Wang Qiqi and Shi Man followed behind Juliana, looking around, while Juliana was exchanging pleasantries with a middle-aged man with a pronounced belly leading the way.

Shi Man surveyed the shopfront. "The location is excellent. It’s surrounded by residential complexes, and just a bit further down is an office building. I think foot traffic will be good." Access is also convenient; although it's a four-lane road, turning out leads directly onto a main thoroughfare—it’s practically a key traffic artery.

"It's not far from the subway station either, maybe fifty or sixty meters," Wang Qiqi noted. When they turned in from the main road while in the car, she had noticed the environment and spotted a subway entrance right at the intersection. Although it was still under construction, the presence of a subway meant that as Shanghai's traffic worsens, more people will opt for the metro. Having a station means customers from further afield can easily come to shop. The only downside, which Wang Qiqi was quite displeased about, was the lack of parking at the entrance. "Not every client arrives by metro or taxi."

Shi Man agreed this was a drawback. "Let's go up to the second floor to have a look." The area was sufficient, but having two floors meant the total price would be higher. Shi Man did some mental calculations of her savings, and she genuinely felt like crying.

After the two women rushed upstairs for a tour, they found it quite appealing. The ground floor could serve as the reception area and warehouse, while the upper floor could be divided into separate rooms. "Let's keep it as a backup option," Wang Qiqi decided, wanting to look at more places, yet she was quite satisfied with this first viewing. Wang Qiqi felt today might go smoothly.

Shi Man murmured an agreement. "The physical space is crucial, but so is transportation." When she went to university in Beijing, private cars weren't as common, but only a few years had passed, and car ownership had exploded. Shanghai's vehicle count had also risen. Even if private cars weren't the primary mode of transport now, they certainly would be in one, two, or five years.

Juliana saw Wang Qiqi and Shi Man coming downstairs and noticed their slight shake of the head towards her. "Uncle Zhang, are there any other properties?"

Hearing Juliana’s question, Zhang Mao, who had been planning to take them to the next location, paused. He asked why they weren't satisfied with this one. "This storefront of mine isn't my absolute best, but it ranks in my top five commercial properties. What is the reason for your dissatisfaction?" Were they put off by the size, or was the price too high? Knowing this would guide him on which shop to show them next.

"No parking," Wang Qiqi stated the reason.

Zhang Mao understood immediately. "That makes sense; for a business, no parking is a problem." He paused. "Actually, there is a parking lot nearby, but it's a bit of a walk—about ten minutes."

Ten minutes? The three women exchanged glances and decided to pass. "Uncle Zhang, ideally, we need parking nearby, with convenient access. Do you have anything similar in size to this one?" Juliana noticed that Wang Qiqi and Shi Man hadn't objected to the square footage, realizing they were happy with the area.

Parking, Zhang Mao hesitated. "To be honest, finding a shop in Shanghai close to a parking lot is rare. I do have one unit, but the area is quite large. It has three floors and spans two storefronts." This was a property Zhang Mao usually heavily promoted, but it was awkwardly sized. Those with less capital felt the space was too much to handle, even if used entirely for business operations. Wealthier buyers, however, found the area slightly too small; they would prefer a property with three storefronts over two floors, rather than two storefronts over three floors.

This space was indeed a bit large. Wang Qiqi thought if it were three storefronts over two floors, they could manage; if it felt too big later, they could always rent out one unit. Two storefronts could still be beautifully renovated. "Why don't we go see it first?" Wang Qiqi was still undecided but chose to check it out first. If it turned out to be exceptional, they could afford the extra cost. At worst, the third floor could be converted into a spa later, or used as staff accommodation initially.

"Done." Shi Man and Juliana had no objections.

The four of them started walking out. Just as Zhang Mao was about to signal his assistant to pull down the metal shutters, another group approached. "Mr. Zhang, what a coincidence! You're showing properties too?" A neatly dressed young man spotted Zhang Mao and hurried over, greeting him very politely. Zhang Mao instantly dropped the warm demeanor he had shown towards Juliana, slightly raising an eyelid. "Yes. Why are you showing clients today?"

"Yes, yes." The newcomer didn't seem offended by Zhang Mao's overtly dismissive tone. "Mr. Zhang, since your friends are also looking, how about I bring my clients back in a few days?" Although this might mean losing a commission, he couldn't do otherwise. If Mr. Zhang’s friends ended up wanting this specific property, he would be the one in trouble.

"Fine." Zhang Mao didn't waste time with pleasantries. He had glanced over and seen two young women, both unfamiliar faces, indicating they likely had no significant background. In such cases, Zhang Mao didn't care much.

Zhang Mao paused before adding, "Juliana and her friends won't be staying long; they'll give us an answer by tomorrow at the latest. You postpone for a couple of days."

