10: Chapter 10 Family

Lily's art exhibition lasted for seven days.

On the last day of the exhibition, she sent a message to Lin Feng:

["The painting 'Maria' has been bought."]

Lin Feng looked at the message and was stunned for three seconds.

He replied with one word: ["Who?"]

Lily replied: ["Anonymous. Thirty thousand dollars."]

Lin Feng stared at "thirty thousand dollars," completely dazed.

He called her: "Who's that rich?"

Lily laughed on the other end: "I don't know either. The gallery people said it was a middle-aged man in a suit who didn't leave a name."

Lin Feng was silent for a second, then asked, "Does Maria know?"

Lily paused: "I haven't told her yet."

Lin Feng thought for a bit: "Don't tell her yet."

Lily: "Why?"

Lin Feng looked out the window and said slowly, "I'm afraid she'll cry."

---

But Maria found out anyway.

The next day, when she came to the shop, her eyes were red.

Lin Feng was squatting by the door, and when he saw her walking over, his heart skipped a beat.

Oh no.

Maria walked up to him and stood there without saying a word.

Lin Feng looked up at her: "You know?"

Maria nodded.

Lin Feng asked tentatively, "Who told you?"

Maria: "Lily."

Lin Feng cursed Lily ten thousand times in his heart.

Maria was silent for three seconds, then asked, "Do you know who bought the painting?"

Lin Feng shook his head: "No."

Maria stared at him: "Really?"

Lin Feng raised his hand to swear: "Really. If I bought it, may I choke to death on Popeyes' fried chicken as soon as I step outside."

Maria looked at him for three seconds and then believed him.

She squatted down beside him, looking across the street.

Lin Feng didn't speak, just waited.

After a long while, Maria spoke:

"I never thought someone would spend thirty thousand dollars to buy a painting of me."

Lin Feng turned his head to look at her.

Maria continued, "I used to think I was just an ordinary person. Working, getting married, having a child, the child getting sick, the child leaving—I'm just the kind of person who lives without anyone knowing and dies without anyone remembering."

She paused, her eyes reddening again.

"But that painting... the one that person bought for thirty thousand dollars... it makes me feel like maybe I'm not."

Lin Feng remained silent, waiting for her to finish.

Maria turned to look at him, her eyes red, but the corners of her mouth were curled up:

"Lin Feng, thank you."

Lin Feng was stunned for a moment: "Why thank me? I didn't buy it."

Maria shook her head: "Thank you for opening this shop. Thank you for letting me come to work that day. Thank you for—"

She paused and smiled:

"Thank you for being a psycho."

Lin Feng was silent for three seconds.

Then he said, "I'll take that as a compliment."

Maria laughed.

Nearby, the Mexican Guy poked his head out: "Boss! Someone's looking for you!"

Lin Feng stood up, patted his butt, and walked into the shop.

After a few steps, he glanced back at Maria.

She was still squatting there, looking across the street with that smile still on her face.

Lin Feng smiled too.

He suddenly felt that the thirty-thousand-dollar painting was worth it.

---

Waiting for him in the shop was someone unexpected.

David Chen, that Silicon Valley investor.

Lin Feng raised an eyebrow: "Why are you here again?"

David smiled, pulled a folder out of his bag, and handed it over.

Lin Feng didn't take it: "What's this?"

David: "I never got that phone call you told me to wait for. So, I came here."

Lin Feng looked at the folder and didn't speak.

David continued, "I know you're not short on money right now. Your shop is a hit; I can calculate how much the daily turnover is. But—"

He paused:

"You lack resources."

Lin Feng finally took the folder and opened it.

It wasn't an investment agreement.

It was a cooperation proposal.

[Joe’s Fried Chicken × SV Capital Co-branding Plan]

Lin Feng looked at the title and was stunned for a moment.

David explained, "We're not investing in you. We're collaborating with you. You provide the brand, and we provide the resources. We'll open co-branded stores, share the profits, and you'll take the lion's share."

Lin Feng stared at the proposal for three minutes.

Then he looked up and asked, "What's in it for you?"

David laughed: "We want your traffic. Your story. We want this psycho boss who can make Popeyes reply with a 'Who?'"

Lin Feng silent for three seconds.

Then he asked a question:

"If we open co-branded stores, what will the name be?"

David was taken aback: "It'll still be called Joe's Fried Chicken."

Lin Feng shook his head: "Add a few words."

David: "Add what?"

Lin Feng said seriously:

[Joe’s Fried Chicken · The Boss is More Miserable Than You · Co-branded but Not Miserable]

David stared at those words and was silent for three seconds.

Then he laughed.

"Boss Lin, I think I finally understand why you're such a hit."

---

Three days later, the co-branding plan was officially launched.

