NOVEL NEXT Chapter 171: Surprise
"Right!" Zhao Lizhong nodded and said, "I've already picked out a chef from a restaurant, but he's in BJ and I plan to offer him a high salary to bring him over. What do you think?"
"Sure!" Xiao Han immediately nodded, saying, "If you think his cooking skills are good, then bring him over."
"Okay!" Zhao Lizhong nodded and said, "The guy's chef certificate is of national level, and it's said that he worked at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse for a while before he was poached by a five-star restaurant. To poach him, I estimate it'll cost at least a monthly salary of over thirty thousand, plus commission."
Hiss...
All those present couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air.
"The salary is too high," Yang Lu hastily shook her head, saying, "The chef we have now only gets nine thousand, and with commission, he only takes thirteen thousand a month. Your guy will cost thirty thousand, and that's before commission, which I'm guessing won't be a low percentage either?"
"It all depends on what his skills are like," Zhao Lizhong chuckled and then said, "His chef certificate is the highest grade, and plus, he's still working at a five-star hotel now. You really can't poach him without thirty thousand. Then there are relationships to consider. If it wasn't me going, I reckon he definitely wouldn't leave his current place."
"Brother Zhao, listen to me, as long as he's willing to come, the price can be negotiated!" said Xiao Han immediately, "No pain, no gain; if we skimp on costs, we won't make money."
"I believe that if we're going to do it, we should do it to the best," Zhao Lizhong smiled and said, "Now that we have the successful experience of Store No. 1, opening the Second Store should be relatively simple. Plus, having the support of a five-star hotel chef, I see no reason for failure."
"Hmm!" Xiao Han nodded.
At this point, Li Dapang spoke up, "You guys decide, I don't know anything about this stuff anyway."
"I feel so much pressure!" Yang Lu took a deep breath and said, "If we can achieve the level of success of Store No. 1, I won't have to worry about losing money. But what if we can't reach the level of Store No. 1? If the daily turnover is just a few thousand, we'll definitely be at a loss, with utilities, gas, labor... all these expenses are astronomical."
"Since we're in the catering business, we should be optimistic about the future!" Xiao Han said earnestly, "If it takes off, we'll definitely make a fortune. If not, with the turnover of Store No. 1, we don't have to worry about losing money at all."
After thinking it over, Yang Lu felt there was some truth to it. She contemplated for a moment and finally said softly, "Well, if we're going to gamble, let's go all-in. It won't be the end of the world!"
In the end, the group reached an agreement. They decided to poach the chef from BJ. It would be up to Yang Lu to find a suitable location in the city center.
Finding a suitable venue in the city center was indeed difficult. First, it needed to be in a good location and also be large. Ideally, it should have two floors.
The success of Store No. 1 greatly encouraged Yang Lu, and she quickly handed over the management of Store No. 1 to Liu Xiaolei. She then started to prepare for the opening of the Second Store. The total investment for Store No. 1 was just over a million, and it was expected to break even in about two to three months.
Thus, they didn't need to worry about funding at all.
Keep in mind, there was still nearly twenty million in funds lying idle in the account of Hanmen Technology. With so much capital, if they didn't invest it quickly, the money would only depreciate in the bank and continue to evaporate in value.
......
Five Thousand Years Entertainment Club.
Recently, Liu Si had been keeping an eye on Xiao Han's movements. After all, he had put down twenty million, and according to market valuations, forty-nine percent of Hanmen Technology could not possibly be worth twenty million. Liu Si was more interested in Xiao Han's abilities and intelligence.
So, Liu Si had been paying attention to Hanmen's development. When he learned that Xiao Han was getting into catering, Liu Si was quite disappointed. After all, the speed of making money in the catering industry is not fast, just tens of thousands a month. Such a small amount of money is beneath Liu Si's notice.
Gradually, he became disappointed in Xiao Han, and started to care less about him, originally thinking that he would provide a big surprise, but it turned out this kid was a huge letdown.
Although Xiao Han had a business vision, he was too conventional, which limited his own development.
However, it wasn't until the opening of Hanmen Catering Store No. 1 that Liu Si realized Xiao Han actually had some real skills.
"Fourth Master!" Li Shan rushed in from outside, all in a hurry.
"What's going on?" asked Liu Si.
"The data's out!" said Li Shan eagerly.
"Oh?" Liu Si was startled, asking curiously, "How is it? How are the profits of Hanmen Catering?"
"It's been a week, and the profits are really significant," Li Shan said with a sly smile, "It seems we underestimated Xiao Han."
"Let's hear it!" Li Shan tapped his crossed legs, then said, "How's everything with Hanmen this week? Is it still good?"
