Chapter 1425 - 716: Worries (2)
Life gradually improved, and Lan Zihua wanted to venture into other businesses. Therefore, she took over an old factory with the intention of turning it into a fashion store.
Lan Zihua had a special fondness for fashion. She had a large walk-in closet filled with all kinds of clothes and changed her outfits daily.
She thought that if she opened a fashion store, it would sell well since her ensembles would attract many young people.
"Lin Beichen, if you dare to ruin my plans, I won’t let you get away with it!" This was what the Wang family said through gritted teeth when they discovered Lan Zihua backed out of their arranged marriage because of Lin Beichen.
They inquired about Lin Beichen’s whereabouts, and once they learned of his schedule, they plotted against him, causing him to get injured.
After meticulously selecting, Lan Zihua finally found a market location with excellent Feng Shui. Once everything was negotiated, she went to the site full of anticipation.
She thought that a simple conversation would suffice to take over the market, but unexpectedly, the other party changed their mind at the last minute.
"How can you do this? We clearly agreed over the phone to transfer the market to me, why are you going back on your word?" Lan Zihua argued angrily.
"Who said a change of mind isn’t allowed? We haven’t even signed a contract; I can do as I please." The other party responded confidently.
Since they reneged, Lan Zihua didn’t want to waste any more time, knowing that they wouldn’t transfer the market to her.
Without the venue, Lan Zihua had a quick idea to sell clothes from home. Her house was large enough to accommodate many clothes. Moreover, she had many branded clothes that she had only worn once and didn’t want to wear again, not because they weren’t nice, but because she disliked repeating outfits.
She could clean these clothes, carefully package them, and then sell them at a low price to those in need. Before deciding to open a fashion store, Lan Zihua had already selected supply channels. So, after deciding to sell clothes from home, she immediately went to stock goods.
Even though she left the company, Lan Zihua still had quite a few contacts. With their help in marketing, her business quickly caught the attention of many, and the fashion store’s business gradually thrived.
Every day, Lan Zihua was incredibly busy, even her mother helped sell clothes. Initially knowing nothing about fashion and being clumsy, her mother became quite adept over time, handling things smoothly, which made Lan Zihua feel very gratified.
One could say they successfully carved a path. Without Lin Beichen’s financial support, the Lan family might have struggled immensely, let alone succeeded in starting a fashion store to improve their lives.
Meanwhile, Lin Beichen, due to an incomplete system task, had to undergo an upgrade. The system hadn’t been upgraded in a long time.
On the other side, Ji Fan also ventured into the business scene. As a novice unfamiliar with the industry, he partnered with his brothers. Trusting them completely, he let his brothers make all decisions, while he just followed behind, handling things.
Originally thinking that with persistent effort, life would improve, Ji Fan found that his effort was not proportional to the reward. It turned out to be his brothers’ doing; they monopolized all profits, betraying him.
This made him question life, wondering why he was betrayed. Where did he go wrong? Reflecting on the times with his brothers, he realized it was always him making contributions, and his brothers just enjoyed the fruits of his labor.
He should have seen their true colors earlier; his deep trust blinded him, making him disbelieve in their betrayal, allowing things to escalate to this point.
Fortunately, he still had contacts and collaborative ventures. His brothers’ betrayal couldn’t ruin him entirely, and he quickly regathered confidence.
Finding out his uncle’s photography store was on the brink of closure due to a lack of business, he immediately lent a hand in promoting it. Despite the promotion, no customers showed up.
"Ji Fan, my photography store is like this, don’t waste your time promoting it. If no one comes, let it be. Once the lease ends, I’ll move on to other businesses," his uncle told Ji Fan.
Initially, Ji Fan advised his uncle not to have high hopes as society was advancing fast, with new photography stores offering great conditions. Who would notice his old shop? No matter the promotion, it might not draw anyone in.
His uncle had never harbored hope, so seeing no one come despite the promotion, he wasn’t disappointed. But Ji Fan was unwilling to accept it; he didn’t believe he couldn’t attract customers.
"Uncle, don’t worry. Trust me, I’ll definitely bring you customers." Thus, he leveraged his connections in the newspaper to drum up interest.
Upon hearing about it, Lin Beichen also offered help. With his assistance, the photography store began attracting more customers.
No one expected that a once-hopeless business could miraculously come back to life through Ji Fan’s persistent promotion.
Seeing the steady stream of customers and the booming business, his uncle’s gratitude was evident.
"Thanks to your persistent promotion, my business thrives, escaping the fate of closure. I can’t thank you enough." His uncle tightly grasped Ji Fan’s hand, eyes moistening.
Ji Fan modestly said, "Actually, it’s not all my doing. Lin Beichen played a crucial role. Without him, the business wouldn’t be this good. You should thank Lin Beichen."
Upon hearing this, his uncle immediately smiled sincerely, "Then how about you introduce Lin Beichen to me? I’d like to thank him personally."
Ji Fan shook his hand, "Lin Beichen isn’t a mundane person. He helped you out of genuine kindness, no ulterior motives. If destiny allows, you’ll naturally meet him." With that, he laughed and left.
With that business thriving, the nearby competitor’s situation deteriorated. Watching the bustling crowds at the opponent’s store while theirs remained deserted, the competitor, feeling unwilling yet powerless, eventually sought other endeavors.
While the crisis passed, for the Lan family’s young master, new challenges were just beginning.
Observing everyone striving diligently for life, he had an idea: although the frontier is remote, it offers numerous opportunities. He wanted to carve out his domain there.
He shared this thought with Lan Zihua, but she seemed not entirely in favor.
Once the store affairs were settled, Lan Zihua sat beside him, expressing concern, "Are you really going? What if you encounter danger?"
The Lan family’s young master, full of confidence, said, "I’m not a child; I can take care of myself. Don’t worry unnecessarily."
Lan Zihua remained uneasy, "How can I not worry? Going alone to such a remote place, what if something happens that you can’t handle?"
Sighing, after a moment’s hesitation, Lan Zihua said, "If it doesn’t work, I’ll leave the fashion store for my mother to manage and go with you to the frontier."
When Lin Beichen learned about Lan Zihua’s intention to travel to the frontier, he didn’t intervene. He believed Lan Zihua had the right to decide her own matters, and since there wasn’t anything special between them, he wasn’t in a position to stop her.
That evening, Lin Beichen lay lazily on the sofa watching TV, idly pressing the remote. Suddenly, a news report snapped him upright, "As reported, a massive landslide occurred in the Kala Region last night, affecting a wide area. Please consider travel to the frontier carefully."
Knowing that Lan Zihua had headed to the frontier, Lin Beichen’s heart tightened. He worried whether she encountered the landslide or was in danger. Various thoughts raced through his mind, causing him to clench his teeth.
"Enough of such nonsense! If you’re really worried, just go find her!" With that said, he decisively got up and packed his luggage.
A day later, Lin Beichen arrived at Anjia Ridge. Immediately after disembarking, he tried to contact Lan Zihua, but there was no answer. This escalated his already anxious heart into panic.
He pondered, "Could Lan Zihua really be caught in the landslide, buried in it?" Just thinking about this possibility, he couldn’t help but pat his forehead.