Chapter 232 - 202: Hurry, Before Summer Ends

Chapter 232: Chapter 202: Hurry, Before Summer Ends

"Boss, want a boxed lunch?"

As Chen Yuan closed his laptop, Chen Dequan, ever so perceptive, brought over a boxed lunch.

"You guys go ahead. I’ll eat at home."

Chen Yuan waved him off.

"We brought an extra one. If you’re going to eat at home, you can take it with you. It’ll just go to waste otherwise."

Chen Dequan chuckled and placed the boxed lunch on the desk. He then ran out to distribute the other meals and side dishes before heading to the casual dining area to eat with Liu Fang.

Chen Yuan looked at the meal. ’My parents probably saw I wasn’t coming home and just had Chen Dequan bring an extra one over.’

Since it was already here, he might as well eat it now.

"Sis, where are you now?"

Picking up the boxed lunch, Chen Yuan called Chen Li on the walkie-talkie as he ate.

"At the hot spring area."

Chen Li’s reply was crisp and clear. It sounded like she was also working overtime, discussing equipment and decor styles. She had probably eaten her lunch there as well.

"How are the discussions going?"

Chen Yuan shoveled a mouthful of rice, then picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth.

"Sister Chunping and I have gone over the second floor many times, so it’s basically set. Wang Tao will find you in a bit to confirm the project materials. The third floor is more or less decided, too. We’re just finalizing the last few details."

Since they had decided to open a business here, both Liang Chunping and Zhang Hui’s team must have had some ideas in mind. This made the discussions straightforward, allowing them to finalize things quickly.

Besides, Liang Chunping and Chen Li had already talked it over many times.

Yang Yangyang had been with Chen Li for the past few days. They likely already had plans for these things and were just waiting to see the site for final confirmation.

"That’s good. Sis, after you finish eating, come over to the smaller pond. We need to discuss something."

Although he had worked out the pricing plans, they were still just preliminary drafts. He needed to go over them with his sister and even touch base with Zhang Hui and the others.

Some of the packages involved the restaurant.

They needed to find a balanced price point.

And since things over there were almost settled, he figured he’d take this chance to meet with his sister first.

Putting down the walkie-talkie, Chen Yuan quickly finished his lunch.

Chen Li was fast. Just as he finished eating, put the lid on the container, and took it out to the trash, he saw her riding up on a tricycle.

"What’s up?"

Chen Li asked, hopping off the tricycle.

Chen Yuan beckoned her over. They went into the office, where he reopened his laptop, found the file he had just edited, and slid the computer in front of Chen Li.

Chen Li didn’t ask any more questions and took the laptop to see for herself.

"You’ve already set the prices?"

Chen Li was surprised at how efficient Chen Yuan was. He had just seen the venue and already had the pricing done. Plus, this was supposed to be her job, but her little brother had done it for her.

"Take a look first. If you see anything that’s not right, we can discuss it."

Chen Yuan gestured for her to finish reading before they talked. Then he sat to the side, lit a cigarette, and waited contentedly for her to finish and give her suggestions.

「Ten minutes later.」

Chen Li sat up straight, her gaze shifting from the computer to Chen Yuan.

"Aren’t the business hours a bit too early? Places for summer water activities are almost always open from afternoon to evening. Besides, we need to set aside time to change the water and ensure the quality is good."

The first thing Chen Li noticed was the issue with the hours.

"I know, but these activities are all tied to the fishing ponds. If a fisherman’s family comes, it’s fine for night fishing, but what about the daytime sessions?"

Chen Yuan explained his reasoning.

Chen Li thought about it and realized he had a point. This wasn’t just a simple Hot Spring Paradise; it was bundled with other attractions. A family wouldn’t make a second trip just for this.

Besides, it definitely wouldn’t be crowded in the morning, so it probably wouldn’t have much of an impact.

"The other special offer tickets are fine, but there’s one thing. You want to bundle in the guesthouse and restaurant?"

Chen Li continued with her questions.

The guesthouse wasn’t an issue, as she could make the call on that. But the restaurant wasn’t their responsibility—at the very least, Zhang Hui and his group had a say.

"We’ll definitely need to discuss that with them, but we have to have this kind of package. After all, customers who choose to stay overnight are more focused on recreation and relaxation. An all-in-one service has more value."

Chen Yuan said with a smile.

Chen Li didn’t argue.

Back when she was working, during team-building events, she, as a store manager, would also look for suitable places for group outings. She would look at various packages and choose the most convenient and suitable one.

And a package that included everything was undoubtedly the most convenient, provided one was willing to spend the money.

"This needs to be discussed with the others."

"Of course. If you don’t have any other suggestions, I’ll go find Zhang Hui and his team."

Chen Li brought up a few more minor details, particularly about the pricing.

Thanks to the template Chen Yuan had created, and because Chen Li had also been thinking about these things recently, the siblings worked efficiently and reached an agreement in half an hour.

They even put together a package that included the children’s playground.

All that was left was to go over it with Zhang Hui’s team, and the matter would be completely settled.

"Boss Chen, it’s time to order supplies."

Just as they finished, Wang Tao called. It seemed their discussion was over as well.

"Send me the list of materials so I can take a look."

Chen Yuan said before hanging up.

Less than two minutes later, Wang Tao sent the message. Chen Yuan’s mouth twitched as he read it. Zhang Hui and his team’s requests weren’t actually that demanding; it was Wang Tao who was insisting on getting the best of everything.

Fortunately, they were now operating two ponds. If it were just the smaller pond, they’d never be able to afford Wang Tao’s spending spree.

"Sis, wanna go to the Old Pond?"

Chen Yuan didn’t place the order directly. His sister was still right there. If he started swiping at thin air, she’d think he was crazy.

