Chapter 24: Use Only the Best Materials for Renovation

The next morning—

“Mr. Chen, the measurement team has arrived. You need to go over and discuss your renovation requirements with them,” Shen Rou approached and said softly, seeing Chen Mo still half-asleep.

“Oh, they’ve arrived? Let’s go check it out.”

Hearing this, Chen Mo perked up significantly. This renovation was directly tied to how much of the system’s funds he could spend—he had to personally oversee it. He wouldn’t feel at ease leaving it to anyone else, especially Wei Yan.

“Mr. Chen, this is our newly rented workshop.”

Shen Rou led Chen Mo to the new workshop with a strange expression. Chen Mo had rented the place yesterday but hadn’t even come to take a look, so she had to guide him there.

Chen Mo took a quick glance at the exterior of the building. It was a two-story cement brick structure, just like the company’s other workshop, though slightly smaller.

Pushing open the door—

The interior was spacious and empty, with nothing except for the necessary supporting pillars.

“This building was previously used as a warehouse, so there haven’t been any renovations or modifications.”

Shen Rou explained while walking alongside him. She had already gone through all the details about this new workshop the night before.

“Hello, I’m a designer from Shangmei Renovations. You must be Mr. Chen?”

A woman suddenly walked over and greeted him politely.

At the same time, other designers inside the building also approached.

Chen Mo nodded in acknowledgment and glanced at the group—more than a dozen people had gathered.

“Why so many people?”

He had assumed there would be just one renovation company.

“That’s how the renovation app works. Once you upload the project details, multiple renovation companies receive the information simultaneously,” Shen Rou explained honestly, looking a little embarrassed.

She had only learned about this last night. After she uploaded the details in the afternoon, she received countless calls from renovation companies after work—so many that she got scolded by her part-time job boss.

Later, she found out that the uploaded information was shared with all registered companies on the platform. The ten-plus people in front of them were already a filtered selection—without screening, there would have been even more.

“Hmm, having more people is good. That way, I can pick the highest price.”

Chen Mo muttered unconsciously, a smile appearing on his face.

The highest price?

Shen Rou thought she had misheard. Surely, he meant the lowest price.

“Mr. Chen, what are your renovation requirements? If you could share them with us, it would give us a direction for the design.”

The female designer spoke up again.

“Alright.”

Chen Mo nodded and began walking around the space.

“The first floor will be a cafeteria. For the safety of our employees, the first priority is the paint. It must be safe and environmentally friendly. Price is not an issue, but it must have minimal harm to human health.”

“Second, the tiles. The cafeteria represents the company’s image, so we must use high-quality, branded tiles.”

“These are the primary requirements—make sure you remember them.”

He emphasized this before walking to the innermost section and gesturing with his hand.

“This area will be the cooking space. As for the specific kitchen setup, the chefs will discuss the details with you later.”

He continued walking.

“The remaining space is for dining. There aren’t too many requirements here, but I want both walls to have designated areas for two large screens, so employees can watch TV while eating and relax.”

“Oh, and we need to install central air conditioning—on both floors.”

Chen Mo suddenly remembered this detail. He had almost forgotten—this would be a major expense.

“As for the restrooms and handwashing stations, I won’t go into details, but everything must be from reputable brands. I don’t want things breaking down after just a short time.”

The designers followed behind, sketching out the floor plan and taking notes as Chen Mo spoke. Each of them looked increasingly astonished.

This was the first time they had encountered a boss who cared so much about his employees.

Wang Yang, standing among them, had already filled his sketch with annotations. Recalling the requirements he just heard, he couldn’t help but admire Chen Mo.

This boss was incredibly considerate of his employees.

He was even installing air conditioning in the cafeteria! Their own design department didn’t even have air conditioning—just fans blowing all day.

Chen Mo ignored everyone’s reactions and walked toward the staircase.

“I want to wrap the staircase in solid wood. That way, if someone falls, they’ll be safer.”

“As for the second floor, I plan to set up a recreation room for employees to relax after work.”

Upon reaching the second floor—

The layout was identical to the first floor.

“The recreation room needs proper facilities. I’ll provide two pool tables, a ping-pong table, gaming machines, and a few massage chairs so employees can unwind when they’re tired.”

“I’ll leave the arrangement of these facilities up to you.”

With that, Chen Mo headed downstairs and left.

He had stated all his requirements. Now, he just needed to select the highest-priced option from the designers.

Shen Rou followed behind, her eyes flickering with emotion. She had always known Chen Mo was good to his employees, but she hadn’t expected him to go this far.

Just the recreational facilities alone were already a massive expense.

---

Two days later

At Chenglin Decorations—

Wang Yang sat at his computer and let out a deep breath. He had finally finished the floor plan and quotation sheet and sent them out.

“Done! Let me take a look.”

A designer leaned over to the screen.

“Not bad. The floor plan looks solid—no flaws at all.”

“What about the quote? A cafeteria renovation shouldn’t be too expensive, right?”

The designer curiously clicked on the quotation document.

His brows immediately furrowed.

450,000 yuan.

A simple cafeteria renovation—yet the quote had reached 450,000. Had Wang Yang gone mad?

Then, he checked the itemized breakdown.

He finally understood why the price was so high.

Every single material—paint, tiles, lighting—was top-brand and incredibly expensive.

But that wasn’t even the most ridiculous part.

The most absurd thing was the inclusion of over 100,000 yuan worth of central air conditioning.

He had worked on corporate projects before, and usually, when companies requested central air conditioning, it was just for show. They’d install a single low-powered unit in a large space, costing less than 10,000 yuan. Whether it was on or not made no difference.

“Xiao Yang, your quote is way too high. You should revise it, or you won’t be selected.”

The designer advised earnestly.

“But I already sent it out,” Wang Yang said.

“Besides, the quote was based entirely on the boss’s requirements.”

The designer sighed and patted Wang Yang’s shoulder.

“Kid, you’re still too young. Clients always list all these demands, but in the end, it all comes down to price.”

This was a lesson he had learned from experience.

Clients would insist on premium materials, but the moment they saw the price, they’d immediately change their minds and go for the cheapest option.