Chapter 1615: Charge On, Duck

Hissing, slurping sounds accompanied the symphony of bowls and chopsticks, blending into a beautiful movement.

"Don't say it, Wang Yan, your braised duck delicacies are done well—spicy, fragrant, and delicious; if you opened a shop with these, you could make money, and who knows, you might even become a 'ten-thousand-yuan household'."

Da Qiao Zuwang's mouth was red from the spice; drinking white liquor made it even hotter, yet he ate with relish, unwilling to stop.

Da Qiao Yicheng, rarely offering praise to his father, said, "That's right, Wang Yan; if it's not too difficult to produce, you could make them in bulk without even opening a shop—just setting up a street stall should bring in business. Take fewer photos, go out with Erqiang and the others to do this, and you'll earn an extra income. After all, you've turned eighteen; this is your last year 【of support】, and there won't be much money for you afterward, so you need to plan ahead."

Although he knew Wang Yan actually lacked for no money, Da Qiao Yicheng still wanted to guide people toward virtue.

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "Alright, Big Brother; I'll look into it later."

Pfft...

Simei's laughter was particularly grating; Yicheng looked over: "Simei, what are you laughing at? Is it that funny?"

"No, no, Big Brother, I was just, um... enjoying the food, yes, just enjoying the food; these duck delicacies are truly fragrant, and it has to be said that Brother Yan's craftsmanship is excellent."

"Acting crazy again." Old Da Qiao paid it no mind whatsoever: "Wang Yan, hurry up and focus on finding Simei a job; don't let her stay home annoying me, fighting with me for the TV all day."

"How long have you even been home? It's clearly you fighting me for the TV, really..."

On the other side, Da Qiao Yicheng noticed something amiss; Sanli didn't yet know what was happening, but recalling that Erqiang had gone to the school at noon to find Wang Yan, he realized there was more to Simei's laughter.

However, no one asked outright then, since not speaking meant they didn't want others to know; as everyone knew, in the Da Qiao family, there were only two people who needed to be kept in the dark: Old Da Qiao and Yicheng.

Hiding things from Old Da Qiao was to avoid his nagging and verbosity; hiding them from Yicheng was out of fear of Big Brother's authority...

Thus, after finishing dinner, Old Da Qiao pretended to take the leftover duck delicacies out to play mahjong, while Da Qiao Yicheng and Sanli began their questioning.

"Simei, confess everything!" Sanli took the initiative to ask.

Yicheng joked, "Confess and receive leniency; resist and face strict punishment."

"You're just lying, Big Brother; Brother Yan already told me: 'Confess and receive leniency until you rot in prison; resist strictly and go home for the New Year.'" Simei said with a giggle, completely unconcerned.

Yicheng glared irritably at Wang Yan: "Can't you teach something good? What kind of doggerel is that?"

Sanli interjected: "Wang Yan, Second Brother, what exactly is going on?"

"Hmm?" Yicheng looked at Erqiang, "Your involvement too?"

"Big Brother, I must speak up for Wang Yan; the way you're talking makes it sound like Wang Yan did something wrong," Sanli expressed her dissatisfaction.

"Exactly, exactly." Simei nodded vigorously like a chick pecking rice in agreement.

"Not even married yet and you're already unwilling?" Yicheng shook his head with amusement.

Wang Yan laughed heartily: "Brother Sha Qiang, hurry and confess truthfully, or Big Brother will expand the scope of his crackdown in a moment."

"It's all my doing." Erqiang was utterly straightforward, admitting it the moment he opened his mouth.

"Your doing?"

Facing the confusion of Yicheng and Sanli, Erqiang nodded, recounting the matter of his resignation; of course, he could not avoid selling Wang Yan out in the process.

"That gambling ghost didn't dare hit my master, nor dare touch me, so he just caused a scene at the factory, claiming my master and I were involved, saying my master slept with me... My master couldn't bear it anymore; one or two days might be fine, but with such talk continuing, no one could endure it. So she quit, and in a heat of the moment, I cursed out everyone in the factory spreading those rumors..."

As he spoke further, his voice grew weak, wearing a pitiful expression as if pleading, 'Big Brother, please don't scold me.'

Erqiang had pondered this excuse for quite some time; of course, everything he said was true, with the only falsehood being that he truly loved Ma Suqin, which he did not mention—the factory workers had only fabricated half the story.

Simei added, "Then, wasn't it previously said that Brother Yan should find me a job? At that time, Brother Yan was thinking of starting a business, having me watch the shop, sell goods, and collect money. Oh, you don't know, Brother Yan has already prepared the shop and the counters, just waiting to start business after the New Year. Coincidentally, Second Brother and his master are helping out together; Second Brother is quite good at cooking, so isn't this just moving things up ahead of schedule?"

