Chapter 240 No Explanation

The call went through almost immediately. Lin Canrong probably did not expect Boss Pei to give him a call. He sounded uneasy as he said, "Boss Pei! Do you have any instructions?"

Pei Qian nonchalantly said, "It's nothing huge. I just want to ask if there have been many customers at Ming Yun Private Kitchen recently."

Lin Canrong did not answer at once. He felt embarrassed.

It was not a question of how many customers there were… but if there were any customers at all.

From the day it opened for business, Ming Yun Private Kitchen had hosted Tengda's employee gatherings and Zhang Zuting when he visited. Apart from that, there had been no customers.

That was to be expected. They had no publicity or exposure. Of course, no one would patronize Ming Yun Private Kitchen.

Some employees had mentioned Ming Yun Private Kitchen to their friends. However, it was too deserted and far away. Without anyone leading the way, it would be extremely difficult for these friends to locate the restaurant. Most people were not willing to come and look for it themselves. Furthermore, Tengda's employees had just had a meal here. None of them wanted to come a second time for no special reason.

Thus, there had been no customers at all recently.

Although it would look like he had not been doing his job, Lin Canrong pondered for a while and decided to tell the truth. He could not possibly lie to Boss Pei anyway.

Boss Pei had incredible foresight. If Lin Canrong lied to him, the consequences would be dire.

"Boss Pei, we have not had a single customer this entire time. I need to reflect on this. We probably have not done enough publicity for the restaurant. I'll get someone to focus on publicity now…" Lin Canrong took the initiative to admit his mistakes.

Once Pei Qian heard this, he interrupted immediately. "No, no, no. That's not what I meant. You've been doing a good job. Your primary task is to provide the best food and service. You shouldn't be worrying about something like publicity.

"I'm calling because I want to emphasize certain things.

"There might be some people visiting Ming Yun Private Kitchen soon. You must inform all the waiters to focus on the following: first, don't allow any customer to take photos. Second, do not over-explain anything. Third, do not make an exception for anyone.

"Do you understand?"

Lin Canrong, "Er…" He obviously did not understand fully.

Pei Qian briefly explained further. When he said 'do not over-explain anything', he was referring to if customers asked why they lacked so many ingredients or why everything had to be pre-ordered.

Waiters should just answer: "The ingredients are very precious, and we have to import them from overseas." That would suffice. There was no need to explain why they were so precious or from where they were importing these ingredients.

Customers might also ask why their food items were so much more expensive than other places.

In that case, waiters could simply say: "We use better ingredients and provide a better dining experience and service." That would suffice. There was no need to explain why their ingredients were better or the merits of the dining experience and service.

All in all, they should not boast too much.

As for not making an exception for anyone, Pei Qian was referring to if any bosses were to visit the restaurant. Even if they were willing to spend a huge sum of money, they had to make a reservation, just like everyone else. At the same time, waiters could not especially explain anything more to them.

Of course, that was not to say they were to provide bad service.

They should still provide a certain standard of service to the customers—they just should not over-explain unnecessary things.

"Do you understand?" Pei Qian asked again.

Lin Canrong answered, "Er… I understand, Boss Pei. I will keep strictly to these instructions."

Lin Canrong did not ask any more questions. Pei Qian was satisfied. He left several more instructions and reminded Lin Canrong to call him as soon as something went wrong. Then, Pei Qian hung up the phone.

Although Lin Canrong did not ask any questions over the phone, he fell into deep thought the moment he hung up. What was Boss Pei planning to do? Could he be trying to pull the legendary 'sales without explanation'? No matter what questions customers asked, they could not explain too much? Should their attitude say 'just eat, why do you have to ask so many questions'?

Of course, they could not be so harsh in terms of their attitude. According to Boss Pei, waiters still had to serve customers as if they were serving royalty. However, the only catch was that they could not answer the royalty's questions in too much detail.

This was completely opposite to what Lin Canrong was used to.

For some reason, he felt that something was not right! People had to communicate in order to dispel misunderstandings. If customers were unhappy in any way, waiters had to do their best to clarify their doubts and ensure that customers understood as much as possible. If they did nothing but smiled and laughed, the misunderstandings might deepen.

However… Boss Pei was very clear with his instructions. He even called to ensure that Lin Canrong understood. It was obvious how important this was to him.

"Forget it. Boss Pei must have his own intentions. I shouldn't overthink. I'll just do as Boss Pei says. Wait, how did Boss Pei know that customers would visit soon?

"Oh, Boss Pei must have thought of a way to publicize the restaurant. No wonder he told me not to worry about publicity."

Lin Canrong did not completely understand what Boss Pei was thinking, but he got the impression that Boss Pei had everything in the palm of his hands. It was almost as if he had prepared everything for the future.

How good was it to have a leader like that?!

Lin Canrong heaved a sigh of relief and prepared to pass the instructions down to the waiters.

At night, Pei Qian arrived back at his apartment. He put away the remains of the camera he dissected and then made some edits to the video before uploading it.

Hardcore Reviews was getting more and more fans. Although the number of fans was increasing at an ordinary pace, the current situation fell outside of Pei Qian's expectations. All in all, he had achieved his aim!

Even if Lin Chang remembered Pei Qian, he would not be able to say that the latter had not done anything after receiving money.

Pei Qian scanned through the lame bullet screen comments on his previous episodes and then began to plan for the future.

Of utmost importance were the two games for sure.

Bloody Battle Song: The Powerful Version was being developed much faster than he had expected. Even the advertisement had been filmed. At the beginning of the following month-which was in ten days, they would probably be able to advertise the game and publish it to test it out.

As for Repent and be Saved, there was still at least a month to go. He also had to keep a close eye on Ming Yun Private Kitchen. He could not allow that car to flip.

As for Zhongdian Chinese Network, Upwind Logistics, Fei Huang Workspace, and the like; he did not have to worry too much for now. The first two companies were steadily incurring losses, and Fei Huang Workspace would remain the same whether he interfered or not.

The good thing was that he had cast his net wide, and he was spending money much faster now.

All Upwind Courier stations were now on the right track. Especially in the regions that Pei Qian frequented, parcels could already be delivered to one's doorstep.

