"So you're stalling him?"

"Yes, that's the only thing I can do."

"If you don't go to work for him and you're not willing to come to my place, what are your plans for next year?... After all, the business at Jiulongju is only temporary."

When Ye Zhi asked that question, I couldn't help but think of Tie Nan and Tao Zi again. I don't know what Tie Nan is thinking now, but Tao Zi and I made a promise: if everyone makes money this year, we'll open a bigger seaside inn together next year, and then wait for Coach Ma and Bai Lu to come back... At first, I really wanted to do that because I missed the feeling of working together in the past, but now...

I feel like it's going to be very difficult for Tie Nan and me to work together again. Forcing a collaboration might not yield good results.

I was a little confused, then shook my head and replied to Ye Zhi, "I don't have a very clear goal yet..." I smiled and said, "But things will work themselves out, there will always be something to do."

"Well, focus on the things at hand first. But you should also consider my suggestion. I think it's a great option for you... If you're really interested in the hotel industry, you should go to a large hotel to broaden your horizons and work style."

At this point, Ye Zhi's expression became very sincere. She continued, "I don't mean to trap you, nor do I want to decide your future. I just think that this kind of work experience will be helpful for your future development."

I let out a sigh of relief and nodded, but didn't respond to Ye Zhi with words. I simply finished my cigarette in silence and then pondered some things... Before, I had no choice, but now that I have more choices, I'm actually troubled because, subconsciously, none of these choices are what I truly want...

What I want is a career where I can express my inner thoughts and be in a dominant position... To put it bluntly, it's ambition.

But when I calm down and think about it, I don't know when I became an ambitious person. What's even stranger is that it was a place like Dali that awakened my ambition, rather than Shanghai, which is full of competition!

...

After sitting there for a while, Ye Zhi and I went to the "Women's Flower" bar together. Nicole was cleaning by herself, and she seemed more enthusiastic about this job than we were.

I asked her, "Didn't you go to the bar to sing today?"

"No, I quit my singing job and will focus on running this bar from now on... What brings you two here?"

Ye Zhi looked at me, because it was my idea to come.

I took a bank card out of my pocket and handed it to her, saying, "This is to give you money, knowing you're eager to get the bar open."

Nicole took it from my hand and asked, "How much money is in there? We're really short on drinks here!"

"A total of 100,000, of which 20,000 is Cao Xue's and 80,000 is mine."

Nicole counted on her fingers for a moment, then laughed and said, "Everything else in the bar is ready, we just need drinks. I've done the math, the first batch of goods should cost 60,000 yuan, and the remaining 40,000 yuan will cover the bartenders' and waiters' salaries for the next two months... The bar can open now!"

"Okay, you can manage this money."

Ye Zhi, who hadn't spoken until now, took the initiative to ask, "Michael, do you have a rough plan regarding the share distribution of this bar?"

"Yes, let me state it verbally first. You invested the most in the bar, so you own 40%; Nicole worked the hardest, so she owns 30%; I own 20%, and Cao Xue owns 10%."

Nicole questioned, "Aren't you being a little too lenient with me? I only invested a little over nine thousand yuan in drinks, but you invested eighty thousand! In the end, your shares are still less than mine!"

I laughed and said, "Women's Flower, I think it's fine if the policy is appropriately biased towards women... Besides, this 80,000 is for emergency use, not for investment. Once the bar is profitable, I'll get 40,000 from the bar's profits first. In other words, I'll only have 40,000 to invest in the end."

Nicole wanted to say something more; at this moment, Ye Zhi patted her shoulder gently and said, "Don't worry too much. We all have other ways to make a living, but you have to put all your energy into the bar. I think this ratio is very reasonable."

I chimed in, "Yeah, don't look at this bar with a business mindset. We're running this place on the relationships between us, so I really hope it's a bar with a human touch!"

After saying that, I turned to Ye Zhi and smiled, "I didn't know what to do next year, but now I have a goal... Let's start by building a unique bar in Dali that has a warm and welcoming atmosphere!"