Chapter 132: Goodwill from the Second Generation

Returning to the dormitory, Li Yunsong was still asleep, so the two of them simply headed to the balcony to chat.

Although Wang Liang was usually quiet, his mind was brimming with ideas about making money; once he found an opportunity, he couldn't stop pouring them out.

After listening to several, Zhang Tianfeng saw that Wang Liang showed no sign of stopping, so he smiled and asked, "If you tell me all these methods, aren't you afraid I'll take them and use them myself?"

"Take them and use them! Without action, ideas are nothing but words on paper." Wang Liang took a drag of his cigarette and added, "Besides, I believe you aren't that kind of person."

In his view, among the seven people in the dormitory, only Zhang Tianfeng—the last to arrive—gave him a sense of ease. Everyone else seemed to harbor some degree of superiority in his presence. Lu Wu, in particular, acted as if his tail were wagging in the clouds whenever he spoke. Zhang Tianfeng, however, moved and spoke with a calm, measured pace, making him very comfortable to be around. Wang Liang truly enjoyed talking to him.

"I think I’ve got the gist of your ideas. For now, let’s focus on earning some money."

"Right. As for the work of the sales clerk at the direct-sales store, I’ll leave that to you. I won't forget your kindness."

"Just do your job well; don't worry about the rest." Zhang Tianfeng shouldered his bag and said, "I need to go home for a bit. Tell Old Li I'll be back in a few days."

"Alright, travel safely."

Leaving the dormitory, Zhang Tianfeng walked straight toward the gate. Just as he stepped out of school, Gao Ran pulled up in her car.

"I thought you were going to hide from me forever," Zhang Tianfeng said with a smile.

Ever since what happened between them last time, Gao Ran had not appeared in front of him. She had clearly intended to cool things down, and Zhang Tianfeng understood this well, so he hadn't pestered her. Indeed, under such ambiguous circumstances, continuing that way was bound to lead to trouble.

"Get in. My father wants to see you."

"Huh?" Zhang Tianfeng’s calm expression vanished instantly.

"Don't overthink it. My father doesn't know about us. He wants to talk business with you."

"You could have said that all at once! You scared the life out of me; my heart is still pounding."

Gao Ran noticed that this guy had so many faces. One moment he was a domineering CEO, the next a ruthless merchant, and now he was acting like a rogue. It was hard to imagine what else he might be hiding.

She locked the doors, and they drove toward Biyue Tea House. In Zhucheng, there was a river named Biyue; the tea house was built right along its banks. Gao Ran mentioned that the establishment was owned by one of Qin Lin’s confidantes. Zhang Tianfeng realized that Qin Lin was quite impressive—at least in his ability to balance his wife with his other paramours. After all, maintaining a stable home life while keeping his "colorful flags" fluttering outside required more than just money.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the tea house. As soon as he stepped inside, Zhang Tianfeng spotted an acquaintance: Ji Heng!

***

Could this guy have come to find him through Qin Lin?

"You brat, I’ve finally found you! You’re certainly good at hiding!" Ji Heng said through gritted teeth.

Zhang Tianfeng had guessed correctly; Ji Heng had indeed used Qin Lin to track him down. For the past few days, Ji Heng had been unable to eat or sleep well. The thought of a championship team advertising for a toy factory made his heart ache. Such a golden opportunity for Tangwan Town could have helped them build another "Huadong Village"! Now that he had finally caught him in person, he was determined to make him bring that championship team over, no matter what.

"Mayor, what brings a busy man like you to think of me?"

"Who’s the busy one here? I’ve been looking for you for days, and I couldn't even get into your factory."

"That’s normal. After someone caused trouble last time, I upgraded the factory's security." Zhang Tianfeng turned and said, "Ranran, please bring me two cups of tea."

"Sure. You two go wait over there," she replied.

Walking to the pavilion by the pond, Zhang Tianfeng sat down and said, "Mayor, if you have something to say, just say it. I’m busy and have to leave soon."

