Going home for the Chinese New Year with a year-end bonus of 100 million

With the profit forecast finalized, the atmosphere in the living room reached its peak.

Everyone seemed to have been given a shot of adrenaline, their faces beaming with boundless anticipation for the future.

Yang Fan's father, Yang Jianguo, was very satisfied. "Alright, alright! You young people are the ones who can handle this; I think it's a reliable plan!"

Just then, Zhou Yao, who had been leaning back on the sofa scrolling through her phone, suddenly looked up, her clear voice breaking the elders' excitement.

"Brother Fan, you need to find a location first before opening a shop, right?" She waved her phone, a confident smile on her face.

"I happen to know a few shops that are currently being sublet around the university town, and the locations are all pretty good. Do you want to go check them out tomorrow? I'll take you."

"I'm going too!"

In the corner, Zhou Jin, who hadn't said much, suddenly stood up, still clutching his precious equipment case in his arms, staring longingly at Yang Fan, while secretly glancing at Yang Xiaoya out of the corner of his eye.

"Um... Brother Fan, can I come along too? I can conduct an on-site survey and create a data comparison table on the computer, scoring each store based on several dimensions such as foot traffic, rent cost-effectiveness, and the surrounding competitive environment, ensuring a scientific approach!"

He said it in a serious tone, but his little scheme to impress Xiaoya was practically written all over his face.

"Oh."

Xiaoya didn't even raise her head, but let out a soft but penetrating sneer from her nose, then rolled her eyes wide.

Zhou Jin's face fell instantly, but he quickly forced himself to straighten up, taking Xiao Ya's indifference as tacit approval.

Seeing the lively scene before him, Yang Fan stood up with a smile, clapped his hands, and drew everyone's attention.

"Okay, it's settled then."

His voice wasn't loud, but it had a calming power.

"We've finished our discussion for today. Everyone has worked hard, so get some rest and recharge your energy."

His gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on Zhou Yao and Zhou Jin.

"Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, let's meet in the courtyard on time to go and look at the shop together."

"Meeting adjourned!"

……

Late at night.

The three-story building, which had been noisy all night, finally quieted down.

One by one, the lights in the house went out, leaving only the courtyard lamp in the yard, emitting a warm yellow glow, guarding this small corner of the world.

On the third floor, Yang Fan's room was dark.

He didn't sleep; he just stood quietly by the window, watching the shadows of the trees outlined by the lamplight in the courtyard below, feeling an unprecedented sense of peace.

My family is downstairs, soundly asleep.

My future career, like the tree sprouting in the yard, has a clear outline and direction.

This feeling of being grounded was something he had never experienced in the past twenty-odd years.

"Buzz—"

My phone vibrated slightly in my pocket.

Yang Fan took it out, and the light from the screen illuminated his face.

It was a WeChat message sent by Zhou Yao.

"Brother Fan, I've compiled the information for the three shortlisted stores and sent it to your email. Take a look and get a general idea."

A PDF file is attached below.

Yang Fan clicked on it, and Zhou Yao's thoughtfulness surprised him.

The documents were very professionally prepared, including real photos of each store, detailed floor plans, and accurate location markings. They even included a list of all competitors within 300 meters and their average spending per person.

This girl seems energetic and decisive, but she is meticulous in everything she does.

Yang Fan replied simply, "Thank you for your hard work, see you tomorrow."

He put down his phone and looked at the night outside the window, but Lin Xiaoyu's clear yet slightly timid eyes kept appearing in his mind.

He thought for a moment, then picked up his phone again, opened Lin Xiaoyu's chat window, paused on the screen for a few seconds, and finally typed a line of text.

"Get some rest. You'll be very tired tomorrow, as you'll be running around all day."

Click to send.

Yang Fan had just gotten ready to go to sleep when the familiar countdown timer appeared before his eyes once again:

[The countdown to the Wheel of Fortune: 7 days, 14 hours, and 23 minutes!]

One more week!

at last!

His new system is finally about to be updated!

I just don't know what system will be refreshed next time.

……

Almost at the same time, in the next room.

Lin Xiaoyu had just come out of the bathroom, her hair still damp, and was gently wiping it with a towel.

The phone on the bed chimed softly.

She walked over and picked it up. When she saw the familiar name and the simple words of concern on the screen, her cheeks flushed instantly.

My heart skipped a beat uncontrollably.

"Yo—"

A drawn-out, mischievous voice came from the side.

