Translator: StellarNovels Editor: StellarNovels
(Sorry for not uploading life has been busy)
“I know, but we have to take a look inside before we can discuss the rent further.”
Ma Lu, now a successful person earning twenty thousand a day, wasn’t intimidated by the price. However, the asking price was indeed beyond his budget.
The most critical issue was that the landlord didn’t seem easy to deal with, and there would likely be many disputes in the future.
Ma Lu had already crossed this shop off his list in his mind, but since he was already here, it didn’t make sense not to take a look.
Perhaps it was because Ma Lu didn’t show any signs of backing down, and Old Wang beside him remained silent, giving off an air of deep mystery. This made Ms. Chen a little unsure of their background, so she eventually led them inside.
Inside, there was a middle-aged man with neatly combed hair, wearing a polo shirt and a Longines watch.
His surname was Zhou, and he claimed to work at a bank. He was Ms. Chen’s husband.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Ma Lu noticed that neither Ms. Chen nor Mr. Zhou seemed eager to make any introductions, so he started to look around on his own.
This hotpot restaurant had a typical layout with an outer dining area and an inner kitchen. The dining area was about 60 square meters, while the kitchen took up about 25 square meters, which was a high proportion compared to other shops Ma Lu had seen.
Old Wang was very satisfied with this.
Many owners wanted the dining area to be as large as possible to fit more tables, so they left very little space for the kitchen, but this would reduce the efficiency of food service.
Even if there were many customers seated, slow service speed would still affect the rate of income, and it would also harm the restaurant’s reputation. Additionally, the mood of the kitchen staff could also be affected.
Though it’s not a big deal to them if the staff aren’t in the best mood.
As Ma Lu walked around, it was clear that the previous tenant had put a lot of effort into the renovation, and the building materials chosen were all good quality.
Additionally, since the previous business was also in the food industry, they had already contacted the power company to increase the voltage capacity, upgraded to three-phase power, and installed exhaust ducts, which were all in place.
This would save the next tenant tens of thousands in renovation costs. All that was needed was a simple facelift, some necessary kitchen equipment, a new sign, and a few second-hand chairs to get the business running.
The downside was the foot traffic, which was average. While it was situated between three residential complexes and not far from the entrances, none of the entrances were main gates, and two of them even locked up after 10 PM.
Ma Lu had also observed the surrounding area a bit on his way over. The side road was short, less than a hundred meters long, and the pedestrians and vehicles were only about one-fifth of those on the main road next to it.
However, this wasn’t a significant problem for Ma Lu. Universe’s Best Snack Stall had already accumulated a fair amount of reputation and customers; there were already over a dozen WeChat groups, so there was little need to worry about initial customer flow.
Additionally, there was a small parking lot about 20 meters beyond the intersection, which would solve part of the parking problem for customers.
Most importantly, it was close to Civil Aviation University. If Ma Lu chose to open his shop here, he wouldn’t have to give up the groundwork he had established at the west gate of Civil Aviation University and could carry some of it over.
And once he got his hands on the desktop farm, the business could be rolled out immediately.
It was just a pity that the rent was too high, and the landlord seemed quite stingy.
As Ma Lu and Old Wang were inspecting the shop, another man walked in from outside.
The newcomer wore leather shoes and slacks, with a slightly bulging belly strapped in with a Montblanc belt. He held a black leather briefcase in one hand and wore a string of prayer beads on the other. He was most likely the so-called Boss Zhang.
Ms. Chen and her husband’s attitude towards Boss Zhang was entirely different from how they treated Ma Lu and Old Wang. They greeted him warmly and personally showed him around the shop.
Ms. Chen kept boasting about how good the previous hotpot restaurant’s business was, how much money it made, and complained that their rent agreement was signed too low, before asking, “Boss Zhang, have you figured out how you’re going to make a fortune here?”
