Returning to '97, creating a new life

Hu Yuxuan was very enthusiastic, but she didn't take on too much responsibility or offer to help out because of their relationship.

I'll provide you with resources normally, in an equal exchange. Given your size, if it weren't for our relationship, even if you offered a matching fee, we wouldn't need this kind of business.

The two hit it off immediately. Hu Yuxuan provided the right channels and assistance, while Xu Kai, with his business acumen and high standards, was determined to elevate the business to a higher level and was never stingy.

In front of Xu Kai, he took his phone and called his father directly, asking for the phone number of the person in charge of the nearest ranch. He then dialed the number about five or six minutes later.

He briefly explained the situation, and without hesitation, Hu Yuxuan, who had more experience in similar matters, offered more reasonable suggestions and made comprehensive arrangements. He then told Hu Yuxuan that once he had arranged for someone to handle the matter, he would send over the phone number and pager number.

Seeing that Xu Kai was about to speak, Hu Yuxuan quickly waved her hand: "No, don't even think about counting me in. I don't lack money. If my dad knew that I was actually passionate about doing business, he would definitely try every means to bring me home to inherit his mines..."

Here we go again! Xu Kai kicked, interrupting the fight. Hu Yuxuan nimbly dodged, and seeing Dong Bin and Fei Wenxin returning after delivering the beef and mutton, he quickly shouted, "You bastard, stop right there! Let's have a three-hundred-round battle today!"

"I'm not afraid of you, come on, come on."

The card game "Pao Da Wang" has become a source of fun for them. It requires no skill or social skills; it's all about gunfire. The main objective is to see who can slam their cards the loudest and who can draw the best hand so that others can't fight back and behave themselves.

Winning or losing has become secondary.

Seeing the group of people gathering more people, Xu Kai's lips curled up slightly. "I forgive you for coming along to be a little spy."

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Hu Yuxuan, inside the room, glanced outside and thought to himself, "Damn it, do you know how hard this is for me? I just like playing basketball, Su Xingwan, you..."

Thinking of Su Xingwan's face, he couldn't bring himself to curse. When he first realized Su Xingwan's true state, he sighed all night. Damn it, such a nice woman, she doesn't even like men.

Pity.

After he gave up on getting close and kept his distance, Su Xingwan instead came over and insisted on being friends with him. Hu Yuxuan cursed at that time, "This is not fair! What do you take me for? A shield? A backup plan? A prop to cover your tracks?"

I also have a lot of girls sending me love letters, and I have a cheerleading squad that cheers for me at every game, okay?

When I got to a high school, I quickly became a prominent figure there.

Xu Kai seemed somewhat absent-minded during the meal.

After dinner, he neither went out to play with the basketball team members nor went to his maternal grandmother's house with his uncles. Instead, he went home alone and wrote a plan at his desk.

The current roasting ovens are manually rotated, which is not tiring, but people need to rotate them from time to time to turn the lamb over. The later electric ovens do not seem to have much of a technological barrier. There is a motor with a set speed, and after it is powered on, it is slowly roasted. During the process, it is necessary to apply wet seasoning several times and cut the meat to ensure that the thicker parts of the meat are roasted evenly. This should be able to be solved on the ranch.

Ingredients, dipping sauces, secret wet sauce, equipment, technicians...

Apart from transportation and equipment costs that need to be prepared in advance, everything else can be settled later because of Hu Yuxuan's relationship. This is not considered taking advantage of others; at most, it is a preferential treatment for those with connections. You only need to accept Hu Yuxuan's favor.

The location of the hotel.

It doesn't have to be a bustling downtown area or a prime storefront. We can learn from the future agritainment model, where rent is cheaper, the space is larger, and it's more suitable for the space requirements of equipment.

Tables, chairs, benches, and simple interior decoration...

"Um?"

An uncertain message flashed through his mind. Xu Kai had a simple lunch on Monday. It was cold, and he didn't want to ride Yunshang's motorcycle. So he borrowed a bicycle and gloves from a classmate and rode to his second aunt's husband Xiao Jianshe's workplace.

Last year, he often went to the outdoor basketball court at his second aunt's husband's workplace to play basketball with the men there. He vaguely remembered that after someone mentioned that his second aunt's husband's workplace was not doing well, and that the former guesthouse of the workplace seemed to have to be self-sufficient and outsourced.

So much time has passed, he doesn't know if the message is useful or not, but it has given him an idea: rather than starting from scratch, it's better to pick up what's readily available.

Factories in heavy industrial cities used to be leading enterprises, but they have declined in recent years. The business dealings with orders from all over the country have decreased. The guesthouses that used to be used for business trips are now being used by laid-off workers to find their own way to make a living. Reducing the burden on factories is an inevitable trend.

Those guesthouses weren't exactly dilapidated, but they were definitely outdated. However, they had the advantage of being spacious and having their own canteens...

Xu Kai made a roundabout trip, and the next day he rode his mother's bicycle to school. At noon and in the afternoon, he started to wander around the train station area. His second aunt's husband's factory guesthouse had been outsourced. Following this line of thought, he found similar targets near the train station, and they were in excellent locations.

Braving the wind and snow once again, this year is completely different from last year; the value of the hard work is entirely different.

