Chapter 115 - 101: Manager Julie
Chapter 115: Chapter 101: Manager Julie
Seeing her lost in thought, Julie assumed she was hesitating and threw in one last point to tip the scales.
"There’s also the massive initial investment. Even if we build it to the minimum scale required by the government, a food company needs at least 200,000 in funding just to get from the production floor to the rough processing assembly line. Add on the 100,000 original coins for the regulatory deposit, and you’ll need 300,000 original coins in startup capital. That’s no small sum, and the risk of loss is incredibly high. You must consider this carefully."
However, Ning He’s reaction caught her completely off guard.
She patted her chest, breathing a visible sigh of relief.
"Three hundred thousand? That’s not bad at all. I thought it would be closer to a million, which I definitely wouldn’t be able to afford."
Julie was momentarily left speechless.
Three hundred thousand original coins. How many people in Beiluo City could easily cough up that kind of money?
Ninety percent of the companies she consulted for didn’t even pull in three hundred thousand in annual profit.
Ning He rubbed her chin thoughtfully for a moment before replying, "I think these conditions are within my acceptable range. We can give it a try. Could I hire you to handle all these procedures for me? Just bill me for whatever the standard fees are."
"Are you sure you’ve thought this through?" Julie asked. "Even if I personally oversee the process, there’s still no guarantee it will turn a profit down the line."
Ning He nodded. "I’m sure. You just help me get the company set up; I’ll figure out the operational side of things."
Seeing her determination, Julie stopped trying to dissuade her. She smiled and said, "Alright then, I accept your commission."
What followed was a standard sequence of procedures: drafting the cooperation agreement, reviewing the terms, signing the documents, and settling the fees.
Ning He also delegated the financial and human resources work to Julie.
From the moment they met, every move this woman made had felt reassuring and professional. Plus, she had lent a helping hand during the earthquake, so her character was beyond reproach. She was definitely a trustworthy partner.
Julie was also quite accommodating, offering her an upfront twenty percent discount on the service fees along with an installment plan. Ning He readily paid the initial 5,000 original coins. After exchanging contact information with Julie, she prepared to head home.
"I’ll finalize the site selection plan as soon as possible and notify you when it’s ready."
"Sounds good."
Julie personally escorted Ning He to the door. She hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "Does Tom... frequent your restaurant?"
Ning He thought for a moment. "Maybe two or three times a week. He always comes in with Mr. Leitel."
Julie seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and smiled at her. "As your partner, I sincerely hope your restaurant’s business booms. That way, once the food company is up and running, you can produce and sell your own goods. The profit margins will be much higher than relying solely on wholesale."
Ning He suddenly understood.
’No wonder a guy like Gates has so many restaurants under his belt. So this is his strategy.’
"Don’t worry, I know a thing or two about the restaurant business."
Ning He gave a confident smile. After saying goodbye to Julie, she returned home, rested for a bit, and then gave Macken a call.
"Suspend our partnership?"
Hearing the news over the phone, Macken was clearly surprised.
"Did something happen?"
"Nothing’s wrong. You probably know I recently opened a restaurant, and I’ve just been too overwhelmed. I have no choice but to suspend my work with the food tour," Ning He said apologetically.
Truth be told, Macken was a fantastic business partner.
He was meticulous and thorough in his work, straightforward during negotiations, and prompt with payments. Anyone capable of running that kind of operation naturally had considerable backing. Maintaining a good relationship with him could easily pay off in the future.
"When do you anticipate having some free time again?" Macken asked, his voice low.
Ning He felt even more apologetic. "Probably not anytime soon, I’m afraid. Even once the restaurant settles down, I have a few other ventures planned."
Macken fell silent for a moment before replying, "I understand. Since you’ve opened a restaurant, your own business naturally comes first. I shouldn’t try to force your hand, but you know as well as I do that many of our clients specifically request your cooking. Even with Uncle Miao back, they might not be fully satisfied."
"Tell you what, why don’t we sit down and discuss a new framework for our partnership? When are you free to meet up?"
Since he put it that way, Ning He couldn’t very well refuse. They scheduled a meeting for the following morning.
With Jinji Noodle House reopening in the cafeteria, Ah Huai and Connie didn’t say it out loud, but they were deeply grateful to her. Furthermore, since Ning He’s noodle-making speed was only average, they insisted she rest at home for the past few days while they held the fort.
Ning He gladly used this free time to take care of her other business.
After hanging up, Ning He headed upstairs to tend to her secret vegetable garden.
Ever since Leo’s stunt scared her half to death, she had become incredibly cautious, even reducing how often she slipped into the secret room. To maintain her cover, she went to the market every couple of days to buy fresh produce, using it to mask the true origin of her pickled vegetables.
She also used the pickle jars as a front for her other fresh vegetables, stuffing them into black burlap sacks for Uncle Zhang to deliver. As for the mutated plant seeds from the system, she didn’t dare touch them anymore. She had no desire to almost lose her life again just to cover her tracks.
After a busy day of preparations, Ning He made another trip down to Seven Wolves Street the following morning.