Chapter 227 - 195: Kickback

Chapter 227: Chapter 195: Kickback

In his previous life, Xu An had visited Qianjin Street many times. By then, the street had been completely renovated. Unique little shops were everywhere, and combined with the well-developed surrounding facilities, many people made special trips over to visit and shop.

But this was 2012. Zijing Garden was still under construction, with its first phase not yet open for sale, and Qianjin Street still looked dilapidated and old. Its only redeeming quality was that one side of its shops and residences faced the national highway, making both receiving and sending shipments extremely convenient.

Although he didn’t have much money on him, he knew some expenses were necessary to pay for professional help. Xu An found one of the few storefronts on this old street that could be considered new. Above it, a red sign, its color unevenly faded by the sun, was printed with two large words: Lijie Real Estate.

As he pushed open the glass door and entered, a mechanical yet enthusiastic "Welcome!" sounded from above the doorway. It woke up the only agent in the office, who groggily opened his eyes to look at Xu An.

It was just after two on a Tuesday afternoon, well within business hours, but only one of the six desks was occupied. ’The other five must be out with clients or surveying properties.’ Xu An briefly sized up the office before walking straight to the sofa and coffee table area for clients. Looking at the agent who had just stood up, he crisply stated his requirements.

"I want to buy a plot of land here on Qianjin Street, somewhere between 150 and 300 square meters. It should preferably be near the national highway or have a road connecting to it, and the distance shouldn’t be more than two hundred meters."

Having said his piece, Xu An plopped down on the sofa like he owned the place. He shifted his body, found a comfortable position to slouch in, and reached up to rub his temples, which were throbbing from lack of sleep.

This rapid-fire list of requirements snapped the young agent out of his daze. He briskly walked over to the beverage counter, took out a packet of instant coffee, and made a cup for the exhausted-looking Xu An before finally sitting down across from him.

The moment the young agent recognized Xu An, a look of delight flashed in his eyes. Although he had never met Xu An in person, he had seen the documentary "Visiting Fast Food Restaurant" and followed the Xu’s Catering account. He knew that Xu An had been making big moves lately and spending money like water.

’This is a whale of a client!’

"...Besides these requirements, is there anything else?"

"I need to be able to get a land use certificate for it. The faster, the better. It would be ideal if you could find something within the week."

The young agent dutifully noted down all of Xu An’s requirements. He then got up, grabbed a tablet from his desk, and handed it to Xu An. His finger swiped quickly across the screen, and photos of different but equally old storefronts flashed before Xu An’s eyes.

After swiping past a dozen or so photos, the agent’s finger finally stopped, and his voice sounded in Xu An’s ear.

"How about this property? It covers 212 square meters. It used to be a furniture showroom, and the interior is almost untouched. If you buy it, you won’t have to demolish much of anything. You could move in after some simple renovations." The agent tapped the screen, opening a new page with a dozen or so photos of the interior.

The photos showed mottled walls, a filthy floor, and several thick pillars supporting the entire space. Numerous banners still hung from the ceiling. The slogans on them proved the agent was telling the truth; the previous tenant had indeed run a furniture business.

"This storefront isn’t directly on the national highway." The agent swiped the screen again, and a floor plan appeared. "But there’s a small road that connects to the highway. Small trucks can get through without any issue, so access is still quite convenient."

Xu An pinched the screen, zooming out until the entirety of Qianjin Street was displayed, each shop shrunk to the size of a grain of rice. He stopped zooming. From one end to the other, every shop and road on Qianjin Street was now clearly visible on the screen.

His gaze swept across the screen, and he quickly located the furniture showroom the agent had recommended. It was separated from the national highway by a single block, but a road that looked quite wide connected them directly. Judging by its size on the map, it was more than wide enough for small trucks to pass through.

Memories of Qianjin Street from his previous life slowly surfaced. In his mind’s eye, the street’s layout began to transform as names bubbled up from the depths of his memory. The dilapidated furniture showroom turned into a two-story building. A massive sign was mounted on the roof, bearing two large words written in black on a red background: Huimin Supermarket.

His memories of Qianjin Street continued to cycle. One moment, Huimin Supermarket was celebrating its grand opening, with flower baskets by the door and a red ribbon on its sign. In the blink of an eye, moss crept up its walls, and the sign became old and weathered. The residential area next to it collapsed into rubble. Then, in the next instant, a new building shot up from the ground. It quickly grew into a seven-story structure covering 600 square meters, becoming the tallest building on Qianjin Street. A giant neon sign was installed at the top, its letters spelling out: ParknShop Supermarket.

With the arrival of ParknShop Supermarket, the neighboring Huimin Supermarket became even more rundown. Its roll-up door, once perpetually open, was soon shut for good. The sign’s style and name changed constantly. It went from Huimin Supermarket to a clothing store, then a shoe shop, then the Hai City Gift Shop... until the name finally settled on—Zijing Restaurant.