A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1443 How can a real man go a day without money! (Please subscribe!)

January 1, 1987, New Year’s Day.

On Nanjing East Road in Shanghai, a shop that has been carefully renovated and has a brand-new look is bustling with people and colorful flags are fluttering in the wind.

A huge red banner hung above the doorway, with the eye-catching words: "Kenji, let the Chinese people eat the best chicken!"

The store's glass facade was polished to a shine, with a unique logo and an image of an old man—wearing a checkered apron, round reading glasses, and a kind, infectious smile that even revealed two slightly mischievous canine teeth.

Next to the portrait is a line of artistic text: "Grandpa Dracula and his secret recipe".

The grand opening ceremony was held.

Dressed in a suit and exuding elegance, Mr. Dana Bai, the refined and capable general manager of SDX Group, and Ms. Gu Yi, the head of the Far East region of Wansheng Catering Group, along with several relevant leaders from Shanghai, cut the red ribbon together amidst the deafening drums and applause of the onlookers.

The store doors were wide open, and curious people poured in. The nearly 400-square-meter dining space was bright and clean, with cheerful colors and upbeat music playing.

After two weeks of intensive training, the waiters, dressed in uniforms and wearing hats, are all smiles.

Behind the long order counter is a bright, open kitchen where people can vaguely see chicken coated in batter turning golden brown in the oil and smell the unprecedentedly enticing aroma of oil, flour, and special spices.

"Hamburgers? Fried chicken? French fries? Coke?"

"What's the way to eat this?"

"It smells so good!"

"It's not cheap. Want to try it?"

The store was packed that day, with many customers coming out of curiosity and a desire to try something new. But after taking their first bite of the crispy and juicy fried chicken and the first bite of the burger with salad dressing and pickles, many people showed expressions of surprise and delight.

This convenient, novel, and uniquely flavorful dining experience has quickly won over many people, especially young people and families with children.

The next day, Hua Shier, Wu Shanshan, and Zhuang Tunan were having lunch together in the cafeteria when Lu Ming rushed over with a newspaper.

Perhaps he had walked too fast when he arrived, because when he sat down next to Zhuang Tunan, he was panting heavily, as if he couldn't catch his breath.

Zhuang Tunan chuckled and said, "Why are you running so fast? Take a break!"

Lu Ming waved his hand, disregarding the need to rest, and slammed the newspaper in his hand in front of him:

"Brother Tunan, take a look at this report. Isn't it about that fried chicken fast food place that Brother Pengfei was talking about?"

Zhuang Tunan took the newspaper and glanced at it. It contained a report:
"The internationally renowned fast-food brand 'KFC' opened its doors on Nanjing East Road yesterday, receiving a warm welcome from citizens. This signifies the reform and opening up policy."

He didn't pay much attention at first, but when he saw a photo of the store's exterior and the image of "Grandpa Dracula" in the newspaper article, Zhuang Tunan's eyes widened immediately. Then, seeing the description of the fast-food items, he exclaimed in surprise:

"What's going on?"

Lu Ming's breathing had calmed down a bit by now:
"You noticed it too, didn't you? What's written here is exactly the same as the plan that Brother Pengfei showed us last month!"

The two subconsciously glanced at Hua Shier across from them, who smiled faintly and continued eating.

Zhuang Tunan compared the news description with the actual product: "The brand name, slogan, product, and even the image of that old man all match up."

Lu Ming said to Hua Shier, "Brother Pengfei, tell me, what's going on here?!"

Wu Shanshan looked at Hua Shier with some surprise.

Hua Shier laughed as he ate:
"What? What happened? Didn't I tell you all a long time ago? Your brother Pengfei always keeps his word, but you all thought I was joking!"

Zhuang Tunan patted his forehead, feeling somewhat incredulous:

"I feel like you're joking now!"

Lu Da Nao also nodded vigorously:
"I don't really believe it either. The newspapers say it's invested by Wansheng Group and SDX Group, and the founder is named Dracula, which is the same name as a vampire!"

Hua Shier, seeing their 'you're definitely lying to me' expressions, asked with a smile:

"Then come with me to Nanjing East Road tomorrow and see it for yourself?"

The two nodded vigorously.

The next day at noon, Hua Shier, along with Zhuang Tunan, Lu Ming, and Wu Shanshan, who were still somewhat skeptical, returned to the Kenhao Chicken store on Nanjing East Road. Although the busiest opening day had passed, the store was still packed with customers, and the queue to order food had taken a detour.

Hua Shier walked straight into the store and nodded to the waiter who was maintaining order at the door.

Soon, a well-dressed and capable-looking woman quickly came out to greet them. She was Gu Yi, the "Far East Region Head of Wansheng Catering Group" mentioned in the news.

Upon seeing Hua Twelve, the Sorcerer Supreme of Kamar-Taj in the Marvel universe immediately greeted him with a warm and respectful smile, bowed slightly, and spoke in fluent Mandarin:

"Boss, what would you like to eat? I'll have someone reserve a table upstairs."

