Chapter 25: Absolutely Stunned!

"Director Chen, Magistrate Lin." Although Huang Yuan felt that this deputy magistrate had nothing better to do, he still greeted him with great respect. This Magistrate Lin, Lin Xuecheng, was precisely the one in charge of commerce.

"This Qingfeng tea is quite good; it's become very popular among the local business owners," Lin Xuecheng said, looking at Huang Yuan as he sipped a cup of tea.

Seeing this, Huang Yuan immediately explained, "Magistrate Lin, this is the tea that the Qingfeng Tea House sponsored for the symposium."

Lin Xuecheng smiled and said, "No need to rush to explain. I also worked my way up from the bottom, so I understand the social nuances. I brought you here today to ask one thing: are you familiar with the people at the Qingfeng Tea House?"

Huang Yuan was puzzled, unsure of what the official was planning, but he nodded. "The person in charge there is my childhood friend."

"Good!" Lin Xuecheng nodded. "Then could you go and ask them if they have any tea better than this? Actually, forget it. Take me there yourself. If there really is better tea, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway."

"???" Huang Yuan was bewildered. A dignified deputy magistrate wanting to go to a tea house to ask about tea? This situation felt completely wrong.

Director Chen immediately clarified, "Xiao Huang, don't feel pressured. Every county is competing to attract investment. There is a wealthy investor currently weighing our county against the neighboring one. The investor is very fond of tea and is willing to pay any price for high-quality leaves. Magistrate Lin happens to be a tea connoisseur, so he plans to cater to the investor’s tastes to secure the deal. If we can win this investor over, our county will gain a 200 million investment."

Huang Yuan understood at once. "Magistrate Lin, I'll take you to the tea house now, but I can't guarantee they have the tea you need."

"I understand. Youcheng is, after all, just a county seat, and the quality of tea in local shops is limited. I'm just trying my luck," Lin Xuecheng said, already standing up.

Some might find his approach ridiculous, perhaps not something a deputy magistrate should do. But in cases of evenly matched competition, catering to someone's specific preference can make them feel valued, which is often enough to tip the scales.

***

At Fengxiang Café, after Yang Ming ordered a table full of snacks that Yang Qingxue liked, he stood up to leave. He didn't want to be a third wheel to his cousin.

"Lu Feng, what do you want to eat? I'll feed you!" After Yang Ming left, Yang Qingxue became very intimate with Lu Feng. Couples always have reservations when others are around, but when they are alone, there is no need for such restraint.

Lu Feng enjoyed this intimacy, leaning close to her ear and whispering, "Qingxue, I want to eat you. You haven't been to my place in a while!"

Yang Qingxue’s face flushed red. She instinctively pinched him and hummed, "Come pick me up after work tonight."

Lu Feng grinned triumphantly—a lecherous, satisfied smile. Men, after all.

After Lu Feng accompanied Yang Qingxue through her snack, she received a phone call. The sound of sobbing came from the other end; it was clearly Lin Jiajia.

"Lu Feng, I have to go back to the dormitory to comfort Jiajia. I can't believe that guy Chi Cheng is such a scumbag." Yang Qingxue hung up the phone angrily and left in a hurry after a quick word to Lu Feng.

Lu Feng rubbed the bridge of his nose sheepishly. With Xiao Yao stirring up trouble, would a couple really break up over it? If so, their relationship was far too fragile. Regardless, he needed to find a time to resolve his own issues with Yang Qingxue. He had to win over her future mother-in-law to prevent her from arranging any more blind dates.

***

Lu Feng returned to the tea house. Da Fei hurried over to him. "Young Master Feng, I have something to tell you. My childhood friend Huang Yuan sent me a message: a deputy magistrate is coming to our tea house later."

Lu Feng was surprised. "A deputy magistrate? What would someone like that be doing at our tea house?"

Da Fei explained, "It seems he's looking for tea. He wants something better than our Qingfeng tea, claiming it's for an investor."

Lu Feng’s eyes lit up. "I'm going to the office to prepare some tea."

In the game world's Qingfeng Tea Shop, weren't there +2 and +3 quality teas? Furthermore, building a connection with a deputy magistrate was an excellent networking opportunity.

Since the tea was in the game, Lu Feng went upstairs, locked his office door, and with a thought, entered the world of "After the Apocalypse."

