Chapter 780
"Meeting an Old Friend in a Foreign Land"
Cut off their funding sources, but how?
Chen Xiao thought for a moment, "That bank isn't our family business, and they don't listen to us."
"The bank has a love-hate relationship with our boss!" Zhang Ziqian covered her mouth and chuckled.
As the saying goes, with the current scale of Junxiao Group's business, even if a branch opens a regular account at a bank, the flow of funds is extremely impressive.
What they resent is that such a high-quality customer doesn't need a loan.
They practically wore out the doorstep of Junxiao Group, but they still wouldn't lend them a single penny. Even though the interest rate had been adjusted to the lowest it could go, they still wouldn't take out a loan, which made them extremely upset.
Is it appropriate for a large conglomerate like yours to have a debt-to-equity ratio of 0?
After listening to Zhang Ziqian's explanation, Qiu Qiaoqiao's eyes lit up. "Boss, maybe there really is a chance."
Chen Xiao's heart stirred, and he had some ideas. "You mean?"
Qiu Qiaoqiao nodded. "Yes, the funds for the [Black Cat Loan Platform] come from those few partner banks. Those banks cooperate with them to meet their own KPIs. Although the [Black Cat Loan Platform] provides guarantees for such cooperation, there are still some risks. Especially now that the economy is continuing to decline, the bad debt rate will be even higher."
Chen Xiao seemed to be thinking about something and gestured for her to continue.
"If you, boss, were to extend an olive branch to these banks at this time, and were willing to obtain some loans from them, do you think they would be more willing to cooperate with Junxiao Group, or with [Black Cat Loan Platform]?"
Chen Xiao laughed! Was there even a need to ask?
They would certainly like to cooperate with both, but if they had to choose one, only a fool wouldn't choose Junxiao Group.
Zhang Ziqian looked at him but didn't speak. Previously, when various banks came to plead with him, the boss wouldn't even give them face. Would he make an exception now for a "Black Cat Loan Platform"?
Just when she thought it was impossible, Chen Xiao spoke up: "Ziqian, you make the arrangements—"
Ga?
Zhang Ziqian stared at him for a long time: "Boss, you haven't been possessed, have you?"
Chen Xiao reached out and placed his hand on Zhang Ziqian's fair and smooth thigh, then slid it upwards.
Zhang Ziqian finally believed it; it was indeed the boss himself. With this kind of behavior, there was no one else like him, and Qiu Qiaoqiao was still ahead of her.
【Tianchi Hot Spring】is the most luxurious bathhouse in Jiangzhou, covering an area of 50 acres, and includes a 3-star hotel, KTV, and high-end private restaurants.
The bathhouse ticket costs 268, which includes bathing, a buffet, and free fruit and drinks.
However, none of this appealed to Chen Xiao.
He didn't come here to enjoy himself.
He came to "look".
Let's examine this seemingly glamorous "hot spring kingdom" with a condescending, scrutinizing, and judgmental eye, to see how many untenable problems lie hidden within, so that we can label it as "shut down and undergo rectification."
In places like this, there are essentially two easiest paths to finding the problem:
Fire hazard.
Or... those unspoken, gray-area reasons.
For anyone operating a lucrative and chaotic entertainment venue like this, these two hurdles are virtually insurmountable barriers. Without sufficiently strong "connections" and backing, thinking you can gain a foothold in this industry? Dream on.
He stepped into what was touted as the most luxurious bathhouse in Jiangzhou.
Upon entering, a wave of heat, a mixture of disinfectant, fragrance, and a faint smell of sweat, hits you. What comes into view is an extremely luxurious decorating style—a huge crystal chandelier reflects a blinding light, the walls are covered with glittering gold-plated imitation marble tiles, the floor is made of glossy black marble, Roman columns, arches, European reliefs... all sorts of elements are piled together to create an overwhelming, almost nouveau riche visual impact, so dazzling and vulgar.
A waiter in a crisp uniform, with a beaming smile, immediately came forward and bowed respectfully to guide them.
"Good evening, sir. This way, please change your shoes!"
Chen Xiao remained expressionless, nodded slightly, and followed the waiter towards the entrance to the men's section. Before stepping through the heavy door that isolated the noise from the outside world, he stopped and turned to Zhang Ziqian and Qiu Qiaoqiao, who were following closely behind, to whisper something to them:
"You can arrange your own activities, or go sit in the rest area."
He glanced at his watch:
"See you in the rest area in an hour."
After saying that, he didn't look back, his figure disappearing into the steamy, dimly lit entrance to the men's section. Zhang Ziqian and Qiu Qiaoqiao were left standing in the magnificent yet somewhat empty hall.
