Chapter 500 Malicious Intent

room was cozy and elegant, exuding a pastoral simplicity that contrasted with other hotels’ opulent grandeur. Stepping into this room felt instantly relaxing.Wang Zheng looked around, noting the nume...Chapter 500 A Malicious Visitor

"The name is quite fitting." Wang Zheng squinted his eyes as he looked at the signboard: "Willow Dark, Peach Blossom Red. I like this name."

"Is it just a good name" Li Minghao pointed inside and said, "Come on, let me show you around."

"This two-story building used to be a residence. I bought it and had it renovated into what you see now," explained Li Minghao: "There are only two private rooms inside, and during meal times, we only serve two tables."

"Two tables That's quite limited." When it came to business operations, Wang Zheng was clearly no match for Li Minghao.

"Of course. This is all part of the gimmick," said Li Minghao with a chuckle: "Think about it, when those people who come specifically for this place hear that we only serve two tables daily, they'll go crazy trying to reserve a seat. Rarity equals value, and people tend to have such psychological inclinations."

"And there’s more," Li Minghao continued with a smile: "Plus, Hua Hong personally cooks here. Even if she hires some helpers, cooking two tables per meal is already her limit. We still need our sister-in-law to take care of Chen Kang as well; we can't afford for her to overwork."

"You really have thought this through," Wang Zheng chuckled. It could not be denied that Li Minghao had considered far more and done much more than he.

"I've tasted the local dishes Hua Hong made, they're indeed excellent, no less than those in some top restaurants," said Li Minghao: "For people who are used to gourmet food in the capital city, a change of flavor might just get them addicted."

“還有什麼 gimmicks” Wang Zheng asked with a laugh, happier than anyone else to see Chen Kang settle down here.

"Originally this place was just a vegetable plot. I turned it into a little farm where guests can pick whatever they want and have it slaughtered on the spot. Whether vegetables or poultry meat, everything is guaranteed green and free from harm."

Wang Zheng touched his nose and looked at the small building, saying, "I have a feeling that this place will become the main location for government officials' banquets from now on."

Lee Ming Hao also smiled: "That's true. Nowadays official spending on meals and receptions has all gone underground, so it’s indeed an ideal spot given its remoteness."

"Let's go help out," Wang Zheng couldn’t help but feel eager.

The next morning, Chen Kang was pushed out by Hua Hong dressed in a suit. The couple were both wearing clothes that made them look like newlyweds, their smiles uncontainable.

Chen Kang took off his military uniform and put on the suit; although it seemed somewhat incongruous, he still exuded an upright demeanor. His tanned face would always flash with a determined expression amidst the smiling.

Holding Wang Zheng's and Lee Ming Hao's hands, Chen Kang couldn't help but choke up. Over these years since his "retirement," his life had indeed been too bitter.

The bitterness in his heart is indescribable.

But it's okay, this group of good friends found him and even spent so much time and money to open a restaurant for him. Although Chen Kang is taciturn, he's not stupid either. From the very beginning until now, the investment in this restaurant has at least amounted to several million yuan, which he sees with his own eyes and remembers deeply.

There are many kinds of affection that cannot be expressed verbally; saying them might even seem less profound. Wang Zheng has already understood everything through Chen Kang's gaze.

"We brothers living well is more important than anything else." Wang Zheng patted Chen Kang on the shoulder and said very seriously.

It seems that Liminghao also wants to make this opening grandiose; he didn't hire receptionists but instead mobilized two hundred of his subordinates, all dressed in identical red short-sleeved Tang suits, standing by both sides of the road looking festive and joyous.

Liminghao had laid out a red carpet twenty meters long and even engaged a professional drum band to play music. Although it's just a small rural courtyard restaurant, he managed to create an impressive atmosphere unlike any other.

"Director Qian, this is the place right here. The permit for this restaurant hasn't come down yet, and the agricultural land hasn't been converted into commercial use. Today they brazenly opened their doors, clearly challenging our Urban Management Bureau's authority and not regarding your instructions."

At this moment, a black Passat pulled up a short distance away from the rural courtyard.

"We've been cracking down strictly lately; we need to set an example with one case." The so-called Director Qian is a plump man with a gold-rimmed pair of glasses on his nose, looking full-faced and pot-bellied. Sitting next to him was a middle-aged man in urban management uniform who looked somewhat shrewd, with cunning glints in his eyes.

"Cull the chicken to warn the monkeys, it's time for action," Director Qian said as he patted his thigh and instructed: "Deal with one harshly and severely punish them! Captain Hu, settle this matter today!"

"Since it's a rare occasion of Director Qian coming down for an inspection, I'll immediately take care of the situation," the man who appeared to be the城管隊長 (urban management captain) said obsequiously: "This must serve as a typical case for severe punishment."

Of course, Captain Hu knew what Director Qian had in mind. In fact, transforming residential land into commercial space was rampant across all of Beijing, though it violated regulations; the relevant authorities tacitly allowed this practice due to the excessively high conversion costs and reluctance to assume associated risks and responsibilities. Thus, the matter had been left unresolved for a long time.

The farmhouse restaurant prepared by Li Minghao for Chen Kang had gone through formal procedures for filing with the industrial and commercial department; however, owing to aforementioned issues, it remained unaddressed, and Li Minghao did not attach importance to this matter as such situations were too numerous to count.

In fact, from the perspective of urban management authorities, they welcomed these unlicensed restaurants, because whenever some urban managers felt a financial crunch or felt under pressure, they would go down to enforce penalties on several establishments. The fines earned could sustain them for quite a while since there were no clear standards or laws governing such practices.

However, recently due to stricter oversight from higher-ups, instances of arbitrary fines had decreased significantly; yet this did not rule out individuals defying regulations. For instance, Director Qian and Captain Hu showed no fear of hardship, arriving early before work hours to issue fines on site—especially knowing in advance about the small restaurant's planned opening, which would be suspicious even for a fool.

A white Nissan pickup truck emblazoned with "Comprehensive Management" followed behind the帕薩特 (Passat), clearly a vehicle designated for urban management personnel. The two vehicles slowly parked outside "Willows Amidst Flowers."

Common sense dictates that if attending an event, one should park cars outside the red carpet area; but this公車牌照 (government vehicle license plate)-bearing帕薩特 (Passat) brazenly drove over the brand-new carpet, leaving two dirty tire marks—extremely unpleasant and glaring to behold!Qi said不甘示弱地迴應道, she was used to being on top in her ideal kingdom and found it very uncomfortable to be threatened."I'm stating the facts." Wang Zheng’s gaze swept over Grand Elder Luo Qi’s body befo...