Chapter 627 | Chapter 628 | Chapter 629
Chapter 627: The Bidding Fair
The former champion of trash-talking… had finally learned how to take care of people.
“Alright.”
Sheng Wanyan and the two managers were exhausted. After taking a quick shower, they found that Xu Guihua had already returned with packaged food.
After finishing the meal, Sheng Wanyan went into her space and slept like a log, not waking up until ten o’clock the next morning.
Once awake, Sheng Wanyan stayed inside the space. The area inside was massive, so she took a leisurely stroll around.
She planted some vegetables, picked some fresh fruits, fed the fish, and practiced her calligraphy.
Time slipped away unnoticed. After Sheng Wanyan spent a few days relaxing inside the space, dawn finally broke in the outside world.
As soon as it was light, Xu Guihua and the others got out of bed, living by the adage that the early bird catches the worm.
Sheng Wanyan and her group headed out early to grab breakfast from a small street stall. It had to be said that the southern regions truly offered an incredible variety of morning foods.
If she had known earlier, she would have gone to Guangzhou to find Xu Guihua sooner; the morning tea culture over there was the absolute classic.
However, Shenzhen’s selection wasn’t bad either, and the local culinary specialties were quite rich. Currently, this area was dominated by factories, giving off the vibe of urban villages everywhere.
The houses were packed together so densely that it felt somewhat suffocating.
“Wanyan, the public security around here isn’t very good.”
Xu Guihua whispered to her. She had inquired about the area’s security issues a few days ago, and it turned out things were rather chaotic here.
Furthermore, law enforcement wasn’t fully up to par yet. This wasn’t unique to Shenzhen; the entire country was like this, gradually making progress step by step.
“It would be best if we can secure a garment factory around here. In the future, all the clothes for our shops can be manufactured here.”
This was one of the primary reasons Sheng Wanyan had come to Shenzhen. Since Shenzhen was currently an industrial zone, why shouldn’t she establish a foothold here?
“Then what about our existing small workshops?”
Xu Guihua approved of Sheng Wanyan’s arrangements, but the small workshops wouldn’t be easy to handle or account for.
“Comrade Xu Guihua, we are entrepreneurs, not philanthropists.”
Sheng Wanyan spoke bluntly, and Xu Guihua caught her drift immediately. She assumed they would have to disband the small workshops.
There was no reason to waste financial resources and materials to maintain small, scattered workshops when they could manage everything under a unified system.
“There is nothing in this world that money can’t solve.”
Sheng Wanyan let out a sigh. Hearing this, Xu Guihua nodded in agreement; it was indeed true.
Nowadays, countless factories were going bankrupt while just as many enterprises were rising. In the end, those who suffered the most were always the people at the grass-roots level.
“So once this side is up and running, we disband the small workshops?”
Hearing Xu Guihua’s words, Sheng Wanyan stared at her, completely dumbfounded. Disband them…?
“Is that not what you meant?”
Seeing her bewildered expression, Xu Guihua realized that Sheng Wanyan had something entirely different in mind.
“Comrade Xu Guihua, what do you think of the tailoring skills of the women currently in our workshops?”
“They’re excellent, of course. They are all highly skilled seamstresses, and their embroidery and knitting are top-tier.”
“Then, Comrade Xu Guihua, what do you think about launching a line of custom, tailored apparel?”
“These existing seamstresses are our veteran employees, so it’s about time they got a raise.”
Xu Guihua instantly beamed upon hearing her words. As a finance major, she understood the exact benefits of launching a custom, high-end collection.
Nowadays, wealthy individuals loved to pursue uniqueness and prestige, and they could ride exactly on this trend.
“Great, I think that’s absolutely fantastic.”
“It always has to be you!”
Xu Guihua was incredibly excited, radiating an aura of someone about to wage a massive battle.
Seeing this, Sheng Wanyan smiled. Her tool person, Xu Guihua, had successfully been brainwashed, which meant she could enjoy her freedom again next.
Her spirits soaring, Xu Guihua had no idea she had been swayed, her mind entirely consumed by thoughts of making money.
