noveltune Chapter 15 Renovation
Chapter 15 Renovation
In March, spring was in full bloom in Jinan. Ling Yun and Sun Peng stood in the center of the empty first-floor lobby, with uneven cement floor under their feet and a roof with exposed dark wooden beams and cobwebs above them.
"Hey Yun, this place of yours... is really 'pristine'." Sun Peng pushed up his glasses, looked around, and said with a hint of teasing, "Are you sure you want to open your supposedly high-end 'internet cafe' here? The renovation investment must be no small sum."
Ling Yun smiled and said, "I'm not afraid of spending money, I'm just afraid of not being able to achieve the effect I want."
Sun Peng patted his chest and said, "Don't worry about that. My family is in the construction business. My dad knows every decoration company inside and out. He promised to find me a company with high-quality workmanship."
As the two were talking, a middle-aged man in his early forties, wearing blue overalls and with dark skin, stopped his bicycle at the door. He quickly parked the bike, carrying a measuring tape and an old leather bag, and strode in.
"Which one of you is Boss Ling?" He asked in a loud voice, with the straightforwardness typical of a Shandong man. "Introduced by General Manager Sun. My surname is Wang, Wang Defa. I'm in the renovation business."
"Hello, Mr. Wang, I'm Ling Yun." Ling Yun greeted him and extended his hand. This Captain Wang had a strong grip, and his palms were as rough as sandpaper.
"Boss Ling is truly young and promising!" Wang Defa sized up Ling Yun, then glanced at the empty, dilapidated hall, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, but he still said enthusiastically, "General Manager Sun told me you have a big project here! Don't worry, I, Old Wang, have been in the renovation business in Jinan for over ten years. My skills and reputation are impeccable!"
After exchanging pleasantries, Ling Yun solemnly took out a meticulously drawn blueprint from his canvas backpack. This was not a common sketch that merely depicted a simple floor plan; rather, it was a design he had painstakingly sketched out over several nights using a T-square, set square, and drawing pen, drawing a futuristic "Starry Sky Internet Cafe."
When the blueprints were spread out on the old desk that had been temporarily moved in, Wang Defa and Sun Peng both came over. After just one glance, Wang Defa's brows furrowed into a deep frown.
"Mr. Ling... Mr. Ling," he said, pointing to the vast, almost unpartitioned first-floor space on the blueprints, his tone full of bewilderment, "This whole floor is just open like this? No partitions? No private rooms? This... this doesn't look like a dance hall, nor does it look like a hotel?"
The interior design concept in 96 was still at the stage of "the more partitions, the more functions, and the more high-end it looks".
Ling Yun patiently explained, "Boss Wang, I call this place an 'Internet Cafe,' the core of which is computers and the internet. I need an open space, one that gives people a sense of openness and makes it easy for people to move around. Look here," he pointed to the area near the entrance on the blueprint, "this is the reception desk. I want to use a steel structure as the frame, covered with acrylic panels, and embed LED strips inside. When powered on, it will emit a soft blue light, like...like the starry sky."
"Acrylic... LED strip?" Wang Defa's eyes widened. These words were a bit unfamiliar to him. "Boss Ling, those things aren't cheap, and the effect..."
"Don't worry about the effect, that's exactly the feeling I want." Ling Yun said firmly, pointing to the blueprints. "I don't want to use bricks for this whole wall behind the reception desk. I want to use metal mesh and dark gray fireproof board for the background wall. The design should be simple and angular."
Wang Defa gasped in surprise. Metal mesh on the wall? He had never heard of such a thing in his more than ten years of renovation experience.
Ling Yun didn't stop, his finger sliding towards the main part of the hall: "After the floor is completely sanded smooth, apply epoxy resin self-leveling compound. It should be dark gray, wear-resistant, easy to clean, and have a slight reflective effect."
"Self-leveling...self-leveling?" Wang Defa felt his understanding was being constantly challenged. "Boss Ling, laying terrazzo or some decent tiles would be fine these days. This..."
"Listen to me, Boss Wang." Ling Yun smiled and continued his "forward-thinking" plan, "Keep these old wooden beams for the ceiling, but make sure all the electrical wires and network cables are neatly laid out in metal cable trays and sprayed dark gray. Don't install a false ceiling, just a bare ceiling design in an industrial style, and install something called 'track lighting'. The lights should be adjustable to highlight each computer seat."
