Treat Xiao Yu as a man and rush to sign the contract

Chen Qimeng and He Jing sat in the shop, observing Lin Yu outside as he made a phone call by the door.

At that moment, Chen Qimeng was filled with regret.

When she had met Lin Yu’s gaze earlier, she had inexplicably given him the landlord’s phone number.

But Lin Yu was just a college student.

What could he possibly accomplish by calling the landlord?

As the head of the household, this responsibility should have been hers alone.

How could she let Lin Yu feel the pressure too?

He should be enjoying his college life without such worries.

He Jing noticed Chen Qimeng’s troubled expression and reassured her:

"Qimeng, why worry so much?"

"I bet that handsome young man is just negotiating with the landlord… asking for an extension or a partial payment."

"Kids these days are all like that—they see things in a simple way."

"You’ve sheltered him so well that he still has that childlike innocence."

Of course, these words couldn’t be overheard by Lin Yu.

Earlier, in front of Lin Yu, He Jing had acted as if he were "a grown man."

Now, with just the two of them, she emphasized the "objective fact" that he was "just a kid."

She had a way of twisting her words to suit every situation.

Before long, Lin Yu finished his call and returned to the shop.

Noticing the women’s gazes, he spread his hands and said,

"Aunt Qimeng, don’t look at me like that. I didn’t cause any trouble."

"I just had a quick chat with the landlord. He said he’d print some documents and come over later to talk."

"Some things can’t be settled over the phone. We’ll discuss it face to face when he arrives."

Seeing that Lin Yu didn’t seem discouraged, Chen Qimeng relaxed slightly.

Perhaps He Jing was right—Lin Yu might have tried to persuade the landlord for leniency.

But she had already attempted that.

If it had worked, she wouldn’t have been so desperate to borrow money.

She had originally arranged to meet the landlord at noon to pay the rent for the next six months.

Letting Lin Yu make the call was just to acknowledge his good intentions.

His effort mattered more than the outcome.

Chen Qimeng didn’t dwell on the topic, afraid that saying too much might make Lin Yu feel like a failure if his persuasion didn’t work.

……

About twenty minutes later, before the landlord arrived, Boss Yi’s BMW pulled up first.

[Ding!]

[Crisis Alert: The Faceless Owl and the Thousand-Faced Fox have joined forces and taken action. Host, be vigilant and assist the Acting Sect Leader in safeguarding the sect’s grand plan!]

The system’s prompt rang out in Lin Yu’s mind at just the right moment.

As expected.

When it came to a major deception involving the "Acting Sect Leader," the system would issue a crisis warning.

Even if he hadn’t spoken with He Jing today, he would have known they were making their move.

"Boss Yi, I’m so sorry to trouble you with coming here. I should have gone to you instead."

Chen Qimeng apologized as she held the door open for Yi Haizhou.

When asking someone for a loan, it was only natural to be humble.

"Boss Qimeng, everyone faces hardships sometimes."

"You help me, I help you—that’s how it should be, right?"

"Signing the contract early isn’t a bad thing. We’ve worked together for so long—I trust your character."

"As soon as I got your call, I prepared the contract and brought the cash."

"Take a look at the terms first. If anything needs changing, we can adjust it before signing."

Yi Haizhou was a man of action.

He wanted nothing but the money.

The moment he entered the shop, he wasted no time pulling out the contract.

For him, this wasn’t just any contract.

It was a lifeline!

Once Chen Qimeng signed, next month would mark a fresh start for him.

Though Chen Qimeng wasn’t the sharpest, she was diligent.

She didn’t recklessly sign in a moment of desperation without reviewing the terms.

Unfortunately, the contract contained no obvious flaws.

The two con artists hadn’t bothered tampering with it.

After skimming through, Chen Qimeng glanced at Lin Yu beside her.

Remembering He Jing’s words about treating him like a grown man…

"Lin Yu, why don’t you take a look too?"

"I don’t know much about these things. You’re smart—help me check it over."

[Ding!]

[Masterstroke Move: Before making a decision, the Acting Sect Leader prioritizes the host’s opinion, proving the host is now an indispensable pillar of the sect!]

