Chapter Forty-Eight: Mockery!

“No way, really?”

What happened tonight was simply unbelievable to Chen Feng. He had thought that even if there weren’t many customers, it wouldn’t be so bad that not a single person would show up. Chen Feng was quite confident in his Signature Juicy Beef Balls. As long as someone tried them, he was certain they would be hooked, and every customer could become a regular.

But reality was a bitter disappointment. Not a single person came in. The street outside was bustling with people, but not one stepped through his door.

Chen Feng couldn’t help but feel helpless. In truth, this wasn’t entirely unexpected. The shop was in a rather remote spot, the storefront was tiny—less than twenty square meters—and his parents, being frugal, hadn’t bothered to renovate or even hold a proper opening ceremony.

Passersby took one look at the cramped, messy little shop and the pricey, oddly named Juicy Beef Balls—one bowl costing a hundred yuan—and thought, “Who in their right mind would eat here?”

Chen Feng had anticipated this, and sighed quietly, glancing at his parents, unsure what to say. After all, his parents were factory workers with limited horizons. When it came to opening a shop, their only thought was to save money wherever they could, never considering how to attract attention or draw in customers.

Of course, this was a matter of perspective, and Chen Feng couldn’t really blame them. He couldn’t expect lifelong workers to suddenly have a keen business sense.

“Xiaofeng, do you think we made a mistake opening this shop?” his mother, Xiao Sufen, asked hesitantly, her face shadowed with worry.

“Mom, do you think our Juicy Beef Balls taste good?” Chen Feng didn’t answer directly, but posed a different question.

“They’re delicious, of course!” Xiao Sufen nodded eagerly. “To be honest, I’ve never tasted anything so good!”

Chen Feng smiled and continued, “So do you think if customers try our Juicy Beef Balls, they’ll come back for more?”

“They will!” Xiao Sufen replied without hesitation.

Chen Feng spread his hands. “Then what are you worried about?”

Xiao Sufen paused for a moment, and Chen Feng went on, “Mom, don’t worry. Our family’s shop is different from others. We’ll keep every customer who walks in. We just haven’t built up a reputation yet—it’ll come with time. There’s no rush!”

His words brought some comfort to his parents. At the very least, they were confident in the quality of the Juicy Beef Balls Lin Yu had created.

Chen Feng slumped over the table, frowning to himself. His parents were clearly unwilling to spend money, but he still had some savings—a scholarship for “Best Player” titles—which he could use for advertising. The problem was, he’d never done any promotion before and had no idea how to go about it.

Creak!

Just then, the shop’s door opened unexpectedly. Chen Feng looked up in surprise. It was Fang Yue. He hurried over. “Fang Yue, what brings you here?”

Fang Yue smiled serenely at him. “I heard your family’s shop opened today. It’s your first day, so I wanted to come by, show some support, and see how you’re doing!”

As she spoke, Fang Yue turned to Chen Feng’s parents, greeting them politely. “Hello, Uncle! Auntie!”

Chen Feng’s parents recognized her at once as the girl who had helped apply medicine to their son’s back. Chen Feng’s father, Chen Ze, laughed warmly, “Hello, hello! You’re Chen Feng’s classmate, right? Have you had dinner yet? Let me prepare something for you—I guarantee it’ll be the most delicious thing you’ve ever tasted!”

“Great!” Fang Yue’s face lit up with excitement. She had tasted Lin Yu’s Juicy Beef Balls before and was looking forward to it.

“I’ll bring it out!” Chen Feng quickly went to the kitchen and served Fang Yue a bowl of Juicy Beef Balls.

With experience from last time, Fang Yue popped a whole Beef Ball into her mouth. There were different ways to eat them, after all. Taking small bites let you savor the tender beef; biting midway caused a sudden burst of rich flavor; but swallowing one whole released a concentrated rush of shrimp juice and aroma that lingered on the palate.

Just then, the door opened again. This time, a stout, heavyset middle-aged man walked in. Chen Ze hurried to greet him, smiling politely. “Friend, would you like a serving of our Juicy Beef Balls? They’re really something special…”

The middle-aged man glanced at Chen Ze and snorted before speaking at a measured pace. “Don’t you recognize me?”

Chen Ze was taken aback, hesitating. “And you are…?”

The man grinned slyly. “I run the spicy hotpot place next door. I saw your shop open and came by for a look. Business seems a bit slow tonight, huh?”

Chen Ze laughed awkwardly and shook his head. “It’s our first day. It’s normal not to have many people. Please, have a seat. Sorry we didn’t come greet you earlier.”

The man took a seat without ceremony and handed Chen Ze a cigarette, shaking his head as he spoke. “It’s fine. I just came to see how you’re doing since you opened. But brother, honestly, you shouldn’t have chosen this spot. Do you know why the previous owner gave up this place?”

Chen Ze paused, puzzled. “Why?”

“Simple—bad feng shui.” The man shook his head again. “Didn’t you know? The last owner never made a cent here. Lost everything, in fact!”

Chen Ze swallowed nervously. He was somewhat superstitious, so this got under his skin.

“So what should I do?” Chen Ze asked uncertainly. “Should I get someone to perform a ritual?”

“Rituals won’t help,” the man said, shaking his head. “This whole area, Four Seas Street, is known as a place where money leaks away. You know what that means? It’s a spot where money just slips through your fingers. Every other shop along this street makes at least some profit, but this place—well, I’ve been around here for seven or eight years, and let me tell you, more than twenty different owners have come and gone. Priests, monks—they’ve all tried, but nothing worked.”

“Then… what should I do?” Chen Ze was at a loss.

The man sighed and patted Chen Ze on the shoulder. “Listen, brother. You seem like a good man. Since fate has brought us together, I’ll be straight with you. How about this: transfer the lease to me. I’ll take the loss so you don’t have to suffer.”

“Transfer it to you?” Chen Ze was tempted. “How much would you pay?”

“How long have you had the lease?” the man inquired.

“Three months,” Chen Ze replied hesitantly. “The rent is ten thousand a month.”

“Ah, that’s tricky,” the man frowned. “The most I can offer is ten thousand. Not a penny more. You know how tough small business is these days.”

Chen Ze hesitated.

“Dad, don’t let him fool you!” Chen Feng couldn’t bear it any longer. All that talk about feng shui and cursed locations—it was just that the shop was too out of the way for anyone to notice. If you weren’t a Four Seas Street regular, you’d never know the shop existed. The man was obviously trying to get the shop for a bargain, expand his own hotpot place, and make more money with as little investment as possible. He didn’t want to go through the landlord, so he tried to get it from another tenant at rock-bottom price. He knew business was bad here and wanted to capitalize on it.

“Is this your kid? How can you let him talk like that?” The man’s face darkened with displeasure. “Really, what kind of example are you setting?”

Chen Ze was momentarily speechless, but inwardly displeased. Since when did this man have a say in how he raised his child?

“I’m telling you, we absolutely will not transfer the lease to you!” Chen Ze snorted, disdain in his voice. “And let me tell you, our shop will make money, and plenty of it. You don’t need to worry about us. You can go now!”

“You…” The man glared at Chen Feng, then said coldly, “Fine, but let me tell you, you won’t make a dime here. I’ve been on Four Seas Street for years and never seen anyone as foolish as you lot. Juicy Beef Balls—for a hundred a bowl—you must be dreaming. You won’t make a cent, mark my words. You’ll be out of business soon!”

“You…” Even mild-mannered Chen Ze was furious now.

Creak! At that moment, the door swung open again, and a group of well-dressed, successful-looking people began filing into the shop.