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Ch31 - The Thirty-first Day of Shopping

Cheng Youyou, holding 6 million yuan in startup funds, carried a sign that said, “Money is no object.”1“财大气粗” literally means “wealthy and powerful,” but “money is no object” is a more idiomatic English equivalent that conveys the same meaning.

Cheng Youyou said, “Alright, I’m off to do business.”

Cheng Youyou’s unexpected enthusiasm was a stark contrast to her lazy attitude in previous episodes.

She was even more enthusiastic than any other guest.

【The beauty is going to start her career!】

【It’s here, it’s here! It’s finally airing.】

【Is this Cheng Youyou’s variety show?】

【Looking forward to seeing Cheng Youyou working hard to make money!】

Due to the nationwide promotion on Xiaolan Shu, the real-time viewership of “Go For It, Tycoon” reached a new high this episode.

It even surpassed the viewership of all other live variety shows, dominating the ratings of other live videos in the same time slot.

A large wave of viewers came here solely for Cheng Youyou.

【I was attracted by her beautiful photo on Xiaolan Shu.2this is Little Red Book btw

【I was drawn in by the red carpet live stream. I really like actresses like Cheng Youyou who doesn’t create hype.】

【Nansu Water City loves Cheng Youyou!】

【After watching “The World,” I’ve fallen in love with this silly crew.】

If someone were to ask Director Wang, “How can a niche variety show make a breakthrough without promotion and low expectations?”, Director Wang would reply, “Thanks for the invite, just find a big star to carry the show and the ratings will automatically go up.”

Cheng Youyou is the backbone of the program. She alone has boosted the ratings of “Go For It, Tycoon”.

Wang Wensheng hadn’t finished counting his money when he looked up and said, “Hey, Cheng Youyou is leaving already?”

Li Yiyun had less money, and she counted it quickly. “That’s right, Youyou has already named the restaurant and started her business with the money.”

Cheng Youyou was the first to move on to the next stage of opening a restaurant, but the other guests hadn’t even finished naming it.

Wang Wensheng asked, “Youyou’s leaving already?”

He was so disappointed, and his disappointment was tinged with dejection and loneliness.

【Haha, is my brother Sheng trying to piggyback on her success again?】

【He’s never won before. Last time he finally won, it was all thanks to Cheng Youyou.】

This is an explanation from a returning viewer posted as a comment.

However, most of the viewers in today’s live stream are new and haven’t watched the previous episodes.

【Cheng Youyou is so amazing, she can even carry a jinx?】3The phrase implies that Cheng Youyou is so capable that she can overcome even the most negative influences or situations.

【She’s beautiful and intelligent. What a treasure of a girl!】

【I’m looking forward to seeing what Cheng Youyou can do.】

【Is Cheng Youyou really that capable?】

【I haven’t watched the first two episodes, but Cheng Youyou has 6 million! She must be a gaming queen!】

【I love celebrities who are so proactive! Go, go, go! Just do it!】

Obviously, new viewers expect Cheng Youyou to be more diplomatic when bargaining. Who starts by cutting the price in half right away? You should at least start with a 50% discount.

The boss kept haggling, but Cheng Youyou turned her head and looked indifferent.

“200,000 yuan. If it works, it works. If not, just go. Let’s not waste words. I still need to go buy supplies. Time is of the essence.”

Cheng Youyou turned and left without saying another word to the shop owner.

Cheng Youyou took one step, two steps, and just as she was about to take her third step, the boss called out to her.

“Alright, alright, alright. I’ll rent it to you for that price for one day.”

【Wow, she’s really good at haggling!】

【I love how straightforward and decisive she is!】

【Wow, Cheng Youyou is so proactive. She’s really going for it!】

【I love women who are go-getters like her!】

【Yeah, let’s do it! No time to waste.】

With just a few words, Cheng Youyou secured the location for her shop.

Immediately after gaining the rights to the shop, she promptly wrote a sign that read in bold letters: “Hiring shoppers, dishwashers, and servers. Daily pay: 500 yuan.”

For workers, a daily pay of 500 yuan was a generous offer.

The moment Cheng Youyou posted the job opening, she was inundated with applicants.

Since it was a daily wage job, it was equivalent to a temporary part-time job. So, among the applicants, some were restaurant workers on their days off, and others were students who had plenty of time and happened to be shopping nearby.

