Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Qi Lan looked at the "Call ended" message on her phone screen and silently put her phone away.

She raised her head and looked at Fatty Li, whose smile had become somewhat stiff, with her still clear amber eyes.

"Ahem." She cleared her throat, trying to keep her tone calm. "Boss, I need to discuss something."

Fatty Li's heart skipped a beat, and his professional smile almost faltered. But being a seasoned veteran, he quickly composed himself and cautiously asked, "What did you say, young lady?"

"I'll pay for this meal on credit," Qi Lan said matter-of-factly, as if she were saying, "The weather's nice today."

"On credit?" Fatty Li's chubby face twitched.

This is no small amount! Even knowing that the other party might be of extraordinary background, Li Pangzi's face turned ugly when he asked for nearly 700,000 yuan on credit.

"Miss, it's not that I don't trust you, but... there's no such rule! We're a small business, we don't offer credit..." he said, while secretly winking at Xiao Zhou, signaling him to quickly go and ask someone who could make the decision.

Xiao Zhou understood and quietly slipped out.

Qi Lan seemed to realize that her request was somewhat unreasonable. After a moment of contemplation, she said, "Or, could you help me contact Chen Anran of the Yunyin Sect and tell him that Qi Lan from Maoshan is looking for him?"

Upon hearing Qi Lan mention the names "Qi Lan of Maoshan" and "Chen Anran," Fatty Li immediately understood. He quickly called back Xiao Zhou, bowing and scraping, saying, "Oh, so you're a friend of Master Chen! You should have said so earlier! I'll contact you right away, I'll contact you right away!"

As he spoke, he deftly pulled out his phone, walked to the side, and quickly dialed Chen Anran's number.

The call connected, and Fatty Li covered the receiver, "Master Chen, I'm sorry to disturb your meditation. A girl named Qi Lan came down from the mountain, saying she's from Maoshan, and had a meal at our little abode... The bill was 688,888.8 yuan, and she said she wants to pay on credit..."

On the other end of the phone, Chen Anran seemed to pause for a moment, then his voice, tinged with understanding and helplessness, came through: "It's her... Okay, I got it. Fatty Li, give her the meal for free, put it on my tab."

"Free, free?!" Fatty Li's voice rose slightly, then he realized he had lost his composure and quickly lowered it. "Master Chen, this... this is no small amount..." His heart ached. This was close to 700,000, not 70 yuan!

"It's alright. This fellow Daoist and I are old acquaintances. It's just a meal, no need to make a fuss," Chen Anran said. "If she comes again in the future, please treat her well."

"...Yes, yes, I understand! I will follow your instructions, Immortal Master!" Fatty Li hung up the phone, took a deep breath, tried to calm himself down, and put on a warm smile again before walking back to the private room.

"Miss Qi, it's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding!" Fatty Li rubbed his hands together, his tone even more respectful than before. "Master Chen instructed that this meal is on him! What talk of paying on credit is too formal! It's our honor that you've come to our Cloud Hermitage! Please come anytime, and order whatever you like!"

Upon hearing this, Qi Lan's cool amber eyes under the brim of her hat twitched slightly, seemingly unsurprised by the result, and she simply nodded.

"Okay. Thank him for me." She stood up, and without lingering, put her hands in her pockets and left Yunyin Xiaozhu with steady steps.

Fatty Li escorted her to the door, watching Qi Lan's figure disappear into the bamboo path before letting out a long sigh of relief. He glanced back at the private room, the table a mess of cups and plates. While feeling heartbroken over the nearly 700,000 yuan he had spent, he secretly clicked his tongue in amazement: "A celestial master from Maoshan... no wonder Master Chen values ​​her so much..."

After leaving Yunyin Xiaozhu, Qi Lan did not go far, but strolled around the "Yunyin Xianzong" commercial planning area at the foot of the mountain, which was already taking shape.

The construction site was bustling with activity, machines roaring and workers bustling about. Her gaze swept over the shop frames under construction, finally settling on a relatively quiet corner near the stream. There, a row of elegant, independent courtyards was planned, seemingly the future area for high-end boutiques.

She walked to one of the courtyards where the main structure was completed but the interior decoration had not yet been carried out. She looked around and then looked at the surrounding environment, seemingly quite satisfied.

"I've saved up 500,000 over the years. If I borrow a little more from my fellow disciples, it should be enough... Hmm, I'll borrow from my junior brothers and nephews, not from that tightwad, senior brother, the sect leader..."

Qi Lan muttered to herself, she could understand that the meal was expensive, after all, it contained spiritual energy and was very beneficial.

As for taking over a shop, it shouldn't be that expensive, right?

Even though this place is being developed for tourism and has a legitimate cultivation sect in charge, there will definitely be some preferential policies for attracting investment before it becomes popular.

Having made up her mind, Qi Lan didn't delay any longer. Her gaze swept across the noisy construction site, quickly locking onto a man who looked like a foreman, directing operations with a walkie-talkie. She walked straight over to him.

"disturb."

The foreman turned around and saw a strange girl wearing a baseball cap with a unique air about her. He paused for a moment, then asked, "Hello, what can I do for you?"

"Regarding the leasing of shops in this area," Qi Lan pointed to the small courtyard she had just been eyeing, and asked directly, "which person should I contact for leasing opportunities?"

The foreman suddenly realized that they had come to inquire about shops.

He dared not delay and quickly pointed to the other side of the construction site, towards a temporary shed with a sign that read "Project Planning Department".

"Looking for the person in charge of investment promotion?" the foreman asked enthusiastically. "Do you see that work shed over there? But the manager in charge of investment promotion seems to be out inspecting the site right now. Look, it's over there," he adjusted his finger, pointing to an area near the stream where land was being leveled. "See those two young ladies? The one in light-colored sportswear holding the blueprints is Miss Zhao Mengmeng, the daughter of Chairman Zhao, the major investor. She's involved in many of the specific planning details. The one next to her, dressed more casually and skipping around, is Feng Xiaolu, the Immortal Master from the mountain. If you're looking for someone in charge, just ask those two. Their words carry more weight than the manager's!"

The foreman's tone was clearly respectful, indicating that he was well aware of the special status of these two men in the project.

Qi Lan looked in the direction he pointed.

Not far away, Zhao Mengmeng was discussing blueprints with an engineer, looking focused and serious, occasionally nodding or offering opinions, appearing every bit like a core member of the project.

Feng Xiaolu, standing next to her, was more interested in the construction equipment. She was curiously examining a small excavator and even tried to touch the control lever. The workers next to her politely dissuaded her, but she herself was all smiles, radiating a lively and agile energy.