The more enigmatic John appeared, the more people believed in his vast abilities and powerful background, growing increasingly respectful.
In two months, the entire Renaissance Gang had completely submitted to John, obeying his every command without hesitation. If John said no to gambling, drugs, and prostitution, no one dared to touch those activities. When John demanded they take responsibility for the protection money, the security of the three streets improved dramatically. Even thieves avoided the area, leading to a flourishing commercial environment and rising rents.
As John walked through the streets, the looks he received from people had changed from awe to respect.
"Good day, Boss John."
"Boss John, these are some fresh apples we just got in. Please, have one."
"Boss John, take a rest; I'll get you a bottle of water."
Greeting people along the way, John examined the surroundings. Combining this with the geological data he had researched, he quickly chose a location.
Not far from his courtyard, at the southern end of the Renaissance Gang's territory, lay a 25x42 meter plot, totaling about 1,000 square meters.
"This plot has no municipal buildings, pipelines, cables, or subways underneath. I can dig an underground base here without drawing attention. This is the spot."
The plot contained six small courtyards. John planned to buy them all, demolish them, and build a factory.
He casually instructed one of his men to find Tiger and Felix to negotiate purchasing the courtyards from their owners. Then he returned home.
He needed to design the factory himself.
This was a specialized task beyond the capability of most people, but John was not most people. For him, reading and comprehending a detailed professional book in one night was easy.
Designing a factory was no challenge.
He opened his computer, found some architectural design books, and began reading. After three days of studying and two days of planning, the factory blueprints were complete.
This factory would be John's primary base for a long time, so every detail needed to meet his requirements, which took time. Otherwise, he could have designed it in an hour.
By then, Tiger and Felix called to report that they had successfully negotiated the purchase of all six courtyards for a total of $92,300.
On average, each courtyard cost a little over $15,000, slightly below market price.
John was pleased with the result.
"I'll transfer the money to your accounts shortly. Pay for the properties and finalize the contracts. Get the deeds transferred and registered with the local government office within a day. Also, good job to both of you; you each get a $1,000 bonus."
The $1,000 bonus made the two gang members, considered notable figures in their circles, very happy. "Thank you, Boss."
In the impoverished market district, even gang members were struggling.
With $92,500 transferred from John's account, his remaining funds, including those of the Renaissance Gang, amounted to just over $100,000, almost entirely spent.
But that was okay. His dozen or so computers were working non-stop, handling high-end and low-end gaming tasks for his studio, bringing in over $10,000 daily.
With all the procedures completed, John returned to the six courtyards now combined into one plot.
The courtyards, each backing the other, formed two rows, both facing the street.
"Get a construction crew to demolish these old buildings and level the ground. Tiger, you oversee this task."
"Yes, Boss."
The demolition took half a month and cost $30,000. During this time, John earned another $17,000. After paying for the demolition, he had about $20,000 left.
John planned to construct a steel-framed factory, faster and less time-consuming than brick or concrete.
After some quick calculations, John estimated that constructing a 1,000-square-meter factory would cost at least $40,000, not including interior work.
Even though he didn't have enough funds, he decided to start the construction. Factories couldn't be built overnight.
John contacted a steel structure construction team, and within a month, a large factory covering over 1,000 square meters and standing four meters high was completed, costing $42,000.
John promptly paid, leaving him with $15,000.
"Money flows out as fast as it comes in," John thought, watching his funds dwindle.
With the main structure done, it was time for interior work, including installing air conditioning, wiring, and other fixtures.
This phase would be expensive, possibly more so than the main structure, but it would take at least two months, giving John some financial breathing room.
John hired another construction crew, bought various materials, and began the interior work.
Two months later, as winter arrived, the factory was finally completed.
At this point, John had about $20,000 left.
All told, John had invested nearly $200,000 in the factory, almost every penny he had earned in six months, plus some funds from the Renaissance Gang.
But it was all worth it.
Standing in front of the massive factory, John felt a sense of liberation, ready to unleash his full potential.
The factory covered over 1,000 square meters, but John planned to use only the core 11x28 meters—about 300 square meters—for the gaming studio and research lab.
The remaining space, about 500 square meters along the north and south sides, would be divided into several shops. One hundred square meters were already designated for a martial arts school, while the use of the rest was still undecided.
The remaining space along the east and west edges, about 100 square meters, would be turned into dormitories for the upgraded security team from the Renaissance Gang.
Yes, John planned to professionalize the Renaissance Gang, training a dedicated security team to protect his operations and assets.
Thus, what John called the "Renaissance Base," officially named "Renaissance Plaza," would have a layout where the core area was surrounded and heavily protected, maximizing security and secrecy.