Chapter 406 - 147: The Green Tea Female Side Character in a Period Novel (34)

Chapter 406: Chapter 147: The Green Tea Female Side Character in a Period Novel (34)

After chugging some cool water, Zhao Jinming caught his breath and came over, eager to take credit. "Director Chi, I’ve got the refrigerators and freezers sorted out!"

"There was a food processing plant on the north side of the city that was upgrading its equipment. They were getting rid of a whole batch of refrigerators and freezers, all in pretty good condition, maybe 70 or 80 percent new. A buddy of mine is related to the warehouse director over there. All it took was one word from him, and they agreed to sell them to us for cheap."

They called it "selling," but it was really just to make the books look good. The price you got depended entirely on how strong your connections were. If they said a fridge’s cooling coil was broken, then it was officially scrap.

"I didn’t want to push my luck, so I just requested two freezers and two refrigerators. Later, when we get a new shipment in, we can just send them a case of whatever’s good as a thank you."

"My buddy is bringing them over in a bit. I checked, and we can just put them outside the entrance. We’ll slap an Iron General on them. Besides, someone’s watching the store twenty-four hours a day anyway."

"I’ll also have a word with the guys on the hospital’s security patrol."

Chi Yun’er gave him a thumbs-up. "When you’re on the job, Brother Ming, I have nothing to worry about."

Zhao Jinming had never been one for hard work, even as a child. He was a clear-cut egoist who was fiercely protective of his own—a classic dandy from the Capital City.

But he was well-connected and could get along with just about anyone. And given his family background, it was inevitable that the people in his circle were far from ordinary.

He was quick-witted and was now gaining experience, broadening his horizons and his way of thinking. When that new "wind of change" arrived, he was sure to be one of the first to take the plunge.

After lunch, the refrigerators and freezers arrived as promised. With a meaningful glance from Chi Yun’er, Zhao Jinming opened several bottles of soda and smilingly served the delivery crew.

The exteriors of the fridges and freezers looked practically new, and their cooling power was excellent. The sodas started to get chilly just a short while after being put inside.

Chi Yun’er quickly called the ice cream factory and ordered every flavor of ice cream bar they had, though the quantities for each flavor varied based on their market research.

The store expansion was completed in just over two days, right as the grand opening sale ended. As word of the sale spread, daily profits had been climbing steadily.

The first day’s profit was over 260, the second day’s was over 310, and on the third day, it actually hit more than 350!

Many customers had ridden their bikes from other districts to snap up the deals, so by the fourth day, the store was practically deserted.

The warehouse and shelves were fully restocked, a detailed inventory list was posted on the outer wall, the newly expanded section of the store was airing out, and bright, beautiful new signs were hung up, visible from all four directions.

A shipment from the south had already arrived, and Zhao Jinming took some people to go pick it up.

Xu Chengfang, who had been rubbing her hands together in eager anticipation, could only stand there holding a fly swatter, completely bewildered and questioning her life choices.

She glanced at Chi Yun’er, who was bent over her ledgers, and frowned. "Yunyun, it’s been the whole morning, and we’ve only had about twenty customers. The difference from the last few days is a little too stark, don’t you think?"

"And those twenty-odd customers spent, on average, maybe a yuan or so each. Does that mean our total sales for the day will be sixty at most? And our profit will be something like ten yuan?"

Before, making five hundred a month would have felt satisfying enough; at least it could support seven or eight employees. But after experiencing a single day with over three hundred in pure profit—after seeing what was possible—she now looked down on a measly five hundred a month!

Chi Yun’er chuckled. "What did you expect? Over the past three days, we basically pulled forward all the money people in the area planned to spend for the near future."

"Besides, everyone needs time to get used to the prices returning to normal and get over the feeling that they’ve missed out on a huge deal."

"This is actually perfect. It gives us a chance to catch our breath, get things organized, and hire a few more employees while we’re at it."

Xu Chengfang let out a surprised "Ah?" "Yunyun, there’s barely anyone coming in. I can handle this by myself. We’re still hiring?"

Chi Yun’er smiled and nodded, ticking off points on her fingers. "Not only are we hiring, but we’re also going to get the hospital staff’s families involved."

"We’re sitting on this much potential foot traffic every single day. It makes no sense to let people come into the hospital and leave without spending any money!" ℯℯ𝑙.

Xu Chengfang’s eyes lit up. Listening to her friend, it sounded like they were about to pull off another big move. Between the summer-product trade-in and the store opening, she had been incredibly busy, but the passionate fire in her belly hadn’t cooled for a second.

She looked at Chi Yun’er with anticipation. "Director Chi, what are your orders?"

A glint appeared in Chi Yun’er’s eyes. "Fangfang, you write up a request to hire more staff. Two procurement officers—we need them young, strong, quick-witted, and self-motivated. Driving experience is a plus. Then, two salesclerks. Not too old, also need to be sharp, articulate, hardworking, and detail-oriented..."

"A high school education would be best for all of them. Oh, and give priority to any hospital staff’s family members who were sent-down ’educated youth,’ but make sure their character is impeccable!"