Of course, some people remained unwilling to have delivery men come to their doorstep. These people insisted on collecting their parcels on their own. That did not matter. Upwind Courier stations serviced small areas. People could make a call to request for parcels not to be delivered to their doorstep. Then, arrangements could be made for them to collect their parcels on their own.

Pei Qian pondered for a while, realizing that incurring losses this time depended on Upwind Logistics. Although his other businesses looked steady, nobody knew if there would be a thunderstorm out of nowhere.

If he could stabilize Upwind Logistics—even if something suddenly went wrong with the other businesses, he could just open a few more Upwind Courier stations, hire a few more delivery men, and control the income.

Chapter 241 Barefoot Welcome?

August 20th, Friday…

Qiao Liang felt quite good the first time he stepped onto Jingzhou soil.

The weather here was about the same as in Beijing. Both places were sizzling hot. However, it just happened to be a cloudy day today. There was a gentle breeze, and it felt much cooler than the past two days. Qiao Liang very quickly found the staff in charge of receiving him. Before he got in the car, he booked his hotel.

The person in charge of receiving him was a young man with the surname 'Sun'. He was one of the chauffeurs hired by Tengda. He looked intelligent, his mannerisms were proper, and he was courteous.

Qiao Liang sat in the spacious back of the business car, feeling very comfortable. The driving was steady; it was obvious that the driver Little Sun had a lot of experience driving. This was the first time Qiao Liang was experiencing being chauffeured around. His impression of Tengda improved that much in his heart.

He looked at the scenery outside the window and could not help but feel moved. "It's amazing."

This was his first time in Jingzhou. He did not have much expectation to begin with, but after he arrived, he realized that it was much more prosperous than he had imagined.

Qiao Liang stayed in Beijing for a long time, and he was an immigrant at that. However, he had lived hard-pressed for money. Although Beijing was prosperous, he had never enjoyed the best experiences there.

The most he did was watch modern dramas and attend concerts occasionally when it was convenient. Apart from that, Beijing was really no different from ordinary second-tier cities. In fact, he felt much more relaxed when he arrived at Jingzhou.

Very quickly, they approached the hotel.

"Teacher Qiao, I'll check in for you first. Then, you can go upstairs and unpack. I'll park the car. In ten minutes, we'll meet at the entrance of the hotel. The company is just nearby. We'll just have to walk for about three minutes before we arrive." Little Sun was still being very courteous. Soon, everything was settled. Qiao Liang did not have to pay a single cent for his accommodation this time. Tengda was providing everything. When he reached the sixth floor of the hotel, he realized that Tengda had booked a suite for him.

There was a mini- living room outside, with a coffee table, a couch, a study table, and a writing desk. There was a fruit plate laid out on the coffee table. Beside it, there was a coffee cabinet, with a coffee machine and coffee capsules on top. There was also a mini-fridge.

Inside was a spacious bedroom with full-length windows. There was also a spacious bathroom with a bathtub.

"Tengda's Boss Pei is too kind! It looks like I'm quite influential. Otherwise, he would not think so highly of me." Qiao Liang was very proud.

Speaking of which, Qiao Liang did not expect Tengda Games to invite him to play its game in advance, too. He was going to get a chance to play a game that had not even been published yet.

Indeed, the influence of his videos was not bad. From The Lonely Desert Road, he had been keeping a close eye on Tengda's development as a company as well. However, to a game company like Tengda, there was no need to treat such a lowly UP Master like him well at all.

as TIO

Thus, the sincerity that Boss Pei was showing was extra precious to Qiao Liang, and it genuinely moved him.

Not only were they giving him more than enough for his work, but they were also chauffeuring him around and providing such good accommodation.

Thus, Qiao Liang's impression of Tengda and Boss Pei was improving significantly.

"Who would have thought that the company which created such a horrendous game like The Lonely Desert Road could have undergone a complete change in less than a year and expand to such an extent now?

"Life is truly unpredictable."

Qiao Liang put his suitcases away, ate some fruits, and then got some rest on the couch.

He did not have many suitcases. Apart from his personal laptop and a few other digital products, he only brought clothes that he was prepared to wash and re-wear.

The hotel provided laundry services. He would just have to place his dirty clothes in a laundry bag, and room service would take them away. Later, they would return with the clothes washed.

Before he came, Qiao Liang had been worried about the standard of accommodation here. He wondered if it would be convenient for him to do laundry. However, from the looks of the current situation, he had worried unnecessarily.

He was extremely comfortable on the couch. However, it was a cloudy day, and there was not much sunlight. Otherwise, if he could feel the warmth of the sun from the couch, he would be even more comfortable.

Still, the cloudy weather did not affect Qiao Liang's mood. After resting for a while, he went downstairs and arrived in a huge hall. From there, Little Sun led him to Tengda Network Technology Co., Ltd.

The thought of being able to see Boss Pei soon really excited Qiao Liang.

Qiao Liang always thought that he and Boss Pei had an intimate understanding of each other. Only someone like him would be able to understand the deep meaning behind a game like Game Designer and performance-art-style marketing.

If not for him, one could only guess how long Boss Pei's intentions would be misunderstood.

Speaking of which, Boss Pei must be thinking the same way, right?

There was a saying: it's extremely hard to find someone who knew a person well. Boss Pei loved creating games with deep meaning; Qiao Liang guessed it had been extremely hard for him to find someone who knew him well, too.

That was probably why Boss Pei brought him in from Beijing, which was far away, to be among the first to experience the new game. Qiao Liang kept fantasizing as he followed Little Sun into Tengda's office.

His first thought was 'how spacious!'

The work environment here was ridiculous. From the area that each employee got alone, one could tell that this company had no lack of money. What's more, the entire office looked lively and free. It did not look like many other companies-dead and gloomy.

Although Qiao Liang had not been to many companies, he did attend job interviews after graduating from university. He had also seen many videos of different offices on video websites. Most companies had stifling and boring environments.

However, this place was completely different.

Every employee looked relaxed. They ate snacks and sipped their coffee as they worked. However, when they worked, they looked focused. It was like their subjective initiative had been stimulated.

