Chapter 132: Trouble Strikes

Wan Daping explained, "The reason that piece of land ended up in our hands was mainly due to a previous round of urban redevelopment. My family owned an old ancestral house, but the land was needed for construction. It took up too much space, so after some back-and-forth, it was swapped for the current plot. However, because it was so large, we didn't know what to do with it, so we just left it sitting there."

Zhao Fan poured him a glass of wine. "If it's just land that's been sitting there, why is it suddenly being auctioned?"

Wan Daping drained his glass, a bitter look flashing across his face. "Who wants to auction it? The land was fine just as it was, and my family was counting on using it for something in the future. I never expected Du Xinyan to suddenly come out of nowhere, applying pressure from all sides, insisting on forcing my land into an auction."

At the mention of this, a look of relief crossed Wan Daping’s eyes. "To be honest, if I hadn't accidentally met President Jiang, I would have already handed over the auction documents."

Zhao Fan’s hand paused slightly; in that case, he really owed Jiang Ying a debt of gratitude. "How did you and Jiang Ying meet?" he asked, pretending to be casual.

"At a bar. I was feeling troubled at the time, so I went to a bar to drink, and that’s how we met. President Jiang heard about my worries, introduced me to you, and told me to reach out to you myself."

"So you sought out Chen Tianyu and the others?"

Wan Daping nodded honestly. "I asked around and knew you had a good relationship with them, so I thought I could talk to you properly through friends." No matter the situation, having a friend make an introduction is always better than approaching someone directly.

Zhao Fan sighed helplessly. "You could have just come to me directly." He wasn't the type to stand on ceremony, especially since he wanted that land of Wan Daping's anyway.

Wan Daping scratched his head. "Heh, I must have overthought it. President Zhao is completely different from the others—I truly admire that."

With half the wine gone, Wan Daping slumped over, drunk. Zhao Fan picked up his chopsticks. "How’s the food?"

Shi Wenxuan’s expression was calm. "Not bad. This place has a good flavor."

"As long as it's good."

After things wrapped up, they went their separate ways. Back home, Zhao Fan splashed water on his face and looked at himself in the mirror, suddenly feeling a sense of listlessness. Business had been going too smoothly—so smoothly that he was starting to feel bored.

His thoughts turned, and he found the idea ridiculous. After all, no one ever complains about having too much money. With the company’s current trajectory, combined with his knowledge of the future, things would only get better. Still, he needed to keep pushing, lest someone manage to knock him down.

As the company's profits grew and the third and fourth Feiteng Supermarkets were nearly finished with renovations, it was time for Zhao Fan to start university. On September 1st, he went to report to Yangcheng University right on time, accompanied by his parents. Since it was local, he chose not to live on campus, so he left shortly after finishing the registration process.

His father’s face was wreathed in smiles, his eyes crinkling. "Good, this is just great."

His mother was equally delighted. "Xiao Fan, you must study hard from now on. By the time you graduate, our Zhao family will finally have a proper college graduate."

Zhao Fan nodded with a smile. "I know." He understood his parents' feelings perfectly well. He also knew that he had to study hard for these four years; only then could he make up for the regrets of his past life.

Universities at this time did not have a tradition of military training, and once Zhao Fan finished handling company matters, he quickly integrated into campus life. With a routine of attending classes and working, his life became hurried and busy.

Just as everyone thought things would only get better, news suddenly arrived: someone was causing trouble at the entrance of the first Feiteng Supermarket.

"They say it's food poisoning. They're making a huge scene and haven't stopped yet. Your father has been taken to the police station—what, what should I do?" his mother said over the phone, her voice frantic.

Zhao Fan’s eyes darkened. He told his mother to close the supermarket doors immediately. "Wait for me to get there."

Hanging up, Zhao Fan looked at the professor still lecturing in front of him, packed his books away, and slipped out through the back door. Fortunately, he had arrived early and sat in the back, so his departure went unnoticed. Once outside, he immediately called Chen Jianyu and asked him to send men to the first Feiteng Supermarket to stabilize the situation.

Driving quickly, Zhao Fan soon arrived. As he had instructed, his mother had locked the doors, but even so, a large crowd had gathered outside, all of them muttering. Zhao Fan listened for a while and realized they were all talking about the alleged food poisoning, some believing it and others skeptical. Both sides held their ground, though they hadn't come to blows yet.

Zhao Fan frowned. It was 10:00 AM, and the incident had started around 8:30 AM—the peak of foot traffic. It was no wonder so many people were gathered there. His mind raced, and he pushed through the crowd. "Excuse me, please move aside."

The crowd stirred at his movement, expressions of dissatisfaction appearing on their faces. "What are you doing? Don't you see how many people are standing here? Why are you pushing?"

"Exactly, what's the rush?"

Zhao Fan walked past them. "It's 10 o'clock already. Don't you all have to go home to cook?"

The rhetorical question startled the gathered crowd. "Oh no, my grandson is getting out of school soon, gotta go, gotta go!"

At 10:00 AM, it was time for most households to start cooking. Reminded by Zhao Fan, more than half of the onlookers left. The rest lingered for another ten minutes before also drifting away. With the doors locked, there was no point in staying.

Seeing the crowd disperse, Zhao Fan walked up to the door and knocked a few times. "It's me."

His mother heard his voice and immediately opened the door. "Xiao Fan, you're finally here."

Inside the supermarket, several people were being held on the ground. Chen Jianyu was holding a phone, which displayed Zhao Fan’s number. At the same moment, Zhao Fan’s own phone rang—it turned out Chen Jianyu had rushed over as soon as he got the call, arriving even faster than him.

"These guys weren't playing nice," Chen Jianyu said. "They blocked the entrance and were shouting at people, but unfortunately, they weren't very skilled, so we dragged them all inside."

Zhao Fan nodded and scanned the men, his gaze locking onto a young man. The youth had a buzz cut, a scar on his left cheek, and a fierce look in his eyes.

*A dangerous person.* The words flashed through Zhao Fan’s mind, which he quickly suppressed.

"I am the owner of this supermarket, Zhao Fan. What should I call you?" he asked the youth directly.

"Pah!" The youth spat on the floor. "Trash."

Zhao Fan’s expression flickered, but he quickly regained his composure. "You caused a scene and disrupted my business. I can sue you for this. Do you want to go to the police station?"

"You're the one who should be going to the police station! My grandfather ate the food sold at your store and collapsed, heading straight to the hospital. On what grounds are you suing me?"