Raise the Rent, Lose the Mall

The third floor of this mall was a ghost town when it first opened.

I was the first to sign a lease. I toughed it out for two years and built up the entire floor's traffic.

On weekends, the lines stretched all the way to the elevator.

When it came time to renew, the property manager handed me the contract with a smile.

The rent had gone up forty percent.

I said it was too high. Could we negotiate?

He leaned back in his chair. "Think it's expensive? The bubble tea chain next door is offering double what you pay."

"If you weren't sitting on this spot, they would've signed already."

I said my contract still had three months left.

He flicked cigarette ash onto my contract.

"When those three months are up, you're out. Move early and I'll waive the penalty fee. Consider it a favor to an old tenant."

I stared at that ash for five seconds, then stood up and smiled.

"Fine. I'll move tomorrow."

He froze.

I grabbed my bag, walked to the door, and turned back.

"By the way, my mom's jewelry store on the first floor, my husbandRichard's gym on the fourth floor, my brotherBrennan's cinema on the fifth floorwe're all moving together."

"You're moving tomorrow? Who are you trying to scare?"

Marshall leaned back in his swivel chair, his belly shaking with laughter.

"Ms. Leon, we're all adults here. Stop playing these games."

"That crappy shop of yours on the third flooryou sank almost three hundred thousand into the renovations, didn't you?"

"Move tomorrow? You don't even have another location lined up. Where are you moving to, the street?"

I didn't answer. I pushed open the glass door of his office.

Two of the motion sensor lights in the hallway had been broken for two months. No one had bothered to fix them.

I walked through the dim lighting toward the elevator.

My phone buzzed. A voice message from my shop manager, Carla. Her voice was tearful.

"Leon, the power just went out in the store! All the cream in the freezer melted, and customers are demanding refunds!"

My hand froze halfway to the elevator button.

"How did it go out?"

"The property said it's line maintenance. But I checkedwe're the only shop on the entire third floor without power! Even the empty unit next door has lights on!"

I turned and glanced down the hallway toward Marshall's office.

Behind the glass door, he was watching me, raising his thermos in a mock toast.

His smile was full of smugness.

"Calm the customers down. Double refunds for anyone who wants them."

"But the losses are too big..."

"Just do it. I'll be right there."

I hung up and stepped into the elevator.

I pressed the button for the first floor. When the doors opened, the brilliant golden light was blinding.

Directly across from the central atrium was the city's largest gold and jewelry boutique.

My mom was sitting behind the glass counter wearing her reading glasses, doing the books.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up.

"Weren't you supposed to renew the lease today? Why the long face?"

"Didn't sign."

I pulled over a chair and sat down, pouring myself a glass of warm water.

"Marshall raised the rent forty percent."

My mom closed her ledger and took off her glasses.

"Is he insane? Who brought the foot traffic to the third floor these past two years? Doesn't he know?"

"He says a new bubble tea brand next door is offering double."

My mom let out a cold laugh.

"Burning bridges. So what do you want to do?"

"I told him I'm moving tomorrow."

My mom stared at me for a few seconds.

The wrinkles around her eyes smoothed out. She picked up her phone and dialed a number.

"Chris? Yeah, that new SKY Mall across the streetthe double-door shop on the northeast corner of the first floor, is it still available?"

"Yes, I'll take it."

"No need to look. I'll sign tonight."

She hung up and turned to me.

"Richard and Brennanhave you told them yet?"

"Not yet."

"Go on then. I'll handle the first floor."

I stood up and set down my glass.

"Mom, the penalty fee on your end might be pretty steep."

"So what?"

My mom pulled a black card from her drawer and slapped it on the glass counter.

"I was selling gold when Marshall was still in diapers."

I smiled slightly and headed back to the elevator.

I pressed the button for the fourth floor.

The elevator doors opened to a wall of deafening bass.

The two-thousand-square-foot chain gym was packed, the equipment area full of people.

My husband Richard, shirtless, was spotting a personal training client doing deadlifts, his back gleaming with sweat.

When he saw me, he set down the barbell, wiped his face with a towel, and walked over.

"What brings you here? Checking up on me?"

"Marshall cut the power to my store."

