Movie: Get Alpha Dog at the start

Chapter 1502 Miss Yang

After the competition, Qin Hao returned to Grandpa Cui's house with over 20,000 yuan in prize money and the championship trophy. As soon as he entered the yard, he saw Erpang rushing towards him like a small cannonball, almost knocking him over.

"Ji Qiang! You're back!" Erpang excitedly circled around him. "I saw you on TV! You sing so well! And you dance so well too! You're amazing! Even my uncle can't beat you!"

As he spoke, he imitated Qin Hao from the TV show, twisting his chubby body and making "dragon" and "rainbow" gestures in the air with his hands. The way he shook it was incredibly funny, and the flesh on his belly jiggled along with it.

Qin Hao was amused by the child, put down what he was holding, and rubbed his head: "If your uncle heard you say that, he would probably be heartbroken for a long time. He is your own uncle."

Upon hearing this, Erpang's expression turned serious. He stopped twisting and said earnestly, "Well, although you sing and dance better than Uncle, in my heart Uncle will always be the best in the world."

These words, spoken with such conviction, amused Old Master Cui, who had just come out of the house. The old man shook his head repeatedly: "Since your uncle isn't here, there's no need for flattery. If he were here, he might believe you, but who are you telling this to now?"

Erpang scratched his head sheepishly.

After the laughter subsided, Qin Hao said seriously to Grandpa Cui, "Grandpa, after taxes, I still have over 20,000 yuan left from this competition's prize money. I plan to use this money to start a business and support myself. I can't keep eating and living here for free and causing you trouble."

Grandpa Cui waved his hands repeatedly, his tone sincere: "Self-reliance is the right thing to do, young people should do it. But what you said about eating and living here for free is not right. During the time you stayed here, Erpang's grades improved so much, his handwriting became better, and his compositions improved. You've put in so much effort to tutor him these days, I should be thanking you."

"Grandpa, you're too kind." Qin Hao said earnestly, "If it weren't for your family's unwavering care over the past ten years, I would have... This kindness cannot be repaid in just a few days of tutoring."

"We're family, no need for formalities." Old Master Cui waved his hand. "Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Tell me your plans. What kind of business do you want to start? Do you want me to give you some advice? I've been in Dingqing Restaurant for most of my life, so I think I have some insight."

Qin Hao didn't hide anything and told him his idea: "Grandpa, I plan to use this money to rent a shop and open a cake shop."

"A cake?" Old Master Cui was clearly taken aback, looking Qin Hao up and down. "You can make cakes?"

He knew Qin Hao used to be a good student, but he never imagined he could bake cakes. In the old man's mind, cakes were a foreign thing, complicated to make, and not something most people could do.

Qin Hao nodded: "I used to... learn from a Soviet lady for a while. Her husband was an expert who aided China, and she would make cakes at home for the children. I stayed at her house for a while, watched her make them, and tried making them myself a few times."

“A cake shop…” Old Master Cui stroked his chin thoughtfully, “That’s a good idea. Life is better now, and people are willing to spend money. Especially young people and children, they all like sweets. There isn’t a dedicated cake shop on this street yet. If you open one, it might really work.”

Erpang's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he grabbed Qin Hao's arm and shook it: "Ji Qiang, if you open a cake shop, wouldn't I be able to eat cake every day? I want the kind with cream!"

Grandpa Cui was both amused and annoyed. He gently patted his grandson's head and said, "The cakes they make are for sale; they're for making money. If you eat them every day, you'll bankrupt the family!"

Erpang was a little embarrassed by what was said and lowered his head, but he still secretly glanced at Qin Hao with that expectant look in his eyes—this kid had an innate obsession with food.

Qin Hao chuckled and ruffled Erpang's chubby head: "You can have cake if you want, but you have to exchange it for an essay. One essay for one cake, how about that?"

"Really?" Erpang's eyes lit up, then he became wary again: "You can't go back on your word!"

"A gentleman keeps his word." Qin Hao extended his hand. "However, let's make it clear beforehand that every essay must meet my standards. It must be at least three hundred words long, the handwriting must be neat, it cannot deviate from the topic, and it cannot be copied from an essay book."

