I guessed that the owner of the small building wasn’t part of Shaolin.
Shaolin Coffee is a rapidly growing brand that opened 2,800 stores in 13 countries in just two years.
And the rent in Zhengzhou City is cheaper than in other regions.
Instead of investing in a declining real estate market, they’ve likely focused on expanding their stores.
And that prediction was valid.
“Want to buy the building? No way! The core of the great Shaolin brand is right here. Why would I be crazy enough to sell it?”
The heart, huh? The building’s probably only got Shaolin Coffee in it!
The old man in front of me, at least in his eighties, took a sip of coffee while firmly rejecting me.
His arms were loaded with prayer beads.
It was unclear whether he was merely a Buddhist or if he had Shaolin origins.
“I heard you bought the building for about 1.5 billion won twenty years ago. But now you’re getting a 2 billion won deposit from Shaolin and 50 million won monthly in rent. You’re certainly an investment genius.”
“Well, we all have to leave it behind someday. What does money even matter?”
The desire for wealth was clearly visible in Grandpa Jang’s wrinkled eyes.
After a moment’s thought, I pulled out the prayer beads I bought from Shaolin earlier and donned a gentle smile.
Jingling…
“As a fellow Buddhist, I understand the teachings that hold little significance in worldly wealth. The Buddha’s teaching of non-possession ultimately makes us realize that everything we have will one day disappear, and we must leave too. However, isn’t it important how we use what we have during that remaining time?”
“Wow, NoName Wizard is also a Buddhist? What a delightful surprise to see such commendable words from a young one!”
Grandpa Jang’s eyebrows perked up in delight.
I seized the moment, cleared away the flavorless Shaolin coffee, and poured in a green-colored elixir.
Slosh…
It seemed like Grandpa Jang was forcing himself to drink it in front of me too.
“The Diamond Sutra states, ‘Attach to nothing and give rise to the mind.’ My intention to purchase this building doesn’t stem from a desire for material gain but from a desire to inherit and advance the values pursued by Shaolin Coffee and the spiritual essence this building embodies. Please grant me the opportunity to convey the Buddha’s teachings…”
I subtly slid out a white envelope.
Grandpa Jang pulled out a thin check with a nonchalant expression and quickly glanced at it beneath the table.
It didn’t take a second for his sleepy eyes to go wide like a mudfish.
“It’s about 18.9 billion won in Korean currency. Ignorance doesn’t end, and neither does aging and death, so this too is transient. Don’t be too surprised, Grandpa Jang.”
Grandpa Jang seemed momentarily lost for words.
Could that vacant gaze be him reflecting on his life?
“Hoho… you really have wisdom that transcends age. Hearing your words makes this large amount feel as light as weightless dust. Yes, if it’s NoName Wizard, you’ll manage everything well.”
The amount offered was 1.5 to 2 times the market price.
He couldn’t possibly say he was low on funds.
If he acted all high and mighty but I turned around, Grandpa Jang would have no means to catch me.
“Let’s go draft the sales contract. Is it your first time buying a building, NoName Wizard?”
“Hmm, to be exact, it isn’t my first time.”
“Haha, then it should be easy! I’ve dealt with many transactions in Jeju Island, and China is basically no different.”
Then, Grandpa Jang immediately contacted his family, preparing for a trip to Hawaii.
*
Two days later, the sales contract procedure was complete.
From now on, it was simple.
First, I backed up all the CCTV files within the building, just in case.
Then I recorded all incoming transaction vehicles in the Shaolin Coffee parking lot from midnight to 11:59 PM.
“I recorded everything. What should we do now, sis?”
“Luri is in her room training with a talisman on her head. Try to maintain external manifestation as long as you can today.”
“Got it, sis.”
“Okay, I’ll be back soon.”
All these materials were used for negotiating with the branch manager and for rent.
After finishing a long day of labor, I closed the cafe.
Haa…
“Um?”
“Shh, be quiet, Xiangyu.”
Across from us were the branch manager, his wife, and their little daughter continuously clenching and unclenching her hands while pleading with her mother.
“100 million won? Y-you mean you’re raising the rent to double? How are we supposed to make 100 million in a month from selling coffee! Wait a moment…! NoName Wizard! How can you make such a statement when you know nothing about the real world?!”
“The basic size of Shaolin Coffee is 8,500 won. With an average daily sale of 2,000 cups, is it that strange to set monthly revenue at around 15%?”
In the food service industry, the appropriate rent is typically between 10% and 15%.
While there is no actual main branch of Shaolin that we think of…
Considering that it’s the first branch, 15% is hardly excessive.
