Chapter 258: From Now On, You Are Forever a Friend of Mingyun Villa Estate!
After dinner.
As usual, Pei Qian had the driver send Qiao Liang home, while he stayed behind in the private room, intending to have a talk with Lin Canrong.
This conversation, for President Pei, carried a faint sense of heaviness.
Mingyun Private Kitchen had already become wildly popular—it was too late to mend the situation. The only thing Pei Qian could do now was give Lin Canrong a few reminders to prevent things from getting even worse.
The dining table in the private room had already been cleared. Lin Canrong sat across from Pei Qian, his face beaming with satisfaction.
Lately, Lin Canrong had been swamped with work.
Ever since Mingyun Private Kitchen took off, lunch and dinner reservations had been fully booked, with appointments scheduled as far as two weeks ahead.
Previously, he had been bored to death; now he was busy to the point of exhaustion.
Every day he had to order ingredients based on the reservation list, arrange the private rooms and tables according to each customer's chosen dishes, coordinate the waitstaff, and handle all sorts of unexpected situations.
Fortunately, Mingyun Private Kitchen had a good number of chefs and waiters to begin with, all of whom were well-trained, so things hadn't descended into chaos.
Though busy, Lin Canrong found joy in the work—he felt his own value was being fully realized.
President Pei had entrusted him with such a fine restaurant; naturally, he couldn't let him down. He had to make the place thrive, maybe even turn it into the best dining brand in Jingzhou City!
Thankfully, even though the number of customers had exploded, the restaurant's layout had originally been designed with limited private rooms, so the staff could still manage the workload.
Thinking about this made Lin Canrong admire President Pei's foresight even more.
Back when Mingyun Private Kitchen was quiet and nearly empty, President Pei had told him to focus on the restaurant's core operations and not worry too much about marketing.
And sure enough—within just two weeks, business had boomed!
It was a good thing he had listened, putting all his effort into the kitchen and service to ensure a top-notch dining experience. That was what kept Mingyun Private Kitchen's reputation consistently high.
So this time, President Pei's advice must also be another stroke of genius.
Pei Qian sipped his tea and said calmly, "It's nothing too serious, just a few reminders."
"As for ingredients, make absolutely sure not to cut corners. Don't assume guests won't notice if you use slightly cheaper ones. Treat every diner as a true gourmet critic."
"Do not add more tables or seats. Keep the current number exactly as it is."
"And don't introduce nonsense like 'no outside alcohol,' 'minimum room spending,' or 'extra fees for dishware disinfection.'"
"I mentioned these things before, but I'll emphasize them again."
"You know that now, all our company projects—including Mingyun Private Kitchen—base bonuses on customer satisfaction scores."
Pei Qian thought it necessary to repeat these points.
What if Lin Canrong got greedy and decided to cram in more tables or enforce unreasonable rules like banning outside drinks or adding hidden charges? That would only make the restaurant more profitable—which was the last thing he wanted.
There was only a little over a month before the next performance review. Mingyun Private Kitchen had already become a financial burden for him, and that burden absolutely couldn't get any heavier.
Lin Canrong quickly nodded. "I understand, President Pei—you're worried I might focus too much on profit and hurt the restaurant's reputation."
"Don't worry, President Pei. I'll always put customer satisfaction first!"
Pei Qian nodded slightly. "…Mm."
Even though Lin Canrong hadn't quite grasped his real meaning, the end result was the same—and that was good enough.
Given how things stood with Mingyun Private Kitchen, there really wasn't much else he could do. As long as the situation didn't get any worse, he'd be grateful.
"That's all for now. Go on, you must be busy. I'll drop by the Moyu Internet Café next door for a bit."
With that, Pei Qian left Mingyun Private Kitchen and stepped outside the villa.
The sky outside was growing darker.
Pei Qian turned around and glanced at the brightly lit Mingyun Private Kitchen. For some reason, an indescribable sadness welled up inside him.
He felt miserable!
Letting out a quiet sigh, Pei Qian prepared to leave Mingyun Villa Estate and head over to the nearby Moyu Internet Café for a cup of coffee.
Only the peaceful, quiet atmosphere of Moyu Internet Café could soothe his wounded soul now.
He had barely taken two steps when someone called out behind him,
"President Pei?"
Pei Qian froze and turned around—only to see someone he hadn't met in a long time: Manager Cui.
This was the marketing manager for the Mingyun Villa Estate development project. When Pei Qian had purchased his villa here, it was Manager Cui who had personally shown him around.
Manager Cui looked pleasantly surprised. "What a coincidence, President Pei! Fancy running into you here! I've actually been meaning to visit you and thank you in person."
Pei Qian blinked in confusion. "Thank me?"
Manager Cui laughed heartily. "Of course, President Pei! You've helped us so much—of course I have to thank you properly!"
He tapped on his phone a few times and opened a PDF image. "Here, take a look—this is the new promotional material for Mingyun Villa Estate."
Pei Qian took the phone, completely puzzled.
He had seen Mingyun Villa Estate's marketing materials before when he bought his house. They were all the same kind of thing—photos of villas and scenic landscapes with fancy slogans like:
"Pristine scenery, naturally formed."
"Between real mountains and waters, lies the true luxury villa."
"Leading the new trend in villa living."
"Move in on a sunny day, with promising appreciation ahead."
All fluff, in Pei Qian's opinion—just standard real estate bragging. He'd never paid them any mind.
But the new marketing material in Manager Cui's phone was completely different!
The new slogans read:
"Mingyun Villa Estate—Leading Jingzhou's New Commercial Hub."
