Chapter 13: Geographic Advantage

In February 2000, Chu City had just launched its ISDN service. However, due to data traffic issues, apart from a few computer rooms that had transformed into semi-networked semi-computer rooms, most computer rooms still did not provide internet services. The profitability of computer game rooms, however, spurred many families to open their own, leading to a proliferation of such establishments in Chu City. However, most of these were small family-run operations with only a few computers. Large-scale internet cafes would not appear in Chu City for another year.

Lin Feng's computer game room now had seven computers. However, in the Liao Yuan district where he operated, eight new computer rooms had opened, bringing the total to nine, including Lin Feng's. The supply and demand in the area were approaching saturation, but new storefronts were still being renovated to open more computer rooms.

Lin Feng knew that in a month, the computer rooms in the city center of Chu City would engage in a price war, with the hourly rate for computers dropping from 3 yuan to 2 yuan. For this intense price war, Lin Feng had already planned his strategy—relocation.

Lin Feng intended to move his computer room to the remote Lan Te district. Although it seemed remote, it would become the most prosperous area for internet cafes in the following years. This was because there was a university, two high schools, and an elementary school in the area, making its geographic location extremely advantageous. Although there were already seven or eight internet cafes in Lan Te district, they were all small, with the largest having only 10 computers. Given the high demand from students, opening a large internet cafe here was the perfect opportunity.

Chu Lian Bookstore was the only large bookstore in Lan Te district, spanning two floors and nearly 1,000 square meters. Despite the numerous schools in the area, business was poor. The main reason was that the bookstore's正版 books were too expensive. Many students preferred to take a taxi to the city center to buy pirated books, as the price of one正版 book could buy three pirated books, and the quality was almost identical. For students without income, the choice was clear.

Chu Zixuan, the owner of Chu Lian Bookstore, had gritted his teeth and persevered for a year but had to admit that his investment had failed. He wanted to transfer the storefront and become a landlord, but after hanging a "For Sale" sign for over a month, no one had taken over. Some had shown interest, but only in renting the first floor. Chu Zixuan wanted to rent out both floors, as renting one floor would leave the second floor vacant. This situation made Chu Lian Bookstore a prime location for a profitable internet cafe. Indeed, two years later, an outsider opened an internet cafe here, which became a leader in Chu City's internet cafe industry.

"Are you...?" Chu Zixuan looked at Lin Feng with some suspicion.

Lin Feng was too young, and Chu Zixuan couldn't help but doubt if he was there to cause trouble.

"I want to take over this store. Is the owner here?" Lin Feng knew he looked too young and not like a seasoned businessman, so it was natural for him to be suspected.

"Uh... I am the owner. Please come in and let's talk." Chu Zixuan quickly invited Lin Feng into the reception room. As long as the store could be transferred, he didn't care about the age of the buyer.

"Boss, could you show me around first?" Lin Feng was eager to see the layout. He had his own ideas and hoped the current setup would suit his needs, ideally without the need for further renovation. After all, funds were limited.

"Excuse me, but do you want to take over both floors or just one?" Chu Zixuan had learned to be cautious. If Lin Feng only wanted one floor, he wouldn't bother showing him around.

"Both floors." Lin Feng's words delighted Chu Zixuan, who quickly closed the bookstore and led Lin Feng on a tour.

After the tour, Lin Feng was very satisfied. The layout was reasonable, and the recent renovation meant he wouldn't need to do much more. The only concern was the price.

"The rent is 12,000 yuan per month, but you must pay a 100,000 yuan deposit upfront." Chu Zixuan's words stunned Lin Feng.

12,000 yuan for a nearly 1,000 square meter, two-story storefront was not expensive, especially compared to the city center, where it would cost at least 200,000 yuan. However, the 100,000 yuan deposit was a significant issue for Lin Feng. He only had 250,000 yuan in cash, and paying the deposit would leave him with very little.

Lin Feng had calculated that if he paid the 100,000 yuan deposit, he could only add 25 more computers, bringing the total to 32. The two-story storefront could accommodate up to 500 computers, which would leave a lot of empty space. However, if he didn't take over the store now, he feared someone else would see the potential and take it over, leaving him to regret it. For future development, taking over the store sooner rather than later was beneficial.

"Boss..." Lin Feng needed to negotiate with Chu Zixuan to see if the deposit could be waived. After all, the computers would be placed in the store, and he couldn't just run away.

"Boss, I don't have enough funds right now. Could you temporarily waive the deposit?" Lin Feng asked.

"No, that's not possible. What if something happens and you run away? Who would I go to then?" Chu Zixuan shook his head firmly.

"Boss, why would I run? I'm from Chu City. Here's my ID. Where could I go?" Lin Feng showed his ID. "How about this, I'll leave my ID with you until I pay the deposit, and you can return it then."

"Um..." Chu Zixuan hesitated. No one had shown interest in the store for a month, and he wanted to get rid of this burden and return to a stable life as a landlord.

"Boss, we're both from Chu City. I genuinely want to take over this store. Please help me out. I won't cause any trouble." Lin Feng pressed his advantage.

"Brother, I'm a bit older than you, so I'll call you brother." Chu Zixuan pondered, "I can see you're sincere about taking over the store, and I genuinely want to rent it out. Tell me, what business do you plan to run?"

Chu Zixuan needed to know what Lin Feng intended to use the store for.

"Brother, to be honest, I want to open an internet cafe." Lin Feng thought it was unnecessary to hide his plans, and he wasn't afraid Chu Zixuan would refuse to rent to him.

"An internet cafe? Good eye, brother." Chu Zixuan praised Lin Feng, leaving him puzzled.

"Hehe, I've been thinking about opening an internet cafe for a while. But places like Piaotian Literature are always short of computers. Your internet cafe will definitely be profitable."

"Hehe, thank you, brother. So, can you temporarily waive the deposit?" Lin Feng asked with a smile.

"Brother, sure, since we hit it off." Chu Zixuan really didn't want to continue running the bookstore, and Lin Feng's harmless appearance made him feel at ease. "But I'll need to keep your ID."

"Of course, of course." Lin Feng was delighted. With the extra 100,000 yuan, he could add nearly 20 more computers.

"Um..." Chu Zixuan suddenly paused, looking embarrassed.

"Brother, speak your mind." Lin Feng was in a good mood after securing the store.

"Brother, I'll be straightforward." Chu Zixuan rubbed his hands, blushing slightly. "Brother, I want to invest in your internet cafe. Can you agree to that?"

Lin Feng's face changed. He was absolutely against letting anyone interfere with his internet cafe, as it would inevitably lead to conflicts due to differing ideas.