Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 701 Plastic Models

Wang Liyan said, "We can add a removable cooling screen inside the cooling tank, and then pull it out to replace it. Wouldn't that be more convenient? It's too slow to scrape it out manually."

Xiao Wei clapped his hands and said, "That's a good idea, great idea, I think it's feasible."

Han San nodded and said, "Okay, I'll ask the manufacturer to take a look. We need to calculate the volume, how much soup goes in to condense into how much oil, how large the mesh area should be, and the specific condensation time. Okay, I'll take care of this. Anything else?"

Xiao Wei said, "I'm planning to set up four production workshops here: bread and biscuits, cakes, steamed buns, dumplings, and instant noodles. Could you have someone come over and help me measure and calculate the equipment placement and production capacity?"

Han San said, "Okay, I've made preparations for this. I arranged it when I went to Andong the day before yesterday to assess the equipment there. You're planning to set up a small cake factory in each city, right?"

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "Cakes are very sensitive to freshness; they're hard to store and transport. So we'll just set up one stall per city to supply the cake shops in that city. Bread and biscuits will be produced at the main factory here, and then delivered to other areas regularly."

Han San said, "That's possible, but these are indeed difficult to deliver. How many cake shops do you plan to open this time?"

Xiao Wei said, "The plan in Fengtian City is to open fifteen stores, but we'll open seven of them this time. The plan in Longcheng City is to open five stores, but we'll open three of them this time."

Negotiations with Dalian Real Estate are still ongoing, and it's hard to say what will happen this year. They've booked five stores there: three in Beixi, three in Andong, and five in Anshan. There are no plans for other cities this year.

"Xidu and Bingcheng are definitely going to open next year, along with restaurants, cake shops, and food factories. We'll get the headquarters settled first, then expand outwards. The biggest problem right now is housing; good locations are hard to buy."

Han San asked, "Are you planning to buy all the houses where shops are located?"

Xiao Wei said, "Yeah. Rent? No, try not to rent. It's not worth it. The investment in a shop, including renovations and other aspects, is not small. If something happens to a rented place, the losses will be too great. Besides, the house belongs to someone else. If business is good, the rent will go up. What if they take it away and open their own shop? All of these are possible. In addition, the house is also an investment. The house will be valuable in the future."

Han San said, "That's true. Your investment is quite large, and renting does carry risks. It's only because you have a strong financial foundation and plenty of money that you can run a business without renting. How many businesses on the market don't rent?"

Xiao Wei said, "It's related to investment. We can't just run small, ordinary shops. We also need to leave room and market for our trainees. We can only move upmarket, go high-end, and build our brand. That way, our trainees might be able to make a profit faster when they open their own shops in the future."

Han San said, "Hmm, that's right. You've thought long-term enough, even considering the students opening their own shops. That's really thorough. So, what are your plans for the materials? Will each shop purchase them themselves?"

Xiao Wei said, "No, each province will have a manager in charge of the food factories and material allocation. You only need to deal with him, and the allocation in each city will be handled internally by him. This way, there won't be any chaos. Then, once it reaches the city, it will be handed over to the food factories there for further distribution."

Han San nodded and said, "Okay, that saves me trouble. Where do I pay the bill?"

Xiao Wei said, "Let's go to Wanliu. I'll centralize the finances here, and all the shops and factories below won't have independent finances. They'll all be managed here, and all spending will be done centrally. The lower levels will only need to report the plans. We won't let them touch the money. I'm afraid that problems will arise in the long run. I think few people can resist temptations to the end, including me. So let's just cut it off from the beginning."

Han San said, "That's great, it saves me the trouble of running around and using a three-part form."

Xiao Wei said, "The five-part form is for your sales and transportation, mine for each province, and headquarters for purchasing and finance. I'll handle the three-part form internally. If the five parts don't match up, I won't pay. Let's make that clear beforehand."

Han San asked, "How often do you get married?"

Xiao Wei said, "It's up to you. I'm available anytime. The main thing is that I don't know your cycle, so I just hope it won't affect you."

Han San said, "Then let's settle accounts quarterly. If I need money temporarily, I'll borrow it from you separately."

Xiao Wei said, "Now there's a big problem: with so many stores opening at once, how do we get samples? Could you help me contact Master Li and have him bring some people over to help me make samples?"

Han San said, "You're still planning to continue making hard butter, right?"

Xiao Wei said, "What else am I supposed to do? Where's that finger-implanted milk you mentioned?"

Han San thought for a moment and said, "I'll contact him. Old Li should have some connections. With so many shops open, this should be worthwhile for you. Let me tell you, the cost of this stuff is much lower than hard butter, and the taste is better too. I've had it in Guangzhou."

Xiao Wei said, "Then let's go with both. Two prices, so customers have more options."

Han San said, "I'll contact Lao Li tomorrow and see if he can do anything about the sample. I heard him mention it a few days ago; it seems he was researching some kind of process material, and he was talking about the sample."

Back then, cakes were made by adding cream to foam boards. The foam boards were fine, but the cream would cause problems with the temperature fluctuations—it would crack, melt, grow mold, and so on. Over time, it would also discolor and deform, requiring frequent replacement. Even now, many small shops still make their samples this way.

Especially after the introduction of non-dairy creamer for birthday cakes, samples are more prone to problems because non-dairy creamer is water-based and oil-free, and melts at slightly higher temperatures. Its properties are somewhat like a smoothie, so it can only be displayed in a refrigerated display case, which is quite expensive.

Moreover, using refrigerated display cases has brought new problems, such as cracking during the drying process.

Many people would say, "Just make a new one and replace it, it's not a big deal anyway."

The samples are for customers to choose from directly. The requirements for colors, patterns, and text are quite high. When you buy a birthday cake, you can take a closer look. The cakes you receive are generally not as good as the samples. This is due to two reasons: processing time and technical skill. Not everyone can develop the skills to reach a certain standard.

Most of the samples in the shops are actually made by paid people, which is very expensive. It costs several thousand yuan a day, including food, accommodation and travel expenses.

Xiao Wei asked, "What kind of process? Is it just for making samples?"

Han San said, "Yes, we make samples. As long as we don't burn them, they can last a lifetime. If they get dusty, we just wash them with water."

Xiao Wei said, "Really? Do you even know what you're using to make this? This thing is amazing, you're a genius."

Han San scratched his head and said, "It seems to be some kind of plastic. I don't know much about it, I just overheard it."

Xiao Wei said, "Master Li is a master. He can display samples indefinitely. As long as you do them carefully, you won't have to worry about the market. But if you use his samples, you have to buy his special tools, even food coloring, trays, stands, and chocolate racks. You also have to learn how to use them and how to make them, and buy a book. All of this makes him much better than opening any cake shop. Moreover, he has disciples all over the country, so he has prestige wherever he goes."

(End of this chapter)