Can following the rules be called rebirth?

Chapter 323 321. 100% Nightlife
"Phew, off work, off work!"

When the two owners walked out of the Relief Coffee Shop, it was already 10:30.

Despite wearing a fluffy coat, Gu Caiwei couldn't help but shiver and unconsciously hugged her arms tightly.

"Are you hungry?"

Zhou Mingyuan stood half a step away from her and asked with a smile.

All beginnings are hard.

Logically speaking, as a business owner, there's no need for you to stay up until 10:30 PM to close the shop and go home with your employees.

However, with the opening of new stores and the New Year's Day holiday, we were simply too busy to keep up.

So Gu Caiwei was worried these past few days and insisted on fighting until the very last moment.

The streetlights cast a dim yellow light, which slanted across the two people, casting long shadows.

"Yeah, a little."

Gu Caiwei pursed her lips and nodded vigorously.

Zhou Mingyuan reached out and pulled up the hood of the girl's down jacket, carefully putting it on. He then gently brushed a few strands of hair that had been blown by the night wind behind her ears.

The movements were graceful and natural.

Therefore, Gu Caiwei did not dodge at all.

"Come on, let me take you to recharge!"

"Where are we going? Let me tell you, I can eat like crazy right now!"

The girl clenched her right hand, her peach-blossom eyes sparkling.

"At this hour, how about we go upstairs to Haidilao?"

"Okay~"

In early 2015, Haidilao was enjoying a golden age, its reputation for excellent service making it a legend and a household name across the country.

The Optics Valley World City store is Haidilao's fourth store in Wuhan, which opened at the end of July last year.

Even though it was almost 11 o'clock, the store entrance was still brightly lit.

A bustling and lively scene.

The waiting area was full of all sorts of young people, and waiters in uniform black uniforms moved around every corner of the waiting area, serving guests free seasonal fruit chips and various drinks.

"Hey, why is there a queue so late at night?"

Gu Caiwei, who had originally thought she could start eating right away, looked around, pouted, and said disappointedly.

"Judging from your appearance, you don't seem to have much of a nightlife and don't often go out for late-night snacks."

As Zhou Mingyuan spoke, he walked to the ticket counter and took a new number.

"nonsense!"

Gu Caiwei couldn't help but roll her eyes at him: "Eating late-night snacks all the time will make you fat."

"And what does nightlife have to do with coming here to eat Haidilao?"

"Don't you understand this?"

Zhou Mingyuan explained with a smile.

"Optics Valley is the core area. After so many nightclubs close down, it's only natural to go out for late-night snacks."

"Most restaurants close around 10 p.m., but Haidilao is open 24 hours a day, and the atmosphere and services are great."

"Think about it, what if you take a girl you just met out for drinks, and things get a little flirty, and then you take her to a roadside stall or a really noisy place for late-night snacks?"

Is it easy to bend down?

As he spoke, the man gestured with his lip, indicating to the other customers waiting for a table not far away.

"Wow"

The quick-witted Gu Caiwei was immediately drawn into the other person's explanation.

It really is!
Among groups of two or three people of the opposite sex, there are bound to be some with flushed faces from drinking.

It turns out that the most suitable place for a nighttime transition is Haidilao.

No matter when or where, Haidilao maintains a very high standard in terms of taste, food quality, and service.

People looking for food late at night often don't want to risk trying unknown small shops, but Haidilao provides a safe, reliable, and foolproof option.

In fact, these days, many Haidilao restaurants in first- and second-tier cities are safe havens for nightclubs.

The bar is fast-paced, noisy, and crowded.

Haidilao is bright, warm, orderly, and attentive.

This extreme contrast can easily take the relationship to the next level.

For newly acquainted friends, having hot pot together is a more natural way to get to know each other better than going for a drink.

How do you know so much?

Having figured out the underlying logic, Gu Caiwei unbuttoned her coat and draped it to one side, crossed her arms over her chest, and stared straight ahead.

"Yes or no"

She suddenly leaned forward, a sweet fragrance wafting closer: "You seem to have a lot of nightlife experience?"

She drew out the last syllable of her voice, like a little hook dipped in honey, her soft tone concealing an obvious emotion.

Although the little princess maintained her posture with her arms crossed, her micro-expressions and big eyes had completely revealed her little thoughts.

"Nowhere is there!"

Seeing Gu Caiwei's unintentional display of jealousy, Zhou Mingyuan couldn't help but chuckle.

"Someone has a 100% participation rate in my nightlife this year."

