Chapter 126: Making Money Boils Down to Two Words—Knowing the Ropes

"For the past two days, trucks have been hauling stone to the glass factory. The owner is an old man, formerly a blasting technician at the No. 1 Mine. Now that he’s out on his own, although he hasn't disclosed the exact figures, I’d guess his monthly profit is at least five hundred yuan."

Chen Huajiang said leisurely, scanning the room.

Liang Long, who had only arrived today, was in the dark, but Zhang Bao and the others knew exactly who he meant, having seen Chen chatting with the old man.

"No way, right?"

"That old man looks so ragged; how could he possibly be making that kind of money?"

"Brother Chen, I find that hard to believe. That old guy even smokes filterless cigarettes. If he were really making that much, why would he—"

Zhang Bao and the others shook their heads, unable to believe it.

Chen Huajiang smiled, lit a cigarette, and puffed away as he explained.

"The old man’s name is Wang Shan. He spent over twenty years doing blasting work for the No. 1 Mine company. He can stand on a hillside and understand the rock structure like the back of his hand. He knows exactly where to drill, where to plant the explosives, and how many tons of rock a single blast will yield."

"He calls for trucks to haul the blasted stone, gets it weighed, and keeps the books. A few blasts a day yield thousands of tons of rock. After deducting labor costs, he makes a profit of at least fifty cents per ton. That’s dozens of yuan a day, several hundred a month."

"The rest is just a matter of running to factories and construction sites that need stone. If there’s high demand, he blasts more, and the profit grows. That’s the 'in.' The old man was already an insider; otherwise, how could he possibly strike out on his own? He’s a Grade 6 master blaster. If he didn't have a clear path to profit, would he have given up his status to become a self-employed businessman?"

"Getting into the 'in' is the essence of doing business. All the socializing, passing around cigarettes, drinking, and calling each other 'brother'—that’s all just superficial. Unfortunately, many people mistake the superficial for the essence, and in the end, they can't make any money, even convincing themselves that making money is as hard as reaching the heavens."

Chen Huajiang looked at them with a smile, waiting for them to digest his words, and took a drink from the cup on the table.

The weather today was stifling, making one inexplicably thirsty.

Liang Long and the others exchanged glances, their expressions showing surprise, but soon, a sense of understanding dawned on them.

They all knew Chen Huajiang was right. If there wasn't money to be made, Old Wang would never have abandoned the comfortable benefits of the No. 1 Mine to strike out on his own.

But what did this have to do with them?

"Now, about myself. Liang Long must be wondering why I dared to set everything aside to go into the catering business. Why I dared to take over the Nantian Catering operation, and why I dared to spend so much money here to set up a catering training center—and offer it for free?"

Chen Huajiang put down his teacup and asked with a smile, scanning them.

This time, Liang Long and the others nodded vigorously and sat up straight, knowing Chen Huajiang was getting to the point.

"The principle is the same: because I have the 'in.' Like Wang Shan, I am an insider. He understands blasting and the stone market; I understand cooking and the catering market."

"I know exactly which street is suitable for opening a shop and which is not. I know which areas have high foot traffic, perfect for high-volume catering, and which areas have less traffic but are better for cultivating a reputation-based market."

"This place doesn't have as much foot traffic as other areas, and the existing customer base is small. But the environment here is good—the tree-lined paths are perfect for people to eat, drink, and hang out in the evenings. As long as the flavors are good enough to trigger a ripple effect, the business will eventually grow strong. Put another way—"

Chen Huajiang smiled at them and crushed his cigarette butt in the ashtray.

"One customer the first day, two the second, four on the third, eight on the fourth, sixteen on the fifth, thirty-two on the sixth."

"It only takes a month to create a food street with sufficient foot traffic and an explosive reputation. If one person brings in twenty cents of profit, ten people mean two yuan, a hundred people mean twenty yuan, and a thousand people mean two hundred. The more people there are, the more customers will buy from multiple stalls at once. This is simple multiplication—nothing more than an elementary school math problem."

"I don't care much for the former; the latter is the core. That's why I don't care if others leave. What I care about is using this place as a base, as a market to be managed, and finding people who are willing to work hard and build a genuine reputation. As long as people think of this place when they want good food, the money will come easily and steadily. Conversely, no matter how much foot traffic there is, if you can't build a reputation, you can't retain customers, and any profit will just be a one-off. Do you understand now?"

Chen Huajiang looked at them and asked with a smile.

"So that's it!" Liang Long agreed, though he only half-understood, playing the role of the straight man for Chen Huajiang.

"Understood."

"Got it."

Zhang Bao and the others nodded. With Chen Huajiang laying it all out, they understood the logic to some extent.

The point was that Chen Huajiang had a solid plan; the fact that he had invested everything showed he was serious about building this place up.

At the same time, they were filled with motivation, realizing their own importance.

Days passed, and in the blink of an eye, a week went by.

Every night, Gao Yun would take a stroll through the tree-lined paths, watching the sparse groups of customers and listening to the dismissive comments of the neighbors when she returned.

She gradually began to feel that something was off; it seemed as if there were more and more people.

"Thank you for your patronage, that will be thirty cents."

"The kid is so cute; this skewer of gluten is on the house."

Today, Gao Yun was wandering around as usual, smelling the aromas floating in the air and watching Zhang Bao and the others bustle about.

She was inexplicably surprised to find that some people were actually queuing up!

"This grilled gluten tastes pretty good; it's delicious."

"Little Wuzi was right. I never expected him to find a place like this. The food is good and the price isn't high. Plus, there's the grove nearby; having a beer here is quite the experience."

"Isn't that the truth? Why didn't I discover this place before? Let's come back tomorrow after work and bring Old Liu and the others so they can see for themselves."

Gao Yun walked over and listened to the discussion among the crowd, feeling a strange sense of daze.

Everything here was actually improving. Judging by what everyone was saying, they would be back tomorrow, and they would bring even more people.

"Oh, it's Gao Yun. Want a skewer? Taste it, it's free, on the house."

Zhang Bao was grilling gluten and basting lamb skewers, sprinkling Chen Huajiang’s secret seasoning on them, the air thick with an enticing aroma.

Zhang Bao certainly knew Gao Yun; they saw each other every day, as their courtyards were separated by only a wall.

He also knew that the people from Gao Yun’s martial arts hall never bought anything from them because of the conflict with Chen Huajiang.

So, Zhang Bao’s comment was purely teasing; he didn't expect Gao Yun to actually try his skewers.

"Give me one skewer of gluten and two lamb skewers."

But this time, to Zhang Bao's astonishment, Gao Yun ordered a few items.

Of course, Gao Yun didn't take advantage of him; she paid directly and then found an empty table to eat.

Although she was a bit tempted, she approached it with a critical mindset.

"I want to see what's so good about this stuff that so many people are running over here to eat it."

Gao Yun muttered, picking up the grilled gluten and taking a bite.