Movie: Get Alpha Dog at the start

It was past 2 p.m. when the plane landed at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport. The warm breeze from the south was a stark contrast to the dry, cold air of Beijing. Yang Shuying followed her younger brother, Yang Shumao, out of the plane, stepping onto this legendary forefront of reform and opening up for the first time. She looked around curiously, surrounded by a cacophony of Mandarin and Cantonese accents, the air filled with an indescribable vitality.

"Let's go, the car is waiting outside." Zhao Yajing carried her small bag and walked in front.

The group collected their luggage and walked out of the terminal. Two black Santana sedans were already waiting at the entrance—these were purchased last year by Qin Hao and Zhao Yajing for business convenience. In this era when bicycles are still the mainstream mode of transportation, it's quite rare to have two cars picking you up at the airport.

Zhao Yajing opened the car door and said to Qin Hao, "Old Qin, I'm leaving Xie Laozhuan and Jia Xiaoying to you. I'll take Third Sister and Sha Mao to the clothing store to settle them in, and we'll have dinner together tonight."

"Okay." Qin Hao nodded.

Zhao Yajing then looked at Yang Shuying and said gently, "Third Sister, get in the car. Let's go to our place first to put down our luggage, and then I'll take you to the shop."

Yang Shuying nodded quickly and followed Zhao Yajing into the first car. Yang Shuma gave Qin Hao a wink and also got into the passenger seat.

In front of the second car, only Qin Hao, Xie Laozhuan, and Jia Xiaoying remained.

Jia Xiaoying watched Zhao Yajing's car speed away, then glanced at Qin Hao, her eyes darting around before she leaned forward with a fawning smile: "Old Qin, I heard from Old Xie that you're a big boss now, your business is booming. Um... could you arrange some work for me too?"

She stared at Qin Hao with pleading eyes, looking utterly pitiful.

Qin Hao didn't even glance at her, turning directly to Xie Laozhuan, glaring at him fiercely, and said irritably, "No, we don't have that kind of relationship. If you have any problems, go to Xie Laozhuan. He promised you, so let him handle it himself."

These were very blunt words. Jia Xiaoying was stunned, feeling somewhat embarrassed. She didn't think she had offended Qin Hao, so why was he so hostile from the moment they met?

Old Xie quickly tried to smooth things over: "Old Qin, Xiao Ying was just saying it casually..."

"Just something offhand?" Qin Hao sneered. "Old Xie, you're responsible for the trouble you've caused. This isn't a shelter where just anyone can be thrown in."

He paused, looked at Jia Xiaoying, and said coldly, "Although I have no grudge against you, I was exploited by your father, Jia Shifa, quite a bit when we were sent to the countryside. Don't tell me that we should keep things separate. I'm not a fool, I don't have that kind of good temper."

These words clarified the reason. Jia Xiaoying's face paled, her lips moved, but she couldn't say anything. Her father, Jia Shifa, was the deputy secretary of the brigade back then, and he had indeed made things difficult for these educated youth, withholding their rations and assigning them heavy work... Although she hadn't participated in these things, she had heard about them.

Before Xie Laozhuan could say anything more, Qin Hao pulled him aside, lowered his voice, and said seriously, "I'm warning you, Xie Laozhuan. If you dare to abuse your position for personal gain and arrange for her to work in the store, or use company money to support her, don't blame me for being ruthless. We're brothers, but business is business, and the rules can't be broken."

"Old Qin, I..." Old Xie turned around with a bitter face, still wanting to explain.

Qin Hao slapped him on the shoulder with considerable force: "Stop giving me that useless nonsense. You reap what you sow. Since you brought people here, you're responsible for them to the end. I'll take care of your accommodation, but you'll have to figure out the rest yourself."

After saying that, Qin Hao opened the car door: "Get in."

Old Xie turned and got into the passenger seat dejectedly. Jia Xiaoying bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and then got into the back seat.

