Chapter 361 - 359: Intercepted

The shop was about a hundred square meters, perfectly square, with excellent lighting. It used to be a cafe, and its decor leaned towards a natural wood style, which was very close to the tone Yang Xun was looking for.

Yang Xun stood at the entrance, taking a look around before nodding. "This one’s not bad."

Zhou Yuan followed beside him, smiling. "I knew you’d like it. Good location, spacious, and the foundational decor is solid. It’ll be ready to use with just a few minor changes. Plus, the rent is thirty percent cheaper than the second option. The landlord is eager to lease it out, so the price is still negotiable."

"Then we’ll go with this one. Let’s go in and talk to the landlord."

The three of them pushed the door open and walked inside. The landlord was a man in his fifties wearing a dark gray jacket. Seeing Zhou Yuan, he greeted them enthusiastically.

"Young Master Zhou! You’re here! This must be the boss you mentioned? He looks so young and promising!"

Zhou Yuan smiled and made some brief introductions, then let Yang Xun and the landlord sit down to talk. The price negotiations went smoothly. The landlord was indeed in urgent need of money and was willing to make some concessions on the rent.

After agreeing on the price, just as both parties were about to sign the contract, a man in a black suit hurried in and whispered a few words into the landlord’s ear.

The landlord’s expression shifted slightly. He looked up at Yang Xun, his eyes filled with awkwardness and hesitation. "Um... Mr. Yang, I’m really sorry. This shop... I’m not renting it out anymore."

Yang Xun raised an eyebrow. "You’re not renting it?"

The landlord rubbed his hands together, an apologetic smile plastered across his face. "It’s like this. Someone just offered a higher price and is willing to pay three years’ rent upfront in a single lump sum. I really am in urgent need of money right now, so you see..."

Before he could finish, a familiar voice drifted in from the doorway, carrying undisguised mockery and smugness. "Oh, isn’t this the Xu Family’s live-in son-in-law? I heard you want to open a shop?"

Yang Xun turned to look. Chen Junhao swaggered in through the door, wearing a gaudy shirt and a pair of sunglasses, with two lackeys following close behind.

"I’ve rented this shop." Chen Junhao walked up to Yang Xun and took off his sunglasses, revealing eyes full of provocation. The smirk on his lips was extremely punchable. "What? Pissed off? It doesn’t matter if you are. Who can blame me for outbidding you?"

Yang Xun leaned back in his chair, looking at him unhurriedly. "Chen Junhao, did I not beat you hard enough last time? Is your skin itching for another thrashing?"

Chen Junhao’s face stiffened for a second, and he subconsciously took a half-step back. But he quickly straightened his posture, forcing an imposing aura. "Yang Xun, don’t try to scare me! Let me tell you, as long as I, Chen Junhao, am in Zhonghai, you can forget about renting a suitable shop!

"You want to open a business? Keep dreaming! People like you are only fit to deliver takeout. Open a shop? Aren’t you afraid of losing all your capital?"

He grew more excited as he spoke, his voice rising a pitch. "And let me tell you, your good days are coming to an end. It won’t be long before you’re kneeling in front of me, begging for mercy!"

Yang Xun stood up slowly, his gaze fixed calmly on Chen Junhao. There was no anger in his eyes, yet it sent a chill down Chen Junhao’s spine.

"What do you mean by that?"

Chen Junhao felt a bit spooked by his stare, but he refused to back down verbally. "What do I mean? Just wait and see!"

After saying this, as if afraid Yang Xun would attack him on the spot, he turned and headed for the door. After taking two steps, he looked back and grinned. "I advise you to give up on this idea of opening a shop. Because no matter where you pick, I’ll always be one step ahead of you."

Yang Xun didn’t chase after him. He just stood there, watching Chen Junhao’s back disappear through the doorway.

Zhou Yuan’s expression was ugly. He cursed in a low voice, "Damn it, that bastard did it on purpose! How about I find someone to beat him up? Let’s see if he dares to cause trouble then!"

"No need. Let him run rampant for a few days." A cold sneer tugged at the corners of Yang Xun’s lips. He reached out, pushed the contract aside, and turned to Zhou Yuan. "Since he rented this place, we’ll just find another one."

"Huh? Then what should we do?"

"Keep looking at others. If he has the money, he can rent them all." Yang Xun’s tone was calm. He wasn’t the least bit angered by this interlude.

"Xun is right. I’ll have someone look for other suitable shops. I don’t believe he can rent every single shop in a city as big as Zhonghai."

Yang Xun patted his shoulder and left first, having Sun Rao stay with Zhou Yuan for now.

He felt that Chen Junhao’s words carried a hidden meaning. The man was definitely plotting something malicious again. With this in mind, he drove straight to Xu’s Beauty Industry.

Xu Yue was just getting ready for her lunch break when Yang Xun dragged her around the factory for a grand tour. From the raw materials warehouse to the filling workshop, from the quality control laboratory to the finished product packaging line—they meticulously inspected every single process.

Xu Yue wore a white lab coat, her hair tied up neatly in a ponytail. As she walked, she confirmed the production flow with the workshop supervisor.

"Have the raw material batch numbers for this batch of Ninghua Cream all been verified?"

"They have, President Xu. Every batch of raw materials has gone through quality control. The certificates of conformity and inspection reports are all complete. There are absolutely no issues," the workshop supervisor nodded hastily.

Xu Yue nodded. She bent down to check the bottles moving along the filling line, confirming that the seals on the bottle mouths were intact and the labels were applied neatly, before straightening up.

Yang Xun followed behind her, his gaze sweeping across the entire workshop. A faint, refreshing fragrance of raw materials permeated the air. The humming of the operating machinery was steady and rhythmic, and the workers were all performing their respective duties. Everything seemed to be in perfect order.

However, the tense string in Yang Xun’s heart never fully loosened.

He felt things wouldn’t be this simple. Since Chen Junhao dared to declare that his ’good days were coming to an end,’ it certainly wouldn’t just be about launching a new product. Chen Junhao was the type to seek revenge for the slightest grievance. Having suffered a loss out in the open, he would definitely try to make up for it behind the scenes.

"What’s wrong?" Xu Yue noticed his pensive expression and turned her head to ask.

"It’s nothing. I just feel a little uneasy." Yang Xun withdrew his gaze, his expression remaining serious.

Xu Yue smiled and reached out to pat his arm gently. "You’re just too tense. I’m keeping an eye on things at the company. There won’t be any major disasters."

Yang Xun didn’t tell Xu Yue about what happened today, afraid she would worry as well.

After finding no issues during the inspection, the two of them walked to the entrance of the finished goods warehouse, just in time to see Xu Feifan turning the corner from the opposite corridor.

He was wearing a somewhat wrinkled shirt with a "Marketing Department" badge pinned to his chest, and he carried a thick stack of documents in his arms. His forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, and a dark sweat stain had spread across the back of his shirt.

Seeing Xu Yue and Yang Xun, Xu Feifan’s footsteps paused for a moment before he hurried forward, panting slightly. "Yueyue, Yang Xun, what brings you here?"

"We came to inspect the production situation. Are you... just getting back from outside?" Xu Yue’s gaze fell on his sweat-soaked shirt, her tone carrying an unexpectedly soft note.