I open a restaurant in Mysterious Recovery

Chapter 720 The Reasons for the Existence of Employees: Cooperation and Conflict

"Holy crap! The boss got into a fight?!"

Guo Fan was startled and immediately prepared to return to the old house, but after only a few steps, his foot slipped and he was lifted up by a faceless wooden puppet.

Zhang Youhong walked up to him and said expressionlessly, "If you don't want to die, behave yourself."

"you!"

Guo Fan was furious, but after his initial impulsiveness, he calmed down. "So the boss told us to leave in advance to prevent this from happening?"

"You're not entirely without some cleverness. But with your loyalty, he should be very pleased." Zhang Youhong snorted coldly, her gaze turning worriedly towards the old house.

Her worries were no less than Guo Fan's.

However, the current situation involves an exchange between Lin Yuan and Zhang Dong, which is not something she can get involved in. If Guo Fan were to run back, the consequences would likely be dire.

Perhaps you won't die, but sometimes, death is a relief.

The Peace Hotel in the sky became increasingly clear, showing signs of an unknown supernatural place invading this reality, which seemed extremely eerie.

After all, this place is already a haunted place.

Zhang Youhong sighed inwardly, "The level where the boss needs to personally intervene is beyond our reach. So, have you considered my suggestion? Or are you prepared to stay here and worry, knowing the boss is busy, but unable to help at all?"

Guo Fan gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "Can you guarantee that after we cooperate, I will have the ability to help the boss? If you were qualified, you wouldn't be unable to help the boss now!"

"The boss's level is beyond our reach, as I just said. But you should also understand that as our strength increases, the boss's strength will also increase. And the tactic of marriage alliances shouldn't be used only on our own employees; it provides minimal help to the boss."

Zhang Youhong's tone was low and somber, and Guo Fan, upon hearing this, understood her meaning somewhat. "You want me to find the vengeful ghost in the innermost realm? If I had that ability, I could just control it directly. Why bother with the marriage alliance? Without the boss's permission, can this path control a vengeful ghost?"

"The boss has already given his permission, hasn't he?"

Zhang Youhong's question did not stump Guo Fan. He sneered, "The boss made it very clear that he can only introduce blind dates to the store's employees. He can't make decisions for people and ghosts outside the store."

"It's just that I can't make the decision. Although it's just a matter of his word, what if it's just an introduction? Introducing it to the store's employees is one thing, but introducing it to customers outside the store is another?"

Faced with the questioning, Guo Fan's expression grew even colder. "Are you questioning the boss's decision?"

“No, I’m just questioning your comprehension.” Zhang Youhong shook her head, her tone calm and without any fluctuation. “Your understanding is too narrow. Outsiders can gain strength from each other through romantic relationships and marriages with employees, and employees can naturally gain strength from outsiders through blind dates. It’s a very simple principle.”

Zhang Youhong said calmly, "Besides, the target I chose for you isn't from this era, so you don't need to worry about problems or whether he can help you. At the very least, you should care about his strength. As for the peddler you chose, I remember the owner's relationship with Cao Yang dates back to when the Peace Hotel had just opened. Moreover, Cao Yang is also a business partner of the shop, not just a customer. Do you think you can compete with him?"

Guo Fan remained silent, speechless. Intrigued, he asked only one crucial question: "What do I need to give up for this deal, this partnership?"

There are no free lunches; if there are, there must be a much greater price to pay.

Guo Fan was well aware of this, so even though he was already tempted, he still maintained a degree of composure and wanted to get a more definite answer.

Zhang Youhong smiled and said, "Don't worry, it will definitely not harm the shop or affect the boss."

"Hmph! You don't have that ability either, but I still need to know the facts. I can't just accept whatever you say, can I?" Guo Fan insisted.

Zhang Youhong thought for a moment and said, "It's not a big deal. It's just about uniting some of the right partners. Liu Qingqing is too foolish. She doesn't understand what being an employee means. I hope to have more partners who can stand on the same side as we did back then."

