Chapter 56

"Ah, what does Miss Xie want Zhou to give up?" Zhou Chong was somewhat surprised after hearing this, but as soon as his question was out, he immediately understood what Xie Lingyun wanted, because on her hand, which was as white as jade, she was holding something—the gift box that Zhuo'er had given her, which contained soap and glycerin.

Seeing this, Zhou Chong finally understood why Xie Lingyun had proactively asked to stay for dinner earlier. Given her shrewdness, she must have seen the value of these two items right away. Zhou Chong had also guessed that, taking advantage of the dinner, Xie Lingyun had already extracted a lot of information from the naive Zhuo'er. Zhuo'er, in front of Xie Lingyun, would definitely not be able to keep any secrets, and she might even have told Xie Lingyun about the raw materials for making soap and glycerin.

This made Zhou Chong feel a bit regretful, secretly blaming himself for not being thorough enough. If he had known that Xie Lingyun would be so interested, he wouldn't have given her the soap as a gift. Unfortunately, it was too late to think about this now. Zhou Chong was a very rational person and quickly overcame his regret, then began to consider how to handle the current situation.

Seeing Zhou Chong silent, Xie Lingyun's face showed a confident smile, and she said, "Young Master Zhou, I have some heartfelt words to say. I wonder if you would like to listen?"

"Oh?" Zhou Chong looked up at Xie Lingyun, somewhat surprised, and said, "Miss Xie, please speak. Zhou is willing to listen attentively!"

Hearing Zhou Chong's words, Xie Lingyun lightly raised her hand, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and said with a smile, "Young Master Zhou, you managed to pay off your family's debts in a short time, then worked hard to write books to earn money, and now you have developed the methods for making soap and glycerin. If I'm not mistaken, you must be planning to use writing to earn a sum of money, and then use soap and glycerin to make huge profits to revitalize the Zhou family!"

After Xie Lingyun finished speaking, her eyes were fixed on Zhou Chong. During this time, she had collected a lot of information about Zhou Chong, especially after the Zhou family went bankrupt, and combined with her understanding of Zhou Chong's character, she was very confident in her guess.

Zhou Chong was also shocked after hearing this, but his face remained calm. He looked at Xie Lingyun with a steady gaze, hoping to see through her and understand why she knew him so well, even guessing his future plans with such accuracy. Such a person, even if just a woman, was truly terrifying!

"Why is Miss Xie so interested in me?" Zhou Chong had nothing to say since his thoughts had been completely guessed by Xie Lingyun, so he tried to shift the topic by asking a question.

Seeing that Zhou Chong did not deny it, Xie Lingyun's smile became more confident, and she said, "Young Master Zhou is talented and naturally draws attention. Moreover, I have no ill intentions; I just want to discuss a business deal with you."

"Business?" Zhou Chong looked at Xie Lingyun with a strange expression, "Miss Xie, are you joking? Although I owe you 300 taels of silver, the profit from soap and glycerin is enormous, and I'm sure you have already seen that. You can't really think I would give you the methods for making soap and glycerin just for 300 taels of silver, can you?"

Hearing Zhou Chong's sarcastic words, Xie Lingyun did not get angry. She still had a calm and confident expression and said, "I never said I would buy the methods for making soap and glycerin for 300 taels. Of course, if you are willing to sell them, I would certainly give you a satisfactory price. However, based on my understanding of Young Master Zhou, you wouldn't be willing to sell the methods to anyone, right?"

"Hmm? That's strange. If you know I won't sell the methods, then what business can we discuss?" Zhou Chong asked again.

Xie Lingyun's grasp of Zhou Chong's psychology was indeed very accurate. He indeed had no intention of selling the methods. Although he came from the future, there weren't many surefire business ideas, and something like soap, which could generate a steady stream of profits, would be foolish to sell for a short-term gain.

"There is certainly a business to discuss, or more accurately, a partnership," Xie Lingyun said with a smile.

"Partnership?" Zhou Chong was taken aback, and he seemed to understand her meaning.

Xie Lingyun continued, "Young Master Zhou plans to accumulate a sum of money and then produce soap and glycerin himself. However, I must say, this idea is too naive. Producing a high-profit product like soap is not just about having money. If not, I can guarantee that within three months, the methods for making soap and glycerin will leak, and soon everyone will be producing soap. What profit would you have then?"