Richard's hand stopped mid-wipe.

The towel was clenched in his fist, his knuckles slightly white.

"I'll go deal with him."

"Don't bother."

I grabbed his arm.

"I've decided not to renew. We're moving tomorrow."

Richard looked down at me.

There was no surprise in his eyes. Only a calm, fierce determination.

"Know where you're going yet?"

"SKY Mall across the street. Mom already booked the first floor."

Richard tossed the towel onto a nearby bench.

"I'll call SKY Mall's leasing office. I want the entire fourth floor."

"What about your members?"

"I'll bring them over. SKY Mall is just across the streetfive-minute walk."

Richard turned to grab his phone.

"I'll have people come dismantle the equipment tonight."

I nodded and continued upstairs.

The fifth floor was entirely occupied by a private cinema and esports lounge.

My brother Brennan was sitting at the front desk with a lollipop in his mouth, hammering away at his keyboard.

The clacking was deafening.

"Brennan."

He jerked, and his character died on screen.

"Leon? How do you walk without making any noise?"

"Pack up. We're moving tomorrow."

Brennan bit down on the lollipop with a crunch.

"Moving? Where to?"

"SKY Mall across the street."

His eyes lit up.

"Holy crap, I've been wanting to move there forever! This dump's internet is slow as hell, and that idiot Marshall keeps charging us equipment management fees!"

"I'll cover the penalty fee."

"Don't worry about it!"

Brennan pulled a cardboard box out from under the counter.

"I've collected almost a million in membership prepayments these past few months. The penalty fee is nothing."

"I'll pull an all-nighter dismantling the machines. Need help moving your stuff? I can call some friends."

"No need. Take care of your own shop."

I returned to the third floor. The store was pitch black.

Carla and several staff members were using their phone flashlights to clean up melted cream.

When she saw me, Carla's eyes turned red.

"Leon, Marshall came by with some people."

"What did he say?"

"He said the cables burned out. It'll take three days to repair. He told us not to open for three days."

I looked at the disaster zone that was the back kitchen.

"Lock the door."

Carla froze. "Lock up?"

"Yes. Take your personal belongings. You're off early today."

"But everything in the store..."

"A professional moving company will come collect it tomorrow."

I pulled out my phone and sent a message to the staff group chat.

"Paid leave for three days. In three days, I'll take you to the new store."

Carla looked at her phone, tears streaming down her face.

"Are we really leaving? We built this store from nothing..."

"Staying here, we'll just get trampled like dogs."

I patted her shoulder.

"Go on. Lock up tight."

At eight that evening, I stood outside the mall.

The first-floor jewelry store had already pulled down its rolling shutter.

The fourth-floor gym echoed with the metallic clanging of heavy equipment being dismantled.

On the fifth floor, dozens of computer monitors were being loaded onto trucks.

My phone rang. It was Marshall.

"Leon, why is your store locked?"

"Weren't you the one who told me not to open?"

"I'm telling you, the owner of the bubble tea shop next door is bringing a designer to measure the space tomorrow."

He laughed smugly on the other end.

"Get your junk cleaned out fast. Don't delay a major brand moving in."

"Sure."

I looked at the glittering neon lights of SKY Mall across the street.

"I'll definitely have it cleared out for you tomorrow."

The next morning at ten.

I brought two movers from the moving company and pushed open the door to the third-floor shop.

There was still no power. The air was thick with the sour smell of fermenting cream.

I directed the workers to dismantle the display cases.

The crisp clicking of high heels echoed from outside the door.

"This smell is absolutely disgusting." A nasally voice came from the doorway.

I turned. Marshall was bowing and scraping behind a woman in a Chanel suit.

The woman wore sunglasses and carried a Herms bag, looking around my store with disdain.

"This is the store?"

She took off her sunglasses and waved her hand dismissively.

"This decor is so tacky. Marshall, are you sure this location is good?"

"Absolutely! Ms. Santos, lookthis spot is right across from the escalator. All the foot traffic flows right here."

Marshall pointed at me.

"It was just wasted on this low-end shop before. But with your 'Star Tea,' it'll absolutely blow up."

Santos glanced at me, looking me up and down in my casual clothes.

