CHAPTER 10: Persona Collapse: 10%

◎ The gap between people ◎

Ji Jingxiu was stunned on the spot, frozen in place. Only the system in Qin Yangyang’s mind was beeping nonstop, continuously announcing persona collapse updates.

[Detected: Ji Jingxiu’s persona is collapsing!]

[Detected: Ji Jingxiu’s persona is collapsing!]

He kept his eyes fixed on Qin Yangyang. The shock in his dark gaze gradually settled into calm.

“Smooth talker.”

The domineering CEO left behind a four-character judgment before turning and heading upstairs with the potato blossom in one hand.

Just as he turned around, through the dazzling crystal chandelier behind him, Qin Yangyang suddenly noticed the tips of his ears seemed a little red. But he walked away so quickly that before she could get a good look, he had already disappeared onto the second floor.

—

The next morning, when Qin Yangyang came downstairs, Ji Jingxiu had already left for the office.

Half an hour earlier than usual.

She hadn’t earned any breakfast money and was a little disappointed. After quickly finishing her bowl of porridge, she rushed over to Siyen Supermarket.

When she arrived, the store had just opened, and there was already a long line outside. It was even more packed and lively than she had imagined.

The customers who shopped there yesterday had gone home and turned into enthusiastic promoters—some recommending it to friends and family, others posting about it online. As a result, even more people had shown up today!

Fortunately, Qin Yangyang and the staff had worked overnight to prepare. Not only had they increased the stock, but they had also brought in extra employees from other branches to help. So far, they were managing perfectly.

The transferred employees were shocked by the sight before them.

They were all new hires, and when they joined Siyen, the supermarket had already been on a decline. This was their first time seeing so many customers. They stood frozen for a few seconds before the regular staff dragged them into action.

Qin Yangyang originally wanted to help out too, but she didn’t know the first thing about supermarket operations. Seeing that the staff could handle it, she turned her attention to the store’s interior—her area of expertise.

Currently, Siyen Supermarket was going with a forest theme: fresh, natural, and refreshing.

But if it stayed the same for too long, people would get tired of it.

She planned to change up the theme regularly to keep things feeling new for customers.

In the following days, Siyen Supermarket’s sales kept climbing, breaking new records one after another.

Affordable, high-quality goods and top-tier customer service had firmly won the hearts of every shopper. Word of mouth spread quickly, and people began flocking in from all directions.

After handing off the cat food testing to his daughter, Qin Heping hadn’t interfered with the supermarket again.

He had been busy meeting clients, trying to sell off the store.

That supermarket had been his first business venture, full of sentimental value. But in recent years, the plummeting sales left him no choice—he had to sell it off and cut his losses while he still could.

For a whole week, he’d been running around nonstop, meeting one potential buyer after another.

When the buyers saw photos of Siyen Supermarket, they didn’t hold back and kept offering the lowest possible prices, leaving Qin Heping stressed and frustrated.

He finally found a genuinely interested buyer and immediately took them for an on-site visit.

On the way there, he kept hyping up the place, trying to drive up the price.

“Siyen Supermarket may have been struggling in recent years, but the location is great—lots of foot traffic with the surrounding residential areas.”

“We have four branches in the province. This one is the very first. If I wasn’t in a tight spot, I wouldn’t dream of selling it.”

He kept talking while getting out of the car with the buyer, trying to manage expectations.

“It’s still early, so the store might look a bit empty.”

With that, they quickly walked toward the entrance, ready for a deserted store.

But the moment they stepped inside, both of them were stunned.

The once-empty supermarket was now buzzing with activity. The place was packed with customers coming and going, and even the store’s décor had undergone a dramatic transformation.

Qin Heping’s eyes widened. He stood there for several seconds before snapping out of it.

Was this really his Siyen Supermarket?

How did everything change so drastically in just one week?

Shocked and confused, he hurried over to a familiar employee to ask what was going on.

“What… what happened here?”

The employee was busy stocking shelves. When he saw Qin Heping, he greeted him happily:

“Boss Qin! You’re back! This is all thanks to Miss Qin!”

“She redesigned the store’s layout, reorganized the product displays, and just a few days ago, Life Dash came to film here. Once it aired on TV, our supermarket exploded in popularity! These customers have been showing up non-stop for days!”

“Didn’t you send her here to help?”

Qin Heping was stunned.

He had asked Qin Yangyang to help at the store… but just to test cat food!

At the time, he and his daughter had just started getting along again. When he heard she wanted something to do, he casually arranged a task for her, never expecting this kind of surprise.

The supermarket he had racked his brains over for years and failed to revive—Qin Yangyang had turned it around in just a few days?!

Looking around at the packed store, Qin Heping still couldn’t quite believe it.

Even during its peak years, Siyen Supermarket had never seen such a crowd.

And this was all Qin Yangyang’s doing?

At that thought, the doting father couldn’t help but grin.

My daughter’s amazing!

