My wife and I are both time travelers.

Chapter 116 Cooperation methods
This building was built against the wall of the hotel and should not be part of the original layout. It looks like it was built after the wall was broken down more than ten or twenty years ago.

The place is neither big nor small. The front facing the street is a storefront, but the inside is much larger than the storefront. It is rectangular in shape, with a depth of less than five meters and a length of eleven or twelve meters, which adds up to about fifty or sixty square meters.

This room was originally filled with miscellaneous items, and it seems to have been used as a warehouse. Now most of the miscellaneous items have been cleared out, and there are only a few four-poster beds and some tables and chairs in the corner. All these things are piled together, taking up half of the space.

“This place was built in 1957 or 1958. It was lent to the street for a period of time, and then it was taken back in 1968. After that, it was used as a warehouse. At that time, the hotel was still a guesthouse, so many things that were not needed temporarily and some damaged things that had not been repaired were all placed here. Last year, the higher authorities decided to establish a hotel for foreign guests, and this place was temporarily cleared out and used as a dormitory for a period of time. Later, after the construction team left, it was vacant again.”

Ge Xianlin pointed to the place and introduced it to Lin Ying and the others. Lin Ying carefully looked at the place. To be honest, the house was quite nice. Although it looked a bit old on the outside, it was built with high-quality materials and was very sturdy. It had not been damaged at all in more than 20 years.

Moreover, the location of this house is excellent, only a dozen meters away from the hotel entrance. It is also a storefront facing the street, with a main road to the east, making it a very good location.

Although the storefront is small, this problem wouldn't exist if a window could be added by breaking through the wall. More importantly, the building is constructed along the hotel's exterior wall, meaning half of the building is inside the hotel, with the hotel's garden at the back. If possible, opening a door at the back and landscaping the garden would create a very elegant space.
With this in mind, Lin Ying carefully looked around and even went to take a look near the garden.

There's no door leading to the garden right now, only a small window. Looking out through the window, you can see the garden inside the hotel, especially since there's a lawn right next to it, which makes Lin Ying very happy.

"How's the water, electricity, and gas here?" Xie Xiangrong asked after walking around with Lin Ying and finding the place quite satisfactory.

“The water and electricity are already there, but if it’s going to be a coffee shop, the wiring needs to be re-installed. After all, the existing wiring is temporary and has aluminum core, which has aged and is unsafe over time. As for the gas…” Ge Xianlin hesitated for a moment and said, “I can figure out a solution for that, but what would a coffee shop need gas for? It’s not like a restaurant cooking, you probably don’t need that stuff, right?”

"What? The coffee shop doesn't need gas anymore?" Xie Xiangrong rolled his eyes at Ge Xianlin. "Gas is so much more convenient for making coffee! We can't keep using an electric stove, can we? Electricity isn't as convenient as gas, and the heat control isn't as precise, don't you understand?"

"You understand, you understand, okay?" Ge Xianlin was both amused and exasperated. Anyway, it wasn't a big deal. The hotel already had gas pipes, and it wouldn't be too much trouble to have someone connect another pipe. Since he needed it, he would just solve it for him.

"Uncle, don't be angry. Uncle Xiangrong didn't quite explain. We wanted gas because we were planning to use it to make ovens. We want to sell coffee and also make some small pastries at this coffee shop. Although we could use electricity, we were worried that too much electricity would cause problems. Gas would be more suitable." Lin Ying quickly explained from the side.

"Look how polite that junior sister is. Can't you, young master Xie, be the same?" The term "uncle" made Ge Xianlin beam with joy. He nodded repeatedly and didn't forget to tease Xie Xiangrong.

"cut……!"

Xie Xiangrong snorted coldly, then looked around and said with a sneer, "The place is so-so. By the way, how much is it for rent? How much per month?"

"Rent? No way!"

"No! Did you call me here to mess with me? What am I supposed to talk about if you're not going to rent? Just talk to thin air!" Xie Xiangrong was furious. He had brought Lin Ying here all the way, and now that he had seen her and the place, she was saying no at the crucial moment. What did that mean? Was Ge Xianlin just bored at work and deliberately trying to amuse him?

"What's the rush!" Facing Xie Xiangrong's glaring and bristling demeanor, Ge Xianlin remained completely unfazed, smiling as he said, "I haven't finished speaking yet!"

"You tell me, you tell me! If you don't give me some solid explanation today, I'm not done with you!" Xie Xiangrong said angrily.

"Hahaha!" Ge Xianlin couldn't help but burst into laughter, pointing at him and saying, "You, you're always so impatient. You call yourself a young man? You're already so old, yet you're still as impatient as a young person."

"Alright, stop beating around the bush, just tell me already!" Xie Xiangrong said impatiently.

Ge Xianlin smiled and nodded before saying to them, "This place definitely cannot be rented out. Our hotel is the first four-star hotel in Shanghai that caters to foreign guests. The higher-ups have very high requirements for our hotel, and we also have to undertake special tasks related to foreign guests. Some of the rules are a red line that cannot be broken."

