Chapter 77: Mahjong Parlor?

Chapter 77: Chapter 77: Mahjong Parlor?

When Qi Pei’er learned that Nan Zhi and Nan Yi’s living quarters were right above the shop, she warmly invited them over:

"Why don’t you come stay with us! We have plenty of rooms, anyway!"

Nan Zhi considered the offer, looking tempted. ℯℯ𝘭.

Not to be outdone, Fu Chao chimed in:

"You can stay at my place, too!"

Qi Pei’er said, her eyes wide with innocence:

"But you’re a guy. It would be awkward for Nan Zhi to live under the same roof as you!"

Fu Chao was left speechless and had to concede bitterly.

In truth, the lodging Fu Chao had drawn was quite nice. It was a cozy two-bedroom apartment on the main street, a perfect fit for the persona on his identity card: a real estate agent.

[As a diligent real estate agent, you know this street like the back of your hand and have a great relationship with all the neighbors. Everyone is willing to do you a favor. However, you have your own worries—for instance, you want to buy your mom a new phone. Unfortunately, the daily cost of raising a child is too high. After saving up for days, you are finally just 1,000 yuan away from your goal.]

[Savings: 500 yuan.]

That’s right. This time, regardless of whether their shops were large or small, the identity cards everyone drew had them working for themselves as the boss.

Except for Fu Chao, who was stuck being a loyal wage slave through and through!

And while being a real estate agent might seem a little better than running Xie Yu’s humble breakfast stall...

...the reality could be seen in the difference between their tasks. Xie Yu had 500 yuan in savings, but Fu Chao’s savings were 500 yuan minus the 1,000 yuan for his task, which meant he was starting at negative 500 yuan!

All things considered, it was remarkably similar to Nan Zhi’s situation—2,000 yuan in savings minus a 3,000 yuan debt, which left her at negative 1,000 yuan. Two different paths leading to the same miserable end!

With the starting funds Xie Yu and Qi Pei’er had, they could probably just coast through the next two weeks if they were a little frugal.

But that wasn’t an option for Nan Zhi and Fu Chao. To complete their tasks, they had to hustle and earn some serious money!

In a way, Nan Zhi and Fu Chao were partners in misfortune.

Finally, everyone arrived at Nan Zhi’s little shop—

—which Nan Zhi was also seeing for the first time.

The information on her identity card had been vague, offering only the key phrase "bankrupt little shop."

But when she stood at the entrance and got a clear look at the shop’s decor, she fell into a strange silence.

The others had a similar reaction, lining up neatly beside her at the entrance.

The shop wasn’t exactly small. Its decor was rustic, and one might even call it stylish.

The problem was...

It was a mahjong parlor!

Inside, eight mahjong tables were arranged in two rows, with booths in the corner for playing cards and drinking tea!

[PFFT! What kind of genius opens a mahjong parlor?!]

[I’m dying at the looks on Nan Zhi and the others’ faces! HAHAHA!]

[What’s wrong with a mahjong parlor? You looking down on our national pastime?]

[Don’t be a contrarian! Didn’t you get a good look at this street earlier? Is this a suitable location for a mahjong parlor?]

[Exactly! Mahjong parlors in Yanjing are usually found in the old city districts. Opening one on this street... I’ve gotta say, Mr. Owner, you deserved to go bankrupt!]

...

Nan Zhi and the others were thinking the same thing as the audience.

They pushed the door open and headed farther inside.

A wall separated the front and back areas.

Suddenly, Fu Chao made a happy discovery:

"Is this a ventilation duct?"

Everyone crowded over to get a look.

Even the four little ones, who didn’t understand a thing, copied the adults—lining up, craning their necks, and peering inside. Their movements were perfectly synchronized!

Nan Zhi was pleasantly surprised as well.

If they wanted to convert this mahjong parlor into a restaurant, the biggest hurdles would be ventilation and smoke extraction.

The money they had on hand, even pooled together, wasn’t enough for the basic renovations.

Besides, given the limitations of filming, they didn’t have time to wait for renovations.

That was why Nan Zhi had briefly considered using Qi Pei’er’s dessert shop as their main business.

Now, they no longer had to worry about that.

This hidden ventilation duct was well-constructed, and the layout of the back room already resembled a kitchen. It could easily be brought up to restaurant standards!

Qi Pei’er couldn’t help but joke:

"I’ve heard that some mahjong parlors serve food. For the inside to be set up so professionally, the owner must have been pretty loaded!"

But Nan Zhi didn’t think that was the case.

She was just about to explain.

But Xie Yu spoke first:

"I don’t think so. This L-shaped layout is very typical for the kitchen of a small or medium-sized restaurant. It suggests this place was converted from a restaurant into a mahjong parlor."

Nan Zhi gave Xie Yu a surprised look.

"Director Xie, you know about this sort of thing?"

Her question voiced what everyone was wondering.

Xie Yu nodded and said to Nan Zhi,

"You can just call me Xie Yu. And yes, I used to work part-time to pay for school. I worked in a kitchen for three years, so I’m decent enough to be a prep cook. Once the restaurant is open, I can help out in the back."

No one had expected that Director Xie, the rising star of the film world, would have a history like that!

His public image had always been one of mystery; to this day, the media had never managed to uncover his true background.

Even after winning awards, whenever the media asked about his past, he would always artfully dodge the question without saying a single extra word.

And yet here he was, telling Nan Zhi all about it so casually.

[Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk...]

[I’m sensing some serious vibes here. Director Xie is being pretty forward.]

[I knew it! I knew it! Just let me ship them, okay?!]

[Hahaha, a true shipping expert would have sensed this the moment little An’an said what she said!]

[Oh, Director Xie, Director Xie, being so forward makes you seem so easy... but I love it, hehe!]

...

’Yep! Director Xie is definitely showing off for Nan Zhi like a peacock fanning its feathers!’ the audience all thought.

Even Fu Chao thought: ’This guy is definitely up to no good! I have to stay vigilant!’

Only Nan Zhi was thinking: ’Not a bad resume. I can put him on a temporary probationary period!’

...They were on completely different wavelengths!

As for what Xie Yu was truly thinking, only he himself knew.

After seeing the kitchen, everyone was in high spirits.

So they went on to visit Nan Zhi and Nan Yi’s room, which was up a small, hidden staircase to the side.

It was part of a partitioned-off second floor with a low ceiling. People of Nan Zhi and Qi Pei’er’s height could stand up straight, but those over 1.8 meters tall, like Fu Chao and Xie Yu, had to duck their heads slightly.

The lighting was poor, with only a small, slanted push-up window in the ceiling. The faint light it let in revealed a room crammed full of junk and mismatched furniture.

The only thing better than their shack in the shantytown was that this furniture was decent quality, not falling apart and requiring manual repairs from Nan Zhi like before.

The tiny space didn’t require a detailed tour; a few glances were enough to see everything.

This time, even Fu Chao stopped being contrary and took the initiative to persuade her:

"I think Qi Pei’er has the right idea. You and Yiyi should go stay at her place."

The crew director following behind them was frantically shaking his head. He even typed out the word "NO" in a huge font on his phone, trying to stop him.

Fu Chao glanced at it, pretended not to see, and continued,

"The living conditions here are just too poor..."

"Wow!"

Xie An’an cried out in delight,

"It’s a secret cottage!"