Reborn in the 80s: Everyone Falls For Me-Chapter 255 - 254: Xu Niannian with a Black Heart (3 more)

Chapter 255: Chapter 254: Xu Niannian with a Black Heart (3 more)

After leaving Du Wenwen waiting for more than an hour, Xu Niannian finally put down the account book in a nonchalant manner and rose to her feet, walking towards her.

She sat down opposite Du Wenwen.

Du Wenwen cut to the chase and asked, "Can you really change the profitability of my family’s business?"

Xu Niannian nodded, "If I couldn’t, I wouldn’t have sent gifts to your family. After all, 100 yuan is not a small amount. I wouldn’t be throwing a meat bun to a dog for nothing."

Her allusion to the meat bun and the dog caught Du Wenwen completely off guard.

But since she was the one asking for help, she couldn’t act haughty either.

Originally, after Du Wenwen copied the Butter Sauce, she planned for her mother to create some buzz to attract customers.

They could increase the quantity, but they couldn’t drop the price.

After all, it was easy to decrease the portion size, but very difficult to raise the price.

With her mother’s tactics, she disrupted her plan of using larger portions to draw in customers and turn them into regulars.

That way, even if they earned less, they would still make some money, and by gradually reducing the portion size, there might be dissatisfaction, but it wouldn’t be too noticeable.

By directly increasing the portion and lowering the price, any later price hike and decrease in quantity would only cause resentment among the customers, who would then be even less inclined to continue eating at her place.

But she couldn’t keep selling at a loss indefinitely; after all, the rent for the shop was substantial.

After counting the losses over the past few days, Du Wenwen’s mother had finally realized they were continuously losing money, and she was utterly panicked. They needed to retain their customers first.

For the moment, Du Wenwen was out of solutions.

And the situation at her home, Xu Niannian had analyzed thoroughly in the red packet she sent.

However, Xu Niannian had underestimated just how desperately her family needed money.

Seeing Xu Niannian’s confident demeanor, Du Wenwen directly asked, "What are your plans to help change my family’s profitability?"

Xu Niannian had been observing Du Wenwen closely, and at her question, she didn’t rush her answer, tapping her slender fingers on the table, "Aren’t you very curious about how my family makes its Butter Sauce? I’ll give you a chance. Do you want to try it?"

Du Wenwen thought Xu Niannian would offer some kind of scheme to help her family’s current situation, but to her surprise, the offer was something different.

"What do you mean?" Du Wenwen asked cautiously.

Xu Niannian was not in a hurry, "First tell me, why did you steal my family’s secret recipe and use our name, resorting to the despicable competitive tactic of lowering prices?"

The word "steal" made Du Wenwen’s face turn ugly.

Because Xu Niannian was right; she had indeed stolen it.

Although she had figured it out on her own through taste tests and research, what she did was, in essence, reverse-engineering someone else’s finished product through her talent and ability.

From a certain aspect, it indeed counted as stealing.

A sense of guilty pride flickered across Du Wenwen’s face.

Seeing the guilt in her eyes, Xu Niannian mentally gave Du Wenwen a point. At least she didn’t take her actions for granted as her own development and had some conscience left.

Xu Niannian was able to analyze her shop’s profitability even when it seemed to be thriving on the surface. Du Wenwen couldn’t afford to underestimate her.

She needed money, desperately, so the Xu Niannian before her now was like the last straw for Du Wenwen.

So even though Xu Niannian’s words were embarrassing, she didn’t dare to retort.

Having no choice, Du Wenwen told Xu Niannian why she had replicated Xu Niannian’s secret recipe and used the same name and price-cutting strategy, as well as the difficult situation her family was in.

Xu Niannian listened quietly, and after hearing everything, she suddenly looked at Du Wenwen, her eyes sharp and penetrating, "Are you sure this was just your mother’s idea and you had no part in it?"

Facing such eyes that seemed to see through one’s soul, Du Wenwen was momentarily taken aback, feeling as though any lies would be exposed in her presence.

Du Wenwen suddenly felt fortunate that she had chosen to tell the truth.

"I wasn’t involved. I’ve already told you what I was involved in. Using the name and lowering prices wasn’t in my consideration. If my father wasn’t urgently in need of money, and you hadn’t taken our business, I wouldn’t have copied your family’s secret recipe. But I truly am interested in your Butter Sauce recipe," Du Wenwen confessed.

Xu Niannian clicked her tongue, "I took your family’s business through my own skills, which is very different from what you did."