The car drove out of the airport and headed into the city. Qin Hao remained silent the whole way, and Xie Lao didn't dare to speak either. Only Jia Xiaoying looked curiously at the scenery outside the window—there were more tall buildings than in Beijing, the people on the street were dressed more fashionably, and the shop signs were colorful, with many words she didn't recognize.

After driving for more than half an hour, the car entered a small road near Beijing Road. It was a building Qin Hao had previously bought, which had been converted into employee dormitories. The conditions were considered quite good by today's standards.

Qin Hao stopped the car, led the two up to the third floor, and opened the door to a two-bedroom apartment.

"This apartment is empty, you can stay here for now." Qin Hao tossed the keys to Old Xie and said, "You pay your own water and electricity bills, and the rent will be deducted from your salary. There's a cafeteria for meals, or you can cook for yourself if you want, there's a market downstairs."

After saying that, he turned and left, but turned back at the door to add, "Thank you, Mr. Xie. Be on time for work tomorrow. If you're late, your entire bonus for this month will be deducted."

The door slammed shut.

The room fell silent. Old Xie sighed and placed his luggage on the floor. Jia Xiaoying, however, didn't seem to care about Qin Hao's attitude. She had recovered from the earlier embarrassment and began to curiously examine this temporary "home."

It's a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment, about 60 square meters. The living room has a sofa and a coffee table, while the bedroom has a bed and a wardrobe. What surprised her most was that the TV cabinet in the living room not only had a 14-inch color TV, but also a black machine next to it with various buttons and indicator lights.

"Your dorms are amazing!" Jia Xiaoying exclaimed, walking over to the TV and touching it. "It's a color TV! How much did this cost?"

She then pointed to the black machine: "What is this?"

Old Xie glanced at it and said weakly, "That's a video recorder, brought back from Hong Kong. It can play videotapes. Just shut up for a bit, it's giving me a headache."

He was indeed having a headache. Qin Hao's attitude was clear: he wouldn't arrange a job for Jia Xiaoying, nor would he give her any special treatment. This meant he had to find a way to deal with this "trouble" himself. Judging from the situation, she definitely wouldn't leave.

Jia Xiaoying snorted and sat down on the sofa, crossing her legs: "Hmph, you deserve it. What did you promise me back in the village? You said you'd find a way to bring me to the city, arrange a job for me, and give me a good life. And what happened? Two years have passed and there's been no news at all, not even a letter. If it weren't for God's blessing that I ran into you at Shichahai, I don't know how long I would have been fooled by you."

Old Xie opened his mouth, wanting to defend himself, but couldn't find a way to do so. Back in the village, he and Jia Xiaoying had indeed been together for a while. In the throes of new love, sweet words and vows of eternal love were just words that flowed effortlessly from their lips, weren't they?
But after returning to the city, he faced immense financial pressure and difficulty finding a job. He was barely able to take care of himself, let alone have time to think about Jia Xiaoying, who was thousands of miles away. Later, after making money in Shenzhen and gaining more experience, he completely forgot about the past.

"I was... busy," Old Xie said, his voice lacking confidence.

"Busy? Busy with other women, huh?" Jia Xiaoying stood up, walked up to him, and looked up at him. "That Hua Mei is your lover in Guangzhou, right? I can forgive and forget about the past, but you must break up with her immediately and cut all ties. From now on, you can only be good to me."

Old Xie turned around, his face full of helplessness. Who told him he couldn't control himself back then? Now look what's happened, two women have run into him, each more formidable than the last.

"I'll go and explain things to Hua Mei..." Old Xie sighed.

"Then go ahead, go now." Jia Xiaoying gave him a push: "I'll wait for you here."

Old Xie glanced at her, shook his head, and turned to leave.

"Hey, where are you going?" Jia Xiaoying chased after him to the door.

Old Xie turned his head without looking back: "Didn't you tell me to break up with Hua Mei? I'm going to go and talk to her."

"Then...come back soon." Jia Xiaoying's tone softened.

……

An hour later, the door opened. Old Xie walked in, a bright red handprint clearly visible on his face, and half of his face was swollen.

