Chapter 21: Choosing a Location for the Gym

Chapter 21: Choosing a Gym Location

Back at his own place, Gao Yun imported the footage he had shot in Hangzhou from his camera to his computer and sat down at his bedroom desk to begin editing. Dalia sat on the edge of the bed, watching with keen interest and occasionally offering suggestions.

Two hours later, the editing was complete. The final video showcased Hangzhou’s beautiful scenery and mouth-watering food, with the two protagonists looking stylish and attractive. Both Gao Yun and Dalia were quite satisfied with the result.

What pleased him most was seeing that the progress bar for "Editing" on his attribute panel had jumped from 42% to 63%, and "Filming" had climbed from 40% to 62%. In high spirits, he uploaded the video to his Douyin and Bilibili accounts, not forgetting his earlier promise to send a copy to Ezaki Yoko as well.

Subsequently, Gao Yun discovered that he had developed a genuine, intense interest in learning the crafts of filming and editing.

"I love learning! Anytime, anywhere!"
"Not for the money! Just for the thrill of leveling up, get it?"

Gao Yun was brimming with ambition, remaining unmoved even by Dalia’s half-veiled temptations on the bed. The immense power of wealth is enough to change a person’s hobbies, habits, character, interests, and even their sexual orientation...

To reach the advanced levels of these two skills as quickly as possible and claim the ten-million-yuan reward, Gao Yun sat at his computer, pulled up learning materials, and studied diligently until 11:30 PM. Only after pushing both skill progress bars to 70% did he finally head to bed to tease the golden-haired cat who was on the verge of losing her temper.

Not a word more was spoken that night. Not a word!

The next day, after breakfast, Dalia stayed home to watch shows while Gao Yun went to meet Li Jianchen at their scheduled time to inspect potential sites for the new gym in the New District.

Driving his Ferrari 812 GTS through the morning rush hour, Gao Yun felt that the local drivers had suddenly become exceptionally well-mannered. No one cut him off; everyone was polite and courteous, and some even waved at him while waiting at red lights.

"Hey handsome, how much is this car?" a young woman in a BMW 3 Series rolled down her window, tossing her hair with a flirtatious glint in her eyes. "It looks so beautiful."

Because it was a sunny, mild day, the hardtop of the 812 GTS was retracted. The low-slung body and sharp lines looked both elegant and aggressive in the sunlight. Gao Yun, wearing a black casual suit—the same model worn by the runway models at the 2020 Versace Milan Spring/Summer Men’s Fashion Show—looked sleek and sophisticated, with silver threads in the fabric shimmering subtly to project an air of understated luxury.

Image and temperament are truly critical. Had this been the Gao Yun from seven years ago—a greasy, poorly dressed, two-hundred-pound slob—pedestrians and drivers would only have cursed under their breath, "What a waste of a car." Instead, with the current "handsome version" of Gao Yun, people not only cast envious glances but even initiated conversations.

"A bit over seven million, I think," Gao Yun said, peering through his Prada Duple sunglasses at the driver. Finding her attractive enough, he gave her a smile.

"That's quite expensive," the young woman said, playing with her hair again and smiling coyly.

"Let's swap WeChats. Don't get me wrong, I just thought your car looked great, and I took a photo that happened to capture yours too. Add me, and I'll send it to you."

*Tsk, I’ve used that line before!*

Gao Yun couldn't help but laugh, replying with a tone of mock regret, "Sorry, my WeChat friend list is full."

Perfect! A textbook pickup attempt met with a textbook rejection. Whenever he encountered this kind of situation with a woman he didn't want to add, he used this excuse—and in fact, his WeChat friend list really was nearing capacity. It was a way to decline that saved face for both parties while avoiding any awkwardness should their paths cross again.

...

Aside from this small episode, the drive was smooth. Gao Yun arrived at the location before Li Jianchen. Looking around, he had to admit the spot was excellent.

This was a commercial street in the New District that had yet to take off; half of the storefronts were still unfinished, with "For Rent/Sale" signs plastered on the glass. At the center of the street stood a large shopping mall, surrounded by new residential developments and proximity to one high school and two universities. Most importantly, within a three-kilometer radius, there were no large gyms, leaving the market entirely untapped.

"Brother Yun!"

Li Jianchen arrived in his small van, parked it next to the Ferrari, and the first thing he did upon exiting was stroke the hood of the 812 GTS, looking as if he were about to drool. "The texture—it’s incredible!"

Gao Yun laughed and scolded, "Focus on business first. Once we're done, I'll let you take it for a spin."

"Forget it, I don't dare. Just sitting in it is enough for me."

Jokes aside, Li Jianchen pointed to the large mall at the center of the street. "Huashang Plaza. The top two floors total 5,000 square meters. In terms of location and size, it’s the best in the New District. The only issue is the rent—2.2 million a year for both floors."

"Are there any tenants in the mall right now? Why does it look so empty?"

"They’re still recruiting. They had half filled before it was finished before the New Year, but then the market downturn hit and things stalled. It’s gradually recovering now; I expect it’ll be full in a couple of months."

