Chapter 72 - 71: Filled with Gratitude, Part 2

Chapter 72: Chapter 71: Filled with Gratitude, Part 2

[Upgrade Mission: Please take a photo with the theme of "Gourmet Food."]

[Evaluation: The canary has vibrant feathers, a pleasant song, and an outstanding appearance. It is best suited to be kept in a cage for observation and amusement.]

[System Score: A (150%)]

[Final Reward Calculation: 15,000]

[Construction Bank: Your account ending in 7946 received a deposit of RMB 15,000 on August 12 at 10:23 AM. Current balance: 745,000.]

?

A canary?

Lin Shen looked at Lin Ping, a thoughtful expression on his face.

She was currently squatting on the floor, playing with a cat. Her smooth, delicate profile exuded the unique, mature charm of a young woman.

The curve of her full bottom, accentuated by her jeans as she squatted, was particularly pert and plump, captivating the eye.

’So the subject of the photo wasn’t a cat, but Lin Ping?’

Lin Shen was a little confused.

’In his experience, girls called "canaries" were usually the type who wanted to rely on their youth and beauty to live off a man.’

’Does a divorced woman count as a canary?’

’Or... is the system suggesting I become her sugar daddy?’

"What do you think of my cats?"

Just as Lin Shen was lost in thought, Lin Ping asked him cautiously, her expression a little tense.

"They all have their vaccination certificates, and I deworm them regularly. They’re very clean."

"They’re great."

Lin Shen held his hand out to one of the cats, and it immediately leaned in, rubbing its face against him again and again.

It was clearly a very affectionate cat, perfect for a Cat Cafe.

"All of your cats are wonderful."

"Thank you."

Lin Ping was overjoyed to hear Lin Shen praise her cats.

After her divorce, aside from her daughter, these cats had become her emotional support, helping her get through a very difficult time.

"President Lin, let me show you around the rest of the shop."

"Alright."

Lin Shen felt a little awkward being called President Lin for the first time.

However, thanks to Lin Ping’s enthusiastic tour, he gradually grew accustomed to the title and carefully inspected the small Cat Cafe.

This included the coffee counter, the back area where the cats slept at night, and the display area for selling cat supplies.

However, there were very few Pet Guardian Home products on the shelves. This caught Lin Shen’s attention, and he asked out of curiosity.

"Have you ever used Pet Guardian Home’s products?"

"I have, but their products are too expensive, and they don’t offer a wholesale price."

Lin Ping explained.

"We go through a lot of things like cat food and catnip. To cut costs, I chose products from other brands that work about the same."

"Is that so."

Lin Shen murmured.

He had noticed this before. Pet Guardian Home focused too much on the high-end market, causing it to lose market share among low-to-mid-range Cat Cafes.

The advantage was that it built a high-end brand image, but this came with the disadvantage of lower sales volume.

’Maybe I can take advantage of that opening?’

Lin Shen silently made some calculations, then steered the conversation back on topic.

"The shop itself is quite nice. Let’s talk about the transfer. What are you asking for the monthly rent?"

"To be honest, I don’t know what’s appropriate..."

Lin Ping wrung her hands, at a complete loss. She clearly didn’t know much about this sort of thing.

Seeing this, Lin Shen asked softly.

"Do you mind if I take a look at your books?"

"Of course not."

Lin Ping retrieved the ledger from the back and handed it to Lin Shen. As he glanced over the monthly revenue, his brow gradually furrowed.

’For a small shop in such a remote location, the landlord is actually charging ten thousand a month in rent?!’

’That’s robbery!’

’Renting a 650-square-foot apartment around here doesn’t even cost that much!’

’And with monthly revenue of only twenty thousand, after costs she’s only making seven or eight thousand.’

"What a rip-off!"

Lin Shen couldn’t help but blurt out. This startled Lin Ping, and she immediately looked panicked and flustered.

"Um... our prices are already among the cheapest for a Cat Cafe. Even our coffee is very reasonably priced."

"I wasn’t talking about your prices."

Lin Shen explained hurriedly, handing the ledger back to Lin Ping.

