Chapter 15: To Buy or Not to Buy?

That day, Li Dong was in a great mood, even feeling a bit light-headed as he walked. He wasn't sure if it could be called being in love—there was no confession, no romance, just a simple hug.

But that was enough. Qin Yuhan hadn't rejected him or scolded him, which spoke volumes. He felt quite content.

Calming himself, Li Dong wandered through a few main streets in the city center.

Today, his goal was to find a suitable location for the supermarket, so he set aside other concerns for now.

...

The main urban area of Dongping County wasn't very large, and the commercial district was even smaller, mainly consisting of four streets that intersected in the center of the city.

The streets had no special names, simply called East, South, West, and North Streets.

The area around No. 1 High School was on West Street, while the vegetable market was on South Street.

West Street was mainly composed of small restaurants, bookstores, hotels, hospitals, and other businesses related to students due to the nearby school.

South Street featured the vegetable market, fruit stands, some clothing stores selling items from street vendors, hardware stores, and so on.

Li Dong's ideal location for the supermarket was on North Street. Several new residential areas had sprung up around North Street, and according to Li Dong's memory, the county government and some government office buildings would eventually relocate there.

The environment there was much better than the old, run-down West Street or the dirty and chaotic South Street. North Street was primarily home to brand-name clothing stores, commercial banks, department stores, and other such businesses.

Moreover, in his previous life, the supermarket had been on North Street, and he remembered it being so crowded that people could barely move.

However, the site of the supermarket from his previous life wasn't quite suitable; it was a bit too small.

In his previous life, the supermarket had done very well, but due to a lack of later development and expansion difficulties, plus its somewhat less-than-ideal location, it was eventually squeezed out by chain supermarkets.

After circling North Street several times, Li Dong found that the street wasn't very bustling. Some street-facing shops were under renovation or reconstruction, far from the modern atmosphere it would have a few years later.

There were a few shops available for rent, but Li Dong wasn't very satisfied with them.

It wasn't until he reached the intersection of the northwest streets that Li Dong's attention was caught by a newly built commercial complex.

The commercial building had only recently been completed, with five floors, its exterior newly renovated, but the interior was still empty.

What Li Dong valued wasn't just the newness but his recollection that this place would become a hub for fast food chains like KFC and McDonald's in the future, with excellent business prospects.

Additionally, it was connected to the northwest streets, with more than ten nearby residential areas, and importantly, it was less than a ten-minute walk from Dongfang Square. The location was absolutely ideal!

This was it!

Li Dong instantly made up his mind. Was there any place more suitable than this? Plus, it was spacious enough, perfect for his needs!

There was a large rental advertisement on the scaffolding, and Li Dong hurriedly jotted down the phone number and called.

"Hello, is this the rental contact for Blue Sea Plaza?"

"…"

"Yes, I want to rent a place. Let's meet and discuss. I'm currently outside Blue Sea Plaza."

...

After hanging up, Li Dong waited at the spot. About ten minutes later, a plump middle-aged man with a briefcase jogged over.

After surveying the area and seeing only Li Dong waiting, the middle-aged man seemed a bit hesitant.

Li Dong understood why, and with a smile, he greeted him, "Hello, I was the one who called earlier."

"Hello, hello. I'm Li Chenggui, nice to meet you!" The middle-aged man quickly composed himself and shook hands with Li Dong.

After the handshake, Li Chenggui hesitated for a moment before asking, "May I ask your surname, sir?"

"I also go by Li. Who knows, we might be family from five hundred years ago. Mr. Li isn't worried about my youth, are you? Haha…"

Li Dong seemed quite talkative, enthusiastically engaging with Li Chenggui.

Li Chenggui was a seasoned businessman, and his initial hesitation about Li Dong's youth quickly dissipated. After a few exchanges, they chatted comfortably.

After a few more words, Li Chenggui was reassured. Despite Li Dong's youth, his demeanor and speech were competent, and it was clear that one couldn't judge a book by its cover.

Li Chenggui then got to the point, asking, "Mr. Li, which store are you interested in? I'm planning to rent out the entire first floor, and once the main structure is completed, I will partition the remaining four floors. If you are interested, you can visit the site now. You can move in within a month or two."