Xiaoya had somehow gotten close to Lin Xiaoyu, resting her head on her shoulder, looking at her phone screen, and smiling like a cat that had just stolen some cream.

"Look, look, my brother's finally figured it out! He knows how to care about people now! Tsk tsk tsk, did the sun rise in the west?"

"Xiaoya, stop fooling around!"

Lin Xiaoyu felt both embarrassed and awkward. She pressed the lock screen button as if she had been electrocuted, clutching her phone tightly in her hand, as if that would hide her wildly beating heart.

"What did I do wrong?" Xiaoya lay down on the bed, legs crossed, with a "I see right through you" look on her face. "Sister Xiaoyu, tell me honestly, aren't you feeling as sweet as if you've eaten honey?"

"I...I didn't..." Lin Xiaoyu's voice was so soft it was like a mosquito's hum, but her bright red ears completely betrayed her.

Seeing her innocent appearance, Xiaoya stopped teasing her, sat up, and became much more serious.

"Seriously, Sister Xiaoyu." She took Lin Xiaoyu's hand:

"Tomorrow is important for all of us, but it's especially important for your mother."

"This is her chance to come to a new city and prove her worth again."

"So, when you're looking at the shop tomorrow, you need to do your best and try to think from your mother's perspective about what kind of shop would be best for her to work with."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaoyu nodded solemnly.

She knew that this shop carried not only the hopes of the Yang family, but also the future life of her family of three.

The two girls turned off the lights and lay side by side on the soft bed, chatting quietly in the dim light coming in from the window.

……

The light was still on in the room of Mr. and Mrs. Lin on the first floor.

Wearing reading glasses, Lin's mother sat on the edge of the bed, holding an old notebook in her hand, carefully writing something down.

The notebook was filled with detailed notes about the proportions of various ingredients for bean and rice hot pot, the cooking time and heat for the broth, and even the soaking time for beans in different seasons.

This is her most treasured possession.

Lin's father leaned against the headboard, looking at his wife's focused profile, and couldn't help but speak:

"Xiaoyu's mom, don't be too nervous. Do you think I don't trust your cooking skills? Everyone in our village praises your banquet dishes!"

Lin's mother put down her pen, sighed, and her voice was filled with unconcealed worry:

"That's different. When you cook at home, no one will mind if you add a spoonful of salt or use a spoonful of oil less."

"But if we open a shop and run a business... what if we mess it up? How can we face Xiaofan and his family?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Mr. Lin moved closer and took his wife's calloused hand in his. "With Xiao Fan here, and with everyone helping out, we'll definitely succeed! You just need to focus on showcasing your best skills!"

……

The room on the second floor, belonging to my third uncle and aunt.

Li Cuihua tossed and turned in bed, too excited to fall asleep.

She nudged Yang Jianmin, who was almost asleep beside her, with her elbow.

"Hey, Dad, are you asleep?"

"Hmm... almost there..." Yang Jianmin mumbled sleepily.

"Wake up! I need to ask you something!" Li Cuihua shook her husband awake:

"You know, once our restaurant opens, do you think... I'll finally be able to be called 'Boss Lady'?"

Yang Jianmin was completely shaken awake. Hearing his wife's slightly silly yet expectant words, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Of course." He turned over, looking into his wife's bright eyes in the darkness:

"Working with Xiao Fan is the right choice. From now on, we'll all be bosses!"

……

Meanwhile, in another brightly lit house.

In Zhou Yao's room, she was facing three monitors, her fingers flying across the keyboard while she muttered to herself.

"This shop is closest to the vegetable stall, so its supply chain costs are the lowest... but it's a bit small."

"This location is at the entrance of the commercial street, with the highest foot traffic, but also the most expensive rent..."

"This used to be a milk tea shop, it has running water, so it's easy to renovate..."

In the room next to hers, Zhou Jin was also working late into the night.

Instead of playing games, he opened a complex Excel spreadsheet, the screen filled with dense data and formulas.

The table's title is prominently displayed as "DouMi Hotpot Restaurant Site Selection Comprehensive Evaluation Model V1.0".

As he typed in the information Zhou Yao had sent him, he muttered to himself, a confident smile on his face.

"Hmph, what use is Zhou Yao's market knowledge? This is science! It's a dimensional reduction attack!"

"Tomorrow, in front of Xiaoya, I'll slam this perfect evaluation sheet on the table... she'll definitely look at me with new respect!"