stjorthotic Chapter 76 Completely Devastated
Chapter 76 Completely Devastated
The morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Tianlin Mansion's living room, illuminating the breakfast table that Hu Yixin had meticulously prepared.
Fried eggs, bacon, toast, and a steaming latte.
Hu Yixin specially went downstairs to the coffee shop to buy this, knowing that Huang Tian likes this flavor.
"Honey, come and have breakfast!"
Wearing an apron, Hu Yixin brought the last fruit salad to the table with a gentle smile on her face.
Huang Tian came out of the bedroom, glanced at the dining table, and nodded.
"Yes, thank you for your hard work."
"I'm not tired at all; you were the one who had a hard day yesterday."
Hu Yixin pulled out a chair for Huang Tian to sit down, and winked meaningfully.
"Eat more; you lost a lot of protein yesterday."
Huang Tian rolled his eyes at Hu Yixin's teasing.
Once his physical condition reaches 80, he'll make sure Hu Yixin calls him "Dad."
"Honey, I've made appointments with a few real estate agents. We're planning to look at office buildings in Zhujiang New Town later."
Hu Yixin got up very early, or rather, she didn't sleep much at all.
The thought of owning a media company and having a full 500 million yuan in startup capital filled me with joy.
Hu Yixin felt no fatigue whatsoever; she had inexhaustible energy.
"Honey, I checked this morning, and there are entire floors available in those landmark office buildings in Zhujiang New Town, but the rent is a bit expensive..."
"Price is not a problem."
Huang Tian took a sip of coffee and said calmly, "The key is location and style. First impressions are crucial for Xinghan Media. As a newly established company, how can we convince people that we can make them successful without strong capabilities?"
"Okay, I understand!"
Hu Yixin looked at Huang Tian with admiration, and felt more confident.
Compared to yesterday's grievances and anxieties, Hu Yixin is clearly full of energy today.
People always need something to do to keep their minds occupied.
After finishing her meal, Hu Yixin cleaned up the dishes and changed into a proper business suit.
A white shirt, a black pencil skirt, and stiletto heels.
Her hair was tied into a neat ponytail, making her look like a sexy and mature woman.
"Honey, I'm going now."
Hu Yixin kissed Huang Tian on the cheek.
"If you're coming tonight, let me know in advance."
"Okay, go ahead."
Huang Tian was immediately struck by Hu Yixin's outfit, but honestly, he didn't have any particular thoughts about it at the moment.
It was Hu Yixin who dragged him crazy until past 3 a.m., and Hu Yixin couldn't sleep herself and wouldn't let him sleep either.
I'm really impressed by these women; they all have an insane amount of energy.
Hu Yixin, beaming with pride, picked up her bag and walked out the door with light steps.
Huang Tian sat on the sofa and looked at his phone for a while.
Chen Fanzhi sent a message: "Brother, I've found a really great spot in Tianhuan Plaza, can you come and take a look?"
Huang Tian replied, "I'll be there in half an hour."
After changing his clothes, Huang Tian drove off.
Tianhuan Plaza is one of Guangzhou's top shopping malls, located in the core business district of Tianhe District. It has a very high density of people and is filled with high-end brands.
Huang Tian parked his car and went into the mall.
As soon as he reached the atrium on the first floor, he saw Chen Fanzhi standing there waiting for him.
Chen Fanzhi is dressed very professionally today.
A light gray suit jacket, a white shirt, black straight-leg trousers, and nude high heels.
She wore light makeup, which made her look capable and refreshing.
"elder brother!"
When Chen Fanzhi saw Huang Tian, she immediately walked over and took his arm.
"Have you been waiting long?"
"No, I just arrived."
Chen Fanzhi smiled and said, "Let's go, I'll take you to see that location."
The two went up the escalator to the second floor.
Chen Fanzhi pointed to a corner ahead: "It's there."
Huang Tian looked over.
It was a two-story shop in an excellent location.
The shop is currently empty, but you can still see the original decorating style.
The warm yellow modern style, dark wood floors, industrial-style ceiling, and large floor-to-ceiling windows.
The most striking feature is the logo residue still visible on the glass window.
Starbucks.
"Was this a Starbucks before?"
