Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 517 Graduates

Shan Hongmei said, "It's more than in Phase II; I estimate people will be living on the second floor too."

Xiao Wei said, "Yes, let's arrange things in advance to avoid being scrambling around later. You graduates this year, please conduct a survey to see how many of you want to work here directly, and make a record so I can make arrangements."

We won't handle the chefs who go back to make noodles, but we'll need to ask those who want to open pastry shops. We'll have to help them with planning everything from equipment selection and site selection to opening the shop. Oh, and we need to figure out how much investment they can afford to invest themselves.

Shan Hongmei asked, "Why should we care how much money others invest?"

Xiao Wei said, "What if he takes out 10,000 yuan and wants to open a cake shop? Do we have that kind of ability? So we need to do some research beforehand to be prepared. I'll also think of some ideas. Everyone has a hard time. We spend several thousand yuan to learn a skill. We can't just issue a certificate and then leave it at that like others do. We should try our best to make sure that everyone's learning is worthwhile and that everyone can make money."

Yu Qiu asked, "How can we manage if we don't have money? Should we lend him money?"

Xiao Wei said, "I haven't really thought it through yet. My initial idea is that I'll run the store, and he can work there. After I recoup my costs, I'll gradually hand the store over to him, which will probably take two or three years. That's the most I can do."

Shan Hongmei said, "The boss is so kind."

Yu Qiu leaned closer and said, "I have a good heart, I'm a really good person." Xiao Wei and Zuo Hong both laughed, while Liu Shangyue rolled her eyes.

Xiao Wei said, "We'll start opening stores here soon, five or six in Fengtian, four or five in Longcheng, and two or three in other cities first, so that future trainees can go back to their own cities for internships."

Yu Qiu said, "Really? Wow, you're really rich! How much money did you have to invest?"

Xiao Wei said, "We have some money on hand, so let's borrow some more to get things started first. That's why we'll need more and more workers here in the future. You should try to make that clear to the trainees and try to keep them working here."

Shan Hongmei said, "Boss, if we open shops everywhere, what will happen if our students open their own shops? Will they compete with us? Will they be happy about that? Won't it affect our student recruitment?"

Xiao Wei said, "How could that be? A city could easily have twenty or thirty cake and bread shops and still not be saturated. The more you do business, the bigger the market becomes. By laying the foundation for them, it can only benefit them. They can directly source equipment, materials, and tools from our shop. Do the math, doesn't it save them a lot of trouble?"

Shan Hongmei said, "Twenty or thirty stores? Are there that many people buying them?"

Xiao Wei said, "The more you do, the more you buy. People are naturally imitative. If others eat cake on their birthdays, you'll feel uneasy if you don't have one on yours, like you're missing out. You understand? How big is the impact of opening one store, right? What if you have twenty or thirty stores? You can see them everywhere you go. How can they be the same?"

Yu Qiu said, "I believe what the boss said. Besides, quite a few people like bread and cookies. There are always places that can attract people. If more and more places open, it becomes a trend. If everyone else is eating it, why wouldn't you?"

Xiao Wei said, "The key issue is the size and level of the store. Our students are not wealthy, and they probably open a small shop near their homes or in a residential market. If the shop is small, it won't be high-end, and the influence will be small. The people they come into contact with are mainly ordinary citizens."

Our company's stores are definitely located in large commercial areas or pedestrian streets, big stores. They have a much greater influence and primarily cater to trendy, wealthy customers. So there's no conflict between us; in fact, because their products are definitely cheaper than mine, we can even help them attract some customers.

Yu Qiu said, "Opening a store in a large commercial area or pedestrian street? I thought this kind of thing would be opened in a farmers' market or something. That's a huge investment, at least tens of thousands for one store! The rent in a year would be equivalent to several small shops, right? When will we ever break even?"

Xiao Wei said, "The company is opening stores mainly to build its brand, which is like GG. The main purpose is to develop the market. It doesn't matter whether we make money in the early stages, as long as we don't lose money. Once everyone is involved and the market matures, we will definitely make money. There's no rush."

Shan Hongmei said, "We need a chef too? Where should we assign him?"

Xiao Wei said, "We're going to open three or four restaurants in Fengtian soon, and the Andong branch is also going to be renovated soon. We'll definitely need a lot of staff. I was thinking that since we're going to hire from outside anyway, we might as well use our own trainees. Do you think you can become a chef just by graduating from a chef training program?"

"No, that won't work. You still need to practice. Even if you go to a restaurant, you'll start as an apprentice or helper. It's not like making cakes, where you can just learn it and start doing it. Chefs rely on experience; this is something you have to learn and practice for a lifetime."

Shan Hongmei asked, "How should I write the work location?"

Xiao Wei said, "It's hard to say in different cities within the province, but wherever you go, food and lodging are provided, and you don't need to rent a place. So what's the difference?"

Yu Qiu said, "Let's write about Fengtian and Andong first. I guess the people who came before us were in those two places. Writing about them like that will be more appealing, and people will have a better understanding of what's going on."

Xiao Wei said, "Okay, let's write it like that. Yu Qiu, are you planning to open your own shop or help me?"

Yu Qiu said, "Don't I still owe you money? Our agreement says we'll work to pay off the debt. How can I open a shop?"

Xiao Wei said, "Sure, you're practically one of us now, a family member. If you want to open a shop, go ahead." Shan Hongmei's face turned bright red again, while Zuo Hong, Liu Shangyue, and An Lihua laughed so hard they almost fell over. In this day and age, while you can't say that kissing is pornography, this kind of topic is still extremely sensitive.

Yu Qiu thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I do want to start my own business, but I'm a little unsure about it. I'll go to work first, pay off the debts I owe, and then get familiar with the business and practice. Once I'm comfortable, I'll start my own business. I'll learn how to do business from you, boss."

Xiao Wei asked, "So what kind of work do you want to do? Be a shop manager making cakes, bake cakes in a factory, or do something else at the company?"

Yu Qiu looked at Shan Hongmei and said, "Let's start working in the factory first. I think this baking job is quite important. I'll practice this skill well first, and then go to the shop when I'm ready, okay?"

Xiao Wei said, "Okay, if others can't do it, you have to be able to. Let's settle it like this. Our factory is probably going to start operations in November. In the meantime, you can run errands for me. Don't just pretend to be an unemployed employee all the time."

The girls burst into laughter again, completely disregarding their image. Yu Qiu chuckled and asked, "What are you doing?"

Xiao Wei asked, "Have you renewed your driver's license?"

Yu Qiu said, "I changed jobs as soon as I got to the local area. At first, I was thinking about which unit I should drive for, but after going around in circles, I found that all the units had more drivers than cars."

(End of this chapter)