Chapter 46 Gold In Exchange For Gold (1/2)
By the sixth of November, Chen Jin's jewelry shop still had not officially opened. It was stuck at the busy stage of preparations. The renovations had been completed. Overall, the shop had a luxurious and imposing atmosphere. There were dazzling displays of gold and jade, and the dimmed lighting of the crystal chandelier emitted a warm amber glow that made it seem as if the temperature of the interior had risen about two degrees.
People would not be able to help but get excited. Riches. Treasures! This was what people would perceive directly through their senses upon entering the shop. Guo Yan had been working there for more than half a month, and by now, her heart had completely settled. There were no remaining worries and doubt from her first days. Now, she only wanted to give it her all and work in this shop whole-heartedly. She was filled with power and vigor, because she realized that there was a future for her if she continued working in Brother Chen's jewelry store.
First, the working environment was very good. The scale of the shop was very big. The first two stories were renovated into business areas, while half of the floor area on the third story was used as a storage room. The remaining 50 square meters were made into a kitchen, canteen, and lounge. Compared to her previous workplace where she had to brave the weather daily, the facilities here were much better.
Moreover, the store manager was easy-going, approachable, and nice. She took great care of her and was willing to impart some industry experience, showing that the manager had the intention to groom and cultivate her skills. Even the two aunties who had a few years of working experience with the store manager were polite to her. They frequently guided and aided her. The relationship between the superiors and colleagues was very harmonious.
Most importantly, however, the jewelry shop had a bright future. Although the shop was yet unopened, Guo Yan, through her observations, had noticed that its location was excellent. It was in the liveliest section of Jin Ling West Road with a definite stream of potential customers. In addition, Brother Chen had deep pockets. Auntie Chiu had randomly revealed this - the stocks coming into the shop had a total value of nearly $6,000,000, filling the third floor storage room almost to the brim.
The big promotion activity that they were preparing for would be a steal for customers! There were plenty of funds invested into it. If the jewelry shop started off with a bang and developed successfully, the boss definitely would definitely reward the pioneer batch of staff. She just had to perform actively, work diligently and make her fair share of contributions.
Naturally, the store manager, Chiu Wan-Ting took note of her performance. Whenever she called Chen Jin, she would praise her profusely and continuously.
Chen Jin nodded. ”After the official opening of the shop, we can turn Guo Yan and the rest into confirmed staff with higher salaries. If the first month of the shop is good, we can give the sales staff some commissions.”
Chiu Wan-Ting said, ”It's better to wait until after a full month of operations, when we've calculated the shop's profits, before considering to raise their salaries. It's not too clear yet and we don't want to incur additional costs.”
”Hmm, Auntie Chiu, you're right.”
By now, Chen Jin had less than $3,000,000 remaining funds. Before the jewelry shop gave him any financial benefits, he could no longer be a spendthrift, and he had to control his expenses.
With regards to the stock, Chiu Wan-Ting had expressed that what they had prepared might not be sufficient. She said, ”For a large jewelry shop with about 20 kilograms of gold jewelry in the display counters, the total cost would be at least $5,000,000 and above. But, we've only prepared 15 kilograms, and purchased more silver jewelry. The total cost of platinum, diamonds, and other gemstones that we procured are less than $500,000. We've spent all our money to barely stock up the counter displays on the first and second stories. However, we've nothing left in the storage room to replenish our stocks. If we have a large inflow of customers on our opening day, the sales amount could be above expectations. It's possible that we might face the awkwardness of a shortage of stock.” She suggested, ”Boss, I propose that we reduce the area of business operations and only operate on the first story. The jewelry on the second story can be used as ready stock while the counters on the first story can be placed closer together. This should allow us to face the situation if business sales flourish.”
”No!” On the contrary, Chen Jin shook his head, ”If we want to open for business, we have to do it big. We'll start operations on the first and second stories at the same time. Purchase another $5,000,000 worth of stocks.”
”$5,000,000?”
Chiu Wan-Ting was shocked. She asked, ”Boss, you still have that much funds?”
”No, I have a batch of gold that was given to me by a friend. Its valued at $5,000,000 and above. Can I put this gold into the shop directly for sale?”
”What's the primary form of that gold? Gold bars and bullions or gold jewelry?”
”Mainly gold bullions.”
”Is there a production certificate?” The certificate would clearly state the location of manufacture and the manufacturer.
”Um… I don't think there is.”
”Is there a certificate of purchase?” This certificate would state the origins of the gold and the purchasing body.