Chapter 249: Chapter 248: For Anitaqing - Immortal Flower Fate + Update 23
One day, Shi Yang went to the shopping center to meet Li Shuren for dinner and drinks. After having a bit too much, he followed Zhao Wendada to his newly rented apartment to take a rest.
Upon entering the place and seeing how it was mostly tidied up, Shi Yang was taken aback. Despite his head swirling, he walked around and had to admit that Zhao Wendada’s taste was spot-on. Moreover, his work was just like his personality—clean, efficient, and thorough.
In mid-March, Qu Chaozong and Mrs. Qu made a long journey to move into their new home in the provincial capital. After settling down, Mrs. Qu gathered everyone, including Shi Yang and Wang Tianyu, to have a get-together and celebrate the move.
Both Wang Tianyu and Zhao Wendada were alone, without family nearby. As they enjoyed a simple home-cooked meal, they became emotional, especially touched by Mrs. Qu’s kind and loving demeanor, which resonated with their longing for familial warmth.
A week later, Wang Tianyu packed his bags and moved into the apartment Zhao Wendada rented, sharing the rent and food expenses. He set up his bed in Zhao Wendada’s bedroom, turning the rental into a temporary dormitory for the company’s higher-ups.
Whenever there was a significant matter, the group would wait until everyone was home in the evening to discuss it together in the apartment.
Zhao Wendada couldn’t help but bring up the branch store issue every other sentence. The first time Qu Chaozong heard about it, he immediately got anxious and shouted at Zhao Wendada.
Qu Chaozong’s eyes widened, feeling as if he was surrounded by partners who were overly ambitious and fearless, their thoughts as wild as their convoluted brain patterns.
He was confident he could calculate the company’s account to the nearest hundred. Therefore, when he heard Zhao Wendada speak so nonchalantly about wanting to open two branch stores simultaneously, his first thought was that this foreign-educated man was either out of his mind or possessed, as if he was reaching for the stars!
Qu Chaozong rolled his eyes, glaring at Zhao Wendada: "You say you want to open a branch, then open a branch; where’s the money for the investment? You’ve just stocked up on spring goods, which haven’t been sold yet. You’ll need to go to headquarters at the end of the month to order the summer collection, won’t you? With what little money you have left, how much will be left after you order the summer goods?"
Qu Chaozong wished he could crack open Zhao Wendada’s head and see how it was shaped to make him so audacious as to casually suggest setting up two branch stores.
Zhao Wendada said, "But the opportunity is not to be missed. The locations for these two branch stores are really excellent, and...."
Qu Chaozong interrupted him directly: "No money, you understand? We don’t have the funds to invest in opening a branch store right now. No matter how good the locations are, without money, you can’t even rent a place."
Zhao Wendada got anxious, "But once the branches are set up, it would only take a year for us to start recruiting franchisees. The company could then formally start operating."
Seeing Zhao Wendada’s flushed face and agitated manner, Qu Chaozong felt his anger cool down a bit. He understood Zhao Wendada’s desire for success and to make money, but the reality was harsh. He could only try to persuade, "I have to say, you’re just a bit too eager for instant success. How can you want to run before you learn to walk? I understand your thoughts, but without money, no matter how many ideas you have, it’s all empty talk!"
Mrs. Qu, sitting on the side watching their debate, chimed in, "Chaozi, didn’t someone come to see our house? Let them use the money from selling the house first."
Qu Chaozong turned to his mother, his attitude making a complete turnaround, "Mom, with our meager savings, it’s not even enough to rent a storefront for two months."
Mrs. Qu: "..."
Mrs. Qu was taken aback: "Is Yangyang’s business really that big? Oh dear, you really need to think it through. That’s a lot of money, and you can’t afford to lose it. By the way, what does Yangyang say?"
Hearing this, Zhao Wendada immediately realized what’s going on. He thought to himself that since Shi Yang, as the boss, had already approved it, there was no need for him to argue with Qu Chaozong. After all, Shi Yang had said that he should go ahead with it and that he would handle the financing.
Looking at Qu Chaozong’s stubborn face, Zhao Wendada calmly said, "Mr. Shi agreed to my suggestion."
"What?" Qu Chaozong slapped his thigh hard, "Is he crazy? Where did he get the money?"
Qu Chaozong stopped arguing with Zhao Wendada and turned to grab his phone, calling Shi Yang, who had just returned to the city yesterday to handle some business for the company.
When Shi Yang answered the phone, he was about to drive out for a meeting.
The handover of the Naughty Castle was already on the agenda. Shi Yang didn’t deliberately spread the news but casually mentioned it in a chat at the mall management office, and the word spread quickly. In less than half a month, three potential buyers had come to negotiate.
Shi Yang needed the money urgently, so the asking price was quite reasonable. The only hesitation for the buyers was that he required full payment upfront and also wanted the buyer to directly bear the mall’s one-year rent. All in, this was approaching seven figures. The most crucial point was that the membership cards he sold needed to be transferred directly to the buyer, with him not responsible for refunding them.
With these three conditions, all three potential buyers hesitated. After all, it wasn’t a small amount of money, and they would bear the responsibilities. The money from the membership cards had already been pocketed by Shi Yang; not only did he not want to give a cent back, but he also wanted to transfer the responsibility. No one was a fool; they all went home to consider it and hadn’t made up their minds yet.
Shi Yang acted with the demeanor of an angler, never actively reaching out to buyers. When inquiries came, he maintained a take-it-or-leave-it attitude.
Liu Xiue watched as three potential buyers were turned away, worry gnawing at her. When no one was around, she pulled Shi Yang to the cashier and quietly asked, "Yangyang, didn’t you say you needed money urgently to open branch stores in the provincial capital? Shouldn’t we lower the prices a bit more?"
Liu Xiue was completely selfless about the issue, only wanting to help Shi Yang out of worry for him.
In front of her and Zhao Dazhuang, Shi Yang always spoke honestly. This time, he came back intending to formally hand over the Naughty Castle and truthfully explained the matter of opening a branch in the provincial capital.
Shi Yang intentionally avoided mentioning the urgency of needing money, but no one was a fool. Liu Xiue quickly realized it. In terms of money, their family was powerless, or else they’d be willing to do anything to help Shi Yang.
Liu Xiue was anxious for Shi Yang, eager to do what she could to help.