Gong Hong was stunned by Wang Qiqi’s words. After a long silence, she stammered, “The extra money is for me?” Impossible, such a generous employer. But she quickly regained her composure; what if the amount wasn't much? Wouldn't she be losing out? “I think I’ll just pay for what I use.”

Wang Qiqi understood her hesitation. “How about we try it for a month first, and then we can discuss the price?” She knew Gong Hong was worried the pay would be too little. “Of course, you can decide how to settle the final bill then.”

Wang Qiqi preferred setting a fixed monthly rate for simplicity, but she deferred the final decision to Gong Hong.

Gong Hong nodded. “Deal.” Having another steady job eased her mind significantly. She had recently lost a gig, not because of poor performance, but because the employer wanted someone available around the clock, which Gong Hong wasn't keen on. Although rushing between jobs was exhausting, the higher pay made it worthwhile.

Soon after, Zhu Dalong’s crew arrived. While this line of business was considered part of the 'black gate' trade, many people still preferred to handle arrangements themselves, even if it meant being busier, hoping to save money. Especially with the recent rumors about the Wang couple’s deaths and the large potential compensation—it was clear they weren't short of funds. Thus, Zhu Dalong presented several ultra-high-standard proposals. “Qiqi, here is our quotation.”

Gong Hong, keenly observant, brought over a cup of tea, which Wang Qiqi took while examining the price list. Seeing the figures made Wang Qiqi furious; they clearly took her for a lamb to be fleeced. “Uncle Zhu, how am I supposed to respond to this quote? No wonder my aunt said your side of the black gate business is shady—the prices are outrageous! Forget it, I’d rather just hire the sound system and a band myself.” Honestly, they were aiming to skim at least half off that quoted price.

Zhu Dalong saw this child wasn't easy to fool. However, having established a small reputation in this line of work, he’d seen it all, and his skin was thick. He chuckled dryly. “That price is negotiable. We’re not a storefront demanding a fixed price. Aren’t we neighbors? The price is definitely flexible. Besides, your Uncle Wang was such a good man before, and also…”

“And he lost so much money, and I’m just a kid. You’re all ready to take a knife to me, right?” Wang Qiqi grabbed a piece of paper and quickly selected a few required services. “I want this much service; calculate the total for me. As for the banquet, I’m thinking seven or eight tables.”

Although her immediate family relatives were few, she needed to invite colleagues from her parents' work units and neighbors. “For the menu, pick something decent, and the venue layout needs to be good too—it should at least feel pleasant.”

In her past life, to save money, her parents' ‘liberation feast’ (funeral wake reception) was held at a dingy little restaurant with a terrible atmosphere. This time, she insisted on a place with a slightly higher class. “After my parents passed, the neighbors and the aunties and uncles from their work units helped a lot. A good meal is a thank you to them.” Wang Qiqi meant she couldn't host it at the venue they arranged because the standard of the restaurants they contacted was genuinely poor.

Wang Qiqi expected the other party’s expression to sour after hearing this, given the significant profit margin involved, but surprisingly, Zhu Dalong wasn't angered. “Well, I’m truly sorry about that…”

“Uh, Qiqi, I have a relative who runs a restaurant just outside the community compound. How about hosting the reception there?” Zhu Dalong said with a beaming smile. Recently, his nephew had come to him asking for help introducing business, but the problem was that for this kind of wake reception, the banquet price needed to be low while the quality high. His nephew’s place was a bit too upscale, leaving him helpless. He hadn't expected such a promising lead to appear just a few days later.

“A restaurant outside the compound?” Wang Qiqi mused. There were many small eateries near the complex, but few matched her requirements. More importantly, “Are they willing to host this kind of banquet?” Most restaurants back then were reluctant to take such jobs, finding them inauspicious. It would take a few years before more establishments specialized in this. Nowadays, most people still held these events at home.

“How about I call my nephew over?” Zhu Dalong immediately pulled an imposing mobile phone from his waist pouch, quickly spoke a few sentences, and hung up. “The reason I quoted such a high initial price is to allow room for haggling. I used to be honest and quote the bottom price, but some people still thought I was making too much and tried to bargain me down. So, I’ve gotten into the habit of quoting high to make room for negotiation.”

Wang Qiqi stared at the mobile phone. Back then, even though phones weren't astronomically priced anymore, the call charges were billed both ways. “Uncle Zhu, you’re living quite well to afford a cell phone.” Strange—this indicated he was making serious money. Furthermore, some people didn't negotiate; if he encountered such an easy mark, he’d be ecstatic.

Zhu Dalong chuckled. “In our line of work, you need to be well-informed. Having a phone allows you to receive news instantly, securing more orders. Business isn't easy.” Previously, Zhu Dalong would have balked at the expense—the phone itself was costly, and the call charges added up. But after securing a few good contracts, Zhu Dalong understood this investment was essential.

