Soon after—
Master Ren took Fenric and Ren Tingting to a Western restaurant outside of Ren Mansion.
As for Weiha, Master Ren disliked his lack of discretion and decisively left him behind.
Ten minutes later—
"Here we are."
Master Ren was the first to get out of the car. He turned to Fenric and said, "The owner of this Western restaurant is an old acquaintance of mine. He studied abroad and opened this place after coming back. I heard his chef is a real foreigner, imported straight from overseas!"
As he spoke, Master Ren kept a close eye on Fenric's expression, trying to catch any flicker of unease.
If Fenric flinched now, it would be proof that he was hiding something!
But Fenric's face remained calm and composed.
He already understood that this meal wouldn't be so simple.
But so what?
Even if he got exposed, it wasn't like Master Ren could do anything about it.
What, did Master Ren think he could take him down? If pushed, Fenric could raze Renjia Town to the ground.
Besides, it wasn't like he couldn't speak English.
The three entered the restaurant, and a waiter quickly approached, politely guiding them to a window seat on the second floor.
As a regular guest, Master Ren was always given a good spot.
Once seated, the waiter handed them menus.
Master Ren chuckled. "Mr. Fen, feel free to order anything you like. You're a top student who studied abroad, right? While you're at it, help me judge whether this chef my friend brought back is the real deal or not!"
Fenric smiled and opened the menu.
The selections were few, and all written in English.
Still, Fenric showed no hesitation.
"I'll have a steak and a coffee," he said fluently.
The waiter, clearly trained to understand basic English, nodded. "Okay, sir. It'll be out shortly."
Master Ren continued to smile, but deep down, he remained cautious.
If Fenric could only spit out a few basic phrases, that wouldn't pass his test.
Soon, Master Ren and Ren Tingting ordered as well—both speaking in their mother tongue.
Since it was lunchtime and the restaurant wasn't crowded, their food arrived quickly.
The three chatted as they ate.
Just as they were nearly done, a fat, middle-aged man—around Master Ren's age—approached their table with a tall foreigner beside him, whose deep-set eyes marked him as a foreigner.
"Haha! Master Ren! What brings you to my place today?"
Fenric, sensing the real show was about to begin, calmly picked up his napkin and wiped his mouth with practiced grace.
"We came to support your business, of course," Master Ren said with a friendly smile.
"Haha, thank you, thank you!"
The portly man gave Master Ren a grateful nod before turning to Fenric. Noticing his refined appearance, he asked curiously, "Master Ren, is this your son-in-law? What a distinguished young man!"
Hearing this, Ren Tingting immediately blushed. Yet, she didn't deny it—not even a single word!
"Don't talk nonsense," Master Ren scolded, casting the fat man a glare. "This is the foreign language tutor my daughter invited. He's a top student who just returned from studying abroad."
The restaurant owner scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "Ah, I see! A high-achiever from overseas. My apologies, that was rude of me." Then he turned to Fenric again. "May I ask which country you studied in?"
Fenric replied casually, "I spent most of my time in the States Nation."
The man's eyes lit up. "What a coincidence! The chef behind me was recruited from the S.N Why don't you two have a chat? Maybe you could even give me some suggestions for improving the restaurant."
Fenric turned to the foreigner behind him.
His gaze sharpened slightly, and then he initiated the conversation in English.
"Cana?"
The white man nodded. "Yes, from North Angeles."
"Oh? N.A.'s a beautiful place. I love the scenery—and especially the Bollywood movies."
"Really? Dude, I love movies too!" The white man grinned, clearly enjoying the common ground.
"I'm a big fan of Xavier—he's a master of comedy."
"Haha, that guy cracks me up! But honestly, I prefer the actresses."
Fenric laughed, then smoothly shifted topics again. "By the way, I didn't catch your name."
He deliberately kept the conversation flowing so the foreigner wouldn't get a chance to ask any tricky questions—after all, his own knowledge of foreign countries was limited.
"Jason Downey. You can just call me Jason."
"Nice to meet you, Jason. I'm Fen Ric. You can call me Ric. I used to live in Past York's Town. Only recently came back to the country."
"Really? I've heard of Past York's Town! People say there are lots of fighting masters there."
Fenric chuckled. "That's right."
Then he asked, "Jason, what brought you to the People's Republic?"
Jason shrugged. "I got into trouble. Beat up a rich guy's son. If I didn't skip town, I'd be behind bars right now."
The entire exchange was conducted in fluent English.
The three people at the table were utterly dumbfounded, as if they were listening to some heavenly scripture.
Ren Tingting's eyes sparkled as she looked at Fenric. Her face was filled with admiration.
She wished she could converse with foreigners as effortlessly as her teacher.
Having grown up in the provincial capital, she often encountered foreigners—but she frequently found herself in awkward situations due to the language barrier.
At this point, Master Ren had no more doubts about Fenric's background.
Being able to chat so naturally with a foreigner—that said it all.
As the conversation wrapped up, Master Ren burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha! Looks like Mr. Fen found a kindred spirit today!"
Kindred spirit your ass...
Fenric cursed silently, but still kept up a polite smile. "We just exchanged a few words. I hope Master Ren didn't mind."
Right then, the restaurant owner chimed in.