At first, Qiao Liang suspected that they were acting. However, on further thought, he was thinking too highly of himself. He was a minor UP Master. He was neither a supervisor nor a part of influential media. Would it be necessary for others to put on an act in front of him?

What's more, everyone looked so relaxed that it was almost impossible for them to be acting.

Qiao Liang was even more interested in Boss Pei now. The fact that the company could operate at such an optimum state meant that Boss Pei was not only an excellent designer but an excellent manager as well.

What were his true colors then?

When Little Sun arrived at Boss Pei's office, he knocked gently on the door.

"Boss Pei, Teacher Qiao is here."

Pei Qian had been playing Repent and be Saved, and he was feeling extremely frustrated. Strictly speaking, as long as he was playing Repent and be Saved, there was not a moment that he would not feel frustrated.

Each time he felt tortured, Pei Qian would question why he created this game in the first place. Then, he would retrieve his notebook and read the list of names, just to remember the feud he had with those listed.

When he heard that Teacher Qiao was here, he quickly tossed his controller onto the table. Then, he stood up.

He's finally here! I wouldn't be able to take it if you arrived any later!

Outside, Teacher Qiao heard the 'bam' in the office. He wondered what collided into what. A smile spread across Qiao Liang's face.

Boss Pei thinks so highly of me!

Back then, Cao Cao had welcomed Xu You barefoot. To put it simply, it meant that when Xu You arrived, Cao Cao ran out to welcome him without even putting his shoes on. The current situation looked pretty much the same.

I don't know what Boss Pei was doing in there, but it sounds like he threw whatever he had in his hand down to welcome me. That shows how highly he thinks of me!

Qiao Liang even began to feel embarrassed.

What did I do to deserve this kind of treatment from Boss Pei? I'm ashamed, I'm ashamed.

Chapter 242 Resolving Teacher Qiao's Worries

Pei Qian held Qiao Liang's hand at once. "Teacher Qiao, I've heard a lot about you, I've heard a lot about you."

Qiao Liang immediately felt overwhelmed by Boss Pei's passion. He bowed slightly at once and said, "Boss Pei, it's an honor to meet you."

Pei Qian sized Qiao Liang up and discovered that his old enemy looked quite upright after all. He had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and his five features looked good. The only thing was he looked slightly dispirited and plump. He looked like a teenager with pure internet addiction. However, he was different from Bao Xu. Bao Xu was slightly bald and malnourished. On the other hand, Teacher Qiao had a head full of thick hair, and his figure was quite round. He just looked a little weak in general.

Qiao Liang was shocked that Pei Qian looked so young. He had already been prepared for Boss Pei to be young, but he was much younger than Qiao Liang had expected.

No matter which angle he looked at Boss Pei from, he looked younger than Qiao Liang.

Boss Pei was already the owner of a company at such a young age. What's more, he was only just finding his place in the small circle of gaming videos now. He had not even made huge contributions yet. Qiao Liang could not help but feel sorrowful and envious. Pei Qian led Qiao Liang to the living room, poured him a cup of tea, and then exchanged a couple of pleasantries.

"Boss Pei, I've rested enough. Let's talk about business now." Qiao Liang took the initiative to discuss work. In fact, there was no need for him to rush things. He could have waited to discuss work after lunch.

However, Boss Pei had already taken such good care of him. He chauffeured Qiao Liang around and arranged for such good accommodation. He scored full marks on various aspects. Of course, Qiao Liang had to show that he was ready and eager to start work. Pei Qian nodded and said, "Alright."

The fish had taken the initiative to take the bait. What more could I ask for?

Pei Qian had wanted to give Teacher Qiao more time to rest, so that he would not be overwhelmed physically and emotionally. However, since Teacher Qiao brought up the topic first, Pei Qian had to go along with it.

Pei Qian had already prepared the contract. "Let's sign the contract first."

Qiao Liang took it and scanned it quickly. The contract contained the terms that they had agreed on earlier. He would play the game for eight hours each day, and he would earn five hundred yuan.

If he rested on weekends, he would earn about ten thousand yuan per month. If he did not rest, he would be paid overtime. That meant he would earn more each month.

Although they had agreed on these terms in advance, they had not spoken in much detail. Qiao Liang was also uncertain if they would pull any tricks in the contract or if they would make more complicated and ridiculous requests. However, from the contract in front of him, he could confirm that there was no such thing. He just had to play the game for eight hours each day in order to earn five hundred yuan!

Qiao Liang felt emotional. Boss Pei was an outstanding person indeed!

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In this day and age, ten thousand yuan per month was considered quite a high salary.

Of course, if Qiao Liang felt inspired and began to take in sponsored partnerships like crazy, he would be able to earn about ten thousand yuan a month as well.

However, that would be extremely exhausting.

He would also have to rush production of his videos overnight, write the plots seriously, edit the videos, and then have good enough luck to meet rich clients. Maybe then, he would be able to earn that much money.

Comparatively, this job would be much more relaxing. Nothing was expected of him. He would just have to spend eight hours playing Repent and be Saved every day.

Qiao Liang scanned the contract twice and then signed it happily.

"Okay, come with me."

Pei Qian and Qiao Liang chatted and joked around as they left Tengda's office building. Little Sun then drove both of them to the nearest Fish-Catching Internet Cafe.

Pei Qian did not plan for Qiao Liang to play in the office. That was because Li Yada and the other employees in the office probably knew about the design of the game. They knew things like which weapon was the best, which route was the easiest, how to obtain the Pudu in the game, and whatnot.

If Qiao Liang played the game in the office, he would be able to discuss it with the other employees if he lost horribly. Once he understood the tips and tricks, the game would seem less difficult for him.

Pei Qian wanted Teacher Qiao to experience what ordinary players would-he had to play Repent and be Saved with zero knowledge and foundation in the game. In order to obtain that game experience, he had to get rid of these influences.

Qiao Liang would be served food and drinks in Fish-Catching Internet Cafe. The computers were of high quality, and there were unlimited alcohol and coffee. Teacher Qiao would have nothing to worry about.