"You're the tenant?"

I ignored her and continued speaking to the workers.

"Be careful with that coffee machine. Don't damage it."

Santos, now being ignored, darkened.

"Hey, I'm talking to you. Are you deaf?"

She clicked into the store on her heels, leaving white marks on the hardwood floor.

"This floor needs to be completely torn up too. What awful taste."

She kicked a packing box I hadn't gotten into storage yet.

"Hurry up and get lost. Don't delay my designer measuring the space."

I turned and looked at her.

"This store's lease has three months left. Currently, this is still my private business premises."

"Please leave."

Santos looked like she'd heard a joke. She turned to Marshall.

"Marshall, what did she say? She's telling me to leave?"

Marshall's face immediately hardened as he walked toward me.

"Leon, don't push your luck. Ms. Santos choosing this location is a blessing for you."

"Didn't you say you're moving today? Why are you still dragging your feet?"

"Moving takes time, doesn't it?"

"Or is Marshall so impatient he can't even wait half a day? Want to help me move personally?"

"You!"

Marshall pointed at my nose, but Santos stopped him.

"Forget it, Marshall. Why argue with someone from the bottom rung?"

Santos pulled a business card from her purse and tossed it on my table.

"Looking at your pathetic state, you probably have nowhere to go."

"Come be a janitor at my new store. Considering you're giving up this spot for me, I'll give you three thousand base salary."

She covered her mouth and laughed.

"Though you'll need to wash off that poverty stench first."

The movers couldn't take it anymore.

"How can you talk like that? Ms. Leon has always been so polite to us. Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Oh, you brought bodyguards too?"

Santos rolled her eyes.

"A bunch of manual laborers, and you think you can raise your voice at me?"

I held back the movers who wanted to rush forward.

"Get back to work. When a dog bites, you don't bite back."

Santos's face twisted instantly.

"Who are you calling a dog?!"

"Whoever responds, I guess."

I swept her business card into the trash.

"Marshall, take your distinguished guest and leave. Otherwise I'm calling the police for trespassing."

Marshall's jaw clenched as he pointed at me.

"Fine. Leon, keep acting tough. Let's see how long you last."

He turned to Santos with an apologetic smile.

"Ms. Santos, let's go to my office for some tea. Once she's cleared out, we'll come back."

Santos snorted coldly and clicked away on her heels.

On her way out, she deliberately knocked over an advertising board by the door.

It crashed against the glass door with a tremendous bang.

"What a piece of junk."

The hallway went quiet again. One of the movers sighed.

"Ms. Leon, this property management is way too much. Your store does such good businesshow can they just kick you out like this?"

"It's fine. Out with the old, in with the new."

I pulled out my phone and sent Richard a message.

"How's your progress?"

"Equipment's dismantled, loading it now. SKY Mall cleared space overnight. We can move in tonight."

"Good."

I put away my phone and looked at the shop being emptied bit by bit.

On the wall was still the group photo from our opening day.

Back then this place was barrenthere wasn't even a janitor.

I'd brought Carla and the others, and we'd wiped it clean ourselves with rags.

Now, there was nothing left.

At two in the afternoon, most of the stuff was packed.

I had the workers push the largest commercial oven toward the freight elevator.

I pressed the button repeatedly. The freight elevator door didn't budge. A white notice was posted next to it.

"Freight elevator under maintenance, temporarily out of service." Signed by Property Management.

I looked at that notice and smiled.

Marshall was deliberately messing with me.

Moving a several-hundred-pound oven down three floors via the stairs was impossible.

And it wouldn't fit in the passenger elevator.

I pulled out my phone and called Marshall.

"What's going on with the freight elevator?"

Marshall yawned on the other end.

"Maintenance. Didn't you see the notice? The cables are worn out. For everyone's safety, we had to shut it down."

"When will it be fixed?"

"Hard to say. Could be three days, could be two weeks. Parts have to be shipped from out of town."

He lowered his voice, his tone full of mockery.

"Leon, I told youyou can't move that junk. Why not just leave it here? Let Santos sell it as scrap."

"Or, you could come to my office right now and apologize to me and Santos."

"If I'm in a good mood, maybe the freight elevator will magically get fixed."

