Chapter 0366 Time

Zhao Fusheng knew very well that there was a problem between Dong Chenxi and Wang Zhen, but he dared not intervene further. In his previous life, the two had missed each other, and Wang Zhen had regretted it for many years. In this life, he had helped him, yet now they had still come to this point.

People are like that; they often waste time on unnecessary things. And even knowing that their actions are wasteful, they still do them.

It's as if it's human instinct.

From the question Wang Zhen had just posed to him, Zhao Fusheng could sense that he was hesitating now.

But this kind of emotion could only be resolved by himself; even the best of friends couldn't offer advice on such matters.

He called Tan Kaixuan, asking where the hell he had gone and why he had disappeared after calling his father. But Tan Kaixuan didn't answer.

Frowning slightly, Zhao Fusheng suppressed his doubts and didn't call again.

Half of March passed like that. A few days later, seeing the news that Ah Bian had been elected, Zhao Fusheng curled his lips. If he remembered correctly, that guy was a bastard who forgot his ancestors. But there was nothing he could do; matters of state were not something a commoner like him could decide.

In a person's life, besides struggle and adaptation, one needs a strong heart. This strength is not reflected in appearance, but in inner peace.

Of course, this peace can sometimes be achieved through reading, sometimes through faith. Some people combine knowledge and faith, integrating knowing and doing, and become pillars of the nation.

And now, experience and life wisdom have become a way to attain this peace. The沉淀 of time brings not only profound memories but also a wise heart, genuine and composed.

In the past few days, Tan Kaixuan had been extremely busy. Tan's father had settled the agency rights and franchise fees. Somehow, Cheng Gong and Tan's father had managed it: although KFC hadn't agreed to make Zhao Fusheng and Tan Kaixuan the franchisees for Beijiang Province, all KFC stores franchised in Beijiang Province, except for theirs, had their franchise fees increased accordingly.

"What does this mean?" Tan Kaixuan asked Cheng Gong, who had flown in from Shanghai, looking puzzled.

The contract lay before Zhao Fusheng and him, but Tan Kaixuan couldn't understand the terms.

Zhao Fusheng remained silent, quietly continuing to read the contract.

Cheng Gong smiled and explained, "It's like this: since you were the first to franchise in Beijiang Province, they were actually quite hesitant. But because you currently lack the funds to secure the provincial agency rights, your father and I proposed an idea during negotiations. If you can recoup your costs by the end of this year, you can obtain the agency rights for the entire province. And before that, if anyone else in Beijiang Province wants to franchise, their franchise fee will be double yours."

Zhao Fusheng and Tan Kaixuan looked at each other, surprised that the negotiation could go this way.

"So you mean, as long as we recoup our costs by the end of the year, they'll give us the agency rights? How much?" Tan Kaixuan asked in astonishment.

Cheng Gong raised one finger and said calmly, "Ten million."

"Ten million?" Tan Kaixuan jumped up. "That's too expensive! I..."

Before he could finish, Zhao Fusheng pulled him down. "Sit down."

Tan Kaixuan was puzzled but obeyed Zhao Fusheng and sat down.

Zhao Fusheng shook his head and said to Cheng Gong, "Lawyer Cheng, thank you."

Cheng Gong smiled and waved his hand. "You're welcome. It's my duty."

After seeing Cheng Gong off, Zhao Fusheng turned to Tan Kaixuan, who was full of curiosity and looked like he was begging to be told, and laughed. "What, you don't understand?"

Tan Kaixuan nodded. "Ten million, bro. Where are we going to get that kind of money?"

Looking at this guy, Zhao Fusheng sighed helplessly, pointed to his own head, and laughed. "You, think carefully. Ten million, if you spread it across the whole province, do you still think it's a lot?"

Tan Kaixuan stood there, speechless for a long time.

Zhao Fusheng patted him on the shoulder with a smile and walked toward the dormitory.

What Tan Kaixuan hadn't figured out, Zhao Fusheng had understood as soon as Cheng Gong spoke.

Although he didn't know what method Tan's father and Cheng Gong had used, Zhao Fusheng was sure of one thing: they had bought half a year's time for him and Tan Kaixuan.

Given their current financial situation, securing the provincial agency rights was certainly unrealistic. But if they could recoup the cost of the franchise store within that half year, they still had a chance.

Because what they lacked most right now was time.

This wasn't 2020. Twenty years later, Zhao Fusheng might have been helpless, but now it was the year 2000. Zhao Fusheng knew that if he had enough time, he might actually accomplish many things that others thought impossible.

Besides, as he had said to Tan Kaixuan, the ten million agency fee seemed high, but it was for the entire Beijiang Province. When broken down, it was less than one million per city.

In other words, KFC's perception of the entire Northeast and Beijiang Province was just one word: poor. In their view, such a backward region would find it difficult to run a food chain like KFC.

People always have their own ideas and judgments. Often, they jump to conclusions without investigation. This time, KFC's marketing department was probably like that.

Actually, Zhao Fusheng could understand. After all, in everyone's impression, the Northeast was poor.

Especially Beijiang Province, which seemed to have no achievements that could stand out nationally except for grain production.

Even Zhao Fusheng himself knew this truth well. You couldn't expect people to have much goodwill toward a city known as a "thieves' den."

Although Zhao Fusheng knew it was his hometown.

Shaking his head with a sigh, Zhao Fusheng knew he really had to make money quickly.

Tan Kaixuan finally caught up, put his arm around Zhao Fusheng's shoulder, and said, "You mean my dad and Uncle Cheng are buying us time?"

He wasn't stupid. With a little hint from Zhao Fusheng, Tan Kaixuan naturally understood what he meant.

But this guy's thought process was always quirky. So he looked at Zhao Fusheng and said, "Is my dad planning to let us make money in the stock market? I heard the stock market has been pretty good lately."

Zhao Fusheng took a deep breath, restraining himself from beating the idiot beside him, then said to Tan Kaixuan, "Idiot! Your dad means for us to recoup our costs within half a year, so we might have a chance to get a loan from the bank."

With that, he pushed Tan Kaixuan away, shook his head helplessly, and walked ahead. "I just don't get it. Uncle Tan is such a shrewd man, how did he end up with a son as stupid as you?"

"Damn it!" Tan Kaixuan instantly lost his cool, chasing after Zhao Fusheng. "What do you mean by that? Believe me, I'll go tell your dad on you right now!"

Zhao Fusheng ignored him completely and walked into the dormitory building on his own.