Chapter 032: The Young Marshal Returns, and the Rival Follows

Qin Lin came and went quickly. That very night, after sharing a late-night supper and dropping the two of them back in Tangwan Town, he left again before dawn.

The vehicle advertisement Zhang Tianfeng proposed was so forward-thinking and challenging that Qin Lin felt he had to personally oversee things from behind the scenes to feel at ease.

Before leaving, he even issued a warning that left Zhang Tianfeng both amused and exasperated. At the moment, he had no intention whatsoever of finding a girlfriend; how could romance compare to the satisfaction of making money? He figured it wouldn’t be too late to look for one after laying a solid foundation for his towering ambitions. By then, it wouldn’t be a matter of him chasing after girls, but rather girls chasing after him.

Yes, he was rather passive by nature, and preferred girls who took the initiative.

...

The next morning, Zhang Tianfeng rose early and went to the shop.

After the previous incident with the shop being trashed, it was now standard for two people to stay behind to watch over the place.

Uncle Four, Zhou Runbo, Wang Li, and the recently returned Jiang Jiahao took shifts in rotation.

The previous night, it was Uncle Four and Zhou Runbo on duty.

When Zhang Tianfeng opened the shop, both men were still asleep.

Uncle Four, thinking someone was causing trouble, sprang up with a kitchen knife in hand. When he realized who it was, he said, “Nephew, you could at least say something when you come in—I almost took a swing at you.”

“Why are you brandishing a knife? Didn’t I tell you not to do anything rash?”

“It’s just in case I need to scare someone off,” Uncle Four replied with a sheepish grin. “What brings you back so early?”

“It was just a quick errand. You two go back to sleep and rest until noon. I’m just grabbing the account book, then I’ll be off.”

Account book in hand, he returned to Fragrant Pavilion and began working through the figures in the courtyard.

Before long, Qin Yuelan was up as well, accompanied by Chen Jiaqi.

The two of them were now inseparable—almost like conjoined twins.

“You’re here just in time. I heard there are new job agencies in town?”

“Yes, and they’re ruthless.”

“Do they use the same dirty tricks as the last group?”

“No, actually. They’re loaded with money, and they’re almost too polite—so polished it’s nauseating!”

Zhang Tianfeng had left at noon the previous day; this new group had arrived in the afternoon.

Their first act upon reaching Tangwan Town was to pay a formal visit. At the time, Qin Yuelan was still busy with the workers. Three Crown sedans pulled up outside, and those who emerged were all dressed in finery.

One man, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, spoke gently and smiled as he explained they were here to run a job placement business. He assured her they wouldn’t break the rules like Tang Liqi’s wild bunch and welcomed open competition.

By six o’clock that evening, thirteen Yuanli Job Agencies opened simultaneously, with firecrackers and drums shaking the town, and their flyers blanketing the streets.

Qin Yuelan picked up a flyer and found their business model was identical to theirs: only charging the factories a flat monthly fee, with nothing taken from the workers.

“These people may look cultured, but when it comes down to business, they’re absolutely ruthless.”

“This shows they were well prepared. Most likely, they’re peers from elsewhere who, upon hearing of Tang Liqi’s downfall, rushed in to fill the gap.”

“Boss, what should we do now?”

The enemy had arrived with great momentum and deep pockets. Qin Yuelan had thought about it all night but couldn’t come up with a solution. She was starting to worry her period would become irregular again.

“We fight fire with fire—throw money at it!”

“How exactly do we throw it?”

“We can launch a ‘Guaranteed Placement Package’ and tell job seekers that as long as they purchase this package, they’re guaranteed to find work.”

“This means we need to know the factories inside out, offer them better deals to lower our package price, and at the same time, we must really get to know the workers—to extract their true information.”

“Boss, pulling this off will be extremely difficult. It’s not that I think we can’t do it, but hear me out.”

Qin Yuelan had two main concerns. The first was connections. Old Wang was gone, and as newcomers, they hadn’t yet earned much trust.

The second was staffing. To implement Zhang Tianfeng’s plan, they’d need at least thirty employees just to get things running.

After listening, Zhang Tianfeng replied, “Both of your concerns boil down to one thing: money!”

“You don’t need to worry about money—just focus on execution. I’ve already set up the company for you. Today, your job is to pick a location for the shop and start hiring staff.”

