Volume 3, Chapter 427 – The Manager Pops Champagne at Halftime

“Wha… what! Seven years?!”

Chi Muxue’s expression froze on her face. Like a rusted machine, she slowly turned her neck and stared pitifully at Chi Xiyan.

Chi Xiyan flicked the beads of the abacus and let out a snort of laughter, “Seven years was just to scare you. At the rate we are bringing in money now, three to five years will be enough to cover the deficit.”

“Three to five years…” Chi Muxue’s small face crumpled and she wailed, “There is no difference between three to five years and seven years!”

“You…” Chi Xiyan chuckled softly. “You are the eldest daughter of the Chi family, not a manager hired by the Chi family. Once the wine shop is running smoothly, you will not need to stay here watching it all the time.”

“Really?” Chi Muxue’s eyes lit up at once, and the copper coins in her hands scattered across the floor with a clatter.

She was about to press further when the commotion outside cut her off.

Manager Fang came in leading several burly men, carrying ten large earthen jars into the wine shop.

Once the task was done, his sweaty face broke into a fawning smile. “Boss, the black essence wine yeast you ordered as planned has arrived!”

“Oh.” Chi Muxue walked over, about to reach out and touch the rim of a jar.

Chi Xiyan suddenly reached out and pressed down on her wrist, “Wait.”

Chi Xiyan stepped forward and bent down to examine the sealing mud closely, then let out a soft laugh, “Manager Fang, you truly have skill, managing to buy the exclusive black essence wine yeast from the Green Kiln this quickly.”

Manager Fang’s fleshy body gave a slight shudder, and he forced a smile, “It is all thanks to the boss’s good fortune… this humble one was lucky enough to receive the last batch of wine yeast from the Green Kiln this time.”

Manager Fang walked up to the jars and asked, “Boss, would you like to check the quality of this wine yeast?”

“Hm…” Chi Xiyan looked at Manager Fang and pondered for a moment.

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Manager Fang felt uneasy under her gaze and wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.

After a while, Chi Xiyan finally said with a light laugh, “No need. The quality from the Green Kiln can still be trusted.”

“Besides, if impurities get into this while the seal is being broken, it will affect the quality.”

“Ah, yes, boss.” Manager Fang waved his hand at the workers behind him. “Carry everything inside.”

While Manager Fang directed the workers to move the goods, Chi Muxue gently took hold of Chi Xiyan’s hand.

Chi Xiyan’s heart skipped a beat, only to see Chi Muxue lean in close and whisper by her ear.

“Is there something wrong with this?”

Chi Xiyan pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

She felt she should get used to the girl’s sudden closeness by now.

“I am not sure about what is inside the jars, but those jars are definitely not new.”

“Then something is wrong. Heh, Manager Fang must be feeling quite pleased with himself right now, having pulled off another trick right under our noses.”

As she spoke, Chi Muxue tugged at Chi Xiyan’s hand. “Come, let us go listen and see whether he gives some kind of victory speech behind our backs.”

Chi Xiyan said with mock annoyance, “You really do have a strange sense of fun…”

Still, Chi Xiyan did not object, and let Chi Muxue pull her along to a corner.

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A slender jade finger lightly tapped Chi Xiyan’s forehead.

Chi Xiyan did not finish her sentence, only watching the girl’s small face in silence.

She had always been curious just what level of cultivation this girl currently held, and just how powerful her spiritual consciousness truly was.

***

Meanwhile, in the wine cellar.

“Manager, you are truly amazing! How did you know those two girls would not check it?”

Manager Fang smiled smugly, “Those two little girls are actually quite easy to read.”

“That girl called Chi Xiyan, she has some learning, but she is far too rigid.”

“They are here to clean up a mess. Breaking the seal to check would risk hurting the profits, and they would never be willing to bear that extra loss.”

“Besides…” Manager Fang paused for a moment. “Even if she really did break the seal to check, so what? What is in these jars is the real thing anyway!”

“So that is how it is!” the waiter chimed in with a laugh. “These little girls fresh out of the academy really are easy to fool.”

“Heh heh.” Manager Fang added, “Two little girls who have not even grown their fur yet, and they want to scheme against me? They are still far too green!”

“The two of them are still dreaming their sweet dream of turning a loss into a profit!” Manager Fang laughed loudly. “I really do want to see the look on their faces when they check the accounts at the end of the month.”

“That feeling of watching a sweet dream shatter, it must be wonderful!”

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***

“Ah! That Manager Fang is so arrogant!” Chi Muxue puffed out her cheeks again and pounded angrily on the table.

“I am so mad, I really want to punch him!”

“Do not be angry, do not be angry!” Chi Xiyan raised her hand and smoothed down the fur of the girl who was puffed up like a blowfish. “Actually, given your status, no one would say a word even if you really dragged him outside and gave him a beating.”

“Ugh…” the girl seemed to deflate. “Never mind then. I still need to defeat him fair and square.”

“Do not rush, it will not be long now.” Chi Xiyan said, “The fish has already taken the bait, all that is left is to close the net.”

“Mm…” Chi Muxue lay slumped over the table and tilted her head up to look at Chi Xiyan. “Xiyan, that Manager Fang said such things about you, why are you not angry at all?”

“Why should I be angry?” Chi Xiyan smiled. “Just because a doomed little clown mutters a few insults behind my back?”

***

Just as Chi Xiyan had expected, Manager Fang’s days of carefree ease would not last much longer.

The harder he worked at his little schemes, the faster he pushed forward with feeding his own pockets.

Half a month after the wine shop resumed normal business.

“Boss, here are today’s earnings, please take a look.”

Manager Fang, smiling as always, handed over the daily earnings for Chi Xiyan to check.

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Chi Muxue sat not far away, idly toying with the counting rods out of boredom.

Watching Manager Fang’s face still wearing that same smile, she gave a slight tug at the corner of her mouth.

“Manager Fang, you look so happy, it seems things have been going quite well for you lately?”

Manager Fang turned his head, his face still beaming, “It is all thanks to the two bosses’ good fortune. The shop’s earnings have improved a lot recently, and this humble one is simply happy for the two of you!”

“The shop has come back from the brink of ruin, and it is all thanks to the two bosses. I imagine it will not be long before the two of you earn the Chi family’s trust and get transferred to a more important business.”

“This humble one offers his congratulations to the two young bosses in advance!”

With that, Manager Fang bowed deeply toward Chi Muxue.

Chi Xiyan’s expression did not change, but she could see Chi Muxue’s small face twitch violently a few times.

This girl still could not keep her composure.

“Ahem, ahem!” Chi Xiyan cleared her throat a few times, cutting off Manager Fang’s words. “Manager Fang, this matter has not even been settled yet, there is no need to offer congratulations so early.”

“For the two of us to leave this place, we must first pass review by the Chi family’s Internal Affairs Hall. Only once the Internal Affairs Hall confirms that we have passed can we leave here.”

“Speaking of which, is it not about time for the Chi family’s Internal Affairs Hall to send someone to audit the accounts today?”

“Manager Fang, go get things ready.”

“Bring out all the account books from this period.”