Chapter 235: The Two Parties Unite

With the establishment of the chamber of commerce, the business at KeLai Restaurant returned to normal, generating a monthly profit of around three thousand taels of silver. At this rate, combined with the land value of KeLai Restaurant, 30% of its shares was worth at least seventy to eighty thousand taels of silver.
Seventy to eighty thousand taels of silver could cover several months’ worth of VIP card credits for meals and drinks. Lin Dong believed that aside from wanting to cut costs to get through this crisis, Wang Shuangxi surely had strong motives to repay his kindness.
If it were a legitimate deal, Lin Dong would definitely refuse outright. First, helping a fairly strong competitor avoid a crisis was foolish; second, doing as Wang Shuangxi suggested would surely affect the inn’s business.
Seventy to eighty thousand taels was a significant amount, but Lin Dong would never do such a thing in the entire Qiufeng City.
Yet, Wang Shuangxi offered this price largely out of a desire to repay his debt.
To this day, Lin Dong had never treated a friend coldly. Though he knew he should firmly refuse now—after all, providing 1,800 taels of silver in support once KeLai Restaurant failed would already be considered fulfilling a friendly duty—he simply couldn’t bring himself to say no.
After pondering for a moment, Lin Dong glanced at Yi Yi beside him and asked, “Boss Wang, if Yi Yi plays the piano and sings at KeLai Restaurant, I think even if they raise prices, it shouldn’t have too much of an impact, right?”
Wang Shuangxi smiled bitterly. It seemed Manager Lin wasn’t willing to accept this mutually beneficial deal. Feeling somewhat disappointed, Wang Shuangxi still shook his head and explained, “It’s not appropriate for a young woman to show herself in public.”
Lin Dong looked at Yi Yi and Wang Bin, who were also smiling bitterly, and tapped his finger gently on the table, deep in thought.
The three of them stared at Lin Dong, unable to understand why he refused. This deal should clearly benefit Lin’s Inn. If Manager Lin were really the kind of person who would rather suffer losses than make his competitor unhappy, he wouldn’t have returned the restaurant’s land deed and over a hundred thousand taels in silver notes in the first place.
Early summer was approaching. In the distant sky, the slightly scorching sun was slowly moving westward, pulling the shadows of the four of them closer together.
Suddenly, Lin Dong stopped tapping his finger on the table and said, “Boss Wang, how about we cooperate?”
“Cooperate?” The three of them were confused.
Lin Dong nodded. “If Lin’s Inn’s VIP card credits can also be used at KeLai Restaurant, it means a portion of Lin’s Inn’s business will be drawn away by KeLai Restaurant. At this stage, it takes a lot of effort to attract customers. To be honest, in my eyes, 30% of KeLai Restaurant’s shares isn’t worth that much.”

The three of them felt a bit embarrassed. The 30% share they thought was valuable seemed to be worth less in Manager Lin’s eyes than just a few tables of customers. Recalling Lin Dong’s words, they filled with hope and turned to look at him, waiting for his explanation. Lin Dong organized his thoughts carefully before speaking, “Boss Wang, how many plates of braised carp do you prepare per day?” “About thirty plates,” Wang Shuangxi replied helplessly. “Almost all of our current customers rely on braised carp to keep coming back.” Nearby, Wang Bin and Yi Yi blushed slightly, clearly feeling ashamed. “How many plates can Boss Wang make at most in a day?” Lin Dong ignored Wang Shuangxi’s concerns. “If we have all the ingredients…” Wang Shuangxi thought for a moment before saying, “Seventy plates a day shouldn’t be difficult.” Seventy plates was still a bit short, but it wasn’t impossible either. Lin Dong hesitated for a moment before saying, “How about this: Lin’s Inn offers turtle stewed with maple leaves and energy beef balls, while KeLai Restaurant offers braised carp. What if we work together?” “Work together?” Wang Shuangxi was surprised. “Does Manager Lin mean that both Lin’s Inn and KeLai Restaurant can sell each other’s signature dishes?” “Exactly!” Lin Dong nodded. “Lin’s Inn and KeLai Restaurant aren’t far apart. Once a customer places an order, it can be delivered quickly by fast horses. Since the weather isn’t cold either, the dishes can be served in time. This way, both of our businesses will become much stronger. Although there might be some competition, we can also attract customers from other restaurants. It’s far better than KeLai Restaurant relying on Lin’s Inn’s business.” “But if KeLai Restaurant raises prices…” Wang Shuangxi hesitated. If KeLai Restaurant raised prices while Lin’s Inn stayed the same, customers would naturally go to the cheaper option for the same dishes. “How does Boss Wang plan to raise prices?” Lin Dong asked. “Maybe increase them by 10% every ten days,” Wang Shuangxi explained. “It’s a big increase, but everyone knows that restaurants are currently losing money. Some regular customers should be able to understand.” Lin Dong nodded. “Lin’s Inn will keep its prices unchanged. At KeLai Restaurant, for every two taels of silver spent on a table, customers will get one plate of energy beef balls free. For every four taels, they’ll get an extra serving of turtle stewed with maple leaves. If customers request it, the two can be swapped. This way, our attractions will be about the same.” “But…” Wang Shuangxi asked cautiously, “What’s the cost of energy beef balls and turtle stewed with maple leaves?” Lin Dong smiled leisurely. “Energy beef balls cost a little over twenty wen, while turtle stewed with maple leaves costs less than two hundred wen.”

