The Birth of Shanghai's First Conglomerate

Chapter 178 I'm so confused!

I spent seven days in Shanghai.

After Chen Pingsheng returned, he secured 4.5 million yuan in funding for Boiling Sheep.

After receiving the money, he called Gao Hu and told him to come back to Beijing.

Next, Boiling Sheep will be going on a big expansion. 4.5 million is not a lot, but it's not a small amount either.

If all of these resources were used to open directly operated stores, approximately three hundred could be opened.

They are all flagship projects of top-tier cities.

Boiling Sheep continues to follow the affordable and accessible route, attracting a large audience and many customers.

Of course, lower prices also mean lower profit margins.

After completing this expansion, Fei Yang Yang's annual profit is expected to reach around 200 million.

Based on a price-to-earnings ratio of twelve in Hong Kong, the market capitalization would be approximately 25 to 30 billion.

This perfectly matches the Series D valuation.

Gao Hu was naturally overjoyed to be back.

The main reason is that his position as CEO of Boiling Sheep has grown increasingly important.

Putting everything else aside, right now he's just pursuing flight attendants, as long as he says he's the CEO of Boiling Sheep.

The flight attendant shyly said "no, no, no" a couple of times, but in the end she obediently went with him to have a late-night snack and book a room.

This is the influence that Boiling Sheep has today.

It's an absolutely huge catering company.

Once he's spent all 4.5 million, he'll be a well-known figure in the catering industry.

However, we still need to discuss how to spend the money specifically.

If the money is evenly distributed among the three super-first-tier cities, it will be difficult to create urban influence.

The main problem is that it's too scattered.

Moreover, the business in Shacheng also illustrates a point: Boiling Sheep's affordable approach is not only suitable for first-tier cities, but it is also significantly more effective in second-tier cities.

The main reason is that the cost of opening a store in a first-tier city is much higher than that in a second-tier city.

For example, in Beijing, opening a Boiling Sheep restaurant would cost at least 200 million yuan.

One million is enough in Shacheng.

The profits for both are actually quite similar.

Because the consumption levels are exactly the same, Fei Yang Yang did not raise its menu prices just because the cost of opening a store in a first-tier city is high.

Therefore, taking all factors into consideration...

It would be much more suitable for Fei Yangyang to use this money to open a store in a second- or even third-tier city in Guangdong.

There are many factories over there, and the consumer base is also the largest.

As for Shanghai, Shenzhen, and other places, it's enough to open a few symbolic stores first as a trial run.

The key is to focus our efforts on conquering the Guangdong market.

Although people there like to go to farms, the farms are mostly frequented by wealthy locals.

Boiling Sheep is clearly suitable for all kinds of people.

Chen Pingsheng agreed with his idea; opening stores in Guangdong first was a good idea.

Gao Hu returned quickly, but ran even faster.

He still quite enjoys flying, mainly because there are flight attendants on board.

He likes this profession that is associated with women.

Once you have money and fame, it really doesn't take any effort for flight attendants to pursue you.

The cost of a late-night snack is easily covered.

As for the money in the card, it was just for show.

Chen Pingsheng was too lazy to care about his bad habits. As long as he could get things done, he didn't care about anything else.

By late May.

In a few days, it will be Chen Xinyi's first birthday.

Chen Qi came to him for help in a very secretive way.

"Brother, could you get another tricycle to sell durians on the street?"

Are you out of your mind?

Chen Pingsheng felt she was joking. With his current status, why would he need to sell durians on the street?

Chen Qi quickly explained, "Don't misunderstand, I just found a boyfriend. I told him my brother sells durians on the street, and he wants to come see you tomorrow."

Chen Pingsheng felt that his younger sister and Big Fart Kid were the same type of person, both quite absurd.

But he didn't have time to pay attention to any of that. "What did you say? You found a boyfriend? How come I didn't know?"

"He's just a pretty ordinary guy. I was afraid you wouldn't agree, but he's really a nice person."