"Yes, yes," the other agent immediately agreed. Even if offending a potential client meant risking a complaint, so what? Even if they complained to his manager, his manager wouldn't dare offend Mr. Zhang, let alone a minor agent like himself.

Shi Hongrui and Gong Yiying, trailing behind, heard the exchange and flushed red. They hadn't expected to run into Wang Qiqi and her group while house-hunting today. Even seeing them might have been manageable, but for the real estate agent to suggest returning in a few days was different. Shi Hongrui and Gong Yiying knew that anyone associated with Mr. Zhang had a certain standing. If Wang Qiqi hadn't been present, they might have simply stepped aside. They planned to open a business in Shanghai, and antagonizing someone influential over a minor issue could lead to considerable trouble down the road. However, Wang Qiqi’s presence made things worse, especially because Shi Hongrui and Gong Yiying couldn't shake the feeling that Wang Qiqi’s gaze was one of ridicule.

The Gong Yiying of the past would have immediately confronted them. But after years of honing her character abroad, she was no longer so naive. She used to feel jealous of Wang Qiqi and her friends, thinking they were on the same level. In the past few years, she had come to realize the significant gap between herself and Qiqi. Yet, meeting them again today only served to re-establish just how vast that disparity was.

Shi Hongrui endured it for a while, but finding Gong Yiying silent, she couldn't hold back any longer. "Qiqi, Manman, what a coincidence."

Wang Qiqi and the others had already seen Gong Yiying and Shi Hongrui. They certainly weren't going to initiate conversation. It was obvious the other pair was there to view this specific shop. If it hadn't been Gong Yiying, Wang Qiqi might have considered letting them view the place; after all, such a large financial commitment wasn't decided on the spot. But now, they decided to stall Gong Yiying and her companion. While it wouldn't take up too much of their time, it would certainly annoy the pair, and seeing the look of utter dismay on their faces upon seeing them felt immensely satisfying to Qiqi and her friends.

Shi Man quietly whispered to Wang Qiqi, feeling she was finally getting some revenge. "Is this karma? They snatched the brand we wanted before, and now they want to snatch a property—and it won't be easy. But do they even have the money? This isn't a small sum." Shi Man estimated this shop would cost at least a million Yuan, possibly even at a friendly price. She doubted Gong Yiying could afford that, considering the man Gong Yiying had been involved with wasn't wealthy, and she wouldn't have received much alimony even after a divorce.

"Maybe they have their ways," Wang Qiqi thought. There were plenty of ways for a woman to acquire money, and quickly too—it just depended on what one was willing to do.

Shi Man understood and decided to continue following Juliana to view other properties. Unexpectedly, Shi Hongrui called out to her. "It is quite a coincidence. Are you looking to start a business?"

"Yes, planning a small venture," Shi Hongrui replied. Although she desperately wanted to mention they were opening a beauty business, she held back. What if Shi Man and the others found out her plans and tried to sabotage her efforts secretly?

"A small venture?" Shi Man turned to look at the storefront, a mocking smile playing on her lips. "A shop this large is for a small venture? Perhaps you should look for a few square meters in one of those small commodity markets; I think that would suit you better. It seems your talent for bragging has improved in just a few days."

The agent hadn't expected Mr. Zhang's friends to know his own clients. However, their relationship seemed poor. He began to reconsider whether to continue managing this deal, especially since the friend was openly mocking the two women for lacking funds—this was a major red flag. If they didn't have money, why waste his time under the blazing sun looking at one property after another? He felt like he was being treated like a monkey. Thinking this, resentment brewed towards Shi Hongrui and Gong Yiying.

Shi Hongrui hadn't expected her attempt at civility to be met with Shi Man's relentless pressure. Setting that aside, Shi Man’s remark was truly cutting. "For us, buying this storefront is a small business. A big business would involve taking several units."

"Then I wish your small business great prosperity," Wang Qiqi said with a sweet smile, congratulating Shi Hongrui. Let her brag all she wants. "I only hope you can pay the full amount when the time comes."

After saying this, Wang Qiqi grabbed Shi Man’s arm and walked away. "We are going to look at the next one, then we'll decide which one to buy."

Wang Qiqi stepped aside slightly. "You two are opening a beauty salon, aren't you? I hope you're still smiling then." Hmph, 'small business.' If they weren't feeling guilty, why would they act this way? It seemed Shi Hongrui had been watching Wang Qiqi for quite some time. Wang Qiqi thought how fortunate it was that she hadn't interacted with her much; otherwise, she wouldn't know what kind of person she was—a classic beautiful viper.

Shi Hongrui and Gong Yiying were stunned, looking at each other. They wondered if the other had leaked their secret. Although they knew Qiqi and her group would eventually find out, they hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to discover it so soon. Despite their current superficial cordiality, both women were the type to betray a friend for personal gain, and consequently, their paranoia ran deep.