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Over the next few days, Fang Ping ran back and forth everywhere.

He negotiated the rental of the shophouses and the office.

It was a tiny shoplot of merely 30 square meters, and its location was not even strategically by the street. Even so, the landlord asked for 9000 a month and the entire year’s rental upfront. If he wanted it slightly lower, it would still cost him 100 thousand for a year.

Fang Ping planned to have delivery outposts, so that alone would cost him 500 thousand.

The rental of the office was pricey as well. Fang Ping chose an old commercial block not far from Magic City Martial Arts University.

Its location was not great either, not that Fang Ping placed much importance on that.

The office was 200 square meters, and it cost 3 yuan/㎡ per day. A month’s rental cost him 180 thousand, and if he paid for a year at once, he would get a discount to a total fee of 200 thousand a year.

For the rentals, Fang Ping received a slight discount from the landlords once he flashed his temporary martial arts license. They allowed him to pay half a year’s rental rather than a whole year’s at once, but even half a year’s worth of rent would cost him 300 thousand.

The landlords also gave him a grace period where he did not have to pay rent, so he could renovate the area. They would officially start charging him from September 1st onwards.

Regarding the renovations, Fang Ping did not have many elaborate plans in mind. He was just going to buy some shelves and computers, rewire the locations, and then purchase some materials.

He asked a few larger companies under the pretense of joining their franchise, and through them, he found that the total costs would come up to 200 thousand.

At the end of the day, the rental and the materials alone would cost more than 500 thousand.

Furthermore, if he wanted to open for business as soon as possible, he could not have his delivery hires bring their own bikes, either. He had to buy his own vehicles.

Even on the low side, 50 bikes would cost him at least 200 thousand.

The total overhead costs for each location, including water, electricity, gas, and the salaries would add up to more than 300 thousand a month.

The registration, opening, and marketing fees would also come up to a few tens of thousands.

He needed to prepare some liquid assets, too.

...

By August 15th, Fang Ping had settled the initial preparations and set aside some assets in advance. Once he included the salaries and costs for the next month, he had already spent a whopping 1.1 million!

This was after he had repeatedly flashed his temporary martial arts license.

Then again, this was also because he did not pay a franchising fee.

As he was now, Fang Ping would have to pay a few hundreds of thousands in franchising fees every year.

Doing away with that meant that Fang Ping could save up on some costs.

In exchange for saving up on that, however, Fang Ping would have to deal with another problem.

If he had joined a franchise, he could just take charge of a certain area and use the existing systems and brand to immediately start accepting orders.

However, he did not join a franchise, and while no one was causing him any trouble as of yet, that also meant he had to expand into the market on his own.

Whether or not he would receive orders and make a name for himself depended completely on his own abilities.

If he could not break even within two months, Fang Ping’s funds would run completely dry, and he would become bankrupt.

After he set aside some funds for future payments, Fang Ping retained 500 thousand on hand. Even if he did not use any of it for himself, it would only last for two or three months.

In actuality, it would not even last that long because he intended to set up a website. He might even become bankrupt by October.

...

That day, Fang Ping returned to the hotel exhausted again.

Li Chengze was talking to someone in the lobby, and when he saw Fang Ping, he hurriedly jogged up to Fang Ping, his face all smiles as he greeted the latter. “You’re back, Mr. Fang.

“Do you need me to arrange dinner for you now?”

Fang Ping had stayed at the hotel for half a month now, and Li Chengze had been buttering him up for half a month as well. He had stayed just as passionate over the entire time.

It did not matter that he had not earned a single cent from Fang Ping.

After all, Magic Martial Hotel did not prioritize earning money. It was fine as long as they could maintain their own operating costs.

Fang Ping glanced at him. Li Chengze was the first person he had met with some management skills since he arrived at Magic City.

Besides, Li Chengze was a smart worker. He was just the guest rooms manager, but he was doing a fine job of getting around, becoming even more prominent than even the hotel manager. That meant he was at least somewhat capable.

Over the past few days, Fang Ping had been pulling his hair out over the management of his company.

He had not hired anyone yet, but once he did, the training and induction aspects alone would be enough to overwhelm him.

Seeing Li Chengze now, an idea occurred to Fang Ping. After some thought, he said, “If you’re free, Manager Li, shall we have a meal and a chat later?”

When he heard Fang Ping’s invitation to a meal, Li Chengze was instantly beside himself with joy.

He had been buttering Fang Ping up for half a month, but Fang Ping spent most of the day away, so he did not meet Fang Ping too often.

Still, Fang Ping was inviting him out for a meal now, so it proved that his persistent efforts were not in vain after all.

...

Half an hour later, at the restaurant on the third floor.

Li Chengze had arrived a long time ago, and as soon as Fang Ping arrived, Li Chengze hurriedly pulled a chair out for him, saying with a wide smile, “Have a seat, Mr. Fang. I paid the F&B department a visit earlier, and they just received a new shipment of fresh seafood, so why don’t you have a taste later and see if it’s to your liking...?”

