Chapter 121 - 113: Supply Chain, Taking Over a Store
Shuangqing Restaurant, in the Huangshan Hall private room on the second floor.
Every time Chen Yansen came here to eat, he found the names of the private rooms surreal.
It was a Sichuan restaurant, but all the private rooms were named after places in Huian Province. He supposed it was their way of adapting to local customs.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK—
Chen Yansen knocked twice, then pushed the door open and walked in without waiting for a response.
He saw Cao Dahua chatting with a man with a slicked-back side part. The man had thick eyebrows, a long face with small eyes, and prominent brow bones and cheekbones. Dressed in a blue suit, he didn’t look like an easy man to deal with.
"Come, Old Zuo, let me introduce you. This is my student and the founder of FoxTao, Chen Yansen."
Cao Dahua stood up, patted Zuo Hongyu’s shoulder, and said with a smile.
"President Chen, I’m Zuo Hongyu, the Vice President of Purchasing at Big Pineapple. It’s a pleasure to meet a business prodigy like yourself."
Zuo Hongyu also stood up, greeting him with an honest-looking smile.
"President Zuo, you’re too kind. Let’s sit down and talk over our meal."
Chen Yansen studied him closely. When he wasn’t smiling, his expression was stern, giving off an unapproachable vibe.
But when he smiled, he radiated sincerity and honesty. Chen Yansen had never encountered someone with such a peculiar appearance.
"Are you looking to get into the mobile phone industry, President Chen?" Zuo Hongyu initiated the conversation after sitting down.
"Can you handle suppliers like Qualcomm, Sharp, Sony, and LG?"
Chen Yansen acknowledged his question with a hum and asked directly.
Hearing this, Zuo Hongyu immediately understood that Chen Yansen’s ambitions were not small. The knock-off phone manufacturers over in the Southeast would never splurge on such high-end components, typically opting for cheap, mass-market goods.
After all, sometimes the factories went bankrupt before the phones even started having problems, so there was no need to consider after-sales service.
"I have supply resources from international manufacturers for touchscreens, flexible circuit boards, audio components, and sensors. As for chips and cameras, I’m confident I can negotiate deals for those as well."
When it came to his profession, Zuo Hongyu was full of confidence.
He hadn’t spent over a decade hustling in Shencheng City for nothing. Although knock-off phones were low-end, he had accumulated a network of contacts and resources. The only difference was that he couldn’t get the same supply prices and payment terms as the big corporations.
Besides, Chen Yansen’s mobile phone business was still just an idea on paper. Many of the most favorable supply terms were contingent on large-scale production.
"Let’s say a downstream supplier messes up the dimensions of a component, and you have to deliver to distributors tomorrow. If it were you, how would you handle it?"
Chen Yansen nodded and continued with another question.
’In his view, having contacts and resources was one thing, but being able to handle a crisis was another matter entirely.’
"President Chen, to be honest with you, this kind of situation is quite common in the industry. The standard procedure is to first communicate with the original supplier to get a new batch made immediately, then have the Market Department placate the distributors. Finally, you would replace the supplier according to the terms of the contract and pursue financial compensation."
Zuo Hongyu explained calmly.
His meaning was clear: ensure the shipment goes out first, then deal with the supplier issue. This approach might not seem decisive or satisfying, but it was in the company’s best interest.
Switching suppliers at the last minute would only make things worse.
"President Zuo, you were recommended by Teacher Cao, so I trust you. Feel free to name your terms regarding compensation."
Chen Yansen thought for a moment and said magnanimously.
"President Chen, Brother Hua told me your R&D team is still being assembled and it will take at least three to five months to finish developing the system. I can start in three months. That way, the company can save some money, and I can properly hand over my work in Shencheng City."
Seeing that Chen Yansen had made a verbal offer, Zuo Hongyu thought it over and replied with a smile.
"Alright."
Chen Yansen scoffed internally. ’Zuo Hongyu’s words clearly showed he was afraid the project was unstable and wanted to observe for three months.’
