CHAPTER 499: CHAPTER 498: RECAPTURE THE TAKEOUT

Zhen Yan only spent a morning in the village before he ignored his mother’s repeated attempts to make him stay, and dashed back to Qi City after lunch!

After returning to Qi City, his first stop was the Martial Arts Hall! Sure enough, he found his eldest martial brother, Wang Lin, and another martial brother who had also attended vocational high school there!

The two burly young men, both having failed their college entrance exams, were sparring with each other! Zhen Yan, his face brimming with joy, suddenly dashed to Wang Lin’s side and shouted loudly, "Old Wang, we’re brothers, right?"

His sudden question made Wang Lin’s punch aimed at Chu Fang hang mid-air, and he was stunned on the spot!

"Ouch!" While Wang Lin was caught off guard, Chu Fang didn’t pause! And Chu Fang had no time to realize that Wang Lin would suddenly stop. As a result, Wang Lin took a solid punch!

"Answer me! Yes or no!?" Zhen Yan pressed urgently!

Wang Lin immediately became annoyed! His fist changed direction instantly! While swinging, he roared, "What kind of question is that! Have these two years of friendship been for nothing? Take my punch!"

Hearing this, Zhen Yan, far from angry, laughed heartily, "Come on, let’s spar a bit! Then we can have a good chat!"

Wang Lin also laughed and cursed, "Haha! You little rascal! You barely have space for your big martial brother in your eyes! Today, I must discipline you properly and let you know what being brothers is all about!"

Zhen Yan chuckled mischievously and taunted, "Come on, come at me!"

Seeing this, Chu Fang laughed heartily and quickly stepped aside to watch the brawl.

---

After an exhilarating sparring match, Wang Lin, Chu Fang, and Zhen Yan sat down together in a corner of the training room.

Wang Lin opened the conversation, "Spill it! What’s going on that I can help with?"

Zhen Yan looked straight at Wang Lin and said sincerely, "Takeout! I want to take back the takeout business!"

Wang Lin was immediately taken aback! After thinking rapidly for a moment, he asked, "Is it you!? Or you and your sister?"

Zhen Yan hesitated briefly but then confirmed, "Xiao Yu will help!"

With this assurance, Wang Lin promptly laid bare his own situation and difficulties.

"Lao Qi! I have to put it bluntly! It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but the new contract I signed with Old Gu’s family is for one year, and it expires next Tomb-Sweeping Festival. If we can’t sort this out first... then you’ll have to find another way!"

"Ah?!" Zhen Yan was taken aback, "Next Tomb-Sweeping Festival?! That’s too late! I can’t wait that long!"

"But I can’t breach the contract! That’d mean compensating him and the other restaurants for losses! It’s not a small amount!"

Zhen Yan found himself in a dilemma, but he didn’t want to immediately turn to his sister for help. If he couldn’t even handle this first hurdle by himself, then what would be the point of trying to take back the takeout business? He might as well give up now! That way, he wouldn’t bother Xiao Yu with a whole bunch of tasks!

What should he do... Zhen Yan submerged into deep thought.

Seeing him silent and deep in thought, Wang Lin and Chu Fang exchanged a glance, then stood up and walked back among their fellow martial brothers. They shared Zhen Yan’s plan to take back the takeout business and the difficulties he faced.

"Why is Lao Qi only thinking of this now? If it were me, I would have done this a long time ago!"

"Exactly!"

"Right..."

Although Wang Lin felt the same, he still stopped everyone’s complaints, "Now is not the time for that! Everyone, hurry up and think of a solution..."

Many hands make light work.

While Zhen Yan was still lost in thought, Wang Lin and the group had already come up with a solution! So he went straight to Zhen Yan and pulled him up from the ground!

——

"??" Zhen Yan looked puzzled at Wang Lin.

"Hurry up! Da Fang’er has come up with an idea! We all think it’s feasible! Come with me right now, let’s discuss it together!"

Upon hearing this, Zhen Yan’s eyes lit up! He immediately pulled Wang Lin and ran towards the crowd!

"Brother Fang! Quick, tell us your idea!" Zhen Yan grabbed Chu Fang’s neck and shouted!

"Haha! This move of your Brother Fang, it’s called—undermining the foundation!"

Once he heard that Chu Fang was playing coy, Zhen Yan hurriedly played along and asked, "Undermining the foundation? How exactly do we do that?!"

"We can do it like this... like this..."

"Oh..." Zhen Yan listened and then it dawned on him. "Old Chu, you’re really something! If we do it the way you said, the Gu Family will be completely dumbfounded! Haha!"

Third, Cao Zhixin spoke from Zhen Yan’s perspective, "They deserve it! Hey, Da Fang, with such a clever idea, why didn’t you use it earlier?!"

"It’s because no one asked me!" Chu Fang said, glancing at Zhen Yan. "I thought Lao Qi was willing to just swallow this injustice!"

Zhen Yan was awkwardly embarrassed, but he couldn’t refute even half a sentence.

Didn’t he actually want to swallow it before?!

He always thought about his mother still being with the Gu Family; what if they had a fallout, and the Gu Family took it out on his mother? So, he kept bottling it up, only passively fighting back when the Gu Family pushed him too far!

But now his mother had already agreed to divorce! And she was no longer living with the Gu Family!

So what was there for him to worry about?! It was time to let loose and make a big move!!!

"Let’s go! I’m treating the brothers to a few drinks! Everyone help me think again! See if there’s any way to make the Gu Family waste resources and manpower! As long as they’re miserable, I’ll be happy!"

Chu Fang was the first to respond: "That’s doable! Come on, let’s go! Skewers night out! Someone’s paying..."

——

Throughout the meal, the group of brothers wholeheartedly strategized for Zhen Yan.

And sure enough, a bunch of guys came up with some really good ideas!

"Zhen Yan, since you’re planning to get the takeout business back, are you going to change it back to ’Sincere Takeout’?" Wang Lin tested Zhen Yan while riding his buzz.

Zhen Yan denied it without even thinking! "No! I never really liked the name Sincere! Since it’s with the help of the brothers that we can take it back, why not call it... ’Brothers Takeout’?"

After hearing this name, the last trace of hesitation in Wang Lin’s expression completely disappeared.

He nodded at Zhen Yan, as if to silently accept his suggestion.

After the nod, Zhen Yan suddenly whispered another shocking idea: "I think it’s just the two of us now, a bit weak. Why don’t we ask the brothers if they want to join us?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Lin immediately jumped up!

"Are you serious?!"

"Of course!" Zhen Yan replied without hesitation!

"I’ve thought the same for a long time!" Seeing that Zhen Yan wasn’t joking, Wang Lin immediately slapped the table. "You’ve got guts, kid! Da Fang’er! Hurry up and join us!!"