Chapter 1980 - Small Reunion

After three rounds of wine, the group was slightly tipsy.

"Ah Xin." Zhang Yu raised his cup. "I must toast you this cup. Without your recommendation back then, forget my shop growing this large—I fear it wouldn't have survived a year."

Everyone voiced loud agreement. Zeng Juan said, "Without Ah Xin recommending Ah Yu back then, perhaps our fortunes would differ vastly from today, and we likely couldn't gather here as we do now. These two characters 'Fortune' are genuinely wonderful beyond articulation..."

Hearing this, everyone felt the same. The four's experiences over this past year seemed intimately connected to Chen Shixin initially gaining Chief Hong's appreciation.

"Ah Yu, you exaggerate. We're brothers. Besides, if your family's walnut cakes hadn't caught Senator Hong's notice, my recommendation would have been useless..."

"In my assessment, since we four are brothers, we should act as brothers ought. Things we can accomplish, we do naturally without being asked. Things we cannot accomplish, not only do we refrain, but we also persuade you against attempting. What need for such elaborate discourse? Drink this cup!"

"Ziyu speaks correctly. Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

After reminiscing about old bonds, gossip instincts inevitably surged. Zhang Yu knew from early on that Li Ziyu and Dong Mingdang shared some minor ambiguity, so he teased:

"Eh? Ziyu, I heard you maintain quite deep friendship with that Miss Dong—"

"Which Miss Dong?" Li Ziyu feigned ignorance. Actually, he disliked others raising this matter.

Dong Mingdang was indeed beautiful as a flower, but this flower wasn't meant for ordinary people to pluck. Having interacted with Miss Dong extensively, he understood quite clearly. Moreover, her designation as "Former Ming Prefect's Daughter" was certainly advantageous for her commerce, but for him, a "Senate Cadre," it constituted an entirely different matter.

"Stop pretending. That one from former Prefect Dong's household. Don't you habitually wander around her shop entrance when free? It's only us brothers here—what are you afraid of? Speak candidly."

"No, no. Watching over her shop initially was merely convenient duty—her shop falls within my jurisdiction. I pass by daily..."

Everyone laughed and declared disbelief, insisting Li Ziyu "confess honestly," rendering Li Ziyu unable to parry, forcing him to beg for mercy. "Aye, aye, aye, brothers spare this old brother. Can we discuss something else?"

"No!" Everyone spoke in unison.

With no alternative, Li Ziyu had to respond earnestly. "Brothers, Miss Dong is an excellent woman—upright, attractive, and capable. But I'll also voice a heartfelt sentiment between brothers: she's not a creature of the pond. I cannot hold her, nor dare I attempt!" Seeing the brothers didn't quite comprehend, he chuckled. "Besides, she remains ultimately a daughter of a former Ming Prefect—not on the same path as us."

Chen Shixin understood immediately and hastily changed subjects. "Ziyu makes sense! Ah Yu, I heard you formally split the family with the old master?"

"Correct. The old shop in the city was transferred to my father." Zhang Yu nodded. "This time it's a complete division. Even accounts and business licenses were opened independently, merely using the same brand name—we even specially signed a brand trademark authorization agreement."

"Why this? If you desired to be household head, the old man definitely wouldn't obstruct you. The shop functioned fine. Why split the family—causing commotion outside?"

"Ah Juan's idea. He informed me this was inevitable—beneficial, no harm."

Zeng Juan nodded, setting down his wine glass. "When I trained at the Finance and Tax Bureau, the Australian Chief, Director Zhang, discussed tax categories. Like presently, it's unreasonable for Ah Yu's business and my family's incense shop to pay taxes at identical ratios. In the future, tax categories will definitely be determined according to different industries with varying tax rates. I asked Chief Zhang then: if a shop conducts multiple businesses simultaneously, like Ah Yu's family—now besides food also handling premium gifts and supplying military rations—how to calculate? She said separate accounting would suffice. Reflecting later, I pondered it wouldn't function. With our current accounting and management capacity, how can we separate? Later once I accompanied Director Wang on inspection and posed the question to him. He said what's difficult about this—if unable to separate, levy from the higher..."

"Discussing revenue extraction methods, Chiefs are truly steady, accurate, and ruthless."

"Chief Zhang also cited an Australian example called something like—" Zeng Juan fumbled for the term. "I heard it involved this sort of Purple Light Pavilion arrangement, but merchandise sold inside separated from other services because tax on selling goods is cheaper. So I calculated some of Ah Yu's family operations should remain with the old shop, while the new shop at Great World should purely pursue new business. This way isn't it transparent? Also heard in Australia, desiring reduced taxes requires not merely clear accounts but also independent accounting establishments, because the ledger indicated Australian local governments frequently provide subsidies to stores paying taxes locally to attract commerce. Consider this Guangzhou—Great World was constructed by the Senate brick by brick. Can they not provide incentives later? If you remain unified with the old city shop, I fear you won't meet criteria. Chiefs can't permit you taking funds here to subsidize shops in the city. Regardless, splitting carries no disadvantages but probable benefits."

"If Ah Yu can split, it's still timely. Why so early?"

