Chapter 347: Chapter 354: Being Blocked by Someone
As a brother who dotes on his sister, Su Hengyi naturally shared Su Wenyue’s urgency. Seeing her worried, he did not delay and immediately sent people to inquire. With his extensive connections in the business world, he quickly learned about a few suitable locations, provided her with the details and conditions of each, and let Su Wenyue decide for herself.

“I think both locations are quite good, each with its advantages. One has a large flow of people and is in a bustling part of the main street; however, the space is a bit small. As for the other one, it’s plenty big but a bit off the beaten path—not a significant drawback though,” Su Hengyi explained the pros and cons of each location to Su Wenyue, mentioning that the search had been somewhat rushed, or else he would have surely found better options.

“Alright, let’s go take a look now, and if it’s suitable, we’ll make a decision,” said Su Wenyue, who was also impatient. Hearing what Su Hengyi had said, she couldn’t wait another moment; time was indeed pressing.

Su Hengyi, who was ordinarily very busy, set aside his other affairs to accompany his younger sister to both locations. After examining each one, Su Wenyue was not too satisfied with either but ultimately chose the larger place. The size was favorable, the price was right, and being a bit out of the way wasn’t a problem. After all, “Once our reputation is established, we won’t worry about attracting customers.”

“Big brother, let’s settle on this place. Let’s sign the contract now so we can hire workers soon. This place will need renovations inside and out, which will take quite some time,” she said.

“If you like it, that’s good. I’ll take care of arranging for the workers,” he replied.

When Su Hengyi saw that Su Wenyue had made up her mind, he called for the owner of the shop. Unexpectedly, the shop owner changed his mind and refused to sell.

Su Hengyi’s expression darkened. During his many years dominating the mall, it was rare for someone to renege on a deal right in front of him, especially since he was doing this for his sister, making his face particularly unsightly. His sharp gaze bore into the shop owner, the threat clear: unless the shop owner provided a satisfactory explanation, Su Hengyi would not let the matter rest. Given his influence in the business world, dealing with such a person would be easy.

The shop owner wiped sweat from his brow and explained under pressure, “Young Master Su, please forgive me. I had no intention of playing games with you. Before this, someone had already come with a deposit to buy the store, and it was someone from the government who intervened. I already explained that this store was eyed by you, but that person wouldn’t concede at all and insisted I sell the store to him, threatening to imprison my entire family if I refused. I’m just an ordinary commoner and truly couldn’t provoke them.”

The shop owner was also feeling bitter. As commoners, they could not afford to offend either party. The store had been on the market for so long without interest, and suddenly it had caught the attention of two buyers, causing this issue. Besides offering his apologies, what more could he do?!

After hearing the shop owner’s explanation, Su Hengyi, despite finding the reason somewhat justifiable, still looked displeased, unsure of the circumstances that had led the government to intervene and hoping it was a coincidence rather than intentional.

Su Wenyue also hoped it was just a fluke, but with the store already sold and the deposit paid, it was clear they had been unlucky and late. There was no need to trouble the shop owner. These days, government officials were becoming increasingly unchecked and oppressive, and the shop owner’s actions were normal. After all, they were not bound to purchase that particular store.

“Big brother, since that store is already sold, let’s let it go. There’s still the other one. I’ll buy that one. Although it’s smaller, it’s well-located. I had only thought it a bit too expensive before, but now it seems I have more of a ‘connection’ with that other place,” she said.

Su Hengyi, hiding his complex feelings, laughed a bit at Su Wenyue’s way of putting things: “You have an odd way of talking about ‘connection.’ Well, if that’s the case, let’s go purchase that place.”

Although Su Hengyi said this, his tone carried some uncertainty. Years of experience in business had honed his sharp intuition, and he could sense something fishy about this situation.

Indeed, upon reaching the other location and expressing the intent to buy the shop, the owner gave the same excuse as the first: the government had forced them to sell to them first.

Even Su Wenyue felt something was amiss. How could it be such a coincidence that right when she wanted to buy a store, someone else had already purchased it, beating her by just a slim margin, as if targeting her deliberately.

By that point, Su Hengyi’s expression had turned entirely stern, his glare threatening the shop owner: “Tell me exactly who bought the store. If you don’t, don’t blame me for being unpleasant. I may not have the power to arrest you like the officials, but I can definitely make your life and your family’s life more miserable than prison. Don’t try my patience.”

Su Hengyi’s threat was no bluff; he would follow through if the shop owner did not comply.

Piecing together the details from the shop owner and other information, all signs pointed to the Sun Family. Su Wenyue was not surprised. The Sun Family had a grudge against her family, and while previously restrained by the Marquis Beian Mansion, they had found a stronger backer and were expected to cause trouble. Yet, the means they employed were despicable—using such sneaky tactics behind someone’s back was utterly disdainful.

“Big brother, let’s go back. The Sun Family has a quarrel with me and must have learned I wanted to buy a store, deliberately opposing me. We won’t stoop to their level,” Su Wenyue, knowing her brother wouldn’t want her to be wronged, expressed a willingness to step back. The Sun Family had recently aligned with the influential Prime Minister Wang and confronting them head-on was unwise. Better to dodge their sharp edges for now and see how long they could last.

Su Hengyi was a man of reason. He understood the dynamics within the Imperial Court well enough. If his sister could see the rationale, he certainly grasped the implications. Despite his annoyance and disdain for the Sun Family’s lackey tactics, he did not act rashly. Teaching the Sun Family a lesson would have to be done covertly, not openly, to avoid trouble for the Su Family. Without the intellect and restraint to manage that, one would be unfit to be the Su Family’s successor.

However, just as Su Wenyue intended to withdraw, someone deliberately made that impossible. As soon as she exited the store, she was stopped by none other than Madam Sun and her daughter, who stood there looking smug and triumphant, as proud and showy as peacocks.

“Oh, if it isn’t Madam Han. What’s this, looking to buy a store? That’s really unfortunate; you’re a step too late. We’ve just purchased this store. They’re both such lovely locations that even without conducting business, owning them would still be nice,” she said.