Chapter 64: Li Dong’s Intentions (Part 1)

No matter how unreasonable it seemed, after finishing his speech, Li Dong cheerfully left the meeting.

Yang Yun was still confused when she got home. She couldn't quite understand Li Dong's motives for the day.

If Li Dong were really so careless in his work, how could the Distant Branch develop so rapidly?

So what was Li Dong's real intention?

Yang Yun was at a loss, unable to figure out what Li Dong might be planning, as there seemed to be no need for any hidden agenda.

...

Today, Qin Hai returned home early. By the time Yang Yun arrived, Qin Hai had already prepared dinner.

He called out to Yang Yun several times, noticing that his wife was still lost in thought. Qin Hai remarked, "When you're home, stop thinking about work. You're just a financial manager, not the boss. Why worry so much?"

"Old Qin, today our CEO came back and discussed some matters," Yang Yun wanted to talk about Li Dong's plans but wasn't sure how to begin.

Qin Hai frowned and grunted, "That guy named Sun? Stay away from him. Watch out for any schemes he might have."

Yang Yun instantly forgot to address the main issue. Rolling her eyes, she said, "What nonsense are you talking about? General Manager Sun is over a decade younger than me, and you're getting jealous? You're getting more unreasonable with age!"

Qin Hai cleared his throat and chuckled, "He's the one making an effort to be ingratiating. Why would he put a financial person in charge of a supermarket? Who knows what he's thinking."

Yang Yun knew he was just complaining and didn't bother arguing. She asked, "Have you decided on your job yet?"

The rumor of the cotton-spinning factory's closure was not baseless, and since Qin Hai was a mid-level leader there, Yang Yun had already heard the news.

Hearing his wife ask about his job, Qin Hai was somewhat troubled. "It's still being discussed, but the general direction is set. Those of us without technical skills will be sent to the Dongping Light Industry Association for retirement."

"The Light Industry Association? What's that? You're just in your early forties. If you go there, it's like waiting for retirement. You can't agree to this!"

As soon as Yang Yun heard where Qin Hai was being assigned, she became anxious.

The Light Industry Association in Dongping was essentially a dead end. Although it was called a government department, it was no different from a private organization and might be shut down at any moment.

Qin Hai was also dissatisfied, but he felt powerless against the situation. He said, "What can we do? We could buy out our service years, but the factory doesn't have the funds to offer much compensation."

In the past, the Dongping Cotton Spinning Factory had been thriving. Despite many state-owned factories going bankrupt in the 80s and 90s, Dongping had managed to survive.

It was unexpected that it couldn't hold on until the end. Qin Hai was also frustrated; finding new employment at over forty wasn't easy.

Seeing Qin Hai downcast, Yang Yun thought of what Li Dong had said earlier.

Initially, Yang Yun wasn't too keen on the idea. Moving to the logistics company meant relocating to Pingchuan, which felt like leaving home and had its disadvantages.

But now that Qin Hai was assigned to the Light Industry Association, Yang Yun was having second thoughts.

After some contemplation, Yang Yun tentatively suggested, "Old Qin, why don't you buy out your service years and try something on your own?"

Qin Hai sighed and shook his head. "I'd like to, but I don't have any skills. What could I do?"

"You're at least a university graduate from the 80s and not too old. Why can't you find a good job?" Yang Yun was frustrated with Qin Hai's negativity.

Without waiting for Qin Hai to respond, Yang Yun said, "How about I help you find a job?"

"You?"

Qin Hai shook his head and replied with some annoyance, "What kind of job can you find for me? Do you want me to work as a security guard at your supermarket?"

"Not as a security guard, but as a general manager!"

"A general manager? You're just a small financial manager…"

Before Qin Hai could finish his disparaging remark, Yang Yun interrupted, "It's true. Mr. Li wants you to manage the logistics company at Distant Branch."

Yang Yun then recounted the day's events and briefly introduced the situation with Qinghua Logistics.

Although she didn't know all the details, she was somewhat familiar with it due to her interactions with the logistics company through the supermarket.

When Yang Yun finished, Qin Hai was also bewildered.

Becoming a general manager?

