Chapter 3: Chen Sheng’s Identity

To be honest, the two of them had treated Jiang Butong’s words just now as nothing more than a joke. But how did the restaurant owner, who seemed entirely level-headed, end up believing Jiang Butong’s nonsense?

Jiang Butong turned back with confidence.
"If it doesn’t work, I won’t charge you, and I’ll even pay you instead!"
"Deal! Come, come, let’s discuss the details…"

The restaurant owner was momentarily stunned, then broke into a broad grin. He stepped forward, pushed Jiang Yuan aside, and half-guided, half-embraced Jiang Butong as he ushered him into the restaurant.

Before Jiang Butong had even sat down, the owner swept away his earlier attitude, handed back the dozen yuan he'd just pocketed, and proactively brought several bottles of beer to the table. After filling the glasses for Jiang Butong and the other two, the owner drained his beer in one gulp and stared intently at Jiang Butong. After a moment’s hesitation, he gritted his teeth.

"Young man, I won’t hide it from you. If I can’t save this restaurant, my whole family will be out in the cold next month. I can see you’re different from your two friends—you’ve got some skill. As long as you can turn my restaurant around, not just three thousand yuan, I’ll treat you like a savior!"

Jiang Butong smiled faintly.
Ever since he tasted the dishes—which rivaled those of the top chefs he'd encountered in later years—and saw the owner frowning over the accounts, an idea had formed in his mind.

"Brother," Jiang Butong seized the opportunity, addressing the owner as he had been called, and said, half-seriously, "To speak plainly, your dishes are truly the best I’ve tasted anywhere. If there’s a problem, it’s only in management and promotion. Fix those, and turning your losses into profits will be a breeze!"

The owner straightened his back slightly at these words, but his expression soon fell.
"You make it sound easy, but promotion and management... aren’t other places doing the same? So why am I the one losing money?"

Why indeed?
Jiang Butong was amused, now certain the owner was honest and straightforward, with little guile.
Take the dish of vinegar-fried pork intestine, for example; elsewhere, an eight-ounce portion would be considered generous, but here, the serving exceeded a whole pound! In this suburban area, where most customers are workers and local residents always seeking a bargain, how could he not lose money?

Thinking it over, Jiang Butong raised three fingers and said slowly, "Brother, if you trust me, I’ll give you three strategies."

"Three strategies? If you can give me even one reliable idea, I’ll worship you like a living Buddha!"
The owner was taken aback, then slapped his thigh, excited.

"Alright, come closer... I'll share the first strategy," Jiang Butong beckoned, and the owner leaned in.

As Jiang Butong’s lips moved quietly, the owner’s thick brows alternately furrowed and relaxed.

After a long while, the owner looked at Jiang Butong in a daze and swallowed hard.
"Will it work?"

Jiang Butong raised his brow and took a sip of beer.
"You’ll know once you try it tomorrow."

Jiang Yuan had listened to their conversation from start to finish and now looked at them as if they were fools.

"...Alright! I'll give it a shot this once!"
The owner hesitated for a moment, then downed a large glass of beer in one gulp.

With his worries temporarily set aside, the owner soon became fast friends with the three.
Jiang Butong learned the owner’s name: Chen Sheng.
A name identical to the leader who sparked upheaval at the end of the Qin dynasty... Truly, a fitting name.

In the end, Jiang Butong had no idea how, despite his legendary tolerance for alcohol, he ended up drunk.

When he woke the next morning, the first thing he saw was a clean and tidy ceiling.
Jiang Butong rubbed his aching temples and nudged Jiang Dazhuang beside him.

Once Jiang Dazhuang woke, Jiang Butong finally learned what had happened the previous night.
It turned out that after hearing about their misfortune, Chen Sheng had cursed Zhu Zhang roundly and vowed to avenge them someday. Then, leveraging his connections, he got the three a room in the local hotel. Thanks to Chen Sheng, they didn’t pay a cent for lodging.

When Jiang Butong realized he’d enjoyed a free meal and a night's stay courtesy of Chen Sheng, he felt a bit guilty. Scratching his wildly messy hair, he asked Jiang Dazhuang,
"Where are Yuan and Chen Sheng?"

"Chen Sheng said he was going to the advertising shop to print your recharge plan and promotional offer. He took Yuan with him early this morning..."

Jiang Dazhuang was in no better shape than Jiang Butong.
Hearing that Chen Sheng had gone ahead with his plan, Jiang Butong felt a twinge of anxiety.

Truth be told, the advice he gave Chen Sheng was nothing more than what would later become commonplace: "Recharge for membership, bring in new customers for free beer and side dishes, and launch franchise chains—the triple strategy."
But he had come up with those ideas last night in a drunken haze, and after thinking it over, he wasn’t sure if those future strategies would work in the present.

"Hurry up and get dressed—we need to go see how it’s going..."
Jiang Butong frowned, pushed Jiang Dazhuang, and quickly got ready.

When they found Chen Sheng’s restaurant, Jiang Butong was stunned by the bustling scene before him!

Men, women, young and old crowded around the entrance.
Many just came for the spectacle, but there were plenty of customers signing up for memberships and spending inside.

Even Jiang Yuan, pressed into service as a temporary waiter, was so busy his feet barely touched the ground, his worn clothes soaked through with sweat.

Jiang Butong relaxed, and seeing Jiang Yuan’s predicament, couldn’t resist teasing him, limping forward with Jiang Dazhuang.

"Hey, brothers, you two—"
Jiang Yuan was about to collect money from them, but noticing something was off, he looked up, waved the wad of cash in his hand, and burst out laughing.

"Xiaotong, Fatty, I tell you, I’ve never seen so much money in my life!"

"Show-off!"
Chen Sheng, busy at the stove, heard him and came over, giving him a playful kick, then greeted Jiang Butong and Jiang Dazhuang with a smile.

"Xiaotong, Fatty, I’m busy now—find yourselves a seat inside, and I’ll cook you two some specialties soon!"

He winked at Jiang Butong, his gratitude shining in his eyes.

Jiang Butong returned the smile, took a seat, and took over the cashier duties, sending Jiang Yuan and Jiang Dazhuang inside to help with chores.

It was only then Jiang Butong learned the restaurant’s true name—Chen Family Kitchen.

"That’s quite down-to-earth..."
He glanced at the card in his hand with a smile, about to greet the next customer, but upon seeing the group before him, his smile froze.

Zhu Zhang and his cronies stood before Jiang Butong, their faces dark and menacing, grinning insincerely.

"Cripple, isn’t this a coincidence?"
Zhu Zhang’s face twitched as he raised his hand and, without warning, slapped at Jiang Butong.

"After extorting your Master Zhu, you dare swagger around in public?! You must not know the meaning of the word 'death'!"

Jiang Butong reacted swiftly, dodging, but in his haste, his chair tipped over, and he fell to the ground.

With a crash, Zhu Zhang missed and, enraged, waved his hand. His cronies stepped forward and began beating Jiang Butong.

In the chaos, Jiang Butong just managed to protect his head, but the pain from the blows made him grimace.

"Damn it! Pighead, are you looking for death?!"

Just as someone kicked Jiang Butong’s injured leg, Chen Sheng and Jiang Yuan finally heard the commotion and rushed out.

"Chen Sheng, this is between me and these three brats—I advise you not to meddle."