23: Chapter 23 Partnership

Xu Ziyan—that kid's family ran an Armor Beast supply shop, and it was said that his father was one of the largest Armor Beast Materials merchants in Dongyun City.

He had money, connections, and what's more...

Most importantly, that kid admired him quite a bit.

Lin Fan immediately pulled out his phone and dialed.

"Hello? Lin Fan?"

Xu Ziyan's voice came through the receiver, sounding a bit surprised.

"What made you think of calling me?"

"Where are you?"

"At home."

"Come out, I'm treating you to a meal."

Xu Ziyan was stunned. "A meal? Right now?"

"Yes, right now. That Malatang place by the school gate."

"Alright then, I'll be there in a flash!"

The call ended.

Forty minutes later, at the Malatang shop by the school gate.

Lin Fan ordered two large bowls and sat by the window, waiting.

Xu Ziyan pushed the door open and entered.

"Lin Fan! Lin Fan!"

He flopped into a seat, his eyes sparkling.

"Why did you suddenly decide to treat me to a meal?"

Lin Fan handed him a pair of chopsticks. "We'll talk while we eat."

The two buried their heads and ate for a few mouthfuls, but Xu Ziyan couldn't help asking again.

"What is it, really? Is someone bullying you again? I'll go call some people to help you!"

Lin Fan nearly choked on the chili.

"You? Call people?"

Xu Ziyan's face turned red.

"I... although I can't fight, I can pay to hire people..."

Lin Fan waved his hand. "Alright, that's not it."

He set down his chopsticks and looked at Xu Ziyan.

"Xu Ziyan, let me ask you, what do you think of me?"

Xu Ziyan was taken aback, then thought about it seriously.

"Pretty good."

"Hmm... even though you have a sharp tongue, you're a good person. Last time Xiaoxue was sick, if it weren't for you, it would have died. Plus, you beat Su Xiaoxiao and became the class monitor; that was amazing!"

A sharp tongue?

Lin Fan looked at him, speechless.

"Then, if I had a money-making opportunity, would you want to participate?"

Xu Ziyan's eyes lit up. "Make money? What kind of opportunity?"

Lin Fan recounted what happened during the exam today.

Of course, he omitted the part about the ten thousand armor beast record, only saying that he had some talent in Cultivation and caught the attention of the President.

Xu Ziyan listened, dumbfounded.

"You... you passed the Elementary Breeder exam? And you got President Ye Wenyuan to personally write an inscription for you? And he gave you a shop?"

Lin Fan nodded.

Xu Ziyan hung his mouth open, unable to speak for a long time.

Finally, he managed to squeeze out a sentence.

"Lin Fan, are you even human?"

Lin Fan laughed. "What kind of way is that to talk?"

Xu Ziyan was so excited his face turned red.

"Two Armor Cavities, reaching level seven in a week, beating Su Xiaoxiao, becoming class monitor, passing the Elementary Breeder exam, having the President take you on as an apprentice, and getting a shop..."

He counted on his fingers.

"This has only been a week! The things you've done in this one week are more than what others do in a lifetime!"

Lin Fan waved his hand. "Alright, stop with the flattery. Let's talk business."

He looked at Xu Ziyan.

"I have the shop, the sign, and the license, but I don't have money."

Xu Ziyan blinked. "So you want to borrow money from me?"

Lin Fan shook his head.

"Not borrow, it's a partnership."

He paused.

"You provide the capital, I provide the technical expertise. We split the profits 40/60."

Xu Ziyan was stunned.

"40...60?"

Lin Fan nodded. "Yes, you get 40, I get 60. You are responsible for investing the money, and I am responsible for doing the work."

Xu Ziyan hung his mouth open, not saying a word for a long time.

Lin Fan wasn't in a hurry; he picked up his chopsticks and continued eating.

He knew Xu Ziyan would agree.

Sure enough, after a dozen seconds of silence, Xu Ziyan suddenly spoke.

"Lin Fan, are you serious?"

Lin Fan looked up. "Do I look like I'm joking?"

Xu Ziyan stared at him for several seconds.

"Alright! I'm in!"

"Good, it's settled."

Xu Ziyan was so excited he couldn't sit still, twisting around in his chair.

"Then how much should I invest? Fifty thousand? One hundred thousand? Five hundred thousand? Name a number, and I'll have my dad give it to me tomorrow!"

Lin Fan thought for a moment.

"Let's start with one hundred thousand. That should be enough for renovations and paperwork."

Xu Ziyan nodded. "Alright! One hundred thousand! I'll give it to you tomorrow!"

He suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, where is the shop? What's it called?"

Lin Fan pulled the sheet of rice paper from his pocket and unfolded it.

"Mo Fan Pavilion."

Xu Ziyan leaned in to look, his eyes widening.

"This... this was written by President Ye Wenyuan?"

Lin Fan nodded.

Xu Ziyan stared at those three characters for a long time.

Then he raised his head and looked at Lin Fan, his gaze filled with an indescribable admiration.

"Lin Fan, you are really... too awesome."

"Alright, stop with the flattery. Tomorrow, give me the money, and then we'll discuss the opening."

Xu Ziyan nodded vigorously.

"Oh, right,"

Lin Fan suddenly remembered something.

"Isn't your family's business an Armor Beast supply shop? Your dad knows a lot of people; can you help introduce a few clients?"

Xu Ziyan scratched his head.

"This... my dad is quite old-fashioned. But I can beg him to help introduce a few trusted acquaintances."

Lin Fan nodded.

"Alright, go back and ask. If we can get a few clients introduced, our shop can open right away."

The two chatted for a while longer, finished their Malatang, and went home separately.

Over the next few days, Lin Fan was so busy he barely had time to stand still.

He attended classes during the day and rushed to the Association building after school to handle the shop handover.

The storefront given by President Ye Wenyuan was on a street near the Association building.

The location was excellent, with high foot traffic, and surrounded by shops related to Armor Beasts.

The storefront wasn't large, about twenty square meters, but it had the advantage of being clean and tidy, with all utilities connected; it could open with just a little tidying up.

Lin Fan took Xu Ziyan to see it once, and Xu Ziyan agreed on the spot.

"This location is perfect! Next door are Armor Beast supply shops and an Armor Beast hospital; all the people passing by are potential clients!"

Lin Fan nodded. "Then it's settled, let's start renovations."

Both were students and didn't have time to supervise the renovation crew, so they simply found a reliable construction team to handle both labor and Materials, getting it done in a week.

Lin Fan went to check on the progress every day after school, while Xu Ziyan was responsible for supervising on the weekends.

A week later, the shop looked brand new.

Snow-white walls, wooden counters, several comfortable chairs, and the "Mo Fan Pavilion" plaque personally inscribed by President Ye Wenyuan hung on the wall.

Behind the counter were several blank notebooks for recording client information and Armor Spirit files.

In the corner was a small desk that Lin Fan had prepared for himself.

Xu Ziyan stood in the shop, looking left and right, extremely satisfied.

"Lin Fan, our shop looks so professional! It looks even better than my dad's shop!"

Lin Fan leaned against the counter and scanned the room.

It was indeed quite good.

The twenty-square-meter shop, though not large, was clean and bright, making it look reassuring.

"Alright, the renovation is done; next is the clients."

He looked at Xu Ziyan. "Any news from your dad's side?"

Xu Ziyan scratched his head.

"My dad said he's been busy lately and told me not to bother him..."

Lin Fan raised an eyebrow. "So that means no luck?"

Xu Ziyan gave a sheepish smile. "That... I'll ask again, I'll ask again."