Cough cough—
Almost simultaneously, everyone picked up their teacups and took a sip, trying to hide their embarrassment at being led astray by Xu An without realizing it. Finally, the simple-minded middle-aged man stepped in to smooth things over, inquiring about Xu An's fast-food restaurant. He had heard about it from the old village chief and seen it on television before, but now he wanted to hear it from Xu An himself.
Xu's Fast Food Restaurant is a legitimate business, nothing shady, so there's nothing to hide. Xu An then began his story from the very beginning when he first had the idea of setting up a stall to sell boxed lunches, all the way up to the point where Xu's Fast Food Restaurant now sells three thousand boxed lunches a day, and that this number will double once the expo starts.
Initially, the simple-minded middle-aged man inquired about the younger generation's business with the intention of learning about their situation. However, upon learning that Xu's Fast Food Restaurant's three stores combined totaled only about 200 square meters, yet daily sales reached over 3,000 meals, and that sales would double in the future, and most importantly, that Xu's Fast Food Restaurant only served lunch, yet achieved such high sales, he developed a strong interest in the business and began asking about related matters.
For example, how many employees are there in the store? What are their working hours? Can so many people handle the workload? and so on.
Upon hearing that Xu's Fast Food Restaurant had installed automated kitchen equipment to handle tasks such as washing and chopping vegetables, greatly saving time, manpower, and resources, the simple-minded middle-aged man's interest in Xu's Fast Food Restaurant reached its peak.
"Right now, the boxed meals at the store are eight yuan for three dishes and a soup. Can you lower the price a bit?" After asking a few more questions, the simple-minded middle-aged man suddenly asked somewhat abruptly.
A hint of difficulty flashed in Xu An's eyes. Everyone knew the quality and portion sizes of the food at Xu's Fast Food Restaurant were superior to 95% of the fast food options on the market. The current price of eight yuan was a delicate balance; if it was too low, he wouldn't make a profit, and if it was too high, customers would feel it wasn't worth it. Lowering the price further would mean compromising the quality of the food, otherwise it would be practically charity.
"The quality of the boxed meals produced by Xu's Fast Food Restaurant is worth the price, and even exceeds it. If we lower the price any further, we can only lose money." After thinking it over, Xu An did not try to save face and directly rejected the suggestion.
The middle-aged man, with a somewhat simple demeanor, nodded thoughtfully, ending the previous topic and launching into a new round of questions. For example, how are the boxed meals from Xu's Fast Food Restaurant transported? Where are the fruits and vegetables sourced? Can you provide proof?
As Xu An answered these questions, he felt as if he were back at the bidding session of the Shanghai Machinery and Equipment Expo. The questions asked by the simple-minded middle-aged man were far more in-depth and detailed than those asked at the bidding session, practically digging up every secret about Xu's Fast Food Restaurant.
After questioning Xu An, the second grandfather, Professor Yu, and the simple-minded middle-aged man chatted for a while about 'tidal flat aquaculture,' and the three eventually reached a consensus. Professor Yu verbally promised that as long as Xu Family Village leased the entire tidal flat, he would immediately submit a project research application to the university. He added that, barring unforeseen circumstances, Professor Yu and his team would spend most of their time in Haishi, and the second grandfather could consult him about any technical issues or problems he encountered.
The only regret is that my second grandfather originally intended to put the 300,000 yuan promised by Professor Yu into the lease preparation fund, but now the money will only be given to Xujia Village for development after Xujia Village leases the mudflats. As a result, there is now a shortfall of 300,000 yuan in the preparation fund.
Professor Yu made such a promise in front of his second grandfather and the simple-minded middle-aged man, so he wouldn't easily change it. It seemed he needed to start preparing for a loan from Haishi Bank, since loan approval would take some time, and the sooner he started preparing, the better. Xu An secretly calculated in his heart.
After chatting for a while, Xu An and Xu Dongliang were invited to the courtyard to enjoy the moon, leaving only the second grandfather, Professor Yu, and the simple-minded middle-aged man in the room.
After Xu An and Xu Dongliang left, the second grandfather looked at the simple-minded middle-aged man and asked without any politeness, "Why do I have a feeling that you're trying to trick my grand-nephew?"
"Haha, how could that be? I've always been upright and honest in my dealings. Why would I do anything to harm others, especially since Xu An is your grand-nephew, the old village chief? It's even less likely that I would harm him. If I'm going to talk to him, it must be for a great reason." The simple-minded middle-aged man said, then added, "But this is about gaining reputation, not money. It depends on your grand-nephew's opinion. If he's not willing, I won't force him."
Since it wasn't a bad thing, the second grandfather didn't press the matter further and turned to Professor Yu to discuss the details of the collaboration.
After Xu An and Xu Dongliang were led into the courtyard by the doorman, the doorman retreated to an inconspicuous corner, tucked his hands into his wide sleeves, lowered his head and eyes, and made a gesture of not looking at or listening to anything improper.
The two walked along the stone path for several dozen steps, listening to the babbling water and gazing at the bright moon in the sky, until they finally reached a pavilion and sat on a stone bench. Xu An, after assessing the distance and ensuring their conversation wouldn't be overheard by the doorman, finally couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up.
"Uncle Dongliang, tell me, what is the relationship between Second Grandfather and that middle-aged man?" Suddenly, Xu An thought of an extremely outrageous guess and couldn't help but exclaim, "Could it be that the middle-aged man is Second Grandfather's illegitimate son!"
Cough cough—cough cough cough—
Xu Dongliang was so startled by Xu An's guess that he choked. After a violent coughing fit, Xu Dongliang grabbed Xu An's hair and ruffled it with both hands, saying irritably, "If Second Grandma hears you say that, I guarantee you'll be in big trouble. Do you think Second Grandpa is like this? You're so young, what are you thinking about? It's disgusting!"
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