When Jia Xiaoying saw it, she was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Oh my, is this a souvenir left by Hua Mei? She really went all out."

Old Xie glared at her, said nothing, plopped down on the sofa, picked up the water glass on the table, and took a big gulp of water.

"So, did you explain it clearly?" Jia Xiaoying leaned over and took his arm.

"I understand, I understand completely." Old Xie said irritably, "Hua Mei said that from now on, I will go my separate ways with her, and if I go to see her again, I will beat her every time I see her."

"That's good." Jia Xiaoying leaned happily on his shoulder, looking like a little bird seeking shelter. "You're finally back! I'm starving. Shall we go eat?"

Old Xie's lips twitched—he'd just been slapped across the face, and the slap hurt even more. He sighed, "Let's go, I'll take you to eat."

"Hey, how about we eat at your restaurant?" Jia Xiaoying suggested, her eyes lighting up. "I've never had fried chicken or hamburgers before."

Old Xie rolled his eyes: "Look at your pathetic self. What's so great about fast food? I'll take you to eat Cantonese food, authentic poached chicken and roast goose, that's what you call delicious."

"No, I just want fried chicken and a hamburger," Jia Xiaoying said, shaking his arm and pouting.

Faced with Jia Xiaoying's coquettishness, Xie Laozhuan was completely powerless—he was always swayed by gentle persuasion but not by force. Helpless, he could only nod: "Alright, alright, I'll take you, but it's a promise, just this once. After this, you still have to eat proper meals."

"Okay!" Jia Xiaoying jumped up happily and pulled him outside.

The two went downstairs and walked towards Beijing Road. This is one of Guangzhou's most bustling commercial streets, lined with shops and teeming with people. Jia Xiaoying was like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden, finding everything new and exciting, looking around and occasionally exclaiming in amazement.

Wow, this building is so tall!

"Look at that sign, what words are written on it? I don't recognize them at all."

"This dress is really nice, is it from Hong Kong?"

Old Xie followed behind her, looking at her with an air of naiveté, feeling both amused and annoyed. But then he thought back to his own first visit to Guangzhou—wasn't he just as clueless?

As they walked to the middle of Beijing Road, Jia Xiaoying suddenly pointed to a store ahead: "Is that your 'Burger King'? I recognize that sign!"

Sure enough, not far ahead, a bright red and yellow sign stood out, displaying the words "Burger King" in large letters. The store wasn't big, but through the glass windows, you could see it was packed with people.

"How much money does this store make in a day?" Jia Xiaoying murmured.

“Don’t just look at this one.” Old Xie pointed ahead: “Go forward from here, less than 500 meters, there are two more Burger Kings. There are three in total on this street.”

Jia Xiaoying's eyes widened: "Three stores? Then... all these stores belong to Lao Qin? Doesn't that mean he's made a fortune?"

Old Xie chuckled and lowered his voice: "This is nothing. Let me tell you, don't go around telling everyone—there are eighteen stores like this in Guangzhou alone. There are ten in Shenzhen. And in Hong Kong… there are even more."

Actually, Xie Laozhuan didn't know exactly how many Burger King stores there were in Hong Kong, since neither Qin Hao nor Zhao Yajing had told him the exact number. But he knew that Qin Hao planned to take Burger King public this year, so the scale would definitely be much larger than the number of stores in Guangzhou. Even so, it was enough to shock Jia Xiaoying.

“Eighteen...ten…” Jia Xiaoying counted on her fingers, her eyes widening: “Then he has more money than he can spend?”

"Wipe your drool." Old Xie patted her head. "That's Old Qin's money, what does it have to do with you?"

Jia Xiaoying wrinkled her nose: "It has nothing to do with me, but it has nothing to do with you. You two are brothers, right? If he makes a fortune, he has to take care of you, right? Look, aren't you a manager now, overseeing so many stores?"

"Old Qin has already taken good care of me," Xie Lao said, slung his bag over his shoulder, his face beaming with pride. "Do you know how much of an end-of-year bonus Old Qin gave me?"

