Rebirth 04: Starting from Taking an Unconventional Approach

The sun had turned a deep burgundy with orange stripes, hanging on the gray horizon of Shanghai, like a new planet that appeared in the sky without warning.

"This is probably the best restaurant around here," Ma Yongxing said, leading Han Fei and Zhang Ruiyi into Si Ru Chun Private Kitchen next to Bishui Yao. The restaurant's facade was small, but the interior was surprisingly spacious, with blue brick walls, wooden beams and pillars, old-fashioned ceiling fans, and old photos of Shanghai beaches hanging on the walls.

Ma Yongxing booked a private room, and the three of them sat around the table. He ordered the dishes, which were all local Shanghainese and Cantonese dishes: stir-fried shrimp, braised pork belly with clover, eight-treasure spicy sauce, crispy roast goose... He asked the other two if they wanted to drink alcohol, and Han Fei said that red wine would be fine.

"This shop has been open for twenty years," Ma Yongxing poured red wine for the two of them. "The owner is an old friend of mine. He used to run a tea restaurant in Mong Kok, and later came to Shanghai with me to develop our business. His skills are impeccable."

Han Fei took a bite of the stir-fried shrimp. The shell was crispy and the shrimp meat was sweet and fresh. It was indeed delicious.

Zhang Ruiyi also took a bite and nodded: "Hmm, typical stir-fried shrimp is either cloyingly sweet or overpoweringly salty. This one is just right. And I tasted a hint of preserved plum, very faint, almost imperceptible, but without it, this dish would be missing something."

"Oh?" Ma Yongxing raised an eyebrow. "This young lady is an expert. Han Fei, you should take a few cookbooks home and impress your girlfriend in the kitchen." He then laughed a few times.

Han Fei and Zhang Ruiyi quickly exchanged a glance.

Han Fei coughed. "Uh, Mr. Ma, you must be from Hong Kong, so why are you in Shanghai?"

"In the late 1980s, Hong Kong Island's economy was booming, so I squatted on the streets of Mong Kok selling pirated DVDs, one by one, and I could sell two or three hundred a day." Ma Yongxing put a piece of rice noodle into his mouth and chewed as he said, "But later the crackdown became stricter, and I couldn't continue, so I came to the mainland with a friend. In the early 1990s, Shanghai was just starting out, and there were opportunities everywhere. I worked in clothing, traded electronics, and opened a restaurant, but in the end, I found that the entertainment industry was the most profitable. I opened my first KTV, and business was good. I opened a second one, and business was even better than the first one, and then I've been running it ever since."

Han Fei nodded.

Ma Yongxing picked up his glass, took a sip, and sighed, "But these past few years, business has become increasingly difficult. Young people all go to internet cafes and nightclubs, and my old places are getting quieter and quieter. Sometimes I wonder if I'm just getting old."

"Times have changed," Han Fei said, putting down his chopsticks. "Before, people didn't have a choice; they would eat whatever you gave them. Now they have a choice, so naturally they choose the better ones. So it's not that your venue is no longer good; it's that you need to change your mindset."

Ma Yongxing looked at him and said, "Han Fei, to be honest, when Liu Dong first told me you were someone involved in culture, I thought you were just a bookworm. But after this afternoon, I'm truly impressed. It's a shame you're not in business with that kind of brain."

Han Fei smiled and said, "Actually, what I'm doing is also a kind of business, except that I sell stories, and you sell services. But the underlying logic is the same: to make people willingly pay money."

Ma Yongxing raised his glass: "Come, let's toast to you two."

After finishing the red wine, we had almost finished eating the food.

Ma Yongxing glanced at his watch, stood up, and patted Han Fei on the shoulder: "Let's go, I'll take you to see my nightclub. It's my most prized establishment, called Golden Dynasty."

......

Located near Jing'an Temple, Jin Huangchao occupies a three-story building. Its exterior is unassuming, without neon lights or a large signboard; a simple lantern hangs at the entrance, bearing the shop's name. Yellow light streams from the windows of the three floors, enveloping the bustling crowds on the street.

As soon as Han Fei entered, he knew this store was no ordinary place.

The marble floor gleamed, crystal chandeliers hung down, and leather sofas formed individual booths. The waitresses were all tall, beautiful women in cheongsams, their faces beaming with smiles. A faint fragrance filled the air, and soothing jazz music played in the background.

Ma Yongxing led Han Fei and Zhang Ruiyi through the lobby, up the stairs, and up to the second floor. Along the way, all the employees they encountered bowed respectfully to Ma Yongxing. Ma Yongxing merely nodded slightly, his steps unwavering.

They entered a large private room at the far end of the second floor. The room had two floor-to-ceiling windows, one overlooking the street and the other facing the dance floor. The room was extremely luxurious, equipped with a hidden imported sound system, adjustable lighting, a private bathroom, and even a billiards table.

Ma Yongxing took off his suit jacket and gestured for Han Fei and Zhang Ruiyi to sit down in the Baroque-style white plastic chairs.

The elephant walked into the corridor and loudly ordered the foreman to bring in something.

Several waiters quickly filed in, setting out fruit platters, dried fruit, red wine, and tea. Then several young women entered, impeccably dressed and with refined manners; they were clearly not ordinary waitresses, but at least supervisors.

"Mr. Ma, who are these two people...?" a supervisor asked with a smile.

"Distinguished guests," Ma Yongxing said. "You don't need to be too attentive today. We'll call you when we need you."

The foreman understood immediately and led the girls out.

Ma Yongxing sat down in an armchair and poured tea for the two men: "Han Fei, what do you think of my Golden Dynasty? How does it compare to those two previous companies?"

Han Fei thought for a moment and said, "Hmm, this place is fine. It's much better than the previous two."

Zhang Ruiyi nodded in agreement.

Ma Yongxing laughed happily and tapped the glass window lightly with his index finger. The glass was very thick and completely blocked out the noise of the city.

"Han Fei, with your brain, just offering interest-free is too good to me. Are you interested in investing? My establishments are exactly lacking someone with your vision."

"Investment?" Han Fei laughed. "Mr. Ma, that's too much of a statement. I'm unworthy of it. The reason I can help today is mainly because I'm looking at things from the outside. It's a different perspective. If I were to invest, I'd be jumping into the game, and I might not be able to see things clearly then. Besides, Qingniao is just starting out. We have dozens of authors waiting to sign, and the magazine is still in print. I'm really stretched thin. But don't worry, I'll definitely do my best as an advisor. Whether or not interest is waived is another matter. Let's be friends. If you have any new ideas for your business in the future, I'll help you figure them out. Once Qingniao is running smoothly, if you still think highly of me, we can discuss deeper cooperation."

Ma Yongxing ran his finger across his upper lip, gazed thoughtfully at Han Fei, and nodded.

Just then, a scream and curses suddenly came from the open door, followed by the sound of shattering glass.

Ma Yongxing's expression changed, he stood up, and walked towards the door.

Han Fei and Zhang Ruiyi turned their heads at the same time and saw the elephant step into the corridor.

"What's wrong?" Ma Yongxing asked.

Han Fei followed, and saw a supervisor running frantically from the other end of the corridor.

"Mr. Ma, Mr. Elephant," the supervisor said breathlessly, "something's happened downstairs!"