Just then, the buyer beside him had been eyeing the scene for a while. Suddenly, he grabbed Qin Heping and exclaimed:

“Boss Qin, forget the old price—add five hundred thousand, I’m buying this store!”

Just earlier on the way here, he had been hesitant and haggling. But after seeing the bustling business firsthand, he wasn’t just done bargaining—he increased the offer by half a million, determined to snatch the store up!

Such a great location—if they bought the shop, they’d definitely make their money back within two years!

Of course Qin Heping could tell what the other man was thinking and immediately backed out of the deal.

“No way! I don’t want to sell the supermarket anymore!”

They hadn’t managed to reach an agreement on the way over anyway.

Now that the supermarket business was booming, he’d have to be crazy to sell the place.

The buyer’s eyes widened. He wasn’t willing to give up on such a golden opportunity and grumbled unhappily, “Weren’t you the one begging me to buy it before?”

“That was then. This is now.”

The buyer looked around at the steady stream of customers, gritted his teeth, and held up one finger. “I’ll add another million!”

Qin Heping still shook his head.

“Not selling! No matter what, I’m not selling!”

Seeing that the man was unwavering, the buyer suddenly let out a cold chuckle and said coolly, “Boss Qin, don’t regret this. Your supermarket might be booming now, but what about later? How long can this really last? Don’t forget how Siyen Supermarket declined bit by bit.”

That remark struck straight at Qin Heping’s heart.

Siyen Supermarket held great significance for him. Over the years, he’d watched it gradually go downhill and eventually be forced to shut down. The pain was something he felt more deeply than anyone else.

Faced with the buyer’s words, Qin Heping opened his mouth several times, but couldn’t get out a single rebuttal.

At that moment, a clear and bright voice came from behind them.

“It should be able to keep going, actually.”

Qin Yangyang had been gathering customer feedback to help design a new interior style. When she noticed the tense atmosphere as Qin Heping talked with someone, she came over—just in time to hear what the buyer had said.

She gave the man a once-over and quickly guessed his identity.

She smiled calmly and spoke with poise.

“Sorry, sir. We’re not selling Siyen Supermarket anymore. I’m confident we can keep the business thriving. And even if problems do arise, if I can save it once, I can save it again.”

Hearing his daughter say this made Qin Heping’s chest swell with emotion, his heart instantly filled with confidence.

He raised his head high with pride.

“See that? This is my daughter, Qin Yangyang. She’s the one who designed this supermarket. These customers? She brought them in. If she says the business will keep booming, then it definitely will!”

The buyer knew then and there that he’d missed his chance and had no hope of buying the store anymore. In the end, he left in disappointment.

Qin Heping’s face had remained stern and imposing the whole time, but the moment the man left, he broke character, now openly shocked as he took in the supermarket’s transformation.

As he looked around, he kept clicking his tongue in awe.

“Yangyang, how did you manage this? I never knew you could design like this!”

He’d always pampered Qin Yangyang growing up—she couldn’t lift a thing and didn’t know how to cook or clean. Her days had been filled with food, fun, and leisure. Designing?

He’d never even heard her mention it.

But now, the supermarket had truly undergone a complete makeover.

Qin Yangyang smiled and said, “Dad, I’ve been by your side since I was little. I picked things up naturally just from being around you. And while you were away these past few days, I crammed in a bunch of extra knowledge too. I don’t want this supermarket to shut down.”

To both Qin Heping and Qin Yangyang, this supermarket wasn’t just their first branch—it meant far more than that.

Siyen. Siyen.

Qin Yangyang’s late mother was named Cui Yan.

If they weren’t pushed to the brink, who would willingly sell it?

Qin Heping hadn’t expected his daughter to grow up and become so thoughtful, even doing so much behind the scenes for his sake. He suddenly found his eyes growing moist.

“If your mom could see you like this, she’d be so proud.”

Qin Yangyang wasn’t used to emotional moments like this, so after comforting him with a couple of words, she quickly shifted gears and began introducing the current status of the supermarket.

Siyen Supermarket had completely transformed.

Qin Heping wiped away his tears and was quickly left speechless by what he saw. Even though this was his own turf, he now felt more like Granny Liu visiting the Grand View Garden.

He always spoke bluntly and didn’t hold back when it came to praising his daughter.

“You designed this poster? It looks amazing!”

“And the whole store’s style—you came up with that too?”

“My daughter is seriously amazing!”

Looking at the bustling scene in Siyen Supermarket, his heart surged with pride.

Over the years, the various branches of Siyen Supermarket had all been struggling.

With the times changing, the brand was on the verge of becoming obsolete.

His original plan was to sell this location for a good price, then gradually offload the rest of the branches and move on to a different business.

But he never expected his daughter would bring new hope.

Qin Heping took a deep breath, his heart reigniting with confidence.

“I think… if Siyen Supermarket can succeed here, then maybe the other branches have a shot too?”

Qin Yangyang smiled, her foxy eyes especially enchanting.