Fearing that Qin Hao might change his mind, Erpang immediately stretched out his chubby little hand and gave him a high five: "A promise is a promise!"

"Erpang, you even know the proverb 'a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step'?" Old Master Cui asked, somewhat surprised.

"Our Chinese teacher just taught us this yesterday," Erpang said proudly. "It means that once it's out in the open, even four horses couldn't catch it back!"

Grandpa Cui shook his head helplessly and said to Qin Hao, "Ji Qiang, Erpang has gotten so fat already, you can't spoil him anymore. Look at his belly, if he keeps eating like this, he'll soon be unable to walk, and he'll always be last in the running class in PE class."

Qin Hao smiled but didn't say anything, only giving Erpang a meaningful look. Erpang felt uneasy under his gaze, sensing something hidden behind that smile, and a chill ran down his spine.

……

He got right to work. Early the next morning, Qin Hao went out to look for a shop. He walked along the main street, looking at each shop and asking questions. Some shops were in bad locations, backed by the street; some rented too much; some owners didn't even know what a cake was, so they figured he wouldn't last long and refused to rent to him.

After searching for two days, Qin Hao found a shop for sale opposite Dingqing Tower. The location was excellent—directly opposite Dingqing Tower, with a high volume of foot traffic. The shop size was also suitable, about forty square meters, with a small kitchen in the back.

Qin Hao went to inquire about the price. The owner was a middle-aged man in his fifties, smoking a cigarette, and didn't even raise his eyelids: "Transfer fee is ten thousand, and rent is eight hundred per month. Pay for six months at once."

"A transfer fee of ten thousand yuan?" Qin Hao frowned.

In 1993, an average worker's monthly salary was only two or three hundred yuan, and ten thousand yuan was equivalent to three or four years' salary.

The shop owner glanced at him and exhaled a smoke ring: "Take it or leave it. This is the price. If you don't want to rent it, there are plenty of other people who would."

Qin Hao didn't argue with him and turned to leave. But he didn't give up on the shop; it was indeed the most suitable location. He went back and told Grandpa Cui about the situation.

Grandpa Cui was furious when he heard this: "Old Sun is asking for the moon! I know that shop of his; the transfer fee was only two thousand when he took it over. He's just trying to rip you off because you're young!"

The old man got angry and took Qin Hao to find that Boss Sun that afternoon.

As soon as Mr. Sun saw Mr. Cui arrive, his attitude immediately changed. He quickly offered him a cigarette: "Mr. Cui, what brings you here? Please have a seat."

"I won't sit." Old Master Cui said sternly, "Old Sun, you're not being fair. Ji Qiang is my nephew, and you're asking for a transfer fee of ten thousand? Are you taking advantage of young people who don't know the market?"

"This..." Mr. Sun rubbed his hands awkwardly, "Old Master Cui, as you know, prices have gone up these days..."

"Prices have gone up, but not by this much," Old Master Cui said bluntly. "I know the situation with your shop. The transfer fee was two thousand when I took it over, and the rent was five hundred. Would you rent it at that price?"

Mr. Sun's face turned red and white with each remark, and he stammered, unable to utter a word.

Grandpa Cui held up three fingers: "Three thousand. Three thousand for the transfer fee, five hundred for the rent. Take it or leave it. Let me tell you, you're not the only one on this street who wants to rent a shop. Old Li's shop has been vacant for a month. I'll put in a word, and I can rent it for five hundred."

These words were half true and half false, but they were full of force. Boss Sun hesitated for a long time, and finally gritted his teeth: "Fine! For your sake, Mr. Cui, three thousand it is! But the rent has to be paid for six months at once, that's the rule."

"Deal." Old Master Cui made the decision.

And so, the shop was rented.

After renting the shop, Qin Hao immediately began renovations. He drew up simple renovation plans himself—white walls, light-colored floor tiles, two rows of shelves against the wall, and an aisle in the middle. The work area should be clean and tidy, with white tiles on the walls for easy cleaning.

Grandpa Cui called Cui Guomin to help. As soon as Cui Guomin heard that Qin Hao was going to open a shop, he came without saying a word, and even dragged his classmate Guo Dapao and his colleagues Liu Ye and Zhao Hailong to be his laborers.

