Chapter 57 Jinjiang's Exclusive Little Brother
"You're really eating here? Li Guangqian, you're not mistaken, are you?"
Fang Yongnian looked at the restaurant in front of him and hesitated to step inside.
This restaurant is newly opened; it was converted from a former state-owned restaurant and is currently the largest and best-decorated restaurant in Liulin County.
The prices there are not low; they have all kinds of good wine and food.
The restaurant is usually frequented by wealthy business owners and public officials who can pay on credit; their spending is higher than that of ordinary families.
Ordinary people can afford to come and try it occasionally if they grit their teeth, but if they come every few days, they'll definitely go bankrupt.
So even though it hasn't been open for long, everyone knows that being able to host a meal here is a very prestigious thing to do.
This restaurant is one of the few in the county that has large private rooms. The rooms are not only numerous and large, but also well-decorated and offer privacy.
The luxurious private rooms are also equipped with the currently popular karaoke system, so you can have entertainment while you eat.
Li Guangqian scoffed, feeling quite smug that Fang Yongnian was now out of his league.
He's now the most important person in Su Ruyi's eyes!
"This is it. Sister Ruyi asked me to book a deluxe room."
Everyone else gasped upon hearing this. Gao Zongming asked, "How much would that cost? I heard the minimum charge for a deluxe room is five hundred."
Gao Zongming came from the wealthiest family and was also the most well-informed.
"So many!" someone exclaimed.
That's more than two months' wages for an ordinary worker.
Although there were quite a few of them, more than twenty people came today, the average cost per person for the meal was nearly twenty yuan.
For some of the people present, this amount was only enough for a week's food expenses.
Li Guangqian slightly raised his chin, looking at them as if they had never seen the world before:
"We have a large group, so we booked a deluxe room with three tables. The minimum charge is 1,000 yuan."
Even Gao Zongming was astonished, exclaiming, "This expense is just too much!"
Most of the people present were students, or had just graduated from school. Even those from relatively well-off families, like Gao Zongming, did not have much pocket money.
We don't usually eat so extravagantly; twenty yuan is enough for several people to have a big meal together.
Li Guangqian: "Sister Ruyi said that since we're going to treat everyone, we should treat everyone to a good meal. Everyone has worked hard these past few days, so this is a way to reward everyone."
Everyone cheered. They were teenagers, the age when they cared most about their image. Being able to eat at this restaurant was something they could brag about for a long time.
"Keep your voices down, don't act like country bumpkins. It's fine if you embarrass yourselves, but don't make our Sister Ruyi lose face too."
Everyone fell silent and obediently followed Li Guangqian into the restaurant.
There were doormen standing at the entrance of the restaurant to open the door for guests, and four pretty girls standing on both sides. As soon as someone walked in, they would bow and say "Welcome to our restaurant".
This display was unique in Liulin County, making the twenty-odd teenagers blush with excitement and feel valued.
As soon as the group entered, the lobby manager immediately came over.
"Mr. Li, your private room is ready. I'll have someone lead you in now."
The lobby manager had a smile on his face and was very friendly. He called over a pretty girl who looked about the same age as a group of teenagers.
This made everyone blush, and their actions became much more refined.
I originally thought that in such a big restaurant, the waiters must be arrogant and look down on us, since we were just here to patronize their establishment.
But whenever we encountered a waiter along the way, we greeted them with a smile, and their service was excellent.
Although the service has improved over the years, and the waiters are no longer as rude as they used to be (to the point of fighting), it's still not much better.
Some of the street vendors were nice at first, but once they saw their business picking up, they immediately started putting on a sour face, as if they owed them something.
Those with good attitudes are not like this; they really opened everyone's eyes.
Fang Yongnian's eyes widened in disbelief. How could Li Guangqian, that rogue, be called "sir"?
Li Guangqian desperately suppressed his excitement. He had come in person yesterday to book the private room and even went inside to make sure everything was alright before paying the deposit.
When Li Guang first entered the restaurant, he wasn't treated this well; the people there were quite particular about the dishes served.
Although Li Guangqian has earned some money, his family has too many expenses, such as winter quilts, and his money doesn't last long.
Therefore, he didn't buy himself any new clothes; he still wore his old, faded clothes.
He was too young, and the people in the restaurant didn't think he was capable of coming in and spending money.
However, they didn't chase him away; they just kept an eye on him, afraid he would disturb the other guests.