As soon as he appeared in the Qingfeng Tea Shop, he saw Lin Jiao and Xu Bin drinking cola. Xu Bin was leaning against the shop door with his axe, looking as if he were at ease, were it not for the ruined environment outside and the howls of zombies.

Seeing Lu Feng, Lin Jiao reported with a smile, "Respected boss, we haven't been eating your food for free. I have good news: we found a large jewelry store. This should be the news you wanted to hear."

Lu Feng hadn't expected to hear such good news immediately. However, he said, "That is indeed good news, but I have something to take care of first. We'll discuss it in detail later."

He walked straight into the back office, took a box of +2 Qingfeng tea from the cabinet, blurred out the "2092" date, and exited the game with a thought.

Lin Jiao and Xu Bin walked to the office door and looked into the empty room. Xu Bin exclaimed, "The boss’s ability is truly astonishing. No wonder they say 'ability users' are mysterious."

Lin Jiao replied, "That's none of my business. I just know that a long-term meal ticket like this is hard to find." Hearing this, Xu Bin couldn't help but grin, downing the rest of his cola and letting out a satisfied burp. It had been a long time since he felt this happy.

***

Just as Lu Feng exited the game, Huang Yuan arrived with Lin Xuecheng. The tea house hall was mostly empty, save for Yang Ming, Chen Bo, and a few others. Da Fei greeted them respectfully after the introduction. "Magistrate Lin, welcome. Our boss is already upstairs preparing the tea."

Lin Xuecheng’s eyes brightened. He had already checked other tea houses in Youcheng and found nothing of the quality he needed. It seemed this Qingfeng Tea House was truly something special.

Da Fei led them to Lu Feng’s office and knocked. A moment later, the door opened.

"Young Master Feng, this is Magistrate Lin," Da Fei introduced them. "Magistrate Lin, this is our boss, Lu Feng."

Lin Xuecheng was clearly surprised; the owner was much younger than he expected. He wouldn't have thought someone this young would be involved in the tea business.

"Magistrate Lin, welcome!" Lu Feng ushered him in and sat him at the tea table. Regardless of anything else, the man’s status commanded respect.

Once seated, Lin Xuecheng got straight to the point. "Boss Lu, I assume you know why I am here."

Lu Feng nodded. Without wasting words, he took out the +2 Qingfeng tea, opened the box, and began brewing. He spun a story: "Magistrate Lin, it’s quite a coincidence. I do have a box of higher-grade tea. I’m not bragging, but even tea costing 200,000 per jin can't compare to this. Usually, I’d be reluctant to bring it out, but since you are here, it’s different."

Lin Xuecheng was impressed. He had once had the privilege of drinking tea at that 200,000-per-jin level while accompanying city officials—it was intoxicatingly good. The fact that this young owner claimed to have something better piqued his curiosity.

When Lu Feng poured him a cup, Lin Xuecheng brought it to his nose. A rich, profound aroma flooded his senses, clearing his mind instantly. It was incredible—even the 200,000-per-jin tea hadn't produced such a sensation.

He took a sip. The sweetness and the lingering aftertaste were beyond belief. This tea was indeed superior. With this, he could surely satisfy the investor.

"Boss Lu," Lin Xuecheng asked, "you know the situation. Would you be willing to part with two servings for the county?"

Lu Feng smiled. "Magistrate Lin, two servings are no problem at all. I also hope more investors come to our county to help it thrive." He didn't want to give too much; giving only a little would make the tea feel rare and leave the official feeling indebted.

"Thank you, Boss Lu," Lin Xuecheng said, feeling even more appreciative. He then asked curiously, "Boss Lu, your tea is excellent. Where do you source it? I don't seem to see this brand on the market."

Lu Feng, having anticipated the question, relied on the crafting skill he had "acquired." "Magistrate Lin, to tell you the truth, this tea is made using a secret family method passed down by my elders. That’s why the tea house is named Qingfeng."

"You make it yourself?" Lin Xuecheng was stunned. He had tasted the standard Qingfeng tea; at 7,500 yuan a box, it was an absolute steal that crushed anything else at that price point. Youcheng was a major tea-producing county, yet no factory had managed to create anything this good.

As the official in charge of commerce, he immediately suggested, "Boss Lu, have you thought about starting your own tea factory? This Qingfeng tea could become Youcheng’s signature brand. If it takes off, it would greatly boost our entire local tea industry."