At first, Zhou Chong felt a bit不服气 (unconvinced) when Xie Lingyun said he was naive, but as she continued, he fell silent, admitting to himself that he was indeed too naive.

This was not entirely Zhou Chong's fault. Although he had lived two lives, he had no experience in running a factory or workshop. He had always thought that once he had the money, he could hire a few people, prepare the raw materials, and start production. He hadn't considered other aspects, but Xie Lingyun pointed out the biggest issue: the confidentiality of the production methods. If this couldn't be solved, he wouldn't just fail to make money; he would likely have to close down soon.

Thinking about this, Zhou Chong felt a bit discouraged. Xie Lingyun then pressed on, "Besides confidentiality, there are other issues like the location of the workshop, the selection of craftsmen, and dealing with the government. These are not easy tasks for Young Master Zhou, but for the Xie family, they are all easily solvable. Therefore, the best option for Young Master Zhou is to find a trustworthy merchant to partner with, and our Xie family perfectly meets all your requirements!"

Zhou Chong listened and thought for a while, then finally nodded, "Alright, Miss Xie, you are indeed persuasive. Zhou is convinced. However, I don't know how you plan to cooperate and how the profits will be divided."

Seeing Zhou Chong agree, Xie Lingyun couldn't help but show an excited smile and said, "It's simple. Young Master Zhou only needs to provide the methods for making soap and glycerin. The location of the workshop, the recruitment of craftsmen, and the confidentiality of production will all be handled by the Xie family. As for the profit sharing, the Xie family will take 80%, and Young Master Zhou will receive the remaining 20% at home. What do you think?"

Hearing Xie Lingyun's demand for 80% of the profits, Zhou Chong immediately sneered, "Miss Xie, you are indeed shrewd, taking 80% right away. This is absolutely unacceptable!"

"Oh, then how do you propose to divide the profits?" Xie Lingyun's eyebrows furrowed, and she had a bad feeling.

Zhou Chong's mind worked quickly. When he heard Xie Lingyun's cooperation plan, he had already thought of another solution. He said with a smile, "Let's put the profit sharing aside for now. Currently, Zhou has no power or influence, unlike the wealthy Xie family, so I dare not cooperate with you alone."

Hearing Zhou Chong's words, Xie Lingyun felt a jolt in her heart, and her eyebrows furrowed even more, "What exactly do you plan to do, Young Master Zhou? Please speak frankly!"

"My plan is simple. Although Songjiang Prefecture is not large, there are still some people I trust. I don't have to cooperate with the Xie family alone. For example, Uncle Wang Lun, who has always been kind to me, would certainly be willing to do this surefire business to repay his kindness. So, I have decided to bring the Wang family into this business," Zhou Chong said with a smile.

Xie Lingyun's cooperation plan had a significant flaw. Although it seemed that he would get money just by providing the methods, he would not be involved in the management and operation of the workshop, and he wouldn't know the actual profit situation. In the end, the Xie family would decide how much to give him. He had seen this happen many times in his previous life and would not fall for it.

Hearing that Zhou Chong planned to bring the Wang family into the business, Xie Lingyun could no longer maintain her calm demeanor and said urgently, "Young Master Zhou, you are overthinking this. Although the Xie family started with smuggling, we are legitimate businessmen. As long as we sign a contract, we will not cheat in any way!"

Zhou Chong was not easily convinced. He still smiled and said, "Perhaps I am being too suspicious, but I have the heavy responsibility of revitalizing my family, so I cannot take any risks. I trust Uncle Wang's character, and our relationship is extraordinary. Therefore, only if the Wang family joins, can I cooperate with the Xie family with peace of mind. If Miss Xie insists, I will have to cooperate with the Wang family alone, and I will write another book to pay off the 300 taels I owe you."

Seeing Zhou Chong's firm stance, Xie Lingyun felt a headache. Zhou Chong's concerns were not unfounded. If the soap workshop was completely controlled by the Xie family, Zhou Chong would likely be gradually marginalized, even though such behavior would be despicable. However, business is like war, and there is no room for mercy.

Xie Lingyun lowered her head and thought for a long time. Finally, she looked up and met Zhou Chong's eyes, "Young Master Zhou, from my perspective, I absolutely do not want to share the profits from soap. If you agree not to bring the Wang family into this business, I can tell you a secret about your family. I guarantee you will be very interested in this secret!"

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