"Why didn't you tell me that the championship team was advertising for you?"

"Why should I? Is it required that I report every move my factory makes to you?" Zhang Tianfeng squinted. "You are the mayor, you govern Tangwan Town, but you don't govern me."

"That's not what I meant, you misunderstood," Ji Heng quickly explained. "I mean, you should have leveraged that commercial contract with the championship team better."

"And what is your brilliant advice?"

"Use it to advertise the town and attract more investors. I can offer you some support in return."

"Mayor, you really take me for a child. If I couldn't figure out that much, I wouldn't have been able to open this factory in the first place." What kind of nonsense was this? Did he think he was that dim-witted? Support? His support was useless! It was better to rely on oneself; real strength came from one's own capabilities.

"Kid, I..."

"Mayor, if that is the extent of your request, we have nothing to talk about. Of course, if you plan to make things difficult for me because of this, I don't mind. At worst, I’ll just move the factory elsewhere."

"I told you, why are you in such a rush? I didn't mean that at all."

Ji Heng didn't know what to say anymore. He hadn't expected Zhang Tianfeng to react so strongly; it didn't make sense, as they had no prior grudges.

"Then if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going." Zhang Tianfeng stood up and walked away without a moment's hesitation.

After he had been sitting in another stone pavilion for a while, Gao Ran joined him. "What did you two talk about? You both looked like you’d been shot. Mayor Ji left in a rage."

"He has the nerve to be angry? I’ve certainly learned something today." He took the tea Gao Ran handed him and sipped it. "Where’s your father? Wasn't he going to talk business with me?"

"He'll be here shortly; he's on the phone in the garden."

No sooner had she spoken than Qin Lin came jogging over.

"Mr. Zhang, I hope your conversation with Mayor Ji was pleasant."

"Pleasant enough. In the future, if someone wants to reach me through you, please don't agree to it."

"Understood. I won't do such thankless work again." Qin Lin pulled a bank card from his briefcase and pushed it toward Zhang Tianfeng.

"Boss Qin, what is this?" Zhang Tianfeng was caught off guard. Where did this money come from?

"This is the profit from the ideas you gave me back in Hong Kong."

"I told you, I gave you those ideas for free. You lent me your fleet a few times; we're square."

"True, but we've had extra income since."

The results of that venture had surprised many, Zhang Tianfeng included. The small, nondescript workshops Qin Lin had set up—initially just for printing his promotional flyers and cheap branded merchandise—had started attracting outside buyers. They were now being commissioned to manufacture promotional goods for others. Qin Lin had spotted the opportunity, started taking on contract manufacturing, and kept innovating until he accidentally became a dominant player in the coastal region. Now, 95% of the branded merchandise seen at roadside stalls was produced by Qin Lin’s workshops.

"How much is in here?"

"One million."

"You didn't give me all the revenue, did you?" The cost and profit margins for those cheap items were low. Giving him a million meant he was handing over 90% of the profits, if not all of them.

"Think of it as throwing a brick to attract jade. You gave me a whole new line of thinking; even two million wouldn't be too much."

Zhang Tianfeng pondered for a moment and accepted the card. "Then the workshop business is settled; you don't need to give me any more money in the future."

"I'm not an idiot. If it weren't for Ranran, I wouldn't be giving you money anyway," Qin Lin said with a laugh.

The speaker was unintentional, but the listener took it to heart. Zhang Tianfeng’s heart skipped a beat, but upon seeing that Qin Lin seemed perfectly normal, he finally relaxed.

"Boss Qin, you said you wanted to talk business. What is it?"

"This time it's not me, but a friend who entrusted me with this. It's both a business talk and a chance to act as a peacemaker."

Qin Lin took out another bank card and pushed it toward him. "There’s 500,000 in here. It's the price he's paying for helping the wrong person and saying the wrong things last time."

"Who is it?"

"Tang Tianxiong."