Zhou Yan arrived at the second shop, its location even better than the previous one. A "For Sale" sign was posted at the entrance, and the shelves inside were bare. Only a few people were present.
He observed that these individuals were also discussing the shop but were held up by price negotiations.
Zhou Yan stepped forward and asked, "May I ask who the owner is?"
"I am," a man replied, stepping forward. "My price is very fair. Whoever agrees first gets the shop."
"What is the price?" Zhou Yan inquired.
"One hundred and sixty billion," the owner responded.
While this price was slightly high, it wasn't too far from what Zhou Yan had in mind. At least, the location was superior to the previous shop.
Zhou Yan wasn't short on funds. However, the previous owner's price had been outrageously high, deterring him from engaging in further discussion.
"Alright, I'll take it," Zhou Yan said. He found the place satisfactory and saw no need to continue searching for other shops.
"Then let's sign the agreement immediately," the owner exclaimed, thrilled that Zhou Yan had agreed so quickly without any haggling.
"What the heck, that fast? Is he a plant?"
Others present were astonished by Zhou Yan's swift agreement, noting his lack of bargaining. Some even suspected he was a plant, but quickly dismissed the idea as unnecessary. With a sense of resignation, they departed.
Zhou Yan wasted no time. After reviewing the agreement with the owner, he signed his name and transferred the funds. The shop was now his.
This agreement, officially recognized, transferred the operating rights to Zhou Yan's name upon signing, making it legally binding.
Furthermore, upon successfully purchasing the shop, Zhou Yan was required to deposit a minimum of one hundred million as a security deposit with the virtual market. Zhou Yan directly transferred ten billion, opting to pay a substantial amount to avoid frequent deposits.
"Pleasure doing business with you," the owner said happily as he left.
Having completed the transaction, Zhou Yan turned to the men in black behind him and instructed, "You watch over the shop. I will have Jin Sanyi send people to take over."
"Yes, sir."
Zhou Yan then relayed the shop's location to Jin Sanyi, instructing him to arrange for personnel to stock the items. As for the sales staff, Zhou Yan would handle recruitment himself.
He couldn't afford to waste Jin Sanyi's men; their primary role was to earn money in various worlds and, more importantly, to acquire diverse items.
In other worlds, Zhou Yan couldn't openly purchase shops as he could here, forcing him to seek cooperation with merchants from established families.
The virtual trading market on Canglan Continent was quite similar to the real world, allowing for dining, sleeping, and living, with the only difference being the absence of actual death.
However, being a virtual world, it still differed from reality.
Upon teleporting to the city center, Zhou Yan proceeded to the recruitment plaza. He rented a booth and began drafting his recruitment requirements.
He sought individuals with good interpersonal skills, capable of clearly introducing products to customers, without regard for academic qualifications or background.
Regarding salary, Zhou Yan was aware of the standard for other attendants, which hovered around five to six thousand, including overtime.
Zhou Yan set his standards: a base salary of eight thousand for ordinary sales assistants, ten thousand for elite sales assistants, and fifteen thousand and above for store managers, with overtime pay. They would have one day off per week, an eight-hour workday, double pay for weekend work, triple pay for holidays, comprehensive social insurance and housing fund, an annual bonus, and timely monthly payments on the first day of each month.
Comparing his recruitment criteria to those of others, the disparity was immediately evident.
Zhou Yan's offer was exceptionally generous, leaving the recruiters at nearby booths bewildered.
One young woman, a recruiter from another store, abandoned her own recruitment notice and rushed to Zhou Yan, asking, "Is what you've written here true? The conditions are so good!"
"All successful applicants will sign a labor contract. It's all fair and transparent; you can rest assured," Zhou Yan replied.
Contracts signed here were legally binding. Any breach would be detected by the virtual market system, compelling the breaching party to adhere to the contract's terms, or face enforcement by the system.
If the employer defaulted, their security deposit would be deducted. For employees, severe violations could result in a permanent ban from the virtual market, with a record of the breach accessible regardless of where they sought employment.
"Then can I apply?" the girl asked with a smile.
"Don't you have a job already?" Zhou Yan inquired.
"It's alright. I haven't officially signed with that boss yet, so it's fine," the girl replied with a sweet smile.
Zhou Yan: (￣∠￣)ﾉ
"Here, a contract must be signed. It's not only for your benefit but also for my store's responsibility."
Zhou Yan hadn't expected to poach a recruiter from another store so easily. Though unintentional, it highlighted the exceptional nature of his offer.
With a base salary of eight thousand for ordinary sales assistants, coupled with overtime and year-end bonuses, annual earnings could easily reach over a hundred thousand, comparable to entry-level white-collar jobs, naturally attracting applicants.
"Of course, with such good conditions, I would have asked even if you hadn't mentioned it," the girl quickly responded.
Given such an offer, no one would fear deception, especially once a labor contract was signed.
"Brother, do you need any men?" a man nearby asked.
"Uh, no, I'm only recruiting sales assistants," Zhou Yan replied.
Zhou Yan's recruitment notice was soon surrounded by numerous girls seeking sales positions. Their first questions were invariably:
"Is it real?"
"These conditions are too good!"
"Do you sign contracts? We won't work without one."
Zhou Yan then realized that many shops did not sign labor contracts with their employees, leading to unfair treatment or exploitation.
Fearing a similar situation, Zhou Yan explicitly stated in his recruitment notice that labor contracts were mandatory and those unwilling to sign would not be hired.
This significantly increased the eagerness of the young women to join.
Zhou Yan asked them to send him their information for his personal review.
Given the overwhelming number of applicants attracted by his excellent offer, Zhou Yan intended to select the best sales assistants.
His criteria prioritized appearance (at least presentable), a clean record, and strong communication skills.