Decoration

"What materials are included in your full package?" Zhang Han asked casually.

He had some understanding of renovation matters back in the day. While he didn't know much, he wouldn't be easily fooled like someone completely ignorant.

"Our company has branches in Xilong Decoration Market and cooperates with many international brands. So, Mr. Zhang, we have decorative materials for any price range you want, and the prices will be more cost-effective than buying them yourself," Zhao Kai replied truthfully.

Normally, this situation was mutually beneficial. Their company bought materials at wholesale prices, pocketed some profit, and sold them to buyers, while the buyers also saved some money.

Of course, this also depended on the company's integrity. If they used counterfeit materials, there would be no recourse.

"Then let's go with the full package," Zhang Han nodded and said.

Zhao Kai's smile became even more enthusiastic upon hearing this. He took an iPad from the young man beside him and opened his photo album. "Mr. Zhang, what style of renovation are you looking for? Here are some examples of our company's renovations. You can take a look first, and we'll create designs according to your ideas for you to choose from when we get back today."

Zhang Han began looking at the pictures on the tablet. Manager Ma received a phone call and excused himself.

After looking for a while, Zhang Han had his own ideas. He planned to renovate the first floor to be more homey and warm, rather than like a commercial storefront.

The layout of the first floor was simple. There was only a staircase to the second floor on the left side of the inner area and a bathroom on the right. The rest was a large square hall. The entrance was in the center of the south side, with wide floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides.

Zhang Han pondered for a moment and then voiced his thoughts.

Slightly towards the center and inner side, a TV wall would be built on the east side, with a sofa and coffee table in front of it.

This would allow Mengmeng to watch TV while waiting for her dad to cook. The kitchen would be on the inner side of the central west wall, designed as an open-plan, U-shaped kitchen. The stove would be placed on the horizontal side, allowing him to watch Mengmeng while cooking.

Near the outer side of the TV, a small stage would be built. Zhang Han planned to place a piano there, which would be nice for teaching Mengmeng to play occasionally. A small counter would be installed on the side of the piano near the door, holding a laptop. High-quality speakers would be installed around it to play music during meals.

A small round table with four spherical chairs would be placed on the side of the sofa near the window, for sitting and enjoying drinks and snacks. Further out, a dining table would be placed. The dining table would have some decorations around it, and a large crystal chandelier would be hung above it.

"Mr. Zhang, the scope of work you've described is not large, and the modifications aren't that troublesome."

Zhao Kai pulled out his phone's calculator and started calculating.

"Let me outline the specific work: floor tiles, kitchen wall tiles, a small area of integrated ceiling on one side of the kitchen, other ceiling designs, one TV wall, other wall designs, one small stage, plus custom cabinets for other decorations, as well as the cost of removing the original renovation and renovating the second floor. Excluding materials and labor, it would be 150,000."

"How long will the renovation take?" Zhang Han asked.

"It should be completed in about twenty days," Zhao Kai replied after some thought.

"One week!" Zhang Han held up one finger and said calmly, "Complete it in one week, and I'll give you 300,000 for labor!"

"Huh?"

Zhao Kai thought he misheard. He was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. He quickly nodded, "Okay, okay, we'll finish within a week. Mr. Zhang, would you like to pay a deposit? It's three o'clock now. I'll have people come to remove the existing renovation, and it should be done before dark."

"Mm."

Zhang Han signed the contract with him and directly transferred 300,000.

Zhao Kai made a phone call to arrange for people. In less than half an hour, five workers arrived at the entrance in two small trucks.

"Mr. Zhang, what about these tables and chairs...?" Zhao Kai hesitated.

"Dispose of them as you see fit," Zhang Han waved his hand.

Zhao Kai smiled slightly. These tables, chairs, and other miscellaneous items could fetch two to three thousand yuan, which was a small bit of extra profit.

"Mr. Zhang, I'll have someone start on the designs now. You can choose the 3D blueprints tonight, and we can start construction tomorrow," Zhao Kai said with a smile.

"I'll give you a simple sketch first, and you can refine it according to my ideas."

Zhang Han had a clear idea of how he wanted the renovation done. He took the paper and pen handed to him by Zhao Kai and began to draw according to the design in his mind. His drawing skills were average, but the specific shapes and details were evident.

After looking at Zhang Han's drawing, Zhao Kai's mouth twitched slightly.

It seemed the carpenters would have a tough time. He wondered how Zhang Han came up with these intricate patterns, which looked very coordinated and aesthetically pleasing, especially the ceiling and the small three-dimensional walls around the dining table, which were quite complex.

"Oh, and for the TV background wall, I want a jade lotus decoration, with pink and white petals interspersed," Zhang Han added.

"A jade... lotus... TV background wall?" Zhao Kai's eyes widened, and he uttered the sentence with great difficulty.

He had initially thought the scope of work was small, but now it seemed the opposite was true. According to Zhang Han's ideas, the workload had skyrocketed and was indeed more than just a little!

This single background wall alone was enough to give him a headache, and it was estimated to cost over a million yuan!

