Chapter 4

The morning program of ABA TV station did a special feature on Starlight Farm. Zheng Baozhu's country-style hotel, which had gained some fame in Starlight Farm, was mentioned in the program. Therefore, the production team arranged a small interview for her.

To match her image as an entrepreneur, Zheng Baozhu wore a white suit jacket today. Although the style was more formal, the fabric was not rigid like traditional suit fabric. It had a subtle shimmer, making it understated yet eye-catching. The cuffs were adorned with lustrous pearls. After styling her hair, Zheng Baozhu put on a pair of pearl earrings and clipped a shiny hairpin above her left ear before heading downstairs.

The scheduled time with the reporter hadn't arrived yet, so she went to the restaurant in her hotel to have breakfast. Just as she sat down, Qu Zhi also came downstairs.

He had only returned to the country yesterday and hadn't adjusted to the time difference yet, but he still looked good. He had changed out of the beige outfit he wore yesterday and was now wearing a fitted jacket. The buttons of the jacket were left unfastened, revealing a light undershirt, a white shirt, and a tie underneath.

This outfit accentuated his already superior stature, and when he approached, people's eyes were intentionally or unintentionally drawn to him.

Upon seeing him, Liang Huihui immediately greeted him with a smile, "Mr. Qu, you're here. What would you like to eat?"

"What do you have?" Qu Zhi turned his head and saw Zheng Baozhu sitting there, eating. Zheng Baozhu raised her hand and tucked her hair behind her ear, pretending not to see him. She elegantly fed herself a spoonful of steamed egg.

"I'll have the steamed egg that Zheng Baozhu is having," Qu Zhi said.

"Sure!" Liang Huihui enthusiastically introduced, "This steamed egg is our restaurant's signature dish. Miss Baozhu eats it every day!"

"Is that so?" Qu Zhi found an empty seat as he ordered a cup of milk and a sandwich.

This morning, Zheng Baozhu only had a steamed egg and a few cherry tomatoes. When Liang Huihui came to deliver the meal to Qu Zhi, she asked with concern, "Miss Baozhu, is this all you're eating today?"

As a long-time employee of the restaurant, Liang Huihui was well aware of Zheng Baozhu's appetite.

Zheng Baozhu picked up a tissue, took out her lipstick from her bag, and touched up her makeup, "I have an interview later, it won't look good if I eat too much."

At this moment, someone came over and informed them that the journalist for the interview had arrived. Zheng Baozhu quickly put away her lipstick and walked away in her high heels.

The hotel had a reading corner specially curated by Zheng Baozhu. It was decorated with several rows of bookshelves, potted plants, and small tables, creating a fresh and elegant ambiance. However, there weren't too many guests coming here to read as most people preferred to visit scenic spots for photography.

The interview was set to take place here. When Zheng Baozhu approached, the lights had already been set up. The journalist in charge of the interview warmly greeted her, "Hello, Boss Zheng."

Zheng Baozhu smiled and waved it off, saying, "Ah, don't call me boss. It sounds too formal. Just call me Miss Baozhu."

The journalist nodded with a smile, "Alright, Miss Baozhu."

After finishing his breakfast, Qu Zhi happened to pass by and saw Zheng Baozhu sitting there, pretending to be poised for the interview. He raised an eyebrow slightly, stopped for a moment, and glanced at her.

The journalist sat across from Zheng Baozhu and asked with a smile, "Miss Baozhu, how did you come up with the start-up capital for your business?"

Zheng Baozhu smiled in response, "Oh, for that, it was during the summer vacation in my senior year of high school. I worked for two months and saved up the money to buy my father the latest model of a mobile phone as a birthday gift."

"And then?"

"Well, my father was so happy that he gave me a car on my birthday."

"..."

"I thought I didn't need to drive a car as a student, so I sold it and used the money to start my business."

"..."

The journalist laughed, "That's truly an experience with no reference value, haha."

Qu Zhi snorted mockingly. He didn't bother to listen further and walked out of the hotel.

After he left, the journalist continued, "Then how did you earn your first bucket of gold?"

Zheng Baozhu replied, "I opened a tea shop near my university. At that time, the tea industry wasn't as saturated as it has been in recent years, so it was generally profitable. I also made some small investments with senior students from the finance department and earned some money."

The journalist nodded as she listened, "That shows you have a good eye for investments. From what I understand, you mainly focus on the food and beverage industry now, and your hotel is well-known for its dining options in Starlight Farm."

Zheng Baozhu smiled and said, "When the tea shop didn't make much money, I wanted to try something bigger. So I opened a Chinese restaurant, and the business was good."

"In your opinion, what is the most important aspect of running a restaurant?"

Zheng Baozhu responded, "Most people might think that the most important aspect of running a restaurant is the cuisine, and indeed, the food and environment are crucial. However, in my view, the most important aspect is employee management, which is very challenging."

"Did you face any difficulties in that regard?"

"Of course, when opening a new restaurant, every step from selecting the location, doing the interior design, ensuring fire safety, to later promotions requires effort. Every aspect can drive you crazy. Training and managing employees is even more challenging. Not every employee is proactive in their work. Even if you keep an eye on them, some people just can't perform well..." Zheng Baozhu could talk about the hardships she had experienced for three days and three nights, "If a restaurant could thrive solely based on good food, why wouldn't chefs start their own restaurants instead of working for others?"

The journalist agreed and nodded, "That makes sense. I once heard a saying that if ten chefs open restaurants, nine of them will fail."

Zheng Baozhu laughed and added, "I have the authority to speak on that. The head chef of my first restaurant resigned halfway and started his own business. I was also in a dire situation and started learning how to cook myself..."