“Comrade Xu Guihua, I have a rather incredible idea.”
“Name it, and I’ll do it!”
Hearing her enthusiastic response, Sheng Wanyan didn’t hold back and laid out her thoughts directly.
“Starting next year, in the name of our clothing company, let’s establish all-girls schools in remote mountain villages across the country.”
Hearing her words, Xu Guihua’s eyes widened instantly, and the five managers behind them looked at her in pure disbelief.
“Establish all-girls schools?”
“Yes. Exclusively for female students. Tuition, books, and school supplies will all be entirely free.”
“Are you serious?”
“Of course. Our young girls are by no means inferior to boys.”
Hearing her words, Xu Guihua grew incredibly moved, her eyes turning red uncontrollably.
Sheng Wanyan possessed a grand sense of righteousness in her heart; she wanted to transform the destiny of girls in this era.
“Whether they pass the entrance exams for technical colleges or universities in the future, we will provide full financial sponsorship.”
“Alright…”
Aside from saying “alright,” Xu Guihua couldn’t find any other words to speak. In her heart, the moment she imagined the joyful eyes of those girls being able to study…
Her heart filled entirely with delight and tenderness. She would definitely execute this matter beautifully next year.
“Our employees can also sign up for night school for free to improve themselves.”
“However, there is one condition. Once they choose to enroll, they must sign a labor agreement.”
“Those who opt for night school must commit to working for us for at least five years without resigning.”
Since Sheng Wanyan was investing financial capital, she naturally required a return. Five years wasn’t a long time; it would pass in a flash.
“Especially the managers—they must be nurtured properly.”
“If anyone can test into a university, they can study while receiving their base salary, under a ten-year agreement.”
“Needless to say, postgraduate students will receive even more sponsorship, under a fifteen-year agreement, and so on.”
“Alright.”
Aside from pure excitement, Xu Guihua had no other way to express herself. She didn’t think the agreements were unfair in the slightest.
One had to know that working for their clothing company paid a salary higher than anywhere else, and the benefits were top-tier.
With such excellent pay and working conditions, who would want to resign anyway!
Furthermore, the opportunities were massive. As long as one worked diligently and performed well, the next manager might very well be them!
“Boss, we want to sign up.”
The five managers following behind couldn’t contain themselves any longer and quietly raised their hands to declare their stance. Seeing this, Sheng Wanyan and Xu Guihua were thoroughly amused.
“For technical college, night school, or university?”
“This…”
The five managers didn’t know yet, so they could only scratch their heads, looking at them rather sheepishly.
“Alright, take your time to think about it, no rush.”
“As long as you continue to work here, these benefits will always be available.”
“Thank you, Boss.”
Hearing this, the managers grew instantly excited, exchanging glances before deciding to go back and ponder it carefully.
Sheng Wanyan led them to wander around the gates of various factories. There were currently many factories that could no longer sustain operations and were up for lease or sale.
“The day after tomorrow, the Shenzhen municipal government is hosting a bidding fair. These locations will go to the highest bidder.”
Sheng Wanyan nodded at the news. She didn’t have much money left on her person, so she didn’t know if it would be enough for the auction.
“Do you know the reserve price?”
Xu Guihua shook her head. She lacked connections around here, so she truly couldn’t find out.
Her parents and husband couldn’t stretch their hands out this far either, nor could her parents utilize their authority to help her conduct business.
“The state wants to generate revenue, so I’m afraid this auction won’t be that simple.”
“No matter what, we need to secure the funds first.”
“The liquid capital from the shops has been mostly drained. I have 100,000 yuan on me.”
Chapter 628: Raising Money Everywhere
Xu Guihua whispered into her ear. The shopfronts she had purchased for Sheng Wanyan in Guangzhou had used up the shops’ liquid capital beforehand.
She still needed to replenish those funds, so the cash on her person was running rather low as well.
“How much did you spend in Guangzhou?”
“Seven shopfronts and four courtyards. Buying them cost a total of 130,000 yuan.”
