A few days later, Zhao Lei, along with several core employees from the Marketing and Planning Departments, walked into Li Changye's office with a thick report.
"Chairman Li, after our market research and screening over the past few days, we currently have three suitable targets. Considering factors like geographical location, existing scale, renovation potential, and acquisition difficulty, our top recommendation is 'Green Wave Pool' located in the New City East District."
"Green Wave Pool?" Li Changye put down his phone, took the report, and flipped through it.
"Yes, Green Wave Pool was originally a long-established bathhouse in Yan Province. It covers a considerable area, has three floors, but due to outdated management concepts and old facilities, its business has been dismal in recent years, and it's on the verge of bankruptcy. Their boss has a strong desire to sell. In our initial contact, they quoted eight million, including the venue, some existing equipment, and employee severance costs."
Li Changye nodded: "Eight million… that's not expensive. What are the venue conditions like? Does it meet our high-end positioning?"
A female employee from the Planning Department added: "Chairman Li, Green Wave Pool's hardware foundation is actually quite good. The main structure is solid, and the internal space is large enough for us to carry out large-scale redesign and renovation. Moreover, it's located in the New City East District, which is the future development focus of Yan Province. High-end residential areas and commercial facilities are emerging around it, indicating great consumption potential."
Li Changye pondered for a moment. A startup capital of ten million, spending eight million on acquisition, leaving two million for renovation… that seemed a bit tight. He was a man who wanted to build a "super lifestyle entertainment complex."
"What about the renovation plan? Any preliminary ideas?" he asked.
Zhao Lei handed over another document: "Chairman Li, this is the preliminary conceptual design and budget provided by our collaborating design company, based on your vision and referencing cases of some top clubs on the market. Since time was tight, it's still a bit rough, please take a look first."
Li Changye opened it and saw the designs were magnificent, with all sorts of high-end facilities: a starry sky dome pool, a Japanese private hot spring courtyard, a Michelin-standard buffet restaurant, an IMAX immersive theater… He was dazzled and salivated.
"Good! Good! Good!" Li Changye said three 'good's in a row, very satisfied with the design. This was exactly the leisure paradise he dreamed of.
Then, his gaze fell on the budget column, and his smile instantly froze on his face.
The budget sheet clearly stated: Preliminary estimate, total renovation and decoration costs, approximately twelve million summer yuan (excluding equipment procurement).
"How much?!" Li Changye exclaimed, almost dropping the teacup in his hand.
Twelve million?! Renovation alone would cost twelve million?! And that didn't even include the money for those high-end massage chairs, IMAX projectors, and top-tier kitchen equipment? If it was the whole package, wouldn't it be twenty or thirty million?
He only had ten million in startup capital. Eight million for acquisition, and a renovation budget of twelve million. Wasn't that a huge shortfall?
Zhao Lei and the others looked at the chairman's sudden change in expression, their hearts sinking.
"Chairman Li… this budget is indeed based on the highest standards. If we appropriately lower some standards, or invest in phases…" Zhao Lei said cautiously.
Li Changye felt bitter! He did want to lower the standards, but what about the boasts he had made?
"Nation's top-tier," "urban paradise," "new leisure landmark" – if he said these words and ended up with an upgraded public bathhouse, where would his face as chairman go? How could he show off in front of his employees later?
More importantly, would the system deem him inactive and not having completed the task of "building a model enterprise"?
"No!" Li Changye slapped the table abruptly, his eyes firm but his heart in a panic: "We, Huanyu Group, either don't do it, or we do the best! The standard cannot be lowered! The budget… stick to this!"
He calculated in his mind: eight million for acquisition, then pay a deposit for renovation, say two million, which would just use up ten million.
For the remaining shortfall, he didn't believe System Daddy would stand idly by!
This was for "improving the employment environment" and for "employee welfare" (mainly his own welfare)!
Zhao Lei and the others saw how bold the chairman was. Not only did he not flinch because the budget was exceeded, but he became even more determined to pursue the highest standards. Each of them showed expressions of admiration.
"Chairman Li is brilliant!"
"With Chairman Li's words, we are at ease!"
"As expected of Huanyu Group! This is the kind of spirit we need!"
Li Changye listened to his employees' flattering remarks, maintaining a profound smile on his face, but his heart was bleeding: My System Daddy, you must come through! Otherwise, I'll really become 'Li the Runner'!
