Chapter 58: Quite a List of Demands!

"Well, hello there, Brother Chen! What brings you here today?"

Boss Jin rushed over immediately, the smile on his face even more enthusiastic than when he had seen off his previous customers just moments before—a warmth that was clearly genuine.

Chen Jiang海 gave a slight tug at the corner of his mouth and said, "Brother Jin, business is booming for you!"

"Ha-ha, and all thanks to you, Brother Chen!"

Boss Jin's face was wreathed in smiles. "If it weren't for the brilliant idea you came up with, how could my shop ever have such great business? Look at how swamped I am; I haven't even had a spare moment to invite you out for a meal."

Chen Jiang海 chuckled and replied, "Brother Jin, your good business has nothing to do with me. I wouldn't dare take credit for that."

Boss Jin let out a long sigh of admiration. "Brother Chen, please don't say that. Now I finally understand why you refused to partner up with me. With your vision and capability, you were truly born to do business!"

Chen Jiang海 waved his hand quickly, speaking with modesty, "Brother Jin, my little venture is nothing compared to your establishment."

Boss Jin sighed again and gave Chen Jiang海's arm a friendly pat. "Brother, you're being too modest! Far too modest! Others might not know, but how could your older brother here be in the dark? The second-hand television business you're running is doing exceptionally well!"

Hearing this, Chen Jiang海 couldn't help asking, "Brother, where did you hear about that?"

Boss Jin raised his thumb and said, "Hah, nowadays a good half of the electrical appliances in Linghai are repaired by you. Your reputation spreads from mouth to mouth, simply incredible! So, what brings you by today when you finally have some free time?"

"Brother, I came today to ask for a favor," Chen Jiang海 stated directly, getting straight to the point.

Boss Jin laughed heartily. "No problem at all! As long as it's something within my power, I won't hesitate for a second! Come, let's go inside and sit down to talk."

With that, Boss Jin warmly pulled Chen Jiang海 toward the back.

Once inside the office, the two men sat down, and Boss Jin began to brew tea.

Chen Jiang海 quickly waved his hand. "Brother Jin, please don't go to any trouble. Plain boiled water is just fine for me."

"It's no trouble. I don't know the first thing about tea anyway; I only keep it around for show when doing business. Just bear with it," Boss Jin said with a smile.

Seeing this, Chen Jiang海 could only smile and said nothing more.

After preparing the tea leaves, Boss Jin picked up the electric kettle to pour the water.

At this sight, a sudden thought popped into Chen Jiang海's mind: it was time to buy some appliances for home.

He had previously mentioned to Lin Wanqiu that once he started making money, he would furnish the house with proper appliances.

However, Chen Jiang海 had been exceptionally busy lately; while he had indeed earned money, he simply hadn't had the time to spend it.

Naturally, he didn't expect to take money from Lin Wanqiu to buy appliances.

Given her personality, she would certainly never be that extravagant.

Chen Jiang海 decided that once the next batch of televisions was sold, he would head straight to the Zhongbai Department Store, buy all the necessary home appliances, and present her with a fait accompli.

Once the items were brought home, even if Lin Wanqiu had objections, she surely wouldn't drag them back for a refund!

As Boss Jin poured the water, he asked, "Brother Chen, you mentioned earlier that you needed help with something. What is it?"

"Boss Jin, it's like this."

Chen Jiang海 explained his objective: "I'm thinking of finding a storefront specifically for repairs and second-hand appliances, but I'm not very familiar with Pozi Street. I was hoping to ask for your help, Brother Jin."

Hearing what it was about, Boss Jin paused for a moment, then looked surprised. "Brother Chen, I originally thought you had just made a bit of pocket money, but seeing this now, it's clearly no small sum!"

One had to know that monthly rent on Pozi Street was definitely not a small amount.

Moreover, rent was usually paid a year or more in advance, not to mention security deposits and other fees.

For Chen Jiang海 to dare open a shop here meant he must have sufficient profit margins secured; otherwise, he'd essentially be working for the landlord.

"Brother Jin is joking. What I earn is just small change compared to a boss like you," Chen Jiang海 said with low-key humility.

Boss Jin followed up with a question, "Storefronts are certainly available here, but I wonder if you have any specific requirements?"

"Well, the place needs to be fairly spacious, ideally with a warehouse attached. The location should be good, and the rent should be on the affordable side," Chen Jiang海 rattled off in one breath.

At first, Boss Jin wore a smile, but by the time Chen Jiang海 finished speaking, his smile had frozen into an expression of bemused helplessness.

"Brother Chen, you certainly have quite a few demands!"

Chen Jiang海 nodded. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be troubling you with this, brother."

Boss Jin thought for a moment before replying, "Brother Chen, given the criteria you mentioned, finding such a shop right away might not be so easy."

Knowing that his conditions were indeed numerous, Chen Jiang海 added, "Just keep an eye out for me when you can. I'll be looking around on my own as well."

"All right, if something suitable pops up, I'll be sure to let you know promptly. Do you have a telephone at home?" Boss Jin asked, nodding in agreement.

Chen Jiang海 shook his head. "Not yet, but I do have a pager. Let me leave the number with you."

"Good, good, good. Let's exchange numbers then; it'll make contacting each other more convenient in the future."

Boss Jin took out his own pager—the latest model from Motorola.

Chen Jiang海 felt no embarrassment at all as he produced his own second-hand device.

Boss Jin glanced at it and couldn't help asking, "Brother Chen, this thing... surely you didn't fix this one yourself too, did you?"

"Yeah, I picked up one previously, repaired it, and I've been using it since," Chen Jiang海 answered openly.

Boss Jin raised his thumb once more in admiration and sighed, "Brother Chen, I truly never expected that you'd know how to fix things like this. I hear these are high-tech gadgets!"

Chen Jiang海 laughed heartily. "Who knows, in a few years, big brick mobile phones might become commonplace. A little pager like this won't be anything special by then."

Boss Jin remained somewhat unconvinced. "Brother Chen, a mobile phone costs at least thirty thousand yuan starting out! Wanting to see those become commonplace? That's not going to happen easily."

What was the average monthly salary these days anyway?

Many people were still struggling just to put food on the table.

To make Boss Jin believe that a luxury item worth tens of thousands of yuan could become a household commodity—he wouldn't believe it even if it killed him.

Chen Jiang海 had no intention of arguing with Boss Jin over this. Had he not witnessed the prosperity of later generations himself, he wouldn't have believed it either.

"Perhaps Brother Jin is right," Chen Jiang海 replied with a cheerful smile, neatly bringing the subject to a close.

"Then I'll have to trouble you to keep my shop search in mind, Brother Jin."

Boss Jin patted his chest reassuringly. "Don't you worry, Brother Chen. The moment there's any news, I'll notify you right away."

"I won't keep you from making your fortune any longer, then. I'll head back now," Chen Jiang海 said, taking a sip of his tea.

Earlier when he first walked in, he had seen the state of the shop; it was genuinely bustling.

If he lingered any longer, he really would be getting in the way of the man's business.

Boss Jin turned his head to glance at the shop floor. Right now, customers were coming and going in a continuous stream. With a hint of reluctance, he said, "All right, then I won't try to keep you. Come, let me see you out!"

"No, no, please don't, Brother Jin. Go tend to your business," Chen Jiang海 urged, stopping him in his tracks.

"Very well. Since we're friends, we'll dispense with the formalities. Once I get through this busy spell, I'll treat you to a meal." Boss Jin still remembered his promise of hospitality.

Chen Jiang海 raised no objection and answered readily, "Then I'll look forward to hearing good news from you."