The frail counselor you said, you fight against three heroes alone?

"Don't bother with Dongfanghong, so as not to waste everyone's energy." Wenxuan said again.

Xi Yu frowned and advised further: "How is this a hassle? Warming up the pot has always been a testimony of friendship and auspiciousness. Others who open a shop value it, so we should not follow the old ways. If Dongfanghong knows about it, she will definitely hope to join in the fun."

Wenxuan remained unmoved and shook his head in rebuttal.

"Friendship is not about form. If I had the time, I would spend more time to optimize the inn's services and refine the details of the hourly rooms. If Dongfanghong comes, I will only talk about business matters, and I will not have to deal with the warm pot. I hope you can help me."

Seeing this, Xi Yu sighed helplessly and spread his hands.

"Forget it, you have made up your mind, I won't force you. I just hope your business will prosper. Don't let your persistence go to waste."

At the first light of the weekend morning, Wenxuan rushed to the inn in high spirits, holding a stack of carefully written flyers with wet ink in his arms.

The flyers were made of thick paper, and the handwriting was vigorous and elegant. She had carefully considered the words and phrases, and she described in detail the charm of the inn, the uniqueness of the hourly rooms, and the surprise of the grand opening sale.

She stood at the door of the shop, directing several hired servants, her eyes sharp and her expression serious.

"Everyone, the distribution of flyers is extremely important. They must be delivered to the busy street corners of the market, to every table in the teahouse and tavern, as well as to the entrance of the school and the escort agency. In short, don't miss a single one in crowded places."

After that, he demonstrated with his own hands how to greet people with a smile, hand flyers to passers-by, and explain the discounts.

"Sir, our inn has just opened. The first three days of accommodation are free. We have also set up a lottery with prizes such as exquisite porcelain, soft quilts, and a chance to win a free night's accommodation. This is a good thing that only we have. Don't miss it if you pass by!"

The servants followed the order and scattered in all directions, shouting enthusiastically. For a moment, the good news of the inn's opening was echoing in the streets and alleys.

Wenxuan turned around and went into the store, carefully examining the layout of the lobby. The red silk was hung neatly, the large lucky draw wheel was wiped clean, and the box was filled to the brim with lottery tickets.

Looking at the busy and hopeful scene in front of her, she rubbed her hands together and said to herself, "This grand event will definitely make the inn a big hit and firmly take root in this city."

Near noon, the streets were crowded with people, many of them holding flyers, with curiosity and anticipation on their faces, rushing towards the inn, and the threshold was almost broken down.

So Wenxuan, with a smile on his face, welcomed guests from all directions. The inn was filled with noise and exclamations, and it was very lively, as if a brilliant future had been foreseen.

Xiao Cui jumped into the inn, looking around at the lively scene in the room with her eyes wide open. She looked at the people coming and going and enthusiastically participating in the lottery with admiration on her face.

"Miss, you are so capable. You have made the business so prosperous. No one else can think of such promotional methods and novel ideas. You really have a good brain!"

Wenxuan felt a little embarrassed by the compliment. He scratched his head with a humble smile on his face, but muttered to himself: These methods were just common tricks used by merchants in the previous life. I just copied them and borrowed some "light of experience".

But seeing Xiao Cui's eyes full of admiration, she knew she couldn't say this, so she said, "I just want the inn to be known and recognized by everyone as soon as possible, so I put in a little more effort. In the future, we will have to rely on everyone's support and attentive service to run the inn."

Xiao Cui nodded repeatedly, and moved closer to the big turntable with great interest. She watched the lucky guests win prizes, clapped and cheered excitedly, and yelled at Wenxuan to tell her what new tricks were coming up next.

Wenxuan just smiled without saying anything, looking at the crowds that continued to pour in outside the store, hoping that this good momentum could continue for a long time, so that the inn's sign could stand firmly in this bustling market.

There is an inn not far away.

The owner, Han Donglai, was sitting in the accounting office of his own inn, his brows twisted into the shape of a "川" character. He listened to people coming and going outside, but few of them stepped into his own door. When he thought about the recent popularity of Wenxuan's inn, he became angry.

