Second update,

...

Perhaps the two new disciples had been intimidated by Qin Fang, as they seemed to regard him with considerable fear.

However, Qin Fang couldn't be bothered with that; he simply took them to the kitchen and taught them how to make ramen in great detail. After receiving the message "You have successfully taught Cooking Skill to Sun Liang and Wu Ping," the mentor-disciple relationships between Qin Fang, Sun Liang, and Wu Ping were officially established.

"Wen Yi, from now on, these two younger brothers will be your responsibility. As the eldest disciple, you will train them. I will occasionally give some pointers too!"

Qin Fang was essentially a lazy person. After imparting the Cooking Skill, he only held the title of master nominally. As for the specifics, he was too busy to handle them and left everything to Wen Yi. This made his life much easier; he was able to increase Proficiency quickly without having to lift a finger, leaving more time to do other things.

Actually, Wen Yi didn't really need to teach them much. Her main role was to oversee them. The rest was up to the diligence of the two individuals.

In the disciple option for Qin Fang, the already graduated Wen Yi's name had turned blue, clearly indicating that she had finished her apprenticeship. However, their mentor-disciple relationship hadn't ended. It simply meant that Qin Fang couldn't gain any more experience from Wen Yi.

Of course, Wen Yi's Cooking Skill advanced just like Qin Fang's, but she only received one-fourth of the experience he gained. The remaining three-quarters became system losses, making Qin Fang lament that the System was truly extortionate!

Nevertheless, this wasn't something Qin Fang could control. He was now focusing on the performance of his two disciples, Sun Liang and Wu Ping, to see if they would make him proud. He could tell by looking at the Skill Proficiency. Those who were diligent could stay, while the lazy ones would be shown no mercy and ousted from the Sect. Then he could take in the waiting substitute, Zhou Rui...

After dealing with these matters, it was almost time. Fang Feixue was making final preparations because it was set to open officially the next day.

...

Qin Fang and Xiao Muxue still lived downtown, and Tang Feifei continued to reside in her family's home at the provincial committee compound. However, they all arrived early at Fang Feixue after breakfast, anticipating that the Ninghai Main Store would officially open at around half-past ten in the morning.

The dining hall had been cleaned thoroughly, with all the tables and chairs neatly arranged, complete with tablecloths and small decorations. All the necessary bowls and chopsticks for the restaurant were also unpacked and sterilized, ready to use.

One of the most important aspects was the kitchen. With Wen Yi as the head chef and over ten apprentices, both junior and senior, all were present, including the apprentices brought by these masters and the three newbies with special identities, Sun Liang, Wu Ping, and Zhou Rui, all dressed in crisp, white chef's attire.

All varieties of vegetables, meats, bean products, and spices were also ready. For this purpose, Qin Fang had even prepared several secret sauces in advance. This might be the last time Qin Fang made the secret sauces himself, as Wen Yi's Cooking Skill had reached Intermediate level, and she would take over this task in the future.

The flower baskets were prepared at the entrance, alongside banners ready to be displayed, fluttering gently in the breeze.

Xiao Qing, as the manager of Fang Feixue, was standing at the entrance, welcoming the arriving guests—some were her previous friends or known business owners.

Qin Fang, Tang Feifei, and Xiao Muxue also attended in fine dress. However, their main responsibility was to take care of their acquaintances and the guests Qin Fang had invited, such as the city bureau chief Ye Heng and his son, siblings Ning Yumo and Ning Weiqiang, Tang Cheng, and Tiger Li Dong...

"Congratulations, congratulations!"

The first to arrive were classmates of Qin Fang, Tang Feifei, and Xiao Muxue. Since today was a weekend and students were off, they had time to drop by.

Xiao Nan had also returned from Southern Yue and led several dormitory brothers in two cars to the scene. They were the earliest to know about Fang Feixue's opening. Xiao Nan had flown back to Ninghai last night, and Qin Fang had him drive his newly purchased Audi Q7 straight to the school to pick up everyone.

"Brothers, it's crowded today, and I can't attend to everyone. Please go inside... Order whatever you want!"

Qin Fang embraced his brothers warmly and ushered them into the restaurant. Since it was the first day of opening, acquaintances ate for free and first-time customers received a fifty percent discount. Qin Fang didn't mind this initial loss because he wanted to make a great first impression.

"Younger Brother Qin, congratulations,"

Following were Tiger, Li Dong, Big Bear, and others from Tang Cheng's circle, all reputable figures in the underworld. They commanded such presence that they intimidated the more perceptive and knowledgeable onlookers—the only exception might have been Mouse Qiang. By status, he shouldn't have been there, but he was lifted by Qin Fang, which was giving face to Qin Fang.

