Chapter 50 The Barbecue Restaurant Opens for Business

The "Northeast Tiger BBQ" in Tsim Sha Tsui went from renovation to opening in just two weeks.

In the past two weeks, almost all the children on Portland Street have been out and about.

Xi Rong led the girls in sewing matching red aprons and little red hats, while Cheng Tie Niu led the boys in painting the walls and assembling tables and chairs.

Even though his neck injury hadn't healed, Amin insisted on doing light work, like helping to skewer meat.

Fang Che was extremely busy.

During the day, he would go to the market to select ingredients, and at night, he would teach Tie Niu and a few older children how to control the heat and seasonings in front of a makeshift barbecue grill.

The wound on his left shoulder gradually healed amidst his busy work, leaving behind pink new flesh that occasionally itched, but he didn't care.

Li Hanzhou came several times, but each time he only stood at the door for a while.

Once, Fang Che was hanging a sign on tiptoe and almost fell off the ladder. Li Hanzhou rushed forward and pulled him into his arms, frowning as he said, "Be careful!"

"It's nothing!" Fang Che grinned, sweat streaming down his face. "Brother Li, look at this signboard, red background with gold lettering, isn't it imposing enough?"

The signboard was designed by Fang Che himself. It was a cartoon tiger drawn in simple strokes, with a round head, baring its teeth and holding a skewer of grilled meat. Below it, the five large characters "Northeast Tiger Barbecue" were written in a flamboyant style.

Li Hanzhou looked at the tiger and smiled slightly.

"Brother Li, you absolutely have to come on opening day!" Fang Che jumped down from his arms, his eyes shining. "I'll save you the best spot and grill the fattest lamb kidneys!"

"……good."

After Li Hanzhou left, Xi Rong leaned over and whispered, "Brother Che, did Boss Li just laugh?"

"Really?" Fang Che scratched his head. "Brother Li can laugh? You must be mistaken."

“Really!” Xi Rong said with certainty, “Although it was just a little bit, she definitely smiled!”

Fang Che felt a strange sweetness in his heart and worked even harder.

The night before the opening, everything was ready.

Thirty tables were neatly arranged, the kitchen freezer was filled with marinated meat skewers, and the signboard lightbox was tested, its red light illuminating half the street.

Fang Che gathered all the children together and spoke to them while standing in the store.

"Tomorrow is our first battle as 'Northeast Tigers'!" he said loudly. "It's not just about opening a shop and making money, but also about telling everyone that we brothers and sisters on Portland Street can earn our living with our own hands!"

The children clapped enthusiastically.

"Xi Rong, you and the girls are in charge of taking orders and serving food, and provide smiling service, but don't be afraid if anyone causes trouble! Tie Zi, the kitchen is your responsibility. The heat and the taste are the lifeblood, so keep it up! A Ming, you and a few clever boys are in charge of serving food and maintaining order!"

"Yes, Brother Che!" everyone responded in unison.

Fang Che then pulled out a small notebook: "This is the 'Employee Handbook.' First rule: No stealing from customers! Second rule: No arguing with customers! Third rule: Earnings are distributed according to work done, and wages are paid at the end of the month! Fourth rule..."

He paused, then emphasized, "No matter what happens, safety comes first. If you encounter trouble, protect yourself first, then call for help. We are one family; none of us can be missing!"

The children nodded emphatically, some of the younger ones even had tears in their eyes.

They used to wander the streets, suffering from hunger and cold.

Fang Che gave them a "home," and now he's going to give them proper jobs.

“Brother Che,” Amin sniffed, “we’ll definitely work hard and not let the ‘Northeast Tiger’ down!”

"Yes! We won't let Che-ge down!"

Looking at the earnest faces of these children, Fang Che felt a surge of pride.

Having transmigrated here, all he ever wanted was to survive.

But now, he wants to lead these people and make a name for himself in this city.

On the opening day, the sky was clear and blue.

At 6 p.m., the sound of firecrackers echoed throughout Tsim Sha Tsui.

Fang Che and Cheng Tieniu pulled back the red silk banner of "Northeast Tiger Barbecue" to reveal a brand-new signboard.

The neighbors were already attracted by the flyers and gradually gathered around.

Fang Che offered a 20% discount for the first three days after opening and also provided free plum juice. Soon the store was full of people.

"Boss! Twenty skewers of lamb and ten skewers of kidneys, please!"

"Okay! Coming right away!"

