Shuangqing Restaurant, Huangshan Hall private room on the second floor.
Every time Chen Yansen came here to eat, he found it amusingly ironic. A Sichuan restaurant, yet all its private rooms were named after places in Anhui Province—talk about adapting to local customs.
Knock, knock, knock—
Chen Yansen rapped twice on the door and, without waiting for a response from inside, pushed it open.
He saw Cao Dahua chatting with a man with a slicked-back hairstyle. The man had thick eyebrows, a long face, small eyes, and prominent brow bones and cheekbones. Dressed in a blue suit, he didn't exactly look like the friendliest guy.
"Come on, Lao Zuo, let me introduce you. This is my student, Chen Yansen, the founder of FoxTao."
Cao Dahua stood up, patted Zuo Hongyu on the shoulder, and said with a smile.
"President Chen, I'm Zuo Hongyu, Purchasing Vice President at Big Pineapple. It's a pleasure to meet a business talent like you."
Zuo Hongyu also stood up, greeting him with a simple smile.
"Mr. Zuo, you're too kind. Let's sit and talk over a meal."
Chen Yansen observed him carefully. When not smiling, his face was cold and stern, giving off an unapproachable vibe. But when he smiled, he radiated sincerity and honesty. It was a peculiar contrast Chen Yansen hadn't seen before.
"President Chen, are you considering entering the mobile phone industry?" Zuo Hongyu asked proactively after they sat down.
"Can you handle suppliers like Qualcomm, Sharp, Sony, and LG?" Chen Yansen responded with a question of his own.
Hearing this, Zuo Hongyu immediately understood Chen Yansen's ambition was significant. The counterfeit phone manufacturers in Southeast China wouldn't dare use such high-end components; they typically opted for cheap, mass-produced parts.
After all, sometimes the factory would go bankrupt before the phone itself had any issues—there was no room for after-sales service.
"I have international suppliers for touchscreens, flexible circuit boards, audio components, and sensors. As for chips and cameras, I'm confident I can secure those too," Zuo Hongyu stated confidently when discussing his expertise.
He had worked hard in Shenzhen for over a decade; that time wasn't wasted. Although counterfeit phones were low-end, he had accumulated connections and resources. The only issue was he couldn't compete with larger companies on supply prices and payment terms.
Besides, Chen Yansen's mobile phone venture was still in its infancy; many favorable supply conditions depended on order volume.
"If a supplier makes a mistake with component specifications, and we have to deliver to the distributor tomorrow, what would you do?" Chen Yansen nodded and then posed another question.
In his view, having connections was one thing, but the ability to handle a crisis was another.
"President Chen, to be honest, this situation is quite common in the industry. The usual practice is to first communicate with the original supplier to have a new batch remade quickly. Then, have the marketing department appease the distributor. Finally, replace the supplier according to the contract terms and pursue economic compensation," Zuo Hongyu explained calmly.
The implication was clear: prioritize delivery, then settle the supplier issue. This approach, while seemingly inefficient and unsatisfying, best served the company's interests.
Switching suppliers at the last minute would only make things worse.
"Mr. Zuo, Teacher Cao recommended you, so I trust you. Feel free to state your salary expectations," Chen Yansen said generously after a moment's thought.
"President Chen, Brother Hua told me your R&D team is still being assembled, and it will take at least 3-5 months to complete the system development. I can join in three months. This will save the company some expenses, and I can also properly hand over my work in Shenzhen," Zuo Hongyu replied with a smile after considering Chen Yansen's verbal offer.
"Sure," Chen Yansen agreed, though inwardly he scoffed. Zuo Hongyu's words clearly indicated he was worried about the project's stability and wanted to wait and see for three months.
However, Zuo Hongyu's thinking wasn't wrong. His phone venture had no operating system, no manufacturer, not even a name. Even if Zuo Hongyu joined now, it would be hard for him to start working effectively.
Afterwards, the three raised their glasses and began drinking.
While Chen Yansen was interviewing Zuo Hongyu, the latter was also evaluating him.
A boss's reliability often determines a project's success or failure.
As they drank and chatted, Zuo Hongyu was surprised to find that although Chen Yansen had no experience in the mobile phone industry, his knowledge of procurement and sales was extensive.
From the girls in Shenzhen to foreign women, from the economic situation to smartphone development, there seemed to be no topic Chen Yansen couldn't discuss.
Moreover, his thinking was clear and his logic meticulous. Zuo Hongyu thought to himself, No wonder he built such a successful business before he was even twenty.
Initially intending to just observe, after three rounds of drinks, Zuo Hongyu patted his chest and assured them, "President Chen, once I get back, I'll contact the suppliers immediately and get the product list. We can discuss pricing and payment terms later."
His meaning was clear: he had a good impression of Chen Yansen and was willing to help.
Chen Yansen smiled and said bluntly, "If you work for me, I'll definitely pay you. I don't like taking advantage of people."
Zuo Hongyu repeatedly declined, feeling embarrassed to accept payment before even starting work, and firmly refused.
Seeing this, Chen Yansen had no choice but to drop the matter.
The meal lasted from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Afterwards, the three left the restaurant, satisfied.
Chen Yansen remained sober. After breaking through to level 4 in physical constitution, he had tried drinking a whole jin of baijiu in one go—it felt like just two or three glasses of beer. His liver's metabolic function was more than ten times stronger than before.
Cao Dahua, belly protruding and face flushed, staggered toward the school with Zuo Hongyu's support, insisting on showing Zuo Hongyu the office and having some tea.
Chen Yansen quickly stopped them, booked a room for the two at a nearby hotel, and told them to rest first.
