business card
"Sorry to keep you waiting—" Lin Changren arrived late.
He placed a large glass of apple juice in front of Zhu Shiyi, and also carried a plate of colorful, half-cooked cheese.
"Thank you." Zhu Shiyi took the juice, glancing involuntarily at the cute little dessert, then consciously controlling herself to look away.
This dessert is probably what they both wanted to eat; it's not good to keep eyeing other people's food.
Unexpectedly, Lin Changren pointed to the dessert plate: "Beautiful lady, try this."
Zhu Shiyi was tempted.
But she still refused: "Thank you, you guys eat, I'm on a diet."
Four semi-baked cheesecakes and a small cake—my calorie intake today has exceeded my limit!
Most girls of their age are obsessed with losing weight.
“Why would you need to lose weight while traveling?” Lin Changren said, but he still respected her. “It’s okay, we can each have two pieces. Eating one or two won’t make you fat.”
"...Alright!"
Zhu Shiyi's thought about losing weight lasted only a second.
It's a waste not to eat this delicious food that's been given away for free.
It's okay to indulge yourself occasionally when you're traveling.
Zhu Shiyi comforted himself in this way.
However, she still found it strange and wanted to ask Pan Yue why he wasn't eating.
But when the words were on the tip of his tongue, he didn't know how to address Pan Yue.
Calling him by his name? That sounds weird. Calling him "boss"? That doesn't quite fit either.
Zhu Shiyi simply ignored the form of address and looked at Pan Yue: "Aren't you going to eat?"
Before Pan Yue could say anything, Lin Changren interjected, "Don't worry about him, he's health-conscious and doesn't eat oily food."
Zhu Shiyi: "Oh."
At such a young age, why is she already focusing on health and wellness? She's living like her father.
...
The bitterness of matcha melted in his mouth, while the salty and sweet cheese moisturized his taste buds. Zhu Shiyi squinted his eyes in satisfaction.
"How's the food at the restaurant?" Pan Yue suddenly asked.
"It's delicious, none of the desserts are sweet." Zhu Shiyi replied casually, only realizing a second later that the other person might be conducting research.
He who eats another's food is bound to him; he who takes another's money is bound to him.
Zhu Shiyi thought for a moment and then told the truth: "It's just a bit expensive."
She also deliberately lowered her voice to avoid nearby customers hearing her and wanting to complain, which would affect their business.
"And another thing," Zhu Shiyi continued, not wanting to stop there, "there are two songs sung by the singers in your coffee shop that aren't very good."
"Yes, I received it." Pan Yue withdrew his gaze without offering any explanation or comment.
*
Lin Changren raised his hand to check his watch; it was already lunchtime, and he was quite hungry.
The interview only touched on the dishes; according to the interview outline, there was still a lot more to come.
They'll make their customers starve.
Lin Changren looked at Zhu Shiyi and nodded apologetically: "Thank you for your hard work, Miss. You've come all the way to Qin City for your trip, and you've even had to take up your meal."
After saying that, he laughed heartily: "We must eat well tonight and try some of the specialties of Qin City!"
Upon hearing about the local delicacies, Zhu Shiyi's stomach rumbled, and he felt he could hardly contain his cravings.
Even though there was a small cake in front of her and she had something in her stomach, all she could think about was food.
Zhu Shiyi glanced at Pan Yue, who was busy taking notes, so she started chatting with Lin Changren: "Brother, are you from Qincheng?"
Lin Changren just said, "Our" Qin City has unique characteristics.
"I guess you could say half. My mom is from Qincheng, and she used to come here a lot when I was little," Lin Changren replied.
"Can you recommend some food for me? What are some good places to eat? I've never heard of any of the ones that are mentioned online."
"Then you've come to the right person." Lin Changren's eyes lit up at the mention of recommending food. He moved his chair forward, leaned forward with his forearm on the table, and began listing the dishes:
"Sea cucumber rice, mackerel dumplings, potstickers, sweet porridge, braised pork... Qincheng beer and barbecue are all famous and absolutely delicious!"
As he spoke, he even started to use his accent.
Driven by enthusiasm, Zhu Shiyi now wants to eat everything she hears: "So much!"
She wanted to eat them all! But she couldn't finish them all.
Are there any recommended shops nearby?
"Behind the seaside park..." Lin Changren stroked his chin, "about 800 or 900 meters away, there's a night market street with quite a few shops, some of which are long-established. I went to one of them during the Lunar New Year two years ago, and the food was pretty good, but I don't know if it's still open now."
"It's not far, that's great. What's its name?" Zhu Shiyi leaned forward excitedly.
"Uh," Lin Changren closed his eyes, pretending to think, "I really don't remember what it's called, but I do remember how to get there. Shall I take you there?"
Suddenly, Lin Changren became incredibly enthusiastic, as if he'd had a stroke: "Yes! Let's go, beautiful, let's go eat together!"
Zhu Shiyi blinked, still not quite grasping the train of thought.
How did we end up eating together?
Lin Changren was lost in his own world, concocting reasons for inviting her, like how it was such a coincidence, and how the three of them could order two extra dishes...
Zhu Shiyi became increasingly interested as she listened. However, since she wasn't familiar with them, she politely declined the invitation from a strange man: "No need, I couldn't possibly accept that..."
"Oh, it's alright, little sister, no need to be so polite when you're in the North!" Lin Changren chimed in, his enthusiasm growing even stronger. "That restaurant's sea cucumber rice is delicious, I'll treat you, you'll regret it if you don't try it!"
That accent, so smooth.
