Universe Infinite Canteen

The key issue was that the landlord didn't seem easy to get along with; future disputes were likely.

Ma Lu had already mentally crossed off this shop, but since he had come all this way, it seemed unreasonable not to take a look inside.

Perhaps because Ma Lu showed no fear, and with Old Wang remaining silent by his side, exuding an aura of mystery, Ms. Chen seemed uncertain about their intentions and finally led them into the shop.

Inside was a middle-aged man with neatly combed hair, dressed in a polo shirt, and sporting a Longines watch.

His surname was Zhou, and he claimed to work at a bank. He and Ms. Chen were a married couple.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, when Ma Lu saw that Ms. Chen and Mr. Zhou didn't seem inclined to offer any introductions, he began to look around on his own.

The hotpot restaurant had a typical layout with the dining area in front and the kitchen in the back. The dining area was just over 60 square meters, with the kitchen taking up about 25 square meters, which was a relatively high ratio compared to the other shops Ma Lu had seen.

Old Wang was very satisfied with this.

Many owners prefer to maximize the size of the front, fitting in as many tables as possible, which leaves less space for the kitchen, thus reducing the efficiency of serving food.

No matter how many seats there are, slow service can still affect earning speed and even lead to a slipping reputation for the restaurant; it can also impact the mood of the staff working in the kitchen.

Though a bad mood among the Palu was hardly a big issue.

After making a full round, Ma Lu could tell that the previous tenant had put a lot of effort into the renovation; the building materials chosen were quite good.

Also, being a food service, they had made arrangements with the electric utility for increased voltage capacity before opening, upgrading to three-phase electricity, with existing smoke extraction ducts in place.

This would save the next tenant several thousand yuan in modification costs. A bit of renovation, acquisition of necessary kitchen equipment, a new sign for the front, and some second-hand seating would be enough to start business directly.

The downside was the average pedestrian flow, supposedly situated between three residential communities and not far from their entrances, but all three entrances weren't the main ones, with two of them locked after 10 pm.

Moreover, on his way over, Ma Lu had taken note of the surrounding environment. This auxiliary road was very short, totaling less than a hundred meters, with both foot and vehicle traffic only a fifth of the main road next to it.

However, this wasn't a big problem for Ma Lu. The Universe's Number One Snack Stall had already accumulated quite a reputation and customer base, with over a dozen WeChat groups, so initial customer traffic wasn't a concern.

Furthermore, there was a small parking lot about 20 meters past the intersection ahead, which somewhat addressed the parking needs for some customers.

More importantly, the location wasn't far from Aerospace University. If he chose to open a shop here, Ma Lu wouldn't have to completely abandon the territory he had established at the West Gate of Aerospace University and could retain some of his past following.

And once he obtained the tabletop cultivation facility, he could immediately expand his delivery services.

It was just a pity that the rent was too high, and the landlord appeared quite difficult.

While Ma Lu and Old Wang were inspecting the shop, another man walked in.

The newcomer wore leather shoes and dress pants, his slightly protruding belly secured by a Montblanc belt, holding a black leather bag in one hand and a string of prayer beads in the other—no doubt, this had to be Director Zhang.

Ms. Chen and her husband's attitude towards Director Zhang was completely different from their treatment of Ma Lu and Old Wang; they warmly greeted him and personally showed him around the shop.

They boasted about how successful and profitable the previous hotpot restaurant had been, lamenting that the rent they negotiated before was too low, and then asked,

"Director Zhang, have you thought about how you're going to make a fortune with this place?"

"Oh, I plan on opening a chess and card room."

Director Zhang pulled a pack of Chungwa cigarettes from his bag, offered them around and, seeing that no one took one, lit one for himself. He took a puff and chuckled.

"Chess and card rooms are good," Mr. Zhou said. "They're profitable without being as exhausting as the catering business."

"Not at all," Director Zhang replied. "It's all about making a hard-earned buck. Rent, renovations, plus having to hire cleaners and waitresses - they're all expenses. What finally ends up in my hands isn't much, and if I don't control the costs well, I might even lose money. Doing business is tough these days."

"Look at you, Director Zhang, you seem like the kind of person who's clever and capable of making big money," Ms. Chen said eagerly. "If there's no problem, let's sign the contract."

However, Director Zhang was also an old fox and wouldn't easily show his hand; he took another drag and said.

"No rush, no hurry. I still have a few other places to check out before I can make a decision."

"Hey, you won't be able to find a better location with cheaper rent than ours nearby."

Director Zhang smiled at this without a word.

Seeing this, Ms. Chen frowned slightly, then pointed at Ma Lu.

"I'm not trying to rush you, Director Zhang, but it's just that our shop is really in high demand. Look, we've only posted the advertisement for a day and so many people have already inquired," said Ms. Chen. "Boss Ma, like you, is also here to view the shop. Moreover, I've arranged meetings with many people for tomorrow. You can check my chat records if you don't believe me."

Ms. Chen unlocked her smartphone, opened WeChat, and waved it in front of Director Zhang.

"It's obviously fine to compare different shops, but let me be clear: if you eventually find ours is the best and come back to it, you might not be able to rent it by then."

To press for a deal, Ma Lu was promoted in Ms. Chen's mouth from Little Ma to Boss Ma.

Additionally, by arranging for them both to view the shop at the same time, she not only found it convenient for comparison but likely intended to stimulate a bidding competition between them.

At this point, Ma Lu suddenly interjected, "I see that all the street-facing shops here have two floors. What's the purpose of the upper one?"

"Oh, our property is dual-purpose, for both business and residence. There are tenants living upstairs."

Ms. Chen had just finished speaking when Director Zhang raised an eyebrow. Before he could speak, she quickly added, "Don't worry, Director Zhang, the upper floor is also ours. The tenant upstairs is very honest, and they absolutely won't affect your business downstairs."

"Seventeen thousand is still a bit expensive," Director Zhang replied with a slight smile, unmovable as a mountain.

"Ah, where is it expensive? Our place is 90 square meters. Calculate the unit price, and you'll see it's cheap for the area. If you don't believe me, you can ask around the neighboring street. Just one street over, and their rent is much higher than here," Mr. Zhou also chimed in to support his wife.

On the side, Ma Lu was making suggestions to Director Zhang. Find your next read on m_v l|e-NovelBin.net

"Director Zhang, if you're opening a chess and card room, you don't necessarily need to be on the first floor, right? If you rent the second floor, the rent could be much cheaper."

These words tempted Director Zhang, but before he could respond, Ms. Chen shook her head, "No, no, the second floor has already been rented out."

"Dual-purpose for business and residence doesn't provide the same comfort as a residential community. You could ask the tenant to move, I believe," Ma Lu continued. "Director Zhang's offer surely won't disappoint you."

Ms. Chen and Mr. Zhou exchanged glances, and while their expressions showed they were inclined to rent, in the end, Ms. Chen only said, "We'll think about it. For now, we'll just rent out the first floor."

"Can I see the property deed then?" Ma Lu posed a new request.

"You can see it when you decide to rent and when we sign the contract," Ms. Chen replied to Ma Lu with obvious indifference, brushing off his request.