The next day, Chen Ming slept until the sun was high in the sky before waking up, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. All the fatigue and anxiety that had accumulated since his transmigration were swept away completely.

  He stretched comfortably, got up, washed up, and then strolled out of the inn to find a street stall for breakfast.

  Although Renhe was only a small city, it had a substantial lower-middle class and a highly developed commercial economy. Both sides of the street were lined with various food stalls, mostly featuring local Zhejiang specialties.

  Additionally, because Renhe was close to the canal with convenient transportation, merchants and travelers from north and south passed through in an endless stream, bringing with them local delicacies from all over. There were rice rolls from Lingnan, sesame soup from the Central Plains, and so on—truly eye-opening.

  However, Chen Ming's favorite was still noodles. He specially ordered a bowl of mixed noodles, added crispy fried pork fat, sprinkled a handful of vibrant green scallions on top, and then poured hot oil over it. The aroma was irresistible, making one's mouth water.

  As he savored his meal, he pondered his future path. Not understanding business operations, he planned that after taking over the Chen & Zhu Firm, he would continue hiring someone as manager while he himself would be a leisurely owner, just listening to financial reports and checking profits and losses.

  As for the most important thing next, it was to deeply understand this new world. He had already encountered strange things like monsters and supernatural powers, and he was filled with curiosity about this other world.

  Chen Ming noticed that cultural enterprises were thriving here, with newspaper and book stalls scattered throughout the streets and alleys. There were numerous newspapers, books, and periodicals. After handling the Chen & Zhu Firm matters, he would have time to read widely, absorb new knowledge, and fully integrate into this bizarre and fascinating world.

  Just as Chen Ming was immersed in his future fantasies, he suddenly heard someone shout "Fire!" Looking up, he saw thick smoke billowing in the distance. A sense of foreboding rose in his heart, and by intuition, he judged that the fire was at the Chen & Zhu Firm.

  He dropped his chopsticks and bowl and dashed toward North Street. Rushing to the front and looking carefully, his heart nearly broke—the fire was indeed at the Chen & Zhu Firm.

  The Chen & Zhu Firm was completely engulfed in flames, smoke and fire filling the sky. The shop, warehouses, and even the dock's pier hadn't escaped this calamity, all turning to ashes in the great fire.

  Most surrounding shops were brick-and-wood structures, which made fire spread easily once ignited. Therefore, merchants on North Street all exerted themselves courageously, spontaneously fighting the fire—some carrying buckets to splash water, others dismantling buildings to cut off the fire's path—in complete chaos.

  The local canal guild's civilian fire brigade arrived shortly after, pushing several water pump carts close to the fire scene. They extended hoses into the canal, pumped levers, and continuously drew water to extinguish the flames.

  As for Chen Ming, the owner of the Chen & Zhu Firm, he stood frozen like a wooden statue, staring fixedly at the fire. People came and went around him, occasionally bumping into him, but he showed no reaction, as if his soul had left his body, leaving only an empty shell. Only his eyes moving occasionally showed any sign of life.

  After a long while, the fire was extinguished. Countless ashes fell like snowflakes onto Chen Ming's head. He finally regained his senses, looked up at the sky, and deeply felt the world's malice.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  The Chen & Zhu Firm had burned for an entire day, leaving it a blank and barren land. Ironically, because of the conflict between the manager and owner the previous day, the firm had been closed for business that day, resulting in no casualties.

  A fire was never a small matter and required official investigation. Chief Constable Zong brought his men to examine the scene. They concluded that the Chen & Zhu Firm had caught fire rapidly, had multiple ignition points, and burned with such intensity that the entire firm was destroyed instantly. It couldn't have been accidental—someone had deliberately set the fire as revenge.

  Chen Ming shouted angrily, "It must be retaliation from the mastermind that Manager Jin mentioned! Chief Constable Zong, please ask the County Sheriff to help investigate this case. The culprit must be brought to justice!"

  Chief Constable Zong showed a troubled expression and said awkwardly, "Rest assured, we will investigate thoroughly. But asking the County Sheriff to intervene personally isn't quite appropriate. He's an important figure with heavy official duties—he won't appear unless there's a homicide case."

  Chen Ming was speechless. Upon reflection, the County Sheriff had already guaranteed his safety, so the mastermind dared not kill him. To vent their anger, they had burned down the Chen & Zhu Firm instead.

  Chief Constable Zong hesitated for a moment, then added, "However, there's something else I must remind you about."

  Chen Ming was startled again, his eyelids twitching. He asked, "Good news or bad news?"

  "Bad news!"

  Chen Ming felt like he was going crazy. Since transmigrating, almost nothing had gone smoothly. Had The Great One brought him here to accomplish great deeds or just to watch a monkey show?

  Chief Constable Zong said, "The Chen & Zhu Firm's warehouse stored a large quantity of goods, all obtained on credit. Now that they've burned, you'll need to compensate for them. Additionally, the fire at the Chen & Zhu Firm damaged many surrounding shops, and as the owner, you'll need to compensate them too."

  Chen Ming was horrified and exclaimed, "The Chen & Zhu Firm was my only asset, and now it's all burned down! Where would I get money for compensation?"

  Chief Constable Zong sympathized greatly with Chen Ming. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Mr. Chen, when you inherited the Chen & Zhu Firm, did you complete the formalities at the government office?"

  Chen Ming was stunned and asked in return, "May I ask what that has to do with compensation?"

  Chief Constable Zong explained, "According to the law, the Chen & Zhu Firm is public property of the Chen clan, not your personal private property. Although you are the sole survivor of the Chen family after their tragedy, making you the only owner, legally speaking, since you haven't completed the inheritance procedures at the government office, the Chen & Zhu Firm currently doesn't belong to you. If you declare renunciation of inheritance, then the Chen & Zhu Firm becomes ownerless property—what does the fire have to do with you?"

  Chen Ming's eyes lit up. Wasn't this the principle of "no inheritance, no debt"? He was overjoyed and said, "Thank you for the advice, Chief Constable! I'll go declare it immediately."

  Chief Constable Zong took Chen Ming to the County Government Office and gathered relevant personnel. Chen Ming publicly declared renunciation of inheritance of the Chen & Zhu Firm, thus avoiding responsibility for all losses caused by the fire.

  The Chen & Zhu Firm's land and dock were reclaimed by the government as ownerless property and eventually purchased by the canal guild. The proceeds from the sale were used by the government to disband the Chen & Zhu Firm's employees and compensate for the losses caused by the great fire.

  When Chen Ming came out of the County Government Office, lanterns were being lit. He walked among the lights and saw a glimmer of hope. Though he couldn't become a boss, the road ahead wasn't completely cut off—anything was possible.

  He was starving. Fortunately, the surrounding streets were bustling with many snack shops still open. He randomly found a wonton shop and sat down on a bench. Reaching into his pocket to pull out his wallet, he suddenly jumped up.

  His wallet was gone! Chen Ming broke out in a cold sweat, frantic with worry. After losing the Chen & Zhu Firm, this was all that remained of his possessions. He vaguely remembered that while watching the Chen & Zhu Firm fire, someone seemed to have bumped into him. He hadn't thought much of it at the time, but now he realized that must have been a thief taking advantage of the chaos.

  Helpless, Chen Ming had to stand up and dejectedly return to the inn. He calculated that among his luggage, some clothes were made of good material and could probably be pawned for some money.

  But when he arrived at the inn, the owner was waiting at the door, pale-faced. Seeing Chen Ming, he hurriedly apologized—there had been a theft at the inn, and all of Chen Ming's luggage had been stolen.