"This... Mr. Zhang," Zhao Kai said with a wry smile, "If we follow your ideas, seven days probably won't be enough time!"

"Oh?" Zhang Han's expression remained unchanged, and he said calmly, "Then I'll give you 500,000 for labor."

Not enough time? Then just pay more.

Zhao Kai's expression faltered upon hearing this. While surprised and delighted, he also felt a sense of awe. This was the first time he had encountered such... an unusual customer.

Some customers also gave bonuses, but never this much. Someone who doubled the labor fee with just a few words, like Zhang Han, was truly a first for him!

"Okay, I guarantee completion within seven days," Zhao Kai took a deep breath and gave his assurance. He had already decided to double the workforce and work around the clock for this generous boss.

"Mr. Zhang, time is pressing. Do you have any preferences for the floor tiles, wall tiles, ceiling materials, and other auxiliary materials? Why don't you come with me to Xilong Decoration Market to pick them out?" Zhao Kai instructed the young man beside him to quickly work on the drawings, then turned to Zhang Han.

Zhang Han nodded and went with him to Xilong Decoration Market. Their first stop was at the Delacanca tile store, an international high-end brand. After seeing tiles he was satisfied with, Zhang Han made the decision immediately.

For the floor tiles, they chose the Mocha Palace series of antique-look tiles, priced at 2,500 yuan per square meter. Including wall tiles, skirting boards, etc., the total cost was over 490,000 yuan. The materials for the ceiling designs, cement, sand, and all other auxiliary materials cost nearly 300,000 yuan. The high prices were because Zhang Han chose high-end, formaldehyde-free eco-friendly materials, meaning they could move in immediately after renovation.

They finished purchasing these materials in less than an hour. Seeing that there was still time, Zhao Kai asked, "Mr. Zhang, it's still early. Shall we go to the furniture market to look at range hoods, sofas, and other furniture? We can help with the installation then."

"That sounds good," Zhang Han nodded.

The two headed straight to a nearby furniture market for a new round of spending.

The sofa in front of the TV was a white, high-end top-grain leather sofa, crescent-shaped, four meters long, and not expensive at only a little over 40,000. Not expensive at all!

The TV, coffee table, and chairs were easier to choose. They spent a total of 500,000 upstairs and downstairs, including a bathtub, smart toilet, fully automatic washing machine, a large four-door refrigerator, air conditioning, air purifiers, and more.

Just as they finished buying and were about to leave, Zhao Kai suddenly remembered something. His expression was a little taken aback as he asked:

"Mr. Zhang, isn't this your restaurant? It seems like there's no space for guests."

"Guests?"

Zhang Han blinked. He had forgotten about that. After thinking for a moment, he said:

"There's still a small area by the window on the right, just put three small tables there."

Hearing this, Zhao Kai couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth. It felt less like a restaurant and more like a joke!

So, Zhang Han bought three more small tables and six chairs, costing... a thousand yuan.

Anyway, they were for outsiders, so as long as they looked clean, that was enough.

All the items purchased were registered under Zhao Kai's phone number. Zhao Kai diligently took comprehensive photos of every piece of furniture to use for creating designs that evening, ensuring Zhang Han would have a brand-new restaurant within a week.

After going downstairs, Zhao Kai and Zhang Han reviewed the information in the car.

Zhao Kai suddenly thought of the piano, which hadn't been bought yet. He asked:

"Mr. Zhang, what kind of piano are you looking for? I have a friend who works at a piano store and can help inquire."

"A piano..."

Zhang Han pondered. He knew quite a bit about pianos. Zhang Han had learned piano since he was a child, and after cultivating, he even made a piano himself out of boredom. He would occasionally play it over five hundred years, and such a long period of immersion had given him a deep understanding of the instrument. No, it should be said, an understanding of piano music.

As for piano brands, Zhang Han didn't plan on buying a cheap one. Some people said the quality of a piano wasn't about its value but its tone. In Zhang Han's opinion, that was utter nonsense. Not to mention the principle of "you get what you pay for," expensive pianos were much better in terms of material. For a quality life, how could the things used be subpar?

For example, the Seven-Colored Jade Qin Zhang Han used during his cultivation was made from top-tier materials in the Cultivation World. He remembered playing a variation of Canon on a planet, and the sound mesmerized everyone on the entire planet. If Zhang Han had wanted to, the music could have turned into a killing sound, instantly annihilating all life on that planet.

...Getting off track.

After pondering for a moment, Zhang Han stated directly:

"Buy a Steinway Model O grand piano."

"Okay." Zhao Kai didn't know much about pianos and immediately nodded, calling his friend. After a minute.

"Pfft... how much?" Zhao Kai's tone rose, and then he looked at Zhang Han with a dazed expression, his lips moving as he uttered:

"Mr. Zhang, the piano you mentioned costs 1.1 million, and it's guaranteed to be an original imported product."

"Fine." Zhang Han nodded.

The price of 1.1 million was also the market price, so Zhang Han made the decision and finalized the order. After handing over the restaurant's keys to Zhao Kai, Zhang Han found a hotel to check into.