"Brothers, how did you like the young coconuts I gave you last time?" Li Haochen asked the three of them with a smile.
"They were delicious, and big too, a far cry from that coconut place on the pedestrian street."
"Indeed, they were very good. What, did you pick more?" Recalling the taste of the young coconuts, Liu Dehui licked his lips, his eyes blazing as he looked at Li Haochen.
"Why didn't I see any coconut trees at Butterfly Bay last time? Did I lose my memory?" Liang Minfeng scratched his head, thinking hard.
"You believe me when I say I picked them? My brother grew them. He's in the neighboring province, leased hundreds of acres by the sea, and developed a new variety." Li Haochen's eyes darted as he concocted a plausible story.
"I knew it! With my photographic memory, how could I not remember seeing coconut trees at Butterfly Bay?"
"Was the Niulanshan I gave you to drink earlier good?"
"It was quite good."
"Hmm, as expected of a photographic memory." Li Haochen gave Liang Minfeng a thumbs-up.
"Brother Feng is amazing."
"Brother Feng is awesome."
Liang Minfeng wiped his hair, looking smug and pleased with himself.
"Alright, let's stop with the random chatter. Come here, I have something serious to tell you all."
The three looked at Li Haochen quizzically, their playful expressions fading as they gathered around.
"I've taken over a shop in the middle of the pedestrian street," Li Haochen said, sipping his tea.
"Third brother, do you have too much money? Rent is several thousand a month, and we have classes every day. Where will you find the time to manage it constantly?"
"What kind of business are you planning? Honestly, fashion might be tough, but food could work. Are you thinking of opening a restaurant?"
"How about a barbecue joint? I can help out in the evenings," Liang Minfeng said with a smile.
"Ooh... Fourth brother's idea is good. We're all free in the evenings, so we can help out," Chen He and Liu Dehui's eyes lit up, and they showed great interest.
"We're not in a hurry to open a barbecue place. We'll definitely do it if there's a chance in the future. For now..." Li Haochen pinched his chin and smiled, "I'm planning to open a coconut shop."
"A coconut shop? Like the ones we drank last time? That's a good idea. The pedestrian street has such high foot traffic, this could work."
"But, what about a stable supply chain? And what about the pricing?" Chen He, being meticulous, thought more deeply.
"The supply chain won't be a problem. The price will be 3.5 yuan each," Li Haochen fabricated, his face as impassive as ever.
"That cheap?" Liu Dehui blinked, looking at Li Haochen in disbelief.
"Actually, it's not that cheap. If you factor in rent, utilities, and labor, each coconut would cost around five to six yuan," Chen He analyzed with a smile.
"Since it's a viable business, let's do it." Liang Minfeng patted Li Haochen's shoulder. "Third brother, good luck! Just let me know if you need any help. I don't have many skills, but I have strength."
"That's right, Haochen. Just let us know."
"Eldest brother, second brother, fourth brother, I want you guys to be investors too. What do you think?" Li Haochen said earnestly and sincerely.
"We invest?" The three exchanged glances and fell silent.
After about fifteen minutes, the three made up their minds. "Third brother, we're in."
"Since we're investing, let's keep things clear between brothers. Third brother, how much did you put in?" Chen He, taking on the role of the eldest, asked directly.
"100,000 yuan!" On this point, they agreed with Li Haochen. After all, even the best friendships needed common ground to maintain.
"How about this, the three of us will pool 100,000 yuan and take a fifty percent stake..."
"No," Li Haochen immediately objected. "You three will take sixty percent, and I'll take forty. Don't refuse, or don't call me brother."
With Li Haochen having said it so frankly, the three no longer hesitated and happily accepted the proposal. What followed was a heated and passionate debate, with the shop's name being the central point of contention.
"I say we call it Brothers Coconut, it sounds so good."
"Fourth brother, you lack literary flair. I think 'Ye Lu Sa Leng' sounds much more sophisticated, right?"
"Second brother, put away your tiny shreds of poetic sentiment. Let's call it 'Coconut Kiss,' the kiss of a coconut. It's fresh and artistic."
"Brothers Coconut... Ye Lu Sa Leng... Coconut Kiss..."
Li Haochen was also at a loss, as he couldn't think of a better name.
"What are you discussing so intensely?" Murong Yanran and Zhang Guifang came out with two plates of watermelon, asking curiously.
Li Haochen explained the situation. "So that's it. The name is very important too; a good name itself can attract customers. You guys should help think of one too."
"How about 'Lost Coconut Fragrance'?" Murong Yanran suggested casually.
"The fragrance emanating from the coconut flesh, continuously moistening and permeating the air, causing one to get lost. Good, a great name! What do you guys think?" Li Haochen was very pleased with this name.
"It's indeed good, has depth, and perfectly matches our coconut image. Drinking it does make you intoxicated, it's addictive."
"I agree too...!"
"Since everyone agrees, we'll go with this name. We don't have classes tomorrow, so let's divide our tasks."
Li Haochen took the lead, arranging all the preparations for the shop's opening. Then, another round of intense discussion followed, constantly refining the details. Time flew by, and it was unknowingly late into the night.
"It's very late. We can just rough it out here for the night. Squeezing into three rooms is fine," Li Haochen said, glancing at the wall clock.
Liang Minfeng rubbed his hands together, his lecherous gaze silently smiling at Zhang Guifang. "Could tonight be the night..."
Zhang Guifang also looked a bit flustered, lowering her head and blushing.
"Guifang, sleep with me tonight," Murong Yanran said, then took Zhang Guifang's hand and walked upstairs.
"You four, feel free to do whatever," Murong Yanran mischievously called out as she reached the second floor, followed by the two women covering their mouths and giggling as they entered their room.
Liang Minfeng, his fantasy dashed, pouted like a bitter melon.
"Your little scheme didn't work out, feeling disappointed, eh?" Liu Dehui nudged Liang Minfeng's arm with his elbow, grinning mischievously.
"Get lost, you perverts. I'm pure, absolutely envious and jealous."
"Here..." Li Haochen and the other two raised their middle fingers in unspoken agreement.
"You call yourself pure? Who has been studying 'Teacher Cang's' classic works every day recently..."
Before Liu Dehui could finish, Liang Minfeng quickly covered his mouth, glancing nervously upstairs. After a few seconds, seeing no movement or sound, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Damn it, second brother, you want to get me killed! If Guifang hears this, I'm finished."
"Here, Little Fengzi, my shoulder's been a bit tired lately."
"Got it, second brother. How's the strength?"
"Little Fengzi, my thigh is also getting thinner."
Damn it, if I catch you guys, I'll make you pay.
"Hurry up!"
"Coming... coming!"
"Hahaha...!"