Zhang Liunian looked at the entire building in front of him and suggested, "Why don't we just buy the whole thing? That way, no one upstairs or downstairs can disturb us."
He used to prefer buying entire buildings when purchasing property, so he wouldn't have to worry about noisy neighbors or being bothered by others.
"Won't this be too much?" Jiang Qingqing was stunned. She hadn't really considered buying the entire building, as there were only three of them in the provincial capital, and they couldn't possibly live in so many rooms.
"No, we'll buy this one building and avoid being disturbed by others," Zhang Liunian made the final decision.
Jiang Qingqing didn't say anything. In fact, she wasn't someone who liked to be disturbed either.
Like Zhang Liunian, she preferred a quiet environment. Buying the entire building would minimize friction and contact with outsiders.
"Alright, then it's this building." Jiang Qingqing nodded in agreement.
With their opinions unified, the couple immediately went to pay and complete the transfer of ownership. They settled all the property matters that afternoon.
After receiving the keys, they explored the building together. It resembled a self-built house in the countryside, with one unit per floor, across three floors.
Zhang Liunian and his wife inspected all three floors and finally decided to live on the second floor.
This was because the second floor was the cleanest, most tidy, and newest, making it suitable for immediate occupancy.
While the first and third floors were also livable, some areas indoors would require tidying up.
"The department store has all the daily necessities. You and I can go get them," after a thorough tour of the house, Zhang Liunian took his wife's hand, intending to go to the department store to purchase daily necessities. His department store sold everything, from needles and thread to wooden beds, so they didn't need to look elsewhere.
Jiang Qingqing had no objections. Since their own department store had everything, it would be convenient and save her the trouble of searching elsewhere. This way, they could move in that very night and wouldn't need to stay at the guesthouse.
"Xiao Qian, you go with your sister-in-law to get things from the department store. We'll be staying in the new house tonight and won't go back to the guesthouse."
Earlier that morning, Zhang Liunian had broken the bed at the guesthouse and compensated them with two hundred yuan.
Now that they had a place to live, Zhang Liunian naturally wouldn't return.
"Okay." Zhang Qian responded and accompanied Jiang Qingqing to purchase items.
Zhang Liunian began seeking cooperation with other manufacturers. His actions were quickly heard by Zhu Laosan.
"Heh, does Zhang Liunian think his department store can continue to operate without us? He wants to find others to cooperate with. Doesn't he know to inquire? In this provincial capital, who doesn't give Zhu Laosan some face? If I don't agree, who dares to cooperate with him? He dreams of leaving us behind and finding others!" Zhu Laosan leaned back on the bench and lit the cigar in his hand.
Tang Shitong, who had just arrived, rallied his spirits and agreed with a smile, "A newly emerged individual entrepreneur can't escape your grasp. His department store won't last long either."
"If I don't want him to operate, he won't. He wants to avoid us and get goods from others to make money, but that's impossible. I've already sent word to those ten manufacturers. If they dare to cooperate with Zhang Liunian, I'll make them, along with their factories, disappear from the provincial capital overnight." Zhu Laosan took a deep puff of his cigar, extremely pleased.
"No one in the provincial capital dares to defy your will. Rest assured, his department store will close in a couple of days."
"I want him to go bankrupt. Not only that, but I want him to know that confronting Zhu Laosan was the most wrong decision of his life. Losing both fortune and loved ones is minor; losing his life is the major consequence." Zhu Laosan had already arranged for people to sabotage the department store that night, leaving Zhang Liunian with no options and forcing him to struggle before abandoning the department store here.
At that time, he also intended to get Jiang Qingqing. He was determined to have that woman.
Thinking of this, his primal urges began to stir, and he thought he should find Wu Gudi to come over tonight. She was the most obedient.
"You're going to make a move again?" Tang Shitong asked, surprised, having understood his intention from his words.
He knew that when he went to cause trouble that morning, Zhang Liunian had managed to defuse the situation. He hadn't expected him to make another move; the frequency was a bit high.
"I can't stand it when people act arrogantly in front of me and slap my face. And I haven't even avenged the near-death experience from last time." How could Zhu Laosan let Zhang Liunian live comfortably? The other party was his mortal enemy. As long as the other party was in distress, he would be happy.
Tang Shitong was naturally pleased to see this, but the thought of his niece falling into the clutches of the law made him unable to smile.
Zhu Laosan noticed his expression, his eyes flickered, and he asked, "Are you worried about Tang Guo?"
He had just sent people to inquire, and Tang Guo had indeed not left. Instead, she had been apprehended and taken to the police station, which greatly surprised Zhu Laosan.
In his mind, Tang Guo was a very capable woman. By all rights, she should have made all the arrangements and not made such a mistake. Yet, she had.
And the person who led to her downfall was definitely that brat Zhang Liunian.
Even though the police said Zhang Liunian wasn't the one who apprehended her, Zhu Laosan knew that no one else would have done it.
"Alas, I thought Guo'er had left the country long ago. Unexpectedly, I just received news that she has been detained at the police station for questioning." Tang Shitong was the most shocked that his niece hadn't escaped but had been caught.
He knew very well how capable his niece was and never expected that she, who was just a step away from going abroad, would be caught and brought back at this time.
According to his subordinates, Guo'er was sent in by Zhang Liunian, and Zhang Liunian had also taken her secret deposit book from the mainland. He hadn't received any news of anyone using that deposit book, so the money in it was not lost for the time being. However, they needed to find a way to get it back from Zhang Liunian as soon as possible, or thirty million yuan would be wasted.
Thinking of thirty million yuan, Tang Shitong's eyes were filled with coldness. That was the money Guo'er had obtained from the department store in a year, and it had taken her a lot of effort. In the end, it fell into Zhang Liunian's hands and became his stepping stone. It was impossible not to be angry.
However, no matter how angry he was, it was useless because he couldn't make any moves now. Even the slightest action would be noticed, so he wanted Zhu Laosan to help him.
But Zhu Laosan was a man who acted for profit. Without exceeding the return he expected, he wouldn't easily help others.
"What do you plan to do?" Zhu Laosan asked casually, showing little interest.
"Of course, to get her out. She's in serious trouble this time. If she's not rescued, she might spend her entire life in jail. She's my niece, and I can't watch her spend her life in jail." Tang Shitong had expectations for this capable niece and didn't want to see her imprisoned for life.
"You know my rules. If you want my help, you have to be able to afford the price." Zhu Laosan exhaled the smoke from his mouth, knowing what he was implying, but he never made losing deals. Instead, he only demanded double or more in return.
Without a bargaining chip that moved him, he wouldn't act.
"I know, but I can't think of anything else worth exchanging with you." This was also why he hadn't come to talk to him about this matter from the start.