To go to the restaurant, I still need to find a way to conceal the matter of Qingzi.
Qingzi was imprisoned because of a brawl that resulted in injury. However, Qingzi told me the truth; it was Zhuzi who ultimately injured the other person. Because Zhuzi was already married at the time, Qingzi, out of loyalty, took the blame and went to jail for him. Later, when Qingzi was released, he didn't want to bother Zhuzi, but Zhuzi refused, quitting his job to open a pancake shop with Qingzi. Qingzi's father was a pancake maker, and although Qingzi loved to fight, he also helped his parents with the business, absorbing their skills from a young age. His hand at making pancakes was exceptionally good.
Speaking of the owner of Shenxianke Restaurant, he was also involved in that past brawl. At the time, the owner of Shenxianke Restaurant was an eyewitness who saw Zhuzi injure someone. It was a chaotic fight, and even the involved parties weren't sure if they were cut by Zhuzi or Qingzi. Therefore, this eyewitness was crucial. Qingzi, with his clear mind, sought out this owner before taking the fall for Zhuzi, asking him to falsify his witness testimony.
Originally, Qingzi didn't hold out much hope. His thought was that if the owner refused, he would simply confess his guilt. To his surprise, the owner agreed, on the condition that Qingzi would owe him a favor.
Favors are intangible, without written proof or an agreement, they can be reneged upon at any time. However, for someone like Qingzi, who had strayed from the path and treated life like a martial arts world, the concept of a "favor" held significant weight.
From the time Qingzi was imprisoned based on witness testimony, to his release, and then opening the pancake shop, the owner made no demands. It wasn't until this Chinese New Year that the owner contacted Qingzi, asking him to follow Lin Han. This is how my mother came to know Qingzi, because Lin Han saw Qingzi every time she went to the restaurant. Even though Qingzi tried to conceal himself, his tattoos on the back of his head were always visible.
No wonder Zhuzi wasn't afraid of the police. Qingzi was merely following Lin Han, observing who she interacted with. The owner of Shenxianke Restaurant had no other instructions for him, and Qingzi posed no physical threat to Lin Han. Furthermore, Zhuzi wasn't actually following them. It was only when Qingzi mentioned Lin Han was leaving from the airport that Qingzi was ordered to go to the airport, and the owner even bought his ticket. Zhuzi, fearing Qingzi might be instructed to harm Lin Han, bought his own ticket and followed Qingzi.
However, nothing happened. Qingzi repaid his favor, and Lin Han flew away.
...
Ning Caishen had already begun discussing cooperation matters. Qingzi also understood Zhuzi's difficult position. His thinking was quite simple: since he invested in the pancake shop to obtain this information, Qingzi simply passed the information on to me. In Qingzi's understanding, he only owed the owner a favor, and that favor had now been repaid. Moreover, the owner had not instructed him not to speak of it, so there was no reason to make Zhuzi uncomfortable. He simply came to me.
...
The matter seemed straightforward, yet I couldn't shake the feeling that it was more complicated. The owner of Shenxianke Restaurant aside, the relationship between Qingzi and Zhuzi felt odd. For now, I couldn't pinpoint what was wrong, but I needed to meet the owner of Shenxianke Restaurant.
"Mom, I'm back. I want to treat our relatives to a meal."
"What are you showing off for? Tomorrow you'll go find your wife. Don't let her spend her days alone and lonely."
"Lin Han instructed me to do this!"
My mother truly didn't treat me as her son anymore. They say once a man marries, he forgets his mother, but this is different; with a daughter-in-law, even the son is not important. Helpless, I could only use my identity as The Schemer to deal with my mother.
"Look how sensible Hanhan is. If she suggests a treat, then let's have one."
I chuckled inwardly, contemplating how to lure the entire family to Shenxianke Restaurant. Unexpectedly, my mother spoke again: "Let's go eat at Shenxianke Restaurant. Hanhan got a membership card there, and there's still quite a bit of money on it."
"Alright."
...
Shenxianke Restaurant is truly a place dedicated to serving successful individuals; it does not accept walk-in customers. While not opulent, the decor is elegant and refined, offering a different ambiance for dining.
For a large family like ours, with children and unfashionable attire, visiting such a place is indeed rare. However, the waitstaff knew us. Upon seeing us enter, they immediately led us to a suitable private room. Even before ordering, delicate and adorable small cakes were being served to the children at our table.
While many restaurants offer services, this place indeed had a difference. The menu only listed dishes, with no prices. Looking at the culinary creations that resembled works of art, I frowned; I had never tried anything on it.