Chen Qi pouted and shook his hand back and forth.

She looks exactly the same as when she was a child.

No matter what, he'll definitely go and see his little sister's boyfriend.

Chen Pingsheng asked for a long time before she found out that the man was someone she had met through a blind date.

He graduated from university not too long ago and is currently selling houses in Beijing. According to his younger sister, he is hardworking and ambitious.

Of course, she's also quite good-looking.

Even if she blew a flower out of thin air, Chen Pingsheng wouldn't believe it.

The next day, at his younger sister's request, he brought out his precious car that had been gathering dust for three years.

Then some durians were placed on top.

I haven't struck this pose in ages, even in the sweltering summer heat.

Chen Pingsheng parked the car not far from his home, and around noon, his younger sister Chen Qi arrived in a second-hand Santana.

If this car can still be driven, then it truly lives up to its reputation as a legendary vehicle.

Chen Qi got off the bus.

Chen Pingsheng didn't even look at her; instead, he turned to look at her boyfriend.

He was impeccably dressed, in the standard white shirt and black trousers of a real estate agent.
It looks pretty good.

"Wenhao, this is my older brother, Chen Pingsheng."

"Hello, brother, I'm Liu Wenhao. I've come here today to invite you to my house for a meal."

Liu Wenhao smiled mysteriously, and Chen Pingsheng felt that he was hiding something.

"Okay."

Without saying anything, she nodded and prepared to go with him.

While you're at it, give the group's legal department a call and ask them to investigate as soon as possible.

Along the way, Liu Wenhao was quite talkative. He first met Chen Qi as a real estate agent.

His hard work and diligence were the key factors that won Chen Qi over, but he kept his family and parents' information a secret.

This was the first time he had brought Chen Qi home for dinner.

Chen Qi was quite surprised to learn that her family lived in a small villa.

Chen Pingsheng, however, remained expressionless.

After the two went inside, Liu Wenhao admitted that he shouldn't have lied to Chen Qi.

He came clean: his family were multimillionaires.

I thought Chen Qi would be very surprised, and then overjoyed.

As a result, she was embarrassed for a moment.

The house is quite large, I'd estimate it's around 300 square meters.

I bought the villa in the Fourth Ring Road very early.

Liu Wenhao's mother was adorned with jewels and wore an enormous necklace, as if she wanted everyone to know she was rich.

Liu Wenhao called her, but she didn't even lift her eyelids.

Liu Wenhao is not an only child; he has two older brothers.

They all work at their own company. Originally, Liu Wenhao was also going to work at his own company after graduation.

His sister-in-law played a trick on him, making him go outside for two years to "train".

It would be better for him to join the family business two years later.

That's what his sister-in-law said.

The reality is that Liu Wenhao's father is nearing the end of his life, and if he doesn't make it through the next two years, their side will definitely have the upper hand when it comes to dividing the inheritance.

Meeting Chen Qi was quite unexpected; Chen Qi genuinely didn't care whether he was rich or poor.

The reason is that she herself is not short of money at all.

This was incredibly difficult for Liu Wenhao, who grew up in a privileged family.

"Mom, this is Xiaoqi, whom I told you about, and this is her brother."

“I know him, the brother who sells durians on the street, and this uneducated girl from out of town.”

Liu's mother was very realistic; her eyes were full of disdain as she looked at Chen Qi.

"I'm telling you, you're quite something. How much time did you spend getting close to my youngest son? You've made him so infatuated that he even brings you home. You, without even looking in the mirror, think you can marry into our family? Do you even deserve it?"

“I…” Chen Qi explained, “I just thought Wen Hao was a nice person, but I didn’t deliberately get close to him.”

"All his ex-girlfriends who were like vixens said so, so why do you think you're not one of them?"

With a hostile look in her eyes, Liu's mother said, "I can understand you young girls from out of town. Housing prices in the capital are so high. If you're not thinking about marrying into a better family, are you willing to risk your life to stay in the capital?"