"Far from the hustle and bustle, yet steps away from the city's prosperity."
"The nameless restaurant—right in your backyard."
"Savor northern and southern cuisine, dine among Jingzhou's elites."
And the images were totally different too!
In addition to the usual villa and scenery shots, there were now photos featuring Mingyun Private Kitchen and the surrounding commercial area!
One image was titled: "Jingzhou's New Commercial District."
The photo showed various shops near Mingyun Villa Estate—internet cafés, bars, mahjong parlors, cafés, and more—all looking lively and prosperous.
Another read: "The Five-Star Sensation on AllReviews—The Nameless Restaurant, Right Here!"
That one showed Mingyun Private Kitchen's page on a review site, alongside interior photos of the restaurant.
Yet another said: "Be Neighbors with Jingzhou's Elites."
It showed a lineup of luxury cars parked near Mingyun Private Kitchen, along with photos of sharply dressed businesspeople posing for group shots.
Pei Qian felt his head spinning.
What in the world was going on here?!
Perhaps because it was getting dark, Manager Cui didn't notice the growing pallor on Pei Qian's face. He went on enthusiastically,
"President Pei, these ads have already been launched everywhere! We should start seeing results in a week or two!"
"Our boss really went all-in this time—we bought ad placements in newspapers, on TV, in property brochures, magazines, buses, subways, housing websites, even billboards downtown in Jingzhou!"
Pei Qian's dizziness worsened.
What… what did he just say?
They bought that many ad spots?
Wait a minute—weren't these villas not selling at all before?
When Pei Qian was looking to buy one, he'd even done his homework—every report said this place had poor investment potential and terrible cost performance!
So why were they suddenly splurging on massive ad campaigns now?
And worse—why did they have to drag his restaurant into this?!
Panic began to rise in Pei Qian's chest. "You're spending that much on advertising… aren't you afraid you'll lose money?"
Manager Cui laughed heartily. "President Pei, you're joking! Whether we make or lose money—you of all people should know the answer to that!"
"To be honest, when you first bought this villa, I didn't think much of it. I thought you were just buying it as a vacation home."
"But later, I realized how brilliant you really are!"
Manager Cui gave an excited thumbs-up.
"That 'Nameless Restaurant' of yours has exploded in popularity! It's now the most high-end and sought-after restaurant in all of Jingzhou! I heard reservations are fully booked for two weeks straight—it's practically impossible to get a seat!"
"So many of Jingzhou's biggest business owners are trying to eat there, but they all have to book in advance!"
"But a lot of those business owners find it inconvenient to travel back and forth for a business dinner. Guests come from far away, sit in the car for ages just to eat a meal and then head back—it's such a hassle."
"So, quite a few of them have been coming to look at villas here! They want to buy one to host their out-of-town guests—and they can live here themselves when it's not in use."
"Of course, that's not their only reason for buying. They've also noticed something else—this area's potential for appreciation!"
"The word's already spreading in Jingzhou's investment circles: this whole region is going to become the city's next major commercial hub!"
"Investors are already jumping on the trend. Those shuttered storefronts nearby? All reopened or snapped up!"
"This is a great sign! The whole city's attention is shifting to this area, so naturally, housing prices here are climbing fast."
"Our boss has already made up his mind—not a single villa will be sold cheap anymore. Prices are going up across the board!"
"President Pei, your villa's value is bound to skyrocket too. From six million to ten million—piece of cake!"
Pei Qian's knees nearly gave out.
Ten million?!
That would be a disaster!
He felt like coughing up blood. Who the hell said this place was Jingzhou's "new commercial district"?! Who?!
Those "commercial shops" out there—weren't they all part of his plan to mislead President Li?!
Wait… President Li…
A dreadful realization struck Pei Qian. Li Shi was the boss of Fu Hui Capital—a very influential figure in Jingzhou's investment scene.
Not long ago, President Li had gone on an investment spree, opening shops all around Mingyun Villa Estate.
Now that Mingyun Private Kitchen had become a hit, President Li would definitely be paying close attention to it!
Which meant… President Li would definitely assume that the restaurant's success was part of his grand plan—a strategic move to boost the whole area's value!
And knowing President Li's personality, he'd take this as a signal to double down and invest even more money here…
Pei Qian's stomach twisted.
He had thought Mingyun Private Kitchen going viral was already the worst possible outcome—but now it seemed that was only the beginning.
If this entire district really started booming, it would drag Moyu Internet Café and all the surrounding stores up with it.
And on top of that, the villa's value would increase too!
Could this be what people meant by "misfortunes never come alone"…?
Pei Qian silently handed the phone back to Manager Cui, his whole body numb and his expression blank.
Manager Cui, completely unaware that Pei Qian had just been hit with catastrophic news, mistook his dazed silence for calm composure.
He smiled respectfully. "President Pei, our boss said he'll be visiting you personally one of these days to thank you in person. You've helped us tremendously, and we can't let that go unacknowledged."
"In our promotions, we'll make sure to bundle Mingyun Villa Estate together with your Nameless Restaurant, to raise your restaurant's fame even higher!"
"Also, from now on, your villa's property management and cleaning fees will be permanently waived. Your utility bills will be half-price forever."
"We'll also gift you several free parking spaces."
"Plus, we're hiring a professional landscaping team to maintain your backyard garden—regular care, all covered by us."
"Of course, we know this is nothing to someone like you, President Pei—but it's our way of showing appreciation."
"In short, from this day forward, you are Mingyun Villa Estate's most distinguished resident—and forever a friend of Mingyun Villa Estate!"
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