Only after Li Guangqian revealed his intentions and agreed to pay the deposit in advance did the staff change their attitude.
Although it was only Li Guangqian's second time here, he acted like a veteran, showing how familiar he was with the place in front of his brothers, and walking around the luxurious restaurant with ease.
Su Ruyi had something to do and would be back in a while, so Li Guangqian ordered the food as she instructed.
"These dishes are way too expensive!" Everyone's eyes widened when they saw the menu.
Vegetable prices are generally more than three times the normal price, and some dishes made with novel ingredients not available locally are even more shockingly expensive.
The most expensive items are the drinks, including high-end liquors like Moutai, as well as imported spirits. You can even see OX, which you've only ever seen on TV. When you see the prices, you might as well throw the menu away.
A bottle of wine costs 980 yuan! Is it made from some kind of magical water?
I was thinking how much food they would order with a thousand yuan, and that there would be leftovers. But now I realize I'm so naive. Buying just one bottle of wine almost reached the minimum spending requirement.
Looking at it this way, those dishes don't seem so expensive anymore.
Li Guangqian was well aware of the situation and said directly, "Let's just order regular dishes, forget about the delicacies. We can't order alcohol either, Sister Ruyi said we can't drink alcohol."
Few of these people are adults, so Su Ruyi definitely won't let them drink alcohol.
No one objected. Although Su Ruyi was treating everyone to dinner, they still couldn't bring themselves to order those expensive dishes and drinks.
Many families eat meat several times a month.
Seeing everyone's reaction, Li Guangqian was very satisfied.
The people who came today were all screened by Li Guangqian and Fang Yongnian. Those who liked to cause trouble and take advantage of others were eliminated by them.
In the past, people would accept anyone to build up their influence, but things are different now; they need to recruit true brothers.
Those leeches that only attach themselves and then run away at the first sign of trouble are definitely not to be taken along.
Today, Su Ruyi went to find the thugs who had caused trouble before. Li Guangqian only told everyone about this incident and didn't mention any dinner gathering afterwards. He wrote down those who made excuses not to come, so they don't need to come again.
They shirked such an important matter; how can we expect such a person to be reliable?
Running away at the first sign of trouble might even lead to stabbing someone in the back.
When Su Ruyi arrived, a group of people were singing and wailing like ghosts.
The private room was large, with a dedicated stage and a sofa area for relaxation.
Although the main dishes hadn't been served yet, fruit platters, drinks, and snacks were already on the table. There were also board games like dice and cards, so the group had a great time and didn't feel bored at all.
As soon as the door opened, everyone stopped what they were doing, stood up, and bowed to Su Ruyi.
"Sister Ruyi!"
The sound rang out in unison, startling nearby customers who all turned to look in their direction.
Su Ruyi suddenly felt like she was Sister Thirteen from the Young and Dangerous movies, walking with an automatic swagger, which made her both amused and exasperated.
Su Ruyi quickly asked the waiter to close the door, lest they later think it was a sex party.
"Let's get the food ready. We'll eat first, and we can talk about anything else later."
Li Guangqian hurriedly went outside the private room to ask the waiter to serve the dishes and handed the menu to Su Ruyi, saying, "Sister Ruyi, see what you would like to eat."
"Let me check later before counting. Have we counted all of them?"
"That's enough, it's already reached one thousand."
Su Ruyi nodded: "That's good. We'll make sure everyone has a good time if we need more food later.
“Okay!” Li Guangqian readily agreed.
Su Ruyi then said to everyone, "Please don't be shy, everyone. Eat and drink as you please. You've all worked hard these past few days."
"Sister Ruyi, we're not tired."
"Sister Ruyi, we're so happy that you're helping us get rich."
"Exactly, so many people want to work with you now, but they don't even have the chance."
They were all teenagers, and they didn't mince words; they all spoke their minds directly.
Su Ruyi looked around and said, "Are there only boys and no girls?"
Li Guangqian scratched his head: "We're all grown men, how can we lead girls astray?"
Su Ruyi glanced at him sideways: "You know you guys didn't do anything good in the past, huh?"
Li Guangqian chuckled.
Someone raised their hand, and Su Ruyi said to him, "You speak."
Xu Dianpeng was very excited and immediately stood up, asking expectantly, "Sister Ruyi, can I bring my sister in?"
Everyone knows that Su Ruyi made money with those who had stopped going to school.