"Then why...?"

Hearing this, Xie Xiangrong was about to jump up and curse when Ge Xianlin continued, "Not being able to rent doesn't mean we can't cooperate! I'm telling you, Mr. Xie, can you at least let me finish what I have to say?" Xie Xiangrong opened his mouth, but didn't continue cursing. He raised his hand to signal him to continue.

Ge Xianlin said, "I have reported this matter to my superiors, and they have listened carefully to my suggestions, including your situation. Since it cannot be rented out, we can appropriately cooperate between the two parties. That is, our hotel and you, Xie Xiaokai, can cooperate in operating the property. This place still belongs to our hotel, but we can hand it over to you to manage. The government will provide the land, and you will provide the personnel and technology. How about that?"

"Is it okay? Do you think it's okay?" Xie Xiangrong couldn't listen to it anymore, so he turned around and left.

Before he could take two steps, Ge Xianlin hurriedly grabbed him: "Where are you going! We haven't finished talking yet!"

"There's nothing to talk about with you, what's the point of this conversation!" Xie Xiangrong said to him bluntly, "Are you out of your mind to come up with this plan? Trying to get something for nothing? You don't know what happened to my family's coffee shop back then? Do you think I'll fall for it again after I've been burned once? Do you think I'm stupid?"

"Hey, how can these be the same? They're completely different!"

"How is it different? Tell me how it's different!" Xie Xiangrong was furious. If it weren't for the fact that Ge Xianlin was his old friend, he would have punched him in the face.

"It's really different! How can it be the same!" Ge Xianlin was also a little regretful at this moment. He had indeed overlooked what happened back then, and he hadn't explained it clearly to Xie Xiangrong before. He didn't expect Xie Xiangrong to react so strongly.

Now things are really messed up. Xie Xiangrong mistakenly believes that he deliberately played tricks on him and took advantage of him. If this matter is not clarified, their years-long friendship will be over. Not only that, but if word gets out, it will also affect the reputation of their hotel.

Ge Xianlin quickly pulled Xie Xiangrong aside and explained to him carefully that this was the best solution at present. It was equivalent to the two parties cooperating. Although it was called a joint venture, it was actually a contract to hand over the coffee shop to Xie Xiangrong to operate.

During operation, the hotel didn't interfere; Xie Xiangrong had complete control. The coffee shop's responsibilities extended beyond handling the hotel's daily hospitality and coordinating some events. Even the decor and equipment could be handled by the hotel, albeit with limitations—they couldn't just decorate whatever Xie Xiangrong wanted. As long as it was within reasonable limits, he would help resolve the issues.

"Old Xie, Old Xie, don't you think about it? Can you even open a coffee shop privately these days? There's no such policy. If you opened a coffee shop like that, the relevant departments would definitely cause you trouble. Now it's much better. In name, it belongs to our hotel and hangs our sign, but you actually run it. We split the profits 50/50, and you don't have to bear any risks. Isn't that much easier?"

"Hehe, sounds good, but what if you turn your back on me after you make money and kick me out? Where can I go to seek justice?" Xie Xiangrong retorted.

Ge Xianlin was both amused and exasperated: "That's impossible! We'll sign a formal contract then, and what's yours will be yours. How could you do something like this?"

Xie Xiangrong didn't believe what the other party said at all, but that was normal. Lin Ying, who was standing next to him, understood everything. Although she understood Xie Xiangrong's awkwardness, she also understood Ge Xianlin's plan.

Ge Xianlin was right. There were indeed special circumstances at the hotel, and it was only 1980. It would be several years before the wave of reform and opening up swept the country and the country was fully opened up.

In other words, everyone is currently feeling their way across the river, making decisions with extreme caution, afraid of crossing any red lines. Furthermore, the policy regarding individual businesses is not yet truly established; the first individual business license in Shanghai seems to have been issued at the end of this year, which is still six months away.

In this situation, Ge Xianlin's plan is the most suitable and the least risky. As for Xie Xiangrong's concerns, they are not a problem for future changes. Xie Xiangrong is not Lin Ying and does not know about the huge changes and opening up in the following decades. He is only concerned about the past, which is why he has such a big reaction.

Thinking of this, Lin Ying gave Ge Xianlin a look, telling him to calm down, and then pulled Xie Xiangrong aside and whispered to him.

After Lin Ying spoke for a while, Xie Xiangrong's anger gradually faded, and his expression became thoughtful. He thought about it carefully, nodded slightly, and then turned to Ge Xianlin, saying, "I'll trust you this time because we're old friends. But let's get this straight: the responsibilities of both parties must be clearly defined and written down in black and white to avoid any future trouble. Also, there's one more thing! You absolutely cannot interfere with personnel matters. I decide who I use. Don't let them bring in a crony here and a relative there, all sorts of nobodies. This isn't a charity!"

"Don't worry, you can rest assured. I can't guarantee anything else, but as long as I'm here, there will be absolutely no problems on your end!" Ge Xianlin thumped his chest loudly and said firmly.

(End of this chapter)