“I’ll reimburse you later.”
Sheng Wanyan had also spent 60,000 yuan on the renovations and other expenses for her properties in Shanghai, leaving her with 80,000 yuan on hand at the moment.
“Let’s go sign up for the bidding fair.”
Xu Guihua nodded. After the group registered their names, they went out to ask around about shopfronts.
Shopfronts in Shenzhen were noticeably easier to find than in Shanghai. Sheng Wanyan split up from the others, retrieved a whole 100-year-old wild ginseng from her space, and walked into a pharmacy.
“Hello, do you purchase medicinal herbs?”
An old practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine was sorting herbs inside the shop. Seeing Sheng Wanyan enter, he raised his head.
“We do. What kind of herb?”
Sheng Wanyan opened the wooden box, presenting a whole 100-year-old wild ginseng before the old practitioner. The old practitioner’s eyes narrowed instantly upon seeing it.
“Let me take a look.”
The old practitioner grew excited. Sheng Wanyan handed it over, and as the old practitioner inspected it carefully, he instantly became unable to part with it.
“We’ll buy it!”
Sheng Wanyan smiled at his response. The price provided by the pharmacy was also reasonable, offering a full 200,000 yuan.
One had to know that in the future, a whole 100-year-old wild ginseng could be sold for several million or even over ten million yuan.
Sheng Wanyan had deliberately chosen a well-known pharmacy with several chain locations. After all, it made negotiating the price much easier.
“Young lady, if you have any other good medicinal herbs in the future, you can always bring them to my shop to sell.”
The old practitioner spoke with a hearty chuckle. Sheng Wanyan nodded in agreement, but this sort of transaction couldn’t be conducted too frequently in a single location, so she would need to shift spots next time.
The old practitioner placed a phone call, and it wasn’t long before a middle-aged man arrived carrying the cash.
Sheng Wanyan didn’t bother counting it, simply taking it and leaving. Once she reached a secluded area, she ducked straight into her space.
It was impossible for her to sell just one piece; she was strapped for cash, so this was the only way to earn some quick funds. After all, there was no need to sell her gold bars.
The next day, Sheng Wanyan went to a different pharmacy and sold another 100-year-old wild ginseng and a 100-year-old wild lingzhi mushroom, bringing her available capital to 1.4 million yuan.
To her, this money was still insufficient. What she feared most was foreign merchants competing against her for the land plots; if that happened, she wouldn’t have a single chance to secure a foothold.
Left with no choice, Sheng Wanyan placed a call directly to Gu Tingxiao, instructing him to deposit her share of the shops’ revenue from last month into the savings book she carried with her.
Upon receiving the call, Gu Tingxiao immediately went to deposit the money for her. Xu Guihua also called Ice City, having Sheng Wanyan’s dividends from last month deposited as well.
Currently, the capital in Sheng Wanyan’s hands totaled 1.95 million yuan. Sheng Wanyan also instructed Gu Tingxiao to go back home, retrieve the two 100-year-old wild ginseng roots she had hidden, and sell them.
Without asking a single question, Gu Tingxiao sold them to a close friend in the military compound. The pricing was vastly better than here in Shenzhen.
A single root sold for 300,000 yuan, so two roots fetched 600,000 yuan. Instantly, the funds in Sheng Wanyan’s hands reached 2.55 million yuan, giving her a few more bargaining chips.
This matter naturally couldn’t be hidden from Grandpa Gu and Grandma Gu. Learning that Sheng Wanyan was short on cash, they brought out their own savings books.
“This isn’t much money—just the pension your grandma and I have accumulated over the past two years. Deposit it for Wanyan.”
“Grandpa, there’s no need.”
Gu Tingxiao naturally couldn’t take the two elders’ pension funds. It wasn’t as if some catastrophic event had struck the family that required dipping into the elders’ money.
“If I tell you to take it, you take it. Stop dawdling!”
“Take it, your dad and I saved this over the past few years.”
