Super Zoo

Wu Decheng used to be a deputy director of the supply and marketing department at the factory. During the years when Changhe Factory was still afloat, he made quite a bit of money, which allowed him to later lease the cinema, and he even took advantage of the factory's closure to purchase the cinema at a low price.

But running a business and exploiting one's position for personal gain are completely different matters.

Over the years, the cinema's situation had become increasingly dire, almost to the point of bankruptcy in the last two years. Wu Decheng not only didn't make any money, but he also poured a lot into it, and he really didn't want to continue running this loss-making venture.

At present, the cinema was still operating normally, and its debts weren't too substantial. A few more years, and had it turned into an insatiable pit with absolutely no customers, it would be difficult to sell, maybe impossible to even give away.

"Mr. Su, I plan to come to your company with a lawyer this afternoon to sign the contract, following the terms we just agreed upon. What do you think?" Wu Decheng appeared to have cast off a heavy burden, his face alight with a smile.

He had offered a price slightly higher than the cinema's actual valuation, ready for a verbal battle and to haggle over the price, but unexpectedly the other side agreed to it readily.

Maybe it was youthful inexperience, or perhaps they had money to burn and didn't care about the small sum. Anyway, Wu Decheng felt that he had made a profit on the deal, a very worthwhile transaction.

"Okay," Suming nodded, pausing for a few seconds, "However, there is something I need to clarify with you in advance."

Wu Decheng frowned slightly. Everything had been agreed upon, what else was there?

Left to the end, it definitely wasn't anything good. Wu Decheng braced himself, "Please speak, Mr. Su."

"It's not so much a clarification, but a condition," Suming lightly tapped his finger on the table, speaking slowly, "What I'm buying are the cinema's equipment and premises, not the employees. In other words, I won't retain any of the current employees. Please deal with them yourself, Mr. Wu."

"Ah!" Wu Decheng nearly jumped up from behind the table, his eyes wide with astonishment, "Not even one? Mr. Su, are you saying to lay off all the current staff?"

Even Hou Longtao was taken aback, looking at Suming in surprise.

"That's right, not even one. Whether you lay them off or disband them, and how much severance you provide, that's your concern," Suming paused, then continued, "Of course, I hope everything is legal. I didn't press you too hard on the price because I left you with a margin for severance costs."

Wu Decheng's face darkened. Damn it, he knew there was no such thing as a free lunch. So that's why the price wasn't negotiated down; he was waiting right here for me.

Laying off wasn't just about spending money, it would offend so many people!

"That's not my concern anymore," Suming said, "Mr. Wu, I came with sincerity, but there is more than one cinema in Yangchuan City worth acquiring. You should be somewhat aware of my Taoyuan Group. If it really doesn't work out, I can even add a bit more money and completely build a new cinema."

"But that's too difficult," Wu Decheng said, wringing his hands awkwardly. He glanced at Hou Longtao, hoping Hou would intervene with a few good words.

Hou Longtao pretended not to see Wu Decheng's look.

What a joke, he was on Suming's side. Although he didn't know why Suming wanted none of the employees, it was obviously a time to clearly stand with Suming or else wouldn't he become a turncoat?

"How about I ask those people from downstairs to come up and apologize to you?" Wu Decheng thought it was the earlier smoking issue that had displeased Suming and asked tentatively.

Hou Longtao thought so too, the attitudes of those people just now were really too nasty.

"Mr. Wu, you underestimate me," Suming waved his hand with a smile and said, "I'm not one to hold grudges against such people, to play the game of settling scores after the fall. To speak arrogantly, they're not at a level worthy of my annoyance."

"Then?" Wu Decheng asked, puzzled.

Suming spoke indifferently, "As a businessman, we talk business in business. The reason I don't want to use them is simply that they're incompetent. To be frank, I took a walk downstairs just now, and all I saw were four words: more staff than required. No matter how good a business plan is, if it's executed by such people, it won't yield any good outcomes. Don't interrupt me. I know these people too, they're all old relationships, old sentiments, hard to dismiss without offending people. But it's precisely for this reason that I can't use them."

Suming tapped lightly on the table with his finger and said, "Old relationships, old sentiments, they seem not to have cherished these relations and feelings, instead, they've become sly and slack. They're used to this way of working and it's hard for them to change. The closure of Changhe Factory was not unrelated to having too many such people. Mr. Wu, I don't want to see the same situation replayed in my company."

Wu Decheng wanted to say something, but Suming had already stood up, extended his hand to him, and said with a smile, "Mr. Wu, these are my terms, and the price remains as we just agreed. Take some time to think it over, regardless of whether it works out or not, let's still be friends. You go ahead and get on with your work."

Wu Decheng accompanied Suming and Hou Longtao downstairs. The two said farewell at the entrance of the cinema, and with frowning brows, Wu Decheng climbed back upstairs to his office, heavily preoccupied, thinking to himself how ruthless these young people were nowadays.

In the lobby on the first floor, a few employees looked at each other. Eventually, it was the ticket seller who spoke up in a tone that was neither cold nor warm, "I said it wouldn't work out, just look at that mournful expression on old Wu's face, it's surely a no-go."

"Obviously, how much money would it take to buy a cinema? A zoo manager, where would he get that much money? He must have been scared off."

"Let's not worry about that, as long as we can securely get our salaries, that's fine," said another.

"Speaking of salaries, they haven't been raised in years, how far can this bit of money stretch these days..."

...

"Su, did you push him too hard?" On the way back, Hou Longtao was somewhat uneasy, saying, "To fire so many people at once, even if Wu Decheng is the boss, it must be difficult for him."

"Of course it's difficult. If it wasn't difficult, why would I have offered him such a high price?" Suming said, "But don't worry, it will definitely be done."

"You're so sure? Why?" Hou Longtao was puzzled.

"What's more important, face, relationships, or money?" Suming started to laugh, "This is his private cinema, whether it makes or loses money, it's all personal to him. You tell me, facing a big sum of money that could relieve him and a bunch of ex-colleagues with whom he actually no longer has much stake, which will he choose? Don't worry, as a capitalist, and I'm one too, I understand this very well. There are no conflicts of interest and everyone is happy to show face, but in the face of sufficient profits, all old colleague relationships are worthless. Whoever stands in the way of his making money, Wu Decheng will hate them more than we do."

"But with all those layoffs, what about the staff? Recruiting new ones, it would probably be hard to find so many experienced people quickly," Hou Longtao said.

"Have you forgotten what Cai Liming from the movie company used to do? Dealing with all the major cinemas, if he can't handle recruiting, then nobody can," Suming patted Hou Longtao on the shoulder, "Monkey, don't worry too much about other things. The cinema won't become my main business for the time being, so you need to pay more attention. Later on, I want you to focus on one particular thing for me."

"Tell me," Hou Longtao nodded.

"Our cinema, unlike ordinary commercial cinemas, won't use blockbuster commercial films as the standard for its screening schedule."

"An art house cinema? Really, Su?" This time, Hou Longtao was truly surprised.