It seemed like her creative juices were flowing, and she had included everything that came to her mind.
Shuishui handed the document to Jiang Yuan, who had just finished reading. It was clear that Shuishui had a clear mind, and she really knew what she wanted. She had thought of everything, including the target market, projected customer flow, and the technology to be used. She had even designed the cutlery she wanted for the restaurant. It was very beautiful. Looking at the layout, diagrams, and drawings, Jiang Yuan was amazed.
He was indeed a little tempted to go ahead and invest in it. "I'll go out later. I have something to ask you," he said.
"Why don't you choose a bigger shop for this?" he asked. He had considered Shuishui's young age and her inexperience in handling such matters.
The restaurant was not big. Shuishui projected that she would not suffer greatly from any losses if she played it safe and started with a smaller restaurant. However, Jiang Yuan thought of putting up a larger restaurant because of other considerations. He really did not expect Shuishui to be knowledgeable of such things.
Shuishui pondered on Jiang Yuan's comment and said, "Uncle Jiang, first of all, this barbecue restaurant is not easy to put up. Wouldn't it be better to put up a restaurant that can later be franchised? The main reason is technology. There are many deli shops now, and many have come up with their own strategies to be famous. I thought of playing it safe for the meantime because of how stiff the competition could be. Also, we have to prepare for investing in the modern equipment and machines that will be used in the shop. Other people will want to go and steal those. We have to be prepared for such scenarios."
Shuishui had considered many factors. She knew that so many businessmen were following the trend and putting up the same businesses.
"Indeed, but we also have to jump and take the risk. But what you said is too tempting for me. I am willing to invest." He chuckled. He was proud that Shuishui showed great potential to be a businesswoman. He could not wait to teach her more about business.
Shuishui nodded and said, "Uncle, let's go check the location and see if we can buy it. Because of the layout, the price is so low. Its layout is actually perfect for putting up a barbecue shop. The overall ambiance is a major factor in attracting customers and keeping regular customers."
Shuishui considered that many people would often go to a restaurant mainly because of the environment, and not really because of the food.
Her idea was to prioritize hygiene in the restaurant. It had to be exceptionally clean, and all foods must be handled carefully. It was crucial to put sanitary food preparation procedures in place. It would be difficult for a restaurant to restore its image once its food-handling practices would be questioned. She knew how strong of an impact food handling would be. It was the main reason why many restaurant owners made their kitchen and food preparation areas visible to the customers. However, such layouts were not very reliable.
Shuishui was not a profiteer, nor was she a businessman. She was only trying to invest and take risks in preparation for her own future. She knew that she could either gain or lose. Besides, everything has its own price. She was also not afraid to lose, because she knew what she would be getting herself into. She would take losing as a learning experience rather than a punishment.
"You mean, you want to design the plates and cutlery yourself?" Jiang Yuan asked her. Shuishui had customized the designs of the plate. It was designed in a way that was convenient for a customer eating barbecued meat. Jiang Yuan looked at the diagrams and found that they were actually very reasonable and convenient designs.
"Yes, it's unique. It will appear innovative, and many other small things need to be customized. They won't take much time." She had already researched about it. With the transfer of her studies, she could secure the location in about a month. After half a month, she could have the place renovated and sanitized. Then, she could start her business. Uncle Jiang had assured her that he would be able to handle the papers. He knew a lot of people, so she didn't need to worry about it.
Such was the benefit of having influential connections.
Nothing was a big deal if one had the money to deal with such things.
Jiang Yuan put away the proposal and let his secretary handle it as soon as possible.
Jiang Yuan had always been very supportive towards children. He knew Shuishui's abilities. Clearly, her skills were outstanding. She had her own ideas and was mature enough to want to pursue them. She was also very motivated. Shuishui happily left the office with Jiang Yuan and had dinner at home.
Jiang Yuan turned to Shuishui and said, "If your father knew about this, he would definitely be angry that you're spending your money like this."
Shuishui laughed and said, "It doesn't matter. After all, it can be considered as an investment. I believe my father won't really question it if he understood my intention." Shuishui smiled faintly. Her father was both sharp-tongued and soft-hearted. He also favored her very much. If he found out about it, he would probably only say a few words to question her about it.
"You should restrain yourself. Did you spend all your money already?" Jiang Yuan looked at Shuishui. He felt that she had spent her money too quickly. She didn't even blink to think about it. Jiang Yuan felt that it wasn't a wise decision to do so because she was young and could find more uses for the money. Shuishui had casually invested five million. It was scary to think that she was only sixteen.
