Chapter 21: Sun Tao

In his previous life, Li Dong had never run a business. Only after starting his own business did he realize how difficult it was.

The renovation of the mall had already begun, and Yang Ding's final quote was 1.1 million yuan. After considering it, Li Dong agreed.

However, opening a large supermarket required more than just renovation. There were various permits and approvals, business registration, procurement channels, employee recruitment, and personnel management...

This overwhelming task nearly drove Li Dong mad. It's not something that can be solved merely with money.

Just dealing with permit applications left Li Dong dizzy: business license, organization code certificate, tax registration certificate, health permit, food circulation permit, tobacco retail license...

When faced with this long list of qualifications, Li Dong completely gave up on the idea of handling everything himself.

Continuing like this would not only be exhausting but would also make it impossible to focus on the college entrance exam.

Yang Ding said that the renovation would be completed in two months. After airing out the smell, the store should be able to open in early August.

But Li Dong had nothing in place yet. Relying on himself to manage a large supermarket was simply unrealistic.

Without hesitation, Li Dong decided to find a professional manager to handle everything for him, preferably someone from a large chain supermarket.

Of course, poaching someone wasn't easy. It wasn't just about the money; experienced managers wouldn't jump ship without prospects for growth.

Li Dong was currently in Pingchuan. To find suitable management, he needed to go to a large city like the provincial capital.

...

At Qingyang Café.

Li Dong met with the headhunter consultant he had contacted earlier.

The woman sitting opposite Li Dong was in her thirties, dressed in standard professional attire, and was introducing various candidates to him.

"Wu Qibo, male, 48 years old, deputy manager of logistics at China Resources Vanguard Pingchuan branch…"

"Liu Yuan, male, 44 years old, deputy manager of purchasing at RT-Mart Pingchuan branch…"

"Sun Tao, male, 34 years old, deputy general manager of Carrefour Pingchuan branch…"

"Wait a moment!"

Li Dong interrupted, somewhat surprised, "Ms. Yang, is Sun Tao really the deputy general manager of the Pingchuan branch?"

Yang Qing understood Li Dong's meaning and explained, "Yes, we contacted him on a trial basis, and to our surprise, Manager Sun was very interested and wants to discuss with you."

Li Dong smirked, not excited but rather skeptical. "A deputy general manager of a world-renowned store in a provincial capital is willing to switch to being the general manager of a private supermarket in a county-level city. Did I hear that right or did you say something wrong?"

Li Dong could understand other candidates. They were older, just department deputies, and their future prospects were limited. Given the salary he offered, it wasn't surprising they were interested.

But Sun Tao was in his thirties and had already become a deputy general manager at Carrefour Pingchuan. It wasn't hard to imagine him becoming a regional general manager in a few years.

Why would such a person be interested in a county-level supermarket manager position?

Li Dong couldn't understand and candidly said, "I'm open to meeting him, but Ms. Yang, focus on the other candidates. My business is small; I can't afford to hire such a high-profile talent."

Even if someone like Sun Tao joined, what kind of salary would be appropriate?

Li Dong didn't dare to imagine. He didn't want to end up working for someone else instead.

To be honest, it might be making a mountain out of a molehill. He wasn't running a chain business yet; he only had one store and didn't need such high-end talent.

Yang Qing nodded in understanding. She didn't have high hopes for Li Dong either, but since Sun Tao wanted to meet, she couldn't stop him.

"Well, Mr. Li, shall we meet with Sun Tao first?"

"Sure, contact him and see if he's available this afternoon. We can meet first, and then we'll talk about the other candidates after I've met with Sun Tao."

"Alright, I'll contact him right away!" Yang Qing promptly started calling Sun Tao.

Li Dong listened silently, and a few minutes later, Yang Qing said, "Mr. Li, he agreed. We'll meet at 3 PM at the Nanhu Teahouse."

...

At Nanhu Teahouse, Li Dong had visited many times before when meeting clients.

He met Sun Tao, who was dressed in casual attire and appeared younger than his actual age, looking no more than thirty.

Sun Tao made a good first impression on Li Dong. He had a gentle demeanor and didn't seem like a typical businessman but more like a university lecturer.

Upon meeting Li Dong, Sun Tao maintained his composure, even though Li Dong appeared quite young. He stood up with a gentle smile and said, "Mr. Li, please have a seat."

"Mr. Sun, please sit as well." Li Dong nodded and took a seat, getting straight to the point, "What would you like to discuss with me?"

Sun Tao smiled and said, "Mr. Li, don't misunderstand. I know you must have some concerns, and I will explain them."