And so, the five men got to work. They painted the walls, laid the floor, built shelves, and modified the plumbing and electrical systems. Qin Hao was the overall coordinator, Cui Guomin was in charge of the carpentry—he was skilled, and the shelves he made were both sturdy and attractive. Guo Dapao was strong, so moving things and carrying materials were his tasks. Liu Ye was meticulous and in charge of the plumbing and electrical work. Zhao Hailong assisted, handing over tools and cleaning up trash.

By the third day, Qin Hao noticed a problem—these grown men ate way too much! Every night after work, he had to treat them to a meal. It wasn't that they were deliberately freeloading; it was just that in Northeast China, it was customary to provide meals, and sometimes even alcohol, when hiring someone to work. Otherwise, they wouldn't have the energy to work and would just slack off.

Qin Hao wasn't stingy at all; after work that evening, he took them to Old Wang's barbecue stall at the street corner. Skewers and beer were all you could eat.

After two weeks of renovations, the shop was completely transformed. White walls, light-colored floor tiles, two rows of natural wood shelves, and a small display case by the window. The kitchen was even cleaner and tidier, with white tiled walls so reflective that you could see your image.

On their last night of work, Qin Hao, as usual, took the four of them to Old Wang's barbecue stall. They ordered a huge pile of skewers and two cases of beer.

"Finally finished." Qin Hao joked while ordering food, "If I kept going like this, you guys would have drunk me out of business before I even opened. In the past two weeks, I've spent several hundred just on treating you guys to meals and drinks."

Guo Dapao grinned wickedly, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth: "Since today is the last meal, shouldn't we drink more? We won't have the chance to freeload again."

Guo Dapao's family is poor. He has an elderly father who is paralyzed in bed, his wife who passed away years ago, and a daughter in elementary school, about the same age as Erpang. He usually lives frugally and rarely eats out, so these past two weeks have been a treat for him.

"That makes sense." Liu Ye bit off the beer bottle cap with his teeth and took a big gulp. "Since there's no next meal, why should we be polite to him? Boss, another twenty skewers of kidneys!"

Liu Ye's family used to run a traditional Chinese medicine massage business, but that business had to close after the liberation. His father went to work in a factory, and Liu Ye followed in his father's footsteps and became a worker. His family's financial situation was average, but better than Guo Dapao's.

Zhao Hailong chimed in, "Just because you're so stingy, we have to order more today. Boss, another thirty lamb skewers!"

Zhao Hailong's parents died early, and he grew up relying on the kindness of others. Later, Cui Guomin's wife, Li Xiaozhen, introduced him to Zhang Xiaomei, a waitress at Dingqinglou Restaurant, and the two married. Zhang Xiaomei was young and beautiful, and somewhat looked down on Zhao Hailong, a poor worker, often arguing with him. Zhao Hailong was also afraid of his wife, and Zhang Xiaomei made all the decisions at home. He usually didn't have much money in his pocket.

Qin Hao laughed and scolded, "Hailong, take your bragging a step back. If you drink too much and go home, be careful your wife won't let you in again. It's several degrees below zero tonight, be careful you don't freeze that thing, then you'll have nowhere to cry."

Zhao Hailong was mortified, but he forced a smile and said, his face flushed and his neck thick with anger, "Nonsense...nonsense! In my family, my word is law! I only give Zhang Xiaomei face outside, but at home, do you see her dare to say a single word against it? If I tell her to go east, she wouldn't dare to go west!"

"Hey, Zhang Xiaomei, you're here!" Cui Guomin called out to Zhao Hailong with a mischievous grin.

Zhao Hailong jumped up from the stool as if by reflex, his legs went weak, and he almost knelt down on the spot. He hurriedly said, "Wife, I was wrong, I will never do it again, I will go home right now..."

When he turned around, he found the place empty; there was no one there.

"Haha..." Guo Dapao and Liu Ye burst out laughing, almost spitting out beer from their noses.

Qin Hao couldn't help but chuckle. Cui Guomin laughed so hard he slapped the table: "Hailong, Hailong, your status in the family... hahaha..."