Jia Xiaoying shook her head and looked at him curiously.

Old Xie raised a finger and said, "Guess, guess big."

"One... one thousand?" Jia Xiaoying guessed, mustering her courage. In her opinion, one thousand yuan was already an astronomical figure.

Old Xie shook his head: "Let's guess on a larger scale."

Jia Xiaoying's eyes widened, her voice trembling slightly: "It can't be... ten thousand, can it?"

"Oh, right!" Old Xie slapped his thigh, beaming with excitement: "Ten thousand yuan! A whole ten thousand! Wrapped in red paper, this thick stack!" He gestured with his hand to show the thickness.

Jia Xiaoying's mouth gaped open, unable to close it for a long time. Ten thousand yuan? She had never seen so much money in her life! After a long while, she stammered, "This...so, you're now a ten-thousand-yuan household?"

"That was indeed the case before the Lunar New Year." Old Xie nodded.

"And now?" Jia Xiaoying pressed.

Old Xie's expression turned somewhat awkward: "Now... there's only one or two thousand left."

"What?!" Jia Xiaoying shrieked, drawing the attention of passersby. She quickly lowered her voice, but her tone remained agitated: "You spent so much over the New Year? More than eight thousand yuan, how did you spend it all?"

"How else can I spend it? I'll just spend it like this." Old Xie said nonchalantly, "I bought some things for the house, a TV, new clothes for my parents, and a bicycle for each of my younger brother and sister-in-law... As for money, I'll earn more when it's all gone."

Jia Xiaoying felt a pang of heartache, as if she were spending her own money: "You're really spending too much! Over eight thousand yuan, enough to build three big brick houses in the village! And you just... just wasted it like that?"

“What do you mean by wasting money? I take care of my parents and siblings, is that wasting money?” Old Xie became unhappy: “Besides, I earned the money, I can spend it however I want.”

Jia Xiaoying wanted to say something more, but the two had already arrived at the entrance of the Burger King store.

As soon as she entered, the aroma of fried chicken wafted towards her. Jia Xiaoying took a deep breath, and her stomach rumbled loudly, temporarily forgetting about how Xie Laozhuan was going to spend the money.

The shop was bustling, almost full of people. The simple and clean decor, bright lighting, uniformed staff, and unique aroma created an atmosphere that Jia Xiaoying had never experienced before.

"Manager Xie, Happy New Year!" A man in his thirties greeted him with a big smile.

"Happy New Year, Lao Tan." Old Xie nodded. "Business is good. It's only the fifth day of the New Year, and there are already so many people."

"Thanks to the boss, business has been booming," Manager Tan said with a smile, glancing at Jia Xiaoying standing next to Old Xie: "And this is..."

“My friend is from Beijing,” Xie Lao introduced briefly. “Give her a fried chicken set meal, the one called ‘A Bucket of Gold’.”

"Okay!" Manager Tan replied, and went to the counter to place the order himself.

Old Xie, with practiced ease, led Jia Xiaoying to a window seat. Jia Xiaoying noticed, however, that Old Xie had just taken money from his wallet and given it to Manager Tan.

"Why do you want me to pay you back?" she asked in a low voice.

"Don't even mention me, even if Old Qin came, he'd still have to pay," Old Xie said, adding, "That's the rule."

Jia Xiaoying clearly didn't believe it. At this moment, Manager Tan came over with two cups of cola. Hearing their conversation, he smiled and explained, "Pretty girl, what Manager Xie said is true. This is a rule set by our boss. No matter who comes, they have to pay in cash for their food. In special circumstances, they can apply for reimbursement, but the accounts must be clear."

"Isn't this too much trouble?" Jia Xiaoying still didn't understand: "It's our own shop, why do we have to pay for a meal..."

Store Manager Tan chuckled: "Our boss said that we shouldn't be afraid of trouble with the accounts, because only then can the business grow. If the small accounts are not clear, the big accounts will be in chaos. At first, we didn't understand, but over time we found that it was indeed the right thing to do—if everyone follows the rules, no one can take advantage of the system, and it becomes simpler to manage."

