After returning to the capital to farm, the abandoned concubine made a comeback.

Lin Qin stood at the shop entrance, watching the endless stream of customers, her smile almost reaching her ears.

The pre-sale activities for Singles' Day are in full swing, and these ancient leeks—no, I mean customers—are so easy to fleece!

"Host, congratulations on your fortune! Congratulations on your fortune!" The little system announced the ever-increasing sales figures in a childlike voice, making Lin Qin's heart flutter with joy.

But this joy didn't last long before the little system's voice changed.

"Host, high-energy warning ahead! Your business partner, Eunuch Zheng, is suspected of betraying you!" Lin Qin's smile vanished instantly, and her fingers gripping the ledger tightened involuntarily.

Eunuch Zheng?

He's the head manager in charge of her supply chain!

Sure enough, not long after, a strange change occurred.

Several shop owners who had partnered with her suddenly announced the termination of their cooperation. Not only that, they also took away many customers, and the once bustling street instantly became deserted, with hardly any customers in front of Lin Qin's shop.

Lin Qin's alarm bells rang, and she immediately sent someone to gather information.

As expected, Eunuch Zheng secretly colluded with her competitors, not only cutting off her supply of goods but also maliciously spreading rumors and defaming her shop.

"You damned Eunuch Zheng! I've treated you well, yet you dare to betray me!" Lin Qin stomped her feet in anger. This was an ancient version of "mutual exploitation between business partners"!

She took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

Now is not the time to be angry; we need to quickly find a way to solve the problem.

Just then, the little system's voice rang out again: "Host, don't panic! I've located Eunuch Zheng and found evidence of his betrayal!" Lin Qin's eyes lit up; it seemed there was still a chance!

"Where?"

"The Imperial Palace."

Lin Qin: ...

Palace?

That's a den of dragons and tigers!

It seems this business war is about to escalate...

She said, "Eunuch Zheng, we'll see!"

Lin Qin entered the palace and discovered that she had been invited by the emperor to a royal banquet.

This is really hard to find, and it takes no effort at all!

At the banquet, Lin Qin cleverly presented the Emperor with evidence of Eunuch Zheng's crimes.

The emperor was furious and immediately ordered a thorough investigation into the matter.

Eunuch Zheng never expected that Lin Qin would trick him. He was so frightened that he wet himself and knelt down to beg for mercy.

"Host, well done! Eunuch Zheng is doomed now!" the little system excitedly announced.

Lin Qin smiled slightly. This was only the first step; she still needed to find new sources of goods and partners.

Amidst the clinking of glasses, Lin Qin noticed that a dashing young master named Sima was frequently raising his glass to her.

The Sima family has been in business for generations and possesses abundant resources, making them the ideal partner for Lin Qin.

Lin Qin chatted with Sima Gongzi in a natural and generous manner. The two had a pleasant conversation and quickly reached a cooperation agreement.

Having resolved the supply issue, Lin Qin immediately contacted several other merchants and re-established cooperative relationships.

She also launched more attractive promotional activities, which attracted even more customers.

The merchants who had betrayed Lin Qin were all dumbfounded when they saw how quickly she had turned the tide.

They thought Lin Qin would be devastated, but they never expected her to be so strong!

"Is this woman cheating?" someone couldn't help but exclaim.

"Host, you're a business genius! This move was absolutely brilliant!" The little system exclaimed excitedly, almost incoherently.

Lin Qin smiled calmly, "Basic procedure, don't be silly."

In the crowd, Zhu Ling watched Lin Qin handle the business crisis with ease, her eyes filled with admiration and affection.

He quietly used his wealth to help Lin Qin stabilize her business situation.

Lin Qin felt a surge of warmth in her heart as she felt Zhu Ling's support.

After the banquet, Lin Qin felt dizzy and weak.

Zhu Ling asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you tired?" Lin Qin forced a smile, "It's nothing, I was probably just too busy today..." Before she could finish speaking, Lin Qin's vision went black, and she swayed as if she were about to collapse...

Zhu Ling reacted quickly and caught her, "Lin Qin!"

Lin Qin forced herself to return to the shop despite her exhaustion. The shop assistants were all busy, but they all looked tense, afraid that something else might go wrong.

Lin Qin sighed inwardly as she looked at their cautious manner; these children were clearly terrified.

"Shopkeeper, please go and rest. We'll take care of things here!" a waiter advised cautiously.

"It's okay, I can manage." Lin Qin waved her hand, walked to the counter, picked up the ledger, and forced herself to cheer up.

She knew that now was not the time to give up; she had to stabilize the situation and reassure everyone.

Just then, several familiar figures appeared at the shop entrance; they were the merchants who had betrayed her before.

They lowered their heads, looking deeply ashamed.

"Manager Lin, we...we were wrong. We shouldn't have listened to your slander and betrayed you!" one of the merchants said first, his voice choked with sobs.

