[Genshin Impact]: I can become stronger by cooking.

The time flow rates in the two places are so different...

No longer thinking about anything else, a sense of exhaustion washed over Chao Ke like waves. He forced himself to get into bed, and as soon as his head hit the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep.

Chapter 4 Restaurant Site Selection

The next day, when Chao Ke woke up, he found that it was already 11 a.m.

This is the first time in recent years that Chao Ke has slept in late.

Fortunately, the drowsiness deep in my mind lessened considerably after waking up and became extremely weak.

Feeling refreshed, Chao Ke couldn't help but get out of bed and stretch.

"Ouch! It hurts! It hurts!"

The pain radiating from all parts of his body almost made Chao Ke faint.

Chao Ke then realized that he was no longer in his healthy state during the God of Cookery Trial, but rather a wounded soldier who had overused his Evil Eye and was injured.

With a helpless sigh, Chao Ke took out the cane he had brought back yesterday from beside the bed and used it to support himself as he walked towards the living room.

On the dining table was a breakfast, and a chair had been specially pulled out for the convenience of the diners.

She plopped down in a chair, tossed her cane aside, and began to enjoy the breakfast her older sister had prepared.

A glass of milk and a few sandwiches are just the taste of an ordinary family meal, yet they can fill both the stomach and the soul.

After breakfast, Chao Ke went out and strolled around Fontainebleau, starting to look for a suitable location to open a restaurant.

Chao Ke and Arecino's house is in the Leone district of Fontaine, near the Adventurers' Guild. It's not far from their house that they can meet Miss Catherine, the receptionist of the Adventurers' Guild.

The Adventurers' Guild seems to be quite busy today, with a lot of people surrounding Catherine's spot.

Chao Ke wasn't in a hurry. He borrowed a chair from the Lepot watch shop next door and waited quietly.

After a while, perhaps because it was lunchtime, there were finally few people around Catherine. Chao Ke returned the chair and walked over to Catherine with his cane.

“Towards the stars and the abyss. Mr. Chao Ke, I apologize for not being able to serve you immediately,” Catherine said respectfully, a hint of apology on her face.

"It's alright, it's alright. I didn't come to see you on official business this time; it's for my personal needs."

"Alright, Mr. Chao Ke, is there anything you need the Adventurers' Guild to help you with?"

"I'd like to purchase a shop in Fontainebleau to open a restaurant. My budget is around 50 million Mora. Do you have any recommendations, Miss Catherine?"

Miss Catherine pondered for a moment and replied, "With fifty million Mora, there aren't many options. There are a few shops for sale, but they are either too remote or too small to be suitable as restaurants."

"Mr. Chao Ke, have you considered renting it? There is a pretty nice shop for rent in the Vasari Corridor. It has a good size and location, and it is very convenient for your work. However, the owner of the shop is only considering renting it out and has no intention of selling it."

"Oh? Where exactly is it located?"

"Wait a moment, let me get you a map." Catherine said, pulling a map from under the table and placing it on the reception desk.

"Look, it's right here, in this very spot."

Following the direction Catherine was pointing, he looked over at Ke and immediately understood, "No wonder Catherine said it would make my work easier."

It turns out that this location is the same as the [Café Luze] in the game, right at the foot of the Bufati Mansion.

Chao Ke looked at the piece of land and the more he looked at it, the more suitable it seemed.

Chao Ke was very satisfied with both the size of the venue and the location of the shop. What was even better was that it was next to the Bufati Mansion. In the future, not only would there be no trouble caused by people, but the restaurant's labor costs could also be reduced.

"Does the owner intend to sell this shop? Or, could I persuade him to sell it?"

“Mr. Chao Ke, I do not recommend that you do this. The owner of this shop is somewhat special, and has connections with the Fontaine Chamber of Commerce and many other forces.”

"Moreover, even if he agrees to sell, the Fontaine Chamber of Commerce and government forces will do everything they can to obstruct the transfer of ownership, since they will not stand idly by and watch the mansion's influence expand outward."

