Chapter 80: Docked Wages

“Who told you to come over and offer a toast?” Lu Hao’s face grew stern at once.

“Boss, we... we just wanted to come and congratulate you,” those few people replied, their faces plastered with insincere smiles.

“You refused to help when we were in need, but now you’re eager to ride on my coattails,” Lu Hao sneered. “When my sister was being mistreated here, where were you? Not one of you spoke up. She worked a summer job here for two months, and I never once heard her complain. But when she was bullied by that Zhang Shuilong, and Zhang Jiang tried to dock her wages, none of you senior waitresses saw anything? Damn it, you’re all cold-blooded. I don’t need employees like you—you’re all fired! Get out! If you’re owed any wages, go find Manager Wu!”

With a furious roar, Lu Hao drove out all those so-called waitresses, whose hearts were as cold as ice.

Some of them, despite their age and poverty, lived hard lives not because of bad luck, but because they were both mean and foolish. Having seen through their nature, Lu Hao had not the slightest intention of indulging them.

At that moment, Lu Hao, seated at the table, looked at Long Gui and said, “Miss Long, it’s very generous of you to gift me this restaurant, but to be honest, I feel unworthy of it. I didn’t pay a penny for it, and holding on to it makes me uneasy. I’m not the kind of person who takes advantage of others. How about this: name your price. As long as it’s under six hundred thousand, I’ll pay you directly. That way, I can say I bought this place from you. Even if I did get a bit of a bargain, at least I can live with myself.”

Lu Hao spoke with utmost sincerity.

Upon hearing this, Long Gui, dressed in a red suit with her hair in a high ponytail, her natural beauty accentuated by an aura as cold as a snake’s, found herself at a loss.

“Mr. Lu, it’s not that we don’t want to accommodate you, but this matter is somewhat... delicate. After all, Miss Shang personally insisted on giving you this restaurant. To her, it’s hardly worth more than a toy...” She almost mentioned that Miss Shang had spent several million on a teddy bear in Europe just last week.

How much could this little restaurant in Peach Blossom Village possibly be worth?

Besides, the green jade Rolex master model, custom-ordered from Switzerland by Shang Yunjie, encrusted with diamonds, costing over ten million, had already been airfreighted over as a gift for Lu Hao. If he knew about that, who knows how vehemently he’d refuse.

“Enough, stop refusing. Just name a price, or I won’t take it. I can’t accept a restaurant out of nowhere and feel comfortable about it,” Lu Hao waved his hand.

No matter what, Lu Hao was unwilling to accept such a heavy gift for nothing. After all, if something is received without reason, future interactions might devolve into a relationship of favor and obligation, or even master and subordinate. That wasn’t the life he wanted. At the very least, bowing and scraping to the powerful, sacrificing his pride, was not his style.

“Mr. Lu, I’m truly sorry. This isn’t up to me. Besides, our President Shang was adamant—she insisted you must have this restaurant. To her, it’s just a small token of goodwill. Why not just accept it?” Long Gui ventured cautiously.

As a world-class martial artist and chief of security for a top family business consortium, she was used to dealing with European and American gangsters and elite assassins. Yet now, here she was, sitting in a small village restaurant, trying to persuade a humble clinic doctor to accept a gift.

“Are you trying to tell me how to live my life?” Lu Hao set down his cup, looking calmly at her.

He knew that in front of these people, fawning and groveling would get him nowhere. Only by respecting himself and holding his own would he earn true respect.

At that, Long Gui’s expression froze, and she was at a loss for words.

“No, Mr. Lu, that’s not what I meant.” For reasons she couldn’t explain, Long Gui sensed an indescribable air of mystery about Lu Hao. She couldn’t pinpoint its origin, but she felt a definite threat from him. Her instincts had never lied, so she wouldn’t dare underestimate him.

“Alright, there’s three hundred thousand in this card. That should be enough. Take it. I’ll give you the password later. Tell Miss Shang that I bought the restaurant myself,” Lu Hao said, pushing a card over to Long Gui.

Even after paying five hundred thousand, Lu Hao still had about another five hundred thousand left—enough for his family to live comfortably for quite a while.

Moreover, now that his clinic was open, he saw a trickle of patients every day, which was enough to cover their living expenses.

He also had a steady source of income selling medicine, which brought in a tidy sum. For these reasons, Lu Hao refused to owe anyone anything.

“Well... alright,” Long Gui finally relented, seeing the darkening expression on Lu Hao’s face. After all, this sum was pocket change to Miss Shang, not even enough to cover her own salary. She could always return it to Lu Hao later if necessary.

“Mr. Lu, I’ll only take one hundred and fifty thousand. The other one hundred and fifty thousand, consider it a loan to help with the restaurant’s cash flow, if that’s alright?” Long Gui offered a compromise.

“After all, you’ll need funds to pay the staff and chefs, and cover daily operating expenses.”

“Fine, I’ll take it as a loan. I’ll pay you back with interest,” Lu Hao said, transferring one hundred and fifty thousand from the card via his phone.

Both sides ceded a little, and were satisfied.

“Boss, you’re straightforward. Come, let’s eat! Here’s to a happy partnership,” Manager Wu said, quickly rising to toast Lu Hao and even serving him some food. Though Wu’s personality was slippery and a little lazy, for a village-level restaurant, he was more than adequate. In fact, his particular traits made him well-suited to manage the staff and keep things under control.

So, for now, Lu Hao was quite satisfied with this manager Long Gui had found.

Soon, the group enjoyed a pleasant meal together.

Afterward, Lu Hao stood at the entrance of the Neijiang Restaurant with Zhao Cuihua, gazing up at the modest two-story facade, feeling a mix of emotions.

“I never expected you to be so well-off, becoming a restaurant owner overnight. The food here is pretty good too—I’ve only managed to eat here a few times in the past year,” Zhao Cuihua said, looking up at Lu Hao with admiration. The man she’d set her sights on had certainly not let her down.