The word "BOSS" struck Zhuang Tunan and Lu Ming like a thunderbolt, instantly petrifying them. They stared wide-eyed at Gu Yi, then at the composed Hua Shier, their mouths agape as if they could fit a hamburger inside.

Hua Shier then turned around and gave a 'now you believe me' smile to his two friends who were completely dumbfounded, as well as Wu Shanshan, who was equally surprised but more understanding:

"Kids, do you have a lot of questions? But let's order first, try the food here, and chat while we eat."

He led the sleepwalking Zhuang Tunan and Lu Ming to the counter, where Gu Yi personally accompanied and introduced them. Hua Shier ordered a signature hamburger, a serving of popcorn chicken, a Coke, and a pair of spicy chicken wings for each of them.

The price list is clearly visible: a 4-yuan burger is a large and filling meal, 2-yuan popcorn chicken is fragrant and crispy, a cup of cola is 1 yuan, and a pair of chicken wings is 2 yuan. A meal like this for one person only costs 9 yuan.

Of course, this price was much cheaper than in later years, but in an era when the average worker's monthly salary was only a few dozen to a little over a hundred yuan, it was definitely a high-end consumption. However, the endless stream of customers in the store proved that Shanghai, this big city, has never lacked people willing to pay for such trendy experiences.

The group, carrying their trays, went up to the second floor under Gu Yi's guidance and sat down in a relatively quiet window seat. Outside the window was the bustling crowd on Nanjing East Road, and inside was a brand-new space filled with the aroma of food.

But apart from Hua Shier, the other three had no appetite for food. Zhuang Tunan, having recovered slightly from his shock, hurriedly lowered his voice and asked:

"Pengfei! Why is she calling you 'BOSS'? Are you really the owner here?"

Lu Ming and Wu Shanshan also looked eager to learn.

Hua Shier had already prepared his story. He calmly recounted how he started his electronic watch business through Li Yiming and accumulated his first pot of gold. He also mentioned that he was valued by Hong Kong businessmen, who then invested in and established the SDX Group.

While some advanced details and methods have been omitted, the core narrative remains clear and credible.

His words were simple, but to the listeners, it was like listening to a legendary novel, sometimes eliciting gasps of amazement, sometimes moments of sudden realization, and sometimes feelings of disbelief.

Wu Shanshan accepted it the fastest because in her mind, Pengfei was omnipotent and she could accept whatever achievements he made quickly.

Zhuang Tunan realized at this moment that it was no wonder that his childhood friend was able to always outdo others; his vision, courage, and execution ability had far exceeded their imagination.

Lu Ming suddenly realized something, his eyes shining like searchlights. He grabbed Hua Shier's arm tightly, his voice trembling with excitement:
“Brother Pengfei! No, Father! You said last time that I had a share in this whole business? You mean my hundred yuan? You're not lying to me, are you?” Hua Shier suppressed a laugh and nodded to this goofball.

"That's right. Wansheng and SDX Group's initial investment in Shanghai was about one million US dollars. Your 100 RMB investment... that's your shareholding percentage."

He deliberately dragged out the tone, trying to whet Lu Ming's appetite.

"How much?" Lu Ming's breathing became a little rapid as he asked urgently, his eyes sparkling with stars, yes, golden stars.

Hua Shier, having piqued everyone's interest, then smiled and said:
"Based on the current exchange rate of US dollars to RMB, 1 US dollar is equivalent to 3.46 RMB, so your shareholding ratio should be 0.00289%!"

Lu Ming was dumbfounded: "What's the difference between this shareholding ratio and having no shares?"

Hua Twelve suppressed a laugh:
"There is still a chance. Based on my judgment, in ten years, 'Good KFC' will probably grow to a scale of 1 billion RMB in assets in China. You should be able to earn 28,900 RMB. Congratulations, you'll be almost a millionaire!"

"Ten years? No, that's a billion! So I can't even earn thirty thousand?"

Lu Ming recalled his initial refusal and how he had offered his friend a hundred yuan. He couldn't help but feel a pang of regret and remorse.

“Brother Pengfei! No, Father, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have doubted you in the first place! I should have invested all my savings of two hundred yuan with you from the beginning! Can I invest more now? I’ll borrow money from my parents! I’ll even advance my living expenses for the next two months to invest with you!”

Hua Shier was amused by his exaggerated manner and burst into laughter:

"Nonsense! You only get one chance. Who told you to be so useless back then? Once this opportunity is gone, it's gone forever."

Lu Ming felt like he had missed out on a fortune. He clutched his chest and exaggeratedly said:

"My heart is aching so much. Pengfei, do you like men? I'll do anything as long as you let me invest more!"

Zhuang Tunan couldn't help but smile, Wu Shanshan burst out laughing, and Hua Shier, exasperated, gave him a smack on the head.
"Forget about this store. When we open another one, we'll give you an opportunity to make an additional investment!"

Lu Ming was overjoyed to hear that there was still a chance.

Zhuang Tunan's lips moved, but he ultimately did not speak.

