Ali said, "Something happened bae..."

  Earlier, when she called her mother to ask her to ship some of her belongings, her mother revealed that Ou Corporation was in trouble. Her father had to return to Singapore to fa iigation, and the family's assets had been frozen—they couldn’t access a single t. Her mother, too, would be flying back to help resolve the crisis, leaving no oo take care of Ali for the time being.

  Ali immediately insisted ourning home to face this ued disaster alongside her family. However, her mother reassured her, saying, "Staying safe where you are is the biggest help you give us. I’ll send your things over. Just hang in there for three to six months, and everything should be fine."

  What Ali didn’t know was that this "crisis" had been orchestrated by her parents. They both felt that their daughter had been shielded too much growing up. Life for her had been carefree, as though she’d been raised in a sterile bubble. They worried that, despite her excellent education, she would struggle to face real hardships or challenges. If she didn’t learn to grow now, it might be too te by the time they were no longer around to protect her.

  After sulting with doctors and being assured that her transpnted heart was strong ahy, they quietly revised their will. The shares they had initially po donate would now all go to Ali. One day, the Ou Corporation would be hers to helm.

  But a naive, carefree girl wouldn’t be capable of such a responsibility. The jouroward being a strong and capable leader began now, with this trial by fire.

  What her parents uimated, however, was Ali’s intelligend sharpness. While she was sweet and i, she wasn’t foolish. The situation had e so suddenly and without warning, but when ected with past clues, it seemed highly likely to be a well-meaning ploy. Rather tha, she decided to py along, fully aware of her parents' iions.

  Ali was multi-talented, fluent in multiple nguages, skilled in various instruments, and adept at photography and painting at a professional level. With her qualifications and artistic expertise, she could easily earn a good living as a pricey private tutor. But as the daughter of Ou Jinhua, such a route didn’t align with her identity or ambitions.

  Yi Leng was unaware of these behind-the-ses maations, and Wu Yumei certainly didn’t kher. All Wu Yumei thought was, "If someone’s in trouble, I’ll help as much as I ."

  "The restaurant does need ara set of hands, but girl, w as a waitress seems like a waste of your talent," Wu Yumei said.

  Ali responded, "I think being a waitress is great! I really like the food here, and I believe there’s a lot of potential. In fact, I want to i in this restaurant."

  Wu Yumei froze, pletely taken aback. This was beyond her imagination. Usually, when girls fall on hard times, they turn to others for help. But here was Ali flipping the script. What could there possibly be to i in this tiery? There were dozens of simir small restaurants along Meigang Road. If Ali really wao ehe food industry, she could just open her own shop.

  Yi Leng, however, uood Ali’s perspective. The knowledge and exposure Ali had gaihrough her upbringing were worlds apart from what Wu Yumei had entered in her life. This could be a rare opportunity—ohat most people might only enter once or twi their lifetimes.

  "Let’s hear your idea," Yi Leng said, inviting Ali into the room. Wu Yumei made tea and feigned i, though she was internally dismissive.

  Ali flipped over the restaurant’s menu and begag on the back, expining her vision. "Our ultimate goal is to build a global restaurant , something akin to the Yum! Brands Group."

  "I’ve never heard of Yum! Brands," Wu Yumei said.

  "Pizza Hut and KFC belong to them. They operate over 30,000 stores aore than 100 tries and regions, employing 800,000 people," Yi Leng expined, cigarette in hand, giving Wu Yumei a quick lesson.

  But Wu Yumei scoffed. She had long outgrown dreaming of fantastical ideas. To her, Ali’s ambitious pns sounded like nothing more than wild nonsense.

  "We’ll start by building a brand, opening multiple stores, attrag iors, aually going public..." Ali tinued enthusiastically. These were words she often heard from her father, Ou Jinhua, but to Wu Yumei, it all sounded like fairy tales—pletely irrelevant to the lives of ordinary people.

  "So you’re the angel ior, then?" Yi Leng asked.

  "You could put it that way," Ali nodded.

  "How much are you willing to i?" Yi Leng followed up.

  "Initially, 500,000 yuan," Ali replied.

  Wu Yumei nearly choked oea. This girl casually mentioned half a million yuan like it ocket ge. But her serious demeangested she wasn’t joking.

  Now Wu Yumei was starting to feel tempted. She’d opehis small restaurant purely to make a living. She had no grand ambitions or deep-rooted viaking money was her top priority. If someone was willing to i, not lend, then why not agree?

  Besides, Wu Yumei’s financial situation was dire. She was carrying hundreds of thousands of yuan i. Her six-table restaurant was just enough to cover basic living expenses, but making a fortune would require immense effort, time, and dedication. The food industry was a bor-intensive field, with little room for shortcuts. If someone offered her a way to leap forward, why wouldn’t she take it?

  "Girl, you’re not joking, are you?" Wu Yumei asked cautiously.

  Ali nodded. "I’m not joking."

  Wu Yumei pressed further. "Do your parents approve of this? This is a huge amount of money—don’t go stealing from their savings ats!"

  Ali reassured her, "I wouldn’t do that. I don’t have that much cash on hand right now, but I get it soon. All I have to do is sell a few of my cameras and lenses."

