最佳契合 (Perfect Match) – 十九瑶
Chapter 47
A low, bubbling sound came from the kettle; a cloud of white vapor sprayed out of the nozzle, and then its light went out.
Zheng Feiluan placed down tea cups, poured boiling water, and soaked two cups of barley tea that was provided by the inn. It was warm and yellow and had a strong roasted earth aroma. He An grabbed a cup and sipped from it carefully, warming his tummy and feeling his limbs thaw as if they were coming back to life.
Cheng Xiu was cold as well, so he grabbed a cup, but before he could take a sip, he was confronted, “It’s only been a year since you left the company, and you’re already incapable of managing a room? Is that the first thing that pops into your head whenever a problem remains unresolved? Fight the customers?”
Cheng Xiu’s hand trembled and spilled half a cup of tea, covering his burning red fingertips and blowing on it.
He An sprinted to the bathroom, squeezed a wet towel, and came to apply a cold compress to Cheng Xiu’s hand while telling Zheng Feiluan, “It’s not him who’s unprofessional, it’s me. Don’t lecture him.”
“He worked in Jiusheng for four years, and you haven’t,” Zheng Feiluan responded, “I won’t ask for professionalism from you, but it’s unacceptable that a person with his level of training can still mess up the most fundamental procedures.”
A very harsh tone came from Zheng Feiluan, despite the fact that He An was defending Cheng Xiu.
Cheng Xiu rubbed the wet towel and grumbled his concerns, “We are a small, self-funding business, unlike a five-star hotel where changing rooms is only for fun. Allowing customers to do anything they want will lead to future problems. Their actions might serve as an example for others to follow if word gets around—”
“Then fill the cracks. Don’t give them the opportunity to take advantage of that.” Zheng Feiluan interjected, “Five-star hotels are covered by their brand value. Having one more poor review won’t hurt loyalty, will it? Have you estimated how much potential damage each negative review causes on average?”
“…No.”
Cheng Xiu quickly softened.
Zheng Feiluan placed his hands on the table, leaned down, and said in a low voice, “An inn is not the same as a hotel. A hotel has a high tolerance for criticism, which indicates a low level of freedom1”Freedom” means setting boundaries for the customers. To elaborate, a hotel is open to criticism because of how strictly they enforce their policies. Inns, on the other hand, are small businesses with lenient rules, making them sensitive to negative feedbacks.; it is complex, huge, and standardized. Meanwhile, inns have a low tolerance for criticism and have a high level of freedom. However, freedom doesn’t come without a price; if you can’t stick to the rules or objectives or even weigh the simplest pros and cons, then any inn that’s entrusted to you will only have one ending: bankruptcy.”
“……”
Even after quitting his job, Cheng Xiu received a stern lecture, which put him in a trance and gave him the illusion of returning to Jiusheng, and he quickly softened even more.
Seated next to him, He An gently nudged him with his elbow, giving him a consoling look. He then turned to face Zheng Feiluan, nodded with a serious expression, and said, “Well, you’re right.”
At this moment, He An appeared like an admirable top student, with his eyes bright and sparkling, his hair twisted into charming curls, and his entire body feeling refreshed from the inside out because of the tea.
No matter how furious Zheng Feiluan was, he couldn’t stop He An from praising him, and his anger quickly went away.
Subconsciously, he reached for his collar, but then he remembered he was missing his tie and coughed awkwardly to hide it. Soon after, he straightened himself, slipped his hands in his pockets, turned, and walked casually around. He couldn’t help smiling as he turned back, and he couldn’t keep his cool, so he had to pretend to be merciful and let Cheng Xiu off the hook.
⋮
Zheng Feiluan could not, however, let go of one particular person.
“Where’s Dai Xiao? Isn’t he an alpha? Why didn’t he show up?”
Zheng Feiluan spun around, stretched a hand, and tapped on the table.
He An quickly explained for Dai Xiao, “It’s not that he won’t show up; it’s that I didn’t let him come. The issue with the bar won’t go away in a day or two, and the problem has been around since before Cheng Xiu and I got here, so it’s not exactly easy to fix. Dai Xiao even went to negotiate once this morning, but nothing came out of it, so he got angry. I noticed that he wasn’t in a good mood, and I was worried that something bad would happen if he came, so I just let him stay there.”
“…He’s actually still locked up.”
Cheng Xiu added a half-sentence while stretching his finger and spinning the small, shining silver key.
Zheng Feiluan was stunned.
In this inn, alphas have no human rights at all.
