If I ask you to set up a stall, why do you always run to deserted places?

Hu Guangfu did not speak immediately.

He glanced at the queue in front of the stall, then turned to look at his own stall not far away; the two were like two completely different worlds.

The queue here has already reached over a hundred people, and the customers are so engrossed in their pastries that they practically lick the paper bags clean.

There were only three or four people at the entrance of his own stall, and two of them went in to ask where the toilet was!

"Damn it!" Hu Guangfu's heart sank. This was no longer just about selling a few less buckets of instant noodles. The costs of shops on the mountaintop were very high. Rent, labor, transportation—everything was more expensive than down the mountain!

The reason they were able to hold on was because tourists had no choice once they reached the top of the mountain!

But now that a stall with delicious food and cheap prices has suddenly appeared, who will still buy their grilled sausages and tea eggs?

What's more, this person has also found helpers, and his business is growing bigger and bigger! If he were to continue operating for another week, their monthly revenue would be cut by a huge chunk!

"Boss Su, right?" Hu Guangfu walked up to the stall, his tone quite unfriendly. "I'm Hu Guangfu, the owner of the supermarket stall next door."

"Is there something you need?" Su Yun glanced at him.

"There is indeed something going on," Boss Hu said, gesturing around.

"We do business on the mountaintop and have to pay rent and management fees every year, including food transportation, garbage disposal, and a fixed operating area. All of these are clearly stated in the contract."

"Isn't it inappropriate for you to suddenly set up a stall on a public platform, causing all the customers to crowd here?"

This made some sense, and the surrounding tourists gradually quieted down, but Su Yun didn't panic.

"First, I did not occupy the business area you rented. Second, there is a passage in the middle of the platform, so it does not affect the normal passage of tourists. Third, my stall has been registered, and the business location is written here."

Hu Guangfu knew, of course. He frowned. "I've seen your temporary business license."

"Now that you've seen it, what questions are there?"

"The problem is, our contract includes a hot food business!" Hu Guangfu took the folder from the person behind him. "We've always been the ones providing instant noodles, grilled sausages, tea eggs, and hot drinks in this area on the mountaintop."

"The pastries and millet pudding you sell are also hot foods! Strictly speaking, this has already affected our business scope."

Su Yun took the contract and glanced at it, then pointed to a line of small print, "It says here that you are allowed to operate a hot food business, but it doesn't say that you are the only one allowed to operate it."

"..." Hu Guangfu's expression froze instantly.

Chen Yu almost burst out laughing. Didn't he even read the contract before it was presented?

"That's not how you put it." Hu Guangfu quickly realized, "We've paid such high costs, and you don't have to pay a single penny of rent, you can just sell similar products right next door, that's not fair."

"Who said I didn't pay?" Su Yun retorted.

He doesn't know if the system has paid or not, but the site usage fee on the permit shows that it has been paid, and this will be deducted from his profits.

Hu Guangfu fell silent again, while Zheng Qiang's face was contorted in a grimace. He had already said that this guy's identification was incredibly strange! It had everything!

"Boss Hu," Su Yun said, handing the contract back, "You have your business, and I have mine. As long as the procedures are compliant, we can each rely on our own abilities."

"Each relying on their own abilities?"

Hu Guangfu's face finally darkened. Who would compare to you in terms of ability if you could make money comfortably while lying down?

(╬￣皿￣)凸

"Boss Su, you're only selling a beef pie for 12 yuan and a mutton pie for 15 yuan. With such high transportation costs at the top of the mountain, these prices are simply not normal!"

Hu Guangfu forcibly suppressed his anger, "Selling things at such low prices has disrupted the normal business order!"

"Damn it!" No sooner had the words left his mouth than a tourist suddenly pointed at Hu Guangfu's stall, "You have the nerve to say that?!"

"You sell me a bucket of instant noodles for 18 yuan and a grilled sausage for 12 yuan, and you call that normal business practice?"

"Exactly!" the guy next to me immediately chimed in, "The worst part is, you have to make the instant noodles yourself! The tea eggs I bought this morning were still cold inside!"

"I just asked you for some hot water, and now you want to charge me an extra five yuan!"

"Boss, this beef patty is packed with meat, and it's only twelve yuan! You guys have the nerve to say the price is unreasonable? Have you no shame?!"