  "What kind of cameras are worth that much? Are they gold-pted?" Wu Yumei asked incredulously.

  "Hasselbd H6D, Leica S3, 1D, and a few dozen lenses," Ali listed casually.

  "That’s it?" Wu Yumei asked in disbelief.

  Ali nodded early. "That’s it."

  Wu Yumei turo look at Yi Leng. She trusted him above all. This restaurant had been on the verge of colpse before his arrival, but under his ma, it had miraculously revived and was even thriving. She attributed its success eo him. In her eyes, Yi Leng held 80% of the deaking power over the restaurant's fate.

  Of course, there was another, more personal reason for her trust. Wu Yumei had already started seeing Yi Leng as an ideal partner—a man of iy and steadfastness, someone she could rely on. So, she deferred to his judgment.

  Without hesitation, Yi Leng made the decision: "Let’s do it."

  Ali beamed with joy. "I have one dition: we o rehe restaurant. Something more distinctive, memorable, and unique."

  The name "Yumei Restaurant" was too generic—a casual choice refleg Wu Yumei’s ck of branding efforts. While it had sufficed in the past, a more professional name was necessary for future growth and formal operations.

  "I’ll throw out a suggestio’s after Huang Pihu. How about 'Huang Pihu Restaurant'?" Ali said, standing up and grabbing a yellow tiger plushie from the ter. She quickly sketched a cartoon tiger on a piece of paper. "This will be o."

  The name "Huang Pihu" had inally been Yi Leng’s moniker, derived from the plush tiger. Now, by sheer ce, it was being the name of the restaurant. It felt like fate, and Yi Leng had no objes.

  With Yi Leng on board, Wu Yumei certainly wouldn’t oppose the idea. While she personally preferred names like "Good Fortuaurant" olden Harvest," she ultimately went along with the new name.

  Just then, Xiao Hourned with a bucket of red paint. Yi Leng dipped a new mop into the paint, climbed a dder, and paihree rge characters—"Huang Pihu"—on the white wall above the restaurant’s entrance.

  Writing with a mop on a vertical wall was no easy feat, yet Yi Leng’s brushstrokes were bold and precise. While it might not impress a calligrapher, to the neighbors and local merts, it solidified his status as the most impressive figure on Meigang Road—a man of both strength and skill.

  Ali decided to showcase her own talents as well. Xiao Hoched some additional paint in various colors and handed her a few brushes. Treating the brushes like oil paint tools, Ali painted a cartoon tiger in the bnk space above the new restaurant name.

  Ali said, "Something happened bae..."

  Earlier, when she had called her mother te for her things to be shipped over, her mother informed her of a family crisis: Ou Corporation was in trouble. Her father had to return to Singapore to fa iigation, their family assets had been frozen, and they couldn’t access a single t. Her mother, too, o fly back to Singapore to try to salvage the situation, leaving Ali to fend for herself for the time being.

  Ali immediately offered to return home to face this sudden disaster with her family. But her mother reassured her, saying, "The best way you help us is by staying where you are. I’ll send your things over. Just hold on for three to six months, and everything should be resolved."

  What Ali didn’t know was that this "crisis" art of a scheme orchestrated by her parents. They both believed that their daughter had been excessively sheltered growing up. Her life had been worry-free, as though she had been raised in a bubble. Despite her excellent education, they feared she cked the ability to face real adversity. If she didn’t learn to grow now, it might be too te by the time they were no lohere to protect her.

  After sulting with doctors and ensuring that her transpnted heart was healthy and funing well, they revised their pns. The shares and assets they had inally po donate would now be left to their daughter. One day, Ou Corporation would be Ali’s responsibility.

  But they khat a carefree, naive girl wouldn’t be able to handle such a burden. The process of shaping Ali into a strong and capable leader began now, with this trial.

  What Ali’s parents didn’t realize, however, was ho and perceptive their daughter truly was. While she was sweet and i, she was far from foolish. The suddenness of the crisis, bined with previous subtle hints, made it clear that this was likely a well-iioned "game." She decided to py along, uanding her parents' good iions.

  Yi Leng and Wu Yumei, oher hand, were pletely unaware of the orchestration behind the ses. To them, Ali’s situation was simple: someone had run into trouble, and helping her was the natural thing to do.

  "The restaurant does need ara set of hands, but girl, wouldn’t being a waitress be wasting your talents?" Wu Yumei said.

  Ali replied fidently, "I think being a waitress is great! I love the food here, and I see a lot of potential. In fact, I want to i in this restaurant."

  Wu Yumei was stuhis pletely defied her expectations. Typically, when girls faced hard times, they would seek shelter and support from others. But here was Ali flipping the script. What could there possibly be to i in at this small eatery? There were dozens of simir restaurants along Meigang Road. If Ali really wao get involved in the food industry, she could have just opened her own shop.

  However, Yi Leng immediately uood Ali’s perspective. The knowledge and exposure Ali had gaihrough her upbringing were on a pletely different level. The opportunity she saw was something Wu Yumei couldn’t prehend. For most people, life-ging opportunities only e once or twi their lifetimes.

