stay with Chen Yu in the first-floor kitchen, specializing in marinated delicacies. With the new system in ce, cash transactions had beenpletely eliminated, so there was no longer any need for a bar counter. At four-thirty, a few customers had already begun to trickle in. At this time, most people were there for breakfast, so they usually went straight to the second floor. It wasn''t until six o''clock that customers gradually started to appear on the first floor. "Old Chen, quickly give me a jin of your first pot of stewed meat!" Zhang Fan rushed into the shop with a basin, full of urgency. Chen Yu was somewhat helpless: "Eating stewed meat so early in the morning?" "It''s delicious!" Zhang Fan directly ced the basin in front of the disy window while scanning the payment code on top of it. A few payment codes were still kept beside the window for some of the regrs who would scan them directly to pay. These payment codes also served as a backup, for no one could guarantee that the system wouldn''t have an issue someday. By eight in the morning, the shop was in its usual state of being jam-packed with people. However, today things were much more organized than yesterday. Chen Yu even had time to take a break. Suzhou City Di Hao Hotel. An old man with white hair and beard sat sternly by the bed, leaning on a cane. In front of him were a whole bunch of shy but insubstantial dishes. "Old Tong, this is the best we could find in this small ce, please make do with it," someone said. The old man''s expression darkened: "Can''t you find something with more substance? Always bringing me these fancy but useless things to fool me." Just as the old man was about to blow up, a bodyguard rushed into the room hurriedly, cing down a basin of marinated meat and two pancakes. The assistant next to the old man frowned: "What is this you''ve brought! Take it..." The assistant was momentarily stunned before he could finish speaking, as the aroma emanating from the braised meat invigorated his spirit. The elder''s eyes also lit up as he picked up a pair of chopsticks and took a small bite. "Mmm, delicious!" No sooner had he praised it than his expression darkened again. "Did you bring the braised meat from Imperial Capital''s Duanfuji over here?" The bodyguard who had just entered kept waving his hands, "It was bought from nearby; that shop sells deep-fried cakes, vegetable pastries, and braised meat, and doesn''t even have a sign, but it''s very popr." The old man paused, then picked up another piece of the braised meat to savor carefully. "There is indeed some difference from Duanfuji''s!" As his words finished, the old man began to eat with relish, eventually soaking the tbread in the braised meat and shoveling it into his mouth. "This is delicious! Now this is more like it! Where is this shop? Take me there now." The bodyguard didn''t dare dy and hurriedly led the old man downstairs. By noon, the shop was already somewhat overcrowded. After changing the sales structure, the flow of customers had indeed increased quite a bit. Especially at this time, the tbread, noodles, and braised meat were in great demand. Just then, Tang Xiaowei was leaning against the shop''s entrance, basking in the sun while drawingics. But as she searched for the right contrast in her lines, she suddenly noticed a procession of luxury cars approaching from afar. When she recognized the license tes, her face was filled with shock. "Oh my goodness, they''ve found me." Tang Xiaowei muttered to herself then hastily ran into the shop and dragged Tong Ya out of the kitchen. "Trouble''s here, your dad hase looking!" Tong Ya''s eyes widened instantly: "No way? How did he know I''m here?" "I have no idea, he''s just outside now, you''d bettere up with a n quick!" Tong Ya tried to remain calm, "It''s not necessarily for us, let''s hide upstairs for now." Tang Xiaowei nodded and went upstairs with Tong Ya. At that moment, the cavalcade had already stopped at the entrance of the shop, and the old man, surrounded by a horde of bodyguards, made a grand entrance into the shop. The shop, which had been bustling just moments ago, suddenly fell silent, all eyes on the old man. These people had never seen someone of his level before. Chen Yu simply looked up for a moment, then continued to focus on his braised meat. "Where''s the boss?" the old man called out authoritatively. Chen Yu responded from behind the counter without much fuss, "Right here, what can I do for you?" The old man coughed lightly, "Give me some of your specialties..." "To order, please queue up over there!" Chen Yu cut him off directly. "You want me to queue? Do you know who I am?" The old man was slightly annoyed. "No matter who you are, everyone who eats here is a customer, and they all need to queue. That''s my rule." Chen Yu''s respectful yet firm stance piqued the old man''s interest. The two bodyguards next to him were getting annoyed at Chen Yu''s attitude and were about to step forward to teach him a lesson but were stopped by the old man. "This young man has character, and he has his rules. Reminds me of myself when I was young. Go queue up!" Saying this, the old man picked up a chair from the side and sat down. The bodyguards beside him were somewhat impatient and went to join the queue. At this moment, Tong Ya and Tang Xiaowei were peeking sneakily through the gaps in the railing on the third floor. New Book "The Inte is Shocked! You Call This a Psychologist?" Chapter 55: Chapter 55 Rejecting Investment "Wow, haven''t seen your dad in years, he''s aged a lot!" Tang Xiaowei spoke in a hushed voice. Tong Ya didn''t answer, her eyes filled withplex emotions as she looked at the old man downstairs. After a while, when they realized that the old man wasn''t making any moves, just sitting there waiting, they finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Seems like he''s not here for us! Looks like he came for the braised dishes." Tang Xiaowei curled her lip, "Wow, the stuff your future husband makes must be really amazing, even attracting your own father here." Tong Ya gave Tang Xiaowei''s arm a gentle twist. She didn''t know what to do at that moment. If Chen Yu can''t find herter and calls out her name, then everything would be exposed. By now, the old man had a bowl of noodles and a pound of braised meat in front of him. He didn''t care about anything else and started wolfing down his food with chopsticks in hand. "Hmm, delicious! Haven''t tasted such firm noodles and such aromatic braised meat in a long time!" After gobbling down a bowl of noodles and a pound of braised meat, the man seemed to still be craving more as he got up and walked over to the disy window. "Boss, the vor here rivals that of Imperial Capital''s Duan Fu Ji. If you don''t mind, I can invest in you and help you turn it into a chain." Chen Yu was indifferent, "I just want to work my way up on my own. If others invest, maybe the taste will change." "Yo, young man, I''m liking you more and more!" Having said that, the old man took out a business card and ced it on the counter. "I''m in Suzhou City for a conference these few days, and I hope to have my meals here for the next three days. Can you arrange for someone to deliver?" Chen Yu nced at the business card, Tong Ming! It shared the same surname as Tong Ya. When he saw the address written on the back, though, he frowned. "This address is too far, it''s not within our delivery range. Have someonee pick it up!" After being rebuffed again, Tong Ming became even more interested in Chen Yu. "Fine, I''ll send someone to pick it up!" With a heartyugh, Tong Ming turned and left. But after just a couple of steps, he turned back around. "Young man, are you sure you don''t want to consider my investment? I can give you a hundred million upfront." Chen Yu smiled and shook his head, "No thanks, I believe that one day I will also be able to make a hundred million on my own." Tong Ming nodded in admiration, "Young man, I have my eye on you." After offering his praise, Tong Ming left the restaurant with his bodyguards in a grand manner. Not until that moment did Tang Xiaowei and Tong Ya, hiding on the third floor, finally breathe a sigh of relief. "Wow! Your dad admires your future man!" Tang Xiaowei eximed, "If you ask me, you should rush downstairs right now, have a father-daughter reunion, and then ride your dad''s coattails to force a marriage. You''d have him in the bag." Tong Ya rolled her eyes, "You think this is one of yourics? Just a stroke of the pen and they''re together." Tang Xiaowei didn''t agree, "At least it''s a good opportunity! Your dad seems to have quite a rapport with your future man." Tong Ya kept quiet, only going downstairs with Tang Xiaowei after Tong Ming''s motorcade had driven off into the distance. "Teacher Tong Ya!" Tuan Tuan suddenly called out from a corner, and then rushed over. "You didn''t just see my dad be awesome, did you? He was neither servile nor overbearing, just managed to snub a shameless tycoon and send him packing." Tong Ya was exasperated, wondering what Tuan Tuan''s reaction would be if she knew the ''shameless tycoon'' was actually her own father. Tang Xiaowei was even more embarrassed, but under the circumstances, all she could do was agree with Tuan Tuan. "That''s right, there are indeed some shameless tycoons these days, acting all high and mighty, thinking they don''t have to queue up for a meal. That''s dismissing the rules of our establishment." Having said that, Tang Xiaowei still looked at Tong Ya with a teasing expression. "Right, Xiaoya?" Tong Ya bit her lip, almost ready to swallow Tang Xiaowei whole. "Yes, we can''t let that kind of unscrupulous tycoon in." Chen Yu helplessly nced at everyone. "Alright, he''s gone. Let''s not talk behind his back." Tong Ya might have felt a bit guilty and quickly ran into the kitchen. "Um, what do you think about the wealthy guy who came by just now?" Tong Ya timidly asked. Chen Yu thought for a moment. "Although he was a bit overbearing at first, he did line upter on, which shows he''s not a bad person." Tong Ya inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief. "Speaking of which, why didn''t you ept his investment just now? A hundred million, you know. That could''ve saved you from struggling for many decades." Chen Yu smiled. "If I epted his hundred million just to struggle less for a few decades, what value would my life have left?" His words rang with conviction, stirring something in Tong Ya''s heart. Perhaps this was one of the reasons she liked Chen Yu, that resilience and masculinity that came from deep within him. "I believe even without someone else''s investment, you will definitely seed!" Tong Ya waved her little fists and made a very cute cheering gesture. Chen Yu didn''t say anything more and continued working on the pig''s head and knuckle. Today''s volume of marinated meat was double that of yesterday''s, and he had to ensure an efficiency of one batch every forty minutes. By six in the afternoon, the crowd hadn''t lessened but had actually grown. Moreover, the new arrivals all had one thing inmon¡ªthey were holding aic book in their hands. Upon entering, they ordered one of every item in the shop. They posed for pictures before finally sitting down to eat. Without looking, Chen Yu knew these people must havee after seeing Tang Xiaowei''sics. At this moment, Tang Xiaowei, dressed in a panda outfit, was hiding in a corner not far away, watching her fans take pictures. It wasn''t until eight in the evening that the flow of customers began to wane, but by then, the marinated meats were almost sold out, leaving no choice but to put up a "sold out" sign. Chen Yu hadn''t expected that, even after doubling the volume of marinated meats, they would sell out at this time. It seemed not only that there were more people, but the proportion of customers eating the marinated meats had also increased. By now, the second floor had been tidied up, and Li Yu and Su Qing, looking somewhat exhausted, came down, each holding a list in their hand. All the raw materials for the fried cakes and vegetable pastries had been made into semi-finished products and stored in the freezer. And the sales of fried cakes and vegetable pastries had dropped sharply today, only slightly higher than what they used to sell from the food cart. Chen Yu stretched and called everyone over to eat. Today, after some consideration, Chen Yu set a rule for the staff meal. Pancakes and noodles would be served unlimited, eat as much as you desire. In fact, his main concern was that after so much work each day, the girls might not be able to keep up. Before dinner, as usual, Chen Yu called to order two thousand pounds of pork. However, he was already considering buying a few more pressure cookers to try out marinated meats with different vors. After all, no matter how tasty this single five-spice blend was, customers would get tired of it if they ate it for too long. Chapter 56: Chapter 56 Going Out Just after finishing the meal, the pork delivery master arrived at the shop. After Chen Yu and his colleagues had moved the pork and cleaned the shop, a system prompt sounded in his mind. [Congrattions to the host, perfectlypleting a day''s business, today''s profit is 188,200 yuan, obtaining 188,200 points, the current total points are 663,480.] After paying for the pork, Chen Yu deposited the 180,000 yuan into his current ount. He then kept a little over 9,000 yuan on hand as emergency funds. Chen Yu roughly calcted today''s business revenue. About 20,000 fried cakes, 10,000 vegetable pastries, 2,000 jin of marinated goods, 6,000 pancakes, and 4,000 bowls of noodles were sold. Compared to before, the sales volume of fried cakes and vegetable pastries indeed dropped a bit, basically returning to the level of the food cart before. However, the sales volume of vegetable pastries was 4,000 more than when they were sold at the food cart. Adding the daily sales of beverages, the daily cost is roughly around 54,300 yuan. If calcted in this way, the average daily profit could reach 150,000 yuan. If he could continue to operate stably like this, he could earn a profit of 4.5 million yuan in a month. Chen Yu slightly adjusted his emotion, and at this rate, it wouldn''t be long before he could open another branch. He could even buy a set of housing in full payment. "What are you thinking about? You look so happy!" Tong Ya suddenly appeared behind Chen Yu, startling him. "I was just roughly calcting the revenue these days!" After only a sentence, Chen Yu realized that the six girls and Tang Xiaowei had already left. "I have something to talk to you about!" Tong Ya suddenly seemed a bit nervous: "There is a dancepetition in the next three days, and I have to take Tuan Tuan to the capital." Lying for the first time in front of someone she liked, she indeed felt a bit panicked. "Then go!" Chen Yu agreed very readily. After all, Tong Ya was Tuan Tuan''s dance teacher, and moreover, their rtionship had grown much closer recently. Even Chen Yu had the impression that they were a family of three. Besides, he was ustomed to Tong Ya taking Tuan Tuan topetitions. Tong Ya was somewhat surprised and didn''t react immediately. "Don''t you have anything to ask? Or any instructions?" Tong Ya asked with some uncertainty. "I trust you with Tuan Tuan! What''s there to instruct? But you two must call me each evening to report that you''re safe." Tong Ya giggled: "Alright, then I''ll go pack." Tong Ming''s sudden arrival in Suzhou City caught Tong Ya off guard. Staying in the shop for the uing days might result in running into Tong Ming. She had to think of a way to avoid Tong Ming and still pass muster with Chen Yu. Chen Yu didn''t say anything more, but as he was about to check the inventory in the cold storage, he received a message from Tang Xiaowei. "Brother Yu, could you bring me some pancakes and marinated food tomorrow morning? I''m going to the nearby mountains for inspiration." Chen Yu frowned slightly, thinking, why does everyone have to leave in such a hurry? But he didn''t dwell on it. "Come to the shop before you leave tomorrow morning to pick them up." After taking inventory in the cold storage, Chen Yu went straight back to his room to sleep. At four o''clock the next morning, Tong Ya got up early with Tuan Tuan, saying they had to catch the earliest flight. At six o''clock, Han Cai took some pancakes and marinated goods, rushed out of the door, saying that Tang Xiaowei was in a hurry and might not have time toe to the shop. Chen Yu couldn''t help frowning, suddenly having a bad premonition. Just as he was about to take out his phone to call Tong Ya, he noticed a message from her. "These days, I will keep you in my mind every moment, and don''t you forget to think of me too!" Chen Yu''s eyebrows twitched, and the bad premonition from earlier vanishedpletely. At eight in the morning, a convoy of cars grandly arrived at the shopfront. Tong Ming entered just like yesterday, surrounded by a group of security guards. However, today, he seemed to be much more rule-abiding. After finding an empty table and sitting down, he sent his bodyguard to order food. Two shrimp dumplings, two fried cakes, two pancakes, and half a pound of marinated meat. It has to be said, the old gentleman really had a good appetite. Once the bodyguards had ordered exclusively for Tong Ming, they began their frenzied mode as per his instructions. Twenty men, two hundred fried cakes, one hundred shrimp dumplings, forty bowls of noodles, and twenty pounds of marinated meat. Considering they were bodyguards, this wasn''t a particrlyrge amount of food. But their manner of eating truly intimidated the surrounding customers. "Delicious! No wonder Mr. Tong came so early." "I never expected to find such tasty food in such a small city." "It makes me not want to leave, and I wonder when Mr. Tong''s next meeting in Suzhou City will be?" ... After finishing his food, Tong Ming moved a small stool and sat near the disy window. "Young man, I really appreciate you. Have you considered opening your store in the capital?" Chen Yu was helpless, this was just another approach to talk about investment. "Old sir, I need to do well in this small city first, make a name for myself, before I can move to a big city!" Tong Ming chuckled, "Lads like you are rare these days! By the way, are you married? I have a daughter¡­" "Old sir, I''m already divorced, and I have a kid who''s five or six years old!" Chen Yu was somewhat impatient. His business was essentially on the right track now, and this was the time he least appreciated being disturbed. Moreover, he didn''t know this older gentleman well, and any potential harming his way was an unthinkable consequence. "So what if you''ve been divorced?" The old man, with a big wave of his hand, affirmed, "These days, men are tested on their perseverance and ability to break new ground. I believe you will definitely find someone better." These words left Chen Yu quite stunned. Somehow, he felt a resonance with this old man on many levels. Gradually, Chen Yu kept busy while chatting with Tong Ming off and on. Tong Ming''s insights on business were exceedingly shrewd; in just half an hour, Chen Yu felt as though he hadpleted a special course from a business school. By nine in the morning, Tong Ming bid farewell to Chen Yu and left with his entourage. By noon, Tong Ming sent one of his bodyguards to order food again. A day flew by, and although busy and fulfilling, Chen Yu felt something was missing. Not until Tong Ya sent several photos of her with Tuan Tuan did he feel somewhat reassured. At eight in the evening, as the foot traffic dwindled, Chen Yu began to instruct Chu Hong and the others to slowly clean up the shop. He also made calls to order pork and ingredients. [Congrattions to the host for perfectlypleting a day''s business, today''s profit is 188,200 Yuan, earning 188,200 points, with a current total of 851,680 points.] Chapter 57: Chapter 57 Safety, Return! Today''s profits were about the same as yesterday''s, considering the only increase in cost was the pork expense. Looking at the current situation, the store can essentially guarantee a steady ie. I estimate another day of amassing points and I''ll have umted one million. Chen Yu was suddenly filled with anticipation; he had no idea what skill he might draw from this one-time, one-million-point lottery. Following his usual practice, Chen Yu transferred a neat sum of 170,000 to his checking ount. Apart from spending twenty thousand on pork and ingredients, Chen Yu was pleasantly surprised to find that the bnce in his checking ount had reached 1.02 million. This sum was certainly sufficient for him to expand with another shop. However, Chen Yu still preferred to wait and see. The business had just stabilized, and he wasn''t keen on disrupting this equilibrium right away. He decided to make adjustments as necessary afterpleting the top-tier lottery. Just as he was storing the pork and sending the girls back to the dormitory, he suddenly noticed Tang Xiaowei standing at the door. "You''re back!" Chen Yu was slightly surprised, "I thought you went out for inspiration and would need several days." Tang Xiaowei chuckled, "Not that long. By the way, do you have anything to eat?" "I could make you a bowl of noodles." Chen Yu took a lump of dough from the fridge and expertly pressed out a bowl of Hele noodles for Tang Xiaowei. There was no leftovers for broth, so he simply mixed in some basic seasonings. Just then, Chen Yu suddenly noticed his own portrait in the sketchbook Tang Xiaowei had brought back. He instinctively pulled it out for a closer look and found Tong Ming inside as well. "Did you not go far today?" asked Chen Yu without thinking. The drawing depicted the scene of him talking with Tong Ming that morning. Tang Xiaowei''s pupils dted slightly, and her gaze became somewhat panicked. But she quickly calmed herself down. "I passed by this morning and felt that this scene had a good atmosphere, so I sketched it! Then I followed to draw that old man." Although the exnation seemed far-fetched, Chen Yu had no suspicions. The drawings thereafter were mostly of Tong Ming, almost documenting all he had done that day. "Has this Mr. Tong left?" Chen Yu noticed thest drawing was of the elderly gentleman boarding a ne at the airport. Tang Xiaowei nodded, "It seems like his negotiations with the local consortium fell through." Chen Yu didn''t ask any further questions, merely returning the sketches to Tang Xiaowei. ... Suzhou City''s Gaoshan Hotel. Tuan Tuany on the vast bed, rolling around cheerfully. "Teacher Tong Ya, is it really okay for us to sneak out and y without telling dad?" Tong Ya coughed lightly, "Who said we''re just here to y? This is for you to experience the artistic conception in dance." Tuan Tuan pouted, doubting even Tong Ya herself believed that excuse. After a forced exnation, Tong Ya took out more than a dozen skewers of candied hawthorns from her bag. "Here''s your candied hawthorn. Have you remembered what to tell your dad when we get back?" Tuan Tuan''s eyes flickered, "Remembered. We went on ast-minute trip to the capital to participate in a dancepetition." As she spoke, Tuan Tuan grabbed a strawberry candied hawthorn and bit into it voraciously. Tong Ya was quite relieved and rubbed Tuan Tuan''s little head. She really had no choice this time. But having fun throughout the day did indeed bring her closer to Tuan Tuan. Just then, Tong Ya''s phone received a flood of pictures and a message from Tang Xiaowei as well. "The old man has left, it''s safe now, you can return!" Tong Ya finally breathed a sigh of relief, but the atmosphere had been as tense as if she were meeting a spy. Early the next morning, Chen Yu went straight downstairs and turned on the dough machine, then began to fiddle with the braised food seasonings. At six in the morning, Tang Xiaowei arrived at the store extra early. She stood at the entrance in her mascot costume as usual, except today she seemed to be acting rather sneaky. And she kept sending messages on her phone. By eight o''clock, Tong Ya returned to the shop with Tuan Tuan, both in high spirits. However, they had bought a ton of stuff in big and small packages. When Chen Yu saw this, he couldn''t help but frown; it seemed a bit too extravagant. Upon reaching the kitchen, Tong Ya saw Chen Yu with a dark expression on his face. Thinking she was caught, she approached Chen Yu with her head lowered like a little girl who had made a mistake. "Don''t buy so many things for Tuan Tuan next time she goes out, she''s still young, we can''t let her get used to it," he said. Upon hearing this, Tong Ya immediately rxed. "I understand, I will be thrifty and manage our household well going forward," she said. Chen Yu nodded at this, but then he thought that Tong Ya''sment seemed a bit out of ce. After Tong Ya finished speaking, she went off to get busy, not giving him a chance to respond. At Suzhou City train station, Li Lan and Chen Guang arrived early in the morning. After a short wait, they hailed a tbed tricycle and headed straight to Chen Yu''s shop. When they arrived, they werepletely stunned. "Yu''s dad!" Li Lan frowned, "Is Chen Yu''s shop really around here?" Chen Guang nodded, "Based on the location he sent us before, it should be around here." Li Lan sighed, "Look at this store; it''s so crowded! If Chen Yu opened his shop next to this one, wouldn''t it just lead to losing money?" Chen Guang''s face was filled with concern, "If you ask me, we should just take Chen Yu back home where at least he can have a full meal." With that, Li Lan directly called Chen Yu''s phone. It was precisely noon, the peak of the foot traffic. When Chen Yu saw that it was Li Lan calling, he quickly answered. "Mom! What''s up with the call?" "Chen Yu, your dad and I havee to see you, where is your shop?" Chen Yu was somewhat surprised, "It''s at the location I sent you guys before! Why did youe here for no reason?" "I''m right at the location you sent us, but there is only one unmarked restaurant here, no other shops." Upon hearing this, Chen Yu quickly signaled Chu Hong and hurried out of the shop. "Dad, Mom!" He shouted excitedly and ran over. Both Li Lan and Chen Guang wore faces of astonishment. They had not expected such a bustling shop to belong to Chen Yu. "Is this your shop?" Chen Guang still found it hard to believe. Chen Yu smiled, "First go upstairs and rest a bit; I''ll join you after I get through this busy time!" With that, Chen Yu led Chen Guang and Li Lan directly to the third floor of the shop. As soon as the door opened, Tuan Tuan yelled out loud, dropping her homework and running over. "Grandpa! Grandma! Howe you''re here?" Li Lan quickly went up to hug Tuan Tuan, "We came to see you!" After making sure they were settled, Chen Yu hurried back downstairs. This time was the busiest for the shop; anypse, and they couldn''t keep up with the demand for braised food. At that moment, Tong Ya was busy managing the dough rolling machine, pressing out noodles bowl by bowl. Chapter 58: Chapter 58 Parents Arrive Tuan Tuan had not seen Chen Guang and Li Lan for a very long time. After ying wildly for a while, Tuan Tuan seemed to remember something and suddenly became quiet. "Grandpa and Grandma, don''t you want to try the food Dad makes? It''s delicioust." When Chen Guang and Li Lan entered the shop, they had already smelled the aroma. And since the store was so full of customers, the taste must be good. "Of course!" Li Lan was somewhat impatient. She also wanted to know what made this shop so popr. Tuan Tuan nodded his little head and scurried downstairs. However, Tuan Tuan didn''t go to find Chen Yu but instead approached Tong Ya. "Teacher Tong Ya, quickly make two big bowls of noodles, with some side dishes to be taken upstairs, for important guests," Tuan Tuan said. Tong Ya didn''t think much of it, after all, those heading to the third floor must be Chen Yu''s good friends. She quickly pressed out two bowls of Hele noodles, added some side dishes, and headed upstairs with Tuan Tuan. "Grandpa and Grandma, the noodles are here!" Tuan Tuan shouted excitedly and led Tong Ya into the room. Just as Tong Ya ced the noodles on the table, she realized something. When Tuan Tuan had called for Grandpa and Grandma, it seemed there was no family name added. Could it be that the couple sitting on the sofa were Chen Yu''s parents! Chen Guang, attracted by the scent of the noodles, began eating from his bowl right away. But when Li Lan saw Tong Ya, she paused. "Wow, what a beautiful girl! Do you work here?" Tong Ya was startled for a moment, stammering, uncertain of how to reply. "She''s my dance teacher!" Tuan Tuan quickly stepped forward and grabbed Tong Ya''s hand. Tong Ya hurriedly bowed. "Hello, Uncle and Auntie!" Li Lan looked puzzled: "Teacher? Then why are you... " "I''m here helping out because it''s the weekend!" Tong Ya exined in a hurry: "It''s very busy outside, I''ll get going first." Having said that, Tong Ya left the room somewhat flustered. Li Lan still hadn''t grasped the situation; even if it was the weekend, why would a kindergarten teachere to the shop to help out with odd jobs! Tuan Tuan chuckled softly: "Grandma, isn''t Teacher Tong Ya pretty?" Li Lan nodded: "I haven''t seen such a good-looking girl before." "Then, should we have her be my mom?" Chen Guang, who was beside them, nearly sprayed the noodles out of his mouth. "Is she your dad''s new girlfriend?" Tuan Tuan shook his head: "No, she''s my dad''s college ssmate!" A flicker of disappointment crossed Chen Guang''s face. If such a beautiful girl were together with his son, he would wake up smiling from his dreams. "But, Teacher Tong Ya has liked Dad for a long time and is currently pursuing him." Upon hearing this, Chen Guang immediately put down his bowl. "What, such a pretty girl is interested in your dad?" Li Lan also eximed in surprise: "Then has your dad agreed or not?" Tuan Tuan sighed: "Dad is really a blockhead. Teacher Tong Ya has confessed so many times, but he just won''t agree." Li Lan suddenly became indignant: "This kid is really stubborn. Doesn''t he know his own situation? To have such a wonderful girl by his side and not to cherish it." Tuan Tuan found empathy: "Exactly, Teacher Tong Ya is so nice, she dances well, is beautiful,es over to help Dad unconditionally, and even gave him a mobile phone..." Tuan Tuan talked as if he was listing all of Chen Yu''s misdeeds! Li Lan stopped eating and was ready to go downstairs right away. Chen Guang hurriedly stopped her, "It''s okay, it''s busy downstairs right now, let''s ask him again after he''s finished with the evening rush." Li Lan didn''t say anything else, and simply picked up her chopsticks to take another bite of noodles. "I really didn''t expect the kid to have this trick up his sleeve!" Tuan Tuan recounted some more details about Chen Yu and Tong Ya, then dashed downstairs. By now it was past two o''clock, and the crowd had slowly thinned out. Tong Ya also found a lull and sat at an empty table to rest. But her breathing seemed a bit rushed. After all, the encounter upstairs was almost like meeting the parents, yet she was wearing an apron, not to mention her hair was a bit messy, and she looked a bit dirty all over. She feared that she had already made a poor first impression on Chen Yu''s parents. "Miss Tong Ya!" Tuan Tuan suddenly shouted, rushing over to her side with great enthusiasm. "Grandpa and Grandma really like you!" Tong Ya''s eyes widened, the dark cloud lingering in her mind dissipated a bit. "How do you know?" Tuan Tuan giggled, "I just told them about you and dad, and they decided to have a good talk with him tonight." Tong Ya immediately became excited; she had thought that Chen Yu''s parents would disdain her because of her appearance. Now, hearing Tuan Tuan''s words, she was suddenly at ease. "You''d better not be lying to me." "Don''t worry! Miss Tong Ya, it won''t be long before I call you mom!" With that, Tuan Tuan stretched out her little hand and high-fived Tong Ya. "What are you two chatting about? You seem so happy." Chen Yu came over with a bowl of noodles for Tong Ya: "You''ve been busy all morning, eat something to fill up first." Tong Ya didn''t speak and just started eating from the bowl. Before the braised dishes were added, there used to be time for a lunch break at midday. But now, time was a bit tight, and sometimes they couldn''t even have lunch. So, whenever there was a break, Chen Yu would try to arrange a meal for the employees. Since there was no lunch break, they should at least have a full meal. By eight o''clock in the evening, after the braised dishes had sold out, the customer flow in the store had gradually decreased. The store had been closing around this time for the past two days. By eight-thirty, after arranging for the employees to have their meal and moving the ordered pork and flour into the cold storage, Chen Yu called the six girls to head back to their dormitory. [Congrattions Host, you have perfectlypleted a day of business, with a profit today of 184,200 yuan, earning 184,200 points. Your current total umted points are 1,035,880.] Chen Yu felt an inexplicable excitement in his heart; his points had finally exceeded one million. However, he was not in a hurry to draw a lottery. The store was now stable and should progress in an orderly manner. Adding one new braised dish recently had already kept him more than busy. So, it was better to observe for a while. He had just ordered ten thousand pounds of flour and two thousand pounds of pork. Considering the current daily consumption of pasta and tbreads, which was four thousand pounds of flour, it would justst until the day after tomorrow. By then, the semi-finished products like the fried cakes and vegetable pastries would also be sold out, and he could ce a unified order for raw materials. But the meat used for braising still needed to be purchased on the same day. After calcting briefly in his mind, he transferred sixteen thousand yuan into his savings ount. Leaving himself with just over five thousand yuan for contingencies. Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Mother and Daughter Just as Chen Yu was busy doing his ounts, Li Lan and Chen Guang hurriedly came downstairs. "Xiaoyu, tell me what''s all this about?" As soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, Li Lan demanded an exnation in a stern voice, pulling Tong Ya along with her. Chen Yu felt somewhat helpless, "Tong Ya is Tuan Tuan''s teacher, she just came over to..." "Nonsense!" Li Lan was somewhat angry, "Then why is this girl living with you?" Chen Yu paused, "It''s only temporary..." "What temporary?" Li Lan became even angrier, "Such a fine girl, never married, and now living with you¡ªwhat will people say? How can she face others?" Chen Yu was at a loss, standing there not knowing how to respond. Tong Ya stood by, her face red, awkwardly fidgeting with her fingers like a child. Tuan Tuan was hiding behind Tong Ya, covering his mouth and giggling. Li Lan tempered her emotions slightly, then red at Chen Yu ferociously. "Give me an answer today, do you like the girl or not?" Chen Yu sighed helplessly, "Mom, you know I went through a divorce, with a child in tow. Given my situation, even if I like her, I''m not worthy of her." "So you do like her!" Li Lan was somewhat pushy. Chen Yu was rendered speechless. Having been in contact for so long, even if Chen Yu were a stone, Tong Ya had warmed him up. He indeed liked Tong Ya, but to admit his feelings for her in front of Tong Ya remained a hurdle he couldn''t cross. Li Lan then stopped pestering him and sat down next to Tong Ya, taking her hand. "Girl, I''ve already heard from Tuan Tuan, do you like my stinky boy or not?" Tong Ya nodded eagerly, "I''ve liked him for a long time; he was even my lifesaver back in university." Li Lan''s face showed great excitement, "I already asked for you just now. Although my boy doesn''t say it out loud, I know he likes you in his heart." Tong Ya''s face turned red to the roots of her neck; she had never expected Chen Yu''s mother to be so straightforward. "I can feel it, after all, he agreed to let me stay here." Li Lan caressed Tong Ya''s hand, "It''s just his divorce situation..." "I don''t mind," Tong Ya eximed with some excitement, interrupting Li Lan. "Good!" Li Lan was also emotionally moved, her eyes growing moist, "Then what about your family..." "My mother passed away when I was in university, and my father..." At this point, Tong Ya hesitated and after a moment''s thought, suddenly looked up. "My father also likes Chen Yu a lot!" Chen Yu was momentarily stunned, giving Tong Ya a perplexed look as if asking, have I ever met your father? Li Lan didn''t care about such details, "Alright then, from today on, I''ll treat you as my own daughter!" Saying this, Li Lan took out her phone. "I came in haste and didn''t prepare anything for you, so first, let me send you a big red envelope!" Tong Ya kept waving her hands, "There''s no need for that!" "How is there no need?" Li Lan said seriously, "It''s our local custom, and besides, it''s just between us, mother and daughter, right?" Chen Yu listened, dumbfounded¡ªmother and daughter, already. Before he could react, Li Lan had already sent Tong Ya a big red envelope of six thousand six hundred sixty-six yuan. Tong Ya was startled; she hadn''t expected to receive so much on her first meeting with Li Lan. Just as she was about to decline, Li Lan took her by the hand and led her upstairs. "Come on, I have so many more things to ask you." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, not expecting things to progress this way. However, he knew very well that it had to be Tuan Tuan, the little girl, ying matchmaker in the middle. When he turned his gaze to Tuan Tuan, the little girl pouted and followed Tong Ya and Li Lan upstairs. Chen Guang, on the other hand, pulled up a chair and sat down. "Chen Yu, your mother and I are very pleased with this girl, and since she doesn''t mind that you''ve been divorced and likes you so much, why won''t you ept her?" Chen Yu let out a light sigh, "Some things, I feel, still need to be carefully considered, after all..." "I understand what you mean!" Chen Guang interrupted Chen Yu, "But in life, there are many things that don''t need to be mulled over. Once you miss them, they''re truly gone." Chen Yu was suddenly stunned, unable to say a word. Chen Guang didn''t say much more, only limping upstairs. It seemed his rheumatism wasn''t fully healed. Chen Yu sat alone in the hall for a while, then checked the stock in the storeroom. He then went upstairs to sleep. That night, Li Lan, Tuan Tuan, and Tong Ya slept in one room, whereughter filled the air all night long. Fearing he would disturb Chen Yu''s opening day the next morning, Chen Guang refrained from going to talk to him. Perhaps due to restlessness, at three in the morning, Chen Yu got up, went to the kitchen on the first floor all by himself. Just as he was using a cart to take some pig heads and hocks out of the cold storage, he saw Tong Ya standing not far away looking pretty and alert. "Did you wake up early, or did you not sleep at all?" Tong Ya walked over and helped him push the cart. Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, "I don''t know, I slept, but it''s like I didn''t." Tong Ya giggled, "That''s just like how you like me, but also like you don''t." Chen Yu was amused, "Speaking of which, someone seemed to have lied yesterday. When have I ever met your father?" Tong Ya pouted, "Someone also said that his parents would never ept me." Unexpectedly rebuffed, Chen Yu fell silent. He just threw the pig heads and hocks into the big pot. "Since you admitted you liked me yesterday, can you tell me how much you really like me now?" Chen Yu paused in his movements and looked up at Tong Ya. After a long moment, he finally spoke, "I also don''t know." Unconvinced, Tong Ya boldly lifted a pig head. "Is it as big as this pig head?" Chen Yu took the pig head from Tong Ya''s hands and put it in the pot, "Bigger than that!" "Is that enough for you to be my boyfriend?" Chen Yu exhaled lightly, "It''s still a bit short." "How much is it short?" Tong Ya suddenly moved close to Chen Yu, pressing her nose against his. Chen Yu''s response was no longer as perfunctory as before and even carried a degree of seriousness. Tong Ya''s heartbeat quickened and she instinctively wrapped her arms around Chen Yu''s neck. "Then I''ll wait! But if during this time, you start liking someone else, I''ll get jealous!" Chen Yu took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around Tong Ya''s waist. "If I''m stillcking even with you, where would I find the energy to like someone else?" A tremor went through Tong Ya''s heart, and she hugged him tighter. Although Chen Yu''s words were ambiguous, this was at least the first real response and he wasn''t avoiding it. Chapter 60: Chapter 60 Daughter-in-law ``` "Cough, cough!" Li Lan''s cough suddenly rang out, startling both Chen Yu and Tong Ya. The two instinctively moved away from each other as if they had been caught in an illicit affair. Li Lan went straight to the kitchen, rolled her eyes at Chen Yu, and said, "You''re already like this, and you still reject her? When did you learn to be so roundabout? Are you nning to be a scumbag?" Her scolding left Chen Yu feeling utterly embarrassed. He had just acted on impulse. Yet, the impulsive side of him was questioning whether he truly wasn''t ready to ept Tong Ya. If he didn''t ept her, why did he hold her? He found himself trapped in a loop of self-contemtion. "Auntie, you''ve misunderstood. I identally got something in my eye from the seasoning, and he was just helping me blow it out," Tong Ya hastened to step in front of Chen Yu, her resolve firm as if she was protecting her husband. Li Lanughed helplessly and said, "Is there anything your old mom can help with?" Chen Yu waved his hands repeatedly, "Please, go back and rest! In another hour, the waitstaff will arrive." Li Lan didn''t listen and directly grabbed a cleaning cloth and went upstairs to tidy up the tables and chairs. Chen Yu had no choice but to take care of cleaning up the pig''s head and knuckles himself. Tong Ya also stayed by his side to help without leaving even for a step. Today, Chen Yu nned to create five different vors in five pressure cookers. He had already prepared one with five spices and nned to add four more: soy sauce-vored, spicy numbing, fragrant spicy, and a broth vor. The preparation methods for these seasoned dishes were mostly simr, differing mainly in the proportions and variations of ingredients. However, the broth vor was difficult to control. Some people would use various kinds of animal bones to stew the broth, others might use poultry, and some would use sea fish. Chen Yu, on the other hand, would build the vor entirely from a bnce of seasonings. ... In a business hotel, Fang Yuan sat there feeling gloomy, flipping through aic book. Theic depicted the daily bustling scene of Chen Yu''s shop. After a while, Fang Yuan tossed theic aside. Ever since she finished recording the reality show, she had been nursing a sense of frustration. Not only had she been overshadowed by other actors during the show, but she had even been told that shecked Su Rui''s elegance! This had caused her poprity to plummet in the past few days, and even the resources provided by her agency had diminished. Thankfully, Han Mintao had been smoothing things over in various ces, allowing her to retain her current opportunities. However, one of the conditions for preserving these resources was to dine with some capital magnates. After several such dinners, Fang Yuan began to question her life choices. These so-called magnates always had bizarre and perverse demands. If she hadn''t kept her cool and handled the situations gracefully, she probably wouldn''t be able to sit here unscathed. Taking a deep breath, Fang Yuan nced at theic and saw Tuan Tuan''s profile. No matter how ruthless she might be, no matter how driven by her career, that was still her biological daughter. It would be a lie to say she didn''t miss her after all this time. After sitting there in a daze for a while and adjusting her mood, Fang Yuan immediately put on a trench coat, donned a mask and sunsses, and wrapped herself up tightly. Only then did she quietly head to the underground parking garage. From her observations over the past few days, she knew that Chen Yu''s shop opened at four in the morning, and at that time, there definitely wouldn''t be many people. ``` Moreover, even after the divorce, she still had visitation rights to Tuan Tuan. The hotel was not far from Chen Yu''s shop; in less than twenty minutes, she parked the car in front. It was exactly four twenty in the early morning. Inside the shop, as expected, there was no one around, not even the waitstaff had arrived. Fang Yuan tiptoed into the shop and was immediately confronted by Li Lan, who was tidying up tables and chairs. "Mom, where''s Tuan Tuan?" Even though Fang Yuan kept her voice very low, Li Lan was still startled. She put down the rag she was holding and studied the person in front of her for a long time. Not until Fang Yuan pulled down her face mask a little did Li Lan recognize her. "Isn''t this the great star Fang? What brings you here?" Li Lan deliberately raised her voice. Fang Yuan suddenly felt afraid and quickly looked around. Being a public figure now, if paparazzi captured her, they would immediately delve into her original family. The headlines in tomorrow''s newspapers would reveal all her past. "Mom, keep your voice down. I''m just here to see Tuan Tuan and then I''ll leave." Tong Ya, who had just served the first pot of spicy braised delicacies, saw a customer and greeted them warmly. "Hello, we are not open yet, we only have braised vors..." Before she could finish, Li Lan pulled Tong Ya over. "Daughter-inw, stay away from this woman, watch out she doesn''t scratch you!" Tong Ya was taken aback for a moment, that term ''daughter-inw'' was quite pleasing to her, even giving her the illusion that she was already together with Chen Yu. "Daughter-inw?" Fang Yuan''s eyes widened: "She is?" "Can''t you tell? Doesn''t she and Chen Yu make a well-matched couple?" Li Lan''s words were quite sharp. After all, Fang Yuan had been extremely mean when she stayed at their house. She even forbid them from visiting Chen Yu in the city. Now that they were divorced, and Chen Yu had such an outstanding woman like Tong Ya by his side, Li Lan finally had the chance to regain her dignity. At this moment, Tong Ya also adjusted her breathing and brought out the aura of ady of the house. "Yes, I am Chen Yu''s wife. May I ask what you want?" Li Lan snorted lightly: "Daughter-inw, she is the woman who abandoned your husband!" Although the phrasing was awkward, it gave Tong Ya confidence. "Oh, you are that actress, aren''t you?" Tong Ya''s demeanor suddenly changed. The dignified and elegant wife she had just presented suddenly turned into an overwhelming and assertive stance. Fang Yuan''s visit to see Tuan Tuan was already surreptitious and not a proud moment. The almost oppressive aura emanating from Tong Ya made it hard for Fang Yuan to breathe. She had not anticipated that after the divorce from her, not only had Chen Yu''s career flourished, but he also had such a perfect woman by his side. "I don''t have much time; I just want to see Tuan Tuan. Where''s Chen Yu? I need to speak with him!" Tong Ya immediately stepped to the side, blocking the view of the kitchen. "My husband is very busy with numerous matters and furthermore, Tuan Tuan has school tomorrow morning, so it''s not convenient for you to see him." Fang Yuan clenched her teeth, her face showing frustration. But her current status came with many limitations; she dared not make a scene, nor linger too long. Who knows if any paparazzi will show up among the guestster. "Fine, you will remember this!" Fang Yuan left these words somewhat helplessly as she hurriedly exited and drove away. At this moment, Tong Ya was exceptionally excited, although she knew that Li Lan had used her as a shield to some extent. But at least, her status as daughter-inw was acknowledged. Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Reap What You Sow "Auntie, how could she just leave without even trying to fight for it?" Tong Ya was a bit puzzled, after all, it was her own child¡ªisn''t that worth fighting for? If it were her, she would never leave so easily. Li Lan shook her head helplessly: "She''s a big star, after all! They all have to cultivate a public image, and part of hers is being unmarried and single." Tong Ya snorted withughter: "She brought it on herself." At this moment, Chen Yu was also pushing a cart filled with pig heads and elbows out of the cold storage. "Hey, the spicy meat is out of the pot, why don''t you guys give it a try?" Tong Ya quickly responded and pulled Li Lan toward the kitchen. By six in the morning, the shop was in full swing. The number of people heading upstairs for fried cakes and vegetable turnovers had dwindled once more. The five-spice marinated delicacies introduced earlier had already maximized the release of many people''s taste buds. Now with four new vorsunched, they felt as if they had entered another world. There were even people who ordered half a jin of each of the five vors, sitting there and starting their feast alone. No matter how tasty the food, there had to be a limit¡ªif someone got sick from overeating, Chen Yu would still be held responsible. Therefore, he added a new rule to the ordering system: a single diner''s consumption was capped at one jin of marinated meat. At six forty-five, Li Lan quickly tidied up, ready to take Tuan Tuan to kindergarten. But unexpectedly, Tong Ya had adeptly prepared everything for Tuan Tuan. Li Lan instantly understood what was going on¡ªonly regr pickups could result in Tuan Tuan being this well-prepared. It might have been due to the introduction of new vors, but today''s marinated meat was exceptionally popr. By two in the afternoon, nearly two thousand pounds of the meat was almost gone. Moreover, today''s customers were behaving somewhat irrationally, almost trying every single vor of marinated meat. No matter how much Chen Yu tried to restrict them, these customers exploited loopholes in the system to ce their orders. Chen Yu knew, however, that this situation could onlyst for a day or two. After all, there was only so much customer traffic in the vicinity, and these people couldn''t possibly eat marinated meat as their daily meal. By three in the afternoon, Chen Yu had no choice but to hang a ''Marinated Meat Sold Out'' sign in front of the disy window. Just at that moment, a portly middle-aged man with two helpers made an abrupt appearance in the restaurant. The fellow walked in the door and looked around before finding a table to sit down. "Where''s the boss? Come out for a moment." Chen Yu stood up and nced over the dining room, frowning. The trio seemed to have ill intentions. But there wasn''t a hint of fear on his face, as he took off his apron and came out of the kitchen. "You''re the boss!" The portly middle-aged man mmed the table and stood up abruptly. "Buddy, you''re ruthless! You''ve already driven three marinated meat shops in the area out of business, and my ce won''t survive today either." As he spoke, Chen Yu could smell a distinct odor of gunpowder. In the kitchen, Chu Hong had already grabbed a nearby strainer, ready to rush out at the first sign of trouble. But to everyone''s surprise, after his deration, the stout man suddenly threw himself in front of Chen Yu and began to sob loudly. "Big brother, I beg you, teach me how to make marinated meat! Otherwise, my little shop is going to close for good!" Chen Yu was utterly baffled; he had thought this chubby fellow hade looking for trouble. Unexpectedly, he was here to ask for mentorship. "The family recipe is not for sharing! But if you''re interested, you''re wee to work here," Chen Yu replied. The chubby guy was stunned for a moment; he was the owner of a small shop now, after all. Coming here to work would be like bing someone''s subordinate. "No way! How could someone like me ever work under someone else?" Chen Yu chuckled softly, "You should consider it. If that''s not an option, you could choose to open a new shop elsewhere." With that, Chen Yu returned straight to the kitchen. The chubby man sat there, pondering for a long time, then left the shop with his two helpers. Chu Hong finally breathed a sigh of relief, "People like Yu Ge should be driven out, can''t even manage their own business properly and thene running over here¡­" Chen Yu gestured with his hand to interrupt Chu Hong. "It hasn''t been easy for them, having worked hard to open a shop only to be run down by us! It''s normal for them to feel uneasy about it." At the moment, there weren''t many customers left in the shop, as their signature marinated dishes had already sold out. The next wave of customers woulde in the afternoon, during the post-work rush. Xie Jiang, at this juncture, entered the shop briskly with two workers. "Old Chen called a while ago, asking you to save some marinated dishes for him. Have you saved any?" Chen Yu hurriedly served the noodles and marinated dishes he had set aside. "You called me, how could I possibly not save some for you?" Xie Jiang rolled up his sleeves and started devouring the food like a wolf, clearly having gone a good while without eating. "Old Chen, these new vors you''ve introduced are simply divine! If you ask me, you should bump up the prices, nobody would mind paying more for such tasty food." Chen Yu shook his head, "Fifty yuan a jin is already on the pricey side; how much higher could we go?" Xie Jiang tapped in the air with his finger a few times. "That''s where you fail, Old Chen, too honest! Wang''s Marinated Delights down the street, they''ve raised their price to seventy yuan a jin for meat." Chen Yu was slightly taken aback, as the person who hade to see him earlier seemed to be the owner of Wang''s Marinated Meat. A long time ago, he had tried their marinated delights, and they were indeed quite good. Moreover, their marinated dishes were famous in several nearby streets. Chen Yu simply raised an eyebrow, after all, in business, he was not one to sympathize with hispetitors. If Wang''s Marinated Delights tasted better than his, he was afraid they might kick him right off this street. After finishing a bowl of noodles, Xie Jiang seemed to remember something and quickly took out a list from his pocket. "Old Chen, I found that pressure cooker you asked me to look for. Here are a few models; which one do you want? I''ll send it over tonight." Chen Yu hastily grabbed the list. The pressure cookers Xie Jiang found were all veryprehensive, each one a big stainless steel pot. Thergest could even fit sixty jin of meat in one go. If he bought several of theserge pressure cookers, he could produce marinated dishes even faster. "The biggest one, send me a few extra, to have as backups for the future." Xie Jiang hurriedly took out a pen and jotted something down in his notebook. "Okay, I got it!" Having said that, he and the two workers hurriedly finished their food and left, looking like they still had a construction project to rush off to. At five o''clock in the afternoon, Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan bounced through the door. "Mommy, can we go y at that ce again next time? I think it was really nice." "Sure thing, my sweet girl!" This conversation instantly rmed Chen Yu. "Tuan Tuan!" Chen Yu called Tuan Tuan over, "What did you just call Teacher Tong Ya? Is that something you can call her on a whim?" Chapter 62: Chapter 62 I am Her Husband Tuan Tuan pouted, looking every bit the picture of grievance as he stared expectantly at Chen Yu. At that moment, Tong Ya was also called over to stand there and be lectured. Over the past few days, due to Li Lan and Chen Guang''s influence, Chen Yu had noticed that the rtionship between him and Tong Ya had progressed too quickly. While Tong Ya had already met his parents, he had not yet met her father. Even if they really reached that step, he and Tong Ya had not yet registered their marriage and were not legally husband and wife. And now Tuan Tuan was calling Tong Ya "Mom," which was definitely overstepping bounds. But before Chen Yu could say a few words, Li Lan came running over with a broom. "What are you doing? You dare to bully her before you''re married, once you are married, you''ll probably eat her alive." Chen Yu, feeling helpless, said, "Mom, the kid doesn''t understand, she''s already started calling Tong Ya ''Mom''..." "Kids can call her whatever they want, I''ve already given my tacit consent!" Saying so, Li Lan took Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan upstairs. Chen Yu sighed helplessly, only to suddenly notice Chu Hong watching him with a half-eaten pancake in her mouth, her face full of gossip. "Brother Yu, does that mean we should start calling Tong Ya ''Sister-in-Law'' from now on?" Chen Yu stared straight at Chu Hong, "Don''t you have anything better to do?" Chu Hong jumped, hurriedly took a bite of her pancake and went upstairs. The braised dishes on the first floor had sold out, and the cleaning was almost done. The others had also gone upstairs to help, leaving only Chu Hong to keep watch on the first floor. Now that Chen Yu was angry, she didn''t dare stay any longer. At eight in the evening, Chen Yu began to arrange for closing time. Thest few days he had gotten used to the business hours and pace, and the neighbors had figured out the timing. After eight o''clock, there were hardly any customers left. [Congrattions to the host for perfectlypleting another day of business. Today''s profit is 164,200 yuan. You have earned 164,200 points. The current total umted points are 1,200,080.] The system''s ounts for the past two days had been clear, with the daily turnover fixed at 204,200 yuan. After spending forty thousand on flour, meat, and seasonings yesterday, the profit was now down to this amount. He now had nearly 210,000 yuan in liquid assets on hand. However, he didn''t deposit any money in his current ount today. After tomorrow, there wouldn''t be much raw material left in the warehouse, and it would be time for another big expense. While he was calcting, Li Lan and Tong Ya had already set the dinner table. Li Lan didn''t disturb Chen Yu. She had seen the operations of the shop over thest few days. Moreover, she had also run a shop during her younger years. Based on the daily customer flow and the pricing, she could roughly estimate how much Chen Yu was earning every day. She would often marvel to herself that divorcing Fang Yuan was the right decision. Not only did he have such a sessful business now, but he also had Tong Ya by his side. At eight-thirty in the evening, everyone helped move the delivered pork into the cold storage, and then they all went home. On the way back thesest two days, Chu Hong had been bringing some braised dishes and pancakes for Tang Xiaowei. The girl had said shended a big project and needed to lock herself away to paint at home; she wouldn''t be out for ten days. Just as Chen Yu was about to close the folding door, Tong Ya suddenly stopped him. "There are more mosquitoes these past two days, we''re running out of mosquito repellent. I''ll go buy some!" With that, Tong Ya hurried out the door. But just as Tong Ya walked into the supermarket across the street, a ttering noise suddenly came from inside. Chen Yu''s heart tightened, and he sprang up and ran over. The customers and sales clerks in the supermarket were also frantically running out at this moment. Chen Yu reached out and grabbed someone at random, "What''s going on?" "Someone is stealing stuff!" Chen Yu''s pupils dted suddenly, ignoring the stream of people rushing out and vigorously squeezed into the supermarket. He saw a burly, disheveled man with one hand clutching Tong Ya''s neck and the other holding a knife under her chin. "Nobodye closer, I don''t want to hurt anyone, I just want the money!" Chen Yu quickly stopped in his tracks, "Buddy, calm down, I have money, I can give it to you, just let her go first." Tong Ya, on the other hand, seemed quite calm, at first nce like a rich heiress who had seen the world. "Right, calm down, if you kill me, you won''t get any money either." "Don''t fucking talk!" the disheveled man shouted, and the knife in his hand pressed forward a bit. A cut immediately appeared on Tong Ya''s neck. "Don''t move! Let''s talk this over." Chen Yu stood there with an outstretched hand, looking very tense, while he took out his mobile phone. "Look, I have money in my phone, I can give it to you..." "Don''t y that game with me." The disheveled man became somewhat agitated, "I want cash, old bills, unsequential, and also get me a car." Chen Yu''s pupils contracted slightly, realizing this guy was a seasoned criminal. "These days nobody uses cash..." "I don''t care!" The man exerted force again, and a line of blood flowed down Tong Ya''s neck. "How about this, I''ll trade ces with her!" Chen Yu raised his hands, moving slowly forward. "You trade for her, who do you think you are?" the man roared while tightening his grip with both hands. The immense pressure almost stopped Tong Ya from breathing. "I am her husband!" Chen Yu almost shouted out reflexively. Tong Ya, who was struggling to breathe, now widened her eyes in disbelief, looking at Chen Yu. He admitted it! He admitted it! Tong Ya mentally shouted with excitement, not at all concerned about her current predicament. The disheveled man sized up Chen Yu and then looked at Tong Ya. He seemed to think they were a good match. They were using the same model of mobile phones, with matching couple cases no less. "Fine,e over here slowly!" The disheveled man slowly released Tong Ya. Just as he let go, Tong Ya suddenly did a beautiful split by spreading her legs front and back. Then she flipped sideways, executing a standard dance split leap. Chen Yu also took the opportunity to leap onto the disheveled man''s back and pinned down his hands. At this moment, the relevant personnel also arrived in time and took the man away. As this guy was being led away, he gave Tong Ya a look of disbelief. As if questioning how Tong Ya could have pulled off those two highly difficult moves just now. Chen Yu instinctively bent down to scoop Tong Ya into his arms, heading straight for the ambnce outside. "You just said you are my husband! Can I take that seriously?" Chen Yu''s stride suddenly halted, and he seemed somewhat stunned. Yet his breathing became incredibly rapid. Just now, in that instant, he hadn''t thought of anything except that he had to save Tong Ya. If anything had happened to Tong Ya, he would never have forgiven himself for the rest of his life. Moreover, inside his heart at that moment, a voice kept telling him, he couldn''t be without Tong Ya. Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Want a Hug "Sure!" As Chen Yu uttered those two words, he suddenly smiled. It was as if a massive stone that had been pressing on his heart had been shifted away. Tong Ya, too, bit her lip lightly, her arms already around Chen Yu''s neck, tightened a bit more. "Sir, your wife has injured her neck, please take her to the ambnce to get it checked out!" Only after the nurse next to him reminded him did Chen Yue to his senses. He hastily carried Tong Ya to the ambnce. "It''s alright, it''s just a superficial wound!" The nurse sighed in relief but looked at Chen Yu with a gaze full of admiration. "Big bro, you''re a real man, trading your life for your wife. I''ve only seen that in movies." Chen Yu smiled awkwardly, as his actions had actually been subconscious. To him, there seemed to be nothing worth mentioning. But for Tong Ya, it was different; after all this time, she had finally gotten Chen Yu to admit his feelings. How could she let this moment slip by? "My husband is incredible. It was just that guy who took me hostage earlier, otherwise not even ten of them would be a match for my husband." Chen Yu coughed twice and gave Tong Ya an annoyed nce. If he didn''t stop her soon, Tong Ya would probably boast him up to the heavens. Tong Ya giggled and suddenly stretched out her hand to Chen Yu. "Hubby, I want a hug!" Chen Yu was stunned for a second, even though the request was a bit much. But now that Tong Ya was lying in the ambnce, it served as some constion. He didn''t say much, just bent down gently and lifted Tong Ya into his arms. The nurse in the car seemed somewhat unable to watch. "Wow, this is too sweet! But your wife''s injury isn''t serious; here are some topical medications for wounds. You can take these and get off the ambnce." Chen Yu epted the medicine with a bit of embarrassment and then carried Tong Ya off the vehicle. Chen Guang, Li Lan, and Tuan Tuan, who had rushed over at the news, were also anxiouslying to meet them. As soon as Li Lan arrived, she touched Tong Ya''s neck with concern. "Daughter-inw, are you alright?" Tong Ya tightened her grasp on Chen Yu''s arm: "I''m fine, Mother-inw!" Chen Yu couldn''t help raising an eyebrow; now Tong Ya could call Li Lan "Mother-inw" without any restraint. When they reached the store''s third floor, Li Lan unwrapped the gauze from Tong Ya''s neck and checked the wound. Only after making sure it was alright did she rx. The next morning, at dawn, Chen Yu still naturally woke up at three o''clock. He washed up a bit and was about to quietly go downstairs when suddenly Tong Ya appeared behind him. "Husband! Good morning!" Before Chen Yu could respond, Tong Ya had already given him a big hug. "Wait for me downstairs, I''ll wash up and be right there!" Chen Yu didn''t know what to say and just hummed in acknowledgment before hurrying downstairs. As soon as he had the kitchen tools ready on the first floor, Tong Ya came bouncing over, joyfully donning an apron. "Hubby! Your gentle and virtuous wife is here to help. Don''t you want to kiss me as a reward?" Chen Yu''s face became slightly serious as he put back the skimmer he had just picked up. "There are some things we really need to rify!" The sudden sense of gravity made Tong Ya''s heart quiver. She forced a smile on her face, "What do you want to say?" Chen Yu let out a breath, organizing his thoughts slightly. "This shop, including the house on the third floor, I''m currently renting it, and there are five months left until the lease expires!" "I want to buy the whole ce, which would cost about eight million, but right now, my checking ount only has one million one hundred eighty thousand." "Besides, I want to buy a bigger house, preferably a townhouse, or a more affordable detached house, or even arge t would do." "That way, I can bring my parents over." "In this city, for a ce roughly three hundred square meters, it would also be around eight million." "Right now, my average daily profit is about one hundred fifty thousand!" While talking, Chen Yu had already approached Tong Ya, his slightly towering figure now enveloping herpletely. "This is my current situation and some of my thoughts, I want to know, can your father ept it?" Tong Ya''s breathing suddenly hastened; at first, she had thought that Chen Yu might want to reset their rtionship back to before yesterday. "I already told you, my father admires you! Even if he can''t ept it, I will handle these things." "Moreover, based on your current profits, it''ll only take half a year to achieve all these goals." ... Before Tong Ya could finish, Chen Yu suddenly interrupted her, "And the child, Tuan Tuan is still young, I don''t want him to bear a burden, so we may not want to have children for now." "No problem!" Tong Ya stepped forward, leaning her entire body into Chen Yu''s embrace, "I''ll listen to you, and Tuan Tuan can be my child too!" Chen Yu''s body trembled violently. He suddenly froze, staring straight at Tong Ya in his arms. Making Tong Ya feel a bit uneasy inside, he suddenly lifted her chin. "To have such a wife in life, what more could I ask for!" As his words fell, Chen Yu pulled Tong Ya tightly into his embrace. Tong Ya''s breathing became even more rapid, her heart pounding fiercely. She had seeded; now Chen Yu belonged entirely to her. Later, she could proudly tell others, disying with perfect legitimacy, that she was the owner of this ce. And once Tuan Tuan woke up, she could also reassure him by having him call her mama. Just as Chen Yu was about to let go of Tong Ya to prepare the ingredients, Tong Ya''s hands tightened again. "Don''t move, let me hold you a bit longer, I want to make up for all the previous times you didn''t respond to me." Chen Yu chuckled softly, no longer saying much, just wrapping his arms around Tong Ya, letting her sway in his embrace. They didn''t know how much time had passed when Tong Ya finally loosened her grip, lifting her head to look at Chen Yu with affection. "Chu Hong and the rest will be starting work soon, let''s help them get the initial tasks done." Although these were routine operations for Chen Yu, it was differenting from Tong Ya, now his girlfriend. In a sense, it was akin to instructions from thedy boss. At four-thirty in the morning, when Chu Hong and the others came to start work, they found Chen Yu and Tong Ya in the first-floor kitchen, talking andughing. Their sweet demeanor left the six young women somewhat stunned. Just yesterday, Chen Yu was angry when Chu Hong joked around; how had it turned into this situation today? The six young women tiptoed into the kitchen, just in time to exchange looks with Chen Yu and Tong Ya. "What are you looking at?" Tong Ya suddenly scolded with a hint of shyness, "Come here, I have something to announce!" "Starting today, I am thedy boss of this shop, do you know how to address me now?" The six youngdies paused collectively, looking somewhat dazedly at Chen Yu and Tong Ya. Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Gambling Agreement "Sister-inw, hello!" Chu Hong immediately broke the ice with her greeting. The other five girls followed suit and called out a greeting to their sister-inw. Tong Ya looked on with satisfaction at the six girls before her. "From today on, we are truly a family. Work hard, and I''ll give you a bonus!" "Long live sister-inw!" The six girls immediately became excited and then got busy with their respective duties. Tong Ya was upied all morning. It wasn''t that she was particrly diligent in her work; rather, her eyes were fixed on Chen Yu without straying. Sometimes Chen Yu would feel somewhat helpless under her gaze and would turn her face away. It wasn''t until 6:45 a.m., when Tong Ya took Tuan Tuan to kindergarten, that Chen Yu breathed a sigh of relief. But just two minutester, a message from Tong Ya popped up. "Husband, what should I do? I don''t want to go to kindergarten anymore!" Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, "What''s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" "It''s not that, it''s just torture not seeing you all day long!" Chen Yu: "Won''t you see me when youe back in the evening?" Tong Ya: "But I want you to think about me every moment of the day!" Chen Yu: "Alright!" Tong Ya: "When I get back in the evening, I also want a hug!" Chen Yu: "..." The walk from the store to the kindergarten wasn''t very long, but it felt like a century to Tong Ya. And all along the way, she was looking down, texting. If Tuan Tuan hadn''t been there to remind her, she might have been hit by a car. "Teacher Tong Ya, what are you doing? You keep staring at your phone and giggling like a fool!" Tong Ya turned her head and gave Tuan Tuan a rather peculiar look before suddenly lifting her up. "From today on, don''t call me teacher; call me mom!" Tuan Tuan''s eyes widened in surprise, "But wasn''t Dad... yesterday?" "This morning he has acknowledged my status, and he''s agreed for you to call me mom." Tuan Tuan pped her little hands excitedly, "That''s great, my wish hase true." Tong Ya put Tuan Tuan down and affectionately tousled her hair. "From now on, it''s not just in the store, but at school too, our mother-daughter rtionship can be made public!" Tuan Tuan was immediately jumping around in excitement. Ever since Tong Ya taught her to dance, she had wanted to call Tong Ya mom. Now that her wish was fulfilled, she was overjoyed. She grabbed Tong Ya''s hand and skipped toward the school, eager to announce to her friends that Tong Ya was her mom. ... A private club. Fang Yuan twirled her wine ss absentmindedly as she sat there. Opposite her was a middle-aged woman dressed in regal splendor. "Daughter, those capitalists I arranged for youst time, why didn''t you entertain them properly? Now they want to withdraw their investment, and it puts me in a difficult position." Fang Yuan put down her wine ss with some irritation, "Mom, can you stop arranging those meetings for me? What do those guys want to do? Don''t you know by now?" Li Juan looked helpless, "My dear daughter, this is the entertainment industry, and it''s all about youth. If you don''ttch onto a financial magnate while you''re young, you''ll bepletely out of resources in a few years." Fang Yuan was well aware of her current situation. Although she was somewhat famous now, and Li Juan was still operating the talent agency. But in the eyes of those capitalists, she was just an actress. Once they gave up on her and cut off her resources, everything she had worked so hard for would turn to nothing. "Mom! I''ve saved some money, why don''t we invest ourselves, be the capital ourselves." Upon hearing this, Han Mintao suddenly found it somewhat amusing. "Child, do you really think everyone can be capital?" Fang Yuan''s breathing became rapid, and a look of determination filled her eyes. "Isn''t there the bet agreement? I want to try it." The wine that Han Mintao had just sipped almost sprayed out. "Have you gone mad? How many have seeded with bet agreements? Once you fail, you''ll not only be burdened with debt, but your future will be ruined." Fang Yuan mmed her hand on the table. "I want to take a gamble! I''m fed up with my current situation and the persona I have to maintain. I want to be myself." The intensity emanating from Fang Yuan even took Han Mintao by surprise. When she first entered the entertainment industry, Fang Yuan truly did shine for a moment. But as time went on, she realized there were too manyplications here. Capitalists, resource providers, producers, operators... Maneuvering among these people, she was like dancing on a dozen eggs, where breaking any one of them was not an option. Only by going all in, bing the capital herself, would she have the confidence to disclose her past and perhaps fight openly in court to win Tuan Tuan back. Han Mintao exhaled deeply, "I know you''re doing this because of Chen Yu. His shop makes a good profit every day, but after all, it''s just a small shop. Even if he works there his entire life..." "Mom, I just want to ask you, can you set up a bet agreement for me?" Fang Yuan cut Han Mintao off. She was truly scared now, who could guarantee that Chen Yu''s shop wouldn''t expand further? Keep in mind that Chen Yu started with just a small food cart. Han Mintao said no more and simply picked up the phone to dial a number. Before long, she put down the phone. "My agency can provide a guarantee for you, and at the same time sign a bet agreement with multiple financial parties!" "You must earn five billion within the next two years! By then, you can leverage thirty billion in capital!" "But if you don''t seed, you''ll have to pay thirty billion!" "Have you thought it through?" Fang Yuan clenched her teeth, the image of Tuan Tuan shing through her mind: "I have thought it through!" ... At twelve noon, Tong Ya did not have lunch in the kindergarten canteen but heated up the tbread and braised dishes she brought from home and ced them on the table. After ss, Tuan Tuan bounced over and sat directly across from Tong Ya. At this moment, Li Juan also led a group of children to the canteen. She was immediately attracted by the braised dish in front of Tong Ya. "You brought braised dishes again today! How could you do this to us, bringing such delicious food every day." The other teachers and students were also looking enviously at them. After all, the aroma had already spread throughout the entire canteen. Inparison, the meals provided by the kindergarten canteen seemed a bit inadequate. Tong Ya giggled, "This is the love-packed lunch my husband prepared for me and our child!" It was unclear whether she did it on purpose or not, but Tong Ya''s voice was loud when she said this. The teacher sitting by her side suddenly froze, looking at Tong Ya with a puzzled expression. Li Juan moved closer to Tong Ya subconsciously. Chapter 65: Chapter 65 Wedding Planning Company "When did you get a husband?" Li Juan''s face was full of surprise. "It''s Tuan Tuan''s dad!" Tong Ya said with pride and coyness. The teachers and students present were all stunned. They only vaguely knew that it had always been Tong Ya''s responsibility to take Tuan Tuan to and from school. Only a very few people knew that Tong Ya had a crush on Tuan Tuan''s dad. But now, Tong Ya outright dering Tuan Tuan''s dad was her husband was undoubtedly a bombshell. At this moment, Li Juan also looked at Tuan Tuan with a surprised gaze. "Is this true?" Tuan Tuan nodded excitedly as well: "Yes, Teacher Tong Ya is going to be my mom now." With these words, there was no doubt the rtionship between Tong Ya and Chen Yu was officially announced in the kindergarten. The mouths of everyone present formed an ''O'' shape. Li Juan also subconsciously grabbed Tong Ya''s arm, "Then, can Ie to your husband''s shop for free meals in the future?" "Of course, you can!" Tong Ya replied quite generously, "But remember to pay." Tong Ya was constantly considering Chen Yu''s interests at every moment; there was no way she would let people take advantage of her connection to eat for free at the shop. Helpless, Li Juan shook her head, "Aiyah, you''re already acting like thedy boss." ... At two in the afternoon, during the peak hour for lunch, the window seats were already filled with a long queue. With the experience from yesterday, Chen Yu had already prepared all the braised dishes and kept them warm in severalrge pots. At this moment, he found an empty table in the lobby on the first floor and was chatting andughing with Aunt Li. "Since the first day you rented my shop, I believed in you. I never expected you to decide to buy it so soon." Chen Yuughed awkwardly, "Well, I''m with Tong Ya now, and I just want topletely stabilize the business." Aunt Li sighed, "A few days ago, I was thinking of introducing you to my third daughter, but now, it seems a bitte." As she spoke, Aunt Li brought out all the documents rted to the shop. "ording to the current house prices, selling the whole ce to you would be around eight million four hundred fifty thousand. You would need about two million five hundred thousand for the down payment!" Chen Yu took the documents and nced over them, roughly understanding the details. "Thank you, Aunt Li! It''s just that I don''t have enough money on hand right now..." "Don''t worry about it!" Aunt Li waved her hand generously, "I see the daily profits of your shop; you''ll probably be able to buy this ce in two or three months! I won''t sell this shop to anyone else during this period." Hearing this, Chen Yu immediately felt relieved. After all, this shop was one of the most popr on the street, and many people were keeping an eye on it. People had been calling Aunt Li to inquire about the price not too long ago. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Aunt Li took some pancakes and braised dishes and left the shop. "Xiao Yu!" Li Lan suddenly called out. Chen Yu turned around and saw that Li Lan and Chen Guang had already packed their luggage. "Mom and Dad, what''s this?" Chen Guang patted Chen Yu on the shoulder. "We''ve seen how well your shop has been doing these past few days. As long as you''re doing well, we''re at ease and don''t want to be a burden to you here," he said. Chen Yu quickly stepped forward, "How could you be a burden..." Li Lan waved her hand and interrupted Chen Yu. "We still have things to deal with back home, and we need to leave now. It''s not like we won''te back. What are you so nervous about?" Chen Yu instantly let out a sigh of relief, "Next time youe, I''ll make sure you stay in a new house." Li Lan looked relieved and affectionately caressed Chen Yu''s cheek. "Your filial piety is enough! But remember, treat Tong Ya well. She doesn''t care about anything else and is with you, you must never let her down." Chen Yu nodded: "Don''t worry!" Li Lan gave a few more instructions and then went out with Chen Guang to hail a cab straight for the train station. "Old Chen, who were those two elders just now?" Xie Jiang walked over with his face covered in dust. "They are my parents!" Chen Yu replied with a smile. "Oh, Uncle, Auntie came!" Xie Jiang smacked his head: "Look at me, I was so busy I didn''t even know about it. Had I known, I would havee to greet them." Chen Yu waved his hand: "It''s fine! Old Xie, you seem a bit too busytely." Xie Jiang chuckled, then pulled aic book out of his coat. "It''s all thanks to that little girl in your shop! She put the entire process of my remodeling work into aic book, and these past few days, I''ve been hired by fans of theic." Chen Yu was somewhat surprised; he hadn''t expected Tang Xiaowei''sic to not only promote his shop but also inadvertently bring business to Xie Jiang. "That''s great!" Chen Yu ushered Xie Jiang into the shop: "Hungry? How about a bowl of noodles for you?" "No, I want a pancake today!" Xie Jiang sat down and took out a list. "Old Chen, about the pot you asked for yesterday, I wasn''t able to deliver it. I made another call this morning, and it''ll be delivered this afternoon." "No worries, no rush!" Chen Yu personally brought over some pancakes and braised dishes for Xie Jiang. ... At five in the afternoon, Xie Jiang arrived with a few workers, bringing in twenty huge high-pressure cookers into the shop. "Old Chen,e out for the delivery!" Chen Yu hurriedly summoned Chu Hong and Han Cai toe help to receive the goods. The quality of the high-pressure cookers far exceeded Chen Yu''s expectations, a lot better than the five he used to use. While Chen Yu was helping with moving the cookers, Tong Ya bounced into the shop with Tuan Tuan. "Husband, I''m back!" Tong Ya called out sweetly and flew into Chen Yu''s arms like a swallow. Xie Jiang was also stunned upon seeing this scene. "Old Chen, what''s this...?" Xie Jiang had always seen Tong Ya in the shop before. But back then, Tong Ya stayed there in her capacity as Tuan Tuan''s dance teacher. He hadn''t expected her to now be calling Chen Yu her husband! Chen Yu also wrapped his arms around Tong Ya''s shoulders naturally: "This is my girlfriend." Xie Jiang was taken aback: "Congrattions! When did this happen? I wasn''t prepared." With that, Xie Jiang started to fumble around on his person. Soon, he took out a slightly wrinkled red envelope, quickly pulling out a few hundred-yuan bills from his wallet to stuff inside it. Chen Yu quickly stepped forward to stop him: "Old Xie, we haven''t had our wedding yet, you''re being too generous." Xie Jiang pped his forehead: "Look at me, I''m all muddled!" Feeling a bit embarrassed, he put the red envelope away and then pulled out a business card. "My wife does wedding nning, call her directly if you need anything." Chen Yu was taken aback and quickly took the business card. Before he could even say thank you, Xie Jiang produced another card. "This is Old Zhang''s wife''s card, she works at the same ce as my wife, you can call her too." Chen Yu''s eyes widened in surprise and quickly looked at the card; it really was Zhang Fan''s wife. He hadn''t expected that their wives would have this connection. Chapter 66: Chapter 66: Kissed Twenty pressure cookers at three hundred yuan each, Chen Yu paid six thousand yuan, exchanged a few pleasantries with Xie Jiang, then moved these pressure cookers into the kitchen. By six in the evening, all the braised delicacies had sold out, but customers still came non-stop for the fried cakes and vegetable rolls. Moreover, the matter of Chen Yu and Tong Ya had spread among the neighbors, and everyone who came by would offer their congrattions. By eight at night, with barely any customers left, Chen Yu called Chu Hong and the others to start closing up. He then took out the ount book and began to calcte. Now the daily consumption of flour in the shop totaled about six thousand jin. From the recent sales figures, the amount of flour used for fried cakes and vegetable rolls had stabilized at around two thousand jin. The remaining amount of flour might increase as the variety and quantity of braised foods increased. The other ingredients, such as fillings for fried cakes and vegetable rolls, solid oils, and some seasoning, totaled less than twenty thousand yuan. After a quick calction, Chen Yu began to order raw materials. This time he ordered raw materials for five days straight, with just flour amounting to a whopping fifty thousand jin. Following the calctions just now, he based the flour proportion on selling four thousand jin of braised food per day. Adding the other raw materials and the four thousand jin of pork needed for the next day, the total cost was two hundred and ny thousand yuan. "Congrattions to the host for perfectlypleting one day of business, today''s profit is one hundred and eighty-two thousand two hundred yuan, earning one hundred and eighty-two thousand two hundred points. The current total umted points are one million three hundred eighty-two thousand two hundred eighty points." The system prompt sounded in Chen Yu''s mind, but there was no longer any change in his expression. It seemed he had grown ustomed to the voice of the system. Counting the twenty-one thousand yuan in working capital left over from yesterday, together with today''s neen thousand eight hundred plus yuan. The total was over four hundred and eight thousand yuan! After paying the cost of raw materials, he was left with over one hundred and eighteen thousand yuan. He transferred one hundred and ten thousand yuan into the current ount, and as usual, Chen Yu left himself with a reserve of over eight thousand yuan. After briefly recording the ounts, Chen Yu breathed a sigh of relief. Even though he had the system to precisely calcte profit every day, as a formal storefront, he still had to file taxes at the end of the month, so keeping a basic ount book was necessary. Before long, severalrge trucks rumbled up to the door. The delivery drivers had be numb to it. To other stores of the same size they delivered, none received more than one-fifth of what Chen Yu''s shop did. Everyone knew how prosperous Chen Yu''s shop was. After exchanging a few simple pleasantries as usual, the drivers helped with the delivery. Even with the many trolleys Chen Yu had ready in the shop, it took over twenty minutes to finish unloading the goods. It wasn''t until eight forty-five that Chu Hong and the rest finished their staff meal and hurried back to the dormitory. Having locked the door tightly, Chen Yu stretched his limbs and went upstairs. Tong Ya was already lovingly holding Tuan Tuan, watching an animated film. "Daddy, do you want to watch with us?" Chen Yu smiled slightly, "No, I''ve added two thousand jin of braised food for tomorrow, I need to get to bed early tonight." With that, Chen Yu yawned broadly and took a hasty shower before returning to his room. But just as hey down in bed, the door opened. Immediately after, Tong Ya lifted his cover and slipped in. Chen Yu''s pupils dted, "What are you doing?" Tong Ya pouted and hugged Chen Yu tightly without concern. "Can''t I sleep holding my own husband?" Chen Yu''s head was filled with metaphorical ck lines: "He''s not a husband yet, he''s a boyfriend!" "What''s the difference?" Tong Ya was somewhat relentless. "We haven''t reached that stage yet, be good and go back to your room!" Sparks of light flickered in Tong Ya''s eyes: "Did you just tell me to ''be good''?" Chen Yu nodded, just about to speak, when Tong Ya suddenly sealed his lips with hers. Chen Yu''s body stiffened, and his mind wentpletely nk. After kissing for a while, Tong Ya released Chen Yu with her face flushed red. "Then I''ll be good and go back to my room! Can you kiss me every night before you go to sleep?" Chen Yu''s throat moved slightly, and he subconsciously uttered a sound of agreement. Tong Ya immediately cheered up: "Then I''m going to sleep, sending you a heart!" After saying that, Tong Ya left the room with a sense of reluctance. But the moment she left the room, she immediately gave Tuan Tuan a high-five. "I got a kiss!" She said excitedly, then carried Tuan Tuan back to her room. At four o''clock the next morning, Chen Yu, having had a full night''s sleep, washed up and went straight to the kitchen on the first floor. He stored the previously smaller five pressure cookers in the warehouse. Then he designated a spot in the kitchen and arranged twentyrge pressure cookers in four rows. Each cooker could hold up to sixty pounds of braised food at a time, and with twenty cookers working simultaneously, he could produce twelve hundred pounds in one go. The only downside was that withrger pots, it took a bit longer than before. Producing a batch took a little over fifty minutes. The pig heads and knuckles delivered by the suppliers were all cleaned up, so Chen Yu didn''t need to waste too much time. He cleaned the blood froth with ingredients in therge pot to remove any gamey smell, then threw in the sauce mixture straight into the pressure cookers. It must be said that preparing twelve hundred pounds of pig heads and knuckles at once was indeed somewhat tiring. Fortunately, by four thirty, the six girls had already arrived at the shop. Li Yu and Su Qing were still in charge of the second floor, and for the next two or three days, Su Qing would be tirelessly preparing semi-finished rice cakes and vegetable rolls. Chen Yu prepared the braised dishes with the help of the other four girls. ording to the n, Chen Yu prepared four thousand pounds of braised food that day. To be honest, he wasn''t very confident about selling all the braised food. At six in the morning, the first batch of braised food arrived fashionablyte. However, the blend of five vors filled the air with a fragrance that immediately caused a stir in the shop. Chen Yu was not idle either, he continued to work tirelessly on preparing the pig heads and knuckles. Just then, a business van suddenly stopped at the door. Tong Ming, along with an assistant, hurried into the shop. Upon entering, Tong Ming directed his assistant to order food, while he found a small stool to sit near the kitchen. "Little brother, I''m back!" Chen Yu looked up and was a bit surprised. "Old sir, didn''t you go back to the capital?" Tong Mingughed heartily: "Well, I''ve just been craving the braised dishes you make! And besides, I''ve decided to open a newpany in Suzhou City." Chen Yu didn''t say much, just smiled and congratted him, then turned back to his work. At that moment, Tong Ming was also captivated by the mingling aromas in the air. Chapter 67: Chapter 67 Misunderstandings ``` "Li Shuai, bring me three taels of each new vor. I want to try them all!" Tong Ming shouted over to the assistant who was cing the order, then wiped his drool. After returning to the capital, Tong Ming had trouble sleeping, as he realized that his taste buds had been conquered by Chen Yu. Helpless, he had even gone to Duan Fu Ji''s specifically to buy several pounds of braised dishes. But he found that the braised dishes from Duan Fu Ji, once considered the best in the capital, tasted like wax to him now. He had even thought about asking someone to buy some from Suzhou City. But the distance was too far, and the food might spoil by the time it got back. After much deliberation, Tong Ming decided to open a branch in the capital. He would work from there from now on. In essence, it meant he had informally moved the headquarters to Suzhou City. But now that everyone was working remotely, it didn''t matter where the headquarters were located. Before long, Li Shuai came up to Tong Ming with the braised dishes, and also ordered some fried cakes and vegetable dumplings on the side. Tong Ming immediately picked up his chopsticks and grabbed a piece of the spicy pig''s head. The taste left an aromatic vor on the lips, was rich but not greasy, with the spiciness and aroma hitting just the right spot. "That''s the vor!" Tong Ming shouted excitedly and called Li Shuai over to join him. "My man, I''m going to treat this ce like a regr canteen from now on. The work meals for mypany will be set here." "Great! Then let me thank you in advance." No matter how you looked at it, an entirepany''s work meals were a big deal for Chen Yu. And today, with an additional two thousand pounds of braised meat, he was indeed a bit worried about not selling out. At this time, Tong Ya came out of the third floor room with sleepy, rxed eyes. Just as she was about to go downstairs, she suddenly shivered and quickly hid at the corner of the staircase. "Damn, why is he here again!" "Mommy, why are you hiding here?" Tuan Tuan, also with his backpack, had just stepped out the door. Tong Ya, a bit flustered, her eyes darting around, quickly covered her stomach. "My stomach feels a bit ufortable, I might not be able to go to kindergarten today!" Tuan Tuan immediately became anxious: "Then I won''t go either, I''ll stay home to take care of you!" Tong Ya nodded repeatedly: "Okay, I''ll call in for a leave." Saying this, Tong Ya put on a pained expression and hurried back into her room. Tuan Tuan put down his backpack, ready to go downstairs. "I''m going to tell dad!" "Don''t!" Tong Ya quickly stopped him: "It''s a busy time right now, don''t distract your dad. Besides, it''s just a stomachache, not a serious illness." Tuan Tuan hesitated for a moment and then nodded obediently before sitting quietly to one side. At this moment, Tong Ya''s brain was rapidly thinking of a strategy. At seven in the morning, Tong Ming showed no signs of leaving, still savoring Chen Yu''s braised dishes. Just then, Tang Xiaowei bounced into the shop, dressed in a frog costume. "Yu, I''vee out earlier than nned, get me something to eat quick, I''m starving!" Just as she yelled out, Tang Xiaowei stood frozen on the spot. Her frog costume hugged her figure, with her head visible outside. At that moment, her gaze met Tong Ming''s. "Xiaowei? What are you doing here?" ``` ``` Tang Xiaowei instinctively stood at attention and couldn''t help but swallow. "Tong... Uncle..." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow involuntarily as he carried several tbreads and a pound of marinated meat out of the kitchen and handed them to Tang Xiaowei. "What, you know each other?" Tang Xiaowei panicked at once, "Only met before!" Then, she quickly grabbed the tray from Chen Yu''s hands and hurried upstairs. This left Chen Yu quite puzzled, and he turned his head to cast an inquiring look at Tong Ming. "She..." Tong Ming didn''t conceal the truth, "She''s the daughter of a friend of mine, but what is she doing here?" "She can be considered a VIP around here!" Chen Yu pointed to a mural on the side, "She painted that, and she also drew aic book to specifically promote my shop." Tong Ming was somewhat surprised, "Old Tang''s daughter became a painter?" Chen Yu didn''t say much more; it was a busy time, and he wasn''t in the mood for idle chatter. "Old Chen, can you provide fifty tbreads and twenty pounds of marinated meat right now? I''m in a hurry." Xie Jiang entered the shop, wearing a safety helmet and work clothes, looking rather anxious. "Sure, I''ll pack it up for you right now!" Chen Yu quickly responded. Xie Jiang was relieved, as he was off to tackle an emergency project. If he couldn''t get the tbreads and marinated meat, they would have had to hastily eat something else for lunch. "Speaking of which, Old Chen, where''s your girlfriend? Why haven''t I seen her today?" Chen Yu paused in the middle of packing the tbreads; Tong Ya seemed not to havee downstairs today. These past few days, every morning when taking Tuan Tuan out, Tong Ya woulde to the kitchen to hug him before leaving. Could something have happened? "Upstairs!" Chen Yu replied briefly and then asked Chu Hong, who was next to him, to pack up Xie Jiang''s order. He rubbed his hands together and hurried upstairs. Tong Ming, who had been sitting aside, suddenly moved close to Xie Jiang. "This young boss Chen, he''s got a girlfriend now?" Xie Jiang nodded, "It''s a recent development! Before, Old Chen was divorced with a child, but now it''s good, he''s finally able to find a stepmother for the child and have aplete family." Tong Ming became gossipy all at once, "He just said his girlfriend is upstairs, they must be living together already." "It seems so!" Xie Jiang nodded, "But Old Chen''s girlfriend is really not bad; not only is she pretty, but she also has a good personality, and she''s quite a good match for Old Chen." In the meantime, Chu Hong had finished packing up the tbreads and marinated meat. Xie Jiang quickly paid, exchanged a few words with Tong Ming, and then hurried off. Tong Ming stood there with bulging eyes, stunned for quite a while. "Just now, Old Tang''s daughter went upstairs, and Boss Chen said that Xiaowei is his VIP, could it be..." After muttering to himself for a while, Tong Ming suddenly pped his hands together. "That Old Tang, too much, I just mentioned his marinated meat to himst time, and he actually sent his daughter out." Li Shuai, who was next to him, overheard and quickly came over. "Manager Tong, are you saying Tang Family''s daughter has be someone''s stepmother?" "What do you mean stepmother?" Tong Ming was inexplicably irritated, "With such an outstanding young man, what''s wrong with being a stepmother?" Li Shuai was suddenly scolded, and he was a bit startled. "Manager Tong, I meant that it''s been over two years since Tang has been looking for his daughter, do you think we should talk to Tang Family about it?" Without hesitation, Tong Ming took out his cellphone, "Today we have a cooperation project with Tang Family, and it''s agreed to discuss it in Suzhou City; I think we should just meet directly here!" At this moment, Chen Yu had already gone upstairs. As soon as he entered, he saw Tong Ya holding Tang Xiaowei''s hand, with what seemed to be a pleading look in her eyes. ``` Chapter 68: Chapter 68 The One I Fancy "What happened?" Chen Yu''s frown deepened. Tuan Tuan also came out of the kitchen with a bowl of hot water at this moment. "Dad, you''re finally here. Mommy has a stomachache and can''t go to kindergarten today." Chen Yu hurried over, sat down beside Tong Ya, and ced his hand over her stomach. "Does it hurt here?" Tong Ya immediately made a pained expression and leaned into Chen Yu''s embrace. "My whole stomach hurts, you must rub it for me." Tang Xiaowei suddenly froze there, questioning her life choices. When she came up, she hadn''t seen Tuan Tuan, only Tong Ya lying on the sofa. She had just told Tong Ya that her dad was here, and immediately following, Chen Yu came in. Now, seeing the intimacy between Chen Yu and Tong Ya, coupled with Tuan Tuan''s earlier reference, she was momentarily unable to react. "What do you mean? Are you guys together now?" Tong Ya looked blissful, "It just happened yesterday!" Tang Xiaowei took a deep breath, "But downstairs..." "There are many guests!" Tong Ya interrupted her urgently, "Husband, you better go down first! It''s not that serious; I just need to take some medicine and rest a bit." Chen Yu still looked worried, "Are you sure you''re okay?" "It''s fine, and besides, Xiaowei and Tuan Tuan are here!" Chen Yu rubbed Tong Ya''s stomach a few more times before he stood up and went downstairs. Once Chen Yu left, Tang Xiaowei gestured with her mouth. "Your dad is here!" Tong Ya responded in kind with her mouth, "I know, we just need to hide well." "But he saw me, and he recognized me!" Tang Xiaowei eximed in shock. Tuan Tuan also seemed taken aback, "Auntie Xiaowei, who recognized you?" Tang Xiaowei was suddenly embarrassed and unsure how to respond. Tong Ya quickly waved her hand, "It''s nothing! Tuan Tuan, you go back to your room and rest for a while. I need to talk to your Auntie Xiaowei about something." Tuan Tuan obediently responded and went back to his room, even closing the door behind him. Tang Xiaowei quickly sat beside Tong Ya, "What should we do? Your dad knows I''m here; he''s definitely going to call my dad." Tong Ya''s face showed her dilemma, as the Tong Family and the Tang Family had always had a close business connection. With Tong Ming''s sudden appearance in Suzhou City, Tang Xiaowei''s father might be nearby too. Although Tong Ming and Chen Yu had a sort of mutual admiration when they metst time, he might not want his daughter ying stepmother to someone else. Just then, Tong Ya''s phone suddenly received a message. "Where are you now?" It was a message from Tong Ming. Before she could reply, Tong Ming sent another message with his location. "You and Xiaowei are always together. I''ve met her here, so you must be nearby. Come over here at once." Tong Ya steadied her nerves. At least for now, Tong Ming didn''t know about her and Chen Yu''s affair. "I''m busy with something and can''t make it over!" No sooner had she sent the message than Tong Ming sent back a voice message. "I''ve met a very outstanding young man here, worthy of entrusting your life to. Come and meet him right away." Tong Ya''s pupils dted sharply, and an inexplicable anger surged in her heart. "Mind your own business," Tong Ya also shouted back in a voice message. "Stop sulking at me, do you know that your Uncle Tang''s daughter is already with someone else! This is the guy I''ve taken a fancy to, I absolutely cannot let the Tang Family have him." Tong Ya was instantly dumbfounded when she received this message. She looked up at Tang Xiaowei with a touch of surprise, "You have a boyfriend?" Tang Xiaowei''s mouth formed an O shape, "How is that possible?" The two looked at each other, their facial expressions incredibly animated. After a while, Tang Xiaowei spoke with some uncertainty, "Could your dad be talking about Chen Yu? Maybe he got the wrong idea seeing me here." Tong Ya was also momentarily stunned, the location Tong Ming had sent was indeed the store''s location. At this ce, the only person that could have caught Tong Ming''s eye seemed to be Chen Yu. Tong Ya instinctively took this as the correct assumption, since the man she admired was undeniably excellent. ¡­ At this moment, Tong Ming was sitting in the lobby on the first floor, angrily sending messages. He also arranged to meet Tang Long in the store. When he saw Chen Yuing downstairs, he went to meet him with the aid of his cane. "Mr. Chen, do you know about your girlfriend''s family background?" Chen Yu paused for a moment, thinking that the old man was being overly nosy¡ªwhy was he suddenly asking about his girlfriend? "We haven''t been together very long, she hasn''t said much, and I haven''t asked much!" "You''re with her without even knowing her family background," Tong Ming sighed with a look of pity, "That''s not good, vague backgrounds can lead to future troubles." Chen Yu frowned, giving Tong Ming a baffled look. "Sir, I respect you, and I ask that you respect me too. Please don''t discuss my girlfriend like this." Tong Ming quickly waved his hands, "I didn''t mean it like that, I''m saying when two peoplee together, they should at least know each other''s backgrounds well." "I have a daughter, who in terms of looks, definitely does not fall short of your girlfriend, in terms of personality, she''s gentle and modest, and she''s also studied finance and business management¡ªshe''s truly a capable woman of the house." Tong Ming was now tirelessly promoting his own daughter. It wasn''t just because he wanted a long-term meal ticket here, but mainly because he was impressed with the resilience Chen Yu exhibited. Moreover, in his eyes, Tang Xiaowei was sent by Tang Long as a deliberate attempt to sabotage him. When he returned to the capital that day, he told Tang Long about what happened in Suzhou City, while also mentioning the idea of marrying off his daughter. This time, seeing Tang Xiaowei in Chen Yu''s store, how could he not be furious? Chen Yu busied himself with the work at hand while asionally chatting with Tong Ming. However, he now felt that the old man before him was just looking to cause trouble. Trying to marry off his daughter to him as an indirect investment in the store. So, Chen Yu wore an expression that said, "I''ve seen through your scheme," and didn''t respond directly to Tong Ming. At half-past nine in the morning, amercial vehicle, nked by two security cars, stopped in front of the store. Following this, an elderly man about the same age as Tong Ming walked into the store with a beaming smile. "Old Tong, what''s the hurry calling me over here?" Tong Ming nced at Tang Long with irritation. "Old Tang! We''ve been friends for decades, I never thought you would actually try to poach from me." Tang Long was taken aback, "Where did thate from?" Tong Ming huffed and then walked over to the disy window. "Mr. Chen, call your girlfriend down, it''s this shameless daughter of his." Chen Yu''s face was full of frustration: "May I ask who this gentleman is?" Tong Ming, leaning on his cane, looked at Tang Long with some anger. "He is your girlfriend Tang Xiaowei''s father!" Chapter 69: Chapter 69: With Great Righteousness Chen Yu''s expression was quite a spectacle. "Mr. Tong, you''ve misunderstood, Xiaowei isn''t my girlfriend." Tong Ming''s eyes immediately lit up, "She isn''t?" A furious anger erupted from Tang Long''s eyes, "What? That disobedient wretch is here?" Chen Yu nodded, "She''s upstairs eating, she just finished a painting these past couple of days, quite exhausted." Tang Long was immediately so angry he couldn''t contain himself, rolling up his sleeves preparing to go upstairs. "Really went off to paint! She ignores the huge family business I have, and does nothing all day long..." Chen Yu quickly stepped forward to block Tang Long, "Sir, this is my ce after all, so I hope you won''t go too far." Tang Long was stunned, no one had ever dared to talk to him like this. "And you are?" Next to him, Tong Ming coughed twice, "He''s thed I''ve taken a liking to." Tang Long raised an eyebrow, "Not humble or arrogant, he''s got a bit of Qi Force! Speaking of which, since my daughter Xiaowei is here, what''s between you and her..." "Surname Tong, you''re going too far!" Tong Ming grabbed Tang Long''s wrist. Chen Yu felt a bit frustrated, howe both old men wanted to push their daughters onto him? At this moment, Tong Ya and Tang Xiaowei were hiding around the corner on the third floor, watching everything that was happening in the lobby on the first floor. "Xiaowei, it looks like the misunderstanding has been cleared, you should go down!" Tang Xiaowei pouted, "Fine, but you remember this day; you sold out your best sister just to save yourself." Tong Ya grabbed Tang Xiaowei''s arm, soothing her back like she was consoling a child. "Come on, you know the situation between me and my dad the best! At most, you''re just being forced by Uncle Tang to take over the family business, but me..." "Alright, no more talk!" Tang Xiaowei interrupted with a righteousness, "Remember your promise." "For the next five years, I''ve got your meals covered!" Tong Ya made a swearing gesture. "No, I want ten years!" Tang Xiaowei said defiantly, staring at Tong Ya. "The rest of your life if need be," Tong Ya said in a hurry. Based on how things were unfolding in the lobby, she was about to be exposed. Tang Xiaowei turned her head and straightened her clothes. She had swapped her previous doll-like attire for a rather stylish women''s suit. "The wind is bleak, the waters of Yi chilled, a warrior departs, never to return!" Muttering a line of poetry to psych herself up, Tang Xiaowei then headed straight downstairs. "Uncle Tong." She called out with a polite hum and then went directly to Tang Long and Tong Ming. However, her appearance made Chen Yu pause for a moment. The previously cute and adorable look had vanished, reced by the efficiency of a tycoon''s daughter. With the cane in his hand, Tang Long tapped the ground, "Don''t you see your father standing here? Not even a greeting, no manners at all!" Tang Xiaowei''s throat moved slightly, and after a long pause, she quietly called out, "Dad!" But that one word diminished much of the anger on Tang Long''s face. "Became a painter?" Tang Xiaowei nodded, "Mhm." Tang Long let out a long sigh, "I neverpletely opposed your hobby in the first ce! You can paint, but you also need to take the time to manage some of the family affairs." "But you, you just ran off for years on end!" Though his words sounded incredibly stern, Tang Xiaowei felt a warmth in her heart. And with the atmosphere already built up to this point, if she didn''t kneel down for a father-daughter reunion, it would be an injustice to the scene. Just as she was about to step forward, Tong Ming suddenly began to inquire. "Xiaowei, where is that unfilial daughter of mine? Where is she?" In that instant, all the emotion and ambiance welling up inside Tang Xiaowei dissipated into nothingness. "She... she''s on a business trip... Yes, a business trip!" Tong Ming naturally knew that Tang Xiaowei was fobbing him off. "You tell her when you turn around, that she can either note home or not recognize me as her father, either works! But she must marry the man I''ve chosen for her, and at least give me a decent grandson, or even a granddaughter will do! It''d also give this old man a glimmer of hope to see." Tang Xiaowei still responded very politely, and then she suddenly looked up at Chen Yu. "Uncle Tong, is the person you''ve chosen none other than Boss Chen?" Tong Ming coughed lightly, "Such an outstanding young man, who wouldn''t like him? Especially his cooking skills..." At this point, Tong Ming involuntarily swallowed. Tang Xiaowei also breathed a sigh of relief, "Then you don''t have to worry, I think she will definitely take a liking to Boss Chen." Chen Yu instantly felt unhappy, as if these three people could decide his lifelong matter with just a few words. "I already have a girlfriend, so there''s no need for everyone to worry! Since Xiaowei and Mr. Tang have reunited today, I''ll y the host..." "Great!" Tong Ming eagerly waved, "Two more servings of each vor, please!" After he spoke, Tong Ming leaned in towards Chen Yu once more, "Xiao Chen, my daughter is definitely an excellent choice, take some time to think about it, and I''ll send her overter so you can meet her." Chen Yu''s brows knitted tightly, "Mr. Tong, about my personal matters, aren''t you..." "Let''s not talk about this now, time will tell!" Thest time Tang Long had listened to Tong Ming, he had praised this restaurant''s braised dishes to the skies. As soon as the first te was served, he couldn''t wait to take a bite. "Hmm! Delicious, tender and refreshing, fat but not greasy, soft without falling apart! Old Tang, no wonder you want to send off your daughter, you''re trading for a lifetime meal ticket!" Tong Mingughed heartily without saying much more. Only after they had finished eating and left did Tong Ya, who had been hiding around the corner on the third floor, breathe a sigh of relief. "Mom, you''ve been squatting here for quite some time. Have you been secretly watching Dad?" Caught off guard, Tong Ya quicklyposed herself. "Yes, don''t you think that from here, the side profile of your dad is particrly handsome?" Tuan Tuan peered skeptically around the corner. "I don''t see anything special!" Tong Ya coughed lightly, "Alright, my stomach has been hurting all morning, and I''m a bit hungry now; let''s have Dad get us something to eat." Tuan Tuan pped her hands subconsciously, but on second thought, she found Tong Ya''s words a bit awkward. However, she didn''t ponder it much and skipped down the stairs, pulling on Tong Ya''s hand. It was already past two in the afternoon by then, and the crowds had thinned out. Chen Yu also had a moment of leisure, finding a table to sit down at. "Daddy, Mommy is hungry," Tuan Tuan dered, sitting directly opposite Chen Yu. Chen Yu quickly stood up to steady Tong Ya, "How are you feeling? Better?" "Much better. If you would kiss me again, I would bepletely healed!" Tong Ya''s voice was very low, and her tone carried a different kind of charm, making Chen Yu''s heart flutter. With evident affection, he pinched Tong Ya''s nose and then brought out a bottle of hot milk. "Have some milk first to warm up your stomach. We''ll eat the rest slowly; otherwise, your stomach might start hurting again." While talking, Chen Yu rubbed Tong Ya''s head as if soothing a child. Chapter 70: 70 chapters The same person Suzhou City Tong Group''s temporary office. Tong Ming leaned on his cane as he stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the scenery of Suzhou City. This building was the tallest in Suzhou City, with over sixty floors, and it was a private asset of the Tong Group. Moreover, this ce was just three streets away from Chen Yu''s shop, allowing one to have a clear view of everything inside the shop. When Tang Xiaowei followed Tong Ming and Tang Long here, she too was taken aback. She suddenly felt her sacrifice was utterly meaningless, as this high vantage point made it very easy to discern the rtionship between Tong Ya and Chen Yu. And upon further reflection, Tang Xiaowei also felt it was somewhat unfair. Now, Tong Ming clearly had an attitude of admiration towards Chen Yu and had even explicitly expressed his intention to marry Tong Ya off to Chen Yu. It was just that Tong Ya was somewhat afraid now. After all, Chen Yu had already met with Tong Ming twice, yet Tong Ya had always refrained from revealing her rtionship with Tong Ming. She feared that this matter might leave a bad impression in Chen Yu''s heart. Tang Xiaowei couldn''t help but sigh softly, continuously brainwashing herself. She had taken the risk for the sake of sisterly love, and of course, for the security of ten years'' worth of meals. Trying her best to maintain her own upstanding moral integrity. Tong Ming stared at the shop for a while before suddenly turning his head. "Xiaowei, tell me, what does Tong Ya''s current boyfriend do?" Tang Xiaowei was taken aback for a moment; she hadn''t discussed this question with Tong Ya on the way here. "Well... Uncle Tong, I can assure you, you will definitely like Xiao Ya''s boyfriend." Tong Ming humphed lightly, "Is he as excellent as Boss Chen?" Tang Xiaowei didn''t quite know how to exin and couldn''t help but mock in her heart, aren''t these two the same person? "Uncle Tong, I actually have always been wondering, what exactly do you see in Chen Yu?" A look of admiration shed across Tong Ming''s face, "In this world, there are not many people who can take one thing and do it to the utmost extreme." "Just by the standard to which he has brought his braised dishes, he can surely handle other matters well! And with his qualities, I''m even certain that if the Tong Group is handed over to him, it could reach even greater heights." Tang Xiaowei couldn''t help but open her mouth wide; Tong Group was a publicly-listedpany, with a market value close to three hundred billion. It ranked near the top across the world. It seems Tong Ming has already appointed Chen Yu as his sessor. In this day and age, the biggest headache for all the rich worldwide was the matter of session. After all, who would be willing to hand over the enterprise they had painstakingly built over a lifetime to an outsider? Yet, entrusting it to one''s own children, they feared they might prove unworthy, squandering the inheritance within a few years. Tong Ya was Tong Ming''s only daughter, so she had been subject to an education tens of times more severe than others since childhood, all to groom her to be the heir to the Tong Group. But unexpectedly, the father and daughter eventually fell out. And after fleeing her home, Tong Ya even refused to use what Tong Ming had taught her to make a living, instead, choosing to be a kindergarten teacher, a profession she was amateurish in and not particrly skilled at. Even so, Tong Ya managed to stand out among her peers, and even defeated numerous professionalpetitors, winning many major awards. Now, it seemed that Tong Ming had given up on Tong Ya and had begun to look for a new heir. At this moment, as Tang Xiaowei propped her chin, thinking it over, the tenacity in Chen Yu and his determination not to bow down to life did indeed qualify him to be the heir of the Tong Group. "Uncle Tong, I suggest you invite Ya and her boyfriend to dinner together..." "Right!" Tong Ming tapped the ground with his cane, "Let''s see if this critter is a mule or a horse, gotta take it out for a walk. I''m curious to see what kind of goods this little rascal really is!" At this moment, Tong Ming had made up his mind. As long as Tong Ya brought that little rascal along, he would milk him for a huge bride price. These days, it''s not umon for couples to split up because they couldn''t afford the bride price. Besides, he had a thousand other ways to make that little rascal give up. However, he still had to consider Chen Yu''s girlfriend; if all else failed, he''d resort to some scheming. All for the sake of the meal ticket for the rest of his life... no, for the future of Tong Ya and the Tong Group. "By the way, have you seen the girlfriend of that young boss Chen? Is she as pretty as Tong Ya?" Tang Xiaowei felt a bit dazed, this talk was all about the same person after all. "Pretty, as beautiful as Tong Ya, and she''s very caring towards Chen Yu. She doesn''t even mind being a stepmother." "What''s wrong with being a stepmother?" Tong Ming suddenly got more irritable, "With Tong Ya''s rebellious nature and all her faults, wanting to be a stepmother, people might not even want her." Tang Xiaowei was full of ck lines in her head; in Tong Ming''s eyes, Tong Ya was already less important than Chen Yu. "Uncle Tong, if I can find a way to bring Tong Ya and Chen Yu together, could you invest in a studio for me?" Sitting aside, Tang Long suddenly pped the table and picked up his cane. "You brat, you''ve even learned to make demands now, are you itching for a spanking?" Tong Ming hurriedly stepped forward to stop him, "Old Tang, I think Xiaowei indeed has talent in painting. Not to mention investing in a studio, I''d even arrange an art exhibit for her." Tang Long harrumphed softly, "You old fool, just thinking about your own meal ticket for thetter half of your life." Exposed so mercilessly, Tong Ming felt a bit embarrassed. "Xiaowei, please take extra care with Uncle Tong''s matter. If you need anything, just ask." The corners of Tang Xiaowei''s mouth flickered with a smile. Anyway, given the current situation, she wouldn''t be able to keep it a secret for much longer. And after having dedicated herself for such a long time, Tong Ya hadn''t even sent her a single text message. ... At eight-thirty in the evening, thest of the braised foods were barely sold out. Chen Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had indeed been reckless today. Four thousand pounds of braised food, more than a thousand pounds of which were bought by Tong Ming as a work meal. Otherwise, he really wouldn''t have been able to sell it all. It wasn''t until nine at night that the shop was cleaned and tidied up. But Chen Yu still ordered four thousand pounds of pork, since Tong Ming had already reserved tomorrow''s work meals as well. [Congrattions to the host for perfectlypleting one day of business, with a profit of 38,200 yuan for the day and a cumtive total of 38,200 points earned, bringing the current total points to 1,420,480.] Chen Yu was somewhat surprised; he had invested a full 290,000 yuan in ordering raw materials yesterday. And yet he had made a profit on the very first day. He roughly calcted that today''s revenue reached 328,200 yuan. Indeed, the addition of two thousand pounds of braised food also increased the sales of pancakes and noodles. After paying for the four thousand pounds of pork, which cost 32,000 yuan, he had 296,200 yuan left in his hands. Adding in the over-eight-thousand yuan of reserve funds from yesterday, the total was over three hundred thousand. Chen Yu directly deposited the whole 300,000 yuan into a demand deposit ount, leaving about four thousand yuan for himself as reserve funds. Chapter 71: Chapter 71 Coming to Pledge Apprenticeship The bnce in the current ount had reached one million five hundred and ny thousand. At this rate, it wouldn''t be long before all his ns could be realized. Just as he was about to go and share the good news with Tong Ya, he found that she had already taken Tuan Tuan back to their room to sleep. Chen Yu was instantly puzzled¡ªTong Ya didn''t usually go to bed this early! But Chen Yu didn''t disturb them and just returned to his own room. Early the next morning, as soon as Chen Yu opened the folding door, he saw the chubby man who hade to cause trouble a few days ago sitting dumbly at the doorstep. "Eh? What are you doing here?" When the chubby man saw Chen Yu open the door, he hurriedly stood up. "Boss Chen, after these past two days and a lot of thought, I''ve decided to apprentice myself to you, even if I start as a janitor." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow and sized up the chubby man in front of him. "Actually, I''ve tried the braised dishes from your ce, and they were pretty good." The chubby man couldn''t help but let out a light sigh, "Compared to Boss Chen''s braised dishes, mine are basically pig slop." With that, the chubby man suddenly knelt down in front of Chen Yu. "I, Wang Qingshan, hereby earnestly request to be your disciple today, Boss Chen." This truly startled Chen Yu. Wang Qingshan was nearly forty years old and had established Wang''s Braised Foods ten years ago. He had managed to grow his small shop into its current size, investing untold effort. Although his business was now impacted by Chen Yu''s presence, he still retained many loyal customers who chose his braised foods. Yet now he wanted to be Chen Yu''s apprentice. "Boss Wang, please get up," Chen Yu hurriedly helped Wang Qingshan to his feet. "Boss Chen, I''m sincerely here to ask to be your apprentice; if you don''t agree today, I won''t get up." Chen Yu was somewhat helpless; he had never experienced something like this before. The other breakfast shop owners did nothing but trip him up, y tricks, and spread rumors about him. Now, not only did Wang Qingshan not do that, but he also came to apprentice himself and learn with an open heart. It really put Chen Yu at a loss. "Boss Wang, it''s not that you can''te work with me, but what about your shop? You''ve worked hard for ten years, you can''t just..." "I''ve already closed the shop!" Wang Qingshan''s face showed a hint of determination: "What''s the use of keeping a shop with no customers?" Chen Yu let out a helpless sigh, "Alright then,e in, let me see your skills!" A flicker of excitement passed through Wang Qingshan''s eyes; he quickly got to his feet and followed Chen Yu to the kitchen. "Master, what would you have me do?" Chen Yu immediately raised an eyebrow; to be honest, he didn''t feel he deserved that title. After all, he had gotten to where he was by relying on the system, whereas Wang Qingshan had gotten to his position through his own true skill and hard work. "Chef Wang, how do you usually handle pig heads and knuckles?" Just as Wang Qingshan was about to speak, Chen Yu stopped him and immediately took out the raw materials from the cold storage and ced them in front of him. Wang Qingshan immediately understood that Chen Yu was testing him. Without saying much more, he rolled up his sleeves, picked up a pig head and a knuckle, and put them in the pot. "Master, do you have a high-pressure blowtorch?" Chen Yu shook his head, "I never use that." In fact, a high-pressure blowtorch is a piece of equipment frequently used by many braised food chefs. ``` The first reason was to burn off the hairs sticking to some corners of the skin, and the second was to give the exterior of the meat a crispy texture, achieving the effect of being crispy outside while tender inside. When Wang Qingshan heard that Chen Yu didn''t use a high-pressure blowtorch, he was immediately stunned. "Such delicious braised vors, and they''re not created using a torch?" While talking, Wang Qingshan began to reminisce about the braised meat he''d previously eaten at Chen Yu''s ce. It seemed that Chen Yu''s style was fragrant, soft, and tender,cking the crispness of the outeryer. His own Wang''s Braised Delights were famous for that crispness, but whenpared to Chen Yu''s, they clearly weren''t in the same league. Wang Qingshan eximed in admiration but said no more, skipping the torching step and quickly getting to work. For the initial round, it was necessary to force out the blood foam and other impurities. The whole process was simr to Chen Yu''s but was missing a few ingredients. Still, unsaid, Wang Qingshan''s techniques had reached perfection. The entire process was smooth and efficient, and even Chen Yu had to admire it. After he finished cleaning the pig''s head and knuckles, Chen Yu pped his hands together. "Excellent skills! Master Wang, I''m willing to keep you here, and I can teach you the basic recipe for the braised vors, but you must work in my shop for half a year." "No problem," Wang Qingshan instantly became excited. Chen Yu raised his hand to interrupt, "However, during these six months, I can only pay you a sry of six thousand per month, can you ept that?" "I''ll do it even without pay!" Chen Yu didn''t say much more, simply demonstrating once more in front of Wang Qingshan the method for the initial preparation of the pig''s head and knuckles. "So that''s how it is!" Realization dawned on Wang Qingshan, and without any more words, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work. With such a skilled worker now on board, the initial preparation for the braised vors had someone to rely on, and the speed would also be greatly increased. Chen Yu only needed to add the seasonings into the pressure cooker. At four-thirty in the morning, the six girls arrived at the shop, talking andughing. When they saw Wang Qingshan, they were momentarily taken aback. "Master Wang?" Han Cai leaned excitedly on the disy case, "Master Wang, do you remember me?" Wang Qingshan instinctively turned around, "You are?" "I was crying in front of your shop a month ago; you gave me a bowl of noodles and some braised meat, and five hundred yuan!" Wang Qingshan immediately remembered, "You''re that little girl who was cheated by the employment agency!" Han Cai giggled, "Right, after that Brother Yu took me in! I was going to pay you back this month when I got my sry, but now you''re here too?" Wang Qingshan sighed involuntarily, "Well, I''vee to apprentice myself to Boss Chen!" Han Cai became excited, "Then we can work together from now on." Chen Yu was also surprised, "Well, since that''s the case, starting today, Han Cai will be Master Wang''s assistant!" Han Cai pped her hands and hurried into the kitchen. She had previously been assisting Chen Yu in the kitchen on the first floor and was quite familiar with the operations. Soon, the shop smoothly got into its groove. Chen Yu himself suddenly felt more rxed. Just after five o''clock, Tong Ya, carrying her backpack, tiptoed downstairs with Tuan Tuan. Chen Yu was puzzled, "You two are going to school this early?" Tong Ya suddenly panicked, "There''s apetition at the kindergarten today. I''m going early to get Tuan Tuan a good spot and get familiar with the environment beforehand." Chen Yu didn''t ask any more questions, but simply rubbed the noses of the big beauty and the little one, telling them to be careful on the way. ``` Chapter 72: Chapter 72 Is She Your Girlfriend? ``` With Wang Qingshan''s help, the work sped up significantly. And although Wang Qingshan looked as rotund as a small hill, he was all muscle. A bag of flour weighed a hundred pounds, and Chen Yu usually found carrying one bag somewhat strenuous, but Wang Qingshan could effortlessly shoulder three at a time. This scene genuinely left Chen Yu a bit dumbfounded. The day was no different from any other, the only change being that Wang Qingshan''s arrival had given Chen Yu quite a bit of leisure time. He could even have a decent conversation with the neighbors who visited the ce. In the past, Chen Yu would have been too busy to do more than offer a symbolic response to the neighbors'' chatter. At half past eleven in the morning, Tong Ming sent someone to pick up a thousand pounds of marinated meat. They also paid an advance and said they would take another thousand pounds in the afternoon, asking Chen Yu to keep it aside for them. It seemed that Tong Ming''spany in Suzhou City was well established, and they had quite a few employees. At half past four in the afternoon, Tong Ya came back to the store with Tuan Tuan. Oddly, Tong Ya was wearing a hat and a mask, and also had sunsses covering her face. When she first walked in, even Chen Yu almost failed to recognize her. "What happened to you? Why are you all disguised like this?" Chen Yu asked, somewhat worried that Tong Ya might be allergic to something. Tong Ya still cautiously looked around the shop before she took off her mask and sunsses. "It''s nothing, just that the sunlight outside is too ring." Right in the midst of their conversation, a small pickup truck and two vans suddenly stopped at the entrance. These were Tong Ming''spany vehicles, here to collect the marinated meat. Chen Yu did not dare to neglect his duties and quickly instructed the kitchen staff to get ready. He had barely called out when Tong Ming, supported by two bodyguards, hurried into the shop. When he saw Tong Ya standing with Chen Yu and Tuan Tuan, he looked utterly stupefied. Tong Ya also opened her mouth wide, instinctively wanting to go upstairs. Tong Ming immediately made a gesture akin to an eagle catching a chick, blocking her way. "Why are you here?" Chen Yu frowned, sensing that Tong Ming''s gaze toward Tong Ya was somewhat unusual. Almost instinctively, Chen Yu pulled Tong Ya into his arms. "Old Master Tong, do you know my girlfriend?" Tong Ming''s eyes widened in shock: "She''s your girlfriend?" Chen Yu nodded, looking at Tong Ming with a hint of confusion. He wondered if the old man was seriously ill; why such a big reaction to learning Tong Ya was his girlfriend? The next moment, Tong Ming suddenly shouted, "Heaven has eyes!" He had been puzzled as to why Tang Xiaowei specifically instructed him to be at the shop personally between four-thirty and five in the afternoon. Now he understood, his daughter had already be someone else''s stepmother. Of course, she had to take up the responsibility of the child''s school runs. It was the peak of the off-work rush, and the shop was filled with customers. Hearing Tong Ming''s sudden outburst, they all turned to look, puzzled. Wang Qingshan, seeing thismotion from the kitchen, immediately grabbed a kitchen cleaver and rushed out. "Master, is someone causing trouble?" Chen Yu coughed twice, signaling Wang Qingshan to return to the kitchen first. Even he wasn''t clear about what exactly had happened. Tong Ya''s chest heaved violently a few times before she looked at Chen Yu like a child who had made a mistake. "I''m sorry, I never told you, but he is actually my father." Chen Yu''s pupils suddenly dted, and he looked at Tong Ming with a mix of astonishment in his eyes. ``` Tong Ming''s emotions at this moment were truly exhrating. The man he had taken a liking to had actually be his son-inw so easily. "Young man, my daughter can be a bit headstrong, if she has caused you any trouble, don''t take it to heart," "I still have things to handle at mypany, so I won''t stay here any longer." He had merely followed Tang Xiaowei''s hint toe and take a look. Now that he had his answer, there was no need to continue his stay here. Before Chen Yu could even react, Tong Ming had already hurried off with his people and the braised dishes. It was only at this moment that Chen Yupletely understood. No wonder Tong Ya had been so elusive each time Tong Ming visited. Chen Yu smiled briefly and then rubbed Tong Ya''s head. "What''s with you acting so strangelytely? It turns out it was your fathering over." Tong Ya nodded repeatedly, "Actually, he was purely attracted by the braised dishes you made! I swear, I didn''t ask him toe over to look after your business, nor did I..." "Alright," Chen Yu lightly flicked Tong Ya''s nose, "I understand, go take Tuan Tuan back to the room first." Joy was written all over Tong Ya''s face, it seemed her previous worries were superfluous. But she found it a bit curious, the timing of Tong Ming''s visit this afternoon was too coincidental, wasn''t it? By seven in the evening, the braised dishes had already sold out. The stream of customers gradually dwindled. Chen Yu then called everyone to start cleaning up. With Wang Qingshan joining, everything became fast and systematic. After all, managing a store independently for over ten years had given him a wealth of experience. [Congrattions to the host forpleting a day''s business, today''s profit is 296,200 yuan, earning 296,200 points, with a current total of 1,716,680 points.] Unbeknownst to Chen Yu, the points were close to reaching two million, and he was feeling more expectant about the future. After ordering four thousand kilograms of pork, Chen Yu then deposited a neat sum of 300,000 yuan into his savings ount. Leaving 600 yuan in his pocket for emergencies. In fact, the emergency funds he had set aside during this period seemed to be of little use. By early morning, around five or six o''clock, the day''s earnings would already reach over ten thousand yuan. Now, the savings ount held a sum of 1.89 million yuan. Although it was not enough to buy the whole block of shops, it was more than sufficient to open a branch. Moreover, with the considerable help of Wang Qingshan, nning to open a branch should definitely be pushed forward soon. Additionally, the items rted to the braised dishes that were in his mind, he had only introduced pig''s head and pork knuckles so far. After the delivered pork was stocked, Wang Qingshan went off to the neighborhood behind with the six girls, chatting andughing. Having worked hard here for ten years, he had long bought a house in themunity. He was, after all, able to walk part of the way with the girls. Just as Chen Yu was about to close the shop, a horn suddenly sounded from not far away. Tong Ming drove up in a modest sports car, parking right at the storefront. He didn''t wait for Chen Yu to invite him in, directly taking two bottles of alcohol into the shop from his car. "Lad, can you join me for a drink?" Chen Yu didn''t say much, just pulled out a table and ced two stools down. Tong Ming sat down without any pretense, producing two cups. "This is a wine I''ve cered for twenty-two years, buried on the day Xiaowei was born! It was flown in especially three hours ago," As he spoke, Tong Ming opened the seal on the wine jar and poured two bowls. Chen Yu was greatly spirited, lifting a bowl and downing it with throats gurgling. Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Its up to you. Tong Ming was startled; the wine that had been cered for twenty-two years was extraordinarily potent. Chen Yu had just downed a ss in one go! However, he didn''t stop him, instead looking at Chen Yu with a gaze of admiration. "Goodd, you''ve got guts." With that, he also drank down the wine in his hand. In fact, it was only at this moment that Chen Yu came to know Tong Ya''s real age. By that ount, Tong Ya had been only fifteen years old during the summer of their first encounter. A fifteen-year-old genius girl who had already started college, and now, she was wholeheartedly following by his side. This inexplicably added a sense of guilt to his heart. Tong Ming ced the empty bowl on the table: "To be honest, I like you, young man!" "It''s rare to see youngsters with personality like yours these days." "You tter me, elder!" Chen Yu responded, then poured another two bowls of wine. Tong Mingughed heartily: "I came today, actually, to talk about my family situation with you." As he said this, Tong Ming leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling. "On the day when Tong Ya''s mother passed away, I was negotiating a very important contract! Career, the love of my life, I really didn''t know what to choose." Chen Yu sat quietly across from Tong Ming, listening. Now that he and Tong Ya were together, they were family. Tong Ming was also his elder; the least he could offer was respect. Moreover, he was curious why Tong Ya had chosen to run away from home. It turned out that on that day, Tong Ya''s mother had called Tong Ming from her sickbed, telling him he must secure the contract. And as Tong Ming recalled these events, tears streaked down his face. It was apparent how deeply he loved Tong Ya''s mother. This was probably why he had never remarried thereafter. But in Tong Ya''s eyes, Tong Ming had given up on her mother for his so-called career. Moreover, with Tong Ming constantly doing business away from home, he had seldom taken care of Tong Ya. All this had further ingrained the impression of Tong Ming as unfeeling in Tong Ya''s heart. Therefore, on the day she finished her postgraduate studies, Tong Ya had chosen to leave home. Soon, both of them were heavily drunk. After all, with twenty-two-year-old liquor, even those with strong alcohol tolerance could get befuddled. [System prompt: The host is in a state of intoxication, which may affect business tomorrow. Would you like to spend one thousand points to sober up?] Chen Yu was momentarily stunned, inwardlyining, "Why didn''t you tell me about this feature earlier?" Without hesitating, he immediately confirmed the prompt in his mind. His heavy head then cleared up again, as if what he had just drunk was nothing but water. [Current remaining points: one million, seven hundred and fifteen thousand, six hundred and eighty.] But Tong Ming was not faring well, his face had turned an extreme shade of red, and he seemed very unsteady on his feet. He kept talking about his own matters. "The person I owe the most to in this life is Tong Ya. Now I''ve entrusted her to you, hoping you will treat her well." As his words trailed off, Tong Ming thenid his head on the table and fell asleep. Chen Yu sighed helplessly. Just as he was about to carry Tong Ming upstairs, he suddenly heard quiet sobbing from behind him. Tong Ya had appeared at the top of the stairs without him noticing. It seemed that she had heard everything Tong Ming had said earlier. Chen Yu hurried forward to wipe the tears from the corner of Tong Ya''s eyes. "I seem to have resolved someone''s misunderstanding after many years, don''t I deserve some reward?" Tong Ya''s cheeks turned red, and her heart suddenly began to beat rapidly. Is Chen Yu trying to flirt with her? Without a second thought, Tong Ya leaned in and kissed Chen Yu on the cheek. "Is this reward enough?" Chen Yu looked at Tong Ya with a gentle gaze, "How could this be enough?" "Then what do you want?" Tong Ya''s face turned crimson, and her whole body involuntarily started to heat up. "Haven''t decided yet, I''ll tell youter! Let''s take your dad back upstairs first." Together, the two of them helped Tong Ming up the stairs. ... Inside an advertising studio. Fang Yuan was wearing a very revealing red chiffon dress, holding shower gel, and shooting an advertisement with great effort. Though she appeared to be in good condition, if one observed carefully, they would notice the dark circles under her heavy makeup. After the shoot, Fang Yuan staggered back to the makeup room, grabbed a can of strong coffee, and gulped it down. An exasperated Han Mintao sighed, "You should rest for a bit, daughter! You''ve been shooting like this non-stop for three days." Fang Yuan shook her head, "I don''t have much time left. The bet agreement has been signed. If I don''t earn enough by then..." Han Mintao felt a pang of heartache and patted Fang Yuan on the back. "I don''t know who you are really angry at!" While speaking, Han Mintao took a script from his person. "This is a mainstream blockbuster, the final box office won''t be too bad, and I''ve signed a box office profit-sharing agreement for you." Fang Yuan didn''t say much, just took the script and left with Han Mintao. There were still a few hours to reach the film crew, and she could sleep for a while in Han Mintao''s RV on the way. Han Mintao looked at Fang Yuan, fast asleep, and a surge of nameless rage welled up inside him. She picked up the phone and found Chen Yu''s number, typing out several text messages. "Chen Yu, Fang Yuan is, after all, Tuan Tuan''s biological mother, why won''t you let them meet?" "Do you realize that morally, you are in the wrong here?" "Legally speaking, I could forcefully sue you." "Don''t forget, I have many topwyers at my disposal." ... At this moment, Chen Yu and Tong Ya had temporarily settled Tong Ming in the guest room. Tuan Tuan already knew about Tong Ming''s identity, but she didn''t seem to care about his current state. "Mom and Dad, now that a guest room is taken, does that mean we can sleep together?" Chen Yu frowned slightly, after all, he and Tong Ya weren''t married yet. It seemed a bit inappropriate to sleep together now. "Our home has three rooms, how could we not have enough space to sleep?" Chen Yu ruffled Tuan Tuan''s little head and carried her back to her room. Tong Ya didn''t say much either, and obediently coaxed Tuan Tuan to sleep with her. Just as Chen Yu was about to return to his own room, his phone buzzed with a message. His disdain for Han Mintao had reached its limit. When he had been with Fang Yuan, Han Mintao had done everything to obstruct them. He had even introduced various wealthy business magnates to Fang Yuan, despite them being married. Chen Yu sometimes suspected that the talent scout who had taken an interest in Fang Yuan had been sent by Han Mintao. Now, Han Mintao was questioning him with such a condescending attitude, it indeed angered Chen Yu. "Your daughter isn''t single, unmarried? Then where did the childe from?" After sending the message, Chen Yu promptly blocked Han Mintao. He also blocked all other means of contacting Han Mintao. Chapter 74: Chapter 74 Preparing a Branch Store ``` At four o''clock in the early morning of the next day, Chen Yu habitually got up and went down to the first-floor restaurant. However, today he did nothing except prepare the seasoning for the marinated foods, making them into spice packs and leaving them there. Today, he was going to make a bold attempt! Before long, Wang Qingshan hurried into the store. "Master, you''re here so early!" Chen Yu''s face showed helplessness, "Master Wang, how many times have I told you not to call me that." Wang Qingshan scratched his head somewhat embarrassingly, "Then what should I call you?" "You are older than me, just calling me Little Chen will do!" Wang Qingshan didn''t immediately agree but simply smiled, went straight to the cold room, and pulled out a cart of pig heads and knuckles, starting to process them by himself. "Master Wang, I have something to do today, I might not be in the store, so I''ll have to trouble you to help keep an eye on it." Wang Qingshan immediately patted his chest, "Don''t worry! I am quite good at managing a store." Chen Yu nodded and then pointed to the stack of spice packs beside him. "I have prepared the spice packs for the marinade here, you can just throw them in when adding the spices." Wang Qingshan nodded repeatedly. After leaving that instruction, Chen Yu directly went up to the third floor. He had decided to take the day off for himself, and at the same time, he wanted to test Wang Qingshan. He had secured all those spice packs tightly, using a mesh-like sanitary gauze. Having made marinades for ten years, Wang Qingshan should understand that in this case, all one needs to do is throw the spice packs in. If he coveted the ingredients of the marinated foods, he would definitely try to open the packs and study theirposition. If Chen Yu returned in the evening and found the spice packs hadn''t been opened, then he could immediately start setting up a second store. At six in the morning, Tong Ya, wearing pajamas, sleepily rubbed her eyes and came out of her room. She was surprised to see Chen Yu sitting on the sofa. "Is the store not open today?" Usually at this time, Chen Yu would be busy in the kitchen. Chen Yu leanedzily on the sofa, "How could that be? I''m preparing for the branch store." "Branch store!" Tong Ya immediately became excited. Considering the current poprity and turnover of Chen Yu''s store, he could have opened a branch store long ago. But Chen Yu, preferring stability, had held off until now. Tong Ya bounced and sat down beside Chen Yu, "Can I help with anything then? I''m off work today." Chen Yu was slightly stunned, "It''s not the weekend, and doesn''t the dance ss only take a break every other week?" Tong Yaughed, "Yesterday at noon, Tuan Tuan was admitted to Suzhou City No. 5 Middle School on the grounds of his special talent in dance, so the next few months are essentially summer vacation." Chen Yu''s mouth fell open in surprise¡ªhe had known nothing about this. Suddenly feeling guilty, he pped his forehead. His mind was so preupied with the store that he indeed seemed to have neglected Tuan Tuan. "How could I forget about this!" Tong Ya wrapped her arm around Chen Yu''s, "It''s okay, now you just focus on running the store, and I''ll take care of Tuan Tuan''s matters." As she spoke, Tong Ya got up and took out an admission notice from the drawer beneath the television. "I''vepleted all the procedures yesterday, and Tuan Tuan can go straight into the first grade." Chen Yu took the admission notice from Tong Ya and sighed softly. ``` Before they knew it, Tuan Tuan was about to start first grade. "Then, after Tuan Tuan wakes up and we send your dad back, let''s go out and look for a new store." At eight in the morning, Tong Ming stumbled out of the room, feeling groggy. Surprised to see Chen Yu, he eximed, "Kid, you can really hold your liquor! You downed two bowls of aged wine without batting an eye." By this time, Chen Yu was also ready and set to leave the house. "Old man, let me take you back first!" Tong Ming waved his hand dismissively, "No need, have some food here before you go, and besides, the driver should already be on his way." Chen Yu didn''t say much more and prepared to leave with Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan. "Hold on a sec!" Tong Ming suddenly called out, "Aren''t you going to say hello to your own dad?" Tong Ya pouted, avoiding eye contact. Although Tong Ming had spilled everythingst night while drinking with Chen Yu, she still couldn''t get over the emotional hurdle. Her mother had died in her sickbed years ago, and that was a cold, hard fact. What hurt her most was that in the ensuing days, Tong Ming hadn''t even bothered to ask once how she was getting along. Clutching Chen Yu''s arm, Tong Ya hid behind him. "Husband, let''s go quickly! If we''rete, the good stores will be taken." Tong Ming''s pupils dted slightly, he hadn''t expected Tong Ya to start calling Chen Yu ''husband''. Moreover, in front of Chen Yu, she gave no regard to her father''s feelings. Indeed, daughters married off were like water poured away. Before even getting married, she was already like this; after the marriage, wouldn''t all the family''s wealth end up in Chen Yu''s hands? Tong Ming didn''t dwell on it any further. It had not been easy to locate Tong Ya, and he didn''t want her to run off again. "Fine, if you don''t want to speak to me, I won''t force you! After all, any children you have in the future will still have to call me grandpa." Tong Ya''s lips were pursed; she remembered that Chen Yu had told her he didn''t want any more children for the time being. "We don''t want to have children yet¡ªthis is my child!" With that, Tong Ya pushed Tuan Tuan forward. Just as Tong Ming turned his head, about to erupt, he was charmed by Tuan Tuan''s cute and adorable appearance. "What a cute little doll! Come here and call me grandpa!" Tong Ya was stunned. She hadn''t expected Tong Ming to ept Tuan Tuan so easily. Knowing Tong Ming''s identity, Tuan Tuan chuckled and ran towards him with arms wide open. "You are my mommy''s daddy, so I should call you grandpa, but you were really mean to mommy, so I''ll have to observe whether I should call you grandpa." Tong Ming immediately perked up, "Chen Yu, this girl has the same personality as you! She''s got potential and will surely achieve greatness one day. This granddaughter of mine, I''m proud of her." As he spoke, Tong Ming fished out a sapphire pendant. "I came in a hurry and didn''t bring any gifts¡­" To his surprise, Tuan Tuan stepped back immediately. "I can''t take it. Daddy said we shouldn''t ept things thate without rity." Tong Ming was taken aback for a moment. Such young age yet so proud and principled, she already met the initial criteria for an heir in his eyes. "Haha, well done! Found a good husband and also got such a nice kid as a bonus." Though it sounded like he was talking to himself, Tong Ya knew that these words were meant for her. The knot in her heart suddenly loosened a bit. Tong Ming didn''t take back the ne, "This was originally for your mother, I hope you will ept it on her behalf." Chapter 75: Chapter 75 Renting Together Tuan Tuan couldn''t help but widen his eyes and nced back at Tong Ya, then turned his head to look at Tong Ming. "It''s clear that you didn''t mean to be fierce with Mom, so I''ll go out of my way to call you Grandpa, and I''ll ept this thing on behalf of Mom." Tong Ming couldn''t be happier; he swept Tuan Tuan into his arms in one go. "Hold on, Grandpa, wait!" Chen Yu raised his eyebrows, it looked like Tong Ming and Tong Ya were cut from the same cloth. He had thought Tong Ming couldn''t ept Tuan Tuan before, but now it seemed his concerns were somewhat superfluous. "Alright Tuan Tuan, it''s time for us to go," Chen Yu stepped forward and took Tuan Tuan into his arms. "Instead of looking for a new store, why not expand the existing one!" Tong Ming suddenly spoke up, "I see several shops next to yours are vacant; why not rent them all together?" Chen Yu frowned slightly, "A fixed location has a limited reach, so I feel..." "Times are changing, and thoughts must change too. Connect to a delivery system, capitalize on tforms and traffic to turn the shop you have into a brand, and maximize its scale." The group that Tong Ming controlled was a behemoth, after all; his suggestions were very constructive. Chen Yu thought carefully about his current shop, which on the surface seemed to have reached its limit, but it only served the nearby neighbors. And so far, none of his shops had a signboard. Compared to opening branches, expanding the existing shop seemed somewhat safer. "Thank you for the advice, sir." Chen Yu had barely finished speaking when Tong Ming looked somewhat displeased. "Why still ''sir''? If that damn girl refuses to acknowledge me, won''t you change your address either?" Chen Yu smiled awkwardly and swiftly left with Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan. Every breakfast shop on this street had to shut down due to the impact of Chen Yu''s business. As a result, many shops were left vacant. There were precisely five shopfronts between his and Xie Jiang''s shop. These five premises previously operated snack outlets, and within less than a week of Chen Yu moving in, they had posted transfer notices at the entrance of their shops. Now, aside from Zhang Fan''s car dealership and Xie Jiang''s home store, there was only one chain convenience store left across the street. Though the street was bustling with crowds during the day, it looked eerily deserted at night. Chen Yu took a quick assessment of these few shops'' structures, then directly called all fivendlords over and also brought Auntie Li along. "Little Chen, I never expected you to expand the shop so quickly!" While expressing her admiration, Auntie Li brought out the rental contracts with the fivendlords. This street was already in a busy market area; all the shops were in prime locations. Therefore, their rent was paid up until the end of the year. Now it was only May, and there were still a good seven months until year''s end. The fivendlords were downcast every day, with their businesses not sustainable and so much rental time left, it was diforting just to think about. Now that Chen Yu was taking over, they were profoundly grateful. Without hesitation, they signed the transfer contracts on the spot. The scale of these five shopfronts wasn''t huge, but fortunately, all five shared the sameyout and were closely adjoining. With minor modifications in the future, they could be directly connected to Chen Yu''s shop. Then his shopfront could almost double in size. Moreover, the location of the five shops, situated between two residential buildings, meant the rooftops above could also be utilized. The five shops together only cost a total of twenty thousand in rent per month, which was still quite a bargain overall. After signing the contract, Chen Yu transferred the remaining seven months'' rent to the five owners. He also prepared a copy of the ns with Auntie Li. Once everything was settled, Chen Yu immediately went next door to find Xie Jiang. Having been busy for several days in a row, Xie Jiang could finally take a proper rest. But when he heard Chen Yu was about to expand the shops again, the goji berry water he was drinking spat out of his mouth. "Old Chen, your business is getting bigger and bigger!" Chen Yu, somewhat embarrassed, waved his hand: "Anyway, these shops are vacant, and after the expansion, we two will be real neighbors." Xie Jiang also got excited, rolled up his sleeves, and stepped out with Chen Yu. At this moment, Tuan Tuan and Tong Ya were moving back and forth between the five shops, seemingly considering how to perfectly connect the five shops together. After looking around, Xie Jiang couldn''t help but frown. "It''s not easy to do! Each shop has its own unique structure, it''s really going to take some effort to connect them all." "Anyway, as long as it''s connected to my existing shop in the end, that''s good!" Chen Yu said it quite casually: "Give me an estimate. How much will it roughly cost?" Xie Jiang adjusted his breathing slightly: "To connect the six shops without changing the main structure, it would cost at least fifty thousand." Chen Yu nodded. His first shop was rented as a restaurant, so many things inside didn''t need to be changed. But these shops in front of him were different. It was not just about renovations, some ces needed major changes. The fifty thousand Xie Jiang mentioned was somewhat conservative. The final transformation would likely exceed one hundred thousand. "Old Xie, from today, I''ll leave this ce in your hands. I''ll transfer one hundred thousand to you, and we''ll stick to the usual rule: return the excess, make up any shortfall." Xie Jiang gritted his teeth: "Leave it to me!" After transferring the money, Chen Yu took Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan back to their shop. It was now twelve o''clock at noon, the time with the highest footfall. Still, meals were being served as orderly as usual. Chen Yu casually wandered to the kitchen and noticed Wang Qingshan really just tossing sauce packets into the pressure cooker without even looking. A smile flickered across Chen Yu''s lips; he had indeed not misjudged the man. At six in the afternoon, at this time, there were hardly any customers left on the first floor, as peopleing off work went to the second floor to buy fried cakes and vegetable turnovers. Tang Xiaowei was once again dressed in her panda costume, bouncing energetically to the entrance. "Tong Ya, I''m back again." With an excited shout, Tang Xiaowei directly charged towards Tong Ya and hugged her. Tong Ya might have still felt a bit guilty, after all, the way she acted before could be considered a betrayal to Tang Xiaowei. "Are you back to being free?" Tong Ya asked instinctively. "Kind of. And I already have my own studio brand! It won''t be long now, myics will be turned into a live-action TV series." Tang Xiaowei said with a proud look, and anyone who didn''t know might think she had already be a realic master. Tong Ya was genuinely happy for Tang Xiaowei. Although she had guessed that Tong Ming''s visit to the shop was probably Tang Xiaowei''s idea. But she didn''t delve too much into it; the two were now even. Chapter 76: Chapter 76 Accessing Takeaway Systems Chen Yu was not idle at that moment; he had called the relevant departments to make a record and had someone make a sign. After everything was settled, it was already seven o''clock. At this moment, the staff from the relevant departments also arrived at the shop with registration forms and some certificates. "Yuya Bansheng!" The staff member looked puzzled, "Are you sure you want to name it this?" "Can''t I?" Chen Yu asked in return. "You can, but it just feels a bit strange!" the staff member replied somewhat embarrassedly, and then registered the name. Then he essed the delivery system through the mobile app. It was not until eight in the evening that all the procedures were finallypleted. As soon as he sent off the staff, a notification sound popped up in Chen Yu''s mind. [Congrattions to the host forpleting a day''s business. The profit for the day is forty-six thousand two hundred yuan, earning forty-six thousand two hundred points. The total umted points are now one million seven hundred sixty-six thousand one hundred eighty-eighty.] Chen Yu hurriedly took out the ount book and began to make a rough calction. The rent and renovation for the new shop today totaled two hundred forty thousand, and it cost ten thousand to have someone design and make the sign. Adding up other costs, it seemed to be about this amount. After ordering four thousand pounds of pork, Chen Yu then replenished the remaining money into his current ount, with the total ount bnce amounting to one million nine hundred forty thousand. Chen Yu left six hundred yuan as reserve funds for himself. "This name is really awkward!" Tong Ya appeared behind Chen Yu at some point. Chen Yu smiled slightly, "Don''t like it? Then I''ll change it!" Tong Ya hurriedly grabbed the documents on the table and clutched them to her chest, "It''s awkward, but it sounds nice, and it has a special meaning." Chen Yu said nothing more but just called everyone over for the staff meal. Just then, a loud noise suddenly came from next door; it looked like Xie Jiang had already started working with his workers. The next morning, Chen Yu didn''t get up until five o''clock. Having Wang Qingshan around had indeed made things much easier. But when he got to the first-floor lobby, he found that in addition to the neighbors, there were also arge number of delivery guys queuing up. And these delivery guys, while waiting for their orders, also ced their own orders, taking the opportunity to solve their breakfast problem. The entire shop had be bustling by this point, with sales volume more than doubling the usual amount for this time. Chen Yu did not dare to ck in the slightest and hurriedly ran to the kitchen to help. "Master Wang, can you manage?" Wang Qingshan was already drenched in sweat, "It''s a good thing you have these twenty pressure cookers, otherwise we really couldn''t keep up." Chu Hong and Zhao Meng were also moving their hands at lightning speed, and they couldn''t stop for a moment. Even Han Cai ran over from the lobby to help out. The situation on the second floor was slightly better. In the past two days, Li Yu and Su Qing had already turned all the raw materials into semi-finished products. All they needed to do was to add a few more deep-frying pots. Chen Yu suddenly felt he had been somewhat rash, at the very least, he should have waited until the shop was fully expanded before integrating the delivery system. He was not worried about fried cakes and vegetable pastries, as the semi-finished products stored in the freezer were enough tost. But he feared that the braised items might notst until twelve o''clock noon, and he might even fall short of the two thousand pounds Tong Ming had requested. "Master Wang, you keep an eye on things here, I''ll get them to rush another four thousand pounds of pork over," Chen Yu said. "Four thousand pounds might not be enough!" Wang Qingshan warned, "It''s only morning now, the demand will be even greater by lunchtime. After integrating into the delivery system, the coverage area has at least tripled since yesterday, and the flow of people will ordingly increase, too." Chen Yu frowned tightly. He had already joined the takeout system, he couldn''t possibly cancel it! After adjusting his breathing slightly, Chen Yu immediately called and ordered 3000 kilograms of pig heads and 3000 kilograms of pork knuckles. When Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan woke up and thought abouting to help in the hall, they were instantly stunned to see it as busy as a battlefield. This was the first time they had seen so many delivery guys lining up and pouring into the shop. By ten in the morning, the flow of people still hadn''t decreased; if anything, it had grown evenrger. The twenty high-pressure cookers had been working non-stop. As soon as the braised dishes were ready, they sold out immediately. The two-story hall was even more crowded, with delivery guys and neighbors jostling each other, and some even got into disputes. Chen Yu''s breathing suddenly became rapid. If the situation continued to develop like this, even if the shop expanded, he feared it wouldn''t be able to amodate so many people. Some neighbors, not wanting to cause Chen Yu any trouble, even brought out little tables and set them up outside. With the increase in foot traffic, Zhang Fan''s auto shop and Xie Jiang''s home store also reaped considerable benefits. Just that morning, there were more than forty orders from delivery guys at Zhang Fan''s auto shop for tire recements. Xie Jiang, who was decorating next door, was shocked by the scene in front of him. In the previous days, the foot traffic at Chen Yu''s shop was rtively stable, but today it had increased by more than threefold. And most of them were delivery guys. It was one thing for them toe and pick up meals, but they also had to order a portion for themselves to take away. By eight-thirty in the evening, the shop was still bustling. There were continuous takeout orders, without any sign of stopping. Yesterday''s order of 4000 kilograms of pork, plus today''s 6000 kilograms, made a total of 10,000 kilograms of braised meat, and now only about 200 kilograms were left. At nine o''clock, Chen Yu hurriedly changed the shop''s status to ''closed,'' and only then things quieted down. At that moment in the first-floor hall, dozens of delivery guys sat neatly, wolfing down their food. Anyone who didn''t know better would think this ce was a canteen specifically for delivery guys. "I''ve been delivering takeout around here for so long, and I''ve never heard of this shop before." "It''s just too delicious. I only had a small taste at noon, and I was instantly hooked." "They must be using the takeout system for the first time today, that''s why we haven''t heard of it." "This noodle dish is so aromatic, I want another bowl!" ... After a long day, Chen Yu was exhausted. It had been a long time since he felt this way. He waited until the delivery guys left and then sat down with his staff to eat. If Wang Qingshan hadn''t specially kept twenty kilograms of braised meat, they might have indeed sold outpletely. "Boss Chen!" Wang Qingshan had already changed his way of addressing him, "It was really bustling today. It''s only the first day, and there might be even more people tomorrow. Those twenty high-pressure cookers might be working over capacity." Chen Yu let out a relieved breath, "We''ll buy some moreter. Pay attention to limiting quantities when selling tomorrow. We''re not yet able to handle such arge volume." The six young girls also looked defeated. Especially Li Yu and Su Qing, who spent the entire day on the second floor, daring not to move. Li Yu even burned her hand, but didn''t dare to take a rest. Moreover, the frozen deep-fried cakes and vegetable pastries in the cold storage were already running out today. If they didn''t restock soon, they might run out of supplies tomorrow. Chapter 77: Chapter 77: Exponential Growth ``` [Congrattions, Host, forpleting a day''s business. Today''s profit is 780,600 yuan, earning you 780,600 points. Your current total umted points are 2,542,480.] The system prompt echoed in Chen Yu''s mind at that moment, and even he himself was stunned. He hurriedly checked the day''s turnover and found it had reached over 860,000. This was nearly three times as much as yesterday! Looking at the images provided by today''s delivery system, an area with a six-kilometer radius was entirely covered. Even people more than ten kilometers away were ordering takeout from here. The increase in foot traffic was practically explosive. Chen Yu couldn''t help but sigh at his own hastiness. He should have waited until the store was more solidly established and hired more staff beforeunching the delivery system. However, he merelymented in his heart for a moment and then quickly called the raw material suppliers. Though he wanted to stock up more, the capacity of the cold storage meant he could only order enough raw materials for the next couple of days. For tomorrow, the 10,000 jin of pork used for marinated meat, along with other various raw materials, added up to a total of 358,000 yuan. Subsequently, Chen Yu rushed to ce an order for three sets of machinery from Zhang Fan and also gave a shout to Xie Jiang next door, asking him to source twentyrger pressure cookers. After paying for all these expenses, he had 433,600 yuan left in his hands. Depositing 430,000 yuan into a current ount and adding what was left over from yesterday, Chen Yu had a bit over 6,000 yuan in reserve funds. After ordering the goods, Chen Yu sat down again to roughly calcte the costs. He found that just today''s raw material costs were nearly 220,000 yuan. It was a good thing he had listened to Tong Ming and hadn''t opened another branch but chose to expand his current shop instead. Otherwise, who knows what kind of mishaps might have urred. Before long, severalrge trucks stopped in front of the shop. The delivery guys had be numb to it all, as it seemed that the amount of raw materials Chen Yu needed would double every so often. But the sheer volume of supplies this time was indeed too much; even Wang Qingshan was so exhausted he could hardly catch his breath. Just then, Chu Hong approached Chen Yu with her mobile phone, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Brother Yu, some girls from back home want toe out and find work. Can I invite them to work here?" Chen Yu''s eyes instantly lit up, "Of course! How many?" The six girls currently working in his shop were meticulous in their duties. Not only did they learn quickly, but they also had honest and straightforward characters. Since they were Chu Hong''s fellow vigers, their character and integrity were surely not far off. Moreover, after today, Chen Yu clearly felt the need for more hands. "There are roughly eight girls. If they don''te out to work and earn money soon, they''ll be pressured into marriage. And I can assure you that they are diligent workers¡­" "Enough," Chen Yu interrupted Chu Hong with a raised hand, "tell them toe quickly. I''ll reimburse the travel expenses." With that, he directly transferred the over 6,000 yuan in reserve funds to Chu Hong. "Brother Yu, this is too much¡­" "The rest is a bonus for you six for this period; take it back and split it among yourselves!" Chu Hong immediately became excited and stepped aside to make some phone calls. After Wang Qingshan and the six girls had left, Chen Yu, holding his forehead, went next door. Xie Jiang was still there with his workers, busy with construction in a hive of activity. The previously independent five shops had been consolidated, and the stairs and various passages were also reinforced. Moreover, the design from the beginning had anticipated integration with Chen Yu''s existing shop. ``` "Hard work, Old Xie!" Chen Yu ced a stack of drinks on the ground. The workers were somewhat embarrassed; none of their other clients had ever gone out of their way to provide them with drinks. "Old Chen, why go to all this expense? With our rtionship, there''s no need for such politeness." Chen Yu checked the time¡ªit was almost ten o''clock at night. "Old Xie, let''s call it a day. Let the masters go back and rest! Don''t wear them out." Xie Jiang waved his hand dismissively: "My construction team gets paid by the hour, overtime means overtime pay, why are you worrying?" "Right, the pressure cooker you asked me to order earlier will be delivered first thing in the morning!" Chen Yu breathed a sigh of relief: "That''s good, I''ll leave this ce in your hands." Back in the third-floor room, Chen Yu found Tuan Tuan already asleep, with only Tong Ya sitting on the couch, struggling to keep her eyes open as she waited for him. "Husband!" Seeing Chen Yu return, Tong Ya opened her arms and called out, then threw herself into his embrace: "Did you tire yourself out today?" Chen Yu pinched Tong Ya''s nose: "Not at all! And I have some good news to tell you." "What news?" Tong Ya''s face was filled with anticipation. Chen Yu smiled slightly and pointed to his own face: "Give me a kiss and I''ll tell you." Tong Ya''s face turned red; she hadn''t expected to start being teased by Chen Yu at this time. Nevertheless, she didn''t think too much, bent down, and kissed Chen Yu on the face. "Now you can tell me!" Chen Yu leaned back on the couch: "My current ount bnce has already reached over two million, we''re getting closer and closer to buying a house and setting up a shop!" Tong Ya curled her already petite body into Chen Yu''s embrace. "Actually, you don''t have to work so hard; buying a house is a matter for us both, and I have some savings too..." Chen Yu suddenly looked straight into Tong Ya''s eyes: "Keep your money for spending; leave these matters to me." Tong Ya burrowed her head deeper into Chen Yu''s chest: "I want to sleep in the same room with you tonight, is that okay?" Chen Yu hesitated for a moment, then gently tousled Tong Ya''s hair. "Of course!" Tong Ya was overjoyed: "Then carry me back." Chen Yu smiled slightly and picked up Tong Ya to return to the room. At three-thirty in the early morning the next day, Chen Yu was already up and about. As Wang Qingshan had said, the customer flow might be even greater today, and he dared not ck off in the slightest. He had just finished processing a batch of pork and ced it in the pressure cooker when Wang Qingshan hurried into the shop. Right behind him came fourteenughing young girls, entering the shop with chatter andughter. Chu Hong quickly ran into the kitchen: "Brother Yu, they all arrived at the high-speed rail station at twelvest night; I went to pick them up and settled them in the dormitory for the night." Last night, when Chu Hong called, eight young girls had already arrived together at their local train station. They initially wanted to head to Suzhou City to join Chu Hong and others to work in the factory together. But since Chu Hong was no longer at the factory, she tried rmending them to Chen Yu. At this moment, Chen Yu was also rising to scrutinize the eight new girls. They all looked the same, the youthfulness and rustic origin not yet leaving their faces. But from them, Chen Yu saw the same character traits that Chu Hong and the other six shared. Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Birthday Cake "They arrived in the middle of the night, why did you just bring them over here, at least let them rest for a day!" Chen Yu frowned slightly, the eight girls all looked worn out, with two of them even having red eyes, clearly not having had a good night''s sleep. Chu Hong also felt a bit embarrassed, "I didn''t pull them over, they came on their own, saying they wanted to make a good impression on you." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, "Have you all eaten anything?" All eight girls shook their heads in unison, they indeed hade in a bit of a hurry. After thinking it over briefly, Chen Yu said, "Li Yu, Su Qing, Zhang Qian, you three take four of them, grab the raw ingredients, and head to the second-floor kitchen to make deep-fried cakes and vegetable pastries!" "Make it the same quantity as I gave you before, and prepare breakfast for these eight as well!" Li Yu nodded and hurriedly led people upstairs. "Han Cai, you take two, in charge of cleaning both floors of the hall, the reste to the first-floor kitchen." Yesterday''s supply of semi-finished deep-fried cakes and vegetable pastries was already running low. The demand for these two items was huge in the morning, and now the turnover had increased by so much. Chen Yu was still a bit worried if the seven of them could handle it all. Chu Hong and Zhao Meng began teaching them how to use those machines. Sure enough, just as it turned five in the morning, a flood of takeaway orders came pouring in. The two new girls in the first-floor kitchen immediately jumped into action. It wasn''t that they had be familiar with the machines, but they were extremely fast at packing. From the way they worked, they must have done this before, either in a restaurant or somewhere else. Grabbing bags, filling them with food, sealing them, sticking on delivery slips, all their movements were fluid and uninterrupted, leaving Chen Yu somewhat astonished. Adding eight people had immediately highlighted the effect. At least it was no longer as chaotic as yesterday. By six o''clock, although the restaurant was crammed with delivery riders, everything was still running smoothly. It was also at this time that Zhang Fan and Xie Jiang brought over the custom-made machinery and pressure cookers. Chen Yu quickly moved these items into the kitchen. But the kitchen space was indeed a bit cramped now, at most only capable of amodating one more set of machinery and five pressure cookers. However, this was sufficient! Chen Yu took the remaining two dough mixers to the second floor. That way, the seven girls wouldn''t need to carry flour in buckets from the first floor anymore. [System notification: Three sets of machinery have been activated, the current total credit bnce is 2,224,480 points.] Chen Yu felt a bit depressed at that moment; one set of machinery had cost him 100,000 credits, and three sets were a whole 300,000. But he wasn''t concerned about the credits for now, as, considering the current turnover, he was averaging hundreds of thousands of credits per day. Until twelve noon, the entire store was operating in an orderly fashion. Tong Ya had intended to go down and help, but with the chaos in the store now, she was worried about Tuan Tuan. She only went out to buy some strawberries and oranges at eight in the morning and hadn''t left the room since. At this moment, the two beauties, one big and one small, were sitting in the room watching TV. "Mum, do we really not need to go down and help Dad?" "No need, eight new sisters came today, so they should be able to manage." As she spoke, Tong Ya fed Tuan Tuan an orange. Suddenly, Tuan Tuan leaned a little closer to Tong Ya, looking up with her big watery eyes, staring straight at Tong Ya. "Mom, I want to ask you a question. Will you ever suddenly leave Dad one day?" Tong Ya was stunned for a moment, "Why would you ask that?" Tuan Tuan pursed his lips, "The mom before was bad. She abandoned me for her own sake, so I''m worried¡­" Tong Ya quickly cradled Tuan Tuan''s little face, "Don''t worry! I will never leave Dad! And I''ve said it before, we two should spoil him together, right?" Tuan Tuan happily pped his little hands, "Then let''s go order a superrge birthday cake now!" Tong Ya was stunned again, "Order a birthday cake for what?" "Today is May 24th, it''s Dad''s birthday!" Tong Ya suddenly gaped, she actually didn''t know her own man''s birthday. "Why didn''t you say so earlier? Let''s hurry! If we order now, we can still get it by tonight." Tong Ya hurriedly changed clothes, picked up Tuan Tuan, and went straight downstairs. At that moment, there were indeed quite a few people in the store; Tong Ya struggled a bit before she could squeeze out of the shop and reach the parking lot next door. It wasn''t until around three in the afternoon that the flow of customers in the shop gradually decreased. It was the perfect lull between lunch and dinner. Even though there were still many takeaway orders, Chen Yu could steal a brief break. He stretchedzily and headed straight upstairs. Upstairs in the kitchen, it was a scene of bustling activity. The two dough mixers were running non-stop. Apart from Li Yu, who was watching the deep fryer, the other six girls were each carrying a bucket of dough and quickly making the semi-finished products. They seemed to have grown skilled, and the pace at which they made these semi-finished products was nearly catching up to Su Qing''s. That morning, not only had they perfectly supplied the fried cakes and vegetable dumplings, but they had also turned half of the raw materials into semi-finished products. With another afternoon''s worth of work, all the raw materials in the cold storage were going to be transformed into semi-finished products. "How did you feel this morning?" Chen Yu asked, leaning against the kitchen doorway. One of the girls, named Jiang Yao, looked up, "Pretty good, just like making dumplings during the New Year back in our vige." Li Yu also chuckled, "In any case, today has been much easier than yesterday!" Chen Yu didn''t say much more, just gave them a thumbs-up and went back downstairs. By eight in the evening, Chen Yu directly called it a day. After all, the marinated meats were sold out, and the sales of fried cakes and vegetable dumplings had sharply declined at that time. There was no need to extend the business hours. The more people there were, the faster the cleanup went. [Congrattions Host forpleting a day''s business. Today''s profit is three hundred eighty thousand six hundred Yuan. You''ve earned three hundred eighty thousand six hundred points, totaling two million six hundred twenty-three thousand eighty points.] Chen Yu took a relieved breath; his efforts throughout the day had not been in vain. After cing an order for ten thousand kilograms of pork, he transferred the remaining money to his savings ount, leaving only six hundred Yuan for himself. He nced subconsciously at his savings ount, which now had three million one hundred fifty thousand Yuan. He was one step closer to his goal! Today''s staff meal was much more lively than before. However, Chen Yu couldn''t help but p his forehead, he still needed to figure out the amodation issue for the eight new girls. "You''ll have to bear with it and squeeze in together again tonight. I''ll find Auntie Li tomorrow to rent two more rooms." But to his surprise, the girls shook their hands in refusal. "There''s no need, Brother Yu. We''re fine squeezing together like this. The conditions here are already much better than where we used to work before." Chapter 79: Chapter 79 Overall Improvement Chen Yu looked up at the young girl who was speaking; she seemed to be called Wang Dan. "How can that be? You all came from far away to seek refuge with me; I must ensure you have food, drink, and a ce to stay." No sooner had he spoken than the eight new girls felt just like Chu Hong and the others felt when they had first arrived. Just then, Tong Ya, carrying arge cake and panting, entered the shop with Tuan Tuan. "We made it just in time!" Tong Ya set the cake in the middle of the table, "Darling, happy birthday to you!" Chen Yu was momentarily stunned, looking at the cake on the table and then at Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan beside him, before hurriedly pulling out his phone to check the time. He had actually forgotten his own birthday. Wang Qingshan was also somewhat surprised, "Today is your birthday! Why didn''t you say so earlier? I didn''t prepare anything." The young girls like Chu Hong were also a bit at a loss. Chen Yu waved his hand, "I really forgot! Alright, let''s all eat cake! Ya Ya, pass me that knife." Tong Ya''s body trembled slightly, this was the first time Chen Yu had called her Ya Ya so naturally. "I''ll cut it for everyone!" Tong Ya, a little excited, started carefully slicing the cake. But what they didn''t expect was that the eight new girls were even more excited. They had worked outside their home before, but this time, they found a ce to stay as soon as they arrived, and there was food too. Now they could even sit with the boss and eat cake together. Each time Tong Ya handed out a slice of cake, she would receive thanks, "Thank you, sister-inw." Gradually, she felt somewhat ted. Until everyone left, Tong Ya felt a kind of inexplicable happiness in her heart. At ten o''clock in the evening, after bathing, the family of three went into their room. Upon finding out thatst night Chen Yu and Tong Ya slept together, Tuan Tuan immediately became unhappy, moring to sleep with them. Tuan Tuan squeezed between the two of them on the spacious double bed. From her birth until now, Tuan Tuan had never experienced this sense of security wrapped up by her parents. Fang Yuan was frequently away from home, and all of Tuan Tuan''s affairs were managed by Chen Yu; those unaware might even think Tuan Tuan was from a single-parent family. Perhaps reveling in this feeling or for some other reason, Tuan Tuan, having just grabbed Chen Yu and Tong Ya''s hands, drifted off into a deep sleep. "Husband, give me your other hand!" Tong Ya mouthed silently. Just as Chen Yu was about to reach out his hand, his phone began to ring. He frowned, picking up the phone and saw that it was several unknown numbers, continuing to send him messages. "Well, you dare to block me. Just you wait, one of these days I''ll make sure your shop goes out of business." "I hold sway over mainstream media; just a few news stories could ruin your reputation." ... Chen Yu didn''t need to guess to know, it was Han Mintao who had sent them. He sighed resignedly; in the end, he was just a small shopkeeper. And his influence only extended to Suzhou City. Besides, the neighbors had be his loyal customers. How could they be swayed by a few fabrications? Without a second thought, Chen Yu blocked these numbers. "What''s wrong, husband?" Tong Ya asked softly. "Nothing, just an annoying person. I''ve blocked him now." After that, theyy face to face, exchanging thoughts with a look in their eyes. [System prompt: Host''s savings have exceeded three million. Fifty thousand points can be spent to supplement the current package as needed.] Chen Yu was momentarily stunned. Thest supplement had indeed made his business structure moreplete, and he had even acquired some machines. Now his store was facing expansion, which was the perfect time for supplementation. He silently chose ''yes,'' and a flood of information appeared in his mind. [Congrattions, host, on acquiring theplete breakfast series and the staple food series.] Varieties of buns, sesame balls, desserts, tofu pudding, and porridge recipes instantly filled his brain. It almost covered the entire breakfast series. As for the staple food series that was supplemented, it included various rice dishes, noodle dishes, and even glutinous rice cakes and the like. With these items, his store could indeed reach new heights. But as these pieces of information surged into his head, a sharp pain suddenly emanated from his brain. [System prompt: Host''s brain is unable to adapt to receiving information at a fast and high pace. Suggested to proceed with a special lottery draw.] Chen Yu was confused for a moment. He did have a headache because his mind couldn''t handle the influx of information, but what did that have to do with a special lottery draw? Still, it was a suggestion from the system, so without much thought, he clicked on it. [Congrattions to the host for aprehensive enhancement of intelligence and physical abilities. The body fat percentage will reach its optimal state by tomorrow morning, and you have also concurrently acquired basic mechanical theory knowledge.] A storm of excitement surged in Chen Yu''s heart. The system had such a function! At that moment, the pain in his head immediately eased, and the two series of information he had just received were instantly assimted. Even the basic mechanical theory knowledge that he had just received was instantly understood. In the future, if he wanted to create something mechanical, he could do it himself. However, it seemed a bit off to receive only this much for one million points. Just as Chen Yu was internally grumbling, the system''s prompt sounded again. [Congrattions to the host, you have concurrently acquired aplete set of Sichuan cuisine skills (max level).] The next moment, a vast number of Sichuan cuisine recipes emerged in his brain. And he had a feeling that the skill of cooking was subtly embedding itself into his muscle memory. Chen Yu''s breath quickened; he suddenly felt as if his entire being had been transcended to some extent. Moreover, from the mechanical theory knowledge he acquired, as long as he spent some time, he could set up a factory. Specifically to make various semi-finished products and then supply his own shops, or sell them directly to other stores. Such as various breakfasts, or marinades. "What''s wrong with you? I feel like your muscles just tensed up a bit." Tong Ya sat up straight, nervously clutching Chen Yu''s hand. Chen Yu shook his head, "It''s nothing, I just remembered something! By the way, do you like Sichuan cuisine?" Tong Ya''s eyes shone brightly: "Of course, I do. Don''t you remember there was a Sichuan restaurant right outside our college? I ate there for several years." Chen Yu smiled slightly, "Then I''ll make a few dishes for you to try tomorrow." "You can cook Sichuan cuisine!" Tong Ya eximed in shock, almost waking Tuan Tuan. "Of course, once this shop stabilizes, I might even open a Sichuan restaurant." Tong Ya''s eyes were full of anticipation, "Then tomorrow morning, I''ll go to the farmers'' market and buy some vegetables." Chen Yu nodded, tenderly stroking Tong Ya''s cheek. "Go to sleep early!" Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Grow Taller and Handsome All through the night, Chen Yu could almost distinctly hear the crisp crackling soundsing from his bones. Even Tong Ya was woken up several times by this noise in the middle of the night. At three o''clock the following dawn, Chen Yu got up early to wash and rinse himself. However, he suddenly felt that his old clothes seemed a bit tight. Before this, Chen Yu had been one meter seventy-eight tall, but overnight he seemed to have grown by four centimeters. And his weight didn''t appear to have changed much. The face in the mirror, although still his, looked much more handsome and trim than before. He could evenpete with today''s top young heartthrobs. Chen Yu''s breath even halted for a moment. The one million points spent were indeed worth it! Most importantly, he didn''t feel sleepy at all, not even a bit tired. Fromst night until now, he had only slept for less than five hours, something inconceivable before. After finding some looser clothing, Chen Yu went downstairs to the kitchen in high spirits. After starting the dough mixer, he cleaned up the pig''s head and elbows as usual. But this time, he felt that he was faster than before. By the time Wang Qingshan and the fourteen girls came in for work, the first batch of marinated delicacies had alreadye out of the pot. "Boss Chen, you rise earlier than us workers every day, and today you even got the first round of marinated food done. This makes us workers quite embarrassed," one of them said. Chen Yu waved his hand, "I just couldn''t sleep, so I came down early to do some work!" "By the way, Master Wang, don''t always call me boss. You can call me Little Chen, or Old Chen, or even by my name directly if you want to. It''s much friendlier that way." Wang Qingshan scratched his head somewhat sheepishly. In the culinary world, the hierarchy between chefs and apprentices is quite clear. No matter the age, if you''re an apprentice, you must address the other as ''master''. It was rare for someone like Chen Yu not to fuss over titles. But on second thought, those formalities indeed seemed a bit impersonal. "Then I''ll just call you by your name from now on!" Chen Yu patted Wang Qingshan on the shoulder, "That''s more like it. Since we''re all working together, we''re family! I don''t want my shop to be stiff and impersonal like others",cking warmth and friendliness. Just then, Chu Hong seemed to notice something was off. "Brother Yu, I feel like you''ve gotten taller and even more handsome. Am I seeing things?" Chen Yu cleared his throat lightly, "Didn''t I celebrate my birthday yesterday? It''s normal to grow a bit taller over a year." The crowd looked at Chen Yu with a skeptical gaze. Usually, by their age, the growth tes in bones have closed, making it unlikely to grow taller. Even these young girls had basically stopped growing in height. Yet Chen Yu had managed to grow taller. "Alright! We''re on the clock now, everyone should focus on their duties." Chen Yu quickly changed the subject. After all, having grown taller and be more handsome overnight was indeed a bit miraculous. It wasn''t like he could divulge the secret of the system, could he? All the raw materials for fried cakes and dumplings in the storeroom had been prepared into semi-finished products. Therefore, only four girls remained in the upstairs kitchen, with the others acting as a mobile workforce. They would go wherever they were needed the most. By eight in the morning, the flow of customers had already peaked. Yet suddenly, Wang Qingshan became nervous. He discovered that today, Chen Yu''s techniques and speed were both much faster than before, even twice as fast. All morning, Wang Qingshan had been struggling to catch up, but no matter what, he was left far behind by Chen Yu. He suddenly had a feeling that Chen Yu had never been giving his all before. Perhaps he had been considering his pride. "Chen Yu, you don''t want me to call you master, but I feel it''s almost unjustifiable! I''ve been in the braised food business for ten years and have made a small name for myself, but here with you, I feel just like a primary school student." Chen Yu immediately felt a bit embarrassed, "Master Wang, you tter me!" By now, fiverge pots had been set up in the kitchen, and the braised foods from the early rounds had already been transferred into therge pots to keep warm. With today''s speed, even if customer traffic doubled, they could keep up. Hmm. Just then, Tuan Tuan bounced into the kitchen. "Dad, are you going to go shopping with us? Mom said she can''t predict what you''re going to make." Chen Yu quickly washed his hands. Last night, when he received theplete set of Sichuan cuisine information, part of it was specifically about selecting ingredients. Within the Sichuan cuisine system, some dishes have extremely strict requirements for ingredients. A slight deviation could make the tastee out all wrong. Wang Qingshan was somewhat puzzled and asked without thinking. "Aren''t we having braised foods for the staff meal today?" Tuan Tuan nodded cleverly, "Yes, Uncle Wang, Dad decided to show off his skills and cook Sichuan cuisine for us." Wang Qingshan''s pupils dted suddenly, looking at Chen Yu with some astonishment. "You know how to cook Sichuan cuisine?" Chen Yu smiled and nodded, "I just have a rudimentary knowledge!" After replying somewhat perfunctorily, Chen Yu went out with Tuan Tuan and Tong Ya. They hadn''t left the shop for long when Tong Ya also sensed something was amiss and suddenly ran in front of Chen Yu. "Your clothes look a bit ill-fitting! Plus it seems like you''ve grown taller and even more handsome." Tuan Tuan also ran over in surprise, "Yeah, I hadn''t noticed." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow; this wasn''t the first time today he had heard someone say this. His response remained the same; it was a birthday wish he made yesterday that identally came true. Hearing this response, Tong Ya couldn''t help butugh out loud. She clearly heard the sounds of Chen Yu''s bones rattling awayst night. Biologically speaking, at Chen Yu''s age, most people''s growth tes have already closed. But there are rare exceptions, and perhaps Chen Yu was one of them. "Then how about we first go to the mall and buy you some new clothes? You are a boss after all; it doesn''t seem appropriate to dress like this." Saying so, Tong Ya directly pulled Chen Yu into the car. Suzhou City Center Mall is one of the mostprehensive and upscalemerce centers in Suzhou City. There''s a fashion street here, known for its high-quality and branded apparel. Tong Ya was very familiar with this ce and took Chen Yu there. But when they arrived, they found that the za in front of the mall was upied, as if there was an advertisement being filmed. The whole za was packed with people, and many fans were taking photos with their phones. Chen Yu had no interest in star-chasing, and the three of them went straight into the mall through the back entrance elevator. Just as they got off the elevator and were crossing the corridor, Chen Yu unexpectedly saw that Fang Yuan was the one filming the advertisement below. At the moment, she was acting with a rather handsome popr idol. It seemed they had worked together before, as their expressions and eye contact during the shooting were just right. They looked like an actual couple. Chapter 81: Chapter 81: A Family of Three Chen Yu''s face showed no hint of emotion; he merely nced over before turning his head away. He was now with Tong Ya, and no matter when, his eyes could only hold Tong Ya and no one else. Besides, Fang Yuan was now a household name, a big star, while he seemed to be just a guy who ran a shop selling braised snacks. A gap in status like that meant they couldn''t possibly have any intersection. Walking through the corridor, the family entered a clothing store. The sales associate greeted them warmly, "Are the three of you looking to buy matching family outfits?" These words were exactly what Tong Ya was hoping for, "Isn''t this a formal wear shop? You have matching family outfits too?" The sales associate immediately started introducing them and led them to the family matching area. Tong Ya spotted a set of light blue and white suits at first nce. It seemed as if they were tailor-made for the three of them. After trying on the suits briefly and buying a few sets of clothes in different styles, Tong Ya quietly ran to the counter to pay the bill. But when Chen Yu found out, he didn''t me her, not even uttering an extra word. He already considered Tong Ya as part of his family. Once the family of three changed into their new clothes, they immediately attracted the attention of all the sales associates in the store. "Wow, the good looks of this family are really too high, even higher than the stars shooting an advertisement on the ground floor." "The dad seems to be about 1.82 meters tall, and the mom about 1.72 meters. The height ratio is simply perfect." "The child looks like a beautifulbination of both parents'' genes, just like a porcin doll, too adorable." ... Although it wasn''t the first time he had heard such praise, Chen Yu still felt a bit thrilled. In just one day, the surprises the system brought him were too many. After buying clothes, they directly took the esctor down to the first-floor za. Tuan Tuan had always wanted to buy a goose down plush from here, but Chen Yu never had the time. Today, no matter what, he had to buy the plush. At this moment, all eyes in the za were focused on the actors filming the advertisement. Even the owner of the goose down plush store had run over to join in the bustle. It was at this time that two burly men suddenly burst out from the crowd, holding a bottle of sulfuric acid, and threw it towards Fang Yuan and a popr young male actor. The bodyguards who were with them rushed forward to intercept immediately. The crowd quickly became chaotic, scattering in all directions. Fang Yuan, along with the other actor, protected by the two bodyguards, ran towards where Chen Yu and his family were. One of the burly men got around the bodyguard blocking him, his hands gripping the sulfuric acid, and chased after them. He hadn''t run two steps before he threw the bottle of acid. Chen Yu almost instinctively turned his head and saw the acid bottle moving very slowly in his eyes, but from the trajectory of its arc, it seemed like it was going to hit them. Taking a deep breath, Chen Yu immediately shielded Tuan Tuan and Tong Ya in his arms and then kicked the acid bottle into a corner with a high kick. A sizzling noise abruptly filled the air as the stones in the corner were instantly corroded. Hearing the sound, the people nearby almost simultaneously turned their heads to look at Chen Yu. Fang Yuan also widened her eyes. Chen Yu had grown taller and be more handsome, and she did not recognize him at first, but she immediately recognized Tuan Tuan and Tong Ya. Although she had only met Tong Ya once on that night, Tong Ya''s face was deeply etched in her mind. "You meddler!" The burly man saw his bottle kicked away and drew a knife from his waist, charging at Chen Yu. But this guy''s movements were still as slow as a turtle in Chen Yu''s eyes. He stepped forward with ease and punched the guy in the face. The punch sent the big man staggering backward several steps, until he ultimately fell to the ground and passed out. Chen Yu was also somewhat surprised; his physical fitness wasn''t ordinary at all. If he''d had such skills thest time Tong Ya was held hostage at the convenience store, she wouldn''t have gotten hurt. "Daddy is so awesome!" Tuan Tuan pounced, and his little hands were soon in Chen Yu''s embrace. Tong Ya too was worried and came over to Chen Yu''s side to check whether his hand was injured. Such a heroic act, coupled with the high attractiveness of the family of three, instantly made them the center of attention. Fang Yuan, who had fled in a panic, clenched her heart when she saw this scene. Suddenly, she yearned to be the one in Chen Yu''s arms. Chen Yu didn''t enjoy being the center of attention like this and quickly pulled Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan through the crowd, running to the parking lot. It wasn''t until Chen Yu drove off from the mall that the family of three collectively sighed in relief. Tong Ya, sitting in the passenger seat, looked at Chen Yu with an almost worshipful gaze. "Husband, you were so handsome just now! You knocked that guy flying with one punch." Chen Yu shrugged his shoulders, "When you and Tuan Tuan are in danger, I of course have to give it my all." No sooner had he spoken than Tong Ya suddenly sat up and kissed Chen Yu on the face. Tuan Tuan, sitting in the back seat, also stood up, "Daddy, I want a kiss too!" The family of three chatted andughed, and soon arrived at the farmers'' market. But Chen Yu was very purposeful, buying some ribs, lotus root slices, chicken, tofu, cucumbers, carrots, scallions, and some condiments. After finishing their purchases, he directly took Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan back to the shop. At noon, twelve o''clock, this was the busiest time for the shop. Takeout orders from nearby office workers came one after another. The majority of orders were for noodles, pancake, and vored dishes. With Wang Qingshan''s coordination, everything was orderly and wless. Chen Yu could nowpletely let go and leave the shop to Wang Qingshan to manage. After putting the purchased ingredients back in the fridge, Chen Yu called Auntie Li. Seeing Chen Yu''s appearance, Auntie Li couldn''t help but praise him a few times. This made Chen Yu feel that his attractiveness was somewhat overwhelming. He rented two more single apartments from Auntie Li, right beside the two he had rented previously. Half a year''s rent for the two rooms, including water but not electricity! Chen Yu transferred eighteen thousand yuan with no hesitation. Auntie Li tidied up the contract, was just about to leave, then turned back to look at Chen Yu. "Xiao Chen, you mentioned before about buying my shop, does that include the five shops I''ve just taken over?" Chen Yu didn''t even have to think, "Of course it includes them! It''s just that I''m a bit short on cash right now..." "Don''t worry about it! I''ll keep those shops reserved for you, selling them to someone else would upset me! It''s just to finalize things with you, so we can prepare the contracts in advance." "Thank you, Auntie Li!" Auntie Li responded and, before leaving, even bought some pancakes and vored dishes. Having sorted out the dormitory situation, Chen Yu immediately went next door. "Old Xie, do you still have those double beds fromst time? And while you''re at it, bring me some bedding too." Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Once Again Xie Jiang was currtly tidying up the hoses, and wh he saw Ch Yue in, he hurriedly stood up. "We have some ready-made ones, right here in my shop! Shall I sd them over right now?" Ch Yu nodded and took out two keys. "They''re right next to the two dormitories we usedst time, 330 and 339!" Xie Jiang took the keys without saying much and immediately wt with several workers to take care of it. It wasn''t until 7:30 in the eving that the flow of people gradually diminished. Ch Yu wt straight into the kitch, picked up a cleaver, and began preparing the ingredits. His knife skills were not only steady as an old bull but also incredibly fast, which left Wang Qingshan staring in amazemt. "You really keep your light under a bushel!" Ch Yu didn''t say much and, while stir-frying, he took a small pressure cooker and steamed half a pot of mixed-grain rice. He th called the supplier and asked them to deliver food materials for the next two days. At eight o''clock in the eving, wh the shop gradually quieted down, Ch Yuid out the meals on the table. Steamed pork ribs with lotus root, Mapo tofu, shredded pork in garlic sauce, and Kung Pao chick. All four dishes were typical Sichuan cuisine. The pot of mixed-grain rice itself was made with sev differt grains, producing sev differt colors once steamed. It was not only fragrant but also pleasing to the eye. With four big basins of dishes,plemted by five vors of braised food, everyone''s appetite was wide op. After a busy day, with only a few gaps to grab some noodles or pancakes, they were starving by this time. Wang Qingshan was not shy, directly heaping a bowl full of rice and spooning some Mapo tofu into his bowl. After just one bite, Wang Qingshan was so excited. "Authtic, that''s so authtic! Thest time I had such authtic Sichuan food was eight years ago." Tong Ya also picked up a piece of Steamed Pork Ribs, which was crispy on the outside and soft but not mushy on the inside¡ªit was the pinnacle of steamed pork ribs. Fourte young girls were eagerly shoveling rice, picking up dishes with their chopsticks one after another. Although they didn''t know what "authtic" meant, they knew what tasted good. Seeing the eight girls who were still a bit reserved, Ch Yu stood up, took a spoon, and served a spoonful of Mapo tofu to a girl named Li Lu. "This spoon is meant for you to use like this. How long are you going to keep picking with chopsticks?" A few girls giggled and started to loos up, scooping dishes directly into their bowls with spoons. At that momt, Tong Ya was savoring the food as if it were a piece of fine art, chewing slowly and deliberately. "Honey, your cooking skills have surpassed those of authtic Sichuan chefs. If you ask me, we should just op a Sichuan restaurant¡ªit would definitely be a hit," she said. Wang Qingshan echoed from the side, "If I had your skills, I would have oped several stores by now." Ch Yu lifted his bowl and took a bite of rice, "Bite off more than you can chew and you''ll have trouble down the line. Let''s take it slow and expand step by step!" Nobody said anything more; they kept serving themselves from the four basins of dishes,pletely ignoring the braised vors beside them, which they once considered delicacies. Just after finishing the meal, Ch Yu took out a list. "Work at the shop has always be busy, and everyone''s sleeping time could be less than eight hours a day! Now that we have ough staff, I''ve decided to implemt a rotating rest schedule," he announced. With that, Ch Yu handed the list to Chu Hong. ording to the schedule on the list, every day two people would be in a state of rest. That is to say, each person gets a day off per week, averaging four days off per month. These young girls were shocked to see the rest policy above, their jaws dropping one after another. They had never heard of restaurant waitresses being giv so many holidays. Just th, Xie Jiang burst into the shop. "Ch Yu, the wood bed and bedding you ordered have be delivered, here''s the key!" As soon as he put down the key, Xie Jiang''s eyes were glued to the dishes on the table. "Ch Yu, did you make this?" Ch Yu nodded and casually picked up a bowl. "Do you want to sit down and eat together?" Xie Jiang''s mouth was watering, and without further ado, he took the rice Ch Yu passed him and scooped up a spoonful of Kung Pao chick. With one bite, he felt as if he''d ascded to heav. "Ch Yu, this isn''t the new dish you''re introducing after expanding the restaurant, is it?" Ch Yu stroked his chin thoughtfully, "If conditions allow, I could indeed op a separate counter for Sichuan cuisine." "Fantastic, I really hav''t tasted such authtic Sichuan cuisine in a long time! Don''t worry, after tomorrow, I guarantee your restaurant will be able to op for business as usual." After giving his word and patting his chest, Xie Jiang wolfed down the rice in his bowl. Although he wanted another bowl, he felt a bit embarrassed, especially since this was the staff meal of the restaurant. After greeting everyone, Xie Jiang hurriedly left. After finishing their meal, the two new girls, Zhou Yan and Du Ling, took the initiative to wash the dishes. Th, everyone began to clean together. [Congrattions Host, you''vepleted a day of business, today''s profit is 76,600 yuan, you''ve earned 76,600 points, and your currt cumtive total points are ,885,680 points.] As soon as the system''s prompt sounded, Ch Yu''s mind began to calcte rapidly. After paying off 358,000 yuan for raw materials and today''s rt of 8,000 yuan, he still had 484,600 yuan on him. After transferring 480,000 yuan into his currt ount, Ch Yu left himself with less than 5,000 yuan in reserve funds. All his ounts were crystal clear in his mind, so there was no need to record them on paper. Ch Yu unconsciously exhaled a breath of turbid air, feeling that the one million points sptst night were well worth it. In excitemt, Ch Yu called up the system page in his mind again. With ,885,680 points now avable, it was more than ough for another top-tier lottery draw. Without hesitation, he clicked on it. [Congrattions Host, your intelligce and physical fitness have reached the currt human limit, your knowledge in mechanics has reached the currt technological limit of humanity, your biological knowledge has reached the currt cognitive limit of humanity, and your chemical knowledge has reached the currt cognitive limit of humanity.] A plethora of knowledge instantly flooded Ch Yu''s mind. He felt as if he himself had be elevated to some extt. However, at this stage, it seemed he had no use for this information. After waiting for a while, there were no new dishes or skills giv by the system. Ch Yu frowned, suddly feeling that the one million points might have be a bit of a loss. However, after merging the biological and chemical knowledge in his mind, he mysteriously gained a rough understanding of some medical-rted subjects. He could ev treat somemon diseases to a certain extt. Chapter 83: Chapter 83 Going into battle, father and son soldiers [System notification: The lottery level has changed. Host will need 10 million points for the next draw, current total points: 885,680] Chen Yu suddenly felt a bit downcast, as if he had regressed overnight. He had no idea when he would be able to umte 10 million points. "Why are you daydreaming here again? Everyone has left!" Tong Ya suddenly hugged Chen Yu from behind. It was then Chen Yu realized, "I was just thinking about how to deal with the wall up front, so we can perfectly connect the shops together." Tong Ya leaned against Chen Yu yfully. "Haven''t you already handed it over to Master Xie? Why are you still worrying about this?" Chen Yu turned and held Tong Ya in his arms. "Can''t I worry about my own shop?" Tong Ya pouted, "Always worrying about your shop, never paying enough attention to others." Chen Yu chuckled, carrying Tong Ya upstairs. At midnight, both Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan had fallen into deep sleep. But lying in bed, Chen Yu wasn''t the least bit tired; he felt as though he had endless energy in his body. "Is this the limit of human physical strength?" Chen Yu couldn''t help but wonder. After a short three-hour rest, Chen Yu quietly got up and went down to the lobby. However, today he didn''t go straight to the kitchen to work, but pulled up a table and sat down to n the blueprint for the new shop. After today, the expanded shops would be interconnected. By then, the store wouldn''t be as crowded as the past couple of days. And Chen Yu would also need to gradually introduce new items. Such as breakfast series and Sichuan cuisine series, which all needed to be added to the schedule step by step. He would probably need to hire more people at that time. Yet his mind was now much clearer than before, and just by sitting down and thinking for a moment, everything made sense. He even made a rough calction of the future gross revenue and the daily costs. A smile suddenly appeared on Chen Yu''s face. He was filled with great expectations for the future. Just then, his phone rang. It was a call from Li Lan. "Hello, Mom, why are you calling in the middle of the night? Is it urgent?" "We''ve dealt with everything at home, and your dad and I have bought the early morning tickets to Suzhou City. We should arrive during the day to help you out." Chen Yu was taken aback, "Didn''t we agree to wait until I had bought a house beforeing over?" The voice over the phone suddenly became Chen Guang''s, "You little rascal, you didn''t even inform me about such a major event as expanding the store. Can you manage it all by yourself?" "Don''t worry! I''ve hired a few more waiters here..." "Waiters are after all outsiders, we need family on the front lines! We will reach Suzhou City in half an hour, free up some time to pick us up." After hanging up the phone, Chen Yu felt a bit helpless. Indeed, parents are always the most concerned about their children. Without any hesitation, he drove to the train station. By the time Chen Yu brought Chen Guang and Li Lan back, it was already past four in the morning. Wang Qingshan and the fourteen girls had already started their day''s work. Chen Yu frowned slightly and went straight to the kitchen to pull Chu Hong out. "Didn''t we agree to rotate two people for rest each day? Why has everyonee?" Chu Hong was somewhat embarrassed, "They all said it would be bad to take a break so soon after arriving! How about we start next week instead?" Chen Yu shrugged, "Fine, if you guys don''t take a break, I''ll consider it overtime." Chu Hong was taken aback, and before she could react, Chen Yu went upstairs with Chen Guang and Li Lan. "Dad, Mom, take a break here for now, it''s still early!" "Take a break? Nonsense!" Li Lan chastised, "I''m going upstairs to help prepare the fried rice cakes and vegetable pastries." Chen Guang also put down his luggage and hurried downstairs. Chen Yu sighed lightly, but when he saw Chen Guang''s figure, a human anatomy chart suddenly shed in his mind. He could actually clearly see the location of Chen Guang''s rheumatism. A flood of biological knowledge emerged in his mind at that moment. Although this knowledge was not up to professional medical level,bined with the simultaneously emerging chemical knowledge, Chen Yu actually had a treatment n for Chen Guang. Chen Yu''s breathing became rapid, he originally thought this knowledge was of no use to him. Now it seemed like a heaven-defying skill. The change in customer flow todaypared with yesterday was not significant, and with yesterday''s experience, today was well-organized. Plus, under Wang Qingshan''s leadership, the girls in the first-floor kitchen became adept at handling pig heads and elbows. That is to say, Chen Yu was now fully capable of being a hands-off manager. At noon, Xie Jiang came over for some noodles and braised dishes and directly pulled Chen Yu next door. "Old Chen, ording to the original n, it would be ready by tomorrow. However, I had some people make a pushst night, and you can start using it this afternoon," he said. While speaking, Xie Jiang pointed to the markings on the wall beside them. "Just give the word, and we''ll knock down this wall, and your shop will be expanded immediately!" It had to be said, Xie Jiang''s work was bing more and more impressive. The originally packed and connected five shops, under Xie Jiang''s management, became a single entity. The entire shop was spacious and stylish, perfectly blending with the style of the neighboring shop. Chen Yu took a deep breath, "With decoration like this, fifty thousand might not be enough!" Xie Jiang smiled, "It won''t take that much, just knocked down a few walls and renovated a bit! By the way, do you need any more kitchen equipment? I can arrange aplete set for you." Chen Yu nodded and immediately produced a list, handing it to Xie Jiang. "Go by this list. Calcte how much it''ll cost, and I''ll cover the difference!" Xie Jiang looked at the list, "No problem, I can arrange some of it for you right now." ... In a film crew location east of Suzhou City. Fang Yuan sat in a nanny van, wolfing down the boxed lunch in her hands. She looked as if she hadn''t eaten properly for days. Han Mintao sat opposite Fang Yuan, watching her with a distressed look. "Once you finish shooting these ads,e with me to the capital. How will you ever meet the terms of the bet by just staying in Suzhou City?" Fang Yuan''s movements paused, she remained silent for a long time, then suddenly looked up. "Is running a braised food restaurant very profitable?" Han Mintao was taken aback, "Why do you ask so suddenly?" Fang Yuan swallowed the food in her mouth, "These past days, I''ve had people investigate, and Chen Yu''s shop expanded again, his daily profit is several hundred thousand." Han Mintao sighed, "Stop worrying so much, as long as you fulfill the bet within two years, you''ll get three billion! On average, that''s several million a day." Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Bone Setting Revisited Fang Yuan clched her teeth, her concerns at the momt wer''t tirely about money. Ever since she saw Ch Yu during themercial shoot yesterday, her heart had be overwhelmed with an inexplicable feeling. Especially wh Ch Yu protectively held Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan in his arms with nervousness, she actually felt a bit jealous. There was a time wh he was her husband, and that was her child. Now, suddly, a woman had appeared and be her husband''s wife and her child''s mother. That extreme sse of imbnce filled her with sourness. Han Mintao seemed to have noticed Fang Yuan''s thoughts. "Alright, daughter, stop thinking about that damn brat. His status now is miles apart from yours. List to Mommy''s arrangemts, it won''t be long before I find you a super rich man." Fang Yuan didn''t say much more, just quickly finished the boxed meal in her hands, and th rested on the bed beside her. ... By eight o''clock in the eving, the shop tered closing time, and the flow of customers gradually diminished. Ch Yu was still personally cooking, preparing a sumptuous meal. Boiled fish, kung pao chick, garlic steamed eggnt, beer duck, twice-cooked pork. Five big dishes, paired with a pot of fragrant rice, the taste was simply irresistible. But tonight, Ch Yu had prepared ough food for nearly forty people. Just as the meal was ready, Xie Jiang rushed into the shop with two workers. "Old Ch, there''s no one in the shop now, shall we knock down the wall right now?" Ch Yu waved his hand: "No rush, bring the workers over to eat first, we''ll talkter." It was th that Xie Jiang noticed the several big dishes on the table. "Wow, Old Ch, you''ve switched up the vors today!" Ch Yu smiled: "Come over and eat! I made a portion for the workers as well." Xie Jiang didn''t stand on ceremony, quickly calling the workers in from next door. The workers had barely tak a bite before they started praising the food incessantly. For a momt, they were all singing Ch Yu''s praises to the heavs. After the meal, the workers were motivated and immediately demolished thest wall. At the same time, they made minor repairs ording to the previous n. The rovations on the first and second floors were almost happing synchronously. Soon, the tire shop space was joined together into one. At that momt, Ch Yu immediately felt the space be much more expansive. Also, Xie Jiang had tak care of all the kitch equipmt on Ch Yu''s list, ready for expanded business tomorrow. However, Ch Yu wasn''t overly hasty, and today, he still ordered only t thousand catties of pork. Ch Guang and Li Lan, along with the shop''s servers and worker masters, quickly cleaned up the shop. After storing the pork, everyone dispersed one after another. [Congrattions host onpleting a day''s business. Today''s profit is four hundred and fifty-two thousand six hundred yuan. You received four hundred and fifty-two thousand six hundred points. The currt total umted points are one million three hundred thirty-three thousand eight hundred eighty.] Ch Yu''s mind had already begun to calcte. After theter purchase of fifty thousand yuan for kitch equipmt from Xie Jiang and eighty thousand for pork, Ch Yu still had over sev hundred thirty thousand left. Transferring the sev hundred thirty thousand into a currt ount and after deducting the cost of food ingredits bought for employee meals today, Ch Yu had slightly less than four thousand yuan left in petty cash. His currt ount had ev reached an astonishing four million three hundred sixty thousand. He was a step closer to buying the tire shop. In the past, wh Ch Yu calcted these ounts, he would prepare a small notebook, but now these figures just passed through his mind once and were deeply etched there. After slightly adjusting his breathing, Ch Yu wt back to his room to change into a fresh set of sportswear. He was still full of ergy, and since he couldn''t sleep anyway, he decided to go out for a night run. "What are you doing?" Tong Ya asked, th hugged Ch Yu from behind. "I can''t sleep, going for a run!" Ch Yu turned a and held Tong Ya in his arms. "Can I join you?" Tong Ya looked into Ch Yu''s eyes, her face full of anticipation. "Of course, you can!" No sooner had those words left his mouth than Tuan Tuan suddly ran over. "Daddy, I want to go running with you too." Li Lan quickly stepped forward and took Tuan Tuan back. In her opinion, Ch Yu and Tong Ya had just gott together and needed time to nurture their rtionship. They had to spd as much time together as possible. During the day, Ch Yu was always busy, and Tong Ya needed to take care of Tuan Tuan, leaving them hardly any time to spd with each other. Now, they finally had the chance to go for a night run together, and Li Lan wouldn''t let Tuan Tuan get in their way. Tong Ya quickly changed her clothes, said goodbye to Tuan Tuan, and followed Ch Yu out of the shop. There was a riverside park nearby with running tracksid out beside it. At this time, there were still many older m and wom exercising there. Ch Yu and Tong Ya ran side by side on the track and quickly became a beautiful sce in themselves. "Boss Ch, what brings you out for a run today? Don''t you get tired after a busy day?" "You two are a perfect match, ev your hobbies are the same." "Boss Ch, head back early, otherwise we won''t get to eat your fried cakes tomorrow morning." ... Faced with greetings from the neighbors, Ch Yu always responded politely. After running continuously for about twty minutes, Tong Ya''s breathing became noticeably rapid. Ch Yu immediately adjusted his pace, slowing down. He didn''t feel tired at this level; on the contrary, he was somewhat excited. "How do you feel? Tired?" Ch Yu asked with concern. Tong Ya wiped the sweat from her forehead: "Of course, I''m tired, it''s be a long time since I''ve run continuously for this long." All of a sudd, Ch Yu turned a, picked up Tong Ya, and started running at a steady pace. Tong Ya looked surprised: "Husband, I''ve found that not only have you grown taller and be more handsome, but your physical condition has also improved. Have you be secretly taking some medicine without telling me?" Ch Yuughed: "Maybe it''s because you came into my life and brought me good luck." Tong Ya''s face flushed with shy delight as she lowered her head and snuggled into Ch Yu''s embrace. Just th, a scream came from the riverside railing nearby. The older m and wom exercising nearby quickly gathered a. Tong Ya also looked in that direction: "It looks like Old Man Wu has fall!" Ch Yu had some recollection of Old Man Wu, who came to his shop every morning at six, to buy fried cakes and vegetable pastries. Ch Yu hurriedly put Tong Ya down and ran over. It seemed like Old Man Wu had just finished fishing and tripped while climbing over the railing. He was now lying there in pain, clutching his leg, and crying out. Some kind-hearted neighbors had ev started calling for an ambnce. With just one look, Ch Yu knew that Old Man Wu''s right leg had a disced fracture of the fib. He quickly pushed through the crowd, grabbed Old Man Wu''s leg, and th gtly twisted it. A clear snap was heard, and Old Man Wu''s pained expression started to subside. "Ah!" "Eh? I think I''m okay now? Boss Ch, you know how to set bones too?" Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Birthday Banquet Booking Ch Yu suddly felt a bit dazed, his earlier actions had be purely instinctive, without much thought. "Wh I was in college, I minored in biomedical scice, so I can handle some simple trauma." The onlooking neighbors immediately gave a thumbs-up. "Who would''ve thought, not only does Little Boss Ch cook delicious food, but his medical skills are so impressive too!" "Had I known earlier, I would''ve tried harder to marry my daughter off to Little Boss Ch." "Stop talking nonsse, he''s tak now!" ¡­ While everyone was discussing, Tong Ya hurriedly squeezed through the crowd and reached Ch Yu''s side, casually wrapping her arm a his, as if to dere her ownership. "Mr. Wu, I just provided temporary relief for your pain, but it''s best if you still go to the hospital for a check-up." Ch Yu gave some instructions and th left with Tong Ya. They hadn''t gone far wh Tong Ya stretched out her arms. "Husband, I want a hug!" Ch Yu pinched Tong Ya''s nose and lifted her into his embrace. Tong Ya was now increasingly fond of Ch Yu''s arms; they seemed ev morefortable than before, and there was an inexplicable magic about them. Wh the couple returned, Ch Guang and Li Lan were already asleep in a room with Tuan Tuan. After taking a bath, Ch Yu and Tong Ya also fell asleep in each other''s arms. The next day at four in the morning, Wang Qingshan and a group of girls walked into the shop feeling a bit dazed. They hadn''t had a good look at the shop the night before wh it was justpleted. Now that they saw it, they were suddly struck by the grandeur and majesty of the ce. Wang Qingshan ev sighed softly; he had worked hard for t years, and his shop had never expanded to this size. At six in the morning, arge number of delivery boys quickly arrived at the shop. However, this time the shop wasn''t as crowded as it had be thest two days. The shop was now three times the size it was before, so there was room to sit ev if more people came. Moreover, these delivery boys were basically regrs; after picking up orders here for a few days, they had all be familiar with the local residts. And because the food here was served quickly and efficitly, the delivery boys didn''t have to be as anxious as they would at other ces. They allpeted to deliver orders from Ch Yu''s ce. At eight in the morning, Ch Yu used his spare funds to buy arge quantity of raw materials at the agricultural market. Now that the shop could run smoothly without him, and with Ch Guang and Li Lan coordinating things there, Ch Yu didn''t have to worry too much. He now had ough time to experimt with new recipes. After the rovation, all the kitchs in the shop were connected. Although this design was long and narrow, it clearly divided the kitch into several areas. In the future, Ch Yu could pick one area to specialize in Sichuan cuisine. At that momt, Ch Yu was in one of the new areas, tinkering with kitch utsils in his hands. A few not-sorge pressure cookers were already emitting tantalizing aromas. Among the braised snacks, besides the braising techniques for some meats, the rest was about cooking offal. Pig''s offal, cow''s offal, sheep''s offal, and ev donkey''s offal¡ªif done right, these could be exceptional dishes. Moreover, in Suzhou City, there was a rich culture of appreciation for offal. For some, a day without a bowl of assorted offal soup would feel vorless. "What are you making, Old Ch? It smells amazing!" Xie Jiang, apanied by a few workers carrying various kitch utsils, rushed over in a hurry. These were special kitch utsils Ch Yu had requested, which needed to be custom-made, hce they were only delivered at this time. Ch Yu just happed to op a pressure cooker, "Some offal braised in soy sauce, want to try some?" Xie Jiang''s eyes lit up, "Damn, Ch, you''ve got this trick up your sleeve too! Offal is not easy to cook! Give me a slice of pork liver to try." Ch Yu took a small bowl from the side, scooped half a liver into it, and handed it over. Xie Jiang didn''t ev bother with chopsticks, he just grabbed it with his hands and took a bite. "Mmm! Delicious, unbelievably delicious. This pork liver is so tder and ptable wh you make it." As he spoke, Xie Jiang stuffed the remaining piece into his mouth. Actually, pork liver can easily be tough during the braising process, and if not done well, the ure can be especially poor. But the pork liver made by Ch Yu was incredibly tder, almost offering no resistance wh bitt into. It was like biting into a slice of cake. Just th, the other pressure cookers were also oped by Ch Yu. The workers who hade along to deliver the kitchware were stunned, staring fixedly at the pressure cookers. Inside the twelve small pressure cookers were beef,mb, and donkey meat, each type of meat offered in four differt vors. Next to them, two other pots contained an assortmt of beef andmb offal respectively. The rich aroma from thesebined and quickly filled the tire restaurant. Customers who came here to dine, as well as delivery guys waiting for orders, all gravitated towards the sct without any arrangemt. Xie Jiang''s breathing became rapid too; he could hardly wait to rush up and take a bite from each pressure cooker. "Ch, how did you braise thismb? There''s not a hint of gaminess!" Ch Yu smiled, "Secret recipe!" Xie Jiang wiped his mouth, looking somewhat embarrassed as he handed over his bowl. "Ch, give me a piece ofmb, any vor will do." Ch Yu took the bowl and without hesitation scooped a bit ofmb of each vor into it and handed it back. Xie Jiang still used his hands, scooping all four pieces of meat into his mouth. Ev though the four vors mixed in his mouth, each unique aroma burst through to Xie Jiang''s brain. "My God! Ch, ever since you came here, our family can''t joy a meal without your food. From now on, it looks like we can''t live without you ." Ch Yu simply returned a polite smile, th called over to a few of the workers to have a taste as well. At that momt, the only customers and delivery guy prest continuously swallowed their saliva, some ev standing on tiptoes to peek into the disy case. Ch Yu had to lean toward the window to address the people at the back. "This food is just a trial, not quite perfect yet. I''m just testing things out today, it will be avable tomorrow." Th the crowd reluctantly dispersed. Xie Jiang and the worker craftsm had only a few bites before returning their bowls to Ch Yu. "By the way, Ch, can we reserve a table here?" Ch Yu frowned slightly, "This ce is mainly for breakfast and braised dishes; we don''t take reservations at the momt." "But you can cook Sichuan cuisine!" Xie Jiang quickly took out his phone and scanned the QR code next to him. "My father-inw, he''s from Sichuan! Tomorrow is his 60th birthday, and all he wants is a taste of authtic Sichuan food." As he spoke, Xie Jiang directly transferred a thousand yuan. "There are nine of us in total, just prepare a table for us with this money." Ch Yu hesitated for a momt, th nodded. "Alright th! It will be in Room Number One on the second floor." Wh Xie Jiang was rovating, he created a series of private rooms on the second floor as per Ch Yu''s request, totaling twty. Xie Jiang responded and th left in a hurry with the worker craftsm, appartly in need of catching up on the construction work. Chapter 86: Chapter 86 Childhood Flavor At noon, the number of people in the shop peaked. Despite the crowd, the ce still seemed very spacious, and ev the delivery guys couldfortably find a spot to sit and wait for their meals. Right th, several business vehicles parked steadily outside, and a few elderly m in smart attire alighted. Among them were Tong Ming and Tang Long. "We''re settling our business here today, while eating. The braised dishes here are truly extraordinary," Ev before tering, Tong Ming excitedly rmded the braised dishes to the others. As soon as he tered, Tong Ming paused to survey the tire shop, seeming quite satisfied with the decor. Before he could express his praise, the ticing aroma had already drawn him to Ch Yu''s disy window. Within Sichuan cuisine, two of the most important series are sweet and sour and "yu xiang" (fish-vored). The soul of these are the sweet and sour sauce and the "yu xiang" sauce, which have simr tastes but are not exactly the same. At that very momt, Ch Yu was experimting with the sweet and sour sauce and "yu xiang" sauce provided by the system. He had already stir-fried a dish of sweet and sour spare ribs and one of "yu xiang" eggs. "Is this a new item?" Tong Ming shouted excitedly. Seeing Tong Ming approach, Ch Yu quickly put down his work and came out of the kitch. "What brings you here?" Tong Ming patted Ch Yu''s shoulder: "Some business partners from the capital havee, and we''re having our lunch here." With that, he turned his gaze to the sweet and sour spare ribs and "yu xiang" eggsid out before him. "Bring these two dishes to our table, and from the new braised dishes you have prepared, I''ll take a bit of each, along with some noodles and pancakes," he ordered. Ch Yu nodded and called over Lan Jing, who was cleaning nearby. The young girl didn''t dare to dy and hurried to find Wang Qingshan. Among the bosses Tong Ming had brought along was a native Sichuanese. Wh the "yu xiang" eggs were served, he excitedly picked up his chopsticks and took a bite. "This is the taste! After more than forty years, I''ve finally tasted it again." The boss shouted out of excitemt, disregarding his image, and began devouring the "yu xiang" eggs. Moreover, as he ate, tears streamed down his face, startling the others nearby. Tong Ming was also stunned: "Old Liu, what''s going on? It might be delicious, but you shouldn''t be crying." Liu Chong didn''t immediately answer Tong Ming but licked the te clean after finishing the "yu xiang" eggs. It wasn''t until th that he turned to Tong Ming with tearful eyes, "Tong, you don''t understand, myte father was a chef who specialized in Sichuan cuisine!" "Since his passing, I hav''t had such an authtic "yu xiang" egg dish again." More than forty years ago, during the time of famine, many ces couldn''t afford meat, so lots of Sichuan chefs substituted meat in certain dishes with eggs. It was during that time that the dish "yu xiang" eggs emerged. But this dish was ratherplex to prepare, and as living conditions have improved, few people bother with it. Thus, the authtic vor gradually faded away. The others prest were somewhat astonished, as the dish seemed to have evoked Liu Chong''s memories of his father. Tong Ming sighed softly, "Old Liu, since that''s the case, I''ll let you eat your fill of this dish today!" With that, Tong Ming called out directly to the disy window, "Son-inw, that "yu xiang" egg dish from before, fry some more." Hearing Tong Ming''s call, Ch Yu didn''t think twice. After all, there were still plty of eggs left from the morning''s purchase. However, upon hearing the word "son-inw," all the bosses prest uniformly turned their gaze toward Tong Ming. Especially Liu Chong, whose somewhat weathered eyes were filled with disbelief. "This is your son-inw''s restaurant? Did he cook this dish?" A hint of smug pride actually appeared on Tong Ming''s face, "What, my son-inw''s culinary skills don''t suit your taste?" These words were obviously rhetorical, yet they also carried a hint of bragging. Liu Chong repeatedly waved his hands, "To be able to cook such an authtic ''fish-fragrant'' egg dish, one would need at least three or four decades of experice. Don''t tell me your son-inw started learning to cook from a young age?" Tong Ming fumbled with the walking stick in his hand, his face beaming with pride. "Some things, you know, are a matter of talt! My son-inw is very well-ed, and he ev has a double master''s degree." Apart from Tang Long, everyone prest oped their mouths wide, looking at Tong Ming with vy. For them, at this stage, the most important thing is to find a qualified sessor. A young man who can cook to this level is surely capable in other regards as well. And he ev has a high level of education! In their eyes, Tong Ming had truly found a gem. At this momt, Ch Yu brought out two more tes of ''fish-fragrant'' eggs. "Could you all eat dishes with Sichuan spicy vors? I can cook a few right now." The few sitting there were all influtial figures in the capital, and at this momt, they sized up Ch Yu with an indescribable look. "Young and handsome, efficit and capable, he really is a fine young man!" Liu Chong couldn''t help but praise. Just th, Tong Ya, who had just put Tuan Tuan down for a nap, happed toe down from upstairs. Wh she saw Tong Ming sitting in the hall with several bosses, she felt somewhat displeased. But still, she slightlyposed herself and wt up to greet the other elders. After all, they were Tong Ming''s business partners, and by siority, she ought to address them as uncles. Ev if she and Tong Ming did not get along, it was the very least that her upbringing demanded. However, after she finished greeting them, she pouted slightly and gave Tong Ming a sideways nce. Th, she took Ch Yu by the arm and headed back to the kitch. At this, the vy in the other bosses'' eyes grew ev stronger. In wealthy families like theirs, the rtionships with their childr were oft somewhat strained. The kids who were suitable to inherit the family wealth and were rtively talted usually had their own ideas; they would either leave home or start their own businesses. The childr who stayed at home, though obedit, were usually not good at anything. The harmony disyed by Tong Ming''s family made them a bit jealous. Tong Ming knew the real situation in his own home better than anyone, but at times like these, what mattered was face, and he was more than happy to joy the atttion from everyone. However, inside the kitch, Tong Ya clung to Ch Yu''s arm, her face filled with restmt. "Did they pay any money?" Ch Yu shrugged nonchntly, "It''s just a test of new dishes, why charge them?" "That won''t do, it''ll only courage their brazness toe here for free meals!" Ch Yu couldn''t help but chuckle, about to say, "But that''s your father, after all," but th he stopped himself. Instead, he looked at Tong Ya with a doting expression, "So you tell me, how much should we charge?" Tong Ya thought for a momt with her lips pursed, "We should really make him pay through the nose, see if he dares toe for free meals again." Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Casual Swipe Liu Chong''s emotions were at their peak at this momt; the Yu Xiang chick eggs and the rest of the Sichuan cuisine really brought back the taste of his childhood. After wolfing down his meal yet again, he suddly grabbed Tong Ming''s hand. "Old Tong, no more talk, with this Yu Xiang chick eggs alone, let''s kick off our cooperation we discussed before! And those proposals that have be hanging, we can sign the contracts now." Tong Ming was a bit surprised, as he didn''t expect Liu Chong would agree to the cooperation so easily. Just as he was about to stand up and shake hands with Liu Chong, Liu Chong picked up the te he had licked clean. "But you have to promise, from now on, I can eat the dishes from here every day." Tong Ming burst intoughter, "Of course, it''s my son-inw''s ce,e whever you want." "Dad, don''t rope my husband into your business deals!" Tong Ya said, slowly approaching with a tray holding four dishes. Tong Ming was tak aback and seemed somewhat lost in thought. Although he knew Tong Ya was calling him ''Dad'' in front of others to save face for him. But that word, ''Dad'', he had waited for sev long years to hear. "How could I not? If I don''t mtion my precious son-inw, people might think the Tong Family doesn''t have a proper pir to rely on!" As Tong Ming said this, he seemed to get a bit carried away, appartly forgetting the tsions betwe him and Tong Ya. Tong Ya moved closer to Tong Ming right th. "I just heard you''ve made a terrific deal with Uncle Liu! My husband also contributed to that, so shouldn''t you give him a big red velope? Or at least pay for the meal." Originally, Tong Ya wanted to make Tong Ming feel embarrassed. Unexpectedly, Tong Ming was not embarrassed at all; instead, heughed excitedly and pulled out his credit card to give to Tong Ya. "Here''s Dad''s card, feel free to use it!" For Tong Ming, this was an excellt opportunity to repair their father-daughter rtionship. Th he turned to the others, his face full of pride. "My daughter is fiercely protective of her food. Ever since she got a husband, she''s forgott about her old dad. Shees here for a few free meals and ev wants me to pay up!" Upon hearing this, the other business ownersughed and th began toin about how their own childr were not living up to expectations. Every time theyined, they would bring up Tong Ya and Ch Yu. Tong Ya''s face turned red with embarrassmt. Not only did she not embarrass Tong Ming, she also made herself feel somewhat at a loss. Still, she took the card, hummed restfully, and hurried back to the kitch. To the others, this just seemed like the daughter acting petntly in front of her father. This meal not only led to Liu Chong and Tong Ming reaching aprehsive cooperation, but the other business owners also extded olive branches. Once they had signed the contracts, they got up and left one after another. Tong Ming turned a, his face beaming as he leaned against the service window. "You sly girl, thinking you could embarrass your old dad. You''ve got a long way to go!" Tong Ya turned and red at Tong Ming restfully, "I don''t care, the card you just gave counts aspsation for all these years, but you still have to pay for the meal!" Tong Ming could onlyugh helplessly, th turned to Ch Yu, "Son-inw, I''ve be getting more and more employeestely, I''m afraid we''ll need to increase the food orders in the cante!" Ch Yu naturally understood what Tong Ming meant. He was throwing him an order as a way to gracefully exit the situation. Otherwise, with Tong Ya pressing on like this, it really could be dless. "Alright, let''s count this order as paymt for the meal th." Tong Ming saw that Ch Yu had understood his meaning and nodded his head in satisfaction, taking big strides as he walked away with his cane. However, Tong Ya was still somewhat annoyed, "Husband, you''re just too easy-going! We let him off too easily this time." Ch Yu, feeling somewhat helpless, caressed Tong Ya''s cheek, "Alright, help me take care of those vegetables over there." At eight o''clock in the eving, as the crowd gradually dispersed, Ch Yu called everyone over to eat. The staff meal for the day was all the new items Ch Yu had made at noon. The remaining customers who hadn''t left were involuntarily drawn over wh they saw the staff meal. Some ev asked Ch Yu if they were still hiring! Not many minutes after finishing the meal, the master who delivered the raw materials had already arrived. In the afternoon, after trying out these new products, he had roughly estimated the capacity that the existing store could handle. He th directly ordered one week''s worth of raw materials. Of course, this was only limited to the fried cakes and vegetable pastries. After all, these two items could now be made into semi-finished products and stored in the freezer warehouse. As for the raw materials for marinated meats, Ch Yu still chose to buy them the night before. However, this time, in addition to the daily fixed quantity of t thousand catties of pork, he increased each type of beef,mb, donkey meat, chick legs, and duck legs by a thousand catties. Pig, sheep, cow, and donkey offals were also ordered at one thousand catties each. As for the others, he was not in a rush tounch them all at once; after all, there must be a gradual progress. The beef,mb, and donkey meat were uniformly wholesaled by the suppliers at thirty yuan per catty. Chick and duck legs, as well as various offals, were priced at five yuan per catty. The total cost of all the raw materials actually reached ,7,300 yuan. After all, having ordered sev days'' worth of semi-finished fried cakes and vegetable pastries, such a high cost was within reason. Ch Yu had paid out nearly all of today''s turnover and ev took a bit from the currt ount. The capacity of Ch Yu''s freezer and refrigeration warehouse had now expanded by more than three times, so there was ough space for all these items. The staff helped move the raw materials inside and cleaned up the store, and th they greeted each other and left. [Congrattions, Host, forpleting a day of business. Today''s profit is 736,600 yuan, and you''ve earned 736,600 points, with a currt total of ,068,880 points.] Ch Yu quickly wt over the ounts in his mind. Now, he had a total of 4,050,000 yuan left in his currt ount with an additional 3,300 yuan on him as a reserve. And the points that he had almost used up were now, surprisingly, umted to more than two million. At this rate, it wouldn''t take long for him to save up t million points. Moreover, Ch Yu roughly estimated that, probably after this week, he could practically afford to buy the store. Just as Ch Yu was excitedly mulling this over, Tong Ya came up gtly behind him. "I''ve noticed that you space out here every day at this time. Are you keeping some secret from me?" Ch Yu smiled faintly, but didn''t answer directly. "Are you going to jog with me today?" "Of course!" Tong Ya''s topic was sessfully diverted, "As a dancer, we need to maintain our body''s flexibility every day. Daily running and training are esstial." Ch Yu still affectionately pinched Tong Ya''s cheek. "Th let''s go, get changed!" Chapter 88: Chapter 88: The Bone-Setting Sage The park was still bustling with people, grandpas and grandmas fishing along the river also gaged in thusiastic conversations there. Wh they saw Ch Yu and Tong Ya running by, they all stood up and crowded a. "Ch, I heard you set Old Wu''s bone yesterday, is that true?" "Take a look at me too! My back has be feeling offtely." "I took a fall a while back, and my elbow has be hurting. Is there anything that can ease the pain?" ... One question after another left Ch Yu somewhat bewildered, as he was after all not a professional doctor. But these elderly folks were neighbors from the vicinity and regr customers at his shop. It indeed seemed inappropriate to just turn them down. With no other choice, Ch Yu could only pick out a rock to sit on. From a biological perspective, every person''s body has certain proportions. Once there is an issue with the skeleton, those proportions can start to deviate. Ch Yu had now mastered all the biological knowledge known to man, so just by ncing at them, he could tell where their skeletal problems were. As the sound of bones being set continued to crack and pop, each grandpa and grandma treated by Ch Yu expressed feeling great relief. There was ev a grandpa whose chronic lumbar disc herniation was cured with just a push from Ch Yu. In no time at all, more and more grandpas and grandmas gathered a Ch Yu, treating him like a professional bone-setting doctor. Before long, Ch Yu had treated a of local siors. Just th, a grandpa with an exceptionally pale and haggard face approached Ch Yu. "Boss Ch,tely the doctor keeps saying that I''m too weak to befit from tonics, and of the many medicines I''ve tak seem to work. Can you take a look at me?" Ch Yu was tak aback. He only had some biological and chemical knowledge. Setting bones and handling simple cases of fever and themon cold was one thing, but for these moreplex conditions, a professional doctor was needed. Just as he was about to decline, Tong Ya suddly checked the old man''s pulse. "Old man, your body is depleted. Moreover, there''s too much congestion inside you, prevting normal cirction." Her words instantly lighted Ch Yu, his mind rapidly piecing together his biological and chemical knowledge. "Old man, how about this:e to my shop tomorrow at three in the afternoon, I''ll prepare a medicinal meal for you that should improve your condition." The old man immediately became excited and started shaking Ch Yu''s hand vigorously. By this time, the sky was growing dark, and the siors who hade to fish and exercise began to head home. Ch Yu also jogged back to the shop at an ev pace with Tong Ya. After washing up, just as theyy down in bed, Tong Ya suddly turned to face Ch Yu. "I''ve noticed you seem to know how to do everything. You ev know how to cook medicinal meals." Ch Yu didn''t directly respond but instead turned to the side and caught Tong Ya''s chin. "The man you''ve set your eyes on is very capable!" Suddly being flirted with, Tong Ya''s face instantly turned red. She felt that keeping up with a conversation with Ch Yu was bing somewhat difficult. In the past, she could asionally tease Ch Yu, but now she felt utterly outsmarted in every way by him. "Of course, I have very good taste." No sooner had Tong Ya spok these words than she felt they fell t, as if she couldn''t showcase her intelligce at all in front of Ch Yu. However, seeing Ch Yu''s handsome face so close, she didn''t overthink it and simply snuggled into his arms and drifted off to sleep. At four in the morning, Ch Yu got out of bed quietly and headed to the kitch. Today, there were some new items added to the mu, and he had to make them himself for the first time. Just as he was about to start, Wang Qingshan had already arrived at the shop. In thest couple of days, Wang Qingshan had be fully capable of managing the braised foods section on his own. Moreover, after observing for two days, Ch Yu found that Wang Qingshan''s character was also excellt. Not only was he diligt in his work and serious about learning, but he also ran the shop as if it were his own family''s business. Therefore, Ch Yu had already handed over the recipes and detailed methods of preparing the pig''s head and knuckles to Wang Qingshan. Now that there were new items on the mu, Ch Yu did not hesitate to start working on them together with Wang Qingshan. Before long, fourte young wom arrived at the store, chatting andughing. As soon as they tered, they got into work mode because the raw materials for the fried cakes and vegetable pastries had just arrived yesterday, so today they still divided half of the staff to go upstairs to prepare the semi-finished products. Chu Hong was already adept at making these types of arrangemts. Being the oldest and most cheerful among all the girls, she had be almost like a hall manager. An hourter, fifty pressure cookers all started to hiss as steam burst forth. The fragrance quickly filled the tire shop. The delivery workers, upon tering the shop, were attracted by these scts. They saw that Ch Yu''s shop had introduced a new mixed offal item and marked it at thirty yuan per pound, which immediately excited them. Usually, wh delivering orders, they hardly had time to eat, and they gerally resolved their meals at familiar restaurants. The food at Ch Yu''s was indeed delicious, but at fifty yuan per pound, the braised pork was still somewhat expsive for them. Yet, the tempting aroma still made them unable to resist having a couple of ounces of braised dishes to go with a bowl of noodles. However, there were some families who were indeed struggling, and they would just spd three yuan to buy a bowl of noodles. After all, the noodles at Ch Yu''s were gerous in portion, cost-effective, and chewy. As time wt on, Ch Yu, in consideration for these delivery workers, would give a spoonful of braising broth for free to those who only bought noodles. Now that the mixed offal was introduced, it meant they could spd fifte yuan to buy half a pound of it, and th spd six yuan for two bowls of noodles. That solved both of their daily meals. In less than five minutes, orders for various mixed offal and noodles exceeded two hundred. All of them were made by these delivery workers. Seeing this, Ch Yu ev considered whether to take the opportunity to introduce some chick and duck offal. After all, in the braised food series, there were also ways to prepare these two kinds of offal. These two kinds had lower costs, and their prices could be kept ev lower, aimed specifically at delivery workers. These delivery workers braved the elemts and led tough lives. After Ch Yu passed on the methods and details of preparing the new braised items to Wang Qingshan and Chu Hong, he wt to sit on the side. With their experice making pork braised dishes, they learned how to make these new items very quickly. In cooperation with each other, they were extremely quick as well. By eight in the morning, the shop was almost full, and they had ev received orders from t kilometers away. Just th, a nanny van suddly stopped at the front of the shop. A tall woman wearing sunsses hurried into the shop, nked by several bodyguards. She was very polite and found an empty table to sit down. After that, she had her bodyguards go and ce the order. Chapter 89: Chapter 89: The Superstar Su Rui Ch Yu didn''t pay much atttion to this woman. After making sure that Wang Qingshan and Chu Hong could operate the marinated food process in an orderly manner, he got in his car and headed straight for the farmer''s market. Beyond purchasing ingredits for the staff meals, he also needed to buy the ingredits for the medicinal meals. In the hall, the woman in sunsses looked at the noodles and marinated meat in front of her and couldn''t wait to take a bite. "I truly didn''t expect them to have a new product this time; I''m so in love with this ce! I''ll tell my agt I want to shoot in Suzhou City from now on." The assistant by her side was startled upon hearing this. "Sister Rui, it''s ough just to say so here. If thepany or the paparazzi hear this, they will definitely make a big deal out of it." Su Rui snorted coldly, "So what? Let them make a fuss if they want to; I just love it! Hey, why didn''t you get some donkey meat? Bring it here quickly; I want to try it." At that momt, many people''s gazes had already be drawn to Su Rui. After all, it was hard not to be noticed wh apanied by so many bodyguards. Just th, a young girl pretding to be nonchnt circled a and snuck a quick nce. "Ah! Su Rui! It really is the big star Su Rui!" The shop was already crowded, and this shout immediately rmed everyone. Some fangirls screamed, took out their phones, and ran over. The bodyguards quickly stepped forward, forming a ring, and circled Su Rui in the cter. "What are you all doing?" Su Rui was somewhat angry, "They''re my fans; why block them? Moreover, this is someone else''s restaurant. We are all here to eat, so cut out these prettious airs." Although the bodyguards were scolded, they didn''t back away but instead tighted the circle slightly and left a small gap op. The very first girl who had spotted Su Rui excitedly came forward with a notebook. "Sister Su, I really like you. Can I have your autograph?" Su Rui gerously wrote down her name and handed it over. The screams in the shop grew ev louder; after all, a star so approachable emitted an inexplicably warm feeling. Tong Ya had just descded from the third floor. Wh she saw the situation in the shop, she frowned. However, wh she heard someone shouting Su Rui''s name, her pupils dted slightly. She hurriedly squeezed through the crowd. "Su Rui? Is it really you?" Hearing this voice, Su Rui also hastily stood up and took off her sunsses. "Tong Ya? What are you doing here?" Crossing her arms, Tong Ya sat down beside Su Rui with an air of pride. "I''m the owner here, why can''t I be here?" Su Rui''s mouth fell op in surprise, "The owner?" As soon as she asked, Tong Ya pped her hands. "Everyone, please don''t crowd here. Su Rui will have the chance toe here again in the future, and I hope everyone can stay calm and maintain order while dining." At her words, the people nearby immediately quieted down. "Wow, wh the bossdy speaks, we better disperse." "It looks like the bossdy and Su Rui have a good rtionship; there will be other opportunities." ... Seeing this, the customers dispersed, and Su Rui was finally certain of Tong Ya''s status as the owner. "So, does that mean it''s your husband who made these delicious dishes?" Tong Ya''s face lit up with a hint of bragging, "You also like the stuff my husband makes." Su Rui nodded repeatedly, "I love it so much. Thest time I was here for the reality show and tried it, that vor was unforgettable for a lifetime." As she spoke, Su Rui got up and looked a, "Where''s your husband? Let me get a look at the man who can make such delicious food. What does he look like?" "He''s gone out to prepare ingredits for the staff meal; he should be back in an hour." Tong Ya propped her chin up with one hand, her eyes turning towards the door suddly filled with expectation. Su Rui suddly grabbed Tong Ya''s hand, "I''m so vious of you! You can truly pursue your freedom! I can''t do that; my family elders were all in the cultural troupe, so I had no choice but to mingle in the tertainmt circle." Tong Ya chuckled yfully without saying much. During this time, Su Rui st her assistant and bodyguard away. A t in the morning, Ch Yu parked the car at the front door. "Han Cai, call a couple of people to help carry the vegetables!" Han Cai, who was busy in the lobby, heard Ch Yu''s voice and quickly rushed out with Du Ling and Liu Tong. Tong Ya reflexively got up and ran out following them. Su Rui followed closely behind; she wanted to see for herself what kind of man Tong Ya had married. "Honey, you''re back!" Once outside, Tong Ya threw herself into Ch Yu''s arms. Ch Yu affectionately tapped her forehead, "I''ve juste back from the market, I''m all covered in mud, don''t you mind getting dirty?" Tong Ya pouted, "Why would I mind my own husband?" Su Rui was forced to watch this sweet disy of affection. "Wow, Tong Ya, your husband is so handsome!" Ch Yu nced up, "And you are?" He rarely paid atttion to the tertainmt industry, so he didn''t recognize Su Rui. Tong Ya quickly introduced her, "My college ssmate, Su Rui, just like Xiao Wei, she''s also one of my childhood frids!" Ch Yu nodded, offering a simple ''hello'' before plunging back into moving bundles of vegetables inside. Su Rui felt a touch disappointed; ev though she was a big star, she seemed to hold no importance in Ch Yu''s eyes. Moreover, looking at Ch Yu, he seemed to only have eyes for Tong Ya, which made Su Rui guinely vious. Those in the tertainmt industry, for various reasons, oft couldn''t properly gage in rtionships. Their days were spt either promoting CPs or creating scandals with strangers. From the outside, their rtionships looked so heart-wrching and touching, but deep down they knew, it was all an act. Once Ch Yu got to the kitch, he immediately set up therge pot and began preparing meals ording to the number of people in Xie Jiang''s family. Before long, the rich fragrance had already begun to waft through the air. Once again drawn by the aroma, Su Rui couldn''t help but walk over. "Your husband can also cook Sichuan cuisine? Can you get some for me to try?" Tong Ya shook her head, "Today the neighbor''s hardware store owner reserved a birthday table, this is especially made for them. You''ll have to wait if you want some." Su Rui pouted, th suddly leaned into Tong Ya''s ear. "Lately, I''ve be thinking of terminating my contract with the agcy and registering my ownpany in Suzhou City." Tong Ya was momtarily stunned, "I remember yourpany is ranked among the top t in the world, right? So many people can''t ev get in, and you actually want to break the contract!" Su Rui licked her lips, "I''ve be truly chanted by your husband''s... ah, no! Enchanted by his cooking." Chapter 90: Chapter 90: Have a Bite with Us At noon, Xie Jiang''s family joyfully tered the restaurant. Ch Yu had already instructed Han Cai to nicely decorate private room number one. Once Xie Jiang''s family settled in, Ch Yu called for Han Cai to serve the dishes. "Ya Ya," Ch Yu suddly called out. Tong Ya''s ears perked up instantly, like a little girl who had just eat candy, bouncing over to the disy window. "What is it, husband?" Ch Yu handed out a y pot, "This is a medicinal dish I made on the side for my dad, it should help with his rheumatism, take it to him and have him rest a while." Tong Ya responded coquettishly and carried the y pot over to Ch Guang. At that momt, Su Rui also cautiously leaned to the serving window. "Brother-inw?" Ch Yu looked up abruptly, "Miss Su, what''s the matter?" "I was wondering if you can make Sichuan dumplings?" Ch Yu nodded, "Of course, can you eat spicy?" "Yes, the spicier the better, especially with red chili oil," Su Rui quickly replied. Because she needed to maintain her figure, her agt and assistant strictly controlled her diet. Things like noodles, sweets, and ev spicy food were off-limits to her. Ev this morning, while having seasoned food, she only managed to eat half a bowl of noodles and four ounces of food under her assistant''s strict supervision. She had be craving these Sichuan dumplings with red chili oil for a long time, thest time she ate them was while filming in Sichuan. Without another word, Ch Yu immediately picked up a bowl and started mixing. For today''s birthday banquet for Xie Jiang, he had prepared Sichuan dumplings, so he had bought extra dumpling wrappers. Adding to that the ready-made marinade in the store, mixed together would make the taste ev better. In just two minutes, a dish of Sichuan dumplings with red chili oil was already at the window. Su Rui''s eyes were filled with excitemt; without hesitation, she grabbed a pair of chopsticks and started devouring them. Just th, the young assistant burst in from outside. "Rui Sister! Your next movie is about to start shooting, you''re currtly controlling your figure, you can''t eat these things." Su Rui, clching her teeth, turned a and without any regard, stuffed the dumplings into her mouth. This was, without a doubt, the most delicious Sichuan dumplings she had ever had in her life, to hell with maintaining her figure! In almost three or five bites, Su Rui had swallowed the tire bowl of dumplings. In her flustered state, she got her mouth and face covered with red oil,pletely disregarding the image of a big star. "I''m just eating a bowl of dumplings, what''s the big deal? It''s not like it''s the d of the world!" As she spoke, Su Rui returned the bowl and chopsticks to Ch Yu and also said thank you. The little assistant became upset, standing with hands on her hips and ring fiercely at Ch Yu. "What are you doing? If my family''s Rui Sister ruins her figure, can you take responsibility? Don''t you know she''s supposed to be the heroine in her next film..." Before she could finish, another bowl of Sichuan dumplings with red chili oil was prested. Ch Yu nced at the assistant and th made a weing gesture. The fragrant smell instantly made the assistant lose her reason, her throat involuntarily swallowing. After hesitating for a momt, she couldn''t help but pick up a pair of chopsticks and take a bite. The anger on her face vanished in an instant, and she ate the dumplings in her hand as clean as Su Rui did. "So delicious!" The little assistant said, her facial expression extremely exaggerated, almost as if she would cry, "Boss, could I have another bowl please?" Ch Yu shook his head, "I didn''t prepare much today, next time!" Su Rui wiped the red oil from the corner of her mouth and suddly adopted a reltless demeanor. "Someone here ate the red oil wontons with me and will have to exin to the talt agcy if they ask. That person better have an excuse ready." The assistant at this momt didn''t care about this at all and just stared nkly at the empty bowl in their hands. "This tastes just like the wontons my mom used to make!" Just th, Tang Xiaowei hurriedly arrived at the shop. Yesterday, Ch Yu had st her a message asking if she could help paint a few more murals for the shop wh she had time. But the momt Tang Xiaowei stepped through the door, she suddly let out a shriek, and th excitedly rushed forward to grab Su Rui''s hand. "Su Rui! What brings you here?" Su Rui gestured toward the kitch behind her: "Of course, I was attracted by the deliciousness here!" "What a coincidce, I was originally attracted here by the deliciousness too." While they were talking, Ch Yu pushed a y pot out from the disy window and deftly lifted the lid. "Xiaowei, this is the hot and sour fish with tomatoes that you ordered yesterday!" Tang Xiaowei''s eyes immediately lit up. Ever since Tang Long dragged her back, she hadn''t had the chance to eat anything from Ch Yu''s ce for a long time. Especially after hearing from Tong Ya that Ch Yu could cook Sichuan cuisine, she had be restless for several days. "Brother Yu, reliable as always, you really prepared it for me!" Ch Yu cracked a smile: "For the staple, go get it yourself from Chu Hong over there." "Alright!" Tang Xiaowei acknowledged and wt straight to Chu Hong to get two bowls of noodles. "Su Rui, have you eat? Do you want to join me for some?" "Yes!" Su Rui''s taste buds had bepletely conquered by Ch Yu. The assistant beside her finally snapped out of it and quickly stepped forward to pull her back. "Su Rui, you''ve already had a bowl of wontons, you can''t eat any more." Su Rui didn''t care about that: "It''s sour and spicy, it stimtes the appetite and won''t make you fat!" With that, she took a bowl of noodles directly from Tang Xiaowei and scooped up a spoonful of the tomato fish. But seeing that Su Rui had no inttion of leaving, and after finishing her meal, she actually started painting murals on the wall alongside Tang Xiaowei. Ch Yu kely ssed that Su Rui might want to dy her time here for some reason. However, he didn''t interve, after all, Su Rui was Tong Ya''s childhood frid, and it wasn''t his ce to say much. At three in the afternoon, the old man from the park came to the shop, leaning on his crutch. Ch Yu quickly served up the prepared medicinal cuisine to him. "Sir, this will only help to improve your condition, you will still need to adjust your body after this." The old man didn''t care about that; ever since he fell ill, he had alwayscked appetite, but now smelling the medicinal cuisine in front of him, he felt his appetite surge. He grasped the chopsticks and devoured the food hungrily. Wh thest spoonful of soup was finished, beads of sweat had formed on the old man''s forehead, and he seemed much more invigorated. "That was refreshing! Young Ch, your cooking is unparalleled, and your skill in healing is just as extraordinary! I feel so much lighter now." With that, the old man reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of money. "How much do I owe you? I''ll pay you!" Ch Yu frowned slightly. To tell the truth, the herbs and ingredits used in this medicinal dish were very affordable. The total cost didn''t ev amount to fifty yuan. "No need, sir, I just happed to make you a meal!" "No, I insist!" The old man was stubborn and pushed the whole wad of money into Ch Yu''s hand. Chapter 91: Chapter 91 Seeing Through at a Glance Chen Yu was momentarily stunned, as the stack of money amounted to at least two to three thousand. "Sir, you really don''t need to pay..." Chen Yu had only pushed the money away a few times before the old man became somewhat displeased. "Chen Yu, I''ve spent tens of thousands at the hospital, and my illness wasn''t cured! After eating a meal here, not only has my appetite opened up, but my illness has improved. You must take this money." Chen Yu, somewhat helplessly, said, "How about this? The cost of this meal is only a few tens, I''ll take a hundred from you, and you can take the rest back! To me, you just had a meal here, one hundred is really enough." The old man didn''t know what to say, he grabbed Chen Yu''s hand and shook it excitedly. "Chen Yu, I have many fellow patients back home, I''ll rmend them toe here." After saying this, the old man stretched his limbs and left, feeling very refreshed. At this moment, Xie Jiang''s family was also satisfied,ing down from upstairs. Especially Xie Jiang''s father-inw, who approached the disy window with an excited face. "Boss, your Sichuan dishes are so authentic. It would be a waste not to open a Sichuan restaurant with your skills." Chen Yu was very polite, responding with a smile. "Sir, we are currently preparing, and Sichuan cuisine will be introduced in a few days." The old manughed heartily, "Then I wille to eat every day when it''s avable." Next to him, Xie Jiang continued to call out to Chen Yu, and after chatting for a few moments, his family returned to the neighboring house. By eight o''clock in the evening, the stream of customers gradually diminished. Chen Yu then brought out six pots of dishes and arge high-pressure cooker filled with rice onto the table. Without needing Chen Yu to call them over, everyone gathered around. The store had already established a very regr operating schedule these past few days. This time had also be recognized mealtime in everyone''s eyes. "Wow, mapo tofu, spicy and sour tomato fish, kung pao chicken, braised eggnt, pork with minced garlic, steamed pork ribs with rice flour, such a feast!" Chen Guang eximed, then directly served himself a bowl of rice and scooped a spoonful of pork with minced garlic. Today, the medicinal meal that Chen Yu had Tong Ya bring him had significantly alleviated his rheumatism. With his mood greatly improved, so was his appetite. At this moment, Tang Xiaowei and Tong Ya also took seats at the dining table, leaving only Su Rui standing alone. However, the bodyguard and assistant who came with her in the morning were nowhere to be seen now. "Su Rui,e and eat with us!" Tong Ya called out warmly. Su Rui had been waiting for this invitation and quickly took a seat next to Tang Xiaowei. Just then, He Hua timidly stood up, notebook in hand, and moved behind Su Rui. "Um¡­ could you please give me an autograph¡­ I''ve been busy all day and didn''t get a chance¡­ yeah." He Hua, one of the eight new girls who had joinedter, was the youngest of them all, even a year younger than Han Cai. Now standing behind Su Rui with her notebook, she appeared somewhat timid. Su Rui was very generous, took the notebook, and wrote down her autograph. That set the other young girls off, each of them pulling out a small notebook they carried with them. Su Rui didn''t refuse anyone, giving her autograph to each one in turn. After receiving her autograph, Chu Hong even served Su Rui a bowl of colorful rice. Su Rui didn''t stand on ceremony and served herself a spoonful of Mapo tofu, then wolfed down a mouthful without any hesitation. "This is so delicious; I''ve never tasted anything like this! Hey, brother-inw, can I work here for a few days to experience life?" There wasn''t the slightest hint of surprise on Chen Yu''s face, as if he had expected it all along. "Miss Su, your bodyguard and assistant have already left, and they even took your car! For a big star like you, they wouldn''t just leave you here so carelessly." At these words, the smile on Su Rui''s face gradually faded. Before she could speak, Chen Yu pointed at the clothing she wore. "The temperature is quite high today, but you''re not wearing any sun protection, and despite your assistant''s advice, you even ate a bowl of spicy wontons at noon, which doesn''t seem like something a disciplined actor would do." Su Rui''s face showed a hint of surprise after the analysis. "That''s because the food here is so good that I couldn''t help myself, so I just..." "You did it on purpose, didn''t you?" Chen Yu suddenly looked straight at Su Rui. "You stayed here for a day, actually dying time, so that your agency would take the initiative to terminate your contract with them." Su Rui suddenly couldn''t meet Chen Yu''s eyes. Chen Yu seemed to have been busy in the kitchen all day and hardly paid her any attention; how had he seen right through her? Tang Xiaowei also looked puzzled at Su Rui. "Really? Sister Rui, that''s one of the top ten agencies in the world! You just terminated your contract like that." Suddenly, a tearful gleam appeared in Su Rui''s eyes, and she set down her bowl and sighed deeply. "There''s been some trouble at home, my parents want me to marry a wealthy businessman. They want to use my status and poprity as a star to get some benefits." As she spoke, tears had already started rolling down the corners of Su Rui''s eyes. "But I don''t want to marry someone I''ve never met! Beforeing here, I had already tried many ways to deliberately create conflicts with the agency, and they terminated my contract with me at five o''clock this afternoon." The people present were dumbstruck; they hadn''t expected to hear about the personal gossip of a popr star. If this got to the paparazzi, they might concoct an incredibly dramatic story about her. However, Tong Ya looked admiringly at Chen Yu. "Wow, hubby, you''re amazing! You''re like a detective." Chen Yu chuckled softly; his intelligence had now reached the limits of humanity. It wasn''t just this; even if someone casually walked past him, he could see right through them with their micro-expressions. "Alright, since Miss Su has chosen to stay, she is our guest. Ya Ya, please book a room at a nearby hotel." Tong Ya was about to make a call when Su Rui waved her hands repeatedly. "No need for that, I can just make do for the night with Ya Ya or Xiaowei." In fact, Chen Yu understood that Su Rui refused because she had no money on her. The clothes she wore didn''t even have pockets, and her bodyguard and assistant hadn''t left her with any bags when they left. Combining this with what Su Rui had previously mentioned, it seemed that her parents had frozen all her bank ounts. And the agency''s termination of her contract wasn''t just because she hadn''t followed dietary regtions. It was certainly because the wealthy businessman she refused had pulled some strings behind the scenes. Su Rui was just going along with the situation. Chen Yu didn''t want to embarrass Su Rui too much: "Then you''ll have to put up with sharing a space with Ya Ya for tonight." Su Rui nodded repeatedly, then picked up her bowl of rice and started eating joyously. Chapter 92: Chapter 92: Learning Sichuan Cuisine It was 8:30 PM when the master arrived on time to deliver the raw materials. Today, Chen Yu had increased the order by five hundred jin of chicken offal and five hundred jin of duck offal. After storing the materials and cleaning the shop, the system notification rang in Chen Yu''s mind. [Congrattions to the host forpleting a day''s business, today''s profit amounts to 228,300 yuan, earning 228,300 points. The current total umted points are 2,297,180.] In Chen Yu''s mind, the total turnover for the day also appeared. The new varieties of marinated dishes had brought the day''s turnover to a total of 1,406,000 yuan. However, the consumption of flour had exceeded Chen Yu''s calctions. After the increase in marinated dishes, the flour needed doubled from before. To ensure the shop''s normal operation for the following week, an additional 140,000 jin of flour was necessary. Besides the 205,000 yuan spent on purchasing the ingredients for the next day''s marinated dishes and seasonings, Chen Yu still had 1,195,600 yuan left with him. After deliberation, Chen Yu transferred 1,190,000 yuan into his current ount. He kept the remaining 8,000 yuan as a reserve. Wang Qingshan and the fourteen girls had already left; Tong Ya, Tang Xiaowei, and Su Rui were chatting andughing as they went up to the third floor. Chen Guang and Li Lan also took Tuan Tuan back to their room. Only Chen Yu was left in the spacious hall. He found that after his intelligence had improved, he seemed to think about more things, and he sat there inexplicably, contemting Su Rui''s future. With a self-deprecatingugh, Chen Yu shook his head and went straight upstairs. He didn''t n to go to the park today. Now outside, he was being hailed as an orthopedic sage, and likely, many elderly were waiting in the park for him to set their bones. It wasn''t that he was unwilling to go, but that he was far from being a qualified doctor right now. If someone reported him, he might be used of practicing medicine illegally. Having not seen each other for many years, Tong Ya and Su Rui chatted until the early morning, still full of energy. Chen Yu didn''t know whether it was the habit of being held by Tong Ya in sleep or something else, but suddenly he felt therge bed was somewhat empty. Early the next morning, Chen Yu washed up and went down to the lobby, where Wang Qingshan and the fourteen girls had already arrived early at the shop, busy with their duties. Now the entire shop could operate on its own without needing much intervention from Chen Yu. Today, all he needed to do was teach Wang Qingshan the steps to prepare the chicken and duck offal. Compared to yesterday, there seemed to be more customers, and the number of delivery riders had also grown significantly. The cost of chicken and duck offal was very low, only three yuan per jin, so Chen Yu didn''t sell it too expensively, only requiring fifteen yuan for one jin. This made more delivery riders treat this ce as a canteen. By ten in the morning, Chen Yu had gone to the agricultural market to buy some raw materials. When he returned, he noticed two men, nearly forty years old, sitting at an empty table. The two had grim expressions, neither ordering food nor doing anything, just sitting there silently. Tong Ya and her friends had already woken up. Tang Xiaowei was busy painting a mural on her own while Su Rui helped her. Tong Ya had even gone up to the second floor with Li Lan to work on the semi-finished products. Chen Yu just took a curious look at the two men sitting in the hall and then went back to the kitchen on his own. "Are you the boss?" One of the men suddenly stood up and followed Chen Yu to the entrance of the kitchen. Chen Yu slightly furrowed his brow, "It''s me, what''s the matter?" "My name is Ning Kai, and this is Li Gang! We are here to challenge you." Chen Yu couldn''t help but pause, "Challenge me?" Indeed!" Ning Kai made a fist and bowed slightly, "Liu Chong, Grandpa Liu said that our Sichuan cuisine is not as good as yours. My brother and I can''t ept that, so we''vee to see who''s better." Chen Yu let out a light sigh, "This is just a breakfast and marinated food shop! If you''re looking for a Sichuan cuisinepetition, you''ve got the wrong ce." The two men also looked puzzled. Since they had sat down, they hadn''t seen anything in the shop rted to Sichuan cuisine. At first, they even thought they had gone to the wrong ce. "The address Grandpa Liu gave us is here, it''s impossible to be wrong!" Li Gang also stood up, "And I saw you bring some ingredients into the kitchen just now that looked like they could be used in Sichuan dishes." Chen Yu had a helpless look on his face; he just wanted to run his business smoothly. He had no interest whatsoever in culinary challenges. "Please go back! I bought some ingredients just to make meals for the staff." "Just stir-fry a Mapo Tofu!" Ning Kai wouldn''t take no for an answer and barged into the kitchen. "What do you two think you''re doing?" Wang Qingshan was staring at arge spoon and walked straight over. Wang Qingshan had noticed these two men the moment they entered the shop. Now, seeing the two guys grappling with Chen Yu, he was convinced that they were there to make trouble. Chen Yu quickly stopped Wang Qingshan, "They just want toe here to challenge my cooking skills, there''s no need to be so confrontational." Wang Qingshan was first stunned, then he covered his belly and roared withughter. "You two are challenging my boss? You must not be fully awake yet. Don''t me me for not warning you when you lose." After leaving that remark, Wang Qingshan returned to his station. Although Chen Yu was reluctant topete with these two men, now that things had escted to this point, he had no choice but to take action. "There are three woks here; we''ll each use one and stir-fry Mapo Tofu. If you lose, don''t bother me again!" Having agreed, he immediately turned on the stove to heat the oil and picked up a kitchen knife to start processing the tofu. This was almost a basic skill for every top-ss chef. It was all about speed! During the process from when the oil hit the wok to when it got hot, he perfectly timed it to get all the ingredients ready to go into the wok at once. At that moment, knives in both men''s hands were dancing, and soon, the tofu was cut into small cubes of roughly the same size. But as they were about to add the tofu to the wok, they found that Chen Yu already had the tofu and various other ingredients ready in his hands, waiting for the oil to get hot. The two men stiffened simultaneously, surprised that Chen Yu''s knife skills were faster than both of theirs. Before they could react, Chen Yu had already thrown the ingredients into the wok, stirring them with practiced ease. The two didn''t dare ck off and quickly focused their full attention on the task. Before long, the rich aroma began to weave through the kitchen. However, when they caught the scenting from Chen Yu''s wok, they were stunned on the spot. They knew they had already lost. When the three dishes of Mapo Tofu were ced on the table, the two men sighed in resignation. Then, with a thump, they knelt down on the floor. "Master, please take the two of us as your disciples. We are willing to follow you and devote ourselves to learning Sichuan cuisine!" Chapter 93: Chapter 93 Imperial Capital Zhao Family Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown, he always felt that these two were intentionallying over to challenge him, and then using it as an excuse to be his apprentices. "Considering the skills of you two, you should already be at the top within Sichuan cuisine, why would you need to study under me?" Chen Yu proceeded to pick up his Mapo Tofu and began eating at the kitchen door. A look of guilt simultaneously appeared on both of their faces. Li Gang even took out a special-grade chef certification from his person. "I always thought my cooking skills had reached the peak, but not until today did I realize I''ve been sitting in a well watching the sky." With that, he was about to tear up the special-grade chef certificate. Chen Yu quickly grabbed a spoon from the side and hit Li Gang''s hand, stopping him. "These days, getting a special-grade chef certificate is no easy feat, you must have put in at least twenty years of effort. Are you really going to throw it away just like that?" Li Gang shook his head: "Compared to you, what''s my skill worth?" Chen Yu let out a sigh, finding these two individuals reminiscent of Wang Qingshan in temperament. Moreover, since they were introduced by Liu Chong, they were considered acquaintances. If he kept them, he could fully open up the Sichuan cuisine section in the future. "It''s not impossible for you two to learn my skills!" Upon hearing this, their eyes immediately lit up, looking at Chen Yu with anticipation. This expression alone gave Chen Yu a sense of inexplicablefort. At least from this look, it was clear that the two were genuine chefs, at least they wouldn''t betray him after learning from him. In the current catering industry, there''s always been the cautionary tale of teaching the apprentice only to starve the master. It has to be said, some people are truly heartless, setting up their own establishments as soon as they''ve learned all their master''s techniques. Chen Yu had no such concerns, with his current abilities, he could easily keep these two in check. Besides, if he wanted to expand the business, some risks had to be taken. Chen Yu stepped forward and helped the two up. "We do not have a formal apprenticeship here, I can teach you my techniques, but you must work for me." "No problem!" The two replied in unison. Chen Yu smiled slightly, "However, as for the sry, well! I''ll decide on it after you two have worked for a month." The two nodded repeatedly, seeming willing to go along with whatever Chen Yu said. "Good! Do the two of you have somewhere to live, or do you need me to arrange employee amodation for you?" "No need!" Ning Kai repeatedly waved his hands: "We''ll sort it out ourselves!" After finalizing some details, the two left the restaurant and went to the nearby residential area in search of a house. Chen Yu didn''t intervene too much, after all, both were adults in their forties; since they chose his restaurant, it must have been a well-considered decision. Additionally, they weren''t like Chu Hong and the others, girls not yet twenty years old; they should be capable of sorting out housing on their own. ... Capital Film and Television Base. Fang Yuan looked at the contractsid out before her with excitement. She had just arrived here, and she got some tremendous news. Su Rui, one of the most famous "Four Flowers" in the capital, had actually broken her contract with her agency! Through the efforts of Han Mintao, most of the resources she left behind fell squarely into thep of Fang Yuan. This was an unexpected joy for her. At this rate, it wouldn''t take long for her to fulfill the bet agreement. Right now, Han Mintao was also by her side, guiding her through signing the contracts. After all the contracts were signed, Han Mintao pulled Fang Yuan aside. "You have to dine with young master Zhao tonight!" Fang Yuan was stunned for a moment, "Zhao Hai from the imperial capital''s Zhao Family?" "That''s right!" Fang Yuan''s pupils dted abruptly, "That man is a beast, how many female stars have been ruined by him? Mom, you''re pushing me into a fire pit!" Han Mintao looked nonchnt, "Don''t worry! I''ve already arranged everything for tonight, with six paparazzi and more than a dozen media outlets nearby, he won''t dare to do anything to you." Fang Yuan was still worried, she had vaguely heard that Su Rui had tried to break her contract with her agency because she was unwilling to submit to Zhao Hai. If someone like Su Rui couldn''t get away with it, how could she be any better? "But, Mom..." "Alright, daughter, don''t forget, you''ve signed a bet agreement, and this Zhao Hai is your best chance to turn things around, otherwise, you''re doomed." Just as Fang Yuan hesitated, a scream suddenly erupted from nearby. Zhao Hai was seen approaching with a bouquet of flowers, heading straight towards Fang Yuan. "Miss Fang, I''ve long admired your reputation. I wonder if I am fortunate enough to have dinner with you tonight." Fang Yuan froze in ce. The rumors described Zhao Hai as an unabashed yboy who even tormented female actors recklessly. Now, it seemed that Zhao Hai was somewhat different from the rumors. Sunny, handsome, elegant; it appeared all the favorable words could be applied to Zhao Hai. Almost subconsciously, Fang Yuan found herself epting the flowers, mumbling an affirmative response. Zhao Hai smiled slightly, "Then, after you finish filming, I''lle pick you up!" It wasn''t until Zhao Hai had left that Fang Yuan snapped back to reality. This was the entertainment industry! Everyone was an acting master, and even life itself was a performance. How could anyone judge a person''s character based solely on their appearance? Fang Yuan''s breathing became rapid, and she looked at Han Mintao with a pleading gaze. "Go ahead! Daughter, you''ve already agreed anyway. Besides, the Zhao Family is one of the four great families of the imperial capital, it''s always not good to offend them." Fang Yuan let out a long sigh of relief and stopped thinking about it. She ced the flowers aside and continued filming with a troubled heart. ... By four o''clock in the afternoon, Ning Kai and Li Gang had already found a ce to stay and arrived at the shop fully dressed in their chef uniforms, very formal indeed. Chen Yu admired these two chefs quite a bit. Putting aside their status as special-grade chefs, just their serious attitude earned his respect. "Today the Sichuan cuisine section is not officially open for business yet, I''m afraid I can only trouble you two with some misceneous tasks!" Ning Kai and Li Gang didn''t mind at all, ready to do whatever Chen Yumanded. They then went to the next-door kitchen to help Wang Qingshan with the braised dishes. ording to Chen Yu''s instructions, they were toe over at eight o''clock in the evening to prepare the staff meal. Just as Chen Yu was about to take a break, several elders rushed into the shop unexpectedly. Without exception, they all carried their own medical records. "Young boss Chen, after old Wang ate your medicinal cuisine, all his ailments were cured in no days, can you make me a meal too? I''m willing to pay whatever it costs." "Yeah, young boss Chen, everyone says you have the healing touch and understand medicine, please help us!" ... Chapter 94: Chapter 94 A World of Two Chen Yu was momentarily stunned; it seemed that his medicinal cuisine had already be widely talked about. "Uncles and aunties, Mr. Wang was merely suffering from poor health, and medicinal cuisine was able to cure him, but I really can''t guarantee it for your illnesses." However, these elders didn''t listen and simply handed their documents to Chen Yu. "Xiao Chen, our contact information is on these documents. Just take a look to see if you can treat us and give us a call back, we won''t make things difficult for you." Chen Yu didn''t say much more, just sorted the documents before seeing the elderly out the door. "All set!" Tang Xiaowei stretched her limbs and took a seat on a chair she had brought over. The wall was now fully adorned withndscape paintings, which indeed matched the style of the shop very well. Su Rui also sat by, discussing with Tang Xiaowei theyout of the remaining murals on the wall. It seemed that Su Rui was also extremely interested in painting. By eight o''clock in the evening, Ning Kai and Li Gang had prepared a table full of sumptuous Sichuan cuisine under Chen Yu''s guidance. However, due to slight differences in technique and cooking methods, the dishes they made weren''t quite as good as Chen Yu''s. But the taste could still be considered perfect. Aside from Wang Qingshan, who could clearly tell the difference in vor, everyone else thought that the dishes were made by Chen Yu. Ning Kai and Li Gang could certainly taste the difference, and their faces turned red with embarrassment. Today, Chen Yu had already taught them all the techniques and recipes, but they still couldn''t replicate Chen Yu''s vors. After they finished eating and tidied up the shop, the delivery men arrived. [Congrattions, Host, forpleting a day''s business with a profit of 1,216,600 yuan, earning 1,216,600 points. The current total cumtive points are 3,507,780.] A hint of excitement, impossible to hide, appeared on Chen Yu''s face. Now, with his point umtion once again over three million, it wouldn''t be long before he reached ten million. After paying for tomorrow''s marinated food ingredients and 140,000 jin of flour, there was still over 790,000 yuan in his payment ount. As usual, after transferring a round sum, Chen Yu left some money aside for reserves. That evening, Su Rui didn''t stay behind but went to the art studio behind the housingplex with Tang Xiaowei. From the looks of it, the two seemed to have found some exciting project. Chen Guang and Li Lan, worried that Tuan Tuan would disturb Chen Yu and Tong Ya''s private world, took Tuan Tuan upstairs to sleep immediately after dinner. Chen Yu was feeling somewhat depressed, sitting in the living room with one hand propping up his chin. He had wanted to make it a habit to go jogging in the park, but now it seemed that this habit couldn''t be maintained. Only if he could get something like a medical practitioner license would he be able to treat these elderly people openly and aboveboard. Otherwise, it would only bring him trouble. But to pass the medical practitioner license exam relying solely on his knowledge of biology and chemistry seemed like a pipe dream. While he was lost in thought, he suddenly noticed Tong Ya mimicking him, sitting opposite and staring nkly at him. "What are you doing?" Chen Yu asked with a smile. "What else can I be doing? Just imitating my husband and spacing out together here!" Chen Yu exhaled softly and pinched Tong Ya''s nose with his hand. "I was thinking about those uncles and auntiesing to me for medical treatment. They trust me, but..." "I understand!" Tong Ya grabbed Chen Yu''s hand. "You don''t have to be so conflicted, just do your best." Tong Ya didn''t know about the system, naturally not understanding what exactly Chen Yu was anxious about. But such concern touched Chen Yu deeply. "By the way, Ya Ya, there''s something I need your consent for." Tong Ya tilted her head: "What is it?" "About our marriage!" Tong Ya suddenly froze on the spot. But the next moment, she came back to her senses and stood up. "Are you proposing to me?" Feeling slightly embarrassed, Chen Yu rubbed the tip of his nose. "I suppose so!" "No way!" Tong Ya puffed up her little face, "You''re clearly discussing it with me like it''s a negotiation! No, it''s more like a notification!" Chen Yu looked at Tong Ya in front of him, his eyes filled with tenderness as if he were looking at Tuan Tuan. For the first time, he discovered that when Tong Ya was angry, her face could still hold gentleness, and she was so adorable. Chen Yu looked at the time, got up, took Tong Ya''s hand, and headed straight out the door. "Where are you taking me?" Tong Ya''s heart suddenly leaped to her throat, wondering if Chen Yu was nning to take her somewhere special to propose. But Chen Yu didn''t say a word and just drove, with a press on the gas pedal, they arrived at a mall. It was only nine o''clock, and the mall hadn''t closed yet. Chen Yu parked the car and led Tong Ya into a diamond ring store. "Please bring me the ring from the advertisement disy outside." The staff behind the counter was stunned¡ªthey were already preparing to close for the day¡ªbut then happily ran off to fetch it. Tong Ya was also taken aback, staring at Chen Yu in a daze. "Husband, what are you..." Chen Yu held Tong Ya''s hand tightly, "I may not understand romance, but we still need to follow certain procedures!" The staff member had already brought over an elegantly designed streamlined diamond ring. This ring, aside from the main diamond in the center, was surrounded by a dozen smaller diamonds. Its price was terrifying, reaching more than two hundred thousand. Chen Yu didn''t bother with the price, took out his phone, and was ready to pay. "Wait a second!" Tong Ya hurriedly stopped him, "I don''t like this ring!" The staff member was also taken aback; it was the most expensive ring and had the best design style in their store. How could anyone dislike it? Before she could react, Tong Ya leaned on the counter and pointed to a hollowed-out Gold ring that was less than three thousand yuan. "This one will do! From an economic perspective, Gold jewelry is not only beautiful but also retains its value." Chen Yu was slightly stunned; after all, Tong Ya was the youngdy of Tong Group. He had had his eye on that two hundred thousand yuan diamond ring for a long time. He truly believed that only such a ring was worthy of Tong Ya. But unexpectedly, Tong Ya just chose a Gold ring without diamonds. "Hurry up and bring this one out!" Tong Ya urged the salesperson at the counter. The salesperson''s face clearly showed reluctance; themission from the two hundred thousand yuan diamond ring could equal more than a month''s sry. Almost subconsciously, the salesperson turned to look at Chen Yu. It seemed as if she hoped Chen Yu would insist. "What are you looking at him for? I''m the one being proposed to, and I decide what ring I will wear," said Tong Ya assertively. It must be said, Tong Ya''s words carried quite a bit of dominance. Truly befitting of a magnate''s daughter. Chapter 95: Chapter 95: The Proposal "Ya Ya, actually, I think that, this kind of thing..." "You should listen to me!" Tong Ya interrupted Chen Yu directly, "We are going to live our lives together." "What if one day, we fall on hard times, Gold can still be exchanged for money! What practical use does a diamond ring have, other than being sparkly? Besides, you earned your money through hard work, not by it blowing in with the wind." Chen Yu hadn''t expected Tong Ya to be so considerate, putting herself in his shoes. The sales associate, hearing this, felt somewhat helpless. But envy was evident in her eyes. She had sold engagement rings here and had seen countless couples. Most girls would insist on their boyfriends buying them the best diamond rings. They say the value of a diamond ring measures how deep a man''s love is. In reality, everyone understands that they do it for the sake of face. Someone like Tong Ya was truly rare. The sales associate didn''t say much else, just took out the Gold ring. Chen Yu, smiling, then headed to the Gold section nearby. "Could you please get this bracelet for me!" The saleswoman''s eyes glittered as she hurried toply. The bracelet was worth thirty thousand, which meant a substantialmission for her. Plus, this bracelet was thetest design, made out of pure Gold, with ayer of gold dust iid on top. Chen Yu took the bracelet and immediately ced it on Tong Ya''s wrist. "What are you doing? I already said not to buy something so expensive!" Tong Ya was somewhat annoyed. Yet Chen Yu held onto Tong Ya''s hand tighter, "This is also made of pure Gold, it retains its value!" Tong Ya''s reasoning was used against her by Chen Yu just like that. Still, Tong Ya pouted and tried to take off the bracelet. "If It doesn''t work out, consider it a gift in return for the phone you bought me." Tong Ya felt helpless, not expecting Chen Yu to still remember that. Before she could react further, Chen Yu suddenly dropped to one knee. "Ya Ya, marry me!" Tong Ya''s breathing became rapid all of a sudden, and she nodded heavily. In fact, Chen Yu''s decision to propose wasn''t a spur-of-the-moment idea. Based on the current revenue of the store, he could buy it outright by the end of this week. In another week, he could buy a rtivelyrger house nearby. He was sure that he could provide Tong Ya with a stable future. The once empty ring store suddenly had dozens of people appear at the entrance, cheering and pping. Chen Yu didn''t linger there after paying, and took Tong Ya out of the mall. On the way back, Tong Ya clung to Chen Yu like an octopus, not willing to let go even when Chen Yu was driving. "Ya Ya, if we''re captured on surveince cameras like this, they might revoke my driver''s license." "What''s there to be afraid of?" Tong Ya pouted, "If you lose your license, I still have mine! Just call me when you need a driver." Chen Yu had no choice but to turn the car into a side street. "Husband, when will we have our wedding!" Tong Ya asked with eyes full of anticipation. "The end of July is a good day!" Chen Yu had already had a date in mind. "Then next month, let''s go take our wedding photos." Tong Ya gripped Chen Yu''s hand even tighter. By the time the two returned to the store, it was nearly ten p.m. They tiptoed upstairs, took a quick shower, and then returned to their room. That night, Chen Yu slept very soundly. It was as if a stone that had been suspended in her heart finally touched the ground. ... In a business winery in the Imperial Capital. Fang Yuan and Zhao Hai sat at the counter, chatting merrily. It was not until this moment that Fang Yuan realized that nearly all the resources she now had in her hands were provided by the Zhao Family. Among the four major families in the Imperial Capital, the Zhao Family specialized in the entertainment industry. Nearly half of the entertainment circle was in the hands of the Zhao Family. As long as Zhao Hai was willing, Fang Yuan could rece Su Rui''s former position in the shortest time and be the new leading actress in the entertainment circle. "Miss Fang," suddenly asked Zhao Hai, "have you signed a gambling agreement with several capital firms?" Fang Yuan was startled at first, then she put on a pitiable look. "I had no choice, if I didn''t sign, I''m afraid I wouldn''t be able to survive in the entertainment circle." Zhao Hai drained the wine in his ss, "Some things, even if signed, are just a piece of paper. With just one word from Miss Fang, I can help you cancel the gambling agreement, and what''s more, I''ll let you get the capital you want." Fang Yuan''s pupils dted slightly, she was well aware that there was no such thing as a free lunch in the entertainment circle. Thirty billion in capital, to easily get it in hand, would inevitably require a price to be paid. Just as she was pondering what Zhao Hai wanted to take from her, a somewhat pale hand had already pinched her earlobe. "The first time I saw a picture of Miss Fang, I was captivated by your ears." Fang Yuan''s body stiffened, and she found to her horror that Zhao Hai''s expression had be somewhat gruesome. And what was this bizarre fondness for her ears? While she was at a loss, a person who seemed to be a reporter suddenly stood up and approached them. "Mr. Zhao, Miss Su Rui has suddenly terminated her contract with her agency and left the entertainment circle. May I ask what your arrangements are for the lead roles in your uing films?" This sudden question annoyed Zhao Hai. "Which media are you from?" Zhao Hai snatched the camera from the guy''s hand. The next moment, from nowhere, arge group of media personnel suddenly appeared, surrounding Zhao Hai. Fang Yuan then realized, taking the opportunity, she slipped away from the crowd. She knew that this was a escape n Han Mintao had specially arranged for her. In a rush, she left the winery and bolt plunged into the nanny car parked at the roadside. Han Mintao also breathed a sigh of relief, "All right, my girl, leave the rest to me for public rtions. You just need to focus on your acting." Fang Yuan chugged arge ss of water, trying to calm her heavy breathing. A moment ago, she had suddenly felt an extremely terrifying and perverse sensation from Zhao Hai. ... Not until five in the morning did Chen Yu get out of bed and go downstairs. He had found thatst night was the most sound sleep he''d had in over twenty years. Perhaps it was because from now on, he could truly have a stable life. At this moment, the entire shop was already running smoothly. Ning Kai and Li Gang were also extremely fascinated by the techniques of making fried cakes, savory turnovers, and braised delicacies. They even started to learn. At eight in the morning, Tang Xiaowei and Su Rui hurried into the shop. They found a corner as soon as they entered and hid. Both of them wore masks, covering themselves tightly. In the heat of summer, anyone would find it a bit ring. Just as Chen Yu was about to go over and ask, he suddenly noticed several men with cameras sneaking around at the doorway. Without having to think about it, Chen Yu knew these guys must be paparazzi. Chapter 96: Chapter 96 Free Supply After all, Su Rui''s previous status could already be considered international level. Suddenly terminating her contract with her original agency and running off to Suzhou City, anyone would suspect that there was something fishy going on. Chen Yu certainly wouldn''t be polite with these paparazzi. He came straight out of the kitchen and approached these few people. "Would you like to order some food?" "Not eating, get lost!" one of the burlier ones suddenly shoved Chen Yu. "I''m sorry, but this is a restaurant. If you''re not eating, then please leave." Chen Yu gritted his teeth, suppressing the fury in his heart. Seeing Chen Yu so unappreciative, the few guys suddenly lost their temper. "You little punk, do you know who we are? Be careful, or we''ll expose your crappy restaurant and bankrupt you." Chen Yu couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows. The circles of paparazzi and journalists always had their ways ofmunicating. Moreover, these guys had countless media resources at their disposal. If they were to exaggerate and write ndering advertorials about Chen Yu''s restaurant, it would attract a slew of harsh criticisms from the media. However, Chen Yu wasn''t concerned about these threats; anyone who threatened him would have to pay a price. Just as he was about to take action, several delivery guys nearby suddenly stood up, blocking in front of him. "What are you guys up to? Looking for trouble?" The paparazzi were taken aback. These delivery guys, who braved the wind and rain every day, naturally had stronger builds than the average person. Moreover, as the other customers in the restaurant stood up, the delivery drivers who were waiting for their meals also got up in droves. In the restaurant, the number of delivery drivers typically stayed above two hundred. Just the thought of their momentum was terrifying. And like that, the paparazzi were forcefully driven out the door by the delivery drivers. "Don''t worry, Boss Chen. All the delivery drivers in Suzhou City are our brothers! If any more suspicious peoplee in, just give us a shout, and we''ll take care of it for you." After speaking, the throng of delivery drivers dispersed, those picking up their orders got busy, and those eating continued their meals. All the delivery drivers who came to Chen Yu''s restaurant had an almost heartfelt respect for him. In the beginning, when many people couldn''t afford the marinated dishes, Chen Yu would offer marinated broth for free. Later, he even introduced a special dish just for delivery drivers: a ragtag noodle dish for only ten yuan a bowl. Starting from the day before yesterday, Chen Yu had specially cleared a waiting area in the ground floor hall for these delivery drivers. He had also ced fiverge pressure cookers there, cooking up five big pots of mixed grain porridge. Next to it, he had also arranged plenty of disposable stic bowls. If there were any delivery drivers in a rush to deliver orders and didn''t have time to eat, they coulde here and help themselves to a bowl of porridge for free. Though for Chen Yu, the cost of the five big pots of mixed grain porridge was less than thirty yuan. But to these delivery drivers, that was a huge favor. Now, wherever these delivery drivers had sat, they always left the ce clean and tidy, not needing any cleaning up afterwards. Seeing the paparazzi leave, Tang Xiaowei and Su Rui finally stood up from the corner. Chen Yu looked at Su Rui somewhat helplessly. "Miss Su, always hiding out here isn''t a solution. Do you have any ns for the future?" Su Rui sighed softly, "I want to enter the animation industry with Xiaowei, but it''s so expensive. Right now, we''re just in the nning stages." Chen Yu was somewhat surprised. It made sense, as Su Rui was an actress and had her own unique insights into scripts. Entering the animation industry did seem like a fitting career move. §ñ?