“Who are you looking for?” Gong Hong noticed someone peering around the doorway and walked over to inquire. If the young man hadn't looked so clean-cut, she would have been less polite.

Meng Qiang, seeing Zhu Dalong, pointed across the street. “I’m looking for my uncle.”

Zhu Dalong was wondering why his nephew hadn't arrived yet, as he needed to rush over to his relative’s place soon—apparently, an elderly family member there wasn't doing well—to secure that business first. “You brat, hurry up and get in here! You’re moving too slowly!”

Gong Hong let Meng Qiang in, assuming he must be the restaurant owner. “Uncle, I ran into some trouble before I left.” Meng Qiang felt wronged; his wife had been nagging him incessantly before he left, saying that if he took this job, future business would be difficult, and so on. Meng Qiang knew taking this job was a bit of a compromise, but without it, he couldn’t even pay his employees, let alone recoup his investment.

Zhu Dalong knew exactly why his nephew was late. “I told you opening a restaurant isn’t easy. But you insisted on listening to your spendthrift wife and opened one. Now look, you’ve spent the money and realized how hard business is.” Zhu Dalong was irritated. His nephew used to be a chef at a major restaurant; his skills were excellent. If he had stayed put, his salary would have been decent. But he was too easily swayed by his wife. Was business really that easy? “You should have taken it slow. Instead, you borrowed money to open such a large place. You expanded too fast.”

Meng Qiang was somewhat afraid of his uncle. “Uncle, can we discuss the business matter first?” Meng Qiang regretted his choices now, but there was no turning back. With so much debt, how long would it take just to earn back his salary?

Wang Qiqi hadn't expected Zhu Dalong’s nephew to be this person. She recalled that his business later boomed, eventually opening several branch restaurants. “Being a boss is good; that’s how you make money. How many employees ever get rich?”

“Let’s discuss the business first.” Zhu Dalong glared at his nephew. “The restaurant is open now, so run it well. The business I can introduce is what you see here. But I’ll make this clear: if you take this job, don't let your wife look miserable when they come for the meal that day.” Zhu Dalong needed to say this; otherwise, would the clients leave satisfied?

“No, definitely not.” Meng Qiang quickly promised. “Business is genuinely slow; if we don't pick up some orders, we can’t even pay the waitstaff’s wages.”

“Actually, many people from the community will attend that meal. If your food is good and the price isn't too high, many people from our neighborhood will dine at your place in the future.” Wang Qiqi knew that nowadays, many people hesitated to dine at lavishly decorated places for small gatherings, fearing exorbitant charges.

“Really?” Meng Qiang had spent the recent slow period analyzing why business was poor. One reason was that his restaurant was new and unknown; the second was that the grand decor intimidated people—they wouldn't dare step inside. “If that’s true, I’ll take the job even if it means taking a loss initially.”

Hearing his nephew say that, Zhu Dalong almost wanted to punch him twice. “You’re still taking a loss? If you keep losing money, you might as well close up shop!”

Wang Qiqi certainly didn't want him to actually lose money. “Make sure the taste is good and the ingredients are fresh. Can you prepare a separate vegetarian meal for me that day?” Although Wang Qiqi caught the implication—that the business was facing closure if they didn't secure this—she wouldn't hold back. The price could be negotiated lower.

Meng Qiang was momentarily stunned. A vegetarian meal? Why would they need that? But since they were the client, Meng Qiang wouldn't foolishly question it. “No problem. Shall we discuss the menu?” Snapping back to attention, Meng Qiang quickly shifted into business mode and began discussing the menu with Wang Qiqi.

Meng Qiang quickly calculated the price based on the menu Wang Qiqi provided. “One thousand per table, excluding beverages.”

Wang Qiqi calculated. One thousand wasn’t actually expensive. Buying the ingredients alone would cost around seven hundred, plus the cost of labor for cooking and cleaning. “Deal, that price is fine. I won’t haggle further. How do you calculate the drinks?” That was usually the biggest expense.

“The same price as small shops outside,” Meng Qiang stated matter-of-factly. Although this price seemed low, restaurant markups on alcohol were usually one or two-tenths higher than liquor stores. If the restaurant bought wholesale at the same price as a small shop, they’d still make a small margin.

“Fine, then I won’t buy the alcohol separately. I’ll pay a deposit now. Also, Brother Meng, make sure the portions are generous. I’m not lowering the price, but you absolutely cannot skimp on the quantity,” Wang Qiqi finished.

“Don't worry, I would never cut back on portions,” Meng Qiang assured her. He knew that if he handled this job well, his business might slowly recover. He viewed it as a small sacrifice to build a good reputation.

“Qiqi, rest assured. If this kid dares to pull anything like that, you just pay him less,” Zhu Dalong guaranteed from the side. “Your Uncle Zhu also values his reputation; I absolutely won’t let him do something like that.”