Chapter 245: Chapter 173: The Name of the Pan-Fried Bun Shop! Does the Old Lady Love Crucian Carp Stewed with Tofu? Arranged! [Monthly Ticket 1200 Extra]
After receiving a call from Lin Xu, Dou Wenjing hurriedly left the company’s temporary headquarters, which was not far from the store. For the convenience of renovation and management, she had rented an office on the second floor not far from Lin Ji’s Food. However, once Lin Ji’s Food reopened and was back on track, the company would move out. This way, the company would be the company, and the store would be the store, each operating without interfering with the other.
Arriving downstairs, she glanced at her high heels, then took out her phone and scanned a shared bicycle parked by the roadside. She then rode it toward the east entrance of Yingchun Street. Yingchun Street was about a kilometer long. The west entrance featured the Yingchun Street Subway Station, while the east entrance was next to Haidian Middle School, where Geng Lele attended. Lin Ji’s Food was located in the middle of the street, about five hundred meters from either entrance. Taking a taxi for such a short distance seemed wasteful, and if she walked, she worried Lin Xu would wait too long. Thus, the shared bicycle became the best choice.
Reaching the street entrance, Dou Wenjing spotted the white G63 parked on the roadside from afar. She also saw Lin Xu holding Dundun, and Geng Lele holding a bag of Shengjian Buns.
As soon as she reached Lin Xu, Geng Lele came up to her, saying, "Wenjing, you must be tired from cycling. I bought you some Shengjian Buns to try; they’re really tasty."
Dou Wenjing didn’t refuse. The last time they ate crayfish, she had tried the Shengjian Buns Geng Lele bought, and they had tasted really good. So, she accepted them and casually popped one into her mouth. But after tasting it, she realized it wasn’t as delicious as the ones from last time.
"Why don’t these taste the same as last time?" Dou Wenjing asked.
Lin Xu smiled and explained, "That’s why I called you over. The owner of this shop fired the Shengjian Bun chef—the very same chef who is over there demanding an explanation right now."
Dou Wenjing put down the Shengjian Bun, glanced at the surrounding crowd, and understood the situation.
"Boss, are you thinking about investing in a Shengjian Bun shop?"
"Exactly. Later, I want you to talk to that chef inside. Find a storefront to rent near the subway station at the west entrance of Yingchun Street, renovate it, and set up a Shengjian Bun shop."
A small Shengjian Bun shop like that wouldn’t need much space; a few square meters would suffice. The investment, including equipment and renovations, would probably only cost tens of thousands of yuan.
Dou Wenjing thought it was a pretty good idea and worth a try. After all, the Shengjian Buns from last time had left a deep impression on her. Plus, with a location near the subway entrance and its high foot traffic, it would be easy to make it successful.
"So, what kind of partnership model are you considering? Should we let this chef invest with his skills, hire him directly, or contract the shop out to him after it opens?"
Things are still heated inside, so there’s no rush to go in and talk to the chef yet, Dou Wenjing thought. She decided to first understand her boss’s intentions. That way, she would be more confident when she negotiated.
Lin Xu replied, "Any of those options would work. It depends on what the chef prefers. The most important thing is to get it done quickly and open the shop as soon as possible. Who knows, this might become another high-profit project for our company."
"Alright! I know how to approach the negotiation now, Boss."
Dou Wenjing pushed the shared bicycle she had ridden to the side of the road and scanned the code to end her rental. Lin Xu watched her and couldn’t help but think, The CEO of our company, and her mode of transport is actually a shared bike? That’s hardly imposing, is it?
He suggested, "Wenjing, the company should get you a car. You can’t always be riding shared bicycles."
It’s not like the company is short on funds right now, Lin Xu mused. Getting a BMW 5 Series wouldn’t be a strain at all.
Dou Wenjing replied, "Our company doesn’t have the qualification for the license plate lottery yet. Let’s talk about it again once we do."
License plate lottery qualification? Lin Xu wondered. He asked, "Then how do we get it?"
"Either we wait, or we acquire a shell company that already has the lottery qualification. However, those companies only possess the qualification itself; there’s no guarantee we’d actually win a license plate in the lottery, so it might be a bit of a waste."
A waste? Lin Xu thought. It would definitely be a waste if not for Dundun. But with Dundun around, there’s no such thing as a waste of money.
Lin Xu said with a smile, "Just go ahead and acquire one. Don’t worry about the lottery; I’ll handle that part. My luck has always been very good."
Dundun, nestled in his arms, shot him a sidelong glance. Say that again? Whose luck is good, exactly?
Shortly thereafter, local police officers arrived and separated the arguing parties. Dou Wenjing took the opportunity to neaten her hair and then walked towards a dejected-looking Wang Ziqiang.
Soon, she returned with Wang Ziqiang, bringing him before Lin Xu. Master Wang was in his forties, navigating the challenging phase of supporting both his elderly parents and young children. When he met Lin Xu, his expression was somewhat dazed; he probably couldn’t believe this was all real.
"Boss, it’s settled," Dou Wenjing reported. "Master Wang prefers that we open the shop and he continues to work as an employee."
Indeed, partnerships involve too much risk. Cash in hand is always the most reliable.
Lin Xu wasn’t surprised. He smiled and said, "In that case, sign a contract with Master Wang as soon as possible. Then, rent a storefront and have the renovation company do a quick setup."
"Understood, Boss! What should we name the Shengjian Bun shop?"
The shop’s name? Lin Xu pondered for a moment. He thought Master Wang’s name, Ziqiang, was quite good. Men should always strive for self-improvement, after all.
He smiled and said, "Let’s call it Ziqiang Shengjian. Master Wang, would it be alright if we use your name?"
At that moment, Wang Ziqiang felt like he needed to splash cold water on his face to see if he was dreaming. He nodded quickly and said, "Yes, yes, of course! As long as it makes money, you can use my name however you like."
"Alright then, let’s go sign the contract first, and we can discuss other matters afterward," Lin Xu said, opening the car door and getting in with Dundun.
Lin Xu had assumed Geng Lele would be heading back to school. But to his surprise, the young woman pulled open the other car door, hopped into the passenger seat, and casually took little Dundun from his arms.
"Lele, where are you going?" Lin Xu asked.
"As a Platinum Level member of the company, what’s wrong with me going to inspect the renovation progress?" Geng Lele retorted.