Returning to '97, creating a new life

Xu Kai practices Curry's shooting every day as long as there is a court available. Although he knows that dunking in the air will make him feel excited, he is also obsessed with the feeling that the basket is like the ocean.

The basketball team's regular training is also very intense. Park In-ji has incorporated more concise and effective offensive and defensive tactics and requires everyone to make precise runs. He regards Xu Kai's long-range shots as the team's individual moment. The team's performance in regular time will determine the team's lower limit, while Xu Kai's performance in key moments will determine the team's upper limit.

The team didn't finish training until it was almost dark, just before the first period of evening self-study was about to begin.

Being able to change clothes and take a hot shower in the school's bathroom while covered in sweat is considered top-tier in this era.

Some students returned to the classroom to study on their own, because they couldn't give up their grades in academic subjects.

Xu Kai changed his clothes, left the school along the edge of the playground, took a bus to the Commercial Building stop, got off the bus and entered through the side door of the Commercial Building.

The mall closes, but the side entrance's stairs and elevators lead to the fifth floor, so the roller skating rink's business can't close at the same time as the mall.

The eight claw machines were profitable, and Ma Xin worked diligently, not letting his mother, Sun Xiuyun, help out. He completed the filling of the dolls and counting of the game coins all by himself.

Knowing who the boss's people were, Xu Kai was more willing to believe what they said. He greeted his mother and the others, refused Ma Xin's offer to go with him to verify what he said, and did not go to the card room with his mother. He left alone.

I took a bus to the vicinity of the Second Railway Middle School, got off, walked in the market, pulled up the hood of my coat, and stood on the edge of the red brick building by the market, looking at the video arcade that used to belong to me in the distance.

A short while later, Song Jun was seen leaving the video arcade.

He followed Song Jun's footsteps from a distance to an alley not far from the police station, where he watched Song Jun and Xu Dalong meet. The two only brushed past each other for a brief few seconds.

Xu Kai saw the smile on Song Jun's face, saw Xu Dalong nodding with a smile, and saw Song Jun stuff an envelope into Xu Dalong's bag.

He smiled.

In a business partnership of three, after all that effort, I ended up being the one who got kicked out.

He didn't blame Xu Dalong. Since he chose to make some money in the marginal areas, who would complain about not making enough?

Some time ago, the authorities tightened their control. Xu Kai learned from Ma Xin, who had been in contact with the local children and occasionally rented DVDs from the video arcade, that the video arcade had been raided again. However, this time, it only closed for one day before reopening. During the second inspection, Song Jun received a call and evacuated the customers in advance.

It's clear that Song Jun has once again actively sought refuge with Xu Dalong, obtaining his protection to continue operating the video arcade in the current tightening environment.

Xu Kai wasn't worried about Xu Dalong revealing the scheme he set for Song Jun, since their current arcade was making far more money than their video arcade. It was just that Xu Dalong was playing both sides; he wasn't stupid enough to do something that would destroy his own business, but it would make Xu Kai look a bit foolish.

With a chuckle, Xu Kai left quietly, not telling anyone about it, keeping it to himself and keeping it to himself.

I reserved a portion for you because you are useful, so we can support each other, and because you are indispensable to me.

But that's now.

What about the future?

At that time, neither partnership nor kinship will be a reason for me to give you another share. Xu Dalong, Uncle Long, you'd better climb up quickly, or you won't be able to get on the bus later, and don't blame me.

Xu Kai went around in circles, found a public phone, dialed a number he had already saved, and acted as a good citizen.

Two days later, Xu Kai learned from a casual conversation with Ma Xin that the video arcade had been inspected by the fire department and failed to meet the relevant standards, and was required to rectify the situation within a specified period and was fined.

With strict control and more superiors, Xu Dalong's effectiveness has been greatly reduced. No one has Xu Kai's understanding that there will be more and more superiors in the future, and that it is possible to confiscate income through legitimate means. No department is not thinking about generating revenue. Anyone who tries to stop you will be considered an enemy unless you are powerful enough.

arcade?

How long can it last?

Once he enters the planning stage, Xu Kai's mind is filled with a constant stream of ideas. When he gets home, he still likes to soak his feet in a basin of water that is fifty or sixty degrees Celsius after lighting the stove.

I've completely given up smoking. Occasionally, when I'm thinking or at a dinner party, I'll light one up, just for fun.

[We can't expand any further; it's too conspicuous, and the partners might not be able to handle it. Even if they could, the expenses for bribing officials would be even higher. We could open another arcade, though. Even with tightening regulations at all levels, we could still make a profit within a year or two.]

Several planned business ventures are not yet ready, as there is currently no market for them.

The water had cooled, so he stopped soaking his feet. After washing up, Xu Kai lay on the bed lost in thought, his mind a jumble of thoughts without a single thread connecting them. He had memories spanning over twenty years, but he needed something applicable to the present era and to his current circumstances, something that could be remotely controlled without requiring constant monitoring. For a long time, he couldn't find one.

The next day I went to school and ate lunch in the cafeteria.

"I'm treating everyone to dinner on Sunday afternoon. We've come all to the team, but haven't had a chance to get together privately yet. My dad got some sheep from the grasslands; they'll slaughter them a day in advance and drive them over overnight, along with a roast lamb chef. Xu Kai, could you find a place for us?"