"you!"

Hu Guangfu, his face flushed red with anger, stomped his feet in frustration: "Doesn't transportation from the mountaintop cost money? We have to carry everything up manually! Are you expecting us to eat for free?!"

"Boss Hu." Upon hearing this, Zhou Ye silently pointed to the several huge canvas bags next to him, "Our boss carried them up himself."

"What did you say?"

"Several hundred pounds of stuff!" Zhou Ye took out his phone and opened the video that Tang Guo had taken that morning.

In the scene, Su Yun is carrying a small mountain on his back, walking briskly up the steps. Hu Guangfu stared for a few seconds and was completely dumbfounded.

"???" He couldn't believe his eyes, could he? This boss was carrying the goods up the mountain himself? Was he even human?

The surrounding tourists also started watching the video.

"Holy crap, so that guy in black this morning was the boss! I was wondering why he looked so familiar!"

"666, I thought he came here for weight training!"

"They carry their own goods up here, saving on costs. Can't they sell their goods a little cheaper?"

"Exactly! Mr. Hu, you can't just stop others from selling at a lower price because you charge a higher price, can you?"

"..."

Hu Guangfu's face grew increasingly grim. He had originally intended to pressure Su Yun with the issue of operating costs, but who would have thought that this guy wouldn't follow the normal way of doing things!

Merchants on the mountaintop need to either hire porters or use internal transportation channels to transport supplies. Who the hell would carry hundreds of kilograms of stuff up the mountain by themselves?

If you have that kind of energy, wouldn't it be better to participate in the Olympics and win glory for your country? Why do you have to come here and compete with him for the instant noodle business? Isn't that just plain crazy?

"Let's put price aside for now," Hu Guangfu had to change the subject. "We have to talk about food safety, right?"

"Who knows where you got all this beef and mutton? You're processing it on the mountaintop; how can you guarantee the refrigeration temperature?"

Su Yun didn't explain, but simply flipped over the label next to the refrigerator. It showed the electronic temperature display, real-time monitoring records, food traceability code, purchase time, and production batch—all of which could be checked!

With each item he scanned, Hu Guangfu's expression grew increasingly grim, and by the end, he felt completely numb.

No way! You're just a pancake vendor, is it really necessary to be so well-prepared? It makes these fixed stalls seem so unprofessional!

"Any more questions?" Su Yun asked.

Hu Guangfu opened his mouth, but for a moment he really couldn't find it.

The paperwork was in order, the equipment was in order, the ingredients were in order, and even the queuing order was more orderly than that of their stalls.

How am I supposed to choose? I can't just say your food is too delicious and is stealing my business, so I can't sell it, can I?

If he said it out loud, all the tourists around him would curse him to death!

"Boss Hu," Zhou Ye said enthusiastically, pulling out a number plate. "You don't look too good. How about buying a pancake to calm down?"

"I won't eat it!" Hu Guangfu said through gritted teeth.

"Boss, this pancake smells pretty good!" Zheng Qiang stood behind, twitching his nose.

Actually, he had been hungry for a while. After returning to the stall, he grabbed a grilled sausage. Normally, he thought it was okay, but after smelling the pastry, eating the sausage felt like chewing a rubber stick.

But he can't buy it in front of the boss, it's so frustrating!

"I said I'm not eating!" Hu Guangfu glared at Zheng Qiang.

Zheng Qiang quickly lowered his head. "I didn't try to persuade you! Why are you taking it out on me?"

"Boss Su," Hu Guangfu took a deep breath, "we're all in business, there's no need to make things too ugly."

"How about this?"

"Move your stall next to ours and use our cash register and packaging."

"You also get your raw materials from us. After deducting costs from the turnover, I'll give you 20%."

Su Yun was amused by his words. "The pot is mine, the ingredients are mine, I cooked it all, and you still want to give me 20%?"

"I'll provide you with a business location and a stable customer flow!" Hu Guangfu said.

"Aren't there any customers right now?" Su Yun pointed to the endless queue behind him.

Hu Guangfu: "........"

That's heartbreaking! So heartbreaking!

"And I have no shortage of venues."

Su Yun was very honest. "My main business is getting things for free. You want to charge me? Sorry, no thanks!"

