"He wouldn’t dare," Lin Jiang said, unconcerned.
"If he were really all that, he’d just kick me out. I’d get a nice payout for breach of contract, and besides, I can set up shop anywhere."
"That’s true. Berkeley Mall used to be dead. If it weren’t for us, it wouldn’t have this much foot traffic."
"So, what’s there to be afraid of? We just get it done."
"Mhm."
Li Yuanyuan left, and Lin Jiang checked the reward for killing the Boss.
[Pure Yang Physique: Abundant energy, powerful stamina]
’What a reward. Enough to keep a man up at night.’
’But why would this Liu Jinting come after me?’
’They both have the surname Liu. Could she be related to Liu Hongquan?’
Lin Jiang racked his brain but couldn’t come up with an answer. He decided to put it out of his mind and focus on his own matters for now.
Lin Jiang picked up his phone and chatted with Qin Yangyang about filing for divorce.
She also shared that she’d lost another couple of pounds today and suggested they go to the gym together tonight for some physique training.
[Elite Mob Appeared]
[Leader Name: Zhang Brothers]
[Kill Condition: Evil reaps what it sows. Make the Zhang Brothers pay the price they deserve.]
[Kill Reward: Baji Fist (Beginner), 100,000 cash]
The sudden notification made Lin Jiang put down his phone.
’Just got rid of a Boss, and now an Elite Mob shows up.’
’This dungeon is way harder than the newbie village.’
However, Lin Jiang noticed a clue in the name.
Their designation was "Elite Mob." In other words, these Zhang Brothers weren’t part of the Berkeley dungeon. The two were likely unrelated.
’But this kill quest was different from before. In a way, just getting the quest meant the ’kill’ was already a done deal.’
He just never expected the Zhang Brothers would one day come looking for him.
CREAK—
The shop door was pushed open, and a burly man walked in from outside.
He was wearing black slacks and leather shoes, with a tight, white short-sleeved shirt on top. Behind him were two other men who looked like lackeys, dressed like common thugs.
"Miss, any seats available?" the man in the lead asked after coming in.
Zhou Xiaoli turned to look. There were no empty tables in the shop, but one table was about to finish, so she pointed and said:
"You can wait over there. That table is about to be free. There’s a QR code on the table, so you can order first."
"Okay."
The leader of the group scanned the QR code, and the three of them started ordering while they waited for the table.
Lin Jiang glanced at the computer at the counter. The three men had ordered different items.
The three of them didn’t seem out of the ordinary, but since the game notification had appeared, their arrival definitely had another purpose.
Back when he ran his noodle shop across the street, Lin Jiang already knew of the Zhang Brothers.
The two brothers ran a billiards hall at the north gate of Fenglin International, but they didn’t have a good reputation in the area.
When Mixue Ice City first got popular, someone saw the business opportunity and opened a franchise on this street.
After opening, business was surprisingly good. There was always a line, no matter the time. Before long, the two brothers set their sights on it.
Using various tactics, they drove away the original owner and took over that Mixue Ice City.
’Now one of them has come to my shop. His intentions are obvious.’
Lin Jiang remained impassive, continuing to chat with Qin Yangyang.
"Excuse me, are you about to finish? May I sit here?"
The voice interrupted Lin Jiang’s thoughts. He looked up and saw it was the woman in cargo pants from yesterday. He didn’t expect to see her again today.
"We’re just about done. Go ahead and sit," said the old woman at the table, who was eating noodles with her husband.
"Thank you."
The woman was very polite. She put down her backpack and scanned the code to order.
Soon, the old couple finished their meal, got up, and left.
Lin Jiang glanced around the shop. The servers were all busy, so he stepped in himself to clear the dishes.
"If I’m not mistaken, this should be your third time eating here."
Even though he didn’t know her, it didn’t stop Lin Jiang from striking up a conversation. When you’re running a business, the main thing is to be welcoming.
Being open and generous when talking to people was a foundation Li Xiaoping had built in Lin Jiang since he was a child.
"I’m leaving in a few days, so I don’t know when I’ll get to eat here again. I’m trying to sample everything on your menu."
The woman took off her hat, and Lin Jiang was stunned, the way one might be when Taylor Swift takes off her glasses.
She had a classic northern face shape and wore no makeup, yet she projected an air of poised, crisp elegance.
Her beauty was natural and profound. The composure in her every move was like that of a deity looking down upon mortals.
"For being such a great customer, I’ve got to give you a complimentary plum juice."
"In that case, thank you, boss."
"My pleasure."
After clearing the table, Lin Jiang returned to the counter and removed the plum juice from the woman’s order.
Just then, the three men walked over and stood before Lin Jiang.
"Hello, you must be the owner of this shop."
"I am. What’s up?"
"My name is Zhang Tianyu. I own the Eastern Star Billiards Hall at the north gate of Fenglin International."
"That’s not far from here," Lin Jiang replied politely.
"I heard this shop of yours used to be across the street, and you moved here after business picked up."
Lin Jiang nodded in response.
"How long were you open across the street?"
"If you count carefully, it was over half a year."
"That’s a pretty long time. You’d be considered an old-timer in this area."
Zhang Tianyu’s words had a hidden meaning. Anyone who was an old-timer in this area would have surely heard of his name, which would make it easier to discuss other matters.
"I guess you could say that. Just doing a little business to get by."
"A shop this big, with lines of people waiting to eat? I wouldn’t call that a small business."
"It’s all thanks to my great customers."
"We’re both from this area, so I’ll get straight to the point," Zhang Tianyu said.
"Your noodles are pretty good, and the pan-fried steak rice is delicious too. I want to open a franchise. When are you free? I’ll book a table, and we can talk."
"I’m really sorry, but the shop just opened not too long ago. I don’t have any plans to franchise just yet."
"Don’t be scared. Even if I were to franchise, I wouldn’t open it here. I’d definitely find a place far away from you so I’m not stealing your business. I get that much."
"But I really don’t have any plans for that. Sorry," Lin Jiang said with a smile.
"How about this? Since we’re neighbors, this one’s on me."
Zhang Tianyu’s expression turned a little grim, and the look he gave Lin Jiang was no longer as friendly as before.
"If you don’t want to franchise, then we can invest. Name a price. I promise I won’t haggle."
"We’re fine on capital for now. We don’t have any plans to bring on investors."
Zhang Tianyu sized up Lin Jiang. "You’re being a little unreasonable."
Before Lin Jiang could speak, Yang Tao came over from the back kitchen and stepped behind the counter.
"Brother Jiang, I need to grab some seasonings. We’re running low in the kitchen."
Lin Jiang stepped aside, and Yang Tao stood in front of the cabinet behind them, rummaging through its contents.
Meanwhile, the woman eating nearby also shifted her gaze toward Zhang Tianyu.
The atmosphere grew tense, like a drawn bow.
"Listen to you. Just because I won’t let you franchise or invest, you say I’m being unreasonable? That’s pretty shameless of you."
"How about this? It’s crowded now, not a good time to talk. Don’t leave tonight. My brother and I will come back to have another chat with you."

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