Mr. Zhao will only discuss the general direction today. The specific contract will have to wait for Jiang Xue to arrive and discuss it with the Tizhusi.

Zhao Hao is not bragging. If he had negotiated such a complicated and large contract himself, he would have spent at least 20% more money than Sister Jiang.

So Mr. Zhao felt at ease and became a hands-off boss.

After visiting Zuotang, it was already late, so Zhao Hao and Uncle Wu left Longjiang Shipyard.

Yang Tiju sent Lord Zhongcheng and Mr. Zhao to the shipyard gate and then hurried back. Although there is still some time before the contract is signed and the construction officially starts, the preparations must start now.

He heard Mr. Zhao accidentally reveal that Jiangnan Company would also place an order for 400 1,000-ton ocean-viewing ships with the Suzhou Shipyard.

As the number one shipyard in the Ming Dynasty, we cannot let our little brother in Suzhou outdo us!

~~

When Zhao Hao and Wu Shilai entered Nanjing from Qingliang Gate, it was already dark. They saw the bright lights of the street market ahead, a bustling scene.

When they arrived in front of the Zhuangyuan Archway at the entrance of the market, the two men got off the sedan chair and walked along the busy street towards Furong Lake.

This was also Mr. Zhao's first time visiting the Zhuangyuan Street Night Market. Looking at the shops lined up on both sides of the street, the vendors hawking their wares along the street, and the bustling crowds, he couldn't help but feel secretly proud...

This is all my work, hahaha, I am such a genius!

Wu Shilai couldn't help but sigh: "I remember that this place was barren before. My dear nephew, your hand really turns stone into gold."

Mr. Zhao did not show any pride at this time, and said hypocritically modestly: "It's mainly because Nanjing is a densely populated city with wealthy people. The entire west of the city lacks a place like this where you can eat, play and shop. If it were somewhere else, you wouldn't be so lucky."

"That's because my dear nephew has good vision!" Unfortunately, people have determined that he is a genius, which makes Master Zhao helpless.

As they talked, the two came to the Furong Lake. At this time, the lake was filled with withered lotus leaves, the reflection of the Red Mansion, bright lights reflected on the water, and painted boats floating on the waves. Listening to the music coming from the lakeside restaurant and the painted boats on the lake, it felt as if one was in Chenxiang Street by the Qinhuai River.

"What a great place." Wu Shilai couldn't help but sigh again. "Jinling has been prosperous for two hundred years, how come there is still a place like this left for you?"

"Luck, luck." Young Master Zhao also wanted to know how Master Qian, who paid this place as compensation to his uncle, felt now.

I guess it wouldn't be very comfortable, right?

At this time, Captain Yu and Manager Fang had already come out of the restaurant to greet them. The two of them stopped talking and walked towards the Wei Ji Xian main store which was located in the center of the lake with a smile.

~~

The lights in the big restaurant were bright. In terms of luxurious decoration and extravagant life, it was far inferior to the one run by Wu Kangyuan in Beijing. But it was better in terms of elegant decoration and quietness.

The lobby on the first floor is also empty, with no private rooms or private seats, and even no counter. Instead, there are small bridges, flowing water, green bamboos, winding paths in rockery, flowers and birds.

Especially at this time of year, when it is already winter outside, the building is in full bloom. In the rockery pavilion, graceful female roles are singing, and the melodious music of Ruanqin and flute welcomes guests, making people feel like they are in a fairyland.

"It's well done. It's different from the one in Beijing." Young Master Zhao praised Shopkeeper Fang with satisfaction. Who would have thought that a breakfast vendor would have such taste...

Oh yes, they used to run a big restaurant on the banks of the Qinhuai River when they sold breakfast.

Shopkeeper Fang had been sweating with anxiety, but only now did he feel completely relieved.

Although the master gave him full authority to arrange the dishes, if the dishes really don't meet the master's standards, Suzhou Wei Ji Xian will probably have to be prepared by someone else.

Climb up the mahogany stairs covered with thick carpet, and the private rooms are on the second floor.

The second and third floors each have twenty-four small packages, and the fourth and fifth floors each have sixteen medium packages.

The sixth and seventh floors have ten luxurious rooms each.

There are exactly one hundred private rooms in total. It is not only the largest Wei Ji Xian restaurant, but also the largest restaurant in Jinling City and even in the entire Ming Dynasty. It is worthy of the name of Wei Ji Xian headquarters.

The main store's operating methods and pricing are exactly the same as Jingcheng Wei Jixian. It only accepts reservations, and you can eat set meals or order dishes, but the price of the dishes ordered cannot be lower than the set meal.

Naturally, this store also has the highest revenue. If the restaurant is full, not counting the revenue from drinks, the head office can make a minimum of 4,240 taels a day, nearly twice that of the Beijing store.

In fact, when they were in Suzhou last time, Manager Fang had reported to Zhao Hao the income and expenditure of the first quarter of business.

From the official opening of the main store on July 8th to October 6th, nearly three months, Wei Jixian had a total revenue of 473,000 taels, including 83,000 taels of revenue from liquor.

After deducting the cost of 227,000 taels, the total profit for the quarter reached 246,000 taels.

According to convention, all the employees of the restaurant, including the kitchen staff, waiters and waitresses, grooms, security guards, resident musicians, actors, courtesans, etc., more than 500 people... can share half of the profit, which is 12,300 taels.

Of course, the chefs and famous musicians would take nearly half of the money, but the average employee could also get more than four taels of silver per month.

Add to that an extra 1 or 2 taels of wages, and that’s a total income of more than 5 or 2 taels, enough to earn several months of hard work elsewhere.

Shopkeeper Fang told Zhao Hao that there were countless people trying their best to get into the restaurant and serve dishes.

In fact, most people don’t know that when Wei Ji Xian first opened in Caijia Lane, even the waiters could earn twelve taels of silver a month.

The incentive policy has not changed, the only thing that has changed is the surge in the number of employees, which has diluted the rewards.

Therefore, employees work hard and energetically every day. Firstly, they are worried that they will be fired if they do not perform well, and then they will never find such a high-paying job again.

Second, they are afraid that something might go wrong and affect the business of the store. If the profit drops, their bonus will also shrink...

Third, everyone should try to work as much as possible, so that the store can hire fewer people to share their bonuses.

Manager Fang never expected that a simple incentive policy would completely activate the sense of ownership of the store clerks.

Such a large hotel can run efficiently without much effort, and there is no common phenomenon of redundant staff due to large business volume.

This is also the source of his confidence that he doesn't have to stay here all day and can open another flagship store in Suzhou.

~~

Zhao Hao was originally quite worried. Would the bad economic situation affect the hotel's occupancy rate? Unexpectedly, he was worrying too much.

The main store has been packed every day since its opening. Even though there are a hundred private rooms, it takes ten days to half a month in advance to book a table.

Obviously, after the previous accumulation of word-of-mouth, plus the legendary bonus of his father and son, the wealthy people in Jinling have already regarded Wei Jixian as being on the same level as those top restaurants in Banqiao area.

In that brothel where the fare to board a pleasure boat is fifty taels of silver, ten or twenty taels of silver are not enough to reward my godmother with a big teapot.

In this comparison, Wei Ji Xian has a price advantage and it is no wonder that it immediately becomes the first choice for dignitaries and wealthy businessmen to entertain guests.

P.S. The reason why it took longer than expected to search for information is that there are too many conflicts in the various archives. If you want to separate the true from the false, you have to keep looking for more original or more authoritative information, and the result is a nesting doll. Alas, at least our attitude is correct, so I still have to ask for votes for the red eyes next month!