Chapter Forty-Seven: A Solution

After Jiang Yingying witnessed the interaction between the boss and his wife, she was reminded of her own childhood. Back then, her grandparents were still alive, the elderly couple tending to an old shop in the town. Life was truly wonderful in those days. But everything changed after the area was redeveloped. The neighbors no longer visited each other, and the business suffered greatly due to the new location. Fortunately, the Jiang Group was a vast enterprise, and the family never relied on the little shop for their livelihood. Even if the shop lost tens of thousands a day, it didn’t matter. It was merely a way for the old couple to pass the time.

Jiang Yingying knew that what the boss and his wife cared about was the people in the neighborhood, not so much the environment itself. After all, the old district’s surroundings could not compare with the new ones; that’s why, when the redevelopment was announced, all the homeowners unanimously agreed, and not a single one opposed it.

“How do you plan to help them?” Qin Tian asked curiously.

“We’ll return to the hospital first. I’ll need my father’s help with this,” Jiang Yingying replied.

Qin Tian was puzzled. Was Jiang Yingying thinking of asking Jiang Tianxiang to buy the entire old district? The land price there was astronomical, especially since it had already been slated for redevelopment. The land was now more valuable than ever; even the Jiang Group would be hard-pressed to buy the whole area.

With these doubts, Qin Tian and the two girls returned to the hospital. Jiang Yingying recounted what she had seen and heard at the old restaurant to Jiang Tianxiang. Jiang Tianxiang, a veteran of the business world, understood people deeply—especially his own daughter. As the saying goes, no one knows a daughter better than her father; Jiang Tianxiang was already well aware of the little scheme in her heart.

“You want me to rent that area to them, don’t you?” Jiang Tianxiang asked.

“Yes, that place suits them well. They could gather, open shops together, and the surrounding residential complexes are already thriving. The foot traffic is decent—the business won’t be bad,” Jiang Yingying replied.

“Your kindness is just like your mother’s,” Jiang Tianxiang said, smiling as he ruffled her hair.

“Uncle Jiang, what are you talking about? I can’t understand a word!” Qin Tian asked.

“It’s like this: last year, our company acquired a small patch of old housing in the northern district. We’re awaiting approval for redevelopment, but the paperwork hasn’t come through yet.”

“Yingying wants to rent that old housing area to the group of tenants you mentioned,” Jiang Tianxiang explained with a smile.

“So you won’t redevelop it?” Qin Tian was surprised.

“Redevelopment was only considered because the place is too run-down and no one lives there anymore. But if a group of merchants moves in—residents upstairs, businesses downstairs—wouldn’t that make perfect use of the space? It’s the best of both worlds,” Jiang Tianxiang explained again.

“Is that really possible?” Qin Tian was skeptical, not quite understanding how these things worked.

“Let me put it this way: if there were only one or two restaurants or clothing stores, do you think anyone would go there?” Jiang Tianxiang asked.

“Of course not. Nowadays, people either go to malls or commercial streets where there’s more choice,” Qin Tian replied.

“Exactly. Even if we tried to attract tenants, given the area’s condition, no merchant would want to move in alone. They’d just wait and see. But now, it’s not just one or two merchants—it’s a whole group! They’d form a complete commercial cluster.”

“That area has declined precisely because there were no people. But if these merchants move in, and we do a bit of renovation and some smart marketing, given the occupancy rates of the surrounding complexes, that place could become a small central commercial street!” Jiang Tianxiang explained with a smile.

“In that case, Uncle Jiang, you won’t need to go through the trouble of demolition and rebuilding, and the merchants will have a new place to settle. It really is the perfect solution!”

Qin Tian’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t expected such a complicated problem to be solved so easily.

“This would also save our company a huge sum. It may look like we’re helping those merchants, but they’re actually helping us!”

“Qin Tian, you really are your uncle’s lucky star! Just going out for a meal and you bring back a business opportunity!” Jiang Tianxiang joked.

“Dad, you’re being biased! I was the one who came up with this idea!” Jiang Yingying protested.

“All right, all right, you’ve inherited my business acumen. Very impressive,” Jiang Tianxiang said, shaking his head with a smile.

This was the best news he’d heard since being admitted to the hospital.

“Yingying, I’ll leave this matter to you. I’ll have Secretary Liu assist you,” Jiang Tianxiang said.

“Me? Are you sure I can handle it?” Jiang Yingying was stunned.

A young girl who hadn’t even graduated from university yet—could she really take on such a crucial task?

“What’s wrong? Lacking confidence?” Jiang Tianxiang asked.

“A little. It’s such a big matter,” Jiang Yingying admitted.

“Everyone has a first time. Qin Tian will help you. Go ahead and try—don’t worry about the money. Your father can afford the loss,” Jiang Tianxiang said with a smile.

“Dad, from the way you say it, you’re certain I’ll lose money?” Jiang Yingying frowned.

“Haha, making money always starts with losing money,” Jiang Tianxiang replied.

Jiang Yingying rolled her eyes in exasperation.

Qin Tian, on the other hand, found this reasoning quite sound. After all, setbacks lead to wisdom; there is no eternal smooth sailing, only the accumulation of experience.

“Qin Tian, Yingying, and Xiaoqing, I’m leaving this matter in your hands. Go ahead and do your best,” Jiang Tianxiang said, looking at the three.

Qin Tian felt a surge of excitement. Such a large business, and he didn’t even have to use his own money—it was exhilarating.

It was as if he could use someone else’s resources to accomplish things he couldn’t normally do, giving himself a thrill he’d never experienced!

Compared to Qin Tian’s excitement, Jiang Yingying was mostly nervous—after all, this was her family’s money. Shen Xiaoqing, meanwhile, seemed carefree, as if the whole matter barely registered with her; as long as she was happy, nothing else mattered.

That night, the three of them slept on temporary beds in the hospital. Shen Xiaoqing slept most soundly; Qin Tian, excited, didn’t fall asleep until late, and Jiang Yingying, anxious, was also awake late into the night.

Over the next two days, the three worked with Secretary Liu, discussing concrete plans for moving the merchants to the new location.