Li Guangqian, in particular, brought his entire family along, which is truly enviable.
The others who were still in school were extremely envious, but Su Ruyi's attitude was clear: those who had already dropped out of school were fine, but those who dropped out without cause should not even think about hanging out with her.
Therefore, no one dared to do anything, but they still made sure to show their faces to Su Ruyi from time to time and do what they could.
Fang Yongnian is a prime example. Although he doesn't have the same standing with Su Ruyi as Li Guangqian does, Su Ruyi is still clearly very friendly towards him.
As long as it doesn't interfere with his studies, Su Ruyi allows students like Fang Yongnian to earn some extra money.
Therefore, many people are envious, but joining is not so easy.
Both Li Guangqian and Fang Yongnian were cautious and unwilling to get involved and complicate the current situation.
Although they haven't known Su Ruyi for long, they can probably tell that being with her means a bright future.
But if Su Ruyi gets annoyed, then things could get complicated.
Su Ruyi is not a local and is currently living at her stepmother's house. If she really wanted to leave, it would only take a few minutes.
Xu Dianpeng only mustered up the courage to ask after Su Ruyi asked if there were any girls.
Su Ruyi said, "Sure, but everyone who follows me must pass my test. I don't accept just anyone."
After hearing this, the others also got excited and volunteered their family members or friends.
Su Ruyi raised her hand, and immediately there was silence. If there were any teachers present, they would be moved to tears. When will these troublemakers be able to behave so well under their control?
"We can talk about these things after we finish eating. There's no rush."
Just then, the food was served. It was a group of teenagers, at the age when they could eat the most, and their eyes were wide open.
Since none of them had experienced the ways of the world, they didn't understand the intricacies of dining. As soon as they saw the food, their eyes lit up, and they only cared about eating.
A few people with high emotional intelligence, seeing that Su Ruyi was also eating very seriously, stopped making polite remarks and focused their attention on the rice.
The restaurant's high prices are justified; the food is indeed delicious. No wonder it became a sensation throughout the county in just a few days after opening, and its reputation even spread to the neighboring county.
Before they had even finished eating half of the food, Su Ruyi asked Li Guang to go outside and ask the waiter to add more dishes.
The waiters would come in to serve her, but Su Ruyi didn't need them, so they all stood outside.
Such service might not be anything special in other places, but in the still conservative Liulin County, it is quite an eye-opener.
Su Ruyi knew without guessing that the owner behind the restaurant must have a significant background, and the restaurant's profits definitely didn't come from the things that were out in the open.
There are many restaurants like this in this era; you can't survive without some skill.
The sheer volume of unpaid bills and IOUs alone could bankrupt a restaurant like this.
However, none of this mattered to Su Ruyi. This venue just happened to be suitable, so she simply spent money to come in and spend money.
People who had been slowing down as the food dwindled immediately regained their appetite and happily ate their meals when they saw the food being served again.
Watching the group of people eating happily, Su Ruyi found herself eating more than usual.
After the meal, the waiter quickly came in to clean up and brought out new fruit platters and other refreshments.
Su Ruyi asked the waiter for a small private room nearby, and then said to everyone:
"We've known each other for a while now, but I still don't know much about many of you. Today is a good opportunity for me to get to know you all better. Come one by one later and tell me about your situations."
However, if you don't want to work with me anymore, or have other ideas or plans, then you don't need to. I need quite a few people going to be here, and I will arrange things according to your situation.
Those who wanted to recommend people to me before have already told me their specific situations. Currently, I only accept women, regardless of age, but they can't be too young; they must be of legal working age.
Su Ruyi then asked Li Guangqian and Fang Yongnian to help arrange the order, and then went to a nearby private room to let everyone go there one by one.
Tea and snacks had already been brewed and laid out in the private room.
Su Ruyi took out a notebook and pen from her bag and waited for the first person.
The first one was Xu Dianpeng. He didn't need Su Ruyi to ask him anything; he just revealed all his information.
Xu Dianpeng is still a student. The reason he hangs out with Li Guangqian is because he was once stopped and threatened by some thugs who demanded money, and Li Guangqian saved him.
So he started hanging out with Li Guangqian, so he wouldn't have to worry about being watched by others while he was out.
Xu Dianpeng's family is very ordinary. His father is a local from the county, so they have a place to live.
