"Er Zhu, don't be so formal between us. We're past talking about money. I'm giving it to you."
Liu Yan pretended to be angry as she spoke, forcefully shoving the contract into Er Zhu's hand.
"Alright, but you'll still manage the fruit shop."
Seeing that her kindness was hard to refuse, Er Zhu didn't push back and agreed with a nod.
"That's more like it! I believe under your leadership, this fruit shop will become the biggest in the entire town!"
As Er Zhu signed his name, Liu Yan, happy as she was, didn't forget to flatter him.
She had already made up her mind: after giving the fruit shop to Er Zhu, she would dedicate all her attention to him!
She refused to believe that she, such a stunning beauty, couldn't compete with a rural widow!
A glint flashed in Liu Yan's eyes, and she looked at Er Zhu with a determined air, as if victory was hers.
Er Zhu felt her scorching gaze and guessed her intentions, but he didn't say anything.
After all, no matter how Liu Yan pursued him, he wouldn't take the bait. This was the art of "responding to changes without changes"!
"Oh, right, call over all the shop owners around here. I have something to discuss with them."
After signing the contract, Er Zhu suddenly thought of something and looked up at Liu Yan.
Since he was going to expand, he might as well go all the way!
"Okay, how many should I call? Five or six?"
Liu Yan was taken aback, then seemed to guess something and cautiously probed, "Five or six?"
"No, the entire street."
Er Zhu shook his head slightly, glanced at the bustling street outside the window, and spoke slowly.
Instantly, Liu Yan felt her head spin. She stared at Er Zhu in disbelief.
"There are over fifty shops on this street. Each shop costs at least two million, which adds up to a hundred million!"
Liu Yan looked at Er Zhu, her voice filled with shock as she reminded him.
"Yes, I know. This amount of money is nothing."
Er Zhu nodded slightly and dropped this casual remark before turning to leave.
"Tsk tsk, the world of the powerful is truly unimaginable!"
Watching Er Zhu's retreating back, Liu Yan murmured enviously.
She had thought of herself as a big shot in this town, but compared to Er Zhu, she felt she wasn't even an ant!
That was a hundred million, not ten million, let alone one million!
The next day, Liu Yan gathered all the shop owners on the street, and Er Zhu arrived as promised.
"Er Zhu, you talk to them. I'll go make some tea for you."
Liu Yan enthusiastically patted the chair beside her and then turned to leave for another room.
"You're the one who wants to buy our shops? Do you have that much money?"
Seeing Er Zhu dressed so ordinarily, several shop owners asked with disdain.
When Liu Yan told them someone wanted to buy their shops, they had assumed it was some big shot, but it turned out to be this young man!
And such an ordinary-looking young man at that!
Forget buying the whole street, this guy probably couldn't even afford a single shop.
"Let's go, let's go. This pauper doesn't even have a few million. I won't sell my shop to someone like him!"
"Exactly! My business is booming, I'm not selling!"
…
Before Er Zhu could even speak, some shop owners turned and left. Of course, most of them stayed.
It wasn't that they believed Er Zhu; they were just staying out of boredom to watch the show.
"Whether I can afford it is my business. Just tell me how much you want for your shops."
Er Zhu didn't stop them, not even glancing at the shop owners who had already left. He spoke to those who remained.
Everyone looked at each other, their eyes darting around, their minds racing.
"Three million!"
"Four million!"
"Five million!"
…
One by one, the shop owners raised their hands and quoted their desired prices. In a short while, the total sum exceeded one hundred million!
"Are you doing this on purpose? Your shops are so tiny, how can they be that expensive!"
Liu Yan, who hadn't even finished making tea, couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed the teapot and questioned them angrily.
"What's it to you? Anyway, that's the price. I won't sell for a penny less!"
"That's right! Doesn't he have money? If he has money, he should just pay. Only poor people haggle!"
…
As soon as Liu Yan spoke, a few owners began to mock her sarcastically, their expressions seeming to say:
Go on, pretend to be rich, we'll see if you can actually pay!
"You're going too far!"
Liu Yan knew what they were thinking. Her face instantly turned red with anger, and she was about to argue with them.
"Alright, I've already transferred the money to you. Go back and pack your things."
Just then, Er Zhu, who had been silent for a long time, spoke. As soon as he finished speaking, the notification sounds rang on all the owners' phones.
The shop owners froze, quickly pulling out their phones. Upon seeing their bank balances, everyone fell silent!
This kid actually paid!
And he paid more than they had asked for!
They considered themselves good judges of character, but today, they had misjudged completely…
"The extra is a bonus for you. I don't care about this little bit of money anyway."
Seeing the shocked expressions of the owners, Er Zhu spoke again slowly.
"Heh heh, thank you, boss. I'll go back and pack my things right away and give you the keys tomorrow!"
"Boss, my name is Ma Decai. It's a pleasure to meet you, my friend!"
"Boss, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have waited to laugh at you. This shop is my lifeline, I can't sell it!"
…
As soon as he said this, the owners reacted differently. Some pleaded, some fawned, and a cacophony of noises erupted.
"Enough. I've given you the money. Hurry back and pack your things, or don't blame me for being rude!"
Er Zhu was tired of listening to their pointless chatter. He impatiently shook off the owners who were clinging to his leg, his eyes cold.
Seeing Er Zhu's displeased expression, the shop owners dared not say anything more and hurried home as fast as they could.
No matter how much they regretted it now, the facts were the facts!
After everyone left, Liu Yan also recovered from her shock. She grabbed Er Zhu's arm, a look of adoration flashing in her stunning eyes.
"Er Zhu, you're amazing! You're the most promising young man I've ever met!"
As she spoke, Liu Yan excitedly hugged Er Zhu, her ample bosom rubbing against his chest. Er Zhu's face flushed, and he stepped back repeatedly.
This woman was going to be the death of him. She really treated him like an enlightened monk!
Er Zhu took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
"Er Zhu, I like you!"
Sensing Er Zhu's withdrawal, Liu Yan embraced him and confessed her feelings tenderly.
"Don't rush to reject me. I want you to feel my sincerity first!"
Seeing Er Zhu about to speak, Liu Yan placed her middle finger on his lips. Her body slowly leaned in…