"I knew I shouldn’t have slept in!
"Just one hour late, and both storefronts at the residential compound’s main gate were actually rented out!
"Even though the rent for the side gate storefront is two thousand less, the foot traffic is way worse!
"Forget it. Since I’m already here, I might as well make the best of it!"
Seeing the new email from the future, Wendy Lynch felt a wave of relief. Persuading her parents to quit their factory jobs tonight had immediately eased her tense nerves. Combined with her constant worry about their safety yesterday, her sleep quality had been terrible. Moreover, she had spent the entire day catching flights. With all these debuffs stacked together, she was truly physically and mentally exhausted.
In her original plan, she had intended to sleep in until she naturally woke up tomorrow before heading to the property management office to inquire about leasing a storefront. After all, the two units at the compound’s main gate had been vacant for over a month. As far as Wendy was concerned, there was absolutely no need to rush.
She never expected that storefronts left empty for so long would suddenly be snatched up all at once. The email was very brief, so there was no way to tell exactly when the other party had rented them. However, solving this problem was actually quite simple.
Wendy immediately set an alarm for 6:00 a.m. The property management office opened at 6:30. As long as she arrived the moment they started work, there was a high probability she could successfully secure the lease.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
At exactly six in the morning, the piercing sound of the alarm shattered the silence of the bedroom. Hearing the noise, Wendy immediately climbed out of bed. She glanced at the time on her phone screen: 6:01. Perfect, there was still time.
She quickly got out of bed and rushed into the bathroom at top speed to wash up and change clothes. The entire process was smooth and fluid, without a single wasted movement. By the time she was fully dressed and grabbed her bag to head out, the clock pointed exactly to 6:20. It took about ten minutes to walk from home to the property management center. The timing was just right.
Wendy took a deep breath, closed the door, and walked briskly toward the elevator.
Early in the morning, the property management center was very quiet, with several staff members eating breakfast at their desks. Wendy checked her phone—it was 6:29. Unsurprisingly, she was the first resident to show up.
Seeing her standing at the door, the staff member closest to the entrance immediately asked, "Hello, how can I help you?"
"Hello, I’d like to inquire about leasing a storefront," Wendy said politely.
Hearing that she was there for a lease, a warm smile instantly appeared on the staff member’s face. "Please, come on in."
Just as the staff member was about to continue, a somewhat harsh female voice interjected from the side without any warning.
"Well, if it isn’t Old Lynch’s girl. Up so early?"
Wendy frowned imperceptibly and looked toward the voice. A middle-aged woman with exaggerated curly hair, wearing a red-and-white morning tracksuit, was sizing her up with a sidelong glance.
Mrs. Walsh.
She lived upstairs from them. Her family ran a small processing factory, making them relatively wealthy within the residential compound. Her favorite thing to do was to drag people around the neighborhood to show off her newly bought bags, or flaunt whatever designer jewelry her son had bought her. She was incredibly arrogant and always spoke with hidden barbs.
Wendy didn’t like her much, but out of courtesy for a neighbor, she gave a faint nod. "Morning, Auntie Walsh."
Mrs. Walsh completely ignored her greeting. She walked straight up to the property manager and spoke in a tone that sounded like she was handing out charity.
"Manager Campbell, about that matter I mentioned to you a couple of days ago—I’m going to rent that storefront at the main gate today."
After saying that, she turned back and looked Wendy up and down, making no effort to hide the disdain on her face.
"Lynch, why are you asking about storefronts?
"The rent for that place is over ten thousand a month. That’s no small sum.
"I remember your whole family works in the factory, right? Even working like Cindys for a month, you probably don’t earn much, right?
"Auntie is just giving you some advice. You need to think this through. Don’t let a moment of hotheadedness cost you your family’s entire savings."
Her words were framed as advice, but in reality, every sentence was laced with mockery and ridicule, brimming with a condescending sense of superiority. The underlying message was clear: they wondered if a family like hers even deserved to rent such an expensive shop.
Faced with this low-level taunt, Wendy felt absolutely no emotional turbulence; she couldn’t even be bothered to bat an eyelid. Getting angry at this kind of person was a pure waste of time and energy. She completely ignored Mrs. Walsh and turned to the property manager.
"Manager, it’s like this. We want to rent the corner storefront near the main gate."
Before the property manager could reply, Mrs. Walsh blew her top.
"What? The corner storefront?!"
She never imagined that Wendy’s target would be the exact same one she had her eye on! That location was the better of the two units. Facing the compound’s busiest entrance and exit, it was an absolute goldmine!
"No way!" Mrs. Walsh blurted out without a second thought. "Manager Campbell, I’m taking that storefront!
"My nephew is opening a tobacco and liquor store, and he needs that exact spot!"
As she spoke, she shot Wendy a provocative glare.
"I can sign the contract right now. Cash or transfer, either works!
"Unlike some people who probably can’t even scrape together the deposit."
A troubled expression appeared on Manager Campbell’s face, unsure of how to handle the situation. Wendy met Mrs. Walsh’s provocative gaze with a faint smile.
"Auntie Walsh, whether our family can handle it or not is none of your concern."
Her neither humble nor arrogant attitude, coupled with the quiet confidence in her demeanor, instantly stifled Mrs. Walsh’s arrogance.
"You..."
"Ahem," Manager Campbell coughed, seeing the atmosphere growing increasingly tense, and quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Mrs. Walsh, Miss Lynch, please don’t be hasty."
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he offered a bitter smile and explained.
"It’s like this. The situation with these two storefronts at the gate is a bit unique.
"Because the location is so good, our head office has a strict regulation.
"To maintain the compound’s overall image and commercial atmosphere, they are only willing to lease these two units to franchisees with established brands.
"For example, chain convenience stores like EverGood, or brand-name clothing stores like Nike or Adidas.
"The main goal is to ensure a stable lease period and hassle-free management, so they won’t just open today and go out of business tomorrow.
"After all, those two spots are right at the facade. If they close down shortly after opening, it would severely impact the rent of the other storefronts."
So that was it!
Wendy’s heart stirred as realization instantly dawned on her. She finally understood why such a prime location had been left vacant for over a month with no takers. After all that, it wasn’t that nobody wanted it—it was because there was a high barrier to entry!
And this barrier, which might be insurmountable for others, wasn’t an issue for her at all!
When she discussed it with her parents last night, their first choice was to franchise a large chain convenience store like 7-Eleven!