Chapter 228 - 195: Kickback (2)

Chapter 228: Chapter 195: Kickback (2)

As the memory surfaced, Xu An didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ’So I’m about to take over Zhou Qi’s old stomping grounds from his past life!’ He wondered if, in that past life, Zhou Qi had rented the shop for his restaurant or bought the land outright. ’Based on what I know about Zhou Qi, renting seems more likely.’

"Can I get a land use certificate for this furniture store property?" Xu An asked, wanting to confirm. "After the purchase, the land use rights will be entirely mine, correct?"

"Yes, you can get a land use certificate, and the rights will belong entirely to you." Hearing this, the young agent felt the deal was already halfway done. His smile grew even more enthusiastic. "Why don’t we go take a look at the site in person?"

Xu An naturally agreed. Even if the young agent hadn’t suggested it, Xu An would have requested to see the property in person.

With Xu An’s agreement, the young agent stood up and walked back to his desk. He pulled out a large ring of keys, selected one, and tucked it away before leading Xu An out of the office.

They had only taken a few steps when three people approached from outside, walked directly to the door, pulled it open, and entered the office.

As the five of them brushed past one another, Xu An felt a pair of eyes on him. He followed the gaze and saw an unfamiliar young man. The instant their eyes met, Xu An detected a flash of hostility in the man’s expression. Though it vanished quickly, Xu An had already caught it.

’Does this person know me? When could I have met him? Why do I have no memory of him at all?’

Although he didn’t know the source of the hostility, Xu An used that brief glance to commit the young man’s face to memory. He planned to think carefully later about when and where he might have seen him before.

It all happened in the blink of an eye. By the time Xu An had gotten a clear look at the man’s face, his right foot was already stepping out the door.

"Were those two also clients interested in a property on this street?" Xu An asked, feigning curiosity. "Which shop are they looking at? It’d be a shame if we went to see a place only for it to be claimed right out from under us. That would be a wasted trip."

Xu An’s tone was teasing, and the young agent didn’t take it seriously. He replied directly, "They’re looking at a shop across the street from the furniture store, not the one we’re seeing."

"Oh!" Xu An nodded. "I saw that property on the map. It’s in a good spot, close to the national highway. It’s just a bit small, otherwise it’d be a decent choice too."

"It is..."

Through some casual conversation, Xu An managed to get the details on those two men from the young agent.

One was a fast-food restaurant owner with several successful chain stores. The other, younger man was probably a partner of some sort, but he didn’t seem to have much say in the matter; the owner was clearly calling the shots. Still, the owner was quite polite to him, so he must have some skills of his own.

Hearing that one of them was a fast-food restaurant owner, Xu An had a good idea where the hostility came from. The rapid rise of Xu’s Fast Food would inevitably impact the interests of others, especially the other fast-food restaurants in Hai City. It was perfectly normal for them to recognize him and see him as an unwelcome competitor.

Still, the young man’s gaze troubled him. The hostility was too obvious, too naked. It didn’t feel like simple dissatisfaction born from typical business competition, which made Xu An particularly wary.

As they spoke, the two arrived at the entrance of the furniture store.

Xu An looked up. The store looked much like it did in the photos. A good deal of the exterior paint had peeled away, exposing the sand and plaster underneath. He scraped it lightly with a finger, and the material crumbled and fell. Inside, the store was dimmer than in the pictures, but the layout was nearly identical. As he strolled through the space, Xu An used the placement of the pillars to quickly partition the store into several sections in his mind.

’This spot by the entrance, if we build a wall between these two pillars, would be the perfect location for the second Xu’s Braised Shop. Further in, this large area can be the workshop for our standard braised dishes. The distance between this pillar and the wall is a little tight, which is perfect for walling it off into a small room for cooking the Hellish Braised Flavor. And the back leads to the rear entrance, which will be convenient for loading and unloading. There’s enough space here to use as an ingredient preparation area.’

Having laid out the first floor perfectly in his mind, Xu An and the agent headed to the second floor. He didn’t even have to think about the second floor. ’This will be the future office for Xu’s Catering. People like Wang Fulong and Tang Wen can work here. Later, I’ll hire some finance and administrative staff, and the core company team will be complete.’

The more Xu An saw of the property, the more satisfied he became. After looking around, he returned to the staircase and noticed another flight of stairs leading to the roof. He immediately started up them. After a turn in the stairwell, he saw a locked iron door at the top. The young agent quickly stepped forward, took out his key, unlocked it, and pushed the door open, motioning for Xu An to go up first.

There wasn’t much to see on the roof itself—just a bare concrete surface with waist-high railings on two sides. At the front, an iron frame was bolted to the ground, holding a "Furniture Store" sign that flapped in the wind. When he turned his head, though, he had an unobstructed, panoramic view of the national highway, with no neighboring residences blocking the line of sight.