Zhao Hailong's face turned bright red, both ashamed and angry. He complained, "Guo... Guomin, you're so unfair! You call me my son's godfather? You're always scaring me like this. You almost gave me a heart attack."

A while ago, when Zhao Hailong's son was just a month old, Cui Guomin said he wanted to be the child's godfather, which made Li Xiaozhen complain about him.

Cui Guomin laughed and explained, "No, I really mistook you for someone else. A girl just walked past you from behind, and she really looked a bit like your wife, Zhang Xiaomei. Maybe it was dark, and I was mistaken."

"Come on, you." Zhao Hailong muttered as he sat down, grabbed a skewer of lamb and took a big bite, as if he wanted to vent his anger on the skewer.

The four of them bantered and joked around, creating a lively atmosphere. Skewers of grilled meat arrived one after another, sizzling with oil and emitting a wonderful aroma. They ate and chatted, and before they knew it, two cases of beer were gone.

Liu Ye, his face flushed from drinking, asked Qin Hao, "Ji Qiang, when are you planning to open your cake shop? Have you set a date yet?"

"What? Planning to give me a red envelope?" Qin Hao teased. He knew Liu Ye was a good person in every way, except he was too stingy. According to Cui Guomin, he had never paid for anything when they went out for barbecue; it was always others who treated him.

Liu Ye's face fell, and he rubbed his hands awkwardly: "Red envelopes... are too tacky. I can help you out, though. I'll take the day off on opening day to help you greet the customers."

Qin Hao laughed and scolded, "Come on, I can't afford to use you guys, you eat too much. I haven't even opened yet, and you guys almost ate me out of business during the renovation."

"Haha..." Everyone burst into laughter again.

Cui Guomin said seriously, "Ji Qiang, to be honest, we'll all come to help on opening day. We don't ask for anything else, just for the food and drinks you've provided over the past two weeks, we have to help you make a good impression."

“Yes, we’ll all join in,” Guo Dapao and Zhao Hailong echoed.

Qin Hao felt a warmth in his heart and raised his glass: "Alright, then thank you all in advance. This glass is for you all, to thank you for your hard work these past few days!"

"Dry!"

Five glasses clinked together, beer foam splashed out, glistening under the light.

They drank until late into the night, until even the stall owner, Old Wang, was yawning. The five of them then staggered home. When Qin Hao paid the bill, he discovered that the meal had cost over a hundred yuan—over a hundred yuan in 1993 was enough for an average family's groceries for half a month.

But he felt it was worth it. Over the past two weeks, he had gotten to know these people and understood their personalities and family situations. Although they each had their own difficulties, they were all genuine people and worth befriending.

……

After the renovation was completed, Qin Hao began installing and testing the equipment. The most important piece of equipment was the imported electric oven—a second-hand appliance bought from the provincial capital through Grandpa Cui's connections, costing three thousand yuan, making it almost the most expensive piece of equipment.

Qin Hao carefully read the instruction manual and adjusted the temperature little by little. The quality of the bread depended entirely on the oven's temperature control. If the temperature was too high, the outside would burn while the inside remained uncooked; if the temperature was too low, the bread would be undercooked and have a sticky texture.

After two days of adjustments, Qin Hao tried making several batches of pineapple buns. The first batch was too hot, resulting in a burnt surface; the second batch was too cold, making the inside sticky; the third batch, after adjusting the time and temperature, finally succeeded—a golden and crispy crust, a soft and sweet interior, and a rich milky aroma.

Qin Hao tried one himself and nodded in satisfaction. The taste was far superior to the bread produced by those state-owned pastry factories on the market.

Those pineapple buns, except for one batch taken to Grandpa Cui's family, were all placed at the shop entrance for free tasting. Qin Hao made a simple sign: "New product tasting, free sample."

It was a little after four in the afternoon, the time when people were leaving get off work and school, and the streets were gradually getting busier. Someone passing by glanced at him curiously, and Qin Hao enthusiastically handed him a slice of pineapple bun: "Try it, it's free."

Most people are willing to try a bite. Upon tasting it, their eyes light up.