Hua Shier saw this and found it amusing. This was meant to be a reminder to Zhuang Tunan that someone he had grown up with didn't trust him.

Of course, he wouldn't abandon Zhuang Tunan; he had other plans for the latter.

With their doubts resolved, the group began to eat. The three, eating fast food for the first time, had their eyes light up. Lu Ming pointed to the hamburger he had taken a bite out of:

"Mmm, it's so delicious! You guys should try some!"

Zhuang Tunan and Wu Shanshan nodded in agreement: "It's really good!"

Hua Shier had already eaten a hamburger by this time, and picked up a chicken wing, saying:
"Western fast food is just fried junk food, it's all the same!"

He remembered something else and asked Zhuang Tunan:
"Tu Nan, what's going on between you and Li Jia?"

Zhuang Tunan was taken aback by his words, clearly not expecting him to ask about Li Jia. Coming to his senses, he said rather irritably:
"What Li Jia? She's older than you, okay!"

Hua Shier chuckled and said, "There are plenty of people older than me who all call me 'brother,' like you! By the way, don't interrupt, what's going on between you and Li Jia?"

"What? What's going on?" Zhuang Tunan pretended to be confused.

Hua Twelve directly pointed out:
"Stop pretending. I can tell you have feelings for her. She felt the same way about you before, but now I feel like you two aren't as natural with each other as before. It seems like you're growing distant!"

Zhuang Tunan remained silent for a while before speaking:
"I don't know why. Everything was fine when we were in Yunyao, but after the start of our junior year, she started deliberately avoiding me."

"And then, what did you do?"

Hua Shier asked with a smile.

Zhuang Tunan looked puzzled: "What do you mean, 'what should I do'?"

Hua Shier was furious at his lack of ambition: "So you didn't do anything?"

In the original storyline, Li Jia felt inferior due to family pressure and did not want to burden Zhuang Tunan, so she chose to distance herself. Zhuang Tunan, on the other hand, was always thinking about her but never took the initiative, which caused their relationship to drag on for many years before finally coming to fruition.

Hua Shier never liked to meddle in other people's emotional affairs, but since Zhuang Tunan was his childhood brother in this life, he decided to give the latter some pointers so that he could avoid some detours.

Hua Shier reminded Zhuang Tunan, who looked puzzled:

"Something unusual is bound to happen. If you want to know the answer, you can't just wait around. You have to take the initiative. I think you can find the answer you're looking for by understanding what's going on around Li Jia!"

Zhuang Tunan frowned and said, "You want me to investigate her? This... this isn't quite right!"

"Do it or don't, it's up to you!"

Hua Shier gave this guy the middle finger. Anyway, as brothers, we should stop here. If he gets any more dramatic, that's Zhuang Tunan's own business.

Zhuang Tunan remained worried, but Hua Shier ignored him and watched with Lu Da Nao as the flow of customers to Ken Good Chicken continued, both of them overjoyed.

Lu Ming chuckled and said, "Brother Pengfei, these are all money we're being given away!"

Hua Shier said disdainfully, "You only own 0.00289% of the shares, what are you so happy about!"

Lu Ming's smile vanished instantly, replaced by regret for what he had done. Only then did Hua Shier become happy.

Back at school, on the way back to his dormitory, Lu Ming asked Hua Shier:
"Should we tell Chen Xin and Zou Yu about this?"

Hua Twelve glanced at him indifferently:
"Why bother talking to them? I gave them a chance back then, what can I do if they don't want me?"

Lu Ming nodded. He knew that Hua Shier was not short of money to invest; he was simply taking care of his roommates and giving them opportunities.

Thinking back to Chen Xin and Zou Yu's attitude that day, Lu Ming knew that Hua Shier was definitely unhappy even though he didn't say it. He was very glad that he had taken out a hundred yuan at that time.

A week later, the first McDonald's in Shanghai opened. A week after that, Starbucks, a coffee and light meal chain, opened and was just as popular, especially the latter, since people in Shanghai love coffee.

This time, Hua Shier gave Lu Danao the opportunity to invest more money, and he borrowed money from all his relatives and scraped together 20,000 yuan.

After Hua Shier took the money, he asked him with a smile, "If I run away tomorrow, will you cry your eyes out?"

Lu Ming:
After the final exams, Hua Shier and Wu Shanshan returned to Suzhou. Zhuang Tunan was delayed for a few days and did not return to Textile Lane 3 until later.

Upon returning and seeing Hua Shier, Zhuang Tunan immediately pulled the former aside:
"Brother Pengfei, I want to make money!"

Hua Shier knew this guy knew why Li Jia was distancing herself from him, and said with a smile, "That's more like it! How can a real man go a day without money? I have a rural appliance subsidy program; let's talk about it."

　Thanks to: 08a, Little Tiger of the Demon Realm, God of Death Li Meng, and Book Friend 20200906220034791 for their donations, and thanks to the brothers who voted for monthly tickets and recommendations, thank you very much!

　　(End of this chapter)