The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 525: Chapter 525: Investment Partnership

Kuno Hiroo asked, ”Have you ever considered getting into seafood processing? We could make them into snacks, Japanese-style, and export them to Japan!”

Hearing this, Han Xiaorui lost interest. ”I don’t want to. What kind of snacks could possibly have high profit margins?”

Kuno Hiroo smiled. ”We’ll make high-end products with high prices. We can form a joint venture, and I’ll handle the imports.”

Han Xiaorui still waved her hand dismissively. ”You should find other partners. I’m not interested in this. My passion is for fishing and seafood.”

”As for snack processing, I’m sure there are many private companies in the cities of Southern Jiangsu that would be willing to work with you.”

”You’re really not willing to work with me?” Kuno Hiroo asked.

Han Xiaorui waved her hand. ”I’m not interested in that business.”

”That’s a real shame.” Kuno Hiroo was regretful. For some reason, he had a feeling that anything Han Xiaorui produced would be of excellent quality.

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”What’s there to regret? A person can’t earn all the money in the world. I’m doing very well right now and am content with my situation. When I find a good business opportunity here, I’ll pursue it properly.”

After seeing Kuno Hiroo off, Ye Feng found Xu Cheng squatting by the front door, a pile of cigarette butts at his feet. ”You’re here, so come on in. You’ve been squatting out here for a long time, haven’t you?”

Xu Cheng chuckled sheepishly. ”Actually, not that long.”

”Are you in some kind of trouble?” Ye Feng asked.

Xu Cheng scratched his head in front of Ye Feng. ”Captain, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you and Xiao Rui.”

Ye Feng raised an eyebrow slightly. ”What is it?”

Xu Cheng replied, ”The construction on the commercial street is finished, and I have a team of skilled workers under me. Instead of looking for odd jobs everywhere, I’m thinking of starting a real estate development company.”

”We can get land from the government, then build and sell houses. I think it’s a great business. If we do it well, we could make a fortune.”

Hearing this, Ye Feng blinked. ”You know, building houses means dealing with all sorts of government departments. That’s not so easy.”

Xu Cheng nodded. ”I know, but Shencheng is currently promoting the improvement of residential housing and allowing private enterprises to enter the market. I think this is a great opportunity. For example, the houses over in White Crane Village are old and dilapidated. I’m planning to acquire a plot of land there, build commercial housing, and we can make a profit.”

Ye Feng thought for a moment. ”Come on, let’s go discuss it with Xiao Rui. If it’s feasible, we can give it a try.”

When Han Xiaorui heard what Xu Cheng said, she nodded. ”That could work! Yes, White Crane Village is under unified planning, and unauthorized private construction is forbidden. We could definitely use demolition and relocation to do a housing exchange.”

”The people here in Jinshan Bay have money now, so they’ll buy property nearby too. That won’t be a problem. Also, I can hand over the construction of the planned Chunlei Kindergarten to you.”

Hearing this, Xu Cheng’s eyes lit up. ”Xiao Rui, you agree?”

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”Not only do I agree, I also want to ask you: do you need investors?”

Xu Cheng was stunned. ”You’re willing to invest?”

Han Xiaorui nodded. ”I’m interested, but of course, if you aren’t, I won’t be offended. After all, this is your venture.”

Xu Cheng replied, ”I’m willing, absolutely willing. Although I have some money now, it’s nothing compared to you. If you join, we’ll have sufficient capital and can take on bigger projects. It’s just... I don’t know how much equity you’d want?”

In his heart, Xu Cheng wanted to hold the majority stake, since he planned to make this his life’s work.

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”I only want a thirty percent stake. I’m just an investor. I’ll send an accountant and a representative to audit and monitor the finances and production safety, but I won’t get involved in any other aspects. You’ll run everything. The company is yours, and you’ll be the legal representative.”

”As for how much money that thirty percent stake will cost, that depends on how much you invest. Once you’ve done the calculations, I can transfer the money anytime. Also, if you want to develop White Crane Village, I can help you with public relations.”

Xu Cheng’s eyes lit up at her words. ”Great, that’s fantastic! Xiao Rui, I’ll go back and run the numbers right away. Don’t you worry, we’ll build these houses with guaranteed quality.”

With Han Xiaorui’s words, Xu Cheng’s confidence soared.

「Three days later.」

Xu Cheng arrived with the completed business plan.

Han Xiaorui would invest 20 million for a 30% stake, and Xu Cheng would invest 40 million for a 60% stake.

The remaining 10% would be funded by others for a 10% stake.

If anyone wanted to sell their shares, the existing shareholders would have the right of first refusal.

The Jinshan Bay Real Estate Development Company was officially established.

Xu Cheng came to find Han Xiaorui with the blueprints. ”Xiao Rui, what do you think of the current designs?”

After Han Xiaorui took them, she saw that in the proposed residential community, the green spaces had been cut down as much as possible in order to build more houses.

”Xu Cheng, these designs won’t work. First of all, there’s too little green space in the community. People living there will feel cooped up, especially those who used to live in the countryside. If you don’t add some greenery, like small gardens and such, they won’t feel comfortable living there.”

”Also, since these are residential buildings, the floor plans are poorly designed. I think you need to improve on these two aspects to satisfy the people from White Crane Village. It will also serve as a model and lay a good foundation for developing new communities in the future.”

Xu Cheng was taken aback. ”But this is how all the other companies build their houses.”

”That’s precisely why we can’t do it this way. Otherwise, why would people be willing to spend money on our houses? We need to have some good, attractive features.”

”Don’t worry. I’ll sketch out a rough idea for you, and you can have the designer flesh it out. Let’s start with the overall planning and layout of the community. We’re by the sea, so the ground floors are damp. A lot of people want to live in apartment buildings precisely because the ground floor is too damp and uncomfortable.”

”So, I suggest you make the ground floor into individual small compartments to be used as storage rooms for household clutter or bicycles. Also, let’s try to make the floor plans more rational. Every unit needs to have sunlight and a larger balcony... Outside, there should be flowers, plants, and trees, as well as a play area for children and a place for the older folks to relax and socialize. You can have a circle of shops on the outside.”

As Xu Cheng listened to Han Xiaorui’s suggestions, his eyes grew brighter and brighter. ”Xiao Rui, doing it this way would really be a first for Shencheng.”

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”This is just a rough outline. You should go over it with the designer. The cost might be a bit higher, but that doesn’t matter. The residents of White Crane Village and Jinshan Bay have high incomes. Besides, a good location with good floor plans that looks and feels comfortable—people will be willing to pay a little more for that.”

”In short, we need to be steady and build our brand. We want people to think of the properties developed by Jinshan Bay and immediately associate them with good quality, good layouts, good green-scaping, and a human touch. If the price is a little higher, it’ll be justified.”