Investments and Returns
Lu Feng held his head high as would someone who had a powerful backing as he was led to his seat. Once the restaurant owner caught up and sat, Lu Feng motioned for the head chef to sit down as well. He did as he was motioned to do.
"Young sir, what sort of business offer could an esteemed one such as The Silver Phoenix have for my Mountain Peak restaurant," the restaurant owner anxiously asked. "This business mister restaurant owner can only be offered if your head chef answers this next question satisfactorily." Lu Feng said. The air seemed to have stopped as anxiety of everyone rose, even Lu Feng as he needed this to go his way. This was the first restaurant that looked desperate enough and had a dwindling reputation that wasn't yet totally dead.
"Can you cook spiritual beast meat?" Lu Feng enquired.
Both the head chef and restaurant owner were shocked by this question. Cooking spiritual beast meat was only a luxury that nobles would have, even in the top ten restaurants of this village only a few times in the year would they have beast meat that would bring in the rich to fight over it let alone spiritual beast meat. Beast meat was much more nutritional than the meat of domesticated livestock thus the rich families would always attend when they heard wind of it.
Not only was beast meat more nutritional but it was an opportunity for them to flaunt their wealth in front of other families to maintain their reputation. Spiritual beast meat was on another level completely as after being cooked a certain way, its energy could aid in cultivation.
In this world advancing in cultivation could mean a longer life span or more power thus more influence, this was the weight spiritual beast meat held. It was only really eaten by nobles as only they had the manpower to hunt the spiritual beast. Spiritual beats were strong and for the majority of people spelt death.
"Y-yes, many years ago I worked for a noble house that has fallen now, as a young man there I used to cook that meat. After the house fell, my sons and I fled here to live peacefully, I started working in this restaurant and my twin sons teach in some centre the fighting techniques of that fallen family." the head chef said. He explained so much as anyone would be suspicious as to why he had such skill but wasn't working for a noble family.
In reality, the Mountain Peak restaurant was doing so poorly as it was being suppressed by competitors with better connections and though a large restaurant it was a little bit outdated in appearance. Their condition had nothing to do with skill and thus was the effects of power and influence in this world.
The restaurant owner had no idea of the head chef's past like this and wondered if he was telling the truth as lying to such a customer would surely mean the end of them before the sun slept this evening but he wouldn't dare ask such a thing in front of Lu Feng. In his heart, he just hoped the head chef would know the consequences of such an action.
Being a good man the restaurant owner had just hired him when he showed up with his two sons in desperate need of work and with his good skills he quickly worked his way up to the head chef.
"My master would like to do business with you. His wishes are to sign a contract that we will provide you first with beast meat once a week, to begin with, and if you prove yourself, we may start providing you spiritual beast meat, now we know you may be hesitant at first but why don't we add in the contract that if we don't come back within the next week, we will compensate your time with six gold. We will be taking 30% of all revenue of beast meat sales and 48% of all spiritual beast meat. This may be high but this meat is very difficult to acquire, to begin with, and secondly, you are very aware that even just the normal beast meat with our percentage taken will eclipse more than two months of the profit you are making now," Lu Feng said.
Both the restaurant owner and the head chef were bewildered but listened closely to the proposal. Everything they could have possibly rebutted had been accounted for by Lu Feng's plan. If they accepted and they really could be provided with the meat, their profits would skyrocket to the money they could only dream of, everything could be fixed and the owner would have kept his promise to his staff. If they accepted and the meat wasn't provided they would still get SIX GOLD!! to tie them over for a while, maybe long enough to hold out until things improved naturally.
"YES WE ACCEPT, "they both said, the restaurant owner even standing up from his seat in excitement. Lu Feng was a very good businessman. The worst that could happen if he failed was he had to pay six gold. In that case, all he had to do was keep on building his strength and kill off the Lu family and loot their treasures. He hoped his investment would work though as this would be the best for his plans.
They spent some time writing together a contract and formation enchanted paper which held each of them to their word, discussing how types of beats would be priced, and how payment would work. In the contract that it was the restaurant owner's responsibility to find someone who would butcher the beast's meat. Lu Feng really did not have the time to find those people as he had many other things he needed to do. It also stated that those butchers, once the first beast meat was delivered would have to be exclusive to the Mountain Peak restaurant and would be the only ones allowed to butcher the meat. There were a few more details about staff uniforms, etiquette and renovations that the restaurant accepted. If some did not complete as agreed they would be bound to excruciating pain that would last until the deal was fulfilled or mutually broken off.
All three had to enter a little soul force to activate the contract. Of course, the restaurant owner was someone who had many contracts like this around as he would make contracts with all sorts of ingredient suppliers. The owner offered to go with Lu Feng to his master as his cultivation level showed he would not be able to use enough soul force to activate the contract. Lu Feng surprised by this hid his emotions and lied through his teeth that his master gave him a treasure to hide his true cultivation level.
He was so confused as to why they would say such a thing as he used his soul force all the time but being wise knew it must not be normal from what they said. He would look into it later.
Hearing his response, they were shocked once again but then remembered this great man promised them spiritual beast meat, of course, he could have such treasures. With the contract made, Lu Feng took his leave and as he left the waiters stood on each side creating an aisle to the door, all saying in unison "May the flame of The Silver Phoenix forever illuminate your way".
Lu Feng smiled, that restaurant owner was a smart one. He must have told all the waiters to do this on Lu Fengs way out. After Lu Feng left for his final destination of the evening the restaurant owner was diligently instructing the staff even down to the cleaners to tell everyone they knew the Silver Phoneix had taken favour to their restaurant and that this was the only way to get their original salary back. They all listened attentively.
Lu Feng headed to the clothes store he had tasked, they'd had enough time and were even past the deadlines he had given them.
As soon he entered the store, he realised he had not been immediately attended to because his appearance was different to the last time he was there due to those pills altered his appearance.
"WHERE IS THE STORE OWNER, DO YOU NOT RESPECT THIS YOUNG SUBORDINATE OF THE SILVER PHOENIX?" Lu Feng bellowed. He did not need to do that, he just kind of liked seeing that man sweat. How much water did he drink to produce those buckets of sweat?
Hearing this, the store speedily walked to the Lu Feng. He lead Lu Feng to a private room where there were two more men there. "Please be comfortable, these two are my business partners, this gentleman here was the one who made the garments you'll be receiving today and this one is the merchant who acquired the spirit materials for the veils you requested," he showed Lu Feng. Indeed both men looked very wealthy, wearing high-quality materials and holding the air of prestigious people.
"Excellent, excellent. Show me what you have, we will start with the garments as we paid for those in advance." At Lu Fengs word the store owner present Lu Feng with a space ring and it was a few of those high-quality robes. In a few colours, they were pretty simple but regal elegance was what Lu Feng was going for. The garments in their multiple colours had silver trimmings and in the middle of the chest was a black circle and in the middle a Silver Phoenix with its head held high. This would be his emblem. They were truly beautiful, garments that looked like they were to be worn by royalty or a fairy.
There were about fifty mid-quality robes in a range of different sizes all in black. On the area that covered the heart, sat a silver Phoenix, their emblem. Satisfied, willed them into his space ring and stroked the ego of the man who had made them, telling him his master would bless his fate for him. Now on to the main event!