Rain fell lightly the next morning.
Not heavy rain, just a steady drizzle that turned Briggon's sidewalks dark and glossy. The streetlights reflected in long streaks across the pavement as Eli and Mr. Duan walked toward the Dragon City Cooperative Bank again.
Neither of them spoke much.
The conversation they'd had two nights earlier, the one where Mr. Duan signed the loan proposal, still hung quietly between them.
Two million yuan.
It wasn't just a number.
It was a future… or a disaster.
Inside the bank, the air was warmer than outside. The hum of printers and low voices created a dull background noise.
They checked in with the front desk again.
"Loan Officer Zhang is expecting you," the clerk said.
They sat in the waiting area for a few minutes before being called over.
Zhang stood as they approached his desk.
"Good morning."
Mr. Duan nodded.
"Morning."
Eli placed their folder back on the desk.
Zhang opened it slowly, adjusting his glasses as he flipped through the pages again.
This time there were new documents clipped inside.
Risk assessments.
Credit reports.
Market analysis.
He tapped the stack once before looking up.
"The bank committee reviewed your proposal last night."
Mr. Duan's fingers tightened slightly on the edge of his chair.
"And?" he asked.
Zhang didn't answer immediately.
Instead he slid a paper across the desk.
Conditional Loan Approval
Mr. Duan blinked.
Eli leaned forward.
Approved.
But beneath it were several paragraphs of conditions.
Zhang began explaining them calmly.
"The bank is willing to finance two million yuan for expansion," Zhang said.
"But the risk level is high."
He pointed to the first clause.
"Collateral will include the Corner Pocket property and Mr. Duan's business license."
Mr. Duan nodded slowly.
"That was expected."
Zhang continued.
"The repayment schedule begins six months after loan disbursement."
Eli calculated quickly in his head.
At least three months to renovate.
Expand.
Increase revenue.
Or fail.
Zhang pointed to another clause.
"And one more condition."
He paused.
"The bank requires a formal business expansion plan with projected vendor contracts before final funds are released."
Eli nodded.
"That's reasonable."
Zhang studied him carefully.
"You seem very confident."
Eli shrugged slightly.
"We don't have much choice."
3. The Hard Question
Zhang leaned back in his chair.
"I want to ask something honestly."
Mr. Duan nodded.
"Go ahead."
Zhang folded his hands.
"Why fight them?"
He gestured vaguely toward the window.
"You know who I mean."
SuperMartX.
"I've seen several small store owners come through this office in the last year," Zhang continued.
"Most of them eventually sell."
Mr. Duan chuckled quietly.
"I've received offers."
Zhang raised an eyebrow.
"How large?"
"Two point eight million yuan for the building."
Even Eli turned slightly at that.
Zhang whistled softly.
"That's generous."
"It is."
"So why refuse?" Zhang asked.
Mr. Duan looked down at the loan papers for a moment.
Then he answered simply.
"Because I built this place."
He gestured toward Eli.
"And now he's trying to build something bigger."
Zhang looked between the two men.
Then slowly nodded.
Zhang placed the official contract on the desk.
"Sign here," he said.
Mr. Duan picked up the pen.
For a moment he hesitated.
Not because he doubted the decision.
Because he understood exactly what it meant.
Twenty-two years of work.
His store.
His livelihood.
All tied to a single signature.
He signed.
Then passed the pen to Eli.
Eli signed as well.
Zhang stamped the document with a firm THUD.
"Congratulations," he said.
"The loan will be processed within forty-eight hours."
Mr. Duan exhaled slowly.
It was done.
There was no turning back now.
When they stepped outside, the rain had stopped.
Puddles still glistened on the pavement.
Mr. Duan stared up at the cloudy sky and laughed softly.
"Two million yuan."
He shook his head.
"I must be losing my mind."
Eli smiled faintly.
"No."
He gestured toward Briggon's busy street.
"You're investing in it."
Back at The Corner Pocket, Jin was sweeping the sidewalk again.
He looked up as they approached.
"Well?"
Mr. Duan held up the folder.
"Approved."
Jin blinked.
"Wait… seriously?"
Eli nodded.
"Seriously."
Jin let out a long whistle.
"So we're actually doing this."
"Looks like it," Mr. Duan said.
Jin looked around the small store.
The worn shelves.
The aging freezer.
The cracked tile.
Then he looked at the mural outside.
The dragon.
The glowing little shop beneath its tail.
His grin spread slowly.
"Guess the dragon's getting a bigger place to guard."
Later that afternoon, a black sedan pulled up outside SuperMartX.
Two executives stepped out.
One of them glanced briefly toward The Corner Pocket.
Workers were already measuring the storefront with tape.
Taking notes.
Planning renovations.
The executive frowned slightly.
"Something's changing over there," he muttered.
The manager followed his gaze.
"…Should we report it?"
The executive thought for a moment.
Then shrugged.
"It's just a small shop."
But across the street, Eli stood with a measuring tape and a notebook, mapping out the future of an entire market.
And small shops…
Sometimes grew into very large problems.