"Hmph, how can a newcomer like you show off like this!" He flicked his sleeves and called the waiter.

He ordered through gritted teeth.

"Go to the Wen family inn right now, pretend to be an ordinary guest, and get to know the inside situation thoroughly, from the guest room layout to the hospitality, to that stupid lottery and free stay. Take a close look at it all."

The waiter nodded repeatedly, changed his clothes hurriedly, and entered Wenxuan's inn among the crowd.

He pretended to stroll around, but his eyes were not idle. He looked at this hourly room, which was novelly decorated with objects in the style of the previous dynasty arranged in a staggered manner, which attracted the guests' amazement.

Looking at the lobby again, the waiters were greeting people with smiles and serving tea attentively. The lottery area was surrounded by people, and shouts and cheers were heard one after another. It was extremely lively.

After a while, the waiter came trotting back to the store, panting heavily and reporting in a disjointed manner.

"Boss, the Wen family's inn is really weird! The guest rooms are decorated in a weird way, but they attract a lot of customers. The opening promotion is very generous, with free accommodation for the first three days, which attracted a lot of people. Now the reputation is almost spreading throughout the city, and a lot of our business has been taken away!"

After hearing this, Han Donglai's face turned red, and he slammed the table with his eyes wide open.

"Well, she's doing this to squeeze us all to death. We can't just sit back and watch. We have to find a way to teach her a lesson!" After saying this, he thought about various "rectification" plans in his mind, with a sinister look in his eyes.

After listening to the waiter's report, Han Donglai's originally frowned brows instantly relaxed and a sneer of contempt appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Humph, there are only two women running the business, and one of them often disappears. There is only a maid left to support the business. How capable can she be?"

"It's not that easy to gain a foothold in this industry. I want to let them know that this inn business is not something that can be made by just doing some tricks or gimmicks."

Han Donglai stopped, turned around, hooked his finger at the waiter, and said in a low voice: "Go, find some more street thugs, give them some benefits, and let them go to the store every now and then to make trouble, disturbing the customers and making the business go down. See how long they can hold on, and then they will pack up and leave obediently."

The waiter hesitated and stammered, "Boss, if this gets out of hand and the government finds out..."

Han Donglai glared at him and spat, "What are you afraid of! Do it secretly and cleanly, and there won't be any big trouble. Just do it as I tell you, and I'll take care of it if anything goes wrong."

The waiter had no choice but to agree and hurried out to look for someone.

Han Donglai looked outside the door, as if he had seen the miserable state of Wenxuan's inn, which was deserted and closed sadly, and his face was full of pride.

Just as the waiter was about to leave, Han Donglai raised his hand to stop him, frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and then waved his hand.

"Forget it, let's not act rashly. It's better to use courtesy before force. I will go there tonight to check it out and see what kind of magic the inn has to attract all the guests."

The night was as dark as ink. Han Donglai, dressed in a black robe, his figure hidden in the darkness, walked towards Wenxuan's inn.

At this time, the candlelight in the inn was flickering, Wenxuan was checking the accounts with Xiaocui, and the abacus beads were clattering.

Xiao Cui looked up and saw that Wenxuan looked a little tired. She said distressedly, "Miss, you can come back later if you don't have classes tomorrow. But it's too tiring to ride a bicycle here, the distance is not short."

Wenxuan put down the pen in his hand and smiled.

"It doesn't matter. As long as the inn can get better and better, this little distance won't matter."

Suddenly, Han Donglai walked into the inn, followed by the waiter, who was carrying several boxes of exquisitely packaged gifts.

Han Donglai's face was full of smiles. He bowed slightly and said in a loud voice: "Boss Wen, I've heard a lot about you. I'm Han Donglai. I also run an inn not far away. I came here to visit you today." As he spoke, he signaled the waiter to put the gift on the table at the side.

