"Of course not!"
Gao Yan shook his head decisively. "I just have some business with her!"
"What business?"
Cheng Hao pressed on.
Thinking for a moment, Gao Yan said, "I have a really good hot pot base recipe. Didn't you say Yang Yue's family owns a chain of hotpot restaurants? So, I approached her to see if I could sell the recipe to them!"
"And how did it go?" Cheng Hao asked with a grin.
"Of course, it didn't work out," Gao Yan replied, somewhat frustrated.
At this, Cheng Hao appeared thoughtful. After a while, he asked, "Are you sure your recipe is that good?"
After two years of knowing Gao Yan, Cheng Hao understood him well enough to know he wouldn't make baseless claims. So, he trusted that Gao Yan really had such a recipe.
Gao Yan said, "How about this? I cooked up quite a bit of hot pot base yesterday. Let's buy some ingredients and cook a pot to try it out!"
"Alright, if your hot pot base is really that good, I'll introduce you to someone who might be interested!" Cheng Hao said.
"Thanks a lot!"
With only one professional class in the morning, Gao Yan and Cheng Hao left the school together and bought a lot of ingredients at a nearby market.
Back at the rental apartment, Gao Yan got busy.
An hour later.
Cheng Hao lay on the sofa, his belly full, looking satisfied.
Gao Yan didn't need to ask if it was good.
The bulging belly said it all.
"Bro, your hot pot base is amazing. The stuff cooked with it is damn delicious!"
At this point, Cheng Hao hesitated. "Are you really planning to sell something this good?"
"What else?"
Gao Yan sat down on the sofa. He knew that with this recipe, opening a hotpot restaurant would definitely be a hit.
But he had no money, no connections. How could he open a restaurant?
And even if he did, what then?
Could he ensure the recipe would never leak?
Once it leaked, how could he compete with capital?
Though only a sophomore, his family circumstances had made him mature early.
Since he couldn't protect the recipe, it was more practical to sell it for some money.
As the saying goes, you have to give up something to gain something.
He could also use the money from the recipe to upgrade the system and gain more benefits.
A novice gift pack had already given him a Super Hot Pot Base. He believed he could get more from the system in the future!
One must have a long-term vision.
"Why don't we team up to open a hotpot restaurant? You provide the recipe, I'll provide the funding!"
Cheng Hao suggested again.
"You?"
Gao Yan looked at Cheng Hao with disdain. This guy was even poorer than him and often mooched off him.
Cheng Hao said, "Why not? Forget it, I won't pretend anymore. Actually, I'm a second-generation wealthy. Son, kneel to your dad, and I'll take you to the top!"
"Get lost!"
Gao Yan glared at him, not believing a word. This fat guy was stingy and loved to take advantage of others, and his clothes were ordinary.
He really didn't look like a second-generation wealthy.
"Gao Yan, I'm serious!"
Cheng Hao's expression became more serious.
"If you're a second-generation wealthy, then I'll sell you the recipe!"
Gao Yan sneered.
"Name your price, and I'll transfer the money right away!"
Cheng Hao put on a nouveau riche smile.
"Five hundred thousand. If you can come up with five hundred thousand, the recipe is yours!"
"What's your account number?"
Cheng Hao pretended to take out his phone.
Gao Yan cooperated by giving him his bank account number.
Cheng Hao continued fiddling with his phone for a while, then looked up at Gao Yan. "I've transferred the five hundred thousand to you."
"Addicted to acting, aren't you?"
Gao Yan scoffed.
But just then, his phone vibrated. He picked it up and saw a bank notification.
Opening it, Gao Yan's expression turned strange as he looked at Cheng Hao. "Fatty, are you really a second-generation wealthy?"
Because the message indicated that his bank account had just received a transfer of five hundred thousand.
At this moment, the system's notification also arrived.
"Ding, congratulations to the host for receiving five hundred thousand. The refunded five hundred thousand has been credited and can be withdrawn through the system!"
"Ding, the system has met the upgrade requirements. Would you like to upgrade?"
"Upgrade!"
Gao Yan silently agreed in his heart.
"Ding, the system upgrade is complete. It is now Level 2. Each income will be doubled in return. Also, congratulations to the host for receiving one lottery draw and five free attribute points."
At this moment, Cheng Hao's voice rang out, "Hehe, did you receive the money? See, I wasn't lying to you!"
"Alright, you've hidden it well. Since you're a second-generation wealthy, yet you mooched off me, grandson, tell me, how should I deal with you?"
Gao Yan grinned wickedly, walking menacingly towards Cheng Hao.
"No, please!"
"Brother Yan, I'm sorry, go easy, not the face."
"Dad, stop hitting, I'm really sorry!"
...
After giving Cheng Hao a good beating, Gao Yan finally vented his frustration. This fat guy was too good at pretending. Clearly a second-generation wealthy, yet he acted poor and pitiful to mooch off him.
And he had been fooled for nearly two years.
Sitting back on the sofa, Gao Yan glanced at Cheng Hao. "Tell me, why did you lie to me?"
"Brother Yan, I actually have my reasons. It all started back in high school..."
In short, during high school, Cheng Hao appeared as a second-generation wealthy at school and started dating a pretty girl.
Cheng Hao thought he had found true love and spent a lot on the girl.
But it turned out the girl was only after his money and even conspired with others to scam him.
After learning the truth, Cheng Hao was devastated.
Although the girl was eventually punished, Cheng Hao's heart was deeply hurt.
So, starting from college, he began pretending to be poor.
Cheng Hao stood up with a wry smile. "Brother Yan, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to deceive you. I always wanted to come clean, but I didn't know how!"
"Ten big meals and I'll forgive you!"
Gao Yan, who had been stern-faced, finally smiled.
"That's too much, how about three?"
Cheng Hao also smiled, bargaining.
"Ten, not a meal less!"
"Alright, ten it is!"
Cheng Hao agreed, looking pained.
The next moment, he turned serious. "By the way, Brother Yan, selling the recipe for five hundred thousand is too cheap. How about pricing it at two million?"
"No, five hundred thousand is five hundred thousand. If you haggle, we won't even be friends!"
Gao Yan waved impatiently.
To be honest, although the recipe was valuable, selling it for a high price wasn't easy.
If it were someone else, forget five hundred thousand, even one hundred thousand would be a stretch.
"By the way, here's the recipe, keep it safe!"
Gao Yan took out a piece of paper and handed it to Cheng Hao.
"Brother Yan, this time I'm taking advantage of you, but don't worry, I won't let you suffer!"
Cheng Hao accepted the recipe, his chubby face serious. "By the way, do you have any leftover base? I'd like to take some home for my parents to try."
"There's some left, I'll give it all to you!"
Gao Yan went to the kitchen and packed the remaining hot pot base into a bag.
After sending Cheng Hao off, Gao Yan couldn't wait to settle accounts with the system.
"System, upgrading to Level 2 only required ten thousand experience, and I earned five hundred thousand, which equals five hundred thousand experience. Why did I only reach Level 2?"
"Host, each upgrade clears the experience!"
The system replied.
Hearing this, Gao Yan was speechless. If he had known, he would have asked Cheng Hao to transfer the money in batches, wasting four hundred ninety thousand experience.
Right, there was also a lottery draw reward after the upgrade.
So, Gao Yan quickly shouted, "System, I want to draw!"