Old Wang's house.

My mother was already home, Wang Rui wasn't there, and neither was Old Wang. Maybe it was because of what happened at noon. As soon as my mother saw me, she started to lecture me: "What kind of friends are you making? Do you usually like to be friends with people like that?"

"In a closed environment, do I have a choice?"

"They're probably going to cause trouble tomorrow. You deal with it yourself."

"Or we could just sell the store."

As soon as I said that, my mother looked surprised. After a while, she replied, "You're thinking of selling it before you've even officially taken over? How can I trust you to take over then?"

I knew she had misunderstood me. She thought I couldn't settle down. I deliberately waited for her to finish her complaints before revealing Pei Xianglong's idea...

"Today, Pei Shiyu's father invited me..." I paused.

"Invited?"

"Yeah, he said I'm someone who can do great things, and that it's a bit of a waste for me to be running a restaurant." I said exaggeratingly.

"Go on."

"He thinks I should keep a few of the restaurants and consider selling the rest. The money can be invested in their company..."

"This money is mine. I'd rather invest in Old Wang's company myself."

My mother's words were infuriating. This not only showed her position but also made it clear that the funds belonged to her. So everything she said before was just a lure. In the end, she just wanted me to work for her.

"You think all the shops are yours, you can take them. If you hadn't said those generous words to me before, I wouldn't be talking to you like this today. Pei Shiyu's brother is gone, so letting me go over there can also help Pei Shiyu share some of the work. I understand what you just said. It means the restaurant money is all yours, and it's none of my business whether it's sold or kept."

"You're right. I'm still the legal person for all the restaurants. I want you to come over to inherit my business, not to let it die."

"Then we have different ambitions and don't share the same path."

"I say east, you say west. You're becoming more and more like Lin Hai."

"I'm not like anyone! I just think what Pei Xianglong said makes sense."

"If you want to make your business successful, you need perseverance. I originally wanted you to charge ahead while I helped you keep an eye on things. Cities that do well can be expanded, and cities with low operating income can be reasonably disposed of. You can make these decisions slowly after you have experience. No matter how big the Pei family's business is, it's still theirs. Just focus on making the restaurants in front of you successful."

"Don't think of me as someone who doesn't do their job properly. If I have to choose between the two, I'd rather stay by Pei Shiyu's side. I can not only take care of her, but also learn a lot."

My mother stubbornly said, "Can't you learn anything from running a restaurant?"

"It's not my strength. I know a little about engineering."

"Then do as you please. I'll run the restaurant myself. At most, I'll delegate power to the people below. I'm less stressed without you."

"Pei Shiyu might be pregnant. I remember mentioning their family's situation to you. If you have to be so unreasonable, I can't communicate with you."

"Pregnant?"

"Probably. I only found out today. A lot of things are changing, like when I went to work at the restaurant. I was unemployed at the time, and you invited me so enthusiastically... That's right, I originally wanted to run the restaurant well, but I weighed it on the way here. Going to their company is more beneficial to me."

"Would running a restaurant treat you badly?"

"It's not about material benefits, but it's more beneficial to my future life. I want to learn more about the business world. It's not too late for me to take over when I've learned something useful. Anyway, you're still young and more experienced than me. I just want to fly higher."

"You'll fall harder." My mother replied in a very disappointing tone.

I felt that our conversation couldn't continue. I could completely understand her point of view. She wanted me to have my own business and not get involved with Pei Shiyu's finances. She was preparing for a rainy day.

But my thoughts were different from hers. Pei's family is such a big company. If I go over there, they'll definitely give me a lot of power. Why wouldn't I use such a good stepping stone!

I got up from the sofa and made myself a cup of green tea. I hadn't had a proper drink in a while. The baijiu I drank with Pei Xianglong today was still a bit strong. My cheeks were a little flushed, maybe because I hadn't had such strong baijiu before.

Just as I didn't want to confront my mother, she stood in front of me and said, "If you're not doing the restaurant anymore, you have to return the car to me."

"Do you have to be so stingy? You didn't fulfill your obligations when you gave birth to me. What's it matter to give me a car..."

"Aren't you giving up the restaurant? What do you need the car for then?"

"We have different ambitions, so let's not communicate. Don't you have a Tesla? What do you need my car for?"

"Give it to Xiao Wu. He'll have to work hard for me if I do that."

"Xiao Wu doesn't deserve it. Such a handsome model is only suitable for me to drive." I replied with a smile.

I didn't change my mind because of her deliberate difficulties. Instead, it strengthened my intention to leave. I believed she wouldn't really confiscate my car.

With the sound of the door opening, Old Wang came back. He looked very energetic. He was humming a little tune when he came in. When he saw me, he said very enthusiastically, "Lin Che's here."

"Yeah, I'm waiting for you. I have something I want to discuss with you."

Old Wang sat down beside me leisurely and then asked me, "What is it?"

I looked up at my mother and then said, "Pei Xianglong invited me to their company. Do you think it's better for me to go or not?"

"What do they want you to do?"

"Engineering and real estate. His suggestion is to sell most of the catering and invest in his company."

"That's a good thing. It shows that Old Pei values you very much."

"My mother doesn't agree."

Only then did Old Wang look at my mother, and he immediately realized that we had a bad conversation, because at this time she still had a stern face, so he said with a smile: "Don't worry about things when you should be resting. Let Lin Che make his own decisions. He can't suffer by going to Old Pei's place."

"I won't interfere with him, but not at the expense of my restaurant."

"Are you still going to manage the restaurant? I told you many years ago, don't be so tired." Old Wang was obviously biased towards me.

"Mind your own business."

"Then you guys talk, I won't say much."

Old Wang said, but before entering the room, he turned around and said to me, "Lin Che, I support you!"

I just raised the corners of my mouth slightly. Although he was on my side, I knew he had no say. As long as my mother didn't let go, it would be impossible to go to Pei Shiyu's company with the funds. Pei Xianglong probably wouldn't stop me from going without investment, either. I understood this, it was just a matter of face.