New conspiracy

"Alright, ladies, what are we having for dinner tonight? It's the first day back to school—shouldn't we celebrate?" I quickly changed the subject to divert their attention.

"I heard there's a new Sichuan restaurant next to the city police station. I've heard it's really good. My dad ate there last time!" Zhao Yanwen suggested.

"Next to the police station?" I was surprised. Recently, Chen Wei'er's mother had rented a storefront near the police station and opened a Sichuan restaurant called 'Chen Ji Sichuan Flavor.'

Chen Wei'er was also taken aback and instinctively asked, "What's it called?"

"I'm not sure, but I think it just opened around the New Year," Zhao Yanwen said, noticing our shocked expressions.

"That restaurant you're talking about sounds like the one that Wei'er's mom owns," I explained.

"Ah!" Zhao Yanwen exclaimed. "So if we go there, we can eat for free, right?"

"That's something you should ask our husband about. He's the one behind the scenes running things," Chen Wei'er replied with a playful smile.

What could I say? It's all my money anyway, does it really matter whether we get a free meal or not?

Following Zhao Yanwen's instructions, I drove us to the newly opened restaurant. Sure enough, it was the "Chen Ji Sichuan Flavor" restaurant, the one I had invested in, and which Chen Wei'er's mother was running. It looked quite popular.

I had designed the restaurant based on my previous life's experience. The interior adopted a rustic Sichuan farmhouse style, something I had learned from themed restaurants and bars back in my past life. This simple style contrasted with the typically luxurious décor found in big cities, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere. I hadn't expected it to achieve such success in this time.

"Do you have any private rooms?" I asked the hostess.

"Sorry, sir. Private rooms require prior reservations," the hostess replied with a smile.

"Can't we just open one for us?" I asked.

"Sorry, without a reservation, we can only seat you in the main dining area," the hostess apologized.

"That's fine, the main area is good enough," I said. It's just dinner, after all. No matter where we eat, it's the same.

"Should I call my mom?" Chen Wei'er asked.

"No need, it's just a meal. No need to make it complicated," I replied.

So, we were escorted by the hostess to a four-person table in the main dining area.

I looked at the menu and immediately spotted the signature dish—Chen Ji Spicy Hot Pot.

"I'll have a bowl of hot pot," I said to the two women. "What do you want?"

"Honey, let me go to the kitchen and cook it for you myself. They don't know your preferences," Chen Wei'er said, looking at me lovingly.

I was about to say, "It's fine, no need," when I saw Chen Wei'er already standing up and quickly heading toward the kitchen.

Here's a polished English translation of the passage:

"Hey, young lady, what are you doing in the kitchen?" a chubby chef scolded.

"We ordered a bowl of spicy hot pot, and I wanted to make it myself. Is that okay?" Chen Wei'er said sweetly.

"Well..." The chubby chef hesitated. According to restaurant rules, customers weren't allowed in the kitchen, but he couldn't bring himself to refuse such a cute girl.

"Just one bowl! I'll leave once I'm done!" Chen Wei'er smiled sweetly.

"Well... okay then." The chubby chef agreed, somewhat absent-minded. The girl reminded him so much of his younger sister that he couldn't bring himself to say no. As he thought about it, his mind wandered. If his sister were healthy, she would probably be just like this girl... Unfortunately...

Seeing that the chubby chef agreed, Chen Wei'er happily ran to the stove, skillfully grabbing a basket to prepare the ingredients for the hot pot. Even though she hadn't done this in a while, she didn't seem out of practice.

"Who are you?!" A thin chef entered the kitchen and pointed at Chen Wei'er, surprised.

"This... this is my sister," the chubby chef quickly explained.

"Your sister? Isn't your sister in a coma?" the thin chef mocked.

"This is... my other sister!" The chubby chef said, clearly annoyed.

"Hmph, fatty, I don't care if she's your sister. Bringing her into the kitchen is against the rules, and now you're letting her cook? You're playing with the restaurant's reputation!" the thin chef said smugly.

"I came in here to cook myself; it has nothing to do with him. Besides, I'm making the dish we ordered, so it's not related to the restaurant's reputation!" Chen Wei'er quickly defended the chubby chef when the thin chef wouldn't relent.

"Hmph, who are you fooling? He already admitted it was him who brought you here. Do you think this is your family's restaurant, and you can just walk in whenever you want? Hmph, fatty, I've caught you now. Don't blame me if this comes back to bite you!" the thin chef said, glaring at him.

The chubby chef groaned inwardly. Oh, little girl, you've really gotten me into trouble. If this thin chef tells the restaurant manager, I'm done for. The restaurant had only been open for two weeks, and they were considering promoting a head chef. The only two qualified for the position were the chubby chef and himself, but overall, he was slightly more capable. The position of head chef was practically in the bag—until now, when this problem arose. It seemed the promotion was slipping away. For him, it wasn't a matter of a few hundred extra bucks in salary, but that money was meant to pay for his sister's medical bills!

Sure enough, the chubby chef picked up the phone and called the manager's office. After a brief conversation, he turned to look at the thin chef, smiling smugly.

A few moments later, a middle-aged woman appeared at the kitchen door. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Manager, the fatty brought his sister into the kitchen and is letting her cook for the customers. This is seriously damaging the restaurant's reputation!" the thin chef said, eager to tattle.

The middle-aged woman, the manager, scanned the kitchen and her gaze landed on Chen Wei'er. She gasped. "Wei'er!"

"Mom!" Chen Wei'er turned around and smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"Is this the sister you were talking about?" Chen Wei'er's mother asked, pointing at her daughter and looking at the thin chef in surprise.