Cheng Youyou selected a few experienced people to be the shoppers and dishwashers and quickly chose a few good-looking and diligent students to be the waiters.

In less than fifteen minutes, Cheng Youyou had already decided on the restaurant name, chosen the location, and hired the staff.

Meanwhile, Zhou Hao, who was the fastest among the other guests, was only stuck at the stage of negotiating the rent for the restaurant.

Li Yiyun and Zhao Mengran were still struggling to choose the exact location for their restaurant, while Wang Wensheng was still dawdling over the restaurant name.

Wang Wensheng believed that the restaurant name was a mystical thing and very important. He thought a good name was like good Feng Shui, so he was still scribbling on the location where they first gathered at the beginning of the show.

In contrast, Cheng Youyou was the most efficient and the fastest.

【Wow, she’s really a gaming queen.】

【She’s so proactive!】

【I’m a fan of Cheng Youyou’s personality. She’s so decisive and efficient.】

【I love watching this kind of boss lady scene.】

【She’s exactly as I expected.】

Director Wang said outside of the monitor, “Eh? What’s going on?”

When Cheng Youyou was little, she was different from other kids. While other kids dreamed of owning a small convenience store and having all the snacks, Cheng Youyou had a bigger dream. She wanted to own a restaurant and have access to all kinds of delicious food.

The setup of this show perfectly fulfilled her dream.

She’s grateful to the production team for giving her a chance to realize her dream.

She wants to have the most luxurious restaurant to fulfill her simple dream.

Opening a restaurant isn’t the goal; being able to sit in a restaurant and order whatever she wants is her ultimate dream.

Without wasting a moment, Cheng Youyou had the waiters clean the restaurant, sent the shoppers to the market for the freshest produce, and had the dishwashers clean the kitchen and prepare for washing and cutting vegetables.

Everything was in order. Cheng Youyou sat down and started playing on her phone.

【Wait, what? She’s giving up already?】

【I want to see her struggle! Is that it?】

【I just realized there’s no chef!】

【Yeah, there’s no chef!】

【The chef is the key to a restaurant.】

Everyone started to worry about Cheng Youyou. Despite seeming so capable and decisive, she’d overlooked the most important part.

Then, in the next second, Cheng Youyou stood up and made a phone call.

“Hello, is this Chef Steven?”

【Steven? You mean that Steven?】

【The celebrity chef? The one with the Michelin-starred creative cuisine?】

Cheng Youyou continued, “Hello, I’m Cheng Youyou, Gu Qianlan’s friend. Are you available today to cook at my restaurant for a day?”

【Gu Qianlan, the socialite?】

【Oh my god, Cheng Youyou hired a Michelin-starred chef to cook for her restaurant for a day just for a show?】

【That’s crazy! It’s just a show, why go so overboard?】

【Michelin-starred chefs are expensive, I heard they make $80,0004Since this story started in 2021 that’d be around 516k yuan a month!】

【He’s a famous chef, why would he work for Cheng Youyou? She can’t afford him.】

Cheng Youyou: “Got it. I just need you to work for one day. You’ll be the head chef, and you can choose your own team. The price is 500,000 all-inclusive. Does that work for you?”

Cheng Youyou added, “There’s just one thing. I’m opening this restaurant for a reality show. Would you mind being on camera?”

The other person said something inaudible.

Cheng Youyou replied, “Alright, then it’s a deal for 450,000. I’ll send you the address later.”

About half an hour later, Chef Steven and his team arrived in full.

【I underestimated the power of money. It can really let you do whatever you want】

【She hired a three-Michelin-star chef just like that.】

【Prime location, college student waitstaff, top-notch chef – Cheng Youyou is running a top-of-the-line restaurant!】

Thanks to their mutual love of leggings, Cheng Youyou and Gu Qianlan became best friends.

Their friendship deepened further after they shared photos of their favorite things on WeChat.

Cheng Youyou has been busy with traveling and work recently, but she hasn’t stopped keeping in touch with Gu Qianlan.

While Cheng Youyou shared beautiful scenery and nice things with Gu Qianlan, Gu Qianlan sent her many pictures of delicious food.

Every picture of food made Cheng Youyou’s mouth water. These dishes were all made by Steven, the head chef at Gu Qianlan’s family restaurant.