“Have Red Hair find a couple of sharp kids to observe their expansion tactics and write up a report for me.”

“And hire more male workers. They’re stronger, can handle heavy work, and their numbers can help us stand our ground if needed!”

In the 1990s, factories mostly preferred to hire women—women were more meticulous and could handle tasks many men couldn’t, which left many men who had ventured out to work with no jobs.

Now, if a job was dangled in front of them, wouldn’t they fight for it?

With that, Zhang Tianfeng placed the material for the Bole Company on the table. “Get this done and you can have shares or cash—whatever you want.”

Upon seeing the contents, Qin Yuelan became instantly excited. “Rest assured, boss. With your promise, I’ll get it done.”

Behind her, Chen Jiaqi was green with envy—she wanted the same opportunity, but kept it to herself.

“Goodbye, Boss.” She gave a quick farewell and left with the others.

The courtyard fell quiet. Zhang Tianfeng took out a blank sheet of paper and began scribbling on it.

Just then, someone crept up from behind.

“What on earth are you drawing? It looks terrible.”

“I’m marking the locations of my competitors, looking for a way to break the deadlock.”

Gao Ran sat across from him, biting into a piece of bread. “I don’t get you. I always figured you were all about making money, either making it or on your way to making it.”

“But just now, I overheard you talking about throwing money at this, and in a business where the returns don’t even match the investment?”

“You’ve got the right direction, but your vision isn’t broad enough,” Zhang Tianfeng replied, without looking up. “A great businessman always thinks two or three steps ahead—I think five. Losing money now means making much more later, the kind you earn while lying back.”

“Aren’t you worried you’ll overreach and fall flat?”

“If I fall, I’ll just get back up. Who hasn’t stumbled?”

“That’s true,” Gao Ran nodded. “Since I accidentally eavesdropped on your company’s secrets, I’ve decided to atone by joining your team. Will you have me?”

Zhang Tianfeng chuckled. “Your father really is persistent—he won’t rest until he’s figured me out, will he?”

“This has nothing to do with him. I’m just interested in you,” Gao Ran replied breezily, unconcerned about any hidden meaning in her words.

“You can join, but you get a three-day probation. At work, just follow orders—no backtalk. If you do, you’re out.”

“So strict? I can’t even offer reasonable suggestions?”

“I don’t need them! I’m the guiding light of this industry—the beacon of profit!” Zhang Tianfeng declared confidently.

“Fine, I’ll give it a try. But you’d better treat me well. If you upset me, I’ll kick you out of the Fragrant Pavilion.”

“That’s no threat to me at all!”

And so Gao Ran’s employment was decided amid their playful sparring.

At noon, Zhang Tianfeng went to the shop and informed everyone about Qin Yuelan and the others leaving.

Uncle Four barely had time to lament before he saw a girl walk in—prettier than both Qin Yuelan and Chen Jiaqi put together. Sporting a sun hat, shorts, and a T-shirt, she radiated youthful energy. Instantly, he felt that Qin Yuelan’s departure was absolutely the right move.

He also resolved to ask his nephew someday how he always managed to meet such beautiful young women.

With Qin Yuelan gone, she took Chen Jiaqi, Red Hair, and the other streetwise kids with her, along with their fledgling job transfer station.

Since Old Wang had left and few people trusted them, they simply gave up on that business and poured all their energy into the restaurant, hiring three diligent young men that very day, with plans to recruit more.

At eight in the evening, during the meal reserved for the boss and management, a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses walked in.

“Sir, can I get you something to eat?” someone asked.

“No, thank you. I’m here to see your boss.”

In the back room, Zhang Tianfeng looked up from his newspaper. “Let him in.”

The man entered, smiling. “Miss Qin made quite a splash this afternoon. I know her individual ability and vision couldn’t achieve all that alone, so I guessed the young master of her family must have returned.”

“Mr. Zhang, this is our first meeting, but I’ve admired you for a long time.”

Zhang Tianfeng stood to shake his hand. “May I ask your name?”

“Xu Juncong—Xu as in the immortal, Jun as in gentleman, Cong as in cleverness.”

“A fine name! Please, have a seat, Mr. Xu. What brings you here tonight?”

“Mr. Zhang, since you sent people to investigate Yuanli Company’s expansion, I thought they might not get the whole story, so I came in person to tell you myself.”

“Please, sit. Let’s talk.”