He paused for awhile to think, then pulled out a chair and sat down, asking, “Now tell me, how is there no progress? Is the bar owner tough and uncompromising, or is their business in cahoots with the authorities, making it impossible to lodge a complaint?”
“Both, actually.”
When He An realized he had gotten the two most crucial ones at the same time, he was surprised.
Zheng Feiluan grinned and said, “Think about it.”
⋮
As a last resort, He An spills the beans to Zheng Feiluan about the conflict between the Olive Inn and the bar across the street, explaining their desperate situation.
The bar on the other side of the street has a rather arrogant name, called Hustle and Bustle. Their main genre is country death rock, and they have a rough style. When compared to the serene environment of Luotan Town, their hysteria and loudness are overwhelming. They have midnight parties every day, with live performers whose booming voices echo into the air and an enthusiastic emcee who lets loose until the sun begins to come out. After they finish, you’ll hear roosters crowing. The three riverside inns are all disturbed by the noise, reaching every possible house in the neighborhood.
The real problem is that the bar is run by three alpha brothers, or the local wannabes.
For decades, they’ve been circling the town like a cast of crabs, clamping down on anyone they come across. Thanks to the nepotism that has built up over the years, you’re sure to run into some of their relatives no matter where you file your complaint. In short, they are untouchable in Luotan Town.
“They can’t move, but you can always move, right?” Zheng Feiluan asked, “Why don’t you just relocate the inn?”
Cheng Xiu raised his hand and said, “Because Dai Xiao has rented this place for ten years.”
“How many years are left?”
“Eight and a half more.”
Zheng Feiluan was at a loss for words.
Seeing his lack of response and sensing that the issue would likely be difficult to resolve, He An cautiously asked, “Is there really no way out? If it were you, what would you do?”
If it were me, I would pay the liquidated damages2Liquidated damages are the exact amount of money a party will owe if it breaches a contract in order to compensate the injured party for its losses. right away and then focus all of my energy on picking a new location and starting over.
Zheng Feiluan mentally responded.
Like a cactus in water, every poorly planned inn eventually dies. Regardless of the style, price approach, or quality of service, it will collapse eventually. It would be wise to accept the sunk costs3Sunk cost refers to an investment that has already been collected and cannot be recovered. rather than die slowly. But with Olive Inn’s present predicament, it’s hard to even keep operations going. How are they going to come up with the extra cash to cover the liquidated damages? Even if they could pay it, they couldn’t afford the additional startup costs.
He had money, but He An refused to take any of it.
After giving it some thought, Zheng Feiluan stood up and said, “What do you think? I’ll help you negotiate.”
“We have negotiated countless times, but they are…” He An wanted to explain but sighed softly, “It’s useless.”
“That’s why I’ll help.”
Zheng Feiluan smiled as if he were totally unbothered about failing, “You only need to tell me one more thing: what’s your appeal?” he asked, leaning down again while resting up on the table, staring at He An.
After giving it some thought, He An said, “Well… tell them not to make too much noise at night?”
“Alright.” Zheng Feiluan nodded, “Go back to rest after you finish your tea and sleep well tonight. I’ll have good news for you in the morning.”
After saying this, he put on his jacket, looking determined, and walked out the door.
⋮
“…It’s over. We owe him big time.”
Slouched on the table, Cheng Xiu rested his face on the cup while he anxiously nibbled on the string of the teabag, wearing a conflicted expression.
He An said, “It might not work out.”
“No, no, no, that’s because you don’t know Zheng Feiluan’s approach.” Cheng Xiu said, raising his index finger to wave at He An, “Here’s an analogy: pretend there’s a tree in our inn, and a bird is building its nest in the tree. In the morning, it makes a lot of noise with its chirping and twittering. What would you do?”
He An thought for a moment, “Get rid of the birds?”
“What if the bird flies back?”
“Tear down the bird’s nest?”
“What if the bird builds another one?”
“Uhh…” He An couldn’t think of anything else, “What should I do then?”
Cheng Xiu looked at his confused, thinking-hard expression and laughed, “Look at you, the most cruel thing you can do is destroy a bird’s nest. If you leave this to Zheng Feiluan, he would first take down the entire tree so that no birds can build a nest, and then cement the hole where the tree was planted so that nobody comes to plant another one.”
“When you put it that way, I seem to… understand a bit…”
He awkwardly grabbed his teacup and drank from it.
How could he have forgotten Zheng Feiluan’s approach? He himself was the unfortunate bird who had its nest and tree destroyed and had ended up living in someone else’s yard with his tiny chick.
✕✕✕
Translated and edited by janemoyu (11/23/23)