@§Ñ!??-&?+¦É§Ô¡Ò§ä*-*?-?- However, the startup capital for an animation project is never less than ten or eighteen million. As they were speaking, Tong Ming, apanied by two bodyguards, rushed into the shop. "Son-inw! I heard you and Tong Ya are getting married, is that true?" Chen Yu was somewhat surprised. He had been thinking of arranging a meeting with Tong Ming and telling him about itter. Unexpectedly, Tong Ming came over today. "Yes, we were nning to..." Before Chen Yu could finish, Tong Ming pped his household registration book on the table. "Hurry up and go get your marriage certificate!" Chen Guang and Li Lan had also approached by then. They had met Tong Ming before but had only a brief chat since Tong Ming was always busy. Seeing Tong Ming throw his household registration book on the table was a bit of a surprise. Chen Guang even went forward and grabbed Tong Ming''s hand. "Big brother, are you really handing your daughter over to this brat just like that?" Tong Ming was displeased, "How can he be a brat? I see potential in him, his future will certainly be boundless." Chen Guang also got excited. He had thought that Tong Ming would be a difficult obstacle to ovee. After all, Chen Yu was divorced and had a child. Anyone would feel uneasy about such terms. But now it seemed that Tong Ming didn''t care at all, and was even more eager than he was. Chen Guang didn''t y coy either, and promptly took his household registration book out. "Then let them go! We as parents don''t need to worry so much anymore." Tong Ming alsoughed heartily, "Where is that rascal Tong Ya? She neveres out to see me voluntarily. She should at least offer a cup of tea to her old man." Tong Ming was indeed thirsty on the way over. He followed the delicious aroma and directly opened a porridge container that was ced there. "Wow, mixed grain porridge, this is good stuff." As he spoke, he served himself a bowl. After just one sip, he felt an unprecedented sense of refreshment. "This must be a new productunched by your store, right? Why didn''t you let me know, so I coulde and try it out in advance?" Chen Yu felt somewhat embarrassed, "This is provided for free to delivery riders, you''re indirectly snatching their meal!" Tong Ming was stunned for a moment when he realized there were several delivery riders standing next to him, gobbling down the porridge in their hands before rushing out the door with the meals they had picked up. A hint of pride appeared on Tong Ming''s face. "I didn''t expect you, young man, to grasp the concept of giving back to society so quickly!" After expressing his sentiments, Tong Ming patted Chen Yu on the shoulder. "This is good, from ancient times, many wealthy families fell due to their indifference to wealth. I didn''t expect someone as young as you to understand this." Chen Yu, however, appeared indifferent, "These delivery riders are also my shop''s customers, I''m just making things convenient for everyone." Tong Ming''s look towards Chen Yu became filled with even more admiration. "Good for you! Your awareness is much higher than that of the Zhao Family in the capital. Those guys will sooner orter ruin themselves." Chen Yu couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow. Tong Ming''s change in topic was sudden¡ªhow did they end up talking about the Zhao Family all of a sudden? At that moment, Su Rui also politely stepped up to Tong Ming. "Uncle Tong, hello, I am..." "I know you, you''re the girl from the Su family, right!" Chapter 97: Chapter 97: Spokesperson Su Rui felt a bit embarrassed, she hadn''t expected to meet Tong Ming under these circumstances. "You''reughing at me, now I..." Tong Ming waved his hand, "Isn''t it just terminating the contract with the agency? Ya Ya already told me about it. As it happens, mypany has just been established and we''recking an endorsement figure. Why don''t youe and help out?" Surprised by the offer, Su Rui said, "Uncle Tong, I''ve already nned with Xiaowei to start an animation studio..." "But you''ll also need start-up capital, won''t you!" Tong Ming took out a business card, "Go find this person, let him help you register the studio." Su Rui immediately understood Tong Ming''s intention. He wanted her and Tang Xiaowei to establish the studio first, then represent it as endorsers. In doing so, not only would they have the start-up capital for the studio, but they might also make aeback through this endorsement opportunity. source-at-MVLeMpYr "Uncle Tong, how could I ept this? Actually, I..." "There''s nothing to be shy about! I am friends with your parents, it''s just that they wouldn''t take my advice and always wanted to cling to the Zhao Family, as if there were no other choices in the entertainment industry besides the Zhao Family." After giving a few more instructions, Tong Ming turned and left, but before he did, he urged Chen Yu to hurry up and get the marriage certificate. It wasn''t until this moment that Tong Ya came down from the second floor. It was unclear whether she had been deliberately avoiding Tong Ming or was genuinely busy upstairs. It was already four o''clock in the afternoon; they were toote for the Civil Affairs Bureau. However, Tong Ya still carefully put away the two household registration booklets. The business had been booming in the past two days, and the name Yuya Bansheng Park had appeared in various media reports across Suzhou City. They also monopolized the delivery orders within a ten-kilometer radius. By about 7:30 p.m., the shop''s marinated dishes were sold out, and they had to hang up the closed sign. Ning Kai and Li Gang also went ahead to cook, and everyone started to tidy up the shop. [Congrattions to the host forpleting a day''s business. Today''s profit is 790,600 yuan, with 790,600 points awarded. The current total umted points are 42,983,80 points.] After deducting the cost of purchasing ingredients for marinated dishes for the next day, Chen Yu still had 1,210,600 yuan in hand. After transferring 1.21 million yuan to his current ount, Chen Yu was left with 5,000 yuan for emergency use. Based on the current turnover, Chen Yu would be able to discuss the sale of the shop with Aunt Li by the end of the week. After storing the delivered marinated dish ingredients in the cold storage, Chen Yu let everyone go home early. The girls were incredibly diligent. Chen Yu had already prepared a rest schedule for them, but none of them took a break. He took this opportunity to give them a short break. Afterward, Chen Yu changed into sportswear and went out for a run with Tong Ya. Originally, he didn''t want toe out, after all, being surrounded by old men and women and treated like a doctor was indeed a bit depressing. But today, a word from Tong Ming awakened Chen Yu. With the system''s assistance, it wouldn''t take long for him to umte substantial wealth. But with wealth, he needed to think about how to give back to the world. Indeed, he only knew some biology and chemistry and could barely treat minor ailments. Even so, he had to help the neighbors as much as possible. Moreover, Chen Yu had already made up his mind. With the knowledge in his head, it shouldn''t be difficult to study for a medical practitioner license. Sure enough, as soon as he and Tong Ya arrived at the park, they were surrounded by the elders. Their questions were mostly about whether the medicinal meals they asked about before could be made. Chen Yu didn''t say much, just took out a list he had prepared in advance and told the people on the list toe for the medicine the next day. As for the rest, Chen Yu uniformly responded that he had not figured them out. After all, everyone''s condition is different, and he was not a medical professional. Even with extraordinary intelligence, it was impossible toe up with so many medical dishes in one day. Having escaped the group of elderly men and women, Chen Yu took a deep breath. "Honey, I''ve found another one of your strengths!" Chen Yu turned his head to look at Tong Ya, "What strength?" "Kindness! You could havepletely refused those elders, given that you''re so busy every day." Chen Yu shrugged his shoulders, "Your father told me to contribute to society within my capabilities, and I guess this counts!" Tong Ya pouted, "Why listen to him? His own life is a mess." Chen Yu didn''t say anything more, just smiled. At five o''clock the next morning, Chen Yu briefly checked the kitchen before driving out. While reviewing the medical records yesterday, he noticed that many of the elders had very simr health issues. To cure their ailments, a particr medicinal herb was needed, the bitter grandma ding! This herb was fairlymon in the past, but it''s hard to find in modern cities. To find arge amount of bitter grandma ding, he had to go to the fields in the outskirts. Taking advantage of the darkness before dawn, Chen Yu drove straight to the countryside. It wasn''t until ten in the morning that Chen Yu returned to the city. After picking up some groceries at the farmers'' market, he went back to the store. At that moment, Tong Ya was sitting at the entrance of the store, holding the box prepared the day before, looking anxiously down the road. In that box were the household registration books of both families. When she saw Chen Yu''s car park, she ran over in a huff. "Where did you run off to so early in the morning? I even got dressed up to go with you to get our marriage certificate." Chen Yu had intended toe back early to obtain the marriage certificate with Tong Ya. But the trip took too long as the distance was simply too far. "Ya Ya, be good, I''m going to change clothes now, just wait here for three minutes." With that, Chen Yu hurried into the store and called two servers out to move the groceries from the car. In less than three minutes, Chen Yu had washed up, changed into a new set of clothes, and rushed back down. Tong Ya was stunned; it took her at least half an hour to change clothes and get ready. But Chen Yu, it was as if he became a different person after just a quick trip upstairs. "What''s the matter, Ya Ya? Why the daze? Let''s get going." Chen Yu flicked Tong Ya''s forehead lightly and immediately took her to her car. His car had been running all morning and had run out of battery. They had to take Tong Ya''s car. Before long, the couple arrived at the relevant local office. Today was Wednesday, and there weren''t many peopleing to get marriage certificates. As soon as they entered, they sat down at the counter and started filling out the forms. The staff member attending to them looked at their information and was somewhat taken aback. "Do both parties know about each other''s situation?" This question was actually directed at Tong Ya, essentially asking her if she knew that Chen Yu had been married before. Chapter 98: Chapter 98: Going to Get the Certificate "Everyone knows already!" Tong Ya replied with a face full of happiness, while simultaneously linking arms with Chen Yu. After confirming, the staff didn''t ask anything more. After all, Tong Ya and Chen Yu, based solely on appearances, were an extremely good match and looked very much like a couple. Moreover, a handsome young man together with a beautiful woman, anyone would feel like they were a match made in heaven. At this moment, all eyes in the hall were drawn to Chen Yu and Tong Ya. The staff didn''t dawdle and quickly processed the marriage certificate for the two of them. When she received the marriage certificate, Tong Ya suddenly burst into tears. Chen Yu panicked immediately, "What''s wrong, Ya Ya?" Tong Ya sobbed, "I''ve been waiting for this day for seven years!" Chen Yu tenderly ruffled Tong Ya''s hair. "Then from now on, I''ll make up those seven years to you." Tong Ya nodded vigorously and then burrowed into Chen Yu''s embrace. The two of them left the establishment under the envious gazes of the staff. When Chen Yu returned to the store, he found Chen Guang sitting there with a serious expression, holding an invitation letter in his hand. Chen Yu frowned, "Dad, what''s happened?" Chen Guang sighed helplessly, "The store has been invited to the Suzhou City cookingpetition." Chen Yu chuckled, "And here I thought it was something serious. It''s just a cookingpetition!" "You don''t understand anything! This is someone trying to force you into thepetition, taking the opportunity to ruin your reputation." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, "Is it really that serious?" Wang Qingshan and Li Gang also came over at this point. Their faces were equally grave. "Don''t take it lightly!" Wang Qingshan pped Chen Yu''s shoulder, "I''ve been invited before and managed to ce, otherwise my store would have been gone." Chen Yu was startled, "Thepetition is linked to one''s own store?" Li Gang nodded, "More than that! Competitions like this are meant to generate traffic. Whoever wins will not have to worry about customers for the following year." As he said this, Li Gang suddenly seemed hesitant. Chen Guang took over smoothly, "If you don''t ce or are eliminated during thepetition, the store''s reputation can plummet." Chen Yu still appeared casual. "This is actually a good opportunity to promote the store." At these words, the three men beside him all froze for a second. At this moment, Ning Kai also approached. "Chen Yu is skilled in the culinary arts, just going up and making a few Sichuan dishes might win the title, what''s there to worry about?" Wang Qingshan also nodded, "Right! Even I managed to rank with just a soy sauce pig''s trotter, let alone Chen Yu." Chen Yu didn''t say anything more, simply put away the invitation, and then went to the kitchen. He took a steaming basket, wrapped the bitter melon he had picked that morning in some flour after preparing them simply, and then ced it inside. Next, he took out twenty y pots and set them on little gas stoves. He added various herbs and main ingredients into the pots. Then he started adjusting sauces on the side. Before long, a rich aroma began to spread. Ning Kai, Li Gang, and Wang Qingshan had mostly freed up their time by now. They smelled the fragrance and immediately ran over to Chen Yu''s side. "Wow, what are you making? It smells so good." Wang Qingshan leaned in with his nose, saliva already dribbling from the corner of his mouth. "These are medicinal meals for the elderly." Chen Yu replied simply and continued to busily attend to the task at hand. Li Gang was by now utterly astounded. When he first saw Chen Yu preparing medicinal cuisine, he thought Chen Yu merely knew a single recipe. Little did he expect that Chen Yu could simultaneously make so many different types of medicinal dishes. In the world of cuisine, medicinal dishes can be considered a distinct category. Many medicinal cuisines have their own unique recipes. After all, chefs are not doctors; if they do not strictly follow the specified recipes when making medicinal dishes, it could indeed lead to fatal mistakes. Not long after, the elderly patrons hurriedly arrived at the restaurant. "Old Wang, those steamers over there should be ready; help me take them down," Chen Yu said. Wang Qingshan did not dare to dy and quickly took down the steamer baskets beside him. A unique and strong aroma wafted through the air, causing Wang Qingshan to freeze on the spot. "Is this, bitter melon cake? Can this also be used in cooking?" asked Wang Qingshan in amazement. Chen Yu chuckled and promptly served the bitter melon cakes in bowls. Immediately after, he brought out the sauce he had prepared earlier as well. The elderly patrons were initially surprised at the sight of the bitter melon cakes. For them, it was something they had eaten only during difficult times in their childhood. And that bitter taste was almost deeply etched in their bones. However, the bitter melon cakes in front of them seemed different from what they had eaten as children. Especially the rich aroma that continuously tantalized their tastebuds. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the special bitter melon cake rice I''ve made. Please treat it as a staple and enjoy it with this sauce," Chen Yu addressed the elders. Hearing Chen Yu''s instructions, everyone hesitated no longer. However, at first, they were still very cautious with their first bites. But as soon as the bitter melon cake reached their mouth, all the elders'' eyes widened in disbelief. This taste waspletely different from the bitter vor they remembered from their childhood. While there was still a hint of bitterness, it felt refreshingly different to them. And with the sauce, it was even more delicious. "Chef Chen, this is too delicious!" "If we had known bitter melon cakes were this tasty, we would have gone to the wild to dig some up ourselves." ... After watching all of the elderly finish their bitter melon cake rice, Chen Yu then brought out the y pots he had prepared for them. Each y pot contained a medicinal concoction targeted at specific ailments. The bnce between meat and vegetarian ingredients, as well as the proportions of the various medicinal herbs, were also meticulously controlled by Chen Yu. At this moment, Wang Qingshan, Ning Kai, and Li Gang stood by nervously. Wang Qingshan even took out his phone and had his finger ready on the emergency call option. As experienced chefs, they were all aware of what medicinal cuisine implied. Should any of these elders have any adverse reactions, they would need to find a way to remedy the situation quickly. But unexpectedly, after the elders had eaten, not only did none of them encounter any issues, but a look of unprecedented relief also appeared on each of their faces. Some even broke out in a heavy sweat all over their bodies. "Oh my, it feels like my stomach ailment has alleviated a bit." "My chronic leg pain is gone!" "It''s miraculous! It''s just a bowl of braised pork, but howe my headache has cleared up?" ... Seeing the elders'' reactions, Wang Qingshan and the other two finally breathed a sigh of relief. They also looked at Chen Yu with a gaze that was nearly worshipful. Being able to cook delicious food may not necessarily make one a good chef, but being skilled at preparing medicinal cuisine certainly makes one a divine chef. Chapter 99: Chapter 99 Participating in the Competition After easing their bodies, each of the elders took out a stack of money and presented it to Chen Yu. "Uncles and aunties, the cost of your herbal mealses down to just over thirty yuan per person, please keep your money!" However, these elders were quite stubborn. Seeing Chen Yu refusing to take money, they stuffed the cash into the hands of Wang Qingshan, Ning Kai, and Li Gang who were nearby. The three of them also quickly raised their hands and retreated into the kitchen. Chen Yu had no choice but to ept this; the raw materials for the herbal meals really didn''t cost much. Some of the ingredients were even gathered with Granny Bitter Ding from the wild. "How about this! Everyone just leaves a hundred yuan each, after all, this is a restaurant, not a hospital. Please show me a little respect." Having reached their age, these elders were also well-versed in the ways of the world. Hearing Chen Yu say this, they didn''t say much else. Each took out a hundred yuan, handed it to Chen Yu, and then left the ce one by one. As they were leaving, they kept praising Chen Yu for his kindness. Having seen off the elders, Chen Yu let out a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to take a break, a delivery guy approached him with a bit of embarrassment. "Boss Chen, there was an elder with chronic cold legs, how did you cure him?" Chen Yu smiled, "I just used some Chinese herbs with warm-natured meats to draw out the coldness, and that''s it." "Do you think you could treat me?" The delivery guy hurriedly lifted his leg, ready to take off the kneepad on his knee. Chen Yu then realized, "You have cold legs too? You''re so young, it can''t be?" The delivery guy sighed, "I deliver orders every day, through wind and rain, so my knees have been damaged long ago." Chen Yu looked over the delivery guy in front of him. Based on the biological proportions of his body, Chen Yu roughly diagnosed some of his conditions. "Wait for me a second, there''s some leftover herbal meal that can just treat your condition." Chen Yu went back to the kitchen and brought out a pot of braised pork that was left over. In fact, this pot of meat was meant for Chen Guang. MVLeMpYr-original-content Althoughst time the braised pork had alleviated Chen Guang''s rheumatism, it hadn''t cured it. This herbal meal not only treated cold legs, but also greatly eased rheumatism. Since he encountered the delivery guy now, Chen Yu readily gave it away. The guy didn''t care about the rest, picked up the pot, and wolfed it down hungrily. After he finished, he was drenched in sweat. "Wow, that feels great! This stuff really works!" Putting down his utensils and stretching a bit, the delivery guy took out his phone intending to pay Chen Yu. Chen Yu quickly stopped him, "If you want to pay, a hundred yuan is fine, don''t give more, or else I will cklist you from my shop''s delivery riders list." The guy smiled sheepishly, he had already typed a thousand on his screen. Hearing what Chen Yu said, he removed a zero and made the payment. Just then, Chen Yu noticed that the other delivery riders had simr issues to varying degrees, with thick protective gear wrapped around their legs and waists. These protective gears were not simply for preventing falls. Resting his chin in thought for a moment, Chen Yu went back into the kitchen, picked up a small pressure cooker, and began putting in medicinal ingredients for dispelling cold and dampness in a certain ratio. Before long, the news of the delivery rider being cured had spread among all the riders. Many delivery guys immediately got up and went to the window to ask Chen Yu. Chen Yu didn''t say much, just asked them to wait a moment. Before long, he brought over a pressure cooker and poured the prepared medicinal soup into each of the five porridge pots. "I''ve added some medicinal herbs to these porridges. If you feel damp and cold in your body, or have joint pain, drinking this porridge should help." The delivery guys present were all momentarily stunned. "Boss, is this porridge still free?" Chen Yu nodded, "Of course, it''s free!" The delivery guys on the spot cheered right away. The reason most of them had chosen to do deliveries was because of financial hardships at home. Years had taken their toll, leaving them with ailments and no money to seek treatment. Now, Chen Yu could actually cure their illnesses with a bowl of porridge. At that moment, in the hearts of all the delivery guys, Chen Yu became the image of a living Bodhisattva. Tang Xiaowei was still single-mindedly painting the mural. Since Su Rui went to endorse Tong Ming today and hadn''te, Tong Ya stayed sitting next to Tang Xiaowei all along. "My man looks handsome no matter what," Tong Ya dered. Tang Xiaowei sighed helplessly, "Look at you two, just got your marriage certificate and you''re not going out to have fun, take a honeymoon or anything. One runs back here to make medicinal meals, the other sits here daydreaming." Tong Ya rolled her eyes, "Mind your own business!" Tang Xiaowei pouted, "Some people better not forget how they sold me out initially!" Tong Ya felt a bit embarrassed right away, "Still holding a grudge! But, after all, I did help you resolve the conflict with your father! In a way, you should be thanking me." Tang Xiaowei sighed somewhat helplessly and continued to dab and draw on the wall. Today''s orders seemed even crazier than yesterday''s, and by seven o''clock in the evening, all the braised dishes had been sold out. After seven, the restaurant could only take orders for fried cakes and vegetable pies. Chen Yu had also ordered the raw materials needed for the next day in advance. By 7:30, after everyone had put the raw materials in the cold storage, Chen Yu ordered dinner to be served. Today''s dishes, in addition to the usual Sichuan cuisine, included several extra medicinal dishes prepared by Chen Yu. These medicinal dishes weren''t meant for treating specific diseases. They were just some ordinary foods to help relieve fatigue. However, during the meal, Chen Guang just couldn''t seem to cheer up. "Xiaoyu, about thispetition, should you think it over again?" Chen Yu''s lips curled into a small smile, "Don''t worry! Besides, they have already sent the invitation to our doorstep. If we don''t go, it would seem like weck manners." "Brother Yu, I support you!" Chu Hong raised her little fist. The other girls also raised their fists, making a gesture of encouragement. By now, Chen Yu''s status in their hearts was no longer ordinary. Tong Ya also grabbed Chen Yu''s hand. "I support you too. Let''s tidy up tonight, and I''ll apany you to thepetition tomorrow." Seeing that everyone supported Chen Yu, Chen Guang found it hard to say anything further. "Alright then! Just be careful, I always feel like thispetition is targeted specifically at you." Chen Yu was of course aware of this. He had not registered, and he had never even heard of the name of thepetition. How could the invitation havee to him out of the blue? Chapter 100: Chapter 100 Come Work for Me [Congrattions, Host, forpleting a day''s business. Today''s profit is 1,216,600 yuan, earning 1,216,600 points. The current total umted points are 5,508,980 points.] Chen Yu subconsciously nced at his watch; it wasn''t even eight o''clock yet. In fact, this business model was rather healthy, unlike those that operate till midnight or even 24 hours non-stop, which basically just fill up time with extended hours. Moreover, closing early allowed the staff in the store to have a proper rest and not to be too exhausted. Once everyone had left, Chen Yu took out his phone and checked his current ount. It had already reached 8.42 million yuan. He estimated that in another day or two, he would be able to buy the store outright. At this moment, the first-floor lobby was empty, leaving only Chen Yu, Tong Ya, and Tang Xiaowei. After these past two days of hard work, Tang Xiaowei had almost finished painting murals on all the walls. Even thest wall was already halfway done. "Xiaowei''s painting skills are getting better and better. Looking at the shop, her painting really adds a touch of ss to it," Tong Ya said, sitting beside Chen Yu, resting her chin in her hand, gazing at him with affectionate eyes. "So, how much do you n to pay her this time?" Without hesitation, Chen Yu replied, "The same as before, 11,000 yuan a piece. I''ll transfer the money to youter." Tong Ya didn''t say anything, after all, Tang Xiaowei''s painting skill was worth that much. "So what do you want to do now? Go for a run outside?" Chen Yu shook his head, "Not necessary. Why keep going out for runs? Today, I just got my certificate. It seems I haven''t yet had the chance to properly watch a movie with my wife or do things that couples should do." Tong Ya quickly straightened up, her eyes filled with anticipation as she looked at Chen Yu. "You mean..." "Today, the medicated dishes made over a thousand yuan, and I still have five thousand yuan in reserve. Although it''s not a lot, today I want to spend it all." Tong Ya pouted, "Don''t be so wasteful. A movie ticket only costs within a hundred yuan." Chen Yu smiled, greeted Tang Xiaowei, and then left the store with Tong Ya. Before long, the two arrived at a nearby mall. After discussing back and forth, Chen Yu and Tong Ya booked a movie and then headed straight to the fourth-floor cinema. While they were sitting in the waiting area, suddenly there was amotion nearby. "What the hell? Are you blind? You spilled my c all over." A fat-faced man was berating a worker at the cinema. The worker looked quite young, probably around the same age as Chu Hong. And she kept apologizing. But the fat man was relentless. At this point, a crowd had already gathered around. They were all trying to calm the fat man down. However, unexpectedly, the fat man cursed at anyone who spoke to him, showing an arrogant attitude. Chen Yu could no longer just watch and pushed his way through the crowd to pull the worker aside. "You''re being too much, man. The girl has already apologized to you, and you show no grace at all. It''s just a bottle of c! Are you nning on devouring her or what?" The fat man, seeing someone stand up for the worker, became even more enraged. "Don''t give me that bullshit. It was arge cup of c." Chen Yu was speechless, what difference did arge cup make? He ignored the fat man and turned tofort the worker nearby. The little girl seemed to be frightened, trembling all over, her face flushed red. Chen Yu could even hear her heartbeat. see-more-MVLeMpYr Suddenly, the fat man shouted loudly and then charged towards Chen Yu. Chen Yu was not about to indulge him, moving forward directly, he grabbed the fat man''s shoulders and delivered a hard shoulder throw. Just then, the cinema''s security also arrived. They dragged the fat man down. Afterforting the little girl a few more times, Chen Yu entered the cinema with Tong Ya. "Husband, I''ve noticed that you''re really getting more and more handsome. How am I going to live if I ever leave you!" Chen Yu looked at Tong Ya with amusement, "What, you''re nning to leave me?" "That''s not what I meant!" Tong Ya suddenly became anxious, "It''s just a figure of speech, how could I bear to leave you?" Chen Yu tousled Tong Ya''s hair, "Alright! I was just joking." As soon as they entered the cinema, Tong Yay directly in Chen Yu''s arms, maintaining this position until the movie ended. At ten-thirty in the evening, after the movie ended, Chen Yu took Tong Ya by the hand and left the cinema. Just as they were about to leave, they suddenly saw a frail figure sitting on the nearby stairs, sobbing non-stop. Upon closer inspection, it was the little girl from the cinema. "What are you doing here?" Chen Yu frowned as he approached her, suddenly having a bad feeling. The girl cried even harder, "Our manager said I was affecting the image of the cinema and fired me." Chen Yu was stunned for a moment; it seemed clear that the fat man was in the wrong, so why fire the little girl? "But you can''t just sit here and cry! Hurry home! It''s dangerous out here sote at night." At these words, the girl''s crying intensified, giving Chen Yu a shock. "I''m an orphan, with no home! Now that I''m of age, the orphanage won''t take me. It was so hard to find this job, and now I''ve lost it..." Chen Yu was dumbstruck, not expecting the girl''s backstory to be so pitiful. Tong Ya hurried forward to help the girl up. "Husband, why don''t we let her work at our shop? After all, you''re not one staff member over, just a waitress." Chen Yu nodded, "If the boss''s wife has spoken, what else can I say?" Tong Ya''s face flushed all at once; before she got together with Chen Yu, she would always manage to make Chen Yu blush. But now, she suddenly realized that the tables had turned. "Little sister, what''s your name?" Tong Ya quickly changed the subject to calm her own agitated heart. "My name is Yang Shu." Tong Ya took out a tissue and wiped Yang Shu''s tears, "Thene with us!" Yang Shu nodded without hesitation. It must be said, the girl was still somewhat naive. She didn''t even consider if Chen Yu and Tong Ya were good people and agreed so easily. If it had been someone else, the poor girl might have been abducted. Chen Yu didn''t say much else and took Tong Ya and Yang Shu back to the shop. On the way, Chen Yu casually called Chu Hong toe and take Yang Shu back to the dormitory. After returning home, Chen Yu and Tong Ya started packing the things they needed for the next day. Although thepetition venue was not too far from here, the whole ce was fully enclosed. Moreover, it was a three-day-longpetition, and Chen Yu couldn''t do without taking some personal items with him. Chapter 101: Chapter 101: The Competition Site Early the next morning, Chen Yu and Tong Ya drove together to thepetition site. Thepetition was set in the wilderness and seemed to be a temporary setup, and there were also many traces of reality show filming. Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown, thinking thepetition might be grand, but it turned out to be quite ordinary. "Wee chefs from every kitchen, thispetition is very special, we require you to gather ingredients on site to create a sumptuous feast." When the host''s voice rang out, Chen Yu''s eyes immediately widened. The person standing there as the host turned out to be Su Rui. While he was still surprised, Su Rui on the stage winked at Chen Yu and Tong Ya. "Apanying family members, we hope you can stay at the camp to let the chefs perform independently." That statement was clearly directed at Tong Ya. By now, Chen Yu had figured it all out. Perhaps the invitation wasn''t sent by apetitor at all, but by Tong Ming. Now, as Su Rui was signing endorsement contracts with Tong Ming, it was impossible for her to take on projects from other investors. So, it was highly likely that thepetition was organized by apany under Tong Ming''s banner. After analyzing the situation in his mind, Chen Yu quietly shared this conclusion with Tong Ya. "I knew it all along! Who else but my old man would host something in such a boring ce?" Tong Ya pouted and at the same time, looked at Su Rui on the podium with a resentful gaze. As Su Rui announced the start of thepetition, chefs who hade to participate got up one after another, heading into the forest. Chen Yu affectionately kissed Tong Ya on the cheek. "Wait for me toe back, okay?" The forest seemed to be meticulously selected by the organizers. hosted-on-MVLeMpYr Not only were there many mountain delicacies on the hills, but there was also arge number of poultry and livestock released to roam there. What surprised Chen Yu the most was that this ce was actually next to the sea. And on the cliff facing the sea, goose barnacles flourished. That was an exceptionally perfect ingredient! Chen Yu didn''t second-guess himself and immediately climbed down the cliff. His movements were incredibly agile, leaving the few chefs that hade with him in awe. ¡­ At that moment in thepetition site, some chefs had randomly gathered some ingredients and hurried back. In reality, for many, thispetition had no real significance. Their shops were barely making ends meet in the first ce. They came here primarily to get on camera, in hopes of driving some traffic to their own ces. Tong Ya sat in the audience with a worried expression on her face. No matter if this ce was pre-designed by the organizers, it was still in the wilderness. There would always be some unknown dangers. "Yo, our little beauty is worried about her man, huh?" Su Rui suddenly appeared behind Tong Ya. Tong Ya humphed softly, "Go away, you capitalist stooge! Why didn''t you tell me the details of thepetition beforehand?" Su Rui quickly raised her hands in defense, "I swear, I didn''t know anything about this ce beforehand, your dad just called me toe over and host." Tong Ya pouted, "I think you just couldn''t resist the lucrative pay." Su Rui smiled awkwardly, "I had no choice, you know my situation! Besides, your dad offered so much, I couldn''t refuse." While the two were talking, Chen Yu had alreadye running back with a big basket in his arms. Although the organizers didn''t provide the ingredients, they did have a full range of condiments avable. Chen Yu quickly processed the barnacles he had picked and prepared the sauce before presenting it directly to the judges. The judges on site were instantly baffled. They knew there were gooseneck barnacles here, but the environment where these barnacles grew was far too harsh. Gathering them required the cooperation of at least five people. Yet it looked as though Chen Yu had gathered the barnacles all by himself. The other chefs looked at Chen Yu with eyes full of admiration. They all knew how harsh the environment for harvesting gooseneck barnacles was. "Delicious!" a judge suddenly shouted, "This sauce is a perfect match for the barnacles, it''s so tasty." Chen Yu seemed indifferent to such praise. He simply returned to his makeshift kitchen, bringing out arge bowl. He then took a big bowl of the prepared sauce and sat next to Tong Ya in the audience. "Want to try some?" Tong Ya didn''t expect Chen Yu to have prepared a portion especially for her. She was stunned. Chen Yu didn''t care about that, picking up a barnacle with chopsticks, dipping it in some sauce, and cing it into Tong Ya''s mouth. The sight filled those nearby with envy. The barnacles Chen Yu had prepared for Tong Ya were much more delicate and careful than those for the judges. The most important part was, there was a bigger portion! Su Rui, sitting nearby, also looked on with envy. However, as she was currently the host, she couldn''t get too close to the contestants. Suppressing the urge to eat, she returned to the host''s stand somewhat disgruntled. "Our chefs have been presenting their dishes one after another. However, Chen Yu from Yuya Bansheng Park seems to have a decisive advantage." On stage, Su Rui was praising Chen Yu to the hilt, secretly hoping he''d let her taste the barnacles after thepetition was over. By five in the afternoon, the first day ofpetition ended, and all the contestants and their families were arranged to stay at a nearby hotel. Actually, Chen Yu felt thepetition was a bit off-track. A fine cooking contest turned out to feel like wilderness survival. What''s more, chefs were apanied by a dedicated cameraman when they were searching for ingredients in the mountains. This made Chen Yu feel as if he was participating in a reality show. After taking a shower, Chen Yuy on the bed wrapped in a bath towel and ced an order for the next day''s braised ingredients. Tong Ya was furiously making a phone call to Tong Ming. "You''ve done enough, letting Chen Yu join this kind ofpetition! How is this a culinary contest? It''s just nonsense!" On the other end of the phone, Tong Ming was just as unyielding, "Little girl, what do you know? I''m creating precious video records for Chen Yu, which will all be part of his resume in the future." "Resume my foot, you dare say it''s not for the ratings?" Tong Ya argued for a bit and then hung up the phone in indignation. Chen Yu didn''t speak; after cing the order for the ingredients, he justy there, staring straight at Tong Ya. It seemed like this was the first time someone had been so angry for him. When Tong Ya turned her head and saw Chen Yu''s gaze, she suddenly felt aggrieved and flung herself into his arms. "Let''s notpete anymore, I feel like he is just bullying you." Chen Yu stroked Tong Ya''s hair, "It''s okay, I don''t mind, the shop can run normally without me now." Chapter 102: Chapter 102 New Rules Chen Yu held Tong Ya in his arms, constantlyforting her. In fact, Chen Yu understood that Tong Ming had his reasons for doing what he did. But Tong Ya didn''t think so, she truly felt sorry for Chen Yu. "Alright, no more crying! Do you want somete-night snacks? I saw there''s a supermarket downstairs, we can buy some stuff and cook ourselves." It was only then that Tong Ya stopped crying: "Sure, I''ll help you!" Both of them got dressed and went downstairs together. The supermarket didn''t have a lot of items, and Chen Yu picked a few vegetables at random. Just as he was about to check out, he suddenly saw a young man with a backpack loitering around the shelves. And this guy had a knife tucked at his waist. Chen Yu frowned involuntarily and instinctively looked for Tong Ya. At that moment, Tong Ya happened to move from a nearby shelf to where the young man was. "Ya Ya!" Chen Yu suddenly called out, "Grab me some buttered bread." Tong Ya responded and went back to the previous shelf. The young man looked very nervous, took a deep breath, and then abruptly pulled out the knife and charged towards the counter. "Everybody get down on the floor, and you, give me the money..." Before he could finish, Chen Yu suddenly stepped forward, grabbed his hand, and after a kick to his leg, threw him over his shoulder. Only then did the supermarket owner realize what was happening and quickly called several employees to help control the young man. Chen Yu also breathed a sigh of relief; this wasn''t the first time he had encountered such a situation in a supermarket, butpared tost time, he now had the confidence to resolve the trouble. Tong Ya was also startled, and she quickly realized that when Chen Yu asked her to get the buttered bread, he was actually saving her. The people in the supermarket were now apuding, and some looked at Chen Yu with admiration. Chen Yu didn''t linger there and quickly took Tong Ya back to the hotel. As soon as they entered the room, Tong Ya threw herself onto Chen Yu and gave him a fierce kiss. "Husband, you were so cool just now! Did you already notice something was off with that guy, and that''s why you asked me to get the buttered bread?" Chen Yu pinched Tong Ya''s nose: "Alright,e over and peel the tomatoes for me." By the time Chen Yu had finished cooking, it was eight o''clock in the evening. [Congrattions Host onpleting one day''s business, today''s profit is 1,210,600 yuan, you''ve gained 1,210,600 points, your current total points umted are 6,719,580.] Chen Yu was immediately excited; at this rate, it wouldn''t take long to reach 10 million points. Moreover, the money he had transferred to the current ount had umted to 9.63 million. At this moment, Tong Ya helped serve the food. "Husband, I''ve noticed that every day at this time, you zone out, is there something on your mind?" Chen Yu smiled: "I''m just crunching numbers! Once thispetition is over and we go back, I can buy the store, and by next week, we might even be able to buy a house." "Really!" Tong Ya suddenly got excited: "Our life is getting better and better, and sooner orter, you''ll definitely surpass my dad, and then he won''t dare to bully you anymore." Chen Yu was momentarily choked up; it seemed that in Tong Ya''s heart, Tong Ming was indeed bullying him. After dinner, Tong Ya cleaned up the disposable cutlery and went to bed with Chen Yu. The next morning at eight o''clock. stay-updated-with-MVLeMpYr When Chen Yu arrived at thepetition venue, he found that it had undergone substantial changespared to yesterday. The temporary kitchens set up yesterday had been reced with fairly ssical honeb stoves. These kitchens were highly efficient, capable of frying, deep-frying, boiling, stir-frying, and stewing, you name it. Moreover, today the organizers had prepared a fairlyplete variety of ingredients for thepeting chefs. Even the number of people who came to watch thepetition on-site had doubled since yesterday. It seemed that yesterday''s broadcast had attracted a good deal of traffic. "Yesterday''spetition was just the appetizer, so we didn''t eliminate any chefs, but today we will implement an elimination system," Su Rui, holding a microphone, shuttled between the chefs while exining the rules of thepetition. "Today we''re testing a chef''s speed, as well as their mastery of different types of dishes! Contestants must fry at least six dishes within half an hour, and also prepare the corresponding staple food." All the chefs present were momentarily stunned, since six dishes in half an hour was reasonable but still a bit strict. After all, there are many subcategories of chefs. While many head chefs excel in their craft, they are primarily responsible for the main cooking, requiring side dishes and ingredients to be prepped by others. Without these support staff, their speed would be greatly reduced. Just when many chefs were troubled, Su Rui threw out another condition. "As all the audience members present today are the judges, our chefs must prepare enough servings of dishes for them." At this, nearly half of the chefs were frozen in ce, at a loss for what to do. The number of people who came to the site today was not small; there were at least a hundred or more. Having to cook for so many people, and within only half an hour, such a rule was somewhat extreme. Firstly, cooking for so many people meant they had to cook inrge pots. But to some extent,rge pot cooking loses the deliciousness found in individual dishes. Andrge pot cooking could never be quick; even with six stoves working simultaneously, it might not be possible within half an hour. While the other chefs were feeling despondent, Chen Yu had already picked up a kitchen knife and started preparing the ingredients. Seeing this, the other chefs did not want to be outdone and quickly got busy. Su Rui looked at the chefs on-site and then raised one hand. "I dere thepetition has begun!" The scene immediately became bustling, with all the chefs pulling out all the stops. Among them, it was Chen Yu who was the fastest. Moreover, his hand coordination was extremely strong; while one hand was cutting vegetables, the other could handle a strainer to nch the vegetables. By the tenth minute, Chen Yu had already prepared all the ingredients. He then spun argedle in his hand, and poured the six separate portions of prepared dishes into the pots at once. "Mapo tofu, potato chicken stew, M blood curd, spicy shrimp, bean sprouts with meat, Kung Pao chicken! Although all these aremon household dishes, they are also representative ofrge pot dishes, and this chef''s technique is very professional," One of the judges, who appeared to be in his sixties, couldn''t help butment. In front of Chen Yu, the honeb stove had eight pot openings. Six were used for cooking dishes, one was dedicated to cooking rice, and thest one Chen Yu did not waste; he diced carrots, potatoes, and taro,bined them with minced meat to make a soup. Chapter 103: Chapter 103: Big Pot Dish Half an hour flew by, and Chen Yu''s side was already emitting an intensely rich aroma. But the other contestants weregging behind, with some not even having their ingredients ready. The slightly better ones had managed to cook the six dishes with a perfunctory main course put together. As thepetition time came to an end, Chen Yu had already set aside disposable bowls and chopsticks that he had prepared earlier. "Everyone,e over here to eat!" At this shout, the audience, who had already been drooling, rushed over en masse. As early as the twentieth minute, Chen Yu''s side had been wafting out such a tempting aroma that the audience couldn''t resist. Now, they could finally taste it. Tong Ya was also among the crowd, taking a disposable bowl and helping herself to some rice and dishes. Compared to the bustling scene at Chen Yu''s station, the other chefs had a noticeably quieter presence. Some even tossed their spoons to the ground and sat there sighing heavily. Half an hour to cook six big pot dishes and a main course seemed impossible to them. But Chen Yu not onlypleted the task but also cooked an extra soup. In fact, the oue of thepetition was already clear at this point. The on-site judges also joined the queue with the audience to get their meal from Chen Yu. "These six dishes might look like home cooking, but each one is an authentic Sichuan dish. This chef must have studied Sichuan cuisine for at least ten years." "The Mapo tofu melts in your mouth with a spicy and numbing deliciousness, truly exceptional." "The taste of the potato stewed chicken is just right, delicious!" "This rice is actually mixed grain rice! My god, in such a short time, he actually made mixed grain rice." ... The exmations on-site rose and fell in waves, and everyone began to regard Chen Yu as a culinary god. Even the chefs who hade topete resigned themselves and queued up at Chen Yu''s station, wanting to taste the dishes he had made. One senior chef, after taking a bite of the mixed grain rice, looked at Chen Yu with a horrified gaze. "Young man, what method did you use? It''s impossible to cook mixed grain rice in less than two hours." Chen Yu smiled: "Actually, this traditional stove is part of our ancestral culture, each opening has its purpose! Like thisst one, arge amount of high heat converges here, making it the best spot for cooking rice." The chef pped his own head: "How could I have forgotten that! I used a traditional stove when I was younger too." Thepetition ended incredibly quickly. By noon, Su Rui had already announced the results. Truth be told, everybody knew there was no point in continuing thepetition. With Chen Yu there, like a culinary deity, they could only hope for runner-up positions. "Ladies and gentlemen, that''s it for today''spetition, let''s meet here again early tomorrow! Moreover, we will have some international celebrity chefs joining us tomorrow!" After thepetition ended, Chen Yu took Tong Ya back to the hotel. To be honest, today''spetition was indeed intense. Although Chen Yupleted it with ease, for the others, it was nothing short of hell mode. After all, his physical condition had reached the human limit; even extreme sports would be a breeze for him. Participating in such apetition was like bringing a dimension reduction assault for him. Chen Yu stretchedzily, just as hey down on the bed, Tong Ya came over and grabbed his waist. "Husband, I saw you moving a lot just now, does your back hurt?" Chen Yu smiled: "It''s fine, my back is tough! It''s really great." Upon hearing this, Tong Ya couldn''t help but think off on a tangent, her face reddening involuntarily. story-by-MvLeMpYr "What about your arm? Do you feel any soreness or numbness?" Suddenly, Chen Yu turned around and grabbed Tong Ya''s waist. "Then, sitting in the audience all day, didn''t your back and waist be sore? Let me rub it for you." Tong Ya let out a yelp, somewhat shyly covering her face. Just then, Chen Yu''s phone suddenly rang. "Chen, can your ce do wedding banquets?" Zhang Fan''s voice came through on the phone. Chen Yu frowned; his restaurant, including himself, had four chefs in total, and while it was not impossible to handle a wedding banquet, he had never undertaken one on such arge scale and was somewhat worried. "It''s possible, but you know the situation in my shop, it''s always a mess. Taking on one or two tables is still manageable, but a wedding banquet on such arge scale..." "No worries, Chen! The environment and all isn''t important, and besides, my friend''s wedding will be low-key, with at most seven or eight tables." "In that case, seven or eight tables can be done!" Chen Yu immediately responded, "When exactly is it?" "Next Monday, how does that sound?" "That works!" After the two had finalized the details, they hung up the phone. Tong Ya, with her arms around Chen Yu''s neck, "Hubby, actually I think our restaurant could handle evenrger banquets, given how big the first and second floors are." Chen Yu nodded in agreement. The first floor was essentially allocated for the delivery guys, but there was still plenty of space left. The second floor was mostly used for people eating breakfast, staying for just a few minutes each day. Plus, the second floor was very spacious, and even with people there for breakfast, it only upied one third of the area. Not to mention a seven or eight-table wedding banquet, it could even amodate twenty or more tables. "Then we can tryunching wedding feasts, birthday parties, and the like in the future!" As they were talking, there came a knock at the door. Chen Yu hurriedly put on his coat and opened the door. Su Rui entered hurriedly, wearing a mask and carrying bags of groceries in both hands. "I''m here to see you guys! Surprise or not, expected or not?" Tong Ya pouted, "I bet you just wanted to eat my hubby''s cooking! I know you too well." Su Rui smiled sheepishly, "I''ve been here for the past two days hosting, hardly had a proper meal, and today when there was finally amunal pot, I still couldn''t get any." Seeing Su Rui''s pitiful appearance, even Tong Ya couldn''t help but feel sorry for her. "Then hubby, I''m sorry, but you''ll have to take the trouble." Chen Yu didn''t say much but took the groceries into the kitchen. One had to admit, the convenience of this home-styled hotel was quite something. After Chen Yu went into the kitchen, Tong Ya grabbed Su Rui''s wrist, disying a threatening demeanour. "Today my hubby is making an exception to cook for you, but if you be famouster on, you must endorse my hubby''s restaurant." pping her chest, Su Rui assured, "Don''t worry! As long as you need me, I''ll be there anytime without charging a cent, ensuring you''re satisfied." Chapter 104: Chapter 104 Medical Skills Less than half an hour had passed when a rich aroma wafted out from the kitchen. Su Rui watched the kitchen with eyes full of anticipation, unable to wait any longer. These past few days, she had been eating boxed meals provided by the organizers, which were simply worlds apart from Chen Yu''s cooking. As soon as Chen Yu brought the dishes to the table, Su Rui couldn''t wait to pick up her chopsticks and take a bite. "Oh, and tomorrow, the one among you with the best cooking skills will go head to head with those international chefs in thepetition. Make sure you''re ready." Chen Yu was slightly taken aback as he finally understood Tong Ming''s good intentions. Thispetition was purely to gain him exposure. Previously, Chen Yu had turned down his investment offer, so he was helping Chen Yu through this method instead. No wonder thispetition was set up like a reality show; it turned out that in the end, it was to connect directly with the international stage. see-more-MVLeMpYr As long as he could have a matchup with these international chefs, it didn''t matter whether Chen Yu won or lost; his name would be well-known. It could even turn his restaurant into a trendy spot for inte celebrities to check in. Being part of the production crew, Su Rui couldn''t stay here for too long. After hastily finishing her meal and going over some details of thepetition, she hurriedly left. Chen Yu stretchedzily: "Looks like I''ll have to put in quite some effort tomorrow." Talking to himself, he then copsed onto the bed. At eight in the evening, Chen Yu was awakened by a prompt in his mind. [Congrattions, Host, forpleting a day''s business. Today''s profit is 1,216,000 Yuan, earning 1,126,000 points. Your current total umted points are 7,930,180.] Luckily, Chen Yu had already ordered the raw materials before getting into bed, otherwise he would have missed out. When he transferred the round figure to his demand deposit ount, he was surprised to find that it already contained 10,840,000 Yuan. [Congrattions, Host, for umting savings over 10 million Yuan. You are awarded a medical skill; the host shall pay 100,000 points for it. Do you wish to pay?] Chen Yu couldn''t help but feel ecstatic, as he had been worrying about this very problem. He estimated that once he returned home after thepetition, even more neighbors woulde to seek medical attention from him. If he could acquire the medical skill and obtain a medical practitioner license with it, then he could confidently treat the people in his neighborhood. Just as he was about to confirm his choice, he suddenly saw the nearly 8 million points disyed on the system. It wouldn''t be long before he reached 10 million points, and then he would be able to unlock even higher-grade skills. For a moment, Chen Yu actually hesitated. However, after careful consideration, he went ahead and confirmed his choice. [Congrattions to the Host for obtaining the medical skill, which is at the current limit of human understanding. Your remaining points are now 7,830,180.] "Honey, you''re awake!" Tong Ya, with her slightly rxed sleepy eyes, sat up. Only then did Chen Yu realize. But when he turned around, he suddenly noticed that Tong Ya''s face looked a little off. "Do you feel unwell?" Chen Yu suddenly asked. Tong Ya was taken aback: "No, not at all!" Chen Yu didn''t waste any time and immediately checked Tong Ya''s pulse. "When you have your period every month, you catch a cold for two days, and you also suffer from extremely severe menstrual cramps." Tong Ya''s eyes widened in shock; this was a problem she had had since she was young, and no hospital had been able to cure it. Moreover, she didn''t remember ever telling Chen Yu about it. "How did you know?" Chen Yu released Tong Ya''s pulse, "Didn''t I tell you, I took some medical courses in college." Tong Ya suddenly looked at Chen Yu with a face full of expectation and asked somewhat uncertainly. "Husband, since you could tell, does that mean you can cure it?" "I can, but it''s going to take some effort! After thepetition tomorrow, I''ll cook you a few medicinal meals, and you should be able to recover." Tong Ya immediately became excited; this problem had troubled her for more than ten years. It caused her excruciating pain every time, and now, atst, there was hope for a cure. "Husband, you''re amazing! I adore you to death." Tong Ya had just hugged Chen Yu when she suddenly realized something, "That''s strange, then why didn''t you notice it before?" Chen Yu gave a slight cough, "I haven''t had the chance to hold your hand before, have I?" Tong Ya''s cheeks flushed, actually epting this reason. The next day at eight in the morning, when Chen Yu arrived at thepetition venue, he noticed it was even busier than the day before. It was either because it was Saturday or because the traffic to the event had broken through. Chen Yu was the only local chef appearing on site today; it seemed the rest had already been eliminated. Across from Chen Yu sat four chefs who seemed rather arrogant. Only one of them had an Eastern face, while the other three were foreigners. The four of them obviously didn''t care much for thepetition and must have been paid a hefty sum by Tong Ming. Su Rui was dressed even more chicly than the day before. "Yesterday, Mr. Chen Yu won thepetition by an overwhelming advantage, so the other contestants were unfortunately eliminated. As a result, the four celebrity chefs, acting as guests, had no choice but to join thepetition." These words tied the four celebrity chefs to thepetition. And they too seemed somewhat taken by surprise. "Weren''t we here to be judges?" one tall chef suddenly stood up, extremely dissatisfied with the decision. Although Su Rui maintained a smile, her eyes brimmed with disdain. "The four of you can only qualify as judges after you have defeated Mr. Chen Yu!" This challenge immediately ignited thepetitive spirit of the four chefs, and the atmosphere at the scene also heated up. Chen Yu''s head was full of ck lines; this was practically like forcing someone into a corner. Moreover, the venue had specially set up temporary kitchens tailored for the preferences of the four chefs. Chen Yu sighed helplessly, didn''t think too much about it, and began to organize his ingredients after Su Rui announced the start of thepetition. In fact, Chen Yu noticed the ingredients had already been set up when he arrived. Although there were other materials on his side, most of them were ssic ingredients for boiled white cabbage in in water. This dish was already the pinnacle of Sichuan cuisine, and in such apetition, it was the only dish that could beat world-ss chefs. Chen Yu appreciated everything Tong Ming did for him, but he still felt like it was akin to charity. However, Tong Ming had also put in a lot of effort into thispetition, so it had to bepleted, no matter what. These four chefs were extremely famous internationally; they each started off with their specialty dishes. Colorful Pond Totem, Foie Gras Mousseline, Universe Lotus Sparrow, Secret Recipe Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. Any one of these four dishes was a world-ss delicacy. Before long, rich aromas wafted from the five contestants'' makeshift kitchens. Chapter 105: Chapter 105 Boiled Cabbage Thepetition site, besides yesterday''s several professional judges, also invited some world-ss gourmets. Originally, they came here to show face to Tong Ming, never expecting to witness a scene typically only seen at a world-ss culinarypetition. "Mastering the use of ten different sugars and more than seventy unique vors inbination, then with exquisite skill, creating a three-dimensional painting, Daniel''s sugar totems have truly reached a divine level." "The essence of goose liver mousse lies in the craftsmanship of slicing the liver with a heated knife; a slight deviation can affect the texture of the liver, and you can see that Master Karnim''s technique is particrly steady." "Master Yu Huaqing still adores his lotus seedpod with peas dish, which in his hands, bes akin to a work of art." "Master Tullos must have grasped the essence of Minnan cuisine, as his Buddha Jumps Over the Wall dish alone achieves a golden ratio in its choice of ingredients." ... The judges'' eyes were all attracted by the four culinary gods. After all, their reputations were well established, and for a food critic, being able to witness these culinary gods cook was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Chen Yu was still an unknown junior, even if his performance over the past two days had already been astonishing. Yet in the eyes of these judges, he was nothing more than a young chef who only knew how to cook inrge quantities. "My God, Master Chen Yu''s deboning technique is too exquisite!" Someone shouted, and then all eyes at the venue focused on Chen Yu. A processed chickeny on the cutting board; he pressed down lightly with one hand, then with the other hand grasped the neck and pulled sharply. Aplete chicken skeleton was effortlessly pulled out. Such a technique, unless one is a chef who has practiced for more than twenty years, couldn''t be so fluid and graceful. Chen Yu''s ability to master such a technique at his age already qualified him as a genius. With this, the judges immediately regarded Chen Yu on par with the other four culinary gods. Throughout thepetition, the audience kept eximing in surprise. They realized that these five people were not just cooking, but dealing with extremely delicate pieces of art. When the five dishes were presented, everyone in the venue stood up, their eyes brimming with desire, wishing they could rush forward and take a bite immediately. After the dozen or so judges tasted the five dishes, they were at a bit of a loss. Following a heated discussion, everyone cast their votes for Chen Yu. That left the four culinary gods fuming. After all, they were internationally certified, how could they lose to an unknown youngster for no good reason? However, they maintained theirposure as culinary gods and didn''t say much, merely advancing together to take a bite of the in boiled cabbage prepared by Chen Yu. Just one bite left all four of them stunned right there. in boiled cabbage is one of the few non-spicy dishes in Sichuan cuisine. The finished dish is extremely simple, just a few cabbage flowers carved and ced in an exceptionally clear broth. But to produce this broth, the raw ingredients for the soup base alone amount to dozens of varieties. Plus, it''s necessary to blend their unique scents without letting them affect each other, and to find ways to enhance each other. In today''s chef circles, being able to use more than twenty raw materials to make a in boiled cabbage soup base can be considered a mastery. And in Chen Yu''s dish, there were at least fifty-four raw materials, with a taste that reached sublime levels. Karnim sighed helplessly, "It seems Mr. Tong wasn''t deceiving us, it is we who have had a narrow view of the world." Tullos looked at Chen Yu with a gaze that bordered on worship. His love for Chinese cuisine had reached the brink of frenzy. Moreover, he was the only foreigner in the world to have received the title of Master Chef in Chinese cuisine. "Can you teach me how to make this dish?" Chen Yu was somewhat surprised; he hadn''t expected Tullos to request mentorship on the spot. "I''m sorry, but I don''t n to take on any disciples for now!" By this point, thepetition was nearing its end, and there was no need for Chen Yu to stay any longer. He gave a symbolic greeting to those present and quickly left with Tong Ya. "Honey, why are you leaving in such a hurry? The awards haven''t been given out yet! And Sister Rui said there''s a prize for winning the championship." Chen Yu shook his head, "Don''t you realize that thispetition was organized just for me? Even if there is a prize, it would being from your father. Wouldn''t that be like indirectly epting his investment?" But Tong Ya pouted, "If it''s his money, why not take it? Besides, we''re already married, so let''s consider it his dowry to us." Chen Yu couldn''t help but smile; they say a daughter is her father''s cotton-padded jacket, but Tong Ya''s jacket seemed to be constantly leaking. When the two returned to their shop, they found it had be a hotspot for inte influencers. Seeing Chen Yu return, Chen Guang hurriedly came out to meet him. "Xiaoyu, howe a singlepetition has attracted so many people? They''re broadcasting live every day at the door, and it''s affecting our business." Chen Yu was full of exasperation; this was the influencer economy, where sheaves of influencers flocked wherever there was traffic. read-first-on-MVLeMpYr It seemed that the chefpetition recorded before must have gone viral, or else these many influencers wouldn''t havee here. Chen Yu didn''t pay much attention and just went into the shop. As long as these influencers weren''t too excessive, he would let them broadcast live as they wished. After all, it was an indirect form of promotion for Chen Yu. Just then, Chen Yu suddenly noticed an extra ten million in his checking ount. Looking at the payer''s signature, it was actually from the ''Challenge the Chef'' show''s production team. While he was still in shock, Tong Ming''s call came through. "Son-inw, why did you leave in such a rush? You didn''t even attend the award ceremony!" Chen Yu felt a bit annoyed, "Wasn''t thepetition organized by you? I can''t take this money..." "Who told you it was organized by me?" Tong Ming interrupted Chen Yu directly, "This was a bet I made with those international chefs." It was only at this moment that Chen Yu learned those chefs had always been boasting about their cooking skills, even nning to use shellpanies to jointly enter the domestic Chinese market. Put simply, they intended to exploit their fame and rally a bunch of shady figures to make a quick profit in China with extremely low cost. When Tong Ming found out, he immediately decided to make a bet with them. If the other side lost, they would not be able to enter the domestic market and had to cover the entire cost of thepetition, while also owing Tong Ming a hundred million. In essence, this was a wager between Tong Ming and those four chefs. Chen Yu was stunned, not expecting Tong Ming to have such trust in him. If he had lost, Tong Ming''s loss would have been far more than just a hundred million. Chapter 106: Chapter 106: Surrounded at the Door Chen Yu didn''t say much else and was quite relieved to ept the ten million. Moreover, his admiration for Tong Ming grew a bit more. To protect the domestic market and keep these guys froming in to shear the sheep, Tong Ming had taken a big gamble. At eight o''clock in the evening, when the material delivery master arrived, he was blocked at the entrance by various inte celebrities, who stopped him in his tracks. "Excuse me, please let me through!" Chen Yu''s tone carried a hint of annoyance. These guys might be called inte celebrities, but they looked more like a bunch of demons and goblins. Dressed in all kinds of strange outfits, not only did they look bizarre, but they were also doing some really weird things. One of them had already been kneeling and crying at the entrance of the shop all day. The passing locals and delivery guys were so frightened that they didn''t dare toe close, thinking it was some scam. Although it didn''t affect the shop''s business, the sight of these demons dancing wildly was still depressing. With Chen Yu''s loud shout, a few reputable hosts quickly cleared a path. But there were a few who directly approached Chen Yu with their phones out. "My dear viewers, this is the boss, the super chef who just defeated four foreign chefs. You can send gifts in the live stream and make requests, and I will interact with the boss for you." Chen Yu''s head was full of ck lines, and to put it bluntly, what were these people thinking? MVLeMpYr-story Letting them live stream here was one thing, but now they were even trying to profit from Chen Yu''s poprity. For a moment, Chen Yu was seething with anger. Just as he was about to fiercely send this group packing, he suddenly heard a burst of crying. Tuan Tuan, unbeknownst to when, had run down and was sitting among a crowd of inte celebrities, crying his heart out. "You guys are so mean, why would you kick me?" The Inte celebrities who were happily streaming froze on the spot. They didn''t even know what had happened. But before they could react, Tuan Tuany on the ground and started rolling around. "Daddy, it hurts so much! Why are these uncles and aunties blocking our house? And why did they kick me?" This scared the inte celebrities. They were live streaming, and although Tuan Tuan might have been somewhat deliberate, seeing such a cute little girl on the ground would make anyone feel distressed. The wind in these inte celebrities'' live streams suddenly shifted. "How could they have the nerve toy a hand on such a cute little girl, that''s too much." "I''m unfollowing!" "The boss is really nice to tolerate you guys." ... By this time, Chen Yu had already gone up to pick up Tuan Tuan. But Tuan Tuan still looked teary-eyed, although the moment Chen Yu picked her up, she winked at him. Seeing the live stream traffic disappear, several inte celebrities sighed helplessly and began to pack up to leave. The scene was quickly cleared, and the truck delivering the materials arrived at the shop''s doorstep. Chen Yu finally let out a sigh of relief, never expecting Tuan Tuan, this little girl, to be so cunning. After everyone finished their dinner and cleaned the store, Chen Yu directly lowered the folding gate. [Congrattions to the host forpleting a day''s business, today''s profit is 1,216,600 yuan, with points earned totaling 1,216,600, the current cumtive total points are 9,047,780.] Chen Yu checked his current ount and found that it now contained 22,205,000 yuan. He had more than enough to buy the store and even make a down payment on a house. However, Chen Yu was worried the system might include the cost of buying a house in the total expenses. After all, the costs for both expansions of the store were considered expenses. If that were the case, it would be a long time before he would see any points umtion. After some quick calctions, Chen Yu decided to wait until tomorrow''s points umtion wasplete before discussing the purchase of the store with Auntie Li. Based on the current turnover, he should be able to reach over 10 million points by tomorrow. Just as Chen Yu was calcting, he suddenly heard a loud rumbling from the folding door. It was clear that someone was smashing the door from the outside. Chen Yu frowned and looked through the small window next to him, only to discover that the previous social media influencer hadn''t left at all. In fact, a few of them were there, live-streaming themselves kicking Chen Yu''s store door. By this time, Chen Yu could no longer hold back his anger, but he knew he couldn''t forcefully drive these influencers away. This group of people controlled some degree of online traffic, and using force would give them a reason to smear Chen Yu for no reason. Taking a deep breath, Chen Yu directly called the relevant department. This seemed to be the best solution at the moment. Before long, the sound of police sirens was heard outside, and the officers took all the influencers away on charges of disturbing public order. After all, what this group was doing was truly excessive. Crying in the middle of the street was one thing, but some even went onto the main road to block traffic,pletely disregarding the traffic order. What annoyed Chen Yu the most was that a few animal lovers even knelt in front of his shop with signs, using him of animal cruelty. This was a marinated food shop, for heaven''s sake! And most of the turnover now relied on marinated foods. Should he remove the marinated food items just because of these attention-seeking people? After these individuals were taken away, Chen Yu let out a sigh of relief. "Husband, you really didn''t need to be so polite with them. If it had been my dad, he would have had his bodyguards disperse them long ago and then havewyers send them letters one by one," said Tong Ya. Chen Yu spread his hands, "I wish I could do that, but our small shop neither has bodyguards norwyers, so we had to ask for help from the relevant authorities." Tuan Tuan was also sitting there, pouting with frustration. "If they daree again tomorrow, I will..." Chen Yu rubbed Tuan Tuan''s little head. "Don''t get involved in such dangerous matters in the future! Daddy knows you want to help the shop, but if someone who isn''t looking where they''re going actually steps on you, daddy would be very upset." "And mommy too!" Tong Ya quickly added. After settling everyone down, Chen Yu went into the kitchen next door. Today, he had bought some raw materials and herbs from the farmer''s market. Biology, chemistry, and his professional medical knowledge were now sufficient to create medicinal meals for any kind of illness. He had many of the elderly customers'' medical cases on file, so Chen Yu decided to give it a try. If the effect was good, he would consider getting a medical practitioner license and then set up a special medicinal meal counter here. Heid all the medical cases on the table, then picked out the corresponding herbs and matched them with the appropriate ingredients. Even with his medical knowledge reaching the limits of human understanding, preparing these medicinal meals still took him an entire hour. Now, he just needed to wait until tomorrow to cook them up. Chapter 107: Chapter 107 Peripheral Protection The next morning, Chen Yu arrived at the kitchen bright and early. The medicinal ingredients prepared yesterday required special handling. Some of them needed to be soaked overnight in a secret sauce, which not only removed any off-vors but also preserved their medicinal properties. While Chen Yu was focused on preparing the medicinal cuisine, Wang Qingshan hurried into the restaurant in a fluster. "It''s not good, a few inte celebrities have already arrived, they''ve set up a live broadcast outside the entrance," he said. Chen Yu furrowed his brows, these guys were just taken away by the authorities yesterday and had already been released today. Sighing helplessly, Chen Yu prepared to go outside and confront these inte celebrities. But he stopped short as soon as he stepped outside. "The store behind me was harassed by some messy inte celebrities all day yesterday, but after our thorough investigation, we found that it''s a genuine charity store," they said. The new group of broadcasters, who were dressed very decently, were clearly not the same type as those from yesterday. They also slightly exaggerated the convenience that Chen Yu provided for the food delivery riders and mentioned it in the live broadcast. Mainly, these broadcasters were talking about the taste of the food in Chen Yu''s shop and his performance at a majorpetition. This sudden change in style caught Chen Yu off guard, but he didn''t need to think too hard to guess that Tong Ming must be behind it. With such a father-inw, Chen Yu didn''t know whether to be happy or exasperated. But indeed, it saved him a lot of trouble. At eight in the morning, the broadcasters gathered at the door were still those from earlier. Additionally, there were several idle people loitering around the store. Although they were dressed very ordinarily, they all wore uniform Bluetooth earpieces on their ears. If they saw any suspicious individuals or unruly broadcasters approaching, they would promptly and silently take control of them and then call the relevant departments. Chen Yu leaned against the door with a somewhat exasperated expression on his face. Tong Ya was also leaning beside Chen Yu at this moment. "Husband, I recognize those people, they are the bodyguards who always apany my dad," she said. "I figured that out a long time ago!" Chen Yu said with a face full of exasperation. However, these people were exceedingly professional at concealing themselves; only someone as intelligent as Chen Yu could detect their ws in the shortest time possible. Chen Yu didn''t expose them; he always said he didn''t want to rely on Tong Ming, but some issues were indeed not something he could handle at this stage. Today was a weekend, and the store was naturally bustling with people. The number of dubious people mixed in was quite substantial; without these bodyguards, Chen Yu wouldn''t know what to do. At noon, the elders whom Chen Yu had informed yesterday arrived at the store in high spirits. At that moment, the store was filled with the rich aroma emitted by the medicinal cuisine. Many onlookers were eagerly watching and continually asking Chen Yu what the elders were eating. Chen Yu gave a perfunctory response, saying it was a personalized meal ordered by the elders. When serving the medicinal cuisine to each elder, Chen Yu always included a prescription. He didn''t guarantee that the prescriptions would cure their ailments but simply asked them to improve their health by following the methods recorded on the prescriptions when they returned home. When these elders left, they each threw down a hundred yuan, as was their custom from before. After all, the medicinal herbs used for the medicinal cuisine aren''t very expensive. Even so, Chen Yu had stillted a profit of about two thousand and more yuan. The day also passed peacefully, everything proceeded in an orderly manner, and there were no livestreamers causing any disruptions here. By seven o''clock, Chen Yu checked all the inventories. Since it had been seven days since thest order of overall raw materials, the inventory had almost hit rock bottom. A rough estimate of the fried cakes, pie filling raw materials needed for the next seven days, as well as marinated food raw materials for tomorrow added up to a total of over one million five hundred and eighty thousand. story-source-MvLeMpYr Chen Yu had no choice but to transfer some money from his current ount to the raw material suppliers. When it was eight o''clock in the evening, and the store was closing, those livestreamers also began packing up their equipment, preparing to leave on their own ord. Chu Hong hurriedly rushed out, "Everyone, our boss said toe in and have a meal together!" The livestreamers felt somewhat embarrassed. They had made a fair amount of money that day, and now Chen Yu was offering them a meal, leaving them unsure of what to say. But Chu Hong didn''t just call them out for no reason; the bodyguards who were hidden among the crowd were also summoned back. These people looked surprised as they were called into the store, believing they had disguised themselves well, yet they had still been found out. "Everyone has worked hard today!" Chen Yu merely said politely, then let everyone take their seats. At this moment, the others also finished tidying up the store and came over for the meal. [Congrattions Host forpleting one day''s business, today''s profit is one million two hundred and ten thousand and six hundred yuan, earning points are one million two hundred and ten thousand and six hundred, the current total umted points are ten million twenty-five thousand one hundred and eighty.]] Chen Yu immediately felt exhrated, the points had finally umted to over ten million. But now, there was only twenty-one million one hundred and eighty-nine thousand left in the current ount, and he had barely a thousand yuan left on him as petty cash. However, he could at least talk to Aunt Lee about buying the store now. After everyone had finished eating, they left one by one, and Chen Yu stretchedzily, heading back to the third floor. Lying in bed, Chen Yu couldn''t calm the excitement in his heart. Since his divorce over a month ago, he not only had his own business but had also gotten married, and now he was experiencing a qualitative leap. "Husband, what''s wrong? Your heartbeat is so fast!" Tong Yay on Chen Yu''s chest, yfully listening to his heartbeat. Chen Yu turned over, pinched Tong Ya''s cheek. "Tomorrow we can buy this store, and also take a look at the houses in the nearby upscale residential area." Tong Ya''s face lit up with excitement, "That''s great! I''ll join you tomorrow." Chen Yu let out a sigh of relief and held Tong Ya in his arms. "Right, the day after tomorrow I also need to find time to take a ''medical practitioner license'' exam! Our clinic''s services have be well-known around here, and it would be troublesome if someone reported me for practicing medicine without a license." Tong Ya quickly took out her cell phone, "I already registered you when you mentioned itst time, but we have to wait until next Wednesday for your turn." Chen Yu was surprised; he hadn''t expected that Tong Ya would have already taken care of these trifles. He instinctively kissed her on the forehead, then lifted her chin. "You really are my good helper." With a proud look, Tong Ya said, "Of course, who do you think I am!" Chapter 108: Chapter 108: Luck Bonus They hadn''t been chatting for very long when Tong Ya fell asleep heavily in Chen Yu''s arms. Chen Yu let out a sigh of relief and called up the system page on the screen in front of him, clicking on the lottery spot. [Congrattions Host, all extreme sports skills have reached the top level, physical knowledge has reached the human cognitive limit, mathematical knowledge has reached the human cognitive limit, literary knowledge has reached the human cognitive limit, theological knowledge has reached the human cognitive limit, and the skills in Cantonese cuisine, Shandong cuisine, Huainan cuisine, Hunan cuisine, and pastry making have reached the top level.] [The Host has also received a luck enhancement, you and the people around you will always have good fortune] Chen Yu couldn''t help but open his mouth wide, he hadn''t expected that these ten million points would bring him so many skills. Especially thest luck enhancement, which meant that from now on, he would always have good luck. As a wealth of information flooded into Chen Yu''s mind, he suddenly felt like his soul had been elevated in some way. Especially the column for theological knowledge, which covered almost all the religions in the world currently. It even included some gods worshiped by obscure indigenous tribes. No matter how Chen Yu looked at these, he felt some of them were useless. However, thinking of the saying that the end of science is theology, Chen Yu still epted this knowledge with peace of mind. Chen Yu made up his mind that, once he had bought the shop and settled his family, he would then make full use of these skills to do something big. The next morning, Chen Yu slept until 6 a.m. before getting up. After all, there was a wedding banquet to prepare today, and he had his work cut out for him. Ning Kai and Li Gang, seeing that Chen Yu hade down, also took off their chef coats and went with him to the market. A total of eight tables for the wedding banquet, at the standard of 1,500 yuan per table, totaled twelve thousand yuan. However, the cost of the ingredients needed was merely four thousand yuan. This was already the most conscientious wedding banquet in the industry. The food that was actually made was likely even better than the standard of 2,500 yuan per table elsewhere. By eight in the morning, Chen Yu, Ning Kai, and Li Gang were already busy in the kitchen, even calling over Yang Shu and Jiang Yao to help. Although Yang Shu had only been there for a few days, her work was on par with everyone else''s. And with a verypetitive nature, she had managed to learn all the skills in the shop in just a few days. Her speed at making fried cakes and vegetable pastries was evenparable to Su Qing. By twelve o''clock noon, several cars stopped at the storefront. The second floor''s hall had already been cleared to hold the wedding banquet. All the dishes for the banquet were ready, and besides Sichuan cuisine, Chen Yu had added a few Huainan and Shandong dishes. After sending the dishes up, Chen Yu simply tidied up the kitchen. Just then, Aunt Li arrived at the door in her car, entering the shop in a whirlwind. "Xiao Chen, when you said over the phone that you wanted to buy the shop outright, were you serious?" Chen Yu hurried out of the kitchen to greet her, "Didn''t I win ten million from apetition before? I calcted it, and it was just enough!" Aunt Li took out the documentation she had prepared in advance. "Ever since your first day at the shop, I''ve had faith in you. You''re a good person, skilled in doing business, and in such a short time, you''ve managed to save enough money!" Chen Yu simply responded with a smile, signed the property transfer agreement, and then transferred the previously agreed sum of 1,435,000 yuan. From that moment on, this entire shop, including the rooms on the third floor, truly belonged to Chen Yu. "Xiao Chen, do you have time now? I can go with you to the notary office to get a notarization and we can finish all the paperwork in one go." Chen Yu nodded and, after giving Chen Guang a few instructions, went with Aunt Li to the relevant department. Afterpleting all the procedures and paying some corresponding fees, Chen Yu''s current ount was left with exactly 7.5 million yuan. By three in the afternoon, when Chen Yu got back to the shop, the wedding banquet had already ended. Zhang Fan had juste down from the second floor. "Chen, you did a great job today! Not a single guest left without praising the event. They even asked me if I''d secretly spent more money to get them a higher-grade banquet," Zhang Fan said. As he spoke, Zhang Fan took out a red envelope and handed it to Chen Yu. "This is from the groom''s family. You must ept it." Chen Yu was taken aback for a moment¡ªthe red envelope contained at least a thousand yuan. But since it was a wedding, it would have been inappropriate not to take it. As the guests were leaving the banquet one by one, each of them gave Chen Yu a thumbs-up andplimented him as they passed by. They even said that if they had any rtives or friends nning a banquet in the future, they would choose this ce. In fact, Chen Yu was a bit nervous today since he was making several dishes for the first time, essentially using the wedding banquet as a trial run. After seeing off Zhang Fan and his party, Chen Yu went straight upstairs. Tong Ya was there, coaching Tuan Tuan in dance homework. Although it was summer vacation, Tuan Tuan had been enrolled in primary school due to her special talent. Therefore, she couldn''t let her training slide. "Ya Ya, here''s our house deed and some necessary documents. You take them and put them away," Chen Yu said. Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan both looked over. "Dad, you bought a house?" Tuan Tuan, like a little monkey, leaped up from the floor and rushed to Chen Yu. experience-NovelFire-content Tong Ya also stepped forward to take the deed from Chen Yu''s hands. "So this means that the shop is now our own personal property!" Tong Ya suddenly became a bit excited. She hadn''t expected that Chen Yu, who had just mentioned buying the shopst night, would have gone through with it today. Chen Yuughed softly, "That''s right. Get ready. Let''s take advantage of the afternoon and go see the house." Tong Ya''s mouth formed an ''O'': "We''re really going to see it!" Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, "Is it fake? Hurry up and change clothes." Tuan Tuan also pped her hands excitedly, "Dad, I want to go too!" Chen Yu pinched Tuan Tuan''s little nose, "Let''s all go together." With that, Chen Yu also returned to his room and changed his clothes. Then the family of three drove to the nearby Shuiyue No.1 residentialplex. It wasn''t far from the shop, and it was one of the most prestigious official residences in Suzhou City. The entireplex was divided into two parts: one was an exclusive vi area, and the other wasprised ofrge, t residences. Moreover, the average price was above thirty thousand per square meter. Almost all the wealthy people in Suzhou City were concentrated here. When the Chen family of three entered the sales office, they immediately drew the attention of everyone present. The attractiveness of this family could be described as off the charts, especially Chen Yu, who had the golden ratio in looks. Nearly all the idle sales staff crowded around at once, even bringing over a pile of refreshments and filling the table to the brim. Chapter 109: Chapter 109: Buying a House "Sir, what kind of unit are you interested in? Arge t, or a vi?" "Do the three of you need a special introduction?" ... Chen Yu raised an eyebrow and simply picked up the brochure beside him to take a look. "It seems from this that all the vis here have been sold out." The sales staff suddenly felt a bit awkward. The housing units here were ingeniously designed and set in a tranquil environment, so they were quite sought after. Just yesterday, all the vis had been sold out, and now only therge ts remained. Chen Yu wanted to give his family a more private space. He wouldn''t consider arge t. At most, he would think about stacked townhouses or terraced vis. Of course, it would be even better if there were detached houses. However, the focus of thismunity was on high-end vis; they didn''t have stacked or terraced options. Since they were now sold out, there was no point in him wasting his time here. After all, in Suzhou City, there were several other upscalemunities simr to Water Moon One. Just as he was about to stand up and leave, a middle-aged man rushed into the sales office. "I''ve listed my vi for sale here; can it be sold within a week?" The service counter staff were all taken aback by this statement. "I''m sorry, sir, but we can''t guarantee that." Chen Yu paused in surprise¡ªwhat luck! He had just been thinking about buying a vi when someone came in wanting to sell one. He didn''t hesitate and went straight to the counter. "Excuse me, sir, you''re selling your vi?" The middle-aged man nodded. "There''s been a problem with the business at home and we''re in urgent need of cash flow, so I have to dispose of this property at short notice." Chen Yu couldn''t help but nce at the floor n the man was holding. It was a five hundred square meter luxury vi, with two basement floors plus three above ground, making five floors in total. And it also matched Chen Yu''s preferences in other aspects. "As it happens, I''m looking to buy one; maybe we could discuss it." The middle-aged man became excited at once, but he still scrutinized Chen Yu carefully. After all, such mansions cost more than fifteen million, even without the furnishings¡ªa price not just any ordinary person could afford. Chen Yu, of course, sensed the man''s thoughts and immediately unlocked his phone, revealing the bnce in his current ount. "While this money won''t cover the full amount, I think it should be more than enough for a down payment." Only then did the middle-aged man rx. "Well then, let''s go see the house!" With that said, the man hurriedly led Chen Yu and his family of three to an area more central to the vi district. The house there was indeed beautiful, uniformly white, with one of the basement floors featuring a semi-subterranean structure, specially designed with a lighting entrance. The three floors above were stacked inyers, extending to a rather spacious balcony. The attached yard was veryrge, even nted with a few Japanese ck pine trees. The interior decoration of the house was nothing short of understated luxury. It was evident that the homeowner had put a lot of thought into it. On the second basement floor, there was a specially made wine cer, containing several thousand bottles of wine. Chen Yu took a quick look around and estimated that, in addition to the value of the house itself, the furnishings, appliances, and including the decoration, would be at least another three hundred million. All things considered, the total was probably approaching twenty million. "Sir, what can I call you?" The middle-aged man casually pulled out a cigar and passed it over. Chen Yu was very polite and gestured with a wave of his hand that he didn''t smoke. "My surname is Chen." The man put away the cigar, "Mr. Chen, are you satisfied with this house?" "It''s very nice!" Chen Yu nodded, "Could you give me a specific price?" Without a second thought, the man said, "I''m in a hurry to sell, so I won''t beat around the bush, sixteen million is my bottom line. If you agree, we can close the deal immediately, and everything inside the house will be included as a gift from me." Chen Yu was slightly startled; the homeowner indeed seemed to be taking a loss at that price. "Okay, if there are no other issues, we can make the transaction now!" The man looked at him gratefully, "Thank you so much. Mypany is in trouble right now and urgently needs the money." As he spoke, the man took out a business card and handed it over. "Nanguang Machinery, Hou Jianchang! Are you Boss Hou?" Hou Jianchang paused for a moment, "Mr. Chen knows me?" Chen Yu had a deep memory of this machinery factory; back then, to earn some extra money for his family, he had worked as a sales representative for this very factory. Never had he expected to meet Hou Jianchang in person today. "The famous Nanguang Machinery Factory, who in Suzhou City doesn''t know it? I just didn''t expect to meet you in person today, Boss Hou." Hou Jianchang smiled awkwardly, "My factory is facing some crises right now, it''s not certain whether we can survive, sorry to make you see this, Mr. Chen." At that moment, Chen Yu subconsciously checked his iing ount bnce, which, including the current ount, totaled over eight million. It would be impossible to buy this vi in full with that amount. But a full payment transaction was undoubtedly the best option right now, as it would eliminate the loan process and allow a direct transaction with Hou Jianchang, avoiding a lot of intermediaries'' hassle. Plus, the property could be transferred the same day, and perhaps Chen Yu and his family could move in tonight. read-on-NovelFire But reality seemed a bit grim. With a somewhat helpless sigh, Chen Yu was about to discuss loan options with Hou Jianchang. Just then, Tong Ya suddenly came running over. "Honey, this house is great, let''s buy it with a full payment right away; we can move in tonight!" Before Chen Yu could react, Tong Ya had already passed a card to Hou Jianchang. Chen Yu''s pupils dted involuntarily; he had seen this card before, it was the supplementary card Tong Ming had given to Tong Ya. Just as he was about to intervene, Hou Jianchang had already taken the card and processed it on the POS machine that was prepared ahead of time. At the same time, he took out all the prepared documents, including the property title deed. After the card was swiped, Hou Jianchang handed the credit card transaction slip that popped out to Tong Ya. He also wrote a receipt. "It''s my first time seeing someone so straightforward! If my factory can make it through this crisis, I must invite you two for a meal." As he spoke, Hou Jianchang handed over the documents to Chen Yu. "Right, Mr. Chen, since the sales office hasn''t closed yet, let''s go and get all the paperwork done now." Chen Yu couldn''t say much else, but followed Hou Jianchang out the door. It must be said, the sales office of a high-endmunity indeed offers one-stop service. After confirming the transaction wasplete, they directly called the relevant department, and even took care of all the transfer procedures. Within twenty-four hours, the property title deed and some other rted documents would be mailed directly to Chen Yu. But from start to finish, Chen Yu''s expression remained somewhat somber. Chapter 110: Chapter 110: The First Salary Payment After getting the keys and the homeowner procedures, it was already six in the evening. Chen Yu then took Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan back to the store. No sooner had they gotten into the car than Chen Yu could react, Tong Ya suddenly grabbed his hand and started to act coquettishly. "Honey, looking at the situation just now, paying in full was the most cost-effective and also the most convenient! I only used that card because I had no other choice..." This sweet and delicate voice immediately dissipated much of the anger in Chen Yu''s heart. "Forget it..." Tong Ya hurriedly buried her head in Chen Yu''s embrace. "Okay, hubby, I know I was wrong!" Chen Yu took the supplementary card from Tong Ya''s hand and transferred the entire 7.5 million from the current ount into it. "The rest of the money, I''ll transfer it back in progressively within a week!" Tong Ya giggled and didn''t say much else, just tucked the card away. She knew Chen Yu''s character; such unprovoked giving of money would feel like charity to him. Under the circumstances just now, Tong Ya had simply adapted flexibly. Right at this moment, Tong Ya''s phone suddenly rang. "Daughter, what''s going on with you? Spending 16 million, then you put back 7.5 million?" Tong Ya cleared her throat: "I was just using your card for a float. I will return the rest of the money too." "Daughter, if you''ve spent it, you''ve spent it, why bother paying it back?" Tong Ya pouted: "Now that I''m married, I''m independent. Besides, my husband makes money fast and he will surpass you one day." After saying this, Tong Ya hung up the phone and then looked at Chen Yu with a cheeky smile. "Honey, did I do the right thing? Praise me!" Chen Yu couldn''t help but smile, and hisst bit of annoyance vanished. "Next time, remember to discuss this kind of thing with me in advance!" When the family of three returned to the store, the crowds had already dispersed. Chen Yu excitedly pulled Chen Guang aside: "Dad, I''ve already bought the house. You and mom pack up, and we''ll move over tonight." Chen Guang was stunned: "Where are we moving to? Didn''t you just buy the store today? Don''t we still have to live here?" Chen Yu smiled: "I bought a vi in Shuiyue No.1!" "What?" Chen Guang''s eyes widened in disbelief: "Why spend that money, child? Isn''t it very good for us to live here?" Chen Yu put his hands on Chen Guang''s shoulders: "Didn''t I win ten million from thepetition a few days ago? I bought it on a whim, don''t worry about it too much, just move in peacefully." Li Lan did not say much, just pulled Chen Guang to start packing. At eight in the evening, after everyone had tidied up the store, Chen Yu called everyone together. [Congrattions to the host forpleting one day''s business. Since costs exceeded profits, no points will be umted.] Hearing the system''s popup message, Chen Yu suddenly felt like it was a return to square one. However, now that he owned the store and even had a house, there was still a small sense of satisfaction in his heart. At this moment, everyone was standing neatly in front of Chen Yu, looking at him with puzzled gazes. This was the first time Chen Yu had called them together after work. "Chu Hong, Li Yu, Zhang Qian, Su Qing, Zhao Meng, Han Cai! You six worked for over half a monthst month, including overtime, each of you gets four thousand!" Everyone present was startled, Chen Yu was going to pay their sries! However, the six girls whose names were called were all momentarily stunned. Chu Hong even stepped forward to protest, "Brother Yu, when we came here, didn''t we agree on a monthly sry of three thousand each, howe for half a month..." "Didn''t we say there would be bonuses and overtime pay? Besides, everyone''s sry has risen to five thousand yuan per month, and Chu Hong''s sry is a thousand more than everyone else''s each month. I am now officially appointing her as the shop manager." Out of the fourteen girls, thirteen had been brought over by Chu Hong. In the eyes of these girls, Chu Hong was their dearest big sister. There were some things Chen Yu couldn''t conveniently do himself, so they had to go through Chu Hong. Therefore, it was only fair for Chu Hong to be the shop manager. "Li Lu, Jiang Yao, Wang Dan, Lan Jing, Zhou Yan, Du Ling, He Hua, Liu Tong! You eight worked for over a weekst month, and with sry, bonuses, and overtime paybined, each of you gets two thousand!" The eight girls were instantly excited, as this was more than they used to earn in a month. "Thank you, Brother Yu!" After transferring the sries to the fourteen girls, Chen Yu gestured for Yang Shu who was standing at the back. "Little Shu, you only worked a few daysst month, barely half a week, so your sry is a bit less, just eight hundred yuan!" Yang Shu couldn''t help but gape, he would have worked hard for a whole month at the movie theater and might not have made three thousand yuan. To think that he could earn eight hundred yuan for just four days of work here! Yang Shu was overwhelmed with excitement, repeatedly thanking him. If it weren''t for Chu Hong and the others holding him back, Yang Shu would probably have knelt down to Chen Yu. "To the three masters, given your skills, you could earn at least ten thousand a month anywhere you go. I''m setting your wages here at twenty thousand." The three of them were instantly stunned, as when they first came, Chen Yu''s test had been a sry of only six thousand. Now, it had tripled and more. Chen Yu quickly calcted the time and transferred six thousand yuan to Wang Qingshan, and the other two got just over five thousand yuan. This round of sry disbursement surprised everyone, they hadn''t expected Chen Yu to pay so generously. Li Lu and Jiang Yao even swore as they were leaving that they would work here for the rest of their lives. After sending everyone off, Chen Yu checked the revenue ount. Experience the best on mvl _emp _yr. After deducting expenses for tomorrow''s raw materials for the marinated food and sries, he was left with one hundred and fifteen thousand, two thousand five hundred yuan. He directly transferred one hundred and fifteen thousand back to Tong Ya''s secondary card, leaving himself with two thousand five hundred yuan for contingencies. Afterward, Chen Yu hurried upstairs. At this moment, most of the items in the room had already been nearly packed away. Chen Yu came up and immediately carried several packed bundles downstairs and put them into the car. Once all the items had been moved down, Chen Yu and Tong Ya each drove a car straight to Shuiyue Number One. "Xiao Yu, what about the room on the third floor of our store? Won''t it go to waste?" Li Lan was a bit worried. "Not everything has been taken down from there. If someone feels unwell in the store one day, they can go up there to rest for a while! Plus, it''ll be of great use after some renovations in the future." Chapter 111: Chapter 111 Too Lucky Water Moon No. 1, Vi No. 16. Chen Guang and Li Lan were stunned by the scene that greeted them upon their arrival. The couple had worked hard all their lives and had never seen such a luxurious house before. Although Tuan Tuan had alreadye to see the ce during the day, he was still filled with curiosity about everything here. Hou Jianchang seemed to have a daughter, so he had specifically designed a suite full of youthful charm. Inside, everything wasplete, and there was even a dedicated music room and studio. With slight modifications, it could be turned into a dance room for Tuan Tuan. Li Lan suddenly felt a surge of excitement; she had not expected that after getting together with Tong Ya, Chen Yu''s development could be so good. Enjoy tales on m-vle-mp _yr. Just then, Tong Ya suddenly let out a scream. Chen Yu was startled and quickly ran down to the first basement level. He saw Tong Ya standing in front of a painting, covering her mouth with her hands, eyes filled with surprise. "What happened?" Chen Yu asked with concern. "This painting, it seems to be an ancient painting!" Tong Ya said, both shocked and delighted, as she carefully took down andscape painting from the wall and gently caressed it. Chen Yu instinctively nced at the painting, his mind whirring with a wealth of knowledge. Judging by the level of carbonization, the painting appeared to have a history of over six hundred years. As for its actual value, Chen Yu did not know. "A Ming Dynasty painting?" Chen Yu asked casually. Tong Ya nodded vigorously: "It must be by Gu Kaizhi! I really didn''t expect to find such ancient paintings here; we''ve really hit the jackpot this time." Chen Yu also raised his eyebrow; ording to the contract, everything here, except for Hou Jianchang''s personal items, belonged to Chen Yu, with no further ountability. That is to say, if any treasures were found here, they would all belong to Chen Yu. This was simply like striking it rich; an ancient painting from over six hundred years ago would sell for at least a few million. "Could there be other surprises in this house?" Tuan Tuan suddenly pped her hands and then started bouncing around the vi. A suggestive smile yed at the corners of Chen Yu''s mouth. He hadn''t expected the top-level luck granted by the system to be so effective. In just one day, he had easily acquired both a shop and a vi and now had found such treasures here. At that moment, Chen Guang also shouted. "Come and see, all these are treasures." Chen Yu hurried downstairs, only to find several cabs in a corner of the second basement, allbeled with the names of medicinal herbs. Upon opening them, they were brimming with contents and the aroma of medicine was overwhelming. They must have been the medicinal herbs Hou Jianchang had stockpiled for emergencies. Some of the herbs were extremely rare. Although the total cost of these medicinal herbs was not very high, gathering so many varieties together must have taken considerable effort. In the future, Chen Yu could use these herbs to study medicinal cuisine. What was originally just a move had suddenly turned into a treasure-hunt. Until midnight, the surprises kepting, and quite a few valuable items were indeed found in the vi. It seemed Hou Jianchang really needed money urgently, otherwise, he would not have sold the entire vi so readily. Chen Yu suddenly felt as though he had taken great advantage. The next day at 5 a.m., Chen Yu got up and headed to the store. Last night, his family had embarked on what was essentially a treasure hunt, reveling in the search. Even Chen Yu felt somewhat exhausted. After all, it was a five-story vi and running up and down repeatedly would tire even Superman. When Chen Yu arrived at the store, everyone else was already there. Ning Kai and Li Gang were helping to make fried cake and vegetable roll semi-finished products on the second floor. They seemed to be in apetition with the youngdies. After all, this sort of thing didn''t requirepeting over culinary skills, just technique and proficiency. And the dexterity of those young girls'' fingers was indeed astonishing. Sometimes, even Chen Yu would admit defeat, not to mention Ning Kai and Li Gang. As Chen Yu was preparing the braised dishes with Wang Qingshan in the first-floor kitchen, he suddenly noticed two sneaky figures at the door. These two didn''t look like inte celebrities, nor did they look like bodyguards sent by Tong Ming. They were just lurking nearby, constantly taking pictures with a small camera. "Chen Yu, do you see those two guys at the door? I noticed them yesterday morning. I don''t know what they''re here for. Should we take them down?" Wang Qingshan''s hand was already tightly gripping a zharu, ready to rush out at Chen Yu''smand. "No need, they''re just some clowns, not worth our attention. Let''s just focus on our business!" Wang Qingshan heaved a sigh, "That''s your magnanimity. If it were me running my old store, I would have caught the brat and grilled him by now." Chen Yu didn''t speak, his eyes narrowed slightly as he periodically observed the two men. ... In the capital, Qingquan Mountain Film and Television Base. After finishing a scene, Fang Yuan was hurriedly escorted to the rest area by a dozen assistants and staff members However, she dismissed all of them and entered her RV on her own. Once inside, she immediately took out a spare phone. "How''s the tasking along?" "Rest assured, Sister Yuan, we have basically got a handle on everything about the shop. It''s just that they''re very guarded, and we haven''t been able to obtain detailed information." Fang Yuan adjusted her breathing slightly, "Is the n you proposed really feasible?" "Absolutely, most restaurants have hygiene issues! Even if they don''t, creating some for them is possible." A smile shed across Fang Yuan''s face, "I''ll leave this matter to you then, spare no expense to ruin him." After hanging up the phone, Fang Yuan''s expression gradually contorted. She had never taken her eyes off Chen Yu''s shop. To her surprise, Chen Yu''s shop was bing more and more popr, and by rough estimates, just the daily business could yield millions. This wasn''t just running a shop, it was like picking up money. Even some stores opened by celebrities relying on their poprity didn''t see such a boom. Moreover, Chen Yu had also joined a cookingpetition, connecting directly with international chefs. His status and caliber in today''s culinary world had secured a ce for him. If Chen Yu were allowed to continue developing, she feared that before she could fulfill her gambling agreement, Chen Yu could capitalize on his current poprity to make a fortune. By then, not only would snatching Tuan Tuan back be impossible, but her current position in the entertainment industry might also be threatened. Once Chen Yu became fully famous, his past would surely be dug up by the media. At that time, how could Fang Yuan escape unscathed? Chapter 112: Chapter 112: Sanitary Issues ``` It was just past eight in the morning when customer traffic at the shop reached its peak. Ever since Chen Yu had introduced his special free porridge, the number of delivery personnel frequenting the shop had increased significantly. These delivery riders generally shared amon ailment, which Chen Yu''s special porridge could alleviate. Moreover, with orders potentiallying in every minute, they could snatch up orders even if they stayed put in the shop''s lobby. As Chen Yu was busy helping Wang Qingshan in the kitchen, a group of health inspectors suddenly entered the shop. "Nobody move, routine inspection!" A loud shout instantly quieted the entire shop, and then the employees, holding professional equipment, proceeded inside. A middle-aged man with a serious look approached Chen Yu somewhat apologetically. "Chen, don''t overthink it. We''re just responding to a report, so we''re conducting a routine inspection! It''s just a formality," he said. Chen Yu didn''t say much. The middle-aged man leading the group was Li Yang, head of the local environmental department. The first time he hade to eat at the shop, he had already scoured the ce thoroughly. "No problem, Brother Li. Please, just do your search!" Li Yang smiled and then licked his lips, scooping up a bowl of porridge from a nearby bucket. "Ah, what did you add to this porridge? Drinking it makes the whole body feel warm andfortable!" "Licorice, Panax notoginseng, along with somemon Chinese herbs," Chen Yu responded offhandedly. Upon hearing this, Li Yang had another bowl. "You tell me, you serve such good porridge for free; if it were me, I''d sell it for ten or eight yuan a bowl. The delivery boy nearby was not pleased. "Brother Li, Chen is giving out free porridge to take care of us! You saying that is like depriving us of our benefits!" Li Yangughed heartily, "I''m only joking." The inspection team searched upstairs and downstairs and, finding nothing amiss, quickly gathered in the first-floor lobby preparing to leave. Just then, a man wearing sunsses suddenly shouted. "Yikes! Why is there a giant centipede in this vegetable roll?" That shout instantly drew everyone''s attention. The man in sunsses held the vegetable roll high up for all to see. Indeed, a centipede was wriggling inside. Several people on the scene jumped in fear, letting out shrieks. Li Yang, too, widened his eyes and stepped forward, taking the vegetable roll from the man''s hand. Unexpectedly, the centipede twisted its body and bit Li Yang on the wrist. Li Yang cried out in pain and took a few steps back, clutching his wrist. Chen Yu''s pupils dted. The head of the centipede was blood-red, a trait only found in toxic tropical centipedes. Without a moment''s dy, Chen Yu swiftly moved forward to support Li Yang while swiftly stomping on the centipede that had fallen to the ground. "Brother Li, don''t move, keep your breathing even! Otherwise, the poison will spread through your entire arm, and by then we''ll have to amputate," Chen Yu said. ``` Li Yang was taken aback and forcefully controlled his breathing, despite the severe pain. Chen Yu urgently asked Tong Ya to fetch the spare medical kit from upstairs and had Wang Qingshan throw him a rope to tie around Li Yang''s arm to slow the blood cirction temporarily. After the medical kit was brought down, Chen Yu made a small cut on the site where Li Yang was bitten by the centipede, let the poisoned blood out, and then treated it simply. "Alright, Big Brother Li, I''ve cleaned out the poison, but I still rmend that you go to the hospital for a checkup." It was only then that Li Yang breathed a sigh of relief, but he didn''t leave just yet. The man with the sunsses, who had caused a scene earlier, was still standing there with his arms crossed. Li Yang nced at the man and ordered his capture. The man with the sunsses was immediately taken aback, "What is this about? They found a centipede in their establishment, that''s a clear hygiene issue. Why aren''t you arresting him? Why arrest me instead?" Li Yang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, "Do you really think that all of us in the hygiene department are fools? How could there possibly be a tropical centipede in a ce like this?" Departments like theirs have a basic ability to recognize various snakes, insects, rodents, and ants. Get hooked on mvl _emp _yr novels. Li Yang, who had over a decade of professional experience, could identify the origin of the centipede at a nce. The man with the sunsses paused for a moment, "What are you implying? I''m the one who found the centipede in my food, I''m the victim here. Are you trying to frame me, or what?" The nearby customers and delivery riders all gathered around, staring down the man with disdainful looks akin to an execution by a thousand cuts. "Kid, if you want to cause trouble, at least pick the right ce. In the free porridge that Boss Chen serves daily, you can''t even find a grain of sand, let alone a live centipede in your dumpling." "I''ve been eating here for almost a month and have never found anything unsightly in my dumplings. Yet, you somehow managed to find a tropical centipede!" ... In no time, the man with the sunsses was drowned in a barrage of spit and censure. Li Yang also shook his somewhat numb arm. "Infuriating. I knew there had to be a malicious report. Take him back for a thorough investigation; if the situation is severe, hand him over to another department." When the man with the sunsses was led out the door, he still wore a dazed expression, not expecting his once reliable tactic to fail so miserably here. Whereas most customers would empathize with someone who found something filthy in their food, why did everyone here turn against him instead? Just because the centipede''s origin was wrong? It was still a centipede! The farce eventually came to an end, and everyone''s opinion of Chen Yu rose even higher. Especially with his professional handling of Li Yang''s wound, which left onlookers in awe. The elderly men and women who had been cured of their ailments by Chen Yu''s medicinal cuisine also gathered around. "Chen, you imed to have a rough knowledge of medicine, but I say you''re a professional doctor. You might as well apply for a license and open a small clinic here!" "Indeed, the illnesses that cost us tens of thousands at the hospital were cured by your bowl of medicinal cuisine. Calling you a miracle doctor wouldn''t be an exaggeration!" Chen Yu frowned, not wanting to bebeled too much. Just then, a tourist group of about a dozen people entered the restaurant, as if they had deemed it a must-visit destination. After a mboyant introduction by the tour guide, two tourists stopped Han Cai, who was passing through the hall. "Excuse me, why don''t you have covered rice here? Isn''t your boss renowned for his Sichuan cuisine?" Chapter 113: Chapter 113: Extreme Sports ``` At that moment, Han Cai was stunned, unable to react. Before, whatever guests wanted, the restaurant would serve. But now, someone suddenly wanted to order rice with toppings, and she felt a bit at a loss. Moreover, when Chen Yu had participated in the culinarypetition, he was indeed known for his Sichuan cuisine. If the restaurant didn''t offer rice with toppings, it would be rather awkward. "Of course, we have it! What would you like to have?" Chen Yu hurried out of the kitchen. The restaurant was only operating at about half its capacity, with a small part of the kitchen always idle. Even though they had set up an area specifically for delivery riders, the two-story dining hall was often empty. Therefore, Chen Yu had to think about expanding the business within the restaurant. Rice with toppings might be a good option. Furthermore, this tour group didn''t seem to take much interest in the braised dishes, even though the fragrance had filled the entire restaurant; they remained indifferent. "I''ll have a Kung Pao chicken over rice!" "Can you make a ''Three Earthly Bounties'' over rice?" "Is Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish possible?" "How about sea cucumber saut¨¦ed with scallions?" ... The members of this tour group appeared to be from different ces, each speaking with a distinct ent, continuously calling out dish names. Normally, when traveling, people look to try the local specialties, yet these people were ordering dishes from their own home regions. find more stories on mv|lempyr Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish is a Huaiyang cuisine dish, while ''Three Earthly Bounties'' and sea cucumber saut¨¦ed with scallions are representative of Shandong cuisine. Besides these, the group also ordered several Sichuan and Hunan dishes. Such aplex assortment severely tested the skills of a chef. After all, only a top-level chef could manage to switch between the major cuisines. Even Li Gang and Ning Kai were somewhat troubled. But Chen Yu didn''t say much; after taking note of the dishes requested, he went back to the kitchen. He quickly wrote out a list and sent Tong Ya off to the market. Then he fired up the wok and started cooking with the ingredients set aside for the staff meals. It took less than ten minutes for Tong Ya to return to the restaurant. Han Cai and Liu Tong quickly went out to help bring the ingredients back to the kitchen. This time, Chen Yu showed off his cooking skills in front of Ning Kai and Li Gang once again. Six stoves and six big pots were in action at once, with cooking techniques changing constantly between them. Before long, more than a dozen dishes were served on the tour group''s table. "I didn''t expect this restaurant''s chef to actually be able to cook authentic dishes from our hometowns." "Too impressive, worthy of being a master who has challenged an international culinary god." ... From their words, one could tell that they seemed to havee here to test Chen Yu specifically. Afterward, they werepletely conquered by Chen Yu''s dishes. ... Imperial Capital, Qingquan Mountain Film and TV Base. Fang Yuan''s face was gloomy as she took the call. "Yuan Sister, my brothers were caught trying to help you, and now he has taken all the me upon himself. You''ve got to spend some money, break some cash to get him out, right?" Grinding her teeth, Fang Yuan didn''t know what to say. If the two on the other end of the phone turned against her and ratted her out, that would undoubtedly be a blemish in her acting career. "Speak up! How much money do you want?" ``` "Two million!" the person on the other end of the line dered a t rate, "That price shouldn''t be too high for you, right?" Fang Yuan''s pupils dted. The money was indeed not a lot, but this guy''s brazenness in threatening her really got under her skin. "Fine, give me an ount! However, I expect that once the money is transferred, you''ll keep this matter to yourselves." "Sister Yuan, you can count on us! We do business with a reputation for discretion! Since you''re so straightforward, I''ll throw in a piece of information for free." With that, the person on the phone hung up abruptly, and soon after, a message was sent over. "The shop owner once cooked medicinal cuisine for someone, and our investigation found that he doesn''t have a medical practice certificate." Fang Yuan was immediately excited; this news was incredibly important to her and might be the key to ruining Chen Yu. ... By four o''clock in the afternoon, the flow of customers in the shop had thinned out. Chen Yu also called over Li Gang, Ning Kai, and Wang Qingshan to draft a menu together. Even though the menu was diverse, it consisted ofmon household dishes, which Ning Kai and Li Gang could easily handle cooking. Even Wang Qingshan could manage some of the dishes. However, the more challenging dishes still required Chen Yu''s personal touch. "Alright, let''s stick to the dishes listed here for tonight and order a batch of ingredients to prepare for a trial run tomorrow." No sooner had Chen Yu finished speaking than Ning Kai and Li Gang became excited. Although they had been working in the shop for this period, they were essentially freeloading. There was nothing much to do usually, just helping with the prep work on the second floor or minding the marinated dishes in the kitchen on the first floor. Now, they finally had a chance to show off their skills. Just after the menu was finalized, one of Tong Ming''s assistants hurried into the shop. "Boss Chen! Our president is tied up with something and asked me to deliver this invitation to you." Chen Yu frowned instinctively, his mind shing back to thest cookingpetition. "Your boss doesn''t want me to participate in some sort ofpetition again, does he?" The assistant smiled awkwardly, "Not this time! He wants to invite you to cook for thepany''s professional racing team." "Racing team?" Chen Yu frowned again. "It''s thepany''s Extreme Form racing team! The thing is, the team has been underperforming these past few years and hasn''t scored well. President Tong would like to hire you to cook for the team so that they can..." By this time, Chen Yu had already read the invitation and raised his hand to interrupt the assistant. "I''ll take the job!" The assistant became instantly excited; he was really worried that Chen Yu would refuse, which would have been difficult to report back. "Then thank you very much!" As soon as those words were said, the assistant rushed out of the shop as fast as he could, fearing that Chen Yu might change his mind. Li Gang, who was nearby, also leaned in eagerly. "Extreme Form racing! That''s a world-sspetition, only the top-tier A-ss drivers can participate. I heard there''s even going to be a live broadcast the day after tomorrow." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, "Mr. Li, do you like watching these races?" Li Gang scratched his head in slight embarrassment, "Who hasn''t been passionate in their youth? I once thought about signing up for car racing myself, but I didn''t pass because Icked the physical fitness." Chen Yu refrained from asking further, just looking at the invitation in his hand. He had already acquired various extreme sports skills in the past, and form racing was among them. The reason he had so readily agreed was due to an indescribable excitement. During university, he had participated in motorcycle racing, but unfortunately, he hadn''t achieved any noteworthy results. Now with his extreme sports abilities, he was eager to go wild on the track. After all, as a chef in attendance at the race, he was entitled to be a reserve member of the team. Chapter 114: Chapter 114 Physician Qualification At six o''clock in the afternoon, Chen Yu began arranging for the procureNovelFireent of raw materials needed for the next day. The suppliers previously provided by the system also sold rice and vegetables. After preparing the list, Chen Yu had the suppliers deliver everything directly. Ten thousand catties of rice, plus various other vegetables, meats, and the marinade ingredients needed for tomorrow. Since they were old acquaintances, the suppliers offered Chen Yu wholesale prices. Even so, the total cost of all the raw materials amounted to three hundred and twenty-five thousand yuan. By eight in the evening, the delivery master had formed a long queue outside the shop. If it were any other shop, passersby might think a big job was underway. However, at Chen Yu''s ce, this had already be routine. [Congrattions to the host forpleting a day''s business. Since the cost exceeded the profit, no points will be added for now.] Chen Yu breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed that for a long time toe, he would not be earning any additional points. Purchasing the shop cost a total of fourteen million three hundred and fifty thousand yuan, meaning that he would have to break even on this figure before he could continue to umte points. Chen Yu roughly calcted in his mind and then transferred nine hundred and ny-nine thousand yuan into Tong Ya''s secondary card, followed by a hundred thousand yuan into her personal ount. That was the promised one hundred thousand yuan mural fee for Tang Xiaowei, and it seemed more appropriate for Tong Ya to transfer the money. After closing the shop at night, the Chen family happily returned to Shuiyue No.1. Just the day before, amid the excitement of their move, they hadn''t had the chance to tidy up properly. Upon returning today, the family set about busying themselves upstairs and downstairs. The next morning, Chen Yu briefly gave a few instructions at the shop before heading with Tong Ya to a medical institution in Suzhou City. Yet, when they rushed there, they found that Chen Yu seemed to be the only person taking the medical practitioner license exam that day. One of the senior doctors in charge of administering the exam frowned upon reviewing Chen Yu''s submitted documents. "You run a restaurant? Your university major wasn''t in medical studies either. Are you sure you''re here to take the medical practitioner license exam?" Chen Yu smiled faintly, "Is there a problem with that?" The senior doctor coughed, "Well, it''s possible, but I still suggest that non-professionals like you not waste time. A medical practitioner license isn''t something you can pass by just reading a few books." "Doctor Li Tianhe!" Chen Yu nced at the name badge on the desk, "Please let me give it a try. Who knows, maybe I can pass." Li Tianhe sighed deeply, "Alright then! But don''t me me if you fail to pass!" Li Tianhe gave Chen Yu one more look before gesturing to several staff members to prepare the test papers. Normally, the medical practitioner license exam is arranged by professional medical institutions, with many students from colleges participating en masse. Even in this open assessment, it was targeted at hospitals for staff who required the certification or professionals whose qualifications were problematic and needed rectification. Li Tianhe had never before encountered a non-professional individual from society like Chen Yu. Before long, guided by several staff members, Chen Yu arrived at arge hall. Experience stories on m _v _lempy _r. Whether out of deliberate intent or not, the examiners for Chen Yu''s test numbered six tutors. Tong Ya sat outside the hall, nonchntly browsing her phone. "Miss, is the guy inside your husband?" Tong Ya looked up at the approaching nurse, "Yes, why do you ask?" "He''s really handsome!" The nursemented with a starry-eyed gaze, "Aren''t you worried, though? If a person from society fails the exam, they have to wait another three years to retake it!" Tong Ya shrugged her shoulders, "My husband is just going through the motions by taking the medical practitioner license exam. I believe he will definitely pass." The nurse didn''t know what to say to Tong Ya''s confidence which she wore so inly, so she just brought her a cup of water. After just ten minutes of silence in the hall, several exmations were heard. Then came rapid-fire questions and answers. This Q&A session epassed nearly all medical knowledge. Yet, Chen Yu never paused for more than a second before answering each question. In the end, all the staff members of the institution gathered outside the door, staring dumbfounded at Chen Yu in the hall. "Good heavens, is he really a non-professional? The speed of his responses is too fast, almost like those on ''The Strongest Brain''." "The question just now seemed to cover six different branches of medicine, and he was able to answer them all." "Without a decade of medical experience, it''s impossible to answer so quickly!" ... Tong Ya was thrilled to hear people praising Chen Yu, but she still maintained herposed demeanor. After all, she had absolute confidence in her man. When Chen Yu stepped out of the hall again, the six examiners looked at him with admiration. Li Tianhe personally issued Chen Yu''s medical practitioner license. "It''s the first time I''ve seen someone non-professional perform so well on the exam! Young man, do you have a job? I can introduce you to the best hospital in Suzhou City; the benefits are guaranteed." Chen Yu simply tucked the medical practitioner license away. "Thank you, sir, for your offer, but all I need is the legal qualification to practice medicine." After exchanging a few pleasantries, Chen Yu left the medical institution without looking back, apanied by Tong Ya. Li Tianhe watched them go with a face full of regret, having never encountered a medical genius like Chen Yu before. At twelve noon, when the shop was busiest, there were several vehicles from the relevant departments parked outside. On his return, Chen Yu''s brow furrowed as he hastily parked his car on the side of the road and rushed back to the shop. He saw several professionals in white coats collecting samples from the porridge vats nearby and performing on-site tests. "Correct, the medicinal ingredients added here are enough to constitute a prescription. It can basically be affirmed that this shop is engaged in unauthorized medical practice." As the test results came out, the delivery drivers became unhappy, surrounding these people in the middle. "What do you mean by this? We''ve been drinking this porridge for so long and it''s been fine, now youe and say there''s an issue." One of the white coats hurriedly exined, "Folks, this medicated porridge isn''t to be consumed recklessly; if something goes wrong..." "What could possibly go wrong? Chen is highly skilled in medicine; what right do you have to say he''s practicing without authorization?" The two sides immediately erupted into a heated argument, and with the delivery drivers having strength in numbers, they soon cornered the professionals. Chen Yu raised his eyebrows; it was fortunate that he had obtained his medical practitioner license today, otherwise, this situation would have been difficult to manage. Fighting through the crowd, Chen Yu squeezed his way to the front, where the relevant personnel were standing. Chapter 115: Chapter 115 Participating in the Competition "Excuse NovelFiree, may I know who sent you here?" The several staff members sighed with relief upon seeing Chen Yu. "You''re the owner here! It has now been determined that there are signs of you practicing medicine illegally, pleasee with us." Chen Yu didn''t say much, he simply took out his medical practitioner license. However, he was careful to cover the issuance date. "I think you must have received a malicious report!" The staff members took a look and their eyes widened in astonishment. The license had all the necessary stamps, and it even bore Li Tianhe''s signature. The staff members suddenly felt embarrassed; they had not expected that a restaurant owner could actually obtain a medical practitioner license. "We are truly sorry, Boss Chen, for not checking thoroughly!" Having said that, the staff members hurriedly squeezed through the crowd and headed for the exit. After all, the takeaway riders surrounding them were already seething with anger, and if they had left anyter, there''s no telling what the takeaway riders might have done. The entire restaurant suddenly erupted with excitement, and everyone looked at Chen Yu with admiration. When these people first arrived, they were a little worried that Chen Yu might be used of practicing medicine illegally. Now it seemed that such concerns werepletely unnecessary. Tong Ya too had been sweating bullets for Chen Yu. She knew the medical practitioner license had been issued only today, and if they had delved deeper into the matter, Chen Yu would indeed have struggled to exin himself. Fortunately, the staff members, under pressure, had left early. By this time, the flow of customers in the restaurant had reached its peak, and Chen Yu didn''t show the slightest neglect, rolling up his sleeves and heading into the kitchen. After rolling out the covered rice and stir-fried dishes, the number of orders at the restaurant increased somewhat. The nearby eateries'' business must have been inadvertently snatched away by Chen Yu. Just the quantity of covered rice shown on the delivery orders was already over ten thousand, and this number seemed to be growing. Chen Yu wasn''t at all surprised since the shop had already umted a following of no less than one hundred thousand. Throughout the afternoon, Ning Kai and Li Gang''s hands never stopped moving. Thankfully, the frequency of orders was high, so they could cook the same orders in one batch. Although the pressure was huge, it was an excellent learning opportunity for the two of them. Chen Yu had previously shown them how to make various dishes, but some of the techniques were still very new to them. Such high-frequency work allowed them to quickly master these skills. It wasn''t until four o''clock in the afternoon that Chen Yu and the other two finally got a break. As orders continued toe in steadily, Chen Yu became somewhat anxious, so he prepared arge pot of the most frequently ordered dishes. His intention was to keep the dishes in the pot warm so they could be served with rice anytime. But to his surprise, arge pot of dishes would be sold out in less than five minutes. It wasn''t until four o''clock in the afternoon that the peak finally subsided, though there were still sporadic orders from time to time. Chen Yu finally took a deep breath and sat down in a corner of the kitchen. He quickly calcted that up to this point, just the quantity of covered rice reached over thirty thousand portions, not including those who ordered dishes and rice separately. Now, Ning Kai and Li Gang sat beside Chen Yu, wiping the sweat from their foreheads. "Before, we all thought that it was impossible for mass-cooked dishes to be as exquisite as the fine dining ones, since quantity and quality were thought to be mutually exclusive. But who knew that in your hands, neither would be a problem." Chen Yu smiled, "Actually, it''s just like making ordinary dishes, you just need to pay a bit more attention to certain techniques." With that, Chen Yu stood up, grabbed arge pot, and started teaching on the spot. In fact, the pace of today''s work was handled very well by Ning Kai and Li Gang, who started processing the ingredients delivered yesterday morning. Moreover, Chu Hong had specifically arranged for Du Ling, He Hua, Liu Tong, and Yang Shu toe over and help. Otherwise, Ning Kai and Li Gang would probably have been overwhelmed just by themselves. With today''s experience, Ning Kai and Li Gang had already nned out tomorrow''s schedule in their minds. At eight o''clock in the evening, a plethora of exquisite dishes were served on the tables. The kitchen''s leftover ingredients were all processed by Ning Kai and Li Gang into staff meals for today. Right after dinner, the delivery person for the ingredients arrived just in time. All of yesterday''s ingredients, including rice, were sold out, so Chen Yu directly ordered forty thousand catties of rice to use over the next four days. As for the other ingredients, they were ordered daily along with the braising ingredients. [Congrattions, Host, forpleting a day''s business. Since costs exceeded profits, no points have been umted.] Chen Yu didn''t pay much attention to that anymore; he had gotten used to this notification sound over the past couple of days. He did a rough calction in his mind, and today''s turnover was almost two million. After deducting the cost of purchasing ingredients, there was still one million five hundred and one thousand and six hundred yuan in his ount. He transferred one million five hundred and one thousand to Tong Ya''s supplementary card, and the remaining six hundred yuan was kept as spare cash. Now, the spare funds Chen Yu had on hand were roughly a little more than three thousand yuan. Looking at the current situation, he still owed Tong Ya four hundred eighty-five thousand for the house purchase. However, the amount of debt in points was still quite high; a rough estimate showed that he would need one million and forty-two thousand eight hundred and twenty points before he could start umting points again. After giving some instructions about the store, Chen Yu arranged for everyone to get off work. Having briefly checked the warehouse, he drove home with Tong Ya. Li Lan and Chen Guang didn''t go to the store today, instead, they tidied up the whole vi inside and out. In this cleanup, they found quite a few treasures. Chen Yu didn''t bother with that but simply took a shower and went back to his room. Tomorrow, he had to apany Tong Ming''s racing team to a Form race, and he needed a good rest to prepare. Early the next morning, Chen Yu drove off with Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan. Originally, Chen Yu had nned to go by himself, but couldn''t resist Tong Ya''s persuasion the night before. Discover worlds on m _v _lempy _r. Moreover, when he got up in the morning, he found Tuan Tuan already dressed and waiting eagerly. With no choice, he had to take them along. "Daddy, are you really just following the team to cook?" Tuan Tuan, sitting in the backseat, gazed up with big, watery eyes full of anticipation. It seemed as if she already saw Chen Yu as a professional race car driver. "That''s right, I''m just there to cook!" Chen Yu responded with a smile. "Won''t you be driving or joining the race?" Tuan Tuan pressed on. Chen Yu was somewhat helpless, "Anyway, once we get there, you have to listen to Mom and don''t run around! Otherwise, I''ll send you back." Tuan Tuan didn''t speak any further but obediently sat back down and took out her water bottle from her backpack. Chapter 116: Chapter 116: Limit Track The venue for the Extreme Equation Race was nothing short of spectacr, with an array of highly difficult tracks winding through towering mountains. From a distance, Chen Yu couldn''t help but feel a sense of longing in his heart. At that moment, Tong Ming was anxiously waiting at the entrance. Although he had invited Chen Yu in the name of his personal racing team, Chen Yu did not have the individual qualifications to enter the race site on his own. As expected, when Chen Yu''s car arrived at the entrance to the venue, he was stopped by the staff. "Son-inw!" Tong Ming suddenly shouted from not far away, "You finally came! Anyter and the race would''ve started." The staff, seeing that Tong Ming hade personally to meet him, quickly let them through. Tong Ming got directly into Chen Yu''s car, guiding him to the parking area. "Tuan Tuan! Have you missed grandpa?" Tong Ming said affectionately as he rubbed Tuan Tuan''s little head. "Mmm! Mmm! Of course, I missed you, but grandpa hasn''te to see metely!" Tuan Tuan even started to act a bit petnt. It seemed that her rtionship with Tong Ming was incredibly close. Tong Mingughed and then took out a jade pendant from his pocket and put it around Tuan Tuan''s neck. "Grandpa has been a bit busy and couldn''t get away! There''s an amusement park nearby; I''ll make sure to spend a few days with you there." Tuan Tuan immediately became excited, "Right, grandpa, we''ve moved to a new house, and you haven''t even visited yet." "Grandpa knows, it''s at Shuiyue Number One; I''ll definitely visit next time." Tong Ming was perfectly aware of Chen Yu''s situation. The staff meals at his ce were essentially provided by Chen Yu''s shop, and the employees who went to pick up the food were doing more than just fetching meals. They also reported back on Chen Yu''s recent circumstances to Tong Ming. As they talked, their car arrived at a garage specially prepared for the racing teams. Eight professional race drivers were eagerly waiting there. Before the race, they had visited Tong Ming''s cafeteria and tasted the braised dishes from Chen Yu''s shop. Your source is NovelFire|em|pyr. When they heard that Tong Ming had personally invited Chen Yu to be their team''s chef, each one of them could hardly contain their excitement. "Boss Chen! It''s finally real to meet you today!" "Your cooking is so delicious, it''s made me finicky with food." ... As soon as Chen Yu got out of the car, he was surrounded by the eight drivers and taken to the temporary kitchen outside. This ce already offered a view of the entire race venue. But it was indescribably more spectacr than the distant view from outside. Chen Yu didn''t hesitate; he rolled up his sleeves and went straight into the kitchen. Tong Ming, meanwhile, joined Tong Ya''s side, "You child, do you really not regard me at all? Buying a new house and not even telling me!" Tong Ya pouted, "I''ve started my own family; there are some things I don''t have to report to you." There was not a hint of anger on Tong Ming''s face, "Ha ha, truly my daughter, you always speak with such personality!" As they were talking, a middle-aged man suddenly approached with the staff of the race. "Mr. Tong, four teams have issued a simultaneous temporary challenge to you!" Tong Ming''s brow furrowed, but as he took the document from the middle-aged man, he was momentarily stunned. "The Monte Carlo track? What is this all about? This kind of extreme track is only used for tomorrow''s showdown; why are you challenging now?" "I don''t know about that!" The corner of the middle-aged man''s mouth showed a hint of mischief, "ording to the contracts between you and the other teams, you have no reason to refuse a challenge." Tong Ming''s pupils suddenly dted, as his top race car drivers wouldn''t arrive until tomorrow. Such a sudden challenge on the extreme track indeed caught him off guard. With no other choice, Tong Ming could only dial his phone to ask those top drivers toe earlier. But what Tong Ming didn''t expect was that he couldn''t get through to any of the drivers'' phones. Just as he was feeling frustrated, his phone suddenly received several contract termination notices. Tong Ming immediately realized that someone might have yed him. The amusement on the middle-aged man''s face gradually turned into mockery. "Mr. Tong, if you don''t ept the challenge, you''ll be conceding defeat. Not only will your team belong to Mr. Zhao, but you also won''t be allowed to enter the racing industry for the next ten years," he said. Grinding his teeth, Tong Ming coldly looked at the middle-aged man. "Are you teaching me what to do?" he asked. As soon as he finished speaking, the two bodyguards beside Tong Ming directly approached the man. The middle-aged man was startled. "Mr. Tong, this is a gambling agreement you signed with Mr. Zhao. It has nothing to do with me!" Tong Ming''s anger reached its peak, as he hadn''t expected the Zhao family to y dirty with him. The eight drivers he had avable simply couldn''tplete the Monte Carlo track. If they were forced topete, they might end up dead or at best permanently disabled. "How about I give it a try?" Chen Yu, holding a spoon, smiled as he walked out of the kitchen. His physical condition had now reached the ultimate human limit; he had heard the entire conversation outside loud and clear. Tong Ming''s eyes widened in disbelief. "Son-inw, that''s extreme racing, a life-threateningpetition," he said. Chen Yu spread his hands. "The Monte Carlo track? I had the fortune to run it once when I was in college," he said. Admittedly, that was a bit of a boast, but under the circumstances, Chen Yu had no other choice but to say so. Otherwise, Tong Ming would never let him go. Tong Ya stared at Chen Yu in shock. "Husband, you...?" Chen Yu raised his hand to interrupt Tong Ya. "Don''t worry, for me, it''s just a small race," he assured her. As he spoke, Chen Yu began to remove his chef''s uniform. The middle-aged man let out a scoff. "A mere chef, he''s practically courting death!" Then, he stuffed the documents he was carrying into Chen Yu''s hands and quickly left with his staff. "Son-inw, listen to me. We don''t have to go to such a race! It''s my miscalction this time. It''s not the end of the world if we give up racing," Tong Ming said. Chen Yu shook his head. "If I don''t go, you''ll be losing not just a racing team but also amercial value of nearly two billion!" he said. While speaking, Chen Yu had already gone to the nearby garage and climbed into a modified Form car. By the time everyone realized what was happening, Chen Yu was already driving the car slowly onto the track. Tong Ya pounded on Tong Ming''s chest with resentment. "If anything happens to Chen Yu today, I''ll never forgive you for the rest of my life," she said. Tong Ming was also helpless, as the Tong family and the Zhao family were business archenemies. In the capital, the two families had fought fiercely, and the situation was no different in Suzhou City, still antagonistic as ever. Moreover, he had never expected the Zhao family to resort to underhanded tactics. Just moments ago, he was ready to give up on the race, especially considering his current business arrangements in Suzhou City, which were enough to crush the Zhao family. But now that Chen Yu had entered the track, it was all toote. Chapter 117: Chapter 117: Car Destroyed and Lives Lost Atop the extremely perilous track, the other four teams had all sent out their top racing drivers. When Chen Yu drove his race car into the designated position, the four racing masters all cast strange nces at him. "Brother, I heard you''re a chef, huh! And you''re also Mr. Tong''s son-inw. How could he bear to let you participate in this kind ofpetition?" "Could it be that he wants to find a new home for his daughter?" "If you ask me, you better go back! Find a good ce to cook your dishes, otherwise, you won''t even know how you die in a while." ... Chen Yu didn''t pay attention to these four guys, but stared intently at the track ahead, with a barrage of information continually shing through his mind. In Chen Yu''s current understanding, the Monte Carlo track was merely a low-level circuit. For him, all he needed to do was maintain the car''s velocity, and he could finish the course safely. However, he couldn''t afford to y it safe today, instead, he had to secure the championship. Tong Ming''s agreement had been reviewed by him, and it was evident that the Zhao Family had been sabotaging behind the scenes. If he couldn''t win today, the Tong Group''s racing industry and other advertising revenues might very well fall into the Zhao Family''s hands. Chen Yu took a deep breath, and as the referee gave themand, his car shot out like lightning. The other four drivers were stunned; they hadn''t expected Chen Yu to be able to seize the moment right before the referee''s order and take the lead. The start of the Monte Carlo track was an extremely steep downhill, where no one dared to go at full speed. And Chen Yu''s speed had already reached the critical point! The four racing drivers were taken aback all at once. They had been too busy taunting Chen Yu just now to realize that he could possess such prowess. All of therge screens at the race venue were showing Chen Yu''s figure; the apanying drones had now projected his profile onto the big screens. "Damn it, who is this kid? So fierce, to actually dare to drive like that on the Monte Carlo track!" "With that kind of speed, hasn''t he lost control? What''s he going to do when he goes uphill?" "It''s over, he''s probably going to wreck his car and lose his life in a moment!" ... Tong Ming and Tong Ya had their hearts in their throats, staring intently at the screen in front of them. Tong Ya even covered Tuan Tuan''s eyes, afraid she would see something she shouldn''t witness. Just when everyone was heart-wrenchingly anxious, Chen Yu''s car had reached the uphill section. All of a sudden, his car tested the big rocks on the side and flew into the air. The next moment, Chen Yu''s car began to leap along the steep mountain road. In a blink of an eye, Chen Yu hadpleted half of the course in this extreme manner. The other four drivers were still struggling along the windy and tortuous track. For them, this circuit was essentially hell mode. They didn''t dare to go too fast, as they would only end up dead between the cliffs and precipices. But as time went on, resignation was written all over their faces. Chen Yu''s speed was simply too fast. They had onlypleted a quarter of the distance when Chen Yu had already reached the finish line. Looking quite dashing as he parked the car at the finish line, Chen Yu then took off his helmet and got out of the car. The extreme sport package provided by the system was just too powerful; he had been operating the car almost subconsciously. Tong Ming, watching the big screen in front of him, suddenly became excited. "I really picked the right son-inw, he can even race cars!" Tong Ya suddenly twisted her head and red fiercely at Tong Ming, "If you ever let him do this for you again, I won''t let you off easily." On the other side of the racetrack, Zhao Feng was staring at the big screen with a sullen face. "Where did this kide from? Get me a background check on him immediately." ¡­ The following races seemed rather mundane, at best, they were nothing more than friendly regr matches. Chen Yu was leisurely back in the kitchen, putting on his chef''s outfit as if nothing had happened. Just then, Tong Ming burst into the kitchen excitedly and grabbed Chen Yu''s hand. "Son-inw, do you have any idea how much you''ve saved me? Ask for anything you want!" Chen Yu had a look of exasperation, "I was just ying around just now. Besides, aside from your daughter, there''s nothing else I fancy!" Tong Ya pouted and looked aggrieved as she pushed Tong Ming away. NovelFiremp yr content "Husband, are you hurt? That move just now was so dangerous..." Chen Yu held Tong Ya''s hand, "Don''t worry, I''m fine!" In the midst of their conversation, Zhao Feng walked in with a few bodyguards in a very arrogant manner. "Old man, I didn''t expect you to find such a treasure! To think you have a world-ss driver." Tong Ming snorted coldly, "Let me introduce you¡ªthis is my son-inw, and also the future sessor to the entire Tong Group." As he said this, Tong Ming was full of pride, and he pulled Chen Yu forward a bit. Chen Yu''s eyes widened. Tong Ming was very firm when he said this, and Chen Yu couldn''t tell if he was joking. Zhao Feng let out a long sigh, and suddenly, he thought of his own disappointing son. He didn''t do anything worthwhile all day, only fooling around with actresses in the entertainment circle. Zhao Feng looked at Chen Yu subconsciously. The guy was handsome and sharp, not to mention he had honed his racing skills to such a level. Moreover, after participating in the race, he remained unpretentious and calm, cooking here. Zhao Feng even felt a twinge of jealousy. "Then I''ll congratte you in advance!" Zhao Feng''s words were filled with sourness, "I concede this car race, but in next month''s extreme glidingpetition, I''ll show you what true extreme sports are." With those words, Zhao Feng left with his bodyguards, clearly disgruntled. Tong Ming''s grip on his cane tightened, "Crafty old fox!" "Grandpa, what is an extreme glidingpetition?" Tuan Tuan asked with a face full of curiosity. Tong Ming was momentarily at a loss for words. Although he managed extreme sports projects with more than a dozen professional teams, he couldn''t clearly describe any of the sports himself. "Extreme glidingpetitions involve wingsuit flying. Broadly speaking, it''s a kind of parachuting activity!" As soon as Chen Yu spoke up, he attracted everyone''s attention. Tong Ming stepped forward in surprise, "You know about this too?" Chen Yu nodded, "I''ve dabbled in all extreme sports and have participated in some amateur extreme glidingpetitions in the past." Tuan Tuan suddenly became excited, "Dad, you''re so amazing! But howe I never knew about youpeting?" Chen Yu ruffled Tuan Tuan''s hair, "That was me going out to earn some extra cash! How could I let you know about that? Besides, these sports are very dangerous. It''s better that you didn''t know." Chapter 118: Chapter 118 Put on the Agenda Tong Ming''s eyes suddenly sparkled with an inexplicable excitement. "Son-inw, about next month''s extreme glidingpetition, could you possibly..." "No!" Tong Ya suddenly stepped forward and opened her arms to block Chen Yu. "We''re nning to take wedding photos this month, next month will be busy with wedding banquet preparations, and in July, we have to hold the wedding!" Tong Ming couldn''t help but widen his eyes: "What? Such an important matter? Why didn''t you inform me?" Tong Ya pouted her lips: "What else is there in your eyes besides your businesses? I''m afraid you''ve long forgotten your own daughter." Tong Ming suddenly felt a bit embarrassed; recently, he had moved the headquarters to Suzhou City, and thus, there was much of the businessndscape that needed to be rebuilt. The most important thing was that the Zhao Family was constantly pressing him, causing him incessant annoyance. "I''ve neglected this matter, but rest assured, when ites to the dowry, your father will definitely not be stingy!" Tong Ya puffed her cheeks: "We already have a matrimonial home now, and we will prepare the other items gradually, you don''t need to worry about it." Chen Yu was also helpless; truth be told, he really wanted to experience extreme gliding. Ever since the system provided him withprehensive information on extreme sports, he wanted to try every single activity. It seemed to have be an impulse stemming from his soul. He took a deep breath, Chen Yu suddenly grabbed Tong Ya''s shoulders and embraced her. "Actually, I''ve always wanted to take a set of sky-themed wedding photos with you! For example, us skydiving together, wingsuit flying, as well as bungee jumping..." Before Chen Yu could finish, Tong Ya''s face was already filled with longing. It seemed that extreme sports, when mentioned by Tong Ming, were synonymous with danger, but when they came from Chen Yu, they represented a special kind of romance. "That''s great! But I don''t know how to do any of those things." Chen Yu lifted a finger and ced it on Tong Ya''s lips: "I can teach you!" Tong Ming also walked up leaning on a crutch: "Son-inw, about next month''s extreme glidingpetition..." "No way!" Tong Ya refused again. Chen Yu spread his hands helplessly: "We''ll talk about it when the timees!" Tong Ming didn''t say anything more, just arranged for Chen Yu''s family of three to stay at a nearby hotel. At six in the afternoon, Chen Yu hurriedly made a phone call to order the raw materials for tomorrow. Moreover, the idea of starting a factory that had just begun in his mind was also slowly maturing. With mechanical manufacturing plus physical knowledge, he could design and manufacture a set of specialized machines on his own. By that time, fried rice cakes, vegetable pastries, and even items like steamed buns for breakfast, as well as braised foods, could all be made into semi-finished products. Then it would be possible to mimic other fast-food models and open arge number of branches. Chen Yu would need to maintain the current main store and supply the semi-finished products to the branches, which would allow him to build his own business empire in the shortest time. "It''s time to get it on the agenda!" Chen Yu had just muttered to himself when Tuan Tuan suddenly bounced over. "Daddy, who are you talking to?" Chen Yu turned his head and scooped Tuan Tuan into his arms. "Thinking about some extreme sports!" Tuan Tuan immediately became excited: "I was wondering how you drove the car today? Why could it jump?" Chen Yu''s mouth curled slightly: "That involves a lot of physical knowledge, you''ll understand when you grow up." Tuan Tuan pouted her little mouth: "Can''t I know if I don''t grow up?" Chen Yu was caught off guard, then promptly took out a chessboard from Tuan Tuan''s bag and set it on the table. "If one day you can beat daddy at chess, then daddy will teach you!" Tuan Tuan was quite indignant and picked up a white piece, "Let''s do it now!" "What are you doing? You''re such a big guy bulling a little kid! How could she possibly win against you?" Tong Ya had just finished her shower and sat down next to Tuan Tuan with her somewhat damp hair. "The two of us will gang up on him!" In the end, the game of chess had actually turned into a contest between Chen Yu and Tong Ya. Chen Yu never expected that Tong Ya''s skill in chess was actually so formidable. [Congrattions Host forpleting a day''s business. Since the costs were greater than the profits, no points have been umted.] The system''s notification rang in Chen Yu''s mind, and he subconsciously nced at the time. Unknowingly, a full two hours had passed while they yed chess. He roughly calcted in his head and then transferred 1.63 million to Tong Ya''s auxiliary card. Find joy at m,v,l,e,mpy,r. Aside from the costs of purchasing raw materials for tomorrow, Chen Yu''s revenue ount still had six hundred yuan left. After the transfer to the auxiliary ount, Chen Yu had less than four thousand yuan in hand. Tong Ya was also startled by the notification sound from her phone at the moment. This auxiliary card was linked to her phone, and the transaction details could be sent independently to Tong Ya. However, as an auxiliary card, Tong Ming would also receive synchronized information. "Wow, our store''s turnover is so high now? The money you''ve returned these past few days is all above 1.5 million." Chen Yu shrugged his shoulders, "People always aim for higher ground, and naturally, the business gets better and better. Do you expect me to lose money instead?" Tong Ya couldn''t help but roll her eyes, "I''m just excited, that''s all!" While the two were talking, Tuan Tuan suddenly stood up excitedly and ced a chess piece down. "Checkmate, I win!" Only then did Chen Yu notice, to his neglect, Tuan Tuan had captured arge group of his chess pieces. "You''re worthy of being my daughter, you''re getting more and more impressive." Just then, Tong Ming made a video call. "Zhao Feng that old boy has already admitted defeat, and thispetition is announced as over! Also, the certificate of honor and the racecar driver''s license you earned from this race, I''ll send them to youter." Chen Yu didn''t say much, just nodded his head. He was certainly clear about the rules of this extreme racingpetition. Once you act as a substitute and win a championship in a certain race, or achieve a dazzling result, you can bypass the assessments and relevant agencies, and directly obtain the corresponding certificates and licenses. Tong Ya stretchedzily, "Since that''s the case, does it mean we can go home now?" In the video, Tong Ming nodded, "Of course, you can. By the way, ording to the rules, Chen Yu can get an 8 million prize for thispetition, I will transfer it to his ountter." After hanging up the call, Tong Ya looked at Chen Yu with an inquiring gaze. "So, are we going back now?" Chen Yu nodded, "I don''t really want to stay here any longer, let''s leave now!" At 9:30 in the evening, Chen Yu drove to Waterscape Number One. At the same time, his phone also buzzed with a notification. There was an additional 8 million in ie on disy. Chen Yu was suddenly a little excited; now he couldpletely pay off the debt on Tong Ya''s auxiliary card. Still, he felt somewhat frustrated that all his hard work from the food truck until now seemed to have earned him about the same as participating in two races. Chapter 119: Chapter 119 Bluffing and Deceiving Chen Yu understood profoundly while in university what it meant for knowledge to create value. A male student from his department had, by acquiring several professional certificates, been able to earn over a hundred thousand per month by simply hanging his certificates on the wall. Now, Chen Yu''s mind was filled with a vast amount of knowledge, which had reached the limits of human cognition. If he could make good use of this knowledge, his wealth would increase exponentially. It seemed necessary to consider acquiring more certificates in the future. After returning to the vi, Tuan Tuan had already gone to sleep, and Chen Yu carefully took her back to her room before he and Tong Ya returned to their own to sleep. The next morning at six o''clock, Chen Yu and Tong Ya arrived at the shop together. By then, the whole shop was already running smoothly and in order. Ning Kai and Li Gang, with the help of a few young girls, had cleaned all the ingredients, and some had even been processed into semi-finished products. This would greatly elerate the efficiency of serving dishes. They had even prepared severalrge pots, nning to cook in advance some of the dishes that were in high demand the previous day and keep them heated. It was no surprise that Ning Kai and Li Gang, being master chefs, hade up with adaptive measures in just one day. Even when Chen Yu arrived, there was no need for him to put his hands to work, at most he could offer guidance on some skill-based aspects. "Old Chen, I saw you on TV yesterday; you were incredibly cool! I had no idea you could race." Li Gang patted Chen Yu''s shoulder excitedly, their rtionship had grown much closer now. Chen Yu smiled, "Driving is just like cooking, as long as you''re focused, you can do anything well." As they were talking, a group of oddly dressed people suddenly appeared at the door. "There is something unclean in this shop, please leave immediately!" An elderly man shouted through a megaphone, and the entire shop fell silent. "Only the supreme divine mes can purify everything here; if you immerse your minds and hearts, I can lead you into a new world." Chen Yu''s eyes widened in astonishment; he truly had not expected someone to dare to preach theology right in front of him. The theological knowledge in his head had reached the limit of what mankind currently knew. He naturally understood the so-called truths within. True theology seeks after the original heart and cultivates one''s nature. In a sense, theology is an ultimate form of cultivating the mind and character for well-being. These people in front of him were obviously scammers. Just then, Zhang Fan rushed hurriedly into the shop. "Old Chen! You shoulde out quickly and pay your respects to these masters; they''re amazing, they just cleansed my entire shop." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow; he hadn''t expected Zhang Fan to be duped as well. Helpless, he stepped forward toward these so-called masters. "May I ask, what exactly is the ''dirty thing'' you were talking about just now?" The middle-aged man leading the group put down the megaphone, then extended his right hand, and a ball of purple me rose up in his palm. The customers in the shop were stunned, and some even showed devout expressions, wanting to step forward and worship. Chen Yu was unimpressed; this was just a matter of applying ayer of alcohol to the hand and then sprinkling potassium permanganate around it before setting it on fire. The me that the reaction produced was purple! Such tricks are even used in magic shows, yet these guys were ying with them so enthusiastically. Chen Yu sighed helplessly, didn''t say much, and just walked into the kitchen by himself. He found some sd oil and some Chinese herbal medicines. He ground the Chinese herbal medicines into a powder, mixed them with the sd oil, and smeared it on his hands before lighting it with the gas stove. Join us at NovelFiremp _yr now. Then he walked out of the kitchen with a pale blue me in his hand. "You guys are really something, scamming people with such simple tricks. Do you want me to change the me through all the colors for you?" The so-called masters were immediately stunned, staring nkly at Chen Yu. Zhang Fan''s eyes widened too: "Old Chen, how did you do that?" Chen Yu shook the me off his hand and patted Zhang Fan on the shoulder. "Old Zhang, you''re supposed to be a top student in mechanical engineering, how could you be duped by these guys? With a little bit of chemical reagents, not to mention mes of various colors, I could even make water fly!" Zhang Fan smacked his head hard: "Ouch, back in school, I was really good at physics and chemistry! How could my brain have degraded after just a few years of working?" The delivery riders in the shop had also realized what was going on and surged forward, surrounding the so-called masters in the center. "I know them, they were swindling people in the east of the city not long ago, and it seems that quite a few people were tricked." "Call the authorities to take them away, these guys are too despicable, actually daring to scam their way over to Boss Chen''s ce." "Boss Chen is proficient in medicine, not to mention his knowledge of chemistry, these people are simply ying the lute to a cow." ... In no time, these people were drowned in a barrage of spit. The ringleader saw that things were going south and tried to run, but was forcefully held down to the ground by two delivery guys at the door. The authorities were also surprised when they arrived. These kinds of fraud techniques hadn''t been used for many years, and yet these guys had the audacity to use them so publicly. Chen Yu was also incredibly frustrated, these people seemed no different from lunatics in his eyes. The officials praised Chen Yu as they left, saying that he had a keen awareness of anti-fraud. Zhang Fan also felt a bit scared afterward. He had been too busy at that moment, plus having been up for two days straight, his IQ wasn''t at its best. He nearly got scammed out of over two hundred thousand. At twelve noon, the shop''s foot traffic peaked, and Ning Kai and Li Gang were clearly overwhelmed. Chen Yu had to jump in to help. "Boss, give me a crab meat lion''s head!" A familiar voice suddenly rang out at the window. There stood Tang Xiaowei and Su Rui, looking charming at the entrance. Su Rui had her face covered with sunsses and a mask, wrapped up tightly. Looking like this, she must have be popr again! Chen Yu smiled, "Besides crab meat lion''s head, what else would you like to eat?" Su Rui leaned over the counter, "Can you make Beijing-style dishes?" Chen Yu furrowed his brow slightly. Beijing-style cuisine had initially branched out from Shandong cuisine, then evolved through the fusion of various culinary styles. ording to the Shandong cuisine recipes, he could make most of the Beijing-style dishes but he wasn''t really good at some of the more distinctive ones. "I haven''t studied that specifically! It depends on what you specifically want to eat." Chapter 120: Chapter 120 Capital Operation Su Rui propped her chin and thought for a while, "Can you make shredded pork in Beijing sauce?" Chen Yu nodded, "This I can do! But Ick the ingredients to make the apanying pancakes here." "That''s okay, the shredded pork is enough!" Discover more at NovelFirempy _r. It wasn''t long before Chen Yu personally brought the meals to the table. "Looking at you guys, did you encounter some happy event? You seem so joyful." The excitement on Su Rui''s face was impossible to hide, "My studio with Xiao Wei is about to open soon, and the first step in animation is her drawing ''With You In This Life''!" Chen Yu knew thisic, which Tong Ya had adapted from true events that happened in the shop. In Suzhou City, it was extremely popr! If they could turn thisic into an animation, it should be quite popr. "Then congrattions to you both," Chen Yu said with a smile. Seeing the table full of food, Su Rui instinctively swallowed her saliva and quickly grabbed some with her chopsticks. "This shredded pork in Beijing sauce really has the authentic vor of the capital! You''re incredible, able to make authentic dishes from all over the country. Tong Ya marrying you means she can have whatever she wants to eat, that''s truly enviable." Chen Yu smiled faintly, "I''m going to be busy now, just call me if you need anything." ... Capital Spring Mountain Film and Television Base. Fang Yuan was looking at the feedback on her tablet, feeling somewhat overwhelmed. She had thought she knew Chen Yu very well, but she never expected that Chen Yu would have actually gotten his medical practitioner license and be an extreme racing athlete. Especially after watching the video of Chen Yu participating in extreme racing, she reyed it several times. She still couldn''t believe that the man on the screen was the same husband she once deemed aplete loser. "Miss Fang, so you were busy here! I was wondering why I couldn''t find you." Fang Yuan looked up to see Zhao Hai standing beside her without her knowing when he arrived, holding arge bouquet of roses. "Young Master Zhao!" Fang Yuan quickly got up. Zhao Hai could now be considered her investor and the biggest supporter in the entertainment industry. No matter what, she had to maintain the appropriate attitude. "Miss Fang, you can just call me by my name. Calling me young master makes it seem distant." Fang Yuan just smiled in response, saying nothing. "Oh, by the way, Miss Fang, I have an investment project here that involves capital operations. Are you interested?" As he spoke, Zhao Hai set aside the roses and casually took out a document. "I really don''t understand capital operations, I''m afraid..." "You must understand milk tea shops, don''t you?" Zhao Hai directly stuffed the document in Fang Yuan''s hand. When Fang Yuan opened it, she found it was actually a business n. The n was to use her celebrity influence to open milk tea shops and then attract franchise fees. This actually belonged to an alternative type of mizing poprity. If managed properly, one could earn several hundred million in less than a month. ording to the n provided by Zhao Hai, Fang Yuan could make at least eighty million. And that''s a conservative estimate. If things really took off, she could make over a hundred million in a month. Fang Yuan immediately became excited. With this n, she was one step closer topleting the agreement of the bet. "Miss Fang?" Zhao Hai gently touched Fang Yuan''s shoulder, "Why the long stare? What do you think of this n? Do you want to coborate?" "Yes!" Fang Yuan agreed without hesitation, "Can I also invest in some shares?" Zhao Hai chuckled lightly, "Of course, that''s possible. However, we still need to discuss the specifics in detail. May I know if Miss Fang has any avability tonight?" Fang Yuan was taken aback, as she certainly understood what Zhao Hai implied. Yet the enticement of the proposal at hand was simply too great. If she could seed, she would be able to meet the terms of the wagering agreement in the shortest possible time and secure that three billion in capital. In the face of such a vast fortune, a slight sacrifice seemed negligible. "I should be the one to discuss this matter with Young Master Zhao!" Han Mintao suddenly interjected from the side, "When ites to capital operations, our Fang Yuan really has no clue." Zhao Hai was somewhat displeased, "Is Sister Han worried that I''d swindle Miss Fang?" "That''s not it!" Han Mintao was rtively calm, "Surely Young Master Zhao must be aware of the wagering agreement Miss Fang has signed!" "Of course, I am aware of that," Zhao Hai casually picked up a water ss from the table and took a sip. "Until the wagering agreement is fulfilled, everything about Fang Yuan, including her private life, is under the control of the capital backers! Young Master Zhao should understand what I mean." The displeasure on Zhao Hai''s face gradually faded; he naturally understood the rules of the entertainment circle. Once the wagering agreement was signed, everything about Fang Yuan, including her weight and even her most private personal life, had to be strictly controlled. One critical point was that without the capital backer''s consent, she absolutely could not be involved in any scandals. "What a pity! If I''d been the one who signed the wagering agreement with Miss Fang from the beginning, I wouldn''t have let her exhaust herself like this." With a sigh, Zhao Hai ced a document on the table. "I believe that after this n, Miss Fang will essentially fulfill the wagering agreement. When the timees, don''t forget to have a drink with me." Having said that, Zhao Hai turned and left. ... By four in the afternoon, the flow of customers in the shop began to dwindle. It was then that Zhang Fan suddenly rushed in, flustered. "Chen Yu, can you perform first aid?" Chen Yu was startled, "I can! What exactly happened?" "Somebody fainted in my shop, and it will be a while before the ambnce arrives, but that person looks like they''re in a bad way." Chen Yu did not dare to dy, "Wife, quickly bring down the emergency medical kit." After calling out to Tong Ya, Chen Yu hurriedly followed Zhang Fan to the shop next door. A considerably obese middle-aged man was lying on the floor of the car dealership, convulsing continuously. The staff of the car dealership were also panicking, not daring to approach. Chen Yu hurried forward, checking the man''s pulse, and medical knowledge raced through his mind. A few secondster, Chen Yu''s previously anxious expression eased. He pulled Zhang Fan aside, "Old Zhang, is this man someone you have a grudge with?" Zhang Fan''s expression was nk, "How did you know?" "I''ve checked him out, he''s not ill, at most due to obesity, a bit of endocrine disorder." Zhang Fan also breathed a sigh of relief, then adopted a serious demeanor. "Liu Jianhui, I won''t quibble with you over that batch of goods. Hurry up and get up; the floor is so cold, you''ll end up sick even if you weren''t before." Liu Jianhui''s shaking instantly stopped, and then he slowly got to his feet. "Was what you said just now true?" Zhang Fan did not reply, but simply lifted his mobile phone. He had already been recording a video. Chapter 121: Chapter 121: Arresting the Criminal "Liu Jianhui, I''ve already recorded our entire conversation just now, and if I hand this video over to the authorities, you''ll be suspected of ckmail." Liu Jianhui''s eyes widened in shock, "Old Zhang, we''ve known each other for so many years, is this how you treat me?" "You know very well we''ve been friends for years! To think you''d pawn off counterfeit goods on me, tell me, what should we do about our rtionship?" ... The argument between the two men became more intense, and while Chen Yu wanted to step forward and mediate, he ultimately recognized it was their private affair. Chen Yu merely greeted Zhang Fan and then returned to his own shop. By eight o''clock in the evening, when Chen Yu was about to close up shop for the day, Zhang Fan''s quarrel was still unabated. In the end, unable to tolerate any more, Zhang Fan had no choice but to inform the relevant department to take Liu Jianhui away. [Congrattions to the host forpleting a day''s business. Since costs exceeded profits, no points were umted.] Out of habit, Chen Yu checked his revenue ount and then mentally ran through all of his ounts. After deducting the cost of materials for the next day and paying off the remaining 3.22 million he owed Tong Ya. Plus the 8 million he won from thepetition yesterday, Chen Yu''s current ount was back up to 6.41 million, and he had even set aside more than four thousand as a reserve. At this rate, it wouldn''t be long before he could get the factory up and running. Just as Chen Yu was about to check the storeroom and head home, a sudden message came through on his phone. "A murder has urred recently in Shuiyue No. 1 Residential Community. Please do not wander around at night." Chen Yu frowned; the security level of Shuiyue No. 1 was among the highest in Suzhou City. Yet, a murder had still taken ce! "Husband, why are you zoning out again?" Tong Ya hopped down from the third floor like a swallow. Every evening before leaving, Tong Ya made it a point to tidy up the third floor. "The homeowner''s association sent a message; there''s been an incident in themunity!" Tong Ya immediately feigned fear and burrowed into Chen Yu''s arms. "Husband, you must protect me!" It had been a long time since shest flirted with Chen Yu, and recently, he had been the one doing all the flirting. She wouldn''t let go of this opportunity so easily. To her surprise, Chen Yu lifted her chin with a yful smirk. "Kiss me, and I''ll be your knight all the way home tonight." Tong Ya''s heart raced, and her cheeks flushed; Chen Yu had managed to charm her once again. Chen Guang took Chen Yu''s electric bike and headed home first with Li Lan and Tuan Tuan. Chen Yu had no option but to take Tong Ya''s car. As they were about to get into the car, they suddenly saw a man on a bicycle, sprinting past them in a sneaky manner. Chen Yu''s brow furrowed slightly; he could distinctly smell the blood emanating from the man. "What''s the matter, husband?" Chen Yu shook his head, not dwelling on it further; he stepped on the gas and took Tong Ya back to Shuiyue No. 1. By then, officials had already cordoned off the surrounding area of Shuiyue No. 1 with yellow tape, and Chen Yu had to undergo a thorough check upon entry. To his astonishment, the crime scene was right next door at Vi No. 15. Officials were busy examining the scene. Chen Yu was somewhat dismayed, hadn''t the system granted his family good luck? Why then did a murder happen so close to home? "Dad, did a murder really happen next door?" As soon as he entered the house, Tuan Tuan tugged at Chen Yu''s hand. Chen Yu smiled and rubbed Tuan Tuan''s little head, "With Daddy here, everything will be fine, Tuan Tuan just needs to sleep peacefully." "Then I will sleep with Daddy tonight!" Chen Yu nodded, picked up Tuan Tuan, and went into the bedroom. At that moment, Li Lan opened the living room window, wanting to let in some fresh air. A pungent smell of blood simultaneously entered Chen Yu''s nostrils. The scent was identical to the one on the person cycling outside the shop earlier. "The murderer!" Chen Yu instinctively spoke out, then quickly instructed Tong Ya with a few words and rushed out the door to find the relevant personnel at the neighboring scene. It wasn''t that he was being nosy, but the murder case was too close to his home. If they didn''t capture the murderer soon, his family wouldn''t be safe. The leading relevant personnel were named Zhou Shengtao, a well-known criminal investigation officer in Suzhou City. "I have a clue about the murderer!" Chen Yu shouted as he approached. Zhou Shengtao didn''t dare to dy, briefly dealt with the scene, and then took Chen Yu back to the relevant department. "Mr. Chen, you said you recognized the murderer by scent, but I''m afraid that can''t be conclusive!" Zhou Shengtao sat opposite Chen Yu, looking extremely authoritative. Chen Yu was also calm, "I''m a chef, I rely on scent to earn my living, and that person who passed by my shop indeed had the same smell of blood as the crime scene, and I saw his profile." "Then, can you briefly tell us about the appearance of that person?" Chen Yu thought for a while, looking down, "I can draw him!" Zhou Shengtao quickly called for someone to bring in paper and pen. Chen Yu closed his eyes to recall, then began to draw on the paper. The system had not given him drawing skills, so it was a bit clumsy. But relying on the knowledge in his head now, and the coordination of his hands and feet, it was not difficult to simply draw what he remembered. In less than half an hour, Chen Yu had produced a sketch. When Zhou Shengtao saw the sketch, he was surprised. "Goodd, your drawing skills are not bad! I think you might as well stay here and be a Portrait Artist," he joked. After the joke, Zhou Shengtao handed the sketch to the identification personnel nearby. Before long, they had results. "Old Zhou, we''ve found him! He was captured by surveince ten minutes ago, on the coastal road." Zhou Shengtao pped the table, "Deploy immediately, proceed with the arrest." After giving the order, Zhou Shengtao grabbed Chen Yu''s hand and shook it excitedly. "Young man, we''re lucky to have you, otherwise we wouldn''t have found the suspect so quickly." Chen Yu smiled, "It''s what I should do!" After registering his statement, Chen Yu hailed a taxi by the roadside. Unexpectedly, as soon as he got in the car, a bicycle crashed into it quite abruptly. The driver was startled, and just as he was about to get out to check, a shiny knife suddenly pressed against his throat. "Drive now, take me out of the city!" A man wearing a duckbill cap jumped directly into the passenger seat through the window. Chen Yu frowned slightly, for he recognized the familiar smell of blood on the man. This guy was the murderer Zhou Shengtao was after! Yet he hadn''t expected that this fellow would so brazenly appear near the relevant department. Chapter 122: Chapter 122: Building a Profile Chen Yu let out a light sigh of relief and, while the driver had not yet started the car, raised his hand to grab the assant''s wrist and snatched the knife from him. Then, with a fierce effort, he dislocated the assant''s arm at the joint. The assant''s eyes widened in shock, gazing at Chen Yu with a look of horror. "What did you do to me?" Chen Yu didn''t reply but quickly reached out with both hands, grabbed his shoulders, and dislocated both his arms. The driver beside them was drenched in cold sweat, feeling like he had just narrowly escaped death. "Oh my god! That''s terrifying, and to happen in the middle of the night too!" Chen Yu appeared quite calm, taking out his cell phone to dial the number Zhou Shengtao had left him. Soon after, Zhou Shengtao, along with several relevant personnel, rushed over and pulled the assant out of the car. "Wow, young man, you''re impressive! No sooner had you walked out the door than you helped us catch this guy." Chen Yu smiled slightly, "Just happened to be in the right ce at the right time and caught him on a whim!" As he spoke, he stepped forward to reattach the dislocated joints of the assant''s arms. This disy of skill left Zhou Shengtaopletely dumbfounded. "You can also set bones?" Chen Yu was straightforward, pulling out his medical practitioner license, which he always carried with him, and handing it to Zhou Shengtao. "I''m also somewhat of a doctor." Zhou Shengtao was visibly astonished, "Aren''t you a cook?" Chen Yu felt a bit embarrassed, "My shop is just up the street, called Yuya Bansheng Garden. Come by for a meal when you have time!" Zhou Shengtao got excited immediately, "You own that ce? Our recent takeout has all been thanks to your shop." Chen Yu chuckled, "If you have any feedback on the dishes, feel free to leave a message." "Noints, it''s simply heavenly food!" After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Chen Yu hurried back to Shuiyue No. 1. When Chen Yu returned to the vi, he found that Tong Ya had already fallen asleep on the sofa. By the looks of it, she had been waiting for him until now. "Wife?" Chen Yu called out tenderly. Tong Ya opened her eyes groggily, "Husband, you''re back?" "Why are you sleeping here? Don''t you want to cover up with a nket? Be careful not to catch a cold!" Chen Yu gently stroked Tong Ya''s cheek and then lifted her by the waist and carried her back to the bedroom. At three in the morning, Chen Yu got out of bed carefully and went down to the first level of the basement. This ce originally served as a storeroom but had been converted into quite a spacious area by Li Lan. Chen Yu took out the drawing board and paper he had prepared and began to draw. With his knowledge of mechanical engineering, Chen Yu quickly designed several sets of machines. Machines for food processing were rare on the market, and those tailored for specific tasks were impossible to find. He had to design and develop them himself. If he wanted to set up a factory, he first had to manufacture these machines. It was not until six in the morning that Chen Yu finally organized several sets of machine designs he was satisfied with. When he emerged from the basement, only Li Lan and Tuan Tuan were left in the house. Chen Guang and Tong Ya had already gone to the shop. Chen Yu did not stay long, hastily leaving the house. But as soon as he arrived at the shop, he noticed that everyone was looking at him a bit strangely that day. "Boss Chen Yu, I never expected you to be so amazing, actually working with the authorities to catch the killer." Ady excitedly approached and grabbed Chen Yu''s hand, shaking it non-stop. She treated Chen Yu like a superhero. Yet Chen Yu''s face was full of gloom, the authorities wouldn''t have exposed his information so quickly. After all, they would protect the privacy of the people involved. Tong Ya walked out of the kitchen with a worried look and handed a tablet to Chen Yu. "It was the driver fromst night; his cab''s dashcam captured the scene! This guy actually uploaded it to the inte." Chen Yu''s pupils dted slightly, realizing this was equivalent to bringing big trouble upon himself. If the killer had aplices, his future life would be gued with endless problems. Sighing helplessly, Chen Yu entered the kitchen with a depressed mood. Li Gangined while stir-frying dishes. "This driver really takes the cake, exposing the video after having his life saved by us." Ning Kai patted Chen Yu''s shoulder, "Don''t worry too much; we brothers will bear any trouble for you." Chen Yu didn''t say much, just changed into his chef''s outfit and helped with the cooking. At twelve noon, Tang Xiaowei and Su Rui arrived at the shop, overjoyed. Their studio was not far from here, and it seemed they nned to treat Chen Yu''s ce as their exclusive canteen. As soon as Chen Yu served their lunches, Zhou Shengtao rushed into the shop. "Young man, do you have the time now? Can youe back with me and draw a picture?" Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, "Well, it''s rush hour right now..." "Brother, please help out! You need to draw yesterday night''s guy''s aplice." Chen Yu''s gaze became resolute, as he knew that only by catching the whole gang could he hope to live a peaceful life. "Xiaowei, do you have the time toe too?" Tang Xiaowei was taken aback, "Are you going to draw a portrait?" Chen Yu grabbed Tang Xiaowei''s wrist directly, "Yes, I only know a bit of basic sketching, and there are some details I might not capture urately!" Chen Yucked professional drawing skills and feared making mistakes. Zhou Shengtao, desperate for help, saw Chen Yu holding Tang Xiaowei and immediately took them both back to the relevant department. "Based on our investigation,st night''s murder was a premeditated one and a gang crime. We have only obtained a few clues sporadically and hope you can use these to give us a rough sketch of the person." Chen Yu looked through a pile of information in front of him and frowned deeply. It contained only some simple descriptions, and some parts didn''t match up at all. Asking a non-professional like himself to draw a portrait was indeed a bit far-fetched. However, Tang Xiaowei did not see it that way; she picked up a few sheets of paper and began sketching immediately. But after a few attempts, Tang Xiaowei encountered difficulties. "This guy is just spouting nonsense, the proportions of the eyebrows and mouth don''t match; they can''t be from the same face." Chen Yu took a deep breath, "Could we base the sketch on a single facial feature and use our imagination to fill in the rest?" Tang Xiaowei frowned, "It''s possible, but wouldn''t that be extremely taxing mentally?" Without saying much more, Chen Yu picked up a piece of paper and swiftly began to draw. Before long, he drew a dozen portraits based on the clues provided by Zhou Sheng. Each portrait was constructed around one or two specific features. If any of these features were urate, the killer could be found. Chapter 123: Chapter 123 Wilderness Survival By the time he left the relevant department, it was already seven in the evening. Chen Yu stood at the doorway stretchingzily, his face filled with gloom. He suddenly realized that he had been a bit negligent of his proper business. Originally, his restaurant had been doing well, and with the culinary skills provided by the system, he could have continued to expand his shop. But now, instead of managing his business, he was either participating in survivalpetitions or providing medical consultations, and, today, he even ended up at the relevant department to assist with a criminal case. However, the skills granted by the system did indeed give him the capabilities he needed. And these so-called distractions had begun to feel like a way of giving back to society. With this thought, Chen Yu felt somewhat reconciled. "Bro Yu, it seems I''ve dyed you for half a day!" Chen Yu scratched his head in embarrassment, "It''s okay, just think of it as making a contribution to society." "Wait!" Zhou Shengtao shouted as he hurried out after them. "I forgot to tell you guys, we''ve been chasing this gang for a whole ten years, and there''s a reward for their capture. You can bring this proof to meter and im the reward." Chen Yu took the certification that Zhou Shengtao handed over and was immediately shocked by the figure of three million on it. "Well, Xiaowei, since your studio has just opened, consider this three million aspensation for you," he said. Tang Xiaowei waved her hands repeatedly, "I can''t ept it. You drew thest few portraits all by yourself, and I didn''t really help." Chen Yu gestured with his hand, "Then, let''s do this, we''ll split it half and half, and don''t argue with me about it anymore." Tang Xiaowei didn''t know what to say. Her studio had just started up, and being in the animation business, it was quite costly. Moreover, Chen Yu had made his stance clear, so she felt it was inappropriate to refuse any further. No sooner had Chen Yu entered the shop with Tang Xiaowei than the system''s notification rang in his mind. [Congrattions to the host forpleting a day''s business. Since costs exceeded profits, no points have been rued.] At that moment, the shop was empty. Li Gang and Ning Kai had prepared the staff meal and were waiting for Chen Yu toe back to start eating. In the afternoon, Chen Yu had already ordered the materials needed for the next day, which had now been moved into the warehouse. A sense of gloom rose in Chen Yu''s heart again. It seemed as though he hadn''t done anything that day, yet somehow everything was taken care of. With a helpless sigh, he sat down to eat with everyone. Just then, Chen Yu suddenly received a text message. "Son-inw, sneak out ande to the business van at the crossroads." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow; it was the first time he saw Tong Ming being so secretive. "I have something to take care of, I''ll be back!" After giving a perfunctory notice to the others, Chen Yu left the shop with feigned calmness and quickly spotted the business van at the crossroads. As soon as he got in the van, he saw Tong Ming holding an invitation. Before he could even ask, Tong Ming looked at him with a pleading gaze. "Son-inw, do you have any idea how famous yourst chefpetition has be internationally?" Chen Yu coughed lightly, "I''m aware! What about it?" "You see, there''s this wilderness survival show that I need you to attend," Tong Ming said. Chen Yu''s eyes widened, "You''re not kidding, right?" Tong Ming appeared somewhat helpless, "After you climbed the cliff to pick goose-neck barnaclesst time, it triggered thepetitive spirit of several wilderness survival experts abroad, and they have collectively issued a challenge to you." Tong Ming pushed the invitation into Chen Yu''s hands. Seeing the events listed on the invitation, Chen Yu suddenly felt a rush of excitement. But he also felt it was somewhat irresponsible. "Well, I''ve been thinking about starting a food processing factory recently..." "Then this is perfect. If you win the championship in this challenge, you could get about thirty million in prize money. You wouldn''t just be able to start a food processing factory; opening several chain stores wouldn''t be an issue either." Chen Yu was instantly tempted. With the current profits from his store, it would take about twenty days to earn thirty million. As Tong Ming had said, with the money in hand, he would be able to start the food processing factory right away, so it couldn''t be considered irresponsible. "When do we leave?" Chen Yu suddenly became resolute. "Tonight, and you''ll reach thepetition site by tomorrow morning. Itsts for three days! However, you can''t bring family members. For Tong Ya''s part, you''d better make up a lie." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow. Who teaches their son-inw to lie to their own daughter? He responded rather perfunctorily and returned to his store. Tong Ya had already sensed something was off and stood at the door, staring at the business van from a distance. "Husband, what did my dad want you to do?" Chen Yu rubbed Tong Ya''s cheek: "I''m going to participate in a wilderness survival show. If I win the championship, I can go ahead with the n for the food processing factory." Tong Ya pouted, looking somewhat resentfully at the business van at the crossroads. "He does it on purpose, always getting you to participate in these weird shows." "No problem, it''s also a form of training for me! Take good care of Tuan Tuan at home, and the store is all yours for the next few days." Tong Ya found that Chen Yu was bing more and more perfect in her eyes. Not only did he run the store perfectly, but he was also proficient in various cuisines, and even medical skills and extreme sports seemed toe naturally to him. Sometimes she even felt that Chen Yu was an omnipotent god. "Then be careful ande back early!" Chen Yu nodded and got back on the business van. At nine o''clock in the evening, Tong Ming took Chen Yu to the airport. At five o''clock in the early morning the next day, Chen Yu, who had only gotten three hours of sleep in the hotel, was awakened by a call from the organizers. After quickly packing his equipment, Chen Yu went up to the rooftop as instructed, waiting for the helicopter. The first task required all the contestants to jump from a helicopter with parachutes on their backs. This was a crucial scoring point in the outdoor survival assessment. Scores were ultimately determined based on the location of their skydiving and the performance of their jump. Chen Yu was taken by helicopter near an ind. "Mr. Chen, you can choose any of the inds below. After you jump, you can either swim directly to the maind or use the ind''s resources to live for a day and then make a raft to go to the maind." Chen Yu nodded and walked straight to the helicopter door. Before the staff could react, he jumped. "Mr. Chen, you haven''t taken your parachute!" The staff shouted in rm, peering out of the door anxiously. They saw Chen Yu spread his arms and preciselynd in the ocean. Then, he quickly swam to the ind. The helicopter staff, seeing that Chen Yu was safe, finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although this was a wilderness survival show, their principle was still to ensure the safety of the contestants and prevent any fatal idents. Soon after, several drones carrying cameras flew towards Chen Yu. Chapter 124: Chapter 124: The Spectacled Cobra ``` Inside the organizer''s camp, everyone was dazzled by Chen Yu''s leap. The other three contestants were all carrying some simple equipment and parachutes. Chen Yu, however, had brought nothing, which meant his wilderness survival was starting from scratch. After arriving on the ind, he started searching for some dry trees. He picked up a thin branch and, with all his strength, fiercely struck it against the trunk of a tree. A shower of sparks flew out, igniting the dry grass he had ced nearby. This method of making fire by friction was also an eye-opener. Such incredible arm strength was needed to light a fire in one go. After briefly warming his clothes over the fire, Chen Yu stripped some bark from the trees and made a simple hammock, where hey down with ease. He had hurriedly taken a flight herest night and was called early in the morning to participate in the wilderness survivalpetition. Even with his excellent physical condition, it was a bit too much to bear. Furthermore, the ind wasn''t veryrge, and it didn''t pose much danger, so it made sense to rest here for a day first. It didn''t take long for Chen Yu to fall into a deep sleep. Unaware of how much time had passed, he was awakened by a system notification in his mind. "Congrattions host forpleting a day''s business; since costs exceeded profits, there are no points umted." Before leaving, Chen Yu had given his phone to Tong Ya and had also shared his payment password with her. After all, there might not be any signal on the wilderness survival site. Even if there was, ording to thepetition rules, he wasn''t allowed to carry any electronic devices. Chen Yu stretchedzily, jumped down from the tree bed, and ignited another fire. Then he jumped into the sea and forcefully dragged up tworge fish. After a simple meal, Chen Yu put on his dried clothes and chopped down some nearby trees to make a simple raft. Leisurely, he set off for the maind. The other three contestants weren''t having as easy a time as Chen Yu. They only rested on the ind for a short while before swimming straight for the maind. The wilderness survivalpetition had a specific destination, and the first to arrive would be dered the winner. Once Chen Yu reached the shore, he didn''t stop for a moment and immediately began darting through the thicket of trees. He was so fast that even the drones following him couldn''t keep up. Having run for most of the night, not once did Chen Yu show signs of fatigue. Just as he was about to find something to eat, he suddenly heard a scream not far away. Chen Yu frowned, climbed up a tall tree to take a look, and indeed saw the flicker of a fire in that direction. Without lingering, Chen Yu swung from onerge tree to another and headed toward the fire. The other three contestants were all there. One of them was lying next to the fire, gritting his teeth in agony. The three seemed toe from different countries, and theirmunication was extremely chaotic. Yet all three appeared to be anxious. Chen Yu took a quick look and realized that the injured contestant had been bitten by a venomous snake. By the looks of the wound, it was likely a pit viper. An injury from such a snake was difficult to heal unless one had antivenom. At that moment, arge number of drones were hovering nearby, inquiring about the situation. Compared to others'' panic, Chen Yu remained incredibly calm. He told the drones he could handle it and then disappeared into the dense forest beside them. Before long, Chen Yu returned with a bunch of herbs. "Chen, this stuff... effective..." ``` Chen Yu looked up and saw the person inquiring before him, with the name ''Bell'' written on his chest. His Chinese wasn''t very good, so his speech came out haltingly. Chen Yu didn''t say a word, only giving an ''OK'' hand sign. Then, he applied the pulverized herbal medicine to the injured person''s leg. The injured person''s name was Kant, and Chen Yu had seen his wilderness survival programs before¡ªhe was a truly ruthless man. Another person was named Karan. Originally a seasoned adventure blogger, he had be enamored with wilderness survival. Thepetition was originally a friendly match between the three of them. However, after they saw the video of Chen Yu climbing the cliff with his bare hands and the goose neck barnacles, they unanimously decided they wanted to challenge Chen Yu. After all, the move Chen Yu made was extremely difficult. All three of them had tested it and found that they couldn''t move as freely as Chen Yu did. After Kant had the herbal medicine applied, he quickly regained consciousness, and hisplexion gradually improved. Bell and Karan also breathed a sigh of relief. Using their broken Chinese, they kept thanking Chen Yu and even shared some of the supplies they had brought with them. Early the next morning, the four set out together. The primeval jungle was extremely dangerous; Kant''s lesson told them that one person couldn''t cross the jungle alone. In the organizer''s camp, everyone was watching the images sent back by the drones, and the post-production staff immediately began processing these images. Especially the footage of Chen Yu rescuing peoplest night, which was further dramatized. They then changed the original title from ''The Lonely Brave'' to ''Teamwork''. By evening, Kant was able to walk freely, and the four buried the stretcher they had used to carry him. Having traveled a bit further, the four worked together usingrge leaves to make a simple pot. Chen Yu gathered the food and seasoning they each had and used the game he had caught to prepare a feast. The three hadn''t expected to eat something so delicious under wilderness survival conditions. They all saw Chen Yu with new eyes. And they even began to have a faint sense of conceding defeat. Just with the skills of treating snake venom and cooking in the wild, Chen Yu had already overwhelmed the three of them. [Congrattions to the host forpleting a day''s business. As the cost exceeds the profit, there is no bonus to points.] In the past few days, Chen Yu had grown ustomed to such notification sounds. However, he didn''t care much about points anymore. The skills the system provided were enough to make him a cut above the rest. Moreover, he hadn''t fully mastered many skills, and there was no need to acquire new ones. Chen Yu silently vowed in his heart that he would definitely start up his factory when he returned this time. Just as they were eating, a rustling sound suddenly came from the woods beside them. All four of them had hearing above that of ordinary people and almost simultaneously stood up. Before long, a group of mongrel dogs appeared. They greedily stared at the four, or more precisely, at therge leaf in the middle. Chen Yu''s brow furrowed; he couldn''t help butin inwardly about who had chosen this wilderness survival location. This was no longer apetition but practically ying with their lives. However, he didn''t rule out the possibility that his cooking was too delicious, and the fragrance had attracted the mongrel dogs. Chen Yu took a deep breath and slowly picked up a tree branch from beside him. As two of the dogs leaped towards him, heshed out fiercely with the branch. Chapter 125: Chapter 125: Master of Gourmet Food Chen Yu''s physical fitness had already reached the limits of human potential, but he had never systematically learned martial arts or any kind of self-defense techniques. Now, he could only rely on his own physical prowess and that sharp reflexes to deal with these mongrels. However, these critters usually moved in packs and were numerous. Even if Chen Yu was formidable, it wasn''t possible to deal with all of them, especially since he also had to protect the three people behind him. Bell, Kant, and Karan, although all world-renowned wilderness survival experts, also had very limited abilities. Chen Yu let out a breath, "We can''t stay here any longer! Let''s leave as soon as possible." The three roughly understood Chen Yu''s meaning, not daring to linger here any longer. After quickly packing their equipment, they took up torches and cautiously proceeded, keeping a watchful eye on the mongrels as they hastened forward. Shortly after they left, the pack of mongrels pounced and devoured the food they had left behind, leaving nothing. Not until the early morning did the four men stop for a rest, looking back with some trepidation. This wilderness survival trip indeed had many idents, primarily because its difficulty might have been the greatest in recent years. This primeval jungle had been deste for many years, even housing some primitive tribes. The organizers had initially nned separate routes for the four, but an unexpected event had brought the other three together, with Chen Yu being the exception. Moreover, Kant had been bitten by a rare venomous snake. When these images were transmitted back to the organizers'' camp, everyone was on edge. Initially, they thought that with four formidable participants together, there wouldn''t be too many problems. But they still underestimated the dangers within this primeval jungle. Without any pause, on the afternoon of the third day at two o''clock, the four men almost simultaneously reached the predetermined endpoint. The staff, who had been waiting there, immediately took them away separately for medical examinations. After all the checks were finished, Chen Yu returned to the hotel. [Congrattions, Host, forpleting one day of business. Since costs have surpassed profits, there are currently no points umted.] Chen Yu checked the time subconsciously; it was already eight o''clock at night. Stretching, Chen Yu was about to go to bed when his phone suddenly rang. "Son-inw, we have to leave overnight!" "Is it that urgent?" Chen Yu frowned slightly. "The organizers want to sign a lifetime contract with you, and I''m not foolish enough to bury my son-inw here! No matter what, we''re heading back to Suzhou City first." Chen Yu didn''t say much else and hurried out of the hotel as Tong Ming had instructed. In a clearing not far away, Tong Ming had arranged a helicopter to wait there. Tong Ming did not leave with Chen Yu; he had to stay behind to coordinate some details. Not until four in the morning did Chen Yu finally return to Suzhou City. Although slightly tired, Chen Yu didn''t return to Shuiyue No.1, instead going directly to the shop. By four thirty in the morning, the shop was already in business mode. Except for Li Lan, who was at home taking care of Tuan Tuan, everyone else was there. Tong Ya was also there, helping to tidy up the tables. "Wife! I''m back!" The shout drew the attention of the entire shop. Tong Ya, even more so, shouted and darted into Chen Yu''s embrace in three strides. Yet Tong Ya''s face was filled with grievance, "You still remember toe back? You''ve been gone for three days without so much as a message." Chen Yu patted Tong Ya''s back, "The ce I went topete had no signal, you know!" Just as he was consoling her, Chen Yu suddenly noticed that the faces of the people in the shop were looking rather grim. Li Gang, with a sullen look, came out of the kitchen and handed over an invitation to Chen Yu. "Old Chen, this was sent over by Master Han Dongli yesterday!" Chen Yu raised his eyebrows slightly and took a good look at it, only to realize that Master Han Dongli was indeed a top gourmet critic. Tong Ya let out a sigh, "I heard about Master Han when I was a child. He has an extremely high status in the culinary world. Any restaurant he''s reviewed either bes the talk of the industry or could possibly shut down that very day." Chen Yu remained calm, "For me, whether he''s a master or not, once he''s in our shop, he''s our guest, and we just need to serve him well." Thisposed demeanor instantly surprised everyone in the shop, especially Ning Kai, Li Gang, and Wang Qingshan. The three of them were veteran chefs and knew Han Dongli very well. The master was already in his sixties this year and had dedicated his youth to restoring lost recipes. He spent more than thirty years collecting andpiling ancient lost recipes, and so far, he had documented more than four hundred dishes. And he was particrly picky. Restaurants around the world with any degree of fame had been visited by him, yet most were both respectful and fearful of him. Whenever Han Dongli visited a restaurant, nearly the entire staff would run around in circles attending to him. Some venues even went so far as to hire world-ss chefs at a high cost, all just to get a word of approval from him. However, the three were quite confident in Chen Yu. In all their years as chefs, they had never seen one like Chen Yu. While other chefs take nearly a lifetime to master one type of cuisine, the three had no idea how many types Chen Yu was proficient in. Chen Yu wouldn''t say, and they didn''t dare to ask. As far as they could tell, Chen Yu was at least an expert in five major cuisines, and he had unique methods and techniques for each. What was most important was that Chen Yu was not yet thirty years old. To have achieved such sess at this age in the culinary world was no longer a matter of genius, it was downright divine. By eight in the morning, the flow of customers gradually increased. Chen Yu noticed that many of them were carrying milk tea cups that were exceedingly cute in appearance. He nced instinctively outside the door and saw that across from the convenience store, a window selling milk tea had opened up at some point. "Yuan Yi Milk Tea? When did this open?" Chen Yu casually asked. Li Gang also nced outside and noted, "It just opened the day before yesterday. It seems to be a celebrity-owned brand, and around a hundred locations popped up throughout Suzhou City in a single day." A look of concern appeared on Chen Yu''s face. It wasn''t so much that there was something wrong with the milk tea shop, but the sugar crystals and all sorts of additives contained in milk tea mixed with the braised vors could easily cause problems. The fats in braised foods are naturally high. For most people who are strong and healthy, naturally, it''s not an issue, but those who are slightly weaker or suffering from serious obesity. If they drank the milk tea and then came to his shop for braised vors, thebined effect could potentially cause issues with blood pressure and blood sugar. Chapter 126: Chapter 126: The Rules of the Shop Chen Yu had previously tweaked the marinade recipe based on the principles of herbal cuisine, turning the shop''s marinated dishes into bona fide health foods. But who could guarantee that these milk teas wouldn''t undermine the medicinal properties of the recipe? Chen Yu pondered in his mind for a moment, and knew he had to minimize the potential harm of these milk teas on his customers'' health. At the very least, the patrons of his shop absolutely could not bepromised by the milk tea. "Li Gang, Ning Kai, I''ll leave things here to you, I need to step out for a bit." After giving his instructions, Chen Yu hurried off to the farmers'' market. Before long, Chen Yu bought back arge amount of various beans. The system had already provided aplete set of breakfast recipes, which included the preparation of mung bean smoothies and soy milk. Now that the weather was gradually warming up, these two items might be able to counteract the impact of milk tea on the store to the greatest extent if ced in the shop. Especially the soy milk, which only required a special technique to be slightly modified, and it could imitate the taste of cow''s milk. If some ingredients were added, the vor could be even more refreshing than that of milk tea. What''s more important was that its cost was extremely low, almost negligible. Chen Yu nned to offer these two items for free, just like the porridge previously avable in the dining area. In less than ten minutes, Chen Yu had made the first bowl of soy milk. The fragrance it exuded waspletely different from that of ordinary soy milk, with a very rich milky aroma. If one didn''t see the preparation process, they might think it was fresh cow''s milk straight from the cow. Li Gang couldn''t wait to take a sip and was instantly amazed. "My God! This is the first time I''ve seen someone make pure milk out of soy milk." Ning Kai, already enticed by the smell, snatched the spoon and took a sip with a look of enjoyment. "Delicious and invigorating; oh, Chen Yu, if you supply this for free, it''s simply too much of a waste. If this were sold in other shops, even ten yuan per cup would be too cheap." Chen Yu didn''t say much, just followed the previous steps and made fourrge pots. Mung bean smoothie, red bean smoothie, secret recipe chilled soy milk, and secret recipe hot soy milk. And in these offerings, Chen Yu had also added some fashionable fruits. The fourrge pots were plugged in and the temperature set, ready to serve both hot and cold. The aroma that wafted out filled the entire shop in no time. A delivery guy who often brought his daughter with him must have felt sorry for her, so he bought her a cup of milk tea before entering the shop. But as soon as he saw four big tubs added to the free supply section, he was startled. And the aroma that spread was several times richer than the milk tea in the young girl''s hand. Almost subconsciously, he picked up a disposable stic bowl from the side and scooped up a bowl of the secret recipe soy milk. After just one taste, the delivery guy was so impressed that he grabbed his daughter''s milk tea and took a sip. "What on earth is this garbage, selling for twelve yuan a cup, and it''s not even as tasty as the stuff Chen Yu is offering for free." Eximing in surprise, the guy then scooped up another bowl for his daughter. The little girl obediently took a sip and then pushed the milk tea in her hand aside. The free supply area had been set up specifically for delivery guys in the first ce, so naturally, they were among the first beneficiaries. It wasn''t long before nearly all the delivery guys in the shop were showering the ce with praise. "This is definitely the most delicious smoothie I''ve ever had; Chen Yu, are you sure you''re not charging for this?" "If I had known, why would I bother buying milk tea? Those celebrities are just using milk tea as a pretext to make money. Look at young boss Chen, offering such delicious things for free." ... The delivery guys'' praises quickly attracted the nearby customers. After most people tasted the secret soy milk blend, they immediately discarded their milk teas aside. In fact, calcting the cost, the average expense for each big pot of the nine kinds of free beverages was only about ten yuan. Even if each kind of beverage was served in five shifts per day, the cost was just over five hundred yuan. Compared to the daily profit of over a million, it was literally insignificant. Moreover, Chen Yu had entered these nine kinds of free beverages into the delivery system. Consumers could choose the amount of beverages ording to the number of people dining, which was also a benefit offered by Chen Yu. At noon, an old man in his sixties hobbled into the shop with a cane. He walked to the disy window with an air of authority and knocked on it casually. "Boss, just give me a few of your specialty dishes," he said. At the sound of his voice, Ning Kai and Li Gang were momentarily startled. "Mr. Han!" The two called out almost in unison and then prepared to go out and greet him. But Chen Yu stopped them. "Old gentleman, please go over to the ordering area to ce your order, then join the queue here. These are the rules of our shop." Han Dongli''s eyes bulged in disbelief: "Take a good look, I am a gourmet critic, and my final opinion can directly determine the fate of this establishment." "Who you are doesn''t concern me; here, you are just another diner, and you must follow the rules of this ce!" Han Dongli didn''t expect Chen Yu to show him such little respect and immediately felt indignant. However, seeing the poprity of the shop, he suppressed the anger in his heart. This establishment was long famous and had even been featured in Suzhou City''s media more than once. Today, no matter what, he had to taste for himself what made this ce so exceptional. Taking a deep breath, Han Dongli headed towards the ordering area. But as he passed the free offering section, he was instantly captivated by the aroma wafting from the nine big pots. Leaning in to sniff, Han Dongli was even more startled. "Licorice, bamboo shavings, lotus leaves, lotus seeds..." He rattled off the names of several ingredients, saliva already flowing from the corner of his mouth. Eager, he picked up a disposable stic bowl and helped himself to some ck rice and adzuki bean porridge. "ck rice, adzuki beans, the ratio of water was nearly perfect, and thebined effect of the medicines is to dispel dampness and chill! My God, such a thing is offered for free." Eximing in amazement, he took another disposable bowl and served himself some chilled secret soy milk blend. "Chilled and refreshing, with a strong fruit vor, but isn''t this milk too rich? Such cost... No, soybeans! My God, what kind of method was used? The soybean taste ispletely hidden; even I almost couldn''t detect it." Overwhelmed with excitement, he took another disposable bowl, wanting to get some mung bean slush. "Hey, what''s the matter with you, old man? Kind boss Chen offers us these free beverages, and look at you¡ªhaving a bit to drink, wasting a bowl. Disposable bowls are still bowls, aren''t they free?" A scolding voice startled Han Dongli, and then dozens of delivery guys swarmed around him. From their looks, they seemed ready to tear Han Dongli to pieces. Chapter 127: Chapter 127 My Rules Han Dongli was terrified. As a food critic, he had to ensure the purity of each food item. To identify the ingredients used in the porridges, it was absolutely necessary to prevent the vors from mixing. But these delivery guys were different; they were naturally frugal, and the porridge was provided for free, so how could they waste disposable stic bowls? And every half bowl of porridge that Han Dongli scooped up, he only took one sip and then threw it into the trash can next to him. It was simply too wasteful. "What are you doing? I am a famous foodie. I came here to judge what level this restaurant is..." "Who do you think you are?" A delivery guy suddenly interrupted Han Dongli, "I''ve seen plenty of people like you, bloggers who explore restaurants, inte big Vs, who just deceive others for free food and drinks! And then you give yourself the title of a foodie, how shameless." In an instant, the delivery guys and customers in the shop gathered around. If looks could kill, Han Dongli would have been dismembered by now. Tong Ya saw what was happening and hurried over. She obviously knew Han Dongli, and this old predecessor''s temper was quite explosive. If the taste produced by any shop didn''t suit his pte, he could even publicly criticize everyone involved with the shop, including the chefs. Yet now, he had be the one being criticized and judged. Tong Ya covered her lips and chuckled, then approached Han Dongli. "Mr. Han, one of our principles here is not to waste food. Such behavior incurs a fine in our establishment," she said. Han Dongli was stunned, "Aren''t you from the Tong family..." "This restaurant is opened by my husband, so I am now part of the Chen family," Tong Ya interrupted, and then led him to the ordering area. "I''ve heard about you from my grandfather since I was little, the Beidou of the culinary world! However, here, I hope you can put aside your set of rules and follow my husband''s," she said, her tone cooling. The domineering air of a conglomerate heiress in Tong Ya''s voice took Han Dongli by surprise. Originally, Han Dongli had hoped to use his renown to intimidate here, but he faced obstacles at every turn. Moreover, this ce was connected to the Tong Group; he wouldn''t dare to act recklessly even if he had ten times the courage. Swallowing instinctively, Han Dongli sullenly began to order food by scanning a code with his phone. The dish he ordered was also extremely tricky: Pagoda-style braised pork. This dish was a true test of a chef''s skill. Firstly, the knife work: when cooking, the whole piece of meat must not be cut apart, and when the dish is served, the pork must remain intact to ensure it''s connected. Secondly, the cooking: since the pork remains connected, it''s difficult to ensure even cooking throughout. Therefore, to properly make this dish, a chef needs decades of experience and a solid foundation, something not simply achieved. In fact, Han Dongli was just looking for a way to save face. Since the restaurant was rted to the Tong Group, he obviously couldn''t hastily give it a rating. But Chen Yu looked to be under thirty; how could he possibly manage such aplex dish? When the time came, Han Dongli could sneer and mock with insinuations, at least letting off some steam. As he was scheming in his mind, Yang Shu ced an extremely delicate te of Pagoda pork on the table. Han Dongli couldn''t help but widen his eyes in disbelief; it had only been half an hour, and such a difficult dish had actually been made. Full of doubt, he picked up his chopsticks and mped the very top of the Pagoda pork, lifting it slowly. To his amazement, the meat below was perfectly connected without a hint of separation. When he lifted the meat, it emitted a rich aroma. "This is impossible, how could it be done in half an hour?" No sooner had he marveled at this when Yang Shu looked at Han Dongli with an odd expression. "Uncle, you''re really behind the times! Haven''t you heard of a pressure cooker?" The two of them were clearly not on the same wavelength. Han Dongli was puzzled that such aplicated process could be done so fast. Yet in Yang Shu''s eyes, those so-calledplicated steps were nothing at all. She had even seen Chen Yu prepare even moreplex dishes firsthand. Taking a deep breath, Han Dongli cut a piece of meat and ced it in his mouth. The nearly perfect taste nearly made his taste buds explode. "To think you could fuse the vors of the four major cuisines into one!" This exmation startled the nearby customers, all of whom looked at Han Dongli with strange gazes. Ayman appreciates the spectacle, an expert appreciates the technique. In the eyes of others, as long as the food Chen Yu made was tasty, it was good enough. But for Han Dongli, it was different. There were methods for making Bao Ta meat in all the major cuisines. It was difficult to strictly define which cuisine this dish truly belonged to. There had even been a debate in the culinary world over which cuisine could im this dish. The Bao Ta meat prepared by Chen Yu could leave the chefs from all the contested cuisine camps red-faced. He had directly fused the vors of all the cuisines together. But in Han Dongli''s view, it was impossible to make such aplex dish like Bao Ta meat in half an hour, let alone blend the vors so perfectly. He picked up the te of Bao Ta meat and hurried to the disy window. "Young man, how on earth did you make this?" Chen Yu, busy tossing a pan, didn''t even nce at Han Dongli. "Old sir, this is a kitchen, not a dining area. I hope you won''t disturb us while we''re cooking." Han Dongli was momentarily stunned. In his more than thirty years in the industry, no chef had ever dared to be so presumptuous in his presence. But when he thought of Chen Yu''s skills, he sighed helplessly. Just based on this dish of Bao Ta meat alone, even if he reprimanded him, it wouldn''t matter. Moreover, Chen Yu was generous enough to offer such delicious food for free¡ªhis magnanimity and realm were simply iparable to Han Dongli''s. After finishing the Bao Ta meat, Han Dongli didn''t leave. He just sat there nkly until eight o''clock in the evening. [Congrattions to the host forpleting a day''s business. As costs exceed profits, no points have been rued.] Chen Yu had just ced the raw materials needed for tomorrow into the cold storage and briefly checked the inventory before leaving the warehouse. Although there were still no points umted, his checking ount bnce had reached 12.94 million. If the rewards from the wilderness survival were also credited, he would have over 30 million in his hands. By then, he could seriously open arge factory. Just as Chen Yu was about to sit down and eat, he saw Han Dongli sitting there in a daze. The others were also frustrated. The old man had been sitting there all day, and even though the te in front of him had been cleared away, it was unclear why he was still sitting there. Chapter 128: Chapter 128 Feeling Ashamed of Oneself "Old sir, would you like toe over and have a bite?" Chen Yu called out with a frown. No matter what, we couldn''t just let an old man sit there idly in the shop! Han Dongli looked up nkly, didn''t say much, and walked over leaning on his cane. Chu Hong hurried to get a clean set of utensils and served Han Dongli a bowl of rice. Han Dongli had just sat down when he was shocked by the sumptuous meal in front of him. "Is this what you normally eat for your employee meal?" Wang Dan, who was sitting close by, couldn''t help but widen her eyes, "Are you dissatisfied with our employee meal, old sir?" The question was obviously charged, as Wang Dan considered their employee meal to be the best in the world. Han Dongli waved his hands repeatedly, "That''s not what I mean! Your employee meal is toovish; it includes dishes from all the major cuisines, and even the rice is made with great care." Chen Yu coughed lightly, "It''s just the leftover ingredients from the day, made casually, nothing special." Han Dongli sighed softly, "Chen, at your age, it''s the time to bepetitive and full of vigor, yet the wisdom and demeanor you show have won me over!" A thick booklet was then ced on the table by Han Dongli. "These are lost recipes I''ve coted over the years. A precious sword is meant for a hero, and now, it seems there''s no one more worthy of this recipe book than you." Chen Yu was slightly taken aback and politely stood up to receive the recipe book. But when he browsed through it, he found that the so-called lost recipes recorded within were all included in the system''s array of dishes. In other words, there was no such thing as lost recipes for him; even if there were, the system would automaticallyplete them for him. "Old sir, actually, the lost recipes recorded here, I can make almost all of them!" Chen Yu put the booklet away and respectfully returned it. Han Dongli waspletely stunned, "Impossible, these are recipes I''vepiled from over thirty years of travel around the world, and you''re not even thirty years old yet, these lost recipes..." Chen Yu cut him off, "Ancient dishes varied greatly in their preparation due to historical and geographical reasons from the modern ones!" "The lost recipes you''ve noted in this recipe book are modern interpretations of ancient dishes, or to put it simply, they are home-cooked meals handed down from farmers." For Han Dongli, this revtion was like a bolt from the blue; what he had painstakingly collected over thirty years amounted to nothing more thanmon homestyle dishes in Chen Yu''s eyes. Before he could grasp what had happened, Chen Yu pushed a te of deep-fried fish fillets in front of him. "Peony fish fillets have been documented since the Warring States period as a part of the state banquet of the Chu kingdom, and there are many ways to prepare it to this day! Mine is a homestyle version, just that I didn''t have time to shape it into a peony." Han Dongli''s eyes widened in shock. Peony fish fillets were a signature dish in his recipe collection. Only a very few people in the world could prepare this dish. Yet, in Chen Yu''s ce, it was merely a dish for the employee meal. Han Dongli''s face was full of shame, "I have lived in vain for over sixty years!" With a heavy sigh, he didn''t linger, but took up his cane and shuffled out of the shop. "Is the old gentleman alright? Why does he look so soulless?" Chu Hong asked, full of confusion. Li Gang sighed softly, "A lifelong belief, so mercilessly erased, it''s tragic!" Wang Qingshan snorted coldly, "These so-called gourmets are nothing but people using the media to hype their own fame, thinking their words alone can exchange a lifetime of fame and fortune!" Ning Kaiughed a few times, "If we''re really talking about cooking skills, this Mr. Han probably can''tpare to any of us here, except for his sharp tongue, that is." Chen Yu nced at the door, didn''t say much, and after all, once they were in his ce, they had to follow his rules. Mr. Han''s actions today were indeed a bit excessive. And before, Chen Yu had read news about Han Dongli, which mostly involved the old guy ruining other people''s businesses. In Chen Yu''s view, such a person was of no use to the culinary world, on the contrary, he was a disaster. After dinner, and a quick cleanup, Chen Yu took Tong Ya and Chen Guang back to Watermoon One. Sinceing back from the Live or Die scene overnight yesterday, Chen Yu hadn''t rested and was truly exhausted. After a quick shower, he returned to his room and fell asleep. The next morning at six, Chen Yu got out of bed, still groggy. Tong Ya and Chen Guang had gone to the shop early, and Tuan Tuan had woken up early too, practicing dancing in front of the TV. Li Lan busied herself cleaning up the house on her own. Chen Yu exchanged a few words with Tuan Tuan and then drove to the shop. Unexpectedly, there was already a long line at the door of the shop. Chen Yu frowned, usually at this time the shop would be bustling, but it had never formed such a long queue like today. After parking the car, Chen Yu hurried into the shop. Almost all the customers were gathered in the free supply area, taking a bowl of porridge or soy milk before heading to the second floor. "Old Chen, our shop is almost catching up with the bubble tea shop!" Li Gang leaned at the counter door, face full of smiles. Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, subconsciously looking across at the convenience store. He found that there was nobody at the bubble tea window over there. He had anticipated this scene; it''s obvious that when one ce offers better-tasting drinks than the other, and for free, people know what to choose. "Increase the amount for free supply as appropriate today!" Chen Yu said casually and then entered the kitchen. The reason why Yuanyi Bubble Tea had spread throughout Suzhou City so quickly was that they had utilized the convenience stores'' locations. Convenience stores were generally located where there was a high flow of people, using this, bubble tea shops could save arge amount of investment. But starting from today, centered on Chen Yu''s shop, all Yuanyi Bubble Tea stores were hit hard. The best stores had their sales cut in half, and like the store opposite Chen Yu''s, so far, they hadn''t made a single transaction. Moreover, in all the major social media in Suzhou City, one could see promotions about the free soy milk. Plus, with Chen Yu''s store already being a popr spot in Suzhou City, its influence had greatly increased. These free supplies also brought arger customer flow to Chen Yu''s shop. Even though most people came for the word "free," when faced with such delicious offerings, they felt somewhat embarrassed not to buy something else. However, Chen Yu''s shop had long covered within a ten-kilometer radius, almost all customer traffic, so even though sales increased, there wasn''t a very noticeable surge. Chapter 129: Chapter 129 Portrait Capital City, Qingquan Mountain Film and Television Base. Fang Yuan looked at the continuously increasing share of profits in her ount and instantly beamed with joy. She had not expected that the celebrity effect, coupled with capital operations, could yield such high profits. In just a few days, she had actually received more than twenty million. So far, her milk tea shop had opened nearly ten thousand branches across the country, and the number was still increasing wildly. Fang Yuan couldn''t contain her excitement, and at this rate, she thought, she might fulfill the wager agreement in no more than two months. Han Mintao ced several contracts in front of Fang Yuan. "These are the ns for after youplete the wager agreement. Your personal studio and personal sole proprietorship need to be set up now," he said. Fang Yuan nced briefly at the contracts, then prepared to sign, but her phone suddenly rang. "Yuan sister, our stores in Suzhou City aren''t doing well. Several of them are struggling to survive." Along with this message came a video. With one look, Fang Yuan knew it was Chen Yu''s store. Especially when she saw the ninerge barrelsbeled "free supply," her nerves almost snapped. Nowadays, everyone knows that the milk tea industry is highly profitable¡ªa cup of milk tea costing ten yuan might only have a cost of one to two yuan. How could they possiblypete with someone offering free goods? Fang Yuan took a deep breath, not bothering to worry too much. After all, her businessyout was nationwide, and the loss of merely one Suzhou City wouldn''t have too much impact. But when she saw the contents of the video, she still felt anger bubbling up inside her. Could free stuff really taste better than her milk tea? "What''s wrong, daughter?" Han Mintao pressed on Fang Yuan''s shoulder, "Why the long face? You''re about toplete the wager agreement; what could possibly upset you?" Fang Yuan was somewhat dazed, "Mom, do you think, when I make my marriage history public, will there be any negative public opinion about me? Can I safely bring Tuan Tuan back?" Han Mintao was taken aback, "I advise against it. The entertainment industry relies on personal branding, once that copses, everything you have will cease to exist." Fang Yuan''s breath became rapid, "But didn''t you say that as long as I fulfill the wager agreement, I might be able to bring Tuan Tuan back?" Han Mintao sighed lightly, "That''s true, but this is the entertainment industry! Personal branding is fundamental to your livelihood. I can only guarantee your independence from capital''s control. As for the rest, time will tell." Fang Yuan didn''t speak again. She just signed her name on those contracts and then sat staring nkly at the video on her phone. ¡­ By four o''clock in the afternoon, the flow of people began to dwindle. Chen Yu was preparing to take a break when suddenly he saw several people rush into the shop with great momentum, heading straight for the free supply area. They immediately grabbed therge barrels, ready to pour out all the porridge. Chen Yu frowned and lunged forward, flipping these people to the ground in a swift move. Li Gang and Ning Kai rushed out of the kitchen upon seeing this. "Oh, so you dare toe here and make trouble!" Li Gang shouted, lifting one of the men, "Who sent you?" These guys were somewhat dazed by Chen Yu''s takedown; they had not expected Chen Yu to be so formidable. "I recognize them; they''re from the milk tea shop across the street!" Liu Tong pointed at the men with some indignation. Chen Yu frowned. He had not expected the milk tea shop''s personnel toe over and create a scene. "It doesn''t matter who they are; just send them straight to the relevant authorities!" Just then, the floating TV set up in the middle of the hall suddenly disyed scenes from a wilderness survival show. When Chen Yu appeared on the screen, everyone cheered. "Oh my God, Chen Yu is actually participating in the program with those three wilderness survival experts." "Chen Yu has this up his sleeve, we never saw it before." "Such a perfect man, truly surprising." ... Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, the footage on TV was edited, and many details weren''t shown. It didn''t highlight Chen Yu''s abilities too much, probably because Tong Ming and the organizers had given specific instructions. However, the amount of advertising in the program was really excessive, with various ads popping up on the screen all the time. The show had indeed be verymercial! Just then, Chen Yu''s phone suddenly rang with a notification, and his ount received a whole twenty million. Chen Yu became excited, now he could start preparing the factory. While he was making ns, Tang Xiaowei and Su Rui rushed into the shop and handed a proposal to Chen Yu. "Brother Yu, our animation has passed the review, and the first episode will premiere today!" Tang Xiaowei shouted excitedly, then grabbed the remote control and switched to the animation channel. Meanwhile, Su Rui spread out several contracts on the table. "You need to sign this authorization document, after all, the original characters for the animation are based on you guys." Chen Yu was a bit surprised, he hadn''t expected the two girls to move so fast, and in just a few days, they had already produced the animation. And looking at the quality, they must have invested a lot of money. Chen Yu didn''t say much and directly signed his name. The shop suddenly became lively, even more excited than when they were watching the wilderness survival show. "Isn''t this theic we read before? It''s been turned into an animation." "Chen Yu, this shop is going to be famous all over the country." "I''ve been a witness to this shop since the days it was just a food cart, I''m an old customer here." "As if it''s any different for anyone else!" ... Chen Yu was also a bit excited; if the animation spread widely, it would be a great prelude to opening his factoryter. Just then, Zhou Shengtao rushed into the shop in a hurry. However, he didn''t care about the troublemakers that Chen Yu had caught but anxiously pulled out a photo and handed it to Chen Yu. "Chen, I have an urgent matter I need your help with, can you draw the person from this photo?" Chen Yu frowned, clearly the photo was a blurry surveince snapshot, and the figure was so indistinct that probably only a professional portrait artist could draw the person. "You''re making it difficult for me! The photo is so blurry, it''s just a profile, and moreover, the person is wearing a mask, I''m afraid I really can''t help this time." Zhou Shengtao didn''t care about that, he insisted on stuffing the photo into Chen Yu''s hands. "Chen, I still hope you can give it a try, this is rted to over a dozen lives!" Chapter 130: Chapter 130: Restoring Points Although Chen Yu felt helpless, Zhou Shengtao had already spoken like that; he couldn''t really refuse, especially since it involved the lives of over a dozen people, a matter of great importance! "Alright, I can try, but I''m not sure if I''ll be able to sketch it out." Zhou Shengtao''s face was filled with excitement, "Let''s go right now!" Just as he grabbed Chen Yu''s arm, Zhou Shengtao saw Tang Xiaowei standing next to them. "Little girl, you were the one who came with Chenst time, right? Come with me too!" Tang Xiaowei was somewhat depressed, "I''m just here to eat!" Zhou Shengtao didn''t care about that, the case was urgent and he needed personnel. When Chen Yu arrived at the relevant department, he realized that this was probably a typical serial murder case. Each victim had been precisely shed across the femoral artery, bleeding to death from the excessive blood loss. From the photos of the victimsid on the table, the murderer appeared to be left-handed. However, this person was extremely cautious, always wearing a mask during the crimes and deliberately avoiding all security cameras. Given the existing conditions, Chen Yu could only rely on his intelligence and eyesight, which were at the human limit, to reluctantly sketch out a contour. As for the specific features of the face, Chen Yu was powerless. This guy hadpletely covered his entire face. It was simply impossible to infer his appearance based on any facial feature. Chen Yu and Tang Xiaowei discussed while they sketched, managing to draw a rough portrait of the suspect based on his physique. For Zhou Shengtao, this was already a major breakthrough; at least it could narrow down their investigative scope. As he was leaving, Zhou Shengtao held onto Chen Yu''s hand tightly. "Chen, there are many details about this case that I cannot tell you for now, but it has had a huge impact on Suzhou City and even the whole country. If the suspect isn''t apprehended soon, more people will die." Hearing this, Chen Yu understood the severity of the situation and knew that if he didn''t intervene, Zhou Shengtao woulde looking for him again. "Don''t worry, I''ll be on call whenever you need me." After a bit of small talk, Chen Yu and Tang Xiaowei went back to the shop. Su Rui didn''t go back today; instead, she helped out in the shop. The first phase of their studio''s work wasplete; now they just needed to build on the foundation they hadid and continue producing animations, so they were rtively at ease. When Chen Yu returned, he found that the convenience store across the street was dismantling its milk tea section. The milk tea shop''s franchisee sat in front of the store, smoking a cigarette with a look of helplessness on his face. He never dreamed that what would defeat him wasn''t apetitor, but the free soy milk offered by a marinade shop. The staff who had been sent to cause trouble in Chen Yu''s shop had been arrested, and naturally, he, as the boss, also had to be held ountable. As a result, the milk tea shop couldn''t continue operating. "Husband, let me tell you some good news. This afternoon, all of the ''Fang Yuan Milk Tea'' shops within an eight-kilometer radius centered on our shop¡ªnot just them, but all milk tea shops¡ªhave closed down!" Chen Yu wasn''t the least bit surprised, and there was no change in his facial expression. This was business, andpetition in the world of business was just like this, survival of the fittest! Nevertheless, he still felt a bit ufortable because what he used to eliminate hispetitors was something free. In a sense, it could be considered maliciouspetition. "I''m afraid only in Suzhou City would you find such a pattern!" Su Rui said, resting her chin on one hand as she watched the animations, scrolling on the TV. "This milk tea brand was set up by the up-anding star Fang Yuan in the entertainment circle! She must have tapped into some big capital backer with the idea of fishing for money using this channel. She even wanted to use my animation for advertising; I rejected her," It had been a long time since Chen Yu had heard the name Fang Yuan. Hearing it again, there were no ripples in his heart. To him, the Fang Yuan of now was like a stranger. Tong Ya unconsciously nced at Chen Yu and, seeing no trace of emotion on his face, felt a tinge of happiness. Tang Xiaowei nudged Su Rui, "Alright! Let''s talk about work back at the office." Her intention was to prevent Su Rui from mentioning Fang Yuan''s name here. But unexpectedly, Su Rui became more agitated the more she spoke, "What kind of work is this? Most of the resources Fang Yuan has now were leftovers from my past!" "I wasn''t willing to submit myself to the Zhao Family, so I gave up those resources. But this woman was able to immediately take them over after I terminated the contract with the studio. Can her dealings with the Zhao Family be innocent?" Tang Xiaowei coughed loudly, "That¡­ We have some other things to deal with at the studio, so we''re heading back first!" With an awkward farewell, Tang Xiaowei hurriedly pulled Su Rui out of the shop. Tong Ya fiddled with her fingers in front of her and slowly moved closer to Chen Yu. "Do you really have no feelings for ''that person'' anymore?" Chen Yu naturally knew whom Tong Ya was referring to; he smiled gently and looked tenderly at her. "Who might ''that person'' be? Isn''t there only onedy of the house here?" Tong Ya giggled and, paying no mind to others cleaning the store, threw herself into Chen Yu''s arms. [Congrattions to the host forpleting one day of business, today''s profit is 996,800 yuan, earning 996,800 points, bringing the current total umted points to 1,248,180.] Chen Yu was somewhat surprised; he hadn''t expected the 14 million points to even out so quickly. And to reach over a million points all at once. At this rate, it wouldn''t be long before he racked up another ten million points. Plus, there was already 34,570,000 yuan in his current ount; starting from tomorrow, he would have to consider setting up his factory. "Dinner is ready!" Li Gang shouted and then brought out the staff meal together with Ning Kai and Wang Qingshan. During this time, Wang Qingshan had learned a great deal from Li Gang and Ning Kai and had even be quite proficient in the entire Sichuan cuisine system. Moreover, Wang Qingshan also taught his pickling experience to Li Gang and Ning Kai. It was fair to say that now there were three high-caliber chefs in the shop. With the three of them, the shop could run entirely on its own. Several employees were still working overtime inside Weirui Animation Studio. Tang Xiaowei dragged Su Rui all the way to her office. "Xiaowei, why did you drag me back here? I was nning to scrounge a meal there," Su Rui protested. "Oh, my leader! Could you clear things up before you speak next time?" Tang Xiaowei said with a face full of reproach. Stunned, Su Rui asked, "Did I say something wrong in the shop just now?" Tang Xiaowei sighed softly, "Not exactly, but that Fang Yuan is Chen Yu''s ex-wife. Try not to mention that name in the shop in the future." Su Rui gaped, this was a bolt from the blue, an absolutely earth-shattering piece of news for her. Chapter 131: Chapter 131 Purchase of Factory Fang Yuan, in all public appearances, has maintained the persona of being unmarried and has even been taking on the pure and innocent route. The majority of her current roles fit this persona as well. This public persona is strikingly simr to what Su Rui used to present, which is why after Su Rui''s contract with the studio ended, Fang Yuan was able to immediately take over all her resources. "Xiaowei, are you saying that Chen Yu is Fang Yuan''s ex-husband and Tuan Tuan is her daughter?" "What do you think?" Tang Xiaowei curled her lips, "Don''t go spreading this everywhere. After all, Chen Yu is with Tong Ya now." "Of course, I know that! But has Fang Yuan gone mad? She actually dares to use such a persona so brazenly. Once it copses one day, she''s done for." Tang Xiaowei rubbed Su Rui''s cheek, "My Miss Su, you better take care of yourself! To the outside world, you are now a washed-up artist." Su Rui''s face was full of defiance, "Anyway, I''m stronger than that Fang Yuan. I won''t do things that betray my true self!" There was a look of puzzlement on Su Rui''s face as she spoke. "Why would someone like Boss Chen, who is handsome and talented, be divorced by Fang Yuan? Could it be that Tong Ya was the third party ..." "Third party? What nonsense are you talking about?" Tang Xiaowei was a bit indignant, "Have you been watching too many TV dramas? Chen Yu has been Tong Ya''s crush since college, and she only came into his life after he divorced Fang Yuan." Su Rui nodded repeatedly, "Oh, so Chen Yu is the one Tong Ya has always talked about! Our Tong Ya is really head over heels." Tang Xiaowei felt somewhat helpless and subconsciously covered her stomach. "I was supposed to scrounge a meal at the shop tonight, but because of you, I can only grab something quick." ... The next morning, Chen Yu drove Tong Ya to the western suburbs. This was the economic development zone, where new factories were everywhere. One area was specifically designated for food processing, separated from the other factories. After all, safety considerations in food require separate facilities to prevent contamination. Chen Yu drove to a factory that was under expansion, based on an address he had found online. ording to the information on the inte, this factory was up for sale at a low price because of mismanagement that led to a financial breakdown. When Chen Yu saw the scene before him, he immediately understood that it wasn''t due to mismanagement. The owner must have been yed by business partners or caught up in a scheme orchestrated by others. If there was expansion underway, it indicated a demand for production, but if the funding broke halfway through the expansion, it meant that business partners had probably suddenly terminated their contracts, or someone had run off with the funds. As Chen Yu arrived at the factory entrance, he saw a plump man sitting on a pile of stones, chain-smoking with a look of utter despair. Even from a distance, the man looked somewhat familiar. Upon getting out of the car, Chen Yu realized that the man was Hou Jianchang. "Mr. Hou, this factory belongs to you?" Hearing Chen Yu''s voice, Hou Jianchang stood up abruptly. "Mr. Chen? You''re the one looking to buy my factory?" Chen Yu suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. He had already taken huge advantage of Hou Jianchang with the Vi No.1 at Shuiyue, and now it seemed he was going to benefit from Hou Jianchang again when it came to the factory. "It seems we really are fated!" Chen Yu took the opportunity to extend his hand toward Hou Jianchang. Hou Jianchang, feeling somewhat ashamed, shook it briefly, then led Chen Yu and Tong Ya into the factory together. "We used to do biscuit processing here. Mr. Chen, if you take it over for food processing, some of the machinery can still be used. We''ll stick to the original price, including these machines." Hou Jianchang was quite serious in his introduction, and his tone carried a hint of urgency. It looked like he really was deeply mired in difficulties, desperately needing funds to extricate himself. "Boss Hou, after selling the factory, what do you n to do?" This sudden question from Chen Yu threw Hou Jianchang''s train of thought into disarray. He sighed helplessly, subconsciously stroking the machinery nearby. "For this factory, I''ve put in all my assets. I still owe a considerable amount to the bank. Selling the factory will just about enable me to clear that debt, and the remaining money should be enough for our family to live by for a few years." "Have you never thought of making aeback?" Chen Yu immediately asked. Hou Jianchang''s body shook, "A former business partner, together with others in the industry, conspired against me. I''m afraid there''s no hope left." While they were speaking, arge number of workers began to emerge continuously from the factory''s dormitory. Carrying their personal belongings, they lined up neatly on the open ground not far away. What shocked Chen Yu even more was that nearly half of these workers were disabled. Hou Jianchang''s eyes suddenly moistened: "Mr. Chen, if you could settle the payment today, I could then pay the overdue wages to the workers." "Boss Hou, we are not leaving! So we were deceived, but if we canplete this order, maybe the factory can still be saved." "Right, even though we are disabled, we do not fall behind when working. Just give us three days, and we can definitelyplete the order." "You know how you''ve treated us over the years? We have it all in our hearts. Now that trouble hase, we can''t let you suffer alone!" ¡­ Chen Yu was utterly moved. The feelings expressed by these workers were definitely not staged. "Everyone, listen to me! Even if weplete this order, we''ll only have an ie of over six million. It''s impossible to fill the factory''s deficit. I, Hou Jianchang, have no ability. I once promised to take care of everyone for a lifetime, but it seems I can''t fulfill that promise now." As these words fell, Hou Jianchang knelt down with a thud, bowing deeply and forcefully. The workers, too, dragged their disabled bodies to kneel down. It was clear that Hou Jianchang could definitely be considered a righteous businessman. Chen Yu let out a long breath: "Boss Hou, how much do you need? What would get you through this crisis?" Hou Jianchang was startled: "Mr. Chen, what do you mean by that?" Chen Yu nced at the workers in front of him: "Nothing special. I''m mainly interested in food processing, and your workers here are skilled technicians. Plus, you understand factory management! I think, why don''t we join forces?" Hou Jianchang couldn''t help but widen his eyes: "But I owe a lot of debt to the bank, and we still haven''t paid the contractors for the factory expansion..." "Just give me a number!" Chen Yu was quitemanding at the moment, rather like a domineering boss. "Thirteen million! But this can only keep the factory afloat for a month!" Chapter 132: Chapter 132: Visiting to Collect a Debt Chen Yu pondered for a moment. To make the food processing factory sessful, he needed professional managers and workers. Now, all of this wasid out before him. "Mr. Hou, I can give you the money first to get through the immediate crisis and also clear the remaining orders of the factory." Hou Jianchang couldn''t help but widen his eyes, "Mr. Chen, what do you mean?" "It''s simple, consider this money a loan from me. You settle the outstanding orders and then repay me; after that, we can discuss further coboration. I just need you to give me a receipt." Hou Jianchang stood there dumbstruck, unable to believe what was happening. He was at the end of his rope, thinking in his heart that with less than thirty million, he could take over the entire factory. Yet, unexpectedly, Chen Yu was not only willing to help him out of the predicament but also looked like he wanted to co-invest in the factory. This arrangement would secure the jobs of several hundred factory workers and also give him hope for thetter half of his life. "Mr. Chen, you really need to think this through. Apart from the current orders, this factory won''t be generating any profit." "Unless you have a new product direction and a sufficient market to sell them." "Of course, I have those!" Chen Yu confidently replied, "Mr. Hou, just focus on fulfilling the current orders! If you have to return them, you''d have to pay extra for breach of contract." While they were talking, a few guys dressed in identical suits and looking tough marched into the factorypound. "Mr. Hou, the loan you took out is due today. If you don''t repay it today, the interest will double tomorrow!" Hou Jianchang''s face showed helplessness as he hurriedly took out a pack of cigarettes to go up and say a few words of appeasement. "How much money does Mr. Hou owe you?" Chen Yu directly inquired. The leader of the men gave Chen Yu a cold nce, "With interest, the total is twelve million." Chen Yu then understood why Hou Jianchang said that with thirteen million, he couldst a month. Twelve million was needed to pay off debts, and the remaining one million could just keep the factory running temporarily. As for other debts, they were probably wages owed to the bank or construction crews. The hole was indeed quite big! "Where''s the IOU? Let''s settle this ount today!" The leader''s expression suddenly changed, "Ah, I see you''re here to pay off the debt. You should have said so earlier!" This guy leisurely took out the IOU from his bag with an air of courtesy to present it to Chen Yu. However, he did not immediately hand over the IOU to Chen Yu but took out various payment methods from his bag. These debt collectors had honed this procedure to perfection. Without saying much more, Chen Yu checked the figures on the IOU and transferred twelve million. Once the leader confirmed the full payment was received, he immediately bowed and scraped, handing the IOU to Chen Yu like a grandson, while also presenting a business card. "You certainly look like a generous boss! In the future, if you have any trouble, feel free to look me up. I can get tens of millions with just a word." Chen Yu did not wish to have too much to do with these people. He just smiled and signaled for them to leave. "Mr. Hou, how many orders do you currently have on hand? How much will it cost toplete these orders, and how much time is needed?" Chen Yu got straight to the point with his questions. Hou Jianchang had a clear grasp on these figures, "There are four orders in total, the cost has already been covered, and it''s all waiting in the warehouse. We can deliver in ten days!" "Right now, all it takes is two hundred and eighty thousand to keep the factory running smoothly for ten days." At this point, Hou Jianchang looked at the workers around him, "But to pay the workers their overdue wages requires more than seven hundred thousand." "Mr. Hou, it''s less than half a month''s wages, you don''t need to worry about that." Someone shouted out, and all the workers echoed in agreement. Chen Yu raised his hand to gesture for silence, and the ce quickly quieted down. "Everyone, I am now in a partnership with Mr. Hou, and I won''ty off any of you. Your sries will still be paid in full each month, as before. All you need to do right now is return to your posts and continue working." Cheers erupted on the spot. For these disabled workers, it was likely that apart from Hou Jianchang''s ce, they had nowhere else to go. If they left here, they might not have any support for the rest of their lives. The factory being able to operate normally was an enormous piece of good news for them. Chen Yu then transferred three hundred thousand to Hou Jianchang. "Mr. Hou, remember, you only have ten days! I will be assessing the entire factory during these ten days while also making some modifications. After ten days, I need the factory to be capable of producing new products." Hou Jianchang nodded excitedly and wrote Chen Yu a receipt. By the time Chen Yu and Tong Ya returned to the shop, it was already afternoon. Usually, the flow of people in the shop would gradually decrease at this time, but today it was still packed, mostly with travel groups from out of town. They must have seen the anime ande here to check in. As soon as Chen Yu entered, a few self-media journalists approached him. "Are you the owner of this shop? You really are handsome! Is your life really like what''s depicted in theics?" "Can you talk about how you managed to go from a small food cart to such a big shop in such a short time?" "Where''s your daughter? We would like to interview her and also invite her to be an ambassador for our children''s clothing line." ... Chen Yu frowned. Although these self-media questions seemed normal, they were somewhat wishful thinking. Comics are adaptations, not a reflection of his real life, plus he had the support of the system. No matter what, he wasn''t about to let Tuan Tuan be an endorser so easily, as if he couldn''t afford to support his daughter. After politely greeting them, Chen Yu took Tong Ya next door to the car shop. "Zhang Fan, I have a big job for you, I''m not sure you can handle it." Zhang Fan was lying underneath a truck and quickly slid out after hearing Chen Yu speak. "What''s the big job?" "I need to build a batch ofrge machines and was hoping you could help!" Chen Yu took out someparative drawings of certain parts. Zhang Fan took a look and immediately became excited. "This really is a big job, but with dimensions like these, we''ll need a professional machinery factory. I can put you in touch¡ªhow soon do you need them?" Chen Yu thought for a moment, "The sooner the better, within ten days ideally!" Zhang Fan shook his head, "The machines you need are toorge, I doubt we can rush them out in ten days, unless we get several machinery factories to work on it simultaneously, but that''s going to be quite expensive." Chapter 133: Chapter 133 Paying in Full Chen Yu didn''t care about money now, what he cared about was time. As long as he could get the factory up and running, he could recoup his investment in the shortest amount of time. "Then I''ll go back and categorize the blueprints, and you help me get in touch with a few more machinery factories. Money is not an issue, as long as I can see these machines within ten days." Zhang Fan was first stunned for a moment, then nodded excitedly. Just from these blueprints, the machinery Chen Yu needed was massive in size and not small in number. Even if the orders were split among several machinery factories, each factory would receive arge order. There would certainly be a nice referral fee for Zhang Fan from the corresponding factories. "Alright, I''ll call a few local machinery factories right now!" After arranging with Zhang Fan, Chen Yu went to Xie Jiang''s shop. Riding the recent renovation wave, Xie Jiang took quite a few orders and made a nice sum of money, now taking a break at home. "Old Xie, do you have any construction projects on your hands recently?" Hearing Chen Yu''s voice, Xie Jiang quickly got up, fanning himself with a hand fan. "What''s up? Old Chen, are you expanding your shop again?" Chen Yu didn''t beat around the bush, "I have a factory that I want you to help refurbish, and I''ll give you all the subsequent projects." Xie Jiang nearly spat out the tea he had just sipped. "What? A factory?" In their trade, factories were highly coveted. They were easy, finished quickly, required fewer materials, and were profitable! For these renovation and reconstruction crews,nding a project for a factory, even just a part of it, meant they could immediately set up a small constructionpany. "Old Chen, you''re not kidding with me, are you?" "Do we need to kid with each other?" Chen Yu took out a simplified blueprint of the factory and spread it on the table. This was the factory construction blueprint Hou Jianchang had given him before leaving. "This factory is currently undergoing expansion, and the external construction is already halfwayplete." "After you take over, you can continue construction ording to the original blueprint, and for some detailed issues, I will draw you another blueprint." Xie Jiang''s eyes were wide with excitement that was hard to express. "Old Chen, you''ve really handed me a ripe fruit! When do we start? Just say the word." "It would be best if we could start within these couple of days!" Chen Yu took out Hou Jianchang''s business card, "If you''re free now, go to this address and meet with Boss Hou to get an idea of the environment there." Xie Jiang nodded repeatedly, "No problem, I''ll go right away." Seeing Xie Jiang leaving in such a hurry, Chen Yu suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. The man had finally finished his projects and could rest for a couple of days, but now he had to get busy again. "Honey, are we going back to the shop? There seem to be a lot of media people gathered around there," Tong Ya said as she tugged on Chen Yu''s arm, looking somewhat annoyed. Chen Yu tilted his head to nce over at his own shop. "Let''s not, let''s go home and get the design blueprints. The factory might need to start operations by tomorrow." As soon as Chen Yu arrived home, he saw Tuan Tuan hadid out a few cushions in front of the TV and was jumping along with the dance moves on the screen. "Dad, Mom, howe you''re back at this time?" Tuan Tuan was somewhat puzzled. Chen Yu and Tong Ya usually didn''t get home until after eight o''clock in the evening. Chen Yu pinched Tuan Tuan''s little cheeks, "Daddy had to design some things today, so he came back early." Tuan Tuan, somewhat excited, pped his little hands and then took Tong Ya''s hand. "Mommy, ever since you''ve been with Daddy, you rarely dance with me anymore. Do you not like Tuan Tuan anymore?" No one could resist a little lucky beast making such a pitiful face. "Don''t cry, Tuan Tuan. Mommy happens to be free today. I''ll teach you some new moves." Chen Yu looked at the two before him, a smile showing at the corners of his mouth. However, he did not linger there for long and quickly went down to the basement. He took theplete drawings of the machine and divided them into individual parts, then scrambled the distribution. After all, the machines he was designing and manufacturing were exclusive, and if he handed over theplete drawings to the same machinery factory, they might manufacture them independently, which would be a great loss for Chen Yu. After he finished dividing them, Chen Yu made a phone call to Zhang Fan. Zhang Fan had some connections in Suzhou City and, being a talented graduate in mechanical engineering, amazingly secured six machinery factories in just one afternoon. Chen Yu split the drawings in front of him again, organized them into six sets, took photos and sent them to Zhang Fan, also marking the quantities of parts required. Chen Yu took the architectural drawings of the factory he had acquired, made some minor modifications on them, wrote down some of his requirements, and sent the photos to Hou Jianchang and Xie Jiang. Putting down his phone, Chen Yu stretchedzily and opened another bottle of red wine to quench his thirst. What remained now was to solve the problem of sales channels. Originally, Chen Yu had nned to set up arge number of branches like some fast-food restaurants, with the factory supplying semi-finished ingredients directly. But on further thought, the fast-food restaurant industry had already reached saturation, and trying to follow these old paths seemed unworkable now. Moreover, the previous coboration between Yuanyi Milk Tea and the convenience stores had inspired Chen Yu. He could also use this creative idea, negotiate with all the fast-food outlets across the country, and supply them with semi-finished products. Additionally, the braised dishes could be made fully cooked, simply packaged to create a brand, and then have contracts signed with major supermarkets. In other words,y his eggs in someone else''s nest. This would not only allow for quick recouping of funds but also enable a rapid takeover of the market. "[Congrattions to the host forpleting a day''s business. Today''s profit is 1.636 million yuan, earning 1,636,000 points. The current total cumtive points are 2,787,880 points]" Hearing the system''s notification, Chen Yu realized it was already eight o''clock in the evening. A quick check revealed that after today''s payment to Hou Jianchang, he had a total of 23.92 million yuan in his current ount. This amount of money might be a bit tight to fully finalize the machinery and theter construction and decoration of the factory. The urgency now was to find good sales channels and obtain an advance payment. However, Chen Yu''s personality had always been introverted, and although he had acquired so many skills now, he could not change this inherent trait. Ten days to pre-sell was indeed a bit difficult for him. Moreover, the factory was still in the nning stage, so who would dare give him an advance payment easily? Chen Yu sighed helplessly, "Have I been too hasty this time?" Just then, the phone suddenly rang. "Son-inw, I heard you''re setting up a factory? Can I ce an advance order for a batch of products? I can pay in full." Chapter 134: Chapter 134 Domineering Father-in-Law Chen Yu was momentarily baffled. The construction of the factory had only just started today, yet Tong Ming had already found out about it. But Tong Ya had been with him all day, and now she was dancing with Tuan Tuan, leaving no time to call Tong Ming. However, on second thought, Tong Ming was able to muster up so many people to stay nearby when the online celebrity caused trouble at the shop. It would have been rtively easy to send a few people to loiter around his shop and gather some intelligence. Chen Yu sighed helplessly, "Dad, my factory has just begun the construction phase and hasn''t started production yet, and here you are cing orders. Isn''t this a form of covert investment?" "Nonsense! What do you mean by covert investment? I''ve seen your semi-finished products warehouse before. If you''re running a factory, of course, you''d produce semi-finished puff pastries and vegetable rolls. I have a few breakfast brands under me, so why wouldn''t I buy these semi-finished products?" Chen Yu paused for a moment, as this did indeed make sense. With the Tong Group''s vast portfolio, it was not surprising they owned a few breakfast brands. "But, Dad, my factory hasn''t even started operations, and you''re alreadying to buy, which really seems a bit..." "Seems a bit what?" Tong Ming interrupted Chen Yu, "We''re family now, aren''t we? Your semi-finished products, should they be sold to someone else? Do you want their breakfast brands to oupete the Tong Family''s?" There was nothing wrong with what he said, and Chen Yu found himself unable to retort for the moment. "Alright, it''s decided then!" Tong Ming dered, making a decision on the spot: "Take some time in the next few days toe to my office. List out what your factory ns to produce so we can sign aprehensive cooperation agreement." After speaking, Tong Ming hung up the phone. Chen Yu raised an eyebrow. Although he still suspected Tong Ming of making a covert investment, supplying semi-finished products to breakfast brand stores was indeed his sales target, wasn''t it? "Honey? Who were you talking to?" Tong Ya led Tuan Tuan into the basement. Chen Yu shook his phone, "It was your dad. He wants to sign aprehensive cooperation agreement with me, saying he''ll supply the first batch of semi-finished products produced by the factory to him." "That''s great news!" Tong Ya took a seat across from Chen Yu, casually pouring a ss of red wine. Chen Yu was taken aback, this was the first time Tong Ya seemed so supportive. Before this, Tong Ya and Tong Ming were on bad terms. Even if their misunderstandings had been resolved, there were still some barriers between them. "But don''t you think this is a bit like covert investment?" Tong Ya shot back, somewhat exasperated, "Honey, he doesn''t own a share in your factory, and besides, it''s just business. Plus, the Tong Group is indeed a good sales lead. They own a multitude of breakfast and supermarket brands." Chen Yu shook his head; he was really overthinking this time. "Okay, we''ll go sign the contract tomorrow." The next morning at eight, Tong Ya got dressed in a sharp professional suit that added an authoritative aura to her. Chen Yu remained casual as usual; he wasn''t one to fuss over what to wear. After all, his physique was now proportioned like Gold, negating the need for clothes to enhance his appearance. Tong Ming was in the conference room at the top of the building, having a meeting with the group''s senior executives. The meeting had just started when Tong Ya, leading Chen Yu, barged in. Upon their entry, all the executives stood up immediately, viewing Tong Ya with reverent gazes and collectively addressing her as Director Tong. Chen Yu''s pupils dted slightly, astonished by the status Tong Ya held in the eyes of these senior executives. In fact, Tong Ya had previously served as the vice president of the Tong Group, as well as the chief nner for the group''s macro business strategy. In some respects, Tong Ya''spetence even surpassed that of Tong Ming. Therefore, the entire Tong Group regarded Tong Ya as the designated heir, whether or not she ran away from home. Tong Ya did not respond to these people but simply pulled out a chair from the side. "Husband, you sit!" Before Chen Yu could react, Tong Ya had already pressed him into the chair and then stood by his side like a secretary. Everyone present was stunned, they had not expected the Miss Tong, whom they had always respected, to be willing to take a subordinate position to a man. "Son-inw, I didn''t expect you toe so early!" Tong Ming excitedly stood up with his cane, ready toe over and shake hands with Chen Yu, but Tong Ya raised her hand to stop him. "Mr. Tong, my husband and I are here to talk business today, please refrain from familial gestures." "Oh!" Tong Mingughed heartily, "That''s more like my daughter." The senior executives, who had previously looked down on Chen Yu, now viewed him with a bit more respect. They had all tried Chen Yu''s cooking, and some of them had personally been involved in editing the footage of the twopetitions he had participated in. Someone like Chen Yu, who could do several things to perfection and had also defeated world-ss experts in his field, was an absolute legend! Such a person was not only worthy of Tong Ya but also qualified to be Tong Ming''s son-inw. Tong Ming also straightened his tie and took his seat very formally. "Alright, then let''s talk business! The rough terms of the coboration and the contract were prepared by someone I foundst night. Take a look, and if there are no problems, we can sign the contract right away." The secretary hurriedly brought the documents in Tong Ming''s hand to Chen Yu. But Tong Ya took the documents first, "Mr. Tong, you haven''t added any strange uses in this document, have you? My husband''s factory is a sole proprietorship, so don''t have any inappropriate thoughts." Everyone present could not help but cough. There never was a father so tantly trying to trick his own daughter! Tong Ming smiled helplessly, "It''s fine, take your time, I''m not in a hurry." Tong Ya only handed the contract to Chen Yu after confirming there were no problems with it. The contract was designed quite reasonably; even Chen Yu could not find any faults. After Chen Yu signed his name on the contract, he clipped the sorted list of items in with the contract and handed it back. Tong Ming nced over it, "I want all these items, and we can finalize the ratioster. Let''s start with a prepaid fund of one hundred million!" Chen Yu''s eyes went wide, that number would directly monopolize all the initial products from his factory. Before he could respond, Tong Ya had already taken one copy of the contract. "Husband, we can leave now!" Chen Yu was still a bit dazed but simply nodded his head and left the office with Tong Ya. In just a few minutes, Chen Yu''s receiving ount was credited with apany transfer from the Tong Group, a full one hundred million. Having never seen so much money in his life, Chen Yu was momentarily unable to count all the zeros disyed on the screen. Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Kicked Out of the Store Chen Yu had just returned to the shop when Zhang Fan was already waiting at the door. "Chen, I''ve settled everything with the six factories, but the machine parts you requested are tooplex and too numerous. It will probably take half a month to produce them all." Chen Yu waved his hand, "That''s not a problem, as long as you can make half of them within ten days." "Alright, I''ll get in touch with them soon." Zhang Fan casually took out six contracts, "Take a look, and if there''s no problem, just sign your name. Leave the rest to me." After confirming there were no issues with the contracts, Chen Yu transferred twelve million to Zhang Fan. In fact, the investment for these machines could have been less, but Chen Yu insisted on using the best materials, which made it more expensive. No sooner had Zhang Fan left than Xie Jiang called right afterwards. If the entire factory area were to be refurbished ording to Chen Yu''s ideas, and the unfinished projectspleted, it would require an additional investment of over eight million. For such arge factory area, Xie Jiang only quoted a budget of just over eight million, which even Chen Yu doubted, wondering if Xie Jiang had missed something. After repeatedly confirming, Chen Yu transferred eight million three hundred and twenty thousand to Xie Jiang. Indeed, starting a factory did require burning through cash at the beginning. Apart from the one hundred million given by Tong Ming, there were now only three million six hundred thousand left in Chen Yu''s current ount. Fortunately, it seemed there was nothing else to invest in other than raw materials. However, since yesterday, there had been a noticeable increase in misceneous people in the shop. Although they were not as nonsensical as the social media influencers fromst time, they were still annoying. Some self-media journalists scooped up the free congee provided for photography, but after taking pictures, they didn''t eat it, just left it aside. Moreover, many food bloggers entered the shop iming how many followers they had and demandingplimentary meals. There were even those who used the free soybean milk for apetitive eating challenge. That was nopetitive eating challenge. It was clear they were just taking a sip and then spitting it out, using cut editing to create the illusion of being apetitive eater. Because of this, many delivery riders went up to argue with these people, and the two sides even came into conflict. In the end, it even attracted the attention of the relevant authorities. Chen Yu had no choice but to put up a sign at the entrance of the shop. "Anyone wasting food will be expelled from the shop immediately!" The sign did make things somewhat better, and Wang Qingshan rolled up his sleeves and stood firmly at the entrance. His inherently hefty and tall frame stood like a small mountain there, quite imposing. No sooner had Chen Yu settled things in the shop when he received a call from Zhou Shengtao, along with an address. Chen Yu did not dare to dy and hurriedly drove there. The moat surrounding the outskirts of Suzhou City had been left deste for many years, and due to urban reconstruction, it had be a wastnd. By the time Chen Yu arrived, arge number of relevant personnel had already cordoned off the area. A strong smell of blood emanated from within, invading Chen Yu''s nostrils. "Chen, over here!" Hearing Zhou Shengtao''s shout, Chen Yu pulled aside the yellow police tape and jogged over. There were two bodies by the moat, and like the previous victims, both had their femoral arteries severed. However, this time, the killer had destroyed the victims'' faces. "Chen, can you draw what these two victims looked like before their death, based on the remaining features of their faces?" Chen Yu found himself in difficulty. Many times he had wanted to exin that he was not a professional Portrait Artist. But how could he refuse something as serious as a matter of life and death? He had no choice but to take the sketchpad handed to him by a nearby staffer and start sketching on the spot. With his knowledge of biology in mind, Chen Yu roughly estimated the facial proportions of the deceased. He then used the ratios of the facial skeleton, muscles, and skinyers to extrapte the curves of the missing parts. In half an hour, he had roughly sketched out two portraits. "It should be quite close¡ªpossibly just missing some details," Chen Yu said as he handed the portraits directly to Zhou Shengtao. Taking the portraits, Zhou Shengtao couldn''t help but get excited. "Xiao Chen, your talent is absolutely amazing. What we need the most now is a talent like you. Why don''t you consider bing a part-time staffer with us?" Chen Yuughed awkwardly, "Don''t joke with me, I still have my own shop and business... " "Hey, it''s just a part-time position, it wouldn''t interfere with your business. I''ll contact you when needed! And it''s a government position too, why not think it over?" Chen Yu raised an eyebrow. Having a government position could indeed make things more convenient for him in the future. "Then let me get through this busy period first!" Zhou Shengtaoughed heartily and patted Chen Yu on the shoulder. "No problem, I''ll wait for you." As they talked, two analysis officers hurried over with tabletputers. "Chief Zhou, the identity of the deceased has been confirmed. It''s very likely one of Li Ming''s aplices!" Zhou Shengtao clenched his teeth, "This guy is trying to reenact the case from ten years ago!" Chen Yu''s brow furrowed, a jolt going through him when he heard the name Li Ming. He was still in college ten years ago, when the serial killer case was all the rage. It was said that Li Ming murdered thirteen people, took nearly ten million in finances, then killed all his aplices and vanishedpletely. During that time, everyone was living in fear, worried that Li Ming would suddenly jump out from some corner, and some even used Li Ming''s name to frighten their children. ording to the clues he had seen in the relevant departments, there were already thirteen victims in Suzhou City. Now that Li Ming had begun killing his aplices again, it meant he was preparing to flee. The faces of those present were solemn; the same case was unfolding before their eyes after a decade, and so far they had no leads. A good number of them didn''t think it was because Li Ming was too cunning, but rather med their own ipetence. If the same case happened again in ten years, they would live their lives in self-reproach and guilt. Chen Yu sighed. Perhaps the skills the system had given him weren''t meant just for him to open a shop, make money, and enjoy a life turnaround. Giving back to the world was what he truly ought to do. Subconsciously, Chen Yu began to focus his attention on observing the scene. Two lives had been taken here, the bodies left unhandled, only their facial features destroyed. This indicated that the murderer was extremely hurried when acting and did not have prior arrangements. If that was the case, there surely had to be some traces left behind at the scene. Indeed, Chen Yu noticed a partial footprint exposed by the side of the moat. "Chief Zhou, there''s something here!" Chen Yu called out and hurried over first, reaching out to block the river water on the side. Chapter 136: Chapter 136: Special Visit Zhou Shengtao couldn''t contain his excitement when he saw the footprints. "Quick, put up the police tape here, and find someone to drain this section of the river." Several relevant personnel didn''t dare to dy and hurried to carry out the instructions. It didn''t take long before the water in this part of the river was drainedpletely. Sure enough, a dense mass of footprints appeared on the riverbed. "Clever, I wondered why I didn''t find any footprints on the bank; it turns out they walked along the river." Zhou Shengtao sighed and immediately called someone over topare the footprints. Without waiting for the relevant personnel to arrive, Chen Yu had already used his biological knowledge to analyze the results ording to the size of the footprints. "There are three people in total, with heights of one meter seventy-four, one meter seventy-five, and one meter eighty, corresponding to weights of seventy-three kilograms, eighty kilograms, and one hundred kilograms!" Zhou Shengtao looked at Chen Yu with surprise, "You little rascal, did you also study criminal investigation?" Chen Yu scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, "ording to biology, it doesn''t seem hard to figure out these things, right?" Zhou Shengtao didn''t say much more but looked at Chen Yu with a few more shades of appreciation. "Immediately follow these footprints and continue to search for clues." At thatmand, all the relevant personnel on scene were excited. Just moments before, they had almost despaired, all feeling frustrated. Arge number of police dogs and search equipment were summoned to the scene, ready for an extensive search. Just as Chen Yu was preparing to follow everyone up the mountain, he suddenly felt that the ground under his feet was a little too soft. Instinctively stepping on it a few times, Chen Yu''s pupils suddenly dted. "Zhou Team!" Zhou Shengtao stopped in his tracks, his face showing some astonishment. "What is it, Xiao Chen?" Chen Yu didn''t speak but quickly wrote on the clipboard in his hand. "There''s a tunnel beneath the riverbed, they might be hiding in there!" Zhou Shengtao couldn''t help but gape, slowly walking forward a few steps and then cing a disposable paper cup on the ground. After listening for a while, he slowly stood up, gestured for Chen Yu toe behind him, and then used professional hand signals to quietly call back the relevant personnel who had dispersed. It had to be said, Li Ming''s counter-surveince ability was outrageously strong. To think he managed to use a string of fake footprints to mislead the relevant personnel while they hid underground at the scene of the crime. Under Zhou Shengtao''smand, the relevant personnel blew open the tunnel entrance, then threw arge number of sh-bang devices inside. Li Ming and his twopanions were captured seemingly without realizing what happened. The tunnel they dug under the riverbed was covered with silt, and they had even scattered some powder nearby to prevent police dogs from searching. In their view, everything was perfectly executed, and it was impossible for the outside world to discover them. When the three were taken away, Zhou Shengtao patted Chen Yu on the shoulder excitedly. "Xiao Chen, I''m really starting to like you more and more. Listen to me,e be an auxiliary member, I''ll apply to the superiors to reserve a spot just for you." The relevant personnel present knew that it was Chen Yu who had discovered Li Ming and hispanions, and they too were thrilled. Moreover, the three men''s heights and weights matched exactly what Chen Yu had deduced earlier, which further increased their admiration for him. These were all professionally trained personnel, yet in some ways, they actually couldn''t match Chen Yu, making them feel somewhat ashamed. [Congrattions to the host forpleting a day''s business, today''s profit is 1,636,600 yuan, earning 1,636,600 points, the current total cumtive points are 4,509,380 points] Chen Yu then realized that it was already eight o''clock in the evening. Looking at the data prompted by the system, it seemed that the money invested in the factory had not been included in the calctions. Before this, the system would ount for all daily costs and expenditures. Could it be that the system would only start a systematic calction after the factory begins operation? Chen Yu didn''t linger here and, after saying hello to Zhou Shengtao, returned to Shuiyue Number One. As soon as he got home, Chen Yu heard voices in the living room. He saw an elderlydy, sobbing and sniffling, sitting on the sofa pouring her heart out to Li Lan. "Chen Yu, you''re finally back! Come and take a look at your Auntie Wang''s illness," Chen Yu was stunned for a moment, having just returned and not even having had the chance to drink any water. Auntie Wang hurriedly presented her wrist in front of Chen Yu. "Young Boss Chen, I''ve heard that your medicinal cuisine has cured many people. Can you see if there''s anything that could cure my ailment?" Without any alternative, Chen Yu had to grasp Auntie Wang''s pulse and, after observing for a moment, frowned. "Auntie Wang, there''s nothing majorly wrong with your body, just a bit of osteoporosis! Eating more celery and the like should be helpful." Auntie Wang was full of disbelief, "Is it really that simple? But every day I feel like ants are crawling all over my body; it''s so ufortable." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow; Auntie Wang''s body was indeed a bit frail, which was due to herck of daily exercise. "How about this, I''ll go and prepare a medicinal cuisine for you right now, and then I''ll write up a dietary prescription for you to follow for a month after you return home. The pain should be relieved." After offering his reassurance, Chen Yu went to the kitchen and in less than half an hour brought out a y pot. The enticing aroma instantly made Auntie Wang salivate. She didn''t fear the heat and picked up chopsticks to eagerly devour everything in the pot. Afterward, Auntie Wang was drenched in sweat, her skin flushed, and she looked somewhat rejuvenated. "Little Chen, you really are a miracle worker! After eating just one of your dishes, I feel so much lighter." Chen Yu didn''t say much more but handed over the prepared prescription. Auntie Wang excitedly epted the prescription and happily left the house. Chen Yu then sat down beside Li Lan, feeling helpless. "Mom, you''ve made friends so quickly?" Li Lan smiled, "I met her during a walk these past few days; she also lives in ourmunity." Chen Yu''s face showed relief. He had originally worried that Li Lan would be ufortable here, but now it seemed his concerns had been somewhat superfluous. The next morning at six o''clock, Chen Yu and Tong Ya went to the store together. As soon as they entered the store, they saw several foreigners lingering around the entrance. Not far away, a few others were pointing at the nearby buildings, not sure what they were doing. Chen Yu didn''t pay much attention and went straight into the store. He had just entered the kitchen and was getting ready to get busy when a foreign man, holding a cane and dressed in a suit with leather cor, walked in grandly surrounded by bodyguards. "Excuse me, may I ask if Mr. Chen Yu is here?" Chen Yu furrowed his brow slightly, wiped his hands, and then came out of the kitchen. "That would be me, what can I do for you?" The foreigner extended his hand: "My name is Hals, I''vee especially to meet Mr. Chen." Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Three-Star Chef Chen Yu couldn''t help frowning; he was certain he had never seen Hals before. However, he could distinctly smell the scent of spices on the other man. Seeing that Chen Yu had no intention of shaking hands, Charles awkwardly withdrew his hand and passed over a business card instead. "I am a Michelin three-star chef and n to open a restaurant nearby. Hearing that Mr. Chen is a renowned chef of this generation, I came to pay a visit," he said. Chen Yu arched his eyebrow and politely pocketed the business card. He knew very well that this fellow had no good intentions; anyone could open a restaurant anywhere, so why bother visiting him specifically? It was nothing more than an attempt to capitalize on his local fame to establish their brand. "At most, I''m just a restaurateur; there''s no need for your visit. If you have no other business, please don''t disturb me while I''m conducting mine," he said. Although these words sounded humble, they were incredibly domineering. Charles stood there, stunned, not knowing what to say. "Mr. Chen, I''ve watched the show where youpeted with the four famous chefs. I believe you merely had the advantage of the home field. Today, I''vee specifically to ask for your guidance," he said. Chen Yu felt helpless; truly, the more famous you get, the more troublees knocking. All he did was appear on two shows, gained a bit of fame, and now even a Michelin three-star chef hade to challenge him. "Then you''ll have to wait! As you can see, I have many customers. ording to the rules here, you need to line up," he said. Charles was instantly taken aback. In no restaurant around the world would a Michelin three-star top chef ever be expected to queue up at the door. To him, this was an outright humiliation. "Mr. Chen, your country is known for its courtesy. Your behavior is hardly the proper way to treat a guest," he said. Chen Yu simply ignored him and went straight to the kitchen to get busy. Charles''s bodyguard immediately became furious and was about to storm into the restaurant to reim their dignity. Just as they were preparing to take action, the delivery boys inside the restaurant stood up in unison, blocking the entrance. Although from a professional standpoint, these delivery boys might not be a match for the bodyguards. But their numbers were overwhelming. This formidable show of force stopped Charles in his tracks. "Mr. Chen, I will not go anywhere; I''ll wait right here for you," Charles said, calling out to the restaurant. He then pulled up a small stool and sat down at the entrance, with his bodyguards neatly lined up behind him. For a while, they became a beautiful scene outside Chen Yu''s restaurant. After all, Charles was a world-famous chef; he quickly attracted a lot of local reporters. Before long, all of Suzhou City was buzzing. "Old Chen, this foreigner is still a three-star chef, after all. Isn''t it a bit... to leave him hanging out there?" Li Gang began, then trailed off. Afetr all, their restaurant in Suzhou City was quite the inte sensation, frequented by celebrities on a regr basis. Now, leaving a world-ss chef hanging outside could easily make the front page headlines, and who knew what kind of public opinion it would attract. Chen Yu raised an eyebrow: "This guy actually wants to step on us to climb higher. Do you really want to let him seed?" Li Gang shrugged his shoulders and didn''t say anything more. However, the increasing crowd of reporters outside still put some pressure on Chen Yu. The scene of inte celebrities blocking the doorst time had already been a headache. If some new tricks emerged this time, it would be another troublesome matter. With no choice left, Chen Yu stood up, grabbed a few pieces of tofu, and quickly made a simple home-style tofu dish. He then called Yang Shu over, gave her a few instructions, and had her serve the tofu. "Mr. Charles, it''s almost noon. This is the lunch our boss has sent for you. If after eating, you feel it''s necessary to challenge our boss, he would be happy to oblige." Charles immediately became excited. Coming here topete with Chen Yu was his ultimate goal. Having taken only a couple of bites, Charles''s body suddenly trembled. His eyes also became somewhat nk. "Is this personally made by Mr. Chen?" Yang Shu didn''t say a word, just nodded. Charles''s breathing became rapid, and he no longer cared about appearances, picking up the spoon and wolfing down the entire te of home-style tofu. "Delicious! Indeed, I cannot make vors like this. Please tell your boss, Mr. Chen, that I humbly admit defeat." After handing the te back to Yang Shu, Charles left with his bodyguard, looking defeated. Although it was an invisible confrontation, anyone could see that Chen Yu had conquered a Michelin three-starred chef with a te of home-style tofu. In fact, chefs of this world-ss level would often challenge the most famous local chef before opening a restaurant in the area. First, to demonstrate their culinary skills, and second, to stake their im in the local culinary scene. This approach would allow their restaurant to generate substantial economic benefits in the shortest time possible. But if there was a mishap during the challenge with the local chef or if they lost, they would gracefully exit the city and pick a new ce to set up shop. Seeing Charles leave, Chen Yu also breathed a sigh of relief. The reporters and officials that had been crowding the entrance also dispersed. At six o''clock in the afternoon, Zhou Shengtao arrived at the shop with a few officials in uniform, looking very serious. "Chen Yu,e out and get your que!" Chen Yu was stunned for a moment and hastily left the kitchen. He saw Zhou Shengtao holding a metallic que. "What are you doing with this, Captain Zhou?" Chen Yu hadn''t yet grasped what was happening. "You see, yesterday you helped us catch a criminal who''s been on the run for ten years. This is a que to reward you, and in addition, you''ll receive a bounty of five million yuan." Chen Yu was surprised, "That much?" Zhou Shengtao waved his hand dismissively, "That''s nothing. The reward for Li Ming alone was up to seven million yuan. You just yed a key role in our capture process, so you only get a bounty of five million yuan." Chen Yu took a sharp breath, feeling somewhat like a bounty hunter. "Then, thank you, Captain Zhou." Zhou Shengtao had other business and didn''t stay much longer. After leaving the bounty and the que, he led his team away. The shop''s staff suddenly cheered. They hadn''t expected that Chen Yu would inadvertently help the authorities crack a significant case. Chen Yu felt a bit embarrassed; in truth, he hadn''t done much ¨C he had merely apanied Zhou Shengtao to inspect the scene. After quickly dealing with everyone''s praise, Chen Yu hurried back to the kitchen. He immediately called the supplier. Today was already Saturday, and after tomorrow, the stock of ingredients in the warehouse would be running low. Therefore, Chen Yu decided to purchase the next week''s ingredients a day early. Chapter 138: Chapter 138 Zeus Alliance ``` At eight in the evening, all the delivered raw materials had been ced in the warehouse, and the entire store was cleaned and closed for the night. [Congrattions to the host forpleting a day''s business, today''s profit is 1,636,600 yuan, and you have earned 1,636,600 points, with a current total umtion of 61,399,980 points] Chen Yu couldn''t help but feel excited, it wouldn''t take long to gather another ten million points. However, after purchasing next week''s raw materials, along with the meat and vegetables needed for tomorrow, there was only 10,800 yuan left in Chen Yu''s payment ount. Chen Yu didn''t put it into his current ount but nned to use it to buy more porridge ingredients. The spare funds that Chen Yu had left over this period had been almost entirely invested, and another ten thousand wasn''t much. Including the bounty Zhou Shengtao gave today, Chen Yu''s current ount once again had over ten million in deposits. The task now was to speed up the establishment of the factory. After dinner and a quick tidy up, Chen Yu took Chen Guang and Tong Ya back to Shuiyue Number One. As soon as he parked the car, Chen Yu saw a long queue in front of his vi. All of them were the neighborhood''s elderly uncles and aunts. "Dear neighbors, my son hasn''t arrived back yet, I hope everyone can wait patiently." Looking at the scene, the news of Chen Yu healing Auntie Wangst night had spread throughout the neighborhood. When Chen Yu got to the door, he was immediately surrounded by these uncles and aunts. "Young Boss Chen, I''ve been suffering from insomnia recently, please take a look at me." "I''ve been having trouble seeing things clearly, and the hospital couldn''t find any problems either." "My husband and I have been married for eight years and have never had a child..." ... Chen Yu was at a loss for words, the ailments were varied, and some people didn''t have any real problems; they were just there for the excitement. "Everyone, it is quitete now, so let''s do this: write down your symptoms on a piece of paper, and if you have medical records, that''s even better. Pass them all to me tomorrow morning, and I will tend to each one of you." Hearing Chen Yu''s arrangement, the many neighbors present didn''t say much more and dispersed. Chen Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief. The TV in the living room was showing the anime produced by Tang Xiaowei, and it seemed to have been updated to the third episode. Chen Yu couldn''t help but admire the girl''s speed at updating. After watching it with Tuan Tuan for a while, Chen Yu stretchedzily and went back to his room. Just as hey down, his phone received a text message. It was an invitation to the Zeus Culinary Alliance, forwarded by Tong Ming. Chen Yu had heard of this alliance before. It was said that all of Europe''s top chefs were within the alliance. "Son-inw, the Zeus Culinary Alliance has issued a challenge. This is a world-ss contest between Western and Chinese cuisine, the stake being half the Chinese restaurants in Europe. Are you interested in representing Tong Group in thepetition?" Reading the message, Chen Yu raised an eyebrow. "Wife, does Tong Group have any restaurants besides the breakfast brand?" Tong Ya nodded, "Yes, there are some high-end restaurants that are more show than substance, both domestic and international." After a brief reply, Tong Ya tilted her head to nce at Chen Yu''s phone screen. "The Zeus Alliance! Husband, I''m afraid you really need to make a trip. This alliance has always been the public enemy of overseas Chinese restaurants. In the past two decades, they have initiated challenges more than forty times with the aim of nipping Chinese cuisine in the bud." It was the first time Chen Yu had heard of such an audacious alliance. "ording to the invitation, thepetition should be in three days. How about we go tomorrow? It would be a perfect opportunity to have our wedding photos taken there." ``` Tong Ya immediately got excited, "Great!" ¡­ In the capital, Qingquan Mountain Film and Television Base. Fang Yuan was packing her luggage in a bit of a hurry. Han Mintao was also beside her, helping to prepare her daily necessities. "Daughter, this notice should allow you to stay in Europe for at least a week, remember, don''t be in a hurry toe back, wait for my message." Fang Yuan didn''t speak, just continued to pack her luggage in a fluster. She didn''t even bother to answer her constantly ringing phone. By now, Fang Yuan had already sessfully be an on-screen couple with Zhao Hai. The capital''s major media had even concocted a love story for the two of them. But Fang Yuan knew that all she wanted was themercial value that Zhao Hai could bring. Being with Zhao Hai, that was absolutely impossible. The milk tea shop had been doing quite well during this time. Just another half a month and she would be able to fulfill the terms of the contract, bing capital herself. Then she would be able topletely rid herself of Zhao Hai. But at this stage, she could only rely on Zhao Hai and choose to stay far away, avoiding meeting him as much as possible in the face of relentless harassment. At this juncture, Fang Yuan was panicking. She was afraid that Zhao Hai, in a fit of anger, would cut off their cooperation, and then it would be a long way off before she could fulfill the contract. "Mom, can you really guarantee that everything will go smoothly?" Han Mintao nodded, "Don''t worry, when I signed the contract I was cautious. Even if Zhao Hai unterally terminates the agreement, we can still operate the milk tea shop independently, after all, we just need to collect the franchise fee." Fang Yuan''s tense emotions rxed slightly, she didn''t linger any longer, picked up her suitcase, and got into the nanny car parked outside. Seeing the car drive away, Han Mintao also breathed a sigh of relief. She lit ady''s cigarette, calmed her emotions, then leaned back in a chair at the photo studio. About half an hourter, Zhao Hai''s sports car stopped at the entrance of the studio. "Sister Han, where is Miss Fang?" Han Mintao exhaled a ring of smoke, "Young Master Zhao, you''re out of luck, Fang Yuan had to catch an urgent notice, I''m afraid she''s already on the ne now." Zhao Hai couldn''t help frowning; he had arranged meetings with Fang Yuan several times, but every time it seemed like they just missed each other. He suddenly lost his patience. "Sister Han, you and Miss Fang aren''t deliberately making fun of me, are you?" Han Mintao put out her cigarette and took out a notice from her bag. "What are you talking about, I wouldn''t dare make fun of you. This notice was indeed urgent, involving several international bigwigs, and that Zeus Alliance in Europe." Zhao Hai took the notice and frowned. Although this alliance was only a chefs'' union, all the chefs inside were world-ss, and it was affiliated with a significant number ofrge international capitals. If it were a typical entertainment circle notice from the capital, he could have used his influence to put a stop to it with just a word. But this one, even his father, would probably be powerless to intervene. Zhao Hai cleared his throat a few times, "I really didn''t expect Miss Fang to go international. Make sure you let me know when she''s back, so I can wee her." Han Mintao chuckled a few times, "Naturally, the rtionship between you and Fang Yuan is quite special. I''ll definitely let you know when she''s back." Chapter 139: Chapter 139 Wedding Photos At four o''clock in the early morning, Chen Yu and Tong Ya got up early and arrived at the airport. Today was the weekend, so the airport was still quite crowded at this time. With more than an hour left before the ne''s departure, Chen Yu went to the airport''s fast-food restaurant and bought two breakfasts to bring back. They had left in a hurry that morning and hadn''t had time to eat anything. Tong Ya had just taken a sip of soymilk when her eyebrows knitted together. "Husband, this soymilk tastes much worse than the one from our store. Had I known about the flight dy, we could have had something to eat there beforeing over," sheined. Chen Yu also took a sip. In the realm of ordinary soymilk, this vor could be considered premium, butpared to the soymilk he made, it was worlds apart. "Indeed, it''s not very good, but we still need to eat something. It''s at least twelve hours from here to Frankfurt. If we get hungry midway, we''ll only have airne food to eat, and that''s worse than this breakfast," he replied. Tong Ya, having no choice, pinched her nose and ate the breakfast in her hands. Apologies from the airline staff kept ringing throughout the airport, continuously exining the reasons for the flight dys. Even so, many people were still crowding around the ticket counter, giving the staff a hard time. Chen Yu and Tong Ya, as a couple, appeared extremely calm. To them, this was just a journey¡ªworst case, they could simply catch the flight the next day. The pair had just finished their breakfast when they heard a scream from a counter not far away. An elderly man, slightly overweight, suddenlyy on the ground, convulsing, with a stylishly dressed and dignified-looking woman squatting beside him, nervously providing first aid. From her resuscitation technique, the woman appeared very professional, intermittently pressing on the man''s chest while asionally pressing on his neck as well. The noisy ticket counter area suddenly cleared out arge space, as nobody dared toe closer, fearing trouble. The dignified woman ignored the people around her; she was just trying to stay calm, doing first aid and dialing emergency numbers at the same time. Chen Yu took a nce at the elderly man from a distance, then furrowed his brow and squeezed through the crowd. "He''s having an acute myocardial infarction, and your conventional first aid methods aren''t effective," he said. The woman looked up suddenly but didn''t stop what she was doing. "Who are you? How do you know it''s not effective?" she asked. Chen Yu pulled out his medical practitioner license, "I''m a doctor." Upon seeing Chen Yu''s license, the woman finally rxed. "Please, help my husband!" she implored. Chen Yu nodded, then squatted beside the man, casually pressing down on the left side of his chest. After finding the position of the left ventricle of the heart, he jabbed down hard with a single finger. This was an ancient emergency technique from the medical knowledge provided by the system. It could use such abrupt methods to temporarily break through the blockage between the atrium and the blood vessels. The man suddenly gasped for air and then opened his eyes. The crowd around them was stunned; Chen Yu had just used a single finger, and he seemed to have cured a man on the brink of death. The woman also stared wide-eyed, momentarily at a loss. She was from a medical background too, initially serving as the old man''s personal physician, standing by his side. This was the first time she had ever witnessed such a method of emergency aid. Chen Yu didn''t pay attention to the surrounding gazes and continued to rhythmically press on the man''s chest area. "Do you have any emergency nitroglycerin pills?" Chen Yu suddenly asked. The woman didn''t dare to dy, quickly taking out a bottle of pills from her backpack and passing it over. Chen Yu poured three pills and offered them to the elderly man. "Are you about to board a flight?" Chen Yu continued to ask. The beautifuldy nodded, "A flight to Frankfurt in an hour." "I suggest you bring a backup oxygen supply, otherwise, it will be very difficult for the patient to endure the flight of more than ten hours." The beautifuldy quickly took out a small oxygen tank and oxygen equipment from her person. "Will this do?" Chen Yu took the oxygen tank, weighed it, and said, "It should be enough, but you still need to be careful on the way." The beautifuldy''s face was full of gratitude as she helped the old man up. The old man took several deep breaths and just as he was getting relieved, he took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to Chen Yu. "Thank you, sir, for saving my life. If you ever need anything, you can call me directly." Chen Yu smiled, as for him, this was just a simple gesture, and he had never thought about asking for anything in return. But as he was about to push the business card back, Tong Ya next to him quickly took it. "Uncle Bai, I didn''t expect to see you here!" Bai Qiu turned his head, somewhat surprised, to look at Tong Ya. "Tong Ya? My, you''ve grown so much. I remember thest time I saw you, you were only fourteen! By the way, how has your father beentely?" "He''s doing very well, thank you for your concern, Uncle Bai." Bai Qiu clutched his heart and took a few moments to rx so as not to get too excited. "By the way, Tong Ya, your rtionship with this gentleman..." Tong Ya directly took Chen Yu''s arm and introduced, "This is my husband, Chen Yu!" Bai Qiu''s eyes widened in surprise, "Tong Ming''s son-inw, no wonder you''re so skilled, such great medical expertise! Where are you two headed?" "We''re on the same flight as you, going to Frankfurt," Tong Ya replied politely. "That''s wonderful." Bai Qiu swayed a little, "With my health... I''m afraid I may trouble Mr. Chen on the way." After exchanging pleasantries, Bai Qiu led Chen Yu and Tong Ya into the airport''s VIP lounge. Bai Qiu was dragging his ailing body to Frankfurt not only for some business coborations but also to retrieve the remains ofborers left there since the early 20th century. It was said that his grandfather was one of theborers in Europe during World War I. Manyborers perished on thatnd, and Bai Qiu''s grandfather had narrowly escaped death before returning to his homnd. Therefore, bringing back the remains of the deceasedborers became a family maxim for the Bai Family. Unfortunately, due to various reasons, they could only bring back at most ten sets of remains at a time. Bai Qiu wanted to bring back a few more before he died. This reason immediately filled Chen Yu with admiration. He certainly knew about that part of history and theborers who died on thatnd. Those who are still dedicated to bringing back theborers'' remains to their homnd are now few and far between. While waiting for the ne, Chen Yu also considerately prepared a prescription to ease Bai Qiu''s condition. By the time they boarded the ne, Bai Qiu''s condition had also improved significantly. Chen Yu also noticed that Du Bing, who had been apanying Bai Qiu the whole time, although at least thirty years younger than Bai Qiu, disyed unmistakable affection. Her gaze never left Bai Qiu from beginning to end, and the concern in her eyes was sincere. Chapter 140: Chapter 140 Bridal Gown Design Chen Yu and Tong Ya had booked their ticketsst minute, and thus only managed to secure seats in economy ss. Just as they found their seats and sat down, a woman wearing sunsses and a face mask, with arge suitcase in tow, stumbled her way over to them. However, the suitcase was so big, and the woman''s slight frame couldn''t manage to heave it into the overheadpartment. Chen Yu simply nced over and stood up, effortlessly cing the suitcase above. But as soon as he sat back down, he noticed the woman standing next to him, staring nkly, motionless. "Miss, is there something else?" The woman''s breathing became hurried, and she inadvertently took off her sunsses and mask. A familiar face suddenly appeared in front of Chen Yu. Chen Yu was slightly startled, smiled, and nodded his head in greeting before sitting back down. Tong Ya, possibly feeling a bit unwell from breakfast, felt somewhat dizzy and leaned against Chen Yu. "Husband, my head is aching a little, rub it for me, will you?" Chen Yu held Tong Ya in his arms, lifted his fingers to her temples, and gently started to massage. Fang Yuan tried to steady her breathing and sat down next to Chen Yu in a very unnatural manner. She hadn''t expected Chen Yu to be on the same flight, let alone sitting right next to her seat. Her heart, already in turmoil, felt unexpectedly agitated at that moment. During this period, all the news from Chen Yu''s store had been funneling into her hands, and she was still harboring grudges over Chen Yu shutting down her milk tea shop in Suzhou City. What made her feel most unbnced, and even somewhat jealous, was Tong Ya, lying in Chen Yu''s embrace. This outstanding man should have been hers. Just as she calmed her breathing and was about to speak to Chen Yu, a flight attendant approached them politely. "Mr. Chen Yu, Miss Tong Ya, Mr. Bai Qiu has just upgraded you both to first ss, if you''d please follow me to the front." Chen Yu nodded, then pulled Tong Ya to her feet and followed the attendant. Fang Yuan clenched her fist, took a deep breath, and suddenly pped herself. "What am I doing? To think I was about to talk to him, isn''t that just asking for humiliation?" Without reason, Fang Yuan murmured to herself and theny down, closing her eyes. The flight was rather high-end, with first ss divided into several VIPpartments. Bai Qiu and Du Bing had booked an entirepartment for themselves. Inside, all the facilities wereplete, including a sofa bed. "Mr. Chen, please forgive my presumption, but my chest still hurts terribly, and I will need your assistance once more." Chen Yu didn''t say much, just stepped forward and took Bai Qiu''s pulse. "Actually, at your age, it''s normal for various bodily functions to decline. All that''s needed is a good adjustment of the heart." As he spoke, Chen Yu took pen and paper and began writing out a prescription. The twelve-hour flight was smooth, and by six in the evening, they had safely arrived at Frankfurt Airport. After greeting Bai Qiu, Chen Yu took Tong Ya and got into a taxi that was waiting at road''s side. Soon, they arrived at the hotel they had booked in advance. Beneath the hotel, there was a world-famous bridal shop, which was precisely why Chen Yu had chosen this hotel. After cing their luggage in the hotel and freshening up a bit, the couple went into the bridal shop together. "Good evening, do you two have an appointment?" the attendant at the door asked with a polite face. However, there was a hint of disdain in the smile on the waiter''s face, as if questioning whether Chen Yu could afford a wedding dress from the store. Although Chen Yu couldn''t understand what the waiter was saying, he could read the expression on his face. Tong Ya''s face turned somber as she took out a purple-gold card from her person. "Do you think we need an appointment?" The waiter''s eyes widened suddenly, and his expression changed to one of respect. "Pleasee in, this way!" Chen Yu had not expected Tong Ya to speak German so fluently and that she was a VIP of this shop. As soon as the couple entered, they headed straight to the handcrafted wedding dress section. "Honey, what do you think of this wedding dress?" Tong Ya stood behind a low-cut wedding dress and shed a cute smile. Chen Yu shook his head, "There are too many feathers at the chest, and the diamonds on the side are too dazzling, it seems quite gaudy without substance." Tong Ya pouted, "I don''t really like it either." After browsing the entire handcrafted wedding dress area, Tong Ya couldn''t help but frown. "Waiter, don''t you have any better wedding dresses here?" Several waiters hurriedly came over. "Sorry, miss, the best wedding dresses in the store are basically here, and all of these dresses are designed by the master Lopeta." Tong Ya looked back at the dresses. "Lopeta? Has she gotten too old, her design inspiration failing to keep up with the times? Why are the designs so ostentatious?" No sooner had she spoken than the door of the nearbypartment burst open, and a woman in her fifties with a furious face walked out. "What do you mean? How dare you call my wedding dress designs ostentatious." Tong Ya sized up the woman in front of her, "Yes! After all, a wedding dress is a garment, the ultimate pursuit should befort, along with a perfect silhouette." "Yet in your designs, there''s an excessive use of diamonds and even gold threads, pretty to look at but otherwise useless." Pelota, one of the most famous wedding dress designers in Europe, was today criticized to her face by a girl in her twenties, which made her furious. "Youngdy, who are you? What gives you the right to lecture me?" Tong Ya did not answer but hopped over to Chen Yu''s side. "Honey, it seems there''s no wedding dress here suitable for me, we''vee to the wrong ce." Although Chen Yu hadn''t fully understood the conversation between Tong Ya and Pelota, from Pelota''s expression, it was clear Tong Ya had given her a piece of her mind. Chen Yu didn''t ask any questions but simply smiled and started leading Tong Ya towards the exit. "Hold on, since you look down so much on my designs, why don''t you design one yourself!" "If the wedding dress you design surpasses all the work here, I will transfer all my honors to you." Tong Ya paused in her steps, "If I design it, can you make it here?" "Of course!" Pelota assured. Tong Ya said nothing more, simply took out a neatly folded sheet of drawing paper and handed it over. On it was the design for a wedding dress. When Pelota saw the design, her eyes widened in shock. It was a new wedding dress thatbined ssical Eastern charm with the spirit of Western freedom. Just by looking at the design in her hands, Pelota felt it was astonishing. If it could be created, it would be truly extraordinary! Chapter 141: Chapter 141: Pre-Race Reception "Little girl, can you sell me this design drawing?" Pelota''s eyes were filled with longing, tinged with a hint of greed. Tong Ya huffed, "I''ve already applied for a personal patent for this design, so even if you buy it, you can''t mass produce it! If you don''t n on helping me make this wedding dress, I can find someone else." Having spoken so dominantly, Tong Ya took the drawing from Pelota''s hands and left the shop, arm in arm with Chen Yu. "We even booked a hotel here beforeing, and I didn''t expect Pelota to be so arrogant." Tong Ya muttered, her face full of grievances. With a helpless smile, Chen Yu said, "What can we do when they''re famous!" After wandering around the nearby streets, the two returned to the hotel. Sitting on a ne all day had tired even the physically fit Chen Yu, not to mention Tong Ya. [Congrattions to the host forpleting a day''s business, today''s profit is 10,800 yuan, earning 10,800 points, the current total umted points are 6,157,780.] It seems that the cost invested in the shop yesterday was ounted for by the system, but the factory''s investment was still not included. In the afternoon upon arrival in Frankfurt, Chen Yu made an international long-distance call to the supplier. He directly booked the supply of marinades and fresh vegetables for the next seven days, asking them to deliver at seven o''clock every evening to the shop. For this alone, Chen Yu paid 2,135,500 yuan. Taking into ount today''s total sales, Chen Yu''s current ount had shrunk to 10,300,000 yuan. "Husband, are you calcting ounts again? We''re already in bed, why are you still daydreaming?" Tong Ya cuddled up to Chen Yu''s shoulder very affectionately. Chen Yu turned his head and stroked Tong Ya''s chin, "I was thinking about where to get your designed wedding dress made." "That was just something I drew for fun. I don''t want to wear a wedding dress for a wedding; I want the most authentic Chinese wedding ceremony! I came here just to take a set of Western style wedding photos¡ªit doesn''t matter what wedding dress I wear." Though Tong Ya said this, her eyes were still intently fixed on the design drawing of the wedding dress. Chen Yu also secretly took note of this. Early the next morning, the couple went to the bridal photo studio they had previously booked. It was only there they learned that if they wanted to take wedding photos across Europe as they had initially nned, they would need to embark on a fourteen-day European tour. With this limiting condition, it seemed impossible to have the wedding photos taken after all. With no other choice, the two could only wander around the sights of Frankfurt. In the evening, as they were leaving a castle, they ran into Bai Qiu and Du Bing. "Mr. Chen, are you here for travel?" Bai Qiu was somewhat surprised, as he didn''t expect to encounter Chen Yu here. Moreover, since they had parted in such a hurryst time at the airport, he hadn''t had the chance to ask Chen Yu what he was doing here. Chen Yu shrugged, "I was invited to attend apetition, and I arrived two days early, so I''ve been touring around." "Apetition? Could it be the day after tomorrow''s Zeus League Challenge?" Bai Qiu suddenly became excited. Chen Yu nodded, "Does the elder also know about thispetition?" "This is the most famouspetition in all of Europe, and for the time being, it''s the onlypetition happening in Frankfurt! By the way, Mr. Chen, do you cook?" "I know a little!" Chen Yu was very humble, "This time, I am representing the culinary department of the Tong Group to participate in thepetition." "What a coincidence!" Bai Qiu took out a tinum identity tag from his person, "I am one of the invited guests for thispetition, and I will be making an appearance as well." Next to him, Du Bing took out two invitations from his person and handed them to Chen Yu. "Tonight at seven, there will be a cocktail party for the invited guests of thepetition, and if you''re interested, you''re wee to attend." Chen Yu had been worried about having nowhere to go these couple of days out of boredom, and he had not expected that there would be a cocktail party before thepetition. It was already evening at the moment, and only a few hours were left before the start of the cocktail party. The four of them then strolled around the vicinity together before heading directly to the cocktail party venue. The majority of the invited guests were sponsors of thepetition or influential figures from various fields. There were also some world-famous actors and a fewpeting contestants. The cocktail party venue was also extremely imposing, set within an ancient castle with a history of a thousand years. Bai Qiu even had someone bring Chen Yu and Tong Ya a set of fitted formal attire. Both of them, whether in figure or appearance, ranked top among those with Eastern features, and with the enhancement of formal wear, they instantly became the most dazzling presence upon entering the scene. Almost everyone''s gaze was drawn to him, even the musicians stopped their tunes. "Who are these two? Why haven''t we ever seen them before? Could they be actors from some Eastern country?" "Looking at their temperament, they muste from some prominent family." "Quick, check the guest list, I want to know their identities in the shortest time possible." ... Fang Yuan was also present at the venue, having secured the position of host for the Zeus Alliance Challenge through Han Mintao''s connections. But now she hid in a corner, not daring to move forward in the least. It wasn''t because Chen Yu and Tong Ya were too dazzling, but rather she was afraid of facing Chen Yu. ording to the persona she had crafted, she had never met Chen Yu, and if she got too close and any microexpression was captured by the media, it could copse the persona she had painstakingly built. The convergence of everyone''s gaze made Chen Yu somewhat ufortable, so he pulled Tong Ya over to a corner and started eating pastries on his own. [Congrattions, Host, onpleting a day of business. Since costs have exceeded profits, there are no points to be added.] Chen Yu wasn''t surprised in the least; after all, he had invested over two million yesterday, while his revenue for the day was just over one million nine hundred and thirty thousand. It would have been strange if there had been a profit. "Mr. Chen, I really didn''t expect to see you in Frankfurt!" Charles called out excitedly and walked over with a ss of wine in his hand. Chen Yu slightly furrowed his brow, as he didn''t have much affection for Charles. As a Michelin three-star chef, to actually block someone''s shop entrance just to force their chef into apetition with him. Such a person had issues with his character. Chen Yu reluctantly squeezed out a bit of a smile, "Mr. Charles, it seems like you will also be participating in thepetition the day after tomorrow." Charles sighed helplessly, "Since Mr. Chen is participating, I definitely don''t stand a chance of even cing." While they were chatting casually, a sudden sound of a ss bottle breaking rang out. A portly middle-aged man suddenly fell from the second floor. Chapter 142: Chapter 142 Barrier-Free Communication ``` The scene suddenly descended into chaos as security and medical personnel appeared almost simultaneously, forming a circle around the person who had just fallen from the second floor. Meanwhile, above the second floor, four masked assassins holding automatic weapons aimed down at the lobby on the first floor. Chen Yu''s pupils dted suddenly; he had not expected to encounter professional hitmen in this ce, much less ones this skilled. He instinctively shielded Tong Ya behind him and flung a nearby wine ss with an impromptu throw. As the wine ss was hurled, Chen Yu crushed it into fragments. The countless shards hurtled towards the four hitmen, instantly disarming them and piercing through their bodies. Chen Yu hadn''t expected his physical condition to be so incredibly strong. After all, this was the peak of human physical prowess; it was extraordinary. In agony, the four individuals fell from the second floor and were subdued by the security personnel on-site. Bai Qiu, in a state of panic, pushed through the crowd to reach the center of themotion. "Victor, how are you?" The portly old man who had fallen from the second floor was spitting blood and convulsing violently. Although the medical personnel were administering aid immediately, their emergency equipment was rtively rudimentary. Victor''s injuries were too severe, with at least four or five bullet fragments lodged inside him; surgery was imperative. Bai Qiu, seeing the medics in disarray, took matters into his own hands and quickly approached Chen Yu. "Mr. Chen, can you perform a surgery like this?" Chen Yu''s brows furrowed deeply; he had not wanted to draw too much attention, but lives were at stake, and he couldn''t hesitate. "I can, but I need tools!" Upon hearing Chen Yu''s affirmative response, Bai Qiu didn''t hesitate, dragging him to where Victory. The surgical conditions at the scene were extremely crude; aside from a scalpel and some hemostatic and disinfectant items, there was nothing else. Chen Yu didn''t think too much about it, picked up the scalpel, quickly sterilized it, and then deftly brought it to Victor''s body. The security personnel beside him were startled by such impulsive action. But before they could intervene, four bullet fragments had already been swiftly removed. Almost simultaneously, Chen Yu grabbed a suturing needle and began stitching up Victor''s wounds. "My God, that was fast! Are you a professional doctor?" one of the security staff eximed in awe. Chen Yu didn''t reply, meticulously finishing the sutures, thenbined the avable emergency drugs and administered them to Victor. He then slowly pressed on Victor''s chest cavity, ensuring normal blood cirction. Victor, who had been convulsing uncontrobly, slowly began to recover. "He''s out of critical condition now, he will be okay once he''s at the hospital." With a casual remark, Chen Yu instantly eased Bai Qiu''s worry. Bai Qiu hastily tranted Chen Yu''s words to the others nearby. Upon hearing this, the encircling security and medical personnel began regarding Chen Yu with veneration. They had watched the entire process of Chen Yu''s surgery. Such speed, such technique, they had barely grasped what had happened before the operation waspleted. And he had also sessfully stabilized Victor''s condition. A few security staff muttered among themselves and then quickly carried Victor away. ``` ``` Bai Qiu was also patting Chen Yu on the shoulder with a grateful face. "They just said you are a great benefactor of the William family, and asked me to get your name and address so that they can thank you generouslyter on." Chen Yu waved his hand, "What I did was nothing more than acting on a sense of injustice, I don''t need any generous reward. Please, Mr. Bai, decline their offer on my behalf." Bai Qiu was momentarily stunned, "Don''t you know what kind of existence the William family is? Their ''generous reward'' could potentially change your life!" Chen Yu just shrugged, his face indifferent. He now had the system as hispanion; his destiny had already changed, and perhaps in the future, he might even change the world. "Husband, I think you should consider it carefully. The William family is one of the top ancient families in the world, their assets are even double that of the Tong family." Tong Ya also had a look of surprise on her face; after all, no one in this world could refuse the William family. The expression on Chen Yu''s face remained unchanged, "Since that''s the case, then Mr. Bai can decide on his own." Although his words sounded perfunctory, Bai Qiu wasn''t angered; in his eyes, Chen Yu was simply a man indifferent to fame and wealth. Previously, when Chen Yu treated him at the airport, he had not taken anypensation either. The entire wine party concluded in such an atmosphere, and the castle went into a state of martialw. All the guests who hade for the wine party were forced to stay for identification. Chen Yu and his wife, along with Bai Qiu and his wife, were taken to a wine cer as honored guests. In such medieval castle architecture, wine cers were always built luxuriously with the finest stone to feature a bar. The castle''s servants presented them with various delicacies and opened two bottles of extremely valuable vintage wine. The two security personnel tasked with guarding them stood symbolically nearby. After all, everyone had seen Chen Yu''s heroic act of saving lives just before. And Bai Qiu had been friends with Victor for many years and was present in the hall when the incident happened. No way could either of them be the culprit behind Victor''s assassination attempt. "Mr. Chen, the William family''s vintage wine is rarely used to entertain guests; this is your first visit here, and you''re being given such high honor. Your status in the William family isparable to those world-ss tycoons." Chen Yu took a sip of wine, which indeed tasted nice. It was mellow to the taste, fragrant and lingering, truly a rare vintage. "Mr. Bai, could you please not keep calling me ''Mr. Chen''? If we were in my home country, people would say I''m disrespecting my elders." Chen Yu skirted around the issue of the William family and was instead discussing the trivial matter of how to address Bai Qiu. Bai Qiu chuckled lightly; in his heart, Chen Yu was certainly worthy of the honorific "Mister." "Then I''ll call you little brother! It sounds more cordial." The two security personnel nearby also gathered around. "Mr. Chen, how did you manage to subdue those four criminals at the same time?" [System notification: Host detected in a German-speaking environment. You can spend one hundred thousand points to obtain systemic Germannguage skills.] Chen Yu was taken aback, not expecting the system to be so considerate. However, spending one hundred thousand points to learn anguage seemed a bit of a loss. Still, he had to stay in this ce for at least a week, and relying on others to trante all the time seemed somewhat improper. After brief consideration, Chen Yu chose to confirm. [Congrattions to the host for acquiring Germannguage skills. Now, you canmunicate with the locals without any barriers.] ``` Chapter 143: Chapter 143: Relative Time Difference Chen Yu couldn''t help but get a little excited, but when Tong Ya next to him was about to trante for him, he raised his hand to stop her. "All I did was smash the ss and throw the shards out." This fluent German stunned Bai Qiu and Tong Ya on the spot. They had always thought that Chen Yu did not speak German. The two security personnel, finding no barrier tomunication, also bombarded him with questions non-stop. Before long, the six of them were actually chatting away like old friends. William''s family was known for its swift and decisive actions, and in just two hours, they had rooted out the person behind the incident. The castle''s butler personally came down to the wine cer and arranged for Chen Yu and his party to stay in two separate yet luxurious guest rooms. "Husband, when did you learn German? And you speak it so fluently," Tong Ya relentlessly pursued the matter. Chen Yu smiled, "I took an elective course during university and learned enough to handle everyday conversations." Tong Ya was instantly full of admiration, "My man is simply formidable!" ... The next morning, when Chen Yu awoke, he found the castle had entered a rather strange state. The red gs from yesterday had been reced with light blue ones, and many of the more noticeable signs had changed color too. Was it because the master had been the target of an assassination that they had to take down the original decorations? "Mr. Chen, good morning!" The patrolling security personnel saw Chen Yu and saluted him very respectfully, before continuing their patrol. This left Chen Yu feeling somewhat overwhelmed. He had wanted to go for a morning run around the ancient castle, and take in the scenery as well. But he hadn''t gone far before people were greeting him, which he found rather uncustomary, so he quickly returned to his room. Tong Ya, with sleepy eyes, asked, "Husband, weren''t you going for a run? You''re back so soon." Chen Yu was somewhat helpless, "I''m not quitefortable with the atmosphere here, let''s just go back to the hotel." Tong Ya obediently nodded and quickly got out of bed. No sooner had the two left the room than a business van stopped at the entrance, and William''s family''s security personnel respectfully invited them to get in the vehicle. Chen Yu frowned slightly and had no choice but to get in the car with Tong Ya. At the Frankfurt Central Hospital, Victory on his hospital bed with a look of gloom on his face. He never thought that one day he would be the target of an assassination in his own estate, and nearly lose his life. However, when he saw Chen Yu, he almost jumped out of bed in excitement. "Sir, not only are you my lifesaver, but you have also saved the entire William family! Just ask for anything you need, and as long as I can do it, I will not refuse." Chen Yu''s expression remained neutral, "At the time, it was merely a reflex. Please don''t dwell on it, Mr. Victor." "How can I not dwell on such a matter? Please, Mr. Chen, just name any condition, even if you ask for a check," Victor insisted. Chen Yu raised an eyebrow. Knowing Victor''s status, if he didn''t ask for something, it might be seen as a snub to William''s family. These ancient families that have descended from the Middle Ages care deeply about their honor. If the current situation wasn''t handled well, it could easily lead to a feud with William''s family. After a moment of contemtion, Chen Yu handed over the wedding dress design that Tong Ya had previously drawn. "If possible, I would like Mr. Victor to help me get this wedding dress made." Victor''s eyes widened in surprise: "Just this one wedding dress?" Chen Yu nodded: "That''s right, and I want it to be purely handmade!" Victor nced at the design paper in his hand and then handed it to the assistant beside him. "Get someone on it immediately!" Chen Yu didn''t linger there for too long either, exchanging a few casual words with Victor before leaving with Tong Ya. After all, there was no business cooperation between him and William''s family, and they had very fewmon topics to talk about. After leaving the hospital, the two went to a Western restaurant. ording to the travel guide, the steak at this restaurant was the most authentic locally. Tong Ya propped her chin with both hands, looking at Chen Yu with an indescribable gaze. "Husband, you could have asked Victor for any favor just now, and he would have satisfied you immediately. With the power of William''s family, they could have made you a billionaire in no time. Why did you only ask him to make a wedding dress?" In Tong Ya''s view, anyone facing William''s family would seem to choose business cooperation, or at the very least, want a check. But Chen Yu''s choice seemed somewhatcking in shrewdness. Chen Yu pinched Tong Ya''s nose. "Everything in this world is bnced. Today, maybe I could ept help from William''s family, but with their family''s strength, they could replicate my business model in no time or even take control of mypany outright." Tong Ya actually understood all of these things Chen Yu mentioned, as business matters are always unpredictable. epting someone''s investment also means epting any unforeseen changes that maye with it. Shortly, their steak dinners were served. Chen Yu took a bite and found the steak to have a very unique vor. Although he currently didn''t have skills in Western cuisine, he could taste the general quality. At least, from the ting and the preparation of the steak, the chef''s dedication was evident. "By the way, husband, can you cook Western food?" Tong Ya suddenly asked. Chen Yu didn''t know how to reply. He might not know much now, but his points were almost at ten million. Another lottery draw and he might get a Western cuisine skill. "A little!" He gave a nonmittal answer and then focused on finishing his steak. Today was Tuesday, so the streets weren''t very crowded. Hand in hand, they toured almost every spot they had missed the day before. [Congrattions to the host forpleting one day''s business. Today''s profit is 1,736,200 yuan, earning 1,736,200 points, bringing the current cumtive total points to 7,786,980.] Chen Yu frowned involuntarily. It wasn''t evening yet, so why had the system notification sounded? But when he checked the time on his phone, it did indeed show 8 p.m. In a moment of realization, Chen Yu helplessly pped his forehead; there was a significant time difference here from back home. He had adjusted to the time difference over the past two days, but the system still operated on home country time. The time difference here was six hours from home. It might have been 8 p.m. there, but in Frankfurt, it was only 2 p.m. However, Chen Yu didn''t pay much attention to the time difference. Seeing the total amount of points, he couldn''t help feeling excited; it wouldn''t be long before he reached ten million points. Chen Yu and Tong Ya aimlessly wandered the streets for the afternoon before they returned to the hotel. Chapter 144: Chapter 144 Stir-fried Beef with Green Onions Early in the morning the next day, Chen Yu arrived at the location specified for thepetition. The venue for thepetition appeared to be the local sports stadium, which was quiterge in scale. By the time Chen Yu got there, the site was already teeming with people. There were as many as twenty members of the Zeus Alliance participating in thispetition. However, they looked more like a professional team, among whom a few were well-known chefs, while the rest seemed to be participating as assistants. Apart from Chen Yu, the Chinese cuisine team that came to face the challenge consisted of only six people. "Wee everyone to the challengepetition, I am honored to host this event," a familiar voice suddenly rang out, causing Chen Yu to frown involuntarily. Dressed in a formal gown, Fang Yuan held a microphone and slowly appeared on the podium with the help of a lift. When Chen Yu saw Fang Yuan at William''s family''s castle, he thought she was just an artist invited to perform, not expecting her to be the host for the wholepetition in Chinese. Fang Yuan also paused when she stood on the stage, as she hadn''t expected Chen Yu to be able to take part in apetition of this caliber. No matter whether Chen Yu won a ce in thispetition or not, just by standing on thepetition floor, he had already gained recognition as a world-ss chef. Fang Yuan could never have dreamed that in less than two months since their divorce, Chen Yu had grown to such an extent. When she was with him, Chen Yu wasn''t this impressive! How did he suddenly be a world-ss figure? After all, Fang Yuan was an actress, and her mental fortitude was significantly stronger than that of the average person. She immediately adjusted her emotions, "The rules for the first day of thepetition are rtively simple. It''s a friendly match between the two sides, where each team specifies the ingredients and seasonings that the opposing chefs must use, but please note, this does not include kitchenware!" Put simply, the first match was about tripping up the other side, taking away the ingredients they were adept with, and providing those they weren''t skilled in handling. The chefs from Zeus Alliance were quite shrewd; they seemed to have known the rules well in advance. Before the host Devon could even finish exining the rules, they had alreadye over to select their choices. The six Chinese cuisine chefspeting alongside Chen Yu were not to be outdone and quickly turned the opposing chefs'' selections into chaos. In the end, the teams practically swapped ingredients with each other. "Alright, it looks like the chefs from both sides have made their choices, so please present your dishes within the allotted time. The countdown starts now." The seven Chinese cuisine chefs, including Chen Yu, looked at therge pieces of beef in front of them and couldn''t help but feel troubled. Besides these pieces of beef and some onions, ginger, and garlic, they hardly had any proper ingredients left, not even the cooking oil for stir-frying had been taken. To be honest, the chefs from the Zeus Alliance had been rather excessive. They nced at the Chinese team disdainfully and then eagerly set about cooking. Chen Yu took a deep breath, "Master Wang Hai, can you extract some oil from that pile of sesame seeds?" The older Master Wang Hai immediately nodded and made a simple oil press tool on the spot. "Who can help me prepare the onions, ginger, garlic, and other minor ingredients?" Chen Yu asked, and with a knife in hand, he quickly started slicing the beef. "I''ll do it!" one chef responded and took out all the remaining onions, ginger, and garlic. The other four chefs immediately understood Chen Yu''s intention and began cooperating with each other. By the time Chen Yu finished processing the beef, Master Wang Hai had already extracted the sesame oil. Chen Yu promptly heated the oil in the wok, stir-fried the onions, ginger, and garlic, and then skillfully added the beef to the pan. The entire process took less than half an hour, and a fragrant dish of onion and beef stir-fry was presented by Chen Yu. In contrast, over at Zeus Alliance, they had just finished making their salt-baked snails, the mousse foie gras was still being processed, and the other dishes were halfway done. Fang Yuan on the hosting stage was seeing Chen Yu cook for the first time. Even though they had been married for so long, Fang Yuan barely stayed at home, not to mention seeing Chen Yu cook, she had hardly even spoken a few words to him. Now standing at the hosting station with such a clear view, Fang Yuan suddenly discovered a unique charm in Chen Yu. Especially when he was cooking, his movements were as smooth as flowing water, effortlessly graceful; for some reason, it was quite enchanting. Fang Yuan hurriedly shook her head, "Now the Chinese chef here has already served a dish, and I can smell the fragrance from where I''m standing." The six gourmands had long been captivated by the aroma lingering at the scene and couldn''t wait to take a bite. "This onion and beef stir-fry looks simple, but during stir-frying, the meat''s fibers and sinews werepletely broken down, soft yet chewy once you take a bite." "To use such simple ingredients and make such a delicious dish in such a short time, it seems that Chinese cuisine is indeed a notch better." "It''s sesame oil! With freshly extracted oil like this, it can maximize the fresh taste of the ingredients." ¡­ One dish of onion and beef stir-fry made the six judges rave about it for a long time. It was only at this moment that the dishes from Zeus Alliance were just ready. Having just eaten such steaming, delicious food, the judges were somewhat resistant to switching to cold dishes. Out of professional integrity, they rinsed their mouths and began tasting meticulously. However, their expressions while eating the onion and beef stir-fry were a stark contrast to now. Although only two of the six judges were Chinese, they unanimously cast their votes for Chen Yu''s side. After that round ended, both sides proceeded to the halftime break. Fang Yuan on the hosting stage finally breathed a sigh of relief, but as soon as she stepped down, she dashed towards the restroom like a madwoman. "Stay calm, I must stay calm!" Chen Yu and the six Chinese chefs leisurely made their way to the break room. Master chef Wang Hai patted his chest with a look of relief tinged with fear. "I was really a bit worried that we might lose thispetition, but I didn''t expect Little Chen''s cooking skills to be so extraordinary, turning decay into magic, making that onion and beef stir-fry so delicious." The other five master chefs also offered continuous praise. They had checked the piece of beef at the start of thepetition. Though it was of quality, being genuine Wagyu, it wasn''t the perfect cut of Wagyu beef. It was filled with sinews and even a little gristle. Unless cooked in a pressure cooker for a long time, it would be tough to chew. Who would have thought that Chen Yu, just by simple stir-frying, could perfectly deal with the sinews and gristle. Chen Yu was souded that he started to feel a little embarrassed, sitting there and repeatedly waving his hand. After a brief rest, they entered the arena again, but on the original judges'' seat, a few more figures had appeared, among them was Bai Qiu. It appeared she was a special guest. Chapter 145: Chapter 145: The Golden Gemstone "After the friendly exchange just now, I believe both chefs have gained a basic understanding of each other. The nextpetition will have no specific rules, but what needs to be highlighted is your knife skills," the host announced, and the venue immediately boiled with excitement. For the audience, the knife skills segment is the most thrilling part of anypetition, especially when watching Chinese chefs disy their knife work. In previouspetitions, all kinds of ingredients had transformed in the hands of Chinese chefs, providing a feast for the eyes. Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown, as thispetition''s rules clearly favored them. This was the turf of the Zeus Alliance, and in theory, the organizers couldn''t show partiality towards Chinese chefs. However, when Chen Yu saw Victor enter the venue, limping with the aid of several security personnel, he seemed to grasp something. Tong Ya had told Chen Yu the night before that William''s family was the biggest financial backer of the Zeus Alliance. But in recent years, the Zeus Alliance had been establishing independentpanies, trying to shake off William''s family. This had greatly angered William''s family. Chen Yu raised his eyebrows, it looked like the Zeus Alliance had already lost this battle. Who have they managed to offend now? They actually went and irritated their own ''sugar daddy''! "[Congrattions Host onpleting one day of business. Today''s profit is 1,935,600 Yuan, earning 1,935,600 points. Your current total cumtive points are 9,725,580.]" The sudden notification sound startled Chen Yu. Checking the time, it was two o''clock in the afternoon locally, which meant it was eight o''clock in the evening back home. Seeing the rate at which points were umting, he would have another ten million points by this time tomorrow. Thepetition was intense, with both sides showcasing their special skills. Most of the Zeus Alliance''s chefs were Western cooks whose cutting skills weren''t that great, but to deal with this challenge, they must have been practicing hard in secret. Although the knife work of a few was not quite masterful, it could still be considered top-notch. But to Chen Yu, such knife work was nothing more than augh. They couldn''t evenpare to any of the chefs on his side. Wang Hai quickly sliced a cucumber with a kitchen knife twice, then lifted it. The entire cucumber stayed connected like a spring, not only were the connections extremely fine, but the slices were also as thin as cicada wings. Wang Hai mixed the finely cut cucumber with other ingredients and made a simple yet honest cucumber sd. Chen Yu was not to be outdone. He picked up the fruit next to him and rapidly brandished his kitchen knife, and soon, a lifelike tter of animal-shaped fruit was arranged on the table. Moreover, Chen Yu also made a dish of Mapo Tofu on the spot. When all of the dishes from the Chinese chefs were presented, all the judges fixated on the Mapo Tofu. It wasn''t because it was the only hot dish on the table, but because every piece of tofu in it was identical in size and shape. The whole tter of Mapo Tofu looked like a perfect piece of art, and almost all the judges were reluctant to spoil it by eating. The big screen at the venue also focused on Chen Yu''s Mapo Tofu. "Wow, it''s my first time seeing such a dish, it''s too perfect. These pieces of tofu are just like Lego bricks, as if they were mass-produced," "None of them got damaged during the cooking process, what great skill." "It seems that on this first day of thepetition, the Zeus Alliance has beenpletely defeated." "Although the alliance is supposed to be a collective of chefs, over the years they have be overlymercialized and are bing less and less like chefs." ... Inparison, the knife skills of the Zeus Alliance left much to be desired. The only presentable skill was some basic carrot flower carving. But these were the most fundamental ting techniques in Western cuisine, a world apart from what the Chinese chefs were doing. Amid the discussions of the audience, thepetition concluded, with the Chinese chefs emerging as the clear winners. The first day ofpetition ended like this, with the people from the Zeus Alliance leaving the scene rather unwillingly. After a busy day, Chen Yu was a bit tired and was just about to go back to rest when Victor stopped him. "Mr. Chen, the wedding dress youmissioned me to make yesterday, I have had it rushed through the night, may I have your hotel address so I can send it over right away?" Chen Yu was surprised, he had not expected that it would be possible to make such aplex handmade wedding dress overnight. Tong Ya''s eyes also widened in amazement. ording to her design, the materials for the wedding dress were very hard to find, and even for William''s family, it would probably take some effort. It seemed she had underestimated the capabilities of William''s family. Victor didn''t beat around the bush and immediately took out his tabletputer to show Chen Yu and Tong Ya the finished product. Even just looking at the photos, they could feel an overwhelmingly beautiful aura. Chen Yu thanked him profusely and gave him the address of his hotel. Not long after Chen Yu and Tong Ya returned to their hotel, Victor had already sent two assistants to deliver the wedding dress. Seeing the finished product, Tong Ya was so excited she was almost beside herself. When she designed this wedding dress, she did so rather casually. After all, the materials for making this dress, and the gemstones set in it, were extremely rare. Even if all the materials were found, to purely handcraft it would require the cooperation of no less than three master dressmakers to perfectly create it. But Chen Yu furrowed his brow. When he saw the photo earlier, he thought the gemstones set in it were just ornaments, but now he realized that all of the gemstones and diamonds were real. Just thergest gold gemstone, and the two symmetrical pink gemstones, were probably worth over a hundred million in valuebined. It had to be said, Victor was incredibly generous. Such a gift left Chen Yu not knowing what to do. If he were to send it back, he might offend William''s family. He wasn''t afraid of much, but Tong Group had a close coboration with William''s family in Europe, and he was afraid it might affect the partnership. But if he didn''t return it, such a valuable gift was truly overwhelming for him to receive. "Honey, I didn''t expect you to have such a big face that you could get William''s family to set their family heirloom gemstones on it; it''s like they''re extending an olive branch to you," Tong Ya said. Chen Yu''s pupils dted slightly: "Family heirloom gemstones?" "Yes, these gold gemstones have been passed down since the Middle Ages and are unique to William''s family! They only give one to those they consider their most intimate friends, and in a thousand years, they''ve only given out five." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, which meant this was the sixth one. It turned out Victor considered him a friend; perhaps he was being too cynical after all. Chapter 146: Chapter 146: Exchange Recipes Tong Ya truly adored the wedding dress in her hands, holding it continuously from the moment she saw it until she went to sleep. Chen Yu didn''t say much; he just stretchedzily and fell into a deep sleep. Thepetition entered its second day, with the venue still swarming with people. Chen Yu felt a bit depressed. Today was Thursday and, logically, most people should be at work. Why were there so many spectators present? Today''s rules were a bit different from yesterday''s, not as freeform but rather directedpetition. The morning''s content was pastry, which did not have any specific restrictions. Both sides could create ording to their own culinary strengths. But the afternoon''s content was a bit more demanding. The two sides had to exchange recipes! This meant that in the afternoon''spetition, the Chinese chefs had to prepare Western cuisine ording to the requirements of the Zeus Alliance. And the Alliance had to do the same, preparing Chinese cuisine ording to their demands. This seemingly simple exchange actually concealed a deeper challenge. It tested whether a chef had expanded their expertise beyond their specialty dishes. In other words, it was a test of the chefs'' versatility, or rather, their learning ability. As soon as the morningpetition began, the atmosphere became intenselypetitive. Both sides chose to work on Fondant Craftsmanship! This was no longer just a culinarypetition, but rather a contest of artistic expression on some level. Many regard Fondant Craftsmanship as edible figurines. Some masters of Fondant Craftsmanship with superior skills have created works so lifelike that they have been featured in world-ss art exhibitions. Fondant Craftsmanship was an integral part of Chen Yu''s pastry and staple food series, so he was particrly skilled in this area. In the midst of everyone''s astonished gazes, he quickly fashioned more than a dozen lifelike fondant figures. In the end, he created a massive tform for these fondant figures and set them upon it, presenting a stunning depiction of the flying apsaras of Dunhuang before everyone''s eyes. When the judges and the audience saw this fondant scroll, they rose to their feet. Thunderous apuse erupted at the venue. Such a fondant creation, rich in regional vor and cultural heritage, was top-notch wherever it was ced. It seemed the Zeus Alliance had aimed to create Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but their fondant work was only halfpleted, and in terms of difficulty and technique, it fell far short of Chen Yu''s. Even most of the judges believed there was no need to continue thepetition and dered the Chinese chef the winner outright. Perhaps even the people of the Zeus Alliance hadn''t anticipated such an unequivocal match, where Chen Yu secured victory with an overwhelming advantage. Their fondant work had been practiced countless times in private, and today''s execution was their fastest yet, but even so, they were soundly defeated. When Chen Yu returned to the resting room, he was met with absolute respect from the other six chefs, and two of them even asked to take him as their master. Chen Yu dismissively attributed it to practice makes perfect and then changed the subject to chat idly with the other masters. In the afternoon, they had to prepare Western cuisine, and these Chinese chefs, who had handled cleavers andrge spoons all their lives, knew very little about Western cuisine. Take Master Wang Hai, for example, he was definitely top-notch in Chinese cuisine, yet he didn''t even know the basic steps of cooking a steak. Chen Yu didn''t know much about these things. After discussing with each other for a while, they suddenly panicked, realizing they might lose the afternoonpetition. However, whatforted them was that since yesterday, they had already won three matches in a row, and losing one wouldn''t be too damaging. [Congrattions to the host forpleting one day''s business. Today''s profit is 1,935,600 Yuan, which earns you 1,935,600 points. The current total umted points are 11,658,180.] The system''s notification sounded, which excited Chen Yu for a moment; his points finally surpassed ten million. "System, can you give me Western culinary skills in this draw?" Chen Yu unconsciously asked in his mind. [System Notice: All draws are random and the results cannot be known in advance.] [If the host confirms the draw, the next draw''s points will umte to one hundred million before you can continue the draw.] Chen Yu couldn''t help but widen his eyes. Wasn''t this a rip-off? When could he ever umte enough points to reach one hundred million? But now was not the time to worry about that; regardless of the oue, he had to go through with the draw. After all, with luck on his side, maybe he could win the Western cooking skills this time. After clicking confirm, a wealth of information appeared in Chen Yu''s mind. [Congrattions to the host for acquiring the skills of all the world''s cuisines and mastering all the world''snguages.] The system fell silent after a brief sentence. Chen Yu couldn''t help but widen his eyes. Was that it? He suddenly felt that the ten million points were a terrible loss, hearing as if he had gained only two skills. But when all the information emerged in his mind, Chen Yu was momentarily stunned. Now, he could prepare any dish from any cuisine in the world, even those signature dishes from some very small tribal nations appeared in his memory. The amount of information these represented was nearly a hundred timesrger than that of a single cuisine! Moreover, Chen Yu''s mind was filled with information on variousnguages, includingplete systems for even those obscure ones that remainedrgely unheard of. Chen Yu''s breathing became rushed; now he was truly prepared to travel anywhere in the world without fear. [System Notice: The current point bnce of the host is 1,658,180.] "Xiao Yu, are you okay? Why are you standing here, daydreaming?" Wang Hai noticed something off about Chen Yu and quickly approached, asking with concern. Chen Yu snapped back to reality, "I''m fine, I just remembered some special Western recipes. They mighte in handy in this afternoon''spetition." Wang Hai was surprised, "Really? That''s great! We don''t know much about Western cuisine, so we''re counting on you for the afternoon''s match." At three o''clock in the afternoon, thepetition resumed. The representatives from the Zeus Alliance handed over an envelope which had "Beef Wellington Set" written on it. The set included a Beef Wellington, salt-baked snails, foie gras mousse, and a fruit sd. Although these items seemed simple, preparing them properly required a lot of attention to detail; a slight mistake could mean apletely different taste. The menu sent from the Chinese chefs was even simpler, just four words: Kung Pao Chicken! While this dish appeared simple, it was a trump card at the Zeus Alliance. What the Western chefs least excelled at was knife skills, yet this dish ced great emphasis on that. All the ingredients had to be diced in precise proportions! Chapter 147: Chapter 147 Ominous Premonition Chen Yu started preparing immediately after he received the recipe. The six chefs beside him conscientiously assisted Chen Yu with the preparation. Everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion, and it wasn''t long before the rich aroma of steak wafted from Chen Yu''s side. In contrast, the Zeus Alliance''s side was inplete disarray. They mobilized eight people to chop vegetables, but no matter what, they couldn''t get it right. By the time Chen Yu finished making aplete set of Beef Wellington, they had only just finished processing the ingredients. Although they had intended to give Chen Yu a hard time, not only did they fail, but they also ended up being outmaneuvered. The judges at the scene sighed at the performance of the Zeus Alliance; thepetition had not yet ended, but the result was already evident. Fang Yuan stood on the stage, her throat moving continuously. Chen Yu''s performance over the past two days had exceeded her expectations; it was no longer appropriate to describe it as merely superb culinary skills¡ªit was truly the performance of a culinary god. This was a world-sspetition, and once it concluded, Chen Yu would naturally earn the title of Culinary God and even secure world-ss fame. Fang Yuan knew that the fame she possessed was insignificant inparison to world-ss fame. The determination she once had to fulfill the terms of the bet suddenly wavered. She wanted to abandon her current public persona, give up everything she had and remarry Chen Yu at any cost. Given Chen Yu''s current capabilities, it wouldn''t be long before he could earn not just three billion but perhaps even thirty billion. With such a man by her side, what need was there for her to continue struggling so desperately? However, when she saw Tong Ya, hugging Chen Yu with great intimacy, she became frozen again. "Do I really have no chance anymore?" After muttering to herself, Fang Yuan put down the microphone and stepped off the stage. She had already heard the organizers discussing in the backstage to end thepetition today. Her presence here had be valueless. Before long, the organizers announced the end of the challenge, with Chinese chefs achieving aplete victory. As a reward, ten of the Zeus Alliance''s restaurants in Europe were distributed to Chinese restaurants. The Tong Group, represented by Chen Yu, acquired three of them. Thepetition had ended, and Chen Yu and Tong Ya had just left thepetition venue when a SUV approached from a distance. Chen Yu suddenly had a bad premonition and instinctively pushed Tong Ya to the side. As expected, the SUV drove straight towards Chen Yu. A loud roaring noise erupted as the SUV, with Chen Yu in its path, crashed through several pirs beforeing to a halt. Immediately after, arge number of fully armed assassins appeared nearby, swarming towards them. Chen Yu was dazed by the collision, and despite his strong physique, the impact had left his head spinning. The assants, seeing that Chen Yu was not dead, were also startled for a moment. They quickly reached Chen Yu and injected him with a syringe. Then they dragged him into the vehicle and sped away. Everything happened too swiftly, and only at this point did the people at the scene realize what was happening. Tong Ya hurriedly got up, calmed herself down in the shortest time possible, and immediately made calls to the relevant authorities. William and Bai Qiu, who hade out together, also began to mobilize their connections. ... "Congrattions, Host, forpleting a day''s business. Today''s profit is 1,935,600 yuan, earning 1,935,600 points. Your current total umted points are 3,953,780 points." Chen Yu''s body shuddered slightly as he was jolted awake by the system''s notification. A wave of cold air hit him, causing him to shiver uncontrobly. From the damp environment around him, he seemed to be in a cave, but the darkness enveloped him sopletely that he couldn''t discern any direction or time. However, judging from the system notification, it should now be 8 p.m., Friday, local time! Dragging his somewhat heavy body, Chen Yu shakily stood up, only to feel his bones cracking and popping. This must have been because his skeleton was misaligned from being squeezed into a small space for a long time. With a vigorous stretch, the misaligned bones in his body instantly snapped back into ce. "Kid, not bad at all. It took me two full days to realign my bones after I was captured, but you managed it in just an instant." A cold voice with a hint of allure suddenly sounded from beside him, startling Chen Yu. "Who are you?" Chen Yu immediately became alert. "Don''t rush. Just get used to the darkness here, and soon you''ll be able to see me." Chen Yu adjusted his breathing slightly, trying to stay calm. It wasn''t long before the surrounding environment began to slowlye into view. Right across from him, not too far away,y a rather unkempt woman who seemed to be in her thirties. She was bound with five thick chains that were embedded in the stone wall. Chen Yu shifted slightly, trying to get closer. But to his surprise, he was shackled with the same kind of chains as the woman. "You''re quite something, kid, to receive the same treatment as me. It seems those guys value you highly. How did you offend them?" Chen Yu felt depressed. To tell the truth, he didn''t even know why he was here, let alone anything else. "Who exactly are they?" The woman paused for a moment: "You don''t know who they are, and you got captured? You really are an odd one." Chen Yu let out a sigh and said no more, instead focusing on the iron chain in his hand, slowly starting to exert force. The woman raised an eyebrow: "Don''t bother, those chains are made of a special material, no matter how strong you are..." She was cut off as a nging sound suddenly erupted. The iron chain in Chen Yu''s hands had been forcefully torn apart. Chen Yu proceeded to do the same, dismantling all of the chains wrapped around his body. "Holy crap! Are you even human? With such strength, quicklye over and help me out. Once we''re out, I''ll reward you handsomely." Chen Yu couldn''t help furrowing his brows; he still didn''t know this woman''s identity, but she was already getting chummy with him. But since they were both caught and brought here together, they shared amon plight, and it wouldn''t hurt to help her out. Moreover, the woman had a serious injury on one leg; the external wound was already festering. Even if she were free from the chains, walking would be a problem, and she posed no threat to Chen Yu. No sooner had he unshackled the woman than the door to the cave thunderously opened. A muscr but slightly deformed man, carrying two meals, walked in nonchntly. When he saw the scene before him, he froze on the spot, instinctively raising the weapon in his hand. Before he could pull the trigger, arge hand sped around his throat. Chapter 148: Chapter 148 Domineering Wife "What is this ce? Who are you?" Chen Yu gripped the neck of the burly man, asking with icy coldness. The burly man simply yelled some strangenguage, not answering Chen Yu''s questions at all. The woman threw aside the iron and struggled to stand up: "Don''t bother; he''s probably a native of the Bagel Tribe. Theirnguage is so obscure, outsiders..." She hadn''t finished her sentence when Chen Yu started to speak in thenguage of the burly man. The burly man was stunned for a moment and looked at Chen Yu somewhat nkly: "How can you speak ournguage?" "Quit the nonsense, answer my questions!" "This is Paradise Ind, the headquarters of the Crows!" "Why did you abduct me?" Chen Yu continued to press. "You interfered with our attempt to assassinate Victor William, so you must die!" Chen Yu''s face was filled with frustration; he had only saved Victor on a whim and hadn''t expected it to cause trouble for himself. After knocking the burly man out with a blow to the back of his neck, Chen Yu crawled to the mouth of the cave and peered around. "Little brother, you are quite impressive, fluent in such an obscurenguage and so skillful too! How about this, you carry me out of here, and I''ll make sure to repay you handsomely." Chen Yu didn''t pay her any attention, just kept observing the terrain beneath the mountain. Although this was an ind, most of the area was covered by a primitive jungle. Escaping from here would be much harder than surviving in the wilderness. After figuring out an escape route, Chen Yu finally turned back to face the woman. "Who are you? How did you end up here?" He asked simply and imperiously, leaving the woman bewildered; no one had ever spoken to her like this before. "I''m Jin Lingsu, the head of a small neighboring country, and I was kidnapped here." Chen Yu''s brows furrowed slightly, reading from the woman''s subtle facial expressions, she appeared to be telling the truth. "I can take you with me, but you must follow my instructions on the way." Jin Lingsu nodded fervently, immediately stretching out her hands to cling onto Chen Yu''s back. Following the nned route, Chen Yu carefully slid down the slope. Just as he was passing through the jungle and about to reach the coastline, numerous explosive devices suddenly rained down from the sky, turning the entire ind into a zing inferno. Chen Yu had no choice but to quicken his pace, carrying Jin Lingsu as he jumped onto a speedboat by the shore. ... Before long, over a dozen helicopters descended from the sky, and the armed personnel from them rapidly took over the entire ind. Tong Ya rushed out of the ne anxiously, grabbing someone immediately to demand Chen Yu''s whereabouts. "Miss Tong, don''t worry, my men have started aprehensive search. I believe Mr. Chen will be fine." Victor, leaning on a cane, descended the ne with the support of two bodyguards. Tong Ya tried to calm herself, but her eyes betrayed her anxiety. She had only lived for the two words ''Chen Yu'' her whole life; if anything happened to Chen Yu, she would make the entire world pay. "Mr. William, just now our people saw a small boat heading towards Coconut Palm Ind over there, and one of them seemed to be Mr. Chen." Victor''s brow furrowed deeply: "Coconut Palm Ind? That''s Jin Lingsu''s territory. That woman is merciless; if Mr. Chen has fallen into her hands, I fear the worst." Tong Ya didn''t care about the specifics, immediately boarding the nearby helicopter, gesturing the pilot to head towards Coconut Palm Ind. Victor, feeling helpless, could only order his people to follow suit. ... Guided by Jin Lingsu, Chen Yu quickly arrived at Coconut Palm Ind. But no matter how he looked at it, he felt that this small ind didn''t resemble a country at all, but more like a bandit''s den. "The chief is back!" Someone shouted, and the entire ind instantly boiled with excitement. A group of raggedly dressed people then burst out from the depths of the ind. Among these people, besides some sturdy men, the rest were all women and children, frail and elderly. However, they each held an automatic weapon in hand. Chen Yu suddenly had the feeling that he had escaped the tiger''s den only to enter the wolf''sir. "What are you standing there dazed for, little brother? Come over here!" Although Chen Yu was somewhat annoyed, he decided to go with the flow since he was already there, and he followed along without much thought. Jin Lingsuy back in the seat of honor, propping her injured leg on a stool, then summoned the ind''s physician. This physician seemed rather ipetent, not bothering to treat the wound, just dumping a packet of powder on it. Chen Yu couldn''t stand it anymore and pushed the physician aside, taking out instruments from a nearby medical box to treat Jin Lingsu''s concentration. "Not bad, little brother, you even know medical skills! Since we''ve gone through life and death together, we''re one of our own. How about you stay on this ind and work for me in the future?" Chen Yu frowned tightly, "Saving you was just out of humanitarianism. Once your leg is healed, I''ll leave." "Hey, quite the temper! I like that!" As they were speaking, the roaring sound of a helicopter suddenly echoed above the ind. "Jin Lingsu, I know my husband is on this ind. Hand him over quickly, or else I''ll tten your little ind." Chen Yu hurriedly got up, easily recognizing Tong Ya''s voice. It was just that he hadn''t expected Tong Ya, who was so docile and lovely before him, to be so domineering. "My wife hase to pick me up, so this is farewell!" After finishing up Jin Lingsu''s bandaging, Chen Yu turned and left the house directly. "This isn''t a ce where people cane and go as they please!" Jin Lingsu shouted and pursued him. When she saw the helicopters circling around the ind, she was stunned. "May I ask, what does your wife do?" Chen Yu shrugged, "She''s probably a young mistress from a wealthy family!" With the protection of a pair of individuals, Tong Ya got off the helicopter, fluttering towards Chen Yu like a little swallow. The domineering aura from before was nowhere to be found. Chen Yu ruffled Tong Ya''s hair as well: "Where did you get so many helicopters?" Tong Ya looked up at Chen Yu docilely, "They''re all from William''s family. I don''t have that much capability!" Jin Lingsu sighed in resignation beside them. "Sigh, perfect men are indeed all taken. Looks like my little ind can''t keep you any longer! I''ll remember your lifesaving grace; if there''s a chance in the future, I''ll surely repay it." Chen Yu didn''t say much, just nodded, then boarded the helicopter with Tong Ya. Upon returning to the castle of William''s family, Chen Yu went straight to Victor and asked for a room, and without further ado, copsed into sleep. He felt there was still some medicinal strength in his body that hadn''t been fully absorbed; his mind was constantly foggy, and with the exhaustion of the past two days, he was really tired. Tong Ya, meanwhile, moved a small stool next to Chen Yu''s bed, propped her chin in her hands, and just stared nkly at Chen Yu. Chapter 149: Chapter 149: Compensation for Lost Work Time [Congrattions Host onpleting a day''s business, today''s profit is 1,935,600 yuan, earning 1,935,600 points, bringing the current total cumtive points to 5,889,380] Chen Yu was once again startled awake by the system''s notification sound. When he woke up, he found that Tong Ya was sleeping next to him with her head tilted, looking very tired. He affectionately rubbed her cheek and then carried her to the bed, after which he went out the door. Victor was in the office, discussing with local departments on how to continue eradicating the Crow Organization. Upon seeing Chen Yu, he immediately came up with a face full of apologies. "I''m really sorry, Mr. Chen. It was my negligence this time, to let you undergo such an ordeal. Please make any requests you have, I will fulfill them without question if it''s within my capabilities." Chen Yu waved his hand, "I''m here to say goodbye. Since thepetition here has ended, it''s time for me to go back." Victor was taken aback, but didn''t say much else. "Alright then, I will book your flight tickets right away. If there is anything in the future, just give me a call." Chen Yu responded with a smile and then returned to his room. Tong Ya had already woken up and was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking somewhat anxious. Seeing Chen Yue in, her eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and she threw herself into his arms. "I thought you had been abducted again!" Chen Yu patted Tong Ya''s back, "It''s alright, everything is fine. We should head back now." By the time the two returned to Suzhou City, it was already the afternoon of the next day. Their trip to Frankfurt brought them even closer. Throughout the journey, Tong Ya held onto Chen Yu''s hand tightly, unwilling to let go. After getting off the ne, although Chen Yu was a bit tired, he hurried to the store without stopping. Today was Sunday, and the warehouse''s raw materials were probably exhausted. Moreover, he had never been away from the store for a whole week before. Even though the store could operate on its own now, he was still somewhat worried. By five o''clock in the afternoon, the flow of people in the store had died down. Everyone became excited upon Chen Yu''s return. "Brother Yu, we saw you on TV. You''re amazing, to defeat so many foreign chefs." "You can even make fondant, why don''t we add a fondant figurine item to our store menu?" ... Seeing the scene before him, Chen Yu finally felt relieved. After checking the cold storage, he called the supply master. This time he directly ced a bulk order followingst week''s pattern. Calling every day otherwise would seem a bit troublesome. However, the total cost of ingredients for the entire week amounted to over 3.72 million yuan, which was indeed a substantial amount of expenditure. At dinner, there was arge cake specially arranged on the table. It was to wee Chen Yu back, and everyone had chipped in to buy it spontaneously. Chen Yu looked at everyone with a sense of gratification, feeling suddenly more moved in his heart. [Congrattions to the host forpleting a day''s business, today''s profit amounted to 1,935,600 yuan, earning 1,935,600 points, with a current total umted points of 78,249,980] At the moment, it seemed that the pace of umting points was much faster than before. After paying off the costs for theing week, Chen Yu still had 16 million yuan left in his current ount. After dinner, Chen Yu and Tong Ya hurried back to No.1 Shuiyue. Upon entering the door, Chen Yu didn''t bother with anything else and directly ran back to his room to fall asleep on the bed with a loud snore. It wasn''t until 8 o''clock the next morning that Chen Yu was woken up by the ringing of the phone. "Old Chen, the first batch of machinery has been delivered to the factory, but we don''t know how to assemble it. Can youe and take a look?" Hearing Hou Jianchang''s voice, Chen Yu suddenly jolted awake, hurriedly washed up, and headed straight for the factory. Xie Jiang was leading a construction team working energetically on the site, while Zhang Fan and Hou Jianchang were standing at the entrance of the main factory area waving at Chen Yu. Severalrge trucks wereing in and out of the factory, seemingly transporting goods. Chen Yu parked his car and quickly made his way to the factory area. Seeing the machinery partsid out here, he felt an inexplicable excitement. "Old Hou, can you find me twenty or thirty workers?" "Of course!" Hou Jianchang responded and directly brought over thirty people from the neighboring factory. Chen Yu didn''t hesitate either, directing these workers to ssify all the parts on-site and personally demonstrating how to assemble them. As for the crucial main body part, Chen Yu didn''t teach them that; he wouldplete it himselfter on. Hou Jianchang presented a cheque to Chen Yu, "Old Chen, I''vepleted all my orders, though I had to discount some, the total funds recouped is 9.5 million, all here." Chen Yu didn''t take it, "You keep the money. The factory is transitioning, and there are expenses everywhere. Consider this part of my investment, use it for operations first." Hou Jianchang didn''t say much; he and Chen Yu had already signed a contract. He brought the entire factory and the existing personnel to take a share, with Chen Yu as the main investor holding the majority of the shares. The ratio was sixty-eight to thirty-two! That is, Chen Yu held 64 percent of the shares, Hou Jianchang held 36 percent, and the rest would be adjustedter on. Although most of these workers had disabilities, they were extremely dexterous, and they assembled all the parts in less than a day. Chen Yu then installed the coreponents on each machine, one by one. Just then, arge group of workers driving big trucks appeared majestically on the outskirts of the factory area. "Stop the damn work, where are you guys from? Who let you take jobs here?" The leader, a middle-aged man, yelled at Xie Jiang and his team before charging towards them with a wrench. Xie Jiang was a bit confused; he had been working here for over a week now, and now suddenly a group of people rushed out and told him to stop working! Hearing thismotion, Hou Jianchang immediately tensed up, quickly got out a pack of cigarettes, and jogged out. "Guys, this factory has already been contracted out, this construction site is legally operational..." "What do I care!" The leader, the middle-aged man, directly knocked Hou Jianchang''s offered cigarettes out of his hand. "Boss Hou, don''t forget, the wages you owe my brothers, you haven''t settled yet! We had to go on strike because we had no choice, ording to the contract, you have to settle our wages first before continuing to find others to work." Chen Yu also came over with a frown, "I''m the boss here now, and I will take care of your wages. How much are you short in total?" The middle-aged man snorted coldly, "For a hundred brothers, two months'' wages total up to 1.6 million, plus another half a month of wages due to the strike¡ªthey should get two hundred per day, totaling 1.9 million in all!" Chapter 150: Chapter 150 The Factory Starts Operation Xie Jiang suddenly clutched his stomach and burst intoughter. "A hundred people worked for two months and that''s all you''ve done? You''ve got the nerve to ask for so much pay? Stop embarrassing our construction industry; I think you''re all just loafing around." Those words provoked the workers, who picked up their tools and prepared to fight with Xie Jiang. The workers behind Xie Jiang were no pushovers either; seeing the confrontation, they casually picked up the rebars from the ground. Chen Yu cleared his throat, "As I said just now, I will take care of your wages. Bring out all the contracts you signed with Boss Hou, and I''ll need you to give me a receipt as well." The leader, a middle-aged man, looked at Chen Yu coldly, "Kid, you''re still wet behind the ears, stop trying to act capable. That''s 1.9 million, not 190 yuan. You think you can just say you''ll take care of it? Show us the money first." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow and then opened the current ount page on his cellphone. When the middle-aged man saw the figure disyed, he was taken aback and his attitude immediately changed. "Oh wow, we really have a big boss here!" "Cut the crap!" Chen Yu said impatiently, "Bring out what I just asked for." "Alright, here you go!" The middle-aged man quickly unslung the leather bag he was carrying and dumped out a thick stack of contracts. After Chen Yu received the receipt and confirmed there were no issues with the contracts, he transferred the 1.9 million. The middle-aged man looked at his ount bnce with glee before looking back up at Chen Yu with a gaze that suggested he saw him as a sucker. "I''ll give you a piece of advice, boss. This factory is a money pit. Now that you''ve bought it, you should make a clean break from Boss Hou and not be a fool continually pouring money into it!" "My business is none of your concern. Now, we''re done here, so please leave. Otherwise, I''ll have to use you of trespassing." The middle-aged man didn''t say anything more, hurriedly herding his people out and hastily leaving. Hou Jianchang looked helpless, "Chen, sorry for causing you trouble!" Chen Yu patted his shoulder, "No worries, as long as we get the factory up and running soon, these troubles will pass." In fact, Chen Yu was interested in Hou Jianchang himself. Ten years ago, media all over Suzhou City was filled with news about Hou Jianchang ¨C the overseas returnee who invested in building a factory, a paragon of industry ethics, a business prodigy! Hou Jianchang even made it onto the list of Suzhou City''s wealthiest for a time. If it weren''t for being trapped by a coalition against him, he wouldn''t have ended up in this situation. But his talent and experience are undeniable assets, things that even Chen Yu doesn''t have. That is why Chen Yu gave him a thirty-six percent share right off the bat. At 8 p.m., as the first machine passed the operational test, other machines also started up one after another. "Congrattions, Host, forpleting a day of business. Since costs exceeded profits, no points will be added for now." It seemed the system still hadn''t incorporated the factory into its system. Chen Yu didn''t think too much of it and picked up the phone to call the previous raw material supplier. Now that the factory had started, he was not sure whether the previous suppliers could guarantee the supply. To his surprise, the person on the other end picked up the phone, absolutely thrilled, and immediately agreed to the big order. After all, an order worth a hundred million would make anyonee over and sign without conditions. Chen Yu didn''t transfer all the money but only paid a deposit of thirty million. The supplier promised to deliver all the raw materials Chen Yu needed to the factory in batches within three days. By 9 p.m., after Xie Jiang arranged for the workers to settle into temporary shelters nearby, he changed his clothes and joined Chen Yu. "Old Chen, I''ve been working outside for more than a week now, can I take a look at your factory today? I''ll just have a quick look from the outside." Chen Yu smiled, patted Xie Jiang on the shoulder, and then grabbed Zhang Fan who was beside him. "The factory wouldn''t have opened without the two of you pitching in; what''s the harm in taking a tour?" The groupughed and talked as they entered the factory. The night-shift workers had already started arriving, but it was only then that they realized the familiar assembly lines had been dismantled, reced with new machines. Chen Yu then gathered all the night-shift workers to exin the function and operating rules of all the machinery. By ten o''clock that evening, the first batch of raw materials was smoothly delivered to the factory. Hou Jianchang immediately organized workers to move the raw materials into the cold storage. Under Chen Yu''s direction, all the machinery then began to roar into action. Following Chen Yu''s earlier exnations, the workers carefully ced the raw materials into the machines. Although the machines appeared to be extremelyplex, they were actually very simple to operate. Workers at each stage of the process only needed to take the raw materials at hand and toss them in. By midnight, all the night-shift workers had be familiar with operating these machines. Xie Jiang and Zhang Fan were witnessing the whole factory''s operations from up close for the first time, and it was also their first time seeing so many new types of machinery. Even well into the night, the two were incredibly excited. Hou Jianchang was the most excited of all. His previous food processing factory had already developed its own system, poised for grand achievements, only to be capsized unexpectedly. Looking at the scene before him, he knew he could finally make aeback! Not until two in the morning did Zhang Fan and Xie Jiang leave the factory. Chen Yu and Hou Jianchang, on the other hand, stayed up the entire night watching; after all, since the machinery was new, Chen Yu worried that some workers might not understand how to operate it. However, his worries were clearly unnecessary. Thanks to the many years of training by Hou Jianchang, all the workers were skilled technicians. Any machinery rted to food, they only needed to watch once to be able to handle it with ease. Moreover, that night, all the workers formed an effective assembly line. From taking raw materials out of the storeroom to the finished products entering the cold storage¡ªall was clear at a nce. Hou Jianchang was starting to feel exhausted, but he did not leave, instead choosing to rest in a corner of the factory building. Chen Yu did not leave either, as he needed to hand over the entire process to the day-shift workers in the morning. "Old Hou, how does my set of machinerypare to what you had before?" Hou Jianchang rubbed his eyes and gave a thumbs-up. "Great, all the design elements interlock beautifully and ingeniously, saving a lot of manpower, and the output tonight has been five times higher than what I managed before." Chen Yu smiled, "This is just a portion of the machinery. Once the factory area next to us is built and all the machinery is set up, our output can increase several times more." Hou Jianchang got excited, when suddenly, he realized a severe problem Where were they going to sell all these products? Chapter 151: Chapter 151 System Upgrade ``` "Chen Yu, I''m not worried about production, it''s just that finding sales channels is tough! What if the products we produce can''t be sold and end up piling up?" Chen Yu patted Hou Jianchang on the shoulder. "Don''t worry, I have already found a buyer, and it won''t be long before someonees to take the goods. You just need to oversee the factory for me!" Hou Jianchang''s face was full of determination, "I shall not shirk my responsibility." At nine in the morning, Chen Yu and Hou Jianchang, dragging their fatigued bodies, exined the machine usage process to the day shift workers once again. Fortunately, these workers were skilled and quickly got the hang of it. Chen Yu and Hou Jianchang stayed until noon at twelve, and then they left the factory. At this time, Xie Jiang was also getting into the groove with his workers, estimating that in a few days, the surrounding factory areas would be operational. After greeting Xie Jiang, Chen Yu got into his car and drove off, heading straight for the relevant departments. There were many procedures for the factory that hadn''t beenpleted yet, and Chen Yu had to resolve them as soon as possible; without these procedures, the factory couldn''t operate normally. Upon arriving at the Bureau of Industry and Commerce, Chen Yu was about to queue up when he suddenly saw Zhou Shengtao leaning on a window, apparently inquiring about something. "Officer Zhou, what brings you here?" Chen Yu greeted. Zhou Shengtao, seeing Chen Yu, immediately became excited. "Chen Yu, it''s so good to see you,e over here quickly!" Chen Yu was taken aback, "Officer Zhou, I still need to handle some procedures, and it looks like it''s almost closing time..." "It''s okay,e to this window to do it!" Zhou Shengtao went forward and pulled Chen Yu over, handing his documents to the staff at the window. Also sitting at the window was another young girl, who looked timid as if she was new. Zhou Shengtao took a nk sheet of paper and handed it to Chen Yu. "Based on the features described by this girl, help me draw a few sketches." Chen Yu sighed inwardly, not again. However, he still took the paper and pencil and began to sketch based on the girl''s description. What puzzled him was, in Frankfurt, when the system detected he was in a German-speaking environment, it could provide a channel for him to learn German. Why, after he''d sketched so many times, had the system not offered any drawing skills? [System notification: Skills channels will only appear when the host is in an environment where those skills aremonly used. A singr, infrequent environment will not provide such channels.] Chen Yu frowned. Clearly, the system knew what he was thinking, but it just couldn''tmunicate with him properly. [System notification: The host may spend ten million points to upgrade the system to version 2.0. After the upgrade, the system will be able to converse freely with the host and flexibly provide relevant skills channels.] Chen Yu''s eyes widened in surprise. This function existed... why hadn''t it mentioned it sooner? He instinctively checked his points and found he only had a little over seven million eight hundred thousand, not enough to upgrade the system. Another couple days then! Before long, Chen Yu hadpleted a portrait. The young girl looked at it and nodded repeatedly. "That''s the guy, but all the documents he used to apply here were legal, and we didn''t find anything wrong." ``` Zhou Shengtao took the portrait and closed his notebook. "This person is an expert at forging; his work is indistinguishable from the real thing to themon means of identification." The young girl suddenly felt wronged, "Does that mean I will be punished?" Zhou Shengtao quicklyforted her, "That''s not necessary. The same thing would happen to anyone; you shouldn''t burden yourself psychologically, just focus on your work!" While they talked, all of Chen Yu''s procedures were alsopleted. Only half an hour had passed; if Chen Yu really had to queue up, he might not have been finished until four in the afternoon. After being busy all night, Chen Yu was indeed a bit sleepy. "Chen Yu, since I''ve run into you here,e back with me. There are a few more portraits that need your help." Though Chen Yu looked reluctant, he still followed. It wasn''t because Zhou Shengtao had offered a lot of reward money these past two times, but because Chen Yu wanted to give back to society in this way. ... Hokkaido, Sapporo. The hot springs here are second to none worldwide and are a vacation paradise for many wealthy businessmen. In the area concentrated with hot springs, there''s also the world-famous Shiroi Koibito Park, where many people like to check in to remember the trip. Inside a hot spring vi, Fang Yuan and Han Mintao werefortably soaking in the hot springs. "Daughter, are you saying Chen Yu also participated in thatpetition? And he represented Tong Group in the event?" Fang Yuan removed the towel from her face, "That''s right, and he''s quite the sensation. It won''t be long before he bes a sought-after celebrity, and he might even break into show business." Han Mintao clenched his teeth tightly, "We cannot let this kid develop smoothly. Once he''s on the rise, his past will be dug up by the media, and you will be implicated too, ruining the public image you''ve worked so hard to build..." "I know, you''ve told me many times!" Whether it was because she was soaking in the hot springs or something else, Fang Yuan became somewhatnguid, seemingly indifferent to everything. "Daughter, what are you really thinking? I''ve had someone check; that guy is remarried now. There''s no chance of you reconciling with him!" Han Mintao clearly saw through Fang Yuan''s intentions. After all, any woman would be enticed by such a remarkable man. Fang Yuanughed at herself mockingly, "Even if I wanted to reconcile, he would have to want me too! ording to recent news, the woman by his side is Tong Ya, the only daughter of Tong Ming, the chairman of Tong Group. If I were to foolishly go back to him, it would be like offending the Tong Family." "What? The Tong Family?" Han Mintao suddenly stood up, "How did this kid get involved with the Tong Family?" Fang Yuan grew impatient, "I don''t know, and it doesn''t rte to me anymore. I just want to get my hands on that three billion in capital quickly." Han Mintao sighed helplessly; had he known Chen Yu was so outstanding, he should never have encouraged Fang Yuan to divorce him. "Don''t worry, daughter, with your mother here, you won''t suffer! Each of the major families in the capital is a force to be reckoned with. Just because Chen Yu is connected to the Tong Family doesn''t mean we can''t establish connections with other families." Fang Yuan was taken aback, "Mom, you''re not seriously considering fixing me up with Zhao Hai, are you? That''s like throwing me into a pit of fire." "Who''s talking about the Zhao Family? I''m talking about the Tang Family!" Fang Yuan looked confused, "I remember Tang Long, the old man, doesn''t have a son, right?" Han Mintao waved his hand dismissively, "You don''t need to worry about that. Just focus on maintaining your current public image, and leave the rest to me." Fang Yuan let out a soft sigh; she didn''t want to concern herself with so much anymore. Chapter 152: Chapter 152 Dance Performance Under the dim light, Chen Yu sketched out more than twenty portraits based on the narratives of several witnesses. These people saw the suspect at night, so they did not get a clear look at the person''s face, only a rough idea. Chen Yu could only infer the features of the entire face based on the partial characteristics they described. Zhou Shengtao brought over a cup of coffee somewhat sheepishly and ced it beside Chen Yu. "Little Chen, we need your help again! But you could consider my suggestion fromst time, just being an external support won''t interfere with your business." Chen Yu felt helpless, "Officer Zhou, I would like to, but I just can''t find the time. I even went to Frankfurt for apetition a few days ago." Zhou Shengtaoughed heartily, "I watched thatpetition; it was thrilling! You''re a talent no matter where you go." Zhou Shengtao casually picked out four from the twenty-something portraits. "These few are more simr to the information we''ve collected. I''ll take them for aworkparison right away." Chen Yu breathed a sigh of relief, "Then Officer Zhou, I''ll be taking my leave now." "Sure, I''ll contact you if there''s anything!" Zhou Shengtao responded, then took a registration form from beside him, "If you have time, fill out the registration form. I really do appreciate your talent." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, he hadn''t expected Zhou Shengtao to be so persistent, but after thinking it over, being an external staff member seemed to have its advantages. By the time he left the relevant department, it was already 6:30 pm. Chen Yu didn''t go back to the shop but drove straight home to Shuiyue Number One. But as soon as he got home, he saw several old men and women from the neighborhood sitting in the living room, chattering andughing with Li Lan. They became excited when they saw Chen Yu return. "Little Chen, have you looked at the medical records I wrote for you? How should my illness be treated?" Chen Yu was momentarily stunned; he had truly forgotten about this. "I''m so sorry, I''ve just returned from apetition in Europe and haven''t had the chance to take a close look. How about this? Since there are only a few of you here, I''ll take a look for you now!" The old men and women present immediately became excited, almost simultaneously extending their wrists onto the table. Chen Yu exhaled softly and started taking each of their pulses in turn. "Each of you has a minor issue, and all belong to the same condition. Just wait here for a moment!" After saying this, Chen Yu took some medicinal herbs and headed to the kitchen. In less than half an hour, he brought out a big pot of braised meat in red sauce. "I''ve added some medicinal herbs to this, and the meat has been specially treated. Everyone take a bowl, cover up with a nket after you go back, sweat it out during sleep, and you should recover." The old men and women didn''t question it; they each took a bowl and started eating. By the time he sent the old men and women off, it was already 8 pm. [Congrattions, host, onpleting a day''s business. Today''s profit amounts to 147,900 Yuan, earning 147,900 points. The current total umted points are 7,972,880 points.] Looking at this, it seems I still fall short for the system upgrade. Chen Yu didn''t bother with anything else and, stretchingzily, directly copsed onto the bed to sleep soundly. When he awoke again, it was already 7 am the next morning. Suddenly opening his eyes, he saw Tuan Tuan and Tong Ya sitting side by side at the edge of the bed, chins propped in their hands. "Wow, it''s been a long time since I saw dad sleep for so long; a whole eleven hours!" Chen Yu shook his head; he had indeed been a bit exhausted from dealing with factory matters these past two days, not expecting to sleep for so long. "Why didn''t you wake me up?" Tong Ya shook her head, "Being able to sleep is a blessing. Besides, you''ve been busy for so long, you should have a good rest." Chen Yu wore a smile on his face and lightly scratched the noses of Tuan Tuan and Tong Ya. "While I was asleep, have you two been staying right here to keep watch over me?" Tuan Tuan shook his head, suddenly adopting the manner of a miniature adult. "It''s not just to keep watch over you, yo. Today, I have a dance performance at the Youth Pce, and I wanted Daddy to go with me. You haven''t apanied me in such a long time!" Chen Yu stretched his muscles and said, "Well then, go wait outside, we''ll set off right away." Tuan Tuan pped her little hands excitedly, "Yay, Daddy is finally going out to y with me." By nine o''clock in the morning, the family of three arrived at the Youth Pce. Today was Wednesday, and the Youth Pce was not very crowded to begin with, mostly popted by children on summer vacation. Right after arriving at the venue, Chen Yu felt as though someone had been following them consistently. "Wife, you go ahead and take Tuan Tuan inside!" Seeing Chen Yu''s grave expression, Tong Ya did not dare to dy and led Tuan Tuan into the venue ahead. "Come out, I know you''re following me!" Chen Yu shouted, and a familiar figure emerged from the corner. "Jin Lingsu?" Jin Lingsu was dressed like ady of high society, exuding elegance. "Your family of three really is sweet, and that little girl is quite the beauty!" Chen Yu''s eyebrows knitted together, "What do you want?" "I don''t want anything; I''m just bored, came out to see an old friend!" Speaking, Jin Lingsu handed several photos to Chen Yu. "I''m after these people; they are utterly evil and extremely dangerous. They might cause chaos in this city. Have you seen them?" At first nce at the photos, Chen Yu''s pupils dted. Weren''t these the sketches of the people Zhou Shengtao asked him to draw yesterday afternoon? "Who exactly are these people? Howe you have their photos?" Chen Yu asked with some agitation. "They are fugitives from the organization known as ''The Crows,'' and I''m cooperating with William''s family to capture these guys! Intelligence gathered indicates that these people are in Suzhou City, and they have contacts here assisting them." Chen Yu''s breathing suddenly became rapid; he had to inform Zhou Shengtao of this situation as quickly as possible. "Husband, the performance is about to start." Tong Ya suddenly emerged from the venue, taking Chen Yu''s arm and casting a wary look at Jin Lingsu. Chen Yu did not hide this from her, passing the photos he held directly to Tong Ya. "These individuals are dangerous, and they might be near the Youth Pce." Jin Lingsu is after these guys. Her presence here means that these criminals are also nearby. Tong Ya did not hesitate, "I will inform the organizers immediately and cancel thepetition." Before long, the parents and children in the venue began to disperse, and even the rest of the people in the Youth Pce hastily departed. On the rooftop, two menacing-looking individuals were holding explosive devices, sitting there with frustrated expressions. "What''s going on? Wasn''t there supposed to be a performance here today? Why has everyone left?" Chapter 153: Chapter 153: Tianfu Lane Two people furrowed their brows and stared at those scattering figures for quite some time before finally pulling out their cell phones and dialing a number. "Boss, I don''t know what happened, but everyone in the building has run off. Has our n been blown?" "Impossible!" a furious voice came from the other end of the line, "The n was confirmed just an hour ago. How could it possibly have been exposed in such a short period of time?" The two of them held the phone, not knowing what to say, just standing there nkly listening to the scolding from the other end. Just then, a figure suddenly appeared on the rooftop. Before the two goons could react, they had already received heavy blows to their necks. Chen Yu moved swiftly and casually picked up the explosive device from the ground, dismantling it. Only then did the two men see Chen Yu''s figure, and they hurriedly pulled out their automatic weapons from their waists. But just as they were about to pull the trigger, two flying knives whizzed through the air, piercing their throats. Jin Lingsu rushed to the side and furiously kicked the two men a few times. "Quite the runners, making me chase you so far, practically half across the globe!" This fierce manner even startled Chen Yu. "Please, once you''ve caught them, just hand them over to the authorities. Why are you still..." Jin Lingsu snorted coldly, "People as violently evil as these, it''s done when they''re killed. Besides, they''re not from around here anyway. Even if you hand them over to the authorities, they still have to abide by extradition treaties." Chen Yu felt somewhat helpless and began to search the bodies of the two men. What surprised him, though, was that apart from some chaotic symbols, there was nothing on them. He had nned to dig out the mastermind behind all this through these two goons, but now it seemed the only option was to notify Zhou Shengtao to take care of the bodies first. "ÄãÕâС×Ó»¹Í¦ÐÒÔ˵Ä!" Jin Lingsu suddenly stepped forward and snatched the symbols from Chen Yu''s hands. "These are the secret codes they use tomunicate. With these, we can uproot them altogether." Saying this, Jin Lingsu excitedly took a photo of these secret codes, then gave the originals back to Chen Yu. Just then, the sound of police sirens red outside. Chen Yu stood atop the building, looking down to see Zhou Shengtao leading a group of fully armed personnel storming into the building. "Zhou''s team is here, and it''s not convenient for you to be here. Better go first..." Chen Yu was just about to remind Jin Lingsu, but when he turned around, he found that she had already vanished without a trace. With a resigned sigh, he could only quickly clean up the scene, wiping out all traces of Jin Lingsu. Soon after, Zhou Shengtao and his team reached the rooftop. "Chen Yu! I knew it, who else could be so bold, to face two thugs all by himself." Chen Yu managed to squeeze out a faint smile and handed over the symbols in his hand to Zhou Sheng. "Just happened toe across them, so I took care of it." Zhou Shengtao, taking the symbols, immediately became excited. "Wow, you''ve really done a great service this time. These are the secretmunication methods we''ve been searching for!" Without saying much more, Chen Yu just cooperated with Zhou Shengtao to make some notes before hurrying down the building. Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan were anxiously waiting downstairs. Seeing Chen Yue out, they immediately heaved a sigh of relief. "Husband, you''re finally down. I was so worried," Tong Ya said. Chen Yu pinched Tong Ya''s cheek, "It''s alright, everything''s been taken care of. It''s just that we won''t be able to attend the dancepetition this time." Tuan Tuan showed no signs of upset, "It doesn''t matter, Dad. The teacher just called and said it was force majeure, and it''ll be okay as long as we reschedule." Tuan Tuan took out a small advertisement from his jacket and handed it over to Chen Yu. "Since we still have time, why don''t we try this small hot pot ce? My mom said she loved it when she first came to Suzhou City." Tong Ya felt a bit embarrassed by the side. She had always wanted Chen Yu to apany her to that hot pot restaurant, but Chen Yu was always too busy to have time. Today, fortunately, there was a gap in his schedule, which she naturally didn''t want to waste, but she was too shy to speak directly to Chen Yu, so she had Tuan Tuan act as a sacrificial pawn. Chen Yu could obviously tell what was going on, he didn''t say much and just flicked the small advertisement he saw. "Then let''s give it a try!" Tianfu Small Street Hot Pot was one of the most famous hot pot restaurants in Suzhou City and also a national chain. It was almost always packed with customers every day. Compared to Chen Yu''s shop, this ce was much more upscale. Whether it was service or environment, both were top-notch, and it was several timesrger in size, upying three floors. Yet, like other hot pot restaurants, there were peak times and off-peak times every day. Unlike Chen Yu''s shop, which was at peak business from morning till night. The moment they stepped inside, a strong aroma hit their nostrils. Chen Yu merely sniffed and was able to distinguish the secret ingredients used in the hot pot base, as well as those of other minor recipes. Moreover, it was clear that these forms had been modified and improved. In his mind, he already possessed aplete Sichuan cuisine system, through which he could find some simr recipes, yet they still fell shortpared to the secret recipes of Tianfu Small Street. It seemed that when it came to cooking, one couldn''t always follow the recipes; there had to be some innovation. "Good evening, the three of you, do you have a reservation?" asked a meticulously dressed attendant who came to greet them right away. Tong Ya shook her head; they had decided to eat here on a whim, so how could they possibly have made a reservation? The attendant didn''t ask any further and simply smiled, pointing them to a rtively open area. "This is our family space we''ve opened up specially. If the three of you don''t mind, you can take a seat right away, no need to queue." "Of course, we don''t mind!" Tong Ya felt a surge of inexplicable excitement. Being treated like a family of three, it felt so blissful. The attendant quickly arranged seating for them. But just as the hot pot soup base was served, a man and woman barged in aggressively. "This spot is nice, and the soup base is already here. We''ll sit here," said the man with a menacing voice, a cigar clenched in his mouth. The woman next to him looked provocatively seductive, but the heavy makeup on her face emanated a pungent odor that made one feel nauseous. Even Tuan Tuan couldn''t help but cough. "I''m sorry, but this is a family space, please head over there to queue and make a reservation..." the attendant began. "Shut the hell up with your bullshit!" the man eximed, grabbing the attendant by the cor. "Is this how you treat your customers? Call your manager over now." The attendant was startled, as the man''s arms were extremely thick, suggesting he must be involved in boxing or a simr profession. Just as the attendant was about to be forcibly thrown out, Chen Yu shed forward, one hand supporting the attendant''s waist and the other grabbing the man''s arm. Chapter 154: Chapter 154: Chef Jin The waiter, after being rescued, hurriedly stepped aside and dialed the manager''s phone. Shortly after, a middle-aged man sporting a pair of gold-rimmed sses and a demeanor of smugness hurriedly ascended the stairs. Upon seeing the scene before him, he dashed straight to Chen Yu and scolded. "What are you doing? This is a shareholder of my restaurant and also the chef in charge of our special dishes. Let go at once!" Chen Yu was a bit stunned; he couldn''t sense any hint of a chef from the man before him. "Chef in charge? He feels more like a fitness coach to me." The man, waving his hefty fists, kept smashing them against Chen Yu''s arm. But no matter how hard he tried, his fists seemed as powerless as chicken ws in front of Chen Yu. Chen Yu didn''t say much more, casually tossing the guy aside. The manager, seeing this, hurried forward to help the man up. "Oh dear, Chef Jin, why didn''t you give a heads-up beforeing? This area is indeed for parents and children, and the chairman has instructed us, you should go to the VIP room over there..." But the man was relentless and immediately grabbed the manager by the cor. "What do you mean? Did you all take the wrong medication today? Why do you keep siding with strangers?" The manager was on the verge of tears, "You''ve misunderstood, the chairman''s child just turned one month old today. This area meant for parents and children was set up to attract good fortune. If you really must sit here..." "Alright!" Chef Jin immediately backed down, "Why didn''t you say so sooner?" He straightened his clothes and nced over at Chen Yu before quickly turning to leave. When Chen Yu had grabbed his arm earlier, he felt a tremendous force seep into his bones, almost crushing his wrist. If things escted, he wouldn''t end up in a good ce either, so it was best to take advantage of the chairman''s name to give himself a way out. As he was about to leave, however, Chen Yu suddenly stood up. "Hold on, I wonder which special dish Chef Jin is good at. Could you make one for us today?" Chef Jin was taken aback, realizing from Chen Yu''s tone that he was angry and evidently not inclined to let things go. "Manager, the special dishes aren''t listed on today''s menu, right?" After giving an excuse, Chef Jin subconsciously took a step back. Chen Yu didn''t care about any of that and stepped forward, once again seizing Chef Jin''s wrist. "As a chef, one should be happy when someone wants to taste his special dish, unless you''re not really a chef." In reality, Chen Yu didn''t want toe off as too aggressive; he simply found the restaurant to be quite unique, with almost all the dishes being improvements on the original menu. Moreover, as Chef Jin specialized in the restaurant''s signature dishes, Chen Yu wanted to see for himself. "Kid, our Jin family''s cuisine has been passed down for twenty-seven generations to me. You dare say I''m not a chef?" Chef Jin seemed to have received an immense insult and immediately became belligerent. Chen Yu deliberately shook his head, "I don''t think so, not unless you can cook the dish." Chef Jin was instantly enraged further, "If I can cook this special dish today, you''ll have to apologize in front of all the diners." His shout disturbed all the customers in the hall, with many standing up and craning their necks to look over, and a few even came over to encircle the area. Chen Yu nodded, "Sure! But since it''s a special dish, I''d have to be satisfied with it. If it isn''t good, then we''ll need to question your identity as a chef." Chef Jin snorted coldly, gesturing to the manager beside him and headed straight for the kitchen. Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan covered their mouths, snickering the whole time. "Honey, this chef''s mind is a bit too simple, he actually fell for such an obvious taunt!" Chen Yu smiled, said nothing more, and simply put themb that the waiter had just brought over into the pot. It had to be said that the secret base of this pot was truly exceptional. Several spices, because of theirbination, had created different vors, so just by smelling, it was impossible to discern them. Chen Yu also tasted several mouthfuls before he deduced all the seasonings and their order of addition in this pot base. As he savored the pot''s base, an unusual fragrance suddenly wafted over from the side; soon after, Chef Jin wheeled over a cart and ced a te of golden, crispy pastries on it. "The Jin family''s ancestral secret dish, ''Five Dragons Ascending the Golden Hall!''" Chef Jin spoke with a face full of haughtiness, vaguely resembling a true chef. The surrounding crowd had already gathered close by, and the smell wafting from the dish made many unconsciously drool. "I was fortunate enough to try this dish a few days ago, and its taste lingers with me to this day." "I''ve also had the pleasure once, truly a delicacy of this world, but it''s so expensive, over eight hundred yuan a portion." "With a delicacy like this, what you''re paying for is the taste, over eight hundred a portion is already quite cheap." ... While everyone was discussing, Chen Yu shook his head and set down his chopsticks. "Carp, crucian carp, yellow croaker, Wenchang fish, mixed together with the neutral taste of catfish, coupled with starches extracted from potatoes, sweet potatoes, and taro, then made tender and smooth with chicken, duck, and goose eggs!" At this point, everyone looked at Chen Yu with disbelief. He hadn''t even touched his chopsticks and had merely taken a sniff, yet he could list the ingredients used. Chef Jin stood there, his facepletely nk. "Have you eaten this dish before?" Chen Yu shook his head, "I have never eaten it, nor do I wish to. To me, this is just a hodgepodge of a bunch of things thrown together!" Chef Jin''s face instantly turned beet red with rage as he stepped forward. If it weren''t for the fear of the strength Chen Yu had previously demonstrated, he would probably have flipped the table. "How dare you insult our family''s ancestral secret dish?" Chen Yu chuckled lightly, "A secret dish? The so-called secret is to create a unique vor that is both unforgettable and indiscernible to others in terms of its specificponents, but your dish does not meet the standard of ''secret''. Do you want me to list out the exact recipe of the sauce you used as well?" Chef Jin became panicked; he subconsciously nced at the people standing around. If the recipe were revealed and everyone could make it, he would be worthless. He might even be fired by Tianfu Alley instantly. "Who on earth are you?" Before Chen Yu could respond, Tuan Tuan stood up. "My dad is also a chef, and I don''t know how much higher his culinary skills are than yours!" Upon hearing this, Chef Jin''s eyes bulged, and he took several steps back, looking at Chen Yu with a mix of fear and awe. Chapter 155: Chapter 155: Five Dragons Leap onto the Golden Hall Chen Yu slowly rose to his feet. "I''ve heard of this dish before; it was once a royal tribute dish, but unfortunately the original recipe has been lost! If you ask me, I can restore this dish for you right here." The arrogance in his voicepletely dispelled Chef Jin''s earlier brashness. It''s not that Chen Yu really wanted to prove a point, but this guy had gone too far and almost scared Tuan Tuan. He had to teach this guy a lesson. Chef Jin''s breathing suddenly quickened, "If you can really restore this dish, I won''t have a problem kowtowing a hundred times." Chen Yu rolled up his sleeves, "Do you have a portable kitchen here?" "Of course!" The manager was also excited. No matter what happened today, their Tianfu Alley was sure to trend on social media. After all, scenes of chefspeting like this are hard toe by. Moreover, many people were already filming videos on the side, which was akin to free publicity for them. Before long, the portable kitchen was wheeled over, and the ingredients Chen Yu had requested were also brought. "The five types of fish you used were not the most perfectbination, but they were used because they can be perfectly merged together. The original dish used just five very ordinary types of fish." As he spoke, Chen Yu scooped up five live fish from the nearby water tank. Grass carp, ck carp, crucian carp, bighead carp, andmon carp! These five types of fish were asmon as could be, no matter where you were. Chen Yu took the kitchen knife and deftly twirled it, then swiftly drew it across the bodies of the five fish. The smooth and flowing knife skills dazzled the onlookers and, before long, the five fish were skinned and deboned, their flesh ced in a small basin. Next, the ingredients Chen Yu chose were all extremelymon staples. After wrapping them into cubes, they were fried at low temperature in oil heated to sixty degrees Celsius. Soon, the fragrant aroma spread throughout the hall. Chen Yu finished one piece and brought it directly to Chef Jin. "Try this, it''s my ''Five Dragons Ascending to the Pce''." Chef Jin''s eyes bulged, the aroma was much richer than what he had created. He didn''t hesitate and quickly picked up his chopsticks to take a bite. Delicious, crispy, tender, smooth, chewy¡ªseveral textures almost exploded in his throat at the same time. "My God! How did you do this? How could such ordinary ingredients possibly..." Chen Yu smiled, "In this world, there are no ordinary ingredients, only ipetent chefs." With one sentence, Chef Jin''s pride waspletely shattered. He fell to the ground with a thud and kowtowed deeply. "I hope you can enlighten me on how to prepare this dish. I''m willing to take you as my master! I will kowtow these hundred times to you right now." Chen Yu paid no attention to him and simply served a dish of the ''Five Dragons Ascending to the Pce'' for Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan. The rest he shared with others. After the meal, Chen Yu was about to settle the bill but was stopped by the manager, who also handed him a membership card for Tianfu Alley. As the family of three left, Chef Jin remained on the ground, continually kowtowing. "Daddy, that uncle looks so pitiful, let''s just stop making him kowtow." Chen Yu ruffled Tuan Tuan''s little head, "He scared you just now, so he needs to be punished by kowtowing! Unless you forgive him." Tuan Tuan nodded her little head and then let go of Chen Yu''s hand, running over to Chef Jin. "Uncle, there''s no need to kowtow anymore. Even if you knocked your head until it breaks, my dad still might not take you on as an apprentice, unless you show enough sincerity." Having said that, Tuan Tuan bounced back to Chen Yu''s side. Chen Yu was a bit surprised; he hadn''t expected his daughter to be so wise. She had not only refrained from directly forgiving the other party but had also vaguely refused the other party''s request to be an apprentice. Tong Ya also cast an approving nce. Chen Yu didn''t say anything more. It was already ten o''clock at night, right when the factory shifts to the night crew, and he wanted to go take a look. After sending Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan home, Chen Yu headed straight for the factory. The remaining section of the factory that was under construction was already taking shape, and he believed it would be fully operational in another ten days or half a month. The section of the factory that was already running was operating smoothly. Chen Yu could hear the roar of machinery as soon as he arrived. Just as he was about to enter to check things out, he suddenly noticed an SUV parked in the adjacent parking lot. Hou Jianchang was sitting at the driver''s seat, resting with his eyes closed. Next to the car, arge number of cigarette butts were scattered. It seemed Hou Jianchang hadn''t had a good sleep for a long time. After arranging the daytime and nighttime supervisory tasks with Hou Jianchang, Chen Yu had gone back to sleep. But Hou Jianchang had stayed alone in the factory area, fearing something might go wrong. "Old Hou!" Chen Yu gently knocked on the window. Hou Jianchang immediately woke up, his face full of vignce. When he saw it was Chen Yu, he rxed. "Old Chen, it''s you!" As he spoke, Hou Jianchang stepped out of the car, offering a cigarette in passing. Chen Yu waved his hand: "I don''t smoke, as you know!" Hou Jianchang pped his forehead: "Look at me, all muddled, I forgot." "Why don''t you go home to sleep?" Chen Yu patted Hou Jianchang''s shoulder: "It must be ufortable to be cooped up in the car." Hou Jianchang sighed: "The factory isn''t finished yet, and we haven''t put up the protective fences. If someone sneaks in to steal things in the middle of the night, it''s the factory that will suffer the loss." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, after all, Hou Jianchang had been duped before and was now a bit overly cautious. Xie Jiang had specifically left some workers to live in the simple prefabricated houses near the factory. There were lights still on in that ce. With those workers keeping watch, he doubted any petty thieves would dare cause trouble. As they were speaking, a faint engine sound suddenly came from a not-too-distant ce. A medium-sized truck leisurely passed through the factory''s fence and headed straight for the construction site. Chen Yu instantly became alert, moving behind the SUV to observe the situation over there. Hou Jianchang also perked up considerably: "Lately, there have been many such guysmitting crimes in Suzhou City. Many construction sites and unfinished factories have been hit, and one electronics factory even had two trucks'' worth of goods stolen." Although Hou Jianchang spoke in a low voice, Chen Yu could still hear the anger in his words. "Old Hou, have these guys stolen from you before?" Hou Jianchang sighed helplessly: "They''ve stolen once, but the people under me caught them." Chen Yu let out a heavy breath: "Then this time, let''s catch them red-handed!" Chapter 156: Chapter 156 Fish Fillet Chen Yu took out his phone and called Zhou Shengtao to briefly exin the situation here. He then quietly moved closer to Hou Jianchang. Six people descended from the truck, looked around, and then went onto the construction site to load the leftover steel onto the truck. Hou Jianchang held a stick in one hand and his phone in the other, recording from a distance. Chen Yu even picked up a steel rod, ready to rush over and capture the culprits. Just then, a spotlight suddenly shone down, enveloping the six men. "Who''s there? What are you doing?" A voice abruptly rang out, and the workers staying at the site rushed down en masse. The six men were startled, quickly dropped what they were holding, and were about to drive off. But Chen Yu was already waiting beside the truck for them. As they ran toward him, he struck each one with the rod, knocking all six to the ground. When the workers from the prefab house chased over, they looked ferocious, as if they were ready to tear the six men apart. Simple workers like them truly hated these thieving scoundrels to the bone. When they worked on construction sites before, many things were never certain. If something really went missing, they might even have topensate for it out of their own pockets. Chen Yu quickly stopped the crowd. "Folks, I''ve already called the police. The relevant personnel will be here soon! You all did a great job, and there will be bonuses for everyer," The workers then calmed down, thanked Chen Yu, and went back to their dormitories. Chen Yu also breathed a sigh of relief. If the workers had identally killed someone in the heat of the moment, things would have gotten reallyplicated. It wasn''t long before Zhou Shengtao hurried over with several people and took the six culprits away. "Chen, you''re really my lucky star. We''ve been looking for these guys for a long time, and I didn''t expect them to end up in your. If you don''t consider a career in public service, it would be such a waste," Chen Yu coughed twice, "It was just a coincidence. I can''t take much credit for it." "Don''t say that, even if you''re not on the payroll yet, I''ve already reported this for you. As long as the approvales through, you''ll be able to draw a sry from us. We won''t interfere with your daily life at all, as long as you can help us out when needed," Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, not quite ustomed to Zhou Shengtao''s enthusiasm. "Then thank you, Captain Zhou!" After seeing off Zhou Shengtao, Chen Yu went with Hou Jianchang to the factory area. After two days of operation, all the workers were essentially up to speed, working more than twice as fast as on the first day. It wouldn''t take long toplete all of Tong Group''s orders. "Old Hou, the factory is basically running smoothly now, and you don''t need to keep watch here all the time, especially since there are other workers outside," Hou Jianchang sighed and rubbed the dark circles under his eyes. "I''m just scared of being conned again. Besides, you''re the one who invested this time. We can''t let your money go to waste, can we?" Chen Yu waved his hand, "No worries, lost money can be earned back, but a broken body is irreparable! Come over to my ce sometime. I''ll cook you a medicinal meal to help you recover." Excitement shed in Hou Jianchang''s eyes. He had heard about Chen Yu''s culinary skills, especially his medicinal cuisine that had cured manyplex ailments. ``` Moreover, the house Chen Yu now lives in was the one he had flipped and sold. Even though he hadn''t lived there for a long time, it was still his home. "Okay, I''ll definitely visit when I''m free!" After exchanging a few pleasantries, Chen Yu drove straight back to Shuiyue No.1. The next morning at six o''clock, when Chen Yu arrived at the shop, it was as crowded as usual, packed with people. However, there were noticeably more people today than before. When they saw Chen Yu, they rushed up to him as if they had seen a superstar. "Mr. Chen, yesterday at Tianfu Small Street, you prepared a long-lost secret dish. Are you an expert in this area?" "ording to Chef Jin, that is a family heirloom recipe of theirs, even he doesn''t know the essence of it, but you managed to make it. Could that mean you are suspected of stealing someone else''s family recipe?" ¡­ Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown, these people''s questions had the professionalism of reporters, but what they held in their hands were equipment belonging to various self-media. One look and he knew these were unscrupulous self-media looking for traffic. Chen Yu didn''t want to say much to them, he simply went straight into the shop. Chu Hong saw Chen Yue in and hurriedly greeted him. "Brother Yu, these people came early in the morning, very annoying. Some have even used us of stealing others'' recipes. The three chefs are also quite upset." Chen Yu turned his head to look at the kitchen and noticed Wang Qingshan, Ning Kai, and Li Gang fuming as they tossed pots and pans around. "It''s fine, let them talk. The reputation of our shop stands firm, it''s not something they can ruin with a few words." Chu Hong nodded, looked angrily at the door for a moment, and then went to attend to the customers. Without saying much more, Chen Yu rolled up his sleeves and went straight to the kitchen. "Chefs, do we have plenty of fish in today''s delivered ingredients?" Wang Qingshan nced at the water tank beside him: "It''s okay, what''s up? Are we featuring fish today?" Chen Yu nodded: "Something like that. It''s just a in old fish fillet! I''ll need the three of you to go out and buy some more fish; we might not have enough." With that, Chen Yu began to seamlessly wield his knife like flowing water. It wasn''t long before arge number of golden, crispy fish fillets were served out. The aroma that spread in that moment attracted the customers in the shop to gather around. "It smells so good, what is this?" Chen Yu chuckled: "This is the legendary ''Five Dragons Leaping to the Golden Pce'', but to me, it''s just an ordinary fish fillet, five yuan a piece. If you like it, line up here!" With those words, the entire shop suddenly buzzed with excitement, and a long line formed before long. Actually, Chen Yu had noticed when he arrived that those so-called self-media might have been invited by the people from Tianfu Small Street. Yesterday, he had only conquered Chef Jin and the diners of the day, not the capital behind the scene. The incident yesterday could help them create a wave of traffic for Tianfu Small Street, but it would also plummet their reputation. From then on, the dish ''Five Dragons Leaping to the Golden Pce'' would probably have to be removed from their signboard. In order to minimize losses, they invited a multitude of self-media to maliciously smear Chen Yu. Since they had struck first, Chen Yu had no intention of being polite and directly introduced the so-called fish fillet to his shop! ``` Chapter 157: Chapter 157 The Final Ultimatum Actually, if you really break it down, the cost of making this kind of fish fillet is a mere two yuan, and even five yuan a piece felt a bit expensive to Chen Yu. In Chen Yu''s view, so-called gourmet food should be delicious enough that the average person can afford to eat it. The same dish, casually priced at several hundred, even thousands, or tens of thousands, serves no purpose other than inting one''s own status. It could even make customers turn away. The most famous Peking duck and steamed buns in Suzhou City borrowed their so-called ancient fame to set prices unaffordable to ordinary people. This caused a crisis, and in just a few short months, more than half of their branches had shut down. Since the people of Tianfu Street insisted on opposing him, Chen Yu decided to cut the price of the fish fillet directly. Before long, amidst everyone''s praises, this kind of fish filletpletely took off. The self-media sent by Tianfu Street also became free advertising machines. Former regr customers flocked to buy it, treating it as a little snack after their meals. Suzhou City Tianfu Tower. A corpulent man paced back and forth in his office with his hands behind his back. "Where did this guye from? How did hee to know the secret recipe of our signature dish?" The others beside him were silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to even breathe. The former master chef looked devastated as he sat there, appearing somewhat dazed. Just then, a secretary rushed into the office in a flurry. "Mr. Wu, I''ve found out. This man is named Chen Yu, the owner of Yuya Bansheng Park. He has participated in many world-sspetitions and has the title of a special-grade chef." Those present were stunned for a moment, especially Wu Qiangsen. Having run Tianfu Street for so many years, he never imagined such a thing could happen. A special-grade chef who had participated in world-sspetitions possessed an energy that waspletely iparable to that of a chain hotpot restaurant owner like himself. If the chef wished, it wouldn''t be just about knocking down the price of his signature dish; it would be effortless to reduce the prices of all the dishes in his restaurant. "Quick, tell those self-media people to pull back immediately and delete all the videos they''ve taken." Wu Qiangsen knew all too well that Chen Yu was someone he couldn''t afford to provoke. The secretary next to him didn''t dare dy, hurrying to call the self-media staff outside. After pacing in the hall a few more times, Wu Qiangsen suddenly rushed to the master chef, pointing at his nose and cursing furiously. "It''s all your fault, you just had to provoke such a person. Even if we sell all of your shares, we can''tpensate for our losses." The master chef looked up, his eyes filled with anger. "My fault? I was simply trying to learn from them normally; if you hadn''t sent a bunch of self-media to cause trouble at their doorstep, why would they target you?" Wu Qiangsen was left speechless and could only gesture to his subordinates to go buy some gifts. All that remained was to go and offer an apology. If they truly provoked a full-on response, Tianfu Street, which he''d operated his entire life, might go bankruptpletely. At eight o''clock in the evening, the customers at Chen Yu''s store gradually dispersed. The staff, along with three chefs, prepared the staff meal and cleaned up together. Although the fish fillet was a new addition, sales of other categories had not dropped at all. Moreover, during the day, the self-media that had been surrounding this ce had disappeared without a trace. [Congrattions to the host forpleting a day''s business, today''s profit is 2,085,600 yuan, earning points totaling 2,085,600, with a current cumtive total of 10,058,480 points] Chen Yu was immediately a bit excited; it seemed that adding a fish fillet had significantly increased the sales, and now he had enough points to upgrade the system. Without hesitation, he chose to upgrade on the system page. [Congrattions to the host forpleting the system upgrade, the current system has reached version 2.0] [The host can nowmunicate with the system without any barriers] Chen Yu was taken aback for a moment. Was this the only feature? After spending 10 million points to upgrade the system, all he got was a privilege tomunicate with the system without barriers. Chen Yu felt somewhat gloomy, his face growing a bit grim. "Honey, what''s wrong?" Tong Ya suddenly hugged Chen Yu from behind. "It''s nothing, just went over today''s ounts briefly." Chen Yu fobbed her off with a sentence and sat down to have dinner with everyone. Right at this moment, a fewmercial vehicles suddenly stopped in front of the shop, and a group of people hurried in, including the previous Chef Jin. The man leading them swept a nce over the shop and set his eyes on Chen Yu. "This must be Mr. Chen Yu!" As he spoke, the man ced a gift box on the table. "My name is Wu Qiangsen, the chairman of Tianfu Small Street. There was a bit of a misunderstanding between our chef and you before, and today I specifically came to apologize." Chen Yu frowned: "There seems to be no misunderstanding between Chef Jin and me, but Mr. Wu, scheming against me behind my back, is something I take to heart." As he spoke, Chen Yu picked up a piece of fish fillet. "I recall that Tianfu Small Street has many signature dishes. I wonder if these dishes, if cooked by my hand, might taste a bit better than yours?" Wu Qiangsen''s body trembled violently: "Mr. Chen is a world-ss master chef, no matter what dish he makes, it would surely be top-notch! Our small establishment can only hope for mercy from Mr. Chen." Chen Yu put down the fish fillet, giving Wu Qiangsen a cold nce. If this had been before, Chen Yu might not have lowered himself to the other''s level. But ever since he had been granted abilities by the system, he noticed that his personality had undergone a subtle change. He not only had to do many things but also had to follow through to the end. "My hand isn''t that precious; it can''t lift up high. Since Mr. Wu had the guts to have the self-media spread rumors about me and smear my name, you must have prepared for bankruptcy!" Wu Qiangsen''s pupils dted abruptly, and he fell to his knees with a thud. "Mr. Chen, I truly realize my mistake, this box contains a gold medal I specially made for you, please ept it with a smile." Chen Yu chuckled and pushed the box back. "I really don''tck for such things, but seeing how sincere you are, I might just give you a chance." Hope shed in Wu Qiangsen''s eyes as he looked at Chen Yu eagerly. But to his surprise, Chen Yu simply stretched out three fingers. "You have three days to prepare, after three days, I will put together a series of ns targeting Tianfu Small Street!" Wu Qiangsen felt as if he''d been struck by a thunderbolt on a clear day,pletely stunned in ce. This wasn''t an opportunity at all; it was clearly an ultimatum. Chapter 158: Chapter 158 Assassination The people who came here with Wu Qiangsen were all intimidated by the aura bursting forth from Chen Yu. In their eyes, Chen Yu was like a king at that moment. The mealsid out on the table particrly shocked everyone present. Who would have thought that an employee meal could be so rich? Previously, the media always said that the employee meals at Tianfu Xiaojie were the best in the entire industry, even in all of Suzhou City. Butpared to what was before them, these people suddenly felt that their previous employee meals were like pig swill. Every time Chen Yu merely said something, it was Wang Qingshan beside him who was sending the guests off. Already scared by Chen Yu''s aura, and with Wang Qingshan''s stature resembling a small mountain, that feeling of oppression made them quickly drag Wu Qiangsen out the door. [Aplete n has been provided to the host, which can be used to take over the other party within five days.] Chen Yu suddenly heard the system''s prompt in his ear, followed by a flood of information in his mind. The details of each step were calcted clearly, and even the liquidation n after the bankruptcy of the other party had been properly arranged. Chen Yu was a bit surprised; he had thought that after the system''s upgrade, there would only be an added function tomunicate with him, but he didn''t expect it to have autonomous nning capabilities as well. Before he could get excited, Ning Kai next to him angrily put down his chopsticks. "The food industry in Suzhou City is getting more and more excessive; some people came over a while ago, saying they wanted us to join the Suzhou City Food Association, and now even a small shop like ours is being troubled." Chen Yu frowned, "Food Association? Why don''t I know about this?" Li Gang pulled out an invitation from his pocket, "When you were in Europe before, those guys came looking, and this is the invitation they gave." When the invitation was ced on the table, everyone present turned gloomy. After reading the contents, Chen Yu was even more furious; it wasn''t an invitation at all, but a tant attempt to collect protection money. The so-called Suzhou City Food Association was merely a few individuals with chef credentials in name, forming a local organization. All businesses that joined the food association had to pay a certain membership fee within a specified time. In name, it was said that they could gain arge customer base, and the safety of their shops would be guaranteed. But anyone could see that this was clearly a thuggish agreement. Chen Yu mmed the invitation onto the table, "Why didn''t you tell me about this in time?" Wang Qingshan sighed, "You were busy with the factory at that time, and you had just returned from Europe; I really didn''t want to disturb you. Besides, I''ve dealt with these guys before, and they wouldn''t dare to go too far." After all, Wang Qingshan had been doing business in Suzhou City for more than a decade, and his own braised food store had been open for nearly ten years. He had had dealings with all sorts of forces in Suzhou City, especially this so-called food association. When he first opened his shop, these people also came knocking from time to time to cause trouble. It was only because Wang Qingshan''s shop had good vors, and the workers in his shop were big and burly, that they didn''t dare get too tough. Even so, Wang Qingshan still had to pay some membership fees. After all, no one doing business wants to attract so much trouble. Chen Yu breathed out gently, "Next time those guyse again, make sure they call me. I''d like to see just how arrogant they can be." As soon as his words fell, a torrent of information once more surged through his mind, all concerning the Suzhou City Food Association. There was even a response strategy included. Chen Yu''s heart suddenly filled with excitement, it seemed that the ten million points he spent were truly not in vain. At ten o''clock in the evening, Chen Yu returned to No. 1 Shuiyue with Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan. But when he arrived, the entire vi was surrounded so tightly that not even water could get through. Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown, hurriedly parked the car in the underground garage, and rushed to the door. "Ah, young Boss Chen has returned, thanks to the medicinal meals you provided for us, my decades-old problems have finally gotten better." An elderly man excitedly grabbed Chen Yu''s hand and shook it. The rest of the people also came forward and kept praising Chen Yu, each holding a small packet made of gauze. These were the medicine packets Chen Yu had made for the various neighborhood illnesses over that period. Li Lan approached with a smile on her face, "Xiao Yu, the neighbors came to get their medicine, and since you weren''t here, I had to distribute the packets ording to the names you marked." Chen Yu nodded, without saying much else. He had marked each packet with the corresponding patient''s name and the method of use. Chen Yu responded briefly, and for a few seriously ill elderly, he went into detail about certain aspects before sending them on their way. Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan by his side both sighed with relief; they had thought that there was trouble when they first arrived. After all, they had driven Wu Qiangsen away from Tianfu Small Street that evening. It wouldn''t be far-fetched that the guy might hold a grudge ande for revenge. "Mom, let me help you back inside!" Tong Ya quickly stepped forward to support Li Lan and led her back to her room. Chen Yu then turned around to close the gate. [System Alert: Danger Detected] The sudden voice startled Chen Yu; he quickly looked up, cautiously scanning his surroundings. Just then, a streak of red suddenly appeared before his eyes, resembling the glow from infrared night vision goggles. The figures hiding in the surrounding shrubbery were clearly visible to him. In the next moment, the system had already rapidly created a n for him. Chen Yu tried to keep his expression in check as he silently closed the main gate, and then followed the route given by the system to circle around the vi. Passing several arhat fruit trees, Chen Yu clearly saw five burly men hiding behind the bushes, each holding an automatic weapon. "Big brother, will we really get three million after this job is done?" "Rx, Boss Wu from Tianfu Small Street is one of the few wealthy figures in Suzhou City; he won''t shortchange the promised money. Besides, haven''t we already received a million in advance?" ... Chen Yu frowned, originally he had thought it was the boss behind the two thugs he killed yesterday that hade here, only to find out it was assassins hired by Wu Qiangsen. As those five fellows were preparing to act, Chen Yu''s figure shed, and he appeared in front of one of them, grasped his neck, and threw him violently against an arhat fruit tree nearby. Before the other four could react, Chen Yu propped himself on one hand and swung his legs up for a series of chain kicks. In a matter of seconds, he had knocked two men to the ground, leaving the remaining one standing there, bewildered. Now that Chen Yu''s physical fitness had reached the human limit, he was in a league of his ownpared to these thugs. Chapter 159: Chapter 159 Recording Merits "This is impossible, you were just in the vi, how did you get here so quickly?" Thest thug trembled, his hands shaking uncontrobly. Chen Yu''s expression was icy cold; he didn''t feel like wasting words with these guys. With a swift movement, he reached them and grabbed the man''s neck. "Showing up herete at night with weapons, just that alone is enough to lock you up for over twenty years." As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Yu tapped the guy''s spine, knocking him unconscious. He then immediately called Zhou Shengtao. [The system has detected that the host''s understanding of the legal knowledge system is notprehensive. It is rmended that the host spend three million points to study it separately.] Chen Yu raised an eyebrow. The system was bing more humanized by the day, but three million points was indeed a bit much. When he previously gambled, ten million points could him quite a few nice things. Before long, Zhou Shengtao arrived at the scene urgently with his team. "Little Chen, what am I to say? You''ve captured so many suspects over the past few days, how can I even begin to thank you?" Zhou Shengtao excitedly grasped Chen Yu''s hand and began shaking it vigorously. If not for Chen Yu''s exceptional physical strength, his arm might have been torn off. "Chief Zhou, they''re just petty thieves, there''s no need to get so worked up," Chen Yu said. Zhou Shengtao waved his hands dismissively, "These guys are not just petty thieves; they belong to a gang! Moreover, this bunch is extremely cunning. We''ve been trying to catch them for a long time without a clue. Now, we finally have a breakthrough." Chen Yu was somewhat surprised, if that was indeed the case, then there was no need for him to take action at Tianfu Alley. Just hiring these men would be enough tond Wu Qiangsen in jail for at least ten years. Just then, the rugged phone Zhou Shengtao kept at his waist suddenly rang. Phones like these were only called in the event of an emergency. Zhou Shengtao hurriedly answered the call, speaking some code words that Chen Yu couldn''t understand at all, before hanging up with a grave expression. "Little Chen, could youe with me? I have an urgent matter that requires your assistance." Without saying much, Chen Yu followed Zhou Sheng into the car. After all, his experiences were far beyond those of an ordinary person; staying awake for seventy-two hours straight wasn''t a problem for him. Furthermore, Zhou Sheng''s look of unprecedented urgency meant that something serious must have happened. It wasn''t long before the group arrived at a bridge. The relevant personnel had already set up control around the area. Stepping over several yellow lines, Chen Yu suddenly discovered three bodies lying under the bridge. Zhou Sheng''s face was solemn. He took a deep breath and with heavy steps, hesitantly lifted the white cloth covering the bodies. Chen Yu was about to ask about the details when a few workers nearby stopped him. "Little Chen, those are Chief Zhou''s close friends. Let''s give him some time. We should look for clues in the vicinity." Chen Yu nodded, ready to start investigating, when a holographic coverage map of the surrounding kilometer suddenly appeared in his mind. [Preliminary analysis suggests that this is not the original crime scene. The bodies were most likely transported here with the flow of the water.] Chen Yu raised an eyebrow. Anyone coulde to that conclusion just by looking at the crime scene. No sooner had he silently scoffed at that, the system, as if taking offense, shut off the holographic map. [Then the host may proceed to analyze the case on their own.] Chen Yu''s mouth fell open. Was the system actually capable of throwing a tantrum? "Little Chen!" Zhou Shengtao suddenly arrived behind Chen Yu, "We found some extremely fuzzy footage in the surveince, do you think you could restore these images?" Chen Yu nodded his head, this sort of thing was child''s y for him. Before long, Zhou Shengtao had brought Chen Yu to a tent nearby. Every piece of equipment there was readily avable, even capable of covering all surveince and electronic devices within a radius of several kilometers. On one of theputer screens, a very blurry segment was being yed in rotation. It appeared the surveince had been damaged at the time, which is why the blurry images were retrieved. As soon as Chen Yu arrived, the two workers next to him immediately stood up. Having worked with Chen Yu on a previous case, they knew about his remarkable talent for drawing. Zhou Shengtao also hurriedly handed over a drawing board. Without hesitation, Chen Yu took a few nces at the footage and then began sketching rapidly on the paper. It wasn''t long before two human silhouettes emerged on the page. However, the surveince footage was so vague it looked like nothing, leaving Chen Yu unable to capture some of the details. He could only do his best to draw simple facial contours. After Zhou Shengtao took a look, he immediately had his subordinates perform a facialparison. But after a good amount of effort, no results came forth. Chen Yu felt somewhat helpless; with such blurry images, as long as one could find the approximate facial proportions, it was basically possible to restore the true face. However, this segment of footage seemed to have been specially processed, with the facial proportions aplete mess. Even some professionals would think it was just two blobs of walking mosaic. "Team Zhou, based on the contourparison, we have found twenty-three suspects; the range has been greatly narrowed down, but if we could be more precise..." Before the worker could finish speaking, Zhou Shengtao interrupted him. "To have achieved this much is already quite remarkable; even the world''s top forensic artists couldn''t do much better. Let''s find more evidence to confirm the suspects." Everyone immediately set about their tasks, and the autopsy personnel arrived at the scene at this moment. Just then, Chen Yu suddenly saw a portrait sh across theputer screen. "Wait a minute, can we pull up this person''s information?" The worker at his side didn''t hesitate, immediately pulling up a massive amount of data. After all, Chen Yu was there to help Zhou Shengtao, and was thus considered one of the team. When the information had been pulled up, Chen Yu''s pupils suddenly dted, and he pulled Zhou Shengtao over. "Team Zhou, I''ve seen this person before; he seems to belong to a family in Europe. On the surface, his identity is that of a chef, but actually, it seems he is the leader of an assassin organization." Zhou Shengtao immediately keyed in a string of codes, and then a vast amount of information appeared on the screen. His breathing also became rapid at this moment, "Immediately use this person as a breakthrough point, search for all the people and forces involved behind him." The people, as if injected with adrenaline, suddenly became excited. Zhou Shengtao held onto Chen Yu''s shoulder tightly. "Chen, if we can solve this case thanks to you, I''ll make sure you get the credit!" Chapter 160: Chapter 160 Cerebral Palsy Patient At three in the morning, after all the evidence had been cleaned up, everything became simple. The next step was to coordinate the arrest with other relevant departments. Chen Yu might not have known many of the details, but he could tell how important those three deceased individuals were to Zhou Shengtao. It wasn''t until four in the morning that Chen Yu returned to Shuiyue No. 1 after the personnel finished clearing the site. At ten o''clock the next day, just as Chen Yu was groggily waking up from bed, he received a call from Hou Jianchang. The rest of the raw materials have basically been delivered! Without any dy, Chen Yu quickly freshened up and drove straight to the factory. Several trucks loaded with raw materials were parked at the factory gate, looking mighty impressive. A middle-aged man with an honest appearance stood between the trucks, chatting amiably with Hou Jianchang. Upon seeing Chen Yu arrive, the two hurriedly approached him. "Old Chen, let me introduce you, this is our main supplier for raw materials! He''s not from Suzhou City himself, but with such arge order you ced, he said he must make the trip over." The middle-aged man also respectfully handed over his business card. Chen Yu took it and saw: "Luo Qingjian, Mr. Luo! I''ve long heard of your reputation, and I never imagined the raw materials I''ve been using were supplied by you." Luo Qingjian was very well-known along the southeast coast, and nearly all agricultural produce in the region had passed through his hands. This time, with Chen Yu cing an order of one hundred million, regardless, the man behind the scenes had toe and take a look in person. Luo Qingjian also had a smile stered across his face. Initially, he thought Chen Yu was just making a one-time purchase, but after touring the factory, he realized there would be ongoing cooperation. In his eyes, Chen Yu was already considered a big client. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two parties quickly finalized several contracts, and Chen Yu transferred the remaining seventy million over. As for future cooperation, they agreed to sign relevant contracts once the factory was fully operational and the production cycle was established. After seeing off Luo Qingjian, Chen Yu prepared to check the warehouse with Hou Jianchang. After all, they had only one factory area, and the warehouse was not veryrge. To fit all these raw materials in, they needed to sell off some semi-finished products they had produced earlier. But they had just arrived at the warehouse entrance when four vans suddenly charged in, and more than twenty people, each wielding various types of sticks, tumbled out of the vehicles. "Is Wu Lao Liu here?" The question left Chen Yupletely perplexed. He didn''t even know who Wu Lao Liu was! And seeing the demeanor of these people, they seemed to be here for revenge, but upon closer observation, it didn''t quite seem that way. Hou Jianchang quickly stepped forward: "Wu Lao Liu is my employee, who are you guys?" The leader took out a notebook from the car, flipped through it, and then handed some documents to Hou Jianchang. "His daughter owes us a sum of money, which after interest has umted to over two hundred thousand. It''s best to repay the money right away, otherwise, don''t me us for not being polite." Hou Jianchang widened his eyes in disbelief. Wu Lao Liu was disabled, with limited mobility in his legs, and had always worked for him. Moreover, his daughter was only about fifteen or sixteen years old, still a minor. How could she possibly owe so much money? Hou Jianchang instinctively looked at the materials in his hand. Not only were there photos and personal details of Wu Xiaoxuan, but also the identity information of Wu Lao Liu. "Could there be some mistake?" Hou Jianchang''s eyebrows were tightly knotted, "I remember Wu Xiaoxuan is a cerebral palsy patient who has always been lying in the hospital, how could she possibly borrow money from you?" "That''s none of our business!" The leader twirled the stick in his hand, "Either hand over the person or pay the money; otherwise, we''ll smash up this factory!" Hou Jianchang''s anger surged. When he had seen the information, he knew there was something fishy about it. Looking at these guys'' attitudes, he was even more certain that they were a bunch of criminals. Moreover, ever since he started his business, Wu Laoliu had always been working under him; no matter what happened, he would handle it. Just as Hou Jianchang was about to speak, Chen Yu suddenly stepped forward, grabbed the man''s neck, and lifted him high. "You haven''t answered my question from earlier, how did a cerebral palsy patient borrow money from you?" The others, seeing this posture, were stunned at first, then quickly swung their weapons and rushed forward. But what they didn''t expect was that the first three to charge were kicked away by Chen Yu and smashed heavily onto a car. The rest stopped in their tracks, not daring to approach. After all, they were just trying to make a living, and nobody wanted to go to such extremes. Chen Yu still held the man by the neck, slowly applying pressure, "Answer my question!" A strong sense of suffocation enveloped the man; his face swelled up blue, and his legs iled in mid-air. "The IOU is written like that, we are just here to collect a debt, it''s not our business!" "Then whose business is it?" Chen Yu asked angrily, mming the man to the ground. A crisp sound of bone cracking instantly filled the air as the man''s shoulder copsed. Theckeys following behind were scared out of their wits, with a few even dropping their sticks and scattering in all directions. "Old Hou, the Wu Xiaoxuan you mentioned just now, where is she? Can I meet her?" "She''s at the Third Municipal Hospital!" Hou Jianchang replied and then pressed the car key. The two men headed straight for the Third Municipal Hospital, but Chen Yu still held the middle-aged man in his hand, pressing him into the back seat. The hospital was not far from the factory, and Hou Jianchang knew the way well, arriving in less than five minutes. It seemed he visited often. In amon ward of the psychiatric department, a dozen patientsy there, with doctors and nurses moving among them from time to time. Compared to other wards, this one was eerily quiet. After all, they were cerebral palsy patients, mostly in a sleeping state, unable to move. Besides caring for their daily needs, the doctors and nurses just had to make sure they were still breathing. Hou Jianchang carefully led Chen Yu to a ward in front of them, where a delicate young girly on the bed like a sleeping beauty. The steady beeping of the nearby equipment indicated that Wu Xiaoxuan''s condition was rtively stable. The middle-aged man brought by Chen Yu was quite depressed at the moment. His shoulder de had beenpletely ruined, and the pain tormented his spirit greatly. But in such an environment, he didn''t dare to shout out, fearful that Chen Yu would ruin his other shoulder in a fit of anger. Chapter 161: Chapter 161: Uproot Entirely Chen Yu''s brows furrowed tightly as he subconsciously ced his hand on Wu Xiaoxuan''s pulse. Her vital functions and physical condition were almost the same as a normal person''s, the only exception being that her brain nerves were in extreme disorder, posing the risk of brain death at any moment. How could a person who was paralyzed in bed, without even a sense of self, possibly have taken out a loan? In a daze, Chen Yu suddenly noticed a patch of red ink on Wu Xiaoxuan''s finger that hadn''t been properly wiped away. At that moment, he seemed to understand something and quickly checked the other patients, shockingly finding that many of them had the same red mark on their hands as Wu Xiaoxuan. Chen Yu suddenly turned around, smiling at the middle-aged man before pinching his copsed shoulder. "If I''m not mistaken, you pressed their fingerprints without their knowledge, scanned their facial information, and then took out loans, didn''t you?" The middle-aged man howled in pain, "It''s not my fault, we only handle debt collection, the borrowing was done by another group of people." "So where are those people?" Chen Yu increased the pressure on his grip. "I have their addresses, right here for you!" The middle-aged man hastily took out a small notebook from his person and handed it to Chen Yu. The notebook was crammed with the identity information of debtors, as well as the amount of money borrowed. When Chen Yu saw the figures written, he stood frozen in ce. ording to this record, on average, each person had borrowed around thirty thousand, but the repayment amount was about two hundred thousand. Moreover, nearly all of the debts were overdue. Chen Yu was immediately consumed with rage; setting aside whether the loan procedures werepliant, expecting a group of patients with cerebral palsy to repay the loans was simply impossible. They were intentionally waiting for the debts to add up, and then would use the IOUs to approach the patients'' families. Hou Jianchang also understood the scheme, suddenly grabbing a cup from the side and smashing it onto the middle-aged man''s head. "Are you even human? These are patients who can''t take care of themselves, and you''re scamming even them out of their money!" The pain in the middle-aged man''s shoulder had caused his body to convulse continuously, and now that he had been hit on the head with a ss, fresh blood gushed out, nearly causing him to faint. At that moment, a young man in his twenties, a relevant official dressed in uniform, hurried over with several staff members. "Mr. Chen, Chief Zhou is still dealing with another case, so he sent me over first!" Chen Yu had seen the young man before; he seemed to be a recent graduate from the police academy. "I know you, you''re Chief Zhou''s apprentice, Li Ming, right?" Li Ming nodded, then activated the recorder he was wearing. Chen Yu recounted all the details and handed over the notebook he was holding. After hearing the full story, Li Ming was also furious, but as an official, he had to follow the proper procedures. "Mr. Chen, we will immediately open a case, but we will need your help with many of the details. When Chief Zhou asked me toe, he also said..." "I understand!" Chen Yu interrupted, "Leave this guy to you for now. As for those who made the initial loans, I can assist in arresting them, you just need to give me two men." "No problem!" Li Ming quickly assigned two men from those he brought with him. Before long, Chen Yu and the two officers arrived at a rundown urban vige. ces like this weremonce in Suzhou City, each one aptly described as dirty, messy, and bad, and within their small confines, power dynamics were exceedinglyplicated. Not only did they have local bullies, but there were also some dubious characters from outside. The industries they were involved in were mostly illegitimate, but the departments in Suzhou City struggled due to theck of evidence; otherwise, they would have taken them down a long time ago. When Chen Yu, apanied by two relevant personnel, entered the urban vige, he immediately attracted everyone''s attention. The lookouts at the entrance of the vige quickly reported their movements to their respective bosses. Chen Yu didn''t dawdle and led his people directly to a simple color steel house. This ce was extremely secluded, and there were two garbage factories outside, so usually, no one came here. There were four or five guys on the lookout at the door, constantly wandering nearby. Seeing Chen Yu approaching, they wanted to go in and report right away. But they didn''t expect Chen Yu to be so fast; in the blink of an eye, he was behind one of them, grabbed him by the back of his neck, and kicked him hard in the leg. A crisp snap of bones echoed instantly, and the guy''s legs were directly crippled, while the others widened their eyes, their faces filled with terror. Before they could react, Chen Yu''s figure shed again, reaching another person, grabbed him by the back, and pushed hard, sending him crashing into the color steel house. There were more than twenty people in the room, each looking fierce and threatening. On their tables were piled various documents, most of which were medical information. Each of them held an encrypted phone and was continuously making calls. Seeing Chen Yu suddenly barge in, everyone was stunned for a moment. The man leading them immediately stood up, grabbed an automatic weapon from the side, and aimed it straight at Chen Yu. "Who the fuck are you? Do you have any idea what this ce is to barge in like this, do you have a death wish?" Chen Yu''s mouth curved slightly upward, drawing a strange arc. Then he threw the person he was holding out, knocking down the leader and several others to the ground. The two relevant personnel who had followed Chen Yu rushed in, holding automatic weapons. "Don''t move, put your hands on your head, and squat in the corner!" These people were purely evil and, far from being scared, they grabbed the weapons close at hand, preparing to fight back. The two young personnel who had followed were inexperienced in going out. Facing this scene for the first time, it was inevitable they felt a bit intimidated. However, their solid professional training made them instinctively pull the trigger. Chen Yu went straight forward and kicked the table flying, knocking over a dozen people to the ground. He then grabbed the leader and lifted him up. "The money you guys scammed out of the hospital, did it all go into your pockets?" Chen Yu''s voice was exceptionally cold, especially the eerie aura emanating from his body made everyone present feel a twinge of fear. But the leader was surprisingly calm, "Kid, do you know where you are? You think you can just walk in and out whole?" Chen Yu''s mouth lifted slightly, "Since you say so, if I don''t rip this ce out by the roots, it would seem I''m not giving you face." As soon as his voice fell, the exterior of the color steel house suddenly became chaotic. Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Gourmet Association A once extremely secluded area was now suddenly teeming with over a hundred people. They were dressed in a variety of clothes, clearly small merchants from all walks of life, but now, for some inexplicable reason, they had united together. It seemed that these people inside the color steel house were also involved, or at least part of the entire chain of interests. Chen Yu''s eyes narrowed slightly as he dragged the leading man out of the color steel house. The two apanying officials next to him seemed somewhat nervous at the moment, with their fingers on the trigger, ready to pull it at any time. "Steady!" Chen Yu patted one of the apanying officials on the shoulder and then slowly walked out. "I''ll give you all a chance, everyone put your hands on your head and stand by the roadside, or else you''ll be deemed as assaulting the officials!" But these people simply did not listen, instead slowly approaching while waving the weapons in their hands. [Host detected in a dangerous situation, do you need an escape n to be made?] Chen Yu couldn''t help but be taken aback, the system usually made ns for him directly, why was it now asking him? "No shit, of course!" He had barely replied in his mind when suddenly the system fell silent. Just as Chen Yu was about to speak up, the voice of the system sounded again. [Best n has been made, requiring the host to pay 500,000 points] Chen Yu''s pupils dted slightly, seeming like the system had a bit of a temper, or perhaps it still remembered Chen Yu questioning it the night before. Moreover, he had just spent ten million points, and today''s business wasn''t over yet, where would he get another 500,000 points to pay? He sighed helplessly, never expecting the system to let him down at a critical moment. Scanning his surroundings, Chen Yu rapidly nned an escape route in his mind. Even with his exceptional physical fitness, carrying the two men behind him, there''s no way he could break through the encirclement of over a hundred people. After adjusting his breathing slightly, Chen Yu locked onto a surrounding wall. "Both of you, keep up with me!" He shouted hastily, then knocked the leader unconscious, hoisted him onto his shoulder, and ran towards the wall, taking two steps at a time. The two did not dare to dy and closely followed behind Chen Yu. The wall was high but rickety, and with just one punch on it, Chen Yu brought it crumbling down. The three of them ran forward with all their might, turned a corner down a narrow alley, and found themselves on the main road outside. Four in the afternoon. Zhou Shengtao, looking at the documents and reports in front of him, was overjoyed. "We''ve been watching these guys for a long time, desperatelycking evidence, and now we can finally uproot thempletely." But Chen Yu didn''t care about these things, he simply ced the bills in front of Zhou Shengtao. "So these things do notply with regtions, and the debtor doesn''t have to pay them back, right?" Zhou Shengtao nodded, "Making a person with cerebral palsy pay debts, isn''t that a joke? Of course, it doesn''t count." Chen Yu immediately breathed a sigh of relief, Wu Laoliu was his employee after all now, how could he let his own people take on such a huge debt for no reason? After confirming a few more details with Zhou Shengtao, he returned to the factory. Hou Jianchang at this moment had already loaded the finished semi-products onto the truck and simultaneously contacted the Tong Group''s rted officials to take them away. ording to the requirements of the contract, about half of the semi-finished products that had beenpleted these days, and the rest could all be finished within another week. After that, the entire factory would be able to get back on track. Old Wu Six was incessantly talking to Zhou Shengtao at the moment, seeminglymenting the misfortune of his family. Chen Yu didn''t join the conversation but went over to check the ounts instead. After all, he had handed over all the affairs of the factory to Zhou Shengtao; there was no need for him to meddle too much. After verifying the ounts, Chen Yu found an empty room and sat down. "System, you definitely possess independent consciousness now, I think we need to talk." [Due to the host''sck of trust, the system refuses.] Chen Yu was momentarily stunned, astonished that a mere system could have such an attitude. Just as he was about to speak, Zhou Shengtao briskly walked in. "I''ve investigated the matter. There are a total of four people who were deceived in the factory, each of them with debts of over two hundred thousand..." "I''ve already taken care of this issue, the owed money doesn''t need to be repaid," Zhou Sheng said. Hou Jianchang kept nodding his head: "Now that''s a relief. My workers here are all half-disabled, their monthly wages are so meager, suddenly saddling them with debts of over two hundred thousand would have ruined their entire families." Chen Yu didn''t say much, simply passing the ount book on the table to Hou Jianchang. "The factory is about to enter normal operations; it''s time to find a financial manager. Always doing the ounts myself is time-consuming andborious." Hou Jianchang sighed helplessly. "I truly dare not recruit a financial manager from outside right now, most of the ones I had before were disasters." Chen Yu exhaled softly; the financial department of anypany is a key link. If the wrong person is chosen, what''s ruined is not just a singlepany. [The system can perform fund pool calctions; no financial manager is needed.] A notification suddenly sounded in Chen Yu''s mind, startling him. Right, he had a system, why bother bringing in a financial manager. Chen Yu instinctively smacked his head: "Let''s talk about itter then, just keep an eye on these ounts for now! But take some rest whenever you can, even if something goes wrong, I''ve got your back." Hou Jianchang smiled awkwardly, indeed scared stiff by his past experiences. At half-past eight in the evening, Chen Yu hurriedly drove back to Shuiyue No.1. [Congrattions to the host forpleting a day''s business. Today''s profit is twenty-eight million five hundred and sixty thousand yuan, earning the same number of points. The current total umted points are twenty-one million four thousand and eighty.] It seemed that the business system of the factory had not yet been included. After parking the car in the underground garage, Chen Yu returned to the vi. But as he entered, he saw a man dressed in a suit and leather shoes engaging Li Lan in conversation in the living room. Upon seeing Chen Yue in, the man quickly stood up and handed over an invitation. "Mr. Chen, I am here on behalf of the Suzhou City Culinary Association to deliver this invitation, hoping you will be able to join us at Huamei Hotel for a culinarypetition tomorrow noon," he said. Chen Yu frowned, just about to speak when the man hurriedly left, not giving him a chance to talk. Li Lan stood up excitedly. "Xiao Yu, you''re truly famous now; even people from the culinary association are inviting you topetitions." Chen Yu was unsure of how to exin, although he knew that even if he did, Li Lan would probably not understand the intricacies. Looking at the invitation in hand, a cold glint flickered in Chen Yu''s eyes. It would be a good opportunity to meet with the culinary association properly. Chapter 163: Chapter 163 Fathead Fish At six in the morning the next day, when Chen Yu arrived at the shop, he found that in addition to the customers, there were some people loitering around. These individuals were dressed in uniform, with a food association badge hanging around their necks. They would intermittently block the nearby customers, forcefully stuffing flyers into their hands. A middle-aged man, sturdy and imposing, sat at the entrance, stretching one leg across the way. Many delivery people and customers had to walk around him. Wang Qingshan stood by, staring intently at the middle-aged man, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. If it hadn''t been for people recording the scene nearby, he probably would have already taken a swing. Chen Yu''s brows furrowed slightly; he hadn''t expected that these people, who had delivered an invitation yesterday, would get aggressive so soon. The group noticed Chen Yu approaching and quickly surrounded him. The man in the lead stepped directly in front of Chen Yu. "Mr. Chen, Huamei has already prepared a feast and is waiting for you toe over. Let''s head there now!" he said. Chen Yu nced at the time: "It''s still early, I''ve got some things to handle in my store first. Wait here!" The crowd grew discontent, having woken up early and waited all this time just to take Chen Yu with them; they didn''t expect to be ordered around by him. "Mr. Chen, I advise you toe with us now, otherwise, do you know the consequences?" Chen Yu looked down, his fingers twitching slightly. "What consequences?" The middle-aged man''s hands clenched tightly then rxed, the crackling sound of his bones discing rang out. "Then don''t me us for being rude!" As his words fell, a group seemed ready to charge into the shop. Li Gang, Ning Kai, and Wang Qingshan immediately blocked the entrance, and it looked as though a conflict would erupt at any moment. Suddenly, Chen Yu raised his hand and grabbed the lead man''s arm. "Rude? Are you qualified?" The pain shooting through his wrist caused the man''s body to tremble violently, and his eyes fixed on Chen Yu with a newfound fear. Before he could react, he felt a strong force and his entire body was sent flying. Chen Yu chose to turn and easily dodge the crowd. "Wait here. I''ll leave when Ie out!" The group that had just been menacing now stood like a bunch of quails, not daring to move an inch. "Old Chen, should we call the police, have Officer Zhoue over?" Wang Qingshan was already seething with anger. Chen Yu waved his hand dismissively: "No need, these people are definitely packaged goods, with no traces to be found by the authorities. I have to handle this personally." After cating everyone, Chen Yu walked out of the door. Huamei Hotel was one of the few five-star hotels in Suzhou City, and it also boasted a Michelin-rated restaurant. As soon as Chen Yu arrived, he was captivated by the hotel lobby''s decor. Thebination of Eastern and Western styles was both elegant and infused with an Oriental charm. Chen Yu had once nned his own business empire and contemted that if he were to open a hotel of the same caliber, such decor could serve as inspiration. In the center of the hall stood a table, with an old man seated at the head, sipping tea nonchntly, exuding an air of disdain for everything around him. Meanwhile, Chen Yu had been examining the decor since entering,pletely ignoring the old man. "The young people nowadays really have no respect for their elders, not even offering a cup of tea when they see one," he said. The old man tapped the table a few times in annoyance, prompting his bodyguards to rush towards Chen Yu, attempting to forcibly bring him over. However, to their surprise, as the bodyguards approached, Chen Yu lifted his hand and delivered a powerful p. Each p was extraordinarily forceful, knocking each one unconscious with a single strike,ying out five men t on the ground. The old man''s eyes widened in disbelief, as his bodyguards were all specially trained, yet they proved to be no match for Chen Yu, as frail as chicks. Exhaling a breath of foul air, the old man dropped the subject of offering tea. "Young man, the Suzhou City Culinary Association has been established for decades, admitting only renowned chefs and businesses, being here was supposed to be an opportunity for you to climb up, don''t be ungrateful," he said. Chen Yu continued to pay no attention, instead, he stroked the column next to him, asking the waiter nearby about the material of the column. The old man was livid with rage, seeing as no one had ever dared to ignore him like this. "Hey, kid, Mr. Hu Yan is talking to you!" a man standing beside the old man suddenly shouted. This fellow was extremely corpulent, his beer belly stuck out as if he were pregnant. Only then did Chen Yu turn his head: "I presume you must be the famous Fathead Fish of Suzhou City, Mr. Li Jiakai." Li Jiakai snorted coldly: "Since you recognize me, then..." "I was merely giving a symbolic greeting, after all, you reek of smoke, but I guess that still qualifies you as a chef," Chen Yu said. Li Jiakai''s eyes bulged in anger: "What do you mean by that?" Chen Yu spread his hands: "Since this is the Culinary Association, the majority gathered here should be chefs, but from the moment I walked in, only Mr. Li could barely be considered a chef." Li Jiakai became furious: "Barely? Do you have any idea how many awards I have won for the Suzhou City Culinary Association? Three of them are even of a world-ss level!" "What a pity, though, all those awards have something to do with your Spicy Fish Head! Relying on a single specialty to win acim everywhere doesn''t really make one a chef, if I''m honest." Li Jiakai hopped around in anger, his hefty belly shaking up and down. "Kid, if you''re so capable, let''s have apetition, I can even refrain from making Fish Head for you," he challenged. With a slight smile, Chen Yu replied, "That wouldn''t be fair, would it? If you lose without making Fish Head, wouldn''t it seem like I''m bullying you?" Li Jiakai''s breathing became ragged as he waved to someone nearby. "Roll out the mobile kitchen for me, today I need to teach this kid a lesson." Soon enough, two fully equipped mobile kitchens were rolled out. Chen Yu didn''t say much; since a challenge was posed, he was ready to ept. "Master Li, I n to make a Sichuan Fish Head dish to seek your guidance, please use all your skill in making Spicy Fish Head," he said. Although the words were extremely humble, they were filled with provocation. Li Jiakai snorted coldly, saying no more as he took a fish head from the ingredient shelf. Hu Yan and the other bigwigs of the Culinary Association stepped back, giving ample space to the two of them. As soon as Li Jiakai got hold of the fish head, he became excited as if injected with chicken blood, his bulky body suddenly moving with agility. He even spun several circles on the spot, spoon in hand. Chapter 164: Chapter 164 Sichuan-Style Fish Head Chen Yu couldn''t help but furrow his brow; he had not anticipated that the guy would put on such a shy show while cooking. When he spun around just now, Chen Yu clearly saw Li Jiakai''s body slip a little. Had it not been for his steady lower-body technique, he would probably have fallen t on his face. Chen Yu stifled augh, ced the fish head into the steamer after frying it and then began to stir-fry the sauce. The Sichuan fish head and the chopped pepper fish head are of the same origin; the key lies in the raw materials and the sauce. The fish head used for cooking must be carefully selected; the mouthfeel varies greatly with different qualities of fish heads. However, Chen Yu had no choice in this matter, after all the fish head was prepared by someone else. He had to work with whatever he was given. Moreover, he had just made a roughparison of the two fish heads and found that Li Jiakai''s fish head was clearly superior to his. The key to their rivalry, therefore, came down to the sauce. Although Li Jiakai was famous for his chopped pepper fish head, the information on fish head sauces in Chen Yu''s mind was iparable to Li Jiakai''s. He only needed to slightly adapt it, blending several sauces together to create the most perfect sauce. It wasn''t long before a rich fragrance began to spread, but everyone''s eyes were focused on Chen Yu''s side. The sauce in his wok was too tempting. Even Li Jiakai turned his head from time to time, inhaling deeply. In less than ten minutes, Chen Yu''s Sichuan fish head was ready ahead of schedule. The tender fish head was wrapped in ayer of golden crispy skin, and with the addition of the sauce, its appearance was extremely perfect. The emanating aroma was refreshing, making one eager to rush up and take a bite. Hu Yan and a group of big shots couldn''t stand it anymore; two of them had even begun to drool. Li Jiakai was sweating profusely; he had not expected Chen Yu to be so fast. It was only after Chen Yu''s fish head had been served for five minutes that hepleted his dish. Only then did everyone pick up their chopsticks to taste. In truth, any perceptive person could see that this crowd was colluding. The most important aspect of fish head is the moment ites straight out of the pot, as that''s when the vor is at its best. But now Chen Yu''s fish head had been sitting for five minutes; it must have cooled down considerably, and the vor was definitelypromised. And this fact would undoubtedly be selectively ignored by the crowd. However, as they tore open the crispy skin on Chen Yu''s fish head, hot steam billowed out. "My God, it''s been five minutes since it was taken off the stove, and it can still retain such temperature!" "It''s the crispy skin! Thisyer of crispy skin preserved the temperature of the fish head!" "The sauce on the outside and the fish meat on the inside fused perfectly; to eat it at this moment is just right." ¡­ Li Jiakai quickly picked up his chopsticks and grabbed a piece. The fish was tender, smooth, and delicious; its nearly perfect taste made him feel inferior. No matter what, he had lost thispetition. And as judges, the group of big shots finished off Chen Yu''s fish head thoroughly, yet for Li Jiakai''s, they merely took one bite each. Looking at that, it was clear who was superior. But, unexpectedly, after eating up everything, these people cast all their votes for Li Jiakai. Hu Yan even put on an elder statesman''s air, "Young man, although I admit that your fish head is very delicious, you are too inexperienced. Sometimes, you still need to respect your seniors." Chen Yu let out a lightugh, "I came here today just to see what this so-called Gastronomy Association really is, nothing more!" With that, Chen Yu took off his chef hat and strode away. The people at the scene were dumbfounded. Since the establishment of the Gastronomy Association, no one had ever been so presumptuous here. "Stop right there, do you think you cane and go from the Gastronomy Association as you please?" Hu Yan suddenly stood up and shouted, then tossed a contract out. "Sign this contract right now, from now on, your store must give up a tenth of its profits as a membership fee, and you must also hand over all your business ounts." Chen Yu''s body paused, he hadn''t expected the Gastronomy Association to be so excessive, that they had reached the point of coercion. "Why don''t you share with me half of the profits from the Gastronomy Association and hand over your business ounts!" Hu Yan''s pupils dted suddenly, "Kid, you''re too impudent!" A small smirk appeared on Chen Yu''s lips as he swiftly moved in front of Hu Yan. Before Hu Yan could react, Chen Yu had grabbed his neck and squeezed hard. "Write up a contract right now with the terms I just mentioned, or I''ll kill you right here and now." The sudden turn of events caught everyone present off guard. The bodyguards following Hu Yan didn''t dare to step forward, after all, theirpanions had already been knocked to the ground by a p from Chen Yu. Beads of sweat instantly appeared on Hu Yan''s forehead. "You''re threatening me? Do you have any idea what happens to people who threaten me in Suzhou City?" The strength in Chen Yu''s hand slowly increased, "All I know is, if you don''t agree to my terms right now, you can be killed." Hu Yan struggle to breathe, suddenly experiencing an inexplicable sensation of death. "I agree!" As he spoke, he hurriedly had his secretary reprint a contract, quickly signed it, and also stamped it with the seal. Chen Yu nced at the contract, "I would also like you all to sign your names on it as well." The others exchanged nces, with not a single one willing to step forward. After all, the Gastronomy Association was an organization they had worked hard to establish over decades, and now they were being asked to give up half their profits for no reason; anyone would be reluctant. Hu Yan became anxious, "What are you doing? Hurry up and sign, do you want me to die?" Without further dy, everyone stepped forward and wrote down their names. Chen Yu looked at the contract with satisfaction and then released Hu Yan. "I will hand this contract over to the relevant department and then apply for a tax deration form." Upon hearing this, everyone in the room went into a brief shock. To them, it was just a piece of paper; even though they had signed it, as long as they denied it, the contract wouldn''t mean much. But now, with Chen Yu dering it to the relevant department, it was tantamount to taking their lives. Maybe the wealth they had worked for over decades would be wiped out. "What are you waiting for, stop him!" No one knew who shouted, but everyone in the hall rushed over urgently to block Chen Yu''s path. Hu Yan, leaning on his cane, even jogged over. "Young man, we can talk this over! We can really agree to the conditions written in the contract, but applying at the relevant department for this should be considered carefully." Chen Yu''s expression was cold, "From what I see, it seems like the Gastronomy Association has never paid taxes!" Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Carrot Carving Everyone present wore a look of horror on their faces. When the Gourmet Association had just been established, it was nothing more than a social organization. Even though itter formed a corporation, it maintained the original organization''s loose nature. Hence, its finances were highly irregr. Just a cursory investigation would reveal a multitude of vitions. Chen Yu didn''t care about all that; he already had the contract, which in a way, served as incriminating evidence. As long as he handed it over to Zhou Shengtao, and with further investigation by the relevant departments, it would be enough to uproot the entire Gourmet Association. At the very least, it could reorganize it. By the time the crowd moved to encircle him, Chen Yu had already vaulted out of a side door. Hu Yan stood there, his weathered eyes wide with shock. "What are you spacing out for, chase after him! You must snatch that contract from his hands for me." No one dared to ck off, as their signatures and fingerprints were on that contract. If anything went wrong, none of them could escape. On the streets of Suzhou City, a dozen luxury cars chased after a hybrid electric vehicle, speeding past. Such a scene quickly caught the attention of passersby and even alerted some media outlets. Two news agencies even called in helicopters to follow and report on the chase. Chen Yu''s eyebrows were tightly knit, the elerator floored, and the steering wheel turning rapidly as he continuously wove through the crowd and traffic. At that moment, he regretted not buying a supercar after he hade into money; how could a hybridpete with luxury cars in speed? If it weren''t for his constant detours through streets and one-way roads, these people would have caught up to him long ago. Fortunately, the relevant department wasn''t too far from the Hua Mei Lai Hotel. Before long, Chen Yu arrived at the entrance but failed to stop due to the high speed, crashing through into the courtyard. Several officers immediately went on alert, surrounding the vehicle, but when they saw Chen Yu, they hurriedly helped him out of the car. "Mr. Chen, what happened to you? You''re in such a rush!" Chen Yu caught his breath, "Block those guys behind me, I need to find Zhou." Inside the hall, Zhou Shengtao and several people were intensely poring over a pile of documents. The giant screen beside them constantly switched between various photos. Seeing Chen Yue in, Zhou Shengtao quickly stood up. "Chen, you''re just in time, I have a favor to ask of you." Chen Yu didn''t immediately respond butid the documents he brought onto the table. "Zhou, people from the Suzhou Gourmet Association are outside. I''ve got a share distribution chart here, with all their signatures on it." Zhou Shengtao''s eyes shed with joy as he hurriedly took the contract from Chen Yu. "Great, I''ve been looking for a reason to deal with those guys!" As he spoke, Zhou Shengtao made a gesture to his deputy, and the formerly busy officers stood up and left the room. Zhou Shengtao then pulled Chen Yu in front of the screen. "This case is connected to several previous cases. Following the portrait you drew, we can narrow down the suspects but still can''t apprehend the culprit urately! Fortunately, we''ve found a rtively clear figure in another surveince video." Chen Yu merely nced at the screen before he picked up a drawing board and started to draw rapidly. Before long, the face of a middle-aged man emerged on the paper. Zhou Shengtao''s eyes were brimming with excitement, "Chen Yu, well done! Additionally, those people we arrested near your house have given up the owner of the Heavenly Mansion Street, Wu Qiangsen. Unbelievably, he''s connected to a case from several years ago." While he spoke, those from the Culinary Association who had followed Chen Yu here were being taken in one by one. In their wildest dreams, they never imagined that Chen Yu would actually drive to the relevant authorities. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Zhou Shengtao, Chen Yu headed straight back to his shop. But when he returned, he found two mobile kitchens ced at the entrance of his shop. An old man, over fifty, and Li Gang each stood at their stations, their knives shing rapidly through the air. Before long, each of their hands bore a te of carved garnishes. However, the old man''s carvings were more exquisite and sophisticated than Li Gang''s by several notches. "Young man, I admit your cooking skills are indeed very good, but you''recking a bit of innate talent. If you would take me as your master, perhaps it could make up for your deficiencies. In a few years, your culinary skills could reach new heights," the old man said. Li Gang''s hands trembled slightly; his knife skills were what he was most proud of throughout his years as a chef. However, his face showed no hint of defeat. The old man in front of him was at least thirty years his senior! If he could reach the old man''s age, he was confident that he could surpass him in terms of knife skills. With a snort, Li Gang ced the dish aside. "Old man, you''re just taking advantage of your age and experience. But to speak of taking me as your disciple, you''re not qualified." The old man''s eyes narrowed, a sh of viciousness fleeting across his face. "That''s fine, you don''t have to do anything. As the chef of this restaurant, ording to our agreement before thepetition, this restaurant is mine now," the old man asserted. Li Gang casually shook the cleaver in his hand and put it back in its ce among the kitchen wares. "Who told you I''m the chef of this restaurant?" he retorted. The old man stared, wide-eyed. "What do you mean? If you''re not the chef, why did youe out topete with me?" Li Gangughed, "Our chef had to step out for a bit, so at best I''m just a helper! You got excited over beating a helper, what''s there to be proud of?" As he spoke,ughter erupted from the crowd, even Chen Yu couldn''t help but crack a smile. Wang Qingshan approached from the side, "Old man, since we''repeting, one dish or two doesn''t make much difference. How about we each prepare a signature dish and see who''s better?" The old man was livid with rage. He hade here to avenge his disciple, Wu Qiangsen. His aim was to take over this restaurant. Who would have thought that after painstakingly showing off his knife skills, it turned out that he was onlypeting with a helper? Now, an overweight man had popped up, looking to challenge him, and it was enough to make anyone lose their temper. Just as the old man was about to explode in anger, Chen Yu appeared beside Li Gang as if he had all the time in the world and casually picked up a knife from the table. Seeing Chen Yu step forward, Li Gang and Wang Qingshan immediately made room for him. A murderous look shed in the eyes of the old man. "And who might you be?" he inquired. "I''m also a helper!" Chen Yu nonchntly twirled the knife in his hand, and in the blink of an eye, a radish lotus blossom appeared in his hand. This seemingly effortless action produced a radish carving that was breathtakingly perfect, even more so than the actual flower. The old man swayed slightly, his gaze towards Chen Yu now filled with a tinge of wariness. Chapter 166: Chapter 166 Evaluating Dishes ``` Chen Yu''s hands did not stop moving as he meticulously replicated the old man''s carved design onto a te of his own. In just five minutes, a lifelike carving was presented to the crowd. Instant silence descended, with all eyes concentrating on the carving. Compared with the old man''s work, Chen Yu''s carving was akin to the real thing, and had the onlookers not seen him pick up the ingredients from nearby themselves, they might have suspected Chen Yu of buying real flowers to cheat. The elder involuntarily swallowed, realizing that in terms of knife skills, Chen Yu was many times superior to him. "You are insulting me! Sending one kitchen help after another to challenge me, let someone with authority heree out now, I want to bet this restaurant with him." "No problem, my husband can make that decision!" Tong Ya slowly emerged from the store, "But since my husband is putting the restaurant on the line topete with you, you should at least put up assets of equivalent value as a wager." The elder let out a sigh of turbid air and said no more; he looked the restaurant up and down before taking out a bank draft from his pocket. "I reckon your restaurant''s investment is at most a few million. Here is a five million bank draft, which should be more than enough." Tong Ya offered a slight smile, "How could that be enough? Our daily turnover is over two million. Thinking a mere five million draft could serve as a wager, aren''t you a bit too optimistic?" The elder was taken aback, "Two million in daily turnover? That''s impossible! A restaurant of this size could at best make a few hundred thousand a day." "Where did this old mane from? He''s so clueless!" An older woman in her sixties scoffed at the elder, "Chen Yu''s restaurant draws crowds from thirty miles around; more than two million a day is quite normal." "Exactly. Chen Yu has been running this ce for quite some time now, and we neighbors have made rough calctions. Forget about two million, if Chen Yu were willing to raise the prices of his dishes even slightly, he could easily hit four to five million in daily turnover." "This old man must have never seen the wider world, thinking he''s the high and mighty with a bit of cooking skill." "Let Chen Yu teach him a lesson!" ... Almost everyone present was overwhelmingly supportive of Chen Yu, with a flood of disdain directed at the elder. The elder''s face turned red, suddenly feeling quite embarrassed. But he steadied his emotions and took out three drafts, each worth ten million, from his bosom. "Surely this is enough!" Tong Ya then turned her gaze to Chen Yu, her eyes softening. "Husband, what do you think?" Chen Yu pondered for a moment, "Thirty million is indeed worth cooking a dish for!" "Wait a moment!" The elder suddenly shouted, "If I win, I want all the recipes for the ingredients in this restaurant." Wang Qingshan immediately objected, "Hey, this old man really doesn''t know when to stop!" Chen Yu stopped him, "It''s okay, the old gentleman is here to give us money, not to really take our recipes." Upon hearing this, Wang Qingshan calmed down, knowing it would be too easy for Chen Yu to beat the elder with his skill. He said nothing more, only pulling Li Gang, who was also angry, to the side. "Tell me, which aspect do you want topete in?" the elder challenged Chen Yu with a defiant look, as if wishing Chen Yu to set a constraint. ``` "The old man must be a Sichuan cuisine chef, so let''spete in Sichuan dishes!" The old man burst intoughter, "Kid, you sure about that? Competing against me in Sichuan cuisine is like seeking death." Chen Yu didn''t respond, simply picking up a block of tofu from the side. "Then I''ll just make do with a Mapo Tofu!" However, the old man snorted coldly, "Mapo Tofu is just a home-cooked dish among Sichuan cuisine. Authentic Sichuan dishes are mainly sour and sweet in vor!" As he spoke, the old man took out a small jar he carried with him and picked up a te of pork loin from the side. It looked like he was going to make sweet and sour pork loin. Chen Yu didn''t say much, just quickly cutting the tofu into even pieces and then adding the other ingredients to the pot. The old man was also incredibly fast; after all, he had decades of experience in cooking, which showed in his speed. In less than five minutes, both of their dishes were ready. The rich aroma instantly spread at the entrance of the store, making the crowd around them look on eagerly, some of them itching to rush up and take a bite. But when both dishes were presented, the old man''s face took on an ugly expression. Though they matched each other in speed and cooking skill, he knew that the reason he finished the sweet and sour pork loin so quickly was that he had prepared a secret sweet and sour sauce in advance, while Chen Yu followed the steps precisely, frying up the sauce for his Mapo Tofu from scratch, and even treated the tofu with a special technique. Being able toplete so many steps in such a short time, Chen Yu''s cooking skills were clearly superior to his own. The old man squeezed out a forced smile, "Should we now find a respectable judge to determine whose dish tastes better?" As he finished speaking, a middle-aged man slowly stepped out of the crowd and handed Chen Yu a business card. "I happen to be a somewhat famous food critic. May I have the honor of being the judge?" Chen Yu frowned, this guy showed up at just the right moment. He subconsciously nced at the old man next to him and noticed that the old guy was looking somewhat evasive. Without guessing, he knew the so-called food critic was someone the old man had summoned to be on standby. But in such apetition, a legitimate food critic is needed on site forments, or else thepetition would be invalidated. Chen Yu was in a bind, as the only ones with a gourmet judge certification on site were just a few of them. The only one who seemed impartial and fair, and also out of the blue, was this suddenly appearing food critic. Allowing this person to judge, however, wouldpromise the fairness of thepetition. Just at that moment, the piercing sound of a police siren suddenly rose from afar. A vehicle from the relevant department came to a stable stop at the entrance of the store, and Zhou Shengtao came down from it. "Chen, it''s quite lively here!" After a brief greeting, Zhou Shengtao waved the sketch in his hand, which seemed to be from a case earlier that required some details from Chen Yu. But Chen Yu didn''t respond immediately, instead pulling Zhou Shengtao over. "Zhou, here are two dishes. I hope you can give a fair evaluation, whose dish tastes better!" Zhou Shengtao was instantly annoyed, since when did he know how to evaluate dishes? Chapter 167: Chapter 167: Sudden Heart Attack Zhou Shengtao was invited to be a judge, and no one present dared to utter a word of dissent. not even the old man. To make such apetition legally binding, apart from having professional gourmets, it was also necessary to invite public officials like Zhou Shengtao to serve as the arbiters. It ensured both the fairness and the regtorypliance of thepetition. Zhou Shengtao had urgent business with Chen Yu, but seeing so many people waiting here, and since it was just a matter of sampling two dishes, he thought nothing more of it. He simply picked up his chopsticks and tasted both dishes in session. "Both dishes are pretty good, authentic Sichuan vors, but the Mapo Tofu is the superior one, with an excellent texture, and you can even taste something like crispy pork in this tofu." At these words, the old man felt as if struck by lightning and retreated several steps involuntarily. Chen Yu didn''t hold back and went straight forward to take the bank note that was on the table into his hands. "Ladies and gentlemen, the meals are on the house today! However, each person can purchase a maximum of two servings of any food in the shop, until 8 o''clock tonight!" Upon hearing this, everyone present was immediately excited. Chen Yu''s cooking was already a local delicacy, and now that he was offering it for free, how could people resist? The old man and the gourmets next to him were suddenly at a loss and somewhat bewildered. They hade here full of confidence, intending to win over Chen Yu''s restaurant, but instead, they ended up losing thirty million. However, they dared not make any uncalcted moves, especially with Zhou Shengtao and officers from relevant departments present. Taking advantage of themotion in the crowd, they left the scene dejectedly. Chen Yu then took Zhou Shengtao and a few of the officers up to a room on the third floor. "Captain Zhou, didn''t we just finalize the suspect? What''s the problem now?" Zhou Shengtao sighed helplessly and handed a stack of documents to Chen Yu. "The problem isn''t too big, it''s just that the suspect''s identity is particrly sensitive, and it''s been causing us tremendous difficulties in apprehending him." "Angelnorth!" Chen Yu couldn''t help but exim. This was a small country within the Arctic Circle, having gained independence less than a year ago¡ªit was practicallywless territory. To catch someone there was nothing short of a fantasy. "That''s right, luckily we have reached out to a global organization. This time it''s a joint operation by major departments, but we absolutely must send someone who is in the know." Chen Yu was looking over the documents and nodding subconsciously, but the next moment he seemed to grasp something and suddenly looked up at Zhou Shengtao with an indescribable gaze. "Captain Zhou, you''re not thinking of sending me, are you?" Zhou Shengtao was a bit embarrassed: "This mission is a secret operation, and everyone involved must conceal their identity, and also requires a certain level of... " "Captain Zhou, you''re joking too much! I''m just an ordinary citizen, how could I possibly..." Before Chen Yu could finish, Zhou Shengtao handed over an application form. "Your application for bing an external staff member has been approved, and since this operation requires a professional Portrait Artist, I could only ask you to go!" Chen Yu''s mouth fell open in disbelief. He had thought Zhou Shengtao was just speaking casually before, but it turned out that he had actually prepared an application form for him. Before Chen Yu could speak, Zhou Shengtao began to take out some credentials. "Chen, it''s not that I want to do this, but the higher-ups instructed specifically for you to go, otherwise I would have gone in your ce!" "Also, if you sessfully capture the target and bring them back, the reward from our department and the relevant global organizations will be at least one hundred million." Chen Yu instantly felt like he had been caught in a trap. If this had been before when he had nothing, he would have considered the hundred million for Tuan Tuan''s sake and taken a chance. But now that he had Tong Ya, he had to fulfill the responsibilities of a husband, providing her with a sense of security. [System prompt: It is rmended that the host heads there immediately, as it will help in umting points for the future.] Chen Yu was momentarily startled. His current source of points was solely his shop, and no rewards or even the factory had been included in the points system. The sudden advice from the system left him puzzled. Just then, Tong Ya entered gracefully, carrying snacks and tea. "Husband, Zhou Sheng has helped us a lot recently. Since he''s asking for help now, I think you should lend a hand," she said. It appeared that Tong Ya had been eavesdropping at the door moments before. Chen Yu turned around and took Tong Ya''s hand. "But you and Tuan Tuan..." "It''s okay! I''ll tell Tuan Tuan that you''re going to do something very heroic. Besides, as your wife, I will support you unconditionally, no matter what choice you make," she assured him. Chen Yu let out a sigh of relief. With such a wife, what more could a husband ask for. Zhou Shengtao coughed lightly, "Sister-inw, don''t worry. This time Chen Yu is just going as a portrait artist apanying the team; there won''t be any danger." Tong Ya didn''t say anything more, just nodded slightly to Zhou Shengtao and then left the room. After Chen Yu and Zhou Sheng had finalized the travel ns, the afternoon flight was booked without dy. By seven in the afternoon, Chen Yu was already on the ne. However, to get to Angulna, one must transfer at Sumter, so all members of the mission would converge there. The journey would take at least seven hours, so Chen Yu stretched and prepared to sleep a little. But just then, a scream suddenly came from not far away, and the direction it came from became chaotic. "Stewardess, it''s bad. Someone fainted and is vomiting blood, and they''re convulsing all over!" Hearing the shout, two flight attendants quickly ran out. They saw an old man with white hair lying on the floor, convulsing continuously and foaming blood at the mouth. The flight attendants did not dare to dy and immediately organized first aid. But no matter how hard they tried, the old man''s condition showed no improvement, and even worsened, his face turning paler rapidly. Chen Yu was also surrounded by passengers who got up from their seats. From his angle, he could see the old man''s condition. He recognized it as a sudden heart attack; conventional emergency aid would only exacerbate the illness. Fortunately, he had the ultimate medical knowledge within reach of human cognition in his mind. After seeing through the cause of the illness, he rushed forward and pulled the flight attendants aside. "I am a doctor, let me handle this!" With those words, he ced his thumb below the old man''s heart and pressed down hard. A crisp sound of bone cracking suddenly rose, instantly silencing the crowd around them. Anyone with a bit ofmon sense could tell that it was the old man''s rib being broken. The flight attendants nearby immediately became anxious. "Sir, are you really a doctor? If you can''t help, please step back and don''t add to the confusion," one of them said. Chapter 168: Chapter 168: Sumuter Chen Yu paid no attention, and instead pressed quickly with his fingers. Seeing his actions, a flight attendant hurriedly stepped forward to pull Chen Yu away. Unexpectedly, the old man suddenly coughed twice, and a ck blood clot the size of a quail egg was directly spat out of his mouth. The old man, whose life had been hanging by a thread, slowly began to recover, and his paleplexion improved, starting to regain some color. "Sir, you should have your emergency heart-saving pills with you, take six immediately, don''t hold them under your tongue, just swallow them down." The old man nodded repeatedly, quickly taking the pills out of his bag and popping them into his mouth. "Young man, I can''t thank you enough, otherwise I fear I might have..." Before he could finish, a piercing pain suddenly spread from his heart. Chen Yu quickly steadied his body, gently pushing on his waist with the palm of his hand. A cracking sound was heard, and the pain on the old man''s face vanished entirely. It seemed that the broken rib had just been set back in ce. "A miracle doctor!" A voice suddenly rang out, "I''ve seen this method of treating before, it seems to use the impact force created when a rib breaks to expel the stagnated blood stuck at the heart." With this exnation, the people who had been using Chen Yu of reckless behavior immediately had an epiphany. The flight attendant also cast an apologetic nce. Chen Yu didn''t say much, he simply asked a nearby attendant for paper and pen, wrote down a prescription, and handed it to the old man. "After you get back, follow this prescription for seven days, and your heart attack symptoms should ease." The old man nodded again and again, "Thank you so much!" After giving some additional instructions, Chen Yu returned to his seat, as if what had just happened was nothing out of the ordinary to him. But now, the other passengers on the ne were all abuzz; a few tried to approach Chen Yu, hoping he would treat them. The flight attendant next to him saw Chen Yu''s helplessness and promptly stepped forward to keep order. After all, this was on a ne, and even if someone needed medical attention, it needed to be somewhere other than here. [Congrattions to the host forpleting a day''s business; today''s profit is 10,325,520 yuan, gaining 10,325,520 points. The current total umted points are 31,766,600.] Chen Yu was not too surprised; after all, he practically gave his services away for free in thetter part of the day, so earning over ten million was already pretty good. In the wee hours of the next day, 3 AM to be precise, Chen Yu arrived at Sumter Airport. The passengers he was with had mostly changed nes halfway and only he had arrived here. After all, no one would go to a city within the Arctic Circle for no reason. The airport wasn''t very big, and the surrounding buildings and facilities were even sparser, looking like a wastnd from afar. The only ce open was a fried chicken shop. Chen Yu touched his stomach; after more than seven hours of ordeal on the ne, he was indeed hungry, and having some fried chicken seemed like a good idea. But just as he walked into the fried chicken shop, he saw a dozen tall men sitting around two round tables. On the tables in front of them were arge amount of automatic weapons, and there was a tense atmosphere loaded with hostility between the two groups. Seeing Chen Yue in, surprise showed on their faces simultaneously. But Chen Yu didn''t pay them any attention, simply walking to the counter by himself. "Give me ten of your signature fried chickens, please!" The clerk, already terrified by the dozen or sorge men sitting in the hall, stood there, nervous and unsure of what to do. Chen Yu knocked on the counter subconsciously, "Can you understand what I am saying?" He had already switched to the localnguage, andnguage proficiency was a system-provided skill. No matter whichnguage he spoke, it was supposed to be very authentic. The other party could not possibly misunderstand. Only then did the clerk react, "I''m sorry, sir, I think you should find another ce to eat¡­" Chen Yu frowned slightly, "At thiste hour, only your ce is open. Where else can I go? Hurry up and prepare ten fried chickens for me and I''ll be on my way." After that, Chen Yu directly turned around, found a table for one, and sat down, ignoring the dozen or so strong men sitting across from him. Less than five minutester, the clerk had fried up five chickens and brought them over. Chen Yu didn''t care about anything else and just grabbed a chicken and started eating. Seeing Chen Yu like this, the strong men decided not to pay him any more attention. One of them suddenly pped the table. "The goods that arrived here earlier, besides you guys, who else has the ability to take them away in this ce?" "It''s best you hand over the stuff, otherwise none of you will leave here alive." As one person spoke up, the rest stood up, and the weapons that had beenid out on the tables were now picked up by them. Chen Yu continued eating his fried chicken, seemingly unconcerned, and gestured to the clerk for something. "Do you have anything to drink? Anything will do!" The clerk couldn''t help but swallow nervously and quickly poured two cups of c and brought them over. But after putting down the c, she pulled up a chair from the side and sat behind Chen Yu. Perhaps only by sitting there could the clerk feel a hint of safety. Just then, a rhythmical series of footsteps came from the entrance, followed by the figure of a strikingly dressed woman in a red robe walking in slowly. Chen Yu was startled. The person walking in turned out to be Jin Lingsu. "Chen Yu, it really is you! Suzhou City said they were sending a Portrait Artist over, and I guessed it must be you." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, "So you''re here on a mission as well?" Jin Lingsu nodded, "Is that not allowed? As a woman, I don''t want to drift around forever. I need to find some support." Chen Yu shrugged his shoulders and didn''t say much else, just handed over a piece of fried chicken. At this moment, the dozen or so strong men next to them were already arguing noisily, and it seemed like a fight was about to break out, but Chen Yu''s corner seemed like another worldpared to theirs. He and Jin Lingsu were old acquaintances; it wasn''t easy to meet up here, and they had to catch up on a few things. "So noisy!" Jin Lingsu suddenly put down the fried chicken, "How can you eat with all this noise?" Chen Yu looked at the strong men disdainfully, "They make their noise, I eat my food, the two don''t rte." Jin Lingsu wiped her hands, then drew two spikes from her thigh-high boots. "I don''t have your patience." No sooner had she spoken, than she began to swing the spikes in her hands, instantly killing two of the strong men. The others were stunned for a moment, almost simultaneously pointing their weapons at Jin Lingsu. But in Jin Lingsu''s eyes, they were too slow. With a quick twirl of the spikes in her hands, half of the men were impaled through their throats, and the other half had their tendons sliced, screaming in agony. Chapter 169: Chapter 169: Purple Pockmarks Chen Yu''s brow furrowed slightly. His senses had always been acute, especially his sense of smell. Now, Jin Lingsu had made the ce reek of blood,pletely ruining his desire to eat. With a helpless sigh, Chen Yu could only turn his head to the side, doing his best to ignore the gruesome scene. After dealing with those guys, Jin Lingsu casually shook the fresh blood off her hands and sat down in front of Chen Yu as if nothing had happened, picking up the fried chicken she was eating before. The clerk who had hidden behind Chen Yu involuntarily stepped back, fear evident in his eyes. It seemed he had been frightened by Jin Lingsu''s madness earlier. Soon after, several more figures entered the fried chicken shop. These people walked straight past the bodies scattered throughout the store and up to the counter. "Get out all the fried chicken you have¡ªwe''re starving!" The clerk swallowed nervously and, not daring to say much, hurried back to the kitchen to busy himself. The group that had juste in totaled four individuals, one woman and three men, all with foreign faces. After they gave their orders to the clerk, they made themselvesfortable next to Chen Yu. These people, like Chen Yu, all had a golden ribbon tied around the bend of their left arms, the secret signal for their operation. No sooner had the four sat down than they took out a small notebook and ced it on the table. Without saying much, Chen Yu and Jin Lingsu did the same. After the six of them had confirmed each other''s information, theymunicated with a series of hand gestures. Only afterpletely verifying each other''s identities did the vignce in their eyes finally dissolve. "Mr. Chen, it really is you!" The sole woman among the four suddenly grasped Chen Yu''s hand excitedly. "I am from the William family, my name is Katherine, and this is my brother, Ka Jinwen!" Ka Jinwen also respectfully rose to his feet and held out his palm to Chen Yu. After all, Chen Yu was the lifesaver of the William family, and all members of the William family would treat him as if he were their own family head. Chen Yu was somewhat surprised; he hadn''t expected to encounter members of the William family here. He made a symbolic response and then gestured that his hands were greasy, and he couldn''t shake hands. Ka Jinwen didn''t say much more but simply pulled his stool a bit closer to Chen Yu. The remaining two seemed to have a strong aversion to Katherine and Ka Jinwen, having kept their distance from them since they entered the door, and now they showed a hint of disdain toward Chen Yu. One of them took out a backpack and removed six wrist-mounted devices from inside, distributing them. "Although Angluna is awlessnd, the inspections around its borders are extremely strict, and outsiders cannot enter at will, so we must enter in batches ording to our previously prepared identities." "Not only can this device be used formunication, but it can also record our respective locations. Do not damage it before we regroup." The six people immediately set the coordinates and timing on their devices while also establishing public and privatemunication channels. After these arrangements were made, those two left directly, showing little interest in the fried chicken here. Katherine curled her lip, a hint of anger in her eyes. "I really don''t understand why the World United Organization would send these two. They''re notoriously irresponsible." Ka Jinwen sighed, "The capture operation this time is funded by their families. There are some things we shouldn''t take so seriously; we just need to do our part." Chen Yu had no interest in dealing with those matters. ording to the rules, his sole purpose for being here was to act as an apanying artist. He wouldn''t foolishly risk his life unless it was absolutely necessary. The four of them left the fried chicken shop and did not part ways, but instead boarded a modified armored vehicle parked by the roadside. Although regtions required them to enter Angluna separately, the method of entry was not important as long as they could get in. Besides, the four of them could be considered part of the same group, and it was useful to coordinate with each other when necessary. Moreover, now that Ka Jinwen and Katherine William had encountered Chen Yu here, they had to prioritize following William family''s orders to ensure Chen Yu''s safety. Even under the best conditions, the trip from Sumger to Angluna would take at least five hours. Plus, since they had all just arrived and had been traveling a long distance, they would need to find a ce to rest first. Under Ka Jinwen''s lead, the group quickly arrived at a vige. "This ce is part of the private property of William''s family. The deep-sea fish caught here are sent directly to the William estate every year," Katherine excitedly exined to Chen Yu as she led him to a wooden cabin. "Mr. Chen, please rest here for now, and we''ll n in detail how to enter Angluna tomorrow." Chen Yu managed a weak smile and then fell straight to sleep. At twelve noon the next day, Chen Yu emerged from the wooden cabin, fully refreshed. At the entrance of the vige, four snowmobiles had been arranged early, with the necessary supplies for each person. However, the whole vige seemed deste, and the only person standing next to the snowmobiles was Jin Lingsu. "Where did those two siblings go?" Jin Lingsu instinctively adjusted the protective face shield she was wearing, then handed one to Chen Yu. "We miscalcted on arrival. The vige has been infected by a contagious disease, and most of the vigers are ill. This morning, Katherine also had a lot of purple pustules on her face." Chen Yu frowned, "Are you sure they''re purple?" Jin Lingsu gestured towards a nearby cabin, "You can see for yourself." Chen Yu put on the face shield and went to knock on the door of the cabin. Ka Jinwen carefully cracked the door open, and upon confirming that Chen Yu was wearing a face shield, he opened the door confidently. "Mr. Chen, my sister has caught the disease, I''m afraid our n will have to be..." Before Ka Jinwen could finish, Chen Yu interrupted him, then walked over to the bed, taking Katherine''s pulse. "Dead fish erythema, a type of eczema caused by low-temperature injury. It''s not really a contagious disease," Chen Yu said as he swiftly prescribed a treatment, handing it to Ka Jinwen. "These ingredients should be found nearby. Go and have a look!" Taking the prescription, Ka Jinwen hurried out the door. Jin Lingsu also hastily entered the cabin at that moment, "Can you cure this disease?" Chen Yu heated a needle in the firece until it was red-hot and then pricked Katherine''s wrist with it. "This is the first time I''ve encountered this disease. Let''s give it a try!" Jin Lingsu quickly grabbed a basin from beside and ced it next to the bed to collect blood. "Do you need me to do anything?" Chen Yu breathed out softly, "Help me take stock of how many people in the vige are infected, and also collect some blood samples from those who are not infected." Chapter 170: Chapter 170: Radioactive Materials Jin Lingsu was decisive in his actions, and before long, he returned with several sealed syringes, each containing a sample. "I''ve taken samples from those without infection and those with differently colored facial pockmarks." Chen Yu was very satisfied and nodded in approval. This disease was highly contagious and could mutate during the process of infection. Now that Jin Lingsu had brought back enough samples, Chen Yu could systematically study them and incidentally cure all the people in the vige. As Katherine''s blood was drawn out inrge amounts, herplexion improved a great deal, and the color of the pockmarks on her face gradually faded. About half an hourter, Ka Jinwen rushed into the house with arge bag in a hurry. "Mr. Chen, I''ve found everything, what should we do next?" Chen Yu looked up at the transparent bag in Ka Jinwen''s hands. It contained various deep-sea fish that had just been fished out of the ice holes. "Light a big fire to dry the skins and bones of these fish and then grind them into powder!" Ka Jinwen immediately went out with the bag to ughter the fish. Chen Yu then ced the blood drawn from Katherine alongside the other samples. However, as he prepared to study them, he suddenly encountered a difficulty. There were no relevant instruments in this ce, and the extremely cold weather made it impossible to differentiate the samples, even using primitive methods. [System prompt: The Host can spend five hundred thousand points, and the rest will be handled by the system.] The look of concern on Chen Yu''s face instantly rxed, but as he thought about spending five hundred thousand points, he felt somewhat displeased. Given the current situation, he had no other option but to confirm the expenditure. [Analysis in progress, Host''s current points remaining: two million six hundred seventy-six thousand six hundred.] [This is a fungal mutation, having undergone six mutations, its self-division has entered the degeneration period.] Shortly after, a great number of treatment ns appeared in Chen Yu''s mind, designed to eradicate the fungi from each subsequent mutation. It wasn''t long before Ka Jinwen had dried the fish skin and bones, ground them to powder, and brought them in, contained in separate containers. Without hesitation, Chen Yu immediately started to concoct the medicine. In truth, this condition could be cured through a normal eczema treatment n, but it would take too much time. Moreover, in this frozen and snowy environment, the needed medicinal herbs for treatment could not be found, so they had to rely on substances obtained from local organisms. After administering medicine to Katherine, Chen Yu also sessively produced the corresponding antidotes for other mutations and had Jin Lingsu and Ka Jinwen distribute them to the patients in the vige. As for those who had not fallen ill, Chen Yu had also produced the appropriate medication. In fact, the system had already analyzed that these people''s bodies were not free of mutations; the fungi were simply in their final degenerative phase, with their eventual spores lying dormant within the human body. As soon as these people left this environment, they would immediately fall ill. By three in the afternoon, all those who had taken the herbal medicine saw their pockmarkspletely disappear, and Katherine woke up. "Mr. Chen, no matter what, we have to go. Angluna will close all entrances after seven o''clock tonight, and if we miss the time to meet up with the others, the entire n might fall through," said Ka Jinwen, his face full of worry while his eyes asionally nced at Katherine on the bed. He knew that this time, it might not be possible to take his sister with him. Chen Yu, however, was propping up his chin, deep in thought. "Our ultimate goal is to capture the person, so it seems unimportant when we go in." Ka Jinwen, upon hearing this, couldn''t help but be stunned. This is an order from a world-level organization. If they don''t reach their destination within the set time, any adverse consequences of the mission would be their responsibility. Chen Yu apparently didn''t want to worry about that much; after all, he could not just focus on the mission and ignore whether his team members lived or died. Just then, amotion suddenly erupted from outside the door. Jin Lingsu hurried in, a burn-like wound on her arm. "There''s a group of fully armed people outside, rushing this way at full speed. They seem to be from Angluna." Ka Jinwen''s pupils dted instantly, "Could they have discovered our whereabouts?" Jin Lingsu shook her head, "Unlikely! Among their convoy, there''s a vehicle with some civilians." As she spoke, a dozen trucks along with armored vehicles entered the vige together. These people were savages, knocking on doors house by house as soon as they arrived, hauling vigers onto the trucks. Chen Yu frowned as well, standing at the door to look outside. Over seventy percent of the vigers had just been treated for their illnesses and were currently in a weakened state, without any strength to resist. "I''ve got a n!" Chen Yu suddenly blurted out and ran outside. "Wait a second, these people had contagious diseases and were just treated. The viruses have not beenpletely cleared from their bodies, and if you get too close to them like this, you might get infected too." This shout startled everyone. A bearded man jumped down from the armored vehicle and walked straight up to Chen Yu. "What do you mean by that?" Chen Yu spread his palms open, bringing the blood sample he had collected earlier to the bearded man. "This contains blood samples I previously extracted from them. If you don''t believe me, you can have someone check it." The bearded man hesitated, ncing instinctively at the sickly vigers. "Are you saying you''re the one who cured them?" Chen Yu nodded, "Exactly! Plus, I see some of your people behind you appear to have contracted the same disease. If I''m not mistaken, many of your men have developed odd little nodules." The bearded man''s eyes widened; he hade out to capture people because many in the camp had caught a strange disease that had stopped most of the miners from working. Because of this, he had already consulted quite a few doctors. But what he hadn''t expected was that the doctors had an inexplicable fear of the disease and wanted to flee the camp as soon as they arrived. The bearded man suddenly became agitated, rushing to a nearby vehicle to pull one of his subordinates down, and rolled up his sleeve. This person''s arm was covered in yellow pustules, some of which had burst, emitting a foul stench. [System prompt: These are malignant mutations formed by fungal spores stimted by radioactive materials, difficult to treat unless the radioactive substance can be removed.] Chen Yu was taken aback. Many of the pieces of knowledge in his mind had already reached the limits of human understanding, including knowledge about radioactive substances. To remove such substances was practically harder than ascending to heaven. Chapter 171: Chapter 171: Upgrading the Version "Kid, can you cure this disease?" The bearded man rudely pushed Chen Yu''s shoulder. It was only then that Chen Yu reacted, realizing he had more than a dozen different ns in his mind to simply remove such fungal substances. But to extract the radioactive material from this guy''s body, he couldn''t do it in a short time. "I can cure it, but I need time!" "Good!" The bearded man excitedly pped Chen Yu''s shoulder, "In that case,e with us!" Afterwards, the bearded man ordered all the vigers they had just captured to be released, taking only Chen Yu back to Angluna. After all, he wasn''t running a shelter. Since these people were all sick, there was no need for him to burden himself further. It wasn''t until the caravan had left that Ka Jinwen and Jin Lingsu crawled out of the wooden hut. "What do we do now? Mr. Chen''s trip looks more dangerous than lucky." Ka Jinwen immediately started pacing anxiously. If anything happened to Chen Yu, William''s family wouldn''t let him off the hook. Jin Lingsu, however, appeared quite calm. Knowing Chen Yu as she did, she suspected that all this was within Chen Yu''s control. Sure enough, a message arrived on the device on both their wrists at the same time. "Wait for my signal, we will coordinate from inside and out!" They both breathed a sigh of relief. No matter what, Chen Yu was now in Angluna, and their n had gotten off to a good start. Long ago, Angluna was one of the few small cities within the Arctic Circle. Since the discovery of rare minerals, the economic value of the ce had risen. Even with its harsh environment, the small city was gradually expanding. Eventually, a power established its own nation here and developed independently. When the caravan entered Angluna, Chen Yu felt as if he had suddenly entered a world of eternal night. The aurora on the horizon constantly swayed, its radiance bringing brilliant illumination to the night. Chen Yu subconsciously calcted in his mind that thistitude was in a state of pr night. Although he came here on a mission, witnessing such a magical sight made the journey worthwhile. The vehicle soon stopped at a campsite, where the previous bearded man dragged Chen Yu into the camp. "Everyone here has the same illness. As long as you can cure them, you can ask us for anything." Chen Yu looked around and saw at least two thousand people, all of them young and able-bodied. Even with rare minerals, such a small Arctic city couldn''t possibly gather so many people at once. And these were just the sick ones. Based on the contagion rate of the disease, the working force still at work must be at least ten thousand strong. Just then, a tall figure suddenly entered the camp. "What''s going on here? Why are there more and more people? What happened to the doctors we brought in before?" The bearded man hurried forward, "Mr. Bell, the previous doctors were ipetent and have been executed. We just found another one, and he should be able to..." Bell snorted coldly, "I''ll give you three more days. If these patients aren''t cured by then, dispose of them all. Don''t let them interfere with the progress of the mine." With that, Bell turned and left. The bearded man nodded repeatedly and then rushed to Chen Yu. "Listen, you''ve only got three days to cure this, or you''ll go to hell with these guys if you can''t," Chen Yu didn''t say much, just nodded his head, his gaze drifting asionally towards the departing figure of Bell. He was certain that this Bell was the target they were meant to capture this time. Only after the bearded man and his men left did Chen Yu let out a sigh of relief. He rushed to a patient, lifting their nket. He found that the patient''s body was covered with extensive ulceration. Although the fungi could destroy the human immune system and reproduce spores on the skin''s surface, they would never cause such severe ulceration. There was only one exnation for such a condition, these people must have been in a high-radiation environment for a long time. [Detection of host in a low-level radiation environment, do you require protection?] Chen Yu was somewhat surprised, he hadn''t expected the system to provide him with radiation protection. "Of course I need it!" [Maic Field Induction Protection initiating, one million points will be deducted from the host''s remaining points] [Current remaining points are one million six hundred seventy-six thousand six hundred] "Damn, one million!" Chen Yu couldn''t help but widen his eyes. Although the upgraded system certainly had more practical uses, this seemed to be too much of a scam; he had painstakingly umted those points, only managing to earn a couple hundred million a day. Before he could feel the pain of his loss, the system''s notification sounded again. [The protection can onlyst for five hours, afterwards, if continuation is desired, points will be deducted continuously at the rate of one million points per five hours] Chen Yu felt like cursing. Although his physical condition had reached the human limit, he wasn''t able to perfectly resist radiation. Moreover, he had no idea how long he would need to stay in this environment. Didn''t that mean he had to spend a million points every five hours? [System notification, if the host spends one billion points to upgrade the system to version 3.0, usage of Maic Field Induction Protection will be free, and the system can also help the host to treat all the patients here] Chen Yu could no longer bear it, now he was in pain just spending one million points, where would he get one billion points to upgrade the system? Moreover, after spending ten million to upgrade the systemst time, it had developed some self-awareness. If he really upgraded it to version 3.0, who knew what would happen? "Doctor, please save me, I have a wife, children! And elderly parents to care for at home." The patient from before suddenly grabbed Chen Yu''s hand, his eyes full of pleading. The other patients also struggled to sit up, looking at Chen Yu with hopeful eyes. They were just ordinary people who wanted to leave this ce. Chen Yu was immediately moved bypassion, but he didn''t have a billion points to upgrade the system. [Congrattions to the host forpleting one day of business, today''s expenditure exceeded profits, no points rued.] Chen Yu''s face was filled with frustration; it looked like the store was running out of raw materials, and Tong Ya had, as usual, ordered the next week''s materials in one go. He had thought that after closing for the day, he would have some extra points left over, but he had forgotten about this matter. However, before he left, he had entrusted the store''s ount to Tong Ya, and with her abilities, he had nothing to worry about in terms of the business. But as he looked at the people lying before him, gasping for breath, he suddenly felt at a loss. Chapter 172: Chapter 172: Bite Back Chen Yu sighed helplessly and could only instruct the person beside him to start preparing the medicinal materials. No matter what, the patients'' wounds had to be addressed before considering radiation, and once they had dealt with the issues here, the relevant departments would naturally take care of the radiation for them. The resources of Angluna were much more abundant than other Arctic towns, not only could they find a variety of deep-sea fish, but also the herbs Chen Yu needed. After a night of busyness, by the next morning, nearly all the patients'' injuries began to subside. Some with milder symptoms could even walk on the ground. However, Chen Yu knew this was only temporary. His medicine had only eradicated the fungal spores within the patients'' bodies, and could not remove the radiation from them. Although the fungi causedrge areas of ulceration on their bodies, at least they blocked some of the radiation from the outside. But now that the fungi werepletely killed, the radiation was pervading their organs with impunity. In the long term, their bodies would experience varying degrees of failure, and even cancerous changes. When the bearded man arrived at the camp, he grabbed Chen Yu''s shoulders excitedly and kept shaking him. "I never expected someone as young as you to be such an excellent doctor, curing diseases that many doctors shy away from." Chen Yu managed to squeeze out a smile, "I''ve just studied these diseases before, and there should be a source of the fungus here. It must be found in the shortest time possible, otherwise the sickness will recur." The bearded man nodded repeatedly, "We''ve already found the source. Come with me." With that, the bearded man took Chen Yu to a nearby mine. At that moment, Bell was dressed in a protective suit and a mask, standing on a railing and watching the progress below. When Chen Yu entered, he was also given a protective suit symbolically. [System Warning: Radiation levels at this location are dangerously above standards. Host credits have been depleted, triggering emergency self-rescue provisions.] Chen Yu frowned, for sincest night, the electromaic induction shield had been up for thirteen hours. After the system cleared his credits, he could maintain the shield for less than half an hour more. But that emergency self-rescue provision was somewhat puzzling to Chen Yu. When he bound the system, he hadn''t seen any rted provisions. However, he couldn''t afford to think about that now. All the workers in the mine were working without any protective measures, some of them covered only with a tattered cloth. From a distance, these people looked like walking corpses, some of them already covered with numerous pustules, on the verge of ulceration. Bell slowly got up and patted Chen Yu on the shoulder. "Please, in the shortest time, cure these workers too. I will be very grateful." Chen Yu didn''t say much, just nodded and walked down. Only then did he realize that the workers were carrying plutonium ore! This ore, a key material for making dirty bombs, had a radiation index even higher than uranium ore. Most importantly, the quantity of this ore was massive, enough to make thousands of dirty bombs if all transported out. Just at that moment, the device on Chen Yu''s wrist emitted a slight vibration. He quickly ducked out of sight of Bell and the overseers, under the pretext of checking on a patient. The situation has been briefly described above, as well as the mission n. The two people who had separated from them earlier did not enter Angluna, but instead met up with Jin Lingsu and the others in a cave on the outskirts of the small town. Now they have agreed to use high explosives to blow up the entire Angluna, while at the same time killing Bell. They want Chen Yu to send out all the arrangements inside the city. Chen Yu couldn''t help furrowing his brow, thinking this was simply reckless. Not to mention that there were so many innocent people in the town, just the explosion of the plutonium ore would create radiation pollution that could contaminate the environment for thousands of kilometers. It''s likely that not even they would be able to escape safely. Besides, wasn''t the previous mission to capture Bell alive? Why the sudden change of ns? Chen Yu quickly sent out a brief report on the situation inside the city. It was at that moment that Bell suddenly appeared beside him. "Doctor Chen, these illnesses should not be difficult for you, right? Could you give me a precise time?" Chen Yu was startled; Bell had managed to approach him silently, and even the system hadn''t given any alerts. "The workers here are in extremely poor health, and without adequate nutrition, I will need at least three days to heal them." Bell shook his head: "I can''t wait that long, I can only give you one day at most!" After speaking, Bell left. As he turned away, a strange smile shed across the corner of his mouth. On the outskirts of Angluna, Jin Lingsu and Ka Jinwen, dressed in snow gear, were observing the situation in Angluna from atop a small hill. "Mr. Chen said that there is arge amount of plutonium stored here, at least ten thousand tons. Based on this yield, if we blow this ce up, the entire Arctic could be affected." Jin Lingsu seemed somewhat distracted: "I always feel that those two guys are a bit off. Although the orders were passed on to us through them, thismand is really strange." Ka Jinwen turned over and put a piece of beef jerky into his mouth. "I find it strange too, but those two are ultimately the organizers of this operation, and we can onlyply with their orders." Jin Lingsu also opened a can: "Where do you think they went when they separated from us earlier? It seems that besides these small towns, there are no other ces to stay nearby." While they were talking, a snowmobile suddenly raced towards them, stopping nearby. "It''s bad; I overheard the conversation between Holm and Nailos. They have been in cahoots with Bell for a long time." Katherine seemed anxious, walking while pulling out a recording pen from her body. The conversation of those two guys had already been recorded by her. After listening, the expressions on Jin Lingsu and Ka Jinwen''s faces became somewhat stunned. It seemed as though those two were nning to broker some kind of deal with Bell here, and now it appeared they intended to buy the plutonium ore. Just then, an armored snow vehicle came racing in fast. Holm and Nailos, armed with weapons, jumped down and slowly walked toward the trio. "We received intelligence that you three, along with Chen Yu, might be colluding with Bell. Now we must follow the orders from above and kill you." "Nonsense!" Katherine immediately reached for the automatic weapon on her waist: "The ones colluding with Bell are clearly you." Chapter 173: Chapter 173 Emergency Self-Rescue Holm''s face was grim as he pointed his weapon directly at Katherine. "What a joke, if we were in cahoots with Bell, we would have strutted into the city by now." Nailos beside him immediately removed the device from his wrist. "All the data on this has been altered by you, and erroneousmands have been issued, you''re now regarded as rebels!" Jin Lingsu, gritting her teeth, said, "Don''t just yell there, calling us rebels, show us the evidence." Holm suddenly burst intoughter, "Chen Yu entering Angleruna so smoothly is the evidence." Just then, a loud rumbling sound suddenly rose from not far away, and shortly after, more than a dozen vehicles appeared on the horizon. Jin Lingsu and her twopanions immediately became tense, knowing that if that convoy surrounded them, they would bepletely trapped. However, Ka Jinwen remained extraordinarily calm. He tapped on the device on his wrist quickly twice, and then a shockwave spread out. A crisp shattering noise instantly erupted, Holm and Nailos''s wrist devices abruptly exploded. Both men''s arms were turned into mangled flesh, and the weapons in their hands dropped to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Jin Lingsu threw out the golden spike at her waist, piercing through both men''s throats. "Run!" Jin Lingsu shouted and jumped onto the snowmobile beside her. Katherine and Ka Jinwen followed close behind her. Just as the convoy was about to encircle them, the three of them broke out of the encirclement and headed straight for a small town further north. This small town was even more remote than Angleruna, and the weather was even harsher. But now, other than this ce, they had nowhere else to go. The world-ss organization issuing missions had already branded them as rebels, and all equipment within the Arctic Circle was unusable to them. Now, only this small town had all the equipment they needed, and it was also the secret base left by William''s family in the Arctic. At the Angleruna mine, Chen Yu set up fiverge pots on the outskirts of the mine shaft and meticulously cooked the deep-sea fish and herbs he had collected earlier. Before long, the rich aroma began to waft through the entire minefield, and the miners inside the tunnels couldn''t help but climb out. Chen Yu directly selected five foremen and asked them to help distribute the medicinal soup. [System prompt: Maic Field Induction Protection has ended, entering emergency self-rescue mode.] [The system enters a semi-upgrade state, upgraded to version 2.2, point calction enters a semi-conversion state.] [Congrattions to the host, you have earned a thousand points.] [Congrattions to the host, you have earned one thousand and fifty points.] ¡­ The continuous point umtion prompt tones baffled Chen Yu for a moment. Where were these pointsing from, were the restaurant''s earnings being converted into real-time points? But on second thought, he found it suspicious. He knew his own restaurant well; even if business was good, the ie couldn''te in this fast. Moreover, he had just paid for the raw materials for the uing week. Whether or not he could profit today was still uncertain, so how could the points be umting continuously? In less than a minute, the cumtively added points had nearly reached two million, and the number was still increasing. [Maic Field Induction Protection continues to activate] Chen Yu was utterly confused and kept asking the system in his mind, but he didn''t receive any response. However, at this stall, he didn''t have time to worry about that and could only think of a way to cure the patients here first. By 7:30 in the evening, all the patients had drunk their herbal soup, and their lesions gradually receded. When Bell witnessed this scene, his face lit up with added excitement. He went straight up to Chen Yu, grabbed his hand, and took him into the mine. "Mr. Chen, look, this plutonium mine holds more reserves than any other ce on Earth! Someone has already agreed to buy up all the reserves here at a price of ten million per ton! Roughly calcting, that''s over a hundred billion," Bell said. Chen Yu was slightly stunned, "Mr. Bell, what do you mean by that?" Bell opened his arms wide, his face bursting into excitement as he looked at the ore in front of him. "A wealth of a hundred billion can allow several generations to live a carefree luxurious life, don''t you find it tempting, Mr. Chen?" Chen Yu let out a slight breath of turbid air, understanding that he had been exposed. "Who wouldn''t be tempted by over a hundred billion, but Mr. Bell, are you willing to hand over this wealth to me?" "Of course, I am!" Bell suddenly grabbed Chen Yu''s shoulders, "There are many mines like this one all over the world, as long as I''m willing, I can mine them at will. The only pity is that Ick a decent doctor." Mining these deposits meant workers not only had to face radiation contamination but also various diseases. Once workers lost their ability to work due to illness, the mining progress would be dyed. Therefore, Bell needed apetent doctor to ensure the workers'' progress. Chen Yu raised his eyebrows, "You mean, you want me to join your team?" "Exactly, how much money can you make working for those messy organizations? With me, billions, hundreds of billions, or even a trillion are within reach!" Chen Yu took a moment to regte his breathing and scrutinized his surroundings; with his current physical condition, escaping wouldn''t be difficult. But the problem was that he wasn''t alone. Now that he had been discovered, the chances for Jin Lingsu and the others were very likely slim. [Congrattions to the host forpleting a day''s business, due to expenses exceeding profits, no points are stacked] The system''s prompt tone pulled Chen Yu''s thoughts back. "It sounds very tempting, but right now I''m entirely at your mercy. Whether I can survive depends on your attitude, how can I know that you will give me the money?" Bell immediately became excited, interpreting Chen Yu''s words as interest in his offer. He directly pulled out a world-wide bank draft from his body and handed it to Chen Yu. "This is a bank draft with a value of ten billion, cashable at any bank, and now it''s yours." Chen Yu was not shy; he took the bank draft straightforwardly. "Since Mr. Bell is so generous, what reason do I have not to stay?" "Good!" Bell pped his hands in excitement, "From now on, all the patients here are your responsibility. I need them to be able to work with full energy tomorrow morning!" Bell then motioned to his men, and they brought over a full set of protective gear. This protective suit utilized top-level current world technology, virtually capable of blocking all radiation. Although a small amount of radiation could still enter his body, it would allow him to manage without the system''s Maic Field Induction Protection for a short time. Chen Yu took the protective suit and then crushed the device on his wrist and threw it on the ground. Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Integration Superposition Bell nced at the shattered remnants and, without saying much, handed a wristwatch to Chen Yu from beside him. "There''s a listening device inside this watch. It''s not that I don''t trust Mr. Chen, but everyone who has just joined us must go through a probation period. Please understand," Bell exined. Chen Yu smiled and immediately put the watch on his wrist. "Now that I''ve joined you, shouldn''t I have my own room? I''ve been busy for so long, surely I deserve a good sleep," Chen Yu said. Bell patted Chen Yu''s shoulder and then ordered his subordinates to make it happen. Before long, Chen Yu was taken to a bunker room constructed with concrete. Moreover, the room was coated with a protectiveyer, which appeared to be specifically designed to block external radiation. Chen Yu, sitting on the bed, nced at the watch on his wrist, his face filled with worry. The reason he smashed the equipment earlier was to prevent Bell from using it to harm Jin Lingsu and the others. And since this mission was highly confidential and Bell was aware of it, it proved that there must be a traitor among them. Sighing helplessly, Chen Yuy back on the bed, pondering his next move. At that moment, a brilliant light shone through the protective ss. Chen Yu instinctively looked up, suddenly noticing that if the colors emanating from the aurora were carefully distinguished, there could be more than a dozen colors. As he marveled at the aurora, a crackling noise suddenly echoed in his mind. [The surveince device has been shielded, the host may now disassemble and modify it.] Chen Yu immediately became excited and began to take apart the watch. With the mechanical knowledge in his mind, it was quite easy to modify a surveince device. Before long, he had reversed the mechanisms within the watch. If he wished, he could now make Bell hear exactly what he wanted Bell to hear. Meanwhile, the system''s notification sounds kept alternating in his mind. However, the umtion of points was gradually slowing down. In the end, Chen Yu found that he had amassed nearly neen million points. This did not include the one million points he had spent in the past five hours. He kept scrolling through the prior notifications, trying to discern the reason behind the point umtion. But besides disying the amounts credited, the messages didn''t contain any useful information. Just then, Chen Yu suddenly realized there were over ten thousand messages. The number of mine workers! Chen Yu grew excited. It looked like each person had contributed a thousand points to his total, which also seemed to include the vigers he had rescued before. Although the system still offered no response, Chen Yu couldn''t think of any other exnation for the umtion of points. After all, he hadn''t done anything else during this period. Fortunately, these nearly twenty million points would be more than enough for the next few days. Now, the most urgent task was to make contact with Jin Lingsu outside as soon as possible. Just then, a sudden, violent explosion erupted from outside the door, followed by a chorus of agonizing screams. Chen Yu''s eyes snapped open, and he hurriedly rushed out. He saw several miners sprawled across the ground, already breathless, and nearby stood a man holding high explosives. This person also appeared to be a miner, only he had an ID badge from Bel''s men dangling at his waist. "Why didn''t you give me the money you promised me? Give me the money quickly, or else I''ll blow up this ce." Chen Yu frowned, feeling that Bel wasn''t someone who kept his word. "You bastard, what are you doing? Get down from there now!" Bel, weapon in hand, hurried out. If this ce were to explode, the consequences would be unthinkable, and he couldn''t let anyone behave recklessly here. However, seeing Bel emerge, the man became even more brazen, igniting a stick of high explosive and throwing it over. Bel swiftly picked up a metal from the side and smashed it over, forcing the explosive into the corner of the wall. A loud explosion ensued, and the several-meter-thick concrete wall was sted open with a gaping hole. Bel didn''t give the man another chance to throw explosives; he pulled the trigger without hesitation. The subordinates also swarmed in, decisively ending the man''s life. Chen Yu wasn''t interested in their internal conflicts; his gaze fixated on the hole sted into the concrete wall. Logically speaking, all the buildings here were mostly constructed of reinforced concrete, their toughness self-evident. But the fact that a hole sorge could be made by explosives at this spot suggested that the material here was rtively soft, or the structure rather weak. If they could use this spot as a breakthrough, perhaps they could create a tunnel. Bel also nced at the hole but didn''t pay it much mind since the mining operation was nearing its end, and they would be able to evacuate in three days. There was no need to call people over to repair the breach in the wall for such a small hole. "Notify everyone to increase the workload; we must mine out all the ore inside in the shortest time possible." After receiving orders, the subordinates acted immediately, rounding up the miners who had juste off their shift to rest and driving them back into the mine. These were mostly patients that Chen Yu had just healed, still in a weak state, and putting them to work on heavy tasks now was akin to sending them to their deaths. Suddenly, there was significant unrest among the workers, but Bel''s men quickly suppressed it with violence. Chen Yu simply watched everything silently, without saying much. Just as he was about to return to his room, Bel suddenly approached him. "Mr. Chen, you seem worried. What are you concerned about?" Chen Yu stared in the direction of the mine: "The radiation over there is too strong, and the workers have no protective suits. Even if I''ve cured their illnesses, their bodies will still be weak to varying extents, and they might even drop dead!" Bel chuckled, "Of course, I''m aware, but the protective suits that can shield against radiation are extremely difficult to manufacture, and the materials for making them are strictly controlled by major organizations around the world. It''s impossible for me to procure tens of thousands of these suits just for the workers." Chen Yu frowned, feeling the weight of over ten thousand lives on his shoulders. Despite having the system, he was after all an ordinary person and couldn''t remain unmoved. Moreover, he had earned more than twenty million points treating these people''s illnesses; if he could save them, perhaps he could umte even more points. "What''s the matter, Mr. Chen? Are you feeling sympathy for these workers?" Chapter 175: Chapter 175: Abnormal Magnetic Field Chen Yu let out a sigh of relief and gently tapped his wristwatch. "After all, I am a doctor, and I cured their illnesses before. Is it wrong for me to feel sympathy for them?" Bel burst into heartyughter, "Dr. Chen truly is a good doctor! But you are unaware that many of these people are from tribes within the Arctic Circle, frankly speaking, just a bunch of savages. Their lives aren''t important." Chen Yu didn''t say anything more; in Bel''s eyes, all those working here were no more than ants. If these people died, he could simply gather another group in the next ce. [System alert: Unidentified maic field disturbance detected. Please advise Host to avoid.] Following the system prompt, a map of Angluna appeared in Chen Yu''s mind, alongside an evacuation route marked with a red line. "Mr. Bel, with all thatmotion just now, I can''t sleep. I''d like to take a walk around, if that''s alright?" Bel hesitated for a moment, then nced at Chen Yu''s wristwatch. "Of course, you may. I only hope Dr. Chen doesn''t wander too far; don''t me me if an ident urs." Chen Yu chuckled softly and then followed the evacuation route provided by the system, pretending to stroll carelessly. The next moment, a thunderous roar erupted suddenly. The earth, like a raging giant beast, suddenly cracked open, dragging down buildings nearby. Chen Yu''s pupils dted suddenly, and he instinctively crouched in a corner. He had not expected the system to be able to predict earthquakes now. Angluna was at the epicenter of the earthquake, with nearly half of its buildings already destroyed, and even the nearby mines had copsed by half. Luckily, severalyers of fortifications had been erected around the small town, so despite the chaos, none of the workers could escape. Bel proved to be a cunning leader; he quickly gathered his men, controlled the workers, and had them thrown back into work. Even so, Angluna still plunged into chaos, and many who did not obey Bel were thinking of fleeing. Chen took the opportunity to slip away and found a st hole that had been created earlier. Due to the earthquake, arge crack had appeared under the hole. Chen Yu didn''t care; he quickly wrapped his hands with protective materials and fiercely punched through. His physical strength was formidable, and the force he unleashed with his punch was terrifying, blowing open arge hole where the st had urred. He pounded several more times until there was room enough for a person to pass through, then moved the surrounding debris and covered the outskirts with sand and dirt. Afterpleting these tasks, Chen Yu cleared the surrounding traces and immediately returned to his room. The next morning, Bel and several of his lieutenants put on protective suits and patrolled around. The earthquake had caused a widespread copse in the little mining tunnels, where some remaining ores had collided and exploded, releasing arge amount of radiation. Dozens of miners died on the spot, and those in charge of watching them also suffered severe radiation, with massive organ failure. Chen Yu was also called over immediately. When he saw the scene before him, he couldn''t help but frown. ``` Radiation has already spread extensively. If it continues like this, I''m afraid everyone will die here. Unless the system is immediately upgraded to version 3.0 to eliminate all radiation. "Mr. Chen, do you think we can continue to stay here?" Bell suddenly asked Chen Yu with a strange look in his eyes. "Even if I say no, I''m afraid Mr. Bell would still force these workers to load all the ore onto the trucks before he''s willing to leave." Bell burst outughing, "This is all money. I won''t give it up easily! I came to see Mr. Chen precisely to ask if it''s possible to remove the radiation from these people to the greatest extent?" Chen Yu frowned deeply, "To remove radiation, you need specialized equipment. It doesn''t seem like Anglen has this stuff." Bell''s eyes narrowed slightly, "There is equipment, in a base not far from here. I hope Mr. Chen will apany me there." Chen Yu didn''t say much, just nodded his head. After that, Bell formed a convoy right away and took Chen Yu out of Anglen. But as soon as the convoy had left the city, Chen Yu''s mind suddenly shed with a thermal imaging map. In the snow not far away, there were three figures, which, ording to the system''s thermal imaging analysis, were Jin Lingsu and her twopanions. Chen Yu became excited, "Wait a minute, I need to pee!" Bell was somewhat helpless but had to order the convoy to stop. After all, there were still four hours to the destination, and even people with strong physiques might not be able to hold it in. As soon as Chen Yu got off the vehicle, he ran a few steps in the direction of Jin Lingsu, then ced a hand on his chest, making continuous hand signals. This was a set of covert signals Jin Lingsu had used before in Chen Yu''s presence. Later on, Chen Yu had memorized them all. After rapidly repeating all the messages three times with hand signals, Chen Yu headed back to the vehicle. Only after the convoy had left did Jin Lingsu and herpanions all let out a sigh of relief. "What did Mr. Chen mean just now? I''ve never seen those hand signals before!" Katherine said, holding binocrs and looking puzzled. Jin Lingsu cried out in rm, "Anglen has been covered in radiation. If we want to go in there, we must have protective suits! Moreover, Chen Yu has opened a channel for us there." Ka Jinwen also widened his eyes, "Mr. Chen is really amazing, to be able to open a channel under those circumstances." Jin Lingsu rolled over, "After all, he is the doctor invited by Bell. It''s quite normal for him to have some freedom. Besides, with his ability, opening a channel is no big deal! If he had some time, he might even be able to bring Bell out alive." Ka Jinwen and Katherine had never met Chen Yu and had only heard of his medical skills. Hearing Jin Lingsu''s evaluation of Chen Yu, they also grew more respectful in their hearts. Katherine took out a device and pressed a few buttons, "There should still be a few protective suits in the safety house of William''s family. Their protective level against radiation should be over eighty percent." Jin Lingsu exhaled a breath of turbid air, "Then let''s take action quickly. Chen Yu has already given us a good start; we can''t fall behind." In the northern coastal area, there is a very strange structure that looks like a fortress from afar. On closer inspection, everything here is built against the mountainside, and there are passages connecting the structures. Moreover, all the constructions are made of reinforced concrete, and even high-performance, explosive TNT couldn''t destroy them. ``` Chapter 176: Chapter 176: Earning Points The fortress here was essentially in a state of abandonment, with only part of the structure being usable, the rest somewhat dpidated from years of neglect. In a sealed room, there was arge quantity of weapons and protective suits, along with many parts forrge instruments. As soon as Chen Yu saw these parts, he knew they were for a radiation elimination device. However, these parts were missing some coreponents, so even if assembled, they wouldn''t work. "Mr. Chen, these parts have been sitting here for about twenty years, could you help see if you can put them together?" Chen Yu stepped forward and flipped through the parts, "I can put them together, but they won''t work, some coreponents are missing." Bell snapped his fingers, and then two of his subordinates carried over arge box, inside of which were the coreponents for these instruments. "Since Mr. Chen can assemble them, please start as soon as possible, we don''t have much time to waste here!" Chen Yu felt a slight twinge of frustration, realizing he''d been manipted by Bell once again. One had to admit, this guy was quite cunning, no wonder he had caught the attention of a world-ss organization. He didn''t say much more, just moved a chair over and started working on the machine by himself. [Congrattions host, you have gained five hundred points.] [Congrattions host, you have gained one hundred twenty points.] [Congrattions host, you have gained three hundred points.] ... One after another, the notification sounds rose again, baffling Chen Yu. Where were these pointsing from out of the blue? Could he be earning points from assembling the machine? Subconsciously checking the time, he suddenly realized. It seemed to be the time for neighbors toe to his house for medicinal cuisine. Apparently, as long as he treated people, he could umte points. And the amount of points depended on the severity of the illness. With this in mind, Chen Yu suddenly had an idea, Anglers now had over ten thousand workers suffering from malnutrition and various health issues. If he could continuously treat these people, maybe he could rack up a substantial amount of points. Chen Yu became excited at once, and after he quickly assembled the machine, he returned to Anglers with Bell. On the way back, thermal images asionally shed across his mind, but he didn''t see Jin Lingsu and the other two again on the journey. It seemed they must have gone back to prepare. The entire Anglers looked like a walled ruin. However, Bell didn''t have the time or energy for repairs and just did some basic fixes in necessary areas, then continued to make the workersbor. After directing a few people to ce the machine in the center of the city, Chen Yu went straight to the miners'' camp. During previous treatments, he had already examined the health of these patients. After reassessing the situation, he directly set up twentyrge pots next to the radiation removal machine. Bell frowned, "Mr. Chen, what are you doing? We have our own chefs, are you nning to take over their jobs?" Chen Yu lifted a bucket of cooking oil and poured it into the pot. "That''s one way to put it, I''ve noticed that your men and the workers here are not in good health, even with the machines eliminating most of the radiation." "Their bodies won''t recover quickly, but if they eat my medicinal cuisine, I can assure you their conditions will improve in the shortest amount of time." Bell immediately grew excited, "I''m aware of that, this is the legendary Eastern food therapy, right? Mr. Chen, why didn''t you mention you had this skill earlier?" After that, Bell directly transferred all the kitchen staff to assist Chen Yu, while also bringing over all the ingredients from the kitchen. With help, the work sped up considerably, and before long, a rich fragrance wafted from the twentyrge pots. Chen Yu had cookedrge-pot meals like this more than once and was already well-practiced at it. Those under Bell couldn''t help but gather around as they smelled the aroma. Even Bell made his way to the front, pushing through the crowd. "Mr. Chen, can you really make such delicious food in such arge pot?" Chen Yu didn''t say much, but simply handed over a bowl to him. Just as Bell was about to eat, a sh of wariness appeared in his eyes. He passed the bowl he was holding to an underling next to him, "Consider this your reward, eat it all up." The underling, who had already been drooling, took the bowl and began wolfing down the food. Once the bowl of rice was devoured, the person''s spirits lifted noticeably, and the ashen color in his face also gained some color. Only then did Bell feel reassured and had Chen Yu fill another bowl for him. The rest of the people didn''t care for formalities and quickly formed a long line. [Congrattions to the host, you have gained three hundred points] [Congrattions to the host, you have gained eighty points] [Congrattions to the host, you have gained one hundred and twenty points] ... Chen Yu was immediately somewhat downcast, even though after these people ate the meal, he began to umte points, the number of points was pitifully low. However, with the number of people there, even if the points were few, the actual umtion was still a considerable amount. Moreover, each person had more than one ailment, and by letting them eat different medicinal meals, he could umte points several times from each individual. By eight o''clock that evening, he had already umted more than four million points again. [Congrattions to the host forpleting a day''s business, today''s profit is two million one hundred thirteen thousand five hundred RMB, today''s points earned are two million one hundred thirteen thousand five hundred, the current total umted points are twenty-five million seven hundred twenty-four thousand eight hundred] Chen Yu felt a little excited at heart, now the system was nearly umting points from two aspects at the same time. In this way, the speed at which he umted points would greatly increase, and it wouldn''t take long before he reached a hundred million points, at which time he would be able to continue to draw lots or upgrade the system to version 3.0. Furthermore, Bell''s underlings and the miners were still eating in shifts, meaning his points were still being continuously added. At that moment, Chen Yu suddenly hoped that Jin Lingsu and the others would arriveter so he could "farm" more points. The roaring sound of machinery echoed through the whole of Angleruna, making it a bit unsettling. However, the total radiation levels here had finally dropped. In the area where Chen Yu was cooking, the radiation levels had reached a state suitable for humans. Therefore, he didn''t need to use electromaic induction protection anymore, simply wearing protective clothing would suffice. Just then, more than a dozenrge trucks rumbled to a stop at the city gate. A man of medium build, wearing a coat and somewhat chubby, got off the truck while puffing on a cigar. To this man, Bell acted as if he had seen the God of Wealth,ing out to greet him with a big smile. "Mr. Carnay! You''ve finallye, now our trade can proceed normally." Carnay exhaled a ring of smoke, "Naturally, but the goods you provide had better be pure!" Chapter 177: Chapter 177: The Buyer Behind the Scenes Chen Yu was still fiddling with the frying pan in his hands when he saw Bell and Cardanai walk by from the side. His body stiffened instantly. He had seen Cardanai''s photo at Zhou Shengtao''s ce before, and the bounty on this guy was a staggering eighty million. A gleam suddenly appeared in Chen Yu''s eyes¡ªit was like a walking ATM! After Cardanai put on his protective suit, he headed to the mine with Bell. Before long, arge number of workers began carrying ore out of the mine. Just then, Chen Yu suddenly noticed obvious signs of loosening at the breach he had made earlier. "Go grab a few more big pots and set them up over there!" After calling over a nearby chef, Chen Yu walked straight to the corner and began clearing away the rubble, then nonchntly squatted next to the breach. Soon, an arm reached up from below, followed by Jin Lingsu''s enticing face. She seemed extremely tense as she climbed out, and if she hadn''t recognized Chen Yu''s face in time, she might have fired her crossbow. "Did you calcte exactly when I''d being and decided to wait here for me?" Chen Yu sighed helplessly. The spot he had chosen to set up the big pots had a direct line of sight to this area. He had thought that Jin Lingsu and the others would have some special n, but they had simply squeezed their way through the hole. "I just happened to be here! Hurry inside, I''ll get you three sets of clothes." Jin Lingsu nodded, quickly cleared the nearby sand, and then, along with Katherine and Ka Jinwen, crawled out. Chen Yu, on the other hand, approached five fully armed fellows nearby. "Come over here and help out!" These five, still holding big bowls and wolfing down their food, ran over immediately when Chen Yu called them. They had eaten Chen Yu''s food, and it was so delicious that it was considered an improvement to their meals in this icy, snowy environment. So whatever Chen Yu asked them to do, they wouldn''t refuse. "Mr. Chen, what can we do for you?" Looking at the five men in front of him, Chen Yu suddenly felt a bit embarrassed and scratched his nose. Although these people were under Bell''smand, they weren''t vicious or evil, and there were no hard feelings between them¡ªhe really had no reason to kill them. "I want to set up five big pots over there. Would you mind digging a few holes for me?" "No problem!" The five men cheerfully agreed and, still eating their food, walked towards the breach. But after just two steps, Chen Yu suddenly grabbed a handful of stones from the ground and threw them, piercing through their necks. The men hadn''t even had time to react before they fell down, their mouths full of food they hadn''t managed to swallow. Jin Lingsu and her party crawled out and immediately found cover, dragging the five bodies with them, then they changed into their clothes. After making a quick fake scene, Jin Lingsu triggered an explosive device. A massive explosion rang out instantly, grabbing everyone''s attention, and Bell, startled, rushed over. Yesterday''s earthquake had already cost him dearly, and if anything else went wrong, his business would be finished. When he hurried over, he saw a mass of severed limbs scattered on the ground, while Chen Yu and his three men were lying to one side, apparently having passed out. This area was already near a corner wall, and due to the earthquake the previous night, a huge crack had appeared on the ground that nobody wanted to approach. The five people before were just responsible for patrolling this area. Bell rushed to Chen Yu''s side and pulled him up. "Mr. Chen, are you alright?" Chen Yu staggered to his feet and pointed to the chunks of flesh on the ground. "What''s wrong with your men? Why are they always ying with explosives? I just called three workers to help, and they insisted they were trying to escape..." After a long and frustrating exnation, Bell actually believed him. After all, the chunks of flesh on the ground added up to five bodies, two dressed in uniforms and the other three barely clothed, just covered in rags. Moreover, Bell''s men were fully armed with face masks and sunsses, unable to see each other''s faces. And since the number of people patrolling on site was correct, Bell didn''t bother to verify the identities of Jin Lingsu and the two others. "I''m very sorry, Mr. Chen. I will punish them!" Chen Yu waved his hand, "The ones you need to punish are already dead. If it weren''t for these three pulling me out, I''d probably have been blown up with them." Only then did Bell breathe a sigh of relief and pointed towards Jin Lingsu and her twopanions. "From today on, you three are in charge of Mr. Chen''s personal safety. If something happens, find a ce to kill yourself." With those words, Bell hurriedly left to continue supervising the workers as they transported the ore out. It was a business worth more than one hundred billion, and he didn''t want any mishaps. Jin Lingsu and the others also breathed a sigh of relief, and Katherine moved closer to Chen Yu. "Mr. Chen, did you see? The person with Bell is Kanai, one of the individuals wanted by world-ss organizations. William''s family has also issued a bounty, a whole three hundred million!" Chen Yu was startled, realizing that Kanai was no longer just an ATM but a walking bank. "Of course I know him. That guy must be the buyer of the ore. We need to seize the opportunity to capture both of them together, but before that, we must ensure the lives of all workers here, and it would be best if we could rescue all of them." Ka Jinwen nodded in agreement, knowing that with plutonium ore all around, a conflict leading to an explosion here would be unthinkable. But Jin Lingsu was unwilling. She had been stuck in this icy wilderness for a long time and was fed up. "If you ask me, we might as well just take action and kill them both. After all, the higher-ups didn''t explicitly say whether they needed to be alive or dead." Chen Yu immediately rolled his eyes, "We need to have a little patience. I always feel like there''s a bigger fish behind all this." "What''s that delicious smell?" Ka Jinwen suddenly leaned forward, sniffing a couple of steps ahead. When he saw therge pot on the stand, he ran over, excited. They had been wandering outside for days, eating only deep-sea fish and canned food. Moreover, in such harsh conditions, everything tasted like chunks of ice, and it had been a long time since he had a warm meal. He had had enough of this kind of life. Chapter 178: Chapter 178 Delaying Time Jin Lingsu also wiped her mouth and subconsciously touched Chen Yu''s shoulder. "Did you make this?" Chen Yu nodded, "It''s just some ordinary medicinal meals. If you don''t like the taste of the herbs, I can make it again for you." "It''s alright, I''ll just take a few bites to replenish some strength." Without giving it much thought, Jin Lingsu, along with Ka Jinwen, rushed over. Chen Yu, however, retreated to the corner of the wall and did some simple treatment to the hole there. When the cook carried over the fiverge pots, Chen Yu immediately set them up around the hole. "Where''s the cook?" Ka Nai suddenly shouted, then, along with Bell, ran over to Chen Yu''s side. Seeing this from a distance, Jin Lingsu subconsciously ced her finger on her weapon, ready to act immediately should the situation change. "This gentleman here is our cook and also the doctor!" Bell enthusiastically introduced him and went straight ahead to pull Chen Yu over. "Mr. Chen, this here is our biggest buyer. He''s here to purchase eighty percent of our stock in one go, a whopping eighty billion!" Chen Yu forced a smile and inwardly cursed, What does this have to do with me. Ka Nai suddenly grabbed Chen Yu''s hand excitedly. "What on earth did you put in the food? I only ate half a bowl and my rheumatism actually improved." Chen Yu did not answer but casually took Ka Nai''s pulse. "Your health is not looking good. Apart from rheumatism, you also suffer from a severe case of spondylitis. Your body has a total of seventeen gunshot wounds, and there are eight bullet fragments not yet taken out, one of which is merely half an inch from your heart." Hearing this, Ka Nai became somewhat stupified. "Amazing! Just by touching my wrist, you could tell all the ailments I have. How on earth did you do that?" Chen Yu turned away and started pouring water into the pot by himself. "As Mr. Bell mentioned, I''m the doctor here, so naturally, I can detect your ailments." "Can they be treated?" Ka Nai stared intently at Chen Yu. For someone like him, who lived on the edge of the knife and was pursued by the entire world, he was always in peril. Almost every once in a while, he would suffer a potentially fatal injury. Although he had managed to survive every time, and is still alive today, the injuries that remained gued him incessantly. Especially in certain environments, life was worse than death. If it weren''t for the deal with Bell, requiring his personal inspection of this batch of ore, he probably wouldn''t voluntarilye to such a frigid and snow-bound ce. Chen Yu started a fire under therge pot, "Of course they can be treated, but with so many injuries, it will probably take some time¡­" "That''s right!" Bell quickly jumped in: "Buddy, Mr. Chen is one of the rare miracle doctors I''ve met. As long as you follow his method, you will definitely be cured. Why not stay here for a few days?" The previous earthquake had caused different levels of copse in two minor mine tunnels, and now only sixty percent of the finished ore could be brought out. Bell did not want to see the pre-negotiated deal shrink by twenty percent. The only way was to have Ka Nai stay a few more days. But Ka Nai''s physical condition simply did not allow him to reside in such an environment for long. Now that Bell had finally found a reason, he was not willing to let go of the opportunity. "Could you possibly prescribe some medicine first to alleviate my symptoms?" Ka Nai''s eyes held a glimmer of hope. Bell was also getting anxious, "Mr. Chen, you see..." Chen Yu added some firewood under therge pot and sized up Ka Jinwen, noting his seeminglyrge and plump body was trembling nonstop. "Your body has too many injuries and sicknesses; they might not be treated quickly elsewhere, but here we have a special medicine tailored just for you." Chen Yu then took a palmputer from Bell, tapped on it a few times, and an image of a deep-sea fish appeared on the screen. "Have your men catch them immediately, the more of these fish, the better!" Ka Jinwen grabbed the palmputer and handed it to a subordinate by his side, "Go catch the fish at once." Bell didn''t dare to dy, immediately dispatching over a dozen people to help with the task. Then, Chen Yu wrote two prescriptions, one for traditional Chinese medicine and one for Western medicine. "Choose any prescription to find the medicine, and it would be even better if you could gather the ingredients from both prescriptions!" Ka Jinwen nced at the prescriptions and became excited. "I have all these medicines!" He had been ill for so many years, and this time,ing to the Arctic for work, he naturally brought along arge supply of medical materials. It wasn''t long before all the medicines from the two prescriptions wereid out in front of Chen Yu, along with arge quantity of deep-sea fish. The ce was close to the coast; in order to solve the town''s food issues, Bell had people drill many ice holes nearby and also set up fishings. As a result, the deep-sea fish that Chen Yu had mentioned were quickly found. Chen Yu first nched the fish in boiling water, then after cutting them into pieces, he coated them in batter and fried them in a wok until they were seventy percent cooked. Next, he put the Chinese herbs in the pot ording to the proportions and stewed them together with the fried fish pieces. He also picked out some of the Western medicines, ground them into powder, and tossed them into the mix. Before long, a rich fragrance began to spread, but the medicinal scent mixed within made the aroma somewhat less appealing. Even so, it attracted the personnel on patrol not far away. Chen Yu calmly served up the fish pieces and presented them to Ka Jinwen. "The taste might be a bit strong, but you need to eat the fish with the soup as well, and after, you will feel a slight faintness." Ka Jinwen hesitated, "A feeling of faintness?" Chen Yu nodded, "Don''t worry, it won''t have too much impact on your body. You just need to sleep it off, and your sickness will ease. Afterward, I''ll help you remove the bullet fragments from your body." Ka Jinwen''s throat moved slightly. At this point, he could not afford to be picky and wolfed down the fish pieces. Bell immediately had someone prepare a room for Ka Jinwen. However, before going to sleep, Ka Jinwen arranged all of his men around the perimeter of the room, and even ced six by the bedside. For someone like him, no matter how much he trusted Bell, he had to y it safe. But Bell didn''t care about these precautions; he was thrilled, grabbing Chen Yu''s shoulders and shaking them nonstop. "Mr. Chen, you''ve really helped me out, if you can keep him here, one-tenth of the profit from this deal could be yourmission." Chen Yu just gave a symbolic smile and then sorted the remaining medical ingredients, mixing them into other dishes. Many people here had ailments simr to Ka Jinwen''s, though not as severe. By diluting these medicines and feeding them to the people here, he could also earn a new batch of points. Chapter 179: Chapter 179: Factory Completion As all the workers'' health improved, the mining progress had elerated considerably, and even the previously copsed tunnels were gradually being restored by them. "Hey, do you really n to cure that Ka Nai?" Jin Lingsu leaned close to Chen Yu, pouring arge basin of chopped ingredients into the pot. Chen Yu looked up at Ka Nai''s room, "If we can bring this guy back alive, there''s at least an eighty million bounty, and William''s family is offering another three hundred million." Jin Lingsu gave Chen Yu a strange look, "Since when did you be a Bounty Hunter?" Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, "I''m short on cash!" Jin Lingsu rolled her eyes, "Your wife is the Tong Group heiress! How could you be short on cash?" "You don''t understand, some things can only be achieved on one''s own!" [Congrattions Host, you have received a hundred points] [Congrattions Host, you have received seventy points] ... At ten o''clock at night, Chen Yu''s mind was still intermittently receiving system notifications. However, the umted points were bing less and less. It seemed that apart from radiation, almost all other illnesses affecting the workers here had been cured. After tidying up the pots, Chen Yu returned to his room, and also brought Jin Lingsu and the others back with him. As soon as they entered, Jin Lingsu immediately took off her helmet. "This Bel really has no taste, the standard uniform he designed could suffocate someone to death." Chen Yu quickly ced his finger on his lips, making a shushing gesture. "Keep it down, we just had an earthquake and all the buildings suffered different levels of damage, the soundproofing isn''t that great." Jin Lingsu quickly lowered her voice and started setting up her bedroll on the side. After so much hustling over the past few days, she was already very tired. Ka Jinwen and Katherine also began to set up their bedrolls next to Jin Lingsu''s. Chen Yu did not say much, under the circumstances, they could not afford to be too particr. [Detection of Host''s current environment suggests activating the defense surveince function] Without any hesitation, Chen Yu immediately chose to agree. After all, having an extrayer of protection in such conditions was excellent. In case someone broke into the room in the middle of the night and saw Jin Lingsu and the other two, it could be dangerous for them. [Defense function activated, duration ten hours, will deduct one million points from the Host] Chen Yu suddenly sat up in bed, his face full of frustration. As expected, every time the system introduced a new function, it deducted a hefty amount of his points. Fortunately, he was now earning points through a dual-sync method, which was much faster than before, and he would soon recoup the one million points. "What''s wrong? Is there danger?" Jin Lingsu also sat up, instinctively drawing the golden spikes from her body. "No, just thought of something important!" he replied casually and went back to sleep. The next moment, theplete three-dimensional topography of Angluna appeared entirely in his mind. Even the movements of the patrol and guards outside the room could be synchronized and disyed. This function was indeed formidable, currently unachievable by even the pinnacle of human technology. Chen Yu immediately felt relieved. That night passed without any incidents, and early the next morning, Chen Yu hurriedly woke up Jin Lingsu and the other two. He then took them out to prepare breakfast. Having rested for the night, the three of them regained their abundant energy and scattered to carefully observe all theyouts of the city. Just then a shout of excitement suddenly erupted, followed by Ka Jinwen rushing out of the room, thrilled. "Where is Mr. Chen!" This shout rmed everyone in the city, including Bell, who ran out in a hurry. Under the astonished gazes of the people, Ka Jinwen, wearing only shorts and draped in a thin coat, ran barefooted and somewhat crazily in the snow. When he saw Chen Yu, he ran straight over and bear-hugged him tightly. Ka Jinwen was naturally tall and heavy, and with this hug, he immediately lifted Chen Yu off the ground. "Mr. Chen, I haven''t run like this in the snow for a very long time!" Chen Yu frowned, thinking Ka Jinwen''s health had taken a turn for the worse. "Mr. Ka Jinwen, please put me down, and then I can take your pulse!" Ka Jinwen, behaving like an ardent fan of Chen Yu, hurriedly set him down and then obediently extended his wrist toward him. Chen Yu stretched his limbs and ced his fingers on Ka Jinwen''s pulse. "Your illness has been essentially cured, and currently only some inmmation on your spine and the bullet shrapnel risks in your body remain!" Ka Jinwen quickly grasped Chen Yu''s hand. "Mr. Chen, I hope you can operate on me immediately!" Chen Yu hesitated, "We''re currently in a high-radiation environment, which isn''t suitable for surgery. Besides, the inmmation on your spine also affects the operation. Let''s focus on getting your health back first." [Congrattions to the host, you''ve earned 1,200,000 points.] The sudden alert made Chen Yu excited. Ka Jinwen''s illness consisted ofplex symptoms, aggravated by the passage of years, making it extremely severe. Even if the world''s top medical team were brought in, they might not be able to cure it. It seemed the more difficult the illness was to cure, the more points were earned. Chen Yu instantly understood the key; it appeared that removing the bullet near Ka Jinwen''s heart could potentially earn even more points. Now, Ka Jinwen in Chen Yu''s eyes, was not only a walking bank but also a tool for raking in points. But Ka Jinwen was unaware of all this. In his eyes, Chen Yu was his lifesaver. "Alright, Mr. Chen, from now on, I''ll do whatever you tell me to do!" Chen Yu really couldn''t stand such a burly man fawning over him. "Then you should go rest first. Also, don''t eat anything for the entire day today; endure for thirty hours before eating ording to my instructions, and try to keep your body in ketosis." Ka Jinwen nodded repeatedly, and then excitedly asked Bell for a sled, heading out to ski. It seemed that after being sick for so many years, he had never indulged in such reckless fun in the snow. [Congrattions to the host, the factory has entered normal operational status, and the first transaction has beenpleted.] [Congrattions to the host, the factory has gained a profit of 38,970,000 and earned 38,570,000 points, with a current total cumtive score of 73,624,800 points.] Chen Yu was taken aback for a moment. When he left, the factory had onlypleted one-third of its business. It had only been a few days; could it be that the order for one billion had already been fulfilled? Just as he was feeling puzzled, a flood of information suddenly emerged in his mind. Chapter 180: Chapter 180 Additional Gains The remaining sections of the factory had beenpleted and put into use four days ago, and meanwhile, Hou Jianchang had recruited arge number of workers. After working overtime for four consecutive days, the remaining products were shipped out of the factory this morning. Not only did Tong Ming take away products worth one billion, but he also took away all the remaining products. Hou Jianchang had also negotiated the pricing with Tong Ming, setting the factory price at one hundred and sixty-four percent of the raw material value. That is to say, the raw materials worth one billion yielded a profit of sixty-four million in total. After deducting Chen Yu''s early investment in the factory, plus the previous repayment of nine million five hundred thousand, that was the remaining profit. Chen Yu briefly sorted through the ounts in his mind and realized that the factory didn''t even need a finance department. "Mr. Chen!" Katherine suddenly called out to Chen Yu, pulling his thoughts back to reality. "We have already mastered the terrain around here, and since both parties are in a trading state with their personnel dispersed, I believe we have a good chance of capturing both of these guys at the same time and then breaking out." Chen Yu cleared his throat softly. The system had already devised numerous escape ns in his mind before, and he could leave with both Belle and Ka Nai. But if he did so, he wouldn''t be able to stay and continue umting points. "I already said there must be someone behind them, let''s wait a bit longer, we may have a bigger gain from this trip." Katherine didn''t say much more; during this time, she had developed a heartfelt respect for Chen Yu. After all, being able to infiltrate the inside of the enemy camp and mix into the high-level ranks in such a short period wasn''t even guaranteed by the most elite special operatives. Throughout the day, small amounts of points kept adding up, and it looked like it wouldn''t take long to umte eighty million. By eight o''clock in the evening, the remaining twenty percent of the ore had been moved out and transported to the sealedpartment of the truck. [Congrattions Host onpleting a day''s business, today''s profit is twenty-one million eight hundred fifty-six thousand Yuan, with points earned being twenty-one million eight hundred fifty-six thousand points, current total umted points are seventy-five million nine hundred twenty-four thousand eight hundred points] Chen Yu found a stone stool to sit on, his face unable to hide the excitement. Just then, Ka Nai came running over in a hurry. "Mr. Chen, I feel like my body is in its peak condition right now, can we find a ce to perform the surgery on the spot?" Chen Yu raised his eyebrow: "It seems like you have enough ore now, we couldpletely change the location, like go to the warmer south, couldn''t we?" Ka Nai rubbed his hands together excitedly: "I''ve decided, I''ll buy all the ore here." Chen Yu suddenly understood, extracting the rest of the ore would take some time. Ka Nai wanted to use this window of opportunity topletely cure his injuries and illness. After all, he might not get such a chance in his lifetime. Chen Yu put on a troubled face, stroking his chin and pondering for a while. "This might require discussing with Mr. Belle, he has a secret stronghold here." "I agree!" Belle''s voice suddenly sounded: "I will escort the two of you there immediately." Belle naturally couldn''t ask for better, if Chen Yu couldpletely cure Ka Nai, then he might be able to leverage this to establish aprehensive cooperation with Ka Nai in the future. Before long, Belle had made the arrangements to escort Chen Yu and Ka Nai to the stronghold. Jin Lingsu and her twopanions were naturally included. As soon as they arrived at the entrance of the stronghold, Chen Yu sent a series of secret signals to Jin Lingsu. ''Start the capture n, kill everyone here before my surgery ispleted!'' Upon receiving the message, Jin Lingsu immediately ryed it to Katherine and Ka Jinwen. Following that, the three individuals dispersed, each keeping watch over a few people. Chen Yu then brought Ka Jinwen to a secluded room. After a thorough cleaning, the ce was transformed into a makeshift operating theater. "Mr. Ka Jinwen, the operating environment must be quiet, please ask your men to leave," Chen Yu said. Ka Jinwen immediately ordered the several subordinates guarding the area to leave. Without any hesitation, Chen Yu opened the medical kit he''d prepared in advance and took out several acupuncture needles, inserting them into various acupoints on Ka Jinwen''s body. "Now the acupoints on your body have been sealed, and you will lose all consciousness, but your brain will remain alert!" As he spoke, Chen Yu took a scalpel and made an incision at the location of Ka Jinwen''s heart. "My God, it really doesn''t hurt, it''s amazing!" Chen Yu''s face, however, remained serious, "Try not to talk!" He reprimanded softly and quickened his pace. This kind of surgery was not difficult for him; in less than ten minutes, he had removed all eight shrapnel fragments from Ka Jinwen''s body. After treating the wounds, Chen Yu then removed the acupuncture needles. An excruciating pain instantly spread throughout Ka Jinwen''s body, causing him to cry out involuntarily. "Mr. Chen, is the surgery over now?" Chen Yu nodded, "As long as you continue to take the medicine I prescribe for one more week, your body will fully recover." Ka Jinwen was immediately thrilled and took out a stack of bank drafts from the pocket of his clothing beside him. "Mr. Chen, I didn''t bring much money this time, but here are fifteen bank drafts, each worth one hundred million. They can be cashed at any bank worldwide, please consider it as my consulting fee." Chen Yu was somewhat surprised. He hadn''t expected people like Bell and Ka Jinwen to be so generous. This trip, he had earned an extra twenty-five billion from these two men. The only regret was that this ie couldn''t be entered into the points settlement system. "Then, thank you, Mr. Ka Jinwen." Unhesitatingly epting the bank drafts, Chen Yu suddenly raised his hand and inserted a needle into Ka Jinwen''s chest. Immediately thereafter, Ka Jinwen''s body stiffened and he copsed onto the bed, yet his consciousness remained clear. The next moment, the door was suddenly burst open, and Jin Lingsu and her twopanions came in, covered in blood. "Chen Yu, we''ve taken care of everyone outside, only this guy is left!" Jin Lingsu said excitedly. Jin Lingsu twirled the golden spike in her hand before cing it against Ka Jinwen''s neck. "Is it this idiot''s turn now?" Katherine and the others were visibly thrilled. They had originallye to capture Bell, but hadn''t expected to stumble upon an unexpected prize. "Killing him won''t benefit you!" Chen Yu stepped forward to stop Jin Lingsu, "Who knows, this guy might help clear all your past charges." Jin Lingsu''s mouth curved into a slight smile as she put away the spike. "That''s a good idea, but how are we supposed to take this idiot away now?" Katherine promptly brought out a satellite phone, "I''ll have William''s family send a submarine." Chapter 181: Chapter 181 Malicious Score Boosting [Congrattions, Host, you have gained 2.5 million points] Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown, such a difficult surgery only earned him 2.5 million points, and no matter how he looked at that number, it seemed like the system was mocking him. "How long will it take for the submarine to get here?" Chen Yu asked subconsciously. "The nearest submarine will arrive in eight hours!" Ka Jinwen replied and then handed the satellite phone to Chen Yu. "Mr. Chen, Mr. Victor wants to speak with you directly." Chen Yu slightly furrowed his brow, he really didn''t want to get too entangled with William''s family. However, since this mission involved someone from William''s family and he had some acquaintances with Victor, it would be inappropriate not to take the call. Chen Yu forced out a slight smile and then took the satellite phone. Victor on the other end seemed extremely excited, babbling on about various things, while Chen Yu only asked about his physical condition. After hanging up, Chen Yu patted Ka Jinwen on the shoulder. "If the acupuncture needles on Carnay''s body aren''t removed, his body won''t be able to move. Before bringing him to a safe area, remember not to remove the acupuncture needles from his body." Ka Jinwen subconsciously nced at the acupuncture needles on Carnay''s body: "Understood, I''ll stay here and wait for the submarine." Chen Yu nodded and then returned to Angleruna with Jin Lingsu and Katherine. But on the way there, they saw two snowmobiles speeding towards them, which seemed to be directly under Carnay''smand. The riders stopped their snowmobiles by the side of the road as soon as they saw Chen Yu. "Mr. Chen, how is my boss doing?" Chen Yu''s lips curled slightly: "The surgery was very sessful, he''s currently in recovery." "That''s great, we were just about to go see him!" With that, the two men got on their snowmobiles. Chen Yu''s pupils dted slightly, letting these two guys go would be asking for trouble. He didn''t hesitate, immediately pulling one of them down and pressing him firmly into the snow. Jin Lingsu also flung the golden spike from her waist, piercing right through the throat of the other one. The man caught by Chen Yu''s hand had his eyes wide open. "Mr. Chen, what do you mean by this?" Chen Yu didn''t speak, just grabbed the other''s neck, ready to silence him. Just then, a spark of inspiration suddenly shed through his mind. He then grabbed the man''s arm, twisted it violently, and dislocated the whole arm. A shrill scream echoed across the snowy ins immediately. Before the man could react, a series of cracking sounds followed. Chen Yu reattached the man''s arm. Then, he just squatted there, as if waiting for something. [Congrattions, Host, you have gained 100 points] Chen Yu immediately perked up, as if he had discovered a new world, continuously dislocating the man''s arm and then reattaching it. After repeating this ten times, he had umted a thousand points. Next, Chen Yu tried experimenting with other skeletal parts one by one. In the end, he discovered that the closer to vital areas the bones were, the more points he gained. Especially the third and fourth ribs on the left side near the heart, each reattachment could actually gain eight hundred points. As Chen Yu''s enthusiasm grew, the screams echoing across the snowfield became increasingly tragic. In the end, even someone as ruthless as Jin Lingsu couldn''t bear to watch and couldn''t help but curse ''pervert'' in her heart. Katherine involuntarily stepped back a few paces, the once towering image of Chen Yu in her mind now greatly diminished. [Detected host''s malicious exploitation for points. Please cease this behavior immediately, otherwise previously earned points will not be counted by the system.] Chen Yu was somewhat helpless; he had thought that he could rely on one person to infinitely inte his points to one hundred million, but now he realized he was too naive. The guy''s entire skeleton had be extremely fragile, lying there like a pile of mud. In this state, even if the guy was healed, he would only be able to lie in bed for the rest of his life. Chen Yu directly grabbed the other person''s neck and forcefully squeezed, ending his life. "Can we leave now?" Jin Lingsu suddenly became cautious. "Let''s go!" Chen Yu got into the car somewhat dejectedly. After all the efforts he had put in before, he had only umted thirty thousand points. The next morning, Chen Yu and his twopanions finally returned to Angluna. The mining operations were nearing their end, and the workers were not as busy; most of them sat on the ground, seemingly waiting for something, their eyes full of longing. When Chen Yu walked in, everyone stood up and looked at him with fervent gazes. Bell came over, rubbing his stomach as well. "Mr. Chen, you''ve finallye back. If you hadn''t, we all would have starved to death." It was only then that Chen Yu came to his senses, but as he was about to cook, Bell pulled him aside and stuffed a packet of powder into his hands. "Mr. Chen, I hope you can prepare the meals separately this time! I hope you can add this into the workers'' food." Chen Yu frowned, for after sniffing the powder slightly, he knew that it was a mixture of arsenic trioxide and potassium cyanide. Both substances were highly toxic in their own right, and their mixture was ten times more potent. Such a dosage was enough to kill over ten thousand workers. It looked like Bell was ready to dispose of the donkey once it had done its job grinding the wheat. "It seems that there are still some ores yet to be mined. What do you n to do with the remaining minerals if you''re so eager to dispose of them?" "Rest assured, Mr. Chen!" Bell patted Chen Yu''s shoulder: "All the ores were minedst night; what''s left is transportation! My men can handle those tasks." Chen Yu chuckled lightly, "To kill them, you probably don''t need to go through so much trouble, and mixing the two poisons gives off a pungent odor that can easily be detected even when mixed with food." Bell raised his eyebrows slightly, "Do you, Mr. Chen, have a better method?" "These workers have already been seriously exposed to radiation. A reaction with just a bit more trace elements and the radioactive substances in their bodies will make their bodies rapidly deteriorate. In less than a day''s time, they could die without ever knowing it." Bell''s eyes widened in surprise: "Mr. Chen, I knew I wasn''t wrong about you! I''ll leave everything to you." Without saying anything more, Chen Yu immediately gathered the people together and set up arge cauldron. [Congrattions to the host for gaining one thousand five hundred points] [Congrattions to the host for gaining one thousand two hundred points] [Congrattions to the host for gaining two thousand points] ... The sudden system notifications left Chen Yu somewhat stunned. He hadn''t saved anyone, nor had he treated anyone, so how did a pile of points suddenly appear? Before long, his total points had abruptly increased by over sixteen million. Chapter 182: Chapter 182: 100000000 Points Chen Yu suddenly realized something. By refusing Bell''s request to poison earlier, he had indirectly saved over ten thousand lives. "So that counts too!" With a small surge of excitement in his heart, he called people over to start preparing meals. Sincest night, his total points had umted close to ny-six million. Just four million more, and he would reach a hundred million points. But time was of the essence, and unless he could perform two high-difficulty surgeries, there was no way he could umte enough points in such a short time. Just then, a violent explosion suddenly erupted, and the mine area plunged into chaos. Immediately after, two people rushed to Chen Yu in haste. "Mr. Chen, Mr. Bell has had an ident! Please,e right away." Chen Yu instantly became excited, judging from the situation it seemed Bell had been seriously injured! This was clearly a chance for him to earn points. Without hesitation, he quickly followed the two men. He saw Bell lying on the bed, his body horrifically mangled, with countless rock fragments embedded in his flesh, including many pieces of plutonium ore. It looked like radioactive material had already prated his body. At that moment, Bell was convulsing all over, continuously spitting blood foam, clearly on the brink of death. A few other people were in the same condition as Bell, but no one was attending to them. "Can Mr. Chen save him?" The person beside him was frantic with worry. These people were merely hired staff; if Bell died, they wouldn''t know where to get their money from. Chen Yu tried his best to conceal his excitement, "Quickly get me arge amount of adrenaline, and move that filtration machine over to that factory building." The subordinates didn''t dare to dy and hurried to carry out Chen Yu''s orders. Afterward, Chen Yu had them bring all the injured people over, then he drove those guys out. He rubbed his hands together, quickly injected adrenaline into all the injured, and then took out acupuncture needles from the nearby medical box, pricking them at corresponding acupoints on their bodies. Having done this, Chen Yu took a moment to regte his breathing, then squatted down next to Bell. "Mr. Bell, just lie here honestly for now, I''m going to save you, but once you wake up, you will have to say goodbye to everything you have." A yful glint suddenly shed in Chen Yu''s eyes, followed by picking up the scalpel, and first performing surgery on the injured workers beside him. This kind of trauma surgery was not very difficult, for it only required removing the rock fragments. The challenging part was dealing with the fragments embedded inside the organs. Even for Chen Yu, the process had to be handled with extreme care, as one small mishap could result in major bleeding. Although highly difficult surgeries could enable him to umte points quickly, he was still unaware of the consequences should the surgery fail. His mind was in a state of high tension; soon, he removed all the fragments from one of the workers. However, this worker had a piece lodged in the left ventricle, severing a blood vessel. Chen Yu''s breathing immediately became rapid; it was his first time facing such a high-difficulty surgery. After adjusting his breathing slightly, Chen Yu subconsciously bit the tip of his tongue. He rapidly removed the fragment and then in a very short time stitched up the blood vessel. Afterpleting all this, Chen Yu checked the worker''s vital signs again before releasing a long sigh of relief. [Congrattions, Host, you have earned three million points.] Chen Yu couldn''t help but widen his eyes. This surgery was at least twice as hard as the Carnine surgery, how could it be worth just three million? But by this time, he couldn''t care about that much anymore. After dealing with the other injuries, he turned his attention to another patient. The surgeries for the others weren''t very difficult, mostly just external injuries. In less than an hour, he had treated everyone''s wounds, but he had no way to deal with the radiation in their bodies just yet. [System Prompt: The current host has umted a total of 101.75 million points. Would you like to upgrade the system to version 3.0?] [Do you wish to select the current lottery n?] Chen Yu let out a long sigh. Spending a hundred million points on a lottery might yield an incredibly generous reward, but the uncertainty was too great. If he chose to upgrade the system to version 3.0, at the very least, he could use the system''s power to remove all the radiation from the bodies of the people here. By that time, he would also be able to exploit the situation with the workers. "System upgrade!" Chen Yu made his decision resolutely, and a flood of information appeared in his mind. [System upgrade, point umtion status transformed] [System autonomousmunication analysis capability activated] [System entering holographic entity state] Chen Yu felt as if his head had been struck by something, and shortly after, a faint silhouette appeared floating over his shoulder. The figure looked very ethereal, blue and white in color, with two ponytails hanging down the sides of its head. What shocked Chen Yu the most was that the figure looked exactly like Tuan Tuan. "Howe..." [The system has scanned the host''s memory information and selected the most important person to be virtualized.] Chen Yu nodded, "Will you always remain in this state? What if someone discovers you?" [Only the host can see me.] Seeing such a vivid and lifelike phantom figure that looked just like Tuan Tuan, Chen Yu suddenly felt an inexplicable excitement. "Can you now remove the radiation from everyone here?" Chen Yu asked subconsciously. [At the host''smand, I can serve at any time.] Then, a blue and white glow suddenly spread,pletely enveloping the whole of Angulna. [All radiation has beenpletely removed. There is automatic sensing protection around the host Zhou Shen, and the perimeter of the mine is also covered by the protection; no radiation will leak.] Chen Yu was somewhat surprised; he had not expected that after the system upgrade, the efficiency would be so high. "Since you''ve materialized, you should have a name, right?" Chen Yu asked while holding the scalpel. [Please name me, host.] Chen Yu continued his work, "Then you''ll be called Ling Ling!" [System has set its own name, Chen Lingling.] Chen Yu was taken aback for a moment, as the system had actually taken his surname too. Throughout the surgery, Ling Ling was there assisting, significantly reducing the time and difficulty of the surgery. When all the wounds had been stitched up, Chen Yu put away the surgical equipment. [Congrattions to the host for earning a hundred points.] Chen Yu''s eyes widened in disbelief, suddenly feeling somewhat displeased. "What''s the meaning of this? When I was performing surgery over there, I earned three million points. The difficulty of this fellow''s surgery was much higher than that of the worker, so why have I only been awarded a measly hundred points?" Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Point Conversion "After the system upgrade, it will enter a new state, with different methods and extents of point umtion." Upon hearing this answer, Chen Yu felt somewhat frustrated. "So you''re saying I won''t be able to draw lots anymore?" "The host will receive full-scale assistance from the system and won''t need to draw lots considering the current state of the world." Chen Yu sighed helplessly. With a living system by his side to assist, there truly was no need to draw lots anymore. Although Victor''s surgery wasplete, Chen Yu had left a micro-needle in him, causing him to remain unconscious. "Right, can you help me control all of Victor''s subordinates in one go?" "Of course, but the energy consumption is too high and will need replenishment." "How do you replenish?" Chen Yu suddenly had a bad feeling. "Fifty points." Chen Yu''s body stiffened, as he discovered that all the points he had umted before were wiped to zero after the system upgrade. In his point bnce, a pitiful one hundred pointsy, and now the system wanted to take away fifty. But then he thought, spending fifty points to have the system control nearly a thousand fully armed people outside actually seemed quite worthwhile. "Alright, deal!" The next moment, a burst of blue and white light suddenly exploded. Chen Yu was stunned for a moment: "That''s it." "The host can personally go out and see for himself." Chen Yu rushed out of the room and, indeed, found that all of Victor''s subordinates stood motionless, as if they had been turned to stone. Jin Lingsu and Katherine seemed not to have realized what had happened yet, just standing at the entrance to the ward waiting for Chen Yu. Seeing Chen Yue out, they immediately approached him. "What are you waiting for, get moving. They''ve all been poisoned by me and have temporarily lost the ability to move." Jin Lingsu couldn''t help but widen her eyes, ncing instinctively at the people beside her, and found that these guys were indeed just as Chen Yu said, frozen in ce. She didn''t hesitate any longer, raising the weapon in her hand and pulling the trigger. Katherine went to kill in another direction. Before long, all of Victor''s subordinates had be corpses. The workers just stood there dumbfounded, somewhat at a loss, looking at Chen Yu with an indescribable gaze. "Everyone, from today on you''re free. It won''t be long before someone wille to take you away from here." The workers were a bit incredulous, some even pinching themselves hard. By three in the afternoon, people from William''s family and world-ss organizations arrived, sessfully taking Victor away. Chen Yu also boarded the helicopter belonging to William''s family. Their operation had lost its linchpin the moment Holm betrayed them. Even though they hadpleted the mission, they still had to face necessary scrutiny. Frankfurt, William family''s castle. Because of the time difference, it was still noon here. Victor, apanied by a host of William''s family members, had been waiting at the entrance early on. The moment Chen Yu got off the ne, Victor immediately went up to greet him excitedly, leaning on his crutch. "Mr. Chen, it''s been a long time!" Chen Yu returned the greeting with a smile and was then led by Victor into the castle. In an open space of the castle''s central estate, an auction tform had been set up. It seemed a small auction event was taking ce. Those who were present were mainly business tycoons and some highly renowned celebrities. Seeing Victor return, an elderly man, trembling with age, walked over. "Who exactly is so important that you personally went to pick him up and left the rest of us hanging here?" Victor supported the elderly man''s body, "Mr. Reynolds, the person I was waiting for is my lifesaver! He cured my illness." Saying this, Victor helped the elderly man up to Chen Yu. Reynolds scrutinized Chen Yu, "So young? How skilled can someone of this age be in medicine?" "Exactly!" A middle-aged man dressed impably interjected disdainfully. "To achieve something in medicine, one needs at least fifteen years of practicing experience. This gentleman looks to be under thirty, how extraordinary can his medical skills be?" Reynolds pointed proudly at the middle-aged man, introducing him, "This is my personal doctor, Hans, who has won numerous medical awards. Without him by my side, I''d probably have gone to meet God by now." Victor''s expression suddenly turned unsightly. Chen Yu held a very special ce in his heart, and now Reynolds and Hans were overtly insulting him. Just as Victor was about to react, Chen Yu suddenly leaned forward. "Mr. Reynolds, have you been feeling a swelling sensation under the third rib on the right side of your chest, with asional sharp, needle-like pains?" Reynolds''s eyes widened in shock, and even Hans disyed a look of disbelief. Chen Yu, with just a cursory nce, was able to diagnose Reynold''s condition. "Young man, how did you figure that out?" Reynolds instinctively asked. Chen Yu didn''t answer but looked Reynolds up and down from head to toe. "In addition, there''s a significant umtion of fluid below the knee on your right leg. I believe your doctor must have advised you to use medication and avoid the risk of surgery." Hans became instantly anxious, "Mr. Reynolds'' leg tissue is in a state of degeneration. If we operate forcefully, it will only damage his nerves, and it might even lead to the amputation of the entire leg..." Without letting him finish, Chen Yu suddenly crouched down, grabbed Reynolds'' leg, and jabbed his finger hard into it. There was a crisp sound of a bone snapping back into ce, followed by the swelling gradually subsiding. "What are you doing?" Hans yelled out and tried to pull Chen Yu away, even as two bodyguards surrounded them. But Chen Yu paid them no heed and lightly pushed Hans aside with his hand, then drew a needle from his person and poked it into Reynolds'' knee. Subsequently, arge amount of foul-smelling, ck and yellow fluid seeped out from around Reynolds'' knee. "There, the fluid has been drained, and your bones are back in ce. You just need to clean up this dirty blood and treat the wound with anti-inmmatory medication, and you''ll be able to walk freely." Reynolds'' eyes brimmed with astonishment, as he felt an unprecedented lightness in his injured leg when the pooled blood was drained. "Kid, you didn''t say anything, just came up and gave Mr. Reynolds a needle stab, that''s assault! I''m going to have you..." "Shut up!" Reynolds abruptly reprimanded, "My leg feels like it can walk. Get someone to find anti-inmmatory medication right away." Hans stood there dumbfounded, at a loss for words, simply staring at Reynolds'' healing leg. Chapter 184: Chapter 184: Assembling Items Victor waved a hand at the apanying doctor, who immediately took out some anti-inmmatory medication from the medical kit and sprinkled it on Reynold''s leg while also cleaning the dirty blood at the knee. "Young man, how exactly did you do it? This leg has troubled me for decades, and you merely used one needle to cure me!" Chen Yu acted as though he had done something of no great significance. "This is just some acupuncture therapy, and your body can be healed in the same way. As for what Mr. Hans just said about organ degeneration and such, it simply doesn''t exist! He just doesn''t know the method to reactivate the body''s function." Though his words were extremely calm, everyone''s gaze immediately focused on Hans. It was a gaze full of mockery. A sh of resentment flickered through Hans''s eyes, "That''s impossible, aging is a naturalw of the human body, how could it possibly be reactivated?" "All it takes is for the body''s cells to enter a state of autophagy! It doesn''t seem that difficult." Chen Yu casually responded, then looked over at Reynolds. "Mr. Reynolds, if you''re willing, I can treat you after the auction is over!" Reynolds nodded again and again, after all, Chen Yu came rmended by Victor, and the medical skill he had just disyed was indeed stunning. Victor burst intoughter and then arranged for everyone to take their seats. Just then, Chen Yu suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the crowd. Fang Yuan! However, Chen Yu merely nced at her before paying her no more attention, simply taking his own seat next to Victor. Fang Yuan''s breathing became rapid for a moment, for the look Chen Yu gave her just now clearly had more indifference in it. After all, they were husband and wife; now they were like strangers. Fang Yuan soon steadied her breathing. Just three days ago, she hadpleted a hedge agreement with capital investors and sessfully secured three billion in funding. Now, she genuinely could be considered a famous socialite! Although at this auction she wasn''t much of a standout, merely invited as a filler celebrity, In other ces, she was genuinely a capital mogul. Subconsciously straightening her back, Fang Yuan disyed all the qualities of a true socialite. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is an Eight Treasures Colored ze Cup from the Ming dynasty''s Yongle period, starting at eighty million!" As the host''s voice sounded, the atmosphere on-site immediately livened up. [This item is an assembled piece, only the right side of the base is authentic, the rest are imitations from three years ago] The notification sound in Chen Yu''s mind made him pause for a moment. The system actually had a treasure appraisal function. But speaking of it, this thing was indeed very well-crafted; even he could not discern the truth of it. The nearby tycoons were even less able to spot it, each of them bidding frantically. "Mr. Victor, is this auction held by William''s family?" Victor shook his head. "The purpose of this auction is to raise funds for charity, and most of the items on auctione from donations." Chen Yu propped his chin, putting on a thoughtful mien. "This Colored ze Cup should be a fake, with only a very small part being genuine!" Victor was taken aback, "Are you sure?" "Of course, you can have someone specialized to verify it again." While the two were talking, the auction price had already been raised to three hundred million and the transaction waspleted! Victor couldn''t help but frown, as the auction''s rules stipted that once a transaction waspleted, it could not be returned or exchanged. Besides, suddenly changing the auction item at this stall would cause a loss of face for William''s family. Just as Victor was feeling troubled, Chen Yu suddenly held his arm. "Never mind, since it''s already been sold, there''s no need to return or exchange it, as those are the rules of the auction!" Victor nodded and did not say anything more. Chen Yu then nced back, nonchntly, towards where Fang Yuan was sitting, who was at that moment holding the Eight Treasures Colored ze Cup that had just been sold. Chen Yu wasn''t interested in such a charity auction, especially since several items in a row were patched-together fakes. He wasn''t sure if these foreign bigshots simply liked fake goods, or if they truly had no understanding. "Qin King Breaking Array Diagram! The starting bid is ten million. This painting is from the hand of Zeng Guofan of thete Qing Dynasty." [System Notification: This is a folded painting. The topyer is from Zeng Guofan, but a hiddenyer underneath is an authentic work by Wu Daozi.] Chen Yu immediately became excited. Zeng Guofan was a famous figure in thete Qing Dynasty, and his imitation selling for more than ten million wasn''t expensive. But an authentic work by Wu Daozi were rare in the world, especially this Qin King Breaking Array Diagram, which was a gem among gems. If he could buy it, he could flip it for a starting price of at least five hundred million. The people present bid one after another, but the increments in price were very small. Even if it was from the hand of Zeng Guofan, it was still an imitation, with limited room for value appreciation, unless it was bought by someone who truly loved it and was willing to pay a high price. "Thirty million!" Chen Yu suddenly raised his bidder''s card. Everyone looked at Chen Yu with a surprised gaze. The price had just increased to fifteen million, and now Chen Yu had doubled it. The host was also extremely excited, as she was truly afraid that the painting would not sell. After quickly asking three times, she brought down the hammer. Fang Yuan, sitting in a corner, subconsciously scoffed. In her view, even though Chen Yu had acquired some status and position, he was still unsophisticated. He actually spent three times the starting bid on a painting nobody wanted. Victor was also puzzled, "Mr. Chen, if you like it, I could have skipped the auction and given it directly to you. Why spend such a high price to buy it?" Chen Yu smiled without saying a word. As soon as he got the painting, he took a needle from his body and carefully began to pick at theyer next to the painting. Before long, the painting was split into two parts. Seeing the two identical paintings appear before him, Victor''s eyes widened in shock. "Mr. Chen, what''s going on here? Howe there are two paintings?" "If I''m not mistaken, this authentic work by Wu Daozi was probably Zeng Guofan''s private collection. To protect this painting, he created a duplicate and hid the original within it." No sooner had Chen Yu finished his exnation than the people nearby crowded over, with Reynolds even getting up and rushing over to Chen Yu. "Mr. Chen, I would like to collect this painting. I can offer you seven hundred million, could you transfer it to me?" Chen Yuughed lightly, "I like Wu Daozi very much too, I''m afraid I cannot transfer it." Reynolds sighed helplessly, suddenly regretting not having bought the painting himself. The others around also sighed in admiration, looking enviously at the painting in Chen Yu''s hands. Chapter 185: Chapter 185 Osteophytes Fang Yuan stood in a corner, her face nk with shock. She had never expected Chen Yu to have such discernment. This auction was incredibly niche, so there wasn''t much on offer; it concluded in less than two hours. However, the most precious item at the auction turned out to be the Qin King Breaking Array Diagram in Chen Yu''s hands. Even after the auction had ended, many people wanted to deal with Chen Yu, but he rejected them all. "Mr. Chen, I need to discuss some matters with Victor in theing days and n to stay in the castle for a while. Could I ask Mr. Chen to help improve my health?" Not long after the auction ended, Reynolds sought out Chen Yu directly. His private physician, Hans, had already disappeared, seemingly dismissed. Chen Yu''s lips curled slightly, "Of course, that''s possible. I also need to do a follow-up check on Mr. Victor in these next few days." Fang Yuan, watching from a distance, felt a sense of imbnce. She could never have dreamed that Chen Yu could connect with William''s family, and that the magnates around him were all treating him with utmost respect. Fang Yuan hade to Frankfurt to draw on the capital here to co-produce a movie, mainly targeting Victor and Reynolds. These two were like lords over thisnd, and the entire movie industry had to have their approval before taking any action. Fang Yuan took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and then briskly walked forward. "Mr. Chen Yu!" This call was almost aplete abandonment of her own dignity. No matter how much she tried here, the two magnates, Reynolds and Victor, would likely not notice her. Now, the only feasible n was to make a connection with these two magnates through Chen Yu. Chen Yu instinctively stopped and turned back. Victor also turned back, "Mr. Chen, do you know thisdy?" A crafty flicker passed through Chen Yu''s eyes, "How could I possibly know ady of such outstanding elegance?" Fang Yuan stood frozen on the spot, not expecting this oue. She suddenly felt her cheeks burning, as if Chen Yu had pped her hard. ... Reynoldsy in a hospital bed in a well-equipped ward, connected to various medical machines. "Mr. Reynolds, it might hurt a bit soon, just bear with it." After saying this, Chen Yu directly inserted fine needles into his major acupoints. Reynolds was already in his seventies or eighties. His body was nearly at its end, with many of his joints suffering damage to varying degrees. Additionally, having been treated with an excessive amount of stimting medicines by other doctors, his condition worsened by the day. To put it bluntly, Reynolds was currently hanging on to life by those medications, and once they were discontinued, his life would start to count down. What Chen Yu was doing now was re-establishing Reynolds''s meridians, stimting the nerves in his body to rejuvenate his vitality. It didn''t take long before over sixty fine needles densely covered Reynolds''s body. "Mr. Chen, I don''t feel any pain. It''s just that I now feel like a hedgehog," Reynolds remarked. Chen Yu chuckled lightly, "You might need to maintain this state for a full three days. During these three days, I will prepare some medicines specifically for you, and I hope you can cooperate with my treatment." "Don''t worry!" Reynolds suddenly felt an unprecedented passion. From the moment Chen Yu inserted needles into his body, he began to feel his blood flow gradually elerate until even his heartbeat became strong and forceful. Just as Chen Yu was preparing a medicinal soup for Reynolds, a noisymotion suddenly erupted outside the castle. "Mr. Hanick, your own student''s medical skills arecking, so what does it have to do with others? You should properly discipline your student," said someone. Victor''s voice was extremely cold as he stood opposite an old man with a hunched figure. "Impossible, Hans'' medical skills are nearly equal to mine, how could he lose to someone under thirty years old? There must be some trickery involved." Victor couldn''t help frowning, as in his view, Hanick waspletely making trouble out of nothing. "Do the two of you sense any problems?" Chen Yu suddenly emerged from within the castle, his hands still stained with some herbal residue. Hanick immediately raised his walking stick, pointing it at Chen Yu and cursing loudly. "I thought it was someone else, but it turns out to be a young man from the East. He must have used some ''Demon Art'' to bewitch you all. It would be best to pour away all the medicine he gave you and then drive him out, or else the entire William family will suffer terribly because of him." There stood Chen Yu, who had merelye out to see what the fuss was about, and yet he was suddenly used of so many things. "Demon Art?" Chen Yu couldn''t help but find it amusing; what era was it already, and yet there were still people so ignorant and foolish. He didn''t want to bother with this fellow; after all, he hadn''t finished preparing Reynolds'' medicine yet. But just as he was about to leave, Hanick actually raised his walking stick to strike. Chen Yu couldn''t help frowning; this was going too far. He directly grabbed the walking stick and then stepped forward to seize the old man''s arm. [Suffering from severe bone proliferation, most joints have be calcified, life expectancy less than two months.] As the system''s notification sounded, Chen Yu also diagnosed the old man''s ailment. He really couldn''t understand why such a sickly old man woulde out to use him for no reason. "Let go of my teacher!" Hans shouted and rushed forward to grapple with Chen Yu. Only then did Chen Yu understand that after all thismotion, the old man hade to stand up for Hans. "Your teacher''s body is already in dire straits. If he doesn''t receive treatment, he won''t live more than two months." Hanick widened his eyes in disbelief; he was a doctor himself and was, of course, aware of his own body''s condition. Severe joint proliferation had wreaked havoc on his body. If it had happened in his younger days, he might have been able to treat it himself, but now that he was old and frail, with a considerable loss of calcium from his bones, his skeleton was quite weak. If forcefully treated, it would only hasten his death. "Nonsense!" Hanick stubbornly argued, attempting to pull his walking stick back to continue attacking Chen Yu. But Chen Yu was quick, pressing several acupoints on his arm and then firmly twisted it. The clear sound of joints popping could be heard, and Hanick''s previously twisted arm suddenly straightened, bing flexible and mobile. Hans stood there stunned: "Teacher, your arm seems..." "Shut up!" Hanick was somewhat angry; he certainly knew what had just happened. The bone deformation caused by long-term joint proliferation had been corrected in an instant. Chapter 186: Chapter 186: Ten Years Younger "Old gentleman, if you have nothing important, please don''t raise your voice, I still have patients over there!" Chen Yu said with anger and then turned around to head back to the castle. Victor coughed twice lightly, "Hanick, you must have seen Mr. Chen''s medical skills, haven''t you? That''s not some kind of Demon Art, it''s a legitimate method to cure diseases, and your approach is outdated." Without any courtesy, Victor insulted him and then also prepared to leave. "Wait a minute!" Hanick suddenly called out, "Could Victor ask Mr. Chen to take a look at my illness?" In Victor''s eyes a hint of mockery shed, "Mr. Chen''s fees are very expensive, I''m afraid you don''t have enough money for him to treat you." Hanick immediately became anxious, as he had been tormented by his sickness for nearly a decade and could hardly bear it anymore. Just now, Chen Yu not only repositioned the bones in his arm but also opened up some of the meridians within it, providing him with immense relief. "Mr. Victor, I wonder if these are enough?" Hanick hurriedly took out dozens of promissory notes from his person, each with a denomination of ten million. Victor spread his hands, "That''s a question for Mr. Chen! Currently, he is tending to Reynolds'' health. When he''s free, you can ask him." Hanick nodded continuously and directly found a stone stump outside the castle to sit down. Hans quickly stood beside Hanick, "Teacher, shouldn''t we just go back? Isn''t it a bit too¡­ to beg a young man from the East like this?" Hanick gritted his teeth, he didn''t want to beg someone so casually, but it was too hard to find someone who could treat his condition. "Wait until you reach my age, then you will truly understand that in the face of life, pride and dignity can be put aside." Hans didn''t know what to say, he just moved a stone stump from the side and sat next to Hanick. For the entire day, no one paid any attention to the master and apprentice. Even the people patrolling the outskirts for William''s family just let them sit there withouting over to speak with them. At this moment, in the sickroom, life was gradually returning to Reynolds'' body, his wrinkled skin starting to be firm and a healthy color returning to his pale face. "Mr. Chen, here''s the medicine you asked for!" Katherine called softly and then carefully walked in. Chen Yu smiled slightly and took the medicinal soup from her hands to feed to Reynolds. "Oh my, Mr. Reynolds, you seem to have be more than ten years younger!" Katherine eximed with some excitement. Reynolds also became excited upon hearing this, "Mr. Chen, could you give me a mirror to take a look?" Chen Yu did not speak but simply handed over a mirror. Reynolds'' eyes widened immediately when he saw the reflection in the mirror. Although his body was still immobile, his consciousness was very clear, and it didn''t prevent him from speaking. At this moment, he seemed to see himself as he looked in his fifties or sixties in the mirror. "Mr. Chen, after three days of recuperation, how many years younger can I be?" Chen Yu frowned slightly, "I''ve merely opened up the meridians in your body, allowing the cells to enter a state of autophagy. The activated new cells will devour the damaged or aging cells! That''s why you feel younger, but I haven''t reversed your aging." "I know that!" Reynolds, unable to contain his excitement, would have jumped up if his body hadn''t been restrained. "As long as it can make me look younger, tell me, after the treatment ends, what age will my body revert to?" Chen Yu pondered briefly, "You could look as young as in your forties!" "That''s wonderful! Thank you, Mr. Chen. From now on, your affairs are my Charlie family''s affairs. Just give the word, and my Charlie family can do anything for you." Chen Yu was taken aback for a moment. Both Charlie''s family and William''s family were among the oldest and most prominent families in the West. It was said that over seventy percent of the world''s economists were associated with Charlie''s family. And, like William''s family, Charlie''s family was also a royal lineage. Chen Yu didn''t want to get too deeply involved with these families, not even with Tong Group. After all, within such prominent families, internal struggles could be quite fierce, and one could be dragged into endless trouble if caught up in their disputes by ident. However, a simple coboration with these families was still eptable to Chen Yu. After all, the products from his factory weren''t meant just for Tong Group; exporting to the Western world was also a possibility. In that case, Charlie''s family and William''s family could be very good partners. Exhaling a sigh, Chen Yu gave a symbolic nod. "Then I''ll trouble Mr. Reynolds for this!" "Uh, Mr. Chen!" Katherine cautiously touched Chen Yu''s arm, "Is there a way for me to look a few years younger?" Chen Yu frowned slightly. Katherine was barely in her twenties and already had an extremely charming and cute appearance, looking no more than seventeen or eighteen. To make her look even younger, wouldn''t that be unfair to other girls? "Your cells are very active right now, you don''t need any treatment, but I do have some beauty and rejuvenation remedies. I can give them to you if you need." "Of course I need them!" Katherine''s eyes shone, her face full of anticipation! Chen Yu took a pen and paper and wrote down a prescription, handing it over to her. "Take this prescription and get three doses. Dry them in the sun, crush them, and then decoct them into a paste to apply on your face. Ten consecutive days of application should be enough." After receiving the prescription, Katherine thanked him several times. "By the way, Mr. Chen, Hanick and Hans are still at the slope outside the castle. Mr. Victor has tried to persuade them several times, but they just refuse to leave, insisting on seeing you," she added. Chen Yu gave a wry smile, "He knows his body won''tst much longer, and he wants me to save his life." "So, will you see them?" Katherine asked uncertainly. Chen Yu let out a sigh, "Alright, let''s go see them. It is indeed impolite to let a sick old man wait outside." With that, Chen Yu put down his tools and followed Katherine out of the castle. They saw Hanick and Hans sitting together on a stone stool, looking somewhat deste. The night wind was piercingly cold, and the teacher and student huddled together, shivering continuously. Chen Yu frowned and quickly ran over to check on them. Hans was somewhat better off, being younger. But Hanick''s situation was more dangerous. His bones were already diseased, and the cold wind could exacerbate his condition, possibly even leading to his death. Chapter 187: Chapter 187: Edward Family Chen Yu beckoned at Katherine, who was by his side. "Please ask Mr. Victor to find a room and settle these two masters and apprentices." Katherine nodded repeatedly and hurriedly went to handle it. Before long, Hanick and Hans were brought into a reasonably spacious room. Chen Yu took out a prescription he had prepared earlier and had Katherine bring twice the amount of medicine. He then divided the medicine into two parts, making one part into a ster for topical application on Hanick''s body, while the other part was boiled into a medicinal soup for Hanick to drink. In less than ten minutes, Hanick''s body underwent noticeable changes, his previously dry skin gradually bing stic. When Hanick awoke, his face was full of guilt. "I''m sorry, Mr. Chen, I had some prejudices against Eastern arts! I hope you can overlook the past and heal my body." Chen Yu wiped the medicine off his palms, "Medicine inherently knows no borders, it''s just that you Westerners are too stubborn, turning what should be simple medical knowledge and pharmacology into somethingplex and expensive." Hanick didn''t know what to say, being a seasoned physician himself, he naturally knew that the medicines from the East were more affordable and effective than those from the West. Yet, the education he received made him reluctant to ept these facts. Chen Yu didn''t say much else, only continuing to press slowly on the various joints on Hanick''s body until they were in ce. As the sound of bones popping and snapping continued, Hanick felt nothing but relief throughout his body. However, Hans who was adjacent to them felt his scalp tingle at the sounds. In his understanding, such noises meant either fractures or dislocations of the body. Under such circumstances, the patient should be in excruciating pain, but Hanick appeared to be enjoying it instead. This puzzled him greatly. Not muchter, Hanick''s previously hunched body actually became supple, and his withered skin also started to appear fuller. "Katherine, find someone to take care of Mr. Hanick here. Divide these herbal soups into three parts and feed him once every two hours," Chen Yu instructed. Katherine nodded, immediately took out a walkie-talkie, and called a servant over. Chen Yu then returned to Reynolds'' sickroom. However, he was somewhat mncholic since the system used to prompt a points settlement every afternoon, but it had been over twenty-four hours without any notification. It seemed that from now on, the shop''s earnings would no longer count towards the points settlement system. It was unclear whether the factory''s ie would still be considered for points. [No, it won''t!] Ling Ling suddenly appeared on Chen Yu''s shoulder. [From now on, all earnings won''t count towards points settlement. To earn points, the host must do good deeds] Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, "So you mean I need to do a good deed every day, huh!" [Correct] ... After spending about three days in the castle, Chen Yu not only healed Reynolds and Hanick but also took care of Victor''s health. Before leaving, he also prescribed a medicinal recipe for physical recuperation for each of the three. Edinburgh Castle Film and Television Base. Fang Yuan leaned against a corner in her gown, feeling somewhat gloomy. "Daughter, having traveled around in the West, have you had any revtions? Do you have any thoughts of setting up a film and televisionpany here?" Han Mintao swirled a ss of red wine and slowly walked to Fang Yuan''s side. A hint of inexplicable sorrow appeared on Fang Yuan''s face, "When I was in Frankfurt, I saw Chen Yu. He actually sat on an equal footing with both William''s family and Charlie''s family." The red wine that Han Mintao had just taken a sip of almost sprayed out. "What? He actually connected with both William and Charlie''s two major families!" Fang Yuan nodded, "I finally won the gamble and obtained three billion in capital, but I don''t know what''s wrong, I still feel stifled." The wager had been too tough for her to win. Not only did she have to spend every day wining and dining, but she also had to be wary of these guys making a move on her. Especially Zhao Hai from the Zhao Family in the capital, who several times almost drugged her without her noticing. If it hadn''t been for Han Mingtao arriving in time, she might have lost even herst shred of dignity. So now that she had won the capital through the wager, she could make Zhao Hai suffer a loss in silence, but the Zhao Family in the capital would not let her off easily. That was why Han Mintao brought Fang Yuan to the West to set up a film and televisionpany. Initially, they hoped to make connections with William''s and Charlie''s families at the small-scale auction, but the current situation had taken mother and daughter by surprise. "Chen Yu! I really didn''t expect him to be able to mix with such world-ss tycoons." Han Mintao sighed and then took an invitation out of her pocket, "It doesn''t matter, daughter, it''s not like there''s only one path in this world, the Edward Family previously sent me an invitation, saying they want to coborate with the East to set up a film and televisionpany." The gloom on Fang Yuan''s face instantly dissipated. The Edward Family might not be as powerful as William''s and Charlie''s dynasties, but in the Western world, they were still absolutely dominant. If she could reach an agreement with the Edward Family, she would have the power to contend with the Zhao Family in the capital. "Mom, you really have connections everywhere, even managing to connect with the Edward Family!" Han Mintao wore a smug look, "Of course, with so many years spent struggling in the entertainment circle, how could your momck resources?" "Hurry and pick out a nicer gown, we''re going to the ball tonight." ... The General Administration of Rted Departments in Suzhou City. Zhou Shengtao gave Chen Yu a bear hug, continuously patting him on the back. "Chen, you''ve truly surprised me. When we caught that guy Bel, I didn''t have much hope, but you managed to nab two! To think you could even capture a figure like Kanai alive!" No matter how strong Chen Yu was, being heavily pped like that, he couldn''t help coughing a few times. "Captain Zhou, it was pure chance that I ran into William''s family folks. Without their help, I probably wouldn''t have been able to catch these two." Only then did Zhou Shengtao let go of Chen Yu, "You''re too modest, Chen!" Just then, a staff member ran in flusteredly, delivering a folder into Zhou Shengtao''s hands. "Captain Zhou, an entire town under Suzhou City has suddenly experienced mass food poisoning, we urgently need to dispatch medical staff, and some of our people will also need to be pulled away to maintain order." Zhou Shengtao''s face dramatically changed, the excitement from beforepletely vanished. He didn''t dare to be the slightest bit negligent and immediately deployed the few office staff who were on duty. "Captain Zhou, how about I go along as well?" No sooner had Chen Yu said this than Zhou Shengtao paused in surprise. If this had been before, Chen Yu would certainly not have volunteered like this, seeing that he wasn''t a specialized staff member. What caused such a sudden change of heart!? Chapter 188: Chapter 188 Group Therapy "Xiao Chen, you''ve juste back, and you''re not nning to return to spend time with your wife and child?" Zhou Shengtao asked somewhat uncertainly. Yet Chen Yu put on an air of righteousness, "Now that I''m considered an informal member of the staff, with such severe cases of food poisoning, I ought to lend a hand. Besides, I do hold a medical practitioner license." Zhou Shengtao looked at Chen Yu with obvious admiration. "Good, then you follow us and go, too!" Without saying much else, Chen Yu directly joined the relevant personnel and got into the vehicle. After the system upgrade, the only way to umte points was to do good deeds. He now had to test just how many points he could umte from various activities. Besides, he still wasn''t very familiar with the system and needed to understand all of its attributes in the shortest time possible. There were many rural towns on the outskirts of Suzhou City, and the one they were headed to was an extremely densely popted township. The economic growth of this township was said to be the fastest in all of Suzhou City. As they just entered the township, vast fields of cash crops came into view. Moreover, the air here was extraordinarily fresh, and even Chen Yu greedily inhaled several breaths. However, just as they were about to reach the residential area, they found many people copsed by the roadside, clutching their stomachs in agony. And their bodies were extremely thin, looking malnourished from afar. Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown; he had never seen such symptoms before. [System notification: all vigers are suffering from parafossarulus nd snail nd poisoning, and the host is advised not to consume any local water or food.] Chen Yu''s eyes widened in surprise; he knew that the parafossarulus carried parasites, which at most entered the human brain and damaged nerve tissue. As long as one underwent surgery, it could still be cured. But looking at these people, it seemed like something hadpletely sucked away the nutrients in their bodies, and even their bones appeared broken. Chen Yu put on a mask and got out of the car, helping up one of the individuals lying by the roadside. After a quick examination of the patient''s body, he found that the person was filled with arge number of worm eggs, some of which had already prated the internal organs. Chen Yu''s breathing became rapid; he had to cure these people in the shortest time, or else the worm eggs of the parafossarulus would eat them alive into skeletons. "Ling Ling, do you have any treatment methods?" [The illness is a variant strain of the parafossarulus snail disease, and currently, there is no effective treatment method.] Chen Yu''s frown deepened. "Then what do we do? Are we just going to watch these vigers die?" [The only way is to find a method to attract the worm eggs out of the patients'' bodies.] A rough n then emerged in Chen Yu''s mind. To Chen Yu''s relief, this time the system did not charge any points. "Mr. Chen, how are things looking?" a relevant official hurried over to ask as they got out of the car. "Tell everyone not to eat anything here, especially water, don''t drink it at all! Additionally, contact nearby towns to gather arge amount of pork and medicinal herbs," Chen Yu said and then handed over a prescription he had written. The worker, not daring to be negligent, took the prescription and drove off. Basically, everyone in the town had fallen ill with the same disease, suffering unbearably. The parasites within their bodies were a variant of the golden apple snail, in other words, these snails treated the human body as a kind of parasitic nourishment. Unless these patients were burned to death together, the variant of the golden apple snail could bepletely eradicated. But such inhumane treatment methods would be agreed upon by no one. The only choice was to use pork soaked in medicinal water to lure the snail eggs out of the human body. It wasn''t long before arge quantity of pork and medicinal materials had been delivered here. Chen Yu didn''t hesitate, immediately preparing a bowl of medicine soup and then cing a piece of pork into it, bringing it in front of an elderly patient with severe symptoms. The old man''s body was so withered and twisted in constant spasms that he looked as though he wouldn''t survive for much longer. Chen Yu fed the old man some strength-building medicinal pills he had prepared and then made a small incision on his wrist. He then ced the medicated pork under the wrist. Before long, fresh blood mingled with pink particles began to flow out of the old man''s body, seeping into the pork. Once all of the pink particles had left the old man''s body, hisplexion noticeably improved. After checking the old man''s body and confirming that all the eggs were cleared, Chen Yu immediately treated the wound. He then threw the bowl in his hands into the prepared furnace. With a series of light popping sounds, those eggs were directly burnt to ashes. This method of treatment made the onlookers shudder. Who could have thought that these eggs would burrow into a person''s body? Chen Yu also breathed a sigh of relief, at least proving that this method was effective. "Everyone, please follow the method I''ve taught earlier and treat the patients in the town one by one. Remember, do not touch those pink particles!" Although the people were reluctant, they were the relevant personnel after all. Moreover, Chen Yu had already provided the method, so they had no excuse not to get to work. Therefore, the people could not fuss overmuch and hurriedly treated the patients ording to the method Chen Yu had taught. After three full days, they were finally able to relieve all the patients of their ailments. The township had a poption of over five hundred thousand; if not for therge number of supporting personnel who came to help, it would have taken even longer. In the following days, Chen Yu strolled through the fields, tossing his prepared medicinal materials into the water sources. These medicines were formted after meticulous analysis by the system, which could kill the snails and ensure the water sources wouldn''t be damaged. [Congrattions, Host, you have earned one thousand reward points] Chen Yu felt somewhat frustrated; to think that resolving the ailments of over five hundred thousand people garnered him so little reward. He sighed in resignation, did not linger any longer, and after a brief farewell to the apanying personnel, he went straight back to Watermoon No. 1. By now it was ten o''clock at night, Tong Ya had already returned home and was practicing yoga in front of the TV with Tuan Tuan. Seeing Chen Yu return, the two beauties, one big and one small, greeted him warmly. "Daddy, you''re finally back. You''ve been gone for nearly half a month this time!" Chen Yu rubbed Tuan Tuan''s little head somewhat sheepishly, "That''s why Daddy rushed back in the shortest time possible." Tuan Tuan giggled and then took a few steps back. "Daddy, I''ve learned a new dance, I''ll perform it for you now!" Chapter 189: Chapter 189 Supplementary Provisions Chen Yu''s face was also filled with gratification, as he pulled Tong Ya''s hand and leaned to sit on the sofa together. Tuan Tuan, after all, had a foundation in dance, and with Tong Ya''s instruction, her dance posture could now be considered quite aplished. Chen Guang and Li Lan also ran out from their room. In this period, the couple had been worried sick, especially after learning that Chen Yu had been called away by Zhou Shengtao, they were even more scared. Since childhood, Chen Yu had always been an incredibly honest child, and after graduating from university, he had worked steadily in apany, never having undertaken any dangerous tasks. How could they not worry when he was suddenly summoned by Zhou Shengtao? However, seeing Chen Yu return safe and sound now, they too were relieved. Just then, Chen Yu''s phone suddenly started ringing insistently. He had just picked up the call when his brow furrowed involuntarily. "There''s a bit of trouble at the factory, I need to go over there!" He said this in a rush and then hurried out the door. The expansion of the entire factory had beenpleted, and what had looked like a disorderly construction site was now extremely tidy. All the factory buildings and workshops had entered normal operations, and Hou Jianchang had also hired arge number of workers. When Chen Yu arrived, he found a huge crowd of people standing on the empty ground of the factory, each one looking fierce, all of them carrying various types of weapons. The man leading them was even holding a big pile of documents, looking extremely domineering. "Hou Jianchang, I don''t care who you sold this factory to, but I just have one question for you, can the debt we owed before be settled now?" Hou Jianchang stood there, his face full of anger. By his expression, he obviously did not acknowledge any so-called debts. Chen Yu''s brow furrowed as he hurried over. Seeing Chen Yu approaching, Hou Jianchang suddenly seemed somewhat embarrassed. "I''m sorry, Mr. Chen, I''ve troubled you again!" "What exactly happened?" Chen Yu waspletely in the dark. He had previously checked all of Hou Jianchang''s ounts, and apart from the money he had paid off for him before, it seemed there were no other debts. Now, how could suddenly a whole bunch of people appear, asking for their debts to be paid? Hou Jianchang''s face turned red. "It was a contract I signed a long time ago, but I didn''t notice the supplementary use in it, which said that if my factory went bankrupt, I had to pay tenfoldpensation." Chen Yu''s eyes filled with disbelief. That wasn''t any supplementary use; it was more like an extortionate demand. Tenfoldpensation was outright robbery! [System Prompt: Many of the supplementary uses in the contract are illegal agreements and do not need to be adhered to.] Chen Yu was well aware of this logic, but in this world, many things happen without regard for whether youply with regtions. Many people are only interested in the oue. Moreover, the fact that they had brought so many people today suggested an attitude of if you don''t give the money, you''ll pay with your life. If Hou Jianchang didn''t pay up, these guys might just break his leg on the spot. "Is there any way to amend the contract?" Chen Yu quietly asked in his mind. Only by changing the supplementary uses in the contract could he take control of the situation now. [Yes, but it will cost ten points.] Chen Yu couldn''t care about that now and immediately chose to agree. The next moment, the electronic agreement regarding the contract immediately appeared in Chen Yu''s mind. Then the use about tenfoldpensation was changed to 0.1 times. Even the paper document the other party was holding underwent a change. A look of worry instantaneously transformed on Chen Yu''s face, "Ten times thepensation? Let''s not talk about whether such a use ispliant, I just don''t believe there''s anyone foolish enough to sign such an addendum." The other party snorted coldly and directly ced the document in front of Chen Yu. "If you don''t believe it, have a look for yourself. Hou''s signature and thumbprint are right there." Chen Yu snatched the contract and quickly found the supplementary use. "What is this, it clearly states a single timespensation; plus, I remember when the factory went bankrupt, this money should have already beenpensated to you, right?" The person seized the contract back: "How is that possible, when we signed it clearly stated ten times... But as soon as he saw the contract in his hands, he was stunned to see that the ten timespensation had somehow changed to just 0.1 times. The man''s breathing immediately became hurried, as he hastily pulled out his phone to flip through the electronic contract. When he saw that the electronic contract also stated 0.1 timespensation, he suddenly started to doubt his life. "Impossible, this can''t be possible, did you tamper with the contract?" The man directly pointed at Chen Yu, his face full of aggression. Chen Yu frowned, "What does this have to do with me? You were the ones who signed the contract, and both the paper and electronic versions should belong to the same system; it states one timespensation on both. How could you out of the blue ask Hou for so much money, is this extortion?" With that, the logic leaned towards Chen Yu''s side, and the opposing man instantly became flustered. But such a person wouldn''t abide by any use; he directly tossed the contract aside. "To hell with the contract, brothers, as long as we get the money today, each of you will get a reward of a thousand!" With that, everyone present was instantly stirred up. These people were basically the type who hauled heavy sacks under the overpass; they could earn at most two to three hundred a day. Now, with a thousand yuanid out in front of them, anyone who wouldn''t take it was an idiot! A group of men readied themselves, brandishing their weapons and charging over with primeval yells. Chen Yu didn''t care about that; with justice on his side, he could kill one or two in self-defense. His figure shed sharply, and he rushed into the crowd, seizing a pair of baseball bats and immediately started weaving through the throng. His body had already reached human limits, not only fast but also extremely powerful. The sixty to seventy people before him weren''t enough for him to deal with; in barely five minutes, all of them were down on the ground, wailing miserably. Finally, only the leader stood there in shock. "Who on earth are you?" Chen Yu threw down the baseball bats, "I''m the new chairman of this factory. You''re causing a scene here with a contract that was fulfilled a long time ago, which to me is just extortion." With that, he immediately phoned Zhou Shengtao. The leader instantly grew nervous and, seizing the opportunity, tried to flee. But he''d barely made it two steps when Chen Yu''s figure shed, blocking his path and striking him squarely in the chest. A mouthful of blood spurted out, and the man passed out. It wasn''t long before Zhou Shengtao arrived in a hurry with several officials. Yet looking at the mayhem, Zhou Shengtao frowned. Chapter 190: Chapter 190: Purple Blood "Chen Yu, what''s happened recently? Why has it turned into such a mess?" When Chen Yu used to call Zhou Shengtao over, it was mainly to apprehend criminals, and they wouldn''t harm these guys. But this time, sixty or seventy people were injured, muscles torn and bones broken, with more than half of them having passed out. In such a situation, if Chen Yu did not offer a reasonable exnation, Zhou Shengtao would have to take him back ording to the relevant regtions. Chen Yu was well aware of Zhou Shengtao''s intent and immediately picked up a contract from the ground, then he fished out the lead man''s cellphone. "Captain Zhou, this is a very old contract, and the debt it mentions has already been paid by Boss Hou; I didn''t expect these guys toe back to extort us." Zhou Shengtao nced at the contract and the receipt Hou Jianchang had passed over, and immediately understood the situation. "Chen Yu, your factory has only been open for a few days, and already you''ve had so many people causing trouble, I''d say you should report to the relevant departments, organize the workers here, and form a district. That way, I can assign a few people to be stationed here." Chen Yu nodded, "That is indeed a good idea! We currently have over eight hundred workers, which meets the basic requirements to form a district." "Since that''s the case, I will help you apply for it. Later, bring your documents to my office!" After giving a few instructions, Zhou Shengtao took all those troublemakers away. Just then, arge crowd came rushing over with various tools, and the leader among them was Xie Jiang. "Where are they? Have I arrived toote?" Chen Yu was somewhat surprised, "Old Xie, why are you here?" Xie Jiang set down therge sledgehammer he was carrying on the ground, "With such a big incident here at Boss Hou''s, how could I note over to help?" Chen Yu patted Xie Jiang on the shoulder, "It''s okay, everything has been resolved!" Xie Jiang also breathed a sigh of relief, "By the way, Chen Yu, a while back when we were working, we found a deep pit over there. Since it wasn''t inside the factory area, I told the men to fill it in first." As he spoke, Xie Jiang took out a silver-white bead from his pocket. "This was dug up from that pit. Can you tell what it is?" Chen Yu took one look and was momentarily startled. "This should be a burial object from the Yuan Dynasty! Did you guys find a tomb?" Xie Jiang scratched his head, "I''m not sure. It could be. Why don''t youe and take a look with us?" Chen Yu became excited instantly, as he had not expected to find an ancient tomb near the factory area. He quickly followed Xie Jiang to the southeast corner of the factory area. This location was indeed on the perimeter of the factory area, and very well hidden, covered by ayer of lime bs. After removing the lime bs, a tomb chamber appeared, neither toorge nor too small, but without any luster; there were only a dozen or sorge chests. Two of the chests were crushed, containing silks and fine fabric that, due to age, had already rotted away, leaving only some essories behind. The remaining chests were intact, protected by an outeryer of iron sheeting. Chen Yu grabbed a pair of simple gloves from the side and got down into the tomb chamber to tap and knock on those chests. "Ling Ling, can you scan to check the items inside the chests?" [Thirteen pine chests, five chests of gold, three chests of pearls, three chests of ck rhino horn, two chests of jade jewelry.] The more Chen Yu heard, the more excited he became; it was clearly the tomb of a wealthy ancient family''s daughter, perhaps even of a princess''s status. But the things inside here were treasures by any measure, and he couldn''t just dispose of them heedlessly. "First, let''s secure this ce. Tomorrow, I''ll call some archaeologists to take a deep dive into it." Everyone else had no choice but to follow Chen Yu''s instructions. After making another round inside the factory, Chen Yu drove back to Shuiyue No. 1. But just as he reached the entrance, he suddenly spotted a sneaky figure skulking outside his vi. Chen Yu frowned, quietly drove his car into the underground garage, and then directly made his way to the back of the vi. He saw a skinny man constantly rubbing something against the corner of a wall, asionally sparking some mes. Moreover, a thick scent of gunpowder wafted constantly from that spot. Chen Yu''s pupils dted suddenly, and he charged over. Unexpectedly, the skinny man reacted extremely quickly, dodging to the side in a sh. Chen Yu was shocked; after all, his physical condition had reached the human limit, and there were very few people in this world who could evade his moves. As he was taken aback, the skinny man''s body charged at him like lightning. Chen Yu hastily threw a punch, shing with the man''s fist, and the resulting impact was so powerful it actually snapped two nearby arhat trees at the waist. Chen Yu''s eyes widened; he felt an incredibly terrifying forceing from his fist, making his arm tremble slightly. Instinctively stepping back a few paces to dissipate the force in his arm, Chen Yu looked coldly at the other party. "Chen Yu, you really are as formidable as the legends say! It''s just a pity that you''ve offended someone you shouldn''t have. I came here today to send you and your family to the Western Paradise!" The man''s voice was somewhat maniacal as he pulled out a palm-sized explosive device from his body. [Hostile threat detected, automatic defense function activated] The next moment, a blue-white glow suddenly spread across Chen Yu''s body, and he felt a surge of wild power bursting forth from within. Then, his body charged like lightning, snatching the explosive device from the man''s hand, and followed with a fierce punch. This punch was ten times more powerful than the previous one, sending the man flying into the nearby wall with a heavy impact. The man was utterly dazed, his eyes bulging wide. "This is impossible, how did your strength suddenly be so great?" Chen Yu didn''t bother exining, he charged again with another thunderous punch. This punchnded squarely on the opponent''s head, burying him into the ground. Chen Yu didn''t stop there; he grabbed the man by the neck and gave it a vicious twist. It was only then that he breathed a sigh of relief. At that moment, Chen Yu suddenly noticed a purple badge hanging at the man''s waist, with the words "Fei Yun" written on it. [Detection reveals the subject has been injected with an excitant drug, resulting in severe damage to internal organs] Chen Yu furrowed his brows; an excitant drug capable of stimting human potential to this extent was definitely extraordinary. After a quick examination of the man''s body, Chen Yu was surprised to find that the man''s blood had turned purple. Chapter 191: Chapter 191: Come Less Often in the Future Chen Yu took the badge from the man''s waist, his eyes suddenly shing with a trace of murderous intent. "Can it scan what this Flying Cloud means?" [Its headquarters is located in Cyprus, with Carnai as one of its members] A flood of information then appeared in Chen Yu''s mind. His pupils involuntarily trembled violently, indicating that the strength of this Flying Cloud was extremely formidable, with Carnai only ranking seventh within it. Such a powerful organization standing there could threaten the safety of his family at any time. Chen Yu suddenly felt a chill down his spine. [Organization dposition program initiated, will process the corpse for the host] Subsequently, the lean man''s body visibly dissipated at a rapid pace, ultimately turning into a pile of light purple powder. "Flying Cloud, huh?" Chen Yu''s eyes were filled with fierceness as he crushed the Flying Cloud Token in his hand and returned to the vi. The next morning, Chen Yu arrived at the shop with a troubled mind, filled with information about Flying Cloud. Perhaps even someone at the level of Zhou Shengtao wouldn''t necessarily know of Flying Cloud''s existence. By 8 A.M., a long line had formed outside the shop, mostlyprised of delivery boys. Just as he was about to go in and help, he suddenly noticed that next to the convenience store opposite, a lottery shop had opened. For such national chain stores, it''s not strange for them to open anywhere, but the location of this shop seemed a bit off to Chen Yu. That spot was perfectly positioned to observe everything inside Chen Yu''s shop from the side. However, the system didn''t give any hints; maybe he was just being overly nervous. Just as he was about to enter his shop, shaking his head, he suddenly saw Xie Jiang and a few workers under hismand at the counter of the lottery shop, seemingly ying with scratch-off lottery tickets or something of the sort. Chen Yu frowned slightly and instinctively walked over. "Lao Xie, feeling leisurely today?" Xie Jiang scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, "It''s just neighbors supporting the new shop! Plus, I wanted to see if I was lucky enough." Chen Yu couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow; there were already dozens of scratched and discarded scratch-off lotteries beside Xie Jiang and the workers. Normally, the win rate of these things should be fairly high, but having scratched so many without a single win was suspicious. [System Alert, this store''s procedures are iplete, all items sold are recycled goods] Chen Yu''s mouth opened slightly, and he subconsciously surveyed his surroundings, noticing that indeed, the shop''s interior wasn''t much to look at, looking like the previous wonton shop with some minor modifications. Looking at this, it seemed the owner nned to use counterfeit scratch-offs to make a quick buck before taking off. Just then, a mass of information suddenly flooded Chen Yu''s mind. Afterward, the results of all the scratch-offs in the shop appeared before his eyes. Indeed, amongst the more than six thousand various scratch-off tickets, fewer than fifty were winners. The grim-faced shop owner was sitting behind the counter at this moment, looking at Xie Jiang and the others with a gaze that expected to fool the gullible. "Sir, would you like to y?" The owner took out a scratch-off lottery ticket from the counter and handed it to Chen Yu. "Let''s have some fun then!" Chen Yu''s eyes shed with a hint of amusement, "But I''d like to pick one myself." The owner immediately became excited. For him, the shorter the duration the shop was open, the better, and the quicker the money was made, the better. As long as he could sell all the scratch cards here in the shortest amount of time, he could move on to another location. Chen Yu didn''t care too much, he directly picked out forty-eight scratch cards from the pile. But as he picked out these scratch cards, the owner''s eyes suddenly bulged like a cow''s. The owner had made special marks on each scratch card, and these forty-eight were the winning guarantees he had deliberately kept aside. After all, if such things kept losing, anyone would be suspicious. But now all the winning guarantees had been picked out, which greatly rmed the owner. Before he could react, Chen Yu had already scratched off ten cards and passed the scratched cards to Xie Jiang, asking him to help verify them. "Old Chen, won a hundred bucks!" "This one has twenty bucks!" ... It was toote for the owner to stop him; Chen Yu was very fast. Soon, all the scratch cards had been scratched. However, the amounts won were very small, with the sum totaling less than two thousand yuan. Chen Yu deliberately made a discontented face, "Boss, the amount you offer is way too small. Other ces have prizes up to a million." Sweat suddenly erupted like a torrent on the owner''s forehead. If his store offered a million yuan prize, would he even survive? "This sort of thing depends on luck. Besides, you''ve only scratched fifty cards. Scratch a few more, and maybe you''ll hit the jackpot." Chen Yu sat down next to him and tapped on the counter. "If I''m not mistaken, aside from the ones I just scratched, the rest probably won''t have any prize!" The owner was stunned for a moment, and his body began to tremble slightly. "Sir, what are you implying?" Chen Yu took one of the winning scratch cards, "No implication, I''m just wondering what these marks are about. Don''t tell me they were there when they were made." Xie Jiang and a few workers beside him hurried to examine the winning cards and found an extremely subtle mark on each of them. A wave of anger erupted among them. By this point, even a fool would understand what was going on. "Great, no wonder you called us over to y early in the morning. Turns out it was all a trick; you were using us as patsies! And we were even nice enough toe support your business." Xie Jiang was at the peak of his anger and went straight up, grabbing the owner''s cor, almost dragging him out from behind the counter. At this moment, Chen Yu called Zhou Shengtao, asking him to send someone to arrest the culprit. The owner''s face turned ashen; the marks he had made were extremely secretive and should not have been noticeable to the average person. Moreover, Chen Yu had picked the cards directly from behind the ss counter. It wasn''t long before the owner was taken away, and the entire shop was closed down. Xie Jiang resentfully threw the bunch of scratch cards he was holding onto the ground. "Such bad luck early in the morning!" Chen Yu patted Xie Jiang on the shoulder: "Alright, even if ces like these were legitimate, we can''t alwayse here." Xie Jiang sighed helplessly: "I just wanted to teach these kids a lesson, and considering the owner was a neighbor..." Xie Jiang became somewhat incoherent, not knowing what to say, just looking resentfully at one of the young men. "Did you hear what Boss Chen said? If you need money,e to me. ces like this, you''re better off avoiding in the future." Chapter 192: Chapter 192 Underground Boxing Ring The young man who was scolded had a face full of grievance, constantly keeping one hand in his pocket as if searching for something. "Brother Jiang, it''s just that something happened at home, and I didn''t know what to do." Xie Jiang couldn''t help but frown, "What happened exactly that you have toe here to y scratch-off lottery?" The young man hung his head, "Suddenly, a strange illness appeared in our area, and both my parents have caught it! The hospital said for a cure, it''s over seven hundred thousand per person." Xie Jiang''s face was filled with astonishment, "What kind of illness costs so much money?" Chen Yu, however, was intrigued, "Strange illness? Tell me about it?" The young man sighed and pulled out a medical record from his person. "I don''t know the details, but the doctor prescribed a whole bunch of medicine, and even said surgery was necessary!" Chen Yu took a look at the medical record and immediately furrowed his brow. The symptoms recorded there seemed to be muscle atrophy caused by sepsis. Yet some symptoms went beyond the scope of sepsis, appearing like bone marrow mutations. ''Ling Ling, can you analyze any results?'' [The medical case is too chaotic, need to see the patient for detailed analysis] Chen Yu gave the medical record back, "Can you take me to see your parents?" The young man hesitated and instinctively nced at Xie Jiang beside him. "What are you hesitating for?" Xie Jiang lightly kicked the young man''s rear, "Mr. Chen has a medical practitioner license, perhaps he could cure your parents'' illness." The young man immediately became excited, and just as he was about to lead Chen Yu to the hospital, two menacing-looking thugs suddenly drove up to the entrance of Chen Yu''s shop. Lan Jing was taking out the trash at the entrance when the two men got out of the car and charged directly towards her. Chen Yu''s eyes widened and with a quick dart across the street, he flew into a kick. Caught off guard, one of the tough guys was sent flying by the kick, and Chen Yu also grabbed the wrist of the other. "Brother Yu!" Lan Jing seemed to have not yet realized what was happening. Chen Yu quickly pulled the tough guy he was holding over and punched him squarely in the chest. A sharp crack of breaking bones echoed instantly as the man spat out a mouthful of blood. "Who are you guys? What business do you haveing here looking for trouble?" The tough guy''s eyes were wide open, his face a picture of disbelief as he stared at Chen Yu. He hadn''t expected Chen Yu to be so formidable, and hispanion had already passed out. "Big brother, we were just paid to make trouble at your shop." Speaking, the tough guy hurriedly took out his cell phone and showed a contact. Chen Yu wasted no time and dialed out immediately. "Is the job done?" an extremely gloomy voice came through the phone. "Done, and caught someone too, where should we meet?" Chen Yu deliberately lowered his voice, mimicking the tough guy''s manner of speaking. "Suzhou City South, Liang Gezhuang!" After confirming the location, Chen Yu called over Li Gang and Ning Kai. He tied up the two thugs, then after giving a few instructions, he hurried off. As he passed by Xie Jiang, he made a telephone gesture to the young man. The message meant they should go to the hospital first. Liang Gezhuang is located in the southern part of Suzhou City, a newly redeveloped urban vige. Because it''s close to the city center and connected by subway, it has developed quite rapidly over the years. Chen Yu followed the address on his phone and quickly found a self-built residential building. The small building had three floors and looked simple yet impressive, with various rental ads stered on the doorway. At this moment, several young people who had just arrived in Suzhou City were standing at the entrance, dialing the phone number from an advertisement. Chen Yu suddenly saw his past self in these young people. Back when he had just graduated from college and started his internship, he had been just like these youths, searching everywhere for a ce to live and a job to work. Chen Yu took a deep breath and then headed straight upstairs. In a self-built attic on the rooftop, four hefty men were excitedly ying mahjong. Chen Yu nced into the room, then kicked the door open. All four men looked over in unison, their eyes filled with shock. "Who the hell are you, looking to die?" A cold smirk shed across Chen Yu''s face, and he darted forward, sending a fist into one man, knocking him airborne. The remaining three men scrambled to their feet, searching for weapons at hand. But to their dismay, Chen Yu was too quick; in just a few moves, he had knocked all three to the ground. "I''m giving you a chance to live; tell me, who are you guys, and who''s pulling your strings from behind?" The breathing of the four men suddenly became frantic; at this moment, they finally got a clear look at Chen Yu''s face. "It''s you! How is this possible? Could it be that you''ve taken down Li Shan and Li Shi? They''re champions in Suzhou City''s underground boxing ring!" Chen Yu pped the speaking man in the face and then seized his throat. "Answer my earlier question!" "It''s the Suzhou City Gourmet Association!" the hefty man yelled in haste: "Old Master Hu Chong!" Chen Yu frowned then a whole bunch of information shed through his mind. After all this trouble, it turned out that this Hu Chong was the president of the Gourmet Association, Hu Yan''s younger brother. Moreover, this Hu Chong operated an underground boxing ring, with no shortage of experts under hismand. To some extent, the Gourmet Association still relied on Hu Chong. A frigid expression covered Chen Yu''s face as he slowly tightened his grip on the hefty man''s hand. "Now, do me a favor and tell me where the underground boxing ring is!" The hefty man was obviously struggling to breathe: "It''s in Liang Gezhuang!" After getting the specific location, Chen Yu pricked each of the four men with a needle, rendering them immobile. Then he set off directly for the underground boxing ring. Beforehand, he had made a call to Zhou Shengtao. In the center of Liang Gezhuang, there was an abandoned roller rink, looking quite deste and void of people. In a corner of the rink, one could faintly make out a concealed entrance. Without hesitation, Chen Yu walked in. Just a few steps down the staircase, Chen Yu noticed a faint glimmer of light. As he prepared to walk towards it, he suddenly bumped into something muscr. "What are you doing? Got an invitation?" The gruff voice took Chen Yu by surprise, and only then did he realize a man with an unusuallyrge build stood before him. Chen Yu lightly exhaled a breath and casually struck the big man''s chest. The man copsed onto the ground. "Overestimating yourself!" Chen Yu dusted off his hands and pushed open the door before him, stepping into the underground boxing ring. The raucous noise suddenly erupted; the scene before him was like entering another world. On the vast ring, two burly, muscr men were colliding fiercely, with extensive bruising already visible on their bodies. One of them had even lost an eye. Chapter 193: Chapter 193 Professor Level Chen Yu frowned involuntarily; he had never seen such a scene in Suzhou City before. Below the ring, almost everyone was cing bets, and the cheers echoed throughout the venue. Among the crowd, there was a particrly sleazy-looking guy, sitting on an elevated tform. He held two mboyant women in his arms, his eyes filled with lust and greed. "Boss Hu, for this match, you should clear a profit of seventy million, right?" A man stood beside Hu Chong obsequiously, his demeanor several times sleazier than Hu Chong''s. Hu Chong nced at the man disdainfully, "What, you want a slice of the pie?" The man snickered, "You promised me one-tenth of the profit. After all, I brought over several of the fighters." Hu Chongughed loudly, "Do you think you are someone significant? Just because you found a measly few fighters, you want to carve out one-tenth of the earnings!" The man''s pupils dted suddenly, "What do you mean by this?" Hu Chong directly took out a que from his body, which had "Feiyun" boldly written on it. "I''m now working for Feiyun. All the properties under my name are branches of Feiyun. What rights do you have to im a share?" The man took a step back instinctively, and before he could react, a short knife had already pierced through his heart. Hu Chong gave him a fierce kick and spat on him. "Still thinking about taking money from me, dream on!" ... Chen Yu witnessed all of this and then slipped away quietly. By now, Zhou Shengtao had already arrived with arge number of rted personnel, positioned around the area. As soon as Chen Yu came out, he hurried over. "Captain Zhou, you''re here!" Zhou Shengtao was brimming with excitement, "After catching the Culinary Association, we''ve been looking for Hu Chong. I never expected that he''d be hiding here." Chen Yu checked the time, "I''ll leave this ce to you then; I have something else to do and need to go to the hospital." Zhou Shengtao didn''t stop him and even gave Chen Yu his car. Just as he arrived at the hospital, Chen Yu''s phone suddenly rang. "Husband, where are you? I''m at the hospital with Tuan Tuan now!" Chen Yu''s pupils dted suddenly, "What''s wrong with Tuan Tuan?" "Gastric colic!" Tong Ya''s voice was extremely anxious. "I''m already at the hospital. Where are you and Tuan Tuan?" Chen Yu rushed into the hospital lobby. "Third floor VIP ward, room 302!" Once Chen Yu confirmed the room number, he went straight up to the third floor and quickly reached the ward. Tuan Tuany weakly in bed, her little face pale. "Husband!" Tong Ya got up in a hurry, her face full of apology, "I''m sorry, I didn''t take good care of Tuan Tuan..." As soon as Tong Ya saw Chen Yu, she kept apologizing as if she had made a grave mistake. Chen Yu quickly embraced Tong Ya, "It''s not your fault. It''s me; I haven''t been home often recently!" Ever since the system upgrade, Chen Yu had been busy testing the system''s various capabilities and umting points in various ways and amounts. He hadn''t taken good care of Tuan Tuan and Tong Ya for quite some time. "Dad, Mom, don''t fight anymore. It''s my fault. After eating the fish fillet, I secretly ate some ice cream!" Chen Yu let out a sigh of relief and quickly sat down beside Tuan Tuan, grabbing her small hand. "How are you feeling now?" Tuan Tuan still had a hint of guilt in his eyes, "I''m fine now, Dad!" [System prompt: The doctor reduced the medication, which could lead to dyed recovery.] Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown, "Ya Ya, you stay here and take care of Tuan Tuan, I''ll go buy some medicine!" Tong Ya nodded obediently and then picked up the bowl of nutritional porridge next to her, bringing it to Tuan Tuan''s lips. The current hospitals in Suzhou City had undergone changes, essentially achieving a separation between medical consultation and medication dispensing. Apart from some patented medicinal materials exclusive to the hospitals, the rest of the medicines were avable for purchase at affiliated pharmacies. As soon as Chen Yu arrived at the pharmacy, he saw a little girl standing in front of the counter, holding a hundred-yuan note, looking distraught. "Little sister, I''ve told you already, we don''t have the medicine you need right now, only this kind is avable. You should let an adult from your familye!" The little girl stood on tiptoe, "My mom''s in the hospital and can''te! I remember thest time we bought this medicine, it only cost eighty yuan." "You little girl, why can''t you understand? I''ve told you that the medicine you want is no longer avable, we only have..." "Norfloxacin, erythromycin..." Chen Yu interrupted the salesperson, rattling off a long list of medications. The salesperson didn''t dare to neglect and quickly packed up the medications Chen Yu needed. After paying, Chen Yu took two boxes of medicine out of his bag and handed them to the little girl. "The medicine you need can be substituted with these two, and together, they only cost five yuan!" The little girl widened her eyes in shock, staring at Chen Yu. The salesperson nearby was also agape. Anyone working here had to have some pharmaceutical knowledge. She certainly knew which medications could serve as substitutes. Seeing the two boxes of medicine that Chen Yu pulled out, she also understood that Chen Yu was no ordinary person. Naturally, she didn''t dare to say much more. Chen Yu didn''t linger and led the little girl out of the pharmacy directly. "Uncle, thank you, but I only have one hundred yuan, I don''t have five yuan." Chen Yu ruffled the little girl''s hair, "No worries, it''s just five yuan." "No, my mom said that whatever we buy, we must pay for it, especially since you''ve helped me so much..." The little girl in front of him was just slightly younger than Tuan Tuan, yet just as sensible as him. "Then next time," Chen Yu took the little girl''s hand, "I have to go to that hospital as well, let''s go together." The little girl still looked somewhat wary, but she felt an inexplicable sense of kinship emanating from Chen Yu. After bringing the little girl back to the hospital, Chen Yu headed straight for room 302. "Madam, what are you doing? We need to change the patient''s medication! Otherwise, your daughter''s condition will worsen." A slightly authoritative voice suddenly rose, tinged with a hint of threat. "I''ve already said it, my husband is out buying medicine, and my daughter won''t be using your medicines anymore!" "Madam, what do you mean by this?" the doctor asked impatiently, "Who is your husband? Can he prescribe medicine to the child just like that?" Tong Ya was quite stubborn; she trusted Chen Yu unconditionally. To prescribe medicine for Tuan Tuan was only one of the things she would not make anyints about if he asked. "Because I''m also a doctor!" Chen Yu walked in, holding a medical practitioner license in his hand. The two doctors in the room hurriedly took it and looked it over, suddenly freezing on the spot. It turned out that the qualifications on Chen Yu''s medical practitioner license were several levels higher than theirs, even reaching the level of a professor. Chapter 194: Chapter 194: Daddy is Awesome At that moment, the hospital ward fell into silence, with doctors and nurses exchanging puzzled looks. Even within their own hospital, they seldom witnessed a doctor of such caliber. "Is your license real or fake? Falsifying a medical practitioner license is a crime!" Although the doctor was flustered, he still fixed Chen Yu with a skeptical gaze. Nobody could believe that such a young individual could possess achievements that would take others decades to aplish. Chen Yu didn''t care about that, he simply mixed the medicine he was holding and then fed it to Tuan Tuan. In just two minutes, the paleness on Tuan Tuan''s face had disappeared, and even the stomach pain was gone. The doctor beside him watched, astounded ¨C the medical record clearly stated intestinal colic. This condition is difficult to manage because there are many causes, especially in children ¨C no one can be sure of the exact pathogen, and drug use in such young children is extremely tricky. If the dose is too much, it might harm the child''s body, but if it''s too little, the condition could persist. However, for the hospital''s doctors, they generally preferred to reduce the amount of medication administered; this not only extended the patient''s hospital stay but also allowed the sale of more medication. It ensured the patient''s safety while bringing more profit to the hospital. The doctors and nurses exchanged nces, and then one doctor stepped forward, offering a medical chart to Chen Yu. "Sir, we need to confirm that you treated this patient. Should anyplications arise, we will not be held responsible, but I still suggest that you continue the hospital observation for a while." Chen Yu''s eyes held a touch of contempt. This fellow was really good at ying games, absolving himself of responsibility while trying to get them to shell out more for the hospital stay. "No need, I don''t want my daughter to suffer here any longer! And your hospital''s billing methods are all over the ce, I can''t make heads or tails of them." His tone was somewhat sarcastic, implying that there was something wrong with their fee schedules. Chen Yu ced his fingers on Tuan Tuan''s pulse to quickly check her body, and then he heaved a sigh of relief. "Daddy, I feel much better! It''s just that this hand feels a little cold." Chen Yu nced at the IV bag beside them, noting that it was mainly saline, with only a three percent concentration of medication. It was practically the same as administering pure saline. Gently holding Tuan Tuan''s small hand, Chen Yu smoothly removed the IV needle and treated the wound. His proficiency was even better than that of some professional nurses. Especially the technique he used to stop the bleeding at the end, which left the nearby nurse dumbfounded. Normally, after an IV needle is removed, a few beads of blood might emerge, but Tuan Tuan''s little hand was not only bloodless but also as if it had never been pierced¡ªutterly smooth. Without saying much more, Chen Yu hoisted Tuan Tuan on his back and, apanied by Tong Ya, left the ward. "Daddy, it''s been so long since you''ve carried me. Have you really been that busytely?" Chen Yu was taken aback. He indeed had been in contact with quite a few world-ss big shotstely, but none of that interested him. Moreover, he undertook these activities purely to test the system''s points and performance. "Don''t worry, Tuan Tuan. From now on, unless something extraordinaryes up, I will never leave your side again." Tuan Tuan giggled, "Then you can''t leave Mommy either!" Chen Yu looked at Tong Ya and noticed that she was gazing at him with an inexplicable look of anticipation. "Of course, I will never leave!" After settling the hospitalization fees, Chen Yu called Xie Jiang. "Old Xie, where are you guys now?" "Old Chen, we are in Ward No. 3, hurry over. The two elderly patients seem to have deteriorated, the doctor has issued a critical condition notice." Chen Yu hung up the phone and quickly nced at the hospitalyout map beside him. "Tuan Tuan, Daddy has to go see a patient. You and Mommye with Daddy!" Tuan Tuan immediately got excited, "Yeah, I knew Daddy is the best! He can cure all the diseases in the world." "And make the most delicious food in the world!" Tong Ya also clung tightly to Chen Yu''s arm. It wasn''t long before the family of three arrived at the ward. As soon as they got there, a strange mix of odors hit them, almost making Chen Yu throw up. His physical condition had reached the human limit, and his sense of smell was incredibly sensitive. The impact of this odor on him was much greater than on Tuan Tuan and Tong Ya. "Old Chen!" Xie Jiang quickly got up and beckoned to Chen Yu, "Over here." Chen Yu responded and carried Tuan Tuan over. Xie Jiang also greeted Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan politely. "Oh, sister-inw came along too! I''m sorry for the trouble." Tong Ya returned a smile, "It''s not a problem, I was just bringing the child here for a check-up, so we thought we''d stop by." Xie Jiang suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. After all, the young man was his subordinate, and now that Chen Yu hade to treat his parents, he felt uneasy, and with Tuan Tuan being sick as well, he felt as though a stone was weighing on his heart. "Oh, I really didn''t know, Old Chen, I''ve caused you trouble!" Chen Yu waved his hand and put Tuan Tuan down, while Tong Ya immediately took Tuan Tuan''s little hand. Soon after, Chen Yu went to the two adjacent beds. The elderly patients'' bodies had turned ck and purple in some areas, and their breathing was extremely weak; they could barely breathe with the help of oxygen tanks. Their medical records were also a mess, with a heap of different conditions that didn''t match up. "Ling Ling, help me analyze this!" [System check: Both individuals are suffering from heavy metal poisoning, showing severe physical decline, and there are arge number of unidentified bacteria mixed in.] Chen Yu furrowed his brow, could there really be bacteria that the system couldn''t identify? Without hesitation, he stepped forward and took the pulse of both patients. The vital signs of both elderly patients had reached the limit; if this continued, they probably wouldn''t live another forty-eight hours. Fortunately, the bacteria and heavy metal elements had not fused with the nerve fibers in their bodies; they just needed to be expelled from the system. However, these substances had already prated the bloodstream, and separating them was not a simple task. After a brief contemtion andbining it with the treatment n provided by the system, Chen Yu immediately wrote a prescription and handed it to Xie Jiang standing beside him. "Hurry and go to the pharmacy outside to find these medicines for me, remember, I need six doses!" Chapter 195: Chapter 195: Painkillers Xie Jiang didn''t dare to hesitate even a bit, clutching the prescription as he rushed out of the ward. The young man suddenly saw hope and grabbed Chen Yu''s hand, kneeling down with a thud. "Boss Chen, thank you so much! Otherwise, I wouldn''t have known what to do." Chen Yu patted the young man''s shoulder, "It''s okay, just make sure you don''t go to the lottery shop anymore, no matter what happens. That stuff''s not reliable!" The young man nodded repeatedly, his face full of regret. "Uncle, you''re here too!" A milky voice suddenly came from the side. Chen Yu turned his head and saw it was the little girl he had encountered in the pharmacy before. "Little sister, you''re here too!" The little girl nodded, then took out five yuan and handed it over. "My mom is over there, she asked me to give this money back to you!" As she said this, the little girl inexplicably lowered her head. "Mom said we don''t have money now and can''t repay you, so we can only give you five yuan for now. We will definitely repay you double in the future." The sensible and cute little girl would be liked by anyone who saw her; even Tong Ya couldn''t help but move forward and rub the little girl''s head. "It''s okay, it''s only five yuan! And, Uncle here happens to be a doctor, maybe he can cure your mom''s illness." The little girl immediately became excited and quickly grabbed Chen Yu''s hand. "Then please, Uncle, save my mom. She can''t sleep at night and it''s really painful!" Chen Yu followed the direction the little girl pointed and saw a skeletal woman lying in the corner. She was riddled with tubes and her body was covered in bruises. These were clearly the symptoms of advanced leukemia; at this stage, the patient was living a life worse than death. You either rely on some exorbitantly priced medicine to maintain your condition, or you have to take painkillers every day to make it bearable. The little girl, when she was buying medicine earlier, had only bought some simple pain relief meds. Chen Yu frowned, rushed over quickly, and grabbed the woman''s wrist. [The body has deteriorated to the extreme, with over seventy percent of cells necrotic, beyond the healing capacity of current human medical knowledge] Chen Yu had likewise gathered a general idea of the condition from the woman''s pulse. Although the woman still had some consciousness, her life definitely wouldn''tst more than twenty-four hours. "Uncle, is there any hope for my mom?" The milky voice made Chen Yu''s heart tremble. The woman also slowly opened her eyes and beckoned the little girl with her hand. "Huan Huan, you shouldn''t speak to the Uncle like that. Besides, Mommy''s fine, don''t worry, okay?" Huan Huan suddenly burst into tears, "How could Mommy be fine? You''re in so much pain every night you can''t sleep! And the medicine you asked me to buy is just painkillers, not for curing the disease!" The woman''s tears flowed uncontrobly, as she hadn''t expected her daughter to know everything. "Ling Ling, is there really no way?" Chen Yu silently asked himself. [ording to current human medical knowledge, it''s incurable. However, the system can clean her body of the disease to the greatest extent possible, then with medication, she might be able to recover] "Then let''s start!" Chen Yu urged in his mind. [System suggestion: This treatment method is deemed futile, with only a 30% chance of recovery, and it requires 100 points to proceed] Chen Yu hesitated for a moment, fully aware of the woman''s physical condition, which indeed had reached its limit. And now, umting points was too difficult; a hundred points would take a long time to collect. Chen Yu clenched his teeth, the woman before him might be the only family Huan Huan had. If anything were to happen, leaving a young girl all alone in the world, how could she cope? "No matter what, let''s give it a try!" After instructing Ling Ling, Chen Yu wrote out a prescription. "Ya Ya, help me get these medicines!" Tong Ya nodded and hurried out of the ward with the prescription. Chen Yu then took out a few needles and slowly inserted them into the woman''s body, afterward, he started to clear the pathological changes within her body in coordination with the system. Before long, the bruises on the woman''s body dissipated at a visible rate, and her vitality was restored. A look of relief appeared on Chen Yu''s face, as the woman''s health was indeed improving. However, this method could only clear most of the pathological changes in the woman''s body, which was, to some extent, like undergoing chemotherapy. But the effect was a hundred times better than chemotherapy! Nevertheless, neither this method nor chemotherapy could clear all the pathological changes in one go. To do so would mean killing most of the healthy cells in the patient''s body. To ensure the patient''s vital signs, only part of the pathological changes could be left inside the body. Afterward, a substantial amount of drug treatment was needed to reverse the condition. But no one could guarantee that the remaining pathological changes wouldn''t re up again. If they couldn''t be reversed, the pathological cells would spread throughout the body anew. Chen Yu then made a show of twisting the acupuncture needles in his hand before pulling them out. "Wow, Dad, you just inserted a few needles, and this auntie''splexion has gotten so much better!" Tuan Tuan pped her little hands in admiration, and even Huan Huan excitedly grabbed the woman''s hand. The woman moved her limbs slightly and slowly sat up. Her condition had indeed improved a lot, and she seemed to have been reborn. The woman felt her body and then suddenly jumped out of bed, kneeling down before Chen Yu with a thud. "Miraculous doctor, truly a miraculous doctor! All the doctors here said I wouldn''t live long, but I never expected you to be able to cure me." Chen Yu was taken aback and hurriedly helped the woman to her feet. "Just now, I only cleared most of the pathological changes in your body. As for whates next, I can''t guarantee there won''t be another outbreak! After all, this kind of disease..." The woman nodded, "I understand, but just being able to live a little longer, I''m satisfied, at least I can raise Huan Huan." Chen Yu sighed helplessly, after all, he wasn''t a god and was at a loss in the face of such a situation. Right then, Xie Jiang and the young man hurried back, carrying arge bag of sealed herbal concoctions. Before leaving, Chen Yu had instructed them on the method of preparation, and practically every traditional medicine shop has a professional pressure cooker for decoction. As long as instructions were given, they could prepare it on the spot. Chen Yu took the herbal concoction and went to the parents of the young man, applying a portion of it to the surface of their skin. The remaining portion was then fed to the two of them. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 196: Chapter 196: Holiday Villa After administering the medicine, Chen Yu took out several acupuncture needles and inserted them into specific points along the spines of the two elderly patients. These acupoints were specifically designed to stimte the hematopoietic stem cell activity in the human body. Combined with the herbal medicine they had just drunk, it could elerate their blood production by dozens of times. Following that, Chen Yu made a small cut on the veins of the two elderly patients. The dark purple blood slowly flowed out. However, upon seeing the color of the blood, Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown, and he turned around to pat the young man''s shoulder. "You''re saying that many people in your vige have contracted this disease?" he asked. The young man nodded, "Yes, many people have died already, and their deaths were particrly tragic. Some even bled from all seven orifices, their bodiespletely deteriorated." Xie Jiang sighed helplessly from the side, "Speaking of which, it''s a holiday resort. If this continues, I''m afraid the entire resort will be ruined." "A holiday resort!" Tuan Tuan immediately perked up. "Can I go y there?" Chen Yu frowned. It was somewhat inappropriate to talk about ying in such a situation. But then again, a holiday resort was meant for leisure, wasn''t it? After such an incident, anyone would feel unhappy. "Alright, in a couple of days, Daddy will take you and Mommy there to have some fun, okay?" he said. Tuan Tuan seemed to realize that it wasn''t appropriate to say such things at that moment. But she couldn''t help but get excited, as it had been a long time since Chen Yu had taken her out to y, especially now that it was summer vacation. Before long, the blood drawn from the two patients turned bright red. Chen Yu quickly stepped forward to treat their wounds and then had them drink the remaining herbal medicine. This disease was actually not difficult to treat; it was only because heavy metals and bacteria had invaded the body, affecting the cirction. Simply by recing the damaged blood with fresh blood from outside the body would solve the problem. The previous doctors had failed to research the actual cause of the illness and treated them indiscriminately. This caused the umtion of more damaged blood in their bodies, ultimately causingplete bodily deterioration. "Okay, their condition is now stable. They just need to continue with the herbal medicine treatment," Chen Yu stated. He then patted the young man''s shoulder, "Give me the address of your holiday resort. I''ll take my wife and child there for a couple of days, and while I''m at it, I''ll treat the people in your vige." The young man became excited at once; the people in the vige were in dire straits, and if their illnesses could be cured, it would be more than wonderful. Just then, in the entire shared ward, all the patients turned their gaze towards Chen Yu. The three patients he had just cured were among the most challenging cases in the ward. If he could cure such illnesses, couldn''t he possibly cure theirs too? Chen Yu felt the weight of their stares and suddenly got goosebumps. There were too many people here, and their eyes were filled with greed. Although there was nothing wrong with treating and saving lives, doing so without any conditions or limits was a bit unprincipled. Besides, these people were not suffering from incurable diseases; they could be healed with just medication and time. Chen Yu no longer paid attention to them and led Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan out of the ward. On the way back, Tuan Tuan kept pping her hands and used everyplimentary word she knew to praise Chen Yu. Tong Ya''s face was also brimming with happiness, as Chen Yu had indeed been spending too little time with her recently. Now that they can finally be together, she naturally felt joyful. Before long, the family of three arrived at the store, only to find several small stalls had set up at the store''s entrance at some point. These people, pushing their carts, had tightly blocked the entrance to the store. Chen Yu quickly parked the car by the roadside and got out with Tuan Tuan to take a look. The stalls mostly sold some deep-fried snacks, including vegetable balls, shrimp cakes, and fried cakes. However, the food they sold gave off a strong smell of oil and contained some sort of spice, which although tempting, also felt somewhat cloying. When they saw Chen Yuing over, they suddenly became excited, and their hawking grew louder. "Shrimp cakes, ancestral craft! Three for ten bucks!" "Vegetable balls here, delicious vegetable balls,e take a look!" ... Perhaps because the food they sold was indeed very fragrant, quite a crowd quickly gathered around. Nevertheless, a considerable number of people didn''t even give them a nce, walking straight into the store instead. People had been causing trouble here too much recently, and besides, they were Chen Yu''s store''s regr customers, so they automatically categorized these vendors as troublemakers. Wang Qingshan was standing at the entrance with his arms crossed, coldly watching those vendors. Seeing Chen Yuing, he hurried over. "Chen, these folks suddenly showed up around noon. It looks like they''re here to cause trouble. Should we ask Captain Zhou for help and drive them away?" Chen Yu shook his head. Firstly, the vendors were just setting up their stalls and hadn''t done anything wrong, and moreover, Zhou Shengtao had been quite busy recently, possibly dealing with Hu Chong''s case. Burdening him with this trivial matter would indeed be somewhat embarrassing. "No worries, if they wish to sell, let them sell! Besides, I find what they''re making quite fragrant. Do you want to try some?" Wang Qingshan gave the vendors a cold look: "The stuff they''re selling is all greasy and overpowering. Who knows if the ingredients are even fresh? I don''t want to eat that!" Chen Yu, however, had a smile on his face. He patted Wang Qingshan on the shoulder, then asked Li Gang to bring out the portable deep fryer that had been prepared earlier. The fryer was something Xie Jiang had prepared for him while buying equipment. It was originally intended to be used outside the kitchen when it was too busy, setting up this equipment at the entrance to sell some snacks. Chen Yu then poured oil into one of the fryers and took some raw materials. After washing his hands, he began to get busy. Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan also assisted at his side. "Hey, boss Chen, what are you making now?" a spirited auntie rushed over. Chen Yu pointed at the few vendors beside him: "I just noticed that what they''re making smells so good and they''re selling well, so I decided to learn from them and try to develop these items." The auntie immediately became excited: "So, boss Chen, are youing out with a new product?" Chen Yu smiled: "It can''t really be considered a new product, just an imitation I guess!" As they talked, he had already made several dozen shrimp cakes andid them out. The fragrance wafting from them had a pure and clean taste;pared to the others'' fare, it felt somewhat more refreshing. Chapter 197: Chapter 197: Cinema "Wow, this vor is so unique!" Two middle school students who had just finished school came bouncing over, sniffing excitedly. They were also regr customers of the shop, and every day at this time, arge number of middle school students woulde here to buy food after school. Mostly they were buying for their families, but over time they also grew fond of the meals here. Especially the fish fillets introduced these past two days, the vor was even better than many fast-food chains. Now, suddenly smelling this refreshing aroma, they naturally gathered around. Chen Yu looked up at the students in front of him and directly handed out a small meal with two shrimp cakes. "You two are the first customers this afternoon, so these two shrimp cakes are on me." The students immediately lit up with excitement, having an instinctual trust in the new products introduced in Chen Yu''s shop. And the scent from before was so distinctive that they both started drooling, promptly popping the shrimp cakes into their mouths. "Wow, this is so delicious, Boss Chen, can I buy ten?" "Of course, you can!" Chen Yu immediately took out a sign and set it up: "Two yuan each! And for today, there''s no limit on supply, all the way until eight o''clock!" With these words, the customers present became excited, and a long line quickly formed. Shrimp cakes, shrimp balls, vegetable dumplings¡ªall kinds of greasy fried snacks had a refreshing twist at Chen Yu''s ce. The vendors nearby were so jealous they were practically gnashing their teeth. They thought they could steal the business by blocking the entrance to Chen Yu''s shop, but he simply set up shop imitating their own and reopened for business. That move directly put a dent in their sales. Wang Qingshan was still standing at the entrance, with He Hua and Liu Tong by his side. The two girls each held a broom and were ready to rush out at any signs of trouble. Chen Yu, however, was not worried at all since the system had already provided an analysis. These people were just merchants who had moved away under the pressure of his shop before. But they couldn''t bear leaving Suzhou City''s market, so they banded together, attempting to y some tricks to give Chen Yu a hard time. Little did they know that Chen Yu, apart from excelling at marinated food and breakfast items, could in such a short time learn and even transform what they had perfected over decades as their special tricks. These fried snacks usually relied on the vor of being deep-fried. As a result, many would recklessly add oil, even mixing different kinds to ensure the vor of the snacks. But this also made the food greasy. Chen Yu, however, fundamentally changed the taste of these fried foods, making them not only crispy and delicious but also cutting down on the greasiness. As time passed, almost everyone present was queuing at Chen Yu''s cart. The other stalls had no one paying any attention to them, with some people even throwing away their purchases after a couple of bites and then obediently joining the line at Chen Yu''s. The disheartened stall owners sighed, exchanged nces, and reluctantly pushed their carts away. They knew that the market no longer belonged to them. At seven in the evening, there was still a huge crowd at the entrance to the shop. Wang Qingshan, Li Gang, and Ning Kai were now out helping since the flow of peopleing for dinner had started to decline at this hour. They were not as busy anymore. It did not take long for Chen Yu to teach the three of them the skills required to make these homemade foods. However, those items could not be made using semi-finished products, as that would cause them to lose their crispness and refreshing taste. Having justunched this new product today, they naturally provided an unlimited supply, but after today, they would have to supply a fixed quantity. At 8:30 pm, after closing the shop, Chen Yu took Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan to the nearby cinema. Tuan Tuan was just recovering from a serious illness, and Chen Yu had to take her out for some entertainment no matter what. He had also booked tickets for a trip to the holiday resort for tomorrow. At this time, many people came to see thete-night movies, mostly couples, so there were many venues specifically set up for couples at the entrance. As soon as the family of three got there, they were stuffed with all sorts of flyers. Private cinemas, family ygrounds, and all kinds of inexplicable projects were advertised. Chen Yu sighed helplessly, "Does this count as receiving the full-package service?" Tong Ya pouted, looking somewhat gloomily at the flyer in her hand. "These guys, if they put the effort they used for printing flyers into running their shops, maybe their business could do better and better." Tuan Tuan, on the other hand, was attracted by the family yground project on the flyer: "Dad, why has our shop never printed such beautiful flyers?" Chen Yu felt somewhat helpless; his shop simply had no need to print flyers! Tong Ya also scratched Tuan Tuan''s nose: "Dad''s shop''s vor is the best advertisement!" Chen Yu smiled, found a trash can, and threw all the flyers into it. He then took Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan into the cinema''s elevator. Entering the elevator with them was a middle-aged man and a little boy. The two seemed like father and son, but the boy''s face had an inexplicable look of panic. The man had a noticeable scar at the corner of his eye, which looked somewhat terrifying at first nce. Chen Yu frowned involuntarily, giving the little boy a few more nces subconsciously. Arge amount of psychological knowledge quickly appeared in his mind, which he then matched with the little boy''s situation one by one. In almost an instant, Chen Yu could ascertain that the two in front of him were not real father and son, and that they had likely not met each other before this. As soon as the elevator reached the fourth floor, the man took the little boy to the counter, where they bought two movie tickets and two popcornbo sets. "Honey, why are you staring at those people?" Tong Ya quietly asked Chen Yu, leaning close to his ear. Chen Yu grabbed Tong Ya''s hand and squeezed it slightly, signaling her to be silent, then went to pick up the tickets and also bought a popcornbo. Just as they were about to enter the theatre, they suddenly noticed a man at another entrance of the cinema looking hurried and disoriented, holding a box and even carrying a hint of pleading in his eyes. Chen Yu understood immediately-it was a kidnapping! "Ya Ya, you take Tuan Tuan over there, I have something to handle!" Tong Ya did not ask further questions and quickly took Tuan Tuan to the corner, her eyes filling with increased vignce. Chen Yu slowly approached the three individuals. As he moved closer, the scar-faced man suddenly acted, grabbing the child in his grip and looking coldly at the man with the box. Chapter 198: Chapter 198: Heros Proof Both sides suddenly confronted each other there, neither of them taking a step forward, but both eyes were filled with intense vignce. "Waiter, how much is this action figure!" Chen Yu suddenly shouted, instantly drawing the attention of the entire hall to him. Taking advantage of the moment when everyone was caught off guard, Chen Yu''s body shed, and he immediately grabbed Scarface''s arm. Before the other could react, Chen Yu held the little boy in his arms and retreated several steps. Scarface''s eyes widened in shock, his originally fierce gaze filled with terror. The middle-aged man next to him also shouted excitedly, running to Chen Yu''s side and taking the child from him. "Little treasure! Are you okay? Daddy was so worried!" The little boy burst into tears, "Daddy, I''m scared!" Seeing this, Scarface didn''t dare stay any longer and hurriedly turned and ran toward the elevator. Chen Yu didn''t care about anything else, and directly picked up an action figure from nearby and threw it. With a loud crashing sound, Scarface fell to the ground and was immediately restrained by the surrounding security personnel. But the nearby waiter also stood up, "Hey, what are you doing? That''s our newly released action figure, and it''s expensive! You smashed it, how are you going topensate?" Chen Yu frowned, as he had been desperate to save someone and had no choice but to grab the action figure. The crowd around him was indignant, filling the air withints. However, Chen Yu was not angry, knowing that the waiter was just working there, and his boss would definitely make him pay for the damaged figurine. Moreover, the action figure was priced at over two thousand yuan, and how could he, a part-time worker not yet twenty years old, afford topensate for it. Chen Yu let out a slight breath and directly took out his phone to transfer the money, then picked up the action figure. The waiter did not expect Chen Yu to be so straightforward, which made him feel somewhat embarrassed. "Daddy is so awesome!" Tuan Tuan pped her hands cheerfully and quickly came forward to take the action figure from Chen Yu''s hand. "Can I have this?" Chen Yu frowned slightly, "This action figure is already broken, daddy will get you a new one." "I don''t want it!" Tuan Tuan clung to the broken figure, refusing to let go, "This is the proof of daddy''s heroism, I want to keep it as a collectible." Those words made the waiter feel even more embarrassed. Chen Yu ruffled Tuan Tuan''s little head, and then led her and Tong Ya into the movie theater. The excitement spread among the onlookers, many inquiring which movie Chen Yu was watching, wanting to get a closer look at the hero. Chen Yu was quite exasperated, having just sat down in the theater, he found arge group of peopleing in. He had no choice but to watch the movie to its end, with a sense of frustration. The next morning at eight o''clock, Chen Yu took Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan to the resort vi. Suzhou City''s tourism business was already doing well; aside from some characteristic ancient towns, there were arge number of resort vis. However, most of these resort vis were nestled deep in the mountains, purportedly to get close to nature, but in reality, it was to develop some barren areas, which essentially was a form of poverty alleviation. Yet such poverty alleviation ns were extremely prone to loopholes. After all, not everyone likes to venture deep into the mountains and forests! Moreover, these deep mountains are generally uninhabited now, so the so-called poverty alleviation n is just about getting some subsidies. When Chen Yu and his family arrived there, they found the ce extremely deste, and they could even see pieces of an abandoned roller coaster at the entrance. "Dad, is this really a resort? I feel like it''s more like an adventure house!" Tuan Tuan couldn''t help butin, and even Tong Ya felt somewhat depressed. However, neither of them had anyints, knowing full well that they didn''te here just for fun. The family of three had just gotten off the car when the bus driver immediately turned around and hurriedly fled. Chen Yu was instantly a bit downcast. Earlier, the driver had been advising them, saying that the ce was eerie and had been abandoned and that it would be best for them to leave quickly. But Chen Yu simply wouldn''t listen. Now that the driver had dropped them off, he was unwilling to stay a moment longer. Chen Yu didn''t say much, simply leading Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan into the resortplex. It wasn''t long before they followed a mountain path and arrived at a vige that seemed long abandoned. This ce appeared to have been refurbished, with exquisite small vis everywhere. However, among these vis, there were arge number of old boxes. Each box was oddly shaped, and they all had a small opening for divination on them. From time to time, some ck powder would drift out of them, with a particrly disgusting smell. Just then, an elderly woman leaning on a walking stick, coughing, shuffled towards them. "Hello there, are you folks here to have fun?" Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown; he noticed that the skin on the old woman wasrgely ck. "Yeah, but why is there no one around? I heard this ce was bustling!" The old woman let out a sigh, "Indeed, this ce used to be very bustling, but ever since a strange disease spread here, we''ve fallen on hard times, and many people have left!" Chen Yu sized up the elderly woman in front of him, then stepped forward, grabbing her wrist. Before the woman could react, Chen Yu let go of her hand. "Olddy, how many people are left at the resort now?" The woman sighed helplessly, "Including myself, there are only eight old timers left. Maybe it won''t be long before we die here too." Chen Yu didn''t say much, just asked the old woman to gather all the people here. The old woman didn''t say much either; after all, Chen Yu and his family were there for a visit, and as hosts, they should at least offer some hospitality. Before long, eight elderly figures, frail and lean, shuffled out, supporting each other. When they saw Chen Yu and his family, they were also taken aback. The current state of the resort was definitely not suitable for visitors. Chen Yu didn''t care about that; he immediately gave the prepared medicinal broth to the eight old people. After drinking the medicine, they instantly felt much better, and two of them with milder conditions even recovered on the spot. "My God, what kind of medicine is this? It''s so miraculous, I''mpletely healed!" "You must be angels sent by the heavens to save us; otherwise, you wouldn''t appear out of nowhere at such a time!" "That''s right, you are the gods of our ce!" "Why don''t we call everyone back now? No need to spend money on treatment outside!" ... The eight elderly people were so excited they could hardly contain themselves; this meant their resort coulde back to life again. Chapter 199: Chapter 199: Intentional Poisoning Although the entire resort was abandoned, most of the facilities were still there. After recovering, the eight elderly people turned on all the facilities and even cleaned up an inn for Chen Yu and his group. After settling down briefly, Chen Yu took Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan on the cable car deeper into the mountains. It could now be confirmed that this so-called illness was contracted through the external environment. Upon entering the resort for the first time, Chen Yu had noticed a problem with the water supply. It contained not only arge amount of heavy metal elements but also many toxins. This was clearly a case of someone poisoning the water. The water sources here were primarily from mountain springs; if one wanted to poison the water, that was the best ce to do it. After crossing over, Chen Yu and the others arrived at a ravine surrounded by numerous springs, each as clear as crystal. But upon their arrival, they were met with a pungent smell that continually invaded their nostrils. Chen Yu frowned and quickly took out specially made masks from his belongings to put on Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan, then he took a test tube to collect some samples from the springs. He had brought arge amount of equipment with him this time and began to experiment with the samples immediately. Moreover, he exined the process as he conducted the experiments, which Tuan Tuan listened to with great interest. Besides vacationing and investigating, this trip was also an excellent educational experience for Tuan Tuan. Though Tuan Tuan was a genius in dance and was destined for the arts, she also needed to know this knowledge from cultural lessons. Before long, arge amount of sediment appeared in the test tube, and numerous bright red particles were filtered out. This was a mixture of heavy metals that had been specially processed and blended into the spring water. Tong Ya also brought over some rock samples, which were covered in some strange moss. "It can now be confirmed that someone has poisoned the water; the rocks are interspersed with arge amount of medication," Tong Ya said with a furrowed brow, unable to understand why such a simple resort could offend someone to the point of being targets of poisoning. Chen Yu packed away the samples and continued to move deeper into the mountains. After traveling some distance, Chen Yu suddenly became alert. Not far away, there was a recently abandoned campfire that was still emitting smoke. "Dad, this looks so suspicious!" Tuan Tuan whispered into Chen Yu''s ear, appearing like a little secret agent. Chen Yu ruffled Tuan Tuan''s hair, "Then let''s go check it out!" The family of three approached the campfire cautiously and found some feathers scattered around. It seemed someone had had a barbecue here, and there were at least five people. Chen Yu exhaled softly and slowly looked up at the deep mountains not far away. [Holographic Projection Coverage] As the system''s notification sounded, a three-dimensional image of the entire forest appeared in Chen Yu''s mind. Soon, he spotted a cabin hidden inside the dense forest. Apart from a few piles of fire outside the door, there were many signs of life around the cabin, roughly indicating indeed five people. "Ya Ya, you stay here with Tuan Tuan; I''ll go and check it out." Tong Ya nodded and instinctively hugged Tuan Tuan close. Chen Yu followed the route given by the system, taking a small path around to the side. At the entrance of the cabin sat three individuals, engrossed in a card game, with severalrge jars beside them that constantly emitted a foul stench. As soon as they saw Chen Yu approaching, they immediately got up and became alert. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" One of the fierce-looking men took out a knife from his body and looked at Chen Yu coldly. "Isn''t this a vacation resort?" Chen Yu put on an innocent face. "I''m here for tourism." The three of them burst intoughter as if they had heard the funniest joke in the world, clutching their bellies. "Get out of here quickly, this is no longer any vacation resort. It won''t be long before this ce turns into a winery!" Chen Yu''s pupils dted slightly. "A winery? What do you mean?" "Such a good ce, how could it possibly continue to let a bunch of inexplicable people run a vacation vige here, of course, it''s to develop its greatest economic value!" Right at that moment, the remaining two people also walked out of the house. "Why exin so much to a stranger? Just hurry up and get him to leave!" Saying this, the few men prepared to shoo someone away. Chen Yu didn''t say much else, quietly taking note of everything here before turning around to leave. Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan were sitting by the spring at the moment, holding several test tubes, continuously conducting experiments. Through these small experiments, Tuan Tuan had basically revisited all of the chemistry knowledge from junior to senior high school. By the time Chen Yu returned, the family of three went down the mountain and back into the resort. However, when they descended the mountain, Chen Yu poured the drug residue that he had long prepared into the spring. This residue was specially made with a certain ratio, specifically to deal with these heavy metal toxins. At four o''clock in the afternoon, Chen Yu, along with Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan, happily yed around inside the vacation resort. Roller coasters, sky flyers, pirate ships, and all sorts of entertainment facilities, they yed on almost every one. Speaking of which, this resort still had its own characteristics, such as the interconnected caves. It wasn''t until nine o''clock at night that they had tried all the attractions here. The eight elderly people in the resort were now basically recovered, and many others had flocked back gradually. Among them were the parents of the young man Chen Yu had previously treated. [Congrattions, Host, you have earned five points] [Congrattions, Host, you have earned eight points] ... The continuous system notification sounds, although exciting for Chen Yu, were really too meagerpared to the hundreds or even millions of points previously given. Fortunately, the practical use rate of these points was much higher than before. At nine o''clock the following morning, half of the vigers who had left the resort had already returned, but they all looked sickly, with some even being carried back on stretchers. After falling ill, these vigers sought medical help everywhere, but aside from giving money to hospitals, they were unable to do anything else. Some even died outside due to their worsening conditions. Chen Yu was well prepared, setting up a small table on the open space outside the resort inn, treating each of the vigers in turn. Not only did he remove the heavy metal toxins from their bodies, but he also cured various long-standing ailments that had umted inside them. He even corrected the bones of some of the older folks. Chapter 200: Chapter 200: Steak Challenge Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan had been helping by the side, either delivering medicine or arranging ces for the patients. Just then, severalrge trucks suddenly appeared at the resort. "What''s going on here? How many times have we told you? We''re turning this ce into a vineyard, so pack up and leave!" The sudden voice made everyone present widen their eyes. The vigers almost rushed up in unison to argue with them. It looked like this wasn''t the first time these people hade here. And it seemed like they were very familiar with everything here as they directly took out a report on the infectious disease. "Your resort has long finished; only ourpany has the technology to handle infectious diseases. This ce can only be revived in our hands!" "We''re telling you, if you keep resisting, you have no other choice but to await death. Just sign on the dotted line and maybe you can get apensation payment." Chen Yu sat there quietly, tending to the vigers'' illnesses on his own. He was all too familiar with these tactics: some corporation had taken a fancy to this ce''s location and was trying to drive the vigers out in order to buy thend at a low price. While the vigers were in an endless argument with these people, Chen Yu suddenly stood up and picked up a pack of medicine to throw out. The powder from the medicine bag scattered upon hitting the ground, its strong medicinal scent spreading out at that moment. "You just added some chronic poison to the heavy metals; this isn''t really that clever. How can you have the gall toe here to acquire the resort?" At these words, the group of people widened their eyes, staring at Chen Yu with a strange look. "Who the hell are you? How dare you meddle in our business? I advise you to scram, or we''ll break one of your hands." Chen Yu ignored them and took out a walkie-talkie from his body. "Captain Zhou, did you hear what they just said?" "We heard it!" With Zhou Shengtao''s voiceing through the walkie-talkie, a chorus of police sirens followed, enclosing the area. He had called Zhou Shengtao the night before, sending over the coordinates of five people in the jungle. Zhou Shengtao began to deploy his n, quietly capturing those five people, then hiding his forces around the resort. Before the gang could react, arge number of relevant personnel rushed out from hidden corners andpletely subdued them. Looking at the vigers, Zhou Shengtau sighed helplessly. "There''s been too much happeningtely. We''ve received tips about the situation here, but, with no leads, it was tough! Besides, nobody would think about poisoning." Chen Yu didn''t say much, just continued brewing the medicine there. The resort project was a good one; as long as all the vigers coulde back, operations could recover, plus Chen Yu had ns to invest. Chen Yu stayed there for three more days to handle some aftermath matters, then left with Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan. But he didn''t return to the city; instead, he headed straight to another tourist destination. Now, during the summer holiday, Chen Yu decided to take Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan for a trip, which also served as a honeymoon. On the Aegean Sea beach, Chen Yu buried his body in the sandfortably, with Tuan Tuan mimicking him and lying beside him. "Daddy, the sand here is sofy, and the color is pretty, too, it''s pure white." Read today on m,v,l,e,mpyr Chen Yu raised his hand and grabbed Tuan Tuan''s shoulder, "Where did your mom go?" Tuan Tuan pointed to a small stall nearby, "Mom said the steak here is delicious, and she''s going to buy two servings!" Chen Yu looked up and saw that at this moment, Tong Ya was queuing in front of a steak food cart. The scent wafting from the cart was extremely rich and smelled quite authentic. The steak being used, it seemed, was a carefully selected filet mignon. However, amidst that authentic scent, Chen Yu detected a jumbled aroma of cumin and spices mixed together. This could enhance the taste of the steak, but it would spoil the steak''s own vor. Chen Yu directly pulled Tuan Tuan up and walked over to the food cart, but as soon as he got close, he noticed the chef giving Tong Ya a lecherous look. "Beautiful miss, you must have been attracted by the scent of my steak. I can make you a signature steak for free!" Although Tong Ya''s face bore a smile, her eyes were filled with intense wariness. "No need, I''m here to buy steak, not to freeload a meal and drinks!" Her voice carried a certain haughtiness, as if she was rejecting someone from a thousand miles away. However, the chef didn''t show any displeasure; instead, he seemed even more interested in Tong Ya. "It''s okay, consider it my treat! You only have to share a drink with me." Tong Ya''s face suddenly showed traces of anger, and just as she was about to leave, Chen Yu suddenly arrived at her side and grabbed her wrist. "Your steak is so disgusting, yet you still want to force this beautiful miss to eat it. I can''t imagine what you''re thinking!" The chef red with wide eyes as if he had been greatly insulted and mmed his hand down on the cutting board fiercely. "You dare say my steak is disgusting! I am a Michelin three-star chef, and many people can''t even get a taste of the steak I make even if they line up." Chen Yu chuckled, "I am a chef too, and if you don''t mind, let''s see whose steak is more delicious." The chef directly took out a certificate from his body, seemingly to intimidate Chen Yu. "Lucas!" Chen Yu read the name aloud and raised an eyebrow. He had actually heard of this name before. When he was in college, he had seen an interview with this person on a food program. However, the guy in front of him seemed much younger than the one he had seen on the program. "Indeed, I am the thirteenth-generation heir of the Lucas Family!" Chen Yu felt likeughing at this point. It turned out to be a family affair after all. "Alright, then consider this a challenge to your entire Lucas Family!" With that, Chen Yu went straight to the back of the food cart and began to cook a piece of filet mignon. It had to be said, the steaks prepared by this guy were top-notch, not only deliciously tender but also emanating a faint fragrance, likely from cattle bred specifically for this purpose. Chen Yu''s cooking was extremely straightforward, following the usual method of making steak, only he sequenced the spices differently from most people. Moreover, he had strict control over the quantity of each spice, treating the cooking of the steak as if conducting a very precise chemical experiment. Chapter 201: Chapter 201 Acupuncture and Moxibustion Medical Techniques In less than five minutes, a unique mellow fragrance drifted out. Exclusive content from m,v le The tourists sunbathing on the nearby beach all gathered around, some even drooling involuntarily. "My goodness, this smell is so fragrant, it''s like it brings out all the essence of the beef!" "This smells even better than an authentic Lucas steak!" ... Chen Yu presented the steak he''d prepared and conveniently ced it in front of the chef. "Try it and see what''s different from your family''s steak." The chef''s breathing suddenly became rapid. Judging by the smell, this steak had surpassed the Lucas steak; it was something he could never achieve. "Who exactly are you? How could you possibly make such a steak!" Chen Yu''s eyes were full of disdain, "You don''t seem to have the right to know that!" The chef, as if deeply insulted, red at Chen Yu with eyes wide open. Before he could react, Tong Ya suddenly stepped forward and kissed Chen Yu on the face. "Husband, you don''t need to bother with this guy! These so-called culinary heritage families are all a bunch of self-righteous people!" Chen Yu had initially not wanted to pay attention, but the guy had taken an interest in Tong Ya, and that crossed his bottom line. However, since Tong Ya didn''t want to make a big deal out of it, Chen Yu saw no need to get into an argument. He hurriedly took Tong Ya''s hand and left. The beaches of the Aegean Sea are world-famous tourist destinations and, to an extent, a symbol of love. Therefore, there were many couples there. Seeing Chen Yu and his family of three, they all cast envious nces. "Wow, they are such a good-looking family!" "To maintain such feelings after getting married is really rare!" "It''s that chef again who ims to be a descendant of Lucas. He''s been harassing a lot of people this month!" ... While everyone was discussing, Chen Yu had already taken Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan onto a yacht. Just as the family of three was admiring the coastal scenery, a miserable scream abruptly rose. A girl who seemed to be in her early teens was floating nearby in the shallow waters near the reef, with her body covered in dense, purple patterns. "Not good, blue-ringed octopus!" Chen Yu shouted, almost instinctively leaping off the yacht. He was not very far from the girl and reached her side with just a leap. By this time, many well-intentioned people had already gathered around, intending to lend a hand. Seeing this, Chen Yu urgently yelled, "Get away, there''s a blue-ringed octopus here!" Because the people gathered on the beach were from all over the world, they spoke differentnguages. Chen Yu used dozens ofnguages in session, shouting in each one. With his shouts, the entire beach instantly descended into chaos. Everyone knew how dangerous a blue-ringed octopus was; even slight contact could be lethal. The very people who were previously desperate to rush in now backed away, not daring toe any closer. Chen Yu keenly scoped out his surroundings, carefully avoiding the range of activity of the blue-ringed octopus. In the shortest time possible, he rescued the girl and brought her ashore. At this moment, the girl''s breathing was difficult to the extreme, and Chen Yu quickly pressed his hand against the girl''s neck, pinching two acupoints to temporarily seal the flow of blood and air. Then he took out a needle and pricked it into the girl''s arm, slowly draining the toxins from her blood. "Stop!" A rough voice suddenly came from not too far away, "The toxin of the blue-ringed octopus elerates the flow of human blood, what you''re doing will only make the patient die faster!" Chen Yu''s brows slightly furrowed as he saw a burly man stagger towards him. It seemed like the man was injured, and he was carrying a medical kit in his hand. Chen Yu paid no attention to the man, simply continuing with his work. When the burly man arrived, he was shocked to find that the bleeding from the girl''s wound was extremely steady. "How is this possible? The toxin of the blue-ringed octopus is so potent, how can this girl''s wound bleed like a normal wound?" Chen Yu raised his eyebrows. The guy spoke awkwardly, and it was unclear if he was doing it on purpose or what. "I''ve simply sealed several acupoints on her body to normalize the blood flow!" The big man looked at Chen Yu with a bewildered gaze. "Are you talking about the Eastern acupuncture technique?" Chen Yu didn''t reply. After letting some blood, he took some standby medicine from his body and ced it into the girl''s mouth. Simultaneously, he took the medical kit from the man''s hand and took out gauze to wrap the girl''s wound. After treating the wound, the autonomous medical staff on the beach ran over and carried the girl away. After providing some details, Chen Yu returned to the yacht. But the burly man, insistent, followed suit. "Sir, what exactly did you use just now? What''s the principle? Could you exin it to me?" Chen Yu frowned without rising to it, finding the man annoying. "My medical skills are inherited and not shared with outsiders, and the principles are extremelyplex. Unless you know ''The Book of Changes'' or the Hetu and Luoshu diagrams, you can''t understand it!" The big man stood still, stunned. He hadn''t even so much as heard of these books. Even if he were to study them, it would take him eight to ten years to grasp anything. Before he could react, the yacht had already started moving towards the deep-sea area. Chen Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief and found a quiet ce to sit down. Tong Ya also sat down beside him, "It''s just some acupoint theory; telling him wouldn''t hurt. Why do I feel like you''re deliberately making it difficult for him?" Chen Yu held Tong Ya in his arms, "The guy''s talent is too weak, hmm, even if I really taught him, he wouldn''t be able to learn it! No point in wasting time." Tong Ya pouted her lips but didn''t say much more, merely handing a te of crispy lobster to Chen Yu. "Where did Tuan Tuan go?" Chen Yu asked subconsciously. Tong Ya pointed towards the deck beside them, "She seems to have found something tasty!" Chen Yu''s brows furrowed; with the system at his side, no one in this world could make anything tastier than him. He almost instinctively stood up and went over. Then he saw Tuan Tuan by a food cart mixing some fried chicken nuggets with seasonings. Chen Yu casually sniffed and immediately identified the raw ingredients in the fried chicken nuggets, but the sauce next to them released a unique aroma. It looked like a mix of ketchup and sweet chili sauce, yet if one were to smell carefully, it seemed as if a different blended ingredient had been added. Even Chen Yu couldn''t identify it at once and simply dipped a bit and tasted it. Chapter 202: Chapter 202 Planning to Study Abroad "Truffle powder? No, there''s also shrimp powder added!" Chen Yu slightly raised his eyebrows, as the vor was indeed unique,bining mountain delicacies with seafood, and then mixing in the mostmon sweet and spicy pepper. "You''re very good, being able to taste the seasoning added to the sauce!" A very charming voice suddenly rang out from the side, and a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, holding a te of fried chicken nuggets, walked over with a smile. Although the girl hadn''t fully blossomed yet, her golden hair and blue eyes'' unique charm still made Chen Yu unconsciously take a few extra nces. "Did you make this sauce?" Chen Yu asked subconsciously. "Kind of, I just mixed some leftover ingredients together in a certain ratio!" Chen Yu looked at the young girl with admiration: "You have some interesting ideas, mixing truffle powder with shrimp powder, which doesn''t have a fishy smell, but instead has a refreshing taste, greatly reducing the greasiness of this fried food." The girl giggled and was about to put down the sauce in her hands when a bearded chef-like man ran out, fuming with anger. "What''s the matter with you, girl? Why are you messing with my recipe again? If the customers have a problem after eating this, will you take responsibility?" The girl was scolded and immediately hung her head, her face filling with grievance. "I just thought it would taste better this way..." "Better what?" The man interrupted the girl directly, snatched the te from her hands, and sniffed it under his nose. "They''re all leftover seasonings, and moreover, they''re mixed together, you''re simply insulting my creation." Chen Yu frowned, thinking to himself that it was just a piece of fried chicken, and yet he referred to it as a ''creation''. "I think this little sister has quite the idea, the sauce she made might even be patentable, and who knows, she might even score a ranking in saucepetitions!" The man rolled his eyes at Chen Yu: "What do you know? Our chicken nuggets here are famous far and wide, the choice of sauces has been very carefully selected, and a single misstep in vor can lead to customerints..." Before he could finish speaking, Chen Yu directly picked up the sauce from the table. "Good or not, let''s have the customers decide!" The man clenched his teeth and red at Chen Yu with a look of resentment. "Who are you to butt in on our business here?" Chen Yu''s mouth curled into a slight smile: "I''m also a chef, and if you''re willing, I''d like to challenge you. Let''s have apetition, and if I win, then you''ll have to ept this little sister''s sauce." The manughed uproariously as if he had heard the funniest joke ever. "Do you know who I am? In the fast-food world, I am..." "Alright!" Chen Yu interrupted him: "It''s just making fast food, let''s get started." Saying this, he immediately washed his hands and picked up the prepared chicken next to him. Seeing Chen Yu so immersed in making fried chicken, the man instantly became furious. He too put on a chef''s uniform and went to the mobile kitchen beside him, quickly stirring the chicken nugget mix. Actually, this kind of fast food is the least technical, but Westerners always like to make these simple thingsplicated, as if creating a new sauce or changing a frying method is innovation. Especially the man in front of him, although the raw materials he used seemed unimpressive, all the oil in the pot was a blend of six different cooking oils. While it could incorporate the unique vors of different oils into the chicken nuggets, it also added greasiness to them. By contrast, Chen Yu''s method was much simpler, being the most basic cooking technique, but before he put the chicken into the fryer, he gently rubbed it with his palms,pletely breaking down the fibers. At the same time, hepletely separated the bones from the meat! It wasn''t long before the two of themid out their finished products. The rich fragrance that wafted from the dishes quickly attracted nearby tourists, who surrounded the stalls, but most of them gathered around Chen Yu''s side. Although his fried chicken legs were simply deep-fried, beforehand he had treated them inconspicuously with a special preparation; a generous amount of sauce had already been infused into the meat. Therefore, after being fried, they carried a unique aroma. The chef, however, still had an air of superiority, merely staring coldly at Chen Yu before distributing his own fried chicken pieces. "Ladies and gentlemen, this person has broken the rules here. We are now in a contest, so please help us judge whose creation is more delicious!" Fried chicken legs and chicken nuggets, to put it bluntly, are the same type of food. However, when making chicken nuggets, there is greater flexibility to add other ingredients. Thus, in many instances, the taste of chicken nuggets is much superior to that of fried chicken legs. This was the source of the man''s confidence. Unexpectedly, after the tourists tasted the food prepared by both individuals, they turned their approving gazes towards Chen Yu. "Wow, how did you make these fried chicken legs? Crispy yet tender, they melt in the mouth." "Even without any sauce, they taste so much better than the chicken nuggets!" "Are you a professional fast-food chef? You''ve turned ordinary fried chicken legs into something so delicious." ... The people on the yacht gathered around Chen Yu as if they were meeting a celebrity, continuously praising him. Seeing this, the man''s eyes bulged; he hadn''t expected that his chicken nuggets would lose to Chen Yu''s fried chicken legs. "What''s wrong with all of you? Have you lost your taste buds? These chicken nuggets are my own creation, with a secret blend of ingredients." At this remark, the tourists suddenly got annoyed. "The way you say that, it''s as if his fried chicken legs weren''t personally made by him!" "Where did this guy get his confidence from? Insisting others praise his food." "It''s as greasy as this and still has the nerve to expectpliments, can''t understand what he''s thinking!" ... The man couldn''t help but bulge his eyes, instinctively took several steps back, and appeared utterly dejected. With his secret recipe for fast food, he had some fame on this beach. But after today, his reputation was probably gone. Chen Yu didn''t want to stay there any longer, as he didn''t wish to be the center of attention. Just as he was about to leave with Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan, the little girl from earlier suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Chen Yu''s arm. "Sir, are you from the Orient?" Chen Yu nodded, "What is it? Is something the matter?" "I''m going to study in the Orient next month, but I don''t know much about it. Could I learn some details from you?" Chapter 203: Chapter 203: Agreed Wedding "Study abroad? Which city are you preparing to go to?" Chen Yu asked subconsciously. He was quite fond of this young girl, not only because she was beautiful, but also because she had a lot of interesting ideas. "It seems to be a city called Suzhou City! I''m going there to learn how to be a chef." Chen Yu''s eyes widened in surprise; he rarely saw Westerners go all the way to the East specifically to learn to be a chef. After all, given therge cultural differences between the East and West, if they trained in the East, they would only be able to stay in the East. Once they took what they had learned back to the West, it simply wouldn''t adapt to the local lifestyle and would inevitably be eliminated. "So you n to stay in the East in the future?" The young girl nodded, "I was an orphan to begin with, and I''m very interested in Eastern culture, so I n to develop there in the future." Chen Yu pointed to a small yacht nearby: "That yacht is rented by us; we can go there and chat in detail." The young girl immediately got excited and followed Chen Yu and his family to the side. After a brief conversation, Chen Yu learned that the girl''s name was Ke Lan. She grew up in an orphanage and was sent to a Catholic church when she got a little older. Later, through self-study, she managed to get into a localmunity college, and she also worked at a restaurant near the beach. Before this, her life had been very difficult, but now she basically had saved enough money to study abroad and didn''t need to put up with the attitude of that chef just now. As they were chatting andughing, sudden violent waves surged upon the sea. [System warning, a tsunami will approach in ten minutes, please evacuate immediately] Chen Yu''s eyes widened as he quickly drove the yacht towards the shore, while using a megaphone to warn the people on the coast. But everyone scoffed at his warning; after all, it was a clear sky, and it didn''t look like a tsunami was possible. Chen Yu sighed helplessly and could do no more than to leave the area. Before long, a monstrous wave surged over the sea, instantly overturning all the yachts and boats near the shore, even reaching up onto the beach. Edinburgh Studios. As soon as Fang Yuan finished a day''s filming, under the guidance of Han Mintao, she entered an ancient-looking pce. "Miss Fang!" A supremely handsome man reached out to Fang Yuan with a smile. Fang Yuan also returned a smile, "Mr. Edward, it''s truly an honor to meet you here!" Brown Edward was the head of the current generation of the Edward Family, and the wealth he controlled was beyond the reach of ordinary people for several generations. "Miss Fang, have you looked over the previous contract? I wonder if this time the coboration can proceed normally?" Fang Yuan quickly responded, "Of course it can! However, there are some details we still need to discuss." Brownughed elegantly, "Of course, but toplete this contract, we need to reach a private agreement between Miss Fang and myself." Fang Yuan immediately had a bad feeling, "What agreement?" "Miss Fang and I are to have a faux engagement!" Fang Yuan''s eyes widened in shock, "What do you mean by this?" Brown took a bottle of red wine and poured two sses, "Western resources have been depleted, and expanding overseas resources requires entering the Eastern market, so I need an intimate Eastern face by my side." Fang Yuan immediately understood that Brown wanted to expand the overseas market by leveraging her identity. In fact, this was also a fair trade, after all, what Fang Yuan needed now were resources, while what Brown needed was the market. The benefits were mutual, and on the surface, there seemed to be nothing inappropriate. Just as Fang Yuan was about to agree, Han Mintao, who had been standing behind her, suddenly stepped forward. "Mr. Brown, there are some things we need to discuss in detail, after all, engagement is not something to take lightly as a joke." Brown frowned, such conditions were perfectly normal in the West, and there were even marriages used as content in treaties. He had already made a considerable concession by bringing the standard down to engagement. "This is merely a use in our cooperation! Personally, I don''t see any problem, unless you are not genuinely interested in working with me." Continue the excitement on m_vl-em,py-r Han Mintao frowned, now that Fang Yuan had just gotten a foothold in the West, and before this, he had used some unsavory methods against Zhao Hai, causing the Imperial Capital Zhao Family to lose face. If he now epted the engagement with Brown and then went back to the domestic market, it would be like pping Zhao Hai hard in the face. The Zhao Family would definitely not let her go! By that time, it was uncertain whether the Edward Family would be able to continue protecting her and her mother. "I agree!" Fang Yuan suddenly spoke up, at the same time taking over the contract. Han Mintao''s eyes widened in disbelief and he quickly whispered in her ear. "Daughter, have you gone mad? Do you realize the Zhao Family in the Imperial Capital is still watching you?" Fang Yuan''s breathing became rapid, "I want to take a gamble! Maybe by using the power of the Edward Family, we can temporarily deter the Zhao Family, gaining some more time." Han Mintao was worried, "This way, you''llpletely fall out with the Zhao Family, and I might not be able to help you in the end." Fang Yuan bit her lip, "I''ve made up my mind! Otherwise, I will always be trampled underfoot by Chen Yu!" Han Mintao sighed helplessly, "Since that''s the case, I won''t say much more." After the mother and daughter had decided, they immediately signed the agreement. Once Brown confirmed there were no issues with the contract, he promptly fixed the engagement date and issued wedding invitations. ... Chen Yu''s family of three left the Aegean Sea beach and headed north, arriving at a religious sanctuary. Ke Lan was also following them the whole way. Once she knew that Chen Yu and his family came from Suzhou City, Ke Lan couldn''t hide her excitement, eagerly ying the role of a guide and showing the family around. When they entered the religious sanctuary, Chen Yu suddenly noticed huge posters at the entrance of every major church. The person on them was Fang Yuan. Tuan Tuan was also stunned upon seeing the posters, "I didn''t expect her to get married so soon!" Chen Yu simply nced at the poster, then rubbed Tuan Tuan''s little head. "Why bother caring so much? She''s a stranger to us now, besides, don''t you have your mom already?" Tuan Tuan giggled and clung tighter to Tong Ya''s arm. The church in front of them had already been decorated for a wedding ceremony, it looked like Fang Yuan and Brown''s wedding was going to be held here. Chen Yu raised his eyebrows, took a quick look around the church, and then left the ce directly. Chapter 204: Chapter 204: Sign the Contract in Advance As the family of three arrived at the entrance, a familiar voice soon echoed from nearby. "Mr. Chen! What are you doing here?" Katherine rushed over excitedly and respectfully performed a deep bow. Today, the youngdy was dressed in a gown, looking very elegant. Chen Yu was also somewhat surprised; as a direct descendant of William''s family, Katherine should have been staying in Frankfurt. Why had she suddenlye here, and dressed so formally at that? "I''m out traveling with my wife and child! What about you? Why are you dressed so grandly?" Katherine pointed towards the picture on the church, "To attend the Edward Family''s wedding, one must, of course, dress up." Chen Yu''s brows furrowed slightly, "You''re saying that person is from the Edward family?" "That''s right, he is the current head of the family, Brown Edward!" Tong Ya beside him was slightly stunned, subconsciously ncing back at the wedding poster. As a child, she had met the leaders of various ancient royal families in the West and had seen Brown when he was a child. But just now, her attention had been all on Fang Yuan, and she hadn''t noticed Brown. Looking at him now, Brown still bore some resemnce to how he looked in his childhood. Katherine reached into her gown and after rummaging around, she pulled out a few invitations. "Mr. Chen, this is an invitation to the inner ceremony of the wedding. Mr. Victor will be attending as well!" Chen Yu''s brows furrowed slightly¡ªhe really did not want to ept the invitation before him. On one hand, the person getting married was his ex-wife, and on the other was his delicate rtionship with William''s family. Just as he was about to refuse, Tong Ya suddenly reached out and took the invitation. "That''s great, Tong Group still has some overseas contracts to sign with William''s family!" Chen Yu looked at Tong Ya with a hint of confusion, not quite understanding what was going through the youngdy''s mind. But now, Tong Ya''s decision, in a sense, represented his decision. Moreover, since the invitation was already epted, he didn''t feel it was appropriate to say much else. "By the way, Mr. Chen,st time Mr. Victor had investigated the Eastern market and found that the semi-finished products sold by yourpany are very popr, hence he is interested in introducing them to the Western market." Chen Yu perked up at this;tely, Hou Jianchang had been bringing him good news¡ªfactory efficiency had increased manifoldpared to before. Furthermore, aprehensive cooperation with Tong Group had been achieved. ording to the current factory operations, they could achieve a production cost of three billion a month, with a profit reaching one billion eight hundred million. This was after deducting the factory''s various basic expenses and worker benefits. However, the products leaving the factory were barely enough to supply Tong Group; to supply the Western market, they would have to expand their factory. "At present, it appears that introducing my products to the Western market will take some time. The question is whether Mr. Victor can wait that long." "Of course!" Katherine raised her wrist and gently tapped a few times on the device attached to it. "If Mr. Chen is willing, I can sign an order with you right now, although my authority is limited¡ªMr. Victor has only granted me the power to exercise three billion." Chen Yu was slightly taken aback; in his view, Katherine was at most an executor for William''s family. To put it bluntly, a steward! ``` I couldn''t believe Victor actually gave Katherine the authority to exercise three billion. Such immense trust. "Aren''t we hurrying too much? Even if you sign the order with me right now, I''m afraid it''s going to take half a year to fulfill it, as I still have to expand the factory..." Before he could finish speaking, Katherine directly asked for Chen Yu''s corporate ount. "Working with Mr. Chen, let alone six months, even a longer time would be worth the wait for William''s family!" Chen Yu now felt a bit embarrassed; he has always wanted to avoid too much interaction with William''s family, even harboring some resistance. But now, it seems William''s family might be a very good business partner. "If that''s the case, then let''s find a ce to finalize the details of the contract!" Katherine nodded excitedly, "I know there''s a museum nearby. Let''s sign the contract there and also take the opportunity to visit the local sights." Chen Yu did not refuse, but pointed to Ke Lan beside him at the same time. "This youngdy is about to go to my city for study abroad. Could you perhaps help with some arrangements?" Indeed, Ke Lan was on the same path as Chen Yu, and they could take her back to Suzhou City after they finished their trip. But now, with the contract talks and the wedding attendance, there was definitely a conflict of schedules. Yet this youngdy was extremely talented; she might even be a catch for his own shop. Moreover, her background was pitiable; alone in this ce without family or a job, it didn''t seem right to just leave her behind. Katherine nced at Ke Lan and immediately made a phone call. It wasn''t long before two members of William''s family came to discuss things with Ke Lan. The Holy Empire Museum is one of thergest museums in the West. Almost every era and civilization from around the world can be appreciated here. There are even some Eastern treasures that have found their way to this ce. They only took a brief look around before finalizing the contract. However, Katherine did not sign in the delivery time section, effectively giving Chen Yu ample time. But just as they had finished signing the contract, an annoying voice suddenly rose from the side. "These past few years, more and more Easterners have beening here to visit. Could it be that they''re here to witness how their country''s history has been trampled under our feet?" With that statement, a fierce anger rose inside Chen Yu. Even Tuan Tuan, standing beside him, looked fiercely at the man who spoke. The fellow had golden hair and blue eyes, dressed quite appropriately, appearing to be a gentleman at first nce. But the disdain in his eyes and the aura he exuded were utterly sickening. Moreover, this guy was standing right beside a bronze square cauldron. Discover more content on m-vl-em-pyr Chen Yu could tell at a nce that the bronze cauldron was a relic from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, with arge amount of inscriptions on it. This artifact must have been plundered here during the invasion by the Western powers in the past, and now it was disyed as proof of their previous conquests over the Eastern people. [System prompt: This bronze cauldron is actually ate Qing Dynasty replica, and the verdigris is deliberately antiqued.] Chen Yu paused for a moment; the luster and inscriptions on the bronze cauldron exuded a sense of historical depth. If one didn''t look carefully, it would be impossible to recognize it as a replica. Yet even so, as the replica had been crafted nearly two hundred years ago, it still counted as a treasure. "Excuse me, could I ask where the person in charge of this museum is?" ``` Chapter 205: Chapter 205 Fried Rice with Eggs Chen Yu''s voice, when he asked his question, immediately attracted arge number of tourists nearby, and many people came over directly. "Sir, what do you want to do? Do you wish to buy this square cauldron and take it home?" A middle-aged woman with an air of sophistication, appearing to be in her forties or fifties, came over slowly. However, her tone wasced with a touch of mockery. Over the years, many Easterners hade here, trying to buy back cultural relics from their own country, but each item was exorbitantly priced, deterring many. The price tag on the bronze square cauldron before them was an astronomical 1.3 billion, not something just anyone could afford to buy on a whim. A hint of contempt shed in Chen Yu''s eyes: "You misunderstand, to me, this thing is nothing but a pile of scrap metal!" This statement immediately provoked public outrage. "Scrap metal! You really dare to say it, don''t you know? The inscription carved on this is about the ceremonial procedures during King Ping''s eastward move!" "No matter where it is ced, this object is a treasure among treasures; even 1.3 billion seems a bit low." "Where''s this brat from,pletely ignorant of the ways of the world!" ... But Chen Yu didn''t care about any of this and just stepped forward, cing his palm on the surface of the bronze square cauldron. "When King Ping moved east, although the technique of bronze casting had reached its peak, it was still mold casting! While this method produces bronze cauldrons that are extremely sturdy and collectively aesthetic, the distribution of the metal alloy mixture inside is not very even! This results in an uneven spread of verdigris." The entire hall suddenly fell into silence, as everyone stared at Chen Yu with a strange look in their eyes. The museum director''s face was full of shock. "What do you mean? Are you saying that thisrge bronze cauldron is a fake?" Chen Yu gently touched the cauldron''s body: "This verdigris is distributed very unevenly, and there are a lot of hammer marks, obviously, it wasn''t made with molds alone, but rather using the earthen kiln firing methods of thete Qing period." All the people present were unsettled and rose to surround and closely examine it, while even the museum director called several experts over. After studying it together, they found that, just as Chen Yu had said, the item was indeed a counterfeit made during thete Qing period. A group of experts felt utterly humiliated; this object had been on disy for such a long time, and they hadn''t spotted any clues, to the point that two of them furiously kicked the bronze square cauldron. Chen Yu didn''t linger any longer and turned to go to the adjacent calligraphy and painting exhibition hall. He figured that someone must have deliberately created a batch of fake treasures to sell to these Westerners at a high price. It never urred to him that not only did these people fail to realize the fakes, but they also showcased them in the museum for such a long time as prized possessions. "Dad, you''re amazing! How did you know that thing was a fake?" Chen Yu pinched Tuan Tuan''s little face and then pointed to his temple. "Of course, because Dad is smart." After a brief walk around, Katherine arranged a suite for the family of three to stay in temporarily. Once they were settled, Chen Yu, Tong Ya, and Tuan Tuan went downstairs to a small alley. This ce was simr to many food streets back home, with all kinds of local specialty snacks. Now that he had decided to sign with William''s family, Chen Yu had to take into ount the tastes and specialties of the locals. Just then, two burly men walked over quite aggressively and sat down at the empty table next to them, mming their hands down on the table. "Boss, if you can''t make dishes today that satisfy us both, then there''s no need for your restaurant to stay open." These two men appeared to be troublemakers on the surface, but the other patrons were not afraid at all. Instead, cheers erupted from them as the two men approached, some even egging them on. The owner hurried out, holding a spat and with a look of helplessness on his face. This owner was also an obese man, weighing over two hundred kilos, resembling a small mountain. Yet at the sight of the two men, a look of fear crossed his face. "I must say, the two of you have exceptionally particr tastes. I can''t make the dishes you want, so please try another restaurant!" But one of the two big men was having none of it. He stood up and pointed to a sign next to them. Enjoy stories on m_v lem|p-yr "Your sign ims to leave all your customers satisfied! We''ve been here several times now and have never been satisfied. By rights, that sign of yours should have been taken down a long time ago!" The owner couldn''t help but sigh, and somewhat reluctantly reached for the sign, preparing to pull it down, though still with some reluctance in his eyes. Thews of this ce were incredibly strict, particrly for the food industry. No matter the size of the establishment, if you put up a sign making certain ims, you had to fulfill everything written on it. Once aint from a customer was lodged, the authorities would shut down the restaurant straight away, and also remove the sign. In this ce, a sign was the face of a shop. If a restaurant was shut down, they could still set up shop elsewhere with their sign, but if the sign was removed, they would never be able to open a restaurant in their lifetimes again. Just as the owner was about to forcefully remove the sign, the tworge men became unhappy. "Boss, we''ve been eating here for many years, and we''ve always been extremely satisfied with the taste. Can''t you think of a way to make the vor we want?" The owner''s face was full of conflict; it was a difficult request for him. Not to mention that his cooking skills had teaued, the vor that the two men wanted was something they probably didn''t know themselves. Amidst the tug-of-war, Chen Yu suddenly stood up and took the spat from the owner''s hand. "Perhaps I can give them the taste they''re looking for!" Before the owner could react, Chen Yu had already walked into the kitchen. The guests who were dining there all stood up and crowded around. "Where is this Easterner from? He really doesn''t know his own limits. Those two are the most fastidious customers I''ve seen. Can he really satisfy them with a dish made on a whim?" "That''s where you''re all mistaken. The East is a mysteriousnd; their chefs can perform magic." "I don''t believe it unless he can really make something delicious!" ¡­ While the crowd was discussing, the owner also hurried back into the kitchen. At that point, he was willing to let Chen Yu meddle in the kitchen. After all, there was still a glimmer of hope. It wasn''t long before two simple servings of fried rice were brought out. However, the aroma that wafted from them took everyone present by surprise. Chapter 206: Chapter 206: Syndrome of Dry-Heat "My goodness, how did you do that? This is the first time I''ve ever seen anyone turn fried rice into a golden color!" "What are those red and green things? They''re so pretty!" "Why do I smell a sweet fruit scent?" ... Just as the crowd gathered around, those two burly men had already embraced two servings of fried rice and were wolfing it down. In fact, these two people''s requirements weren''t very high; all they wanted was a certain feeling from the taste. Chen Yu had known at first nce that the two men were suffering from a heat-rted illness due to the hot weather. Although this illness didn''t cause any substantive harm to the human body, it could make a person''s sense of taste deviate temporarily. Some people, after catching this illness, even developed a severe case and would eat things like sand or even rust. Chen Yu had simply added some heat-relieving sour plums to the fried rice, allowing them to fully integrate with the starch in the rice, creating a new vor. It not only stimted their taste buds but also cured their heat-rted illness. The two men suddenly looked at Chen Yu with excited eyes. "Is there more? I can eat ten more bowls!" Chen Yu couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow; where was he going to make that much food in such a short time? The plums and other seasonings were all local specialties, but the main staple food for the locals wasn''t rice but baked starch foods like bread. The rice used for the fried rice just now was some leftovers from the owner himself. Before Chen Yu could speak, the owner suddenly grabbed his arm. "Sir, could you do me a favor and make some more fried rice? You can keep all the profits from tonight!" Chen Yu frowned, as he had only intended to help out as a convenience, not to get himself roped in. But when he saw the people before him, he felt a surge ofpassion. Like those two burly men, they all had varying degrees of heat-rted illness and could potentially face problems if not treated promptly. Without saying much more, he turned and entered the kitchen, where the owner quickly took out two bags of rice. This was his treasured stock! After all, not many shops in this area had rice. [Congrattions to the host for earning three points] [Congrattions to the host for earning three points] Hearing the system''s notifications, Chen Yu felt a bit of relief; at least there was some gain. Ever since the system upgraded, he hadn''t heard the daily point tally chimes anymore. However, thankfully, although the points seemed very few now, the value brought by each point was much greater than before. Read further on m_vl em,pyr It wasn''t long before he steamed three pots of rice, processed the rice a bit, and then started stir-frying it in the pan. The customers outside had already be impatient, forming a long queue at the entrance of the small shop. Other passersby also stopped in their tracks, some even inexplicably lining up as well. [Congrattions to the host for earning one point] [Congrattions to the host for earning two points] [Congrattions to the host for earning one point] ... As more than a hundred servings of fried rice were sold, Chen Yu umted over two hundred points. ``` Moreover, he had taught the owner how to make this plum fried rice. Even as he left, the points continued to steadily umte. Early the next morning, Chen Yu and his family of three headed straight for the church. After a night of preparation, the ce had been transformed into a resplendent and magnificent pce. Basically, all the prominent figures of the West had arrived, with Victor, supported by Katherine, shuffling into the church. His excitement surged when he saw Chen Yu. "Mr. Chen," he eximed, "you left in such a hurryst time that we didn''t get to discuss some of the cooperation projects in detail! Fortunately, Katherine signed a three-hundred-million-dor contract with you. From now on, we are partners." Chen Yu felt somewhat embarrassed; to William''s family, a three-hundred-million-dor contract was but a drop in the ocean. Yet Victor valued it so highly, which was enough to prove that he now considered Chen Yu one of his own. After exchanging a few polite smiles, the group entered the church together and found a rather conspicuous ce to sit. No sooner had they sat down than the people next to them began handing over their business cards. Since Chen Yu and Victor were so close, everyone thought of Chen Yu as some big shot from the East. Tong Ya also took the opportunity to discuss some cooperation with Victor. Although the wedding had not yet started, all the business tycoons had already taken their seats, turning the ce into a sort of business gathering. It wasn''t until twelve noon, when the priest appeared, that the scene gradually quieted down. Brown and Fang Yuan entered the church slowly under the envious eyes of all. The Edward Family, being an ancient Western royal lineage, conducted their wedding with the splendor of a royal ceremony. At that moment, Fang Yuan was dressed like a queen, eliciting the envy of many women. No matter what the purpose of the wedding was, marrying into the Edward Family was a woman''s highest honor. Just as Brown and Fang Yuan were about to receive the priest''s blessing, Fang Yuan was startled to see Chen Yu in the crowd. Her heart was suddenly overwhelmed with emotions; she had not expected to see Chen Yu at this event. What surprised her even more was that Chen Yu hadn''t nced her way the entire time, only speaking in low tones with Victor. And when her gaze drifted over to him, Tong Ya suddenly straightened her back, grasping Tuan Tuan with one hand and Chen Yu''s arm with the other. It seemed like a disy of defiance. Fang Yuan''s eyes widened, her body trembled slightly, even the bouquet in her hand swayed involuntarily. Brown frowned and quickly reached out to grasp Fang Yuan''s arm. Han Mintao, who followed behind, was also startled by the situation. At today''s event, those invited to attend the wedding were all distinguished figures of the West, many of whom were even descendants of royalty. But he had never expected Chen Yu to be among them, and even more so with an invitation. This was enough proof that Chen Yu, to some extent, could sit on an equal footing with these Western tycoons. Han Mintao''s breathing became rapid as she subconsciously prayed in her heart, hoping that this marriage wouldn''t just remain a contract on paper but would materialize in reality. Perhaps only then could she and her daughter use the name of the Edward Family to get everything they desired. At least, they wouldn''t be trampled underfoot by Chen Yu. At that moment, the priest respectfully turned to Victor. "Mr. Victor, as the eldest and most honored person here, could you please ce the engagement rings on the couple?" the priest asked. No sooner had the words been spoken than Victor respectfully assisted Chen Yu to stand. ``` Chapter 207: Chapter 207: Purchasing a Bus "Mr. Chen is the person I respect the most in this world, and he is also my life-saving benefactor. In my opinion, he is the most honorable person here." Brown looked back at Chen Yu, a slight surprise in his heart. He had heard of Chen Yu before, said to be a miraculous doctor and a distinguished guest of William''s family. The William family had even notified the entire West that to disrespect Chen Yu was to be an enemy of the William family. Now that Victor had put Chen Yu forward in such an asion, it invisibly elevated Chen Yu''s status even further. But Chen Yu was a bit awkward, this was forcing him to preside over the engagement ceremony of his ex-wife. Tong Ya, standing to the side, naturally noticed Chen Yu''s difort and quickly stood up, performing a western aristocratic courtesy to Victor very gracefully. "Mr. Victor, after all, this is considered a royal wedding in the West, and we are merely guests. It''s not appropriate for my husband to conduct the engagement ceremony in terms of etiquette. It needs an esteemed and respected elder like you!" Her words were not only graceful and generous but also gave ample face to Victor. Chen Yu too smiled and stood up, "Old sir, please don''t decline, the role of the officiant belongs to no one but you!" By this point, Victor was no longer pretentious. The engagement ceremony ended up quite perfect, except that the bride did not disy any joy of getting married, instead, she was extremely nervous throughout. Even Brown was downhearted, it was just an engagement, there was no need for such a big reaction. Chen Yu sat there steadily, watching the entire ceremony. He didn''t care whether the wedding was real or fake; he and Fang Yuan once had some feelings, so waiting until the ceremony was over was already a blessing to Fang Yuan. After the wedding, Chen Yu only exchanged brief pleasantries with Victor, then left with Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan. They had originallye to travel the world, and certainly couldn''t stay here the whole time. In the following half month, they visited all the famous historical sites in the West before returning to Suzhou City. After resting for a couple of days, Chen Yu went directly to the factory. During this period, the system had been calcting the revenue ratios within the factory for him; he didn''t need to worry about anything, but the recent investments had been significant. He wasn''t sure if Hou Jianchang was too anxious or what. When he arrived at the factory, he found it somewhat different from when he left. Not only was there a new factory building, but also several dormitory buildings had been erected next to it, with even a small supermarket opened within the factory area. Chen Yu couldn''t hide his surprise, so the system had been calcting the ounts for him, but many specific investment directions hadn''t been marked out. Now, seeing the scene before him, he realized Hou Jianchang had invested most of the money into employee welfare. Even in the open space of the factory area, there were three buses parked, prepared for the employees living nearby tomute to work. As Chen Yu was wandering around, Hou Jianchang happened toe out of the factory building with two workers. "We must speed up the work progress, this batch of goods needs to be delivered in half a month!" "Don''t worry, Boss Hou, given our current progress, let alone half a month, we can finish it in ten days." Hou Jianchang''s brows furrowed, "What I want is not your assurances, but the quality of the products!" ... "Mr. Hou!" Chen Yu called out as he approached. Seeing Chen Yu, Hou Jianchang''s excitement surged, "Chen, you''re back!" Chen Yu nodded, "It seems you''re in quite a hurry. Are there a lot of goods to be delivered from our factory?" Hou Jianchang quickly took out a contract, "This is the contract with William''s family that you sent me before. I''ve looked it over carefully, and we must deliver this batch of goods as soon as possible!" "The market over there is different from the domestic one. We must seize the top resources in the shortest time, or else we''ll lose ourpetitive edge." Chen Yu nced at the contract in Hou''s hand and saw that itspletion had already reached sixty percent. "The goods for the West are not in a rush, let''s first ensure the supply for Tong Group!" Hou Jianchang nodded and then gestured to the driver nearby. The driver, not daring to dy, hurried over, but as he walked, he fished something out of his pocket, and by the time he arrived, he had another contract in his hand. "Mr. Hou, are you going to sign a contract with me?" Hou Jianchang didn''t reply but took the contract from the driver and handed it to Chen Yu. "Chen, this is a vehicle purchase contract, take a look!" Your journey starts at m_v le mpyr Chen Yu took the contract and saw that it was rted to the purchase of shuttle buses for the factory. Many factories usually rent buses from passenger transportpanies. It was unexpected that Hou Jianchang wanted to buy them outright. "Mr. Hou, is this really necessary? Our factory''s employee dormitories are located within the factory area, and there aren''t many employees living outside. Providing some bicycle or electric scooter sheds should suffice. Isn''t buying several buses a bit inappropriate?" He Jianchang did not deny Chen Yu''s point but took out an employee personal information sheet. "Indeed, we don''t have many employees living outside, but within the employee welfare promises we made previously, there are many detailed uses. The issue with the shuttle bus isn''t that I''m opposed to renting from a transportpany, but that their safety guarantees are often inadequate." Chen Yu pondered with his chin in his hand. In recent years, there had been frequent reports of factory shuttle buses involved in idents and rollovers. If any issues arose,pensation for the workers would be an astronomical amount. If he took control of the shuttle bus service and purchased sufficient insurance, it would indeed save a lot of trouble. "Alright, I agree. As for how many, you decide!" Chen Yu immediately signed the contract and handed it back to Hou Jianchang. The driver nearby became even more excited. Many of them rented their buses themselves, and whether it was insurance or other expenses, they had to cover it on their own. Sometimes, an ident could lead to financial ruin. Now that the factory was purchasing buses, it was like including them in the factory''s employment system. Not only could they enjoy the wages and welfare of employees, but they also wouldn''t have to live in fear every day. "Mr. Hou, Mr. Chen, then I''ll call over all the guys right away to form a team!" Hou Jianchang also signed his name on the contract and handed it back to the driver. "Call them all over, but I''ll have to make a selection. If their skills aren''t up to standard, I won''t take them." The driver patted his chest confidently, "Don''t worry, my guys have all been bus drivers for over ten years." Chapter 208 Three Lives Hou Jianchang didn''t exempt his drivers from assessment just because of one driver''s assurance; instead, he sent them an assessment procedure and then took Chen Yu to the factory area. A newly built factory area, still spearheaded by Xie Jiang, was running very well, just like the several factories he had constructed before. Since they needed to expand, it was natural for Hou Jianchang to seek out Xie Jiang. However, the factory had just been built, and expanding production would still take some time; they were still investing three hundred million a month. After inspecting the production lines, Chen Yu immediately had a new idea. The main business of the factory was marinated foods, semi-finished products, processed goods, and a portion of quick meal packages. These items were mainly supplied to supermarkets. Stay updated with m-v le-mpyr But the most important thing for food items was to coborate with restaurants, especially thoserge chain hotels and restaurants. If he could turn all the cuisines he was proficient in into meal kits and sign contracts with these restaurants, establishing long-term supply cooperation, then his business would reach a new level. However, one must take things step by step; even if he could make those meal kits, he couldn''t industrialize them in such a short time. Just then, a huge explosion echoed from not far away, apanied by a heatwave that instantly engulfed nearby buildings and even swept towards them. The fire rm went off instantly, and the security guards from the nt ran out from the duty room, each holding a fire extinguisher ready to support at a moment''s notice. Chen Yu also rushed out in a hurry, only to see mes shooting up into the sky not far away¡ªit seemed to be a factory less than five kilometers from here that had exploded. The raging fire spread quickly, enveloping several nearby factories, including two fuel chemical nts. If these factories were to explode as well, all the buildings within dozens of miles would be affected. "Old Hou, quickly bring out all of our factory''s firefighting equipment and help put out the fire," Chen Yu shouted instinctively while running towards the direction of the explosion. [System Alert: Danger ahead, please evacuate immediately] Chen Yu furrowed his brow, the center of the explosion had been severely destroyed, and there must have been heavy casualties, with the number of dead and injured still on the rise. He couldn''t just stand by at such a time. Hou Jianchang, along with all the fire personnel and firefighting equipment, quickly followed, while simultaneously calling the relevant departments. Fortunately, the fire was contained before it could spread too far, and it was quickly extinguished without causing too much damage. But on a clearingy a crowd of people who had been severely burned, where Chen Yu was sitting, setting up a makeshift medical tent, treating them. Among them was a middle-aged man, grimy with ash, sitting there in despair. When Hou Jianchang saw this person, he hurried over and helped him up from the ground. "Old Zhang, what happened? Your nt used to run so smoothly; how did it suddenly explode?" Zhang Baichuan looked up, bewildered, "The factory had been struggling to operate for a long time, many facilities were aging, and I didn''t get the chance to overhaul them before this happened." Hou Jianchang let out a helpless sigh. People like them who ran factories often lived in dire straits. Let''s not even mention whether the products they produced could be sold in a timely manner; the sheer amount of rted investments was enough to make them walk on thin ice. Once a problem emerged in any part of the process, even if the relevant departments didn''te knocking for a fine, they would still have to bear extremely serious consequences. Now, half of the entire factory had been blown up, and there were so many casualties; the loss was self-evident. Zhang Baichuan might even face several years in prison. Fortunately, the explosion did not spread to the nearby factories, avoiding a lot of unnecessary trouble. Hou Jianchang didn''t know what to say and was justforting Zhang Baichuan on the side. At that moment, Zhang Baichuan suddenly lifted his head, grasping onto Hou Jianchang''s shoulder like grabbing a lifesaving straw. "Old Hou, I remember when your factory faced a crisis. You managed to breathe new life into it in less than two months. What method did you use? Do you have any experience to share with me?" Hou Jianchang frowned involuntarily and nced instinctively at Chen Yu, not too far away. "I merely received help from a benefactor who provided me with an investment, which allowed me to integrate my original factory and change the main business, and that''s how it started running again! Otherwise, the creditors would have driven me to jump off a building long ago." Despair filled Zhang Baichuan''s face once more: "Does that mean my life hase to an end?" [Congrattions, host has earned twenty points.] [Congrattions, host has earned fifteen points.] [Congrattions, host has earned thirty points.] ... A series of notification sounds kept ringing in Chen Yu''s mind. Most of the victims rescued from the fire were healed by him, including a few who were on the brink of death. In the end, except for the three people who were instantly killed at the epicenter of the explosion, everyone else was saved by Chen Yu. [System notification, the factory area is close to the host''s factory area. It is rmended that the host acquire it to expand the factory size.] Chen Yu stretched his muscles and slowly stood up, ncing at Zhang Baichuan, who was sitting there sobbing bitterly. This factory was probably his everything, and now that it was gone, he likely didn''t want to live anymore. Chen Yu patted the dust off himself and was about to walk over when Zhou Shengtao and several rted personnel came over. "Zhang Baichuan, you are the person in charge of this factory, aren''t you? Such a serious incident has urred; pleasee with us. Additionally, we will assign someone to investigate your factory." Zhang Baichuan''s body stiffened on the spot, followed by convulsions, and he even spat out foam from his mouth. It seemed likely that the immense pressure had caused a disruption in his bodily functions, leading to acute myocardial infarction. Chen Yu quickly ran over, grabbed Zhang Baichuan''s body, pressed twice on his chest, and then grasped his neck to massage it up and down. Before long, Zhang Baichuan came around. "Team Leader Zhou, can the investigation be postponed for now? Look at the state he''s in; even if you take him away for an investigation, you won''t be able to figure out anything." Chen Yu and Zhou Shengtao, after all, had an old rtionship, so Zhou Shengtao naturally considered his words. But this situation also put Zhou Shengtao in a difficult position. "Little Chen, the investigation can wait! But now that there have been three fatalities, I can''t just ignore it." Chapter 209 Entrance Selection Chen Yu also furrowed his brows, indeed, other matters were negotiable, but awsuit involving a fatality could be troublesome. Even if they could dy here for a few days, what about the deceased''s family? "Old Zhang, how much insurance did your factory have originally?" Hou Jianchang suddenly asked from beside him. Zhang Baichuan looked helpless: "Even with the insurance payout, it''s only enough to cover half of the loss, and I have to pay the rest out of pocket." "What if you sell the remaining part of the factory to me in a package deal?" Chen Yu asked casually. Zhang Baichuan was startled momentarily. His factory was already blown up like this, and the remaining half of the facilities were probably unusable. Now, the only things of value were the various formalities associated with the factory. By acquiring his factory at this time, Chen Yu was essentially buying a heap of junk. "Chen, have you gone mad!" Zhou Shengtao hurriedly pulled Chen Yu aside. "The factory is in this state now, if you buy it, you''re essentially buying its liabilities. You might have topensate part of what the deceased''s family demands." "It''s okay, Captain Zhou, I can afford this amount of money. Besides, by acquiring the factory, I can also relieve you of some unnecessary trouble." Find thetest on m.v.l.e.m.p.y.r Zhou Shengtao nodded, then said no more. Hou Jianchang pulled Zhang Baichuan in front of Chen Yu: "Old Zhang, what are you hesitating for? Since Chen has said he wants to buy your factory, he''s not just talking. Hurry up and bring all the documents here, and tally up the losses while you''re at it." Only then did Zhang Baichuan react, quickly calling over the factory''s ountant and the heads of each department. It wasn''t long before everything was tallied up. The entire factory, including the registered investment costs, totaled thirty million. Judging by the damage from the explosion, at best it was worth ten million. After going through the insurance andpleting variouspensations, what Zhang Baichuan would have in hand in the end was likely less than a million. But fortunately, he avoided possible debt and the disaster of imprisonment, and still had a little money in hand to keep himself afloat. Chen Yu just nced at the materials tallied by Zhang Baichuan, then generously signed his name on it and paid ten million on the spot. Zhang Baichuan was ecstatic after getting the money, at least he could avoid the immediate crisis. With Zhou Shengtao''s help, Chen Yu handled some necessary procedures. By the time everything was settled, it was already 8 pm. Chen Yu, Hou Jianchang, and Zhang Baichuan sat on the stone stools outside the dmissioned factory. "I really didn''t expect, a lifetime of hard work in building this business, to go up in smoke just like that!" Zhang Baichuan wore a bitter smile, even when the cigarette in his hand burned down to his fingers, he felt nothing. Hou Jianchang could very much rte. He had been swindled previously, nearly going bankrupt. If not for Chen Yu''s help, the consequences would have been unthinkable. "Old Zhang, don''t think too much about it now. If there''s anything in the future, just give me a call. I''ll definitely help if I can." Zhang Baichuan didn''t say much, just exchanged a few polite words before driving away. Chen Yu then made a brief inspection of the factory''syout and the damaged parts. It wasn''t long before the system''s prompt sounded in his mind, with aplete nning schematic appearing immediately thereafter. Simultaneously appearing were connections to the original factory and some machinery manufacturing ns. However, to realize all these, it would likely cost a substantial amount. Fortunately, in his previous mission in the Arctic, he had made an extra two billion-plus, so this amount of money was nothing to him now. "Old Chen, this factory is separated from ours by just one street, and it''s not even a main road. Apply for it and the road can be modified. Then we canpletely connect the two factory areas to create an industrial park." Hou Jianchang''s eyes gleamed, evidently, he had thought about this countless times. After all, everyone who owns a factory wishes their industrial area could develop infinitely, even annexing the factories nearby. Chen Yu let out a sigh, "Tomorrow I''ll present the n, then we can connect the two factories into one." The next morning, Chen Yu drove Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan to school. This primary school was one of the most famous in Suzhou City; a significant portion of the students were special admission students. They were directly selected from kindergartens. Tuan Tuan''s dancing talent might have ranked her first in kindergarten, but it wasn''t certain here. The students who came here were not just from Suzhou City, but also outstanding students from the capital. Studying here could definitely offer Tuan Tuan a better future, but thepetition she would face was far crueler than before. The family of three had just arrived at the school when they noticed countless luxury cars parked at the entrance, even a lot of nanny cars. Compared to them, Chen Yu suddenly felt that his hybrid car wasn''t much to look at. "Please, all new students apany your parents to the selection hall." Chen Yu frowned, "Didn''t they say the special talent students were already admitted in advance by the school? Why is there still a selection process?" Tong Ya was somewhat helpless as well, "That''s what they said, but after all, this is a well-known primary school, and to some extent, a prestigious institution, so they categorize students based on their family''s status." Disgust appeared in Chen Yu''s eyes, "Isn''t this just forcibly dividing students into ranks? It''s better if we don''t attend such a school." "Don''t be impulsive!" Tong Ya quickly grasped Chen Yu, "Though you say this, the school has strong teaching resources, especially the students selected for the key special talent ss. The educational resources they enjoy are even richer than the highest in the capital." Chen Yu nced at Tuan Tuan beside him; his daughter deserved the best education no matter what. Moreover, after the ss division, Tuan Tuan''s ss would certainly consist of rich students, which would mean a higher average quality that could benefit her future growth. Exhaling a heavy breath, Chen Yu didn''t say more, simply followed Tong Ya''s persuasion and headed towards the hall. Yet just as they approached the hall, Chen Yu saw a donation station. There were many donation projects, mainly aimed at adding to the school''s infrastructure. And amazingly, the person in charge of the donations had clearly listed the parents'' names and the amounts donated, disyed prominently for all to see. This induced an invisiblepetition among the parents. They would subconsciouslypare to see who donated more. Moreover, ording to the school''s unwritten rules, the more a parent donated, the more educational resources their child would receive in turn. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 210 Scrapped Machinery Thergest amount on the donation list right now is twelve million, and judging by the name at the front, it muste from a certain family in the capital. Chen Yu frowned slightly, still somewhat hesitant to ce his daughter in such apetitive environment. The teacher in charge of recording donations politely stood up, "Sir, may I ask how much you n to donate?" Tong Ya directly took out her phone, ready to make a transfer. It seemed that she had been preparing for today''s donation since Tuan Tuan was in kindergarten. "No need for such trouble!" Chen Yu stopped Tong Ya and casually took out a bank draft worth one hundred million from his pocket and ced it on the table. "Teacher, if someone donates more than I do, please notify me, and I''ll add another hundred million!" The teacher responsible for registration shot up, her mouth agape with disbelief. In the history of the school''s admissions, the highest donation they had ever received was only ten million, and now someone had just donated a full hundred million. There were only a few individuals in Suzhou City with a worth over a hundred million, and even in the capital, such people were rare. By the way Chen Yu acted, it was clear his worth was at least several billion; otherwise, he wouldn''t have so casually dropped a hundred million. "Right this way, please!" The registration teacher hurriedly directed Chen Yu and a staff member came over and took him away. Inside an extravagantly decorated ssroom, there were only five families and their children. Seeing Chen Yu enter, they immediately got up, approached him warmly, and presented their business cards. Chen Yu simply replied with a smile, barely shaking hands in response and saying hardly a word, not even carrying his own business cards. After all, he was just a restaurant owner; where would he have business cards? "The Tong Family from the capital!" Tong Ya''s seemingly indifferent remark instantly shocked the five families present. Afterward, their attitude became much more respectful, and they even told their children they must never cross Tuan Tuan in any way. The Tong Family from the capital was undoubtedly an enormous entity, ranking within the top twenty super families globally. Chen Yu was somewhat helpless; it wasn''t that he didn''t want to use the Tong Family''s identity, but he felt that it could bring unnecessary trouble to Tuan Tuan. However, such a name served as protection in some respects. After briefly interacting with the families, Chen Yu found a spot to sit down. Then, several well-dressed teachers came over and respectfully introduced themselves. From their demeanor, it was clear the six children in this ssroom would be a ss and would be educated by these teachers before them. Moreover, these teachers would also provide one-on-one tutoring to the six children if necessary. This greatly pleased Chen Yu, as it meant that Tuan Tuan would, at least, not be at a disadvantage from the start. By five o''clock in the afternoon, all the admission procedures and processes wereplete, and Chen Yu took Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan back to Shui Yue No. 1. But as soon as he sat down, Xie Jiang called him. Having eaten only a few bites, Chen Yu hurriedly rushed to the factory. At that moment, next to the factory that had been sted beyond recognition, arge number of workers were busy at work. Xie Jiang and Hou Jianchang were controlling some of the details on the side. Seeing Chen Yu arrive, Xie Jiang excitedly greeted him. "Chen, I really didn''t expect you to give me such a big project this time. To cope with your partnership, I had to start severalpanies on top of my original construction team, and now my business is growing bigger and bigger." Chen Yu didn''t say much, merely taking out the blueprints he had prepared. "Xie, when constructing the factory, you need to leave some spaces for me; I might acquire all the factories here in the future." Xie Jiang immediately became excited; as Chen Yu''s businesses expanded, he could also get a share of the profits. All the major projects that Chen Yu had ordered so far had been assigned to him. With just these projects, he had earned a fortune that a regr person couldn''t in a lifetime. "Great, I''ve got that covered, but you''ll need to guide some of the details. The requirements on your blueprints are indeed a bit challenging." Chen Yu patted Jiang Xiejiang on the shoulder and walked onto the ruins. "You didn''t call me here in such a hurry just to discuss blueprints, did you?" Xie Jiang swiftly beckoned to a few workers nearby, and then a huge robotic arm was ced in front of Chen Yu. "We checked earlier with Old Hou and found that there are a lot of machines buried under the debris here. Although they''ve been affected by the explosion, with a little tidying up, they can still be used!" "If we collect these machines for reuse, it could save us a considerable sum." Chen Yu frowned slightly; the machines he was about to build didn''t need these mechanical arms at all, at most he could disassemble some of their parts for reuse. "Forget it, better to call a recyclingpany and haul it all away!" Hou Jianchang quickly stepped forward, "Chen, let''s keep these things. As the old saying goes, ''A broken-down family may still have a hidden treasure.'' These mechanical arms mighte in handy in the future, and besides, the technology used in them is world-ss." Chen Yu patted Hou Jianchang''s shoulder, "Then I''ll leave it to you to handle." As they were speaking, a sudden, jarring shout burst from the side. The workers, who had been focused on their tasks, were all drawn to the source of the noise. They saw a massive hole under a pile of rubble, which was unconnected to the adjacent building and extended deep underground, filled with water. [System Alert: There is arge number of ancient tombs nearby. It is rmended that the host contacts the relevant departments before constructing the factory.] Chen Yu''s eyes widened. Wherever there was arge number of ancient tombs, relevant authorities would be involved, which would dy the construction of the factory. Just as he was about to call Zhou Shengtao, an X-ray terrain map suddenly appeared in his mind. It was ayout map of all the nearby factories, showing that beneath this area there were several ancient tombplexes to varying degrees. From the construction of these tomb chambers, most appeared to be from the Yuan dynasty, with some even tracing back to the Tang dynasty. Chen Yu was instantly thrilled; if the relevant authorities got involved, most of the nearby factories would be affected, and some would even be forced to relocate. Chapter 211 Creating an Industrial Park ording to the analysis diagram provided by the system, the original factory area of Chen Yu only had a few scattered ancient tombs on one side of the corner wall. Therefore, if relevant departments intervened, his factory area could be perfectly preserved. Although doing so was somewhat unscrupulous, Chen Yu had already tapped into the Western market, and his factory needed to be expanded. Moreover, many surrounding factories had already been half-dead due to their own reasons, even without the intervention of relevant departments, they couldn''t continue operating. In a sense, Chen Yu was saving them. With this in mind, Chen Yu contacted the relevant departments overnight, and it wasn''t long before they sent arge number of experts and professionals. An excited old professor, nearly sixty years old and wearing sses, grabbed Chen Yu''s hand and shook it vigorously. "Young man, you have such noble awareness! If it were an ordinary person who hade across such a group of ancient tombs, they would probably have dug them up themselves without thinking of notifying the relevant authorities." Chen Yu just stood there with a smile, as he had only reported the tombs under the ruins of Zhang Baichuan''s factory area and had not included the surrounding ones. However, he still unintentionally mentioned this to the old professor. Unexpectedly, the old professor became extremely excited and immediately ordered people to explore the nearby factory areas. Despite their exploratory technology not being as advanced as Chen Yu''s system, it was still quite sophisticated, and in no time they had analyzed all the subterranean structures in the area. The next day, the whole industrial park was in an uproar. "Have you heard? Arge number of ancient tombs have been unearthed beneath ournd, what are we going to do? My factory only opened a couple of years ago!" "Don''t mention you, I just built my factoryst year, I never expected such an incident to happen, looks like I might be forced to relocate." "Who would want to take over our factories even if we tried to transfer them now?" "The archaeological work alone will take at least half a year, who can afford the economic losses in that time?" ¡­ Almost all of the factory owners had gathered in the industrial park, chattering about what they would do in the future. Strictly speaking, the current situation was an act of God, and they had no choice but to move or transfer their factories. The most important thing was that most of these situations were also of social welfare nature, which might require them to pay out of their own pockets for the relocation. Just as everyone was feeling utterly dejected, Hou Jianchang arrived with a small bag under his arm, all smiles. "Fellow bosses, what''s happening today? It looks like there''s a gathering here!" Everyone was acquainted with Hou Jianchang and quickly came forward to greet him. "Old Hou, arge ancient burial ground has suddenly appeared underneath this industrial park, and we all don''t know what to do, so we''re discussing it here." "Really?" Hou Jianchang feigned surprise, "Well, what''s to be done? Have you all figured out a way out?" "Sigh, our entire fortune is invested in these factories, how are we supposed to deal with this on short notice!" While Hou Jianchang was chatting with the crowd, an elderly man suddenly grabbed his wrist. "Old Hou, I remember your factory was about to close down before, howe it has suddenlye back to life? Did you meet some sort of master?" Hou Jianchang chuckled, "What master? I just encountered an angel investor who not only provided funds but also projects, which brought me back from the brink." "Angel investor!" The crowd immediately buzzed with excitement and quickly surrounded Hou Jianchang. These days, angel investors were highly sought after, with substantial funds at their disposal, willing to invest in any promising project. Some even specialized in acquiring sunset industries, looking for partnerships to transform them. "Old Hou, we''ve been friends for many years, and now everyone''s in trouble. You must help us out by introducing us to this angel investor, and perhaps we could even offer a small share in our businesses." Hou Jianchang put on a hesitant expression. "This is a bit difficult; those types of investors are elusive, hard even for me to meet, not to mention that no one''s moneyes blowing in the wind. With this incident, I''m afraid they may not be so willing to invest." "Old Hou! There''s always room for negotiation. Please think of a way to introduce us, we can discuss sharing some equity off the record." The so-called "off-the-record equity" essentially bought goodwill; the person receiving it might not seem to do much on the surface, but without them, business transactions wouldn''t even be possible. Now, these factory heads were all counting on Hou Jianchang, or else they faced the prospect of bankruptcy and liquidation. "Alright then!" Hou Jianchang seemed to agree with difficulty: "I''ll go out on a limb for you brothers then! Let''s set it for tonight at eight. As for the ce, that''s up for you all to arrange." "No problem!" At this juncture, the group had few options and quickly agreed. At two in the afternoon, Chen Yu sat in the kitchen of his shop, fiddling with the seasoning packet in front of him. This was a new product he had just developed. Simply put, it was a method to process the finished dishes in a special way and preserve them. However, there were many factors to consider, such as food safety testing and whether the shelf life was long enough. It was very difficult to address all these aspects at once; the current preservative technologies on the market could only ensure one aspect. Chen Yu stood still as if frozen to the spot. But no one else dared to approach and disturb him, allowing him to think alone. At the moment, Chen Yu was attempting tobine all the knowledge in his head. He considered every preservation method, from physical to chemical and even biological techniques. But all these methods were too traditional, with noticeable ws, and he was reluctant to settle for any of them. While he was deep in thought, his phone suddenly chimed with a message. "Old Chen, everything''s set up, tonight at 8 PM, Sh¨¨ng Business Club!" Chen Yu''s lips curled upward. Before this, he had already arranged with Hou Jianchang and had also given the archaeology team a heads up. No one knew he was the one who had reported the burial site to the authorities, and he could also use the time to buy up the surrounding factories en masse, merging them into onergepound. Find adventures at m v lem|p-yr However, after a brief moment of happiness, Chen Yu fell back into contemtion. Now that the issue with the factory had been resolved, he needed to sort out the food preservation technology and apply for patents. Moreover, this technology had to obtain international certification, even reaching a global standard. After all, his future products would be for the entire world, and nothing could go wrong. Chapter 212 Application for Patent "Old Chen!" Ning Kai gently tapped Chen Yu''s shoulder and passed him a tabletputer at the same time. "I''ve looked at the preservative technologies of severalrge food factories. Should we learn from them?" Chen Yu shook his head, "These technologies are too traditional; we muste up with something new!" Ning Kai sighed helplessly. To create new technology, they needed a research and development team. Just thinking here among themselves wouldn''t lead to anything. Besides, they were chefs who had previously focused on fresh ingredients. Asking them to work on preservation technology was indeed challenging. Just then, a vast array of information suddenly filled Chen Yu''s mind, followed by the system''s alert tone. It was aplete set of sterilization and packaging processes, definitely more advanced than any food factory''s current preservation technology in the world. Chen Yu couldn''t help but smack his forehead; he had forgotten about having the system. Excited, he immediately grabbed the blueprints and started drawing. Before long, he had mapped out the entire process and organized the theoretical support for the whole technology. By four o''clock in the afternoon, Chen Yu had taken all the reports and materials to the relevant departments for verification. This process was quite troublesome; it wasn''t until six o''clock that he obtained part of the permits. After resolving these issues, Chen Yu went straight to Sheng Business Club. This ce was an ideal spot for doing business; everyone in Suzhou City''s business circles liked to negotiate deals here. When Chen Yu arrived, all the heads of the factories in the industrial park were already waiting there. Hou Jianchang was also there, making small talk with these people to liven up the atmosphere. But every face present bore a look of worry; if they didn''t transfer their assets and factories soon enough, it would be toote. The moment the relevant departments issued an order, they could forcibly demolish their factories, leaving them with paltrypensation at best, perhaps only a banner for protecting relics. When everyone saw Chen Yue in, they immediately became excited. Yet, some people furrowed their brows and looked Chen Yu up and down with caution. To them, Chen Yu was simply too young to be an angel investor. Unless he was a rich second generation who splurged money freely, but Chen Yu didn''t seem to be that sort of person. While people were specting, Hou Jianchang had already walked up and ushered Chen Yu to sit down aside. "Let me introduce everyone, this is the investor in my factory, President Chen! I went through a lot of trouble to invite him over, so if you have anything to discuss, go ahead. President Chen doesn''t have much time." While everyone was still hesitant, a person in his forties suddenly stood up and sat next to Chen Yu. "President Chen, my factory was just established less than a year ago, with a total investment of forty million! I n to transfer itpletely; please offer a fair price." With that, the man took out a pile of documents from his briefcase and respectfully handed them to Chen Yu. In fact, this person was also doubtful about Chen Yu''s identity, but with things havinge to this point, he couldn''t care less and was prepared to take a shot in the dark. Chen Yu just nced at the documents in his hand, made a brief analysis of the other party''s asset allocation, and then ced them on the table. "Your factory has too many burials underneath. I''m afraid they all need to be excavated. Right now, I can only purchase some of your factory''s equipment and your property rights, plus thend use rights of that parcel ofnd." "No problem!" The man immediately took out a seal and a signature pen from his briefcase, "Then please quote a price!" Chen Yu feigned contemtion, then signed a figure of fifteen million directly on the documents. "Given the current situation, this is the best price I can give you. However, I will take over all the current workers in your factory. Their insurance expenses and subsequent arrangements are all on me." The man got excited, although fifteen million wasn''t a high price, taking over all his employees was like a godsend to him. Not to mention the unemployment benefits alone for the workers would cost him quite a sum. Now that all the workers would smoothly transition to Chen Yu''spany, it was more than he could ask for. It also meant he would directly receive fifteen million, and he wouldn''t have to worry about anything that followed. After the contract was signed, Chen Yu took out a bank draft with a face value of ten million and then transferred another five million from a bank ount. Seeing this, everyone else no longer hesitated and queued up to sign contracts with Chen Yu. After taking over all the nearby factories andnds, Chen Yu spent a total of seven hundred million. Since this money was all from the bounty he earned during the mission in the Arctic, spending it didn''t hurt at all. It was already midnight by the time all the contracts were signed. The factory heads left in a hurry after signing their contracts, fearing Chen Yu might change his mind. Explore stories at m-v le-mpyr Little did they know that they were the ones at a loss. Chen Yu looked at the contracts before him, unable to contain his excitement. Now he could expand his factory without restraint and even build an industrial park in the shortest possible time. He had already analyzed the burial groups beneath the development zone, and most had been severely damaged with significant waterlogging. So even if the relevant departments exhumed them, they could only take away all the treasures after clearing the site. Eventually, thisnd could only be included in the scope of the development zone. The system had already provided Chen Yu with an excellent n to excavate the underground burial groups. In less than two months, the industrial park could bepletely cleared out. After quickly organizing the contracts in his hand, Chen Yu handed them over to Hou Jianchang. "Old Hou, I''ll leave these things in your care. Make sure to take good care of the workers who have transferred from those factories." Having said this, Chen Yu took out a one-hundred-million bank draft to be invested in settling those workers. After all, these workers were skilledborers, which would save him from any trouble when hiring in the future. After taking care of these matters, Chen Yu drove home. Little did he expect that as soon as he got there, he found Tong Ming with an elderly man sitting in the living room, chatting leisurely with Chen Guang. "Ah, young Chen is back! I haven''t seen you for a few days, and you''ve be even more handsome, and your build even stronger!" Tong Ming eximed excitedly as he patted Chen Yu''s shoulder. Chapter 213 2 Billion Order The elderly man standing next to them now stood up as well and walked over to Chen Yu''s side with a friendly demeanor. "Old Tong, is this the divine-doctor son-inw you were telling me about?" Tong Mingughed heartily, "That''s right, he has cured many difficult andplicated illnesses. Perhaps your condition, in his hands, would be nothing more than amon cold." Chen Yu immediately understood what Tong Ming was trying to do. "It''s nothing that deep, I just know some secret recipes for treating difficult andplicated diseases," he said modestly. The elder didn''t say much more, he simply sat down and extended his wrist. Without hesitation, Chen Yu took hold of the pulse to feel it. However, the next moment, he waspletely stunned. This older man''s physical condition was not much different from that of a normal person of his age, even quite robust, one might say. But his body was filled with an excessive amount of hemoglobin. Though this substance could keep someone''s body constantly active, too much of it could cause the body to copse. Chen Yu immediately took a fine needle from nearby, pricked the old man''s finger, and took some samples. "Sir, please wait here for me," he said. With that, Chen Yu went directly to the room next door. This room had been specially renovated into a medical room, which was fully equipped with all sorts of medical instruments, all imported from abroad by Tong Ya. Since moving here, there had been a constant stream of people seeking medical attention. To amodate this, Tong Ya had transformed this space into a medical room, with a traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy right next door. After a simpleboratory test, Chen Yu produced a diagnostic report. "Sir, your health is in a very unstable condition. Have you taken any particr medication recently?" he inquired. After a moment of thought, the old man replied, "It''s a kind of tonic. I have some on me." As he spoke, the old man took out a blue bottle from his person. Chen Yu frowned upon inspecting the ingredients listed on the medication, which were all in excessive amounts. Although they contained arge quantity of trace elements essential for the human body, the dosage was indeed too high. Chen Yu immediately took pen and paper and wrote a prescription. "Sir, I advise you to stop taking this medication! The stimtion to your body is simply too great. After returning home, take the medicine ording to this prescription for three days, and all the toxins in your body will be purged." The old man nced at the prescription, "Okay, I''ll give it a try." "You can take it with confidence!" Tong Ming pped the man on the shoulder and then took out a contract from his pocket. "Son-inw, thest batch of goods sold really well. They barely hit the supermarket shelves before they were sold out. I need arge restock. This time I''ll pay you one billion upfront, and you''ll supply us with the goods to my full demand," he said. Chen Yu readily epted the order, not passing up the business that came knocking at his door. "What goods?" asked the old man, who had leaned in closer, "Are they the new products you ced in the supermarketsst time?" Tong Ming nodded confidently, "That''s right, not only is my son-inw good at treating diseases, but the ready-to-eat products his factory makes are truly exceptional." The old man suddenly became excited, "Old Tong, you''re not being fair, keeping such good channels to yourself without telling me. Don''t you know that the biggest business under my name is the supermarket chain?" Tong Mingughed, "This is my son-inw, not yours; naturally, he''ll provide me with supplies first and foremost." The old man wasn''t having any of it and stood up, grabbing Chen Yu''s hand straight away. "Young man, you must recognize me! Back in the day, I carried the title of Retail King!" Chen Yu gave the elderly man a closer look, suddenly feeling a sense of familiarity. "Li Kaiquan? You are Mr. Li Kaiquan." Li Kaiquan nodded, "That''s right. The supermarket chain under my name is muchrger than your father-inw''s, at least three times the size. If you''re willing, we can sign a contract right now for an order of one billion." Chen Yu felt a bit helpless, "Sir, you may not be aware, but my factory is still in the initial stages of operation. Just handling this one billion order from my father-inw might take three months to produce; I''m afraid it won''t be easy to meet your demand in the short term." "Ah, why so inflexible, young man? Does it have to be one by one? They could be split into two parts, with each getting half," the old man suggested. "Li, you''re going too far now!" Tong Ming feigned anger, "I brought you here to get treatment, not topete with me for business." Li Kaiquan patted Tong Ming''s shoulder, "Don''t be so stingy, we can all make money together! If anything, I''ll just release a portion of my other market shares." "Alright, it''s settled!" Tong Ming pped the table in agreement, "Then you''ll give me a couple of your river channel projects." Li Kaiquan''s eyes widened, "Why do I feel like you''ve set a trap for me?" The two elders looked at each other and then burst into heartyughter, understanding what the other was thinking. Moreover, they already had many business coborations together. In supermarkets and food, Tong Group''s volume couldn''tpare to Li Kaiquan at all. But in construction projects, Tong Group was many times bigger than Li Kaiquan. Without saying much more, they signed the contract on the spot. Chen Yu smoothlynded an order worth two billion. At this rate, he mustplete the expansion of the industrial park in the shortest possible time, especially since there were still three billion worth of orders to fulfill overseas. The very next morning at eight o''clock, Chen Yu sought out the older professor who hade to do the survey before, passing over his own drafted n. When the professor saw the n, he was so moved that tears filled his eyes. The underground tombplex beneath the industrial park had suffered significant damage. If they didn''t clear it out as quickly as possible, the loss would be enormous. But typically, clearing operations for a project like this would take at least six months, and they simply couldn''t wait that long. Now, Chen Yu had provided them with a solution that would allow them toplete the work in just one month. "Young man, you''re really sending charcoal in snowy weather! However, looking at your n, it seems that an engineering team will still be needed, and we don''t have a ready one at our disposal," the professor pointed out. Chen Yu just smiled, "I happen to have one, and all the sries for the engineering team won''t be your concern; I''ll take care of that myself." The professor didn''t know what to say. This was originally meant to be an industrial park, and they were unsure about how to manage the excavation. Unexpectedly, Chen Yu had taken over all the factories. And now, he was also providing them with an engineering team. Chapter 214 : 214 The Final Challenge The old professor was nearly moved to tears, grabbing Chen Yu''s shoulders and shaking them incessantly. In the end, he even gave Chen Yu many backdoors, signing most of the relevant documents in his hands. Discover hidden tales at m vl-em-py-r This meant that while the underground tombs in the industrial park were being handled, Chen Yu could build his factory simultaneously. Once the tomb clearance wasplete, Chen Yu could almost immediately expand his factory on the basis of the original one. After signing the contract, Xie Jiang took the workers directly to the site, but facing such a massive project, he still had to recruit several nearby construction teams. Since partnering with Chen Yu, Xie Jiang''s business had grown everrger. He no longer nned on running his shop and decided to open a constructionpany instead. After handing over all the blueprints to Xie Jiang, Chen Yu left the ce. After all, it wasn''t their first coboration, so Chen Yu didn''t have any concerns. In the eastern suburbs of Suzhou City, a group of individuals with plump figures congregated, each with a grave expression. "Now the entire catering industry in Suzhou City has suffered a fatal blow, all taken over by that kid surnamed Chen." "Isn''t that the truth? Ever since the Food Association was liquidated, there has been no one to stand up for us." "Every breakfast shop in Suzhou City, even the restaurants, now eighty percent are shut down. If this continues, we might not even be able to keep our own shops." ... While everyone was discussing, an elderly man sitting in the seat of honor suddenly stood up. "We can''t go on like this, we need to send a few people to challenge that kid. I refuse to believe he can master every cuisine in the world." The crowd nodded in agreement. A matter between chefs had to be settled in a chef''s way. Chen Yu''s shop had nearly monopolized the entire Suzhou City catering industry, to the point where manypany canteens came to order braised dishes from him. How could those who specialized in providing meals forpanies or factory canteens ept this? Even a lot of people had left Suzhou City. "Chen Tian, Su Huan, you two are the best chefs here. Choose a few others to form a chef team and issue a challenge to that kid. It would be best to invite the big shots of Suzhou City to witness it." Two middle-aged men, still rather handsome, stood up from the crowd, each taking out something that looked like a contract. "Elder Guan, today the two of us brothers will sign this life-and-death statement right here. If we don''t win this time, we will leave Suzhou City on our own." Guan Chengshan hurriedly stepped forward to calm the two men down, "Things have gotten to this point, you don''t need to torment yourselves like this. Besides, this time is just about iming ast foothold for Suzhou City''s culinary world. If you lose, we simply move to another ce." Chen Tian and Su Huan sighed helplessly; they didn''t dare to sign any life-and-death statement. After all, their assets were in Suzhou City. If they just left like that, the loss would be too great. The two didn''t say much more, only selecting a few chefs from the crowd, then sent the challenge document to the relevant departments in Suzhou City. At this moment, Chen Yu was at Zhou Shengtao''s ce, helping him with a few portraits and picking up some rted certifications. His developed preservation technology had already been approved, and the remaining procedures had to be issued by Zhou Shengtao''s side. But when Chen Yu came to pick up the certifications, Zhou Shengtao held him up to work asbor. "The portraits you requested have been drawn, but the specific features of two people weren''t very clear, so they don''t resemble very much." Zhou Shengtao took the portraits, visibly excited as he patted Chen Yu on the shoulder. "Kid, the things you draw are always useable, and since we''ve caught the guy, your share of the reward will be given to you." Chen Yu waved his hand dismissively, "That''s not necessary, just having my pertinent certifications prepared will do." Only then did Zhou Shengtao realize, and he hurriedly handed over the prepared documentation to Chen Yu. "The items you''re distributing are in high demand on the market; if you manage to achieve mass production, that would be a considerable business opportunity." Chen Yu just smiled and nodded, not saying much. As he was about to take the material and leave the ce, two people rushed in, hustling and bustling. "Captain Zhou, we''re about tounch a challenge and need your department to bear witness. We hope you could sign off on some documents." Zhou Shengtao frowned when he saw these two people. "Launch a challenge? What are you trying to do?" The two were startled and quickly pulled a challenge letter from their person. "Please don''t misunderstand, we just want topete in culinary skills. Our object of challenge is none other than Chen Yu, who has been making waves in Suzhou City recently." Zhou Shengtaoughed out loud and then pointed to Chen Yu, standing beside him. "I thought you were up to something else. This is the person you''re looking for. If you want to issue a challenge, give it directly to him. Is my signature really necessary?" The two were taken aback, sizing up Chen Yu, and then produced a photo from their possession topare. "It really is you! You''ve already caused catastrophic damage to our Suzhou City''s catering industry. If we want to protect our business, we must challenge you. If you lose, please close your shop." Such words sounded altogether too presumptuous. Since ancient times, the catering industry has always relied on real strength topete for market share. The food from Chen Yu''s shop is tasty, affordable, and healthy, and asionally he introduces some medicinal dishes. Who wouldn''t like that? Moreover, the current situation reflects the choice of the masses in Suzhou City; it seems unfair to me Chen Yu. Zhou Shengtao also regarded the two men with an indescribable look. In his view, firstly, Chen Yu had not vited anyws, and secondly, having helped the authorities solve so many cases, he was naturally inclined to stand by Chen Yu. However, the expansion of Chen Yu''s shop was indeed drastic, not only striking a blow to Suzhou City''s dining industry but also leading to arge number of unemployed people. Thinking of this, Zhou Shengtao''s brow furrowed. "Chen, what do you think? Will you ept their challenge?" Chen Yu was somewhat helpless, as he had already faced many such challenges. But these two appeared to represent thest of Suzhou City''s restaurants. And seeing how serious the two of them were about it, Chen Yu agreed. After signing the necessary documents, the two hurriedly left the ce. Chen Yu then handed his factory''s nning blueprint to Zhou Shengtao. "When my factory starts up, there will likely be a need for arge number of job positions. I''ll need a lot of help from you in that regard!" Chapter 215 : 215: Tampering Zhou Shengtao''s eyes widened suddenly, for he knew that Chen Yu was expanding his factory, but he had not expected Chen Yu''s domain to be so vast. Almost the entire development zone had been incorporated into Chen Yu''s territory, and the factory workers who had been there before not only escaped unemployment but were also provided respective guarantees. This undoubtedly increased the number of job opportunities in Suzhou City. Zhou Shengtao, who had just been worried about Chen Yu creating arge number of unemployed people, suddenly became excited. "Little Chen, I really didn''t expect your business to grow so big! Also, about that challenge, just watch out, anyway, all the influential people of Suzhou City will be at the scene, and we''ll all be on your side." Chen Yu didn''t say much more, simply taking his documents and leaving the relevant department. At eight o''clock in the evening, while Chen Yu was dining with employees, a van suddenly stopped at the entrance of the restaurant. Seven or eight people scrambled out of the van, each holding a stick in their hands. "Who is Chen Yu?" Chen Yu frowned, "I am, who are you guys?" The man leading them pointed a stick at Chen Yu''s nose, "You''re the one who donated a hundred million at the school before, aren''t you? Think you''re really something, huh?" Chen Yu was full of frustration, previously at the school he had been pressured into making the donation, and now someone hade looking for trouble over it. "That''s me! What, is donating money wrong too?" The leading man snorted coldly, "Donating more than my big brother is wrong, die!" As his words fell, these people charged forward. Wang Qingshan and Ning Kai hurriedly stepped forward, trying to stop them. After all, the service staff in the restaurant were mostly young girls, easily frightened. But Chen Yu moved faster, jumping out and swinging his fists. In less than a minute, several men were knocked to the ground, with the leader pinned under Chen Yu''s foot. "By the way, who exactly is your big brother? Why so petty? Just because my donation wasrger, hees to trouble me?" These men were already scared out of their wits, with the leader screaming miserably. "My big brother is Zhao Erhu from the south of the city!" Chen Yu was startled for a moment, he had heard of this Zhao Erhu before, seemingly a real estate developer in Suzhou City, also somewhat famous. It was said that he had a worth of at least two billion. Unfortunately, with the real estate industry in a slump, his worth was high, but the liquid funds he could free up were not much. Previously, when donating to the school, he had onlye up with eight million. Because of this, Zhao Erhu''s child did not get into the so-called one-on-one professional tutoring ss. Since he became wealthy through tough methods, facing such a scenario, he naturally wouldn''t let it go, including on his hit list anyone who donated more than him. "Zhao Erhu, huh!" Chen Yu said with disdain, "Go back and tell your boss, if he dares to make trouble here again, I definitely won''t be polite." The men nodded repeatedly, quickly got into the van, and fled in a panic. "Old Chen, this Zhao Erhu is not easy to provoke, he was and ruffian before he got into the real estate business." Wang Qingshan frowned worriedly, having spent over a decade in Suzhou City himself, he understood the local forces very well. When he first opened his shop, Zhao Erhu came to collect protection money with his men, if it weren''t for Wang Qingshan having some influence in the area, he might have been harassed into closing down by Zhao Erhu. Chen Yu didn''t care about that much, since Zhao Erhu had already sought him out, he couldn''t back down, otherwise he would only make the other party think he was weak and easy to bully. With a n in mind, Chen Yu directly called Zhou Shengtao, and at the same time, a set of ns emerged in his mind. He wanted topletely swallow up all the businesses under Zhao Erhu''s control. The next morning at ten o''clock, Suzhou City stadium was already a sea of people. The culinarypetition that had been agreed upon beforehand was set here, and with all the massive publicity, it had attracted almost the entire poption of Suzhou City toe and watch. Today, there were four people who hade to challenge Chen Yu, Chen Tian, Su Huan, Zhou Zheng, Li Tai. All four of them were top chefs, whether in Suzhou City or the whole country. They had even teamed up to participate in a world-sspetition. Today, Chen Yu had to confront these four people at the same time. "Chen Yu, today''spetition between us has no personal grievances, it''s only to fight for thest lifeline for Suzhou City''s catering industry. If you lose, please honor your previous promise," one said. Chen Yu sighed helplessly. Originally, he had wanted to purposely lose to these people to save them face, but he didn''t expect that they would be so aggressive. His foundation was now in Suzhou City, and the industrial park was being built; there was no way he could leave here. "Ladies and gentlemen, since everyone is struggling to survive, let''s each rely on our own capabilities topete!" Chen Yu dered, then made his way to his open kitchen. It must be said that the organizers were extremely serious about equipping the props and ingredients. Even the kitchen knife felt great in his hand. Just as Chen Yu was getting ready to start, he suddenly realized that the cutting board next to him felt strangely light. He tapped on the cutting board and discovered it was hollow. For a Chinese cuisine chef, the cutting board is most important; such a hollow cutting board would greatly limit performance. Chen Yu looked up sharply and saw that the cutting boards used by the others were all substantially heavier. Then it dawned on him that these people had tampered with his tools. Discover new content at m vl-em,py-r [System prompt: The high-pressure cooker''s internal system has been tampered with and could easily explode.] Chen Yu sighed helplessly, not expecting these people to stoop so low just to win thepetition. "Ling Ling, is there any way to deal with this?" he asked. [The host''s situation is quite bad. Although the other party has tampered with the tools, ording to the rules, the host must bear all of this.] ''I''m not asking you to analyze the situation, I''m asking you to give me a practical solution.'' [The host just needs to spend five hundred points, and leave the rest to Ling Ling.] Chen Yu''s eyes widened. The speed at which he was umting points was so much slower than before. It really pained him to deduct five hundred points all of a sudden. But given the situation at hand, he had no choice but to agree. The next moment, a blue and white light shed by, and all the kitchen utensils emitted a crisp tinkling sound almost simultaneously. However, everything happened so quickly and the sound was so soft that it didn''t attract anyone''s attention. Chen Yu''s lips curled up slightly, his face filled with confidence once again, as he grabbed the kitchen knife beside him and began to wield it. Chapter 216 Mastering the Eight Major Cuisines "This is impossible, the cleaver has been tampered with; how could it not have shattered after so many chops!" Zhou Zheng was bing anxious; he was mixing some soup base, and unconsciously scattered all of the seasoning into it. Li Tai''s breathing also became rapid involuntarily: "That cutting board is hollow and can''t possibly withstand the force of chopping; how did he manage to cut the vegetables?" The four of them instantly tensed up, their gazes all fixed on Chen Yu, just waiting for him to make a fool of himself. ording to the rules of thepetition, if there was the slightest mistake with Chen Yu''s equipment, he would be dered the loser. But as time went on, Chen Yu became more and more adept, and his speed also kept increasing; on the cutting board, he had prepared ingredients for a total of seven dishes. The four of them gave up any hope and could only bury their heads and concentrate on cooking their own dishes. Not long after, a rich fragrance spread across the stadium, drawing the attention of everyone there. Some members of the audience even couldn''t help themselves and walked down from the stands, wanting to take a closer look. "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix!" Chen Yu suddenly shouted, and then he presented a huge te. This dish is a ssic in the Huizhou cuisine, made with over a dozen types of poultry and aided by hundreds of cooking techniques. Various side dishes and meats were neatly arranged on the te, forming a picture of the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, with the phoenix in the center looking dazzlingly colorful. Especially, the mix of scents from the hundreds of cooking techniques used in this dish created an extremely unique aroma, making all the judges unable to resist. When this dish was served, the judges quickly gathered around and eagerly took a bite. "Delicious, so delicious! With one bite, the vors of pigeon, chicken, duck, and goose meat blend together; it''s incredibly tasty." "What''s this sauce made of? Taking a bite, I can taste several vors evolving on my tongue." ... These judges were some of the rare gourmands in Suzhou City, and theirments were enough to prove how delicious this dish was. The spectators in the stands could hardly wait; they were dying to rush down for a taste. The four opponents had no choice but to speed up the movement of their hands. While Chen Yu was cooking, his knife skills and techniques were superior to theirs, and even the mes he used for cooking were muchrger than typical gas mes. They had also heard of the dish Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, a very difficult dish to prepare. To create it, one had to prepare ingredients and sauces half a month in advance, and most importantly, the knife skills during the cooking process were highly challenging. Under circumstances where ingredients were ample, even the best chefs would need a full day toplete it. But Chen Yu had used less than twenty minutes from start to finish. Just as the four were filled with anxiety, Chen Yu took out another dish from the steamer. "Drunken Fish in Scorched Rice!" Anyone with a bit of culinary background would start upon hearing the name. This dish is strictly speaking a Huaiyang cuisine, but it has been fused with Cantonese cuisine to form a new cooking method. The rich aroma of fish had already captivated all judges, bringing them back from the intoxicating taste of Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix. At a nce, the dish seemed like a simple steamed fish, but upon closer inspection, one would realize that this fish was dissimr to ordinary fish. It actually had various characteristics of different fish. The significancey in the sheer size of this fish, which astonishingly weighed over twenty pounds. One of the judges also hurried forward, eager to taste the dish without dy. "It''s incredible how more than twenty kinds of fish can be mixed together, yet each retains its own unique vor, too perfect!" "Not only does it preserve the individual vors, on a certain level, it also blends them without any sh of tastes, a true masterstroke of genius!" ... Just these two dishes had already surpassed the understanding of Chen Tian and his peers. The two dishes just prepared by Chen Yu could both be considered exquisite cuisine; if not well made, they would be nothing more than a jumbled mess, but if done right, they were a heavenly delicacy. At this moment, they knew they were no match for Chen Yu; as chefs, once they had started a dish, they had to finish it. All four mustered their courage toplete their dishes and lined up to present them to the judges. Each of them made two dishes, totaling eight in all. It must be said that these four were also top-tier chefs, and the dishes they made were of a world-ss standard. In another ce, these eight dishes might be considered superb. However, in front of Chen Yu, these eight dishes were just ordinary home cooking. The judges had already had their expectations recalibrated by the previous two dishes and hardly had the interest to taste the eight dishes. Instead, their gazes were locked onto Chen Yu. ording to the rules, Chen Yu alone had to make eight dishes; with only two presented so far, the anticipation for the remaining six grew. Chen Yu did not disappoint the eager judges, and before long, the remaining six dishes were sessively brought out. "Jade Rabbit Adorning the Moon! Carp Leaping Over the Dragon''s Gate! Drunken Sleep on the Battlefield, Laugh Not! Tramping Through Snow in Search of Bears! Lone Boat on the Clear River in Moonlight! Golden Dragon Stirring the Sea!" The moment the six dishes were served, all the judges straightened up, staring intently at the six tes. These dishes were mostly legendary, and together with the two served earlier, they could be said to embody the essence of China''s eight major culinary traditions. The judges didn''t bother with formalities and hurried forward to taste them. "To eat such dishes in one''s lifetime is worth dying for!" "I never thought someone on this earth could master all eight major cuisines simultaneously and bring out the essence of each." "If I''m not mistaken, this ''Tramping Through Snow in Search of Bears'' must have used a mix of pork and mutton to rece bear paws!" "Jade Rabbit Adorning the Moon has a great name, and the dish is superb, it''s rare to see rabbit meat cooked to this level." ... In the tidal wave ofpliments, even Chen Yu felt somewhat ted. The other four sighed in resignation. By now, they were clear in their hearts that they might never be able topete with Chen Yu in their lifetimes. Just the first dish, the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, was enough for them to study for a lifetime. Chen Yu didn''t say much, but simply took out the contract they had signed earlier and ced it on the table. "Although thispetition originated from a challenge, I believe that chefs should get along amiably and avoid such life-and-death stakes. Moreover, this contest was merely an exchange of skills, and its oue doesn''t signify anything!" As his words fell, Chen Yu directly took the life-and-death contract they had signed and tore it into pieces. Chapter 217: Chapter 217 Accident Occurs Chen Yu''s demonstrated vision and demeanor instantly conquered everyone present. Especially the big shots who were invited here, they had an even greater appreciation for Chen Yu. Before this, Zhou Shengtao had already given them a brief introduction to Chen Yu, leaving a good impression on everyone. Now Chen Yu''s image in their minds had risen considerably. An elderly man who appeared kind and benevolent stepped forward and patted Chen Yu on the shoulder. "young man, you''re doing great! No wonder Captain Zhou thinks so highly of you. I heard you''re setting up a factory recently, that''s very good. If you encounter any difficulties, you cane directly to me." Chen Yu was somewhat ttered, although he had basicallypleted all the necessary paperwork by now, but he was sure to encounter plenty of trouble during the construction process of the factory. "In that case, I shan''t be shy!" The old manughed heartily, "Work hard, the future is unlimited for the youth." Having gained the old man''s approval, the others didn''t say much else, and many of the big shots even stepped forward to hand their business cards to Chen Yu. Guan Chengshan didn''t say anything more upon seeing this scene, after all, he was one of the major figures in Suzhou City''s culinary world, and it wouldn''t be proper for him to lose his status at such an event. After all, the contract from before was clearly written in ck and white, whoever lost had to leave Suzhou City, but now Chen Yu had torn up the contract, which gave them enough face. If he continued to dwell on it, it would make him look petty. Thepetition quickly became the talk of the entire Suzhou City, and Chen Yu''s fame grew even more. On the afternoon thepetition ended, the visitors to Chen Yu''s shop doubled from before. And sales volume more than tripled. Chen Yu was surprised but didn''t pay too much attention to it, as this had be quite normal for the shop, and with its size, it was well able to handle the influx of more visitors. After thepetition, Chen Yu went straight to the factory. The ce looked somewhat chaotic, with archaeological workers and Xie Jiang''s people mixed together, cleaning the underground tombplex on one side, and clearing up the factory buildings on the surface on the other. Xie Jiang had also made the greatest effort to keep the equipment left over from the factories, saving Chen Yu a considerable amount of cost. Just then, a terrible scream suddenly erupted from not far away, and two people who looked like students fell straight into a pit on the ground. Chen Yu frowned, now being a critical moment for cooperation between the two sides, not a single mistake could be afforded, otherwise all his ns would be ruined. Without hesitation, he rushed over, only to see two archaeological workers had fallen into an extremely narrow inteyer, with nearby nails already wounding their bodies. One of them had even been pierced through the body by old steel. "Call an ambnce quickly!" The old professor immediately became anxious, as these workers were archaeologists he had selected from his institution. Nowadays, very few students are willing to engage in archaeology, and if these two were harmed, it would make recruiting for the archaeology departments even more difficult in the future. Chen Yu, while calling an ambnce, also summoned the medical staff from his factory. To ensure the basic living standards of the employees, Hou Jianchang had previously established a dedicated clinic. ``` After all, most of the workers in his factory were disabled, which made various problems prone to ur. After Chen Yu took over the factory, he even expanded the clinic into a small hospital and specifically hired several relevant doctors. The old professor was extremely anxious at this moment, not knowing what to do. The pit was incredibly narrow and the two students who had fallen were trapped, unable to move, and the blood from their injuries had turned the pooled water below red. Chen Yu took a moment to adjust his breathing, and his joints started to make crackling noises. Then, before the eyes of all, his body actually shrank in size, allowing him to forcibly squeeze into the pit. "My God, what kind of kung fu is this? Could it be the legendary Bone Shrinking Technique?" an archaeologist suddenly eximed. While the others were also astonished, none made any sound, as they were too preupied with the fate of the two people below to pay attention to anything else. Once inside the pit, Chen Yu grabbed the iron nails and steel rebar next to him. He suddenly exerted tremendous strength in his hands, snapping the steel rebar, then carefully pulled the two workers out. The water at the bottom had umted over many years and was teeming with countless viruses, not to mention that the rebar and nails were rusty, which made tetanus a real risk. As soon as he emerged, Chen Yu immediately took out acupuncture needles he carried with him and sealed the workers'' acupoints to stop the bleeding. At that moment, the medical staff from Chen Yu''s factory brought over the emergency medical kit. Chen Yu quickly used the medicine to treat the workers'' wounds and gave them a mixture of pre-prepared herbal decoctions to drink. Before long, scabs formed on their wounds, and theirplexions began to ease up. "Thankfully, there''s nothing serious. They just need to rest for a couple of days, and their injuries will heal." Hearing Chen Yu''s words, the old professor and the other workers immediately breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, the old professor and the other workers looked at Chen Yu with eyes full of near-worship. The old professor, in particr, excitedly grasped Chen Yu''s hand. "Chen Yu, I had no idea you were also skilled in medical arts. If it weren''t for you, my two interns might have been doomed here." Chen Yu felt a bit embarrassed; the old professor really could not control his emotions. "They''ve just suffered some minor injuries and nothing too serious. Besides, I only helped to treat their wounds." "You''re too modest!" The old professor praised him a few more times, then told the others to rest. They had been working intensely for two whole days, and a great number of burial sites had been cleared, so it was natural they were tired. Realizing that there might have been issues with their work after this incident, the old professor quickly ordered his subordinates to rest. Xie Jiang and the other workers didn''t care about that. They took the opportunity to manage the nearby pit, pumping out the water and pulling out all the discarded rebar and concrete. To others, these materials might only be industrial waste, but to them, with just a bit of processing, they could be recycled and reused. Seeing this, Chen Yu nodded in satisfaction. Xie Jiang was indeed one of his own, always considering his interests. If it were anyone else, they would have already sold these materials. ``` Chapter 218 Coach Rental Company "Everyone, lunchtime!" Hou Jianchang''s voice suddenly rang out from the side. He had driven up in arge truck, which was loaded with factory-made ready-to-eat products. After all, under these circumstances, it was impossible to establish aplete cooking system right away. Although Xie Jiang''s construction team came with their own chef, such mass-produced site meals probably wouldn''t be ptable to those involved in archaeology. Hou Jianchang had proactively taken on the task of handling the meals for the past few days. He didn''t just bring products from the factory, but also had the canteen steam arge quantity of steamed buns. Chen Yu, though he had just taken part in a cookingpetition, had rushed over here without eating and sat down to have lunch with the archaeology team. As they were eating, an old van suddenly appeared not far away. Soon after, five sleazy-looking middle-aged men crawled out of the vehicle. "Where''s Li Zongze? Get your ass out here!" Chen Yu furrowed his brows; he had never heard of the name Li Zongze, so how could he possibly know where he was? However, at a nce, he knew these people meant trouble, and the idea of them harming any of the archaeology workers was unthinkable. Just as he was about to stand up, Hou Jianchang suddenly stepped up to intercept them. "What do you want with Old Li?" The leader raised the stick in his hand, pointing it at Hou Jianchang. "Hurry up and get that old bastard out here, he still owes us money!" Hou Jianchang sized up the men in front of him: "You''re from the bus rentalpany, aren''t you? Whatever Old Li does, it''s his own choice. Youing here is an infringement on his personal freedom!" The sleazy man snorted coldly: "I''ve already told you, he owes us money, it has nothing to do with the rentalpany." Hou Jianchang stood his ground, as he clearly understood the situation. Li Zongze was now the factory''s dedicated driver, and he had also brought several skilled drivers with him here. This undoubtedly had touched the bus rentalpany''s interests. Them sending people to make trouble here made sense now! Chen Yu directly joined Hou Jianchang''s side: "Old Hou, don''t waste your time talking to these people,e over and eat." Worry was written all over Hou Jianchang''s face; Li Zongze was an important employee under their care, and they could not afford any mishaps. Seeing their determination, the men stopped their idle talk and charged with the sticks in their hands. But they had barely run two steps before Chen Yu kicked them and sent them flying. "So it''s the bus rentalpany, huh? Go back and tell your boss that after this industrial park is built, I will need many buses! They can choose to cooperate with me, or they can choose to oppose me. As for the consequences, let them weigh that for themselves." These people were not professional thugs to begin with, and after being kicked away by Chen Yu, they didn''t dare make another move. They scrambled into the van and quickly fled the scene. Chen Yu furrowed his brows as he suddenly realized that some of Suzhou City''s business tactics were indeed a bit unsavory. Justst night, Zhao Erhu had sent people to make trouble at his shop, and today, the bus rentalpany actually sent people to the factory to cause trouble. Chen Yu wasn''t afraid of people causing trouble, but no one could handle endless disturbances. "Old Chen, what''s up?" Xie Jiang led a dozen workers and hurried over, looking ready for a fight. "It''s nothing, just a few insignificant hooligans," Chen Yu dismissed casually, suddenly grabbing Xie Jiang''s shoulder. "Old Xie, your constructionpany is getting bigger and bigger. Are you interested in bing the number one constructionpany in Suzhou City?" Xie Jiang was first stunned, then instinctively took a few steps back. "Old Chen, don''t make fun of me. Suzhou City is a new first-tier city after all, and the real estate business has long been divided up by others. How could there be a chance for me?" Chen Yu just smiled, "No problem, as long as you want it, it can be yours!" Xie Jiang''s breathing suddenly became rapid, not one of the things promised by Chen Yu had ever failed! "Old Chen, are you really sure?" Chen Yu pointed to the industrial park in front: "Right now, all the so-called real estatepanies can''t get a decent project. This industrial park can be said to be the biggest piece of fat in Suzhou City." "With this project, yourpany should be able to enter the top ten in Suzhou City. With a little more effort, what can''t you achieve?" Xie Jiang clenched his fist subconsciously: "Old Chen, just tell me what to do!" "I''lle up with a n for youter, and use my resources and connections to help you. You just need to focus on your own work." Xie Jiang immediately felt his blood boil. When he started in this industry, he only wanted to make some extra money to supplement the household ie, but he never expected to grow so much. Now, he even had the qualifications topete with the big real estate tycoons of Suzhou City! Chen Yu didn''t say much more, simply returning to the construction site to continue eating. After a brief rest, the old professor continued the excavation with a group of workers. The surface cleaning work was basicallyplete, and now it was just a matter of digging everything up from underground. Right then, two workers dug up arge ck box. As soon as the object was excavated, it emitted a strange fragrance. However, this fragrance seemed to carry an anesthetic effect, and two workers fell unconscious immediately. "Everybody, back off!" The old professor shouted anxiously, quickly grabbed a spare gas mask from the side, put it on, and dragged the unconscious workers away. "Drowsy Sandalwood!" Chen Yu''s eyes widened at once; this fragrance was not from an ordinary wood but a fine substance known for calming the mind and enhancing cognitive faculties. In ancient times, many nobles used this fragrance for their beds, as it not only induced fast sleep but was also believed to extend life and benefit one''s health. The two workers weren''t poisoned, they were simply put to sleep by the strong scent. "Leave this to me to handle!" Chen Yu suddenly called out, stepping forward to lift therge ck box, and quickly ran off to one side. This item, whether as a medicine or for other purposes, was top-quality, and Chen Yu naturally wanted to keep some for himself. Seeing the box carried off, the old professor also breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, everyone continue the excavation. However, be cautious about safety, avoid any unidentified objects, and don''t rashly handle them." The group responded in unison and resumed their hard work. Right then, a business van abruptly stopped near the construction site. Chapter 219: Chapter 219 Home Visit for Cooperation A man dressed as a driver hurried out of the car and headed straight for Hou Jianchang. "Director Hou!" Hou Jianchang''s eyebrows were deeply furrowed, "President Wang, what kind of wind has blown you here?" President Wang smiled somewhat sheepishly, "Director Hou is joking. No matter what, we were bound to coborate¡ªit''s fate..." "Those who came to make trouble just now seemed to be your subordinates, President Wang!" Hou Jianchang cut him off directly, "And now youe to talk about cooperation with me, isn''t that a bit inappropriate?" President Wang apologized with a smile, not daring to say another word. His bus rentalpany had already been experiencing financial problems, and he had been unable to pay his drivers'' wages for some time. Now, with Li Zongze taking away several skilled drivers, hispany''s difficulties werepounded. Originally, he wanted to send some people over to cause trouble for Hou Jianchang and incidentally bring Li Zongze back. But after those people were taken away, President Wang became anxious. Everyone around knew that the industrial park was being renovated. It was clear to everyone how many employment opportunities woulde with itspletion. So how could President Wang let such an opportunity slip by? Even if it meant losing face, he had to seek a chance for coboration. "Appropriate? How is it not appropriate?" President Wang clung desperately to Hou Jianchang''s sleeve, "We''ve had quite a few coborations before and are familiar with the terms and rules. Of course, we should continue to work together." Hou Jianchang''s brow was still furrowed; he had never encountered such a shameless individual. Chen Yu also walked over with raised eyebrows, "President Wang, are you here to discuss business?" President Wang did not dare show any negligence, quickly grabbing Chen Yu''s hand. "Exactly, here to discuss business! You must be the legendary Chen Yu, I heard the factory was revived thanks to your investment." Chen Yu let out a light chuckle, "Since we are talking business, we should have the proper attitude and setting. It doesn''t seem fitting here, does it?" "Where do you suggest we go? I''ll arrange it right away!" President Wang was behaving like ackey at the moment. A mischievous smile shed across Chen Yu''s face, "I really don''t have time right now, but how about this? You go back first, and after the industrial park ispleted, we can talk, how does that sound?" President Wang hesitated slightly, yet with Chen Yu having spoken to this extent, he could not say much more and simply handed Chen Yu his business card. "Director Chen, just call me when the timees!" After seeing President Wang off, Chen Yu was slightly annoyed. "If we really start coborating with this kind of person, we are likely to be the losers." Stay with m_vl_em_p_yr Hou Jianchang also sighed, "My past coboration with him was purely because he had a few drivers with good driving skills. When I was in a tough spot, this guy also stabbed me in the back." Chen Yu did not say anything more, but simply tucked the business card away and then went to check on the progress of the construction site. Although there was already a rough framework, many details had changed with the ongoing excavation. Therefore, it was necessary to make more ns for these details. By eight o''clock in the evening, Chen Yu had drawn dozens of blueprints. These blueprints were extremely professional, not only considering the subsequent factory construction but also greatly facilitating the work of archaeologists. Even the old professor could not help but exim upon seeing these blueprints. After exining some details to everyone, Chen Yu went straight to a business restaurant. By the time he arrived, Zhao Erhu had long been waiting there. In the afternoon, Chen Yu had called Zhao Erhu to arrange a dinner meeting for the evening. "Mr. Chen, such a big shot, making me wait until now!" Zhao Erhu''s tone was sarcastic, and the murderous intent flickering in his eyes seemed like he wanted to tear Chen Yu into pieces. "I don''t recall forcing you to wait for me here!" retorted Chen Yu directly, seating himself without concern for the other. Zhao Erhu''s eyes bulged like copper bells, and he mmed his huge fist down onto the table fiercely. "Kid, I''m here to give you face! Tell me, how are we going to settle the issue with the school?" Chen Yu frowned deeply, "What do you want to do?" Zhao Erhu snorted coldly, "To get into the one-on-one tutoring sses, the donation must be over ten million. Here''s the deal, you give me another eight million, and we''ll call it even." A look of disgust shed through Chen Yu''s eyes, "I think it''s better like this: your child doesn''t need to attend that school anymore, and all your assets in Suzhou City are no longer yours!" Zhao Erhuughed as if he had heard a joke. "You mean to take away my assets in Suzhou City? Who do you think you are? Donating a hundred million doesn''t mean a thing. Even if youe from a great family in the capital, you still have to y by my rules in Suzhou City." Chen Yu had originally nned to negotiate with Zhao Erhu amicably, but he hadn''t expected him to be so aggressive. "Since that''s the case, there''s nothing more to talk about! I''ll give you three days to prepare. After three days, yourpany will enter bankruptcy proceedings." Having dropped that statement, Chen Yu turned and left. Zhao Erhu became furious and ordered his men to chase after him. But unexpectedly, as soon as his men caught up, they were kicked back into the room by Chen Yu. At ten o''clock in the evening, Chen Yu returned to Shuiyue No. 1. Tong Ya was still practicing dance moves in front of the TV with Tuan Tuan at that moment. After all, dance is a skill that can be rusty if not practiced daily. However, Tuan Tuan seemed a bit unhappy. "Tuan Tuan, what''s wrong? Were you bullied at school?" Chen Yu was worried, especially since he had just met with Zhao Erhu. A child raised by such a person might well do something excessive to other ssmates. But Tuan Tuan sighed like a little adult. "Today, someone stopped me, insisting that I had taken his spot in the tutoring ss. He also said that in a few days, my spot would be canceled and given to him." Chen Yu was furious, "Did he do anything else to you?" Tuan Tuan shook his head, "The school assigned me a bodyguard. That guy just threw some harsh words at me and then the bodyguard took him away." Chen Yu immediately heaved a sigh of relief; it seemed the school''s conditions were quite good, at least the hundred million hadn''t been wasted. "In the future, if you encounter such people at school, there''s no need to pay attention to them!" Tuan Tuan nodded her little head, "I don''t want to deal with such a lunatic. Besides, his voice was particrly annoying, and none of the students like him!" Chapter 220: Chapter 220 Ginkgo in the Snow Chen Yu didn''t say anything more, Tuan Tuan had been with him since she was little, although she had endured some hardships, her mind was much more mature than other children her age. She was still capable of handling things at school by herself. Chen Yu ruffled Tuan Tuan''s little head, "No matter what happens at school, you must tell Daddy when youe back." Tuan Tuan pouted and made a face. "I''ve already told Mommy though, you can ask her tonight!" Chen Yu couldn''t help butugh, "Smart little devil." After joking around for a bit, Chen Yu called the teachers at school to ask about Tuan Tuan''s situation before going back to sleep. The next morning at nine o''clock, Chen Yu made his way to the shop unhurriedly. The shop had now been registered as a business and was considered an independentpany. Usually, Chen Guang and Li Lan would keep an eye on it,pletely freeing Chen Yu from worries. When he arrived, he found Tong Ming and Li Kaiquan taking up a couple of tables with some bodyguards, leisurely eating braised noodles. "Son-inw,e over here, Old Master Li has something to ask you," Tong Ming called out, pulling out a chair beside him. Chen Yu didn''t dare to dally and quickly took a seat. "Old Master, if there''s anything, you could''ve just called me, whye in person?" Li Kaiquan pulled out several business cards from his pocket. "This is a bit embarrassing to talk about, so it has to be in person." Chen Yu nced over the business cardsid on the table and noticed they all belonged to significant figures from the capital. Themon feature among these people''s photos was a dull bluish-gray color on their foreheads. At first nce, the bluish-gray color didn''t seem like much of a problem, but when considering their ages, it was the harbinger of their demise. "Old Master, you''re not thinking of having me treat these people, are you?" Li Kaiquan gave an embarrassed smile, "These are all old friends of mine, they all took the same medicine as me before, and now each person''s health has deteriorated! You cured me, so I thought maybe you could cure them too." Chen Yu collected all the business cards, "Their illnesses are not hard to treat, but there''s a particr medicinal ingredient that''s extremely hard to find, I''m afraid..." Li Kaiquan instantly became excited, "Don''t worry about the medicinal ingredient, these people have assets totaling more than ten trillion, no matter how rare the ingredient, they can find it." Chen Yu hesitated, "This ingredient isn''t something you can find just because you have money! Have you ever heard of the Snow Ginkgo?" "Snow Ginkgo!" Li Kaiquan''s eyes widened, "I''ve heard of it, does their illness require this particr ingredient?" Tong Ming, sitting nearby, was also startled, "That''s problematic, Snow Ginkgo is even rarer than the Snow Lotus, it''s said that someone saw it on the northern slopes of the Himyas decades ago, but that was many years ago." Chen Yu let out a deep breath, "The ingredient does exist, it''s just that in recent decades no one has been able to climb to the summit from the northern slopes of the Himyas, hence no one has seen it since." The despondent look on Li Kaiquan''s face was once again filled with hope. "I will send them a message right away, to organize a team to climb the northern slopes," he dered. Chen Yu quickly interjected, "Old Master might not be aware, while there are many routes up the Himyas, some are akin to hell on earth, no one is willing to take them!" "The Snow Ginkgo grows in an area that is a chasm, any who choose to climb from there, none have returned alive." Li Kaiquan let out a long sigh, "Looks like my old pals can only die slowly in agony." "That''s not how you should put it!" Chen Yu leaned back in his chair, "Maybe I can make the trip, but such a life-risking taskes with a high price from me." "No problem! All these guys have left is money, they''re willing to give as much as..." "I disagree!" Tong Ming directly interrupted Li Kaiquan, "We''ve already said it''s a deadly task, how can I let my son-inw do it? What if something goes awry, what about my daughter?" Li Kaiquan suddenly felt a bit awkward, unsure of what to do. Chen Yu cleared his throat twice, then leaned in close to Tong Ming''s ear. "Dad, actually that ce is very safe, I just said that to drive up the price." Tong Ming steadied his emotions, "Are you sure?" "Of course!" Chen Yu hastily patted his chest to assure, "I will definitelye back safely." Tong Ming was silent for a while, then looked toward Li Kaiquan. "Old Li, remember this, my son-inw is risking his life for you guys, after the task is aplished, you know what to do." Li Kaiquan excitedly grabbed Tong Ming''s hand, "Rest assured, I still have that much sense, how could I mistreat your son-inw." Chen Yu then asked about the specific conditions of the people on the business card and proceeded to prescribe medication for each of them. Afterward, he prepared to head to the Himyas. Tong Family Private Airport. Tong Ming looked at Chen Yu withplex emotions and patted his shoulder. "If you find that something''s not right,e back immediately, don''t try to be tough in that kind of ce." Chen Yu nodded, "Don''t worry, I will definitely bring back the Snow Ginkgo, and besides, your health also needs this medicinal ingredient." Tong Ming sighed softly, "Alright, when youe back this time, those old guys in the Imperial Capital should sign a contract with you, and then you''ll probably have to establish anotherpany in the Imperial Capital." Chen Yu was slightly taken aback; he hadn''t expected Tong Ming to have already nned out his future for him. Before he could speak, Tong Ming took out an identity tag. "After you return from the Himyas, just go directly to the Imperial Capital! This is an identity tag from a racing team of the Tong Family, help manage it when you get there." Chen Yu took the identity tag and boarded the ne directly. For many extreme sports enthusiasts, climbing the Himyas is an essential goal in their lives. Therefore, every year, many lovers of extreme sportse to the foot of the Himyas. There''s even a small town that has formed in this ce. By the time Chen Yu arrived, he found it to be extremely bustling, with none of the destion one would expect from a high-altitude area. Just as he entered the town, Chen Yu saw two strong men sitting by a stone table, arm wrestling. Veins popped on their faces as their bodies trembled continuously, indicating that it would be quite some time before a victor could be determined. Chen Yu just nced at them and went on his way toward the center of the town. Here, there was a store specializing in mountaineering equipment, all of which was top-of-the-line globally. Almost all climbers who came here bought their professional gear from this store. Chapter 221: Chapter 221 Familiar Route Chen Yu didn''t linger here any longer. After purchasing all the equipment he needed, he headed straight for the northern foothills of the Himyas. "Kid, you''re going the wrong way!" A rough voice suddenly called out from behind Chen Yu, "No one can make it up there, and all the paths have been closed off. If you keep going forward, there''s nothing but a dead end ahead." Chen Yu turned around to see a young man with a scruffy beard standing there. From the young man''s attire, it seemed he also nned to climb Mount Everest, only he was heading towards the southern foothills of the Himyas. Chen Yu cracked a slight smile, "Life, you see, is about taking on challenges, and I just want to find out just how perilous these northern foothills really are." Giving a nomittal response, Chen Yu continued on his way. Time passed, and when Chen Yu had climbed halfway up the mountain, he suddenly realized someone was following him - it was the young man from earlier. Chen Yu couldn''t help but stare in astonishment. This path was a dead end for ordinary people. His body had already reached the limits of human endurance, plus the system had provided the optimum climbing route and methods. As such, it was almost certain he would get the Ginkgo Biloba with little doubt, but for anyone else, once past the halfway point, the harsh environment could easily be fatal. "Hey, turn back, there''s no way ahead!" Chen Yu shouted instinctively. It seemed the young man didn''t listen at all, instead waving at Chen Yu excitedly. "You said life is all about facing challenges; I find that quite sensible, so I also wanted to try if I could scale Everest from this direction." Chen Yu began to doubt his own life choices; this guy was an absolute blockhead! At that moment, arge nket of snow suddenly slid down from the mountain peak. The terrain here was already extremely steep, and even without any sound, localized avnches would asionally ur. Though notrge in size, the force of the snow falling due to potential energy was quite formidable. Chen Yu couldn''t worry about that now, quickly pulling out a shield-shaped snow sledge from behind. As the snow from above fell, he dashed down with it, firmly grabbing hold of the young man''s arm. Then, using the falling snow, they hurtled towards a narrow path along the gully. [Maintain speed, turn left ahead, then turn right...] The system''s prompt continuously echoed in Chen Yu''s mind, keeping his nerves stretched tight. In such a harsh environment, only the system could provide the most precise navigation. After an unknown duration of gliding, a cave of moderate size suddenly appeared before them. Without any hesitation, Chen Yu immediately followed the system''s guidance, bringing the young man into the cave. The next moment, arge amount of snow sealed the route they had just used to slide in, even covering half of the cave. Once sure of their safety, Chen Yu gasped for breath, deeply and roughly. "Are you out of your mind? I''m here purely for the adventure, and if there was a problem I''d turn back. Now you''ve got us both trapped here, and who knows when we''ll be able to get out!" Chen Yu was somewhat annoyed; if he were alone, arranged by the system, perhaps he could have smoothly acquired the Ginkgo Biloba and left this ce, but now with this guy, it was like dragging an anchor. The young man was also shaken by the recent ordeal. "I had no idea it was so dangerous here! Bro, I really admire your courage." Chen Yu felt helpless. At this moment, only a trace of shock appeared on the young man''s face,pletely absent of the fear that should have been there. It seemed this person also was not afraid to die. Chen Yu didn''t say much, just took out a heating device and ced it aside. At such high altitudes, many things were useless, including the heating device, which had to be used with caution. A slight mishap could trigger a widespread avnche. "What''s your name?" the young man suddenly offered Chen Yu a piece of chocte, appearing extremely friendly. Chen Yu took the chocte and bit into it, "Chen Yu, and you?" "I''m Wayne!" Wayne smiled, then took out another piece of chocte from his bag. In such extreme conditions, chocte really was a good food choice. At that moment, Chen Yu was leaning against a rock, squinting his eyes. The system had etched aplete climbing route through the mountain range in his mind. Moreover, the system provided more than one route, so it was up to him to decide which one to ultimately take. As he was analyzing the routes, Wayne suddenly leaned in. "Brother Chen Yu, I''ve actually climbed Everest twice, but it was from the other side. I''ve never taken this route. I really admire your courage for choosing to climb from here! Many have tried before, but sadly, they all died here." Chen Yu took out a sextant from his body, "This ce is indeed extremely dangerous, but that doesn''t mean there are no routes to climb, it''s just that they used the wrong methods." After measuring their current position coordinates as well as wind speed and force, Chen Yu packed up his gear. "We need to keep moving towards the summit before night falls, or else we might getpletely buried here by the snow." Wayne hastily picked up his backpack, closely following behind Chen Yu. In fact, a cave like this was not suitable for shelter. Firstly, it was a recessed cave with few points of support. They could possibly slide down the slope next to them and fall off the cliff while they slept at night. Experience more magic at m v l e mpyr Secondly, the entrance of this cave was almost level with the mountain gully outside, with snow falling nearby from time to time. It wouldn''t take long for this entrance to bepletely sealed off. Then, both of them could suffocate to death here due tock of oxygen. Under Chen Yu''s leadership, the two climbed carefully along the narrow path next to them. As the light was fading, they had sessfully reached a rtively open small cave. "Brother Chen Yu, you seem to be extremely familiar with this ce. Have you been here before?" Wayne was puzzled. A small cave like this waspletely hidden in the snow of the mountain ravine, and it would be impossible to discover its existence unless you were far enough away unless it had been visited before. Chen Yu nomittally nodded his head, "I''ve been here before, but I gave up when I was only three hundred meters from the summit." Wayne couldn''t help but sigh, "That''s really a pity, otherwise you would have been the first person to reach the summit from the north ridge." Chen Yu didn''t say anything more, just tidied up the ce a bit, then took out a sleeping bag from his backpack. He also drilled a few small holes in the nearby stone wall and fixed the sleeping bag there. Chapter 222: Chapter 222 Clearing the Snow [System alert, the temperature will drop another 20 degrees Celsius in two hours, please keep warm.] Chen Yu furrowed his eyebrows and subconsciously looked towards Wayne. Although this guy was fully equipped, those gears were not much of help against such a harsh environment. Moreover,pared with Chen Yu, Wayne''s physical condition was vastly inferior; he was likely to freeze to death here. After a quick assessment of the cave''s surroundings, Chen Yu moved some of the harder-packed snow to the entrance, turning the entire cave into a makeshift snow hut. He also drilled a few small holes next to the cave to maintain venttion. Having done that, he ced the portable oxygen device he was carrying on the side. "The temperature''s going to drop soon; we must be fully prepared. Whether we can survive tonight will depend on our luck," he said. Wayne, too, could feel the sudden change in temperature from outside. He swallowed and took out all his warming devices, also cing a ck metallic sphere by his side. The warmth emanating from the metallic sphere was incredibly gentle, and, before long, the temperature inside the cave began to rise gradually. Chen Yu was stunned; he had never seen such a device that could increase the temperature from thin air, and it also managed to circte the air flow in the entire cave. Most importantly, the device was only the size of half a fist, very easy to carry. "What is this thing?" Chen Yu asked instinctively. With a somewhat embarrassed smile, Wayne replied, "This is a brand-new product that ourpany has just developed for use in extreme environments." Chen Yu''s interest was piqued; if such a device were mass-produced, it would definitely be a boon for mountaineering enthusiasts. Just as he was about to touch it, the system''s alert sound suddenly rang in his mind. [System warning: This technology is immature. The integrated metals emit heat and also release radiation.] Chen Yu raised his eyebrows, and a flood of information appeared in his mind. The system hadpletely analyzed the device. Seeing theponents inside, Chen Yu immediately lost his interest. "If it can be avoided, don''t use it ¡ª it can cause physical exhaustion!" he warned. Wayne''s eyes widened in shock: "You haven''t even looked at the instruction manual, yet you know it''s harmful to humans. This is a major issue ourpany has been urgently trying to solve, but we have not yet found an effective method." Chen Yu took hold of the device and pressed a button on the switch, turning it off. "Don''t use it unless it is absolutely necessary!" Wayne said nothing more but spread out the warming devices he had taken out earlier. Before long, the temperature in the cave rose again. In the middle of the night, while Chen Yu was in a half-asleep state, a loud noise suddenly came from outside. Chen Yu hastily got up and peered through the small hole he had left earlier to check outside, only to see arge amount of snow rolling down from the mountain peak, blocking much of the adjacent slope. "Avnche!" Chen Yu''s eyes widened; he hadn''t expected an avnche to ur in the middle of the night. Wayne also rolled over: "What? Avnche!" On such high mountains, some of the snow had been umting for tens of thousands of years, already fused with the frozen mountain sides, and avnches were rare. ``` But now, a vast expanse of snow descended from the sky, directly rushing into the cliff. Fortunately, their cave was nestled within a crevice of a mountain stream, so the massive slide of snow didn''t bury it. Chen Yu crouched down and ced a hand on the ground, constantly feeling the sounds that came from the outside. Wayne was already scared out of his wits, standing there, at a loss. "Brother Chen Yu, we can survive this, right?" Chen Yu furrowed his brows. At this moment, he didn''t dare to make any promises, as the snow falling from the mountain was far too much, and the potential energy it generated was immense. Such force was enough to copse a mountain peak. "Let''s hope so!" Chen Yu responded perfunctorily before closing his eyes. In his mind, a vast amount of analysis data from the system had already appeared. The snow outside wouldn''t cover their area for the time being, but no one could guarantee that as time passed, it wouldn''t bury them. After an indeterminate amount of time, the noise outside gradually subsided. Chen Yu then abruptly opened his eyes and peered outside through the small opening. ording to the system''s analysis, the avnche had been caused by andslide, which meant that not much snow had actually fallen. Chen Yu let out a sigh of relief. Although they were temporarily safe, climbing the mountain tomorrow morning would be much more difficult. "We''re safe for now. There are three hours left in thetter half of the night, so let''s rest up. If we want to reach the summit tomorrow, it will probably take all our strength." Wayne nodded repeatedly and quickly leaned against the side, forcing himself to sleep. As a professional mountaineering enthusiast, he was well aware of the terrifying amount of physical energy climbing required. If he showed even the slightest fatigue tomorrow, it could end with him falling into an abyss, his body shattered to pieces. Early the next day, Chen Yu quickly packed up and woke up Wayne. They then started to clear the snow at the entrance of the cave. Working together, they opened up a passageway at the entrance before long, although the outside was alreadypletely covered by snow. Under such conditions, it would be virtually impossible for most people to clear a path. And one might even step into thin air and fall off the cliff. But Chen Yu seemed to see through the snow as if it were transparent, his excavations were not only directional but also meticulously careful. Wayne found it strange, but at that moment, he didn''t dare to ask more questions. In such high-difficulty extreme sports, at times, veryplex and rapid thinking is required. Perhaps Chen Yu was using a unique method to find the way, and any disturbance could ruin all their previous efforts! As they continued to dig, Wayne''s breathing became rapid. He realized they were on a narrow path only fifty centimeters wide. If they strayed, they would tumble down the cliff. He took a deep breath, steadied his breathing, and closely followed Chen Yu without any deviation. After what seemed like an eternity, once they had cleared the snow, they found a climbable path not far off. At that moment, they were just one thousand meters from the summit. Wayne breathed a sigh of relief. He was, after all, a professional climbing hobbyist; as long as there was a trail, he knew he could make it to the top. ``` Chapter 223: Chapter 223 The Hardest Direction Chen Yu climbed all the way, keeping an eye out; after all, he was here to find the Snow Gingko, not to join these enthusiasts on a mountain climb. The environment of this ce was incredibly perilous, an ideal zone for the growth of the Snow Gingko. Moreover, ording to its growth habits, it should be around four thousand meters above sea level. [Snow Gingko discovered] The system''s prompt suddenly resounded, followed by the approximate geographical location appearing in Chen Yu''s mind. Chen Yu instantly became excited, but when he looked up toward that location, he found that there were no supports nearby at all. If an ordinary person were to climb over there, they would likely fall to their death. "Climb up seventy meters, then install a rock climbing nail there, and throw a rope, wait for me!" Wayne looked up and noticed that seventy meters away from here there was a rtively t section of cliff face, indeed suitable for fixing nails. Additionally, afterst night''s avnche, there was less snow in that area, and there was even a tform revealed, perfect for a temporary rest. Just as he was excitedly preparing, he suddenly realized that Chen Yu had already moved towards a very treacherous area next to him. "Brother Chen Yu, why did you go there?" Chen Yu didn''t turn back, "Do as I say, go there and install the nail!" Wayne dared not say anything more and quickly climbed over to that ce. Chen Yu''s physical fitness after all had reached the limits of humanity, so he appeared extremely agile and simple on the cliff, jumping twice, and directly arriving at the location where the Snow Gingko grew. However, when he got there, he realized that the surrounding area, apart from a few extremely daunting, climbable rocks, was all t cliff faces. And atop these cliff faces were thickyers of ice. Discover hidden tales at m vl-em-py-r Years of umtion had made these iceyers extremely hard; if he were to forcefully climb, it was likely he would slip down. Chen Yu adjusted his breathing slightly and then took out two ice-climbing hammers from his body. He swung the hammers with all his strength, embedding them into the cliff face with a metallic ring. With each swing, the hammer would prate deep into the cliff face, enough to support his body. If it were anyone else, this would simply not be possible. At this moment, Wayne had reached the spot Chen Yu mentioned earlier, had set the rock climbing nails, and thrown down two ropes. When he finished and saw Chen Yu, he was frozen in ce, his eyes filled with fear. He had never thought someone would choose such an extreme condition for climbing. What shocked him even more was that Chen Yu''s speed was incredibly fast, even faster than those top extreme sport enthusiasts. And now, Chen Yu waspletely dangling in mid-air; if his ice-climbing hammers did not secure properly, he would fall. Wayne subconsciously clenched his fists with sweat and didn''t even dare to breathe heavily, just silently watched. Chen Yu climbed between the cliffs for a while, then arrived at an extremely narrow ledge. There grew a very delicate little tree, which on its branches bore three gingko nuts, each only the size of a thumb. Chen Yu steadied his breathing again; such a medicinal herb was rarely seen once in a thousand years, just taking a small piece would suffice to cure those old masters in the Imperial City! The rest, if properly collected andbined with other medicines, could also treat some major andplicated diseases. After stowing the three silver gingko leaves, Chen Yu brandished his climbing hammer and slowly moved to the side. "Wayne, throw me that rope!" The sudden shout made Wayne hesitate for a moment. He quickly grabbed his prepared rope, ready to throw it, but this rope was designed specifically for short-distance extension and was not very long. Moreover, in such extreme conditions, a too long rope could easily be frozen by ice and snow and damage the internal fibers, causing it to break. "Brother Chen Yu, this rope isn''t long enough, I''m afraid I can''t throw it over!" "Trust me, throw it here!" Chen Yu called out and pulled a climbing hammer from his side, raising it over his head. Although Wayne still hesitated, he had no choice at that moment and could only muster all his strength to throw the rope to Chen Yu. Chen Yu eyed the rope''s trajectory and then fiercely kicked off the cliff with his feet, propelling his whole body into the air. Then, he caught the rope firmly with his hammer and wrapped it around his hand. The next moment, Chen Yu used the rope to swing himself right in front of Wayne. "My God, how on earth did you do that!" Wayne''s eyes were wide with disbelief. Chen Yu said nothing, merely grabbed the rope and tied it around his waist before steadying himself. He took a few deep breaths and pulled out an energy bar from his body, stuffing it into his mouth. At that moment, Wayne looked at him as if he were a god. In his eyes, Chen Yu had be a being that had surpassed human limits. "Let''s rest here for a while, and then continue climbing, we should be able to reach the summit before sunset today." Only then did Wayne realize that they were effectively hanging on the cliffside, which only allowed them to take a brief rest; staying here too long could exhaust their strength. Without any hesitation, he copied Chen Yu, tied the rope around his waist, and after securing himself, continued to climb upwards. Every so often, they would switch ropes and re-anchor the climbing pegs. The northern ridge was inherently perilous, and especially in the section they were climbing, there was not even a path to find¡ªthey could only move slowly upwards through such terrain. Compared to Chen Yu, Wayne''s stamina was appearing somewhat weaker; before long, he was struggling, and if not for Chen Yu constantly pulling him along, he might have already fallen. With the help of the system''s calctions, their ascent was rtively smooth, and they managed to reach the summit before sunset. At this location was the world''s highest base station; once there, they could contact the outside world. Additionally, there was a supply station nearby, with people stationed there year-round, and it was stocked with arge amount of essential supplies. For anyone climbing Mount Everest, reaching this point meant sess! When the two men reached the summit, there erupted a chorus of exmations. These people had climbed from several safer routes, a feat that in the eyes of ordinary people was already quite an aplishment. Yet Chen Yu and Wayne had climbed up from the most difficult northern ridge, which to everyone there seemed like an impossibility. A crowd immediately gathered around, some with cameras in hand, wanting to interview the pair about how exactly they had managed to climb from that direction. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 224 Making the Decoction Chen Yu did not want to waste too much time here, since he already got what he came for, there was no need for him to stay. He pushed Wayne forward and then went straight to the nearby supply station. After packing some essential items, he descended the mountain from the south. Emperor City, Orchid Garden Private Hospital. This hospital was established by several major families in Emperor City, equipped with the world''s most advanced medical facilities and healthcare resources. ording to the equipment in this hospital, it was entirely possible to extend the life of a centenarian by another ten years. In a luxuriously excessive room, Li Kaiquan and a few other elders leisurely yed mahjong. However, these elders had various tubes attached to them, one even wearing a respirator. Even in such a state, to be able to y mahjong so spiritedly showed just how remarkable the hospital was. "Old Li, when is that miracle doctor you talked abouting? We''re practically gambling with our lives ying mahjong with you, you''ve got to help us extend our lives." "Yeah, Old Li, the prescription you brought backst time improved our health a lot. If that miracle doctores, maybe he could even cure our diseases." ... The elders spoke with humor and ease, as if what they were facing was not death but merely a trivial matter. Li Kaiquan did not know what to say, Chen Yu''s retrieval of the Ginkgo biloba was like ying with his life. If it failed, everyone in this room would be waiting to die. As they were chatting, a noisymotion suddenly rose from outside the door. "Sir, I''ve already told you many times, this is a private ce. If you insist on barging in, I will have to call someone from the relevant department." Chen Yu frowned, "I''ve told you many times as well, I am here to treat someone. If you dy the patient''s condition, can you afford the responsibility?" The nurse, full of scorn, "Sorry, but our hospital is one of the top in the world, there''s no way we would dy a patient''s condition. As for you, barging in so casually, I have serious doubts about your intentions." Chen Yu, frustrated, had rushed here as if on a deadly mission, and now, to be doubted by a nurse was just too much. While they argued, Li Kaiquan hurried out from the hospital room. He saw Chen Yu in the hallway, tugging at a nurse. "Little Chen! You''ve finally arrived." Li Kaiquan excitedly approached and grabbed Chen Yu''s arm, "Hurry, the gentlemen are all waiting for you here." The nurse was taken aback when she saw Li Kaiquaning out to greet him. Li Kaiquan was one of the hospital''s shareholders, effectively her boss. Seeing the situation, she dared not neglect any duty and quickly stepped aside. Chen Yu did not bother with the pettiness and followed Li Kaiquan in a rush into the hospital room. But when Chen Yu saw the scene before him, he couldn''t help but widen his eyes. The condition of these elders was like running on fumes, one of them not likely to live past the next week. Yet even in such a condition, they were still gathered around, leisurely ying mahjong. Deserving of being called moguls, such an attitude was unparalleled. Chen Yu did not say much, quickly opened his backpack, and took out the prepared medicine. In the past few days on his way back, he had already processed the silver ginkgo, mixing it with other herbs to brew a medicinal soup using an electric pot. When the elderly folks saw Chen Yue in, they started rummaging through their bags, immediately looking somewhat dejected. "Where did this young fellowe from? How did he barge in here like a headless fly!" "Old Lee, this little fe can''t be the miraculous doctor you were talking about, can he? He''s too young, can he even treat illnesses?" "What''s this pile of stuff? It''s a mess and smells awful!" ... The group of old men was extremely disdainful of Chen Yu. After all, at his age, it was impossible for him to be a top physician, and moreover, the soup he had brought had an extremely foul smell. Li Kaiquan hurriedly entered, "Old buddies, Little Chen is the doctor I mentioned to you before. The prescriptions you have are all his doing." The group of big shots couldn''t help but widen their eyes, filled with disbelief. Before they could even react, Chen Yu had already divided the soup he brought into several portions and ced them in front of them. "These medicines are carefully formted by me and need to be used in conjunction with the medications you were previously taking!" The crowd suddenly became excited and, at this point, didn''t care about the details, immediately picking up the soup medicine on the table and drinking it down. Now, they were essentially in a state where their oil was exhausted and themps were burnt out; they were willing to do anything just to extend their lives. After they drank the medicinal soup, their bodies immediately began to recover, and the most serious of the old men even removed the respirator from his face. "My God, what kind of medicine is this? It''s miraculous, just one cup, and my body feels like it''s grown thirty years younger." "Young man, did you really mix this medicine yourself? You''re so young, you can''t possibly have such experience." "Where did you learn medicine? Are you interested in working here, or we could invest and build a hospital just for you?" ... Chen Yu did not answer but checked the conditions of the several people and then took out silver needles, inserting them into their acupuncture points. After doing a simple meridian grooming for them, Chen Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief and then wrote out several more prescriptions. "Your bodies are still different and require different prescriptions for treatment. Remember to take your medicine on time. You could extend your lives for several more decades. Also, the elder gentleman''s body has a pathological change that needs to be removed." As soon as these words were uttered, those present were all stunned on the spot. Especially the big shot whose name was called out, he suddenly stood up and firmly grasped Chen Yu''s hand. "Do you mean to say that if the pathological change in my body is removed, I can be cured?" Chen Yu nodded, "The liver has a regeneration function. While your body''s functions have aged, I am confident that after the surgery, we can reactivate the liver''s function, allowing it to regenerate." The old man''s breathing suddenly became rapid. He was well aware of his body; the pain in the area of his liver had tormented him for decades. To date, no one had been able to cure him, some even suggested removing the entire liver along with the surrounding organs. Such a move would only cause his body to suffer a heavier blow, ultimately not only failing to restore his health but also possibly leaving him with even more serious conditions. He never dreamed that Chen Yu could actually help him recover! Chapter 225 Chain Hotels The elderly patient''s body trembled violently, his hand grasping Chen Yu''s shaking uncontrobly. "There''s no time to lose, let''s not wait any longer. Perform the surgery on me now; all the medical facilities here are fully equipped." Chen Yu''s head was full of metaphorical dark lines; he had just rushed back from the Himyas, utterly exhausted. Even if his physical condition had surpassed human limits, he needed rest. Li Kai rushed to smooth things over, "Old Huang, Chen just brought back such precious medicine for you; he deserves some rest! If he performs surgery in his current state of fatigue and something goes wrong, it could be fatal." Huang Daolun nodded repeatedly, "Alright, Chen¡ªno, I mean, Doctor Chen! My Huang Family owns several star-rated hotels in the capital. If you don''t mind, you can stay at any of them as you please. I''ll speak to the staff right away." Chen Yuughed awkwardly, at a loss for what to say to the Huang Daolun in front of him. "Chen!" Li Kaiquan patted Chen Yu''s shoulder, "You rest for a couple of days. As for the surgical equipment you need, give me a list, and we''ll prepare it as soon as possible!" Chen Yu nodded and, guided by two of Huang Daolun''s assistants, made his way to a nearby five-star hotel. Upon arrival, he saw photos of Huang Daolun on the walls, along with aplete introduction. It turned out that this old gentleman was a chain hotel owner, even extending his business overseas. After briefly learning about the other party''s information, Chen Yu returned to his room and fell straight to sleep. He had already expended nearly all his energy on the Himyan expedition and hadn''t slept since, having spent timepounding medicines in the car on the way back. Now both his mind and body had reached their limits. Only after a full two days did he wake up refreshed. After a quick wash, he wrote out a list of medical instruments and just as he was about to go out for something to eat, he noticed several waiters waiting respectfully at his door, with a meal cart. "Mr. Chen, you''re awake!" They greeted him warmly, walked straight into the room, and set the food from the meal cart, while also producing a telephone. "Old Mr. Li Kaiquan instructed us to ask you to call him as soon as you woke up." Chen Yu simply nodded and took the phone to dial. "Elder Li, the medical list is ready, and we can start the operation at two in the afternoon." Before Li Kaiquan on the other end could respond, Huang Daolun''s excited voice came through. "Mr. Chen, I''m nearly ready, just waiting for you toe and perform the surgery!" Chen Yu couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow; it seemed Huang Daolun was getting impatient. After eating, Chen Yu went straight to the hospital. Huang Daolun''s condition was a deterioration of internal organs upon a foundation of organ failure, typically due to aging, mutation, and bacterial infection. Generally, this sort of condition manifests in the elderly. However, many doctors choose to give up treatment when faced with such patients, as eliminating bacteria or surgery could cause irreversible damage to the patient. After a brief examination of Huang Daolun''s condition, Chen Yu took out several needles and inserted them into his acupoints, anesthetizing his bodypletely yet allowing him to retain a clear consciousness. Huang Daolun''s eyes widened, "Mr. Chen, are you using general anesthesia? Why haven''t I fallen asleep?" Chen Yu took out a syringe, "Old Master Huang, don''t you want to consciously experience the entire process of your surgery?" Huang Daolun''s mouth dropped open; he really did not want to experience this process. At his age and suffering from such a disease, many would choose to await death, and even if they underwent surgery, they would opt for general anesthesia. If the surgery failed, they could pass away peacefully in their sleep. This kind of conscious fear is almost too daunting for anyone to face. Just as Huang Daolun was about to say something, Chen Yu had already injected the drug into his body, while simultaneously making an incision in his abdomen with a scalpel. "Don''t worry, old man, my sess rate in surgeries is very high, and this disease of yours is really no big deal for me! Just chat with me about something happy," Chen Yu said. Huang Daolun, now extremely tense, how could he possibly chat about happy matters under such circumstances? "Cough cough! Young man, do you like car racing?" he asked. The moment he asked that, Huang Daolun felt some regret. At this time, he really did not know what else to say. Moreover, seeing such professional techniques from Chen Yu, surely a doctor devoted to the study of medicine wouldn''t be interested in car racing? "Of course, I do!" Chen Yu responded calmly while continuing the surgery, "My father-inw has a racing team in the Imperial Capital, and I''m helping out with managing it while I''m here." "A racing team?" Huang Daolun''s interest was piqued, "It''s quite rare to own a racing team in the Imperial Capital, who is your father-inw?" "Tong Ming." Huang Daolun immediately became excited, "What? Tong Ming is your father-inw?" Chen Yu nodded and then fell silent. In less than a minute, he picked up the surgical needle and thread and began to suture the wound. "The surgery is done now, and as long as you follow my prescription and take good care of yourself, your body will recover." "What? It''s finished?" Huang Daolun was incredibly surprised, it hadn''t even been five minutes since he got on the operation table, and it was already done. Surgeries of this kind were viewed as highly challenging by others, not only because of the high failure rate, but also because most doctors wouldn''t even attempt to perform them. Yet, to Chen Yu, it seemed as if he had done something extremely simple. After treating the wound, Chen Yu removed the silver needles from Huang Daolun''s body, restoring his freedom of movement. At the site of the surgery, apart from a faint dull pain, there was almost no other sensation. "Mr. Chen, your medical skills are truly superb; I feel almost no pain after the operation," Huang Daolun said. Chen Yu just smiled and then left with the surgical equipment for the sterilization room. [Congrattions to the host, you have earned one hundred points] He had rued quite a few pointstely, but with the current point exchange system, Chen Yu always felt like he didn''t have enough points. Moreover, there used to be the asional chance at a lottery, but now there were no more lotteries. However, since Ling Ling became physical, he really didn''t need the lottery anymore, especially now that he had basically mastered all the knowledge in the world. After packing up the medical equipment, Chen Yu made a phone call to the Tong Family racing team and was ready to leave, but was stopped by Huang Daolun. Chapter 226 Racing Team Captain "Mr. Chen, there is a car racing event in the capital these days, if you''re interested, our Huang Family''s team could let you have some fun!" At this moment, Huang Daolunpletelycked the arrogance one would expect from a big shot, appearing almost like Chen Yu''s underling. "I''m just helping my father-inw run his business; my interest in car racing isn''t that great." But Huang Daolun didn''t care about that and directly put his hand on Chen Yu''s shoulder. "At our level, car racing is just a business, and as for the racetrack, it''s even more aworking ce. Tomorrow morning at eight, at Sanxiang Hill Extreme Racing, all of us old guys will be there. We''d be honored if Mr. Chen would grace us with his presence." Chen Yu felt somewhat ufortable, no matter how one looked at it, Huang Daolun was an elder, but he was speaking to Chen Yu as though they were peers. "All right, I''ll definitely be there tomorrow." After agreeing, Chen Yu left in a hurry. The Dragon Hill Warehouse in the capital. When Chen Yu arrived there, he was shocked by the scene in front of him; there were no fewer than fifty racing cars on the open ground outside the warehouse. Each car had been modified and even equipped with special engines. More than twenty drivers were there, testing the performance of the cars. When these drivers saw Chen Yu, they were all taken aback, and two even stepped forward to tease him. "Kid, where are you from? Do you know what this ce is? Just barging in here, better leave right now." "Thisd looks pretty fit, isn''t thinking about joining our team, is he? Too bad we''re not recruiting now, and even if we were, you''d have to beat at least half of our drivers first." ... Chen Yu frowned, it seemed these people didn''t recognize him. "Beat half of your drivers and I can join the team, is that right?" As soon as he said this, the many drivers present were all momentarily stunned. A man who looked like the team captain came forward with a serious expression. "Kid, do you realize that you have to stand by such bold words?" Chen Yu leaned against a car, adopting an indifferent demeanor. "Since I''ve said it, of course, I''ll stand by it. So, who will race me now?" Theughter from before came to an abrupt halt, and the captain went so far as to take out his business card. "My name is Lin Zhifei, I''m the captain of this team. Since you want to join, you''ll have to beat me first." Chen Yu was surprised and took a careful look at the man before him. He had heard of Lin Zhifei when he was in university; back then, Lin Zhifei was a world-renowned young racing driver. Even now, he was a legend, said to have won the Grand m in all the racingpetitions. He had not expected to find him working under Tong Ming as a team captain. "Fine, let''s start then!" After Chen Yu agreed, he immediately had the system analyze all the vehicles present. Since it was his first time participating in such a race, he at least had to choose a decent car. As he was selecting, Lin Zhifei suddenly brought out a contract and presented it before him. "If you want to race me, you need to have your own car. If you don''t have one, you can rent one from us, but you''ll need to pay a deposit!" Chen Yu hadn''t expected this rule and he subconsciously looked around, noticing that all the cars bore the Tong Family''s emblem, which meant that all these cars were provided by the Tong Group. It seemed that Lin Zhifei was clearly applying pressure on him, hoping to use the excuse of not having enough for the deposit to drive him away. "Alright then!" Chen Yu gave a slight smile and took out a promissory note from his person,ying it on the roof of the car. "This money should be enough to buy a race car, right?" The drivers present gaped at the ten-million face value of the promissory note. All racing cars are basically custom-built, the cheapest being around one to several million, while the more expensive ones can cost seven to eight million. As for the top-tier racing cars worth tens of millions, they are standard issue for internationalpetitions. With this money, not to mention renting a car, even buying a top-spec racing car would be more than enough. Lin Zhifei frown deepened, "Are you sure about this? We are all professional racers, no matter who youpete with, your chances of winning are not great." Chen Yu walked straight up to a race car and touched its roof. "I''ll choose this one! Besides, that track up on the mountain seems to be the toughest one here, right?" Lin Zhifei''s pupils abruptly dted, "Do you know that track is a one-to-one recreation of the extreme Bayinbrook race track? Some parts have even been upgraded. Many professionals can''t evenplete the whole course, and you actually want to race me there." The drivers nearby were initially stunned, then burst intoughter. "This kid must be joking, even our captain can only barely run that route!" "This guy is clearly a greenhorn, to think he can tackle that road is simply overestimating himself." "Race with him and let this kid understand what top-level racingpetition is about!" ... Chen Yu paid them no mind and got into the car on his own, suiting up in his protective gear. Lin Zhifei let out a cold snort and also got into his own car. The entire track has over four thousand sharp turns, and more than three thousand elevation changes. Even top-tier racers, without a spotter, would be unable toplete such a circuit alone. Lin Zhifei pulled up the electronic image on his car''s system, intending to call a team member over to be his spotter. But unexpectedly, Chen Yu simply held up five fingers towards him, then immediately started his car. Lin Zhifei''s eyes went wide with shock; he hadn''t expected Chen Yu to just drive off like that. He didn''t dare to hesitate any longer, quickly started his car, and gave chase. At the finish line. All the drivers were anxiously waiting there, looking forward eagerly. Just then, a car steadily stopped in front of them. Everyone nced at the license te, and they were immediately taken aback. They had all thought that Lin Zhifei would be the first to reach the finish, but to their surprise, it was Chen Yu who arrived first. After bringing the car to a steady stop, Chen Yu went straight to sit by the roadside. "Looks like I''ve won! ording to our previous agreement, I am now a member of your team, and after joining, I want to be the captain." The group of drivers sighed helplessly; managing toplete this course was enough qualification to be their captain. Just as they were talking, a sudden explosion thundered halfway through the race. "Oh no, that looks like it''s the captain''s car!" Someone shouted, and everyone''s gaze converged there. Chen Yu furrowed his brows too; after all, Lin Zhifei was a top-tier racer. Even if he couldn''t beat him, at least he should be able toplete the course safely, without flipping the car! Chapter 227 Inside the Competition Chen Yu couldn''t manage much and hurriedly drove back. A group of drivers quickly stepped forward to block his way, and even two of them stood firmly in front of the car, refusing to let Chen Yu go back. Driving in the right direction on this track was already very difficult, let alone driving back in reverse; the danger level would dramatically increase. Now that Lin Zhifei had an ident, letting Chen Yu go back would only add another life for no purpose. But Chen Yu didn''t care; he swung into a drift and rushed onto the racetrack. All the drivers were stunned and quickly contacted the helicopter rescue. The track itself was built on a mountain road, and after Lin Zhifei''s crash, his car rolled down the cliff. After driving a certain distance, Chen Yu floored the gas pedal and leapt from the top of the mountain. He controlled the car, jumping continuously on the cliff walls, and finally, incredibly, stopped steadily next to Lin Zhifei''s burning car. Lin Zhifei had activated the ejection mechanism when he fell, and at this moment, he was rolling on the ground not far away, but judging by his appearance, his bones were fractured all over. Chen Yu sighed helplessly; he hadn''t expected the former number one driver to end up like this. If his injuries weren''t treated promptly, they could leave lingering problems, or even prevent him from ever returning to the racetrack. Chen Yu didn''t care about the protocol and immediately set Lin Zhifei''s bones. After treating his wounds, the rescue helicopter also arrived at the scene. The rescue personnel were shocked when they saw the bandages on Lin Zhifei. "Thank goodness it was in time, otherwise his entire skeleton could have been ruined." "My God, this technique is so professional!" ... While everyone was in awe, Chen Yu had already returned to the warehouse. All the drivers looked at Chen Yu with a kind of reverence and didn''t even dare to breathe too loudly. After all, Chen Yu had won, and Lin Zhifei was now considered their team leader, with the rest just needing to go through the motions to formalize it. Just as they were ready to wee the new leader, Chen Yu took out a document from his person and ced it on a car roof. Enjoy new stories froNovelBin "I''m not interested in being your team leader. I''m just here to manage the team for my father-inw and to participate in tomorrow''s race by the way." All the drivers widened their eyes and quickly stepped forward to scrutinize the contract closely. "Ah, so it''s Young Master Chen!" The drivers quickly came forward, eager to establish a connection with Chen Yu. Moreover, they had been thoroughly impressed by Chen Yu''s driving in the race just now. The next morning at eight o''clock, Chen Yu arrived at the race venue. Li Kaiquan, Huang Daolun, and other big names were already there early and even reserved a spot especially for Chen Yu. "Mr. Chen, this way please!" Huang Daolun still greeted him with utmost respect. But as soon as he called out "Mr. Chen," he startled the few big names beside him. Huang Daolun was known for owning a chain of hotels in the capital and even had branches worldwide, his finances on par with Li Kaiquan. The other big names didn''t fuss much and went straight up to greet Chen Yu. After all, if even Huang Daolun treated him with such respect, it was certainly correct for them to follow suit. Chen Yu offered a few perfunctory replies before taking his seat next to Li Kaiquan and Huang Daolun. "Mr. Chen, I wonder what insights you have on the business of racing?" Huang Daolun asked casually, passing over a cup of coffee. "If I''m not mistaken, the greatest source of ie from a race is the advertising within the venue." Since entering, Chen Yu had noticed no less than a hundred billboards, along with arge number of mobile screens moving within the race track. Almost every team would dispatch two cars specifically as advertising vehicles to carry advertisements. Some were even from world-ss industries. Huang Daolun nodded his head, then took out a racing number from his clothing. "Racing is not only a business but also a game in our circles! The source of advertising revenue is only about forty percent, with the most profiting from betting." Chen Yu could not help frowning as a session of system prompts sounded in his mind, apanied by a barrage of information flooding in. During each race, several outstanding racers would be chosen and their racing numbers announced to the public. Then, betting organizations would be set up outside, using the power of advertising to promote them and let the public guess who would ultimately win the championship. This form would be distributed through various welfare organizations and lotteries, where ordinary people could participate for just two dors. But all the races and participants were prearranged, and they would decide the eventual winner based on the number of lottery tickets issued by the welfare organizations. Chen Yu was suddenly filled with aversion, although this method was not against the rules and was perfectly legal, it vited ethics to a certain extent. "I see!" Chen Yu replied nonchntly, then the conversation dropped there. At that moment, several racers'' numbers were brought over. The bigwigs, following their usual practice, immediately distributed these numbers and began to manipte the race. Unexpectedly, the racers who had been chosen for their numbers all suffered idents, and Lin Zhifei couldn''t race today either. Suddenly, there was an uproar among the crowd. If the race could not go on, all their prior arrangements would have been in vain. "Compared to doing business, I still prefer being a racer!" Chen Yu suddenly stood up, walked off the stage on his own ord. The onlookers'' eyes widened in shock. Chen Yu''s status was no ordinary matter, not to mention being Tong Ming''s son-inw; just the fact that he was a life-saving benefactor to Huang Luncai and Li Kaiquan was enough to make them flustered. "Quick, get ready immediately, we must not let Mr. Chen encounter any idents, give the advertisers a heads-up, just say the Tong Family''s son-inw is personally taking to the track!" They were in a frenzy, immediately starting to arrange the site. Chen Yu put on his gear, sat in the driver''s seat, started the car, and sped out directly. In fact, Chen Yu understood why Tong Ming wanted him to manage the racing team, it was to let him see how the big yers in the Imperial Capital did business. But he indeed couldn''t conduct such business. The ie from his current factory wasn''t low, and continued operation even held the potential for expansion. At this stage, running the factory well was better than anything else. Participating in a race here today was like managing a racing team once for Tong Ming; from now on, he would never meddle in this kind of business again. Just as he was racing down the track like lightning, a car suddenly flew past him, crashing straight into the guardrail on the side of the road. Then the cars behind followed in rapid session, a dozen or so piling up in an instant, with several even emitting ck smoke. Chapter 228 : 228: Traditional Stir-Fried Liver The scene suddenly descended into chaos as arge number of rescue helicopters arrived one after another. Chen Yu heard themotion behind him and immediately returned. The car crash site was aplete mess, with a dozen racers trapped in the wreckage of their vehicles, unable to crawl out. Chen Yu frowned as he closely observed the scene and noticed that a stone had appeared in the middle of a bend, embedded in the road surface. It seemed someone had deliberately ced a stone there. Without concerning himself with the details, Chen Yu hurriedly stepped forward to help rescue all the racers, setting their bones and treating their wounds until the doctors arrived to provide further treatment. The normally predictable race and its associated earnings were already calcted, but now with such a serious ident, it was likely that all profits would go down the drain. Inside a hall at the race control center, a group of bosses sat with grave expressions. "Mr. Chen, we have already rified that there was a stone on the track that shouldn''t have been there," one said. "It''s obvious someone is sabotaging us; we must investigate this thoroughly!" "Actually, it''s not hard to investigate. We have national-level drivers in our team, and there''s a world-ss race in a couple of days. Now, our national-level drivers are all seriously injured and have no way to participate." "Right, how could I have not thought of that; these people are really ruthless." ¡­ Chen Yu sat on the side, silent. He had not wanted to get involved in the business to begin with, and since the ident had nothing to do with him, he saw no need to speak. Just then, a junior assistant hurried over to Chen Yu. "Mr. Chen, there''s someone looking for you outside!" Chen Yu nodded and headed straight out the door. Jin Lingsu was standing not too far away, smiling and waving at Chen Yu. "Chen Yu little brother!" This almost enchantingly seductive call made Chen Yu stumble. "What are you doing here?" Chen Yu asked, his brow furrowed, as every encounter with this woman had never boded well. "I''m just traveling, took a turn around here, and found the local snacks to be not so great. They''re not even as tasty as the big pot meal you make," she said. Chen Yu didn''t believe her, but his look toward Jin Lingsu contained more fear than before. "How did you know I was here?" Jin Lingsu spread her hands, "I heard that someone has cured several big shots from the capital one after another in a top private hospital. It wasn''t hard to guess it was you." Chen Yu felt somewhat helpless and subconsciously looked back at the hall behind him, then at Jin Lingsu. Maybe going out with Jin Lingsu for a stroll would indeed be more rxing than staying here. "That''s because you haven''t found the special local snacks. I''ll take you to a ce!" Having said that, Chen Yu drove over and took Jin Lingsu to a dpidated alley. As evening approached, street food stalls began to set up one after another in the alley. Upon their arrival, a rich fragrance wafted through the air. "Wow, you really know where to go! I''ve been wandering around here for days and hadn''t discovered such a great spot in the capital," Jin Lingsu said, pping her hands and running excitedly into the alley. Chen Yu parked the car and followed inside. This alley had at least two hundred years of history, and all shops opening here were old brands of the imperial capital. As for those so-called delicacies outside, they all originated from this ce. The first shop in the alley was a stir-fried liver shop, run by an elderly man nearing his sixties. His stir-fried liver was a genuine family secret recipe, selling only five hundred bowls a day, each priced at five hundred yuan. Even so, his stir-fried liver would sell out every day. Jin Lingsu followed the scent straight into the shop. "Boss, give me a bowl of stir-fried liver!" The owner, hearing the shout, came out somewhat embarrassed. "I''m really sorry, but today''s stir-fried liver has all been reserved, and I''m about to close the shop!" Jin Lingsu''s mouth dropped open: "Old man, I came all this way to eat here, you can''t make me leave on an empty stomach." The owner was also helpless; he was getting on in years, and his child didn''t want to learn his craft, so the whole shop rested on his shoulders alone. With his current physical and mental stamina, he could only make five hundred bowls a day, not one more. Chen Yu also smiled. He hadn''t expected Jin Lingsu''s first culinary stop in the alley to be the stir-fried liver. When he first came to the capital to exchange learning skills, he also came for the famed stir-fried liver, but despite lining up for several days, he never managed to get a bowl. "Old man, how about this, I see you''ve got some ingredients left over. You don''t need to do any work yourself, let me do it, how about that?" The old man looked Chen Yu up and down, eyes filled with wariness. It wasn''t that he was unwilling to let Chen Yu cook; rather, there had been someone who insisted on cooking stir-fried liver in his shop before, and the result was not tasty, even spilling dirty water on him. If it were not for his hundred-year-old brand to back him up, the shop might have been shut down by the relevant authorities. "Young man, you can cook if you want, but we''ll need to sign a contract in advance. Whatever the taste of the stir-fried liver you make, you can''t me me." Chen Yu, of course, knew about the shop''s past incidents, and without hesitation, he wrote up a contract and pressed his handprint on it. After the old man confirmed there was nothing wrong with the contract, he let Chen Yu into the kitchen. Only five minutes had passed when the old man suddenly perked up, looking towards the kitchen with disbelief. The scent wafting out was extraordinarily fragrant, many times more so than the liver he stewed using the secret recipe. It wasn''t long before Chen Yu emerged with two bowls of stir-fried liver and two tbreads. The old man''s eyes nearly popped out; this stir-fried liver was equal to their secret family recipe and seemed to have a few extra spices added. "Young man, how on earth did you make this stir-fried liver?" Chen Yu replied with a polite smile, "It''s just some simple seasonings; I only changed the ratio and order of them." The old man''s interest was piqued, "May I have a taste?" Chen Yu appeared very generous, handing over his own bowl directly. The old man couldn''t wait to take a bite, enlivening as if rejuvenated, with even the wrinkles on his face seeming to unfold one by one. "Delicious! Reducing the proportion of aniseed, using some Sichuan pepper as a substitute, and the proportion of chili pepper is just perfect, marvelous!" Chen Yu didn''t say much, just sitting there, biting into a tbread. The tbread was also a unique item in the shop, but Chen Yu almost knew how it was made after just a couple of bites. Chapter 229 : 229: Secret Recipe Roast Chicken Jin Lingsu was already eagerly holding up her bowl, wolfing down the contents until it was perfectly clean. "Chen Yu, I knew it, your cooking is truly extraordinary, even those heritage brands over a century old can''tpare to you." The elderly man beside her also felt somewhat embarrassed; suddenly, he thought that asking Chen Yu to sign an agreement earlier seemed a tad petty. "Young man, could you perhaps sell me your secret fried liver recipe? I''m willing to offer five million for it!" Chen Yu chuckled, "Delicious food is meant to be savored by people, not bought and sold, besides, I really just casually made a couple of bowls of fried liver just now, it wasn''t anything exaggerated." By this time, Jin Lingsu had already finished her fried liver and was urging from the side. "Let''s hurry to the next ce. This small bowl of fried liver isn''t nearly enough to line my stomach!" Chen Yu was well aware that Jin Lingsu was trying to help him out of an awkward situation. He quickly got up and went with Jin Lingsu to the next shop. This shop sold secret recipe roasted chicken, which has existed since thete Ming and early Qing dynasty. Their chicken was so famous that even the big fast-food chains would beg to buy their recipe. Compared to the neighboring fried liver shop, this one was decorated much nicer, and it was run by a couple. It seemed that the roasted chicken shop''s tradition had not been broken. As soon as Chen Yu sat down, the owner brought over several small dishes of condiments. This roasted chicken shop never takes reservations or signs contracts with delivery services. It''s firste, first served for everyone, no matter who they are. At this moment, the roasted chicken shop was already filled with customers, with several tables set up outside as well. Fortunately, it was the off-season for tourism, so Chen Yu and Jin Lingsu were able to squeeze in two seats. Before long, two fragrant roasted chickens were served. The golden brown sauce slowly flowed over the surface of the chickens, looking incredibly enticing. Jin Lingsu couldn''t stand it any longer and, without any regard for her image, tore off a chicken leg and stuffed it into her mouth. "This vor is truly exquisite, but it still falls shortpared to your cooking!" Whether intentionally or not, Jin Lingsu spoke so loudly that she attracted the attention of everyone in the shop, even making the owner take notice. With these heritage brand shops, their nerves are always on edge. After all, countless peoplee to challenge their signature dishes every day. Jin Lingsu''s words especially led them to mistake Chen Yu for a challenger. "Brother, may I ask which cuisine you specialize in and which restaurant''s chef you are?" The owner didn''t beat around the bush and asked directly, leaving Chen Yu somewhat embarrassed. "You''ve misunderstood, boss. We''re just here to eat, nothing more." The owner sized up Chen Yu, "No need to exin. Every day here, manye with different intentions. Even if you have some thoughts, it''s not a big deal. If you can beat me in making roasted chicken, I wouldn''t mind giving you this shop!" Chen Yu''s face was full of helplessness; before he could figure out how to respond, the owner had already taken him to the kitchen. It looked like he wouldn''t be able to leave today withoutpeting. "Boss, I''m not that good at barbecuing. How about wepromise? I''ll just casually cook a dish, and you continue with your roasted chicken, how does that sound?" "No way!" The owner was also straightforward, "Today you have to make roasted chicken." Chen Yu sighed softly, didn''t say much, and simply grabbed a chicken frame beside him to ce on the grill. Barbecue food, actually, is the simplest, only requiring a little preparation. The most difficult part is the sauce. The reason this roast chicken shop has stood for two hundred years in the capital is because of their secret sauce recipe, which no one has been able to decode to this day. Chen Yu didn''t concern himself with that; he simply picked up various seasonings from the side and began to mix them up. However, as he was preparing the ingredients, the shop owner suddenly froze beside him. The ingredients Chen Yu was mixing were identical to his secret recipe, even the order and the quantities were controlled with extreme precision. Moreover, Chen Yu had made some improvements that could greatly enhance the vor of the ingredients. The owner watched, dumbfounded, convinced he had never seen Chen Yu before, especially since Chen Yu had only taken one bite of his roast chicken. The owner''s breathing became rapid at that moment, but his hands did not fumble at all, quickly preparing the sauce and applying it to the roast chicken. But as it roasted, the owner noticed something else. Chen Yu was constantly adjusting the temperature based on different parts of the chicken. In less than twenty minutes, a rich aroma wafted from Chen Yu''s direction, and when he took out the roast chicken, all the customers on-site gasped in surprise. Compared to the shop''s roast chicken, Chen Yu''s had a golden-brown hue, like gold; the sauce on top was extremely even, and most of it had already seeped into the meat. At this point, the owner couldn''t care less about anything else and stepped forward to tear off a chicken leg and stuffed it into his mouth. The crisp exterior and tender interior won over the owner instantly. "Brother, how the hell did you cook this chicken? Can you sell me the recipe?" Chen Yu frowned, wondering why everyone kept asking him for the recipe when he had just casually grilled the chicken. "I used your shop''s recipe; I analyzed your approach and sauce after just one bite of the roast chicken. I just made some improvements during the cooking process!" The words were already quite modest, immediately making the owner feel mortified. Just then, the owner of the neighboring fried liver shop came rushing over. "Ah! I''m toote. I knew you, with your stubborn head, would definitely want topete with him." The roast chicken owner widened his eyes, looking at the fried liver shop owner with an inexplicable gaze. "What do you mean by that? Did he also make fried liver in your shop?" The fried liver shop owner sighed helplessly: "This gentleman is probably a culinary genius. I saw him enter your shop earlier and was worried you''d try topete with him. I rushed over to dissuade you, but it seems I''m still toote." The roast chicken owner was mortified, but before he could speak, Chen Yu had already left the shop. Jin Lingsu, on her way out, casually took the roast chicken that Chen Yu had cooked. "Chen Yu, I never thought you''d be able to cook like this. If I''d known, I wouldn''t havee out. We could have just found a spot for you to cook for me." Chen Yu stopped in his tracks, pondering for a moment. "Well then, let''s find somewhere to camp." Chapter 230: Chapter 230 Charlies family Actually, Chen Yu still wanted to wander around this street. When he first came to the capital, firstly, he had no money, and secondly, there were too many people queuing up for food, so he only visited a few ces. But now, Jin Lingsu obviously held bad intentions, provoking the shopkeepers every time they entered a store, leaving Chen Yu quite helpless. If he really made enemies out of everyone on the street, then there would be nowhere left for him to enjoy specialty snacks in the future. Just as Chen Yu got into the car, Jin Lingsu''s expression suddenly changed. "Don''t move! We''re being watched." Chen Yu frowned involuntarily, ncing out of the corner of his eye. He noticed a man skulking around the corner not far from here. "Where did this guye from?" Chen Yu asked instinctively, since he had just arrived in the capital and couldn''t possibly have made any enemies. "He must be here for you, he''s been following us ever since we left the racing scene," Jin Lingsu said. Chen Yu''s pupils dted slightly, "Why didn''t you say so earlier?" Jin Lingsu remained unfazed, "If I''d told you earlier, how could we find out who''s behind this?" Without saying anything more, Chen Yu started the car with a calm demeanor. Sure enough, the guy also started up a motorcycle by the roadside and slowly followed behind. Chen Yu drove leisurely, eventually taking the car out of the city and into a suburban area. Just then, Chen Yu suddenly stopped the car, opened the door, and picked up a stone to throw. The man on the motorcycle was knocked to the ground in an instant. Jin Lingsu leaped out, pressing a golden spike against the man''s throat. "Kid, who exactly are you? Why are you following us?" The man was terrified, "I''m from the Charlies family, here to surveil the Eastern Racing Association." Chen Yu was taken aback, "What association?" The man gasped, "Aren''t you an important member of the Eastern Racing Association? I was ordered to follow you and report your whereabouts to my superiors." Chen Yu looked frustrated, it seemed that he had now been fully dragged into the business of racing. "Forget it, let him go! I understand what''s going on now." Jin Lingsu''s eyes widened in surprise, "Haven''t you heard of not letting the tiger return to the mountain?" Chen Yu nced at Jin Lingsu, "Haven''t you already cooperated with the relevant departments? Why still act like a bandit?" Jin Lingsu did not say anything more, sheathing the golden spike and then brutally kicked the man on the ground. Meanwhile, the meeting hall of the racetrack was already in uproar. To cope with the uing world-sspetition, they had invested a lot of effort and money. If they canceled now, the entire Eastern Racing Association could be disbanded. "What do we do now? All the race drivers are gone, how can we participate in thepetition?" "In our country, there aren''t many top race drivers to begin with, and now we can''t recruit anyone in such short notice." "How about we let Young Master Chen take over? Let him lead the team to barely finish the race. Even if we don''t ce, we can still ensure other revenues." "Are you all crazy? Chen is the son-inw of Elder Tong. If his elderly rtive gets angry, not just the Eastern Racing Association, even the families here will suffer greatly." ... As Chen Yu approached the door, he heard intense arguinging from the office. Without much concern, he walked straight in. The voices of the argument subdued a bit when everyone saw Chen Yu entering. Li Kaiquan, who was sitting by the side, lightly tapped Chen Yu''s arm. "Good thing you''re back. Just now, they were discussing whether to have you represent the Eastern Racing Alliance in the battle," he said. Chen Yuughed twice but didn''t respond, simply leaning back in his chair. When everyone had quieted down, he suddenly stood up. "If I''m not mistaken, the ones pulling strings behind the scenes should be the Charlie family. This family owns extremely top-tier racing teams around the world. However, their main racer recently had an ident, which is why they''re resorting to such despicable tactics to prevent us frompeting," he said. Upon hearing this, everyone in the room widened their eyes in shock. Although they suspected that it was the Charlies family who had sabotaged them, and had sent their people to investigate, they had yet to receive any results. Chen Yu had just stepped out for a moment, and when he returned, he seemed to have figured everything out. Originally, they thought Chen Yu had simply left the meeting out of boredom, but now it appeared that although young, Chen Yu had some cunning strategies up his sleeve. "It''s wonderful that Mr. Chen is willing to represent the Eastern Alliance in thepetition!" An elderly man, using a cane, slowly stood up and walked over to Chen Yu, excitedly shaking his hand. This gentleman had been a top racing driver in his youth and continued in the racing business after bing a powerful figure in the capital. He ounted for a significant portion of the Eastern Alliance racing team. Chen Yu merely responded with a smile, then ced a document on the table. "It''s no problem for me to represent the team, but I have one condition. If I win the race, I''ll need certain advertising rights and profits," he stated. To the many moguls present, such conditions were trivial. After all, racing was just a hobby for them. "No problem!" Li Kaiquan was the first to agree. The others hurried to concur, some even signing the contract and stamping their fingerprints on it right away. Seeing this reaction, Chen Yu didn''t say much else and simply left the office on his own. Jin Lingsu was sitting on a sofa outside, her hawk-like eyes scanning the surroundings. In this ce, the Charlie family had no idea how many spies they had nted. In less than ten minutes of sitting there, she had already identified more than a dozen of them. However, she didn''t expose these people; she merely memorized their faces in secret. When Chen Yu came over, Jin Lingsu handed him over a dozen photos. "I originally came here for a vacation. Unexpectedly, I ended up working for you! Once this is over, you have to take me around, and personally, you owe me ten days of home-cooked meals," she said. Chen Yu flicked through the photos in his hand: "Don''t worry, you won''t be disappointed," he assured. The racing driver who had been in an ident was saved after emergency lifesaving efforts. Thanks to Chen Yu setting their bones in time, they could still enter the racing industry after being discharged from the hospital, without it affecting their professional career. This incident was extensively covered by the media, but most of the coverage criticized the organizers. Chapter 231 Thawing Previous Grudges Overwhelming news plunged the entire Eastern Racing League into an extremely embarrassing situation. And it seemed the direction of the news had already been manipted. Chen Yu''s brows were furrowed as he watched the news on television. The big shots in the capital should have control over many media outlets, so how did the narrative end up like this? He nced at Li Kaiquan, who was dining with him, "Mr. Li, it seems that the media in the capital has been taken over by Charlie''s family!" Li Kaiquan sighed helplessly, "Our country''s media developed ratherte, and many aspects are not well-established; even a lot of media had substantial foreign investments at their start..." At this point, Li Kaiquan''s face was also full of mncholy. Even he could not possibly control all the media in the capital. "It is said that thergest foreign stake in the capital''s media seems to be William''s family!" Jin Lingsu suddenly spoke up. But her nonchnt demeanor could easily irritate people. Even Li Kaiquan frowned. Chen Yu didn''t care about those things; he understood that Jin Lingsu was reminding him. "Right, William''s family!" Chen Yu hurriedly finished a few bites of his meal and then dialed a phone number. "Hello, who may I speak with?" A familiar and sweet voice sounded, making Chen Yu unconsciously pause for a moment. "Katherine?" Chen Yu asked uncertainly. "Oh, Mr. Chen, you finally called! Can I help you with something?" Chen Yu cleared his throat, "About your William''s family''s media business in the capital, could you possibly help me..." "You''re talking about the matter between Charlie''s family and the Eastern Racing League, right?" Chen Yu''s pupils dted slightly, "You know about this?" "Of course! Mr. Reynolds from Charlie''s family has already been in discussions with Mr. Victor." "They''ve been discussing?" Chen Yu raised an eyebrow in inquiry, "What do you mean?" "Originally, Charlie''s family wanted to take over the Eastern Racing Leaguepletely, and had everything set up. But after Mr. Reynolds saw you at the race, they had to find apromise." Chen Yu immediately understood that both Reynolds of Charlie''s family and Victor of William''s family had once been his patients. As long as he was involved, all problems could be solved. And there were also a lot of orders between him and Charlie''s family. "In my view, we might as well sit down together and have a good talk. Car racing is supposed to be fair and just; the way things are now benefits no one." Katherine on the other end of the phone suddenly became excited. "Mr. Chen, since you have agreed to step in, that makes things easier. I''ll contact Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Victor right away." Experience more tales on m v|l e''-NovelBin After the call ended, Li Kaiquan stared at Chen Yu with an odd look. "You... you can actually get Charlie''s family and William''s family to sit down together and discuss with us!" These two families were not just ancient royal bloodlines of the West, but also controlled economic power of enormous magnitude. Even manypanies in the East had investments from these two powerful families. Yet Chen Yu appeared indifferent, "All I did was happen to treat the heads of both families." Li Kaiquan''s breathing became noticeably more rapid. Chen Yu''s medical skills were known to him, but he had originally thought that Chen Yu was only somewhat famous in Suzhou City; he hadn''t realized that Chen Yu had already achieved international renown. The current situation of the Eastern Racing League was not very good, and if they could sit down with both the Charlies family and William''s family to talk things over, perhaps they could find a way out of their current predicament. "That would be truly wonderful!" Li Kaiquan excitedly grabbed Chen Yu''s arm, after all, he owned a part of the shares in the Eastern Racing League. The next morning at eight o''clock, at the Dragon Soar Tower in the capital. Reynolds and Victor had actually arrived here early, having rushed to the capital overnight after getting the news from Chen Yu. "Mr. Chen!" The two men nearly cried out in unison and then stepped forward to grasp Chen Yu''s hand. Compared to before, both men appeared much younger and in far better health. The titans of the capital gaped at this scene, every one of their eyes wide. Nobody in the world had ever been this close to the heads of these two great families at the same time. "Gentlemen, let''s put aside the pleasantries for now and focus on resolving the matter at hand!" Without saying anything further, they both took out the contracts they had prepared. There were a total of six world-ss top racing teams, and the East only had one, the Eastern Racing League, with the remaining five all in the West. Originally, the Charlies family intended to directly take over the Eastern Racing League andpletely dominate the field, then design their rules. Now, to bring out a contract to preserve the Eastern Racing League and even negotiate on equal terms was entirely out of respect for Chen Yu. The magnates of the capital felt as if they were dreaming, the terms of the contract exceeding their imagination. However, one use surprised them. It was to extract a portion of the shares from the Eastern Racing League and then select some resources from the Charlies family''s team to form a seventh team,pletely under Chen Yu''s control. If it were under any other circumstance, such demands would be considered draconian, but when it involved Chen Yu, everyone saw it differently. Moreover, the team split off from the Eastern Racing League was all from the Tong Family, so the impact on them was not that significant. They barely thought about it and immediately approved the decision. Chen Yu, however, was somewhat frustrated; he indeed had little interest in the racing business, and now, quite by ident, he had his own world-ss team. Once all the contracts were signed, Victor wasted no time in approaching Chen Yu. "Mr. Chen,tely my heart hasn''t been well; it often beats rapidly out of the blue. Apart from the team matters, I need you to prescribe a few medicines for me again this trip." Chen Yu casually took Victor''s pulse. "This isn''t a serious illness, just a normal phenomenon as your body recovers. I''ll prescribe you some calming medicines to send overter." "Ah, how can we trouble Mr. Chen to deliver the medicine personally? Let''s do this, we''ll leave it to Katherine to handle." Chen Yu didn''t say much and just nodded. Reynolds, on the other hand, had booked a restaurant nearby. Reynolds was extremely fascinated with Eastern culture, especially with culinary culture, to which he had a fervent pursuit. The restaurant he had booked was the most famous Qingfeng Bistro in the capital. Soon after, the negotiation parties settled down in thergest luxury private room of Qingfeng Bistro. With a ss of wine filled to the brim, Reynolds stood up excitedly. "To coborate with all of you is truly a fortunate event for my Charlies family; today, we shall not return until we are drunk! As for past affairs, let''s consider them water under the bridge!" Chapter 232: Chapter 232 Leek with Fermented Soybean Paste Reynolds was proficient in Chinese, and particrly authentic at that; his words immediately bridged the gap between him and everyone else. Moreover, with Chen Yu there, the crowd quickly livened up. Just then, Reynolds suddenly spat out a mouthful of food he had taken a bite of. "What''s going on? Did you guys change your chef? Why is this spicy chicken so disgusting?" A waiter hurried over, apologizing profusely. Reynolds''s face was a picture of gloom, "Every time Ie to the East, I order from your ce, and I''m even your top-tier VIP. Is this how you treat me?" The waiter looked new and didn''t know what to do, just kept apologizing over and over, making Reynolds somewhat impatient. Li Kaiquan stood up as well, "I also think today''s dish is a bit off, it seems different from the previous chef''s cooking." No sooner had he finished speaking than a middle-aged man with a stylish appearance strutted out with a trace of arrogance. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is our new signature dish. The taste is naturally different from before! Moreover, the previous chef had been fired for some minor mistakes. The new chef is a world-ss top chef, and the food he cooks is much tastier than before." Everyone paused, their gazes collectively shifting to the middle-aged man. The man''s pupils dted suddenly; he hadn''t expected to meet so many big shots from the capital''s circles that day. The arrogance he had just disyed diminished somewhat. "Oh my, we truly did not expect such distinguished guests to visit our establishment today. It''s our fault for not entertaining you properly, but there shouldn''t be any problem with the taste!" Chen Yu also tried a bite of the spicy chicken at that moment. He deduced that the chef who made this dish must be a novice,cking even the most fundamental skills. Reynolds was even more enraged, "How can there be no problem? Even I, a foreigner, find it disgusting!" The middle-aged man straightened his tie, "Sir, you must be misunderstanding Chinese cuisine. Our dishes here are the best in the country..." "Not necessarily!" Jin Lingsu cut him off bluntly. "The best chef in the country is sitting right here, and you dare say your food is the best in the country! That''s overestimating your abilities." A flicker of disdain crossed the middle-aged man''s eyes, "Madam, are you referring to yourself?" Jin Lingsu set her chopsticks aside and patted Chen Yu on the shoulder. "This gentleman has participated in world-ss cookingpetitions and has genuinely been crowned a ''Culinary God''!" The middle-aged man immediately fixed his gaze on Chen Yu, gave him a once-over, and approached with a conceited air. "A world-ss Culinary God, that must mean you have a background in Western cuisine. I already said, our food here is Chinese cuisine, it''s different from Western." Chen Yu sighed softly and slowly stood up. "These two elderly gentlemen have traveled thousands of miles from the West to taste authentic Chinese cuisine, and yet your chef has been so neglectful, simply tossing a few dishes together!" Chen Yu spoke indifferently and rolled up his sleeves, heading straight to the kitchen. The middle-aged man became anxious, "What are you doing? The kitchen is off-limits to outsiders!" Chen Yu didn''t care at all, darted into the kitchen with a swift move, but what he saw made him frown. Several aging chefs were leisurely sitting by, sipping tea; a couple of kids around a dozen years old were lingering by the stove, and the rest were ying games on their phones on the side. How could such a kitchen possibly produce good food? Chen Yu cleared his throat twice and then walked straight to the counter. The chefs who had been drinking tea suddenly stood up. "Who is this? How dare you casually enter our kitchen? Someone,e here, and throw him out quickly!" But Chen Yu didn''t care about that, he just picked up a kitchen knife from the stove and took several peeled potatoes. In the blink of an eye, the potatoes werepletely disassembled, bing as thin as hair. The knife skills instantly shocked all the chefs in the kitchen, especially the older ones who were dumbfounded. Knife skills are different from other cooking techniques. To cook a dish, one only needs to control the heat and remember the order and amount of ingredients. But knife skills are foundational skills that apany a chef for a lifetime. For an average chef to reach the level of knife skills that Chen Yu disyed, it would take fifty years of practice. Yet Chen Yu appeared to be not even thirty years old. To achieve such knife skills at his age could truly be considered nothing less than genius. Before they could even react, Chen Yu had already stir-fried the potato shreds in the wok, flipping and frying them. It took less than two minutes for him to serve the dish. The rich aroma instantly spread throughout the kitchen, surprising everyone present. Reynolds couldn''t wait to step forward and picked up a few potato shreds to taste. The crisp and mellow vor conquered his taste buds in an instant. "This is so delicious, these extremely thin potato shreds haven''t scorched at all, maintaining the original vor of the potatoes while also evenly coating each strand with seasoning." This assessment raised Chen Yu to a certain height, and others also crowded forward to try the potato shreds for themselves. "Good knife skills!" A deep voice suddenly rang out from the corner of the kitchen, and an old man with a somewhat portly figure came over slowly, holding a cup of tea. "I have never seen someone your age achieve so much. Really remarkable, but casually barging into my kitchen, that''s a challenge to me." Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown, he somewhat recognized this elderly man, who almost dominated the headlines of major media a decade ago. His culinary skills were ranked among the top five in the world, especially his knife work, which was legendary. His signature dish was Phoenix-tail Leeks! The leeks were already fine enough, but he could carve them, and the whole process took less than a minute. "Excuse me, sir, might you be Mr. Wen Zaichang?" Your next journey awaits at m v|l-e''-NovelBin Chen Yu was very respectful as he apologized, showing his respect for a senior figure in the culinary world. However, Wen Zaichang was extremely arrogant. He put his teacup aside and casually picked up a kitchen knife while also tearing off a cabbage leaf. As the kitchen knife swiftly rotated, the cabbage leaf quickly turned into strips, and in less than two minutes, what had looked like an overwhelminglyrge leaf of cabbage was carved into a phoenix tail shape, neatly arranged on a te. "Your knife skills are decent, and your cooking is quite good, but s, you are still too young! Come back here and be brazen when you''ve reached my level!" Chapter 233 The Nine-Colored Deer Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown, as he had already treated this senior with the highest etiquette, yet to his surprise, the old man was still disrespecting his age. "Old sir, I know your knife skills are unparalleled in the world, and I may notpare, but how can we know without a trial?" Chen Yu remained very polite, flipping the kitchen knife in his hand, and imitating Wen Zaichang''s manner, stripped off a cabbage leaf. With just a few cuts, the cabbage leaf rapidly transformed in Chen Yu''s hands, and in less than two minutes, a lifelike phoenix appeared in the middle of the te. "This junior can only casually present a phoenix, and I ask for the senior''s guidance," he said. Chen Yu put down the knife and his gaze towards Wen Zaichang turned a bit more hostile. Wen Zaichang''s eyes widened in disbelief; his carved phoenix-tail cabbage was already top-notch in terms of knife work, but after all, what he carved was just a replication based on a model. Chen Yu, on the other hand, directly carved out the entire phoenix. In terms of knife skills and speed, he had already surpassed Wen Zaichang. "Impressive, young man. It seems you''ve set your heart on challenging me today! Since that''s the case, I ept your challenge," Wen Zaichang said. Chen Yu''s face was filled with gloom; he hade here only because the kitchen''s food was not to his taste and he could onlye over to cook a meal himself. But he didn''t expect Wen Zaichang to be socking in elder''s dignity and so aggressive. "This old guy is too arrogant!" Jin Lingsu suddenly burst out, "Chen Yu, go against him, teach this old boy a lesson." Chen Yu''s mind was full of ck lines; wherever he was, as long as Jin Lingsu was by his side, he could never have peace. Wen Zaichang didn''t wait for him to speak and immediately took out a piece of deer meat from the refrigerator, slicing it in half. "This is freshly transported deer meat from the northeastern mountains, it can be considered a top-grade ingredient. Let''s both make a dish with this deer meat, and everyone present will be the judges," Wen Zaichang dered. Without saying anything more, Chen Yu simply epted the half-piece of deer meat handed over by Wen Zaichang. The others in the kitchen stepped back, moving aside to create enough space for the two of them. Wen Zaichang adjusted his breathing slightly, then took out three incense sticks, cing them in a bowl on the stove. This was a tradition of the older generation of chefs, to pay homage to the ancestors and the Kitchen God before cooking a traditional dish. Chen Yu, however, had no such customs; he directly took the knife and began to section the deer meat. By the time Wen Zaichang had finished his offerings, Chen Yu had already evenly divided the deer meat into four pieces. "Young man, don''t think that by getting the upper hand you can beat me! Today, I will cook a pce dish that has been lost for ages, to show you what it means to be a chef," Wen Zaichang said. Chen Yu merely nodded respectfully, and then he went back to focusing on his own cooking. Wen Zaichang was stunned for a moment, not expecting Chen Yu to be so indifferent towards him. A nameless rage suddenly rose within him, and then he picked up the cleaver and brought it down fiercely, splitting the piece of deer meat in half. Half an hour quickly passed by, and Chen Yu had already finished four dishes, which he arranged in basins and pushed out. These four dishes were extraordinary, each with their uniqueness and full of color, aroma, and taste. When disyed, they gave off a sense of the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter! Reynolds could hardly wait and immediately started tasting each dish in the order Chen Yu had presented them. "Delicious! These four dishes have the unique vor of four seasons, and eating them all gives one the feeling that a white deer is carrying them through the scenic beauty of the seasons," Reynolds eximed. Upon hearing this, the other people also became excited and crowded forward to taste. This exerted an invisible pressure on Wen Zaichang. Having been in the culinary world for half his life and participated in over a hundredpetitions, he''d never expected that today his speed in serving dishes would actually be slower than that of a twenty-something-year-old young man. About ten more minutes passed before his dish was finally brought out. "A lost imperial secret dish, the Nine Colored Deer! Please, everyone, have a taste!" He said this with extreme excitement, as if the dish he''d prepared was the finest in all the world. Yet, no one at the scene paid him any attention; they were all gathered around Chen Yu, carefully tasting his food. Wen Zaichang couldn''t help but widen his eyes; logically, food tastes best the moment ites out of the pot. Ten minutes had already passed; Chen Yu''s dish should have already lost its vor. His own dish''s aroma should have been able to surpass Chen Yu''s. Wen Zaichang subconsciously sniffed the air, only to find that the fragrance lingering was still strongest from Chen Yu''s side. "How is this possible? What method did you use? Did you add some other kind of seasoning to the dish?" Wen Zaichang was somewhat off-bnce; his Nine Colored Deer dish had once won a world-ss cookingpetition, earning him the title of Kitchen God. But now, Chen Yu had casually prepared four dishes that seemed to surpass his own! Chen Yu didn''t answer but simply pushed his dish forward. "ording to the rules, both parties in thepetition have to taste each other''s dishes, and I am very interested in the master''s signature dish." Without waiting for Wen Zaichang''s consent, Chen Yu had already picked up some chopsticks and took a piece from the Nine Colored Deer. It must be said, Wen Zaichang''s culinary skills were indeed top-notch. Just this Nine Colored Deer alone used twenty-four different ingredients, and the taste of each ingredient didn''t sh with the others. Instead, they were perfectly fused together through the venison. That mellow fragrance left Chen Yu with a lingering aftertaste. If he didn''t have the system on his side, Chen Yu would likely not stand a chance against his opponent. "Indeed worthy of the master''s signature dish, it''s just a pity that you skipped two steps in the preparation!" As these words came out, Wen Zaichang''s eyes instantly bulged. The main point of this dish was to fully enhance the aroma of the venison using the other ingredients, which required first charcoal-grilling the cured meat, then steaming it to allow the vors of the other ingredients to fully integrate. But such a process was overlyplicated, and seeing Chen Yu cooking at such a fast pace had forced him to skip this step. What astonished him the most was that Chen Yu could discern the essence of his dish after just one bite. "Who exactly are you? Who taught you how to cook?" Wen Zaichang stared intently at Chen Yu with a strange look in his eyes. "No one taught me. I just happened toe across an ancient cookbook and slowly practiced ording to the methods described there!" Wen Zaichang trembled all over: "So you''re saying you''re self-taught!" Chen Yu didn''t reply, just picked up the ingredients beside him and continued cooking. He hadn''te here for apetition; he simply wanted to cook a good meal for these people. After all, Victor and Reynolds had traveled a long way to get here; he had to make it worth their while! Chapter 234: Chapter 234 Fake Gang Once the table of dishes was ready, Chen Yu directly left the kitchen. Although Wen Zaichang was an old predecessor in the culinary world, his character and actions were extremely strange, and he even behaved with disrespect for his age. Chen Yu did not want to have anything to do with him. After everyone finished their meal and prepared to leave, Wen Zaichang was still standing there, staring nkly at Chen Yu. "Be careful!" Jin Lingsu suddenly patted Chen Yu on the shoulder, "That person looks wolfish, watch out for him stabbing you in the back." Chen Yu just smiled, as, in his eyes, he utterly disregarded people like Wen Zaichang. "He would need the skill to stab me first!" The group left the restaurant chatting andughing. However, their discussion still revolved around Chen Yu''s culinary skills, which they used to belittle Wen Zaichang to no worth at all. In the following days, Chen Yu integrated all of the racers under the Tongshi Group in the capital and also gathered resources sent by various Western teams. After confirming the time and ce of the race, Chen Yu did not stay long in the capital and returned to Suzhou City with Jin Lingsu. "Chen Yu, brother, I never thought you would be so versatile, even capable of running a racing team, and starting on par with world-ss teams," she said. When Jin Lingsu spoke, her tone was somewhat strange, and it was unclear whether she was praising Chen Yu or being sarcastic. "It''s just a coincidence that I came across it. Speaking of which, I really don''t have much experience in the racing business. If you have the time, I would like to hire you as a professional manager to help me manage it!" "I have the time!" Jin Lingsu eximed excitedly, "Ever since I started working with the relevant departments, I stopped my old business and I''m almost idle all day. If you don''t mind, I could really manage the team for you." Chen Yu was somewhat surprised but recalling the way Jin Lingsu drove in the Arctic, he was indeed impressed. Moreover, this woman, whether in temperament or in other facets, could be considered top-notch. Entrusting her with the racing team seemed like a good choice. "Great, then for the uing race in Europe, you can take my ce in participating," he said. As they spoke, the two had arrived at the airport exit. Just as they were about to leave, they suddenly noticed a man in a hurry near the entrance. The guy seemed sneaky, with a scar by his eye and a bag in his hand, his hand constantly inside it as if searching for something. Chen Yu noticed the man almost immediately, but he did not act rashly and just observed from a distance. Before long, the man took out a stack of ID cards and walked towards the boarding gate. "That person is holding fake IDs!" Jin Lingsu suddenly said. Chen Yu also slightly narrowed his eyes. Nowadays, anyone roaming around with fake IDs was definitely not up to any good. Just as he prepared to approach, he suddenly noticed many inclothes officers nearby, one of whom was Zhou Shengtao. It seemed the relevant department had already targeted this man and was in the process of apprehending him. However, they missed covering one direction during their setup. If they cornered the man too much, he could possibly escape or even take hostages. Chen Yu and Jin Lingsu exchanged a secret signal, then slowly began to approach in that direction. The inclothes officers lying in wait soon noticed Chen Yu and Jin Lingsu. "Zhou team, are those two people ours?" Hearing the report from his subordinate, Zhou Shengtao also looked up in the direction of Chen Yu. "He''s our unofficial staff member; he just happened to block that spot for us! If he makes a moveter, we''ll cooperate as much as possible." Upon hearing this, everyone let out a sigh of relief. "We were already short-handed and couldn''t cover every ce; never expected that Zhou Sheng had it arranged here earlier, the unofficial staff member really has foresight." Zhou Shengtao felt a bit embarrassed; although he had already considered that loophole during the deployment, due to the actual situation, he could only station people next to that direction. Firstly, there weren''t enough people, and secondly, he was worried about pushing the suspects into desperate action. Now that Chen Yu had arrived, all his concerns were dispelled! The man seemed to realize something at this moment and looked around restlessly. Gulping downrge breaths of air, he then set his eyes and ran frantically towards the boarding gate. But he hadn''t taken two steps before a golden spike shot through the air, piercing his shoulder and pinning him firmly to the ground. Chen Yu quickly stepped forward, pushing the man to the ground. Zhou Shengtao also shouted loudly, and all the inclothes officers rushed up,pletely subduing the man. "Xiao Chen, you''ve really helped me out big time again!" Zhou Shengtao was too excited to contain himself; if it weren''t for Chen Yu''s intervention, capturing this guy would have been much tougher. Chen Yu felt a bit puzzled. "Zhou Sheng, if I''m not mistaken, you should have locked onto this guy''s trail a long time ago. Why wait to capture him at the entrance of the airport?" Zhou Shengtao was briefly taken aback, instinctively looking around before leaning in close to Chen Yu''s ear. "We are investigating a major case. The reason for capturing this guy in a crowded ce is to scare the snakes out of their holes and lure out the person behind the scenes." Chen Yu nodded his head, his face showing a mix of resignation. "In other words, I''ve been dragged into this case again." Zhou Shengtao smiled with a hint of malice: "Xiao Chen, what are you saying? How can you feel like an outsider? You''re now our unofficial staff member, and there are some things I still want to ask for your help with." Chen Yu sighed helplessly and did not say much, just apanied Zhou Shengtao back to the relevant department. Jin Lingsu did not follow them but went to Shuiyue No.1 at the request of Chen Yu. Suzhou City, Xujia Rock No. 54. Everywhere in the spacious vi were all kinds of jewelry, and in the corner, stacks of cash piled up like mountains, including various national currencies. Chen Yu was taken aback when he first saw these; it was his first time seeing such a vast amount of wealthid out before him. But as he went closer to inspect, he discovered that all the banknotes were fake, and even the gold and jewels on the floor were imitations. "Zhou Sheng, the people you''re after aren''t just a counterfeiting ring, are they?" Zhou Shengtao sighed softly. "If it were just a simple counterfeiting ring, that would be easy. Among this group are some extremely vicious criminals with more than one life on their hands, and the mastermind behind them is yet to show up." Chen Yu''s brow furrowed¡ªcontrolling such arge-scale operation, the person behind it must be formidable. Chapter 235: Chapter 235 Poisoning "Team Leader Zhou, do you have any clues at this point?" Chen Yu asked before he unconsciously started wandering around the room, hoping to incidentally find some traces or clues. "We''ve basically captured all the key figures of this group, but they just refuse to divulge the person behind it all!" As he said this, Zhou Shengtao''s face took on a strange expression. "Actually, I don''t even know how to put it, it''s like these people have never seen, or rather, they don''t know the true identity of the person controlling them from behind." Chen Yu was also taken aback for a moment; he had not expected there to be someone in this world who could actually achieve such a feat. Not only to haveplete control over their subordinates and all of their affairs but also to keep their true identity unknown to these people. This was definitely the work of a mastermind! No wonder Zhou Shengtao was so helpless that he had to resort to arresting suspects in a public ce like an airport. After wandering around the living room for severalps, Chen Yu suddenly discovered a very inconspicuous hairpin in a corner. ording to what Zhou Shengtao had said, the gang was all male; how could such an item be present? Just then, Zhou Shengtao''s phone suddenly rang. He hurriedly answered it and then left the ce. But before leaving, he handed a stack of documents to Chen Yu. On the surface, this case seemed to be a simple case of forgery, but since it involved human lives, no one dared to take it lightly. As Chen Yu reviewed the files, he found that many of the clues could not be connected. Especially the victims; no matter how he looked at it, there seemed to be no connection between these people, and their deaths were all unexined. There were two individuals that, if not for Zhou Shengtao uncovering clues, the coroner might have determined their deaths as idental. Chen Yu noted down the basic information of the victims and decided to investigate thoroughly. On the southern outskirts of Suzhou City, there was an ancient tower dating back many years. Because it was located at a tourist attraction and considered a historical site, the ce was extremely popr, but the most famous aspect was not the scenery but the vegetarian meals inside the tower. Many came for the reputation, just to have a vegetarian meal there. Chen Yu had investigated all day and came up with nothing, yet he found himself arriving at this ce unwittingly. It was now approaching evening, and there were not many tourists left, only two middle-aged men who looked somewhat shabby, sitting in front of a dining table and devouring their vegetarian meals. Chen Yu unconsciously touched his stomach and found an empty table to sit down at. "Sir, are you here to eat vegetarian meals or to pray?" A delicate voice arose from not too far away, followed by a woman who appeared to be in her twenties, walking over slowly. This woman was exceptionally beautiful, and her monk robes gave her an otherworldly aura. Chen Yu smiled slightly, "I just happened to pass by and thought of seeking a fortune-telling slip in front of the Buddha. But as it so happens, I''m also feeling hungry, so I might as well do both¡ªeat a vegetarian meal and pray." "You''re really quite spontaneous," the woman replied politely, and then she brought out a well-assorted dish of vegetarian food. Chen Yu''s appetite was instantly aroused, but just as he was about to pick up his chopsticks to eat, he noticed that the two burly men not far off were ncing over at him from the corner of their eyes. He subconsciously nced at the two men and noticed something off about their expressions. At first nce, the pair seemed to be homeless men who had not eaten for a very long time, but upon closer observation, one would note that they were robust, with fierce eyes, not at all like the perennially wandering homeless. "Sir, is our food not to your taste? Why aren''t you eating?" the woman asked gently. Only then did Chen Yue back to his senses, "That''s not it. I just feel that when eating a vegetarian meal in front of the Buddha, one should at least pray silently in their heart." The woman covered her mouth and chuckled softly, "The gentleman is quite particr!" After cing a few more dishes down, the woman got up and gracefully left. [SYSTEM WARNING] An urgent alert suddenly sounded, followed by a flood of information in Chen Yu''s mind, along with a three-dimensional topographical map of the area. There was an ancient cemetery on the mountain, which included several new graves. The system had extracted details from inside the tombs during its scan, and when Chen Yu saw the images in his mind, he immediately became unsettled. The bodies interred in these graves hadn''t been buried long and were highly identifiable. Chen Yu recognized at a nce that these were the young girls who had recently disappeared. Moreover, two of them seemed to be rted to a counterfeiting case. However, Chen Yu did not act rashly; instead, he sat there leisurely eating his vegetarian meal, while his gaze asionally swept over the two burly men. After the two had their fill, they left the pagoda and meandered down the mountain path, only to head straight for the cemetery behind. Chen Yu immediately sensed something was amiss. Just as he prepared to get up and check, the woman from before floated out again and ced a bowl of noodle soup in front of him. "The gentleman seems unfamiliar, what do you do?" Chen Yu managed to squeeze out a slight smile, "I''m in the catering business. Is it just you alone here in this pagoda?" The woman nodded, "I''ve been practicing here for many years, always by myself." "Then you must be careful, Suzhou City has not been peacefultely!" As soon as he said this, Chen Yu''s heart suddenly skipped a beat. In the wilderness, within an ancient pagoda, lived a solitary woman. During the day with tourists, it was fine, but at night or other times, it was just her alone. Even if she had a strong mental resolve and firm beliefs, as a woman living alone in this deste ce, she could not possibly be without fear. "It is a peaceful and prosperous time now! How can you say that it''s not peaceful outside?" The woman asked as if jokingly, then prepared to rise and leave. "Wait a moment!" Chen Yu suddenly called her back, "If I''m not mistaken, this seems to be shrimp porridge. Such a pity that there are too many shrimp shells in it, and it''s even made with oranges." The woman''s body suddenly froze, "What do you mean by that, sir? This porridge is a kind gesture for you, is there something wrong?" Her words sounded utterly innocent as if Chen Yu was the one who had erred. But anyone in the catering industry knows that shrimp shells containrge amounts of arsenic, which, when mixed with the vitamins in oranges, can form arsenic trioxide. And that substance is the mainponent of arsenic poison! "If I''m not mistaken, those two men just now must be your underlings. They probably went to the cemetery to deal with a fresh body for you!" The woman''s body shook violently, with emotions rapidly shifting in her eyes. Chapter 236 Having Money to Earn but No Life to Spend It "What do you mean by this?" The woman, with an appearance of grievous distress, took several steps backward, her posture radiating utter aggrievement at a nce. Chen Yu, however, paid no heed to that, stepping forward directly to grasp the woman''s wrist. "Do I need to spell it out more clearly for you? Let''s set aside those lives lost in the cemetery for a moment. Just for poisoning the soup you gave me just now, I can have you arrested." The woman''s eyes suddenly darkened, and before Chen Yu could react, her other hand reached towards her waist. But all her movements were fully recorded by the system, presented vividly in Chen Yu''s mind. By the time she made her move, Chen Yu had already caught her other hand and wrested the knife from her grip. "Those were some pretty practiced moves! You must be a professional assassin." The woman''s breath turned ragged, her gaze at Chen Yu filled with a new edge of terror. She tried to pull her hand free, but Chen Yu''s grip was like a vice, tightly clenching her wrist. "Who exactly are you? What do you want to do?" Chen Yu sneered, "I''m an unofficial member of the relevant department. Since I''ve encountered you today, I can only take you with me." No sooner had he spoken than a loud explosion rang out at the door. Four burly men dashed over from the woods outside, each armed with standardized weapons. These men looked ferocious, with distinct facial features. Chen Yu had even seen portraits of two of them before. At this juncture, he was nearly certain that this group was a gang of aplices, and that the previous counterfeit cases were their handiwork. The woman''s eyes were full of murderous intent, "Young man, let me advise you to let go at once, or they''ll kill you on the spot." Chen Yu paid no mind, suddenly exerting force with his hands, crushing the woman''s wrists, before turning around and snatching up a pair of chopsticks from the table and hurling it out. Everything happened so fast that the four men hadn''t even managed to pull their triggers when the chopsticks already pierced their wrists. Not only did the weapons fall from their hands, but their arms and shoulders were punctured as well. Chen Yu let out a sigh of relief and immediately called Zhou Shengtao. Just as he was about to head to the cemetery in the back mountains to look for evidence, the woman behind him suddenly yelled out. "Young man, you''re so capable and yet you''re just an unofficial member. If you followed me, I guarantee you could earn more than ten billion a year!" Chen Yu looked at the woman with a mocking gaze, as if he had just heard the biggest joke in the world. "My worth has already exceeded ten billion long ago, so I don''t need to make this kind of life-threatening money with you. Besides, what''s wrong with being an unofficial member? At least it''s a secure job!" The woman''s eyes widened in disbelief; she couldn''t fathom how someone worth more than ten billion would willingly remain an unofficial member. Before she could grasp the situation, Chen Yu suddenly caught her neck and pressed lightly, causing her to faint. Zhou Shengtao was patrolling nearby when he received Chen Yu''s call and hurried over immediately, only to be left gaping at the sight of one man and four women lying on the ground. Only two of these five were confirmed suspects; he had never seen the other three. Especially this woman, who did not seem local, appeared to be of mixed heritage. Chen Yu had already reached the back mountain, where the cemetery had been turned into aplete mess. Some of the older graves had been excavated and had new corpses ced in them. Continue your adventure at m|v-l''e -NovelBin When the system scanned all the information into Chen Yu''s mind, he felt nauseated. It was the first time he had ever seen such a scene. Moreover, these people had even hidden arge amount of gold, jewelry, and cash within the tombs. As he was analyzing the situation at hand, the two burly men he had seen earlier suddenly ran back, overjoyed. "After being busy for so long, we can finally leave this damn ce. We brothers must have a good time." "I want to buy a big ne so I can go anywhere in the world, anytime I want to." ... As the two men were dreaming about their future, they suddenly noticed Chen Yu standing there. The two men instantly became wary and reached for their weapons at their waists. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" they demanded. Chen Yu didn''t turn around; he just nkly stared at the scene before him, feeling a surge of nameless rage within him. These graves had been resting in ce just fine until these people not only dug them up and ruined them but also filled them with all sorts of trash. This was intolerable! Though angry, Chen Yu seemed to have taken on a bit of a dramatic air at the moment. "My family''s ancestral grave is buried here! I just wanted toe up here to pay my respects today, and I didn''t expect it to turn out like this. Who has dug up my family''s ancestral grave?" Upon hearing this, the two burly men suddenly felt embarrassed, considering they were solely responsible for the scene in front of them. The wariness on their faces dissipated, and they put their weapons away. One of the men even took out two gold bars from his person and offered them to Chen Yu. "Brother, we''re setting up a foundation here, and all the graves need to be moved! Unfortunately, the tombs are so ancient that we couldn''t find many of the families. Since you''ve shown up, take these two gold bars aspensation. If it''s not enough, I can give you more." Chen Yu acted as if he had lost all desire to live, looking down at the two gold bars before him. "These two aren''t enough. It should be at least two hundred!" The two men''s eyes widened in shock. "Damn you! You ungrateful brat, giving you two gold bars is already more face than you deserve, and now you''re asking us for two hundred? Believe me, I can make it so you have money but no life to spend it!" Chen Yu suddenly looked up, "I don''t know if I''ll have a life to spend this money, but I''m sure you two no longer have a chance to possess these treasures." The two were taken aback, "Hey, really shameless, aren''t you?" As they prepared to take action, they barely lifted their arms before a series of cracking sounds ensued, and they copsed to the ground. Before they could speak, Zhou Shengtao arrived with arge group of people. However, when Zhou Shengtao and his party arrived, the sight before thempletely shocked them, and a few of the new interns who had just started their jobs started to vomit against the nearby trees. Chapter 237 The Residential Gardener ``` Chen Yu told Zhou Shengtao everything he knew, and also informed the relevant personnel about the location of the buried jewelry and cash. When everyone dug out the buried items, astonishment was written all over their faces. They had solved countless major cases and, in theory, seen a lot of the world, but the scene before them waspletely beyond their imagination. All of theirbined efforts over several lifetimes probably wouldn''t amount to this much money. After Chen Yu had done what he needed to do, he hurried back to Shuiyue No.1. He had been out for some time, and even upon his return, he hadn''t had the chance to reunite with his wife and child. By the time Chen Yu rushed home, it was already 10 o''clock at night, yet the house was still buzzing with lively activity. Jin Lingsu and Tong Ya were striking an extremely difficult pose, standing on one leg. Tuan Tuan, too, was imitating their pose, standing between them. The three of them standing there was like a beautiful scenic painting. When Tuan Tuan saw Chen Yu return, she immediately put her little foot down and bounced into Chen Yu''s arms. "Daddy, you''re finally back, you have no idea how much I''ve missed you!" Chen Yu affectionately ruffled Tuan Tuan''s little head and took out an exquisitely small jade bracelet from his pocket. "Daddy missed you too! Look, this is a little gift I carefully picked for you, do you like it?" Tuan Tuan excitedly took the bracelet and put it on her wrist: "Of course I like it, I love anything from Daddy!" Chen Yu then pinched Tuan Tuan''s nose and turned to look at Tong Ya and Jin Lingsu. "What are they doing?" Tuan Tuan pouted her little mouth: "I don''t know, it was normal at first, then for some reason, Mommy insisted onpeting with Aunt Jin in flexibility, and that''s how it ended up." Chen Yu also had a full head of ck lines; indeed, wherever Jin Lingsu was, no good came of it. At this moment, Jin Lingsu suddenly smiled: "Your husband is back, aren''t you going to greet him? Give him a hug, a kiss, something like that?" Tong Ya clenched her teeth: "Anyway, we''re already married, there''s always time for that! You''re not getting overwhelmed and trying to distract my attention, are you?" "I''m not that bored!" said Jin Lingsu with a nonchnt air: "I practice martial arts; my flexibility and muscle strength are countless times greater than yours. Just admit defeat!" Tong Ya forced a slight smile; upon closer observation, one could see her body had already begun to tremble. Tong Ya was merely a simple dance teacher, while Jin Lingsu was different; she had fought and bled, weathering storms and braving the rains, possessing a physical and mental toughness iparable to Tong Ya. Chen Yu frowned, realizing that if this continued, Tong Ya might actually hurt herself. "Ya Ya!" Chen Yu called out softly, then walked straight over to Tong Ya and scooped her up around the waist. "Alright, she is a single dog, bored out of her mind, that''s why she''s challenging everyone. We don''t need to bother with her! I''ve even picked out a special gift for you on my return." Tong Ya breathed a sigh of relief. She had been enduring for nearly two hours and couldn''t hold on any longer. If it weren''t for Chen Yu giving her a way out, the consequences would have been unimaginable. What''s more, Chen Yu''s simple words had also helped her regain some face. ``` "Why would I do such a boring thing with a single dog?" As she spoke, Tong Ya tenderly buried her head in Chen Yu''s embrace. Jin Lingsu''s eyes widened in astonishment, "Hey, you two are breaking the rules, ganging up on me, an outsider. I''m at least a guest, for goodness'' sake. You should show some hospitality. Besides, your husband promised to cook for me for ten days." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, "Thiste at night, what dinner? " He said dismissively and then took Tong Ya back to their room, with Tuan Tuan hopping along behind them. Jin Lingsu sat on the sofa with a sulky expression, like one who had been wronged. Just as she was about to go to sleep, a strange rustling sound suddenly came from the bushes outside. Her sharp instincts made Jin Lingsu jump up and rush outside without a second thought. When she stepped outside, she saw a middle-aged man sneakily swinging a hoe under the arhat tree in the backyard, apparently digging something. "What are you doing?" Jin Lingsu shouted and dashed over, kicking the man in the back of his head and knocking him out cold on the ground. Chen Yu too hurried out, "What happened?" Jin Lingsu pped her hands dismissively, looking down at the middle-aged man lying on the ground. "Caught a thief. This guy seemed like he was about to steal your arhat tree!" Chen Yu''s frown deepened when he saw the middle-aged man. He knew this person; he was themunity gardener. Recently, the arhat trees in themunity were diseased, and the gardener, afraid of disturbing the residents during the day, quietly came out to tend to them in the dead of night. Chen Yu sighed in exasperation, "Who would tantlye to themunity to steal an arhat tree at night? This is amunal worker." After exining briefly, Chen Yu took out two needles and pricked them into the gardener''s nape. Before long, the middle-aged man stood up groggily. "What happened? I feel like someone hit me on the back of my head with a hammer!" Chen Yu coughed lightly, "Master Wu, it''s very dangerous for you to work at such an hour. If we hadn''t arrived on time to rescue you, the consequences could have been grim!" As he spoke, Chen Yu picked up a broken flowerpot. He had broken it on the spur of the moment while rushing to help. Master Wu didn''t say much, obviously believing the exnation. "I had no choice, really. Since that''s the case, I''ll let it go for today and go rest." After seeing Master Wu off, Chen Yu too breathed a sigh of relief. "Sis, now that you''re coborating with the relevant departments and have obtained a legitimate identity, you should get to know the life of a normal person. You can''t go around acting rashly like this. If something really happens one day, your legitimate status will be in jeopardy." Jin Lingsu looked indignant, "I''ve been through so much over the years, and now I have to be schooled by you, kid?" Grumbling to herself, Jin Lingsu went back to her room, albeit in an exaggerated way¡ªshe actually went out the window. Chapter 238: Chapter 238 Basketball Game Chen Yu sighed helplessly. Although Jin Lingsu was top-notch in many aspects and could even be considered a perfect woman, she was like a giant baby when it came to some details of life! Just as Chen Yu was about to head back, he suddenly spotted something shiny not far away. He walked over, picked it up, and discovered it was actually a badge, and this badge astonishingly belonged to the Charlies family. Chen Yu immediately furrowed his brows. He had just signed a contract with the Charlie n, so why did their item appear here? Could it be that these people from the family were two-faced, secretly following him? "Ling Ling, scan the surroundings for me. Look for any suspicious people!" [Understood] A blue and white light spread instantly, and not long after, a three-dimensional map of the entire vi area emerged in Chen Yu''s mind. But no matter how the system scanned, it found nothing amiss. It seemed the other party had long gone. Chen Yu slowly clenched his hand, gripping the badge tightly. "Charlies family, I want to see what exactly you''re trying to do!" Muttering to himself, Chen Yu then returned to his room. The next morning at eight o''clock, Chen Yu drove straight to the factory. Tong Ya, as usual, took Tuan Tuan to school, but Jin Lingsu had gotten some strange idea and insisted on going with Tong Ya. After some time of renovation, the underground tombs in the entire industrial park had been mostly cleared out, and some areas had already entered the reconstruction stage early. The initial factory area had also been expanded, and its industrial value had doubled. When Chen Yu arrived there, the whole industrial park seemed bustling with activity. Xie Jiang''s workers had at least doubled since before, and the old professor who was clearing the tombs had also called for assistance from other relevant departments. Everyone got excited when they saw Chen Yu arriving, especially Xie Jiang. He directly dropped what he was doing and ran over to Chen Yu. "Old Chen, you seemed quite busy recently, so I haven''t called you! But look how well I''ve done the job for you!" Chen Yu looked around: "With the progress like this, the entire industrial park can be put to use in another two months, right?" Xie Jiang waved his hand: "No need for two months. I now have enough manpower, and many projects have started simultaneously. The speed is more than twice as fast as before. Including the construction andter decoration of the industrial park, you give me a month and a half, and I guarantee it will be done." Chen Yu''s face brimmed with excitement: "Then I''m counting on you!" Just then, Hou Jianchang came running over in a hurry. "Old Xie, there has been a big problem. I just got news that thend price in this area has plummeted; it seems like someone is intentionally opposing us." Hou Jianchang was yelling as he ran, looking extremely anxious. However, when he saw Chen Yu, the anxiety on his face lessened by half. "Old Chen, you''re back!" Chen Yu nodded: "Old Hou, what happened? You''re rarely in such a rush!" Hou Jianchang caught his breath and brought out several documents from his person, spreading them in front of Chen Yu. "Because ancient tombs were excavated here, thend price has plummeted. Until the tombs arepletely cleared, this ce is worthless wastnd! This might indirectly affect the efficiency of our factory. It''s possible that our products may not sell at all." Chen Yu of course understood what Hou Jianchang meant. In many ces, once ancient tombs or some ancient facilities were excavated, they would be designated as special regions by the relevant departments. ``` The value of these plots ofnd will not only plummet, but there will also be disreputable media writing all sorts of nonsensical articles about them. They''ll specte about poor feng shui, products tainted with heavy yin energy, and all kinds of dirty water will be sshed onto it. Chen Yu nced at the document in front of him, his face showing not the slightest ripple of emotion. "The current price of thend plot allows others to spin stories, and we can do the same!" Hou Jianchang was stunned for a moment. "Old Chen, what do you mean by that?" Chen Yu''s lips curved slightly. "Old Hou, go now, immediately invest in a businesspany, and create a stock based on thend plots we control in our hands!" Hou Jianchang was an old hand in the business world and understood what Chen Yu meant at once. "You mean to fight poison with poison and use stock to recoup our losses?" Chen Yu nodded. "The price of thend has dropped so drastically; someone must be undermining us from behind. Since they like to y, we''ll keep thempany and y along! Besides, we also need to make sure the media doesn''t get too arrogant." Hou Jianchang collected the documents. "Don''t worry, I know what to do with the rest." ... Suzhou City Jian Nan Primary School. On the vast yground, arge group of parents stood in their basketball gear, doing some simple warm-up exercises. Tong Ya and Jin Lingsu were among them. "Dear parents, please divide yourselves evenly into two teams ording to the rules, the basketball game is about to start!" A teacher stood at the referee''s stand with a microphone, looking awkwardly at the scene on the court. Most of the parents who came to the meeting today were fathers, with only Tong Ya and Jin Lingsu being women. Therefore, it was decided on the fly to hold a basketball game, but nobody wanted to be on the same team as the two women. Moreover, both Tong Ya and Jin Lingsu had enchanting figures, fair skin, and looked frail and delicate. How could they possibly y basketball in that state? The teacher had already asked several times through the microphone, but these people just did not want to divide up into teams; eight big men were standing there with reluctant expressions. Even a few men''s eyes kept wandering over Tong Ya and Jin Lingsu. "Forget dividing the teams, the two of us will form one team, and they can have a men vs. women game!" Jin Lingsu shouted out, spinning the basketball on her hand with an air of dominance. That queen-like aura instantly made the eight men take a few steps back involuntarily. Tuan Tuan, sitting in the spectator stands, suddenly got excited, holding two pompoms and jumping up and down. "Mom, Aunt Jin Su, beat them!" Other children covered their mouths, wanting tough after seeing Tuan Tuan''s antics. In this scenario, Tong Ya and Jin Su were bound to lose. A middle-aged man with a sloppy beard looked at the two women with a sleazy expression. "Ladies, basketball can be very dangerous. Don''t me us if you get hurtter!" Jin Lingsu snorted coldly and suddenly threw the basketball in her hand. Under everyone''s incredulous gaze, the basketball went straight into the hoop. ``` Chapter 239: Chapter 239 103 to 0 The scene fell silent, and everyone stared at Jin Lingsu with shocked gazes. Being able to precisely shoot the basketball into the hoop from such a distance was almost something very few could achieve. Moreover, Jin Lingsu was a woman! "That was just a fluke, right?" A muscr middle-aged man with a solemn expression couldn''t quite believe what was happening before him. "Definitely a coincidence, I think I even felt a draft just now!" Another person immediately echoed! Jin Lingsu didn''t care about all that and just gave the people in front of her a cold nce, then slung her arm over Tong Ya''s shoulder. "Hurry up and start! How can a bunch of grown men dawdle so much!" With that, Jin Lingsu directly pulled Tong Ya to the other side. The teacher in charge of refereeing was also stunned for a moment; he really didn''t expect things to develop to this point. But seeing how confident Jin Lingsu and Tong Ya seemed, he didn''t feel it was right to say much more. "All right, let the game begin!" As the referee gave the order, the court immediately boiled over with excitement. The eight men got ready for serious business, looking earnest, but a closer look would reveal that their eyes, more or less, held a lecherous glint. Some even swallowed their saliva. The referee holding the basketball walked to the center of the court, "We now begin the jump ball, please send a representative each!" Jin Lingsu naturally took this task upon herself and walked straight to the center of the court. Her enchanting yet authoritative and bold demeanor was hard not to attract attention. The man who came out from the opposite team was full of sinewy muscles, clearly a regr at the gym. And his calf muscles were extremely developed, suggesting good jumping ability. In any otherpetition, the jump ball would have been his advantage, but unfortunately, he was up against Jin Lingsu. As the basketball was thrown high by the referee, Jin Lingsu and the man jumped almost simultaneously. But unexpectedly, Jin Lingsu''s leap was a whole half-body taller than the man''s, effortlessly catching the ball and passing it to Tong Ya. The moment Tong Ya received the basketball, she immediately spun and threw it. That seemingly delicate figure managed a shot from an extremely tricky angle, making the basketball swish through the. "Two points for the women''s team!" Everything happened so fast, many people hadn''t even reacted! Even the referee called out the score only after the basketball hadnded. "Mommy is awesome!" Tuan Tuan cheerfully bounced in the stands, causing a bunch of kids to feel envious. Logically, the other parents were all burly men, yet Tuan Tuan''s parent, being only two women, had taken the lead in scoring! Even though these kids were disgruntled, there wasn''t much they could do about it! As the game continued, the scene became increasingly chaotic. The coordination among the eight yers deteriorated, with some even getting injured. Jin Lingsu and Tong Ya were both incredibly flexible, and with their slender figures, they effortlessly weaved through the yers, practically running rings around them. Apart from Tuan Tuan''s cheering, the court was filled with constant sighs. ¡­ In Suzhou City''s Beijiang Restaurant, Chen Yu and Hou Jianchang sat in a private room, waiting in silence. Before long, Zhou Shengtao rushed over in a hurry. "The case earlier was a bit tricky, so I''mte. My apologies to both of you!" Chen Yu didn''t say much, merely cing a contract on the table. "Captain Zhou, some of the terms here I''m afraid only you have the authority to sign, so I had toe to you for help!" Zhou Shengtao burst into a heartyugh, promptly picked up the pen, and signed his name on the contract. "It''s no big deal. Next time, you don''t need to call me over specifically for these things, just bring the contract straight to my office!" Chen Yu waved his hand dismissively, "That won''t do. Your position is quite sensitive, and it''s necessary to avoid conflicts of interest when required!" Zhou Shengtao stamped the contract and handed it back, "By the way, Chen Yu, that forgery case has been closed. In view of your significant contribution this time, not only have you been given a formal position, but there''s also a reward!" As he spoke, he handed over a check bearing the stamp of the relevant department to Chen Yu. The amount on it was a whopping ten million! Looking at it, the misdeeds of those guys must have been far from minor. "In that case, I will ept it!" Chen Yu politely epted the check, then stood up, ready to leave. "Wait a moment!" Zhou Shengtao suddenly called out, "I have a matter here that I need your help with!" Chen Yu frowned slightly, knowing from the moment Zhou Shengtao entered that there must be some big issue, otherwise Zhou Shengtao wouldn''t beughing so casually. "Captain Zhou, there''s no need for formalities between you and me, just tell me what you need!" Zhou Shengtao patted Chen Yu''s shoulder excitedly, "Then I won''t stand on ceremony!" With that, he took out an invitation from his pocket. "This is a yacht entry ticket. I need you to disguise yourself as a wealthy businessman to get on board and help me find something!" Without any hesitation, Chen Yu took the invitation gracefully. "What am I looking for?" Zhou Shengtao immediately took out a photo and handed it to Chen Yu. ... Experience new stories on m v|l e''-NovelBin The basketball game at Jiannan Elementary School ended quickly, but the score was somewhat too overwhelming to bear witness to. Jin Lingsu and Tong Ya won the game almost with a crushing momentum. One hundred and three to zero! The eight burly men stood there, like children who had done something wrong, utterly at a loss! "Hey, I thought the game was going to take a long time, but it ended so quickly! That''s just boring!" Jin Lingsu taunted and walked off the court with Tong Ya, carrying the basketball. Both of them had superior control over their physical fitness, and after ying for a considerable time, they were just a little sweaty. In contrast, the others looked as though they had juste off a battlefield, dripping with sweat, and a few of themy on the ground, refusing to get up. To the uninitiated, it might look like these guys were pulling a con! "Ladies and gentlemen, my parent-child basketball game today concludes perfectly. I look forward to the next parent-child event being as lively as today!" The host finished the scripted lines with some difficulty and then hurried off the stage, seemingly unwilling to stay a moment longer! At five in the afternoon, Jin Lingsu and Tong Ya, with Tuan Tuan in tow, chatted andughed as they slowly made their way home. "Auntie Jin was so amazing today; she even dunked the ball!" No sooner had Tuan Tuan spoken than Tong Ya took umbrage. "Auntie Jin is amazing, but doesn''t that make Mom amazing too?" Tuan Tuan giggled, "Mom''s amazing too, it''s just a pity you can''t dunk! Otherwise, it would''ve been perfect!" Tong Ya immediately felt a twinge of jealousy, "You little thing, you''ve known her for such a short time, and you''re already turning your elbows out!" Chapter 240: Chapter 240 Zhao Familys Yacht After a day, the rtionship between Jin Lingsu and Tong Ya had improved by leaps and bounds. Discover more content at m,v l''e-NovelBin Even though they still didn''t see eye to eye, it was just part of their personalities and didn''t affect their rtionship. At nine in the evening, Tong Ya even personally cooked, making Jin Lingsu''s favorite dishes. "Why are we eating sote today, and why didn''t you guys go back to the restaurant to eat?" The moment Chen Yu''s voice rang out, Tuan Tuan immediately jumped down from the dining table. "Daddy, you''re back! You don''t know how amazing Mom and Auntie Jin were today! They teamed up and defeated a professional basketball team!" Chen Yu was somewhat surprised, "Really?" "Of course it''s true!" Jin Lingsu immediately took over the conversation, "Who do you think I am? It''s not just basketball; I could win even at ser!" "Ahem!" Tong Ya suddenly coughed twice, "Children should be honest and can''t just exaggerate the truth at will, otherwise, the consequences will be serious!" Jin Lingsu was displeased, "How can you educate a child like that as a mother? Sometimes you need to boast when it''s time to boast! Otherwise, wouldn''t life be so boring!" Chen Yu''s head was full of ck lines, wondering why they were getting so worked up! "I''ve got something to tell you, I''ll be traveling again soon. Ya Ya and Tuan Tuan''s safety will be all in your hands." Jin Lingsu looked at Chen Yu somewhat sullenly, "Hey, you really treat me as a free bodyguard!" Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, "I''m just letting you experience what normal life is like, how could that be a free bodyguard." Jin Lingsu''s face was full of grievances, "In a few days, I have something to do too, I''ve already received the invitation!" As she spoke, she ced an invitation on the table. Chen Yu''s eyes widened in surprise, "You''re going on that ship too?" Jin Lingsu was also taken aback, "What a coincidence!" Without saying much, Chen Yu directly took out his own invitation. Tong Ya hurried over, "Isn''t this the Zhao family''s ship?" "The Zhao family?" Chen Yu looked puzzled, "How do you know?" Without a word, Tong Ya took out an identical invitation from her person. "My father also received one, but he doesn''t like these kinds of gatherings so he asked me to go on his behalf." Chen Yu furrowed his brows. Zhou Shengtao had told him that these invitations were very precious, with less than a thousand sent out altogether, yet there were three within this vi. "In that case, we''ll all go together tomorrow, and treat it as a trip." Tuan Tuan immediately became excited. She had had enough of schooltely, and if she could go out and y, she would do anything. "No, Tuan Tuan." Chen Yu suddenly grabbed Tuan Tuan''s shoulders seriously, "This time, Daddy has a very important task to do, and I''m afraid I can''t take you with me!" Tuan Tuan''s mood plummeted, as if her soul had left her. Tong Ya quickly held Tuan Tuan in her arms, "The people operating this ship are not exactly good people. Tuan Tuan, be good, next time Mommy will take you to an even better ce." Tuan Tuan, being obedient, didn''t say much and just nodded her little head. Chen Yu said no more, just told Chen Guang and Li Lan to take good care of Tuan Tuan. The next morning, Chen Yu and the two women quickly packed up and set off. It wasn''t strange for the Zhao family to own several yachts, being a super family in the capital. But the yacht''s current location was very unusual, being in international waters and even the ce of registration was an obscure little ind. From this, it''s clear that the Zhao Family must be up to something! Chen Yu and his twopanions followed the instructions on the invitation, first arriving at the designated dock, then they were escorted by special personnel onto the yacht. Upon reaching their destination, Chen Yu realized that whaty before him could hardly be called a yacht; it was a ten-thousand-ton behemoth spanning the sea. The whole ship had been decorated with extreme luxury; just the outer hall, used to entertain guests, was adorned with copious amounts of 24K gold. When Chen Yu boarded, he was shocked by everything here. He had never seen anyone put so much effort into a yacht! Just then, a man in his early twenties suddenly hurried through the hall, holding in his hand a Tang sword faster than a person''s height. From the color of the de, this sword was definitely a rare treasure, and might even have been a precious sword used by the Imperial Guard during Emperor Xuanzong''s time. Yet such a treasure was being carelessly brandished about. "Murder! Murder! Zhao Tian has killed someone!" A scream instantly attracted the attention of everyone present! The screamer was a man in his thirties. This fellow was big and burly, a mass of muscle, but his voice was remarkably shrill, almost squeaky¡ªone might think it small wonder if he could change it to a falsetto! "I''m going to kill you today, you sissy! Showing off in front of my grandfather, you''re really asking for it!" Right then, a man bursting with a heroic air appeared, blocking Zhao Tian''s path. "Little brother, Zhao Fu is, after all, your cousin; there''s no need for knives! Besides, this sword is a treasure for the auction, what if you damage it?" Zhao Tian snorted coldly, ncing at Zhao Fu lying on the ground with utter disdain. "Today I''ll overlook this out of respect for Big Brother Zhao Hai, but next time, if I see you acting like a sissy again, I won''t let you off so easily!" Zhao Fu was already scared out of his wits. "Understood!" Although this farce seemed sudden, it had drawn everyone''s attention to the Tang sword. "Who would have thought the Zhao Family would bring out such a splendid treasure this time!" "If such an item is so casually presented, there must be even better ones toe!" "This trip is absolutely worth it! We''re all going to leave with a full load!" ... While people were abuzz with discussions, the Tang sword had already been sold for the astronomical price of twelve million! In a corner, Chen Yu silently watched it all, saying nothing. He couldn''t be sure whether all this was a charade put on by the Zhao Family to create an atmosphere for the auction. At that moment, a wave of soul-stirring music suddenly started up from outside the door. Following that, arge group of people grandly boarded the yacht, among them was Fang Yuan! Brown Edward followed right behind Fang Yuan, very gentlemanly holding up her dress for her. This scene made countless young girls scream with excitement! Just then, Zhao Hai suddenly rushed towards Fang Yuan like a madman! "You harlot, you dare to show your face here! You''ve deceived our Zhao Family so badly!" The focus of the scene methodically shifted, and a thick scent of gossip instantly filled the air. Chapter 241 Not Fake The sudden incident left Fang Yuan somewhat embarrassed, but there was no significant change in her expression. It seemed that she might have anticipated such a situation before she arrived. "Mr. Zhao, please watch yournguage. I am now Mrs. Edward! Is it not impolite for you toe rushing up and shouting at me like this?" Zhao Hai snorted coldly, "Etiquette? You talk to me about etiquette? When you were with me, we signed quite a few contracts, and now these contracts can all serve as evidence of your fraud!" As these words were spoken, the yacht suddenly became noisy. Whispers abounded, with everyone guessing the real rtionship between Fang Yuan and Zhao Hai. "Are you the guy who signed the betting agreement with Yuan Yuan?" Brown Edward''s voice suddenly rose in the hall, instantly attracting everyone''s attention. Zhao Hai''s eyes narrowed slightly, filled with malice like the eyes of a hawk. "Betting agreement? Why don''t you ask your wife if that was a betting agreement? It was practically like taking money for nothing from the Zhao Family!" Zhao Hai was somewhat heartbroken, decidedly losing hisposure in such a setting. After all, Fang Yuan had effortlessly made three billion from him and thoroughly outmaneuvered him. Anyone would break down in such a situation! Brown''s face darkened as he pulled out a thick stack of documents from his chest. Discover exclusive tales on m,v l''e-NovelBin "Hmph, Mr. Zhao, there are things I don''t want to squabble too much about on such an asion! But the unequal treaties you forced Yuan Yuan to sign are utterly despicable! And Yuan Yuan has told me everything!" Brown''s words were extremely firm, as he saw Fang Yuan as the one who had been wronged. Beforeing here, Fang Yuan had already recounted the entire betting process with the capital circles of the Empire. Of course, she couldn''t avoid a bit of exaggeration. In doing so, Fang Yuan had craftily turned herself into a victim. Although Brown was in a marriage of convenience with Fang Yuan, he too was filled with righteous indignation after hearing her story. Besides, they were engaged now, meaning Fang Yuan''s affairs were the Edward Family''s affairs as well. Zhao Hai couldn''t help but widen his eyes, "What is wrong with you Westerners, actually believing in such a woman! Today, I will expose her true face." With that, Zhao Hai stepped forward, intending toy hands on Fang Yuan, but in the next moment, the Edward Family''s personal bodyguards stopped him. These men were elites passed down from ancient Western royal lineages, some of whom had even fought in underground boxing matches. Their physical fitness and strength were many times stronger than ordinary bodyguards. Zhao Hai suddenly shouted loudly, and then the Zhao Family''s bodyguards also rushed in. Just as it looked like a fight was about to break out, a somewhat elderly voice suddenly spoke up from the side. "Today is a big day for the Zhao Family, and we hope the Edward Family can show some respect. Let''s resolve any issues afterwards!" All eyes converged on the direction of the voice as they saw an old man with white hair slowly appearing in a wheelchair. "We have seen Mr. Zhao!" Everyone greeted respectfully, and the whole venue became quiet. Seeing this scene, Chen Yu frowned, having not expected both the expected and unexpected to appear here. Exhaling a breath of foul air, Chen Yu paid no attention to these people, instead searching for his mission target. This time, Zhou Shengtao asked him to obtain a red dragon-embossed scepter. This scepter was said to be a treasure of a lost Eastern civilization that could potentially help to excavate the entire civilization intact. "Let''s go check over there!" Chen Yu whispered, then led Tong Ya and Jin Lingsu toward a corner. Having taken just two steps, Chen Yu realized that Tuan Tuan was pouting her little mouth, standing there full of dissatisfaction, staring fixedly at Fang Yuan. Tong Ya''s expression changed immediately, she hurriedly stepped forward to hold Tuan Tuan in her arms. "Tuan Tuan, be good, let''s go first, we''ll talk about everything elseter!" She certainly understood what Tuan Tuan was thinking; anyone would be reluctant to see their own mother so entangled with two men. If Tuan Tuan lost herposure and made the matter between her and Fang Yuan public, there''s no telling how much chaos might ensue. Moreover, Chen Yu was here to carry out a secret mission, and absolutely could not afford too much exposure. Tuan Tuan was also intelligent, she grasped Tong Ya''s intent in an instant, and the anger on her face immediately diminished somewhat. "It''s alright, Mom, I wouldn''t stoop to her level! Besides, I only have you as my mom now!" Tong Ya affectionately ruffled Tuan Tuan''s little head, then took out a piece of chocte she carried with her. Tuan Tuan took the chocte, then hopped and skipped away with Tong Ya. At this moment, Fang Yuan''s gaze drifted towards them, intentionally or otherwise. Her heart ached inexplicably, she was aware that she might never be able to get Tuan Tuan back in this lifetime. Chen Yu and the others had already reached the adjacent hall by this time. The space here was indeed not small, and the treasures on disy each had significant renown. There were even ancient Khmer Buddha statues. At the moment, there were few visitors here, quite a number of them preferred ces that were not too noisy. Others were genuinely fond of these antiques. "I saw a Spring and Autumn square ding three years ago in the Capital; I can recite the inscriptions on it to this very day!" "Oh my, square dings are rare to see in the market these days, especially those from the Spring and Autumn period!" "Indeed, I didn''t expect the Zhao Family''s banquet to actually have a square ding from the Western Zhou era!" ... A group of people surrounded a huge square ding, discussing and pointing. After all, such items were things they may never encounter in their entire lives. Chen Yu also nced at the square ding unconsciously, but he immediately furrowed his brows. "There''s something wrong with the material of this square ding!" With this remark, he instantly stunned all those present. "Young man, what do you mean by that? Are you saying this item is fake?" An elderly man looked at Chen Yu with some surprise. "Not fake!" Chen Yu peered through the ss and scrutinized, "The square dings from the Western Zhou tended to be made using wooden molds with y sculpting before firing, but this one appears to have used an iron mold!" The old man immediately widened his eyes and hurriedly brought up the magnifying ss in his hand for a closer look. The others also crowded around, quickly surrounding the square ding so tightly that not even water could pass through. "My goodness, you''ve really awakened me from a dream! This item was indeed made using an iron mold!" "Judging by the craftsmanship and the degree of artificial aging, this item must have been made at least during the Northern Song dynasty!" ... Chen Yu''s mouth curled slightly, "If I''m not mistaken, this item should have been made during the Northern Song dynasty, the reign of Shen Zong, and it''s even from an official kiln!" With these words, the scene erupted once more! Chapter 242: Chapter 242 Bronze Square Tripod "This gentleman is knowledgeable about antiques?" The old man had looked at Chen Yu with a delighted surprise in his eyes. The others also regarded him with amazement. After all, someone able to specify the era so clearly and urately was definitely not ordinary. Chen Yu shrugged his shoulders, "I''ve just studied them a little!" While they were speaking, Zhao Hai came storming in, furious. Behind him followed several burly bodyguards, all bearing scars, evidence of a significant conflict that had just urred. Chen Yu ignored the man, having no desire to interact with him in any way. Unexpectedly, the guy made his way straight to Chen Yu. "What did you mean by what you just said? Are you suggesting that my family''s items could be fake?" Chen Yu frowned slightly, "It''s not a matter of being fake, just that the era is incorrect!" Zhao Hai didn''t care for such details and reached out to get physical. Having suffered such indignity, he felt the need to reim some face. "What do you mean the era is incorrect? This Fang Ding has been authenticated by world-ss experts, there''s absolutely no problem with it, and now you''re saying it''s from the Northern Song Dynasty period of Emperor Shenzong? That''s absurd!" Chen Yu exhaled a turbid breath and was about to argue when Tong Ya suddenly stepped forward. "Zhao Hai, so nobody is allowed toment on the Zhao family''s junk?" Zhao Hai was momentarily startled and slowly became more respectful, "Tong Ya? Miss Tong! I didn''t expect you to be here. Why isn''t Elder Tong with you?" At that moment, Zhao Haipletely softened, not even daring to breathe heavily. Although the Zhao family was also a super n in the capital, the Tong Family was much more formidable. "What, does Young Master Zhao wish to discuss business with my father?" Zhao Haiughed awkwardly, "If possible, that would be wonderful!" Tong Ya took hold of Chen Yu''s wrist, "If you want to talk business, speaking with my husband will do. He makes decisions on over eighty percent of the Tong Family''s business matters!" Zhao Hai''s pupils dted suddenly; he hadn''t expected Chen Yu to be Tong Ya''s husband. Moreover, Elder Tong had so quickly entrusted Chen Yu with the decision-making power for Tong Family business. This meant Chen Yu was a person Elder Tong recognized! "No wonder he is Elder Tong''s son-inw chosen to ride the dragon; he indeed has such insight!" After ttering him, Zhao Hai had someone take out the Fang Ding and smash it heavily onto the ground. Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, "Young Master Zhao, why did you smash the cauldron?" Zhao Hai snorted, "Since Mr. Chen has already appraised it, there''s no need to keep it on disy here!" Chen Yu could not help but suppress a chuckle, "Although the era is incorrect, a bronze square ding made by the Northern Song official kiln as an imitation is absolutely a rare treasure. It''s far more valuable than the original Western Zhou specimen!" Zhao Hai''s eyes widened, and his body shook violently. "Why didn''t you say so earlier!" Chen Yu spread his hands, "I did say so earlier, it''s just a pity that Young Master Zhao didn''t understand what I meant." "You..." Zhao Hai''s words got choked off before he could utter them. Chen Yu''s remark clearly intended to shame Zhao Hai for his low intelligence. However,pared to the Tong Family, the Zhao Family really was a notch below, and he didn''t dare to act rashly. "No harm, it''s just a square tripod, nothing serious! I have plenty of other nice things here. If either of you is interested, I can give it to you when you leave." After exchanging pleasantries, Zhao Hai left the ce with his people, visibly irate. If Zhao Hai knew that Fang Yuan, whom he had just been jealously guarding, was Chen Yu''s ex-wife, who knows if he would have died of anger. Chen Yu didn''t say much, but went straight to a bracelet, shattering the ss covering it with his own hands. Zhao Hai, who hadn''t gone far, suddenly turned around, his body jolting once more. That was the personal bracelet of Empress Xiao of the Liao, rumored to be forged from a metal refined from the Meteorite from Beyond the Heavens¡ªthere''s only one like it in the world! Chen Yu looked at Zhao Hai as if it were only right and said, "Young Master Zhao, this was something you allowed me to take as I pleased!" Zhao Hai swallowed his anger and turned to leave. At noon, the grand hall on the second floor was incredibly lively. Representatives from more than half of the top hundred families in the world were present, fully honoring the Zhao Family. However, many of them did not directly interact with the Zhao Family, instead doing business with each other. Just as Chen Yu was looking for a ce to grab a bite to eat, a figure suddenly ran over from the side. "Mr. Chen, you''re here too!" Katherine held a ss of red wine, her face beaming with excitement. Chen Yu returned a smile, "Just bored and out for a stroll!" Katherine respectfully bowed and then greeted Jin Lingsu and Tong Ya beside her. Their familiarity startled the people nearby. People from William''s family prided themselves on their aloofness, never mingling with outsiders easily, especially people from the East. Onlookers began to specte about Chen Yu''s identity, with some even snapping his photo and searching for him online. "My God, that man haspeted in a world-ss culinary contest, and he even won the title of Culinary God. He appears to be treated as an honored guest by William''s family!" "Moreover, William''s family has announced to the entire Western world that Chen Yu can represent William''s family in full capacity to some extent!" ... As a flood of information was uncovered, everyone gained a new understanding of Chen Yu. Some even looked at him with admiration. Chen Yu didn''t care about all this; he just chatted idly with Katherine. Your next read awaits at m v|l-e''-NovelBin "Mr. Chen, if I had known you wereing, I would have prepared. I''m embarrassed by my appearance! You must find it funny," Katherine said. Chen Yu waved his hand dismissively, "There''s no need to worry about these things. By the way, are you the only one from William''s family this time?" Katherine nodded, "For gatherings like these, the main members of the family seldom attend. They just send a representative symbolically. Besides, the Zhao Family and William''s family don''t have much business dealings, so there''s no need to give them too much face!" Chen Yu chuckled twice, seeing that the Zhao Family''s standing in the world wasn''t all that. As they spoke, a portly fellow suddenly approached and sat firmly opposite Chen Yu. "I just looked up your information and found out you''re a Culinary God. I am too, so why not take this opportunity to have a contest!" Chen Yu frowned; he hade on a mission, not to casuallypete in cooking with someone else. "Sorry, but I don''t have that kind of spare time. Besides, I''m here to dine with my wife and kids. How could I possiblypete with you for no reason!" Chapter 243: Chapter 243 Knife Skills Competition The chubby man opposite clenched his fist tightly, his eyes squinted slightly, and judging by his demeanor, he would strike the moment Chen Yu disagreed. "Mr. Chen, I respect you as a person, which is why I came here topete with you. Moreover, today we have a gathering of distinguished guests, so we might as well let them be our witnesses to see who truly has the superior culinary skills!" It was unclear whether the guy was doing this on purpose or what, but his voice was so loud that it immediately attracted the attention of most people present. Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown; he really didn''t want to stoop to this man''s level. Just at that moment, he suddenly noticed several crew members passing by with arge box. The box appeared extremely bulky, with at least eightyers of protection inside and out, and this type of long box was the best choice for storing a scepter. Chen Yu hurriedly got up, intending to go over and take a look, but his wrist was tightly grasped by the chubby man. "Mr. Chen, it seems you agree, so let''s go over there for the challenge¡ªthe kitchen over there is the best one in this ship''s cabin!" Chen Yu originally wanted to refuse, but when he saw the ce the chubby man was pointing to, he immediately agreed. The long box they hade with was actually ced near the kitchen. This ce already had a stage, and it was also the official spot where the restaurant''s crowd gathered. It looked like they were nning to hold a small auction here. The chubby man became ecstatic, stuffing a business card into Chen Yu''s hand before happily running up to the stage. "Today I, Gao Shenglu, a world-ss chef, challenge Mr. Chen Yu here. If I lose, I will give the culinary knife I once used to win the title of top chef to the other party!" As soon as he finished speaking, cheers erupted from the crowd, and all eyes focused on Chen Yu. The culinary knife mentioned by Gao Shenglu was a legendary item in the Western culinary world, said to be extremely sharp, with an innate chill to it, making it the perfect tool for slicing sashimi. Chen Yu immediately furrowed his brow, not expecting this guy to drag him into a paidpetition. Letting out a slight breath, Chen Yu searched his person and pulled out a banknote with a billion-dor denomination, mming it onto the stage. "I''m a simple man, and I don''t have any particrly impressive kitchen tool on me. If I lose, consider this banknote a gift for meeting you, Mr. Gao!" The audience instantly boiled with excitement, all staring at Chen Yu with a peculiar look. Although those assembled here were the world''s top tycoons, casually pulling out a billion-dor banknote wasn''t something many could manage. Setting aside the fact that suchrge banknotes were seldom issued by banks, even when they were, there would be an extremely strict scrutiny of one''s assets. In this world, anyone who could producerge-denomination banknotes at any time was a sure sign that they came from a super-wealthy family. Gao Shenglu was also wide-eyed; he hadn''t expected Chen Yu to be so domineering. Inparison, his so-called precious knife seemed somewhat inferior. Chen Yu carefully observed the position of the box and then had the system scan its structure. He then looked towards Gao Shenglu. "Since you''re the one who proposed it, you choose the content!" Gao Shenglu didn''t stand on ceremony, immediately taking out his treasured knife. "In that case, let''s test our Knife Skills!" Chen Yu didn''t say anything more, casually ncing at the seafood in the ss tank nearby. "Let''s go with sashimi then!" No sooner had he spoken than Gao Shenglu took the lead, pulling out two pufferfish from the fish tank. If you want to test knife skills, fugu is the best choice. Not only must you remove the poisonous parts of the fugu, but you also have to ensure that perfect taste of the fugu is preserved. Some chefs will even create unique sauces for the fugu. Gao Shenglu''s action immediately caused dissatisfaction among the onlookers; after all, he was the one who proposed thispetition, and he also had a treasured knife specially prepared for slicing raw fish. Thepetition seemed unfair to Chen Yu no matter how you looked at it. But Gao Shenglu didn''t care about that, and as soon as he received the fugu, he immediately started to clean it and put his knife to work. Chen Yu, however, slowly walked over to the fish tank and briskly started spinning the knife in his hand. Before long, he had a collection of various kinds of fish meat in his hand. Before the onlookers could react, Chen Yu had already ced the fish meat into the steamer. "Mr. Chen, have you got it wrong? We''reparing knife work here, why did you put the fish meat into the steamer?" A middle-aged man in the crowd suddenly asked in confusion, and the others gathered around, looking at Chen Yu with puzzled eyes. Next door, Gao Shenglu had already finished processing two fugu; all he needed to do was to mix up the sauces, and his dish would be ready to serve. And up until now, everyone had already witnessed Gao Shenglu''s superb knife skills. Chen Yu didn''t say much, just patted his steamer and thenfortably took a seat to the side. In less than three minutes, before Gao Shenglu had his sauces ready, Chen Yu had already served his dish. All the onlookers were astounded. What Chen Yu had put into the pot was clearly a mess of fish meat, but now it had turned into aplete fish, and this fish was decorated with an abundance of carvings. Paired with the side dishes, it looked like a vivid golden dragon! "My goodness, how on earth did he do that?" "When Mr. Chen put the fish into the pot just now, it seemed like he deliberately did some assembling actions. It must have been then that he put the dragon together!" "That was too fast, we didn''t even see what happened!" ... Amidst the crowd''s praises, Gao Shenglu also served his slices of raw fish. The knife in his hands was indeed a treasure, each slice of raw fish was thin as a cicada''s wing, and covered with ayer of frost. That cool and refreshing sensation immediately attracted many toe and watch. Just then, a sharp cry suddenly rang out from the fish tank area. "My goodness,e and see, these fish are actually not dead, they''re still alive!" Everyone''s gaze was drawn over, and when they looked, they noticed that the fish whose meat had been removed by Chen Yu were actually swimming lively in the tank. "My goodness, what exactly did Mr. Chen do in that instant!" "With such exquisite knife work, I''m afraid there aren''t many people in the whole world who could match it!" ... The scene instantly boiled over with excitement, and Gao Shenglu suddenly seemed like a child who had fallen out of favor, bingpletely stunned. Discover hidden tales at m,v l''e-NovelBin His slices of raw fish also appeared quite ordinary. Chapter 244: Chapter 244 White Jade Guanyin Chen Yu slightly adjusted his breathing and hurried to the long crate while these people were admiring his artwork. The information scanned by the system instantly entered his mind. After confirming that the contents inside were correct, Chen Yu immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He discreetly pressed the satellite signal transmitter in his pocket, then returned to thepetition scene. As Gao Shenglu stared at the dragon-shaped fish Chen Yu had crafted, he stood frozen in ce, his hands trembling continuously with the treasured knife they held. "Mr. Gao, to be honest, I''m not really interested in your knife, but since you insist on giving it to me, I can only graciously ept it! Also, let me remind you, your cooking techniques are far too outdated. When slicing sashimi, you''re still using the simplistic single-directional knife technique! If it''s all the same to you, you might want to practice a bit. It''s no good to keeping out and losing face like this." Gao Shenglu looked as though he had been greatly insulted; his eyes turned blood-red, and then he suddenly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, copsing to the ground. Chen Yu didn''t say much else, just sneered coldly and sat back down with Tong Ya at their previous spot. Just then, Jin Lingsu suddenly leaned in. "I noticed you were hanging around that crate just now, have you already scoped out the situation?" Chen Yu nodded slightly, "As long as I can confirm that the item inside is genuine, I can instruct Captain Zhou and his team to board the ship and arrest people!" Jin Lingsu suddenly burst intoughter, "You really are ruthless; this is clearly intended to doom the Zhao Family to utter destruction!" A flicker of coldness passed through Chen Yu''s eyes, "This item was stolen by them in the first ce. Since it''s stolen, it must be returned!" Jin Lingsu swayed the champagne in her hand, leaning back in her chair. "Fair enough, but we''re in international waters; capturing someone here is going to be difficult!" Chen Yu nced sidelong, "When you came, you promised to lend a hand when necessary. Now I need you to go to the captain''s quarters, then find a way to steer the ship out of international waters!" Jin Lingsu pouted, "I knew it, you just see me as a free enforcer!" After grumbling softly, Jin Lingsu immediately left the hall. At that moment, a woman who appeared to be an emcee stepped onto the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Chen Yu and Mr. Gao Shenglu have just provided us with an extremely spectacr culinary performance. It can even be considered the appetizer for our small-scale auction. Now the auction will officially begin." The venue immediately quieted down, with everyone''s attention focused on the emcee. Just then, six middle-aged men carrying a treasure chest cautiously walked up. As they set the chest down, half of the audience stood up. Long before the auction started, the list of lots had already been released, with every item to be auctioned clearly listed. Inside this chest was a white jade Guanyin statue. Your next read awaits at m v|l-e''-NovelBin Legend has it that this white jade Guanyin was carved by talented craftsmen from the West during the Tang Dynasty''s Zhenguan era, intended as a gift for Emperor Taizong''s enthronement ceremony. It is said that embedded in the heart of the white jade Guanyin is a pearl of Buddha''s relics, and even the entire text of the "Diamond Sutra" is carved on its back. In terms of significance, this item is certainly of national treasure caliber! Chen Yu couldn''t help furrowing his brows; something didn''t seem right to him. The Zhao Family, although a super family from the imperial capital, had limited treasures to offer; how could they possibly produce an item of such caliber? Looking at the auction list from before, it seemed that there wasn''t just one existence like the white jade Guanyin statue. As he pondered, those burly men had already opened the crate, and a white jade Guanyin statue, crystal clear and emitting a splendid light, was carried onto the stage. All eyes were attracted to the artifact, and even two people immediately offered a price. Seeing the frenzy at the scene, the auctioneer smiled with satisfaction and then raised the small hammer in hand, gently tapping the table. "Ladies and gentlemen, there''s no need to hurry. Since this is an auction, we must follow the normal procedure. I believe everyone is clear about the value of this white jade Guanyin, so I will not borate further! The starting bid is eight hundred million!" Chen Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, examining the white jade Guanyin on the stage carefully. If the piece was genuine, its value wasn''t too high at that price. But he felt that there was something off about this Guanyin statue. Just then, Chen Yu suddenly noticed an extremely faint crack on the right-hand side of the white jade Guanyin. At first nce, such a crack might seem insignificant. After all, an artifact that had been passed down from the Tang Dynasty would be very old, and some cracks would be considered normal. The crack in front of him was a bit strange, spreading from both sides toward the center. There was only one exnation for such a crack: the exterior had been coated with ater addedyer. Chen Yu slightly adjusted his breathing, then suddenly stood up, ran onto the stage, and snatched the microphone from the auctioneer. "Excuse me, I need to interrupt. There seems to be something wrong with this white jade Guanyin. I hope the organizers will properly investigate this matter, or else you would be deceiving us consumers!" At these words, the auctioneer was dumbfounded as well. Although the auction was privately organized by the Zhao Family and some items were not obtained through regr channels, everything that appeared in the auction was absolutely authentic. For this auction, the Zhao Family had spared no expense in assembling an expert team. Each item for auction was appraised by these experts. Two staff members hurriedly rushed over. Their fierce and intimidating appearance made it clear they regarded Chen Yu as a troublemaker. Chen Yu didn''t care about that, he just pushed these two guys away, grabbed the small hammer from the auctioneer''s hand, and walked over to the white jade Guanyin. He gently tapped its left side twice. This action scared everyone present. The material of the white jade Guanyin was already very fragile, and with the force Chen Yu used to tap it, it could easily break into pieces. The staff at the scene immediately became anxious and hurried forward to stop him, but as they got close, a densework of cracks suddenly appeared on the exterior of the white jade Guanyin. Then, the entire Guanyin statue seemed to shed ayer of its shell, revealing its true form underneath. "My God, what is this? It looks like just ordinary white jade!" "Moreover, this Guanyin statue seems to be forcibly pieced together from different jade blocks and then wrapped with ayer of white jade paste on the exterior!" "What''s going on with the Zhao Family? How dare they use such an item to pretend to be genuine at the auction!" ¡­ Chapter 245 Remarrying Again The scene suddenly became abuzz, with all eyes focused on the auction stage. No one had ever thought that the white jade Guanyin offered by the Zhao Family was fake. After all, they were a super-elite family from the imperial capital; for whatever reason, their status would plummet after this auction. Zhao Hai''s face darkened, his gaze poisonous as he stared deathly at Chen Yu. By now, there was nothing he could do but have the white jade Guanyin removed from the premises. The host hurriedly tried to smooth things over onstage. "Ladies and gentlemen, what just urred was merely an ident. Our investigation indicates that this white jade Guanyin might have been the work of a master forger. As such, it wasn''t detected immediately, and we ask for your understanding!" After sincerely exining, the host had several treasures brought up onto the stage. This time it seemed the Zhao Family was desperate; the eight treasures they presented were all of high grade and authentically aged. The moment they were disyed, everyone became excited and quickly forgot about the white jade Guanyin. While the crowd was busy bidding, Chen Yu had already left the venue quietly, and the long case he had left there was now nowhere to be seen. "Attention, all aboard! You are now surrounded. Exit the cabin immediately!" The sudden shout startled everyone in the cabin. "What''s going on? We''re in international waters; how can someone just surround us for no reason?" "Could it be that there''s something illicit hidden aboard?" ... While everyone was buzzing with spection, Zhou Shengtao, apanied by arge number of officials, stormed into the cabin and seized all the treasures that were being auctioned. Just moments before, Chen Yu had already handed over the scepter to Zhou Shengtao. After verifying its authenticity, Zhou Shengtao immediately convicted the Zhao Family and boarded the ship with his team. Zhao Hai didn''t know who had it in for him until the moment he was apprehended. However, because of the white jade Guanyin incident, Zhao Hai bore a grudge against Chen Yu from then on. After the entire cruise ship was seized, the guests who hade for the banquet started to leave. Most of them had diplomatic immunity, so Zhou Shengtao couldn''t really do much to them, besides, they were only invited to attend the banquet. Arresting them could have affected international rtions. Nheless, these people didn''t go far; after circling around, they approached the vessel where Chen Yu was. When leaving, they specifically left a small yacht for Chen Yu''s family to return tond. "Mr. Chen, why did you leave so quickly? I still have something to discuss with you!" Katherine chased after him in a speedboat, hurrying along. Chen Yu frowned slightly, "Is there some kind of emergency?" Katherine smiled sheepishly and then pulled out an invitation from her person. Experience tales at m v|l e''-NovelBin "Mr. Chen, thest shipment you sent to William''s family was very well received; Victor has asked me to inquire if you could possibly develop some new products based on that shipment. William''s family would be willing to purchase the entire order!" Chen Yu was somewhat surprised. The ready-to-eat dishes and semi-finished products he made were almost all Chinese cuisine. He had originally thought that these items wouldn''t take off in the Western world, but to his surprise, they were actually very popr. "Many new products are still in development, and it will take at least two months for delivery. However, Western eating habits seem to be different from the East, so why are these dishes..." Katherine hastily took out several photos from her person. They were all photos of the fast-food cooking packs that Chen Yu had developed. "Actually, Chinese cuisine has always been very popr in the West, but because Western eating habits and cooking methods are different, few people have managed to learn how to cook Chinese food. Now, with these cooking packs, cooking has be simple, setting off a trend in the West! All the products are in short supply." Chen Yu immediately became excited, as this could be seen as opening up a market in the Western world. "Well then, I''ll consider increasing our presence there!" He directly opened the invitation in his hands and discovered it was actually a wedding invitation, and the bridegroom was none other than Victor. Looking at the bride marrying Victor, she was indeed just a little over twenty years old. Chen Yu''s head was filled with ck lines. Although it wasn''t umon for wealthy families to marry young wives, this woman was a full fifty years younger than Victor! "Is Mr. Victor really getting married?" Chen Yu asked in disbelief. Katherine also embarrassinglyughed twice, "Mr. Victor''s wife passed away ten years ago, and he hasn''t remarried since. Ever since he started using the medicine you provided, the old gentleman feels like he has be decades younger, so..." Chen Yu instantly understood. The prescription he had designed for Victor not only improved his body''s cell cirction but also allowed his physical state to return to how it was thirty years ago. No wonder Victor was getting married and had specifically asked Katherine to deliver an invitation to him. Chen Yu didn''t say much more, just put the invitation away, and casually pulled Katherine onto the boat. Looking at the situation, she must have stolen a speedboat from the Zhao Family''s yacht to chase after him. And the fuel in the speedboat was nearly depleted; he couldn''t let her drift at sea. The news of the Zhao Family''s failed offshore auction quickly spread across the entire world. Even the news media in Suzhou City were vying to report it. Seated in his office, Tong Ming looked at the newspaper in front of him and burst into loudughter. "The Zhao Family has really taken a fall this time. Not only was their auction ruined, but they have also offended the Edward Family. It won''t be long before the Zhao Family''s overseas businesses arepletely stripped away, and even their businesses in the imperial capital will be divvied up by other super-families!" As soon as these words were spoken, the board members present immediately understood Tong Ming''s intentions. "Back when the Zhao Family was expanding limitlessly in the imperial capital, they directly confronted our Tong Group. Now is our chance for revenge. In my opinion, we should take over the real estate part of their business!" "Just the real estate isn''t enough. Over the years, the Zhao Family has collected numerous treasures from all over the world, many of which are said to be hidden in their old mansion. Moreover, many of these hidden items are illicit, so why don''t we report them? Who knows, we might be able to pick up some spoils!" ... As everyone was discussing, Tong Ming suddenly stood up. "You all think too small. Immediately notify the financial department to manipte the Zhao Family''s stock, and when the time is right,mence a full acquisition of all the enterprises under the Zhao banner!" This remark caught everyone by surprise; they had not expected Tong Ming to be so ambitious. Before they could even react, Tong Ming had already called the financial department to have theme up with a n as soon as possible. Chapter 246 Annexation of the Zhao Family Chen Yu returned to Suzhou City and immediately went to the industrial park. What he was most worried about was this ce, although everything had been arranged, and the engineering was proceeding in an orderly fashion, once a mistake urred, the entire industrial park would be washed away. Moreover, the West was already urging them for orders, with the possibility of increasing themter on. If there were issues with the industrial park at this critical juncture, his loss would not just be the orders, but a matter of reputation. Fortunately, under the coordination of Xie Jiang and Hou Jianchang, everything was progressing smoothly, and the archaeological excavation was also nearing its end, with just a small area left to be cleared. The old professor was still as excited as ever when he saw Chen Yu. He hurriedly came over, not minding the mud on his hands, and excitedly grabbed Chen Yu''s hand, shaking it nonstop. "Chen, I really have to thank you this time. Without you, we would not have been able to obtain such precious historical materials!" Saying this, the professor pointed to arge box next to him, filled with bamboo slips excavated from the tombs. Since the chamber where the bamboo slips were stored was well-preserved, with no water damage or other harm, these bamboo slips were as good as new. They even recorded many major historical events, having historic significance for archaeology. Even the relevant departments issued their team arge number of certificates and bonuses, providing them with more research funds. Chen Yu gave a few perfunctory replies, merely symbolic in nature. While he was interested in these cultural matters, he would not get involved. After all, his mind was entirely focused on the factory at the moment. With Chen Yu''s help that day, the progress of the engineering work elerated, and the old professor, along with his interns, finished up thest few things and left directly. Chen Yu immediately brought out the new design drawings and had Xie Jiangplete the remaining engineering work. By evening, everything was nearingpletion, and thest small piece ofnd was also filled with the foundation. Given the current pace, in just a few days, the entire industrial park could be built into a fledgling form, and then transportation and greening projects would follow. Chen Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief, and with this, he could industrialize all his products as soon as possible. The next step was to recruit arge number of high-caliber individuals in food preservation and chemistry, which was the only way to rapidly develop healthy meal kits that could be preserved for a very long time. For Chen Yu, an office building had been designed early on in the very center of the factory area. Inside, all kinds of experimental equipment were fully equipped, meant for research and development. In the following week, Chen Yu spent almost all his time at the factory, and only when everything was entirely built, forming an industrial chain, could he rx. He then went straight to Frankfurt. Victor had already sent him an invitation earlier, and it would have been inappropriate not to go. Moreover, William''s family had already signed a long-term contract with him, and he had to personally sign the first batch of factory orders. Chen Yu had been to Frankfurt several times before and felt there wasn''t much change with each visit. After all, it was an old industrial city that had been developed for hundreds of years, and further transformation was probably impossible. However, each time Chen Yu visited, he was always in a rush and never got to properly tour the city. This time, he definitely wanted to enjoy himself there. As he was preparing to explore, he suddenly noticed amotion not far down the street. Instinctively looking over, he saw two groups of people wielding knives, shing at each other on the street. Chen Yu frowned. He had no desire to join in on suchmotion and promptly turned to leave the area. Just as he took two steps after turning around, two burly men blocked his way. "Kid, are you with William''s family?" Chen Yu was taken aback by this question, and because the other party spoke in the local vernacr, German, he didn''t understand what was being said and hesitated. Unexpectedly, the gang was unreasonable, thinking Chen Yu was deliberately ignoring them, and one of the burly men grabbed his cor directly. Just as the two were about to start a fight, they suddenly felt a strong force on their wrists, followed by the sudden sound of bone-cracking. Chen Yu casually grabbed the wrists of the two men, but the tremendous force that came from him caused them unbearable pain and even twisted their bodies. "Who exactly are you? If you''re not with William''s family, why are you here?" Chen Yu didn''t want to stoop to their level. After shaking them off, he went around. Unexpectedly, anotherrge group of people rushed over, surrounding him. "William''s family has gone too far, bringing in arge number of Chinese meal kits, which have taken over all the Chinese restaurants in Frankfurt. Now even our local chefs are out of work, so William''s family must pay the price!" Such logic left Chen Yu bewildered. Themotion, it seemed, was because the meal kits had taken over the catering industry, causing disturbances here. It appeared his meal kits had captured arge market share in Frankfurt. If that was the case, this matter did indeed rte to him. Continue reading on m|v-l''e -NovelBin It was then that Katherine, apanied by several others, hurried over. When they saw Chen Yu, they were momentarily taken aback. "Mr. Chen, what are you doing here? Has this mob been troubling you?" Chen Yu waved his hand: "No, I just got here. Speaking of which, why are these people making such a fuss? Did you distribute all the goods previously sent here?" Katherine nodded: "The meal kits you sent have be very popr here, so much so that the entire Western world ispeting to buy them. But inadvertently, they have taken away these people''s livelihoods. Besides, their food is very unappetizing. Before, many people got sick after eating their food!" Chen Yu didn''t say much, just nodded and went with Katherine to William''s family. Along the way, he saw many troublemakers, but it was the localmon folk who were stopping these ruffians. The public held up huge banners, denouncing the inedible cooking of these chefs and elevating Chen Yu''s meal kits to a pedestal. Seeing such a scene made Chen Yu somewhat bemused. It truly was a miraculous country. He thought that with such incidents, the sale of the meal kits might decline, but to his surprise, they had such a loyal fanbase locally. With that being the case, he could continue to increase the orders to improve the market structure here. Chapter 247: Chapter 247 Critical Condition In the William family''s drawing room, there sat many Western elite figures, and even the Edward family had sent a representative. Everyone sat there steadily while on therge screen behind them, a video showcasing the cuisine packets from Chen Yu''s factory yed. All processing procedures and the production environment had received approval here! "These items are fundamentally Chinese cuisine, independently researched and developed by Mr. Chen''spany, and the sanitary standards have reached world-ss levels, so everyone can rest assured," said Victor, seated in the main seat as though he were a fan, endlessly introducing the products of Chen Yu''s factory, and invisibly elevating the status of these products. The others also nodded in agreement, while voicing their concerns and opinions, but Victor resolved each of these so-called concerns one by one. In the end, representatives of these families were purchasing products from Victor to stock in their own retail supermarkets. As the meeting was in full swing, Katherine walked into the conference room with Chen Yu slowly following. The moment Chen Yu entered, everyone stood up; Victor had already introduced Chen Yu to everyone before, and this name had long resounded throughout the Western world. "It is Mr. Chen indeed! At the Zhao family auction previously, you helped our Edward family out of a difficult situation, and I haven''t had the chance to properly thank you yet," said a somewhat handsome middle-aged man, warmly grasping Chen Yu''s hand. On the ship before, Chen Yu had merely disapproved of Zhao Hai''s petty actions and pointed out some problems, not intentionally aiding the Edward family. Chen Yu merely smiled politely and then took a seat next to them. He directly took out arge stack of documents and ced them in front of Chen Yu. Enjoy exclusive chapters from m-v l''e|-NovelBin "Mr. Chen, everyone sitting here today has been carefully selected by me as reliable distributors. Once your cuisine packets arrive here, they will distribute and sell them," said Victor. "All contracts are here for your review; if there is anything amiss, we will immediately make changes!" he added. Chen Yu was somewhat taken aback; to be honest, many research and development processes for his packets were not yet finalized, but Victor had already solved the marketing at the lower levels for him. It appeared that the association with William''s family was not without merit. Chen Yu did not look at the contracts but assumed a casual air; however, at this moment, the system had already disyed all the contract contents in his mind, pointing out several unreasonable aspects. "Since Mr. Victor has already finalized the contracts, there''s no need for me to check them!" Chen Yu said and promptly signed his name, while tactfully mentioning a few of the unreasonable points in the contract. Victor immediately felt somewhat embarrassed; originally, when finalizing the contracts, he hadrgely followed Western standards, hence a few uses were indeed somewhat inconsiderate. Now, it seemed to them that Chen Yu had not closely reviewed the contracts but had opted to sign immediately, so the issues he had mentioned, they would strive to resolve. The others present also greatly admired Chen Yu; the West is a region that values the spirit of contracts, especially these ancient royal lines that regard contracts as even more important than life. Now that Chen Yu had signed the contract without even looking, they naturally felt a bit remiss, and they would definitely consider these uses afterward. All of this was within Chen Yu''s control; he had long since used the system to thoroughly analyze these people''s psychology and facial micro-expressions. It seemed that all of their behavior was essentially under Chen Yu''s control. After all the contracts had been signed, Chen Yu roughly calcted, and to his surprise, the total orders amounted to a staggering eight billion! Even though his industrial park had already formed an industrial chain, it would still require overtime and phased deliveries toplete all the orders, After all, back in the country, the imperial capital''s major super families also had arge number of orders. Chen Yu didn''t hide anything and informed everyone of the real situation. Unexpectedly, people didn''t mind and just went by the delivery date Chen Yu set. After the meeting was over, Victor took Chen Yu straight to a castle. This castle was not the one Chen Yu had visitedst time, but an old vi located in the distant suburbs. The historical and cultural atmosphere here was very strong, as if it were genuinely an ancient castle. The castle walls stretched over the mountains, forming an extremely thick defense, and the overgrown mountain paths were all covered with moss. The castle, perched at the mountainside, presented a towering presence. When Chen Yu entered, he was also shocked by the profoundness of the ce, but a part of the castle had been rebuiltter, and most of the interior decorations had been reced. After all, a castle as old as this would easily copse if it were not renovated. After Chen Yu briefly toured the castle, the initial sense of historical weight disappeared, reced by a feeling of discordance. Just then, a very morous Caucasiandy suddenly appeared in front of Chen Yu. "You must be Mr. Chen!" Chen Yu politely responded and then took the chance to look thedy up and down. This person was actually the bride listed in the invitation Victor had sent previously. "You must be Mrs. Victoria." Victoria smiled and nodded her head, then extended her hand. "Mr. Victor once mentioned that you can determine a person''s health status just by feeling their pulse. Could you please examine me?" Chen Yu didn''t say much, grabbed Victoria''s pulse, and after carefully examining it, his face immediately underwent a dramatic change. Although Victoria appeared extremely young, the internal structure of her body was in very poor condition, even her spinal marrow blood-forming function was half as low as that of a normal person. Most importantly, many cells in her body had already started to mutate, which were early signs of leukemia. If not intervened in time, it could lead to serious problems! Chen Yu, looking quite anxious, grasped Victoria''s wrist and pulled her towards the main room of the castle. "Victor, I must speak to you alone!" Victor was entertaining some distinguished guests at the moment and was taken aback when he saw Chen Yu and Victoria running in. "Mr. Chen, what happened? Why the urgency?" Chen Yu took a moment to catch his breath and then whispered Victoria''s condition into Victor''s ear. Victor was startled, almost instinctively pulling Chen Yu and Victoria into the next small room. "What exactly is going on? How advanced is the illness? Is there a way to treat it?" Chapter 248: Chapter 248 Familial Diseases Victor was in utter disarray. Doria not only possessed noble blood but was also the most perfect wife he had searched for over many years. If she suddenly fell ill, the wedding they had been preparing for so long would turn into aughingstock. Chen Yu''s brows were tightly knitted, "Fortunately, it was discovered in time. I can temporarily suppress the condition, butter on, I will need several extremely precious medicinal herbs to treat her!" Victor instantly breathed a sigh of relief, "That''s not a problem, Mr. Chen. As long as there is a cure, I can find any medicine for you in the shortest time possible!" Chen Yu nodded and then asked Victor for a rather secluded chamber. Just as the door was closed, Chen Yu''s expression swiftly changed, and he moved a chair to sit gravely in front of Victoria. "Miss Victoria, the illness in your body is one part, but most importantly, it''s an ailment at the mental level. If you cannot have an epiphany, I''m afraid you won''t live past three months!" Doria''s eyes widened, filled with shock within her ink-ck irises. "Mr. Chen, you must be joking. My psychological state has always been good, how could I possibly have a psychological disease?" Chen Yu let out a slight exhale of turbid air, "I have a professional medical practitioner license, and I''m considered a real doctor, so as a basic principle of being a doctor, I have it. You can tell me the troubles in your heart, and I''ll help you see through them. Even if you do not wish to have such a wedding, I can still help you." When Chen Yu took her pulse earlier, he already knew where Victoria''s real issuey, and it wasn''t just leukemia. Thus, he had already signed an extremelyrge order with Victor, but in the face of a living being''s life, he would still choose some form ofpromise. Victoria suddenly became frantic, unable to avoid Chen Yu''s prating gaze. "Mr. Chen, if I tell you, can you save me?" "Of course I can!" Chen Yu agreed very readily. Victoria took a deep breath and then took out some photographs from her person. "Our family, although it was a significant part of the European royalty 800 years ago, has nowe to my parents merely being ordinary miners!" At this, Victoria suddenly began to choke up. In fact, Victoria''s lineage included many ancestors of European royalty. If it had been sessfully passed down to today, its status might even surpass that of William''s family. Victor''s reason for marrying Victoria was also because of her family''s royal ancestry. It was just unfortunate that Victoria''s entire family of seven was afflicted with some inexplicable illness. One of the conditions she had agreed upon when she consented to marry Victor was for William''s family to help treat her family''s disease. After hearing Victoria''s story, Chen Yu couldn''t help but be stunned. Like many traditional Western women, psychological distress during marriage generally stems from not marrying a deeply-loved suitor. But Victoria''s psychological journey was different from others. It seemed she was marrying into William''s family primarily to secure treatment for her own family. Pneumoconiosis, caused by mining, was a major medical challenge in this world, and even William''s family might not be able to cure her family. Now, Victoria''s own health was also problematic due to her parents'' gic issues. Without timely intervention, she wouldn''t live much longer. Chen Yu adjusted his breathing slightly and, after roughly understanding the situation, he had a n in mind. "Don''t worry, after this matter is handed over to me, I will exin the reasons to Mr. Victor, and then you take me back to your home. Perhaps I can cure your family''s illness!" Hope immediately filled Victoria''s eyes, dark as ink, and without any hesitation, she threw herself into Chen Yu''s arms, fervently kissing his cheek. In the West, this was a normal social etiquette, but Chen Yu really wasn''t ustomed to it, so he quickly pushed Victoria away and then they discussed the details of saving the sick. Upon learning about the situation, Victor immediately felt some self-reproach. He had been too busy recently and had sent out a few doctors, but none of them brought back any definitive information. Chen Yu didn''t say much more, only asking Victor to help them reach a very remote little vige in the mountains, a journey facilitated with a few tickets he had provided. The West had long since entered the final stages of urbanization, so in a sense, their rural areas were essentiallyrge farms. Victoria''s ancestral family had some wealth, and with her family members working as miners for generations, they had umted quite a bit of farnd and pastures. From a distance, Chen Yu could see Victoria''s family toiling away on the farm. However, these people looked all skin and bones; every one of them was extremely frail, some looking as if a gust of wind could blow them over. Victoria got out of the car and ran over like a little butterfly. "Daddy, Mommy, I''m back to see you!" Two elderly people with white hair rushed over and embraced Victoria in their arms. Chen Yu didn''t approach to disturb them, merely watching quietly from the side. Before long, Victoria pulled Chen Yu over to her parents. After a brief introduction, they took Chen Yu into the barn beside them. Prior toing here, Chen Yu had already asked William''s family to prepare arge amount of temporary medical equipment for him. Continue your adventure at m|v-l''e -NovelBin After a simple pulse diagnosis and blood tests, the condition of everyone''s illness was clear in Chen Yu''s mind. Aside from him, everyone in Victoria''s family were elderly, and their cardiac and pulmonary functions had already reached their limits. If the disease were allowed to continue to deteriorate, these old people probably couldn''t survive even a week. Chen Yu wrote a prescription and then asked Victoria to contact Victor to have the medicine delivered. Afterwards, he treated the elderly with acupuncture. These illnesses weren''t difficult for him now, but coordinating the treatment with surgery made it somewhat troublesome. For three full days, Chen Yu didn''t rest for a minute, not until he hadpleted surgery on Victoria''s family members. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. Just as he was preparing to take a good rest, a child who looked only six or seven years old suddenly ran into the barn. The child held an apple that had been bitten more than half-eaten and stared nkly at Chen Yu as soon as he entered. Under their gaze, Chen Yu suddenly noticed an inexplicably murky color in the young boy''s eyes. His brows furrowed immediately as he quickly stepped forward to check the boy''s pulse. After inspecting three times, Chen Yu''s expression changed drastically. Chapter 249 The Insect in the Eye Chen Yu hurriedly grabbed the little boy''s wrist, checked his physical condition, then reached out to flip the little boy''s eyelids. "What''s your name? Where do you live? Does anyone in your family have the same symptoms as you?" The little boy was immediately scared. He didn''t understand what Chen Yu wanted to do, and subconsciously took several steps back, even the apple he was holding rolled onto the ground. Victoria nearby quickly stepped forward and grabbed the little boy''s shoulders. "Dyson, don''t be afraid, this is the doctor sister has asked toe. You need to carefully answer any questions he asks you!" Only then did Dyson breathe a sigh of relief, "My grandparents died suddenly yesterday for some reason, and my parents were paralyzed this morning. My brother went out to look for medicine and still hasn''te back!" Chen Yu inhaled sharply, "This is not good, it seems blood fluke disease has broken out in this ce!" Upon hearing this name, Victoria''s eyes widened as well. During the medieval period in Europe, more than one outbreak of blood fluke disease had urred, each time iming the lives of tens of thousands of people. The disease was extremely terrifying; those infected would enter an irreversible state of physical decline, and even after death, their bodies were prone to triggering the ck Death. "Mr. Chen, what can we do now? Should we inform the relevant authorities?" Chen Yu shook his head, "It''s already toote to notify the relevant authorities under the current circumstances. Even if they send arge number of epidemic prevention personnel, they could also get infected with blood fluke disease!" "Then what should we do!" Victoria suddenly felt overwhelmed, as this was, after all, her hometown. Chen Yu calmed down a bit, "The disease in your family has already been cured. Take them to William''s family, then tell Victor to report this situation here, and ask him to find a way to contact the relevant authorities. I will stay behind, I am certain I can solve the blood fluke disease here!" Victoria hesitated for a while, then gave a heavy nod and left with her family. Although she didn''t want to leave Chen Yu to face the danger alone, this was the best solution for the moment. Chen Yu didn''t say much more, quickly packed up his medicine box, and took the little boy towards the vige center. [Congrattions, Host has obtained one hundred points] [Congrattions, Host has obtained one hundred and twenty points] [Congrattions, Host has obtained ny points] ... Chen Yu had no mind to heed the system prompts echoing in his mind; he quickened his pace towards the center of the vige and discovered that it had already be a hell on earth. Western viges were inherently very spacious. Despite having individual vige units on the vast ins, each household was quite far apart from the others. However, in the vige''s central area, several houses were situated closely together, but now these houses had seen varying degrees of casualties. Some of the people who were infected with the blood fluke disease and had not yet died sat on the roadside, looking like the walking dead. Find more chapters on m_v l|e-NovelBin These peoples'' eyes were bloodshot, their bodies covered in dense blood vessels, even their clothes torn to shreds, and wounds covered their bodies. After briefly observing the state of mutation of these patients, Chen Yu took out some medicinal powder and had Dyson take it. Although Dyson was infected with blood fluke disease, he was still in the early stages. And by observing the condition of these patients, he could roughly determine the growth state of the blood flukes in the body. Therefore, the medicine that Chen Yu had hastilypounded couldpletely cure Dyson. "Little guy, you already have antibodies in your system, so you won''t be afraid of these diseases anymore. I want you to be my assistant now, help me save your friends and family. Are you willing?" Dyson didn''t say much, but nodded directly and then picked up the medicine box that Chen Yu had ced to the side. Chen Yu was satisfied, nodded, stuffed some medicine into his mouth, and then put on a makeshift mask. He quickly checked the condition of the people here and then dispensed the appropriate medicines to them, while starting to deal with the bodies. [System prompt: The schistosomiasis here has entered a very dangerous state, and it is rmended that the host leave immediately.] Chen Yu did not heed the system''s warning, and continued to make medicine powder on his own. At that moment, Ling Ling''s figure suddenly appeared on Chen Yu''s shoulder. "You really don''t n to leave? So you know that curing these schistosomiasis patients can earn you quite a few points, but your life might also be at risk!" Chen Yu smiled faintly, "If I''m not wrong, you should have an emergency n to protect the host, so you wouldn''t let me be in danger. We''vee this far, aren''t you going to bring out the n?" Ling Ling sighed helplessly, then flooded Chen Yu''s mind with arge amount of information. Chen Yu''s body paused for a moment as he discovered that among the medicines Ling Ling provided, there were a few he didn''t bring. However, if those were added, it might be possible topletely cure all the schistosomiasis patients here, and even prevent the disease from morphing into the ck Death. But with the disease so severe here now, no one was willing toe here to deliver medicine. With a helpless sigh, Chen Yu could only make a call to Victor to figure out a way. Over the next few days, Chen Yu lived and ate with the patients, and with the protective mechanism in ce, he had no issues and even cured most of the patients. On the third day, a car suddenly drove into the vige, and Victoria and Katherine hurriedly ran down from the car. They had only simple protective gear, carrying bags big and small full of a lot of medicine. Chen Yu''s eyes widened in shock; he hadn''t expected Victoria and Katherine to be the ones delivering the medicine. But at this point, he couldn''t worry about that and hurried to dispense medicine to the patients. Victoria and Katherine didn''t leave either but stayed to assist Chen Yu. Moreover, Katherine also brought a video camera, saying that ording to Victor''s request, they had to record the entire process of treating and saving patients to use as future materials. Chen Yu didn''t mind much and let Katherine shoot. Two dayster, they finally managed to cure all the schistosomiasis patients and gave special treatment to bury the deceased deeply. Only after doing all these did Chen Yu finally breathe a sigh of relief. [Congrattions, host, you have earned a total of four thousand eight hundred and ny points.] Chen Yu immediately became excited, although the number of points he now had couldn''tpare to before, their utility value had greatly increased. Giving over four thousand points at once was indeed generous of the system. Chapter 250 Utilizing News Media Chen Yu finally sprinkled the medicine powder around every corner of the vige and went straight back to William''s family castle. ording to the date recorded in diligence, the wedding would be held tomorrow. Thus, the entire castle was festooned and arranged beautifully. Chen Yu was too exhausted to attend the wedding scene, and wanted to find a room to sleep well. Just as he was looking for a room, he suddenly discovered a huge screen not far away, showing Victoria treating patients with schistosomiasis! Chen Yu understood instantly, no wonder Victor had Victoria personally go to help treat and save people¡ªit turned out he wanted to use this opportunity to create momentum and craft an image for Victoria. Moreover, Victor had specially allocated a section for Chen Yu in the video, not only portraying his medical skills as nothing short of miraculous but also mentioning Chen Yu''s achievements in various chefpetitions. Chen Yu just smiled and didn''t concern himself too much, as all the super families in this world would use the media to create momentum for their own people and thereby obtain benefits. As evening came, Chen Yu was sleeping soundly in his room when suddenly, someone knocked on the door. Chen Yu frowned involuntarily, hurriedly put on his clothes, and opened the door to see Katherine standing at the doorway, somewhat embarrassed, holding a challenge letter in her hand. "Mr. Chen, I am very sorry to wake you so urgently, but someone hase outside and specifically asked to challenge you. Mr. Victor is already there, but given the challenger''s status, he can''t stop them for long!" Chen Yu immediately felt somewhat annoyed; it seemed that Victor''s previous promotion had taken effect. After adjusting his breathing slightly, Chen Yu rubbed his eyes and then followed Katherine to the hall. The hall was quite lively, with arge portion of the people there to congratte Victor. However, the reason they came early was because of the previous videos of Victoria. So, it turns out a mere video of saving people, but at William''s family, it was the best marketing strategy. Using this as a pretext, Victor could help Victoria secure a position within the World Health Organization. He could even have Victoria upy a seat in the United Nations, securing various benefits for William''s family in the future. Yet, amidst these congrattions, a very handsome middle-aged man stood in the middle of the hall, with his eyes slightly closed, exuding the aura of a hermit from the mundane world. Chen Yu felt a sense of disgust seeing this man. If this man were a chef, his handscked the calluses that a chef should have. Moreover, this man was spick-and-span, appearing extremely refined, which indicated he focused on appearance when cooking and not on substance. "Mr. Chen, you''re finally here. If you hadn''te, Mr. Karvana would have be quite impatient!" Chen Yu responded with a smile and then looked towards Karvana standing there. "I heard you insist on challenging me; is that true?" Karvana suddenly opened his eyes, "A challenge is hardly the word, for you are not worthy. I have seen your videos before; you should be a very good doctor. But why do you also dabble in being a chef? Don''t you know these two professions can never bepatible?" Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown. To some extent, these two professions are interconnected in the East, where the traditional culture includes a concept of food therapy. "The point you''re making rtes to the cultural differences between East and West, which we''ll set aside for today. Since you''re so keen on challenging me, then I''lly my life on the line to apany a gentleman. It can also add some color to Mr. Victor''s wedding!" With that, Chen Yu walked straight to the prepared mobile kitchen, picked up a cleaver, and sliced off a piece of mutton. Carnado''s eyes widened in surprise. He hadn''t expected Chen Yu to start cooking without even asking about thepetition''s details and procedures. Not to be outdone, he quickly took out a piece of steak he had prepared earlier and ced it in the pan. Karvana was best known for his Wellington beef steak, a dish that was his specialty and had once earned him the title of Western culinary god. Chen Yu was still in a somewhat dazed state, given that he hadn''t had a good night''s sleep for a whole week. Anyone would feel a bit light-headed in that situation. But that didn''t affect the speed of his hands, and before long, an extremely authentic stir-fried mutton dish was presented. "A home-style dish from the East, scallion explosion mutton, please taste it, everyone!" The aroma that had already filled the air had tantalized many people''s taste buds, and they crowded forward, eager to take a bite. But, after all, Victor was the host here, and he should definitely have the first taste. Seeing everyone giving way, Victor didn''t hesitate and clumsily picked up the chopsticks beside him, took a bite, and put it in his mouth. "Mr. Chen''s culinary skills have never disappointed. This scallion explosion mutton is incredibly fragrant and tender, well-seasoned, and the taste is extraordinarily delicious!" Hisment immediately got everyone excited. They all picked up chopsticks or forks and went forward to take a bite. Before long, the dish of scallion explosion mutton had been wiped clean. Only at this point did Carnado serve his so-called Wellington beef steak. However, whether it was the taste, aroma, or presentation, his Wellington beef steak couldn''t match Chen Yu''s scallion explosion mutton. Prior to this, many had a very high regard for Carnado''s culinary skills, but their views shifted after they saw Chen Yu''s cooking. It was clear that Chen Yu had cooked in a very casual manner, simply cutting the meat a few times before throwing it into the pan to stir-fry, without any intricate processes. In contrast, Carnado had treated the steak as a piece of art from start to finish. From searing the beef to preparing the sauces afterward, his movements were extremely graceful, a pleasure to watch. But food is ultimately meant to be eaten, and the standard of judgment for food is its taste. No matter how graceful the cooking process is or how clever the sauce preparation, if it doesn''t taste right when eaten, it''s all in vain. Chen Yu didn''t say much else, simply picking up some ingredients from the side and cing them on the cutting board. "Mr. Carnado, actually, when I came to Frankfurt, I had already looked over your details. You were one of the organizers of the so-called ''protest against Eastern cuisine packets.'' Your challenge today, I''m afraid, is also an attempt to trample my reputation underfoot." Carnado''s body trembled involuntarily, staring at Chen Yu with a strange intensity. "Since you know, then there''s nothing more to say. A word of advice, you''d better withdraw those messy meal kits from the market!" Chapter 251 Another One Taken Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown, even at this point, this fellow still carried an air of arrogance, actually still wanting to edge his products out of the Western market. "Mr. Carnado, there are some matters we need to discuss seriously, you want my products to be pulled out, but do you have any sufficient reason for that?" Carnado snorted coldly, his face filled with malice. "As everyone knows, Eastern and Western cultures absolutely cannot coexist. We have been eating Western food for generations, and now that your meal kits have entered our market, they can easily make our people form the habit of eating Chinese food, which is a tant cultural invasion!" Chen Yu suddenly found it somewhat amusing; what cultural invasion? Frankly, this was just a matter of personal choice by the public. Everyone felt that Chinese food was much more delicious than Western food by an unknown multiple. They hadn''t eaten it before simply because preparing Chinese food was too troublesome, but now with these affordable meal kits, of course, they would be weed by the majority. Chen Yu didn''t say much, just took a spare meal kit from the counter beside him. This time, to promote these meal kits, William''s family had also specifically prepared arge number of meal kits for Victor''s wedding banquet. Chen Yu didn''t do much, just lightly cooked the meal kits, and then made seven dishes. The rich aroma instantly filled the hall, and the crowd, who had just been raving about Chen Yu''s cooking skills, now gathered around and soon polished off all seven dishes. "I never thought such delicious food could actually be made from meal kits, if we had these at home in the future, wouldn''t that save us the cost of hiring a chef!" "This taste is really exquisite, not even top chefs could necessarily create such vors!" "No wonder the William family is so enthusiastic about promoting these meal kits, they are definitely a convenient benefit for the people!" ... The people present began to discuss animatedly, suddenly elevating the status of the meal kits by several notches. In this world, it''s ultimately capital that speaks. The William family and other ancient royal families are themselves big capital. Manypanies and groups worldwide are controlled by them, so they can easily manipte global stock prices, even the financial system. The entry of meal kits into the Western market was a godsend for them; it would not only save a lot of trouble, but also allow many of their older industries to be phased out, keeping only some high-end restaurants or other industries. Therefore, meal kits were a powerful tool for them to harvest the entire Western market''s underss. The most important thing is that ordinary people had long been eagerly embracing these products. Not only are the prices of these products very cheap, but they are also extremely convenient, ready to eat with just a little heating at home. There was no need to spend money eating out, nor the effort to cook at home. But those who suffered most were the chefs and businesses in the middle. Calcedo was a well-known representative among them. He came today to challenge Chen Yu in order to protect their industrial chains. "Mr. Calcedo, I don''t want to judge you too much, but you''ve seen the advantages of these products! Moreover, as history progresses, many things will be phased out, I hope Mr. Calcedo can adapt to the historical tide." This was said very reasonably, and in a very mild manner; anyone could hear it, it was clearly an urge for Calcedo to give up all his interests. Releasing a heavy breath, Calcedo suddenly burst intoughter. His family had been chefs for generations, and it had been several decades since it had passed down to him. Unexpectedly, their culinary skills, which had dominated the entire Western world, were defeated by a mere recipe pack. Stay connected through m-v l|e''-NovelBin With some resignation, Victor gave a salute to Calcedo and left the hall dejectedly. However, everyone in the hall did not see him off, or even nce at him; they were all discussing the future business value of the recipe packs in the Western world. Chen Yu made a slight adjustment, not interested in the industry structure chain of the Western world. Even if he destroyed its underlying structure, it would have nothing to do with him. All he needed to ensure was that the Eastern market would not be too greatly impacted. The next morning, the entire castle was festooned with decorations, and everyone was immersed in a joyful atmosphere. Chen Yu, on the other hand, found a quiet spot, opened a bottle of champagne, and drank to himself. Just then, Katherine suddenly sat down beside him. "Mr. Chen, Mr. Victor, I hope you cane to the race track at the Alps after the wedding!" she said. Chen Yu didn''t say much, just nodded. After all, he was now one of the representatives of the seven major racing teams in the world. The next world-ss motor race was to take ce on the track of the Alps, so he had to be there. By his calctions, it was just a few days away. Katherine took out a USB drive from her person and handed it to Chen Yu. "Mr. Chen, this contains all the basic information on the race track. You will need to examine it carefully before the race. The tracks here are not like those in the East and many things are based on Western rules!" she exined. Chen Yu had not expected Katherine to be so considerate and carefully stored away the USB drive. The cars in the East and West were different to begin with, even the positions of the driver''s seat were on opposite sides. Moreover, the rules for world-ss racing events were mostly set by the West, which is why Eastern teams had always struggled to appear on world-ss tracks. Chen Yu finished his ss of champagne and then got up, looking in the direction of the wedding. "It seems that Victoria and Mr. Victor have a deep rtionship," he observed. Katherine rested her chin on her hands as she leaned on the railing. "Yes, they have known each other for a very long time," she said. In the middle of their conversation, a figure rushed into the wedding scene and copsed onto the red carpet. "Victor, I really didn''t expect you, old man, to break the promise between us and remarry!" he eximed. The sudden turn of events made everyone at the scene tense up, and William''s family''s bodyguards entered the scene immediately, trying to drag the intruder away. But Victor stopped everyone and stepped forward to help the old man up from the ground. "Lost! Our agreement was voided ten years ago. Besides, the William''s family stillcks a true heir, so I have no choice but to remarry," said Victor. Lost did not care about that andy on the ground, rolling around and behaving like a scoundrel. "When you married my sister, you promised that you would have her as your only wife in your lifetime, but now you''re marrying someone else, how should I interpret this?" he demanded. Chapter 252 International Chess Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown, what a mess this all was. The guests present also became tense, as the grand wedding of the William''s family was an event of extreme importance in the Western world, with quite a few media outlets present. If something went wrong on such an asion, the reputation of the William''s family would plummet. As the two parties were squabbling, Lotus suddenly stood up, opened the bundle he was carrying, and ced it on the ground. "Since you''re determined to remarry, let''s abide by our agreement from years ago and have a chess match. Choose anyone from the William''s family, and if they can beat me, I won''t stand in your way today!" Chen Yu''s head was full of question marks, he hadn''t expected a marriage to be decided in such a manner. As he brooded, Victor surprisingly agreed readily and even began ying chess with the opponent right then and there. Lotus was already a master at chess, extremely renowned throughout the Western world. When the two began to y, the guests started to murmur among themselves, none believing Victor would win. Sure enough, within less than five minutes, Victor admitted defeat. Lotus, brimming with smugness, grabbed a bottle of red wine from nearby and gulped it down. "Old man, in the realm of chess, nobody in the world is a match for me. I would advise you to just concede and call off this wedding!" Victor''s breath began to quicken. He must have had his reasons for insisting on this wedding, moreover, the fact that William''s familycked a sessor was the biggest issue. Now that his health had finally improved, he needed to take the chance to father a child. Beads of sweat had formed on Victor''s face, yet he didn''t know what to do. Lotus was extremely arrogant, ncing over everyone present. "As I said earlier," he announced, "anyone from the William''s family and the guests here today can y a match of chess for Mr. Victor! Today''s rule is ten games of chess, and if someone can beat me in six of them, I will withdraw and not interfere with the wedding any further." As these words were spoken, the room immediately erupted into an uproar, the faces of those present darkening. Most of them were businessmen for whom chess was simply a pastime, never something they studied deeply. And with Lotus being a real master at chess, how could any of them be his opponent? Katherine grew anxious at once: "It''s over, looks like Mr. Victor''s wedding cannot proceed!" Chen Yu naturally saw through theplexities of the situation, and his mind had already conjured up a massive amount of information systems, having transferred all of Lotus''s background to him. Chen Yu sighed, today he was a guest of the William''s family, and he had to help no matter what. "Ling Ling, immediatelypile all the rules and strategies for chess for me!" [Chess strategies are being generated] Before long, Chen Yu''s mind was filled with ample information. As Lotus sat there, Chen Yu suddenly approached him, gently patted his shoulder, and then sat down. "Mr. Lotus, I too am a guest of the William''s family and have some understanding of chess," he said, "Why don''t you let me y a few games with you?" Lotus looked Chen Yu up and down, his face full of disdain. While the rules of chess are quite simple, mastering its myriad strategies takes at least decades. Lotus, who had studied chess for fifty years, saw Chen Yu, who appeared to be under thirty, and thought it inconceivable that the young man could be his match. "Ha ha! Kid, let me give you a piece of advice, don''t humiliate yourself here. Step down obediently or don''t me me for not being polite." Chen Yu paid no heed and readied the chessboard, moving a piece first. "Old sir, as my senior, there shouldn''t be a problem with me making the first move!" Lotus burst intoughter once again, "Even if I let you move ten times, what can you possibly do!" Speaking thus, he also began to move his pieces. The two yed methodically, stunning the spectators around them. When Victor yed earlier, he was defeated in under five minutes, yet Chen Yu and Lotus had been ying for a full ten minutes without any sign of failure. On the contrary, Lotus''s face was suddenly covered with beads of sweat, as if he was extremely nervous. "What''s happening here? Why do I feel like Lotus seems to be at a disadvantage after making the first move!" "Impossible, the man has been studying chess for over fifty years. How could a young fellow under thirty possibly defeat him?" ... In the midst of the crowd''s heated discussion, Lotus suddenly threw down his piece and stood up sharply. "This can''t be possible! Who did you learn your chess from? Why do you have such an unusual method of y?" Chen Yu nced at his hand, remaining extremely calm, and then reset the chessboard. "Honestly, I''m just a beginner who has only been exposed to chess for a measly three years. However, back in the East, I frequently yed our local version of chess." Lotus swallowed hard, shook his head, and pped his cheeks before sitting in front of Chen Yu again, concentrating deeply on the game. The duration of this round was two minutes shorter than thest, and naturally, Lotus was defeated. His expression appeared dazed, and his face showed an unprecedented level of panic. "This can''t be true. What method are you using? Why can''t I win against you?" Chen Yu smiled faintly, "Eastern chess is somewhat simr to international chess, but it has many more rules. I believe any ordinary Eastern chess expert could match you blow for blow!" Lotus''s body shook involuntarily, "I don''t believe it. Let''s have one more game. If I lose this time, I''ll leave immediately!" The two sat down once more, and everyone noticed that Lotus was extremely serious this time, almost bringing out everything he had learned in his life. s, Chen Yu was one step ahead, and after only four minutes of y, Lotus''s body went limp. "Impossible, how could I, who have studied chess all my life, lose to a young whippersnapper like you! Tell me, who is your teacher!" Lotus was visibly frantic, while Chen Yu didn''t wish to exin too much. Casually cing a piece on the board, he stood up, bowed respectfully, and then turned to leave. Chapter 253: Chapter 253 Antique Business The scene suddenly erupted into chaos, and two bodyguards hurried forward to drag Lotus away, after which the wedding proceeded as normal. Chen Yu didn''t concern himself with themotion, having helped Victor with his trouble, he found a corner and continued drinking. It wasn''t until the wedding was over that Victor found Chen Yu with a beaming smile. "Mr. Chen, I really can''t thank you enough for this time, I wouldn''t have known how to carry on with the wedding without you." Chen Yu didn''t say much, simply rattling the wine bottle in his hand. "Mr. Victor, may I ask how this wine was brewed? Why is it so mellow and sweet?" Victor nced at the wine in Chen Yu''s hand and immediately ordered his men to bring two more bottles. "Mr. Chen, without concealment, this wine is brewed using a unique secret recipe of William''s family, and it has been stored in the wine cer for a thousand years!" Chen Yu was somewhat surprised; he hadn''t expected such a fine wine within William''s family. At that moment, a middle-aged man was led into the hall by two bodyguards from William''s family. Carrying a package wrapped tightly in ck cloth. When Victor saw the middle-aged man, he immediately became enthusiastic, quickly pulling him over to sit at the table. The middle-aged man wasn''t shy either, leisurely unwrapping the ck cloth to reveal a knight''s longsword that glittered with a silver light. Victor became excited instantly, eagerly cradling the longsword to inspect it closely. "Is this the knight''s longsword once used by William''s family? Finally, this sword has returned to William''s family!" In his excitement, the middle-aged man gently tapped the table, then extended a finger. "Mr. Victor, ording to our previous agreement, this sword is priced at one hundred million, please make the payment immediately." Victor didn''t say much; after all, the sword belonged to William''s family, and now that it was back, he was even more delighted. Without paying much attention to the price, Victor directly instructed his subordinates to make the transfer. "Hold on!" Chen Yu suddenly called out, then stepped forward and took the longsword from Victor''s hands. "I feel like there''s something wrong with this sword!" The middle-aged man immediately tensed up, then hurriedly tried to cover the panic on his face, staring at Chen Yu with an inexplicable gaze. "If I''m not mistaken, sir, you must be from the East, right? Our Western treasures have our unique attributes and are different from Eastern antiques. Since this is an heirloom of William''s family, you shouldn''t speak carelessly!" Chen Yu burst intoughter as if he had heard a terrific joke. "Sir, you''re quite funny. Regardless of whether it''s from the East or the West, anything handed down from ancient times is an antique, there''s no difference!" With that, Chen Yu tapped the longsword a few times. "If I remember correctly, such knight''s longswords are typically forged from ck steel, which takes on a silver sheen with the passage of time! Yet the glint on this sword is a bit too bright." Victor instantly became vignt; after all, Chen Yu had more than once seen through the authenticity of a gemstone at previous auctions. His expression changed subtly as he quietly signaled the bodyguards to stand behind the middle-aged man, ready to take control of him if anything seemed amiss. "Mr. Chen, since you''re here, could you please help me verify the authenticity of this sword?" Experience new stories on m v|l e''-NovelBin Victor muttered a request and passed a magnifying ss to Chen Yu. Chen Yu did not reach out to take it, instead carefully examining the longsword in his hand. "If I''m not mistaken, this sword must be a treasured one, and it was broken three months ago. It was only treated with a special method, and the gemstone set in the hilt is made of synthetic cubic zirconia." Upon hearing this, the middle-aged manpletely panicked and turned to run away, but two bodyguards who were already standing behind him immediately grabbed his shoulders and pinned him down to the ground. Victor flew into a rage and mmed the table hard. "Well, you''ve really got some nerve, trying to deceive William''s family with this scam!" The man had already been scared out of his wits and knelt on the ground, repeatedly kowtowing. "Mr. Victor, I assure you this has nothing to do with me; I''m just following someone else''s orders. They gave me this sword and asked me to bring it here!" Victor went straight up to him, grabbed the man''s cor, and hoisted him up. "Who are they?" "The Illuminati!" When the middle-aged man uttered these three words, everyone in the room was momentarily taken aback. Chen Yu, however, appeared extremelyposed; he had heard of this organization before. It was said that this organization could control the elements in the Western world, with immense power. Yet he did not expect these people to be engaged in making forgeries, and even selling their creations to William''s family. Chen Yu coughed lightly and with a strange look in his eye, stared at the kneeling middle-aged man. "I''ve heard that the Illuminati has many antiques from the East. I wonder if that''s true. Could you take me to see them?" The middle-aged man''s eyes widened with a look of terror as he gazed back at Chen Yu. "Indeed, there are many treasures from the East over there, but all the treasures are locked away in a very secretive vault that no one can find. Even members of the Illuminati need to gather ten keys to get in!" Chen Yu''s interest intensified, "No matter, I relish a challenge." The middle-aged man was already scared out of his wits, knowing that if the higher-ups of the Illuminati found out he had led an outsider into the vault, they would tear him to pieces. "Please, sir, I''m not ready to meet God just yet!" Chen Yu''s voice suddenly turned icy, grabbed the other''s throat, and pressed him hard against the ground. "If you don''t take me there, I can send you to meet God right now!" Stifled with dread, the middle-aged man did not dare say more and quickly sketched out a map. After a brief word with Victor, Chen Yu left with the middle-aged man. In fact, besides the current factories and shops, what Chen Yu truly wanted to do was to deal in antiques. It wasn''t so much the profit that derived from it, but rather Chen Yu wanted to recover all the cultural treasures that had been scattered abroad. Under the guidance of the middle-aged man, Chen Yu soon arrived at a bar that seemed exceedingly secret. The exterior of the bar was very run-down; one would not even notice its existence without looking carefully. But upon entering the bar, Chen Yu was astounded by everything inside. This ce could no longer be considered a bar, but a hall! Chapter 254: Chapter 254 Illuminati The receptionist at the bar, seeing the middle-aged man return, hurried to greet him. "Did you deliver the items to William''s family? And did you receive the payment?" The two questions left the middle-aged man at a loss, his gaze asionally drifting to Chen Yu behind him. The receptionist immediately sensed something was amiss and sent out a signal that put everyone inside the bar on alert. Various weapons in hand, they pointed them at Chen Yu, ready to open fire at the first sign of trouble. Yet Chen Yu appeared extremely calm, "I''m only here to discuss business with your leader, why all this fuss?" The crowd exchanged nces, and one of them picked up a pager and began speaking a strangenguage rapid-fire. It seemed to be a uniquenguage specifically designed for use within the Illuminati. Before long, an elderly man made his way slowly from a corner of the bar, and as soon as he appeared, the middle-aged man immediately rushed over and knelt down with a thump. "Mr. Kaylo, I swear I didn''t mean to bring this guy here on purpose. I was forced, and besides, he came to do business with us. I couldn''t just leave him outside," the middle-aged man pleaded. Kaylo looked disdainfully at the middle-aged man before lifting his gaze to Chen Yu. "An Easterner! Over the years, quite a few Easterners like you havee here for business. You are not the only one. Are you also looking to take back some lost Eastern antiques?" Chen Yu''s eyebrows twitched. It seemed many before him had harbored such intentions. "In that case, I''ll be straightforward. No matter how many Eastern treasures you have here, I''ll take them all!" Kaylo sighed somewhat helplessly. "I have a lot of items here, but I''m afraid you might not be able to handle them all!" Chen Yu stretched his limbs casually, "How can you be so sure I won''t be able to take them all? Regardless, please show me the goods first, Mr. Kaylo." After pondering for a moment, Kaylo rose, leaning on his cane, and led Chen Yu down a subterranean passageway. Before long, the two arrived at a rtively spacious hall. There sat two other elderly men with white hair, the symbols of the Illuminati emzoned on their chests, each holding a nine-dragon cup, drinking. Seeing Kayloe down with Chen Yu, they immediately became wary. "Kaylo, what''s this about? Why did you bring another Easterner down here? Our treasures are all going to be bought out by them at this rate!" expressed the two men. Kaylo chuckled, "They have the money, we have the goods; there''s no reason not to do business! Quickly bring out our treasured items for the gentleman to see." The two old men did not say much, just opened arge ss door, and a dazzling light emanated from within. At first glimpse of the light, Chen Yu was surprised; he did not expect so many treasures to be hidden here. But upon closer inspection of the items, he revealed a face full of disdain; they were all fakes. The forger, however, was quite skilled; each item was painstakingly crafted to look just like the real thing. Just as he was about to make a sarcastic remark, he suddenly noticed a white jade Guanyin statue ced nearby. This white jade Guanyin statue, both in expression and in the technique of forgery, was identical to the one that had been auctioned off at the Zhao Family''s auction before. It seemed that the forger not only had connections with the Zhao Family but also conducted covert business with the Illuminati. Chen Yu took a moment to steady his breathing and then slowly walked up to a red-veined dragon pinnacle. "I didn''t expect your collection to be so rich¡ªyou could open a museum. If I took all these things away, I wonder how much it would cost?" Kaylo and the two remaining old men''s eyes suddenly lit up; they hadn''t expected Chen Yu to be so generous. Kaylo suddenly put on a troubled expression. "These items were collected through our painstaking efforts. If you want to take them all, it would be absolutely impossible without 800 billion!" Chen Yu wanted tough. Apart from the authenticity of these items, everything here that the Illuminati had gotten their hands on was basically plundered. Even if he took it all back now, there would be nothing to say, yet they dared to ask him for 800 billion. Exhaling a breath of turbid air, Chen Yu directly picked up a cdon vase and, while the three old men weren''t paying attention, smashed it to the ground with force. The three old men immediately widened their eyes, and Keno even raised his cane to point at Chen Yu. "What are you doing? Do you have any idea how precious this item is? If it were taken to an auction, it would start at least at 600 million!" Chen Yu snorted coldly, "Cut the crap. Do you really think I can''t tell? Everything here is fake!" The three old men were momentarily stunned and looked at Chen Yu with an added measure of surprise in their gaze. "You''re just a wet behind the ears kid, how can you be so sure that all these items are fake?" Kaylo still held an imposing demeanor. Chen Yu''s mouth suddenly curled into a dangerous arc, and he reached for the shelf beside him, giving it a fierce tug, sending everything on it crashing to pieces. "I am from the East; did you really think I could not discern the authenticity of these items? It''s best you bring out the genuine articles, or our business is off, and I have more than enough power to obliterate the Illuminati!" Chen Yu''s words were somewhat boastful, but being pushed to this point, he could not care less. Moreover, he had a system to protect him, ensuring he could leave this ce safely no matter what happened. Besides, after so many years of decline, the Illuminati no longer possessed their former strength. If really pushed, the ancient royal families of the West could unite andpletely annihte the Illuminati. Kaylo couldn''t help but frown; he was almost certain that Chen Yu was a tough nut to crack. After taking a moment to regte his breath, he consulted carefully with the other two old men, and then took Chen Yu to another room. Compared to the previous room, this one was much more spacious, and the shelves here were stocked with absolutely precious treasures. Chen Yu also widened his eyes when he saw these items; he hadn''t expected so many lost treasures to appear here all at once. In fact, one of the treasures was arge, emerald Luminous Pearl. It was said that this Luminous Pearl was a priceless treasure once bestowed by Emperor Xuan of Han to his consort and had been lost for a long time. Chapter 255 Take Them All Away Chen Yu exhaled slowly, and then subconsciously took a few steps forward, wanting to take away the Luminous Pearl. Kaylo and the two old men beside him hurried forward to stop him. "Young man, since you recognize the value of our goods, we''ll get straight to the point! You can take anything you like here, but we have the final say on the pricing. Whatever you take, you must pay the corresponding price!" Chen Yu''s face immediately darkened. He didn''t expect that these three old men would be so shameless. Everything here was indeed authentic, and he could take whatever he wanted, but if the three old men were to ask for astronomical prices, he simply couldn''t afford it. Besides, the assets he currently possessed amounted to just a few billion. If he were to waste it all here, his factory would definitely face a funding crisis. Chen Yu didn''t respond. He simply focused on his breathing. Taking advantage of the old men''sck of attention, a sh of silver suddenly streaked from his hand. By the time the three old men realized what was happening, they had already copsed onto the ground,pletely knocked out. "Ling Ling, I''m not sure about these items. Scan them for me!" Ling Ling''s ethereal form appeared on Chen Yu''s shoulder and immediately, arge swath of blue and white light covered the entire room. Not long after, a wealth of information filled Chen Yu''s mind. Apart from a few fake vases, the rest of the items turned out to be authentic. Chen Yu became instantly excited. He picked up arge bag from the side and gathered all the genuine treasures in the room. [System Notification: Hiddenpartment discovered] Chen Yu paused for a moment. The ce was already underground, and carving out such a vast space was the limit; he hadn''t expected there to be a hiddenpartment. Without hesitation, he followed the system''s guidance to the hiddenpartment. The items stored here far surpassed those in the outside space. Despite the dust, the paintings and treasures here could be categorized as national treasures. Chen Yu''s breath became rapid. He never imagined he would see so many treasures in his lifetime. Without wasting any time, he grabbed a box from the side, packed all these items into it, and then followed the system''s directions, crawling through a nearby pipe into an underground tunnel that led back to William''s family. Victor was shocked when he saw the items Chen Yu brought back. These were almost all of the Illuminati''s possessions! "Mr. Chen, how did you do it? These items have been hidden by the Illuminati for over two hundred years, and even we seldom see them. How did you manage to bring them here?" Chen Yu didn''t exin much. He simply asked Victor to arrange a private ship for him in the shortest possible time. Victor didn''t dare to dy and immediately had his subordinates make the arrangements, also helping Chen Yu to properly store these items. The next morning, Luo Kai arrived at Victor''s castle with several members of the Illuminati in tow. "When the Illuminati first met with William''s family, your people were the elders. I didn''t expect that now, you''d let your guest steal the Illuminati''s treasury. How are we going to settle this ount?" It seemed Victor had already guessed they woulde; today, he just sat in the principal seat, tapping on the table, not saying a word. Meanwhile, arge number of William''s family bodyguards rushed into the hall en masse, upying all corners. Should any member of the Illuminati dare to act recklessly, they would take action. Under the protection of numerous bodyguards, Chen Yu sat boldly in the middle of the hall, looking coldly at Luo Kai. It was only after Luo Kai had finished his long-winded speech that Victor slowly rose from his seat. "Indeed, William''s family was an elder member of the Illuminati, but the actions of the Illuminati had long vited the interests of the major families. Over a hundred years ago, William''s family announced our withdrawal from the Illuminati. Now, it seems we have no ties whatsoever, but you still insist on bringing this up. Are you not taking William''s family seriously?" Luo Kai''s eyes widened in disbelief; he had not expected Victor to show him no courtesy. "Victor, don''t forget that when Europe was cleaning up the royal families, it was the Illuminati that saved William''s family!" With a snort, Victor replied, "If I remember correctly, it was the Illuminati that first proposed the clean-up of the European royal families, then hypocritically imed to be protecting us. You took credit for both the good and the bad. The ancient royal families of Europe, who would still trust you now?" Chen Yu suddenly felt it amusing and couldn''t help but spit out the wine he had just drunk. "The Illuminati is really quite amusing, daring toe to William''s family''s territory and stir up trouble. Does Mr. Victor even need to steal your messy trinkets?" Luo Kai''s eyes bulged, "You brat, stop spouting nonsense with your eyes wide open. The treasures from our vault were stolen by you!" Chen Yuughed, "You''re talking about the Illuminati''s vault? I have indeed been there, and as far as I remember, none of the items inside seemed to be missing. Unless you have some other secret vault behind the scenes?" At that, Luo Kai fell silent, unsure of how to argue. Since the dissolution of the Illuminati''s key members, their primary source of ie had shifted to trafficking antiques and producing forgeries. Therefore, the vault they showed to outsiders and under surveince was that so-called fake vault. As for the real vault, it was not only devoid of any surveince devices but also unrecorded. In other words, they simply could not produce valid evidence to prove that the items from the vault had been stolen by Chen Yu. Moreover, the previous night, all the treasures had already been shipped away by Chen Yu and had since passed through the Strait of a. Luo Kai and the other two elders were seething with rage, unable to believe they had been outwitted by Chen Yu. Victor unceremoniously had his bodyguards show the three elders the door. And so, they were mercilessly thrown out. Chen Yu also breathed a sigh of relief, but just as he was preparing to leave, Victor blocked his way. "Mr. Chen, although the Illuminati is in decline, their influence remains. Now that you have taken their vault, they will retaliate, more or less. If it''s all the same to you, you might as well stay with William''s family for the time being and avoid going out." Chen Yu agreed on the surface, but how could he possibly stay put here? He still needed to assess the Western market to decide whether to continue dumping meal kits here. Chapter 256: Chapter 256 Market Survey That evening, Chen Yu left the castle immediately and headed to the busiestmercial street in Frankfurt. This street is world-famous, for it''s said that one can see over ny percent of the world''s goods here, as well as witness over seventy percent of the world''s cultural phenomena. When Chen Yu arrived, he was instantly captivated by everything around him, not only catching a glimpse of the Mysian grass skirt dance but also the Native American cultural festivals. Even the tribes from many small regions in Asia had set up stalls to sell their unique cultural wares. The street was overflowing with an uncountable variety of delicious foods, and Chen Yu had seen hundreds of different dishes within just ten meters of walking. Just then, Chen Yu spotted a group of extremely short people with dark skin, clearly from some primitive tribe, selling food called "chocte bugs"! During the production of chocte, it''s inevitable for some bugs to appear, and these bugs are what''s referred to as chocte bugs. The chocte produced by these primitive tribes was pure, yet distinct from any other kind of chocte. Not only were the bugs ten timesrger than normal, but the liquid oozing from their bodies was a bizarre red with a hint of green. There were already a few people at the stall tasting the food, though most people kept their distance. After all, no sane person would eat mashed bugs. However, as Chen Yu approached, he could smell an incredibly rich sweet scent. He ignored the terrified looks from those nearby and sat down without hesitation, ordering a portion of the chocte bugs. The stall owner became excited, first praising Chen Yu''s courage, and then promptly crushed ten live bugs and ced them in front of Chen Yu. At first sight of this, Chen Yu felt a bit queasy, but when he put some of the liquid on his tongue, he was utterly amazed. The bugs must have been raised on cocoa trees from a young age, fed on cocoa beans. Once they reached a certain size, the tribal people would capture them and feed them special spices and sugar cane. After ingesting these ingredients, the bugs underwent a reaction that soon turned their bodily fluids into a substance akin to chocte. Stay connected through m-v l|e''-NovelBin At the end of the day, this was truly a natural delicacy, and Chen Yu, thrilled, devoured tworge bowls of it. While he was enjoying the exotic delicacy, a few people suddenly came over and rudely smashed the tribal people''s stall to pieces. "You idiots who only know how to do the grass skirt dance, what right do you have to set up a stall here? Take your disgusting stuff and get lost, or else we''ll beat you to death!" Chen Yu frowned, surprised to encounter such bullying and unreasonable behavior in this ce. To his astonishment, the tribal people obediently began to pack up their things. Just as they were about to leave, Chen Yu suddenly stood up and stopped them, turning to look at the troublemakers. "If I''m not mistaken, these people have their own business license, and they''ve paid the rent for this spot as well, so why can''t they set up a stall here?" The men sized Chen Yu up and down and burst intoughter. "I thought you were something special, but it turns out you''re just another barbarian. You must have eaten their bugs just now, right? To swallow something so disgusting, indeed, you''re as revolting as they are!" Chen Yu could no longer tolerate it and stood up abruptly, his fists clenched, and mmed one fiercely into the leader''s face. The scene instantly descended into chaos, and that bunch of guys immediately took out distinct whistles and started blowing them. Before long, dozens of burly men came running over, surrounding the ce in a concerted rush. The people from the primitive tribes were also startled and immediately grabbed Chen Yu''s arms, with a few even forming a half-circle in front of him to protect him. "Well, well, you''re all in this together, are you? Bring it on, take them down for me!" At the leader''smand, his crew prepared to make their move. Just then, a middle-aged man dressed in a very odd manner suddenly approached. "Wait a minute, our street in Frankfurt represents the whole world! How can you disgrace yourselves in front of all the people of the world?" This rebuke instantly cooled the tempers of that bunch of guys, and they respectfully saluted the middle-aged man. "Mr. Bakro, we are protesting against these primitives selling this disgusting stuff ..." "What''s so disgusting about it?" Bakro cut the man off rudely, "I''ve eaten these chocte bugs before, and they''re absolutely delicious! If you want to drive them out, you''ll have to show some real skill." The lead man burst outughing, "Mr. Bakro, you should know our ancestral turkey is famous far and wide and is even an offering to the European royalty! By your logic, aren''t you just asking us to bully them?" The watching crowd immediately boiled with excitement, and some even cheered for no apparent reason. Chen Yu understood the meaning as well, Mr. Bakro must be the manager of this street, and that middle-aged man was looking topete with the natives. No, these natives seemed to only be proficient in breeding these insects, and were practically novices when it came to cooking them. In the end, this was nothing but an unfairpetition. The indigenous people sighed helplessly as if they already knew the oue. They didn''t linger, but started silently packing up their things. Chen Yu stepped forward without hesitation, "You guys are really going too far, I''ll represent these native brothers andpete against you!" A burst ofughter erupted from the group, their view of Chen Yu was the same as their view of the natives. Bakro didn''t care for that, he immediately had someone bring two mobile outdoor kitchens. The middle-aged man rolled up his sleeves and took out a prepared turkey from his stall, cing it in the outdoor kitchen. From this, it was evident that thepetition waspletely unfair; they had their ingredients already prepared, while Chen Yu had nothing. Chen Yu, not to be outdone, looked around and took some centipedes from the natives'' bags. These creatures were no trifling matter, all raised on medicinal herbs, possessing extremely high nutritional and medicinal value. Chen Yu slightly adjusted some apanying items, then wrapped the centipedes in them and dropped them into the deep fryer. It wasn''t long before a rich aroma wafted through the street, immediately attracting the people nearby. Chapter 257 Flying Dragon Pastry What was presented before everyone was a seemingly ordinary te of crispy fried butter cake, yet the aroma wafting from it was utterly enticing, and surprisingly, the cake had many unusual patterns within it. Anyone who had cooked before knew that when making a crispy cake, due to fermentation, there would invariably be some cracks. But during the cooking process, Chen Yu managed to transform these cracks into patterns, which looked quite aesthetic and grand. The middle-aged man nearby was now overwhelmingly busy, already sweating profusely. His hands became frantic, and while adjusting the sauce, he identally messed up some of the proportions, and could only start anew. Chen Yu, on the other hand, seemed calm and collected, frying up arge pot and cing it on his stall for the people on this street to taste at will. "My God, what on earth is this? Not only is it crisp and refreshing, but it also has a soothing vor, and once eaten, it feels veryfortable in the stomach." "My God, I''ve never sweated before, and now I''m actually sweating, and it feels like all the pores on my body have been opened, it''s so amazing!" ... The scene instantly boiled over, with everyone praising the crispy butter cakes made by Chen Yu. Actually, cooking with insects was practiced only by a very few ethnic groups and in remote areas; such dishes from insects were generally scoffed at in a modern metropolis like this one. However, during his cooking, Chen Yu masterfully minced the centipedes along with the other ingredients, incorporating them into the dough, and then frying it until crisp. In this way, the customers wouldn''t see the centipedes while eating. Experience new stories with m v|-NovelBin It wasn''t until after everyone on the street had finished the crispy cakes that the middle-aged man managed to cook a turkey. Though the turkey appeared golden and crispy on the surface, it had to be eaten with sauce, as due to the turkey''srge size, it was impossible for all the seasonings to permeate into the meat during cooking. Moreover, turkey meat is naturally tough, and no matter how it''s cooked, it''s challenging to make it truly delicious. When the middle-aged man presented the roasted turkey before everyone, all of them furrowed their brows, as they had already enjoyed the delicious fried crispy cakes and couldn''t possibly be interested in this turkey. "I personally think this gentleman from the East has a culinary skill that surpasses all of us, how about this, let''s let this gentleman decide everything about tonight''s affairs!" Someone shouted, and people nearby started to echo and stir, swiftly elevating Chen Yu to an extremely high status. Chen Yu didn''t stand on ceremony and readily epted the des. After all, no one had the natives'' back, but fortunately, he had gained such authority, which was also considered helping these indigenous people out of their plight. After briefly adjusting his breath, everyone helped the natives set up their stall once again and even taught them some methods of making insect dishes. Actually, insect cuisine had existed in this world for thousands of years, with Sichuan cuisine having a specialized branch of insect dishes. Chen Yu''s mind was already full of theplete recipes and methods of Sichuan cuisine, and naturally, he was very proficient in insect dishes as well. Before long, the native''s stall became the most popr on the entire street. In three hours, all sorts of insects brought by the natives were sold out. But just as they were about to leave, a burly man suddenly blocked their way. "A few measly bugs, I don''t believe they can taste that good, actually beating our family''s heirloom turkey!" Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown and took a closer look at the man in front of him, realizing that the person standing behind him was the one who hadpeted with him earlier. "I say, the people here really go back on their word, huh? Didn''t you all just lose? Why have you brought people over again? Can''t ept defeat?" The middle-aged man coldly sized up Chen Yu, "Don''t think that just because you can cook you can do whatever you want. Let me tell you, my big brother is the real boss of this area. If he says you can''t set up stall here, then you''ve got to get out!" Chen Yu arched an eyebrow; he hadn''t expected the people here to be so overbearing. "Well, in that case, we''ll leave. It''s not like we have anything left to sell, no need to stay anyway." These words sounded like backing down, but if you pondered the meaning carefully, you could feel a strong sense of provocation. The hefty man by his side was instantly enraged, pulling a knife from his body. Chen Yu''s brows knitted tightly; he had thought the guy would abide by the spirit of the contract and challenge him with culinary skills rather than pulling out a knife. "If that''s how it is, then I won''t be polite!" Chen Yu''s tone suddenly turned icy. Then, with a sh, his hand reached out and grabbed the wrist of the hefty man. With a fierce squeeze, he snatched the knife from his hand and then stretched out his palm to grab the man''s throat. A scream rang out, and therge man''s body slumped to the ground, copsing. "What did you do to me just now? Why can''t I muster any strength in my body?" The big man''s voice trembled to the extreme, his eyes filled with terror. The middle-aged man by his side was so frightened that his soul nearly left his body, he fell to the ground and scurried away in an attempt to escape. Chen Yu didn''t want to bother with these thugs and simply let go of the big man''s palm, leaving with the locals in tow. Only after escorting the locals to a dock did Chen Yu stop. "After what happened tonight, the people on that street won''t let you off the hook! So you better leave fast and nevere back here again." With a helpless sigh, the locals knew they had only wanted to do a bit of business here to earn some foreign currency to support their tribe but had not expected to be bullied this way. The group thanked Chen Yu profusely before boarding the ship that was already prepared. After sending off the locals, Chen Yu started wandering the streets on his own. He hadn''t gone far when he felt a chill on his back as if someone was following him from a distance. Chen Yu took a moment to regte his breathing before quickening his pace and heading straight into an alleyway around a corner up ahead. The two people who had been following him hurriedly chased after him, but when they entered the alley, they didn''t find any trace of Chen Yu, their eyes widening in shock. This ce was a dead-end, impossible for anyone to just disappear without a trace. As the two men stood there frustrated, a figure suddenly dropped down from above,nding heavily on their heads. Chapter 258 The Light Chef Before the two could react, they felt dizzy, and one of them passed out cold while the other found himself pinned to the wall. This guy looked to be in his early twenties and had never witnessed such a bizarre scene, so when he was hung by his clothes on Chen Yu''s steel nail, he panicked, thinking his body had been pierced through. Chen Yu stepped right up to the man, pinching his throat with a finger. "The position my finger''s at now is the artery in your neck. Starting now, I ask, and you answer. If you dare tell a lie, I will kill you immediately," The young man swallowed nervously and nodded repeatedly, not daring to ck in the slightest. Chen Yu nced at the young man before him. "Are you a member of the Illuminati?" "Yes, I am. Lord Luo Kai ordered me to follow you," he replied. Chen Yu nodded slightly but didn''t ask further. The mere mention of the name Luo Kai told him everything he needed to know. It meant his movements in Frankfurt werepletely in the hands of Luo Kai. Chen Yu took a moment to steady his breathing, then let the young man down. "Listen, I won''t trouble you, but you must take me to see your master," Chen Yu said. The young man was taken aback, a look of difficulty flitting across his face. "Sir, do you want to see my master or Lord Luo Kai?" he asked. Chen Yu''s pupils dted slightly. "What do you mean by that? Isn''t Luo Kai your master?" "Although I belong to the Illuminati, strictly speaking, I''m from the Illuminati Culinary Society! To put it inly, we''re a cooking organization," he exined. Experience exclusive tales on mvl Chen Yu was visibly surprised; he hadn''t expected such an offshoot under the Illuminati. The young man, probably scared out of his wits, didn''t wait for Chen Yu to question him further and spilled everything he knew. In recent years, the Illuminati had declined, many of their fake antiques being recognized for what they were. Hence, they couldn''t make much money in that field and had to figure out other lines of business. The culinary industry was one of them. However, these people were extremely vile; the cuisine they prepared was in essence nothing short of poison. Although it tasted exceptionally good and had many returning customers, they added all sorts of nonsense to their dishes that could easily ruin one''s health. Chen Yu couldn''t help but take in a breath of cold air, appalled at how despicable the Illuminati were. While Chen Yu was interrogating the young man, a harsh voice suddenly rang out from the side. A figure shrouded in a ck robe had appeared at the end of the alley without notice. "What a useless wretch, giving up all the secrets of our organization just because someone threatened you a little. You might as well be dead," the figure said. As the voice fell, a cold gleam darted forward, heading straight for the young man. And on that gleam of light was a faint trace of ck aura, clearly indicating a poison-tipped dart. Chen Yu dared not catch it and quickly stepped back a few paces. The dart flew unerringly through the young man''s body, iming his life. "Are you from the Bright Food Association?" Chen Yu instinctively asked, his eyes full of vignce. The man in the ck robe let out a loudugh, "Correct, I am a top pastry chef from the Bright Food Association. My master wishes to meet you, pleasee with me." Just as Chen Yu was about to refuse, he suddenly noticed that the wall of the nearby alley was crowded with people, all of whom were holding weapons and each one emitted a faint stench of blood. This was enough proof that these individuals had been exposed to deadly poisons; if he were to forcibly confront them, even Chen Yu would likely meet his end here. "Fine, then I will go with you!" After agreeing to follow them, Chen Yu directly followed the man in the ck robe out of the alley. Although the current situation was somewhat passive for him, it also provided him with the perfect opportunity to see who exactly was behind the Bright Food Association. Before long, a stretch Lincoln stopped at the corner of the street, and a group of people escorted Chen Yu into the car. However, after getting into the car, these people blindfolded Chen Yu and drew all the curtains closed. Chen Yu couldn''t help but feel amused, for this tactic might be effective on ordinary people, but he had a system within him. Once they blindfolded him, the system began scanning all the surrounding terrain and transmitted it into his mind. The car meandered through the Frankfurt city area for nearly three hours before finally stopping at the entrance of a hotel. The En Grand Hotel was considered one of the top hotels in Europe, and even in the entire western world, it was among the front runners. Moreover, this hotel was part of a chain, with more than forty locations worldwide, each one maintaining a standard of five stars and above. Chen Yu was only allowed to remove his blindfold when he was brought into the main hall. "Mr. Chen, to have you visit our establishment today is a pleasure we didn''t anticipate. To invite a culinary god like you is truly a fortune of three lifetimes for us!" Such insincere pleasantries angered Chen Yu a bit, but he showed no sign of it and simply walked over to a nearby counter and poured himself a ss of red wine. "When I was studying, I had worked at an En Hotel. Although on the surface it appears all glitz and mour, they really spare no expense in pinching pennies from their employees, did you know that my sry was only a little more than a thousand bucks a month back then!" While the remark seemed innocuous, it was a veiled mockery of the En Grand Hotel, and at the same time, a jab at the Bright Food Association. The middle-aged man leading the group gave an awkwardugh, then approached Chen Yu. "Actually, the treasures of the Bright Association have been a subject of controversy for a long time. Those items are useless just sitting there; they can''t be auctioned off openly nor can they be sold easily. Since Mr. Chen has taken them away, we''ll no longer pursue the matter and consider it a favor given." Chen Yu drained the wine in his ss, "I dare not ept such a favor, besides those items inherently belong to the East, and they are best suited to return to their original ce!" In fact, Chen Yu was aware that this man so readily proposed a favor because he had a request for him, perhaps even intending to recruit him for some shady deeds. The manughed awkwardly again, then took out an invitation from his person. "The Bright Food Association is also one of the representatives of the world cuisinemunity now. Next month, gourmets from all over the world will gather aboard the Queen Eisa in the English Channel for a matchless culinarypetition! We hope that Mr. Chen will represent the Bright Food Association in this contest." Chapter 259: Chapter 259 King of Dim Sum Chen Yu did not answer immediately, but simply poured himself a drink. The robed man who had brought Chen Yu back was immediately enraged and stepped forward, pointing at Chen Yu''s nose and cursing loudly. "You little shit, don''t fucking y hard to get when we''re offering you a chance to redeem yourself. Otherwise, you won''t be leaving this ce tonight," he said. Chen Yu sneered and deliberately put on a frightened expression. "Oh, I''m so scared!" he said mockingly. The robed man''s eyes bulged with anger, and as he raised his fist to strike, a wine bottle suddenly came crashing down on his head from above. Chen Yu was already on the other side of the man by then, and the empty wine bottle had be a handy weapon. It was unclear whether all of this had been prearranged by Chen Yu. With eyes wide open in fury, the robed man pulled out a dagger and prepared to lunge forward. The middle-aged man hurriedly stepped in to stop him. "Dnce, we invited Mr. Chen here to discuss matters, not to be rash," he said. Dnce''s teeth clenched with an audible grind, but he dared not make another move and only stepped back, clutching his bleeding head. The middle-aged man let out a quiet sigh, then politely apologized to Chen Yu. "My name is Karan, the current president of the Illumination Gourmet Club. I kindly ask Mr. Chen to seriously consider my request. You should know that the Illumination Gourmet Club controls not only the nke Grand Hotel but also over sixty percent of the world''s dining business!" he said. Chen Yu nced sideways with a hint of disdain at Karan, who, although apologizing, did not hide the murderous intent shining in his eyes. Moreover, his words carried a very thickyer of threat. "In my view, food should be something that makes people happy when they eat it. Even if it''s treated as a business, there''s a line between what money should and should not be taken. We should all have a scale in our hearts," Chen Yu pointed out. Karan''s eyes filled with resentment as he exhaled a breath of turbid air and then signaled to Dnce with a gesture. "Since Mr. Chen has his principles, I won''t say much more. Since you grace us with your presence today, why not have apetition with Dnce? If he wins, you''ll die here today. If you win, then you must represent our Illumination Gourmet Club in thepetition," he proposed. Chen Yu couldn''t help butugh, "So what you mean is, either way, I won''t be able to leave today, right?" Without any courtesy, Karan took out an incense stick. "We''ll follow the etiquette of your Eastern traditions. Before this incense burns out, you both must present your dishes! Let thepetition begin," he dered. As soon as he finished speaking, a few attendants pushed out a movable kitchen. Dnce, not caring for anything else, grabbed some dough and began to work it immediately. Those around them were fully armed, their gazes like torches fixed on Chen Yu. It seemed no matter what, he had topete today. Chen Yu put on a helpless expression, but it was a ruse as hemunicated with Ling Ling in his mind, scanning all the nearby terrain and nning the best escape route. "I truly don''t understand your thinking, wanting topete with me in dim sum! Don''t you know this thing has a history of four thousand years in the East?" he said. As he spoke, Chen Yu directly picked up the basin and expertly worked the dough, his movements smooth as flowing water. Stay tuned to mvl Dnce, the King of Dim Sum at the Glorious Gourmet Gathering, was extremely serious when preparing food. He immersed himselfpletely in the task, and the dough in his hands seemed toe to life, vivid and lifelike. It looks like this guy is nning to make a dough figurine dessert. Chen Yu suddenly took a deep breath and then his hands began moving faster, bing a blur. The people around could hardly see what he was actually doing. Half an hour shed by, and both of their preliminary preparations werepleted; now it was time to start steaming. Dough figurine desserts and fondant are not the same. Fondant involves directly molding sugar into various figurines, which is rtively simple inparison. But dough figurine desserts are different. The fermentation and steaming processes must be taken into ount when making the raw dough. During this process, the previously crafted dough figurine desserts could easily be deformed. Therefore, strict control over the heat and the steaming basket was necessary, with strict oversight required for each step, allowing no room for any exposes. Dnce was already as tense as could be. He watched his steaming basket like a hawk, not daring to ck off even a little. As time ticked by, steam began to rise from Dnce''s basket, and if he maintained this condition, the contents would be ready toe out in ten minutes. In contrast, Chen Yu appeared utterly rxed, as if, for him, this was all too simple of a task. Moreover, the steaming basket he used was astoundingly basic, a huge rectangr one. You should know that when making this kind of dough dessert, therger the steaming basket, the less likely it is that the contents will cook thoroughly. After all, food is not just for looking at, it also has to end up being edible. Although some dishes may look magnificent on the surface, beautiful enough to feast one''s eyes on, if they taste half-cooked when you take a bite, then it''s a failed dish. About ten minutes had passed when Dnce suddenly stood up, inserting the timer and then opened the steaming basket. In front of everyone appeared an array of tiny animals, each one seemingly alive, vivid and lifelike, especially at the moment they came out of the basket, looking incredibly fluffy. From a distance, it appeared as if these little creatures in the steaming basket were vying for beauty and attention. The audience immediately got excited. After all, Dnce was their King of Dim Sum, and his creations were naturally iparable. Byparison, Chen Yu remained extremely calm. He simply uncovered his rectangr steaming basket and tossed it aside, then pulled up a stool and sat down beside it. "These little animal dough figures and such, those are just leftovers from our Eastern ancestors'' ythings. Now, what we y with is this!" With these words, he immediately attracted the attention of everyone present. As the steam cleared, the crowd''s gaze turned nk. What emerged from within the steam was aplete Tang Dynasty pce banquet scene! Every character''s figure was lively and lifelike, further enhanced by the surrounding color of the sugar decorations, creating a scene that seemed almost as if it was a painting brought to life. Various flowers, birds, fish, insects and details were embellished upon it, making everyone stare in wonder, some even burst into apuse. Even Dnce stood there, staring nkly, somewhat at a loss. Chapter 260 Sun and Moon Mountain River Sacrifice Every person present found their breathing bing short and rapid; they truly hadn''t expected that Chen Yu could turn the most ordinary of noodles into something awe-inspiring, such that even Dnce wasn''t his match. Chen Yu didn''t say much, merely maintaining a calm andposed demeanor as he took a doll-like pastry from amongst the selection and stuffed it into his mouth. "What are you all standing around for? Food is meant to be eaten, and since the dish has already been made, don''t tell me there aren''t any judges here to taste it?" Although the words were not problematic in themselves, to the ears of the people from the Bright Culinary Gathering, they were a tant insult. Whenever they had a pastry or fondantpetition, they would disy the finished products as works of art. In the past, whenever Dnce participated in apetition, he would seal his creations in vacuum ss containers for memorabilia. However, Chen Yu didn''t care about any of that, just continuing to eat his own creations. Dnce couldn''t help but widen his eyes and hurried forward to stop Chen Yu. "What are you doing? Don''t you know that such a work, carelessly ced anywhere in the world, could win international prizes, and you just ate it?" A look of disdain crossed Chen Yu''s face, "Food, the moment it is made, is meant to be eaten. If we are supposed to put it on disy as an artistic piece instead, then there''s no need for us to go to the effort of making it at all." His words left Dnce with no ce to hide his shame, and even Karan beside him couldn''t help but feel embarrassed. But in a dark corner, a figure cloaked in ck suddenly coughed twice, and a hint of cold light shed in his eyes. Karan immediately reacted, gesturing to the people around him, whereupon a dozen or so tight-clothed and fully armed individuals rushed in. The weapons in their hands were all standard automatics, and at that moment, dozens of gun barrels were aimed directly at Chen Yu. Karan cleared his throat and slowly stepped forward a few paces. "Mr. Chen, don''t me us for some things. Since the day the Bright Culinary Gathering was established, it has been for profit. Since you are not willing to join with us, then you can only be our enemy," Karan said, readying to order the people beside him to fire. Just as he was about to raise his hand, a loud bang suddenly erupted from the side. The steamer containing the pastries that Chen Yu had made exploded with a roar. While making the food, Chen Yu had packed the remaining dust into the bottom of the steamer, covered by a stic bag on the outside. In the moment before the mes had extinguished, theypletely burned the stic bag, causing the dust within to mix with the air and create a vacuum! The force of the explosion blew the mobile restaurant to smithereens, with debris flying everywhere and several nearby brawny men being violently knocked back. Taking advantage of the chaos, Chen Yu turned and bolted for the door. Before the people could react, Chen Yu had already run out and, snatching a car, sped away. "This man had everything calcted from the start. Since he is unwilling to submit to us, then kill him. Issue themand for all members of the Bright Culinary Gathering to pursue and eliminate Chen Yu immediately," Karan eximed while gasping for air and personally driving a car in pursuit. After all, it was Karan who had brought Chen Yu back and, at that time, Chen Yu''s eyes had been covered, so he had no idea how to escape. Just by searching the vicinity for a while, Chen Yu could be captured and brought back within half an hour. But his perfect n had already gone awry, as by now, following the route suggested by the system, Chen Yu had already disappeared without a trace. In less than an hour, Chen Yu had returned to the ancient castle of William''s family. At this moment, the entire William family was inplete disarray, as nobody had expected Chen Yu to actually run off on his own. Katherine was furious,shing out at the servants responsible for Chen Yu''s care, berating them harshly. Victor also issued orders,manding everyone in the William family to search for any trace of Chen Yu. Just as they were preparing to leave, Chen Yu drove straight into the castle yard. Upon seeing Chen Yu, Katherine''s emotions surged, and she quickly went to greet him. "Mr. Chen, what on earth happened? Where have you been, and weren''t you supposed to carry a satellite phone when you left? Why couldn''t we reach you?" Gasping for breath, Chen Yu took out a hand-drawn map and handed it over to Katherine. "I ran into some people from the Bright Culinary Association on the road, and these fellows want me to take their ce in a world-sspetition. This is their location." Upon seeing the hand-drawn map, Katherine''s mouth fell open. The Bright Culinary Association was an extremely secretive organization; for years, no one had managed to find their hiding ce, and all those captured by them would mysteriously vanish without a trace. Yet, Chen Yu had not only managed to escape, but he had also drawn the location of the Bright Culinary Association. Victor ran out as well, very concerned, and began bombarding Chen Yu with questions, while clutching his shoulder. Chen Yu merely smiled and headed towards his room on his own. Victor quickly instructed the kitchen to prepare something to eat and personally brought it to Chen Yu''s room. "Mr. Chen, the people from the Bright Culinary Association didn''t give you a hard time, did they? If anything happened, just tell me, and with the power of the William family, we can easily eliminate the Bright Culinary Association." Chen Yu sighed lightly, "It''s actually nothing much; they just wanted me to rece them in apetition, something called the ''Sun and Moon Rivers Festival''." Victor''s eyes widened, "These guys are actually considering such things; it looks like they definitely have some ulterior motives." Chen Yu drank a ss of wine to himself, leaning back in his chair. "By the way, what exactly is this so-called ''Sun and Moon Rivers Festival'' that the Bright Culinary Association values so highly?" Victor sighed helplessly and took out an invitation from his pocket. "The Queen Elsa is actually a historical ocean liner with over three hundred years of history. It once represented the United Kingdom in battles across the world, earning undying merit. The ''Sun and Moon Rivers Festival'' held on it is a farewell ceremony before the liner is retired. After the banquet, the authorities will immediately blow up the ship." Chen Yu immediately understood; in essence, it was about holding a world-ss culinarypetition on a soon-to-be-retired ship to create some final value. And once itsst bit of value had been extracted, the ship would be utterly useless. Chapter 261 Fully Occupying the Market Victor spoke at length about the Queen Elsa again before leaving Chen Yu''s room. However, when he left, he ended up leaving behind what he had earlier. The intent was now clear. He wanted Chen Yu to represent the William family in thepetition. Chen Yu didn''t give it much thought and simply took the invitation, given that he also had some binding business interests with William''s family; he really had to attend thepetition. Moreover, his factory''s products were gradually entering the Western market. If he could shine at thispetition, he might even open up some sales channels for his products. The next morning, the entire William''s family was on the highest alert. All personnel who were outside returned, and a plethora of bodyguards continuously patrolled the ancient castle. And these bodyguards were different from before, every one of them fully armed as if it was the apocalypse. Chen Yu sat on the balcony, absorbed in his own world, drinking wine, admiring the distant scenery. The views inside and outside the castle really had their own unique charm. At that moment, Katherine carefully walked up carrying a few tes and then ced them in front of Chen Yu. On the tes were all sorts of precooked dishes made from ingredient packs. Chen Yu was surprised. ording to the factory''s current pace, it would take at least a month to transport these ingredient packs and precooked dishes here. Yet, they had already arrived at William''s family. After trying a bite with chopsticks, Chen Yu nodded with a smile. "It seems that the first batch of goods has already been delivered to William''s family!" Katherine happily sat down and took a bite as well. "It''s not just the first batch. Half of the previous orders have been fulfilled." Chen Yu was somewhat surprised; it seemed that after the industrial park had achieved industrialization, the efficiency had more than doubled. Katherine didn''t know what was going on either. She seemed extremely excited while eating. "Mr. Chen, did you know? The first time I tried Chinese food, I fell in love with the vor, but then it was hard toe by such taste. Now, it''s great. You just need to boil these packs in a pot to make delicious Chinese food." Chen Yu didn''t say much. Moreover, he only took a couple of bites before he put down his chopsticks. Precooked dishes, after all, were not freshly cooked meals, and the taste was somewhat different. Even if the preservation techniques inside were developed after a lot of time and effort, it was, after all, preservation¡ªbound to affect the taste of the food to some extent. "If you want to eat these in the future, just go directly to Suzhou City. I have a shop there where you can eat whatever you like." Katherine immediately became excited, and just as she was about to speak, a bodyguard hurried over. "Mr. Chen, Mr. Victor is asking for you right away. He says there''s an urgent matter to discuss with you." Chen Yu nodded and quickly got up, hurrying after him. Soon after, Chen Yu arrived at an underground location led by the bodyguard. This ce seemed extremely small and secretive, but rtively speaking, the space was quiterge. As soon as he walked in, Chen Yu smelled an extremely pungent scent of blood, mixed with a bitter taste. It looked like someone had been poisoned. Seeing Chen Yu enter the room, Victor hastily stepped forward and grabbed his arm. "Mr. Chen, please, you must save this man, he''s brought back critical intelligence! It''s a matter of life and death for the entire William''s family," Chen Yu nced sideways and saw a middle-aged man lying on the hospital bed, breathing faintly, his skin all over turned ck, even his eyes had be blood-red. Chen Yu didn''t say much and quickly stepped forward to check the man''s pulse. From a Western medicine perspective, this person was already devoid of vital signs, yet his body still retained a trace of warmth. But from a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, he was merely in a state of suspended animation. Chen Yu hurriedly took out a set of silver needles and began inserting them into various acupoints on the middle-aged man''s body, turning him into a porcupine in no time. Meanwhile, he also prescribed a herbal form and instructed Katherine to fetch the medicine. Ever since Chen Yu hade to William''s family, Victor had someone prepare a room for Chinese herbs, collecting almost all kinds of traditional Chinese medicinal materials avable in the world. Even some of the rarest could be found here. Before long, Katherine brought over two bowls as Chen Yu had requested: one contained some crushed dry herbs, and the other half a bowl of herbal decoction. Chen Yu checked the contents of the two bowls, then ground those crushed licorice pieces into a finer powder and applied it to the wounds on the man''s body, while the decoction was fed directly to him. Not long after, the man who had been without breath miraculously came to, and the wounds on his body began healing at a visibly rapid rate. The crowd in the room was instantly agitated, and Victor eagerly stepped forward to grasp the middle-aged man''s shoulder. "How do you feel? Did you bring back the intelligence from the Queen Elsa?" The middle-aged man swallowed his saliva and then retrieved an envelope from his person. The envelope, crafted from pure gold leaf, looked quite impressive. Victor hastily opened it and found that in addition to a letter, there was also a pure gold que inside. "Mr. Victor, Queen Elsa has two levels. The upper level is for hosting the culinarypetition, and the lower level is for trading. Everything we are after will be traded there. If they seed, then¡­" At this point, the middle-aged man suddenly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and then he fainted. Chen Yu quickly removed two needles from his chest and checked his condition again. "He''s not in any serious danger, just extremely weak, and he got a little too excited just now. He''ll be fine after some rest," Only then did Victor rx. He gave a few instructions to the bodyguards beside him before letting them leave the room. "Mr. Chen, it seems this trip to Queen Elsa is extremely dangerous. If there''s no pressing need, you shouldn''t go up there. Just stay in this castle, and I can ensure your safety!" Chen Yu suddenlyughed twice and pulled out an invitation, waving it in front of Victor. "To be honest, I''m very interested in thispetition. I believe those whoe will be some quite influential figures. If I can promote my meal kits and ready-to-eat dishes at the event, it might boost sales," Victor suddenly felt a bit embarrassed, regretting a little that he had left the invitation in Chen Yu''s room. Chapter 262: Chapter 262 Queen Elsa A month had swiftly passed by. During this time, Chen Yu investigated the European market and found that since the entry of his cooking packs, the sales had been exceptionally good, and he feared that future orders might double. After a simple market analysis, Chen Yu and Victor boarded the Queen Esha. The number of families that came to attend the banquet was indeed considerable; almost ny percent of the world''s super families gathered here, and many from the East also came to participate. No sooner had Chen Yu settled down to rest than a middle-aged man approached him with a strange air. "This must be Mr. Chen Yu. I really didn''t expect you to attend such a grand event. I just wonder how your culinary skills measure up. We should definitely have a goodpetitionter." Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown. He had never seen this guy before, and the man had a somewhat effeminate appearance. Although he seemed male on the surface, his entire demeanor exuded an air akin to that of a dyboy.'' Katherine quickly stood in front of Chen Yu and blocked the fellow while reaching out a hand. "Mr. Katn, I truly didn''t expect you toe to this banquet. But I wonder, do you represent an organization this time, or are you merely here on your own behalf?" Katnughed heartily, "Even if I represent myself, it''s all the same. After all, no matter whichpetition I enter, the fame thates is mine alone. The organization is just a support; it doesn''t matter which one I stand for." Chen Yu instantly understood that the man before him was clearly a turncoat, representing whoever offered more benefits. However, looking at the badge on Katn''s chest, it seemed he was representing the Light Gourmet Society this time. As they were speaking, Kadoran suddenly walked over and patted Knto on the shoulder. "Mr. Knto, you''ve met your opponent so quickly." Kntoughed heartily, "Anyway, mypetition with Mr. Chen has been scheduled for the first match, so of course I wanted to meet him in advance. Otherwise, wouldn''t it seem a bit awkward during the match?" Chen Yu frowned again and cast a questioning nce at Katherine beside him. He was here representing William''s family, and logically speaking, hispetition should have been scheduledter. Why was his the first? Katherine hurriedly leaned in to whisper into Chen Yu''s ear. "Mr. Chen, on the ship, thepetition is somewhat arranged ording to the fame of the chefs. You have participated in so many internationalpetitions before, so in a sense, your reputation ranks fairly high!" Chen Yu let out a resigned sigh. Indeed, ''the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.'' He didn''t say much more, though, and simply sat there, sipping his drink and paying no mind to anyone else. Seeing Chen Yu''s behavior, Knto felt a surge of irritation. He had hoped to have a conversation to get a better understanding of Chen Yu''s personality and basic situation, but Chen Yu had ignored himpletely. Kadoran, on the other hand, cheerfully patted Knto on the shoulder. "Thepetition is about to start soon, we should sit over there instead, otherwise the organizers are going to kick us out." Although Knto was irritated, he did not say much and simply followed Kadoran to take a seat nearby. The banquet seemed extremely lively, but the organizers did not seem to want the attendees to interact too much. There was strict management, distributing the guests in various areas and leaving a huge space clear in the center of the hall. Before long, two mobile kitchens were rolled up to the scene. At this moment, an elegantly dresseddy made her way slowly onto the stage. "The Queen Elsa has a history of over three hundred years, it embarked on its maiden voyage as a cargo chef ship included in the fleet. Therefore, every thirty years, we hold a banquet here tomemorate this heroic vessel in a special way," she said. After briefly introducing the history of the Queen Elsa, thedy stepped back and cleared the way for the big screen. The screen disyed the profiles of Chen Yu and Knto. "These two gentlemen are the most skilled chefs participating in thepetition. We now invite them to perform a culinary demonstration for us and also to select one who is the superior chef." Although the words were said with grandeur, a closer listen revealed that it was essentially an invitation for Chen Yu and Knto to duel it out in the kitchen. Chen Yu had long been prepared and, without saying much, went straight to his mobile kitchen, picked up the ingredients on the table, and got to work. Knto, on the other hand, strolled over leisurely and posed as if he were a recluse from the outside world. The theme given by thepetition organizers was "soup"! And even the scope was clearly defined: they were to make fish soup! Chen Yu chose an ordinary type of octopus, but he made many odd movements while cooking. Knto seemed to take thepetition very seriously, picking various ingredients with an almost obsessive meticulousness. In less than twenty minutes, Chen Yu had already presented hispleted soup to the judges. In fact, the soup Chen Yu made was a simple squid soup, amon dish in the East, and not at all exotic. However, Chen Yu had altered the sequence of seasonings and the method of stewing, giving the soup a unique taste. As a result, when the judges tasted the soup, they couldn''t stop singing its praises. Seizing the opportunity, Chen Yu promptly took out several packets of preprepared dishes he carried andid them in front of the judges. "These are some new products I''ve just developed. If you''re interested, you can try them at home. They only need to be warmed up in the microwave for two minutes," he exined. The judges immediately became excited, already harboring an almost obsessive interest in Chinese cuisine. Though they were connoisseurs in tasting, asking them to cook would be a challenge, especially Chinese dishes. Now that such simple meal kits wereid out before them, they were of course eager to have them. After finishing all this, Chen Yu dusted off his clothes and returned to his seat, and only then did Knto bring up his finished soup. This guy''s soup was made from a type of ribbon fish found in the deep sea, rare and typically only seen in the shallows during earthquakes or volcanic eruptions underwater. But the taste of this fish was truly exquisite, hence many spared no expense to venture into the deep sea to catch it. Chapter 263: Chapter 263 The True Quick Blade Almost everyone in the world is drawn to this kind of hairtail fish. Especially the soup made from it, which is iparably delicious, but when that big pot of soup was brought up, everyone present turned a blind eye to it. They had already been immersed in the deliciousness of Chen Yu''s cooking, as for anything else, it simply couldn''t arouse any interest. It wasn''t until they had finished Chen Yu''s soup that they remembered Knto. But squid is seafood in itself, and Chen Yu''s cooking method made its vor even more intense. Such a taste, once eaten, to some extent, makes one lose interest in other seafood products. Though Knto is a renowned chef and his dishes are exceptional, the trouble was that he was too slow and had not fully brought out the fresh taste of the hairtail fish. The many judges present were quite fair and quickly made their judgments. Stay connected through mvl However, a few judges, without a second thought, directly cast their votes for Knto. This proved that there were already people from the Bright Food Society mixed in among the judges. Chen Yu silently noted the appearance of these individuals and also checked their countenances. It''s not that Chen Yu wanted to read their fortunes, but rather it was a way to assess their health conditions. At this moment, Victor was clinking sses and apparently discussing business matters with some of the organizers. Chen Yu, having finished thepetition, sat by himself, resting with his eyes closed. Knto stood in ce, looking utterly dejected. He held the soup he made, standing there, hands trembling incessantly. "Impossible, this simply cannot be, it shouldn''t be, I am the Soup God, after all!" Shouting in frustration, Knto spat out a mouthful of blood and copsed to the ground. A few people rushed over to help him up and escorted him out of the venue. Just as the host was about to announce the next part of the event, a thin man suddenly ran over. "Chen Yu, you''ve gone too far, don''t think your cooking is the best in the world, there''s always someone better. Today, I am here to challenge you!" Chen Yu opened his eyes with disdain. "Who are you?" The man proudly took out an identity que from his attire. "I am the chief disciple of the Old Man of Jinshan! Wu Lanxian!" Upon hearing this, everyone in the room stood up. "My God, it''s a disciple of the Old Man of Jinshan! I heard that the old man''s culinary skills have reached an otherworldly level." "Especially his knife skills, he can gut a fish and extract its roe without the fish reacting at all, and no wounds are visible!" "I wonder if the old man is here today; witnessing his transcendent knife skills would make my lifeplete!" "With the chief disciple here today, we''ll get to broaden our horizons!" ¡­ The scene suddenly erupted into excitement, with all eyes turning to focus on Wu Lanxian. Chen Yu furrowed his brows slightly and casually sized up Wu Lanxian. "I think we should respect the organizers, after all, they haven''t expressed any intention to add events, and we shouldn''t insist on it..." The words had not yet been fully spoken when two burly men had already pushed out two mobile kitchens. It seemed that the organizers were highly interested in the impromptupetition that had been added! Chen Yu did not say much more, for today he still needed to use the organizers to market his product. No matter what, he had to go along with the other party first. Wu Lanxian also became excited, directly grabbing a knife from the side while instructing someone to bring over arge fish! As everyone watched in anticipation, Wu Lanxian slightly twirled the knife in his hand before effortlessly slicing open the belly of therge fish. With the swiftness of lightning, he extracted the roe, then gently caressed the fish''s wound, which miraculously began to heal quickly. However, Wu Lanxian''s skills were still not quite perfect; the wound had notpletely healed and left a small gap. But this did not affect the fish''s normal life. Wu Lanxian proudly held up the fish roe. "Ladies and gentlemen, I''ve merely learned half of my master''s skills. If today Mr. Chen can do better than me, then I concede defeat!" A strange curve appeared on the corner of Chen Yu''s mouth, "Mere words won''t suffice. Thispetition is a private duel between the two of us, unrted to the organizers, so it''s better to stake something on it." Wu Lanxian, his face full of scorn, took out a bank draft from his person and ced it on the table. "This draft is worth one billion. It can be exchanged at any bank in the world. If I lose, it''s all yours, but I wonder if Mr. Chen can also produce such a stake?" Chen Yu stretchedzily and walked over to the mobile kitchen, cing a promissory note with a face value of one billion on the table. A promissory note holds its value much better than a draft. When Chen Yu took it out, surprise cries suddenly erupted from the crowd. Wu Lanxian frowned slightly, but he did not say much, instead crossing his arms and sitting to one side, waiting for Chen Yu to show his hand. Chen Yu did not hesitate, directing someone to bring over arge fat goose. All eyes were focused on Chen Yu. For a knife skills contest, why was a live goose brought up? Logically for suchpetitions, most would choose a sea fish since, even if the knife skills werecking, the resulting dish wouldn''t be too bad. Laughter broke out across the venue. Almost everyone was waiting to be entertained by Chen Yu''s performance. Just as all eyes were on Chen Yu, a sh of cold light suddenly cut through. Before the crowd could react, Chen Yu already had half a piece of blood-drenched goose liver in his hand. And thatrge goose was still bouncing around,pletely unharmed. The liver is a very special part of an animal''s body, one of the few organs capable of regeneration. With precise knife skills and the correct positioning, it''s even possible to enhance the liver''s functions, improving the animal''s bodily functions more than before. "This is impossible!" Wu Lanxian''s eyes were filled with incredulity, and his body couldn''t help but tremble involuntarily. "That piece of goose liver must have been prepared by you in advance. There''s no way such knife work exists in this world!" Wu Lanxian aside, the others were even more astounded. The reason why the roe could be scooped out and the fish''s wound could heal quickly while maintaining its vitality is mainly because the roe is not entirely an organ of the fish. But geese are different; even if the liver can regenerate, cutting off half of it like that would certainly cause injury to the goose. Yet now not only was the goosepletely fine, but not even a hint of a scar could be seen. Chapter 264: Chapter 264 French Foie Gras The organizer was startled by this turn of events. In the world of chefs, there were certainly those whose knife skills were so phenomenal they seemed supernatural. To some extent, as long as the knife was fast enough, fast enough that the animal''s nervous system couldn''t react in time, it was entirely possible to make the wound appear as if it had never been made. However, Chen Yu''s skill was a bit twisted, not only fast but also lifelike, which made people suspect that the goose liver might have been prepared in advance. After some research, the organizer brought over a light box, and then a staff member ced the goose onto it. Therge screen immediately revealed the inside of the goose''s body. Within it, there truly was only half a liver, which could perfectly match the half in Chen Yu''s hand. In the face of such irond evidence, any doubts seemed pale and weak. Chen Yu didn''t say much, simply cing the goose liver on the chopping board and beginning to cook. All of the procedures were carried out in an orderly manner, leaving the Western culinary bigwigs present in awe. Even they could not achieve the realm that Chen Yu had reached! Before the crowd could recover from their shock, a rich aroma began to fill the hall. The fattier the goose liver, the more intense the aroma it released, andbined with Chen Yu''s unique cooking method, it fully brought out the vor of the goose liver. Several judges couldn''t suppress their urge and rushed over, with one of them even slicing off a piece of goose liver and shoving it into his mouth. Despite the scalding heat of the liver, he was unwilling to spit it out. Chen Yu let out a sigh and walked straight to Wu Lanxian''s automated kitchen, taking the bank check. Wu Lanxian''s eyes were closed, his face full of distress. Although he was known as a culinary god, a billion was still an astronomical sum for him. ncing at Chen Yu''s back, Wu Lanxian heaved a long sigh and quickly ran to Chen Yu''s mobile kitchen to pick up a piece of goose liver and put it in his own mouth. The savory taste immediately conquered his taste buds, making him feelpletely transparent. He had never eaten such a delicious goose liver in his entire life. After being stunned for a few seconds, Wu Lanxian suddenly burst into a frenzy ofughter, his whole person bing utterly crazed, especially as his face began to contort. This scared the people nearby, especially those from the Illuminated Gourmet Association, who stared at him with a puzzling look. Wu Lanxian didn''t know how long heughed, but suddenly, he took two steps at a time, came to Chen Yu''s front, and knelt down with a thud. "Apart from my master, I''ve never admired anyone in this world. You count as one. However, I''m really curious. Just what did you do to remove the goose liver in an instant without causing any damage to the body?" Chen Yu nced sideways at Wu Lanxian for quite a while, then suddenlyughed. "This skill of mine has been practiced since I was in my mother''s womb, and it''s been almost thirty years now. In in terms, it''s built upon time. What do you have topare with that?" Wu Lanxian''s eyes widened in shock¡ªhe was only in his forties, and he had been learning to cook for just over twenty years. He didn''t have thirty years to dedicate solely to honing his knife skills. Continue reading on mvl As the two were speaking, a middle-aged man suddenly ran over and forcefully dragged Wu Lanxian aside. "What on earth is going on with you? Your mentor is none other than the Golden Mountain elder, how could you kneel down so casually like some greenhorn? And you are representing the whole Bright Culinary Association right now!" Wu Lanxian''s eyes were lifeless, indifferent to the man''s scolding, entirely unmoved. Chen Yu had no interest in dealing with these people, he sighed softly and went straight back to his seat in the audience. The organizers also breathed a sigh of relief, although idents of this sort tended to happen at each banquet, the incident this time was far too serious. Fortunately, the incident did notst very long and finally came to a stop. Just when the host was about to announce the continuation of the event, a thunderous noise suddenly erupted from the crowd, and an old man with a cane slowly emerged from the rubble. The old man had an exceedingly strange appearance, his face was so aged it seemed almost skeletal, and from afar he looked just like a skull. Moreover, his nose was the ssic hooked type, giving off an enormously astute and cunning vibe. "I never imagined that in this world someone could train Knife Skills to such an extent. Today, I muste and seek some pointers," he said. These words instantly drew the attention of everyone present. The members of the Bright Culinary Association were especially ecstatic. All their top chefs had already sparred with Chen Yu, and without exception, they had all respectfully stepped down, but now that the Golden Mountain elder had unexpectedly shown up, it was as if they had grasped at a lifeline, crowding around him. "Venerable elder, you must stand up for us. Many of our chefs are essentially your indirect disciples. Yet this young man has insulted not only us but you as well. This is intolerable!" With these fueling words, they ignited the Golden Mountain elder''s anger. He walked straight up to Chen Yu and reached out to grab his cor. But just as his withered palm was about to touch Chen Yu, a powerful force suddenly came through. Chen Yu, it seemed, had at some point already grabbed the old man''s arm, and he yanked with force. The clear sound of bones cracking echoed in an instant; the Golden Mountain elder''s eyes bulged, his body staggered backward several steps, and finally, he tumbled to the ground. The scene immediately began to boil, all eyes focused on this spot. No matter what, the Golden Mountain elder was advanced in years and not in the best of health. Now that he was pushed to the ground by Chen Yu, he immediately began to wail. At once, voices of condemnation rained down from those present. "What''s wrong with this person? I thought if one could cook well, they must be of good character, but I never expected him to be so ruthless to an old man!" "The Golden Mountain elder''s culinary skills are among the world''s best. This young man probably thinks his cooking is no match for the elder''s, so he wanted to use other methods to incapacitate the old man!" ¡­ Various discussions flooded in from every direction, leaving Chen Yu feeling frustrated. He subconsciously took a few steps back, then raised both hands, signaling he hadn''t done anything just now. But no one at the scene believed him, and the Golden Mountain elder, a scoundrel by nature, began to roll around on the ground. Chen Yu frowned, somewhat helplessly crouching down in front of the Golden Mountain elder, patting his shoulder gently. "You have severe arthritis. If you get up, I can cure it for you, and even heal any other ailments you might have," he offered. Chapter 265 Bone-Setting Expert The old man from Jinshan was instantly excited. He didn''t expect that Chen Yu could actually discern his illness, and even cure other ailments guing his body. His years as a chef had inflicted him with numerous diseases. He had once been examined by a specialist doctor who warned that without timely treatment, he might not live much longer. But many of his illnesses were chronic andplex, and even a top medical team might not be able to cure thempletely. Now, hearing that Chen Yu could cure him, he immediately stood up. Chen Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief, but he still had to pretend to be well-acquainted with the old man from Jinshan as he moved to the audience seats. The organizers immediately breathed a sigh of relief as well, and then announced that the banquet would continue. The grand hall suddenly transformed into a stage for chefs from all walks to showcase their skills. Chen Yu, however, was sitting there grabbing the old man from Jinshan''s arm, continually manipting his body with a series of crackling sounds. This frightened the people nearby, who had no clue what Chen Yu was doing. A few even thought to intervene, but they were stopped by the old man from Jinshan. Before long, the old man from Jinshan stood up, looking rejuvenated and spirited. He walked a few steps and excitedly threw his walking stick to the side. "I can finally move freely again!" It had to be said that the old man from Jinshan had indeed suffered from many old injuries; there were more than twenty ces where his bones were misaligned. Had Chen Yu''s bone-setting technique not been so superb, he probably couldn''t have been healed. But that was not all. Chen Yu handed over a prescription, directly handing it to the old man from Jinshan. "This prescription is designed specifically for your body. Among these meat ingredients, you must choose the freshest ones, and you absolutely must follow the sequence listed on the prescription during preparation, or the consequences would be unimaginable." The old man from Jinshan nodded repeatedly. As a chef, he was very knowledgeable about Chinese cuisine and especially interested in dietary therapy within it. In his younger days, he had traveled to the East just to learn about medicinal diet therapy. However, given the multitude of chef sects there, no one was willing to teach him, and he could only return home dejectedly. Now that he had finally obtained a dietary therapy prescription, he naturally would not pass up such an opportunity. He would surely study it in detail when he got back, especially since it was for treating his own illness. The people sitting nearby were already frightened by this scene. Just a short while ago, the two men were at drawn swords, and now they seemed to be chatting like good friends. Moreover, the old man from Jinshan held Chen Yu''s hand and kept shaking it as if he were speaking to a rtive. Time passed unknowingly, and thepetition at the venue had reached its climax. Perhaps because of Chen Yu''s earlier impressive performance, thispetition didn''t select any particrly notable chefs. At this moment, a middle-aged man wearing sunsses slowly entered the venue. He exuded an extremely strong medicinal scent, simr to that of an orthopedic patch. Chen Yu furrowed his brow upon smelling this scent, as he had seen every ancient prescription in the world and was familiar with a wide variety of medicines. The scent emanating from the middle-aged man was that of a long-lost orthopedic patch. There was one particr ingredient that was exceptionally hard to find, one that even Chen Yu had not managed to fully replicate. Yet this man bore that scent on his person. "Old Mr. Jin, we meet again. Have you considered the matter fromst time? If you agree, I can fix your bones immediately and cure your other ailments as well," the man said. The old man from Jinshan''s face darkened as he looked up coldly at the middle-aged man before him, and then took a small token from his person and threw it on the ground. "Kriech, take your damn trinket and get out of here. I do not need your treatment, and from now on all benefits you received here are revoked." Kriech''s eyes widened in shock. "Old sir, you cannot dy treatment for your ailment any longer¡ªif you do, the consequences could be dire. Let me treat you right now. As for the conditions I previously mentioned, we''ll just cut them in half." However, the old man from Jinshanpletely ignored him and, pulling Chen Yu, prepared to leave. But after just two steps, Kriech suddenly shouted out loud. "Old sir, can you reveal who cured your illness? I want to have a word with him. I refuse to believe that someone in this world canpletely heal all the bone dislocations you had." The old man from Jinshan snorted coldly and then pointed at Chen Yu beside him. "This gentleman right here cured me. His medical skill is extremely brilliant; the entire treatment process took less than three minutes. When you did the first treatment session for me, it seems it took you an entire day, and even then, that merely eased my rheumatism." Kriech''s pupils quivered, and his gaze fixed on Chen Yu, hostility umting on his face. "Sir, there is a saying in the medical world: once a patient has chosen a doctor, they must stick with them to the end. Changing doctors midway can lead to serious issues. Surely, you understand such a principle." Chen Yu inly understood what this man meant; such a rule applied only to the West. In the East, patients naturally selected whoever provided the better treatment. "Mr. Kriech, I don''t want to argue with you, but I have already cured Mr. Jin''s illness. I hope you won''t interfere anymore in the future." Continue reading on mvl Grinding his teeth and full of resentment, Kriech was at a loss about what to do next. Just as he was brooding, a piercing scream suddenly erupted nearby. A man in his twenties, having lost his footing, tumbled down the stairs. His body was so twisted that it seemed he had fractured in multiple ces, and he continuously spat out foam from his mouth, indicating that his ribs had likely punctured his internal organs. Kriech suddenly perked up, rushing to the man''s side and taking out a medical kit to start examining him. Chapter 266: Chapter 266 Professional Techniques The scene of the ident had caught everyone''s attention, with even the organizers dispatching an emergency medical team. When these medical teams arrived at the scene, they were all at a loss, the patient''s condition was simply too severe, and bone fragments had likely embedded themselves into his body. Furthermore, judging by the patient''s breathing, he probably couldn''t hold on for much longer. Even Kriech, who had arrived promptly, frowned upon assessing the situation, He could only administer emergency aid now, but at this point, no matter how hard he tried, it seemed impossible to save the man''s life. He had wanted to showcase his superior bone-setting skills in front of Chen Yu, but the patient was too grievously injured. The joy on his face quickly turned to sorrow, then to despair. The event was covered by major media, and their cameras were all focused on this spot; if he didn''te up with a n soon, it could affect his medical career. After taking a moment to steady his breath, Kriech got up and retrieved a small ck notebook from his pocket. Anyone who had practiced medicine knew what this notebook was for, Once the signs of life in a patient reached their end, they would use this notebook to issue a critical condition notice. A top-tier doctor like Kriech naturally carried such a notebook, and the critical condition notices he issued carried authority. The organizers'' medical team possibly recognized Kriech and had already assessed the patient''s condition, so their involvement was not significant, but they cooperated by signing along with Kriech on the document. Just as they finished writing the death notice, Chen Yu came running over from somewhere with a medical kit. Hepletely ignored the guy beside him and took out a few silver needles from the medical kit, piercing them from top to bottom along the patient''s body''s acupoints. Before long, more than sixty silver needles were inserted into the man''s body. Seeing the patient turned into a "porcupine," everyone''s eyes widened, especially Kriech''s. Frowning, he approached Chen Yu and gently touched his shoulder. "You''re a doctor too, Can''t you see that this man is hanging by a thread? Moreover, fragments of bone have prated multiple organs in his body, Even the best medical units could not possibly cure this." But Chen Yu didn''t listen and just kept doing his own thing. "My God, the man''s breathing is gradually stabilizing." "The bruises on his body are also being released." ¡­ With the people around continuously gasping, shock appeared on everyone''s faces. The patient''s condition was supposed to be beyond saving, yet Chen Yu forcefully brought the patient''s bodily functions back to stability. While everyone was astonished, Chen Yu picked up a sterilized scalpel, gently sliced open the patient''s abdominal cavity, and meticulously removed the bone fragments, also repositioning the rib cartge and surrounding organs. Afterpleting these steps, Chen Yu took a deep breath, and once he sutured the wound in the patient''s abdomen, he continued setting the man''s bones. As crackling sounds filled the hall, everyone fell silent, they quietly watched Chen Yu, waiting for a miracle. After all, they had never seen injuries of this magnitude, and in their understanding, no one could heal such wounds. Yet Chen Yu taught them a lesson through his actions. After everything was done, Chen Yu rose to his feet and casually pped his hands. "Don''t go running around for the next week, and take the medicine I prescribed on time. In just half a month, you''ll be able to walk on the ground just like a normal person," he said. At these words, Kriech, who stood nearby, dropped his jaw in surprise. He had already examined the patient''s body before, and such a level of injury would, even if healed, leave a disability. But now, Chen Yu was giving such a verdict, which would shock anyone. Kriech''s throat moved slightly, and he instinctively reached forward to grasp the man''s body for a thorough examination. He didn''t expect that every part of the man''s body would be restored to its original state, without even a trace of a scar. Readtest stories on mvl At this moment, Kriech''s breathing suddenly quickened. He didn''t know what to say, and the medical team beside him was unable to utter a single word. Before they could react, Chen Yu had already left the ce with the elderly Jinshan. The scene immediately erupted, and all eyes were focused on Chen Yu. Who would have thought that such an outstanding chef would also be a doctor with exquisite medical skills? Victor, who was in the midst of conducting business, couldn''t help but frown. With so many eyes on Chen Yu now, it was inevitable that some enemies would be among them, harboring ill intentions towards Chen Yu. Without much consideration, he ordered a detachment of his own bodyguards to protect Chen Yu from a distance. Just then, a white-haired elderly man suddenly approached Chen Yu and bowed respectfully. "Mr. Chen, I am one of the organizers of this banquet. I have seen the culinary packs you brought, and I believe there is a market for them in Europe. I would like to ce an advance order with you, if that''s possible," he said. Chen Yu didn''t say much and simply nodded. After all, he had no reason to turn down business that came knocking at his door. The old man became excited and immediately handed over the contract he had prepared to Chen Yu. "Mr. Chen, this is the contract my assistant just drafted. Please have a look, and if there are no issues, we can sign it right now," he said. Chen Yu took the contract with ease and was startled when he looked at it¡ªit was actually a contract for three billion. "Old sir, this is such arge order. I''m afraid I cannot fulfill it in a short period of time. How about we postpone signing this contract for a few days?" he suggested. The old man waved his hands again and again, then sat down beside Chen Yu. "I didn''t specify the exact delivery time on the contract. Mr. Chen, whenever you have the goods, you can deliver them to me," he said. Chen Yu suddenly realized something and looked at the old man up and down with a strange expression. "Is there something you need, old sir?" he asked. The old man smiled somewhat embarrassedly and then extended his wrist to Chen Yu. "Having witnessed your superior medical skills just now, I hope you can treat my illness. This disease has been tormenting me for nearly thirty years, and it''s truly painful," he said. Chen Yu didn''t say much. He simply grasped the old man''s wrist right away. Chapter 267 The Imperial Fish The elderly man''s body was truly in shambles, especially his bones which seemed to be at risk of falling apart at the slightest touch. Upon a brief examination, Chen Yu found that the old man had at least twenty steel pins in his body. This condition had surpassed Chen Yu''s expectations¡ªthe steel pins had prated deep into the marrow, some having already fused with the flesh and blood. To fully heal the old man, all the steel pins had to be removed, but doing so might cause his body to enter a premature state of decay. Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown; the old man''s physical condition was entirely dependent on high-end medication. Without it, he probably wouldn''t live past two days. "Sir, your body must undergo surgery to receiveprehensive treatment. How about we set aside a special time after the banquet for me to perform the surgery on you?" The old man immediately became excited. Since Chen Yu had said this, it meant there was still hope for his illness. "Thank you so much, Mr. Chen. May I ask if you have any other businesses besides these food enterprises? I think we could be very good partners." Chen Yu smiled somewhat embarrassedly: "Right now, these are all I have. When it''s time to expand my business, I will contact you, sir." The old man nodded repeatedly, which was akin to reaching some sort of cooperation with Chen Yu. Just as they spoke, amotion suddenly arose at the scene, followed by a dozen workers carrying a massive fish slowly walking past. This fish was surprisinglyrge,parable to half the size of a whale. A creature of this size would normally be found deep in the ocean; it was virtually impossible to encounter one in shallow waters. Catching such a thing was enough to show how powerful the host of the banquet was. "Ladies and gentlemen, just now, our fishing boat was fortunate enough to catch a deep-sea imperial fish¡ªan event so rare it''s seldom seen. Perfectly timed with today''s banquet, we''d like to invite the esteemed chefs present to delight in a special imperial fish banquet!" The crowd instantly boiled with excitement. Although the fish wasn''t a rare species, it usually dwelled in the deep sea and was rarely seen by average people. Moreover, legend has it that each part of this fish tastes different and requires an endlessly diverse array of cooking methods. Preparing this fish with just one method would be a waste. Yet, while everyone was reveling, the chefs on site couldn''t help but frown. Although they all carried the title of culinary masters, they had never encountered such a fish. Thest time humans had caught one of these deep-sea fish was over thirteen hundred years ago. The host, noting all the chefs sighing and looking troubled, felt somewhat embarrassed. He was aware of the rarity of this fish and theplexity of its cooking methods, but such an asion demanded a spectacle to elevate the banquet to a climax. The frenzied excitement at the venue gradually cooled down, and everyone''s gaze focused on these culinary experts. They all anticipated someone stepping forward! Right then, Chen Yu suddenly stood up from his seat, walking slowly to the front of therge fish. "The imperial fish, also known as the Mariana Deep Sea King Fish, is one of the few mammalian fish in the deep sea. It has a shark-like appearance but resembles a whale in size. Additionally, there''s a noticeable lump of flesh on its head, like a second brain, which is why it''s also known as the two-headed monster fish." This exnation instantly silenced everyone at the scene. They didn''t expect that someone in this world would actually be familiar with this fish. Discover more stories at mvl Especially the chefs sitting there, each one of them felt utterly embarrassed. Originally, understanding the ingredients was meant to be a chef''s basic skill, yet they didn''t even know to which variety the royal fish in front of them belonged. While everyone was still astonished, Chen Yu had already picked up arge knife from the side and ced it at the head of the fish. "The tumors on the head of this kind of fish are used to convert waste in the body; therefore, they contain a lot of filth and are inedible," he said. As he spoke, he hadpletely removed the tumor on the top of the head and set it aside. Although this material couldn''t be used as an ingredient, it could to some extent be considered medicinal. The substances contained within were simr to the feces of sperm whales and could emit a peculiar fragrance. Moreover, its medicinal properties were tens of times stronger than that of a sperm whale. In fact, the ambergris mentioned in ancient records might possibly be these tumors from the head of the royal fish. Chen Yu didn''t tell the others about this, he simply and quietly put the tumor into a box beside him, nning to take it awayter. These things were all documented in ancient Eastern records; after all, there were four instances in Eastern history where this fish had been captured. After the tumor was removed from its head, the fish''s head would have an extremely delicious taste, simr to carp but hundreds of times more savory, making it perfect for stewing in soup. The section below the fish''s head, resembling the belly of a cow, not only had firm flesh but was also extremely rich in protein, making it a good choice for grilling or frying. As for the flesh in the abdominal area, it was somewhat like that of a pomfret, extremely soft and tender, which could easily fall apart if not handled with care during cooking. The flesh on the back was reminiscent ofmb and was definitely a top choice for hotpot or thinly sliced for dipping. The flesh near the tail was slightly sour and somewhat tough, but it became perfect when stewed in a spicy soup. As he divided the fish''s body, Chen Yu described the tastes of the different parts and their cooking methods. The many chefs present naturally understood Chen Yu''s intentions; after all, such a big fish could not be cooked by Chen Yu alone. Moreover, today Chen Yu generously shared this information with them, providing them a lesson, so they did not dare to be negligent and quickly stepped forward to help Chen Yu cook the fish. The awkwardness caused by the host earlier was instantly alleviated, and the scene became lively once again, with a rich aroma spreading throughout the entire hall before long. Even people from other cabins were attracted by the smell and came over in droves. At this point, Chen Yu truly stood out, with all eyes on him as nearly everyone inquired about the cooking packages he brought. It wasn''t until 8 o''clock in the evening that the banquet gradually came to an end. However, this banquet wasn''t just a culinarypetition, there were a variety of other activities in the other cabins as well. After finishing up here, Chen Yu followed Victor to the adjacent cabin. The ce was far more luxurious than the neighboring one in both decoration and other aspects, with even some basic facilities made out of 24k pure gold. On a huge shelf, there were several Buddha heads carved from white jade on disy. When Chen Yu saw these Buddha heads, his eyes widened instantly; without exception, all of them were authentic, and they had been passed down from the Tang Dynasty. Chapter 268 Buddha Head in the Mid-Heavens "Ladies and gentlemen, this banquet is a cultural gathering of the whole world, and the organizer has taken out all the collections from their own home to auction here. I ask for your kind guidance!" The host, whether in tone or otherwise, was very polite, and because of the nature of the auction items, deliberately spoke in Chinese. But such phraseology felt awkward no matter how one listened to it. Chen Yu even frowned, his expression seemed somewhat peculiar. The host did not care about these reactions and continued to introduce the origins of the Buddha heads. Everyone present was looking forward with anticipation, just waiting for the host to announce the price. Chen Yu let out a breath of turbid air, his eyes fixed intently on the Buddha head on the stand. Most of these items had been plundered by the Western world from the East during thete Qing dynasty, and it was shameful to see them being auctioned off so brazenly now. However, this also indicated that the sponsors behind the event were indeed in need of money. This banquet''s main purpose was not only to exploit thest value of the ''Queen Elsa'' but also to bring together the world''s super families. This way, they could not only expand business cooperation but also liquidate all the antique treasures they had in hand. Chen Yu''s feelings were extremelyplex, not knowing how to deal with the Buddha head before him. First of all, these items were too precious; each could fetch a price of over a billion at auction, and even if Chen Yu put up all his current assets, he still might not be able to purchase these Buddha heads. Stay updated via §Þ?? Secondly, at an auction of this scale, it was impossible to let someone take away all the Buddha heads in one go. The profit from selling them one by one would be much higher than selling them as a lot. Thinking of this, Chen Yu''s heartbeat elerated. It was painful to only be able to watch these marvelous items slip away! As he struggled internally, he suddenly noticed a crack on the head of one of the Buddha statues. "Ladies and gentlemen, the first item up for auction is the White Horse Temple Buddha head. It is said that this Buddha head was carved in the image of Wu Zetian and has a history of over a thousand years! The starting bid is 500 million!" As soon as the price was announced, the room immediately erupted, and almost instantly, the price soared to 1.3 billion! It''s hard not to cause a sensation with such a priceless treasure. But Chen Yu''s gaze stayed fixed on the Buddha head with the crack, which despite its unremarkable appearance, and seeming like ater imitation, captivated him with the strange glow emanating from the crack. Most Buddha heads from the Tang dynasty were carved from jade, with very few stone carvings, unless they were part of a group in a cavern. Especially Buddha heads modeled after Wu Zetian, which were made from extremely valuable materials. It was said that the Tang dynasty''s national treasury once contained a pair of Buddha heads carved from purple jade, but they were lost inadvertently during the An Lushan Rebellion. Zhu Yuanzhangter recovered them from the Mongols and enshrined them in a temple. Unfortunately, they were lost again in thete Qing period. Thinking of this, Chen Yu became inexplicably excited. He suddenly stood up and yelled out abruptly. "Wait, there is a problem with these Buddha heads!" As soon as he spoke, the room fell silent, with everyone''s gaze converging on Chen Yu. The host was extremely embarrassed and unsure of what to do. After all, Chen Yu had just pushed the banquet to a climax; he had brought great benefit to the event. Additionally, many in the audience had already be fans of Chen Yu, and now whatever he said, there were people ready to follow suit. As expected, the crowd of tycoons that was just frenzied a moment ago suddenly calmed down, looking at Chen Yu with strange anticipation, as if waiting for something. "Mr. Chen, these Buddha heads are all from legitimate sources, there is no way they could be fake!" The auctioneer responded with firm resolution. However, Chen Yu remained unmoved and made his way onto the stage. "Legitimate sources? They were simply plundered from the East. Your ancestors didn''t even check properly when they were looting them; they shipped back a bunch of fakes and now you''re presenting them as treasures in an auction." Instantly, those attending the auction couldn''t remain seated any longer and started discussing among themselves. The auctioneer was even more panicked, the consequences were unthinkable if the auction couldn''t proceed. If things went south, not only would the organizing party behind the scenes suffer losses, but she, as the auctioneer, would also not be left unscathed. Before she could react, Chen Yu had already approached the podium and casually picked up a Buddha head, smashing it directly in front of everyone. Cram-full of cracks instantly appeared on the Buddha head, and then the externalyer of jade carving shell started to shatter, revealing a dark-colored stone Buddha head underneath. "My God, isn''t this just a broken stone? You actually brought this for auction; are you trying to scam our money?" Someone shouted out, and the scene immediately erupted into chaos, with everyone standing up. "There''s no need to look at the rest of the Buddha heads; they are definitely all of the same ilk!" "Thank goodness Mr. Chen stepped in, I had just bid 1.8 billion. If I had truly paid, I''d have no ce even to cry." "Since when did the auction on the Queen Elsa be so low-end!" "Refund our money!" ... A cacophony of curses and usations rang out, everyone''s gaze focused on the auction stage, and some were even searching for the organizer''s presence. However, the organizers hiding in the shadows were already deeply frustrated. They truly hadn''t anticipated the situation to escte to this point, and moreover, these Buddha heads had been passed down from their ancestors¡ªhow could they have be fakes here? But to be honest, when their ancestors looted these Buddha heads, they hadn''t examined them closely, only feeling assured that anything from the East must be a treasure. To their surprise, these Buddha heads turned out to be stone cores wrapped in ayer of jade. As the situation was about to spiral out of control, the organizers immediately discussed how to address the current predicament. Just as they were preparing to step in, Chen Yu suddenly produced a painting from the side. "Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm. I don''t think this is the organizers'' fault; their ancestors weren''t aware of the authenticity of this Buddha head when they took it, just as they didn''t know the true nature of this painting." The room fell quiet again, with everyone''s attention now fixed on the painting in Chen Yu''s hands. The painting looked unremarkable, even a bit coarse, clearly a low-quality imitation at first nce. This thing seemed far from what anyone would consider a treasure. While the crowd was bewildered, Chen Yu took some alcohol and a fine brush from the side and began to delicately work on the painting. Before long, the painting miraculously split in two, and that inferior feeling it had given before was entirely gone. Chapter 269 Hundred Herbs Diagram for Typhoid Fever After handling the two paintings, Chen Yu hung them up. "Ladies and gentlemen, if I am not mistaken, this should be the legendary ''Typhoid Hundred Herbs Chart.'' As his voice fell, everyone''s eyes widened, staring intensely at the two paintings. This was, after all, a painting from legend, said to have been created by Zhang Zhongjing to teach his students, summoning top artists to illustrate based on his ''Treatise on Cold Pathogenic and Misceneous Diseases.'' Although the painting depictedndscapes, it concealed numerous medicinal herb illustrations and prescriptions. However, to see what was hidden in the painting, one would need to use some special methods. The media reporters at the scene rushed forward and started snapping pictures of the paintings,pletely ignoring the Buddha head. "Mr. Chen, which of these two paintings is the real one?" A sly flicker passed through Chen Yu''s eyes, "Of course, it''s the one on the right-hand side!" With these words, the venue once again erupted into a frenzy. Read new chapters at §Þ?? "What are you waiting for, host? We want this painting! Name your price quickly!" Someone shouted, and the host came to her senses. She promptly pressed themunicator by her ear, had a quick discussion with the organizers, and then directly announced a staggering price of three billion. The ce was silent for only a moment before it erupted once again. Such a price elsewhere would represent the full assets of a medium-sized family, but to those present, it was nothing remarkable. Their frenzy even exceeded Chen Yu''s expectations. While everyone was going mad with their bids, Chen Yu approached a middle-aged man responsible for managing the items backstage. Chen Yu had noticed this guy early on. Though he had been standing there doing seemingly insignificant tasks, he was able to control the order in which the treasures were brought up. "Since these events were set into motion by me, it''s only right that I take responsibility. I''ll purchase these ruined Buddha heads and the fake painting at a proper price!" The middle-aged man''s face broke into a joyous smile; he had been worrying about how to deal with these items, but Chen Yu hade to him out of the blue. "Mr. Chen, we should be thanking you. Without you, we might have never known that we possessed such a rare treasure in our hands. As for those Buddha heads, just follow the procedure and you can take them directly. Don''t worry about the money, it''s not important!" All of this was almost within Chen Yu''s expectations, so he said nothing more and directly found Katherine to help him take all these items away. Once everything was arranged, Katherine sat next to Chen Yu with a bit of a grievance. "Mr. Chen, I really don''t know why you want these pieces of junk. Now that we know they are fake, we shouldn''t have gone through so much effort." Chen Yu just smiled and said nothing, contentedly sipping his red wine. Earlier, when he had spotted the issue with the Buddha heads, Chen Yu had immediately instructed the system to scan everything at the scene. He discovered that within the Buddha heads, two were merely stone embryos and even imitations from thete Qing dynasty. The rest were all precious treasures from between the third year of Tang Zhenguang to the first year of Tianbao. Among them was the famous ''Central Heaven Buddha Head.'' Legend had it that this Buddha head was crafted from tricolor gemstones and was exceedingly valuable. Thus, Chen Yu directly smashed one of the stone embryo Buddha heads to create a distraction and took the opportunity to take away all the other Buddha heads. As for the ''Typhoid Hundred Herbs Chart,'' Chen Yu had taken the real one and left the fake behind. This painting was originally created by hundreds of top artists, and apart from the secret hidden within it, it was impossible to tell the real from the fake. The replica, too, had been replicated by a great many artists summoned by Li Hongzhang during thete Qing dynasty. However, they failed to replicate the essence of the painting. At this moment, the auction was still intenselypetitive. Hidden within the "Cold Damage Herb Map" was the entire "Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders," including a vast number of ancient medical prescriptions. If one could get their hands on it, it would be like getting hold of a medical code. Just by analyzing the prescriptions, one could lie there and make money for a lifetime. Since Chen Yu found the "Cold Damage Herb Map," two whole hours had passed, and the price had soared to 25.6 billion, yet the major families were still stubbornly clinging on without letting go. Honestly, such a price was already insane, and if the outside world found out, they would only curse and call it madness. Yet, just how precious medical drug patents are was something only these super families understood. Just take an anti-cancer drug, for example¡ªone injection could sell for the sky-high price of 1.2 million! Moreover, each family qualified to attend this banquet owned assets worth tens of trillions. To them, a mere two or three hundred billion was nothing to fuss about. It was precisely because they saw through the value of the "Cold Damage Herb Map" that the organizers allowed Chen Yu to take away the Buddhist relic head so generously. In the end, the "Cold Damage Herb Map" sold for the terrifying price of 42.6 billion. Hearing this result, Chen Yu couldn''t help but feel a little guilty. After all, that painting was just a replica. The number of prescriptions that could be gleaned from it were few, and buying it for such a high price was definitely a loss. But being able to bring back so many national treasure-level gemstones still brought some constion to Chen Yu. "By the way, Mr. Chen, why didn''t you let Victor join the bidding? Is this painting not worth buying?" Katherine''s voice pulled Chen Yu back to his thoughts. "I just don''t think it''s worth it!" Chen Yu said perfunctorily and did not borate further. Katherine didn''t ask any more and simply topped up Chen Yu''s ss with wine. In the middle of the night, the auction gradually dispersed, and the guests who hade to the banquet returned to their rooms one by one. Just then, a harsh rm suddenly sounded. Chen Yu abruptly opened his eyes, and immediately a wealth of information disyed within his mind. [System Alert: Ship has sustained deliberate damage, please board the lifeboats immediately] Analyzing the information in his mind, Chen Yu discovered arge hole had been made in the ship''s hull, and it was deliberately manipted to look like damage from running aground. Chen Yu immediately realized that someone intended to deliberately damage the ship tomit insurance fraud. Exhaling lightly, Chen Yu didn''t say much, since this kind of insurance fraud was not umon among the super families; as for the oue, that would be up to the insurancepany! Chen Yu followed the staff and quickly evacuated to the lifeboat. It had to be said, the organizers behind the scenes were truly humane. They had made all the preparations well in advance, and they safely evacuated everyone from the Queen Elsa before it sank, without any casualties. At that moment, a terrifying explosion was suddenly heard not far away, and a strange-looking ship appeared with many men in ck standing on it. "We''ve heard that a rare treasure has surfaced on the ship. We''vee to inspect it and hope to purchase it at a reasonable price. We also hope everyone will cooperate, otherwise, bear the consequences!" Chapter 270 Factory Turmoil Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown, these guys looked like they were from the Illuminati. He really hadn''t expected that these guys would actually rob in front of so many super families. Just as the Illuminati was about to make a move, a group of fully armed people suddenly appeared, along with arge number of amphibiousnding crafts. The people from the Illuminati were scared out of their wits, they hadn''t expected the organizers to have made such arrangements. Chen Yu didn''t care about any of that, during the time both sides were entangled, he directly steered the lifeboat towards the shore. His purpose for attending the banquet was essentially achieved, and there were even some unexpected gains, which left him quite excited. The next day, after saying goodbye to Victor, he hurried back to his country. The construction of the factory had now reached a certain scale, and the original factory area was no longer at the core. Furthermore, since the order from Europe arrived, Hou Jianchang had to elerate the construction and also talk with the surrounding factories to see if they were willing to sell theirnd. The reason he had been able to smoothly take down this industrial park in the first ce was that a group of tombs had been unearthed underneath. And ever since thepletion of the industrial park, the economy there had seen substantial development, it wouldn''t be possible for people to easily transfer their projects anymore. After recent negotiations, Hou Jianchang had only managed to acquire two small factories, and had not been able to connect them with the original industrial park yet. Even so, when Chen Yu first arrived, he was shocked by everything in front of him, he hadn''t expected that in such a short amount of time, all the equipment for the industrial park had been sessfully constructed and more than a dozen factory buildings had been expanded. Given the current scale, not to mention the European order, even if they took on some additional orders, they could bepleted in the shortest amount of time. Just as Chen Yu was getting excited, arge group of people dressed in work clothes charged into the factory area looking fierce and threatening. "Hou Jianchang, get the fuck out here, we''re all healthy, with no sickness or ailments, why the hell are you kicking us out?" This sudden shout startled Chen Yu, who couldn''t help but look into the distance, only to see that there were at least two hundred people in the group, each holding a weapon, and most of their faces bore scars. As soon as he saw these people, a system was already providing him with the basic information of everyone present in his mind, and he discovered that all these people had criminal records. There''s a basic principle every factory follows when hiring people, which is not to ept anyone with a criminal record. Moreover, this factory had employed many disabled workers from the start, so if they let these guys in, who could guarantee the lives and safety of so many disabled workers? Chen Yu took a moment to adjust his breathing before preparing to step forward to mediate, but just as he was about to do so, Hou Jianchang rushed out with several security personnel in a hurry. "Da Gou! What the hell are you doing? Do you know it''s illegal to do this?" Find your next read on §Þ?? Hou Jianchang shouted, clenching the stick in his hand, ready to strike down without hesitation at any wrong move by Da Gou. But Da Gouughed crazily instead. "Stop feeding me that crap, when I first got out, you told me you could arrange a job for me, but when I barely got into your factory, you want to drive me away again, plus I brought so many brothers here for you, and now you''re even trying to kick them out along with me." Hou Jianchang was somewhat helpless, he really didn''t know what to say. Although Da Gou had had some misconduct in the past, it wasn''t very serious; he had been imprisoned for three years and then released. But many of the people behind him had records of over a decade. Some were even notorious criminals! Even though they had been reformed, no one could guarantee these guys wouldn''t cause trouble once inside the factory. "Brothers, I don''t mean to kick you out intentionally. It''s just that we need to check your character and other records. I hope you can wait quietly, and it won''t be long until I distribute the notices to you." A burly man with a clearly visible scar on his shoulder which seemed to have damaged the bone, suddenly stepped forward. "Cut the bullshit, telling us to go back and wait, isn''t that just a roundabout way of kicking us out? Besides, how long can it take to review a single record? All of us are people who havee out from inside, already unable to hold our heads high, and yet we still face discrimination at your ce." No sooner had the voice fallen than a man approximately one hundred and seventy-five centimeters tall, looking slightly chubby, also stepped forward. "I won''t say anything about those brothers with records, but why are you sending me back just because I''m fat? Is it discrimination against fat people?" Hou Jianchang was speechless, the fat man in front of him had alreadye several times, and he had always told him to bring a medical report from within thest forty-eight hours, but somehow, this chubby guy either didn''t understand or just hadn''t gone for the health check. Even though the factory had entered fully mechanized operations, it still needed the staff to work shifts, and the workload was extremely heavy. If they had health problems, they might not be able to withstand such work intensity. What Hou Jianchang was doing was purely for the sake of his employees, but he never expected it to cause such a huge mess. Chen Yu watched from a distance, having never encountered such a situation before. Furthermore, when Hou Jianchang originally set up the factory, at most there were a little over a thousand employees, but now there were tens of thousands in the industrial park. Not to mention that managing so many people was a difficult task on its own, the individuals present were enough to cause a headache. [System prompt: The optimal choice has been made for the host, do you wish to execute?] Suddenly, a plethora of information appeared in Chen Yu''s mind, all tailored for the current emergency. By this point, he couldn''t care less and walked straight over. "Brothers, I understand your feelings, but this is a rule of the vast majority of factories, there are sometimes things even we can''t handle, after all, your employment status has to be reported to the relevant departments." No sooner had these words been spoken than they caused great turmoil among the crowd. "And who the fuck are you? Daring to mind our business, do you have a death wish? Scram, or we''ll chop you into pieces." Chen Yu arched an eyebrow. He hadn''t expected these people to be so simple-minded,cking even a basic sense of right and wrong. Hou Jianchang hurriedly stood in front of Chen Yu, "This gentleman is our factory''s chairman and the biggest boss, I advise you not to do anything foolish." Hearing Hou Jianchang''s words, Da Gou and his group unraveled once again. "Since you are the chairman, then tell us, what are we supposed to do about our current situation?" Chapter 271: Chapter 271 Employee Segmentation Chen Yu exhaled a heavy breath before standing up. "Previously, Factory Manager Hou recruited key employees ording to the normal process, and I believe he will honor every promise made to you, but now there have been some problems with the actual situation." Having said this, Chen Yu briefly discussed with Hou Jianchang and then directly asked the security personnel to lead these people towards the eastern part of the factory area. This ce was a newly built factory area that includes employee dormitories, although part of the dormitory buildings had yet to be cleaned out, with decoration materials still scattered inside. "Everyone, this is our just recently established new factory area. From now on, this will be your team''s location. I will arrange for everything you need as soon as possible, and the doctor for your medical check-up will arrive shortly." Da Gou and his group were thrilled to hear such promises, as their wishes were quite simple: just to stay in the urban area and be able to work and earn moneyter. Hou Jianchang immediately breathed a sigh of relief, hurriedly calling over arge number of relevant personnel ording to Chen Yu''s earlier instructions. This included security, medical, and various other personnel. As soon as these people arrived, they immediately arranged for Da Gou and the others to have medical check-ups, followed by arranging their amodation, and also brought in some specialized assembly line workers for training. After all, it was a newly built factory area, and these people needed to be treated with particr attention, so they had to find a rather isted ce for them. This would not only provide them with psychologicalfort but also prevent any disruption to other workers. Once everything was on track, Chen Yu also rxed. "Old Hou, I never imagined that under your management, the factory has reached such a scale. I wonder how many employees we have now." Chen Yu patted Hou Jianchang''s shoulder casually as he asked. Hou Jianchang smiled somewhat sheepishly and then held up a finger. "Including these few hundred people, we now have a total of sixteen thousand employees, and that doesn''t even include drivers, cafeteria staff, and other supporting staff." Chen Yu''s eyes widened in surprise. Thestpany report Hou Jianchang had sent showed that the whole project had just over ten thousand people. He hadn''t expected that in just a short month, it had grown to such a size. "Old Hou, it seems that entrusting the factory to you was the best decision!" Hou Jianchang did not say much more, quickly hopping into an open-top small electric car nearby. "Come on, let me take you around for a visit!" Chen Yu nodded and got into the vehicle. The entire factory area was extremely well-organized, with all sorts of living facilities fully equipped. Especially the cafeteria food, which was of a star-rated standard. After touring the factory, Chen Yu then returned home. When the people in the neighborhood saw Chen Yu, they all felt an inexplicable warmth,ing forward to greet him. The medicinal meals Chen Yu had made earlier had cured most of their old illnesses, so now when they saw Chen Yu, it was as if they were seeing a family member. Just as Chen Yu was greeting his neighbors, a noise suddenly came from not far away. A runaway BMW mmed hard into a Porsche. Both luxury cars instantly turned into wrecks, and shrill screams of agony echoed from that direction. Chen Yu''s pupils dted suddenly; he almost instinctively ran over, wanting to save people. But just as he had taken two steps, a middle-aged woman dragged a little girl, only six or seven years old, from the car. The little girl was covered in blood, with a piece of metal piercing through her shoulder and widespread abrasions on her body; if she was not treated in time, she would notst long. The middle-aged woman was also desperate. She didn''t call for an ambnce, but instead swiftly checked her surroundings and rushed to Chen Yu''s vi, holding the child. By now, Chen Yu''s medical skills had won over everyone in the neighborhood, so whenever there was an incident at anyone''s home, they would first head to Chen Yu''s. Seeing this situation, Chen Yu did not hesitate to save money and directly returned to his own vi. By the time he entered the door, the woman had already brought the child into the hall; Tong Ya and Li Lan hurriedly stepped forward to take the child, while arranging for the woman to sit down on a sofa nearby. Tong Ya had nned to treat the child with some simple medical procedures she had learned from Chen Yu, but the girl''s injuries were too severe. Her internal organs had sustained trauma, and many parts of her body were dislocated. If anything went wrong during treatment, it could be the end for the little girl. As the two were interfacing, Chen Yu happened to walk in from the door, rolling up his sleeves and immediately grabbing the girl''s pulse. "Husband, you''re back!" Tong Ya called out excitedly, then stepped aside, not wanting to disturb Chen Yu during his treatment. Chen Yu simply nodded in acknowledgement and then closed his eyes; after carefully examining the girl''s body, he found that her condition was beyond his expectation. ording to the analysis of the car ident scene, the girl must have been sitting in the passenger seat, and the deformation was worst at that spot. It seemed some car parts had embedded into the girl''s body. Discover stories at §Þ?? To save the girl''s life, urgent surgery was necessary to remove all foreign objects from her body. Chen Yu adjusted his breathing slightly and gave Tong Ya several instructions. He then pressed on several acupoints on the girl''s body. Tong Ya did not dare to dy, quickly bringing the first-aid kit from the medical room. Chen Yu took out specialized silver needles from it and inserted them into the girl''s body one by one to stabilize her condition. Once the girl''s breathing gradually became stable, he picked up the scalpel and made an incision in her body, carefully cutting along the areas that were injured. After all, the girl was young, and cutting elsewhere would leave more scars, which might affect her life as she grew older. After quickly removing the foreign objects, Chen Yu sealed the incision. However, when sealing, he purposely left some openings. Before anyone could react, Chen Yu had already held the girl in his arms, patting her body quickly. As sounds of bones popping back into ce resounded, the girl''s twisted and deformed body miraculously recovered. By the time Chen Yu put the girl down, she had returned to her original state, not at all looking like someone who was in a car ident. This scene thoroughly astonished the middle-aged woman watching. She truly hadn''t expected Chen Yu to be so remarkable. Chapter 272: Chapter 272 Relaxing Muscles and Invigorating Bones By the time everything was over, Chen Yu let out a long sigh of relief. It has to be said that this little girl was lucky¡ªshe happened to have a car ident inside the residential area. If the distance had been farther or the time longer, even Chen Yu would have been helpless. During the examination earlier, Chen Yu found a three-foot long iron stake next to the girl''s heart. Moreover, this object had already prated into the blood vessels surrounding the heart, and with the flow of blood, it was very likely to pierce into the heart, obstructing the cardiac vessels. By that time, not even a deity could save her. Chen Yu wiped the sweat beads from his forehead, then grabbed a dose of medicine from nearby and handed it to the middle-aged woman. "After you go back, boil this medicine with twenty bowls of water until it reduces to one bowl. After your daughter drinks it, she will be bouncing around within three days, and the scars on her body won''t leave any marks. As for the leftover medicine dregs, crush them into powder and apply it to your own wounds. It won''t be long before they too will heal." The middle-aged woman immediately became excited, falling to her knees with a thud to kowtow to Chen Yu. If Chen Yu hadn''t provided timely treatment today, her daughter may well have died. Chen Yu hurriedly stepped forward to help the woman up, "We''re all neighbors here. Sometimes, we should help each other out. Besides, I was just treating your daughter''s illness¡ªyou don''t need to behave like this. Who knows, maybe in the future I''ll have something important to ask of you." Only then did the middle-aged woman calm down. She then took off a red gemstone bracelet from her wrist and stuffed it into Chen Yu''s hand. "Mr. Chen, you must ept this. It represents my gratitude!" Chen Yu didn''t say much, instead handing it to Tong Ya behind him. He knew that if he refused, this woman would likely persist, and if any rumors spread in the neighborhood because of it, it would not be good for him. Seeing that Chen Yu epted the gemstone, the woman left with her child. "Husband!" It wasn''t until that moment that Tong Ya called out with emotion, then flung herself into Chen Yu''s arms like a little bird. Chen Yu indulgently embraced Tong Ya tightly. "Have you missed me during this time?" Tong Ya didn''t answer but just giggled and then pointed to a room next to them. "The things you asked me to bring back before are all kept in there. Could you check to see if anything''s missing?" Petting Tong Ya on the head, Chen Yu walked over to the adjacent room, which originally served as a storage room and was now chock-full of items Chen Yu had sent back. Among those items were the treasures of the Illuminati and a Buddha head retrieved from the Queen Elsa. Chen Yu adjusted his breathing slightly, then picked up a small hammer from the side and gently tapped on the Buddha heads. Before long, all theyer of jade pulp wrapped around the Buddha heads was knocked away. A dazzling radiance burst forth, instantly illuminating the entire storage room. Especially the central Buddha head in the middle, its trio of colors reflected off each other, extremely pleasing to the eye. Chen Yuughed twice in excitement, then hurriedly called Zhou Shengtao and asked him to bring people from the relevant departments to take away these Buddha heads and treasures. However, before taking these items away, he reviewed the "Cold-Relief Herb Chart" once more. Through the system''s scan, all the prescriptions and methods of healing on the chart were stored into Chen Yu''s mind. ``` These things are not at all like the methods of modern medical journalists; they areparable to genuine ancient medical manuals. When all the information had fused into Chen Yu''s mind, the previously iplete medical system he knew was suddenly made whole. He could now treat any patient through surgerybined with traditional Chinese medical techniques. Zhou Shengtao was overjoyed when he saw these things. He hadn''t expected that Chen Yu''s trip abroad would bring back so many national treasures. If all these were ced in a museum, that would be a great achievement! "Chen, you really are my lucky star. If we hand these over, our Suzhou City''s relevant departments will receive this year''s excellence award, and I''ll make sure you get the credit." Chen Yu squeezed out a perfunctory smile, then took out some documents from his person. "This is some information about the Illuminati that I brought back from Europe. I found that many of their members are from our side, and we need to investigate quickly. This bunch is no good." After Zhou Shengtao received the documents, his face immediately turned serious. "I never thought these guys would hide within the Illuminati. I''ve been wondering why we couldn''t catch them these years!" Zhou Shengtao took out a pen and circled a few names on the document, then pulled out his phone and started to match a few identities. "Chen, ording to you, these items were smuggled over by the Illuminati, and these guys are within the organization. This means I can charge them with smuggling and then secure an international arrest warrant!" Chen Yu understood what Zhou Shengtao meant. He needed to go back to make a statement and then attend as a witness. Regardless of whether it was Chen Yu''s responsibility, he was now an auxiliary member of the relevant departments. This was his duty. Without saying much, Chen Yu followed Zhou Shengtao back to the department. By the time all the materials had been processed, it was already eight in the evening. Chen Yu stretchedzily and was about to leave when Zhou Shengtao stopped him at the door. "Chen, I''ve heard you''re good at setting bones. Would you do me the honor of apanying me somewhere?" Chen Yu knew full well that Zhou Shengtao was about to use him as freebor again. "If there''s a task, just tell me directly, Zhou. There''s no need to beat around the bush. Besides, I''m an auxiliary member here now, aren''t I?" Zhou Shengtaoughed heartily, then patted Chen Yu on the shoulder and pulled him into the car. Before long, the two arrived at a very dpidated nursing home. The ce was extremely remote with a yard full ofrge camphor trees. Despite the nursing home''s dpidated appearance, the interior decoration was extremely neat and designed to national standards. In a spacious hall, there were dozens of elderly people sitting in wheelchairs ¨C some were ying chess, some drinking tea, while others sat in small groups chatting away. Upon seeing these elderly people, the word "heroes" leapt to Chen Yu''s eyes. He had seen photos of them in their youth at the department; they were men who had risked their lives for the country! The wounds they bore were remnants of ailments sustained during their service. ``` Chapter 273: Chapter 273 Nursing Home Zhou Shengtao saw these people and respectfully greeted them before pulling Chen Yu in with him. "Xiao Chen, all these elderly folks are retired, and due to various degrees of disability in their bodies, the state has done its utmost to arrange their twilight years. However, our current medical conditions are limited, and many of them can''t be cured of their illnesses and injuries, and that''s why we''ve called you..." "Understood!" Chen Yu replied promptly and then went straight to the middle of the elderly group, grabbing an old man whose body was bent to the extreme. This elderly man''s bones had be faded and gray, and his muscles had atrophied significantly. He was extremely frail. After a brief examination of the elderly man''s body, Chen Yu started gently moving his joints, taking advantage of the old man''s enjoyment of the knowledge. Suddenly, he exerted force, and there was a rapid series of bone dislocations, creating an abrupt sound. Before the elderly man could even cry out, Chen Yu had already withdrawn his hands. The previously extremely hunched-over old man now appeared normal. The old man looked at his body with disbelief, his mouth agape. He had been paralyzed for over thirty years and never dreamed that he would be cured today. "Young man, you must be the orthopedic doctor Xiao Zhou mentioned, right? I really didn''t expect you toe so quickly, thank you so much." Chen Yu returned a smile, "Elder, your body is only initially restored, and the most serious problem is your legs. When I set your bones in a while, you must endure the pain." The old manughed heartily, "Back in the day, I fought dozens of bandits by myself. I took a sh on my thigh, and my bone was chopped in half, but I didn''t cry out in pain. Now it''s just setting a bone,e on and do it." Seeing the old man respond this way, Chen Yu didn''t say much. He immediately took hold of the old man''s legs and began to move them gently. Soon, a snap echoed in the room. The old man''s eyes bulged as he valiantly bore the pain, stifling the urge to scream in his throat. Chen Yu couldn''t help but feel a surge of admiration for him; he knew the excruciating pain involved in setting bones to this extent, which for many requires anesthesia, yet the elderly man bore it stoically. After allowing the old man a brief moment to recover, Chen Yu continued his work, albeit less fiercely this time. It took a full half-hour before the old man''s leg bones werepletely realigned. Chen Yu exhaled a breath of stale air, then prescribed the old man a dose of medicine. "Elder, the medicine I''ve prescribed is entirely herbal. You must take it as instructed when you get home; otherwise, your muscle atrophy might recur." The old man stood up shakily, taking the package of herbs with great reverence before excitedly taking a few steps. "I''ve been paralyzed in bed for over thirty years, never imagining I might stand again one day. Thank you so much, young man. If you ever need anything, juste to me. Whether I can help or not, I''ll give it my all." Chen Yu felt somewhat embarrassed, as for him, what he had done was extremely simple. Moreover, with the medical knowledge from the "Map of a Hundred Grasses for Cold Diseases" etched in his mind, it became even simpler. After chatting briefly with the old man, Chen Yu moved on to the other elderly individuals. They each had different injuries, though many involved dislocated bones, which had deformed over the years without proper treatment. Chen Yu went about treating the elderly one by one without much ado. Zhou Shengtao stood by, fetching various medicines and necessary items as per Chen Yu''s instructions. The old men who had been healed also joined in the efforts, immediately acting upon Chen Yu''smands¡ªwhether because they felt better and wanted to move around more, or out of excitement. It was not until the early morning of the next day that the physical condition of most patients at the elder care facility improved under Chen Yu''s treatment. Unfortunately, there were simply too many patients here, and each one had more than one illness, some even with extremelyplicated conditions. To cure everyone here, Chen Yu might have to stay for over a week. Chen Yu let out a sigh and didn''t think too much about it. He found an empty bed andy down to rest. Although his physical condition had reached the human limit, the high-intensity treatment sessions were still exhausting. He definitely needed to sleep for a few hours. The elderly who had been treated by Chen Yu saw him asleep and spontaneously became extra careful. Whether they were walking or doing anything else, they made no noise, and even posted "no noise" signs in every corner. A few elders discussed among themselves and went straight to the kitchen, intending to cook some delicious food for Chen Yu. When it was two in the afternoon, Chen Yu finally woke up. But when he woke up, he saw several benevolent-looking elders walking in front of his bed, carryingrge basins filled with specialty dishes in their hands. To put it inly, these were casserole dishes typically made by certain departments, and were only prepared during times ofbat. However, those who had served in these departments maintained the tradition of preparingrge casserole dishes after demobilization. Chen Yu was somewhatforted by the aroma wafting from these dishes, touched by the thoughtfulness of these elders. He didn''t say much and simply grabbed a basin of food and began to eat voraciously. He hadn''t had a proper meal since he returned from Europe, and his stomach had long been empty. Now, with severalrge basins of fragrant food in front of him, how could he not eat? The only thing was, the amount he ate in one go shocked the elderly¡ªhe finished sixrge basins of food. What was most important was that after eating all the food, Chen Yu acted as if nothing was amiss, even patting his belly as if he was still not fully satisfied. One of the old grandfathers approached with concern and patted Chen Yu on the shoulder. "Young man, you''ve eaten several basins of food, that''s enough for ten people! Won''t you feel a bit overstuffed? If there''s any problem with your body, you must tell us in advance!" Chen Yu just waved his hand, not concerned, then stood up and walked over to an elderly man. This old man had a longstanding issue with his scap bone, which had caused his body to be in a constant state of torsion, even making his neck look crooked. Chen Yu gently massaged with his hands, then slowly started to rotate the elder''s neck. Once the old man got used to the rhythm, Chen Yu suddenly exerted force. Chapter 274 Under the Camphor Tree The crisp snapping sound suddenly erupted, startling even those standing nearby, after all, it was the neck. Once contorted too far, it could cause direct spinal injury, leading to instant death. If it weren''t for the old man''s good fortune, he probably would''ve died a long time ago in his youth. After Chen Yu released his grip, all eyes focused on the scene. Not only was the elderly personpletely unharmed, but he also sat there, gently turning his neck as if nothing had happened, asionally shrugging his shoulders. "This is sofortable, I never imagined that after so many years, my neck could still move freely." Chen Yu didn''t say much, just stretched his own muscles a bit before continuing to treat the next elderly patient. Zhou Shengtao had alsoe to his senses by this time. He had specifically taken time off just to spend quality time with these elderly folks. Seeing so many of them being cured right before his eyes, he became even more excited. A few of the elderly people pulled Zhou Shengtao aside when he woke up. "The young folks these days are getting more and more incredible. Such orthopedic skills would definitely rank as a top-level doctor in a hospital, making a good ie in a year. To think he would be our unofficial team member!" Zhou Shengtao chuckled, "He''s certified to practice medicine, and not only is his medical skill excellent, but his cooking is also delicious. Don''t be fooled by his age; he has participated in several world-ss culinarypetitions and has been awarded the title of Chef Supreme." The elderly folks gathered there gaped in astonishment; they hadn''t expected Chen Yu to be so exceptional. The elderly people who used to cook for Chen Yu suddenly felt somewhat embarrassed. "It turns out he is a Chef Supreme. I really was ying the lute to a cow!" For the following days, Chen Yu stayed in the nursing home until he had cured all the elders'' ailments. Just as he was about to leave, Zhou Shengtao suddenly took him to the back of the nursing home. Compared to other areas, this one seemed much more deste, and not far away stood a lone little house on a clear patch ofnd. What was puzzling was that the small house was built entirely out of reinforced concrete, with an additionalyer of steel rebar welded around it. There wasn''t a single window to be found on all sides of the house, and the only door, made of iron, could only admit one person at a time, beside which stood various scanning devices. When Chen Yu saw this scene, his eyes widened in surprise; he hadn''t expected to find such a ce in a nursing home. "Zhou, this looks more like a prison. How can there be such a ce in a nursing home?" Zhou Shengtao sighed helplessly. "Inside is an old hero, but he suffered a head injury during a mission back in the day, which led to mental disarray; sometimes he goes mad and kills on sight! Besides, there are many enemies outside who want to take him down quickly, so we had no choice but to confine him here in this way." Chen Yu nodded and then headed straight for the small iron door. Zhou Sheng quickly stepped forward to stop him. "There are many scanning devices outside and numerous traps and weapons set up. If you just walk in like that, the chance of survival is extremely low! I brought you here to ask if there''s anything you can do to treat this kind of condition?" Chen Yu stroked his chin and pondered for a moment. "Although I''m not sure I can cure himpletely, I can still alleviate his condition. Captain Zhou, you can rest assured and leave him to me." Zhou Shengtao hesitated for a moment, then opened the heavy door and closely followed Chen Yu inside. This ce was extremely gloomy and terrifying because it never saw sunlight, and being underground, there was always a chilling sensation. Chen Yu didn''t care much about that and simply quickened his pace to the end of the corridor. There was a particrly sturdy room here, and upon arriving, Zhou Shengtao''s body couldn''t help but tremble. Although it wasn''t his first time here, the horrific scenes inside the room always left him with lingering fears. As he was trembling, preparing to open the door, a sudden thunderous noise came from inside¡ªit sounded like someone was smashing the door, and the solid steel door already showed a multitude of fist marks. Chen Yu''s eyes widened in disbelief¡ªthe door was made from steel tes thirty centimeters thick, and an ordinary person couldn''t possibly deform it. But judging by the frequency and force of the blows from inside, it wouldn''t be long before the iron door was shattered. Chen Yu couldn''t care less and immediately grabbed the doorknob, yanking it harshly backward. The solid door was torn out directly, and at the same time, a huge fist burst forth from the darkness. Zhou Shengtao was startled. He knew the formidable power of the elder''s punch; if itnded on Chen Yu, even if he didn''t die, his chest would turn into mush. Almost instinctively, he wanted to shield Chen Yu, but the punch was too fast and had alreadynded on Chen Yu''s chest. However, Chen Yu had no intention of dodging and simply threw Zhou Shengtao out of the way, then bravely took the punch with his own chest. A dull thud resounded as if the punch had hit a wall of dirt. The next moment, Chen Yu surged forward and threw a punch of his own. Another heavy collision sounded, and after what felt like an eternity, the noise from within finally ceased. Taking his chances, Zhou Shengtao crept in with his shlight. An old man with white hair and a robust body sat in a chair, with Chen Yu standing beside him. It was as if nothing had happened just moments before, with Chen Yu still gently massaging the old man at the shoulder des. "You''re quite something, kid. In the midst of our fight, you managed to insert silver needles into me, not only restoring my consciousness but also giving me a feeling of rity and refreshment!" Chen Yu smiled faintly, knowing the dangers he had just faced alone. During the fight with the old man, he had done his utmost to realign the dislocated bones to unblock his nerves. He also had to seize the opportunity to insert the silver needles into the old man''s acupoints to help restore his consciousness in sync. If anything had gone even slightly awry, Chen Yu could have lost his life. Fortunately, everything had been aplished in an orderly fashion. Zhou Shengtao, too, let out a long sigh of relief and ran over excitedly. "Master, you''ve finallye to!" The old man was taken aback when he saw Zhou Shengtao and tenderly stretched out his hand to caress his cheek. "Little Taotao, I never thought I''d get to see you again in my lifetime! You''ve suffered a lot these years." Chapter 275 Long-Distance Race Zhou Shengtao''s body trembled violently, he was practically kneeling on the ground, continuously kowtowing. If it weren''t for Chen Yu helping him up, he probably would have cracked his own head open. "Teacher, if you hadn''t pulled me out of the pile of corpses back then, I most likely would have died a long time ago, and staying here to guard you is my duty and obligation!" The old manughed heartily and didn''t say much else, merely moving his body a bit. Chen Yu had already put all of the old man''s bones back in ce, and even cleared some of his stiff muscles. With medication, it wouldn''t be long before he would recover. Only the old man''s brain nerves were severely damaged, and even Chen Yu couldn''tpletely cure him, only able to gradually treat him with traditional Chinese medicine. After telling Zhou Shengtao all of the circumstances, Chen Yu moved his own arms and hurried out of the room. Chen Yu had used too much force when assisting the old man, and his hands were now covered inrge bruises. He truly couldn''t imagine how an ordinary person could train their body to such an extent. Upon leaving the room, Chen Yu immediately took some medicine for bruises from his person and applied it to his arms to prevent the injuries from worsening. "Ling Ling, didn''t you say my physical fitness had already reached human limits? Then why can''t I beat this old man?" [The host''s physical fitness has indeed reached human limits, but that doesn''t mean there aren''t people in this world who can surpass those limits.] Chen Yu''s face was full of frustration, which equated to with his physical fitness, he could eliminate ny percent of the people in this world in a hundred-meter dash, but he wouldn''t be able to catch up to Bolt! Indeed, there were many beings in this world who had surpassed human limits, but they had only reached such feats in a single aspect. If it came to all-around physical strength, Chen Yu was absolutely stronger than all of those people. After prescribing some medications for the old man, Chen Yu left the ce directly. Even though he had applied the ointment to his arms, the bruises were still there; he had to go back and take care of himself. In the evening, Chen Yu finally reached home. Tuan Tuan had already finished school and was practicing yoga in the living room. Seeing Tuan Tuan, Chen Yu affectionately approached and scooped her up. "My dear daughter, have you missed Daddy during this time?" Tuan Tuan pouted, "Not at all. There was a sports day at school recently, and you didn''t attend. It was Mom and Aunt Jin who apanied me." Chen Yu suddenly felt embarrassed; he had been so busy recently that he had no time to join Tuan Tuan in any activities. "Then Daddy will definitely apany you next time, okay?" Tuan Tuan''s face disyed a sense of grievance, "You''ve already said that many times, but you never keep your promises. I''m not going to believe you this time." Chen Yu was also full of helplessness and suddenly didn''t know what to do. His business was growing bigger by the day, yet he felt somewhat deficient at home. Moreover,tely, it was Tong Ya who had been taking care of everything at home, and Chen Yu always felt somewhat indebted. "By the way, husband, Tuan Tuan''s school is organizing a parent-child event tomorrow. How about we both go?" Seeing Tong Ya helping him out, Chen Yu breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, then it''s settled. Tomorrow, our family of three will go together!" Though Tuan Tuan was still acting sulky, a smile had begun to appear on her face. The next morning, Chen Yu drove Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan to the school. Tuan Tuan''s school practiced modern education, which meant there were plenty of parent-child events. Last time, Jin Lingsu and Tong Ya dazzled everyone, and someone had uploaded a video of them online, causing quite a sensation. This time, in addition to the children''s parents, there were also many people from outside the school. When Chen Yu''s family of three got there, the spectator stands at the sports field were alreadypletely full. It seemed like all these people hade for Jin Lingsu and Tong Ya. However, when they saw Chen Yu, envy shed in their eyes. "How did that guy, who''s only a bit good-looking, manage to marry such a beautiful wife?" "Hmph, he''s just a pretty boy, his basketball skills probably aren''t even as good as that beauty''s!" "By the way, where is the other beauty? Why didn''t shee today?" ... Chen Yu heard the murmurs from the spectator stands very clearly, and a strange curve formed on the corners of his mouth. He effortlessly scooped Tong Ya into his arms and grabbed Tuan Tuan, then swaggered up to the stands. "Dear parents, today we''re having a parent-child long run, pleasee here to get your bib numbers!" The teacher cheerfully walked up to the podium and announced the details of today''s event. After Chen Yu got his bib number, he immediately went with Tuan Tuan to the track. Today''s race was of course simple, the parents just had to carry their children to the finish line toplete it. But such a race indeed tested one''s stamina and endurance. Many people shook their heads and sighed after learning about the rules of the race. They were hard-pressed toplete a kilometer on their own, let alone carrying a child with them. But Chen Yu didn''t care about these things. As soon as he got to the sports field, he promptly put Tuan Tuan on his back and lined up at the starting line. Although the other parents were reluctant, seeing Chen Yu step out, none of them hesitated any longer, and all walked over. At the referee''s signal, everyone started moving, but they slowed down almost immediately at the beginning, while Chen Yu took the lead. This kind of race was child''s y for Chen Yu; he reached the finish line without much effort. The other participants looked on in astonishment, as some had barely managed to run less than a hundred meters, yet Chen Yu had already finished the whole course. "Dad, you''re so awesome!" Tuan Tuan excitedly wrapped his arms around Chen Yu''s neck, affectionately clinging to him. Chen Yu didn''t say much, simply and easily took Tuan Tuan back to sit next to Tong Ya. It was at this moment he suddenly noticed several parents limping over, looking like they''d hurt their backs. Moreover, these people didn''t seem very fit; each one was panting heavily, as though they had taken part in a triathlon. Dozens of treatment ns suddenly shed through Chen Yu''s mind, but all these ns were inclined towards wellness, and the issues could be solved with some tailored medicines. An idea suddenly took root in his mind, why not open a wellness clinic targeting a specific demographic? Previously, while at the nursing home, Chen Yu had already had a simr idea, but at that time, it was wholly aimed at the elderly. Now it seemed that some things should not be limited by age, as many people who weren''t very old were also experiencing all sorts of problems with their bodies. Chapter 276: Chapter 276 Renovating the Shop The parent-child event at the school didn''tst very long, and by two o''clock in the afternoon, Chen Yu and Tong Ya had already returned to the shop. The shop had now entered a state of autonomous operation, and it could run normally even if Chen Yu didn''t manage it at all. Moreover, the poprity of the shop far exceeded Chen Yu''s expectations. In the past, by eight in the evening, there would hardly be any customers left, but now, people were stilling to the shop at midnight wanting to eat. Additionally, the various revenues of the shop had basically stabilized, and many wereing here to reserve tables. As such, the shop was beginning to feel a bit cramped. Wang Qingshan and the other two chefs were already swamped with work. Sinceing in the morning, they hadn''t left the kitchen and hadn''t even had a chance to take a sip of water. Actually, if one really thinks about it, the original scale of their shop was just a breakfast ce, catering to a very limited crowd. But as its fame grew, more and more people starteding, and now with the steady stream of people booking tables for banquets, the shop was bing overwhelmed. Wang Qingshan and his colleagues, feeling helpless, could only select a few waiters with decent talent and bring them into the kitchen to help out. However, this made staffing in other areas somewhat tight. Seeing this situation, Chen Yu didn''t say much and went straight to the kitchen to help. "Old Chen, howe you have time toe by today?" Wang Qingshan was somewhat surprised; it had been a long time since he hadst seen Chen Yu. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Chen Yu replied, "I was at the school with the kid today and just happened to pass by, so I came to have a look. I didn''t expect our business to be booming like this." Wang Qingshan sighed helplessly, "It''s more than just booming. You don''t know what it''s like here at our busiest times. Even those girls outside don''t have time to rest!" "They can''t even get a good night''s sleep. If you ask me, we should hire more people. If possible, we should also consider expanding the shop." Chen Yu nodded, he had simr thoughts. Now that the shop''s revenue had significantly increased, they could further expand the shop just from its earnings. With that in mind, he subconsciously nced across the street. This street was considered one of the more bustling locales in Suzhou City, but now, apart from some other shops, there was only his restaurant left, and it seemed like the convenience store across the street had started clearing out, preparing to move. It was said that because a supermarket had opened nearby, the impact on the convenience store was too great, forcing them to leave. However, the location of the convenience store was a prime spot, not only connecting with several specific buildings but also hooked up to a building behind! If he could take over both the convenience store and the building behind it, not only could they strike while the iron''s hot and expand the shop, but they could also build a hotel and even transition the shop to a 24-hour operating model. At this thought, Chen Yu suddenly fell into deep contemtion, and his movements unconsciously came to a halt. Right at that moment, a middle-aged man barged into the shop in a hurry. He didn''t care whether there were people around or not, and quite rudely pushed through several people in line to get to the window. "What the hell is going on with your shop? Why did my child suddenly die after eating food from here?" As soon as these words were spoken, they startled everyone present, and all eyes quickly turned to the middle-aged man. He was a sight, d in tattered clothes, bruises covering his arms and legs, and even some bloodstains on his forehead¡ªclearly, he had just gotten into a brawl. Moreover, he looked dizzy, as if he were drunk. Chen Yu''s brow furrowed deeply as he quickly peered out from the kitchen. Before he could speak, Wang Qingshan raised therge spoon in his hand. "Where did youe from? Our restaurant is well-known far and wide, and there''s absolutely no such thing as dead people here. If you''re looking to cause trouble, do it somewhere else. We don''t serve your kind here," he said. Yet the middle-aged man was unrelenting,ying himself on the ground and rolling around. The customers nearby frowned at the scene, but they didn''t intend to leave, still waiting in line there. After all, it was mealtime, and they had already queued for such a long time¡ªhow could they just leave? A group of delivery guys waiting on the side, upon seeing this situation, moved forward to help, with two even trying to drag the middle-aged man out. Chen Yu let out a heavy sigh, feeling that something was off no matter how he looked at it. He had never seen this man before; it was impossible for him to specificallye to cause trouble, unless someone was behind this. Just then, he suddenly noticed an old man with white hair standing not far from the shop''s entrance. The old man seemed panicked, pacing back and forth on the street as if he was waiting for something. After giving a few instructions to Wang Qingshan, Chen Yu walked out to approach the old man. "Sir, you''ve been wandering around here for quite a while. Is there something you need? If there''s an issue, we can go inside and talk," he suggested. Startled, the elder took a few steps back involuntarily, watching Chen Yu with a wary gaze. "Don''t y dumb with me. I did my homework beforeing here. You, young man, practice sorcery, bewitch people, especially with the dishes you cook, adding some sort of love potion to them. Anyone who eats your food bes blindly loyal to you!" the old man used. Chen Yu''s mouth fell open in shock¡ªwhat was this all about? "Sir, perhaps there''s some misunderstanding about me? My restaurant is legitimate, and we certainly don''t engage in any other..." he began. Before Chen Yu could finish, the old man pulled out a newspaper from his person. One could not tell which publishing house had produced it, but it painted Chen Yu''s restaurant as a den of evil. All sorts of absurd charges were attributed to him, even iming he was messing around with women on the side. But even if these allegations were true, what did they have to do with the old man? Why would hee unprovoked to cause a scene? Without waiting for a response, the old man pointed toward the high-rise behind him. "I live right here, I can keep an eye on you every day. Whatever you do, I can see it all. I advise you to repent before it''s toote, otherwise, I''ll hand over all the evidence to the authorities," he threatened. Chen Yu was unnerved, ndered beyond any reasonable measure. Moreover, he himself was an external member of the said authorities and had every right to arrest the old man for defamation! Chapter 277: Chapter 277 Auctioned Assets Chen Yu heaved a long sigh and took two steps forward. "Old man, you said that the food from my restaurant killed someone. I need you to bring out the evidence, or have the victime here, and I will fullypensate." The elder seemed not to expect Chen Yu to be so assertive and was momentarily stunned. His voice also started to falter. Just then, two other elders of simr age strode over furiously, and immediately pulled out several death certificates from their clothes and threw them in front of Chen Yu. "How can you be so heartless? Your shop has killed people, and you''re still acting as if nothing''s wrong here. Hurry up and discuss thepensation, or we''ll contact the relevant people to smash your shop." Chen Yu''s brow furrowed tightly; he understood that these people were simply here to make trouble. And judging by the direction they came from, they must be residents of the building right in front of him. Actually, Chen Yu knew when he moved in that this building was a mixed-useplex, but since itspletion, not many people have bought the residential spaces, so most are used formercial purposes. The entire ground floor was leased out to a supermarket and several grocery stores. Previously, there were also several restaurants here, but after Chen Yu''s shop opened, these restaurants moved away quite perceptively. "Ling Ling, help me scan this building!" Chen Yu sensed something was off and immediately gave themand to his system. Before long, a flood of information entered Chen Yu''s mind. He was astonished to find that the building in front of him was hollow, with only a few residents, and even their homes were unfinished. Chen Yu''s pupils dted slightly, seeing that there must be something fishy going on. At this moment, about a dozen vans suddenly arrived, and a hundred or so people got off the vehicles. These people were all in uniforms, ranging from various departments, and the man leading them was even in a forensic officer''s uniform. "Mr. Chen, we just received a report that the food sold in your restaurant is substandard! We have already examined the victim''s food beforeing here and found that the food in their stomach came from your establishment. Pleasee with us immediately." Chen Yu couldn''t help but feel amused. Not to mention whether these guys'' uniforms fit properly, but some of their uniforms were so poorly made, you could grab a handful for less than a hundred yuan on the street. "If I''m not mistaken, you must have been sent by the developer of this building," he said. As soon as these words came out, everyone present was taken aback, with a few even subconsciously stepping back, clearly feeling guilty. The leader tried to steady his breathing, trying his best to remain calm. "Don''t worry about who sent us. The fact is you''ve broken thew, and now you muste with us for our investigation, and your shop will be closed for ten days." Chen Yu had already learned everything when he received the building''s information. Although the building waspleted, most of the property rights had not been sold. With current policies, they had to change the building''s industrial structure or dispose of it as quickly as possible, or it would just sit unsold. Thus, the developer behind all this had no choice but to resort to such measures, finding residents of the building and some riffraff to act as relevant personnel to drive Chen Yu out and take over his shop. This way, they could use the reputation Chen Yu had established to open a hotel and then bag all the shops along the street, facilitating a big deal¡ªperhaps even engaging in stock spection to cash out! Chen Yu, who had already seen through everything, didn''t argue with them, instead, he took out an identity badge from the relevant department. "You say you have orders from the relevant department to close my shop, but as an external staff member of the relevant department, howe I haven''t received such an order?" All those present were wide-eyed; they could not have imagined that Chen Yu had such an identity. The leader choked and instinctively leaned in to check Chen Yu''s badge. His body trembled, and a sh of panic appeared on his face. "How do I know if your badge isn''t fake? Besides, we have the full documentation." The man continued to be defiant, and then pulled out a weapon, ready to force Chen Yu into submission. Just as he was about to make a move, Chen Yu suddenly struck, pping his face so hard that he fell to the ground, with half his body distorted from Chen Yu''s blow. The rest were just riffraff, and they were stunned by the scene; some turned and ran immediately. Then, the piercing sound of a whistle broke the silence, and a dozen police cars gradually rolled in and surrounded the area. Zhou Shengtao stepped out of the car steadily, fiddling with a pair of handcuffs in his hand. "Kid, it''s only been a few days since Ist saw you, and you''ve be so arrogant, bringing a crowd to cause trouble again. Are you going toe with me, or do I have to take you by force?" The leader was scared out of his wits and immediately knelt on the ground. "Officer Zhou, I swear this isn''t my fault. I was just paid by Boss Wu to make trouble for Mr. Chen and force him to transfer his shop." Zhou Sheng said nothing more and just motioned to the people behind him to arrest the riffraff, then walked up to Chen Yu. "We''ve been hearing rumors for a while now. I didn''t expect Wu Zhonghe to be so bold as to actually make a move at this time." Chen Yu looked annoyed: "Wu Zhonghe? Who''s he?" Zhou Shengtao pointed to several buildings in the vicinity: "He''s a local property developer; these buildings around us were all developed by him. The only thing is, this guy had some crooked ideas while developing real estate, and a lot of his money became dirty; a big portion of his assets has been seized, and right now he has no ability to run these buildings." Chen Yu nodded: "I see, he''s just eager to dispose of these buildings quickly and find a profitable business to revive his ventures." Zhou Shengtao suddenlyughed: "This guy has no chance now. We''ve caught him red-handed, and all his assets will be auctioned by the court in a few days!" Chen Yu suddenly became excited; he had just been thinking about expanding his business and changing his industry, and now an opportunity had practically fallen into hisp. "Officer Zhou, you must save me a spot at the auction." Chapter 278: Chapter 278 Property Transfer Zhou Shengtao patted Chen Yu on the shoulder and directly took out a sign from his body and ced it in his hand. "Little Chen, could I possibly forget about you with such a good opportunity? I''ve already prepared it for you. Just take this sign with you tomorrow at 10 a.m. to the specified location for the legal auction, and not only these buildings but other assets will be on sale as well. If you''re interested, you might even buy them all together," he said. Chen Yu immediately became excited. If he followed the normal procedures, one building would cost him over ten billion yuan, but through the legal auction process, he might get it for several billion yuan. "Thank you, Officer Zhou. Why don''t we go to the shop and have something to eat? I''ll treat everyone today!" Chen Yu suggested. Zhou Shengtao waved his hand, "I''ve got some matters to attend to. You have no idea, these past few days Wu Zhonghe has mobilized all of Suzhou City''s underground forces, causing us a lot of chaos." After a few more words, Zhou Shengtao hurriedly left with the others. Chen Yu took a moment to steady his breathing and tried his best to suppress his joy before he began to calcte his current assets. The revenue from his shop had basically fixed the major profits, mostlying from the factory, and the recent orders from the West and domesticallybined were worth several billion yuan in profit. He could fully mobilize these funds. Adding on the several billion yuan in savings he already had, it should be enough to buy the ownership of these buildings. Thinking of this added a bit more excitement in Chen Yu''s heart, but he didn''t linger there and hurried back to his shop. He had not paid enough attention to his shop recently, and it was time to make amends. Chen Yu, who had personally experienced the situation for the day, found that the scale of his shop was indeed insufficient. Even at 8 p.m. when the shop was supposed to close, it was still full of people, and even delivery boys were queuing at the door. Having no choice, Chen Yu had to continue operating the business, which went on until 2 a.m. before it finally ended. If it continued like this, he feared he might have to create a special midnight menu. The next morning at nine o''clock, Chen Yu dragged his tired body to the auction. When he arrived, he saw the ce was already crowded. It seemed everyone wanted to look for a bargain since the assets sold at the legal auction were about half the price of those on the market. Chen Yu didn''t care about that and just found a ce to sit. After all, he had received the auction identity card beforehand, which saved him a lot of trouble. While he was waiting for the auction to start, a familiar voice suddenly appeared behind him. "Son-inw, you''re here too!" someone called out. Chen Yu turned around to see Tong Ming walking in through a side door with several bodyguards. "Dad!" Chen Yu quickly stood up as he hadn''t seen Tong Ming for a while. Tong Ming didn''t say much but just patted Chen Yu on the shoulder, then sat down next to him. "It''s rare to encounter an auction on this scale, and Wu Zhonghe used to be quite an influential figure in Suzhou City," Tong Mingmented. "The assets he controls are considerable in scale. If someone could acquire all of his assets, they could definitely be the richest person in Suzhou City!" Beforeing to the auction, Chen Yu had already thoroughly investigated all of Wu Zhonghe''s assets and found that this man had a lot of illegal assets, both openly and in secret. Although Wu didn''t rank as the wealthiest in Suzhou City on the surface, if all his assets werebined, they could even make it onto the Forbes list. "Dad, it looks like you''re set on acquiring Wu Zhonghe''s assets," Chen Yu surmised. Tong Ming gestured dismissively, "It''s not so much about desire as it is aboutpetition. Many in Suzhou City are eyeing his assets, and I believe this auction will be extremely fierce," he said. Chen Yu nodded in agreement, knowing well that with such a bargain at stake, anyone with a bit of sense would want a piece of the pie. Moreover, today''s crowd included not only Suzhou City''s wealthy but also top families from other cities. If these individuals bid recklessly, the final auction price could end up being higher than the original value of the assets. Chen Yu exhaled a deep breath and was about to have the system analyze the asset status of all the attendees when Tong Ming suddenly handed him a detailed list of assets. "If I''m not mistaken, your target this time is those buildings across from your shop, right?" Tong Ming asked. Chen Yu didn''t say much but nodded. After all, Tong Ming was the man who had singlehandedly built up the Tong Group, and his business acumen and thinking were far beyond the average person''s. A brief analysis was enough for him to know about Chen Yu''s intentions. "I thought that opening the factory would allow the restaurant to maintain the status quo, but it''s be even more popr, and many out-of-towners and inte celebritiese just to check in and tour. There are simply no amodations nearby my ce..." Chen Yu began. "I get it!" Tong Mingughed heartily. "When I first started doing business, there were many things I didn''t anticipate, and it''s always been a matter of taking it one step at a time. Moreover, your business already has its own model, some things will still depend on you, and with me backing you up, what do you have to fear?" Chen Yu felt very reassured, chuckled, and said no more, simply waiting quietly for the auction to begin. Just then, a female host dressed exquisitely slowly walked up to the podium, and as her gavel fell upon the table, the venue instantly quieted down. "Thank you all for attending the auction. I won''t go into extraneous details. Our first asset up for auction is the Wu Family''s amusement park in the eastern suburbs of Suzhou City. Interested bidders may start bidding now," she announced. As her voice fell, a starting price appeared on the big screen beside her. Chen Yu had no real interest in the amusement park, moreover, its location was too remote to be of any practical use, even if he acquired it. Still, there were many bidders who started bidding, and not long after, the amusement park was sold for eight billion yuan. To be honest, this price was already quite low. Constructing a simr amusement park would cost at least 24 billion yuan. The excitement in the room reached a climax, with everyone eagerly anticipating the next auctioned asset. At that moment, Tong Ming suddenly stood up and raised his bid card. It was a piece of undevelopednd littered with construction debris and located away from the city center, which in many people''s eyes was practically a wastnd. But to Tong Ming, this plot was near one of his industrial development zones, and acquiring it could increase its value at least tenfold. Therefore, no one contested Tong Ming, and he snapped up thend for the minimum price possible. Chapter 279 Core Assets The initial auctions weren''t anything special; it was mostly a matter of everyone taking what they needed without much struggle, but as the auction progressed, the core assets came up for sale. One business club was eventually sold for ten billion more than its starting price. Located right in the city center and with booming business, the venue would create enormous profits for whoever took over. When this asset was put on the block, even Daoist Boy couldn''t help but feel envious. Owning such a business club would make hosting guests or conducting other business much more convenient in the future. However, Chen Yu remained calm. After all, the business club was toorge for him to manage on his own, and Tong Ming already had several of simr size¡ªworst case, he could just borrow one temporarily. Chen Yu exhaled a deep breath and kept his eyes fixed on therge screen on the stage. The assets up for auction next were therge buildings opposite him. But when the price was announced, Chen Yu was momentarily stunned. Those buildings required a bid of a hundred and ten billion! Chen Yu was troubled. He couldn''te up with that kind of money with the assets he controlled, unless he mortgaged the entire industrial park he had just built to secure a loan for these buildings. But now, the industrial park had just started flourishing, and business at the factories was booming. If he mortgaged the park at this critical time, it would have a negative impact. If he ever really got to the point where he had to take out loans, then it would be troublesome. "How about it, son-inw, shall I give you a hand?" Chen Yu felt a bit awkward, not sure what to say, but right now he was indeed in urgent need of money. "If you could, I''d be much obliged; I''ll pay you back!" Tong Mingughed heartily. "You''re too polite!" With that, he raised his bidding paddle. As soon as Tong Ming made a move, the venue fell silent. Everyone knew that the Tong Family was the wealthiest of the four super-rich families in the capital and that the buildings in question were right across from their son-inw''s! Understanding this rtionship, no one dared to bid anymore. Some even looked at Tong Ming uncertainly, tentatively raising their paddles, but when they caught his gaze, they lowered them again. In recent times, Tong Ming''s developments in Suzhou City had been extremely smooth, virtually monopolizing half of Suzhou''s financialndscape. No one in Suzhou City dared to oppose Tong Ming. Chen Yu also let out a sigh of relief; with his father-inw present, if he had been bidding alone, the price might have skyrocketed to over two hundred billion. The auctioneer was clearly embarrassed, but he didn''t dare to say more. He looked around the room, counted to three, and then hammered the gavel. The buildings, which had substantialmercial value, were sold for a hundred and eleven billion, which would have been an extraordinary event at any auction. Just as Chen Yu was getting excited, arge map was brought onto the stage by several men. It was a map of the Suzhou City industrial development park, arge portion of which depicted Chen Yu''s industrial park. The assets now up for sale were several factories owned by Wu Zhonghe. Although these factories were not contiguous, each one was extremelyrge on its own. Moreover, over ny percent of the equipment in these factories was new, ready for production immediately after take-over. The venue erupted into a buzz of excitement; such assets were considered high-quality, and they were worth splurging on. While the crowd was eager and ready, Chen Yu''s eyes widened as he stared intently at the map of the industrial park. Although Wu Zhonghe''s factories were not connected, they were not far from Chen Yu''s industrial park. If he could acquire all of these factories and make some nning tweaks, he could connect them with his existing park, potentially doubling the size of his factory operation. Chen Yu had already nned to expand his current industries or pivot to some extent, which required acquiring a significant amount ofnd and factories. Among these factories, one in particr¡ªa pharmaceutical nt¡ªexcited him the most. The medical prescriptions he acquired from the "Cold Damage Hundreds of Grasses Diagram" hadpleted his knowledge in the field of medicine. Now, he could use ancient prescriptionsbined with modern medical knowledge to create highly targeted, packaged medication. Such products were exceedingly popr in the Eastern Ind and on the Penins, where they were touted as "Traditional Chinese Medicine," but their forms were merely scratching the surface. Once the full breadth of the "Cold Damage Hundreds of Grasses Diagram" prescriptions were produced in pre-packaged form, they wouldpletely outss Traditional Chinese Medicine. Chen Yu''s breathing quickened; Tong Ming had covered the purchase of the buildings for him, leaving several billion in his hands. Tong Ming could see what Chen Yu was thinking and patted him on the shoulder. "Son-inw, have you set your sights on these factories?" Chen Yu nodded without hiding his intentions. Tong Ming narrowed his eyes, examining the location of the factories, then took the factories'' basic information from his assistant. "Actually, when you started making pre-packaged food, I thought about whether it''s possible to produce medicinal meal packages. But that''s very specific, and it could cause trouble if eaten recklessly. However, if you create pre-packaged medical forms with your medical skills, that''s a different story." Chen Yu suddenly felt a bit embarrassed; Tong Ming had seen through his ns all along. "Dad, food and medicine have always been part of my n. I didn''t want to move so quickly, but a good opportunity has presented itself, so how could I let it slip through my fingers?" Tong Ming looked at Chen Yu approvingly. "I knew I was right about you, son. Go ahead and do it. I have several tens of billions at my disposal; don''t worry, just go for it!" Tong Ming spoke so loudly that it was unclear if he did so on purpose. The people nearby, upon hearing this, became disheartened. The eager atmosphere that had just been there dissipated. "Ah well, it looks like this is another gift from old Tong to his son-inw. Let''s not get involved and avoid causing trouble!" "It''s wiser to let it go. Let''s focus on other assets." "Unspoken though it may be, Chen has profound knowledge in both medicine and gastronomy. In his hands, these assets will surely gain even greater value." "Exactly, we shouldn''tpete! I give up!" ... Chapter 280: Chapter 280 Traditional Chinese Medicine As more and more people dropped out of the auction, the auctioneer''s face suddenly turned unsightly. Although this auction was the relevant department foreclosing on bad assets, the money Wu Zhonghe owed to the department was very real. They had originally thought that they could recover some of the capital to offset the debts Wu Zhonghe had rued through the auction. Now, it seemed to be somewhat difficult! After all, who would dare topete with Tong Ming once he made a move? Moreover, with Chen Yu''s immense poprity in Suzhou City and his status as a world-ss chef, manypany cafeterias essentially ordered their meals from Chen Yu''s outlets. If they were to genuinely anger Chen Yu and lose their meal supply, all of theirpany staff might very well go on a collective strike. As everyone withdrew, the several factories were taken down by Chen Yu for a mere price of 1.9 billion. Chapter Explore: The auctioneer sighed helplessly and could only continue with the auction. After the auction was over, Tong Ming immediately took Chen Yu to a nearby estate. This ce didn''t look very impressive and even felt a bit crude. An abundance of grape trellises covered the entire estate, and upon entering, one could smell the peculiar scent of fermenting grapes. Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown and instinctively covered his nose. As the car slowly entered the estate, Chen Yu was startled to find several well-dressed elderly men standing in the vast open space of the estate, who appeared to be from influential families of the imperial capital. But looking at them, they seemed tock some of the elegance expected of families from the imperial capital. Chen Yu didn''t say much, simply following behind Tong Ming. "San Mu! Didn''t you say you wouldn''t get involved with this year''s medicinal liquor? Why have youe early?" An elder with a slightly stooped figure slowly turned around and cast a malicious nce at Tong Ming. "Mr. Tong, I truly didn''t expect you to be interested in this stuff!" Tong Ming''s lips curved up slightly as he casually plucked a grape from a nearby shelf and popped it into his mouth. "This is one of the important materials for making traditional medicine, how could I give it up?" San Mu''s eyes suddenly turned icy, "Mr. Tong, don''t forget that more than eighty percent of the traditional medicines on the market have already had their patents applied for by our So-and-So Group. Even if you want to get involved in this field, you''d have to buy the patents from us." Tong Mingughed as if he had just heard a joke, leaning on Chen Yu andughing uproariously while patting Chen Yu''s shoulder. "My dear son-inw, isn''t this funny? These guys have almost forgotten who their ancestors are. They learned a bit from us, went back, and had the audacity to apply for the patents, quite shameless, iming that these things are theirs." Chen Yu couldn''t help but cough twice. Mocking San Mu so openly and arrogantly was something only Tong Ming dared to do. But this guy really was detestable! Chen Yu had heard of the name San Mu Daohe even when he was at university. This guy not only pioneered the field of traditional medicine but also traversed the Easternnds looking for locations of various medicinal herbs. If they ever found any pristine, high-quality herbs, they would acquire them at high prices right away, so much so that they had taken over more than seventy percent of the precious herbs. "It''s quite funny, indeed! And I see Mr. San Mu is seriously ill, yet howe he hasn''t thought of using traditional Chinese medicine to treat himself?" San Mu''s pupils suddenly dted; he hadn''t expected Chen Yu to be able to discern his physical condition at a nce. He knew his health condition better than anyone else. He had sought out famous doctors far and wide, yet his illness was incurable no matter what he tried. Moreover, all the patents for traditional Chinese medicine he held were copied directly from ancient medical books, and he himself had no clue how to treat illnesses. "May I know who this gentleman is?" San Mu asked subconsciously. Before Chen Yu could speak, Tong Ming directly took his hand and led him to the doorway of the inner courtyard. "Li Song, you old geezer,e out here!" This loud shout startled everyone present, and soon after, an extremely short old man emerged from the vi. The old man was less than a meter tall, resembling something like an earth deity, and his figure was entwined with an odd assortment of vines, which even bore some small fruits. Chen Yu couldn''t help but gape; he had never seen such a bizarre old man. Upon seeing Tong Ming approach, Li Song became instantly infuriated, swinging his walking stick ready to strike. However, his frame was too feeble; even as he lifted his walking stick, he could only reach Tong Ming''s shoulder. "Mr. Tong, don''t think you can bully me just because you''re taller. Let me tell you, you can forget about getting this year''s fruit wine," he said. Tong Ming sighed helplessly and directly grabbed the walking stick from Li Song''s hand. "Isn''t it just that you lost a bet back then? We might as well write off our debts, and I can even settle your ount with that guy." Li Song instantly perked up, ncing disdainfully at San Mu beside him, then shuffled forward with his walking stick. "San Mu, when you first came to get wine from me, you said it was to glorify the culture of China around the world. But I never imagined that you were only doing it for your own selfish gain, injecting it into traditional Chinese medicine and even patenting it! I let it go previously because you had leverage over me, but now I am gravely ill and won''t live much longer, there''s no need to put up with your threats anymore." San Mu''s eyes widened even more; he hadn''t expected things to take such a turn. "Old sir, please, don''t get angry. Those leverage points were just in my possession, I never told anyone about them, and I long since destroyed all that messy stuff, so you don''t have to be scared. I''m here this time hoping to follow through with our previous contract..." "So you''ve destroyed it long ago, you mean you''ve actually been freeloading my medicinal wine all these years!" Li Song''s face grew even angrier as he raised his walking stick and viciously swung it down, snapping San Mu''s already disabled leg clean in two. San Mu''s eyes bulged out; he had not expected Li Song to be so ruthless. Chen Yu watched in bafflement, not understanding the grudge between these three men, but Li Song''s strike at San Mu genuinely excited him. Just then, Li Song suddenly threw down his stick and scurried to a corner of the courtyard, where he pulled back the grapevines. Hidden among the thick grape leaves were indeed threerge vats of medicinal wine. As Li Song opened the lids, a rich fragrance instantly wafted out, enveloping the entire courtyard, seducing even Chen Yu into intoxication. This was not merely wine fermented from grapes; it contained at least a hundred different medicinal herbs. The medicinal effectsbined to treat hundreds of diseases, truly astonishing to behold. Chapter 281 30 Years of Research Achievements Chen Yu''s eyes sparkled as he stared intently at the threerge vats. On the "Cold Injury Herb Chart," there was a record of a fruit wine made mainly from pears and apples, which could be used to treat mostmon colds, and to some extent, even relieve pain. Li Song looked proudly at the people before him, then ced his cane on top of the threerge vats. "You all came here today for the wine in these vats. So, state your reasons. If you satisfy me, the wine is yours. If I''m not convinced, I''ll smash them right away," he said. San Mu suddenly became tense; his application for the new Traditional Chinese Medicine recipe required this fruit wine. If he couldn''t bring this wine back with him, his project would be ruined. In his anxiety, San Mu hurriedly stepped forward to stop him, but after just two steps, his body suddenly weakened and he copsed to the ground. The blow Li Song had delivered with his cane had not only injured his bones but also his tendons and meridians. He wouldn''t be able to recover for at least ten days to half a month. Chen Yu''s pupils widened. When he had seen the old man take action, it seemed like a light tap with a cane. How could it be so formidable? While he was still puzzled, Li Song had already taken a small bowl anddled out a bowl of wine from the vat, offering it to Tong Ming. "Old Tong, you''ve also contributed to making this wine. The veryst sip is for you," he said. Unexpectedly, Tong Ming, far from being grateful, sat down with a smile to the side. "Old Li, I can guarantee that this bowl of wine is not thest sip, and you''re not going to smash these three vats today either," he imed. Mr. Li Song was taken aback for a moment, then burst into heartyughter and drained the wine in his hand. "Alright, you''ve passed my test, so you''ll have a share of this wine. As for this young man..." he began. Before Li Song could finish, Chen Yu stepped forward and whispered into his ear. "Old master, the herbs you used for brewing this fruit wine, as well as their order, are..." Chen Yu had already discerned all the ingredients when he smelled the fruit wine and now he easily recited them. After listening, Li Song stood there thunderstruck. He never imagined someone else in the world could know his secret recipe. His breathing became rapid, and he seemed somewhat dazed. "Impossible. This is a family secret recipe of mine, and I''ve spent a full thirty years refining it. No one in the world besides me knows the exact method of production. Where did you steal it from?" he demanded. Tong Ming burst outughing, "My son-inw is unlike anyone else; he has an exceptional sense of smell that surpasses the ordinary, able to discern all your forms and even the brewing methods with just a sniff." Li Song sighed resignedly, "So you mean to say that even if I go back to these three vats, your son-inw could easily brew a new batch!" With that, Li Song retracted his cane and sat down somewhat helplessly. Chen Yu immediately felt relieved. Although he already knew the precise brewing method and the herbs used, it would still take him quite an effort to brew it himself. Moreover, the fruit wine in these threerge vats was also an extremely important raw material for him. If he could slightly refine it and offer it as a specialty drink in his shop, it would definitely be a hit. San Mu, lying on the ground and seeing the situation, suddenly had an odd gleam in his eyes. He slowly got up, made a bow to Li Song, and then left the ce, leaning on his cane. However, just as he was about to step out of the doorway, he paused and turned back to look at Chen Yu. The tense expression on Li Song''s face eased at once. Before this, San Mu had always used various threats to ckmail him, but now he was finally rid of the guy. Tong Ming didn''t stand on ceremony, dialing a phone call immediately after which two burly men entered the yard and carried away the threerge vats. Li Song didn''t obstruct them but only waved to Chen Yu. "Young man, you are very impressive! However, I must remind you that in order to make that fruit wine sessful, you''ll need a medicinal primer. Without these things, no matter how incredible your form is, it will not seed," said Li Song, taking out something that resembled a caterpir from his pocket. This thing looked somewhat like cordyceps, but the patterns on it were much more numerous than those on the cordyceps, and the medicinal scent it released even had an intoxicating quality. Chen Yu''s eyes widened in excitement as he took the caterpir from Li Song''s hand. "Core Earth Worms? Elder sir, these worms are not easy to catch." These were creatures that lived deep underground, requiring extremely stringent conditions to survive, and usually, they came in pairs. If one was captured, the other would emerge from the ground on its own. Li Song was also surprised that Chen Yu recognized the worms; he excitedly patted Chen Yu on the shoulder and then pulled out a box. "Back then, I went through a lot of hardship to catch these two worms, and now they are yours. You know how to use them, right?" Chen Yu nodded and gently stroked the heads of the two worms. These worms were incredibly precious and although their body fluids were necessary for making wine, they did not have to be killed; it only required some of their saliva. "Of course I know, thank you for your generous teaching, elder!" Li Song nodded, not saying much more, but as he was about to turn around and go back to the vi, Tong Ming called out to him. Chapter Discover: "Old Li, don''t rush off. If I remember correctly, you should have an ancient book with you, right? It contains quite a few treasures. Why not take it out and give it to my son-inw as well?" Li Song immediately started hopping mad: "Don''t be too greedy. I''ve already offered up thirty years of research oues; what more do you want from me?" Tong Ming didn''t care for theints. He took out a yin-yang jade pendant from his pocket and stuffed it into Li Song''s hand. "We are both old now, so we should do what the elderly are supposed to do, and someone is still waiting for you!" The sight of the jade pendant stopped Li Song in his tracks; he hadn''t expected Tong Ming to still have it. "You''re ruthless! I can give you the item, but you have to return the wine cer I lost to you ten years ago! When I leave here, I have to have some business to rely on," said Li Song. Tong Ming agreed readily, taking a key from his pocket and tossing it over as if he had anticipated Li Song''s condition all along. After receiving the key, Li Song immediately threw out a book. Chapter 282 Decorating the Building Tong Ming immediately stuffed the book into Chen Yu''s hands after he received it. It was a yellowed ancient tome, whose pages had be so brittle that they might crumble into pieces with just a little force. Chen Yu carefully flipped through the book and discovered that it was filled with extremely old medicinal recipes. If he looked closely, he would realize that it was actually a cookbook. It almost summarized all the foods in the world, providing methods of preparation, and each food''s corresponding medical benefits were also recorded. This was simply a perfectption of therapeutic foods! Chen Yu became instantly excited; he had always wanted to introduce a medicinal dietary window in his restaurant, but considering the varying illnesses it would target, he had hesitated to fully promote it. With this ancient book, he could systematically train Wang Qingshan and the other two, and in no time at all, they would be able to master the method of preparing medicinal dishes. Chen Yu took a moment to regte his breathing, striving to contain the excitement within him, and then carefully stored the ancient book away. After exchanging a few words with Li Song, Tong Ming left the ce with Chen Yu. Before long, Tong Ming and Chen Yu arrived at the building across from the restaurant. The building now seemed extremely calm, as the shops previously located beneath it had moved out one after another, leaving it deserted. Tong Ming nced at the quiet building, then patted Chen Yu on the shoulder. "The following tasks seem simple, but they are all troublesome. If you want to remodel this building, you must properly relocate the residents inside; otherwise, you''ll have a tough time with the follow-up matters," he said. Chen Yu nodded; he was well aware of the stakes involved, as there were no shortages of people who had thrown themselves off buildings over property disputes. While they were talking, a middle-aged man suddenly ran out of the building with two homemade Molotov cocktails made from gasoline in his hands. "I don''t care who you are, if you dare touch my house, I''m ready to fight for my life right now," he eximed. Chen Yu''s eyes widened in disbelief; it was as if his worst-case scenario hade to pass. However, in most cases, such people wouldn''t actuallymit suicide; after all, no one would truly gamble with their own life. As long as thepensation was sufficient, everything could be resolved. The man brandished the Molotov cocktails in his hands, his cold gaze sweeping the surroundings before swiftly locking onto Chen Yu and Tong Ming. After the auction, news that Chen Yu had acquired the ce had spread throughout the entire building, and everyone had memorized his face. So, whenever they saw Chen Yu approaching, they would immediately rush over, aiming to negotiate for a higherpensation amount. Chen Yu wasn''t the least bit panicked, but instead walked over nonchntly. He had already investigated the building, which, thoughmercial-residential, housed only thirteen families. Even if hepensated them at the highest market rate, it wouldn''t amount to much. The middle-aged man became somewhat flustered when he saw Chen Yu approach, hastily shaking the Molotov cocktail he held. But unexpectedly, Chen Yu acted quickly, moving right in front of him, grabbing his hands, and snatching the Molotov cocktail away. "Holding such dangerous things is risky. Besides, isn''t it just money you want? It''d be a bad deal to risk your life for it," Chen Yu said. With that, Chen Yu handed the man a check. The middle-aged man''s eyes lit up at the sight of the amount written on the check, and without further words, he eagerly took the check and dashed home, seemingly ready to move. Before Chen Yu could catch his breath, the other twelve households rushed down in a hurry. But when they saw the previous middle-aged man excitedly running back, they seemed somewhat disheartened. Before they coulde to terms with the situation, Chen Yu had already handed them prepared checks in turn. "Everyone, ording to the rules, this building is mine now. You were supposed to receive the minimum subsidy from the relevant departments and move out, but I''ve given you the highestpensation avable on the market. I hope you can give me a break and move out as soon as possible," Chen Yu said earnestly. Having sincerely spoken and offered the money already, the residents didn''t say much else. After ncing at their checks, they returned home. Before long, they were seen leaving the building with their belongings inrge and small bags, seemingly having been prepared and just waiting for thepensation. Tong Ming nodded with satisfaction at Chen Yu''s handling of the situation. For a businessman, it''s vital to consider the long-term strategy andprehensive value of a decision and not to waste time over trivial gains. Although Chen Yu had spent a lot on getting these people to move, he had saved a considerable amount of time. After sending the residents off, Chen Yu went straight upstairs. The building was the highest quality asset of all those auctioned, with all renovations alreadypleted, ready for immediate use, and turning it into a hotel wouldn''t take much time. After a brief tour of the building, Chen Yu contacted Xie Jiang immediately. The projects in the industrial park were finished, with only some final touches left; Xie Jiang just needed to leave one construction crew there. It wasn''t long before Xie Jiang arrived at the site with a group of workers, cheerful and eager. "Old Chen, I never expected you to line up work for me like this. The industrial park project just wrapped up, and you''ve given me such a big job. How can I ever thank you?" Xie Jiang eximed. Chen Yu didn''t say much, only produced a contract andid it in front of Xie Jiang. "I''ll share my design ideas and other details with youter. From now on, this ce is in your hands. Make sure toplete the project as quickly as possible," Chen Yu instructed. Xie Jiangughed heartily. "Leave it to me; I''ll take care of it. Besides, this ce is basically finished; it only needs some minor modifications. It won''t take more than a month," he assured. As he spoke, Xie Jiang fired up hisputer, scanned the entire building, and inputted the details that Chen Yu had stressed. Soon, numerous designs were generated on theputer. Chen Yu reviewed the preliminary ns and nodded in satisfaction. After conveying a few more details, he left the building with Tong Ming. Just as he stepped outside, Chen Yu noticed over a dozen vans inexplicably parked in front of his shop. A fierce-looking middle-aged man, apanied by a group of people, slowly disembarked from the vans. As soon as these folks got out of the vans, they barged into the shop in a very brash manner. Chapter 283: Chapter 283 Intermittent Psychosis Chen Yu frowned and hurriedly ran over. But he had barely taken two steps when Tong Ming stopped him. "What''s the rush, kiddo? Don''t you see who these people work for?" Only then did Chen Yu calm down and notice that these people were all wearing the uniforms of the Tong Group. "Dad, did you arrange for all these people?" Tong Mingughed heartily, "Since the building is yours now, you should move there as soon as possible, and your original store can be upgraded and renovated once more." Chen Yu nodded and didn''t say much more. His original store was situated between two buildings. If he could acquire the development rights to thend, dig deep into the foundations, and then add a few more floors on top, he might be able to transform it into a six-story building. The diners in the restaurant thought there was trouble when so many people suddenly burst in and quickly got up from their seats. One of them picked up a megaphone at hand and stood on a chair to shout. "Ladies and gentlemen, starting from today, the entire restaurant will be moving across the street. We hope for your understanding." Upon hearing this, all the people present became excited. They had been regr patrons since Chen Yu opened his restaurant and had watched him grow step by step to where he was today. The restaurant was so popr that there were always too many diners. Even though the shop wasrge, it couldn''t amodate the current volume of customers. If it could move to the building across the street, they would be happier than Chen Yu himself. This way, they wouldn''t have to queue up for meals in the future, and it could be more spacious too. All the customers spontaneously began to move, carrying tables and chairs to the building across the street and arranging them under the guidance of a professional. These buildings were connected to begin with, and the space on the first floor was very spacious. With a little tidying up, it could easily amodate the whole restaurant. As for the renovation, that was for the mixed-use rooms above the first floor, so it was possible to continue operating the restaurant while renovations were ongoing. Chen Yu felt an inexplicable excitement. Once the restaurant moved into the building, he would be able to expand his business even more. "Boss Chen, I really didn''t expect your restaurant to develop so quickly. The new location has barely been renovated for a few months, and now it''s already moving into the building." "Hey Chen, are you going to raise your menu prices after moving into the building?" "What are you talking about? Chen bought this huge building, so it''s only fair if he raises the prices a bit, isn''t it?" "Just look at those centenarian restaurants, their food is barely ptable and yet so expensive! Take Chen''s fried cakes for example, even if they cost five bucks each, I''d stille to eat." ... A bunch of people were discussing endlessly, some even started arguing, causing Chen Yu to feel somewhat overwhelmed. "Everyone, rest assured, the prices of my dishes will never go up!" As soon as these words were spoken, a wave of people began to praise him enthusiastically. It wasn''t long before the tables, chairs, and some of the kitchen equipment were moved to the first floor of the building. Chen Yu had already reviewed theyout here, so setting up was very convenient. In a short time, the entire restaurant had moved here, and it was even divided into several counters. After all, it was originally constructed with theyout of arge mall in mind, featuring many circr counters. With a little bit of tidying up and a few servers stationed at each circr counter, followed by sequentially putting up pictures of the food on the outside billboards, the restaurant was ready to operate normally. As for the other spacious areas, they could not only amodate tables and chairs and include some basic facilities, but also sell space to other manufacturers for advertising. Once the rooms in the building were tidied up, it could then be used as a hotel or for other purposes. Chen Yu looked at theyout in front of him with great satisfaction, his expectations for the future growing evenrger. After helping with all of this, Tong Ming didn''t stay much longer, as there were still a ton of things waiting for him to handle at Tong Group. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Tong Ming left the ce, surrounded by a group of bodyguards. Following that, Chen Yu directed everyone to move all the things from the warehouse over to this side. There were severalrge cold storages under the building, muchrger than the original restaurant''s cold storage, at least ten timesrger. Thus, the amount of semi-finished products that could be stored was greatly increased. Just as Chen Yu was tidying up, the sound of ss shattering suddenly came from not far away. A muscr middle-aged man carrying a small bag appeared in the hall, who knew when he had entered. In his other hand, he held a brick and coldly surveyed the hall. "Who the fuck let you open a restaurant here?" At these words, everyone on the scene was stunned for a moment. Chen Yu had already bought these buildings, and it was his business what he wanted to do here. What business was it of these people to interfere? Chen Yu also frowned, "I''m the person in charge here. Who are you guys? If there is an issue, talk to me!" The man sized Chen Yu up and down before swinging the brick in his hand down. The brick seemed to be made of concrete, mixed with some steel beads. Had it been an ordinary person, they would have lost their life from such a blow, but Chen Yu''s physical fitness had already reached the limit of human capability. When the brick hit his head, it broke apart while he himself remained unaffected. The middle-aged man looked incredulously at the half piece of brick left in his hand, his entire demeanor bing somewhat dazed. One of his purposes foring here was to find a reason to kill Chen Yu, for which he had even tampered with the brick. Who would have thought that Chen Yu''s head was so hard. Chen Yu also understood the man''s intention; the guy was simply a scapegoat, with definitely someone behind him. When he bought these buildings, several gazes locked onto him at the auction. Back then, due to Tong Ming''s influence, no one dared to touch him, but that didn''t mean those people wouldn''t y dirty in the shadows. The man in front of him was a desperado brought in by that bunch. Chen Yu exhaled a breath of turbid air and patted the dust off his head, then reached out and grabbed the middle-aged man''s shoulder. "Speak up, who sent you?" The middle-aged man found himself at a loss for words, he had done this kind of thing many times before, always ending up with it beingbeled an ident due to someone backing him up each time. He had never encountered a situation like today! "No one, I... I have mental illness, I just like to walk around with a brick, is that a problem?" The man hastily blurted out, at the same time taking out a certificate from his body. It was actually a formal intermittent mental illness certificate issued by the relevant authorities! The guy sure hade prepared. Chapter 284: Chapter 284 Chu Jianghe Chen Yu was not muddled either; he pulled out a certificate for non-staff personnel from a government department from his bag. Seeing the certificate, the middle-aged man''s eyes bulged as if he had seen something terrifying. "Impossible, how can you, a cook who owns a restaurant, have such a certificate?" Chen Yu''s face was full of mockery, "You, a drifter who can get a certificate for being mentally ill, why can''t I have a certificate for non-staff personnel?" The man was immediately thrown into extreme panic. With Chen Yu''s identity, he was qualified to confiscate his certificate for intermittent mental illness. Before he could react, Chen Yu had already snatched the certificate away. "After my assessment, you are just fine; you don''t need this certificate anymore!" The man was stiff as if struck by a bolt from the blue, and hispanions who came with him were panicked, scrambling to escape. But the patrons in the shop wouldn''t let them get away so easily; they took it upon themselves to stand at the door, blocking their escape route. The man''s eyes darted around rapidly. "No, even though you can confiscate my certificate, you can''t prove I''m not a normal person unless you have a medical practitioner license." Chen Yu said nothing, simply pulling out a medical practitioner license from his pocket. The man''s face turned ashen, never expecting Chen Yu to hold so many certificates. Before he could recover, Chen Yu had taken out handcuffs from his pocket and cuffed the man, while making a call to Zhou Shengtao. Just then, Chen Yu suddenly saw a business car parked at the entrance of the building. There were a pair of hawk-like eyes inside the car, staring intently over here. Chen Yu''s brows furrowed slightly, as, at that moment, the system scanned the information of the person inside the business car and disyed it in Chen Yu''s mind. Chu Jianghe! The head of the Chu Family from the Magic Capital, one of Tong Ming''s mainpetitors. Due to Suzhou City''s unique geographical location, both the Chu Family and the Tong Family had intentions to take control of Suzhou City. Unfortunately for the Chu Family, they were one step behind, which allowed the Tong Family to easily upy half of Suzhou City''s territory. During the previous auction, Chu Jianghe had not arrived at the scene in time and thus came away empty-handed. What he had set his sights on was exactly the block of buildings that Chen Yu had purchased. This ce, close to the city center, could serve as corporate headquarters or be used for other purposes. If the Chu Family could take over this spot, they would stand a chance to outmaneuver the Tong Family in Suzhou City. Therefore, at all costs, Chu Jianghe had sourced some thugs from the street, hoping to have Chen Yu killed by ident. But who could have imagined that Chen Yu not only had multiple identities, but also a remarkably strong constitution, to the point where even specially tampered bricks couldn''t harm him in the slightest. Chu Jianghe''s eyes were filled with resentment, but under the circumstances, he couldn''t linger, quickly instructing the driver to start the car. Yet as soon as the car started, Chen Yu stood in front of it, cing one hand on the window. "Mr. Chu, I''ve long admired your reputation and would like to invite you for a casual drink. Would you grace me with your presence?" Chu Jianghe''s expression changed, never expecting Chen Yu to have such audacity. Without saying much, Chu Jianghe got out of the car and walked arrogantly into the hall. The restaurant''s facilities had basically all been moved over and were ready for normal operation. When the cooperation was initially set up, Chen Yu had Wang Qingshan bring all the restaurant''s signature dishes, even opening a jar of fruit wine on the spot. "Mr. Chu, you''vee at the perfect time. This jar of wine was brought over from an old senior; it has been fermented for thirty years, and it''s mixed with a hundred medicinal herbs, able to cure various diseases." Chu Jianghe''s expression shifted slightly. Having spent so many years in the business world, he had seen it all, but he had never heard of this kind of fruit wine before. The smell it emitted had a unique fragrance, and just by taking a sniff, he felt a sense of light-headedness. Without hesitation, Chu Jianghe lifted his ss and downed the wine in one gulp. "Excellent wine! Although I do not drink, I do enjoy collecting wine. I have a cer full of various famous wines from all around the world, but I have never seen this one." Chen Yu chuckled lightly and poured himself a cup. "If the elder likes it, that''s all that matters. However, I am puzzled about one thing. Why did you suddenly act against me? Have we had a dispute before?" Chu Jianghe tensed up a bit; he didn''t know what to say. Compared to him, Chen Yu''s magnanimity and vision seemed to surpass that of the elder. "No hard feelings, you just got in my way. Plus, I''ve had decades of feud with that old man Tong. Since we''ve met here in Suzhou City, I intend to settle things once and for all." Chen Yu didn''t say much, simply inviting Chu Jianghe to eat. In the following ten minutes, neither said a word. Chu Jianghe just sat there eating by himself, while Chen Yu stared fixedly at him. Only after Chu Jianghe finished eating, did Chen Yu speak up again. "How does the food here suit you, elder?" Chu Jianghe put down his chopsticks, "One could say it''s a delicacy from heaven; I''ve never tasted anything so delicious in my life!" As he spoke, Chu Jianghe took out a unique handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his mouth. "While eating just now, I took the opportunity to observe theyout here and grasped an understanding of your business model. This block of buildings really can achieve their full potential in your hands." Chen Yu smiled faintly, "So it seems Mr. Chu is not intending topete with me anymore." Chu Jianghe grabbed the walking stick beside him, "That old man Tong is narrow-minded. I didn''t expect him to have a son-inw like you. I''m even a bit envious!" "I refrained today simply because I admire you. As for Tong Ming, I will still settle my score with him!" Chen Yu refrained from saying more. After all, it was a grudge between the older generation, and even if he understood the details, it wasn''t his ce to meddle. Chu Jianghe got up slowly and just as he took two steps, he turned back. "I heard your restaurant offers meal services forpanies. If you don''t mind, from now on, I''d like to order employee meals from you, and I hope you can deliver on time." Chen Yu nodded, "I''m in business to serve customers. With a big client like you knocking, I''ve no reason to refuse. Just leave me the address and the number of employees. But I have to warn you, the price for meals from my ce is several percent higher than others." Chu Jianghe let out a heartyugh, "For such delicious food, even if the price were several times higher, I would ept it." With that, he pulled out a check from his pocket and handed it to Chen Yu. Chapter 285: Chapter 285 Pharmaceutical Factory After Chu Jianghe left, Chen Yu finally let out a sigh of relief. He hadn''t expected to encounter Tong Ming''spetitor at this time. However, this fellow was quite insidious, actually finding someone with intermittent mental illness toe here and cause trouble, even attempting to take his life. But this person''sposure was indeed extraordinary, one second he wanted to kill Chen Yu, and the next he was ordering a meal from him. No wonder he had made the Chu Family the number one family in the Magic City. After exining some details to the employees and Xie Jiang, Chen Yu drove to the factory. Hou Jianchang had been waiting for Chen Yu early at the factory gate. After all, several nearby factories had already been bought by Chen Yu, and as the factory manager, Hou Jianchang had to take part in the handover as well. But when the two arrived at the factory, they found that at the gates of several factories, there stood arge number of workers, holding various tools, their presence menacing. Chen Yu quickly stopped the car and hurried out. "Everyone, I''m here to take over the factory," he said. "I mean no harm, and I hope you all can put down whatever you''re holding." But these people werepletely unreceptive. An elderly worker at the head of the group took a few steps forward with a hoe in hand. "Kid, I don''t care what you intend to do, but the former owner of this factory owes us money and hasn''t paid up. Unless you make that guy pay us, we''re not leaving." Chen Yu couldn''t help frowning. The old man''s words were somewhat incoherent, but he understood the gist of them. The workers were afraid he would take over the factory and forcibly evict them. "Don''t worry. I''ve taken over this factory and I''ve taken over all of you as well, so your wages are my responsibility. Also, I will rehire all the technical jobs in this factory!" Upon hearing this, the workers present quieted down. The elderly man and several older workers exchanged nces, then looked at Chen Yu with suspicion. "You''re not trying to trick us, are you? I''ve been a factory worker all my life, and I''ve seen factories being sold a few times. The new factory owners always try to drive away the original workers and never pay a dime!" Chen Yu replied somewhat helplessly, "Don''t worry, I''ve brought the money already, and I have the factory''s ledger in my hand. If you don''t trust me, you can line up right now ande collect your wages from me." The lead old man was obviously taken aback but still somewhat doubtful. "Brothers, let''s trust him this time. Line up here, and I''ll see how much he''s going to pay us," he said. As he spoke, the old man directly moved some tables over in front of Chen Yu to serve as a temporary desk. Chen Yu didn''t hesitate; taking out his phone, he called out names ording to the personnel roster recorded in the ledger and distributed wages in turn. Normally, suchrge-scale wage distribution should be conducted through a bank, considering that it also involves many tax issues. But given the urgent situation, Chen Yu couldn''t care about that. He had to get the money into the workers'' hands first and deal with the restter. When the workers received their full wages, they were incredulously looking at their bank card bnces. In their minds, without a struggle, there was no way to get the money rightfully owed to them. Yet now, Chen Yu hadn''t said much, and he had fully and generously paid their wages. As everyone was moved, the old man from before stood up again. "Boss, we used to contribute to social security and the housing fund here. Now that you''ve paid us our wages, does it mean we are no longer entitled to these benefits?" Chen Yu approached affectionately and patted the old man on the shoulder, then took out a booklet from his hand. "This contains records of everyone''s contributions to social security and the housing fund. After taking over the project, I will continue all of it! As long as you are willing to continue working here, none of the benefits will change." The elder''s breathing became rapid, and he stared at Chen Yu somewhat incredulously. "What''s the deal with you? Are you the ''silly and rich'' type from the legends?" Chen Yu couldn''t help but smile; it seemed these workers had been scared off by deceitful practices. "This ce used to process medicinal materials, and the project I want to do also involves medicinal materials, so you are all extremely valuable to me. I don''t care how much the previous factory paid you, but after I take over, everyone will get a raise of one thousand!" At these words, all the workers present erupted in excitement. They had never expected to encounter such a fortunate circumstance, as they had all been prepared for a bloody sacrifice before. After pacifying the workers, Chen Yu went with Hou Jianchang into the factory. Upon entering, Chen Yu smelled an extremely strong scent of medicine, although the smell was mixed with a lot of impurities. It seemed that the former factory had mixed a lot of random substances into the medicine during production. Chen Yu frowned and followed the scent to arge pool of medicinal materials. A few of the older workers also followed behind. After briefly observing the powdered medicinal materials inside, Chen Yu''s face showed a hint of anger. "Has the production of medicinal materials always been like this here?" The old man from before sighed helplessly, "I''ve been working here ten years. At the beginning, they really used some good medicines, but as time went by, they started adding all sorts of mess, and it eventually got to this state! We reported this to the higher-ups many times, but nobody cared." Chen Yu exhaled slowly. It seemed all of this was done by Wu Zhonghe and had nothing to do with the workers here. "From now on, all procedures must be strictly monitored. I don''t want to see this situation again. As for the medicinal materials needed for work, I will ship them from other ces, ensuring they are all top-grade." The workers again grew excited. They haven''t seen real medicinal materials for a long time, let alone top-grade ones. Chen Yu didn''t say much else but reassured the workers and then moved on with Hou Jianchang to the next factory. Of Wu Zhonghe''s factories, four were pharmaceutical nts, and the rest were all food processing nts. Almost all of the factories used very low-grade raw materials, some of which were poor quality leftovers from others. And like the previous pharmaceutical nt, all of the workers gathered, wanting to confront Chen Yu. However, after replenishing all of their wages, they didn''t say much else. Some even regarded Chen Yu as their savior. Chapter 286 Heading South to Sell Medicine After sessfully taking over all the factories, Chen Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief. He really hadn''t anticipated that Wu Zhonghe would leave such a mess for him. One of the food factories hadn''t paid wages for an entire half year. It was a wonder how the workers there had managed to hold on. Though these factories had beenpletely taken over, theiryout was too scattered, and it was somewhat troublesome to want to operate them systemically. Chen Yu frowned, realizing that if he truly wanted to produce custom drugs on arge scale, he would probably have to take over other factories as well, forming a specialized pharmaceutical industrial park. This was indeed a huge project. If nothing unexpected happened, he would have to buy up the surrounding factories one by one. However, for the time being, the most pressing matter was to find the original source of the medicinal materials. "Old Chen, all the workers have been pacified, but having so many people here is a huge expense for food and lodging. Do you think we should figure out a way to weed some of them out?" Hou Jianchang''s face showed difficulty, as an experienced factory manager, he understood the operation''s key. Moreover, they had unconditionally kept all the workers and even paid their back wages, fulfilling a moral obligation. But with so many workers, it was inevitable that some were just skiving off, and there was simply no need to keep people like that around. Chen Yu stroked his chin and pondered. "For now, let''s not dismiss anyone. We''ve just taken over these factories, and what''s most important is the workers'' morale. If we cause any disturbances, the consequences would be unthinkable." Hou Jianchang heaved a helpless sigh. This was indeed a troubling matter. "Then when do we arrange for them to start working? We can''t just let this big crowd sit idle." Chen Yu patted Hou Jianchang''s shoulder, "Old Hou, you keep an eye on these people for me for now, and make sure nothing goes wrong. I need to go out and find the source of the medicinal materials during this time!" "Don''t worry, I''ll arrange everything here." Hou Jianchang replied and immediately made a phone call. During this time, he had already cultivated a group of practical workers in the factory, and these individuals could serve as factory managers anywhere. Temporarily putting them in charge of some of the workers was an easy task. After settling the matters in Suzhou City, Chen Yu went directly to Nanyun. It could be said to be the center of medicinal materials in the entire East, with more than seventy percent of the world''s medicinal materials originating from there. Chen Yu traveled without any rest, almost rushing nonstop to Nanyun. But as soon as he left the airport, he was astounded by everything he saw. The bustling airport perimeter was filled with many vendors, each stallden with various medicinal materials. The rich scent of herbs permeated outside the airport, and just a whiff was enough to feel refreshing and clear-headed. Just as Chen Yu was about to approach and inquire about the prices of the herbs, he suddenly stopped in his tracks as he detected an odd scent among them. Not far away, a small stall disyed arge number of Paris polyphy, amon medicinal herb in Nanyun. Most Paris polyphy had seven leaves and one flower, but the ones in front of him had nine leaves and two flowers. This item, at a nce, was obviously mutated, and, moreover, the flowers of these Paris polyphy were a vivid red. Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown. If it were someone else, they probably would have treasured it and bought it on the spot. "Brother, looking at herbs? This is the most precious nine-leaf Paris polyphy, our local specialty. If you take it to another ce, its value could increase a hundredfold." The small vendor called out, then looked at Chen Yu with a hopeful gaze. If it were anyone else, they likely would have made the purchase, but that just wasn''t possible with Chen Yu. Not to mention that he could see at a nce whether this Paris polyphy was real or fake, the system had already clearly analyzed theponents of this thing and projected them in his mind. Chen Yu didn''t say much, just nced away and continued on his way, but unexpectedly, just as he had gone a few steps, those vendors that were selling herbs suddenly stopped him. "Kid, you''re from out of town, aren''t you? Don''t you know the rules here? If you don''t buy some herbs after getting off the ne, that''s showing us disrespect." Chen Yu wanted tough immediately; it seemed these guys were the local bullies. No wonder so many people headed straight here to buy herbs the moment they got off the ne, and many of them appeared quite reluctant. Chen Yu didn''t want to make a big deal out of it with these guys. After all, he was here to trade herbs and didn''t need to get involved with them. Without saying much more, he walked over to a small stall, threw down ten thousand yuan, casually picked up a herb, and then turned around to leave. This time, those vendors didn''t stop him but merely took the money and remarked that he was understanding. Nanyun was situated at the junction of subtropical and tropical zones, where natural resources were abundant. Aside from the copious amount of herbs, there were numerous fruits and various subtropical cash crops. Chen Yu admired the scenery along the way as he quickly made his way toward the herb market. Before long, he arrived at a rather bustling small town. The town, backed by arge mountain, had generations of residents who lived by gathering herbs and hunting. In modern society, with the enactment of hunting bans, the main livelihood of the locals had shifted to growing and trading medicinal herbs. At the foot of the mountainy arge trading market, where a wide variety of herbs were avable. It was the first stop for every merchant who dealt in herbs. Chen Yu also eagerly joined the crowd and entered. But as he stepped through the gate, he froze in ce. This was indeed arge herb market with aplete range of medicinal nts, but the air was mixed with many strange scents, just like the odors at the airport entrance. It seemed not all the herbs here were authentic. Chen Yu sighed in resignation, and just as he was about to leave, a voice suddenly rang out from behind him. "Young man, you seem to know your stuff, huh? Running around here to exchange herbs. Come on, my family still has lots of valuable herbs. I''ll give you a good deal." Chen Yu turned around and saw that the speaker was the same person who had previously forced him to buy Paris polyphy at the train station. The guy was quick; he had arrived here before Chen Yu. However, Chen Yu had practically been sightseeing along the way, so naturally, his pace was slower. "I wouldn''t dare buy your herbs. There are many I haven''t even seen before, and I don''t even know their effects. If I bought the wrong ones, that could spell serious trouble," Chen Yu responded dismissively and prepared to leave. Chapter 287: Chapter 287 Big Tiger and Second Dog "Stop right there!" The man suddenly shouted and then immediately stepped forward to grab Chen Yu''s shoulder. "If a medicine is used incorrectly, it won''t be fatal. You just need another medicine to fix it. Besides, you''re out here doing business with medicinal materials, not healing the sick and saving lives. Why so serious? How about this, we be friends, you give me a list of medicinal materials, and I''ll send them to you right away." Chen Yu furrowed his brow, surprised by how persistent this guy was. Furthermore, as the guy reached over his shoulder, a dozen or so brawny men began to emerge nearby. These men all bore the unmistakable mark of Nan Yun, each with the same tattoo on their necks. One nce was enough to tell these men belonged to the same group. Chen Yu let out a slight breath, his body suddenly twisting as he grabbed the man''s waist and fiercely pinched a chunk of his flesh. "Are you saying I can''t leave here intact today if I don''t buy the medicine?" The man''s pupils dted suddenly, wanting to say something but not daring to speak, as intense pain made his body tremble uncontrobly. He knew that if Chen Yu applied a bit more force, he could tear off the piece of flesh on his stomach. "Brother, who exactly are you?" Chen Yu didn''t answer, just increased the pressure of his grip. "Don''t move, and don''t speak. Just get me out of here like this, and signal your men to back off, or else you''ll bear the consequences." The man didn''t dare to dy, nodding repeatedly while gesturing to the approaching men with a wave to back off. Chen Yu, holding the man, watched his surroundings cautiously and soon reached the entrance. But just as he was about to leave, a burly man suddenly jumped out from the doorway, holding a thick medicinal harvesting stick in his hand. However, this guy appeared to be quite simple-minded, even his eyes seemed a bit confused. His jump might have been intimidating at first, but a closer look would reveal that he was nothing but a simpleton. "Er Gou brother? Where are you headed?" Chen Yu couldn''t help but pause. Didn''t the simpleton realize he was currently holding Er Gou hostage? Er Gou was getting impatient now, "Get the fuck out of the way, can''t you see I''m busy here?" That, well, the big brother didn''t say much, just nodded and turned to sit down beside them. Er Gou''s body visibly shuddered. He had said that line in hopes of reminding the simpleton to help him escape, but to his surprise, the guy just ignored the situation entirely and sat down nonchntly. Just as he was about to speak again, Chen Yu applied more force in his hand. "Er Ge, what''s going on with you today? Hurry up and take me to the ce where you said those medicinal materials grow. I have to see what kind of treasure spot it is!" Chen Yu said this to distract the simpleton so he could continue to take Er Gou away, but unexpectedly, the guy leapt up immediately. "So you were going to the medicinal herb site? Why didn''t you say so earlier? Only I know that ce, and only I can take you there! Since that''s the case, let''s set out right now." Chen Yu didn''t react at first, even doubting whether this big lug''s brain had a problem. However, since this big lug knew the way to the medicinal herb growing area, that did save him a lot of trouble. "That''s right, Ergou and I came out specifically to find you, hurry up and take us there." The big lug happily nodded his head and then drove a truck over from the side. After the three of them got on the truck one after another, the big lug started the vehicle and raced off. On the way, Ergou kept winking at the big lug, but the big lug just ignored him, pretending not to see. It took a full three hours before the truck stopped in a bumpy area. "Ergou brother, we''re here,e down quick, we still need to cross over the stone wall." Fear suddenly appeared on Ergou''s face, but the next moment it turned to excitement. "Huzi, this gentleman is a rock climbing expert. He doesn''t need you to carry him across, just point out a path for him and he can climb over by himself." Upon hearing this, Huzi became immediately excited, looking at Chen Yu with an almost worshipful gaze. "I always thought that aside from our vige''s people, no one else could safely enter and exit that valley. It seems I''ve been really ignorant. Big brother, quickly climb over so I can see how you get across those cliffs." Chen Yu instantly caught on. It looked like Ergou wanted him to die on those cliffs. "It''s just a mere cliff. Getting across is very simple. I''m afraid only an idiot like Ergou would need to be carried across by someone." After a fierce insult, Chen Yu let go of Ergou and headed straight for the cliff. "Dammit, are you sick? Didn''t you see this kid was holding me hostage just now? Hurry up and take him down." Ergou shouted in anger, even leaping up to p Huzi''s face. Huzi felt wronged from the p, "Brother Ergou, this guy was clearly brought by you. How would I know what he''s up to? Plus, you just said he could climb across the cliff. The elders in our tribe say whoever can climb across that cliff is our friend." Ergou was so mad he was half dead, "You''re such a fucking idiot..." Before he could finish, Ergou suddenly noticed that Chen Yu''s body was already hanging on the cliff wall, with his movements incredibly agile, just like the monkeys in these mountains. "Huzi, if I''m not wrong, your brother Ergou once climbed this cliff by himself too, otherwise you two could have never be friends. How about we have apetition?" Chen Yu''s loud shout instantly got Huzi excited. He grabbed Ergou and started running forward. "Brother Ergou, I''ve been carrying you across these past few times. This time you try it, just like the first time you came to my group." Ergou''s eyes bulged. Before, in order to get across the cliff, he had set up some mechanisms above to trick Huzi. But now there were no such contraptions on the cliff, and if he tried to climb, it would be a dead end. "Huzi, listen to me, I''m not feeling good today, haven''t eaten yet, how could I possibly have the strength to climb the cliff? How about you still carry me across this time?" But Huzi justughed loudly, "Brother Ergou, it''s good that you haven''t eaten. The elders in the tribe say that if you''ve eaten too much, you might not be able to make it across. I remember seeing several senior members starve for several days just to climb over this ce!" Chapter 288 The Ancient Town of Medicinal Herbs Ergou''s screams suddenly spread throughout the entire cliff, eventually even turning into pleas for help. Dahu ignored everything and leapt onto the tooth wall, casually cing Ergou on a solitary rock before heading straight over to Chen Yu. It didn''t take long before Dahu and Chen Yu reached the opposite side of the cliff. But Ergou remained standing there, utterly alone, afraid even to make a move. "Dahu,e and save me quickly! Otherwise, I''m really going to fall down." Dahu was taken aback, "Ergou, what''s wrong with you? You used to jump over so easily, howe now you don''t dare to move?" Chen Yu scoffed coldly, then found a rock nearby and sat down. "If I''m not mistaken, he must''ve rigged some kind of device on himself when he came with you before, or there''s no way he could''ve crossed so easily." Dahu''s eyes widened in surprise, "What do you mean?" Chen Yu pointed at Ergou, "Look at him, he doesn''t have a muscle on his body, his form is thin and small like that, with no sense of bnce whatsoever. How could he possibly have jumped across this cliff?" Dahu''s expression instantly stiffened, and he seemed somewhat dazed. "Ergou, is that true? Did you have a device on you when you jumped over before?" By this point, Ergou didn''t dare to hide anything anymore. "Before, when I jumped in front of you, it was to sneak into your vige to get some medicinal herbs. Now I realize my mistake, please just take me back. I don''t want to die here." Dahu''s breathing became rapid, "So you''re saying, you never considered me a brother!" Ergou didn''t speak; he didn''t know what to say. From the very beginning, he was just using Dahu; they weren''t even friends, let alone brothers. Chen Yu sighed helplessly and stepped forward to pat Dahu''s shoulder. "Someone like him, who only cares about himself, how could he possibly consider you a brother?" Dahu might not look very clever, but he had a pure nature, treating everyone with his whole heart, which was exactly why he was so easily deceived by Ergou. Chen Yu didn''t say much more, just took a vine from the side and threw it into the middle of the cliff. "Ergou, you can climb back using this vine. Good luck." Ergou grabbed the vine like a lifeline and moved towards the side of the cliff. Dahu sat in ce, heartbroken for a while, then picked up his stick and turned to walk towards the vige; Chen Yu was not about to let such an opportunity slip by and quickly followed. Before long, the two men arrived at a mountain stream, one after the other. Although the ce didn''t seem to be anything special at first nce, a closer look revealed an extremely prosperous vige hidden among the mountains and ridges. All sorts of retro-style buildings could be seen here, including even the legendary cylindrical drum towers. When Chen Yu saw all this, he was instantly thrilled to the extreme. He had long heard that deep within the southern clouds therey a secluded tribe that subsisted solely on gathering herbs, isted from the rest of the world to this day. At first, he was a bit skeptical, as it was hard to believe that in modern society, there could be a tribe hidden from civilization, especially when even those in the mountains were recorded. "Our ancestors were a branch of the ancient Li tribe, whoter relocated here to avoid the turmoils of war. Since then, we have rarely had any contact with the outside world," Dahu was still enthusiastic as he gave an introduction, then he pulled Chen Yu towards the vige. There was an ancient rule in their tribe that had not changed for a thousand years: anyone who could climb the cliff outside the vige would be regarded as an honored guest of theirmunity. Previously, Ergou had used some tricks to climb up, but now Chen Yu had truly climbed the cliff on his own merit, so naturally, Dahu was going to treat him as an esteemed guest. Chen Yu did not say much, but simply followed behind Dahu. Yet just as they arrived at the vige, a group of men armed with forks and herb-gathering tools stood at the entrance of the vige in a vignt manner. Seeing this, Dahu suddenly felt a surge of guilt. He threw the stick he was holding aside and knelt at the entrance of the vige. "Everyone, I was wrong to bring troublemakers into our vige before, but now I know my mistake. He could never have climbed that cliff." Seeing how earnest Dahu was, the other vigers didn''t say much. An elderly man with a faltering step came up to Dahu and gently patted his shoulder. "That''s alright, child. You are naive and were deceived. We don''t me you, but from now on, don''t bring any more riffraff into our vige." While someone was speaking, they fixed Chen Yu with an unkind stare. Dahu quickly stood up, "Elder Chieftain, this man is different from the previous one. He truly can climb that cliff; I witnessed it with my own eyes." The Elder Chieftain snorted coldly, showing no good grace towards Chen Yu. The reason they had gathered there today was to guard against Ergou, and they did not expect Chen Yu to show up. "There aren''t many in this world who can climb that cliff, and for thousands of years, only the trickster Ergou has used devious means to enter our vige! You, young man, don''t seem very trustworthy either, how did you get in?" Chen Yu was suddenly a bit frustrated. How had he be untrustworthy? "Elder, I am here only to procure some medicinal herbs. Meeting Dahu was aplete ident, and that Ergou tried to trick me and have me fall down the cliff to my death..." "Don''t bother telling me these things!" the Elder Chieftain interrupted Chen Yu bluntly: "We knew by Ergou''s third visit that he was a swindler, but because Dahu always treated him as a friend, we didn''t expose him prematurely. But we won''t let such an incident happen a second time." Chen Yu sighed helplessly, "If the Elder Chieftain doesn''t believe my words, you can verify them. I can go to the cliff outside right now, climb up and down a few times, and let you witness it yourself if you wish!" "It''s not about climbing cliffs!" the Elder Chieftain rolled his eyes: "Since you im to be here for the herbs, you must know something about them, right? I happen to have a few herbs here. Could you please identify them for me?" Saying this, the Elder Chieftain waved his hand to the tribespeople behind him, after which several young girls came forward holding trays. On their trays were ced a dozen or so medicinal herbs of various shapes. Chapter 289 Ice Silkworm Tears Chen Yu felt somewhat helpless; it seemed the old chieftain was intent on testing him. He didn''t say much more, for identifying medicinal herbs was not a difficult task for him, as his mind possessed the limits of current human medical knowledge. But when he walked over, he was immediately taken aback. Out of the sixteen trays, there were twelve kinds of medicinal herbs he had never seen before, and there was no record of them even in the medical knowledge within his head. "Seven-Flower Leaf, Five-Color Fragrance, Frosty Sky Root, Flying Fish Willow!" After naming those four medicinal herbs, Chen Yu paused. To tell the truth, these four herbs were also extremely rare, and perhaps in this world, only Chen Yu could recognize all of them at the same time. Yet, the remaining twelve herbs made Chen Yu hesitate. [System prompt, analyzing the category of medicinal herbs] At the moment the system''s voice sounded, Chen Yu let out a sigh of relief. It wasn''t long before a wealth of information appeared in his mind. "Sky Wolf Hemp, ck Water Fruit..." He named the remaining eleven herbs smoothly, but then Chen Yu was stumped. The final herb was such that even the system could not deduce its real name. This thing looked like a giant white bug squirming slowly. If he were to observe closely, he would find it appeared to be a liquid congealed together. Moreover, it emitted a strange fragrance. Chen Yu felt somewhat frustrated. What kind of rare item was this that even the system could not analyze it? However, in his heart, a surge of excitement also blossomed. A small vige was able to produce such rare medicinal herbs, which meant there must be a massive medicinal herb base here. "Honored chieftain, forgive my ignorance. I have never seen thisst herb before, and I do not recognize it." Unexpectedly, the old chieftain burst into heartyughter, patting Chen Yu''s shoulder with some excitement. "When that Er Gou came before, he could only identify one herb. The thought that you could identify eleven in one go! Even the people in our vige may not be able to identify so many." The other people also looked at Chen Yu with an admiring gaze, as if they were looking at a deity. The nearby Da Hu also ran over excitedly and lifted him up in a hug. "Do you know? Thatst herb is a unique man-made medicinal herb from our area called ''Ice Silkworm Tears!'' Besides the people in our vige, no one else can recognize it." Hearing Da Hu say this, Chen Yu finally understood. It was a herb that had never appeared before; no wonder even the system could not determine it. But Chen Yu had also developed a great interest in the Ice Silkworm Tears. "Honored chieftain, may I ask what are the effects of this herb?" The old chieftain didn''t immediately answer but enthusiastically led Chen Yu into the vige. Before long, Chen Yu was brought in front of arge expanse of medicinal fields. As the great array of medicinal herbs came into view, Chen Yu was also stunned there. There were tens of thousands of herbs intertwining in the air, and just a slight whiff was refreshing to the spirit. "This is our medicinal field. Whatever herbs you wish to purchase, you may choose yourself! However, I must say this in advance, we here do not ept any form of currency, only goods!" Chen Yu was taken aback, for he had never heard of such a requirement before. However, after giving it some thought, the vige is so remote that even if they were given money, there would be nowhere to spend it. Only goods would be of any practical use. "That''s easy to handle. Please, elder, write me a list of goods, and I will make sure they are delivered in the shortest possible time," The elder nodded in satisfaction, then waved over a few of the women who gathered herbs. Chen Yu didn''t stand on ceremony and directly led the women into the herb fields. Before long, severalrge baskets of herbs had been gathered. The herbs here were naturally nourished by the environment, giving them an exceedingly strong medicinal effect, many times more potent than those cultivated in greenhouses. If the herbs from here were used as raw materials, the output of semi-finished herbal products would greatly increase. The elder had meanwhile made a list of the necessary goods and handed it over to Chen Yu. "Since you have already got your hands on the herbs, we won''t see you off. The herbs you have taken can only be transported out by yourself." Chen Yu coughed twice, realizing that even though his body was at the peak of human physical prowess, carrying so many herbs across the cliff would still be quite the challenge. However, thinking back on the incident with Er Gou, Chen Yu came to terms with the situation. "If that is so, then I shall take my leave. Farewell!" he said politely before packing up the herbs and hoisting them onto his back. The enormous bundle of herbs was twice Chen Yu''s size, looking like a small mountain upon his back. Chen Yu didn''t dwell on it and, with the herbs on his back, bolted for the outskirts of the vige. This sight left the vigers staring in amazement. With so many herbs, to be able to move so freely was something only Da Hu in their vige was capable of doing. Since Chen Yu was a newly made friend of Da Hu, he did not wish to see any harme to him and instinctively followed. But by the time Da Hu caught up, Chen Yu had already scaled the cliff with therge bundle and was on the other side. Da Hu breathed a sigh of relief and headed back to the vige. Now that Er Gou''s true colors had been revealed, there was no longer a need for him to leave the vige. Chen Yu wandered the mountainous terrain with his bundle on his back. The truck that had been driven there was long gone, taken by Er Gou, leaving Chen Yu with no choice but to walk down the mountain. But just as he reached the foot of the mountain, arge group of people suddenly appeared at the road, blocking his way. "Damn it to hell, I''ve been dealing herbs here for so many years without a hitch. Youe along and abruptly ruin my business. If I don''t chop you into pieces today, I won''t be able to hold my head up in this area," Er Gou''s annoying voice suddenly rang in his ears, causing Chen Yu to frown. Before he could react, arge group of people armed with weapons and shouting loudly charged at him. Chen Yu sighed in resignation; he really didn''t want to fuss too much with these people. After a slight adjustment of his breathing, he deftly untied the bundle from his back and hurled it fiercely at the ones charging at the front, pinning them to the ground. Then, like a bolt of lightning, he dashed forward, knocking the rest to the ground with a few punches and kicks, and directly lifted Er Gou up. "You''re no more than an ant in my eyes. I don''t want to stoop to your level. Get lost now, or else I''ll take you back to that cliff and let you hang there for a few days and nights to thoroughly appreciate the ce!" Chapter 290 Wingsuit Enthusiast Er Gou''s spirit had reached the peak of bewilderment; he had never imagined Chen Yu could be so formidable. Back when Chen Yu had climbed the cliff with his bare hands, Er Gou had realized Chen Yu was skilled, which is why he had brought a few more people along, all armed with weapons. But to his surprise, these men were no match for Chen Yu, who knocked them to the ground swiftly and efficiently. "Big brother, I know I was wrong," Er Gou begged for mercy. "From now on, do whatever you want here; I won''t interfere. If there''s anything you need, I''m ready to go through fire and water for you, no shirking." Er Gou kept pleading, as if one less word spoken would result in Chen Yu throwing him off the cliff. Chen Yu didn''t waste much time there; he tossed therge bag of medicine onto a truck by the roadside, took the keys from Er Gou, and drove straight to the shipment station. Though the batch of medicinal herbs didn''t appear extensive, they were all extremely pure and valuable, any of which could potentially fetch a sky-high price at an auction if sold separately. Therefore, he had to send all the medicinal herbs back as quickly as possible. After making a call to Hou Jianchang and detailing some specifics, he proceeded to a small restaurant near the shipment station. The people of Nanyun have a habit of enjoying various oddities. These delicacies all share onemon trait: bizarre vors. Strange-vored broad beans were one such specialty. Chen Yu sat down at a small stall and casually ordered a bowl of noodles. He had expected them to be just ordinary noodles, but upon tasting the first bite, the sweet and spicy vors melded together and shot straight to his forehead. And on the surface of the noodles was sprinkled ayer of finely chopped vegetable leaves. They seemed to be a unique type of coriander local to the area. After getting used to it a little, Chen Yu took another couple of bites and rapidly analyzed the ingredients of the noodles in his mind. Before long, he had memorized theplete recipe. To say the noodles had a strange vor was an understatement, but their texture was excellent, and they could be easily incorporated with various medicinal herbs to create an ideal base for medicinal dishes. Just then, the owner of the shop approached with a smile and sat across from Chen Yu. "By the look of it, you seem to be a connoisseur," said the owner. "Rarely does anyone savor my noodles with their eyes closed in such appreciation." Chen Yu felt slightly embarrassed; his actions could almost be considered stealing the trade. "I''m just experiencing this vor for the first time and wanted to appreciate it fully. At best, I''m just a food lover, far from a connoisseur," he replied. The owner chuckled and signaled to his staff to bring over another bowl. "Frankly, these noodles are but an ordinary dish here, nothing special. Maybe you find them delicious because you''re trying them for the first time. Anyway, we locals are quite used to them." Chen Yu expressed his thanks and returned to eating, while the owner brought over two more side dishes. These pickled vegetables were clearly homemade by the owner, carrying a Sichuan vorbined with Nanyun''s unique twist. Chen Yu subconsciously reconstructed the recipes for these side dishes in his mind, knowing that in Suzhou City, they would be considered specialty dishes. After eating his fill, Chen Yu bought arge load of supplies and headed towards the fort. By the time he arrived at the edge of the cliff, he found Da Hu already sitting there with a few people from the vige waiting. Before leaving, he had already agreed with the chief on the time to deliver the supplies, and now the timing was just perfect. Seeing Chen Yuing, the vigers immediately became excited. Before, Er Gou had promised to deliver supplies to them, but he only did so when they needed medicinal herbs. But Chen Yu really brought the supplies, how could they not be excited? Da Hu was especially enthusiastic, moving arge amount of supplies out of the vehicle, and then used a stick to support his body as he crossed the cliff. The others also took out their baskets, filled them with some supplies, and followed behind Da Hu. Seeing this, Chen Yu suddenly felt an impulse to build a road for the people in the vige. But they had been living in seclusion here for over a thousand years, and they really didn''t want to have contact with the outside world. If he were to build them a road, it might offend them. Chen Yu shook his head and didn''t bother with such concerns. He packed the remaining supplies on his back and followed by jumping across. The old chief was so excited when he saw the supplies that he could hardly contain himself. Just these supplies were enough for the vige to live on for a month or two. Seeing the old chief so happy, Chen Yu struck while the iron was hot and directly took Da Hu''s hand to the old chief. "Da Hu is really a rare talent. I want to make him my liaison for purchasing medicinal herbs from the vige. What do you think?" The smile on the old chief''s face gradually stiffened, "This child is simple-minded. He has already been deceived by outsiders once; I don''t want him to go out again. Besides, you can cross that cliff by yourself. Do you really have to find someone from our vige?" Chen Yu was filled with frustration. Although he could cross the cliff, he still had many things to take care of. If he waited until the processing nt began to operate, he would have even less time toe here. Moreover, no one around him had the skills to easily travel back and forth across the cliff; he needed Da Hu''s help. "Old chief, rest assured, I would never deceive Da Hu. Moreover, with him here, he can ensure the two-way transportation of medicinal herbs and supplies." The old chief pondered for a while, "If that''s the case, then I won''t say much. But if I find out that you have deceived someone from our vige, I''ll make sure you regret it." Chen Yu nodded repeatedly and assured the old chief of a great many things. While they were talking, several wingsuit flyers suddenly appeared in the sky. With the advantage of their gear, they dove down rapidly, and it didn''t take long for them to reach the vige. When the old chief saw these people, he was immediately stunned and blew the whistle in his hand. Soon, the young and strong men of the vige ran out one after another, each holding a weapon, looking very tense. Chen Yu frowned, couldn''tprehend why a few wingsuit flying enthusiasts could scare the vigers like this. Just then, two guys descended from the sky andnded steadily at the entrance of the vige. One of them took off his helmet and approached the old chief with an arrogant face. "Chief, the world has advanced so far, yet you''re still clinging to this little bit ofnd. The young people in the vige should go out and see more of the world. They can''t waste their whole lives here." The old chief''s teeth clenched with a crunch, "Xiao Shi Tou, what are you up to again? And you''ve even brought so many outsiders here." Chapter 291 Petty-minded ``` Little Rock burst intoughter and suddenly pulled out an automatic weapon from his body. "Elder, today I will let you witness how far technology has advanced outside." As he spoke, the dark muzzle was pressed against the elder''s forehead. Chen Yu was startled, his body shed to Little Rock''s side, and he grabbed the weapon, instantly dismantling it. "These weapons may be advanced, but it also depends on who uses them. In your hands, they are simply a pile of scrap metal." Little Rock''s eyes widened in disbelief, having never imagined that someone in this world could disassemble an automatic weapon with their bare hands. "What are you? This is an internal affair of our vige. An outsider like you has no ce interfering!" Chen Yu didn''t say much, simply stepping forward and lightly tapping Little Rock on the neck, knocking him out. The few people who came with Little Rock rushed forward, trying to restrain Chen Yu, but they were far too slow. Before they couldy a hand on him, Chen Yu had already knocked each of them out with a tap on the back of their heads. The old chief looked at Little Rock lying on the ground, sighed helplessly, and then affectionately crouched down to stroke his cheek. "Child, what''s so good about the outside world that has bewitched you so much?" Chen Yu didn''t say anything more. After all, this was someone else''s internal matter; he was merely here to purchase medicinal herbs. After taking arge amount of herbs from here, Chen Yu left directly. Suzhou City, Chu Tian Building. Chu Jianghe sat in his office, his face grim. "I hope you all understand, we are outsiders, and whatever we do, we have to pay almost twice as much as others, but I hope you can cut out those unnecessary expenses." Chu Jianghe was very angry, holding a pile of bills in his hand, and mmed them hard on the table. These bills recorded the expenses of the group''s directors while they were out. He had been quite frustratedtely, not only consistently outyed by Tong Ming, but also preempted by others in his attempts to secure a building and a factory. However, Suzhou City was a transport hub, a strategicmercial location for the Chu Family, and not something they could give up easily. No matter the cost, they had to secure a ce in Suzhou City. A group of directors, scolded bloody, hung their heads, not daring to utter a word. Suzhou City was known as and of fish and rice since ancient times, so the climate here was very nurturing. These directors,ing from such a fast-paced city as the Magic Capital, naturally wanted to rx upon arriving in such a ce. But such unrestrained rxation soon crossed Chu Jianghe''s bottom line. While Chu Jianghe was berating these executives, the office door was suddenly pushed open, and then Tong Ming walked in with several bodyguards striding confidently. "Chu Jianghe, you''re too insincere. Coming all the way from the Magic Capital to Suzhou City and not even giving me a heads-up so I could go out and wee you." Chu Jianghe''s pupils dted suddenly; he had not expected Tong Ming to show up like this. ``` Seething with anger, he grabbed the phone on the desk. "What the hell are you all doing? Letting just anyone in, doesn''t anyone check their identities?" Tong Ming didn''t care about that and casually dragged a stool over to sit down. "Come on, Old Chu, you can''t keep treating your staff like this, it''s easy to provoke a rebellious spirit in them. If a few key people get together, who knows, they might swallow yourpany whole." Chu Jianghe red at Tong Ming with murderous eyes, "Tong, what do you mean by that? Are you saying you''ve already colluded with people from mypany?" Tong Ming was momentarily at a loss for words, this guy was really petty. "Alright, enough with the nonsense, I won''t say more. I''m here today to discuss cooperation. Since both of our families are now in Suzhou City, I think we should stop thepetition just like in other ces. After all, this city''s resources are limited, we have no other choice but to cooperate!" The words were quite reasonable; for a rival toe over and propose cooperation was a significant concession. But to Chu Jianghe''s ears, it was nothing but a tant insult. "Cooperate? How are we supposed to cooperate? You''ve already got control over all the resources in Suzhou City. If we cooperate, I''d be at a disadvantage, I''d even have to sip soup from your bowl! Tong Ming, it seems to me you''vee just to humiliate me today." Tong Ming sighed helplessly, unsure of what to say for a moment. "I heard you''ve set up a staff meal service at my son-inw''s ce, that''s a good start! I believe we can findmon ground in other areas as well." Suddenly, Chu Jianghe stood up, mmed his hand on the table, ready to explode, when Tong Ming stepped forward and grabbed his arm. "I hear your leg injury has been guing you for twenty years. How about this, let my son-inw treat it? If he heals you, then let''s bury the hatchet. What do you say?" Chu Jianghe''s body stiffened instantly; he had been a soldier in his youth and his leg had been injured in an explosion while on duty. Because of this, he had to retire from the military and start a business instead. He had previously sought out most of the world-renowned doctors, but none could heal his injured leg. "I''ve met your son-inw, and if you say he''s a good cook, I''ll agree. But to say he''s a doctor, you''re just making a fool out of me! Even if he really is a doctor, how much experience can such a young person have?" Chu Jianghe had already seen Chen Yu''s medical license, and in his opinion, it was just a qualification to practice medicine. Tong Ming didn''t say much else, just left his and Chen Yu''s business cards behind. "You old man are getting less and less gracious with age. Give me a call if youe around, or you can directly contact my son-inw." After dropping that remark, Tong Ming turned and left. Chu Jianghe clenched his teeth so hard they almost broke, and as Tong Ming exited the door, he grabbed a cup from the desk and smashed it to the ground. Still, he subconsciously collected the business cards from the table. At this moment, Chen Yu had already returned to the factory with a batch of medicinal materials. The previous material factory had already started production, but the output was not very high due to some of the old machinery being unusable. After all, the medicinal materials Chen Yu had brought back were all precious high-performance herbs, and most of them were wild. The machines they had on hand simply couldn''t process them. Chapter 292 Health-Preserving Traditional Chinese Medicine [System Prompt: The host can spend 5,000 points to purchase a new production machine.] Upon hearing the system''s prompt, Chen Yu''s mouth dropped open in astonishment. Ever since the system had upgraded, umting points had be exceedingly difficult for him. So far, he had only managed to amass a mere ten thousand points or so, and spending five thousand in one go pained him greatly. However, considering that he could build a production line for medicinal herbs in the shortest time possible, he gritted his teeth and chose to confirm. Before long, a vast array of mechanical blueprints manifested within his mind. The machine this time was incrediblyplex, involving several coreponents that, upon assembly, would require a substantial number of points to put together. Chen Yu didn''t bother with these concerns and immediately contacted Zhang Fan. Such aplicated machine could only be perfectly constructed by him. Chen Yu dissected the blueprints and sent them to Zhang Fan, along with the deposit for the machine. Once these matters were settled, he went straight to the medicinal herb factory''sboratory. When the factory first opened, they had recruited some researchers for scientific research, but as the factory expanded, they had discontinued the research projects andid off the entire department. Although theboratory still housed a wealth of experimental equipment, not a single professional was to be found. Chen Yu inspected the equipment and found that many pieces had rusted and be damaged, necessitating the purchase of new ones. After tidying up the ce, Chen Yu set up an experimental station and took a portion of the previously acquired medicinal herbs to ce on it. It wasn''t long before he manually produced a simple pack of pre-made medicine. This was a medication specifically for the flu; however, its proper use required following specific medical advice. After all, every flu was different¡ªif a simple pre-made medicine could cure diseases, there would be no need for doctors in this world. After preparing the sample medicine packs, Chen Yu sent them to the relevant department for patent application. Having dealt with these matters, Chen Yu''s biggest problem was sales. If he wanted to sell his products, he would have to coborate with doctors, and to a certain extent, that meant cooperating with hospitals. After arranging things at the factory, Chen Yu hurried to thergest traditional Chinese medicine hospital nearby. By four in the afternoon, Chen Yu was sitting in the office of the hospital''s dean. However, upon sitting down, he noticed arge pile of gifts on the desk, which, judging by thebels, seemed to have alle from the ind nation. Among these gifts was even a stack of gold bars. Chen Yu frowned; suchvish gifts did not seem like something an ordinary person could afford to give. As he pondered this, he suddenly saw an invitation next to the gifts, signed by San Mu. Chen Yu recalled the man from the ind nation he had seen at Li Song''s home. It seemed this individual had not given up on promoting his traditional medicine in Suzhou City. Soon,ughter and cheerful voices came from outside the door as the dean entered the office shoulder to shoulder with San Mu, talking andughing. "Mr. San Mu, you are too kind. If your medicine is sold at our hospital, we can guarantee the sales. Besides, these traditional medicines are designed for specific conditions, and even if people are not ill, taking them won''t kill anyone," said the dean, almost obsequiously. These sycophantic words made Chen Yu feel sick to his stomach. He hadn''t expected the dean of this traditional Chinese medicine hospital to be so unprincipled. Both men were taken aback upon entering the room and seeing Chen Yu. San Mu tapped his walking stick and stepped forward warmly. "Ah, if it isn''t Mr. Chen. We''ve met before; I wonder if you remember." Chen Yu''s face was cold, "I''d rather not have any ''fate'' with Mr. San Mu!" With that, he stood up and prepared to leave. "Wait a moment!" San Mu suddenly stopped him, "Don''t be so hasty to leave. I''ve heard that Mr. Chen has developed some new pre-made medicines; perhaps you could share them so we can exchange knowledge?" Chen Yu knew all too well that this guy had ulterior motives; he simply wanted to swindle the form and then sell it as traditional medicine. "My medicinal form is too profound. I''m afraid Mr. San Mu wouldn''t understand. That''s all for today." Leaving these words behind, Chen Yu walked out the door. He had not anticipated the dean''s shamelessness; to think that he would deal with San Mu just for a bit of short-term profit. The so-called traditional medicinesrgely had no actual effect; they were at best dietary supplements. The pre-made medicinal form developed by Chen Yu was many times more potent than those traditional remedies. After leaving the traditional Chinese medicine hospital, Chen Yu visited several other hospitals nearby and found that they had already signed contracts with San Mu and had stockpiled a considerable amount of traditional medicine. This left Chen Yu feeling somewhat helpless; at this rate, there would be no market for his medicines. Just then, his phone began to ring insistently. "Hello, Zhou Shengtao, what''s up?" "Chen Yu, do you remember the nursing home we visitedst time? Hurry over; I''m waiting for you here." Zhou Shengtao''s tone was very grave; it seemed like something serious had urred, and Chen Yu did not dare to dy, driving there right away. When he arrived, he discovered more than half of the elderly residents had contracted the same diarrheal illness, which appeared to be food poisoning. Zhou Shengtao and several others were frantically pacing, uncertain of what to do. Even the experts and doctors at the nursing home were at a loss. Seeing Chen Yu arrive, Zhou Shengtao immediately reached for him, gripping his arm as if clutching at a lifesaver. "Chen Yu, please take a look; two of the seniors are in so much pain, they nearly passed away." Chen Yu quickly examined the elderly patients and found amon toxin in their bodies. "It must be deliberate poisoning; fortunately, the seniors aren''t too deeply poisoned yet¡ªthere''s still a chance to save them!" With that, he immediately wrote out a prescription and sent Zhou Sheng to get the medicine. After the medicine arrived, Chen Yu began to prepare it. In less than an hour, all of the seniors were out of danger. "Chen Yu, we are lucky to have you here; otherwise, today could have turned into a disaster." Chen Yu waved it off: "It''s nothing major, but the poison these seniors were exposed to is very peculiar. Could you tell me what they have been eating recently?" A nurse quickly produced a report documenting everything the seniors had consumed. "All the meals here are tailored; they''re not exactly the same. The only thing they have all consumed recently seems to be some kind of health-preserving traditional medicine." Chapter 293 The Medicine Material Business Chen Yu''s pupils dted sharply as something suddenly urred to him. "Are those medicines still around? Show them to me!" The nurse was startled and quickly brought over the Chinese herbal medicines that had been distributed earlier. "These are the herbal materials provided by the hospital we have a contract with, iming to be specifically for health cultivation, so we gave them to the elderly." Chen Yu tore open a packet of the Chinese herbal medicine and sniffed it, discovering it wasposed of dried herbs that had been stored for too long. These substances were not particrly harmful to the human body, and some herbal medicine shops even package leftover dried herbs together to make Siwu Tang, or Four Substances Soup. However, the problemy in these being leftover dried remnants of Chinese herbal medicines. Chinese herbal medicine is ordinarilyposed of single-prescription herb packets tailored to address specific ailments. But now, to mix so many different herbs together, that''s no longer medicine for curing diseases, but a poisonous concoction harming people. Chen Yu instinctively looked at thepany name on the back of the herbal medicine packet, and prominently saw the words "San Mu Pharmaceuticals." "Notify everyone immediately, from now on we are not to purchase any Chinese herbal medicines from this pharmaceuticalpany!" Without the slightest hesitation, the nurse immediately made the call. The elderly residing here for recuperation were mostly veterans with distinguished military service, and some had even higher connections within their families. If anything happened to the elderly here, these nurses would be in too deep to escape trouble. Zhou Shengtao was also frowning deeply and patted Chen Yu on the shoulder. "Chen, what on earth is going on here?" Chen Yu sighed helplessly, "When I was promoting ready-made medicines at various hospitals, I found that they had all purchased Chinese herbal medicine packs from San Mu Industries. But these packets are just some simple packaged medicines with not much effect. If mixed together, they could easily harm the body." Zhou Shengtao was immediately angered, grinding his teeth, "These damn rascals are just too despicable. I will coordinate with the relevant departments immediately to stop the use of these Chinese herbal medicines in all hospitals." Chen Yu didn''t say much more, as this was ultimately good news for him. As long as Chinese herbal medicine packets disappear from the hospitals, his own ready-made medicine packets could rapidly dominate the market. After making sure the elderly were all taken care of, it was already 8 pm. Chen Yu had intended to leave then, but Zhou Shengtao forcefully dragged him into the car. "Chen, there''s something I must ask for your help with! Are you aware of a drug trafficking gang recently active in Suzhou City?" Chen Yu shook his head, having been too busy with the factorytely to pay attention to any drug trafficking gangs. "Captain Zhou, just tell me what you need me to do?" Zhou Shengtao sighed with some difficulty. "You are now an official external staffer, and you have a businessman''s cover, so I want to ask you to go undercover for us there." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, "Captain Zhou, you really think highly of me. I''m not very confident about this undercover business." Zhou Shengtao patted Chen Yu''s shoulder, "Don''t worry, our people will assist you in secret. As long as we can get evidence of their illegal activities, we can arrest them. First, you need to get in touch with them and buy their merchandise." Chen Yu sighed helplessly, knowing at this point he couldn''t say much else, especially since Zhou Shengtao was essentially his superior officer. Early the next morning, after briefly inquiring about the factory''s status, Chen Yu immediately drove to a restaurant on the eastern outskirts of Suzhou City. Despite its remote location, the restaurant wasvishly built, and most of the people dining there were decked out in a dazzling disy of wealth. As soon as Chen Yu walked in, all eyes in the room simultaneously converged on him. An employee even ran over to Chen Yu''s side with enthusiasm. "Sir, are you here to have a meal or to drink tea?" This fellow was obviously too enthusiastic, especially since the restaurant''s notice board clearly stated that today they only had spiced noodle soup, yet he even asked Chen Yu whether he wanted a meal or tea. Chen Yu didn''t bother with that and directly took out an invitation from his pocket. "I''m here to meet friends!" Upon hearing this, the people at the scene breathed a sigh of relief and shifted their gaze elsewhere. Soon after, a middle-aged man slowly descended from the second floor. "You must be Mr. Chen! I''ve long heard of your great reputation, and today I finally see you in person!" The middle-aged man appeared extremely enthusiastic; he went straight up to Chen Yu and embraced him, but no sooner had their bodies touched than Chen Yu felt a hard object pressing against his waist. It was a small automatic weapon¡ªif the other party pulled the trigger, Chen Yu would be dead. "Boss Niu, what is this supposed to mean?" Boss Niu chuckled, "It''s nothing personal, I just felt that Mr. Chen''s arrival was so timely that I couldn''t help but be suspicious! I hope Mr. Chen understands." While speaking, Boss Niu had frisked Chen Yu from top to bottom, only retracting the automatic weapon in his hand after making sure Chen Yu had nothing else on him. Chen Yu deliberately made an angry face, "Boss Niu, this is a bit much, don''t you think? I came here for business, rmended by someone, and you treat me like this. If that''s the case, then our deal is off." As his words fell, Chen Yu walked out without looking back. But just as he reached the door, Boss Niu hurried after him. "Mr. Chen, please don''t be angry. We all have lived through perilous times; we are very cautious in everything we do. Moreover, the medicinal herbs we have were smuggled over from Cambodia, which the relevant departments would not approve of." Chen Yu snorted, "I can understand that, but your actions just now were too much. The price we agreed upon earlier has to be discounted by ten percent." These words vividly disyed the image of a businessman looking to profit. At the same time, theypletely lowered Boss Niu''s guard. "Mr. Chen, we can negotiate the price. As long as you can take all the goods I have, not to mention a ten percent discount, I am willing to give you half off." "Where is the merchandise?" Chen Yu asked with an intentionally cold demeanor. Without saying much, Boss Niu led Chen Yu to the back courtyard and lifted up arge tarp. Varieties of medicinal herbs piled up like mountains, their fragrance wafting through the air, momentarily making Chen Yu''s spirit vibrate. Among them were some rare medicinal materials, and the quantities were extremely vast. Actually, if we get right down to it, there wasn''t anything special about these herbs, it was only their channel of distribution that was improper. No one could guarantee that these herbs weren''t mixed with other misceneous substances. Chapter 294 The Mysterious Village Chen Yu briefly inspected the herbs in front of him and, after confirming there were no issues, he promptly pulled out a contract from his person. "Boss Niu, although I was referred here by someone else, I''m conducting legitimate business, so we still need to go through the necessary formalities!" Boss Niuughed heartily, "I never expected Mr. Chen to be so particr. No problem, just sign here, it''s easy!" With that, Boss Niu immediately signed his name on it. After making sure there was nothing wrong with the contract, Chen Yu paid the money and then had someone take all the herbs away. However, ording to the regtions, Chen Yu could not leave immediately after the transaction waspleted; he had to stay with Boss Niu for three days. This was also one of the rules of these guys, intended to prevent possible undercover agents from infiltration among the buyers of herbs! It was equally a means to assess the buyer to see if further cooperation was feasible. Chen Yu was well aware of all this, so he didn''t leave and instead swaggered to the restaurant outside, moring for them to serve up a feast. Boss Niu didn''t say much, immediately instructing his men to make the arrangements. Before long, avish banquet wasid out. Chen Yu didn''t care too much and sat down to eat heartily. "Mr. Chen sure has a good appetite! I heard that besides being in the herbal medicine business, Mr. Chen also runs a restaurant, so you must have done some research into gourmet food. I know of a little vige inn, it''s quite remote but incredibly delicious. Would you like to go taste it with me?" A hint of caution shed in Chen Yu''s eyes. The usual vige inns were simple guest houses run by honest folks¡ªwho could expect delectable dishes there? If Boss Niu was talking about such a ce, he must be nning to take Chen Yu to their hangout to look around. Feigning ignorance, Chen Yu immediately put down his chopsticks. "Why didn''t you mention the good food earlier? You made me order this big spread for no reason." Boss Niu signalled to someone beside him: "This meal is on Mr. Chen; you all should thank him." A group of burly men immediately became excited, as they had been busy around here for many days without a decent meal, not to mention a banquet. After thanking Chen Yu, they hurriedly sat down at the table and started eating. Chen Yu then followed Boss Niu into a Maybach. Before long, the two of them arrived at a very remote little mountain vige. When he got there, Chen Yu felt that something was off. The ce was too deste, not at all like a ce for humans to inhabit. After driving down the petite mountain road for what seemed like quite some time, Boss Niu finally stopped the car and urged Chen Yu to hurry out. "Mr. Chen, just follow this road straight ahead, and when you see a house with a red roof, stop there. That''s the ce I was telling you about." Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown, "Aren''t youing with me, Boss Niu?" Boss Niu waved his hand: "I''ve got some business to attend to, so I can only drop you off here. I''lle back for you in two days. I hope you have fun, Mr. Chen." After speaking, Boss Niu drove off, leaving the area. Chen Yu suddenly felt uneasy. In such a wilderness, if someone killed him, nobody would know. Letting out a deep breath, Chen Yu turned and slowly walked forward. Soon enough, he indeed saw a house with a red roof. But just as he was about to approach, a sharp scream suddenly erupted from within the house. Four burly men charged out like madmen, followed by several fully armed men. As the four strong men rushed out, they immediately threw grappling hooks and pulled them back. Chen Yu immediately stopped in his tracks, watching warily ahead. The fully armed individuals paused upon seeing Chen Yu, then quickly took out their electric batons and charged at him. Chen Yu didn''t want to get entangled with these people, so he turned to leave, but just after taking two steps, several masked men suddenly sprang out from the nearby woods. "Young man, do you know where you are? How dare you barge in like this? Anyone whoes here should never leave." Without saying much, these several men immediately attempted to subdue Chen Yu. Chen Yu had been ready to resist, but as these men approached, he suddenly smelled the scent of the gue. "Wait a minute, has a gue broken out here?" Chen Yu shouted, stopping the armed personnel in their tracks. The individuals exchanged nces, and one older person slowly approached. "How do you know there is a gue here, are you someone sent from above?" Chen Yu frowned, unsure of how to respond. Boss Niu had suddenly sent him to this ce, and he wasn''t sure whether it was to test him or for some other purpose. If he imed to be someone sent from above, his identity would surely be exposed, and Boss Niu would then escape without a trace. After a moment''s thought, Chen Yu took out his medical license. "I am a doctor, if there is indeed a gue outbreak here, I can help you cure it." The armed individual looked at Chen Yu skeptically. "Kid, don''t talk nonsense. This gue has been here for eight years. We''ve had countless experienced expertse and go in defeat, and even some of the supporting doctors have died here. You think you can cure the gue here? I''m afraid that''s a bit premature." Chen Yu didn''t say much, just took a mask he carried with him and put it on his head, and walked into the vige on his own. The armed personnel, seeing Chen Yu''s confident demeanor, did not stop him. After all, they too hoped the gue could be brought to an end sooner. Once Chen Yu entered the vige, he was shocked by everything before him. The vige was in utter disrepair, some bodies were carelessly discarded on the streets without even a coffin. The few who were still alive sat like zombies at their doorsteps, holding broken bowls and muttering nonsense. Seeing this, Chen Yu''s heart clenched, and he wasn''t sure what to do. "Do you still have any medicinal herbs here?" At this question, the armed personnel were taken aback. They had been here for seven or eight years. Although they had seen some medicinal supplies, such items were practically useless in this ce. Medical supplies that could be used for several years in other ces were plundered empty in less than a month here. Everyone wanted to survive, so they would desperately snatch any medicinal supplies delivered here, then consume them recklessly. More people died from taking the wrong medicine than from the gue itself. Chapter 295: Chapter 295 Price Cut in Half ``` Chen Yu had no other choice after he got a basic understanding of the situation here. The small mountain vige had beenpletely sealed off, and some of the people who were cured couldn''t wait to leave after ensuring they didn''t have any abnormal symptoms, which resulted in fewer and fewer people remaining. But, solutions to gue problems like this had been found decades ago, so howe this small mountain vige couldn''t solve it after seven or eight years? Chen Yu didn''t think too much about it and simply used the basic medical equipment avable to conduct a sampling survey of the vigers. He discovered that these residents had many kinds of gue antibodies in their bodies! Moreover, the gue affecting them was constantly changing. In other words, for the past seven or eight years, it was essentially a battle between the antibodies and the mutating gue. But those residents who failed to develop antibodies had already died; the survivors all had developed antibodies to some extent. If that was the case, then the problem should be easy to address! Chen Yu found some leftover medicinal herbs in the storeroom,bined them with herbs he gathered from the mountains, and made a medicinal soup. However, he didn''t distribute the soup directly to the patients but instead poured it into the vige''s well. The entire vige had been sealed off by then, and those who survived could only scrape by on water from the only well and relief supplies from outsiders. As a result, no matter how many people survived in the vige, they all had to drink water from the well. Two days went by in the blink of an eye, and those in the vige who had been half-dead began to show signs of life. [Congrattions Host, you''ve earned two hundred points] [Congrattions Host, you''ve earned one hundred seventy points] [Congrattions Host, you''ve earned one hundred sixty points] ... Seeing the points umting once again, Chen Yu felt a deep sense of satisfaction. He wished such mass treatments could happen every day, but if that were really the case, humanity wouldn''t be far from the end of the world. At that moment, several armed individuals also came out of their houses, slowly removing their gear. They were personnel sent here by the relevant departments from Suzhou City. It seemed these people had been unlucky enough to get infected with the gue after they arrived here, preventing them from leaving and forcing them to stay and receive supplies to maintain order. They excitedly approached Chen Yu, shaking his arms vigorously. "Kid, you''re incredible; you solved the gue that has been unsolvable for so many years with just a herbal soup. Quickly check us to make sure our condition won''t rpse," they said. Chen Yu didn''t say much but quickly checked the bodies of these relevant personnel. They had persevered here for a very long time, essentially dedicating their youth to this ce. After examining their bodies, Chen Yu casually wrote them some prescriptions. Having dealt with matters here, Chen Yu left on his own, heading straight for the restaurant he had visited before. But before he had gone far, he saw a familiar Maybach parked at the roadside, with Boss Niu leaning against the car, smoking. When he saw Chen Yu, his face was incredulous, as if he had seen a ghost. ``` "This is impossible, with such a severe outbreak of the gue there, no one could survive, how on earth did you manage it?" Chen Yu pped his hands and then got into the car on his own ord. "I''m a doctor, something Mr. Niu should be aware of, I suppose. The gue in that vige, although it has persisted for eight years, every person has antibodies within their bodies. They only need a bit of medication and they''ll be on the mend," he said. Mr. Niu immediately gave a thumbs up. "I had thought that no one in this world could cure such a disease, considering even a few specialists from abroad had failed there." Chen Yu coughed lightly, "Let''s talk about the gue another time. Shouldn''t we discuss our own affairs now?" The boss suddenly looked embarrassed and awkwardly patted Chen Yu on the shoulder. "It was my short-sightedness, brother. I only wanted to test your medical skills, and I do have confidence in you. I''ve been waiting here especially for you," he exined. Chen Yu sneered. He knew very well that the boss was here just to see if he had died. "In that case, we''ll need to renegotiate many of our deals. For the previous batch of herbs, I want them at another ten percent off the half-price basis!" Mr. Niu''s eyes immediately widened, betraying some pain at the thought. "Chen, there needs to be a limit in business dealings. You''re pushing your luck. I''ll be losing money at this rate," Mr. Niu protested. Chen Yu didn''t care, "At most, you lose a bit of money, while I almost lost my life. Besides, if you get it cheap from me, you can pick more ''bamboo poles'' elsewhere, right?" Mr. Niu had nothing more to say, and simply started the car, taking Chen Yu to a business club in Suzhou City. "Chen, I admit I was wrong this time. I''ll cover all expenses for this trip, and I also have a batch of items that will definitely interest you." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, "Let''s not have too many financial disputes between us, or one day I''ll die without knowing it." "Chen, what are you talking about? I guarantee you''ll like what I have." Saying so, Mr. Niu led Chen Yu into an enormous warehouse. The warehouse was built on a grand scale, filled with various kinds of herbs, all of which were valuable ones from the tropics. Without a doubt, such arge quantity of herbs must have been smuggled in by Mr. Niu from the Indochina Penins. "So Mr. Niu, you''ve been hiding these goodies. No wonder you''ve been living the good life!" Chen Yuplimented with business-like praise and began to gently touch the herbs. "Mr. Niu, I''ll take all of the herbs here. But as per our usual agreement, I will pay half price." The bossughed heartily, "Since Chen has spoken, I have no reason not toply. Take all the herbs, I''ll give you an additional ten percent off on top of the half price." "Then we have a happy cooperation!" Chen Yu promptly pulled out a contract from his person andid it before Mr. Niu. Mr. Niu, without much ado, signed his name. After the deal was concluded, Chen Yu, following routine, made a call to have someonee over for the herbs. However, it wasn''t long before a vehicle from the relevant authorities barged in, knocking down two columns as it entered. "No escape for you, Niu!" The voice of Zhou Shengtao suddenly rang out, startling everyone present, followed by an influx of official vehicles surrounding the entire club. Zhou Shengtao even aimed a weapon at Mr. Niu''s head. Chapter 296 The Old Rascal Mr. Niu suddenly stood up, looking somewhat dazed and confused. He stared nkly at Chen Yu, his eyes filled with incredulity. "You''re actually Shuixianzi!" Chen Yu might have felt he hadn''t had enough fun, supporting his chin with one hand, his eyes brimming with teasing. "Look at me, how could I possibly be Shuixianzi? I am a genuine businessman!" Mr. Niu''s eyes were wide with disbelief. "Chen, don''t make mee over there, or I''ll kill you!" Suddenly, Chen Yu became serious, and a hint of coldness shed in his eyes. "Then you''ll need the ability to actually kill me!" In that instant, Mr. Niu felt an unprecedented murderous intent, causing his body to shiver uncontrobly. "Enough, why waste words on this guy?" Zhou Shengtao had his men take Mr. Niu away, then pulled Chen Yu aside. "Chen, you''ve really made a significant contribution this time. You have no idea how much we''ve paid to catch this old fox. I heard he tricked you into that vige. Are you okay?" Thinking back to the vige gave Chen Yu a chill; he had never imagined a small mountain vige could suffer from gue for seven or eight years. "Right, Captain Zhou, I haven''t asked you yet, what''s the deal with that vige?" Zhou Shengtao sighed helplessly. "We''ve sent so many people there before, but we could never get to the root of the problem. Once we cured one type of gue, a variant would emerge. In the end, we could only iste the ce." Chen Yu nodded, deciding not to ask any more questions. Industrial Park, Pharmaceutical Factory No. 3. Hou Jianchang sat on a pile of stones at the entrance, his face showing helplessness. In front of him, a hundred or so grey-haired elderly people, all wearing uniforms, clearly the factory''s retired workers, surrounded him. "We''re all retired from here. Since you''ve taken over the factory, our pensions should now be your responsibility." "I''ve worked at this factory my whole life and I''m attached to it. Why won''t you let mee back? Do you think I''m too old to be of use? That''s discrimination." "Call your manager out, let them exin it to us face to face." "We too were owed wages back when we worked. You''ve paid those new workers their back pay, so why haven''t you paid us?" ... The crowd kept up a constant chatter, which was giving Hou Jianchang a headache. As the Industrial Park continued to expand, more and more chaotic issues emerged. Hou Jianchang''s hair, which had already been half white, was now almostpletely white. Moreover, the current situation had arisen so suddenly that even he didn''t know what to do. The people who came brought with them oldbor contracts, some even dating back twenty years. In those decades, that pharmaceutical factory had changed owners countless times; could the wage issues from so long ago really be piled onto them? "Ladies and gentlemen, I''ve already made it very clear to you, it wasn''t us who signed thebor contracts with you. Although we''ve taken over this factory, ording to the rules, we''re not responsible for the personal wages and other benefits of the employees. What we''ve done already exceeds our obligations..." Before he could finish, a crowd surrounded him, armed with all sorts of tools, ready to settle ounts with Hou Jianchang. If it weren''t for the security guards holding them back, Hou Jianchang might''ve been dragged out already. Just as the scene descended into chaos, a supercar suddenly charged through and stopped steadily amidst the crowd. The once chaotic crowd instantly quieted down, and Hou Jianchang let out a sigh of relief. Chen Yu got out of the car with ease, bypassing the troublemakers in front of him. After resolving the issues with Boss Niu, he had rushed back nonstop. Halfway through, he received a call that made him anxious; if it weren''t for Zhou Shengtao''s grand gesture of transferring one of Boss Niu''s supercars to Chen Yu, he might not have been able to make it back so quickly. On his way back, Chen Yu quickly looked up the personal details of the troublemakers and discovered they were the local ruffians from this factory area decades ago. It was precisely because of their severe disturbances back then that the relevant departments had been forced to close several factories, leading to the constant resale of these factories. Everything had already been settled, but now that Chen Yu had acquired the factory and distributed back pay to the old employees, it had aroused the jealousy of these people. They brought their employment qualifications, as well as the wage arrears slips from the old factory, to this ce. To put it inly, they just wanted to get a share of the wages from Chen Yu. "The criminal records of all of you are in my hands. I''m giving you one chance to leave immediately, or else I''ll hand you over to the relevant departments for prosecution." Chen Yu waved arge stack of documents in his hand gently, and immediately subdued everyone present. But the leading few old thugs weren''t afraid of this. They gripped their tools and took a few steps forward. "Kid, you really shouldn''t try to bluff us with these things. Back when I was running this turf, you were still in your mother''s womb. Today we have only one demand, either pay up, or we''ll smash your factory." A dangerous smile suddenly appeared at the corners of Chen Yu''s mouth; he hadn''t expected these people to be so brazen and unreasonable. He let out a sigh and then took out a certificate for external personnel from his person. "Since it''s like this, then I won''t waste any more time." These people were a bunch of old rogues, and seeing the certificate in Chen Yu''s hand, they immediately deted and didn''t dare to act rashly. Some even started running away as soon as they saw Chen Yu''s certificate, not daring to stay a moment longer. "Brother, this is all a misunderstanding. To tell the truth, we just feel sentimental about the old factory, so we came to make a fuss. We didn''t intend to do anything! Let''s just turn the page on today''s incident, alright?" The old ruffian in front said with a smile, then gestured to the people behind him. Therge group quickly dispersed. But as they walked away, the murderous intent in Chen Yu''s eyes didn''t dissipate; he truly hadn''t anticipated such an incident. "Hou Jianchang, next time this happens, just kick them out immediately; don''t waste time with them." Hou Jianchang''s face was helpless: "Old Chen, you don''t understand the situation. These people are experienced thugs. Today you drive them away, tomorrow they''ll dare to carry a bed to the front of your factory and lie down." Chen Yu was incensed: "I refuse to believe that this bunch can really turn the sky upside down; next time theye, just fight them off directly." Chapter 297 The Third Pharmaceutical Factory After returning to the office at the factory, Chen Yu still felt full of gloom. He had originally thought that the industrial park had already formed a unique operational system, but to his surprise, there were still so many trifling matters. Especially today''s bunch, they were just a group of unseemly characters. Even if he informed the relevant departments to have them all arrested, it wouldn''t be too much. But the problem was, these people could not really be dealt with effectively; at most, they caused a public disturbance, and after being detained for a couple of days, they would be released again. If they kept making trouble endlessly, it would cause huge losses for the entire factory area. Hou Jianchang leaned back in his chair, his face etched with world-weary helplessness. "Old Chen, a tall tree catches the wind. We already have one industrial park, and if we were to annex another piece ofnd, those who envy us in the dark will jump out, like the thugs today. Can you guarantee there isn''t someone behind them pulling the strings?" Chen Yu sat there silently. His first thought was of Chu Jianghe. This guy had just arrived in Suzhou City, eager to seize Suzhou''s business resources. Moreover, as these factories were once on Chu Jianghe''s radar, it wouldn''t be surprising for him to meddle behind the scenes. But then he thought again, although Chu Jianghe was ruthless, he had a big picture mindset; he wouldn''t be so desperate as to send a bunch of old gangsters to cause trouble. "Old Hou, be extra careful during this period. Also, ask the security department to recruit more people, preferably ex-military personnel." Hou Jianchang took out his mobile phone, which disyed the recruitment information he had just sent out, roughly simr to what Chen Yu had suggested. As the two were talking, severalrge trucks slowly entered the factory area. "Old Chen, the machines you asked for are ready,e down and take a look. Some parts may not be done perfectly." Upon hearing Zhang Fan''s shout, Chen Yu immediately brightened up, the gloominess on his face gone as if swept away. He hurried downstairs and rushed to the trucks, grabbing aponent and carefully caressing it. This thing was supposed to be made of special steel and had been forged and tempered several times. It seemed that Zhang Fan had truly put his heart into it, and eachponent''s catch was made extremely ingeniously. Now, they just needed to install the coreponents, and these machines could start operating immediately. "Old Zhang, thank you so much. I''ll give you an extra 10 percent profit for these machines as we agreed before. We''ve got a lot more cooperation ahead of us." Zhang Fan shook his head though: "Old Chen, you''re smacking my face by doing this. Ever since your shop opened, we''ve been partners, and how many profits have you given me just for the machinery? Now I''ve got my own repairpany. I don''t even need the extra profit." Chen Yu didn''t say much, just smiled and forcefully stuffed a prepared check into Zhang Fan''s hand, refusing to let go regardless of how much Zhang Fan tried to decline. Having no choice, Zhang Fan finally epted it, then instructed his workers to move the assembled machines into the factory. The pharmaceutical factory was originally called Zhonghe Pharmaceutical Factory, but it was renamed to Third Pharmaceutical Factory when it came into Chen Yu''s hands. This factory was also thergest one under Chen Yu''s management, and it was his experimental site for producing pre-manufactured drug packs. The first batch of machines was also custom-designed for this factory. Once all the machines were moved in and assembly wasplete, Chen Yu took the opportunity while nobody was paying attention to let the system install the coreponents. With all the machines started, the entire production line also came into operation. The factory workers, who had been waiting, came over to familiarize themselves with the performance of the machines and soon took over the controls. After all, they were skilled workers, and some had even worked for over a decade as veteran employees. These might seem like ordinary pharmaceutical factory workers, but to some extent, they were nearly akin to doctors. Making pre-manufactured drug packs was second nature to them. In less than two hours, the first batch of finished products reached Chen Yu''s hands. He carefully checked the characteristics of the drug packs and also tested theponents in theb to ensure there were no issues before allowing the batch to be packaged. This first shipment had already been reserved by the nursing home, and Zhou Shengtao had personally given the nod, so Chen Yu couldn''t afford the slightest negligence. When he sent out the shipment, it was already eight o''clock at night. Chen Yu had originally nned to return home, as he had been away too long on missions. But once the machines started, they couldn''t be stopped easily, so he had no choice but to stay and input several new drug formtions nned into the system and distribute the raw materials. The medicine he brought back this time was enough to produce hundreds of thousands of pre-manufactured drug packs, so there was no need to procure raw materials for a month. Still, by the time he finished everything, it was already midnight. Fortunately, Hou Jianchang had already established a training program within the factory to cultivate leaders at various levels. As Chen Yu organized everything in the Third Pharmaceutical Factory, Hou Jianchang had arranged for a few people to learn all the processes by Chen Yu''s side. By the time Chen Yu had finished organizing everything, these individuals had grasped the key points and were ready tomence production. Chen Yu breathed a sigh of relief. If this had been in the past, he would''ve needed to exin the use of the machines and the processes meticulously to the day and night shift workers. Now, everything had been simplified. However, Hou Jianchang''s appearance made Chen Yu feel an inexplicable guilt. When he first met Hou Jianchang, although he had gone bankrupt, he still seemed spirited. But now, not only had his hair turnedpletely white, but even his forehead was full of wrinkles. Releasing a sigh, Chen Yu walked up to Hou Jianchang and patted him on the shoulder. "Old Hou, this time I brought back a type of insect from Nanyun that''s good for you. Want to take a look?" Hou Jianchang hesitated. After all, new machines had just arrived, and the workers were still getting the hang of them. He needed to arrange the specific tasks with the new factory managers and staff. Chen Yu could see what Hou Jianchang meant and grabbed his shoulder, leading him out of the factory area. "I heard your ancestors were from Nanyun, and you can''t live without those exotic items at every meal. So I brought this especially for you. You can''t let me lose face." Saying so, Chen Yu directly pulled Hou Jianchang into the car and headed straight for the restaurant. Ever since the restaurant moved into the building, its business had grown by more than tenfold. Chu Hong and the original waitstaff each took up a stall, blending new operating models into the original restaurant format. Chapter 298 The Long-Missed Taste ``` During this period, almost no one had rested properly, after all, since moving to the mall, we had entered the 24-hour business mode, and everyone took turns catching some sleep at their respective stations. When Chen Yu arrived, he just happened to see Chu Hong curled up on a small stool, sleeping there. The nearby Yang Shu also lookedpletely drained, even her movements seemed mechanical. Startled by Chen Yu''s approach, Yang Shu quickly nudged Chu Hong, who was on the chair. "Wee, customer, wee to our shop, may I ask what you would like to order?" Chu Hong was so hurried in her greeting that she didn''t even open her eyes, as if this had be the norm for her. Chen Yu suddenly felt rather embarrassed; he hadn''t expected his employees to be driven to such a state. He had been too busytely to take care of the mall business himself. "It''s me, Xiao Hong!" Upon hearing Chen Yu''s voice, Chu Hong jerked awake. "I''m sorry, Brother Yu, I wasn''t cking off, it''s just..." Chen Yu patted her shoulder, "It''s okay, if you want to sleep, take a break. You''ve all worked hard recently. Also, we''ll post recruitment ads on major job tforms tomorrow to hire more people." Chu Hong immediately perked up and quickly took out the tablet beside her. "I''ve already sent out the recruitment details, and several people havee for interviews recently, but unfortunately, very few meet our requirements." Chen Yu''s interest was piqued, and he pulled up a chair to sit beside Chu Hong. "It''s just a waitressing job, why set so many requirements? As long as they can work, that''s fine!" Chen Yu was somewhat frustrated; to him, being a waiter wasn''t a highly difficult profession, especially since the criteria for applying here weren''t very strict. "I know that!" Chu Hong said with a face full of helplessness, then she flipped through the information of the recent applicants. "It''s not that I don''t want them, it''s just that these people are too much! Two of them looked quite honest, but they were actually old hands at this, always asking about the basic benefits here." "They weren''t willing to work long hours, they wouldn''t do it if the food wasn''t up to par, and they even demanded that we provide them with private dormitories." Chen Yu could hardly believe his ears, this wasn''t about hiring waitstaff but amodating some overlordsing to enjoy themselves. "Not everyone can be like that, surely. As long as they''re more or less okay, that should be fine." Chu Hong got serious, "No can do, Brother Yu, our business is growing, and many are jealous! Who knows if some of those applying are spies sent by others. Brother Wang Qingshan has said, better to have none than to have something bad, told me to be strict in the recruitment process." Chen Yu cleared his throat twice. While he wasforted to have such conscientious employees, this inadvertently increased Chu Hong''s workload, and it would be counterproductive if she ran herself down. As he was about to offer some words of advice, a rugged shout suddenly sounded not far away. "The herbal tonic soup is ready!" Wang Qingshan was seen cing arge pot on a table. There, five young men were seated, evidently newly employed office workers. Even from a distance, Chen Yu could smell the medicinal herbs and raw materials used in the tonic soup. Wang Qingshan had not used strong medicine in the soup; all the herbs were of a mild nature. ``` After all, these people were young, and if they were nourished too much, it would be very easy to harm their bodies. It seemed that Wang Qingshan had reached a masterful level of expertise in making medicinal meals. However, Wang Qingshan''s originally obese and swollen body had slimmed down significantly, looking at least forty pounds lighter. It seemed that he too had been under unprecedented pressure during this period. Not far away, at two of the stations, Ning Kai and Li Gang were tirelessly swinging their knives. Li Gang was visibly tired, his movements a few beats slower than before. It looked like there was an urgent need to hire arge number of workers in the shortest time possible, otherwise, those under him might just copse from exhaustion. "Xiaohong, I remember you once said that there were many people in your vige who wanted to find work. Do you know how many exactly?" Upon hearing this, Chu Hong somewhat embarrassedly lowered her head. "Our ce is quite backward, and the local customs are also a bit different from other ces. Many people our age are already married with children and simply can''te out." Chen Yu didn''t want to give up just yet; all the servers he had, except for Yang Shu, hade out with Chu Hong. These people were not only hardworking and honest but also of excellent character, which is why Chen Yu had a special persistence for the people from Chu Hong''s hometown. "What about the adjacent viges or towns? Are there any idle hands there?" Chu Hong pondered for a moment: "There are, but sadly our area is quite backward, and many people are very ignorant. Although they want to earn money, getting them to leave the vige is very difficult." If someone else heard this, they wouldn''t understand, but Chen Yu knew exactly what it meant. It was nothing more than the constraints of their native families and backward notions, which forced them to stay in their local area, get married, have children, and lead an unremarkable life for generations. "How about this then, pack your things, and in a couple of days, I''ll go back with you to your hometown to personally recruit people." Chu Hong opened her eyes wide in disbelief. She had thought about recruiting people from her hometown before, but after calling a few peoplest time, she hadn''t been able to get anyone else. They were indeed poor, and many couldn''t even afford proper meals. She had wanted to bring more fellow townspeople out to earn some money, but to no avail. Now that Chen Yu was willing to personally go back with her to recruit workers, it was naturally something she had long hoped for. "Thank you so much, Brother Yu!" Chen Yu patted Chu Hong on the shoulder, then pointed to a small table nearby. "If you are really too tired to stand, sleep there, don''t slump over in the chair, it''s bad for your waist and abdomen." Chu Hong, a bit embarrassed, scratched her head but didn''t follow the advice, instead mustering the strength to stand behind the counter. Chen Yu didn''t say anything more and simply took Hou Jianchang over to Ning Kai. "Master Ning, do you still have the ingredients I gave youst time? Make me two dishes." Seeing Chen Yue over, Ning Kai was also thrilled and immediately twirled his kitchen knife. "Of course I do, just wait at the side for a moment, and I''ll prepare the dishes right away." Chen Yu nodded and then sat with Hou Jianchang at the counter nearby. It wasn''t long before a rich fragrance wafted through the air. The long-missed aroma involuntarily made Hou Jianchang stand up from his seat. Chapter 299 The Hollow Cannot Be Filled "Flying Dragon Golden Toad Soup!" Hou Jianchang eximed excitedly, his body involuntarily drawing closer. Ning Kai was also taken aback, "Old Hou, you really know your stuff, these ingredients were just brought back by Old Chen from Nanyun, and this dish has just been introduced, yet you can tell the name of the dish just by its smell." Hou Jianchang didn''t bother with pleasantries and hurried forward to take the bowl Ning Kai handed over. "This is a famous dish from my hometown, how could I possibly not know the name?" With that, he picked up a spoon and fiercely guzzled a mouthful. The recipe for this dish was actually very simple, involving nothing more than stewing artificially bred red-headed centipedes with stone frogs, to which some herbs were added as condiments. Stone frog itself is a special product of Nanyun, with a very unique texture of meat. As long as it was cooked in a pot for a long time, it would dissolve into the broth, and not even a bit of meat residue could be seen. If cooked for even longer, even the bones would meld into the soup. And red-headed centipedes were even more a preferred choice for medicinal use. Just one alone, its effects could bepared to turtle and snake soup! The essences of the red-headed centipede and stone frogbined could produce a unique substance that not only strengthened the body but also energized people. Many elders in Nanyun were particrly fond of this dish; even drinking half a bowl could make them feel instantly rejuvenated. There was even a town in Nanyun where, due to the regr consumption of this type of food, the average lifespan exceeded a hundred years. Upon seeing this dish, Hou Jianchang had already excitedly forgotten his manners and quickly drank a bowl of soup. By the time he came to his senses, he felt somewhat embarrassed. "Ah, Old Chen, I couldn''t help myself and drank it all..." "No problem!" Chen Yu patted Hou Jianchang on the shoulder, "This bowl of soup was meant for you, and there''s plenty more over there." Ning Kai alsoughed, thendled out two more bowls and pushed them forward. "Old Chen brought back a lot of ingredients, and he says more can be constantly sent over, so just drink up, there''s plenty to go around!" Hou Jianchang wasn''t shy, he rolled up his sleeves, picked up a bowl, and guzzled down another one. Just as they were enjoying themselves, two muscr men sitting nearby suddenly stood up and marched over with an aggressive air. "I smelled the scent of stone frog earlier, and when I asked you to make a bowl of soup for me, you refused. Now that they are here, you say there''s enough soup for everyone, what''s the meaning of this? Are you looking down on us?" Ning Kai frowned, "I''ve already said, the two of you are too weak, you simply can''t handle such a nourishing food, don''t be ungrateful." The two strong men still looked unsatisfied and insistent. "What do you mean, ''too weak''? Look at the muscles on us! My brother here has even won bodybuildingpetitions, and you dare say we are weak! I think the medicinal dishes you make here are just a sham, believe it or not, I''ll overturn your stand?" Chen Yu slightly furrowed his brows and sized up the two men. Indeed, as Ning Kai said, their bodies seemed deficient, likely due to long-term use of hormones. If they were given stone frog soup to drink, it could easily injure their internal organs. But an ordinary person couldn''t tell at a nce, especially given the two men''s extremely muscr physiques¡ªno one would associate their health with weakness. It was already evening, but there were still many people in the shopping mall. Although some were regr customers of the stores, the majority were new faces, even including a few inte influencers from afar who were currently filming with their smartphones. If things really continued to develop from here, the store might face some disadvantages. Chen Yu let out a heavy breath and went straight into the kitchen; he grabbed a handful of medicinal herbs and brought them out. "You two, it''s not that your bodies are weak, but rather that you''re so robust you can''t take any more nourishment! It means your bodies have already reached such a perfect state that any more strengthening would be overdoing it. Our chefs are thinking of your well-being." As Chen Yu spoke, his tone and demeanor were very humble, which greatly pleased the two men. They dropped the aggressive attitude they had shown earlier. "You have a way with words, boy. But we''re at an age brimming with vigor. What''s the worst that could happen if we overdo it? We''d work it off in no time." All of this was within Chen Yu''s expectations; he distributed the medicinal herbs he held in his hand to the two men. "Since that''s the case, why don''t you try drinking this medicine with the soup? I guarantee your energy levels will be even higher than now." The two men immediately looked triumphant. They consumed the herbs Chen Yu passed to them, and Ning Kai promptly served up two bowls of soup and brought them out. The surrounding inte influencers had moved in closer, even pointing their filming equipment right in the faces of the two robust men, curious to see their reaction after drinking the nutritious soup. "Refreshing!" One of the robust men eximed loudly, then set his empty bowl on the table. Soon after, his forehead started to bead with sweat, and his face turned exceedingly flushed. The other even took off his shirt, appearing extremely exhrated. Earlier, Chen Yu had concocted a medicinal dose ording to each of their physical traits to counteract the effects of the Flying Dragon Golden Toad Soup, also negating the damage their hormones could inflict, essentially offering them a free treatment for their condition. This scene immediately stirred up excitement among the onlookers, who quickly formed a long queue in front of Ning Kai''s stand, all eager to taste the nourishing soup for themselves. Ning Kai let out a sigh of resignation. Although he had been following Chen Yu for quite some time, his understanding of medicinal cuisine was stillcking. For specific conditions, he could tailor medicinal dishes ordingly, but facing a long line of people queuing for the same nutritious soup was troubling. Not to mention the various physical constitutions of each person, if someone had some innate illness, the nutritious soup could potentially lead to their death. As he worried over what to do, Chen Yu suddenly leaned in and whispered in his ear. "Add more seasoning, dilute the soup by five times!" Upon hearing this, Ning Kai breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly followed Chen Yu''s instructions to dilute the soup. That way, no serious issues would arise. However, once tonight''s events spread, they could expect an evenrger influx of customers, which would stretch their manpower even thinner. Chen Yu sighed helplessly. It looked like he would need to visit Chu Hong''s hometown with her tomorrow. "Business is booming, isn''t it, Boss Chen!" A familiar voice suddenly called out from nearby. A delicate figure was standing on adder, leaning against the wall, sketching something. Turning his head, Chen Yu was surprised to see it was Tang Xiaowei, whom he hadn''t seen in a long while. Chapter 300: Chapter 300 Recruiting on the Spot Chen Yu was somewhat surprised, he subconsciously looked around and noticed that several new murals had been added to the mall. "Have you been painting here these past few days?" Chen Yu asked casually and then hurried over. Tang Xiaowei stirred the paint bucket in her hands, "Your dear wife nagged and begged me for several days, insisting that Ie over and paint for you, what choice did I have?" Chen Yu suddenly felt a little embarrassed, as if every time he expanded his shop, Tang Xiaowei woulde over to help. "You''ve worked hard! By the way, now that the expansion into a mall isplete, I want to set up a membership system. When it''s ready, I''ll give you a VIP card, and you can eat for free here for life." Tang Xiaowei immediately became excited, "At least you have some conscience! But a lifetime of free meals won''t satisfy me, you also have to reserve a room for me specifically." Chen Yu smiled slightly, "Of course, that''s possible!" Tang Xiaowei put the stirred paint bucket aside and carefully climbed down thedder. "By the way, I recently got a case from the relevant departments in the capital, Zhou Team asked me to do the portrait, but from one single image, I ended up drawing thirteen different ones, and each one matched a specific person!" Chen Yu frowned, having been a portrait artist himself, he was well aware of the intricacies involved. If there was one blurry surveince image, one could only draw a single portrait through visual restoration. If there were any deviations, the resulting portrait wouldn''t match anyone in the database. For Tang Xiaowei to draw thirteen distinct portraits in one go, all matching specific people, was simply impossible. Unless that video was fake! "There''s something like that? But Zhou Team hasn''t approached me recently." Tang Xiaowei sighed, "Originally, he wanted to find you, but it seemed that you were tied up with a task, so they had to call me in to make up the numbers." Chen Yu understood, it must have happened during the time he was undercover. As an outsider, he should be assisting Zhou Shengtao right away, but his shop and factory had been expanding recently. If he didn''t pay attention now, there could be big problems. "Do you have a copy of the video?" Chen Yu asked after some thought. "Yes, I do!" Tang Xiaowei immediately took out a USB drive and handed it over. Chen Yu didn''t hesitate, taking it and putting it in his pocket. "Then I''ll go back and study it. If I can draw the portraits, I''ll send them directly to you." Tang Xiaowei didn''t ask further, simply added some ingredients into the paint bucket and climbed back up thedder. Chen Yu then greeted Chu Hong and took Hou Jianchang home. The next morning at ten o''clock, Chen Yu and Chu Hong arrived at the train station. Chu Hong''s hometown was in a remote mountainous area of the Sichuan-Shu region, and even if you flew, you could only reach a secondary city nearby, after which there was still a bumpy ride to get there. Taking the train was different. Three years ago, aiming to support the development of the mountainous area, the authorities built a train station in a small town near Chu Hong''s hometown. Chen Yu bought two first-ss sleeper tickets and then boarded the train with Chu Hong. Though the trainpartment wasn''t veryrge, the first-ss sleeper with only two beds was quitefortable. But once Chu Hong entered thepartment, she seemed a bit ufortable. "Brother Yu, we''re just going back to hire people, there''s no need to buy such expensive berths. Let''s return them, and I''ll just take a hard seat." Chen Yu smiled helplessly, "The tickets are already bought, and the train is about to leave, how could they possibly issue a refund now? Besides, you''re on a business trip right now, everything can be imed on your travel expenses, so just sit back and rx." Chu Hong was still somewhat uneasy, after all, she came from a poor background and couldn''t help feeling a bit inferior. When she had first left her hometown, the best seat she had ever bought was a hard seat, and sometimes she could only get standing-room tickets. Now this way of traveling really made her feel unexpectedly ttered. "Brother Yu, I will definitely work hard in the future!" This sudden pledge caught Chen Yu off guard. "Hey, you''ve got me at a loss here! Go take a nap, we still have eighteen hours before we reach our destination." With a somewhat perfunctory response, Chen Yuid down on the bed and fell asleep. The journey went smoothly, and at five o''clock the next morning, they arrived at the station, but to reach Chu Hong''s mountain vige, it would take at least another two hours. Chu Hong found a donkey cart near the train station and headed straight for the vige with Chen Yu. The mountain road was indeed rugged, and even Chen Yu couldn''t bear the jolting, feeling as if his bones were about to fall apart. When Chen Yu arrived at the vige, he found many people gathering at the vige entrance, they were gathered in small groups, some ying chess, others gossiping. As soon as they saw Chen Yu and Chu Hong, they almost simultaneously stopped what they were doing, and several elderly women came over. "Oh my, Xiaohong, did you make a fortune outside these past few years? Howe you brought back such a handsome young man?" "Our Xiaohong has the highest education in the vige, after all, she''s someone who went to high school in the county, she''s very capable." "Where is this young man from? He looks quite handsome!" ... Chu Hong immediately became nervous, "Auntie Liu, you''ve misunderstood, this is my boss, and he''s here to recruit workers for our vige." Those women didn''t pay any attention to Chu Hong''s exnation and continued their discussion. Chen Yu frowned, not surprised by the entrenched mindset of people who grew up in such an environment. He didn''t say much else and simply lifted the millstone at the vige entrance, cing it on an open space. This action startled everyone present. The millstone weighed several hundred pounds, and with the stone roller underneath, it was nearly a thousand pounds. Chen Yu lifted it with ease. "Ladies and gentlemen, as Chu Hong has already mentioned, I am here to recruit workers. If your family has young people of the right age who are out of school and at home, please let theme out, I will offer them a decent job." Upon hearing this, the crowd''s expressions varied; some showed faces of disgust, looking at Chen Yu as if he were a viin, while others were overjoyed, running home to call their children out. Soon, the open space at the vige entrance gathered more than a dozen young people. But among them, the vast majority were girls, with only two boys. Chen Yu frowned, although his workce also needed arge number of female attendants, he still wanted to find a few young men to train under Wang Qingshan and his team, possibly even to cultivate a few specialized chefs. Chapter 301: Chapter 301 Ignorant and Backward "Aren''t there many boys here?" Chen Yu asked subconsciously, at the same time he set down his recording pen. Chu Hong next to him seemed to have heard something terrifying and quickly tugged on Chen Yu''s arm. Chen Yu was puzzled and before he could ask, a middle-aged woman nearby casually spat out a sunflower seed shell. "You really don''t know what''s good for you. It''s already not bad that they brought out a girl for you, yet you still want a boy? They are treasured by their families for continuing the lineage; how could they possibly let them go?" Chen Yu''s head buzzed. He had guessed some situations beforeing here, but he hadn''t anticipated such ignorant thinking. No wonder these people never left the mountains in their whole lives. Just then, a petite figure suddenly ran out from the vige. "Take me with you. I can do all the work that a boy can do! And I only need half the wages." The sudden shout startled Chen Yu. He saw a frail-looking young girl stumble and scramble to his table. The girl appeared to be only about fourteen or fifteen, but when she pped her ID on the table, Chen Yu realized she was already eighteen. "What are you doing, you foolish girl? They''re offering seven thousand yuan. How many people in this ce have been willing to give seven thousand yuan all these years? Yet you refuse to marry. Are you trying to turn the world upside down?" An angry voice followed, making the girl tremble with fear. She quickly got up and hid behind Chen Yu. Chu Hong also noticed this girl and looked at her carefully before suddenly stepping forward excitedly. "Xiaoyu! How did you end up like this?" Xiaoyu was initially stunned and then rose excitedly to hug Chu Hong. "Xiaohong, I thought I''d never see you again in my life!" As they spoke, Xiaoyu''s parents had already caught up, each wielding a pickaxe, seemingly ready to beat Xiaoyu to death. Chen Yu quickly stepped forward to stop the couple. "What are you doing? She''s your own daughter after all; how can you treat her this way?" To his surprise, the couple showed no respect for Chen Yu. "Who''s this meddlesome brat? Dare to interfere with our family matters? Get lost, or I''ll break your legs, too." Chen Yu was immediately infuriated. Ever since he arrived in this vige, everything seemed to go against his sense of reason. Even if the people here were ignorant and backward, that was no reason to treat one''s own flesh and blood so harshly. As he was about to argue, Chu Hong suddenly tugged at his sleeve. "Brother Yu!" Chen Yu turned and saw that Chu Hong had stuffed a bulky envelope into his hand. "Give them this money, and they''ll let Xiaoyu leave with us." Chen Yu was dumbfounded. What kind of reasoning was that? Moreover, weren''t the couple chasing Xiaoyu because they wanted to marry her off? Could it be that anyone who offered seven thousand yuan could take Xiaoyu away? Before he could react, the couple had already moved two chairs aside and sat down. "You outsiders really have no reason. My daughter is getting married, and you want to take her away! Since that''s the case, leave ten thousand yuan and we''ll act like nothing ever happened." Chen Yu felt all his values being destroyed, the change was just too abrupt. An elderly aunty next to them, threw a handful of sunflower seed shells in front of the couple. "You two are absolutely shameless. Xiao Yu wasn''t even your biological daughter. Ever since she arrived at your ce, you treated her nothing better than an animal, and now you have the audacity toe here and scam money! Tell me, when has little Xiao Yu ever been betrothed?" Following thedy''sment, the onlookers joined in the uproar, spewing insults and belittlement that even Chen Yu couldn''t bear to listen to. Yet, unbelievably, the couple sat as if they were being showered withpliments,posed and unaffected. Chen Yu instantly understood that these people merely wanted to extract a sum of money from him using this charade. No wonder Chu Hong had prepared several envelopes before they left Suzhou City; it looked like they woulde in handy right about now. Chen Yu let out a frustrated sigh, then stood on top of the stone mill. "I want to ask all the kids who are here in line; if I want to take them with me, do I also have to pay a sum of money?" The aunty who had been cracking sunflower seedsughed as if she''d heard a joke. "Young man, you think you can just take our vige kids without paying? Are you delusional?" Chen Yu felt his heart cool; if real criminals were toe here, couldn''t they easily take these children away? In a daze, he noticed the eager eyes of all the children around him. After all, Chu Hong had managed to leave this ce, and most of them had been her ymates since childhood. In the eyes of those children, Chu Hong was someone who had escaped from a life of suffering. If they could leave with Chu Hong, they too could escape the mountains. Chen Yu took a moment to steady his breathing and then picked up the suitcase next to him, which was filled with a box of money. Originally, he had intended to pay half a month''s sry in advance whenever he hired someone, as a way to disy his credibility. But now, he was grateful that he had brought a suitcase full of money. The aunty who had been eating sunflower seeds suddenly became excited and promptly pulled a little girl out from the crowd. "Since you gave little Xiao Yu ten thousand yuan, the rest of the kids should get ten thousand each too!" Without saying much, Chen Yu distributed the money in the order it was asked for. Those so-called parents, upon receiving the money, couldn''t contain their excitement, and their children were handed over to Chen Yu like toys. In the end, many people pushed forward their little boys. As Chen Yu left with thirty-six children, he did not feel the joy of having sessfully recruited people. Instead, he felt a sense of aplishment for having rescued thirty-six children from a life of misery. He began to despise this ce from the bottom of his heart! Once they were on the train leaving the vige, the children began to act strangely excited. To them, they were facing a brand new life. However, Chen Yu couldn''t feel happy. Upon arriving at Suzhou City, he handed the children over to Chu Hong to manage and went straight to the relevant authorities. The hall was already in an uproar, Zhou Shengtao stood in front of the big screen, incessantly pointing at the suspects there. "Can someone exin to me what exactly is happening here? We were about to close in on them, how could you let these thugs slip right under your noses?" The leaders of the various action teams seated below were silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to even breathe loudly, with one of them holding a thermos and taking a trembling sip. Chapter 302 Case File Association "Zhou Team!" Chen Yu burst through the door with an abrupt shout. Zhou Shengtao''s expression changed instantly, he quickly threw down theser pointer in his hand and strode out to meet him. Everyone present let out a long sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. "Xiaochen, howe you didn''t say anything before you came?" Chen Yu felt a little embarrassed, seeing the situation just now, it seemed Zhou Shengtao had been in the middle of a very important meeting. Clearing his throat gently, he proceeded to take out several sheets of drawing paper from his person. These were portraits he had sketched based on the video provided by Tang Xiaowei, drawn on the train. But no matter how he drew them, the results were never unique. Logically, there should only be one person in the video; even if the image was blurry, as a professional portrait artist, he should only produce one drawing in the end. Yet neither Tang Xiaowei nor he coulde up with a unique result. The suspect''s appearance was either too peculiar, the facial features inherently asymmetrical, which disturbed the portrait sketching, or this suspect simply had no face at all! Zhou Shengtao took the drawings with a sigh of resignation. He had been following this case for a long time, and based on the portraits previously provided by Tang Xiaowei, he had interrogated suspects, and yet, no results were forting. The suspects in the portraits Chen Yu had now provided had also been brought in for questioning. "Xiaochen, this case isplicated; the other party is very cautious, and their counter-surveince skills are particrly strong. Many times we''ve found clues, but each time we''ve been just minutes toote!" "Now that video tape is ourst lead, but we''ve asked several artists to sketch, and none can produce a single conclusive portrait." Chen Yu frowned deeply, "Zhou Team, is it possible for me to see the original video?" Without a moment''s hesitation, Zhou Shengtao led Chen Yu to the archives room. Due to recent investigations, the ce had been turned upside down; many items were strewn across the desks, and even some cases from several years back had been dragged out into the mess. Dossiers, videos, documents, all scattered about in disarray. Zhou Shengtao plugged a video tape that was on the table directly into the yback system. When the blurry images appeared before them, a flood of information suddenly shed through Chen Yu''s mind. [System notification, rted message] The moment the system''s voice sounded, all the materials in the archive room appeared in Chen Yu''s mind. Just as Zhou Sheng was about to speak, Chen Yu turned on his heel and began rifling through a pile of documents, soon pulling out several old case files. The dates on these files were quite old, one of them was from a case over thirty years ago. Chen Yu quickly searched through the dossiers and soon found a photograph. It was a ck and white photo from over thirty years ago. The person in the photo looked very young, but their face was twisted to an extreme degree. Looking at the scars, they appeared to have been sshed with sulfuric acid, causing the facial features to distort and even damaging the bones. Even the most skilled portrait artist wouldn''t be able to recreate the original appearance under such circumstances. Even attempting to replicate the skin over the bone structure could lead to deviations. Chen Yu was suddenly excited, following the system''s prompt, this person was the suspect Zhou Shengtao was looking for, but just as he was about to hand over the photo, he hesitated. Everything was far too simple, and there were no connections between them. If he directly handed over the photo, Zhou Shengtao would definitely suspect something, and he couldn''t possibly expose the system, could he? After briefly pondering in his mind, Chen Yu had a n. "Captain Zhou, this reminds me of a major case that urred, where the suspect had severe facial injuries. Back then, it took dozens of portrait artists a lot of effort to draw a likeness of the person!" Zhou Shengtao evidently believed Chen Yu''s exnation, as Chen Yu had hinted more than once before that he had looked over most of the documentation here. "You mean to say, the criminal suspect we''re looking for has been disfigured!" Chen Yu nodded, "It''s possible that he has undergone a full-body transformation, maybe even altered his bones, which is why the portraits drawn have resulted in depictions of over a dozen different people." Zhou Shengtao, too, grew excited, "How did I not think of this before! With this, the scope of our investigation is much narrower." Just as he was getting excited, Chen Yu casually pushed the file over to him, his middle finger subtly tapping on a section of the record. Zhou Shengtao noticed Chen Yu''s gesture and subconsciously nced at it, and the next moment he froze. "My God! How did I forget? This case from over thirty years ago is too simr to today''s!" Zhou Shengtao eximed loudly and quickly took the file from Chen Yu, looking it over carefully. "This is it, the criminal suspect is likely the same! Chen, you''re really a godsend!" Chen Yu feigned an innocent look, "Ah, could it really be such a coincidence?" Zhou Shengtao didn''t say much more, just hurriedly took the file to the conference room and spread the suspect''s information on the table. "Starting now, pull up this person''s movements over the past thirty years for me." Everyone acted without the slightest dy and immediately set about their tasks. Chen Yu, based on the suspect''s photo from over thirty years ago, sketched out the original appearance, and considering the injuries and potential cosmetic surgery,pared it against the blurry surveince footage to produce a rough sketch. "Captain Zhou, this is the suspect''s portrait I''ve drawn with utmost effort, I hope it can be of help." Zhou Shengtao, without looking, immediately ordered it to be distributed, and then a city-wide manhunt ensued. However, ording to regtions, before the suspect was captured, all personnel involved in the case were not allowed to leave unauthorised, and had to stay within their respective departments. As an external consultant, Chen Yu was of course aware of such rules, and he made noints, just sitting quietly in the office waiting. Around midnight, with a text message from Zhou Sheng on his phone, everything was settled. Before long, several relevant personnel brought in a handsome, tall man to the department. His facial proportions and bone structure had an almost impossible perfection, even his facial bones were different from the average person''s. Moreover, he had features of over a hundred different people, which exined why Chen Yu produced different results while drawing from the video. Most importantly, the suspect had more than one steel pin imnted inside his body to alter his physique and height. Chapter 303: Chapter 303 Full Body Plastic Surgery "Did I hear it was you who fleshed out my precise portrait?" When the man saw Chen Yu, he instinctively asked this question. Chen Yu didn''t say much, only nodding his head. "I really didn''t expect to be taken down by a youngster like you! When Imitted that case ten years ago, nobody could trace me at all, I thought this time would be perfect, just the same..." Before he could finish his sentence, the two officials beside him nudged his shoulder. "Enough with the nonsense, get inside!" An odd smirk shed across the suspect''s face, and as he passed by Chen Yu, he even shot him a malicious nce. Chen Yu didn''t linger there for long, exchanging a few pleasantries with Zhou Shengtao before he hurried off to Shuiyue Number One. It had been quite a long time since he had been home. But when he returned, he found the vi''s front gate tightly shut, and the business car he had just purchased was nowhere to be seen. After entering, he saw a photo and a note left on the counter next to the door. "Honey, Tuan Tuan is on holiday, and we''re all going out to rx without you." Chen Yu immediately felt depressed, the photo featured everyone in his family but him. He rubbed his forehead subconsciously and suddenly felt a wave of sleepiness washing over him. He yawned, then went straight to his bedroom and fell asleep. It was not until noon the next day that Chen Yu woke up groggily, only then he noticed there were over a dozen missed calls on his phone. Seeing that they were from Chu Hong, he quickly called back, got dressed at the same time, and drove straight to the shopping mall. The mall''s first floor was now incredibly bustling, with the customer flow being more than five times busier than even its best days before. Customers from the city, outsiders, and even those who came from abroad were constantlying and going. The only issue was that the construction opposite the building and on its rooftop meant that there were some limitations, preventing the customer flow from reaching full capacity. I believe that once the construction is finished, this ce will be the busiest mall in Suzhou City, if not the whole world. When he arrived at the mall, he found all the stations operating smoothly, Wang Qingshan and his two colleagues even had two apprentices each. These kids, having grown up in the mountains, had a rather straightforward character, and at their age, they hadn''t yet been molded by the outdated thinking of their viges, showing much promise for growth. The people brought back yesterday had already been put to work today. When Chu Hong saw Chen Yu arrive, she approached him in a hurry. "Brother Yu, I really didn''t want to bother you, but there are so many people, and our dormitories simply can''t amodate them all; we even had to clear out a room for a few boysst night!" Chen Yu pped his forehead, realizing he had forgotten about this. In the beginning, the dorms were rented, but when he bought the shops, he also purchased those apartments. Though he acquired a few extra at the time for unexpected needs, with the sudden influx of so many people, those dorms now seemed rather cramped. In the future, this mall might hire a huge number of employees, and by then, more employee housing would be necessary. "Don''t worry about this, I''ll arrange it. Tell them to focus on their work, and I''ll take care of their living necessities as well!" Chu Hong nodded her head, then somewhat sheepishly pulled out a letter from her pocket. ``` It was a letter of guarantee, and nearly everyone had signed it and even pressed their fingerprints on it. However, the handwriting at the beginning was still rtively delicate, but as it went on, the signatures started to stray, and some even resorted to using Pinyin instead. "Brother Yu, it''s mainly because the people in our vige are too poor that such situations arise, making you the butt of the joke. We''ve all already agreed that the money you spent on them before will be deducted from their wages!" Chen Yu felt somewhat helpless, "It''s just over three hundred thousand, which is small change for me. Besides, they have traveled miles to work here; I should give them some bonus and a settling-in allowance, right? Try to reassure them, so they don''t feel too much psychological burden." After giving a few instructions, Chen Yu headed straight to the residential area behind the original shop. This residential area was built corresponding to the surroundingmercial district, so there were specifically two buildings constructed to apartment standards. Only, when the developer was building them, they were short on funds and sold the property rights ahead of time, which made the ownership of these two apartment buildings extremelyplex. Chen Yu contacted the property owners through the property management and soon gathered most of the owners together. "Ladies and gentlemen, I called you here today with no other intention but to buy the property rights of the apartments in your hands to use as my employees'' dormitory. I hope you can understand," he said earnestly. Most of the people present scoffed at his sincerity. "You''re a bit too brash, kid. Do you know how much these two apartment buildings are worth now?" "To use as employee dormitories, do you think you''re some kind of tycoon? Now whichpany''s employee dormitories aren''t rented?" "Young Chen, I support you! I still want to eat at your ce in the future! But this is business after all, you have to pay me the market rate." "No problem, Young Chen. If others don''t want to sell, I will! I have a total of sixteen apartments in my hands, just give the word, and I''ll turn them all over to you." ... This prization of opinions left Chen Yu somewhat at a loss. If it were a small-scale transaction, that would be fine, but such arge-scale transaction would definitely involve many messy issues. Even the price might not be unified! As he was feeling frustrated, an elderlydy bustled in. "I''m really sorry for beingte. I heard someone wants to buy our apartments, is that true?" As soon as this person arrived, everyone present quieted down. "Auntie Li?" Chen Yu was stunned, for when he first opened his shop here, Auntie Li had given him considerable help, renting him both the shop and the apartment at the market''s lowest price. Later, when he bought the ce, Auntie Li even gave him a substantial discount. Chen Yu hurriedly stepped forward to help Auntie Li sit down. "Auntie Li, what brings you here? Didn''t you sell all your apartments to me already?" No sooner had he spoken than all eyes in the room converged on Chen Yu, as though mocking his ignorance. "Young man, what are you talking about? The one with the most property rights in this area is Auntie Li." "Just in these two apartment buildings, she owns more than half of them!" ... ``` Chapter 304: Chapter 304 Arranging Dorms Chen Yu couldn''t help but be stunned for a moment; he hadn''t expected Auntie Li to be so capable. When he first bought the apartment, he had thought that those were all the apartments Auntie Li had in her hands, that she was selling them to him in order to have peace of mind in retirement. Chen Yu suddenly felt that he had been naive. Auntie Liughed heartily and stepped forward to pat Chen Yu on the shoulder. "That''s right, I sold all the apartments from my first batch to you!" Chen Yu''s head was filled with confusion, the words "first batch" truly dazzled him, suggesting that Auntie Li''s wealth was far beyond his imagination. Auntie Li did not borate, simply taking out arge stack of contracts from her bag. "Young Chen, from the time you first came back here to set up shop, I saw potential in you. Since you need apartments for employee amodation, go ahead and take all these apartments I have." With that, Auntie Li took out a calctor and calcted the total price on the spot ording to market value. Although houses are talked about as investment items, if they are monopolized by someone, that person can control the specific prices at will. Auntie Li had held more than half of these two apartment buildings, and she could sway the price per square meter by hundreds of yuan if she wished. Now that Auntie Li had sold all her apartments to Chen Yu, in other words, the person who now had that kind of ability had be Chen Yu. The rest had a choice: either sell all their apartments to Chen Yu now or deal with the uncertaintyter on. If one day Chen Yu was displeased and decided to drive down the housing prices, their loss would be substantial. "Young Chen, as I said just now, I''m willing to sell you all these apartments, so take them all!" An elderly gentleman promptly stood up andid out his prepared property deed and rted documents on the table. This gentleman was a regr customer at Chen Yu''s store, and Chen Yu had even cured his many years of rheumatism before, so naturally, he wanted to back Chen Yu at this time. Immediately, more people ced their property deeds and documents on the table. Seeing this, the others didn''t say much more. Chen Yu breathed a sigh of relief; with this, things had be simpler. After rapidly signing contracts with everyone, Chen Yu paid on the spot andpleted the transactions. However, Chen Yu didn''t rx; after sending off these property owners, the real trouble was just beginning. This ce was inherently part of Suzhou City''smercial center, with a number ofrge malls andpanies in the vicinity, so there were many outsiders working here. Manypany white-cor workers and even some fresh graduates lived in the two apartment buildings. Convenient transportation and affordable rent forced them to choose to rent here. Now that Chen Yu had bought this ce to be used for employee amodation, how to settle these renters had be the biggest issue. Hearing that the apartments had changed hands, the renters stirred up trouble together, spontaneously gathering in the square, wanting to get an exnation from the property management. But these were not matters the property management would handle; they could only push it onto Chen Yu. At this moment, Chen Yu had already set up a few tables in themunity square. By the time these people gathered around, he had already taken out a floor n of the apartments, along with an allocation scheme. "Everyone, I didn''t have any other intention in buying the apartments, merely to expand our employee amodation. However, I don''t have many employees right now, so we won''t take up too many rooms. You can all continue to live here." As soon as he spoke, those tenants who had been preparing to cause trouble suddenly quieted down. However, some people still had doubts, and they asked a myriad of questions in disarray. After Chen Yu had responded to these questions one by one, he then consolidated the originally vacant rooms and adjusted the rooms for these tenants. It was only after all the issues had been resolved that these people left one after another. Chen Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief and immediately called the cleaning staff to tidy up the adjusted rooms. Although the upancy rate of these two apartment buildings was very high, a significant portion was used for storage, so the total upancy rate was only 60 percent. After the adjustment, Chen Yu concentrated all the tenants in the mobile apartment building, and another area of the other apartment building was also specifically designated for these tenants. When the time came for some people to move out, Chen Yu would gradually clear out one apartment building to be used entirely for staff amodation. Once the rooms were cleaned up, Chen Yu had someone simply decorate them, arranging all the basic living facilities. By 8 p.m., many employees had gradually arrived at the apartment building. When they saw the clean and tidy dormitories, they were so excited they could hardly contain themselves, and in that moment, they almost regarded Chen Yu as a god. Chen Yu didn''t say much, and after simply settling them in, he returned to the shopping center. Although it was already evening, the flow of people in the shopping center hadn''t decreased, but instead, it was getting even busier. Chu Hong arranged the shifts based on the different stations into opening, mid-shift, closing, and night shifts. She then had everyone familiarize themselves with the essentials of these four shifts, so once they had mastered the details, they could freely swap shifts. Even if someone had ast-minute issue, all the stores and stations could continue to operate without any disruption. Seeing that everything was well-organized, Chen Yu felt a surge of relief. Just then, Xie Jiang came down from upstairsughing and talking with several workers. They had been busy with renovations and remodeling upstairs, so they used the first-floor hall as a canteen. The group quickly found a few familiar spots to sit down at. "Old Chen, howe you have time to swing by here today?" Xie Jiang called out excitedly as he approached. Chen Yu smiled in response, "Just taking a stroll since I have nothing better to do, and besides, arranging amodations for our staff." "Chen, you''re a busy man. It''s rare for you to have nothing to do. Come on, let''s have a good drink together today." Before Chen Yu could react, Xie Jiang had already dragged him to a spot and ordered some plum wine. This wine was brewed by Chen Yu''s own shop. When they first shared these recipes, it was impossible to brew perfect plum wine due to limited conditions. So Chen Yu spread the form for the staff to brew on their own, but unexpectedly, Chu Hong and the other girls managed to make it. Although it did not reach the perfect level of the recipe, it was still many times better than other wines of the same type. Most importantly, the alcohol content was not very high, so even if one drank too much, it wouldn''t affect work. Therefore, it became a favorite among the workforce, something they''d indulge in whether or not there was an asion. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 305: Chapter 305 Long-Term Poisoning Chen Yu had just poured the wine when amercial van pulled up at the mall entrance, and several burly bodyguards barged in. The construction workers dining saw the scene unfold, rising to their feet in unison. During this time, there had been no shortage of troublemakers at the mall, and Xie Jiang and his workers had driven away many. Now, with these men suddenly rushing in, it was clear they were no good. Chen Yu also became wary, but as he prepared to speak, two of the bodyguards approached him with great respect. "Mr. Chen, our president would like to invite you over for an important discussion," one said. Chen Yu frowned, "Who is your president?" The men did not conceal anything, directly handing over a business card. Chen Yu took the business card and nced at it, a slight shock passing through him, as the person inviting him turned out to be Chu Jianghe. However, judging by the respectful demeanor of these two bodyguards, Chu Jianghe probably wouldn''t harm him. Without saying more, Chen Yu followed the bodyguards into the car. Xie Jiang and his group, filled with worry, got into a van and followed themercial vehicle from a distance. Before long, Chen Yu was brought to an extremely luxurious vi. Though the vi was the epitome of luxury, almost like a pce, it was located in a very remote area, on the far outskirts of Suzhou City''s eastern suburbs. Nearby, there were even vast rice fields, suggesting Chu Jianghe must have purchased thend from farmers to build the vi himself. In the expansive hall, Chu Jianghe sat firmly, his face solemn. "Mr. Chu, you invited me here sote; may I ask why?" Chen Yu inquired. Holding a cane, Chu Jianghe slowly stood up and extended his wrist towards Chen Yu. "I''ve heard of your exceptional medical skills. I''ve invited you here to treat me. If you can cure my illness, I''m willing to agree to any of your conditions¡ªI''m even open to discussing leaving Suzhou City and retiring," he offered. Chen Yu was taken aback; he had not expected Chu Jianghe to propose such terms. "Elder Chu, Suzhou City is there for the taking. Anyone looking to develop or invest here doesn''t seem to need anyone''s permission. Moreover, a city''s financial capital isn''t as limited as it appears. If you''re willing, Mr. Chu, we could coborate on some new projects," Chen Yu responded. Chu Jianghe''s body trembled slightly, truly not expecting Chen Yu to have such a vision. After a moment of silence, Chu Jianghe sat down again. "Let''s focus on the treatment first!" he suggested. Chen Yu said no more, reaching out to feel Chu Jianghe''s pulse. But in the next moment, his expression dramatically shifted. "Elder sir, were you poisoned thirty years ago?" he asked. These words caught Chu Jianghe off guard; indeed, during a family conflict thirty years ago, he had been poisoned. It had been so long, and he thought any residual poison would be long gone. He couldn''t believe that Chen Yu could deduce so much from a simple pulse check. "Are you saying the poison in my body hasn''t beenpletely cleared?" Chu Jianghe queried. Chen Yu nodded and then took a piece of paper and a pen from the side and wrote down a prescription. "In fact, the condition your body is experiencing is almost entirely caused by toxins within the body that haven''t been cleared, and for these past thirty years, someone has been poisoning your food." As he said this, Chen Yu deliberately lowered his voice to ensure that only Chu Jianghe could hear him. Chu Jianghe''s eyes widened in shock; he couldn''t believe that someone had been meddling with his food all this time. "Who exactly is it? How dare they treat me this way?" "That is something you''ll have to investigate yourself!" Chen Yu replied somewhat dismissively as he handed over the prescription. Chu Jianghe''s breathing suddenly grew rapid, and a hint of caution appeared in his eyes. Just as Chen Yu was about to stand up and leave, Chu Jianghe suddenly grabbed his arm. "Mr. Chen, ever since my staff started ordering meals from your ce, they''ve caused an uproar in the previous dining hall and even drove away the former chefs. I find it strange. Is the food from your ce really that delicious?" Others might have found this question rather baffling, given that the two men weren''t on familiar terms¡ªespecially since Chen Yu was forcibly brought here by Chu Jianghe. But Chen Yu understood perfectly what Chu Jianghe meant. "The best time to enjoy food is definitely the moment ites out of the pan. The meals ordered from my ce must certainly taste different by the time they arrive here! If Sect Leader Chu doesn''t mind, you coulde to my restaurant and taste it fresh on the spot." The servants nearby were totally confused; the conversation between the two men seemed odd, as if they were forcibly carving out some emotional connection. Before people could react, Chen Yu had already left the room with Chu Jianghe. And this time, Chu Jianghe didn''t bring anyone with him, just drove an old Beetle car by himself. The whole way, neither of them spoke, onlymunicated through strange hand gestures. Chu Jianghe was already cautious, and upon hearing that he had been poisoned for thirty years, he became somewhat panicked. If someone could poison him for so long, it proved that there must be a surveince system around him, possibly even within this car. It wasn''t until they reached the shopping mall that Chu Jianghe finally breathed a sigh of relief. Xie Jiang and hispanions, who had previously followed them out, also returned to the shopping mall. After ensuring that nothing was amiss with Chen Yu, they dispersed on the spot, but the Sect Leader was still uneasy and sat near Chen Yu with two workers. Chen Yu didn''t say much, just handed the prescription he had prepared to Wang Qingshan, asking him to make a medicinal meal ording to the herbs listed. Chu Jianghe, however, looked flustered. "Mr. Chen, I''ve heard that your ce is about to be transformed into a hotel. I wonder if there are any rooms avable now, as I would like to stay here for a while." Chen Yu spread his hands: "I''m sorry, but my ce is currently under renovation. If Sect Leader Chu would like to stay, I know there''s a decent 7 Days Inn nearby." Chu Jianghe frowned. How could he, the Sect Leader of the Chu Family, possibly stay in such a low-end chain hotel? But his situation was incredibly dangerous at the moment, and if he didn''t lower himself, he might very well lose his life in Suzhou City. While he hesitated, Chen Yu suddenly took out a business card and handed it to him. "My father-inw does have a decent business hotel. If Sect Leader Chu doesn''t mind, you could stay there for a few days, and all the food there is supplied by me." Chu Jianghe''s eyes widened; he knew all about the grudge between himself and Tong Ming. And Chen Yu surely was aware of it too. This was clearly a way to make him swallow his pride and seek help from an adversary. Chapter 306 Private Chef "What do you mean by this? Taking advantage of the situation? Using this opportunity to let your father-inw trample all over me?" Chu Jianghe became inexplicably angry, his cane pounding ceaselessly on the ground, making a resounding ng, quickly drawing everyone''s attention. Xie Jiang, who had been watching intently from not far away, suddenly stood up, clutching a steel bar tightly in his hand. Chen Yu, on the other hand, appeared unfazed, pouring a cup of plum wine and sliding it across to Chu Jianghe. "At this point, sir, do you really need to care so much about face?" Chu Jianghe was stunned for a moment, unsure of what to do. If what Chen Yu said was true, that someone had been poisoning him for thirty years, it must have been someone very close to him. That meant he could neither return to Suzhou City nor continue to stay in Suzhou City; he could only find a ce to hide until the real culprit behind the scenes was found. Chu Jianghe took a moment to regte his breathing and then downed the cup of plum wine with a gulp. "Fine, I can stay at your father-inw''s ce, but you have to ensure that he provides me with a top-notch suite, with all the services I need, nothing missing, and you also have to take responsibility for curing my illness," he dered. Chen Yu raised an eyebrow; speaking of which, he seemed to be helping Chu Jianghe¡ªthis kind of felt like taking care of a demanding elder. "These are minor issues, but I''m afraid you''ll have to make the call to my father-inw yourself," he replied. Chu Jianghe, left with no choice at this juncture, reluctantly agreed. Soon, Wang Qingshan came over with a bowl of braised pork. The braised pork looked ordinary, no different from regr braised pork, but its vor was entirely unique. As soon as it was served, a pungent scent of herbs assailed Chu Jianghe''s nostrils, causing his body to shiver involuntarily. The persistent sense of weakness that had wrapped around him vanishedpletely. He instinctively picked up his chopsticks and devoured two big mouthfuls. "How in the world is this made? Not only is the taste rich and mellow, but it also melts in the mouth, and it can even cure my illness!" Chen Yu rested his chin on one hand, "This is a special medicinal dish from my restaurant. If Mr. Chu is willing, we can provide this kind of medicinal cuisine every day. It can clear the poison from your body and even rejuvenate you to some extent." Chu Jianghe immediately got excited, "Then I have another condition. For the next few days, you must take charge of my meals. I won''t eat anything made by anyone else." Chen Yu''s mouth fell agape; he had a pile of things to attend to¡ªjust dealing with the factory and shopping center renovations was enough to give him a headache. Where would he find the time to cook specifically for Chu Jianghe? He subconsciously gestured towards Wang Qingshan standing nearby. "He is one of our head chefs here, and his skill in producing medicinal dishes is unparalleled! He made this braised pork; if you''re willing, I can ask him to cook for you for a few days. However, the price for a personal chef like him must be separately discussed," he exined. At this point, Chu Jianghe didn''t care about the details and promptly wrote a check for five million. "That''s the price for ten days; I doubt anyone else would offer a higher rate than me." Chen Yu was startled for a moment; ording to market rates, at the very least, a private chef would cost thirty thousand a month, and at the high end, several hundred thousand. It had to be said, Chu Jianghe was really generous in this regard. "Deal!" Chen Yu epted the check and passed it directly to Wang Qingshan. Afterward, Chu Jianghe hesitantly picked up his phone to dial Tong Ming''s number. It wasn''t long before Tong Ming led a fleet of cars to the mall. "Old Chu, I never thought there''de a day when you''d need my help," As soon as Tong Ming arrived, he excitedly pped Chu Jianghe''s shoulder. Chu Jianghe sighed helplessly, "I''ve just run into a bit of trouble, it''s only temporary that I''m asking for your help, don''t think it''s because I''m afraid of you." Tong Ming didn''t say much, only taking out a set of keys and a room card. "The car has been checked for you, there''s no surveince equipment on it, and the room card is for the best presidential suite under my name. You can stay as long as you want." Chu Jianghe was silent for a while, then said a soft "Thank you" before heading straight out of the mall. Wang Qingshan, after receiving the check, chose not to leave with them. In his view, he was after all an employee under Chen Yu, and couldn''t just follow someone because they handed him a check. Besides, Tong Ming''s business hotel wasn''t far from here; all he needed to do every day was to make good food and deliver it there. By the time Chen Yu had dealt with everything and returned home, it was already twelve at night. These few days, Tong Ya had taken the family on a trip, leaving the house cold and empty. Just as he hung up his coat and prepared to head to the bedroom to sleep, the lights in the house suddenly turned on. Chen Yu instinctively looked around the room, noticing a graceful figure sitting on the sofa. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Jin Lingsu. At that moment, Jin Lingsu was wearing Tong Ya''s nightgown, half-reclining there, looking utterly seductive. "What are you doing here?" Chen Yu asked instinctively. Jin Lingsu dangled a set of keys in her hand, "Little Ya gave me a set of keys to the house, and I have fingerprint verification for all the systems here, I should count as part of this house by now, shouldn''t I?" Chen Yu was somewhat helpless. Although Jin Lingsu had obtained a legal identity, she always had an uncanny way of disappearing and appearing suddenly. Last time, after attending a parent-child event with Tuan Tuan, she suddenly vanished, and now she had suddenly appeared, surely for a reason. "You haven''t gotten yourself into trouble outside again and can''t deal with it yourself, so you came to hide out here," he said. Jin Lingsu suddenly looked a bit embarrassed, "You really can''t hide anything from you, can you!" With that, she took out a photo from her person and handed it over to Chen Yu. "You must have some recollection of this person!" When Chen Yu saw the person in the photo, his expression changed drastically. He had seen this man before at Fang Yuan''s wedding; he seemed to be an important member of the Edward Family. "I remember him. What about it?" Jin Lingsu''s expression turned ugly, "This guy seems to be the brain of the Edward Family. Recently, under his operation, the Edward Family incorporated several businesses of the Charlies family." "Andtely, the Edward Family has alreadynded in the Magic City; it''s said they intend to forcefully intervene in the financial markets of the East." Chen Yu''s face grew even more puzzled. In theory, themercialpetition between the major families, no matter how intense, was a matter of the financial world. What did this have to do with Jin Lingsu? He stared at Jin Lingsu with an inexplicable gaze, making her feel somewhat uneasy after a while. Possibly understanding the implication in Chen Yu''s gaze, Jin Lingsu took out a letter. Chapter 307: Chapter 307 Business Plan "Recently, I received news that severalpanies under my name had been swallowed up without cause, so I hurried to investigate. I never expected to encounter thest thing I wanted to see." Jin Lingsu''s expression was grave, and there was even a hint of fear in her eyes. Chen Yu was slightly taken aback; he had never seen Jin Lingsu look this way before. Moreover, Jin Lingsu''splexion looked somewhat pale. If one observed carefully, they would notice that her arms and thighs were wrapped in gauze, with bloodstains seeping through. Chen Yu didn''t ask further and hastily opened the envelope in his hand. Inside was a financial contract that looked ordinary on the surface but hidden within it was a nearly ten-billion bet agreement with signatures from both the Edward Family and the Charlie Family. "Looks like the Edward Family is nning to take over the Charlie Family!" Chen Yu put down the envelope and took a deep breath. Jin Lingsu shifted her body and sat up, "It seems that way, and their n also includes targeting William''s family." Chen Yu took out some loose powder from a drawer nearby and handed it to Jin Lingsu. "Then what''s with all these injuries? Could it be that taking over the business wasn''t enough for the Edward Family, and now they want topletely eliminate you?" Jin Lingsu took the powder and, right in front of Chen Yu, she unabashedly opened her clothes to change her dressing. "That''s not it. It''s mainly because I got hold of some of their secrets. Unfortunately, I lost the USB when I was being pursued. If these things were made public, the entire Edward Family would face catastrophe." Chen Yu nodded and did not say anything more. He had connections with William''s family and had some business in the West, but his mainmercial interests were still in the East. Even if the Edward Family really took over all the super-families in the West, it wouldn''t have much to do with him. Jin Lingsu finished changing her dressing andzily leaned back on the sofa. "All the little assets I had left are frozen. Now I''m penniless. Given our past rtions, you''ll have to support me for a while." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow. Although he did not dislike Jin Lingsu, he didn''t particrly like her either. Every time she appeared, she brought trouble. "As you wish!" Leaving that remark, Chen Yu went straight to his room to sleep, as there was a contract to be signed at the pharmaceutical factory the next day. The next morning, Chen Yu got out of bed and hurried to the factory. But just as he arrived, he found a group of well-dressed individuals wearing hard hats wandering about, pointing and discussing. Chen Yu frowned. He recognized some of these people; most of them were well-known local entrepreneurs. Many factories in this industrial park were under theirpanies. If these people were just inspecting their own factories, he wouldn''t be surprised, but they were oddly loitering near the third pharmaceutical nt. Hou Jianchang was also among the crowd, but he looked rather embarrassed. "Boss Hou, the industrial park started with food processing, and you initially were in food processing, so you should know what the necessary conditions for this industry are!" Hou Jianchang let out a turbid breath, "Each factory has its own independent operational model, and besides, the third pharmaceutical nt''s location doesn''t seem to interfere with you all, does it?" "But your factory emits wastewater with a high concentration of pharmaceuticals. If it merges with the raw materials of my food processing nt, how can I sell the products?" Hou Jianchang snorted coldly, "Are you saying that all the water used by your factory is wastewater discharged from my pharmaceutical nt?" ... For a time, the two sides were at a deadlock, and there were even preparations made toe to blows. If it weren''t for the fact that both sides had brought arge number of bodyguards and exercised restraint, the scene would have likely descended into chaos long ago. Seeing this, Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown. He hurried over and patted Hou Jianchang on the shoulder. "Old Hou, what''s going on?" Seeing Chen Yu approaching, Hou Jianchang also awkwardly scratched his head. The troubles the factory had encountered during this period seemed like none had been resolved by him; it was always when Chen Yu arrived that things got sorted out. "Old Chen, our pharmaceutical nt is surrounded by other factory districts, and given the different industrial structures, there is bound to be some impact! But these guys are exaggerating, insisting that I relocate the nt area." Chen Yu''s brows furrowed tightly as he subconsciously surveyed the surrounding environment. Indeed, the location of the pharmaceutical nt was somewhat awkward. Suddenly, Chen Yuughed, "After all this fuss, it''s for this matter that you havee. I thought there was some big issue! Gentlemen, you could all sit down and discuss calmly¡ªthere''s no need to argue until you''re red in the face. A middle-aged man with an air of great authority stepped forward disdainfully. "Stop beating around the bush with me¡ªhow do you intend to resolve today''s issue?" The corners of Chen Yu''s mouth suddenly curled into a strange arc. "Simple. I invite all of you to relocate your factory districts, or perhaps let me buy them out. That way, our sides wouldn''t have any conflicts, would we?" The middle-aged manughed as if he had heard some hrious joke, and the crowd around him joined in theughter. "Has this kid gone mad? We''ve worked hard to build these factories, and with just a few words from him, he expects us to sell to him¡ªwhat a dreamer." "A little brat who''s not even fully grown wants to buy out our factories." "The kid really has no idea the immensity of heaven and earth¡ªI say we should just go through legal procedures and split up his factory." "Why are we wasting our time with them? Let''s go straight to the relevant authorities and shut down their factory." ... The chattering crowd was extremely annoying, but Chen Yu didn''t care about that. He simply pulled out his certificate as a reserve officer. At this, everyone at the scene fell silent; no one had expected Chen Yu to have such an identity. "Didn''t you just say you wanted to go to the relevant departments to shut down my factory? Now I suspect there are regtory vitions in your factories¡ªwho can lead me for an inspection?" As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was stunned, and the middle-aged man who had spoken earlier was especially eager to apologize. Soon after, the group dispersed in chaos. After sending these people away, Chen Yu didn''t go back to the pharmaceutical nt. Instead, he found a higher spot to overlook the entire industrial park. This industrial park was even more expansive than the neighboring one, with nearly a hundred factories,rge and small. However, arge part of these factory districts handled food processing, and only a small portion were involved with electronics products. Seeing thisyout, Chen Yu immediately understood; the reason this group hade to make trouble was because his food processing park was taking away their business. Chapter 308 Acquiring at a Low Price Pre-packaged meals could be somewhat considered as ready-to-eat or canned food products. Not only are they cheap, but they alsoe in a wide variety of vors, which makes them extremely popr in the market. Inparison, other processed foods seem somewhatckluster. Take the best-selling canned luncheon meat, for example; not only is its product range limited, but many food processing nts are also producing it, leading to an oversaturation in the market. Moreover, to some extent, canned luncheon meatpetes with products like sausages, further shrinking its market space. Now that pre-packaged meal kits have entered the market, their impact is even greater, directly causing sales of products like canned luncheon meat to halve. On the surface, these people have banded together against Third Pharmaceutical Factory, but their main target is likely Chen Yu''s food industrial park. A dangerous curve formed at the corner of Chen Yu''s mouth. He had initially nned to negotiate with these people to transfer their factories, but now, it seemed that if he didn''t y his cards right, it would be an injustice to their cunning. Just then, a violent explosion suddenly sounded not far from there, with thick smoke billowing towards the heavens, quickly plunging the area into darkness. Chen Yu''s eyes widened. The factory that exploded seemed to be a fuel nt that, aside from the new type of fuel, also stored arge amount of traditional fuel. If all the fuel were to catch fire, the entire industrial park might well plunge into disaster. Most crucially, there was arge battery factory near the fuel nt. If that factory were to explode as well, the consequences would be unimaginable. Chen Yu almost instinctively pushed all other ns in his mind aside and hastily instructed Hou Jianchang to call out all the fire brigade personnel in the industrial park. A somewhat stout many half-prostrate in front of the fuel factory, as if burnt out. This was his life''s savings, and he had not expected such a disaster to ur. This man had previously been among those threatening Chen Yu, and his remarks had been particrly offensive. Chen Yu merely nced at him before leading his team directly into the inferno. In the current situation, there was no time to consider the consequences of the explosion; the top priority was to rescue the workers trapped inside the factory. But the ce was extremely dangerous, and no one could guarantee when the next explosion might ur. [On the right, Building Three, floor four, there are seventeen trapped individuals.] [To the left, Factory Area One, there are forty-eight trapped individuals.] ... Arge amount of information continued to sh in Chen Yu''s mind. Relying on the information provided by the system, he tirelessly rescued the trapped individuals from inside. Before long, professional firefighters also arrived at the scene, immediately throwing the most advanced fire extinguishers into the fire. Before they arrived, Chen Yu''s firefighting personnel had already brought the fire under control, and as soon as the professionals arrived, they took appropriate measures and soon extinguished the ze. [Congrattions to the host, you have gained twelve points.] [Congrattions to the host, you have gained seventeen points.] ... Chen Yu had already lost much interest in these continuously umting points. Ever since the system was upgraded, it had be merely an auxiliary device that would only appear when absolutely necessary, and the way to umte points was incredibly difficult. Today, having rescued so many people from the fire scene, the total points earned were still less than three hundred. He sighed helplessly, and Chen Yu was about to leave with his fire brigade when the obese man suddenly leaped up and grabbed his arm. "Mr. Chen, I have something to discuss with you, could you consider buying my factory at half price? Everything inside would be all yours," the man said. Chen Yu frowned involuntarily, ncing back at the factory area subconsciously. Although the fire had been controlled, more than half of the factory was in ruins, with many facilities unusable. Even buying at half price seemed like a loss. Moreover, among those people earlier, it was this man who had ndered Chen Yu the most; he had no reason to be the good guy here. "Sorry, I''m really not interested! Since so many bosses came today, you can discuss it with them, maybe someone will want to buy your factory at full price!" he said. He mocked the man deliberately and then strode away without looking back. Speaking of which, this factory was the closest to the Third Pharmaceutical Factory. If he could acquire it, it would allow for easy expansion into the surrounding area, making the building of an industrial park much more convenient. However, to implement such a business n required many more essential conditions, and besides, Chen Yu had his own price in mind for the acquisition of the fuel factory. Just after returning to the Third Pharmaceutical Factory, Chen Yu was preparing to visit theboratory. In this period, under Hou Jianchang''s management, the factory had recruited quite a few research personnel and had developed several new medications based on the forms provided by Chen Yu. But just as Chen Yu was about to inspect, the obese man from earlier came running over in a panic. "Mr. Chen, I''m willing to halve the price I mentioned earlier. Could you please consider buying this factory?" he pleaded. Chen Yu had anticipated the man''s visit. "Mr. Xu, your factory is in such a state, the priority should be aid for the injured and rebuilding the facilities; why are you in such a rush to sell the factory?" Although the question was posed very seriously, a sh of embarrassment crossed Mr. Xu''s face. His factory had suffered serious damages, and just the medical care for the injured and the rebuilding of facilities would cost a significant sum of money. Regrettably, in an attempt to save money during the construction of his factory, he had skimped on the insurance coverage. With today''s incident, the insurancepany was unlikely to pay out in full, meaning he would have to shoulder all the losses caused by the fire. If that were the case, he would have no option but to dere bankruptcy and might even end up with massive debts. His only strategy now was to transfer ownership of the factory as soon as possible to protect himself. Chen Yu sat down on the steps nearby. "Mr. Xu, it''s not that I don''t want to help you, but how do I know there won''t be any trouble after taking over this factory?" Mr. Xu''s breathing suddenly became rapid, and his entire demeanor turned frantic. He sighed with resignation andid out all the documents rted to the factory before Chen Yu. "Mr. Chen, I beg you, please save me. In this industrial area, you''re the only one who can save me, and you''re also the only one who can prepare the paperwork for transferring the factory ownership within a day," he said. With that, Mr. Xu presented all the official stamps and seals of his factory, pushing them towards Chen Yu. Chapter 309 Chapter 309 Different Concepts Seeing how eager Boss Xu appeared, Chen Yu instantly understood. ording to the relevant regtions, once apany or enterprise gets into trouble, as long as the person responsible is changed within twenty-four hours, thepany can be reset. Take the fuel factory in question, for instance. Even if it hadn''t paid insurance or various fees before, as long as a new person responsible takes over within the set time limit, they could make up for the insurance and rted fees, minimizing the losses. Boss Xu had his eye on this very point, which is why he came over groveling to Chen Yu. His goal was to protect himself, to at least save some money to live on. Chen Yu nced at the documents and the sealid out before him, feeling a little thrill surge through his heart. Now he could take over this factory without spending a penny. However, the small stack of documents Boss Xu had brought along also caught his attention. Those were the personal details of all the factory owners in the entire industrial park. A quick look was all Chen Yu needed to realize that these so-called owners were already heavily in debt, some even ready to sell their factories. No wonder this guy came to him first, convinced that only Chen Yu could help him. Chen Yu disdainfully rolled his eyes, got up without saying a word, and headed straight for the pharmaceutical factory. "Boss Chen, we can talk this through, can''t we? At least give me a base price," Boss Xu said, panicking. Once the twenty-four hours passed, he would face nothing but bankruptcy and liquidation. Chen Yu chuckled, then turned around. "100,000. If you agree, we''ll sign the contract right now! I''ll take care of your subsequent insurance, employee resettlement, and the fire incident report for you!" Boss Xu''s eyes widened in disbelief. 100,000 was far too little; in the past, that wouldn''t even cover him for two trips to the club. But thinking about the lifelong debt he''d face if he missed this chance, he gritted his teeth and agreed. Chen Yu didn''t dawdle, checking the documents and the seal before transferring the money, then handed the materials over to Hou Jianchang to handle. Hou Jianchang was no novice at this business, moving swiftly and adeptly. Soon, all the injured workers at the fuel factory were gathered together. Moreover, representatives from the insurancepany arrived promptly at the scene to finalize the contract with Hou Jianchang. Seeing everything settled, Boss Xu breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless, he''d walked away with 100,000. It was then that several other factory owners crowded around. "Damn, Boss Xu, how did you get that guy to agree to buy your factory?" "Your crappy factory was already near bankruptcy, and now after such a disaster, no one would want to buy it. Is he out of his mind?" ... A group of people closed in, chattering noisily. Some were asking Boss Xu how he managed to sell the factory, others took the chance to belittle Chen Yu. In their eyes, a factory in ruins was not even worth acquiring for free. After all, the subsequent insurance and varied matters were bound to cost a significant sum, not to mention the possibility of unforeseen idents. Mr. Xu didn''t say much else, quickly packing his belongings before hurriedly leaving. Even though he had sold his factory for a low price, he had managed to extricate himself from misery. With his business acumen, he just needed to borrow some money from the bank to rise again quickly. Seeing Mr. Xu''s carefree demeanor, others couldn''t help but feel jealous. The industrial park where this development urred was situated on the outskirts, and many of the industries already had a fixed structure. Unless it was arge-scale operation or a production in an industrial park city, it would be difficult to find a way out. Some of them owned several factories, but they were all mired in difficulties, with everyone thinking about how to quickly transfer their own factory. Chen Yu stood high above, looking at the gathered factory owners from a distance, his lips curling into a mischievous smile. He had been unaware of these people''s bottom line, but the information provided by Mr. Xu suddenly gave him confidence. With a little maneuvering, he could easily acquire their factories, and soon he would have two industrial parks at his disposal. Find your next read at empire As Chen Yu was nning his future business empire, a strong medicinal scent suddenly wafted from theboratory. He could tell it was a pre-made prescription he had provided, but the scent was a bit off, as if a chemical reaction had urred between several ingredients. Chen Yu couldn''t afford to be negligent, panicking as he raced to theboratory to find several researchers looking dejectedly to one side. They were more or less damaged, with a pile of charred medicinal residue on the experiment table. The pungent odor originated from these residues. "What happened?" Chen Yu instinctively asked, frowning as he approached the experiment table. These pre-made prescriptions were the simplest, some research even being perfunctory, yet such simple studies had resulted in mistakes, making Chen Yu doubt the researchers'' abilities. Two researchers who looked like recent graduates became flustered at once. "We wanted to use chemicals to test a new medicine and, at the same time, extend its shelf life, but we didn''t expect the chemical agents we used to react with the medicine itself." Chen Yu sighed helplessly, seeing that these individuals had yet to leave behind the rigid thinking taught by their schools. "What you see here are all traditional Chinese medicines. You must understand that these aren''t entirely equivalent to chemical reagents." "In a certain sense, you should treat them as food or vegetables. Can these be preserved simply using chemical agents?" Thisment left the researchers with nowhere to hide their shame. Indeed, their experiments had been superfluous. In Chen Yu''s prior design, all pre-made medicines had to strictly follow protocols of high-temperature sterilization and vacuum storage. Chen Yu didn''t say much more, taking the chemical agents from their hands and setting them aside while fetching some strange powders. "In the production of Western medicine, it is necessary to add a lot of chemical agents, not only to extend shelf life but also to enhance the effects of the medicine to some extent!" "It''s just a shame that when those chaotic substances interact, they produce some substances harmful to the human body, which can''t be expelled." Having said this, Chen Yu had already mixed a pile of the powders together and prepared some transparent reagents. Then, he poured these reagents into a pile of dry, pre-made medicinal herbs. Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Critical Situation The whooshing sound apanied by white mist rose up, filling the entireboratory with a rich aroma in an instant. "My gosh, what is this scent? Why do I feel so refreshed?" "s, didn''t we just use the same form? Why did the resulte out differently?" "Mr. Chen, how on earth did you do it?" ... Chen Yu set the remaining potion aside, "This is just some basic chemical pharmacology knowledge. The more you practice, the more you''ll understand!" "I hope each of you will not just work here but also learn many necessary things." All the researchers present looked at Chen Yu with admiration, treating him almost like a deity at that moment. After giving some more details about the experiment, Chen Yu left directly. After all, these people were professional researchers; there was no need for lengthy exnations, as they would figure out the rest on their own. If they couldn''t reach that level, then there was no reason for the pharmaceutical nt to keep them around. Just out of the industrial park, an extremely seductively dressed woman, in her high heels, hurried forward and handed an invitation to Chen Yu. "Mr. Chen, I don''t know if you''re avable tonight at eight? There''s a banquet set up especially for you at Ocean Paradise, and we hope you can grace us with your presence." Chen Yu frowned as soon as he saw the woman, knowing she must be someone''s secretary, but her attire was a bit too much. Not only was she seductively charming, the fabric of her clothesbined was less than a single item Chen Yu wore. If it were someone else, they would have had a nosebleed by now. Chen Yu took the invitation and saw many names written on it, more than forty in total. He was familiar with these names; they were all the factory managers and persons in charge from the nearby industrial park. It looked like these people couldn''t restrain themselves any longer. After all, Chen Yu had effortlessly taken over Boss Xu''s operation, so naturally, the others were envious and wanted to dispose of their non-performing assets in the shortest time possible, so they had to turn to Chen Yu. This was indeed a great opportunity to expand the factory area. "I have other ns tonight; eight is too early for me, tell them to wait for me until ten!" Chen Yu replied casually, put away the invitation, and walked away, not expecting the little secretary to follow closely behind him. Chen Yu slightly knitted his brows, "What are you doing?" The little secretary trembled slightly, "When I was sent here, General Gao already mentioned, starting from today, I''ll be your secretary. Whatever you want to do, just do it¡­" Chen Yu felt a sense of disgust. These people really went to great lengths to deal with their non-performing assets. "You can go back; I don''t need you here!" As soon as he had spoken, the little secretary stumbled and fell to the ground. "Mr. Chen, please don''t send me away, if I go back today, not only will I not get paid, but General Gao will also fire me!" The sudden tearful plea caught Chen Yu off guard. His mind was filled with aplete set of psychological knowledge, and he could tell at a nce that the little secretary wasn''t faking it. And looking at her flushed face, it seemed this was her first time dressing so scantily, she didn''t even seemfortable in the high heels. The reason she had fallen to the ground just now was that she twisted her ankle in her heels, and ended up kneeling down as a result. "What? Could it be that you were forced here by Manager Gao and the others?" The young secretary bit her lip, "I came voluntarily. Manager Gao promised me that as long as I get the job done, he would pay for my parents'' medical expenses." Chen Yu frowned deeply. How could this be voluntary? He took a closer look at the young secretary in front of him and noticed that she was barely past twenty, with delicate, fair skin and a pretty face¡ªa rare beauty indeed. However, her otherwise perfect hands were filled with calluses, and there were many needle holes on her fingers. It was clear that the girl often did needlework. Experience more on empire Chen Yu took off his coat and tossed it to the young secretary. "If you''re willing to follow, thene!" The young secretary, not daring to say much, quickly draped the coat over her shoulders and followed. Tong Group, Suzhou City branch. Tong Ming was holding a small meeting. Threepany directors sat beside him, with several secretaries frantically switching between videos and documents. "The international situation has been getting worsetely. Over in Europe, the Edward Family suddenly became aggressive, absorbing several groups under the Charlies family''s g, and it''s said that they are nning to move against William''s family next. Our business in Europe seems to have been affected too." "Director Tong, considering the size of our group, a confrontation with the Edward Family could very well cost us the wholepany. I suggest we avoid their sharp edge, after all, our roots are in the East." "Some good news hase from the capital though. Our project with the Tang Family has entered aprehensive strategic phase. Except for the Zhao Family, the other families are all supporting us." ... This director analyzed the current situation and through the secretary beside him, passed the report to Tong Ming. However, Tong Ming seemed uninterested in these reports. He nced at them briefly before setting them aside and continued staring at the big screen. ording to the current situation, the best option for Tong Group now is to temporarily pull out of Europe, perhaps even from the entire Western market, and solidify its base in the East. When necessary, it might even have to pull out of Suzhou City and retreat to the capital. Deep down, Tong Ming was reluctant to do so. It felt like conceding without even being hit, and moreover, it meant giving up all the benefits to others. The office suddenly fell silent, and even the secretaries weaving between them seemed at a loss. Just then, the door was slowly pushed open, and Chen Yu hurried in with the young secretary previously mentioned. The directors present were startled for a moment, then rose to their feet, asking courteously. After all, Chen Yu was Tong Ming''s son-inw, and there were certain formalities they had to observe. Chen Yu responded briefly and then took a seat next to Tong Ming. "Dad, why the urgency to call me over?" Tong Ming sighed helplessly, "It''s not that I''m in a hurry. We''re just in a state of internal and external troubles! The Edward Family is relentlessly pressing in the European market, and the Chu Family has spread from the Magic City to Suzhou City, wanting to challenge us. It''s a difficult situation." Chen Yu was aware of these issues, but he hadn''t calcted that thebination of these issues would put such pressure on Tong Ming. "Dad, you don''t need to worry. I might have a way to win over the Chu Family. As for William''s family, they will probably cooperate with us." Tong Ming was well aware of Chen Yu''s rtionship with William''s family, but convincing the Chu Family was not so simple. Chapter 311 Chapter 311 The Little Secretary "Actually, the main industry of the Edward Family is energy, and their rivalry with William''s family might also be for that underwater oil field in the Nordic region." The timid voice rang out quite unexpectedly, immediately drawing everyone''s attention. Chen Yu''s little secretary, whom he had brought with him, had unknowingly made her way to the front of therge screen. Her finger was pointing at a businessyout publicly disclosed by the Edward Family. Such businessyouts are usually designed to confusepetitors or to casually deal with the media; the amount of hidden information in them is minimal. Moreover, theyout did not involve any energy issues. Yet this little secretary was able to see through the essence at a nce. Tong Ming suddenly became interested, "Then tell us, how did you figure it out?" The little secretary''s face turned red, and she was a bit flustered. She had just left school less than a week ago, and her only work experience was a day at the front desk for President Gao. It was only because of her good looks that President Gao had pushed her to Chen Yu''s side, hoping to exchange some resources from Chen Yu. As the little secretary panicked, she suddenly met Chen Yu''s affirming gaze. "This businessyout map of the Edward Family on the surface is about the phnthropic activity of developing the Nordic permafrost, and the project is already halfway through, but I think this is just a smokescreen!" "Less than five kilometers north of the phnthropic activity lies an underground field of oil and gas, and extending further north from there is the offshore oil field developed jointly by William''s family and Charlie''s family." "With such a vast wealth in front of us, I don''t believe the Edward Family would contentedly carry out phnthropic activities without profit." Tong Ming suddenly stood up andughed twice, "You guys im to be strategic experts, yet you can''t see as clearly as a young girl." After mocking several directors beside him, Tong Ming once again fixed his gaze on the little secretary. "So tell us, given the current situation, what should the Tong Group do in response?" The little secretary now had a bit more confidence. "Base ourselves in the East, stabilize our current industries and watch the tigers fight from the mountain! Edward Family''s capacity is not as robust as William''s and Charlie''s families after all, even if they win, they will suffer greatly." Tong Ming nodded in satisfaction, "Son-inw, howe you always have such characters around you? Why don''t you leave this youngdy with me to be my secretary, how about that?" "No can do!" The little secretary suddenly shouted, then hurriedly moved behind Chen Yu. She knew she was a gift from President Gao to Chen Yu, and if she were to run around carelessly, her parents wouldn''t get the money they needed for treatment. Chen Yu frowned, he naturally understood what the little secretary meant. But on second thought, such a clever girl with strategic insight, how could she be so naive? President Gao, a man on the brink of bankruptcy, was able to provide money for her parents'' treatment; wouldn''t a man like Tong Ming enable her to live a life of glory and wealth? Tong Ming did not say much more but simply instructed the few secretaries milling around to go and prepare a strategic n. "Dad, it seems you have resolved the matters here, so I won''t stay any longer. Besides, I''ll take care of the matters with the Chu Family," Chen Yu said. Tong Ming felt a bit helpless, "I don''t know what that old guy is thinking, I''ve spoken to him many times in good faith, yet that little old man just won''t listen. As if cooperation between the Tong Family and the Chu Family would cause the Chu Family to lose out!" Chen Yu sighed softly. He had met Chu Jianghe several times; although he had a great business mind and a grand vision, he was also quite petty. For such a person to bring the Chu Family to the status of the number one family in Shanghai was probably the limit. "Perhaps besides sir, there''s just some misunderstanding with us on certain matters." After exchanging a few pleasantries with Tong Ming, Chen Yu left the office with his junior secretary. "What''s your name again?" Chen Yu asked casually as he started the car. "Han Xiaohui!" "Where did you graduate from?" "Suzhou City University of Finance and Economics, Institute of Modern Economic Studies!" Chen Yu paused for a second, realizing that Han Xiaohui seemed to be no more than twenty-one years old and had alreadypleted her master''s degree at such a young age. Considering what Han Xiaohui had said in Tong Ming''s office, she could certainly be considered a genius. "Which hospital are your parents in?" Chen Yu continued to inquire. "Suzhou City Fifth Hospital!" Upon hearing the name of the hospital, Chen Yu''s pupils shuddered slightly. The hospital was located in a rather remote area that ordinary people might find hard to locate, yet it was a ce eagerly sought after by cancer patients from around the world. It was said that there were precedents of cancer patients being cured there, and the treatment ns were extremely humane; even if a patient failed to survive, they were allowed to pass on with great dignity. Without saying much more, Chen Yu stepped on the gas and headed straight for Suzhou City Fifth Hospital. Although the ce was in the outskirts of Suzhou City, the area nearby was extremely bustling, with a variety of hotels and snack shops. The throngs of people on the streets added to the liveliness of the ce. But if one looked closely, it was evident that these people''s faces carried traces of despair. Walking on the road as if they had lost their souls, they seemed like the walking dead. Chen Yu found a ce to park his car and then escorted Han Xiaohui into the hospital. In a ratherrge public ward, dozens of patients were crammed together. Each one bore strange marks on their body, presumably from the treatments they had undergone. Some patients with blood disorders were particrly emaciated, their skin covered in a ghastly hue of blue and purple, looking terrifying. Upon seeing these people, Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown; the disease had spread throughout their bodies, and not even a divine being could turn back the tide. Even if Chen Yu''s medical abilities reached the limits of human knowledge, he still couldn''t bring these people back. After taking a moment to regte his breathing, Chen Yu approached a pair of adjacent beds. Those were Han Xiaohui''s parents lying there. However, the bodies of the two elderly people were so hunched over that, even with respirators on, they appeared to be hanging on by a thread. Chen Yu stepped forward to examine the couple''s condition and found that they didn''t simply have cancer but were also suffering from pneumoconiosis. By his estimation, they must have worked for many years in coal mines or simr environments, having inhaled an exorbitant amount of dust that led to their conditions. What Chen Yu found most frustrating was that the old couple''s bodies had been ravaged by a mess of treatments, and getting them well again would likely require some effort. "Go get these medicines for me; remember, you need to bring back six doses!" Chen Yu handed the prescription he had written to Han Xiaohui and then continued to carefully feel the pulse of the two elders. Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Business Dinner Han Xiao Hui, since she followed Chen Yu, had not changed her clothes and was merely draped in Chen Yu''s coat, the clothes underneath were constantly attracting the attention of the people around her. Fortunately, most people here were suffering from illness and had no time to pay attention to such a scene. But it was different for the nurses who moved between the doctors and patients, they stared at Han Xiao Hui almost without blinking. It wasn''t until Han Xiao Hui got the medicine and returned to the ward that these people actually followed her. Chen Yu didn''t care about that, he took the medicine from Han Xiao Hui''s hand and mixed it, and before the others could react, he injected two syringes of medicine into the two elderly people. The doctors and nurses who had followed over then realized something was amiss and hurriedly stepped forward to stop him. "Who are you, and do you not know that the patients here all have a meticulous treatment n, your random medication might destroy their bodily functions." Chen Yu nced sideways, his eyes filled with coldness. Every person sent to this ward had been diagnosed by doctors as impossible to treat and abandoned, what treatment n could there be? A group of doctors had already swarmed around, but most of their gazes still lingered on Han Xiao Hui. Before they could even speak, the two elderly people began to react violently and started vomiting. Arge amount of filth mixed with ck blood gushed out, instantly spreading a foul odor. The group of doctors immediately covered their noses and mouths, retreating in disarray. An older doctor still had some sense, he hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed Chen Yu''s arm. "Young man, these patients'' bodies are already extremely depleted, you can''t mess around anymore, I''ve looked at the medicines you''re using, they''re all potent drugs, and the dosage is enough to kill someone instantly!" Chen Yu shook off the old doctor''s hand directly. "The bodies of these two patients are spent, if we do not use aggressive medicines and seek survival in danger, I''m afraid they won''t survive tonight." After a brief exnation, Chen Yu took out some pills from his person and gave them to the two elderly people to swallow. Unexpectedly, after swallowing the pills, the bruises on the two elderly people''s bodies quickly faded, and their originally pale faces gained some color. What was even more surprising was that the two patients, who had been unconscious for who knows how long, miraculously came around. It was only at this moment that the onlookers'' attention shifted from Han Xiao Hui to the two elderly people. "My god, what method did this guy use to actually cure such patients?" "I remember these two patients seemed to have more than one terminal illness, besides pneumoconiosis, there seemed to be coitant lung cancer, and their blood had also mutated." "I think otherwise, those drugs he used were so potent, it''s very possible that the patients were just momentarily revived, and it won''t be long before they''re gone." ... While everyone was discussing, Chen Yu had already helped the two elderly people up. The two of them were still in a daze, having no idea what had happened, but when they saw their daughter dressed so revealingly and also wearing a man''s coat, they instantly became agitated. However, after a brief moment of excitement, the two elderly people also sighed helplessly. In their condition, there was no way to provide their daughter with a better life, and they didn''t know how long they would live, so there was no point in admonishing their daughter anymore. Even Han Xiao Hui realized that her appearance was somewhat unseemly, and subconsciously tightened the coat around her. ``` Chen Yu didn''t say much, just made a phone call to Zhou Shengtao. After the strong dose earlier, the conditions of the two elderly had improved slightly, but their bodies were extremely weak, necessitating a good nursing home for recuperation. Chen Yu simply wanted to inquire if it was possible to add two more beds in the nursing home run by the relevant department. To his surprise, Zhou Shengtao agreed without a second thought and even sent someone to take them. Chen Yu didn''t say much else, just patted Han Xiaohui on the shoulder. "Your parents have been cured, and you no longer have any worries. From today, you can just work peacefully as my secretary," he said. Han Xiaohui didn''t say much, either; she briefly spoke to her parents and then hurried off with Chen Yu. She knew that at eight o''clock that evening, Chen Yu had another dinner engagement. But instead of going directly to Ocean Paradise, Chen Yu stopped at a nearby shopping mall first, picked out a more casual outfit for Han Xiaohui, and then proceeded to the clubhouse. By now, it was already nine o''clock in the evening, and a bunch of factory directors and managers had long since booked arge suite and were waiting there. When Chen Yu walked in, everyone stood up, fawning as if they had just seen their own father. The tall man standing in the center was President Gao. This fellow stood out among the crowd of factory directors and managers, looking rather distinct. However, his appearance was extremely sleazy, with an air of a lecherous predator that made one feel disgusted at a nce. When Han Xiaohui saw President Gao, she seemed somewhat evasive, her eyes filled with fear, suggesting that President Gao had harbored inappropriate thoughts towards Han Xiaohui in the past. If it weren''t for the unforeseen events that had suddenly urred, Han Xiaohui might have already fallen victim to President Gao''s sinister intentions. Chen Yu didn''t say much, he just found an isted sofa to sit down, and Han Xiaohui quickly followed, obediently standing behind him. "What exactly is the reason for inviting me here? If there''s something to say, say it quickly. If there''s nothing, I''m leaving," he stated assertively. With that domineering talkbined with Chen Yu''s emperor-like presence, it gave off a vibe of an emperor holding court. The crowd didn''t dare utter any useless words; President Gao even offered a cigar. "We know that President Chen is extremely busy, so we''re deeply grateful that you could take the time to be here. Today, we just want to ensure you have a good time, with no other intentions," he said. This was a standard procedure for a business dinner. The first dinner was usually about enjoying oneself, while specific business talks were reserved for the next meeting. But these people had misjudged Chen Yu. He just sneered contemptuously and then stood up ready to leave. President Gao immediately became anxious and quickly stepped forward to stop Chen Yu. In his view, since Chen Yu had taken in Han Xiaohui, it proved that Chen Yu must be a person greedy for money and lust. With a bit of maniption, he was certain that he could control him. But, to his surprise, things had escaped his control. Even Han Xiaohui, following by Chen Yu''s side, had changed into an outfit that was rather proper. "What''s the matter, President Gao? You''re not letting me leave?" Chen Yu asked. President Gaoughed awkwardly twice and quickly grabbed a stack of documents from the side to hand to Chen Yu. ``` Chapter 313 Reaping the Profits without Any Effort "President Chen, I believe you''re well aware of our situation. All of our factories are basically in crisis! With an industrial park already in your hands, I''m sure you wouldn''t mind having one more. If you''re willing, we can give up a percentage of the profits and hand over the factory to you." It seemed as though President Gao was resigned to breaking the pot if it couldn''t be lifted. He knew very well that if he missed today''s opportunity, seeing Chen Yu again would be harder than reaching the heavens. At this point, he could no longer care about the niceties of business socializing, whatever it was, it had to be resolved today. Chen Yu looked at the document President Gao handed over with apparent indifference. "Are you teaching me how to do my job? Just because you want to sell me your factory, I have to buy it? Who do you think you are?" Continue your journey on empire President Gao''s eyes bulged, full of disbelief. When Chen Yu''s industrial park was being established, he had sent a few people to work there asborers and to gather intelligence. From the information gathered overtly and covertly, it was deduced that Chen Yu was in need of an industrial park dedicated to the production of pharmaceutical raw materials. But now, looking at Chen Yu''s attitude, it seemed he had no such intention at all. "President Chen, that was not my intention. Our factories are considered high-quality assets, you definitely won''t lose money on the acquisition." Chen Yuughed dryly as if he had heard a joke. "I think you must have received some news, I n to build a specialized industrial park for pharmaceuticals. Among all of you, some deal in food, some in machinery, and even electronics. With those assets you have on hand, I cannot directly use them. You call those high-quality assets?" Everyone present was stunned for a moment; this reason did seem a bit far-fetched. Considering the assets they held, they would surely be considered high-quality if ced on the market. They couldn''t be cast as bad assets simply because they differed from Chen Yu''s line of business. A few executives were immediately angered and wanted to stand up and argue with Chen Yu, but then, thinking better of it since they were the ones seeking a favor, they forcefully suppressed their urge. President Gao also felt helpless, momentarily at a loss for what to do. He turned to look at the other factory managers and executives and suddenly had an idea. He hastily pulled out a document from the pile, handed it to Chen Yu. "President Chen, take a look, this is the detailed information of mypany. We do have a business sector that manufactures pharmaceutical products, which suits your needs perfectly. Perhaps consider acquiring just that part?" His words took everyone by surprise. "President Gao, what do you mean by this? We agreed to sell all of our industries as a package, why are you now only selling yours?" "That''s really underhanded. Is our asset supposed to end up as manure?" ... Therge room instantly erupted into noise, as everyone''s attention turned to President Gao. Everyone there had factories that had reached a bottleneck or were in crisis, and for several of them, bankruptcy was just a few days away. If they didn''t sell their assets quickly, they would only face ruin. Seeing these people quarrel among themselves, a flicker of excitement crossed Chen Yu''s heart. If they were disorganized first, he could press the price to the lowest point. After taking a moment to calm his breathing, Chen Yu returned to his seat and whispered something to Han Xiaohui. Han Xiaohui understood instantly and went out the door. Shortly after, she returned with a stack of contracts. The arguing in the room had reached a fever pitch, with several executives even smashing wine bottles over each other''s heads. Han Xiaohui, having never witnessed such chaos, was evidently frightened and cowered behind Chen Yu. Chen Yu didn''t bother with themotion and simply reviewed the contracts Han Xiaohui had printed out, discovering that the terms she had included were not onlyprehensive but also augmented with extra details. It had to be said that Han Xiaohui was indeed a qualified secretary, and very attentive at that. After reviewing the contracts, Chen Yu was full of praise. It was unclear how much time passed or whether these people were exhausted from fighting, but gradually, the room grew quieter. President Gao was gasping for breath, slumped beneath a table, his head covered in shards from broken bottles. "Have you all had enough of fighting? If so, let''s discuss the details of the acquisition." With that, Chen Yu distributed some of the contracts down the line. The executives, upon receiving the contracts, found the terms strict but still eptable. It seemed as if Chen Yu had an uncanny grasp of their psychology. Moreover, now that internal strife had broken out amongst them, it was impossible for them to unite and find a major buyer for their assets. One of the executives, resembling a rotund winter melon, quickly browsed through the contract and headed straight to Chen Yu. "President Chen, I agree to all the termsid out here, we can sign the contract right now!" Without any further words, Chen Yu took out the prepared seal and pen. Once there was a first, there were inevitably more to follow. Before long, the people in the room were lining up, pleading for Chen Yu to acquire their industries. In less than half an hour, all the contracts had been signed, transferring the entirety of the assets in the industrial park to Chen Yu''s name. In total, Chen Yu spent less than one billion. This industrial park was evenrger than the one he currently owned; if it were sold through normal channels, it would fetch at least ten billion on the open market. Now, having spent just a tenth of that price, Chen Yu had gotten a tremendous bargain. After resolving the matter, Chen Yu, apanied by Han Xiaohui, headed straight to the factory area. The factory managers and executives followed close behind, rapidly transferring assets and instructing relevant personnel to vacate the premises. Hou Jianchang, upon hearing the news, was overjoyed as he hastened to the scene. He hadn''t expected Chen Yu to be so efficient; within just a day, he had secured the factory area. Next was to proceed in the same manner, renovating the factory area and settling the workers who were left behind. In a rather luxurious office, Chen Yu satfortably, lightly stroking the Maneki-neko on the desk. "I didn''t expect this bunch to be ipetent in business, but they sure knew how to enjoy life. This office is more than twice as big as ours." Hou Jianchang looked around the room and let out a breath. "Well, in business, some face-saving is necessary, but this is indeed too much. No wonder these guys ended up running their factories into the ground." Chapter 314 Stay as a Bodyguard Chen Yu ced the contract he had previously signed on the table. "Old Hou, you should organize these files, and as for these new factories, I''m afraid I''ll have to entrust their management to you." Upon hearing this, Hou Jianchang immediately felt overwhelmed. Although Chen Yu would give Hou Jianchang corresponding shares for every additional factory, a person''s energy is limited, especially at Hou Jianchang''s age, when health issues are more or less inevitable. Managing the food processing zone had already exhausted him, and now having the pharmaceutical factory industrial park added to his responsibilities, even if he was willing, he simplycked the strength. "Old Chen, it''s not that I''m unwilling, it''s just that I''ve truly reached my limit!" Seeing Hou Jianchang like this, Chen Yu also felt somewhat embarrassed. With the help of the system, his business had been developing too quickly, especially the factories, whose growth rate even Chen Yu hadn''t anticipated. If both of theserge industrial parks were to be put on Hou Jianchang, it might indeed exhaust him to death. Chen Yu sighed helplessly, as currently, the only reliable and capable person he could find was Hou Jianchang. Finding someone like that in a short amount of time was truly impossible. "How about this, Old Hou, we''ll keep the financial structure the same as before, and my personalpany will still hold the controlling shares of the parent factory." "However, from today on, you will serve as the chairman of the parentpany. As for the structure beneath, you can differentiate it ording to the existing model and then recruit managers externally." Hou Jianchang immediately let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders feeling somewhat lighter regardless. When setting up thepany, he hadn''t anticipated the factories would develop so quickly, so he hadn''t thought too much about it. But now, the previouspany could no longer satisfy the current scale of the factories. "Alright, I''ll get to it as soon as possible in the next few days!" Chen Yu nodded, then took out another document from his person and handed it over. Discover more stories at empire This was the optimalpany model for the current scale provided by the system before. But this was merely the part that suited the factories, while the parts for the department stores and foreign trade exports had indeed been drawn up, they were not yet fully implementable. After discussing some details with Hou Jianchang, Chen Yu left the ce, but as he did, he kept some of the pre-manufactured medicine produced by the pharmaceutical factory. It was a special medication made specifically for Hou Jianchang''s health, which could greatly improve his condition. Water Moon Vi No. 1. Jin Lingsu was practicing yoga on the mat wearing form-fitting clothes. ording to her, it was necessary to practice like this for two hours each day, not just to maintain her figure but also to ensure the flexibility of her body. However, practicing yoga at midnight struck one as somewhat peculiar. If one observed closely, they would notice that Jin Lingsu did not close her eyes like others did while doing yoga. Not only were her eyes open, but they were also full of vignce. After all, she had fled back from Europe, and there was always the chance that someone coulde after her at any time. Beforeing here, she had thought about whether this would cause trouble for Chen Yu, but after careful consideration, she realized that in this world, the only one who could provide her shelter and match her in strength was probably Chen Yu. Just then, a noise suddenly came from outside the door, and Jin Lingsu instinctively grabbed the spike that was tucked into her waistband. Seeing Chen Yue in, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Mr. Chen, you really are a busy man,ing back sote every day! Howe you''ve brought back a little sister today? What''s this, have you started to eat meat outside?" Chen Yu rolled his eyes, "She''s the new secretary I just hired. She has nowhere to go for the moment, so I brought her back home first." Jin Lingsu didn''t say much more. After all, she was an outsider, and even if Chen Yu were to cheat outside, it wouldn''t have anything to do with her. [System Alert, Danger Detected] The sudden alert tone made Chen Yu''s body tremble violently, and he subconsciously crouched down to watch his surroundings warily. Jin Lingsu also became alert, instinctively flipping up, with two sharp spikes already in her hands. The two nced at each other and rushed outside without needing to speak. They saw a rather sleazy-looking man standing under the nearby wall, his eyes full of shadows. This guy had a Western face, one could tell right away that he was sent by the Edward Family. It seemed he was here to assassinate Jin Lingsu, but when he saw Chen Yu, he couldn''t help but pause. "Mr. Chen? Is this your home?" Chen Yu nodded slightly, "Didn''t you do your homework beforeing here?" The man hesitated, "Earlier in Edinburgh, this woman killed several people from our Edward Family. The higher-ups ordered me to bring her head back. I hope Mr. Chen can make it convenient for me." Chen Yu scoffed, "If I make it convenient for you, then who will make it convenient for me? Miss Jin is my esteemed guest. As long as she is here, I have to ensure her safety for that duration!" "Even if she leaves this door, I''ll seek revenge for her." The man frowned deeply and slowly stepped back, retreating into the shadows nearby, and then the sound of dialing a phone rang out. After some inquiring, the man reappeared in front of Chen Yu. "Mr. Chen, I believe there must be some misunderstanding. Starting today, the Edward Family''s pursuit of Miss Jin is revoked!" "As for thepanies in Miss Jin''s name, my Edward Family will take it aspensation." After dropping these words, the man flipped over the wall and disappeared without a trace. Chen Yu immediately breathed a sigh of relief, aware of the situation in Europe to some extent. Although the Edward Family was at odds with William''s family and the Charlies family, their main strategic goal was to prate the Eastern market. At such a time, they absolutely couldn''t afford to offend any enterprise or family in the East, especially a person with as many connections as Chen Yu. Jin Lingsu also patted her chest. "If I''d known, I would''ve asked you to help me negotiate directly, saving me days of worry and fear." Chen Yu felt helpless. Indeed, whenever this woman appeared, she would bring trouble to him. "Don''t act coy after getting a bargain. The Edward Family just needs the Eastern market, which is why they gave me face. If it were any other time, who knows what the oue would be." Jin Lingsu felt somewhat embarrassed, she put away the spikes, closely following behind Chen Yu. "Worstes to worst, I''ll stay here from today on and be a personal bodyguard for your family as payment for saving my life." Chen Yu paused in his steps. He did not expect Jin Lingsu to repay him for any favor; as long as she didn''t cause him any more trouble, he would be ever so grateful. Nevertheless, having her stay on as a bodyguard wasn''t a bad idea after all. Chapter 315 315 On the following morning, Chen Yu washed up briefly before heading directly to the vi by the Chujiang River, on the outskirts of Suzhou City. Last time he had been here, the area around the vi was a wilderness, but now it had been entirely fenced off and nted with many green nts. It seemed that Chu Jianghe was nning to reside here regrly. When Chen Yu entered, Chu Jianghe greeted him warmly. "Little Chen, what wind has blown you over here? The medicine you gave mest time really worked wonders. I haven''t had any problems with my old injuries recently. Could you prepare some more medicine for me?" Chen Yu smiled apologetically and took out several medicine bottles from his person. "I have already prepared them for you beforeing. These medicines are specially formted for your body. Just follow the instructions on the bottle and take them regrly, and your health should improve." Chu Jianghe immediately grew excited and carefully put the medicine bottles away like treasures. "I can''t thank you enough! But youing to me so suddenly, there must be something you need, right?" Chen Yu didn''t beat around the bush, "You must have heard about what''s happening in Europe, haven''t you?" Chu Jianghe let out a sigh, "With the Edward Family making such a big move, who doesn''t know? The Chu Family''s businesses in Europe have also been threatened. If it weren''t for having an edge in industry structure, those businesses might have been swallowed up." "Mr. Chu, there''s no need to be so anxious. I guess the Edward Family is just feinting. Their main target is the energy resources in the North Sea!" Chu Jianghe paused slightly, then quickly stood up and went over to a map. It was aplete map of Europe, clearly marking all the major families and powers. After examining it closely, he suddenly mmed his hand on the map, excited. "Hey, how did I not think of that? These damn kids are ying a game of secret maneuvers." Chen Yu took the opportunity to stand next to Chu Jianghe. "Even though it''s a secret move, it still reveals the Edward Family''s ambition. Once theyplete their strategic nning in Europe, they will directly venture into the East." "At that time, whether it''s the imperial capital or the magical capital, I''m afraid they will both be plundered." A flicker of concern suddenly appeared on Chu Jianghe''s face. "The Edward Family has Gypsy genes, they have a knack for finance, and even if they''ve declined over the years, they can still make aeback through these means. If we let them gain momentum, I''m afraid my foundation in the magical capital could also be swallowed by them." "You need not worry, Mr. Chu!" Chen Yu pointed to the map of the East on the side, "As long as we can use Suzhou City as a node to unite the major families in the imperial and magical capitals, not only can we resist the Edward Family, but we might even take a bite out of them." Chu Jianghe''s eyes narrowed slightly. With his vision and scope, he couldn''t possibly overlook this point, and perhaps he already had a n in mind. But as if he thought of something, he suddenly turned his head and stared at Chen Yu with a strange look. "You wouldn''t happen to be here as an emissary for your father-inw, would you? Trying to unite my Chu Family with his Tong Family." Chen Yuughed somewhat awkwardly, "The Tong Family and the Chu Family are the leading families in the imperial and magical capitals, respectively. If these two families could unite, then the other families would naturally join! That''s why I came today, to ask you and my father-inw to put aside your differences..." "Although there''s bad blood between him and me, to continue bearing a grudge at a time like this would just make me look petty," Chu Jianghe interrupted Chen Yu and gestured to an assistant nearby. Before long, the assistant brought over a contract detailing all the coborative matters. Chen Yu hadn''t expected Chu Jianghe to agree so readily, especially as the contract did not have any additional uses attached. He was immediately impressed by Chu Jianghe''srgeness of spirit. "Then on behalf of my father-inw, I thank you, Mr. Chu!" Having settled matters with Chu Jianghe, Chen Yu felt a weight lift from his heart. After discussing some details with Chu Jianghe, Chen Yu headed straight for the airport. The medicinal materials brought back from Nanyunst time were almost used up, and if he didn''t bring more back, the medicine factory wouldn''t be able to continue operations. In addition, now that the medicine factory was about to expand into an industrial park, the amount of medicinal materials required would be terrifyinglyrge. But to bring back those materials, Chen Yu had to go in person, as the people of Nanyun''s tribal vige only recognized him. Moreover, this time, Chen Yu wanted topletely solve the issues of supply and transportation. All along the way, Chen Yu did not stop for a break, rushing non-stop to the vige. Upon his arrival, he found the atmosphere of the entire vige different from thest time he was there. It no longer had the liveliness of the past, but instead was enveloped in a dead, heavy air. Only Datiger was sitting at the entrance to the vige, as if waiting for something. Seeing Chen Yue, Datiger jumped up excitedly. "Brother Chen, you finally came. The people in the vige thought you wouldn''t buy our medicinal materials anymore." Datiger''s frame was toorge for anything but a symbolic pats on his arm by Chen Yu. Explore stories on empire "How could that be? I''ve signed a contract with your vige, I want all the medicinal materials you have." Datiger chuckled twice and then led Chen Yu to find the tribal chief. As soon as they entered, the tribal chief smashed a cup onto the floor. "What''s gotten into you all? Have you been bewitched by the outside world? Why do you all want to run away to the outside?" Chen Yu frowned, it seemed that the vige had experienced significant upheavals in his absence. When he came in, not only did he find the ce dull and deste, but also that many people were missing. "Tribal Chief, what''s going on? Why such anger?" Seeing Chen Yu enter, the tribal chief quickly suppressed his anger. "Mr. Chen has arrived! Datiger, quickly take Mr. Chen to the herb fields, we''ve just harvested medicinal herbs that can be taken away." Datiger nodded and was about to lead Chen Yu away, but Chen Yu stopped him. "Tribal Chief, this time I''vee not only to take away all the medicinal materials here but also to buy a batch of seeds from you, if that would be possible?" The tribal chief, probably still angry, simply waved his hand dismissively. "We have plenty of seeds here, Mr. Chen. If you need them, just go take them; no need to talk about buying or not!" Chen Yu frowned, seeing that the tribal chief''s thinking was indeed very rigid. Not only was he preventing the young people of the vige from leaving, but he was also selling the vige''s medicinal seeds to outsiders. Once outsiders grew medicinal materials that were identical to those of the vige, the vige itself would lose its value. Those left behind would either die of poverty or starve to death; either way, there was no good ending in sight. Chen Yu sighed helplessly and followed Datiger out the door. It wasn''t long before they arrived at a warehouse, where a strong fragrance of medicine immediately filled the air. Chapter 316 Establishing a Medicinal Garden "Big Brother Chen, these are all the dried medicinal herbs, and over there are the seeds you were asking for. Take a look at what you need, and I''ll pack them up for you right away." Chen Yu''s brow furrowed slightly. If he were to really take everything in this warehouse, he''d be essentially cutting off the vige''s lifeline. But perhaps only by doing so could he bring a new lease of life to the vige. "Take everything!" Da Hu was simple by nature and didn''t think too much. He immediately packed up all the herbs and seeds here. But there were too many items; they couldn''t possibly take them all away by themselves. At that moment, some of the vige''s young men suddenly ran over. "Mr. Chen, could you take us to see the outside world?" Chen Yu was taken aback. He hadn''t expected the vige youth toe to him so quickly. Now that he had the medicinal seeds, what hecked were professionals who specialized in nting them. These youngsters had grown up here, adept at cultivating medicinal herbs. If he brought them back, they could set up a specialized medicinal herb ntation in the shortest time possible. Without hesitation, Chen Yu had these people take the medicinal herbs and leave the vige with him. As he left, he saw many young people carryingrge and small packs, climbing between cliffs and precipices. This small vige had been isted for thousands of years, yet the outside world had developed too quickly. With just a little bit of progressive thought introduced here, everyone could be swayed. Previously, Da Hu simply came into contact with Er Gou and became infatuated with the outside world. Although he couldn''t let go of the vige, he would still follow Er Gou outside to sell herbs and was even exploited by him. Chen Yu guessed that a good number of these young people who left the vige would probably be swindled outside. The better scenario would have them returning to the vige poor and destitute. In the worst case, they could even lose their lives outside. But now, Chen Yu simply didn''t have the time to concern himself with these people, and even if he wanted to, they would not appreciate his kindness. Suzhou City, Li Song Estate. Ever since taking the medicine Chen Yu gave him, Li Song''s health had improved markedly. Although he had given away more than thirty years'' worth of treasured liquor, he felt at ease in his heart. Moreover, Chen Yu had also provided him with several fine medicine recipes and secrets to winemaking. Lately, he had been busy tending to his own vineyard, drinking wine leisurely, truly embodying the lifestyle of hister years. "Old Master Li!" Chen Yu called out loudly as he and Da Hu strode into the garden. "I''vee to pay a visit!" Hearing Chen Yu''s voice, Li Song leapt from his chair as if injected with adrenaline. "Oh my, Xiao Chen is here! What goodies have you brought this time, with all those big and small packages?" Upon arriving in Suzhou City, Chen Yu had all the finished medicinal products delivered to the industrial park, and brought the rest of the medicinal seeds here. Though Li Song was living a secluded life, he had an unparalleled manor at his disposal. When he first arrived, he had specially allocated several plots of wastnd around the vi. Through his cultivation, the fertility of thesends surpassed even the best soil in the world. Not only did Li Song grow grapes here, but he also cultivated arge number of medicinal herbs, which were significantly more vibrant than those grown outside. This was why he could so easily produce that kind of medicinal wine. "These are some medicinal herb seeds, I''d like to borrow the elder''snd to grow them!" Upon hearing this, Li Song''s smile immediately faded. "Xiao Chen, I can''t just nt anything on this patch ofnd. If it''s not rare medicinal herbs, I wouldn''t do it even for your sake." Without saying much more, Chen Yu directly took out a bag, opened it, and ced it in front of Li Song. The iing fragrance instantly invigorated Li Song. "Wow! White Snake Grass, ck Forest Flower, Three-Yellow-White... These are all rare medicinal herbs you don''t see often!" No sooner had Li Song named the herbs than Chen Yu promptly pulled the bag closed. "If the old gentleman won''t let me touch yournd, then I won''t. I''ll be on my way!" "Hold on a minute!" Li Song hurriedly stopped Chen Yu: "That''s not what I meant. It''s just that this piece ofnd is something I''ve cultivated with hard work for over thirty years. If you''re nting, it has to be rare medicinal herbs, and these seeds you''ve brought are just right." Chen Yu tugged at the bag and revealed a sly smile. "Yournd is indeed the best choice, but now I''m a bit concerned. What if you help yourself to my herbs when they mature?" Li Song immediately got hopping mad: "How could that be possible? Don''t you know my character by now? Just hand me those seeds, and in three months, I will make them into herbs!" Chen Yu believed that. Many herbs have short growth cycles, some even sprouting in a matter of days. However, he still put on an act of difficulty: "If that''s the case, then I''ll leave these seeds to the elder. And these people here, they''re all experienced herb farmers, and they can stay here to help the elder." Li Song didn''t bother with the details and directly embraced the seeds. Experience new tales on empire "Rest assured!" After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Chen Yu handed over all the seeds and people to Li Song and left on his own. By noon, the mall''s ground floor was packed with people. All the food stalls were in full operation, and despite the increase in staff, it was still tense. With such arge flow of customers, once the building renovations areplete and the upper floors of the mall and hotel are open, they could bring in significant revenue. Jin Lingsu sat elegantly at Ning Kai''s stall, eating with Han Xiaohui. "Master Ning, your cooking is getting better and better. Have you learned the essence from Chen Yu?" Ning Kai continued with his work: "Chen previously gave me a few recipes. They contained lost dishes and cooking methods. It was truly eye-opening. How could my cooking not improve?" Although Han Xiaohui was somewhat reserved, she couldn''t help but wolf down her food. "Sister Su, I''ve never eaten anything this delicious before!" Jin Lingsu passed a bottle of soda to Han Xiaohui. "Eat slower! This ce is Chen Yu''s property, and he cooks even better. You''ll get a chance to have him cook for youter." Han Xiaohui smiled shyly: "I''m already grateful that Mr. Chen took me in, how could I dare to have him cook for me?" "Why so formal?" Jin Lingsu patted Han Xiaohui''s shoulder: "You''re his secretary now, still calling him Mr. Chen? Just call him Yu Ge, that''s what everyone here does." While they were talking, Chen Yu arrived. "What brought you two here?" Jin Lingsu pouted: "To eat, of course! You wouldn''t be so petty as to not even let us have a meal here, would you?" Chapter 317 Seizing the Project Chen Yu didn''t say much, he just called for Ning Kai to add a few more dishes. He hade here after receiving a text message from Xie Jiang, who seemed to have run into some trouble during the construction process. On the twenty-seventh floor of the tower, the project was in its final stages; it just needed a sweep of the cement floor to bepleted. But there was a guy dressed up like a decent human being, sitting there along with dozens of men, staring intently at Xie Jiang. "Han ''Beardo,'' our issue is a personal grudge. There''s no need to involve someone else''s project! That''s also an unspoken rule of the streets. Aren''t you going a bit too far?" Han ''Beardo'' smirked with a sleazy expression: "Old Xie, you''ve been developing too fasttely. You''ve even set up your own constructionpany and have started to look down on your peers!" "In the past, whenever there was work, we would all share in it. Now look at you, you can handle the whole thing by yourself!" In the construction industry, there are many unwritten rules, and those small-scale subcontractors typically upy various stages of construction. For example, if a small construction team took on a sizable project, they would coborate with other subcontractors responsible for different stages of the project. But now Xie Jiang had developed his ownpany and was able to take on an entire project by himself, naturally setting himself apart from the industry. For Xie Jiang, it was a good thing, as his business had grown considerably. But to his peers, he had be a thorn in their side. "Han ''Beardo,'' we all make our living based on our skills in this line of work. How is it my problem if you can''t get jobs? And now you''re causing trouble here today, are you not taking me seriously?" "Old Xie! That doesn''t sound right," Han ''Beardo'' retorted with a clenched teeth. "Let''s just stick to the facts. When I used to take on projects, I always left the juiciest part for you..." "That''s because you had no clue how to handle that part of the project! And besides, I''ve given you plenty of work, haven''t I?" The two of them argued fiercely, neither willing to back down. Their workers looked ready to jump into action, and it would take only one spark to potentially incite a fight between the two sides. "What''s all this about? Why the big fuss?" Chen Yu walked onto the construction site with a look of frustration on his face. When he hade up earlier, he had checked the various floors and found the decoration to be quite satisfactory. With a bit of furniture arrangement, the hotel could start its business right away. The entire tower was basically decorated; only this twenty-seventh floor, which served as a buffer zone, had to be left till the end for renovations. For floors like thispromise one, pirs sometimes have to be erected to connect above and below when necessary. Otherwise, there could be unwanted troubles, even causing walls to crack. But now, this critical floor had only been halfway through construction when someone obstructed it; anyone would be angry in this situation. Seeing Chen Yu enter made Xie Jiang a bit embarrassed. After all, he was responsible for the project, and the grudge with Han ''Beardo'' was personal. If any issues arose, the responsibility would certainly be his. Enjoy more content from empire Although Han ''Beardo'' was aggressive, he wilted upon seeing Chen Yu. For Chen Yu to entrust such a big project to Xie Jiang meant he was already a major yer in Suzhou City, and there might be more and better projects toe. For those like them working on contracts, Chen Yu was definitely not someone to offend. "Ah, this must be Mr. Chen! I''ve heard so much about you." Han ''Beardo'' put on an obsequious smile and took the opportunity to pull out a cigarette from his pocket. Chen Yu didn''t even nce at him, but instead, moved a chair from the side and sat down. "Mr. Han, what exactly do you want to do bying here out of the blue? Are you intentionally trying to obstruct my construction project?" Han the Bearded waved his hands repeatedly, "Even if you lent me the guts, I wouldn''t dare. But when ites to this type of in-between-floor construction, I''m the best in Suzhou City! If you give this project to me, I guarantee it''ll be finished in three days." Chen Yu was somewhat annoyed. Although there were their own rules among those engaged in construction, this project was his, and the building was already operating on a semi-open basis. If he couldn''tplete the construction in the shortest time, the losses would fall on him. Therefore, it was impossible for him to employ a stranger and such an untrustworthy fellow for his project. "Old Xie, how much longer do you need to finish?" Chen Yu asked abruptly. Xie Jiang held up one finger, "One day, by tonight at twelve o''clock, the whole building will be ready to open for business." Chen Yu nodded and then directly called Zhou Shengtao. Regardless of whether Han the Bearded had a criminal record, just his actions in hindering the project already constituted a crime. Han the Bearded still had no idea about Chen Yu''s connections and continued to be extremely arrogant. "One day? Mr. Xie, stop blowing your own trumpet! For this kind of floor construction, without special techniques and workers, it would take at least three days..." Once Xie Jiang heard the content of Chen Yu''s phone call, he knew it was to Zhou Shengtao. He didn''t say much more, just instructed the workers behind him to clear a path, and sat down next to Chen Yu himself. Han the Bearded kept on talking incessantly, praising his workers to the skies and iming he had graduated from a foreign university specializing in construction engineering and had returned to the country. What should''ve been said, and what shouldn''t have been said, he babbled on and on, giving Chen Yu a headache. If it wasn''t for Zhou Sheng arriving timely with the relevant personnel, Chen Yu might have been unable to resist pummeling him right then and there. When Han the Bearded was taken away, he was still confused, not understanding what had happened. Once the situation had been resolved, Chen Yu stepped forward and patted Xie Jiang on the shoulder. "Old Xie, every worker onsite today gets a red envelope of two hundred. I hope you can help me clean up this mess quickly; I need to be open for business tomorrow." The workers onsite immediately became excited; they thought they would have their pay docked after such a long dy, but instead, they were getting a red envelope of two hundred. Xie Jiang looked at Chen Yu gratefully, "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure it''s done by tonight." Chen Yu didn''t say anything more and headed downstairs. "Xiao Hui!" As soon as he reached the first floor, he called Han Xiaohui to his side. "Starting today, you are officially my secretary. Your monthly sry will start at ten thousand, with social insurance and housing fund. I''ll get it sorted out for you! For now, your workce will be here. Get familiar with the ce, and if there''s nothing else to do, you can try doing some embroidery based on the paintings on the wall." Han Xiaohui was bbergasted. She was still wrapped up in the idea that she was a ''gift''. She hadn''t expected not only to be given formal employment by Chen Yu but also to have her social insurance and housing fund covered. "Mr. Chen, I..." Before she could speak, Chen Yu pointed towards the busy Chu Hong. "Head over to Chu Hong and get to know the business model of this mall, then draft a detailed business strategy report for me." Chapter 318 318 Han Xiaohui didn''t hesitate at all and quickly agreed, and after Chen Yu exined some details to her, she went straight to find Chu Hong. Chen Yu asked Ning Kai for a serving of braised chicken stomach and sat next to Jin Lingsu. "You don''t have anywhere else to go right now, how about you hang your name at my ce and help me hold some shares?" "Sure! It''s not like I have anything else to do anyway!" Jin Lingsu pouted. "But I''m already working as your family''s bodyguard. Wouldn''t it be a bit improper to hold shares, too?" Chen Yu fiddled with the chicken stomach in his hand. "Do you look like someone who could calmly work as a bodyguard at my ce?" At 10 p.m., the mall''s hall was still bustling. Those who came to dine at this hour were either those who worked overtime until now or those who were taking over the night shift. Chen Yu also witnessed firsthand how the staff at each station took turns to change shifts. Enjoy exclusive content from empire Each person on the handover shift was staggered by fifteen minutes, which meant the entire processsted half an hour, leaving plenty of time. And due to the shift arrangements, it wasn''t that the entire station''s staff would switch over, leaving a portion behind regardless. This method ensured the smooth operation of each station while also allowing employees not to be rushed off their feet. What Chen Yu wanted here was to see the current operating mode of the entire first-floor hall. Soon, Han Xiaohui rushed over in a hurry and handed a report to Chen Yu. The market economic model marked on it and the detailed prospective operation ns would make one think Han Xiaohui had been working here for years. Chen Yu couldn''t help but sigh, thinking that a talent like her was being gifted around. If Boss Gao could properly exploit Han Xiaohui''s talents, perhaps his industry could be revived from the brink of death. "All construction work will finish tonight, and the mall will open for business in a few days. You stay here, where you don''t need to do anything. Just walk around and take a look. I will arrange the specifics of the jobter." Han Xiaohui nodded excitedly, her talents finally being recognized. "Old Chen!" An excited shout suddenly rang out upstairs; then, Tong Ming and arge group of workers hurried over, bursting with energy. "The construction work upstairs is done. We''ve cleared the formaldehyde and other harmful gases out. With a little cement of items, it can immediately start operating." Chen Yu was somewhat surprised; he had seen the progress of the construction before and even doubted the deadline Xie Jiang had assured. Yet here they were, finished by 10:30 p.m. Chen Yu was a bit skeptical but didn''t want to express doubt, so he made a half-joking remark about going up to take a look. Chen Yu had already seen all the other floors, except for the twenty-seventh, which was not yet inspected. As the elevator reached the floor, Chen Yu was instantly taken aback by how different everything looked from just a few hours ago. The air purifiers and various devices were running at full power. In under an hour, all the harmful gases would be removed. "Old Xie, you''ve really worked hard this time!" Chen Yu patted Xie Jiang on the shoulder and then brought out a box. He had prepared it while eating earlier. ording to his earlier promise, each worker was to get a red envelope with two hundred, but Chen Yu gave three hundred instead. ording to the original schedule, if the work finished by midnight tonight, they would at least be able tomence operations the day after tomorrow. Now it seems that with a little tidying up, the opening ceremony could take ce tomorrow morning. Moreover, the necessary infrastructure had already been prepared; they just needed to move it in. The workers were thrilled to receive red envelopes, all moring to go to the factory for work. After Xie Jiang took over the project, he divided his people into two groups: one mainly responsible for the factory, and the other for the building. Now that the building was finished, these workers temporarily had no work to do, and with Chen Yu''s generous gesture, they were willing to work for such an employer. Xie Jiang was straightforward as well, bringing out his prepared factory construction n. "Old Chen, ording to the n you gave me before, there should be several thoroughfares connecting the two industrial parks. I''ve made a detailed design. If you agree, I can lead people to start building concurrently." Chen Yu briefly looked over the n. "Old Xie, I trust you to get the job done. The factory is in your hands. Thest payment will be transferred to your ount soon." Xie Jiang didn''t say much else and directly led his workers toward the factory. That ce already had temporary amodation built for the workers, who could move in and start work the next day. The next morning, the front of the building was decked out in lights and decorations, with dozens of luxurious business vehicles neatly lined up at the entrance. The news that Chen Yu releasedst night had sent shockwaves through Suzhou City''s businessmunity. P particrly in the catering and hotel industries. The moment these buildings opened, they would be Suzhou City''srgest hotel and restaurant. Previously, when Chen Yu opened a small shop, the catering industry within a ten-mile radius suffered a devastating blow, leaving only a few fast-food restaurants standing alone. With the expansion to this extent, it would surely trigger a reshuffle in Suzhou City''s catering industry. Some came ostensibly to celebrate but were in fact banding together to demand ountability. As they just entered the hall, they suddenly found arge number of well-built bodyguards standing in batches. One could tell at a nce that these were retired special forces talent! Tong Ming and Chu Jianghe sat down with titans from both the Imperial Capital and Magic Capital circles at two adjacent stations, chatting amicably. The ones who hade with intentions to use Chen Yu suddenly wilted. With so many tycoons sitting there, they had no ce to speak. Chen Yu sat in between the two sides, seemingly discussing coboration. By noon, Tong Ming and Chu Jianghe stood up simultaneously and handed a contract to Chen Yu. The next moment, a business contract appeared on the screen suspended in the hall. The Tong Family and the Chu Family had joined forces to establish apany, and Chen Yu was the head of thispany. By this point, even the dimmest individual should have realized that Chen Yu had stepped beyond the scope of Suzhou City''s industrial circle and simultaneously entered into both the Imperial Capital and Magic Capital circles. The anger that they had been holding back suddenly deted. Today, if anyone dares show the slightest dissatisfaction with Chen Yu, it won''t be long before they are eliminated. Right then, a taxi stopped abruptly at the entrance. An old man got out of the car in a hurry and stumbled into the building. "Mr. Chen, this old man iste. Please forgive me." Chapter 319 Cyprus The elderly man seemed travel-worn and was dressed very inly. The security staff on the perimeter of the shopping center saw the old man and adopted an overbearing attitude. Just as they were preparing to stop him, Chen Yu hurriedly greeted him. "Mr. Victor, howe you''re here all of a sudden?" Victor, panting heavily, handed a transfer contract to Chen Yu. "I came in a rush and didn''t have anything good to give. This is a property of mine in Cyprus, consider it a celebration gift for you." Chen Yu''s eyes widened in disbelief; he had seen the property of the William family in Cyprus¡ªit was a castle with a history of over six hundred years. Enjoy new chapters from empire That ce was also a hignd fortress, one of the few historic buildings of its kind in the West. "Old sir, this gift is simply too generous¡­" "Mr. Chen, just take it," Victor insisted, as he stuffed a file bag into Chen Yu''s arms. "I didn''t know what to give you when I was on my way here. After much thought, I decided this was the only gift that would befit your status. Besides, this property has already caught someone''s eye. Better to give it to you than to have it forcibly taken away!" His words were indeed sincere. Now, the Edward family was closing in on the William family, seizing who knows how many of their assets. How could the Edward family overlook a premium asset like the castle in Cyprus? Chen Yu found it difficult to refuse and epted the gift. "Mr. Victor, we''veunched a new health-conscious menu here, you should try it." Victor sighed helplessly. "I am in quite a hurry, there''s a pile of things to deal with in Frankfurt¡ªI must return by tonight, I''m afraid I cannot stay here longer." After greeting everyone present, Victor left with an apologetic expression on his face. "The entire William family must be in crisis! His visit here might be a cry for help, and the Cypriot asset is his visiting gift." Tong Ming, being an old hand, pointed out Victor''s true purpose outright. Chen Yu frowned slightly; he was in the midst of a career upswing, in great need to expand the overseas market to a significant extent. Although he already had a substantial number of orders, they would not be enough after the expansion of the industrial park. If he could take this opportunity to fight against the William family and at the same time weaken the Edward family''s presence in Europe, maybe he could influence the economy there to some extent. Chen Yu did not hesitate to share his thoughts with Tong Ming and Chu Jianghe. After a brief consideration, they immediately had their subordinates form a visiting team to head to Europe with Chen Yu. Chen Yu did not wait for the visiting team; instead, he set off in advance with Han Xiaohui and Jin Lingsu. All these ancient royal families had already caused quite a turmoil. The Edward family, in alliance with a tremendous amount of capital, were continuously harvesting assets in the West, with many small and medium-sized enterprises being directly swallowed up by the Edward family. The battered Charlie family had no choice but to join forces with the William family, alongside some other industries that had been edged out by the Edward family, tobat them. When Chen Yu arrived at Frankfurt airport, the posters everywhere immediately caught his eye. He had seen Brown Edward before, appearing on posters in various forms. It was as though he had be the ruler of thisnd. Next to him, Fang Yuan was revered like a queen. Chen Yu nced at the posters indifferently and then turned away. Outside the airport, a business Mercedes was parked steadily, and a mild-mannered middle-aged man was waiting there respectfully. Seeing Chen Yue out, he hurriedly rushed forward to greet him. "Mr. Chen?" Chen Yu nodded, "Are you Mr. Liu Mu?" Liu Mu didn''t dare to dy and quickly opened the car door. The thirteenth floor of the Wanlong Department Store was a property of Chu Jianghe in Frankfurt. Originally, he had intended to develop a red wine business here, but unfortunately, there had never been a suitable project to dock with, so it had been left idle. When Chen Yu arrived, he found the office had only a few simple furnishings and, apart from a cleaningdy, it was empty. Liu Mu felt somewhat embarrassed, "Mr. Chen, this ce has been abandoned for a long time. Mr. Chu has already instructed us to provide whatever you need, just tell me directly, and I''ll take care of it immediately." Chen Yu didn''t answer right away but turned to look at Han Xiaohui beside him. "Can you speak German?" "I have no problems with day-to-daymunication!" Chen Yu directly pushed Han Xiaohui forward. "Mr. Liu, take Xiao Hui with you. She''ll tell you what''s missing, okay?" Liu Mu was somewhat disbelieving, as Han Xiaohui had also just arrived here. Merely having nced at the room, how could she possibly know what was needed? Before he could react, Han Xiaohui had already headed downstairs, seeming to be very familiar with Frankfurt. Chen Yu casually moved a chair and sat down. "It seems the situation here is not optimistic. Many enterprises have been controlled by the Edward Family, even William''s family has been suppressed very, very tightly." Jin Lingsu let out a long sigh, "The Edward Family has not only one influential backer behind them, in just less than two months, they''ve already reached such volume. It''s truly astonishing." Speaking of which, Jin Lingsu took out some documents from her belongings. These were the information she had collected on her way here, which nearly epassed all the basic information of everyone in the Edward Family at the moment. She specifically picked a few files and ced them in front of Chen Yu. "This person is called Carter Edward, he''s Brown Edward''s second uncle, and he''s currently the head of the Edward Family''s advisory group. If you want to restrain the Edward Family, you''ll probably have to start with him." Chen Yu had seen this man at Fang Yuan''s wedding. At that time, he seemed very unremarkable, and Chen Yu hadn''t expected him to have such capabilities. The others were all elites from the Western world, and many of them quite well-known. After briefly reviewing these people''s information, Chen Yu had a simple n form in his mind. It wasn''t long before Han Xiaohui and Liu Mu hurried upstairs with a bunch of items. The items were not many, and they looked very misceneous, but each was extremely practical. After arranging the items, Han Xiaohui directly got into work mode, requiring no instructions from Chen Yu. Liu Mu, on the other hand, looked depressed, standing there somewhat at a loss. He didn''t even know what he should be doing now. "Mr. Chen, if there''s nothing else, I won''t stay any longer. There are some matters to be handled back at thepany." Chen Yu didn''t say much, just acknowledged Liu Mu, and saw him off. Soon enough, Han Xiaohui had organized all those scattered files on the table, and she even found additional information about these people from the news. Chapter 320 Mutual Alliance At Anchana Manor. Brown Edward swirled a ss of red wine, sittingfortably on the couch. "This manor was built during the time of Louis III. Back then, the Edward Family also took part in its construction. By rights, this manor should also belong to the Edward Family. It''s a pity it has always been upied by the Charlies family. Today, it has finally returned to its rightful owner," he mused. Fang Yuan stood by, pretending to gracefully touch each object. Her decision to marry Brown was essentially a huge gamble. Had the Edward Family not won thismercial war, she would have been doomed along with the entire Edward Family. But now, not only had the Edward Family won, but they had won very impressively. It wouldn''t be long before they could enter the East with the financial capital they controlled. At that time, she could finally settle the score with the Zhao Family! "But ultimately, this manor is still the private property of the Louisian royalty. Many families, upon acquiring the manor, choose to return it to the descendants of the Louis Family. Should we also extend this favor?" she questioned. Fang Yuan was indeed somewhat intelligent, or else how could she have easily won the three-billion capital wager? Brown stroked his chin, thinking it over. "Although the Louis Family has declined, they still hold some standing in Europe. If we could use this manor to bring them over to our side, it would make swallowing up other families much easier!" he dered. As he finished speaking, Brown suddenly stood up and clinked his ss against Fang Yuan''s. "In this period, you have demonstrated a wisdom beyond that of mere mortals. Had it not been for you and my second uncle working together on the Smart Group, I might not have achieved what I have today. How about we nullify our previous marriage agreement and truly get married!" he proposed. Fang Yuan trembled slightly, unsure of how to respond. Marrying Brown would indeed be a good choice. It would not only allow her to step into high society in one go but also save her a lot of trouble. However, she had a child in this world, which was always a risk. "What''s the matter, not willing?" Brown''s tone carried a hint of urgency. "That''s not it, I''m just a bit surprised!" she replied hastily. Just as Fang Yuan was making an excuse, the butler hurriedly ran in, handing the tablet to Brown. Your next read awaits at empire "Young Master Brown, there''s a big problem!" the butler eximed. The screen was showing information about a myriad ofpanies. Some smallpanies that they had previously beaten without any resistance had unexpectedly merged overnight into a bigpany. "Yu Ya Limited?" Brown was furious and mmed the tablet on the ground. "Where did thispany spring up from?" The butler was startled and didn''t dare to utter a word but handed over a phone instead. Brown quicklyposed himself and answered the call. "Brown, a newpany has arrived in Frankfurt, and it seems they''re opposing us. Prepare immediately and convene an emergency board meeting!" Carter''s voice sounded extremely authoritative, proving the severity of the situation. Brown didn''t dare dy, sending messages to all directors at once. As he left, he also took Fang Yuan with him. Fang Yuan had already gained actual power within the Edward Family and was present as Brown''s personal assistant. Many of the Edward Family elders even admired Fang Yuan''s wisdom and hade to regard her as one of their own. At the top floor of amercial building, nearly all the elders of the Edward Family had gathered here. After all, this was just a branch of theirs, so the meeting wasn''t too particr. A group of people, swirling their sses, sat together, their faces extremely solemn. "Have you obtained the information on thatpany? Who is their legal representative? Is there any capital support behind them?" "It seems to be from the Orient. I don''t know why they''ve suddenly started opposing us." "Their movements are too swift. They''ve not only brought those small-scale enterprises together but also made contact with William''s family and Charlie''s family. It''s said that the capital of all three parties has already started interfacing." "We absolutely can''t let them unite. Those two families are already European behemoths, and with the addition of capital from the Orient, we alone will have great difficulty coping." ... Though the group was somewhat noisy with each taking their turn to speak, the content of their conversation was extremely well-organized. And when one person spoke, the others would certainly not interrupt. It didn''t take long before they hadpletely reviewed all the information. At the same time, the Public Rtions Department had already begun to act, fully investigating Yu Ya Limited Company. But due to the location of its registration, they had difficulty finding specific information. Chen Yu had quickly brought together those beaten-down enterprises and then went directly to meet with Victor. In the daytime, Victor hurried to Suzhou City to congratte Chen Yu. By the time he returned to Frankfurt, he was stunned to find that the situation hadpletely changed. Chen Yu had not only reached Suzhou City before him but had also finished the early stages of his nning. Their meeting was extremely rushed, merely choosing a street-side cafe. Fortunately, this cafe could provide a decent private room. "Mr. Chen, I never expected the capital from the Orient to choose you toe help us as their representative. I am truly surprised," said Victor, unable to hide his excitement. After all, his trip to Suzhou City had been with the intention of seeking reinforcements, but he''d always been too embarrassed to mention it. On one hand, he didn''t have deep cooperation with the capital from the Orient; on the other, Chen Yu was his lifesaver, and he didn''t want to draw Chen Yu into this chaotic situation. Chen Yu appeared very nonchnt in response, "Doing business is all about mutual benefit, and the actions of the Edward Family are indeed overbearing; they really need to be suppressed!" "Additionally, I contacted someone from Charlie''s family today. They don''t seem too keen on cooperating!" Victor let out a sigh of resignation, "Thest time the two big families shed head-on, the Edward Family sent assassins, and in one night, nearly a dozen senior members of Charlie''s family were killed! Now their head is a thirteen-year-old girl, how can she make proper judgments?" Chen Yu''s pupils dted sharply; he hadn''t anticipated such a drastic turn of events within Charlie''s family. "That''s not surprising then! But Charlie''s family''s influence is still there. I hope Mr. Victor can help make connections and try to get our families integrated," said Chen Yu. Victor nodded and then took out a USB drive from his pocket and handed it over. "Managing Charlie''s family is my job; as for the rest, I''ll leave it to you. This contains the data of all the small-scale enterprises suppressed by the Edward Family." "Although their scale isn''trge, their number is their strength. If we can unite them all, they are definitely a force that cannot be ignored," he exined. Without hesitation, Chen Yu took the USB drive and immediately handed it to Han Xiaohui beside him. "Organize the data inside and hand it to me immediately!" The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 321 Stock Market Evaporation Frankfurt may be the old base of William''s family, but with the rise of the Edward Family, William''s family''s prestige here has plummeted. There might even be eyes and ears of the Edward Family in this caf¨¦.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Chen Yu didn''t dare to stay here long, so after briefly discussing some details, he hurriedly left with Han Xiaohui. At the eastern suburban street corner, several individuals with somber expressions and an aura of murder were hiding in the dark corners, seemingly waiting for something. It wasn''t long before Chen Yu and Han Xiaohui arrived there. Upon seeing the two, these people burst out from their hiding spots, brandishing old-fashioned knight''s longswords. "These two are the reinforcements old man Victor called for? They''re too young, what can they possibly do?" "Who cares, Mr. Brown has already given the order¡ªto bring back these two''s heads." "Then what are we waiting for? Let''s do it!" ... The gang was visibly excited, it seemedpleting this job would earn them quite a reward. Han Xiaohui had never witnessed such a scene and was already scared out of her wits, but she still instinctively positioned herself in front of Chen Yu. As a secretary, apart from doing auxiliary work usually, she was to act as a bodyguard in key moments. Besides, Chen Yu was Han Xiaohui''s benefactor, and naturally, she would stand in front to protect him at such a time. Chen Yu was taken aback at first, but then he grabbed Han Xiaohui''s shoulder, pulling her back a step, and casually tossed out several pebbles. He had sensed an extremely dense killing intent while walking over earlier, so he crushed a brick at the street corner in preparation. These stones were thrown with great force, immediately knocking several people to the ground. Their longswords crumbled to pieces upon contact with the flying pebbles. One of them, who was physically stronger, managed to half-kneel on the ground using his longsword for support after taking several hits from the stones. "Who exactly are you? Why are you opposing my Edward Family?" Chen Yu found it funny that these people came to ambush him, and now they were asking him why he was opposing the Edward Family. "Who I am is none of your damn business!" Chen Yu stepped forward, his figure flitting through the assants like a phantom. In the blink of an eye, those men were scattered across the street, unconscious. Chen Yu had sealed several acupoints on the back of their heads; even when they awoke, they would be mere imbeciles. Chen Yu cautiously checked the surroundings to ensure there was no danger before leaving with Han Xiaohui. Within the temporary office, Jin Lingsu had alreadypleted the preliminary preparations and had injectedrge sums of money into the European stock market. "Were you ambushed?" Jin Lingsu could tell something had happened just by looking at Chen Yu and Han Xiaohui''s state. Chen Yu casually sat down on the sofa, "Just a fewckeys, nothing serious! How are the preparations going?" Jin Lingsu pushed theputer towards Chen Yu. "As per your instructions, the ount has been registered, and all the specific stocks have been marked. You can start buying in bulk whenever you''re ready." Chen Yu briefly nced at the information disyed on theputer screen, then entered the password¡ªall the funds were invested at once. Jin Lingsu suddenly panicked, "Hey, you need to think this through, all my fortune is tied up in this. If I lose it here, what will I do after?" Chen Yu didn''t even lift his head, "You''re already hanging the title of director with me, and you''re holding shares on my behalf. You shouldn''t have to worry about the second half of your life, should you?" Jin Lingsu pouted, "This time it''s a huge gamble, you could even throw yourself into it! Are you taking this too lightly, a bit too casually?" Chen Yu didn''t say much more, his fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard, and at the same time, his mind was continuously updating with various kinds of information and skills. The system had long designed a n for the stock market for him, and right now, Ling Ling was sitting on his shoulder, personally guiding him. It''s just that no one else could see her. While European stock markets were connected to Wall Street, they were also independent of the Wall Street system, so the closing times and methods were different. Chen Yu took advantage of this dislocation in timing and loopholes to pour all his funds into specific stocks. By the time his fingers struck thest key, the market had just closed, and all trading came to an immediate halt. Chen Yu let out a sigh of relief; now all he needed to do was wait until the market opened the next day. Jin Lingsu''s face carried a bit of resentment as she had never felt such anxiety before. This woman grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, having seen and been through everything. Saying she had eight hundred schemes up her sleeve wouldn''t be an exaggeration. But she had never touched the stock market, nor dared to touch it. Without professional knowledge and a macro perspective, not only could you not make money here, but you might also lose everything you have. If she didn''t have absolute trust in Chen Yu, she would have never let him gamble all her fortune in the stock market. At this point, even if she wanted to back out, it was toote¡ªshe could only wait for the results the next morning. Early the next day, Jin Lingsu sat in front of theputer with red eyes, quietly waiting, not knowing whether she had risen early or hadn''t slept all night. Chen Yu somewhat helplessly took over theputer, opened the stock market page, and listed all the stocks they had selected yesterday. As the opening bell rang, all the selected stocks surged in value. In less than half an hour, they had doubled. "Xiao Hui, help me operate thatputer, sell all the stocks disyed on the page." Han Xiaohui was already prepared. As soon as Chen Yu gave themand, her fingers flew quickly across the keyboard. Chen Yu was also decisive, and before long, he had sold all the stocks they held. Minus the transaction fees, their investment fromst night had actually doubled by now. Jin Lingsu exhaled deeply, "Nice going, my money has just doubled!" Just as she was getting excited, Chen Yu put all the money they had just withdrawn into a concept stock. Jin Lingsu''s spirits plummeted again. "Making a profit once should be enough; are you trying to test how fast my heart can beat?" Chen Yu didn''t respond; he simply stared intently at the changes in stock prices on the screen. The stocks he had just pulled out showed a rapid outflow of funds, causing the share prices to plummet to the bottom. Meanwhile, the concept stock they had just invested in was crazily surging by forty percent. Jin Lingsu also stared unblinkingly at the screen, feeling an inexplicable excitement at the sight of the surging stocks. Then, in the next moment, Chen Yu suddenly let go of all the concept stocks he was holding. Chapter 322 Merger of Companies The sudden withdrawal of such a significant amount of capital instantly caused fluctuations in the prices of concept stocks. Jin Lingsu clutched her heart and grabbed Chen Yu''s wrist. "We''ve made money twice already, that should be enough, right? Should we withdraw all the money?" Chen Yu didn''t answer; he just nced at Jin Lingsu and continued typing on the keyboard. Han Xiaohui, who was next to him, had already grasped Chen Yu''s intent and, without waiting for him to speak, followed his lead in making her moves. The money that had just been pulled out was all reinvested into the stocks that had just bottomed out. This series of coherent operations depressed Jin Lingsu, who normally walked with an air of dominance; now, she almost felt like crying without tears. "Sister Su, Brother Yu is currently using the suddenness of arge amount of capital to disrupt the stock market, thereby achieving his goal!" "If we miss this window, we''ll lose our advantage and won''t achieve as good a result. Just sit tight, and as long as weplete all operations within this period of suddenness, not only will our capital increase manifold, but we''ll also strike at the Edward Family." Han Xiaohui did see things clearly, and her exnation slowly eased the panic on Jin Lingsu''s face. "I''m a simple person and really don''t understand your operations. Forget it, I won''t bother anymore. After all, I''m relying on you for the rest of my life!" Chen Yu remained silent, his fingers flying over the keyboard, transferring funds back and forth.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om After four hours, the funds indeed increased by a whole eightfold. The initial investment of eighty billion had turned into six hundred forty billion. Beforeing here, Tong Ming and Chu Jianghe had given over three hundred billion; the rest was put together by Chen Yu and Jin Lingsu. Among them, Chen Yu invested the least, but even so, his money also multiplied by eightfold. Even though it wasn''t muchpared to the other super-rich, he now qualified for the wealthy rankings. "Keep going, why have you stopped?" Jin Lingsu had already jumped up from the sofa by now; her investment of over fifty billion had turned into over four hundred billion, and the despondency on her face was reced by excitement. "The capital market here has already set its sights on us. If we continue, all our money will be swallowed up!" "What we need to do now is targeted strikes, using the stock market to take down Edward''s smallerpanies one by one, and then inject the money into tangible assets to wage a full-scale war against them." Jin Lingsu was confused by what she heard, but seeing the return on her money, she chose not to ask anything more. For the next half a month, Chen Yu hardly slept, keeping his eyes glued to the stock boards. From initially twoputers, it turned into a central control with dozens of screens at the end. During this time, eighty-seven small and medium-sized enterprises were plundered bare, then through capital operations, these industries were all merged into William''s family empire. The previously swift development momentum of the Edward Family was abruptly contained, and most of the territory they had established in Frankfurt was taken over. "Can someone exin to me what the hell is going on?" Brown Edward mmed his hand hard on the table, his expression turning fierce. The people below didn''t even dare to breathe heavily, each looking like a corpse. Carter Edward leaned back in his chair, his face clouded with gloom. During this period, he and his think tank had sat down and perfected theiryout, but unexpectedly, one by one, his industries were still being swallowed up. To this day, he had no idea who was behind the sabotage. The previously investigated Yuya Limited, which could potentially threaten the Edward Family, had been inactive for half a month, with not even a hint of theirpany''s financial transactions detectable. What they didn''t know was that this limitedpany operated entirely outside of the major systems; even if it did operate, it was done in the shadows, and outsiders couldn''t possibly detect any clues. Moreover, the ounts Chen Yu used to trade stocks were registered privately. "The enemy is in the dark, and we are exposed. Moreover, they are nning specifically against us, so they will always be one step ahead. No matter how we adjust our strategies, we will not be their match. We have to find the person behind this!" Carter''s eyes flickered with viciousness, and the joints of his fingers cracked as he clenched them tightly. Brown immediately stepped forward, "You mean to say, Uncle, that we should find a way to kill them?" Carter nodded, "Start by screening everyone who has entered Europe in the past half a month. As soon as you find anyone closely associated with William''s family, take them down immediately! Also, eliminate those two in charge at Yuya Limited." Without hesitation, Brown gave orders to the person beside him. Fang Yuan''s breathing became inexplicably rapid; he naturally knew that the person in charge of Yuya Company was Chen Yu. She wasn''t so much worried about Chen Yu as she was scared that if anything happened to Chen Yu, Tuan Tuan would have no one to take care of him. But at present, her public identity was that of the Edward Family''s firstdy. If she tried to intervene at this time, it would likely arouse suspicion from others. Just as she was caught in a dilemma, Brown suddenly approached her. "You previously said the n against the Charlie family was very good. We''ll implement it tonight. I refuse to believe that a little girl who''s not yet fully grown can stand up against me." Fang Yuan couldn''t say much more; she nodded, then quickly left with several assistants in tow. The Charlie family''s stronghold was initially in Edinburgh but, under the relentless pressure of the Edward Family, they sought refuge in Frankfurt under the protection of William''s family. Now, the remaining members of the Charlie family were all staying within a vineyard owned by William''s family. After stabilizing the stock market, Chen Yu went directly there to meet with the Charlie family. Initially, the Charlie family was somewhat hostile toward Chen Yu, as any well-established family would be, having fallen to such a state for no apparent reason, likely feeling a bit paranoid of persecution. Fortunately, Chen Yu''s culinary skills were top-notch, and under Victor''s mediation, he prepared several dishes for the new head of the Charlie family. The young girl''s taste buds were conquered, and she hurriedly arranged a meeting with Chen Yu. In the dimness of the underground bunker, a pretty young girl sat across from Chen Yu, her sapphire-blue eyes blinking constantly, seemingly very interested in him. "Mr. Chen, how do you make your meals? My cooking skills aren''t even one-tenth as good as yours." Chen Yu had a full head of ck lines, realizing she was just a young girl after all. Her family had fallen to such a state, yet she was still thinking about food. "If you like it, I can make some more for you next time! However, what''s most important right now is the issue of ownership of severalpanies that belonged to the Charlie family." Chen Yuid a pile of documents on the table. Just as he was about to discuss the details, a middle-aged man suddenly grabbed his arm. Chapter 323 The Last Family Head "Mr. Chen, our master is asking you about culinary matters, and out of respect, you cannot casually change the subject. Furthermore, these are matters the people below can handle, so there''s no need to bother the young master." The hoarse voice sounded gloomy, filling Chen Yu with an inexplicable revulsion. He lifted his head, the middle-aged man beside him was quite handsome, but his lips were unnaturally red, and his eyes emitted a strange cold light. On his hand, he was wearing a peculiar sapphire blue ring. "Mr. Noka, if I remember correctly, the Charlies family''s current signatory authority rests with Miss Diana. Should I discuss these details with anyone else if not with her?" "Mr. Chen, please don''t misunderstand!" Diana hurriedly stood up, "Mr. Noka is only concerned about my wellbeing. I have to sign hundreds of documents every day, and my arm is already swollen. " "Hundreds of documents?" Chen Yu''s pupils dted suddenly. How could the Charlies family, now reduced to just their main businesses and a few auxiliarypanies, possibly have hundreds of documents to sign every day? [System alert: Danger detected, switching to autonomous defense mode] Chen Yu immediately became vignt, with the system''s scanning results simultaneously surfacing in his mind. The ring in Noka''s hand radiated a red glow. [Miniature surveincemunication system, currently operational, linked to Fackel Estate] The Fackel Estate is the Edward Family''s temporary base in Frankfurt. The system''s findings were enough to prove that the Noka before him was a spy the Edward Family had nted within the Charlies family. The documentsid out on the table by Chen Yu had likely already been photographed by Noka and sent to Fackel Estate. "Mr. Noka! If I''m not mistaken, you''ve been working for the Charlies family for thirty years. Why choose to betray?" This sudden interrogation startled Noka, and he instinctively stepped back, instinctively grabbing the long sword beside him. Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire "Mr. Chen, you helped the Charlies family recover losses, and I am grateful to you for that! But you can''t defame my character like this." Chen Yu didn''t care for that; he stepped forward to grab the ring off Noka''s hand directly. Noka''s reactions were extremely quick, feinting to the left and dodging away, then drawing his long sword to sh at Chen Yu. But Chen Yu was quicker, lunging forward like a specter, grabbing Noka''s ring-wearing hand and wrenching it backward with force.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The sharp sound of bone breaking with a piercing scream filled the air instantly, Noka''s body coiled on the ground like a silkworm cocoon. "Your character doesn''t hold value in my sight, I''m more inclined to trust my own eyes." Chen Yu''s voice was ice-cold as he directly pulled off the ring. Crushing the sapphire casing on the outside, a miniature surveince device was revealed within, still in operation. Diana suddenly stood up, staring incredulously at the unfolding scene. "Mr. Noka, you are the person I have respected the most from childhood, how could you do such a thing?" Noka gritted his teeth, "The Charlies family are a bunch of disgusting beasts. Thirty years ago, my whole family died at your hands. I came to your house to work as a servant for the sake of revenge." Chen Yu''s brows were tightly knitted, uninterested in the grudge between Noka and the Charlies family. He came here only to expand his business empire, and at the same time, based on a rtionship of interests, he linked the William''s family, Charlie''s family, the Tong Family, and the Chu Family together. Chen Yu lifted his foot and kicked hard on Noka''s shoulder, crippling his shoulder de and simultaneously crushing the monitor. "Miss Diana, this ce is no longer safe, you''re afraid you''ll have toe with me." Diana''s throat moved slightly. Even though she was born into Charlie''s family, she was after all just a thirteen-year-old girl whocked even some basic concepts of understanding. Although Chen Yu had disposed of Noka for her, she still remained wary of him. By then, Chen Yu couldn''t care less about caution; he directly grabbed Diana''s arm, picked her up, and hurried out of the underground wine cer. The Charlie family bodyguards responsible for the perimeter surveince saw this scene and rushed to intercept, but they were all repelled by Chen Yu one by one. Before long, Chen Yu had taken Diana all the way to William''s family''s ancient castle. When Victor saw Diana, he just stood there, stunned. It was a time of crisis; the Edward Family was running rampant on the European continent, with every other family feeling imperiled. Although Charlie''s family was somewhat reliant on William''s family nowadays, it still maintained its independence. If outsiders knew that Chen Yu had forcefully brought Diana to William''s family''s castle, it could spark all sorts of public opinion that Edward Family might exploit. "Mr. Chen, why did you bring her here?" Victor appeared flustered. Chen Yu picked up a teacup from the table and gulped down the tea, "Now that Charlie''s family is full of spies, if she wasn''t brought here, Charlie''s family''sst hope would be finished." After giving a somewhat perfunctory exnation, Chen Yu took out hisptop. "Thesepanies are now practically in our control; we must have Diana sign quickly so thepanies belong to Charlie''s family, and at the same time, use Charlie''s family''s corepanies and private equity funds to take control!" Victor nced at the business map disyed on theputer screen and nodded his head. The solution that Chen Yu had presented was practically the only viable method at the moment. Although Diana''s concept of recognition was not fully formed, she was quite savvy with business matters from being exposed to them since a young age. Hearing what Chen Yu said, she no longer hesitated, hurriedly ran to Chen Yu''s side, picked up the documents, and started signing. Victor also breathed a sigh of relief. Now that Diana was willing to sign of her own ord, the alliance between Charlie''s family and William''s family had taken a substantial leap forward. Chen Yu organized all the materials in his hand and sent them to Han Xiaohui. During this time, she might have already made sense of the disputes among the various families in Europe and the business system, as the strategic n she provided was nearly the same as the system suggested. As a result, Chen Yu confidently entrusted most of the business operations to Han Xiaohui. Just then, a sudden violent explosion sounded from the outskirts of the castle, and the strong smell of gunpowder instantaneously spread. Chen Yu frowned involuntarily, subconsciously ncing at the surveince screen beside him, and noticed arge number of masked individuals appearing outside the castle. These people wore bizarre masks, and each carried a knight''s longsword, bearing quite the style of the Middle Ages. At their waists, without exception, each had an identical explosive device, and all were turned on with the countdown initiated. Chapter 324 Secret Agreement Victor was petrified. Never since the founding of the Williams family had they faced such arge-scale attack. He hastily picked up the walkie-talkie to issue orders to all the security personnel within the castle. Before they became security personnel for the Williams family, they had all gone through special training and were exceptionally skilled. However, the people who burst in were clearly desperados, and they were also carrying explosive devices; no matter their training, no one dared approach such individuals. Before long, those masked people had already rushed down to the base of the castle. If they were to detonate the explosives on them simultaneously, the entire castle would be reduced to ashes. "The Edward Family is truly despicable, resorting to such tactics! Where have their noble royal spirits gone?" Victor was gnashing his teeth in hatred so much that he itched, yet he was helpless. Chen Yu, on the other hand, appeared extremely calm. Just now, the system had generated aprehensive n in his mind. His fingers rapidly tapped on the keyboard, and oddly enough, a series of blue and white codes appeared on it. If someone could see the system next to Chen Yu, they would discover that Ling Ling had now entered into theputer. A barrage ofmands shot out from theputer, and before long, the timers on the masked men''s bodies had simultaneously stopped. "Sir, I''ve hacked the electronic codes on their bodies; those explosive devices won''t blow up anymore. Hurry and have your security staff clean them up." Victor became instantly agitated and immediately ordered through the walkie-talkie. The security personnel of the Williams family were indeed highly capable and they immediately charged out upon receiving the orders. The masked men also realized something was amiss, and despite fiddling with their explosive devices in haste, it was to no avail. After half an hour of resistance, all the masked meny beneath the castle. Victor heaved a long sigh of relief and then immediately called for additional security personnel from other areas to strengthen the defenses here. After resolving the crisis, Chen Yu did not linger; once he sent thest code, he hurriedly left with hisputer. Experience tales at empire Without interfering with Victor, what was urgent now was to handle the contract issue between the Williams and the Charlies families. At six in the afternoon, Chen Yu arrived early at a coffee shop just outside Frankfurt. He seemed very familiar with the ce and went straight to a highly secretive small room. If not for regrs, no one would know about this spot. The environment here was also very elegant, with a lot of French ne trees nted around; during this season, pink paulownias covered the ground. His first visit here was when he was a sophomore in college. After working hard and saving up money for a year, he took Fang Yuan here for a trip. That trip not only spent all his wages, but he also went into quite a bit of debt, resulting in half a year of eating instant noodles during his sophomore year. Memories shed across his mind, bringing Chen Yu an inexplicable sense of mncholy. However, he didn''t care too much and continued to type rapidly on the keyboard. Next to him was a folder of documents, along with a few strange contracts. Soon after, a figure wearing a khaki trench coat, sunsses, and adies'' denim hat hurried into the coffee shop, heading straight for the small room. "What exactly do you mean by the message you sent?" The woman took off her hat and sunsses, revealing a somewhat aristocratic face in front of Chen Yu. ``` The person was none other than Fang Yuan! Chen Yu handed over the two contracts on the table directly. "What you seek is mostly fame and wealth, depending on the Edward Family is just a stepping stone for you!" "But in a sense, you are just a pawn of the Edward Family. You are merely using each other." Fang Yuan''s breathing suddenly became rapid, especially with the two contractsid out in front of her, causing her body to tremble violently.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "I understand all that you''re saying! But your n is too dangerous. If it fails, I will be doomed, and I have no reason to join you in this foolish chaos." The tapping of Chen Yu''s fingers on the keyboard came to an abrupt halt, and he slowly lifted his head, looking at Fang Yuan with an indescribable gaze. "By clinging to the Edward Family, you will at most gain some real power and shares, but that''s far from enough to suppress the Zhao Family of the Imperial Capital! You must enlist the power of the East." Fang Yuan was slightly startled, "You investigated me?" Chen Yu did not answer but instead pushed the file bag next to him towards her, as if letting her consider it for herself. Indeed, even if the Edward Family actually annexed both the Charlies and William''s families, their influence would still be limited to Europe and the West. Besides, the Edward Family might not necessarily assist her against the Zhao Family, and in the end, the only one who could help her was Chen Yu. Fang Yuan wavered! Even though the two were divorced and their separation had been unpleasant, there was still Tuan Tuan between them. The contract offered by Chen Yu, and the n enclosed in the file bag, were extremely clear. If she agreed and took action, she could inflict a devastating blow on the Edward Family without anyone knowing it was her doing. After the deed, she could take advantage of the operation to embezzle most of the Edward Family''s assets and quickly grow to be a business magnate paralleled only by the royal families of Europe. Such temptation was far too great. Just as Fang Yuan was in a daze, Chen Yu turned theptop towards her. "I''ve arranged everything for you. Now you just need to nod, sign your name, and the foundationalpany will immediately be established!" Fang Yuan''s throat moved slightly, "But I am currently part of the Edward Family. Even if I act in secret, they might still..." "The Edward Family has already incurred public wrath. With their arrogance and having killed so many from the Charlies and William''s families, it would be no surprise if they were annihted." Chen Yu''s voice unexpectedly had a hint of ruthlessness. This waspletely different from the Chen Yu Fang Yuan remembered. "Alright, I agree! I hope you can honor your promise after this is done." Fang Yuan''s hand holding the pen was still hesitant, but she ultimately signed her name. After hammering out a few more details of the contract, Fang Yuan wrapped herself up like a rice dumpling and hurriedly left again. Chen Yu let out a long sigh of relief, closed hisptop, and leaned back in his chair with his eyes slightly closed. "Is it settled?" A domineering and cold voice suddenly came from the corner behind him. Jin Lingsu, holding a golden spike, slowly walked out. "It''s settled," Chen Yu replied, then began to tidy up the things on the table. Jin Lingsu put away the spike, "You''re one lucky guy, having such beautiful wives, both of them!" "Looks like I worried too much. This woman came alone, without even a tail behind her!" ``` Chapter 325 Manipulating Behind the Scenes Upon hearing that Chen Yu was meeting with Fang Yuan, Jin Lingsu felt an inexplicable surge of nervousness. Nowadays, Fang Yuan was the firstdy of the Edward Family, and if she disagreed with Chen Yu''s n, it was very likely that she would set up an assassin in the shadows. After all, the things the Edward Family had recently done in Europe were indeed disgraceful. Chen Yu gathered the items on the table. "Even if there is real danger, I can escape, there''s no need for you to follow!" Jin Lingsu pursed her lips, "Now, all of my possessions are in your control, if you die, who will I cry to?" Chen Yu didn''t say anything more, he carefully looked around and then hastily left the ce with Jin Lingsu. Within Wilburg, a castle controlled by the Edward Family. Carter smashed a pile of documents forcefully onto the faces of several middle-aged men. "What do you all mean by this? It''s only a few minor setbacks that the Edward Family has encountered, and you''re already preparing your back-up ns? Look at this mess of ounts you''ve made¡ªwhere has the knightly spirit of our ancestors gone?" If this had happened in the past, those people might have kept silent out of fear, not daring to even breathe deeply. But now, things were different. For nearly half a month, the Edward Family had faced setbacks everywhere, with even their original business ns dead in the water. The nearly a hundred small and medium-sized businesses that had been snatched away were now taken back by their original owners. Moreover, the Charlies family had recently made aeback and even established a newpany, controlling those reimed small businesses through private equity funds. If this continued, the hard-earned foundations of the Edward Family would go down the drain. "Mr. Carter, don''t forget that we came here initially with the intention to help! Now that the Edward Family is facing such a crisis, can''t we let go early?" Carter''s pupils dted suddenly; he hadn''t expected these people to dare to talk back to him. "You bastards! When you first came, you were all nothing but Zhu Luos hiding in your estates. I not only increased your assets by dozens or hundreds of times but also made you directors of the Edward Family. Is this how you repay me?" The several middle-aged men exchanged looks, directly took off the badges of the Edward Family from their chests, and threw them on the ground. "You''re just relying on your royal family background, right? Now, this name is nothing more than a big hat you wear for a show ¡ª don''t try to intimidate us with it! We''ll have to excuse ourselves." Leaving behind these words, they didn''t stay a moment longer and turned to leave the room. After all, they were directors of the Edward Family, with some authority over financial resources; by just withdrawing their shares and holdings, they could get outpletely unscathed. This process didn''t even require a signature from anyone in the Edward Family. Carter was dumbfounded; although their withdrawal would not impact the current Edward Family too much, this start would trigger a series of reactions. Before long, all the directors would follow suit, and by then, the Edward Family would truly be finished. Just as Carter was about to stand up and follow them, a series of hurried high-heel taps echoed in the corridor. "Uncle Carter, why did those directors just storm out like that?" Fang Yuan walked in with an air of feigned surprise, presenting several contracts to Carter. Carter sighed with resignation, "They''re just a bunch of ungrateful dogs. We''re only facing some minor setbacks and they..." As he spoke, Carter became so agitated that he was nearly out of breath and stumbled onto the sofa. "Don''t stoop to their level. What we nowck in our business system isn''t these people, but truly influential individuals with achievements!" Fang Yuan moved a chair over and sat down without further ado. Carter nced at the contract Fang Yuan had brought over and nodded in satisfaction. "This n is not bad, if we can only lure over half the people on this list, then we shall be able to stay on this continent. Just give us a moment to catch our breath, and we could swallow up both Charlie''s and William''s families." Fang Yuan nodded, a meaningful smile flickering at the corner of her mouth. Frankfurt, William''s castle. Victor and Diana, leading their respective families'' heads, were seated together, discussing the merger of their two families and the cooperation with the Eastern families. Chen Yu was also there, but he was more like an observer, hardly providing any constructive opinions. In fact, no one there knew about the agreement and n that he and Fang Yuan had signed. The so-called alliance at present was only temporary; he just needed to strive for maximum profit and value from it and then wait for the Edward Family''s downfall. "Mr. Chen, what do you think of our n?" "Quite good!" Chen Yu responded nomittally, then signed his name on the proposed contract. Over sixty percent of the contract was about securing advantages for the Tong Family and the Chu Family in Europe. As long as the final terms could be sessfully implemented, the assets of the two families could double in an instant.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om With such favorable terms, Chen Yu had no reason to disagree. Moreover, this was the return favor from Charlie''s and William''s families to the Tong and Chu Families. As everything was running smoothly, the Edward Family could no longer withstand the pressure and retreated rapidly. All the industries they had encroached upon were spewed out at once. A secret underground wine cer at Vilberg. Brown, Carter, and Fang Yuan were gathered around a small table which was piled with thick stacks of documents. "Uncle, at this point, Fang Yuan''s n is the only way out for our Edward Family; there is no time for hesitation!" Brown urged repeatedly while pushing a signing pen into Carter''s hand. Carter, breathing rapidly, seemed somewhat at a loss. "The n is indeed good, as it can maximally hide the assets of the Edward Family and leave us with capital to resist. But the risk is too great ¨C if any one of us has an ident, it could¡­" "Uncle, at this point, there''s no room for hesitation anymore! Do you really want to watch the entire Edward Family face utter ruin?" Brown shook Carter''s shoulders, urging him incessantly. Carter looked over at Fang Yuan, who appeared somewhat indifferent. "Are you really confident?" Fang Yuan let out a sigh: "Although my marriage to Brown is a contractual one, it has legal effects! Now, we have no other choice but to use this rtionship as a basis to hold the Edward Family''s shares through private equity funds. Apart from this, I can''t think of a better n." Carter thought for a long while and finally signed his name on the contract. After all the details were settled, Carter and Brown hurriedly left with their pre-packed luggage. In the vast wine cer, only Fang Yuan and the mountains of documents were left behind. Chapter 326 Net Worth Doubled The dim lighting cast a gloomy atmosphere, and the stacks of wine barrels against the wall stretched their long shadows under the old-fashioned candlelight. Fang Yuan held the contract in her hand, her expression nk. When she had signed the contract just now, although she appeared calm on the surface, her heart was already in turmoil, even filled with panic. If it weren''t for her acting experience, which allowed her to perfectly conceal these emotions deep within, she would have probably given herself away just now. She knew that after today, she would never see Brown and Carter again. And the main members of the Edward Family would also mysteriously disappear tonight. As the firstdy of the Edward Family, and with almost all of the family''s data in her hands, she could easily take over most of the Edward Family''s assets. No one in the whole of Europe, or even the entire West, would question her, and William''s family and Charlie''s family would even clear all obstacles for her. They would also manipte the media to maintain her perfect public image. At this moment, Fang Yuan''s emotions were indescribablyplex, so much so that even she couldn''t articte them clearly. "Not bad acting, truly professional!" A cold voice suddenly came from the corner, as Jin Lingsu''s figure slowly emerged. She wasn''t wearing shoes, just a pair of special socks, and made no sound when she walked; she must have been hiding here for quite some time. Fang Yuan''s gaze remained nk, and she sat without moving. "Chen Yu saw this quality in you, which is why he sought to cooperate with me, isn''t it?" Jin Lingsu didn''t respond, but simply pulled a chair over and sat down. "My current job is to ensure your safety. I will let you out after the matters outside are settled. By that time, you''ll be the richest woman in Europe." Only then did Fang Yuan slowlye to her senses, "So what you''re saying is, I''m imprisoned now?" Jin Lingsu poured a ss of wine, "With the downfall of the Edward Family, you, the firstdy, should also disappear along with them!" "To put on a convincing act, you need to reappear suddenly, waving the g of revenge for the Edward Family, to draw other events together." Fang Yuan let out a long sigh. She was clear that she was now just meat on Chen Yu''s chopping block. The contracts in her hand had real significance, but if Chen Yu didn''t agree, she was helpless. The situation had developed beyond her control; all she could do now was wait. On an especially quaint train, all the leaders of the Edward Family were gathered in the same carriage. Before this, they had already sent out a message, iming that they were going to take a private ne back to Wales. Despite this clear path and secretive operation, they still couldn''t find peace of mind. Now with a massive shift in the industrial structure of Europe, William''s family and Charlie''s family wereunching a full-scale counterattack. All of the Edward Family''s strategies here had been wiped out. They were facing an all-out manhunt! The train''s route was extremely secretive and its speed remarkably fast. Everyone in the carriage was holding a cross, ceaselessly praying. Brown looked lost in thought, an inexplicable unease about him, while Carter was constantly pacing beside him, appearing extremely restless. "I''m still not at ease. Is it really a good idea to leave Fang Yuan alone there? What if she conspires with people from William''s family in secret and betrays us? What then?" Carter had always been cautious and would never take action unless he was absolutely sure of sess. If it hadn''t been for the rush, he certainly wouldn''t have signed the documents Fang Yuan had given him. Brown was also breathing heavily, of course he was aware of the risks involved, but he had no other choice at this point. During the conversation, a violent shaking sound suddenly erupted, followed by the entire private train careening off the track, crashing hard against the tunnel wall. From a distance, on top of the high mountain, Chen Yu stood there, watching the explosion unfold with a cold indifference. Ling Ling was perched on his shoulder, her body flickering with alternating blue and white lights. [As per the original n, the train derailed and exploded, leading to the demise of all the Edward Family''s leaders and senior executives] Chen Yu remained silent; ording to the original n, he only had to figure out a way to derail the train, and leave the rest to the assassins of William''s and Charlie''s families. It was only after seeing a swarm of men in ck rushing towards the tunnel that Chen Yu turned to leave.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The very next morning, the headlines of major media outlets were dominated by the news of the Edward Family''s tragedy, and some even sensationalized the story with added embellishments. With that, the business circles of Europe were thrown intoplete chaos. All sorts ofments flooded in, but were swiftly suppressed by the media controlled by William''s family. Furthermore, the Edward Family''s recent severe assaults on European finance and industry had made them widely despised and condemned. Consequently, the public furor quickly subsided. Forces and small-to-medium enterprises that were originally aligned with the Edward Family defected one after another, flocking to Charlie''s and William''s families. Some were outright roped in by the Tong and Chu Families to serve as their footholds in the West. However, there were also some who were obstinate and were financially stripped clean by Chen Yu''s maneuvers. It wasn''t until the Edward Family''s leftover power and assets werepletely divided and reshuffled that Chen Yu finally released Fang Yuan. However, when she appeared before the media, she was portrayed as a patient lying on a bed, bandaged and barely clinging to life. Under the media''s portrayal, she became the sole survivor of the private train collision disaster. Legally, Fang Yuan naturally became the sole heir to the Edward Family''s fortune. Humanely, she earned the respect of the entire West. After all, in the public''s eyes, she had established her image as sharing life and death with the Edward Family. This fitted the Western notion of a female hero. Those remaining from the Edward Family unanimously regarded her as their leader, gathering outside the hospital shouting for Fang Yuan to step forward and lead them. All secret contracts that had been previously signed came into effect at this moment. Over the next month, following the script, Fang Yuan became a strong female figure fighting for the Edward Family''s interests. Through her wide-ranging coordination, she recovered most of the Edward Family''s former assets. Leading the remnants of the Edward Family, she stood on equal ground with William''s and Charlie''s families, firmly cementing their position. As for the future, prioritizing the big picture and turning conflict into alliance were roles Fang Yuan would slowly take control of. It wasn''t until everything settled that Chen Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief. Even though he, as the puppet master behind the scenes, did not make many appearances this time, he secured the greatest benefits. Not only did he facilitate the influx of a massive amount of capital from the East into the West, but he also increased his personal fortune tenfold, reaching over thirty billion! Chapter 327 Marching Towards the Imperial Capital Suzhou City, Yuya Department Store. After its construction waspleted, the ce entered a state of full operation, and business improved several times over than before. As Chen Yu was always busy in Europe, Tong Ya came here immediately after ending her trip to take charge of the department store as thedy boss. At the same time, following the basic business model previously set by Chen Yu, she managed to take care of the industrial park in her spare time. After all, as the youngdy of the Tong Family, she had been steeped in business from a young age and understood all kinds of business models. Simply by reviewing the foundation set by Chen Yu, she coulde up with corresponding ns. "The employee meals for the variouspanies must not be neglected; it''s a necessity for our internal cirction!" In Tong Ya''s hands were several documents, her words tinged with a hint of reprimand. Han Cai didn''t dare to even breathe heavily, standing there with her head hung low. Due to her negligence, the delivery mixed up the employee meals for twopanies. This resulted in onepany having an excess of forty meals, while the other did not have enough for its employees. Dozens ofpanies in Suzhou City ordered their employee meals from them, and this did not even include the variouspanies under the Tong Family and Chu Family. With so manypanies in operation, mistakes were inevitable, and as it was Han Cai''s first time carrying out such a business task externally, her performance was already quitemendable. Tong Ya didn''t dwell on the issue. After handing the documents to Han Cai, she went on to attend to other matters. Han Cai breathed a sigh of relief as if she had been pardoned, and quickly contacted the twopanies affected by the mix-up. Chu Hong quickly stepped forward tofort her, "It''s okay, thedy boss just said a few words; she won''t dock your pay. Just make sure the job is done properly." Han Cai nodded again and again. It wasn''t the first or second time Tong Ya had reproached them, but it was always just a few words each time. In other ces, you could be humiliated all day long, then lose your sry performance and might even get fired in the end. Moreover, during this recent period, Tong Ya had consecutively recruited arge group of people, making it somewhat difficult to manage. As one of the team leaders, Han Cai naturally understood the difficulties Tong Ya faced. Late at night, when Tong Ya returned home, she discovered that Chen Yu had already arrived. However, his expression looked rather grim, sitting there alone staring at theputer screen in a daze. Not daring to disturb him, Tong Ya made a cup of tea and gently ced it on the table before sitting down beside Chen Yu. Theputer screen disyed amercial blueprint, which surprisingly targeted the Imperial Capital.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Tong Ya waited until Chen Yu had typed thest character before she spoke. "Husband, are you nning to venture into the Imperial Capital?" Chen Yu had a smile on his face as he pulled Tong Ya into his arms. "The n is set, unite with the Tong Family, Tang Family, and other families from the Imperial Capital to divide up the Zhao Family!" "Making a move on the Zhao Family?" Tong Ya was slightly taken aback, "While the Zhao Family may not be asrge as the Tang Family or the Tong Family, they are also an established super family. Dividing them up might be challenging." "Don''t worry, overseas forces will be involved as well. All the ns have beenid out; the Zhao Family is meat on the chopping board!" Tong Ya took a sharp breath; Chen Yu wouldn''t usually target an existence like the Zhao Family so casually. It seemed that Chen Yu must have secured greater capital during his European trip. "So when do we start?" Tong Ya asked casually. "Tomorrow, beginning with the opening of a branch in the Imperial Capital!" Tong Ya didn''t ask further, she briefly looked over the n on theputer screen and had already grasped Chen Yu''s basic idea. "Should I have my dad help? That way, we could bind the capital of Suzhou City and the capital together in the shortest time." Chen Yu''s mouth curved slightly upward, "He has already started to take action." In the capital, at the Zhao family residence. Several senior members of the Zhao family were seated in the office, their faces etched with solemnity. "Can anyone tell me what''s going on? Why are so many capitals suddenly opposing the Zhao family at the same time?" An old man in his seventies was sitting in the main seat, his body trembling, and the cane in his hand kept thumping on the ground, making a banging noise. The current assets of the Zhao family were created single-handedly by Zhao Zhongde. Who knew that his son and grandson were no good, especially the youngds of the grandson generation, who were purely loafing around, waiting to die. He didn''t want to interfere originally, considering that the assets of the Zhao family were enough for these people to livefortably for several generations. But now, with such a crisis at hand, if he didn''t step in, the entire Zhao family was likely to be ruined by these young punks. Zhao Hai hurriedly stood up, being the most outstanding among his generation, it was natural for him to step up at this time. "Grandfather, so far, we have only lost some small peripheral industries, which are insignificant. As long as we still hold our main industries, even if all the capitals in the capital besiege the Zhao family, we do not need to be too concerned." Zhao Hai''s statement, at first nce, seemed like it had some strategic depth, but upon closer analysis, it was nonsense. External capitals naturally start small, first tentatively taking over your minor industries, and then moving on to your main industries. Your journey continues at empire If you can''t even protect those small peripheral industries, how can you expect to keep a firm hold on your main industries? Zhao Zhongde just waved his hand, signaling Zhao Hai to sit down, and then took out a document from his pocket. "This is a cooperation invitation from the new head of the Edward family. Now that the Zhao family has inexplicably faced such encirclement, it''s likely rted to them. At this point, we can only cooperate with them first and deal with the restter." Everyone in the room nodded in agreement, most of them without their own opinions, even being summoned here for the meeting by Zhao Zhongde forcefully. What they had in mind was to quickly end the meeting and get back to their indulgent lifestyle. Zhao Hai, who had just sat down, suddenly stood up again. "We can''t agree!" The phrase ''head of the Edward family'' was thest thing Zhao Hai wanted to hear. The news from Europe in recent times was overwhelming, causing him great distress. He never dreamed that Fang Yuan could take over the entire Edward family so easily, bing one of the few female billionaires in Europe. Remembering his previous wager with Fang Yuan, as well as their feud, Zhao Hai felt a cold chill on his back. If Fang Yuan clung to past issues and insisted on settling ounts with him, the entire Zhao family might be dragged down. Zhao Zhongde''s brows were furrowed into a knot, he couldn''t understand why his grandson was reacting so strongly. The Zhao family was in an extremely dire situation, and although Fang Yuan had sent a cooperation invitation on the surface, no one knew about her behind-the-scenes maneuvers. The Zhao family''s newly acquiredpanies that were being taken over could very well be Fang Yuan''s doing in the background, forcing the Zhao family into cooperation. "Why can''t we agree?" Zhao Zhongde''s face was grim, staring fixedly at Zhao Hai. Based on his demeanor, Zhao Hai had toe up with a reasonable exnation today, or Zhao Zhongde wouldn''t let it go lightly. Chapter 328 300-Year Legacy Zhao Hai panicked instantly, stuttering and unable to articte a reason. "Grandfather, in any case, we absolutely cannot agree, or else our Zhao Family might risk..." "Shut up!" Zhou Zhongde''s knuckles made a snapping sound in his grip; now, besides cooperating with the Edward Family, he had no other way out. "I am still the head of the Zhao Family! Have someone start preparing for negotiations with the Edward Family immediately, and if necessary, enter into full cooperation. The others present didn''t dwell on the matter. Since the elder had given hismand, they had no choice but to execute it, and some were already anxiously heading to the door. Zhao Zhongde didn''t say much more, treating Zhao Hai''s behavior as foolishness. At Xiangyun Restaurant in the Imperial City, Chen Yu and Tong Ya ordered some specialty dishes and took a seat in a private room. Xiangyun Restaurant was thergestprehensive restaurant in the Imperial City, with a history of over three hundred years. Nearly all the well-established brands in the north had branches here. As a result, the customer flow was ceaseless every day. Within dozens of miles around it, apart from some fast-food eateries and simple breakfast and dinner shops, one could hardly see any otherrge-scale restaurants. This line of business was almost monopolized by Xiangyun Restaurant. If one wished to open a branch in the Imperial City, the first obstacle would be Xiangyun Restaurant; one would either need to acquire and reform it, or simply open one opposite to it topete. But to defeat a well-respected brand with more than three hundred years of history, even if Chen Yu had the secret recipes of the world''s finest foods in his head, it would be nearly impossible. With over three hundred years of tradition, their vors and business practices had been perfected, and the connections they had amassed were a formidable force. If the taste was simr, people would naturally subconsciously choose Xiangyun Restaurant. Chen Yu took a bite of the scallion braised sea cucumber on the table and then put down his chopsticks. It wasn''t that the dish didn''t taste good, but it had reached a level that even surprised him. Scallion braised sea cucumber might seem simple, but to perfectly prepare the sea cucumber and let it absorb the vors is not an easy feat. This was a great challenge for a chef! Just based on the taste, the chefs at Xiangyun Restaurant were undoubtedly no less skilled than Chen Yu. "Ya Ya, what do you think of this ce?" Tong Ya peeked through the crack of the door at the bustling hall.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "It''s quite nice, but to take it over, I''m afraid..." "If we can''t take it over, we''ll cooperate!" Chen Yu leaned back in his chair, "You won''t find a better location than this anywhere else in town." As they spoke, a waiter hurried in and ced a te of shumai on their table. "The two of you, this is a new productplimentary with the reservation of a private room. Please enjoy!" Chen Yu was slightly taken aback; the shumai was divided into four parts, using an extremely strict golden ratio. Average chefs didn''t have this level of skill. "Could I meet the chef here?" Chen Yu suddenly called out to the waiter. The waiterughed as if he had heard a joke, covering his mouth and giggling twice. "Sorry, our chefs don''t see visitors. If you really like our dishes, just leave your opinion." This waiter sure had a way with words. By asking for an "opinion," he meant he wanted Chen Yu to leave a good review. "If they won''t meet, then forget it!" Chen Yu smirked lightly and continued to eat without looking up. After the waiter left, Chen Yu suddenly grabbed Tong Ya''s wrist. "I need to meet with someone, and after thinking it over, I still have to see them with you." "Fang Yuan?" Tong Ya asked indifferently. Chen Yu wasn''t the least bit surprised, as Tong Ya had read his business n and cooperation with the Edward Family was inevitable. Naturally, she would have to interact with Fang Yuan. "The additional conditions that were agreed upon during our partnership in Europe must now be fulfilled!" Tong Ya didn''t say much, she just nodded obediently. In the western suburbs of the Imperial City, there''s the Irnd Castle Western Restaurant. It''s a private property of the Edward Family and one of their few strongholds in the Imperial City. Fang Yuan had emptied the entire restaurant early in anticipation of Chen Yu''s arrival. But when Chen Yu appeared at the door, Fang Yuan was startled. She hadn''t expected that Chen Yu would actually bring Tong Ya along. "Miss Fang, aren''t you going to invite me to sit down?" The term Miss Fang felt extremely distant, making Fang Yuan''s already silent heart grow even colder. "Please,e in!" Feigning elegance, Fang Yuan responded and then led Chen Yu and Tong Ya to the private room. As soon as he entered, Chen Yu didn''t say much; he simply took out the business n he had prepared. "The Zhao Family''s assets in the Imperial City are scattered all over, and it''s impossible to strike at once; we can only break them down one by one. I need the Edward Family to help me take over the Zhao Family''s energy industry." Fang Yuan didn''t reach for the business n. Instead, she leaned back in her chair and casually lit ady''s cigarette. "Mr. Chen, are you ordering me around? Don''t forget, our current rtionship is cooperative, on equal terms," she said. Chen Yu was blunt, "We have never been equals from the very beginning. The Edward Family is something I hold in the palm of my hand. If I wish, I can dismantle it immediately. My assistance against the Zhao Family now is simply to fulfill previous conditions." Fang Yuan''s body trembled violently, shocked by Chen Yu''s tant disrespect. But upon reflection, she realized the Edward Family had already been infiltrated by many people installed by William and Charlie. Although she was the nominal head of the Edward Family, the power and assets she controlled were minimal. "If the dock transportation is cut off, it will disrupt the construction of the energy industry. This is something the Edward Family alone probably can''t manage..." "Tang Long, the elder, will meet with youter to discuss the details!" Chen Yu interrupted her directly and handed over another business n. "After dealing with the Zhao Family, all import and export business will belong to the Edward Family, and the rest will be divided among the major families in both the Imperial City and Magic City." Fang Yuan''s pupils trembled slightly, as this was not a negotiation but an order. Chen Yu had set all the details long ago, and his meeting with her was just a formality. "Mr. Chen, the Edward Family is based overseas, and it already has import and export trade with the major families of the Imperial City. Your doing this is essentially excluding the Edward Family!" Enjoy exclusive content from empire Chen Yu tugged at the corner of his mouth, "Then what else do you want?" Fang Yuan''s expression was dull as she finally understood that Chen Yu had controlled everything from the start, and she was nothing more than a puppet. It wouldn''t be long before even thest bit of power she held would be stripped away by Chen Yu. As she was about to retort, Tong Ya suddenly stood up. "Miss Fang, since all the ns have been set, please carry them out in the order listed!" "The ns my husband makes never go wrong. Besides, in the current situation, you only have to listen to him if you want the Edward Family to survive!" Chapter 329 New News Tong Ya''s tone was extremely calm, but when she uttered the words "Edward Family," she deliberately bit on the words. That was a reminder to Fang Yuan about the current plight of the Edward Family. Although Fang Yuan felt angry, she dared not speak out loud. Everything she now had was given by Chen Yu, and she was also controlled by him. She could either obediently y her role as the firstdy of the Edward Family or lose her reputation and be left with nothing. "Thank you for the reminder, Miss Tong." Fang Yuan could only respond with that sentence before picking up a pen and signing her name on the contract that Chen Yu had handed over. After everything was settled, Chen Yu stood up with Tong Ya to leave, without any intention of staying longer. Just as they reached the door, Tong Ya suddenly turned around, giving Fang Yuan an indescribable look. "A reminder for Miss Fang, I am married now. Please call me Mrs. Chen from now on." These words carried a hint of personal grudge, and when Fang Yuan heard them, she shook for a moment, and the pen in her hand involuntarily dropped to the floor. Long ago, the title of "Mrs. Chen" was hers alone, but he just never valued it. But now, not only had the title be an unattainable status for her, but she also had to be forever trampled underfoot by Chen Yu. "Understood!" Fang Yuan replied disconstely, trembling as she lifted a ss of red wine from the table to her lips. Tong Ya, on the other hand, had a triumphant expression, pulling Chen Yu by the arm and heading straight out the door. Three floors below ground in the Zhongtian Building. Zhao Hai sat there with a dark expression, staring intently at a dozen middle-aged men in front of him. All these men were equipped with distinctive video recorders, and a thorough search of them would yield dozens of pinhole cameras. "You are the best paparazzi and private investigators in the capital, so why haven''t youe up with any information after so many days? Did I spend all that money just for you to upgrade your equipment?" The group stood there quivering, not even daring to breathe heavily, with two of them even dropping their cameras to the floor. After a long silence, one of the more experienced paparazzi cautiously stepped forward. "Mr. Zhao, we have closely monitored the individuals in the photos as per your instructions, but these people are not simple. With dozens of personal bodyguards alone, and security measures inside and out akin to presidential level, we simply can''t get any useful information." Zhao Hai mmed the table furiously, his eyes filled with fierceness. "Can''t you infiltrate some way or another? I''ll give you three more days. If you can''t get information on these people, I''ll expose all the disgraceful things you''ve done in the past!" The group instantly widened their eyes in terror. In their line of work, weren''t they always walking on the edge of the knife? Although each one of them held many secrets unknown to others, their own secrets were equally in the hands of others. If Zhao Hai were to reveal their dirtyundry, they would be left with no means to make a living. "Young Master Zhao, please calm down!" A stunningly beautiful woman suddenly stepped forward. "These stinking men don''t know the right way to do things. What good can they possibly capture by squatting at the door? If you trust me, give me more investment, and I guarantee I can get useful information." Discover exclusive content at empire When Zhao Hai saw the woman, his body clearly shivered, obviously unable to resist her charm. He subconsciously raised his hand and grasped the woman''s chin, slowly lifting it. "Wanting investment is no problem, but I need to know in advance whether my investment will indeed yield a return." The woman threw a seductive nce and casually took out a photograph from her body. It was a photo of Chen Yu, Tong Ya, and Fang Yuan discussing a coboration together. Zhao Hai, crazed, snatched the photo. "Where did you take this?" The woman smugly replied, "I just disguised myself as a waitress at that Western restaurant to blend in, and happened to take it! And I also found some explosive information." Zhao Hai grabbed the woman''s shoulder, "What information?" The woman seemed to hurt by the grip, instinctively stepped back, then reached out and gently rubbed her shoulder. Zhao Hai naturally understood what she implied and immediately wrote a check for two million. The woman checked the check and casually stuffed it into her chest. "That woman named Fang Yuan seems to be Chen Yu''s ex-wife, and they have a daughter! Moreover, as far as I know, Miss Tong seems unaware of this fact, otherwise how could the esteemed Miss of the Tong Family possibly marry such a man?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Zhao Hai''s breathing became rapid, this was exactly the key information he needed. With this, he could obliterate the reputation that Fang Yuan had painstakingly built up. After all, from the moment Fang Yuan entered the entertainment industry, her persona was that of a pure and innocent woman. The news that she was already married, had a child, and was divorced, would undoubtedly be explosive! Immediately, Zhao Hai had an idea. After sending all the paparazzi back down, he rushed back to the top floor of Zhongtian Tower. This ce was his secret base, unknown even to Zhao Zhongde. The room''s furnishings were luxurious, to say nothing of the several hot bikini-d women standing by. Upon entering, Zhao Haiy down on the sofa, his face alight with excitement, and dialed a number. Emperor City, Drum Tower Street. Chen Yu and Tong Ya were walking side by side on the main street. Besides dividing up the Zhao Family''s assets, the most important thing was to open a branch here. It was crucial forying foundations in Emperor City for the future. After all, this ancient capital had umted hundreds of years of history, and many time-honored brands had their own business models. These were not things that a system could simply analyze to produce results. This included extremelyplex human nature. Just as the two sat down in front of a beef stand, Tong Ya''s phone started chiming incessantly. She frowned and nced at the screen, noticing a strange number. As soon as she answered, Zhao Hai''s sleazyughter came through. "Miss Tong, I have some information you might be very interested in. How about we make a deal?" Tong Ya''s brows furrowed tightly, and she instinctively nced at Chen Yu beside her before cing the phone on the table, turning on the speaker. "What information?" Tong Ya asked warily. "Your husband Chen Yu happens to have an ex-wife, but for the rest of the information, you''ll have to agree to coborate with me first." Tong Ya''s face clouded with annoyance. What kind of information was this? She had secretly followed Chen Yu for so many years; what did she not know that others needed to tell her? However, she did not expose this, feigning excitement as she agreed and even arranged a meeting with Zhao Hai to discuss the coboration. Chapter 330 Top Paparazzo The call ended, and Tong Ya couldn''t help but clutch her stomach,ughing so hard she bent over and rocked back and forth. "It looks like this guy is getting desperate and nning to resolve the Zhao Family''s current predicament through unorthodox means." Chen Yu raised an eyebrow, he hadn''t expected that Zhao Hai would resort to such dirty tricks. "So you''re nning to take control of Zhao Hai first?" When Tong Ya had just arranged the meeting ce, Chen Yu had roughly guessed her n. If Zhao Hai could use this information to ckmail Tong Ya, then it was possible to use him to create other schemes. It was necessary to nip all his ns in the bud before he could take any major action. A sly smile appeared on the corner of Tong Ya''s mouth. "I might as well reveal some things while I''m at it, otherwise, as time goes by, it will be hard to rify a lot of issues." Chen Yu''s pupils trembled slightly, he seemed to have guessed what Tong Ya meant, but wasn''t sure. But then he thought that, objectively or subjectively, it seemed time toe to a conclusion about many things. "Shall I pick a ce for you?" Tong Ya propped her chin with both hands, lifting her little head, staring at Chen Yu with a strange look in her eyes. "What? Afraid something will happen to me?" Chen Yu chuckled but didn''t respond, simply making a phone call on his own. While they were talking, a rather sleazy-looking middle-aged man suddenly ran over from the side path. He didn''t hesitate to sit down right next to Chen Yu, reaching for the beef on the table and started eating. Tong Ya was startled and hurriedly got up and backed away. Chen Yu also measured up the situation, casually pulling out a pair of chopsticks from nearby.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Stay tuned for updates on empire If Zhao Hai could know Tong Ya''s phone number and so much information, it proved that you must have had people loitering around them these past days. Both of them stood watchfully to the side, observing the middle-aged man, who unexpectedly was only interested in eating, and after he had almost finished, he wiped his mouth and stood up. "Not bad, out of all the ces I''ve been, it''s just you two who stood there waiting for me to finish eating." Chen Yu frowned and took a closer look at the middle-aged man from before, noticing that aside from his sleazy appearance, he was also incredibly unkempt, dressed in tattered rags that barely covered his body. "Who are you?" Chen Yu asked subconsciously. The man patted his belly and then took out several photos from his person, tossing them onto the table. "These are the shots some colleagues of mine took recently! They''ve almost all taken money to keep an eye on the two of you." Chen Yu looked at the photos, which documented all of their movements over the past few days. "What''s your point in giving us this stuff?" The man picked his teeth with a toothpick. "You tell me, I''m a paparazzi too. It''s just that I''ve been ostracized by my peers, and I haven''t had a decent meal in a long time!" "You two are good people, I don''t want to take pictures of you. I can destroy the shots they took, or I can give them to you if you want. And if you''re willing, I can take shots of the Zhao Family''s whereabouts and give them to you." Chen Yu was somewhat surprised; the life of a paparazzo shouldn''t be bad, after all, each of them controlled so many secrets, which could be exchanged for a sum of money just by taking them out. But the fellow before him roamed the streets like a beggar. Either he didn''t hold much intelligence, or his outstanding performance had led to his ostracization by his peers. "How do I know these photos were actually taken by you? Are you purposely bringing them here to exchange for money?" Chen Yu tentatively asked. It wasn''t that he didn''t believe, but he wanted to make the man prove his real capabilities. The man naturally picked up on Chen Yu''s intent and flung out another set of photos, which shockingly disyed all the surrounding paparazzi. In other words, every paparazzo and rted person within several miles was under his control; their privacy could be exposed whenever he wished. Chen Yu said no more, and directly took out a promissory note with a face value of ten million and passed it back. "You''re talented. Today, I''ll make you my friend, but I won''t demand specific intelligence like the others do!" "You think about how much intelligence your money can buy from you, to what extent, then bring it to me!" The man unceremoniously pocketed the promissory note. "Mr. Chen is much more generous than young master Zhao Hai. Someone captured photos of you and Miss Fang eating at a restaurant, which only exchanged for two million!" "I didn''t do anything, yet I got a promissory note for free. You two really think highly of me." The man picked up a ss of water from the table and gulped down a few sips, then took out a small wrist-mounted screen from his person. "From here, you can monitor the situation inside the Zhao Family estate anytime. I''ll keep sending other intelligence here continuously." Having put down the item, the man did not stay any longer and left directly. Chen Yu picked up the device on the table and tapped it, revealing the entire grand vista of a vast estate before him. "I seem to recall this person!" Tong Ya seemed to remember something. "I remember, ten years ago, a man named Li Mao went undercover in a mine and exposed some astonishing inside information. He looked quite simr to this person." Chen Yu suddenly became interested. During his school days, he had heard of this man and even regarded him as an idol. It just never urred to him that such a character would be marginalized to this extent, unable even to afford a meal. But upon closer consideration, he surmised the man must possess a substantial amount of inside stories and scandals about the major families; it''s just that he disdained to blow up these matters. After a simple meal, the couple headed to a mansion belonging to the Tong Family in the capital. At the moment, the small room had already gathered over a dozen people, all of whom were industry leaders in the capital without exception. They buzzed with conversation nonstop, mostly discussing how much benefit they could obtain from the divided Zhao Family assets. Truthfully, Chen Yu didn''t like these people. If it weren''t essential to take down the Zhao Family, Chen Yu wouldn''t want to give them any benefits. "Ahem, ahem!" With two light coughs from Chen Yu, the previously noisy room suddenly quieted down, and all eyes converged on him. Although they were quarreling nonstop just now, Chen Yu was the one who had the final say in the end. He was entrusted by Tong Ming and the heads of other super-families to take full charge of the capital''s affairs. It can be said that the amount of benefit these people could ultimately receive depended entirely on Chen Yu''s mood. "Ay, Mr. Chen is back, and here we are, discussing! We all think we should draw up a n in advance to decide once and for all how much benefit each family gets. It''ll save us from getting into disputes over petty gainster, which would harm the harmony and make everyone unhappy!" Chapter 331 Love Story ``` The speaker was the leading figure in the entertainment industry of the imperial capital, with several studios under his belt, a person who could be said to call the wind and summon the rain. However, in front of the several super families, he was nothing at all. Chen Yu didn''t answer immediately, but instead sat down on a sofa nearby with Tong Ya. "Do you all feel the same way?" This rhetorical question startled everyone, as it showed that Chen Yu fundamentally disagreed with their proposal. A portion of the people immediately fell silent, while others remained animated. They more or less held some lifelines of their respective industries in their hands and tended to be arrogant in their speech and actions, not taking the super families seriously at all. Chen Yu swept his gaze over these people and took a mental note of their faces. "No, I don''t want to set up a distribution n for everyone; it''s just that I don''t have an urate assessment of the Zhao Family''s assets!" "What if we set it now, andter you all feel you''ve got less than you deserve, what then?" The crowd briefly fell silent again before resuming their discussion. The Zhao Family was originally one of the super families of the imperial capital, with vast industrial holdings and immeasurable wealth. Although the total assets reported on the surface were twenty-seven trillion, who knew how much more they had hidden away? Those who were moring for a n to be made also tempered their insistence, and after discussing some details, everyone dispersed. Your next read awaits at empire Once these people had left, Chen Yu threw a stack of contracts on the table into the trash can. "These people really want an inch and will take a mile, they haven''t even dealt with the situation yet and are already trying to pocket the benefits!" Tong Ya leaned against Chen Yu,forting him continuously. "These people are local snakes in the imperial capital; if we don''t promise them benefits in advance, this group might create difficulties for our n, just like Zhao Jia." Chen Yu naturally knew this truth as well, so he didn''t say much else, but simply rubbed his temples and went to sleep. The next morning at ten o''clock, Tong Ya, after a simple makeup, headed straight for a restaurant on the Third Avenue of the imperial capital. The restaurant''s location could not be considered the best, nor its decor luxurious, but it possessed an ancient charm. Judging by its structure, it should have been built at the beginning of the neenth century, having a history of over a hundred years by now. Zhao Hai had early on set up a table in the hall, anxiously waiting. This ce was originally an asset of the Zhao Family, and he had cleared out everyone in the vicinity early in the morning, creating a vacuum state, specifically waiting for Tong Ya. Since the morning, the prepared meals didn''t know how many times they had been remade, causing Zhao Hai''s mentality to almost copse. When the security reported Tong Ya''s appearance, Zhao Hai couldn''t have been more excited, eagerly going out to meet her like ackey. Tong Ya, however, appeared extremely indifferent, merely giving him a cold nce before walking straight into the room and sitting down at a side. "Mr. Zhao hurriedly asked to meet, what explosive news do you have? If your news isn''t worth much, don''t me me for not giving you a heads-up." Zhao Haiughed arrogantly, his face full of confidence, and then took out some documents from his person. "I have long since investigated clearly for Miss Tong; that Chen Yu had already been married while in Suzhou City, and his spouse is none other than the current firstdy of the Edward Family, their child is now studying in this elementary school." Tong Ya didn''t want to look at these documents; she knew far more than the Zhao Family ever could. "Is that all?" ``` Zhao Hai was momentarily confused. Weren''t these materials enough to drive a woman insane? "Miss Tong, seeing as this Chen Yu guy has deceived you like this, showing utter disregard for the Tong Family, how about the Zhao Family and Tong Family join hands to take him down first? Then we can swallow up the other families in Suzhou City. When that timees..." "When that timees, the Zhao Family will seize the opportunity to take down my Tong Family!" Tong Ya cut off Zhao Hai immediately and then pulled out several photographs andid them out. "There are some things I''d rather not discuss openly, but since Mr. Zhao has taken action, I can''t keep hiding it." When Zhao Hai saw these photographs, his eyes were filled with shock and horror. They were group photos of Chen Yu, Tong Ya, and Tuan Tuan, with Chen Yu''s parents also in them. "Miss Tong... you''ve known all along?" Zhao Hai began to doubt his life choices. How could someone with the status of Tong Ya possibly end up with a divorcee with a child? "This isn''t about knowing or not knowing! The child is named Tuan Tuan and she''s my biological daughter." Zhao Hai''s mouth hung open, too surprised to speak. "How is that possible? Miss Tong, you''re so young, and this child looks to be at least six or seven years old. How could she be your daughter?" Tong Ya made a helpless gesture. "Chen Yu and I met a long time ago, and we were engaged at a very early age. I just hadn''t finished my studies yet, so it was dyed!" "As for the child, although I was of age then, I was still young, so I could only keep it secret." As she spoke, Tong Ya produced several other sets of photos. They appeared to show her and Fang Yuan signing some documents. If a professional were to look at them, they would easily discern that these photos were staged with the subjects made up to look younger. Yet these photos were made to appear very authentic. They were even treated with potassium permanganate to age and yellow them.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Of course, someone like Zhao Hai wouldn''t be able to detect that. "This is one of the Tong Family''s secrets! At that time, to protect me, my father hired an actress to have a fake marriage with Chen Yu. After some time, they would divorce, and then I would return. I had not expected such a n to concern Mr. Zhao so much." Zhao Hai''s body shook violently, he hadn''t anticipated Tong Ya would pull such a move. "No, that''s not right! You went abroad as an exchange student when you were eighteen, I saw you then and you showed no sign of being pregnant." Tong Ya remained calm, "Then tell me, why would I suddenly go abroad to study?" This ambiguous responsepletely baffled Zhao Hai. Just then, a swarm of reporters burst in from nowhere, frantically taking pictures of the photos on the table. "Miss Tong, are these things true?" "Did you really have a daughter for Mr. Chen when you were eighteen?" "Miss Tong, can you share with us the details of your love story?" "I heard that Mr. Tong ns to train Mr. Chen as the sole heir. Is all this based on your love story?" ... It was obvious that these reporters had been arranged in advance; the questions they started with were somewhat private, but as it continued, the direction was swayed somewhat off course. It seemed as if these reporters had appeared suddenly just to embellish the love story between Chen Yu and Tong Ya. Chapter 332 True and False Alternation ``` A portion of the media surrounded Zhao Hai, bombarding him with questions, embellishing them with sensationalism. Discover hidden content at empire This included content regarding him threatening Tong Ya with false news. Moreover, these journalists specifically picked out this part and magnified it endlessly. Zhao Hai was stunned. From the moment those reporters had suddenly appeared, he had realized that he''d been set up. Originally, it was a trap he hadid, intending to use the intelligence in his hands to ally with Tong Ya to deal with Chen Yu and thus protect the Zhao Family. Unexpectedly, not only had he not achieved the desired effect, but it had also turned out like this. Zhao Hai did not dare stay any longer. He frantically pushed through the encircling reporters and hurried out of the restaurant as if it were no longer a Zhao Family asset. Tong Ya''s lips curled into a sly smile. Before this, the Tong Family''sprehensive siege of the Zhao Family was slightly short of a reason; now, with the usation of spreading false news, the Tong Family could directly dere war on the Zhao Family. At the Emperor Capital Zhongxing Hotel, Fang Yuan sat on the sofa looking somewhat listless, with the champagne ss in his hand gradually tilting and spilling over. The TV was broadcasting news of the meeting between Zhao Hai and Tong Ya, with a barrage of information flooding in. Some media were also creating a buzz, saying how Fang Yuan was such a dedicated actress for sacrificing so much to save the love between Chen Yu and Tong Ya. If it weren''t for these events, Fang Yuan might have already be famous. They also said that Fang Yuan bing the firstdy of the Edward Family was entirely the result of her efforts. All of this was positive news, but Fang Yuan knew that the moment he refused to cooperate with Chen Yu, or even became enemies with him, the direction of the media would instantly change. Han Mintao watched the relentless stream of news on the TV, sighing helplessly. "How could you agree to such terms for your daughter?" Fang Yuan supported her chin, seemingly a bit tipsy. "What could I do? I calcted every step very clearly to fulfill the bet agreement and then went to Europe to marry into the Edward Family. Every step I took was something ordinary people wouldn''t achieve in several lifetimes!" "But how could I have not realized that Chen Yu was always one step ahead of me?" Han Mintao sighed helplessly. The current situation was beyond his control; even his talent agency had long been taken over by the capital partners designed by Chen Yu. If he dared to utter a word of dissent, his agency would copse immediately. "What''s your next move?" Fang Yuan set the champagne ss aside and casually pulled out a document from her bag. "The script has already been written for me. All I need to do is hold a press conference ording to the content!" "Then I can openly join forces with the capital moguls of Emperor Capital together with the Edward Family to siege the Zhao Family." Han Mintao nced at the script, his face showing a trace of regret. If only he had not forced Fang Yuan to divorce Chen Yu, perhaps the situation would not havee to this. Before long, Zhongxing Hotel was besieged by arge number of media reporters, all of whom were there to verify whether what Tong Ya had said was true. Fang Yuan had already anticipated this oue. After getting dressed up carefully, she pretended to unintentionally walk downstairs, where she "identally" ran into the reporters. "Miss Fang, is what Miss Tong said earlier true?" "During the years you were with Mr. Chen, was it all just an act? Was there no real affection at all?" ``` "Have you, Mr. Chen, and Miss Tong ever engaged in deceit so convincing it became truth?" ... A deluge of chaotic questions bombarded Fang Yuan one after another, leaving her somewhat flustered. Fortunately, she was a professional actress and had ample experience dealing with such situations. "This rtes to a confidential agreement that Mr. Chen, Miss Tong, and I signed several years ago, the specifics of which I am not at liberty to disclose. Moreover, I am now the wife of the Edward Family. As for conjectures about us putting on a show that turned into reality, I urge everyone to speak with caution." After a brief exnation, Fang Yuan boarded a business vehicle and swiftly departed. But the moment the car door closed, her tears couldn''t help but flow uncontrobly. Everything had been real, yet now she had to im it was all an act, and it had toe from her own mouth. It meant that from now on, she could only treat her own biological daughter as a stranger, at most owing her a debt of upbringing. Han Mintao didn''t know how tofort her, so he just patted Fang Yuan''s shoulder and instructed the driver to go. Zhao Family Estate. Zhao Zhongde furiously smashed a valuable vase to the ground. "Useless! I thought you were the most virtuous and talented among the third generation of the Zhao Family, yet you''ve managed to fall right into someone else''s trap!" Zhao Hai sat by, his face full of confusion, not knowing what to do. The Zhao Family was now engulfed in a maelstrom of public opinion, and it wouldn''t be long before the authorities came knocking. When the walls fall, everyone is ready to push. The Zhao Family had its connections in the relevant departments once upon a time. But with such a major public opinion crisis now mounting, just being used of nder would be trouble enough for them, not to mention the numerous other charges that could be brought up! "How was I to know they had set such an borate trap!" Zhao Hai suddenly stood up, bing somewhat frenzied. The teacup in front of him was crushed to pieces in his grip, and bright red blood flowed from his palm. "Grandfather, with the Zhao Family in this situation, everyone here is responsible. How can all the problems be med solely on me?" His outburst silenced the room instantly; even Zhao Zhongde was taken aback. Now in his seventies or eighties and close to retirement, the future of the Zhao Family relied on these younger men. Among all the younger members of the Zhao Family, Zhao Hai was the most outstanding and the most likely to inherit the mantle of the family. Even Zhao Zhongde couldn''t dare to do anything serious to Zhao Hai. "Then tell me, what should the Zhao Family do now?" Zhao Hai took several deep breaths. "If my guess is correct, the one targeting us should be the Edward Family, and it''s that woman, Fang Yuan, settling personal scores under public pretext!" "We can find capital overseas to contain them, and then, relying on the connections the Zhao Family has built, we can confront the domestic capital, which may help us resolve this crisis." Zhao Zhongde nodded, his eyes showing approval. "We still have some rtions with overseas families. Given that, I''ll set aside my pride and invite them over." As soon as he finished speaking, a rather seductively dressed woman hurried over and approached Zhao Zhongde. "President, there''s big trouble! Thirteen of ourpanies have suddenly announced their independence, and the heads of fifty-four otherpanies have publicly dered their intention to demand a higher share of stock dividends. The rest are also restless and likely to follow suit."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Chapter 333 Set the Price Zhao Zhongde''s recently calmed emotions surged once again. The current state of the Zhao Family was one of total siege, on the brink of copse. "Zhao Hai, go immediately to Magic Capital and invite the head of the Zhong Family to the Imperial Capital. I''ll contact the Belle Family myself!" In the hall, aside from the very few who were extremely tense, the rest looked indifferent, some even leisurely sipping champagne. Although they were members of the Zhao Family, theirpanies were rtively independent; if the Zhao Family were in trouble, they could simply go it alone. Zhao Zhongde looked at the roomful of parasites, furious yet helpless. Since the founding of the business, these people had been veterans. Not only did they hold shares, but they also had actual control. If he really turned against these people, they wouldn''t even give him thest shred of dignity. If truth be told, the entire Zhao Family was like a grape trellis. Zhao Zhongde held only the main structure in his hands, while the other members of the Zhao Family hung beneath like bunches of grapes. inly speaking, it was a loose alliance. "Gentlemen, I hope you remember that once the Zhao Family falls, the value of what you control will evaporate by at least half." But the people present didn''t care at all, merelyughing it off perfunctorily before leaving together. Imperial Capital Northern Garden Vis. All the vis here were designed for both residential andmercial use, so they were built with a business mindset from the start. Each vi had, more or less, an extremely luxurious and spacious conference room. At this moment, in one of the most imposing vi conference rooms, a dozen people sat around a table, symbolically nibbling on desserts. "Young Master Zhao Hai,ing to seek out my Zhong Family at this time seems a bit calcted, as if we could really rescue the Zhao Family from disaster." Your adventure continues at empire The speaker was a rather handsome middle-aged man. Although his appearance was somewhat delicate, the sharpness bursting from his eyes was unnerving. As soon as he spoke, everyone else fell silent, fiddling with the dessert spoons in front of them. Zhao Hai grew desperate, "Mr. Zhong, there has been a lot of cooperation in business between the Zhao and Zhong families, and when the Zhong Family first entered the Imperial Capital, the Zhao Family was fully supportive!" Zhong Ruhai''s expression suddenly darkened, "Mr. Zhao, there are some things I''d rather not quibble over with you, but since you brought it up, let''s settle the total ount." The secretary promptly took out a thick stack of documents from a briefcase and ced it on the table. Judging from the information marked on them, these were the financial statements between the Zhong and Zhao families. Zhong Ruhai casually popped a piece of dessert into his mouth. "Over the years, the assets embezzled by the Zhao Family from my Zhong Family are all here, including some mutual ount transactions. I hope Young Master Zhao Hai can settle these at once! Perhaps then the Zhong Family can support the Zhao Family with all its might." Zhao Hai''s eyes widened. He knew these ounts all too well, but not in detail. Added all together, they amounted to roughly twenty billion. To the average person, this might be an astronomical figure, but for two major families like theirs, it was nothing at all. But the Zhao Family of today was not what it used to be. These few hundred billion might just be thest straw to break the Zhao Family''s back. "Mr. Zhong, aren''t you taking advantage of someone in trouble?" Zhao Hai mmed his fist on the table, enraged. "It seems that this ount is settled every year with the Zhao Family, but s, the Zhao Family always makes excuses to evade. So tell me, is it me taking advantage of someone in trouble, or has the Zhao Family gone too far?" Zhong Ruhai''s voice sounded somewhat gentle, yet the domineering and authority that seeped through his words were chilling. Zhao Hai was also startled, his breathing suddenly became rapid, and he instinctively took several steps back. Just then, the conference room door burst open, and a few oddly dressed people hurried in. They seemed to be actors from some drama troupe, who had just finished performing and hadn''t had the chance to change out of their costumes. One woman in green respectfully ced an invitation in front of Zhong Ruhai. "Mr. Zhong, the terms over there have been settled. The specifics will be discussed at the banquet," she said. Zhong Ruhai opened the invitation, confirmed the content, and then looked at Zhao Hai with a sinister gaze. "Young Master Zhao, you may leave now," he said.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Zhao Hai''s eyes widened in disbelief; moments ago the negotiation was proceeding smoothly, why was he suddenly being asked to leave? He nced at the invitation subconsciously and noticed the Tong Family''s seal on it. It seemed that Zhong Ruhai had reached an agreement with the Tong Family. "Mr. Zhong, I think we can still talk. It''s just over twenty billion, right? The Zhao Family will pay!" Zhao Hai said desperately, pulling out his phone to call Zhao Zhongde. Zhong Ruhai just sneered. "I''m sorry, but the Tong Family has already made their offer, three hundred and twenty billion!" At these words, Zhao Hai understood that the so-called terms offered by the Tong Family were the profits promised to the Zhong Family after the division of the Zhao Family''s assets. In a moment of rity, Zhao Hai also realized why the Zhong Family had suddenly appeared in the capital. The Zhong Family and the Chu Family were among the top families in Shanghai, with simr assets and scales. However, there was some estrangement between the two, which was why the Zhao Family had hoped to use the Zhong Family to contain the Chu Family while also assisting them in the capital against the Tong Family. Unexpectedly, the two families had set aside their enmity and joined forces to help the Tong Family against the Zhao Family. In other words, the Zhao Family was now facing the entire Eastern capital market, even the world''s capital market. If Zhao Zhongde could note to terms with the Belle Family, it would truly be the end for the Zhao Family. Zhong Ruhai leaned back in his chair, watching Zhao Hai with an eerie gaze. "If Young Master Zhao has nothing else, please leave now. I''m afraid lunch won''t be provided here," he said. Before Zhao Hai could react, two bodyguards had already forcibly escorted him out. In the face of a family about to be carved up, its third-generation member no longer had the privilege of receiving any special treatment. No sooner had Zhao Hai been thrown out than Chen Yu and Tong Ya arrived at the door, surrounded by bodyguards. "Isn''t that Young Master Zhao? Why are you lying here?" Chen Yu said, his words tinged with a hint of mockery. Zhao Hai had already lost his reason and suddenly picked up a brick from the side to throw at Chen Yu, but as he approached, a gust of wind hit him square in the face. Not only did the brick shatter, but half of his face copsed in on itself. Chen Yu didn''t want to have too much interaction with this fellow and simply flicked his wrist before he entered the building. The Zhong Family bodyguard who witnessed the scene showed a look of disgust as he dragged Zhao Hai away and dumped him on the road like a dead pig. Chapter 334 Belle Family Zhong Ruhai immediately put on a different face upon seeing Chen Yu, weing him with a smile that was starkly different from when he had just met Zhao Hai. "Mr. Chen has arrived!" Chen Yu gave a nod and then took out a pile of documents from his person. "Now that both parties have reached an agreement, I''ll trouble Mr. Zhong to transfer these documents, and included is a rough division of thepany''s subsidiaries!" Zhong Ruhai immediately became excited; he hadn''t expected that right after they had settled the terms, Chen Yu would personally deliver the documents. Without saying much, he took the documents, briefly scanned them, and then handed them to his secretary nearby. Businesses in Modu are inherently cautious, always inspecting even the contracts that have been settled. Chen Yu wasn''t in a hurry and simply sat with Tong Ya on the side, leisurely sipping tea. After an indeterminate length of time, Zhong Ruhai put down the contract and, with a cheerfulugh, signed his name on it. "Mr. Chen is really generous, giving me over two hundred billion out of the Zhao Family''s total assets of not even three trillion. I wonder how much the Chu Family received?" Although the two families were currently in a cooperative rtionship, the barriers between them couldn''t immediately disappear. The corners of Chen Yu''s mouth lifted slightly, and then he took out another contract. "This is a document signed by Old Mr. Chu himself, please take a look, Mr. Zhong." Zhong Ruhai didn''t hold back, taking it directly, and when he saw the figure of two hundred and twenty billion on the contract, he smiled with satisfaction. "Good, then our cooperation is settled. The Zhong Family will immediately dispatch manpower and capital to fully pressure the Zhao Family!" As soon as he finished speaking, Zhong Ruhai had his secretary make a phone call. While they were talking, Chen Yu''s phone suddenly rang. "Son-inw,e to Xiangyun Restaurant immediately, I''ve got a meeting with someone from the Belle Family!" Excitement appeared on Chen Yu''s face, "I''ll be right there." After hanging up the phone and exchanging a few polite words with Zhong Ruhai, he and Tong Ya stood up to leave. Just as they reached the door, Zhong Ruhai suddenly stood up. "Miss Tong, using the media like that was brilliant. I don''t recall you having a child when you were eighteen." Tong Ya was startled at first, then turned around, looking at Zhong Ruhai with a strange gaze. "There are some things I am not clear about myself, so how would Mr. Zhong know?" The words were vague, but someone like Zhong Ruhai instantly understood the meaning behind them. It was a hint for him not to pry into other''s affairs. Zhong Ruhai nodded and didn''t say anything more. Xiangyun Restaurant, Tianzi No. 3 private room. Tong Ming sat with an old man who had a face full of stubble and wore somewhat tattered clothes. At first nce, one might think this man was a beggar, but on closer inspection, one would notice his eyes were exceptionally determined. Moreover, he exuded an aura that was different from ordinary people. "Son-inw, you are here. Let me introduce you, this is the head of the Belle Family, Tani Bell!" Chen Yu''s pupils suddenly dted; he had not expected the head of the Belle Family to look like this. Tani, upon seeing Chen Yu, suddenly disyed an extremely excited and inexplicable expression. He rose to his feet, grasped Chen Yu''s hand, and wouldn''t stop shaking it. "I''ve watched your adventure shows, and they''re really incredible," he said. "I''ve never imagined that wilderness survival could be taken to the level you''ve achieved." Chen Yu didn''t know quite how to respond, as this Tani bore no trace of a financier but seemed more like a pure adventurer. "Mr. Tani, wilderness survival is merely a hobby, and with varying natural environments, the oues differ. What I did was really nothing special," he said. But Tani didn''t see it that way. He pulled out a stack of business cards and stuffed them into Chen Yu''s hands. "If you''re free some time, I hope we can co-host a wilderness survival show together. I promise I won''t hold you back." Chen Yu was somewhat baffled by the scene before him, unsure whether he was there to negotiate or to discuss wilderness survival. Tong Ming noticed Chen Yu''s difort and quickly intervened to smooth things over. "Tani, let''s focus on business this time," Tong Ming said. "As for the wilderness survival show, I''ll make the promise on behalf of my son-inw. Once we wrap up the current matters, I''ll arrange for you two to do the program immediately." Before Chen Yu could even react, Tani excitedly pped the table. "Great, if that''s the case, then let our coboration begin immediately. I''ll notify my people to cut off all deals with the Zhao family and start channeling arge amount of capital into the Imperial Capital." Chen Yu didn''t expect Tani to be so forting. Without any hesitation, Tani signed the contract and even added some additional uses on his own. He also stipted in his signature that this help was only temporary and that he wouldn''t stay in the Imperial Capital for too long. After all, with foreign capital being involved, it could be troublesome if the investors were invited in and then refused to leave. It seemed Tani had calcted everything, offering help seemingly in exchange for Chen Yu! Tong Ming also quickly signed his name beneath the terms. No sooner had the two parties finalized their cooperation than a figure staggered in. "Mr. Tani, isn''t this a bit too much?" the figure slurred. "It seems you''ve just signed an agreement with my Zhao family, and now you''ve made a promise to the Tong family?" Tani''s face was full of disgust. "Mr. Zhao, what we had was merely a verbal agreement, and furthermore, that agreement was clearly based on your lies!" Tani dered. "I hereby announce the severance of all cooperation with your Zhao family. Deal with it yourself." Zhao Zhongde''s face turned ashen. He had not anticipated matters would escte to this level, with even his final lifeline slipping away. Before he could react, two bodyguards took his arms and dragged him out. The once-unrivaled head of the Zhao family now looked like a dog that had lost its home. Chen Yu didn''t bother with the details; the Zhao family was already just a piece of meat on his te, ready to be devoured at his leisure. In the ensuing days, the news in the Imperial Capital exploded with reports on various scandals involving the Zhao family. Furthermore, the Zhao family''s capital had visibly shrunk at an rming rate during this time. Find your next read at empire From what was once nearly three trillion in assets, now there was a mere two hundred billion left.