Cheng Su’s face turned bright red from Ning Ge’s scolding, making her seem as if she were insatiable in her greed, when all she thought was that this was an excellent opportunity not to be missed, right?
"My energy," said Cheng Su with a sense of grievance, "is not only for dealing with mistresses, but also for building my career and investing in myself."
How could she possibly spend all day emulating others in fighting mistresses? She had far more things to keep her busy, grander dreams; she was very busy!
Ning Ge was amused by her and said, "I’m not saying you use it only for fighting mistresses, but maybe you can take a break for now. You should know, haste makes waste."
Cheng Su pursed her lips.
Seeing her look so aggrieved, without her usual assertiveness, like a child unhappy about not getting candy, Ning Ge couldn’t help but soften, saying, "Look, our jam business has just received investment and is developing. Your fast food store at the train station has just opened. Is the cash flow sufficient? If something goes wrong all of a sudden with one of them, do you have the funds to address the issue?"
Cheng Su’s face flushed even deeper.
"It’s not that the place isn’t good, but we can’t put ourselves in an awkward position. Although it’s an opportunity, I prefer to wait until our business model is more mature before we transform. First, with standardized management, our cash flow will be healthy, and expanding the business will have a solid foundation." Ning Ge continued, "More importantly, you’ll have the energy, won’t you?"
Cheng Su bowed her head and, after a long while, nodded, sighing, "I also know I am a bit hasty."
It truly felt a pity not to acquire such an excellent location.
"Gold will always glitter. For now, focus on building the brand. Once the brand is established and money is being made, there’ll be no concerns about expanding the business later, will there?" Ning Ge said, "If you build the brand successfully, Joy Soon Loy could work on just one order a day and still get reservations. So, the size of the location doesn’t necessarily determine the success of the business; it’s all about the quality."
His words were very sensible, and Cheng Su looked at him and said, "I wouldn’t have guessed, but you seem to have it all figured out."
"Of course," Ning Ge straightened his back, exuding pride as he advised, "Don’t think about anything else for now. Just focus on managing these businesses, getting ready for the exams, and preparing to go to university in September. Once the business is established, then it’s not too late to think about expanding."
After thinking for a moment, Cheng Su said, "Alright, I’ll consider it more carefully."
Ning Ge nodded and then seemed distracted again.
Two days later, Old Song passed on some news to Cheng Su that he had gathered. The place was sold for a whopping one hundred thousand yuan, not a penny less, including the restaurant and all the equipment and sundries inside.
"They’re really asking for the moon," Li Dan exclaimed, eyes wide open, upon hearing this.
Old Song smiled wryly, feeling regret as well; it was indeed expensive.
"One hundred thousand, considering the location and the size of the restaurant, as well as the fixtures, isn’t particularly expensive," Cheng Su estimated, shaking her head. "But unfortunately, we can’t afford it."
Such a large restaurant, with all sorts of equipment, really only needed a renovation, a change of sign, and new staff to reopen.
And the decor of the establishment wasn’t too shabby, but one hundred thousand yuan was indeed a large sum for Cheng Su. Considering Ning Ge’s earlier advice, it really wasn’t the right time to take it over. After all, one hundred thousand wasn’t a small amount, and there would probably be no cash flow left if she did go ahead and buy it.
"Let’s put it aside for now. Let’s first focus on running Joy Soon Loy well, and there will be other opportunities in the future," Cheng Su comforted Old Song and herself as well.
It was still the mid-1980s, with the economic boom still far off. No need to rush; she had plenty of time.