Linxia

Chapter 208, Contest

That day, Xu Kuo came to me in a hurry and said, "Brother Fang, something terrible has happened. I own a small stake in the Ma family's fleet, and they said that the Gu family wants to supply goods at a lower price. What do you think? If you don't lower the price, we will have to use their goods."

"Sure enough, is there something wrong with Brother Xu as well?"

"Also?" Xu Kuo narrowed his eyes.

"To be honest, Brother Xu, the same is true for my Nanyang fleet. The Gu family came to lower the price." Fang Lin sighed, "The head of the Gu family is ruthless. This move will cut off our shipping channels!"

"Yes, if we don't lower the price, we won't be able to sell them and they will be stuck in our hands. But it's hard to find a place to store so many goods. Even if we find a warehouse, the cost of storing them will not be low. If they get damp or catch fire, we will lose a lot of money."

Xu Kuo frowned in worry, "Business requires a constant flow of goods. If we don't sell the goods, we'll have to lower the price... I asked the Gu family about their price, and it's almost the same as our cost. If we lower it further, the more we sell, the more we'll lose. The Gu family would rather lose money than let us make any money!"

"Our factory is not as big as the Gu family's. Their costs are probably lower, so this price may not necessarily break even. We may even make a small profit. From their perspective, it's worth it to make a small profit for a while and squeeze us out."

Fang Lin had seen the methods of takeout and online car-hailing in his previous life, so he had a clear understanding of these.

"Alas, we can't stock up, nor can we follow the price cuts. Brother Fang, can I ask around for other fleets?"

"Each fleet basically has a fixed source of goods. Even if we find one, we are being watched by the Gu family. If we find one, they will come and mess with us, and we will have to lower the price in the end."

Fang Lin said slowly: "As for the price reduction, to put it bluntly, it's a competition of foundation, and we can't outlast the Gu family."

"Brother Fang is right. The Gu family is definitely capable of doing something like that. What should we do?"

Even though Xu Kuo was very smart, he had no other ideas at this time. He sighed and said, "It would be great if we had our own fleet. It's not pleasant to have someone strangle you by the neck!"

"Our own fleet? Brother Xu hit the nail on the head. We will have it soon." Fang Lin smiled slightly.

"Ok?"

Xu Kuo Lao was a little impatient because of the sudden incident. At this moment, he noticed Fang Lin's calm demeanor from beginning to end, and immediately understood something. He patted Fang Lin on the shoulder and scolded him with a smile: "Brother Fang, you must have had an idea in advance, leaving me here alone to worry?"

"Haha, didn't Brother Xu give me a chance to speak?"

Fang Lin smiled and did not tease Xu Kuo any more. He said seriously, "The Yang family has been hiding their profits on the Nanyang Fleet. I have already obtained the evidence. If they can do it on the first day, I can do it on the fifteenth day. Now that they are poaching people, the Yang family can't say anything..."

"Brother Fang, this has been arranged long ago. Good, good!"

Xu Kuo laughed, but then he thought of something: "Brother Fang, a fleet is nothing more than ships and people. It's not enough to have only people. Brother Fang, you don't know that it's very difficult to build a ship. It takes a long time just to dry the wood. Usually, it takes three or four years to build a batch of ships!"

The subtext of this statement is: It’s too late to save the situation in an emergency. If we really have to wait three or four years, the opportunity will be gone by then.

As for buying ships, you can tell it's impossible just by thinking about it. At this time, why would the Gu, Ma, Shao, and Duan families sell ships to Fang Lin and do such a thing as aiding the enemy?
"Brother Xu, open your mind. You don't have to buy ships in our city. Just because you can't buy ships in Huai'an doesn't mean you can't buy ships in other places. There are many big families doing business overseas in the Jianghuai area, such as..."

Fang Lin uttered two words: "Yan Family."

Xu Kuo's eyes lit up. He knew that the Yan family had branches in the Jianghuai area, as well as overseas merchants. Recently, he heard that Fang Lin and Prefect Yan were having a hot relationship. Perhaps he had already bought some ships through the matchmaking of the other party?
Fang Lin confirmed Xu Kuo Lao's idea: "Yes, I have obtained a batch of ships through the relationship of Prefect Yan. Now that we have ships and people, we can also set up a fleet."

"Now that we have a fleet and connections, we don't have to rely on others. Compared with the four families in the city, Gu, Ma, Shao, and Duan, we are not bad. In addition, Brother Fang's management skills, our potential is even greater..."

Xu Kuo Lao was also perceptive: "I have been in Huai'an for a long time, and I know the morals of these big families very well. They are not vegetarians. Seeing our momentum, I am afraid they may not tolerate it. The Gu family may join forces with the Ma, Shao, and Duan families to suppress us!"

Ma, Shao and Duan are not stupid, so how could they not understand the principle of "the lips and the teeth are interdependent"?