The two chatted as they walked into the mall and headed straight for the manager's office. Li Jianchen had made an appointment, and after brief introductions, they sat down. The manager, Li Hua, was fifty years old and worldly. Seeing the air of wealth radiating from Gao Yun, he didn't dare be negligent, serving tea with great hospitality.

They got straight to the point. After finishing their tea, they toured the seventh and eighth floors with Li Hua. Gao Yun looked around, feeling very satisfied.

The requirements for a gym location were high. Huashang Plaza was a commercial hub adjacent to residential areas and schools—the growth potential was massive. It was an excellent spot; on a scale of 100, he would give it a 99. The only point docked was that once the street became popular, the limited underground parking might be an issue.

Furthermore, a gym had specific architectural requirements:
First, the floor space had to be large. Aside from this place, there really wasn't anywhere else in the New District that could satisfy his 5,000-square-meter requirement.
Second, the ceiling height had to be sufficient; otherwise, certain equipment couldn't be installed, and the space would feel oppressive.
Third, it needed a wide view and plenty of natural light for an invigorating workout environment.

Huashang Plaza met all three criteria, scoring full marks on the view—standing on the seventh and eighth floors, one could overlook half of Hu City, and on a clear day, even see the ocean. Imagine running or cycling while enjoying a sea view; even the laziest person would be tempted.

Satisfied with the location, the three returned to the office to negotiate. Gao Yun tried to drive the price down by citing the economic downturn, but Li Hua held firm at 1.7 million. Both sides knew this was the bottom line given the location and size.

Ultimately, Gao Yun and Li Hua signed a five-year contract, paying two years' rent upfront as a deposit. To be safe, Gao Yun hired a lawyer to witness the agreement.

With this settled, Gao Yun began the formal setup. He first contacted a renowned design firm with extensive experience in the fitness industry to survey the site and draft plans. He then had Li Jianchen contact industry veterans to begin recruiting a pre-sale team.

After handling the messy details, Gao Yun and Li Jianchen grabbed a quick meal. The morning had been exhausting, mostly mentally. For a 5,000-square-meter gym, this was just the appetizer. The administrative procedures, interior renovation, equipment procurement, recruitment, staff management, membership and personal trainer training, pre-sale strategy—the list was endless. Just thinking about it made Gao Yun tired. *I’ve achieved financial freedom, why am I working this hard? What for?*

*What happened to being a happy layabout? What about playing the piano, practicing singing, and learning street dance?*

No, he needed to hire some people to help so he could be a hands-off boss. Gao Yun glanced at Li Jianchen, who was wolfing down his food, and thought that his old subordinates were the most reliable and trustworthy.

"Are Hu Yue and the others working today?"

"Yeah, they are." Li Jianchen blinked, trying to earn some credit. "I took a day off to help you, Brother Yun, otherwise I'd be there too."

Gao Yun gave him an appreciative pat on the shoulder. "You’ve got a bright future. Keep working hard for me. You’ll definitely be in charge of the coaching department at the new gym. I’ll make sure you can afford a house in Hu City within a year."

"Hehe, thanks, Brother Yun!"

Li Jianchen was thrilled. A 5,000-square-meter luxury gym in an untapped market with prime resources—the personal training revenue in the first year alone could easily hit two million. As the training manager, he could easily clear over 300,000 a year between commissions and sales. With his savings, he could make a down payment on a house in Hu City, and his girlfriend’s family would finally agree to the marriage.

Having been a colleague for so many years, Gao Yun naturally knew about Li Jianchen’s situation. Seeing his bright smile, he guessed what was on his mind. Feeling a sense of "benevolent compassion" for the masses, he picked up his phone to call Hu Yue.

"The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable."

Gao Yun didn't think much of it and tried again. After two failed attempts, he opened WeChat to send her a voice message.

"!"

A sharp red exclamation mark appeared. Gao Yun didn't react at first, staring at it for a few seconds before sending another message, only to receive a second red exclamation mark. No signal? No, the bars were full!

*Could it be...?*
*Did she block me?!*
*A handsome guy like me actually got blocked by her?!*

Gao Yun was a bit surprised. Since the incident with the thief at his apartment, he hadn't exactly been celibate, and Hu Yue knew about it, so why block him now? Was it because he made his Moments public? That was a misunderstanding—he mostly wanted to show off the car, but the photo was just so good he posted it.

*That shouldn't be enough to do it. Little Hu has always been sensible.* Still puzzled, he nudged Li Jianchen. "How have Hu Yue and the others been lately? Any signs of anything unusual?"

Li Jianchen was a bit confused. "Nothing unusual. Everything’s normal. They’re clocking in and out on time. The coaching department's performance has dropped overall, though. Since you resigned, Brother Yun, we don't have our backbone anymore."

Li Jianchen leaned in, sincere. "Brother Yun, the location is set. Should we jump ship and come work for you? Setting up a new store is a lot of trouble; how can you handle it all by yourself?"

"Hmm, you're right."

Gao Yun nodded, thinking that Little Hu was still the same old Hu Yue—she had blocked her "father" in secret, but on the surface, she remained calm and composed, without a single complaint. *So, blocking me is a warning, is it? Very well, woman, you have successfully caught my attention!*

"Let's go," Gao Yun said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Let's head to Caesar’s to work out and digest, and while we're at it, I'll help you resign."