Chapter 60: Rumors Cannot Be Trusted

Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Rumors Cannot Be Trusted

As if hearing their approach, Mr. Zhao turned around.

Manager Zhao respectfully introduced them, "Young Master, this is Miss Qiao. These two are Miss Qiao’s Beast Husbands, Mr. Que and Young Master Bai.

"Miss Qiao, this is our Young Master."

Qiao Suluo immediately cupped her hands in greeting. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Zhao."

Que Hongjin and Bai Qianluo also nodded politely in acknowledgment.

Mr. Zhao stood up and returned the greeting. "Miss Qiao, Mr. Que, Young Master Bai.

"There is no need for formality. Please have a seat."

When Mr. Zhao spoke, his voice was as clear and melodic as a mountain spring flowing over smooth stones. After exchanging pleasantries, both parties sat down, and Manager Zhao respectfully served tea.

Mr. Zhao, Zhao Tingci, got straight to the point. "To be entirely honest with you, Miss Qiao, Drunken Immortal Tower ran into some trouble. Someone betrayed the Zhao family and leaked our recipes, which dealt a massive blow to our business. I originally planned to shut down this branch of Drunken Immortal Tower, but to my surprise, it made a miraculous recovery, and business is better than ever.

"Even I find it incredible. All of this is thanks to you, Miss Qiao.

"Previously, Manager Zhao only spent thirty taels of Silver to buy your secret recipe, which was indeed inappropriate. Today, I will compensate you with an additional thirty taels. If you are satisfied with this, we can discuss further business."

Qiao Suluo was taken aback by these words; she hadn’t expected Mr. Zhao to be so generous. She did indeed need the Silver, but she could also clearly sense his sincerity.

Naturally, she wouldn’t refuse. The Konjac recipe itself wasn’t actually worth that much Silver, but the secret seasoning blend used to prepare it could be applied to other dishes, making it well worth the price. Drunken Immortal Tower had branches everywhere, so this amount of Silver was likely nothing to the Zhao family. Moreover, if the Zhao family used the secret recipe to create new dishes, their business might reach entirely new heights.

Qiao Suluo smiled. "This is more than enough. I wonder, what other business does Mr. Zhao wish to discuss?"

Sixty taels of Silver was enough for her to redeem Chu Moyuan. Redeeming Tushan Feishang would also require fifty taels of Silver, but she decided to prioritize Chu Moyuan so he wouldn’t lose his life. Selling the Konjac recipe for sixty taels of Silver was already an incredibly high price according to current market rates.

Zhao Tingci, exuding a noble and elegant aura, continued, "The tofu Miss Qiao makes is truly unique. I wonder if you would be willing to sell the secret recipe for making it?"

Qiao Suluo pondered for a moment before replying, "I’m sorry, Mr. Zhao, but I have no intention of selling the tofu recipe."

Zhao Tingci didn’t seem surprised by her answer. He sipped his tea, tapping his long, jade-like fingers against the cup, and said thoughtfully, "If you only make tofu to sell casually in Nanhe County, it might not attract much attention.

"But if you start selling it in larger quantities later on, certain factions will take note of how unique this food is. You might not be able to protect the recipe, Miss Qiao.

"If you are willing to cooperate with me, I will offer enough sincerity to ensure your satisfaction.

"I will also protect you."

Qiao Suluo looked up at him. Although he was wearing a bamboo hat with a veil that obscured his face, she could still hear the genuine sincerity in his voice. She instinctively looked at Que Hongjin, silently asking for his opinion with her eyes.

A bitter expression appeared in Que Hongjin’s eyes. If he still had his former status, he could absolutely protect her and ensure no one ever harmed her. But now, he couldn’t guarantee that. Even though it was just a food item, it was entirely unique and found nowhere else. It was hard to say whether certain family factions wouldn’t get greedy once they saw the business opportunities. To fight over a resource, it was incredibly easy to kill someone and leave no trace behind. Many prominent families cultivated numerous private guards in secret or could even hire assassins.

