Chapter 64: Warehouses and Stores
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Chapter 64: Warehouses and Stores
As soon as they stepped inside, Zhou Guifang instructed Xiao Wuzi to pour water for Li Yi and Xu Qingyao. Then, she turned to them and asked, "What brings you here?"
Li Yi got straight to the point. "Sister Zhou, I want to buy your factory."
Zhou Guifang frowned, puzzled. "You want to buy our packaging factory? Are you planning to go into the fruit business?"
Li Yi immediately shook his head. "No, I intend to convert it into a large warehouse."
"A warehouse? Can't you just store things at the meat processing plant? Why spend money to build an entirely new one?"
Li Yi smiled. "Sister Zhou, I plan to open a large chain of clothing stores, and I need a sizable warehouse. From what I've observed, your packaging business isn't doing too well. Instead of letting the factory sit idle, wouldn't it be better to sell it to me?"
Zhou Guifang hesitated. "Li Yi, it's not that I don't want to help you, but this factory is my family's hard work over the past five or six years. We wouldn't sell it unless absolutely necessary."
Li Yi replied calmly, "Sister Zhou, wouldn't you like to hear my offer first?"
Before she could respond, Li Yi blurted out, "Fifty thousand!"
Zhou Guifang looked stunned. "Fifty thousand? What do you mean?"
"I'm willing to pay fifty thousand yuan for your packaging factory," Li Yi explained. "I don't need any of the equipment inside."
Zhou Guifang was taken aback. While her factory covered about two acres, its market value didn't exceed thirty-five thousand yuan—including the equipment. Yet, Li Yi was offering fifty thousand while leaving all the equipment to her, essentially giving her an extra twenty thousand yuan.
"Are you serious about paying fifty thousand yuan for this factory?" she asked, still in disbelief.
Li Yi nodded. "Of course. If you agree, we can head to the city right now to handle the transfer procedures."
Zhou Guifang hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Alright. I'm a straightforward person. I'll sell it to you for fifty thousand yuan."
Li Yi was surprised by her quick decision. "Sister Zhou, don't you need to discuss it with Brother Qin first?"
"I make the decisions in this family, and the factory's property rights are under my name. There's no need to ask him."
"Great! Let's go handle the paperwork now."
Xu Qingyao, who had been quietly observing, was completely dumbfounded. A business deal worth fifty thousand yuan had just been finalized in mere minutes. To her, it seemed as if her brother-in-law was treating fifty thousand yuan like pocket change.
Even though she didn't understand much about business, it was clear that the price was overly generous—otherwise, Sister Zhou wouldn't have agreed so quickly.
While Zhou Guifang went to retrieve the necessary documents, Xu Qingyao couldn't help but ask, "Brother, isn't your offer too high?"
Li Yi smiled. "Yes, it's about sixty percent above the market price. Normally, this factory wouldn't sell for more than thirty-five thousand yuan."
"Then why didn't you offer less? That's an extra fifteen thousand yuan!"
Li Yi chuckled. "Qingyao, you don't understand. The price might be high, but this factory is crucial for my future business."
"But does it really have to cost that much?" she pressed.
Li Yi nodded. "Yes, and for good reasons. First, the factory is relatively new, so converting it into a warehouse won't require additional investment—just a thorough cleanup.
"Second, time is of the essence. We don't have the luxury of searching for other locations or verifying their property rights. Sister Zhou's factory is a well-known and reputable place, saving us a lot of trouble."
Xu Qingyao still didn't seem convinced, but Li Yi didn't bother explaining further. She was still a high school student—she would understand the value of time and efficiency when she got older.
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Before long, Zhou Guifang returned with the factory's property registration certificate and other necessary documents. The group immediately headed to the real estate transaction office.
On the way, Li Yi stopped by a bank and withdrew 100,000 yuan—50,000 for Zhou Guifang and another 50,000 for his upcoming business expenses.
The entire transfer process was smooth and completed within an hour. Once the paperwork was finalized, Zhou Guifang went back to move the factory's equipment, while Li Yi took Xu Qingyao to Lianhua Plaza in the city center.
Lianhua Plaza was a massive commercial center built a few years ago, recognized as the largest business district (CBD) in Jiangnan Province and the most bustling shopping hub in Jiangcheng.
As soon as they arrived, Xu Qingyao was amazed by the bustling traffic and lively atmosphere. Though she lived in Jiangcheng, her family's meat processing plant was located in the suburbs—about 20 to 30 kilometers from the city center. Because of the distance, she had rarely visited the city.
As for Lianhua Plaza, she had never set foot inside before.
However, there was little time for sightseeing. Li Yi's imported goods were already on their way, expected to arrive in Jiangcheng within two days. He needed to act quickly. Instead of browsing the mall, he headed straight to the property management office on the tenth floor, where he requested to rent all the remaining street-facing shops on the first floor.
During his prior inspection, Li Yi noticed that the west wing of the first floor still had five or six vacant standard-sized shops available for rent. These shops ranged between 30 to 50 square meters, but their location was slightly less desirable, making them harder to lease.
The primary issue wasn't foot traffic—the rental price was simply too high. A 30-square-meter store required 5,000 yuan per year, deterring most small business owners.
Moreover, these stores were positioned deep inside the shopping center, which made them less attractive.
For Li Yi, however, location wasn't a problem. He was confident that the affordable clothing he imported from the coastal regions would quickly gain traction in Jiangcheng. A slightly suboptimal location was a small price to pay.
When the property manager of Lianhua Plaza heard that someone wanted to rent all the remaining vacant shops, he was ecstatic and personally came to greet Li Yi.
Naturally, Li Yi had some conditions:
1. All the shops must be adjacent to one another—he refused to rent scattered locations.
2. The property management team must negotiate with the existing tenants to vacate or relocate any rented shops in between.
3. The stores must be connected internally, and no structural obstructions should be placed during renovations.
4. A long-term lease—Li Yi initially wanted a five-year contract with no rent increase, but the property manager was unwilling to commit beyond three years.
After some negotiations, Li Yi secured a three-year lease for a total of 600 square meters on the first floor of Lianhua Plaza, at an annual rent of 80,000 yuan.
This marked the beginning of Li Yi's business empire.
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