"Yeah, let’s go. Now that the equipment and decor are sorted, we can discuss the packages. Once those are set, I can start the online promotion and aim for a huge hit on opening day."

Chen Li said, standing up.

Hearing this, Chen Yuan’s thoughts turned to marketing again. Chen Li would find online channels, and they shouldn’t be stingy with the promotion fees. As long as it was effective, they shouldn’t be afraid to spend the money.

He would also try to come up with some ideas on his end.

When they got to the Old Pond, Chen Yuan first found Wang Tao alone, purchased all the necessary materials, and then took out a cigarette to offer him one.

"How long will the second and third floors take?"

"We don’t need to manufacture the equipment; it’s delivered and installed on-site. The rest of the renovations are minor jobs. We can easily get it done today and tomorrow. The relevant permits will be delivered at the same time, so you can open for business the day after tomorrow."

’This job is a piece of cake. We might even get to leave early tomorrow.’

Chen Yuan trusted Wang Tao’s efficiency.

But the day after tomorrow still felt a bit rushed. After all, they would be in the middle of frantic installations and renovations one day and then open for business the very next. Never mind what the customers would think; it felt rushed even to him.

"I’ll handle the opening day arrangements. Once the work here is done, you guys take a few days off to rest. I’ll make sure you’re satisfied with your bonuses at the end of the month."

Wang Tao’s construction team was very reliable, and Chen Yuan definitely wouldn’t be stingy with them.

"Alright, whatever Boss Chen arranges. You point, and we’ll shoot."

Wang Tao chuckled.

He knew Boss Chen was very generous. Last month, there wasn’t much work, but the bonuses were still substantial. This month, there was even more work, so how could the bonuses be any less?

Most importantly, Boss Chen’s business was growing rapidly. He knew there would be a lot more projects in the future. If he kept this up, never mind maintenance—an upgrade was on the horizon.

Even his workers had promising futures.

"Go on, get back to it."

After finishing the cigarette, Chen Yuan sent Wang Tao off to get busy. He then went over to the hot spring area to find Liang Chunping and Zhang Hui’s team and discuss the package deals.

Once the general plan was agreed upon, he left the remaining details to Chen Li and went to take care of redeeming his rebate rewards.

Next up was resetting the fishing spots.

After finishing the prize draw and other tasks, Chen Yuan didn’t go meet with Liang Chunping’s group. He rode the tricycle home, quickly went upstairs, turned on the air conditioner, and then took a shower.

When he came out, he flopped onto his bed and called Qin Fen.

"Miss me, bro?"

Qin Fen’s cheerful laughter came through the phone as he answered.

"What are you up to?"

Chen Yuan ignored the question. It sounded noisy on the other end, and he couldn’t tell what was going on.

"Haha, watching someone shoot a short video."

"Oh? You’re starting to create original content?"

Chen Yuan was intrigued. He and Qin Fen had talked about this several times. Qin Fen had pretty much found his niche and, using his fishing videos and livestreams, had built up a bit of a following. Now he was ready to take the next step.

"Still working on the script. What’s up? Why’d you call?"

Qin Fen got back to the point.

"The Hot Spring Paradise at the Old Pond is about to open, and I was thinking of getting you influencers to help promote it. Besides yourself, how many others do you know? Could you recommend some? We’ll pay the normal rates."

Originally, Chen Yuan had only planned to ask Qin Fen and that other fishing influencer for help. But hearing that Qin Fen was watching others film videos, he guessed he was there to learn.

That meant Qin Fen probably knew some other influencers, so the more, the merrier.

"Whoa, it’s opening so soon?"

Qin Fen was quite surprised.

’He must not have been on his phone at all today. He didn’t even see the messages in the group chat.’

"I’m in, for sure. Can’t guarantee how many I can find, though. What’s the specific date?"

Qin Fen then asked about the date.

"The day after tomorrow."

Since this was for promotion, they should promote all the attractions, making the day after tomorrow the most suitable time.

"I’m good on my end. I’ll let you know tonight how many people I can get."

The two didn’t talk for long, as they were both busy.

After hanging up, Chen Yuan contacted the fishing influencer who had visited last time.

After taking care of all that, Chen Yuan put down his phone and closed his eyes. He had intended to just rest them for a bit, but he accidentally fell asleep. When he opened them again, it was almost seven o’clock.

He quickly jumped out of bed and went downstairs in his slippers.

Walking out of the main hall, he saw his parents had already finished packing the boxed lunches. Chen Dequan and Chen Nan were loading them up.

"Isn’t Sis coming back to eat?"

Chen Yuan didn’t see his sister anywhere.

"She’s over there overseeing the equipment delivery and renovations."

Chen Jun finished handing off the boxed lunches and walked back, clapping the dust off his hands.

Tang Ying and Lin Cuiju came out of the kitchen carrying dishes, and soon Chen Guo also walked over from the backyard.

"Come and eat."

Tang Ying called them into the house.

Since there was nothing urgent, Chen Yuan didn’t rush off to the fish ponds. He went back inside, grabbed a few beers from the fridge, and Chen Jun, his eyes crinkling with a smile, brought over some glasses.

"When is the Hot Spring Paradise scheduled to open?"

At the dinner table, Chen Jun raised his glass and looked at Chen Yuan.

"We’ll finalize the remaining details tomorrow, do some promotion the day after, and then we can open."

Chen Yuan said, picking up some food with his chopsticks.

"The day after tomorrow, huh."

Chen Jun refilled his glass, set down the bottle, and said, "Isn’t that a bit too rushed? The place was just finished. Won’t the smell be too strong? What about the formaldehyde from the renovations, will that be a problem?"

Chen Guo and the others also felt the timeline was a bit tight.

"If we don’t hurry, summer will be over."

Chen Yuan shook his head.