Although Zhuang Rui treated Zhao Hanxuan very well, there was no guarantee that Zhao Hanxuan wouldn't start his own business after a few years, so Zhuang Rui needed to have a backup plan.
Once Da Xiong and the monkey are familiar with those businesses, even if Zhao Hanxuan is no longer around, the stationery business can continue. As for the jewelry and antique business, it's relatively simple; just set the prices and let them sell accordingly.
With Da Xiong and Monkey's experience in the underworld, they should be able to handle most minor problems. Even if someone tries to set them up, the two of them don't have the money to buy so-called treasures, so Zhuang Rui isn't worried about them being deceived.
"Brother Zhuang, let's go outside and discuss this. We'll get back to you later..."
When Da Xiong and Monkey heard about this, they were a little hesitant. They had lived in Pengcheng their whole lives, with Da Xiong only ever going as far as Tianjin. Zhuang Rui suddenly wanted the two brothers to change their living environment, and they were a little confused.
"It's okay, you can give me an answer tomorrow..."
Zhuang Rui said with a smile, but he was also a little helpless. He really didn't have many people he could use. He saw those big bosses on TV with so many people under them, but that was all nonsense. He still had to do everything himself.
"No need, no need, Brother Zhuang, I'll give you an answer right away..."
Monkey and Da Xiong opened the door to the private room and walked to the entrance. Da Xiong hesitated and said, "Monkey, I don't want to go. I'm getting married soon, and I have nothing if I go to Beijing. Will Xiao Jing still be willing to be with me?"
Xiaojing is Daxiong's girlfriend. Although there's a saying that women don't love bad boys, these two have never lacked women, but those women weren't exactly respectable. Xiaojing, on the other hand, is a decent girl, and the two of them are planning to get married.
"Hey Xiong, why don't you talk to Zhuang about this later? Let's see what kind of treatment he can offer. If it's better than this pet shop, we can go and earn some money for two years. I'm sure your wife will understand. If it's about the same as the pet shop, then we'll turn down this job. What do you think?"
Da Xiong nodded upon hearing this. The pet shop job was good, with a salary of two or three thousand, but people naturally strive for better opportunities; who wouldn't want a better chance? ...
"Brother Zhuang, to be honest, I was planning to get married around April or May after the New Year. It's not that I can't go to Beijing, it's just that..."
After returning to the private room, Da Xiong was a little embarrassed to ask Zhuang Rui about his and Monkey's treatment, and he stammered and couldn't say anything.
"Haha, Nobita, I really didn't know that. Congratulations! By the way, what does your girlfriend do?"
Zhuang Rui laughed when he heard this. No wonder he seemed much more composed when he saw Da Xiong this time. It turns out he has someone at home keeping an eye on him.
"My girlfriend just graduated from university not long ago. She worked at Jiafu Supermarket for a while, but she just quit. She's planning to look for a job after the New Year. I'll bring her to see you, Brother Zhuang, another day."
Although Da Xiong didn't understand the meaning behind Zhuang Rui's question, he still answered honestly. He and the monkey both had a strange feeling that they had become Zhuang Rui's employees, answering questions as if they were talking to their boss.
In fact, Zhuang Rui didn't know that with the increase of his knowledge and the accumulation of wealth, he had developed a kind of confidence that came with success. Although he didn't deliberately show it, it still influenced the other people around him.
"Hey, Nobita, I didn't realize you dropped out of junior high and found a college student girlfriend."
Here's what we'll do: if your girlfriend is willing to go to Beijing with you, I'll arrange a job for her as a sales clerk in a jewelry store. I'll also rent a three-bedroom apartment for the three of you in Beijing so you can live together temporarily.
"If Monkey finds a girlfriend later, we can rent another place. You two brothers can work together for a few years, and maybe then you'll be able to afford a house in Beijing. What do you think?"
Zhuang Rui thought about it for a moment. If Da Xiong's girlfriend graduated from university, it shouldn't be a big problem for Qin Ruilin to arrange a shop assistant job for her.
Don't think that working as a sales clerk at Qin Ruilin's shop would be a disservice to Daxiong's girlfriend. You should know that most of the customers Qin Ruilin deals with are either rich or noble, and there are also many foreigners. The shop assistants all have college degrees or above, and the manager named Li Xia is even a graduate student.
