Chapter 65

Zhou Andong stood at the busiest intersection on Central Avenue, which was also the very center of the Jiangzhou business district.

The Department Store, Zhongxing Commercial Building, Maoye Mall, and Sun Plaza each occupied a corner of the intersection, standing like the legs of a tripod.

Directly in front of Zhou Andong was Sun Plaza, which occupied the southwest corner. His position was due north, right at the main entrance of Sun Plaza; from here, one could go directly up to the second floor, and not far to the side was an underground entrance.

In his memory, in 1996, a disco would open in the basement of Sun Plaza. It would be the first disco in Jiangzhou in the true sense, and business would be so explosively popular that it would be hard to believe. But for now, the basement was still a warehouse.

Zhou Andong circled around to the east side. This was the first-floor entrance, with about seven hundred square meters inside, all selling small commodities. But now, many merchants had moved to the newly opened Small Commodity Wholesale City, leaving only a few stragglers here; there wasn't a single customer, and it was estimated that it would close down soon. Two years later, a fast-food restaurant would open here—actually, it was just boxed lunches—and it would be explosively popular for over a decade.

Zhou Andong wandered around for a circle. Whether it was the location or the area, it was the best choice, but the rent definitely wouldn't be cheap. Added to that were the renovations and equipment, which would likely cost nearly one hundred thousand. The little bonus he got from selling liquor was clearly not enough.

Zhou Andong scratched his head and muttered, "Young Master Gu, you must have saved the galaxy in your past life, which is why you met me in this life to bring you along to show off and soar. When you have time, you must go home and check your ancestral grave to see if it's emitting blue smoke."

Sun Plaza belonged to the property of the Mining Bureau of the Linhe District. Zhou Andong found the leader to discuss the rent, but he didn't expect the other party to demand eighty thousand the moment he opened his mouth, not a penny less. Zhou Andong turned and left. Two or three years later, this price would be about right, but now they were treating him like a sucker.

However, he didn't give up. He went for several consecutive days, guarding outside every day. The leader got a headache just seeing him; it was the first time he had encountered such a shameless person, and in the end, he had no choice but to invite him into the office.

"I say, little comrade, this rent of eighty thousand is not high. If rented to merchants selling small commodities, the annual rent is about this much."

"Leader!" Zhou Andong took a China-brand cigarette out of his pocket and handed it over, then diligently lit it for him. "I've calculated it; it's only a little over seventy thousand. And they are all individual merchants; your annual management expenses are also quite high. If you rent it to me, you won't have to worry about anything; you can just collect the money."

The leader sighed: "Seventy is my bottom line."

Zhou Andong said: "I looked at it that day; there are eight cleaners in total. You can leave them to me; they will still be employees of the commercial building, but I will pay their wages, and they will only be higher than they are now, not lower."

The leader thought for a moment: "Seventy thousand!"

Zhou Andong shook his head: "Sixty thousand!"

The leader refused without even thinking: "No, are you joking with me?"

"Don't be in such a hurry to refuse!" Zhou Andong said with a smile: "Do you know what I'm going to do?"

The leader said: "Aren't you going to do catering?"

"Right!" Zhou Andong said: "But what I'm opening is not Chinese food, but Western food."

"Wes... Western food?" The leader's eyes widened instantly, "You're not joking?"

Zhou Andong said: "I come here every day; you are busy, and I am not that idle."

The leader was silent. Zhou Andong's big deceiver skill began to come online: "Have you heard of KFC and McDonald's?"

The leader shook his head: "Western food?"

In April, McDonald's had just opened in the capital. This was also the first time Western fast food had entered the country, so now, not to mention understanding it, not many people even knew about it.

Zhou Andong smiled. It was good that he hadn't heard of it. He continued to deceive: "Right, but unlike traditional Western food, this is a new style of Western food that ordinary people can afford."

The leader's eyes lit up: "You are opening this kind of Western restaurant?"

"Of course!" Zhou Andong said: "Just think, this first Western restaurant in Jiangzhou, located in Sun Plaza, invisibly raises the style of the mall. The Department Store, Zhongxing Commercial Building, and Maoye Mall—what do they have to compare with?"

The leader was truly moved. If a Western restaurant opened in Sun Plaza, his face would be very glorious.

In this era, as long as it was a foreign thing, it would be sought after. It wasn't just ordinary people; the leaders were the same.

"When can it open?"

A trace of an imperceptible smile appeared on Zhou Andong's face: "You handle the remaining merchants, and I will start renovations after the New Year. If things go smoothly, it can open in March."

The leader frowned: "Such a long time?"

Zhou Andong said: "The renovation of a Western restaurant must be exquisite, and some equipment can only be bought in the capital or Shanghai."

The leader suddenly realized: "Any other requirements?"

"It's done!" Zhou Andong shouted in his heart, "If the rent could be a little lower..."

The leader smiled and pointed at Zhou Andong: "Sixty-five thousand, it can't be any lower. If it's any lower, I won't be able to explain it."

Zhou Andong also smiled and gave a compliment: "Leader, although I've been running around for several days, I truly admire and respect you. You have principles, but you aren't rigid, and you know how to be flexible. How fortunate we are in Jiangzhou to have a leader like you."

The leader laughed out loud. This compliment made the leader feel very comfortable: "You kid, alright, I've been annoyed to death by you these past few days, hurry up and go, I should get off work too."

Zhou Andong returned home and began to design the renovation plan. He had thought about opening a fast-food or hot-pot restaurant, and the profits were also very high, but the corresponding investment costs were also very high, especially chef training, which he would definitely have to do himself; it was too troublesome. So he thought of Western fast food, which would definitely be sought after by young people, and the profit margin could reach an astonishing sixty or seventy percent, and it would be pure profit.

Of course, he didn't need to think about KFC and McDonald's, because that was simply unrealistic. So he thought of Dicos, a brand under the Ting Hsin International Group, which wouldn't be established until 1996.

In his previous life, he had franchised one. Although the marinade was all distributed by the headquarters, in the internet era, the recipe wasn't a secret either. He had mixed it himself, and the taste was about the same. Especially since no one in this era had eaten it yet, who could say that what he made wasn't authentic?

On January 18th, that old man had already boarded the train heading south. Zhou Andong got up, raised his hands toward the morning sun in the east, and let out a roar.

"The horn of spring has sounded, and my era has arrived."

"Little bastard!" Yuan Liying lifted the curtain of the outer room, "What kind of madness are you acting out early in the morning?"

Zhou Andong rubbed his nose in embarrassment, silently turned around to go into the room to brush his teeth and wash his face. After finishing breakfast, it was already past nine o'clock. He had just arrived at the main gate, wanting to go out for a stroll, when he saw Gu Bing's 212 driving over.

With a creak, the 212 stopped beside Zhou Andong. Jian Qiu rolled down the car window: "Hurry up and get in the car."

Zhou Andong asked: "What's wrong?"

Jian Qiu said: "Don't dawdle, hurry up, there's a big event."