Arlo was overjoyed, nodding repeatedly. "Sure, I have no objections."
"Great." Bai Jie smiled brightly and turned to the chubby chef. "Chef Liu, weigh the snake meat."
"Got it!" Chef Liu rolled over a digital scale. Arlo lifted the basket onto the scale, which displayed 577, indicating a total weight of 577 pounds. However, the basket's weight needed to be deducted. After transferring the snake meat onto the kitchen counter, Arlo weighed the empty basket, which came in at 18 pounds.
"Boss, the total is 559 pounds..."
"Let's round it up to an even 560," Bai Jie said with a slight smile at Arlo. "Arlo, if you have more snake meat in the future, can I be your first choice?"
Though their interaction had been brief, Arlo had already noticed Bai Jie's exceptional social skills. She was clearly a rare talent in the business world—capable, charismatic, and polished. Coupled with her striking appearance, it was no surprise she had built such a successful enterprise.
Arlo nodded. "Sister Bai, I promise that as long as I'm in Haitian City, my first choice will always be Cuisine."
"Thank you so much!" Bai Jie said with a warm smile, her eyes lingering on Arlo. Despite wearing plain, generic clothes, Arlo somehow made them look stylish. His red hair, unrestrained demeanor, and unique charm were hard to ignore.
"Ahem!" Chef Liu cleared his throat loudly, startling Bai Jie. She turned to him with a slight frown, and the chef, sweating nervously, stammered, "Boss, 560 pounds at 500 per pound totals 280,000. Add the 100,000 for the gallbladder, and it's 380,000 in total."
"Got it." Bai Jie nodded and smiled at Arlo. "Arlo, what's your account number? I'll transfer the money right away."
Arlo chuckled awkwardly. "Sister Bai, I don't have an account yet, but I'm planning to get a card soon."
"Oh, I see." Bai Jie looked a bit troubled. "But I don't have that much cash on hand, and the bank isn't open right now..."
"Well..." Arlo thought for a moment. "Sister Bai, I haven't eaten yet. Could you get me some buns and soup? We can settle the payment after the bank opens."
"Sure! But this meal is on me," Bai Jie said with a grin. "I haven't eaten yet either. How about we eat together?"
"Sounds good!" Arlo had no reason to refuse, especially since Bai Jie was treating.
Bai Jie beamed brightly and said to the chubby chef, "Chef Liu, send a steamer of buns and two bowls of snake soup to the second floor.""Got it! Someone, bring a steamer of buns and two bowls of snake soup to the second floor!" Chef Liu shouted loudly.Bai Jie nodded and gave Arlo a gentle smile. "Arlo, let's head up.""Wait, Sister Bai, what about the snake gallbladders?" Arlo pointed at the ones in Bai Jie's hand."Oh, these gallbladders are rare treasures. I'll handle them personally." Stroking the gallbladders, Bai Jie sighed softly. "It's a shame they were removed a bit too late. If they'd been taken out right after the snake was killed, cleaned, and soaked in high-proof grain alcohol, they could have been turned into a highly nourishing snake gallbladder wine. That wine can help treat rheumatism, paralysis, strokes, partial paralysis, joint pain, and more. It's incredibly beneficial.""Really..." Arlo rubbed his chin thoughtfully.Noticing Arlo's reaction, Bai Jie chuckled softly. "Arlo, come on, let's head to the second floor.""Alright."The two climbed the stairs to the second floor, where Bai Jie casually pointed to a table. "Arlo, have a seat. I'll handle the gallbladders and be back in a bit.""Take your time, Sister Bai."Not long after Bai Jie left, a server arrived with a steamer of buns and two bowls of snake soup. "Please enjoy, sir."Arlo had never tasted snake meat buns before. Each bun was only the size of half a fist but cost five each. The snake soup was priced at 21 per bowl—a somewhat extravagant breakfast for someone like Arlo, who lived on society's fringes. At most street food stalls, ten could get you a filling breakfast of fried dough sticks and pancakes.The aroma of the buns was irresistible. Arlo couldn't wait for Bai Jie to return and grabbed a bun with his chopsticks, popping it into his mouth. The tender snake meat filled his taste buds with an explosion of flavor, leaving him savoring every bite.A sip of the snake soup followed—fresh and delicious. It was undoubtedly the best soup he'd ever had.As the saying goes, "Eating is paramount," especially when the food is this good. Arlo dove in enthusiastically. By the time Bai Jie returned, half the buns were gone, and one bowl of soup was almost finished."Uh..." Arlo quickly swallowed the bun in his mouth and scratched his head. "Sister Bai, are the gallbladders all taken care of?"Seeing Arlo's 'bashful' expression, Bai Jie burst into laughter. "All done." She walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down with a smile. "So, how are the buns and soup?""Top-notch." Arlo gave a thumbs-up. "I've never had buns this tasty or soup this flavorful."Bai