Chapter 694: Zhuang Shi Comes for Inspection

The money-making effect inside Ancient City has already stirred up a storm in Huaihai City.

The shop owners who had voluntarily withdrawn from Ancient City were so angry they vomited blood.

You should know, this huge fortune is so close to us, yet we failed to grab it.

Now business is hard to do,

Just think, in a few days you could earn a year's rent.

Who wouldn't go crazy?

Everyone began enthusiastically coming to our Ancient City Management Office to discuss renting shops.

Actually, when the event just started, I had already arranged staff to raise the rent for Ancient City shops to 150 per square meter, and it's a three-year lump sum.

150 per square meter is considered a high rent in Huaihai City.

Upon hearing the news of our rent increase,

The shop owners who had already rented our shops would wake up laughing in their dreams.

Before and after, they wondered how much money they had made.

Even at 150 per square meter, they couldn't snag it.

They really couldn't get it.

That's the reality laid out.

Ancient City covers less than how many square meters of area, with over 900 shops.

There are several thousand shop owners rushing to grab Ancient City's shops.

Besides the original merchants, even those not in business have started to think about it.

As long as you rent a shop in Ancient City, you can make money,

This saying has deeply entered the hearts of Huaihai people.

They frantically scramble to rent shops.

Then they sublet them and still make money.

In just a few days before the year, the pure rent income of Ancient City reached over twenty million.

Of course, I didn't touch that money; I let the city's accountants directly collect it.

Following this line of thought, the second phase will definitely be developed as quickly as possible.

In short, everything about Ancient City is developing in a good direction.

Although I have never met Zhuang Shi in person,

but I believe his heart must be blooming with joy.

That's exactly the effect he wants.

Tomorrow is Little New Year.

By then, there will be even more people during Little New Year.

I decided to increase the scale of the lottery a bit more.

That is, add twenty more people.

I discussed with Li Jia, planning to keep this lottery model going until after the fifteenth of the first lunar month.

After the fifteenth of the first lunar month, we will gradually withdraw from Huaihai City's Ancient City.

We also haven't signed a contract with Director Guo of Huaihai City, nor paid any rent.

I am purely helping Zhuang Shi.

And I am helping him with real money.

The rent paid was collected by the accountants he sent,

we still have to put up cash to run the activities and pay wages.

Actually, if we stay here too long, Director Guo will have ideas.

We might as well, while Ancient City's business is at its best, hand over its operation to him,

then he will be overjoyed.

As for how Ancient City's business will be in the future, we can't control much of it.

I was calculating in my mind.

At that moment, my phone rang,

I saw it was a call from Secretary Wu,

I hurriedly answered the phone,

"Hello, Secretary Wu, what instructions do you have?"

"Mr. Zhao, tomorrow is Little New Year; Zhuang Shi wants to come inspect Ancient City, and by the way celebrate Little New Year together with the ordinary people of Huaihai."

"You need to get ready." Secretary Wu arranged.

"Secretary Wu, I want to ask, how many people will Zhuang Shi bring, and who will be responsible for his security?"

"You don't need to worry about security; just take Zhuang Shi around Ancient City, and then let him personally participate in the lottery segment." Secretary Wu said.

"Okay, Secretary Wu, I'll arrange it right now." I said and then hung up.

I quickly called Li Jia and Qian Director over,

and told them that Zhuang Shi will come to inspect Ancient City tomorrow.

We need to receive them.

"Zhuang Shi is coming, but there are so many people now—how are we going to receive them?" Li Jia shook her head.

"I not only need to receive them, but also receive them with something special. Hey, Qian Director, what customs does Huaihai have for Little New Year?" I asked Qian Director.

"Yes, here for Little New Year we generally offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God."

Qian Director said, "The saying goes, on the 23rd, the candy sticks. In the past we mainly ate homemade malt sugar. Nowadays we generally just buy some candy to eat from the supermarket."

I nod,

"Now we're short on time; if making malt sugar is already too late."

"We can do it like this tomorrow."

Zhuang Shi will participate in tomorrow's lottery segment; after he finishes the draw, therefore after winning,

We will give each winner a bag of beautifully packaged candy.

This is Zhuang Shi's feeling, making ordinary Huaihai people feel it.

Tomorrow we can also tell everyone entering the Ancient City that if they spend over one thousand yuan, the Ancient City can give two bags of candy, and we'll all celebrate the Little New Year together.

"Mr. Zhao, may I say a couple of sentences?" Li Jia looked at me and said.

"Sure, go ahead, Li Jia; if you have any opinions, just bring them up directly." I said.

"Mr. Zhao, are we being suckers? They've taken all the money."

I just received a notice from the city: the remaining houses are no longer for rent, and they plan to raise the price.

Yet we spend our own money to run events, boosting the Ancient City's popularity.

According to the agreement, 20% of this rent belongs to us. As a result, I went to demand it.

"They simply don't acknowledge it. What's going on? I'm really angry." Li Jia said, fuming.

I listened to Li Jia finish speaking and smiled.

Li Jia, if you can't tolerate small things, you'll ruin big plans.

This money comes from me personally; you don't need to ask. We're just helping Zhuang Shi.

As for that agreement, if they want to give, they give; if not, we forget it.

We just need to do our own thing; no need to ask about the rest. After the New Year, I'll have arrangements.

Li Jia, hearing me say that, didn't want to say more, and went out to prepare the event products.

"Zhao Ge, do you mean we'll withdraw after the New Year?" Qian Director asked.

Old Qian, helping someone can only be temporary, not lifelong. Helping for a long time is what's expected. We're now spending money and effort to make connections with Zhuang Shi.

You've followed me for so long; my way of doing things is just like this.

These days, being here has also given us a good tempering; next step our work will be easy to carry out. I sighed.

Qian Director nods.

"Zhao Ge, I understand your meaning; some things don't need explanation. However you arrange things, I'll follow. You leave, I'll also withdraw. If this Ancient City is handed over to Huaihai people to manage, it will surely collapse within three months." Qian Director also said with a smile.

I smile.

"Qian Director, as long as we know what to do in our hearts, just get the work done."

No need to ask about the rest.

If we don't leave, others will have ideas. However, us brothers being able to cooperate again, we should also thank this Ancient City.

Yeah, being able to work together with Zhao Ge is the happiest thing.

Qian Director also said with a smile.

Tomorrow Zhuang Shi is coming, plus it's the Little New Year; I arranged for Ding Li to lead the Security Team and redecorate the Ancient City with some more lights.

Making the Ancient City full of charm.

The next day, Zhuang Shi came as promised, bringing Bureau Chief Guo and other leaders.

They marched mightily into the Ancient City.

They had their own dedicated security team.

I feared something might happen, so I also had Ding Li specially follow and protect them.

Mainly because there are too many tourists inside the Ancient City.

We can't just stop business to welcome Zhuang Shi.

If we were to stop business, I believe those shop owners would jump up and curse.

Even Zhuang Shi's ancestors' coffin boards would scold.

Under the protection of security personnel, Zhuang Shi walked into the Ancient City.

I hurriedly squeezed up to Zhuang Shi and proactively extended my hand.

Zhuang Shi, welcome. Come to inspect the Ancient City.

Zhuang Shi saw me, laughed heartily and said: "Jianqiang, look how hard it is for us to enter the Ancient City, why are there so many people?"