"Early? Not early. What does our Finance and Tax Bureau do? In Chief Wang's words, we're money collectors. When Chiefs genuinely mandate your separation... we all comprehend the Senate, hmm? Need I elaborate further?"

"Haha, understood, understood. Ah Juan, exercise caution—don't voice such statements again."

"Understood. I only speak thus among us brothers. Definitely won't speak recklessly outside."

Everyone nodded, indicating they wouldn't speak carelessly either.

"Ah Yu, I heard the items utilized in your shop, the proprietary methods employed, are all provided by Chiefs?"

"Yes, entirely. Those proprietary method manuals are exquisite like authentic artifacts. Have you seen them? Shixin?"

"Seen... Some simple illustrations in these manuals were drawn by me..."

"Genuinely remarkable!"

"Actually nothing extraordinary. I served as assistant, drawing simple elements. Teachers drew complex refined ones. Sometimes producing color drafts, I merely filled colors or similar tasks. There were several foreigners—they drew truly magnificently! Even Chiefs praised them. But when it came to printing small manuals in batches, foreigners observed the printing facility and clicked their tongues in amazement too."

"Sigh... What do you suppose Chiefs pursue? These proprietary methods, whether painting or food preparation—which isn't a craft to establish livelihood and advance in life? Giving to us just like that, not even requesting payment. Two days past I visited the Dong Family Shop..."

"Whoa..."

"Shut up! Discussing business. The shop transformed dramatically, added several food varieties—heard all from that particular Chief. Ah Juan, what's your female Chief's surname?"

"Zhang."

"Correct. Heard all taught personally by that Chief Zhang. Afterwards, she even taste-tested herself and strategized improvements with Miss Dong. Genuinely unexpected, unexpected. What do you suppose she pursues?"

"Pursues satisfaction, I'd guess. What don't Chiefs comprehend? What can't they accomplish? Need to compete with us mortals? What leaks from their fingers suffices for us to consume lifetimes. Ziyu, you'd better concern yourself whether Ah Yu expanding business scope will squeeze Miss Dong's shop into closure."

"How could that be, how could that be." Zhang Yu was already somewhat intoxicated, waving hands repeatedly. "Speaking of this matter, I genuinely desire hearing brothers' assessments."

Zhang Yu's earliest plan for his own shop had been leveraging the Australians' momentum to expand walnut cake production, learning ancestral skills from his father to stabilize family enterprise. Who anticipated that with "thermometers," "test papers," and other novel implements provided by Chief Hong, Zhang Yu discovered that as long as employing these Australian tools and comparing with those Arabic numerals, even without learning skills from the old man, he could produce food not inferior whatsoever, even ensuring taste didn't deviate by a hair regardless of volume produced—note that even the old man himself would err once every few days. Later Zhang Yu opened the new shop at Great World and fortunately received partial South China Army military supply orders. Observing the volumes of thousands and tens of thousands on orders, Zhang Yu's jaw nearly dropped. Even without eating, drinking, or resting, this couldn't be completed. Fortunately, accompanying the orders came various oddly-shaped Australian machines and thicker "Australian Proprietary Method" books. Under technicians' guidance from Lingao, individual rations on semi-mechanical assembly lines flowed like unceasing rivers. Even Zhang Yu, who boasted mastering "Banditology," was dumbfounded. Since then, Zhang Yu became a fanatic believer in "Technology Omnipotence."

"I plan to mortgage the old shop, new shop, plus residence to Delong for a loan..."

"Ah Yu, have you lost your mind? How long has your family enjoyed stability—taking this risk!" For these urban petty bourgeois, "loans" carried immense peril. Commercial loans in medieval times invariably constituted usury—sixty percent annual interest plus various bizarre exploitation mechanisms. Debt signified a precursor to "family ruin and death."

"Precisely! What business requires you wagering your entire family fortune?"

"Brothers, permit me to explain slowly. First, this loan follows Australian regulations—annual interest twelve percent, no compounding interest rule. Second, I plan utilizing these funds to purchase land constructing a factory, immediately behind Great World, acquiring while land prices haven't risen yet. Third is ordering additional machines from Lingao."

"Opening a substantial factory producing food—can you sell it all? Are there sufficient people to consume it?"

"Ah Juan, why do ordinary families purchase little or none? Items are expensive, people impoverished. Take my walnut cakes—ordinary commoners in Guangzhou can't afford them! At minimum families possessing spare funds who can afford teahouses consume it. Now the Senate liberated Guangzhou. Observe the streets—in merely one short year, heaven and earth inverted. Civil servants, police recruited by thousands, recruiting workers everywhere. By then which family won't possess spare coins? Chiefs are formidable! Discussing merchandise, simply take this paper—why did Chiefs' paper sweep our local varieties clean? Beyond quality, it's inexpensive. I inquired with Chief Hong and calculated myself—utilizing machines, these costs are minimal..."

"Ah Yu, food becomes cheap, but as you stated, once machines operate, you're producing thousands and tens of thousands. How many commoners total inhabit Guangzhou? You don't anticipate everyone consuming your walnut cakes as daily rations, correct?"

(End of Chapter)