Although the profits from the factories and fleet industries of the Ma, Shao and Duan families do not account for as large a proportion as that of the Gu family, it is still a considerable amount of money. In a fight for real money and interests, Fang Lin cannot rely solely on face.

The other party was intimidated by Fang Lin's background and would not fight to the death, but what if it was limited to the business field? If they joined forces, even if they hurt others with their own hands, they could beat Fang Lin. If Fang Lin was the first to break the rules and use tricks, it would be the worst strategy. Not only would he be at a disadvantage morally and give people the feeling that he could not afford to lose, but he would also be unable to use the emperor's trump card.

"I understand that two fists cannot beat four hands. I will visit the heads of the Ma, Shao and Duan families and stabilize them... Brother Xu, don't worry, the Gu, Ma, Shao and Duan families will not join forces." Fang Lin said with a smile.

Although rationally, Xu Kuo Lao felt that this was almost impossible to do, after all, Ma, Shao and Duan were not fools, and they could still be kept steady even with the rope around their necks, but looking at Fang Lin's confident look and thinking of all the miracles Fang Lin had performed in the past, he subconsciously believed it.

……

After receiving the news from Fang Lin, Jiao Huiqing and Fang Chuanhui took immediate action and began to poach people from the Nanyang fleet.

Thanks to the foundation laid in the past, at least private and covert contact is not difficult.

"Liang Lao Er, you also know that the Nanyang Fleet was jointly established by the Yang family and Lord Fang. Now Lord Fang is going to go it alone and establish his own fleet. Do you want to come? If you come, your wages will be increased by 20% on the previous basis!"

Although a friendship has been established, it is not possible to just talk and give tangible benefits.

"This..." This happened suddenly and Liang Er was not mentally prepared.

Fang Chuanhui added: "My cousin said that if you come, you will get a settlement allowance. Talented people like Liang Erge will get 20 taels of silver. In the future, if you do business overseas, the entire fleet will also get a 10% dividend."

"Twenty taels of silver as a settlement allowance? And, profit sharing?" With such good conditions, Liang Ermu frowned and even suspected that he was dreaming.

Seeing that Liang Er still didn't give a definite answer, Jiao Huiqing thought that this guy was still not satisfied, so he secretly cursed him for being greedy and cooperated: "You have heard of Lord Fang's workers' dormitory and skills training class, right? We can also enjoy them if we go there. I remember that Liang Laoer, your son is now nine years old. It's time to find a way out for him..."

As expected of an old man in the Nanyang Fleet, he immediately grasped the opponent's weak spot.

Snapped!
Liang Er's face flushed, and he slammed the table hard, which scared Fang Chuanhui and Jiao Huiqing. They thought this guy was a die-hard Yang family member and felt insulted by such an inducement, but the next moment they heard: "What the hell, why do you want to fight with the Yang family? I'm fighting with Lord Fang!"

Fang Chuanhui and Jiao Huiqing looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief: "Not only that, if there are any accidents overseas in the future, there will be compensation... In short, it won't be wrong to follow Lord Fang."

"I trust Lord Fang's reputation." Liang Er smiled naively, revealing his yellow teeth. "For such a good thing, I think I can't forget my sworn brother Zhang Laowu. Let's go and ask him to go with us?"

On the one hand, Zhang Laowu really has a life-and-death friendship with his brother and he really wants to do good for his brother, but on the other hand, he also thinks that there are many people going there, and the Yang family cannot be held accountable for all of them!
After convincing Liang Er, Fang Chuanhui and Jiao Huiqing took Liang Er to find the next person on the list. After hearing the conditions, most of them voted decisively. Especially, as more and more people gathered, Fang Chuanhui and Jiao Huiqing didn't even need to speak. They would brainwash the newcomers. Even those who were careful and cautious would vote without hesitation. There were even two people who were planted by the Yang family in the fleet and monitored the fleet's movements. They all took the initiative to confess and voted.

——It’s not that they are disloyal, it’s just that Fang Lin gave them too much. The benefits of being a spy and monitoring the fleet for the Yang family are actually not as high as the resettlement fee Fang Lin gave them. Can you believe it? In this situation, why would they sell their lives to the Yang family?

……

On that day, Fang Lin visited the Ma, Shao and Duan families and had secret talks with the heads of the three families.

……

Yang family.

Yang Zongyi, a partner of the Nanyang Fleet and the head of the Yang family, has been in a good mood recently. Fang Lin and the Gu family have been fighting, and the Gu family has offered an extremely low price for the goods.

"That Deputy Fang, if you don't want to lose the goods, you can only lower the price. Go ahead and fight. In the end, it will be a bargain for my Yang family, haha!"

Yang Zongyi felt that he had gained benefits just by watching the show, which was really wonderful!
He even imagined that Fang Lin and the Gu family would both suffer losses, while the Yang family would benefit and, further, replace the Gu family to become one of the new five major families in the city.

