Chapter 449 - 217: Wouldn’t That Make Ming a Clown?

Chapter 449: Chapter 217: Wouldn’t That Make Ming a Clown?

He had never been to Xiangjiang, but he had been to Shanghai and seen a bit of the world.

Even with Hu Coins, you couldn’t spend money like that, could you?

The meal today sold for just over ten yuan.

Could the price really be a hundred times higher in Hong Kong?

It really didn’t sound like a well-thought-out plan.

"Isn’t this pricing a bit ridiculous?" Zhou Yan said, voicing his true thoughts.

Duan Yu Yan shook her head. "What’s so ridiculous about it? When my girlfriends and I have afternoon tea in Central, a couple of coffees and a few small desserts can easily cost 888.

At a more high-end restaurant, a banquet can easily cost over ten thousand. If you add dishes like seafood and abalone, even ten thousand won’t be enough.

In my opinion, your cooking is every bit as good as those high-end restaurants, and the flavor is even better. We just need to get some upscale decor, and once we open, we’ll invite a few food critics to write some glowing reviews. I’m sure we won’t be short on customers."

Seeing the serious look on Duan Yu Yan’s face, Zhou Yan nodded along.

’It sounded like a flawless plan, but it didn’t hold up under scrutiny.’

’A young, unknown chef like him was supposed to carry a high-end Sichuan Cuisine restaurant and compete against establishments with decades of history.’

’That’s not something you can pull off just by getting a few food critics to write glowing reviews.’

’Where would the restaurant be located?’

’How much is the monthly rent in Central?’

’To meet the standards for high-end dining, how many servers would they need to hire?’

’With all the overhead, how much revenue would they need to turn a profit?’

Clearly, Miss Duan hadn’t considered any of these problems at all.

It was much more unrealistic than the partnership plan Qian Siyuan had proposed to him and his master last time.

Qian Siyuan really was a first-generation entrepreneur, as expected. His business acumen was on a completely different level than a rich kid from a wealthy family like Duan Yu Yan.

"I’ve already figured out the partnership," Duan Yu Yan said, looking at him. "I’ll put up the money, you’ll put in the work. I’ll take sixty, you take forty. What do you think?"

Zhou Yan was silent for a moment before speaking. "Why don’t you take that money up to the Capital and buy some property? Just hoard a few siheyuans. I think that’s a much safer bet than opening a Sichuan Cuisine restaurant in Central."

"Huh?" Duan Yu Yan was stunned for a moment. "My dad actually did buy a few siheyuans in the Capital at the start of the year. But those houses are so old and dilapidated. What’s so good about them?"

"For some things, you have to let them sit for a while before you realize just how good they are," Zhou Yan said with a laugh. ’The old are indeed the wisest. Old Duan already snatched up siheyuans in the Capital when the market bottomed out. Looks like Miss Duan will never be poor in this lifetime.’

"So, are you willing to partner with me and open a restaurant or not?" Duan Yu Yan asked.

"How about this? Why don’t you wait until you get back to Xiangjiang, get a feel for the market, and consult some friends who’ve opened restaurants? If you still think it’s feasible after that, we can consider the next step," Zhou Yan said seriously. "I think your idea has a lot of potential, but it’s not quite mature yet. It also happens to give me time to hone my cooking skills, so I don’t embarrass you when I get to Xiangjiang."

"You’re right. Let’s do it your way. When I get back, I’ll ask my friends about the market, find an agent to look at some potential locations, and once I have a clearer picture, I’ll call you to talk about the details," Duan Yu Yan said, nodding in firm agreement.

"Okay." Zhou Yan nodded, not in a hurry to reject the idea.

"And then we can bring Mrs. Zhao, Zhou, and Momo over, too. It would be great for your whole family to be together," Duan Yu Yan added with a smile. "Don’t worry about Momo’s schooling, either. I can handle it."

Zhou Yan was speechless.

To be honest.

He was a little tempted.

It wasn’t even about the money anymore.

Zhou Yan was confident Miss Duan wouldn’t let him go hungry.

"Can we even enter Xiangjiang through legal channels right now?" Zhou Yan asked, looking at her.

"Uhm..." Duan Yu Yan thought for a moment. "I’ll give my dad a call later and ask him."

When Zhou Yan heard this, he pretty much knew where things stood. He should probably just stick to earning his money steadily, bit by bit. At least that way, his status would be completely legitimate.

If a real opportunity arose in the future, it wouldn’t be too late to make other plans.

Back in the courtyard, Mrs. Qiu and Wang were sitting and drinking tea under the wintersweet tree in the corner. They spoke in low voices, faint smiles on both of their faces.

"It’s so wonderful. I’ve been in Jiazhou for almost a year, and this is the most I’ve ever seen my grandmother smile," Duan Yu Yan said softly. "Her being able to come to Xiangjiang with me so happily... it’s something I never dared to imagine before."