“You can only sell 2,000 cups a day during peak season! Many days don’t even sell 1,000 cups…!”
“But doesn’t Shaolin supply materials at a cheap rate? I heard the cost is below 30%.”
The profit structure of Shaolin isn’t based on franchise royalties but logistics costs.
In other words, they supply raw materials to franchise stores and add their margin.
“30%? More like nearly double—”
The branch manager truncated his words midway.
“Double means 60%?”
“Not exactly double… but close enough! If it’s 100 million, I have no choice but to contact Shaolin directly.”
“If Shaolin adjusts that transparently for you, that wouldn’t be a problem. But I heard competition is fierce among stores too, are you alright with that, branch manager?”
“Ugh…”
Think you can hold out ’til then?
I rested my chin on my hand, gazing at the middle-aged man for a long time.
His face was turning increasingly pale, beads of cold sweat rolling down as he fidgeted his feet nonstop.
How did such a person end up in business?
He was truly naive and full of passion, unable to hide any of his emotions.
In the harsher world of China compared to Korea, this was the perfect case of failing in business.
“Go ahead, speak, Branch Manager Jang Wei-ning.”
“NoName Wizard, please listen to me…”
“I’m attentive.”
“I, uh, failed three times in launching the Shaolin Coffee brand alongside Shaolin. Twice due to fraud and once caught in a conflict between sects. It felt like I was sleeping with swords and knives every night, and the morning sun felt like an arrow piercing my skin in agony.”
Branch Manager Jang Wei-ning bowed his head heavily.
I casually surveyed the empty store.
A clean kitchen, a coffee machine robot being thoroughly cleaned down to the parts.
After observing for two days, it seemed that the couple cleaned and prepared ingredients for about an hour even after all the employees left for the day.
With such a busy daily routine, would they ever really get a proper vacation in a year?
“In truth, without Shaolin, there would be no Shaolin Coffee. It started thriving after the visit from Yeondam Seung. The initial suggestion to franchise also came from Shaolin, and the Room Leader generously allowed us to borrow Shaolin’s name.”
Who is Yeondam Seung again? Oh right, that flower boy monk.
Branch Manager Wei-ning clenched his hands tightly on the table.
“To a family that only looked at the ground, the sky has begun to show itself. However, we haven’t paid off all our debts, and my wife hasn’t even had a maternity leave, let alone a honeymoon. My daughter, Jang Xiang-yu, is now three years old, and I want to buy her some nice clothes, like everyone else. So please, just once…”
Suddenly, Jang Wei-ning dropped to his knees next to me.
“Could you please reconsider the rent increase just once? NoName Wizard, you have plenty of money, right? 70 million won, no, even if we could get 75 million won a month, we would work hard to earn it somehow…”
How pitiful.
Yet, how grand and magnificent.
“Branch Manager.”
“Yes?”
“To be honest, I can’t quite believe your words. In the beverage industry, having raw material costs at 60% is something I’ve never heard of.”
“That’s not accurate…! But Shaolin is like a benefactor to me, so isn’t it good if we do something nice with all of it?”
“Then please show me your accounts between you and the headquarters. Any receipts or anything would suffice.”
“Even for you, that isn’t permitted due to contractual limitations—”
“Why is that not permitted? Isn’t it just a matter of fetching them from there?”
Whoosh…
I pointed my finger towards the wardrobe at the far corner of the cafe.
The couple looked at me with puzzled eyes, as if to ask how I knew it was there.
“That’s obviously suspicious. What’s with the pig-nose lock? Who hides their account ledger like that?”
“Ah.”
“If you just show me the ledger, I’d consider the rent raise again.”
The branch manager hesitated.
If I caught him, even if Shaolin wouldn’t sue him, he would surely have a lifelong grudge.
Yet, I had become an immediate threat to them.
What’s more, wouldn’t they be scared of Janjeol?
As of now, Janjeol is the ultimate cash-dispensing dinosaur in the world.
“Isn’t the ledger an unremarkable piece? Didn’t you record everything, branch manager?”
“Yes, I record everything.”
“Are you engaged in tax evasion?”
“I swear to the heavens that’s not the case!”
“Then what’s the problem with showing it?”
After mulling and mulling again, Branch Manager Jang Wei-ning finally brought over the transaction records with Shaolin.
[Formation: Barrier Setup]
[Lazy: Medusa]
“What is this?”
“It’s nothing… just a security barrier.”
“Whoa, Mom, the wall is green!”
“Don’t touch it!”
Whew…
I squinted my eyes, flipping through the ledger.