"Indeed, it was impressive," Li Shan hurriedly said. "I heard that on the first day, the revenue reached seventy to eighty thousand, and the following few days were not much worse. In the first week, they earned nearly four hundred thousand. I predict that this month's profit will probably exceed one million."
"Wow," Liu Si exclaimed in shock upon hearing this. "Can a lousy restaurant generate such considerable profit?"
"Absolutely!" Li Shan nodded vigorously and then added, "Moreover, I've heard they're planning on opening a second branch. This one aims to go upmarket, and they're looking to poach a top chef from a five-star hotel in BJ!"
"Have they gone mad?" Liu Si said in astonishment. "Is high-end really the route they can afford to take? The Sheraton has already killed all the high-end restaurants in LJ City. Having that one hotel is enough. If they try to go high-end as well, I reckon it's going to be tough!"
"Maybe not!" Li Shan chuckled, then said, "Maybe they'll succeed!"
"Why?" Liu Si asked.
"Because he's Xiao Han!" Li Shan's lips curled up into a slight smile as he continued, "Fourth Master, haven't you noticed that Xiao Han always seems to create a bit of a surprise? We never thought this restaurant would take off, but not only did he do well, the business is particularly booming. Now, many people in LJ City are flocking to it.
I estimate that in the coming months, Xiao Han is likely to make a killing."
"Hmm," Liu Si nodded and said, "This young man is indeed capable, and he also has foresight. To think he dared to set a restaurant in such a remote location, and yet the business is so bustling, tsk tsk, impressive!"
"Heh heh, we're taking half the money every month too," Li Shan chuckled, adding, "From Hanmen, we can also take a share of several hundred thousand a month."
"I don't care about that bit of money!" Liu Si shook his head and said, "What I really value is Xiao Han's ability. Right now, Xiao Han's business is still in its infancy. I believe his ambition doesn't stop here; sooner or later, he is bound to grow into a fierce and powerful entity."
"Right!" Li Shan nodded in agreement.
Liu Si hadn't expected that Xiao Han would manage to make such an out-of-the-way restaurant so successful, and the business was exceptionally good. Its popularity was so high that it was unbelievable, even to the extent that many restaurants in LJ City secretly went to learn from Hanmen Catering.
The success of Hanmen Catering indeed made many people envious.
......
At the Hanmen Training Class, things were also brewing and fermenting. Li Yunpeng had already lined up five or six retired teachers, each of them resolute in their decision to return to the workforce to join Hanmen, to continue exploiting their residual heat on the lectern.
"Xiao Han, should we expand our enrollment?" Li Dapang curiously asked.
"I've been considering this issue too," Xiao Han spoke, "I plan to open two more classes, setting each class to fifty students, and name the classes 'College Entrance Examination Sprint Classes,' exclusively for high school seniors preparing for the college entrance exams. Furthermore, we'll set a standard: we won't enroll students who score below four hundred on mock exams!"
"Damn, you're really picky, aren't you!" Li Dapang looked at Xiao Han in surprise and said, "You're literally turning down money, do you know that?"
"Heh heh..." Xiao Han chuckled and then responded, "Exactly, I am turning down money. I don't want to tarnish Hanmen's brand just for the sake of making money. Students scoring below four hundred won't see much improvement within just a month, and it's pointless. Besides, if we accidentally recruit some troublemakers, it could ruin the entire class."
"I get it." Li Dapang nodded earnestly and said, "You mean to say, students scoring over four hundred could potentially fight for a second-tier college with a month's worth of sprinting and hard work." Experience more on empire
"Right!" Xiao Han nodded and said, "If we can push a few students from the four hundred range up to the second-tier college threshold, that would definitely boost Hanmen's reputation and fame hugely."
"Right!" Li Dapang nodded.
News spread fast that Hanmen was expanding its enrollment.
As soon as the news broke out, it shocked everyone. Hanmen Training Class was actually expanding its enrollment. Many parents didn't even wait for their children to get out of school, they rushed to Hanmen Training Class's office to queue up and register. However, many fell at the hurdle of the score line.
"What?" A chubby man with a fat head and large ears roared in anger, "Are you fucking serious about turning down money? What's wrong with my son scoring three hundred and fifty? Does that mean he can't go to school, can't take the college entrance exam? And you won't accept him!"
"Sir, I'm sorry, but we have our rules!" The staff responded seriously, "We universally do not accept any students scoring below four hundred."
"You scoundrels!" The chubby man bellowed, "This is discrimination, this is looking down on people!"
Regardless of how much the man made a scene, the staff would not enroll his child. In the end, the man left, his face red with rage.
A large number of students who did not meet the score line were excluded. The two classes, comprising a total of one hundred students, filled up within a single afternoon. This showed just how well-regarded Hanmen Training Class was; many came on reputation alone, and after the hundred slots were taken, the office staff immediately packed up the registration forms.