Chapter 69 - 70: Opening a Water Plant

Chapter 69: Chapter 70: Opening a Water Plant

Li Yang was dumbfounded.

’Now that he thought about it, back at dinner, the old woman had insisted he sit next to her, not letting Qin Song and the others get close. No wonder. The old lady’s eyes were sharp; she’d known all along.’

"I really have to thank you for this!" As Qin Susu said this, she suddenly felt she was being too polite to Li Yang. "I mean... it’s only because you saved my grandmother, so that’s why I’m thanking you. Don’t get the wrong idea."

Li Yang gave a dry laugh and couldn’t be bothered to argue with her.

"Oh, and there’s more good news!" Qin Susu cleared her throat. "Things at home are a complete mess, and I’m in no mood to go back. I got a million from my dad as start-up capital for my own business venture. I’ve been thinking, and your village seems pretty great. I want to invest here, develop some kind of industry. What do you think?"

"You want to invest in our village?" Li Yang wondered if he’d heard her correctly. "You’re not joking, are you?"

"You’re the one who’s joking!" Qin Susu shot him a look. "I’m being serious."

Li Yang thought it over. Qin Susu had mentioned something like this before. He figured this was her way of funneling the money to his village, especially after her father had been reluctant to give it to her.

’She talks tough, but she has a heart of gold.’

"You really want to invest?" Li Yang asked.

"Yes!" Qin Susu said earnestly. "I’ve thought it all through. You have beautiful mountains and clean water here... I have a project in mind, though I’m not sure if it’ll work: a mineral water business."

Li Yang was taken aback. "Mineral water?"

"That’s right!" Qin Susu nodded. "This place is called Bishui Village because of Bishui Lake, correct? And several mountain streams, large and small, flow into it. The largest stream is in your village’s valley, and hidden within it is a smaller lake called Cold Water Lake, right? It’s because the water there is exceptionally cold and clear. I’ve thought it over. I could lease Cold Water Lake and start a mineral water business."

Li Yang was shocked. ’I always thought she was the "all boobs, no brain" type, but it turns out she’s actually got a head on her shoulders—and a good one for business at that.’

"I’ve already looked into it. Our city doesn’t have any local water bottling companies..." Qin Susu began again, her excitement growing. "All the drinking water in the city comes from out-of-town brands. There’s a total gap in the market for me to fill! Plus, water quality is something every single resident cares about. As long as we ensure our quality is top-notch... we’ll never have to worry about business. The most important part is that this is a business with enormous returns. A bottle of mineral water, let’s say it sells for two yuan, but what’s the production cost? Even with shipping, it won’t be more than thirty cents! Think about it! Isn’t that an insanely profitable business?"

By the end, Qin Susu was practically trembling with excitement.

Li Yang couldn’t help but applaud. "I have to admit, I never saw this side of you. I didn’t realize you were so ambitious. I’m impressed."

Qin Susu grinned smugly. "Starting to see me in a new light, aren’t you? So, what do you say? Let’s be partners in this?"

"I don’t have any money to invest!" Li Yang shook his head.

"You don’t have to put in any money," Qin Susu said. "You just have to be my partner. We’ll do this together."

’This just confirms it,’ Li Yang thought. ’When it comes right down to it, this is just her way of thanking me.’

"Besides, this is your turf," Qin Susu said, trying to find an excuse. "If you work with me, I’ll have you to solve any problems that pop up. After all, you’re the guy who knows everyone and everything here."

"Do you know how much it costs to launch a mineral water brand?" Li Yang thought for a moment and asked.

"I’ve already done a rough estimate!" Qin Susu said earnestly. "The costs are mainly in two areas: the lease, and the bottling plant and equipment. I did the math. The lake... I can probably lease it for a hundred thousand a year. Since it’s part of your village, you can have a good talk with the village chief. We’ll pay the first year’s fee, which will leave us with nine hundred thousand. With that, we can build the plant and buy the purification equipment; six hundred thousand should be more than enough for that. The last three hundred thousand will cover our other initial expenses. As long as we can get the business off the ground and generate some cash flow, we’ll be golden."

’Could it really be that easy?’

Li Yang was dumbfounded. He couldn’t find a single flaw in her logic.

"So?" Qin Susu said. "What do you think?"

The more Li Yang thought about it, the more he realized it could actually work.

"Here’s the deal: since this is your turf, you take a sixty-percent stake, and I’ll take forty!" Qin Susu said. "And if you think a million isn’t enough, I can put in more. I have some other money saved up."

Li Yang was touched.

"That won’t be necessary," Li Yang said. "If we’re really doing this, our first steps should be to create a brand, get the water quality officially tested, and source the equipment. Then we can get started!"

"Really?" Qin Susu’s eyes shone. "Then it’s settled! I’ll head into the city to find someone to design a brand logo and all that. You go talk to the village chief about leasing Cold Water Lake. Once that’s all arranged, we’ll go to the lake together and scout for a good spot to build the plant. That’s the plan."

Li Yang nodded. "Alright. It’s a deal."

"Great! I’m off, then!" Qin Susu said cheerfully, then drove away.