Shuishui smiled awkwardly. "Actually, I just wanted to invest for my own future. It doesn't matter if I fail. Anyway, this investment is also a valuable learning experience for me."
Shuishui was very open-minded, so it didn't matter to her whether her ventures would be successful or not. However, Jiang Yuan shook his head. "That's easy to say, but it's not easy to do. After all, it's a loss of your own interests. When the time comes, your heart will ache."
He shook his head. He felt that Shuishui was still too young to know the value of money.
Shuishui looked at Jiang Yuan. "Uncle, please keep this matter a secret. My dad knows about the source of the money. I wouldn't want to make him worry."
She felt that her dad would make a big fuss about it. She knew that it would do more harm than good.
"All right. After all, I am also involved in it. Let's not talk about it." Jiang Yuan held his stomach and laughed loudly. "Shuishui, let's go home early today. We have delicious food at home."
They soon arrived home. They enjoyed a huge dinner with the other family members. After dinner, Shuishui went straight back to her room. She took a shower and went our. She was going out with Mu Zilin and Mu Ziyu that night.
She was only able to schedule a meetup with them at night because she had been very busy during the day.
Shuishui went out quietly without disturbing the family.
Mu Ziyu's car was already outside. She got in and said, "It's quite cold tonight."
"Are you cold?" Mu Ziyu held Shuishui's hands, which looked quite pale. He rubbed Shuishui's hands and said, "I'll wait for you here. Go and put on a thicker coat."
"There's no need. I'm wearing a warm coat, a woolen sweater, and a very thin down jacket. I have a coat on the outside. That's enough." Shuishui actually felt uncomfortable because her clothes were thick. She glanced around and said, "Where's that Zilin? Didn't he say that he wanted to come along? Why isn't he here?"
"Oh, he caught a cold. He's not allowed to go out. It's fine. We can go alone." He gently patted Shuishui's head. "I haven't seen you for a few days. You've lost a lot of weight." He sized up Shuishui's face. He noticed that her jawline became quite sharper.
Shuishui smiled faintly. "It's all right. I feel that I've eaten quite a lot recently. Uncle Jiang has been taking me out to great restaurants with lots of delicious food. Anyway, I'm planning to open a barbecue shop. Uncle Jiang is also willing to invest by shouldering a portion of the capital. We will be processing papers and requirements in the next few days. I can oversee it whenever I come to the capital."
"Where is it located?" he asked.
"On the North Ring Road. It's relatively remote, but there's a subway to be built there. There's also a residential area around it. It's a pretty good place." Shuishui had been considering that place and thought about it for a while. She had also heard that a large shopping mall was going to be built near there. She had not confirmed whether it was true or not. What was clear was that the area was a strategic business spot.
Mu Ziyu wanted to get involved. "Then I'll definitely go and take a look. I'll go with you one of these days."
Shuishui thought for a while and said, "Tomorrow. But I don't know if I'll be able to call you in time."
"Just give me a call when you can," he said with a smile.
Shuishui was happy. "Okay. I will."
"Okay. Is there anything in particular that you want to eat tonight?" he asked.
Shuishui quickly said, "I want to eat roast duck."
Roast duck was a really special dish. She hadn't eaten roast duck for quite a while. She felt quite hungry just thinking of eating it.
Mu Ziyu noticed how excited Shuishui looked and said, "You little foodie. All right, I'll take you there. The big restaurants that serve roast duck are already closed now, but I believe there are still a few smaller shops open. Some serve roast duck with different flavors. You'll love them."
"Wow. Really? I'm so excited, I want to go try them now." Shuishui nodded her head, feeling very excited.
Mu Ziyu drove towards the small restaurant. Shuishui used the navigation application on her phone to search for the directions. Ever since she became familiar with the application, she had been using it more often. It was quite useful. The application allowed her to see reviews of restaurants and food shops, including their exact addresses, and other guests who had been to those restaurants would also post photos of the food they had ordered. She felt so happy. She didn't know where the roast duck shop Ziyu had mentioned was located. When they reached their destination, Shuishui continued to search for nearby delicacies. As expected, she found quite a few. There were too many shops in that area. She was confused where exactly to go, so she turned off her phone instead. She simply allowed Mu Ziyu to bring her there.
Mu Ziyu took her phone, which she had been very busy with. "Stop looking at your phone. I'll hold on to it for the meantime."
Shuishui watched as he gently took her phone. She didn't object to it.
Mu Ziyu held Shuishui's hand as they walked into the small restaurant.
The restaurant had everything Shuishui liked. She decided to enjoy the food and simply ordered away.