[Reward: 20 Spirit Stones]

Lin Yu was surprised by Chen Qimeng’s reaction.

He had He Jing’s unintended influence to thank for this.

In the past, Chen Qimeng would never have consulted him on such matters.

Even if this was just a formality, it was a step in the right direction.

Yi Haizhou followed her gaze and finally took a proper look at Lin Yu.

"And this is…?"

He Jing chimed in, "This young man is Qimeng’s nephew, Lin Yu."

Yi Haizhou put on a friendly smile and said politely,

"Ah, family! Handsome, young, and clearly a bright scholar."

"Nice to meet you. Help your aunt review this carefully."

Lin Yu scratched his head with a hint of awkwardness.

"Uh, Boss Yi, I was here last time too. Don’t you remember?"

Yi Haizhou: "…"

Damn, this kid really knew how to shut people up!

Had he been here before?

Now that he thought about it, there had been some young guy around.

He’d assumed it was just an employee and hadn’t paid much attention.

"Haha, was that so?"

"My memory’s not what it used to be. Must’ve slipped my mind."

"My apologies, Lin… Yu, was it?"

"This time, I’ll remember. Now, about the contract…"

Lin Yu smiled and nodded, pretending to focus intently on the document.

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Was Boss Yi slipping into his old habits?

The insurance business must be tough—having to be polite to every potential client.

But the attitude of a client from the film studio would’ve been completely different.

His acting was way off!

If you asked any procurement manager, "Don’t you remember me?"

They’d just snap back, "I meet too many people. Who are you again?"

Lin Yu had already reviewed the contract.

Aside from the unusually high penalty for breach, there was nothing questionable.

But as long as the penalty didn’t exceed legal limits, it was still enforceable.

If he had to nitpick…

"Boss Yi, forgive my ignorance, but shouldn’t the company name be [such-and-such] Film Studio?"

Lin Yu asked casually.

Yi Haizhou’s lips twitched, his expression tinged with disdain.

Of course.

Students were always like this—missing the big picture and fixating on trivial details.

"The company on the contract is under my name."

"This procurement order will go through my company’s accounts."

"Young man, you’re still green. You don’t understand how deep the waters run in big corporations."

"Plenty of major companies operate this way to… well, let’s just say, optimize certain processes."

"Sorry, I can’t explain further."

With that, he shrugged, playing the part of a seasoned veteran.

His message was clear:

Kid, you don’t know a damn thing.

Lin Yu pressed further,

"Oh, it’s that complicated, huh? I really don’t get it."

"So what you’re saying is…"

"If there are any issues with our floral products, the compensation will be paid to Boss Yi."

"And if the film studio breaches the contract and rejects our flowers, there’s no need to negotiate with them. Boss Yi will compensate us for the losses, right?"

The mention of compensation clearly darkened Yi Haizhou’s expression for a moment.

However, he quickly regained his composure and nodded, saying,

"Exactly. You’ve got a good grasp of things, young man."

"If problems arise, only the two of us will handle them. No other companies or individuals are involved."

Noticing Yi Haizhou’s unusually talkative demeanor, He Jing sensed trouble and swiftly changed the subject:

"We’re all honest and trustworthy people. This collaboration will surely go smoothly."

"Qimeng, let me find you a pen. You’ll need a black one for signing."

Yi Haizhou rummaged through his pocket, picking up on the cue to cooperate:

"No need to trouble yourself. I’ve got one right here."

Lin Yu smirked inwardly.

They were the ones who insisted on reviewing the contract and raising questions.

But the moment real questions were asked, they got upset.

How amusing.

No matter.

The timing was perfect—Lin Yu’s distinguished guest had just arrived...

A middle-aged man with a protruding belly, dressed in a loose tank top and sporting a bald head, strolled into the shop, lazily fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan.

"Little Boss Chen, quite the crowd in your shop today."

"Glad you’ve come around. This location of yours is the prime spot on the entire commercial street."

"Renewing the lease for three years? A smart move—no loss at all!"