xymnovel Chapter 40 Tongfu Inn
Chapter 40 Tongfu Inn
"Manager Tong, sit down. Don't pay them any attention. Let's continue our business discussion," Wang Lu said, beckoning.
The shopkeeper, sitting opposite Wang Lu, immediately clasped his hands in a respectful greeting and said:
"Gentlemen, I've figured it out. You three all have powerful backgrounds and influential connections. If you don't want to say, we won't pry."
Leaving aside these two young masters, even the Wang family's background is something we would never dare to aspire to. However, I wonder what the three of you intend to do by buying our humble inn, and whether your elders are aware of this?"
As planned, Zhao Guangmei and Li Jilong remained silent and pretended to be aloof, while Wang Lu smiled and said, "Manager Tong, you must be asking a question you already know the answer to. If the elders in your family knew about this, the three of us wouldn't have come to discuss this business with you in person."
To be honest, my elder brother's family wouldn't use the word "talk" when doing business with you. Are you asking this because you think we three young men are too inexperienced to keep our word, or are you worried we can't come up with the money?
Manager Tong bowed repeatedly, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare, but... I just don't know if Brother Tiger has told you three about the terms and conditions for selling my inn?"
"What are your conditions, Manager Tong? Please tell us."
"Yes, I was presumptuous. In my inn, there are three managers, sixteen guests, fourteen tavern staff, ten backyard servants, six guards, two maids, and... twenty prostitutes who stay at the inn long-term, as well as official and market prostitutes in the vicinity."
"Together, there are nearly fifty employees and twenty prostitutes working with them. The original condition was that the new employer would not lay off the employees or reduce their salaries within a year."
After all, they've been with me for many years. Life is tough these days; I'm afraid they'll have no way to make a living if they leave the inn.
He originally intended to include all of this in the contract, which would be registered with the Kaifeng Prefecture, and he would pay a deed tax to have the government notarize it.
It seems there's no need to sign the contract now. The young man can easily slam his hand on the table and shut up the sanitation workers. The Kaifeng Prefecture probably can't control anything about contracts, let alone the one sitting in the middle who hasn't said a word.
Wang Lu laughed and said, "So that's why you're willing to sell this inn at such a low price, boss? Are you afraid that we brothers are just buying your inn on a whim, that we'll just have some fun and then forget about it, and that we won't run it properly, leaving the staff and even the prostitutes without a livelihood?"
Manager Tong nodded in agreement.
"You're very good to your guys."
"In this chaotic world, where the rule of law no longer exists, the boss can only stand with his employees, sharing life and death, supporting each other. He really can't bear to abandon them."
Upon hearing this, Wang Lu smiled even more broadly and said, "Good, Manager Tong is kind and righteous, I admire that. May I ask one more question? What are your plans after selling this inn?"
"I plan to buy a small house in the city, and after a few years, when the world is more peaceful and there are rules and laws, I will choose another opportunity to start some business again."
After a pause, perhaps guessing at the identities of Li Jilong and Zhao Guangmei, he added:
"The current emperor is wise and benevolent. I am certain that this upheaval of changing dynasties will not last long. Before long, he will be able to establish order and restore a bright and clear world."
As soon as she finished speaking, a hint of joy and pride appeared on Zhao Guangmei's face.
"So, Manager Tong still has ambitions to do things, but with the current chaos and lack of backing, she wants to lay low for a while, is that right?"
"That's exactly right."
"Since that's the case, then it's easy. The three of us will buy your inn. We won't touch your staff or the prostitutes you work with. We three don't really have the energy to run this inn ourselves. Why don't we become the owners, and you can still be the manager?"
"You will still be in charge of the inn's daily operations; the three of us brothers will only be responsible for overseeing major matters."
Furthermore, whether it's illegal or legitimate business on the street, whether it's vandalism, arson, or extortion, the three of us brothers will cover for you. If you lose money, it's all on us; if you make money, we'll give you 30% of the net profit.
"Work for one year first. If you feel we're doing well together after that, you can stay and continue as our manager."
If you still feel unwilling to be subservient to others, by then the Song Dynasty should be more stable. You can take your money and your employees and seek better opportunities elsewhere. We can part ways amicably, okay?
Shopkeeper Tong was taken aback for a moment, then quickly nodded: "Okay."
"Is it really possible?"
"That really works!"
"Well, we have one condition too."
"What are the conditions?"
"We won't pay you for the inn's expenses now. If you decide to leave after a year, we'll settle the entire amount in one go. If you decide not to leave, I'll consider this money as an investment, giving you a 30% share, so we can do something bigger together, okay?"
"Okay."
"Is it really possible?"
"That really works!"
"Alright!! Bring the contract, sign it, put your fingerprint on it. From now on, this inn belongs to the three of us brothers and Manager Tong, the four of us."
………………
Wang Lu disliked the name Yuelai Inn and changed it to Tongfu Inn. He then had Xue Hu, as the neighborhood head, beat drums and gongs in the main street to inquire among the locals. Since no one objected to the change of ownership, the deal was finalized.
Wang Lu owns 30% of the inn, Li Jilong also owns 30%, Zhao Guangmei owns 40%, and Manager Tong owns no shares but receives 30% of the dividends.
However, Manager Tong's dividends can be redeemed after one year. If he does not want to continue, he can leave at any time, and Wang Lu must ensure that his dividends are guaranteed to be at least three thousand strings of cash.
Manager Tong could obviously tell that the three little ones couldn't actually come up with three thousand strings of cash, and that they were doing this behind their families' backs, but he was sure he wouldn't lose out.
In fact, this inn was originally worth tens of thousands of strings of cash, but because he has no backing and the situation is turbulent, he is selling it for a mere three thousand strings of cash, hoping only to keep his employees' jobs.
With the arrival of the three little ones, the disadvantage of having no backing in the turbulent times was eliminated, and it became worth tens of thousands of coins. So, wouldn't he still make a profit by exchanging his three thousand coins for a 30% stake?
Furthermore, the inns that act as intermediaries for these kinds of travelers have long since stopped earning money from guests' lodging. They also make more money by acting as intermediaries, introducing different guests to different businesses and taking a cut. Having connections and not having connections make a world of difference in how they operate.
In his view, this deal was definitely worth doing. Life is full of gambles, and this might just be the most important opportunity of his life.
However, although a contract was signed for this business, it was not registered with the Kaifeng Prefecture. Moreover, Wang Lu held the shares of Li Jilong and Zhao Guangmei on their behalf, and Manager Tong didn't even know their names.
However, this doesn't really matter. The three children's status has already exceeded the jurisdiction of Kaifeng Prefecture, so whether or not the contract is registered with Kaifeng Prefecture probably won't make much difference.
The rule of law always has its scope of application. Besides, if Sanxiao is really a fraudster, not handing over the contract would be more advantageous for him, the original owner.
"Alright, the contract is signed. Now, let's shift our focus to the business."
In the near future, there probably won't be many merchants from other places coming to Bianliang City, and even fewer from Jiangnan and Huainan. The Song Dynasty and the Southern Tang Dynasty might even go to war again, and if Li Chongjin of Yangzhou rebels, merchants from Lianghuai can forget about coming either.
So for the next six months, we'll shift our focus to the restaurant business. Your chef is terrible; come on, let me show you what I can do.