After they finished eating, Mu Ziyu brought Shuishui back to the Jiang residence. He knew that Shuishui had to wake up early every day. He didn't want her to stay up late and wake up tired the next day.
Mu Ziyu reluctantly sent Shuishui home. "Rest early and don't use your computer anymore."
"Yes, I know. I'm actually quite sleepy now, so I'll definitely go rest early. Be careful on your way back and rest early too," Shuishui said. Suddenly, she remembered the gift she was supposed to give him. "Wait a minute. I almost forgot. I bought you something."
She quickly went upstairs and went to her room. She carefully took the two belts and went downstairs to give them to Mu Ziyu. "This is a gift for you. It's a belt. I didn't know what to give you, so I bought this. I don't know if you'll like it. Anyway, you should go back early. It's not safe to drive at night."
She didn't wait for Mu Ziyu to say anything and quickly went upstairs.
Mu Ziyu smiled that Shuishui quickly walked away. She was really cute. He didn't drive off immediately. Instead, he opened the box and looked at the belt inside. 'I like it very much,' he thought to himself.
Mu Ziyu was filled with joy. He was very happy because Shuishui thought of him. He would appreciate any gift from her.
He drove back slowly. He was very happy with how the day turned out.
Shuishui returned to her room and lay down comfortably. The longer she was with Mu Ziyu, the more she felt his thoughtfulness and gentleness. She felt flattered and her heart was moved, because she knew that she was the object of his affections.
After turning off the lights, she closed her eyes and started thinking about her plans for the next day. She would be shelling out a large amount of cash for the investment she was planning. In a few days, the few million yuan in her account would disappear. She'd be left with only tens of thousands.
However, she did not feel sorry for herself. After all, it was her idea to invest, and to invest meant shelling out money.
Slowly, she fell asleep. In the middle of the night, she was suddenly woken up by the ringing of her phone. She answered the call. "Hello?"
"Sister, this is Qian Anzhi. I didn't want to call you so late, but I have no choice. Sister, do you have a few thousand yuan in your online bank account? Can you lend it to me? I'm outside and I don't have any money on me." Anzhi sounded nervous. He had actually run away from home. By the time he had gotten out, he realized that he only had a few hundred yuan. He went to a hotel without any money. He needed extra money for food as well.
"Send me your account number and bank name. I'll see if I can transfer the money to your account." Shuishui did not even ask why he needed the money.
"Thank you, Second Sister. I'll send you the details now." He hurriedly sent the details through to Shuishui.
Shuishui yawned, walked out of bed, turned on the light, and transferred 2000 yuan to his account. She replied with a text message: "I don't know why you're outside, but be careful."
Anzhi replied: "I will." After a while, he withdrew the money Shuishui sent. He took out a few hundred yuan, bought some snacks from a roadside stall, and returned to the hotel.
When he returned to the hotel, he felt that he had been too impulsive. He had quarreled with his mother, and he ran out of the house without thinking about the consequences. He ended up having to ask Shuishui for money. He would not have known what to do if Shuishui had not sent him money.
Qian An was not at home, so he had no idea that his youngest son had run away from home.
Shuishui continued to lie down to rest. However, not long after, her alarm rang. She groggily got up and went straight to the bathroom to take a shower. Only then did she manage to regain her energy. She quickly changed and went downstairs to eat breakfast.
Jiang Yuan looked at Shuishui and noticed how sleepy she still looked. "What's wrong? Did you stay up late last night?"
"Yes, but it doesn't affect me." She started to eat the bowl of porridge. Shortly after, she said, "Uncle Jiang, I'm done."
"You're not going to eat more?" Jiang Yuan noticed that Shuishui ate a little less that morning.
"Yes. I don't want to eat that much. Besides, there are a lot of food shops outside the office building. If I'm hungry, I can go buy some food. Secretary Huang also has snacks, and she often gives me some." Shuishui smiled. She wasn't the type of girl who would allow herself to starve.
"All right. I'll ask Secretary Huang to deal with the papers this morning. In the afternoon, we should be able to secure ownership for that shop," Jiang Yuan said. He was also curious about how far the whole thing would go, or whether it would be successful at all.
Shuishui nodded. "Ziyu told me yesterday that he wants to come with me. Is that okay?"
"If he wants to go with you, that's all right. I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful." He didn't care. He felt that there was nothing he could do to stop Mu Ziyu, so he could only start observing Mu Ziyu's behavior.
Shuishui giggled and then called Mu Ziyu. They could go to the shop together that afternoon.