Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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After Tao Yuan left, the guests who had been listening to the music closed their eyes and sat quietly for a long time before the music finally faded from their ears. When they opened their eyes, they immediately grabbed the staff nearby, asking if they could still hear the same musician playing at the same time tomorrow, and if they could reserve a table now.
Others asked how much it would cost to book a private room by the hour, and if they could book it now. The staff, quick-witted, were initially confused but quickly understood, explaining that the musician’s schedule hadn’t been finalized yet, and those who wanted to book by the hour could inquire tomorrow.
Mr. Chen and his group pondered for a moment before standing up and leaving. Manager Wu, seeing the guests asking questions, wanted to immediately go talk to Tao Yuan again, but he couldn’t ignore Mr. Chen and his group. So he beckoned a staff member over and asked him to tell Tao Yuan to stay a moment longer, as he had something to say to him.
After giving the instructions, Manager Wu immediately followed Mr. Chen and his group, preparing to make arrangements for them before going to talk to Tao Yuan.
As they approached the private room, Mr. Chen suddenly stopped and said, “Please come in first, everyone. I have a few words to say to Manager Wu, I’ll be right there.”
The others tactfully entered the private room first, and then Manager Wu led Mr. Chen into another lounge.
“Mr. Chen? What can I do for you?” Manager Wu asked, standing by the table.
“That young man just now, he played the zither quite well, and he’s very handsome too.” Mr. Chen paused, then got straight to the point. “I’ve been discussing a collaboration with Chairman Wei of the Yinghui Group, but Chairman Wei seems to be in a bad mood lately, and we haven’t been able to reach an agreement. Chairman Wei also enjoys listening to the zither, but the ones who can satisfy him are all elderly zither players. It’s rare to find a zither player who plays so well and is also young and handsome. If you can persuade him to make Chairman Wei happy, I can consider helping you with the matter you’ve been asking me for.”
Manager Wu originally wanted to say… The boy has a bad temper, so it might be difficult for him to curry favor with Chairman Wei. However, upon hearing President Chen say that he could help him resolve the issue that had been troubling him recently, he immediately swallowed back the words he was about to say and changed his tune, saying, “This boy is an orphan with a sick younger brother, and he needs to pay tuition soon. He’s a student in the Department of Chinese Studies at Dongjing University, where tuition is notoriously expensive, and he’s currently short of money. There’s a good chance of persuading him. However, this boy came from a well-off family, so he has a bit of a spoiled brat attitude… But don’t worry, I will definitely try my best to persuade him.”
“There’s one thing you must remember,” General Manager Chen tapped the table with his finger. “You can’t force or threaten people. It has to be their own free will. Also, regarding the ‘young master’s temper’ you mentioned earlier, if he can’t control his temper, he definitely can’t be presented to Chairman Wei. Otherwise, if he fails to please Chairman Wei, that’s one thing, but if he offends Chairman Wei, neither of us will be in a good place. Whether you can still be the manager is another matter.”
“Don’t worry, I understand these implications. Let alone pleasing Chairman Wei, I wouldn’t dare force him to please anyone else. If he offends someone, I’ll be implicated too.” Manager Wu didn’t dare mention that the original owner had just offended someone. He was worried that General Manager Chen would immediately regret it, and he felt there was still a good chance of persuading Tao Yuan.
After Tao Yuan finished playing the zither, he was originally going to leave immediately. Today, he had shown off his zither skills a little to get Manager Wu to keep him. Even if Manager Wu didn’t keep him, he could still find work in other teahouses.
Before he could even change his clothes, a staff member came to him, saying that Manager Wu wanted him to stay. Tao Yuan had originally planned to go back and wait for Manager Wu to come to him, but since he wanted to talk to him now, he decided to stay.
Tao Yuan drank tea in the manager’s office and waited for about half an hour before Manager Wu finally came in.
“Manager Wu,” Tao Yuan said, standing up.
“Sit down, sit down.” Manager Wu quickly waved to Tao Yuan, then sat down in his office chair and looked at her, saying, “Tell me the truth, were you hiding your true abilities before?”
Tao Yuan feigned hesitation and said, “Manager, you know that someone like me, without any backing or background, is different from other young musicians with connections. Even though I’ve already hidden my abilities, I still can’t avoid being taken advantage of, so I’m even more afraid to show my true skills.”
“Then what happened today…?”
“I had to leave because I offended a customer. If I didn’t show my abilities, it would be hard to find work at other tea houses. I deliberately hid my abilities here, and only showed them at other tea houses, because I was afraid you wouldn’t think well of me, so…”
“You,” Manager Wu shook his head helplessly, “If you had known earlier that you had such high musical skills, I would have arranged for you to play at Fufeng Academy. The pay is higher there, there are tips, and the customers are generous. Didn’t you want to earn more money too?”
“I’ve been pushed to the limit, and all I can think about is making more money,” Tao Yuan sighed.
“I have a great opportunity to make money that can cover all your tuition fees in one go. Would you like to listen?”
Tao Yuan hesitated for a moment and said, “If what you’re talking about is someone wanting to keep me as a mistress, then forget it. Even if I’m desperate for money, I can’t accept that.”
“Don’t rush to refuse. Don’t worry, I won’t force you. Besides, this person’s identity is a bit special. If you offend him, I won’t have a good time either. So it’s up to you to be willing,” Manager Wu said. “I’m just saying. Just listen casually. If you don’t want to, just pretend I didn’t say anything.”
Tao Yuan remained silent, neither confirming nor denying his willingness to listen. He knew that as long as he didn’t say he didn’t want to listen, Manager Wu would definitely continue.
“You studied traditional Chinese painting, so you’re quite knowledgeable about the world of traditional Chinese culture, but you probably don’t know much about the business world,” Manager Wu said. “However, you’ve definitely heard of Yinghui Group. After all, they’re involved in many industries, like supermarkets, hospitals, and hotels. Yinghui is among the top in every industry that ordinary people can access.”
Tao Yuan’s heart skipped a beat when he heard Yinghui, because while the name was familiar, it wasn’t the kind of familiarity Manager Wu expected.
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