Chapter 417 - 241: Private Gain at Public Expense

Chapter 417: Chapter 241: Private Gain at Public Expense

Zhang Hua knew Lu Guangming was telling the truth!

Most brands like this relied on franchising to cash in. Their directly-operated stores were only opened in the best malls to serve as flagship or model stores.

Then they would create the illusion of a hot brand with great sales to trick some clients into franchising, aiming for the franchise fees and subsequent inventory purchasing costs.

Zhang Hua ventured a guess. "It’s not a six-figure sum, is it?"

Lu Guangming sneered, "President Zhang, you truly have a knack for business. Sharp indeed! But it’s not a one-time six-figure sum. It’s six figures every year!"

’Holy crap, no wonder they couldn’t be persuaded. This is the issue!’

Zhang Hua mulled it over. 100,000 yuan was no small sum. His own monthly salary was less than 20,000!

Applying to the company for this kind of expense would be difficult. When you give this money away, the other party obviously isn’t going to give you an invoice. How could you prove you gave it to the client and hadn’t just pocketed it yourself?

Seeing Zhang Hua’s troubled expression, Lu Guangming probably thought he was balking at the high fee.

He said, "Think about it. First, you get a good location. Second, with this kind of relationship, won’t the annual rent increase also be kept under control when it’s time to renew?"

"For example, for this 150-square-meter spot, what’s the monthly rent difference between 500 per square meter and 450 per square meter!"

"This isn’t just saving you money on rent on paper. You have to realize your base rate is lower. In the future, when the rent increases by a fixed percentage each year, how much more will you be saving compared to others because of that lower base rate!"

"So while it looks like you’re spending money, it’s actually a win-win!"

A win-win. The client and certain people within business management would both win, while the only one losing out was Junxiao Square.

As they continued chatting, they found common ground and spoke more freely. At first, they were a bit cautious of the handsome young man sitting nearby.

But then they probably figured someone so baby-faced was likely a recent college grad who wouldn’t understand this kind of business, so they became less guarded.

Zhang Hua understood Lu Guangming’s meaning. The subtext was that as long as the brand was decent, paying money would get you in. Paying even more money would not only get you in, but would also get your rent controlled.

He would have to report this situation back to his company. He couldn’t make this decision himself.

"President Lu, thank you for your guidance. I’ll go back and report this to my company. I hope in a few days I’ll be able to hear your soaring tenor voice!"

Lu Guangming gave a sleazy smile. "When the time comes, I’d rather listen to a lovely contralto!"

Zhang Hua stood up. "In that case, President Lu, please start the symphony."

Lu Guangming felt that Zhang Hua was someone who knew how to play the game. He stood up, shook his hand, and said, "President Zhang, I feel like we’re old friends. It was a pleasure talking with you. I look forward to seeing you again soon!"

Zhang Hua said, "I’ll be back very soon!"

"Good. I won’t keep you today. Go talk with your company soon. There are only a few spots, and many people are waiting. I don’t know if we can hold one for you!"

That morning, Lin Ya handled some work in her office at Junxiao Second Store, reviewing and approving all the submitted documents.

Just as she was about to go inspect the square, she received a message from Chen Xiao!

A happy expression appeared on Lin Ya’s face. She opened the message. "President Lin, I’m in Luocheng!"

’Luocheng? That’s not far from Jiangzhou, only about an hour and a half by car!’

’Has the boss found a problem in Luocheng?’ She knew that Chen Xiao would be making "undercover inspections" of various locations, so her first reaction was that there was a problem with the Luocheng project.

"Boss, I’ll head to Luocheng right away!"

"I’m only staying for two days this time. I’ve just taken over, and a lot of things are tangled up. It’ll take time to slowly sort them out."

"Got it, Boss. I’ll make it a two-day business trip to Luocheng to understand the project’s operational status and find the right solution."

"Alright. Get settled in at your hotel when you arrive. I’ll come find you then. I won’t go with you to the business management office."

Lin Ya’s heart skipped a beat. ’The boss wants me to wait for him at the hotel?’

’Does he want to talk about something, or... do something? There’s no one else to disturb us today. If he wants to ’play cards’ with me, we can be a little louder, and the SLAP SLAP sound won’t bother anyone!’

Then she cursed herself internally. ’Lin Ya, you’re hopeless. You always act so cold and aloof in public. How come you turn into a love-struck fool the moment you see the boss!’

Another voice in her head replied, ’It’s not my fault! He was the one who initiated it. Besides "advancing key work," he’s done everything he possibly could. We’ve already come this far, so why be reserved?’

"Boss, do you have any requirements for the hotel?"

"You’re the Vice President of Junxiao Business Management Company. Of course you’ll stay at a place with the highest local standards!"

At the Starbucks in Luocheng, the young man sitting diagonally across from Zhang Hua was none other than Chen Xiao!

He had nothing to do today, and a conversation he’d had with Xu Wu came to mind. On a whim, he drove to Luocheng, which was relatively close to Jiangzhou. He had just arrived at Junxiao Square and came down for a coffee, planning to stroll around the plaza, but he unexpectedly stumbled upon the pair of Zhang Hua and Lu Guangming.

’Is Lu Guangming just unlucky, or is it true that heaven is watching what people do? They’re so audacious. Are they finally getting their karmic retribution?’

Chen Xiao sat drinking his coffee, his expression unreadable, his mind pondering this very question.

’Is this situation unique to Luocheng Junxiao Square? What about the other plazas?’

Just as Xu Wu had said, Junxiao Business Management had expanded too quickly. These projects were all acquired, and many of the employees didn’t understand the corporate culture of the Junxiao Group. They were more accustomed to doing things according to their old mindsets.

The good policies from Junxiao Business Management—such as reducing the pressure on them for rental income and allowing them to sacrifice rent to attract first-to-market brands—were instead being used by them as tools for personal enrichment.

If this continued, Junxiao Business Management would be sacrificing profits, the tenants wouldn’t be getting any benefits, and all the advantages would be gobbled up by this flock of black sheep!