Because of this sudden D-level mission, Liu Chen began to ponder. Firstly, for premium storefronts, the front three rows would definitely be the best choice, as they had the highest foot traffic.
Secondly, for six premium storefronts, he couldn't possibly pay in installments through loans. This meant he'd have to pay the total sum of six million yuan upfront.
With less than four and a half months until June, if he solely relied on the money from the lucky draws, he could at most accumulate less than five million yuan.
He was short by over a million yuan. Moreover, he needed to acquire six storefronts. Whether he approached the boss behind the scenes with a high offer or bought them from others, the cost would inevitably exceed six million yuan.
He needed at least seven to eight million yuan readily available to feel secure. Plus, Ren Yu had promised him a stake in "League of Legends." While he didn't know the exact amount, it would likely be at least a million yuan.
The fervor of the forum posts had since died down, and the number of people visiting the shop to check in and make purchases was gradually decreasing.
After the New Year, it was naturally a slow season for the frozen goods wholesale market. The number of lucky draw tickets obtained was not as high as during the holiday period, which was perfectly normal.
Upon realizing this, Liu Chen suddenly felt that the system's task had a slight catch. If he had truly spent all the money from the lucky draws on food, drinks, entertainment, or made some long-term investments, he would definitely not be able to complete the mission.
It seemed that the money obtained from the lucky draws still needed to be planned carefully and saved.
As Liu Chen was contemplating, Ren Yuanying spoke up:
"Ah Fang, you're being too formal! Our families are already in-laws, why are you being so polite? You say you're going to the mahjong room on New Year's Day, but where would you find a seat? Come over to my place! I recently built a new sunroom in the garden for mahjong. I was already planning to invite you over for a few rounds.
Oh, Ren Mo, call Aunt Lai and that young lady's family over too. We'll have more fun playing mahjong with more people!"
And so…
On New Year's Day, the adults were all gathered in the newly built sunroom playing mahjong, while the remaining five children watched a rerun of last night's Spring Festival Gala in the living room.
Mi Zhuzhu, while watching Yu Qian's magic trick, asked Liu Chen sitting next to her,
"Chenchen, can you figure out how this 'Magical Hand Splendor' is done? Wow, I've been watching it at home all morning and haven't found any flaws!"
Hearing this, Lai Jielun, who was cutting fruit in the kitchen on his mother's orders, laughed out loud,
"Save it, Mi Zhuzhu. With your IQ, it's normal that you can't figure it out. It would be abnormal if you could!"
"Lai Jielun, are you asking for a beating!"
Mi Zhuzhu immediately let out an angry roar. Still not satisfied, she got up and went to the kitchen, intending to teach Lai Jielun a lesson herself.
Ren Mo, sitting on the sofa, laughed heartily, muttering,
"Serves you right for being mouthy, hahahaha!!"
Ren Yu sat beside Liu Chen, leaning lazily against the sofa backrest, supporting her head with one hand and holding a thin black Nokia in the other.
She opened Shen Hong's messages. This guy had likely been sending messages frantically since last night, sometimes complaining about relatives, sometimes worrying about the future the family would face if Old Master Shen couldn't make it through the year.
Sometimes he worried that the new game, if it turned out to be not as popular as they hoped, would not be well-received. All in all, his messages conveyed a single word—anxiety.
After a brief scan, Ren Yu replied with just two words.
"Persevere."
Then she put her phone down on the sofa and turned to look at Liu Chen beside her.
The young girl was wearing a white sweater, which made her skin appear even fairer and more delicate. Perhaps due to the underfloor heating at home, her cheeks were slightly flushed from the warmth, and her eyes sparkled as she looked in the direction of the kitchen.
"Want to know about the magic trick."
Hearing this, Liu Chen turned her head, and those bright, round eyes, like a puppy's, finally looked at her.
Ren Yu felt a ticklish sensation deep within her chest, as if a seed had sprouted and was pushing outwards.
Liu Chen, looking at Ren Yu who was quietly watching her, suddenly felt like teasing her. So, she shook her head and said calmly,
"No, I don't want to know, because I've already figured out how the magic trick is done."
Mi Zhuzhu, who had just finished disciplining Lai Jielun in the kitchen, heard this and, with a shriek, ran to sit on the sofa next to Liu Chen, saying,
"Ahhh!! Chenchen, you figured it out? Wuwu, tell me quickly, how is this magic trick done? Please!"
Ren Yu glanced at the little girl shrieking beside Liu Chen. The slight upward curve of her lips moments before had returned to its original position.
‘Besides Liu Chen, why do these girls, who are clearly only a few years younger than me, feel like they're ten years my junior in terms of childishness?’
Her gaze shifted to Ren Mo, who was scratching her foot while wearing socks.
‘She must be about twenty years younger.’
‘...’
Liu Chen was unaware of her brother's disdain for her foot-scratching habit. Upon hearing Mi Zhuzhu, she looked at Liu Chen with curiosity.
"Sister Chen, you really know the secret to the magic trick?"
Liu Chen, having witnessed a poorly performed version of "Magical Hand Splendor" at a company party in her previous life, nodded affirmatively.
Mi Zhuzhu's eyes darted around. She rotated the camera on her Nokia phone to face Liu Chen and then handed her two rubber bands.
"Chenchen, begin."
Liu Chen didn't pay much attention to Mi Zhuzhu's camera. She stretched out two thin rubber bands with both hands and slowly explained the crucial steps from yesterday.
"So, this magic trick is all about speed."
Mi Zhuzhu, holding the camera, was still amazed. The magic trick that seemed so incredible was explained in such a way that it felt like a trick she could perform with a bit of practice.
"Chenchen, is there more?"
Liu Chen shook her head,
"This is all I know. Perhaps someone will analyze more difficult ones later."
"Alright…" Mi Zhuzhu dejectedly turned off the camera on her Nokia phone. She made up her mind to upload this explanatory video to her QQ space.
When the classmates from No. 12 Middle School saw how capable Chenchen was, wouldn't they regret their past actions?
If Liu Chen knew Mi Zhuzhu's thoughts, she would only smile. For those who dislike you, your excellence will only breed more jealousy, rather than making them regret their actions.
Mi Zhuzhu and Ren Mo, finding the sunlight in the living room too intense, went to the dining area and started practicing the magic trick with two rubber bands, taking turns.
Lai Jielun went to the back of the garden, reportedly to practice his performance for the past few days.
Only Liu Chen and Ren Yu remained on the living room sofa, watching television.
Liu Chen suddenly had an idea and thought of the six shops. Almost instinctively, she asked,
"Brother Ren Yu, will you buy new shops in the wholesale market when they become available?"
Ren Yu raised an eyebrow, looked at Liu Chen, and smiled,
"You guessed that I would buy them."