Cheng Tieniu was sweating profusely in the kitchen, grilling meat skewers over charcoal until they sizzled and dripped with oil, then sprinkling on seasonings, the aroma wafting across half the street.

Xi Rong led the girls around, taking orders and serving dishes.

Amin and several boys carried trays and loudly announced their table numbers.

Fang Che stood behind the counter, watching the bustling scene, feeling both at ease and proud.

This is the life he wants... to earn a living through his own abilities, to make money through hard work, and to be surrounded by trusted brothers and sisters.

"Brother Che!" Xi Rong rushed over, lowering her voice, "Thirteenth Sister is here! She brought a lot of sisters!"

Fang Che looked up and saw a large group of women approaching at the street corner.

The woman in the red cheongsam at the head of the group, with big, wavy hair, was none other than Thirteen Sister.

She was followed by seven or eight young girls, dressed fashionably, who stood out in the sunset.

The moment this group appeared, all eyes on the street were drawn to them.

"Little brother!" Thirteen Sister greeted with a radiant smile, hurrying over. "Congratulations on your grand opening! Your older sister and her sisters have come to support you!"

Fang Che quickly went to greet her: "Thirteenth Sister! I'm so happy you could come, and you even brought so much..."

Before he could finish speaking, Thirteen Sister had already reached out and pinched his face.

"Oh dear, you've lost weight again!" She rubbed her face from side to side. "Have you not been eating properly? Look at your face, it's all so thin!"

"Tenth... Thirteenth Sister..." Fang Che was being choked so hard that he couldn't speak clearly, and he didn't dare to break free.

Xi Rong covered her mouth and chuckled.

Seeing this, the sisters brought by Thirteen Sister also gathered around, laughing and joking.

"This is Fang Che, my little brother? He's so fair and clean-cut!"

"Let my sister pinch me too!"

Fang Che was instantly surrounded, his cheeks subjected to multiple "attacks".

He dodged left and right, shouting, "Stop pinching me! My face still needs to be seen by guests!"

The children wanted to laugh but dared not, their shoulders trembling as they held it in.

Cheng Tieniu poked his head out from the kitchen and said in a simple-minded manner, "Che, you're... quite the lucky one?"

"Good fortune my foot!" Fang Che finally managed to break free and hid behind the counter, rubbing his flushed face. "Thirteenth Sister, please sit down! I'll have Xi Rong arrange the best seats!"

Thirteen Sister laughed so hard she nearly fell over, and only then did she let him go, leading her sisters to their seats.

They couldn't fit everyone at one table, so they took up three large tables.

"Bring one of each of the signature dishes!" Thirteen Sister waved her hand. "The drinks are on the house today!"

"Thank you, Thirteenth Sister!" Fang Che quickly asked Xi Rong to make the arrangements.

Just as the bustling scene unfolded, a black sedan was parked in an inconspicuous corner across the street.

Li Hanzhou sat in the back seat with the car window half-rolled down, quietly watching the entrance of the barbecue restaurant.

The boy was wearing a white T-shirt with a red apron printed with "Siberian Tiger" on it. His hair was a little messy from the earlier commotion, with a few strands of sweaty bangs sticking to his forehead.

In the sunset, his smile was radiant, his eyes curving into crescents.

Li Hanzhou's gaze fell on Fang Che, and his cold and hard features softened a bit.

Ah Gui, who was in the driver's seat, caught a glimpse of this scene through the rearview mirror and sighed inwardly: Brother Li probably didn't even realize that the way he looked at Fang Che had become incredibly gentle.

“Brother Li,” Ah Gui reported in a low voice, “Jiang Tianqi’s side hasn’t made any moves today, but his henchmen have been loitering around the neighborhood. Lu Che went to the Education Bureau this morning and then returned to Xinglong Hotel. Zhou Wenxuan didn’t show up.”

Li Hanzhou hummed in agreement, his gaze still fixed on the barbecue restaurant.

"Let him have his fun," he said calmly. "Today is his happy day."

Ah Gui nodded, but hesitated, "Brother Li, aren't you coming? Fang Che has been looking forward to your visit..."

"Wait a little longer." Li Hanzhou's gaze swept over the few unfamiliar faces peeking out from the street corner. "Wait until everyone who's supposed to come arrives."

He didn't want to show up too early and disrupt Fang Che's rhythm.

More importantly, he wanted to see how many "monsters and demons" would jump out today.

At that moment, another car stopped in front of the barbecue restaurant.

It was a gray Toyota, unremarkable.

But the person who got out of the car made Li Hanzhou's gaze sharpen.