Chapter 69

Xiao Yuanhang walked through a small alley and, from a distance, saw Wang Dahai sitting on a stone by a pile of yellow earth in front of his building, looking around, clearly waiting for him. When he saw Xiao Yuanhang coming through the alley, he stood up and shouted, "Second Brother, you're finally back!"

Xiao Yuanhang quickened his steps and came to Wang Dahai, asking, "Dahai, is there something?"

Wang Dahai said, "Second Brother, didn't you ask me to rent a warehouse, preferably with an office? This morning, I went around the Tiedong area and found the old Tiedong Street Factory's warehouse and office. The price is quite cheap, so I came to find you to take a look. If you think it's good, we can rent it."

Xiao Yuanhang knew that the Tiedong Street Factory had been closed for several years. It was originally set up to provide jobs for the disabled, not producing any products, mainly just making matchboxes, medicine boxes, and paper boxes. Since the factory was not on a main street and had a poor location in a residential area, it had been abandoned for several years, causing a headache for the street office.

Xiao Yuanhang waved his hand and said, "Let's go and take a look."

By the time they arrived at the Tiedong Street Office, it was already noon. Apart from the security guard, everyone else had gone home. Fortunately, the old guard had seen Wang Dahai in the morning, so he took the keys and led them to the factory gate, opened it, and let them go in to look around.

In fact, the street office and the factory were in a long row of bungalows. When the factory was in operation, the street office had allocated two large and one small room on the west side to the factory. The small room was used as an office, and the two large rooms were used as workshops. A part of the front yard was also allocated to the factory, with a wall built to separate it, and the factory had its own entrance and small yard.

Xiao Yuanhang was very satisfied with this separate small yard. Although it was next to the street office, they wouldn't interfere with each other, and he could do what he wanted without being constrained by the street office.

The two large rooms used as workshops were about forty square meters each. The glass in the windows and doors was all broken, and the windows were nailed with wooden boards. Through the broken windows, the inside was covered in dust and cobwebs, filled with broken tables, bricks, and other debris. Several window panes were missing.

The small room used as an office was about eighteen square meters. Although it was in slightly better condition, it wasn't much better. The windows and doors were also in poor condition, with no intact glass, but all the windows and doors were still there, and there were no bricks or debris inside.

Xiao Yuanhang felt this place was very good. He could convert one of the workshops into a warehouse and use the other for other purposes. The office could be cleaned up, and he could buy a desk and a bed, making it both an office and a guard room. Wang Dahai had many young followers, and this place could serve as their base during the day, preventing them from causing trouble elsewhere. At night, he could arrange for someone to guard it to prevent theft, achieving multiple goals.

Looking at Wang Dahai, he said, "Dahai, you have a good eye. This place is great. Let's rent it."

Wang Dahai was very happy to receive Xiao Yuanhang's praise. He scratched his head, a bit embarrassed, and said, "Second Brother, we'll have to wait until the street office opens in the afternoon to talk about it."

Xiao Yuanhang said, "Let's come back in the afternoon to talk. Let's find a place to eat first. By the time we finish, the office will be open."

The two found a small restaurant nearby. After eating, it was almost 1 PM. They went to the Tiedong Street Office, where Director Song was already there. He had talked to Wang Dahai in the morning. Seeing them, he asked, "Have you made a decision?"

Wang Dahai said, "Yes, we've decided to rent it, but it's in such bad condition. It will cost us a lot to clean it up. Can you make it a bit cheaper?"

Director Song's attitude was very firm. He said, "That's why we're only charging 50 yuan a month. We can't make it any cheaper. If you want to rent it, you can. If not, forget it!"

Wang Dahai had intended to haggle, but seeing Director Song's firm attitude, he looked at Xiao Yuanhang. Renting a place with a separate yard and nearly 100 square meters of space for 50 yuan a month was already very cheap! Xiao Yuanhang nodded and said, "We'll rent it, Director Song. How do we sign the agreement?"

Seeing Xiao Yuanhang's decision, Director Song's attitude softened. He had been a bit skeptical of these two young men, but now he was happy. Renting out the factory would be a relief for the street office. He smiled and said, "The street leadership has instructed that the rent must be paid in advance, at least for six months. This is non-negotiable. However, you mentioned the poor condition of the house. I can give you one month's rent free to cover the cost of repairs. After signing the agreement and paying the rent, the house will be yours to use!"

Xiao Yuanhang saw that Director Song was reasonable and said with a smile, "Director Song, we can sign the agreement and pay the rent now."

Director Song was very pleased with Xiao Yuanhang's straightforwardness. He drafted an agreement and wrote it out in duplicate using carbon paper. After Xiao Yuanhang reviewed it and found no issues, they both signed and stamped it. Of course, Wang Dahai did the signing and stamping and handed over 250 yuan to Director Song.

Director Song called over the security guard and had him hand the factory gate keys to Wang Dahai. After saying goodbye to Director Song, Xiao Yuanhang and Wang Dahai left the street office and went to the factory. Xiao Yuanhang pointed to the workshop and said, "I'll be leaving tomorrow. The task of cleaning up this place is yours. We'll use this workshop as a warehouse. Clear out all the garbage, buy some cement and bricks, and find a mason to seal the windows. Then, get a sturdy door."

Seeing Wang Dahai nod in agreement, Xiao Yuanhang pointed to the large workshop and the office and said, "After clearing out the stuff inside, pour a concrete floor, repair the windows and doors, paint them, replace the glass, and paint the walls white. Then, buy a set of office furniture, a sofa, a coffee table, and a bed to put in the office. I haven't decided what to do with the large room yet, but clean it up according to my instructions. Keep track of the expenses, and if you need more money, ask me."

"Sure, sure! Second Brother, don't worry. By the time you come back, this place will be completely transformed, and you won't recognize it. We just paid 250 yuan for the rent, and I still have 750 yuan, which should be enough for everything!"

Xiao Yuanhang looked at the yard and the gate and said, "The yard is relatively flat, so we don't need to do much. Clear out the weeds around the perimeter. The gate is old, so have someone remove the rust and paint it black. That should do it."

Wang Dahai nodded and said, "Sure, I'll take care of everything."

Xiao Yuanhang said, "When I come back from my shift, the two boxes of pine seeds should be ready. In the meantime, contact Lao Wu and find out who's offering the best price. We'll sell to whoever offers the most, to maximize our profit."

Wang Dahai smiled and said, "Second Brother, I've already done some groundwork. Lao Wu has agreed to help, saying he just needs a bit of commission. What do you think?"

Xiao Yuanhang said, "If he helps us, we should definitely pay him. We'll discuss the specifics when we come back. We can't let Lao Wu down, and we can't let ourselves down, right?"

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PS: Thank you to the readers "1 Demon and Angel 1" and "Qishang 09" for your support!