"Mmm! Delicious! This bread smells so good!"

"It tastes much better than what you get at the department store!"

"Boss, your pineapple buns are delicious, how much are they? I want to buy one for my kids." A customer thought they were tasty and wanted to buy some on the spot.

Qin Hao smiled and said, "Today is just a tasting, not for sale. The official opening will be in a few days, please come back then."

Some people wanted to take advantage: "Boss, is this enough for anyone? Give me more, I have a lot of family members."

Qin Hao wasn't angry: "There are too many people, we can't share that much. If you want to eat, wait until the opening and come eat to your heart's content."

For three consecutive days, free tasting events were held in front of the cake shop every afternoon after get off work. Qin Hao made two or three batches of different breads each time—pineapple buns one day, caterpillar-shaped buns the next, and pork floss rolls the day after. Each time, it attracted quite a few people.

Seeing this, Old Master Cui finally felt a huge weight lifted from his heart. His biggest worry wasn't whether Qin Hao could bake cakes—that could be learned. His concern was whether Qin Hao could do business. A person who had been mentally unstable for ten years suddenly regaining consciousness, able to sing and bake cakes—that was already amazing enough. But doing business required social skills, shrewd calculations, and dealing with all sorts of people. Could Ji Qiang handle that?
In hindsight, his worries were completely unnecessary. The idea of ​​"free samples" alone is something most people wouldn't come up with. It promoted the product, built up brand awareness, and allowed people to taste it, thus sparking their desire to buy. A brilliant move.

Three days later, Qin Hao put up a sign announcing the official opening: "Exquisite Cakes, officially opening tomorrow, 30% off everything."

On the official opening day, a lot of customers came early in the morning. Most of them had tried the food a few days ago and thought it tasted good, while others came in out of curiosity after seeing the sign.

What surprised these customers even more was the unique decor of this cake shop. Unlike traditional pastry shops where goods are displayed behind a counter and customers have to point to them for the salesperson, here the goods are displayed directly on the shelves, allowing customers to freely choose and easily access them. Each item has a price tag, clearly indicating its price, so there's no need to worry about the embarrassment of finding it too expensive at checkout.

The shelves are stocked with a wide variety of breads—pineapple buns, caterpillar buns, pork floss rolls, red bean buns, cream buns, and simple cake rolls.

Cui Guomin, Guo Dapao, Liu Ye, and Zhao Hailong all arrived and helped greet the customers. Old Master Cui also came over from time to time to check on things, and seeing that business was good, he beamed with joy.

But there's a problem—the prices are definitely not cheap. A pineapple bun costs 80 cents, a cream bun costs 1.2 yuan, and a cake roll costs 2.5 yuan. Buying just a few items can easily cost 20 or 30 yuan. For an average worker earning 200-300 yuan a month, this is considered a luxury.

A middle-aged woman walked around the store, picked up a pineapple bun, looked at the price tag, put it down, shook her head, and walked away. An old man wanted to buy one for his grandson, but after asking the price, he clicked his tongue and said, "Too expensive. Bread from the state-run store is only 50 cents a piece."

On the first day of opening, many people entered the store, but only about half of them actually made a purchase.

Cui Guomin was a little worried and said to Qin Hao, "Ji Qiang, isn't your pricing a bit too high? How about... you lower it a bit? We can make a small profit on a large volume."

Qin Hao shook his head, insisting, "Cakes and bread are not high-frequency consumption items. People don't eat them every day; they might eat them once a week, or once every ten days or two weeks. If the price is too low, there won't be enough profit to support a store. Rent, utilities, raw materials, and labor are all costs."

“But… if it’s expensive, fewer people will buy it,” Cui Guomin was still worried.

"Take it slow." Qin Hao said calmly, "Once people taste it and know how good it is, they will be willing to spend money. Besides, my target customers are not those frugal elderly people, but young people, children, and families who are willing to spend money."

As it turned out, Qin Hao's judgment was correct. Business was so-so in the first few days after opening, but gradually, word spread. People discovered that the bread from this bakery was indeed delicious—made with high-quality ingredients, freshly baked, and tasted much better than the bread from state-run stores.

