Chapter 6

Zhang Han remained as usual, only planning to leave when it was time to close the shop in the evening. Zhou Fengji and Li Yuchun had already left, and Liang Hong was wandering around the store. Seeing that everyone else had left, he hurriedly approached Zhang Han.

Liang Hong seemed to have something to say but hesitated. Zhang Han smiled and said, "Manager Liang, if you have something to say, just say it. I'm all ears."

Liang Hong smiled and said, "Young Master, after your recovery, you seem to have changed, becoming more straightforward."

"People tend to think a lot when they are sick," Zhang Han said. "Naturally, I am different from before."

"That's true," Liang Hong rubbed his hands and finally said, "Young Master, you raised my monthly salary today. I must thank you for your great kindness."

"Since the store hasn't raised salaries for so many years, and both the old master and my father are no longer around, it's only right for me to take charge now. There's no need to thank me," Zhang Han looked at Liang Hong and said slowly, "Manager Liang is well-liked in the store. If you want to thank me, why not pay more attention to the store's affairs? I've noticed that there's a lot of grain scattered in front of the warehouse, and it takes a long time for someone to clean it up, causing a lot of waste. It's a small matter, but it reflects bigger issues. Manager Liang, you need to be more vigilant."

Liang Hong looked somewhat embarrassed and explained, "It's my fault. People have been in a state of panic these past few days, causing some disorder."

Zhang Han's heart stirred. He looked at Liang Hong and asked, "Why are people in a state of panic?"

Liang Hong hesitated and said, "Young Master, you just arrived at the store and might not be familiar with everyone's character. Although I am young, I used to follow the old master and the elder master. If I don't speak up, I would be letting them down and also letting down your intentions..."

"Manager Liang, just say it directly," Zhang Han said. "Although I am young, I can still distinguish right from wrong."

"Some people in the store are very dissatisfied with your arrival. They think you are too young and know nothing about business, so they want to cause trouble and drive you away. At the very least, they want you to work as an apprentice in another store for a few years to learn how to do business..."

Zhang Han listened calmly and asked, "Who exactly are these people?"

"Master Zhou, our head manager, has been in the store the longest and has the highest prestige. However, he is somewhat too lenient, and the people below him are trying to curry favor with him, planning to break away from the store and start their own business..."

This news was indeed significant.

It turned out that these managers, seeing the business decline, were indeed planning to start their own businesses.

"These next few days might not be peaceful," Liang Hong sighed. "Young Master, you need to be extra cautious."

Zhang Han remained calm and nodded. "With the law and justice in place, and the goodwill of the people, things will be fine. Besides, Uncle Zhou and the other managers have been with our family for many years. They wouldn't really have any ulterior motives. The current situation is temporary, and we can overcome this obstacle. Manager Liang, thank you for your help today."

Liang Hong, hearing Zhang Han's words, felt almost flawless. The young master in front of him was not panicking as he had expected. Instead, he felt somewhat flustered and hurriedly nodded. "Young Master, as long as He Yusheng is open, I will serve you faithfully, with no second thoughts."

...

"Manager Liang is indeed a good person."

After Liang Hong left stealthily, Zhang Han and Zhang Chun walked home together. Zhang Chun walked for a while and, seeing no one around, softly praised.

"Good person?" Zhang Han's face showed a faint smile. He looked at his young follower and thought, "Indeed, he is just a child."

He thought for a moment. He needed a capable person by his side, and Zhang Chun, who had grown up with him, was reliable and literate, which was rare in a time when less than 5% of the population could read... It seemed appropriate to cultivate Zhang Chun.

After some thought, Zhang Han guided him, "Just now, did Liang Hong say how he knew about these matters?"

Zhang Chun was taken aback and shook his head. "He didn't seem to."

"Did he say what role he played in this?"

"Um."

"Did he say how they plan to drive you away?"

"No."

"Then what kind of good person is he?" Zhang Han smiled and said, "He talked for a long time, but it was all vague and unclear. If I had believed everything he said, what would I think now?"

Zhang Chun thought for a moment and said, "It seems that Manager Liang was trying to scare us."

"Exactly." Zhang Han smiled approvingly and continued, "Besides being vague, what other feeling did his words give you?"

"It seemed that Head Manager Zhou and Manager Li were plotting to drive you away, mainly because of Head Manager Zhou's influence, which you couldn't control..."

"Thinking this way aligns with his intentions."

Zhang Han praised him and then laughed. "Such an important matter, they must have discussed it together. Why would they leave out Liang Hong? Liang Hong's words always pointed to Old Zhou, but he didn't say anything concrete. This shows that Old Zhou hasn't been swayed, and the matter is uncertain. Li Yuchun controls the grain purchasing channels, Liang Hong has an advantage in personnel, and Old Uncle Zhou is a respected manager whom the customers trust and can control the situation. They need all three to break away from our family and start their own business."