However, Zuo Hongyu’s thinking wasn’t wrong. His phone project had no operating system, no contract manufacturer, and not even a name. Even if Zuo Hongyu joined right away, it would be difficult for him to get any work done.
After that, the three of them raised their glasses and began toasting one another.
While Chen Yansen was interviewing Zuo Hongyu, Zuo Hongyu was also interviewing him.
The reliability of a boss often determines a project’s success or failure.
As they drank and chatted, Zuo Hongyu was surprised to find that although Chen Yansen had never been in the mobile phone industry, he had a deep understanding of the ins and outs of purchasing and sales.
From the local girls in Shencheng City to foreign bombshells, from the economic climate to the development of smartphones, there didn’t seem to be a single topic Chen Yansen couldn’t handle.
Furthermore, his thinking was clear and his logic was meticulous. Zuo Hongyu thought, ’No wonder he built such a business before he even turned twenty.’
Zuo Hongyu, who had originally planned to wait and see, slapped his chest after three glasses of wine and promised, "President Chen, I’ll contact the suppliers as soon as I get back and get my hands on their product lists. We can discuss the prices and payment terms in detail later."
His meaning was clear: he had a good impression of Chen Yansen and was willing to start helping out right away.
Chen Yansen smiled and said frankly, "If you’re going to work for me, I have to pay you. I don’t like free lunches."
Zuo Hongyu repeatedly declined. He hadn’t officially started yet, so he was too embarrassed to accept any money. His attitude was firm; he would not take it.
Seeing this, Chen Yansen had no choice but to drop the matter.
The meal lasted from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM. After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the three of them walked out of the restaurant.
Chen Yansen was still completely sober. After his physique broke through level 4, he had once tried downing a full pint of baijiu in one go, and it felt like he’d only had two or three beers. His liver’s metabolic function was more than ten times stronger than before.
Cao Dahua, his belly sticking out and his face beet red, staggered toward the school with Zuo Hongyu’s support, insisting on showing Zuo Hongyu his office and having another cup of tea.
Chen Yansen quickly stopped him and got them a room at a nearby hotel so they could rest.
Otherwise, if Cao Dahua wandered around campus in his drunken state, he would almost certainly get a reprimand from Tang Qingshan.
After getting them settled, Chen Yansen walked out of the hotel lobby. He was about to head back to school when he caught sight of a "For Transfer" notice posted on the door of a gym.
He walked closer for a look. According to the owner, it was a prime location for transfer, with everything sold as a package deal.
Chen Yansen thought about it for a moment and understood the owner’s predicament. He had been there twice before, and both times there were fewer than ten customers in the gym.
The fitness culture wasn’t strong at the time, and the equipment was all old, secondhand stuff from who knows where. Even though an annual membership was only 800 yuan, very few people signed up.
Chen Yansen thought, ’Every time I test my strength data, there are always other people around. Taking over this gym wouldn’t cost much, and it could serve as an employee benefit. That’s a pretty good deal.’
Having made up his mind, he walked into the gym and asked the front desk, "Is your boss here? I’m interested in this place, have him come talk to me."
"Please wait a moment, I’ll call him." The young woman at the front desk nodded, took out her phone, and dialed.
About ten minutes later, an Audi A3 pulled up outside. A man in his thirties with a short buzz cut got out. He wasn’t tall, but he was muscular, his exposed forearms corded with muscle.
"You... Hello, you want to take over my gym?" The man with the buzz cut was taken aback for a second. He glanced around the empty room, where Chen Yansen was the only person, and asked.
"Yeah. Tally up the price. If it’s reasonable, I’ll buy the whole package," Chen Yansen grunted, speaking casually.
"The rent is 4,000 yuan a month, paid every six months, and the contract is with the landlord. There are three and a half months left, so let’s call it three months. That’s 12,000 yuan."
"The renovation cost over 80,000. I’ve been running this place for five years, so with 10% annual depreciation, that part comes to 40,000."
"The treadmills, ellipticals, exercise bikes, Smith machine, cable crossover machine, dumbbells, barbells, and weight benches... as a package, that’s 110,000. I’ll throw in the other stuff like yoga mats, jump ropes, and ab benches for free."