Mother Gu also stuffed a savings book into Gu Tingxiao’s hands. Although she felt somewhat terrified by how much money her third daughter-in-law was spending, she didn’t dare ask~
Grandpa Gu tapped his leg with his cane. Gu Tingxiao felt immensely helpless, but fortunately, a phone call from Sheng Wanyan came to his rescue.
“Husband.”
“In our compound back at Beijing University, inside my dowry chest, there are still two 100-year-old wild lingzhi mushrooms. The spare key is kept in Yi Yi’s small box.”
Sheng Wanyan shared one of her hidden secrets with Gu Tingxiao, leaving Gu Tingxiao thoroughly amused but helpless.
The sound coming from the brick mobile phone wasn’t quiet. Standing to the side disciplining Lailai and Maomao, Yi Yi caught the sound of Sheng Wanyan’s voice perfectly.
My… box?
Yi Yi instantly gripped the key hanging from her wrist strap securely. Not giving it, not giving it~
“Understood.”
Gu Tingxiao hung up the phone and turned his gaze toward Yi Yi, who was sitting on the floor. Yi Yi quietly turned her head away.
“Yi Yi.”
“Yi Yi’s ears can’t hear anything.”
Yi Yi refused to listen at all. Gu Tingxiao couldn’t very well force her; who told his wife to intentionally mess with him?
She knew perfectly well that their daughter treated her small box like an absolute treasure. Aside from Sheng Wanyan and the girl herself, no one possessed the key, nor would she let anyone touch it.
He could only head out to buy a sugar figurine to coax the little ancestor.
Only then did Yi Yi hand the key over to Gu Tingxiao, making sure to instruct him that the fact that her sugar intake had exceeded the daily limit today could absolutely not be told to Mommy.
“Bring the lingzhi mushrooms to me. I’ll go find a few old fellows to sell them to.”
Grandpa Gu spoke up. He decided to take them to sell to those at the top; taking a stroll over to Zhongnanhai wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
Hearing this, Gu Tingxiao nodded. He drove home to retrieve the two lingzhi mushrooms Sheng Wanyan had mentioned.
When he saw the property ownership certificates stacked high inside Sheng Wanyan’s chest, along with some gold bricks and cash, he burst out laughing instantly. She truly was an absolute ancestor.
Concealing so many precious treasures, no wonder she guarded it so fiercely and refused to tell him.
Gu Tingxiao retrieved the two lingzhi mushrooms, placed the key back into a small container inside Yi Yi’s box, locked the door securely, and left.
After handing them over to Grandpa Gu, the old gentleman marched out the door leaning on his cane. Time to go fleece… err, earn some money~
That very evening, Sheng Wanyan received a call from Gu Tingxiao, saying a sum of money had been deposited for her. When Sheng Wanyan checked the next morning, she instantly beamed with joy.
Good heavens, she had no idea how Grandpa Gu had swindled them, but the two lingzhi mushrooms had been sold for a whopping 1 million yuan.
Grandpa Gu didn’t need to swindle anyone; he had essentially gone to play the bandit. Navigating familiarly into the private vaults of two old gentlemen, he began grabbing items.
He took whatever was valuable, leaving them with no choice but to use cash to buy back their antiques from this bandit.
Damn it… that bandit Gu, he treated all their belongings as his own.
If they didn’t hand over the cash, he would smash the items, frightening them into hurriedly shelling out the money while still having to humor him.
Grandpa Gu was officially banned from stepping foot into Zhongnanhai for the rest of the month, otherwise they would pew-pew-pew~
Grandpa Gu didn’t look upset either. He had nothing to do this month anyway, so why would he travel all that way over there!
In any case, whenever a major issue arose, they would still have to invite him over to deliberate.
Instantly, Sheng Wanyan possessed 3.55 million yuan on her person, and she led her team to charge into the bidding fair.
The group located the seats corresponding to their numbers and sat down. With multiple people raising paddles to bid, their chances would be higher.
Their group consisted of seven people, so Sheng Wanyan felt highly confident.
Sure enough, just as Sheng Wanyan had anticipated, quite a few foreigners had arrived to participate in the bidding fair, and some domestic merchants who had developed their businesses abroad had also come.