The interview lasted for half an hour. After chatting with Zheng Baozhu, the journalist gained a new understanding, saying, "You've worked hard, Miss Baozhu. To be honest, at first, I didn't think you seemed reliable, but as we talked, I realized that you have your own ideas and are willing to try. Your journey may seem smooth, but no one's entrepreneurship is easy. You simply had a bit more luck, and in the end, it was your perseverance that brought you to where you are today."

Zheng Baozhu sniffed, pretending to be teary-eyed, "Indeed, people always have biases against those who are wealthy and beautiful. We have all suffered in our own beautiful ways."

The journalist: "..."

She kind of wanted to take back what she said earlier.

"Anyway, I'm glad to have conducted this interview with you. I wish your business will continue to thrive."

"Thank you."

While Zheng Baozhu was being interviewed, Qu Zhi had already arrived at the Science and Technology Park. As soon as he entered the park, he heard his colleague Qi Sheng calling out to him from behind, "Old Qu!"

Qu Zhi turned around and saw Qi Sheng running towards him, huffing and puffing, and then he continued walking forward without waiting for him.

Qi Sheng chased after him from behind, "Hey, slow down, don't use your height advantage to bully people!"

Qu Zhi ignored him, and Qi Sheng finally caught up with him, walking side by side in the park, "Did you see your childhood sweetheart yesterday?"

Qu Zhi corrected him, "Just because we grew up together doesn't mean we were childhood sweethearts."

"Okay, okay. You're already staying at her place, so why bother with the details?"

Qu Zhi corrected him again, "At first, it was because Aunt Su insisted, that's why I went there. Later, it was because Zheng Baozhu deliberately said there were no rooms left..."

"You ended up getting into a dispute with her?"

"Not exactly, it's just a matter of DNA."

"..."

Qi Sheng fell silent for a moment, then patted Qu Zhi's shoulder meaningfully, "Qu Zhi, do you think you're naive?"

Qu Zhi nonchalantly brushed his hand off his shoulder, "I don't think so."

Qi Sheng laughed, not minding it, and continued gossiping, "Tell me more about your childhood sweetheart... Zheng Baozhu."

Qu Zhi said, "You know that feeling when something is shiny and dazzling, and can't wait to be adorned with all the gold and jewels? That's the nickname for Zheng Baozhu."

"..."

"After all these years, she's still all show and no substance."

"All show and no substance?" Qi Sheng found a loophole, "That means she's good-looking, right?"

"..."

Qu Zhi remained silent for a moment, then looked at Qi Sheng, "What's the use of being good-looking? Without thoughts, without a soul, yet she wants to be interviewed."

Now Qi Sheng was even more interested, "What, what? Tell me more."

Qu Zhi walked into the company with him. As they both scanned their faces at the attendance machine, he said, "When I left my room this morning, I happened to see a journalist interviewing her, asking about the initial capital for her business."

"And how did she get it?"

"She sold the luxury car her father gave her."

"Ha!" Qi Sheng chuckled softly and scanned his face at the attendance machine, "That's quite daring, isn't it?"

"Daring?" Qu Zhi walked to the locker room, hung up his coat, and took out a white lab coat, "In middle school, when she couldn't find the key to her bicycle, she directly pushed the bicycle out of the garage and got caught by the police and was mistaken for a bike thief. Is that also considered daring?"

Qi Sheng held a similar white lab coat in his hand, looking like he couldn't contain his laughter, "I can't handle this anymore. The more you talk, the more interesting this girl becomes. I think it's you who lacks a soul."

Qu Zhi chuckled and looked at him coldly, "It's no wonder someone like you resonates with her."

"..."

Qi Sheng clicked his tongue twice and put on his work uniform, "I think you're just biased against beautiful girls."

"It's not biased, who in their right mind would just push the bicycle out of the garage?"

Qi Sheng asked, "Then, what would you do in that situation?"

Qu Zhi closed the locker door, looked at him, and said, "I would explain the situation to the teacher and ask for their help in bringing in a locksmith for off-campus locks. If all else fails, I could at least borrow a pair of pliers."

"Achoo!" Zheng Baozhu, with one shoulder holding her phone, rummaged through the cabinet, "Tong Tong, you figure out about organizing the welcoming dinner for Qu Zhi yourself. I'm busy looking for my car keys here."

On the other end of the phone, Cen Tongtong exclaimed, "You lost your car keys again? Do you remember that time in middle school when the police mistook you for a thief?"

Of course, Zheng Baozhu remembered that incident. She picked up her phone, sat down on the sofa, and chatted with Cen Tongtong, "Thinking about that makes me angry. At that time, not only did Qu Zhi not help me as a witness, but he also made snide remarks, saying that if it were him, he would go ask the teacher for help. Ha, what a joke. Let me tell you, he studied hard just so that he could confidently go to the teacher in times like these. Which ordinary student would go to the teacher for such a trivial matter? But Qu Zhi would, because he knows the teacher likes him and is willing to help him. He always looks down on me in terms of money. When it comes to money, his privilege kicks in!"

"It's not exactly like that..."

"How is it not? Let's talk about that High-End Talent Community promoted by the government. You need an invitation letter to purchase a house there, yet Qu Zhi received one as soon as he returned to the country."

"Well, he earned it based on his abilities..."

"Of course, I know that. What I'm saying is his hypocritical face. He clearly aims for special treatment in situations like this, but he still pretends to be noble, talking about serving the country and the people. Hmph, hypocritical!"

"..."

Cen Tongtong was at a loss for words for a moment. She didn't know what to say, "You two, your arguments are beyond comparison. They're deeper than the sky and wider than the sea."

Zheng Baozhu leaned on the sofa and found her car keys under the table. She said, "I won't talk to you anymore. I found the keys."

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