Reborn in 2000: I just want to love a few people properly.

Song Leisong has had a very troublesome few days since arriving in Hangzhou. First, Xu Bo pulled him into the dormitory and arranged a bed for him to sleep in. Then came the meal.

I am now wandering the streets and alleys of Hangzhou, a city I know no one in, under the scorching sun.

"Give me a pack of Liqun cigarettes."

After finishing his cigarette, Song Leisong arrived at the entrance of a supermarket and pointed to the cigarette cabinet.

"twenty."

The boss could tell that Song Leisong wasn't a local, so he spoke in Mandarin mixed with local dialect.

"Give me another bottle of water."

Song Leisong was a little thirsty. Back in his hometown, he was always accompanied by several friends whenever he went out, and if he wanted anything, someone would hand it to him.

"Sigh..." Song Leisong sighed unconsciously, never expecting that conducting market research would be so arduous.

"Boss, there are so many people here, why do all the shops look like they're barely surviving?"

Song Leisong is currently at the intersection of Ding'an Road and Xihu Avenue.

"Sigh, it's all because of the demolition. There's news that the old and dilapidated houses here are going to be demolished. Everyone's waiting for the demolition compensation, who has the mind to do business?"

Song Leisong unpacked the cigarette, lit it, and nodded. If his house back home were demolished, he probably wouldn't be interested in continuing to run the internet cafe.

He's probably in some foot massage parlor right now.

Song Leisong went closer to take a look and saw that all the shops were closed and no customers were allowed in. Only a few shops were open, but the owners inside looked wilted and listless.

"What would you like to eat?"

Song Leisong went into a barbecue restaurant that looked decent; he was a little hungry after not eating all day.

"Give me a beef short rib, and a green vegetable platter. Do you have rice?"

"Wait a mininute."

Only the owner was left serving customers. After a short while, the stove was brought over, along with the food that Song Leisong had ordered.

After grilling the meat, the owner left and sat at the counter, idly watching the outside world.

Once the beef ribs were grilled, Song Leisong dipped them in the sauce and put them in his mouth, whereupon a rich aroma burst forth.

"Boss, this tastes good."

Seeing that there was no one in the shop, Song Leisong was bored and said to the boss.

"Yes, these are all the best meats I carefully selected."

The boss, who was also bored, came over and offered him a cigarette.

"Boss, why are all the shops here closed? I see the foot traffic is pretty good," Song Leisong said, pretending not to know.

"They're going to demolish our homes, I don't know who spread the news, there's no definite information, but everyone just believed it."

There was only Song Leisong as a customer in the store. After consulting with him, the owner lit a cigarette and started smoking.

"Then why don't you go home, boss? Why are you still here guarding the shop?" Song Leisong said, lighting a cigarette as well.

"Sigh, life is lived one day at a time. Putting everything else aside, if the demolition news is true, it's a windfall, but we can't rely on that to make a living."

Upon hearing this, Song Leisong took a closer look at the man in front of him. He was probably in his forties, with a gentle and refined demeanor. He didn't seem like a businessman, but rather like a teacher.

"Boss, your shop isn't small. With such a big place, are you losing money every day?"

Song Leisong pretended to be clueless and said.

"Yeah, I'm not cut out for business either. I wanted to sell this shop before, but then I heard about the demolition, so I had to give up."

What was said in jest was taken seriously by Song Leisong. Over the course of the meal, he chatted with the owner and even went upstairs for a tour.

This store is also over 400 square meters, and the decoration and equipment are all new. It's a pity that it's going to be demolished.

When it came time to pay, the shop owner absolutely refused to accept Song Leisong's money.

"It's already great that we can chat so well together, so this time it's on me."

Song Leisong had no choice but to eat for free. After leaving the house, his phone rang and he saw that it was Xu Bo calling.

Where are you?

"I just finished eating. I found a great place, but it seems like it's going to be demolished."

"Why are you telling me about the upcoming demolition? Where are you? Come have dinner with me tonight." Xu Bo invited Manager Tang to dinner that night. There were other activities planned afterward, and Xu Bo wanted to invite his brother to join them.

"It's at the intersection of Ding'an Road and West Lake Avenue."

"I'll be right there."

After hanging up the phone, Song Leisong began to carefully observe the environment. There were many people, mostly locals and tourists. It was a good place because it was close to West Lake.

Not long after, Xu Bo arrived and immediately spotted Song Leisong, who had a different aura, in the crowd.

"You mean this place is going to be demolished?" Xu Bo's eyes suddenly froze, and his brows furrowed.

"That's right." Song Leisong said, puzzled.

"Where is the shop you were looking at?" Xu Bo asked.

Song Leisong pointed in a direction, which was the location of the barbecue restaurant they had just seen.

Xu Bo stared intently at Song Leisong for a while, making him feel a little uneasy.

"You shouldn't go back to your hometown anymore. Just stay here with me," Xu Bo suddenly said with a smile.

There were indeed rumors that this place would be demolished, but it was quickly proven to be a rumor, and many commercial complexes will be built in the vicinity in the future.

Several shopping malls that will become famous in Hangzhou will be built one after another, bringing more foot traffic to the area.

"Let's go take a look."

Xu Bo took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the joy in his heart, and walked towards the barbecue restaurant.

Seeing Song Leisong return, the boss was somewhat surprised. Then, noticing that he had brought someone with him, the boss quickly asked.

"What's wrong, young man? Is something the matter?"

Xu Bo quickly took out a cigarette and said.

"It's nothing, boss. This is my brother. He just said he ate a free meal here, and he felt bad about it, so he wanted to come and get to know him."

The boss was a little confused. It was just a meal; why did they need to get to know each other?

"It's alright, it's a small matter and nothing to worry about."

The boss had his hands in his pockets, ready to press the emergency call button at any moment.

Xu Bo handed over the prepaid card and said, "Since you treated my brother to a meal, I'd like to treat you to one too."

He took the card with some skepticism, then squinted and moved it further away.

"Hai Lao Lao Hot Pot Restaurant prepaid card?"

The boss read it out softly and slowly.

"You're from Hai Lao Lao?" The owner was somewhat shocked. This small shop could be described as a legend in the catering industry recently.

"Yes, I won't hide it anymore. I want to rent your shop, Uncle. Are you interested?"

Xu Bo pulled the boss down to sit, and said with a big smile.

After hesitating for a moment, the boss decided it was better to tell the truth and spoke up.

"I'm not cut out for business. I'd be willing to take over if you wanted, but do you know this place is going to be demolished soon?"

"Of course I know, but I don't think it's realistic."

Xu Bo lit another cigarette for the boss across the table, then exhaled a puff of smoke.

"This area will not be demolished for the next ten years."