Chapter 43: I

"It seems we took the wrong road, right?"

Han Xiang, watching Lin Feng turn left at an intersection, frowned and said.

Lin Feng blinked, "Are we wrong? I remember this is the right road."

Han Xiang fell silent.

Lin Feng kept driving forward.

Following the winding road, after a short while they arrived at Yanjing's Shijingshan Amusement Park.

"Whoa! How did the car end up here!?"

Lin Feng said with a surprised expression.

"Wow!"

Seeing the huge Ferris wheel in the distance, Song Jiaren's eyes lit up.

"Jiaren, have you ever been here before?"

Lin Feng asked with a smile.

Song Jiaren shook her head and said, "No! Many of my friends have been here."

"Then shall we go in and have some fun?"

Lin Feng looked at Han Xiang.

Han Xiang didn't know what to say at this point.

After hesitating, she could only nod in agreement.

Now that we've arrived, she knew even if she objected it would be useless..

While Lin Feng was having a blast here, the owner of Gan Guo Cheng, Wei Mingcheng, was getting restless.

In the past two years Gan Guo Cheng has taken off, earning a lot of money; he holds a wad of cash in his hand.

So he thought about opening several more branches.

As for other businesses, he wouldn't venture into them.

Investing in industries within his understanding is the safest.

After touring almost all of Yanjing, he realized finding a good shop location was much harder than two years ago.

A friend suggested that a branch need not be in Yanjing; it could be in another city.

Wei Mingcheng gave the suggestion no consideration at all.

Because when he was young he consulted a fortune‑teller, who said he could only make money in the north; going south would make him a "Wealth‑Giving Boy".

Sure enough, after starting a business in Yanjing, it took only a few years to get going.

If he couldn't lease, he had to buy at a high price!

He eyed a three‑story shop that together amounted to one square (unit) of floor space.

At an average price of over 40,000 per square, it cost nearly 70 million in total.

Short on cash, he also applied to a bank for a 30 million mortgage loan, using the newly purchased three‑story premises as collateral.

After buying the shop, the money was almost all spent.

Next, the shop still needed renovation, which would cost several hundred thousand more.

At home there was also a troublesome wife who spent tens of thousands each month and kept nagging to buy a villa.

Buy a villa with a hammer!

Wei Mingcheng had long been fed up with that shrew; not only was she ill‑tempered, she also went to the club, seeking a male masseur…

However, the couple had already been living apart, and they knew each other's daily affairs very well.

Moreover, Wei Mingcheng often looked for women outside.

The middle‑aged couple had long lost their former passion; even when they occasionally shared a bed, they despised each other.

They didn't divorce because Gan Guo Cheng was marital property; a divorce would require splitting at least half, so they had to make do.

Later, when the business becomes big and strong, the "cake" will be big, then just split it in two.

Wei Mingcheng hadn't thought about transferring assets; first, Gan Guo Cheng's finances were clear, making transfer impossible.

Second, since the shop was up and running, his wife had also contributed a lot of money, and Wei Mingcheng still felt grateful.

The office door opened, and a young woman wearing glasses, with a pretty face and a sexy figure, walked in, smiling, "Boss, Manager Yang is here."

Wei Mingcheng at that moment had no mind to admire the junior secretary; he quickly stood up.

At that moment, a middle‑aged man carrying a briefcase walked in.

Wei Mingcheng promptly gave a warm reception.

The middle‑aged man was a bank manager named Yang.

Previously, when Wei Mingcheng borrowed to purchase the premises, it was Manager Yang who helped process it.

After sitting down and exchanging a few pleasantries, Wei Mingcheng got straight to the point, "Manager Yang, I want to take another loan."

Manager Yang frowned and said, "That 30‑million loan is already the limit. Your shop was bought too expensive; the bank values it at only 50 million. Lending 30 million on a 50‑million shop already carries risk."

"What about an operating loan?"

Wei Mingcheng asked.

Manager Yang frowned, thought for a moment, "Actually it could be done; how much do you plan to borrow?"

"Ten million!"

Wei Mingcheng said.

Manager Yang nodded and said, "You need to provide some financial and tax data, as well as the shop's lease contract; it should be at least a three‑year lease, right?"

Because he had already processed a loan for Wei Mingcheng, Manager Yang understood his business situation and knew that the Gan Guo Cheng shop was still rented from someone else.

"Three years, huh…" Wei Mingcheng frowned, "There's still a year and a half before it expires, we need to renew the lease soon, so I'll talk to the landlord, get the renewal contract signed first. Manager Yang, you can rest assured, the lease renewal will be easy."

After Yang Jingli left, the secretary walked in, "Boss, we just received a single deposit of one million."

Wei Mingcheng laughed, "You must have entered the wrong amount at checkout! Hurry and refund it, okay? Right, just say it was our mistake and give them a free order."

"Alright, boss!"

The secretary turned and left.

Wei Mingcheng checked the time, then picked up his phone, flipped through the contacts, and dialed a number.

Lin Feng was riding the Ferris wheel with Han Xiang and Song Jiaren.

Song Jiaren leaned against the window, staring out with a surprised expression.

"So high!"

Han Xiang also stared silently at the outside.

Looking at the expression in her eyes, her thoughts seemed to drift somewhere.

Perhaps in the sky, perhaps among the clouds.

She wore that ancient costume, truly like a beautiful celestial maiden descended from heaven.

The phone suddenly rang.

Lin Feng picked up the phone, looked, and laughed to Han Xiang, "See? In less than half a day, the owner of that shop called me."

Lin Feng pressed speakerphone, "Hello! Boss Wei!"

"You are…"

Wei Mingcheng was puzzled.

"I'm your landlord!" Lin Feng laughed, "I had lunch at your shop today! By the way, I'm Lin Feng, Lin Xiangdong is my father."

Wei Mingcheng laughed, "So it's landlord Xiaolin! How's your father's health lately? I haven't visited him in a long time; business has been too busy lately, sorry!"

Lin Feng had to mention his father's death again.

Wei Mingcheng sighed, "Your old man was a good person; hearing this, I'm very sad."

"Thank you!" Lin Feng said calmly, "You called to discuss the lease renewal, right?"

"Yes, yes! Although there's still a year and a half left, I need a loan here to open a branch, and the bank requires a lease contract of over three years…"

After Wei Mingcheng finished speaking, Lin Feng shook his head, "Sorry, Boss Wei, the lease renewal probably can't be discussed."

Wei Mingcheng felt a sudden thump in his chest.

If Lin Feng doesn't renew, he'll be doomed!

By then, even if the branch is renovated with this shop's revenue, the business hasn't taken off, and this shop will have to close.

If the branch can't make profit, how can the bank loan be repaid?

"Mr. Lin, if you think the rent is too low, we can renegotiate! How about a ten‑percent increase? You know, even if you don't rent to me and give it to someone else, they couldn't pay higher rent…"

After Wei Mingcheng finished, Lin Feng laughed, "It's not about the money; you should ask your wife and brother‑in‑law! Today I ate at your place, and you charged me a hundred million!"

Having said that, Lin Feng hung up.