Chapter 411: The Unusual Ye Jianhua!

Cotton Mill. Director’s Office!

Jiang Longcheng sat in his chair, his desk a complete mess.

Ever since he had returned to his office at Li Yi’s request, he had been in a rather bad mood.

It wasn’t because Li Yi’s request for him, the factory director, to step aside was rude or made him feel offended—it was because he was worried Li Yi would get the short end of the stick.

Although Jiang Longcheng knew his brother-in-law’s capabilities well—if Li Yi didn’t want to get the short end of the stick, no one could outmaneuver him with that mind of his, as black and full of holes as a briquette.

Not to mention that his brother-in-law was a master strategist, virtually infallible in his calculations; with mere nobodies like He Tianming and Chen Rui, they stood no chance against him.

But the problem was, Jiang Longcheng could clearly sense that when it came to matters involving him, Li Yi was exceptionally magnanimous.

In other words, Li Yi might very well accommodate that bunch of bastards—He Tianming and Chen Rui—for his sake, thereby harming his own interests. This was something Jiang Longcheng was absolutely unwilling to see.

Consequently, despite his usual carefree demeanor, he felt a pang of unease.

In a fit of anger, he proceeded to ransack his own desk!

Just as Jiang Longcheng was stewing in silence, the office door burst open, and Li Yi strode in.

When Li Yi returned to the office and saw the mess strewn across the floor, he sat down directly across from Jiang Longcheng!

“Angry?”

“Finished the meeting?”

Their voices rang out simultaneously!

Then, they exchanged a glance and both laughed at the same time.

After laughing, Jiang Longcheng looked at Li Yi and asked, “How did the talks go?”

“We’ve reached a preliminary agreement. Now we’re just waiting for your cotton mill to submit a report to the district office and sign the contract!” Li Yi said.

“What about the terms?”

“Both parties will collaborate using their respective resources, but I won’t hold any shares. If the cotton mill’s annual profit exceeds 20 million, the mill will pay me 12% of the profit as brand licensing fees, patent royalties, and so on…”

Before he could finish, Jiang Longcheng frowned and asked, “What if the profit doesn’t reach 20 million?”

“You’ll give me a symbolic 10,000 yuan as compensation!” Li Yi said.

“That’s bullshit! Those guys know full well what your two stores are worth. By partnering with the mill, we’re already getting a good deal—why set such a harsh threshold of 20 million in profits?” Jiang Longcheng snapped.

Li Yi, however, smiled and said, “Third Brother, calm down. Do you really think our ready-to-wear business can’t even turn a 20 million profit?”

“That’s not what I meant. You’ve already made over 3 million in just over a month, and that was with limited production capacity. Now that the factory has purchased 200 more sewing machines, our output will be more than triple what it was before. Making 20 million in profit a year shouldn’t be a problem!” Jiang Longcheng said.

“If that’s the case, then what are you worried about?”

“I just feel uneasy. Those bastards are clearly taking advantage of you…”

Before he could finish, Li Yiru interjected, “There’s no such thing as one party bullying another in business negotiations. If I really were being bullied by those people, it would just mean I’m incompetent—and I’d deserve to be bullied!”

“Brother-in-law, are you saying you’re not getting the short end of the stick in this deal?” Jiang Longcheng asked urgently.

“No, I am—and it’s a huge loss!”

“Then what do you mean by that?”

“It’s not He Tianming, Chen Rui, and that bunch from the cotton mill who’re making me lose out—it’s the policies, it’s the environment!”

Li Yi continued, “Both my second brother and my father-in-law are worried that making too much of a stir here will draw the attention of higher-ups. So I’m left with only two options: either shut down and go out of business, or partner with the cotton mill!”

“So, right now, the cotton mill holds all the cards, and I have no choice but to accept any harsh terms they impose.”

Jiang Longcheng frowned and said, “But these terms are downright unfair. Even if we have to shut down, we won’t put up with this humiliation…”

Hearing Jiang Longcheng’s reckless outburst, Li Yi couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

The guy had completely forgotten that he was the director of the cotton mill himself; anyone unaware might think he was the owner of the Feixue Apparel brand.

“What are you laughing at?”

