Regarding future cooperation, Su Muxian was very interested and pulled Ye Tiancheng to talk for most of the day tirelessly.
As for Ye Tiancheng, he felt that talking was a waste of time until he succeeded, so he didn't pay much attention. In the end, he found a way to send Su Muxian away.
As soon as Su Muxian left, Hou Mingzhu received the news. This woman now knew that her fiancé might have a few romantic entanglements outside, so she was keeping a very close eye on him.
Ye Tiancheng's vegetables had already sprouted, and it was evident that he would soon begin a deep cooperation with Hou Mingzhu. Ye Tiancheng suddenly remembered the path he had taken before and thought he could offer some suggestions to help Hou Mingzhu expand her business.
"Hou Mingzhu, the scale of your Tianfu Restaurant is still a bit small. I suggest you acquire all the empty properties next door."
Ye Tiancheng had done it himself before. Now that he could make money, he could also save himself the trouble of operating too much and directly push it to Hou Mingzhu.
The main reason was that Ye Tiancheng didn't care about these petty profits. What he was doing now, although he called it entrepreneurship, was just playing around. If it was too tiring, there was no need. Hou Mingzhu was enthusiastic anyway, so let this tool person charge ahead.
"Ye Tiancheng, aren't you deliberately trying to harm me? A murder case happened in the building next to me before. Do you think customers would be willing to eat in such a building?"
"The price is cheap, and you can also open a lower-end restaurant. Combining high-end and low-end, you can monopolize the market. I think you should give me a thumbs up for this suggestion, and ideally, give me some cash."
"This is really boring."
Hou Mingzhu didn't intend to pay attention to Ye Tiancheng, as such a suggestion was too boring. No one would want that kind of house even if it was given for free, let alone that Hou Mingzhu was not short of money.
"It can really work, believe me. I don't need any reward from you. Just give me some dividends when you make money, and don't forget that I was the one who made this suggestion and made a great contribution."
Ye Tiancheng felt he was being very generous by giving this money-making opportunity to Hou Mingzhu, but he didn't expect Hou Mingzhu to be so disdainful.
"Stop talking. I've made up my mind. Don't call me anymore. Just focus on growing the vegetables. When I come to collect them, I don't want to see any damaged seedlings."
After saying that, Hou Mingzhu actually hung up the phone. This woman was truly heartless. When she used him, she at least showed some tenderness and smiles. Now that she felt there was nothing to gain, she immediately turned her back on him.
Since he had succeeded before, all he needed was to operate. Ye Tiancheng felt it was a pity to give up this opportunity, so after thinking about it, he finally called Hou Mingzhu again.
"Hou Mingzhu, don't hang up my call in a hurry. How about this, you give me some funds, consider it an investment. You do your catering, and I'll start a small branch. If it's managed well, you can incorporate it. If it's not managed well, then I'll bear the losses myself, okay?"
Hou Mingzhu didn't expect Ye Tiancheng to be so persistent about this matter, which was beyond her expectations.
"Alright, I'm really convinced by you. I'll give you some money to open this restaurant. You don't have to return it if you lose money; just consider it pocket money for you to play with, after all, you are my fiancé."
Hou Mingzhu's words, coupled with her unique impatient tone of a young lady, made Ye Tiancheng somewhat unable to accept it.
"Why do you make it sound like I'm living off you? Hou Mingzhu, we are in a cooperative relationship. To be more realistic, you can say you are my boss, but I will never take your money for nothing."
"Alright, if you don't waste my time, I might earn more. That's it, I'll transfer the money to you later, and you can play around as you please."
After saying that, Hou Mingzhu hung up the phone again, leaving Ye Tiancheng speechless. This woman was really... It seemed she still looked down on him.
Ye Tiancheng wasn't just skilled at farming; his mind was clear. Moreover, after that great dream, he had so much experience. Ye Tiancheng didn't want to be looked down upon by a woman like Hou Mingzhu.
Soon, his bank card received a transfer. Ye Tiancheng didn't return it and decided to use the money to acquire the house where the murder had occurred.
With his previous experience, everything was familiar. Ye Tiancheng went to find the landlord of the haunted house and negotiated the price down to the lowest, sixty thousand yuan per month, paying several years' rent upfront.
The landlord initially had some reservations looking at Ye Tiancheng's attire, but after Ye Tiancheng took out his black card, he immediately became obsequious. This was the so-called power of money.
After the payment was made and the contract was signed, Ye Tiancheng did not purchase the permanent rights this time, as he felt this was just a stepping stone. Ye Tiancheng would not be stuck in the catering industry forever, nor did he have any great ambitions.
After the contract was finalized, on the way back, Xiao Pang was very happy because he loved food the most. He even discussed with Ye Tiancheng whether to let him manage this small restaurant.
"Being a manager would be too demeaning for you. I know you love cooking very much, especially excelling at making flavorful farmhouse dishes. Moreover, I've seen many recipes you have at home. When you cook, you can even outshine women. How about you be the head chef?"
Xiao Pang was a bit unconfident at first, but under Ye Tiancheng's persuasion, he reluctantly agreed.