"Uh..." The thin chef was shocked. He didn't expect this young lady to be the manager's daughter! He had just arrogantly said, "Do you think this restaurant is your family's?" and now it turned out it *was* her family's! 

The chubby chef breathed a sigh of relief. This made everything much easier.

Chen Wei'er explained the situation to her mother. Chen Wei'er's mother glared at the thin chef. "You're so narrow-minded. You're quick to seek rewards without understanding the truth. You'll never make anything of yourself like this. From now on, I declare the head chef of this restaurant is the fatty."

The other chefs, busy in the corner, spontaneously started clapping. The chubby chef was the happiest. He hadn't expected this disaster to turn into a blessing.

"Mom, you've got to let us eat for free!" Chen Wei'er said.

"No way! A deal is a deal. Even if family members come to eat, they still have to pay! Besides, Mom is working for your boyfriend now, so if the bill's off, how can I explain that?" Chen Wei'er's mother said seriously.

"Mom, I'm just here with Liu Lei," Chen Wei'er pouted.

"Alright, then when it's time to pay, have Liu Lei sign the bill," her mother said.

"Thanks, Mom!" Chen Wei'er smiled and happily carried the hot pot she had just made out of the kitchen.

"Be careful, don't burn yourself!" Chen Wei'er's mother called after her, but by then, Chen Wei'er was already too far away.

"Sigh, this girl! I've never seen her put so much care into cooking for me; it must be for Liu Lei," Chen Wei'er's mother muttered as she left the kitchen.

The chubby chef stood there, still in a daze, reminiscing about Chen Wei'er's back and thinking about his own sister. He had unexpectedly been promoted to head chef. This surprise came so quickly he could hardly believe it.

"Yan Yan, what do you think about me taking the college entrance exam early?" I asked Zhao Yan Yan.

"I... I'm afraid I might not be able to make it," Zhao Yan Yan said, unsure.

"How do you know if you don't try? Besides, it's just a test. You can take the college entrance exam as many times as you want. If you don't make it this time, you can always try again next year," I said.

"But I'm still unsure. If I don't pass, Wei'er will be upset," Zhao Yan Yan said.

"Wei'er would love it if I passed and you didn't, then I'd be hers for a whole year!" I joked.

"Hmph, Wei'er is not as bad as you say! Besides, with how good you are in bed, who would dare to keep you all to themselves? They'd probably end up getting killed!" Zhao Yan Yan glared at me, teasing.

"Hehe." I chuckled awkwardly. I thought to myself, if you were reborn, you'd be unbeatable too.

"Hey, hubby, look! Isn't that the friend of Xu Ruoyun?" Zhao Yan Yan pointed to a pair of people in the distance.

I turned to look and indeed, it was Li Boliang and that 'sea turtle' Wang Ba. They were talking secretly.

Curious, I used my abilities to listen in on their conversation, only to discover a shocking conspiracy.

"Mr. Gotou, this might not be a good idea," Li Boliang said, worried.

"Don't worry. This is a legitimate import! Think about it, my investment of 1 million yuan is nothing. If this deal goes through, forget 1 million, even 10 million will be possible!" Gotou Yuuzou said, smugly.

"10 million? Tsk—tsk!" Li Boliang clicked his tongue greedily. "Can it really be that much?"

"It's an understatement! Mr. Matsushima from Ai Hua Corporation has already guaranteed me that 10 million is a conservative estimate. Just look at the demand for portable music players in the Huaxia market. You're a college student, so you tell me, how many of your classmates are planning to buy portable players?" Gotou Yuuzou continued, boasting.

"That's true! But didn't you say these players are defective products that the factory is trying to unload? What about the quality..." Li Boliang hesitated.

"Just because they're defective doesn't mean they're unusable! According to Japan's standards, they can't be sold, but these players work fine. They'll last for at least six months! After six months, we'll have made enough money to leave, who cares about what happens after that?" Gotou Yuuzou said with a sly grin.

"Won't there be any problems? This is commercial fraud!" Li Boliang was still a bit uneasy. Although he had been involved in shady deals before, this was his first time in such a big scheme.

"What problems could there be? You're too timid! When the time comes, I'll talk to Mr. Matsushima and get you a Japanese nationality. Then you'll be an international friend, and no one will dare to cause you trouble!" Gotou Yuuzou reassured him.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Mr. Gotou!" Li Boliang said happily, feeling smug. Soon, he'd have money and his own business. He wouldn't have to worry about Xu Ruoyun not changing her mind!

"We're ordering a large quantity this time. Let's see if we can find a buyer who will take all of it, so we don't have to do much work ourselves," Gotou Yuuzou suggested.

"Good idea! Even if there are quality issues later, they won't be able to trace it back to us!" Li Boliang said approvingly.

"By the way, didn't you say you have a grudge with the Guanghua Group? Do they have any foreign trade business? How about we sell it to them directly?" Gotou Yuuzou asked.

"Guanghua Group! I don't have any grudge with them, but the chairman's son-in-law has a problem with me! Heh heh!" Li Boliang suddenly said sinisterly.

I silently cursed in my heart. This guy is too full of himself! First of all, Guanghua Group doesn't even have a foreign trade department, and even if they did, it's not as easy as he thinks to just sell them products! But since I overheard this, I couldn't just ignore it.

Even if Guanghua Group rejects them, they'll still try to sell these defective products to others, and in the end, it will be the people of Huaxia who suffer. So, I decided to turn the tables and make sure they lose everything. Shit, I haven't even gotten revenge for the last time they screwed me over, and now this guy is trying to do it again!