After a few days of wandering around, Xu Kai, with a pack of cigarettes in his pocket, a sweet tongue, and a knack for conversation, quickly gathered some information.

Xu Kai's maternal grandparents' home.

The lamb chops and beef steaks were stewed in clear broth. The whole family gathered together and recently discovered the joy of playing mahjong. Whenever there's space, everyone likes to go to the mahjong room to play. It's so convenient not having to use the mahjong machine. Everyone who's tried it says it's great.

With so many siblings to help her, Sun Xiuyun's card and mahjong parlor was thriving. There had been times when she got drunk and caused trouble. Her uncles would step in, and Xu Kai informed Da Liangzi. Seven or eight young men in their early twenties, all with tattoos and shady looks, arrived without causing any trouble or fighting. Just their presence made the regular customers realize that the owner of the card and mahjong parlor had connections and was not someone to mess with.

These days, the weekly gatherings are no longer just a ritual, but have become more routine. When we have nothing to do, we go to the card room to play cards and visit the elderly on the way. It's less than a five-minute walk from the alley, and we also visit them when our grandparents come out for a walk during the day.

Sun Xiuyun earned money and was frugal in other areas, but she was very generous to her family, raising the standard of food for family gatherings.

It's not so much about being generous, but more about realizing her self-worth. For so many years, she hadn't dared to speak loudly at home, and now her siblings' attitudes towards her had subtly changed, which gave her a great sense of accomplishment. She was also more willing to spend money on her family, and she appreciated the smiles and closeness of her sisters-in-law.

"Xiao Kai, come on, have a drink with your uncle."

Xu Kai's transformation has also led to an improvement in Sun Xiuyun's status within the family. He is no longer just a high school student; his recent national championship achievement has made him a star among his peers.

Meanwhile, thanks to the propaganda of his second aunt, Xu Meilan, the fact that Xu Kai, as one of the owners of the arcade, was making a fortune caused all the elders to have different feelings towards Xu Kai at this point.

"Xiao Kai, what do you think about us opening another arcade?" After seeing Xu Kai sit down, the uncles exchanged glances and he took the lead in speaking.

Who wouldn't be envious of a lucrative business?

In fact, for some time now, Xu Kai had sensed their restless intentions from the information his mother occasionally revealed in her words and from the occasional indirect remarks of his uncles and aunts.

He had already considered this matter. It wasn't that he couldn't do it, but rather how to help them do it. He couldn't give them an easy appearance. Even if he had to pretend, he had to make it look like it was really difficult. Otherwise, when arcade gambling machines were banned and shut down, they would find it hard to accept if they earned less or even lost money, and he couldn't take the blame.

It's not that he's afraid of taking the blame; it's simply that he doesn't want to ruin the happy living environment his mother has always felt. This is his top priority.

"You're capable, but the investment is substantial, and a lot of profits need to be shared. If we all partner up, the financial pressure will be less, but the profits won't be as much as you imagine. Each family might not make much money after a month's profit sharing. Most importantly, you need to choose the right location, not just in terms of customer traffic, but also in terms of competition with other businesses in the same industry. Otherwise, you'll face a lot of trouble later."

Xu Kai listed many "difficulties," but it was also clear that everyone was eager to try.

"It doesn't matter if it doesn't earn much, the key is that it provides a stable income."

"It's somewhere around here, don't you think?"

"The arrangements are naturally handled by Da Long and you. We'll just follow your lead and do whatever you say."

Xu Kai didn't go into detail about the "relationship," but he did mention the approximate amount of money he needed to give out each month, which made everyone frown.

"My second aunt knows that each of our partners has their own connections, and relationships are maintained through other means. If we were to do it, we couldn't provide what others wanted; we could only offer financial support..."

Seeing Xu Meilan nod, everyone nodded and began to secretly make their own plans.

How much does the machine cost? How much is the shipping cost? How much is the rent? How much are the expenses for welcoming and sending off guests? What about routine maintenance and equipment replacement?

Xu Kai meticulously "processed" many details because his second aunt was there, and he needed to let them know how many hidden expenses lay behind the high returns they saw. He told them not to look at how much money they received each month in the ledger, because not all of it went into their pockets.

Xu Kai didn't want to let their expectations plummet. Once the business took off, he didn't want them to be leeched off. He wanted them to allocate more of their earnings to their social networks.

The machine also needs to make money; it's not out of greed, but because it deeply understands human nature.

What is easily obtained is often not cherished enough and can easily foster unrealistic ambitions. To avoid future estrangement or even falling out among relatives, one must make the highest budget, lowest return, and worst-case scenario plans from the very beginning.

The meal lasted four or five hours. Sun Xiuyun even went to the card room, while her uncles, aunts, and other relatives were still chatting excitedly with Xu Kai about their future business. They all chimed in with their own opinions, and it was fortunate that the arcade business wasn't afraid of this kind of thing; otherwise, with everyone gathered together, there would be no business to be done.

"When the time comes, Xiuyun will have to share..."

Upon hearing this, Xu Kai's eye twitched slightly. It seemed that some of his uncles were indeed shrewd businessmen.

A businessman who doesn't know how to sacrifice profits to maintain his core business is destined to fail.