So these two are actually a couple!

His brows were furrowed tightly together, forming a knot.

That's an amazing tactic.

Xu Huizhen's move was like getting something for nothing, reaping such a huge benefit for herself.

Chen Zhongze knew perfectly well that the path of public-private partnership was an inevitable trend that no one could stop. Sooner or later, his silk shop would also have to take this step, ultimately ending with a buyout.

But by then, not only will the shop be gone, but even the signboard will have to be taken down.

Just yesterday, Liu Dong and Chen Xueru came to his door to urge him to take action as soon as possible and try to be a leader in responding.

Instead of listening, he insulted the two people and sent them flying.

Looking back now, I'm so regretful I could die.

If I had gritted my teeth and agreed back then, maybe I could have saved my business right now!

Chen Zhongze felt as if someone was slowly cutting his heart with a knife, the pain was unbearable.

In the following days, the situation changed completely.

The higher-ups vigorously promoted the propaganda work, posting slogans everywhere and broadcasting messages: the earlier you participate in the joint venture, the better the treatment; the higher the assessed price, the more compensation; the Lunar New Year is just around the corner after the twelfth lunar month, and if you don't sign the agreement before the Spring Festival, you will be forcibly expropriated and won't get a single penny!

The news caused an uproar among the merchants.

Everyone ran all over the city, asking around for information, their feet were almost worn out.

They all rushed to squeeze into the neighborhood committee's entrance, even if it meant forming a long queue, just to grab a spot in the joint venture.

"Auntie Director, my family's fried noodles restaurant is willing to go into a joint venture! Please sign the agreement now!"

"Director Zhang! Our family also agrees to the joint venture! Could you please come and inspect the store today?"

"Don't forget about us! Come over and give us a valuation! We won't delay!"

"Director Zhang! Our little wonton stall wants to join too! We can't fall behind!"

There were just too many people. Director Zhang was so busy that he didn't even have time to eat. The staff of the neighborhood committee were working non-stop and were so exhausted that they almost collapsed.

At this moment, Chen Zhongze also panicked.

He rode his bicycle to the neighborhood committee three times, and each time he saw a large crowd at the door. He waited for a long time, but finally couldn't stand it anymore and had to leave.

To this day, not only have we not signed a contract, but we haven't even registered our names yet.

The regret in his heart was like ants gnawing at a bone, slowly eroding his heart.

He regretted listening to his sister's advice, but he refused to admit it for a second.

Meanwhile, Liu Dong's ten-day training program was coming to an end.

As dawn broke and night began to fade, Liu Dong stood up and walked to Old Yang at the front desk of Quanjude, saying, "Old Yang, that's enough."

He stayed at Quanjude for nine nights, slaughtering nearly a hundred ducks each day, totaling about 1600 ducks in total.

Based on market prices, each duck cost a little over 40,000 yuan, and a total of 64 million yuan in cash was spent on this.

Shopkeeper Yang clasped his hands in a fist salute to him, and two clear tears suddenly slid down his bloodshot eyes: "Pockmarked one, Old Tooth, the last batch is finished, turn off the fire..."

After saying that, he bowed deeply to Liu Dong, stretched out his hands in a gesture of respect, and kept his head down for a long time.

"Mr. Liu, you are the last guest like this at my old Yang's Quanjude. I bow to you." Liu Dong thought to himself that this man was probably feeling sad and was probably secretly wiping away tears, so he didn't bother him any longer and quietly turned and left.

Today is the last day of training!

Classes proceeded as usual in the morning, while the final exam was scheduled for the afternoon.

take an exam?

Liu Dong didn't take it seriously at all.

He didn't slack off during his studies. Many of the students in his class were elites selected from various factories, either highly efficient or with exceptionally high moral character.

But when it comes to cultural foundation—that's a long shot.

Among these people, those with a junior high school diploma are extremely rare.

But what about Liu Dong? He actually went to university in his previous life.

Learning these subjects is incredibly easy for him; no one can compare to him.

Therefore, after the results were announced, the outcome was no surprise.

The scores on multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions were very close, but when it came to questions that required lengthy essays, the differences immediately became apparent.

Ultimately, Liu Dong's performance was the best in the entire training class.

The important person in charge of this training personally pinned a small red flower on him and presented him with a certificate.

This big shot has an even bigger background and an extraordinary aura than the leader in the original drama.

The ten-day training camp came to a successful conclusion.

Liu Dong left the cultural center at around 6 p.m.

The sky was just beginning to darken, not yet completely dark. Instead of going straight back to the courtyard house, he turned a corner and went to Xu Huizhen's tavern.

Since the tavern became a joint public-private enterprise, Chen Xueru, encouraged by Director Zhang of the neighborhood committee, came to work as a front desk waitress.

"Welcome! What would you like to drink?" Chen Xueru, dressed in a cheongsam, walked over with an elegant demeanor.

Liu Dong grinned and pulled her to sit down beside him: "Have a drink with me..."

"puff--"

"Cough cough cough!"

A man in his forties standing nearby immediately spat out his drink.

"What...what are you doing?!"

Just as he was about to jump up and complain, a burst of laughter suddenly erupted in the tavern.

It turned out that it was Uncle Niu and Uncle Pian who were laughing so hard they couldn't stand up straight.

The man was stunned for a moment before he realized: So these two were a couple!

He immediately flew into a rage: "Can you please stop being so jumpy in broad daylight! You almost scared me to death!"

"Hey!" Old Niu waved his hand, "Go ask him for compensation, make him buy you two ounces of strong liquor, as much as you want!"

"Hahaha--"

The room erupted in laughter again.

Liu Dong looked around but didn't see Xu Huizhen, so he asked, "Xueru, why are you the only one busy today? Where is she?"

Chen Xueru pouted: "They had a fight. The new manager, Fan, insists on expanding the business, saying he wants to turn the tavern into a restaurant, add stir-fried dishes, and make it like a canteen. Xu Huizhen disagrees, so the two of them had a fight, and now they're at an impasse."

Well, Fan Jinyou is acting rashly, only thinking about making a name for himself.

They really seem to thrive on chaos.

"Alright, I'm not drinking anymore." Liu Dong took out a steaming roast duck from his bag. "If you're hungry, just take a bite. I'll go home and pack up first, and I'll pick you up at nine o'clock sharp."

"Sigh..." Chen Xueru's eyes were smiling, and her face was full of sweetness.

Liu Dong got on his bicycle and left.

He hadn't been back to the courtyard for ten whole days and had no idea what had become of his home.

He figured the room was probably covered in dust, so he thought he should go back and clean it up beforehand.