Zhu Shiyi held back her laughter and imitated the accent: "No, sir, this isn't just politeness, it's too much trouble for you."
A soft chuckle, almost imperceptible.
Zhu Shiyi turned his head and caught a glimpse of Pan Yue's fleeting smile.
"No trouble at all. It's lunchtime anyway, we should be eating." Lin Changren pushed forward.
Zhu Shiyi looked away, her heart wavering.
She saw Lin Changren nudge Pan Yue.
Pan Yue put down his iPad at some point, his brows furrowed slightly, as if he were thinking about something.
“Indeed, there are still some questions that haven’t been asked.” Pan Yue suddenly spoke up.
He suddenly reached into his pocket, pulled something out, and handed it over: "This is my business card."
Zhu Shiyi was full of doubts.
What are they doing?
She accepted it.
As if reading her mind, Pan Yue curled his lips and explained, "Real-name registration."
...
When out and about, Zhu Shiyi remained vigilant, fearing that the two men were bad people who might be using a business card forgery scheme.
But the handsome man's invitation was really tempting. Of course, the main temptation was the delicious food.
She glanced sideways at the boardwalk. It was Friday night, and the seaside streets were bustling with people.
Seeing crowds of people while traveling is not a good thing.
Zhu Shiyi, however, felt reassured. With so many people around, these two shouldn't be able to abduct her.
After weighing all the possibilities, Zhu Shiyi finally felt relieved after recording and reviewing the ID cards of the two individuals.
"It's better to be more rigorous," Lin Changren said.
Zhu Shiyi joked, "Of course, that's how we strong women are."
That's right. She also had anti-wolf supplies in her bag.
Although she is a college student, she is not simply gullible or naive.
--
"One sea cucumber rice, a plate of mackerel dumplings, and a bowl of sweet porridge..." After sitting down, Lin Changren ordered like a local host, then asked Pan Yue and Zhu Shiyi, "What do you want to order? Eat as much as you like, it's on me!"
Zhu Shiyi bluntly said that this was enough and he couldn't afford it.
If someone else is treating her, she'll naturally just eat along without being picky: "Would you like something to drink? I'll treat you to some beverages."
She felt embarrassed that she was always eating and drinking for free.
“It’s alright, you won’t spend much money, don’t worry. Do you think we won’t eat without you? It’s just a matter of adding another pair of chopsticks,” Lin Changren waved his hand. “We still need to hear your advice.”
Pan Yue remained silent. He took the menu, ordered several fruit juices, and put them on Lin Changren's tab.
...
After ordering, the interview began.
Pan Yue then took out his work iPad: "I already have some initial ideas for improving some aspects of your feedback; others will require more time."
Zhu Shiyi nodded: "I understand."
“Let’s start with the most important thing,” Pan Yue got to the point, “the conflict between mealtimes and concert times.”
"Data shows that the number of customers at the café begins to increase significantly at 4 p.m., and then begins to decline around 6:30 p.m. Currently, the concert start time has been compromised and set at around 5:30 p.m."
"Then why not start at four o'clock? It would be more lively with more people at the beginning." Zhu Shiyi asked, puzzled.
Pan Yue handed over a research report: "It's summer now. 83% of customers who arrive at the store at 3 or 4 pm choose to enjoy the air conditioning and rest; their core need is to escape the heat and relax. But if it's 5 or 6 pm, 67% choose it because they like the atmosphere of the concert."
Zhu Shiyi understood.
That's what she was thinking too. Around three or four o'clock, she went to the City Walk area, hoping to find a place to escape the heat and rest.
"So this timing is difficult to change," she concluded.
Lin Changren propped his head up, seemingly deep in thought: "How about we do two concerts, one in the afternoon—from 5:30 to 6:30; and one in the evening—from 8:30 to 9:30?"
As if he had come up with a brilliant plan, Lin Changren sat up straight excitedly: "So? Is that concert tonight appealing?"
Zhu Shiyi imagined for a moment: "In the evening, the concert would definitely be attractive."
She then changed the subject: "But coffee shops are no longer appealing. After all, you can't eat cake right after a meal, and it's impossible to drink coffee late at night. Besides, it's cool at night, so there's no need to escape the heat."
"So personally, I'd still prefer to go for a stroll on the beach at night," Zhu Shiyi concluded.
Pan Yue nodded slightly: "At night, bars make up the majority of music venues. For the same paid experience, bars can stay open until 2 a.m.
Lin Changren pouted, grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and cracked them open, his face full of dejection.
*
Zhu Shiyi let out a slight sigh of relief.
Pan Yue also felt that the evening concert was pointless, and it seems she was right.
However, this also means—
Her advice is something the person already understands; it's really not of any use to her anyway.
Zhu Shiyi felt inexplicably guilty.
That's true. What good things could she possibly offer?
All I can say is that they had bad judgment; out of everyone else, they had to pick on this lazy bum to offer constructive business advice.
Zhu Shiyi casually picked up a coconut and started sucking on it while biting the straw.
I hope they don't mind that she's here to have a free meal.
...
“Actually, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a concert,” Lin Changren said, coming up with a new idea. “This was just a way for the previous owner to increase the coffee shop’s revenue.”
Lin Changren clapped his hands, stopping his sunflower seed cracking: "Our problem is how to improve the café's business, not how to organize a concert or when to organize one, right?"
Pan Yue frowned, remaining noncommittal.
Lin Changren's words were not without reason, but the scene from the evening flashed through his mind.
Without explanation, without knowing the reason, inexplicably.
Sunset, gentle breeze, seaside.
That clear spring flowed slowly into his heart.
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