VFGRC Chapter 79

“Xiao Yu, why don’t you sit in front of the computer? I’ll handle things here.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Tonight is the first night your online shop is open for business, so you must keep a close eye on it. Tasks like cleaning, we can handle.”

Every evening at 6 o’clock marks the closing time for “Galaxy Snack Shop.” However, for Yu Bai, the official opening time for his online shop is at 6:30.

Rushing back home within half an hour to open the computer and check the online shop’s performance seemed a bit hurried. Thus, Yu Bai decided to directly observe the first hour of the online shop’s operation right there in the store.

The auntie shop assistants inside the store also knew that the opening of Yu Bai’s new online shop was no small matter. The aunties enthusiastically took the initiative to handle the cleaning inside the store, allowing Yu Bai to focus on managing the online shop affairs.

There was still some time left before the online shop’s official opening.

Yu Bai sat in front of the computer, occasionally glancing towards the direction outside the store, searching for the figure of Chen Jing, the project manager responsible for his project at G Group.

Two weeks ago, a poster announcing the “Official Opening Date of the Online Shop” was posted inside the store. Many regular customers inquired about the online shop, and Yu Bai also contacted foodie bloggers Song Qing and Qian Kangkang, who often visited the store, to help him with promotion.

Currently, it was the peak evening hours in City J. Chen Jing, who was supposed to have arrived half an hour earlier at “Galaxy Snack Shop” to check the online shop’s performance with Yu Bai, got stuck in traffic.

Yu Bai was opening an online shop for the first time and lacked experience. If the experienced Chen Jing were present, it would undoubtedly reassure Yu Bai.

But Chen Jing wasn’t there, causing Yu Bai to feel a bit nervous.

Because regardless of the investment, there would always be risks involved.

If the online shop’s sales were below expectations after the official opening, then the upcoming plans for a chain of branch stores might also be affected and possibly abandoned.

Yu Bai could actually choose to take it slow and steady, not needing to focus on the online shop’s affairs right now. He could wait a few more years until the snack shop had accumulated enough resources before investing them in the online shop’s operations.

However, the market changes rapidly, and many businesses fail to catch the trends of the times. If they don’t seize the opportunities right in front of them, they might be left behind by the times.

The principle of “no pain, no gain” applies to all industries.

According to Chen Jing’s plan, if the snack shop, online shop, and chain stores could expand smoothly, then Yu Bai would only need to work hard for a year to receive returns a thousandfold or more.

With enough funds, from then on, Yu Bai wouldn’t have to toil from dawn till dusk, busy with store affairs every day, and he would have time to spend with Xing Xing.

“Daddy, are you hungry?”

After seeing off Yu Dong, Yu Bai was sitting at the table lost in thought when the soft and tender voice of Xing Xing, his child, rang in his ear.

Xing Xing was holding his round little belly, his two tiny hands carefully cradling a plate. On the plate lay a steaming plate of stir-fried noodles.

Each strand of noodles was coated in a beautiful soy sauce hue. Amidst the fine noodles were crunchy bean sprouts, vibrant green vegetables, tender yellow egg strips, and ham sausage strips. The aroma of the secret teppanyaki sauce mingled with the delicate mist hovering over the noodles, enveloping Yu Bai’s nostrils.

Such a tempting savory and sweet aroma made Yu Bai’s mouth water.

Xing Xing blinked his eyes, “Daddy, how about having some stir-fried noodles? You haven’t had a proper meal all day… It’s not right! Daddy’s tummy will feel uncomfortable and he might get sick.”

Yu Bai could only take the stir-fried noodles, and Xing Xing’s chubby little hand gently touched Yu Bai’s belly.

Xing Xing worriedly asked, “Daddy, is your tummy hurting?”

According to educational films, if someone gets stomach problems due to hunger, they usually have stomachaches.

“Don’t worry, I’m just a bit hungry, my stomach doesn’t hurt at all.”

Xing Xing finally breathed a sigh of relief, and his soft cheek flesh trembled.

Yu Bai lightly stirred the stir-fried noodles with his chopsticks, his eyebrows raised slightly, “Xing Xing, who made these stir-fried noodles?”

