404: Buy the recipe

"I really don't need the money!"

"I'm quite fair when it comes to business. I certainly won't skimp on what needs to be paid. Besides, this money is also to buy myself some peace of mind, to prevent any business disputes between us later on."

Ye Su didn't give Jiang Lingling a chance to continue refusing:

"Yingxuan is fine; she looks like a decent person at a glance. But there's someone else here who isn't, and to avoid her causing trouble later, we'd better go to the balcony to talk."

"Hmm!"

As if she had sat on a cactus, Yu Jinle popped up from the sofa with a [whoosh], hands on her hips, glaring indignantly at Ye Su.

There were only four people present. Excluding the decent Su Yingxuan, that remaining [indecent one] could only be her!

Before Yu Jinle could speak, Ye Su already looked up and met her eyes: "Why did you stand up?"

"The indecent person you just mentioned, was it me?!"

Ye Su said righteously: "Yes. What, your boss says a couple of things to you, and you're not convinced?"

"No..."

In the end, Yu Jinle bowed down to the necessity of money and honestly sat back in her seat:

"I was just asking."

"Hahaha—"

Yu Jinle's reaction made Su Yingxuan burst into laughter.

Jiang Lingling also lowered her head, covering her mouth with one hand to stifle a laugh.

After roasting Yu Jinle, Ye Su got up and walked straight toward the balcony.

Seeing this, Jiang Lingling had no choice but to follow.

Opening the balcony door, Ye Su waited a moment to get used to the heat outside before stepping out.

Jiang Lingling, who came out a step later, closed the balcony door behind her before saying shyly:

"Ye Su, my family's shacha sauce recipe really isn't worth much. We usually just make it for ourselves at home, so you really don't need to pay me."

From this, it was clear that Jiang Lingling was indeed simple and honest.

There was no need to replace her with anyone else; even if it were Chen Xinyi.

If they didn't know each other, and she saw Ye Su driving a Lamborghini and offering to buy her ancestral recipe, Chen Xinyi would definitely seize the opportunity to sell the recipe for a good price.

How could she be like Jiang Lingling, who almost had to be forced by Ye Su to take the money.

"It's so hot outside, let's not push back on this small matter. The sooner we finish talking, the sooner we can go back inside to enjoy the air conditioning."

Ye Su held up two fingers: "I'll pay 200,000 to buy your family's recipe. Does that sound okay to you, or do you need to discuss it with your family first?"

"200,000!"

Jiang Lingling couldn't hide her thoughts at all. Hearing Ye Su offer 200,000 right off the bat, her shocked expression immediately froze on her face, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Her internship salary was only 2,500 a month.

Her parents back home only earned a few thousand yuan a month as well.

200,000 was almost equivalent to her family's income for two years!

"What, is 200,000 too little? If you think it's too little, I can add some more."

Spending a few hundred thousand more was absolutely nothing to Ye Su now.

A single [wealth-attracting watch] could generate 600,000 in revenue in a week, so he believed that was more than enough to buy this recipe.

Unless Jiang Lingling intended to ask for an exorbitant price, Ye Su wouldn't mind adding another few hundred thousand.

"It's not too little, it's too much!"

Ye Su was amused by Jiang Lingling's anxious appearance: "As long as it's not too little, then it's settled."

The unquestionable tone in Ye Su's voice left Jiang Lingling at a loss:

"Can I call home first to tell my parents?"

Ye Su had no reason to refuse: "Of course."

"Hmm."

Jiang Lingling nodded timidly, then followed Ye Su back to the living room.

"You two are done talking already?" Yu Jinle asked curiously: "How much are you planning to pay to buy Lingling's recipe?"

"Adult matters—why are you, a child, butting in?"

Ye Su took the opportunity to roast Yu Jinle, while also giving Su Yingxuan a heads-up, so Jiang Lingling wouldn't be caught off guard by their questioning:

"The price of the recipe involves trade secrets, which we will include in the contract, so don't go asking around blindly."

"Fine, don't tell me then. As if I care."

Although she said that, it wasn't hard to tell from Yu Jinle's expression that she was still very curious about the price of the recipe.

Jiang Lingling was just timid and introverted, but she wasn't stupid.

Understanding the intention behind Ye Su's words, Jiang Lingling shot him a grateful look before entering her room to call home.

Soon, the call connected, and the voice of a middle-aged woman, extremely familiar to Jiang Lingling, came from the other side:

"Hello, Lingling."

"Mom, I have something to tell you."

Jiang Lingling quickly explained to Mei Xiaofang about Ye Su wanting to spend 200,000 to buy their family's shacha sauce recipe.

"Spend 200,000 to buy our family's shacha sauce recipe!" Mei Xiaofang's tone was full of disbelief: "You haven't run into a scammer, have you?"

"No, that person is my roommate's boss. Just the car he drives is worth millions; there's no need for him to try and scam me."

"Is that so."

Mei Xiaofang was also an honest and upright middle-aged woman. After confirming her daughter hadn't run into a scammer, she worriedly cautioned her:

"Our family's shacha sauce recipe isn't anything special. Since that person wants it, just give it to him, but you can't take that much money from him."

"That's what I said too, but he said that he might commercialize the shacha sauce made from it later, so this money is to buy the recipe and avoid any business disputes in the future."

"Is that so..."

On the other end of the line, Mei Xiaofang hesitated for a moment before continuing:

"Your dad and I don't understand business matters. You just handle it yourself. If he wants to buy the recipe, just sell it to him."

"Alright."

Having received Mei Xiaofang's approval, Jiang Lingling hung up the phone and left the room to find Ye Su:

"That recipe, you can buy it, but I really don't know if it's actually worth that much..."

"It's fine." With the recipe about to be in hand, Ye Su beamed:

"In business, there's no such thing as a guaranteed profit. If I end up losing money later, I can't blame you."

"Hmm."

Having agreed to accept Ye Su's 200,000, Jiang Lingling felt somewhat uneasy. Worried that simply writing the recipe on paper might lead to mistakes when Ye Su cooked the sauce, she suggested:

"How about I go out and buy the ingredients now, and then I'll teach you how to make the shacha sauce in a bit?"

"Sure, that would be trouble for you."

"It's no trouble." Jiang Lingling told Ye Su: "You sit for a while, I'll go out to buy the things and be back in a bit."

"Alright."

There was a wet market nearby, and there were some ingredients left at home.

So, after Ye Su waited for only about half an hour, Jiang Lingling had already finished buying the things and returned.

"Shall we go into the kitchen so I can start teaching you how to make the shacha sauce?"

"Sure."

At Jiang Lingling's invitation, Ye Su, who had been waiting impatiently, immediately got up and followed her into the kitchen.

As for Yu Jinle and the other in the living room, they sensibly didn't follow them in to watch the excitement.

After all, it was a recipe he had paid for; secretly learning it by standing on the side wouldn't be quite appropriate.