Chapter 69 Stanley Ho's grandson comes to help.

The next morning, Fang Che was awakened by the noise downstairs.

He opened his eyes groggily and found himself still nestled in Li Hanzhou's arms.

Li Hanzhou was already awake and was leaning against the headboard reading documents.

"Awake?" Li Hanzhou looked down at him.

"What happened downstairs?" Fang Che rubbed his eyes and sat up.

"See for yourself."

Fang Che walked to the window and lifted a corner of the curtain—

A striking red Ferrari was parked outside the barbecue restaurant.

Jiang Tianqi leaned against the car, playing with his sunglasses. When he saw Fang Che at the window, he smiled and waved.

Li Ruoxue stood beside him.

The two stood side by side, like tacit allies.

Fang Che's heart sank.

Li Ruoxue's movements...so fast?

Li Hanzhou also walked to the window, looking at the two downstairs with a cold gaze.

“Ache,” he said, “it’s starting.”

The air on Portland Street in the early morning was filled with the smells of leftover swill and dim sum.

At this moment, the air thickened with tension.

Fang Che stood by the second-floor window, his pajamas loose and a few strands of hair sticking up.

He stared at the red Ferrari downstairs and the couple beside it...

Jiang Tianqi's white suit gleamed brightly in the morning light. Li Ruoxue was holding his arm, her makeup exquisite, not at all like someone who should be at the entrance of a barbecue restaurant at six in the morning.

“They actually dared to come.” Fang Che’s voice was deep.

Li Hanzhou was already dressed, with the sleeves of his black shirt rolled up to his forearms.

He walked to the window and casually smoothed Fang Che's sticking-up hair.

"Scared?"

Fang Che retorted, "What are you afraid of? I'm worried that if Tie Niu and the others see these two, they'll throw up their dinner from last night."

Li Hanzhou smiled slightly: "Then let's go down."

When the two came downstairs, Cheng Tieniu was blocking the doorway with a broom in hand: "Don't block my business so early in the morning!"

Xi Rong stood behind him, the handprint on her face still visible, her hand tightly gripping the folding knife Fang Che had given her.

The shop door opened, and a morning breeze blew in, carrying the expensive cologne scent of Jiang Tianqi.

"Good morning, Boss Fang and Boss Li." Jiang Tianqi took off his sunglasses and smiled brightly. "I've come here specifically to apologize."

His gaze swept over Fang Che, from his spiky hair to the collar of his pajamas, finally settling on the faint red mark on his collarbone, his eyes darkening.

Li Hanzhou took half a step forward, blocking his view: "Bring people to block the door and apologize?"

"It's a misunderstanding." Jiang Tianqi waved his hand. "Ruoxue was being immature last night and offended Xirong. I apologize on her behalf."

He took a velvet box from his pocket, and inside was a diamond-encrusted necklace.

"To calm Xi Rong's nerves."

Xi Rong pursed her lips and didn't take it.

Fang Che smiled: "Young Master Jiang, Portland Street has a custom that apologies must be sincere. This chain is too expensive for the child to wear. How about this... you rent us that empty shop across the street at market price, and we'll open a branch. This will both expand our business and show your generosity."

The air was still for a few seconds.

Jiang Tianqi's smile froze.

Li Ruoxue couldn't help but speak up: "Fang Che, don't push your luck!"

"Ruoxue," Jiang Tianqi raised his hand to interrupt, then put on a smile again, "Good idea. I'll give you a 20% discount on the rent."

"30% off." Fang Che didn't back down. "That shop has bad feng shui; the previous two shops both went bankrupt. I'm taking it over to help you get rid of the bad luck. 30% off is reasonable."

Jiang Tianqi stared at him, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Fine! 30% off it is, bring the contract over this afternoon."

"Thank you, Young Master Jiang." Fang Che clasped his hands in thanks.

“However…” Jiang Tianqi changed the subject, “For the opening of the branch, I want exclusive naming rights. The store name has to be ‘Tianqi Northeast Tiger Barbecue,’ and the signboard will have the Dongsheng Society’s logo. I don’t want any profit sharing; I’m just here to show my support.”

Li Hanzhou's face darkened.

Cheng Tieniu said gruffly, "Che, this won't do! Why should our signboard be registered under someone else's name?"

Xi Rong also cried out anxiously, "Brother Che, we can't agree to that!"

Fang Che remained silent, his mind racing. Agreeing would be like inviting a wolf into the house, while refusing would seem petty.

During the stalemate, a loudspeaker blared from the street corner.

The black Rolls-Royce stopped, and a boy in a school uniform got out. He had light blond hair, several earrings, and looked impatient.

A middle-aged man carrying a schoolbag followed behind him.

The boy walked to the shop entrance, looked around, and then looked at Fang Che: "You're Fang Che?"

"I am. You are..."

