My Exclusive Dream World Adventures-Chapter 139 - Why Bother (Guaranteed First Update)
Chapter 139: 139 Why Bother (Guaranteed First Update)
Chapter 139: 139 Why Bother (Guaranteed First Update)
“So she just had something to deal with and temporarily left?”
In a barbecue restaurant, Old Tang and Chen Xu sat at a spot towards the interior, with only half a glass of beer remaining in front of them. After hearing his words, Old Tang asked.
Chen Xu shook his head, “Blocked on WeChat, her phone number is now out of service, went to her company looking for people, they said she resigned.”
“When she said she was leaving, I had already guessed it would be like this. I’m just, a little unwilling, that’s all.”
With that, he picked up his glass and drank the remaining beer in one gulp, grabbed the bottle, and refilled it, “Actually, I had early on guessed it would be like this. Just as she appeared out of the blue initially, her departure was equally abrupt, without any signs.”
Old Tang raised his glass and clinked it with his.
To be honest, he wasn’t very worried, because Chen Xu didn’t seem very sad. There was a noticeable difference from the last time he broke up.
“Why didn’t you try to hold her back, then?”
Chen Xu looked at the glass filled with beer in his hand and said, “You don’t understand her. When she decides to do something, no one can change her mind.”
“I believe she has her reasons for doing this.”
“And furthermore, she is surely making the decision that is most beneficial to the situation. She has always been like this; for long-term benefits, even if such a decision hurts others, hurts herself, she would not hesitate to do it.”
Chen Xu gulped down a glass of beer and belched uncomfortably.
“I know all this. But I can’t accept it. Why does she get to decide on her own? What makes her think I can’t face difficulties with her? Why can she decide whether to be together or to leave just as she likes?”
The more he spoke, the more agitated he became, and with a bang, he slammed the glass hard on the table.
Old Tang silently filled his glass with beer and poured himself one too, and asked, “What do you plan to do in the future, then?”
“Earn money, a lot of money. Then go find her, to let her know, I’m the one who calls the shots in this relationship. It starts when I nod, and doesn’t end until I say so, no one can separate us, including herself.”
Old Tang could see he was a bit drunk, and what he said sounded like drunken babble.
From the bits and pieces Chen Xu let slip, he could tell that the girl probably came from a complex background. He could almost imagine several melodramatic storylines.
Chen Xu’s feelings for her were deep; he wouldn’t even dare ask why she was leaving. Right now, he must be hating how powerless he was.
He said with his mouth that they had broken up, but in his heart, he was thinking of a day when he’d win her back.
New n𝙤vel chapters are published on novelbuddy.cσ๓.
However, even he would probably admit that it was unlikely.
Old Tang could see that he wasn’t particularly heartbroken; maybe he had already prepared himself for their separation.
These things are truly perplexing.
All one could hope was that time would heal all wounds.
…
The next day, Chen Xu went to the Administration of Industry and Commerce with his former boss, the girl he had signed a contract with yesterday, to change the name on the business license.
This was something they had agreed upon the night before.
You could tell the girl was in a good mood, seemingly having successfully salvaged their friendship.
That’s why one should never go into business with a friend. He had never even thought of involving Old Tang in the business because he cherished their friendship.
It took a whole morning to get everything sorted. He sent the girl on her way and then Chen Xu immediately found an advertising company to change the restaurant’s sign.
By the way, he changed the lock on the door. It wasn’t that he distrusted the girl, but it’s always good to be cautious.
Next, he bought red paper and wrote a help-wanted sign, which he posted at the entrance.
By evening, the new sign was up and the new lock was installed. Chen Xu locked the door and went to the supermarket to buy supplies.
Before going home for the New Year, and including the last month’s salary he received, his savings had reached nearly one hundred and twenty thousand yuan. After going home, he gave eight thousand to his parents, bought new clothes and a necklace for Yang Jinxia, leaving him with only one hundred thousand.
For this noodle shop, he spent one hundred thousand. Now there is only less than one thousand yuan left on his bank card, he has to get the noodle shop running as soon as possible to generate income.
After hesitating a bit, he still went to the former 2003 Noodle Shop.
Standing at the entrance, he looked at the A4 paper taped to the door that read “Temporarily Closed,” now filled with many more words. They had been left by various customers, each handwriting different.
Some asked where he had gone, others urged him to come back and open up soon, and there were even threats of cyber man-hunting him if he didn’t return.
He laughed at this, borrowed paper and pen from the barbecue stand next door, wrote the new shop’s address, and pasted it onto the door before leaving.
…
The next morning, Chen Xu posted a red sign that read “Grand Opening” at the entrance and began his first day of business.
Perhaps because the shop had just opened, there were not many customers in the morning; he only made seven sales.
There were also a few job applicants, some of whom said they’d think about it after asking about pay and left. Some proposed their desired salary, and after hearing it, Chen Xu politely asked her to leave.
Nowadays, finding suitable workers is really not easy.
Chen Xu felt quite reflective. Before the New Year, when he was still at the company, he had more contact with the store department. He had heard them say that even big supermarkets have difficulty hiring the right people, mainly because wages are getting higher.
If it comes down to it, just add a bit more to the salary, he thought.
