76: Chapter 77 Opening of Yunmengze Life Plaza

Seoul at night. It was late.

Hongdae, Yunmengze Life Plaza.

Qian Xu stood in the center of the store, looking around.

The shelves were empty.

They would be filled with goods tomorrow.

The grand opening was the day after tomorrow.

His phone vibrated. It was a message from Jeon Bo-ram.

"Mr. Qian, are you still at the store?"

Qian Xu replied, "Yes. I'm checking things."

Jeon Bo-ram replied quickly, "I'm nearby too! Rehearsal just ended! Can I come over to take a look?"

Qian Xu smiled. "Sure."

A few minutes later, Jeon Bo-ram appeared at the entrance. She was wearing a pink sweatshirt, her hair tied in a bun, and her face still flushed from rehearsal.

"Wow!" She walked in and looked around. "It's so big! It's much more complete than when I came last time!"

Qian Xu smiled. "We're stocking shelves tomorrow. Opening the day after."

Jeon Bo-ram walked to a shelf and touched it. "These shelves... they're all new."

"Yes," Qian Xu nodded. "Custom-made. They're a bit taller than regular supermarket shelves. They can hold more products."

Jeon Bo-ram turned to look at him. "Mr. Qian, are you nervous?"

"Nervous?" Qian Xu was taken aback.

"The opening," Jeon Bo-ram said. "Such a big supermarket. It opens tomorrow. Aren't you nervous?"

Qian Xu thought for a moment. "A little. But I'm looking forward to it more."

"Looking forward to it?"

"Yes." Qian Xu looked at the store. "I want to see how Koreans react to a Chinese supermarket."

Jeon Bo-ram smiled. "They'll definitely love it."

"Why are you so sure?"

"Because you're Qian Xu." Jeon Bo-ram looked at him. "Everything you do succeeds."

Qian Xu was surprised. "You believe in me that much?"

"Yes." Jeon Bo-ram nodded. "Ever since the CU cultural creative zone, I've known. Whatever you do will definitely succeed."

They stood in the center of the store. It was quiet all around, save for the low hum of the freezers.

"Mr. Qian," Jeon Bo-ram suddenly spoke. "You're stocking tomorrow. Can I come help?"

Qian Xu paused. "Don't you have rehearsals tomorrow?"

"Rehearsal ends in the morning," Jeon Bo-ram said. "I'm free in the afternoon. I want to come help. And also take a look at those products you sourced directly from China."

Qian Xu looked at her. Her eyes were shining. She really wanted to come.

"Okay," he said. "Tomorrow at two in the afternoon. I'll wait for you."

Jeon Bo-ram smiled. "Okay!"

The next afternoon, Hongdae, Yunmengze Life Plaza. When Qian Xu arrived, two trucks were already parked at the entrance. Workers were unloading.

Kim Min-jun stood at the entrance with a list. "Mr. Qian, the goods have arrived! Twenty containers of goods! We'll finish stocking everything today!"

Qian Xu nodded. "Let's start."

Inside the store, the shelves were already positioned. Every area was labeled: Fresh Produce, Daily Necessities, Cultural & Creative Zone, Snacks. Next to the checkout counters was the service desk, with signs posted: "Unconditional Returns," "Free Shoe Repair," "Free Clothing Alterations," "Free Blood Pressure Checks."

Kim Min-jun looked at the signs. "Mr. Qian, are these services really all free?"

"Yes," Qian Xu nodded. "The core of Pang Donglai is service. We want Koreans to know that the service in Chinese supermarkets is a hundred times better than in Korea."

At two in the afternoon, Jeon Bo-ram arrived on time, wearing a white T-shirt, jeans, and her hair in a high ponytail.

"Mr. Qian!" She ran in. "I'm here!"

"Good." Qian Xu smiled. "You're in charge of the Cultural & Creative Zone. Arrange those Chinese-style products neatly."

"Okay!" Jeon Bo-ram rolled up her sleeves and headed to the Cultural & Creative Zone to start unpacking boxes.

The first box was opened. Jeon Bo-ram was stunned. Inside were panda dolls, palm-sized, fluffy, with dark eyes.

"Wow!" She picked one up. "So cute!"

"These are sourced directly from China," Qian Xu walked over. "Panda dolls, produced in Yiwu. Factory price is 3,000 won. We're selling them for 5,000 won."

Jeon Bo-ram hugged the panda doll. "That's so much cheaper than Korean supermarkets! This kind of doll in a Korean supermarket would cost at least 10,000 won."

"Right." Qian Xu smiled. "And the quality is better."

Jeon Bo-ram started stocking. She placed the panda dolls on the shelf one by one, arranged neatly, with equal spacing. It looked very pleasing.

"Mr. Qian, look!" She pointed at the shelf. "All done! Does it look good?"

"It looks good." Qian Xu nodded. "You have a good eye for aesthetics."

Jeon Bo-ram blushed. "Not really... I just thought it looked good this way."

