Liu Jinting took Liu Hongquan away.
Lin Jiang and Yan Ming returned to the noodle shop.
But it wasn’t long before Huang Youwei arrived.
"President Lin, I never imagined you would be the one to acquire Berkeley Mall."
Huang Youwei could have never imagined that a mere noodle shop owner would be able to acquire Berkeley Mall.
It was just unbelievable!
Even if he was some big shot slumming it, no one takes it this far.
"It’s nothing. I’ll acquire a few more things later. You’ll get used to it."
Huang Youwei: ???
"All of you should continue working as you did before. There’s no need to make a big deal about me. Just keep things running as usual."
Lin Jiang didn’t understand anything about operations, so it was impossible for him to implement any drastic reforms on short notice.
As long as the current team could keep the mall running normally, there was no need to interfere for now. Doing so would only make things worse.
It was like a computer with no major issues—you don’t install antivirus software, because as soon as you do, you have to fucking reinstall the whole OS.
Huang Youwei was secretly delighted and breathed a sigh of relief. ’My job is safe, for now.’
"President Lin, I’ve already sent people to prepare your office. Would you like to go have a look? If there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, we’ll make changes."
"It’s fine. Anything will do."
"Of course, of course. Well, President Lin, I’ll let you get back to it. I won’t disturb you any further."
Huang Youwei left with a grin. Lin Jiang glanced at the time—it was already noon.
Lin Jiang called Chen Jingxian. They needed to arrange a handover for the mall’s finances. He had a lot to take care of today.
While he was having lunch, He Jing came to the noodle shop.
"Boss Lin, I never would’ve guessed you were the mysterious tycoon who acquired Berkeley. I suppose I’ll have to start calling you President Lin now."
Facing Lin Jiang again, He Jing was much more reserved.
"You can call me whatever you like. No need to be so formal."
"I mentioned before that I wanted to come work for you. I never thought I’d actually end up as your subordinate," He Jing said with a smile.
"Maybe one day, you’ll actually keep me as your mistress."
The implication in her words was obvious.
"As long as you can perform well."
"Mhm, I’m very... capable. I’m ready whenever you are, President Lin."
"Good."
"President Lin, you seem busy, so I won’t disturb you."
"Right. We can talk about how... capable you are later. I’m a little busy today."
"Okay. Bye, President Lin."
After He Jing left, Lin Jiang got back to work.
He spent the entire afternoon discussing financial matters with Chen Jingxian.
That evening, he met Xu Lin for dinner. Coincidentally, her parents "missed their daughter" again.
The two of them returned to Century Triumph and "watched the cat do backflips" for a while.
Xu Lin was covered in sweat, her body limp.
... *14,389 characters omitted here* ...
For a rare change, when Lin Jiang woke up, Xu Lin was still beside him.
[You have comprehended the art of "Enjoying the Ride." Comprehension +1]
[You entered battle while injured. Martial Force +1]
[Congratulations! You have earned the achievement: All Three Roads Lead to Rome.]
[When this title is equipped, all roads are 10% clearer.]
’I can get a fucking achievement for this?’
’And what the fuck is this equipped effect supposed to be?’
[You have gained favor with NPC Xu Lin. Affinity +20]
[Affinity: 120]
[Reward: 2,000,000 Special NPC Development Fund. Has been deposited into your account.]
[Reward: 2,000,000 Special NPC Development Fund. Has been deposited into your account.]
’It gave me 20 Affinity points?’
Lin Jiang thought about Xu Lin’s state the previous night. ’Yeah, that seems about right.’
As if sensing his movement, Xu Lin stirred but showed no intention of getting up. Lin Jiang, ever so considerate, provided her with a personal "wake-up call."
By the time they finished, it was already past ten in the morning.
"I can’t take it anymore. Please, spare me."
Xu Lin lay on the bed like a puddle of mud.
"Aren’t you going to your shop?"
"Definitely not right now. If you have somewhere to be, just go ahead. I need to lie down for a while longer."
"Alright."
Lin Jiang went to the bathroom to wash up. While he was there, he called Chen Jingxian and asked her to have lunch with him.
After freshening up, he saw that Xu Lin was still asleep, so Lin Jiang left.
After leaving, he first went to Suya Fitness Center to check in.
[Check-in successful: Day 14]
After checking in, he drove to Berkeley Mall.
The whole way there, his mind was occupied with thoughts about Berkeley Mall.
Compared to the noodle shop, this new property was a true cash cow.
Although there was still a huge gap between him and the top tycoons, he had at least stepped a foot into the world of the wealthy.
With Liu Jinting gone, the vice president’s position was now vacant. He had to promote one of his own trusted people, or else Huang Youwei would have sole authority over everything.
’The question is who to promote,’ he thought. For now, he had no suitable candidates in mind.
When he got back to Berkeley Mall, he saw a taxi parked by the curb.
Lin Jiang didn’t think much of it at first, but then he saw that the person getting out of the car was Li Zhiyi.