The branch manager and his wife watched my every move with serious expressions from behind.
These were really just ordinary records of everyday numbers.
Based on peak season figures, the monthly revenue of 630 million won was almost perfectly aligned.
But…
“59% for raw material costs?”
“Yes…”
“You said it wasn’t even 60%.”
“Actually, it’s not 60%.”
“Good grief…”
Even more absurd was that despite achieving 600 million in sales in December, the profit the branch manager earned was only 14 million won.
“Where did the 14 million go? If we assume 4 hundred million goes for taxes…”
“5 hundred was spent on debt repayment, and of the other 5 hundred, 300 was saved…”
“During off-peak times, are you telling me you actually run at a loss?”
“Pretty much. During those times, we have to use a ton of coupons.”
Surprisingly, the price of coffee beans appeared normal.
While higher than standard coffee, they could be reasonably priced given they were Shaolin’s special beans.
However.
“Advertising fees, management fees, maintenance costs are all inconceivably high.”
But most importantly.
“Shaolin Energy? Who are they?”
“Oh, that’s the cost for the coffee machine robot. To sell 2,000 or 3,000 cups in this narrow space, robots are essential.”
“Oh, I see, so it includes robot purchase cost, maintenance fees, mana fees, and so forth?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“Not likely… if that’s the case, why use mana when you could just use electricity?”
Sure, the robot does the work of ten people.
But if it starts gulping down 100 to 200 million won a month, one would certainly suspect.
Looking more closely, it seemed they had cleverly manipulated the entries so they didn’t appear as robot operation costs.
An unsettling scent was in the air.
I began going through all the suppliers from the start.
‘Shaolin Energy, Shaolin Foods, Shaolin Energy, and again with Shaolin Energy.’
Recollecting the financial statements Janjeol had organized, I multiplied the number of stores based on the headquarters.
“How many shares do you own in Shaolin Coffee, branch manager?”
“What are you talking about? I own this store, but…”
“No, I mean the headquarters stock. Don’t tell me you haven’t got any shares at all?”
“Eh? Yes… um…”
“Ahhh, this is frustrating!”
How could the very founder of Shaolin Coffee not own a single share?
How on earth did such a thing even happen!
“W-well, I urgently needed money, so I received about 300 million in startup funding! With that, 200 million built the store, and 100 million settled debts…”
Not that, let’s think differently.
“Other branches likely did the same, right? No shares were distributed; it’s just a bit… like this…”
“Yes, I assume so. Stocks can be bought anytime on the market…”
“Referring to the stock market? Aha, got it. Here you go, let’s see the ledger.”
“Is there something wrong with how we did things?”
“Nope. You’ve diligently filed your taxes, congratulations. Waaaah…”
For some reason, I felt drained.
As a drastic measure, it seemed I’d have to cuddle with Luri tonight.
It had been eight hours since I last saw her. Please tell me she’s not still in her room training with aura, right?
I got ready, grabbing a hat with white pom-poms and my jacket.
Branch Manager Jang Wei-ning raised his arm as if about to say something.
“Rent, Wizard…”
“Ah, the rent. Let’s keep it at 100 million won a month for this year. We can negotiate again next year.”
“Eh? B-but the ledger!”
“Peak season is January and July, right? Just pay double those months.”
“Ah…! So that means we only pay 50 million won in other months? I’m so grateful—”
“No, you don’t need to pay anything. I’ll only collect it twice a year.”
“Eh?”
The bewilderment in the branch manager’s eyes was palpable.
“And the 2 billion won deposit seems excessive. I’ll give you 500 million, no, excluding this month’s 100 million rent, I’ll return 400 million. Is bank transfer fine?”
I held the hand of the branch manager’s daughter, who was blissfully unaware, shaking it happily.
*
The Shaolin Room Leader, Suzi-Gwang.
‘Is he really here for tourism?’
Jangwang Seung couldn’t shake off his dread.
He’d sent spies through his three greatest disciples, but even that didn’t seem reliable.
However, incidents often happen when one least expects them.
“Room Leader! Shaolin Coffee’s short-selling trading volume has increased by 50 billion won. Couldn’t it be the work of NoName?”
“Ha, not likely. Isn’t it the fault of NoName Wizard that insiders can’t keep their mouths shut?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Never mind. Shaolin Coffee is just about to erupt. Just wait a little longer.”
Ding!
[Room Leader, urgent news!]
“Now, Shaolin’s long-held ambitions shall be fulfilled.”
[Approximately 1 trillion won of Short-Sales has come in for Shaolin Energy.]