Jia Xiaoying nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite. At that moment, a young female employee came over with a tray on it, on which was a red bucket filled with fried chicken legs, fried chicken wings, chicken nuggets, two hamburgers, and two bags of fries.

"Please enjoy your meal, beautiful lady," the female shop assistant said politely as she put down the tray.

Jia Xiaoying stared at the golden-brown, crispy fried chicken in the bucket, secretly swallowing hard. The color and the aroma were simply too tempting.

"Eat up, it's all yours." Old Xie wrapped a chicken leg in a tissue and handed it to Jia Xiaoying: "I'm so tired of this stuff. I smell it every day, and now I have no appetite for it."

"Then I won't be polite." Jia Xiaoying took the chicken leg and took a bite without waiting.

With a "crunch," the crispy outer skin was bitten open, revealing tender and juicy chicken inside. A rich aroma of meat mixed with spices instantly filled the mouth.

"Mmm!" Jia Xiaoying's eyes lit up, and she said indistinctly, "This fried chicken leg is so delicious! It's a hundred times better than the stewed chicken at home!"

Old Xie curled his lip: "After a few times, you won't find it delicious anymore. When it comes to food, foreigners aren't even worthy of shining our shoes. Fried chicken and hamburgers are just for novelty. If we're talking about truly delicious food, it has to be our Chinese stir-fries, stews, and poached chicken..."

Jia Xiaoying shook her head while munching on a chicken leg: "I think this fried chicken leg is pretty good. Hey, Lao Zhuan, how about you bring me here to eat this every week from now on?"

“Okay, you can eat this every day without any problem.” Old Xie added, “It even saves me money—this stuff is cheap, much cheaper than eating at a restaurant.”

Jia Xiaoying then remembered: "How much does this set meal cost again?"

"8.8 yuan." Old Xie continued, "People in Guangdong like auspicious numbers, and 8 is like 'prosperity'. Our set meal is called 'A Bucket of Gold,' and it's our best-selling set meal."

"A bucket of gold?" Jia Xiaoying looked at the red bucket in her hand: "That's quite a creative name."

"Isn't it creative?" Old Xie said proudly, "This is a name our boss came up with himself. Many customers come to eat fried chicken not only to fill their stomachs, but also to get good luck and auspiciousness. 'A Bucket of Gold', what a wonderful meaning."

Jia Xiaoying nodded and continued to eat heartily. She quickly finished a chicken leg, then picked up a chicken wing, followed by chicken pieces. After eating for a while, she felt a little choked, so Xie Lao handed her a Coke.

"What is this? It's all black, could it be Chinese medicine?" Jia Xiaoying looked warily at the dark brown liquid in the cup, which was still bubbling on top.

Old Xie chuckled: "This is called Coca-Cola, a drink from America. I heard that foreigners carry this stuff with them when they go to war to keep them alert. It does taste a bit like Chinese medicine, but it's not as bitter; it's sweet."

Jia Xiaoying took a sip with some skepticism. The cool, sweet liquid entered her mouth, the bubbles bursting on her tongue, creating a peculiar texture. She frowned, then took another sip, this time savoring it carefully.

"How is it?" Old Xie asked in return.

"Hmm...it's actually quite delicious." Jia Xiaoying's eyes lit up: "It's sweet, but the taste is a bit strange, a bit like...a bit like cough syrup, but not as bad."

"You'll get used to it." Old Xie said, "I thought it was strange the first time I drank it, but now I crave it if I don't drink it for a day."

While eating fried chicken and drinking cola, Jia Xiaoying quickly finished most of the "bucket of gold." She let out a satisfied burp, leaned back in her chair, and looked around at the customers coming and going in the store.

"Business is really good," she murmured. "I wish I could open a shop like this someday. Sitting here and collecting money every day, how wonderful that would be."

