boyutpedia Chapter 46 In this world, you need a powerful backer!
Chapter 46 In this world, you need a powerful backer!
Sometimes even Cheung Kwok-ho doesn't understand whether the money in Hong Kong is due to inflation or normal evolution, with a piece of land appreciating dozens or even hundreds of times in value.
But Zhang Guohao knew that in this world of capital, money means everything, and without money, you have nothing!
To gain a foothold in Hong Kong Island, you need money!
Just like now, Zhang Guohao is stumped by money. According to Liu San, he only has a little over 10,000 yuan, which doesn't seem to be enough to buy this piece of land.
The land itself costs over 10,000 to almost 20,000 yuan, not to mention the buildings on it!
To acquire this land, we need to figure out a way; if that doesn't work, we'll have to arrange for installments.
"Why did the original owner of this shop quit?"
Zhang Guohao looked around the old building. Although it was a bit old, it was still acceptable overall. With a little renovation, it could open for business.
"Hey, it's funny, you know what kind of cuisine the original owner served? It was from the Southwest, and they always cooked a ton of insects, deep-fried and grilled all the time. But this area is mostly populated by foreigners and people from Shandong province, and quite a few northerners too. They don't usually eat that kind of food!"
"It's fine if someone comes to try it out occasionally, but expecting to make money from it is absolutely impossible!"
"Well, he managed to keep going for more than two years, but then he couldn't keep going and lost all his savings! I heard he's a relative of some Long Yun, and back then he was quite extravagant, buying a piece of land to build a restaurant."
"They're so poor they have to sell their bodies now."
Liu San explained the situation of the original owner of the land, who was also an outrageous person.
"Is there any way to lower the price?"
Zhang Guohao looked around. There were quite a few places selling steamed buns and breakfast items nearby. It wasn't easy to start a business like that.
Zhang Guohao didn't intend to earn this kind of hard-earned money. If he could acquire this land, he would still have to find a way to establish a relationship with the higher-ups in the Shandong police.
Zhang Guohao also lacked confidence, believing that his father's culinary skills were enough to make money. The key was to develop this place into a hub for Shandong people to connect and to make the Shandong police their backers.
In Hong Kong, without connections, you can't make money!
To build a large and powerful business in Hong Kong, you either need to be wealthy, like the rich from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions who paved their way with money to become the first generation of tycoons in Hong Kong. Some were in the textile industry, some in the shipping industry, and others in the sugar industry.
Either you have powerful connections, or you have three types of connections. One type is foreigners, since they are the ones in charge of this place now.
One type is various large chambers of commerce, which are actually just another way to pave the way with money.
The last type is gang thugs who use violence as a way to get in.
Boss Huo is able to start a business because his family can provide some support. People from Guangdong and Fujian provinces have this habit of sticking together as a clan, and they are really willing to spend money to help others.
In many clans, after young people come of age, they borrow money from other branches of the clan to go out and make their own way in the world. If they lose money, they don't complain, but if they make money, they use it to start a business for the next generation.
Another source of help for Boss Huo was his classmates from his school days, who were able to establish connections with foreigners.
For example, He Hongsheng, who cheated Boss Huo a couple of years ago, tricked Boss Huo into thinking that seaweed was profitable. Boss Huo then assembled a fleet of ships and went to sea, only to be stranded at sea for half a year. When he returned, he thought that the seaweed could be sold for money, but after inquiring, he found out that the seaweed was not that valuable.
Not only was the price not that high, but He Hongsheng also insisted on drying the seaweed before buying it, and had various other requirements.
Boss Huo almost died on his sea voyage, and in the end, he only earned a meager living.
Zhang Guohao also needs to find people to support him, especially legitimate forces. He may not need them, but he has to have them!
Zhang Guohao is from Shandong Province, so he naturally carries the label of being from Shandong Province and naturally needs to build relationships with people from Shandong Province.
Zhang Guohao is confident that he can open a restaurant. His father's cooking skills can attract people from Shandong Province. Making money is not guaranteed, but building connections will definitely make it happen!
We'll set up a few private rooms on the second floor so that the Shandong police can discuss business there. We'll also improve the food and soundproof the rooms. Over time, as the Shandong police come here, it will naturally attract more people from Shandong Province.
It wouldn't be too difficult to turn the restaurant into an information exchange center like Huaqing Pool in the future.
It wasn't easy for Officer Lu to make a living on Hong Kong Island. He did the most work but earned the least, and there weren't many opportunities to make extra money. But Officer Lu also wanted to climb the ranks, so he had to bribe his way up!
When they run out of money, Zhang Guohao might be able to help them out, and then their relationship will become even closer.
Zhang Guohao's plan was good, but he got stuck at the first step: he didn't have enough money.
"It's difficult to negotiate a lower price. This guy is sticking to his price and won't budge. He says he invested too much initially and wants this land, so he has to pay 50,000. You know, the price of land varies from plot to plot."
"The Central and Western Districts are already bustling areas; the land prices there are much higher than those auctioned off by the government!"
"The government's auction price is only a few cents, but here they can ask for double that, plus there are two floors above ground, that also needs to be factored in."
Liu San's expression was somewhat unpleasant. This was a good place, but the price was really high. If the deal went through, he would make a lot of money, but if it didn't, not only would he not make any money, but it would also damage his image with Zhang Guohao, making him look incompetent.
"What about installment payments?"
Zhang Guohao then asked.
"That's negotiable, but I'm afraid it'll cost you something."
"I have a few more places, shall we go take a look? Although they are not as big or as nice as this place, they are still good places."
Liu San said, and quickly proposed alternative solutions.
Liu San always does things cleanly and efficiently, and he usually closes most of his deals in one go, which helps him build a brand image of high-quality products.
When Liu San introduces jobs and housing, he always presents the best place to the employer first. This way, nine out of ten employers are satisfied upon first meeting, without having to go around looking at other places.
If the primary objective cannot be achieved, Liu San will directly offer alternative solutions.
"Let's go take a look first."
Zhang Guohao nodded, not in a hurry to talk to the restaurant owner about the sale, but to see what the alternative options were like first.
After visiting three more places, Zhang Guohao returned home.
Comparing people is a recipe for disaster, comparing goods is a recipe for disaster. Once you have the first restaurant to compare it to, the other places are either too small, too remote, or have too few people.
The first place is suitable; it's at a crossroads, a two-story building, and surrounded by many people, mostly from Shandong province.
Although it's a bit pricey, the premium doesn't seem to be too much.
"Liu San, let's go with this. We'll pay in installments over six months. Let's try to negotiate the price down as much as possible. For every thousand yuan we reduce the price by, I'll give you one hundred yuan."
Zhang Guohao gritted his teeth and decided to buy the land anyway. If he was going to do it, he might as well do it well. Otherwise, it would be too low-class and those high-ranking Shandong police officers wouldn't come!