“Come on, in business you have to know when to back down. Who just walks away at the first sign of disagreement?”

“I…”

Before he could finish, Li Yi spoke up again: “Besides, I’ve already made three million from this deal before the New Year, and that’s bound to have caught the attention of the higher-ups!”

“If we don’t show some sincerity to the higher-ups and help the country recover financially, how will they view me—and how will they view our Jiang family?”

“That’s true,” Jiang Longcheng said.

At that moment, Li Yi added, “Besides, we’re not exactly losing out on this. I barely have to lift a finger, and by year-end, I’ll be pocketing several million in dividends.”

“Besides, the cotton mill’s rebirth and rise to become a leading enterprise in Beijing will be credited to you, Third Brother. If we get Uncle and the others to pull some strings, you’re bound to advance even further. You, I, and the country all stand to gain—why wouldn’t we do it?”

Jiang Longcheng thought it over carefully, then said, “What you say makes sense, but…”

“Enough with the ‘buts.’ I’m starving—let’s eat!”

Li Yi then added, “Don’t forget that Dongzi and the others are coming tonight. We still need to go to the rental house this afternoon to get the stove going for them, and we have to pick them up at the train station tonight!”

Jiang Longcheng wanted to say something else, but seeing that Li Yi clearly didn’t want to dwell on the matter, he grabbed his coat and left the office with Li Yi.

Since the factory workers were all on vacation, the cafeteria was naturally closed, so the two had to find a small restaurant nearby and grab a quick bite.

After the meal, Jiang Longcheng drove Li Yi to the rental house, leaving him there to stoke the stove and clean up.

As for himself, he drove back to the cotton mill. His brother-in-law had reservations and felt awkward about confronting those shameless bastards, but Jiang Longcheng wasn’t about to let them get away with it.

How could anyone be so shameless?

Besides, letting his brother-in-law get treated unfairly on his turf would be a total disgrace!

Setting aside the fact that Jiang Longcheng was going back to settle the score with He Tianming, Chen Rui, and the others—Li Yi wasn’t interested in that anyway.

After Jiang Longcheng left, Li Yi first lit the stoves in several rooms of the rental house; otherwise, Dongzi and the others wouldn’t be able to rest when they arrived.

After getting the stoves going, Li Yi gave the rental house a quick clean.

Then, he walked over to the hot pot restaurant.

The shop was set to open tomorrow, but since Dongzi and the others wouldn’t arrive in Beijing until the early hours of the morning, there clearly wouldn’t be enough time to prepare.

Since he had nothing else to do at the moment, Li Yi cleaned the shop by himself, then made a list of the meat, vegetables, and seasonings the shop was running low on.

By the time he finished, it was already past six in the evening, and it had grown completely dark outside.

Just then, Jiang Longcheng, having vented his frustration, appeared at the shop looking refreshed, with Ye Jianhua surprisingly trailing behind him.

As soon as he walked in, Jiang Longcheng said cheerfully, “Brother-in-law, I called another meeting with those bastards this afternoon. I gave that He guy and that old fart Chen Rui a real dressing-down. You wouldn’t believe how livid those guys looked!”

Hearing this, Li Yi shook his head and said, “Third Brother, you should do less of this kind of pointless stuff. Not only is it immature, but it could also bring trouble down on you!”

“Uh… it can’t be that bad!”

“No one can stay at the peak forever; everyone hits a low point now and then!”

Li Yi continued, “Likewise, among the people you look down on now, some might one day achieve as much as—or even surpass—you! And what you’re doing today could become the spark that sets them off to get back at you!”

“Brother-in-law, don’t scare me like that…”

Before Jiang Longcheng could finish speaking, Ye Jianhua suddenly chimed in from the side: “Brother Long, my brother-in-law is right. Some people might be taking a beating from you right now without daring to utter a word, but who knows—they might already hate you to the core behind your back.”

“Give them the chance, and those people might stab you in the back in an instant!”

As he spoke, Ye Jianhua’s tone was grave, and his mood seemed somewhat somber.

His unusual demeanor immediately caught the attention of Li Yi and Jiang Longcheng; both of their gazes fixed on him…

…….