At four in the afternoon, half the shelves were stocked. Kim Min-jun walked over. "Mr. Qian, the fresh produce has arrived. Fresh produce from Korean farmers—vegetables, fruits, meat. Everything is here."

Qian Xu nodded. "Let's go take a look."

Behind the store, a refrigerated truck was parked in the unloading zone. Workers were moving goods. The boxes had labels: "Ansan, Gyeonggi-do," "Organic Vegetables," "Direct from Farmers."

Kim Min-jun opened a box. Inside was lettuce, green and fresh.

"This batch of lettuce. It was picked this morning. The farmers picked it at four in the morning. Loaded at six in the morning. Delivered to Seoul in the afternoon."

Qian Xu picked up a head of lettuce. It was very fresh. "And the price?"

"20% cheaper than Lotte Mart." Kim Min-jun smiled. "The Farmers Association gave us the best price. Long-term cooperation."

"Good." Qian Xu nodded. "Put them on the shelves."

At six in the afternoon, the store was basically full. Jeon Bo-ram sat in the rest area, leaning back on the sofa, tired.

"So tired... but so fulfilling!"

Qian Xu handed her a bottle of water. "Thank you for your hard work."

"It wasn't hard!" Jeon Bo-ram took the water and took a sip. "Mr. Qian, the opening is tomorrow. Are you nervous?"

"A little." Qian Xu sat next to her. "But more excited."

"Me too!" Jeon Bo-ram smiled. "I have to ask for leave tomorrow! To come and support you!"

"No need to ask for leave." Qian Xu smiled. "You have rehearsals tomorrow afternoon. The opening is in the morning. Just come in the morning."

"Okay!" Jeon Bo-ram nodded.

The next morning, Hongdae, Yunmengze Life Plaza. Six o'clock. Just dawn. Qian Xu had already arrived. Kim Min-jun stood at the entrance, wearing a suit, looking energetic.

"Mr. Qian, good morning!"

"Morning." Qian Xu nodded. "Is everything ready?"

"Ready!" Kim Min-jun pointed to the store. "Shelves are full. Freezers are running. Checkout system tested. Service desk staff in place. Opening time: 9:00 AM."

Qian Xu checked his phone. 6:15 AM. Over two hours left.

"Let's go. Let's go inside and take a look."

Inside the store, it was brightly lit. The shelves were packed with goods. The vegetables and fruits in the fresh produce area were fresh and tempting. The insulated cups in the daily necessities area were neatly arranged. The panda dolls in the Cultural & Creative Zone were adorable. The Chinese snacks in the snack area were dazzling.

Qian Xu stood in the center of the store, looking around. He felt a bit emotional. From site selection, to renovation, to stocking, it had taken less than two weeks. Yunmengze Life Plaza was finally about to open.

His phone vibrated. A system notification. Qian Xu opened it.

[Yunmengze Life Plaza · Hongdae Branch]

[Opening Soon]

[Predicted first-day foot traffic: 8,000-10,000 people]

[Estimated sales: 500-800 million won]

He smiled and put his phone away.

"Representative Kim, open the doors. Let the employees in."

"Okay!"

At seven o'clock, the employees had all arrived. There were 30 people in total, 10 of whom were Chinese international students, and 20 were hired locally in Korea.

Qian Xu stood in the center of the store, looking at them.

"Today, Yunmengze Life Plaza opens. You are the first batch of employees. I hope you remember, what is our core?"

A Chinese international student raised a hand. "Service!"

"Right!" Qian Xu nodded. "Unconditional returns. Free services. Smiling at customers. This is our core. What Korean supermarkets can't do, we can. What Korean supermarkets aren't willing to do, we are willing to do. This is Yunmengze."

The employees looked at him, their eyes shining.

At eight o'clock, people were already queuing at the entrance. Qian Xu stood at the entrance, watching the people in line. There were young people, middle-aged people, elderly people, and some mothers with children.

"Mr. Qian, there are more and more people." Kim Min-jun walked over. "There are already over 50 people in line."

"Good." Qian Xu nodded. "Open on time at nine."

At eight-thirty, there were even more people in line. Over 100 people.

Jeon Bo-ram sent a message. "Mr. Qian, I've arrived! I'm queuing at the entrance!"

Qian Xu was taken aback. "Why are you queuing? Just come right in!"

Jeon Bo-ram replied, "No! I want to queue with the customers! To experience the opening atmosphere!"

Qian Xu smiled. This girl was really cute.

At nine o'clock sharp, Qian Xu stood at the entrance, took a deep breath. "Open the doors!"

The rolling shutter slowly rose. The light from inside the store spilled out. The people in line started to walk in.

The first customer was a Korean man in his forties, wearing casual clothes. He walked into the store and froze.

"Wow..." He looked around. "So big... So clean..."

Qian Xu walked over. "Welcome to Yunmengze Life Plaza. Today is the first day of our opening. All products are on sale."

The man nodded and walked to the fresh produce area, looking at the vegetables.

"How much is this lettuce?"

"1,000 won per head," the clerk replied. "Lotte Mart sells it for 1,500 won."

