Chapter 48: The Road to Expansion

After his conversation with Ni Guangnan, Jiang Han left his contact information and departed from Caida University.

He was confident—it wouldn't be long before Ni Lao joined his company.

And when that happened, the entire computer industry of Longguo would undergo a transformation.

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Building the Foundation

On Monday morning, Jiang Han arrived at the company. From a distance, he spotted Su Qingyi approaching him with a bright smile.

"Jiang Han!" she called out excitedly.

As soon as she reached him, she wasted no time in delivering her report. "The Spring Recruitment Fair in Magic Capital is over. In just three days, we received a total of 2,355 resumes. We've successfully recruited all necessary employees, and one-third of them are graduates from 985 and 211 universities."

Jiang Han nodded in approval. "You're quite efficient."

Su Qingyi grinned mischievously. "Of course! I wouldn't be earning a high salary for nothing, would I?"

Rolling her eyes playfully, she added, "Boss, since regular employees get 4,000 yuan per month after probation, shouldn't your secretary be getting a little extra?"

Jiang Han chuckled, shaking his head. "Don't worry. You won't be shortchanged."

Su Qingyi clapped her hands. "Great! Lead the way, boss!"

Jiang Han sighed. This girl had really become more playful over time.

Laying Out the Vision

As he walked into the office, he noticed that many of the new employees looked a little lost.

"Everyone, gather around," Jiang Han called out.

The marketing team quickly assembled in the conference room, eager to hear from their young yet ambitious leader.

"Welcome to Huaifeng," Jiang Han began, his voice steady and commanding. "I'm Jiang Han, the founder of the company.

Since we're all here, that means fate has brought us together. As long as you put in the effort, your salaries will only increase. This company will provide you with a future."

A new employee raised his hand. "Mr. Jiang, what's our first task?"

"Our immediate goal is to establish chain Internet cafes across the country," Jiang Han announced.

Murmurs spread through the room.

"Internet cafes nationwide? Won't that take a long time?" someone asked, clearly surprised.

Jiang Han smiled. "There are around 50 first- and second-tier cities in Longguo. You'll work in teams of two, traveling to these cities to scout for suitable locations to rent and renovate.

Each city should have at least five cafes."

Gasps echoed throughout the room.

That meant a total of 250 Internet cafes!

In the year 2000, when a single computer cost five to six thousand yuan, setting up an Internet cafe could cost at least 70,000 yuan.

With 250 cafes, that was a staggering investment of 17.5 million yuan!

This level of financial commitment was proof that Jiang Han was a man of serious resources.

A young employee hesitated before asking, "Mr. Jiang, what makes a storefront 'suitable'?"

"The ideal locations are near schools or in busy city centers with high foot traffic. Each Internet cafe should be at least a few hundred square meters in size," Jiang Han explained. "I'll provide detailed guidelines on design and layout later. For now, you can consult Secretary Su for specifics."

Pausing for a moment, he added, "Once the first batch of cafes is stable, we'll expand to third- and fourth-tier cities, as well as county-level markets."

Jiang Han's mind flashed back to his past life, where Internet cafes were always packed with eager customers.

With a national network of Huaifeng Internet Cafes, he would soon be making a fortune!

Su Qingyi, ever the meticulous assistant, asked, "Boss, have you decided on a name for the Internet cafe chain?"

Jiang Han's expression turned solemn.

"Huaifeng Internet Cafe."

It was a tribute to his late parents, a name filled with meaning.

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Scaling Up Operations

After the meeting, Jiang Han and Su Qingyi headed to the Zhongxin Stock Exchange.

The trading floor was already buzzing with activity, the air thick with tension and excitement.

As they walked, Su Qingyi brought up a crucial point. "Boss, we haven't set up a dedicated purchasing department yet. With so many Internet cafes launching, just buying computers, desks, and chairs will be a major expense."

Jiang Han nodded. "Then start hiring a procurement team. But as for computers, we'll source them directly from my family's OEM factory."

Su Qingyi blinked in realization. "Oh, right! I forgot your family's company manufactures computers."

She quickly jotted down notes. "What about the cafe interiors? Any specific design preferences?"

Jiang Han thought for a moment. "Each Internet cafe should have four zones: a booth area, a gaming area, a snack bar, and private rooms equipped with sofas, air conditioning, and other comforts.

The overall design should have a futuristic, high-tech feel. Find a decoration firm, and bring me their proposals."

Su Qingyi nodded, making a mental note.

"By the way," she added, "the marketing team leaves the day after tomorrow. I've also hired a senior market director with 15 years of experience. He'll report directly to you."

Jiang Han glanced at her approvingly. "Good work."

Just then, his eyes flickered toward the bustling trading floor.

"Su Qingyi," he said, "help me open a futures account and deposit a 10% margin."

She paused, surprised.

"Boss, you've been doing well with stocks. Why suddenly futures?"

Jiang Han smirked. "My capital has grown to 50.4 million yuan. If I keep increasing my stock holdings, it'll disrupt the market."

"But futures," he continued, "are a different game. Leverage can be used immediately."

Seeing her curious expression, he elaborated:

"Futures are flexible. The market is broad yet nimble, and trades settle the same day—T+0. I can enter and exit positions multiple times daily.

Unlike stocks, which only profit from price increases, futures allow me to make money whether the market goes up or down.

The trading fees are one-eighth of stock fees, funds are more liquid, and I can increase positions using floating profits."

Su Qingyi, ever the diligent secretary, quickly jotted everything down.

She looked up and hesitated. "Boss, a 10% margin means 10x leverage. Isn't that a bit risky?"

Jiang Han chuckled.

"Risk? Su Qingyi, in the world of finance, the greater the risk, the greater the reward."

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End of Chapter 48