"But if you're buying a car, you can come to me. A classmate of mine works at a 4S dealership.
He's a manager there, so while I can't guarantee huge discounts, at least you won't get ripped off, and you'll have peace of mind regarding future maintenance. You won't have to worry about the dealership passing the buck.
I bought my Mercedes through him, and it saved me tens of thousands. You know, car dealerships don't make much profit from selling cars.
Their real money comes from insurance, registration, loans, and after-sales service.
If you were buying a luxury car like a Porsche 911, I estimate he could save you around fifty thousand.
It might not be a massive amount, but it's better than paying full price."
"Okay, I'll contact you when I'm ready to buy a car!" Liu Yifeng knew that these days, having a contact was crucial for anything you bought, otherwise, you'd easily be taken advantage of, even sold something without realizing it while happily counting the money.
Soon, the two arrived at the Long Teng Grand Hotel. As soon as they entered, the lobby manager, Xie Yuning, greeted them with a smile. "Mr. Liu, welcome! Have you booked a private room? If not, I can arrange one for you right away."
"No need to trouble you. We've already spoken to Manager Wan in advance, and he's reserved a room for us," Liu Yifeng said with a smile.
"Which room? I'll escort you up!" Xie Yuning knew how much the general manager valued Mr. Liu, so he didn't dare to neglect him.
Liu Yifeng waved his hand. "No need to bother. We can go up ourselves!"
"Alright. If you need anything, please find me; I'll be in the lobby!" Xie Yuning, afraid of offending Liu Yifeng, didn't insist.
As they walked upstairs, Liu Kaichen remarked, "Yifeng, you're practically a VIP here. Even the lobby manager has to bow and scrape when he sees you."
"It's not because of me. It's just how people in the service industry are. After all, the customer is God," Liu Yifeng said. He actually disliked this kind of attention, as it made him feel quite uncomfortable.
He knew Yifeng was being humble. While the customer is indeed God, not everyone can be treated as such.
In this day and age, how many people judge others based on their appearance? If you didn't have some skill or influence, who would humble themselves before others?
The two arrived at the private room, and a server entered with the menu.
"Yifeng, order whatever you like. Don't be shy!" Liu Kaichen placed the menu in front of Liu Yifeng.
Although Liu Yifeng had initially said he'd fleece Liu Kaichen, it was all in jest.
He ordered three dishes and one soup, along with a large bottle of soft drink.
"Look at you, you're embarrassing me. You're ordering this little for a meal I'm treating you to? You're not even ordering any alcohol. Did you forget I said we should drink until we're drunk?" Liu Kaichen said, then picked up the menu and ordered two more substantial dishes and a bottle of Wuliangye.
"It's just the two of us; how can we eat this many dishes? Plus, I have to pick up Tongtong from kindergarten this afternoon, so I can't drink!" Liu Yifeng tried to stop him.
"If we don't finish, we'll pack it up. I'll take it back to my apartment to reheat later. As for drinking, don't worry, it'll be out of your system by afternoon.
If worst comes to worst, I'll arrange for someone to pick up Tongtong, and you and Tongtong can stay with me tonight!"
With that, he handed the menu to the server and instructed her to make the arrangements.
While the two waited for the food to arrive, Wan Hui walked in, holding a bottle of Maotai.
"Brother Liu, I heard you were coming. I specifically took leave from the boss for lunch so we can have a good drink."
"Manager Wan, my cousin is here to accompany me. I wouldn't want to disrupt your work!"
"I finally got an afternoon off. Are you really going to send me back to work?" Wan Hui plopped down next to Liu Yifeng.
"Manager Wan, it's perfect timing. The three of us can easily finish this bottle of baijiu," Liu Kaichen said with a smile.
Seeing the determined look on both their faces, Liu Yifeng knew this lunch drinking session was unavoidable.
"Manager Wan, your hotel is really doing well. I just came up from downstairs, and it's already full before noon," Liu Kaichen changed the subject.
Wan Hui patted Liu Yifeng's shoulder. "This is all thanks to your cousin. Without his vegetables, we wouldn't have such good business today."
Wan Hui was always grateful to Liu Yifeng.