Soon, they reached Fish-Catching Internet Cafe. This was the Fish-Catching Internet Cafe at Handong University. It was a ten-minute walk from Shenhua View. Of course, it was called the Handong University branch, but it was not that close to Handong University in reality. One would have to walk for at least fifteen minutes.

From the beginning—when they were selecting locations for the internet cafe, they avoided areas around universities.

However, this region was considered a busier area. This branch did not have a low turnover to begin with. After what happened with Chen Lei, the volume of business increased more. Now, it was only second to the flagship store, incurring a little loss.

For this very reason, Pei Qian had always neglected this branch. He rarely came over.

He was only visiting this time because he was leading Teacher Qiao here. Whenever Pei Qian felt sad in the future, he could come over and watch Teacher Qiao play the game. That would improve his mood for sure.

Pei Qian introduced Teacher Qiao to the branch manager of this Fish-Catching Internet Cafe. Then, he found a spot on the second floor. That would be Teacher Qiao's work desk from here on out

Repent and be Saved's beta version had already been installed on the computer. This version would be updated along with the research and development progress of the game. At the same time, it had simple time-recording functions. Each day, it would record the duration for which Teacher Qiao played the game. He had to fulfill the eight hours.

If he did not play enough one day, he could make up for it the next day. If he still could not make up for it, his pay would be docked.

There were also other things to note. At the moment, Repent and be Saved was still being developed. He could not reveal the plot of the game. That meant that Teacher Qiao could not record videos or discuss too much about the game with his fans.

There were not many customers in Fish-Catching Internet Cafe to begin with, and Teacher Qiao's spot was located in a deserted corner. That ensured he would not be disturbed while he was playing the game.

Soon, everything was in order.

"Ask the branch manager to prepare your daily meals and drinks. Fish-Catching Internet Cafe adheres to hygiene standards, and the food and drinks would be safe to eat. You can rest assured.

"Try to get used to this environment. We have prepared a welcome feast for you tonight. We'll pick you up when it's time.

"If you have any questions about living here, please raise it to the branch manager."

Pei Qian quickly resolved all of Teacher Qiao's worries.

Qiao Liang was very moved. "Alright!"

"Go ahead and try out the computer. I'm going to make a move. If you have any questions, contact me at any time." Pei Qian did not stay to watch Teacher Qiao suffer. Instead, he turned around and left.

This was like the saying 'one cannot bear to see a living animal die nor eat the meat of an animal after hearing their cries'. Pei Qian could not help but feel sorrowful. Ai, I am really a kind-hearted person.

"Boss Pei is kind indeed. He has taken care of everything. He even has a welcome feast prepared for me tonight. It sounds like it would be high-class!"

Qiao Liang opened the game excitedly. This trip to Jingzhou felt perfect.

Ai, if I had a girl with me, everything would feel even better.

Of course, Qiao Liang knew that it was wishful thinking on his part.

However, girls would not be as fun as games.

He had no idea if Boss Pei's meticulous care had some sort of psychological effect on him, but once Qiao Liang entered the game, he liked everything about it.

"Indeed, all Boss Pei's games feel like top-quality stuff! Look at these modelstop-quality! Look at the style-unique! Look at the movements-smooth! "Look at these little monsters…

"Holy shit, that hurt. These are little monsters? "…How did I die?!"

Looking at the black screen, Qiao Liang felt extremely confused.

What just happened?!

He had just touched a villager with torn and tattered clothes, who was holding a hayfork. The villager turned around and stabbed him to death in just two moves!

"I… did I open this wrongly?"

Qiao Liang scratched his head, his eyes filled with confusion.

In the afternoon, at Ming Yun Private Kitchen… "Eh? You have King Crab? Give me one of

those."

An extravagantly-dressed young man in a private room pointed at the King Crab on the menu and placed an order with the waiter.

"I'm sorry, Sir. You have to pre-order this dish." The waiter was polite but strictly sticking to Boss Pei's special request for them to serve customers without 'over-explaining anything'.

Of course, once the waiter said this, he felt guilty.

The young man in front of him was obviously not lacking money. Based on experience, the waiter guessed that his temper would not be good either.

The customer looked young; he looked about 24 or 25 years old. He was dressed in a gaudy shirt with red, green, and yellow threads intertwined together. It made him look like a ladybug, but the waiter could tell that this shirt probably cost more than ten to twenty thousand yuan.

What's more, this customer had gold and silver on. The golden necklace he had on looked very expensive. It was heavy, and it did not look at all like the type of necklace that would float in the bathtub. The most outstanding thing was the Spongebob Squarepants, made of pure gold, hanging at the end of the golden necklace. It perfectly expressed the young man's unpredictable and irrepressible character, coupled with his probable hot temperament because of his wealth.

According to the waiter's experience, customers like that were the hardest to wait on. If Boss Pei had not given them these instructions in advance, the waiter would have smiled as widely as he could and explained how rare King Crabs were and how difficult it was to import them. That would minimize the chances of the customers getting mad and causing trouble.

However, he had to follow Boss Pei's instructions now and not over-explain anything

The young man did not look very angry. Instead, he nodded and said, "Oh, King Crabs are not easy to obtain indeed. It's logical that I would have to pre-order them.

"Give me a sea urchin, then."

The waiter kept his smile as he apologized again. "I'm sorry, Sir. You have to pre-order that, too."

The young man frowned. Although he did not say anything, it was obvious he was getting unhappy.

"You should have Bluefin Tuna then, right?"

"I'm sorry, Sir. You have to pre-order that, too."

The young man looked at the waiter, slightly confused. He did not know if he should laugh or get angry. The waiter very helpfully pointed to a line of words on top of the menu. "These dishes on the front require very expensive ingredients so you have to pre-order them. We apologize for any inconvenience caused."

The young man glanced and saw a disclaimer on the top of every item on the thick menu. It said that everything had to be pre-ordered. It was not small, but it was not obviously written as well. That was why he missed it.

"Alright, alright, alright. Then, tell me what you have in the restaurant."

