"I'm not very satisfied with this contract. The rent needs to be at least twenty percent higher, and it has to be paid annually!" Zhang Long said arrogantly. After casually glancing at the contract Chu Yan had handed him, he set it down and crossed his arms.
"President Zhang, this *is* the market rate. Your price is too high. Besides, you promised Zhou Fan you would rent this space to us. Are you really going to go back on your word?"
Chu Yan's expression turned cold. If she agreed to Zhang Long's terms, she'd have to pay over forty million in rent a year. That was more than Fenghua International could afford!
"Heh. Actually, President Chu, we can make your contract work. But I have one condition: half of the annual profits must go to Younger Brother Zhou!"
Zhang Long remained unruffled by Chu Yan's questions. Based on what Zhou Fan had told him yesterday, he'd followed the clues. Not only had he caught the secretary who was secretly poisoning him, but he had also exposed the mastermind: his wife of more than ten years. He'd even found her secret lover!
Moreover, after the acupuncture session with Zhou Fan today, he could feel a real change in his body. He was determined to get on Zhou Fan's good side, and offering him the profits from the retail spaces was undoubtedly the best way to do it.
'Half for Zhou Fan?'
Chu Yan was taken aback for a moment, but then she nodded. "Let's wait for Zhou Fan to wake up. If he agrees, I have no objection."
'She wasn't just saying it to be polite. Zhou Fan had saved her life twice and had also saved her grandfather. Compared to that, this money, as much as it was, wasn't nearly enough to repay him!'
Zhang Long, on the other hand, was somewhat surprised by Chu Yan's response, but he said nothing.
The atmosphere in the office turned a bit awkward until Zhou Fan finally woke up.
The moment he opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashed through them before vanishing.
'A century-old Three Immortals Grass, and it only restored ten percent of my power. Damn it! This fucking Bodhi Heart and Nether River Dead Water are just too bizarre. They're constantly suppressing the energy in my body!'
Zhou Fan cursed inwardly, but he was still somewhat satisfied. At least his power had grown a little stronger.
"President Zhang, I heard your conversation just now. First off, thank you," Zhou Fan said as he walked back over to Zhang Long and began removing the acupuncture needles. "But actually, it makes no difference whether the profits go to me or to President Chu."
"What do you mean?"
"Because we got our marriage license yesterday. In other words, President Chu is now my wife!"
"What? Married?"
"Wife, come here. Give me a kiss!"
As if guessing Zhang Long would be skeptical, Zhou Fan beckoned to Chu Yan.
Chu Yan couldn't believe her ears. 'What did that guy just say?'
'A kiss?'
'Pah!'
'Not in a million years!'
"Hurry up. Otherwise, President Zhang won't believe us. It's not like we brought our marriage certificate!"
"That's right! Unless you two can prove it, I'm not buying it!"
Zhang Long played along enthusiastically, raising his voice. To really sell it, he even took out a cigar, taking deep drags while eyeing them with theatrical suspicion.
'He's my husband. It's no big deal!'
Chu Yan silently tried to convince herself. 'It's just a little kiss. And he *is* my husband. Plus, this will save us forty million a year!'
'It's worth it no matter how you slice it!'
Chu Yan took a deep breath, walked up to Zhou Fan, and reluctantly planted a kiss on his cheek. At the same time, from an angle Zhang Long couldn't see, she secretly pinched his waist.
"That doesn't count! How does a peck on the cheek prove anything?" Zhang Long jeered, clearly enjoying the drama and eager to stir the pot.
Chu Yan swore to herself that if she had a knife right now, she would absolutely murder Zhang Long. 'You just had to run your mouth, didn't you?'
"Alright, President Zhang, that's enough. My wife gets a little shy in public," Zhou Fan said, enduring the stinging pain in his side. He wrapped an arm around Chu Yan's waist, pulling her close, and gestured toward the contract on the table. "So, about this contract...?"
"Contract? What contract? Since you're Younger Brother Zhou's wife, that makes you my sister-in-law! Forget the rent—you can have all the spaces for free. Just consider it an apology from me, your Brother Zhang, for any way I might have offended you in the past. I hope you can be the bigger person and let it go!"
"Then thank you very much, Brother Zhang. If you ever need your little brother for anything in the future, just say the word!" Zhou Fan wasn't one to be coy. Zhang Long wanted to build a connection with him, and frankly, he wanted the same.
More friends meant more opportunities. That was an unchanging truth of the world.
"Thank you, President Zhang. It's true I was being ignorant before."
Since both men had put it that way, and Chu Yan was not an unreasonable person, she went along. Besides, hitching Fenghua International's wagon to a powerhouse like Yunlong Group would be a massive boost for her company's future.
Not to mention the very tangible, immediate benefits. Zhou Fan had previously talked about getting one quarter's rent waived; this was the entire lease, completely free!
The three of them chatted pleasantly for a while. Just as they were about to leave, Zhang Long suddenly pulled Zhou Fan aside. "Oh, by the way, Younger Brother Zhou, do you recognize this symbol?" he asked, handing over a bamboo slip engraved with a strange design.
Zhou Fan's pupils contracted in an instant. His eyes locked onto the bamboo slip, and a palpable killing intent began to emanate from him. The aura was so frightening that both Zhang Long and Chu Yan instinctively took two steps back, their faces filled with terror.