The three were stunned and exclaimed in unison, “So low?”
“Owner Lin, this cost…” Wang Shuangxi said with a wry smile, “It’s almost as low as that of ordinary ingredients. Especially the Vitality Beef Balls—their price is almost the same as ordinary ingredients. Surely Owner Lin isn’t planning to lose money to help our KeLai Restaurant, is he?”
Lin Dong shook his head. “Don’t worry, Boss Wang. I hope this cost stays confidential. Otherwise, it will have a significant impact on the inn’s reputation. After all, selling two taels of silver for just over twenty coins—even if it’s worth it—would result in such high profits that it would make everyone uncomfortable.”
Wang Shuangxi still didn’t believe it but chose to remain silent.
After a long while, Wang Shuangxi suddenly stood up and bowed to Lin Dong. “Owner Lin is willing to lose money to help our KeLai Restaurant. I will always remember this kindness. Anyway, please accept 50% of KeLai Restaurant’s shares.”
Lin Dong was at a loss. 50% of the shares? Wang Shuangxi’s misunderstanding was huge—he was even willing to give up half of KeLai Restaurant’s control.
Just as he was about to explain, Yi Yi also stood up and said respectfully, “The two signature dishes of Lin’s Inn have special effects that ordinary herbs simply cannot match. No matter how much Owner Lin explains, it won’t hold water. Anyway, please accept these 50% shares.”
“Right, right…” Wang Bin quickly stood up and nodded repeatedly. “Brother Lin, you must accept them no matter what. Whether those 50% are valuable to you or not, at least we can feel more at ease.”
Further explanations were pointless. Lin Dong nodded helplessly. “30% then!”
The three wanted to argue further, but Lin Dong said seriously, “If I say more, I won’t be able to feel at ease.”
Wang Shuangxi let out a long sigh and said with deep emotion, “In my life, being able to make friends with someone like Owner Lin is truly a great fortune.”
“Yes, yes!” Wang Bin quickly nodded in agreement. “That day when Owner Lin shared a table with me was truly the greatest luck of my life.”
“It’s not your luck,” Lin Dong said with a smile. “It’s because after asking around for a long time, only you were willing to share a table with me.”
Wang Bin laughed broadly, thinking it was equally great luck for him.
After finalizing the details, Lin Dong clapped his hands and said with a smile, “This is beneficial for both of us. Let’s go ahead with it. The sooner, the better. I’ll talk to Ma Chun to arrange it later. For now, wait here. I’ll go to the kitchen to cook, and we’ll eat here at noon.”
“I never thought Owner Lin would cook in person. If I can taste his cooking myself and spread the word, my reputation will be greatly enhanced.”

The heavy burden on his heart was lifted, and Wang Shuangxi beamed with joy. Exchanging signature dishes with Lin Ji Inn proved just as beneficial as doing so with Ke Lai Restaurant—it allowed him to accumulate VIP card points for discounts on meals at Lin Ji Inn. This trip to Lin Ji Inn brought him more benefits than he had expected.

Lin Dong said a few polite words, then went straight to the kitchen to prepare dishes. He timed his work perfectly to finish half a table’s worth of dishes, which he brought to the backyard just as Yun Lan arrived.

After introducing themselves, the three were undoubtedly surprised by Yun Lan’s grace and admiration grew even more for Manager Lin’s skills. This Miss Yun was clearly no ordinary person. It would be even harder for a money-driven merchant to gain her friendship than to win over the city’s officials—after all, officials were also driven by money, and with enough silver, becoming brothers wasn’t difficult. But Miss Yun seemed unlikely to be won over by money.

After lunch, Lin Dong saw Wang Shuangxi’s family off from the inn and instructed Ma Chun to handle the follow-up matters before returning to his room to practice.

In the afternoon, Lin Ji Inn and Ke Lai Restaurant posted notices almost simultaneously. Lin Ji Inn added one new signature dish, while Ke Lai Restaurant added two. Although the prices of their dishes rose, those two new dishes were free.

At a time when customers were returning to Fenglin Restaurant, this announcement showed some effects by evening. By the next day, it had made the owners of other restaurants wary yet intrigued.

With the two restaurants working together, their appeal naturally increased, meaning their competitors became stronger. It was only natural for the other restaurant owners to be cautious. What intrigued them was the clear improvement in business for these two restaurants, serving as a vivid example.

Partnering with a nearby large restaurant might also yield unexpected results.

Immediately, the owners of various restaurants went to those nearby with whom they had previously had conflicts. Some even met on the way.

Under normal circumstances, they would argue endlessly over which restaurant had the better signature dishes or stronger specialties. With years of resentment, they might even break negotiations over a few silver coins. But at this stage, both sides were surprisingly generous, often finalizing partnerships on the same day. If it weren’t for the inconvenience of delivering dishes over long distances, some even considered forming a tripartite partnership.

Lin Dong dismissed this concern. If the restaurants united, they could not only divert customers from Fenglin Restaurant but also enhance their resilience, which would benefit Lin Ji Inn more than harm it. Wang Shuangxi also wasn’t too worried. Compared to the news about Fenglin Restaurant’s business, Lin Ji Inn’s signature dishes were less significant. In contrast, these joint efforts by other restaurants wouldn’t benefit them as much as Ke Lai Restaurant would.

The only issue is Ling Zhengyang. Since Lin’s Inn is free, his plan to drag those poorly established large restaurants down so they could never recover has failed. Now, with two parties joining forces to encourage other large restaurants to imitate them, the plan to knock out most of the restaurants in Qiufeng City will have to be delayed by at least three to five days. If each city’s large restaurants were to open an Lin’s Inn, even a one-day delay could result in losses of millions of taels.