68: Earn money while standing

"Boss Ye, I've finished what you asked me to do. How is it? Are you satisfied with the results?"

Holding the discarded materials torn from the billboard, the Shop Owner also stood beside Ye Tian and called out to the employees in the shop, who then turned on the sign's lights.

The words "Tianxia Housekeeping" appeared even more dazzling.

"Not bad. It's the effect I wanted."

Ye Tian nodded in satisfaction and continued, "Please calculate the total cost for me."

"The sign, plus the replacement of the background wall lettering and the lighting circuits, comes to 1000 in total! Seeing as it's your new shop opening, Boss Ye, let's just call it 888 for good luck."

Ye Tian smiled. "Then many thanks, brother. If you need any help in the future, just give me a shout."

"Now that you mention it, there really is something I need your help with. I noticed on the service list you had me make, there's a professional pest control service. How effective is it?"

"Does brother need pest control?"

"Yeah, well, you know our shop—it's full of all sorts of machines and materials. We always have cockroaches coming in and out, and no matter how we try to kill them, we can't get rid of them completely. I was thinking if your service is truly effective, I'd let you give it a try."

"Aside from pest control, do you need any other Housekeeping Company services?"

"That's not necessary. The shop is only 20 square meters, so there's nothing much to clean. It's just those annoying cockroaches; there are too many cracks for them to crawl into. Sometimes when a guest comes to discuss business, I'm terrified a bug will suddenly pop out and be seen."

"I see. Usually, when I go to other people's homes for pest control, I charge 500-1000 depending on the area. But since your place isn't very big, I'll charge you 200. Does that sound acceptable?"

"200? Are you sure you can get rid of them completely?"

"You'll know once you see it for yourself. Besides, if you're worried it won't be clean, our shops are so close to each other that you can come find me to take responsibility anytime, right?"

"Alright, then. When can you do it?"

"Now!"

Ye Tian smiled slightly and turned to retrieve his box from the vehicle.

Zhang Liang blinked, his face full of disbelief. He knew how difficult it used to be for Ye Tian to secure a single housekeeping deal. Now... just like that, with a few words, he'd closed the deal?

It seems having a proper storefront really makes things twice as easy.

With a look of joy, Zhang Liang hurriedly followed behind Ye Tian. After only a few steps, they arrived at the entrance of the advertising shop. There happened to be no customers in the shop.

"Boss Ye, do you need us to move things out?"

"No need, just wait a moment."

After speaking, Ye Tian set the box down right at the shop entrance. He then took out the bait he had previously used as a cover, squeezed a little into a random bottle cap, and stepped back.

"Brother Tian, what kind of trick is this? Don't you need to use the Insect Gathering Technique?"

Seeing that Ye Tian made no further moves, the Shop Owner was full of confusion but didn't say anything. Zhang Liang, however, couldn't help but lean closer to Ye Tian and ask in a low voice.

"What Insect Gathering Technique? I don't know how to do that sort of thing."

"Uh, right, right, my mistake." Zhang Liang smiled knowingly and quickly slapped his own mouth twice, then continued to look into the shop.

A moment later, a low exclamation rang out. "Boss, look, cockroaches!"

"We actually have this many cockroaches in our shop?" The advertising shop employees waiting outside all widened their eyes. The Shop Owner also swallowed hard, unable to resist stepping closer. Then, the corners of his eyes twitched slightly.

Because normal people, without seeing the cockroaches gathered in their own homes, would never imagine just how many there actually are.

However, the shock came and went quickly. In less than three minutes, no more cockroaches crawled out of the shop. Only then did Ye Tian walk in, close the lid, and carry the box over to the advertising Shop Owner.

"Brother, are you relieved now?"

"Re... relieved. Little brother, this thing of yours is amazing! Just that tiny bit was enough to lure out so many cockroaches." The advertising Shop Owner exclaimed in admiration.

"Little brother, what was that stuff you squeezed out just now? Where did you buy it?" As the Shop Owner finished speaking, other onlookers couldn't help but ask.

"Sorry everyone, it's a trade secret, not convenient to disclose. If any of you have needs, you can go to the Tianxia Housekeeping storefront ahead to inquire." Ye Tian gave the crowd an apologetic smile and began to pack up his things.

Before long, Ye Tian and Zhang Liang returned to their own shop. Zhang Liang flopped onto the guest sofa, his face full of exclamation.

"Brother Tian, I suddenly realized that the suffering I endured before was worth it. I didn't expect that bit of tinkering you did would actually produce results. In just a few minutes, just by standing there, you made money. Awesome!"

"Do you believe now that I have a way to make money?" Ye Tian said with a smile.

"Yeah, with this Insect Gathering Technique of yours, making money is indeed not difficult. However, this method has a drawback: it catches all the bugs at once, so the sustainability seems a bit lacking."

Ye Tian shook his head and smiled, then pointed to the words behind him. "What are these two words?"

"Housekeeping."

"Exactly. From start to finish, I never intended to rely on pest control as my primary means of operation."

"That may be true, but if you really run a Housekeeping Company, can you handle it all by yourself?"

"Boss, are you in the company?" As soon as Zhang Liang finished speaking, a chorus of chirping voices drifted in from outside.

Zhang Liang turned his head. His body suddenly stiffened. Before his eyes, four girls dressed in sky-blue uniforms pushed open the glass door of the shop, sweet smiles on their faces.

"Are those few houses finished?" Ye Tian asked with a smile as Wang Jia and the others set down their tools.

"Yes, mission successfully completed. Does Boss want to go and inspect it?"

"Since you said it's completed, why would I need to inspect it? Whether the work is done well or not affects your subsequent work, and I believe you aren't the type of people to be short-sighted."

"Hehe, thank you for the affirmation, Boss. Is there any work scheduled for this afternoon?"

"Not yet. While we aren't busy yet, I need to make some simple arrangements for company matters. First, since the shop has officially opened, it's best to have someone stationed here to be responsible for receiving customers, answering phones, and so on. Who among you is willing to do this?"

The group exchanged glances, and finally, their eyes focused on one of the girls with shoulder-length hair. "Sisi, didn't you study broadcasting? You should be the most suitable for this job."

Fan Sisi was stunned for a moment and looked at Ye Tian. "Boss, if I'm responsible for reception, does that mean I can't go out on assignments?"

"Not at all. Actually, according to my plan, reception is something you'll take turns doing so everyone gets familiar with the process. That way, we avoid some people doing more and others doing less. Besides, if you work hard, you might not have much time for assignments later on anyway; just the reception and scheduling alone will probably keep you busy enough." Ye Tian said with a smile.