"Let’s talk about the transfer price."

"How about this: a monthly rent of twenty thousand for a six-month lease, plus all the equipment in the store. I’ll take it all for a total of two hundred thousand. What do you think?"

Two hundred thousand!?

Even though Lin Ping didn’t know much about such deals, as soon as she heard the figure Lin Shen quoted, she knew it was an incredibly high offer. She quickly waved her hands in refusal.

She desperately needed the money, especially with a daughter in kindergarten to support.

But she would never earn money by taking advantage of someone. It wouldn’t sit right with her, even if she had the cash in hand.

"That’s too high! I think one hundred and fifty thousand would be more than enough."

"The equipment, cat maintenance, inventory... all of that costs money. I don’t think two hundred thousand is too high."

Lin Shen smiled faintly.

"Besides, I plan to pay you a salary of ten thousand a month to help me run the shop."

Huh?

Lin Ping blinked a couple of times, her expression one of utter astonishment.

She had assumed Lin Shen would hire new employees after taking over. Who would have thought he’d want to keep her on, let alone offer such a high salary of ten thousand a month!

Lin Ping was so overwhelmed by his generosity that she was at a loss for words.

She felt she didn’t deserve such a high salary, but the offer was too tempting to refuse. Full of gratitude, she said softly.

"President Lin, isn’t that salary a bit too high? I’m afraid..."

"Afraid I’ll lose money?"

Lin Shen cut her off, speaking with immense confidence.

"You have to spend money to make money in the beginning, just to build some buzz. But I guarantee, if you do as I say, we’ll be profitable within two months!"

...

’Profitable within two months?’

Lin Ping bit her lip, her expression conflicted.

She simply couldn’t believe that a Cat Cafe in such an out-of-the-way location could become profitable in just two months.

Especially considering the huge costs Lin Shen was putting in...

But since he was so confident, all she could do was take a leap of faith and trust him. It was a long shot, but it was her only shot.

"I understand. I’ll draft a transfer agreement right away and notify my ex-husband."

"Mm."

Lin Shen really didn’t want her ex-husband involved, but unfortunately, the man was the landlord.

By law, the transfer of a commercial lease requires the landlord’s permission, unless the right to transfer is explicitly held by the tenant.

But clearly, Lin Ping did not have that right.

"Please take a look."

Soon, Lin Ping brought out a transfer agreement and some other paperwork from the back.

She had actually prepared all of this in advance, she just hadn’t expected to use it so soon.

Lin Shen glanced over the contract and skimmed the various documents, including the business license.

After confirming everything was in order, he handed it all back to Lin Ping.

"Looks good. Set up a time with your ex-husband. We’ll all meet to sign a tripartite agreement."

"Okay."

Seeing that Lin Shen was satisfied, Lin Ping’s tense heart finally relaxed, and a charming, faint smile graced her lips.

With this weight off her shoulders, she felt an immense sense of gratitude toward Lin Shen, as if she had just met her guardian angel.

"President Lin, it’s lunchtime. You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Why don’t I treat you?"

"That’s not necessary."

Lin Shen waved a hand and stood up to leave.

"It’s not too late for you to treat me after the contract is signed. I have other things to do, so I’ll be going."

"Okay, take care!"

Lin Ping hurriedly untied her apron and walked Lin Shen to the door. She watched him drive away in his Jaguar XFL, her gaze lingering long after the car was gone.

She didn’t know how to describe what she was feeling.

Faced with the shop’s mounting monthly losses, Lin Ping had been having sleepless nights. She had finally decided to transfer the business and find a job elsewhere to provide a stable life for her daughter.

But what kind of job could a 34-year-old woman with an average education find?

The thought had been giving Lin Ping a massive headache.

But Lin Shen’s arrival was like a ray of light, illuminating her once-dim future.

Although the contract wasn’t finalized yet, judging from Lin Shen’s words, his actions, and the luxury car he drove, he didn’t seem like the type to deceive someone.

"Thank you."

Lin Ping hugged her arms to her chest and whispered softly, her heart overflowing with gratitude for Lin Shen.