After thinking for a moment, Shen Fang picked up his phone and made a call.

"Mr. Chen, I heard from Lanlan that you wanted to see me?"

"Mr. Shen, you're back in Beijing? Nothing much, just that we're short on funds for the expansion last time. But there's good news: someone has offered 200 million to finance our South Beauty business. You're the major shareholder, so this is your decision."

Shen Fang narrowed his eyes: "Someone's offering 200 million? How many shares does that sucker want?"

40 percent.

Shen Fang sneered: "Sister Lan, did you get the funds from there? Financing is fine, but wanting 40% of 200 million is too low."

"Mr. Shen, they're still willing to talk, so this is a quote. When would be a convenient time for you to discuss this in person?"

"I start school tomorrow, and I don't have much time lately, so I'll just wait until Sunday. Just let me know when you've arranged to meet up with someone."

"Yes, Mr. Shen."

The call ended.

Shen Kun looked at Chen Fang.

"Third Uncle, what's the situation with Zhang Lan?"

Shen Fang sneered: "This woman is something else. I don't know where she got the investors, but she wants to take 40% of the shares, plus her 15%. Tsk tsk."

Shen Kun understood: "You mean, Zhang Lan wants to take over South Beauty?"

Shen Fang nodded: "I guess the investors must have agreed to Zhang Lan's conditions, otherwise why would she be so kind as to act as a go-between? Do you think I'm short of money?"

Shen Kun looked at Shen Fang and said, "Third Uncle, Zhang Lan is not the kind of woman who dares to stay subordinate for long. When you invested in her, didn't you predict that she would turn against you sooner or later? But the shares are all in your hands. As long as you don't give up your shares, can she still outmaneuver you? Sun Wukong can't escape the Five Finger Mountain."

Shen Fang shook his head: "I'm afraid she'll start her own business and then engage in cutthroat competition. This woman is quite knowledgeable about the catering industry, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to build such a large scale in just two years. Well, she just wants control, so I took action. Anyway, I don't think South Beauty can go very far."

Shen Kun looked at Chen Fang: "Third Uncle, South Beauty is very popular right now, and it has a good reputation."

Shen Fang smiled and said, "The reason why South Beauty is so popular is for two reasons. First, it can now afford to use public funds for dining and drinking. Second, it takes a high-end route, and the prices of its dishes are not affordable for ordinary people. Xiao Kun, what do you think are the most well-known brands in the catering industry now?"

Shen Kun thought for a moment: "KFC? McDonald's? Little Sheep Hot Pot? Pizza Hut?"

Shen Fang nodded: "More or less. Then take a look and see which of these four brands follows the same path as South Beauty?"

Shen Kun shook his head: "These are all places that ordinary people frequently visit."

Chen Fang lit a cigarette: "In the current domestic environment, you can pay for meals with IOUs and get reimbursed. But what if the policy changes and you can't do that anymore? Do you think South Beauty would still be as popular as it is now? To succeed in the catering industry, you need to make it affordable for ordinary people. Only by accumulating a large number of customers will your brand gain recognition and support, and only then can you develop. High-end catering is indeed necessary, but to build a brand, I can only say it's wishful thinking. A high-end restaurant needs all sorts of diverse talents to barely succeed."

The chain store model is not advisable; you can't achieve unified management. It's different with affordable fast food; that's the biggest difference. Furthermore, I predict that the food service industry will enter a delivery era within the next 15 years. Urban development is accelerating, and capital will gradually accumulate. Currently, jobs are generally low-exploitation; you leave on time. But when capital arrives, you won't have that luxury. You've been to Hong Kong; overtime is commonplace. Once this trend takes hold, do you think bosses will be exploiting their employees?

Shen Kun thought for a moment: "Of course they'll exploit their employees. If they don't work overtime, who will the boss make money from? But there's not much capital investment in China right now. Companies that require overtime are usually factories and internet companies. It can't be that serious, right?"

Shen Fang sneered: "The greatest advantage of Chinese people is that they don't learn the good things, but the bad ones. If bosses aren't a little ruthless, how can they get rich? It can be summed up in two words."

Shen Kun asked, "Those two words?"

"Money and profit. The character for money is composed of the radical for 'dagger' and the character for profit is composed of the radical for 'knife.' These two characters fully illustrate the saying, 'A horse won't get fat without night grass.' But this 'night grass' refers to these employees waiting to be slaughtered. We are very good at exploiting people in China. In the past, there were plenty of landlords and wealthy people. When one company starts exploiting, other companies will follow suit. The rise of 966, 007, 886, and 715 is only a matter of time."

PS: 996, 007, 886, and 715 refer to work schedules commonly found in the internet industry. 996 means working from 9 AM to 9 PM, six days a week; 007 means working from midnight to midnight, seven days a week; 886 means working from 8 AM to 8 PM, six days a week; and 715 means working seven days a week, 15 hours a day. These work schedules are all illegal and violate labor laws.

"When these work models take off, the domestic catering industry will no longer be the same as before, where everyone is exhausted, getting up earlier than chickens and sleeping later than dogs. Do you think they will still be willing to travel far to eat? Even if they wanted to, they wouldn't have the time. Therefore, the future of the catering industry will belong to fast food."

Shen Kun nodded: "I've learned something, Third Uncle. So you're planning to sell your shares this time?"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!