"I'll order," my mother said, taking the menu.
"Okay."
"The dishes here aren't expensive. The main thing is the tip. Go to the counter and pay the tip. Don't give too much, five or six hundred is fine."
"Understood!"
I went to the counter alone. The cashier smiled and nodded at me, "How may I assist you?"
"It's my first time here, how do I pay?"
"We don't do billing here, and reservations aren't necessary. Membership is for life, and you'll enjoy first-class service from the restaurant."
Truly, this was the first time I had heard of such a restaurant – lifetime membership, eat whatever you want. I took out my gold membership card and asked earnestly, "How much did this membership cost?"
"6.66 million!"
"That expensive. If this place goes under, is there a refund?"
"No refunds. But don't worry, even though you're the only dining party today, there are many members. It won't go under."
Poverty limits my imagination. I had never seen such a restaurant before. No wonder it was called Shenxianke Restaurant. 6.66 million, eat and drink as much as you want. I looked at the emblem on the counter with curiosity. I saw that besides Gold Membership, there was also Diamond Membership.
"Gold members eat and drink for free for life, no matter who they are, they can come anytime. But what about Diamond members?"
"I'm sorry, sir. Diamond members are not serviced by us, so I'm not sure."
"My parents have been here many times, why don't they know the rules here?"
"That's because we have signed confidentiality agreements. Non-members are kept unaware of members' privileges. You are our member."
"I'm a member?"
"Yes, this card is yours."
This must have been arranged by Lin Han. What had she been doing during this time? Was this her plan? Or is she also unaware? My curiosity grew even more. I asked the cashier, "Can I meet your boss?"
"Certainly, please follow me."
I was led into an elegant room. The tea was still hot and not yet ready to drink when the owner arrived. He was a burly man with a slight northwestern accent, his rugged face breaking into a fawning smile. He bowed repeatedly, "Mr. Tang Nan, it's finally good to meet you."
Before I could speak, he came to shake my hand. I looked at him awkwardly.
"Could you please introduce yourself first?"
"Guess."
"Shenxianke, Mr. Ke?"
"Indeed, Mr. Tang Nan. Yes, I am Mr. Ke, Ke Yingying."
"The 'Ying' from 'win'?"
"The 'Ying' from 'light and graceful'!"
"It sounds like a woman's name."
"Names are given by parents. If the temperament doesn't match, there's nothing that can be done."
"May I ask what's going on here? I grew up in this city, how have I never heard of Shenxianke Restaurant?"
Shenxianke Restaurant was established after I started school. It adopted a member privacy policy. There are quite a few members here, five Diamond members and twenty-four Gold members.
Diamond members are provided with all the services you desire. Gold members are only provided with dining and accommodation.
"All the services you desire" is a broad scope. If you want women, if you want financial services, this place can help you get everything done.
"Five Diamond members?"
"Yes!"
"What do they do?"
"Corrupt officials."
"And the Gold members?"
"Mostly businessmen who help these corrupt officials maintain their facades."
"Why are you answering all my questions?"
Ke Yingying smiled, "You speak as if we're strangers. You are a disciple of Teacher Li Jiu, you are one of us. There's no need to hide anything."
"Then what is your purpose in establishing Shenxianke Restaurant here? It's not just to serve corrupt officials, is it?"
"Of course not. Teacher Li Jiu passed away prematurely, and we became adrift. Later, someone invested in Shenxianke Restaurant. I won't hide it from you, this restaurant was established to deal with you. Serving corrupt officials is naturally to have absolute power here and make it easier to deal with you."
"So, we are enemies."
"We were!"
"Then why aren't we now?"
"Lin Han came here for the New Year, got a membership card, and gave me information that Mr. Gao Ji, the investor in Shenxianke Restaurant, would die. If he dies, I won't have to deal with you."
"I have one more question. Are you the Four-Color Old K?"
Hearing this question, Ke Yingying showed a look of embarrassment, "I was!"
"Why 'was' again?"
"I am Mr. Ke of Spades, one of the Four-Color Old Ks. To be honest, Mr. Gao Ji established this Shenxianke Restaurant to deal with you. I came here to manage Shenxianke Restaurant to deal with Mr. Gao Ji. Years ago, Teacher Li Jiu, due to his exceptional talent being envied by heaven, passed away early, leaving me adrift. Several of us were taken in by 'Zhengqi' (Righteousness). To deal with Gao Ji, I hid my identity and infiltrated Shenxianke Restaurant."
This is getting interesting. Should this be called a scheme within a scheme, or a spy within a spy!