Helen Brooks's eyes shifted as he said, "But just now, nephew, you also said I wouldn't need to spend any money, while hiring the Kou family would cost money."

Brian Grant replied, "The broker takes a commission. If the employer doesn't breach the contract and the deal doesn't go through, then you don't need to pay anything. Of course, that's unlikely. If the deal is made, I'll take one thousand taels out of my two thousand taels as commission for the Kou family. You won't have to pay a single coin, sir."

Helen Brooks was momentarily stunned. You acted so selfish just now, but now you...

Brian Grant said, "Are you planning to make a moral judgment again, sir?"

"Absolutely not."

Helen Brooks waved his hands repeatedly and said, "Nephew, please continue."

Brian Grant continued, "As for the second step, I've observed the situation at Chen Building. The main reason Chen Building can't be sold is because business is bad, so no one dares to take it over. Therefore, if you want to sell at a good price, you must first improve the business performance."

"Does nephew have a way?"

Helen Brooks asked in surprise.

Brian Grant smiled and said, "It won't be long before I bring a large number of customers to Chen Building. As for how I'll do it, you'll understand when the time comes."

Helen Brooks looked at Brian Grant suspiciously. Anyone can talk big!

Suddenly, Brian Grant pulled out a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Helen Brooks.

Helen Brooks took it curiously and, upon reading it, exclaimed in surprise, "Cashback voucher?"

Brian Grant nodded and said, "After I bring you customers, I want you to give one percent of the profit as a cashback voucher to the customers, and another one percent to me. After all, I need funds to get things done. But this doesn't affect my previous promise, because this money is brought to you by me, and you still earn one percent profit."

As Helen Brooks listened, he read the details on the paper, which explained exactly how to operate the cashback voucher. The more he read, the more amazed he became. Just this idea alone made him have no more doubts about Brian Grant—this was definitely not just boasting. He thought to himself, maybe... maybe he really did think the money was too little before. Sigh... that Kou kid really is too stingy. Glancing at Brian Grant, he said, "Since nephew has a way to make my Chen Building business flourish, then... then I don't need to sell the shop..."

Brian Grant said, "I'm helping you make your business flourish so you can sell at a good price. If you don't sell the shop, why should I help you?"

Helen Brooks said, "I can pay you!"

Brian Grant laughed, "Can you pay me a two-thousand-tael commission? If you're willing to do that, then I don't mind."

Helen Brooks fell silent.

Even if Brian Grant could bring him a lot of customers for now, that doesn't mean it would last. Paying a two-thousand-tael commission all at once was impossible.

Brian Grant added, "Mr. Brooks, if you hesitate at a critical moment, you'll only bring trouble upon yourself. Since you've decided to sell the shop, don't overthink it. I'll be honest with you: everything I'm doing is just to help you get a good price, not a long-term solution. After all, I've never run a restaurant. Also, to be blunt, from what I've observed, you're no match for George Reed."

Helen Brooks struggled for a while, then sighed and said, "Fine, let's do as you say."

As they spoke, a rich aroma wafted into the room.

Brian Grant's eyes lit up. It seemed those memories weren't wrong. In fact, in his memory, the dishes at Chen Building were better than those at Jinyu Restaurant, because George Reed came from a landlord family, while Helen Brooks was a chef by trade. Otherwise, Chen Building wouldn't have monopolized Liangyuan back then—he still had his own advantages.

A basket of steamed meat was brought in. The meat was brown, apparently sun-dried, but it didn't look like pork or lamb, nor chicken or duck. Brian Grant couldn't help but ask curiously, "What kind of meat is this?"

"Does nephew not even remember my Chen Building's most famous dish?" Helen Brooks asked sadly. Once so renowned, Chen Building had now been forgotten to this extent.

Brian Grant thought hard, then suddenly gasped, "Could it be your Chen Building's most famous dish, steamed yellow rat?"

Helen Brooks nodded and said, "This is a kind of yellow rat from beyond the frontier. If cooked properly, its meat is extremely delicious, but if not, it's hard to swallow. That George Reed kid has always wanted to buy the secret recipe for this dish from me."

Oh my god! Rat meat? Brian Grant was not someone with an adventurous palate and had no interest in these strange delicacies. But his professional instinct told him he had to try it. So he picked up a small piece with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. As soon as he chewed, the juices burst forth, a rich aroma of wine filled his mouth, the meat was tender yet chewy, flavorful but not greasy, and the freshness of the meat was truly delicious to the bone. His brows relaxed and he exclaimed in delight, "This yellow rat meat is really quite good. Just for this delicacy alone, I think the price could go even higher."

Helen Brooks couldn't help but burst out laughing at these words.

Chapter 0006: Kindred Spirits

Brian Grant and Helen Brooks ate and talked, the wine flowing, and the more they talked, the happier they became!

As for Brian Grant's negotiation skills, they were actually very simple. First, he catered to the other's interests to gain the upper hand. Helen Brooks was a businessman, and businessmen pursue profit, so he started by offering a price Helen Brooks couldn't refuse. In fact, it was Brian Grant who was seeking out Helen Brooks, but under the temptation of ten thousand taels, it became Helen Brooks seeking out Brian Grant, thus putting Brian Grant in control.