Chapter 77: Troublemakers Among Us, Wang Fugui's Request

“Sorry, that was my father calling just now.” Alice, unaware that Zhang Tianfeng was fluent in English, lied, “We have some disagreements in our philosophies, so we argued a bit.”

“There’s an old saying in my country: even if bones are broken, the tendons still connect them; blood ties cannot be severed.” Zhang Tianfeng picked up a piece of fried egg from his plate. “Perhaps he’s a little harsh in his words, but it’s ultimately for your own good.”

“Maybe so,” Alice replied softly. “But after hearing what he said, those things just aren’t what I want anymore.”

At this point, the atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

After a minute, Zhang Tianfeng broke the silence. “About last night, we…”

“It was wonderful. You’re much more capable than I expected.” Alice tucked her hair behind her ear, her eyes sparkling. “But if you want to take responsibility, you’ll have to pass my test first.”

So free-spirited… Zhang Tianfeng found himself at a loss for words.

“What sort of test? Just say it.”

“We’ll talk about it later. I’m not sure yet if you’ll even become my boyfriend. Let me rest for a few days first.” Alice continued, “Don’t you have work to get to? Go ahead. I’ve remembered all your investment suggestions, I promise I won’t waste any time, so don’t worry.”

“All right, thank you for handling it.” With that, Zhang Tianfeng left the room.

Alice limped over to the window, gazing at the endless stream of cars below, and couldn’t help but sigh.

Her upbringing had been strict. If she wanted to continue with Zhang Tianfeng, it would take more than standing her ground—he would have to put in effort as well.

“Aren’t Eastern men supposed to be attentive? I’ve twisted my ankle, and you just leave?” The pain in her leg made Alice start complaining, undeterred by the fact that a moment before she had been praising Zhang Tianfeng.

She’d lost her appetite out of frustration. After calling in sick, Alice shuffled back to the bedroom in small steps.

She had just lain down when she heard a noise from the room.

The door clicked open, startling Alice upright.

“It’s me, don’t be nervous. I went downstairs to get you some medicine.” Zhang Tianfeng returned holding a bottle of medicated oil. He grasped Alice’s ankle and, as he applied the liniment, said, “Your injury is rather serious; you need plenty of rest. I’ve hired a maid for you, she’ll be here soon. She’s skilled in all Western cuisines—just ask her to make whatever you want.”

“Th-thank you,” Alice managed.

“No need to thank me, it’s what I should do.”

Once he’d finished, Zhang Tianfeng stood up. “All right, I’ll get back to work. I might not be able to come by for the next few days, but I promise I’ll visit after.”

“I’ll be waiting for you.” In truth, it was Zhang Tianfeng who should have been thanking Alice, for letting him rediscover the joys of adulthood.

Back at the hotel, he pushed open the door and found Gao Ran sitting on the sofa, legs crossed, reading a newspaper.

“Why are you in my room again?”

“Well, no one was using your room, and it’s already paid for, so why waste it?”

“You’re acting strange today—so prickly and sarcastic.”

“It’s not me being sarcastic, it’s you and that blonde bombshell.” Gao Ran teased, setting the newspaper aside. “Don’t take it out on me. You should go check on your people—they’ve got competition.”

…

The night before, not long after Zhang Tianfeng’s group of eighteen had secured their stalls, those hired by Xu Kuangdao and Chen Yuanhua arrived and rented stalls nearby. At the same time, the goods previously acquired from the Blue Square Toy Factory were finally put to use—Chen Yuanhua had them quietly delivered to Hong Kong.

As soon as the stalls opened that morning, the two groups found themselves at odds, each trying to outdo the other.

“Hey there, handsome and beautiful, buy a toy for your kid—just five bucks!”

“Hey there, handsome and beautiful, mine’s only four, pick any one you like!”

Before Zhang Tianfeng even reached the first stall, he could hear their promotional shouts, as if the two sides were in a ring, drawing annoyed looks from passersby.

His own people looked disheartened and defeated, while those on the other side were smug and triumphant, like victorious generals.

After watching for a while, Zhang Tianfeng turned and walked the circuit of all eighteen stalls. Some of his people had the upper hand, others were struggling, and many were clearly growing impatient.

When he’d finished his inspection, Zhang Tianfeng returned to the hotel.

Gao Ran arched an eyebrow. “You don’t seem the least bit worried.”

“Why should I be? Isn’t handling pressure a basic requirement for sales?”

A thousand a month—if they can’t handle a little pressure or hardship, what use are they?

In reality, Zhang Tianfeng had vastly overestimated their resilience.

By midday, three had already thrown in the towel.

“All right, since you’re choosing to leave voluntarily, you can go.” At those words, the three quickly nodded, turned, and left without a backward glance.

They had their own calculations—if they didn’t work for Zhang Tianfeng, there were other jobs to be found. This was Hong Kong, after all; plenty of people couldn’t even get in through the back door.

As the first wave left, the second soon followed.

At noon, two more departed. By three in the afternoon, five had left. By six, Wang Tiancai returned with three others.

“Boss, give us one more day. I promise we’ll find a way to take those guys down.”

“You’ve already been hired.”

“What did you say, boss?” Wang Tiancai asked, startled.

Without another word, Zhang Tianfeng took out the promised thousand in cash and placed it gently before the four of them.

He patted the money and said, “For a salesperson, resilience is crucial. You’re lucky—I needed people, and your competitors didn’t have the patience, so I’ve decided to hire you early.”

“Sign the contracts, take your pay, and we’ll discuss what comes next.”

The four hesitated for only a second before signing the contracts, then snatched up the stack of bills like lightning.

Leaning back into the sofa, Zhang Tianfeng said slowly, “You’re my employees now—part of the family. You should start paying closer attention to the business.”

“So, how do you propose we solve the current issue?”

“Boss, those people are just here to cause trouble. Whatever price we set, they instantly undercut us. They don’t care about costs and aren’t even trying to make a profit.”

“So I’ve got an idea: buy up all their stock at low prices.”

“How much do you plan to buy—everything, or just a set amount?” Zhang Tianfeng asked. “Let me remind you, I have limited funds. The capital I can allocate for trial and error is also limited.”

“You need to think carefully about one thing: can you recover the costs? What are the odds? Once you’re sure you can break even, then we can talk about profit.”

Wang Tiancai replied confidently, “Boss, I’m certain I can turn a profit. I won’t need much start-up capital—fifty thousand should do.”

“All right, I’ll give you the money. Write up your proposal and hand it in.”

“Will do, right away.” At the door, Wang Tiancai turned back. “Boss, if I succeed in this, can you give me a management position?”

“Of course. In my shop, ability is what matters—those who can, rise; those who can’t, step aside,” Zhang Tianfeng replied.

Wang Tiancai nodded vigorously and left.

The other three followed, each hoping to compete for a management role as well.