Huang Tian was somewhat surprised.
"Um."
Chen Fanzhi nodded with a smile, "The leasing manager said that Starbucks terminated its lease three months ago, and they have been trying to find a tenant ever since, but the rent is too high and they haven't been able to find one."
"How much is the rent?"
"They quoted a monthly rent of 3000 yuan per square meter."
Chen Fanzhi sighed, "This shop has two floors, a total of 400 square meters, and the rent is 120 million yuan a month. Even Starbucks has gone out of business. Who can afford to rent it?"
120 million a month, that's 1440 million a year.
This doesn't even include the costs of renovations, equipment, labor, and materials...
With this kind of investment, how many cups of coffee would you need to sell to break even?
Just thinking about it sent chills down Chen Fanzhi's spine.
Huang Tian's eyes lit up, and he became more and more satisfied as he looked.
It has a good location, a large area, and is the original site of Starbucks.
This store is practically tailor-made for Manyu Coffee!
"Where is the business development manager?"
Huang Tian held Chen Fanzhi's small hand, indicating that he would take care of everything.
"They're waiting inside."
Chen Fanzhi grasped Huang Tian's large hand in return, and immediately felt exceptionally at ease.
The store was empty, with only some dismantled shelves piled up in the corner.
A man in his thirties wearing a suit was standing inside making a phone call. When he saw someone come in, he immediately hung up the phone and came over.
"Ms. Chen, you've arrived."
"Manager Qiu, this is my boyfriend, Huang Tian."
Chen Fanzhi introduced, "Brother, this is Qiu Yanhui, the investment manager of Tianhuan Plaza."
"Mr. Huang, hello!"
Qiu Yanhui immediately extended her hand, her attitude almost fawning.
He has worked in this field for over a decade and has developed a keen eye for detail.
The man in front of me, though young, possessed an extraordinary air about him.
Dressed head-to-toe in Arc'teryx gear, plus the green gold Rolex Daytona on his wrist, he's the epitome of a wealthy young master.
More importantly, it's that calm and composed aura.
The way they look at this shop is as if they're looking at an ordinary product.
There was none of the tension and hesitation that ordinary people feel when faced with exorbitant rents.
This person is truly wealthy!
"Manager Qiu, Fan Zhi has already told me about the situation at this store."
Huang Tian cut to the chase, "Is there any room for negotiation regarding the rent?"
"this…"
Qiu Yanhui rubbed his hands together and said with a smile, "Mr. Huang, to be honest, this shop is one of the best locations in Tianhuan Plaza. When Starbucks rented it, the rent was 3000 yuan per square meter. Although it has been vacant for a few months, the location is still there..."
"Manager Qiu, the rent discount Starbucks got is definitely not this price. Since they can't afford it, it means this price has exceeded the market's ability to bear it."
Huang Tian interrupted Qiu Yanhui, "The current economic climate is bad, and the vacancy rate in shopping malls is getting higher and higher. Rather than leaving them vacant, why not lower the rent and rent them out? At least we can have some cash flow. What do you think?"
Qiu Yanhui had nothing to say; this was a truth that even ordinary people understood.
"Mr. Huang, since you've brought it up, I can't refuse to give you face."
Qiu Yanhui hesitated for a moment, then said, "How about this, 2800 per square meter, that's the lowest I can go."
"2000".
Huang Tian directly negotiated the price.
"2000?!"
Qiu Yanhui almost jumped up. "Mr. Huang, you're cutting prices way too much! We really can't offer you such a low price!"
"2200".
Huang Tian remained unmoved; these days, the rich are the bosses.
"This price is already very reasonable in the current market environment. If Manager Qiu doesn't think it's acceptable, then forget it and we'll look at other shopping malls."
After saying that, Huang Tian was about to pull Chen Fanzhi away.
"etc!"
Qiu Yanhui grew anxious. "Mr. Huang, please don't worry, we can discuss the price further..."
This position has been vacant for three months, and his superiors have put a lot of pressure on him.
If I can't rent it out again, my bonus for this year is definitely gone.
"How about this, 2700..."
"2300".
"2600, Mr. Huang, running our shopping mall isn't easy either..."