The young man couldn't be bothered to find anything else and decided to ask the waiter directly. Again, the waiter helpfully flipped past 80% of the contents to the last page of the menu. The items on this page of the menu did not have the accompanying disclaimers anymore.

"Sir, we have these."

The young man frowned as he read the last page of the menu.

Some dishes were more complicated such as the Braised Pork Belly Pyramid and Lion-Shaped Fish. There were also simpler dishes like green vegetables, fried prawns with Longjing, and whatnot. What they all had in common was that they were all extremely expensive. Their prices were slightly higher than other high-end restaurants.

Take the Braised Pork Belly Pyramid for example. It was priced at 270 yuan. The young man remembered having this dish in a city in Hangzhou, and it had only cost him 240 yuan.

Of course, compared to the more valuable dishes in the front part of the menu, these common dishes were considered much cheaper.

The young man felt speechless. The price was not the main problem. The main problem was that he had to pre-order everything that he really wanted to try.

Did he travel all the way just to try common dishes?

Chapter 243 Bliss Came Mainly from Making Comparisons

He had come to Jingzhou to settle some personal matters. However, he coincidentally saw on Zhang Zuting's Weibo that there was a good private kitchen in the city. That was why he decided to give it a shot.

Now, he was very unhappy with the way things were going

"Can I pre-order for tonight?" The young man tried hard to keep his cool.

The waiter looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Sir. Someone has already booked us for tonight. Considering the time required to import the ingredients, you can make a reservation for tomorrow night or the day after tomorrow."

The young man was now completely speechless. He glanced at the waiter and then at the menu, trying to swallow the urge to curse. Finally, he casually selected two dishes and soup from the menu.

"That's it for now," the young man said, handing the menu back to the waiter.

"Alright, Sir. Please hold on." The waiter took down the order, grabbed the menu, and walked away.

The young man whipped out his cell phone, intending to search for the restaurant on consumer review sites. However, he did not find it. The restaurant's location could not even be found on the map on his cell phone.

There was also a gentle reminder written on the sign on the table, which had his table number written on it. It said: 'in order to fully appreciate the dishes, please do not take photos!

The young man thought about having to pre-order all the good dishes on the menu. All those that he did not have to pre-order were common dishes served in other restaurants as well. What's more, all dishes were priced so highly.

"…Could it be that I've walked into a scam?"

The more the young man thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. Something about this restaurant felt strange.

His name was Xue Zhebin, and he was the only son of a coal boss named Xue Yuanqing. Put simply, he was a rich second-generation heir through and through. He was high-profile and flamboyant just like his father, and he did not shy away from showing the public that he was a parvenu.

Xue Zhebin was very rich. Naturally, he had eaten at many private kitchens before. He also knew that most of these high-end private kitchens had strange rules and regulations.

However, he had rarely seen a private kitchen with as many rules as this one had.

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What made him even unhappier was the waiter's attitude. He was always saying useless things in a polite tone. It was as good as not saying anything at all.

If this restaurant had not been decorated in such a high-class manner and had not been recommended so strongly by Zhang Zuting, he would have slammed the table and left by now.

Speaking of which, he was mainly here because his father-Xue Yuanqing-was one of Zhang Zuting's fans. He had treated Zhang Zuting to several meals before. That was why Xue Zhebin followed Zhang Zuting's Weibo and learned about this private kitchen.

Otherwise, he would not have found it.

"I'll wait for a while more. If the food doesn't turn up well, I will expose this place on Weibo!"

Xue Zhebin had principles; he would not malign good people. That was why he decided to wait and see.

If the two dishes he ordered were passable, he would make a reservation for the next day or the day after that so he could try their better dishes.

About half an hour later, the food that Xue Zhebin ordered was finally served. He had ordered fried prawns with Longjing, Braised Pork Belly Pyramid, and a soupy dishChrysanthemum Tofu.

There was very little on each plate. The food was not cheap at all.

"They're not slow in serving the food."

Xue Zhebin knew that the Braised Pork Belly Pyramid took longer to prepare. Not only did the chefs have to cut the pork, but they also had to braise it. Half an hour was quite a short time to take.

What's more, while he was waiting for the food to be served, he had some light appetizers. They tasted quite good and successfully dispelled some frustration and anxiety he felt while waiting for his food to be served.

"We'll soon find out whether this place is a scam."

Xue Zhebin looked at the two dishes which the waiter served.

He had ordered the Braised Pork Belly Pyramid and Chrysanthemum Tofu on purpose. He knew full well that both of these dishes were the real test of a chef's skills and techniques.

"Eh? It's not bad."

Just looking at the two dishes alone could make one's eyes light up! To make the Braised Pork Belly Pyramid, the chef needed to cut a whole slab of meat layer by layer, from outside in. He could not break the slices and had to ensure they were of even thickness. Finally, he had to cut them into long, neat strips before putting them into a special mold to roll each layer up and arrange them into a pyramid.

To make the Chrysanthemum Tofu, on the other hand, the chef would have to make bean curd-which resembled congealed fat-and cut it horizontally 108 times into fine strips. Again, he had to make sure the thickness of the strips was even. What's more, the chef could not break a single strip. After that, he had to put the strips into a bowl of water and arrange the strips to resemble a Chrysanthemum flower. Xue Zhebin ordered these dishes because he wanted to see whether this restaurant lived up to its name or was a scam.

He ordered the fried prawns with Longjing just in case the Braised Pork Belly Pyramid and Chrysanthemum Tofu turned out horrible. At the very least, he would have a common home-made dish as a back-up.

However, to his surprise, the Braised Pork Belly Pyramid and Chrysanthemum Tofu far surpassed his expectations!

Both of these dishes tested the chefs' knife skills. Only first-tier chefs who have trained their knife skills for tens of years could achieve this type of perfection.

What's more, there was no limit to these dishes. For example, the thinner one cut the meat for the Braised Pork Belly Pyramid, the more layers there would be. Normally, the dish had to have nine layers to constitute a passable Braised Pork Belly Pyramid. However, the one in front of Xue Zhebin had a total of seventeen layers. Based on looks alone, this was much better than Braised Pork Belly Pyramids that Xue Zhebin normally saw. Xue Zhebin could not help but pick up his chopsticks to try a fried prawn. The fried prawn was tender and smooth, and it carried the fragrance of Longjing. Although this dish cost nearly three hundred yuan, Xue Zhebin thought that it was worth every cent.

