A leisurely life starting in a bar after being reborn

Fu Yan leaned against the doorframe, watching Qiu Kai's eager expression, and suddenly said, "The opening date is set for the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival. No trial operation, let's open for business directly."

Qiu Kai was taken aback: "The fifteenth of the first lunar month? That's less than a week away..."

"That's enough. Once the drinks arrive, conduct a training session for everyone. Go through the menu and wine list again. If there are no problems, start serving. I don't like people dawdling around."

"Okay!" Qiu Kai readily agreed, "I guarantee I'll be fully prepared."

"I'm leaving the bar business to you." Fu Yan patted his shoulder, then looked at Lin Xiaochen, "Come on, we still have things to do."

……

After leaving the bar, Fu Yan and Lin Xiaochen walked side by side along the northern shore of Houhai.

The lake was shrouded in a hazy gray in February, and the wind was strong. Fu Yan turned up his coat collar and hunched his shoulders as he walked forward. Lin Xiaochen walked beside him at a leisurely pace. The wind tousled her ponytail, but she didn't even flinch.

"First stop, Haocheng Law Firm," Fu Yan said.

"Attorney Banbo?"

"You know?"

"You mentioned it before, and I did a background check." Lin Xiaochen took a folder out of her bag. "Haocheng Law Firm, one of the top five comprehensive law firms in Yanjing. Ban Bo, 46 ​​years old, senior partner, specializing in cross-border mergers and acquisitions and intellectual property rights. Harvard Law School PhD, dual licenses in New York State and Yanjing City. He previously worked at Sidley Austin's New York office for eight years and returned to China to join Haocheng three years ago."

Fu Yan took it, flipped through it, and smiled: "Your background check is more detailed than the CIA's."

"This is my job."

Haocheng Law Firm is located in the Guomao CBD, about a 40-minute taxi ride from Houhai.

The law firm's office is on the 23rd floor of an office building. The decor is sophisticated but not ostentatious—solid wood floors, leather sofas, and several abstract paintings on the walls. The receptionist is dressed in a black business suit, and her smile is professional but not overly enthusiastic.

"Mr. Fu? Attorney Ban is already waiting for you."

Fu Yan followed the receptionist through the corridor and into a spacious office.

Banbo was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a cup of coffee. He wasn't tall, just over 1.7 meters, and was rather thin. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, his hair was neatly combed, and he was dressed in a dark blue suit with a dark red tie—he had the air of an elite lawyer.

But when he turned around and saw Fu Yan, his elite demeanor instantly crumbled.

"Follow your words!"

Banbo strode over, reached out and grasped Fu Yan's hands, shaking them vigorously three times—his enthusiasm was as if he had seen a long-lost brother.

"I heard you went back to China! I didn't expect you to come in person!"

"Attorney Ban, it's been a long time."

"Don't call me Attorney Ban, call me Old Ban!" Banbo pulled him to sit on the sofa, personally pouring him a cup of tea. "The last time we met in New York was back in 2006, wasn't it? I still find that short-selling deal of yours unbelievable—$17 billion, all done by yourself. Do you know what those people on Wall Street think of you? 'The Eastern Ghost.' Haha!"

Fu Yan smiled and shook his head: "Keep it low-key! It's all in the past."

"The past? Your battle is etched in Wall Street history! Do you know how many funds wanted to poach you? Bridgewater, Renaissance Technologies, Citadel... they all contacted me, asking for your contact information!"

"So you didn't give them to them?"

"Would I dare give it to you?" Banbo winked. "I know you don't want to be bothered."

Fu Yan smiled, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then got straight to the point: "Teacher, I've come here today to ask you for a favor."

"you say."

"I've settled back in China and need a private legal advisor. This will handle routine legal matters, contract review, asset planning, and occasionally, some more complex issues that may require your intervention."

Banbo's expression changed from enthusiastic to serious: "Private legal counsel? You mean, exclusive?"

"Of course it's exclusive. Your team will only serve me, or rather, I will be the master of everything."

Banbo did not ask about the price.

He had dealt with Fu Yan before and knew that the man never shortchanged his partners. More importantly, being Fu Yan's private lawyer wasn't just about money—it meant entering Fu Yan's circle, a network of top global investors. This kind of opportunity couldn't be bought with money.

"I'll take it," Banbo said decisively.

"Let's talk about the price." Fu Yan took a draft contract from Lin Xiaochen. "Annual salary of 800,000 yuan, including routine legal consultation services. Fees for complex litigation or major projects will be negotiated separately. Take a look and see if you have any questions."

Banbo glanced at the contract and smiled: "Eight hundred thousand? You're charging the maximum allowed in the industry."

"You're worth the price."

Banbo closed the contract and held out his hand: "Deal."

The two shook hands.

Lin Xiaochen silently took notes, her face expressionless—but she knew in her heart that although the senior partners of Haocheng Law Firm could charge up to a million yuan a year, Fu Yan signed Banbo's exclusive service for only 800,000 yuan, not because Banbo was cheap, but because Fu Yan's own circle and value far exceeded that amount.

……

It was almost noon when we came out of Haocheng.

Fu Yan and Lin Xiaochen found a restaurant near the China World Trade Center to eat at – Fu Yan ordered a bowl of noodles with soybean paste, and Lin Xiaochen ordered a salad.

"There are a few things I need you to do next." Fu Yan picked up a clove of garlic. "First, hire a driver. Requirements: veterans preferred, especially retired special police or reconnaissance soldiers. Age under forty, good health, discreet, and reliable."

"Understood. I will recruit through the Veterans Affairs Bureau."

"Secondly, hire a male assistant. He'll help you with your work, running errands, coordinating, and handling miscellaneous tasks. You'll have the final say on this; his main role is to share the workload. Just hire whoever you think is suitable."

"it is good."

"Third, we need to hire a live-in nanny. Requirements: able to cook Northeastern Chinese or Shandong cuisine, around 40 years old (not too young or too old), clean and efficient, and preferably with live-in experience."

Lin Xiaochen looked up at him and asked, "Are you experienced?"

"Well, it would be best if they had experience; I'm afraid of making mistakes by trial and error," Fu Yan said vaguely.

Lin Xiaochen didn't press the matter. She knew she shouldn't pry into Fu Yan's private affairs; it was both a matter of professional ethics and maintaining boundaries with her boss.

"A live-in nanny lives in a courtyard house?" Lin Xiaochen asked.

"Yes, just clean out one room in the east wing or the back room. The driver and male assistant don't need to stay there; they just need to be there on time every day."

"Okay, I'll arrange it as soon as possible. I expect to be able to recruit someone within a week."

"No rush, finding the right person is more important than finding someone fast."

Lin Xiaochen nodded and continued eating her salad.

After finishing his noodles with soybean paste and taking a sip of the soup, Fu Yan looked out the window at the steel forest of the CBD and suddenly felt a bit absurd—he had just returned from his red brick house in Anqiu, and less than 24 hours later he was sitting under an office building in the CBD eating noodles with soybean paste.

Fu Yan took out his phone and glanced at the time—1:30 PM.

"Let's go back to Houhai." He stood up. "I still need to catch up on some sleep."

Lin Xiaochen followed behind, her lips twitching slightly.

She discovered that this boss had a peculiar trait that few people knew about—no matter how busy he was, he always managed to find time to sleep.

That's probably the secret to how he's survived this long.