Some were happy, others were worried.
Li Houliang had been frowning and scratching his head for days. After retiring, he opened a training gym, managed to keep it going for a few years, and finally saw some improvement. But then the landlord decided to sell the property, claiming cash flow issues from his business—no way around it. It pissed Li Houliang off so much he wanted to fight him, but life wasn't about brawling; force couldn't solve real-world problems.
Lately, he'd been scouring for new venues, but with limited funds, wanting something cheap and spacious wasn't easy to find. Plus, a martial arts gym was unique—he couldn't set it up in a crowded area, or the neighbors downstairs would complain nonstop, and he couldn't handle that.
Zhou You visited almost daily, but he hadn't paid much attention and didn't know the specifics. If someone didn't bring it up, you couldn't just pry. However, Wang Fangfang's words yesterday reminded him, so today he came to find Li Houliang: "Brother Liang, I noticed your training gym doesn't have a dedicated massage therapist or nutritionist. Shouldn't you hire one?"
Li Houliang, already overwhelmed, felt even more stressed hearing this. With a grim face, he said, "Brother You, I'm about to move locations. Whether I can even keep this place running is a question, let alone hiring a massage therapist or nutritionist!"
"What's wrong? Health issues? You don't look right lately. Go see a doctor if you're sick—don't delay. If you're short on cash, I'll lend you some!" Zhou You had been spending time with Li Houliang daily and really liked him. He looked big and tough with a fierce face, but his personality was relatively simple, with a touch of old-school loyalty.
Li Houliang shook his head: "Thanks, Brother You, it's not that. My landlord is selling the building, and I've got nowhere to go. I've been searching everywhere, but I can't find a suitable spot."
Hearing this, Zhou You laughed: "I thought it was something serious. This is worth worrying about? Wang Ping must've mentioned my situation to you. Why didn't you just ask me?"
"Ah, I was too embarrassed, a bit thin-skinned." Li Houliang scratched his head, feeling awkward.
"Call your landlord over now. Selling to anyone is the same. Has any buyer come by recently?" Zhou You asked.
Li Houliang had been so anxious he couldn't eat or sleep, never imagining this was no big deal to Zhou You. He couldn't hide his joy, grinning widely: "No, the landlord's in a hurry for cash too, but the place is too big to offload easily. No buyers have shown up yet."
While property prices kept soaring, that mainly applied to residential units. Commercial storefronts didn't appreciate much, and many were completely dead in terms of business. A lot of people invested in shops hoping to support three generations with one property. In the end, it turned into three generations supporting one shop!
But Zhou You didn't care now. At this price, it couldn't be that expensive.
Li Houliang went off to make a call, while Zhou You waited in the office.
Before long, the landlord rushed over, sweating profusely. He needed cash urgently, but the place was too big, and after several attempts, no one had taken it. Hearing from Li Houliang that someone wanted to buy, he hurried over.
Zhou You sized him up. The landlord was dressed casually, but owning such a large property in the provincial capital meant he was well-off. Business had its ups and downs.
The landlord grabbed a napkin from the table, wiped his sweat, and extended his hand: "You're the one looking to buy, right? Hello, I'm the landlord." He didn't dismiss Zhou You for being young—these days, you never knew who was behind someone. As long as the property sold, that was all that mattered.
"Yes, I heard the place is for sale. I've been training here and got used to the space. Too lazy to switch!" Zhou You said honestly.
The landlord was stunned for a moment before snapping back. What did that mean? Buying a whole property just for that? Was he getting old, or was society changing too fast? No wonder his business had failed. Once he sold the place and paid off his debts, he'd quit—enough to get by, no more headaches!
"This place has two floors, both mine. The upper floor I rented to A-Liang for his training gym, and the lower floor is a small supermarket—you saw it when you came in. Total of 2,000 square meters. I'm selling it all together!" the landlord stated directly.
Li Houliang's face changed when he heard that, worried the size might make Zhou You hesitate.
"Perfect. I was just thinking the second floor was too small. Buying the first floor too would let me use a lot of equipment. I was also worried about the load-bearing on the second floor!"
Zhou You genuinely meant it. Having the gym on the second floor with constant banging and crashing—though the building was solid—still made him uneasy. What if it collapsed during training? Now, he could move all training to the first floor, turn the second into a lounge, and set up a dedicated massage room, showers, bathrooms, and an office up there.
"What's the price?"
The landlord, seeing Zhou You's unchanged expression, swallowed hard: "Based on current market rates, it's over 6,300 per square meter. But since this spot is a bit out of the way, it's hard to sell. I'm in a hurry for cash, so I won't beat around the bush—6,000 flat, total 12 million."
He stared intently at Zhou You.
The price wasn't cheap, mainly due to the high total. But the location was decent—2,000 square meters across two floors in a semi-independent storefront, very quiet. Even if he didn't use it for a gym later, renting it out would bring in a good annual income.
Zhou You paused to think.
The air around them went still.
Li Houliang stood there, watching Zhou You, his mind in turmoil. If Zhou You bought it, he could keep going. If not, he'd likely have to shut down, with no idea where to go—probably ending up as a coach at another gym. The worst part was losing all his initial investment; the equipment wouldn't sell for much.
"Alright, no problem. Let's get the paperwork done as soon as possible!" Zhou You said after a few seconds of hesitation.
The atmosphere livened up again.
The landlord smiled: "Boss, you're generous!"
Li Houliang quickly chimed in: "This is President Zhou. He's been training with me—just a coincidence."
"President Zhou is truly accomplished at such a young age. I have to admire that!" The new wave pushed out the old; each generation surpassed the last. Time to retire.
This fixed-asset investment was substantial. Compared to other projects, the return rate wasn't high, but what could you say? He definitely wouldn't lose money, and sometimes, you just do what you want!
Once the deal was set, they went to the property bureau that same day to handle the paperwork. Now, the building officially belonged to Zhou You.
"Brother Liang, any thoughts?" Zhou You looked at Li Houliang, who was beaming beside him.
"Ah, no thoughts. Just keep running it. When it comes to rent, Brother You, just give me a discount," Li Houliang said bluntly.
Zhou You chuckled. Did you expect a martial artist to have a sharp business mind? That would be a rare talent—someone skilled in both arts and arms, rare even in ancient times.
"Brother Liang, ever thought about expanding? Using both floors to their full potential?" Zhou You guided him step by step.
Li Houliang's eyes drooped, and he spread his hands: "Brother You, do I look like I have money?"
Seeing Li Houliang's endearing side, Zhou You burst out laughing.
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