Blue Cocktail chapter 32
After a moment of contemplation, Cheng Shuo decided to get straight to the point and ask, “Which three days do you mean when you say three days a week?”
Suddenly, he thought of something, “From what time to what time are the four hours in the evening?”
Then another thought crossed his mind, “Are you planning to hire waiters or dishwashers?”
Cheng Shuo, being cautious, added, “It won’t involve any sort of physical business, right?”
Ignoring the previous questions, Lu Huaiqian chose to answer only the last one, “What do you take me for? This is a legitimate bar. Rest assured, the police for combating pornography and illegal publications patrol here regularly. I don’t have the courage to make illicit money~”
Lu Huaiqian added, “Let’s discuss the remaining questions in person. I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t be replying for now. If you’re free, let’s meet this evening at 5 p.m.!”
After that, he disappeared, as if evaporating. No matter how many messages Cheng Shuo sent, Lu Huaiqian ignored him.
Cheng Shuo gritted his teeth. The questions he asked could have been clarified online. Even if Lu Huaiqian was busy, he could have sent a voice message before leaving. It was just one sentence, half a minute, after all.
He didn’t believe Lu Huaiqian couldn’t spare that bit of time. Cheng Shuo’s main concern was that the bar job might include responsibilities he couldn’t accept, such as being a companion to customers, a role often seen in bars in movies and TV shows. This would save him from making a pointless trip.
One could say that the old fox, Lu Huaiqian, was indeed a seasoned expert at understanding human nature. He knew how to lure Cheng Shuo’s interest, and unfortunately, Cheng Shuo had to admit that he had taken the bait. Cheng Shuo couldn’t sit back and rely on others; he had two financial burdens, living expenses, and rent, pressing on him. He thought, “Well, the capitalist is a capitalist. When a capitalist says they’re busy, they are. A capitalist’s time is money, and not a single second can be wasted. Haha.”
With living expenses and rent weighing on his shoulders, he couldn’t afford to be complacent.
At 5 p.m. in the evening, Cheng Shuo entered the bar.
The first thing that caught his eye was Lu Huaiqian’s triumphant face. He was casually leaning against the bar, raising his right hand and giving a brilliant smile, “Hey!”
Cheng Shuo remained expressionless, “Hey.”
“I knew you would come!”
Cheng Shuo tugged at the corners of his mouth.
“I was busy with stocking this afternoon, and I didn’t have time to reply to your messages. Sorry about that.”
It had begun—the classic apology after the fact. Cheng Shuo was already very familiar with Lu’s tactics. He was used to these charming words.
“Let’s make good use of our time and talk on the second floor.”
Cheng Shuo forced a smile, “Sure.”
The two went to the second floor and sat facing each other on the sofa in the living room. In the middle was a sandalwood tea table with a set of purple clay tea sets.
Lu Huaiqian, as if remembering something, warmly offered, “Do you want some tea? I can pour you some.”
Cheng Shuo just wanted to get to the point, “No need, I’m not at the age for health preservation.”
Unintentionally, Lu Huaiqian narrowed his eyes, “Do you think I’m very old? Quite senior in age?”
Cheng Shuo hadn’t expected his offhand remark to sting Lu Huaiqian. He felt a bit pleased, probably because he had achieved a temporary victory in the argument with Lu, and unexpectedly discovered a weak point—Lu Huaiqian was sensitive about others mentioning his age.
“Not at all.” Cheng Shuo’s eyes flashed with a sly light, and on the surface, he wore an innocent expression, “You’re overthinking it. I didn’t say that. Don’t read too much into it.”
Lu Huaiqian chuckled, a meaningful glance at Cheng Shuo. Eventually, he chose to pass over this topic, “Send me your class schedule first. I need to know when you’re free so I can arrange your shifts.”
Cheng Shuo immediately took a screenshot and, while about to click send, paused, “Are you saying you want to select three evenings based on my class schedule?”
“Yes.”
Cheng Shuo was surprised, “I thought you would pick three evenings with high customer traffic, like Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, because those nights are busy, and that’s why you need part-time help.”
Lu Huaiqian chuckled, “No, I’ll leave at least one day completely free for you to manage as you please. Otherwise, if you run between school and the bar, attending classes during weekdays and working at the bar on weekends, wouldn’t that be exhausting?”
Cheng Shuo was suddenly taken aback.
“So, I consider myself a relatively conscientious capitalist, don’t you agree?”
“Single day off doesn’t make you a conscientious capitalist,” Cheng Shuo muttered softly. He lowered his gaze, inexplicably recalling the first semester of his freshman year when he took on part-time jobs outside and had his weekends filled with work, leaving no time for personal freedom.
On the other side, Lu Huaiqian couldn’t help but raise the corner of his mouth. He knew Cheng Shuo was teasing him. Smiling, he waited for a moment, realizing that he hadn’t received a message on his phone. He reached out and snapped his fingers in front of Cheng Shuo, “What are you thinking, Cheng Shuo? Quickly send me the class schedule.”
Cheng Shuo suddenly came back to his senses, nodding like pounding garlic, “Oh, okay.”
After receiving Cheng Shuo’s class schedule, Lu Huaiqian remained calm, setting the schedule as their chat background, and then began arranging the work hours. “We start at 6 p.m. and finish at 10 p.m. I promise no overtime. On Friday and Saturday evenings, I’m short-staffed, so you must come on those days. I’ve set aside the entire Sunday for you. From Monday to Thursday evenings, you can choose any one day.”
Lu Huaiqian suggested, “You don’t have classes on Wednesday afternoon and evening, and Thursday morning. You could consider working on Wednesday evening. After a tired day of work, you can sleep in the next day.”
Cheng Shuo found it reasonable, “Okay, let’s go with Wednesday then.”