Just like in his dream, Ye Tiancheng invited a few people to taste Xiao Pang's cooking. As a result, everyone said it was delicious. It seemed that, just like in his dream, Xiao Pang's skills had never declined. Ye Tiancheng decided to entrust the task of head chef to Xiao Pang, as it was also his hobby.
The renovation of the house was completed quickly. Coincidentally, on the day the vegetables from the gardening center were ready for output, Ye Tiancheng's planned farmhouse restaurant also opened.
Hou Mingzhu didn't think much of a farmhouse restaurant. She had made it clear several times on the phone, saying she disliked farmhouse cuisine for being too rustic and not fetching a good price. She hadn't promoted Ye Tiancheng at all.
Her Tianfu Restaurant was still a week away from opening, but even with this gap, she didn't intend to promote Ye Tiancheng. On the opening day, to avoid a lack of customers, Ye Tiancheng had to call Su Muxian in advance.
Fortunately, Su Muxian was quite reliable. Not only did she come herself, but she also brought her grandfather. Her grandfather, in turn, brought many friends. In short, the restaurant was full on the first day.
After tasting the dishes, everyone felt that the taste was indescribably good. They would definitely become repeat customers and would promote it like word-of-mouth, without needing to spend money.
"Ye Tiancheng, your restaurant is both cheap and delicious. From now on, when my girlfriends and I have gatherings, I won't choose anyone else."
Deliciousness and affordability were secondary. Ye Tiancheng knew that Su Muxian had some promotional capabilities. Now that he had done a lot of advertising and distributed flyers, attracting customers slowly would still rely on word-of-mouth. In the early stages, Ye Tiancheng planned to leverage Su Muxian's promotional abilities.
So, he mentioned that the main selling point of this restaurant was its organic vegetables. These vegetables were free of any impurities, unlike those sprayed with pesticides. At first, one wouldn't feel anything, but as toxins accumulated over time, they would gradually affect the body.
"That's great. And I heard a rumor that eating the dishes here can make people look younger?"
The rumor had already spread, but Ye Tiancheng dared not admit it. If this were to be publicized, he might be arrested and beaten by relevant authorities.
"You can't say it like that. Anyway, it's very good. You know, I know, heaven knows, but it absolutely cannot be publicized."
Seeing that Ye Tiancheng seemed to treat her as a confidante, Su Muxian was very happy. She thought that after their previous falling out, she would no longer have a chance to get close to Ye Tiancheng.
"I understand. I will vigorously promote it for you, and this time, I want to invest."
Ye Tiancheng didn't want to make things too complicated. The reason he opened this unremarkable farmhouse restaurant was simply to prove his capabilities to Hou Mingzhu. It was an impulsive act at the time, out of a sense of defiance. If Su Muxian were to invest, things would become complicated, and Ye Tiancheng felt it was unnecessary to make things so complicated.
"There's no need for this project. It's too small, not worth investing in, and won't earn much money. We can talk about it later."
As they were talking, dishes from the head chef Xiao Pang were served one by one. Each dish here was a signature dish, looking colorful, fragrant, and delicious, with a special aroma that made one feel refreshed.
Everyone had different feelings. Some felt as if they were in a paradise, while others felt as if they were in a pile of money. However, their common characteristic was that they felt happy in body and mind.
Everyone who came on the first day had a great experience and finished all the food, wishing they could eat the plates.
After this successful launch, many people lined up to eat every day. Ye Tiancheng had to implement timed dining. Later, after establishing a regular customer base, he doubled the prices for each dish.
The vegetables were grown by himself, so there were no costs. The rent was also very cheap, and the restaurant was large, spanning several floors. The daily turnover was hundreds of thousands.
In fact, the success of this venture was also thanks to the Su family, and most of all, to Su Muxian's grandfather. This old man liked Ye Tiancheng very much, which was why he had frantically found various people to book the entire restaurant in the preceding days.
Now, even booking the entire restaurant was impossible, as there was a rule that reservations had to be made a week in advance, otherwise, it was impossible to get a table.
Ye Tiancheng doubled the money Hou Mingzhu had given him and transferred it back. Upon receiving it, Hou Mingzhu immediately rushed to find Ye Tiancheng.
"My restaurant isn't as popular as yours, Ye Tiancheng. It seems you've latched onto the Su family and don't want to cooperate with me long-term, do you?"
Ye Tiancheng was sitting on the sofa, enjoying the finest cuisine prepared by Xiao Pang. Recently, Ye Tiancheng had also been frequently consuming dishes from his own farmhouse restaurant. Because they were very nutritious, Ye Tiancheng also wanted to strengthen his body.
"Of course, I want to cooperate with you long-term, Hou Mingzhu. Is this the attitude you have towards someone who has made money for you?"
Ye Tiancheng's words hit the nail on the head. She had indeed made a lot of money for Hou Mingzhu, but Ye Tiancheng also had his own goals. After gaining Hou Mingzhu's recognition, he would receive even more in the future.
The tens of millions he had now were merely petty profits, not worth mentioning.
"I'm also wondering why you're so good to me. So, Ye Tiancheng, just admit it, do you like me?"
As Hou Mingzhu spoke, she leaned closer to Ye Tiancheng, her body half against his, which made Ye Tiancheng somewhat uncomfortable.