Everything returned to normal, and San Dong City seemed to have never experienced any unusual incidents.
Fang Huairan and Mei Ziqi, these two names vanished like specks of dust, without the slightest impact on this world.
No one cared about their lives or deaths, nor did they care that they had ever existed, except for the brief sorrow of their loved ones. The world remained peaceful at all times.
This was also one of the reasons why people pursued immortality and sought to become immortals.
To attain the Dao and become an immortal meant becoming eternal, free from the suffering of reincarnation, and not having to live in darkness like ghosts.
Although in Hua Xia Country, many people no longer believed that humans could become immortals, nor did they believe in the suffering of reincarnation; a small portion of people still devoutly worshipped deities, hoping they would bless them with promotions, wealth, and peace.
On an ordinary morning, in a common room, a statue of the God of Wealth stood just inside the door. Wu Daoning worshipped Zhao Cai Shen, hoping his small business would prosper and his fortune would grow.
As soon as he woke up, his first task was to arrange the offerings. Yesterday, he had specifically instructed his wife to buy the largest and most brightly colored fruits, while he himself selected the incense and candles.
After everything was neatly arranged, he piously picked up three sticks of incense and lit them slowly. To ensure they lit properly, he waited a little longer.
He was so careful and cautious, fearing that any mishap might incur the displeasure of the God of Wealth.
He had just opened a small supermarket, located at the crossroads of Huaihua Street, Huaihua Village, in San Dong City.
Although the place was named Huaihua Village, after years of development, it had long since become a bustling urban street lined with tall buildings. Because of this, after extensive research and patient waiting, Wu Daoning finally managed to lease this shop and open a small supermarket.
As it was at a crossroads, with the well-known Huaihua Residential Quarter nearby, home to about several hundred households, and a bus stop on the roadside, the business had been doing well for over a year since the supermarket opened.
Of course, this must be the work of the God of Wealth, who had bestowed great fortune upon him. Regardless of whether others believed it or not, he himself offered incense and worshipped on the first and fifteenth of each month, never being careless.
There had to be a reason for doing so.
Because in this past year, he had genuinely made money. To expand the scale, he had leased the six adjacent storefronts as well.
Some elderly men in the neighborhood had advised him not to rent so many. His wife, however, thought they were jealous, so he had not taken their words to heart.
Now, the six storefronts had been leased and were awaiting renovation to officially open for business.
With just a year or two, he would completely recoup his investment. Thinking of the comfortable life that awaited him, Wu Daoning felt delighted.
At this moment, despite his utmost care, he accidentally bumped the incense table, and a small piece of one of the incense sticks broke off.
Wu Daoning's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly relit another incense stick and replaced the broken one.
Furthermore, he muttered apologies to the God of Wealth, begging for forgiveness.
This incense table was set up in their rented accommodation. After finishing this, he prepared to ride his electric bike to the supermarket.
The rented place was about two or three blocks away from his supermarket, usually a five-minute ride.
But as he locked the door and was about to leave on his bike, his phone rang; it was his wife.
"Daoning, hurry over! Someone is blocking the supermarket entrance!"
"What? Who did it? Call the police quickly! I'll be there immediately!" Wu Daoning said, then quickly hung up and rushed towards the supermarket.
In his haste, his hand holding the electric bike keys trembled.
That was his entire livelihood. If anything happened to it, months of profit could be lost.
He prided himself on his amiable business practices, so how could he have offended anyone without reason?
The more anxious he became, the slower his electric bike seemed to go. He had never felt that the rented place was so far from the supermarket.
He dismounted his electric bike, not even pulling out the key, and ran towards the supermarket.
There was already a large crowd at the entrance. Being at a crossroads, many people had gathered to watch.
"Make way, make way! This is my supermarket! Let me in."
Wu Daoning shouted frantically, hoping to get into the supermarket where only his wife was inside at the moment.
The first few people in the crowd heard him and moved aside. But after a few steps, several burly men blocked his path.
"He's here, he's here! This is the boss!"
Someone, emphasizing his words, introduced Wu Daoning.
Wu Daoning couldn't afford to pay attention to such things. He thought that after the introduction, the burly men would let him pass. However, the man blocking him didn't budge.
"Get out of the way, I'm the boss here. Whatever it is, let me in first!"
As Wu Daoning spoke, he reached out to push aside the burly man, but his hand was firmly grasped. Before he could move, the man flung him aside, causing him to stumble and nearly fall.
"You!"
"Let him in!"
Wu Daoning was furious, but before he could argue, a woman's voice rang out.
The onlookers at the scene suddenly fell silent.
It was strange, a woman possessing such presence. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed it.
Wu Daoning didn't have time for that. He squeezed through the mere 20-centimeter gap that the burly man had made.
"You are the owner here?"
The woman who spoke had short hair and wore sunglasses. She was dressed in luxurious clothes and high heels. Although she was only about 1.6 meters tall, she exuded an aura of confidence and authority.
"Yes, I am the owner here. Who might you be?" Wu Daoning asked politely.
You could hear the kindness in his words.
In fact, it was precisely because of his sincere and honest nature that residents nearby liked to shop at this supermarket.
"Hmph! You're not qualified to know. I'm here today to inform you that I want this supermarket. Name your price!"
The woman was not here to negotiate; this was outright robbery!
Wu Daoning naturally refused to yield. This was a new era, and after doing business for so many years, this was the first time he had encountered such blatant extortion!
"I'm sorry, but this supermarket is neither for transfer nor for sale. Please leave!"
Hearing her words, Wu Daoning felt extremely uncomfortable and angry, and he retorted directly.
"Boy, are you tired of living!"
At this moment, a young man in black clothes pointed at Wu Daoning and said.
"You, you're not here to buy the shop! Even if you were buying, it would have to be consensual. This is a society governed by law, and I simply won't sell!"
"Clang!"