As she spoke, she thought of her colleagues at the Da Dong City branch and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

If they were real, living people, and not just vengeful ghosts with their own consciousness, perhaps she wouldn't be in such a passive position now.

Of course, what she really valued in Guo Fan was his status as an "employee," and the reason why it was difficult to cooperate with other employees.

Liu Qingqing now considers her an enemy.

He Yuelian even regarded her as a rival in love.

Tong Qian, as the person in charge of the headquarters, although she has devoted her heart to the Peace Hotel, still keeps her identity on the side of the headquarters as long as it does not affect the development of the Peace Hotel or harm its interests, and will not cooperate with others.

Unless it's a requirement from headquarters.

He Yin'er is completely detached from everyone else, and has no needs other than developing the new Taiping Ancient Town outside of the Peace Hotel.

Fang Shiming has already mastered the ghost messenger Lao Fan and is now focused on his circle of friends.

Moreover, this man is meticulous and prefers to be a player rather than a pawn, making him difficult to control and not a suitable partner.

In such a collaboration, Zhang Youhong would definitely want to take the initiative and wouldn't want to waste her energy on infighting.

The King's Twins and the King's Estate Owners are foreigners.

Having lived through that particular era, Zhang Youhong would never cooperate with foreigners.

Xianglan's position in the Peace Hotel is rather awkward.

Although they were employees, they were so indebted that they would have to work for free for decades, even a century, to pay off their debts. In this era, they also had no say whatsoever.

After such a thorough investigation, Guo Fan is the only remaining best partner.

His original power was taken away because of that wedding, completing the final piece of the puzzle for the ghost messenger, Lao Fan.

This has no impact on him, because these forces are already in the store's employees. It's just a matter of transferring them from one employee to another, like the left hand moving the right hand. There's no problem at all.

But for Guo Fan, it had already brought him to rock bottom.

Now that Liu Qingqing has extended an olive branch, despite Guo Fan's resistance, the final cooperation is a completely predictable outcome.

"Okay, I agree. The target you chose for me isn't from this era, so it must be the year of Gengshen? You wouldn't expect me to go looking for those ghosts from the past, would you?"

Many targets flashed through Guo Fan's mind.

For example, Hellhound, Li Qingzhi, and the ghost messengers... If Fang Shiming were to discover that he had controlled the ghost messengers of the Gengshen year, the scene would seem quite interesting.

It even felt like he was being intimate with someone in person, which made Guo Fan excited.

Zhang Youhong frowned slightly. "You seem to be thinking about something unpleasant. What, are you really treating this as a relationship, or even a normal marriage, and preparing to carry on the family line?"

"You're overthinking it. How could someone like us have such thoughts?" Guo Fan subconsciously denied it. After all, controlling a vengeful ghost would lead to being corrupted by supernatural forces, especially for someone like him who had a ghost spirit tablet inside his stomach. His body was basically dead, so how could he still have such preferences?

But then he suddenly remembered something, touched his stomach, and his expression became complicated.

Since Fang Shiming's wedding ended, and his spirit tablet was replaced by the ghost messenger Lao Fan after he lost the bet to Fang Shiming, his body seems to have returned to a normal state.

Apart from the white mist in his head and the fact that he could still drive the ghost taxi, there was no trace of him ever controlling supernatural powers.

The Seed of White Mist, and the authority to control the Ghost Taxi, both come from the "Manager".

Now that he naturally possessed that ability, Zhang Youhong noticed his expression but didn't pay it any mind.

"The ghost I've chosen for you is called... the Mummified Bride."

……

Zhang Xianguang carried a white lantern and walked along another path, also from the back gate, which was the temporary road that had been cleared out.

You can even see felled tree stumps by the roadside.

Tong Qian and Liu Qingqing followed behind him, watching the man who seemed like he could disappear into thin air at any moment with obvious hostility.

“Don’t worry, I’m now a partner of the store, and there may be other areas for cooperation in the future,” Zhang Xianguang explained gently.

If you didn't know him, you might really think he was a very classy and kind rural teacher.