Jie's face lit up. "Then eat as much as you want. Is there enough soup? Should I get another bowl?""No need, I'm almost full." Half a steamer had at least twenty buns. If not for Arlo's hard work and big appetite, a regular person would have been full after ten."Heh." Bai Jie chuckled and took a sip of soup herself. Her lips, brushing the edge of the bowl, carried an oddly captivating allure. Arlo licked his lips and lowered his head to focus on the buns.Watching Arlo wolf down his meal, Bai Jie smiled gently and asked, "Arlo, who gave you that name? It's quite interesting.""Uh..." Arlo took a sip of soup. "My dad came up with it. He said he didn't achieve much in his life, so he hoped his son would do better. That's why he gave me this name. Sure, it's a bit unusual, but I like it. It's simple, memorable, and serves as my life's goal."Bai Jie laughed heartily. "Using your name as your goal—Arlo, you're truly one of a kind.""Not really." Arlo smiled, then looked at Bai Jie. "To be honest, Sister Bai, I really admire you.""Oh? Why?" Bai Jie asked with a smile."Well..." Arlo glanced at the large second-floor dining area. "You're a woman, yet you've built such an impressive business. It makes us men feel ashamed."As a model of a successful woman, Bai Jie had been interviewed by local TV stations and newspapers in Hai Tian City. From these features, Arlo had learned a bit about her background.Bai Jie had a tough life. She lost both parents as a teenager. Refusing help from relatives, she started working as a waitress at a snake cuisine restaurant in the city. She secretly learned how to prepare snake dishes and identified reliable suppliers. After two years, she sold her family's assets and opened her own snake restaurant in a county town.The early days of her business were tough, but with persistence and excellent service, her restaurant gained fame within five years, earning her a fortune. However, as more snake restaurants popped up in the county, competition squeezed profits. Around that time, a wealthy businessman from Hai Tian tasted Bai Jie's snake cuisine and casually remarked, "This is amazing. It's a pity Hai Tian doesn't have a snake restaurant. It's so hard to find such dishes here."That offhand comment stuck with Bai Jie. A month later, she spent a month surveying Hai Tian and discovered the city lacked a snake cuisine market. Recognizing the opportunity, she sold her county restaurant and moved to Hai Tian with over a million in savings. After three months of hard work, she opened the city's first Xiangtan Snake Cuisine restaurant. As she predicted, being the "first" in the market attracted a flood of customers. Positioned as a high-end establishment in a wealthy area, her restaurant's delicious dishes ensured a steady stream of patrons.At the time, Bai Jie was only 23 years old.Over the next eight years, Bai Jie expanded her restaurant's scale, multiplying her wealth fiftyfold. Today, she was considered a modestly wealthy figure in Hai Tian. At 32, Bai Jie was still young and beautiful, which attracted many suitors. Yet, for some reason, she showed little interest in romance, remaining single. This only made her personal life a topic of curiosity among others.Bai Jie chuckled softly. "With effort and opportunity, anyone can succeed. Take me, for example. I didn't even finish middle school, yet I built this business with sheer determination. Plus, my assets are tangible and stable, unlike stocks that can vanish overnight. Spending this kind of money feels secure.""Exactly. That's why I admire you, Sister Bai. Many people get rich through the stock market but fail to manage risks, turning from billionaires to bankrupts overnight. You've built something solid, which is far more commendable than those who gamble their way to riches," Arlo said sincerely.Bai Jie smiled radiantly. "You're making me blush! Here, have some more.""Thanks, Sister Bai, but I can help myself."After finishing the buns, a server cleared the table and brought over a pot of hot tea.Bai Jie poured Arlo a cup and smiled. "Arlo, what does your family do? If it's okay to ask.""Thank you." Arlo accepted the cup and gave a bitter smile. "There's nothing much to say. My family lives in the slums of the southwest. For generations, we've been poor farmers. Now it's just my parents and me, living in rundown houses in a rough neighborhood. Everyone there is poor, so theft isn't an issue, but you have to be tough to avoid being bullied."Hearing this, Bai Jie's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't expected Arlo's background to be so harsh. It stirred a sense of empathy in her, as she too had faced a challenging upbringing. Losing her parents early and struggling to survive at 16, Bai Jie had relied on sheer determination to build her success. Seeing Arlo, who reminded her of her younger self, working hard and already earning 380,000 at his age, made her look at him with newfound warmth.