Chapter 94 - 89: Making an Enemy

Chapter 94: Chapter 89: Making an Enemy

The day after returning from the cafeteria, Ning He immediately called Uncle Bari to have him find someone to seal her windows. For this, she reluctantly harvested her batch of vegetables and herbs ahead of schedule, and the system stored away the black mud.

For the past two days, Beiluo City had been enveloped in a sandstorm, forcing them to suspend business at their stall. Ning He, Connie, and the others went to the restaurant to make the final preparations.

After the renovation, the restaurant was painted in a palette of light yellow and green, giving it a very clean look. The interior had a square layout; upon entering, you could see an open kitchen, a long bar, and eight sets of tables and chairs arranged in groups of three, three, and two.

The tables and chairs were sourced from a secondhand market in the Third Ring. They were in excellent condition and of good quality, matching the white, yellow, and green color scheme. A small bouquet of orange plastic sunflowers on each table added a fresh and beautiful touch. Between the tables were plastic dividers with a faux wood grain, which instantly gave the simple restaurant a more private and upscale feel.

As for the upstairs, besides the addition of a restroom, the layout was more or less the same, but with four more tables.

Ning He was very satisfied. All the hardware and software were in place; they could open for business at any time.

After a thorough cleaning, the group sat around a table drinking water and resting. Ning He remembered something and asked, "Have we heard back about the applications we sent out?"

Connie took off her protective cap, revealing her short, brown hair.

A few days before the food festival, they had been swamped. She and Ning He had gone to Mia’s salon and chopped off their long hair. Now, they both had matching ear-length bobs.

Perhaps because she had earned more money recently and was in a good mood, the wrinkles between Connie’s eyebrows had faded, making her look several years younger. Her already delicate features were even a bit mesmerizing—well, when she wasn’t angry.

At Ning He’s words, her face fell.

"They were all rejected. I even noted in the application that we could purchase at market price, but it was no use. Our credit value has some issues, but we don’t have an actual criminal record. I can’t believe not a single one is willing to work with us."

"The food company route is a dead end. We can only buy directly from retail stores. Vance and I will go talk to a few food supermarkets and see if we can get a stable supply from them."

The success of the Leitel dinner party had filled them with confidence, but this news threw cold water on everyone.

"For now, this is all we can do. We should also go out and look. It doesn’t matter if it’s the First Ring or Second Ring, as long as they’re willing to sell," Ning He said.

"Does this mean we have to postpone the opening? When we were handing out business cards yesterday, we said the grand opening was this Saturday," Connie said.

Ning He felt a headache coming on.

"Since the news is already out, we have to open on Saturday. Let’s see how things go in the next two days before we decide."

But things did not go as planned.

On Thursday afternoon, everyone gathered together again. There was still no good news.

Ning He finally couldn’t sit still anymore.

’This was completely outside of my expectations.’

Even though they offered an incredibly attractive price, every single food supermarket had rejected their supply requests.

"...The managers of these supermarkets were polite at first, but as soon as they heard our restaurant’s name, their expressions changed immediately. They refused outright, with no room for negotiation," Ah Huai said. "It seems to me like we’re being targeted."

"I think so too. It’s too strange." Youzhen nodded, then added in confusion, "But who’s powerful enough to make all the food supermarkets in Beiluo City refuse to sell to us?"

"I can’t figure it out either. When did we ever offend someone with that kind of backing? Besides, is it really worth going to all this trouble to deal with a small restaurant like ours? Do they have nothing better to do?!" Connie said irritably.

But for Ning He, it was like a bomb had gone off in her head.

’It’s him!’

’That damn chairman!’

She shot to her feet.

"I’m going out for a bit. You guys go home and rest first."

Without stopping to explain to the others, she turned and ran for the door. Just as she reached it, a high-end sedan with a gleaming, jet-black finish—obviously expensive—pulled to a stop right in front of her.

A middle-aged man wearing a well-tailored shirt and suit, his blond hair impeccably styled, stepped out of the car unhurriedly.

"So this is your little restaurant?" Gates glanced inside and scoffed as if he’d seen a joke. "If you hadn’t told me, I’d have thought it was a junkyard! It’s all full of stuff nobody wants!"

’He actually dared to show up here?!’

"Mr. Gates, is our inability to find suppliers your handiwork?" Ning He asked bluntly.

Gates raised a hand to smooth his hair and said unhurriedly, "Yes, and no. It’s your own fault for having a flawed credit value. I simply notified all members to tighten their application standards a bit. What’s the matter? Can’t get any ingredients? Tsk, that’s a tough spot. Aren’t you supposed to open on Saturday? I have quite a few friends waiting to taste your cooking. It wouldn’t look good if they show up and you can’t serve them any food."

Connie came out of the shop and looked Gates up and down suspiciously.

"Who is he?"

"He’s the one I told you about, the one who wanted to partner with me."

Connie was startled. When she looked at Gates again, her eyes were full of hostility.

"It looks like you’re trying to force Ning He to give up her restaurant and work for you. She already rejected you. What part of ’no’ don’t you understand?"

Gates’s gaze swept over her face. He paused for a moment, then said dismissively, "There’s a saying: ’That was then, this is now.’ I believe she has a new understanding of the situation and can make a wiser decision."

Ning He’s brow furrowed.

"And if I refuse again?"

Gates twirled the ring on his finger. "Then I’m afraid this ban will continue indefinitely."

Connie’s expression changed slightly.

’It really was a very effective threat.’

Ning He, however, relaxed her brow.

"Mr. Gates, besides what’s in my file, you should try to understand my temper. What I hate most is being threatened," Ning He said, enunciating every syllable, her eyes turning cold. "I will not work with you. You can use every trick in the book against me. I’d like to see who gives in first!"

"What did you say?!" Gates’s face contorted, as if he had misheard.

Connie, however, felt instantly reassured. Her spirits soared. She pulled Ning He behind her, rolled up her sleeves, put her hands on her hips, and let him have it.

For the past few days, they had been forced to be polite to so many people, hit so many dead ends, and endured so much ridicule; she had a bellyful of pent-up frustration. At this point, she didn’t care who he was. Since all pretense was gone, she might as well let loose and feel better for it. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

"...You’re an old man, built like a telephone pole, but you’re more petty than a toddler! Someone just refuses to work with you, and you use your position as chairman to bully ordinary residents like us. Do you have any shame? Oh, I get it now. This must be how all your restaurants became top-tier in Beiluo City, right? Whenever a place does well, you just cut off their ingredient supply. Tsk, tsk, so impressive. With people like you in Beiluo City, it’s no wonder there isn’t a single star-rated restaurant."

"And another thing, this is our restaurant, and we’ll do what we want with it! What business is it of yours? Your places might look pretty, but the food they serve is garbage nobody eats. That’s right, garbage! A lot of the guests at the banquet the other day said so. Your restaurants are the real junkyards, and you’re the junkyard king!"

"You—!"

Gates’s face went livid. When had anyone ever insulted him to his face like this?!

"’You’ what?! Get back in your fancy car and go back where you came from! You’re not welcome here!"

"You will regret this! When the time comes, it’ll be useless even if you come begging me!"

Watching Gates get into his car and leave, his face ashen with rage, Connie started to feel a belated sense of unease.

"Was I too harsh?"

"It’s fine. He deserved it."

’He served himself up on a platter. It would’ve been a waste not to give him an earful.’

Ning He patted her shoulder. "We’re still opening on Saturday as planned. I have an idea. Let’s discuss it."