Chapter 10: To Be a Beast, or Worse Than a Beast

"Where are we going?"
"To Huaxing Market. There's a lot of foot traffic there. My original reason for setting up here was that it's close to where I live."

Jiang Butong realized that Chen Pan'er had quite the sharp business instinct. Like a cunning rabbit with three burrows, she'd already prepared an escape route for herself.

"Alright, then let's go to Huaxing Market."

A gentle breeze stirred, and Jiang Butong suddenly noticed it was already midnight.

Chen Pan'er noticed it too. She bit her lip, hesitated, and said, "How about you stay at my place tonight?"

Jiang Butong looked at her flushed, delicate face and thought to himself, This little girl isn’t afraid of inviting a wolf into her home.

"Let’s go!"

He stood up and followed Chen Pan'er back to her place.

This was his second time visiting her home, but tonight they'd be spending the night under one roof. The thought made Jiang Butong a little...

Chen Pan'er took bedding from her cabinet, her fair cheeks tinged with pink. "Tonight you'll sleep on the floor, alright?"

"Your bed isn't small. Why don't we squeeze in together..."

Jiang Butong wore a teasing smile.

"Then you take the bed, and I'll sleep on the floor."

Though Chen Pan'er didn't dislike him, things were moving a bit too fast. She took her pillow off the bed.

Seeing her so serious, Jiang Butong shook his head, took the pillow, and said, "I'll sleep on the floor then."

"That's more like it."

Chen Pan'er smiled, revealing a cute dimple. If Jiang Butong were really that kind of man, she wouldn't hesitate to kick him out.

It was already late, so Chen Pan'er gave him a new set of toiletries. After a quick wash, they both settled down for the night.

In the darkness, Chen Pan'er lay on the bed and Jiang Butong on the floor; it seemed they could hear each other's heartbeats.

She tried to quiet her thoughts, turned over, and faced away from Jiang Butong.

By the moonlight, Jiang Butong could make out her graceful figure, slender waist, and shapely curves...

What a beautiful night, he thought, what a pity.

Suddenly, he realized Chen Pan'er had turned over without him noticing. Her bright eyes were fixed on him.

"Why are you looking at me?" Jiang Butong asked.

"I'm checking to see if you have any bad intentions," she replied, full of suspicion.

Jiang Butong gave a disdainful chuckle. "I'm a gentleman. You can sleep soundly."

"If you come up while I'm asleep, you're a beast!"

Chen Pan'er, reassured, turned over and went to sleep.

If going up makes me a beast, does not going up make me less than a beast?

To be a beast, or less than a beast?

But these were just passing thoughts. Exhausted from the night's events, Jiang Butong soon drifted off to sleep.

...

Early the next morning, Jiang Butong was awakened by the sound of slippers sliding across the floor.

He opened his eyes and saw a pair of fair, long legs swaying before him. As his gaze traveled upward, he found Chen Pan'er's pretty face close by.

She was tidying up the bed, now dressed in a short skirt that made her legs look even longer.

Before she noticed, Jiang Butong quickly turned his head away. For a young man full of energy, such a sight was almost enough to give him a nosebleed.

It's not my fault—I wasn't trying to peek.

"Hey, are you awake?"

Chen Pan'er nudged him with her foot.

Jiang Butong opened his eyes sleepily and, once again, his gaze landed right on...

Chen Pan'er caught the direction of his eyes and gave a little yelp, hurriedly covering her skirt.

"Pervert!"

She rushed into the inner room to change.

It's not like I wanted to look; you were the one who walked over here.

Jiang Butong grumbled inwardly as he got up to freshen up.

When Chen Pan'er returned, she wore faded jeans and a plain T-shirt with some letters on it—fresh and lively.

"We sold out everything yesterday. Today I'll stock up again. After breakfast, let's get going."

She packed away Jiang Butong's bedding as she spoke, urging him to hurry.

"Perfect, you can take me to the wholesale market."

After washing up, Jiang Butong felt much more awake.

