Chapter 117: Chapter 102: A New Cooperation Proposal

Ning He had a pretty good idea of what was going on.

"In that case, can we raise the price for our food tours? Vitelli Company’s cheapest out-of-town tour is 6,000, so raising our price to 5,000 per person wouldn’t be excessive, right?"

Macken didn’t answer right away, seeming to consider it.

So Ning He added a few more points.

"I can develop some new dishes to ensure customer satisfaction. As long as the guests feel they’re getting their money’s worth, that’s all that matters. As for the other amenities, I don’t know much about that, but it’s just a matter of fancier decorations and higher-end plates. It’ll add to the cost, but that cost will be passed on to the customer, so we definitely won’t lose money. If we do our best to provide everything Vitelli offers, this price won’t seem unreasonable."

"Who needs all that flashy stuff? Us old clients are all here because of the boss’s reputation. In all the years the boss has been doing this, Black Panther Company has never had a single client get injured. That’s way better than some high-end plates!" Johnny couldn’t help but chime in again.

"That’s even better. Since we can guarantee both the security and the quality of the food, the price is justifiable. We’ll still have an edge over Vitelli," Ning He said.

"5,000 original coins is a twenty-five percent increase. I’m afraid just one or two new dishes won’t be enough," Macken said.

"As long as I have the ingredients, I can make as many as you want," Ning He said confidently.

Macken considered it for a moment, then finally nodded. "Alright. If the clients are willing to accept it, we’ll go with this price."

"Let’s not rush it. Since we’re using the food as the main selling point and raising the price, we need a good marketing angle. Give me a few days. I’ll go home, think of a plan, and then let you know," Ning He said.

Macken agreed.

As a show of good faith, Ning He still agreed to do the Monday food tour, and she charged the old price.

Following Macken’s instructions, Johnny drove Ning He home. The moment he got in the car, he was grinning from ear to ear, his face once again wreathed in smiles.

"What’s with you? You seemed pretty unhappy to see me at first. What’s with the sudden change of heart?" Ning He asked directly.

Johnny scratched his head, embarrassed. "I misunderstood you. I thought you were threatening the boss by refusing to cooperate, trying to get a bigger cut of the money."

Ning He rolled her eyes. "Please, I really am busy, okay? Didn’t you see how booming my restaurant is? I really couldn’t get away."

"Sorry, I got the wrong idea," Johnny apologized honestly. "It’s just that lately, almost no one has signed up for the regular sightseeing tours. We’re only getting food tours. If you don’t come, we can’t do anything. And we’ve had a lot of expenses recently, so I was getting anxious."

Ever since that incident with the mysterious creature, Macken had greatly reduced the operational range of his tours. They were now mostly confined to one fixed location, so naturally, fewer people were coming just for sightseeing. Ning He could understand that.

’But why have their expenses been so high recently?’

Ning He asked out of curiosity.

"Ah... well... you know, prices have gone up lately. We eat a lot, so we spend a lot. Oh, and Uncle Lao Qi has a new grandson, so another mouth to feed means more expenses!" Johnny said, turning the steering wheel, guilt written all over his face.

She didn’t need to guess to know he was lying.

Ning He didn’t press the issue. It was their own private business and had nothing to do with her.

"So you’re just like me, then. In a hurry to make some money."

"Right, right! The more, the better!" Johnny nodded vigorously and gave her an eager look. "So we’re counting on you to come up with some amazing new dishes. If we can really sell them for 5,000 a person, I’ll... I’ll—"

"You’ll be my little brother!" Ning He deliberately teased him.

Johnny froze, then, as if having made a great resolution, he gritted his teeth.

"Fine! A little brother it is!"

Ning He burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. After a moment, she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and patted the shoulder of a beet-red Johnny.

"Alright, then. Leave it to your big sister. I’ll be sure to cook up a good plan."

It was easy to talk big, but much harder to follow through.

The moment she returned to the restaurant, Ning He threw herself into her work. Then, over the weekend, a super-heavy fog rolled in, reducing outdoor visibility to a single meter and tanking the air quality. She had considered closing for the day, but was surprised to receive several take-out orders in the morning, so she had to stay open as usual.

In the end, during both the lunch and dinner rushes, Ning He was so busy she was run off her feet. When she got home, she would collapse into bed, leaving her with absolutely no time to think of a good idea.

Fortunately, when they met on Monday, Macken didn’t pressure her. He just asked a couple of questions and told her to take her time thinking about it.

At noon, wanting to show off her skills a bit, Ning He had Johnny and Watson go to the river to catch a few big crabs and a fish, and then she made a batch of troublesome crab roe soup dumplings.

Crabs weren’t normally found in the city, and they were a hassle to eat, so they were an ingredient that rarely appeared on the menu.

Furthermore, the ones Johnny and Watson had caught were a mutated species—baring their fangs and brandishing their claws, with ferocious faces and blue bodily fluids. If the System hadn’t explicitly said they were edible, Ning He wouldn’t have been able to bring herself to touch them.

When Annie introduced the dish, this batch of guests all looked at each other, none of them moving to pick up their chopsticks.

These guests were unfamiliar, seemingly new. In the end, Ning He had Johnny go up and demonstrate how to eat the soup dumplings.

The big guy’s dramatic expressions were surprisingly effective. Everyone’s appetite was whetted, and they all took a bite to taste it.

And once they tasted it, there was no stopping them.

Because the crabs didn’t have much meat, Ning He had made the filling for the soup dumplings with a fifty-fifty ratio of crab meat and roe to pork. As a result, the crab flavor wasn’t overpowering; combined with the pork, it created a gentle yet rich, savory aroma.

Ning He remembered the first time she’d tried a dumpling that was pure crab meat and roe while checking out a new restaurant. It had cost a hundred a piece, and one bite filled her mouth with so much crab that the umami flavor was too intense, making her cough for a long time. The photography assistant who went with her ate half of one before declaring that their taste buds couldn’t handle it and packed up the rest to go.

If the savory flavor of other ingredients was like gentle spring water, softly enveloping the taste buds, then the umami of this crab was like a layer of ice thorns. The moment it touched the tongue, there was a dense, stimulating prickle, but in the next second, the ice melted away, and the savory flavor flowed out, carrying a unique taste that invited one to chew slowly and savor it.

Watching the guests before her overcome their initial hesitation and gradually immerse themselves in the enjoyment of the food, an idea flashed through Ning He’s mind, so fast she almost failed to catch it.

This food tour concluded smoothly. The guests were very satisfied, and even started discussing the next out-of-town date with Macken. However, Macken told them that a new food tour service would be launched soon and didn’t immediately accept their deposits.

Ning He, who overheard this from the side, suddenly felt a mountain of pressure.

Macken hadn’t seemed to say anything directed at her, but all the pressure had now landed squarely on her shoulders.

’I need to finalize the marketing plan as soon as possible.’

Fortunately, she had just thought of one.

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