My flight touch down just before 5pm and I though there will be enough time to have a brief look at the mall. My office team is coming in two days after from another location with a full report of scrap and sell or new plan while I will take my time to ascertain the value of the starting point of Emperor Empire. Unfortunately City G traffic is notorious during this hour. The mall is reportedly in an old quarters so I don't understand why we are going through all this traffic. Upon arrival, realisation dawn upon me that it was called the old quarters because most shop here are converted from old architecture, in fact it has a very charming effect giving an old Tokyo effect. There are still some residence in between but quite run down, probably people who has lived in the same place for generation and do not have money to move away.
The mall was in the middle of all these. It was one of the oldest branch of Emperor Mall and it is so rundown I have no description for it. The General Manager of the mall came running up to me when I called. He mentioned the main reason of the mall not being renovated is because a part of the old quarters are mainly slump so there are many problems with local delinquants. We have to remove graffiti on the wall of the mall at least once a month and clear our back alley plus increase night security patrol. However, over the years, small family eateries that has been popping up in the area to cater for the poor families and people who work late at night went viral due to social media exposure. People look for authentic taste would come for food too creating a new hype hence causing huge congestion due to lack of parking space.
I see potential here and a lot of work again. I sighed before my stomach growl in protest. Time check 10pm. I shouldn't reject the general manager offer to sent me to the hotel but my unschedule visit has scared the man enough. Now trying to get a taxi in the dark area is not easy. I pull my luggage towards some light I saw up front and saw it was a beef noodle shop. It smell amazing, regardless of how the shop look so I knock and asked if they are still serving. Luckily I was shown to a small table instead of being turn away and ten minutes after a bowl of beef noodle was delivered.
For once I didn't care about hygiene or table manners. It felt so good to have a hot bowl of beef noodle when your stomach is protesting so much. It was only when I finished did I look around the stall. It's a small hole in the wall kind of place. Although the outside look quite rundown but inside it's clean and neat. It must belong to the old couple who served me. They look to be in their late sixties or early seventies. The husband was in charged of cooking behind an open kitchen and the wife was waiting the tables.
I wanted to asked for my bill when a loud voice interrupted me," Grandma! Grandpa! I am back!"
A small figure with a big head came through the door. I was taken aback by the silhouette until I realised it was a motorcycle helmet. A pretty face with big green eyes framed by long lashes, small pointed nose and bow shaped lips under a huge helmet gave me an acknowledgement nod and a smile before putting down her huge delivery bag on an empty table. On second look she has the perfect curve under the heavy jacket and jeans. I caught a glimpse of perky breast and in my experience she definitely have a nice round bottom. Although hidden, I could easily scanned them. Unknown to many, I was the one who did the research and development on the perfect body proportioned program in T Comm and Security. It started out as a hobby to check out girls since high school and it just went into turn into something else.
My bill came to a total of $2.50 and the old lady look at my $100 bill helplessly,"Young man, we don't have change for this. Come back when you pass by next time okay. It's getting late, you better find a place to stay first." She patted my back and took the empty bowl away.
The young lady plopped down in the chair next to me,"It quite hard to get a cab in the area this late, would you be interested to rent a room for the night?"
"YaoYao, don't disturb the young man. He can get better room elsewhere,"the old lady reprimanded.
The girl shrugged her shoulder,"I know but no harm in asking. He is too dress up even for the fancy mall over there."
This caught my attention,"What do you think of the Emperor Mall?"
"Oh! The name of the mall is that? Doesn't even seem that imperial to me. Anyway, go along and remember to come back to pay for the bill,"she said.
"I'll lodge with you if you can tell me your thoughts on the mall,"I offered.
"Well, $50 a night with 3 meals inclusive of tonight noodle. How about it? Deal?" she put her hand out.
I gave it a shake,"Deal. So now I am not going anywhere else. Tell me what you think of the mall."
"Hmm....for a start, it is no longer appealing to the residents around this area. If you haven't notice, the once a upon a time grand quarters are more like a slums now due to lack of maintenance and investment. People who used to stay here save up to move out. There are a lot of abandoned old houses if you look properly and sooner or later the entire area will just need government interference. Except for a dozen of small stall and restaurant which are striving, there ain't much to shout about so people come to eat more than to shop. They can just go the the upscale shopping junction 30 minutes away. Plus you can't really buy anything in there, everything they sell are too expensive. My grandparents has lived here all their lives and they never once been in it. So wrong location, wrong product, wrong market, wrong customers, everything is so wrong about this mall," YaoYao answered.
I can't refute her, the previous president has kept this mall because it was the pioneer in the country from the 80's. It is no longer making any profit due to high end goods in low end market exactly like she said. It is there for sentimental value rather than monetary value. If I want to have good retirement fund, I really need to put in effort to revamp the empire otherwise I wouldn't be able to go back to my frivolous carefree lifestyle anymore.