“Dad, I was just about to discuss that with you.”

This renovation had been a test run. Now that it had worked so well, it proved the redesign was a success.

Qin Heping had been worried at first, but hearing her say that instantly put his mind at ease.

“Great! I’ll have the employees from the other branches come here to learn right away!”

He meant it—once he said he’d do something, he’d get started immediately.

Qin Yangyang pulled a few sketches from her folder. “Perfect timing—I’ve come up with a few more designs. Each branch can have its own unique style.”

——

Qin Yangyang’s renovations were based entirely on each supermarket’s specific conditions. There was no need to tear down walls—she achieved the visual transformation using only soft décor and layout changes.

As long as the designs were finalized, a small team could finish each job within a day.

Very quickly, the other branches were also renovated one by one.

Qin Yangyang even made a promotional video showcasing all the revamped supermarkets and posted it on the Fenghe account.

Ever since she’d shared her lotus-leaf frog design, the account had gained a lot of new followers.

Half a month had passed when the account suddenly came back to life with a post:

[These are the supermarkets I recently helped design—four locations in total. Addresses: …]

Everyone was shocked when they clicked on the video.

[Isn’t this the viral Siyuan Supermarket from a few days ago? You were the designer?!]

[Whoa! No wonder I felt a strange sense of familiarity the moment I walked in! Turns out the mascot I loved and the supermarket were designed by the same person!]

[There are branches? And one’s only 500 meters from my house?! What have I been missing?!]

[Wow! I love the new styles too!]

[Sis really designs right from the bottom of my heart!]

These past few days, Siyuan Supermarket had been unusually popular. But because Linhai City was so large, many people complained that the store was too far from their homes.

Running so far just to buy groceries didn’t seem worth it—but then they’d think of the great service, fair prices, and the one-of-a-kind interior design… and they’d start hesitating again, tempted.

Qin Yangyang’s Weibo post came at the perfect time to solve this urgent dilemma.

Siyuan Supermarket had four branches in total, perfectly covering all areas of Linhai City.

And each store had its own unique style, distinctive and full of character—making people want to visit every single one.

The day after the post went up, Qin Yangyang didn’t visit any of the stores herself, but she kept getting updates: business at the other Siyuan Supermarket branches had also started picking up.

Word of mouth spread fast—from ten to a hundred, and though growth wasn’t as explosive as before, it was steadily climbing.

The first real surge in traffic came thanks to a repost by Yang Zhan.

It happened that night, right during peak internet hours, when Yang Zhan shared Qin Yangyang’s Weibo using his personal account.

Yang Zhan had a semi-idol background.

He’d been eliminated early from a singing competition, but his looks had caught the eye of a talent agency, launching his career in acting. And somehow, he’d really made something of himself.

In just one year since debuting, he’d gained nearly ten million fans—loyal and close-knit.

When Life Shock Challenge aired, Qin Yangyang often saw his fans cheering for him in the bullet comments.

After that episode aired, Yang Zhan gained a ton of new fans, and everyone praised his performance.

But Yang Zhan knew—if it hadn’t been for Siyuan Supermarket’s redesign, his team would’ve finished dead last that day.

So, when he saw Qin Yangyang’s post, he helped by reposting it as a way to say thanks.

A celebrity repost carried serious weight. Within just half a day, the popularity of the post skyrocketed, instantly boosting the supermarket’s sales.

Qin Yangyang looked at her own meager follower count of one hundred thousand and sighed—yep, you really couldn’t beat an account with millions of followers.

She opened Yang Zhan’s Weibo and privately messaged him to say thank you.

Yang Zhan happened to be online and replied quickly:

[No need to thank me. Without your designs, my team and I would’ve lost that day. Besides, I really like your mascot and the supermarket’s aesthetic. If you ever need help promoting something again, just let me know.]

Polite and tactful.

Thinking back to the day of filming, Yang Zhan had stepped up every time a teammate messed up—offering encouragement, always smiling, warm, and bright.

Then she thought of her own domineering CEO at home…

Qin Yangyang glanced at the vase sitting on the coffee table in the living room.

Pearlescent white porcelain, graceful blue brushstrokes painting a misty rain scene. A piece of blue-and-white porcelain worth six figures—elegant and refined. And now? On top of it sat… a sprouting potato with blooming flowers.

Who even approved this?

When the butler brought it over, Qin Yangyang felt like her brain was going to explode.

Blasphemy!
Using a priceless vase to hold that thing was absolute sacrilege.

Yet Ji Jingxiu had been tending to it like it was some precious bonsai. Days had passed, and the potato’s white flowers with yellow centers still stood perkily upright, blooming proudly.

Every night when he came home, he would glance—subtly but unmistakably—at that potato flower before heading upstairs.

Qin Yangyang had her pride. She wanted to destroy that abomination and erase the evidence, but every time she tried, the CEO would shut her down with a single frosty glare.

There was nothing subtle about it.

Why is the gap between people so huge?