Chapter 227: A Devil Within
Chapter 227: Chapter 226: A Devil Within
Around seven in the evening, Yu Zhiming got off work and returned to his home in the Zijin Garden District. He was immediately greeted by the rich aroma of food and the sight of Zhang Bai busy in the kitchen.
Yu Zhiming walked over to the dining table and saw it was laden with braised pork ribs, shiitake mushroom stewed chicken, steamed turbot, scrambled eggs with tomato, and home-style tofu…
They were all simple, home-style dishes, but the aroma and presentation were enough to make one’s mouth water and appetite soar…
A few minutes later, Yu Zhiming, Yu Xiangwan, Gu Qingning, and Zhang Bai were all seated at the table.
Yu Zhiming was the first to try the stewed chicken. The flavor was indeed far beyond what his Fourth Sister’s amateur cooking could ever achieve.
“Zhang Bai, your cooking is incredible. You could rival a chef at a Michelin-starred hotel.”
“Do you have a chef’s license?”
Zhang Bai chuckled. “It’s nothing special, just a matter of practice.”
“Ever since I was in elementary school, my mom was too busy with work to cook, so I was the one who made lunch and dinner most of the time…”
As he spoke, a look of sorrow suddenly crossed Zhang Bai’s face, and he trailed off, unable to continue.
Yu Zhiming sighed inwardly and changed the subject. “We have the National Day holiday off on Tuesday. We’re planning to visit the Lake and Mountain Lodge in the suburbs. I hear the scenery is beautiful.”
“Zhang Bai, you should come with us and relax!”
Zhang Bai composed himself, forcing a slight smile.
“Dr. Yu, thank you for the invitation.”
“I think I’ll stay in the city to help Xiang Wan look after the short-term rentals and see if I can find a few more suitable properties.”
Yu Xiangwan added, her voice bubbling with excitement, “Fifth Brother, I have great news! The company’s business license came through.”
“Xiang Wan Apartment Management Co., Ltd. Scope of business: property management, real estate brokerage, catering services…”
“Catering services?” Yu Zhiming interrupted.
Yu Xiangwan poked Zhang Bai. “Zhang Bai, why don’t you give Fifth Brother the details.”
Zhang Bai took a sip of soup to wash down his food.
“With so many people living in the rental apartments, the kitchens get a little crowded around mealtimes.”
“I’ve been looking around Huashan Hospital and Ning’an Hospital these past few days. I found that there are plenty of restaurants near Huashan Hospital, but they’re a bit pricey.”
“And inside Huashan Hospital, the cafeteria open to patients and their families serves very mediocre food.”
“As for the area around Ning’an Hospital, there are hardly any small eateries suitable for ordinary people.”
Gu Qingning couldn’t help but chime in, “The dining environment and food quality at the cafeteria for patients and families inside Ning’an Hospital are actually quite good.”
Zhang Bai nodded. “They are quite good, but the prices are ’quite good’ too—even more expensive than the restaurants outside.”
After a pause, Zhang Bai continued, “Xiang Wan and I were discussing whether we could open a large cafeteria near the hospitals.”
“Besides offering affordable fast food, we could also offer a processing service. Families could bring their own ingredients, and we’d cook the dishes for them for a small processing fee of a few yuan.”
“We could also rent out stove tops, allowing families to cook their own hometown specialties.”
Yu Zhiming nodded lightly. “Processing ingredients, renting out stoves… that’s a pretty good idea.”
“Patients generally have poor appetites and prefer to eat dishes that taste like home.”
Gu Qingning asked, “Processing ingredients and renting out stoves would require a lot of chefs and a very large kitchen.”
“The costs wouldn’t be low. Would the processing and rental fees be enough to cover them?”
Zhang Bai smiled. “That’s certainly a concern. The plan Xiang Wan and I have is for this cafeteria not to be a primary profit center, but rather an added service for Xiang Wan Apartments.”
“Also, we hope the revenue from the fast food section can offset the costs of the ingredient processing and stove rentals.”
Yu Xiangwan took over the conversation. “The problem now is that it’s hard to find a property, and it needs to be as close to the hospitals as possible.”
“But the rent around Huashan Hospital is too high.”
Zhang Bai chuckled. “So, we decided to settle for the next best thing and open a small, similar cafeteria where the short-term rentals are concentrated.”
“We can offer similar services to our tenants and nearby residents. This way, we can gain experience and test the viability of the model.”
Yu Xiangwan looked at Yu Zhiming with a sly grin. “Fifth Brother, opening a small cafeteria… the initial investment isn’t exactly small.”
“Rent, renovations, equipment, hiring staff… you can’t do it for less than several hundred thousand.”
Yu Zhiming rolled his eyes and snorted. “I knew it. You’ve got your sights set on my September salary again.”
Yu Xiangwan chuckled slyly again. “Fifth Brother, I’ll borrow from you in the company’s name. I’ll pay the maximum interest rate, plus give you a share of the profits.”
Yu Zhiming scoffed and teased, “Fourth Sister, with the way you’re doing things, what year will I ever see a profit share?”
Yu Xiangwan huffed indignantly. “Based on the current rental income and expenses, my short-term rentals are already profitable. Each apartment is making at least two or three thousand a month.”
“It’s just that I keep reinvesting the money I make to rent new places.”
“Fifth Brother, just wait! Once my company snowballs and goes public, we’ll be billionaires!”
