Chapter 86: Boss Han Wants to Invest!

“The renovations turned out to be simpler than we initially expected. Thank you for your hard work; it looks great and feels inviting,” Su Mu said with a smile.

Mr. Han was delighted, his own satisfaction evident. The massive store was now filled with rows of shelves. The walls were just bare cement, as was the floor, and the ceiling exposed wiring and water pipes, all painted black. The overall style was starkly minimalist: low investment, shortened construction time. According to their original plan, they wouldn’t open until around December, but it was only mid-October now.

Over the past two weeks, Su Mu had been regretting putting almost all his capital into this supermarket, leaving himself with no funds to expand in Silicon Valley. In the short term, the returns from his investments there far outstripped what he expected from the supermarket. Still, the benefit was that he wasn’t putting all his eggs in one basket. Even if his venture in Silicon Valley failed, as long as the supermarket was profitable, he’d have a safety net.

Mr. Han draped an arm around Su Mu’s shoulder and continued, “Once we stock the shelves, it’ll look even better. This afternoon, the workers will deliver the cash registers. I bought four; we’ve already set aside spots for them. More staff means more wages and wasted money, but four cashiers will be plenty. When it’s less busy, they can help out elsewhere.”

Imagining what the place would look like once all the goods were displayed, Su Mu’s smile broadened. “Exactly—we want to attract customers with low prices. The more we save on costs, the more we earn. Shall we open next month?”

“Let’s set the grand opening for the first. You’d better come back then. Two weeks should be more than enough time to get ready. I’ve had twenty thousand flyers printed—the glossy, full-color kind, with photos and marked-down prices. That’ll definitely draw people in.”

Mr. Han seldom discussed work with his wife, nor dared he reveal business secrets to friends. Now, seeing his business partner Su Mu again, he was in high spirits. He went on, “I think this kind of promotion works best. We can pick some everyday items for big discounts.”

“Discounts are fine, but we should set purchase limits. Otherwise, people will buy too much at once, and future business will drop off.”

“Of course—limited supply is a must. The warehouse is big, but I don’t want to sit on inventory. If it takes too long to sell, the cash flow pressure will be too much.”

Su Mu agreed. “Everyday necessities, fruit, and so on—even if we lose money on a few items, it doesn’t matter. The goal is to get people used to coming here for their shopping. Even if some things are loss leaders, few people will come just to buy one item. They'll grab the specials, but pick up other things too. We’ll still make money that way.”

Since launching the supermarket, Mr. Han had become more and more convinced that this “large convenience store” concept was a goldmine. He’d previously run more than a dozen small shops, where customers frequently couldn’t get what they wanted. The supermarket, by contrast, offered variety and low prices—he couldn’t see how it wouldn’t attract business.

“Since we started this project, I’ve lost interest in running those little stores. I’ve been focusing all my efforts here. I’m thinking of selling them off, recouping some cash to invest back in the supermarket, and getting the second store up and running sooner.”

Hearing this, Su Mu immediately thought of his own lack of capital. If Mr. Han put more money into the company, Su Mu’s share would inevitably be diluted.

Glancing at Mr. Han, Su Mu saw nothing unusual in his expression, so he said, “Maybe keep those shops. If the supermarket is profitable, convenience stores have even higher margins. If supermarket chains like Walmart can expand, why not a chain of convenience stores?”

Mr. Han looked at him in surprise, and Su Mu continued, “Once we have our own distribution hub, a fleet of trucks, and can buy directly from manufacturers—just like Walmart—we could easily take over those shops with QuGo funds and start a chain of convenience stores, open twenty-four hours. So there’s no need to rush.”

Su Mu didn’t know whether Mr. Han was aiming for a larger share of the company, but he didn’t want his own ideas to end up as someone else’s stepping stone.

With only three hundred thousand dollars invested, if Mr. Han, as majority shareholder, injected another three hundred thousand, Su Mu’s stake could drop below twenty-five percent.

At this point, the more optimistic Mr. Han was about QuStore’s future, the more Su Mu worried he’d be left behind. He’d already given away nearly all his supermarket management strategies—nothing especially difficult or secret, but it was entirely possible to be sidelined.

It was all due to a lack of funds. Compared to Mr. Han’s resources, Su Mu was at a clear disadvantage. He had to remain vigilant; their partnership wasn’t close enough to be considered unbreakable—after all, even blood brothers could turn on each other over money, and their own relationship was still shaky.

Mr. Han was intrigued and pressed, “Tell me more—this could really work. The margins on those little shops are great!”

He was a good man, but ever since QuGo Supermarket was founded, Su Mu had invested money and contributed ideas, but then disappeared for over a month, acting like a hands-off manager. Naturally, Mr. Han felt some resentment.

He owned fifty-one percent of the company, with Su Mu holding forty-nine. Their stakes were nearly equal. Su Mu had agreed to pay Mr. Han a salary—two thousand dollars a month after opening—but compared to the potential profits, that was a pittance.

Su Mu’s worries were justified. Mr. Han was indeed considering another capital injection to increase his stake. For now, it was just a thought, not yet a firm intention, so he brought it up in a vague, noncommittal way.

Growing anxious, Su Mu considered how best to nip this in the bud. He replied, “I’ve thought it over at length, and I think it’s feasible. But the supermarket hasn’t opened yet, so we don’t know if it’ll be profitable. Things look good now, but if business is bad—if people find it too far, or if there’s competition—we could be in trouble.”

“That’s why I think we shouldn’t inject more capital yet. There’s no rush to expand; we can wait until next year. Even if business isn’t great, your other shops will still make money.”

Many businesses earn profits at first, but once competitors pile in and the number of stores increases, the customer base stays the same and everyone suffers.

Mr. Han understood and began to worry. “Let’s wait and see how things go after opening. We’ve spent so long preparing; if business is good, we should get the second supermarket up and running quickly—every delay is money lost.”

“If only we could open a new store every two months like Walmart. I’m sure they’ll expand into our area soon—their pace is incredible.”

Su Mu breathed a silent sigh of relief. He knew they had to start making money quickly; otherwise, if Mr. Han put in more capital and he couldn’t match it, his own stake would certainly be diluted…