"Uncle, this is bad!" At this time, his nephew Yang Shicheng suddenly rushed in and said, "That Deputy Director Fang has poached a large number of people from our Nanyang Fleet!"

This guy is Yang Zongyi's nephew. He has some talent for business and is in charge of the Nanyang fleet. He is the one who concealed the profits and made a lot of money for the Yang family.

"What?" Yang Zongyi sat up suddenly.

I was watching the show and eating melon just now, how come I suddenly ended up eating the melon myself?
"No, isn't that Deputy Chief Fang fighting with the Gu family? Why would he mess with us? Does his weaving workshop not want to ship goods?"

"I heard that Mr. Fang got a batch of ships through the relationship of Prefect Yan, and then poached people from us to form his own fleet."

Yang Shicheng said indignantly: "Uncle, you don't know, that Fang Chenshi is really unruly. When he poached people, he only picked those who were good at it. He dug so hard that the framework of our Nanyang fleet couldn't be put together. I'm afraid we won't be able to go out to sea for a while."

Take the fire out of the cauldron!

Yang Zongyi listened and became so angry that veins on his forehead were throbbing. He never expected that while watching Fang Lin and the Gu family fighting, his family would be affected and seriously damaged before any of them did anything.

"It's too much to bully others, it's too much to bully others!"

He was furious: "This Fang Chenshi is a well-known figure, isn't he afraid that my Yang family will expose and publicize it?"

——Well, he didn’t say anything about revenge, he just said to spread it out. This was because he thought of the last fatal fight between Fang Lin and the Zhang family, which showed a background that the Yang family couldn’t match.

"The other party left some evidence of our hidden profits..."

Yang Shicheng said with a guilty conscience that this matter was still his fault and he did not act carefully. Then he quickly added: "That assistant Fang also asked someone to pass on a message that his 40% stake in the fleet should be regarded as compensation..."

"Okay, okay, you're using both soft and hard tactics. Are you sure you can take advantage of my Yang family? Humph, this time my Yang family..."

Yang Zongyi was about to say something cruel, but then he thought of the Zhang family's previous experience and changed the subject: "This time, my Yang family really admits defeat!"

Yang Shicheng breathed a sigh of relief and looked at his uncle with strange eyes. He was worthy of being his uncle, as he could use the harshest tone and say the most cowardly words.

"It's not a loss for our family this time. We have resolved the hidden danger in the accounts and kicked out that assistant Fang. From now on, the Nanyang fleet will belong to us alone." These words are just trying to cover up a defeat and turn it into a victory.

Yang Shicheng glanced at his uncle's hands, which were shaking with anger, and said, "My uncle is wise."

……

Gu family.

"Master, Master, something terrible has happened!" Butler Chang came in: "That Deputy Officer Fang has formed his own fleet. I'm afraid we can't stop him now."

"Impossible!" Gu Shiyu denied flatly: "Recently, I have been watching the city and there are no new ship orders or old ships sold. Can that Fang Chenshi be Sun Wukong, who can transform into a ship with all 72 transformations?"

Butler Chang told the whole story of how Fang Lin bought a ship from another place through Prefect Yan.

"So that's how it is. Buying a ship from another place through Prefect Yan? What a stroke of genius!"

Gu Tongren sighed and asked, "What about the manpower needed for the fleet? What, poached people from the Yang family's Nanyang fleet? Great, great, using the connections of Prefect Yan to buy ships, and then poaching people from the Yang family, that Fang Chenshi must have been prepared!"

"However, by trying to steal from the Yang family, aren't they afraid of ruining their reputation?"

"The Yang family was caught with some evidence, and that Deputy Officer Fang gave away 40% of the shares of the Nanyang fleet. One soft and one hard..." Butler Chang investigated it very clearly.

"The Yang family is such a waste!"

Gu Shiyu cursed angrily: "Now, that assistant Fang has both a factory and a fleet. This means that the foundation has been established. Combined with his business methods and reputation, in time, Huai'an's factory and fleet industries will probably be dominated by one person. The Ma, Shao, and Duan families must not want to see this. It's time to unite them..."

"Young Master, we've already contacted them. For some reason, the Ma, Shao, and Duan families are still hesitating and haven't agreed..." Butler Chang said cautiously.

"What? Are these three families crazy? Even now, why don't they join forces to curb the situation? Are they waiting for that Assistant Minister Fang to gain power in the future and squeeze everyone out of the factories and fleet industries one by one?" Gu Shiyu was even more shocked this time.

"Yu'er, don't you understand yet?" Gu Tongren, who had been silent for a while, sighed and said, "It was that assistant Fang who did something to stabilize the Ma, Shao, and Duan families... Oh, this time, our family was defeated miserably!

……

(End of this chapter)