Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
They then proceeded to check on the progress of the renovations of the shop front.
The grand entrance was facing the South and there were golden bricks laid across the ground, along with drawings of mountains, flora and fauna, and rivers. There was a lotus-shaped chandelier hanging from the ceiling as well, with a string of luminous gems hanging from each of the twenty-four petals.
There were six one-meter lamps on both ends of the shop front, on which dragons and phoenixes were embroidered. The lampstand was embellished with synthetic luminous pearls and covered by a yellow lampshade. It exuded an elegant extravagance.
The lamps were placed 1.5 meters apart from each other and there were ten doors behind them, all of which had floral carvings.
There were five of those doors at the front as well.
Staring at Wen Xinya whose jaw had dropped in shock, Li Mengjie asked in amusement, “Are you very shocked?”
“Yes!” Wen Xinya answered with a nod. The main colors of the theme were red, yellow, and white. Staring at the decor that was vintage yet lavish and classy, Wen Xinya was extremely pleased with the work done by the renovation company that Gu Junling had recommended.
“You’ll definitely be even more stunned after you see the 3D simulation sketch that the company has given us,” Li Mengjie said before opening her laptop to show Wen Xinya the sketch.
Wen Xinya was greatly taken aback. She felt as if she had been transported back to ancient times. She continuously moved the mouse around to zoom in on the sketch. The surreality of the sketch appealed to the visual senses and was simply indescribable.
“It’s much better than what I had imagined!” Wen Xinya exclaimed.
Li Mengjie said, “Yeah! I didn’t expect that the results would be so shockingly excellent. Most importantly, the cost of the renovation is almost 33% lower than our budget. I was initially afraid that the contractors would end up using inferior and low-quality materials. Hence, I took some samples of the materials and sent them for verification.”
“What did the results show?” Wen Xinya asked curiously.
“The quality of the materials is incredible. All of the elmwood used in the shop front was made to perfection and every detail was refined and polished carefully. The mahogany and stone are all premium-grade materials as well.”
Wen Xinya was stunned to hear his answer. Although elmwood was not exactly a precious type of wood, it was rather expensive and widely used. Most of the elmwood on the market was about ten years old, and it’d be rather difficult to find wood that was older than ten years. Elmwood that was older than fifty years would be considered rare and premium-grade. Not to mention, they came at an exorbitant price as well.
Wen Xinya could vaguely guess the reason why the renovation company was willing to give them the best materials and charge them an extremely low price despite having never worked with Gu Junling before.
Staring closely at the sketch on the computer screen, several ideas popped up in Wen Xinya’s mind. “We must place some aroma incense in the rooms. We’ll use different scents for each room, but it’s important that we avoid strong-smelling ones because some people might be allergic to them. We must use faint ones that can help one to relax and ease their tension.”
Li Mengjie agreed smilingly. “Sure, leave that to me. I used to work in the makeup industry, I know quite a bit about these things.”
“I’ll get the first batch of calligraphic painting and porcelain ornament replicas ready as soon as possible. The rest will probably require some more time,” said Wen Xinya. Gu Junling’s supplier did have lots of paintings and ornaments in stock. However, she had yet to complete the decoration because there were only a few pieces that she truly fancied.
Li Mengjie said, “At this rate, we’ll probably need another month to get everything settled. Do put in more effort in decorating. Try to get it ready right after the renovation is completed.”
Despite feeling stuck in a spot, Wen Xinya nodded and said, “I’ll try my best!”
Li Mengjie gave her a nod of approval.
Wen Xinya looked at Yan Shaoqing and asked, “I hope we can open for business before the end of this year. Are there any issues with the factory?”
Yan Shaoqing answered hesitantly, “That might… need a bit more time!”
Frowning slightly, Wen Xinya asked, “Isn’t there a way to speed up the progress?”
Yan Shaoqing answered, “The main issue is about recruitment. The Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner and I came up with a training plan for the employees and we sacked quite a few of them. Hence, we’ll have to hire another batch of employees and put them on probation for a period of time. We can’t cut corners.”
Wen Xinya nodded and said, “You can try hiring some housewives from the village near the factory. The Fengshui in Jin City is ideal, and the people are more grounded and humble. You don’t necessarily have to hire younger people. Youths nowadays are fickle and can’t stay in a job for long.”
The need for precision in handling the manufacturing procedures was mainly because of the formula of the cosmetic products. Du Ruo had already broken down the formula into two separate procedures. The factory could only produce half of the contents, while the other half could only be concocted and produced by the two Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners whom Old Mr. Du had hired. The two of them were extremely reliable and trustworthy.
An all-natural serum was produced using natural ingredients such as black rhizome, aloe vera, cinnamon, and Dahurian Angelica. The serum was effective in protecting the skin and saving it from damage. Those were the core ingredients of the products, that only she and Du Ruo knew of. Hence, she was not worried about their secret ingredients and formula being leaked.
Yan Shaoqing said, “I did consider that, too. However, I was afraid that those housewives might not be able to perform tasks that require great precision. Besides, it’s difficult to ensure that they practice good hygiene habits as well. However, you have a point. I shall give it a try.”
Li Mengjie smiled and said, “I feel much better now, seeing that Yan Shaoqing is as busy as a bee as well. Although there’s a lot for me to do, at least we’re sharing the tasks equally. He has to oversee the construction of the factory, the training of employees, and look through the financial reports all by himself. Xinya… you’re really something! You’re the epitome of an evil boss who bullies his employees.”
Feeling a little embarrassed and guilty for giving Yan Shaoqing so much work to do, she said to him, “Hurry and hire more employees to work at Lanxin Cosmetics. You shall be in charge of them from now on.”
Yan Shaoqing heaved a sigh of relief and said, “The progress at the factory would be much faster with someone around to help me.”
Wen Xinya sighed and said, “Brother Yan, feel free to inform me of any needs you have or if you’d like to take a break. You can make the decisions on your own, all you have to do is let me know. Don’t do everything yourself. There’s still plenty of things for us to do in the future!”
“Got it,” Yan Shaoqing answered.
Wen Xinya chuckled and jested. “I don’t want to be criticized by Sis Li for being an evil boss who ill-treats my employees.”
