Chapter 1706: Easing Tensions

Undoubtedly, business at the school is excellent; the customer flow is stable, the income is stable, and it is a guaranteed profit with no risk of loss.

No one rejected this matter; securing the operating rights was, of course, extremely desirable.

Wang Yan didn't mind calling in favors to help get this done; otherwise, he would have just been making small talk with the school leaders without actually putting much thought into it.

What they said was quite right; Wang Yan indeed still carried some weight within the school. Speaking solely of the importance of a single supermarket on campus, showing favor to an insider versus showing favor to Wang Yan, clearly Wang Yan held more influence.

Thus, after some deliberation, they ultimately decided to take over the supermarket.

The handover of the supermarket proceeded very smoothly; everything was complete and ready, so one only needed to pay the contracting fee and settle the cost of existing inventory with the previous owner, and that was that.

Future operations required no worry either; selling goods could be handled by part-timers, and restocking had stable channels. This business purely depended on who could secure it and what the costs would be...

Therefore, in just one short week, the supermarket changed ownership.

Ren Bao Yifan clicked his tongue in admiration: "You're really something, Old Wang."

"Wasn't it 'Director Wang' before? Now it's back to 'Old Wang'?"

"'Old Wang' feels more intimate," Ren Bao Yifan said. "To be honest with you all, I've dreamed of running a supermarket since I was a child, so I could eat whatever I wanted, however I wanted. Now, not only has that dream come true, but it's also at a university, a guaranteed profit with no risk, my friends. We don't need to lift a finger; we just hire two students on work-study programs, and we can be completely hands-off owners. It's simply fantastic."

Lu Qiaochuan said, "Being a hands-off owner won't do; we still need to check in often. Otherwise, human hearts are unpredictable, and we might end up losing money on this supposedly risk-free venture."

"That would be truly excessive; I could even tolerate making no profit, as long as we break even! But if we actually lose money, that would be utterly unacceptable," Xiao Haiyang chimed in from the side.

Since taking over the supermarket required paying the rent for the space and the cost of the remaining inventory, the total sum was considerable. In the end, Ren Bao Yifan, Yu Hao, and Xiao Haiyang provided the capital, not even informing their families, using their New Year's gift money to get it done...

Wang Yan, who had finalized the matter, received a ten percent silent share.

The others were just joining in the fun, helping out a bit, snacking on some treats, and happily chatting together; they were merely the atmosphere crew.

"That is absolutely impossible!" Yu Hao pinched his fingers into an orchid shape. "I will watch them like a hawk. We can pay them more, but they must not have sticky fingers and embezzle our money."

"It's already noon, and we haven't done a single thing we were supposed to do." Bi Thirteen stood with arms crossed, shaking his head slightly. "Your sense of time is truly terrible, and your efficiency is far too low."

"Thirteen, didn't you sleep until eleven o'clock along with us?" Yu Hao widened his eyes, shocked by Bi Thirteen's shamelessness.

Zhong Bai said, "Alright, stop fooling around; let's hurry up and get organized. In these next couple of days, we must arrange everything quickly and not delay the students from buying things."

This was indeed the top priority, which was why they chose Saturday for the handover, precisely to avoid being flustered, having things unclear, and inconveniencing the students.

After all, the purpose of a school store is convenience; if it isn't convenient, it fails its purpose. Although a day or two might not matter much, it still affects the overall experience.

So everyone began bustling about together. Ren Bao Yifan sidled up to Xu Lianqiao: "How about it? Seeing that I've become the master of the supermarket and achieved success with my first startup, are you especially envious and full of regret?"

Xu Lianqiao glanced at him, turned around, and walked away to get to work.

Lin Luoxue passed by with a bright smile: "You are especially shameless."

"So are you; find yourself a boyfriend sometime."

"Thanks for your concern."

Wang Yan, of course, did no work; he sat on a stool outside the door, holding a can of cola and leisurely smoking a cigarette.

"Thank you, Old Wang."

Zhong Bai, slacking off from her work, sat down beside him to express her gratitude.

Wang Yan glanced at her: "I have a ten percent silent share; they have already thanked me."

"Oh, don't be so cold. We did have some misunderstandings before, but at the end of the day, we are still good classmates. Otherwise, how could Ren Bao Yifan still be friends with you?"

"That's not very friendly of you to say. Ren Bao Yifan being friends with me is Ren Bao Yifan's business; you can't claim that because you have a good relationship with him, you can hold him hostage and prevent him from making other friends. If you harbor such thoughts, being friends with you would be quite exhausting."

Zhong Bai processed this for a moment, then widened her eyes: "Are you talking about Ren Bao Yifan? Why do I feel like you're saying my need for control is too strong, and that breaking up with Lu Qiaochuan was only natural?"

"I was indeed talking about Ren Bao Yifan, but the relationship issues between you and Lu Qiaochuan that you've extrapolated from this might very well stem from that same point. I heard you both have done a lot of reflection; could it be that you're both reflecting on the other person without reflecting on yourselves?"