"You can think about it again."

Hu Guangfu's tone carried a hint of threat, "Business on the mountaintop isn't as simple as you think. Just because you can set up a stall here today doesn't mean you can do it tomorrow."

"Boss Hu!" Zhou Ye took half a step forward upon hearing this. "Are you threatening our boss?"

"I'm just reminding you," Hu Guangfu said with a forced smile.

"Have you finished reminding me?"

"You son of a bitch!" Hu Guangfu looked at Zhou Ye's frighteningly thick arms, then glanced at Tang Guo who was live-streaming next to him, and finally suppressed his anger.

Taking action or arguing now will not do him any good.

"Sure." Hu Guangfu nodded, forcing a smile back onto his face. "Since Boss Su has all the necessary permits, he can certainly operate normally. We're here today to understand the situation, so we apologize for bothering you."

"It's alright." Su Yun didn't continue to argue with him. "In business, everyone relies on their own abilities."

It's all about individual skill again! Hearing these words, Hu Guangfu felt as if he had been stabbed in the heart. Would you die if you didn't say that?!

If he could win the customers back on his own merits, would he need to make this trip in person?

"Let's go!" Hu Guangfu turned and left.

Zheng Qiang followed behind, turning back every few steps, his eyes fixed on the freshly baked mutton pastries.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Ye quickly called out, "How about we pack two together?"

Zheng Qiang stopped in his tracks. Hu Guangfu turned around abruptly and glared at him. "What are you looking at? Let's go!"

"Boss, don't misunderstand! I didn't see it!" Zheng Qiang quickly followed, and after walking a few dozen meters, he couldn't help but turn back and sniff.

Damn! It smells so good!

Meanwhile, the tourists in front of the stall were already laughing heartily.

In just a few minutes, the number of viewers in Tang Guo's live stream exceeded 30,000.

[Boss Hu: I originally wanted to acquire them, but I realized I couldn't afford the price!]

[Two percent? Why doesn't he just rob us?!]

[What's most intriguing is that the ruthless gang leader was completely serious the whole time, as if he were genuinely trying to reason with him!]

He could have just taken action, but he remained so calm. I'm so moved!

Now all I want to know is whether Zheng Qiang will get to eat that mutton pie in the end!

He watched it eight times! A full eight times!

[I laughed so hard I ate poop! Hahahaha!]

Brother, you have some unique tastes!

【...】

Zheng Qiang certainly can't eat it, at least not now.

Hu Guangfu led him all the way to the warehouse behind the stall, and only after confirming that there were no tourists around did the smile on his face completely disappear.

"Boss Hu," Zheng Qiang asked cautiously, "what do we do now? This guy's credentials are real, and the equipment is fine. We can't just stand by and watch him keep selling, can we?"

Hu Guangfu did not answer. He took out his phone and opened Tang Guo's live broadcast room.

In the video, Su Yun has just finished another batch of pancakes, and the payment notification sound keeps ringing. In the comments section, many local netizens are asking for the location, preparing to head up the mountain right now.

Hu Guangfu felt his heart bleed as he watched.

This is only the first day. If the online buzz continues to grow, even more people will come tomorrow!

At that point, forget about instant noodles and tea eggs, I'm afraid even bottled water won't sell!

"The usual methods won't work." Hu Guangfu was silent for a few seconds, then found a number in his contacts.

Upon seeing the note, Zheng Qiang's eyes lit up slightly. "It's actually General Manager Liang from Taiyue Commercial Operations?"

The phone rang for a while before being answered. "Old Hu, what's up?"

"Mr. Liang, a mobile vendor has arrived at the top of the mountain." Hu Guangfu lowered his voice. "The permits are all in order, and the goods are cheap. He has already stolen all the customers from the nearby stalls."

"He's just a street vendor, can't you handle this yourself?" The voice on the other end of the phone sounded impatient.

"He's no ordinary street vendor!" Hu Guangfu gritted his teeth. "There are already thirty to forty thousand people watching his live stream online!"

"And..." Hu Guangfu glanced at the ever-growing queue outside, "He's only here for the first time, and he's already found helpers."

"His muscles are terrifyingly large!"

"If he really succeeds in making his business successful, it's uncertain whether these shops on the hilltop will be willing to renew their leases next year."

