"Don’t be so blunt. Leave something to the imagination."
"The things you think of... I ought to pinch you."
After her little threat, Qin Yangyang took a bite of her pan-fried bun.
"I was just watching videos online, and the entire internet is singing your praises. Berkeley was already in the spotlight and being held in high regard, but the way you handled this has elevated its status even further."
Qin Yangyang looked at Lin Jiang earnestly. "And you know what? While I was scrolling through videos, I even saw the official media comment on it. They called you a model for new-era entrepreneurs."
Lin Jiang leaned back in his chair, a rare look of ease on his face.
"Well, with that, this whole affair is perfectly resolved. It’s set a new tone for Berkeley. As long as we stick to this path in the future, we shouldn’t have any problems."
"If you keep this up, you might become a new landmark for Zhonghai, just like Donglai Supermarket."
"I wouldn’t go that far. That’s too flattering. The scale of the city is different, so it’s not a fair comparison. But it will make dealing with the government a little easier in the future."
"That’s for sure."
After they finished their meal, Lin Jiang drove Qin Yangyang to her law firm before heading to Berkeley himself.
He deliberately stopped for a moment when he passed by Huipin Mall. Calling the place "deserted" would be giving it too much credit.
The parking lot was practically empty, with only two or three cars. It was a world away from the overflowing crowds at Berkeley.
After parking his car, Lin Jiang went inside to have a look.
The situation inside the mall was even bleaker than he had imagined.
Many of the shops had already closed down. There were more employees than customers, and the revenue probably couldn’t even cover daily operating costs.
’Looking at things now, Huipin Mall probably has no chance of recovery. It’s just a matter of when it will go under. All I have to do is wait.’
Before leaving, Lin Jiang made a point to glance at the checkout counters.
The few people buying things were mostly picking up specific items, and not many at that. They were probably just here to save time.
Lin Jiang strolled out unhurriedly.
’Right now, Huipin Mall is just picking up the scraps—the customers Berkeley can’t handle.’
’If I want to accelerate Huipin’s demise, this is the problem I need to solve.’
With that in mind, Lin Jiang sent a message to He Jing, telling her to gather the mall’s senior executives for a meeting in twenty minutes.
"President Lin!"
Just as Lin Jiang was about to get into his car, he heard someone call his name.
He glanced back and saw a group of seven or eight people walking toward him.
He looked them up and down. A few of them looked familiar, but he couldn’t recall where he’d seen them before.
The ones approaching were none other than Cao Tianqiang, Wang Dandan, and their group.
"President Lin, I’m Cao Tianqiang. Do you remember me?"
Lin Jiang shook his head.
"I don’t."
Cao Tianqiang kept smiling, not showing any embarrassment.
"I’m the owner of Qinghe Roasted Fish. My restaurant used to be in Berkeley."
The mention of Qinghe Roasted Fish jogged Lin Jiang’s memory.
’When Berkeley was renovating, they’d complained about the reduced foot traffic and banded together to pull out, which made Berkeley even more desolate.’
’Now that Huipin Mall was in such a sorry state, they must be getting antsy.’
"I remember who you are. What do you want?"
"President Lin, it’s like this..."
Cao Tianqiang said with a sycophantic smile, "We’ve worked together before, so we’re practically old acquaintances. We were thinking of coming back to open up shop again. What do you think..."
"Nice plan you’ve got there."
"President Lin, does that mean you agree?"
"I’m a businessman. There’s no reason to turn down money. You’re welcome to set up shop in Berkeley."
"Thank you, President Lin! We’ll definitely stay at Berkeley from now on and never leave."
"I said you’re welcome, but I didn’t agree to you moving in. It’s a little early to be thanking me."
"But... didn’t you just say..."
"You need to talk to He Jing about this. It’s not something you bring to me."
The group had a sudden realization. He was the big boss, high and mighty; of course he wouldn’t bother with such trivial matters. It made perfect sense that they’d have to talk to He Jing.
"President Lin, if we mention your name then, it should work, right?"
"Not necessarily. It’ll depend on what He Jing decides."
"What if President He doesn’t agree?"
Lin Jiang shrugged. "Then you’re out of luck."
With that, Lin Jiang walked toward his car. A dog happened to be lying in its shade, seeking refuge from the sun.
Lin Jiang crouched down and patted its head.
"You’re welcome to come play at Berkeley, too."

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