He had tried this dish once before at a very good Chinese restaurant in Hangzhou City. It tasted very much like this one!

Then, he tried the Braised Pork Belly Pyramid and Chrysanthemum Tofu. The flavor did not disappoint him. Everything tasted perfect!

Coupled with the warm, comfortable environment in the restaurant, Xue Zhebin truly felt like he had misunderstood it in the beginning

In order to make dishes like that successfully, the restaurant had to hire the best chefs who were experts in Hangzhou delicacies from thousands of miles away. It was impossible for Jingzhou to produce talent like that.

More importantly, the dishes on the menu were not just Hangzhou delicacies; there were also many other types of dishes!

That meant hiring one professional chef alone would not be enough.

One could not attract a professional chef like that without enough money. After all, these chefs would be able to earn a fair amount from working in regular high-end restaurants in their own city. What's more, they could look for restaurants closer to their own home. Why would they want to travel all the way to Jingzhou?

The owner of this restaurant must have been paying a huge amount to employ so many chefs.

Could he recover this expense?

Before this, Xue Zhebin had thought that the dishes on the menu were priced too high. After tasting the dishes, he realized that they were not highly-priced at all. Instead, they were quite cheap.

Could the owner of this restaurant recover his capital?

The main problem was that this restaurant was located in a desolate place. Marketing and advertising aside, there was not even a sign placed outside the main entrance. Until now, Xue Zhebin did not even know what this place was called.

It was about lunchtime now. Yet, in such a huge restaurant, Xue Zhebin was the only customer.

Was this restaurant incurring losses?

Xue Zhebin looked at the dishes and then at the waiter, still smiling next to him. Finally, he looked around the restaurant, at the outstanding dining environment, and the high-class, fine tables, chairs, and cutlery… "Could it be… there's something illegal going on behind the scenes here?"

Xue Zhebin immediately became wary.

However, on second thought, that did not seem right.

The restaurant was not just an empty shell. Although there were no customers, the food they were selling was well worth its price. They were more on the expensive side, but the prices were still reasonable.

From various angles, the restaurant just looked like it was not well known. Nothing else was suspicious.

"I'll come again tomorrow to see how the pre-ordered dishes taste. If they can still keep up the standard… I've really stumbled upon a treasure!"

In the kitchen of Ming Yun Private Kitchen…

Lin Canrong looked nervously at the waiter. "How did it go? Was the customer satisfied with our food?"

The waiter nodded. "Yes, it looks like he was quite satisfied."

Lin Canrong heaved a long sigh.

That's good!

There had not been any customers during this time. It was only the day before that they began to have customers, and there were only seven or eight since then at that. Among these seven or eight, some had been scared away by the menu. Others realized that all the best dishes had to be pre-ordered and left.

Only two or three people remained behind to try the other dishes. However, all of them ordered common home-cooked dishes. Although it was obvious that they were satisfied with the food, Lin Canrong guessed that they would not return in the short-term.

The food was too expensive. It was obviously more than they could afford.

That was obvious from their orders. The cheapest dish here cost about fifty to sixty yuan. Even if one ordered only common home-cooked dishes, the average cost per person could easily add up to about a hundred yuan.

This amount of money could buy a lot of food in Jingzhou.

Thus, even if the chef's standards were high, and the ingredients were good, and the dishes were much more delicious than other restaurants; it was still far more expensive than the average person could afford.

Yet today, when Xue Zhebin stepped in, Lin Canrong set his eyes on him.

It was obvious that he was a rich man.

Xue Zhebin had proved this point as well. He spent more than 300 yuan on fried prawns with Longjing and more than 260 yuan on Braised Pork Belly Pyramid. This meal would easily cost him 600 to 700 yuan.

If this rich customer walked away satisfied with the dishes he had been served, Ming Yun Private Kitchen would have hope of becoming popular! After all, Ming Yun Private Kitchen's target audience was not ordinary people but ballers. Ballers' feedback would be the most important. Once he heard that the customer was satisfied, Lin Canrong heaved a sigh of relief.

He was now the branch manager. There was no need for him to personally cook. However, the professional chefs in the kitchen were all interviewed, selected, and bought over (using Boss Pei's money, of course) by him. Now that the dishes had proven satisfactory to customers, Lin Canrong felt proud.

"Branch Manager, the customer has settled the bill and left. He made a reservation for dinner tomorrow!" The waiter ran in excitedly, reporting the good news. "Very good!"

Lin Canrong finally let go of the anxiety clutching at his heart.

Before this, Boss Pei had told them not to worry about publicity, but Lin Canrong could not relax.

Yet, customers had been visiting the restaurant now and then. There were even such rich ballers coming to try their food. It was obvious that the marketing work was being done in an orderly manner this entire time!

Indeed, everything was in Boss Pei's plan.

From now on, he would just have to follow Boss Pei's instructions. He had to ensure each dish was cooked well and the service was top-notch. Ming Yun Private Kitchen would become popular one day!

Ming Yun Private Kitchen's chefs and waiters were suddenly filled with hope.

"Achoo!"

Pei Qian sneezed, then rubbed his nose, and put down his controller. He checked the time; it was almost 5 PM. He still had to host Qiao Liang at Ming Yun Private Kitchen that night. At the same time, he had to comfort his broken soul.

After being tortured all day, Pei Qian really wanted to check on how Teacher Qiao was doing

He arrived at Fish-Catching Internet Cafe. Quietly, he proceeded to the second floor and observed Qiao Liang who was in the corner of the cafe.

He noticed that Qiao Liang's face was ashen, and he was focusing intently on the screen. He was clutching his controller with both hands, and he would lean to the side from time to time. It was almost like he was playing a motion-sensing game.

All of a sudden, his body trembled violently; and he was stunned.

The screen had gone gray.

Qiao Liang's expression turned from one of astonishment to vexation, from vexation to helplessness, and from helplessness to a blank. He set his controller down on the table and raised his head slightly to look at the ceiling. It was almost like he was questioning the purpose of his existence.

