Li Haochen and his companion waited for nearly twenty minutes before getting a table. The fast food restaurant offered a rich variety of dishes, with meat dishes priced between 5 to 10 yuan, vegetables from 2 to 4 yuan, and white rice for one yuan a bowl. Free soup was also available, making it a place for everyone, regardless of their budget.
Besides students, many migrant workers also frequented the establishment. Customers came and went in a continuous stream. It was a prime location that one wouldn't want to miss. The rent alone could likely cover the interest, with plenty left over.
Li Haochen ordered two meals and two bottles of soda. He chatted with Wei Dayong as they ate. "Uncle Wei, I'll be staying here for quite some time. Is everything alright at home? If you're truly too busy, you can head back first. I'll call you when I need picking up later."
"Boss Li, it's fine. The children are all working now; it doesn't cause any problems."
"That's good. Then I'll have to trouble you these few days."
"It's no trouble at all; I should be thanking you for your trust."
This trip was a lucrative one. A thousand yuan a day, after deducting costs, meant a profit of at least 600 yuan daily. What hardship was there compared to having no money? Wei Dayong was eager to stay for a few more days.
Soon, the peak hour passed, and the students had returned for evening self-study. The fast food restaurant was left with only a few scattered customers. Li Haochen called the owner over to settle the bill.
"Young man, it's 43 yuan in total."
Li Haochen handed over a hundred-yuan bill and said with a smile, "Boss, please pack an extra pack of Yuxi cigarettes."
The cigarettes served as an introduction and a bridge for communication. After receiving the cigarettes, Li Haochen offered one to the middle-aged owner, and they began to chat with ease.
The man was very talkative. During their conversation, Li Haochen learned that his name was Huang Chao and that he was not a local. His family had lived in Yuancheng for many years. As they chatted, Li Haochen saw an opportune moment and asked, "Brother Huang, is this shop yours, or are you renting it?"
"It's rented; how could I afford to buy it? It's 1.8 million yuan. If I had that kind of money, I would have returned to my hometown to enjoy myself long ago."
"1.8 million? That's too... low," Li Haochen muttered in disbelief. Huang Chao, next to him, thought Li Haochen was intimidated by the high price.
"Yes, this stingy Yang is truly desperate for money. He dares to ask for 1.8 million. It's been listed with Wanhua Real Estate for so long, and he won't lower the price. Do you think he's foolish?"
"Yes... he's quite foolish. We should be going now. I wish you a prosperous business."
Leaving the fast food restaurant, Li Haochen didn't go to the stationery shop. Since he had received news about the fast food shop, he wanted to deal with that first. At only 1.8 million yuan, he felt uneasy without acting quickly.
He opened his "Devious Map," searched for Wanhua Real Estate, and found that there were only three branches in the entire Yuancheng. The nearest one was only a few hundred meters away. No car was needed; it was just a few minutes' walk.
Following the map, he turned left at two intersections and arrived. Although it was already eight in the evening, Wanhua Real Estate was still brightly lit. Looking through the glass windows, he saw only one person inside, likely out for a meal or on a business trip.
Just as he was about to walk in, Li Haochen was attracted by an advertisement posted outside the glass display case. His expression immediately turned excited.
"Everything is falling into place effortlessly, hehe!"
Li Haochen pushed open the door and walked in. The man playing "King of the Kill" looked up at Li Haochen. After a moment's hesitation, he put down the game he was about to win.
"Hello, how can I help you?"
"I want to acquire the row of shops to the left of the entrance to High School Number One. Please process the paperwork quickly."
"Oh, shops... what?"
The man looked at Li Haochen as if he had seen a ghost and abruptly stood up, somewhat flustered. "Sir... are you... not joking?"
"I don't have time for jokes. Please hurry with the paperwork; I'm in a hurry."
The man glanced at Li Haochen's calm expression again, then became excited. "Yes... yes, please have a seat. I'll notify the seller to come over. Please wait a moment."
The man quickly brought two cups of tea and then ran to the side with his phone to call the seller. During this time, he kept Li Haochen in his peripheral vision, afraid he might suddenly leave.
Soon, a thin, bald old man walked in. His small eyes revealed him to be a shrewd individual.
He surveyed the surroundings and walked directly towards Li Haochen, smiling and calling out, "Are you Mr. Li that Xiao Liu mentioned? A pleasure to meet you."
"Hello, Boss Yang!"
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Li Haochen got straight to the point. "Boss Yang, how about we sign the contract first?"
"Good, good, good!"
Xiao Liu, who was serving them, was incredibly excited. The contract had been prepared long ago, just waiting for Li Haochen to sign his name. Eight shops, a deal exceeding twenty million yuan. After this deal, he could earn a commission of nearly a million yuan, enough to buy two houses in Yuancheng.
Li Haochen examined it very carefully. Having seen more of the world now, he could judge the reasonableness and any potential issues in a contract at a glance. Moreover, with Ling Hanfeng here, anyone who dared to try and swindle him would have to be extremely bold.
After confirming that the contract was in order, he also checked the relevant documents brought by Yang Jin. Ten minutes later, after paying the deposit, Li Haochen and Yang Jin both signed the contract.
Thus, this transaction was completed. The subsequent procedures for tax payment and property transfer would be handled by the agency.
"Mr. Li is truly generous. It's a pleasure to cooperate!"
"Pleasure cooperating with you!"
"Mr. Li, if I may ask, are you purchasing these shops because you see potential in Yuancheng's development?"
"Something like that. Yuancheng still has quite a bit of potential, hehe!"
"Quite a bit of potential?"
Yang Jin could only offer a wry smile inwardly. He himself had been drawn to Yuancheng's unique geographical location, which had prompted him to sell all his family assets and invest here. However, ten years had passed, and there had been no development whatsoever. Although he had made some profit, it wasn't much, only slightly higher than a fixed deposit. If he had invested elsewhere, it might have tripled or quadrupled. In his regret, he was also grateful to Li Haochen for taking over this "trap" from him.
If Li Haochen knew that Yuancheng was on the verge of taking off, he might be so angered that he would spit blood.
"Then I wish Boss Li abundant wealth."
After Yang Jin left, Li Haochen turned to Liu Xinyuan and said, "Ah Yuan, you're a local, right?"
"Uh, yes, Boss Li. I'm a native of this place. Does the boss have any instructions?"
Liu Xinyuan was quite astute; he knew that Li Haochen wouldn't ask this without needing his help for something.
"It's like this, I'm not very familiar with this area and would like to find a local to guide me around. Do you happen to be free these few days?"
"Yes, I'm free, I'm free."
Liu Xinyuan agreed without hesitation. His intuition told him this was a chance to soar, and having just earned so much money, he felt obligated to help.
"We'll discuss anything else tomorrow. We're leaving now."
After Li Haochen and his companion left, Liu Xinyuan finally shouted out excitedly. The manager and a few colleagues who had just returned from eating were startled.
"Holy crap, Ah Yuan, what's gotten into you? Even if it's not payday this month, you don't have to act like this. Here, this is for you. We haven't forgotten your share, hehe!"