Everyone had set their sights on this massive cake that was the nation of Huaxia; nowadays, everyone wanted to take a bite.
Sheng Wanyan reviewed the information regarding this land auction in her hands. There were two factories she favored, and she absolutely had to secure one of them.
Chapter 629: A Talent Back from Hong Kong
If she hadn’t succeeded, she would have had to make do with the Shenzhen factory she bought from Ye Chenghua.
She really didn’t want to use that plot of land for a factory. The location was too good; it would be excellent for office buildings or a shopping mall in the future.
The bidding fair officially commenced. Sheng Wanyan waited patiently, biding her time until the land she had set her eyes on came up for auction.
Finally, the lot Sheng Wanyan wanted appeared. The bidding started at a reserve price of 100,000 yuan, with a minimum increment of 50,000 yuan.
“100,000 yuan.”
Sheng Wanyan raised her paddle. Very quickly, others followed suit, and the price kept climbing.
“150,000 yuan.”
“200,000 yuan.”
“250,000 yuan.”
……
“500,000 yuan.”
Sheng Wanyan raised the bid. Hearing the sum reach half a million, several people lowered their paddles and dropped out.
However, foreign merchants and overseas Chinese businessmen were not about to give up on this plot of land.
“600,000 yuan.”
“650,000 yuan.”
“700,000 yuan.”
“750,000 yuan.”
……
“1,000,000 yuan.”
Sheng Wanyan pushed the price to one million. A collective gasp echoed through the room. A million yuan was an astronomical sum in this day and age.
“One million going once.”
“One million going twice.”
“One million going thrice! Sold!”
The location Sheng Wanyan secured was considered relatively remote at present, but she knew it would be worth a fortune in the future. The others weren’t foolish enough to spend a million yuan on a poorly located factory.
Hearing that she had won the bid, Sheng Wanyan let out a sigh of relief. One of her biggest objectives in Shenzhen was finally accomplished.
However, since she still had surplus funds, she naturally didn’t want to give up on the other factory either.
Unfortunately, it was eventually snatched up by an overseas Chinese businessman for a whopping two million yuan.
Sheng Wanyan didn’t have enough cash for that, but she didn’t get greedy. Instead, she focused on bidding for smaller properties that she knew would become valuable in the future.
By the end of the auction, Sheng Wanyan had successfully secured eight properties. One was the factory, and the remaining seven consisted of two residential buildings for staff quarters, three shopfronts, and two small courtyards.
After everything was tallied up, she still had 1.15 million yuan left in her hands, which was more than enough to support her upcoming branch stores in Shenzhen.
Sheng Wanyan transferred 130,000 yuan into Xu Guihua’s savings book. Next came the factory and shop renovations, recruitment, and scouting for more shop locations.
Sheng Wanyan and Xu Guihua handed these tasks over to the five managers, finally allowing themselves a few days of hard-earned leisure.
The two of them drove around, enjoying themselves for a few days and buying plenty of things for their families. Meanwhile, Xu Guihua kept her ear to the ground and successfully purchased a small courtyard.
“Wanyan, what do you think of this place? I want to buy it.”
Sheng Wanyan evaluated the courtyard’s environment and location. Although it was remote now, property prices in this area of Shenzhen wouldn’t be low in the future.
“It’s good.”
“Then I’ll buy it. It can serve as my daughter’s dowry in the future.”
Xu Guihua happily contacted the owner to close the deal. She trusted Sheng Wanyan implicitly; if Sheng Wanyan said it was good, it was definitely good. Even if it didn’t turn out amazing, it was a property of her own. Having a roof over her head whenever she visited this side was a guaranteed win.
Xu Guihua bought it for 10,000 yuan. The courtyard wasn’t large and the location was out of the way, but it was well-preserved and cheap.
Sheng Wanyan spent several days exploring with her. Being so close to Hong Kong, this place had an abundance of good things.
However, when it came to finding a general manager, Xu Guihua had interviewed several candidates but rejected them all.