Tong Qian said in a deep voice, "We have no chance of cooperation; the most likely scenario is competition. Moreover, if you go too far, neither I nor headquarters will let you off the hook."

Zhang Xianguang was once considered an extremely dangerous figure on the headquarters' list.

In other words, the "store manager" did not pursue Zhang Xianguang's responsibility any further. In addition, he understood Zhang Xianguang's strength and methods, and Zhang Xianguang had not made any dangerous moves recently, so he did not take action against him.

After all, Zhang Xianguang is too terrifying. The price that needs to be paid to suppress him is not something that the headquarters can easily bear.

Without sufficient reason, one will not act easily; it's not worth it.

Liu Qingqing sneered, "It's not a possibility, it's a fact. Zhang Xiangguang, you want to become a god through distraction and become Brother Yuan's closest assistant? Have you even asked us? You're not even an employee, what, are you planning to buy your position?"

Despite being mocked like that, Zhang Xianguang remained unperturbed and said calmly, "Some things are not as simple as they seem. Liu Qingqing, we've worked together before, you should understand that."

"It is precisely because we have worked together before that I have realized that you are definitely not a good partner. Moreover, you do not have enough resources."

Liu Qingqing was rude and resentful.

She did work with Zhang Xianguang, but she didn't gain anything from the collaboration, and it ended without any results, which felt like a waste of time.

Moreover, Zhang Xianguang later collaborated with He Yuelian to plot against him.

This man seems to be betting on both sides, yet he's unwilling to actually place a bet. He's just purely amusing himself and He Yuelian. That kind of guy is the most despicable.

Zhang Xianguang sighed softly, then turned around.

This startled Tong Qian and Liu Qingqing, who even thought Zhang Xianguang was planning to attack them. But upon closer inspection, they realized there was no reason for it.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that Zhang Xianguang's gaze wasn't fixed on them, but rather peered through the gap between them, looking into the distance.

What happened?
Tong Qian and Liu Qingqing's hearts suddenly tightened, and they immediately turned around to look. They saw the Peace Hotel, which had already appeared above the old house, like a misty illusion.

"What? Something happened to Brother Yuan?"

Liu Qingqing's heart tightened. She was about to go back when Zhang Xianguang stopped her. She gritted her teeth and said, "Zhang Xianguang, get out of my way right now, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

Zhang Xianguang shook his head. "Let them talk about some things themselves."

"What right or ability does a dead man have to talk to Brother Yuan? Zhang Xiangguang, I'm giving you one last chance, get out of my way!"

Liu Qingqing did not believe Zhang Xianguang's words at all.

This isn't the Year of the Monkey anymore, and the old man in the old house is already a corpse. There's no one left in the old house now.

The probability of the Peace Hotel appearing in the outside world can be counted on one hand, and there are still plenty of exceptions.

Under these circumstances, it would be strange if Liu Qingqing wasn't worried.

At the same time, it is also the instinct of the employees of the Peace Hotel, people who possess the Seed of White Mist—to return when the Peace Hotel needs power.

As long as you enter the Peace Hotel, you can contribute your strength.

Even if this strength is insignificant to Him, it is still the most sincere contribution from the employees. It's just that this contribution requires the consumption of the employees themselves...

"Boss Lin asked you to come with us to announce the death because he didn't want you to get involved."

Zhang Xianguang suddenly understood at this moment, otherwise he wouldn't have let him and Zhang Youhong each take these three people. However, he still couldn't understand why things had escalated to this point.

Didn't they agree on this before they died? Why did this happen?

Zhang Xianguang's face showed no expression, but a deep unease welled up inside him.

"If you don't move aside, then don't blame us for being impolite."

The two sleeping kittens on Tong Qian's shoulder sensed her will and slowly opened their eyes, their smiling and crying faces becoming vivid.

The next moment, both kittens opened their mouths at the same time.

"Cuckoo~"

"Woooooo~"

Eerie laughter and cries echoed instantly.

(End of this chapter)