Yicheng took a moment to react, absorbing the information, then shook his head with a bitter smile: "Fighting one moment, rumors the next, then resignation—so many incidents, my brain capacity isn't enough. Wang Yan, is there any trouble regarding the fighting?"

"Look at you, Big Brother, caring so much you've become confused; this all happened last year, what could possibly come of it? Didn't you hear Erqiang say they only dared cause a scene inside the factory, not dare to lay a hand? If Brother Sha Qiang hadn't stubbornly blocked him that time, that trash of a gambler wouldn't have had the chance to continue making trouble."

"However, speaking of it, that kid is quite bold; logically, he shouldn't dare to come looking for trouble. I analyze that he probably tested the waters again later, saw no reaction, and coupled with a year having passed, his skin has tightened again, making him less afraid."

"Now you're analyzing?" Sanli glared and gave him a playful punch: "You're not who you used to be; you're an adult now, understand? If they call the police, the Public Security Bureau will deal with you! They told you not to fight, yet you insisted on going."

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "You are right; next time I definitely won't fight. See, I didn't fight this time, otherwise how could Brother Sha Qiang have resigned?"

"If you ask me, it was good that he fought; otherwise, Second Brother might have been beaten this time, perhaps even more severely." Seeing that neither Yicheng nor Sanli looked favorable, Simei pursed her lips and fell silent.

Yicheng sighed, glaring irritably at Erqiang: "Enough, don't look so pitiful; I haven't beaten you. You've already resigned; it's too late to say anything now, and wanting to return is impossible. Since this duck delicacy business shows promise, let's try it first. However, you must work hard at it; running this business comes down to two points: first, diligence, and second, affordability; as long as you..."

"Oh, Big Brother, those are old tales now. Brother Yan said..."

After hearing Simei repeat the grand business plan, Yicheng was speechless, choking slightly: "Wang Yan, aren't you just teasing them?"

Wang Yan clicked his tongue: "Big Brother, just say whether it's feasible or not."

"It is feasible, but the key question is: do you have that much money? Relying on one shop, how can you open two after the New Year?"

"Take out a loan."

Da Qiao Yicheng shook his head: "Do you think getting a loan is that easy? There are so many individual businesses; look at how many actually secure loans?"

"I know; one needs connections, needs to know people. I know so many people; surely there are some who can get things done, so that doesn't need worrying about. As long as the duck delicacies sell well, none of this will be a problem."

"But you still cannot take a loan!" Yicheng pleaded earnestly: "Wang Yan, think about it; there are so many smart people—haven't you seen those shops opening in clusters? This thing doesn't have much technical content; a master chef could taste your formula and replicate it. Then, when others open shops just like yours and take out loans just like you, what will you do?"

"And that's not even mentioning other regions; by the time you've established yourself here and want to expand elsewhere, those other places will already be saturated. Wang Yan, doing business isn't something that succeeds so simply. Running one or two shops well, securing a stable income so you lack for neither food nor clothing—that is enough. Never dream of sudden wealth or achieving everything in one step; that's unrealistic. Let me tell you, a while ago my tutor explained..."

As a university student, Yicheng, in such times, had relatively greater access to various information, knowing quite a few messy affairs and having heard many stories.

"But we still have to try, Big Brother; if before even starting we think 'it won't succeed so we won't do it,' that certainly won't work; only by doing it is there hope. Let's try it first; in the end, even if it fails, it won't amount to losing money. By then, I'll buy up any newly opened shops; our Jin Ling is developing, land will definitely become more valuable, and when demolition comes, we can profit from the compensation."

"I can't talk you out of it; you have too many ideas. Just remember to save some money for yourself; don't end up with no money and even in debt—how would you live then?"

"Big Brother is right; I will definitely pay attention," Wang Yan nodded with a smile.

"Let's go, let's see your shop; you've made my heart itch with curiosity."

Da Qiao Yicheng's words gained Sanli's support; since she hadn't seen it yet, everyone went together in lively spirits to inspect the shop, while Da Qiao Yicheng repeatedly urged caution, fearing Wang Yan would expand too greatly and lose control, eventually going bankrupt and dragging Sanli into suffering with him.

Wang Yan naturally understood his good intentions, nodding and agreeing...

Erqiang took a blissful puff of his cigarette: "I've been anxious for two days; finally, I've passed this hurdle."

"It's far from over; the real storm hasn't arrived yet; sooner or later, you'll suffer for it."

"Getting through the immediate situation is victory; once my master and I truly succeed, what else could my Big Brother say?"

Wang Yan teased him with a smile: "It's still safer to have a child first."

"I like Master as a person, not those other things," Erqiang stated quite firmly, immediately changing the subject: "What do we do tomorrow?"