The words were full of disparagement.

However, what she said was the truth, so Du Wenwen had no way to rebut.

The pride and provocation she had displayed in front of Xu Niannian were nothing but an attempt to protect her own fragile self-esteem.

"I’ve said everything you asked me to, now it’s your turn," Du Wenwen said.

Xu Niannian nodded, already certain that Du Wenwen could be used.

She spoke directly, "I can let you know the secret recipe for my family’s butter sauce and even teach you the method for our special broth. If your family is short on cash, I’m willing to lend you some to tide you over."

Upon hearing this, Du Wenwen was excited, "Really?"

Then she came to her senses, realizing that there are no free lunches in this world, and asked, "Are you really that kind-hearted? I’ve used despicable means to snatch your family’s business, and you’re still willing to help me without holding a grudge?"

Xu Niannian looked at her, a picture of innocence with her smile, not as foolish as she had thought.

She chuckled, "Of course, I’m not that kind-hearted, especially since the things your family has done are quite annoying."

Du Wenwen: "...So, what do you want?"

Xu Niannian tapped her fingers on the table and said slowly, "Four conditions. First, your family moves the restaurant to another street, just not Daxing Street. Second, change the restaurant’s name to Xu’s Beef Tallow Noodles. Third, from now on, I’ll take thirty percent of your family’s earnings. Can you accept these three?"

Xu Niannian didn’t rush to state the fourth condition, instead, she asked if Du Wenwen could accept the first three.

Du Wenwen was stunned by the three unreasonable demands she had made.

"Why should my family’s restaurant use your family’s name?"

Xu Niannian blinked innocently, "Because the products you’re going to sell are all from my secret recipes, so of course people should know that beef tallow noodles weren’t invented by your family..."

Du Wenwen couldn’t find a reason to argue. She had already come to terms with moving the restaurant and giving away thirty percent of the earnings.

Moving the location was for better business, after all, two restaurants selling the same thing on the same street affected each other. It would be beneficial for both to move.

As for the profit-sharing, Du Wenwen understood that, since there’s no such thing as a free lunch, she wouldn’t just receive the recipe for nothing.

Although she had figured out all the spices in the butter sauce, her product still fell far short.

Moreover, if she really sold Xu Niannian’s beef tallow noodles, even after setting aside the thirty percent for Xu Niannian, her family could still make a decent profit.

Anyway, the business would only be better than before, and she could see that opportunity clearly.

Seeing Xu Niannian’s innocent gaze, Du Wenwen gave in, "Fine, I agree to these three conditions. But let me make it clear, my family can’t afford to relocate again, you’ll have to lend me the money for that. Plus, let’s hear the fourth condition."

Xu Niannian smiled contentedly at Du Wenwen’s defeated expression. She felt a great sense of relief, and her whole being seemed more open.

Serves you right for being so cocky.

Having Du Wenwen’s restaurant take her family’s name was like a franchise, except she would be a bit more heartless than a typical franchisor; she wanted people, too.

Xu Niannian didn’t beat around the bush but pointed directly at Du Wenwen and said, "The fourth condition is you. I need you to work for me."

Du Wenwen looked at Xu Niannian in disbelief: "You want me?"

"Yep," Xu Niannian nodded, "Not only will I tell you the secret recipe for the butter sauce, but I will also personally train you to make a butter sauce that’s exactly like my family’s. From now on, our family’s butter sauce and the special broth will be made by you."

These words shocked Du Wenwen more than the first three conditions: "Aren’t you afraid that after teaching me, I’ll turn on you and compete with you?"

"Of course I’m afraid, after all, someone who likes to copy others’ secret recipes to compete doesn’t have much integrity."

Du Wenwen: "..."

Seeing her speechless, Xu Niannian smiled with satisfaction: "So, I’m going to have you sign an agreement. For ten years, you must be my family’s chef. If anyone else learns our secret recipe within these ten years, whether you revealed it or not, you’ll have to pay a penalty. Also, if you stop being our chef within that time, you’ll owe a penalty as well."

Ten years!

Du Wenwen was shocked by the term and was utterly dumbfounded by Xu Niannian’s words.

So not only could she not divulge the secret recipe, but she also had to hide it carefully, because if anyone else discovered it, the blame would fall on her.

Goodness, Du Wenwen felt her entire worldview being turned upside down. Could there be anyone more ruthless?

The source of this c𝓸ntent is fr(e)𝒆novelkiss