"That's right. A few days ago, the owner of Jingtian Grand Hotel approached my brother and me, wanting to buy my brother's vegetables at the same price as your hotel.
But my brother refused them outright. Their actions clearly aimed to steal your business.
My brother is a loyal and righteous person. Since your boss helped me so much, he wouldn't put your hotel in a difficult position for money," Liu Kaichen intentionally brought this up to remind Wan Hui of Yifeng's kindness.
Wan Hui hadn't expected the owner of Jingtian Grand Hotel to approach Liu Yifeng again. He was deeply grateful for Liu Yifeng's actions. "Brother Liu, purely for your character, I must propose a toast to you first."
"It's a matter of reciprocity. If you are good to me, I will be good to you.
In life, you can't be too focused on money. People of integrity, no matter where they go, will have good fortune.
So, Manager Wan, you don't need to be overly grateful to me. If I had initially sold my vegetables to someone else, I would have acted the same way, not doing anything that would harm your hotel's interests for the sake of money." Liu Yifeng said.
But the more he said this, the more grateful Wan Hui became.
Few people in this world could resist such temptation.
After all, Liu Yifeng was making over a hundred thousand yuan a day. By refusing Jingtian Grand Hotel, he was essentially turning down over two hundred thousand yuan in daily income.
Over two hundred thousand yuan a day – what a staggering figure.
Even he wasn't sure if he could maintain his principles, which was why he admired Liu Yifeng so much.
"Brother Liu, to repay the kindness you've shown me, I have a way to make money. Are you interested?" This was his main reason for coming.
Liu Yifeng's interest was immediately piqued. "What kind of opportunity?"
Liu Kaichen also perked up his ears, listening intently. After all, as the general manager of a five-star hotel, he had extensive connections and might know some inside information.
Wan Hui poured some more wine into his glass and continued, "You know the old town area, right?"
"Yes, I do. What about the old town?" Liu Yifeng asked curiously.
The old town was the earliest developed district in their city and currently the most dilapidated.
There were still many self-built houses there, which were worth very little.
Most of the residents were laborers, as the rent was cheap, only three to four hundred yuan a month.
"If my information is reliable, demolition notices will be issued there within three months. Those living there will receive substantial compensation.
Although it's the old town and the houses aren't worth much, the location is excellent!
If we get ahead of the demolition, buying a few properties there could yield significant profits!" Wan Hui said mysteriously.
Liu Yifeng: "Is this information reliable? What if they don't demolish, and our money goes down the drain?"
"It should be true. I have an old friend who works in the municipal government. He's quite close to the mayor's secretary. During a drinking session, the secretary, having had a bit too much, accidentally let slip about this.
My friend then told me. However, you absolutely must not spread this around.
If it gets out, my friend could be investigated and lose his job, and they might even revoke the demolition notice!" Wan Hui warned, despite feeling comfortable with them, he couldn't help but caution them.
It was best to be careful with matters like these.
Liu Yifeng and Liu Kaichen nodded, assuring him they wouldn't disclose the information.
"Honestly, it's about time the old town got redeveloped. The houses there really affect the city's appearance," Liu Kaichen commented.
However, this was just speculation; concrete information was still needed.
Liu Yifeng pondered for a moment. "If the news is reliable, we should buy a few more properties there. It would be a shame to miss out."
"That's my thinking too. Even if they don't demolish, the houses will still be there as assets.
Besides, that area is bound to be redeveloped, sooner or later."
"Manager Wan is right. Property values will increase significantly in the future. The opportunity is here now, and if we hesitate, we'll never get rich," Liu Kaichen was never one to be timid.
As long as an opportunity presented itself, he would seize it firmly.
What's more, this was a real estate investment, a project that was guaranteed not to lose money.
At most, it would just take longer for demolition, but the houses would still exist.
Even if he didn't live to see the demolition, he was confident his son would.
Liu Yifeng also considered that it made sense. For a city to develop and improve, it first had to change its appearance.
After all, it was the city's face; an attractive exterior would draw tourists.
Otherwise, who would spend money to visit a remote, impoverished place?
"Brother Liu, what do you think? Dare we go big?" Wan Hui asked.
"What do you mean by 'go big'?" Liu Yifeng asked Wan Hui, a look of confusion on his face.