However, my father was just a shoe repairman who set up a roadside stall and didn't earn much money. My mother came from the countryside, so the family was always struggling financially.
“My sister is very smart and pretty. She couldn’t find a job after graduating from high school, and she’s not old enough to get married yet, so I was thinking of getting her to work for you.”
Xu Dianpeng's sister wanted to go out to work, but her family was worried about her safety as a young and beautiful girl.
However, there is a shortage of jobs in the county, and it is difficult to find work. I have been staying at home for almost a year now, and I usually do housework and odd jobs.
Odd jobs are hard to find, and sometimes the bosses even refuse to pay.
Xu Dianpeng had long wanted to get goods from Su Ruyi and then have his sister sell them.
But he didn't dare to do that. Although they hadn't formed any gang yet, everyone knew what was going on.
These are all benefits for their brothers. If he doesn't know his place and uses them as favors, he'll definitely be kicked out later.
Moreover, with so many brothers, and others taking on jobs before, they couldn't fight among themselves, so they all had to take the goods to other places to sell.
He was a student, and his sister was a girl, so they couldn't go too far, but there were already people nearby.
Su Ruyi inquired about Xu Dianpeng's sister, Xu Xiaonan, and Xu Dianpeng even told her about her college entrance examination scores.
"Your sister has good grades, but unfortunately physics is dragging her down."
The college entrance examination in Qinghai Province follows a 3+2 model. Mathematics, Chinese, and English are fixed subjects that both arts and science students must take. The "2" is differentiated based on whether the student is an arts or science student. Science students take Physics and Chemistry, while arts students take Politics and History. Each subject is worth 750 points.
Xu Xiaonan's grades in other subjects were quite good, and if she had performed normally in physics, she might have been able to get into a university. However, she only scored in the forties in physics, which was a huge drop, and she couldn't even get into a junior college.
"My sister actually does quite well in physics, but she was just unlucky that day. She had an upset stomach and almost fainted in the exam room, and that's how it happened."
"Isn't she planning to repeat a year of high school?"
Xu Dianpeng sighed, "My parents both wanted her to repeat a year of high school, but she refused, saying she didn't want to go to school anymore. But I knew she was just afraid that the family wouldn't have enough money. I told her I wouldn't study anymore, since my grades weren't good anyway, and asked her to go. She beat me up badly."
Xu Dianpeng is only in the third year of junior high school. If he drops out of school, he will only have graduated from elementary school.
It's a huge strain on the family to afford to send two children to school, and the cost of repeating a grade is much higher than the normal tuition, requiring an extra fee of 800 yuan.
Therefore, Xu Xiaonan had no choice but to reluctantly give up the opportunity to continue her studies and think about finding a job to ease the burden on her family.
Xu Xiaonan's grades were decent, but not good enough to guarantee her admission.
“If my sister can’t find a job, she will definitely have to go to work. She has planned this for a long time, but my parents just won’t let her go.”
But this situation can't last long, since we can't keep our daughter at home forever.
They have no money and their daughter doesn't have a job, so when they get older, they won't be able to find a good partner.
Actually, matchmakers have already started to come and go, but they're all unsuitable candidates, and Xu Dianpeng's parents don't approve of them.
I can't just let my beautiful daughter get married like this; it's a matter of her whole life.
But that's just how things are at home. There's no other way out but to either get married and settle for a less desirable marriage or go out to work.
"Okay, have her come to the storefront to see me tomorrow. Whether or not we need her depends on her performance."
Xu Dianpeng was overjoyed, "I'll definitely make sure she goes tomorrow morning! Sister Ruyi, you're even closer to me than my own sister!"
Su Ruyi rolled her eyes at him: "If you're so capable, try saying the same thing when your sister is here too."
Xu Dianpeng chuckled and scratched his head before going out to call the second person.
Su Ruyi asked about their situations one by one, gaining a general understanding of their circumstances, including family background, hobbies, and special skills.
After this experience, I won't be so surprised if I see you on the street next time.
These people all treat Su Ruyi as their leader, so Su Ruyi has to take responsibility so that she won't have to take the blame for them later.
After recording everyone's situation, Su Ruyi returned to the large private room, where a group of people were still wailing and howling.
However, they all stopped when they saw her come in, but they were no longer acting so arrogantly as before.
