Connections? Maybe You Just Haven't Bought Enough

Not long after hanging up on Zhang Jingyuan, the proprietress received a call from her brother. Jiang Tao launched straight into a tirade. "Fuck, all you ever do is cause me goddamn trouble! What have you been saying out there in my name? I fucking started out as a construction contractor, and you even let them record you! Are you trying to get me killed?! Go apologize to her right now, and move out tomorrow-no, today!" Jiang Tao roared over the phone.

"Bro, what are you so scared of? Didn't she just buy one shop? Just send a few workers over to scare her. It's not like we haven't done it before. She's just some little girl showing off because she has a bit of stinking money," the proprietress muttered. "This café really makes good money. I don't care. I'm not moving."

"Just one shop?! Fuck, she bought your entire row, and now she wants to buy up all the other shops in the mall! Do you think a girl like that could be nobody? Good money? It makes good money because you're using the place for free! Try adding rent and see! And that Fatty Xue from marketing is about to report me to the company over this commission. If you don't fucking move, I'll bring people over and move you out myself!"

Jiang Tao was practically ready to explode with anger at his sister. "Fix your attitude and go apologize. Now!"

Meanwhile, Chi Qing, who was believed to have anything but an ordinary background but actually had a very ordinary one, was feeding Miaomiao cookies, completely unaware that she had become a little girl with connections in other people's mouths.

"Miss Chi, I'm truly sorry. I take back everything I said earlier. We'll start moving out after closing today." Her brother's scolding had left the proprietress stunned, and she now saw Chi Qing through a different lens. Thinking of how calm Chi Qing had been throughout, she found her more and more inscrutable. Forget it, forget it. Maybe she really is some big shot. I can't afford to offend her.

"All right. Just finish moving out within three days." Seeing that the proprietress was much more sincere this time, Chi Qing knew when to stop.

"Of course. Thank you, thank you." Seeing Chi Qing's expression soften, the proprietress actually felt a trace of gratitude rise in her heart. People really were strange that way. If you were always kind, others might think nothing of it, but if you were always cold, an occasional show of goodwill could instead leave them overwhelmed with gratitude. Stockholm syndrome worked on precisely this principle.

"Miss Chi, we can take all the furnishings with us. Would you be able to use the fixed fittings? It would be such a waste to tear them out." Seeing that Chi Qing was open to discussion, the proprietress hurried to ask. After all, tearing out the interior wasn't just a hassle; more importantly, it cost money.

"Sure, leave the fixed fittings." Chi Qing had actually wanted to keep them anyway. After all, the café's interior was quite tasteful, and it suited the feel of a dessert shop too.

"Yes, of course. Thank you, Miss Chi," the proprietress said immediately.

Meanwhile, the young waitress who had witnessed the entire exchange had thoroughly shrunk into herself like a quail. Ugh, I'm going to lose my job. I can't judge people by appearances anymore. I have to remember this lesson.

In the end, the proprietress respectfully escorted Chi Qing and her companions out of the café. Just before leaving, Chi Qing suddenly said, "Ma'am, I really am allergic to coffee. It wasn't that I didn't want to order any." The proprietress instantly flushed scarlet.

After leaving the café, Chi Qing held the mall shopping card she had received with her shop purchases, thought for a moment, and said, "Come on, let's go buy office supplies."

"Huh?" Wang Xiaoyan was utterly baffled.

Very soon, Wang Xiaoyan learned what counted as office supplies, as well as Chi Qing's approach to buying them: steady, precise, and ruthless.