Chapter 46: Can You Stop Always Thinking About This…

Jiang Ran looked around; the foot traffic had clearly thinned out a lot.

Su Ruan did not answer immediately.

She stared at the vacant shop door, and in her mind, combining the recent observations with some vague memories from a past life, a thought gradually became clear.

She turned her head toward Jiang Ran, eyes sparkling: "Jiang Ran, you said… if we don't open a Game Hall, and we don't just resell clothes, what if we open a shop that specializes in making people look good, how about that?"

"Make them look good?" Jiang Ran was taken aback, not quite understanding.

"Right!" Su Ruan's tone grew excited, "You see, life is gradually getting better, people have a bit of spare cash, especially women—who doesn't want to dress up beautifully?"

"But state‑run barbershops look old‑fashioned, and independent barbers have uneven Handcraft."

"If we open a shop, we could do more than haircuts—we could create better hairstyles, and even… match people's clothing and do makeup!"

The more she spoke, the clearer her plan became: "We can find master craftsmen with good Handcraft who are willing to learn new styles, or train some young people."

"We should make the shop's environment nicer—clean and bright, with enthusiastic service."

"What about naming it… Image Design Studio or Fashion Gongzuoshi?"

"We would help customers find the hairstyles and clothing styles that suit them best, making them more confident and more beautiful!"

This concept was undoubtedly ahead of its time in the late 1980s.

Jiang Ran listened, his mouth agape; he had never thought of it.

"Make them look good" could even be a dedicated shop for business?

Could this work?

But looking at Su Ruan's confident, sparkling eyes and hearing her clear description, the restless, adventurous spirit in his heart was reignited.

Isn't this exactly what my dear said, "seeing opportunities that others haven't seen"?

"This idea is fresh…" Jiang Ran stroked his chin, pondering, "It sounds more interesting than flipping tapes or opening a Game Hall. But it needs capital, we still need staff, and a place to source goods…"

"We can slowly save up the capital, or see if we can persuade our parents to support a bit," Su Ruan said, "We can find staff; the key is that our concept must be new and the service good."

"As for supplies, we could first go south to scout, find high‑quality, new‑style fabrics and Ready‑made Clothing, and maybe even consider hiring a tailor to make exclusive designs."

"My dear, how did you come up with this? This idea is brilliant!" Jiang Ran, excited, grabbed Su Ruan, planted a fierce kiss on her cheek, "Let's do it! We'll open this!"

Su Ruan laughed at his teasing, pushed him away, scolding, "Stop fooling around, the street is full of people. But this is still just an idea; we still need to plan carefully."

"Planning! Must plan!" Jiang Ran rubbed his fists, eyes blazing, "Let's go home! We'll calculate everything properly!"

The two could no longer linger, and rode their bike back home at speed.

As soon as they entered, Jiang Ran hurriedly fetched paper and pen, spreading them on the living‑room table.

"First, money," Su Ruan sat down, looking serious, "renting a shop, renovation, purchasing stock, hiring staff… all need money."

"Our parents support us, but we can't rely entirely on the family. We need to calculate how much we can contribute ourselves and how much is still lacking."

Jiang Ran scratched his head, a bit embarrassed, "I… I've been goofing around these years, haven't saved much. I earned a bit from flipping stuff before, plus the red‑envelope money I saved before; all told… maybe just a few hundred yuan."

At that time it wasn't a trivial sum, but for opening a shop it was undoubtedly a drop in the bucket.

Su Ruan nodded; she had anticipated it.

The original owner was even penniless; she brought only her mother's Small Wooden Box when she married in.

"I have nothing on my side for now. So we may need to borrow some Startup Capital from our parents, or find a way to start small," Su Ruan said, "We can find staff; the key is that our concept must be new and the service good."

"Borrow!" Jiang Ran slapped the table, "I'll talk to my dad! If he refuses, I'll… I'll grind until he agrees!"

He still had a way with his old man.

Su Ruan smiled and continued, "Second, it's technology and people. Haircuts, styling, clothing matching—all require professionals."

"We are outsiders; we need to find reliable master craftsmen with good Handcraft, or nurture some talented young people."

"Leave that to me!" Jiang Ran volunteered, "I know many people—from all walks of life!"

"I'll go inquire, see if there are master craftsmen with good Handcraft who are willing to try new styles! Young people are easy to find; there are so many unemployed youths!"

"Hmm." Su Ruan wrote the words "technical talent" on the paper, "Third, supplies. Clothing, accessories, cosmetics. We need stable, fashionable, reasonably priced sourcing channels. The best way is to go south, for example to Guangzhou, to check it out."

"Go to Guangzhou?" Jiang Ran's eyes lit up; he had long heard the south develops fast and is trendy, "That's good! Once we have enough money, I'll take you there! We'll see the outside world!"

The two exchanged ideas, listing each possible problem and preparation needed for opening the shop; although many details were still rough, the overall framework gradually became clear.

Jiang Ran, for the first time, thought so earnestly about a "serious matter"; it felt far more exciting than playing games or billiards, especially watching Su Ruan's focused, logical analysis, filling his heart with pride and drive.

"We also need a shop name," Su Ruan put down the pen, smiling, "something loud and easy to remember."

"How about 'RanRuan Image Design'?" Jiang Ran blurted out, looking proud at Su Ruan, "Putting both our names in!"

Su Ruan felt a slight warmth, but shook her head, "Too straightforward, and it sounds a bit like a software company."

Su Ruan thought for a moment, then said, "How about just calling it Reconstruction Image Studio? It directly and powerfully expresses the concept of 'rebuilding, brand‑new,' what do you think?"

Jiang Ran pondered, "Both sound good! Still, my dear, you are cultured; I think 'Chongsu' is shorter and more memorable, very good!"

The preliminary plan made both of them blood‑pumping with excitement.

In the next few days, while the adults were away, they poured almost all their energy into this startup plan.

Jiang Ran began tapping his network, inquiring everywhere for reliable barber masters, even visiting several thriving independent barbershops and clothing stalls, secretly noting each one's strengths and weaknesses.

Su Ruan then started using the existing conditions, quietly conducting some experiments.

She fetched some old clothes, made simple alterations and pairings according to her taste, wore them for Jiang Ran to evaluate.

Each time Jiang Ran stared wide‑eyed, and finally just scooped her up: "My dear…"

As soon as his mouth opened, Su Ruan knew what he meant; she, cheeks reddening, stopped him, "Jiang Ran! We're talking about serious matters now, can you… can you stop always thinking about these!"