033

"Four months? Isn't that too short?" the middle-aged woman frowned.

Yi Feng pretended to sigh, "Business is tough these days. If it works out, I'll renew for a year after four months. If it doesn't, then I'll have to close down."

The middle-aged woman thought it over and agreed, considering the current economic situation, with layoffs and job cuts everywhere, business was increasingly difficult.

Having someone willing to rent the shop was good enough, so four months it would be.

"Alright, then let's go print the contract and sign it." the middle-aged aunt said.

The group went through the process, finding a printing shop and printing out a standard rental agreement.

After reading the contract, Yi Feng added a few clauses, such as not allowing arbitrary rent increases and requiring tenfold compensation from the landlord in case of breach of contract.

After Yi Feng made the adjustments, the middle-aged aunt glanced over it without any objections, and both parties signed on the spot and exchanged the rent.

The rent was one deposit plus four months' rent upfront, totaling 900 yuan.

"Auntie Ge, it's a pleasure doing business with you. If my business takes off, I will definitely renew the lease." Yi Feng smiled.

The middle-aged woman's name was Ge Guifen.

From their conversation, it was learned that she was a native of Guangxi City, with a son studying in Beijing and her husband working as a line supervisor in an electromechanical factory.

She usually liked to play mahjong and gamble a little money, but often lost more than won, which prompted her to convert the first floor into a shop for rent to supplement the family income.

Yi Feng finally understood why she was so eager to rent out the shop; her family wasn't wealthy.

But… gambling despite not being rich was somewhat self-inflicted.

"Alright, alright, I've given you the keys. I need to go back to playing mahjong, I'm off then." Ge Guifen took her contract, waved her hand, and left in a hurry to play mahjong.

After Ge Guifen had walked away, Wang Tie finally raised his thumb to Yi Feng, excitedly saying, "Brother Feng, you're awesome!"

"Securing the shop for just 160 yuan!"

"You're even better at bargaining than my mom!"

"Too impressive!"

Yi Feng patted his shoulder, laughing, "Shop rent is also part of the operating cost, so of course, I had to bargain."

"Let's go change the lock first, then have lunch."

Yi Feng found a locksmith in a nearby alley and spent 30 yuan on a new lock, then went to change the shop's lock.

It was better to be safe than sorry.

After finishing up, Yi Feng took Wang Tie to eat rice noodle rolls.

There was a place selling rice noodle rolls in an alley at the end of Tianhe Street.

After a satisfying meal, Yi Feng planned to stroll around the neighborhood to observe the local business environment and look for business opportunities.

When the two arrived at a secluded alley at the street's end, they saw a young man rummaging through a trash bin.

The young man was wearing a dirty blue T-shirt and jeans, about 1.76 meters tall, which was considered tall in the south.

However, he was skinny, and from the side, his pale face and high cheekbones gave off a malnourished appearance.

Hearing footsteps, the young man looked over cautiously. Seeing no apparent threat from Yi Feng and Wang Tie, he turned back to his search through the trash bin.

Yi Feng noticed his phoenix eyes, but they were dull, as if he had lost the spark of life.

Becoming numb and indifferent.

"Ah, what a pity." Wang Tie shook his head and whispered.

In this not-so-wealthy era, many people begged and wandered, becoming the city's abandoned children.

Yi Feng also sighed, noting the young man's age appeared to be only eighteen or nineteen, a prime age for school, yet here he was, reduced to scavenging for food in trash bins.

After a while, the young man found a partly eaten loaf of bread in the bin, his face relaxing slightly.

After finding food, he turned to leave but didn't get far before two young men with dyed yellow hair and wearing chains blocked his way.

"F*ck, it's you again, you stinking brat!" One of the young men, wearing a skull shirt, glared venomously at the young man and kicked him to the ground.

"I warned you not to show your face around here!"

"Every time I see you, I'll beat you!" The skull-shirted youth continued to beat the fallen young man, cursing all the while.

The other youth with a chain also joined in the beating, punching and kicking.

The young man in the blue T-shirt could only cover his head, curl up on the ground, enduring the assault, looking very pitiful.

Yi Feng knew intervening might bring trouble upon himself.

If it were the past, he might have pretended not to see, avoiding getting involved.

He would have coldly thought he had no relation to this unfortunate young man, so why should he help?

But now, living a second life, should he still have regrets, or should he become obsessed with making money, becoming a heartless, indifferent person?

No, impossible!

Afraid of what?

Just do it!

"Stop!" Yi Feng shouted with righteous indignation.

Wang Tie rolled up his sleeves, unhesitatingly standing in front of him.

No matter what, once they started fighting, he must protect Feng Ge!

The two thugs turned at the sound, the skull-shirted youth glaring fiercely at Yi Feng.

"Motherf*cker, you like to meddle, don't you? Looking for trouble, huh?"

"Believe it or not, I'll beat you up too!"

Yi Feng, fearless, scoffed, "Beating someone in broad daylight, what do you think this place is?"

"This is Guangxi City!"

"There are laws here!"

The thugs burst into laughter at his words.

"Ha ha ha—, talking about the law, let me tell you, I am the law in this area!" the skull-shirted youth bragged.

The other youth with the chain pulled out a switchblade, pointing at Yi Feng with a sneer; "Big Wasp, looks like two little lambs have come to us."

The one called Big Wasp, with a malicious look in his eyes, laughed, "Since these two kids love to meddle so much, let's teach them the consequences!"

The two thugs approached Yi Feng and Wang Tie.

"Kid, hand over anything valuable you have, give us all your money!" Big Wasp glared menacingly at Yi Feng.

The other youth with the chain gestured with his switchblade.

The gleaming blade looked very sharp, capable of causing serious injury or death if it penetrated the stomach.

Yi Feng's mind raced, then he noticed a figure approaching silently from behind the youth with the chain.

The very youth who had just been beaten so badly was now standing up!

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

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