He would risk his life to protect his wife, but he feared the worst-case scenario. He didn’t dare to imagine what he would do if something happened to her.

The Zhao family was a top-tier noble family, and this Mr. Zhao indeed had an excellent reputation. He was trustworthy. Therefore, Que Hongjin nodded at Qiao Suluo.

Qiao Suluo then looked at Bai Qianluo. His eyes were filled with tender affection and a sense of helpless powerlessness. He absolutely hated feeling this way, but he also nodded in agreement.

Qiao Suluo understood. She turned back to Mr. Zhao and said, "To be honest, Mr. Zhao, the tofu business alone is enough to build a massive enterprise."

Not only was there tofu, but there were also many by-products that could be made from it.

"I originally planned to open a tofu workshop. Since Mr. Zhao has shown such sincerity, I think we can cooperate and open a workshop together. I will provide the secret recipe, and you can arrange for people to build and manage the workshop. I’ll only take a twenty percent cut of the profits."

She wasn’t greedy. If she merely provided the recipe without managing anything or offering financial support, taking twenty percent would be more than enough once the business grew. Most importantly, gaining the protection of the Zhao family offered every advantage and no drawbacks.

Zhao Tingci hadn’t expected Qiao Suluo to agree so quickly. He looked at the two men beside her, Que Hongjin and Bai Qianluo. Both of them had once been dazzlingly brilliant figures in the Capital City, but now they had been reduced to this.

However, they were different from what he had imagined. Rumor had it that they had been discarded as crippled men, but from the looks of it, that wasn’t the case at all. Their expressions were calm and peaceful, seemingly devoid of any resentment toward their current circumstances. He wondered if she was the one who had brought about these changes.

Through his veil, Zhao Tingci studied Qiao Suluo inquisitively. He had never met her before but had heard some rumors about her. What he was seeing now didn’t match the rumors at all. Her lively eyes were full of intelligence, and the fact that she could create Konjac and tofu proved she was no ordinary person.

Zhao Tingci spoke up. "Agreed. However, I will add an extra ten percent to your share, Miss Qiao, making it thirty percent."

Qiao Suluo hadn’t expected Zhao Tingci to be so generous and easy to work with. A bright smile spread across her face. "Mr. Zhao is truly straightforward."

The rest of the negotiations went very smoothly. They quickly signed the contract and pressed their fingerprints onto it.

Holding the contract, Qiao Suluo smiled. "Since Mr. Zhao is so straightforward, I’ll throw in a few tofu recipes for free."

Zhao Tingci paused slightly in surprise before nodding his agreement.

Qiao Suluo headed straight to the kitchen and cooked a few tofu dishes. When she returned, Zhao Tingci picked up his chopsticks and took a taste. Every single dish amazed him.

"Excellent," he praised.

He managed Drunken Immortal Tower and was highly skilled at studying recipes. Yet, the flavor of each tofu dish was so distinct, and the texture was superb. The tofu and pork rib soup, in particular, was exceptionally savory.

"Your culinary skills are truly astonishing, Miss Qiao," he added.

He figured that if he had intentionally lowballed her or suppressed her profit share during their negotiations, she definitely wouldn’t have offered these recipes of her own accord. If they held the secret recipe for making tofu in the future, it could be directly supplied to Drunken Immortal Tower to create signature dishes like these. They would never have to worry about anyone stealing their business again.

"You flatter me, Mr. Zhao," Qiao Suluo replied. "However, if you want to further improve Drunken Immortal Tower’s business, I have another method."

Mr. Zhao had originally only been negotiating with Qiao Suluo from the perspective of a merchant. But now, as he ate the delicious food, looked into her lively eyes, and listened to her words, a spark of genuine interest arose within him.

"I wonder what method Miss Qiao has in mind? If it’s a good one, you can name your price."

This entire negotiation had made him realize that appearances could be deceiving, and rumors were not to be trusted.