Looking at Wang Yan's peculiar gaze, Zhong Bai said, "You are really annoying; you clearly know I just broke up, yet you still bring this up?"

"See, you are also very annoying. You brought it up yourself first, yet you blame others for mentioning it?"

Zhong Bai stared unblinkingly at Wang Yan, took a breath to steady herself, and said irritably, "I finally understand now why Gu Yixin would fly into a rage at the mere mention of you back then, wishing she could strangle you to death."

"Is that so? You understand Gu Yixin now? Then do you know that she later became my girlfriend, and then my ex-girlfriend?"

Zhong Bai processed this again before finally grasping the connection: if she understood Gu Yixin, she was to some extent putting herself in Gu Yixin's shoes; and since Gu Yixin later fell for Wang Yan and got together with him, didn't that imply she too would eventually fall for Wang Yan?

"You're shameless! You dirty rascal!"

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "Gu Yixin used to curse at me the exact same way."

"You..."

"What's wrong with him, Zhong Bai?" Li Shuci asked curiously.

"Nothing!"

Zhong Bai snorted, got up in a huff, and stormed off.

Facing Li Shuci's suspicious gaze, Wang Yan shrugged: "She's too narcissistic."

Zhong Bai was indeed very self-centered and highly narcissistic. She blamed Lu Qiaochuan for being with her only to compensate her, yet also blamed him for yielding to her in everything, causing her to lose her own judgment and sense of self.

But she never asked for Lu Qiaochuan's opinion; everything was impulsively thought up by her alone, after which she made decisions, assuming those decisions were already agreed upon.

She blamed Lu Qiaochuan for not speaking up, but if Lu Qiaochuan had spoken up, wouldn't she have just pouted and started another argument?

Amidst everyone's busy efforts, they cleaned the premises, organized the inventory, and arranged the next day's stock. They even scheduled future work shifts for everyone, since they all wanted to experience the joy of standing behind the counter and collecting money...

Wang Yan did no work nor did he stay long; he left in the afternoon. He couldn't possibly hang around there chatting nonsense with these people indefinitely; even if he had free time, he wouldn't want to loiter there. Moreover, he wasn't that idle; whenever he wanted to work, there was plenty to do.

The documentary filming had been ongoing, with one episode per month; filming more was never a bad thing. Furthermore, within the documentary, there were many establishing shots, so accumulating footage on ordinary days was always necessary.

Additionally, he had engaged in portrait photography for some time; after he delivered the developed photos, the response was considerable. His fanbase was accumulating rapidly, and his influence within the photography category had already become absolutely top-tier. He didn't just possess influence empty-handed; he had solid skills, a track record, and honors to back it up.

Consequently, some minor celebrities contacted him, wanting to interact with him and have him shoot their portraits or photo essays; the celebrities wouldn't charge him, and he wouldn't charge the celebrities, a mutually beneficial arrangement that some might consider beneath Wang Yan's status.

In fact, some minor celebrities were willing to pay to have their photos taken by him, followed by mutual interaction to increase exposure. On another note, Wang Yan's documentary had earned a good reputation, marking his first steps on the path of a director. Minor celebrities and minor directors meeting in humble beginnings might find opportunities for collaboration in the future; this would be a wonderful story and an opportunity for the minor celebrities.

In the entertainment industry, there are always more people than there are roles. How many stars are there whose scripts are so numerous they can't accept them all?

At the same time, one must admit that celebrities generally possess excellent conditions. Therefore, sometimes when Wang Yan had free time, he would accept one or two commissions to photograph people.

Then there were the ongoing wedding photography services; after more than a year of business development, the operation had now expanded outward, occasionally requiring trips to other cities. Wang Yan also occasionally needed to guide the team.

His studio was called Peach Blossom Face, a shop name from long ago. Although it wasn't his main profession in this world, the wedding photography business had been retained, and it had indeed supported a large number of people.

Furthermore, Wang Yan had already gained a reputation; with the assistance of the school leadership, he had taken on the filming of a local promotional video and was currently communicating with government representatives to finalize the shooting plan.

Wang Yan planned to directly film a half-hour movie encompassing the city's scenic spots and unique features; the school's directing and literature majors had formed a screenwriting team, and the entire process was currently in the stages of script creation and location scouting.

Because some of the scenery to be depicted involved different seasons, trading time for budget, the entire project had been extended to a year...

Once all matters were concluded, it was already evening; everyone arranged for the students who usually worked part-time to watch the store, while they went out to eat and celebrate.

"Aiya, Director Wang is truly a busy man! Quick, quick, quick, we were just waiting for you."

Ren Bao Yifan greeted him enthusiastically; right now, he looked at Wang Yan as if he were his own father.

After all, although the supermarket was small, its significance was major. Moreover, his relationship with his actual father wasn't good either, so even if Wang Yan took advantage of him, he didn't feel awkward about it.

