Chapter 112 - 100: Consultation

Chapter 112: Chapter 100: Consultation

The evening service was over, and only a few customers were left on the second floor.

A few old men and Tom were sitting by the window and waved Ning He over to sit down.

"Did something happen? Running a restaurant isn’t easy, so if you run into any trouble, just let us know. We old-timers may be retired, but we still have a bit of pull. We can definitely help you out," Leitel said eagerly, stroking his beard.

Ning He grinned. "Nothing’s wrong with the restaurant. I asked you all to stay because there’s something I’d like to ask your advice on."

"Are you sure? That Gates fellow isn’t giving you a hard time?" Leitel asked.

Last week, Ning He’s buffet ran out of eggs twice, and she ended up giving all the customers a 20% discount. The men had all been there and seen what happened, so they could tell Ning He definitely had a problem with her supply chain.

It was just eggs. With so many food companies in Beiluo City, there was no reason they couldn’t supply a small restaurant.

When they went back and did a little digging, it didn’t take long for them to guess the reason.

Ning He pursed her lips and finally told them the truth.

"I do have some issues with Chairman Gates. But he has his methods, and I have mine. The outcome is still uncertain. I’ll handle this my own way. All you gentlemen have to do is keep coming to the restaurant. Trust me, I can handle it."

Leitel was about to say something more, but the old man with the cane slammed his hand on the table, his weathered eyes full of admiration.

"Good girl! You’ve got guts! I like your spirit. That’s right, there’s always a way out, no matter how tough the situation is. That Gates kid doesn’t play fair, and he dares to underestimate you. He’ll stumble eventually! Keep it up, we’re all behind you!"

The thin old man huffed.

"Easy for you to say. How are we supposed to support her? There are only five of us. Even if we came every day, our business alone couldn’t keep a place this big afloat. That Gates kid has been cunning since he was little. He’s a much better businessman than us old fogeys. Don’t go giving her any bad ideas!"

The old man with the cane looked indignant and was about to retort, tilting his head up, but the gray-haired man across from him waved a hand to stop him.

"Let’s not argue. Let’s hear what Ning has to say. She might already have a plan."

Ning He smiled. "I do have an idea, and I’d like to hear your opinions on it."

"Well, let’s hear it," the gray-haired man said.

"I want to start my own food company. The kind that does everything itself, from planting to initial processing," Ning He said.

The old men exchanged a look, apparently not expecting that at all.

"Well..." Leitel hesitated before speaking frankly. "That would certainly solve the restaurant’s supply problem, but starting a food company isn’t so easy. It requires a lot of capital and preparation."

"I know. That’s why I wanted to ask for your guidance today. You gentlemen know a lot more about Beiluo City than I do. It’s much better than me fumbling around on my own," Ning He said.

"Hmm, you know more about business matters. Why don’t you explain it to her?" Leitel said, looking at Tom, who had been silent the whole time.

Tom nodded. After a moment of thought, he began, "There are several strict requirements for opening a food company. I’ll tell you what I know first."

"First, a food company, especially one involved in cultivation, must pay a security deposit of at least one hundred thousand original coins to the regulatory authorities. Second, the company’s location, factory construction, and hardware must meet the minimum standards to withstand basic natural disasters. You’ll also need to have at least one qualified scientific and technical researcher on staff to oversee professional production management. Once all of that is arranged, you can submit your application for a business license. The license requires approval from multiple departments, including the Bureau of Biosafety, which will conduct an on-site inspection of your company. If you get held up at any stage, it will significantly delay your opening. So, it’s crucial that all the preparatory steps are done properly."

Ning He had already looked up information online about the one-hundred-thousand-original-coin security deposit, so she was mentally prepared for that. But the other requirements were things she definitely couldn’t handle on her own.

"This all sounds complicated. Are there agencies that specialize in these kinds of services? And where would I find a researcher? Finally, based on the most basic standards, roughly how much startup capital would I need to prepare?"

Ning He asked several questions in one breath, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Sorry, I really don’t know anything about this."

Tom shook his head. "It’s fine. This is information the average person doesn’t have access to, so it’s normal not to know. If you need help, I have a consulting firm that provides these exact corporate services. They can guide you. As for a scientific and technical researcher, we have an industry veteran right here with us."

Ning He froze for a moment. Her gaze swept over the other old-timers, and she saw the thin old man pressing his lips together and clearing his throat with a cough, feigning composure.

"Ahem, what veteran? This old man is retired. I’m no use anymore."