Cheng Youyou was starving and swore to herself that she would personally experience Steven’s cooking after her trip.

But before she could enjoy the food, she was invited to participate in this season’s show.

Then she thought of Steven, and she wanted to take advantage of the show to experience Steven’s culinary assault.

She learned from talking to Gu Qianlan that Steven happened to have some free time recently.

After some communication, Steven appeared at Cheng Youyou’s shop.

Meanwhile, the grocery shopper sent by Cheng Youyou had returned with the freshest ingredients, the waitstaff had changed into uniform and stylish clothes, and the dishwashers were systematically cleaning each ingredient.

Standing under the sign of “Caidaqiqu Restaurant,”5Thought this sounds better than the tl’ed version which is “Wealthy and Bossy Restaurant] Cheng Youyou’s eyes were filled with joy as she shouted loudly, “Let’s get started!”

In just an hour, Cheng Youyou had completed all the preparations for the restaurant.

While the other guests had yet to start preparing their restaurants, Cheng Youyou was already ready to cook, greet guests, and start serving.

【She’s such a badass.】

【I love the pace on Cheng Youyou’s side. I don’t need to watch it at double speed.】

【I have to keep my eyes glued to Cheng Youyou. She’s going so fast I’m afraid I’ll miss something.】

Cheng Youyou has the best location, the most amazing chef, and the most professional dishwashers. This luxurious configuration is not only unmatched compared to other restaurants, but it’s also considered top-notch even when compared to all the restaurants in Nanjing City.

Don’t be fooled by its simple appearance as a Japanese restaurant. “Caidaqiqu Restaurant” is incredibly professional, far surpassing any other restaurant.

【Isn’t a restaurant like this going to be super expensive?】

【Let’s just take a look. With such a big investment, the prices have to be high.】

【I don’t think many people will go to a restaurant like this.】

The other guests had also decided on the general direction of their restaurants at this point.

Zhou Hao opened a Sichuan hotpot restaurant, Li Yiyun opened a Cantonese restaurant, Zhao Mengran opened a bubble tea shop, and after much thought, Wang Wensheng opened a pancake stall, using the skills he learned from making pancakes in the previous episode.

While the other guests were still in the process of purchasing supplies, Cheng Youyou had already started discussing dishes with Chef Steven.

As a Michelin-starred chef, Steven specializes in home-style cooking. He has a wide range of culinary knowledge, from Shandong, Cantonese, and Sichuan cuisines. Based on his mastery of various cuisines, he has created unique and innovative dishes.

He’s also well-known in the culinary world for his creative dishes.

Cheng Youyou said, “Make whatever you want. I’ll eat anything you cook.”

Cheng Youyou is not picky. For her, everything Steven cooks is delicious.

As a Michelin-starred chef, Steven’s regular customers are very wealthy and their palates are extremely refined.

Even as a Michelin-starred chef, Steven, with all his skills, was often criticized by restaurant owners.

It was rare for him to encounter such an easy-going boss.

His passion for food was reignited, and Steven quickly finalized the restaurant’s menu.

He even included several of his award-winning, televised signature dishes on the menu.

Cheng Youyou didn’t understand, but she trusted Steven and made a decisive decision: “Let’s go with these dishes.”

【Am I seeing this right? These dishes are really well-known.】

【I heard these dishes are what made Chef Steven famous in the culinary world!】

【Are you really going to cook these dishes for us?】

【How much is this going to cost?】

Cheng Youyou, full of anticipation, said, “Please start cooking now, Chef Steven.”

She couldn’t wait any longer. Cheng Youyou wanted to taste Steven’s cooking right now.

She had been working so hard for this moment, to finally enjoy this delicious food.

She was in the best restaurant, enjoying the finest service, and eating the delicious food made by the chef she had always dreamed of.

And the restaurant was hers. Cheng Youyou felt like she was dreaming.

Her childhood dreams had all come true today.

Steven reminded Cheng Youyou, “You haven’t set the prices for these dishes yet.”

“Oh,” Cheng Youyou forgot. She was brought back to reality. She was running a restaurant, after all, and it wasn’t just for her. She needed to open it up to customers.

It’s true, even the best restaurant can’t be enjoyed alone.

