Unexpectedly, it became a popular restaurant on the internet.

Xiao Yao had been away for half a month and still didn’t know how his little restaurant was doing. Although the income from the place was negligible for him, it was, after all, his first venture, and since he was currently at loose ends, he cared about it quite a bit.

Driving his Rolls-Royce Phantom, Xiao Yao arrived at his restaurant before ten o’clock. It was still early, so there were naturally no customers inside. The staff, seeing their long-absent boss finally appear—and in such a luxury car—came out in a flurry to take a look.

“Boss, you’ve got a new car again? Is that a Rolls-Royce Phantom?” asked the manager, Zhou Xiaobai.

Zhou Xiaobai had just been hired as manager before Xiao Yao left. She was twenty-four, a graduate of a prestigious university, though slightly lacking in work experience. Before inheriting his fortune, Xiao Yao could never have afforded to hire someone with such credentials. Back then, he managed the restaurant himself and had no need for a manager. But before leaving for the capital, knowing he’d be gone at least a week, he decided to bring in a promising talent to run things.

Although Zhou Xiaobai had served as manager for half a month, she and Xiao Yao were not familiar with each other, having met only twice in passing. Her impression of the boss was simply that he was very wealthy. Last time she’d seen him, he’d driven a Mercedes; today, he arrived in a Rolls-Royce worth tens of millions. There was no doubt her boss was the real deal when it came to wealth.

“You’ve got a sharp eye. How’s business been these days?” Xiao Yao asked offhandedly.

“Business has been excellent. These past few days, daily revenue has been over twelve thousand, and at peak times, it even hits fifteen or sixteen thousand,” Zhou Xiaobai replied, a hint of pride in her voice.

“How could it be that high?” Xiao Yao was taken aback. “Looks like hiring you as our restaurant manager was the right move.”

Zhou Xiaobai hurried to clarify, “I wouldn’t dare take all the credit. While I’ve played a part, the person we should really thank is your friend, Miss Sang Qingye.”

“Sang Qingye? She’s been livestreaming at our place again?” Xiao Yao asked knowingly.

“Every three or five days, whenever we launch new dishes, Miss Sang comes to do a livestream. She has a strong local following, and her promotions have been very effective. Now, our Flavors Pavilion has become a hotspot on the internet.”

Zhou Xiaobai continued, “Besides Miss Sang’s tremendous contribution, our chef, Qin Dahai, has also played a huge part in our success. My own management efforts would only come in third.”

The chef she referred to, Qin Dahai, was the restaurant’s head cook. When Xiao Yao first decided to open the place, it was Qin Dahai who gave him the confidence to go ahead. Qin Dahai, only twenty-six, was just a few years older than Xiao Yao. The two had once shared an apartment, and during that time, Qin’s cooking completely won Xiao Yao over. When Xiao Yao got the idea to open a restaurant, it took a lot of persuasion to recruit Qin, who had always worked as an assistant chef in large establishments. Despite his talents, there was little chance for him to stand out. Xiao Yao offered a high salary, and since they were friends, Qin agreed.

Unfortunately, reality is always harsher than dreams. After the restaurant opened, even with Qin’s skill, business just didn’t take off. It wasn’t until recently, with Sang Qingye’s promotions and Zhou Xiaobai’s professional management and planning, that Qin’s new dishes finally began to win over the market.

After hearing Zhou Xiaobai’s detailed report, Xiao Yao said, “I appreciate everyone’s hard work. For this month, everyone’s wages will go up thirty percent as a reward. At the end of the year, there’ll be bonuses based on everyone’s performance and contribution.”

Since it wasn’t a busy time, and with the boss making a rare appearance, the staff had gathered around to admire his new car. Now, hearing about the generous pay raise, they were overjoyed.

“Thank you, boss!”

“You’re so generous!”

“Long live the boss!”

“Boss, I want to work for you for life!”

…

Once the excitement had died down a little, Xiao Yao added, “Now that everyone’s getting a raise, I hope to see your best work. Don’t let me down, or I’ll have to dock your pay.” After a round of promises and pledges of loyalty, the staff dispersed.

When everyone had left, Zhou Xiaobai seized the chance to speak with her young, wealthy boss. “Boss, may I ask, what are your plans for this restaurant? Is it just a fleeting interest, or do you really want to run it seriously and make it grow?”

Before inheriting Pan Wu’s estate, Xiao Yao had certainly aimed to build the business up. But after the inheritance, the little restaurant seemed insignificant. In truth, he hadn’t given Zhou Xiaobai’s question much thought.

After a moment’s reflection, Xiao Yao replied, “To be honest, this little restaurant is dispensable for me. But I never leave things half done. Since I started this, I want to do it well. However, I won’t be putting too much of my own energy into it. Whether it grows into something bigger will depend on your abilities. What I can do is give you all the support you need. Is that answer satisfactory?”

“Very much so. With your backing, I’m confident I can manage Flavors Pavilion well. It’s my goal to see it flourish. I know you’re someone destined for greater things and probably don’t care for such a small business right now. As long as you trust and support me, I promise not to trouble you with work matters. Who knows, maybe one day Flavors Pavilion will become an important part of your portfolio,” Zhou Xiaobai said, her eyes bright with conviction.

Xiao Yao now looked at his manager with newfound respect. When he hired her, it was for her youth, her degree from a top university, and her potential as a restaurant manager—her only shortcoming was a lack of experience. Yet here she was, speaking to him with such ambition and drive. She was clearly a career woman with a streak of ambition.

With interest, Xiao Yao said, “As long as you have the ability, I’ll give you all the support you need. At the very least, funding will never be an issue.”

Zhou Xiaobai hadn’t expected to meet such an intriguing and generous boss. It seemed her own plans might need to change.

“Thank you for giving me this opportunity, boss. I won’t let you down,” she said earnestly.