"Brother Hu, you're too kind. Please, come in, come in!"

Of course, Tiger and the others didn't come empty-handed. They had thick red envelopes and a large gold ingot. Qin Fang found himself both helpless and pleased.

"We're all brothers here, no need for formalities! You do your thing, and we'll help ourselves... Just join us for a good few drinks later!"

Since their first meeting with Qin Fang, Brother Hu and his crew felt a strong connection. Coupled with their ties to Tang Cheng, they never really treated Qin Fang as an outsider.

"Of course, just wait and see how I'll drink all of you under the table..."

Qin Fang said with a laugh and led Brother Hu and the others into the shop.

By now, there were already quite a few people seated inside, most of whom were invited by Xiao Nan. However, when they spotted Brother Hu and his group, their eyes popped out in surprise.

"Brother Dong actually came..."

"Brother Bear is here too..."

"Even Lord Hu is here... This shop's owner really has tremendous clout!"

A few who recognized Brother Hu or Li Dong immediately started talking amongst themselves, surprised by the appearance. Those who were familiar with Brother Hu and Li Dong came over to greet them, instantly heating up the atmosphere.

Others who didn't know Brother Hu and his crew inquired about them and learned they were the big shots from the southern part of the city. They couldn't help feeling surprised and eager to curry favor.

...

"Young Master Qin, congratulations! This is just a small token, please accept it with my compliments..."

It wasn't long before a group of about a dozen people arrived by car, with Li Hui of Bihai Pavilion at the forefront. Qin Fang was quite familiar with him.

"I didn't expect Mr. Li to come in person. I'm truly delighted. Please, come inside!"

Qin Fang was indeed surprised, but he didn't make a fuss about it. If Brother Hu's presence represented Tang Cheng, then Li Hui's was representative of Li Rui. Judging by the red envelopes and gifts Li Hui brought, he wasn't far behind Brother Hu and his group in terms of generosity.

Regarding all these offerings, Qin Fang didn't pry and accepted everything, then led Li Hui and his group inside.

As Li Hui passed by Tang Feifei and Xiao Muxue, he paused briefly, then very respectfully greeted Tang Feifei with a "Good day, Miss Tang." Unfortunately, Tang Feifei didn't pay him any attention.

Li Hui knew Tang Feifei's identity and naturally didn't dare to get upset. He led his people inside.

Upon seeing Brother Hu and his group, he merely nodded at them and then took a seat at another table at a distance, maintaining a clear boundary between them.

"Isn't that Li Hui from Bihai Pavilion? Even he's here..."

Many of the people who had arrived earlier in the shop recognized Li Hui. After all, those who had money often liked to have fun, and while they couldn't get into Elite Salon, Bihai Pavilion was accessible, so recognizing Li Hui wasn't strange at all.

"The owner of this shop is really something. These two groups are famously discordant, and today they're sitting together. The face given is unusually big..."

Those who managed to make a name for themselves naturally had good judgment. Li Rui controlled over half of Ninghai's underground forces, while Brother Hu temporarily held the south of the city. His influence might not be as extensive as Li Rui's, but it was certainly not to be underestimated, especially with Ninghai's top young master, Tang Cheng, standing in front.

It was an inevitable situation; despite Governor Tang having higher-ranking officials such as the party secretary and the governor above him, the current governor was confirmed to be transferred to another province as the party secretary. The current party secretary was also due to retire in a year or two, with children who had emigrated overseas many years ago. Secretary Tang was about to become Governor Tang, and Tang Cheng, Ninghai's top young master, was soon to become Jiangnan Province's top young master.

In comparison, although Li Rui had an uncle who was a deputy party secretary and a standing committee member of the provincial committee, ranking temporarily above Secretary Tang, he couldn't exert much influence while Secretary Tang's career was in full swing. Maintaining the stability of the Li Family was considered good enough and explained why Li Rui was relatively low-profile.

Brother Hu, with Tang Cheng backing him, was untouchable by Li Rui's vast control of the underground forces, but the animosity between them was genuine. While there were no major conflicts, the small frictions were never-ending.

Qin Fang was very aware of these issues, but for the time being, he didn't want to get involved. There was undeniable discord between him and Li Rui, poised to erupt sooner or later.

However, from the current perspective, neither of them seemed eager for a direct confrontation. So, for now, they would live and let live. Qin Fang pondered whether Li Rui intended to deal with Chen Weilian, who had betrayed him, before slowly settling the score with Qin Fang.

No matter whether things were as he imagined or not, Qin Fang wasn't particularly worried. This situation actually gave him some breathing space and time to prepare, which was even better... (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to vote for and support it with your recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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