The man was stunned. "So cheap?"

"Yes." The clerk smiled. "We source directly from China + directly from Korean farmers. Prices are 20%-30% lower than market rates."

The man picked up a head of lettuce. "Give me five."

In the fresh produce area, more and more people were coming. A young girl walked to the Cultural & Creative Zone and saw the panda dolls.

"Wow!" She picked one up. "So cute! How much?"

"5,000 won," the clerk replied. "Korean supermarkets sell them for 10,000 won."

The girl was stunned. "So cheap?"

"Yes." The clerk smiled. "Directly sourced from China. Quality is better than Korea's."

The girl hugged the panda doll. "I want two!"

In the daily necessities area, a middle-aged woman looked at the insulated cups.

"How much is this?"

"10,000 won," the clerk replied. "Korean supermarkets sell them for 30,000 won."

The middle-aged woman picked up the insulated cup and looked at it. "The quality is good. Give me three."

At the checkout counters, long lines had formed. Every customer was holding a shopping basket. Some were filled with vegetables and fruits, some were holding panda dolls, some were carrying insulated cups.

Kim Min-jun stood next to the checkout counter, watching the queuing customers, and smiled.

"Mr. Qian, business is too good! It's only been an hour since we opened! We've already sold 50 million won worth of goods!"

Qian Xu nodded. "This is just the beginning."

At ten o'clock, there were even more people in the store. Jeon Bo-ram finally squeezed in. She walked to Qian Xu's side.

"Mr. Qian! There are so many people! It took me forty minutes of queuing to get in!"

Qian Xu smiled. "Who told you to insist on queuing."

"That's the only way to have that sense of ritual!"

Jeon Bo-ram looked at the store. "Wow... It's really full... It looks even better than yesterday!"

She walked to the Cultural & Creative Zone and saw the panda dolls she had arranged yesterday. Half of them were already sold.

"Selling so fast!"

"Yes." Qian Xu walked over. "Panda dolls are the most popular. We've already sold over 200."

Jeon Bo-ram smiled. "I told you. Everyone likes pandas."

At eleven o'clock, there were even more people in the store. People were still queuing at the entrance. Kim Min-jun walked over.

"Mr. Qian, the first-day traffic statistics are out."

"How many?"

"Already over 3,000 people. And it's only been two hours since opening."

Qian Xu nodded. "Keep observing."

At twelve noon, the store was packed. Long lines were in front of the checkout counters. Every cashier was scanning codes quickly.

Kim Min-jun walked over.

"Mr. Qian, the sales figures are out."

"How much?"

"It's already broken through 200 million won."

Qian Xu smiled. "Continue."

At one in the afternoon, it was time for Jeon Bo-ram to leave. She stood at the entrance, looking at Qian Xu.

"Mr. Qian, I have to go to rehearsal."

"Okay." Qian Xu nodded. "See you tonight."

"Yes!" Jeon Bo-ram smiled. "The opening was a success today! Let's celebrate tonight!"

"Okay." Qian Xu smiled.

At three in the afternoon, the store was still crowded. Kim Min-jun walked over.

"Mr. Qian, the first-day traffic statistics are out."

"How many?"

"Already over 8,000 people. It's estimated that by the time we close tonight, we can break through 10,000 people."

Qian Xu nodded. "Good."

At six in the evening, the number of people in the store started to decrease, but customers were still browsing. Kim Min-jun walked over.

"Mr. Qian, the final data is out. First-day traffic: 12,000 people. First-day sales: 850 million won."

Qian Xu looked at the numbers and smiled. 12,000 people. 850 million won. The first day of opening far exceeded expectations.

His phone vibrated. A system notification. Qian Xu opened it.

[Yunmengze Life Plaza · Hongdae Branch]

[First day opening data]

[Traffic: 12,000 people]

[Sales: 850 million won]

[Cultural Output Value: +500,000]

[Korean favorability towards China: 27.8%]

He smiled and put his phone away. He walked out of the store.

Seoul at night was brightly lit. People were coming and going on the streets of Hongdae. He stood at the entrance, looking at the sign for Yunmengze Life Plaza.

A black metal sign with gold lettering: "Yunmengze Life Plaza" and "Yunmengze Life Plaza". Below it was a line of small text: "Chinese Quality · Korean Prices".

He smiled. This was just the beginning. Tomorrow, the day after, the future. Yunmengze would open a second store in Seoul, a third, a tenth. Let Koreans know that Chinese supermarkets are better than Korean supermarkets.

His phone vibrated. It was a message from Jeon Bo-ram.

"Mr. Qian, rehearsal is over! How are the numbers?"

Qian Xu replied, "First-day traffic: 12,000 people. Sales: 850 million won."

Jeon Bo-ram replied quickly, "Wow!!! That's amazing! Let's celebrate tonight! I'll treat you to barbecue!"

Qian Xu smiled. "Okay. What time?"

"Seven o'clock! Same place! Your place!"

Qian Xu smiled. "Okay."