Zhou Liangyun made his way back to Antique Street for the first time, unaware that his presence was already attracting attention the moment he arrived.


    He strolled towards the heart of the antique street, which was lined with charming three-story buildings. Thergest of these structures housed Ji Qingtang, a well-known establishment on the street.


    At this hour, Ji Qingtang was still open. The antique street operates on a unique schedule: stalls begin their business in the morning and close in the afternoon, while shops open their doors in the morning and wrap up by the afternoon.


    This arrangement creates a staggered market experience; those with lower spending power or who are simply seeking to fill in their collections can browse during the morning hours, allowing the more eager shoppers to leave before the wealthier clientele arrive for a leisurely shopping experience.


    As Zhou Liangyun reached the middle of the antique street, he found himself standing at the entrance of Ji Qingtang.<h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">


    Inside, Manager Chen had just wrapped up a brief meeting with a few staff members. He turned to them and asked, “Brothers, is everything alright for the next few nights?”


    In unison, the group shook their heads, replying, “Nothing happened.”


    Manager Chen nodded and said, “If all is well, let’s stay in the shop and work some overtime. Let’s order some spicy crayfish and beer from the lobster restaurant outside for dinner. It’ll be our working meal.”


    Ji Qingtang has an established policy regarding overtime. While extra pay is not typically given when staff need to stayte for customer arrivals or new inventory, the store does provide dinner. Manager Chen is allowed to requisition a monthly fund of 30,000 yuan from the finance department for these meals.


    Manager Chen habitually “spends” the entire 30,000 yuan each month. A portion goes towards treating the staff to meals, fostering goodwill, while another part mysteriously disappears through various invoices and forged signatures into his own pocket.<fn3596> Original content can be found at findnovel</fn3596>


    When the staff learned that Manager Chen was treating everyone to lobster that evening, they enthusiastically approved the n.


    Most of the employees are single and have little to upy their time after work, so they often stick around rather than rush home. A meal together and a chance to unwind is always weed.


    At that moment, Zhou Liangyun hesitated briefly at the entrance before pushing the door open and stepping inside.


    As he entered, the sensor at the door chimed brightly. Manager Chen and several waiters turned their attention to him, noticing Zhou Liangyun approaching with a friendly smile.


    Manager Chen quickly masked his surprise, feigning delight as he eximed, “Oh! Manager Zhou! When did youe back?!”


    Zhou Liangyun smiled back and replied, “I just arrived today.”


    He quickly added, “I am no longer the manager of Ji Qingtang, so please don’t call me that anymore.”


    Manager Chen responded with a grin, “Oh,e on! During your time here, I learned so much from you. I should definitely still call you ‘manager.’”


    Noticing the namete identifying him as the general manager, Zhou Liangyun asked with a smile, “Xiao Chen, are you the manager of Ji Qingtang now?”


    “Yes,” replied Manager Chen modestly. “Since you left, the store hasn’t been able to find someone with your experience, so I was asked to take on this role temporarily.”


    As he spoke, Manager Chen added, “Honestly, Master Zhou, I feel a bit out of my depth in this position. You know my capabilities; I’m much morefortable working as a junior under someone like you. If they expect me to manage, I’m afraid I’m not cut out for that.”