Seeing the property manager’s troubled expression and Mrs. Walsh’s entitled demeanor beside him, Wendy Lynch felt a sudden wave of satisfaction. Instead of wasting her breath arguing with Mrs. Walsh, she unhurriedly pulled a stack of documents from her bag.
"Manager Campbell, we are preparing to franchise a 7-Eleven or an EverGood convenience store," she said, placing the papers in front of him. "This is our preliminary business plan, along with the letter of intent EverGood sent us after our discussions. Please take a look and see if it meets the company’s leasing requirements."
The smugness and contempt on Mrs. Walsh’s face instantly froze. She stared blankly at the business plan on the desk, her mind going completely blank.
She wondered what this nonsense was. A letter of intent? Her good-for-nothing nephew opening a shop was just a fleeting whim; he simply wanted to set up a little tobacco and liquor store to make some easy money. He would never prepare things like this!
Forced to save face, she stubbornly insisted, "What’s the point of all this flashy nonsense? It’s just a tiny corner store! As long as you have the money to rent it, that’s enough!"
However, Manager Campbell’s attention had already been captured by the documents on his desk. He picked up the printed letter of intent and examined it carefully. The troubled look on his face gradually shifted into pleasant surprise.
"A letter of intent from EverGood?" He looked up, his gaze toward Wendy completely changed. "Miss Lynch, are you really franchising an EverGood store?"
Wendy nodded affirmatively. "Yes, we just spoke with their regional franchise manager on the phone last night, and we’ve already passed the preliminary qualification review. As soon as the retail space is confirmed, they will send someone over for a site visit, and then we can sign the formal contract."
Hearing this, Mrs. Walsh was utterly flabbergasted. She never imagined that this unremarkable girl—whose parents were mere factory workers—could pull off something of this scale.
Franchising an EverGood? That was worlds apart from opening a tiny tobacco and liquor store! The franchise and deposit fees alone would cost two hundred thousand!
Mrs. Walsh’s face turned beet red. "How is that possible!" she shrieked in disbelief. "I don’t believe it! Manager Campbell, don’t let her fool you! I know exactly what her family’s financial situation is like. Where would they get that kind of money?!"
Panicking, she turned to the property manager and blurted out wildly, "Manager Campbell, ignore her! I’m taking this shop! I’m willing to pay more! I’ll add an extra thousand to the rent!"
Manager Campbell paid no mind to Mrs. Walsh’s offer of extra money. After all, the rent was set by the company and had nothing to do with him personally. Even if the rent was raised by a thousand, he wouldn’t see a single dime of it. Conversely, if a business rented the space only to go bankrupt a few months later, he would certainly be held accountable by upper management. He clearly knew which outcome was more important.
He shook his head apologetically and carefully placed the letter of intent back on the desk. "Ms. Walker, I am truly sorry. Our company places greater value on the long-term stability of a brand and how it elevates the commercial image of the residential community. This is not a matter of adding money."
He pointed to the side. "Why don’t you look at this location? This shop space doesn’t have such strict requirements. You can take it into consideration."
As a resident of the community, Mrs. Walsh naturally knew that the foot traffic in that particular spot was significantly worse. Being rejected in public—and losing to the neighbor she looked down upon the most—left her lips trembling with rage, her face flushed red.
She glared viciously at Wendy, ultimately only able to throw out a parting shot. "Hmph! Keep pretending! I bet your store will go bankrupt in a few months!" With that, she scurried out of the property management center with her tail between her legs.
Watching Mrs. Walsh’s miserable retreat, Wendy didn’t feel the slightest bit smug; she simply found it somewhat amusing. She withdrew her gaze and smiled at Manager Campbell. "Manager, can we rent this retail space now?"
"Of course! Absolutely!" His attitude was overwhelmingly enthusiastic. "Miss Lynch, we can sign the contract right now! Would you prefer to pay three months’ deposit and one month’s rent upfront, or pay for half a year directly?"
"Three months’ deposit and one month’s rent," Wendy replied without hesitation, taking her bank card out of her bag. "I can pay right now."
Manager Campbell’s smile grew even brighter as he immediately ordered someone to print the leasing contract.
The entire process went smoothly and efficiently. Within half an hour, the contract was signed, and the payment was settled.
Wendy walked out of the property management center, holding the brand-new set of keys and the lease agreement stamped with a red seal. The morning sun shone down on her, warm and inviting. She took a deep breath of the floral-scented air and dialed her mother, Lana Miller.
It was a bit noisy on the other end of the line, and Lana’s voice carried a hint of exhaustion. "Hello, Wendy? We just arrived at the factory and are going through the paperwork. What’s up?"
"Mom, how are your resignation procedures going?"
"Not bad. The workshop supervisor nagged us a bit, but we were firm, so there was nothing he could do. We’ll probably get it all sorted out today." Lana sighed, then perked up. "Don’t worry about us. What are your plans for today?"
Clutching the keys in her hand, Wendy couldn’t help but let the corners of her mouth curl up. "Mom, I’ve got the shop sorted."
"What?" Lana’s voice spiked. "Sorted? So fast? Didn’t you say you still had to go ask around?"
"Yeah. I just walked out of the property management office. The contract is signed, and I have the keys. It’s that prime location right at the corner of our community’s main entrance."
There were a few seconds of silence on the other end, followed immediately by the excited voice of Gordon Lynch, who had snatched the phone away. "Sweetheart! Are you serious? Did you really rent that shop?"
"It’s true, Dad. Hurry back as soon as you finish the paperwork so we can go see our new store together."
Hanging up, Wendy could easily imagine just how thrilled and incredulous her parents must be on the other side of the call.
Sure enough, less than an hour later, Gordon and Lana rushed back in a frantic hurry. The two hadn’t even had time to change out of their factory uniforms. Their faces bore the exhaustion of rushing around, yet their eyes sparkled with an unprecedented light.
"Where’s the contract? Where are the keys? Quickly, let Mom see!" Lana asked eagerly the moment she stepped through the door.
When Wendy handed them the heavy set of keys and the contract—still carrying the faint scent of ink—Lana’s hands trembled slightly. She took the document carefully, reading it word by word, while Gordon leaned in close. Both of their breathing grew a little erratic.
"You r-really rented it..." Gordon stammered, so overcome with emotion he could barely speak as he stared at his daughter’s signature and the bright red seal on the contract.
Over twenty years of working in factories had accustomed them to following orders and enduring day after day of repetitive labor. They had never imagined that one day, they too could own their very own shop and become "bosses."
"Let’s go! We’re going to see it right now!" Lana snapped the contract shut and pulled Wendy to her feet.
The family excitedly made their way to the community entrance. At the corner sat the long-vacant retail space, its glass doors still bearing the "Prime Retail Space for Rent" advertisement. Under her parents’ expectant gazes, Wendy took out the key, slid it into the lock, and gave it a gentle twist.
CLICK.
The door opened. A wave of dust and the stale scent of prolonged vacancy hit their faces. Inside, the shop was completely empty, with a thin layer of dust coating the floor and the walls looking somewhat mottled.