Chapter Seventy-Seven: Arranging for the Eldest Brother

Zhao Fan thought about it and realized it was true. Zhao Haitian was different from others; he truly belonged to the kind of person who had no ideas of his own and was easily swayed by others.

“In that case, let’s settle the matter of opening the supermarket.”

“Alright, no problem.”

With the decision made, Zhao Fan brought up the issue of location.

“Big brother, where do you want to open it?”

Zhao Haitian hesitated for a moment and asked, “Brother, where do you think I should open it?”

“My suggestion is to open it near a school.”

The supermarket had quite a reputation in Yangcheng, but due to its location, most people had never been there. Considering Feiteng Supermarket’s positioning, it was best for Zhao Haitian’s store to avoid direct competition for now, so opening near a school seemed most suitable.

“Sell some stationery and snacks. If a residential complex pops up in the future, you can expand to include other goods. Normally, you definitely won’t lose money.”

Zhao Haitian nodded repeatedly. “Let’s do as you say, brother.”

Zhao Fan was speechless.

Honestly, if the man before him wasn’t his own brother, Zhao Fan would have been tempted to sell him off.

He sighed and picked up a piece of meat for Zhao Yuner. “Yuner, we can’t be as guileless as your father in the future. We need to have ideas, make plans, understand?”

Zhao Yuner nodded, half-understanding.

Zhao Haitian felt awkward. Here he was, sitting right next to them.

But in the end, it was good for Yuner to learn from Zhao Fan. As a father, he knew he was of little use and didn’t want to hold his child back.

Once they finished discussing matters and eating, the family returned to their villa.

The spacious environment lifted their spirits, but even more so, it filled them with hope for the future.

The night passed quietly. The next day, Zhao Fan deliberately called Xu An, and together with Zhao Haitian, the three of them toured all the schools in Yangcheng.

After weighing the options, they finally settled on a location—an experimental elementary school near their old neighborhood.

Though “near” was relative; in reality, it was seven or eight miles away, and they had to cross an intersection to get there.

On both sides of the street were all sorts of small eateries—so many it was astonishing.

Zhao Fan found it odd. “Why are there so many restaurants here?”

Xu An replied, “Let me ask around.”

He was gone briefly, then hurried back. “I found out. This area is a bit out of the way, so many students don’t go home for lunch.”

Zhao Fan understood. Parents gave their children money so they could take care of lunch near school.

Experimental Elementary School…

Suddenly, Zhao Fan remembered something. In his previous life, within a year, a high school would be relocated near the experimental elementary school—Yunyang High School, one of the top two in Yangcheng.

The main reason for the move was to accommodate more students, as the original campus couldn’t handle the numbers.

After Yunyang High School relocated, the area gradually developed, and several residential complexes were built around it, all marketed as “school district housing.”

And the property prices did indeed rise sharply later on.

Xu An was still talking but noticed Zhao Fan deep in thought and quickly fell silent. This man was formidable; seeing him like this, he was probably already plotting something.

Time passed. Zhao Fan stroked his chin. “Big brother, what do you think of this area?”

At present, it wasn’t very profitable, but the future prospects were bright and full of potential.

Zhao Haitian asked in return, “What do you think?”

Zhao Fan replied, “There are a lot of students at the elementary school, and there aren’t any other similar shops nearby. As long as we open, business will be good.”

Never underestimate the student population of a school. Haven’t you seen how expensive rent is for shops near schools?

Zhao Haitian didn’t hesitate. “Let’s settle on this place, then.”

“Alright, I’ll look for a storefront. You head back first, and I’ll let you know when everything’s ready.”

“Okay.”

Zhao Haitian didn’t delay and left right away.

Zhao Fan and Xu An circled the area again.

Xu An couldn’t help but ask, “President Zhao, a small supermarket targeting students here would definitely make money, but what are your plans for the shop itself?”

Glancing at him, Zhao Fan smiled. “Looks like you have an idea. Go ahead, tell me.”

“Renting isn’t as good as buying. There are lots of restaurants here, all in the food business, so there’s little competition. But if a supermarket opens, things will be different. If the landlord is honest, there’ll be no trouble; if not…”

Xu An trailed off. His meaning was clear.

Zhao Fan stroked his chin. Xu An was right; in his previous life, he’d seen landlords get jealous of good business and either raise the rent or kick tenants out.

But to buy…

Zhao Fan looked at Xu An. “Got any connections?”

Xu An grinned, rubbing his hands. “Not exactly connections, but I do know a few people.”

“If the price is right, I’ll buy.”

If the price wasn’t right, Zhao Fan wouldn’t bother.

Xu An assured him, “The price will definitely be fair.”

“Alright, introduce me.”

“No problem.”

That evening, Xu An introduced Zhao Fan to three people, all involved in real estate development.

The rotund one was Fu Xingwang, the tall and skinny one was Jia Xiangcheng, and the one with a mustache was Diao Hongyi.

“It’s frustrating. We’ve built the buildings, bought the land, but somehow the money just never comes back,” Fu Xingwang complained.

Jia Xiangcheng chimed in, “Exactly, losses everywhere. It gives me a headache just thinking about it.”

Diao Hongyi sighed, “Let’s not talk about it. The more we say, the more disheartened I feel.”

They all groused, while Zhao Fan listened with a smile, thinking to himself, You’re griping now, but in a couple of years, you’ll be over the moon.

“It’s tough, truly tough. President Zhao, let’s have a drink,” Diao Hongyi suddenly said, turning to Zhao Fan and raising his glass.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Zhao Fan picked up his glass as well. “Please.”

He drank with each of the three, finishing his glass before leisurely getting down to business.

“I’m here today for nothing else but to help you gentlemen offload some of your properties, especially those near the experimental elementary school.”

“President Zhao, are you serious?” Jia Xiangcheng was the first to voice his doubts.

“Of course I’m serious,” Zhao Fan replied. “Even if you don’t trust me, you should trust Xu An. He’s an old acquaintance of yours; you should know his reputation.”

Xu An quickly nodded. “I won’t say much about anything else, but when it comes to trustworthiness, you can count on me.”

Diao Hongyi and Fu Xingwang exchanged a glance but said nothing.

Jia Xiangcheng agreed, “Xu An is indeed trustworthy.”

Xu An immediately raised his glass to toast Jia Xiangcheng. “You have a good eye, Boss Jia. Cheers.”

“Cheers, cheers, let’s drink.”

Jia Xiangcheng and Xu An went back and forth, downing seven or eight glasses within minutes, while on the other side, Diao Hongyi and Fu Xingwang remained silent.

Retracting his gaze, Zhao Fan smiled slightly. Of the three, Jia Xiangcheng was the most forthright and simple-minded.

Diao Hongyi and Fu Xingwang were clearly a team, and neither thought highly of Xu An.

But was it true disdain, or did they have other motives?

Lowering his eyes, Zhao Fan picked up his glass, using the gesture of drinking to conceal his emotions.