Chapter 185: Return to Yangcheng

As Li Xiao swallowed the massive oyster, the system’s notification chimed in his ear.

[Congratulations! You have unlocked the 62nd Codex entry.]

[The culinary entry you unlocked is: Steamed Oysters.]

[Food Rating: 93 points (Excellent).]

[Because the food rating is Excellent, the reward is multiplied by 4.]

[Congratulations! You have received a cash reward of 800,000 yuan.]

[Congratulations! You have received a cash reward of 800,000 yuan.]

[Congratulations! You have received a cash reward of 800,000 yuan.]

[Congratulations! You have received a reward: 60-year usage rights for a random commercial property x10.]

·········

Although Li Xiao hadn’t bought a large number of oysters, they were absolutely massive.

Just the meat inside a single oyster weighed at least 150 grams.

By the time the five of them finished the sixty oysters on the table, they couldn’t help but burp in satisfaction—even the three ladies.

After resting for about half an hour, the group didn’t linger at Sixth Uncle’s house any longer.

The electric cart returned to the bed and breakfast. Li Xiao and the other three grabbed their luggage, bid farewell to Xu, who had accompanied them the entire day, and set off on the road back to Yangcheng.

Li Xiao only drove back to his apartment after dropping everyone off at their respective homes.

After resting for a night in Yangcheng, Li Xiao was preparing to plan his upcoming schedule.

His phone suddenly rang, displaying a call from Lai Chunjiao, the general manager of the Xihan’er Milk Tea Shop.

Upon answering, Lai Chunjiao’s voice sounded both excited and slightly nervous.

"Boss, this is Lai Chunjiao. I’m thrilled to inform you that our second branch will officially open tomorrow."

Lai Chunjiao’s tone was filled with anticipation and pride.

She had every right to be proud. Looking across the entire country, a specialized chain like the Xihan’er Milk Tea Shop was likely the first of its kind.

As the current head of this project, her ability to streamline and clarify all the franchising processes in such a short time was a testament to her formidable capabilities.

Li Xiao smiled faintly and replied, "Excellent. Are all the preparations for the store’s opening complete?"

Lai Chunjiao answered with a smile, "We’ve double-checked everything three times over. All the preparations are done, and we’re just waiting for tomorrow’s grand opening.

"By the way, Boss, the opening ceremony is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. Do you have time to come over and do the ribbon-cutting?"

Li Xiao had already intended to go take a look, so he readily agreed. "No problem. I’ll be there before 9:30 tomorrow morning.

"This second store is crucial for us, and it’s extremely important for the Xihan’er Milk Tea Shop as a whole. There can’t be any mistakes.

"Oh, right, I reviewed the site selection proposals you provided yesterday.

"Let’s go with the first option. Although the unit price there is a bit more expensive, it also offers the most convenient transportation. It’s less than a hundred meters from the subway entrance, and the route is very straightforward. It will be incredibly easy for trainees from different areas to take the subway to the training center.

"After all, you know the specific circumstances of our trainees. An overly complicated commute would make it harder for them to reach the center.

"As a company, there’s only so much we can do for these kids, but providing them with a convenient commuting environment is a good start."

Hearing Li Xiao’s words, Lai Chunjiao wasn’t the least bit surprised.

The location proposals she had submitted were already ranked from best to worst.

The first option was naturally the best in all aspects. Its only downside was the high cost, as the unit rent was over fifteen percent more expensive.

However, since the boss wasn’t strapped for cash, the first option was undoubtedly the optimal choice.

Li Xiao chatted with her for a few more minutes. Once he confirmed that Lai Chunjiao didn’t need any further assistance from him, he hung up the phone.

As a layman, he didn’t make the common mistake that many investors made: trying to micromanage professionals with an amateur’s perspective.

Although he could indeed make uniquely delicious beverages with the system’s help, he knew very little about the actual day-to-day operations of running a milk tea shop—especially a chain.

Most of his knowledge about chain stores came from hearsay. Trying to guide the company based on rumors would only hinder its normal growth.

Since he had hired a professional manager, he believed he should place his full trust in her.

After freshening up, Li Xiao drove back to campus.

His classes for the day ended quickly.

Staring at the traffic violation notice on his phone from the Yangcheng Traffic Police, Li Xiao’s mouth twitched slightly.

It seemed his twelve driver’s license points wouldn’t last much longer. Just as he was contemplating whether he should go to some illegal website to buy points, he suddenly remembered something.

The day before yesterday, when he unlocked that culinary codex entry, the system had seemingly rewarded him with a Porsche 911.

If it hadn’t been for the point-deduction reminder from the traffic police, he would have almost forgotten about it entirely.

Glancing at the time, he saw it was only a little past four o’clock. Although he still had an evening self-study session on Moral Education, Li Xiao felt that given his already noble moral character, he could easily afford to skip it.

Looking at his roommates nearby, Li Xiao asked, "I ordered a little sports car a while ago, and it’s just arrived at the dealership. Are you guys interested in going over to check it out?"

Upon hearing that Li Xiao had ordered a sports car, Huang Zhiyuan, who had been happily scrolling through videos of pretty girls on his phone, instantly sat up straight.

He turned to look at Li Xiao, his tone filled with disbelief. "Brother Li, how long has it been since you picked up that Mercedes?

"Why did you buy another car?"

Li Xiao couldn’t exactly tell him that he hadn’t bought the car and that it was a gift from the system; otherwise, Huang Zhiyuan would probably burst with envy.

He could only explain, "That Mercedes I bought earlier has a Wan City license plate. If it weren’t for you guys having driver’s licenses and helping me deduct those penalty points, my license would have probably been suspended by the traffic police by now.

"So, I bought a new car and registered it with a Yangcheng license plate."

Hearing Li Xiao’s explanation, Huang Zhiyuan’s mouth twitched slightly.

That excuse was simply unbeatable.

Was this what they meant when they said the minds of the rich were truly unfathomable?

A problem that could have been solved by spending ten or twenty thousand yuan on a new license plate had instead prompted Brother Li to outright buy a whole new car.

Wait. He quickly realized he had focused on the wrong detail.

"Hold on, did I just hear you say you bought a sports car?"

Li Xiao nodded. "That’s right. A Lemon Yellow 911 Targa 4."

Huang Zhiyuan took a sharp, heavy breath, feeling entirely overwhelmed.

"A Lemon Yellow 911 Targa 4?

"The on-the-road price for that thing right now should be nearly 1.8 million yuan, shouldn’t it?!"

Huang Zhiyuan’s family background was fairly well-off; apart from Li Xiao, he was the wealthiest in the dorm.

When Li Xiao had previously bought the Mercedes, Huang Zhiyuan had been envious, but it hadn’t hit him too hard.

In his view, a car worth over six hundred thousand yuan was something he could eventually afford after graduation if he worked hard and got a little financial backing from his parents.

But a car worth over 1.8 million yuan? That was something he didn’t even dare to dream about.