"Buy more spices and such first, get another pot, and secure the supply chain; I won't handle that, so leave it to you two as a couple to negotiate a good price and establish a stable source. Additionally, the shop's hygiene must be tidied up until the windows are bright and the tables clean. Once business picks up, the interior must remain clean and tidy, putting customers at ease at first glance."

"For now, braise the duck goods right in the shop. Once we open branch stores later, we'll centralize production, distribute after cooking, but that's for later; I'll arrange it then. Anyway, just buy the supplies these few days while I register a company, obtain the business license, and handle other permits."

"Street vending goes unmanaged if no trouble arises, but since we're opening a proper shop, all procedures must be complete; this cannot be taken lightly, or it will bring nothing but trouble later."

With arrangements thus made, the grand plan to open the shop and do business was executed the next day. Wang Yan boldly delegated authority, letting Er Sha Qiang, Ma Suqin, and Si Mei handle the operations, while he himself only ran around to complete the formalities.

Thus, one week later, the shop opened its doors.

Long before the official opening, following Wang Yan's instructions, two large pots had been delivered daily for three days. The stuff smelled incredibly fragrant while being braised, so passersby would follow the scent to inquire; after three days of giveaways, nearly everyone in the vicinity knew about it.

By opening day, they had directly prepared three large pots' worth of goods. Two large pots were made in the shop, and another large pot was made at Wang Yan's home. All were prepared a day in advance, soaked overnight to absorb even more flavor. Selling yesterday's batch while boiling tomorrow's, the aroma of various spices drifted out to cover half the street, utterly enticing.

So, unsurprisingly, all three large pots from the first day were sold clean...

"Giving up a good job to quit and sell duck goods—fine, giving away two large pots boiled daily for free, each pot costing over a hundred yuan; losing your shirt before even making a penny. How much did you earn today?"

Old Da Qiao ate the portion of duck goods specially saved for him; although it tasted delicious, his words were far from pleasant.

The shop hadn't even opened yet when a huge batch was given away; since it wasn't far from home, Old Da Qiao found out the next day and immediately flew into a rage. He was furious that such a major matter had not been discussed with him beforehand; even if no discussion was needed, they hadn't even told him a single word, and he had to hear it from others' mouths.

He felt his authority had been challenged. Afterwards, Da Qiao Yicheng gave him a thorough scolding, completely draining his spirit, and he still hadn't recovered his composure...

Er Sha Qiang spoke in a muffled voice: "Didn't you say so yourself, Dad? We're losing money. We've spent a lot recently; everything costs money, and we still have much to sell."

"Aiya, today all three large pots were sold out; tomorrow we'll make four large pots, and we'll be making money before long; everything is fine, no need for you to worry, Father." Si Mei cared not at all, showing no intention of reporting the accounts to her biological father, and even exaggeratedly said, "Collecting money today exhausted me..."

"Wang Yan, you must keep a clear head; I know Er Sha Qiang and Si Mei—their brains tied together aren't worth your little finger—so you must keep a close watch on them."

"Rest assured, Uncle Da Qiao; you watched there for half the day today, so you know the score. Er Sha Qiang and Si Mei are doing very well, and Master Ma is also extremely diligent, bearing burdens without complaint; nothing will go wrong." Wang Yan raised his wine glass. "Come, Uncle Da Qiao, drink, drink; this is just a good beginning; soon we'll be making big money."

Turning past this page, the meal became extremely lively, brimming with the joy of harvest; they had made a fortune...

Although Er Sha Qiang hadn't secured the most ideal price for supplies, demand was constantly rising, so prices would naturally drop further over time. Apart from this, there was nothing else to say; it was simply about making money, and business was extremely booming.

Just as Si Mei had said, today they prepared three large pots, and tomorrow they prepared four large pots. They were testing this single shop's sales volume; once it stabilized, they would stop expanding. However, it was estimated that for quite some time, output would still need to increase.

After all, the product was relatively fresh; with people recommending it to one another, no small number of visitors would come seeking its fame in the days ahead. Today, there were already people purchasing on behalf of others.

At the same time, some people drew near to inquire openly and secretly about various information, obviously having taken a fancy to it and wanting to start their own business.

Just as Yicheng had said earlier, this was unstoppable.

Thus, Wang Yan unleashed the franchise method, stipulating store sizes, unifying decoration styles, centralizing production in a central kitchen, and then distributing to various locations. As long as others provided the capital to open stores and paid to order goods, that was all that mattered.

In the current environment, this was naturally quite novel and required no worry from people. Even though many wanted to do it themselves, they couldn't resist how worry-free and labor-saving this model was; thus, during the period before the New Year, Wang Yan signed over thirty franchises in one breath, prepared two directly-operated stores himself, found a location for a central kitchen, hired workers, and so on.

They directly began leapfrog development, charging toward the title of Duck King of Jin Ling...

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