Zhang Ziqian looked in the direction Chen Xiao had disappeared, and sighed softly, a hint of helplessness in her voice. She knew that her boss's trip was not a whim, but rather a pretext for trouble.
But who are you to make such a fuss? Couldn't you just find someone to explain this to? Why do you always like to do such perverted things?
Chen Xiao originally thought so too, but since this was a system task, he was always worried that if he handed it over to someone else, it wouldn't count as completing the task himself, and he would lose out big time.
He hadn't been to a place like this in a long time. Entering the large pool where everyone bathed together, he felt a little uncomfortable, but not unbearable.
When he first started working, he was broke. When he traveled for work, he often chose to stay overnight in the lobby of these bathhouses, which was cheaper than staying in a hotel. Besides, back then, he didn't dare to go into high-end clubs like [Tianchi Hot Spring], and he mostly went to bathhouses where a night cost 60 yuan.
I quickly took a shower, changed my clothes, and followed the waiter's directions. The second floor was the lobby, where guests could relax. It also served a buffet with fruit and drinks.
If you want a massage, you can go to the 3rd or 4th floor.
Chen Xiao nodded, boarded the elevator, and was about to press the button for the third floor when he discovered that it had already been pressed.
Just as he was about to message Zhang Ziqian, asking her and Qiu Qiaoqiao to find a place to rest and wait for him, someone beside him suddenly exclaimed, "Holy crap, Chen Xiao?"
Unexpectedly, he ran into an acquaintance here. The person who called him was a colleague from Chen Xiao's internship when he hadn't graduated yet. He remembered that the other person's surname was Wu. People in the company used to call him Xiao Wu.
Chen Xiao smiled and nodded: "What a coincidence!"
Xiao Wu, ever the friendly one, said, “Damn, meeting you here is like meeting an old friend in a foreign land. Come on, come on, perfect timing, we’re short-handed, can you fill in?”
Chen Xiao was stunned. What? Even getting a massage requires a certain number of people?
He originally thought Xiao Wu wanted a larger room so they could catch up. That wouldn't have been a problem, since he was just there to find out about the establishment's dirty laundry and figure out how to shut it down.
He nodded and replied, "Okay!"
As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, a waiter from the third floor approached me: "Hello, esteemed guest, would you like a foot massage?"
Xiao Wu skillfully began, "Give me a card and chess room—"
Huh? A card and chess room? Isn't it supposed to be a massage or foot massage parlor?
Chen Xiao immediately retorted, "You guys are playing cards, I'm not going, I'm going to get a foot massage!"
"Damn it—Chen Xiao, are you serious? What's so great about a foot massage? Don't spoil the fun!" Xiao Wu was annoyed; he was already upset because they were one player short for their mahjong game. He'd finally gotten Chen Xiao's agreement, but his happiness lasted less than three seconds before he changed his mind. The worst part was, his reason was still to get a foot massage.
One of the two people accompanying Xiao Wu laughed and said, "You're an interesting guy. You came here for a foot massage, are you aiming for number 8?"
Chen Xiao didn't understand what he meant, guessing that number 8 was probably very famous, or maybe he was a big shot.
"Come play cards with us, and we'll call someone over to give you a shoulder massage. I'll pay for it, how about it?"
Chen Xiao waved his hand: "You guys go ahead if it's not about the money, I won't go!" He wanted to find out the situation privately, as there were too many people in the card room and it wasn't convenient to talk about many things.
Xiao Wu was furious; this person was really unfair.
Just then, the customer service manager whispered, "Sir, the rooms are currently full for foot massages, so you'll have to wait about an hour."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wu was overjoyed: "Damn, this is fate! Chen Xiao, let's go play cards. Arrange for the technicians to come directly to the card room, okay?"
God willing?
Chen Xiao thought about it and realized that this was the only way, so he reluctantly agreed!
Since Xiao Wu's friend had just mentioned technician number 8, he was a little curious and asked, "Is technician number 8 here?"
Xiao Wu's friend sneered. This kid really came for technician number 8. He's dreaming. Even if you're handsome, technician number 8 might not even give you a second glance.
The customer service manager said, "She has something to do and is out today. If she comes back, I will arrange for her to go over."
"Oh—", Chen Xiao responded indifferently, not caring at all.
Following Xiao Wu into the card room, Xiao Wu then introduced:
"Chen Xiao was my colleague from when I used to work, a younger brother."
"These two are my business partners, Mr. Zhang and Mr. Zhao."
Chen Xiao gleaned from Xiao Wu's introduction that Xiao Wu had left the company where he had interned and seemed to have started his own business.
