I am not just a tycoon

"I don't know, but you just seem less active today,"

Liew Menglu said, pouting her lips.

"A man is only active when he's playing sports or about to play sports. If you don't play basketball with me, how can I be active?"

Shen Yuan said with a half-smile.

"Shen Yuan, are all men as lustful as you?"

Liew Menglu asked with twinkling eyes.

"How am I lustful? I was talking about basketball."

Shen Yuan felt somewhat innocent.

Liew Menglu rolled her eyes. "Oh please, you couldn't even hold back that one time at the coffee shop."

Shen Yuan's mouth twitched, thinking this incident might haunt him for a lifetime. He changed the subject. "Why are you so free these days, having time to hang out with me?"

Liew Menglu shook her head. "I'm not free. For you, I've postponed all those personal training classes."

"How can I accept that?"

"If you feel bad about it, just make it up to me by treating me to more meals!"

"No problem, I can treat you to a billion-dollar meal."

"Cut it out!"

"..."

At noon, after having a barbecue, the two drove to the renovation company.

The several companies recommended by Guan Shufang were good. Shen Yuan combined the information found online and selected two companies with A-class qualifications. Both were nationally accredited renovation enterprises with good reputations in Star City.

The first place they were visiting was Guanting Renovation Company, headquartered in a premium office building at Meixihu. The area was surrounded by numerous residential communities, and several were newly launched, indicating a strategic consideration for their location.

They parked their car in the underground lot, then took the elevator up to the 19th floor, where Guanting's receptionist greeted them with a professional smile.

"Hello, how can I assist you?"

"My name is Shen. I have an appointment," Shen Yuan replied.

The receptionist's professional smile grew even warmer, "Hello, Mr. Shen, right this way please."

"Okay."

Shen Yuan followed the receptionist into Guanting, taking a brief look around. Being a high-end renovation company, the interior design of the office was their first calling card. From the reception area to the negotiation room, the decor included various elements, presenting an ambiance that was both warm like a home and yet sophisticated and luxurious.

It was also Liew Menglu's first time in such a setting, and she couldn't help but survey the company quietly while following Shen Yuan, noting its upscale appearance.

Just as they arrived at the door of VIP Room No. 1, a female designer in her forties quickly stood up to greet them, warmly extending her hand, "Hello, Mr. Shen, I'm the chief designer at Guanting. My name is Foo Zhengmei."

Ordinary customers wouldn't need the chief designer's attention, but Shen Yuan's villa renovation budget was 20 million. To reach that amount for renovation, given the typical spending on a regular-sized house for the average person, they'd have to work on dozens of projects.

So for a high-profile client like this, Guanting Renovation couldn't afford to slack off.

"Hello."

Shen Yuan shook hands with Foo Zhengmei indifferently, "Let's have a seat. To cut a long story short, I've already told you my requirements yesterday. Today I'm here to see the plans."

"Alright."

Foo Zhengmei pulled out chairs for Shen Yuan and Liew Menglu, and once they sat down, she took her seat.

"Based on your budget and requirements, we've prepared three design schemes for you, complete with renderings. You can take a look at which style you prefer first. We'll confirm the style and then see if there are any areas that need adjustment."

Foo Zhengmei opened her MacBook and turned on the projector, displaying European, Light Luxury, and New Chinese styles one by one for Shen Yuan's consideration.

If it were a regular customer, they wouldn't offer renderings, which would require an additional design fee if requested.

But Shen Yuan's budget was on the table, and such clients required comprehensive service. With the market competition being so fierce, if they didn't accommodate, someone else would.

Customers would compare, and if the service wasn't up to par, they simply wouldn't place their orders here.

"Shen Yuan, what's your budget?"

Liew Menglu whispered a question, still unaware of Shen Yuan's budget. She found each rendering on the projector exquisite and beautiful.

"20 million."

Shen Yuan replied coolly.

"20 million???"

Liew Menglu's eyes widened in disbelief.

A villa worth over ten million and renovations worth over twenty million—the house itself would amount to over thirty million!

Damn, this is just obscenely wealthy!

She was still renting an apartment for less than 3,000 a month, and yet his house had four more zeros!

Liew Menglu had underestimated Shen Yuan. She initially thought the renovations might cost a few million at most, but his budget turned out to be even higher than the cost of the house itself.

