18 – vol.3 Truffle Dark Chocolate
Three days later.
Wen Ruosui had already begun preparing for her departure, handling the necessary procedures, canceling the shop’s license, and obtaining some required documents.
As for the café today, only Xiao Hui was left to keep watch.
There wasn’t much left to do in the shop, but Wen Ruosui still wanted to see things through to the end. She had Xiao Hui inform the regular customers about the shop’s closure, at least giving them a heads-up so the departure wouldn’t seem too abrupt.
At the moment, there weren’t many people in the shop. Xiao Hui was leaning on the counter next to the dessert display, idly scrolling through her phone to pass the time.
The wind chimes rang, and she looked up, greeting the person who entered:
“Welcome.”
The person who walked in was tall and upright, dressed in a black formal suit, carrying a black briefcase, and wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. From his appearance, he looked like a typical white-collar professional.
After entering the café, he stood in the center, first scanning the surroundings.
When he didn’t find the person he was looking for within his line of sight, the man walked over to the counter. His sharp eyes behind the transparent lenses met Xiao Hui’s puzzled gaze as he politely said, “Hello.”
Xiao Hui put down her phone, stood up, and replied courteously, “Hello, what can I get for you?”
As she asked this, Xiao Hui felt a hint of suspicion in her heart.
This man, seemingly well-dressed and proper, had a serious face and a purposeful look in his eyes. When he entered the café, he didn’t seem as relaxed and comfortable as a regular customer.
He didn’t look like someone who had come to quietly sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee.
Sure enough.
The very next second, the man got straight to the point, asking Xiao Hui directly, “Excuse me, I’d like to ask if the owner of this shop is here. I have some official matters I’d like to discuss with her.”
His words were perfectly normal, and his attitude was respectful and polite.
However, at this critical moment, it felt rather abrupt.
Xiao Hui immediately became alert.
Official matters? Looking for the boss?
But he didn’t specify what those matters were… Something seemed off…
Maintaining the basic courtesy of the service industry, Xiao Hui gently explained to the man, “The owner isn’t here today. She had some matters to attend to and is out.” After a pause, she added, “Is there something I can help you with? I can pass on a message for you.”
A very safe response, not at all impolite.
The man remained silent for a moment, not responding immediately.
After likely weighing his options in his mind, he spoke earnestly, “Actually, it’s our boss who wants to get in touch with her. There are some matters he’d like to collaborate on. Do you have her contact information? Our boss will speak with her personally.”
His boss.
So it was someone else looking for Suisui.
Xiao Hui leaned forward slightly and glanced out the glass window. On the road outside the café, a black sedan was parked neatly. The car’s windows were completely blacked out, making it impossible to see who was inside.
She instinctively touched her chin, lost in thought:
Suisui’s shop is about to close. What kind of collaboration could there possibly be?
Could this be a scam?
She slowly raised her eyes and took another careful look at the man in front of her.
He seemed well-dressed and proper, with a humble and respectful attitude, but…
Xiao Hui’s guard was up.Recalling what happened at the bar that night and the words spoken yesterday, along with Vincent’s advice to always be cautious… This man and his boss might be connected to that despicable couple, seeking revenge against Suisui?
At this thought, Xiao Hui immediately became alert.
No, she couldn’t just hand it over.
The young girl, unusually serious, spoke with great caution, “I’m sorry, sir, but my boss’s personal information isn’t something I can casually share at the moment. My apologies.”
“If it’s absolutely necessary, you could leave your company’s name and contact details. I’ll pass them along to her when she returns.”
A flicker of surprise crossed the man in the suit’s face.
He seemed taken aback that this seemingly naive young girl had such a strong sense of caution.
Adjusting his glasses with a finger, he wore a slightly troubled expression, as if debating whether to provide the information.
But soon, he regained his composure and said in a steady tone, “Here’s the situation. We’re a financial investment firm called Huarui Capital, headquartered in Beicheng, with a branch in Pucheng. Our company holds regular team-building events and is looking for a consistent catering supplier. Our boss visited here before and was quite impressed, so he’d like to explore a partnership with your café.”
He paused before offering a reasonable suggestion:
“How about this—why don’t you make a call and ask? Our boss is genuinely interested in collaborating.”
At this point, refusing would seem impolite.
Though Xiao Hui had no desire to make the call, as a mere shop assistant, she couldn’t keep blocking what might be a potential opportunity for Suisui.
“…Alright,” Xiao Hui replied hesitantly.
She picked up her phone, found a corner away from the man’s line of sight, and dialed Wen Ruosui’s number.
On the other end, perhaps busy, it took a while for the call to connect.
As soon as it did, Xiao Hui spoke first, “Suisui.”
Wen Ruosui seemed occupied with something, as noisy background sounds came through the receiver.
Likely holding the phone between her shoulder and ear, her voice sounded slightly muffled, “What’s up, Xiao Hui?”
Xiao Hui briefly explained, “Suisui, there’s someone at the shop who says they want to collaborate with our café. What should I do?”
After a moment’s thought, Xiao Hui turned slightly and lowered her voice into the receiver:
“To be honest, I don’t think they’re genuinely interested in collaborating. It feels more like an excuse to get your contact information. It might even be related to your ex-boyfriend…”
Hearing this, Wen Ruosui simply said, “Then just turn them down for me.”
Busy selling off furniture from her old apartment at a secondhand market and with no intention of continuing work in this city, she replied indifferently, “Anyway, the shop is about to close, and I won’t be staying here much longer.”
“Alright, I’ll let them know,” Xiao Hui replied.
She had expected this outcome. After hanging up, she returned to the counter and addressed the man in black formally:
“I’m sorry, sir, but my boss’s contact information isn’t available at the moment. As for the collaboration, she said she isn’t interested right now and asked me to decline on her behalf.”
“You can pass that along to your boss directly.”