Chapter 42: That Shop Is Mine

Lin Feng held Song Jiaren's small hand, looked at the shop before him, and felt a very familiar sensation.

Sure enough, after searching the records he had memorized, he discovered the shop was indeed his.

The shop is called 'Sichuan Flavor Gan Guo Cheng', stretching horizontally for many meters.

It actually comprises several storefronts of one building, opened into a continuous space, with a huge area.

Both the first floor and the second floor belong to Lin Feng.

Of course, they are both rented by the same landlord.

Combined, the two floors can accommodate over a hundred dining tables.

Because it is a densely foot‑traffic dining street, the rent is steep, close to 10 yuan per square meter per day.

With more than 2,000 square meters across two floors, the annual rent totals 7 million yuan.

Naturally, the one making more money is the owner who runs the shop.

Daily revenue reaches several hundred thousand yuan, so netting twenty to thirty million a year is no problem.

The lease is a single contract, with one and a half years left before expiration.

However, a year in advance the landlord will approach him to discuss renewal or propose buying out the premises outright.

If one counts the initial investment and the first half‑year when business growth barely made profit, over the past three years the landlord's accumulated wealth should be close to a 'small goal'.

Some unscrupulous landlords, seeing tenants profit from their shops, think of driving them out to run the business themselves.

They fail to realize that besides the prime location, the tenant's management style and the goods sold are also reasons for the booming business.

But the next rent increase is due, at least a million yuan more…

Lunchtime isn't even the peak yet, yet the first‑floor seats are already nearly full.

Stepping inside, a wave of fragrant spiciness hit his nose.

Lin Feng found it a bit pungent, but after a few deep breaths he finally eased.

There were still some vacant seats on the second floor, and a server cleared a window‑side spot; Lin Feng led Song Jiaren over to it.

After sitting down, the server immediately came over with the menu.

Lin Feng ordered a medium portion of chicken and beef, plus small portions of potatoes and other vegetarian dishes.

Song Jiaren swallowed, took the menu, and ordered a serving of shrimp, rabbit meat, and broccoli.

"That's about enough to eat, I won't order more,"

When it was Han Xiang's turn to order, she waved her hand.

Lin Feng was going to drive, so he skipped Alcohol and ordered six cans of herbal tea.

Eating Gan Guo can generate internal heat, while drinking herbal tea dispels it.

After more than ten minutes, a large bowl of 'big mixed stew' and a small bucket of rice were served.

Song Jiaren lifted her chopsticks, craned her neck to look inside, and didn't see the big shrimp she liked.

Lin Feng gave a slight smile, used his chopsticks to stir the pot a few times, selected several large shrimp, and placed them into her bowl.

Song Jiaren had been taught etiquette; picking out dishes with chopsticks while eating is considered very impolite.

Lin Feng laughed, "If you want something, just stir the pot; eating Gan Guo without stirring is pointless. Of course, aside from Gan Guo and hot pot, at other times you must strictly observe etiquette, understand?"

"Hmm!" Song Jiaren nodded, biting a shrimp.

Han Xiang dislikes spiciness, lifted a bowl of rice to pick at the vegetables, and rinsed the chili powder off with tea.

Lin Feng and Song Jiaren ate with a Sizzle— sound, their mouths full of oil.

A huge pot of dishes, almost all of it, went into Lin Feng's and Song Jiaren's bellies.

After finishing their meal,

Lin Feng looked at the appetite‑less Han Xiang and said, "You never say what you want to eat; next time I'll treat you to authentic Hangzhou cuisine, and you'll definitely taste the flavor of home."

"Thank you!"

Han Xiang smiled and nodded.

At the front desk checkout, Lin Feng swiped his card and paid a little over 500 yuan.

That's quite affordable; no wonder there are so many customers.

It's still noon; if it were evening, arriving late would mean having to wait!

Stepping outside, a wave of heat hit them.

Lin Feng tugged Song Jiaren to quicken their pace, hoping to get to the car and enjoy the beloved air‑conditioning.

But after only a few steps, two burly men in T‑shirts blocked Lin Feng.

Lin Feng turned his head and saw three more people behind him.

Two young men and a middle‑aged woman.

The middle‑aged woman was the same shrew who had previously clashed with Lin Feng in the neighborhood over walking a dog without a leash.

"It's him! He's the one who killed my big flower!"

The woman pointed at Lin Feng, gritting her teeth as she spoke.

Beside her, a man in his twenties with a gold chain around his neck and a floral shirt smiled and stepped forward.

He looked at Lin Feng with a mocking expression and said, "What a coincidence! First you stepped on my sister's dog and killed it, then you ran to my sister's house to eat! We really are destined!"

Lin Feng furrowed his brows and asked, "You blocked me—are you going to fight me right here on the street?"

The young man shook his head, "We live in a rule‑of‑law society; how could we beat someone? We're just after compensation! Do you know how much the dog you killed was worth? It was a purebred dog imported from abroad; my sister raised it like her own son."

As soon as he finished, Song Jiaren interjected, "That's just a dog, so does that make your sister a dog mother?"

"Pfft~"

Lin Feng couldn't help but laugh.

That remark was truly incisive.

The middle-aged woman's face darkened instantly, looking as if she were about to explode.

The young man pulled at his sister, frowned, and said, "One million! Pay the money and I won't bother you. Otherwise, I have plenty of ways to deal with you!"

Lin Feng glanced at the dry pot shop and asked, "Is this yours?"

The young man said arrogantly, "This is my brother-in-law's shop. See? Business is booming. To open a shop on this street, you need some skill."

Lin Feng smiled and said, "I'm afraid that if I pay, I'll scald your sister and brother-in-law's hands, and then you, this little brother-in-law, won't be welcomed either!"

The middle-aged woman snorted coldly, "You're putting on a big bad wolf act. I've seen plenty of pretty faces like yours, putting on airs. If you really came with real knives and guns, it'd be useless."

"Ma'am, what exactly are you referring to? There's meaning behind your words!"

Lin Feng asked with a smile.

The middle-aged woman furrowed her brows and closed her mouth.

"Since you dare to talk big, cut the nonsense and pay up!"

The young man said impatiently.

Lin Feng nodded and said, "Since that shop is yours, I'll just swipe one million at the cash register! You can't pay one million with a personal account."

"Also need to write a written agreement, so you won't later claim our shop extorted you." The young man added.

"Good!"

Lin Feng readily agreed.

The matter was settled in a few minutes.

He swiped the card to pay one million, then wrote a note and signed his name.

This meal was expensive enough.

"Uncle Lin, it's their fault—why should we pay them?"

After getting in the car, Song Jiaren asked, puzzled.

Lin Feng smiled and said, "Because I gave them money, they'll soon return even more to me!"

Song Jiaren scratched her head, utterly confused.

Han Xiang also looked at Lin Feng with doubtful eyes.

Lin Feng explained, "Because that shop is mine! If I didn't continue to rent it to them, how much would they lose? Business is so good; their food is one aspect, but most importantly, the location there is superb."

"Now the food industry is so competitive; such a good location is easy to rent, but for them to find another spot with such a good shop would not be that easy."