In the Ming Dynasty 1498, my restaurant connects two worlds.

Song Xiaoyi really didn't expect it to be such a coincidence; there are plenty of people in the world with the surname Wu.

But upon closer reflection, this possibility does exist. After all, Mr. Wu has a deep affection for ancient calligraphy and paintings, and he did not seem surprised when I revealed the secret of the hidden characters in the Wu family's Xuanhe mounting last time.

This is interesting.

"I'll take you there tomorrow. It's not convenient to go now. There's someone knocking on the front door; it must be Commander Mou who's arrived."

"Brother Yi, you should still be polite to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. If you really offend them, although you and I can go to the Immortal Realm, what about the others? What about the Song clan? In the end, it will be a big problem."

"Don't worry, Sister Qiu, Xiao Yi has a plan. You all rest first, I'll go open the door."

As expected, it was Mu Bin who arrived with a slightly embarrassed smile, followed by Liu Kexi with a serious expression.

"Brother Liu! Brother Mou! Your late-night visit is truly unexpected!"

Song Xiaoyi smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. Liu Kexi was an old fox and a veteran of officialdom. No amount of acting would work in front of him, but he still had to keep up appearances.

The other party waited for me for several days, and on my first day back, they rushed over to meet me overnight, which shows that they were at least sincere.

As for how the subsequent discussions go, that depends on how much the other party is willing to spend.

Song Xiaoyi has already begun to demonstrate his strength: an almost unlimited supply of fast food boxes, the ability to mobilize a thousand bicycles overnight, the skill to subdue six burly men in the restaurant in an instant, and even the money-making secrets that even Prince Ning covets...

On the stone table in the backyard, wine glasses and drinks were laid out, but the dishes of snacks remained untouched.

Liu Kexi glanced at Song Xiaoyi indifferently. As expected, he had anticipated our arrival and was waiting here without any attempt to hide it.

This was Song Xiaoyi's hint, or rather, his explicit statement: I know you've come, and I know what you're asking for. Let's talk, don't beat around the bush.

Based on Mu Bin's understanding of Song Xiaoyi's personality and character, there was indeed no need to beat around the bush.

"Brother Liu, Brother Mou, please!" Song Xiaoyi poured three glasses of wine, picked up one for himself, and drank it all in one gulp.

The initiative in the negotiations was in Song Xiaoyi's hands, so he wasn't in a hurry.

After finishing his drink, Song Xiaoyi picked up a chicken claw, lowered his eyes to gnaw on it, but his peripheral vision caught sight of two ants fighting over food on the ground, a playful glint in his lips.

Mu Bin was embarrassed. Before Zhu Ding caused trouble last time, the two sides had worked together seamlessly. Song Xiaoyi trusted the Embroidered Uniform Guard unconditionally and never questioned the money or silver involved. However, because Mu Bin deliberately delayed for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea under the arrangement of the Commander, although Song Xiaoyi did not turn against him on the spot, his attitude had obviously changed.

Now that Lord Qianhu has come to his door, he had already anticipated it, but he still acted aloof and unfriendly, which was rather forceful and embarrassed Lord Qianhu.

On the way here, the two planned to seize the initiative in the negotiations? It seems unlikely they'll succeed. After pouring himself a glass of wine, he looked down at the ants. Should we drink or not?

Mu Bin turned to look at Liu Qianhu. Liu Kexi's Adam's apple bobbed, as if he wanted to speak but then stopped. Finally, he sighed, picked up his wine cup, and drank it all in one gulp before speaking, "Brother Xiao Yi, what happened last time was my fault. I'll punish myself with a cup. Please forgive me."

After Liu Kexi finished speaking, he picked up the wine pot and poured a cup for himself and Song Xiaoyi. He put down the wine pot, picked up his own cup, and drank it all in one gulp.

Song Xiaoyi picked up a glass of wine in front of him and drank it all in one gulp.

Liu Kexi was, after all, the highest-ranking officer of the Jubao Gate Thousand-Household Office of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in Southern Zhili. It was already quite a show of respect for him to go this far, so Song Xiaoyi decided to stop while he was ahead.

