Why didn't you tell me earlier that my little sister is still waiting for me?

After Lin Bufan readily agreed to Chen Nanxing's conditions, the motorcycle drove back to Yunmiao Village. The car stopped first at the entrance of the courtyard. Xu Hongdou got out of the car, walked straight to her room without looking back, and slammed the door shut, the sound clearly conveying the message "Do Not Disturb."

Nana, Damai, and Hu Youyu exchanged glances and tactfully dispersed. Hu Youyu couldn't wait to return to his room to continue pondering his "creative inspiration," Damai also slipped back to his room to prepare for writing, while Nana went to Youfeng Restaurant.

After getting off the motorcycle, Chen Nanxing slowly took off his helmet, gave Lin Bufan, who was parking his motorcycle, a "watch me" look, and then walked towards room number six.

Seeing this, Lin Bufan also planned to go back to his room to catch up on some sleep, but as soon as he took a step, he was stopped by Ma Qiushan, who had been waiting for a long time.

"President Lin! President Lin, please wait!" Ma Qiushan held a hard-shell folder in one hand and a wooden tea tray in the other, on which were neatly arranged several small white porcelain cups filled with tea of ​​varying shades. His eyes were bloodshot, but his spirits were unusually high, and his face had a mixture of exhaustion and excitement.

“I’ve worked through the night to finish what you asked me to do yesterday! This is the preliminary business plan framework, and…” He pushed the tea tray forward: “These are some basic tea drink samples that I worked overnight to refine based on the product matrix I envisioned. I’d like you to taste them and give me your feedback!”

Lin Bufan raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. Less than 24 hours had passed; this efficiency was indeed impressive. "Wow, Lao Ma, isn't this a bit too fast? Could it be that you were afraid I'd change my mind, so you hastily put together this overnight?"

"President Lin, what you say!" Ma Qiushan thumped his chest, his eyes filled with unwavering seriousness. "When I, Ma Qiushan, do something, I either don't do it at all, or I never cut corners! These things..." He pointed to his head, "I've been working on them for over a year now, the outline is crystal clear. But this time, finally there was hope for a tangible result, and I couldn't contain my enthusiasm. Once I started, I couldn't stop, and I finished it overnight!"

Lin Bufan had no doubts about Ma Qiushan's words. In the original story, Ma Qiushan experienced a business failure and spent his time meditating and "healing" in Yunmiao Village. While he appeared to be empty of thought, he never stopped reflecting on business models. Now, receiving Lin Bufan's signal of interest in investing, his long-suppressed enthusiasm finally found an outlet, naturally making him incredibly excited!

"Alright then." Lin Bufan stopped teasing. "I think the project proposal is just for show. Let's wait for the professionals to see it. As for the tea, I'd like to try it first."

Ma Qiushan hurriedly picked up the tea tray and eagerly handed it to Lin Bufan: "President Lin, please have a taste. This first cup, I call it 'Erhai First Sunshine,' is made with Yunnan black tea as the base, with a small amount of dried golden-edged roses and osmanthus syrup added. The tea soup is bright red, with a mellow black tea aroma on the palate and a faint floral sweetness in the aftertaste, suitable for young people who don't like astringent tea."

Lin Bufan took it, drank a sip, and said nothing.

“This second cup is Cangshan Evening Snow,” Ma Qiushan pointed to another milky white drink: “It’s actually a tea latte. It’s made with cold-brewed Baihao Yinzhen tea, topped with fresh milk and a touch of sea salt cheese foam. It’s refreshing and not greasy, with both the aroma of tea and the flavor of milk.”

Lin Bufan tasted it again.

"And this one, the Creative Cold Brew Fruit Tea: Romance of Wind, Flowers, Snow, and Moon..." Ma Qiushan continued.

The tea drinks prepared by Ma Qiushan were only considered average in the eyes of Lin Bufan, who possessed "god-level culinary skills" bestowed upon him by the system. Although god-level culinary skills were not specialized in beverage preparation, the principles of cooking were universal. With Lin Bufan's keen senses and control over the layers and balance of flavors, he could easily concoct far more amazing and commercially successful tea drink recipes with just a little thought.

However, Lin Bufan had already started making plans in his mind.

Why should we give away these good things so easily?

He has no shortage of money, manpower, or popular products. Bringing Ma Qiushan along seems redundant.

Investing some money is fine; it's just to support this middle-aged man who has been working tirelessly in Yunmiao Village for over a year, pursuing his entrepreneurial dreams. But if I were to also invest my unique technical formula, it wouldn't be worth it; it would feel like a huge loss.

Moreover, he also owns a business that he's currently running—the "Brother Biao's Paradise" pet-themed café. Although it's a café, milk tea, fruit tea, and various innovative drinks also play a significant role on the menu.