Seeing Qiao Liang's expression, Pei Qian immediately felt much better. The corners of his mouth twisted up in a slight smile.

I haven't wasted my money!

Inviting Teacher Qiao to Jingzhou had been the right choice indeed!

Pei Qian was worried at first because he was not a masochistic gamer. He did not know if he would be able to persevere in Repent and be Saved. If he did not manage to win the game in the end, he would have no choice but to lower the difficulty of the game or postpone publishing it. Wouldn't that have been a hindrance?

Yet, now, Pei Qian found the motivation to persist—Teacher Qiao!

No matter how tough it was, seeing Teacher Qiao suffer more than him gave Pei Qian newfound hope and motivation!

After all, Pei Qian had a Pudu with him as he played the game. Teacher Qiao only had an ordinary weapon as he faced endless dangers.

That was why it was said that things like bliss came mainly from making comparisons!

For now, Pei Qian felt bliss like he had never felt before!

Chapter 244 Teacher Qiao's Suspicions Dissipated

Pei Qian acted like nothing was wrong as he walked towards Qiao Liang. Smiling slightly, he asked, "How does it feel?"

Qiao Liang had still been engrossed in the game, and so he did not answer Pei Qian immediately. After staring blankly at the latter for a while, he stood up and said, "It feels… er…"

At that moment, Teacher Qiao—who had played many unorthodox games and created many videos—did not know what to say.

How did it feel?

The greatest feeling he had was that this game's difficulty had been designed wrongly! Perhaps the systems designer had given the beasts too much attack power. Maybe he added an extra zero by accident. Everything else was fine.

However, seeing Pei Qian's warm smile, Teacher Qiao could not bring himself to say that.

Boss Pei was now a celebrity game creator. How could he make such a stupid mistake in the system design?

Even systems designers who had just entered the industry seldom made mistakes like adding an extra zero to the figures. After all, to become a systems designer, one now had to have a certain understanding of basic mathematics.

It was not like plot designers who could write a couple of nice-sounding words to get the job. Thus, after hesitating for a long time, Teacher Qiao still could not think of the right thing to say.

He even began to feel a bit guilty.

Qiao Liang, Qiao Liang… Why are you fumbling at such a critical moment?!

Boss Pei had invited you over from so far away and provided you with good food and good drinks, all because he thinks highly of you-a veteran gamer. He wants to hear what you have to say.

Yet, even after playing for several hours, you can't form a single sentence to describe your experience of the game? You've truly let Boss Pei down! Qiao Liang began to feel slightly embarrassed. However, Pei Qian did not seem to mind the least bit. Instead, he laughed and said, "Let's go! We're going to eat. We'll throw a grand welcome party for you tonight!" Pei Qian was not angry at all. Instead, he was very satisfied with Qiao Liang's reaction.

This meant that he had become muddle-headed from playing Repent and Be Saved. This was exactly what Pei Qian had wanted to see.

After all, Teacher Qiao was considered quite a strong player among gamers. Teacher Qiao had properly finished the entire journey in The Lonely Desert Road the last time; he was absolutely ruthless!

Of course, he succeeded partly because he needed to earn a living. However, Teacher Qiao's resistance and ability to take stress really could not be underestimated.

Now, Teacher Qiao had been so tortured by the game that he had become muddle-headed. Wasn't that proof that Pei Qian was proceeding in the right direction?

After seeing Teacher Qiao's reaction, Pei Qian could imagine how ordinary gamers would react. This made him more relieved about Repent and Be Saved's future.

At Ming Yun Private Kitchen…

Pei Qian led Qiao Liang to the largest private room in the restaurant.

All the decorations here had been changed in the afternoon. Now the room was decorated according to the dishes the restaurant had prepared for today. Even the dining table and cutlery matched the decorations.

Only Pei Qian and Qiao Liang were eating. No one else accompanied them.

All the employees were still working hard for Boss Pei's loss-incurring businesses. Boss Pei alone had nothing better to do. That was why he decided to personally accompany Qiao Liang for dinner. At the same time, this showed his respect for the latter.

What's more, this was not like official business meals. If there were too many people, it might be too stressful instead.

The environment was good, and the service was up to par. Even the appetizers and snacks they had before the dishes were served were better than the main courses in most other restaurants. Qiao Liang enjoyed the appetizers and snacks as he chatted casually with Pei Qian. For some reason, he felt threatened.

Boss Pei is too good to me, isn't he? There's a saying that 'if something goes wrong, there must be a demon'. I'm just an ordinary UP Master. Why must Boss Pei treat me so well?

Could there be a hidden scheme behind the scenes?

For some reason, Qiao Liang felt there was a hidden message in Boss Pei's smiles. They were not that innocent.

"How's your progress in the game?" Pei Qian smiled as he grabbed an appetizer with his chopsticks.

Qiao Liang answered truthfully. "I've arrived at the town."

Oh, you made it out of the village in the beginning? Not bad, not bad. You're progressing very quickly.

It looked like Teacher Qiao was quite intelligent and skillful indeed. Similar torturous games were ordinarily more difficult in the beginning. As long as one persevered, the game would still go quite smoothly later on.

The key was a change in mindset. If one did not change their mindset, they would always be stuck in the village of newbies.

Repent and Be Saved was quite similar to other Souls-like games. It was designed so that all the monsters would be revived after death. If a reckless brute insisted on rushing through the game-no matter how many times they played the game, they would remain at the starting point. However, if one could get the hang of the game and advance warily and steadily, they would progress through the game much more quickly.

This was the first time Qiao Liang had come into contact with a game like that. It was expected that he would make slow progress in the beginning

However, the thought of Qiao Liang suffering in the newbie village for eight hours made the corners of Pei Qian's lips curl upwards. He could barely keep his laughter in. "What do you think is the most difficult part of the game?" Pei Qian continued asking.

He had to increase the power at the parts which Teacher Qiao found the most difficult. He also had to increase the difficulty of the parts which Teacher Qiao found easy.