Otherwise, Cao Dahua wandering around the school drunk might earn him another scolding from Tang Qingshan.
After settling them in, Chen Yansen walked out of the hotel lobby, intending to return to school, when he caught sight of a "For Sale" notice posted at the entrance of a nearby gym.
Upon closer inspection, according to the owner, it was a prime location—a package deal.
Chen Yansen quickly understood the owner's dilemma. He had been there twice, and the gym had never had more than ten customers in total.
The atmosphere was dead, and the equipment was old and secondhand, seemingly from who-knows-where. Even with an annual membership costing only 800 yuan, very few people signed up.
Chen Yansen thought that since there were always outsiders present during strength tests, taking over the gym wouldn't cost much. It could even be used as an employee benefit—pretty good deal.
Having decided, he entered the gym and asked the receptionist, "Is your boss in? I'm interested in this place. I'd like to talk to him."
"Please wait a moment, I'll call him," the receptionist nodded, taking out her phone to dial.
About ten minutes later, an Audi A3 pulled up outside. A man with a buzz cut, around thirty years old, short but muscular, got out. His exposed forearms were pure muscle.
"H-hello, you want to buy my shop?" The buzz-cut man hesitated for a moment, looked around. The shop was deserted, with only Chen Yansen inside, so he asked.
"Yeah, let's calculate the price. If it's reasonable, I'll take it all," Chen Yansen replied casually.
"The rent is 4,000 yuan per month, paid every six months. The contract is with the landlord. There are three and a half months left; let's call it three months, so 12,000 yuan total."
"The renovation cost over 80,000 yuan. I've been running this shop for five years, so let's depreciate it 10% annually—that's 40,000 yuan."
"The treadmills, ellipticals, exercise bikes, Smith machines, cable machines, dumbbells, barbells, bench presses—all worth 110,000 yuan. The yoga mats, jump ropes, ab rollers are freebies."
"There are also 79 annual memberships you have to take over. The transfer fee is 50,000 yuan. Total: 212,000 yuan. If you really want it, the price is negotiable."
The two sat down, and the buzz-cut man counted on his fingers, explaining each item to Chen Yansen.
The man was muscular, but his mind was remarkably clear.
Chen Yansen laughed. This old equipment looked older than Wang Zihao's grandfather; it wasn't worth 110,000 yuan. Who was he trying to fool?
"I'll give you 150,000. You handle the members yourself. I'm taking it over as an employee gym, not open to the public."
Chen Yansen cut 62,000 in one go.
Although the 50,000 transfer fee wasn't entirely reasonable, the shop was near the school, and the buzz-cut guy had paid a transfer fee when he took it over, so naturally he didn't want to lose out.
Chen Yansen knew perfectly well he couldn't avoid the transfer fee; he could only negotiate on the equipment price.
"Brother, I meant a few thousand is negotiable, but you're cutting it by 68,000? Are you kidding me?" The buzz-cut guy's face darkened, and he asked unhappily.
"The equipment isn't worth much. Either you take it all, or I'll give you 100,000." Chen Yansen wasn't buying it and felt he hadn't cut deep enough.
"Are you serious? Which company are you with?" Seeing he couldn't trick Chen Yansen, the buzz-cut guy chuckled and changed the subject.
"FoxTao." Chen Yansen didn't hide it.
"Okay, 150,000 it is. There are two part-time college students at the front desk..." The buzz-cut guy deliberately paused mid-sentence.
"The receptionist can stay to help open and close the door and restock drinks," Chen Yansen said casually, accepting the condition.
"I'll go get a contract, wait a moment," the buzz-cut man said.
"No need, I'll call the legal counsel," Chen Yansen waved his hand. Besides Wang Jing, FoxTao had also hired a legal consultant.
"Okay." The buzz-cut man's little scheme vanished the moment he heard Chen Yansen could summon a legal counsel anytime.
A short while later, another man in a suit walked in, bowed slightly to Chen Yansen, and called him "Brother Sen."
It would have been more appropriate to call him "Boss," but everyone at FoxTao used "Brother Sen," so he followed suit.
"Handle this. The money will go through the finance department," Chen Yansen said, standing up to give instructions before leaving.
After Chen Yansen was out of sight, the buzz-cut man asked curiously, "Who is that guy? You look several years older than him, yet you call him 'brother'?"
"He's the big boss of FoxTao," the legal counsel replied briefly.
On the way back, Chen Yansen told Xu Xingxing to find the category manager in charge of sports and outdoor products, ask the merchants for an internal discount, and purchase a batch of treadmills and new fitness equipment.
"Class Monitor, there's no place to put these things in the startup park," Xu Xingxing whispered.
"The old Dali Gym, to the right of Shuangqing Restaurant—I bought it. You come inspect it tomorrow, set up access control for everyone. It'll be our project's exclusive gym from now on," Chen Yansen explained.
"Boss, you bought a gym for everyone? Why didn't you say so earlier? I just heard Du Yaoyao recommend it and bought a yearly membership," Xu Xingxing said with a bitter face.
"Go ask the boss for a refund. I've already told him," Chen Yansen said with a smile and hung up.
Back at the startup park, many people were still working on Saturday. The interview rooms were full. Xu Dan and several recruiters were extremely busy—conducting interviews, signing contracts, handling procedures, and organizing onboarding training for new employees.
Chen Yansen walked to a seat, plopped down, opened the small refrigerator, grabbed an ice cream, and started eating.
Song Yuncheng, sitting opposite him, glanced at him, hesitant to speak. She worried Chen Yansen might get an upset stomach because of the cold weather, but seeing his expression of enjoyment, she remained silent.