Chapter 367 - 224: "Advancing" the Work (Part 2)

Chapter 367: Chapter 224: "Advancing" the Work (Part 2)

"I just saw on the first floor that we have too many gold and jewelry stores, just like the old Junxiao Square Store. We need to pay attention to tenant adjustments after the New Year. We’re pursuing rental income, but that’s not our top priority. I want this mall’s customer experience to be second to none!"

Lin Ya hadn’t expected him to switch so seamlessly between a rogue and a boss; for a moment, she didn’t know how to react.

Only then did she gradually shift back into a professional mindset, nodding repeatedly to show she had taken note.

"The restaurants upstairs are the same. There’s nothing unique. Sure, these trendy restaurants can pay high rent, but they’re usually just a flash in the pan. Plus, they’re exactly the same as in every other mall. We have no defining features!"

"Next year, we need to make major adjustments to our dining options. We need some brands that are making their debut in Jiangzhou. If the rental income targets are too high, you can discuss it with President Xu Jun."

He was giving his opinions, but he wasn’t overstepping his bounds. Lin Ya reported to Xu Jun, and he couldn’t break that protocol.

But as long as Lin Ya told Xu Jun they were her own ideas, Xu Jun naturally wouldn’t object. If there were any problems, he would report them to Xu Wu.

He stood up and said, "I’m leaving. You still have guests."

Lin Ya stood up to see him out. He patted her and said, "No need. Go find your brother."

She blushed. She had seen people pat others on the shoulder, but never on the butt. ’This boss of mine is so inappropriate!’

Lin Ya’s office had a private exit, so she didn’t need to pass through the reception room.

Chen Xiao wasn’t going to deliberately provoke Xia Bin, either. If he gave the man a stroke, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself.

Lin Ya straightened her dress, touched up her makeup, and checked herself in the mirror to make sure nothing looked out of place before pulling open the door and heading to the reception room.

Her cool, aloof expression was back in place.

"What are you doing here at this hour?"

Lin Ya asked the moment she walked in. When she entered the reception room and saw Xia Bin was also there, she couldn’t help but feel displeased.

"I haven’t been busy lately. Brother-in-law... no, Brother Bin invited me to hang out for a few days!"

He had caught the murderous look on Lin Ya’s face when he said "brother-in-law" and quickly corrected himself.

Xia Bin sat to the side, completely losing face.

"Oh. Well, since *someone* invited you to hang out for a few days, then go hang out. Don’t come running to my office all day. I’m very busy with work."

"Seriously, Sis? Your own brother comes to visit and gets such a cold shoulder. No wonder I get bullied in your mall!"

Lin Ya frowned. "What do you mean? Who bullied you?"

"Just now, downstairs, Brother Bin and I got into a conflict with a guy named Chen Xiao. He said he’s going to have you beat me up, and if you don’t, he’ll beat you!"

Lin Ya’s face instantly turned red. No wonder the boss had grabbed her there and spanked her a few times. So this was the root of it all!

"Lin Ping, come with me!"

Ignoring Xia Bin, Lin Ya led Lin Ping to her office.

"Explain everything to me from beginning to end. Don’t leave anything out."

Lin Ping recounted how Xia Bin had clashed with Chen Xiao, how he himself had righteously spoken up, and how Chen Xiao had then kicked Xia Bin. His version was mostly true to the facts.

He was still a little afraid of Lin Ya, so he didn’t dare lie.

’Xia Bin provoked Chen Xiao?’ Lin Ya sighed internally. ’Talk about courting death. To this day, Xia Bin still has no idea how he ended up in this mess.’

’The Xia Family was ruined at his hands!’ 𝖿𝖗ⅇℴ𝑚

"Lin Ping, turn around. Face away from me."

"What for?" Lin Ping asked, doing as he was told.

Lin Ya grabbed a ruler and smacked him hard on the butt twice.

Lin Ping leaped up. "Sis, why did you hit me?"

"You deserved it!"

’Why did I hit you? You provoked my boss. Did you think I wouldn’t discipline you?’

’Besides, the boss already hit me. Did you think I wouldn’t take it out on you to get even?’

Of course, she didn’t have the heart to hit him hard, so she stopped after just a few hits.

"Lin Ping, I’m warning you. Stay away from Xia Bin from now on."

Lin Ping reached back to rub the spot where he was hit, complaining, "Why? Brother Bin is a great guy. He’s handsome, rich, and has a successful career!"

"That’s all from his father. It has nothing to do with him!"

She left something unsaid: his father was responsible for earning the money, and Xia Bin was responsible for squandering it. How much longer could Four Seasons Clothing possibly survive? From the information Lin Ya had, it was already on its last legs.

’It won’t last long,’ she thought. ’It’s an unsolvable problem, because he offended Chen Xiao.’

Many people lose money because of a bad strategy, but Xia Bin was losing money because he was just plain blind.

Lin Ping recalled the way Chen Xiao had just put him in his place. A thought suddenly struck him, and he asked, "Sis, have you found me a new brother-in-law?"

Lin Ya’s face flushed, and she snapped in a fluster, "Are you asking for another beating? What nonsense are you spouting!"

But in her mind, she flashed back to Chen Xiao’s mischievous hands and actions...

’If Lin Ping and the others hadn’t come back, who knows if they would have started ’playing poker’ right then and there!’

’If that had happened, this environment really wouldn’t have been worthy of the boss...’

For the first time, she started to find her own office lacking.

"Sis, I just walked around downstairs. The foot traffic in this mall is way better than before. It’s such a shame we lost this project!"

The "we" he was referring to was the Lifan Business Management Company.

Lin Ya didn’t explain much. If the mall were still in the hands of the Lifan Business Management Company, it never would have achieved its current success.

"You need to rein in your playful side and spend more time and energy on work. You have to learn faster. The future of Lifan Business Management depends on you to make it bigger and stronger!"

At the mention of this, Lin Ping lost his enthusiasm. "I don’t like all this stuff. It was so much better when you were around. You handled everything. Now every little thing comes to me, and I don’t even have time to have fun anymore!"

"A man needs to be ambitious about his career. Men without a career are just children who never grow up!"

Lin Ping was about to say more...

...but Lin Ya cut him off. "Just hurry up and leave with Xia Bin. You’re going back to Shanghai today. Stop hanging around him, or you’ll get burned."