I returned to my hometown after winning the koi lottery.

The three rooms on the ground floor of the department store near the east gate suddenly began to be renovated.

The rumbling sound of machines smashing down the wall foreshadowed the rebirth of this area. Several leaders of decoration companies were gathered in the shopping mall, pointing and gesturing at the blueprints.

Soon, the demolition work was completed!

Truckloads of renovation materials were brought in, and a large number of workers began to arrive. The sounds of electric saws and carpenters sawing wood mixed together, echoing throughout the area.

Locals passing by were all pointing and wondering what kind of business was going to open here. Some even came over to ask if it was going to be a restaurant. The decor looked retro and had a bit of an antique feel, mostly done by carpenters.

The department store's floors are of a good height, generally six meters high, and the front half of the high-ceiling space is equipped with many large palace-style chandeliers.

The back half was built with a frame twice, because the height of the space is sufficient, so it can basically be built into two floors.

The wooden pillars along the walls are all designed for aesthetics, and the design is very logical. Some of the decorations for the shop have already arrived, and they were basically put together by everyone! There's a large light bulb by the door. There are always workers working overtime, and sometimes they don't go back to the dorms when it's late, so they just keep working until midnight and then find a corner to rest!

The construction period was almost over in the next two days, and a huge advertising banner appeared at the gate, blocking the store.

There were only four big words on it: Wait seven more days!

Passersby were inevitably curious and wanted to stop and take a look. What was this store for? What did the banner mean? What was the "seven days" sign? What would be the fun stuff after seven days?

Curious onlookers took the initiative to go in and take a look, and some speculated whether it was a restaurant! Would there be a discount after seven days? The decorator didn't know and didn't answer these questions!

Everyone's curiosity grew even more intense! What kind of store was it? Would there be anything fun happening in seven days? Soon, word spread throughout the town.

People kept coming to check in, check on the progress of the renovation, and give their opinions on the style. As time went by, the overall effect of the store renovation gradually emerged. The general outline and prototype could be seen, which should be a store.

The intense hydropower project has been proceeding in an orderly manner.

It was almost time to finish the work. As there were too many visitors, the construction progress had been affected for the decoration company. So the decoration company set up scaffolding to block the visitors and started to prevent them from visiting casually!

You know what? Curiosity kills the cat. The more you keep people from coming, the more they come. Seeing the workers at the construction site busy as hell, it's okay if someone deliberately breaks in during the day! Even at night, there are people who pretend not to see the "Construction Area, Do Not Enter" sign and walk right in, just to find out what this shop is doing!

The banner went from seven days to six, then five. Within just a few days, thousands of visitors flocked to the site. By the final two or three days, the renovation company had no choice but to lock up completely, working around the clock. Hoping for a quick completion, and praying that everyone would not disturb the workers—that was their biggest wish!

Insiders at the department store gradually revealed that these stores had been acquired. Following the decline of the general merchandise, alcohol, and food sector, these stores had been rented out to various operators. Due to the large space and high rents, many of these operators failed to hold on, closing down within a year or two.

Department store managers are also worried. While the rent is reasonable, every time a store closes, there's a vacancy period, sometimes lasting one or two months, sometimes as long as six months. Without tenants, the space sits idle, and on average, the property isn't very profitable.

Someone from the bank came over to discuss a purchase. Deciding to take a quick, easy loss, the CEOs gritted their teeth and sold the property for a relatively low price. There was no other way. Those with more money wouldn't be interested in such a shop; the payback period was too long, making it uneconomical. Investors with less money couldn't afford it, as prices in the city center and on the commercial streets weren't much cheaper.

The large bank and the department store are close business partners, so once the bank stepped in, the department store boss held a meeting to discuss the matter and unanimously approved the sale!

That's the thing, when you have the background, some things will go very smoothly!