"There are also 79 members with annual passes that you’ll have to take over. The transfer fee is 50,000, bringing the total to 212,000. If you’re serious, we can still negotiate the price."
The two of them sat down, and the buzz-cut man ticked off the items on his fingers, calculating the cost for Chen Yansen one by one.
The man was muscular, but his mind was sharp.
Chen Yansen laughed. ’This broken-down equipment looks older than Wang Zihao’s grandfather. How is it worth 110,000? Who is he trying to fool?’
"I’ll give you 150,000. You handle the members yourself. I’m taking it over as a gym for my employees, not open to the public."
Though the 50,000 yuan transfer fee was unreasonable, the gym was right by the school, and Flat Head Brother had surely paid a transfer fee himself when he took it over. Naturally, he wouldn’t want to take a loss.
Chen Yansen knew exactly what was what. The transfer fee was non-negotiable, so he could only haggle over the price of the equipment.
"Brother, I said we could talk about a few thousand, but you just slashed sixty-eight thousand in one go. Are you kidding me?"
Flat Head Brother’s face fell, and he retorted unhappily.
"The equipment isn’t worth that much. Either you haul it all away and I’ll give you 100,000." Chen Yansen wasn’t falling for his act; in fact, he felt he hadn’t cut the price enough.
"Are you serious? Which company are you with?" Seeing he couldn’t rip off Chen Yansen, the buzz-cut man chuckled and changed the subject.
"FoxTao." Chen Yansen didn’t hide it.
"Fine, 150,000 it is. There are also two part-time university students at the front desk..." The buzz-cut man said, trailing off intentionally.
"The front desk staff can stay. They just need to help open and close up, and restock the drink fridge."
Chen Yansen didn’t mind and agreed to take them on as well.
"Then I’ll go get a contract drawn up. One moment," the buzz-cut man said.
"No need. I’ll call my legal counsel." Chen Yansen waved his hand. Besides Wang Jing, FoxTao had also hired a legal consultant from outside the company.
"Okay." When the buzz-cut man heard that Chen Yansen could summon a legal expert on a whim, any ulterior motives he had instantly vanished.
Before long, another man in a suit walked in, bowed slightly to Chen Yansen, and greeted him, "Brother Sen."
Technically, calling him "Boss" would have been more appropriate, but everyone at FoxTao called him Brother Sen, so he just went with the flow.
"I’ll leave this to you. The payment will come from the finance department’s account."
After giving his instructions, Chen Yansen got up and headed out.
Once Chen Yansen was out of earshot, the Flat Head Brother asked curiously, "Who is that guy? You look several years older than him, but you call him ’Brother’?"
"Him? He’s the big boss of FoxTao," the legal counsel replied succinctly.
On his way, Chen Yansen had Xu Xingxing find the category manager for sports and outdoor goods to get an internal discount from a vendor and purchase a batch of new treadmills and fitness equipment.
"Boss, there’s no room for that stuff at the Innovation Park," Xu Xingxing reminded him in a low voice.
"I bought the old Dali Fitness Center, to the right of Shuangqing Restaurant. Come and inspect it tomorrow, get access cards set up for everyone. It’s going to be our project’s exclusive gym from now on."
Chen Yansen explained.
"Boss, you bought a gym for everyone? Why didn’t you say so earlier? I just bought an annual membership based on Du Yaoyao’s recommendation!" Xu Xingxing said with a pained expression.
"Go ask the owner for a refund. I already gave him a heads-up."
Chen Yansen said with a laugh before hanging up.
Back at the Innovation Park, many people were still at work on Saturday, and all the interview rooms were full. Xu Dan and a few other recruitment specialists were swamped—conducting interviews, signing contracts, processing paperwork, and organizing orientation for new employees.
Chen Yansen walked over to his desk, plopped down, opened his mini-fridge, grabbed an ice cream bar, and started eating it with big bites.
Song Yuncheng, who sat across from him, glanced over, looking like she wanted to say something. She was worried Chen Yansen would get a stomachache from eating something so cold, but seeing his blissful expression, she kept quiet.