"Industrial style? Track lighting?" Wang Defa felt like he was listening to gibberish. He looked at Sun Peng for help, but Sun Peng was also clueless and could only shrug helplessly.
"And these areas," Ling Yun pointed to several sections marked with dotted lines on the blueprint, "This is the 'quiet zone' separated by tempered glass, with the floor slightly raised. This is the 'gaming zone'... uh, it's the area where playing games is more exciting, the chairs need to be custom-made, with armrests, swivel, and good ventilation." He almost let slip the word "ergonomic chair."
"Glass partition... e-sports area..." Wang Defa's hand trembled slightly as he held the blueprints. He coughed lightly, "Boss Ling, your idea is... too... too modern. To be honest, some things, like acrylic panels, track lights, and self-leveling compound, I'll have to make some inquiries. They might not be easy to find in Jinan, and the prices certainly won't be low."
He took out his notebook and pen and began to estimate the cost item by item: "For your 500 square meters, just these things you mentioned... well, the 'industrial style' treatment, the walls, the floor, the ceiling, the materials and labor, I'll give you a rough estimate, and it'll cost around this much." He wrote a "4" in his notebook, meaning forty thousand yuan.
"Your requirements for water and electricity renovation are high. You need to install network and telephone lines properly, and there are a lot of sockets. It's also a dedicated line, so it will cost 20,000 yuan."
"The reception desk, background wall, glass partition, custom chairs... these special items, including materials and production, will cost at least 30,000 yuan."
"And then there are paint, miscellaneous expenses, management fees..."
He rattled off a series of calculations, then finally looked up, his expression serious: "Boss Ling, if we do everything according to your blueprints, including labor and materials, it'll cost at least 95,000 yuan!"
Ninety-five thousand! In 1996, that was an absolute fortune. Sun Peng, listening nearby, clicked his tongue in astonishment.
Ling Yun quickly calculated in his mind. Considering his advanced design and material requirements, this price wasn't outrageous in 1996, and might even have been lowered because Boss Wang wasn't familiar with some of the new materials. His original budget was between 100,000 and 120,000.
But he remained calm and began to haggle: "Boss Wang, the price is a bit high. You see, my project is large, and although some of the materials are new, the quantity used is also large, so there should be room for negotiation on the total price. How about 88,000, for good luck? Also, I require that it be completed within 20 days, so as not to delay my opening."
"Eighty-eight thousand? 20 days?" Wang Defa waved his hands repeatedly. "Boss Ling, you're ruthlessly cutting the price! And the construction period is so tight! No way, no way, I really can't do it!"
"Boss Wang," Ling Yun changed tactics, painting a rosy picture, "Just think about it, once my 'Starry Sky Internet Cafe' is renovated, it will absolutely be the first of its kind in Jinan! People will be coming and going, and everyone who sees it will praise how grand and classy the decor is. Isn't that practically a guaranteed win for you? And in the future, you'll be sure to be a shopper for similar business!"
Wang De paused for a moment, looking at the unprecedented designs on the blueprints, and a thought did cross his mind. If this deal went well, it would definitely be a valuable asset.
After several rounds of intense back-and-forth, the price was finally settled at 90,000 yuan, with a construction period of 30 days.
"Deal!" Ling Yun extended his hand again. "Boss Wang, please keep the drawings safe. We can discuss the details anytime. I have only one requirement: quality! Results! It must be done strictly according to my drawings!"
Wang Defa grasped Ling Yun's hand, glanced at the "shocking" design drawing again, and gritted his teeth: "Alright! Boss Ling is a man of great things! I, Old Wang, will do it according to your 'Starry Sky' standards! I guarantee I'll make this internet cafe a masterpiece!"
After seeing Boss Wang off, Sun Peng looked at the empty factory and couldn't help but ask, "Brother Yun, isn't this renovation... a bit too ahead of its time? Was it worth spending so much money?"
Ling Yun gazed intently at the dusty yet infinitely promising space: "Brother Peng, what we're building isn't a dance hall or a computer room. What we're defining is a futuristic, sci-fi feel. While others are competing on the number of cubicles, we're competing on the comfort of our spaces and the futuristic experience. This 90,000 yuan isn't just buying renovations; it's buying industry standards."