Chapter 341: I'm in Charge of Buying Soy Sauce (Part 2)

‘From this perspective, the system was the one at fault,’ Yang Hui thought to himself, feeling not a shred of guilt. ‘The system is the one behind all the bad things.’

After lunch, Yang Hui accompanied President Zhao on a stroll through the mall, mainly to check on the Ruijing Commerce store. He had been away for a month, and the store’s management had grown a little lax. The employees still recognized him and came up to greet him.

“Manager Yang!” “Boss!”

President Zhao joked, “See? You still have a lot of influence in the company. Coming back this time, you’re not just saving the company, you’re saving them. Otherwise, all these stores would be gone.”

Yang Hui just smiled. ‘I’m only choosing to go back to rack up unemployment points and expand my unemployment benefits. I don’t need him trying to guilt trip me. The system’s rewards are far more tangible.’

They chatted for a bit about the store’s situation when someone suddenly entered from outside. The store manager stepped forward to greet him. “Manager Li.”

Yang Hui turned to look. ‘Isn’t that Li Jun? Shen Meng’s old college classmate, the one with a crush on her. Last I remember, he was the floor manager for the first floor. Did he get transferred to the second?’

Li Jun was surprised to see him too, but he didn’t say hello. This was his rival in love. To Li Jun, stealing the woman of his dreams was like killing his parents—a mortal enmity.

Two other people followed him. Li Jun said in a cold voice, “These people are from another company, here to take the store’s measurements. You are to cooperate.”

The store manager’s expression changed instantly. She knew what it meant for another brand to come and take measurements. It meant the mall had already signed this space to a new tenant. At a minimum, the commercial terms had been negotiated, and both sides were finalizing the contract. The incoming tenant was taking measurements and drawing up plans ahead of time to meet their own schedule, allowing for a seamless transition to begin renovations the moment Ruijing Commerce vacated.

President Zhao couldn’t help but ask, “Manager Li, our lease on this space isn’t up for another month. We’re even in the middle of negotiating a renewal. How can you have already found a new tenant?”

Li Jun didn’t know who he was, but seeing him with Yang Hui was enough to earn his contempt. He said coldly, “The company doesn’t want to rent to you anymore. So what? If you have a problem, take it up with the leasing department.”

President Zhao was about to say more, but Yang Hui just smiled. “No rush. I’ll make a call.”

He stepped outside the store and dialed the regional Vice President of Operations. President Tian was about to transition out of his role, so it wouldn’t be right to bother him with this, especially since Yang Hui was just looking to get some information.

Ever since Director Wang of Lantu had invited Huang Lingyu to dinner, this VP from Xinyue Group had been on edge, terrified that Yang Hui held a grudge against him. Luckily, he had handled the matter concerning Zhao Rui beautifully just a couple of days ago, which he hoped had appeased President Yang somewhat.

He was busy in his office and about to reject the call, but a glance at the caller ID changed his mind. He immediately signaled for the regional leasing managers who were reporting to him to leave the room.

“President Yang.”

When he heard that Yang Hui was asking about the Ruijing Commerce stores, he was a little confused, but he still explained the company’s intentions honestly: they were planning to push Ruijing Commerce out of nearly all its premium locations. This was mainly because their existing rent was quite low and their brand image was weak. The mall could easily bring in better brands and generate much higher rental income.

“President Yang, honestly, we were only keeping them around out of respect for you. Now that you’re no longer with them, we don’t really have any connection to Ruijing Commerce.”

“Oh, you’re asking about the one in Xinyue Square? The commercial terms are all settled. We’ve already sent the digital contract to the new brand; we’re just waiting for them to sign and return it. What? Put it on hold? Yes, yes, of course. I’ll take care of it.”

Yang Hui hadn’t asked the VP to cancel the deal, just to pause it. If he went back to Ruijing Commerce, he would definitely need to save this store. If he didn’t go back, then he certainly wouldn’t meddle in their affairs.

Meanwhile, President Zhao also sent a message to update Fang Zheng on the situation. After all, Fang Zheng was the acting regional general manager and also headed the channel development department; store renewals and closures were his responsibility.

Seeing Yang Hui walk back in, Li Jun let out a scornful laugh and said sarcastically, “Been watching too many of those cheesy dramas? The mighty hero makes one phone call and poof, the problem is solved? What’s next, I get a call from my boss telling me to halt the measurements for today?”

Who knew Li Jun had the makings of a screenwriter? Yang Hui smiled. “You guessed it.”

President Zhao, who knew Yang Hui well, was sure he had already resolved the matter. He didn’t ask how; Yang Hui must have used his personal connections to put a stop to it.

Li Jun sneered. “I’ll be waiting for that call, then. We’ll see what kind of boss would forbid them from taking measurements when the regional contract is already settled.”

The words were barely out of his mouth when his phone rang. Li Jun froze. He pulled out his phone, and his eyes widened when he saw the caller ID: it was the mall’s Vice President of Operations. He scrambled to answer. Li Jun reported to the Operations Manager, meaning there was a whole level of management between him and the VP. A direct call could only mean something urgent. A terrible premonition crept into his mind. ‘Don’t fucking tell me I just jinxed myself.’

And sure enough, the voice on the other end delivered a single sentence: “Li Jun, the measurement work at the Ruijing Commerce store is suspended. Wait for further notice.”

“But—” He wanted to argue that the regional office had already finalized the deal with this brand.

“No ‘buts.’ Just do it!”

After hanging up, Li Jun stared at Yang Hui, his expression thunderous. He couldn’t understand how he’d done it. ‘Did he really call the mall’s VP of Operations? How could he know someone at that level?’ Recalling his own mocking words from moments ago, the humiliation was swift and brutal.

“Well? Aren’t you going to stop them? You’re just letting them waste their time.”

Yang Hui wore a faint smile, which, in Li Jun’s eyes, was pure mockery. Face burning with shame, Li Jun went and called a halt to the other brand’s measurements, then trudged away in disgrace.