If Song Xiaoyi drinks the glass of wine that Liu Kexi poured, we can let this matter go and have an open and honest discussion. If you don't drink it, it means this matter is not over, and we should either break up or part ways. There's no way to start anything else.

When it comes to interpersonal relationships, Song Xiaoyi's handling of them left Liu Kexi and Mou Bin speechless.

Although Song Xiaoyi, who was opposite him, was young, he was not to be underestimated. His demeanor and strength were enough to allow him to speak with the Imperial Guards on equal terms.

"Brother Mou, I just remembered that I have something I need the help of the brothers in the Embroidered Uniform Guard to do."

Song Xiaoyi took out the construction plan for the ferry crossing on the Moling section of the Qinhuai River from his pocket and pushed it in front of Mu Bin.

By the light of the oil lamp, Mu Bin looked down and carefully examined the contents, which also served as a way to ease the awkwardness on his face.

For Liu Kexi, Song Xiaoyi's initiative to seek help from Mu Bin was a gesture of goodwill, or perhaps a way to save face.

Liu Kexi breathed a sigh of relief, his face showing pleasure. "Brother Xiao Yi, what Mu Baihu told you last time about wanting to expand the fast food business to Yingtian Prefecture and even other regions, Mu Baihu didn't explain it very clearly when he went back. I would like to hear your opinion in person."

"Brother Liu, it's like this," Song Xiaoyi picked up the wine pot and poured a cup of wine for the two of them, "I agree in principle to the promotion of the fast food business."

"Agreeing in principle" means that as long as quality and hygiene are guaranteed and the problem is not exploited, everything else is negotiable, and it is consistent with what was said to Mu Bin at the time.

"Can the supply of these fast food boxes only cover Yingtian Prefecture, my worthy brother?" The real drama was about to unfold. Liu Kexi picked up his wine cup, but didn't drink immediately. He continued, "Can the production of these fast food boxes be allocated to the brothers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

"To be honest, Brother Liu, there's really no secret or difficulty in producing these fast food boxes," Song Xiaoyi said, turning around and taking out a fast food box from the back corridor. "Brother Liu, look, I'm sure you've studied this a lot. The most crucial step in making these fast food boxes is the pressing and molding process, which requires a special machine. This machine is only available to our overseas family, and we can't bring it over right now."

Song Xiaoyi put down the fast food box, picked up his wine glass, and lightly touched the rim of his glass to Liu Kexi's glass. The sound of the porcelain glasses clinking together was clear and crisp. The two of them drank it all in one gulp.

After everyone picked out some snacks to go with their drinks, Song Xiaoyi continued, "The production cost of this fast food box is five coins, plus shipping, it comes to seven coins. I'm only pricing it at one coin, just to help the Jinyiwei brothers in Yingtian Prefecture open up the market as soon as possible, not because I'm clinging to the production secret."

"Currently, we're consuming thousands of fast food boxes every day, resulting in a daily loss of tens of taels of silver for Xiao Yi. If we could relinquish control and transfer the production process to the Ming Dynasty's Imperial Guards, wouldn't Xiao Yi be happy to do so?"

Song Xiaoyi's words were reasonable and well-founded. Liu Kexi also inquired and verified them from various sources. Now, the cost of making a similar box, including labor and materials, can be reduced to a maximum of fifteen coins.

"Currently, the amount of goods Xiao Yi delivers every ten days is more than enough to supply Tianfu's needs, so please rest assured, Brother Liu. In addition, the family is also trying to find a way, and perhaps in the near future, the machines can be transported over by sea."

"However, one thing is certain: this fast food business may have already caught the attention of Prince Ning. The last time at Taoye Ferry Restaurant was merely a test."

"I understand this, brother. He's just a watchdog of the Prince of Ning; he's not enough to make me back down."

Song Xiaoyi gently pushed the empty cup aside, his fingertip tracing the four characters "Song's Fast Food" on the stone table before slowly erasing them: "To avoid the Prince of Ning's wrath, how about changing this signboard to 'Fine-Clad Fast Food'?"

"I share the same thought."

I knew you meant that.