On the first day of learning the flute, Zhou You covered what a flute is, the different types of flutes, and basic fingering and blowing techniques.
He was highly motivated at the start, and time flew by in the blink of an eye.
As Sun Li put it, with diligent practice, he could probably play a tune within a month, but to become proficient, he'd need plenty more practice.
Anyway, everything is hard in the beginning. Once you take the first step, you can gradually progress from there.
Zhou You might not have much, but he has perseverance and self-discipline. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to teach himself breaststroke and freestyle using videos and textbooks, even swimming at the pool in the dead of winter.
As summer faded, the peak swimming season passed, and the pool had less to deal with. Wang Ping and Wang Fangfang came to Zhou You together to discuss something.
The three met at the swimming pool. Since there were fewer people now, Zhou You could still squeeze in a swim.
Under Wang Fangfang's careful guidance, Zhou You's freestyle was now looking decent—good enough that he could claim to know it. The rest was just long-term practice, with no shortcuts.
Seeing them again this time, they no longer had that initial excitement; they were more composed. It seemed the summer break had really helped them mature.
Wang Ping said, "So far, we've made about 3 million in total revenue, mostly from membership cards—mainly quarterly and half-yearly cards—plus a few annual cards from enthusiasts who started last year."
Wang Fangfang added, "We haven't gained many new people since last time, mostly from adding swimming training programs. Besides me and Brother Ping, we hired four more coaches, two lifeguards, and two cleaners. The coaches get a base salary plus commission."
Wang Ping continued, "As you know, Brother You, most of our coaches are from the provincial team—our old teammates—so their commission is higher, about 30% of the lesson fees."
Zhou You replied, "That's only fair. Coaches earn their money through hard work. Spending all summer in the water isn't easy. A little extra is fine. We're still building our reputation."
Wang Fangfang said, "According to our original plan, Ping and I each get 8,000 a month in salary, plus a share of the profits later. The four coaches each made about 30,000 during peak season. Lifeguards get 5,000 a month, cleaners 3,000. After water replacement costs, electricity bills, and the 200,000 contract fee, the actual profit is around 2 million."
Wang Ping added, "But that doesn't include operating costs from now until next summer. I'll just act as a coach then—there won't be many students. We'll keep one cleaner and one lifeguard. The big expenses are pool water changes, disinfection, and heating. Roughly, that's about 30,000 a month in operating costs for at least nine months, so around 300,000."
Zhou You calculated, "So the actual profit is only about 1 million? Still, not bad. At least you two have something to do."
Wang Fangfang said, "Brother You, we're more than satisfied with this. We never dreamed we'd earn this much. And we're getting salaries too—pretty high ones."
Wang Ping agreed, "Yeah, my salary is higher than before, and I don't have to soak in water all day. I'm content. But this year, there really are more people than before. It wasn't like this in the past."
Zhou You reassured them, "Don't worry. The number of swimmers will keep growing. Luzhou's population is increasing year by year, and the newcomers all have spending power."
According to the plan, they were supposed to contract one or two more pools this year. Wang Ping had wanted to expand before summer, but Zhou You held him back. Now, they could move forward.
"What do your teammates think? The peak season's over. They came here for you guys. Swim coaches rely on summer to make money. What do they do the rest of the time?" Zhou You asked, looking at them. He wanted to gauge their character—he didn't want to end up supporting a bunch of ingrates. He wasn't a pure businessman.
Wang Ping sighed helplessly. "That's the tough part of this industry. Summer is too short. Those with connections head south to find work; those without pick up side gigs or take base salaries at big venues."
Wang Fangfang added, "We want to open branches to give everyone a way out. Otherwise, the off-season is brutal. And once we lose top-tier coaches, especially female ones, it's hard to get them back."
Honestly, Zhou You hadn't expected the first pool to turn a profit. He'd just hoped to break even. It was a stroke of luck.
That first success gave them confidence in building a high-end chain in the future.
Zhou You thought it over and said, "Here's my idea—see if it works. Since they're all your teammates, they're top talent in the swimming world. It'd be a shame to let them go now that they're here."
"As the peak season winds down, slowly approach some high-end hotels and negotiate with them. Use our contract terms as a reference. Emphasize the benefits we bring and our premium resources—we have real cases to show."
"Most hotels lose money running their own pools, and it ties up a lot of manpower and resources. You can spread your teammates across different locations. Even a mediocre pool can support at least one coach."
Wang Ping and Wang Fangfang were relieved to hear Zhou You say that. As the major shareholder, if he didn't agree, they wouldn't have the confidence to push forward. The pool business might be profitable now, but losing money is just as easy.
If summer doesn't take off and you don't build enough capital, it's hard to survive the winter.
"Alright, that's what I was thinking too. But do you have any hotels or locations in mind? That way, we'll have a clearer direction," Wang Ping asked Zhou You for advice.
Zhou You knew which areas would be better in the future. A high-end pool needs a surrounding population with high spending power to sustain it.
The government district was a must for the first location. He'd also look at the high-tech zone and Baohe District.
"Focus on high-end hotel pools in the government district, high-tech zone, and Baohe District. Avoid areas with established old pools—some are run by your senior classmates and have been around for years. You won't have a competitive edge there," Zhou You advised.
Zhou You wasn't in a rush. As long as it was done before the New Year, it was fine. Besides, they were all in the swimming circle, so finding these resources would be relatively easy.
Finally, Zhou You decided to wait and see what the contract fees would be. If there was any surplus after contracting, he'd give them both a share of the profits for the New Year. After all, they'd worked hard all year—it wouldn't feel right not to give them something.
They beamed at the news. Even if the total wasn't huge, they'd still get a few thousand each.
The main thing was job stability. Unlike before, when they were jumping from one thing to another, earning money one day and worrying about the next.
As things improved, their dividends would only grow.