Chapter 55: Franchise

 

The next day at noon, under the bright sun, a group of restaurant owners gathered in front of the Moonlit Pavilion. When they saw the long line in front of them, they couldn’t help but show expressions of shock and envy. Comparing it to the situation of their own restaurants, they couldn’t help but sigh.

 

Peng, the manager, greeted them with a smile when he saw the crowd, “I’ve been waiting for you all. Please follow me.”

 

The group walked towards the private room of the Moonlit Pavilion. On the way, someone couldn’t contain his curiosity and asked, “What method did Brother Qin use? How did he revive the Moonlit Pavilion? There’s a steady stream of customers. Back then, he even asked us for advice on how to run a restaurant.”

 

Others agreed.

 

The “Brother Qin” they were referring to was not Qin Feng, but Qin Jian’an. Due to the unethical practices of the city lord’s mansion, the living conditions for small eateries had deteriorated. They were struggling to make ends meet, so they were unaware that the Moonlit Pavilion had changed hands.

 

From their impression, Qin Jian’an was known for his extravagant spending and was considered a fool. How could he possess such magical means?

 

Peng Qing smiled and remained silent, giving them a riddle: “Wait until you meet the young master, and everything will be clear.”

 

“Young master?” Everyone looked at each other, their curiosity piqued.

 

When they opened the door to the private room, the restaurant owners were surprised. There were only two people inside, and Qin Jian’an was not one of them.

 

A handsome young man was pouring wine, with a blue-clad swordsman standing next to him.

 

Wine cups were arranged in a circle on the table, and upon closer inspection, the number of cups matched the number of people present.

 

The fragrance of the wine filled the air, making everyone’s eyes light up.

 

“Are you… Qin Feng of the Qin family?” someone recognized the identity of the young man, and the others immediately realized.

 

During the last Qin Family wedding, some of them had attended the event, but due to an accident, they hadn’t stayed until the end.

 

“The junior is indeed Qin Feng. Everyone, please take a seat.”

The restaurant owners exchanged glances and finally sat down.

 

“Where is your father? Didn’t he say he had important things to discuss?” one person asked curiously.

 

“My father is not coming. I’m the one who invited you here to discuss matters, and now I’m the one running the Moonlit Pavilion,” Qin Feng said with a smile, looking around and observing the expressions of the people present.

 

The restaurant owners were astonished. No wonder Peng, the manager, had referred to him as the young master. Could it be that this young man before them had revived the Moonlit Pavilion?

 

The atmosphere was silent for a moment before one person broke the silence, “You have such skills at such a young age, it is truly admirable. But I’m someone who likes to speak openly. I know you called us here to discuss the purchase of our restaurants. I’m sorry, but this restaurant is our ancestral heritage. No matter what you say, I won’t sell it.”

 

Qin Feng nodded and looked at the others, “Is that what everyone else thinks?”

 

Some agreed, some remained silent, and one person, after a struggle, said, “The city lord’s mansion has been forcibly lowering the prices of our dishes and cutting off our wine supply in order to take over the resturants. My family’s restaurant can no longer make ends meet. I can’t hold on any longer. But compared to selling it to the city lord’s mansion, I’d rather sell it to the Qin family.”

 

Upon hearing this, the others sighed with regret; their situation wasn’t much better.

 

“So, Master Qin, how much are you willing to pay to buy our restaurants?” Everyone held their breath as they looked at the handsome young man sitting in the middle. If the price could really tempt them, they might reconsider their stance.

 

Little did they know.

 

Qin Feng took a sip of wine and smiled, “I won’t spend a single penny.”

 

The air suddenly became quiet, as if you could hear a pin drop. Lan Ningshuang looked at her own brother-in-law. Although she knew that Qin Feng would say this, she was still surprised to hear it in person.

 

“This is ridiculous!” Someone slammed the table, obviously angry.

 

Another person’s face turned dark, as if he could drip water. “Young Master Qin, if you called us here just to mock us, we won’t accompany you.”

 

With those words, he stood up as if to leave, and others followed suit, the sound of chairs being pushed away filling the room.

 

Everyone was furious!