"Really?!" The other end of the phone went silent, clearly lost in thought. "I don't believe it! Send me the live stream link."

"Oh, and all his identification documents, take clear photos of them."

"Okay!" Hu Guangfu quickly agreed, and after hanging up the phone, he let out a long sigh of relief.

Zheng Qiang smiled as well. "President Liang is willing to take care of it?"

"Hmm." Hu Guangfu looked back at Su Yun's stall, his face grim. "He's just a street vendor! I refuse to believe that no one can handle him!"

........

Halfway up the mountain.

"Wait...wait a minute!" Li Jianguo said breathlessly, leaning on his trekking poles, "I think climbing mountains can't be rushed!"

"We must take it one step at a time and slowly experience nature!"

Zhao Hu plopped down on the steps. "Speak like a human being."

"My legs went weak," Li Jianguo said.

Wang Hai also leaned against the stone railing, his face pale.

Before setting off, the three men made bold pronouncements, saying that they were still vigorous despite their age and that Mount Tai was nothing to them!

After climbing for less than an hour, Zhuang didn't seem to have aged much, but Lao really did!

On the contrary, Li Xiaoxiao stood in front with a small schoolbag on her back. Although she was also tired, at least she could still speak normally.

"Dad, are you guys even capable of doing this?"

"Who's not up to it? Who's not up to it!" Li Jianguo immediately stood up straight. "We're letting you off the hook! What if we walk too fast and leave you behind?"

No sooner had they finished speaking than two college students sped past them, one of them still shouting.

"Hurry! I heard the beef pastries at the top of the mountain are almost sold out!"

"They even said in the live stream that the boss only prepared that much food for the day! If we don't hurry, we'll be licking the pot clean!"

"Holy crap?!" Li Jianguo and the other two looked up at the same time. "Are the beef pastries sold out?"

"Walk!"

"Let's get going!"

"Xiaoxiao, hurry up! Why are you dawdling like that, young person?"

Li Xiaoxiao: "???"

(｡•́︿•̀｡)

Who was sitting on the steps just now saying they wanted to experience nature? Now that we have food, do we no longer need to experience nature?

The four people started climbing again, and along the way, people kept coming down from the top of the mountain carrying brown paper bags.

Although the bag was empty, a rich, savory aroma of oil still lingered on it.

As Li Jianguo passed by a tourist, his nose suddenly twitched, and he stopped walking.

"wrong."

"What's wrong?"

Zhao Hu asked anxiously, "A cramp?"

"No." Li Jianguo sniffed hard again. "This smell..."

"Why does it look so much like something Master Su would make?"

Wang Hai was taken aback. "Didn't you say the one on the mountaintop was an imposter?"

"Yeah, right." Li Jianguo's expression became somewhat uncertain. "But impersonating a name is easy, how do you impersonate the taste?"

Li Xiaoxiao's eyes gradually lit up. "Is it possible... that the person on the mountaintop really is Master Su?"

The three men fell silent. After a few seconds, Li Jianguo suddenly swung his hiking stick.

"Fake is best!"

"Let's go up and expose him!"

"Really?" Zhao Hu asked.

Li Jianguo swallowed hard. "That would be even better!"

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

"If you're late, the pancakes will be gone!"

The four of them immediately became as energetic as if they had been injected with chicken blood, and rushed up the steps.

Meanwhile.

At the foot of Mount Tai.

A black minivan had just driven into the parking lot.

In the back seat, a man in a suit was looking down at Tang Guo's live stream.

Inside the phone.

Zhou Ye was handing out number tags to tourists, while Su Yun stood behind the counter, wrapping pastries one after another.

After looking at it for a while, General Manager Liang opened the ID photo sent by Hu Guangfu!

"Holy crap!" Mr. Liang exclaimed in disbelief, "How did a street vendor manage to get all the paperwork done like this!"

Who was it? Who arranged it for him?

"Mr. Liang!" the driver turned around and asked, "Shall we go up the mountain now?"

"No rush."

Liang Wancheng turned off the live stream and said, "Let's go see someone first! Since we can't find any problems with the documents, it means we need to find a different place to start!"

The man twitched the corner of his mouth.

(*￣︿￣)

He needed to vent his anger, but not in this way!