“He Shirong.” The boy raised his chin. “My grandfather asked me to wash the dishes. Let’s make it clear first, I’ll only work for three months.”

Ho Sai-wing? Ho Hung-sang's grandson?

Fang Che instantly understood that this was a "hostage" sent by He Hongsheng, and also a talisman.

Jiang Tianqi's expression changed.

He Shirong then noticed him, raising an eyebrow: "Jiang Tianqi? Are you bullying someone again?"

"Young Master He is joking. We're just discussing business."

"Talk business?" He Shirong scoffed, hooking his arm around Fang Che's shoulder. "Brother Fang, my grandfather told me to learn real skills from you. If there's any trouble here, just tell me."

Jiang Tianqi's face darkened completely.

Li Ruoxue spoke up: "He Shirong, stop interfering!"

"Who are you? Oh, Li Ruoxue. I heard you kidnapped Xi Rong last night? You've become a kidnapper now? Should I call the police to spread the word?"

"you--"

"Alright." Jiang Tianqi pulled Li Ruoxue aside, took a deep breath, and looked at Fang Che. "Since Young Master He is here, regarding the naming rights... never mind. You can still rent the shop to him at a 30% discount. The contract will arrive this afternoon."

He turned and left.

Li Ruoxue glared at Fang Che and He Shirong, then followed.

The red Ferrari drove away.

Fang Che breathed a sigh of relief and looked at He Shirong: "Thanks."

"Just call me Shirong." The boy let go of her hand, looking awkward. "Well... I really have to do the dishes. Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm capable."

He flicked his wrist, and the limited edition Rolex gleamed.

Cheng Tieniu scratched his head: "Che, is this young master really good at washing dishes? Don't break the dishes, one of them is worth half a month's wages for us."

Xi Rong covered her mouth and chuckled.

Fang Che laughed and said, "Alright, Shi Rong, now that you're here, follow the rules. Xi Rong, help him change his clothes. From today onwards, he's our 'Northeast Tiger's' chief dishwasher."

"Chief?" He Shirong's eyes lit up slightly. "That title is alright."

After Xi Rong led He Shi Rong to the backyard, Cheng Tie Niu asked in a low voice, "Che, is Jiang Tian Qi really going to rent the shop to us?"

"Yes," Fang Che affirmed. "With He Shirong around, he wouldn't dare to openly trip me up. But secretly..."

He looked at Li Hanzhou.

Li Hanzhou nodded: "We should take over the shop, but we need to be careful to prevent him from tampering with it. Ah Gui, review the terms carefully this afternoon. Also, have someone keep a close eye on the shop and make sure no one does anything to it during the renovation period."

"clear."

For the next half day, Portland Street remained outwardly calm.

Fang Che led the children to tidy up the shop.

He Shirong changed into a red apron printed with "Siberian Tiger." His school uniform and earrings clashed with the apron, but he still did a surprisingly good job washing the dishes...

Although he broke two plates, he was serious about his work.

"Brother Fang," He Shirong asked while washing the dishes, "Is your shop really that popular? My grandpa sent me here to learn how to run it, but after watching for a while, all I see is barbecue?"

Fang Che skewered meat without looking up: "Whether it's popular or not depends on people's hearts. When neighbors come here, they're not just eating meat, they're sharing the bond. Aunt Li's son is in Canada, and she comes every weekend just to hear the children call out 'Hello, Grandma Li.' Uncle Wang's wife passed away, and he feels bored eating alone, so he comes here to share a table and chat."

He paused, then looked at He Shirong: "Your grandfather sent you here not to learn how to barbecue, but to learn how to deal with people and how to make business more humane."

He Shirong paused for a moment, then lowered his head and continued washing the dishes.

The contract arrived at 2 PM.

Ah Gui read it carefully three times and nodded to Li Hanzhou: "The terms are clean, there are no traps."

Fang Che signed the document.

The shop across the street, which had been empty for two months, was officially taken over by "Northeast Tiger".

The news spread very quickly.

By evening, the whole Portland Street knew!

When Fang Che wanted to open a branch, Jiang Tianqi not only didn't stop him, but also gave him a 30% discount on the rent.

"Chezai is about to make it big!"

"Has Jiang Tianqi changed his ways?"

"I heard that Stanley Ho's grandson washes dishes at Chezai's place."

The neighbors were gossiping, but Fang Che dared not relax.

The renovation team started work the next day.

Fang Che personally oversaw the construction, paying attention to everything from the layout to the lighting.

He Shirong also ran around doing chores, though most of the time he was just causing trouble...

For example, when he insisted on painting the wall fluorescent green, Fang Che slapped him on the back of the head.

"We're a barbecue restaurant, not a nightclub!" Fang Che glared at him. "If you mess around like this again, you'll be cleaning toilets for a month."

He Shirong pursed his lips but didn't argue back.