If all the good formulas we've researched are given to Maqiu Mountain, what will happen to "Brother Biao's Paradise"?

How to deal with Sang Biao, with whom you have a deep emotional bond?

Uh--

Ok!

It's not actually that profound!

But isn't there still Zhu Suosuo?

Even if we don't care about Sang Biao, we should at least consider Zhu Suosuo's feelings!

Seeing that Lin Bufan remained silent after tasting the tea, his expression focused as if he were pondering some profound question, Ma Qiushan's heart began to pound. He cautiously leaned closer, his face full of expectant smiles: "President Lin, what...what do you think? In terms of taste, or direction, are there any adjustments that need to be made?"

Lin Bufan looked up and met Ma Qiushan's eyes, bloodshot from staying up all night, yet gleaming with an intense longing. It was the look of someone who had experienced failure and lay low for a long time, desperately wanting to seize an opportunity to prove themselves.

Lin Bufan was always more responsive to gentle persuasion than force. Looking into that gaze, he finally softened for a moment and decided to give him a chance!

Sigh—I'm still too kind!

Lin Bufan put down his teacup and gestured for Ma Qiushan to stop talking.

"Old Ma, as you know, I can't speak for myself, but with my title of 'God of Cookery,' developing a few drinks that can win over the public's palate is really not a difficult task."

Upon hearing this, Ma Qiushan's eyes lit up! That's right! How could he have forgotten that the person before him was Lin Bufan, a culinary master! If he were willing to offer guidance or even provide the recipe, the product's competitiveness would be unimaginable! The immense surprise almost made him jump for joy!

"Don't get agitated," Lin Bufan raised his hand again to stop Ma Qiushan. "What I mean is, the stuff is good, but why should I give it to you? This formula, what difference does it make who I give it to? Who can't make it if they get it?"

"You need to have a reason for giving me this."

Ma Qiushan took a deep breath, straightened his back, and prepared to bring up the old topic again, pouring out all his long-conceived team advantages, operational philosophy, and understanding of tea culture in an attempt to persuade Lin Bufan.

"Wait a minute," Lin Bufan interrupted Ma Qiushan again before he could speak: "Old Ma, you should know that I also have a business called Brother Biao Paradise, which is a pet-themed cafe, right?"

Ma Qiushan nodded quickly: "I've heard of it, I've heard of it, it's very famous."

“Although their main business isn’t tea drinks,” Lin Bufan continued, “if I give them these top-notch recipes to enrich their beverage menu, it will be a huge highlight and selling point for them. So, what you need to do now is not to convince me.”

Instead, they went to persuade Ms. Zhu Suosuo, the general manager of Biao Ge Paradise.

As soon as Lin Bufan finished speaking, he glanced over and saw a four-eyed dog had silently squatted down by the tea table, squinting and glancing at him sideways, as if to say, "Have you forgotten something?"

This four-eyed dog is none other than Sang Biao, the chairman of Biao Ge Paradise!

Seeing this, Lin Bufan's lips twitched, and he could only add, "Oh right, and there's also the chairman of Brother Biao's Paradise, Comrade Sang Biao! If you can convince both of them, I'll... um, make some formulas for you. If you're not convinced, then I can only invest some money in you, and the formulas are out of the question."

Upon hearing this, Ma Qiushan's excitement froze instantly. He slowly turned to Sang Biao, who was squatting on the ground, looking completely bewildered. He looked at the dog, then at Lin Bufan, seemingly taking some time to process the two pieces of information: "The chairman is a dog" and "You have to persuade a dog."

As for Sang Biao, it was very satisfied with Lin Bufan's performance and Ma Qiushan's shock. It shook its head triumphantly, let out a soft snort, and elegantly changed to a more imposing squatting posture, as if to say to Ma Qiushan: "Yes, you didn't see wrong, it is this great master."

"Alright, you talk to Chairman Biao first, I'll go call Manager Zhu." Lin Bufan patted Ma Qiushan on the shoulder, turned around and slipped back to room number five, leaving Ma Qiushan alone to face this special "negotiation partner".

Ma Qiushan watched Lin Bufan's figure disappear behind the door of room number five, then slowly turned his head and stared once more at the four-eyed dog sitting upright in front of him.

Ma Qiushan took a deep breath and quickly adjusted his mindset. What storms hadn't he weathered in his early entrepreneurial years? Convincing investors and dealing with difficult partners was commonplace for him.

Although I've never negotiated with a dog, even if it's incredibly intelligent, isn't it still just a dog? Dogs have their own habits, and dealing with them is always easier than dealing with a cunning person.

After bolstering his confidence, Ma Qiushan cleared his throat and put on the slightly ingratiating smile he usually used to deal with difficult business partners:

“Mr. Biao, look how high the sun is getting. Have you had breakfast yet? I have some excellent beef jerky in my house, brought back from Tibet by a friend. It has a unique flavor. Or… would you like something else? Canned food? Fresh meat? Just name it, and I’ll get it ready right away.” He tried to use food as a way to start a conversation, the simplest and most direct way to “socialize.”