"Come on," Old Xie said bluntly, "Someone like you won't even sell as much as you eat. Opening a shop isn't that easy. There are so many troublesome things: location selection, decoration, hiring, training, sourcing, management... Do you think Old Qin's money grows on trees? He earned it all step by step."

Jia Xiaoying pursed her lips, but didn't refute it. She knew that what Old Xie had said was the truth.

"Let's go." Old Xie turned and stood up. "You've already eaten, but I haven't. I'll take you to get a bowl of wonton noodles, a Guangzhou specialty, much better than this fried chicken."

Jia Xiaoying patted her round belly: "I can't eat anymore..."

"Then watch me eat."

Jia Xiaoying glanced back at the red and yellow signboard and secretly made up her mind: no matter what, she would stay in Guangzhou. Here, there were opportunities, hope, and the life she wanted.

……

Meanwhile, Zhao Yajing had already brought Yang Shuying and her brother to a clothing wholesale store in Liwan District.

The store was quite large, spanning two floors; the first floor was for retail, and the second floor served as both a wholesale and warehouse. The store was filled with all sorts of clothing, from jeans and dresses to shirts and coats—a dazzling array. Several shop assistants were busy organizing the merchandise. Upon seeing Zhao Yajing enter, they all greeted her, "Happy New Year, Ms. Zhao!"

"Happy New Year, everyone." Zhao Yajing replied with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work. I'm back to work on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. I'll treat everyone to dinner tonight and give out red envelopes to mark the start of the new year."

The shop assistants cheered.

Zhao Yajing led Yang Shuying up to the second floor. Half of the room was a warehouse, piled high with boxes of goods; the other half was an office and a sample room. A young woman in her early twenties was tidying up clothes in the sample room when she heard footsteps and turned around.

"The flowers are beautiful," Zhao Yajing exclaimed.

The girl turned around, and it was Hua Mei. She wasn't tall, but she had a well-proportioned figure and was quite pretty, especially her eyes, which were very bright. Today she was wearing a red sweater, black pants, and her hair was tied in a ponytail, making her look neat and tidy.

"Mr. Zhao, you're back." Hua Mei walked over with a smile, and was taken aback when she saw Yang Shuying and Yang Shumao.

“This is Yang Shuying, whom I mentioned to you before. She’s the future store manager of the Beijing branch,” Zhao Yajing introduced. “This is her younger brother, Yang Shumao, whom you also know. Sister Shuying, this is Hua Mei, my assistant and also the store manager. She’s very capable, so you’ll be learning from her from now on.”

Yang Shuying quickly stepped forward and said somewhat awkwardly, "Hello, florist, I'll be troubling you in the future."

"Sister Yang, please don't be so polite. Just call me Hua Mei." Hua Mei generously extended her hand and shook hands with Yang Shuying. "President Zhao instructed me to answer all your questions without reservation. Come on, let me show you our store's merchandise first."

Hua Mei led Yang Shuying around the store, introducing the items as they walked: "Our store mainly sells women's clothing, for all four seasons. Most of the goods come from Hong Kong, but some are also produced by local factories in Guangzhou. Prices are divided into three tiers: low-end for volume sales, mid-range for higher profit margins, and high-end to maintain the store's image..."

She spoke eloquently and logically, and Yang Shuying listened attentively, nodding from time to time. Looking at Hua Mei's radiant appearance, she secretly admired her—this girl was indeed capable, no wonder Qin Hao and Zhao Yajing valued her so much.

After making their way around, the three sat down in the office. Hua Mei poured each of them a cup of tea and continued her explanation: "The most important things in opening a store are product selection and pricing. What sells well, what has high profit margins, when to introduce new products, and when to clear out inventory—these all require careful consideration. Sister Yang, have you ever worked in sales before?"

Yang Shuying shook her head: "I worked as a temporary worker in a street factory for six years, mainly sewing, and I never sold anything."

"That's alright, you can learn slowly." Hua Mei said, "Sales is basically about dealing with people. What do customers want? What are they worried about? How do we recommend products and address their concerns? I'll teach you these skills little by little."