However, Da Xiong didn't know about this. When he heard Zhuang Rui say that she would be a sales clerk, he hesitated and said, "Brother Zhuang, I need to discuss this with Xiao Jing. I don't care what Monkey and I do, but I'm afraid she won't be happy if she becomes a sales clerk..."
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Rui slapped his head. After talking for so long, he hadn't mentioned even a single benefit or perk. He was so foolish. These two guys were quite stable in Pengcheng now, and it was already good enough that they hadn't directly rejected him.
"Da Xiong, that jewelry store caters to a high-end clientele. Most of the sales staff have bachelor's degrees and are good at English. The salary is 5,000 yuan per month, plus a double pay at the end of the year. The store pays for social security, housing fund, and employee benefits, and the salary increases every six months based on individual performance, ranging from about 500 to 1,500 yuan. You can discuss it with your girlfriend and see what she thinks..."
"Brother Zhuang... I agree, I agree, there's no need to discuss it anymore, I've made the decision, Xiaojing will definitely agree to go..."
Before Zhuang Rui could finish speaking, Da Xiong interrupted him. He didn't notice that as he spoke, Da Xiong and the monkey's mouths involuntarily opened wide, their faces full of astonishment.
It's no wonder these two guys are behaving this way. Their current salaries are already quite high in Pengcheng, but they never expected that a salesperson in Beijing would earn twice as much as them and even have social security contributions paid like a state-owned enterprise employee. This is even better than the treatment of civil servants.
According to Zhuang Rui's salary and benefits, plus the floating salary after six months and the double salary at the end of the year, it adds up to nearly 100,000 yuan. In Pengcheng, that would be enough for Da Xiong and Monkey to work for three to five years, and they would have to save money without eating or drinking.
"Brother Zhuang, what kind of jewelry store is this? The benefits are so good! What if other customers don't want it?"
The monkey was also excited, wishing he could grab a girl on the street and make her his girlfriend so he could also earn five thousand yuan a month. Little did they know that the jewelry store originally belonged to Zhuang Rui, and giving it to an employee was no big deal.
Zhuang Rui laughed upon hearing this and said, "I said you can get in, so there's nothing to worry about. Let's talk about your treatment. Da Xiong is more stable. I'll arrange someone for you to learn about stationery from, and you need to master all aspects of the supply channels. Maybe in two or three years, you'll be in charge of this area..."
"Brother Zhuang, have some water..."
Seeing that Zhuang Rui had stopped talking, the monkey thoughtfully poured him a cup of tea.
"Thank you. Monkey, you'll be in charge of the antiques section. I'll be your mentor at first. When I'm not around, just go into those stalls and learn as much as you can. I don't need to teach you these things; it's similar to the antique market in Pengcheng."
As for the salary, you two will receive the same: 8,000 RMB per month in the first year and 10,000 RMB per month in the second year. I will take care of your housing. You will need to buy your own food or cook for yourselves.
"If you can each take charge of your own part of the business in two or three years, I guarantee your annual salary will be no less than 300,000 yuan. At that time, it won't be impossible for you to settle down in Beijing..."
Even though Da Xiong and the monkey had some prior preparation, they were still so excited by Zhuang Rui's words that their blood boiled and their faces turned bright red.
Da Xiong and the monkey finally understood that Zhuang Rui's so-called request for their help was actually an attempt to elevate them and give them a great opportunity for development.
At this moment, the two brothers' minds were completely filled with the numbers Zhuang Rui had mentioned. Whether the monthly salary was 10,000 or 8,000 was no longer important. In short, they never dreamed that they, as two street thugs, could earn such a high salary.
"Brother Zhuang, what do you think of us? Would you say we're a good match?"
Before the two brothers were completely overwhelmed by the windfall, after their initial excitement subsided, Da Xiong asked Zhuang Rui somewhat nervously.
Zhuang Rui smiled and said, "You two should both know the ins and outs of the antique trade. Your task for the first year is to learn, not only from the store manager but also from street vendors. Basically, it's about dealing with people. If you two feel confident, then get ready to go to Beijing in the next couple of days. If you're unsure, tell me now, and I'll find someone else..."