Li Dong didn't immediately respond but instead asked, "May I ask about the ownership of Blue Sea Plaza?"

Li Chenggui, not waiting for Li Dong to finish, explained, "To clarify, Blue Sea Plaza is a joint investment by me and a few friends."

Li Dong nodded, feeling a bit relieved. It was good to know he was dealing with the actual owner.

"Mr. Li, you're running quite a big business. Building this building must have cost several million, right?"

"Ah, that's true. We invested around six to seven million in total. Unfortunately…"

Li Chenggui shook his head but didn't elaborate further.

Although Li Chenggui didn't elaborate, Li Dong had an idea of the situation. Developing real estate at this time wasn't necessarily profitable, and losses were possible.

Currently, it's not like in a few years' time. Honestly, spending six to seven million to build a commercial building in a county town was not exactly a good deal.

Considering the lower cost of labor, materials, and land prices compared to the future, investing six to seven million in a not-so-large commercial building in a county town wasn't very cost-effective.

Even if Li Chenggui didn't admit it, according to Li Dong's estimate, the building couldn't be constructed without at least five million.

Since a substantial amount had already been spent, it was clear they needed to earn it back, so the rent would naturally be high.

Moreover, the prime first-floor street-facing space was intended to be rented out entirely, with an estimated area of seven to eight hundred square meters. The rent would definitely be steep.

Dongping County was not very developed. People who could afford to rent at such prices were likely running substantial businesses. It might be more cost-effective to build another building elsewhere.

Li Dong remembered that initially, Blue Sea Plaza was indeed quite empty. It wasn't until 2008 when KFC moved in that the situation changed, and the area became a prime commercial spot.

It seemed that Li Chenggui and his partners had been successful in big cities before. It was impressive that they could invest six million back in a county town. They had foresight, but they hadn't fully accounted for the practicalities.

"Mr. Li, I'm wondering if you're interested in buying instead of renting?" Li Dong suddenly asked.

Li Chenggui was taken aback and then shook his head, saying, "To be honest, we're not prepared to sell. My friends and I believe that property prices will definitely rise. The development potential here is great, and in a few years, it will surely become Dongping's Eastern Pearl."

Li Dong was genuinely impressed. These people had a keen eye for trends.

The property prices would indeed rise, starting from the second half of this year. After 2008, property prices would double. At that time, this building wouldn't be worth just six million but thirty million.

However, Li Dong believed that even with such foresight, they couldn't have predicted the extent of the increase. He shook his head and said, "Mr. Li, you're being too absolute. No one can predict the future of property prices. Even if they do rise, how much? Six million tied up in this place—if you had that money, you could make a fortune doing other businesses."

Li Chenggui sensed something was off and uncertainly asked, "Mr. Li, are you looking to buy a store?"

He initially thought Li Dong was interested in buying just a single unit. Given the current property prices, it wasn't worth much. Spending millions to disrupt the layout of the entire building didn't make sense.

But Li Dong's intention seemed to be buying more than just one unit, which made him a bit skeptical, considering the young man's age.

"Yes, I want to buy the first and second floors. If possible, the third floor as well," Li Dong didn't deny it. He would need to discuss it anyway.

Generally, two floors were sufficient for a supermarket, but three floors would be useful for future expansion.

And with current property prices being low, even if the business didn't do well in the future, the property alone would sustain him for life.

"Really?"

Li Chenggui was genuinely surprised and somewhat incredulous.

The difference between buying and renting was huge. Buying three floors would require several million, and he questioned whether the young man had the financial capability or was just speaking empty words.

"Absolutely true. But if Mr. Li isn't willing, that's fine too. I just wanted to make things easier. Otherwise, I could also acquire a piece of land nearby and build a building myself."

Li Chenggui didn't doubt Li Dong's words. It was indeed possible to acquire land and build a three-story commercial building in North Street with several million.

And if Li Dong was serious, he was tempted by the offer.

The money to build the plaza was all his and his friends' savings. It took twenty years of business in another city to accumulate these funds.

Putting it all into Blue Sea Plaza, he was confident that property prices would rise. However, this was all speculation, and no one could guarantee the future. 

Given the difficulties in renting out the plaza, getting a large amount of cash, even at a lower profit, would be welcome.