Lin Qin put down the ledger, walked up to them, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

"Gentlemen, I understand your situation at the time; after all, nobody wants to offend the powerful and influential. But..."

These words caused an uproar, and even the shop assistants were dumbfounded. Boss, what are you trying to do?

Are you going to be sold out and then have to count the money for the seller?

"Manager Lin, you...you don't blame us?" a merchant asked cautiously, as if afraid that Lin Qin would change her mind.

"Blame you? Why should I blame you?" Lin Qin raised an eyebrow, her tone relaxed. "Business is all about competition and progress. Consider this your tuition. As long as you don't make the same mistake again, we can still be good friends and partners."

"Manager Lin, you have the heart of a bodhisattva!" A merchant was so moved that his eyes welled up with tears.

"Yes, Manager Lin, you are my second parents. I'll sell my life to you from now on!" Another merchant even knelt down dramatically.

Lin Qin felt a little embarrassed by their praise and quickly told them to get up.

This scene left those around them utterly astonished.

This Manager Lin is amazing!

She can repay evil with kindness even when others betray her; she's truly a breath of fresh air in the business world!

The painter Fang, standing in the crowd, meticulously recorded this scene stroke by stroke.

He discovered that this Manager Lin not only had a brilliant business mind, but also possessed a broad mind.

He suddenly realized that the Empress's decision to make things difficult for Lin Qin might have been a mistake.

However, just as everyone was shocked by Lin Qin's actions, a voice broke the harmonious atmosphere.

"Wow, Manager Lin, what a spirit you have!"

A slightly sarcastic voice came from outside the crowd.

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a noble young man dressed in fine clothes looking at Lin Qin with a playful expression.

Lin Qin looked closely and realized it was Young Master Sima.

She wondered, why is this guy here again?

Is this not the end of the story?

Young Master Sima, fanning himself with a folding fan, strolled up to Lin Qin, a playful smile playing on his lips.

"Manager Lin, I heard your business has been doing well lately? Congratulations!"

Lin Qin replied with a forced smile, "Thanks to Young Master Sima, my shop is barely making ends meet."

"Oh? Is that so? I heard that Manager Lin has been making a fortune lately?" Young Master Sima gave Lin Qin a meaningful look. "Could it be that you have some secret weapon?"

"A secret weapon?" Lin Qin feigned surprise. "Young Master Sima is joking. My shop has no secret weapon. It's just honest business practices and fair dealings with everyone, young and old."

"Is that so? Then could Manager Lin reveal how he managed to turn the tide and bring the situation back to life in such a short time?" Young Master Sima pressed on.

Lin Qin sneered inwardly. This young master Sima was indeed up to no good; it seemed he wanted to extract her business secrets.

She rolled her eyes and figured it out.

"Young Master Sima, if you really want to know, why don't we find a place to have a proper chat?"

Upon hearing this, Young Master Sima immediately became interested. "Alright, Manager Lin, please!"

The two arrived at a teahouse, where Lin Qin ordered a pot of fine Longjing tea and slowly savored it.

“Young Master Sima, actually my secret weapon is very simple, that is…” She paused deliberately, whetting Young Master Sima’s appetite.

"What is it?" Young Master Sima asked impatiently.

"That is..." Lin Qin smiled mysteriously, "...a secret that cannot be revealed!"

Young Master Sima was dumbfounded; he never expected Lin Qin to play him.

"Manager Lin, are you playing me?"

"Young Master Sima, I'm not playing a trick on you. I just don't want to tell you my business secrets." Lin Qin said innocently. "After all, the business world is like a battlefield. You can only win if you know yourself and your enemy."

Young Master Sima was so angry he gritted his teeth, but there was nothing he could do.

He had hoped to extract some useful information from Lin Qin, but instead, she tricked him.

Lin Qin secretly rejoiced at Sima Gongzi's discomfiture.

She knew that Young Master Sima would not let this go, but she was not afraid of him.

She would meet force with force and water with earth; she refused to believe that she couldn't defeat this young master Sima!

A few days later, Lin Qin's shop business became more and more prosperous, as if the previous crisis had never happened.

She stood at the shop entrance, watching the endless stream of customers, her heart filled with pride.

She not only successfully resolved the business crisis, but also took her shop to the next level.

In the palace, the emperor and empress also heard about Lin Qin's deeds and praised her perseverance.

In no time, Lin Qin's name spread throughout the palace and beyond, and she became an object of admiration for everyone.

However, just as Lin Qin was feeling triumphant, she vaguely sensed that a mysterious force was manipulating everything behind the scenes.

Within the palace, a new conspiracy seems to be brewing in the shadows...

In the stillness of the night, Lin Qin sat alone in her study, flipping through the account books.

Suddenly, she noticed a discrepancy in the ledger.

"This..." Lin Qin murmured to herself, "Where did this money... come from?"