Chapter 77: Public is public, private is private

Chen Yang booked two rooms at a hotel near Xinhe Building for Shen Anna and Luo Xue to rest.

Keeping Shen Anna in the office would definitely make Yexin nag nonstop. Since she didn't want to go back to Yexin's villa, Chen Yang could only arrange a hotel near the company. With Luo Xue, Shen Anna's old colleague, keeping an eye on her, there wouldn't be any major issues.

However, Shen Anna had Chen Yang book six rooms, saying four more people would come later. They were all her former classmates and colleagues.

One room costs 100 yuan, so six rooms are 600 yuan. Since they were all summoned from out of town and will need to stay long-term, calculating at the monthly rate, six hundred per day equals eighteen thousand per month.

This is only for Shen Anna and her friends. If more people are hired later, the cost will be even higher.

Sister Anna, I have an empty unit in Sunshine Garden Community. Would the company be interested in renting it to renovate as staff dormitories?

Shen Anna didn't quite understand Chen Yang's meaning. She asked him, puzzled: "Boss, why not just fix up your house and let us live there? Why does the company need to rent it?"

Chen Yang said: "Public is public, private is private. The house is my personal property; I can rent it to the company or to private individuals. If I let the company use it for free, wouldn't I be losing a source of income?"

"You mean using the company's money to renovate your house, then paying rent to use your house as a dormitory?" Shen Anna instantly grasped Chen Yang's meaning, but it still felt weird.

"Exactly!" Chen Yang nodded. "Rest assured, I won't take advantage of the company; the renovation costs can later be offset against rent."

Shen Anna felt Chen Yang's proposal was feasible—rent is rent, no need to oppose her boss over such a trivial matter.

Moreover, Chen Yang's house is still a bare shell, so they can renovate it according to their ideas, making it more comfortable to live in later.

However, Shen Anna still had some questions that needed Chen Yang to clarify.

"Where will we stay before the house is renovated?"

Chen Yang said: "You can arrange that yourself—stay at a hotel or rent a few finished units nearby as a temporary solution."

"Then let's stay at a hotel first!" Shen Anna didn't want to waste too much time looking for housing, choosing the most convenient lifestyle.

Chen Yang then went back to the front desk, bargained with the hotel manager, and finally secured the six rooms for 12,000 yuan per month.

After handing the room key to Shen Anna, he drove home to rest.

"Anna, our boss isn't the monster you described—he's outright a demon. The company hasn't even gotten off the ground, yet he's already scheming to make money off it and suck its blood. Doing this, can the company last?" Luo Xue was dissatisfied with Chen Yang's behavior.

Shen Anna disagreed with Luo Xue's view. She said: "Chen Yang has the right to rent his house to any unit or individual. Since the renovation costs can be offset by rent, there's no taking advantage of the company."

"Even if we step back, the company is fundamentally his; any loss would be his loss. As employees, what do we have to worry about?"

"That's the reasoning..." Luo Xue said with a hint of worry: "But he's so calculating—won't we end up being exploited to death?"

Shen Anna laughed: "The boss being a bit shrewd isn't a bad thing for the company. Besides, he's not the kind of person you imagine; he's actually quite kind and generous. Once you get to know him better, you'll change your current impression."

"Hopefully!" Luo Xue pursed her lips. She had quit her job at a foreign corporation and come a long way to join Shen Anna in undertaking a great venture. If the new boss is hard to get along with, that would truly be unpleasant.

Not long after Chen Yang returned home, he received a call from Zhao Xiaoli, who said she had already scouted a few decent shops and asked when he was free to take a look.

Chen Yang had been driving all day, exhausted in body and mind, so he agreed with her to go again the next morning.

After a while, Shen Anna called again, asking whether he would go to the company tomorrow to meet the new staff. Since Chen Yang had already made an appointment with Zhao Xiaoli to view the premises, he asked her to postpone the meeting by one day.

After hanging up with Shen Anna, Su Mingyue's call came in. She said she had a few stocks to recommend to Chen Yang.

Chen Yang also refused. He had been keeping an eye on the stock market during his recent rest, and the overall situation was not good. The Xingcheng Heavy Industry stock he had bought earlier had risen to over twenty yuan before starting to fall back; now it's only around sixteen yuan. It's obvious this is not a good time to play the stock market. Su Mingyue, who had shifted from mainly promoting Xingcheng Heavy Industry to recommending several other stocks, has clearly seen her confidence shaken by this sluggish market. At this point, it's not the time to re-enter the stock market.

Thump thump thump

A rapid knocking sounded from outside the door. Chen Yang guessed it might be Liu Qingqing, so he opened the door—only to find Su Mingyue standing there.

"Su Mingyue, you still live here?"

Su Mingyue explained: "Yeah, Qingqing's place has several vacant rooms, so I moved over."

Chen Yang, feeling a bit tired, told her: "I've been busy lately; handle the stock matters yourself as you see fit."

Su Mingyue hesitated: "That's not right! I need to be responsible for your funds."

Chen Yang thought for a moment and said: "Of the stocks you recommended, buy the one you think is the least promising!"

"Huh??" Su Mingyue was bewildered, completely unable to fathom Chen Yang's behavior. "Why?"

Chen Yang couldn't explain future matters to her. He could only say: "This is my advice. If you're willing to listen, buy a little to try it out; if not, just stay empty-handed."

Su Mingyue was disappointed with Chen Yang's explanation. Unwilling to go back to Liu Qingqing's place, she had been indecisive, and after chatting with Chen Yang she dared not buy any. As a result, she missed a good opportunity to show herself.

After confirming she wouldn't come back, Chen Yang closed the door. He had left twenty million yuan untouched in his account, meant for Su Mingyue to practice with. As long as she didn't lose too much, he believed he could earn it back. But Su Mingyue seemed to have lost the confidence she had when she first introduced him to stocks. This left him feeling a bit regretful.

Chen Yang currently has enough capital to live comfortably for the rest of his life and doesn't want to overwork himself. If Su Mingyue is willing to help him watch the stock market, as long as there's promise, he'll gladly cooperate.

The IPO plan of the Old Hundreds Agricultural Products Trading Company—if Shen Anna and her team give it their all, Chen Yang also has no intention of interfering. Professional matters should be left to professionals. Since Shen Anna is professional, this half-baked boss of his has no need to meddle. Apart from the mandatory meetings, signatures, and capital injections, Chen Yang doesn't plan to spend too much time at the company.