The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

Gu’er and the others were so busy with registration they didn’t even have time to look up. By noon, they had only registered a dozen or so people.

Gu’er gave two of the newly registered people some money and sent them to buy lunch for everyone.

"This boss is great. She’s even paying for our food out of her own pocket. I’ll have to work extra hard from now on, or I’ll feel like I’m letting her down."

Seeing Gu’er’s gesture, some of the workers felt deeply appreciated. It showed that their boss truly cared about them.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

When the food arrived, everyone found a spot to eat. Some squatted in a corner, while others sat right on the floor.

Gu’er, Sun Jiaming, Li Zhi, and the others ate the exact same meal as the workers. This simple act made everyone feel much closer to them. ’See that? The bosses are eating right alongside us, having the same food. Now that’s a good boss.’

After lunch, they resumed the registration process. A few of the women took the initiative to clean up the empty food containers, saving Gu’er the trouble.

Once everyone was registered, Gu’er said a few final words, telling them to be on time tomorrow. As the crowd dispersed, she rubbed her aching neck.

"This is too much. I have to hire a manager to oversee things. It’s exhausting trying to manage everything myself," Gu’er declared.

"Hiring a manager is definitely necessary," Sun Jiaming agreed. "We can’t be here every day, but this place needs someone in charge. The problem is, a good manager is hard to find."

"Why don’t I just stay here and manage things every day?" Liu Yuan suggested. He felt that since he had invested the least money, he should contribute the most work.

"You’re an owner, which means you’d be managing the manager," Gu’er said. "But if you’re interested, Brother Liu Yuan, you could study up on it. Actually, you could enroll at our night school. They have a business administration program." Gu’er wasn’t opposed to the idea.

"Alright, I’ll look into signing up for some classes," Liu Yuan agreed.

"Liu Yuan, if you meet anyone capable there, feel free to recruit them. As long as they have the skills, we’ll hire them, and we won’t be cheap about their salary. And if any of you know any talented managers, don’t hesitate to recommend them," Gu’er added. She thought finding someone through the school was a good idea; after all, she didn’t have many connections with people like that.

"I actually have someone in mind," Li Zhi chimed in. "He just graduated from university last year with a management degree. He was working out of town for a year and only came back a few days ago. I heard he’s planning to go to Beijing to look for work. I’ll go talk to him and see if I can convince him to stay."

Sun Jiaming didn’t suggest anyone. The people he knew in the city were all business owners with their own shops; none of them would be willing to come work here.

"Then have a good talk with him," Gu’er said. "But if he’s really set on leaving, don’t force it."

Gu’er knew just how much Beijing would boom in the future, and she didn’t want to stand in the way of someone’s career.

"Don’t worry. What do you take me for? It’s not like we’re bandits."

Li Zhi nodded, but he was determined. ’I have to get him to join. It would make all our lives easier. We can pop in to check on things and offer advice, but we can’t be tied down here every day. We absolutely need a good manager. Liu Yuan is an option, but he still has a lot to learn. Besides, he’ll need help too, so hiring a manager is a must.’

"Gu’er," Sun Jiaming asked, "once the department store opens, I bet a lot of people will want to rent stalls from us to sell their own goods. What are your thoughts on that?" He was asking because a friend had already approached him about renting a stall in their store.

"Renting out our stalls isn’t out of the question. I’m sure people will be coming to you all about it eventually. When I planned out this three-story building, I factored in stall rentals. But we have to make one thing crystal clear to anyone who rents from us: once they’re in here, they play by our rules. First, prices must be standardized. We can’t have one person selling at one price and someone else selling at another, trying to undercut each other to steal customers. That won’t be allowed. Second, they must guarantee the quality of their merchandise. No shoddy products will be permitted. If there’s a problem with a product’s quality, I don’t care who the vendor is, they can’t sell it here. Anyone who wants to set up shop must sign a contract with us and pay a security deposit. If any issues arise, they are responsible for compensating the customer. If they agree to these terms, they can rent a stall. If they’re not willing, then sorry, but no deal."

Gu’er had already given this a lot of thought. With three floors and so many retail spaces, it was impossible for them to fill everything with their own merchandise. They would inevitably have to rent some of them out. But even with rentals, she felt a responsibility to the customers and to the department store’s reputation.

"Okay, I understand." Sun Jiaming nodded. If they wanted the business to last, these measures were essential.

"That makes perfect sense," Li Zhi added. "I’ve had a few people approach me, too. I’ll go lay out the terms for them."

Dingzi was unconcerned. With his perpetually cold expression, no one had bothered asking him, so he didn’t have to worry about it.

"Come on, let’s go downstairs and check on the renovation progress, then find a place to eat. I am not cooking today. My shoulders are killing me."

When Gu’er and the others got together, it was usually at the Sun Family’s house or the Lin Family’s house, and she was almost always the one who cooked. Everyone loved her food.

"The food at restaurants isn’t even as good as yours," Li Zhi said. "But you’re clearly exhausted today, so we’re not letting you cook. It’s my treat!"

"Alright! We get to mooch off the rich guy today," Sun Jiaming joked.

"Don’t you worry, you can’t eat me out of house and home! Eat your hearts out—how much can you guys possibly put away? Your big brother here is loaded, so just go all out," Li Zhi declared with a magnanimous air.

They arrived on the second floor.

A number of workers were busy on the second floor.

Some of them called out greetings, but they didn’t stop what they were doing.

Gu’er and her friends watched them carefully. The work was well-done and quite meticulous.

As they were talking and observing, they suddenly heard a cry of alarm. Gu’er was just about to look up to see what was wrong when Sun Jiaming shoved her hard, pushing her out of the way.

It turned out one of the workers, who had been on a ladder painting the ceiling while holding a bucket, had missed a rung while speaking. He managed to jump clear of the ladder and was unharmed, but the bucket he was holding fell right toward Gu’er, and the ladder toppled in her direction as well.

Gu’er hadn’t been paying attention to what was happening above. By the time she noticed, it was too late to dodge. Sun Jiaming, who was standing right next to her, saw the danger instantly. His first reaction was to shove her out of harm’s way. ’I can’t let her get hurt.’

He succeeded in pushing Gu’er to safety, but it was too late for him to get out of the way himself. The bucket and ladder were about to come crashing down on him. Gu’er’s eyes went wide with panic, but she was too far away to help.

Li Zhi and Dingzi were also close to Sun Jiaming. Moving with lightning speed, Dingzi caught the falling bucket and kicked the ladder, knocking it aside. It happened so fast that one end of the ladder still struck Sun Jiaming on the shoulder, but since most of the force had been deflected, the blow wasn’t severe.

Li Zhi rushed to steady Sun Jiaming.

"Brother Jia Ming!" Gu’er cried out, her voice trembling.

"I’m fine, it doesn’t even hurt. It just bumped me. Don’t worry."

Sun Jiaming smiled at Gu’er, his gaze gentle, as if he weren’t the one who had just been hurt.

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Thank you to Aqiao for the peace charm, and to Zhuge Ziye and Lazy Worm Mother for the monthly tickets. Thank you all for your support! I was supposed to go to the mountains today, but something came up, so I couldn’t make it. Because of that, there will be three Chapters today, and I am planning for five tomorrow. I also recommend Xian Ke’s "White Lotus Strategy."