At this point, the landlord was indeed tempted—he couldn’t predict how the rent in this area would increase in the future, but agreeing on a fixed price increase like this was better than renting the same shop at the same price for several years.

It also saved him the trouble of bargaining for a rent increase when the time came for annual renewal.

Thinking about it this way, the landlord felt that he was not at a disadvantage.

It was only that…

“It’s not impossible to sign a contract this way, but I will have to charge a higher deposit, two months deposit upfront,” said the landlord.

“The deposit is the second point I want to talk about,” Lin Cheng responded. “The deposit can be set at two months as you said, but we will not pay it all at once.”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is that after the contract is officially signed, during the first 6 months, 20% of the store’s book income will be credited as a deposit in installments every month.

“You can also think of this as an investment. The two months deposit is about 10,000 yuan. If our store’s monthly income is over 8,000 yuan in the future, then the total amount we pay as deposit over those 6 months would actually exceed 10,000 yuan. This would be your investment income.”

“Then what if you don’t earn 8,000?” asked the landlord.

“Then we can stipulate that if the amount credited in half a year’s time does not reach the agreed amount, then we will continue to deduct from the monthly income until the agreed amount is reached. In this way, you will still not lose money,” Lin Cheng replied.

… …

However, Lin Cheng’s words caused confusion among everyone in the livestream channel.

[It feels so troublesome, why is Lin Cheng doing it this way?]

[Yes, I don’t really understand the meaning of Lin Cheng’s actions.]

[I think I understand.]

[I think I also guessed the reason.]

[What is the reason?]

[The reason is that they have no money! Hahaha.]

[The reason is that Hu Mao’s family have limited money. And Lin Cheng and Momo have made too little money these days. If they pay the two-month deposit at once, they would not have enough left to open the store. ]

[Hahaha, I see. This is so funny, but also a bit sad. The deposit has to be paid in installments! ]

[Lin Cheng (on the surface): Marvel at my genius operation. 
Lin Cheng (in reality): I have no money.]

[So, the truth is that Lin Cheng was just trying to trick the landlord into agreeing to installment payments, even though he was talking so much.]

[Shh! What truth are you talking about?]

[That’s right, shouldn’t we let Lin Cheng have some face? ]

… … translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

Back at the negotiation.

The landlord pondered for a while before he fully understood what Lin Cheng said: this was an investment where there was absolutely no chance of losing money, and he might even make a little money!

The landlord’s eyes trembled slightly when he looked at Lin Cheng, but he was still worried.

“What you said is all very well, but who really knows what will happen to a business? What if you guys quit after two or three months? Where can I find someone blame then?”

“If the business doesn’t last long, there is nevertheless the initial investment in the store’s renovation, and the facilities would be basically new, so you won’t lose money either even if we leave early.”

Lin Cheng’s words hit the nail on the head and immediately dispelled the landlord’s last bit of concern.

Finally, the landlord nodded.

After some bargaining, Lin Cheng finally settled a lease contract with the landlord at a price of 4,600 yuan per month.

… …

At this time, the livestream channel has been flooded with comments:

[I am so impressed by Lin Cheng’s performance. ]

[I have learned something.]

[I learned too, but I never expected that one day I would learn how to open a store in a live variety show.]

[I don’t know if it’s right or not, but I was fooled into agreeing to what he said anyway. ]

[Is this a scam? No! This is a guide on how to get rich.]

… …

[But why choose long-term rental? Wouldn’t it be less troublesome to pay rent year by year?] someone raised the question.

… …

At the same time, Hu Mao, who had signed the contract with the landlord and, thus, obtained the shop key, also asked the same question.　　

… …

[This is easy to understand. Long-term leases are relatively more stable. I feel that the business that Lin Cheng asked Hu Mao’s family to do will not lose money. 

Moreover, after the show is broadcast, the business may indeed be very good. Signing a five-year contract at one time will save the landlord from raising the rent when he sees that the business is good.]

[Moreover, at 4,500 yuan a month, based on a 2% increase, the increase in the next year will only be 90 yuan, which is not much in comparison.]

[For landlords, it is also good to be able to rent out the property in a stable manner, so that neither side suffers. ]

… …

However, what the audience said was just one of the reasons.

“Having a long-term shop lease contract is good when applying for a loan.”

“In addition,” Lin Cheng paused and continued, “If nothing unexpected happens, the old houses in this area may be demolished in about 3 to 4 years.”

This piece of news was something that Lin Cheng came to know by chance from a company that had business cooperation with the Lin family. He learned this bit when he was researching the area before coming here to film this episode.

Because of this, Lin Cheng specifically emphasized the matter of Party A’s breach of contract during the negotiations.

When the shop eventually gets demolished, and Hu Mao’s family naturally can no longer operate their store, the landlord must pay corresponding compensation when he receives his demolition payment from the government.

“When the time comes, you can move your store to the shops in the newer residential buildings across the street. The compensation should be more than enough to pay for any cost of transferring the shop.”

… …

[What the hell? You even thought of this!]

[Lin Cheng is thinking too far ahead.]

[Although there is a small suspicion of ‘cheating’, even if I knew that this place was going to be demolished, I would not have thought of what Lin Cheng considered. ]

[At my level, I finally know why I can’t get anything done.]

[I also know that I am only one step away from success, I just need Lin Cheng’s brain…]

Serve as Contrast Team in a ‘Dad with Baby’ Show translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

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T/N: I had to take a break to go on a trip for my niece’s wedding. Yep, niece. Just like the ML He Jinxing in From the Day the Engagement was Broken, my brother is much older than me and I am a ‘xiao’ aunt.

Hopefully, we are back on a 2-post per week schedule. Thanks for your patience!

If you’re enjoying my translations, do consider buying me ko-fi and get access to advance chapters as reward. Thank you for your support! ☺️
Chapter 90.1 — Bargaining
Chapter 90.2 — Bargaining
Chapter 90.3 — Bargaining
Chapter 91.1 — Buy, Buy, Buy
Chapter 91.2 — Buy, Buy, Buy
Chapter 91.3 — Buy, Buy, Buy
Chapter 92.1 — Opening