Velvet Chains of a Tycoon

Where is the landlord from? Can we talk to them?

I think they're local. I call her Sister Zhang.

Lin Zhao took a deep breath and said, "I just called her. She said the rent increase isn't her decision; it's her son who's in charge. We need to talk to him."

Ran Qin had 100,000 yuan as a dowry given by her brother, but even that was far from the 540,000 needed. More importantly, the sudden rent hike and change in payment terms were unreasonable.

Some people, especially unscrupulous landlords, shouldn't be indulged.

It was noon when Lin Zhao finally got through to the landlord's son.

After the call, Lin Zhao looked at Ran Qin with a puzzled expression.

"It's strange. Not only did Sister Zhang's son ask us to meet him tonight, but he specifically requested that you come to the meeting."

"Me?" Ran Qin looked at Lin Zhao in confusion. "Could he have made a mistake? I didn't rent the shop."

When Lin Zhao and Liu Ming opened the pharmacy last year, they also allowed Ran Qin to invest. At the time, she didn't have much money and only contributed 30,000 yuan. But because she knew acupuncture and could attract customers, they gave her a 10% share.

"I told Mr. Yang that, but he insisted that you meet him at the Starjoy Hotel in Bincheng tonight."

Lin Zhao added, "I'll go with you tonight. I want to see what this Mr. Yang is up to."

Was Sister Zhang's son someone who knew her?

In the afternoon, three patients came for acupuncture, keeping Ran Qin busy. Lin Zhao was also occupied, as many people were buying medicine, likely due to the recent heatwave and the resulting cases of heatstroke.

At seven o'clock in the evening, Liu Ming came to take over, and there were still customers coming in to buy medicine or seek advice.

Worried that Liu Ming might be overwhelmed, Ran Qin said to Lin Zhao, "Sister Lin, just give me the lease agreement. I'll go and discuss the renewal directly."

Lin Zhao was hesitant. "Mr. Yang sounded very assertive on the phone. He didn't seem like an easy person to deal with. Let me go with you..."

Before she could finish, a customer called out, "Boss, I need some medicine!"

Lin Zhao responded and quickly handed the brown envelope containing the contract to Ran Qin.

"Be careful. If it doesn't work out, Liu Ming and I will try to get a loan."

Ran Qin took the envelope. "I'll go and see what I can do first."

A loan?

Lin Zhao and Liu Ming had used their down payment for a wedding house to start the pharmacy and were now renting themselves. They had no property to use as collateral. High-interest loans were available, but the interest rates were terrifyingly high, not something their small clinic and pharmacy could afford.

By the time Ran Qin arrived at the Starjoy Hotel in Bincheng, it was almost eight o'clock. She went straight to Room 805 and knocked. When she saw Yang Cheng, holding a glass and toasting with someone, she froze at the door.

She had expected that Sister Zhang's son might know her, but she never imagined it would be Yang Cheng. She remembered that the Yang family lived in Shanshui Mingyuan, nearly ten kilometers from the Meihao Yinxiang where the pharmacy was located.

Seeing Ran Qin standing dumbfounded at the door, Yang Cheng grinned.

"Ran Qin, since you're here, come in and have a drink."

At that moment, Ran Qin realized why Yang Cheng had specifically asked for her. He clearly wanted to humiliate her.

Clutching the contract in the canvas bag, she steeled herself and walked in. Standing next to Yang Cheng, she lowered her head and spoke in a pleading tone.

"Mr. Yang, I apologize for any past offenses. Please forgive me, and don't make things difficult for my friends. We've known each other, and I'm truly sorry."

She picked up the wine glass in front of her and downed the red wine in one go.

Liu Ming was her senior, and Lin Zhao was both her senior and close friend. She couldn't let her actions ruin their newly established business.

The man sitting next to her laughed smugly and refilled her glass.

"Ran Qin, one glass is not enough for an apology."

Without a word, Ran Qin picked up the second glass and offered it to him.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Yang. I was wrong!"

"Our pharmacy has been open for a year. The first six months were a loss, and we've only started to turn a profit in the last two months. We're still not making enough to cover our initial losses. You know that a shop needs at least two or three years to become profitable. Your shop will be empty for a while if we move, costing you 10,000 yuan in lost rent per month. Renewing with us is a win-win situation."

By the end of her speech, Ran Qin had downed three glasses of wine. She wasn't a heavy drinker, and even one glass made her feel tipsy. Three glasses had her cheeks flushed.

Her face, without makeup, was now as rosy as peach blossoms in March.

Yang Cheng was captivated by her beauty and reached out to touch her cheek. However, Ran Qin slapped his hand away.

"Mr. Yang, I'm here to discuss the lease renewal. Please show some respect."

The others at the table chuckled lewdly.

"Yang Cheng, isn't this the girl you failed to marry during your arranged meeting?"

"No wonder she dared to reject you. She's quite pretty."

"Yang Cheng, the girl looks so young. Is she even twenty?"

"She probably thinks you're too old."

"Yang Cheng, you're thirty-four. Are you trying to eat young grass, old ox?"

Yang Cheng, embarrassed by his friends' mockery, slammed his glass on the table.

"Respect? What are you, to talk about respect with me?"

Ran Qin stepped back, trying to keep her distance and suppress her disgust.

"Mr. Yang, the lease expires in three days. If you don't renew, both of us will suffer losses."

"So what?"

Yang Cheng didn't care. "Do you think I care about a few months' rent?"

Ran Qin remembered that Yang Cheng was a nouveau riche. A few thousand dollars meant nothing to him, but it was a significant challenge for them to pay 180,000 yuan in rent annually, plus a lump sum.

Taking a deep breath, she lowered her posture even more.

"Mr. Yang, we sincerely want to renew the lease. Can you reduce the rent increase and keep the monthly payment terms?"

Yang Cheng laughed and stood up, walking toward her with a glass in hand.

"Maybe. There's nothing a night in bed can't solve."

Ran Qin stepped back, wary. "What do you mean?"

"Ha ha ha—"

The room filled with lewd laughter.

"This girl is amusing. She doesn't even understand a simple offer."

"Is she a virgin?"

"Yang Cheng, if she's a virgin, let your brother have her. I'll pay the rent."