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Chapter 81
Chapter 81: Lin Xiaowan’s Sense of Crisis
At noon, Su Lin and the group enjoyed a lavish meal at the Triumphal Arch Hotel, delighted by Quan Le Gou’s successful purchasing.
Lin Xiaowan and Xia Shiyu were particularly happy. Xia Shiyu would have joined Lin Xiaowan for a drink if Su Lin hadn’t objected.
“Yangzi, have you checked this morning’s sales?” Su Lin asked.
Chen Yang nodded, “Before I left, I checked. Each of the ten cash registers exceeded one hundred thousand. Roughly, I think it should be around 1.5 million.”
“1.55 million? So, you’ve made back your investment today?” Zhao Yanyan was astonished. It was only half past twelve, and they had already sold 1.5 million in just over four hours. A turnover of 3 million seemed easily achievable.
Zhao Yanyan, although unclear about supermarket profits, knew they couldn’t be too low. Xia Shiyu shook her head, “3 million is just the turnover, we have to deduct the cost.”
“But even after deducting the cost, it’s still a lot. And 3 million a day means tens of millions a month,” Zhao Yanyan remarked.
“You can’t calculate it like that,” Lin Xiaowan explained. “Most of our 3 million turnover came from promotions, so the profit isn’t high. Many people buy a lot of things to save money, so our turnover will definitely drop sharply after May Day.”
Zhao Yanyan disagreed, “Zhongjiang has nearly two million people, and over five hundred thousand in the city alone. A turnover of 3 million isn’t much. Believe me, Xiaowan, your supermarket’s popularity should last a while.”
Su Lin agreed, “Yanyan is right. We might have exhausted some people’s spending power, but don’t forget, there are still hundreds of thousands of people in the city.”
“Today, only the more daring ones came. Once word of mouth spreads, our store should remain popular for a while, though it won’t match today’s figures.”
Su Lin was impressed with Zhao Yanyan. Her business acumen and big-picture thinking were commendable. “Su Lin, with your supermarket so successful, won’t others copy it soon? Aren’t you worried?” Zhao Yanyan asked.
Su Lin smiled, “Certainly, but not everyone can afford to open such a big supermarket. 2 million in cash is not something many in Zhongjiang can come up with.”
“And even if they do, not many dare to venture into a business they know nothing about. So, we’re safe for the short term. By the time they catch up, I’ll have expanded to the countryside.”
Zhao Yanyan seemed to understand why Lin Xiaowan was so fond of Su Lin. His charisma was indeed captivating.
She whispered to Lin Xiaowan, “No wonder you’ve been hiding him. Su Lin is quite charming. I feel attracted just being around him for a short while.”
Lin Xiaowan, looking vigilant, warned, “Yanyan, that’s not a joke you should make.”
“Have you and Su Lin made it official yet?”
“In five days,” Lin Xiaowan replied.
In five days, Su Lin was expected to win over Ye Feng, and Lin Xiaowan would fulfill her promise to become his girlfriend.
“So, it’s not official yet? How about we compete fairly for him?” Zhao Yanyan suggested playfully.
“Stop it, I remember you said you weren’t planning to get married.”
“That was just a joke. But seriously, Xiaowan, with someone like Su Lin, I bet he’ll have endless admirers in the future. Are you prepared for that?”
Lin Xiaowan smiled confidently, “As long as there’s a girl better than me, I’ll accept defeat. But I doubt there are many. So, I’m not worried.”
Zhao Yanyan added, “But remember, with Su Lin’s capabilities, he’s bound to meet those women…”
Lin Xiaowan fell silent.
“What are you two whispering about?” Su Lin asked curiously.
Zhao Yanyan smiled faintly, “I was telling Xiaowan that I accept your invitation.”
“What did you say?” Su Lin looked at Zhao Yanyan with visible happiness.
Zhao Yanyan smiled back, “I said I accept your invitation. Su Lin, if you’re planning to open a branch in Donghai, I’m the right person for it. Finding and buying locations is something I can easily handle.”
“Hehe, really? That’s great! Yanyan, on behalf of Yulin, I welcome you to join us.”
“Yulin?”
“Mhm, Quan Le Gou is just one venture under Yulin. There will be many more in the future,” Su Lin said casually.
His words caught Lin Xiaowan and Xia Shiyu by surprise. It was their first time hearing Su Lin express such ambitions and witnessing his audacious vision.
“Got it,” Zhao Yanyan said, giving Lin Xiaowan a meaningful look, which made Lin Xiaowan tense.
Thinking about Zhao Yanyan’s words, Lin Xiaowan felt it made a lot of sense. With Su Lin’s growth rate, it wouldn’t be long before he ventured out of Zhongjiang, out of Donghai, to cities like the capital and magic city.
To compete with the best of the best. More outstanding women would appear in his life, and some might be better than her.
For the first time, Lin Xiaowan felt a sense of urgency, a crisis looming. Su Lin was growing too fast. She could keep up now, but what about the future? What if she couldn’t keep up with his pace?
The thought terrified Lin Xiaowan. She knew she could use her family background to tie Su Lin down, but that would be a transaction, not love.
She didn’t want that, which was why she had agreed to the bet with Su Lin instead of waiting for an arranged marriage.
“Xiaowan, you take care of Yanyan’s matters. You’re good friends and talk often, so communicate online about anything.”
Lin Xiaowan nodded, feeling slightly relieved, “Su Lin letting me liaise with Yanyan reassures me a lot.”
“Welcome to Yulin, Yanyan. From now on, we’re colleagues.”
Zhao Yanyan’s eyes shifted between Lin Xiaowan and Xia Shiyu, finally resting on Su Lin with a half-smile. ‘Yulin’ – Xia Shiyu, Lin Xiaowan? An interesting choice of name.
Her gaze then moved to Xia Shiyu, a beautiful girl with a sweet smile, whose eyes never strayed from Su Lin. Zhao Yanyan sensed there was a story between Su Lin and Xia Shiyu.
Unfortunately, her hurried visit today, following Su Lin and Lin Xiaowan around the supermarket and chatting about various things, left her no time to clarify their relationship dynamics.
“Xiaowan, from today, we’re colleagues. Hehe, I want to set up a Quan Le Gou in Donghai too.”
“Yanyan, running a supermarket is very demanding, especially at the beginning. Aren’t you studying dance anymore?”
“Dance? I’ve been learning it for twelve years since I was six. Apart from school activities where I get to perform, there’s no use for it elsewhere. So, I think business might bring more sense of achievement.”
“Uh-huh!”
Su Lin laughed, understanding the challenges of learning dance. Most students in dance don’t actually enjoy it.
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