"I heard that Boss Wen's inn has just opened and is doing a booming business. I admire him and wanted to come here to make friends so that we can take care of each other in the future. I hope Boss Wen will not despise this small gift."

Wenxuan hurriedly stepped forward with a smile and bowed in return.

"Oh, Mr. Han, you are too polite. I am always happy to make friends. Since you are so willing, I will definitely make friends with you."

Then he asked curiously.

"Where is the inn owned by Manager Han?"

Han Donglai then described the location of his inn in detail.

Wenxuan smiled and nodded, glanced at the gifts on the table, and said, "Making friends is about connecting with each other's hearts. This gift is really unnecessary. You should take it back, otherwise I will feel bad."

When Han Donglai heard this, he waved his hands and pretended to be displeased, "Boss Wen, what are you talking about? This is your first visit, and these small gifts are just a token of your appreciation. If you don't accept them, you're not giving me, Han Donglai, face. I hope Boss Wen will accept them."

Wenxuan looked embarrassed, but he knew in his heart that "no one comes to visit you for no reason", but he still tried to refuse.

"Boss Han, I appreciate your kindness, but I really can't accept this gift. If you really want to be my friend, let's put aside these red tapes and have a good chat."

The smile on Han Donglai's face faded instantly, and a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.

He took a step forward and lowered his voice but said aggressively, "Boss Wen, don't you really know why I'm here? As soon as you opened your inn, you came up with so many tricks to attract customers, which made it difficult for us in the same industry to do business."

Wenxuan's face changed and his brows furrowed. He knew in his heart that the other party might have bad intentions, but he still pretended to be calm and said in a deep voice: "Boss Han, I just want to use some new methods to do my business. Everyone can attract customers based on their own abilities. What's wrong with that?"

Han Donglai snorted coldly, crossed his arms, and walked slowly around Wenxuan, saying as he turned around: "It all depends on your ability? Humph, your free stay for the first three days and the lucky draw have confused the guests. This is not a normal business method. It disrupts the rules of this industry and makes us lose our original customers. Do you think this is appropriate?"

Wenxuan frowned even more tightly, and argued: "I am just offering a grand opening gift to let everyone know about my inn as soon as possible. In the future, we still have to rely on solid service and quality to survive. There is no way I can break the rules."

Han Donglai stopped and stared at Wenxuan with a knife-like gaze, and said coldly: "Boss Wen, if you know what's good for you, just stop those fancy activities and everyone will live in peace. Otherwise, humph, you will have a headache in the future."

The words were full of threats, making the originally harmonious atmosphere suddenly tense.

"This is impossible." Wenxuan said.

Han Donglai's face was gloomy, and he said to Wen Xuan in a tough tone: "Boss Wen, I won't beat around the bush with you. You'd better leave here immediately and find another place to open a store. Don't affect our business here. I'm not the only one who has this idea. Many of the bosses around here are quite dissatisfied with your actions and hope that you will leave quickly."

When Wenxuan heard this, he was so angry that his face turned red, his chest rose and fell violently, and he loudly refuted: "Han Donglai, what right do you have? This place is not yours, what qualifications do you have to drive me away? I run this business with my own ability, and I haven't done anything shameful."

Han Donglai sneered and said arrogantly: "Humph, I came here today to give gifts and to make friends. I am giving you face, so don't be ungrateful. If you don't listen to my advice and continue to do what you want, then I will unite all my colleagues to boycott you and make it impossible for you to stay in this industry. Just wait and see."

After saying that, he flicked his sleeves and walked away quickly without looking back. His back showed a ruthless look, as if he was certain that Wenxuan would succumb under their pressure.

Wenxuan looked at Han Donglai's departing back, gritted his teeth and said angrily: "It's not that easy to drive me away. I want to see what tricks you can use!"

Wenxuan's eyes were full of indomitable spirit and determination, with no intention of retreating at all.

After Han Donglai and the others left, Xiao Cui said angrily, "It's so abominable. How can there be such overbearing and unreasonable people? We are doing business honestly, but they come to threaten us like this."

