Chapter 51 The guy at the KTV is older than my dad.
Golden Harbor.
In Fucheng during the 1990s, almost everyone knew this name.
Those were the days of extravagance and decadence, the golden age when karaoke was all the rage. And Golden Harbor was the brightest star in this dazzling world. Located in the city's most bustling area, it stood five stories high, brightly lit. Every night, its entrance was bustling with cars and people. Celebrities, businessmen, civil servants, small business owners... all sorts of people filed in, just to sing their hearts out and drink to their hearts' content.
Back then, everyone in Fucheng considered it an honor to sing at Golden Harbor. Even though several other KTVs opened nearby, none could rival it. Private rooms were often in high demand, and during peak periods, reservations had to be made a week in advance.
However, time is the most ruthless gold digger.
The glory days of Golden Harbor have long since faded, much like the building itself. The faded advertising stickers on the exterior walls still faintly reveal the once-golden signboard, now curled and yellowed. The once vibrant neon lights now only stubbornly flicker in a few places; the rest are either broken or covered in dust, leaving only a dim glow, like the last glimmer of light in the eyes of an old man who refuses to be extinguished.
Back then, all the KTVs in Fucheng combined couldn't match the popularity of Golden Harbor in just one night.
Chen Ru is the guardian of this former "entertainment empire".
She sat in the slightly worn manager's office, a dusty banner from years ago still hanging on the wall behind her, an award for "Best Entertainment Venue of the Year." She held a freshly printed financial statement in her hand, her gaze sweeping over the rows of deficits before finally settling on the last line—"Total loss this month: ¥12,846.45."
"Oh no... I've lost so much money again. How am I going to explain this..." she murmured softly, her voice weary and resigned.
She remembered when she first came to Golden Harbor, she was a young girl fresh out of school, full of vigor and confidence, even her walk was full of swagger. Back then, the KTV was as lively as during the New Year. The waiters were running around like crazy, the private rooms were constantly changing with customers, and even the chefs in the back were busy as bees.
But what about Golden Harbor now?
If the private rooms are half full in the evening, it's considered "business is booming." Most of the time, the main hall is quiet, with only one or two off-key songs occasionally drifting out from the private rooms, like the last sobs of this era. It's a world of difference compared to before.
She knew exactly where the problem lay—young people had long been drawn away by all sorts of new forms of entertainment, such as Douyin, live streaming, murder mystery games, and escape rooms. Who would still be willing to spend money to sing in such an old-fashioned and expensive place? And those former regulars were now middle-aged, facing great pressure in life and busy with work. They would only come occasionally for nostalgia and to indulge in a sense of sentimentality.
To make matters worse, staff are constantly leaving.
A few days ago, the chef in charge of afternoon tea also resigned. It is said that he felt the salary was too low and had not increased for several years. In the end, he simply switched jobs to the newly opened "Trendy K" next door - a trendy KTV that targets the young market. It is said that he poached many of the old employees of Golden Harbor.
Thinking of this, Chen Ru sighed and rubbed her temples. Her head throbbed even more.
Just a few days ago, the chairman suddenly spoke with her, saying that he planned to hand over the store entirely to her daughter, Ye Feifei, to manage.
"Ye Feifei?" Chen Ru almost burst out laughing.
That girl is a freshman in college, inexperienced in the ways of the world. She doesn't even know which way the door of a KTV faces. What right does she have to take charge of this struggling old business?
Sure enough, two days later, Ye Feifei recommended someone over—saying he was a chef with experience and ideas, who wanted to reform the kitchen.
"Ha, a young girl, a recent college graduate, pointing fingers and gesturing, what does she know about business?" Chen Ru was polite on the surface, but in her heart she was quite dismissive.
She's a seasoned veteran, having climbed her way up from the bottom over two decades to reach her current position. It's not that she can't accept newcomers, but she needs people who can get things done, not "parachuted-in" personnel to "guide" her.
"Is the card and chess room I told you about built yet?" She stood up and asked Liao Ming, the assistant store manager, trying to shift her attention elsewhere.
"It's all set up, Sister Chen. By the way, I heard that the person Miss Feifei arranged is coming today. Shall we go and pick them up?" Liao Ming suggested cautiously.
"What's there to take on? He's just a small-time chef, not someone I need to personally intervene in." Chen Ru waved her hand dismissively. "Come on, let's go check out the new machines in the card room."
Liao Ming nodded, and the two left the office together, heading towards the third floor.
Meanwhile, at the entrance of Golden Harbor.
Su Yingxue stood under the slightly worn sign of Golden Harbor, dragging a simple suitcase.
Some of the neon lights on the sign were no longer working, and the remaining few flickered. The red and green lights reflected on her delicate face, creating a strange sense of temporal displacement.
Several money trees stood by the entrance, their leaves withered and yellowed with curled edges, clearly neglected for a long time, much like the shop itself, which had long since lost its vitality.
She stood there for a few minutes, but no one came to greet her. She wasn't in a hurry and pushed the door open and went in on her own.
"Hello, welcome to Golden Harbor. Do you have a reservation? Would you like a small, medium, or large private room today?"
As soon as she entered, Su Yingxue was taken aback by the magnificent, golden lobby before her.
A massive dragon and phoenix sculpture, gleaming in gold, perched on the ceiling. However, due to years of neglect, the gold paint had begun to peel away, revealing the mottled iron frame beneath. The pillars were wrapped in heavy gold trim, and the floor was paved with dark tiles that gleamed with an oily sheen. The air was thick with a murky mix of smells: smoke, mildew, and stale perfume.
This renovation... well, to put it simply, was overdone.
Su Yingxue couldn't help but laugh. The last time she came to a KTV was for a class reunion in college. Although that place wasn't as big as this one, the decor was simple and elegant, at least it didn't feel like a nightclub from the last century.
"Hello, I'm Su Yingxue. I'm here to apply for the chef position," she said proactively, thinking that since no one recognized her, she didn't need to explain further.
The young woman at the front desk—whose name tag read "Meng Hui"—was clearly taken aback, her eyes filled with confusion: "Chef? Please wait a moment, I'll call and ask the assistant manager."
She picked up the phone, whispered a few words, then hung up and kicked a young man in the back row who was leaning back in his chair, almost sliding to the floor: "Hey! Wake up! Someone's looking for you!"
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