General Manager Zhang and General Manager Zhao nodded to Chen Xiao: "Brother Chen—"
After everyone sat down, Mr. Zhang didn't forget to compliment Xiao Wu.
"Brother Chen, you have a connection with General Manager Wu, you should keep in touch. Don't say I didn't give you some pointers, just play a few more games of cards with General Manager Wu whenever you have free time, you'll earn more than you would in a lifetime of hard work!"
Chen Xiao laughed, pretending not to understand, and said to Xiao Wu, "Does this mean that if you play cards with me, you're guaranteed to lose?"
Damn, Mr. Zhang almost choked on his own saliva! Xiao Wu was also annoyed. They hadn't even started playing yet, and they were already launching a verbal offensive?
The group sat down, and Xiao Wu asked the customer service manager to get some decks of cards. Chen Xiao then realized they were going to play cards; she had originally thought they were going to play mahjong.
He was thinking to himself that once the technician came in, he would find out about the [Tianchi Hot Spring] and then he would get started on the renovations!
"Chen Xiao, don't be nervous—it's okay to gamble occasionally, a little gambling is harmless!" Xiao Wu saw him looking down in thought and assumed he was afraid of losing money.
Upon hearing this, Chen Xiao looked up and waved his hand, "It's alright!"
Knock knock knock—
The door to the private room was pushed open, and the customer service manager came over with a few decks of cards, saying, "Gentlemen, please wait a moment, the technicians will be here soon. Oh, by the way, technician number 8 has also returned and has been arranged to come over!"
Oh?
Xiao Wu exclaimed happily, "Number 8 is here too? This woman is always so unreliable, why doesn't your store do anything about it?"
The customer service manager smiled and said, "I'll tell the boss later that we'll definitely strengthen management."
He waved his hand: "Alright, tell them to hurry up and come. I doubt your boss will care."
After the customer service manager left, Xiao Wu said, "That number 8 is quite arrogant. If the store dares to make demands of her, she'll say she quits. Damn it, I don't understand. If she doesn't like money, why does she come to work here?"
As he spoke, he unfolded the deck of cards in his hand and said to Chen Xiao, "Let's play the simple Texas Hold'em."
Chen Xiao didn't care what he played and nodded. At that moment, there was a knock on the door of the private room, and the door was pushed open. Several female technicians in blue uniforms filed in from outside.
The first few were of average appearance. That's normal; most foot massage therapists are of average looks. But the one at the very back caught Chen Xiao's eye.
Goodness, with that appearance and figure, she looks remarkably like Wang Churan.
He suddenly understood what Xiao Wu meant. With looks like that, why would he need to work here? He could just find a big shot and get over a million a year; there are plenty of people willing to do that.
Xiao Wu waved: "Come on, come on. Number 8, you're here today too?"
General Manager Zhang and General Manager Zhao also greeted her. Chen Xiao understood their ulterior motives; they all wanted to request number 8, but none of them were willing to mention it directly.
Several of the technicians recognized them, and the first few greeted them sweetly. Only number 8 greeted them politely, but there was a hint of distance in her politeness: "General Manager Wu, General Manager Zhang, General Manager Zhao!"
Chen Xiao could tell that these people were regulars, probably using this place as their usual card-playing spot.
Under the expectant gazes of several people, Number 8 pretended to know nothing and walked directly to Chen Xiao's side. "This distinguished guest is unfamiliar; I've never seen him before!"
Xiao Wu was annoyed to see her go to Chen Xiao's place and said irritably, "She works a regular job and earns a few dollars a month. How can she afford to come all the way here every day?"
Number 8 didn't tolerate him either, immediately retorting, "President Wu, people don't earn money easily. You big bosses are leading them to gamble here, isn't that being heartless and cruel?"
The other technicians all looked at number 8 with envy in their eyes. She was the only one among them who dared to talk back to a customer, and the customer didn't even argue with her. Ah, what can you do when someone's so pretty?
Xiao Wu, feeling dejected, said to the technician beside him, "Go get me 1 yuan in chips to swipe my card."
His movements were extremely graceful, as if he were announcing to the world that he was a rich man.
Mr. Zhang and Mr. Zhao followed suit, instructing the technicians beside them to exchange their VIP cards for chips.
Chen Xiao was there for the first time and didn't know what was going on, so he asked technician number 8 next to him, "How are the chips redeemed?"
Number 8's voice is crisp and pleasant to hear!
"You can purchase directly or use the amount prepaid in your VIP card. At the end, you can exchange it for cash."
Chen Xiao responded with an "Oh," and added, "I don't have a VIP card at your house—"
The technician next to General Manager Wu chuckled, "You can get one, just like our General Manager Wu; his account has never had less than 10 yuan in it." (End of Chapter)