Ye Moxuan’s grim expression eased when he heard them complimenting Muzi. After that, the intimidating look in his eyes also disappeared. He even smiled cheerfully. My woman is naturally outstanding.
The high-ranked executives were able to get to where they were that day partly because of that little ability they had. It all involved skills and observation. They all saw that Ye Moxuan’s mood had changed. It became evident to them that flattering President Ye’s wife was working, so they started bombarding him with a list of compliments.
“Your wife was able to manage the company in such an orderly manner at the time. You have very good taste, President Ye.”
“Congratulations, President Ye. You must be so happy to have such a worthy wife and son.”
They were supposed to have a meeting, but it quickly turned into a brownnosing fest. Everyone liked to flatter Muzi so he just let them since he enjoyed listening to it too. However, Xiao Su grew somber. He became dumbfounded as they each tried to flatter Han Muzi. He wanted to ask, Where are your pride, people? When Young Lady Ye took over the company, none of you were like this. Now, look at you. Tsk, tsk.
Then, he walked over to Ye Moxuan and whispered, “It’s time to start the meeting, Young Master Ye.”
Ye Moxuan returned to his serious demeanor and nodded.
After receiving approval, Xiao Su cleared his throat and announced, “Settle down, everyone. The meeting is about to start. Please return to your seats and get ready.”
Ye Moxuan said so himself that Xiao Su was his right-hand man. When they saw that Ye Moxuan had lost interest, they immediately quietened down and went back to their seats. After all, flattery only worked to a certain extent and they had done enough. Thus, the meeting began.
…
Under Luo Huimei’s advice, Yan went down to look at the place at South Intersection. The location of the shop was very far in front. Because the rent was so high, however, many people were still looking and did not take this unit yet. More importantly, this shop was different from the rest.
The owner of this shop had a peculiar personality. If anyone wanted to rent the place, they had to follow a set of rules that the owner laid out. Moreover, if they broke any of the rules, it would nullify the contract and they would have to move out immediately. It was said that the previous renters’ contract also became nullified, so they had to pack up and move out of the place.
When Yan followed the broker in, she realized that the inside of the shop was still brand new. It was obvious that it was rarely used. “Why did the previous contract get nullified?”
The broker first looked at Luo Huimei then looked at Yan before he inched closer and said in a low voice, “Actually, I’m not allowed to tell you about this until you’ve agreed to rent. But since my relative recommended you to me, then I guess I shouldn’t hide anything from you. The owner of this place is quite particular. After this place was renovated like this, no one was allowed to fix or make any changes to it after they rented it out.”
At that point, the broker looked around. “You’ve seen the interior of this place. It’s quite different from most places. You’re not allowed to change anything for four weeks, and there are still a bunch of conditions listed in the contract. If you breach the contract, you have to pay the compensation and move out. A lot of people are afraid that they won’t be able to pay compensation. Because of the peculiar style of this place, even though it is located in such a lively location, it still hasn’t been rented out.”
Can’t change the design of the shop? Yan evaluated this for a while. Before she could respond to the broker, Luo Huimei asked, “The style of this place is slightly Japanese, and it looks somewhat like a tea house. It’s just like what I see in dramas. Isn’t that right, Yan? Doesn’t it look like a tea house?”
“I didn’t expect your memory to be so good, Mom. It does look like a teahouse.” But it was also slightly different. Yan noticed that the interior was a fusion between Chinese and Western styles, despite having a bit of a Japanese feel to it. She pursed her lips. “If I’m not wrong, this place used to be a ramen restaurant?”
The broker smiled. “That’s right. It was a ramen restaurant.”
That’s strange. Ramen restaurants should be popular now. It should not be hard to start such a business. But Yan did not ask about that. Even though she was satisfied with the interior of the place, she figured rent would not be cheap.
“Yan, how about opening a ramen restaurant for your business? I think it will do quite well. I think the older people around this area enjoy eating noodles and the like.” Luo Huimei tugged on Yan’s hand. Based on her expression, she was satisfied with the interior and location of the place. Meanwhile, Yan did not respond.
As the broker watched, he smiled. “If you’re thinking of opening a restaurant, this place is not a bad option.”
Yan knitted her brows together lightly. “May I ask what the rent is for a year?”
The broker looked rather awkward as he raised three fingers at Yan. Yan fell silent as she saw those three fingers. On the other hand, Luo Huimei did not understand and just smiled. “30,000? 30,000 a year is not that expensive. I think it’s fine. Let’s rent this place, Yan.”
The expression on the broker’s face turned bleak. The amount Luo Huimei mentioned and the amount he meant was ten times different. Looks like I won’t be renting this place out today.
“Madam Luo. You’re mistaken. The rent per year is 300,000.”
The smile on Luo Huimei’s face froze. “What?! 300,000 a year?”
The broker nodded. “This is the lowest price I can give to someone I know personally. Normally, it’d be 350,000. After discussing with the owner, the lowest I can go is 300,000.”
Luo Huimei was dumbfounded. 300,000 a year means it’s 25,000 a month. There are only thirty days in a month, so one day would cost approximately 1,000. That means that turnover has to be over 1,000 a day. But that 1,000 does not include manpower, appliances, utility bills, ingredients, and so on. To meet the turnover, they would be insanely busy. So, she would also have to hire people. How many bowls of ramen does she have to sell in a day to make any money?
Luo Huimei started to worry. She suddenly understood why Yan was reluctant to come here earlier.
“Madam Luo, I know this rent is a little pricey. But this location is truly the best. You see—”
Luo Huimei suddenly cut in, “Is the owner trying to suck a person dry? With such an expensive rent on top of not being able to change the interior design, who would rent this place?”
