Buying gold?

Zhao Dongchuan didn't purchase too much at once, not because of insufficient funds, but because current sales were already saturated. Expanding further might cause unnecessary trouble, especially during these sensitive times.

It would all open up in two years anyway, so for now, it was better to keep a low profile.

After this period of development, Zhao Dongchuan no longer needed to worry about the business. He only checked the accounts once a week to keep track of the general direction.

Coincidentally, during this time, after much inquiry, Huang Laosan reported to him that a family was relocating for work and needed to sell their house in Huangyuan. It was the kind of property that could be legally transferred, and they were looking for a buyer.

Zhao Dongchuan took some time to go see it and found that this house was also a courtyard, though not as large. It only had a front and back courtyard, no back garden.

The overall condition looked decent, and because the sellers were eager to sell, they only asked for 600 yuan.

Of course, he bought it without hesitation.

After all, he had plenty of money now and nowhere to spend it, so buying another house was a good idea.

As his staff grew, Zhao Dongchuan planned to use this place as a dormitory for his employees.

So, the day after acquiring the house, he had Huang Laosan find some craftsmen to modify the house, making it more suitable for multiple people to live in.

As an employee benefit, any long-term employee with good performance who had worked for a full year could apply for a dormitory, which amounted to free food and lodging. It made the organization look more like a formal unit.

"Mr. Han, this courtyard has been renovated and will be ready for occupancy soon!" Huang Laosan accompanied Zhao Dongchuan on an inspection of the employee dormitory.

"How many people can live here?" Zhao Dongchuan asked.

"It's estimated to accommodate about 40 people! All employees who currently need housing will move in, and there will still be a little less than half empty!"

"Hmm, good. Find a time to gather all the employees for a meeting! Be cautious!" Zhao Dongchuan instructed.

Previously, at the secret base, Zhao Dongchuan had never called a meeting. The people under him only knew there was a mysterious boss behind the scenes, but had never met him.

Zhao Dongchuan had not shown his face before, but this time, he planned to make an appearance during the announcement of employee benefits to meet his staff. Of course, the one who appeared would always be "Mr. Han."

As for the future, that was another matter.

Then, the day after the renovation was complete, Zhao Dongchuan appeared as "Mr. Han" and gathered everyone for a small, clandestine meeting in this small courtyard.

Fortunately, the courtyard was quite secluded and did not attract too much attention from others.

Zhao Dongchuan didn't act like those big leaders in his previous life, who would say they'd speak briefly but end up talking for two hours.

He truly spoke briefly for a few minutes, discussing the importance of business to the country, stating that they would definitely be able to operate openly and legitimately in the future… and for now, he advised them to prioritize safety.

Because of this benefit, everyone's cohesion and sense of belonging clearly improved significantly.

This would greatly reduce the likelihood of internal problems.

And the secret base could never be exposed; only Zhao Dongchuan and Huang Laosan would know about it in the future.

After the brief meeting, Huang Laosan introduced several outstanding employees to him.

"Mr. Han, this is A-Hu, this is Xiao Chen, and this is Old Li!

These brothers are all excellent performers. Not only are they good at selling, but they are also very alert and have never made a mistake. They are our capable assistants!" Huang Laosan introduced the outstanding employees to Zhao Dongchuan.

"Old Li is in charge of the electronic watch business, A-Hu is in charge of the radio business, and Xiao Chen is in charge of the calculator and flashlight business!"

"Good, good, good. Although we seem to be like rats scurrying across the street, hated by everyone, in two years, we might even be honored with awards on stage!

I have high hopes for you all. By then, our group might even produce several 'ten-thousand-yuan households'! Keep it up!!!"

Although everyone didn't quite understand the 'ten-thousand-yuan household' reference, they knew it meant being very rich, so they all smiled happily, looking forward to a beautiful future.

During this time, Zhao Dongchuan and Huang Laosan had been planning to reform the compensation system. When the market opened up in the future, they would add a sales commission.

Currently, it was still just a fixed salary plus a year-end bonus!

Before leaving, Zhao Dongchuan pulled Huang Laosan aside for a private meeting.

"Old Huang, do you know where I can get gold?" Zhao Dongchuan asked in a low voice.

"Gold? Is Mr. Han planning to acquire gold? This… currently, private ownership of gold is not allowed. Even if many people have it, they hide it at home and dare not take it out!" Huang Laosan said with a solemn expression.

"What we're doing is already a business that's not allowed by policy…"

"That's right. I plan to set up a collection stall at a few of the current black market points, specifically to collect good things: gold, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, old furniture, jade. Anything valuable or potentially valuable in the future will do!" Zhao Dongchuan said with a chuckle.

"Mr. Han, your idea… is very forward-thinking, but we don't have the manpower for it right now. Even if someone brings something, we wouldn't understand it!" Huang Laosan said with a bitter and helpless expression.

He felt his boss's thinking was a bit jumpy. He was doing so well with speculation and profiteering, why would he think of touching these things?

One misjudgment, and not only would he not make money, but he would also lose money.

"I know, this requires finding a group of experienced experts. Do you know where such talents can be found?" Zhao Dongchuan asked.

"Uh, in our Huangyuan, around the East Gate area, there used to be an antique street before liberation… many old things, but it gradually declined after liberation, and during the 'Destroy the Four Olds' campaign, many things were lost, and those knowledgeable old people, I don't know where they went…" Huang Laosan recalled, speaking slowly.

"Mm-hmm, very good, that's a clue. Have your people make inquiries, ask if there are such talents who can be recruited to work for us!" Zhao Dongchuan nodded, smiling.

"How about this, let's put the acquisition stall on hold for now, and we'll talk about it when you find suitable people!

However, you can tell the brothers that when selling goods, if there's gold, jade, or treasures of equivalent value, they can also be accepted as payment. The probability of misjudging these items is small, so we can collect some!" Zhao Dongchuan said with determination.

He had a lot of cash on hand now. These large sums of money were almost molding in his space, and he couldn't openly start big projects, so they could only sit there gathering dust.

The same went for the tickets. Now he wasn't just speculating and profiteering; he had also added a ticket exchange business, collecting some tickets and issuing some others, but the volume was not large, because he clearly knew that in a few years, food coupons and other things would exit the historical stage with economic development.

Doing too much would easily leave them stuck with unsellable items.

But these gold, antiques, jade, and collectibles had huge appreciation potential in the future.