Chapter 91

Stephan did not know that he had just scared away another group of people who had ill intentions towards him!

After watching Elder Yue San and his group leave, Stephan turned to look at Mr. Zhao, and with a bow, said, "Mr. Zhao, since the matter here is settled, I will take my leave!"

To be honest, he quite liked this restaurant, Tianwai Tian. Especially the thought of owning such a restaurant in the future, lying on the roof drinking wine and admiring the moon, would truly be one of life's great pleasures.

However, Stephan was also well aware that the five hundred taels Mr. Zhao had mentioned earlier were out of anger and desperation. Now that the matter was settled, trying to buy it at that price was nothing but a pipe dream.

Moreover, even if it were five hundred taels, the current Stephan could not afford it!

Unexpectedly, Mr. Zhao suddenly reached out and grabbed Stephan's collar, then said gratefully, "I haven't thanked you yet for your help just now! Sir, rest assured, the reason I've been able to develop Tianwai Tian into the top restaurant in Hangzhou over the years is because I value honesty. As long as you can come up with five hundred taels, I will sell Tianwai Tian to you!"

"Mr. Zhao, you can't sell it!"

"Mr. Zhao, this restaurant is your life's work! Besides, selling it for five hundred taels would be a huge loss for us!"

Mr. Zhao's words shocked the servants behind him, and they all began to try to dissuade him. However, Mr. Zhao waved his hand to stop them.

"Mr. Zhao, as the saying goes, a gentleman does not take what he loves from others. I understand the urgency of the situation just now. Moreover, to be honest, I don't have five hundred taels at the moment!" Stephan spread his hands and said helplessly.

Mr. Zhao was slightly taken aback, looked at Stephan in surprise, and then asked tentatively, "How much silver can you come up with now?"

"Very little, just enough for travel expenses. I believe that after this lesson, Elder Yue San won't dare to harass you again. Even if you want to sell, you can take your time to find a buyer and sell it properly!"

"Sir, just tell me how much silver you can come up with now!" Mr. Zhao held Stephan's hand and said seriously.

Stephan calculated in his mind and then said softly, "Ninety taels!"

"Fine, ninety taels it is! I will sell Tianwai Tian to you for ninety taels!" Mr. Zhao said decisively.

"This..."

These words not only shocked the servants behind him but also Stephan. A restaurant worth tens of thousands of taels was being sold to him for ninety taels. This was too unbelievable.

"Sir, rest assured, I will not deceive you! To be frank, in Hangzhou City right now, apart from you, I doubt anyone else would dare to take over Tianwai Tian! Moreover, I have already decided to return to my hometown in Suzhou with my family after this incident. Giving this restaurant to you would be a relief to me!" Mr. Zhao said with a sigh.

"Is Elder Yue San's influence so great?" Stephan asked, frowning.

Mr. Zhao shook his head, his face darkening, "It's not that Elder Yue San is powerful, but the world is changing! In a chaotic world, guarding Tianwai Tian is like guarding a treasure pot! But as the saying goes, a commoner has no crime, but possessing a treasure is a crime! This treasure pot is also a death warrant for my family! I have lived for over sixty years, and now I have a large family. The money I have earned is enough for the rest of my life, so giving up this restaurant is not a problem."

After hearing Mr. Zhao's words, Stephan was speechless. He did not expect Mr. Zhao to be so perceptive. Given Tianwai Tian's location and quality, it would likely become a center for player interactions in the future.

At that time, there would be no shortage of fights and duels. If someone with malicious intentions appeared, Mr. Zhao's words might indeed come true.

Seeing Stephan silent, Mr. Zhao thought he could not even come up with ninety taels, so he said, "Forget it, since it has come to this, it doesn't matter whether it's ninety or a hundred taels. I will give you the restaurant!"

But Stephan shook his head and said seriously, "Old Mr. Zhao, as the saying goes, one should not accept a gift without doing something in return. Such a great gift, I cannot accept! May I ask, if we consider the market price, how much should Tianwai Tian be worth?"

Mr. Zhao, seeing Stephan's serious expression, thought for a moment and then said, "If we consider the market price, including the restaurant's profitability and costs, it would not be less than twenty thousand taels. Many of the paintings and calligraphy in the restaurant are genuine works by great scholars, which I obtained at great cost! And the initial construction cost, though publicly claimed to be eight thousand taels, actually cost over ten thousand taels!"

"Fine, then, for such a good restaurant, I will give you a round number. How about thirty thousand taels?" Stephan said solemnly.

"How can I accept that? I have already said I will give you the restaurant, how can I take your money?" Mr. Zhao shook his head.

"Are you afraid I can't pay?" Stephan looked at Mr. Zhao and asked with a light smile.

Mr. Zhao remained silent, clearly finding it hard to believe that Stephan, who had just said he only had ninety taels, could now offer thirty thousand taels!

"Rest assured, Old Mr. Zhao, I just said I don't have that much money on me, but I can still afford it. Just take the contract and go with me to the government office to transfer the ownership!" Stephan said confidently.

Seeing Stephan's confident demeanor, Mr. Zhao became a bit suspicious. However, looking at Stephan's fine clothing and the rare green horse he rode, he suspected that this young man was indeed of no small background.

Soon, Mr. Zhao made up his mind and said to Stephan, "If you really want to pay the market price, I will not take more than ten thousand taels! I won't take a single extra tael!"

"Thirty thousand taels, not a single tael less..."

"Ten thousand taels, not a single tael more..."

The two then began to argue over the price of the restaurant. In the end, they compromised, and Mr. Zhao sold Tianwai Tian to Stephan for fifteen thousand taels!

Stephan originally wanted to offer more, but Mr. Zhao insisted on fifteen thousand taels and would not accept any more.

After that, Mr. Zhao took the contract, instructed the servants to clean up, and then went with Stephan to the Hangzhou government office to transfer the ownership.