The two of them talked in the corridor for a full half an hour.

Brian Grant not only clarified the situation with Jinyu Restaurant and Chen Building, but, as his memories gradually resurfaced, he also gained a general understanding of the restaurant industry in the capital.

That Chen Building was actually an old, established brand in Liangyuan, originally monopolizing the entire restaurant business there. Especially since it also had cooperation with the government, which greatly surprised Brian Grant. It turned out that the Ming Dynasty government already had a tradition of issuing consumption vouchers—whether as salary or bonuses, officials could use these vouchers to dine at designated restaurants.

Cooperating with the government—this was practically a guaranteed job for life.

Moreover, Liangyuan was very close to those government offices, with beautiful scenery, making it the top choice for officials.

However, the emergence of Jinyu Restaurant broke Chen Building's monopoly.

The owner of Jinyu Restaurant came from a wealthy landlord family. Not only was he rich, but more importantly, he was educated and versed in the arts—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. The main clientele in Liangyuan were officials working in the inner city or the children of official families, all of whom enjoyed literary pursuits and refined tastes. Therefore, the owner of Jinyu Restaurant knew even better how to cater to the interests and hobbies of these officials, and gradually, Chen Building fell behind.

Within a few years, Jinyu Restaurant took over the government partnership from Chen Building, which was a fatal blow to Chen Building.

And last year, a fake wine incident caused Chen Building's business to plummet, nearly forcing it to close. Actually, the fake wine wasn't industrial alcohol or anything so severe—it was just a case of passing off inferior goods as superior.

But when this matter was described by William Harper, it sounded as if there was more to the story, and that Chen Building might have been framed.

Why did I tell the young master so much? As William Harper spoke, he suddenly realized and was a bit surprised himself, so he said to Brian Grant, "Young master, if there's nothing else, I'll go get busy now."

"Oh... alright, go ahead."

Brian Grant nodded, seeming a bit absent-minded. He didn't even notice when William Harper walked past him. After a while, he finally came back to his senses and muttered thoughtfully, "In this situation, helping Jinyu Restaurant acquire Chen Building is just a deal anyone could do—at best, you earn a runner's fee. If it were me..."

Over there, after William Harper left, he kept his head down, deep in thought. He felt that something was off about the earlier conversation, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Steward."

Suddenly, a clear voice called out. William Harper looked up and saw Sarah Harper, and hurriedly stepped forward to salute, "Young lady."

His demeanor was respectful, completely different from how he had just treated Brian Grant.

Sarah Harper asked curiously, "What were you just discussing with the young master?"

William Harper answered truthfully, "The young master was asking me about Jinyu Restaurant."

"Is that so?"

Sarah Harper's brows furrowed slightly.

William Harper quickly explained, "Please don't misunderstand, young lady. The young master just wanted to figure out who the buyer and seller are."

"I see." Sarah Harper was immediately reassured, then asked seriously, "What is your opinion on the matter of Jinyu Restaurant?"

William Harper thought for a moment before saying, "In my opinion, even if the master personally took charge, it would be difficult for us to secure this deal. For Jinyu Restaurant, this deal is extremely important—they won't allow any mistakes. And our The Harper Family has recently suffered repeated blows to our reputation because of the young master. Unless we can come up with an excellent plan—not only guaranteeing we can successfully buy Chen Building, but also driving the price down low enough—otherwise, Jinyu Restaurant won't choose us. But in both respects, we can't match The Bennett Family. And now The Bennett Family is targeting us at every turn; they would never let us snatch this deal away."

"Exactly! The Bennett Family has been so aggressive lately, it's truly outrageous."

Sarah Harper's gaze suddenly turned sharp as she said, "That's why we can't keep enduring this. The Bennett Family will never show us any sympathy—we must find a way to fight back."

The unique nature of the brokerage business made its competition far fiercer than any other trade.

William Harper frowned and said, "But with this deal, it's hard for us to make a move."

Sarah Harper smiled slightly and said, "Not necessarily. Actually, Helen Brooks has long lost interest in running the business—he wants to sell Chen Building, but just doesn't want to sell to Jinyu Restaurant, which is why it's dragged on until now. Since The Bennett Family plans to help Jinyu Restaurant buy Chen Building, we can help Chen Building find another buyer. That way, we not only earn a commission, but also respond to The Bennett Family."

William Harper said, "But Jinyu Restaurant has been operating in Liangyuan for a long time and is very powerful. All the nearby teahouses and taverns are theirs. Helen Brooks couldn't compete, and I don't think anyone else could either—otherwise, someone would have bought Chen Building long ago."

Sarah Harper said, "I've thought this through carefully. The only one with the ability and resources to buy Chen Building is Zuixiao Restaurant in Chongbei Ward, East City. And I heard that the owner, David Clark, has always wanted to expand to the south of the city. Go see David Clark tomorrow. If he's interested, we'll contact Chen Building immediately."

William Harper nodded, then asked, "What about the young master?"

Since you've already decided to do this, there's no need to go to Jinyu Restaurant anymore.