You're thinking along the same lines as me. I've been planning to open a restaurant for a long time. Isabel said immediately, her eyes sparkling with excitement. I asked Xu Yan, and there are thirteen towns currently under construction, plus this one, making a total of fourteen towns. I plan to open a large canteen in each town.
Jiang Ye stared at her intently, listening.
Before I became a delivery person, I owned a restaurant. I have experience, Isabel said. Xu Yan has already given me the canteen blueprints. Each canteen will have three floors, with ten food service windows and forty tables on each floor, glass curtain walls, white ceramic tile floors, and food printers. Building one canteen will cost two hundred million.
That's very expensive! Jiang Ye calculated instantly. Fourteen canteens will cost a total of 2.8 billion.
I can get a loan. Isabel said. I'm a silver member of Huaqiang Bank, so I can get a loan of thirty billion.
Amazing. Jiang Ye's gaze towards her changed. You really are a rich woman! If you weren't, why would the bank dare to lend you so much money?
That's why I decided to go solo! Isabel said with a sly smile. All the money I earn will be mine. You won't get a single cent!
Jiang Ye was stunned. Don't do that, sis! Let's partner up. We can share the costs and save you from borrowing so much from the bank.
How much can you contribute?
Three hundred million.
Tch, I'm not interested!
Jiang Ye scratched his head awkwardly. Isabel's project was too big; he really couldn't come up with enough capital to impress her.
Alright, I've finished delivering your packages. I'm heading back. Isabel stood up to leave. Three towns will be completed tomorrow. Remember to pay me the transportation fee, and I'll bring people over.
Jiang Ye chased after her and grabbed her arm. Sis, don't rush off. Seriously, let's cooperate. The money should stay within the family, right? It's too risky to go solo!
Yes, the money should stay within the family. Do you consider me family? Isabel shook his hand off and said with a stern face, Forget about cooperating. I've already applied for the loan and will do it myself.
Why wouldn't I consider you family?
If you truly considered me family, you'd come sleep at my place tonight. Isabel retorted.
Jiang Ye was so embarrassed he didn't know what to do.
Isabel scoffed disdainfully and got into her car, driving away.
Jiang Ye watched the delivery car disappear, keenly feeling that their relationship was becoming distant, not as close as before.
He had to find a way to win her back.
Fourteen towns, over ten thousand people. Assuming each person eats one meal a day at the canteens Isabel opens, the daily profit could reach several million. In a year, that would be close to ten billion.
If the canteen food was priced a bit higher and sold better, it's possible to earn tens of billions a year.
Jiang Ye felt it was too much of a loss for all this huge sum of money to be earned by Isabel alone. This was all bright, shiny silver.
He wanted a share of the pie too.
But Isabel refused to let him join. After all, they were still friends, and he couldn't restrict her from opening her shops.
Therefore, there was only one path left: competition!
Jiang Ye decided to invest his own money to build canteens and seize the catering market!
Food is the primary necessity for the people. As long as there are people in the towns, the catering industry will prosper and generate continuous profits.
However, being the boss myself would take too much time. He needed to find reliable people to help manage it. Jiang Ye would just invest and be a hands-off boss, lying down and counting money.
He left the base vehicle and headed straight for the beach, finding Ju Lanlan's home.
After so long of working together, Jiang Ye trusted Ju Lanlan one hundred percent. This girl was a business whiz, a globally renowned business magnate. It would be more than enough for her to help him open a few canteens.
A strong alliance would definitely crush Isabel's canteens!
He rang the doorbell, then rang it again.
The door opened. Jiang Ye's smile froze on his face, his expression one of utter shock.
It was Isabel who opened the door. She wasn't surprised; instead, she smiled as if she had expected him.
You're late. I've already reached an agreement with Ju Lanlan. Isabel smiled triumphantly.
Sis, why are you cooperating with her and not with me? Jiang Ye was on the verge of tears.
Do you want to cooperate with your sister? Isabel reached out and pinched his cheek. Go back to the base vehicle first.
And then? Jiang Ye asked.
Then lie down and sleep. You'll have everything in your dreams!
Isabel closed the door, and from inside, the triumphant laughter of two women could be heard.
Jiang Ye was truly shocked. The two beautiful women who had been ambiguously involved with him had actually teamed up to shut him out?
He felt his status was being severely shaken!
If this is unbearable, then it's intolerable. He had to reassert his dominance and let them know who was in charge!
After much thought, Jiang Ye turned and went to Tian Rao's house.
More than a dozen garment workers were busy at the machines. The number of clothing printers had increased to six, humming and operating, with piles of finished garments stacked everywhere, bundled high like city walls. Besides summer and winter clothing, Jiang Ye even saw some special garments made of lace, silk, and fishnet. The scope of business was still very broad.
Tian Rao wasn't working. She had set up a reclining chair in the small courtyard, wearing a knee-length white skirt, a pink sun hat, and sunglasses, supervising with considerable leisure.
Jiang Ye walked up to her, but she didn't react.
Is she asleep? Jiang Ye bent down to get a closer look.
Hmm? Tian Rao finally reacted. She moved first, then suddenly sat up, took off her sunglasses, and looked surprised. Why are you here?
I have something to discuss with you. Is it convenient here?
As Jiang Ye spoke, he glanced around. More than a dozen garment workers were all staring at him, their faces practically broadcasting their gossip.
Let's go, let's go, into the inner room. Tian Rao got up from the reclining chair, pulled Jiang Ye into the room, and locked the door.
The door wasn't soundproof. The humming of the clothing printers outside was clearly audible, and even the low voices of the employees could be heard.
Oh my, isn't that Mayor Jiang?
Do any of you know what's going on? What's the relationship between our boss and the mayor?
Our boss's expression is off. She's even blushing.
Tian Rao leaned against the door, Jiang Ye faced her, and they spoke in hushed tones at close range. Jiang Ye was a head taller than her, so their posture was akin to a wall-slam.
Besides making clothes, do you have any new businesses? Jiang Ye asked tentatively, worried that Isabel might have already colluded with Tian Rao.
Yes. Tian Rao said softly.
Jiang Ye's heart skipped a beat. What?
Real estate. Tian Rao stammered. I bought several commercial properties from Xu Yan and plan to build them in the new town, intending to rent them out later.
Jiang Ye breathed a sigh of relief. That's good, that's good. I came to you this time because I want to cooperate with you on another business.
Tian Rao also breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried that Jiang Ye might be unhappy if she secretly acquired commercial properties. But it seemed he didn't care at all.
The employees' discussions could be heard again from outside the door, their voices very excited:
Do you think our boss and the mayor might be having an affair?
Oh, you shouldn't say such things carelessly!
I think so too. Handsome man, beautiful woman, dry wood and raging fire. Even a rich cat has to steal a taste of fish!
Inside the room, both Tian Rao and Jiang Ye could hear clearly, but they both just frowned slightly, continuing to discuss business as if they hadn't heard anything.