Hu Yuxuan thought Xu Kai was considering where to go, but little did she know that Xu Kai had found the key to his idea. She couldn't help but laugh at herself, realizing that even those with visions ahead of their time could sometimes be blinded by a narrow perspective.

What we take for granted and consider commonplace has its own unique advantages in this era.

restaurant.

In the future, apart from the saying "good wine needs no bush," very few people in this industry will be able to survive and make money. Without special skills, a large investment is required, which in a sense is a large investment. Xu Kai doesn't have much money. Last night, he was lost in thought and didn't even consider opening a restaurant. He didn't even put the fact that opening a restaurant is a very profitable business in this era into his thinking.

Running a restaurant is a hectic business, but what if we could simplify it?

Whole roasted lamb, roasted lamb leg, roasted lamb chops, lamb soup, stewed lamb—no need to prepare additional ingredients to create different flavors later. Just roast one fresh, and you can satisfy a variety of taste buds with dipping sauces. Currently, while there are restaurants of this type in Songcheng, at least in Xu Kai's experience, none have achieved a high level of fame.

Technical barriers, food supply, and food hygiene permits are all troublesome, but looking at Hu Yuxuan in front of him, are they still troublesome?

It would be foolish not to use connections. If you can take a shortcut openly, why not?

What you need to do is find a venue, find enough basic service staff, and stew fresh lamb from the grasslands with adult lamb. The freshness of the meat alone is enough to establish an advantage and create a "technical" barrier that others will follow.

Even if Songcheng is imitated, its fixed customer base is enough to keep it fed until fresh ingredients are no longer an advantage and similar restaurants spring up everywhere.

"Xu Kai, Xu Kai!"

"what……"

"If you don't have a suitable one, then I'll..."

"Let's go to my mom's chess and card room. There's a small courtyard in the back, and the tables and chairs are all ready."

………………

Boxed cargo.

The car arrived, the people arrived, and they brought a cow and ten sheep, all of which were cleaned up thoroughly.

The oven for roasting lamb, the wood-fired stove for stewing lamb, fruitwood charcoal, and a ten-pound bag of dry, loose dipping sauce.

The slaughter was done the morning before, and the truck departed at noon. It was several hundred kilometers long, with two drivers and a roast lamb chef. The truck stopped frequently along the way until it reached Songjiang. Around 3 a.m., the driver found a bathhouse, slept for a few hours, and took a bath. At 9 a.m., the driver contacted Hu Yuxuan, who, led by Xu Kai, arrived at the chess and card room.

Seeing this setup, Xu Kai gave Hu Yuxuan a thumbs up. "You're awesome! This is the daily life of a rich young master. If he wants roast lamb, a whole-service package is arranged." Just like when Hu Yuxuan transferred to Songcheng No. 1 High School, a house near the school was rented for him, and a nanny was hired.

Dong Bin and Fei Wenxin, who never go to school on Sundays, arrived early in the morning. They first satisfied their curiosity by circling around the oven. After the chef put the roasted lamb in the oven, the long wait began. Only then did they gather in the chess and card room, occupy a table, and the fun on the train continued.

The shortest among them was 175 cm tall, and the rest were all tall and strong men over 180 cm. There were nearly twenty of them, and when they arrived, they quickly filled the card room. Fortunately, the card room was big enough to have a few extra folding tables for playing cards, so it didn't affect the mahjong players who started their mahjong game in the morning.

A lamb was roasted and another stewed; the smoky atmosphere in the backyard announced that the guests playing in the card room today could enjoy a fresh lamb meal in the afternoon.

Sun Xiuyun was a little reluctant and secretly asked her son if it was inappropriate to give the mutton her classmate brought to the customers in the card room.

It wasn't yet the era when places like card and mahjong parlors competed on service. Xu Kai was simply generous. Many of the people around were his maternal grandfather's neighbors, some of whom were his mother's childhood friends. Other customers were either his uncles' or aunts' colleagues, or relatives who liked to play. With such a safe haven, they gradually came to join in.

The driver from Hu Yuxuan's family's grassland ranch—well, the driver from the grassland ranch closest to Songcheng—delivered a lamb and a cow leg to Park In-ji and Yoo Da-sung's families respectively in his van. The remaining beef was divided up, and two lambs were butchered and given to the basketball team teammates. The three whole lambs and a large beef rib were all given to Xu Kai.

Xu Kai didn't care about this at all. Sun Xiuyun and the other uncles present felt that it was only right for him to accept these gifts from his classmates. The group frowned inwardly, feeling that Xu Kai had handled this matter inappropriately.

"Dabin, Lao Fei, you two go with my mom and move your things to my grandma's house."

"Okay."

How can you order your classmates around like that?

"Old Hu, let's talk about serious matters." Xu Kai gave Hu Yuxuan a look, and the two of them came out of the chess and card room. On the side of the road outside, they saw a vendor selling popsicles, each of them got one, and squatted on the curb.

"I want to open a restaurant that serves roasted whole lamb, roasted lamb leg, and roasted lamb chops."

Who is Hu Yuxuan? He's a prominent figure at the affiliated high school in Yanjing. Having grown up surrounded by such influences, he immediately understood what was being said: "I'll take care of the lamb. I'll also have my dad find you an experienced roast lamb chef over there, but he'll have to leave his family behind, so the salary can't be low. Hmm, as for transportation, I can arrange that too. Since your restaurant emphasizes freshly slaughtered lamb within two days, the transportation costs won't be low either..."