"Understood." Chao Ke nodded, then asked, "What is the rental price for this shop?"

"According to the information that gentleman left, he probably wanted a rent of seven million Mora a year, but recently a gentleman named Arué has been negotiating with him and has negotiated a price of about six and a half million Mora a year. You can use this as a reference for your judgment."

"I understand. Thank you for your help, Catherine."

"It's my pleasure. Please come again next time."

After the conversation ended, looking at the Adventurers' Guild counter, Chao Ke couldn't help but sigh. Miss Catherine's existence had truly provided a lot of support to the intelligence agents of the Winter Kingdom.

Take this consultation for example. An ordinary adventurer would probably have to pay an information consultation fee to inquire, and Catherine might not reveal details about the price negotiation in order to protect the privacy of other clients.

Although the leaders of various countries were more or less wary of her, they placed their own people in the upper echelons of their respective adventurers' associations.

However, Miss Catherine still intercepted and reported a lot of trivial information, which greatly facilitated the Fools' operations in the various countries.

Chao Ke walked down the steps of the Leonai district, past the fountains, toward the Boufati Mansion located in the Vasari Gallery.

After walking for a while, Chao Ke arrived near the Bufati Mansion. Looking at the shops below the mansion, he found that they were indeed vacant.

Upon closer inspection, I happened to see a blond young man discussing something with a middle-aged man.

"Sir, could you possibly lower the price a bit more, or give me an extra month or two of rent? I've just started my business and I'm really strapped for cash."

“Mr. Arue, I’ve already given you a price that’s already below my bottom line. If you lower the price any further, not only you, but even the employees who used to rent from me will come and complain.”

"But..."

Before Mr. Alue could finish speaking, he felt someone approaching from behind.

"Is this shop for rent?"

Upon hearing Chao Ke's question and observing Chao Ke's exquisite attire, the middle-aged man's eyes lit up, and he quickly invited Chao Ke to sit down.

However, Arué, standing to the side, looked at Chao Ke with a hint of hostility.

The middle-aged man looked Chao Ke up and down. "This gentleman doesn't look like a Fontainebleau native. I wonder what kind of business you intend to do by renting my shop?"

Chao Ke bowed to the middle-aged man and said with a smile, "Uncle, you have a good eye. My name is Chao Ke, and I am a chef from Liyue. I came to Fontaine this time to open my own restaurant."

"Oh? Coming to Fontaine to cook Liyue cuisine? That's certainly a good idea..."

The middle-aged man echoed, rubbing his chin with his left hand. Due to work, he had frequently traveled to Liyue and had a certain understanding of Liyue cuisine. Bringing Liyue cuisine to Fontaine might actually be quite profitable.

Meanwhile, Arué looked somewhat anxious. The sudden appearance of Chao Ke, a competitor, had severely disrupted his negotiation rhythm.

With Chao Ke joining the competition for the shop, Alue is no longer able to negotiate the rent with the landlord, and it's even questionable whether he can rent the shop at the current price.

After a moment of contemplation, the middle-aged man suddenly asked Chao Ke, "Mr. Chao Ke from Liyue, have you heard of Master Mao?"

Chapter 5 Obtaining the Lease Agreement

Faced with the middle-aged man's sudden question, Chao Ke was taken aback at first, and then calmly answered.

"Master Mao, of course I've heard of him. He's the head chef and the star of Wanmintang. His culinary skills are superb, and his prices are reasonable. He uses the most common ingredients, the most universal flavors, and the most exquisite techniques to make the most delicious dishes."

"By the way, Master Mao also has a daughter named Xiangling, she's quite cute."

Hearing Chao Ke's natural and fluent reply, the middle-aged man breathed a sigh of relief, and his furrowed brows relaxed.