"If you want to work with me, you have to follow my rules. First, you must abide by the law, that's the most basic requirement; second, you can't use my name to bully people; third, I'm a businessman, so integrity is fundamental, and you can't deceive consumers; finally, you can't touch prostitution, gambling, or drugs! Anyone who violates this rule will be the first to be dragged to the police station!"
Li Guangqian: "Sister Ruyi, don't worry! We will definitely abide by the rules!"
"Yes, Sister Ruyi, if anyone doesn't follow the rules, we'll twist their hand first."
Others chimed in, saying that these guys must have watched too many movies; the scene looked more and more like a riotous gathering.
Su Ruyi's lips twitched, but she didn't say anything.
This is exactly what teenage chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) kids crave.
"You guys can continue having fun here. I've already paid the bill, so you can play as much as you want, but don't stay out too late. Those of you who need to attend evening self-study sessions, get to school now. Li Guangqian and Fang Yongnian, you're responsible for taking everyone home. Make sure everyone gets home safely. If anything happens to anyone..."
Li Guangqian: "You're holding me accountable!"
Su Ruyi left with peace of mind. As soon as the door closed, she heard a cheer from inside the room, as if they were very happy that she, the hindrance, was gone.
Su Ruyi was both amused and exasperated, but she could understand it; these people were still somewhat reserved in front of her.
Who likes being with their boss? It always feels like you're still working.
When Xu Dianpeng returned home, he was beaming with joy, and he walked with a limp, unsteady gait.
Seeing this, Xu Xiaonan's eyebrows shot up, and she immediately stepped forward and pinched his ear:
"You bastard, Xu Dianpeng, how dare you drink alcohol!"
"Ouch, sister, sister, it hurts, it hurts! Dad, Mom, please do something about it, sister is bullying me again."
Mr. and Mrs. Xu pretended not to hear anything inside the house.
Xu Xiaonan scolded, "Didn't you say it was a class reunion? How come when I asked Xiaoguang he said he didn't know about it? Not only did you lie to us, but you're also drinking at such a young age. Are you tired of living?"
"Sis, sis, let go first, listen to me. I have good news, I really didn't drink."
"If you haven't been drinking, how come you're so drunk you're staggering?"
"I really didn't drink it, otherwise you can smell it, I'm just happy."
Xu Xiaonan sniffed it and found that there was indeed no smell of alcohol.
Just as she was about to let go, Xu Dianpeng burped, his mouth filled with a jumbled, unpleasant smell.
Then Xu Dianpeng got another beating, but this time Xu Xiaonan went much easier on him.
Although Xu Xiaonan let go, she still kept a stern face and was very impolite.
"Tell me quickly, where did you go just now?"
Mentioning this made Xu Dianpeng perk up again.
Xu's mother felt sorry for her son and looked at Xu Xiaonan cautiously.
"Xiaonan, your brother is all grown up now, you can't keep beating him like this."
“Mom, listen to the nonsense he just said. Don’t let him get fooled by people outside. If he gets scammed, our whole family will suffer. Didn’t I hear that there’s some kind of ‘guild’ in Grandma’s area that has scammed so many people, saying they can make you rich, but they’ve lost all their money. Someone even jumped off a building because of it. If I hadn’t stopped them, Grandma, Uncle, and Aunt would probably be drinking pesticide by now.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Ma's heart hardened again.
Xu Xiaonan became famous overnight. At that time, she was about the same age as Xu Dianpeng. She stopped everyone from getting involved in those things and even calculated how unscientific such high interest rates were.
Although my maternal grandmother's family was tempted, they didn't dare to act recklessly because they had no money. Unlike some daring families who borrowed money even when they were broke, they ended up with a mountain of debt that they couldn't repay. They even mortgaged everything they owned, but it still wasn't enough to pay off their debts, and they were eventually buried alive.
After Xu Xiaonan stopped them, they all gave up.
Xu's mother didn't tell her daughter, but she did invest some money. However, she was quite cautious, so the losses were not significant.
But this also shows everyone Xu Xiaonan's intelligence; at such a young age, she is more clear-headed than adults.
Xu Xiaonan failed her college entrance exam, and everyone urged her to retake it. They said she was so smart and had the makings of a college student, and it would be a shame if she didn't continue taking the exam.
Xu Dianpeng quickly said, "Sister, I'm absolutely reliable! My new boss... don't glare at me, my new boss is Boss Su Ruyi from the Red Star Hula Hoop Distribution Department, she's going to lead us to new heights!"
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