Chapter 831: Rescheduling the Opening Date

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

After several months in business, Li Hua realized that running a business was not as easy as it seemed. The success of her previous store was largely due to its location in the town, where the locals initially underestimated it. This lack of scrutiny, coupled with the watchful eye of her younger sister-in-law, allowed the business to flourish. There was an element of luck involved.

However, opening a branch in the city, where the business had gained some notoriety, made it an easy target, especially for competitors. In this cutthroat environment, every move could potentially draw blood.

Gu Zi’s response was firm, “No, we will open as scheduled. Our branch will indeed face a significant storm, but if we reschedule at the last minute, our competitors will be caught off guard. This is why I want you to create the illusion that we will open as usual tomorrow. It will not give them enough time to react, and it will allow me to see what they are planning. Once I know their strategy, I can devise a countermeasure.

“In short, sister-in-law, as long as we change the opening time, their plans will be disrupted. Then, I can come up with a counter-strategy. On the contrary, I am quite interested in witnessing a farce tomorrow. Sister-in-law, please be on time.”

After hanging up the phone, Gu Zi was about to go find Grandma Gao when the elderly lady arrived in a flurry. “Gu Zi, I heard from Zhang Yao that you are opening this store? My goodness, if Zhang Yao hadn’t come to thank me today, saying you found her a good job, I wouldn’t have known anything. You, you are not being fair.”

The grand opening was scheduled for the day after tomorrow, and Gu Zi had no intention of keeping Grandma Gao in the dark any longer. If it weren’t for the hiccup, she would have already invited Grandma Gao to cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony.

Now, it was the perfect time to extend the invitation.

Gu Zi stood up, guided Grandma Gao to sit down, and formally invited her, “Grandma Gao, may I invite you to cut the ribbon at the opening of Sister Hua’s Gourmet Shop? You just said I wasn’t being fair, didn’t you?”

Grandma Gao was taken aback for a moment, then quickly responded, “Of course I’m willing! When did I say you weren’t being fair? I meant you are being too fair! Being the ribbon cutter is great, it’s wonderful, haha!”

Grandma Gao was brimming with joy, clearly no longer holding a grudge against Gu Zi for keeping her in the dark. However, Gu Zi still felt the need to explain herself.

“I was afraid that if the news leaked, our competitors would target us and cause problems at the opening. So, I decided to keep it a secret. Unfortunately, we did encounter a hiccup, but luckily, we discovered it early and have rescheduled the opening from tomorrow to the day after. Now that we have invited you to cut the ribbon, I’m confident our branch will open smoothly.”

Upon hearing this, Grandma Gao naturally understood Gu Zi’s actions. She knew this young woman wouldn’t explain all this without reason, and she must be facing some difficulties.

Knowing that Gu Zi had come to her for help, Grandma Gao was more than willing to lend a hand. After all, she genuinely wanted to maintain a good relationship with her, and she was certain that associating with someone like Gu Zi could never be a mistake.

Grandma Gao responded, “I’m not blaming you. But you, young lady, are quite good at keeping secrets. You know, the director of the Bureau of Industry and Commerce was once your Uncle Gao’s student. If you had told me earlier, wouldn’t I have introduced you to him?”

Gu Zi had been waiting for Grandma Gao to say this. She quickly poured a cup of fine tea for Grandma Gao and sweetly said, “Grandma Gao, please have some tea. I know you’re the best. Even now, you can still introduce me, right?”

Grandma Gao accepted the tea cup with a doting smile and said to Gu Zi, “Who else would I introduce if not you? Let me finish this tea and these pastries, and I’ll make the call when I get home.”

Just as Grandma Gao finished speaking, Su Bing brought some pastries from the kitchen. He placed a plate and a box in front of Grandma Gao and said, “Grandma Gao, these are the pastries my mother asked me to prepare for you. She originally wanted to send it to you in person. I’ve warmed these up for you to eat now, and this box is for you to take home.”

Grandma Gao’s mood was even more cheerful at this point. She picked up Su Le and fed her a piece of her favorite pastry, “Oh, my little darling, look at how adorable she is. She’s melting my heart. Su Bing, you sit down and eat too. No wonder Gao Ming said he feels so warm at your house. Holding this soft little girl and having such a good child like Su Bing, how could it not be warm?”

Gu Zi laughed and said, “Grandma Gao, if you like it here, you’re welcome to come often. Whether it’s for tea, pastries, or a game of cards, I’d be more than happy to keep you company whenever I’m not working.”

Gu Zi had been somewhat apprehensive, but with Grandma Gao’s attitude now, she felt reassured about her backing. She finally relaxed and let out a relieved smile.

The next morning, on a high-rise building opposite the new store, journalists had already set up their equipment, ready to scoop the news of the opening of Sister Hua’s Gourmet Shop’s branch for the Guangcheng Daily. The director of Guangcheng Daily, Zhao, who had sold them the news, was certainly reliable.