Without thinking, Teacher Qiao answered, "The monsters' attack is too strong." "What else?" Pei Qian completely ignored that comment.

"What else…?" Qiao Liang fell into deep thought. The eight hours of torture and suffering flashed before his eyes.

These included the time when he angered a monster and became surrounded by a group of them, when he walked to a sidewalk and suddenly found himself surrounded by monsters, and when he walked through sheer cliffs and a monster suddenly rushed up to him and pushed him over. His eight hours of fighting were filled with blood and tears!

Qiao Liang felt like he was a fish on a chopping board; he was completely at the mercy of people who would slice him however they wanted!

Oh, no, it was monsters that would slice him however they wanted!

Listening to Qiao Liang's complaints, Pei Qian tried his best to keep a serious expression. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he could only see four words on Qiao Liang's face: Make it more powerful!

Pei Qian felt even more blissful now that he had heard Teacher Qiao describe the torture and suffering he had been through.

What have I spent so much money creating this game for?

It's just for a day like that!

Qiao Liang did not seem to notice Boss Pei's subtle expression. Instead, he was too engrossed in recounting the pain he had been through and was finding it hard to pull himself out of it.

"The most ridiculous thing is that there are monsters in the village that look just like night watchmen. They travel in pairs, one holding a gong and the other holding a watchman's rattle. Every monster that they walk past would be awakened. They would only go back to sleep after a long time.

"I wanted to kill them by stealth, but both of them have lanterns and excellent eyesight. Just a single stab and my health bar would be emptied. Each time I want to run, they would use their secret weapon. So I turn-"

"Pfft."

Finally, Pei Qian could not hold it in any longer and laughed out loud.

Teacher Qiao was stunned. "Boss Pei?"

Pei Qian looked very awkward. Sh*t, I didn't hold it in!

Teacher Qiao had been too engrossed in his description, and he narrated every detail about it. Pei Qian could even imagine the watchmen holding the lantern chopping Qiao Liang up once they bumped into each other. This made it very difficult for Pei Qian to maintain his serious expression. Luckily, at that moment, the dishes were served.

"I'm just glad that the food is here. Come, come, please help yourself, Teacher Qiao." The waiter had just served a plate of sea urchin sushi. Pei Qian quickly pushed it towards Teacher Qiao, gesturing for him to dig in.

Qiao Liang felt even stranger. There was something off about Boss Pei's expression.

Why did it feel like he was celebrating Qiao Liang's misery?

He seems very happy to hear that I've been tortured like a dog in the game. Was he unable to hold in his laughter just now? Could it be that Boss Pei invited me over from so far away just to watch me suffer?

Is this table full of dishes meant to soothe his conscience?

Qiao Liang could not help but become more suspicious.

I might be an ordinary UP Master, and I might have signed your contract and taken your money; however, I am still a person with character! I have my pride!

If my guess is right-even if I did sign the contract, I would solemnly protest! I will expose your shameful behavior on the internet!

Qiao Liang thought in silence as he picked up a sea urchin sushi.

"Hmm? Yummy!"

The sea urchin was cold and refreshing, and the sushi rice was warm and fragrant. Both contrasting flavors melted into his taste buds, tasting like a romantic French kiss. At that moment, Qiao Liang's taste buds were overwhelmed.

He had Japanese cuisine in Beijing, but this was obviously no ordinary sea urchin!

Ordinary sea urchins were quite cheap, but auction-grade sea urchins could cost thousands of yuan.

Thus, when Xue Zhebin visited the restaurant in the afternoon and asked for sea urchin, the waiter told him that they had to be pre-ordered. Ming Yun Private Kitchen did not sell ordinary sea urchins.

Of course, strictly speaking, there were sea urchins in the kitchen at the time. However, Pei Qian had pre-ordered them for this meal with Qiao Liang. That was why they could not serve Xue Zhebin at that time.

Looking at the expensive dishes on the table, the suspicion and doubt in Qiao Liang's heart melted away.

Boss Pei thinks so highly of me that he's treating me to so much good food; how could he be doing that to watch me suffer? If being tortured by a game could earn me such delicious food, I can only say… increase the power! I can take it!

As Qiao Liang enjoyed the food, he secretly hardened his resolve.

Boss Pei is so nice to me. I will take this game seriously and make sure I win it. Then, I will publicize this game well for him!

"Thank you for hosting me, Boss Pei!" It was obvious that Qiao Liang wished he could eat more, but his stomach was already bloated.

There were so many delicacies; he was extremely satisfied!

Teacher Qiao was even beginning to think that this meal had made his entire trip to Jingzhou worth it!

Pei Qian did not know that Teacher Qiao's mood had made a 180-degree change at the dining table. He instructed Little Sun to send Teacher Qiao back to his hotel and then come back to pick him up.

After seeing Qiao Liang out, Pei Qian turned back to talk to Lin Canrong. He wanted to ask about the current situation.

There were tables and chairs in the villa's garden. The gentle night breeze there was particularly refreshing.

"How has the traffic here been recently?"

Ever since Zhang Zuting posted about the restaurant on Weibo, Pei Qian began to panic. Somehow, he could not relax about Ming Yun Private Kitchen's situation.

Lin Canrong immediately understood. In the beginning, no one visited the restaurant. Now, people were slowly streaming in. Obviously, Ming Yun Private Kitchen was being publicized while most people remained unaware.

Boss Pei must be asking about the traffic so that he could judge the effectiveness of his publicity. Yet, how should I answer him?

Logically, in order to show the effectiveness of the publicity, Lin Canrong should frame things positively. However, this might come across as him bluffing Boss Pei.

After all, less than ten customers had visited the restaurant in the past two days. What's more, most of them had been scared off by the menu alone. Only two or three people had actually stayed to try their food.

The only recurring customer was the young man named Xue Zhebin who had visited this afternoon.

The traffic alone could not be framed positively!

Seeing Lin Canrong's hesitation, the corners of Pei Qian's lips curled upward. That's good, that's good. Lin Canrong was not excitedly reporting good news. That was the best news!

This meant that Zhang Zuting's Weibo post had not been that effective. There was no drastic change to the traffic in the restaurant.