What really caught Lin Jiang’s attention, however, was the blue exclamation mark floating above her head.
’I already bought her a car, so why is she taking a taxi?’
’But judging by her demeanor, she probably isn’t here to go shopping. She must be looking for me.’
[Quest Name: Annoying Relatives]
[Quest Description: Her relatives are insisting on setting her up on a blind date. She wishes they would stop meddling in her business.]
[Quest Reward: Kidney Enhancement Potion x1, 20 EXP]
’Holy shit, this is good stuff!’
[Kidney Enhancement Potion: Upgrades kidney function to Silver Level. Enables fearless continuous combat.]
’Tongzi, you’re fucking awesome!’
’It even divides kidney strength into levels.’
This quest, however, was rather interesting.
Her relatives really were a bit too nosy.
"Holy shit, look at that girl. She’s gorgeous."
Just as Lin Jiang got out of his car, he heard two men nearby, smoking and commenting on Li Zhiyi’s looks and figure.
"She’s more than gorgeous. Look at her figure—long, straight, and perfectly toned legs. It’s like her body was made for jeans."
"Hey guys, it’s not cool to talk about people behind their backs. How awkward would it be if she heard you?" Lin Jiang reminded them.
"We’re not being that loud. It’s fine," the tall, skinny man said.
"What do you think, man? Her body’s incredible, right?"
"Yeah, it’s pretty amazing," Lin Jiang casually agreed.
"We can look, but that’s it. A guy like me could never land a woman on that level in this lifetime," the tall man said.
"Don’t even think about it. Women like that aren’t for guys like us. They’re just playthings for the rich," the shorter, heavier man said.
"You shouldn’t say that. Nothing’s impossible."
The two men looked at Lin Jiang. "You’ve got some nerve, buddy. How can you say something so shameless with a straight face?"
"There are no absolutes in this world," Lin Jiang said.
"Talk is cheap. If you’re really all that, go hit on her. Otherwise, you’re just full of it."
"Just watch. I’m going over right now."
The two men tossed their cigarette butts and stood aside, waiting for the show to start.
Just as Lin Jiang had expected, after getting out of the car, Li Zhiyi walked straight toward the noodle shop.
But she didn’t go straight in. Instead, she stood in front of the glass window, looking inside for a while.
Lin Jiang quietly walked up behind her and gave her a light slap on the butt.
"What are you doing, skulking around like that? You here to check up on me?"
AHH—
Li Zhiyi jumped, startled. She whipped around and saw it was Lin Jiang.
"Brother Jiang, you scared me to death!" Li Zhiyi said, clutching her chest.
"I’m not here to check up on you! I just knew you opened a noodle shop here, and since I’ve never tried it, I wanted to come and have a taste."
"Come on, I’ll take you. Perfect timing, I haven’t eaten either."
"Okay!"
Back in the parking lot, the two men were dumbfounded as they watched Lin Jiang enter the noodle shop with his arm around Li Zhiyi.
"Is that guy for real? He just walked up and slapped her ass?"
"Not only did he slap it, but the girl doesn’t even seem mad."
"Not only is she not mad, he sweet-talked her for a minute and is already leading her away! What’s this guy’s secret?"
Once they were seated in the noodle shop, Li Zhiyi scanned the QR code for the menu and said:
"I’ll have the plain noodles, and you get the steak rice bowl. Hehe, that way I can try a bit of both."
"Alright, you got it."
Lin Jiang asked Li Yuanyuan to bring them a bowl of plain noodles, a steak rice bowl, and two glasses of sour plum juice.
"I bought you a car, so why’d you take a taxi here?"
"The GLE is a direct import, and there weren’t any left in Zhonghai. They have to transfer one from another city," Li Zhiyi said with a giggle.
"Since I’m an employee, I asked my supervisor to pull a few strings and have the interior customized for me. It should be delivered in a few days."
"Oh, I see."
Soon, their food arrived. Li Zhiyi ate with great relish, downing much more than she usually would.
"You can go back to work, big brother. I’m going to go look around inside," Li Zhiyi whispered after they finished eating.
"You want to buy something?"
"I want to buy a three-piece bedding set. This is your turf, so you must know where to find them, right?"
"So, you came here to shop, and eating was just an excuse, right?"
"Mhm."
"Come on, I’ll take you."
"But you’re busy with work. I don’t want to waste your time."
"How could this be a waste of time? Just come with me."
"Hehe, thanks, big brother."
Afterward, Lin Jiang took Li Zhiyi to the home textiles section. Once they were in a store, she became exceptionally serious as she looked through the options.
RING RING RING—
In the middle of her sentence, Li Zhiyi’s phone rang.
Lin Jiang glanced at the caller ID. It was her mother.
"Okay, I know."
"After you get off the bus, just follow the signs."
"I’ll head over in a little while."
Listening to Li Zhiyi’s conversation and connecting it with the quest description, it wasn’t hard for Lin Jiang to guess that her mother was probably arriving, and she had to go pick her up.
’I can use this as an opportunity to complete the quest.’

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