Chen Pingsheng, dressed in tattered clothes, sat down on their luxurious sofa without any hesitation.

Liu's mother glared at him angrily, her eyes full of disdain, feeling that this kind of person had no manners at all.

Can I afford to pay for the sofa if I get it dirty?
Liu Wenhao stepped forward to explain for Chen Qi, saying, "Mom, Xiao Qi is not that kind of person at all."

"Your mother has eaten more salt than you have eaten rice. These young girls nowadays all pretend to be so innocent, but they're all full of bad intentions."

Liu's mother said directly, "Do you think her brother is a cultured person? And look at her own attire. If someone like that were to enter our Liu family, who knows what bad luck they would face in the future."

"Hmph..." Chen Pingsheng couldn't stand it anymore, but he didn't curse the old woman. Instead, he looked at his younger sister.

"Chen Qi, your brother hasn't suffered this kind of humiliation in many years. He really owes a debt of gratitude to you today."

"Brother, don't go! Explain this to them!"

Chen Qi pulled him along, wanting him to reveal his identity so that no one would dare to look down on them then.

Chen Pingsheng simply shook off her arm; his little sister was getting more and more confused.

"What's there to explain? Do you think someone like them, a down-and-out, is good enough for you? I told you to stop messing around, but you wouldn't listen. Now you've got to see the point, haven't you?"

Chen Pingsheng said sternly, "They think you're not worthy of marrying into such a family, and they won't even let you in. What are you still acting for?"

Chen Pingsheng turned and left, as if staying even a second longer would be an insult.

No matter how much Chen Qi begged, it was no use.

"What does he mean? We're all down on our luck, what is he to us?"

Liu's mother was also furious; she had actually been insulted by a street vendor selling durians.

The key point is that he doesn't even look down on her, and doesn't even have the thought of explaining himself.

How much do they look down on their family?
"Xiaoqi, your brother is gone."

Liu Wenhao also went out to try and persuade them, but it was no use at all.

Chen Pingsheng wanted to leave, and no one could stop him.

"Hmph, my brother is right, I am not worthy of marrying into your family."

Chen Qi also left, not wanting to stay even a second longer—it was too humiliating.

Liu Wenhao didn't dare to blame his mother at all; his mother was just that kind of person who fawned over the powerful and belittled the weak.

He didn't even have the courage to pursue Chen Qi.

If he chases after her, all he'll get in return is Liu's mother's disgust.

She has three sons, not just one.

"Mom...you did this too!"

"What? If you dare to marry someone like that, your mother will make sure you have nothing."

Liu's mother snorted, and Liu Wenhao obediently fell silent.

Just then, my sister-in-law returned with her bag. Seeing the atmosphere in the house, she asked curiously:

"What's going on? I just saw the owner of Shuiyunjian's LaFerrari parked in front of our house."

"What LaFerrari?"

"There are still a few LaFerraris in Beijing. The Shuiyunjian beauty salon where I occasionally go for beauty treatments has a LaFerraris. I remember the license plate number. That lady is incredibly wealthy!"

"Um~ I just saw Xiaoqi making a phone call outside, saying she wanted her sister-in-law to come pick her up."

Liu Wenhao was stunned.

The eldest sister-in-law sensed something was off and asked curiously, "What's going on?"

Liu Wenhao quickly offered a few words of explanation, while his mother, sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed, hummed a couple of times.

Upon hearing this, the eldest sister-in-law seemed to remember something.

"The man selling durians on the street is surnamed Chen. I think I heard their beauticians mention him a few times when I used to go there to pay for services. The owner used to sell durians too, and I think he was also surnamed Chen. He was very nice to them. Oh, I remember now, the owner's name is Chen Pingsheng."

After a pause, the sister-in-law frowned and asked, "The girlfriend's brother you invited back, is he also named Chen Pingsheng?"

