After the divorce, he took care of his child and sold fried rice; his ex-wife was filled with regret

"The terms sound good."

Lin Fan nodded slightly, but the next second, his tone suddenly changed.

"But why should I take over a shop that's been shut down by the food and drug administration?"

Upon hearing this, the landlord's smile froze instantly, as if he had been slapped in the face.

"Everyone in Jiangcheng knows that Zhang Dawei sells toxic hot pot there. The shop is now considered a black market by diners."

Lin Fan pointed to the tightly closed door next door.

"I serve high-end cuisine. What use would I have for that kind of decor? I'd have to spend a lot of money hiring a construction team to tear it all down and redo the odor removal and sewage treatment."

"All things considered, the cost of demolition and renovation is higher than renting a bare-bones apartment. Is this what you call finding a bargain?"

Lin Fan looked coldly at Wang, the landlord.

"Boss Wang, are you treating me like a sucker who's here to clean up your trash?"

These few words hit the nail on the head.

"No, no, no! Master Lin, I absolutely did not mean that!"

Landlord Wang was sweating profusely and waving his hands frantically as he tried to explain.

Lin Fan's words made perfect sense; that shop's reputation was indeed ruined.

Aside from a legendary restaurant like Lin Fan's, which boasts an intimidating following, who else would dare take over a toxic hot pot restaurant that has been shut down at this critical juncture?

If Lin Fan really doesn't want it, and the shop is left vacant for three months, his monthly mortgage payments could drive him to suicide.

"Master Lin! I'll pay for the demolition! I'll pay, okay?!"

Landlord Wang gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, and decided to take a huge gamble to save his cash flow.

"If you're willing to take over, I'll waive the rent for the first three months! Consider it compensation for the renovation downtime! I'll offer you a 30% discount on rent and a ten-year contract!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Fan simply shook his head and smiled before turning and walking into the shop.

"Master Lin...?"

Landlord Wang took a half step forward, his voice almost pleading: "Master Lin, if you think a 30% discount isn't enough, we can discuss it further, 65%... Is that alright?"

"squeak--"

Just then, a sharp screech of brakes came from outside the door.

A red Ferrari came to a smooth stop on the side of the road.

The car door opened, and Qin Lang, wearing a simple white T-shirt and holding a brown paper folder, strode in.

"Brother Lin!"

Qin Lang stopped in his tracks before he could finish speaking.

He saw Wang, the landlord, standing in the middle of the shop, sweating profusely, hunched over, and looking extremely obsequious.

"Hey, isn't this Boss Wang?"

Qin Lang raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

He knew the shop owners on this golden street like the back of his hand.

When Lin Fan was looking for a shop, this landlord, Wang, was greedy for money and ended up renting the shop to Zhang Dawei, that nouveau riche. Qin Lang knew about this too.

Upon hearing the sound, the landlord, Wang, turned his head sharply.

Upon seeing Qin Lang, Wang Fangdong's cloudy eyes instantly burst with wild joy.

"Young Master Qin! Oh my, Young Master Qin, what brings you here!"

As if grasping at a straw, the landlord rushed forward, bowing repeatedly.

He was a businessman in Jiangcheng. He had previously used his connections to have dinner with Qin Lang at several high-end banquets and they had toasted each other a few times, so they could be considered acquaintances.

Most importantly, he knew that Qin Lang and Lin Fan had a good relationship! He had personally witnessed Qin Lang taking care of Lin Fan.

"Young Master Qin, you've come at the perfect time! Please help me persuade Master Lin!"

Landlord Wang grabbed Qin Lang's arm and, like pouring out beans, eagerly repeated the conditions he had just stated:

"Young Master Qin, you're in big business. Could you help me analyze this with Master Lin? This 300-square-meter storefront could be used by Master Lin to open a branch immediately. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?"

Landlord Wang looked at Qin Lang with hopeful eyes, hoping that this young master could put in a good word for him.

Qin Lang stood still, not in a hurry to express his opinion.

He pulled his arm away from Wang, the landlord, and looked past Wang's shoulder at Lin Fan behind the bar counter.

Lin Fan was holding a water glass, his expression calm.

But Qin Lang had grown up in the business world, and after just one glance at Lin Fan's calm and collected demeanor, he instantly understood.

Qin Lang smirked and patted the file folder in his hand.

"A win-win situation? In business, you're being too calculating."

Qin Lang glanced at Wang, the landlord, his tone dripping with undisguised sarcasm:

"Boss Wang, do you even want to read what you're saying? You call this a win-win situation? You're treating Brother Lin like a garbage dump, using him to clean up your trash?"

Landlord Wang's smile froze: "Young Master Qin, what... what are you saying? That's a fully furnished apartment..."

"Fully furnished?" Qin Lang interrupted him directly.

"What kind of renovation did Zhang Dawei do? Big red pillars with cheap crystal chandeliers, the whole place has that nouveau riche tacky vibe! Look at the style of my brother Lin's shop now, with its little bridges and flowing water, it's all about traditional Chinese elegance."

Qin Lang pointed to the bluestone slabs and bamboo screen in the hall:

"If Brother Lin takes over your shop, the first thing he'll have to do is hire a construction team to smash all the junk Zhang Dawei left behind! That'll take a lot of time and effort."

Landlord Wang swallowed hard, sweat beading on his forehead.

Qin Lang snorted coldly and pressed forward step by step:

"Besides, this is just a matter of money. Let's do the math, Mr. Wang."

"Why was Zhang Dawei arrested? Because he put contraband in the hot pot broth and soaked the ingredients in chemicals! Didn't you see the news? This was trending on Jiangcheng's local social media; now everyone in Jiangcheng knows that it was a shady hot pot restaurant that sold toxic ingredients!"

"That shop's reputation is now completely ruined! Its feng shui has been utterly destroyed!"

Qin Lang walked up to Wang, the landlord, and shook his head:

"Any restaurant owner with a sound mind would not dare to take over that shop within three years. Whoever does will be labeled a 'black shop' by diners."

"Your shop is a dead end, a hot potato. It's a liability; you can't rent it out at all!"

Landlord Wang's legs began to tremble.

Indeed, since Dawei Hotpot was shut down, he privately contacted several restaurant owners he had previously worked with, but as soon as they heard it was that restaurant, they hung up the phone without even asking the price.

"Young Master Qin... I..." Landlord Wang stammered, still trying to make a last-ditch effort.

"Don't try to deny it." Qin Lang didn't give him a chance to breathe.

"By the way, you must have taken out a lot of loans when you bought that shop, right?"

"Judging from your flustered appearance, you must not have received the final payment from Zhang Dawei."

"Boss Wang, you're desperate now, that's why you've come to me, Brother Lin, to ask for help."

Qin Lang turned his head and looked at Lin Fan:

"In the entire Jiangcheng, only my brother Lin's Lin Family Shop, with its absolutely clean signboard personally certified by Elder Ye, can suppress the bad luck of that shop and revive that dead land."

"You come here offering a 30% discount on rent and you think it's a huge favor?"

"You're not looking for tenants, you're begging Brother Lin to save your life!"