Chapter 552 Arrangement
"No, no, Brother Zhuang, we promise, we promise..."
"Yes, it's because of your kind recommendation, Brother Zhuang. We'll follow you from now on..."
Upon hearing that Zhuang Rui wanted to find someone else, Da Xiong and Monkey immediately became anxious. Monkey even unbuttoned his yellow cotton-padded jacket, patted his bony chest, and said, "Brother Zhuang, if we two don't work hard, you can twist my head off and use it as a football..."
"Waaaaah..."
The white lion lying next to Zhuang Rui was startled by the two men's actions. Thinking they were about to harm Zhuang Rui, it stood up from the ground and let out a low growl, which frightened the two men into retreating.
"White Lion, sit down..."
Zhuang Rui quickly comforted the white lion. His little guy seemed to have suffered a bit of a shock yesterday. It seemed he needed to find it a girlfriend soon, otherwise he could never take it to the mastiff kennel again. Everyone else was in pairs, and the animal couldn't stand it.
"Alright, then it's settled. You two go and make preparations, explain things to your families, and let Li Bing know, and then..."
Zhuang Rui took out his phone and checked the date, then said, "The day after tomorrow, you two will come back to Beijing with me..."
"Okay, thanks, Brother Zhuang. We'll definitely make the arrangements the day after tomorrow..."
Monkey and Da Xiong left the teahouse, expressing their gratitude profusely. Zhuang Rui then made a phone call to Ouyang Jun.
"What? Rent a house, and it has to be close to Panjiayuan? Wu'er, what do you take me for? You expect me to handle such a trivial matter?"
After hearing what Zhuang Rui had told him on the phone, Ouyang Jun jumped up. What a joke! Did the Fourth Young Master Ouyang become a waiter for Zhuang Rui?
"Fourth Brother, I don't know anyone else. You can arrange for someone else to handle it. I didn't say you had to go rent it yourself..."
Zhuang Rui spoke to Ouyang Jun without any inhibitions. This cousin of his often came to his place to eat and drink for free, and last time he even managed to extort two tiger penises from him. In fact, those two things were worth enough to buy a house.
Ouyang Jun said irritably, "It's embarrassing for my brother to have someone rent to him. Fine, you're not short of money anyway, just buy two sets..."
"Buy a house?"
Zhuang Rui was taken aback. He had always been happy to invest in real estate. The house he bought in China Overseas for a little over 1 million yuan had more than doubled in value in just over half a year. The house prices in Beijing should be even higher, right?
"Well, someone owes me some money. They settled the debt with a few houses a while ago. The locations are similar to what you described, and they're all over 100 square meters each. I'll give you 3 million for two of them. If you want them, I can have them furnished, and you can move in anytime..."
After hearing Ouyang Jun's words, Zhuang Rui did some mental calculations. A 100-square-meter apartment was only worth a little over 10,000 yuan per square meter. In the Panjiayuan area, it was still a good deal. He nodded and said, "Okay, Fourth Brother, you go and handle the formalities. I'll go back to Beijing and give you the money. But I'm telling you, it's only 3 million yuan. You can't just give it to me for free."
"Get out of my way! The old man won't let me get a loan from the bank. I don't even know how I'm going to develop that land. You've already gotten three million for free..."
After getting married, Ouyang Jun wanted to close down the club business and start a real business. However, it was not as simple as he imagined. Just acquiring a qualified construction company almost emptied his pockets.
The two plots of land that Ouyang Jun acquired through connections still haven't been developed. With the real estate market booming and prices rising day by day, he's short of money, and Ouyang Zhenwu is keeping a close eye on him. These past few days, he's been like an ant on a hot pan, running around frantically.
It's not that he can't find ways to raise money; it's just that for someone of his status, having to borrow funds to independently develop a real estate project would be a bit embarrassing to admit. Young Master Ouyang is concerned about his image. Otherwise, raising several hundred million yuan in three to five days would be very easy for him.
Zhuang Rui was naturally unaware of his cousin Ouyang's dilemma. After becoming a familiar face on television, he couldn't go to the antique market anymore, so he simply called Grandpa Lü to wish him a Happy New Year, and then drove to visit his old classmates.