Happiness is meant to be shared, and the joy of eating alone diminishes.

Cheng Youyou took the menu and started pricing the dishes.

She called the person in charge of buying ingredients and after learning the prices, she only added a 30% markup for each dish.

Steven didn’t care. He was on a daily wage, and as a top chef dedicated to his craft, his eyes were always focused on his food, not on mundane things like pricing.

However, the other chefs in Steven’s team were not happy.

One of the chefs was the first to question it, saying, “This price is too low. Even if it wasn’t us cooking, you should still consider the costs of running your restaurant.”

Cheng Youyou hadn’t really thought about the costs of running the restaurant.

After hearing the chef’s question, she really gave it some serious thought.

【It seems like Cheng Youyou doesn’t have much business experience.】

【The costs of running a restaurant are more than just the cost of ingredients.】

【Costs like water, electricity, rent, and chef salaries all add up. Maybe Cheng Youyou doesn’t realize this.】

【Cheng Youyou started thinking.】

【Thanks to the chef’s reminder, Cheng Youyou will probably come up with a reasonable price.】

【With a top-notch culinary team like this, Cheng Youyou’s prices are bound to be higher, as she needs to make a profit.】

【If you think about it, considering the cost of the chef, Cheng Youyou has set her prices too high. Even with a good location, she won’t make any money, right?】

Cheng Youyou thought for about five seconds.

Then she said, “Okay, let’s stick with this price. As long as we cover the cost of the ingredients, that’s fine. I also want to try Chef Steven’s cooking, so I’ll pay for that part and won’t add it to the dish prices.”

Cheng Youyou thought, “It’s more fun to share happiness with others.” She wanted her restaurant to be bustling. If she set the prices too high and no customers came, she would be eating alone again. That would be no fun at all.

That would be so boring.

So, she set the prices for each dish, adding only 30% for the cost of ingredients.

【Oh my god, is this price real?】

【How can a fancy restaurant be so affordable?】

【This is cheaper than all the other restaurants.】

【I want to go eat too! When does the wrap up? Is it too late to go now?】

The show’s filming time for this episode is from 8 AM to 10 PM.

Cheng Youyou was incredibly efficient. She wrapped up everything for the restaurant by a little past nine. And that’s it! Cheng Youyou’s restaurant is officially open.

After 9:30, the foot traffic on the commercial street increased significantly. Chef Steven had already prepared the dishes for Cheng Youyou as she requested. Cheng Youyou happily dug in.

One bite and her taste buds came alive. It was so good she could have floated away. As she savored the delicious food, the restaurant started filling up.

Offering great value, a convenient location, fresh ingredients, and amazing flavor, Cheng Youyou’s restaurant quickly became a hit. Customers couldn’t stop raving about the food.

【It’s so delicious.】

【Is it really possible to find such delicious food at this price?】

Each customer looked overjoyed after taking a bite.

It was clear to viewers from the start that the customers were genuine and not actors. Seeing the diners’ satisfied faces, the viewers knew the food at the extravagant restaurant was really something special.

【What time do they stop serving? I’m definitely going to try it.】

【Nanzin residents reporting in.】

【To experience the culinary skills of Chef Steven6this was originally translated as Hei Zhenzhu and I had a wtf moment coz who the hell is that then I realized it must be Chef Steven, maybe the author forgot that chef’s name. Btw Steven’s name was written in english so yeah I was genuinely confused by the sudden name change at such a low price, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I have to go eat.】

【Hold on, I’m heading there to eat now!】

The fancy restaurant is now requiring people to wait in line. It went from being underestimated to being incredibly popular, with tons of people online saying they’re on their way there.

While other restaurants in the area are also busy, they’re not quite as crazy.

The entrance to the wealthy and extravagant restaurant was so crowded that the police had to be called in to manage the crowd.

【Oh my god, I underestimated Cheng Youyou’s restaurant.】

【Her business is booming.】

【Cheng Youyou must be a saint, letting us common people experience the skills of a top chef.】

【Is this called robbing the rich to help the poor?】

【It’s not robbing the rich to help the poor. Cheng Youyou is paying out of her own pocket.】

Cheng Youyou has become quite the philanthropist. Cheng Youyou is in the restaurant, indulging in delicious food, and couldn’t be happier. On the other hand, her restaurant is raking in money and is incredibly popular.

