"If your grandson is here to pick up girls, then you're on the treat."
I smiled, took out 400 yuan from my wallet, and slipped it into the drinks menu that Bai Lu handed me. Bai Lu returned the money to me, saying, "There aren't many people that Xiao Ma considers friends. Since he calls you a friend, then I, as the owner, will treat him. Don't be shy, just recommend more business to our bar in the future."
Having lived in Shanghai for so long, I wouldn't claim to be an expert in interpersonal relationships, but I do understand them to some extent. Of course, I didn't believe that Coach Ma would approve of me in just two days. Bai Lu said that to improve Coach Ma's image and my opinion of her, while also doing me a favor. There's nothing wrong with that; on the contrary, it shows she's a mature woman skilled in social interaction.
I thanked Bai Lu for her hospitality and then began offering cigarettes to the women present. During this process, I made a new discovery: not only did they smoke and drink, but most of them also had tattoos. After chatting with these women and Bai Lu for a while, I didn't seem to see much pressure from their lives in their words and actions; they seemed to be enjoying their current lives.
...
Coach Ma began his performance, and I found a corner to sit down by myself. Although the atmosphere here couldn't compare to the main street of Honglongjing, it was perfect for drinking alone, thinking about things, and killing time.
After finishing a bottle of "Romance in the Wind and Moon," Tie Nan finally arrived at the bar. He was probably a regular, as he could name every woman sitting there. This suggested that Bai Lu's main clientele was likely from his social circle, and he didn't seem to cater much to tourists.
Tie Nan sat down opposite me. I opened a bottle of beer and handed it to him. After taking a sip, he said to me, "You've always wanted to open an inn here, haven't you? I'll call Bai Lu over to talk to you. She has connections here."
These past few days, I've been feeling anxious because I can't figure out how to open an inn. Hearing Tie Nan say this was exactly what I wanted, so I immediately replied, "It would be great if she had any resources in this area. Why don't you ask her to come over?"
"Bai Lu, come over and I need to talk to you about something."
Bai Lu, holding a wine glass, sat down opposite Tie Nan and me and asked, "What's wrong?"
Tie Nan glanced at me and replied, "My buddy here doesn't believe in superstitions and insists on opening a guesthouse in Dali. Do you know anyone who wants to sell their guesthouse?"
Bai Lu was slightly surprised, then turned to me and asked, "Are you really going to open it?"
"Yeah, if you don't open an inn, not only will you have no means of making a living, but the feeling of being idle all the time is also quite unpleasant!"
Bai Lu and Tie Nan exchanged a glance, then smiled and said, "In Dali, there aren't many people who think like you. You must have just come from a big city?"
"I've been working in Shanghai for four or five years, and I only arrived in Dali a few days ago."
"No wonder. But to be honest, opening an inn at this critical juncture is quite risky. It's hard to say what the current situation is, because the government's attitude has been unclear."
I nodded and asked, "There must be a lot of people transferring ownership of inns right now, right?"
"Those that can't survive, or those that were already doing poorly, are all being transferred, but the 'cost-performance' ratio isn't particularly good. The truly capable innkeepers are still waiting for the 'government' to introduce new policies, so the inns that were originally very profitable won't be transferred, and that's where your risk lies."
Bai Lu's words made me feel a sense of crisis. I subconsciously picked up my beer and took a sip, then fell silent.
After a moment, I asked Bai Lu again, "Are all these inns that are being transferred at a loss?"
"Hmm. Maybe now is a good time to buy at the bottom. Anyway, I think running an inn right now is no different from being a gambler." Bai Lu paused, then seemed to remember something and said to me, "I actually have a sister who wants to sell her inn. If you're interested, I can call her over to talk to you, and you can find out the transfer price and market conditions first."
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