“Oh, I plan to open a card and chess room,” Boss Zhang said, taking out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes from his briefcase. He offered them around, but when no one accepted, he lit one for himself, taking a drag before speaking cheerfully.
(Translator's Note: Card and chess rooms are recreational rooms where people gather to play games such as mahjong, cards, Chinese chess, and other board or table games. These rooms are often found in hotels, clubs, and other social venues in China)
“Card and chess rooms are great,” Mr. Zhou said. “They make money and aren’t as labor-intensive as the food business.”
“No, no, it’s all just hard-earned money. Rent, renovations, hiring cleaners, and waitstaff—all of these are expenses. By the time it gets to me, there’s not much left. If costs aren’t well-controlled, I could even lose money. It’s not easy doing business these days.”
“You’re too modest! Boss Zhang, you’re obviously someone sharp and capable of making big money,” Ms. Chen chimed in eagerly. “If there’s no problem, let’s sign the contract now.”
However, Boss Zhang was an old fox himself; he wouldn’t commit so easily. After another puff, he said, “No rush, no rush. I still have a few more places to check out; I need to compare before making a decision.”
“Oh, you won’t find a spot around here with a better location or cheaper rent than ours.”
Boss Zhang smiled without replying.
Seeing this, Ms. Chen furrowed her brow slightly and pointed at Ma Lu.
“It’s not that I’m rushing you, Boss Zhang, but our shop is indeed in high demand. Look, we just put up the listing yesterday, and so many people have already come to inquire. Boss Ma here is also looking at the shop, just like you. Plus, I have appointments with several more people tomorrow. If you don’t believe me, look at my chat records.”
Ms. Chen unlocked her phone, opened WeChat, and waved it in front of Boss Zhang.
“Of course, it’s fine to shop around and compare, but let me be clear: if you compare and find that our place is the best, there’s no guarantee it will still be available when you come back.”
In her efforts to close the deal, Ma Lu had been upgraded from “Little Ma” to “Boss Ma” in Ms. Chen’s narrative.
And judging by how she had scheduled both of them to view the shop at the same time, it seemed she intended to use each party to drive up the price against the other.
At this moment, Ma Lu suddenly interrupted, “I noticed that the shops facing the street here are all two-story. What’s on the upper floor?”
“Oh, this is a mixed-use building; there are tenants living upstairs.”
Ms. Chen noticed Boss Zhang raise an eyebrow, and before he could speak, she added, “Don’t worry, Boss Zhang. The upper floor is ours too, and the tenant up there is very quiet. They won’t affect your business downstairs.”
“Seventeen thousand is still a bit steep,” Boss Zhang smiled slightly, as steady as a mountain.
“Hey, how is it expensive? We have 90 square meters; if you calculate the unit price, it’s already cheap compared to the surrounding area. If you don’t believe it, just ask around the next street over; their rent is much higher than ours.” Mr. Zhou jumped in to support his wife.
Meanwhile, Ma Lu was giving Boss Zhang some advice.
“Boss Zhang, if you’re opening a card and chess room, it doesn’t necessarily have to be on the first floor, right? If you rent the second floor, the rent would probably be a lot cheaper.”
This suggestion intrigued Boss Zhang, but before he could speak, Ms. Chen shook her head. “No, no, the second floor is already rented out.”
“It’s a mixed-use building with commercial water and electricity rates. Living there isn’t as comfortable as in a residential complex. You could ask the tenant to relocate. I’m sure Boss Zhang’s offer wouldn’t disappoint you,” Ma Lu continued.
Ms. Chen and Mr. Zhou exchanged a glance; it was clear they were considering the idea, but Ms. Chen only said, “We’ll think about it. For now, we’re just renting out the first floor.”
“Can I see the property deed?” Ma Lu asked, raising another request.
“You can see it when you decide to rent and we sign the contract,” Ms. Chen replied dismissively, showing noticeably less enthusiasm toward Ma Lu compared to Boss Zhang.
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