Chapter 418 - 241: Self-Enrichment at the Public’s Expense (2)

Chapter 418: Chapter 241: Self-Enrichment at the Public’s Expense (2)

This is intolerable!

Chen Xiao remained seated. Lu Guangming hadn’t left yet; he’d made a call and summoned someone named Liu Hui.

He wanted to see if Lu Guangming would reveal any more dirt.

And dirt there was—in spades.

Liu Hui was a middle-aged man, about ten years older than Lu Guangming, but he was exceedingly polite upon meeting him.

"President Lu!"

"Have a seat, Liu!"

Liu Hui glanced at Chen Xiao, but Lu Guangming just chuckled. "He’s no one. It’s winter break, so a lot of students are back home!"

’So Lu Guangming was implying that I’m just some college kid home for winter break.’

"President Lu, about those storefronts... they’re willing to pay a 100,000 yuan ’finder’s fee’ for each one. And for any with a unit price under 500, they’ll give us the entire first year’s rent differential!"

Lu Guangming cleared his throat twice. Liu Hui took the hint and immediately toned it down.

’He was slightly annoyed. Even if there was just a college kid nearby, some things shouldn’t be said so openly. Couldn’t the man be a little more tactful?’

’Why not call it a ’slotting fee’? ’Finder’s fee,’ my ass!’

"I’ll report this to Huang in the next day or two and see what his cut will be."

’Huang,’ Chen Xiao thought. ’Since Lu Guangming has to report to him, he must be a vice president or the general manager.’

The general manager of a shopping plaza in a prefecture-level city was a nobody in Chen Xiao’s eyes. He didn’t even know who the GM or vice-GM of this mall was.

"President Lu, I have an idea. There’s actually a much better way to play this."

"Oh? Let’s hear it."

"The rent is so cheap right now. Why don’t we become the sub-landlords ourselves?"

Lu Guangming laughed. "Liu, that’s where you’re mistaken. The mall only works directly with regional distributors and brand-name companies, not with private individuals. How could you possibly sublet?"

"President Lu, what if I can handle the brand, get their authorization? I’d sign with the mall as a franchisee and then turn around and sublease the space to them!"

"The profit margins would be much bigger that way!"

"I’ll tell the brand company this is the only way they’ll get a storefront here. I’ll say I only got it because I have connections, but now the space is in my name. If they don’t want to play ball, we’ll find another brand that will!"

"But what if something goes wrong?" Lu Guangming was tempted by Liu Hui’s proposal.

’This really would be more profitable. Junxiao Square could sign a three- or five-year contract with Liu Hui, and with this method, they’d be able to pocket the rent difference every single year!’

’And business at the plaza is booming. As long as the annual rent increases weren’t too outrageous, the brands would surely agree. The profit from that would be far greater than a one-off bribe!’

’Another benefit was that even if Lu Guangming was transferred in the next five years, the contract would ensure this income stream kept flowing!’

Liu Hui knew he had him hooked. He smiled and said, "President Lu, any problems will be on me. But the business... that’s on us."

’The meaning was clear: Lu Guangming would get half the profits, while Liu Hui would shoulder all the risk.’

Lu Guangming laughed. "There’s no real risk. I can smooth everything over. We’ll definitely share the rewards—and the risks—equally!"

Liu Hui offered his thanks, but he knew Lu Guangming’s words were meaningless. It’s not like anything was in writing.

’That was exactly why Lu Guangming could afford to be so generous with his promises.’

’They’re really digging their own graves.’

Chen Xiao glanced out of the corner of his eye at the two, who were deep in cheerful conversation.

Once they had cemented their collaboration, the conversation turned to wine and women.

Chen Xiao had heard enough. He stood up, planning to take a walk around the mall. Lin Ya would be arriving in Luocheng soon, and once she was settled in her hotel, he’d go and meet her.

With the Spring Festival approaching, the city was filling up with migrant workers returning home and college students on winter break.

Upon their return, people inevitably needed to buy gifts for family or meet up with friends for shopping and a meal. As the premier commercial destination in the region, Luocheng Junxiao Square was the natural choice.

The mall was bustling with people, the foot traffic nearly matching that of a typical day at the main Junxiao Square Store in Jiangzhou.

On the first floor, Chen Xiao saw the so-called "Bambury" store that Lu Guangming and Zhang Hua had spoken of. The décor was actually quite upscale.

He walked into the shop, where a few couples were trying on clothes.

A sales associate saw Chen Xiao enter and approached him. "Welcome. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Just looking."

He wandered around on his own, but the sales associate quickly hurried after him. "This is the international brand, Bam...bury!"

She even deliberately paused in the middle of the name. ’Isn’t that intentionally misleading customers?’

Chen Xiao had to laugh. ’An internationally renowned brand?’

He picked up a hang tag and glanced at it. The clothes weren’t cheap, either—a down jacket cost over 3,000 yuan. ’Looks like they’re going all-in on this ’international brand’ impersonation.’

The prices had to match the image, though of course, they couldn’t actually price them like true luxury goods.

The whole gimmick was to make people feel like 3,000 yuan was a steal for an ’internationally renowned brand’!

"You can try it on if you like!"

Chen Xiao gave her a look, said nothing, and put the tag back. Then he turned to leave.

Just as he reached the doorway, he heard someone mutter behind him, "Broke loser."

’He was furious. Not because she’d called him a broke loser, but because an employee like that was working in *his* mall. It was utterly disrespectful to the customers.’

"You know, for that comment alone, I could report you to the mall management."

Chen Xiao stared at her coldly.

But to his surprise, the sales associate was defiant. She shot back loudly, "Go ahead! Complain wherever you want! I said what I said. If you can’t afford it, don’t pretend you can!"