I hung up and turned to the movers.

"Leave the oven."

The workers froze.

"Leave it? But this is importedit's worth at least tens of thousands!"

"Leave it. Just put it here."

I pointed to the middle of the hallway, right in front of the empty unit next door.

"Right here."

The workers didn't understand but did as told.

The massive oven sat like an iron tower, blocking the hallway solidly.

I dusted off my hands.

"Let's go downstairs."

In the first-floor lobby, my mom's jewelry store had been emptied out.

Several security guards stood at the entrance, arguing with my mom.

"Ms. Vesca, you haven't paid the penalty fee yet. You can't take everything."

The head of security held a walkie-talkie, blocking the truck.

My mom sat in a wheelchair.

Yes, a wheelchair.

She'd deliberately gone to the hospital this morning to get a fake medical note claiming her herniated disc had flared up, then rented a wheelchair and rolled over.

"Penalty fee? I still have five hundred thousand in deposit with your property management!"

My mom's voice was vigorous as she pointed at the security chief's nose.

"Deduct the penalty from that, and you still owe me two hundred thousand! Now get out of the way and stop delaying my medical appointment!"

"Marshall said the deposit process takes three months. The penalty fee must be paid in cash today."

The security chief stood firm.

I walked over and pushed him aside.

"Three months? The contract says deposits are refunded within fifteen business days after termination."

"That's for normal terminations. This is malicious breach!"

Marshall's voice came from behind.

He approached with several property staff, strolling over leisurely.

"Ms. Vesca, Leon, did your whole family plan this together?"

Marshall glanced at the emptied jewelry store.

"First floor termination, third floor termination. What, trying to pressure me by banding together?"

He laughed coldly.

"Let me tell you, this mall doesn't need you small-time tenants. You want to leave? Fine. But the penalty fee won't be reduced by a cent. The deposit? Wait for the process."

I looked at him.

"Marshall, do you think you've got us cornered?"

"Yes. What else?"

He stepped closer and lowered his voice.

"I'll tell you the truth. Santos doesn't just want the third floor. She wants to use this first-floor spot for her flagship store."

"You leaving is perfect. Saves me the trouble of kicking you out."

"But if you want to leave smoothly, it won't be that easy."

He pointed at the truck outside.

"That truck isn't leaving the mall gates today without my authorization."

Richard emerged from the stairwell.

He wore a tight black T-shirt that stretched over his muscles, followed by a dozen equally muscular gym trainers.

"Who says it's not leaving?"

Richard walked to my side, staring coldly at Marshall.

Marshall instinctively stepped back and swallowed.

"Richard, don't do anything rash. This is a society of law. If you dare use force, I'll call the police immediately."

"Call the police?" Richard smiled.

He pulled a stack of photos from his pocket and threw them in Marshall's face.

"Take a look at these."

The photos scattered on the floorall billing statements from property management.

"Over the past two years, you've charged us equipment maintenance fees, hallway cleaning fees, even air purification fees under various pretenses."

Richard pointed at the photos on the ground.

"Which of these went into the mall's corporate account? They all went into your wife Mary's private card, didn't they?"

Marshall's face changed instantly.

"You... you're making this up! These are forged!"

"Whether they're forged or not, let's call the police and find out."

The fifth-floor elevator opened.

Brennan came out with several subordinates, pushing the last batch of computer towers.

"I recorded everything." Brennan waved his phone.

"Marshall just blocked us from leaving and extorted cash. That's blackmail, right?"

Marshall completely panicked.

He looked at Richard's muscles, then at the phone in Brennan's hand.

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"Misunderstanding... it's all a misunderstanding."

He quickly bent down to pick up the photos from the floor.

"We're all old acquaintances. No need to make this so ugly."

"I'll waive the penalty fee from the deposit. I'll have accounting transfer the rest to you tomorrow."

I looked at his pathetic face.

"No need to wait until tomorrow. Do it now."

"Now? Accounting is off work..."

"Then use your personal money to advance it. You've embezzled plenty anyway."

Richard took a step forward.

Marshall flinched and quickly pulled out his phone.

"I'll transfer! I'll transfer right now!"