Sang Biao remained squatting steadily. Upon hearing this, he merely tilted his head slightly. Behind the spotted eyes that resembled "glasses," he glanced sideways at Ma Qiushan. There was no trace of eagerness for food in his eyes; instead, a hint of...disdain slowly emerged.

Ma Qiushan's heart skipped a beat, but his smile remained unchanged as he raised his stakes: "Chairman Biao, to be honest, I'm very sincere about our future cooperation. Think about it, if this project really succeeds, how could your treatment as chairman be lacking? I guarantee that I'll build you a private, top-of-the-line chairman's office, provide you with top-quality fresh meat and customized snacks around the clock, and hire a dedicated nutritionist and... uh, a nurse? In short, it will absolutely be befit your status!"

The more he talked, the more convinced he became, as if he could already see Sang Biao being swayed by the promise of delicious food and nodding in agreement.

Just then, Sangbiao finally made a move. It slowly raised one of its front paws, stretched it out in front of Maqiushan, and then... slowly, it turned the back of its paw towards Maqiushan and swayed it from side to side.

The movement was small, even a bit lazy, but combined with its expressionless dog face and sidelong glance, it was extremely insulting.

Immediately afterwards, Sangbiao skillfully used its other paw to reach for its specially made phone, which was placed in the corner of the tea table, and tapped and clicked on the screen with its claw tip. After a moment, it turned the screen towards Maqiu Mountain.

Ma Qiushan leaned closer to take a look and saw a line of text displayed on the screen: "Using this to test cadres? Which cadre can't withstand such a test? (Sneer.jpg)"

Maqiushan: "..."

His smile froze completely, and a wave of embarrassment rushed to his head.

Failed!

However, Old Ma was a man who had seen the world, and he quickly came up with a new idea!

Although Ma Qiushan hadn't gotten to know Sang Biao well during the few days Sang Biao had been in the courtyard, he had witnessed Sang Biao's eccentric and arrogant demeanor. Since that was the case, he decided to play along!

Ma Qiushan quickly adjusted his strategy, his fawning expression fading and replaced with a more solemn and respectful look. His tone also changed: "Yes, yes, Chairman Biao is right! I was short-sighted and vulgar! How can someone as wise and visionary as you... uh, a leader, be measured by ordinary material things?"

Chairman Biao, I truly admire you! Look at you, sitting there so calmly and authoritatively, exuding the air of a great general commanding his troops from the center! President Lin is truly fortunate to have a partner like you. With a chairman as composed and wise as you at the helm, guiding the direction of our tea space project, it's absolutely guaranteed to succeed! The future is limitless!

Ma Qiushan felt that his praise combined the image of Sang Biao with an elevation of its status, which should be enough to satisfy his cravings.

Sang Biao listened, his dog-like face remaining expressionless. After Ma Qiushan finished speaking, he lowered his head and typed again. Soon, a new reply appeared: "Do you think I'm that brainless guy Lin Gou? Getting all high and mighty after a few compliments, forgetting who I am?"

"..." Ma Qiushan was speechless again, feeling that he had encountered the most difficult "negotiation partner" in his career, who was impervious to reason and tricks.

Sang Biao's fingers didn't stop typing: "When it comes to starting a business, be professional. I need to see the feasibility analysis, market potential assessment, SWOT analysis, financial forecasting model, and cash flow planning. Have you figured out the team structure? What about the equity incentive plan? Have you considered the exit mechanism?"

Ma Qiushan stared at the words on his phone screen, dumbfounded, his mouth agape. Feasibility analysis? SWOT? Equity incentives? These words came from a dog's mouth... from a dog's paw? The impact was no less than when he first met investors during his entrepreneurial venture.

Seeing Ma Qiushan's dazed look, Sang Biao typed with some disdain: "You're not trying to scam me out of money without any preparation, are you? That would be so unprofessional."

"Yes, yes, yes! Everything's ready!" Ma Qiushan jolted awake, instantly switching from shock mode to survival mode. He frantically opened the hard-shell folder and presented the draft of the business plan originally intended for Lin Bufan, market research notes, and even a few hand-drawn product concept sketches to Sang Biao: "Chairman Biao, please take a look! These are my initial ideas; the details are still being refined, but the framework is all here!"

Sang Biao then wagged its tail with slight satisfaction, and with a reserved air, it pawed at the stack of documents before looking down at them. It didn't read quickly, occasionally pointing at a line with its paw to signal Ma Qiushan to explain. For a moment, the only sounds in the yard were the rustling of papers turning and Ma Qiushan's slightly nervous explanations.