Furthermore, he knew that since Wang Yan had started contacting celebrities, he was already making plans for the future, and he wanted Wang Yan to introduce him to some...

Wang Yan smiled, walked over, and sat beside Li Shuci: "You guys too; since you said you'd be late, you should have started eating first. We aren't outsiders, so what were you waiting for?"

"How could that be acceptable? You are the greatest contributor. Without you, where would our supermarket be today?" Xiao Haiyang, being very emotional, opened a beer for Wang Yan. "You don't know, Old Wang, I even told my sister; she never expected I could encounter such a good opportunity."

Wang Yan naturally knew this, because Xiao Haiyang didn't have enough money and had borrowed some from his sister; at that time, Xiao Yu had found Wang Yan to verify the truth of the news and had even traveled here on a business trip a few days prior...

"She also said that this time, I'm no longer afraid of being expelled from school. At least staying for the four years of university won't be a problem." Xiao Haiyang smiled honestly.

"Your sister's words make sense." Wang Yan took the beer, laughing heartily as he drank with Xiao Haiyang.

"Don't just you two drink alone; let's all have one together," Yu Hao called out.

And so, before the dishes had even been served, everyone had already started drinking...

Zhong Bai said, "Wang Yan, as Ren Bao Yifan's good friend, watching him achieve his small dream, I also benefited from the light, able to collect money behind the counter. I propose a toast to you!"

"You're holding the bottle, and your words carry such overwhelming force; I thought you were going to chug the whole bottle," Wang Yan said with slight disdain.

"Hey, Old Wang, you can't underestimate Zhong Bai. Let me tell you, Zhong Bai's alcohol tolerance is quite good; this whole bottle is a breeze," Ren Bao Yifan said, tugging at the hem of Zhong Bai's clothes. "Zhong Bai, do you want to consider giving Old Wang a little shock?"

"No need, no need; that would make it seem like I'm forcing a girl to drink."

"Hey, Old Wang, now you're being fake," Yu Hao interjected. "Zhong Bai, drink as much as you can; don't listen to them."

Xiao Haiyang said from the side, "Then why are you clapping and looking so expectant?"

"Want to see a female hero; is that not allowed?"

In the span of a few sentences, Zhong Bai's temper flared up: "Drink then, I'll drink!"

She snorted, rolled her eyes at Wang Yan, and then tilted her head back, drinking with a *gulp-gulp-gulp* sound.

Shortly after, she inverted the beer bottle to show it was empty, while letting out a burp.

"Truly a heroine among wines, a hero among women. Old Wang, do you have the nerve to just watch?" Yu Hao said, pinching his fingers into an orchid gesture.

Wang Yan smiled but did not refuse; he directly chugged a whole bottle, even spinning it around with a flourish...

Seeing her invert the wine bottle at him, Zhong Bai rolled her eyes again.

This scene was witnessed by Lin Luoxue and Li Shuci nearby, and also by Xu Lianqiao.

Similarly, it was witnessed by the others as well...

After the group dispersed, Yu Hao asked, "Old Wang, why does it feel like you've grown closer to Zhong Bai?"

"It's just normal interaction; everyone is a classmate. Are you gossiping about even this?"

"It's precisely because it's 'just normal interaction' that you've grown closer," Bi Shisan thoughtfully added. "Previously, you didn't interact much with Zhong Bai; you wouldn't speak more than a few sentences in a whole year."

Xiao Haiyang was curious about the change, Lu Qiaochuan clearly understood the bad reasons behind it, which conversely meant things were better now, and Ren Bao Yifan also knew the reason but was concerned that Lu Qiaochuan found it difficult to speak about.

"It's simple: Zhong Bai broke up with Lu Qiaochuan, re-evaluated herself, and reconsidered her interpersonal relationships with others. I don't have any conflict with Lu Qiaochuan either; it's nothing more than the fact that I didn't support him in those two events.

Previously, he viewed me through colored glasses; although breaking up with Lu Qiaochuan couldn't remove the existing filter, I also helped Ren Bao Yifan, so this positive and negative essentially canceled each other out. I estimate it's something like this; don't you agree, Lu Qiaochuan, Ren Bao Yifan?"

Lu Qiaochuan smiled bitterly: "Old Wang, are you including a roll call for execution?"

Seeing this, Ren Bao Yifan burst into loud laughter: "You're right, Old Wang, that's exactly it. Speaking truthfully, Zhong Bai and Lu Qiaochuan breaking up is actually quite good; not only did they let each other go, but they also repaired their relationships with other classmates..."

"Aiya, I feel embarrassed on your behalf." Yu Hao crossed his arms, as if goosebumps were rising on his body.

"Quite the opposite; speaking it out is what removes the embarrassment," Bi Shisan said, crossing his arms and tilting his head. "Many times, it's precisely when nothing is said and everyone indulges in their own wild thoughts that it becomes more and more awkward..."

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