Gradually, repeat customers began to appear. Some parents brought their children to buy cakes on weekends as a reward; some young people bought two for breakfast on their way home from get off work; and some families would order a small cake for a gathering.

After a month, the turnover was more than 20,000 yuan, and after deducting all costs, the net profit was 13,000 yuan!

At this rate, you can break even in less than three months. That initial investment of 30,000 yuan will be earned back very quickly.

Seeing Qin Hao's business thriving, Old Master Cui was secretly happy for him. But the happiest of all was Erpang—he could now eat bread almost every day!
Although a 300-word essay could only be exchanged for a loaf of bread, Erpang would do anything for a good meal. To earn different kinds of bread, he wrote his essays with extra effort. Today he wrote "My Grandfather," tomorrow "My Ideal," and the day after "My Favorite Book." The word count gradually increased from 300 to 400, then 500, and his handwriting became increasingly neat.

What surprised everyone even more was that Erpang's writing skills improved by leaps and bounds. Once, when the Chinese teacher assigned an essay titled "A Magical Person," Erpang wrote about Qin Hao—how he went from being a homeless person to a karaoke champion, how he opened a cake shop, and how he taught him to write. Although his writing was still immature, his emotions were sincere and his details were vivid.

The Chinese teacher was delighted and recommended the essay to the school. As a result, Erpang's essay was selected for the "Citywide Collection of Outstanding Elementary School Students' Essays" and even published in the school newspaper!

Once at the bottom of the class, he suddenly became a popular figure on campus. Those classmates who used to mock him for his father being a convict no longer dared to look at him with prejudice. Because Erpang was now not only the Chinese teacher's "darling," but also the school's "little writer." At school, anyone who dared to touch a student that the teachers valued would be in for a beating from both boys and girls when they got home.

One afternoon, Li Xiaozhen was on her way to work at Dingqinglou when she passed by a cake shop and saw Erpang coming out of the shop with a freshly baked caterpillar bread in his hand, looking very satisfied.

"Erpang, are you trying to fleece your Uncle Qiang again?" Li Xiaozhen teased with a smile.

Erpang felt a little embarrassed by what was said and blushed. But he still suppressed the pain of the loss and broke the bread in half, handing it to her: "Auntie, you eat this."

Li Xiaozhen smiled and ruffled Erpang's hair: "No need, your aunt will buy it herself if she wants to eat it. You go back first, be careful on the way."

"Auntie, you really don't want to eat?" Erpang asked to confirm.

"Really, you don't need to. You should go back now, or the bread will get cold and won't taste good," Li Xiaozhen said.

Erpang then beamed with joy, picked up the bread, and jogged home.

Standing at the entrance of the cake shop, Li Xiaozhen watched her nephew's cheerful figure, her heart filled with mixed emotions. This child used to be insecure, timid, had poor grades, and wasn't well-liked. But now, he was confident, cheerful, his studies had improved, and even his essays were so well-written. All these changes were related to Ji Qiang.

She thought about it for a while, and finally went into the cake shop.

Inside the shop, Qin Hao was tidying up the shelves. Seeing Li Xiaozhen enter, he greeted her with a smile, "Sister-in-law, you're here! What would you like to eat? I'll give you a 50% discount."

Li Xiaozhen put on a stern face: "If you say that, I'm leaving."

Knowing her temper, Qin Hao quickly changed his tune: "It's just a few loaves of bread... Okay, then you can pick whatever you like. I'll give you a 10% discount, okay? Our members get a 10% discount."

"That's more like it." Li Xiaozhen finally smiled. "Then I'll pick a few things. Mengmeng has been saying she wants to eat your bread for days. I'll just have to satisfy her today."

She carefully selected items from the shelves, finally choosing a pineapple bun, a cream bun, and a cake roll. Qin Hao packed them into a paper bag for her and, as expected, gave her a 10% discount when he paid.

"Thanks." Li Xiaozhen took the bag.

Qin Hao smiled and said, "I should be thanking you for your support."

Just then, a woman wearing a brown wool coat walked in.

"Mr. Ji, my surname is Yang. I own a bar called Nightlife Bar and would like to invite you to perform at our bar."