He knew a bit about Distant Branch from his wife's discussions and understood that the young CEO had achieved a lot, establishing a large business at a young age.

But he wasn't familiar with the CEO personally. Why would this young CEO think of making him the general manager of the logistics company?

Qin Hai found it hard to accept at first and started to wonder if there was some hidden scheme behind it.

...

Li Dong genuinely had no malicious intent. After all, they were his future in-laws, and he wouldn't dare to deceive them.

His intention was quite straightforward: to separate Yang Yun from the Distant Branch system.

Although Qinghua Logistics currently seemed to control the logistics lifeline of the supermarket, Li Dong had long planned to build his own logistics distribution center.

The construction hadn't started yet because he didn't have the funds, but he was determined to build it once he had the money.

Once the distribution center was completed, Qinghua Logistics would become redundant.

Li Dong's plan was to let Qin Hai continue to manage Qinghua Logistics, treating it as a way to honor his future father-in-law.

This would turn Qinghua Logistics into a business owned by the Qin couple, which would make Yang Yun less likely to want to return to Distant Branch or feel discontented with being transferred by Li Dong. It would save Li Dong a lot of trouble.

Of course, Li Dong also had a small ulterior motive.

If Yang Yun and her husband moved to Pingchuan, Qin Yuhan would inevitably return to Pingchuan for holidays and such.

Pingchuan was where Li Dong planned to develop in the future, and he would be spending more time there. This would bring him closer to Qin Yuhan.

...

When Li Dong got home, Cao Fang and Li Chengyuan had just returned.

The couple's convenience store had been open for nearly half a month. The store was small, but the renovation had been quicker than the other branches of Distant Branch.

Seeing Li Dong enter, Cao Fang and Li Chengyuan were surprised, as Li Dong hadn't informed them of his return.

Cao Fang quickly asked, "Dongzi, why are you back? You didn't say a word."

Li Dong replied while changing his shoes, "Several branches are opening tomorrow. I came back to check."

"Your branches are opening?"

Li Chengyuan was unaware of this and asked with curiosity, "Last time you mentioned opening a new store in the provincial capital. Where did you get all this money?"

"Of course, it's from earnings. It's not a big deal." Li Dong avoided explaining how he had used the funds from goods and shopping cards.

If his parents found out, they would definitely worry, so Li Dong quickly changed the subject. "Dad, how's the convenience store business?"

Talking about the convenience store made Li Chengyuan forget about the money issue. He happily said, "Business is pretty good. Your mom and I just sit and collect money. We're making around two to three thousand a day."

"Two to three thousand?"

Li Dong frowned slightly. A small supermarket of around eighty to ninety square meters, with no significant competition, should ideally have a daily turnover of four to five thousand. Why was their convenience store making so little?

After thinking for a while, Li Dong asked, "Dad, are there many people coming to buy things?"

"Yes, quite a few. People from nearby communities come to shop, but your mom and I are too busy to handle it…"

After hearing this, Li Dong understood and said helplessly, "Dad, if you're too busy, just hire someone! Don't be stingy with the money. How much can it cost to hire someone?"

"Hiring someone now costs seven to eight hundred a month. Your mom and I are not that old yet," Li Chengyuan retorted.

Li Dong was speechless and explained, "Dad, if you hire one person, it's not hard to increase daily sales by a thousand, right?"

Li Chengyuan calculated and felt it should be manageable, so he nodded.

"That's it! With your profit margin of twenty percent, making an extra thousand a day means two hundred in profit. That's six thousand a month. Don't you think hiring someone is worth it?"

Li Chengyuan wasn't incapable of doing the math, but he hadn't thought of it immediately and only focused on the cost of hiring.

After hearing his son's explanation, Li Chengyuan slapped his thigh in frustration, "How could I have missed this? We've lost money these past two weeks!"

Cao Fang gave him an exasperated look and said, "I told you this earlier, but you wouldn't listen."

Li Chengyuan grumbled, "You're always a backseat driver. You never say anything useful. Who listens to you?"

But these were just his thoughts; he didn't dare to say them out loud.

Seeing this, Li Dong smiled and didn't say much. Since he had to get up early for Qingyang the next day, he chatted with his parents for a while before heading to his room to rest.