Wanmintang is just a small restaurant in Liyue Harbor, and I only discovered this hidden gem by chance. Although Chef Mao's cooking skills are superb, Wanmintang has not yet become popular. Currently, most people who know about it are either insiders or gourmets in Liyue.

The young man in front of me not only knew Wanmintang, but also knew the name of Master Mao's daughter. This is not something that can be answered simply by doing some homework; one must have lived in Liyue for several years to do so.

Therefore, the middle-aged man concluded that this young man did not seem to be a member of the manor and must have really come from Liyue.

Having made his judgment, the middle-aged man's expression became enthusiastic as he introduced the situation to Chao Ke.

“Mr. Chao Ke, I wonder if you are familiar with the urban planning of Fontainebleau? My shop is located in a prime location in the Vasari Corridor, at the junction of residential area and commercial center. The annual rent is not cheap!”

Chao Ke waved his hand, "You don't need to say anything more. I did my homework before coming here. I know the price you reserved at the Adventurers' Guild. I can accept the rent of seven million Mora a year. We can sign the contract at any time."

The middle-aged man was overjoyed; this was wonderful.

Because his shop was next to the Bufati Mansion, even though the rent was very attractive, few businessmen dared to take it over.

After all, being right next to a foreign intelligence agency's hideout, there are too many uncontrollable factors.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to persuade Alue, the only stubborn kid, to lower the rent significantly.

But the young man before them was a foreigner from Liyue. Being unfamiliar with the place and seemingly financially secure, he was a perfect sucker.

If I don't scam you, who else am I going to scam?

"Haha, Mr. Chao Ke, to use an old saying from your Liyue, we really feel like old friends!"

"Yes, yes, I also think you are very elegant and have a noble demeanor."

Seeing that the two were getting along better and better, and knowing that the shop he had his eye on could fall into someone else's hands at any moment, Arué gritted his teeth, made up his mind, and said to Chao Ke.

“Mr. Chao Ke, you are a foreigner, and there’s something you probably don’t know: this shop is right next to the Bufati Mansion, and this place is…”

"Shut up!"

The middle-aged man roared fiercely, staring at Alue with hostile eyes.

"Oh? Is there anything special about this mansion?"

Chao Ke looked at the middle-aged man with a curious expression on his face.

"Uh...uh, it's nothing. This mansion is just an orphanage. Yes! It's just an orphanage."

The middle-aged man explained somewhat awkwardly.

"He's lying, Mr. Chao Ke. The Boufati Mansion isn't just a simple orphanage; it's connected to the Fools and is a major destabilizing factor in Fontaine! Don't be fooled by him!"

Arue shoved the middle-aged man aside and said to Chao Ke.

Although doing so would be tantamount to breaking ties with the middle-aged man, even if Chao Ke chose to give up the lease, it would be difficult for him to rent the shop again.

But after all, Aroue was still young, impulsive and hot-blooded. He couldn't stand the middle-aged man's deceptive behavior, so he kindly explained the true nature of the Boufati Mansion to Chao Ke.

Unexpectedly, Chao Ke did not appreciate his kindness, but simply waved his hand and said he understood. He then continued to discuss the rental details with the middle-aged man.

"It's alright, Mr. Arue. I believe that the security of Fontaine and Lady Funina's supervision of the city-states under her rule are nothing more than a bunch of fools, nothing to be afraid of."

"Huh? You, you, you.... Never mind, Fengdan is not Liyue. You'll understand when you suffer the consequences."

Arué sighed, knowing his persuasion was in vain. Helpless, he took a few steps back and squatted on the curb, sullenly.

The middle-aged man laughed heartily and took out a rental contract template that he had prepared beforehand.

“Mr. Chao Ke, since you have no objection to the rent, let’s talk about the lease term. In my opinion, since you’re in the restaurant business, how about we extend the lease term?”

"Oh, what a coincidence! That's exactly what I was thinking. I'm planning to sign a ten-year lease first, and then renew it depending on how well the business is doing. What do you think?"