"Thank you, beautiful girl," Yang Shuying said gratefully.

"Don't mention it," Hua Mei waved her hand.

Old Xie came by halfway through, and Hua Mei went downstairs excitedly, but came back upstairs in a huff a little while later. Zhao Yajing hesitated to speak when she saw this.

Hua Mei laughed, a carefree smile on her face: "It's alright, I've already made things clear to him. From now on, we'll go our separate ways. He can be with whoever he wants; it's none of my business."

"Aren't you... sad?" Yang Shuying asked cautiously.

"What's there to be sad about?" Hua Mei took a sip of tea. "It's just a man. Besides, I'm tired of seeing Lao Xie with his lack of ambition. I slapped him and vented my anger. There's no need to make myself unhappy anymore."

She spoke casually, but Yang Shuying could see a hint of melancholy in the girl's eyes. However, her ability to recover so quickly, her composure and strength, greatly impressed Yang Shuying.

"Sister, what you said really hit the nail on the head." Yang Shuying held Hua Mei's hand: "I need to learn from you in the future, not only how to do business, but also how to be a person. Women have to rely on themselves and can't put all their hopes on men."

Hua Mei nodded emphatically: "Sister Yang is right! We women can earn our own money and support ourselves, why should we have to depend on men?!"

Yang Shumo listened from the side, his lips twitching. He knew Hua Mei quite well; the girl was alright in every other way, except for her strong personality and high standards. He was worried that his third sister would end up like Hua Mei, looking down on ordinary men and unreliable men with strong abilities… Wouldn't that mean she'd be single forever?

Zhao Yajing glanced at her watch and said to Yang Shuying, "Third Sister, then you should follow Hua Meixue. Don't be shy to ask if you don't understand anything. The renovations in Beijing are already underway, and it should be open by the end of the month. You should hurry up and learn, as Lao Qin, Sha Mao, and I have to go to Shenzhen in a bit."

Yang Shuying nodded repeatedly: "Okay, don't worry, I will study hard. I will never let you down."

"That's good." Zhao Yajing stood up: "Hua Mei, I'm leaving Third Sister in your care. Please take good care of her and help her find a place to stay, somewhere close to the shop."

"Don't worry, Mr. Zhao, I've got it covered," Hua Mei assured him, patting her chest.

After saying goodbye to Yang Shuying, Zhao Yajing and Yang Shumao returned to their car and headed to Qin Hao's residence. Qin Hao was already packed and waiting. After the three met up, they drove directly to Shenzhen.

The journey from Guangzhou to Shenzhen wasn't long, but the road conditions were so-so. By the time they arrived in Shenzhen, it was already dark.

That evening, the three of them had a simple dinner and began preparing the materials needed for the next day. Qin Hao took out a thick stack of documents from the filing cabinet: project proposals, company qualification certificates, proof of funds, design sketches... He had prepared these in advance before the New Year, and now he was checking them to make sure everything was in order.

"Is everything ready?" Zhao Yajing asked.

"All done." Qin Hao flipped through the documents. "I'll go to the Planning Bureau first thing tomorrow morning. I spoke with Director Liu on the phone in Guangzhou."

……

The next morning, Qin Hao and Zhao Yajing arrived at the Shenzhen Municipal Planning Bureau on time. Although it was the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, quite a few people had already come to handle their business.

Qin Hao went to the third floor with ease and knocked on the door of the deputy director's office.

"Please come in," came the voice of a middle-aged man from inside.

Qin Hao pushed open the door and entered, followed by Zhao Yajing and Yang Shumao. The office wasn't large, but it was neat and clean. Behind the desk sat a man around fifty years old, wearing a gray Zhongshan suit and glasses, looking at documents. This was Deputy Director Liu.

"Director Liu, Happy New Year." Qin Hao stepped forward with a smile.

Director Liu looked up, saw Qin Hao, and smiled: "President Qin, President Zhao, you've arrived early. Please have a seat."