In the following days, Zhuang Rui was busy visiting the uncles and aunts who had watched him grow up with his mother. He and his mother discussed it and decided not to invite their friends from Pengcheng to Beijing; that would be too much trouble. They would hold a small gathering in Pengcheng after the engagement in Beijing, inviting close friends and classmates.
After a few busy days in Pengcheng, Ouyang Wan flew back to Beijing with her granddaughter. Zhuang Rui then called Daxiong and Houzi, preparing to drive them to Beijing. However, when they arrived at the agreed-upon place, they were dumbfounded.
"So, are you two moving?"
There were five or six suitcases of various sizes under Da Xiong and the monkey's feet, and there were also bedding in canvas bags on the ground. Even more exaggeratedly, there were pots, pans and ladles in two red buckets. All that was missing was a gas cylinder and a gas stove, so they could start cooking right there on the street.
How come Zhuang Rui never realized before that these two brothers were good at managing their finances?
Seeing that Zhuang Rui's expression wasn't good, Da Xiong quickly said, "Brother Zhuang, this car can fit, let's bring it ourselves, it'll save us from buying another one..."
"No, this car can't fit everything. You two hurry up and take the stuff home..."
Zhuang Rui waved his hand, both amused and exasperated. He agreed with the idea of being thrifty, but the car really couldn't hold that much stuff. Besides, the two houses Ouyang Jun had prepared were just model homes; they were fully furnished, and you could just walk in naked.
"Brother Zhuang...this..."
"Brother Xiong, let's go, let's listen to Brother Zhuang..."
When the monkey saw that Da Xiong was about to speak, he quickly pulled him back. The monkey understood perfectly well that since Zhuang Rui said he wouldn't bring them, then he wouldn't bring them. After all, they would have to be given a place to stay when they got to Beijing, so what was there to be afraid of?
After the two returned their belongings, Zhuang Rui drove them to pick up Da Xiong's girlfriend. This girl was several years younger than Zhuang Rui and seemed very quiet. It was a mystery how Da Xiong had managed to win her over; it seemed the saying "women love bad boys" had some truth to it. ...
Around 7 p.m., Zhuang Rui drove into Beijing. He first took Da Xiong and the other two to a place for dinner, then went to a supermarket and bought them several sets of bedding. Around 9 p.m., he finally called Ouyang Jun.
Ouyang Jun had already arranged for someone to deliver the room key to Zhuang Rui. When Zhuang Rui arrived at the place, he found it to be quite nice. It was a newly developed community with shopping malls and supermarkets nearby, complete supporting facilities, and exquisite landscaping. It was even better than the apartment he had bought in Zhonghai.
"Are you Mr. Zhuang?"
As soon as Zhuang Rui parked his car at the entrance of the residential area, someone came to greet him.
"I am Zhuang Rui, and you are?"
"I am the property manager. This is the key Mr. Ouyang gave you. The rooms are 802 and 602. Would you like me to take you up?"
As he spoke, the man handed Zhuang Rui two large bunches of keys. Although he was a little annoyed that his boss had called him out of his house just to deliver two bunches of keys, he didn't dare to be negligent at all. Just the Tibetan Mastiff sitting in the passenger seat of this car was something that not just anyone could afford to keep.
"No need, just tell them to get me a few access cards tomorrow..."
Zhuang Rui knew that this kind of residential area required a card to enter, and he didn't want Da Xiong and the others to be unable to get back in, which would be a real embarrassment.
"No need to wait until tomorrow, I'll arrange for someone to deliver your access card to you right away..."
The manager gestured to the security guard at the gate to open it. After Zhuang Rui's car went inside, he quickly took out his phone to report the situation to the boss.
"Do you want to stay on the sixth floor or the eighth floor? Either way, there's an elevator, it's the same..."
After parking the car, Zhuang Rui looked at Da Xiong and asked, "Although we have two houses, it would be a waste to live in them separately. Zhuang Rui only plans to give them one."
This is a building with two units per floor, which is considered quite good in Beijing. Zhuang Rui could tell that if he were to buy it directly from the developer, he probably wouldn't be able to get it for more than 10,000 yuan per square meter.
"Living...living on the eighth floor...good heavens, is this a place we can live in?"