"I'm all ears!"

Li Dong didn't say much. If Sun Tao was genuinely willing to come and his salary demands weren't too outrageous, Li Dong would be happy to hire such a talented person.

As for experience and professionalism, anyone who could reach this level at Carrefour surely had some real skills.

"Since Mr. Li is willing to listen, I'll mention three points…"

"First, I am from Dongping, and my parents still live there."

Li Dong nodded, acknowledging this reason.

Being close to family was a reason, but certainly not the main one. Otherwise, with Sun Tao's income, he could easily support his parents in Pingchuan.

"Second, the general manager of Carrefour Pingchuan is 52 years old and plans to retire in Pingchuan. Some leaders in the East China region are not happy with me…"

Without saying much, Sun Tao implied that his boss was blocking his promotion and that he had no upward mobility.

This was indeed significant but not enough to persuade Li Dong.

Li Dong asked, "With companies like Tesco, Walmart, and RT-Mart being well-known, and not to belittle myself, but I'm not in their league. Why would you be interested in me?"

"Mr. Li is perceptive. I won't hide it from you."

Sun Tao straightened up and said earnestly, "Originally, I was interested in the market in county-level cities. I wanted to start my own business to capture the market before the big stores arrived. This coincides with what Mr. Li is doing."

Li Dong nodded. Many people understood this point, but few acted on it.

Firstly, they didn't have the capital. Secondly, the uncertainty of the future made it difficult for everyone to be confident in competing with large stores.

"The most important point I want to make is that if it were three months ago, I would have chosen to start my own business rather than working for someone else."

"But three months ago, some issues arose at home. I used up all my savings and even mortgaged my house in Pingchuan."

"I also borrowed 800,000 yuan from friends. I'm confident I can repay it quickly, but without the capital to start a supermarket, I'm afraid I'll miss this opportunity. In a few years, big stores will definitely enter small cities, and the chance might be gone."

After saying this, Sun Tao looked slightly disappointed, but his confidence soon returned.

Li Dong looked at the confident man in front of him and couldn't help but admire his talent. Unfortunately, he didn't have the opportunity to shine.

In this era, having no money and owing 800,000 yuan while remaining so confident was rare. It was hard for most people to remain so composed and sure of their ability to earn back that amount quickly.

Moreover, Sun Tao had a good vision. If not for the unexpected circumstances, he could have started his own supermarket with his experience and level. In a few years, becoming a millionaire or even a billionaire wouldn't be impossible.

But unfortunately, he didn't have the capital now. If he waited a few more years and big stores entered, as he said, starting his own brand then would have no survival space.

"Mr. Sun is very candid, but…" Li Dong shrugged and said helplessly, "Unfortunately, I can't hire Mr. Sun."

"Why?"

Sun Tao was somewhat incredulous. He was genuinely willing and had complete confidence that Li Dong wouldn't refuse him.

Yet Li Dong rejected him. Sun Tao thought he had already lowered his expectations, so why was Li Dong not interested?

Li Dong looked at the slightly flustered man and smiled. After taking a sip of tea, he said, "Honestly, Mr. Sun, you're too excellent, and it makes me a bit uneasy."

"Let me put it this way. What I need is a professional manager, not an ambitious entrepreneur. Why would I trust a manager who's always thinking about leaving with a supermarket worth several million?"

"I need someone reliable and steady, not someone with too much pioneering spirit."

"If my supermarket hasn't stabilized yet and you leave for other opportunities, it would cause me a lot of trouble."

"And I…" Li Dong pointed to himself with a smile, "Dislike trouble. I prefer a one-time solution."

Sun Tao finally understood why Li Dong had rejected him. He wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.

Should he say he would be willing to work for Li Dong for life?

It was ridiculous. If he had that intention, he might as well stay at Carrefour.

The reason he was switching jobs was precisely because there was no upward mobility and he was unwilling to stay at the bottom!

"Thank you, Mr. Li, for listening to me!" Sun Tao understood that the conversation was coming to an end and stood up to leave.

Li Dong tapped the table lightly, hesitated for a moment, and finally said, "Mr. Sun, I have a suggestion. I don't know if you're interested."

Sun Tao's eyes brightened, and he sat back down, "Mr. Li, please go ahead!"

"To be honest, I'm reluctant to miss out on someone like you. Here's a proposal for you to consider…"

"I can offer you a profit-sharing arrangement. For the first three years, you would receive 10% of the net profit each year. If you stay for three years, this profit share could be converted into fixed equity. By then, you would be a partner, and it would be similar to starting your own business."

Sun Tao narrowed his eyes and began to ponder.