The three sat down, and the secretary brought tea. Director Liu took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose: "Have you brought all the project materials?"

"Everything's here." Qin Hao handed over the prepared documents.

Director Liu took the paper and examined it carefully. The office was quiet, with only the sound of pages turning. Zhao Yajing and Yang Shumo were somewhat nervous, but Qin Hao remained calm and composed.

After reviewing it for about twenty minutes, Director Liu looked up and nodded in satisfaction: "The information is very complete, and the preparation is thorough. I've seen the first draft of your project proposal, and this one is even more complete. 'Jinxiu Garden Community'... that's a good name. It signifies a bright future and a garden community, with a good meaning."

After saying that, Director Liu picked up the landline and dialed an internal number. "Xiao Chen, come to my office."

Not long after, a middle-aged man in his thirties, wearing a uniform, knocked on the door and came in.

"Director Liu."

"Section Chief Chen, please review these documents quickly." Director Liu handed over Qin Hao's materials: "If there are no problems, then prepare the contract."

"Okay, Director Liu." Section Chief Chen took the materials and nodded to Qin Hao: "President Qin, please come with me."

Qin Hao and his two companions followed Section Chief Chen to another office. Section Chief Chen carefully reviewed the materials and asked several questions, which Qin Hao answered one by one. The whole process went smoothly, and the review was completed in less than an hour.

"No problem," Section Chief Chen said. "I'll have someone prepare the contract now. Please wait a moment."

More than an hour later, the contract was ready. It was a thick stack, more than twenty pages long. Qin Hao read it carefully. The terms were clear, the rights and obligations were well-defined, the land use term was fifty years, the purpose was residential and supporting commercial use, and the area was 130 mu.

He picked up a pen and signed his name in the "Party B" section. Zhao Yajing, as a company shareholder, also signed. Then they stamped the document and paid the fee.

By the time all the formalities were completed, it was already past 3 p.m. Holding the still-scented Land Use Contract, Zhao Yajing was overwhelmed with emotion. With this contract, their "Jinxiu Garden" project was officially underway.

Back in Director Liu's office, Qin Hao thanked him again: "Director Liu, thank you for your help."

Director Liu shook hands with Qin Hao and said half-jokingly, "Little Qin, you made a solemn promise to me. If your community can't start construction by the end of the year, I'll be in trouble with you."

"Don't worry, Director Liu," Qin Hao said solemnly. "Construction will definitely begin before the end of the year, and we would like to invite you to the groundbreaking ceremony."

"Haha, great!" Director Liu laughed heartily. "A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger. I like young people like you. You have drive, courage, and the courage to think and act. I'll definitely be there to cut the ribbon for you!"

The three drove to the land in Luohu. It was still quite desolate, a hillside covered with weeds and shrubs, with scattered farmland and farmhouses visible in the distance. But the location was excellent, not far from the future city center, and with convenient transportation.

Standing on high ground, Qin Hao gazed at the land, and a vision of the future appeared in his mind: rows of neat buildings, wide roads, tree-lined community gardens, and supporting shops, schools, hospitals... This would be a brand new, modern residential community.

“Let’s start here,” he said softly.

Zhao Yajing stood beside him, also looking at this land, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Over the next two days, the team from the Guangzhou Design Institute arrived. Qin Hao led them on a site survey and discussed design plans.

The head of the design team was a middle-aged man in his forties surnamed Wang, who was very experienced. After listening to Qin Hao's requirements, he nodded repeatedly: "President Qin's ideas are very forward-thinking. Nowadays, when building houses, many people only consider how to build more buildings, without considering the living experience. It's rare to see a developer like you who thinks about the residents."

"The living experience is the most important thing," Qin Hao said seriously. "Houses are for people to live in, not for people to look at. What we need to do is make the people who live here feel comfortable, convenient, and at ease."

After finalizing the preliminary design, Qin Hao and Zhao Yajing didn't linger and immediately set off for Hong Kong. Shi Xiaona had just called him, and she sounded quite anxious. (End of Chapter)