Old Li, the broker who had previously introduced shops to Li Wanming, immediately grinned and greeted them as soon as he heard that they were going to rent shops again.
"Madam Cheng, tell me. What kind of business are you going to do this time?"
"Looking at the entire capital city, I, Old Li, dare not say that I know every single house and shop in the 108 wards, but I'm definitely close. You've come to the right person! Even if I have to search the whole capital, I'll find you a prosperous shop that you'll be satisfied with!"
The Li Family Wine Shop and Zhaoyu Academy had both been a great success, which in turn had boosted the reputation of his brokerage.
Everyone said that his brokerage was blessed with good luck, and those who rented shops through him were sure to make a fortune.
Xiao Jingnan handed him a piece of paper and asked, "Do you know about these three shops?"
Old Li took it and saw that it listed the addresses and names of three shops: the South City Paper Art Shop, the Wanfu Pawnshop, and the Changxing Inn.
His face sank, and he immediately closed the paper. "These shops can't be taken over."
"Why?" Li Wanming felt even more uneasy.
She had guessed that Chen Jinde wouldn't find her any good shops, but she hadn't expected them to be so bad that even the well - known broker in the capital said they couldn't be taken over.
"I don't know much about the South City Paper Art Shop, but the Wanfu Pawnshop and the Changxing Inn are definitely out of the question," Old Li said in a serious tone.
"The Wanfu Pawnshop is the strangest shop in the South City."
"I went to take a look at it a couple of years ago. The storefront is well - proportioned, and the location is good. But strangely enough, no matter what business is run there, it always ends up in losses!"
"Over the years, there have been a grocery store, a silk store, a bookstore, a spice shop, a restaurant... None of them managed to last for more than half a year. In the end, they all closed down and left."
"And the last one, the Wanfu Pawnshop. Its owner didn't believe in bad luck. Relying on his wealth, he insisted on renting the place. As a result, he got involved in a legal issue, and his whole family ended up in prison!"
Li Wanming asked, "It's just a pawnshop. How could it get involved in a legal issue?"
Old Li replied, "The chief appraiser of that pawnshop accidentally accepted a tribute item from the palace... In the end, the local government came and sealed up the whole pawnshop."
Xiao Jingnan thought for a moment and said, "If it was just a mistake made by the chief appraiser, it shouldn't be a big problem. We'll just have to be more vigilant in the future. The legal issue of the previous owner shouldn't fall on us."
Old Li waved his hands hurriedly. "You can't say that! That shop has been making losses no matter what business is run there. It's clearly a problem with the feng shui. People say that there's a nine - headed gold - devouring monster buried under the shop. It's very eerie!"
"A nine - headed gold - devouring monster?"
Xiao Jingnan couldn't help but laugh after hearing this. "Confucius said not to talk about strange, violent, chaotic, and supernatural things. When people can't find the reason, they just attribute it to such mysterious things. I've never believed in this. But it's okay. We'll go and take a look to find out."
After laughing for a while, he asked, "What about the other one? What's wrong with that inn?"
"The Changxing Inn is even more eerie..."
Old Li took out a map from the side and showed it to them.
"It's located near Liuyuan and not too far from Changming Street. It's just a few intersections away. It used to be a good location."
"Back then, its business was booming. Customers came in droves, and it made a lot of money every day. It was really good."
"But three years ago, a woman came to the capital to find her husband who was doing business here, but she was abandoned. In a fit of despair, she hanged herself in the inn."
"After that, the inn started to be haunted..."
A look of fear appeared on Old Li's face, and his voice became even lower. "Many people said that they could see a woman in red walking back and forth outside the inn at midnight..."
"After that, fewer and fewer people went to the inn. Within a year, the owner closed the shop and left."
"Legal issues, haunted... " Li Wanming sat down and gently tapped the table with her fingers. "The three shops that Dean Chen found for me are really something."
"I originally thought that the paper art shop would be the scariest.没想到, it now seems to be the most normal one among them."
Xiao Jingnan continued to ask, "Is there anything wrong with this South City Paper Art Shop?"
Old Li replied, "I really don't know about this one. But I've been working in the brokerage business in the capital for so many years, and I've never heard of this shop. It probably has no problems. But the paper - art business is inauspicious. I suggest you two not get involved in it."
Not get involved?
It's impossible. The bet with the Imperial College has already been signed.
There's no turning back now. Even if there are ghosts in the shops, she has to grit her teeth and go forward.
"Are these three shops for sale? If we want to take them over, is it easy to do? And how much will it cost?"
Li Wanming thought for a while and added, "The main thing is the cost. How much do you think it will cost to rent these three shops?"
Chen Jinde only said that they needed to turn the shops around within three months, but he didn't help them rent the shops.
They had to handle the pre - takeover and leasing matters themselves.
This was another thing that worried Li Wanming.
Renting the shops, renovating them, and stocking up on goods all cost money. And Chen Jinde didn't allow them to use their own money.
They could only borrow from the bank.
But which bank would lend them money for a pawnshop that had been involved in a legal issue, an inn where someone had died, and a paper - art shop whose situation was still unclear...
"Oh, Madam Cheng, I've said so much. Why do you still want to take over these shops?" Old Li was a bit anxious.
"There are so many shops in the whole capital. Why do you have to choose these unlucky ones?"
Li Wanming murmured, "If they weren't unlucky, how could he let me manage them?"
She looked up. "Old Li, please help me find out which brokerages hold the lease contracts for these shops. If I want to take them over, how much will it cost?"
"My husband and I want to go and take a look this afternoon. Once you've found out, meet us at the Changxing Inn. Let's start with the scariest one!"
Seeing that her mind was made up, Old Li had no choice but to agree. He mumbled as he walked out, "There are so many good shops, but why do you have to choose one where someone died? Young people are really stubborn..."
After he left, Li Wanming and Xiao Jingnan also left the brokerage.
After walking through the bustling street and into a quiet alley, Li Wanming slowly said, "What do you think?"
Xiao Jingnan smiled slightly. "Dean Chen doesn't understand business."
"Ah?"
Xiao Jingnan continued, "Legal issues, deaths, and funeral items... They seem inauspicious and make people avoid them. It seems difficult to turn things around, but in fact, it's not the case."
"In business, the scariest thing is not losing money, but not knowing why you're losing money."
"But these three shops are different. The reason for each of their losses is clear. As long as you take targeted measures, you can turn the situation around."
Li Wanming gave him a sidelong glance. "You're very confident?"
Xiao Jingnan looked back at her. "If you really had no confidence at all, you wouldn't have dared to take this bet."
Li Wanming snorted and said, "That's not true. As long as it's a bet, I'll take it. It has nothing to do with confidence."
She sighed, and a look of worry appeared on her brows. "What I'm most worried about now is not the management, but the money, money! Where can we get the money... To take over these three unlucky shops, which bank in the whole capital would lend us money?"
Xiao Jingnan patted her. "I think things will work out in the end. Maybe this will be the least of our worries."