The first co-branded store opened in Silicon Valley.

Lin Feng didn't go on opening day.

He squatted at the entrance of the original Los Angeles shop, scrolling through his phone to watch the live stream.

In the video, there was a long line in front of the Silicon Valley store, and the sign had those words:

[Joe’s Fried Chicken · The Boss is More Miserable Than You · Co-branded but Not Miserable]

Comment section:

"This shop name is killing me. What the heck is 'Co-branded but Not Miserable'?"

"Boss Lin is really something else; he comes up with new stunts every time."

"Is there a Miserable King Championship in Silicon Valley too? I want to join!"

"Is Maria not at the Silicon Valley store? She's the soul of the place."

As Lin Feng was scrolling, someone suddenly squatted beside him.

He turned his head and saw it was Maria.

"Why didn't you go to Silicon Valley?" she asked.

Lin Feng blinked: "Go there for what?"

Maria: "That's your shop."

Lin Feng shook his head: "That's a co-branded store. This one is my shop."

Maria stared at him for three seconds and then smiled.

She pointed at the sign by the door: "So this shop is still 'The Boss is More Miserable Than You'?"

Lin Feng nodded: "Always."

Maria didn't say anything.

But the smile on her face was warmer than ever.

---

After closing that night, Lin Feng called everyone together.

The Mexican Guy, Maria, the Bald Strong Man, the Google Girl, the old man—and Lily, who happened to be there today.

Lin Feng stood in the middle and cleared his throat:

"There's something I want to tell you all."

Everyone looked at him.

Lin Feng paused and said:

"I plan to set aside a portion of the money earned from the co-branded stores."

The Mexican Guy was stunned: "To give to us?"

Lin Feng nodded: "Yes. Every month, everyone will get a share based on their length of service and level of misery."

The Google Girl raised her hand: "How is the misery level calculated?"

Lin Feng pointed at himself: "I'll judge it. I'm the Chief Misfortune Officer; I have the final say."

The Bald Strong Man laughed: "Then I'm definitely the most miserable."

The old man shook his head: "My wife has been gone for three years. Can you top that?"

Maria didn't speak, but the corners of her mouth were turned up.

Lily said softly, "What about me? I'm not an employee."

Lin Feng glanced at her: "Those two paintings you did are worth more than all of us. You count too."

Lily was stunned.

The Mexican Guy raised his hand: "Boss, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Lin Feng was silent for a second.

Then he said seriously:

"What I'm trying to say is—this shop doesn't belong to me alone. It's yours. Without you, there wouldn't be those stories. Without those stories, there wouldn't be that traffic. Without that traffic, there wouldn't be that money."

He paused and pointed at the sign:

"'The Boss is More Miserable Than You'? It's fake. With you all, I'm richer than anyone."

Everyone fell silent.

Then Maria was the first to speak:

"Lin Feng, do you know—"

Lin Feng looked at her.

Maria smiled, the kind that rippled out from the depths of her eyes:

"You really are a psycho."

The others laughed.

Lin Feng laughed too.

He squatted down, biting a straw, and looked at the group of people in front of him.

The Mexican Guy, Maria, the Bald Strong Man, the Google Girl, the old man, Lily—

A group of people who originally had no connection.

Now standing together, laughing like fools.

Lin Feng suddenly remembered what Maria had said in the car that day:

"This shop turned a group of people who had no connection into a family."

He looked at the scene and felt she was right.

---

His phone vibrated.

Lin Feng looked down; it was a system message.

[Ding—Congratulations to the host for triggering a hidden achievement—]

[Achievement Name: Giving a Group of People a Family Again]

[Achievement Reward: Emotional Perception Ability (Advanced)—Can perceive the emotional trajectories of everyone within a 50-meter radius, updated in real-time.]

Lin Feng stared at those words and was stunned for three seconds.

Then he laughed.

He looked up and said to the group in front of him:

"Tonight, it's my treat."

The Mexican Guy's eyes lit up: "What are we eating?"

Lin Feng thought for a moment and said:

"Popeyes."

Everyone was stunned.

Lin Feng stood up, patted his butt, and laughed like an idiot:

"Let's go squat and eat in front of their door. Let them see which fried chicken shop is truly loved."

Maria was the first to stand up: "I'm in."

The Bald Strong Man followed: "Me too."

The old man stood up slowly: "My wife isn't home anyway, so why not."

The Google Girl and Lily also stood up.

The Mexican Guy was the last to stand up, looking helpless:

"Boss, you're really something else."

Lin Feng laughed.

He pushed the door open and stepped into the Los Angeles night.

Behind him, the group followed, laughing and joking as they walked across the street.

The night breeze blew over, a bit chilly.

But Lin Feng felt his heart was burning with warmth.

[End of Chapter 10]