Chapter 47 Then cooperate with this princess!
When Li Qin'er saw the contract in front of her, she was stunned. She hurriedly picked it up and glanced at where Manager Li was pointing. The next moment, her eyes widened in disbelief—
The contract clearly states that if either party wants to reclaim what they have delivered, they must return 70% of the profits they have earned from the contract!
Li Qin'er never imagined that because of her carelessness, she would be tricked by an ancient person!
She was truly filled with remorse!
Manager Li took in the shock on Li Qin'er's face. He smiled and looked at Li Qin'er, speaking gently, "Young Master Qin, have you read the contents of the contract carefully?"
Li Qin'er was still immersed in shock and regret when she heard what Manager Li said, and she finally came to her senses.
A scholar can be killed but not humiliated. Even if she was heartbroken over the money she had just received, she could not allow herself to continue cooperating with such a treacherous merchant.
She opened her mouth, about to say she would return the money, when a delicate shout suddenly came from the side—
"Young master, why don't you cooperate with me?"
Li Qin'er was stunned. She turned around and saw a stunningly beautiful woman in pink sitting at the next table, a smile on her lips, just looking at her.
Li Qin'er's pupils dilated. This... the person speaking was none other than Shen Pingjin, the Regent's Consort and the eldest daughter of the Shen family, whom she had met in the shop that day.
Shen Pingjin had no idea that the gentle and composed young man was Li Qin'er. She was just eavesdropping and listening, and she felt that Manager Li was really going too far. She couldn't stand it anymore.
She strode up to the table with the two men and said sternly, "Young master, why don't you cooperate with me?"
When Manager Li saw that the visitor was a young woman, his brows furrowed tightly.
He raised his hand in a gesture of respect and said, "Young lady, this is a matter between me and this young master. Please do not meddle in my affairs."
Upon hearing this, Shen Pingjin laughed. "If I said I would meddle in other people's business, what could you do about it?"
Manager Li's expression remained calm, but a ripple of emotion flickered in his otherwise composed eyes. "Miss, if you truly wish to cooperate with this Young Master Qin, I naturally have nothing to say. However, I am currently discussing the contract with Young Master Qin, as this matter is of great importance. I hope you will consider it carefully."
Manager Li, being the owner of Zuixianglou, had seen countless people and immediately recognized that Shen Pingjin was dressed in luxurious clothes and must be a person of status.
He was just a businessman and didn't really want to go against powerful people, so he had to settle for second best and lower his status.
Unfortunately, he encountered Shen Pingjin.
Shen Pingjin sneered at Manager Li, "Manager, I overheard your conversation at the next table. Aren't you implying that this young master is powerless and trying to threaten him?"
Having his thoughts revealed, Manager Li's face turned somewhat awkward. "Miss, you're mistaken. Mr. Qin and I have clearly defined things in the contract. Besides, my Drunken Fragrance Pavilion is indeed thriving. Giving him 40% of the profits is already my biggest concession. But we also need to do business. If we reduce the profits to 20%, Mr. Qin will probably still make a fortune."
That's true, but how could Li Qin'er accept it?
She could have earned even more; with the recipe she provided, any small restaurant could have sprung up from scratch.
So what if the profit margin is high? She can't just suffer such a huge loss in silence.
Upon hearing this, Shen Pingjin seemed to be deep in thought. “What you say makes sense, but I think that Mr. Qin’s decision to terminate the contract with you and then cooperate with me again has nothing to do with you.”
Manager Li also figured it out, "But if she terminates the contract with me, she can't take the recipes for crayfish and xiaolongbao. At the same time, I won't ask her for the 40% profit back."
Li Qin'er frowned upon hearing this and asked, "Are you sure?"
She could indeed do without the recipe, but what made her hesitate was that no restaurant in Kyoto could rival the success of Zui Xiang Lou.
If she doesn't cooperate with Zuixianglou, who else can she cooperate with? If she were to create her own brand, she'd likely face covert suppression from Zuixianglou.
She had no power or influence, so she could only sit and take the beating.
Li Qin'er's gaze suddenly fell on Shen Pingjin. If Shen Pingjin really had the idea of doing business, it wouldn't be a bad idea for her to join the Regent's Consort.
As far as she knew, this Regent Yan Jue was nothing more than a seemingly useless playboy. In reality, he wielded immense power and eventually became the God of War of the Eastern Yue Kingdom.
It can be said that he could control everything with one hand.
However, Shen Pingjin's fate was tragic. For some reason, this eldest daughter of the Shen family seemed to have become a different person. Instead of marrying the Crown Prince, she married Yan Jue.
I wonder if she can avoid being used. Li Qin'er shook her head helplessly, but she had said that day that she would help this regent's wife.
At this moment, Shen Pingjin is unaware of her true identity, and now is the perfect opportunity to cooperate with her.
After hearing Shen Pingjin's words, Manager Li nodded and said, "If Young Master Qin really agrees to my conditions, then terminating the contract is not out of the question."
Just as Shen Pingjin was about to turn around and ask what Qin Gongzi thought, she saw him nod and say, "Shopkeeper, I am willing to terminate the contract with you. As for the recipes for the crystal xiaolongbao and spicy crayfish, you don't need to return them to me. I also don't need to return the 40% profit to you. We are even."
Seeing that Li Qin'er had actually agreed, Manager Li sneered, "Since this is Young Master Qin's personal request, then I, Li, will respectfully comply."
Shen Pingjin also frowned and looked at Li Qin'er, "Young Master Qin, are you really sure about this?"
Li Qin'er nodded and replied, "Of course. I value money as much as my life. If you ask me to return the money I've earned, it would be like cutting my heart out."
Shen Pingjin was amused by these words. She thought that this young master Qin was just a gentle and refined person, but she did not expect him to be so witty and humorous.
This contrast surprised Shen Pingjin.
She asked, "Young Master Qin, do you intend to cooperate with me?"
Li Qin'er had been waiting for Shen Pingjin to say something like that. She nodded and said, "What you just said has truly moved me. I am willing to cooperate with you. However, regarding the profit sharing, what do you think..."
Shen Pingjin was never a stingy person. She said in a deep voice, "Since it's a cooperation, a win-win situation is naturally the best. Let's split it 50/50!"
When she ordered, she noticed that the breakfast section of the menu had been updated with crystal soup dumplings, and the snacks section also featured the fiery red five characters: spicy crayfish.
She didn't know what these two things were at the time, so she didn't order them. But now, smelling the aroma coming from the tables next to her, she instantly understood that these two dishes must be absolutely delicious.
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