“Thanks.”

Fang Ping thanked him and did not decline his hospitality, sitting down as Li Chengze served him meticulously.

“You have a seat too, Manager Li. I’ve been imposing on you guys over the past two weeks.”

“No, no, you were no trouble at all. This is simply our duty. Magic Martial Hotel exists to serve people like you, Mr. Fang...”

Li Chengze hurriedly insisted that it was all within their job scope before he sat down carefully.

Fang Ping was in no rush to get to the point, either, allowing Li Chengze to change the topic. They talked about some trivial matters, unrelated to politics.

“MCMAU is always busiest around the beginning of the semester, when the freshmen register.

“You just arrived at Magic City, sir, so you might not know all of this.

“But we’ve experienced this quite a few times. When martial arts university students registered, you see, it’s quite different from normal universities.

“You probably know this too, but when martial arts university students are accepted, they aren’t assigned their schools, classes, or instructors...”

Fang Ping nodded. “I just found out about that myself. I didn’t know martial arts universities had separate schools, too.”

That Qin Fengqing from earlier said he was from the School of Weaponry, and he could tell what that meant from its name alone.

“That’s the question.” Li Chengze said with a smile, “Why don’t they assigned you to your schools in advance?

“It’s because martial arts university students are very young. A single summer vacation could change them beyond recognition.

“Some students could only just meet MCMAU’s standards. They don’t know any stances or the Methods of Honing, much less any combat techniques.

“On the other hand, some students were already martial artists.

“Naturally, these students can’t be put in the same class. MCMAU always believes in tailoring their education to their students.

“A few months’ time is enough for students to undergo monumental changes. If they are assigned classes in advance, some students who only had 130cal earlier could have already become a martial artist over the past few months.

“That was why they test everyone’s abilities all at once when the semester starts.

“That’s when they decide which school you’re in, which class, and which instructor you’ll be cultivating with.”

Fang Ping could hear what he was implying, and he said with a soft laugh, “So you’re saying there’s something different about their assignment process?”

“But of course. How could you compare martial Mga arts university students to normal students?”

Li Chengze continued with a laugh, “Of course, a twice-honed potential martial artist like you would be more popular than regular martial arts university students.

“Mr. Fang, you mustn’t take this lightly.

“Which school you’re assigned to, which class, which instructor you follow... All of these make a huge difference.”

Li Chengze said perfectly straight-facedly, “Magic City Martial Arts University doesn’t have many schools, only four in total.

“They are the School of Weaponry, School of Social Sciences, School of Production, and School of Tactics and Strategy.”

Fang Ping was slightly surprised. “That’s how they’re divided? And I thought...”

He did not continue, but Li Chengze understood. “You’re wondering if there are martial artists who don’t use weapons, right? Actually, it doesn’t make too much of a difference if martial artists use weapons or otherwise. It depends on the individual, if they want to.

“Students who prioritize actual battle often choose the School of Weaponry. Well, it’s called the School of Weaponry, but it doesn’t matter if you pick up a cold weapon or not.

“Students from the School of Weaponry always major in actual battle.

“Aside from that, the School of Tactics and Strategy is easy to understand, too. Some of these students will go into politics or the military, so they need to be equipped with certain leadership skills.

“The School of Production deals with the production of items related to martial arts. Their core subjects include producing pills, weapons, and even improving cultivation methods.

“As for the School of Social Sciences...”

Li Chengze paused before saying, “Well, not everyone is made for actual battle, after all, and MCMAU doesn’t make it compulsory. Some students merely wish to cultivate and reach a higher rank so they can earn certain special privileges.

“These students may choose the School of Social Sciences, and most of them will venture into business or politics further down the line, rather than going into the physical aspect of things.”

Li Chengze’s words reminded Fang Ping of many people, including the likes of Jin Keming.

Soon after that, Li Chengze also explained, “The School of Social Sciences is also the worst school in MCMAU. They receive very little resources, and their instructors are not powerful.

“Also, while they don’t prioritize actual battle, they still have to study combat techniques, so they’re still much stronger than casual martial artists.

“Nevertheless, there’s a big difference between them and the students from the School of Weaponry, who have experienced the real violence of the battlefield.

“On that note, at MCMAU, the School of Weaponry is the school that receives the most resources and has the strongest instructors.

“Even some of those who fear actual battle would still wish to enter the School of Weaponry...

“That’s why, when the semester opens, the division of schools and classes will become the center of attention.”

“Will we be assigned according to our skill?” Fang Ping asked.

Li Chengze nodded and said, “Yes. They don’t decide according to your Vitality or your previous results.

“Once you enter MCMAU, might is right.

“When the semester starts, you’ll see that there’s a building called the Building of Practical Combat Training in MCMAU.