"Then why did Liang Hong come to inform us?"

Zhang Chun was like a blank sheet of paper, and Zhang Han's words painted a dark picture in his young mind, though he still had many things he couldn't understand.

"This is even simpler," Zhang Han smiled, but his eyes were sharp. As someone who had risen from the bottom to run a listed company, he might not be as knowledgeable about business as a business school graduate, but his ability to sense and grasp human nature and intrigue was crucial for his success.

"Think about it," Zhang Han guided him. "They have some confidence in swaying Old Uncle Zhou, but the capital isn't sufficient, and they haven't convinced him yet. Whether this plan succeeds is uncertain. If it succeeds, Liang Hong will have a share, and he won't be left out. If it fails, he has a backup plan with me. He has secretly aligned himself against Old Uncle Zhou and Li, promoting himself and damaging others. If things go wrong, I, an inexperienced young master, will have to rely on him. This is called preparing for both outcomes, being both red and black, playing both the good and the bad person. Truly a clever heart and a clever plan."

Zhang Chun was furious, his sallow face turning red. He huffed and said, "Young Master, let's go home and tell Grandma to kick Liang Hong out."

"Why bother?" Zhang Han laughed. "You really can't tolerate a grain of sand in your eye. Given our current situation, why should we be surprised if others have ulterior motives? The monthly salary hasn't increased in over ten years, and the store has been losing money, with no dividends. Everyone has to support their families. Who wouldn't have their own plans? Zhang Chun, the most important thing for a master is to lead everyone to prosperity. Everything else is just talk. Liang Hong has a street-smart quality and knows how to win people over. As long as he works diligently, he is a capable person."

"That's true," Zhang Chun's eyes were full of admiration. He said with great respect, "Young Master, you are truly remarkable. Under your leadership, He Yusheng will surely make more money than when the old master was in charge."

"Ha ha, you're learning fast. You're not very good at other things, but you've already learned how to flatter and curry favor."

By now, it was dusk, and the shops on North Street had closed, with lanterns hanging at the entrances. Some people went home in carriages or sedan chairs, while others walked. The streets weren't very crowded, as the market would be open for a while longer, and most of the visiting merchants had already left early in the morning. The major merchants would arrive just before the market opened, whether to trade furs and horses inland or to transport grain and goods to places like Xinping Fort. The market opening was the busiest time.

Many people greeted Zhang Han along the way, as He Yusheng was a decades-old store in Xinping Fort, and the news of Zhang Han taking charge had spread throughout North Street. Although there were hundreds of large and small stores in Xinping Fort, North Street was less than three miles long, and despite the reserved and taciturn nature of the Shanxi merchants, they were just as gossipy as women.

One of the principles of the merchant's handbook is to listen more and talk less, gathering and analyzing various information. A seemingly insignificant piece of news could be a business opportunity. Although the merchants didn't talk much, the cumulative information formed a small whirlpool on North Street.

A few people in a passing carriage glanced at Zhang Han.

In the center of the carriage sat a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties, leaning against the window, sitting cross-legged. The two-wheeled cart was bumpy, but he didn't seem uncomfortable. His eyes were sharp when he looked at people.

After observing Zhang Han, the middle-aged man nodded and said, "He seems to be a steady young man."

There were two other people in the carriage, dressed more lavishly than the middle-aged man, but their expressions were very respectful. One of them replied, "Master, you are right. I heard that Zhang Han watches the business in the store every day, calm and composed. The old foxes like Old Zhou seem to have left him alone."

The other person said, "I heard they want to start their own business. My distant nephew, Li Yuchun, is the most enthusiastic."

"It won't work," the man called Master rubbed his face and said. "He Yusheng is finished."

The other two looked at each other. He Yusheng's business had been declining recently, but the situation was the same for all the major stores in Xinping Fort and other forts. The smaller forts were doing better. The entire border had six major markets: six in Datong, one in Shanxi, one in Xuangfu, one in Yansui, three in Ningxia, and two in Gansu. Except for not trading with the eastern wing of the Mongols, the court had set up large horse markets along the thousands of miles of the border from Xuang to Gansu. Xinping Fort was one of them. In recent years, the weather had worsened, and grain prices had skyrocketed. Of course, there were people manipulating the market, not just the weather. The man in the carriage was one of them. The business of the major stores in the large forts had plummeted, with more profits monopolized by various powerful figures. The smaller forts with the right to trade were doing better. The long border meant that the real big money was in smuggling!