“As for the hourly wage, as I mentioned before, it’s double that of a tutor.”
“Yeah.”
“No probation period. Considering that you study art and probably have expenses related to your studies, I’ll pay you every fifteen days,” Lu Huaiqian paused and continued, “People like Zhao Ge and Aru, I pay them once a month, so you can see how sincere my conditions are. You should agree quickly.”
Cheng Shuo burst into laughter at his words.
Seeing Cheng Shuo’s reaction, Lu Huaiqian asked, “Hey, what’s so funny?”
Cheng Shuo replied, “The other parts of what you said were quite appealing, and I was tempted. Except for the last sentence, personally, I feel it’s a bit excessive.”
Lu Huaiqian also laughed, pretending to be unaware, “Why?”
Cheng Shuo tentatively looked at Lu Huaiqian, “If I say it directly, Boss, you won’t fire me on the spot, right?”
Lu Huaiqian raised an eyebrow, “No problem, just say it. I’m not that petty.”
Cheng Shuo said, “Shall I say then?”
Lu Huaiqian urged, “yeah.”
Cheng Shuo smiled politely, “Non-full-time employment cannot specify a probation period, and the wage settlement cycle must not exceed fifteen days. This is stipulated by the Labor Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China.”
“Indeed,” Lu Huaiqian sighed, “I didn’t expect you to have read the Labor Contract Law.”
Cheng Shuo modestly said, “I have a little understanding, just a little.”
“How did you think of looking into it?”
“When I started taking commercial commissions and had to sign contracts and pay taxes, I decided to study economic and tax law. The Labor Contract Law falls under economic law, so I have a basic understanding. After all, I was a freshman at that time, inexperienced and naive. I was always afraid of being taken advantage of, so I looked into relevant laws a bit. It helped me feel more secure, and to a certain extent, it prevented me from unintentionally crossing legal boundaries due to ignorance. I want to ensure that the money I earn is legal and legitimate income.”
Lu Huaiqian, who had been lounging on the sofa, listened casually until the end. Unexpectedly, he sat up straight, his eyes showing a hint of shrewdness. “What you just said, is there a gray area in your artist community?”
“Many industries have gray areas. I believe it’s not just our artist community.”
“Such as?”
“Such as personal income tax,” Cheng Shuo said, “Compensated commissions for artists should be considered labor remuneration income. If the single income exceeds eight hundred, you need to pay taxes. Using official platforms, there shouldn’t be issues of tax evasion, but with private transactions, it’s hard to say.”
After a moment of contemplation, Lu Huaiqian added, “If you want to legally avoid taxes, I think you can register as a sole proprietorship. You don’t have to pay taxes if your monthly income is below a hundred thousand.”
“Yes, I heard some people do that. But the commission industry, which emerged with the rise of the internet in recent years, is relatively niche and hasn’t been widely exposed to the public eye. The related laws are not that complete yet.”
“My personal view is that the needs of consumers and the money, as well as the energy and time of artists, should be respected equally. I acknowledge the value of this industry, so I’ll take commissions. But I also realize the risks involved. So, I choose the safest way to earn money.”
“So, whether it’s tax-free for monthly income below a hundred thousand or tax-free for a single income below eight hundred, the eight hundred tax exemption threshold is a safety line. For commissions exceeding eight hundred, I will definitely use platform transactions, even though the official platform will take a cut, resulting in higher prices. However, the platform will deduct and pay taxes on labor remuneration income, making the money earned more secure.”
Cheng Shuo concluded, “And I don’t accept commissions from minors.”
After a brief silence, as if contemplating Cheng Shuo’s perspective, Lu Huaiqian, when he raised his eyes again, was still smiling, but his gaze now carried a hint of depth. “Cheng Shuo, you really surprise me.”
Cheng Shuo asked, “Why?”
Lu Huaiqian replied, “You don’t seem like a sophomore.”
“Are you praising me or mocking me with that statement?”
“Of course, I’m praising you.”
“I consider myself quite experienced, but I think sometimes your shrewdness is no less than mine.”
Cheng Shuo clicked his tongue, “You can evaluate yourself as an experienced person. Don’t drag me into it.”
“Understood,” Lu Huaiqian blinked, “because as a person, you should criticize others less and criticize yourself more.”
“Alright, I need to go down to mix drinks,” Lu Huaiqian stood up, stretched his legs, “So, let’s verbally agree on the part-time job at the bar. If you trust me, we won’t need to sign a contract, right?”
“Of course, no need to sign a contract,” Cheng Shuo thought for a moment, “You can summarize the conditions you provided, such as working hours, double hourly wage, never working overtime, etc., and send them to me on WeChat.”
He hurriedly added, “I have a bad memory, and I’m afraid I might forget or remember it wrong later.”
“Are you afraid of forgetting?” Lu Huaiqian chuckled, seeing through Cheng Shuo’s intention, “Are you trying to keep a written record just in case, in the future, if we fall out over work benefits, you have evidence to apply for labor arbitration?”
“That’s your imagination; I didn’t say that.”
Cheng Shuo looked at Lu Huaiqian, unexpectedly sharing a knowing smile.
However, he soon couldn’t smile because Lu Huaiqian, from some corner of the sofa, produced a thick stack of A4 printed paper and threw it in front of him.
“These are the details of all the cocktails at Mo Blue Bar. I’ve organized them for you. You don’t need to mix drinks, but at least when customers don’t know what to order, you should be able to make recommendations based on their preferences.”
He emphasized, “Some customers like to say the English names of cocktails when ordering. You must be able to understand.”
“I don’t think my requirements are excessive. There will be a small written test next Wednesday. Prepare well.”
Then Lu Huaiqian patted Cheng Shuo’s shoulder and left with long strides.