Chapter 78: The End of the Semester

Money isn't everything, but without money, you can't do much. In this world, apart from the wealthy second-generation people and idealists, almost everyone is striving for money.

Li Dong was no exception, and neither was Meng Qiping.

On the morning of the 20th, motivated by financial incentives, Meng Qiping brought his team of part-timers. 

142 people—this was the result of Meng Qiping's efforts over the past two days.

In the cold of winter, it was surprising that Meng Qiping managed to find so many people in such a short time. After all, not everyone was willing to work in such cold weather, especially those pampered students from Jiang University.

With the people gathered, the next steps were no longer Li Dong's and Meng Qiping's concern. The large supermarket would have dedicated personnel to handle the instructions and assignments.

Since the grand opening was on the 24th, the supermarket was currently busy stocking up.

Li Dong and Meng Qiping found a quiet spot to sit. As soon as Meng Qiping sat down, he remarked, "Such a big supermarket must have cost several million at least."

Li Dong nodded but didn't elaborate. It wasn't just a few million; including the renovation costs, his investment had already exceeded ten million.

Changing the topic, Li Dong smiled and said, "You've done quite well, finding so many people in two days."

Meng Qiping laughed awkwardly and said, "It's not just my achievement; others helped as well."

"Cheng Nan?"

Meng Qiping nodded and then added with a dry laugh, "And Bai Su. She's the vice minister of the student union's work-study department."

Li Dong understood. No wonder Meng Qiping managed to recruit so many people. He had thought Meng Qiping was just good at networking.

But who actually recruited the people wasn't Li Dong's concern, as long as it didn't affect his business.

After chatting for a while, Li Dong said, "You should go to the finance department to settle the commission. I have some other matters to attend to."

Meng Qiping agreed and watched as Li Dong walked away, deep in thought.

...

...

On the 24th, the Longhua store of Yuanfang officially opened.

Having gone through numerous openings, Li Dong was no longer anxious. He observed everything with calm.

The process was the same; only the scale had changed.

Sun Tao stood behind Li Dong and said after a while, "We've succeeded!"

Yes, the opening of the Longhua store was a success.

The continuous flow of customers and the constant sound of receipt printers proved that the business was thriving. The other merchants in Longhua Square also benefited, seeing a notable increase in their business.

"General Manager Li, congratulations on your prosperous business!"

Wang Yunqing, upon seeing Li Dong, had a smile as wide as Buddha's.

Due to Yuanfang's success, renting space in Longhua Square became easier, and rents rose accordingly.

Li Dong smiled in return and couldn't help but recall how Wang Jia referred to Wang Yunqing, glancing a few times at Wang Yunqing's thinning hair.

Hmm, he's thinning but not quite bald yet.

Wang Yunqing noticed Li Dong's gaze and twitched slightly at the corner of his eye.

Fortunately, Li Dong didn't stare too long and, withdrawing his gaze, said with a smile, "I haven't yet thanked Manager Wang for the flower basket. The success of the business is also due to your good luck."

Flattery was always appreciated, and Li Dong's words made Wang Yunqing even happier.

After exchanging pleasantries, Wang Yunqing asked, "Does General Manager Li have any interest in opening more branches next year?"

"What suggestions do you have, Manager Wang?" Li Dong replied with a question.

Wang Yunqing chuckled, "As an employee, I don't have any special insights. But seeing that your business is doing well, if you were to open branches in other districts, Longhua and Yuanfang could continue to cooperate."

Longhua Group wasn't limited to just Longhua Square in Pingchuan; there were plenty of other large malls. 

If Yuanfang's supermarket could drive traffic like Longhua Square, Longhua Group would certainly be interested in a partnership with Li Dong.

As Wang Yunqing was one of the middle managers who interacted most with Li Dong, his words carried some weight.

Li Dong smiled and gave a vague response, neither confirming nor denying the possibility of opening more branches or continuing the cooperation with Longhua.

When Wang Yunqing left, looking somewhat disappointed, Sun Tao asked, "General Manager Li, will you be opening more branches in Pingchuan next year?"

Li Dong shook his head. "One store in Pingchuan is enough. Opening a store in the provincial capital would require a huge investment. With the investment needed for one store in Pingchuan, you could open five in a county."

Moreover, Li Dong didn't want to compete fiercely with other large supermarkets in Pingchuan. He preferred to quietly make profits in towns and counties.

Despite the booming business at the Longhua store, the profit couldn't match the total profits of the five branches in Qingyang, and even half would be difficult to achieve.

Currently, the five branches in Qingyang contributed about six to seven million in revenue each month. 

On the other hand, the Longhua store, excluding expenses like rent, would be lucky to bring in three million in profit per month.

The total investment for the five branches in Qingyang was around ten million, and the investment-to-revenue ratio wasn't worth it. Li Dong wouldn't engage in such ventures.

When he chose Longhua Square, he was more focused on its future development over the next few years.

After hearing Li Dong's explanation, Sun Tao didn't pursue the matter further. His goals were aligned with Li Dong's.

Counties and towns were Yuanfang's main battlegrounds.

As for Pingchuan, once Yuanfang was fully established, they wouldn't mind coming back for a share.

Surrounding the cities from the countryside was a proven strategy for success.

...

On the afternoon of the 26th, after finishing the last exam, Li Dong's first semester of freshman year was officially over.

As Li Dong prepared to go home, Bai Su approached him.

Li Dong initially thought it was about Huang Shanshan and showed a hint of impatience.

However, Bai Su didn't mention Huang Shanshan. Instead, she said, "Li Dong, I heard you have acquaintances at the newly opened Yuanfang supermarket?"

Li Dong nodded and didn't deny it. Meng Qiping had indeed recruited people through Bai Su's assistance, so it was not something to hide.

Seeing Li Dong's acknowledgment, Bai Su's face brightened, and she quickly said, "Could you do me a favor?"

Li Dong didn't make any promises and asked, "What's the matter?"

"You know, I'm with the work-study department. The school is now on vacation, but many students plan to stay in Pingchuan for the winter break to work. Could you see if Yuanfang supermarket could recruit some students from our school for promotions or distributing flyers?"

Bai Su looked at Li Dong with a pleading expression. She was carrying a significant responsibility in seeking his help.

While finding winter break jobs for Jiang University's top students was easy, finding reliable ones was not.

Yuanfang supermarket was different. Not only was it close to the school, but it was also large and paid well during the flyer distribution jobs.

If they could get part-time jobs at Yuanfang, both they and their parents would be at ease.

Li Dong thought for a moment. With the year-end promotions, the supermarket indeed needed extra help. Recruiting students from Jiang University wasn't too difficult.

It was a win-win situation, so Li Dong didn't hesitate and nodded, "Alright, I'll speak with Yuanfang about it."

"Really! Li Dong, thank you so much!" Bai Su's face showed her excitement.

Seeing her reaction, Li Dong had a higher regard for her. After all, this matter wasn't directly related to Bai Su.

After sending Bai Su away, Li Dong walked back and realized he might have forgotten something.