The teenagers in Tiannan Province were having a blast during their holidays, indulging in all sorts of mischief, from bird-catching to window-breaking—they mastered every trick in the book.
Then, all of a sudden, they noticed that game arcades filled with street machines had sprung up everywhere, like mushrooms after a rain.
It was like an oasis for thirsty travelers in a desert. These idle teenagers began enthusiastically contributing their last pennies to the arcades.
These arcades popped up everywhere, and soon the teenagers discovered that any arcade called "Jinxiu Electronics" was exceptionally well-maintained, devoid of the usual chaos of coin-grabbing and bullying.
The only drawback was that there weren't many "Jinxiu Electronics" arcades.
They didn't know that Su Pingnan had only opened twelve in Tiandushi.
Across Tiannan Province, including the major cities of Tiandu and Fengcheng, Jinxiu Group had only opened twelve arcades in the top-tier provincial cities.
Initially, Su Pingnan was reluctant to open arcades, but the ever-expanding number of his subordinates finally swayed him. He had to provide for them.
More and more people flocked to him from Wu City, Changyang County, and Sujia Village. He had become too famous, too influential to ignore.
Generous, easygoing, and well-connected—these were the labels that now clung to him. Nearly every young man seeking to make a quick buck would find their way to him through various connections.
Su Pingnan locked himself in his office for a whole night. When he emerged, he was decisive and swift. Opening arcades would serve two purposes: one, it would provide for his people, and two, it would allow them to hone their skills. He saw these arcades as whetstones, for his current workforce was a mixed bag. In the China of 1992 to 1998, most lucrative industries were labor-intensive, and Su Pingnan needed manpower. He needed to shape these individuals into a loyal and capable workforce.
His existing businesses were raking in cash, but Su Pingnan, with his grand ambitions, refused to let those funds stagnate. In the next few decades of China, what better investment could there be than real estate?
He personally led a team to negotiate and sign contracts for one hundred and eighty arcades, paying premium prices.
For each location, he would carefully consider the area and then buy it. Purchasing one hundred and eighty prime storefronts in the future golden districts cost him thirty-one million yuan.
Within Jinxiu Group, Su Pingnan's word was law. The higher-ups, blinded by admiration, would follow his orders without question. Even for locations that seemed ordinary, when Su Pingnan insisted on paying a premium, they would immediately comply, not uttering a single word of dissent.
Su Pingnan wanted to laugh out loud. Thirty million yuan in 1992 was a fortune, but in the future, those locations would be worth ten times that amount, if he was lucky enough to secure even ten of them.
Jinxiu Pavilion was still bustling with activity. The din of customers and the constant flow of servers filled the hall, a sight that pleased Su Pingnan.
This was his second time dining at Jinxiu Pavilion. All one hundred and eighty arcades were now renovated and equipped with fully operational machines. The next step was to move personnel, a task he entrusted to Su Wenwen and Guo Guangyao. Since it had been a while since they last got together, Su Pingnan decided to share a meal and drinks with his brothers at his own restaurant.
Many of the servers who had never seen him before were whispering about their elusive boss.
Xiuxiu had been working there for two months. She possessed the typical Tiannan Province charm, with her slender figure and pretty face.
Her palms were sweating with nervousness. She had heard countless stories about the big boss, her ears nearly calloused. This was her first time seeing him in person. As the greeter for the evening, Xiuxiu could only be cautious, extremely cautious. They said he was stern and rarely smiled. If she made a mistake, she wouldn't find a second job in Wu City that paid 300 yuan a month.
Su Pingnan noticed the young woman's anxiety and deliberately slowed his pace, offering a faint smile to ease her tension.
Xiuxiu felt her apprehension lessen at Su Pingnan's smile, just as she was about to speak, she saw Guo, the manager whom everyone kowtowed to, approaching with a hearty laugh.
"Nan Ge, every time I see you, you're always in a hurry. Today, I'm going to have a few drinks with you."
Guo Guangyao was brimming with excitement. As soon as he heard that Su, the boss, was going to drink with him, he rushed over.
Su Pingnan shot him a playful glare, then chuckled, "You're all grown up, and you're still acting like a kid."
Xiuxiu's eyes widened in amazement. Guo was a big shot in their eyes, a powerful figure. No one in Wu City dared to disrespect him. Last time, the restaurant manager cried for three days straight because Guo had reprimanded him over a trivial matter, his eyes swollen like peaches.
Today, Guo was as meek as a child in front of Su. Xiuxiu's gaze towards Su Pingnan now held a hint of admiration.