Chapter 159: Unconvinced

For three consecutive days, Lin Dong spent his time in anxious anticipation. Due to his restlessness, his cultivation progress was intermittent. He had thought he could achieve breakthrough in two and a half days, but after three days, he was still just short of it.

Finally, the door was knocked. Lin Dong jumped down from the bed. It was Ma Chun who stood there.
“How is it? Has Boss Niu arrived?”
“He’s already at the end of the street. I think he’ll be here in a moment.”

Seeing Lin Dong’s eagerness, Ma Chun nodded, though somewhat uneasy. In his opinion, a VIP card seemed utterly useless. Since the owner placed such high hopes on it, he hoped Lin Dong wouldn’t be too disappointed later.
“It’s good that he’s here. Come with me to the counter!”

Lin Dong immediately stepped outside, not waiting to see if Ma Chun followed. He rushed to the lobby and sat down at the counter. Ma Chun followed closely, standing beside the counter with his signature smile. He nodded politely to the customers who arrived, but was thinking about how to comfort the owner later.

Before long, a man with a shiny forehead entered the inn first, dressed in a green robe. Niu Jinshui looked cheerful, clearly doing well in business lately. At Niu Jinshui’s invitation, five men aged between thirty and fifty followed in.

“Boss Liu, though this is just an inn, it’s the best one in the north of the city—better even than the big restaurants. If you all weren’t staying at my place, I would definitely recommend Lin’s Inn. I heard that if you’re willing to spend money, staying here is even more comfortable than staying in the big inns in the capital.”

Niu Jinshui greeted them cheerfully. When he glanced at the counter and saw Lin Dong instead of Ma Chun, he was slightly surprised. He quickly bowed to Lin Dong, who had already gotten up to greet them: “Owner Lin, why are you personally serving customers at the counter?”

Lin Dong chuckled and subtly reminded him, “I knew important guests were coming, so I waited at the counter first.”
“Owner Lin really knows how to talk,” Niu Jinshui said politely, but showed no intention of handing over the VIP card.

With no choice, Lin Dong had to personally guide everyone upstairs.

Ma Chun busied himself around, serving tea and water like a waiter. After finishing, he turned to Niu Jinshui, “Boss Niu, what would you like to eat today? Wine—thyme or something else?”
“Two plates of turtle stewed in maple leaves, one plate of braised lark, and one roasted pheasant…” After ordering, Niu Jinshui still didn’t understand Ma Chun’s hint. He waved his hand and said, “Manager Ma, start with these. If it’s not enough, I’ll call the waiter again.”

Under Lin Dong’s intense gaze, Ma Chun sighed slightly and asked, “Boss Niu, I was wondering if you brought the VIP card I gave you last time. If you did, not only can you accumulate points for your meals, but at your current meal prices, you’ll also get five pots of thyme aged three years for free.”
“A VIP card? Look at my memory,” Niu Jinshui said, stunned, before slapping his bare head and reaching into his clothes.
Lin Dong was overjoyed and temporarily forgot that it didn’t matter if he hadn’t taken out the card yet—just having it with him was a good sign, and eventually he would develop the habit of taking it out as soon as he entered. After searching for a while, Niu Jinshui looked embarrassed. “I remember putting it here—how come it’s gone?”
Lin Dong couldn’t help but ask, “Boss Niu, think again. Could it be you left it at home?”
“That can’t be… I’ve had it here ever since Manager Lin gave it to me. Could it have been stolen by a thief?” Niu Jinshui asked, eyes wide.
Lin Dong was speechless. His luck was truly terrible—the first customer to receive a VIP card had it stolen. With no other choice, he decided to wait a few more days. He then took out another copper card and handed it to Niu Jinshui. “Boss Niu, since it’s been stolen, please accept this VIP card instead.”
“Uh… this…” Niu Jinshui accepted the copper card awkwardly and apologized, “Manager Lin, once I get back, I’ll lock this card in a box to make sure it doesn’t get lost.”
Lin Dong said helplessly, “Boss Niu, this VIP card isn’t really valuable. Just carry it with you, and you can use it when dining at the inn. Even if it gets stolen, you can just get another one.”
“It’s such a delicate metal card—what a shame if it’s lost,” Niu Jinshui said, shaking his head. “If I carry it on me, it could easily be stolen by thieves.”
Lin Dong fell silent. Indeed, that was a significant issue. If the VIP card was kept in a money bag, it would get in the way when handling silver or copper coins. If kept in one’s clothes, it wouldn’t be noticed as easily as if it were in a money bag, which would likely be cut open. If they had to replace the card frequently, given the cost of VIP cards, it wouldn’t be a small expense. But if not carried at all… what was the point of a VIP card? It would be better to just register one’s name at the inn and enjoy various discounts and points through that name. Why spend money on a VIP card at all?
“Boss Niu…” Ma Chun hesitated beside them.
“Manager Ma, what is it?” Niu Jinshui asked, puzzled.

Glancing at Lin Dong, Ma Chun gritted his teeth. Better a quick pain than a long one, so he simply asked, “Have you always kept the VIP card in your lapel?”
Niu Jinshui nodded in confusion.
“Have you never taken it out?” Ma Chun pressed further.
“Well…” Niu Jinshui said awkwardly, “Please don’t blame me, Master Lin. I thought the VIP card was beautifully made, so I wanted to give it to my grandson to play with. Later, I just forgot about it.”
Lin Dong smiled bitterly. With such an exquisite design, was it really only meant to be a toy for children?
“Boss Niu, your clothes today seem different from those three days ago,” Ma Chun suggested.
Niu Jinshui looked down at his robe. Changing clothes every day—how could the owner of the prestigious Niu’s Leather Goods Store have only a few pieces of clothing?
“Oh, my stupid head!” Niu Jinshui slapped his bare head again, making a loud sound. “I changed my clothes, and maybe the maids put the VIP card away while doing the laundry.”
Lin Dong was completely exhausted. In this boss Niu’s eyes, the VIP card seemed to mean nothing at all; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been forgotten so completely.
Helplessly, Lin Dong went downstairs, feeling overwhelmed. Storage function, security, appeal—three major issues intertwined. Was the VIP card just a joke?
Lin Dong refused to accept it. In his original world, the VIP card played a significant role. But here, it was still an innovation—how could it be useless?
Seeing Ma Chun’s questioning expression, Lin Dong understood what he meant, but he simply couldn’t deny the VIP card outright.
Full of confidence, yet ending in failure. It wasn’t that Lin Dong couldn’t bear defeat, but apart from the VIP card, what other way could there be to turn regular customers into loyal clients before Ke Lai Ji Lou and Ying Feng Lou could recover?
There must be a way.
But Lin Dong couldn’t think of one. After a whole night of pondering, he could only think of the VIP card. Another night, and knowing himself well, he guessed it would still be the VIP card.
Sighing deeply, Lin Dong said, “Let’s put the VIP card issue aside for now. I’ll make a decision after thinking it through carefully.”
Ma Chun nodded helplessly. Things had reached this point, yet the shop owner still hadn’t given up.
Lin Dong frowned and was about to head back to the back yard when a worker rushed in from outside the inn in a hurry.