"He's here, he's here, and he's brought the cakes!"
"Thank goodness! Hurry up and bring your cakes; I'm starving!"
...
The younger crowd was all shouting excitedly.
"Grandpa, what are they doing?" A little girl was almost scared and quickly turned to ask her grandfather.
"They're just being silly. Don't mind them. Remember the cakes from that day? They're made right here," the grandfather said kindly, patting his granddaughter's head.
"Yay! Cake! That cake was so yummy!" The little girl jumped up excitedly.
This scene played out among several families with children.
"Everyone, don't rush! There are so many people; don't push. Let's go to the open space outside, and everyone can eat freely." Seeing the crowd's eager, almost glowing eyes, Jia Fuhai quickly spoke up.
"Yeah, what's the rush? The cakes aren't going anywhere. Everyone, let's head out in an orderly manner." An elderly man with a righteous air called out loudly.
The crowd nodded in agreement. There was no need to rush—the cakes were already here.
Jia Fuhai and his staff moved the bread to the factory gate.
What was a crowded group in the lounge now looked sparse in the open area.
"Go ahead and eat. Otherwise, it feels like you're all going to eat me," Jia Fuhai joked.
Everyone rushed toward the four-star cakes.
"Hey, I got mine first."
"Pfft, like you're fast. There's plenty of cake."
Some hands clashed vigorously over the four-star cakes.
Chen Xiaofeng, holding a pile of cakes, had tears streaming from the corners of his mouth. It hadn't been easy—how long had he been starving? Finally, the cakes had arrived.
"Delicious! So good!"
"I can't believe it. Just three ingredients, yet it's baked into something otherworldly."
"Simplicity is genius!"
"This tastes way better than the one from the other day! Four stars, no doubt. Mmm, so good."
"My life is complete."
"Complete, my foot! You haven't even tasted the five-star cake yet."
...
Everyone was devouring the cakes, paying no attention to their manners.
Among them were quite a few business executives.
Jia Fuhai joined in and ate with the crowd.
At that moment, an imposing elderly man, still eating cake, walked up to Jia Fuhai and said, "Xiao Jia, do you want a storefront?"
"?? What, sir?" Jia Fuhai looked puzzled. He hadn't planned on opening a store—it sounded like too much hassle.
"Your cakes are amazing," the old man said, giving a thumbs-up and smiling as he continued, "You could open a flagship store to promote them. How about I give you one for free?"
"What?" Was this for real? The storefronts here started at millions, and that was considered cheap. Jia Fuhai's eyes widened.
"Xiao Jia, don't listen to Old Wang's nonsense. He's scheming something." Another old man immediately stepped forward.
Old Wang glared at the newcomer and shouted, "Oh, it's Old Xu! My offer is free. What's it got to do with you?"
"Bullshit! I know exactly what you're up to!" Old Xu turned to Jia Fuhai and explained Old Wang's intentions.
"Old Wang's Fengxi Plaza hasn't been doing well lately, with little foot traffic. He wants to use your cakes to draw in crowds."
"And this talk of a flagship store? Nonsense! He just wants to use your cakes to boost his plaza. Now, as for me..."
Old Xu paused dramatically before continuing, "I'm different. I'll not only give you a free store, but I won't require a flagship store—just bring your cakes to my Yunlin Plaza, and I'll cover everything."
Old Wang immediately glared at Old Xu and shouted, "You old bastard! You're no different. Stop pretending to be so high and mighty."
"How am I the same as you? Your Fengxi Plaza has no foot traffic, and you have the nerve to ask Xiao Jia to open a flagship store? My Yunlin Plaza, on the other hand, has traffic you could only dream of," Old Xu said smugly.
The crowd around them was happily eating cakes and watching the show unfold. They certainly didn't come in vain today—not only was there delicious food, but there was drama to enjoy as well.
Zhen Lina, holding onto Jia Fuhai's arm, was also watching the spectacle in awe.
Some of the business executives, hearing this, began to have their own thoughts. Their eyes gleamed as they realized the potential benefits the cakes could bring to them. They had been so focused on enjoying the cakes that they hadn't considered this angle.
As bosses, they felt they had failed in their duties.
"Damn it, you old fool! I'll show you why flowers are red!" Old Wang rolled up his sleeves, ready to teach Old Xu a lesson. He knew he wasn't as quick with words as Old Xu, so he would rely on his strength. After all, he was more robust than his rival.
"Hey, hey, hey! Old Wang, calm down! This is Jia's factory." A young man hurriedly held back Old Wang.
"Come on then!"
"If you dare come over here, I'll fall down and pretend I'm hurt!" Old Xu taunted, wagging his finger at Old Wang, emboldened by the fact that someone was restraining him.
Otherwise, with his frail frame...
"Pfft!" Zhen Lina couldn't hold back her laughter any longer.
The two old men began their turn-based verbal sparring. One would hurl an insult, rest and eat some cake, and then it was the other's turn to insult back. After hurling their words, they would pause to catch their breath and eat cake, taking turns in this way.
Watching the two old men "cast spells" from a distance, Jia Fuhai was at a loss for words. While he knew both men had good intentions and their own motives, their offers only benefited him.
"Nana, what do you think about opening a flagship store?" Jia Fuhai asked Zhen Lina, who was still laughing and watching the two old men.
"Whatever you decide, Hai-ge," Zhen Lina replied, not giving it much thought. Right now, she was more interested in the spectacle.
Jia Fuhai's question had gone unanswered.
"Boss Jia, it's actually a good idea to open a store. If you're worried about the hassle, we could make it a factory-owned outlet," Gao Qichao suggested, thinking about the long-term benefits for the bakery.
"Can we do that?" Jia Fuhai asked again. He really didn't like dealing with complicated matters. He already had plenty of money, and his wife managed most of it. The bakery was more of a way to avoid cooking every day.
But faced with a multimillion-dollar free storefront, he felt a bit unsteady.
"No problem, boss," Gao Qichao replied immediately. He didn't mind the hassle, especially if it meant the bakery would do better. Given how generous Jia Fuhai was, there was no doubt he would reward Gao Qichao for his efforts.
"Hey, hey, hey! You two elders, stop arguing. How about we discuss the store situation?" Jia Fuhai quickly stepped in to stop the two old men from continuing their verbal duel. He wasn't worried about them causing any real trouble—they both had plenty of energy and had eaten more cake than the younger crowd.
"Hmph!" The two old men each snorted and sent sharp looks at each other.
Though they had stopped bickering, their minds were still racing with strategies.
"Xiao Jia, come to my plaza. I'll cover everything, and you only need to deliver the cakes. The store will still be yours," Old Wang said with a slightly pleading tone. His plaza was near Baihu Community, but the foot traffic was low.
"My offer is the same. Xiao Jia, my plaza has much higher traffic, and the store is in the best location. It would be great for promoting your bakery," Old Xu countered, unwilling to back down. If Jia's cakes ended up in Old Wang's plaza, his own business would surely suffer.
The two plazas were located close to each other, and the moment one gained an edge, the other would be impacted. Today, Old Xu couldn't allow Old Wang to win.
At the very least, he needed to ensure that Jia's cakes would be sold in his plaza as well.