"We'll keep it confidential." Mai Ge smiled and nodded, taking the document from Dix and carefully reading it.
The document was actually quite simple, clearly defining the responsibilities of both parties, the area that Restaurant Mai Mi could use, and the permitted scope of operation—the restaurant itself.
Besides that, there was a confidentiality agreement, a three years lease, and a rent of one copper coin per year—a price even lower than a friendly discount. It was practically free land for Restaurant Mai Mi.
The contract was fine, and Mai Ge signed it directly.
"Mr. Mai Ge's performance last night was stunning. If you were a politician, you would definitely be someone who could command the entire event." Dix said sincerely, putting away the documents and looking at Mai Ge.
"I'm just a chef." Mai Ge smiled and shook his head, looking at Dix. "The restaurant is about to open for business. Lord Dix, would you like to return to the City Lord's Mansion now, or have breakfast before going back?"
"I specifically came here on an empty stomach this morning." Dix said with a smile.
"Alright, please have a seat and rest for a while. The restaurant will open soon." Mai Ge nodded with a smile.
"By the way, the City Lord's Mansion's finance department needs to apply for the venue booking fee before they can send the money to Mr. Mai Ge. It should arrive today." Dix added.
"Okay." Mai Ge nodded with a smile. He wasn't worried about the City Lord's Mansion reneging on the debt, and he had a clear conscience about accepting the 300,000 copper coins. He had put in a lot of thought and effort last night to ensure the success of the talks.
At 7:30 sharp, Mai Ge opened the restaurant doors and smiled, "Welcome! We have a new product today: ice cream. There are four flavors to choose from. Please try it. However, the ice cream is cold and not suitable for eating on an empty stomach. We suggest you eat it after breakfast. Also, there is a limit of two per person per meal."
"Another new product! Boss Mai is awesome! The speed at which he introduces new products is truly amazing!"
"Although I don't know what ice cream is, but I've decided to order one first. Boss Mai's products have never disappointed."
The customers in line all lit up upon hearing this, discussing as they entered.
"Bo...Boss Mai, it's been...a long time…" A tall figure walked over, looking at Mai Ge with a simple smile. It was none other than Ha Ga, who hadn't been here for a long time. Ha Beng followed behind him.
"Ha Ga, is your hand alright?" Mai Ge paused slightly, looking at Ha Ga's arm, which was draped around his neck with a wooden board and strips of cloth, and asked with some concern.
Ha Ga hadn't come back since returning from the tribal war. He had heard from Ha Beng that the war was over and that Ha Ga had led his people to victory in the tribal war, but he hadn't expected to still be injured.
"No...it's nothing, just a small...minor problem." Ha Ga shook his head with a simple smile, his Common language of continent still not very fluent, his eyes scanning the restaurant as if searching for something.
"Amy went to Chaos Academy for classes. She mentioned you the other day. She'll be so happy to know you're back." Mai Ge said with a smile. Ha Ga and Ha Beng were among the first customers at the restaurant, so Amy remembered them very well.
"Oh, is that so? Studying... good, good." Ha Ga scratched his head, and seeing the people behind him waiting to enter, he quickly stepped into the restaurant.
"Boss Mai, congratulations on your restaurant having all five of your dishes ranked in the top 100 in this food rankings. This is an unprecedented feat in the history of food rankings." Bernice stopped at the door and said to Mai Ge with a smile.
"Boss Bernice is too modest. I heard that your restaurant has made it into the top ten of the food rankings this time. Compared to that, Restaurant Mai Mi is still far behind." Mai Ge shook his head with a smile. Bernice is also the owner of a restaurant in Aden Square. Several restaurant owners had come to eat together before, and after that, they would occasionally come to eat on their own. Over time, they became quite familiar with each other.
"Boss Mai, I'm almost embarrassed by what you're saying. If it weren't for the size of your restaurant, any dish in your restaurant could be in the top ten." Bernice smiled and shook her head, then added, "Moreover, I heard that the Catering Association is planning to change the rules of the food rankings. They're no longer going to rely solely on customer votes to determine the rankings. May be next month's food rankings will belong to Restaurant Mai Mi."
"Thanks to the help of my peers, please come in, Boss Bernice." Mai Ge smiled and shook his head. Although he was praised incessantly, but he didn't get carried away. If the system didn't issue missions, Mai Ge wouldn't be willing to buy a ticket that cost a copper coin. He didn't care about rankings at all.
"A new product? I heard from Master Masi last time that the Sweet Tofu Pudding was super delicious, but I just heard these customers say that the other dishes are also super delicious. Which one should I try?" Kenny touched his bulging purse, a look of struggle on his face.
Kenny is an apprentice at the front of Lace Hair Salon. He is fifteen years old, somewhat thin, and has soft, light yellow curly hair.
He has been an apprentice for more than three months. The hair salon provides room and board and he is responsible for washing customers' hair everyday. At first, he was often scolded by customers for using water that was too hot or for using too much force. Now he is becoming more and more skilled and was even praised by a customer yesterday.
It will be another six months before he can officially start learning hairdressing from his master. Although it will be tough, but Kenny believes he can persevere. Once he learns hairdressing, whether he stays in the shop as a hairdresser or goes back to his village to open his own hair salon, he can make a name for himself.
Yesterday, the boss paid them their salaries. Kenny kept the money he had sent home, and he wanted to treat himself to try the delicious Sweet Tofu Pudding that Master Masi, the best master at salon, had recommended. Apparently, one serving costs two hundred copper coins, which is about half a month's salary for him.
Kenny gripped the purse tightly. Although it was quite heavy, but it contained only two hundred copper coins.
Taking a deep breath, Kenny made up his mind and followed the other customers into the restaurant. Two pretty young female waitresses made him pause for a moment, then he lowered his head shyly. He had never seen such beautiful young women before, not even in the hair salon itself.
Soon, the restaurant's luxurious decor caught his eye. The dazzling crystal chandeliers, exquisite murals, and beautiful decorations on the walls dazzled him, it was his first time in such a luxurious place.
"Guest, there's an empty seat over there. There's a menu on the table, please take a look and see what you'd like to eat." Yabemia said with a smile to Kenny.
"Oh...oh, okay." Kenny, seeing Yabemia's warm smile, immediately felt less nervous. He sat down at the next seat, opened the menu, and his eyes lit up.
"Is this tofu pudding? It looks delicious!"
"This two pieces of flatbread with a big piece of meat inside looks amazing too!"
"This fish...I've never eaten fish before, it looks so delicious!"
...