Chapter 71: Filled with Gratitude

Chapter 71: Chapter 71: Filled with Gratitude

"Mm-hmm."

Seeing Lin Shen nod without hesitation, Lin Ping asked again.

"Are you planning to keep it as a Cat Cafe? Or will you renovate it for some other kind of small business?"

"A high-end pet community."

Lin Shen briefly summarized his plan.

It was clear, organized, and logically sound.

His confident and eloquent demeanor drastically changed Lin Ping’s impression of him.

She had originally thought Lin Shen was just some rich kid with a bit of cash, planning to take over a storefront and run a small business to show off to his family.

But now, it seemed he had actually done serious market research.

Although Lin Ping didn’t quite understand some of the technical terms he used, it didn’t stop her from trusting Lin Shen.

"I had no idea you were such an expert."

Lin Ping exclaimed, her long-dormant heart suddenly stirring with life.

"Are you saying... my cafe still has a chance to be saved?"

"Definitely."

Lin Shen said confidently.

"Your Cat Cafe’s only real problem is its remote location. But marketing is mostly done online these days. As long as the promotion is done right and the service is good, it will definitely take off."

"To be honest, I don’t really know much about this stuff."

Lin Ping admitted honestly.

"My ex-husband left this shop to me. He said its revenue would be used to offset our daughter’s child support."

"So you’re divorced?"

"Yes."

Seeing Lin Ping look away, a bit embarrassed, Lin Shen spoke softly.

"It seems your husband intentionally left this shop to you. Don’t tell me he’s also the landlord?"

"How did you know?"

Lin Ping looked utterly astonished, which made Lin Shen sigh softly.

"You’ve been scammed."

"My guess is, you and your ex-husband originally invested in this Cat Cafe together. But when business went sour, you couldn’t sell it."

"So after the divorce, he made it look like a kind gesture, leaving the shop to you. But in reality, he’s collecting rent from you to claw back his share of the marital assets that were divided."

"When you couldn’t run it successfully and couldn’t find a buyer to take it off your hands, he would use the opportunity to take back the shop, losing nothing in the process."

"..."

Lin Ping’s mouth formed an "O" as the realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

She had divorced her ex-husband after discovering his affair. She had been so furious at the time that she hadn’t thought about anything else. She didn’t even read the divorce agreement properly, just wanting to finalize the divorce and be free as quickly as possible.

But now, with Lin Shen’s explanation, everything suddenly clicked into place for Lin Ping.

"I’m going to call him right now and get to the bottom of this!"

Lin Ping stood up angrily, but Lin Shen stopped her.

"Calling him won’t do any good. All of this was done through legal and proper procedures. You can only accept your bad luck and swallow your anger."

"But..."

Lin Ping felt incredibly wronged.

She, who had always been gentle and kind, could never have imagined this. She had worked so hard and sacrificed so much for her marriage.

And what did she get in return?

Not only did her ex-husband cheat on her, but in the end, he even scammed her!

Seeing Lin Ping’s small, helpless, and pitiful appearance, Lin Shen couldn’t help but feel a little sympathy.

Because he, too, had experienced betrayal in a relationship, he could empathize with how devastating such a blow could be.

"But it’s okay. You just need to keep running this cafe well."

Lin Shen comforted her softly.

"He was banking on the fact that this shop would go under due to poor business; that’s why he’s so brazen."

"When the time comes, transfer the shop to me. I’ll bring it back to life."

"But..."

Seeing that Lin Shen was actually willing to acquire a shop with such terrible business, Lin Ping was deeply moved. But she also couldn’t bear to see him lose his money for nothing, so she reminded him kindly.

"If you invest, you probably won’t be able to make your money back, will you?"

"You never know."

Lin Shen smiled, lacing his fingers together on the tabletop. His confident and sunny tone put Lin Ping completely at ease.

His handsome young face, in particular, suddenly made her long-dormant heart flutter like a startled fawn. She quickly glanced away, her cheeks flushing slightly, and whispered.

"Well, thank you then."

"You’re welcome."

Lin Shen stood up and walked toward the cat resting area.

"First, let me see the cats you have here."

For a Cat Cafe, which is part of the service industry, the quality of the coffee and the ambiance are secondary. The most important thing is whether the cats are well-behaved.

A cat’s charming and docile nature will often attract more customers, and might even make someone pay to take it home.

It’s just like the brothels of ancient times.

The quality of the top courtesans was often the key to whether customers returned. Even the shoddiest of brothels would attract countless eager patrons if a ’golden phoenix’ appeared.

"Let me introduce them to you."

Lin Ping picked up the dozen or so cats one by one, introducing them to Lin Shen. She not only knew each of their names, but she also remembered their personalities and other details with perfect clarity.

It was obvious she had been running this Cat Cafe with great care.

"...This one’s name is Sunshine, because he loves to sunbathe. He’ll just lie there with his belly up. He’s really cute."

Lin Ping stroked the cat’s soft fur. It was clear she bathed them often; they were all impeccably clean and tidy.

Seeing this, Lin Shen suddenly remembered that his [Camera and Album] mission was to photograph an animal, so he took out his phone.

"Mind if I take a picture of the cats?"

"Go ahead."

Seeing Lin Ping smile charmingly while holding the cat, Lin Shen decisively pressed the shutter button on his phone.

However, to his surprise, while the mission was completed, the result had a strange twist.

[Upgrade Mission: Take one photo with the theme "Animal." (Complete)]

[Reward: Camera and Album Lv. 4 → Lv. 5]

[Photography Skill increased by 50%-60%]

[Congratulations, your "Camera and Album" has reached Lv. 5. Bonus Reward Triggered: Background Module x1]

[Basic Reward: Random Monetary Reward x1]