“Hao Chen, did you find money?”
“Uh, no, what’s up?”
Liang Minfeng reached out and felt Li Hao Chen’s forehead. “You don’t have a fever.”
“Go away, what are those expressions for?”
“If you didn’t find money and don’t have a fever, why are you smiling so foolishly?”
“You haven’t stopped since you entered the shop. You look like a lunatic.”
Li Hao Chen touched his face. “Do I?”
“……”
Li Hao Chen had no intention of telling them about beating up Qinglong. He knew it himself, so as to not worry them.
“Hey, have you guys heard?”
“Heard what?”
“That murder case, it’s trending. It’s shocking.”
“Oh, the boss of Ye Ye Ye, right? I saw it and was surprised for a bit. I didn’t expect someone so small could kill two big guys.”
As they chatted and prepared coconut drinks, their gossip was no less than that of girls.
“The most miserable are his three employees. They were supposed to get paid today, but then this happened. The property management took back the shop. Not only did they lose their jobs, but they also couldn’t get their wages.”
These were casual words, but Li Hao Chen found them significant. He became interested. “Fourth, how do you know this?”
“Can such a small matter be hidden from me, the know-it-all?”
“Go, go, go, Third, don’t listen to him. He’s the know-it-all?”
“That’s right, everyone knows about this. Those three are still making a fuss around the property management office.”
“Oh, I see.”
Li Hao Chen’s mind was racing, and he had a plan. “I’m going out for a bit. You guys keep the shop open.”
He arrived at the pedestrian street’s property management office. Even before entering, he could hear the clamor.
“Are you guys trying to force us to jump off a building?”
“Yes, you are just property management. What right do you have to seize all the shop’s belongings? Aren’t you afraid we’ll sue you?”
“If you really push us to a dead end, I’ll burn you down.” Xiao Nian had also made up his mind. His Huabei installments were overdue, and the relentless phone calls were driving him crazy.
“Hey, speak if you must, but don’t resort to violence.” The property management manager, wearing a uniform, pushed away Xiao Nian’s hand. “It’s no use surrounding us like this. We have a signed contract with him. If rent is overdue, we have the right to dispose of these items to offset the debt.”
“Also, the one who owes wages is the killer. You can sue him in court.”
“No, you can’t take the equipment away. Zhao Ergou owes you rent. Why don’t you go find him?” Xiao Nian, puffing with anger, rushed forward, grabbed a stool, lifted it high, his legs still trembling.
A Long and A Hao next to him were startled and quickly pulled Xiao Nian back.
The property management manager quickly stepped back. In his panic, he grabbed a broom from the side to block his chest. Holding the broom with his heart, he felt a bit more stable. “You~ You don’t be impulsive, don’t do anything foolish.”
The two women in the property management office were also pale with fright and quickly slipped to the back room and locked the door.
Xiao Nian was also enraged. The moment he was held by the two, he sobered up. He just used the stool to bolster his courage, to scare them. If it were real, he wouldn’t dare to act. This was a crime that would land him in jail.
Li Hao Chen was also startled and quickly rushed in to block the middle. “Let’s talk things out. No one needs to be impulsive.”
“?…”
“Who are you? It’s none of your business. Get out of the way.” Xiao Nian was still holding the stool, wanting to put it down but too embarrassed to, and he was tired.
Seeing someone blocking the way, the property management manager breathed a sigh of relief, but he still held the broom tightly.
“I want to resolve this matter.”
“You resolve it?”
Li Hao Chen pointed to the stool above Xiao Nian’s head. “Put it down first, then we’ll talk, okay?”
“Oh.” This was exactly what he wished for, a way to back down.
The stool was put down, but he still held it tightly. The property management manager hid behind Li Hao Chen. Seeing the stool lowered, his face improved significantly. He poked his head out. “Sir, what do you mean by resolve?”
“Yes, you said you’d resolve it? Are you from the court?”
“I’m not from the court, but I am here to resolve it.”
“How will you resolve it?”
The property management manager looked at Li Hao Chen, and Xiao Nian’s side also looked. They wanted to see what method he had.
“In essence, it all comes down to money. Why not just resolve it?”
“Tch, I thought you had some brilliant idea. A bad idea. Where’s the money? Who’s paying?” Xiao Nian clicked his tongue and looked disdainfully at Li Hao Chen.
“I’ll pay, hehe!”
“?”
“You’ll pay?”
“Yes, I want to take over this shop, and I need to hire people. I’ll pay the rent owed by the previous owner, and I’ll pay the wages for these three. Wouldn’t that solve everything perfectly? However, there’s one condition: give me back all the equipment inside. If it’s acceptable, I’ll provide the money.”
The property management manager agreed on the spot. If he didn’t, he would be an idiot. He recovered the rent and rented out the shop. How much could those second-hand equipment be worth? It was just an old peeler machine and two broken refrigerators. Plus, it saved him the trouble of finding someone to deal with them.
By paying the overdue rent, the matter was resolved. The property management manager was naturally in a good mood and immediately waived 100 yuan in rent for Li Hao Chen. He still had this small bit of authority.
Actually, Li Hao Chen had already figured this out on the way. He didn’t have to pay any transfer fees, just deposit two months’ rent. Moreover, the shop was ready-made and didn’t need renovation, just the necessary paperwork. With two shops, this was a strategic advantage, a sure way to capture the business share of the pedestrian street. The coconut supply from his space was enough to satisfy both shops. How could he not make money to buy a house, a car, and get married?
“Uh, boss, then…” The three of them, Xiao Nian, followed Li Hao Chen out of the property management office, not knowing how to speak.
“Wages, right? I haven’t forgotten. You guys go to the shop and tidy things up. The property management will send the equipment over later. You can receive it, clean up, and let’s find a place to gather tonight so we can get acquainted.”
After Li Hao Chen left, the three of them huddled together and whispered, “What do you guys think? Should we stay?”
“The money isn’t in hand yet. Let’s wait until it is.”
“True. Let’s see. But he seems easy to talk to.”
……
Back at the shop, they were inevitably greeted by the Three Musketeers. “Quick, tell us, where did you go to have fun?”
“What else? Making money!”
“Making what money?”
“I’ve rented the Ye Ye Ye shop. I’m planning to open a branch, hehe!”
“What?” Chen He’s voice became piercing.
“Holy cow, that’s a murderer’s shop! Are you crazy?”
“It’s fine, it didn’t happen in the shop. It’s a good time to take over. No transfer fee, the decoration and equipment are all ready, and it comes with three employees. It’s profitable no matter what.”
“Okay, I’m speechless.” Liang Minfeng spread his hands and said indifferently.
Liu Dehui patted Li Hao Chen on the shoulder. “Good. If you need our help, just say so.”