Having spent over 30 million like that, his net worth must be at least a billion, right?

Liew Menglu couldn't help but give Shen Yuan a few more glances, suddenly feeling that her previous methods weren't bold enough and it seems she needed to intensify her efforts!

Shen Yuan was focused on looking at the design renderings and didn't notice Liew Menglu's expressions. In the end, he fixed his gaze on the New Chinese-style design renderings.

"Could you please introduce this New Chinese style?"

"Of course."

Foo Zhengmei lit up with a radiant smile, "The New Chinese style combines modern minimalist concepts, discarding the intricacy and complexity of traditional Chinese styles, emphasizing clean lines, with a color palette that is predominantly light and natural. The furniture is made from traditional Chinese wooden furniture, combined with modern craftsmanship..."

Foo Zhengmei's introduction was very detailed, covering everything from the choice of wood, to lighting, and down to functional areas, as well as special techniques required for the style. Even Shen Yuan, a layman, understood.

"All right, let's go with this style then."

Shen Yuan nodded.

"Good, this is a preliminary design rendering. Later on, we'll need to come up with a detailed plan based on your budget, along with a detailed cost breakdown for building materials and furniture, and then verify and settle the accounts with you."

"Actually, with your budget, you can afford top-tier brands for furniture and building materials."

Foo Zhengmei said, her brows relaxed and eyes bright with anticipation. She felt she was a few steps closer to closing the deal and found Mr. Shen increasingly pleasant to look at.

Shen Yuan nodded, "Sure, I still have an appointment with another renovation company to visit. After comparing the final proposals from both, I will make a decision."

"Of course, that's not a problem. It's always good to shop around."

Foo Zhengmei smiled, then said, "I don't know if you have time this evening? Our boss, Mr. Wan, would like to invite you to dinner and hopes you can grace us with your presence."

"Whether or not we end up doing business, Mr. Wan wishes to make your acquaintance."

"Dinner?"

Shen Yuan thought about it. He indeed didn't have any plans for the evening, but it seemed inappropriate to agree before placing an order.

"Mr. Shen, please don't feel obligated, our boss sincerely wishes to make your acquaintance," Foo Zhengmei continued to persuade.

"Alright then."

Shen Yuan felt that this boss was quite sincere and that it wouldn't hurt to have dinner and meet him.

"Let's add each other on WeChat, so I can send you the restaurant location. Additionally, for future plans, it will be easier for us to communicate."

"Okay."

After some small talk, Foo Zhengmei escorted Shen Yuan and his companion to the underground parking lot. She returned upstairs to the company only after Shen Yuan had driven away.

One must really treat such wealthy clients well!

A 20 million renovation was even more expensive than that villa, not just any ordinary rich family's offspring!

Upon her return to the office area, Foo Zhengmei knocked on General Manager Wan Renmin's office door.

"Mr. Wan, Mr. Shen has agreed to have dinner tonight," Foo Zhengmei reported with a slight nod.

Wan Renmin was about fifty years old and still in good shape. Apart from some white hair and a few wrinkles, he had the energy of a much younger man.

"Good. If we can dine together, the chances of closing the deal will be much greater. We can't let such a cash cow go elsewhere to make a deal, haha~" Wan Renmin laughed amiably. Making friends was one aspect, but sealing the deal was even more important.

The home decoration business is tough these days, and a big order like one worth 20 million is rare.

The gross margin for one order is about 30%, with net profits around 10%-15%.

But even at a conservative estimate of 10%, that would still bring in at least 2 million in revenue for the company, so taking a client out for a meal to increase the odds of a deal is certainly worthwhile.

"This Mr. Shen brought a woman with him just now," Foo Zhengmei added.

"Are they girlfriend and boyfriend?" Wan Renmin asked.

Foo Zhengmei shook her head, "It didn't seem like it."

After pondering for a moment, Wan Renmin said, "Invite Su Xuewei for dinner tonight as well."

Foo Zhengmei was startled, "She's still an intern and hasn't attended such social gatherings before."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Wan Renmin waved dismissively, "That's alright, she'll have to deal with social events sooner or later. If the conversation goes well tonight, you can decide whether to go to Club K or a bar for the second half of the evening. I've heard the younger crowd likes bars these days. You can ask Mr. Shen his preference then."

"Understood."

"....."