"Shall we eat out or cook at home?" Chen Pan'er asked.

"Let's get a free meal at Brother Sheng's restaurant and see how his new place is coming along."

The two of them left together like a pair of sweethearts.

They arrived at Chen Sheng's restaurant, but it wasn't open yet. Unlike breakfast stalls, regular restaurants usually only opened for lunch and dinner.

Jiang Butong knocked on the door. After a while, a sleepy Jiang Dazhuang opened it.

"Xiaotong, where were you last night? I was worried sick and couldn't sleep."

Then, seeing Chen Pan'er behind him, Jiang Dazhuang's jaw nearly dropped. Could it be that Xiaotong spent the night with her...?

"Where's Sheng-ge?"

Jiang Dazhuang scratched his head awkwardly. "You weren't here last night, so Sheng-ge, Xiaoyuan, and I had a few drinks..."

"A little drinking is fine, just don't let it interfere with business."

Jiang Butong led Chen Pan'er into the restaurant.

Hearing the commotion, Chen Sheng came out, still in his robe. Seeing Jiang Butong, his face lit up with joy, and then he noticed Chen Pan'er, quickly straightening his clothes.

"Sheng-ge, how was business last night?" Jiang Butong found a chair and sat down.

"You really have a head for this. I never realized making money could be so easy..."

"How's the new restaurant deal coming along?"

This was their first step into business, and it would determine the future for Jiang Butong and his two cousins.

"Don't get me started! Just thinking about it makes me angry!"

Chen Sheng slammed the table in frustration. "We were supposed to sign the lease last night, but some bastard must've told the landlord how well our business was doing, and now the landlord wants to raise the rent."

Jiang Butong's expression changed. He'd thought it was a sure thing, but there was a hitch after all.

Chen Yuan came out from the back, his face dark. "If they push me too far, I'll go settle it with the landlord myself."

Jiang Butong waved his hand. "Yuan-ge, fighting might solve the problem for now, but it won't help in the long run. The contract isn't signed yet, so the landlord can still change his mind. I should've warned you earlier."

With Jiang Butong's previous marketing advice, Chen Sheng now trusted him deeply. "Little brother, do you have any ideas?"

"There are ways, but it depends on what we want to do," Jiang Butong replied, keeping them in suspense.

"Xiaotong, if you have a plan, out with it. Don’t keep us in the dark," Jiang Dazhuang said impatiently.

Jiang Butong smiled. "There are two options. First, we accept it, sign the contract quickly, and make up the rent through future profits."

"And the second?" Jiang Yuan was upset about being gouged for no reason.

"The second is to tell the landlord we've found another place with lower rent and are ready to sign elsewhere, forcing him to lower his price," Jiang Butong continued.

Chen Sheng slapped his thigh. "I pick the second option!"

"Me too! No way I'm giving that guy money for nothing!" Jiang Yuan agreed.

Jiang Butong looked at Jiang Dazhuang, seeking his opinion. Since this was a partnership, every shareholder's voice mattered to avoid resentment later.

"Isn't the second option risky?" Jiang Dazhuang asked.

He was the cautious type, thinking it wouldn't hurt to pay a bit more and earn it back later.

Jiang Butong nodded. "The second option is risky. What if the landlord doesn't take the bait? Do we look for another place or go back to him? If we approach him again, he might raise the rent even more."

The principle of rarity increasing value was clear to everyone.

Hearing Jiang Butong's analysis, Chen Sheng and Jiang Yuan fell silent, deep in thought.

"So, what do you think we should do?" Chen Sheng turned to Jiang Butong, as did the others.

Chen Pan'er, who had been quietly listening, watched him with interest, curious to see what he'd suggest.

Jiang Butong smiled meaningfully. "We find a shill."

"A shill?"

Everyone was confused.

Jiang Butong paused, realizing that the term wasn't common yet.

"A shill is an unidentifiable helper, someone who backs you up. For example, in certain situations, the person who brings you in might set you up, causing you indirect losses—be it in a scam, at a dinner, or a drinking party."