Chapter 24a: Plan to Improve the Courtesan House
As the conversation heated up, Luo Qing Luan didn’t notice at all how the way Nalan Ye looked at her started to become strange.
Pointing at the stage downstairs, Luo Qing Luan said, "Mr. Yu, does your stage usually serve as the place where your ladies perform their skills?"
Only when Nangong Yu replied in the affirmative did she continue, "Since you want to be the number one courtesan house, then you can’t neglect any aspect, no matter how minor. This stage is so open and wide, although the guests are able to view it satisfyingly, have you ever considered that haziness is also a kind of beauty? Even more captivating?"
When he heard that, Nangong Yu’s eyes shined and he asked, "Hurry and tell me, how should I improve it?"
"Ordinarily, just follow the usual and allow the ladies to go onstage to display their talent and also allow Heavenly Dream Tower to bustle with noise and activity. However, every so often, for example, every ten days, or maybe on the first or fifteenth day of the month, you can have the new ladies go up, but you have to surround the entire stage with a semitransparent fabric."
"The crucial point is that you have to create a mysterious feeling! When it comes to men, novelty and mystery are equally important. Which unknown flower, faintly discernible through the fog, wouldn’t stimulate and suspend a person’s appetite? Add some incense, lighting and so on, and even if the young lady onstage is a newcomer, her value will immediately rise no small amount."
Unable to keep himself from slapping the table, Nangong Yu stared in earnest at the young man before him. Even though what he said was very simple, and also did not require much money to execute, just those very minor changes will immediately give this place a brand new look. Nangong Yu was already able to imagine that if Heavenly Dream Tower really made these changes, its business would absolutely increase twenty percent.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. He impatiently rubbed his hands together, without the least bit of the elegant and calm demeanor he normally displayed, so much so that he wanted to immediately have someone go and redecorate. If it wasn’t for the fact that Luo Qing Luan was still in front of him, he probably would’ve already called someone to come.
"What, just that little bit and Mr. Yu is already satisfied?" Luo Qing Luan looked at him emotionlessly with a smile, yet not smiling. Those things that she said, as far as her previous life was concerned, were basic things known to everyone who watched some television, or maybe those who had attended some live performances would also know. But this Western Chu state had never seen these things before. Heavenly Dream Tower was already a first-rate facility, so it’s obvious what the other courtesan houses, or possibly other similar places were also like this.
And also from those boring books, Luo Qing Luan could imagine how monotonous life was for these people at this time and place.
Once those words were spoken, Nangong Yu’s eyes nearly popped out. "Is it possible that Little Brother Luo, you know even more?"
He practically used a completely different mindset to get to know the young man before him all over again. Someone so young, yet had so many ideas, could he be a born genius in business? Otherwise, how could he come up with such clever ideas?
If he was won over by other courtesan houses, wouldn’t he become Heavenly Dream Tower’s biggest competitor?
The moment this thought flashed through his mind, Nangong Yu immediately had another thought: no matter what, he already could not let this person go. He must find a way to bind himself and this young man together.
With an attitude completely different than his previous one, Nangong Yu immediately cordially gestured for Luo Qing Luan to sit down. "Worthy Little Brother Luo, please sit and take your time talking about it. Today I’ve benefited greatly from your advice. Listening to a wise man is better than reading books for ten years. I really could not tell, Brother Luo’s age is so young, yet you surprisingly have this talent."
Could this really be considered talent? Luo Qing Luan smiled emotionlessly. "Not at all. I merely read a few more books, that’s all."
Nangong Yu did not believe those words by any means. As the second prince, he had access to the exceedingly great collection of books in the prince’s palace as well as imperial palace. How come he had never seen this kind of knowledge within any of those books? But he did not care about this at all, everyone had their own secrets. As long as the other party was willing to help him, it’s fine.
His face displaying increasing resoluteness, Nangong Yu looked at Luo Qing Luan and said, "The things Brother Luo told me today is actually worth ten thousand golds. I’m also not someone who doesn’t have manners. As long as your methods are able to raise my Heavenly Dream Tower’s business, I will give thanks appropriately."
Originally, Luo Qing Luan was just casually speaking and didn’t expect that Nangong Yu would raise the issue of money.
"If Mr. Yu want to speak of money, then we’ll need to properly discuss it. Those things I casually spoke of, just consider them complimentary, but if Mr. Yu want me to share everything then we’ll need to write it down in black and white."
"Rest assured, my words have enormous weight. I absolutely won’t go back on them."
This was also Nangong Yu’s intention. If Luo Qing Luan and his relationship was set in writing, then wasn’t that the best way to link the two of them together? Only by spending some money would he improve Heavenly Dream Tower even more, and make even more money.
In regards to money, he’s really too short of it!
He immediately had a servant bring brush, ink, and paper. Nangong Yu wrote most of the content. When he reviewed the contract and was deciding their shares, he contemplated a bit, then said. "If my Heavenly Dream Tower’s business can increase twenty percent, then how about I give you a twenty percent share of the profits. If business can increase thirty percent, then you will have thirty percent of the profits."
"If I can increase your business forty or fifty percent or even double it then!" Luo Qing Luan smiled faintly. "Is it possible that Mr. Yu will give me the entire Heavenly Dream Tower?"
"Cough, cough......"
When he heard that, Nangong Yu choked. It was quite a while before he regained his senses, then he drank some tea to moisten his mouth before replying. "Brother Luo, you......aren’t you exaggerating a bit?"
Currently, each day, Heavenly Dream Tower earned no less than one thousand taels of silver each day. Each month, it earned at least twenty thousand teals in pure profits, which basically reached two hundred fifty thousand taels per year. This was only a courtesan house, yet its business nearly approached a tenth of the taxes that the entire state of Western Chu collected. This was the main reason he invested so much money into it.
Luo Qing Luan just randomly said that she’d double the profits. Was she simply making a joke, or deliberately exaggerating to show off?
The other party’s expression wasn’t concealed. Luo Qing Luan currently was completely focused on making money, so she somewhat neglected to notice to Nalan Ye, who was paying more and more attention to her. She basically did not discover that his attention had been focused on her while the light in his eyes was getting stronger and stronger.
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