"Mr. Fen, since you come back from overseas, you must have seen a lot. My restaurant's business hasn't been great lately. Do you have any advice or suggestions?"
Fenric smiled faintly.
As someone from modern times, he'd seen countless restaurants with all kinds of innovative themes and styles.
Trying to stump him with something like this?
Impossible.
"Then I'll just speak casually."
Fenric stood up and began offering his suggestions.
"First point—lighting. Boss, the lights you installed are indeed beautiful. Clearly, you put a lot of thought into them. Unfortunately, they're not suitable for this space.
"These lights have limited diffusion. The seats directly under them are bright enough, but the surrounding tables, especially those in the corners, are left in shadow. I assume those seats rarely get occupied? After all, who wants to eat in a dark corner?"
The restaurant owner's eyes widened. Clearly, Fenric had struck a nerve.
Fenric continued calmly, "I recommend installing a few smaller lights around the edges. They won't cost much in electricity, but they'll make the space feel warmer and more inviting."
He paused briefly, then went on, "Now, about the decor—it's another issue. Frankly, your seating style is very generic. People don't come to a Western restaurant just to eat. There's usually a sense of vanity involved—a desire to highlight their status."
His words were blunt, and they made both the restaurant owner and Master Ren feel embarrassed.
Especially Master Ren—he often invited others to dine at Western restaurants or offered imported coffee during meetings, just as Fenric had described. A matter of face, of image.
However, Ren Tingting, listening quietly nearby, looked at Fenric with sparkling eyes. She was completely captivated. In her heart, her teacher was both handsome and brilliant.
"The current decor of your restaurant isn't much different from an average local spot. It fails to create a special atmosphere or experience. That's a major shortcoming. I suggest you turn the area by the windows into private booths or alcoves."
The restaurant owner quickly asked, "What do you mean by booths or alcoves?"
"It's simple," Fenric explained. "Use some wooden boards to create semi-private sections—small enclosed areas with curtains at the entrances. Each one can have a different theme: history, culture, cityscapes, nature, fairy tales—you name it.
"For instance, create a booth themed around the story 'Blessings of Love'. Use dim lighting, add a few flower baskets, and set a romantic mood. It's cheap to implement, but young couples will flock to it."
'Blessings of Love' was one of the most popular love stories in Jadeveil.
The restaurant owner's eyes lit up as if he'd discovered gold. He looked at Fenric with admiration, clearly recognizing a man of true talent.
To think a simple restaurant could be transformed like this...
As for Ren Tingting? Well, her gaze was locked on Fenric, and her eyes were practically glowing.
Fenric continued sharing layout ideas inspired by modern restaurant design—carefully picking what would fit the current era—and finally said, "The key is to give guests a feeling of luxury and sophistication. Make them feel like they're gaining something—an experience worth talking about. If you can do that, your restaurant won't stay small for long. Word will spread. Even people from the provincial capital might come just to see it."
"OOHH—"
"What does 'sophisticated' mean?" someone asked.
Fenric sipped his coffee, smiling. "High-end. Elegant. Classy."
The restaurant owner closed his eyes, processing everything he had just heard.
Fenric's insights—drawn from modern-day knowledge—had opened a whole new door for him. He'd never imagined a restaurant could be played like this. Compared to Fenric, he now felt like a clueless country bumpkin.
After a long moment, the restaurant owner opened his eyes and looked at Fenric with admiration. Then, unexpectedly, he bent down and bowed deeply.
"Sir, your words today have truly enlightened me. I have an earnest request.
"Renjia Town is too small. I plan to open a Western restaurant in the provincial capital. I'd like to invite you to become the manager. You'll get half the profits. Would you be willing?"
Fenric was stunned.
Before he could respond, Master Ren's voice rang out, furious. "Old Lao, have you lost your mind? Mr. Fen is my guest and my daughter's teacher! How dare you try to poach him right in front of me?"
Fenric's performance today had left a deep impression on Master Ren. In his eyes, Fenric was no ordinary man—he was a true gem.
Although the Ren family still held some local prestige, their influence and wealth had been fading. Master Ren had long hoped to reverse their decline. That's why he'd called on Master Nine before, hoping to change the feng shui of the Ren ancestral grave.
But after seeing Fenric today, Master Ren began to realize something else—perhaps the family could enter the restaurant business instead.
With ideas like Fenric's, it might not even be difficult to restore the Ren family's glory.
"Of course, of course! I meant no offense!" the restaurant owner quickly apologized. "I was simply moved by Mr. Fen's talent and spoke out of turn. Please forgive me, Master Ren."
Master Ren's expression softened.
But Ren Tingting still gave the restaurant owner a wide-eyed glare—adorably fierce.
Trying to steal her dashing, brilliant teacher?
Not a chance!
She'd never support his business again!
______
[Translation Note: New Arc Starts
Rank 1st = The Whole Mr. Vampire Arc Chapters Updated
Rank 3rd = 5 Chapters Daily.
P.S. Advanced chapters are now available on my Patreon!
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Well, aside from getting access to advanced chapters and other ongoing stories, you'll also get to see illustrations — like the images placed alongside the text to help visualize scenes from the story.
That's about it — nothing fancy, just more stories and a bit of visual flair.
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Ps: Cover Updated]