Wenxuan also looked angry and nodded in response: "That's true. I wanted to make many friends in this industry and help each other to do business well, but they are so rude."

Xiao Cui frowned, approached Wenxuan, and said anxiously: "Miss, you are so familiar with the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is powerful, so why not let the Prime Minister arrest this villain, so that he won't cause trouble for us again."

Wenxuan frowned slightly, thought for a moment and said, "It hasn't come to that yet. If we bother the Prime Minister now, it would seem that we are too impatient. Let's see what kind of means they will use later. It won't be too late to talk about it when we really have no choice but to do it."

"Miss, we are all weak women. You may want to solve the problem yourself without relying on the Prime Minister, but if they really unite and treat us unfairly, what should we do?"

Wenxuan gritted his teeth, his eyes revealing stubbornness and determination, and said in a deep voice: "Forget it, Xiaocui, you have a point. I can't take risks with the hard work of the inn. When I go back tomorrow, I will report this matter to Xiyu in detail and see if he has any way to deal with it."

After saying that, Wenxuan looked at the night outside the inn, feeling both angry and helpless, secretly hoping that this matter could be properly resolved.

The next morning, the light of dawn shone on the lintel of the inn.

Wenxuan got up early, packed up, and prepared to go out. She looked at Xiaocui and comforted her gently, "Xiaocui, don't be afraid, just wait for me here. I will go to the prime minister right now and report this matter to him clearly. I will definitely find a solution."

Xiao Cui forced herself to stay calm and nodded, but her eyes were slightly red. Her heart was filled with worry and fear, but she said, "Miss, please be careful on the road, go early and come back early."

Wenxuan responded, turned around, got on his bike, pedaled hard, and the bike went away along the path.

Xiao Cui stood at the door of the inn, looking at the gradually disappearing figure, and the fear in her heart surged up like a tide.

She thought with some regret that she should have asked the young lady to go with her so that she would have someone to rely on.

But then he thought, how could he cause more trouble at this time? So he could only bite his lip and stay here.

But her hands unconsciously clenched the corners of her clothes, and she looked around nervously from time to time, anxiously hoping that Wenxuan would come back soon.

At this moment, Han Donglai gathered the owners of several nearby inns to the backyard of his own inn. They sat together, their faces gloomy and indignant.

Han Donglai cleared his throat and spoke first: "Everyone, I believe you have all noticed that as soon as the Wen family's inn opened, they did all those things and snatched away the customers who were supposed to come to our store. This business is becoming more and more difficult to do."

Everyone nodded, all with resentment on their faces, and echoed each other's words.

Han Donglai went on to say, "Yesterday I specially prepared some gifts and went to their house in person, hoping to persuade them to leave here and open a shop somewhere else, which would be considered saving their face. But who knew that woman was such an ungrateful person, and she didn't take my words seriously at all."

When the other innkeepers heard this, they became even more furious.

One of them slammed the table, stood up, and shouted, "Humph, if you don't accept my toast, you'll have to pay the price! We can't just watch our business get ruined by them. We must teach them a lesson and let them know that the rules of this industry cannot be easily broken."

"Yes, we must not let them off easily!" Another boss echoed, "We have to think of some way to make their inn closed down. Let's see how they can continue to act so arrogantly."

Everyone started discussing the matter at once, with ruthlessness in their eyes, as they contemplated various ways to deal with Wenxuan Inn, determined to remove this "thorn in the eye" in order to protect their own business.

Han Donglai had a gloomy face and gritted his teeth as he suggested, "Since they are so ungrateful, there are only two women running the inn. In my opinion, we should just smash their store and see how they can still act arrogantly. When they lose their store, they will naturally have no choice but to leave here in disgrace."

The other bosses listened and nodded in agreement. With fierce looks on their faces, they echoed, "That's right. We gave them gifts and tried to persuade them with kind words, but they didn't appreciate it at all. They refused to accept our toasts and drank the wine for punishment. We can only use this trick to let them know that we are not easy to mess with." (End of this chapter)