Xing Xing tilted his little head and pointed confidently behind him, “It’s… Uncle Yun He made it!”

Yun He was standing at the freshly made snack window, bending over to tidy up the stove. While he was cleaning, he couldn’t help but glance in Yu Bai’s direction.

Although he was reserved and not fond of getting close to others, it didn’t mean he couldn’t see that his boss, Yu Bai, was a genuinely good boss to his employees.

Yun He had also heard that Yu Bai hadn’t rested much this whole month in order for the online shop’s opening to go smoothly. On regular days, Yu Bai was busy making snacks in the store. In his free time, he either took care of Xing Xing or discussed the online shop’s operation with Chen Jing, the project manager who often came to the store and collaborated with Yu Bai to run the “Galaxy Snack Shop.”

When people are under stress, their appetite tends to decrease.

According to Xing Xing’s unintentional revelation, Yu Bai hadn’t eaten breakfast this morning and only had two small snacks for lunch.

Therefore, Yun He speculated that Yu Bai was probably hungry now.

However, Yun He wasn’t quite used to actively caring for others.

If he were to make a plate of stir-fried noodles for his boss and then bring it over, saying some words of concern and advising him to eat more stir-fried noodles for his health… Yun He felt that doing such things would feel awkward no matter how he thought about it.

He felt goosebumps start to form on his skin.

At this moment, Xing Xing, who was running around the various snack counters in the store, sampling this and looking at that, became the perfect choice in Yun He’s eyes for “delivering the stir-fried noodles.”

Naturally, the person his boss loved the most was that chubby little child, Xing Xing, who liked to use repetitive words when speaking.

If he let Xing Xing deliver the stir-fried noodles to Yu Bai, there was a high chance that Yu Bai would eat the noodles and also pay attention to Xing Xing’s words about taking care of his health, right?

However, Yun He never expected that the moment he asked Xing Xing to deliver the stir-fried noodles to Yu Bai, that little child would turn around and “sell” him out to Yu Bai – Xing Xing straightforwardly told Yu Bai that he was the one who made the stir-fried noodles.

Just the thought of his intention to “occasionally” show concern for his boss being exposed, Yun He’s head immediately lowered like a quail’s. He wished he could find a hole to bury himself in.

Yun He forcibly shifted his focus back to the task at hand, his fair earlobes tinged with a bright red hue.

It wasn’t until he had thoroughly cleaned the entire stove at the freshly made snack window, sweating all over, that Yun He dared to lift his head slightly and once again glance in Yu Bai’s direction.

The spot where Yu Bai had been sitting was now only left with a plate containing a small portion of stir-fried noodles.

Yu Bai, he didn’t know where he had gone.

Yun He released his grip on the cloth he was holding tightly and turned on the tap.

As he washed his hands, Yun He gazed at the uneaten stir-fried noodles, feeling somewhat lost.

The stir-fried noodles he made were an adult-sized portion, and Yu Bai would surely be able to finish them.

But why did Yu Bai leave some uneaten? Could it be that what he made wasn’t tasty enough?

Was the heat not right? Or was the seasoning off?

—

In Yu Bai’s store, customers and the auntie shop assistants all considered Yun He to be a cold and distant employee – because Yun He rarely spoke and never engaged in casual conversations with customers. However, only Yu Bai knew that Yun He wasn’t “cold”; he was just introverted and didn’t dare to initiate interactions with others.

After two or three months of adaptation and Yun He’s relentless efforts to integrate into the store’s atmosphere, with Yu Bai’s guidance, today, Yu Bai found that Yun He was actively caring about him as a boss and even made stir-fried noodles for him. Yu Bai suddenly felt that his efforts over the past few months hadn’t been in vain.

Watching Yun He, with reddened ears, hide behind the stove, a slight smile curved at the corners of Yu Bai’s lips.

The online shop was about to launch, the chain of branch stores was progressing, relationships among the staff in the store were becoming more harmonious, and everything was moving in the best direction.

By the time the chain of branch stores officially opened in the latter half of the year, Yun He should have developed into Yu Bai’s right-hand man and be capable of handling things independently.

As Yu Bai ate the stir-fried noodles, he looked out the window.

