Reborn in 2000: I just want to love a few people properly.

"Achoo!"

Xu Bo, who was looking for a suitable spot near Wulin Square, suddenly sneezed. He glanced at his phone and saw that no one had sent him any messages. Xu Bo then lit a cigarette and spoke to the greasy fat man in front of him.

"Your mall's monthly rent is 55,000 yuan, that's too expensive."

"Brother, don't you even look at the location? This is the most bustling area in Hangzhou. Our mall alone sees more than 20,000 people a day. If you include this entire business district, the daily foot traffic is at least 90,000 people."

Tang Guofan leaned forward, letting Xu Bo light the cigarette in his mouth, and then said softly.

"If it weren't for the fact that you were introduced by President Guo, to be honest, you, as the owner of a newly established restaurant brand, would never have come to me."

Xu Bo smiled awkwardly; the mall manager in front of him was already being very subtle in his speech.

"Hey, Brother Tang, you know this is a small startup brand of mine. It makes 55,000 a month. With management fees and utilities, it's almost 800,000 a year. I'm not making any money at all."

Xu Bo complained.

Tang Guofan could only shrug helplessly, indicating that his lack of money was none of his business.

Just as Tang Guofan was about to see the guest off, Xu Bo suddenly spoke up again: "How about this, Manager Tang, 55,000 a month is fine, I can still afford it."

Xu Bo pulled out the store's sales records and said, "Well, my quote is 60,000 yuan a month, but I hope you can help me find a better location, Brother Tang."

Xu Bo's quote was 60,000 yuan per month. He wouldn't care about the extra 5,000 yuan. Tang Guofan's eyes lit up instantly when he heard this. He handed Xu Bo a cigarette and said...

"Sure, no problem, bro. You just looked around, and the best spots are all taken. But there's a spot that just became available, and it's a really good location. If you're sure, I'll reserve it for you."

"No problem, bro. You don't need to look. It's on the third floor, right where the elevator comes up. I know, and I'm actually quite happy with that place."

Xu Bo immediately smiled. He had his eye on that location the moment he arrived. There was an escalator right inside the entrance, and the third floor faced the shop directly.

"If there are no problems, come over the day after tomorrow to take a look at the contract. You can pay the full year's rent upfront."

To save himself the trouble of going again, Tang Guofan said.

"Okay, I'll come over the day after tomorrow. Are you free tonight? If not, I'll treat Brother Tang to dinner."

Xu Bo naturally wanted to maintain these connections for the long term.

After thinking for a moment, Tang Guofan agreed, and they exchanged contact information. Xu Bo then took his leave.

As soon as he stepped out of the mall, Xu Bo spat softly.

"Damn it, I'll report you one of these days."

After wiping his mouth, Xu Bo finally breathed a sigh of relief. The business district around Wulin Square represents the highest level of consumption in Hangzhou, with numerous big brands and equally impressive restaurants.

If they can establish themselves here, Hai Lao Lao's reputation will be firmly established in Hangzhou.

It's quite well-known throughout the Yangtze River Delta region.

"One store is settled, four more are left."

Xu Bo gave a firm order: suitable shops in Hangzhou must be found within the next few days.

If necessary, he could even leave Hangzhou and go to other cities to look for a shop. During the National Day holiday, Xu Bo needed to quickly find a suitable location for the shop, and then deal with the renovation, training, and supply – all of which would be troublesome and costly.

In the early 2000s, Hangzhou couldn't accommodate six different hot pot restaurants.

Exhaling a breath of pent-up frustration, Xu Bo squatted down on the curb, a cigarette burning in his hand. Watching the bustling crowds, Xu Bo began to ponder what kind of city would be suitable for him.

Nanjing and Shanghai are definitely places we need to establish a presence in, but we are short of funds. Today, I managed to come up with one-fifth of the amount I negotiated with Zhong Weiyong.

"We still don't have enough money," Xu Bo sighed again.

"If loans don't work, I'll have to ask my dad for money in the end."

After extinguishing his cigarette and putting it in the trash can, Xu Bo decided to skip class for the entire afternoon and instead run around Hangzhou looking for a suitable shop.

......

"Students, please make sure to complete your group assignments carefully when you get back. This is not only related to your grades, but also to your future understanding of computer programming."

At Hangzhou Electric Power School, it was already six o'clock. Wen Chao glanced at his watch, announced the end of get out of class, and addressed the students below.

"Teacher, Xu Bo might have gone to the hospital today. Can I ask him to get a sick note from your advisor to make it up for him?"

Yu Haoqi walked up to Wen Chao and said softly.

"No need to submit a sick leave slip, it doesn't matter whether he attends the class or not."

Wen Chao waved his hand and turned to walk outside.

Upon hearing this, Yu Haoqi immediately sensed that something was about to go wrong and quickly stopped Wen Chao to defend him.

"Teacher, Xu Bo is the class monitor and studies very hard, but there was an unexpected situation today. Please don't let him fail the course."

Wang Yan and Du Qinglong, who were standing behind him, were also worried for him.

Bai Feifei and her roommate stood outside the door, facing Wen Chao, and could see expressions that the boys couldn't.

Wen Chao smiled, his expression becoming less serious, and spoke to the boys behind him.

"Have Xu Bo come over for the next class. Don't skip class again." After saying that, he walked out of the teaching building without looking back.

"Oh no, Xu Bo is going to fail his course."

Wang Yan sighed from behind.

Du Qinglong patted his bald head and thought it was nothing. Going to school is just to find a job, and working is to make money. If he had as much money as Xu Bo, he would have dropped out of school long ago and spent every day with Zheng Wan'er.

"You guys go eat first, and help Xu Bo look for a shop tonight."

Now that things had come to this, Bai Feifei also believed that Xu Bo was definitely going to fail this course. The professor's smile just now seemed terrifying to her.

"Then we'll be going now."

Several boys went to the cafeteria, while Bai Feifei was about to walk out of the school when her arm was grabbed the moment she took a step.

"Feifei, it's been so many days since you ate with us."

Behind her, Liu Xiaojuan pouted in dissatisfaction and said.

Qian Liyue and Qin Fang, who were standing next to her, were the same.

Since Bai Feifei started working part-time off-campus, she and her roommates have indeed become somewhat out of sync.

"Then...then come to the shop with me, I'll treat you to a meal, okay?" Bai Feifei now had some money and knew that the reason for this was because of her, so she wanted to treat everyone right away.

"Forget it, you don't need to treat us, but you should have a good chat with us during the meal."

Liu Xiaojuan waved her hand dismissively. She knew that Bai Feifei's family was struggling financially and that all the money she had was hard-earned, so she couldn't bear to let her roommate spend it.

"Yeah, it's not like you're treating. We just want to have a good chat together. Let's split the bill. You can give us a discount with your coupons later."

After Qin Fang finished speaking, she took the hands of several girls and walked out of the school together.