“When the time comes, all four floors of the Building of Practical Combat Training will be opened up. Each floor can fit 400 people, and each floor will represent a school. You just have to go to the floor representing the school you want to enter.

“Once the students are inside, the building will be sealed, and it’ll open again one hour later. Whatever floor you’re on decides which school you’ll go to.”

“It’s that straightforward and brutal?”

Fang Ping was slightly stunned, and he could not help but ask, “You mean there’s a chance we would fight over our place on a certain floor?”

Li Chengze laughed awkwardly. “Yes. Of course, you could also unleash your Vitality to try and scare off the others.

“However, many people have lower Vitality, and they all end up making a beeline for the School of Weaponry. When the building opens every year, quite a few students emerge with bruises and bumps...”

“That’s not very fair, is it?”

Fang Ping asked again. Once the door closed, more than a thousand people would be trapped inside. Even a student with actual combat ability like Fang Ping could still be surrounded and swarmed by numbers.

Li Chengze did not quite approve, however, smiling as he explained, “Actually, it’s relatively fair. Those who made it into MCMAU are all pretty smart.

“If you are truly strong, no one will go out of their way to provoke you. There are 400 slots, after all, so there’s no need to fight tooth and nail over one.

“Besides, everyone came from all over the country. If anyone really managed to rally a team so soon after the start of the semester, that is also evidence of their abilities.

“The school would prioritize a student like that, too.

“There’s a higher chance that someone like that would join the School of Tactics and Strategy, but that school is no worse than the School of Weaponry.”

As an employee with one of Magic City Martial Arts University’s subsidiaries, Li Chengze often came into contact with students and their parents. His workplace was located close to the school, too, and he was even allowed to enter the campus.

That was why he understood Magic City Martial Arts University quite well, more than Fang Ping did at least.

Initially, Fang Ping had only intended to chat idly with him before getting to the main point.

Now, however, Fang Ping’s interest was piqued. He was in no rush to start his headhunting venture, asking instead about the school’s inner workings.

The division of schools was the biggest event at the start of the semester.

After that, there was the division of classes and the assignment of instructors.

In that, martial sciences differed from social sciences. A social science teacher could teach several hundred students at once, whereas a martial arts instructor could only have ten or twenty students at most.

At the least, an instructor might end up with only five or six students.

The instructors at martial arts universities were more powerful as well. Even the weakest of them were Rank-4 at least, and some were even Rank-6.

For basic teaching, it did not really matter how strong the instructor was, but the more capable instructors possessed a great many resources.

They might have their own businesses outside, or they might have some extraordinary connections.

That meant it was highly likely they could provide you with an additional, safe way to earn some extra income, or they could even give you some resources as an investment if they happened to take a fancy to you.

A Rank-6 instructor’s friends might be the governors or high-ranked officials from different provinces, or even the CEOs of multinational corporations...

A Rank-4 instructor, on the other hand, would be hard-pressed to reach such a social circle.

The students may begin at the same starting line, and the school may provide them with equal resources, but on the sly, the instructor you follow could very well determine the difference between you and your fellow classmates.

All of these would also be determined at the start of the semester.

The instructors would choose the students they want, and the students would also select the instructors they wish to follow. This was similar to postgraduate students applying for social science universities.

There was a vast difference between having an internationally-renowned professor or a regular lecturer as your supervisor.

In the former case, the school and the government would be falling over themselves to give you research grants, whereas the latter would be hard-pressed to get you a small portion of your research funds.

The same went for martial arts universities, or rather, this rang true for all of society.

The instructors showed what they were worth, so the students would also have to sell their own abilities and worth.

...

After a long chat with Li Chengze, Fang Ping eventually summarized, “In other words, I have to get into the School of Weaponry, choose the best class, and pick the strongest instructor. Is that what you mean?”

Li Chengze hurriedly said with a smile, “That’s exactly right, Mr. Fang. However, if you’re interested in leading a troop, you can choose the School of Tactics and Strategy too.

“The School of Production sounds good, but the markets they’re looking at are already monopolized, so an individual student can’t make it in on their own.

“Most of these students will work with these government-controlled companies, so they’re basically slated to work with these government corporations.”

Fang Ping had initially been slightly interested in the School of Production. After all, he had long since personally experienced how ridiculously profitable pills could be.

However, he was also aware that it would not be that easy. Li Chengze’s words only proved his suspicions.

Any industry that created items for the consumption of martial artists would almost certainly be monopolized. Upon graduation, students of the School of Production would enter these companies and enjoy a stable job.

However, the mere fact that he would be working for another already turned Fang Ping off.

Moving on, he dismissed the School of Social Sciences completely. As for the School of Tactics and Strategy, Fang Ping gave it some thought and concluded that it was more suited to a career path with the government. In that case, he was not that interested either.

After a bout of considerations, the only choice that remained was the School of Weaponry.

Now that he knew what he was going to do, Fang Ping stopped pursuing this topic. Instead, he began to lay the groundwork for his headhunting attempt.