The man looked into her eyes, his expression serious.

He wasn't lying at all.

The time when I went to the bar with Du Jianuo was before midnight!

That happened in 2014, so it doesn't count.

"If this counts as having experience, then we're two birds of a feather, equally bad."

"."

Unexpected answer.

Gu Caiwei was clearly caught off guard, and two blushes appeared on her face, even more noticeable than on the slightly tipsy guests not far away.

All the questions she had prepared were swallowed back. The girl could only open her mouth, turn her face away with a hint of shyness, and let out a soft, gentle response through her nose.

"Humph!"

The jealousy has disappeared.

All that remains is a sweet joy.

Gu Caiwei reached for the plum juice on the table, took a small sip, and restrained the corners of her mouth from turning up slightly.

Sometimes, you know perfectly well that the other person is a smooth-talking scumbag.

Unfortunately, I was easily flustered and confused by those "birds of a feather".

The girl turned her head, her gaze falling on the nail salon area not far away, and simply stood up and walked over.

"I'm going to get my nails done over there~"

"Hey, didn't you just do it with Xiao Lizhi a while ago?"

Zhou Mingyuan followed slowly behind, making small talk here and there.

"What do you know!"

The two walked to the nail salon and lined up.

While we were waiting, a waiter immediately brought over some snacks.

Gu Caiwei's beautiful eyes sparkled, clearly indicating she was in a very good mood. While eating, she slowly and methodically explained to the man.

"Can't I go to a nail salon if I don't want to get a new manicure? They offer other services too, you straight man."

"Warm soaking and exfoliation can be used to repair dead skin and hangnails, and polish the nail surface."

"That's it"

Zhou Mingyuan had an "I see" look on his face.

"I learn something new every time I'm with you."

"Cut~"

Gu Caiwei giggled, her chin held high, her eyes filled with a smug yet charming expression.

"At this time, what good student are you? You're not allowed to study anymore. If you continue to study, you'll become a friend of women."

"I won't teach you anymore!"

"Fine, don't teach me then. I'll just stand beside you and figure it out myself."

The two of them chattered back and forth, arguing back and forth.

However, Zhou Mingyuan's heart was suddenly struck by a tender emotion. Yes.

He sighed softly to himself.

Only at the age of eighteen, in this sparkling youth, can one have such an unrestrained state of mind and such passionate, almost extravagant, emotions.

He was willing to accompany the girl in the noisy waiting area, researching and making money about nail art, something that had nothing to do with it.

How many adult men would do such a thing?
Of course, this is not to say that the event itself is particularly meaningful, but rather that the very act of being meaningless is itself the most important meaning.

Looking at her smiling eyes and her hearty laughter.

Young people have plenty of time, enough to squander on meaningless little romantic gestures.

Young people have strong feelings, so strong that they don't need any utilitarian considerations.

They easily immersed themselves in this clumsy yet sincere tenderness that belonged only to each other.

Looking at the girl's flawless profile, Zhou Mingyuan suddenly felt incredibly lucky.

It’s good to be born again.

It will allow him to experience all of this preciousness again.

This is all of pure simplicity.

"Hello~"

Gu Caiwei was completely unaware of the man's sentiments beside her.

She held a Doritos sandwich in her slender fingers, looked at the seemingly tireless waiters around her, and couldn't help but sigh softly to Zhou Mingyuan.

"Sometimes I think, their service is just too attentive, isn't it?"

"The emotional value is maximized."

"Our waiters are not up to par. Tell me, how can we train them to do this?"

If you don't become a householder, you don't know how expensive firewood and rice are.

Since opening the coffee shop, Gu Caiwei has always offered her opinions from the owner's perspective, no matter where she goes.

“Training alone certainly won’t achieve this effect.”

Zhou Mingyuan shook his head.

"The reason why Haidilao is so popular is because it has a unique corporate culture."

"They emphasize a family culture and give employees a great deal of trust and autonomy. For example, frontline employees have the authority to handle customer complaints by waiving fees."

"You've learned about Maslow's hierarchy of needs in class, right? Feelings of respect and trust become internalized as motivation for their work and sincerity towards customers."

The man paused for a few seconds before continuing.

"In the service industry that directly faces consumers, the ultimate barrier is often culture and values."

"If our Relief Coffee wants to become a truly big brand, we still have a long way to go."

"That makes sense."

Gu Caiwei rested her chin on her hand, listening intently.

This guy seems to...
They can always extract profound business logic from seemingly ordinary phenomena.