"2500, this is my final offer."
Huang Tian made a move to leave, saying, "If it works, great; if not, forget it."
"Okay, we'll do it your way!"
Qiu Yanhui gritted her teeth; this price was truly her bottom line.
"The monthly rent is 2500 yuan per square meter. It really can't go any lower. At this price, I'm already getting yelled at!"
"Yes, but the property management fee must be included. We can pay a year's rent directly."
Huang Tian looked at Qiu Yanhui for a few seconds and finally showed a satisfied smile.
"Annual rent payment?!"
Qiu Yanhui was taken aback again, and began to make plans in her mind.
Generally, shopping mall rents are paid quarterly or semi-annually.
Paying annually would put a lot of financial pressure on tenants.
However, Huang Tian offered to pay annually in exchange for waiving the property management fee.
Compared to rent, property management fees are a small amount.
They also waive several months' property management fees for long-term tenants.
"no?"
"Of course!"
Qiu Yanhui quickly said, "However, I can only waive the first year's property management fee for you. Other tenants don't have this treatment, and I hope you can understand my difficulties."
"Can."
Huang Tian expressed his understanding, "Are there any other conditions?"
"Ahem, there's one more small request."
Qiu Yanhui was in a bit of a dilemma, since Huang Tian insisted on paying annually.
"The mall has high requirements for new tenants. They must rent for at least three years, and the rent will increase by 5% every year. They must also pay three months' rent as a deposit. The existing decorations can be changed by the new tenants, but the decoration plan must be submitted to the mall for approval."
"no problem."
Huang Tian readily agreed, "When can we sign the contract?"
"We can sign it today!"
Qiu Yanhui excitedly shook hands with Huang Tian.
"Mr. Huang, please wait a moment, I'll go prepare the contract right away!"
As she spoke, Qiu Yanhui strode out of the store.
Only after Qiu Yanhui had gone far away did Chen Fanzhi begin to worry.
"Honey, the rent is 1200 million a year! That's way too expensive!"
"There's a reason why things are expensive."
Huang Tian became more and more satisfied with the store.
"Given the location, the size, and the basic renovation, it's absolutely worth the price."
"But…"
Chen Fanzhi thought that with a budget of 300 million, she would have enough to open a very luxurious coffee shop.
But Huang Tian casually spent 1200 million to acquire an absolutely prime shop.
"I'll take care of the money."
Huang Tian took out his phone and transferred another 1700 million yuan to Chen Fanzhi.
Adding the 300 million I gave her before, that makes a total of 2000 million.
"Ding~"
Chen Fanzhi stared at the long string of zeros on her phone screen and subconsciously swallowed.
Wow, with this 1700 million, she has 2000 million now!
"The rent and deposit total 1500 million, and the remaining 500 million is enough for you."
Huang Tian smiled and said, "Tell me if you need more."
"Yes, yes, I will definitely renovate this shop well and make Manyu Coffee a huge success!"
Chen Fanzhi waved her little fist and said confidently.
"Yes, I believe you."
Huang Tian smiled and ruffled Chen Fanzhi's hair.
"Let's go sign the contract."
Half an hour later, the contract was signed.
Holding the heavy lease contract, Chen Fanzhi felt like she was dreaming.
Starting today, she will be using this 400-square-meter shop located in the heart of Guangzhou's commercial district for the next three years.
"elder brother…"
Chen Fanzhi leaned against Huang Tian's chest, her voice trembling slightly, "I'm so afraid I won't do well..."
That's 2000 million, and Huang Tian just handed it over to her like that.
This trust is as heavy as a mountain.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Huang Tian gently patted Chen Fanzhi's back, feeling extremely comfortable.
A full 4000 million yuan just went into his account.
Who understands this kind of happiness?
Compared to buying a house for girls, supporting them to start their own businesses is a faster way to make money, and you don't have to worry about them running away with your money.
Not to mention, they were running a business that was destined to lose money.
Without Huang Tian's investment, they would perish at any moment.
Huang Tian has a firm grip on both the house and the business; they'll never escape his grasp in this lifetime.
Moreover, when they're busy, they're less likely to be jealous or quarrelsome.
Our CEO Huang really won big this time.