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om And the remnants were just some tangible assets; the Zhao family likely didn''t even have a penny of liquid cash left. Chen Yu sat in an office, his gaze fixed on the giant screen disying the stock market, his eyes tracing a hint of scorn. In his campaign against the Zhao family, he had manipted the stock market with a heavy hand, profiting immensely in the process. Today, he was not interested in wasting any more time¡ªonest move would ensure the Zhao family''s utter destruction. After a few keystrokes, the stock charts on the screen shifted once more. Chapter 335 Concentrated Capital Less than fifteen minutes passed, and the Zhao Family''s stock marketpletely copsed, with the remaining assets of over two hundred billion instantly cleared to zero. Yet the downward trend of the stocks hadn''t stopped, continuing to plummet several dozen points more. As a result, not only had the Zhao Family lost everything, but they were also deep in debt. They could only auction off the tangible assets they currently held to pay off their debts. Chen Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief, the Zhao Family was truly finished this time. However, one thing still worried Chen Yu, although everything was within his n, the Zhao Family''s copse had happened too quickly. This proved that a portion of the capital had actively detached from the Zhao Family before its copse. After all, they were once a superfamily that stood tall in the imperial capital, they would inevitably have some tricks up their sleeve. In the western outskirts of the imperial capital, an abandoned factory. Zhao Zhongde led a group of Zhao Family members gathered here. However, the expression on each person''s face was different, some looked as if they were facing the end of the world, some seemed unwilling to stay, eager to leave. "Everyone! When the Zhao Family''s stock market copsed, many of you chose to protect your own interests, withdrawing all your assets. Now, I hope you can bring out these funds to help the Zhao Family through this difficult time." Zhao Zhongde''s tone was asmanding as always, but there was an obvious plea in his words. "Old Master, when the Zhao Family started its business, we were rted by marriage, and we staked everything to gamble with your family! But now you''ve provoked those you shouldn''t have, causing the Zhao Corporation to fall apart. Do you still expect us to drag everyone down with you to your grave?" A middle-aged man suddenly stood up, speaking righteously, instantly resonating with everyone present. They got up one after another, criticizing the impractical business ns Zhao Zhongde had put out over the years, which dragged them down as well. Zhao Zhongde was furious but found himself helpless. The Zhao Family had fallen and lost their status as a superfamilia, leaving them no way to restrain the people before them. Besides, they had already established their own privatepanies just before the Zhao Family copsed, marking a clear separation from the Zhao Family. "Enough!" Zhao Hai suddenly stood up, walked straight up to Zhao Zhongde, and pressed him down onto his wheelchair.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "It''s because of your indecision that the Zhao Family has fallen to this state!" Zhao Zhongde''s pupils dted in shock, full of disbelief. He had never expected Zhao Hai to treat him like this. "Xiao Hai, what are you doing?" Zhao Hai flipped him to the ground, turned, and pointed at the people before him. "In my eyes, you''re nothing but a bunch of dogs. The Zhao Family gave you food, gave you the status you have today, and yet you dare to bite the hand that feeds you." With those words, streaks of cold light suddenly shed from the side. Dozens of burly assassins, armed with knives and clubs, leaped out from the ruins of the factory. "Zhao Hai, what do you mean by this?" The previously boisterous middle-aged man remained defiant. Little did he know, as soon as he spoke, a steel knife traced an arc, plunging directly into his chest. There was a moment of silence at the scene, followed by sharp cries. Dozens of steel knives charged into the crowd, beginning a massacre. These people evidently had instructions in advance, targeting the bodyguards who hade with the Zhao Family members. Experience more tales on empire Zhao Hai stepped onto a stone stump from a pool of blood. "You bunch of despicable scum! You''re just a pack of dogs raised by our family, and you really take yourselves for something." The remaining people were already scared out of their wits, huddled together tremblingly as the strong men drove them to sit down. Zhao Hai threw a box onto the ground and took out the documents he had prepared in advance. "Sign these documents immediately and hand over all the assets you have, or else your lives will be taken today!" Zhao Zhongde was trembling all over; he had not expected his own grandson to be so deranged. "Little Hai, what are you doing? He isn''t even rted to us by blood!" "He is rted to you by blood!" Zhao Hai''s face was hideously twisted: "I''ve never acknowledged them as rtives. These people were your support when you started your business, but to me, they are nothing but obstacles!" Zhao Zhongde''s breathing became rapid; he finally realized what his grandson was going to do. Not to mention the Zhao family members who had been controlled in front of him, even he himself was like meat on Zhao Hai''s chopping block. Soon, everyone signed their names on the documents, stamped their fingerprints, and sealed them with their private seals they carried with them. After confirming that everyone had signed, Zhao Hai gave a signal to the strong men standing by. Shrill screams rose up yet again. Zhao Hai collected the contracts, snatched a steel knife from one of his subordinates, and put it to Zhao Zhongde''s neck. "Grandpa, you''re too useless. A good Zhao Family has been turned into what it is today under your watch! But rest assured, after you die, I will definitely make the Zhao Family rise again." He pressed down hard on the steel knife, and blood spurted from Zhao Zhongde''s neck, ending his life in a moment. Zhao Hai did not linger at the scene. After cleaning up the traces, he set a fire and then hurried away with his men. Not long after they left, a figure emerged from the roadside bushes, holding a professional video camera. Li Mao''s breathing was extremely rapid. The scene he had just witnessed was so shocking that even he could not believe it. Who could have thought that the most promising third-generation member of the Zhao family would kill his own grandfather? And furthermore, he had forced his own family elders to sign terms of absolute authority. After adjusting his breathing slightly, Li Mao packed up the video camera and quietly left along the back alley of the abandoned factory. At the corner across from Xiangyun Restaurant. The few breakfast stalls that were barely operating there due to the flow of people suddenly closed down and started renovating, changing even the signs on the doors. Chen Yu was sitting at the door, observing these stalls while seeming to calcte something about the nearby Xiangyun Restaurant. At that moment, a figure stumbled to his side, handing over a memory stick. "Mr. Chen, I''ve captured what you wanted. I just didn''t expect it to be so cruel. Whatever you want to do with the contents of this memory stick, I hope you make sure the murderer is brought to justice." Chen Yu frowned and looked at Li Mao with a strange expression. "What do you mean by that?" Although Li Mao had been a paparazzo for many years and had even gone undercover in some extremely hostile environments, he had never encountered such cruelty as disyed by Zhao Hai. "You''ll understand once you look at the content on the memory stick." Without saying more, Chen Yu opened hisptop he was carrying, inserted the memory stick and the wirelesswork card he had with him. Chapter 336 Leaving a Hidden Danger The image that appeared on theputer screen unsettled even Chen Yu. However, upon further thought, he realized that the Zhao Family could only resurge by resorting to such extreme measures. Chen Yu suddenly felt a chill down his spine, originally thinking that by stripping all the capital from the Zhao Family, he couldpletely cripple them. Now it seemed, there were still unforeseen dangers left! "Don''t worry, I won''t let such a person live in this world." Chen Yu stowed away the memory stick and then took out a promissory note with a face value of ten million. "Mr. Li, you did a great job; this is your reward for this time!" Li Mao shook his head, "You gave me ten millionst time, including the job this time! Besides, that money is already enough for me to live on for a lifetime..." "This is for your next mission!" Chen Yu got up and directly stuffed the promissory note into Li Mao''s chest, "Next time, I might use the information you provide to save tens of millions of people!" Li Mao''s eyes suddenly lit up, reflecting a mix ofplex emotions. Ever since he entered this line of work, he had been determined to use the information he gathered to benefit the masses. This was also the reason why he had been reluctant to trade the information he held for money. Chen Yu''s words undoubtedly touched his heart. "Alright, Mr. Chen, whenever you need me next time, just give me a call." Li Mao epted the promissory note and disappeared into a nearby alley. It was noon, the peak time for lunch, and the street quickly became bustling with traffic. Despite the high prices at Xiangyun Restaurant, there was a nonstop flow of people reserving tables to dine every day. It was nearly always packed, which also boosted the surrounding industries. Chen Yu sat there, chin propped on his hand, watching the passersby and observing the economic logic between the various industries. Before long, Tong Ya came over pushing a small cart carefully. "Husband, I''ve prepared everything you asked for. Are we really going to be okay doing this?" Chen Yu stretchedzily, moved to the back of the cart to change into a chef''s outfit, and then turned on all the devices on top. A pot of hot oil quickly boiled, releasing a very peculiar fragrance. This pot of oil used over a hundred different spices and herbs, iming it could cure a hundred ailments was not an overstatement. Chen Yu swiftly shook his hands over a counter beside him, and soon had made a dozen shrimp cakes, which he then ced into the frying oil. From the moment the small cart was pushed out, people began to gather around it in dribs and drabs. The area was already crowded with foot traffic, and given it was mealtime, even without the unusual fragrance, curious onlookers would have gathered. "Boss, what are you selling? Why does it smell so good?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om An elderly man dressed simply, fanning himself, couldn''t help but draw near. "It''s just ordinary shrimp cakes. Would you like to try one, sir?" Chen Yu casually picked up a small dish, served a shrimp cake, and handed it to the old man. The man eagerly took a bite and put it in his mouth. "Oh my, these shrimp cakes really are uniquely soft and savory, they just melt in your mouth after a couple of chews." Seeing this, other people were also curious to try the shrimp cakes. Chen Yu immediately put up a sign¡ªfive yuan for one shrimp cake! Although the shrimp cakes weren''trge, selling for five yuan each was indeed a bit pricey. However, the unique aroma they emitted made people''s mouths water. Especially the elderly man who had just had one insisted on taking out a hundred yuan to buy twenty. At first, people thought the old man was just fussing and wouldn''t buy, but unable to resist the fragrance, they decided to buy one to try for themselves. The situation quickly became uncontroble, with a long queue forming in front of the small stand. Even customers from the surrounding shops were drawn over. "Damn, this is so unique, it''s even better than the signature dishes Xiangyun Restaurant introduced." "Howe this couple selling shrimp cakes look so familiar, as if I''ve seen them somewhere before!" "That woman seems to be the eldest daughter of the Tong Family!" ¡­ As the discussions among the crowd grew, more and more people gathered, some not just to eat shrimp cakes but also to gossip about Tong Ya. Recently, Tong Ya had let slip that she had a child for Chen Yu when she was eighteen. How could such gossip not be exciting? In no time, the stand was surrounded, imprable, with everyone chattering about all sorts of messy questions. But Tong Ya didn''t seem to mind at all and just gently helped Chen Yu on the side. The situation soon attracted the attention of Xiangyun Restaurant. The lobby manager hurried over with several people, and after understanding the situation, they chickened out. The Tong Family was not someone Xiangyun Restaurant could afford to mess with, especially now that the Tong Family had be even stronger after carving up the Zhao Family. With just a flick of their fingers, they could doom Xiangyun Restaurant. The lobby manager immediately frowned. "Quickly go find the boss. These two are not someone we can afford to provoke." Before long, a richly dressed, corpulent man waddled over to the side of the stand. Seeing the throngs of people in front of the small stand, the man couldn''t help but sigh before elbowing his way into the crowd. "Oh, Miss Tong, what are you doing here?" Tong Ya just nced up before continuing with her work. "Mr. Huang, there''s no need to beat around the bush, just speak your mind." Huang Ban Cheng twirled the string of beads in his hand quickly. Stay updated with empire "Miss Tong, how about this? Why don''t you just push your cart into my restaurant and sell the shrimp cakes there? What do you think?" You have to admit, Huang Ban Cheng did have some brains. At this rate, it wouldn''t take long for Xiangyun Restaurant''s poprity to bepletely snatched away by this tiny stand. But if they could invite Tong Ya and Chen Yu into the restaurant, then the poprity would still belong to Xiangyun Restaurant''s. For a brand that''s been around for hundreds of years, what they want isn''t just profit, but reputation. "That would depend on what my husband thinks!" The moment she said that, the love-struck girls in the crowd cheered. Not only did they deal with the Zhao Family recently, but they also crafted a pure love persona for Tong Ya. Such a persona could attract countless fans wherever it goes. Huang Ban Cheng was somewhat dazed before he hurriedly leaned in toward Chen Yu with an almost obsequious attitude. "Mr. Chen, about my offer just now, I hope you''ll consider it!" Chen Yu didn''t stop his hands, "The several shops behind me have already been taken over by me, and we''ll be moving in within a few days! No need for Mr. Huang to trouble himself." To ordinary people, these words seemed harmless, but to Huang Ban Cheng, they were a naked provocation. Selling delicious food near Xiangyun Restaurant and even taking over the shops, this was clearly a challenge to Xiangyun Restaurant. Or rather, it was the Tong Family preparing to make a move on the Huang Family! Chapter 337 Dragging Someone Down with You Huang Ban Cheng couldn''t figure out what Chen Yu was really up to, so he didn''t stay any longer and sullenly returned to Xiangyun Restaurant. "This is outrageous, what on earth does that kid mean? Setting up a stall right in front of the Xiangyun Restaurant." Huang Ban Cheng was furious, yet there was nothing he could do about it. The power dynamics in the capital had long since been reshuffled. If it weren''t for Xiangyun Restaurant maintaining its independent stance and wise self-preservation, it might well have been shut down by now. "Boss Huang, with the Tong Family on the rise and Chen Yu being the only designated heir appoint by the old Tong patriarch, he''s practically unrivaled. Perhaps we shouldy low for the time being?" "Lay low my ass!" Huang Ban Cheng gritted his teeth in anger: "The guy has the audacity to create a ruckus right at our doorstep, and you tell me toy low? If word gets out, they will think the Huangs are afraid of them!" Discover exclusive tales on empire The manager of the lobby was startled, hastily retreating a few steps, and didn''t dare say another word. After venting for a while, Huang Ban Cheng calmed down and leaned against the railing at the staircase entrance, gasping for air with big breaths. His body was already obese, and the rush of anger had only exacerbated his condition, causing his mind to reel and nearly passing out. Just then, a man with a somewhat sinister appearance suddenly approached. "Boss Huang, my young master invites you to have a chat over there!" Huang Ban Cheng was taken aback and examined the man closely, feeling somewhat apprehensive. The man looked exceedingly ferocious, and the hint of murderous intent in his eyes sent shivers down his spine. Without a doubt, this man had blood on his hands. "Who is your master?" Huang Ban Cheng was still angry, but he did not dare to be too insolent. The man didn''t care about that and went straight to grab Huang Ban Cheng''s wrist, forcefully pulling him several steps back. "Juste in and see for yourself." Huang Ban Cheng didn''t dare to resist and reluctantly followed the man to Private Room No. 5. Sitting in the host position in the room was a man with a gloomy face. Taking a closer look, Huang Ban Cheng suddenly froze on the spot. "Zhao Hai, young master, what are you doing here?" Zhao Hai downed the drink in his hand: "That''s a weird thing to say, Boss Huang. This is a restaurant, it seems anyone cane in to eat, right? Or does Boss Huang not wee me?" Huang Ban Cheng''s throat moved violently as he sat down awkwardly, chuckling beside Zhao Hai. Besides Zhao Hai, the room was filled with over a dozen sullen-faced strong men, each with a bulge at their waist, clearly carrying weapons. "That''s not it. It''s just that with the Zhao Family suffering such a cmity, I''ve heard that all members of the Zhao household met their end. I just didn''t expect that you, young master Zhao Hai, would still be alive." Zhao Hai''s face was filled with murderous intent: "I just got lucky. Who knew those bastards wanted my entire family dead!" Huang Ban Cheng''s breathing became rapid, and he quickly took out several promissory notes from his pocket and ced them on the table. "This modest establishment of mine can''t offer much, but here''s fifty million. I hope young master Zhao Hai can further inquire elsewhere." Zhao Hai''s eyes were piercing, as he harshly mmed the cup on the table. "What are you implying, Boss Huang? Do you think I''m some kind of robber? Even in my direst straits, I, Zhao Hai, would never resort to such lowly acts." Huang Ban Cheng hastily waved his hands: "You''ve misunderstood, I just..." Before he could finish, Zhao Hai suddenly stood up and handed him a ss of wine. "Boss Huang, I saw what happened outside. You know how overbearing the Tong Family is. Their ultimate goal might be to take over Xiangyun Restaurant, and by that time, you could end up in the same boat as me." Huang Ban Cheng''s eyes bulged out; he instantly understood what Zhao Hai intended to do. This guy had not left the imperial capital simply because he wanted to revive the Zhao Family, and to revive the current Zhao Family, he would need a substantial amount of capital. Xiangyun Restaurant was rtively independent among the imperial capital''s capitals, and its underlying assets were estimated to be worth over ten billion. Zhao Hai''s visit this time was likely aimed at dragging Xiangyun Restaurant down with him. Huang Ban Cheng adjusted his breathing slightly; in his heart, he was clear that he couldn''t mix himself up with Zhao Hai no matter what. "My little restaurant is nothing in the eyes of a capital giant like the Tong Family. Besides, they are thriving in the restaurant industry in Suzhou City. Why would they want to oppose me?" No sooner had he asked the question than Huang Ban Cheng regretted it; wasn''t this giving Zhao Hai something totch onto? Indeed, Zhao Hai mmed the table fiercely. "Their family''s restaurant business is now growing untamed, especially with their prefabricated meal packs practically sweeping the globe. I refuse to believe that doesn''t affect you in the slightest, Boss Huang." Huang Ban Cheng felt somewhat troubled; he was well aware of the crux of the matter. Yet, even so, as long as he did not openly confront the Tong Family, he could still hold a footing and barely survive. But if he were to ally with Zhao Hai now, he feared he wouldn''t have even remnants leftter. Just as he felt troubled, two waiters happened to enter the private room. Huang Ban Cheng hurriedly stood up and ced a bottle of Romane-Conti on the table. "It''s an honor for Xiangyun Restaurant to have Young Master Zhao Hai visit us today. Please ept this bottle of wine on the house." After setting down the bottle and offering a perfunctoryment, Huang Ban Cheng left the private room with the two waiters. Murderous intent seethed in Zhao Hai''s eyes, as if Huang Ban Cheng was already a dead man in his sight. "Young Master, this fat Huang doesn''t wish to cooperate. What should we do? Should we teach him a lesson?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Zhao Hai shook his head, "There''s no need to fall out with this fatso right now; our main target is still the Tong Family! We must reim the capital that belongs to our Zhao Family in the shortest amount of time; only then will we have a chance to turn things around." The man beside him squinted slightly, "Young Master, what do you mean?" Zhao Hai stood up and walked to the window, gazing distantly at Chen Yu and Tong Ya, who were setting up a stall at the street corner. "Grab that wench!" Several burly men beside him immediately caught on to Zhao Hai''s intention, saying in unison, "Yes." The hustle and bustle of the imperial capital was iparable to Suzhou City; even at night, the ce was still teeming with people. It was said that this street would have customers until four or five in the morning. Chen Yu, on his first day of setting up the stall, did not stay too long and left the area with Tong Ya and the pushcart around ten o''clock at night. [System Alert: Danger!] The moment the system alert sounded, holographic images nearby appeared instantly in Chen Yu''s mind. He could clearly see that a dozen men armed with weapons were rapidly approaching, and among these people was Zhao Hai. Chen Yu immediately held Tong Ya in his arms and then grabbed a handful of pebbles from the side, throwing them out. Before the assants could get any closer, they were struck on the shoulders by the flying stones. Crackling sounds of bones breaking rang out one after another, and all the burly men fell almost at the same time. Chapter 338 Resource Integration Zhao Hai, who had rushed over with these men, was momentarily stunned; he hadn''t expected Chen Yu to be so formidable, taking down his most skilled killers in just one move. Before he could react, Chen Yu''s figure had already shed in front of him, grabbing his throat and lifting him high into the air. "Young Master Zhao Hai, we meet again!" Zhao Hai''s eyes widened in shock, his face full of terror. Before the action, he had made thorough preparations: to kill Chen Yu, to kidnap Tong Ya, and then to force the Tong Family to cede the Zhao Family''s capital assets. But he hadn''t expected the n to fail right from the start, with even his own life now in Chen Yu''s hands. "What do you want, Chen? Murder is against thew." A strange curve formed on Chen Yu''s lips, "How can Ipare to you, who can even turn against your own family?" Zhao Hai''splexion changed dramatically, "I don''t understand what you mean." "It doesn''t matter if you don''t understand. I happen to have the entire process of Young Master Zhao Haimitting the crime. Now that you''ve fallen into my hands, I might as well hand you over to the relevant departments." Stay updated via empire Just then, the dozen or so thugs who had been knocked to the ground earlier stood up again, pulled out the steel knives from their waists, and charged over with shrieks and yells. Chen Yu paid them no mind and once again picked up a handful of pebbles and threw them out. This time he increased the force, actually piercing through these men''s bodies and causing them to faint. Chen Yu didn''t waste time there, and directly handed Zhao Hai over to the relevant authorities, also submitting the memory card that Li Mao had previously filmed. After all this, Chen Yu didn''t idle, and immediately used financial means to track down thepany that Zhao Hai had just created. Thispany was just a loosely built alliance formed in haste, so it was easily deciphered. Before long, all assets within thepany were seized. Thus, the Zhao Family, once influential in the capital, waspletely annihted. The next morning, the street across from Xiangyun Restaurant became lively once again. The previously conjoined shops had reopened, only this time they merged into one store, and many new faces appeared inside. These were all staff that Chen Yu had transferred over from Suzhou City. Also transported here were arge number of semi-finished products and raw materials. That is to say, the shop could start operating at the first possible moment. Chen Yu and Tong Ya, of course, were also amongst them. The couple themselves were a draw, and now with the opening of the store, they attracted arge number of customers. Ban Cheng stood on the top floor of Xiangyun Restaurant, staring intently at Chen Yu''s shop. The news of Zhao Hai''s arrest had been released that morning, making him sweat nervously. If he had handled yesterday''s affairs improperly, today he might have been captured along with Zhao Hai, and even Xiangyun Restaurant could have faced irretrievable doom. By this point, he dared not to provoke Chen Yu anymore. But with such a rival store appearing next to his own, and one that was so popr, it would one day run Xiangyun Restaurant into the ground. After taking a moment to adjust his breathing, Ban Cheng had some gifts specially prepared and personally went downstairs. "Boss Chen, congrattions on your opening. I''ve prepared some modest gifts, I hope you''ll ept them." Chen Yu didn''t say much, simply took the gifts, and then pulled Ban Cheng straight into the kitchen. "Actually, Boss Huang, you have always had a business proposition you wanted to discuss with me, which is to establish apany to merge with your Xiangyun Restaurant. Unfortunately, Boss Huang''s pride was too great, and I simply could not find a way in!" Overwhelmed with anxiety, Huang Ban Cheng replied, "Mr. Chen, those are harsh words. The Xiangyun Restaurant has been in operation for hundreds of years, and it hasn''t been easy to get to this day. To be swallowed up just like that, I truly cannot ept it." "Who said anything about swallowing you up?" Chen Yu took out a few sheets of paper from his coat, all of which were written with recipes. As Huang Ban Cheng took the recipes, he immediately broke into a sweat. All the recipes listed were the signature dishes of the Xiangyun Restaurant, which had enabled the restaurant to survive until today. However, if the methods recorded in the recipes were followed, the taste would be vastly superior. If Chen Yu randomly chose a location and cooked ording to the recipes, it wouldn''t take long for their Xiangyun Restaurant to go out of business. "Mr. Chen, you..." Chen Yu chuckled lightly, "Boss Huang doesn''t need to worry. The hottest spot on this street is Xiangyun Restaurant, but its food offerings are somewhat limited. What I propose is toplement these offerings for Boss Huang, not to swallow you up!" Huang Ban Cheng suddenly felt embarrassed; he had misjudged Chen Yu''s intentions. Before he could recover, Chen Yu had already led him to the warehouse behind the kitchen. "My business model here is quite simple and can bepletely open to Boss Huang. I just hope Boss Huang won''t keep hiding things from me anymore." Huang Ban Cheng nodded repeatedly, then immediately made a few phone calls. Before long, the head managers of the Xiangyun Restaurant arrived specifically to transport Chen Yu and Tong Ya over. The business model of Xiangyun Restaurant had indeed weathered hundreds of years, but in some areas, it appeared old andplicated. The distribution of shares was unclear, with many seniors collecting dividend shares but not contributing any actual work. Moreover, their shares were very substantial; this ced an extremely serious burden on the restaurant. If this continued, Xiangyun Restaurant might fall into crisis. The only way out was to figure out a strategy for integration and reform. It was because Chen Yu had seen through this that he wanted to cooperate with Xiangyun Restaurant, but Huang Ban Cheng tly refused. That is why he had opened a shop opposite Xiangyun Restaurant, to force Huang Ban Cheng toe to him for a partnership. He had thought this process would take longer, but he hadn''t expected to see results so soon. Under Huang Ban Cheng''s guidance, Chen Yu and Tong Ya finished touring theyout of the Xiangyun Restaurant and even saw their storeroom. But Chen Yu wasn''t interested in these; what he really wanted to see was the ownership structure. At that moment, two men as portly as Huang Ban Cheng slowly descended from upstairs. "Little Huang, what''s the matter with youtely? You keep bringing all sorts of riffraff into our restaurant!" "Indeed, if someone didn''t know better, they might think Xiangyun Restaurant is looking to coborate with some other organization." The two men yed off each other, appearing extremely brazen.N?v(el)B\\jnn Looking at these two, they must be the veteran shareholders of Xiangyun Restaurant. Huang Ban Cheng sighed helplessly and approached them with great respect to salute. "Uncles, these two are from the Tong Family. I''m just showing them around to see the restaurant''syout; there is no other intention!" "Also, weren''t you two uncles staying in the suburbs of the capital? Why did you suddenlye to the restaurant?" Chapter 339 Secret Collaboration The two of them paid no mind to Huang Ban Cheng''s exnations and sat swaying unsteadily to the side. "Ban Cheng, I don''t mean to criticize, but ever since Xiangyun Restaurant opened for business, countless people have coveted it over the past few centuries. If it were not for the efforts of several generations of the Huang Family, I''m afraid this business would have been taken away long ago." The speaker was older in age and spoke with a strong, resonant voice, carrying an air of pride due to his achievements. Chen Yu''s brows slightly furrowed; he knew that these people were all Huang Ban Cheng''s elders. Taking a deep breath, he stepped back. "Mr. Huang, I think we''ve seen enough for today. We can discuss the specificster. I''ll take my leave first." Explore more stories at empire This startled Huang Ban Cheng. Despite recent news media glorifying the Tong Family to the skies, anyone slightly cunning could see that the one actually manipting everything behind the scenes was Chen Yu. Who else but Chen Yu could coordinate the capital of several major families both domestically and internationally andunch a joint media offensive against the Zhao Family? Now, with Chen Yu suddenly dropping such a statement, it was clear he was a bit irritated. If he were to leave today and turn to manipte capital to besiege Xiangyun Restaurant, the entire establishment would likely have to change hands within two days. "Mr. Chen, in my opinion, it would be better to finalize all the details today. Besides, Xiangyun Restaurant has recently introduced some secret dishes, and I was hoping that Mr. Chen could give them a try." The two elders saw Huang Ban Cheng''s attitude and immediately found it intolerable; the younger of the two stood up and, grabbing his cane, moved to strike Huang Ban Cheng. "You disgraceful brat, is this how you take care of Xiangyun Restaurant?" Huang Ban Cheng had long reached the end of his patience with these old shareholders. Using their seniority and control over shares, they would speak without any restraints on a regr basis and even meddle in the management of the restaurant. If it weren''t for the fact that they shared the surname Huang, Huang Ban Cheng would have driven them out long ago. "Great-Uncle, unless you have any business here, you and Granduncle should stay at home. I am now the Sect Leader of Xiangyun Restaurant." The two elders were simultaneously taken aback. They never expected Huang Ban Cheng to speak to them like this. Just as they were about to reproach him, several bodyguards suddenly appeared and forcibly escorted the two elders out. Seeing this, Chen Yu''s brows quirked slightly. "Mr. Huang, it seems that the ownership of your restaurant isn''t very clear, and it''s a bit like a multi-stakeholder governance, isn''t it?" Huang Ban Cheng sighed helplessly. "Not to hide from Mr. Chen, Xiangyun Restaurant has been around for several centuries, leaving behind an enormous and cumbersome system. In my generation, the actual funds used for the restaurant''s operations and daily expenses ount for only thirty percent. The rest is all used to support these elders." Chen Yu was somewhat surprised; he had thought the internal consumption of Xiangyun Restaurant would only ount for thirty to forty percent, but it turned out to be seventy percent. No wonder there had been no development in the restaurant over the years, and there were even signs of regression. "Mr. Huang, do you want to see Xiangyun Restaurant revitalized?" Upon hearing this, Huang Ban Cheng''s eyes lit up as he looked expectantly at Chen Yu. "Please enlighten me, Mr. Chen!" Chen Yu adjusted the century-old staircase beside him and nced at the bustling scene in the lobby on the first floor. "The cicada sheds its shell! Use financial means to register an independentpany, then expand the store opposite Xiangyun Restaurant. Trade space for time to undermine those stubborn old-timers!" Huang Ban Cheng sighed helplessly, "Mr. Chen, I have thought about this method, but most of Xiangyun Restaurant''s funds are in the hands of the elders who also possess the decision-making power. Every decision I make has to go through them, so to bypass them is simply impossible." Chen Yu leaned against the staircase with a strange smile shing across his face. "Previously it was just you, Mr. Huang, but now with me on board, we two together can definitely make it happen."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Huang Ban Cheng was stunned at first, but then became excited. He might not believe this from someone else, but he hadplete faith in Chen Yu, the man who brought down the Zhao Family. "If Mr. Chen can revive Xiangyun Restaurant, I am willing to give up half of my shares, as a gesture of respect to Mr. Chen!" Chen Yu waved his hand, "Share distribution is a matter forter. Starting now, you and I must act as adversaries!" As a businessman, Huang Ban Cheng got the point immediately. "Don''t worry, Mr. Chen, I have some experience in acting! If you need anything on your side, just give me a signal. Though I may not be able to help you overtly, I will support you wholeheartedly behind the scenes." Chen Yu nodded and, after patting Huang Ban Cheng''s shoulder, he left with Tong Ya. The building opposite Xiangyun Restaurant was originally a mixed-use office and residential tower, which had changed its operation model to a hotel due to the unique business practices on this street. However, the hotel''s internal systems were still quiteplex. All the storefronts on the first floor were leased out for the catering industry. The basement up to the third floor were turned into an entertainment center, known as a famous entertainment city locally. The third to sixth floors were a business club that seemed to operate on a membership basis, visited daily by prominent figures from the capital. Only from the sixth floor upwards was the hotel! Chen Yu returned to his store and casually took a seat on a chair. Although it was the store''s first day of operation, the previous groundwork had attracted quite a bit of customer traffic. Moreover, the waiters brought in were experienced, highly proficient in their jobs, and could start working right away. Thus, the operations of the entire store ran without any hups. Originally, Chen Yu had wanted to use this store topete with Xiangyun Restaurant and then take the opportunity to merge it, but now it seemed there was no need for suchplexities. If he could take over this building and manipte it financially, he could achieve aplete integration with Xiangyun Restaurant. "Husband, do you think that Mr. Huang can be trusted? Although he seems rather simple and honest, he does have some cunning. Otherwise, Xiangyun Restaurant would have gone under in his hands long ago." Tong Ya was a bit worried. After all, Huang Ban Cheng had managed to run the three floors of Xiangyun Restaurant in such a profitable way with just the operating capital ¨C his talents were not to be underestimated. Given enough funds, perhaps he could achieve even greater things. But Chen Yu was unworried, "In this world, you only get results when you coborate with those who are cunning and wise. Otherwise, you''ll not only fail to gain what you want, but you could also lose everything." Tong Ya nodded and said no more. No matter what decisions Chen Yu made, she would support him unconditionally. Chapter 340 The Arrogant Fatty At noon, the foot traffic in the restaurant peaked, all seats were upied, and there wasn''t even standing room. The restaurant was understaffed, so Chen Yu and Tong Ya had no choice but to lend a hand. Just then, a sleazy-looking man holding an invitation card skulked into the restaurant. "Who''s the boss here?" Chen Yu frowned, "I am!" The man sized up Chen Yu and handed him the invitation. "Our boss wants to invite you for a meal,e with us now." With this tone and this attitude, it was obvious that the visitor had ill intentions. Tong Ya quickly ran over, about to speak, but Chen Yu stopped her. "May I know who your boss is?" The man arrogantly said, "You''ll find out once you get there, hurry up now. It''s an honor for our boss to invite you for a meal, and if you''rete, you''ll bear the consequences!" Without saying much, Chen Yu changed his clothes and followed the guy straight out the door. But after just two steps, the guy led Chen Yu into the elevator of the adjacent building, heading straight for the third sub-level. The foundation of this building was very deep, with a total of six underground levels. The bottom three levels were used as a parking garage, and the top three levels were an entertainmentplex. After what felt like an eternity, they finally arrived at a fairly well-decorated room. A fat man with a big face was holding a remote control and lounging on the sofa, incessantly flipping channels. Dressed in shorts and a tank top, his shirt crept up, exposing a bby, greasy, and snow-white belly. Upon seeing this man, Chen Yu felt a wave of disgust as the many there like a half-dead wastrel. He even had the urge to rush forward and kill the man. The man appeared disdainful, giving Chen Yu a sidelong nce without moving an inch. "So it''s you who just opened a restaurant in my territory?" Read thetest on empire Chen Yu wasn''t one to indulge him; he sat down and picked up a cup of wine from the table. "Yes, it''s me. What advice do you have?" The fat man suddenly sat up, his greasy facial flesh trembling. "Boy, do you know where you are? Daring to be so arrogant in front of me, do you believe I can make sure you never leave this ce?" A murderous look shed in Chen Yu''s eyes. He had never seen someone so shamelessly brazen¡ªcalling him over for no reason and acting so arrogant. In his eyes, the fat man was already a dead man. "You can try!" The fat man snorted coldly, as if no one had ever dared to speak to him like this. He tossed aside the remote control and grabbed a nearby wine bottle, walking towards Chen Yu. But before he could make a move, Chen Yu''s body shed behind him like lightning, striking him hard on the spine. The crisp sound of bones cracking and a pitiful scream echoed instantly in the room, and several bodyguards, seeing this, quickly pulled out their carry-on machetes and rushed forward. As they charged, a blue-white light suddenly erupted from Chen Yu, and before they could react, they copsed to the ground as if electrified. Ling Ling had by that time already appeared on Chen Yu''s shoulder. ["I''ve already activated the autonomous defense system; they''ve all been stunned and won''t be waking up for a few days."]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Chen Yu simply nodded his head and flipped the fat man over, grabbing his throat with one hand. "What grudge is there between you and me that you would treat me this way?" The fat man''s breathing immediately became rapid. He hadn''t expected Chen Yu to be so formidable, and now his body was as limp as mud, lying on the coffee table without the ability to move. "Around here, I call the shots. Every new shop has to report to me, and each month they must pay me a fixed fee..." At this point, Chen Yu understood what the fat man did for a living. He never imagined that in broad daylight, someone would be extorting protection fees here. After slightly adjusting his breathing, Chen Yu suddenly exerted force, dislocating all the bones in the fat man''s body. This wasn''t simply dismantling his skeleton, but breaking the bones and then inserting them back into the surrounding flesh. In other words, this guy would never be able to stand up again for the rest of his life. Having done all this, Chen Yu immediately dialed the relevant department''s number. After all, this was the Imperial Capital, and the Tong Family had certain connections with the relevant departments here. No matter what kind of backing this fat man had, it was of no avail. Soon after, arge number of personnel arrived at the scene, confiscated everything in the room, and took away both the fat man and his minions. However, Chen Yu still had to stay a while longer to cooperate with the authorities and provide a statement. By the time all the inspections wereplete, it was already evening, and it seemed the fat man was also involved in other cases. Chen Yu didn''t concern himself with those details and left the ce. But when he appeared outside, everyone looked at him as if he were a savior, all kneeling on the ground, knocking their heads repeatedly. Chen Yu was taken aback and hurried forward, trying to help these people up, only to find an older woman clinging to the ground, refusing to get up. "Mr. Chen, we''ve all heard about what you did. You took care of Liu P¨¤ngzi, and now our businesses will be able to thrive." Chen Yu''s mouth fell open in shock; he hadn''t expected the fat man to have been so powerful and oppressive in this area. At this moment, the street outside the building was packed with local vendors, upying every inch of space¡ªa truly impressive sight, even the authorities sent to investigate the case were taken aback. Chen Yu felt somewhat helpless; to him, the recent events were just a minor incident¡ªLiu P¨¤ngzi, no matter how formidable, was nothing more than a pest in his eyes. "Everyone, please get up. Gathering here for no reason will cause traffic congestion!" With a resigned excuse, Chen Yu made his way through the crowd and hurried off. Just then, a person from the relevant department rushed into Chen Yu''s shop. "Mr. Chen, I''ve heard you''re skilled at drawing, could you help us with a few sketches?" Chen Yu frowned. This member of the relevant department seemed familiar. After careful recollection, it suddenly struck him that this person had been an intern in Suzhou City. "You''re Wu Qingfan, right?" Wu Qingfan nodded repeatedly: "I didn''t expect Mr. Chen would still remember me!" After exchanging a few words, Wu Qingfan pulled out several extremely blurred photos. These photos appeared to have been deliberately destroyed, with the images already scratched off, making recovery difficult. Only a professional drawing restorer could redraw them to reveal the contents anew. Chapter 341 Childe Family Chen Yu didn''t say much, after all, they had worked together and were colleagues, so he couldn''t really refuse when someone asked for help. After briefly looking at the couple of damaged photographs, Chen Yu quickly started drawing on the sketch paper. Although the photos were severely damaged, some details were still preserved, and by slightly expanding on those details, the contents of the photos could be seamlessly reconstructed. It didn''t take long before Chen Yu handed over thepleted drawing to Wu Qingfan. "That''s wonderful, Mr. Chen, you''ve really done us a great favor. Without you here, it would have taken us months to wrap up this case, it might have even turned into a cold case," said Wu Qingfan. Chen Yu frowned, in his opinion, Liu the Fatty was just a local bully, so how could he be involved in such a big case? "Speaking of which, who is this Liu the Fatty? Why is he worth such amotion?" asked Chen Yu. Wu Qingfan sighed helplessly. "You don''t know, Mr. Chen, this guy has actually been on the run abroad, with more than one murder case on his hands!" said Wu Qingfan. "He''s always used unrted cases to attract our attention, while he himself has beenmitting crimes in the capital," Wu Qingfan exined. Chen Yu nodded; he had not expected the man to be so scheming. After discussing some details with Wu Qingfan, Chen Yu hurriedly left the ce. But as he reached the doorway, he suddenly spotted a slim figure lurking in the alley afar, peering in this direction. The person''s eyes were unusual; with just one nce, Chen Yu felt as if he had fallen into an abyss. The person seemed to notice Chen Yu and instinctively turned around, sprinting down the alley. Chen Yu''s frown deepened, this person was terrifying. A mere look was enough to send shivers down his spine, but he didn''t hesitate and gave chase. The two dashed through the alleys of the capital, and after an unknown period of time, they finally stopped in an open area. This seemed to be a construction site, materials scattered about, with iron wire fences enclosing the area. Caught in his brazen escape, the man had run into a dead end here. When Chen Yu caught up, the man immediately pulled out a switchde from his waist. "Kid, was it you who caught Liu the Fatty?" the man asked. Without responding, Chen Yu just stared intently at him, feeling as if he had seen him somewhere before. After pondering in his mind for a while, he suddenly realized that this man resembled someone from the photos he had restored earlier. Only, the man before him seemed thinner. "Liu Kuohai!" Chen Yu enunciated the man''s name, startling him. Liu Kuohai''s breathing became rapid, and a fierce intent filled his eyes. Readtest stories on empire "I never thought you''d recognize me, kid. Well then, there''s no need for you to keep living, die!" Liu Kuohai bellowed. As his words fell, Liu Kuohai lunged forward like lightning, the knife reaching Chen Yu''s face in the blink of an eye. But what he didn''t expect was that Chen Yu was faster, catching his wrist in one move and then violently twisting it, breaking the wrist outright. Liu Kuohai screamed miserably, tumbling to the ground. To escape the pursuit of the authorities, he had been extremely cunning over the years, not only finding Liu the Fatty as a decoy in the capital. But he had also gone to great lengths to change his appearance to the state it was in now. Chen Yu slightly adjusted his breathing, took a couple of slow steps forward, and then raised his foot to step onto the man''s shoulder. "Although I don''t know exactly who you are, since you have broken thew, you will be subject to the sanction of the relevant authorities. Now,e with me." Liu Kuohai''s eyes were filled with extreme terror. The cases against him were enough to have him executed a hundred times over¡ªhow could he possibly surrender without a fight? In a panic, he took out a small bamboo tube from his body, gave it a gentle pull, and something like a firework shot up into the sky, bursting into brilliant colors. In an instant, more than a dozen masked men leaped over the wall and charged in, one of them exceptionally tall, like a towering iron tower. This man charged straight at Chen Yu upon entering, while his fist,rge as a casserole, came smashing down ferociously.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Chen Yu only felt a wave of air rush toward his face and hurriedly swung out his fist to block. In the moment they crossed paths, the terrifying force actually made Chen Yu take several steps back. The brute was also taken aback; he was well aware of the power behind his fist. For many years, no one had been able to steadily catch his punch and still stand there unscathed. The brute''spetitive spirit was suddenly ignited, and with a pat on his fist, he charged like a tank. [System warning: danger detected, autonomous protection feature activated] A blue-white radiance instantly covered Chen Yu, with even brighter light emanating from his fists. The collision this time, with power emanating from Chen Yu''s body tens of times stronger than before, sent the brute flying in an instant. The brute''s pupils dted suddenly, his eyes full of disbelief. Before he could react, Chen Yu was already in front of him. He grabbed the brute''s neck before he had evennded and flung him to the side, snapping over a dozen concrete bords with raw force. The sound of bones cracking emitted from the brute''s body. The others, witnessing the scene, were petrified and quickly grabbed Liu Kuohai, preparing to flee. Chen Yu wasn''t about to give them such an opportunity. His body moved like lightning, weaving among the mob, and before long, all of them were lying on the ground, clutching important joints and wailing in pain. Once everyone was downed, he walked over to the prior brute and removed his mask. The man''s face was covered in a full beard, clearly western in appearance. Chen Yu scrutinized him carefully, realizing he did not recognize the man. "Which family do you belong to?" As he spoke, Chen Yu gripped the brute''s throat and gradually increased the pressure. For the first time, the brute felt a threat like the presence of death. "The Childe Family!" Hearing this name, Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown. The Childe Family was a very ancient one, reputedly controlling capital amounting to hundreds of trillions worldwide. Why would such a vast and old family be involved with Liu Kuohai, and why would they go so far as to send people to the capital to rescue someone? Chen Yu didn''t bother with such questions; ultimately, these men would all face the sanctions of Easternw. After calling Wu Qingfan, it wasn''t long before arge number of relevant personnel arrived and took all the individuals away. Chapter 342 Property Rights Confusion In a mansion on the eastern outskirts of the imperial capital, several Western faces sat around a round table, their expressions solemn. "What in the world is going on? How could Liu Kuohai have been captured?" "Although this kid is our undercover spokesperson in the East, his behavior over the years has been outrageous, and he has long been out of our control." "No, we absolutely cannot let the Easterners get any intelligence from him; we must take this guy out." "But he holds too many of our secrets; some are known only by him. We might have to find a way to rescue him first." "This annoying guy, he only causes us trouble!" ... The imperial capital seemed like a city without memory, or rather, everyone was so busy with their lives that they had no time to concern themselves with those messy affairs. The event that happened opposite Xiangyun Restaurant the previous evening seemed as if it had never urred, with everyone going about their business, heading to work, setting up their stalls as usual. Chen Yu arrived here early in the morning and went straight up to the high-rise building. The property ownership of this building was exceedinglyplex, mingled with some bad assets, making it difficult to take over entirely. However, Fatty Liu had been captured, and his assets, subject to a judicial auction, could be acquired at an extremely low price with the right maneuvers. The other assets were negotiable, but a portion of them appeared to be property rights that Liu Kuohai had purchased years ago. This man''s identity was exceedingly vague, and he also had overseas status; now he had been apprehended by the relevant authorities. Resolving this portion of the property rights would likely be even more troublesome. Chen Yu didn''t care about theplications and headed straight to the top floor. "Who are you? Do you know where this is? Inside there are several big shots having a meeting." Two security guards blocked Chen Yu''s path, their stun batons crackling with electricity. Chen Yu didn''t want to waste time here, so he reached out and gave a light pat, knocking the two guards unconscious, and then casually entered the conference room. About a dozen middle-aged men in suits and leather shoes sat around, seemingly discussing some important matters. When Chen Yu walked in, their gazes converged on him, each pair of eyes filled with a different expression. Most of them were worried! Chen Yu didn''t concern himself with that and directly found a seat to sit down. "Gentlemen, I consider myself one of the property owners of this building, why wasn''t I invited to the meeting? Are you trying to exclude me?" The group was taken aback for a moment, none daring to utter a word. They were all aware of Fatty Liu''s fate from the night before.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Such a bully was no more than a chick in Chen Yu''s hands, so how could they dare to confront Chen Yu directly? The man seated at the head of the table hurriedly snuffed out his cigarette. "Mr. Chen, it''s not that we didn''t find you, it''s that your property had just transferred ownership, and the situation is not yet stable. Even if we called you over, there are some things you wouldn''t understand." Chen Yu leaned back in his chair, his legs stretched out onto the table. "Actually, I don''t need to understand too much. I came here today to tell you that I want the property rights to this building. I can offer a price thirty percent higher than the market value and I hope you will seriously consider it." Upon hearing this, everyone in the room was taken aback. Their greatest fear had just be a reality. The most significant share here belonged to Fatty Liu, who owned the rights to six full floors. Now that Chen Yu had effortlessly obtained these rights, nobody could guarantee that he wouldn''t covet other floors'' property rights. Now that Chen Yu had directly stated his intention, the others were deeply worried. Tempting as the offer was, everyone knew this was the imperial capital. Simply holding a small fraction of property rights couldfortablyst a lifetime. Who knows, if they sold their property rights today, they could skyrocket by several percentage points the next day! The lead man took a deep breath and sidled up to Chen Yu. "Mr. Chen, don''t you think you''re being somewhat overbearing? Besides, property rights are not something a few of us can decide on our own; we still need to go through the relevant departments and..." Before he could finish, Chen Yu threw a stack of documents onto the table. "Here is the official approval from the relevant departments. All you have to do is sign here, and the transfer of the property rights will not be a problem." In the spacious office, silence reigned, fear evident in everyone''s eyes. They had been in the imperial capital for so long, believing they carried clout in both the underworld and the legitimate world, yet acquiring such official approvals was still harder than reaching the skies. Chen Yu had only been there for a day and had already procured the documents. At that moment, one of the middle-aged men suddenly stood up. "Mr. Chen, we acknowledge you are the Tong Family''s son-inw, but you can''t be this aggressive, using the Tong Family and the relevant departments to pressure us..." Chen Yu suddenly looked up, the fierceness in his eyes silencing the man. "The entertainment venues upying the three underground levels and the three above-ground floors, which include many unsavory activities¡ªif I''m not mistaken, the gentlemen here all have a share in them!" The office grew quiet once again, everyone''s face filled with fright. Since Chen Yu had spoken such words, it meant he already had enough evidence in his hands. Every person in the room knew that the dealings in that entertainmentplex were enough to keep them in jail for a lifetime. "Mr. Chen!" A man wearing gold-rimmed sses, looking a bit sleazy, suddenly ran forward and knelt down. "I think we can discuss the transfer of property rights right now. The entire twenty-sixth floor is mine; we can sign the contract now." With the first one breaking, the rest lost theirst shred of dignity, crowding forward. Before long, everyone in the office signed their names on the contracts. Chen Yu made sure the contracts were in order, gathered them up, and prepared to leave. "Wait a moment!" The lead man suddenly called out to Chen Yu. "Mr. Chen, even if you take over our property rights, this building will still not be yours. The ownership has passed through so many generations that no one can make heads or tails of it, especially..." "Since the property rights have already been handed over!" Chen Yu interrupted him, "Let''s not waste any more words. Live your lives in peace. I''m sure you all understand, getting further involved in this matter won''t be to your benefit." With that said, Chen Yu walked out the door. However, the moment the door closed behind him, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief, as if they had escaped a dire fate. Chapter 343 Equity Structure The northern suburbs of the imperial capital, Tong Family Estate. Tong Ming leaned back on the sofa and listened, while his secretary read thetest documents beside him. After swallowing up the Zhao Family''s assets, the Tong Family had seen significant development and even became the firmly established number one family in the imperial capital. However, the core of the Tong Family was extremely weak. The other super-elite families were essentiallyplete families, and even their inws would be pulled in to form an incrediblyrge core. But the Tong Family was different; it had been just Tong Ming since the start of their business. He had almost single-handedly contended with the other super-elite families of the imperial capital and ultimately reigned supreme over them. Today, the so-called Tong Family was none other than him and Tong Ya! "Son-inw, ah! That skyscraper you mentioned, I know its ownership is extremelyplicated. I didn''t expect that you could acquire more than ny percent of its property rights in such a short period of time. However, the remaining ten percent might be a bit difficult." Chen Yu''s brow was furrowed tightly; over the past few days, he had thoroughly studied the ownership of the entire building and discovered that thest ten percent of the property rights was in the hands of the Childe Family. This family was notparable to an ordinary Western royal family; they controlled tangible capital, and even historic royal families were merely ythings in their hands. Taking ownership from them was harder than reaching the heavens. "Dad, I heard you had some connections with the Childe Family when you were young. I wonder if it''s possible to obtain that portion of the property rights through your rtionships." Tong Ming sighed helplessly. "It was an invitation to cooperate, but at that time they wanted to control the stocks in my hands, and I rejected them!" Chen Yu felt somewhat perplexed, "It seems we have to take drastic measures now!" Tong Ming remained silent for a while, then casually took out a document from his person and handed it to Chen Yu. "This is an analysis of the property structure of that building; there are some loopholes, and you can start with this Liu Kuohai!" Chen Yu nced over the document and instantly became excited. Liu Kuohai''s identity was illegal to begin with, so the property rtionship between him and the Childe Family was unclear. "I''ll handle it right away!" Chen Yu took the document and hurried out the door, heading straight for the relevant department. Now, all he needed was to process some rted paperwork with this document to temporarily hold that portion of the property rights in his hands. In any case, he had to integrate the whole building first before implementing the ns that followed. As for the dispute with the Childe Family, that would have to wait for another time. After acquiring the property rights to the building, Chen Yu immediately closed the shops and began aprehensive renovation. The decoration here was already extremely luxurious and the building was zoned for bothmercial and residential use; it would only take a few days toplete the transformation. It was just going to take some time to kick out all the mess inside. In a temporary office on the top floor, Chen Yu and Ban Cheng sat together,ughing and chatting. In front of themy several contracts, which were the proofs of the two establishing their own sole proprietorship. "Mr. Chen, you''ve really done me a huge favor. With this title, I guarantee that I can acquire all the property rights of Xiangyun Restaurant within half a month." Ban Cheng was extremely excited; he had long been fed up with those old guys. Chen Yu furrowed his brow, "No, we must get it done within a week!" Huang Bancheng was somewhat puzzled, "Isn''t that timeline too tight? After all, Xiangyun Restaurant has been around for centuries, and its property rights are extremelyplex. How could this possibly be arranged in such little time?" Chen Yu shook the contract in his hand casually. "Now that the shares you hold are independently controlled by the two of us as a sole proprietorship, it bes much simpler to manipte the shareholding structure of Xiangyun Restaurant starting from this point!"N?v(el)B\\jnn Huang Bancheng nodded, "I see what you mean, but my share is only seven percent. It''s impossible to confront the remaining ny-three percent no matter what!" "Don''t worry about that!" Chen Yu opened aptop next to him, "Although you don''t hold many shares, you have the right to list them. As long as we consolidate Xiangyun Restaurant and list it, I''ll find a way to transfer their shares into your hands." Huang Bancheng instantly understood. What Chen Yu was talking about was the method to deal with the Zhao Family, just with a changed strategy applied to Xiangyun Restaurant. Now, Huang Bancheng and Chen Yu had signed a personal agreement and established a sole proprietorship, controlling the seven percent of shares held by Huang Bancheng. In other words, this portion of the property rights waspletely independent of Xiangyun Restaurant. Using these shares, Huang Bancheng could list the entire Xiangyun Restaurant, but during the listing perfectly retain this portion of the shares, separate from the listing. In other words, only the remaining ny-three percent of the shares would be listed. Subsequently, they could manipte the market to control the ny-three percent of the shares. At the same time, they could mobilize the remaining seven percent to prate and harvest, ultimately absorbing the ny-three percent of shares with this portion. And throughout this entire process, Huang Bancheng would not have the slightest concern. After all, based on the current contract, he and Chen Yu jointly held the shares of the sole proprietorship. Even if Chen Yu changed his mindter, what he could take away was only fifty percent of Xiangyun Restaurant''s shares. And Huang Bancheng had promised Chen Yu this portion of the shares right from the start of their cooperation! After discussing some details, Huang Bancheng hurriedly left the office. Chen Yu rubbed his forehead and leaned back in his chair. Just when he was about to take a rest, a rumbling noise suddenly came from outside the window. At first, he didn''t pay it any mind, since this was the top floor. But at that moment, a loud shattering sound suddenly rang near his ear, and then an extremely stocky man broke through the window and jumped in, wielding a long knife in his hand. This guy didn''t say a word upon entering; he swung the long knife and hacked toward Chen Yu. The sudden assassination caught Chen Yupletely off guard, and the system hadn''t given any warning this time. Chen Yu quickly adjusted his breathing and rapidly retreated. ''Ling Ling, what the hell is going on? How did this guy get inside?'' [The individual has an electromaic induction device on him, and I am unable to detect his movements.] Chen Yu''s pupils dted suddenly. He had thought the system was omnipotent and could detect any danger, but now he realized that it couldn''t monitor if the other party carried an electromaic induction device. At this point, he didn''t think too much and picked up a steel rod from nearby to fight back. The sound of metal shing echoed in the air, and after a dozen or so strikes, neither had gained the upper hand. Chen Yu believed that his physical fitness had reached the human limit. Yet, he had met an opponent today who could exchange so many moves with him without falling short. Chapter 344 The Same Physical Fitness [System Decryption in Progress] [Cracking the Electromaic Induction Device Phase One] [Deep Decoding, Code Recement] [Crack Sessful] The system''s prompt tones continuously echoed in Chen Yu''s mind, making him somewhat frustrated. Why would the electromaic induction device be hacked at this time? Before he could react, a blue-white light suddenly spread out from his body, engulfing the other party within it, rendering the electromaic induction device on his opponentpletely useless. The next moment, all the motion predictions appeared in Chen Yu''s mind. Chen Yu was instantly excited. Although the opponent''s physical condition was simr to his, he now had the upper hand. The steel pipe in his hand struck at an inconceivably strange angle, hitting the vital joints of the other''s body. After just a few moves, the burly many on the ground. Then, Chen Yu swung the steel pipe and smashed it hard on his head. After the heavy blow to the head, the burly man was dazed for a moment and then copsed on the ground, unable to move for some time. Chen Yu took this opportunity to grab some iron chains from the side and bound the burly man tightly with them. By the time this guy came to his senses, he was already immobilized. "Who the hell are you? Why do you want to kill me?" Fear shed in the eyes of the burly man as he stared at Chen Yu with an inexplicable gaze. "You and I are well-matched. How did you defeat me instantly just now? Did you use some kind of kung fu?" Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown, as this guy was not making any sense. "I''ll give you another chance, who exactly are you?" Only then did the burly man realize, "Don''t you know who you''ve offended yourself?" Chen Yu looked surprised. To him, the capital was like his own backyard; he could do whatever he wanted. How could he possibly offend anyone? Moreover, the Zhao Family had long been destroyed, and any remaining offshoots had been eradicated. It was impossible for them toe for revenge. "I really don''t know about that! That''s why I need to ask you." Suddenly, Chen Yu picked up a knife from the side and fiercely stabbed it into the back of the burly man''s hand, nailing it to the floor. A piercing scream erupted instantly.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "I was sent here by the Childe Family to take you out." Chen Yu immediately understood. He hadn''t expected the Childe Family to act so quickly; he had thought these people would wait a few more days. However, this guy''s physical condition was too strong, far beyond Chen Yu''s expectations. Especially the electromaic induction device he carried, which was so powerful it could block the system''s probes. After adjusting his breathing slightly, Chen Yu dismantled all the devices from the burly man and called the relevant department to take him away. It had to be said, the equipment carried by this guy was really extensive, with various advanced instruments and even automatic weapons. Once the people from the relevant department took the burly man away, Ling Ling floated above Chen Yu''s shoulder, scanning the instruments on the table with a blue-white light. [These items are all specially made, and the program codes are of world-ss level, unbreakable even by some of the top spies of nations.] Chen Yu leaned back on the chair beside him, his face tinged with mncholy. The Childe Family had stood tall in this world for over a thousand years, and throughout these millennia, they had always been major yers in the realm of capital. Many royal families and even entire countries were within their grasp. With such immense wealth, it was no surprise they could create items that surpassed the limitations of their era. Chen Yu had originally thought he would need some time before confronting the Childe Family, but unexpectedly he had run into them so soon, and they had taken the initiative to seek him out. A mere assassin possessed almost the same physical prowess as he did; who knew how many more such individuals were in the Childe Family. Chen Yu tried to calm himself down, clearing his mind of all thoughts. The pressing matter was to handle the Huang Family''s situation properly, else endless troubles would ensue. In the dead of night, all the elders of the Huang Family gathered in arge hall on the top floor of Xiangyun Restaurant. Ban Cheng sat on the right side, holding a remote control to operate therge screen at the main seat. "Xiangyun Restaurant has stood in this world for hundreds of years and must adapt to the times. Early tomorrow morning will be the best opportunity for our stock market listing." As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of all the elders in attendance showed excitement. "Ban Cheng, you''ve finallye to your senses. We''ve been urging you to list for a while now, but you insisted on maintaining the old management traditions. If we had gone public earlier, maybe our Huang Family could have already joined the ranks of the super families in the imperial capital." Ban Cheng didn''t say much, just stood to the side with a forced smile. He had agreed to Chen Yu''s n because these old fellows had long harbored intentions to go public. With the many shares and equity they controlled, their assets could skyrocket tenfold or even a hundredfold upon listing. Moreover, they wanted to use their capital to squeeze Ban Cheng outpletely and then take control of the entire Xiangyun Restaurant. Ban Cheng was well aware that letting these people control Xiangyun Restaurant would lead to its immediate division among them. They were a group ofzy good-for-nothings; could he really expect them to run the restaurant properly? And with money in hand, who would care about the life or death of a restaurant? Now that Ban Cheng had proposed going public, it naturally gained the approval of everyone present. "I was young and did not understand the ns of my seniors; please forgive me! The reason for the urgency in calling everyone here tonight is to n for the listing tomorrow!" Everyone was pleased to hear this, nodding their heads, and they eagerly took out all the stock ownership documents they held. Before they arrived, Ban Cheng had intentionally leaked the news. So when they came, they brought all their documents with them. Ban Cheng did not hesitate to collect these papers. To go public, they had to release some of their shares as free-floating stock for the market, which meant that each person had to contribute some of their shares. Ban Cheng directly disyed on the big screen the part of the contract he had signed with Chen Yu. This portion was actually an addendum, the document of Ban Cheng transferring half of his shares. But this transfer document was highly deceiving. ced there, it was to make the elders believe that Ban Cheng had long allocated half of his shares as free-floating stock. Perhaps out of pride, the elders did not scrutinize the origin of the transfer document and suggested one after another to relinquish half of their own shares as well. Experience new stories on empire Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Ban Cheng immediately prepared the contracts. Chapter 345 Sold at a Sky-High Price Second day, nine in the morning. Chen Yu was sitting in the office on the top floor of the building, staring intently at the screen of hisptop. The moment the stock market opened, his fingers were already positioned on the keyboard. All the floating shares put out werepletely bought by Chen Yu in no time. With this move, the privately heldpany of Chen Yu and Huang Ban Cheng now held more than fifty-three percent of Xiangyun Restaurant''s shares. At the same time, the funds that Chen Yu injected into Xiangyun Restaurant''s concept stocks exceeded the original pricing, causing its floating shares to be priced at a premium. That is to say, Xiangyun Restaurant had to issue more floating shares. In fact, Chen Yu was merely exploiting loopholes present during the listing of concept stocks. During this period, there would be a protection phase for the stocks based on some rules of the stock and financial markets, where the excess premium must be covered by issuing additional shares. In the office on the top floor of Xiangyun Restaurant, all the veterans had assembled early, eager to see by how much their worth would multiply after the listing of their concept stock. However, to their surprise, even though all the floating stocks were sold out after the listing, there was not the slightest change in the share price. "Ban Cheng, what''s going on? Logically, since all the stocks have been sold out, the share price should at least double. Why is there no movement at all now?" Huang Ban Cheng had already discussed the countermeasures with Chen Yu and, excited, he rushed to therge screen. "Everyone, ording to the rules of the stock market, our share price will double in less than an hour. We need to release more floating shares now. I am willing to contribute all my remaining shares." These words immediately caused a hugemotion at the scene. Most of these people had outdated thinking. Although they knew the stock market could make money, they did not understand the specific rules involved. Discover hidden tales at empire Hearing what Huang Ban Cheng said, many became impulsive, with some even considering giving away all their shares as well. But still, some people remained calm, knowing that shares are more powerful when held in hand, waiting for the share price to change was the real deal. For a while, many people were hesitant, but Huang Ban Cheng didn''t care so much and just pretended to type on the keyboard for a bit. "Done, I have sold all the shares I had." Now, many people started to feel uneasy. Although all their shares had been sold, they still had ownership in thepany. As long as the share price would rise in the end, they could still sell the equity at a sky-high price. Instantly, half of the people sold all their shares. Indeed, once all the shares were sold out, the share price immediately began to climb rapidly. Everyone in the office became excited. After all, they were old and didn''t want to waste time at Xiangyun Restaurant. If they could get enough money, it would allow them to live the rest of their lives infort. At this moment, Chen Yu was sitting in front of theputer, typing rapidly on the keyboard. He had just sold all the shares he controlled. In the beginning, the share price soared exponentially, nearly quintupling, but then was abruptly cut in half, and afterwards steadily declined until it was even less than half of the original price. Without much hesitation, Chen Yu bought back all the previously released shares at the lowest price just before the market was about to close for the night.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om All the veterans of Xiangyun Restaurant were sitting dumbfounded in the office, faces filled with gloom. "What on earth happened? It was all fine this morning, howe it plummeted so much by afternoon?" Many of the veterans were outraged, now the price was even lower than before the market opened. Ban Cheng hummed, "I told everyone to sell all their shares this morning, but you didn''t listen. What''s the use of regretting now?" With those words, everyone fell silent. The price had already quintupled that morning. Those who sold then had earned enough money for their retirement. Even though they had to sell all their stock and the equity had to be taken back due to contract issues, they werepletely satisfied. Those who hesitated to sell their shares were now filled with regret. What they held in their hands now was essentially worthless paper, utterly useless. Ban Cheng sat in his chair, his expression indifferent. "Seniors, it was you who proposed listing Xiangyun Restaurant on the stock market. So why, when it actually happened, is everyone still so hesitant? Now that it hase to this, do you mean to me me?" Some of the veterans got up leisurely. "Ban Cheng! That''s a bit harsh to say. Where do we have the idea of ming you?" "We no longer have shares in our hands now, and the little bit of equity that we do have left is worthless. Could you see if you can sell it to the restaurant in your own name?" The speaker was eager to sever ties with Xiangyun Restaurant and retire in peace, having just made a tidy profit. Ban Cheng was more than happy to oblige, "No problem, I can sign the contract with you all right now." Saying so, he immediately brought out the contracts he had prepared earlier and ced them before these men. They didn''t even look at them, just signed their names and affixed their seals directly. After signing the contracts, these individuals left without looking back. The rest sat there, faces full of regret, having gained nothing except for the shares they had sold at the original price the day before. Not only had they lost half their shares in Xiangyun Restaurant by now, but the remaining half had also halved in price. Ban Cheng collected the newly signed contracts. "You all should go back first, there may be a turnaround by tomorrow. If you trust me, you can leave the remaining operations to me." After a moment of silence, the remaining veterans left their share contracts behind and walked away. From the beginning to the present, it seemed their excessive interference had led to this oue. Once these men had left, Ban Cheng''s lips twisted into a triumphant smile. Chen Yu was still typing away on the keyboard in his office, needing to n out tomorrow''s schedule to implement at the first opportunity. Just then, a strange noise suddenly arose outside the office. Chen Yu''s fingers abruptly stopped, his eyes full of vignce. [System alert, danger is approaching] Ling Ling had hacked the electromaic induction device earlier and had deduced its operating method. Now, as long as someone approaching carried such a device, Ling Ling could detect their position. The scene outside appeared in Chen Yu''s mind. After all themotion, these people had used suction cups and special devices to appear on the rooftop. He slightly adjusted his breathing and, in a sh, reached the rooftop. Indeed, about a dozen burly men almost simultaneously jumped onto the rooftop from the edge. Chapter 346 Transfer to the Imperial Capital More than a dozen fellows were exceedingly burly, with physical fitness simr to that of the big man fromst night. Moreover, almost all of these people had Western faces, making it obvious they were sent by the Childe Family. Chen Yu''s gaze was icy. Dealing with one person of equal strength had already been extremely difficult, and now there were more than a dozen of them! It seemed the Childe Family wouldn''t rest until they killed him. After slightly adjusting his breathing, Chen Yu slowly stepped back a few paces. He intended to use the few pirs on the rooftop for cover, picking them off one by one. [System Prompt: Host may spend ten thousand points to upgrade the defense system] Chen Yu''s pupils suddenly dted; he hadn''t expected the system to have this function. But the figure of ten thousand points made his heart involuntarily twitch. Since the system''s upgrade, umting points had always been a problem, and saving up ten thousand points was harder than reaching the heavens. He had toiled for so long and had only just a little over thirty thousand points. This would mean spending a third of his points in one go! But the situation was dire; without relying on the system, he was certain to die. "Then what are we waiting for, upgrade it quick!" [Defense system upgraded, entering electronic maniption state] Chen Yu felt a burst of blue-white light prating his mind, and then his body seemed to enter a virtual game, giving rise to an indescribable sense of unreality. In the next moment, the dozen or so assassins surrounding him appeared like NPCs in a game. Their weaknesses and physical characteristics werepletely disyed in Chen Yu''s mind. A sneer curled at the corner of Chen Yu''s mouth as he dashed out like lightning. Within less than three minutes, all those guys were lying on the ground. Chen Yu let out a sigh of relief and stepped onto the shoulder of a big man. "Who is your master?" The big man sneered disdainfully, gave Chen Yu a cold nce, then suddenly bit into a blood capsule in his mouth. The blood capsule seemed to contain extremely potent poison, and in an instant, the big man was breathless. The others were all in the same situation. Before long, more than a dozen people had turned into corpses. Chen Yu''s face paled with shock; he hadn''t expected these people to be so ruthlessly poisonous. These people''s physical fitness was at its peak, almost on par with Chen Yu, and would be heavily relied upon anywhere. To think that in the eyes of the Childe Family, these people were as insignificant as ants, so easily sent to their deaths. Filled with doubts, Chen Yu grabbed a corpse, pulled open its clothing to inspect. After a meticulous examination, he found arge number of needle marks on their bodies, as if they had been injected with something. Chen Yu took a knife from one of them, retrieved some skin tissue as a sample, then called the relevant authorities. Half an hourter, the sound of police sirens rose from the base of the building, and a host of personnel hurried up to the rooftop. "Chen Yu?" The familiar voice made Chen Yu slightly startled, and he looked up to see the person standing before him was Zhou Shengtao. "Captain Zhou? Weren''t you in Suzhou City? Howe you''re in the capital?" Zhou Shengtao burst into a heartyugh, then excitedly patted Chen Yu on the shoulder. "This is all thanks to you. If you hadn''t helped me crack so many major cases, there''s no way I could have been transferred to the capital." Chen Yu was somewhat surprised, it seemed that Zhou Shengtao had been promoted. "Then I''ll be counting on Chief Zhou to take care of me in the future!" Zhou Shengtao waved his hand, "Aren''t you an external staff member as well? Now that you''re opening a shop in the capital, you''re bound to be incorporated here. I should be saying that it''s me who will be under your care." In the midst of their conversation, the people below had already cleaned up the corpse on the rooftop. Chen Yu then returned to his desk. When he made the phone call, he put the skin tissue he had just received into the culture medium, and now the colonies within were growing rapidly. "Xiao Chen, what is this?" Zhou Shengtao asked, puzzled. The culture medium emitted a scent simr to Red Bull, hard to define. Chen Yu didn''t immediately respond, but after a brief test, he analyzed theponents. "It''s a drug simr to a stimnt, only altered to enhance the human body''s potential by a hundredfold." Your next read is at empire "A stimnt?" Zhou Shengtao frowned deeply. Although he had just been transferred to the capital that day, the big fellow caught yesterday and the rted case had already been handed over to him. During the physical examination of the big fellowst night, they also found a strange substance in his body, which seemed to be the stimnt Chen Yu was talking about. "Xiao Chen, from the sound of it, this stimnt seems very powerful. Does that mean the people behind it are also very powerful?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Chen Yu was somewhat surprised, "Didn''t you catch onest night? Didn''t he say anything?" Zhou Shengtao sighed helplessly. "That kid''s as tight-lipped as a stone; we couldn''t pry anything open from him. Moreover, he''s a foreign national. If we can''t find any evidence of his crimes, we must release him after detaining him for forty-eight hours." Chen Yu let out a deep breath. "Chief Zhou might not know, but these people are likely sent by the Childe Family!" "The Childe Family!" Zhou Shengtao was astonished; he had heard of this family, rumored to be the most mysterious capitalist family in the world. "But Xiao Chen, what are they doing here?" Chen Yu pulled up a chair nearby and sat down, "I''m afraid they''re here to kill me." Zhou Shengtao''s face showed shock, "You''ve crossed the Childe Family?" "That''s not quite it!" Chen Yu smiled, "Since Chief Zhou has been transferred to the capital, you must know about the recent Liu Kuohai case." Zhou Shengtao nodded, "I''m aware of it. The case involving this guy is extremelyplicated. We had to establish a professional team, but unfortunately, we didn''t get anything useful out of him." Chen Yu regted his breathing slightly. "If I''m not mistaken, he must have an inseparable connection with the Childe Family. Someone rted to them must being to bail him out." Zhou Shengtao pped his palm emphatically. "You''re spot on. Today alone, at least three groups came to bail out Liu Kuohai, and this guy himself has a foreign nationality, so we''re in a difficult position." Chen Yu handed over the sample he had extracted to Zhou Shengtao. "This should be of some help to your case. Once I''ve dealt with my current situation, I''lle over and report to you immediately." Zhou Shengtao said nothing more and immediately had his subordinates hurriedly take the bodies away. Zhou Shengtao, however, was thest to leave, and on his way out, he surreptitiously slipped a distinctive booklet into Chen Yu''s hand. It contained theplete interrogation process for Liu Kuohai. Chapter 347 Share Distribution Chen Yu was immediately thrilled and quickly sat down to review all the inspection records. Liu Kuohai indeed had an airtight way of speaking; there was not a single w in the inspection records, only an admission of some minor offenses. If this continued, he might be released on bail after forty-eight hours. Chen Yu took a moment to regte his breathing. Currently, Liu Kuohai was not his concern, and as for the Childe Family, they still lurked in the shadows, having not yet shown their faces. He had to settle the matter of Xiangyun Restaurant in the shortest time possible. The next morning, Chen Yu was already in front of hisputer, watching the stock market''s movements. Ban Cheng immediately sold all his stocks at market opening at nine o''clock. At the same time, Chen Yu swiftly moved to buy up all the shares that Ban Cheng had released. By this point, the entire stock of Xiangyun Restaurant waspletely under the control of the sole proprietorship established by Chen Yu and Ban Cheng. Chen Yu let out a long sigh of relief, immediately located the contract he had prepared earlier, and headed straight to the top floor of Xiangyun Restaurant. Ban Cheng had already been anxiously waiting in his office. As soon as Chen Yu walked in, Ban Cheng immediately greeted him and ced a portion of the documents on the table. "Mr. Chen, we don''t have much time; those old fes wille to check the situation before too long," Chen Yu didn''t say much, simply spread out the documents he brought on the table, and then both men quickly signed and sealed them. Once all the procedures werepleted, a series of hurried footsteps sounded at the door. Chen Yu immediately dodged, hiding behind arge screen. "Ban Cheng, how did it go? Did we get a good price for our stocks?" Ban Cheng immediately weed them with a smile and pushed the newly signed contract in front of the crowd. "Gentlemen, all you need to do is sign these contracts, and then you can receive the money from selling your shares. I guarantee it''s a good price," Without any hesitation, the people immediately signed their names, not even ncing at the contracts. These old fellows were already impatient, eager to get their money for retirement and couldn''t care less about these empty formalities. After they had signed the contracts, Ban Cheng directly brought out aptop andpleted thest part of the transaction. A significant amount of money immediately transferred to the elders'' hands; when they saw their bnces, their faces instantly darkened. "Ban Cheng, what on earth is going on? Howe the share price is still the same as yesterday?" The smile instantly vanished from Ban Cheng''s face. "Uncles and elders, you have spent enough time at Xiangyun Restaurant, made numerous contributions, and it''s time for you to retire and enjoy your remaining years," The people were taken aback for a moment, subconsciously looking at the contracts they had just signed. When they clearly saw the content of the contracts, they immediately became agitated. "Ban Cheng, you dare to trick us! Do you realize that what you''re doing is fraud?" Ban Cheng didn''t care much about that, pulling over a chair to sit down in. "I have already exhausted my duties and obligations to you all. If you feel the money you''ve received is too little, I can add more, but I hope you will no longer interfere with the matters of Xiangyun Restaurant," Although these words were spoken gently, the ruthless intent they carried sent a chill through the spine of the elders. Before this, Ban Cheng had always appeared to bepliant, but now he was unexpectedly ruthless and resolute. "No, your shares are among them too, and now it seems that all the shares of Xiangyun Restaurant have been sold. What will you use to control the restaurant?" Ban Cheng let out a heartyugh and then took out a business license, throwing it in front of everyone. "I had long established a sole proprietorship. All of the shares and equity of the restaurant were bought by this enterprise. As of now, I control fifty-one percent of Xiangyun Restaurant''s shares." The veteran members all wore faces of astonishment, staring at Ban Cheng with a strange look. Continue your adventure at empire "What do you mean? Where''s the remaining forty-nine percent of the shares?" "They''re with me!" Chen Yu stepped out from behind the big screen, "I had signed an agreement with Boss Ban a long time ago. Now, the two of us have real-time control over Xiangyun Restaurant." The veterans in the room couldn''t help but breathe more rapidly. They had never dreamed Ban Cheng would collude with an outsider to cheat them. Ban Cheng slowly stood up, his face full of contempt. "The fixed assets under your names have all been separated from Xiangyun Restaurant. I won''t pursue that matter. Given the current situation, I canpletely take back the fixed assets in your hands through legal means." The crowd dared not say anything more; they could only swallow their anger and leave one after another. Chen Yu also breathed a sigh of relief, moved over a chair, and sat next to Ban Cheng. "Boss Ban, starting from today we are truly partners. However, I would like to hand over the entire management of Xiangyun Restaurant to you." Ban Cheng''s pupils suddenly dted; he had thought that Chen Yu, upon acquiring the shares, would progressively encroach on Xiangyun Restaurant. He hadn''t expected Chen Yu to be so generous. "Mr. Chen, are you really willing to hand over the management rights to me?" Chen Yu nodded. "Right now, Xiangyun Restaurant is controlled by our personal sole proprietorships. Logically, management rights should be evenly split between us, but there is a regtion that allows us individuals to decide on the actual distribution of equity and shares." Ban Cheng''s breathing immediately quickened; he was, of course, clear about this regtion. Before this, he had prepared himself to negotiate with Chen Yu, using this very regtion as his basis. "May I ask how Mr. Chen would like to distribute it?" Chen Yu directly took out a prepared contract from the side. "Regarding equity, we''ll stick to the sole proprietorship, fifty-fifty. As for the shareholdings, you get sixty-four percent and I take thirty-six percent!" Ban Cheng''s mouth formed an ''O''; this was essentially transferring the lion''s share of the profits to him. He knew that the properties in the building opposite were already under Chen Yu''s control. He could totally im arger share of the equity based on that building. "Mr. Chen, did I hear you wrong?" Chen Yu smiled faintly: "Besides, I will also send a professional management team to spearhead Xiangyun Restaurant. Thebination of both our features, with no distinction between primary and secondary, its operational model is entirely up to you to be in charge of." Ban Cheng swallowed hard: "Do you mean to say that I''ll have full control over the building across the street as well?"N?v(el)B\\jnn Chen Yu pushed the contract forward. "Boss Ban, you can look at the contract yourself! I''ve written all the uses already. If there are no issues, then please sign." Ban Cheng, unable to contain his excitement, took the contract, nced over it quickly, and then signed his name before stamping it with his seal. Chapter 348 348 The entire building was already in ce, so there was not much effort put into the decorations. In a few days, it could be merged with Xiangyun Restaurant and operated simultaneously. Chen Yu slightly tidied up the documents in hand and packed them to hand over to Tong Ya. As for the follow-up matters, he let Tong Ya negotiate with Huang Ban Cheng. Having arranged everything, Chen Yu bought a ticket to ska. ska, located between the Arctic Circle and the subarctic climate zone, is covered with snow and ice all year round and is a rare tourist destination. Every year in the height of summer, arge number of peoplee here to escape the heat. And thisnd has a particrly special ce, which is the stronghold of the Childe Family. No sooner had Chen Yu disembarked from the ne than he went straight to a restaurant. The system had already recorded the electronic sensing devices carried by the assassins of the Childe Family. Therefore, it could quickly determine whether there were any members of the Childe Family here. On the second floor of the restaurant, in a corner by the window. Three tall men were quietly eating steaks. They seemed to be on some special mission, maintaining a high level of alertness even while dining.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Chen Yu walked straight over and sat down beside the three of them. The three men immediately became alert, their hands reaching towards the weapons at their waists. "What''s the panic? I''m just here to ask what the three of you are doing here?" Chen Yu''s tone was extremely rxed, casually taking out a badge from his body and cing it on the table. The badge, which had been taken from an assassin of the Childe family, now came in handy. The three men indeed rxed their guard and pushed a pint of beer towards Chen Yu. "Brother, you look unfamiliar. Are you new here?" Chen Yu nodded, "Came for a special mission, was told to protect a key person, but headquarters didn''t give me any specifics, told me to wait here." The three men pointed towards a private room not far away. "It''s over there, the fifth young master of the Childe Family, Luo Ming!" Chen Yu tilted his head to look inside the room and indeed saw a man in his twenties or thirties, excitedly nestled among a few women. "Thanks, guys!" A hint of excitement shed across Chen Yu''s face, and then with a swift movement of his fingers, the three men''s bodies jerked as if electrocuted, slumping straight onto the table. Without any hesitation, he quickly entered the private room. The man in the room was startled and got up in a rush. "Who are you? How did you get in here? Do you have a death wish?" The man shouted and grabbed a wine bottle from the table, smashing it down harshly. Chen Yu''s expression remained indifferent, casually taking a seat on the sofa nearby. "Why are you so worked up, Mr. Luo Ming? I''m simply here to discuss business with you." Luo Ming couldn''t help frowning and instinctively looked towards the door, noticing that his three bodyguards were already sprawled on the table, deepening the concern on his face. "Since it''s about business, why attack my bodyguards?" Chen Yu casually poured himself a ss of champagne. "They were too annoying and might have interfered with our conversation." Luo Ming seemed to realize something, his breathing bingbored. He held the broken bottle, slowly moving to the side as if to take the opportunity tounch a surprise attack. Chen Yu had seen through his every move. As Luo Ming was preparing to act, Chen Yu''s body suddenly moved forward like lightning, seizing him by the throat. "It seems that young master Luo Ming is not willing to have a proper conversation with me. In that case, let''s change our approach," Chen Yu said. The tone of Chen Yu''s voice took on a menacing edge as he delivered a punch to Luo Ming''s abdomen, before mming him against the table. "I would like to ''borrow'' a sum of money from the Childe family, the kind that doesn''t have to be repaid, of course." Luo Ming clenched his teeth, breathing heavily. "I get it, you''re in the business of making money without capital. It''s just a pity you''ve got the wrong person. The moment you step out of this door, I can assure you, millions will rip you to pieces." Chen Yu chuckled, "Is that so? Then I really must witness this." With that, Chen Yu picked up the microphone nearby andmanded the system to reroute the room''s lines. "All members of the Childe family, listen up. Your fifth young master is in my hands. If you want him to leave here unharmed, get ready to cough up a hundred billion immediately!" His domineering voice spread rapidly through the loudspeakers, and before long, the surrounding district indiscriminately received this message. Countless assassins and bodyguards began to emerge from the urban area and converged towards this location. A nce revealed there were actually a thousand people! The Childe family truly lived up to its reputation as the world''s number one capital; just for the protection of a fifth young master, so many people were mobilized. Chen Yu took a moment to steady his breathing and then casually walked out of the restaurant with Luo Ming. The bodyguards surrounding the area immediately became tense, their gazes all locking onto Chen Yu. "Kid, I advise you to let go of the young master quickly. Otherwise, you''re going to regret it," one bodyguard threatened. "I hope you have enough sense to realize that if you don''t, this day next year will be the anniversary of your death." "Daring to mess with the Childe family, you must be tired of living," another chimed in. ... The crowd''s incessant chatter was extremely noisy. Chen Yu had no interest in dealing with them, simply leading Luo Ming to the top of the restaurant''s building. Who knows how long it took, but helicopters began to arrive at the top of the building. Two men d in tailored suits were quickly dispatched to the roof. "Sir, we are negotiation experts from the Childe family. We hope you can see reason and release young master Luo Ming promptly. As for your demands, we will try our best to amodate them." Chen Yu snorted coldly, "You two are just dogs kept by the Childe family. Your promises mean nothing. Get someone from your family over here immediately, otherwise, I''ll tear up the ticket right now." The Childe family, after all, was the strongest capital in the world, and it was incredibly difficult to meet their head of the family. Enjoy new tales from empire Even families like William''s and Charlie''s might not be able to reach the core of the Childe family. Chen Yu could only employ this extreme tactic in the hope of meeting their true person in charge. The two negotiation experts suddenly became frantic. Before they could advance, two pebbles flew out, piercing through their shoulders. As screams erupted, the two men fell to the ground, and then a few fully armed individuals descended from the helicopter and took the wounded negotiators away. After an indeterminate amount of time, another helicopter appeared in the sky. This helicopter didn''t circle as the previous ones had; itnded directly on the roof. A somewhat overweight middle-aged man slowly descended from the helicopter. He was holding a cigar, wearing sunsses, and looked somewhat greasy. However, his every movement exuded inexorable authority, making it apparent he was no ordinary figure. Even if this man wasn''t the head of the Childe family, he was undoubtedly an indispensable pir within the family. Chapter 349 349 ``` "Sir, what grievance does your Childe Family have with me to kidnap my brother?" The tone in which this man spoke was filled with a murderous intent, clearly showing he was a decisive killer. Yet, Chen Yu didn''t give in at all, and there was even a flicker of disdain in his eyes. "And who are you exactly? You should at least report your name beforeing up here." The man clenched his teeth, wishing he could tear Chen Yu into thousands of pieces. "My name is Russell Childe, the third eldest in my family." A sly smile shed across Chen Yu''s face as he quickly rushed forward. Before the people on the ne could react, Russell was already grabbed and brought next to Luo Ming. The brothers were tied up by Chen Yu and tossed aside. Despair and shock filled their eyes; they never dreamed that someone would dare to kidnap members of the Childe Family. And to kidnap two at once! In a high tower not far away, an old man sat there trembling, leaning on a cane. "What''s happening? How is this person in Asgard? Haven''t all the assassins I sent out failed to kill him?" The people beside him were silent as the grave, none daring to utter a word. After a long silence, the old man suddenly stood up. "Call for a helicopter, and get me there immediately!" The people nearby rushed to stop him. "Sir, you are the core of the entire Childe Family; you cannot put yourself in danger so recklessly." The old man didn''t care; he pushed away the people beside him and personally called for a helicopter. Atop the restaurant rooftop, Chen Yu cleverly used the two brothers'' bodies to shield himself tightly. Even if the other side wanted to use special means to kill him, it would be impossible. Before long, another helicopternded on the rooftop, and an old man with a cane slowly walked out from inside. "Kid, you wanted to see me, here I am. Let my sons go." Chen Yu slightly tilted his head. "Are you Fox Childe?" Fox nodded his head, "I didn''t expect you young fellow to recognize me. Tell me, what do you really want?" Chen Yu slowly rose to his feet. "I don''t want much, I just want to ask Mr. Fox in person why you have sent so many people after me to kill me?" Fox took two more steps forward, "You took something you shouldn''t have taken. As a member of the Childe Family, it is necessary for me to step in and teach you a lesson." The corner of Chen Yu''s mouth curved into a strange arc, and his body shed like lightning in front of Fox, grabbing his shoulder. "As a return gift, shouldn''t I also give a scare to a member of the Childe Family?" Fox''s pupils suddenly dted; he hadn''t expected Chen Yu''s speed to be so fast that he was already within reach in the blink of an eye. "What exactly do you want to do?" This tone carried a hint of panic, the experienced head of the Childe Family was actually flustered in front of Chen Yu. "I''m here to settle a matter with your Childe Family. May I have the honor of sharing a drink with you?" Chen Yu''s palm exerted a slight force, causing Fox to cry out in pain. ``` "Of course you can!" The two didn''t linger long on the rooftop and headed down the restaurant together. The entire restaurant had already been cleared out, leaving only some self-service robots. Chen Yu popped open a bottle of champagne and poured a ss for each of them. "Brother, sending out a hitman was indeed a bit abrupt on our part, but Liu Kuohai is an important agent for us in the East. Taking him down has put us in a difficult position." Fox was well aware of his predicament, knowing that, with Chen Yu''s skills, it would take mere minutes to end his life. No wonder sending out so many hitmen failed to kill him. Chen Yu swirled the champagne in his ss. "Seems like Liu Kuohai was taken down for vitingws over there, right? It doesn''t have much to do with me; you could say that you didn''t choose your people wisely, picking such a fellow to be in charge." Fox sighed helplessly. Their business direction had always been in the West, where they controlled the capitals of Wall Street. The Eastern piece of the cake had long been divided up by others, making it incredibly difficult for them to infiltrate; their only option was to find an agent. Before Liu Kuohai, they had considered many candidates, but those candidates eithercked business acumen or were disobedient. After much thought, they reluctantly settled on Liu Kuohai.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Who knew it would turn into such a mess! Moreover, their only foothold in the East had been snatched away by Chen Yu, which was a real headache for them. Discover hidden tales at empire "Brother, I see you''re a real talent! How about we let bygones be bygones? The Childe Family will appoint you as the person in charge in the East, where you''ll haveplete control over all the operations there. As for the profits, forty percent is yours!" Chen Yu casually rotated the ss in his hand. "I''m not interested in being your agent. If we''re to do this, let''s be partners!" Fox''s pupils dted abruptly; he hadn''t expected Chen Yu''s ambition to be so great. In the Western world, anyone who did business with the Childe Family had to put the Childe Family first. They could never be partners! Otherwise, it would be a direct challenge to the Childe Family''s authority. Fox took a moment to regain hisposure and sipped his champagne lightly. "Being partners is not impossible, but I''m not sure if you have the strength for it, brother. At the very least, you should have a wholly-owned private enterprise under yourplete control." Chen Yu chuckled, "That I certainly have. This trip to Arga is precisely for the expansion of the market here. If we could cooperate with the Childe Family, that would be more than ideal." Fox drained his ss of champagne. At this point, he had topromise. "Alright, I can agree to a partnership, but my two sons are still trapped on the rooftop; I hope you can let them go." When they hade down earlier, although Luo Ming and Russell Childe were out of Chen Yu''s control, they were both unable to move as if magic had been cast upon them. Chen Yu, with an unhurried demeanor, took out a contract from his person and mmed it on the table. "Mr. Fox, please sign this contract first. Otherwise, those two will remain like that for the rest of their lives." Fox sighed in resignation, nced over the contract briefly, and signed it. This was a proposal for cooperation between the two parties; it did not have specific uses but was intended to cement the cooperation n. The document was legally binding, requiring both parties to reach cooperation within the specified time or pay a penalty for breach of contract. After Fox stamped the seal, Chen Yu apanied him back to the rooftop and lightly tapped on the bodies of Luo Ming and Russell Childe. The brothers, who had been rigid just moments ago, immediately rxed. Russell even jumped up and down subconsciously to feel the condition of his body. Chapter 350 Delaying Time ```Chen Yu didn''t leave but continued to follow Fox. After all, the Childe Family is a capital giant, and where there is capital, there is blood.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om He couldn''t guarantee that the Childe Family wouldn''t pursue him after he left. Once Fox confirmed that his two children were safe, he breathed a sigh of relief and then left the restaurant with Chen Yu. Not far from there stood an ancient castle that sprawled over ten thousand acres. Calling it ancient was a stretch, as it had only been built some two hundred years ago. It was a private property of the Childe Family. The interior was decoratedvishly, akin to a pce, even the security guards at the entrance were specially trained. Chen Yu simply followed Fox straight into the castle and sat down in a rtively spacious hall. Fox understood what Chen Yu wanted, so he dared not go too far and merely gestured for a servant to open a bottle of wine. "Mr. Chen, it is a supreme honor for the entire Childe Family to cooperate with you! I hope we will have a pleasant coboration," he said. Chen Yu didn''t reach for a ss but just nodded his head slightly before slowly standing up and heading straight to the second floor. Everyone present was confused, not knowing what Chen Yu was nning to do. Before they could react, a scream came from the second floor, and a rather sturdy figure was thrown down forcefully. All eyes widened as they hurried forward to check and discovered that it was the eldest young master of the Childe Family, Luohao Childe! Fox quickly stood up, his eyes filled withplex emotions. "You little bastard, still eating that stuff. I''ve told you, it''s from theboratory and not to be consumed. Why can''t you kick this habit?" Fox said, his words tinged with a sense of frustration and disappointment. Then, several doctors rushed out hastily and subdued Luohao. They immediately injected him with a sedative. Chen Yu observed for a while before pushing aside the doctors and grasping Luohao''s neck, slowly moving his hand downward. No one knew what Chen Yu was about to do, but they did not dare to stop him, having already witnessed his capabilities. After roughly a minute, Luohao''s body suddenly convulsed violently before spitting out a red and yellow liquid. Upon contact with the floor, this substance demonstrated a potent corrosive ability, literally burning arge hole in the flooring. It was baffling how Luohao had managed to ingest such a thing! While everyone was concerned, Luohao unexpectedly stood up perfectly fine, and the hazy look he had earlier vanished without a trace. "My God! Mr. Chen, you can actually cure this illness!" Fox''s breathing became rapid; this drug was something they developed specifically to treat schizophrenia. After clinical trials, the results looked very promising, but it had one side effect ¨C the user could easily develop a dependency. Given that it was a drug for treating schizophrenia, if the dosage was too high, it could potentially cause irreversible damage to the human brain. Not only could it worsen schizophrenia, but it might also lead to other mental disorders. Something had happened when Luohao was young, which made his mental state extremely unstable. Therefore, Fox ordered the establishment of a dedicated department within the Childe Family to research this miracle drug.``` Although the research had yielded results, new problems had arisen before them. Chen Yu seemed to be extremely familiar with the issue, and merely by examining Luohao''s body, he understood the crux of the problem. After forcing the mixed liquid out of Luohao''s stomach, he took out several needles and began to prick them into his body. Before long, Luohao''s obese body turned into a hedgehog. Fox, after all the head of the Childe family, naturally knew what Chen Yu was doing and therefore did not interrupt. "Alright, the toxins in Young Master Luohao''s body have beenpletely cleared. As for the disease in his head, that might be a bit more tricky. If Mr. Fox trusts me, I can treat him, but the process will take some time, perhaps a month." Fox immediately became excited. Luohao was, after all, his eldest son, who had been deranged from a young age. If Luohao could bepletely cured without side effects, he couldn''t ask for more. "Of course you can! Whatever Mr. Chen needs, I''ll arrange it right away!" Chen Yu pointed to thergest room on the second floor. "Give me that room, and also help me find some medicinal materials!" Fox nodded repeatedly: "None of these are a problem, I''ll go handle them immediately." A weird curve suddenly formed on the corner of Chen Yu''s mouth, and then he took out the previous contract. "In addition, I hope that during my treatment period, the terms on the contract can be fulfilled as soon as possible! The Fox Family must connect with the Tong Family from the Imperial Capital in the shortest time." By this time, Fox could no longer care about the finer details. Not to mention fulfilling the contractual terms, he would have no issue even giving away a portion of the Childe family''s shares. "Mr. Chen, rest assured, I can arrange these matters as quickly as possible!" Chen Yu said no more, but instructed the two medics beside him to carry Luohao to the second-floor room. Upon entering the room, Chen Yu took a syringe of anesthetic from the medical box nearby and injected it into Luohao. The medicine developed by the Childe Family was in fact miraculous and had already cured Luohao''s ailments to a certain extent. However, the man had developed a dependency on the medication, and excessive use had led to such consequences. All that was needed was to eliminate this dependency. In other words, Luohao had already been cured back in the first-floor hall. The reason for the one-month timeframe was to allow the Childe Family to negotiate with the Tong Family and quicklyplete the capital integration. In the following period, the Childe Family people were bustling about busily. They had to fulfill all the strange requests posed by Chen Yu and also try their best to draft the most perfect contract for cooperation with the Tong Family. Many western magnates and Wall Street capitals were stirred up, thinking that the Childe Family was up to something big. Even economic experts speciallypiled a so-called forecasting n. While everyone was busy, Chen Yu sat leisurely in the room, ying games with ease. He only needed to ensure Luohao''s safety now. Just then, a rush of knocking came from outside the door, and Fox barged in hurriedly. "Mr. Chen, do you have a moment now?" Chen Yu frowned: "I do have some time before this bottle of nutrient solution for Young Master Luohao runs out!" Fox immediately became excited and hurriedly stepped forward to grasp Chen Yu''s arm. Chapter 351 Mixed Toxicity "Mydy suddenly fell ill with a strange disease, lying motionless in bed, continuously spitting out a dark ck liquid from her mouth¡­" Fox blurted out all the symptoms his wife had! Chen Yu was greatly shocked, as the symptoms were incredibly bizarre and his medical knowledge had no record of such a case or anything simr. However, since he had encountered it, he couldn''t just stand by and watch. He quickly followed Fox to the room next door. A beautiful woman in her early thirties was lying on the bed, her body convulsing non-stop. Not only was she spitting out a dark ck liquid from her mouth, but her body surface was also covered with dense, ck lines. A few doctors were at a loss, next to them a trolley already piled with used needles and empty vials. It seemed they had already employed all avable treatments. The situation was frightening, enough to scare anyone, and even Chen Yu froze for a moment. After adjusting his breathing briefly, Chen Yu hurried forward and grasped the woman''s pulse. It must be said, this woman was incredibly enchanting; even in such a state, she had a uniquely alluring charm. No wonder Fox was so worried. It didn''t take long for Chen Yu to determine the woman was poisoned with apound toxin. The toxin had long since invaded her viscera, wreaking havoc, and traditional medical methods were simply incapable of curing her. Exhaling a breath of turbid air, Chen Yu took a scalpel from nearby and cut open the patient''s abdomen. All the organs inside had turned a dark purple-ck color, truly horrifying! Chen Yu quickly inspected the internal condition of the patient and immediately wrote a prescription, handing it to the nurse beside him. "Get me these medicines within three minutes, or there will be no saving her!" The nurse didn''t dare dy, grabbing the prescription and rushing out the door. In just two minutes, she came back carrying an assortment of bottles and jars. Chen Yu had already removed a small part of the woman''s liver and began preparing the medication immediately as the nurse brought the drugs. He then crushed the liver into powder and mixed it with the medication. After the mixture was ready, he quickly distributed the liquid evenly throughout the patient''s body. Your journey continues at empire The liver is the only organ in the body with the ability to self-repair, leveraging special secretions and the stimnt properties in the other medicines to maximize this regenerative capacity. Moreover, since it was the patient''s own liver, there was no risk of rejection. After quickly suturing the patient''s abdominal wound, Chen Yu took out silver needles and continuously pricked the patient''s body. About five minutester, the patient began to cough violently, incessantly vomiting a foul-smelling, viscous substance from her mouth. In less than a minute, she had vomited almost half a basinful. Seizing the opportunity, Chen Yu took several bottles from the medicines delivered, mixed them together, and rudely poured them into the patient''s mouth. Although the treatment process appeared extraordinarily brutal, the patient''s condition miraculously began to improve. The dense lines on her body started to dissipate quickly. Fox was trembling with fear and astonishment as he watched, and if it weren''t for his absolute trust in Chen Yu''s medical skills, he would have intervened long ago. "From now on, just take the medicine on time and rest well, and she will recover in less than a month!" Chen Yu said, wiping his hands casually, lookingpletely unperturbed. It seemed to him that what had just transpired was no more than a trivial matter. Fox nodded repeatedly and quickly stepped forward to embrace the patient in his arms. Before he could speak, Chen Yu suddenly touched his arm. "Mr. Fox, my main reason foring here was to treat your son; shouldn''t your wife pay me a little for the medical care?" asked Chen Yu. At this moment, Fox didn''t say much and immediately took out a banknote from his person. Chen Yu took it and saw to his surprise that it was an entire billion, and even more, it was in green currency! That would be seven billion when converted! True to the Childe Family''s patriarch''s reputation, his generosity was immense. After silently marveling to himself, Chen Yu left the room directly, as there wasn''t much left for him to do here. Just as he had stepped out of the sickroom, a cold light suddenly struck from behind. A burly middle-aged man appeared, wielding a knight''s longsword, and brought it down fiercely. Chen Yu moved swiftly, dodging and simultaneously reaching out to grasp the longsword. "I truly didn''t expect that someone from the Childe Family would attempt to kill me; if I''m not mistaken, the person who sent you here is the same one who poisoned thatdy, isn''t it?" said Chen Yu. A look of terror suddenly appeared in the man''s eyes; he hadn''t anticipated Chen Yu''s deduction to be so precise. Before he could react, the longsword in his hands was crushed into powder. The next instant, Chen Yu had grabbed his neck and began to apply pressure slowly. Fox had heard themotion outside and rushed out to see what was happening. When he saw the man, he was momentarily startled. "Why are you here? Why did you attack Mr. Chen?" he demanded. The man''s breathing became rapid, as he had thought a single move would be enough to kill Chen Yu, never expecting such an oue. "Mr. Fox, I won''t say anything, please just kill me," the man pleaded. Fox snorted coldly, "Do you really think I wouldn''t dare to kill you? Tell me, did that wretched woman send you?" The man''s eyes widened, and a mysterious rage appeared on his face. "Mr. Fox, that''s still yourwful wife; how can you insult her like this?" he protested. Fox''s own breathing becamebored as he pped the man''s face and then violently kicked him in the abdomen. The man fell to the ground, writhing in agony. "You think I don''t know it was you who had an affair with that wretched woman. You even had the shamelessness toe here and target Mr. Chen. If I don''t kill you today, I can no longer hold my head up as the head of the family," Fox raged. Ovee with emotion, Fox drew a dagger from the wall, ready to take action. The man was startled and quickly knelt on the floor. "Uncle, I did it all for your sake," he pleaded. Chen Yu''s mouth dropped open at the scene; he hadn''t expected the internal rtions of the Childe Family to be so chaotic.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Though many wealthy families often dealt with various scandalous rumors, the volume of information here was simply too much for even Chen Yu to absorb. He didn''t linger and turned to return to the adjacent room. Just as Chen Yu opened the door, a dark figure flickered at the window and then disappeared without a trace. Chen Yu was startled and hurriedly went to check on Luo Hao''s condition. Chapter 352 Huang Family Forces the Throne There were no obvious changes to Luo Hao, except for the addition of a special knife beside him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om It must have been left here in haste by the figure that had rushed by earlier. Chen Yu immediately became vignt, cautiously surveyed the surroundings, and then leaned over the window to look down. Everything had happened too quickly earlier, and since the shadow had shed by, it hadn''t left any clear traces. Chen Yu slightly adjusted his breathing and returned to Luo Hao''s bedside to check on his condition. Once sure there were no problems, he moved over a chair and sat down. Right now, the most important thing for him was to buy time. As long as he could get the Tong Family and the Childe Family to connect, they could establish a real capital center in the Imperial City. Based on this, the Tong Family could expand worldwide. In not too much time, perhaps the Tong Family could surpass the Childe Family in most aspects and even rece their position. The following month passed without any unexpected events, with everything seeming very calm. On thest day, Chen Yu removed all the anesthesia from Luo Hao, allowing him to regain consciousness. The moment Luo Hao awoke, Fox stood in front of the bed, extremely excited, and gripped Chen Yu''s arm, shaking it nonstop. "Mr. Chen, I didn''t expect that in one month at my ce, you''d save two lives of our family. I don''t know how to thank you! Rest assured, I will strictly fulfill the contract we signed before, and I will also increase the capital investment." Chen Yu was somewhat surprised. He had not expected Fox to make such a promise to him, especially since the Childe Family was the world''s top capitalist family, one that never lightly made promises to anyone. "Then let me thank you in advance, Mr. Fox!" After exchanging a few pleasantries, Chen Yu left directly. The Fox Family all but rolled out the red carpet for Chen Yu, even offering their family''s private ne for his use. All the media reporters who had rushed to the airport, as well as many Wall Street tycoons, were utterly shocked by the sight before them. They had never seen the Childe Family give anyone such treatment, let alone an Easterner. As soon as Chen Yu boarded the ne, a blue-white glow emanated from him, enveloping the entire aircraft. Besides the key equipment in the cockpit, all other electronic information devices werepletely shielded. Then, a multitude of information appeared in his mind. While treating Luo Hao, Chen Yu had discovered that besides the medicine for mental illness, there were other drug residues in his body. Although these medicines were greatly beneficial to the human body, an excessive dosage could be counterproductive. Enjoy more content from empire After analyzing theponents of these medicines, Chen Yu, with the help of the system, located the factory where the Childe Family developed their pharmaceuticals. For several nights, he sneaked into the factory under the cover of darkness and collected all their data. The system was now using this data,bined with traditional Chinese medical theory, to develop more effective medicines. If he could turn these medicines into a kind of system, he could upy arge share of the medical market. Chen Yu briefly analyzed the information in his mind and then turned off the shielding. If this state continued too long, it would alert others, and besides, those who could pilot for the Childe Family were no ordinary people. Apanying the private ne was a private air route, so the entire flight was incredibly smooth, and theynded in the capital in less than three hours. In a business clubhouse in the northern suburbs of the capital, all the patriarchs of Xiangyun Restaurant sat there with gloomy faces. Huang Ban Cheng, sitting at the head of the table, cradled his chin in one hand, his face solemn. "I''ve already made it very clear to all of you before," he said, "there is no contractual rtionship between us." "If you allck retirement funds, I can give them to you, but if you''re here to force me to give up my shares, then please leave." His words were very tactful, yet the old patriarchs didn''t listen, still staring fixedly at Huang Ban Cheng, with even one elder taking out a curved knife from his waist and cing it on the table. "Ban Cheng, we watched you grow up," one of them said. "We all thought you were a very honest and filial child, but you''ve gone too far in doing such a thing!" Huang Ban Cheng kept a level expression on his face and pulled out several contracts from his possession and ced them on the table. "All the contracts between us were already signed," he said, calm and clear. "It clearly states that you no longer have any ties to Xiangyun Restaurant, and all your shares have been transferred to me. Therefore, you have no right to dictate to me." "Haha!" another patriarchughed wildly, "Boy, don''t forget you have no children yet. If you die here today, everyone present is entitled to a share of your inheritance!" Huang Ban Cheng was taken aback; he had not expected the patriarchs to say such a thing. From their aggressive demeanor, he knew that if the negotiations broke down today, violence would follow immediately. "The elders really are domineering!" Chen Yu''s voice, carrying an undertone of authority, suddenly rang out, and the firmly locked doors were forcefully pushed open. The bodyguards guarding the doorway were sprawled on the ground in disarray, moaning nonstop. Chen Yu shook his fists and casually pulled over a chair to sit down. A few of the patriarchs stood up sharply, pointing shakily at Chen Yu. "You''re too arrogant, young man. Are you bullying us because you think the Huang Family has no one to support it?" Chen Yu had no intention of wasting time with these guys. "I''vee here today to inform you all that Xiangyun Restaurant is about to start aprehensive cooperation with the Tong Family. If you persist in being so aggressive, then you will be opposing the Tong Family." No sooner had he spoken than everyone present was taken aback; while Xiangyun Restaurant was a centuries-old establishment, it was not on the same level in terms of influence and scale as the Tong Family. Moreover, Tong Ming was already a capital tycoon in the capital, and should they stubbornly proceed, they would not be able to ept the eventual consequences. Chen Yu took a moment to regte his breathing and then pulled Huang Ban Cheng to his feet and strode out of the door without anyone daring to stop them. As soon as Huang Ban Cheng stepped outside, he couldn''t hold it in any longer, panting heavily. He had really been scared back there; originally, he thought that the many patriarchs, being rted by blood, would not harm him. But it turned out that these people hade fully prepared to kill him there. If Chen Yu hadn''t arrived in time, he might have been in great danger. No sooner had the two of them left the clubhouse than a car screeched to a halt at the entrance. A few stocky men alighted from the vehicle and encircled Chen Yu and Huang Ban Cheng. Chapter 353 Li Dongcheng "So you''re Huang Ban Cheng?" The leader of the men narrowed his eyes, his murderous intent clear upon his face. Huang Ban Cheng also felt the threat, and subconsciously retreated a few steps. "What do you want to do?" Once these people confirmed Huang Ban Cheng''s identity, they took out a strangely shaped badge from their person. "Our master invites you to a banquet and hopes you will kindlye with us. Otherwise, you can only die here." Huang Ban Cheng seemed to think of something, and his breathing suddenly became rapid. "Are you Li Dongcheng''s men?" The leader nodded and reached out to grab Huang Ban Cheng. Just as he was about to touch Huang Ban Cheng, his body shook rapidly as if electrocuted, and then he fainted. The others immediately became alert, thinking Huang Ban Cheng had a stun gun or some other weapon in his hands. But before they could react, their bodies started convulsing too. In the end, only a skinny man was left standing. He held a rubber club in his hand and had been following the group with an air of arrogance. Now that he was the only one left, his body immediately began to tremble. "Boss, I''m just being paid to do a job. I just came out to earn two or three hundred bucks, please let me go." Chen Yu patted his shoulder with a kind appearance. "No need for this. I just want you to take me to meet Li Dongcheng." Huang Ban Cheng immediately became nervous and grabbed Chen Yu''s arm. "Mr. Chen, Li Dongcheng is the tyrant of the imperial capital. We don''t need to provoke him!" Chen Yu didn''t care about that. Having returned from Agas, he had nned to rest for a while, but as soon as he left the North Suburb Airport, the system alerted him that Huang Ban Cheng was in danger. Now that he had encountered Li Dongcheng, his already poor mood immediately exploded. "If I don''t clear out these jumping clowns, who knows what trouble they might causeter! Don''t worry, I''ll take care of everything." Chen Yuforted Huang Ban Cheng for a moment and then directly picked up the man next to him and got into the car. Although the imperial capital was an international metropolis with a high degree of modern civilization, thework of rtionships within it was incrediblyplex. Various powers were intermixed, and it was easy to offend someone inadvertently. Li Dongcheng had a significant influence on the catering industry in the imperial capital. It was said that hundreds of years ago, his family''s ancestors were the leaders in this line of business. Even now, many people who wanted to set up shop in the imperial capital had to pay tribute to his family, or they would be troubled every other day. The car soon stopped in front of a restaurant. Though it bore the sign of a restaurant, it looked more like an abandoned warehouse that had been unattended for a long time.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Neatly lined up at the entrance were more than a dozen Jinbei vans, but there was no one to be seen. Chen Yu''s eyes shimmered with blue and white light, and a three-dimensional perspective view of the entire restaurant instantly appeared in his mind. The seemingly quiet restaurant was hiding secrets. In the vast hall, what was piled up were not supplies, butrge amounts of steel reinforcement and concrete bs. In the rtively open area in the middle, there stood about twenty people. In their midst, a thin man with a stubbly face sat there, holding a bottle of beer in his hand. "Mr. Chen, maybe we should just let it go. There are only the two of us, and Li Dongcheng is extremely cruel..." "Afraid of what?" Chen Yu directly interrupted, "Haven''t you seen it yet? The elders of the Huang Family have already joined forces with Li Dongcheng. If we don''t take this guy down, Xiangyun Restaurant will never have peace." A firmer resolve glinted in Ban Cheng''s eyes. Without the interference of those elders, Xiangyun Restaurant had gradually gotten back on track, recovering its previous sales volume. At this rate, it wouldn''t be long before Xiangyun Restaurant could truly be the number one old establishment in the imperial capital. Yet the royal elders had been exerting pressure in the shadows, trying to take back their shares and rights. And now they''ve colluded with Li Dongcheng. This was a rhythm set to doom Xiangyun Restaurant forever. "Mr. Chen, from now on I will follow your lead. Whatever you tell me to do, I''ll do it." After expressing his loyalty, Ban Cheng entered the restaurant with Chen Yu. The hall was extremely dim, with only onemp lit in the very center. "Who here is Li Dongcheng, Boss Li?" Chen Yu didn''t waste words and inquired directly upon entering. All eyes in the room immediately locked onto him, especially the person sitting in the center, who reached for a Wolf Fang Club. He seemed drunk or something, his body swaying. "Ban Cheng! You''ve allied with outsiders to kick all of your uncles and elders out, which hundreds of years ago would have been a crime of betraying and destroying lineage and family." "If I don''t break all the joints in your body today, I''m afraid you will forget the iron rules passed down through generations in the imperial capital''s catering industry." Li Dongcheng spoke with great momentum, and to those listening, he would surely seem like the just side. Chen Yu took a moment to adjust his breathing and, with a swift motion, appeared right in front of Li Dongcheng. Before the other man could react, Chen Yu''s punch had already flown out, knocking Li Dongcheng to the ground. The onlooking underlings'' eyes went wide; they had never seen anyone dare to be so brazen. A group of them almost instinctively pulled out weapons from behind to charge forward but unexpectedly, their bodies convulsed simultaneously. The defense system update was indeed useful. Although it looked like an electric baton, thisrge-scale, indiscriminate attack was quite impressive. Li Dongcheng must have sobered up, as he staggered to his feet. When he saw his underlings downed in masses, his breathing became rapid. Many of his men had undergone special training, and yet they had all fallen to the ground in a mere moment. "Who exactly are you?" Li Dongcheng instinctively backed away several steps, his eyes filled with terror. Chen Yu didn''t answer but stepped forward, seizing him by the neck and hoisting his body high. "I never thought the imperial capital still harbored such a scoundrel as you. Now that we''ve met today, you can spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair." Chen Yu lifted his fist and smashed it fiercely into Li Dongcheng''s legs. The crisp sound of bones cracking, apanied by pig-ughter-like screams, resounded chillingly throughout the hall. "From now on, there is no longer a man named Li Dongcheng in the imperial capital!" Chen Yu said disdainfully as he turned to leave. But just as they reached the door, a loud shout suddenly came from behind them. Chapter 354 No Such Person "Who do you think you are, saying it''s not there just because you say so?" The voice carried endless rage, making the air buzz with a humming sound. Chen Yu turned his head, a fairly well-proportioned man emerging from somewhere. He was enveloped in arge amount of purplish-red gas, which seemed highly toxic. [System lock-on, target Li Dongcheng] Chen Yu frowned slightly, realizing that the guy from before was just a decoy. No wonder he looked half-dead! After all, Li Dongcheng was a local tyrant in the imperial capital, how could he be so weak? Wherever the purplish-red gas went, the nearby buildings rapidly decayed into liquid. This guy could actually wrap toxins around his body to attack. That an ordinary person could achieve this was truly astonishing, even Chen Yu was taken aback for a moment. He adjusted his breathing slightly and took two steps forward before raising his fist and throwing a powerful punch. That punch carried a tremendously strong gust of wind, blowing away the purplish-red gas from Li Dongcheng''s body. Chen Yu casually grabbed a handful of purplish-red gas from the air and sniffed it at his nose, discovering it was a mixture of more than two hundred toxins. "Ling Ling, scan this person''s information immediately." Chen Yu instinctively gave an internalmand to the system and kept his gaze fixed on Li Dongcheng. [System analysis confirmed, this person has installed some kind of air dynamics device on the chest] [Utilizing principles of aerodynamics to manipte toxins] [His body has been injected with three hundred and twenty-seven anti-poison vines] Chen Yu suddenly realized, after all thismotion, that was the case; he had thought this guy had mutated. He adjusted his breathing slightly again and his figure dashed over like lightning, delivering a solid punch to the chest. In the end, Li Dongcheng was just an ordinary person,cking both the speed and physical stature topare with Chen Yu. He was merely using the device installed on him to scare others. With that punch, the device on Li Dongcheng''s chest shattered, and the poison gas surrounding him quickly lost control and seeped into his body. Despite having taken so many anti-poison vines, the sudden influx of such a vast amount of toxins was more than anyone could bear. He coughed violently twice, stumbling backward, his skin turning a ghastly shade of blue. "I''ll say it one more time, from now on there is no Li Dongcheng in the imperial capital." After shaking his fist, Chen Yu strode away. Ban Cheng was utterly convinced by Chen Yu; he had never imagined Chen Yu could be this formidable. Not only was he aggressive in financial dealings, but hisbat skills were equally impressive, even a bully like Li Dongcheng had been neatly handled. Since then, the Xiangyun Restaurant hadpletely merged with the building across from it. Although it still bore the name Xiangyun Restaurant, much of its style had now shifted to Chen Yu''s approach to management. At the Tong Family vi in the northern suburbs. Just as Chen Yu entered the door, he saw a familiar figure flying towards him like a swallow. "Daddy, you''re finally back. If you didn''t return, I would have had to go out looking for you." Tuan Tuan''s sweet and adorable voice made Chen Yu''s body tremble involuntarily; he had not expected Tuan Tuan to be in the imperial capital. "How did you get here?" Tuan Tuan stuck out his tongue, "Of course it was my mom who brought me here." Tong Ya stood by with a smile, but there was a strange expression on her face, as though she feared Chen Yu would me her. "It was me who asked Xiao Ya to bring Tuan Tuan over!" Tong Ming walked down the stairs with a cane, chuckling, holding a very pretty bow in his hand. If one observed closely, they would notice that the bow was actually made of pure gold and iid with seventeen valuable gemstones. As soon as he descended, he ced the bow on Tuan Tuan''s head. "You''ve concocted such a story in front of the media, I had to make the yplete. Starting today, Tuan Tuan is my biological granddaughter, and she has a legal right to inherit from my Tong Group." Chen Yu was full of surprise; he hadn''t expected Tong Ming to go to such lengths. The charade he and Fang Yuan had yed was simply to deal with the Zhao Family, while also allowing Fang Yuan to clear up the loose ends from her acting career. It was a reluctant, yet mutually beneficial move. But Tong Ming had actually acknowledged it. However, when it came to it, Fang Yuan had indeed been excessive. For her own reputation and the vast assets of the Edward Family, she truly abandoned Tuan Tuan. And she hadn''t evene to see her to this day. Tuan Tuan and Tong Ming got along well already, and the pair seemed to talk about everything under the sun. From life to business, from business to personal conduct, Tong Ming wished to pass on everything he had mastered in his life to Tuan Tuan. Chen Yu didn''t know what to say.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Now they were a family, both nominally and in reality, anything he said seemed somewhat awkward. After adjusting his breathing slightly, Chen Yu promptly took out several contracts from his person and handed them to Tong Ming. "These are supplemental uses signed with the Childe Family; could you check if there''s any issue?" Tong Ming skimmed through the contract briefly. "Chen Yu, the Childe Family is the world''s top capitalist family, after all. If you want to cooperate with them, you must be extra cautious. If they renege, we would be ruined. You must thoroughly consider the arrangements you''re making." Chen Yu nodded and then took out a folder he was carrying with him. "These are some uses I retained personally when we signed the contract with them. All the ns extended from these uses are to our advantage." Tong Ming said no more; he had decades of experience in doing business. Even if the cooperation with the Childe Family fell through, he could stille out unscathed. Now, his focus was on training Chen Yu''s abilities. Just as they were talking, a figure hurried down from upstairs. "There''s trouble. The cargo ship you mentioned¡ªI checked, and it seems to be in the Strait of Magen." Jin Lingsu held a report in her hand, her face the epitome of urgency. Tong Ming took the report and frowned deeply. "Didn''t we agree to have them go through the Panama Canal? How did they end up going through the Strait of Magen?" Jin Lingsu sighed helplessly. "The Childe Family has a vast business in that area, perhaps they diverted the fleet there for their own convenience." Tong Ming mmed the report onto the table with force. "This is too much. Do they think they can dictate the terms of all cooperation?" "Sir, what do you think we should do now?" Jin Lingsu asked, her face solemn, with a deep murderous intent flickering in her eyes. Chapter 355 Kraggley Tong Ming rested his chin in silence for quite some time before finally getting up and using the remote to turn on therge screen on the wall. What appeared was a portion of the map of the Strait of Magen. "I remember that ce is full of forces, even the Childe Family can''tpletely settle the issues, and once our ship gets there, it''s very likely that it could go and never return. We must send someone to personally retrieve the ship; otherwise, this cooperation will cost us at least sixty billion." Jin Lingsu stepped forward immediately. "Mr. Tong, now I''m an employee of yourpany too, and I''ve been in charge of this matter from start to finish, so it should be me going to retrieve the ship. Besides, I do have some connections in that ce!" Tong Ming did not immediately agree, as if he was pondering something. Chen Yu also furrowed his brows; he knew about this business deal, working with the Childe Family on an energy project. A whole sixty billion at stake¡ªif they were to lose out, it would be like someone had bitten off a chunk of flesh from Tong Group. "Dad, why don''t I go along as well? I''m more familiar with business matters." Tong Ming nodded. "Then the two of you go together. Remember, safety must be your top priority." Chen Yu bid farewell to Tong Ya, exchanged a few words with Tuan Tuan, and then left the vi with Jin Lingsu. Jinmen Port is one of thergest ports in the Orient, with tens of thousands of oceangoing freighters entering and leaving daily, each with a capacity of tens of thousands of tons. Standing atop the pier, Chen Yu couldn''t help but be moved as he watched therge ships clustering below. Until now, his business dealings had been fairly small, and even therger ones involved ying with finance; he had never dealt with tangible, physical businesses. Seeing so many oceangoing freightersid out before him, he was somewhat awestruck. "Kid, you''ve never seen a scene like this before, have you?" Jin Lingsu''s words had a hint of teasing in them. Chen Yu rolled his eyes. Truth be told, he was just a poor kid who came out of Suzhou City. If it weren''t for the system''s help, he would never have made it this far, let alone witness such a grand and majestic sight. "First off, I am your boss, and secondly, I hold a lot of your shares! So be careful with your words." Jin Lingsu huffed lightly: "What, are you nning to deal with me like you did with the Zhao Family?" Chen Yu chuckled twice but said no more. They were already very familiar with each other and would often crack such jokes without hesitation. "Let''s hurry to the airport port; we''ll miss the ne if we''re anyter." Chen Yu reminded her and then led the way to the airport. Jinmen Port itself is a global ce, hence its sea and air transport are interconnected. Right next to the harbor is the airport. The moment the two entered the airport, dozens of eyes were fixedly staring at them. [System alert: Danger detected, automatic defense feature activated] Jin Lingsu stopped in her tracks as well, cautiously surveying her surroundings, her hands gripping the golden spikes at her waist. Chen Yu looked around and noticed that more than twenty people were casually surrounding them, their waists bulging, clearly concealing weapons. "Don''t get too entangled with them; we need to get on the ne quickly." Chen Yu patted Jin Lingsu''s shoulder and took her hand, heading towards the boarding gate. Unexpectedly, just as they took a few steps, those people closed in directly, with one even pulling out a weapon from his waist and stabbing it towards Chen Yu. Blue and white electric light burst forth in an instant, sending this guy tumbling to the ground, hispanions falling and convulsing like they''d been shocked. Jin Lingsu''s eyes widened in disbelief. "What happened to these people? Could the static electricity here be that strong?" Chen Yu didn''t exin, just pulled her towards the boarding gate. There were only ten minutes left to board the ne, and if they got dyed here summoning the relevant personnel, they would miss their flight. By then, the six hundred billion worth of goods wouldn''t be under their control anymore. Yet, their pursuers continued relentlessly, all eventually brought down by the blue and white electric light. The relevant departments didn''t know what had happened, thinking these people had some kind of illness, only able to have the medical staff take them away. Hmm "Excuse me, miss, you can''t bring this item on the ne?" The staff member stopped Jin Lingsu, pointing at the golden spike in her hand. This thing, when hung at the waist, could pass for a decorative item, unrecognizable to most people, but in hand, it did bear a resemnce to a dagger. Jin Lingsu smiled faintly, twirling the spike in her hand before inserting it into her hair. "What, do you like my hairpin that much?" The staff member stood dumbfounded, unsure of what to do. As a hair ornament, the spike didn''t look out of ce, only perhaps a bit too long!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Having no choice, the staff let Jin Lingsu pass. Settling into his seat on the ne, Chen Yu rubbed his forehead, reclined his chair andy back. "Who were those guys just now? Were they after Tong Group?" Jin Lingsu shook her head: "Unlikely, judging by their attire, they seem like enemies from my past." Chen Yu frowned, wondering just how many enemies this woman had made in the past for them to be tracking her down even to Tong Group now. However, since Jin Lingsu was his employee, and her safety was in jeopardy, he, as the boss, had to intervene. "After we return from the Magen Strait, I''ll take care of those troubles for you. I don''t want them showing up anymore from now on!" In fact, Chen Yu was mainly worried that these people could threaten Tong Ya and Tuan Tuan. Jin Lingsu seemed to have anticipated that Chen Yu would do this and thanked him excitedly. The Magen Strait, located in the Antarctic Circle, was a freezing region without nearby airports; they would have to fly to Kraggley and then rent a special off-road vehicle to reach the Magen Strait. Almost a day''s flight was exhausting for anyone, and by the time the nended, Chen Yu was still deep asleep. [System Alert, danger is approaching] Chen Yu snapped awake, instantly on alert. Jin Lingsu looked at him confused. "Are you muddled from sleep? We''ve already arrived in Kraggley!" Chen Yu shook his head: "Be careful, we might have been targeted by someone." Before long, a holographic map of the entire airport appeared in Chen Yu''s mind, with one figure marked in red. The man was holding two photos, one of Chen Yu and the other of Jin Lingsu. It looked like this person was a professional assassin, here specifically to hunt them down. At the same time, the assassin''s personal information also surfaced in Chen Yu''s mind. Chapter 356 Hax Group "Hacks Group?" Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown, he had never heard of thispany. "What did you say? Hacks Group?" Jin Lingsu suddenly became tense, "They are a local power entrenched here, often living off robbing passing ships." Chen Yu immediately understood what was happening and quickly pulled Jin Lingsu to the side and ran. Before long, they saw a middle-aged man leaning against a column, scrutinizing a photo, and fiddling with a knife in his hand. "It''s him!" Chen Yu charged straight at him, and before the man could react, he had grabbed him by the neck and lifted him high. "Are you from the Hacks Group?" The man was instantly confounded, having quietly lurked here early in the morning, carefully observing the passing pedestrians. Yet, before he couldplete his mission, he had been discovered and controlled by his target. "So what if I am? You foreigners have offended people you shouldn''t have and even dreamed of negotiating, so we can only teach you a lesson," he said. Chen Yu couldn''t help but widen his eyes; typically, assassins caught would be frightened, showing at least some panic. But this guy waspletely different, not only extremelyposed but also with an undiminished murderous look in his eyes. He seemed to be a professional killer trained from a young age. Just as he was preparing to continue the interrogation, the sound of pping hands came from the side. "Quite impressive, it''s the first time one of our Hacks Group''s assassins has been caught." Chen Yu abruptly turned his head to see a dozen people slowly approaching. However, the man leading them was somewhat strange, his entire body exuding an odd metallic quality, and his hands seemed to be entirely made of mechanical frames. [Detecting electromaic device, decoding in progress...] [Decoding failed!] Chen Yu''s pupils dted suddenly, this was the first time he saw something the system couldn''t hack. "Are you also from the Hacks Group?" He cautiously asked, then tossed the man in his hands aside. The leading man let out a loudugh. "Whether I am or not is irrelevant, you''re talented, and I think you should have greater opportunities for development! Why not join the Hacks Group? I can guarantee you the highest sry." Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown, had this guy not investigated his background properly? "I''m not interested! Since you''vee to the airport to block me, that means our ship must have fallen into your hands, so let''s talk terms." The man didn''t beat around the bush, "Direct, let''s find a ce to talk." Although Kraggley was not a major international city, it was still a fairly decent medium-sized city. Many of itsndmarks were quite distinctive, also making it a tourist destination. The two parties sat down in a mixed-style restaurant. "Mr. Chen, now that we understand each other, let''s get straight to the point! I want twenty billion, once the money is transferred, I will immediately release the people and the ship." Chen Yu sneered; the ship''s principal amount was sixty billion, and after one deal, the most it could double. ording to the contract, the Tong Family and the Childe Family each would get thirty billion. Now these people were demanding twenty billion right off the bat, likely testing his bottom line. "What if I don''t want to give you a single penny?" Chen Yu''s eyes were filled with contempt, signaling his readiness to confront them head-on. The man mmed the table hard, "Since that''s the case, I can no longer guarantee the safety of young master Russell!" Chen Yu was somewhat surprised; after all thismotion, it turned out that Russell was in the hands of these people, no wonder they were so brazen. In principle, the ransom should be paid by the Childe Family, but since both parties are currently partners, the top priority is to rescue the person first. Just as Chen Yu was preparing to have the system analyze Russell''s location, a strange sizzling sound arose in his mind. [Unknown interference source detected] [Anti-jamming program initiated, cracking, entering] A series of voices left Chen Yu puzzled, and before he could react, a flood of information had already appeared in his mind. [Hewick, forty-two years old, the number two person at Hacks Group] [Suffered a car ident in his early years, reced the damaged parts with mechanical devices, which are equipped with weapons] At the same time, an action n also took shape. Chen Yu instantly felt much more at ease, leaned back in his chair, and stared at Hewick coldly. "Mr. Hewick, since you''ve kidnapped young master Russell, I''m going to use you to exchange him." Hewickughed hysterically as if he had heard a huge joke. "Kid, do you know what all this equipment on me is for? You want to use me to exchange for Russell, just like that? You must be very naive."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om No sooner had his voice faded when his devices suddenly made a series of squeaking noises and then stoppedpletely. Before he could react, Chen Yu''s figure was already beside him, gripping his neck tightly. "To some extent, killing you would be easier than crushing a disgusting bug!" After humiliating Hewick harshly, Chen Yu turned to a nearby underling. "Go back and tell your boss right now, say that Hewick is in my hands, and they should use Russell for the exchange, and I also want twenty billion aspensation." The crowd was instantly dumbfounded; these sorts of plots usually happened to them, so how had it now turned around? But with Hewick now captured, they didn''t dare dy and hurriedly left the ce. Chen Yu, on the other hand, controlled all the devices on Hewick''s body through the system''s adjustments. "This is impossible, how did you do it? My systems were designed by top hackers." Hewick was petrified with terror; now, if Chen Yu wanted him dead, he had no way to resist. Chen Yu did not answer, his expression turning grave. He didn''t know what exactly had happened to the system; it hadn''t made any sound since the crack of Hewick''s system. Was it because the system had crashed due to a forced crack after a decoding failure? As he was lost in thought, a surge of data information suddenly appeared in his mind. [System cracked, merging new codes, autonomous upgrade] The functions that newly appeared amazed Chen Yu. One of them could even directly scan brain information. Just as he was about to understand more about the system''s new functions, Jin Lingsu got anxious. "Hey, what are you doing? Why are you just standing there with a silly grin? What''s our next move? Give me an answer." Chen Yu then came to his senses. "Find a safe and secluded ce to hide this guy, and then let''s have a good fight with the Hacks Group!" "I want to see what kind of skills these guys have that enable them to rule over the Zheren Strait." Chapter 357 Death Desert Kraggley Center Hotel, Chen Yu had thrown Hewick, bound hand and foot, onto the sofa. He had also altered every program and electric code in his body, rendering him immobile. What Hewick found most intolerable was that Chen Yu and Jin Lingsu were eating grilled fish right in front of him. In this ce, resources were extremely scarce, but the grill was exceptional. Many people traveled thousands of miles just to taste the local delicacies. Chen Yu tore off a piece of beef fiercely, looking at Hewick with a provocative gaze. "Would you like to have a bite?" Hewick, already drooling, instinctively nodded his immobilized body,pletely unable to move. Chen Yuughed heartily, then tore off another chunk of meat right in front of him. Jin Lingsu had beenughing so hard she was bending forward and backward. Just then, a rapid knock on the door suddenly came from the entrance, turning both of theirplexions grave in an instant. Chen Yu''s eyes immediately shed with blue-white light, and the scene outside the door presented itself in his mind. A chambermaid with fresh linen stood at the door, and behind her followed more than twenty burly men armed with weapons. These men radiated a murderous aura; if they burst in, they would kill both of them on the spot. Chen Yu made a silencing gesture and quickly approached the door. "Who is it?" "Good evening, sir, we''re here to change the bedding. Could you please open the door?" The chambermaid''s voice was still crisp, but there was a hint of panic in her tone. Chen Yu responded and opened the door directly, and indeed, the twenty-odd people behind her rushed in. As these people charged in, they felt an electric current pass through their bodies and copsed instantly. The chambermaid, terrified out of her wits, stood motionless at the door. Chen Yu picked up one of the men from the ground and dragged him to the table. With a light pat on the man''s shoulder, he woke him up. "Aren''t your people at the Magen Straits? What are you doing here?" The man seemed not yet to havee to his senses, his face full of confusion; he had no idea how he had ended up on the floor. "I''d advise you to let our second inmand go, or we''ll kill you all." Chen Yu hadn''t expected the man to be so defiant, so he smacked him across the face. "Answer my question first." The man, stunned by the p, looked over at Hewick, who hadn''t moved an inch on the sofa; terror reached its peak on his face. The suit Hewick wore was a costly creation by Hacks Corporation; if even such a being was controlled by Chen Yu, what could he do? "We just got wind of your location and came here to ambush you." Chen Yu sneered and grabbed the man''s head, a sh of blue-white light passing by. The information from the man''s brain instantly appeared in Chen Yu''s mind. The system''s functions were bing increasingly godlike, as if he carried an artificial intelligence with him. "So, you nted a spy in the Childe Family, no wonder you know our movements like the back of your hand and can precisely control the merchant ships in the Magen Straits." At these words, Hewick, who was standing nearby, was startled. Chen Yu''s interrogation had been fully observed by him, and it seemed like nothing substantial had been asked, yet how could he know everything? Chen Yu took a moment to adjust his breathing; he hadn''t expected things to be so deeplyplicated. Although the Childe Family was the top capitalist conglomerate in the world, its internals were extremely unstable, with spies infiltrating from time to time. Otherwise, they wouldn''t know the specific routes of the cargo ships in such detail. After the deep coboration between the Childe Family and the Tong Group, all ocean-going cargo ships over ten thousand tons had been disguised, and even their berthing positions were meticulously designed. Unless it was someone from inside, no one would know the exact situation. Chen Yu extended his finger to tap lightly on the man''s head, electrocuting him into unconsciousness once again. He then walked up to Hewick. "Mr. Hewick, some matters may require your cooperation, and I hope you can now voluntarily turn off all the electronic devices on you so I can scan your brain." Hewick''s pupils dted suddenly, and fear covered his face to the utmost. The set of equipment on him couldn''t be re-installed after the car ident; it was powerful, but it caused him a lot of pain. How could Chen Yu, who seemed to be aplete human without any obvious electronic devices on him, possibly scan a normal person''s brain? Before he could react, Chen Yu had already grabbed his shoulder, and a current instantly ran through Hewick''s body.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om All the electronic sensing devices on himpletely failed! A strange curve formed on the corners of Chen Yu''s mouth as he stared intently at Hewick. Before long, everything inside the man''s head was replicated in Chen Yu''s mind. "So it was a seduction strategy, such a low-level tactic, and you still resorted to it!" Chen Yu scoffed and tapped Hewick''s head, electrocuting him into unconsciousness. "You''re getting more and more powerful now!" Jin Lingsu said with disbelief in her eyes, "How did you do it? How could you scan the information in their brains?" Chen Yu casually pointed at the watch on his wrist. "This is a specially customized new product that can, to some extent, merge with a person''s brain waves, thereby probing for information from the brain." This exnation was far-fetched, and naturally, Jin Lingsu didn''t believe it, but since the conversation had reached this point, she didn''t ask any further. The two did not linger there for long. After eating and drinking, they set off in the middle of the night for the Magen Strait. The journey from Kraggley to the Magen Strait required an eight-hour drive, which necessitated crossing a deste desert. Therefore, they needed to get a professional off-road vehicle. Jin Lingsu had some connections here. With a single phone call, she obtained a fully equipped vehicle. The journey through the desert was tough, and it was thergest Death Desert on the. The climate there was extremely harsh, with temperatures fluctuating between forty degrees Celsius above zero and twenty degrees below zero. Anyone wishing to enter the desert must make thorough preparations; otherwise, they would perish there. Although Chen Yu and Jin Lingsu were not ordinary people, they had still made ample preparations. When their car reached the center of the desert, the colors between heaven and earth changed dramatically, and the temperature shift was rapid. This ce was near the Arctic Circle and was extremely cold, but because of its peculiar terrain, a current of air passed through here and converged in the desert, creating the temperature difference. That was what led to the environmental extremes in this area! Chapter 358 Midnight Ambush Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown, hurriedly found a spot to park the car, and covered it with the prepared camouge tarp. "This damn weather really is unpredictable, looks like we''re going to have to spend the night here." Chen Yu casually took out several packs of ready-to-eat food from the car and ced them on the ground. Jin Lingsu sighed helplessly, she had been here before and knew how awful the weather changes could be. Hurriedly, she began to help Chen Yu tidy up. Just then, a truck suddenly appeared not far away. They must have wanted to find shelter too, and when they saw Chen Yu, they immediately drove over. "You two, the environment here is really harsh, it''s hard for a single team to make it through, can we join you? Let''s get through the night together?" There were six people who came down from the truck, and they seemed to be on their way to the Strait of Magen for some business, each carrying a bag. Chen Yu immediately had his system scan these people''s identity information, as well as everything on the truck, and even extracted information from their brains. These guys were no simpletons, carrying with them ten million in green currency! Beyond that, there were arge number of weapons in the truck. Chen Yu didn''t say much, just had them park their truck to the side, then began setting up camp. It seemed that these people''s boat had also been detained by the Hacks Group, and their purpose was simr to Chen Yu''s. The two sides exchanged pleasantries briefly, then each returned to their cars. At midnight, two people suddenly came down from the other vehicle, quietly circling to the side of Chen Yu''s car. These two guys sneakily pried open the car door, intending to get in. Little did they know, every move they made was replicated in Chen Yu''s mind. The moment they stepped onto the car, Chen Yu suddenly leapt up, kicking out twice in quick session, sending the two men flying out. "Gentlemen, aren''t you going a bit too far? Everyone going to the Strait of Magen has the same status, and here you are attacking us in the dead of night." The two men clutched their chests, coughing violently, without saying a word. The remaining two from the truck also ran over, pointing weapons at Chen Yu. "Since we all have the same goal, you should know how much it costs to ship a ten-thousand-ton freighter through the Strait of Magen? The money we brothers have isn''t enough, we just wanted to borrow some from you! Don''t worry, we will surely repay itter." You had to admit, those guys were smooth talkers. In such a deste wilderness, after borrowing money, they could just kill them off, why bother saying anything about repayment? "Since you know the score, I won''t say much more." A murderous aura suddenly erupted in Chen Yu''s eyes, "Then please leave all the money you have on you." With a loud shout, Chen Yu charged out, tapping each of the four men, who immediately copsed. The four were caught off guard, not anticipating that Chen Yu could overpower them so effortlessly and take control. "Who exactly are you? Do you know the price of offending us?" The apparent leader was still blustering as if he were something formidable. Chen Yu snorted coldly, lifting his foot and pressing it onto the man''s head. "Who you are is none of my business; in any case, you''re going to slowly die out here in this desert." At that moment, a sudden strong wind arose in the desert, and huge hailstones fell from the sky, ttering noisily upon the car. If it weren''t for the camouge that had been set up in advance, which caught the hail, I''m afraid the car would have been smashed to pieces. Once the four people were exposed to such an environment, they wouldn''tst long. Chen Yu didn''t care about that. He directly took all the money and personal belongings from the other car and moved them to his own. Then he tied up the four people thoroughly and threw them by the roadside.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om By dawn, Chen Yu drove away in the car, leaving them behind. Although the Magen Strait lies within the Antarctic Circle and is frozen year-round, it''s an important transportation hub, and also home to thergest port within the Antarctic Circle. Countless mega-tonne tankers pass through here every year! When Chen Yu arrived, he was shocked by the scene before him; the scale of the port was twice the size of Tianjin''s. He didn''t have time to marvel at the scenery; as soon as he got there, he went straight to a bar. This bar was built with a brazen design, located right in the middle of the bustling area, and featured a plethora of luxury cars parked outside. Hundreds of people were standing guard around the clock. As soon as Chen Yu parked nearby, two bouncers stopped him. "Are you blind? Don''t you know parking''s not allowed here? Get lost quick or I''ll kill you." A sinister smile curled at Chen Yu''s lips. He floored the elerator and rammed his way through. The roaring of the car made the bouncers as if facing a formidable enemy; two of them even pulled out weapons. But the car, modified and exceptionally sturdy, instantly ran over a dozen bouncers. It also left a huge hole in the wall of the bar. Inside the hall, a dozen middle-aged men sat by a table, seemingly in a meeting. As the car crashed in, they all stood up, and the bodyguards by their side instinctively drew their weapons. Chen Yu adjusted his breathing slightly, kicked open the car door, and stepped out. "Gentlemen, I''m here to redeem a hostage. I hope you can make it easy for me." The crowd was confused, no one had evere here so brazenly to redeem someone before. "Who the hell are you? Daring toe here like this, grab him and mince him into meat," ordered a thin middle-aged man covered in various gold ornaments; he obviously had quite the fortune. Chen Yu didn''t care, his figure shed before the man, and with a palm to his stomach, he sent him flying, mming him onto the table. Everyone present was stunned. They did not expect Chen Yu to actually strike. Before they could react, a surge of electricity spread instantly through the room. The group who had just been fierce and menacing copsed to the ground. One, who appeared to suffer from some chronic illness, spat out a mouthful of foam when the electric current passed through him. Chen Yu''s expression was icy as he quickly approached an old man, lifted a finger, and lightly tapped the man''s head. The man came to and gasped for air, his eyes filled with terror. "Who are you? What exactly do you want to do?" Nonchntly, Chen Yu took out a photo of Russell from his pocket and handed it over. "I already said I''m here to redeem someone. Let''s get on with the trade." Chapter 359 Kro Archipelago The old man was terrified to the extreme, Chen Yu looked nothing like he was here to make a deal, anyone would believe he was here to rob. "Mr. Kro is in the room over there, if you''re willing, you can just take him and go." Chen Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze brimming with endless murderous intent. "We still need to do this by the book, after all, it was you who asked me toe here to ransom someone. Either I kill you all and take the person away, or I pay the money, and you hand over the person." The old man''s body shook violently, wasn''t this situation leading to them all being killed? But Chen Yu didn''t care about that, he knocked the old man out and dragged Kro out of the neighboring room. The moment Kro saw Chen Yu, he lunged toward him as if he saw a family member. "Mr. Chen, you finally came. If you had been anyter, those guys would have devoured me alive." Chen Yu''s face was full of disgust; who knows how many days this guy had been locked up here, reeking of a strange odor. "Alright, let''s hurry up and leave this ce." Kro nodded repeatedly, almost running out the door. He had had enough of this ce and feared he would go mad if he had to stay even a moment longer. Chen Yu didn''t bother with anything else, he quickly headed to the dock with Kro. Their cargo ship was trapped in a cove at the dock, along with over a dozen other mega tankers. Each ship was guarded by people from the Harkes Group. Arge number of crew members and workers were imprisoned in the cabins, unable to get out. Chen Yu frowned at the scene before him, not expecting the situation here to be so dire. The Harkes Group, a group built by desperados, feared nothing and no one, not giving face even to the Childe Family. "Halt, who are you? Do you have a pass?" A burly man suddenly blocked Chen Yu''s path, pointing his weapon at Chen Yu''s head. A gleam of contempt shed in Chen Yu''s eyes. With a flick of his wrist, he pushed the man aside and boarded the ship. The people from the Harkes Group were startled. They had not expected anyone to brazenly board the ship they controlled. Just as they were about to force Chen Yu off, a surge of blue and white light suddenly enveloped the entire vessel. Chen Yu merely extended his hand to touch the hull of the ship, and then the system activated its defense function to the maximum. The system had, on a chance asion, undergone a minor evolution. Within its range, the electric current it generated could knock outrge groups of people. However, spreading this current over such arge ship was bound to weaken its effect. Even so, all the people belonging to the Harkes Group on the ship were stunned instantly. People from the other ships, witnessing this, were shocked and rushed over, eager to regain control of the vessels. "Your boss is already dead. From today onwards, the Harkes Group no longer exists. If you want to live, release all the ships here immediately." Jin Lingsu''s voice suddenly spread throughout the entire dockyard through the loudspeakers. Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown. At that time, he merely stunned those guys and did not take their lives. But given Jin Lingsu''s temperament, how could she possibly let those men off. She must have circled back after he left and killed all of them. Chen Yu felt somewhat helpless; this woman''s ferocity was unchangeable. Once it was known that the boss of the Hacks Group had met his end, all the minor yers on the ship simultaneously rushed to flee the ce. They were just there to make a living, and now that the boss of the Hacks Group was no more, they naturally had to find a new leader in the shortest time possible, or else how would they survive? Chen Yu did not concern himself with them. After throwing the Hacks members off the ship, he ordered the crew to set sail. The Strait of Magen is situated within the Antarctic Circle, where it is icy and snowy all year round, with ports ice-bound for most of the time, making it impossible for ten-thousand-ton ocean freighters to leave safely without icebreakers. Luckily, with the Hacks Group gone, the entire dock was Chen Yu''s domain. After a bit of maneuvering, he had control over all the icebreakers here, and then he left triumphantly across the water. In fact, there was only one ocean freighter belonging to the Childe Family and Tong Group that was trapped here, but there were a full ten ships that left with him. Many ships that had been forcibly docked here were involved in the grey market, and their bosses simply couldn''te to redeem them. Some just couldn''t afford the hefty ransoms and thus dared note. Yet another group had their behind-the-scenes bosses killed and were forced to dock their ships here. But these matters were of no concern to the crew members; they needed to eat, to support their families, and they had to find a boss somehow. Chen Yu had easily taken down the boss of the Hacks Group and managed to bring the ships out safely; he seemed every bit the leader of a group. The fleet sailed across the ocean majestically, and a weekter, they arrived at Kro''s archipgo. This ce was a transfer station on the sea, where manyrge fleets would basically need to stop to resupply. Chen Yu''s fleet itself had left the Strait of Magen hastily, carrying not much in the way of supplies, necessitating a stop here for replenishment. But as soon as their fleet docked here, arge group of people suddenly appeared on the dock. The leader wore sunsses, looking fierce and aggressive, with a scar extending from his face down to his neck. "Who''s in charge of this ship? Get down here and see me immediately." The domineering and brutal voice startled many of the crew, who all turned their gazes toward Chen Yu. Chen Yu didn''t care about that much, he walked down from the ship leisurely and went straight to the man. The man was extremely arrogant; seeing Chen Yuing down, he raised his hand intending to grasp Chen Yu''s neck.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Unexpectedly, just as he reached out, Chen Yu''s punch swung up, hitting him right at the base of his chin, sending his body flying. The others around were stunned by the scene, as they had never seen anyone dare to treat their boss with such disrespect. Just as they were about to take action, a blue-white sh emanated from Chen Yu''s body, and they felt an electric current pass through them, causing them to fall to the ground. Chen Yu did not want to waste time on these guys, so he went straight to the dock with his crew and casually replenished their supplies. Seeing their boss knocked away and their most elite troops lying on the ground, no one dared to utter another word of protest. Chapter 360 Transit Company On Kro''s inds, there were many transit stations, stocked with a vast amount of supplies. It was by leveraging this that the inders earned pots and bowls full of money. Most importantly, the power on the ind was akin to that of bandits. Anyone passing through was heavily fleeced by them. But today, they met their match. Chen Yu initiated a plunder upon arrival, sweeping away nearly all the ind''s resources. And as he left, he even mapped out the entire archipgo''syout. After all, this ce was a transit station. With minor alterations, it could be the world''srgest ship transferpany. By then, neither the Childe Family nor the Tong Group would need to worry about docking issues for their ships. However, as they departed, all the ind''s power leaders gathered. "Where did this persone from? He doesn''t respect us at all, taking away all the ind''s supplies. That''s hundreds of billions worth of assets!" "It is said he''s the Tong Family''s next heir, extremely capable, having just recently facilitated a deal with the Childe Family." "This won''t do. We muste up with a n. We can''t let this kid lead us by the nose." ¡­ A group chattered among themselves, and on the wall, Chen Yu''s photo was pinned to arge screen, already pierced with many darts. It took them a full two hours toe up with a viable n, and then they promptly requested assistance from the Cypriot assassin organization to pursue aprehensive hunt for Chen Yu. Half a monthter, a grand fleet arrived at the Jinmen docks, where Tong Ming and a host ofpany veterans hade to meet them. Originally, this was only supposed to be a business deal worth sixty billion, but now the scale of Chen Yu''s returning fleet had far exceeded that figure. Many of the goods on the ships were now ownerless, to be sold only by the Tong Group''s sales departments. If all were sold, the ie would be at least seven hundred billion. Such a scale was enough to elevate the Tong Group to a new level. Chen Yu was somewhat surprised by such a turnout; he hadn''t expected Tong Ming to personallye to meet him, let alone bring so many veterans. "Dad, why have youe yourself?" Chen Yu hurried off the ship and rushed over, but, unexpectedly, Tong Ming stepped back and bowed respectfully. "The revenue you''ve brought to the group is at least the equivalent of our ten years'' operation. From now on, you will directly decide over seventy percent of the group''s business." Tong Ming was very serious, and he also took out a folder from his person and handed it over. Chen Yu slightly adjusted his breathing, still unable to ept such an appointment at the moment. Once he took the folder in front of him, he could immediately be a new entrant on the Forbes rankings. "Let''s dy this matter for now, after all, there are many things I still have to handle." Tong Ming did not speak further, but waved to the many veterans behind him. They too stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Mr. Chen, greetings!" The docks were always bustling with activity, with countless business elites passing through each day. Now, with such a grand scene at the docks, they naturally stopped to watch. Even many reporters had gathered around, ceaselessly taking photos. I''m afraid the front pages and headlines of major media outlets tomorrow will be all about Chen Yu inheriting Tong Group. Chen Yu had no idea how to respond, and just as he was about to speak, a violent explosion erupted from the harbor exit not far away. The bodyguards on site immediately surrounded everyone and escorted them into the cars, hastily leaving the area. Chen Yu''s mind immediately conjured up a three-dimensionalyout of the entire dock, along with the identity information of everyone there. However, no sooner had Chen Yu begun to view the information of half the people, the system emitted an rm. [Information overload, current system capabilities unable to sustain.] Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown, the system''s capabilities were indeed formidable, but after all, this auxiliary function was just an aid; if it carried too much information, it could easily copse. ''Isn''t there any way you can level up?'' [System prompt, the current system can be directly upgraded to version 4.0, requiring three million points.] Chen Yu suddenly felt doubtful about his life, as the current point umtion system was quite difficult. He had no idea when he would be able to amass three million points. The explosion at the dock was soon confirmed to be deliberate sabotage! Its purpose seemed to be targeting the Tang Family of the imperial capital.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Chen Yu frowned; logically speaking, the main business of the Tang Family was not import and export trade. Moreover, it seemed that neither domestically nor internationally, there was any mainpetitor against the Tang Family. Moving openly in such arge international dock was indeed somewhat unusual. Chen Yu didn''t bother with it; he couldn''t manage the affairs of other families now. The Kro archipgo was indeed a great ce, but to fully take control and affiliate it with Tong Family was somewhat difficult. Although there was no independent nation there, after all, it was an overseas territory, and it was not easy to set up apany there. At the top-floor office of Tong Group''s building. Chen Yu and Tong Ming sat together, with arge screen disying information about the Kro archipgo and the Childe Family next to them. "So, you want to use this archipgo as a stepping stone to continue expanding Tong Group''s weight in this cooperation." Tong Ming saw through Chen Yu''s intentions at a nce. "Exactly, although our current cooperation seems fair, we are ultimately at a disadvantage. We must leverage our strengths as much as possible; the Kro archipgo is the best midpoint. If we secure this ce, we will have much more say." While they were talking, the door was suddenly burst open, and an elderly man rushed in hurriedly. "President Tong, something serious happened, several shareholders suddenly proposed withdrawing their shares, saying our cooperation with the Childe Family is extremely unreliable and that we might very well be taken over by them!" The old man appeared extremely anxious, but there was a strange curve on his lips. Tong Ming leaned back in his chair, unfazed. "If they want to withdraw their shares, let them. There''s no need to stop them; buy back all their shares at the current market price." As he said this, Tong Ming''s demeanor suddenly changed, and he looked at the old man with a peculiar gaze. "If I''m not mistaken, this mass withdrawal is led by you, right? If so, then get the rted procedures sorted out quickly, and I''ll sort it out for you immediately." The old man''s eyes widened in disbelief; he had never dreamed that Tong Ming would agree so easily. Chapter 361 Desertion on the Eve of Battle They are all senior members of thepany. The group''s sess today isrgely attributed to their support. Moreover, these people control a significant portion of shares. Should they withdraw their shares at the same time, the group could face a crisis. For Tong Ming to agree so easily was, to a certain extent, akin to suicide. At first, Chen Yu didn''t understand, but after giving it some thought, he quickly grasped the key issue. It is currently a critical period for cooperation with the Childe Family, part of which is directlypleted with the Childe Family. In other words, if these people suddenly withdraw their shares, the Childe Family will fill these vacancies in the shortest time possible. Moreover, with Chen Yu''s adjustment, the Childe Family could only get shares and not voting rights. That is to say, no matter whether these people withdraw their shares or not, the ultimate profit for Tong Ming and the entire group, as well as control over the group, would not change at all. The old man suddenly panicked¡ªhaving been with the group for so many years, he naturally knew Tong Ming''s temperament. Withdrawing shares now could indeed bring many benefits, but whether he could securely receive the money after withdrawing was another matter. "Since you''ve already proposed it, let''s sign the contract then!" Tong Ming directly took out a contract from the folder beside him and handed it over. The old man''s eyes widened in surprise; he hadn''t expected Tong Ming to have prepared the contract in advance. Chen Yu leaned to one side, remaining silent, already thinking about how to fill the void left by these people''s shares. The atmosphere in the office suddenly became tense; the old man who had just been adamant about withdrawing his shares seemed somewhat guilty. Chen Yu cleared his throat, "Dad, I''ll be going then." Just as he was about to leave, Tong Ming suddenly called him back and handed him a file folder. "There''s a match over here, go have a look. You will take over these business aspects in the future." Without even looking, Chen Yu agreed right away and turned to leave the room. It was only after he got into his car that he realized the folder contained information about an esports team. Although esports might seem like just a derivative industry of gaming on the surface, a closer study reveals it harbors a business worth tens of trillions. Not to mention the vast fan base generated by the gaming industry, the traffic brought by the games themselves can create millions of job opportunities out of thin air. The Tong Group had tapped into this business a long time ago and had made significant progress in recent years, boasting no less than six teams. After briefly reviewing the contents of the contract, Chen Yu drove straight to an esports venue. There was an internalpetition happening in the imperial capital during these days, and one of the teams was from Tong Group. But when he arrived, the scene was somewhat chaotic. The team''s rest area was aplete mess, with the coach pacing back and forth, breathing rapidly. "What on earth is going on? Why did this have to happen now? He''s an essential yer." The remaining team members sat in silence, unsure of what to say, letting the coach continue his rant. "What''s the issue?" Chen Yu pushed the door and entered the room, a trace of impatience on his face. "Who are you?" snapped the coach, preparing to push him out. Chen Yu quickly took out the ID badge that Tong Ming had given him. The coach said nothing more but sat down dejectedly to one side. "Boss Chen, don''t me me for losing my temper, the game is about to start and our key yer has vanished!" Chen Yu had already reviewed the game and team information; he was well-informed about all the details. The team''s key yer seemed to be Mao Xiaolong, who managed to win the MVP for best performance in every match he participated in. A yer like that, no matter where they are, is held in high esteem. Over the years, countless people had wanted to poach him. Now, with only three minutes left before the start of the game, the supporting yer had disappeared too; there was only one exnation¡ªMao Xiaolong had been poached! "Don''t we have a substitute yer?" asked Chen Yu instinctively. The coach sighed deeply, "We do, but no one is stronger than Mao Xiaolong for that position, and we need him to set the pace for the entire game. Now that he''s gone, our initial rhythm is disrupted." Chen Yu was silent for a while before standing up. "I''ll take his position for today''s match, and I''ll be responsible for the oue, win or lose!" The coach immediately breathed a sigh of relief. After all, Chen Yu was the team''s owner, and it wasn''t unheard of for owners to personally enter the fray in the esports arena. If the match was lost, Chen Yu would take on all the responsibility, so they needn''t be afraid. But if they won, it could serve as a publicity stunt to generate buzz for Chen Yu. "Mr. Chen, since you''re going to y, you better change quickly; there''s less than two minutes left," said the coach. Without saying much more, Chen Yu changed his clothes and joined the team on the stage.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Just when they took their seats in the arena, all the spotlights suddenly focused on the opposing team''s bench. To everyone''s surprise, Mao Xiaolong was sitting there, his face alight with excitement. Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown¡ªhe had only thought the guy had been poached, not that he would betray them at thest moment. The venue instantly erupted into turmoil, with all eyes on Mao Xiaolong. As an esports yer with his own following, especially one so talented, that shift in focus was inevitable. Fans who originally supported the Tong Family team began discarding their cards and switched to personal support signs for Mao Xiaolong. One could imagine that in this industry, there is no such thing as betrayal; as soon as a yer makes a choice, the fans will follow suit. In this era of influencer culture, such incidents are no longer rare. Chen Yu took a moment to adjust his breathing and ced his fingers on the keyboard, his mind recalling every detail about thepetition. He had enjoyed ying games during his university days and had even taken part inmunitypetitions. Now, with his physical abilities at the peak of human capacity and the aid of the system, ying a game should be a breeze. "Mr. Chen, are you ready?" The coach asked worriedly from the side. Chen Yu nodded and entered the game. The host was delivering an excited speech on the stage, but all his topics revolved around Mao Xiaolong. As if his act of defection was a fearless deed. At the same time, many sneered at Chen Yu. They believed Chen Yu''s participation was an act of masochism¡ªan owner with no experience in esports would soon be beaten so badly that he''d be crying for his father and mother, and the game might even end prematurely. Chapter 362 Parachuting Into Mid Lane ``` Chen Yu didn''t care about much, and the moment the match''s alert sounded, his fingers danced rapidly across the keyboard. He was taking over for Mao Xiaolong in the middle position. Right off the bat, he concealed himself in a nearby blind spot. This method of y was one of Mao Xiaolong''s best. Instead of facing the enemy directly, nor appearing in the viewers'' sight immediately, he chose to hide himself away. After thoroughly reviewing all of Mao Xiaolong''s materials, Chen Yu immediately mastered this tactic. Based on his usual style of y, he predicted a route Mao Xiaolong was very likely to take and hid himself there. Sure enough, Mao Xiaolong moved at top speed through this area to roam towards the topne. His goal was to kill as many enemy heads as possible within the first three minutes of the game, to establish an advantage for his solone teammate. Chen Yu certainly didn''t indulge the opponent, and the moment he appeared, he burst out of the bushes with abination of moves that left the enemy half-crippled. Mao Xiaolong was taken aback, unable to believe that his preferred style ofbat had been so thoroughly read by someone, and countered with such a perfect response. His fingers raced across the keyboard, trying to dodge Chen Yu''s pursuit and wait for an opportunity to counterattack. But the character controlled by Chen Yu seemed to not belong to the game at all, performing many unexpected actions. No matter how Mao Xiaolong tried to dodge, he couldn''t escape Chen Yu''sbo. And the skills heunched were dodged by Chen Yu at an incredibly strange angle. In less than thirty seconds, Mao Xiaolong had lost the first head of the game. Chen Yu let out a sigh of relief. It was his first time ying eSports in such an intense manner. Manybos and maneuvers weren''t very familiar to him, and given time to practice, perhaps he would need only ten seconds to take down the opponent.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Without lingering there, Chen Yu rushed to the topne to coborate with his own topner to kill the enemy topner. The pace of the game was suddenly picked up by Chen Yu. The live audience was shocked. What they had been looking forward to was Mao Xiaolong''s surprise attacks. But now, not only were his attacks being tightly constrained, but he was being killed in return. Mao Xiaolong took a few deep breaths, filled with disbelief. Once he respawned, he immediately went around through the jungle area. He wanted to find and kill Chen Yu for revenge. Just as he was searching, there was trouble in the bottomne. Their adc and support were suddenly ambushed and killed by Chen Yu during thening phase. Mao Xiaolong panicked, his rhythm constantly disrupted by Chen Yu, and he knew he must find a way to break the cycle. After taking a moment to adjust his breathing, he changed direction and headed straight for the topne. He wanted to capitalize on the gap Chen Yu left in the bottomne to help turn the tide for his topner. But by the time he got there, it was toote. His team''s topner had been decimated by the enemy. Having secured several kills in a row, Chen Yu instantly became the brightest star in the arena, and those who were rooting for Mao Xiaolong began to switch their support to Chen Yu. Some even started inquiring about Chen Yu''s personal information, wanting to make a fan support sign for him on the spot. And just as the crowd was boiling with support, Chen Yu suddenly rallied his team, charging down the midne. They pushed all the way to the enemy high ground, and wiped out the opposing team. The situation was now dominated, only the entrance of a yer on par with Chen Yu could possibly turn the game around. But it was all toote, as by the six-minute mark, Chen Yu led his team to destroy the opponent''s Nexus. ``` "My God, the new guy is so impressive, I''ve never heard of him before in the gaming circle. Is he a new yer?" "He beat Mao Xiaolong in less than six minutes, it''s miraculous!" "No wonder they let Mao Xiaolong go so easily, they must have had an ace up their sleeve." "The Tong Family is a major capital yer, after all. For them to cultivate a top esports yer, it''s too easy." ... The scene suddenly became noisy with all kinds of chatter, but Mao Xiaolong''s fame and poprity he had built up over the years were likely thoroughly squandered because of this match. Chen Yu adjusted his breathing slightly, he had finally understood all the match procedures and operating principles. If there were another round, he was confident he could dominate the opponent within five minutes. Just as he was about to put down his headphones and leave the stage, a teammate quickly grabbed him. "Mr. Chen, we haven''t won yet, the game format is best of five!" Chen Yu smacked his forehead, he had indeed forgotten about that. "From now on, everyone listen to me, we must defeat the opponent within five minutes!" "Understood!" Chen Yu''s team immediately became fired up, as the despondency left by Mao Xiaolong''s departure was nowhere to be found. In the following two rounds, they almostpletely steamrolled thepetition. The third round took just four minutes to break through to the opponent''s crystal, creating a ssic match since the start of esportspetitions. Chen Yu stretched his limbs and directly led the team out of the arena. As soon as they stepped out, arge number of fans swarmed them, moring for Chen Yu''s autograph. He maintained a faint smile throughout, and after getting into the car with his team, they headed straight for Xiangyun Restaurant. "Mr. Chen, I had no idea you were so skilled in esports!" "Mao Xiaolong was considered the best yer here, we never thought he could be defeated so easily." "Could you teach us some tricks?" ... Everyone at the moment had already started idolizing Chen Yu, gathering around him. Chen Yu raised his ss. "I merely trained specifically for a while beforehand, so I achieved this sess, it''s nothing to envy." Everyone also raised their sses and clinked them together. Just then, the sound of angry cursing came from a private room next door. "What the hell is wrong with you? After spending so much money to bring you over, you went and set the record for the fastest loss! Do you know our team might copse from now on?" Chen Yu frowned, picked up his ss, and went next door. The team that battled against his today, sat together with faces full of dejection. Especially Mao Xiaolong, with a life-questioning expression that would make anyone feel pity. "Boss Hu!" Chen Yu called out and walked straight over. Hu Naichao was also a veteran in the esports industry, with three professional teams under hismand. He had beenmitted to building the strongest esports team in the world, thus investing the most in personnel, equipment, and many other details. Even several teams owned by the Tong Family couldn''tpare to the other side in overall strength. If it hadn''t been for Chen Yu''s sudden intervention, this match might well have been won by the other side. Chapter 363 Reasonably Debunking Rumors Hu Naichao was somewhat embarrassed, as he was the one who had poached yers just before the game, breaking the rules of thepetition. And yet, he still lost. Now that the game was over, and Chen Yu hade to settle the score, he really had nothing to say for himself. "I always thought that Mr. Chen was just a professional businessman, but I never expected you to y esports so brilliantly," he said. A smirk formed at the corner of Chen Yu''s mouth. "When you''re in this world, you can never have too many skills, the more you know, the better¡ªit could save your life in a critical moment! But Mr. Hu, you went a bit too far, poaching from my team?" Hu Naichao''s breathing became rapid, after all, he was in the wrong and couldn''t justify his actions. "Mr. Chen, just give it to me straight, how do you want me to die?" Chen Yu snapped his fingers at a waiter nearby. "Could you help us get a bigger private room? Both teams would like to have a meal and ease the tense atmosphere." The yers from both teams widened their eyes when they heard this. The game just now had set them at each other''s throats, and with Mao Xiaolong''s betrayal, their feelings were in utter turmoil. And now they were supposed to eat together? How could they possibly swallow their pride? Since Chen Yu had spoken, the yers couldn''t say much, so they followed him to arger private room. Both sides still looked ready to go to war with each other, harboring some hatred. Mao Xiaolong sat with his head hung low, not saying a word. He was just a seventeen-year-old boy, after all, with an immature mind. At his age, it''s the golden period for an esports yer, and he wanted to maximize his value. Seen in that light, he hadn''t done anything wrong, but deserting his team at thest moment was a moral issue. Chen Yu didn''t bother with any of that and took the seat at the head of the table, then pushed a contract forward. "Mr. Hu, in the esports industry, you are a veteran with a team under yourmand that''s achieved world-ss rankings for several years, while I am just a neer to the field, looking to control a team andpete on the world stage. There are some aspects in which I still need to rely on you, Mr. Hu." Hu Naichao''s eyes widened in disbelief. He had thought Chen Yu came to seek retribution, but it turned out to be a proposal for cooperation. "Mr. Chen, are you sure you want to cooperate with me?" In any otherpany, this issue wouldn''t be settled without awsuit. Chen Yu nodded his head, "These kids, the youngest only thirteen or fourteen, the oldest eighteen or neen, are risking their youth for a chance to seed in this industry. There''s no need to destroy their futures because of a business rivalry between us." Those calm words immediately elevated the situation, and the esports yers present began to look at Chen Yu with admiration. Especially Mao Xiaolong! He had switched sides at thest minute, hoping to prove himself with a wless game, but ended up losing miserably. If the two sides went to court over this, his career would be over, and he might even have to pay back the money he had earned at Tong Group. Hu Naichao''s breathing quickened as well. He quickly looked over the contents of the contract and immediately signed his name. "Mr. Chen, we could add one more use to the contract, starting today all three teams under me will be transferred to your name, and I''ll just be the vice-manager," he offered. Chen Yu shook his head, "Cooperation is cooperation, our positions are equal, and besides, we''ll need to use thister as a story for the media. Otherwise, we won''t be able to calm down today''s incident." Hu Naichao nodded repeatedly, realizing that he had been superficial. Just then, amotion suddenly erupted outside the door as Mao Xiaolong''s multitude of fans crowded the entrance, lifting banners and shouting loudly. "Mao Xiaolong, why did you betray your teammates, betray your original team?" "Has your skill level declined? How can you not beat an amateur making his debut?" "Were all your past skills and achievements simply boosted by your teammates?" "You must give us fans an exnation." ... The chattering noise was giving everyone a headache. When the number of fans increased, the quality varied greatly, with good people as well as bad ones. The good ones might pay attention to what had actually happened to their idol, while the bad ones would think in all sorts of directions. Now, there were all sorts of people saying various things below the building, and with arge number of news media gathered, if the situation wasn''t resolved, who knows what news might spread by tomorrow. Chen Yu directly pulled Mao Xiaolong and Hu Naichao out the door. "Ladies and gentlemen, you may not know, but I had already reached a cooperation agreement with Boss Hu long ago, and today''s match was ast-minute decision," he said. The scene immediately quieted down, with all eyes focused on Chen Yu. Even a few citizen journalists shoved their microphones in Chen Yu''s face. Chen Yu didn''t care about that; he simply picked up a microphone from the side. "Tong Group and Boss Hu''s team will merge starting today. Today''s match is actually a sort of trial run, with Mao Xiaolong temporarily transferred over. As an esports yer, he naturally must follow his boss''s arrangements," he exined. This rationale seemed to clear Mao Xiaolong, and the massive crowd of fans on site immediately quieted down. In their eyes, as long as Mao Xiaolong wasn''t someone who turned coat at thest minute, that was enough. After observing the situation on site, Chen Yu cleared his throat. "Perhaps today''s decision was a bit rushed, resulting in Mao Xiaolong''s unstable performance, which gave me, a rookie, an opportunity! Moreover, my teammates have been ying with Mao Xiaolong for no less than three years; they are too familiar with his ystyle," he continued. At this point, Chen Yu intentionally paused. By now, he hadpletely pulled Mao Xiaolong out from the center of the public opinion storm. As for the rest, it would only take a press conference to clear everything up.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The rowdy crowd quickly calmed down, dispersing one after another. The multitude of news media also found it uninteresting and left one by one. They originally thought they would find something explosive to report, but it turned out to be nothing more than prior teamwork between two merging teams. It was simply that the match was hasty, and no rification had been given to the general public, leading to misunderstandings. This type of news would at most result in a single report; there was no need to take up too much bandwidth. Chen Yu let out a long sigh of relief and then led everyone back to the restaurant. Mao Xiaolong, who seemed to be under a great deal of emotional distress, suddenly copsed on the ground, grabbing onto Chen Yu''s pants and bursting into tears. After all, he was just a kid, and his heart was bound to fluctuate somewhat due to such an ordeal, but this reaction was a bit too intense. Chapter 364 Merging the Islands The merger of two esportspanies meant that they had to reapply for tournament regtions. The originalpetitions and their specific uses were no longer effective for them, and much had to start anew. Chen Yu was not afraid of the hassle, as he had already analyzed all the uses of the esports industry before he came. All he needed was awyer and the relevant staff to sign a contract. In less than half a day, everything settled. After reorganizing the twopanies, they managed to form nine teams in total. Once all the procedures werepleted, the nine teams dispersed to participate in localpetitions. Chen Yu handed over the management of all the teams to Hu Naichao, while he went on to oversee the anciry aspects of the teams and games. In the business of esports, what makes the most money isn''t thepetition itself, but the various peripherals that arise based on it. As long as he could coordinate all these peripheral industries, the economic value they could generate was astronomical. Using the financial strategies he had employed before, Chen Yu rapidly set up severalpanies, categorizing the potential peripheral industries he could think of. Then he drew a single line from Tong Group to form apany that would coordinate these categorizedpanies. This businessyout could be described as impably structured; even if something went wrong with the teams, it wouldn''t affect the peripheral business. In his spacious office, Chen Yu kept signing a variety of documents, asionally ncing at therge screen beside him. The huge screen was divided into nine sections, showing live matches of the nine teams he owned. If five of these teams could qualify, he could take them to y in world-ss leagues. By then, the periphery business and industry could be promoted abroad, and might even merge with other businesses. "Honey! Have you been too busytely? You don''t evene home to visit?" Tong Ya approached with a cup of coffee in hand. Chen Yu leaned back in his chair and stretched. "I used to think being a boss was easy, but I didn''t expect it to be this exhausting, with not a moment''s rest every day." Tong Ya wrinkled her nose and popped a refreshing candy into Chen Yu''s mouth. "You''ve worked hard, my dear!" Chen Yu pulled Tong Ya into his embrace, "How many of these nine teams do you think will qualify?" Tong Ya wrapped her arms around Chen Yu''s neck, "I''m not interested in that area, and I''m even less familiar with their rules of engagement. But if you really want me to guess, of course, I hope all nine teams qualify." Chen Yu said nothing further, just gazed intently at therge screen. Before long, three teams overwhelmingly defeated their opponents, and the other six teams began to gain the upper hand. "It looks like your guess mighte true; all nine teams might actually qualify." Tong Ya didn''t concern herself too much with these matters and instead took out a file from her bag andid it on the desk. "The industry in Suzhou City has already formed a chain. Both industrial parks areplete, and they have also established connections with the capital." Chen Yu nced over the contents of the file briefly and then pushed it back. "These items have basically formed a stable industry chain. You can manage them, while I need to develop other new areas." As he was speaking, Chen Yu''s phone suddenly rang. He couldn''t afford to stay any longer, quickly exchanged a few words with Tong Ya, and hastened away. During hisst passage through Kro''s territory, Chen Yu''s fleet had disturbed the local order. Severe frictions urred among the major powers, with significant internal conflicts. Seizing the opportunity, Jin Lingsu reached out to her former contacts and quickly took control of the entire archipgo in the shortest time. Now, all that was needed was a certification from Tong Group to legally acquire the ind. Chen Yu called Hu Naichao, instructing him to take full responsibility for thepetitions in theing half month, as he rushed nonstop to Kro Ind. The ce, situated in the mid-ocean, had a highly advantageous geographical location. It was not only suitable for ports, but also for the growth of various tropical economic nts. If developed properly, it could not only be a hub but possibly also a unique tourist paradise. When Chen Yu arrived, Jin Lingsu had already taken care of everything; she even had the local residents start building a port. "How does it look? Am I not very reliable when handling things?" Chen Yu sighed helplessly. He had intended to acquire the inds in a very gentle manner, but Jin Lingsu had been so straightforward and forceful. "I heard there''s the world''s tallest watchtower here; can you show it to me?" Jin Lingsu immediately drove over in a touring car and took him straight to the watchtower. The tower was originally constructed to overlook the entire archipgo. Unfortunately, due to substandard conditions on the ind at the start, the materials used had been haphazard. The walls were riddled with dense cracks, and at this rate, it would notst more than a few months without copsing. After inspecting the entire tower, Chen Yu immediately took out a design n. A strategic high point was essential on such a small ind, to coordinate everything. In case of an incident, it would allow for immediate resolution. Jin Lingsu was surprised by the blueprint; she had not expected Chen Yu to be proficient in architectural design as well. Just then, several brawny men arrived at the base of the tower. "Who''s in charge here? Wasn''t it agreed before that after we helped you take control of the ind, you would allocate a piece ofnd on the ind for us to farm? Why haven''t you followed through yet?" Chen Yu frowned, recognizing that these men were certainly the ind''s indigenous people, straightforward and probably generations of farmers by trade. Jin Lingsu was somewhat embarrassed; she indeed had forgotten. She had been fullymitted to port andnd development on the archipgo, neglecting to allocate the promised farnd. But she was clueless about agriculture; had she been tasked with dividing the farnd, who knows what she would have ended up designating. Chen Yu cleared his throat and unfolded a map of the archipgo. "Apart from you, how many native farmers are there on the ind?" The brawny men quickly briefed him on the basic situation of the ind.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om After a brief analysis, Chen Yu led them to thergest ind in the middle of the archipgo. Surrounded by smaller inds, this spot had fresh water, and its central area featured a vast in, highly suitable for the growth of crops. Chen Yu took everyone there and started to n theyout of thend immediately. Unexpectedly, the farmers looked at him with eyes filled with terror. "Sir, are you sure you are the one who decides this? Can thisnd really be given to us for farming?" Chapter 365 365 Chapter The Real Team ``` Chen Yu was stunned for a moment, he hadn''t expected the vigers to be in such a state. Logically, thend here had belonged to them, and they could do with it as they wished. Now, it seemed that they had pinned all their hopes on Chen Yu and Jin Lingsu. Indeed, the people here had been enved for too long, and unintentionally developed a kind of inexplicable servility. Chen Yu didn''t say much more and directly distributed thend before him. The many vigers were grateful, they had never thought they could obtainnd so easily. Some even thought they were dreaming, and only after picking up a stone and hitting themselves hard on the head did they believe it was true. After obtaining thend, this group didn''t just leave, but voluntarily organized themselves to help build the harbor. This ce was already remote from the maind, and the climate was quite unique. If craftsmen from other ces were brought here, they might suffer from limatization, but it wouldn''t be the same with locals. Firstly, these people were extremely familiar with the local environment, and secondly, they were in their prime working years. After Chen Yu sent down the design ns, these people implemented them quickly. At this rate, the harbor could bepleted in less than half a month. Afterwards, with a little bit of renovation, it would be possible to connect about a dozen nearby harbors, forming a world-ssrge dock. Chen Yu didn''t stay here for long, and after handing over the nned construction scheme to Jin Lingsu, he hurried back to the Imperial City. The question of the sovereignty of Kro Ind hadn''t been settled yet, and he had to obtain the necessary paperwork in the shortest time possible. Such isted inds without any sovereignty were easily coveted by others. Chen Yu had to prepare in advance. In the Imperial City, Xiangyun Restaurant''s private room. Hu Naichao stood there spiritedly and vehemently. This time, all nine teams had won their matches under his leadership, and perhaps, the champion team woulde from within their ranks. Just as everyone was celebrating, a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy burst in rudely. "You bunch are just some third-rate teams, and yet you dare to celebrate here. It won''t be long before we show you what a real esports team is." The sudden arrival of the boy stunned everyone present, and then anger began to rise on their faces. This guy''s behavior was an outright provocation. Hu Naichao furrowed his brows and slowly walked toward the boy. "Who are you? An esports yer as well?" The boy snorted coldly and passed his ID over. Hu Naichao nced at the ID and was instantly shocked. The boy in front of him was none other than the number one esports yer from South Korea, Jin Sanxuan. Thispetition was global, but each country had to battle internally to send a champion team topete. South Korea''s esports scene was world-renowned; they represented the pinnacle of global esports. Especially this Jin Sanxuan, he virtually stood at the apex of the pyramid. Hu Naichao politely handed back the ID. "Alright, then we''ll see what a real esports yer is when the timees!" Jin Sanxuan took back his ID indifferently and turned to leave. Only then did Hu Naichao notice, in a not-too-distant private room, a group of teenagers were dining together. They spoke Korean and were discussing the recent matches with arrogance. ``` Hu Naichao couldn''t help but frown as he quickly checked thetestpetition events. Only then did he realize that this group of guys hade to the capital to practice. People from Korea were already few and far between, and the esports elites they could select were even fewer. Often, they didn''t have any high-end yers to spar with internally. So they had to scour the world for yers to maintain their standard. This method of training was somewhat against the rules, but Korea had always been looking for loopholes in the regtions to maintain this state. Besides finding people to spar with, they could also adapt to the ystyles of yers from other countries in the shortest time possible. Hu Naichao was filled with anger¡ªthey had nned for thispetition for so long and put in so much effort. If the Koreans became familiar with their ystyle and game strategy, they would miss out on the world-sspetition prizes once again. "Manager Hu, there are some matters I need to discuss with you!" Chen Yu suddenly entered the private room, looking a bit rushed. Hu Naichao quickly suppressed the anger in his heart. "Mr. Chen, when did you get back?" Chen Yu didn''t answer but took a pile of documents from his person and ced them on the table. "Sort out these documents immediately, let everyone take a look, we''re going to Korea next week for the world-sspetition," All those present stood up, seemingly filled with an inexplicable passion. Chen Yu was surprised by the reaction of these kids; with this kind of spirit, maybe they really could take home a championship. Hu Naichao read the contents of the documents and mmed his hand on the table forcefully. "Great, I thought we wouldn''t go to Korea this time. We can finally teach those guys a lesson," Chen Yu was a bit bewildered: "What has gotten into you all?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Hu Naichao pointed to the next room: "You don''t know how arrogant these kids have been acting, as if they could sweep the overall championship." Chen Yu tilted his head and saw the Korean yers in the adjacent private room from afar. Speaking of which, the esports industry of this country was indeed enviable; they almost always took home the annual championship. Seeing the tension in the air, it seemed that the two sides had engaged in some degree of ''friendly'' exchange. Chen Yu didn''t say much more. In his view, the team didn''t necessarily need to win the overall championship, as long as the merchandise and traffic could sell. "Alright, some things we don''t need to care too much about. Get ready right away; tomorrow is the national finals. Let''s aim for a good ranking," With just a few instructions, Chen Yu walked straight out the door. Since he had entrusted Hu Naichao with full responsibility for the team, there was no need for him to meddle any further. On the outskirts of the capital, atop a vast wastnd. Several men stood there, exuding arrogance. When Chen Yu arrived, a strange expression appeared on their faces, and then they knelt on the ground. "Mr. Chen, as per your instructions, all the supplies have been delivered here. Please sign a receipt so that we can report back to Mr. Victor," Chen Yu didn''t say much and directly wrote out a bill and handed it over. These men didn''t linger any longer; after receiving the receipt, they drove away in a hurry. Chen Yu took a moment to steady his breath before climbing into the medium-sized truck parked nearby. Chapter 366 The Mysterious Man The truck was nothing special, just tightly covered with ayer of rather rare camouge cloth. Chen Yu climbed into the truckpartment for a quick inspection and, after confirming everything was in order, returned to a building. This ce was originally a training facility provided by Tong Group specifically for their esports team, but it had since been transformed into one of the venues for esportspetitions. Chen Yu drove the truck into the warehouse and ordered his men to carefully carry the contents into a training room. Early on, when he took over the esports team, Chen Yu had asked Victor to help him acquire arge number of advanced gaming machines. All of them were of the highest standard, and they had even been modified to have convertible sockets. They could not only be used in China but also worked seamlessly when brought to South Korea. After all the machines were installed, Chen Yu tested them himself, and in terms of touch and other aspects, they met the top international standards. Just then, Hu Naichao walked into the training room with the team members, talking andughing. When they saw the brand-newputers and keyboards, they stopped dead in their tracks. As professional esports yers, they naturally understood how much of an impact the quality of equipment could have on a match. Previously, they thought the equipment they used was top-notch, but it was nothingpared to what was now before them. Chen Yu stretched, then gestured invitingly. "What are you waiting for? Come check out your new equipment. If there''s anything that doesn''t suit you, I''ll change it immediately," he said. The group instantly became excited and quickly started to select their gear. Each set of equipment had been meticulously refined and all had simr performance, so there wasn''t much choice involved¡ªthey merely picked a set randomly. Afterward, everyone immediately logged into the game to get ustomed to the new equipment. Hu Naichao''s breathing became rapid to the extreme, his chest heaving dramatically, and he excitedly grabbed Chen Yu''s hand, shaking it non-stop. "Mr. Chen, I never expected you to be able to acquire such advanced equipment. Now we''ll truly have the confidence to take on those arrogant South Koreans," he said. Chen Yu quickly withdrew his hand, "Let them familiarize themselves with the machines first, in preparation for the uing nationalpetition," he instructed. Esportspetitions were bing increasingly mature in China, with many ces having their own independent teams. This time, the nationalpetition was particrly fierce. It was, after all, about selecting the strongest teams to join the world-sspetitions, and each team had sent their best yers. After several rounds of selection, ultimately thirty teams converged in the capital. Nine of these teams were from Tong Group. When thepetition started, Chen Yu was also present at the scene. The thirty teams were divided into five groups. Six teams in each grouppeted against each other at the same time to advance three teams from each group. In other words, fifteen matches were taking ce simultaneously in the venue. A huge screen at the venue simultaneously disyed the content of all fifteen matches. Chen Yu was somewhat annoyed, as two of the groups included his teams. This meant that, after this match, at least two of his teams would be eliminated. Chen Yu was not the least bit worried; he just lounged backfortably. To him, there was nothing particrly concerning. The two teams that would be eliminated could just be reorganized into reserves and incorporated into the remaining teams, going together to South Korea for thepetition. The matches at the venue were in full swing, and everyone''s eyes were glued to therge screen, continuously cheering on their teams. ``` Chen Yu''s five teams, thanks to switching to new equipment, had improved by more than just a notch and each had decimated their opponents within ten minutes to im victory. As time went by, almost all the matches had concluded, yet four teams were still fiercely contending, unable to part with an easy win or loss. This time, all of the teams came from Tong Group, and their strengths were quite evenly matched, making it impossible to determine a winner in a short time. Moreover, before they went onstage, Chen Yu hadn''t informed them that even if they lost, they could still join the world finals with the team. Therefore, they all held their breath, eager to make an appearance in the international tournament. After an indeterminate period, they finally arrived at a result. However, these kids had fairly broad minds; the winners weren''t arrogant, and the losers didn''t say much either, supporting each other as they stepped down from the stage. Chen Yu was very satisfied with this scene and personally went to receive them. The remaining fifteen teams would be selected as the strongest ten through a round-robin format! Chen Yu didn''t watch the ensuing matches but bought ne tickets to South Korea for everyone. At the end of the tournament, seven of Chen Yu''s teams were among the winners, and he mixed and matched members from the other two teams before setting off with everyone in a grand procession. Also joining them were three teams from the Magic Capital. One of the teams came from the Chu Family in the Magic Capital. Bonguk Gold Mountain Building. This was one of the most high-end skyscrapers in all of South Korea. Once everyone was settled, Chen Yu went alone to a street. He had already researched the culinary industry here before arriving, noting that, aside from kimchi, there was additional room for development. If he could turn everything here into prefabricated meal packs and sell them specifically in this market, it would be another source of extra ie. Just as Chen Yu was wandering around, a fierce-looking bruiser suddenly charged out of a nearby alley and swung a fist at his face. Chen Yu''s face was a picture of annoyance; he didn''t seem to have any enemies around here. Subconsciously stepping back, he threw a punch and sent the man flying several meters away. The man paused, sized up Chen Yu, then turned and ran in the other direction. Arge group of people then swarmed up in pursuit. It seemed the fellow was evading someone''s chase and had mistaken Chen Yu for an enemy by chance. Chen Yu didn''t say much, just spread his hands and went on his way. Unexpectedly, after only a few steps, the same man reappeared from the alley and pulled him aside. At the same time, he produced a metal object and stuffed it into Chen Yu''s hands.N?v(el)B\\jnn "I''m really sorry about the misunderstanding; I was being chased so closely I didn''t see who was in front of me!" "Please keep this item for me. Bring it to 38 Han River Road at three o''clock this afternoon." Before Chen Yu could react, the guy had already darted off, disappearing at the end of the alley. Chen Yu held the metal object, somewhat at a loss, unsure of who the man was. Moreover, this was no ordinary piece of metal¡ªit was made of pure gold. Wasn''t it a bit too rash to entrust such a precious item to a stranger like him? ``` Chapter 367 The Wang Financial Consortium Chen Yu''s face was full of confusion, and at this moment, he could not care too much, only to find a tavern nearby. [System alert, danger is approaching] Chen Yu''s face slightly changed, and he immediately surveyed his surroundings, his hand gently shaking the ss of wine. He had been watching for a long time, but couldn''t discern anything. A burst of blue and white light was also flickering in front of him at this moment, and a three-dimensional image of the surroundings appeared in his mind. Equally, he didn''t have any relevant information. After adjusting his breathing slightly, Chen Yu set down the ss of wine and then slowly rose to his feet. Just as he was about to leave, a grotesquely ugly, tall man suddenly appeared with a massive fist headed straight for his face. Chen Yu''s pupils dted dramatically, and he hurriedly stepped back several paces, then raised his hand to meet the other''s. A powerful force burst forth between the two of them, actually flipping the nearby table over. Only then did Chen Yu see that this guy had a very strange belt around his waist, emitting bursts of bizarre red light. At the same time, strange electromaic waves were emitting from it, which appeared to have interfered with the system''s scan just now. The two exchanged blows quickly, with Chen Yu continually retreating towards the riverside. The system had already scanned all theponents of the belt, and he discovered that it was an extremely precise explosive device, which, if detonated, would impact for miles around. Chen Yu could only try to lead this man to the riverside and then push him into the water. The strong man seemed to have some issues with his intelligence, as he allowed Chen Yu to lead him to the riverside so easily. Just then, the red light on the belt suddenly stopped, emitting a rapid rm. Without hesitating, Chen Yu pushed the strong man into the river. An earth-shattering explosion spread from the water, drawing arge crowd of onlookers in no time. Chen Yu dared not linger there too long; he dodged once and then merged into the crowd. Atop a tall tower not far away, in an elevated restaurant. Two men in their twenties looked down through a pair of binocrs. "This guy is really useless, defeated so easily; had I known, I would have sent more men." The speaker exuded an air of profligate arrogance, his face the epitome of brazenness. Any item of his clothing would be enough for an ordinary person to work hard for a lifetime. Wang Zhengshuo, one of Bang Nation''s most famous young masters from wealthy families. Next to him was his younger brother, Wang Zhengxi. The two of them were well-known figures among the world''s elite, and their deeds were innumerable. Especially Wang Zhengshuo, who, with his family assets and resources, dominated Bang Nation''s entire esports and girl group industries. Anyone who wanted to join these two industries had to have his approval; otherwise, they would be thoroughly suppressed. He had already thoroughly investigated Chen Yu''s information because Chen Yu''s esports team could very likely be his biggest opponent in thispetition. If he could make Chen Yu disappear from the world before thepetition, perhaps he could win with ease. Next to him, Wang Zhengxi also sighed helplessly while holding the binocrs. "Brother, you can''t me others. The side effects of such a drug are too obvious. Although it can bring out a person''s potential in a short time, it causes severe damage to the brain. It''s already quite fortunate he didn''t turn into an idiot." Wang Zhengshuo angrily mmed the binocrs he was holding onto the ground. "Thepetition starts tomorrow. We still have one night left. Immediately dispatch someone and tell them that whoever can put this kid''s head on my desk will get a hundred million green currency right away." This sum was a huge amount in any country. The bodyguard nearby heard this and immediately became excited, and several volunteered to go out and kill Chen Yu right then and there. Wang Zhengshuo was thrilled and immediately authorized these people to go downstairs. Chen Yu wandered continuously through alleyways until he finally arrived at an inconspicuous street after an indeterminate amount of time. Compared to other bustling streets, this ce was practically a slum. The bumpy concrete road was difficult to navigate, the surrounding shops were in shambles, and the items for sale were simple street food fare. Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown, looking around and confirming that this was indeed Hanjiang Road, then he continued walking and soon arrived at a shop marked with the number thirty-eight. It appeared to be a bento shop, specializing in cheap boxed lunches as its unique offering. As soon as he walked in, Chen Yu was hit by a strong smell of frying oil. He didn''t need to guess to know that this oil was certainly reused "gutter oil." Chen Yu casually found a spot to sit down, then gestured to the owner. "Is this Hanjiang Road number thirty-eight?" The owner wiped his hands and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, that''s right. Do you want to order a bento?" Chen Yu frowned, briefly examining the variety of bentos disyed on the counter, and immediately felt nauseated. Aside from kimchi, there were just a bunch of jumbled fried foods that would probably give him diarrhea if he ate them. "Just bring something to drink." The owner didn''t say much, hurriedly bringing out a bottle of plum wine and setting it down. Chen Yu checked the time, then looked out the window before slowly closing his eyes.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Everything that had happened today had been recorded by the system, which was now conducting an in-depth analysis. The person who had given him the gold medal must have been targeted by some force and the guy he encountered in the afternoon definitely could not be from that force. That meant he had now also be a target for assassination, only he didn''t know who exactly wanted to make a move on him. As he was analyzing this in his mind, a figure hurried into the shop and sat down directly opposite him, ordering a bento from the owner at the same time. Chen Yu recognized the person in front of him at a nce¡ªit was the guy who had given him the gold medal during the day. The owner seemed very familiar with this person, directly serving up three bentos. These three bentos were different from the others in the shop¡ªnot only were they nutritionally rich, but their preparation was unique. It looked like the owner had specially prepared these bentos for the man. The man didn''t care much else, picking up the bentos and wolfing down two of them, then packing the third one away. "I''m really sorry, I was just too rushed this afternoon, and I had to leave that thing with you. Can I have it back now?" Chen Yu held the gold medal in his hand. "Ever since you''ve given me this, people have started to hunt me down. Although I''m not sure whether these people have anything to do with you, my life is now under threat! So you must tell me. What exactly is this gold medal?" Chapter 368 Assassination in Advance The man''s pupils dted into perfect circles, and he stared at Chen Yu with a strange look. After a long silence, the man finally heaved a sigh. "It was my oversight to have also dragged you into danger. Now that it hase to this, there''s no harm in telling you." The man took out an identical gold medal from his person, lightly tapped it, and a virtual screen suddenly appeared on the medal. "In our country, everything is controlled by the financial oligarchs, and the most powerful among them is the Wang Family! Inside these gold medals, there are evidence of their crimes, the best weapon to bring them down in the future." Chen Yu had a drink and leaned back in his chair. He was somewhat aware of the dealings of the financial oligarchs of this country¡ªthis group who acted unscrupulously and beyond the reach ofw. He never expected that there would actually be someone wanting to bring them down here. Chen Yu didn''t say much and simply threw the gold medal in his hand back. Although he hated such people too, it was their internal matter and had nothing to do with him. Just as he was about to stand up and leave, over a dozen people suddenly appeared at the door, each holding a weapon in hand. The shop owner seemed to have been waiting for this moment and instantly took out arge pot of flour from behind the counter and threw it out. A huge amount of flour spread out, instantly creating a vast white blind spot. Then from behind the kitchen, a tunnel appeared. Following the lead of the shop owner, they hurriedly escaped through the tunnel. It was hard to tell how much time had passed, but they finally arrived at the riverbank. Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown. He felt as though he had been drawn into a huge conspiracy, yet he seemed unable to extricate himself. The man adjusted his breath for a moment and took out a special mobile phone from his person, and stuffed it into Chen Yu''s hand. "From today onwards, if you ever find yourself in danger, immediately dial the emergency number here, and my people will arrive at the earliest opportunity to ensure your safety." With those words, the man and the former shop owner boarded the speedboat that had been prepared earlier and hurriedly departed. Chen Yu didn''t linger in that ce and quickly followed a small path to the bridge and made his way back to the hotel. Above in the high tower, Wang Zhengshuo and Wang Zhengxi, the brothers, were still observing through binocrs. "Brother, what exactly happened? That kid seems to have vanished from our surveince." Wang Zhengxi''s face was filled with confusion. The ce they were in was the tallest skyscraper in the entire city, and the equipment they used was of the level of astronomical telescopes. They could monitor almost half of the city. One hand propping his chin, Wang Zhengshuo''s face appeared somewhat gloomy. "I refuse to believe he''s noting back to the hotel tonight. Order everyone to go to the hotel he''s staying at¡ªif they can''t kill him, figure out a way to make his eSports yers disappear." A fierce expression shed across Wang Zhengxi''s face, and he immediately began issuingmands to his subordinates as directed by Wang Zhengshuo. The moment Chen Yu arrived at the hotel, he immediately sensed something was off. He felt as though an invisible murderous aura permeated the hotel. After slightly adjusting his breath, he activated the system''s scanning function and broadcast it.N?v(el)B\\jnn It didn''t take long for the projection of the entire building to appear in his mind. Indeed, in some corner positions, arge number of men in ck lurked. All these men were armed, and they didn''t look normal¡ªtheir eyes were actually blue. Chen Yu immediately felt that something was amiss. These people were not only focusing on his room but also the rooms of the eSports team members he had brought with him. After locking onto their positions, Chen Yu abandoned the elevator and started moving through the floors. Soon, he reached a stairwell corner. Three burly men were hiding behind the door, seemingly waiting for an order. "Hey, are you waiting for me?" Chen Yu''s teasing voice suddenly rang out, startling the three men. Before the men could react, Chen Yu suddenly made his move, his fists raining down on them like a torrential downpour. The physical fitness of these three was beyond that of an ordinary person, clearly having been injected with some unknown medicine. Chen Yu had realized this long ago, so he went all out as soon as he took action, breaking their bones in an instant. After dealing with these people, he immediately shifted to another location. In half an hour, he had been traveling back and forth through every corner of the building, taking down nearly a hundred people. Finally, dragging two guys who still had some rity of mind, he brought them to the rooftop and viciously stomped them into the cement floor. "Who exactly are you? Who sent you here? What are you here for?" The two were already scared out of their wits. One of them was even kneeling on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly. "Young Master Wang sent us. We''re here to off you, so you''d drop out of tomorrow''s eSportspetition." Chen Yu''s pupils suddenly dted; he hadn''t expected the Wang Family to go as far as to kill him over a regional eSportspetition. These people really knew no bounds. "Go back and tell your Young Master Wang that not only will I attend tomorrow''s eSportspetition, but I''ll also take the overall championship." With that said, he threw them onto the building''s rooftop, with its makeshift ropedder. After returning to his room, Chen Yu didn''t go to sleep immediately. Instead, he put all the team members'' rooms under surveince. He had thought this would be just a simple eSportspetition, but he hadn''t expected it to involve so much trouble. It looked like the people who chased him this afternoon were also sent by the Wang Family. The next morning, Hu Naichao led the team mightily toward thepetition venue. Chen Yu didn''t follow. Instead, he headed straight for the Wang Corporation''s skyscraper. Wang Zhengshuo was sitting in his office, pondering what to y with that day. Just as he and a few assistants were deliberating, the office door was violently kicked open. Before he could react, Chen Yu was upon him, grabbing his neck and mming it down on the desk. "I thought you were some big shot. Turns out you''re nothing but this." Wang Zhengshuo''s eyes bulged with shock; he hadn''t expected someone to breach his office so easily. The assistants beside him were petrified, with a few copsing to the ground. Chen Yu had no intention of giving him a chance to speak. He grabbed Wang Zhengshuo''s arm and twisted it viciously, grinding the bones into powder. Horrific screams echoed instantly, and the terrified assistants quickly made calls for help. Soon, the building''s bodyguards came rushing in, but upon seeing the scene before them, they were too scared to speak. The usually untouchable and emperor-like Wang Zhengshuo was being pressed down like a mere ant, unable to move a muscle. Even an arm had been ruthlessly crippled. Chapter 369 Computer Virus "Nobody move!" Chen Yu bellowed, startling everyone present. Fear like they had never known filled their eyes, and their bodies shook violently. The Wang Family''s eldest young master was the prized jewel of the Wang Corporation; if he suffered injury on their watch, they would likely be unable to continue working here thereafter. When Chen Yu came in, he had activated the system''s surveince function, and the thoughts of those present were collected into his mind. In other words, this bunch waspletely transparent in front of Chen Yu, with not a single secret hidden. "If I remember correctly, the Childe Family holds a portion of the Wang Corporation''s shares, and I am one of the honorary shareholders of the Childe Family. If willing, I could offer you better jobs, or even erase the Wang Corporation from this world without any problem," Chen Yu said. Those present looked at Chen Yu with strange nces and then began whispering to each other. So, they were all members of the Wang Corporation, but they weren''t much better than the dogs the Wang Family kept. Ordered about every day, not to mention sometimes risking their lives. After some discussion, a few of them even put down their weapons and consciously stood in the corner. The rest either turned and left or directly went forward to restrain Wang Zhengshuo. A bizarre smile formed on the corners of Chen Yu''s mouth as he stepped on Wang Zhengshuo, fiercely kicking him twice. Such pompous nobility simply couldn''t be dealt with through normal thinking. If they were cruel, one had to be even crueler than them.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Moreover, with the connection to the Childe Family, Chen Yu couldpletely erase the Wang Corporation using financial means. "Young Master Wang, I''m not going anywhere today. I''ll just stay here with you to watch the esports match. What do you think, whose team under our banner will prove superior?" Chen Yu said. Wang Zhengshuo had already lost his usual arrogance and sat shivering; he hadn''t expected Chen Yu to be more ruthless than him. Just then, a dozen people burst into the office, led by Wang Zhengxi. Enjoy new tales from empire "Brother, how are you?" Wang Zhengshuo seemed to see a lifesaver and hurriedly got up, ready to shout. Unexpectedly, Chen Yu''s speed was astonishing. He shed to Wang Zhengxi''s side, grabbed his neck, and threw him violently. The man crashed to the ground like a heavy iron ball, his bones making a cracking sound. Chen Yu dominantly red at the few who had just rushed in. A sh of blue-white light twinkled on his body, and then the group copsed to the floor. He took a deep breath and had the system take full control of all surveince equipment here, and simultaneously hacked into the security system. This meant no more disturbances before the end of the match. However, Chen Yu was not idle, making several phone calls in session. Thepetition was in full swing, and Chen Yu''s team already had world-ss technical skills. With the introduction of new equipment, their operation was even more proficient. Thepetitors from the nation of Bang were no match at all. If this continued, the match would end prematurely before long. Just as Chen Yu was about to leave the Wang Corporation building, the screen suddenly showed a flurry of chaos. It seemed an ident had happened at the scene, and both teams had to pause the game. Chen Yu couldn''t help but frown; the game had been going smoothly without any idents, and they needed only thest ten seconds to determine the winner. An ident happening at this moment was just too coincidental. Chen Yu''s eyes narrowed slightly as he closely observed the situation disyed on the big screen. "Are you from the Wang Family really that despicable? Can''t beat us in the game, so you pull the plug on the inte, huh?" Chen Yu red fiercely at the brothers, causing their bodies to tremble violently. In their eyes, Chen Yu was essentially a fearsome Asura from hell. Wang Zhengshuo gasped for air, "That''s something that happened on site; it has nothing to do with us." Chen Yu coldly stared at the two brothers before stepping out the door. He didn''t want to waste any more time with these guys. The deal with the Childe Family over the dismemberment of the Wang Group had already been settled. After today, the Wang Group would cease to exist, and the Childe Family would be sponsoring a new conglomerate to take their ce here. Although conglomerates in this country stood tall like emperors, they were nothing but curs in the eyes of Western capital. If those from the other side chose to withdraw their investments or cut off cooperation, their assets would instantly shrink and even be driven down. Chen Yu originally didn''t want to stoop to their level, but they had been too excessive. So, the Wang Group would have to disappear from this world. Thepetition scene was inplete chaos at the moment; staff members were continuously troubleshooting and repairing equipment. All these people were from Stick Country, and naturally, they sided with their own team members. They didn''t bring up anything about the inte cable, just kept checking theputers and other equipment, focusing mainly on teams from other countries. While inspecting, each person held a USB drive, iming it was to check if theputers had anything else installed. But anyone with a bit of savvy could tell they were trying to nt viruses in theputers. While they were busy inspecting, Chen Yu arrived at the scene. He directly grabbed a maintenance staff member and snatched the USB drive from his hands. "I really didn''t expect you guys to be this vile, imnting viruses in our yers''puters." As soon as these words came out, everyone at the scene was momentarily stunned. Reporters from various countries and world-ss esports organizations surrounded him en masse. Although they could be biased in some reports, there was no questioning their integrity when it came to fair y in thepetition. After attracting the attention of these reporters, Chen Yu immediately plugged the USB drive into aputer and opened all the files on it. In the small USB drive, there were thousands of viruses hidden, including ones that could slow down theputer and some cheating programs. If they injected these programs into the yers''puters, and then had the referees detect them, the yers would be branded as cheaters and lose their qualifications as esports athletes forever. Utterly reprehensible! The maintenance staff were immediately surrounded by the crowd, and some people swiftly began to check their identities; it didn''t take long to find out that they were electronic engineers from the Wang Group. The situation escted quickly, and condemnations against the Wang Group rose loudly from all sides. However, some media outlets remained rational, since the Wang Group was the most prominent local conglomerate. If they offended them in such a setting, these reporters might not be able to safeguard their careers in the future. Chapter 370 Fully Responsible Chen Yu could naturally sense the concern of the reporters, and from nowhere, he produced a chair to stand on, holding aloft the USB drive he had mentioned earlier. "Starting today, the Childe Family will sanction the Wang Group; all their esports yers will be barred from entering North America." The crowd''s attention was drawn back, their faces showing unprecedented astonishment. The Childe Family''s reputation resounded across the globe, with many powerful conglomerates having ties to them in the shadows. If they decided to sanction someone, that person could not escape their reach. Some among the crowd immediately began looking up information about Chen Yu. "He is the heir to the Tong Group and also an honorary director in the Childe Family." Upon these words, the scene erupted once again, with the reporters who had drawn back in fear now crowding around once more. Though an honorary director is only a nominal position, it can to some extent determine the investment directions of the Childe Family. Now that Chen Yu had made such a statement on this asion, it signified that the Wang Group had reached a dead end. As the saying goes, "When the wall falls, everybody pushes," the reporters on-site promptly began to embellish their reports with gusto. All esports teams in Korea came from the Wang Group; now that this incident had urred, these teams had also lost their qualifications topete. The followingpetitions became much simpler as a result.N?v(el)B\\jnn Mao Xiaolong led Tong Group''s top team to victory without any suspense, iming the championship. Chen Yu didn''t get too involved afterward, instead letting Hu Naichao take everyone to enjoy themselves in the vicinity. He himself went to a seaside hotel. "Mr. Chen, long time no see!" Russell hugged Chen Yu excitedly upon greeting him. After all, Chen Yu had saved him twice; such a debt of gratitude made Russell regard Chen Yu as family. Chen Yu had not expected the Childe Family to send Russell over. Although this guy had full authority to represent them, his way of handling things was somewhat unconventional. He was purely a prodigal son. Chen Yu responded quite perfunctorily and sat down beside him, pouring himself a drink without much care. Russell hurriedly came over, handing over a letter. "My father said that you have full authority over everything here. Even if it means erasing the Wang Group from this world, the Childe Family will follow through," he said. Chen Yu was slightly stunned; he now understood why Fox had sent Russell. It seemed like the current Childe Family had ced him in a very high position. Sending Russell was just to have a representative, a symbol, while the rest was left for Chen Yu to handle. "This isn''t quite right, is it? After all, I am only an honorary director of the Childe Family. How could I possibly represent the Childe Family in full capacity?" he questioned. Russell didn''t care about all that; his main purpose here was to indulge in leisure and pleasure, without any desire to deal with such messy affairs. Moreover, he had absolute trust in Chen Yu. "Mr. Chen, here are some seals from the family, now they are in your hands," he stated. After forcefully passing a box to Chen Yu, Russell hastily exited the door. Chen Yu nced at the seals in his hand; with these items, coupled with the assistance of the system, he could easily swallow a good portion of the Childe Family. It was evident how much trust Fox had in him. After taking a moment to regte his breathing, Chen Yu didn''t hurry to leave. He activated the system''s scanning feature, extending the range to the maximum. The two individuals he had encountered on Hangang Road possessed arge amount of incriminating evidence against the Wang Group. If they could assist, perhaps he could aplish more with less effort. The system''s ability could only cover within a ten-kilometer radius. Fortunately, this ce was not too far from Han River Road, and Chen Yu had found the traces of the two individuals after looking briefly. They had actually rented a boat on the river to grill fish. Having been chased for their lives in such a disheveled state the night before, they were now leisurely grilling fish on the boat today. It had to be said that the two guys still had some nerve. Chen Yu locked onto the target and immediately set off. He rented a small boat at the dock and headed straight for them. The two were grilling food while discussing their next n. "The two of you meet again!" Chen Yu''s sudden appearance startled them. When escaping the previous night, the two had blocked allmunication signals on themselves. It was impossible for anyone to find them. Without waiting for them to speak, Chen Yu leapt onto the boat and picked up a grilled fish, biting into it fiercely. "Last night you mentioned you had evidence of the crimesmitted by the Wang Group, I wonder if you could hand it over to me." The two became instantly vignt, eyeing Chen Yu with a peculiar look. To gather this evidence, they didn''t know how many people had died. Now, with Chen Yu suddenly asking for it, they couldn''t help but be on guard. "What do you want these for?" Without saying much more, Chen Yu took out a document from his person. "This is a document from the Childe Family for abolishing the Wang Group. It won''t be long before they arepletely wiped out. Right now, I need the evidence you have to add fuel to the fire." When the two saw the document, their eyes widened in astonishment, and after triple-checking, they looked at Chen Yu with surprise. "Where did you get this thing? It''s a private document of the Childe Family!" Chen Yu took a sip of his drink. "Let''s properly introduce ourselves. My name is Chen Yu, a titr director of the Childe Family." The breathing of the two men quickened, and the proprietor from the previous night immediately came forward and grasped Chen Yu''s hand. "My name is Park Sanjiang and he is Li Enjiang, both of us have suffered at the hands of the Wang Group." Chen Yu nodded. "From now on, we are allies. However, it won''t be easy topletely topple the Wang Group. I need to know how many hideouts they have here." Li Enjiang did not hesitate, pulling out a map with hundreds of red circles densely marking it. "These are the ces frequently visited by the Wang family. Some are their private clubs, others are specially constructed underground fortresses." Chen Yu immediately scanned the locations on the map into his brain through the system. Park Sanjiang, on the other hand, poured out arge number of USB drives from his person. "Mr. Chen, these all contain some of the atrocious actsmitted by the Wang family, each one is enough to get them the death penalty." Chen Yu did not hesitate to take all of the USB drives. "Alright, you should not stay on the boat any longer. Pack up ande with me." Enjoy new stories from empire The two nodded repeatedly; this might be their only chance. As long as the Wang Group fell, they wouldn''t have to live a life of hiding anymore. Just as they were preparing to leave, a rather luxurious yacht suddenly appeared nearby, and then several fully armed individuals jumped over directly. Chapter 371 Clearing the Obstacles Chen Yu felt somewhat dazed; the surveince system hadn''t given any alert about the appearance of these people, and the weapons they were carrying seemed to surpass those of modern times. He quickly tensed his body and then immediately pulled Park Sanjiang and Li Enjiang into the cabin. The assants outside acted at once, and the sound of violent explosions erupted instantly. It wouldn''t be long before the entire boat submerged. Chen Yu frowned, these individuals looked like they were from the Wang Family, yet they didn''t seem to be. Not daring to linger, he grabbed Park Sanjiang and Li Enjiang and jumped straight into the river. The assants didn''t pursue them. They rummaged through the cabin as if searching for something, and the three took the opportunity to quickly swim to the riverbank. "Who are these people?" Chen Yu couldn''t help but ask. Park Sanjiang, panting heavily, took out a piece of metal. "They are part of an organization secretly trained by the Wang Family called Manjiang. They specialize in handling their dirty work." Chen Yu immediately scanned the metal piece, which wasposed of arge number of chips. With such high-level chips, a quick scan by the system could project the contents directly into Chen Yu''s mind. As expected, the information was explosive, nothing more than some scandals within the Wang Family and the process of their maniption of underground transactions. The Wang Family had reached a desperate state; naturally, they would try to eliminate any unfavorable evidence as much as possible. Chen Yu''s eyes narrowed slightly as he took note of the men before him and hastily departed. Inside the Han River Center Building, Wang Tianhai shook uncontrobly in the principal seat. "What the hell is going on? The Childe Family has been cooperating well with us. Why suddenly withdraw their shares, and transfer all their business dealings?" Thepany veterans seated below fell silent, daring not to even breathe too loudly. An older man, because of his age, leaned over to Wang Tianhai. "Could it be that someone under ourmand has provoked an unprovokable power, leading Childe Family to make us a target?" It wasn''t impossible. People of their financial dynasty''s background did have some special preferences and could easily engage in jealousy and envy. If that indeed caused the current situation, it would be terribly unjust. "I don''t care about anything else, find the reason immediately. Otherwise, we''ll all be buried along with the Wang Family group." Discover stories at empire Everyone refrained from saying anything further and immediately called their subordinates, instructing them to find the cause as quickly as possible. Wang Tianhai also phoned the Manjiang organization, instructing them to eliminate any obstacle. Just then, a middle-aged man stumbled into the office. "Mr. President, it''s terrible! Both young masters have been hospitalized after a fight, and we''ve also lost this round of the eSportspetition." Wang Tianhai''s pupils dted sharply, and he looked at the man before him with a panic-stricken gaze. "What did you say? Both of them got beaten up?" The middle-aged man gasped for breath, "It seems they''ve offended the heir of Tong Group, who is also an honorary director of the Childe Family. They''ve decided to take action against us, and many partners have already fled." Wang Tianhai trembled violently; in his wildest dreams, he had not suspected that all this had started because of his sons. "The heir to the Tong Group, I remember, is a kid named Chen Yu. Does he really have the power to mobilize Childe Family resources?" The middle-aged man nodded emphatically. "Young Master Russell of Childe Family has already arrived, and he''s given all decision-making power to Chen Yu." Wang Tianhai''s breathing became frantic. "Chen Yu! No, we can''t let the kid live. Tell our men that if anyone sees this kid, take him out on the spot. Once he''s dead, the Childe Family will naturally let down their guard." Everyone present didn''t dare to dy and immediately contacted the killer organizations they could reach. Chen Yu arrived at the Han River Central Hotel with Park Sanjiang and Li Enjiang. The team had settled here after thepletion of thepetition. Moreover, this ce was wholly owned and considered safer by the Childe Family. As soon as the three of them arrived, Chen Yu ced all the USB drives and chips on the table, simply staring at them with his eyes. The two beside him had some strange looks on their faces. These were chips, after all; how could you possibly receive the information inside just by looking at them with the naked eye? Just as they were about to ask, Chen Yu suddenly rubbed his eyes and then leaned back in his chair. "These things are useless now, just burn them." Park Sanjiang''s mouth gaped wide open. "These items were obtained at the risk of our lives; isn''t it a pity to just burn them like that?" He didn''t know that all the information here had already been replicated by Chen Yu in his mind, and he could reproduce a copy simply by operating the system. "Don''t worry, the moment you guys came in, I had already activated a special device that made a copy of all the chip content." The two immediately looked around, but they couldn''t see anything out of the ordinary. Chen Yu didn''t care much about that, and he made a phone call to Hu Naichao, telling him to take the team back to their country first. The situation here had already exceeded his expectations, and if the team were to stay, they would likely be affected. After arranging everything, Chen Yu asked Park Sanjiang and Li Enjiang to stay at the hotel while he left alone. The Wang Family had already set their sights on them, and it would be tantamount to sending them to their deaths if they were to show their faces publicly at this time. Chen Yu went straight to a building as soon as he left. This was the Wang Family''s headquarters. As soon as he reached the entrance, a dozen fierce-looking bodyguards blocked his path. "Kid, do you know where you are? Daring to barge in like this, get lost, or else you''re dead." Chen Yu didn''t pay them any attention; a blue and white glow shed over his body, and he vanished in front of everyone. When he reappeared, he was already inside the elevator. The abilities granted to Chen Yu by the system after several evolutions had already surpassed those of normal people. ording to the system, if it could evolve a few more times, it could even digitize Chen Yu''s body. Wang Tianhai was sitting in the top-floor office, continuously issuing orders. All he could do now was use his power to cash out all his virtual assets.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Only then would he be able to survive the Childe Family''s siege. Suddenly, the office door was violently kicked open, and Chen Yu appeared before him. "Mr. Wang, in such a hurry? What are you doing, moving assets? Do you think you still have time for that?" The mocking voice made Wang Tianhai''s body shake violently. Seeing Chen Yu, he knew his end might havee. He carefully scrutinized Chen Yu, his face suddenly taking on a strange expression. He never imagined his opponent would be so young. Chapter 372 Mount Carol "Mr. Chen, I''ve looked over your profile and understand a bit about you. I believe we can be partners, not enemies," said Wang Tianhai, his breathing somewhatbored. He took a cigar from beside him and offered it to Chen Yu. "The difference between partner and enemy is a fine line, but why should I partner with you?" Chen Yu didn''t reach for the cigar but insteadid several contracts on the table. "Let''s cut the crap, sign these contracts immediately, then hand over all the assets under your name, and maybe you can still live," he said. Wang Tianhai''s teeth clenched with an audible grind. "We are both Easterners; we could unite against the Childe family. Why are you doing this to me?" he asked. Chen Yu propped his chin in his hand, "Comparatively, I dislike you more!" Enraged and embarrassed, Wang Tianhai threw his cigar violently on the floor and then pressed the rm. Soon after, a dozen fully armed fellows burst into the office, identical to those Chen Yu had seen on the boat before. The equipment on them screamed future and high-tech, and they had a special sensing device on them that even Chen Yu''s system couldn''t analyze. However, after a day''s umtion, the system could barely parse some of their functions. As these men appeared, images shed through Chen Yu''s mind, then he moved like lightning. Before they could even act, they were already lying on the floor, two of them with their gear in tatters. The core chips were now in Chen Yu''s hands for aprehensive analysis. "I thought this guy had prepared some high-tech stuff, but it turns out to be just a pile of devices not yet on the market," he scoffed. Chen Yu tossed the chip aside and slowly approached Wang Tianhai. The atmosphere in the room turned eerie, as Wang Tianhai kept retreating until he finally curled up in the corner of the room. "What method did you just use? These men are all specially trained, and their equipment is the best in the world," he said. Chen Yu didn''t respond but just walked up to Wang Tianhai and grabbed his neck. Before he could react, Chen Yu''s fingers were already rapidly typing on a keyboard. All the data linked to theputer now flowed continuously into Chen Yu''s mind, and he also gained full control over Wang Tianhai''s ounts and passwords. He even scanned through Wang Tianhai''s brain information. A strange curve formed on Chen Yu''s lips as his hand unexpectedly held several pieces of silicone. He ced these silicone pieces on Wang Tianhai''s eyes and fingers, and after a brief sculpting, collected his iris and fingerprints. "Mr. Wang, you''re nowpletely useless. If you don''t want to suffer, I suggest you find a ce and kill yourself," Chen Yu said and left the office. The next morning, all assets under the Wang Group were transferred to Tong Group and the Childe family. At the same time, every scandal of the Wang family was exposed. The two sudden moves plummeted the Wang family to rock bottom, with Wang Tianhai penniless. His two sonsy in the hospital, unable to afford the medical bills. Afterpleting all the procedures, Chen Yu didn''t want to stay any longer as there was nothing interesting in such a small country. Just as he was about to leave, Russell suddenly found him and forcibly pulled him into a limousine. "Mr. Chen, when you wereing, my father mentioned that if you finished the business here, you must apany me to the Carroll Mountains," Chen Yu was somewhat surprised, the Carroll Mountains being one of the most mysterious mountain ranges in the world. Afterward, through renovations, this mountain range became the private property of the Childe Family. Since then, no outsiders were allowed entry. Chen Yu had not expected that he would be the first outsider to enter the Carroll Mountains aside from the Childe Family. "Is there a reason for me toe over?" Chen Yu asked subconsciously. "Nothing much, just a pure invitation!" Russell gave a perfunctory response and let the driver hurry to push and pull Chen Yu onto a private ne. Honestly, if Chen Yu wasn''t curious about the Carroll Mountains, he wouldn''t have let himself be so easily dragged onto the ne. After six hours of long-haul flight, they arrived at a private airport near the Carroll Mountains. Uponnding, Chen Yu felt as though he had entered a paradise. The environment was extraordinarily beautiful here; there were many nts he had never even seen before.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The system continuously imprinted the names of these nts in Chen Yu''s mind, and he was surprised to find that some were nts from ancient times. "Mr. Chen,e quickly, the auction is about to start, and we''ll miss it if we''re anyter." "Auction?" Chen Yu was full of questions. Before he could gather his thoughts, Russell had already pulled him into the mountain range. This ce was simply an underground pce, incredibly luxurious wherever they went. When the two of them entered, a sightseeing cart came forward to pick them up, and they continued deeper underground. After an uncertain amount of time, they arrived at a hall. The hall''s decor was extremely unique, as if tailored to the visiting guests'' styles. Chen Yu had just arrived when an elderly man of advanced years greeted him warmly, pulling Chen Yu to a table where Fox was also seated. "Ladies and gentlemen, we''ve asked you here today to introduce the youngest and most promising person in the world, Mr. Chen Yu." Such an introduction from Fox was somewhat unexpected, even making Chen Yu a bit overwhelmed. Upon entering, the system had already replicated the identity information of everyone here into Chen Yu''s brain. He was astonished to find that everyone present was an invisible tycoon, each possessing assets nearly equivalent to the Childe Family. If these people wished, they could probably affect the entire world''s financial markets. An octogenarian with a cheerful smile walked over, taking hold of Chen Yu''s hand. "When I joined the Knights of the Round Table, I was already a man in my sixties, but you are not even thirty yet, the future is limitless for you." These people seemed to be united in an organization, regrly meeting at this location. However, it appeared that the conditions to join this organization were extremely strict. Counting carefully, there were a total of thirteen people in the room. Just as Chen Yu was pondering how the organization operated, several scantily ddies ced a golden scepter on the table. Chapter 373 The Meeting Gift Fox swayed his body and slowly took a seat beside him, presenting Chen Yu with an exquisitely crafted token. "Mr. Chen," he began, "this is a token of the Knights of the Round Table; from today onwards, you are one of the thirteen Knights of the Round Table." Chen Yu was somewhat surprised; the so-called Knights of the Round Table were part of a legend that had arisen a long time ago. To defeat the Celt invasion, King Arthur gathered thirteen knights, forming a covenant of life and death. Since that time, the covenant had been passed down from generation to generation. In the modern era, everyone believed that the Knights of the Round Table were nothing more than characters in a legend. In reality, this legend had be an organization that had been passed down through the ages. As Chen Yu took the token that Fox had handed to him, he was shocked to find that it was iid with a top-tier gemstone that had been lost for ages. Just one could possibly fetch a price of several hundred million. Yet on a single token, there were as many as thirteen gemstones. Just auctioning this one token could make a person the top tycoon of a region. Chen Yu''s breath suddenly quickened; judging from this alone, thebined wealth of all the Knights of the Round Table could very well overturn the entire world. Suppressing the surprise in his heart, Chen Yu leaned back in his chair, looking at the gold scepter ced before him. At a nce, one could tell this scepter was the exclusive gold scepter of Tutankhamun. It had been lost since the 1920s and 1930s. Organizations around the world had searched for an entire century yet failed to find any trace of it, only to unexpectedly discover it here. Fox pped his hands twice. "Ladies and gentlemen, this gold scepter we''ve just found has been authenticated as belonging to Tutankhamun," he said. "Now we shall distribute it, following the old rules, the highest bidder takes it." The others appeared indifferent, showing little interest in the gold scepter before them, merely raising their tokens mechanically. Almost everyone seated at this table had seen all the treasures in the world, and were not too impressed by a mere gold scepter. Before long, an old man took the gold scepter into his possession; it seemed like he bought it not out of interest, but simply because he offered the highest price. However, after obtaining the gold scepter, the old man did not instruct his bodyguard to put it away. Instead, he pushed it across to Chen Yu. "Young man, since you''ve joined the Knights of the Round Table, consider this a wee gift from me," the old man said. "You must ept it; it''s our tradition." Chen Yu''s pupils suddenly dted, having just witnessed the old man spend six billion to purchase the gold scepter, only to casually offer it to him. Just as he was about to decline, the next item was brought up for auction. Compared to the gold scepter, this item seemed rather ordinary, but the intricate patterns on it quickly captured Chen Yu''s interest. It appeared to be a unique ceremonial object from the Ancient Shu State. Having been passed down for at least six thousand years, the patterns seemed to chronicle the rise and fall of a nation''s civilization¡ªan inestimably valuable historical treasure when viewed from the outside. The most important thing was that this item belonged to the treasures of Eastern civilization, and no matter from which perspective, Chen Yu had to purchase it. Just as he prepared to make his move, an elderly man seated near him suddenly ced a key on the table. "This is the key to a safe deposit box in a Swiss bank. The money inside should be sufficient to purchase this item. Does anyone else wish topete with me?" No one else spoke up at the scene, and the item naturally fell into the old man''s hands. However, after making the purchase, like the first elderly man, he presented it to Chen Yu. The subsequent process held no surprises; everyone bought a treasure and pushed it in front of Chen Yu, as a gift for their first meeting. After understanding the rules, Chen Yu did not decline and epted them with equanimity, especially since some of the items were unique treasures from Eastern civilization that had been lost to the outside world. After the auction of twelve items waspleted, everyone began to stand up, and Fox even announced the end of the auction. It seemed that the auction had been designed specifically for Chen Yu, as a weing event. The crowd then escorted Chen Yu to another room, which was somewhat smallerpared to the previous one, yet it was filled everywhere with gold. Even the smallest ornaments were crafted from gold. Most importantly, all the objects were densely iid with a variety of gemstones. Chen Yu couldn''t help but feel somewhat self-mocking. Though he considered himself worldly, in this ce, he felt like a newborn baby. Not to mention the splendor before him, he had never even seen the gemstones thaty scattered on the ground. After taking a moment topose himself, Chen Yu sat down like the other old men. Fox entered a code next to him, then took out two test tubes. "This is the highest secret of the Knights of the Round Table. Inside is said to be two keys that can sway the world, but so far, no one has been able to decipher where the keys truly lie." This statement was baffling, and Chen Yu nced subconsciously, only to find that the test tubes contained a liquid. He frowned and immediately had the system scan the liquid in the test tubes, but to his surprise, the test tubes were made of a special material. Not even the system could prate the ss walls to detect theposition of the liquid inside. Fox didn''t say much more, only put the test tubes back, then shared the opened code with Chen Yu. "Young man, now that you are a member of the Knights of the Round Table, there is no need to hide these secrets from you. From now on, you cane and go here as if you were at home, with no one to stop you." Chen Yu was filled with curiosity about everything here, especially since he still hadn''t fully grasped the rules of this ce. His eyes shifted slightly, and he suddenly grabbed a handful of gemstones from the ground, stuffing them into his pocket without hesitation. The rest acted as if they hadn''t seen anything, simply continuing to discuss their own businesses. Fox approached with a smile and patted Chen Yu on the shoulder. "Young man, this is the wealth of the Knights of the Round Table. Everyone is entitled to take anything from here. Even if you were to empty this room, it would be fine, let alone taking a few gemstones." Chen Yu''s eyes shone with surprise; he hadn''t expected to stumble upon such good fortune.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Considering the number of gemstones and gold here, he could be the world''s richest person in a very short time if he wished. However, that would only make him the richest person on the surface, not even worth mentioning whenpared to any member of the Knights of the Round Table. Chapter 374 Betting on Luck "Ladies and gentlemen, trouble is here again; that fellow is back, this time with a heap of diluted treasures, and he''s brought some inexplicable people with him." The security staff hurriedly barged in and presented a video calling device to everyone. On the screen stood a man in his sixties with a face marked by scars. Around him stood a dozen or so people, each exuding an air of distinction. Fox couldn''t help but frown. "That old man refuses to die. I thought he was already dead. Why has hee here again?" Out of curiosity, Chen Yu craned his neck to have a look at the screen and recognized the person to be Carroll Philock. This man held an immense fortune, always ranking first among the world''s richest as publicly known. Fox tossed aside themunication device in his hand and hurried out. The other elders remained indifferent, simply sitting there drinking tea without a care. This was Chen Yu''s first visit here, and he was filled with curiosity about why the world''s richest man hade to this ce. When he stepped outside, Carroll looked at him with a gaze mixed with astonishment. "Who is this kid? Has the Knights of the Round Table added a new member?" Fox nodded and grabbed Chen Yu''s hand, lifting the Token in his grip. "He''s a new member carefully selected by all of us. You want to join the Knights of the Round Table; you might have to wait a few more decades, that is if you can actually live that long!" Carroll''s breathing became ragged, and he quickly stepped forward. "I refuse to ept this. How is this kid better than me in any way? My wealth is number one in the world, I have a very powerful family behind me, and each of my clients could be the best in their respective fields." Such arrogant words were particrly distasteful. Chen Yu also furrowed his brows but said nothing more. Instead, he took out a handful of sunflower seeds and started cracking them by the door frame, clearly in a mood to watch the show. Carroll''s anger intensified. In his view, he was the only one worthy of bing a new Knight of the Round Table. "Fox, I know you are the recruiter for this generation''s Knights of the Round Table. I want to have a contest with this kid, to prove that I am stronger than him." Fox didn''t say much; he only looked at Chen Yu with an inquisitive gaze. The atmosphere became somewhat strange as numerous security personnel slowly surrounded them, ready to expel Carroll if necessary. Chen Yu tidied up the sunflower seed shells in his hand and slowly stepped forward. "Very well then, let''s have a contest. I''d like to see just how formidable the world''s richest man really is." A sh of contempt crossed Carroll''s eyes. He found a spot to sit, and pulled out a deck of ying cards. Actually, at their level,peting in mere wealth or other capabilities seemed lowly. Anyone who is extremely wealthy in this world owes their fortune, at least in part, to luck. Therefore, a contest of luck was the best method ofparison. "Let''s keep it simple, each of us will draw one card from the deck, and whoever draws the higher number wins." Chen Yu almostughed, with the system in his hand, he could see through everything in this world. Even if the deck was ced in front of him, he could easily tell where thergest card was. Carroll also appeared to be supremely confident, with a strange, crystal-like sparkle shing in his eyes. If you looked closely, you''d notice that he was wearing a pair of invisible sses. No wonder he wanted to bet on luck. It turned out he hade prepared: the invisible sses in his eyes were made of a special material that allowed him to easily see through the cards. Chen Yu slightly adjusted his breathing, then casually drew a card from the deck. Carroll''s expression clearly changed for a moment; he also drew a card, and when they both revealed their cards, the numbers were exactly the same¡ªthe highest numbers.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The first round ended in a tie, and both men found themselves in a deadlock. Carroll, gritting his teeth and feeling unsatisfied, wanted to y another round, but suddenly, Fox appeared by his side and grabbed his shoulder. "Old buddy, you''re going too far. Coming here with x-ray sses to y with this young brother here, even if you win, it won''t be a win to be proud of. If I were you, I''d pack up and go home and stop causing trouble here, or else I''ll have you thrown out." Carroll suddenly let out a scream, bing frantic. His family had started to prosper centuries ago, and the descendants had taken the way of thinking left by their ancestors to the extreme, umting billions of wealth. Theoretically, their family already had the qualifications to join the Knights of the Round Table. In the past, many members of their family had received invitations from the Knights of the Round Table, including Carroll. When they saw the environment of the Knights of the Round Table, it was as if they had opened the door to another world, unable to return to their former lives. Therefore, joining the Knights of the Round Table became an additional goal for their family through the generations. But no matter how hard they tried, it always seemed they were just a little short, getting eliminated at the veryst step every time. This time, Carroll wanted to make an effort on top of his previous attempts to see if he could join the Knights of the Round Table, but to his surprise, someone else had beaten him to it, and it was a young man not even thirty years old. "Why? My family is already so powerful, why aren''t we meeting the mark? What makes this little brat any better than me?" Fox chuckled coldly and slowly moved forward a few steps. "Although this young brother''s wealth may notpare to yours, he possesses a skill you could never match, the Art of Resurrection." Chen Yu''s eyes widened. He indeed knew medicine, but as for bringing back the dead, he didn''t have such an ability. However, remembering the scene when he saved someone at the Childe Family, Chen Yu understood. The two patients from their family were already critically ill, and anyone else would have been unable to cure them. Moreover, the Childe Family had even set up a researchb specifically for their ailments, yet to no avail. In the end, Chen Yu managed to cure them within a month, and naturally, they saw him as a divine healer. Having someone like that join the Knights of the Round Table meant these old fellows might extend their lives by a decade or even several decades. In this world, everything is rted to interests. The older generation of the Knights didn''t actuallyck money; what theycked was life and a healthy body. This was also a major reason for Carroll''s failure. Upon hearing the words "Art of Resurrection," Carroll staggered and copsed onto a chair. How many people in this world could achieve resurrection? The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!