Number 45 Erqi Square was Blue Phoenix’s earliest shop location.

The lease was signed for ten years, and Xia Xiaolan had decided to buy it after renting it for so long.

Later, when Liu Fen and Li Fengmei split their partnership, they left the Shangdu Blue Phoenix shop for Li Fengmei to operate, naturally transferring the lease to her name. When Grandmother Yu gave the small building to Xia Xiaolan, Li Fengmei became even more relaxed.

If they couldn’t negotiate with outsiders, surely they could work things out with their niece?

Just pay Xiaolan market rate rent—as long as the building stood, the shop could stay open!

Li Fengmei’s confident attitude had also subtly suggested to her sister-in-law, who was so carefree she thought just managing the shop well was enough, never bothering with outside rumors.

Now look what happened—they’d bypassed both Xia Xiaolan and Grandmother Yu, directly incorporating that plot into the mall’s area… Only now did Li Fengmei’s sister-in-law panic, asking Li Fengmei to find a solution.

Currently, in Shangdu, they probably couldn’t find such a prominent shop location again.

A solitary building standing tall, with a department store nearby—Blue Phoenix intercepted customer traffic heading to the department store!

That’s exactly why Li Fengmei’s sister-in-law could successfully run the business by following the existing model.

If they moved elsewhere, who knew what would happen!

What could Li Fengmei do? She could only anxiously wait for Xia Xiaolan. As soon as Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng arrived in Pengcheng, Li Fengmei couldn’t hold back: “Xiaolan, can we not keep the Blue Phoenix shop?”

“Aunt, we can continue the business, just maybe in a different location. As for what happens to that building, there’s no final decision yet.”

Xia Xiaolan was also frustrated.

If they had known two weeks earlier before Chaoyang Real Estate’s land approval went through!

Now they’d lost the initiative.

Li Fengmei was embarrassed, “It’s all because of my sister-in-law. If she’d been more alert and notified us earlier…”

Li Fengmei could say this, but Xia Xiaolan couldn’t.

Those were her aunt’s relatives—she wouldn’t comment.

Besides, the fundamental issue wasn’t whether they knew about the mall construction, but rather those underhanded people who secretly changed Number 45’s property rights! Was Chaoyang Real Estate involved? If the Shangdu city government wanted to protect this project, they’d have to protect Chaoyang Real Estate. This matter would likely be downplayed and resolved with some compensation to Grandmother Yu, or rather to Xia Xiaolan.

Xia Xiaolan was actually upset too but couldn’t show it in front of Li Fengmei, instead consoling her aunt: “Even if they build a mall, it’s fine. If we can’t find a suitable storefront, we can rent space in the mall—just the rent will be higher, so yearly profits will be a bit lower.”

Malls don’t sell shop spaces.

They only rent out counters—all malls operate this way, keeping long-term property ownership.

Anyone who builds a mall and sells the shop spaces outright would be a real idiot… Whether this mall would be called ‘Asia’ wasn’t certain, but as long as Chaoyang Real Estate’s CEO was Zhu Suizhou, he wouldn’t do that!

Moving into the mall?

For the same-sized space, the annual rent would probably be several tens of thousands.

Li Fengmei worried, furiously cursing those scheming behind their backs.

Liu Yong didn’t care about the shop—he was concerned about Xia Xiaolan’s interests. While Li Fengmei talked with Xia Xiaolan, Liu Yong cornered Zhou Cheng: “Is that how it ends? Must Xiaolan take the loss?”

“Uncle, how could that be! Don’t worry, we’re still handling it. No matter how much back-and-forth happens, they’ll have to give us a satisfactory answer.”

Liu Yong was skeptical of Zhou Cheng’s guarantee.

“No good—I must return to Shangdu. I originally negotiated with Yuan Honggang; he owes me an explanation.”

Liu Yong prepared to confront Director Yuan.

Even Zhou Cheng couldn’t stop him.

Liu Yong did abandon his business in Pengcheng to return to Shangdu—

Zhou Cheng was truly impressed. This was why he had two future fathers-in-law—Liu Yong was so willing to sacrifice for Xia Xiaolan, terrified she might suffer any loss.

“Your uncle loves you!”

“Yes, he does…”

Despite encountering this troublesome situation, Xia Xiaolan felt strangely happy because, in this life, so many people loved her, making up for all the loneliness she felt as an orphan in her previous life.

…

Beijing.

Someone else was also fuming about this matter.

The property rights transfer for Number 45 was handled personally by Ning Yanfan’s people—he never expected such a mess. Though Grandmother Yu didn’t blame Ning Yanfan, the old man himself felt very embarrassed.

Was his reputation worth so little?

Ning Yanfan wasn’t talking to himself—he was asking his eldest son who had handled this matter.

“Your father’s face has been trampled underfoot, what face do you have left?”

This was Ning Xue’s father, Ning Haodong.

Ning Haodong lowered his head to accept the scolding, while his wife Zhen Wenxiu beside him looked somewhat panicked.

Old Ning pondered thoughtfully.

He couldn’t read his eldest son Ning Haodong’s mind—this son had worked within the system for many years and developed quite a scheming nature. But this daughter-in-law Zhen Wenxiu, Old Ning understood well.

She was typically unable to hide anything—her concerns were written all over her face, with a personality so simple that even Ji Ya could manipulate her.

“Are you hiding something from me?”

“Dad, there’s nothing…”

The old man was too frightening—he hadn’t said anything specific!

Ning Haodong hadn’t planned to hide everything anyway. Seeing his wife give them away, he decided to explain everything.

“When you previously asked me to help Aunt Yu change the property rights in Shangdu, I did complete it. Somehow, later Number 45’s ownership changed to Shangdu State Cotton Factory No. 3, and now the land including Number 45 has been approved by the Shangdu city government for Chaoyang Real Estate to build a mall. Xu Zhongyi has returned as a foreign investor—this can’t be covered up. Shangdu probably knows I handled this initially, so they’re calling me now.”

Ning Yanfan was puzzled:

“Why call you? To resolve this, shouldn’t they find Zhongyi?”

“They want me to mediate, persuade Xu Zhongyi to let go—the government will offer alternative compensation.”

Ning Yanfan finally understood.

“You agreed?!”

Ning Haodong didn’t deny it, clearly confirming.

Ning Yanfan was furious:

“This is your Aunt Yu’s ancestral property! Even if your Aunt Yu could agree, if Zhongyi could agree, what right do you have to do others this favor?”

“…Dad, Haodong just couldn’t refuse, so he agreed to help mediate. He’s not giving away the house or causing trouble himself—you shouldn’t be angry with him.”

Zhen Wenxiu defended her husband.

Ning Yanfan couldn’t bear to listen anymore: “You be quiet! Someone must have promised Ning Haodong some benefit for him to agree to be this damn middleman. I used to think old Ji didn’t know how to raise children, spoiling that bunch of Jis beyond recognition, but now I know—the worst at raising children is me, surnamed Ning!”