Li Feng sat across from the other applicant and said nothing.
In his previous life, people had waited for his attention. A single observation from him was considered a blessing. Associates had sat outside his office for meetings he hadn't confirmed, hoping. Junior analysts had stayed until midnight on the chance he might walk past and notice their work.
And now he was sitting in a café, competing for a 1,200 RMB contract.
He let out a slow quiet breath.
Insulting didn't begin to cover it.
"This is Liu Hui," Chen Wei said, gesturing between them with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Liu Hui — Li Feng."
Liu Hui gave a short nod. Composed. Already settled into the confidence of someone who had decided how this would go.
Li Feng nodded back and said nothing.
A snake, he thought, looking at Chen Wei. Sitting the two of them across from each other like this, letting the pressure of the other's presence do its work.
Chen Wei clasped her hands and began.
"I've been running this café for ten years," she said. "I know the numbers. I know the staff. I know the customers. But numbers alone aren't enough. The person I choose today needs to see what I see. Not just read data — but interpret it. Make sense of it. Act on it."
She began to pace slowly between the two tables.
"I'll give each of you the same sales and inventory data. You will review it. Then you will tell me what actions you would take — what changes, what improvements, what I should be paying attention to."
She stopped. Her gaze moved between them.
"The one who shows me understanding beyond the obvious will get the opportunity. The other will walk away with nothing. Understood?"
Liu Hui nodded, already reaching for her pen.
Li Feng said nothing. The stakes were clear. Chen Wei's tone had told him more than her words — the slight weight she put on beyond the obvious, the half-second longer her eyes held on him when she said walk away with nothing. She was watching to see who rattled.
He wasn't going to rattle.
Chen Wei reached for the stack of papers to her left, divided them into two equal sets, and placed one in front of each of them.
Then she stepped back and waited.
Li Feng didn't reach for the report immediately.
He paused for a moment.
He needed this job. The original Li Feng had left behind only about ¥1500, and nearly half of that had already been spent on groceries yesterday.
He couldn't afford to lose here.
Chen Wei placed the reports on the table and looked between them.
"Oh, to make things a little more interesting," she said lightly, "you both have thirty minutes."
The café suddenly felt very quiet.
Only the faint clicking of utensils and the soft hum of machines from the back kitchen could be heard.
Working under pressure was one of Li Feng's strengths. In his previous life, he had run businesses worth billions. Situations far more chaotic than this had passed through his hands.
Compared to that, this was nothing.
His composure remained completely intact.
Across from him, however, Liu Hui frowned slightly.
"Thirty minutes?" she said, clearly surprised.
She looked at Chen Wei.
"Madam Chen, to produce a proper analysis, thirty minutes is a bit too short."
Chen Wei hesitated for a moment. She seemed to consider it.
Before she could answer, another voice spoke.
"It's fine."
Both women looked toward Li Feng.
"I said thirty minutes is more than enough," he repeated calmly. "Of course… I can't speak for my competitor."
Liu Hui's fingers tightened around her pen.
Who does this arrogant fool think he is? she thought.
Chen Wei raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure about that, Mr. Li? I can adjust the time if—"
"Thirty minutes is enough," Li Feng said again, cutting her off gently.
Now Chen Wei was genuinely interested.
She turned back toward Liu Hui.
Chen Wei's gaze lingered on her, waiting.
The silence stretched for a moment.
Liu Hui's nails dug into her palm. Her pride refused to let Li Feng's words go unanswered.
"Very well," she said finally, her voice steady.
"Thirty minutes it is."
She looked at Li Feng directly.
"Let's see if confidence alone can produce results."
Li Feng leaned back slightly.
"Results are all that matter."
"Let's begin."
Liu Hui immediately picked up the financial report of Little Nest Café.
Her eyes moved quickly across the pages as she began writing notes on a separate sheet of paper.
Her movements were efficient and practiced.
Across from her, Li Feng didn't take out a pen.
He didn't bring any paper either.
He simply read.
Slowly.
Carefully.
This kind of report was something he had reviewed countless times in his previous life. Compared to corporate financial statements, this café's records were extremely simple.
But simplicity didn't mean the numbers were meaningless.
Confidence was one thing.
Backing it up was another.
Thirty minutes passed quickly.
Liu Hui was the first to put down the report.
A small smile appeared on her lips when she noticed Li Feng still turning the final page.
Chen Wei's eyes moved between them.
Liu Hui sat upright, her notes neatly organized.
Li Feng, however, remained calm. He closed the report slowly and placed it on the table.
"Time," Chen Wei said.
Liu Hui slid her notes forward.
"A full breakdown of the café's strengths and weaknesses," she said confidently. "I've also included projections for the next quarter."
Chen Wei accepted the notes.
Then she looked at Li Feng.
"No notes?" she asked.
Li Feng leaned back slightly.
"I don't need them," he said.
"The numbers speak for themselves."
Liu Hui didn't wait long.
She glanced once at the report in Chen Wei's hands and straightened in her seat.
"I'll begin."
Chen Wei nodded.
Liu Hui spoke calmly.
"Your café is performing reasonably well overall. Most of your revenue comes from beverages rather than food. Coffee accounts for roughly sixty percent of total sales, with lattes and caramel lattes being your best-selling items."
Chen Wei turned the first page.
"However," Liu Hui continued, "there are several weaknesses."
"First, your menu pricing is inconsistent. Some high-demand drinks, especially the standard latte, are slightly underpriced compared to similar cafés nearby. A small increase would improve profit margins."
Chen Wei turned another page.
"Second, your inventory planning needs adjustment. Pastry orders fluctuate too much. Some days you likely throw away unsold items, while on other days you run out too early."
Another page turned.
"Finally, your promotions are inefficient. Your weekday drink discount increases sales volume, but the profit margin becomes extremely small. You are attracting customers, but not maximizing revenue."
She leaned back.
"With several pricing adjustments and better inventory planning, the café could significantly improve its profitability."
Silence followed.
Chen Wei studied her for a moment.
"Not bad," she said slowly.
Across the table, Li Feng nodded once.
Everything Liu Hui said was correct.
Logical. Organized.
But something important was missing.
Li Feng's eyes drifted back to the report.
One column of numbers caught his attention again.
A faint crease formed between his brows.
Because if he was reading the numbers correctly…
There was a much bigger problem here.
And Liu Hui hadn't seen it at all.
Li Feng finally spoke.
"Everything she said is correct."
He paused.
Across from him, Liu Hui smiled faintly.
"Where did all that confidence go?" she asked. "I thought you had something to add."
Chen Wei was about to speak.
"But—"
Li Feng's voice stopped her.
The room grew quiet again.
Li Feng pointed to one column in the report.
"Your milk purchases increased by eighteen percent last month."
Chen Wei looked down.
"That's correct," she said.
Li Feng continued calmly.
"But your beverage sales only increased by about six percent."
Chen Wei's expression changed slightly.
"That shouldn't happen," Li Feng said.
"If milk usage follows drink sales, the numbers should move together."
He looked up.
"But they don't."
Silence settled over the table.
"Which means," Li Feng said quietly, "a large portion of that milk isn't becoming drinks."
Chen Wei slowly lowered the report.
Across the table, Liu Hui's confident smile had completely disappeared.
And for the first time since the interview began…
Chen Wei was looking at Li Feng with genuine interest.