  "Let’s hear your idea," Yi Leng said, inviting Ali to sit down. Wu Yumei brewed some tea and preteo listen with i, though her heart wasn’t in it.

  Ali flipped over the restaurant’s menu and begag on the back. "Our ultimate goal is to build a global restaurant , something like Yum! Brands."

  "I’ve never heard of Yum! Brands," Wu Yumei said, puzzled.

  "Pizza Hut and KFC are part of Yum! Brands," Yi Leng expined, cigarette in hand. "They operate over 30,000 stores in more than 100 tries and employ 800,000 people."

  Wu Yumei scoffed. She had long siopped dreaming of fantastical ambitions. To her, Ali’s grand vision sounded like pure nonsense.

  "We’ll start by building a brand, opening stores, attrag iors, aually going public..." Ali tinued, her tone fident. These were ideas she had often heard from her father, Ou Jinhua. But to Wu Yumei, they sounded like fairy tales, pletely irrelevant to the lives of ordinary people.

  "So, are you the angel ior?" Yi Leng asked.

  "You could put it that way," Ali replied.

  "How much are you pnning to i?" Yi Leng inquired.

  "Initially, 500,000 yuan," Ali said.

  Wu Yumei nearly spat out her tea. This girl casually mentioned half a million yuan like it was nothing. But her serious demeangested she wasn’t joking.

  Now Wu Yumei was starting to feel tempted. She had opehis small restaurant simply to make a living and had no lofty ambitions. Making money was her sole priority, and if someone was willing to i, not lend, why wouldn’t she agree?

  "What kind of cameras are worth that much? Are they gold-pted?" Wu Yumei asked skeptically.

  "Hasselbd H6D, Leica S3, 1D, and a few dozen lenses," Ali listed casually.

  "That’s it?" Wu Yumei asked, still in disbelief.

  Ali nodded early. "That’s it."

  By the afternoon, Ali had sold her cameras and other luxury items, including a ptinum handbag and a Cartier watch her mother had given her. She received 580,000 yuan in cash as starting capital. She immediately withdrew 49,000 yuan and began making moves.

  With her guidahe restaurant began the process istering as a pany. They also expanded by acquiring the dry-er’s shop door, which was closing due to poor business. After the dry-ing maes were removed, there was no need for renovations—the space was ready for use as a dining area.

  The new pany was registered uhe name Jiangwei Wuyumei ary sulting and Ma Development Co., Ltd., with Wu Yumei as the legal representative. They alsistered trademarks for "Huang Pihu," "Wuyumei," and "Spicy Sesame Chi."

  Ali’s strategic vision was clear: as an individual business entity, the restaurant couldn’t franchise or open additional branches. But as a pany, the possibilities for expansion were endless. Although Wu Yumei didn’t fully uand the details, her instincts told her that Ali’s dire was the right one.

  Meanwhile, Ali tio bance her teag responsibilities. She visited the school and asked Yi Nuan Nuan what she had for lunch.

  "Fried rice with avocado, cherry tomatoes, braised beef shank, and a yogurt," Nuan Nuan replied.

  "Did you get a h it?" Ali asked.

  Nuan Nuan pulled out a pale yellow stiote with ly written calligraphy. The handwriting matched the note from the restaurant.

  "So it was Huang Pihu who did this," Ali thought, feeling intrigued. She didn’t immediately reveal this secret to Nuan Nuan.

  Later, Ali shared some good news with Nuan Nuan: they were now neighbors, living in the same building, one upstairs and the other downstairs.

  Their versation was interrupted by two girls, Jian Shiyu and Mei Xin, who had been watg them from a distance. Mei Xin whispered bitterly, "We were going to teach Yi Nuan Nuan a lesson. Who knew Ali would stick to her side like glue? Guess we’ll have to back off for now."

  "Let’s go to the hospital and find the boss," Mei Xin said. They rode their electric scooters straight to the shipyard hospital, where they reported to their leader, Yin Weiran, about the ret events at school, emphasizing how much attention Yi Nuan Nuan was getting.

  "I’m getting discharged tomorrow!" Yin Weiran decred angrily. "I’ll put her in her pce!"

  "But, boss, y’s still in a cast. Are you sure you’re up for it?" Jian Shiyu asked hesitantly.

  "That’s nothing," Yin Weiran replied. "My dad will drive me to school. Besides, with my injury, my resilience will inspire everyone. Even the css monitht start helping me every day."

  Elsewhere, css monitor Feng Xiaoxiao, who had been pedaling home to the Hawaiian Coastal Vils, returo ay house as usual. His mother was likely at the beauty salon or pying mahjong, while his father was forever "w overtime."

  Just as loneliness began to creep into his heart, he heard movement from the garage. His father’s bck Passat was back.

  "Today must be important," Feng thought, rushing downstairs to find his father loading Maotai liquor and premium cigarettes into the car.

  "Yrandfather is having a big birthday celebration today," Ma Xiaowei said. "Go ge—you’re ing with me."

  At that moment, Feng Xiaoxiao realized today wasn’t just any day.

  [--------------------------------------------]

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