"Brother Shen, where are we going next?" Chu Ling'er asked curiously as she followed Shen Lang out of the hospital room and into the car.
"Ling'er, didn't you say this matter was related to Pan Da Pang from the First Floor? If so, let's go find him at the First Floor now," Shen Lang replied. "Sometimes, the solution to a problem is simple; you just need to deal with the person who created it."
"Brother Shen, Pan Da Pang is arrogant and overbearing. If we go to him directly, I'm afraid he won't admit anything," Chu Ling'er said worriedly. "Why don't we think of another way?"
"No need. Trust me. Just listen to me and do as I say, and Pan Da Pang's troubles will be resolved," Shen Lang told Chu Ling'er his plan and had her practice it repeatedly in the car. An hour later, Shen Lang and Chu Ling'er returned to Jiangnan Renjia. After parking the car, they walked towards the First Floor opposite.
The First Floor was a high-end restaurant. Not only was it luxuriously decorated, but it was also filled with antique furniture. Even a single stool was worth hundreds of thousands. Such a high-end and luxurious restaurant was naturally not for ordinary people. In fact, from the day it was established, the First Floor aimed to be the most upscale restaurant in Nanling, attracting the powerful and wealthy merchants of Nanling for dining and banquets.
However, from the beginning of its operation, the First Floor encountered a rival: Jiangnan Renjia, located opposite. Jiangnan Renjia was a restaurant established by Chu Ling'er. It was very common and ordinary, but its excellent chefs and ingredients made up for it. All eight chefs were top-tier in Nanling, which led many powerful and wealthy gatherings to prefer Jiangnan Renjia, causing the business of the First Floor to decline.
Upon entering the First Floor, Chu Ling'er walked ahead of Shen Lang. A waiter recognized Chu Ling'er as the owner of the Jiangnan Renjia restaurant opposite and, feeling wary, hurried upstairs to the boss's office.
The boss, sitting in his office, was a man less than 1.6 meters tall but weighing a solid 125 kilograms. He was very fat and had difficulty walking. However, if you underestimated this fat man, you would soon find yourself facing a very grim future. Few people knew Pan Da Pang's real name, but this man was extremely cunning and ruthless, using any means necessary. Over the years, many of his competitors had been ruined, while his business continued to grow.
When the waiter entered, Pan Da Pang was sitting on the sofa with a beautiful waitress on his lap. Pan Da Pang's hands were restlessly moving. Seeing the waiter enter, Pan Da Pang was startled and angrily shouted at him, "You son of a bitch, are you tired of living? How many times have I told you to knock before entering the office? Don't you know the rules?"
"I'm sorry, Boss. The situation was urgent, so I was flustered." The waiter had worked at the First Floor for two years and knew Pan Da Pang's personality well. This man was not only calculating but also cruel and vindictive. The thing he hated most was people entering his office without knocking, as it always interrupted his amorous pursuits.
"Urgent situation?" Hearing the waiter's words, Pan Da Pang paused and said, "Is it more urgent than me dating?"
"Dating?" Hearing Pan Da Pang's words, the waiter inwardly grumbled, "Dating your ass! Everyone knows you just like to take advantage of your status to play with pretty waitresses, then pay them a large sum of money to settle it. You change one every day, and you don't even repeat in a month. Don't you dare insult the word 'dating.'" However, he only dared to think this, as he was just an employee and didn't want to offend Pan Da Pang and lose his monthly salary of eight thousand yuan.
"Boss, the situation is indeed quite urgent because Chu Ling'er is here at the First Floor, downstairs. She seems to have come with ill intentions." The waiter said, "Perhaps you shouldn't show yourself, Boss? I can have someone send her away."
"Enough, who do you think you are? Can you handle Chu Ling'er's matters?" Hearing that Chu Ling'er had arrived, Pan Da Pang became very excited. He waved for the woman on his lap to leave quickly, then stood up, tidied his clothes and hair, and said with a smile, "Jiangnan Renjia has been sealed for several days. Chu Ling'er must be anxious now. Coming here today is surely to beg for mercy. I can take this opportunity to humiliate her."
With that, Pan Da Pang smiled and walked out of the office, striding from the eighth floor to the first-floor lobby. Seeing Chu Ling'er standing there with a cold expression, Pan Da Pang was even more convinced that his guess was correct. A playful smile appeared on his face. He strode up to Chu Ling'er and said with feigned surprise, "Well, well, isn't this Miss Chu Ling'er, the owner of Jiangnan Renjia restaurant? What brings you here to my humble establishment?"
"Oh my, what a brain I have. How could I forget such an important matter? Your restaurant had ingredient problems a few days ago, leading to customer food poisoning. Now the restaurant is sealed by the Martial Guard Bureau, so you truly have nothing to do." He continued with a broad smile, "It's not a big problem. I can vouch for you. Jiangnan Renjia restaurant's hygiene standards are definitely up to par and would never have problems with ingredients or customer poisoning. This is a misunderstanding, a huge misunderstanding."
Pan Da Pang's smile was radiant. If one didn't know better, they might think he was a great benefactor, doing everything for Chu Ling'er's well-being.
"Pan Da Pang, you're a businessman, and so am I. Is there any point in us speaking such falsehoods to each other?" After Pan Da Pang finished speaking, Chu Ling'er said with a cold expression, "I believe no one knows better than you why Jiangnan Renjia restaurant was sealed. Forget it, I can't prove my innocence now, so I admit defeat."
"Pan Da Pang, I've come today for only one reason: I want to sell the restaurant to you. As long as you offer a satisfactory price, the restaurant is yours, and my eight best chefs are also yours."
As soon as she said this, Pan Da Pang's suspicion was confirmed. He smiled and said, "Ling'er, I'm not entirely sure about the situation with the restaurant, but neighbors are better than distant relatives. If you're in trouble, I'll definitely help. Tell me, how much? As long as it's reasonable, I'll write a check right now."
"Three million," Chu Ling'er said without hesitation.
"Three million? That's a bit expensive. No, after all, the restaurant is currently sealed. Although it will be unsealed sooner or later, the reputation has been tarnished by this incident, so it's not worth that much. A maximum of one million," Pan Da Pang said after some thought, a calculating smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"Fine, I admit defeat. One million it is. Deal. However, before the deal is finalized, I'd like to meet the expert behind you."