By lunchtime, there were more customers, most of whom seemed to be office workers from nearby.
“Boss, come out and greet the customers.” Suddenly, a somewhat familiar voice came from the doorway. Chen Xu poked his head out from the kitchen and, to his surprise, saw Yanqing, a former regular customer.
He was quite delighted to see a familiar face and said, “What brings you here?”
“Heh heh, I saw the note you left yesterday evening, so I came over,” Yanqing laughed. Noticing that there were quite a few other customers in the restaurant, he lowered his voice and added, “I say, Boss, you’ve finally had your breakthrough. Really happy for you.”
Chen Xu smiled and said, “Have a seat, what would you like to eat?”
“Got any new dishes?”
“Not at the moment.”
“Then I’ll have a bowl of seafood noodles.”
“Coming right up.”
…
In the evening, Yanqing came again, this time with his girlfriend and a few other regulars.
To thank them for their support, Chen Xu made sure to give them extra portions.
It wasn’t until midnight that he finally closed the door. After tallying up the day’s earnings, the turnover had reached nine hundred, and after deducting rent and other expenses, the profit was quite substantial.
Indeed, location is paramount for the food and beverage industry. He remembered when he first opened 2003 Noodle Shop and lost a fair bit of money on the first day.
Afterward, Chen Xu settled into the life of a noodle shop owner.
Open the doors every morning at seven, close them at ten to go shopping for ingredients, then return and reopen at eleven.
Then at two in the afternoon, he would close again until five and stay open until midnight.
This routine continued for nearly a month, and as word of mouth spread, the business got better and better. At peak lunchtime, the eight tables in the restaurant weren’t enough to accommodate everyone. Being so busy, he had no choice but to raise the wages a bit more.
As a result, a woman in her forties came to apply for the job that very day. After hearing about the wages, she said she could accept the job. Without asking about her details, Chen Xu told her to start work the next day.
After a month of recruiting, someone finally agreed to work here, and he felt it was best not to be too picky.
A few days later, Chen Xu felt he really had made the right choice hiring Aunt Zhou, who spoke little but worked efficiently. She took initiative in tasks without needing to be told, tackling chores like cleaning, dishwashing, and preparing vegetables quickly and well.
…
“Chen Xu,” Old Tang entered the noodle shop with his wife and greeted Chen Xu, who was in the kitchen, noting that the place was nearly full, “Business looks good.”
It was already after nine in the evening—well past dinner time—and the fact that the noodle shop was still bustling was a testament to its success.
Chen Xu looked up and waved, “Sister-in-law, you’re here too! Take a seat. Aunt Zhou, could you please tidy up that table inside?”
“It’s been a long time, Chen Xu,” Old Tang’s wife, cradling their daughter, greeted him politely.
Chen Xu asked, “Would you all like something to eat?”
“No need,” Old Tang replied, “we’ve already eaten. We were out to buy some things and just happened to be passing by, so we thought to bring her here for a sit down. Don’t worry about us, you go on with your work.”
After a while, having finished up, Chen Xu washed his hands, took off his apron, and poured water for Old Tang and his family, apologizing, “Sorry, the place is small and doesn’t have much room for hosting you all.”
Old Tang said it was no problem.
He then asked, “I saw the business hours posted on your door. Are you open till one in the morning?”
“Yeah, there are too many night owls around here. I originally planned to close at midnight, but people kept coming for takeout, often keeping me half an hour longer, so I figured I might as well stay open later.”
Old Tang understood that working in food and beverage was exhausting. Now Chen Xu was running a shop that served breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night snacks pretty much by himself, with only Aunt Zhou to help—it was a wonder he found any time to sleep, as if he was truly working himself to the bone.
He couldn’t help but advise, “Why are you pushing yourself so hard? The business is already doing well.”
Chen Xu smiled, “Once you get used to it, it doesn’t seem so hard. While I’m still young, I’ve got to work hard. Once I’m older, I won’t be able to work like this.”
Seeing Chen Xu’s attitude, Old Tang knew further persuasion would be futile and changed the subject, “Today, Mr. Luo asked about how you’ve been.”
Mr. Luo?
Chen Xu was slightly startled, and the smile on his face slowly faded.
Old Tang, observing this, said, “I think she cares about you. Maybe you should go see her?”
“Right now, all I want to do is make money,” Chen Xu shook his head.
Old Tang didn’t persist. After sitting for a while and seeing how busy Chen Xu was, he didn’t want to be a disturbance and left with his wife.
A few hours later, Chen Xu saw that it was about time, locked the front door, took a shower, and lay down on the bed.
He had given up the room he had been renting and was now living in the loft above the noodle shop.
He activated the virtual dream device, and that familiar interface appeared in his vision. He glanced at the countdown for the mission—there were still about twenty-three hours left.
Half a year had passed at last, and now, with less than a day left, he was on the verge of unlocking the third dream.
The previous two dreams had been approached with the desire to experience a different life.
This time was different—he hoped to gain even more from the dream.
What kind of world would the third dream be?
With thoughts like these flickering through his mind, he quickly drifted off to sleep.
PS: Next chapter will be posted before ten o’clock tonight.