"Yes, his name is Chen Pingsheng."

Liu Wenhao said, "When I went to pick him up, he was selling durians on the street. I remember now, when he came with me, he didn't pay any attention to that truckload of durians. This is definitely not normal."

Liu Wenhao finally noticed the details.

Upon hearing this, the sister-in-law was initially delighted, but then became furious, exclaiming, "My dear brother, I was only a little late coming back, how could you do such a stupid thing?"

"What do you mean?" Liu's mother glared at her unhappily.

"What else could it mean? You're really getting senile!"

The eldest sister-in-law was so anxious that she was jumping up and down, pacing back and forth in the hall.

"That Chen Qi is definitely not an ordinary person. If she really is that person's sister, then our family has lost a huge opportunity!"

"What do you mean? Explain yourself clearly!"

Not only was Liu's mother stunned, but Liu Wenhao, who was standing next to her, was also dumbfounded.

He had absolutely no idea what his sister-in-law was talking about.

The eldest sister-in-law hurriedly explained, "The owner of Shuiyunjian is surnamed Chen. He used to sell durians on the street, and his name was Chen Pingsheng. Is there really such a coincidence? My goodness, you really are my good mother. Now you know who you chased away, right?"

"Is Shuiyunjian very wealthy?" Liu's mother asked, frowning.

At her age, she doesn't really make big purchases anymore, mainly because her family's situation is much better now.

She simply wore her old clothes around her neck, barely managing to preserve her old face.

"Very rich...?"

The older sister-in-law got angrier and angrier as she listened. "My goodness, you should remove that word right now. Shuiyunjian has invested as much as 200 million yuan in just the welfare hotel built for its employees. They also opened their own huge beauty academy in Beijing. All the rich women in Beijing consider it an honor to spend money at their place. Do you think they're rich or not?"

"So rich?" Liu's mother was stunned.

"It's more than just having money."

The eldest sister-in-law said, "The restaurant we often go to, Fei Yang Yang, belongs to their family. The Tengsheng Fruit stores that are all located in Beijing also belong to their family, as well as the Tenghui Department Store near the Second Ring Road. All of these belong to their family."

“We’re begging the bank for a loan and we still can’t get one, while they have bank managers coming to their door every day begging them to lend them money. How can you call that the same?”

“This…” Liu’s mother plopped down on the sofa.

It was as if he had suddenly lost all his energy and didn't even realize what was happening.

"Wenhao, there's still a chance. She just ran away because your mother scolded her. Hurry up and take the gifts with me, her sister-in-law, and let's go to her house to apologize."

"Is this necessary?" Liu Wenhao felt ashamed.

His sister-in-law slapped him across the face. "Stop with your pathetic pride. Do you think our family is still the same as before? The company has been mortgaged, and our house has long been mortgaged. If you can't get over this hurdle, you won't even be able to drive a Santana."

"You think they're just an ordinary family? Let me tell you, they don't owe a single penny of bank loans. Their real estate in Beijing alone is worth billions, and they also own an entertainment company valued at nearly 10 billion."

"Compared to them, your Liu family is far inferior, not even qualified to carry their shoes. Who do you think you are? If she were really that person's sister, her own net worth would already be over a hundred million. You finding her is a stroke of good luck, a lifetime of good deeds."

"What does face matter!"

My sister-in-law is quite shrewd; she doesn't want to go back to the poor life she used to live.

But Liu's mother pulled her aside and asked, "Qin, is their family really that rich?"

"Can I still lie to you?"

The eldest sister-in-law was exasperated. "Mom, if Wenhao can't win her back, our family will really be ruined because of you."

"so serious?"

Liu's mother was also very anxious, so she quickly asked her youngest son to prepare gifts and go to apologize.

If we can't win them back, then we're really doomed.

When I went outside, I realized that I didn't seem to know where the other person lived.

We need to find out more first.

(End of this chapter)