 

“Everyone, please calm down. Why not listen to what my young master has to say?” Peng Qing blocked the door, looking worried. He glanced inside, hoping that Qin Feng would speak soon. Unexpectedly, Qin Feng was calmly pouring wine.

 

“Manager Peng, quickly step aside. I, Zhang, have never been humiliated like this before!”

 

“That’s right, this kid has no respect for anyone. We don’t need to stay here any longer.”

 

The situation was getting out of control, and Peng Qing was sweating profusely out of fear.

 

Just then, Qin Feng finally spoke again, “What do you all think about the Moonlit Pavilion business?”

 

Everyone turned around in confusion.

 

The boss named Zhang sneered, “Even if the business is good, that’s no reason for you to humiliate us like this, young man!”

 

A smile appeared on Qin Feng’s lips, “Moonlit Pavilion’s popularity is due to the hot pot dish called ‘Fire Pot’ and the wine we brew ourselves.”

 

“So what?” The people raised their eyebrows. They were well aware of the fame of the hot pot, and the deliciousness of the red soup contributed greatly to the success of Moonlit Pavilion.

 

As for Qin Feng’s mention of the home-brewed wine, they had only learned about it last night, but the pleasant aroma they smelled upon entering the room confirmed many things.

 

“What if I say that I’m willing to share the recipe for the red soup base of the hot pot and the wine with all of you? What do you think?”

 

“What?!” The crowd buzzed with excitement. If this was true, their restaurants would undoubtedly regain their flow of customers and surpass their previous peak times!

 

“What are your terms?” one person asked eagerly.

 

“Sit down and let me explain,” Qin Feng said calmly.

 

With his words, within a few moments, everyone was back in their seats, looking attentive and eager to listen.

 

Qin Feng stood up slightly and leaned forward mysteriously. “Do you know what a franchise is?”

 

Everyone looked confused, and Qin Feng began his explanation of the franchise rules.

“So you mean we will run the restaurants, but they will be called Moonlit Pavilion. And every month, half of the profits will go to Moonlit Pavilion? As for the red soup stock and wine, we can buy them from Moonlit Pavilion every morning at the cost price?” one person clarified, catching the idea.

 

“That’s right,” Qin Feng nodded.

 

The restaurant owners lowered their heads in thought, calculating their profits and losses. They were all smart people and could clearly see the advantages. Under the constant pressure from the city lord’s mansion, having the support of the Moonlit Pavilion would definitely be a profitable deal!

 

There was a glimmer of excitement in their eyes. Someone even made a decision on the spot, taking money out of his pocket and deciding to join Moonlit Pavilion.

 

Once one person made the move, the rest of the tempted restaurant owners couldn’t hold back. They followed suit and pulled out money!

 

Manager Peng blinked his eyes, feeling even more admiration for Qin Feng. Everything was just as Young Master had said – they had acquired these restaurants without spending a single penny!

 

Next to him, Lan Ningshuang was also fascinated by this turn of events.

 

Qin Feng had expected this outcome. He presented the prepared contracts, and everyone signed and sealed them with a smile on their faces.

 

Everything was settled. Qin Feng raised his glass, “From now on, let’s all make money together!”

 

“Young Master Qin is right, let’s all make money together!” everyone echoed.

 

After that, they discussed many details, and an hour later, they reluctantly said goodbye and left.

 

Manager Peng was both excited and worried. “Young master, even though we’ve indirectly won these restaurants, what if they rebel and side with the city lord’s mansion?”

 

“The hot pot soup base and wine are in my hands. Even if they side with the city lord’s mansion, so what? Besides, I believe that they are all intelligent people who know how to make the right choice.” Qin Feng was confident.

 

Since that day, many branches of Moonlit Pavilion suddenly appeared in Jinyang City. The taste of the hot pot and wine was exactly the same as the original Moonlit Pavilion!

 

People who didn’t want to wait in line or who lived far away from the central city could finally enjoy the delicious hot pot closer to home.

 

And Moonlit Pavilion prospered in Jinyang City, making a fortune.

 

However, Qin Feng had little to do with it. With Moonlit Pavilion’s business on track, he wanted to be a hands-off manager and focus on other things.

 

As long as he collected money from Manager Peng on a regular basis, everything would be fine for him.