Yu Zhiming reached out and felt his Fourth Sister’s forehead, saying with mock concern, “You don’t have a fever. Why are you spouting such nonsense?”
Gu Qingning chuckled lightly. “Maybe she’s sleep-talking.”
Zhang Bai smiled. “Personally, I think the growth prospects for a model based on short-term rentals and a cafeteria for the families of patients at major hospitals are quite good.”
“If we take it step by step and develop methodically, forget going public, but I think reaching a scale of over a hundred million in revenue is achievable.”
Gu Qingning played devil’s advocate. “This model is easy for others to copy. Once capital gets involved, it’ll just turn into a price war and end in a total mess.”
“Just look at the long-term rental apartment industry that was once all the rage!”
Zhang Bai hummed in agreement. “That’s why we can’t get greedy. We need to leverage Dr. Yu’s reputation and connections, proceed cautiously, and focus on capturing the market around Huashan Hospital, Ning’an Hospital, and Jiaoda Affiliated Hospital first.”
“I’ve done a rough estimate. These three hospitals alone are enough to support a short-term rental market worth over a hundred million.”
“We won’t be greedy; we’ll just aim to capture twenty or thirty million of it. Once we have the capital and resources, we can expand to other hospitals…”
And so, the four of them sat around the table of delicious food, happily chatting about business and the future, their spirits high…
After dinner, once the table was cleared and the kitchen was clean, Yu Xiangwan and Zhang Bai went out for a stroll.
Gu Qingning handed Yu Zhiming a cup of tea and asked, “What do you think about your Fourth Sister’s business?”
Yu Zhiming took the cup and sipped the tea.
“For the short-term rental business, as long as the prices are reasonable and the management is good, there shouldn’t be a shortage of patients’ families looking to stay.”
“As for the cafeteria with ingredient processing and stove rentals, as long as it’s affordable and the food tastes good, there won’t be a lack of customers.”
Yu Zhiming said slowly, “To be blunt, neither of these is a high-profit industry. You’re earning honest, hard-earned money.”
“My sister is dedicated, not greedy, and not afraid of hard work. If she keeps moving forward step by step, it’s bound to grow.”
“The problems are more likely to arise once it reaches a certain scale. Zhang Bai is a smart guy. Now that he’s here to help and plan, I feel much more at ease.”
Gu Qingning asked, feigning a joking tone, “Aren’t you worried he’ll end up usurping the business?”
Yu Zhiming said with a calm expression, “I’m a doctor. And a fairly skilled one, at that.”
“Doctors can not only save people, but also harm them. I will make sure Zhang Bai understands this point very clearly.”
His words sent a mysterious chill down Gu Qingning’s spine, and she couldn’t help but shiver.
“Zhiming, you’re joking with me, right?”
Yu Zhiming gave a faint smile, his voice low. “I’m not joking. I’m completely serious.”
“I grew up being doted on by my family. Now that I have some ability, it’s my turn to protect them.”
“If things end amicably, everything is fine. But if anyone hurts my family, I definitely won’t just stand by and watch.”
Gu Qingning sat down closer to Yu Zhiming, then reached out and poked him in the chest.
“Is there a devil living in here?”
Yu Zhiming gave her a look. “Don’t they say there’s a devil living inside everyone?”
“Usually, it’s suppressed by our better nature.”
“But once a line is crossed, that devil is unleashed and can no longer be controlled.”
Gu Qingning asked, “So, your family is your line?”
Yu Zhiming smiled. “Isn’t family the line for most people?”
Gu Qingning nodded. “That’s true.”
“Hey, Zhiming… if someone were to hurt me, I mean really, seriously hurt me, what would you do for me?”
Yu Zhiming met Gu Qingning’s expectant gaze and said, “If your family couldn’t get justice for you, I would find a way to make it right on your behalf.”
That answer…
Gu Qingning wasn’t quite satisfied, but she couldn’t say he was wrong, either.
She couldn’t help but pout.
Just then, Yu Zhiming’s phone rang. It was a call from the director’s secretary, He Yingjun.
“Secretary He, good evening.”
“Dr. Yu, good evening. Regarding the incident today with Bai Shulan’s impersonation, the hospital will handle it seriously and ensure nothing similar ever happens again.”
Yu Zhiming replied casually, “You guys can handle that however you see fit. Just make sure she doesn’t show her face around me again.”
He Yingjun’s voice was clear over the phone. “Don’t worry, Dr. Yu. I will give her a stern warning and make sure she doesn’t cause any more trouble.”
After a pause, he changed the subject. “Dr. Yu, do you have any plans for the National Day holiday?”
Yu Zhiming replied, “I’m going with my family to a lodge in the suburbs that’s supposed to have nice scenery. We’ll be there for a few days.”
“Is something up, Secretary He?”
He Yingjun chuckled. “Well, Dr. Yu, it’s like this. Someone came to me saying they have a relative in Australia who isn’t in good health and can’t conveniently travel back to China.”
“They’d like to invite you to Australia for a trip, all expenses paid for food, lodging, and travel over the National Day holiday, just to give their relative a check-up.”
Yu Zhiming politely declined. “To be honest with you, Secretary He, I haven’t even applied for a passport.”
“So a trip to Australia is definitely out of the question…”
After ending the call with He Yingjun, Yu Zhiming saw that Gu Qingning had brought over the erhu.
“Zhiming, I want to hear ’Sweetness’…”