Du Zhaohui didn’t quite understand:

“What’s a price-sensitive consumer?”

Xia Xiaolan rolled her eyes: “It’s a polite way of saying ‘poor person’! Aren’t poor people very sensitive to prices? They check multiple stalls just to compare vegetable prices, choose the cheapest one, and then sweet-talk the vendor into throwing in a couple of green onions as extras!”

Damn!

What a vivid description.

Du Zhaohui had never been poor since he could remember. Making him live like that would be worse than killing him.

So he had truly bet everything – this project had to succeed.

“I now have 50 million HKD, plus access to 100 million RMB in bank loans later. How should I build this electronic components market? Didn’t you design an office building for that Huo person from Dongfeng Holdings? For this market’s design…”

When it came to the electronic components plaza, Xia Xiaolan thought of SEG Plaza.

She didn’t know the old SEG Plaza building – in her previous life, when she went to Shenzhen after university graduation, the new SEG Plaza building was almost complete. She had never seen the old SEG Plaza.

She only knew that the new SEG Plaza was 71 stories high, over 300 meters tall, ranking among the world’s notable buildings at the time.

The bottom nine floors were a shopping mall, selling phones and electronics like hotcakes. The middle floors were offices, and above that were hotels and various clubs, with a helipad on the roof.

Completed just before the millennium, the tower was a square with cut corners forming an octagon – as magnificent as could be.

Would Du Zhaohui’s money be enough to replicate the new SEG Plaza that was completed in 1999?

Plus, being 13 years earlier, could Shenzhen’s market support such a project?

Xia Xiaolan abandoned the idea of copying the SEG Plaza building. The deeper she studied architecture, the more she developed an inexplicable intellectual pride. She could borrow concepts like infinity pools – those were already commonplace in her previous life.

But directly copying a famous building from her previous life made her conscience ache.

How terrible – a businesswoman considering conscience? Could she still make money happily?

Her identity as an architecture student conflicted with her business identity… Xia Xiaolan didn’t want to admit she was being morally righteous. She felt it was pride at work – having learned something, completed a couple of designs, and gained recognition, she now disdained to copy.

She could do it herself.

Roll up her sleeves and do it herself – why copy?

Leave such unchallenging tasks of copying to others!

Though quick to think, she was slow to express. When Du Zhaohui asked about the market’s design, hoping she would take charge, Xia Xiaolan hesitated:

“I might not have the time. I’ve already given you the overall planning concept – you can have anyone design it. With your limited budget, build it as tall as possible, and quickly. You’re racing against time. You must have the finished product by year-end, preferably with all lower-floor shops rented out, showing the plaza’s profit potential. This is crucial for proving yourself to Chairman Du – you can’t be careless about it.”

Though Du Chengrong had each brother start with 20 million HKD for their businesses, comparing more than just profit figures, Du Zhaohui would have lost if he hadn’t even started his project when Du Zhaoqi returned home with profits.

Having Du Zhaohui establish himself independently required two preparations. If this electronic components market succeeded, even if he lost to his brother and didn’t inherit the bulk of the family fortune, he’d have something to rely on!

The 100 million RMB bank loan wouldn’t matter much then – as long as assets exceeded debts, he could repay it gradually.

The city government had approved quite a lot of land – even if Du Zhaohui failed, he could still sell the land later.

Du Zhaohui had endured a day-long flight to America, but after less than an hour’s chat with Xia Xiaolan, he felt reassured. At least he knew he was on the right path and what to do next.

Du Zhaohui still wanted Xia Xiaolan involved in the design. Xia Xiaolan was quite tempted – who wouldn’t want their name on a landmark building?

But she really couldn’t get away in America.

In China, she could hire people to handle trivial tasks, but who could she hire abroad?

Architects in China would work diligently for pay, never fighting for credit – whatever name was put on the design was fine with them.

Try it abroad.

The situation was different – she wasn’t a professor or an architectural firm. Could she maintain control over hired help? Ultimately, without her design team, she couldn’t complete such a large project alone.

Xia Xiaolan explained her concerns.

Du Zhaohui found it strange, “Why don’t you start your firm?”

Du Zhaohui couldn’t understand why Xia Xiaolan would worry about something money could solve.

The wealthy young master thought differently from Xia Xiaolan, making her seem like a “price-sensitive consumer.” She had never considered starting an architectural firm – she hadn’t even graduated, wasn’t a real architect yet, and a firm wasn’t essential, so why invest? This was weighing economic gains and losses.

Poor people choose one or the other, while rich young masters have no such worries – rich young masters choose both!

Why talk about costs? Starting a firm now would be useful eventually.

Xia Xiaolan hadn’t expected to be enlightened by Du Zhaohui.

True – she didn’t have to do it abroad, why not in China?

Currently, Chinese architects mainly work in design institutes – couldn’t she poach some people to start a firm? Even if it wasn’t profitable initially, she could maintain it slowly. Having her own capable team would keep profits in-house at Qihang too…

“Du Zhaohui, I’m finding you’re quite insightful.”

This was Xia Xiaolan’s second compliment to Du Zhaohui today.

Du Zhaohui’s mind was dizzy, intoxicated by the sweet apple pie aroma.

Professor Wen had left when Xia Xiaolan and Du Zhaohui started discussing business. Now Hu Ying came to call them for dinner. Though Du Zhaohui had eaten many fine foods, he repeatedly praised Hu Ying’s cooking.

His Mandarin carried a Hong Kong accent, and his exaggerated tone somehow didn’t seem strange, making Hu Ying laugh heartily and call him interesting.

Hu Ying even invited Du Zhaohui to stay, saying Hong Kong compatriots were Chinese compatriots too, and he was Xiaolan’s friend. Du Zhaohui watched Xia Xiaolan’s expression, his Border Collie intelligence suddenly improving, and declined:

“No need, no need. I’ve booked a hotel in town, and others came to America with me – they’re waiting at the hotel.”

Hu Ying was just being polite.

Since Du Zhaohui wasn’t Xia Xiaolan’s boyfriend, with guest rooms upstairs, having him stay on the second floor with Xiaolan wouldn’t be appropriate – if Du Zhaohui knew what he was refusing, he would have accepted shamelessly!