That afternoon, under Li Changye's "brilliant" instructions,
Huanyu Group's legal team (a senior lawyer Zhao Lei urgently poached from the talent market) and financial team (a young CPA who had just resigned from one of the Big Four accounting firms, attracted by Huanyu Group's salary) quickly sprang into action.
Negotiations for the acquisition of "Green Wave Pool" went unusually smoothly; the other party's boss was eager to get rid of the mess.
Ultimately, the two parties settled at a price of seven and a half million.
Immediately after, Li Changye, with a grand gesture, signed a contract with the selected top design and renovation company and paid a 20% advance payment for the project on the spot, which was two point four million.
Seven and a half million plus two point four million, exactly nine point nine million. Li Changye looked at the mere one hundred thousand remaining in his system's virtual account, his palms slightly sweating.
It was all or nothing!
Just as he finished signing the renovation contract and the finance department transferred the advance payment, the cold, mechanical electronic synthesized voice in his mind arrived as expected:
"Ding-dong!"
"Detected host actively promoting company business development. Preliminary project 'Huanyu International Health Spa Center' has been officially launched and a large amount of capital invested, demonstrating the host's determination to improve the social leisure and entertainment environment and enhance public well-being…"
"Company scale and social influence are expected to receive initial enhancement…"
"'Conscientious Entrepreneur System' is evaluating…"
"Evaluation complete. Now providing support and upgrade for the host's company!"
Li Changye's heart tightened. Here it comes, here it comes!
"Support and upgrade contents are as follows:"
"One, Company Monthly Operational Support Funds Increase: Twenty million summer yuan in operational support funds will be automatically injected into the company account on the first day of each month (special funds, only to be used for legitimate company operations and employee salary and welfare expenses, not for host's personal consumption. The system will conduct 24-hour full-process fund flow monitoring and auditing)."
"Two, Technical Support Platform Open: The system will provide industry-leading technical support for the 'Huanyu International Health Spa Center' project, including but not limited to: intelligent water quality management system, customer relationship management system, energy consumption optimization solutions, etc. Specific support content will be gradually unlocked during the project implementation process."
Twenty million! Twenty million every month!
Li Changye was so excited he almost jumped out of his boss's chair!
No more worries now! Renovation costs, equipment costs, subsequent labor costs, operational costs, all accounted for! His "bathhouse empire" was stable!
However, just as he was about to cheer, the system's voice sounded again, like a bucket of cold water poured over his head:
"Three, Host's Personal Treatment Remains Unchanged: Monthly salary of three thousand summer yuan (after tax, automatically issued by the system on the 1st of each month). The host does not participate in any form of profit sharing of the company. Please continue to maintain a correct mindset, clarify your mission, and strive to build a conscientious enterprise and benefit society."
The smile on Li Changye's face instantly froze.
"No… no way? System, are you messing with me?"
He wailed in his mind, "The company has been upgraded to two million in monthly support, and I, the chairman, founder, and CEO, still have a monthly salary of three thousand?"
The system was cold and ruthless: "The core service objects of this system are the company's employees and society, not the host personally. The host's value lies in leadership and dedication. Please adjust your mindset."
Li Changye was on the verge of tears.
He looked out at the bustling traffic, at the employees in the office who were full of energy because the project had started smoothly, discussing beautiful future blueprints. Happiness radiated from each of their faces.
And he, Li Changye, the chairman of Huanyu Group, was at this moment calculating how to make his few hundred yuan last until the end of the month.
He even wondered if he could apply to finance for an advance on next month's salary.
But then he thought, he's the boss. Asking himself for an advance on his salary would be too demeaning. Wouldn't the employees laugh him to death if word got out?
What made him even more depressed was that as chairman, he had to look the part, right? He couldn't wear T-shirts and jeans every day.
A few days ago, Zhao Lei had cautiously reminded him that as the company's face, he should pay attention to his personal image, such as getting a few good suits tailored and buying a decent watch.
Li Changye could only smile profoundly at the time, saying: "External glamour is fleeting; true power comes from within."
This left Zhao Lei stunned, thinking the chairman had a profound understanding.
In reality, Li Changye was suffering. He wanted to buy them, but where was the money?
With a monthly salary of three thousand, in a city like Yan Province, buying a decent suit was tough, let alone a famous watch.
This situation, where the company was rolling in money, employees were all comfortable, yet he, the boss, was dirt poor, made him live in torment every day.
He had to constantly maintain an image of being strategic, indifferent to fame and fortune, and profound, lest his employees discover that he was actually a "penniless" boss.
"Alas, life is like a play, all relying on acting skills," Li Changye sighed, slumping onto the sofa.