The last bit of crimson was swallowed by the horizon, and the bright moon hung high in the night sky.

Outside the window, the neon lights of the small shops along the street lit up, and the owners of the snack stalls at the Sanjiaokou had finished packing up and left.

The road was bustling with traffic, and pedestrians hurriedly made their way home.

Suddenly, amid this surging crowd, Yu Bai’s sharp eyes caught sight of a familiar figure.

Chen Jing was carrying a laptop bag, hastily running toward “Galaxy Snack Shop.”

Yu Bai took a couple of quick bites to finish the noodles in his mouth, then he pulled out a tissue and wiped his lips.

He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall inside the store.

It was almost time, close to 6:30 in the evening.

Yu Bai stood up and walked towards the store entrance.

Just as Chen Jing was about twenty or thirty meters away from the store, Yu Bai saw Chen Jing pause at the entrance of a nearby alleyway, and then his figure disappeared into the alley.

Yu Bai’s motion to open the door paused slightly.

It was almost 6:30, why did Chen Jing enter that alleyway at this moment?

A strong sixth sense made Yu Bai sense a subtle unease.

He opened the door and walked towards the alleyway.

When Yu Bai reached the entrance of the alley, he first saw Chen Jing.

Then, the second figure he saw was the familiar one standing in front of Chen Jing.

“Chen Jing, if Yu Bai’s shop still needs investment funds, you can skip the reporting process and talk to me directly…”

Hearing their conversation mentioning his name, Yu Bai instinctively turned around and leaned against the wall at the corner.

Yu Bai furrowed his eyebrows.

In Yu Bai’s memory, he had seen Ji Rongyu a few times with Chen Jing in the store recently. However, at least in his presence, the two of them hardly exchanged any words, almost like strangers.

Yet now, when Ji Rongyu casually mentioned Chen Jing’s name, it seemed a bit too casual?

Were they close? If they were close, why would they pretend not to be in front of him?

And why did they bring up his name?

“Why is the initial promotion for this online shop so minimal? Given Yu Bai’s capabilities, even if you increase the promotion tenfold, he can handle it. Are you short of money? Or…”

Chen Jing’s voice sounded resigned, “Boss, if you add so much more investment, Yu Bai will become suspicious.”

“…It’s not much, just a few million. Why would you consider that too much?” Ji Rongyu’s low voice mixed with a hint of dissatisfaction, “Adding investment could at least reduce half of his extra workload for promotion. You too, why do you always go to Yu Bai for everything? Aren’t you the company’s most capable project manager? There are things you can handle yourself, so don’t bother him. He… is already busy enough.”

Chen Jing: “Boss, you know. When we invested in Yu Bai before, he used the money very cautiously. And after the business opened, he’s been busy trying to earn back our investment. Now, if you add more investment… Yu Bai will definitely put even more pressure on himself.”

Ji Rongyu fell silent for a moment.

“Boss, there’s actually a way… If you had told Yu Bai your true identity earlier, that you’re the president of G Group, and that you invested in him because you appreciate his cooking skills, maybe Yu Bai…”

Ji Rongyu: “I can’t tell him.”

Ji Rongyu thought to himself again.

In the past, he couldn’t reveal his true identity to Yu Bai.

Yu Bai’s personality was like that of a cat. You had to stroke the cat’s fur in the right direction. Once you’ve made the cat comfortable by stroking it the right way, the cat might reluctantly forgive you.

If he had suddenly told Yu Bai everything before, it would undoubtedly have been a shock to Yu Bai at a critical moment when he was opening his online shop.

As a result, the complex relationship between him and Yu Bai would have come to a standstill and couldn’t progress any further.

Thinking about this, a bitter smile couldn’t help but tug at the corner of Ji Rongyu’s lips.

Ji Rongyu didn’t treat anyone as cautiously as he treated Yu Bai, afraid that Yu Bai might be unhappy because of him.

Soon, the corners of Ji Rongyu’s lips curled upwards a bit.

Even though it might be difficult and troublesome, he was still willing.

Because he liked Yu Bai, he loved him, couldn’t be without him, and was willing to do anything for him.

His world was filled with Yu Bai.

In his eyes, there was only Yu Bai.