Tom smiled. "But you, sir, are the first biology Ph.D. from Beiluo City to be invited to give an academic lecture in Central City. You single-handedly established our official farms. When it comes to experience in this field, no one can compare to you."

Leitel also patted his old friend on the shoulder. "Tom’s right. You may be retired, but you still have plenty of students, don’t you? Find one or two bright ones to come help Xiao Ning build her company."

Ning He’s eyes lit up, and she quickly added, "That’s right! The salary will definitely be competitive. Plus, I’ll provide all their meals, something different every day. The food is guaranteed to be satisfying!"

"That’s a pretty good offer. I’m tempted myself," the gray-haired man said with a chuckle.

The thin old man waved his hand. "Alright, I’ll get in touch with some people when I get back. I’ll let you know if I find someone suitable."

"Thank you so much, sir!" Ning He beamed.

"The preparations for a food company take quite some time. If you’re in a hurry, I suggest you start getting ready now and decide on a location first. This is my company director’s contact information. Go find him when you have time, and he’ll tell you what to do."

Tom took a business card from his wallet and handed it to Ning He.

Ning He took it and nodded. "Okay, I’ll get started as soon as possible."

The information Tom provided was extremely useful to Ning He. As they were leaving, Ning He distributed the gifts she had prepared in advance.

There were five small jars containing pickled cucumbers, pickled radish, tomato meat sauce, roasted pepper and fresh mushroom sauce, and garlic chili sauce. The moment she took them out, the five men divided them up.

"Ning, don’t you hesitate to ask next time you have any questions. We old-timers might not have much else, but we’ve seen a lot. We’ll be sure to tell you everything we know!" Leitel said, clutching a jar of the improved roasted pepper and fresh mushroom sauce, grinning from ear to ear.

Finally, all five men got into their car, completely satisfied.

After seeing them off, Ning He returned to the restaurant, and Connie came over.

"What were you all talking about? You seemed so happy."

Ning He didn’t plan to hide it from her. "I’m going to start a food company. I was asking them for some information."

Connie was shocked.

"Start... start what? A food company?!"

She thought she must have misheard.

Ning He nodded.

"Yes. In our current situation, if we don’t solve the ingredient supply problem, the restaurant can only go so far. Once Gates thinks of another way to restrict us, we might not even be able to maintain what we have now. I’ve thought it over and over, and the only way is to solve this problem ourselves. As long as we have our own food company, we won’t have to be threatened by anyone."

Ning He had a grave and determined expression, as if she had truly made this decision for the future of the restaurant.

"But... this... isn’t it too soon? Can we really do it? It must cost a lot of money, right?"

Connie, who was usually aggressive when it came to making money, had suddenly turned into a conservative.

"Let me worry about the money. You and Ah Huai just need to manage the restaurant. I’ll teach you both as many of my recipes as I can. From here on out, I’ll have to trouble you two." Ning He patted Connie’s shoulder, looking as if she were entrusting her with a heavy burden.

Although Connie had many uncertainties, she had already developed a habitual trust in Ning He.

"Don’t worry, we’ll take care of the restaurant. There won’t be any problems. If you’ve made up your mind, just go for it. We all support you." As she spoke, Connie thought of something, and a trace of excitement appeared in her eyes. "If we really had our own food company, our restaurant would definitely become the hottest spot in all of Beiluo City! Who would we have to be afraid of then?"

"Ning He, go for it. We still have the cafeteria stall business anyway, so at worst, we won’t starve. When you actually succeed, I’d like to see if that Chairman still has the face to show up here!"

In just a moment, Connie had reverted to her aggressive self and rushed off in a flurry to share the news with Ah Huai.

Watching her go, Ning He quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Opening the business card Tom had given her, she decided to pay a visit on the restaurant’s next day off.

The next second, however, she slapped her forehead, remembering she had a mission with the gourmet group next Monday.

To be honest, the 800 original coins she got per mission from the gourmet group wasn’t very appealing to her anymore. Besides, the Black Panther Company had pretty much finished collecting all the mutated species within the dense forest’s operational area, so there was no real need to risk going out of the city again.

After all, she had almost lost her life last time. Besides, her time was precious now and needed to be spent on more important things.

Ning He decided to sacrifice her chance to sleep in tomorrow. She would first visit the person Tom recommended, then talk to Macken about pausing her duties.

Anyway, Uncle Miao’s health had improved a lot. He had gone with the group on the last two missions, so she might not be needed.

With her plans settled, Ning He dutifully woke up early the next day and found Tom’s company at the address on the business card.