Cheng Youyou was trending online with overwhelmingly positive reviews. People were saying things like,

【Cheng Youyou is opening a restaurant in Nanjin, and it’s both delicious and affordable.】

【I watched the show and she’s such a kind person.】

【I’m becoming a big fan of Cheng Youyou. She’s so straightforward and decisive.】

Cheng Youyou was trending everywhere, from the live chat to Weibo. Her restaurant had a huge impact on Nanjin’s commercial district, drawing in massive crowds. Every store owner on the street reported a significant increase in sales.

Netizens loved her laid-back and clever personality, customers were grateful for her affordable prices, and even the local market bureau credited her with boosting the district’s economy.

By 10 pm, all the restaurants wrapped up for the night. Director Wang then announced the earnings of each guest.

Since the program didn’t factor in costs, the winner was determined solely by revenue. Cheng Youyou once again claimed the title of “Best Boss” this round with a daily income of 200,000.

【That’s so well-deserved!】

【I’ve never watched a whole variety show before, but I’m now a huge fan of Cheng Youyou.】

【I love how positive she is.】

【She’s so organized and smart.】

Cheng Youyou’s Weibo following skyrocketed again, gaining hundreds of thousands of new followers that night.

A big part of her fanbase was drawn to her personality, and a significant portion were from Nanjin. Nanjin fans swarmed her Weibo, leaving comments like,

【As a Nanjin native, I’m a huge fan!】

【I’m so full! The food was amazing.】

Cheng Youyou became the ultimate bias of many Nanjin fans. Cheng Youyou had a great time today and ended her schedule happily. Although she recorded a whole day of programming, she was as relaxed and happy as if she were on vacation today.

Cheng Youyou didn’t even take a day off the next day, and she directly started a new day of shopping.

Last time, He Hongyi invested 10 million yuan in her. Plus, she made so much money recently. She wanted to use this money to do something big.

Cheng Youyou wanted to buy a car, a luxury car! Cheng Youyou could drive, but she never had a car before. Before, she didn’t have enough money to buy one, but now it was different. She had to get a car because she realized it was really inconvenient not having one.

Every time she bought something, she didn’t dare to buy too much, for fear that the taxi couldn’t fit it all. Now she wanted to buy a luxury car with an extra-large trunk.

Cheng Youyou came to the car 4S7“4S store” is a specific term used in the Chinese automotive industry. It refers to a dealership that provides four services: sales, spare parts, service, and surveys (or satisfaction surveys) store early in the morning. There was more than one 4S store here; Beijing had gathered all the famous luxury car 4S stores together.

Therefore, Cheng Youyou didn’t need to run around. She could see all the luxury cars in this large area.

Cheng Youyou felt very happy. Cheng Youyou only had one requirement for buying a car: it had to be spacious.

As for everything else, she didn’t care at all. Of course, she also had another requirement: the more expensive, the better.

Cheng Youyou has too much money. She feels that at this rate, she might not be able to spend it all before she dies.

Rather than regretting not spending all her money when she passes away, she might as well seize this opportunity and buy a luxury car.

Cheng Youyou went shopping for luxury cars and listened to the car salesperson introduce the car’s performance and acceleration, but she interrupted indifferently, “You don’t need to introduce all these to me. Just tell me, among cars of the same size, which one is the most expensive?”


 

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  • 1
    “财大气粗” literally means “wealthy and powerful,” but “money is no object” is a more idiomatic English equivalent that conveys the same meaning.
  • 2
    this is Little Red Book btw
  • 3
    The phrase implies that Cheng Youyou is so capable that she can overcome even the most negative influences or situations.
  • 4
    Since this story started in 2021 that’d be around 516k yuan
  • 5
    Thought this sounds better than the tl’ed version which is “Wealthy and Bossy Restaurant]
  • 6
    this was originally translated as Hei Zhenzhu and I had a wtf moment coz who the hell is that then I realized it must be Chef Steven, maybe the author forgot that chef’s name. Btw Steven’s name was written in english so yeah I was genuinely confused by the sudden name change
  • 7
    “4S store” is a specific term used in the Chinese automotive industry. It refers to a dealership that provides four services: sales, spare parts, service, and surveys (or satisfaction surveys)

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