Chapter 61: Life’s Posture Corrector
Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Life’s Posture Corrector
Ren Jintian had already made up his mind to befriend Zhang Yan, a man whose background seemed unfathomable.
Xingcheng Law Firm wasn’t a place just any Tom, Dick, or Harry could hire. This was one of the main reasons he had finalized the deal so quickly. Furthermore, the young man’s casual attitude toward a property worth ten million only cemented his judgment.
"Congratulations, Mr. Chi, on finding such an outstanding son-in-law."
"It’s simply my daughter’s good fortune. I’m just basking in her light," Chi Chenghu replied, feeling his posture straighten a few degrees.
Ren Jintian suddenly changed the subject. "I wonder, have you ever heard of the Ren Group?"
The Ren Group was involved in virtually every industry in Bai City, making it a household name and a pillar enterprise in the region.
The three members of the Chi Family suddenly realized something—the man sitting in front of them was surnamed Ren! Could it be?
"How could we not have? The name is famous! Could it be that you are a member of the Ren Group, Mr. Ren?"
"The Ren Group is actually my family’s business. The operations back here in our hometown are currently managed by my younger brother, as my main focus is over in Meng City.
"I’ll let my brother know later to look out for you here in Bai City."
A massive enterprise in a small place like this was essentially the local aristocracy. Their connections spanned the entire city, and their words carried weight everywhere. With his protection, the Chi Family wouldn’t have to worry about a thing. Just a casual word from him could instantly elevate them into the ranks of the prominent and respected figures in town.
Zhang Yan understood that the man was doing this as a favor to him, so he took over the conversation. "You’re based in Meng City too, Mr. Ren? What a coincidence. I’m a Meng City native myself. It seems we’ll have plenty of opportunities to collaborate in the future!"
"Absolutely, absolutely!"
Just as the group was chatting merrily, a knock came at the door of the private room.
"Come in."
Liu Dafu and his group had been deliberating in their own private room for ages, unable to figure out what Mr. Ren had meant. However, since he had knocked on their door and said he had the wrong room, his actual destination had to be the private room right next to theirs.
Although he found it hard to believe that anyone in Chi the Second’s room could possibly invite someone like Mr. Ren, when you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how outrageous, must be the truth.
They wondered, "Could it have something to do with that bragging kid?"
Harboring these doubts, they finally couldn’t contain their curiosity any longer. The group decided to come over and pay a visit to see exactly what was going on.
The crowd of people swarmed through the door, immediately making the small private room feel cramped.
They scanned the room. Mr. Ren was currently chatting merrily with a young man, while on the other side, an older couple and a stunningly beautiful girl were beaming with joy, their faces glowing with excitement.
They couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation.
Liu Dafu, fancying himself someone with enough clout to speak up, took the lead on behalf of the group. "Mr. Ren, I’m Liu Dafu. I had an appointment to have lunch with you today. Are you finished with your business here?"
"Oh, the name rings a bell. Liu mentioned you to me," Mr. Ren replied. "You’re here to talk to me about the rent increase, right?"
"Yes, exactly! My friends here and I basically represent the majority of the shop tenants on this street. We were hoping to have a word with you, Mr. Ren, to see if there’s any room for discussion regarding this rent increase..."
"In that case, there’s no point in talking to me anymore."
"Mr. Ren! It’s not easy for any of us to make a living. The economy in a small town like this is already struggling as it is. If the rent goes up, we might not even be able to put food on the table! Is there really no room for negotiation at all?"
"You misunderstand me. I said there’s no point because this street no longer belongs to me. That’s why talking to me won’t do you any good."
Liu Dafu and his group instantly broke into an uproar.
"How can that be! This street has been the property of the Ren Family for generations. How could it no longer be in your hands, Mr. Ren?"
Ren Jintian frowned. The way they phrased it made it sound as if he had squandered his ancestral inheritance. Even though the reality wasn’t too far off from that, his instincts still flared with a hint of displeasure.
"It’s my own property. I can sell it if I want to. Do I really need to seek your permission first?"
"No, no, of course not! Blame my big mouth for misspeaking!" Liu Dafu offered an apologetic smile, forcing himself to bite the bullet and press on. "I just wanted to ask, if it’s convenient... who did you sell the street to?"
"Just moments ago, I sold it to Zhang Yan—Younger Brother Zhang, here. And then, Younger Brother Zhang turned around and gifted it to this Mr. Chi..."
"Chi Chenghu!" Father Chi interjected, puffing out his chest and holding his head high as he saw Ren Jintian looking his way.
"Right, he gifted it to Mr. Chi Chenghu. As for whether the rent will increase in the future, you’ll have to take that up with Mr. Chi Chenghu himself."
He thought, "Could you speak plain English, please!"
Liu Dafu found it hard to wrap his head around the fact that this kid—who was young enough to be his own son—was being affectionately called "Younger Brother" by someone of Mr. Ren’s stature. This young man, whom he had previously written off as nothing but a braggart, had actually bought out the entire commercial street in one fell swoop!
After all, even with so many of them pooling their resources and discussing it for ages, they still hadn’t been able to finalize a joint venture to buy this very street.
Now it all made sense. The "extremely urgent and important matter" Mr. Ren had mentioned was rushing over here to finalize the sale of the street with this young man.
Liu Dafu admitted to himself that he had been dead wrong. The greenhorn he had looked down upon was actually a hidden dragon.
But then came the truly outrageous part. Mr. Ren had actually claimed that the very moment this young man bought the street, he had turned around and gifted it to Chi the Second!
He knew exactly what kind of person Chi the Second was! Back when he was considering proposing a marriage for his son, he had investigated the Chi Family’s background going back three generations.
They were a family of nobodies for generations! Aside from the rumors that Chi the Second had struck dumb luck back in the day and married a beautiful wife, there wasn’t a single piece of noteworthy gossip about them.
But what was happening now? In the blink of an eye, this entire street belonged to Chi the Second? Even if his daughter was indeed quite beautiful, she couldn’t possibly be worth tens of millions!
The words, "What right does Chi the Second have?" caught in his throat. He swallowed them forcefully as a sudden realization hit him: the man he had ruthlessly mocked and looked down upon all this time was now their head landlord.
While this location wasn’t in the very core of the business district, it was still a prime spot with a well-established and stable customer base. Every other viable commercial space in town was already taken. If Chi Chenghu refused to renew his lease, his businesses would be forced to close their doors by the end of the year.
Liu Dafu’s expression shifted rapidly before settling into a brilliantly enthusiastic smile.
"Old Chi! I always knew your daughter was truly exceptional. It’s just a shame my boy wasn’t worthy of her.
"We’re all neighbors who see each other day in and day out! Even if we couldn’t become in-laws, we can still be friends, right? We’ll definitely have to visit each other more often from now on!"
Chi Chenghu watched as Liu Dafu—a man who had never once looked him in the eye—suddenly adopted such a groveling posture. An unprecedented wave of sweet vindication rushed from his heels straight to the top of his skull. In that moment, it felt as though the chronic illness that had plagued him for so long had suddenly been cured.
His back had never been so straight. Faced with Liu Dafu’s sudden fawning, he merely let out a dismissive scoff through his nose. "Hmph."