"It's hard to say what the chances of success are," Jiang Dashan said, changing the subject. "However, I think I can talk to you about cooperation, Mr. Xu. The more than thirty members of my Disabled Persons' Federation are eagerly anticipating this cooperation with Xu's Catering!"

Before Xu An could reply, Jiang Dashan continued, "When will Mr. Xu have time to come to Zhuzhou City? I'll invite my old classmate to take you to try the local delicacies of Zhuzhou City!"

Having said all that, Xu An, no novice in business, naturally understood Jiang Dashan's unspoken meaning.

"When are you free?" Xu An glanced at his watch and smiled, "I'm free this afternoon. If you and your classmate are both available, Section Chief Jiang, how about we meet at seven o'clock tonight?"

"What a coincidence! We just happened to have dinner together tonight."

After ending the call, Xu An returned to the shop with light steps. Led by the real estate agent, he looked at four shops in a row and finally selected two shops and signed contracts. From now on, these two shops will be the branches of Xu's Fast Food and Xu's Braised Food in Dongqing City!

Holding two contracts wrapped in kraft paper, Xu An walked out of the real estate agency. Amid the agent's enthusiastic farewell, he opened the car door, sat down, told the driver the address, and then took out his phone to dial Lu Shengnan's number.

"Shengnan, this is Xu An. I need to go to Zhuzhou City now. I'll leave the task of checking on the completed shops in town this afternoon to you."

"Yes, I've asked around. The opening ceremony will be at 9:00 AM on Saturday, the day after tomorrow, and the store will open promptly at 10:00 AM. Please make the necessary arrangements and plans. I'll review them when I get back tomorrow."

"By the way, those shops you shortlisted in Dongqing City are all pretty good. I've picked two next to each other and rented them. The contracts are already signed. You can arrange for people to come here and start the renovations. You can look for a few more people. Things in Jiangyuan City should be coming soon too, and we also need to prepare in advance for Zhuzhou City."

After listening to Lu Shengnan reiterate her work arrangements and confirming that nothing had been omitted, Xu An made another phone call.

"Uncle Han, this is Xu An. Yes, we need to purchase equipment again. I just sent you a list; please provide me with three sets according to this list."

"Yes, it's from three shops. One set will be shipped to Dongqing City in five days. I'll give you the address for the second set later. The third set will be prepared and kept in reserve."

After finishing their business, Xu An was about to exchange a few pleasantries with Han Yuanping when the image of the abandoned paper mill suddenly popped into his mind.

After leasing such a large factory, it will definitely need to be equipped with large production lines. When I visited the factory last time, I saw those large production lines, which were really huge. Whether it's manufacturing, transportation, or installation, it will take a lot of time. It's better to ask in advance.

"Uncle Han, I'd like to ask how long it takes from purchasing to completing the installation of a large-scale fruit and vegetable washing and processing line, a large-scale food vacuum packaging line, and so on?"

"Hmm!" Han Yuanping's eyes lit up upon hearing this. He hadn't expected Xu An to bring him one surprise after another today!

First, the business expanded beyond Shanghai, purchasing three sets of kitchen equipment in one go. Now, they're talking about several production lines. I knew I hadn't misjudged them; Xu's Catering is truly a promising company!

"These are all large pieces of equipment. The factory only starts production after receiving orders and deposits. Including waiting time, it usually takes 15-20 days to produce them. The subsequent installation and debugging also take 3-5 days."

After saying that, Han Yuanping suggested, "Mr. Xu, if you want to make purchases, it's best to place your order a month in advance. That's the safest approach."

"Okay, I understand. If there are any purchasing needs, I will definitely contact you, Uncle Han, a month in advance!"

"Then I'll start looking forward to Mr. Xu contacting me from today onwards!"

After the phone call, Han Yuanping was in a very good mood. Let alone several large production lines, as long as Xu An placed another order, he would meet his performance target for the year. The bonus he could earn in the remaining two months would be double!

Han Yuanping has collaborated with many companies and knows that once a company like Xu's Catering rises to prominence, it will enter a phase of rapid expansion. There are still three months until the Chinese New Year! Perhaps the orders from Xu's Catering in January will allow him to meet three to five months of next year's performance requirements ahead of schedule!

Han Yuanping walked briskly out of the office, intending to go to the factory to see the large production line that Xu An had specifically mentioned. However, he ran into Xiao Hu, who had received Xu An that day, as soon as he stepped out.

"You're lucky, kid! Next month..."

Han Yuanping wanted to offer his congratulations, but remembering that Xu An hadn't officially paid the deposit yet, he swallowed the rest of his words and gave a meaningful smile. After smiling, he strode away, leaving Xiao Hu standing there dumbfounded, not knowing what had happened.

In a private room at a hotel in Zhuzhou City.

"How's it going for you guys? I've run into a tough nut to crack!" The Mediterranean man chuckled smugly after downing a can of beer. "Too bad he doesn't know we're all in this together. No matter who we contact, the price is ten bucks!"

"I'm doing alright here," the man in the vest said with a sly grin, making a money-counting gesture. "All done, three places, haha!"

"My situation is almost there too. After you rejected me, my attitude softened immediately. I'll just have to work hard for the next few days and it should be almost done!"

"What a bunch of old fogies! Didn't the Education Bureau raise the price cap for lunch? It's not like they're the ones paying, yet they're all stubbornly sticking to the price. Even though it went up by two yuan, we just added a side dish to go with our rice."

"Just hang in there. Once other schools raise their prices, he'll have to raise his too, otherwise the other schools will hate him. Being a good person isn't so easy!"

"Haha, right, right, just hang in there, let's drink! Tonight, let's all drink our fill and not leave until we're drunk!"

(End of this chapter)