A man who is handsome but useless is just a showy but ineffective man.

Being handsome while also possessing vision and insight makes one even more captivating.

Soon it was Gu Caiwei's turn.

Just as the little princess said, nail art is not as simple as it seems.

Hand care: trim dead skin.

The next step is polishing.

The nail technician, head down, skillfully performed the procedure while unable to resist offering praise.

"Little sister, your hands are so beautiful. Your fingers are so slender and long, and you have such naturally fair skin. Any kind of manicure would look good on you."

"And the two of you standing together are such a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman!"

"I've discovered that your boyfriend is not only handsome, but also incredibly considerate. He even came all the way here to accompany you while you get your nails done. These days, it's rare to find guys this patient."

Getting your nails done is incredibly boring.

Therefore, nail technicians are almost all highly skilled and must have exceptional conversational abilities to keep customers happy.

"Huh? No, him."

Gu Caiwei opened her mouth, instinctively wanting to explain, but swallowed the words back.

"I mean it!"

The nail technician added with a smile, "Because we have an arcade machine set up next to our Optics Valley store, the guys who come here either play games or play on their phones. It's rare to see one quietly accompanying their girlfriend while she gets her nails done."

Cherish it!

"."

Gu Caiwei blushed instantly, even her ears turned red, and she couldn't dodge it.

Zhou Mingyuan stood to the side, listening to the nail technician's words and looking at the girl's shy and hesitant expression, and couldn't help but laugh.

He didn't say anything, but simply reached out and gently rolled up Gu Caiwei's sleeves to reveal a small section of her fair and slender wrist, making it easier for the nail technician to continue.

wingman.

A natural wingman.

The wingman's unintentional teasing and praise seemed to be the best catalyst, accelerating the fermentation of certain feelings.

The polishing process lasted for more than ten minutes.

Just then, their number was called over the loudspeaker.

After sitting down, Gu Caiwei took the tablet and spoke to the waiter.

"Hot pot base. I'd like a half-and-half pot."

Fingertips glide across the screen.

As dining buddies, this kind of environment requires almost no thought; the two have an unspoken understanding formed from frequently eating together.

"I'm going to eat more meat today!"

"Beef rolls, lamb from the grasslands, tripe, beef aorta, duck intestines, and shrimp paste."

She sat on the same side as Zhou Mingyuan.

Shoulder to shoulder, long fingertips tapped here and there, reciting the names of the dishes in a smooth and flowing manner.

The man added from the side.

"Crispy pork, your favorite."

"Another vegetable platter, a serving of pulled noodles, and oh yes, brown sugar glutinous rice cakes too."

Haidilao prioritizes service.

The hot pot base and ingredients arrived quickly, as always.

The bubbling red butter was bubbling and steaming, with chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns rising and falling, releasing a spicy and savory aroma, while the tomato pot next to it was a bright red color.

"Have a bowl of tomato soup first to warm your stomach."

Zhou Mingyuan picked up a soup ladle and first filled Gu Caiwei's bowl to the brim, carefully skimming off the top layer of oil before serving himself a bowl as well.

Even though she had already ordered the food, Gu Caiwei didn't go back to sit opposite him; she remained seated on the same side as Zhou Mingyuan.

She held the warm porcelain bowl in both hands, blew on it gently, and took a sip.

The sweet and sour broth, heated to the perfect temperature, warms you instantly from your throat to your stomach.

This is exactly what I've been waiting for!
The fatigue from a busy day at the store was swept away.

Gu Caiwei was satisfied and unconsciously narrowed her eyes.

"Ah, I'm finally alive."

"Thank you for your hard work these past few days since the opening. It's all thanks to you, Boss Gu."

Looking at her undisguised expression of satisfaction, Zhou Mingyuan smiled and said.

He also took a sip of the soup, then picked up the serving chopsticks and put the marinated, reddish-brown slices of beef into the boiling spicy broth.

"The beef will be ready quickly, in just over ten seconds."

While waiting for the hot pot ingredients to be cooked, the conversation naturally began, but this time there was no discussion about cost reduction and efficiency improvement.

Different environments lead to different conversation topics.

A relaxed and cozy environment makes it easy to shift your focus to an even more relaxed direction.

Why didn't Little Lychee come?

"No, she's been helping out these past few days."

Gu Caiwei flipped her wrist and tied her beautiful hair up, responding casually.

"She was still here this morning, but I don't know what happened at noon. She glanced at her phone and went straight home."

(End of this chapter)