“Boss, allow me to offer a word of advice,” Chen Jing spoke, “I haven’t known Yu Bai for long, but I trust his character. He’s a good person. If you’re hiding your identity just to get close to him because of his skills, it’s actually unnecessary. You should honestly reveal your identity. Yu Bai won’t shut you out based on your status; he won’t reject you because of who you are…”

Chen Jing’s voice was neither loud nor soft, mingling with the cicada’s song of early summer, both near and far from Yu Bai.

“Ding-ling-ling,” a cellphone ringtone sounded at the entrance of the alley.

“Who is it?”

Ji Rongyu and Chen Jing instinctively looked in the direction of the alley.

When they reached the entrance of the alley, only hurried pedestrians were passing by on the street.

The sound of the familiar cellphone ringtone, which Ji Rongyu and Chen Jing found familiar, seemed to belong to a passing stranger on the street.

—

Yu Bai ran back to the store and locked himself in the small rest area.

“Thump-thump.”

His heart was beating too fast, his brain wasn’t getting enough blood supply, he felt dizzy and his forehead throbbed.

Earlier, Yu Bai was standing at the corner of the alley entrance, a distance away from Ji Rongyu and Chen Jing.

Yu Bai didn’t quite catch what they were saying.

Or rather, even if Yu Bai had heard what they were saying, when he tried to piece together the sentences he heard from Ji Rongyu and Chen Jing, he didn’t understand.

How did the ordinary Ji Rongyu, who had been with him for a few months, had even been intimately involved with him, and had declared his liking for him, suddenly transform into Chen Jing’s boss?

Wasn’t Chen Jing’s boss the boss of G Group — the renowned gourmet investor in the culinary industry?

And what did it mean when Chen Jing said Ji Rongyu got close to him for his skills?

Yu Bai knew Ji Rongyu because Ji Rongyu’s mother couldn’t work as a part-time helper at his place, so Ji Rongyu took her place and started working at his home!

Why couldn’t he understand what Chen Jing and Ji Rongyu were saying?

Could it be that because he was a bit far away from them when they spoke, he couldn’t hear their words clearly, and that’s why there was some misunderstanding in his understanding?

In the quiet rest area, Yu Bai’s cell phone rang again.

Yu Bai took a deep breath, trying to calm his heart and stop his brain from dwelling on all those messy thoughts.

But he couldn’t find tranquility.

Trembling hands, Yu Bai hesitated for a while before finally tapping the green call button on his screen.

“Hello?”

Yu Bai only said one word. He was afraid that if he said too much, the person on the other end of the line would sense that something was wrong with him.

The caller was Yu Dong, who had recently left the “Galaxy Snack Shop.”

“Yu Bai, I’ve been thinking about this for a while… I feel like I need to tell you.”

Yu Dong took a deep breath. “Last year, when Xing Xing was sick, a young man in a luxurious car asked me about your snack stall…”

“… Later, when I saw Ji Rongyu, I always felt like I had seen him somewhere before. Just now, as I was waiting at a traffic light, I saw a familiar-looking luxury car with the same license plate as the one I saw that day. And then I saw Ji Rongyu getting out of the car…”

“It finally clicked. Ji Rongyu is that young man who asked me about your snack stall while sitting in a luxury car.”

“I don’t know why he used a fake identity to deceive you… but as your friend, I feel that you have the right to know the truth.”

The call ended.

Yu Dong was his friend. Although their relationship wasn’t extremely close, Yu Dong had disclosed the entire truth about Ji Rongyu’s identity to him.

But Ji Rongyu…

Ji Rongyu was clearly his best friend. He had professed his liking for Yu Bai…

So why did he deceive him?

Their first encounter had been the beginning of a lie.

“Knock knock knock.”

Someone knocked on the door of the rest area.

Chen Jing’s voice carried an uncontrollable excitement.

“Yu Bai! Come out and take a look! It’s been just a minute since the online store opened, and we’ve already sold one-third of our inventory!”

The grand opening of the new online store should have been a cause for celebration.

However, Yu Bai couldn’t muster a smile.

 

Author’s Note:

PS: One more chapter left. Will finish writing and post.

I’m sure I can write more than 6K words, QAQ.