Some were former directors of local bankrupt factories, and others were heads of finance departments, all currently looking for new employment. But these people all assumed that working here would be the same as their old jobs—positions of high status where they could just coast along without putting in real effort.
Xu Guihua utterly detested that kind of attitude, and her temper had been flaring up over the past few days. Left with no choice, Sheng Wanyan drove her out to clear her head.
“It’s infuriating! Just because we’re women, they think they can walk all over us.”
“They put on airs using their former director titles, saying our place is small and that they’re doing us a favor by condescending to work here.”
“How utterly ridiculous.”
Listening to Xu Guihua’s venting, Sheng Wanyan offered quick words of comfort, “Don’t be angry. Getting angry makes you age faster.”
Hearing this, Xu Guihua immediately took a deep breath and began patting her face.
“Is that true? Look at me, have I aged?”
The moment Xu Guihua thought about her age, she felt uneasy. She felt like she was already turning into a middle-aged woman…
“Not at all. I think you look even younger and more elegant now.”
“Look at you in your tailored suit and perm. You’ve got so much charm.”
“We are successful career women with our own unique appeal.”
Xu Guihua burst out laughing upon hearing this, but she still resolved to take good care of herself. She absolutely couldn’t bear the thought of young people calling her an “old auntie.”
“I do take care of myself, but times are changing so fast, I can barely keep up.”
“Comrade Xu Guihua, you’re looking at it all wrong.”
“We are the ones standing at the absolute forefront of this era. In this world, money is king.”
“In a few years, once the clothing business stabilizes, we’ll go abroad and travel the world in style.”
“Those young youngsters don’t even have the courage to just pack up and leave like we do.”
Xu Guihua smiled and nodded, her eyes filled with anticipation. At her age, she hadn’t even traveled through all of HuaXia yet.
“You’re right. We have money.”
“Exactly.”
Sheng Wanyan replied, stepping on the gas to accelerate. Xu Guihua rolled down the window, letting the wind blow through her long hair. The frustration and worries that had been weighing her down over the past few days instantly dissolved into the breeze.
Now that they had a courtyard, they no longer needed to stay at the guest house. They moved straight into Xu Guihua’s new place. The courtyard Sheng Wanyan bought wasn’t livable yet and required renovations; staying there would probably feel a bit eerie.
Xu Guihua’s courtyard had four rooms. Sheng Wanyan and Xu Guihua took one each, while the five employees allocated the remaining space among themselves.
“Boss! There’s a candidate back from Hong Kong interviewing for the general manager position!”
Sheng Wanyan and Xu Guihua were in the shop warehouse discussing the development of the Shenzhen branch stores when the manager came running in excitedly.
“Hong Kong?”
“Yes! He said he just graduated from a university in Hong Kong, but his ancestral home is here in Shenzhen. He wants to return to serve the motherland!”
Sheng Wanyan’s interest was instantly piqued, and she signaled the manager to bring him in.
A young man dressed in a sharp suit walked in, radiating an aura that could be summed up in a single word: “Youth!”
“Hello, I am Chen Zuhua. This is my resume.”
Chen Zuhua had prepared a personal resume. Sheng Wanyan and Xu Guihua looked it over and gestured for him to sit down.
Sheng Wanyan scanned the document. He was a recent finance graduate from the University of Hong Kong, and his ancestral home was indeed Shenzhen. His family used to run a business here, but when they sensed the shifting political landscape in HuaXia years ago, they liquidated their domestic assets and moved to Hong Kong to develop their lives.
“You’re back from Hong Kong?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you stay there? As far as I know, Hong Kong offers far greater opportunities.”
“My great-grandfather was a soldier, so I wanted to come back and serve my country.”
“Then why not join a state-owned unit? With a resume like yours, any government department would fight to have you.”
Studying finance at the University of Hong Kong, he had led his classmates to trade stocks in the UK, earning his first pot of gold—a staggering five million! Later, during his internship at a financial firm in Hong Kong, his investment strategies had generated twenty million for the company.