Ten minutes later, two hundred thousand arrived in the account.

My mom stood up from the wheelchair and dusted off her pants.

"If you'd been this cooperative from the start, we wouldn't have wasted all this time."

She pushed the wheelchair and swaggered out of the mall.

The security guards looked at each other. No one dared stop her.

The truck started and slowly drove out of the parking lot.

I looked at Marshall.

"Marshall, that oven on the third-floor hallwayit's yours now."

"Keep it to bake Santos some brains to eat."

Marshall gritted his teeth, glaring at my back.

"Leon, don't get cocky. Once you leave here, I'll watch your whole family crash and burn!"

SKY Mall, a brand-new commercial complex that had just begun trial operations a week ago.

The old mall across the street might occupy the prime location, but its facilities were outdated and the property management was terrible.

SKY Mall's leasing director was a woman in her thirties named Rodriguez, sharp and efficient.

"Ms. Leon, first-floor jewelry store, third-floor bakery, fourth-floor gym, fifth-floor esports lounge. Your family just delivered me quite a gift."

Rodriguez handed me a cup of coffee.

"Rent as we discussedsix months free, then twenty percent off going forward. Property management fees waived."

"Thank you, Ms. Rodriguez."

"Don't thank me. The traffic you bring is worth that price."

Rodriguez pointed out the floor-to-ceiling window.

"At least half the weekend foot traffic at the old mall across the street comes for you. Once you leave, that place becomes an empty shell."

"Though I heard that Santos woman has some serious backing?"

I took a sip of coffee.

"Just an internet celebrity who slept her way to the top. She really thinks opening a bubble tea shop makes her a real businesswoman."

"She's been handing out flyers at your old store entrance today."

Rodriguez handed me a tablet.

In the video, Santos wore a revealing tank dress, holding a megaphone and shouting at my empty storefront.

"The third-floor bakery has closed due to poor management! At the end of this month, Star Tea flagship store grand opening! Buy one get one free on everything!"

Next to her was a sign reading: "Drink Star Tea, be high-class. Reject low-end bakeries."

Though my sign had been removed, the outline was still clearly visible on the wall.

She'd even had someone splash red paint on the wall, drawing a big X.

"This woman is truly disgusting." Rodriguez frowned.

"Let her shout." I set down the tablet. "The higher they climb, the harder they fall."

I pulled out my phone and opened my store's VIP member group chat.

The group had over five thousand peopleall loyal fans built up over two years.

I typed a message.

"To all our supporters: Due to the original property's malicious rent increase and power cutoff to force us out, our store has officially relocated. The new store is on the third floor of SKY Mall across the street. To compensate for the wait, for the first month of the new store's opening, all existing member credits will double, and everything is fifty percent off."

I attached location maps and photos of the renovation progress.

The moment I sent it, the group exploded.

"Holy crap! No wonder it was closed when I went to buy cake yesterday! The property management is disgusting!"

"Raised rent AND cut power? What kind of mafia behavior is this!"

"Support Leon! SKY Mall's environment is way betterI've been thinking the other place was a dump anyway!"

"I passed by yesterday and saw some Star Tea handing out flyers and trashing Leon's store. Made me sick. I'll never drink there!"

I watched the messages scroll across the screen and smiled slightly. This was only the first step.

I turned to Rodriguez.

"Ms. Rodriguez, that huge LED screen on SKY Mall's exterior wallcan I borrow it for a day?"

"What are you planning?"

"A relocation countdown."

Rodriguez smiled. "No problem. Use it for free."

The next day, directly across from the old mall.

On SKY Mall's massive several-hundred-square-meter LED screen, a poster lit up.

Black background, white text.

"3 days until [Leon's Bakery], [Vesca Jewelry], [Richard's Fitness], [Brennan's Esports] all move into SKY Mall."

At the very bottom of the poster, in extremely small font:

"Thanks to our former landlord's mercy in not killing us, allowing us to find a better home."

This street was the busiest section downtown. Once the poster went up, everyone passing by could see it.

When Marshall saw the poster, he was drinking tea in his office.

According to security, he sprayed a mouthful of tea all over his computer screen.

Then he rushed out of his office like a madman.