Shi Yang raised his glass and clinked it with Li Shuren’s: "I really hit a rough patch. I’ve been busy smoothing things over recently. To be honest, I’ve knocked on every possible door to find connections and spent quite a bit of money. The key issue is, the other side isn’t interested in this little money of mine at all."
Li Shuren was taken aback and asked, "Is soone deliberately giving you a hard ti?"
Shi Yang downed his drink in one go and nodded: "You have a sharp eye; you got it right away. It took a few setbacks to realize what was going on."
Li Shuren was curious: "What’s really happening?"
Qu Chaozong indignantly slamd the table: "Brother Li, stop talking about it. Just thinking about it makes my blood boil, I feel like my lungs are about to burst."
Qu Chaozong gestured as he spoke: "Brother Li, didn’t we open a maternity and baby store in the provincial capital? It’s early days; we need money right now. We were planning on outsourcing the Naughty Castle stuff from ho. We were only going to handle the installation part because our main focus is the maternity and baby store in the provincial capital, and it’s really hard to manage both."
Li Shuren didn’t care whether they planned to outsource the Naughty Castle from ho, as soon as he heard they weren’t throwing away the installation work.
Qu Chaozong continued: "We had just started spreading the word about outsourcing the Naughty Castle - how long has it been, half a month? What do you know, people from the fire departnt ca to check and said we weren’t up to code and had to shut down for rectification!"
Li Shuren: "Wasn’t everything fine before?"
Qu Chaozong slapped his thigh: "Exactly! We initially thought the fire departnt was giving us trouble because we didn’t handle things properly, so we quickly tried to smooth things over with money everywhere. But later, we heard so hints from a friend. Guess what?"
Li Shuren squinted his eyes, sowhat guessing: "Is soone in the fire departnt deliberately targeting you?"
Qu Chaozong picked up a piece of fish head with chopped chili, spat out the bones, and wiped his mouth after eating: "You’re absolutely right. The director of our fire departnt, his last na is Qian, that old bastard has his eyes on our Naughty Castle. He’s afraid we’ll outsource it, so he’s trying to block us, cutting off our lines, so he can buy it cheap for himself!"
Li Shuren’s face gradually darkened.
Qu Chaozong cursed: "That damn bastard, how sneaky is he! We’re in need of money right now, Brother Li, you visited that West District store yourself, right? We just gathered enough money for renovations, and to be honest, the company’s accounts are cleared to fill this hole. The inco from the Naughty Castle at ho is all that’s keeping the funding for the installation going!"
Li Shuren asked: "Is this Director Qian still on the job?"
Qu Chaozong nodded: "Yeah, still on the job."
Li Shuren asked in confusion: "He’s stepping on his position in the fire departnt; isn’t private large-scale business operations unauthorized, especially in a mall? Isn’t he begging to be reported for misconduct?"
It wasn’t until this mont that Shi Yang spoke up: "Qian Yonggui has a daughter who used to work in the Industry and Comrce Bureau, but she stepped down recently. He’s trying to find his daughter a business, plus he’s said to be transferring to the Civil Defense Departnt around this ti next year."
Li Shuren pondered for a few monts: "How long has the Naughty Castle in your mall been closed?"
Shi Yang said: "More than a week, Brother Li. Let be completely honest with you, it’s not that I don’t want to bring in goods and install the Naughty Castle. It’s not just about the kindergartens that Tianyu took deposits from; even Third Brother is being urged non-stop. There’s a pile of work held up, but there’s no money to buy goods. What can I do?"
Li Shuren lowered his eyes and thought for a mont, then asked: "Are the rumors you heard reliable?"
Shi Yang confidently said: "To be honest, the person who tipped off directly heard Qian Yonggui talk about this matter at a drinking table. This bastard wants to completely block my path. If this keeps going, I’ll have to give up the installation business. As for the Naughty Castle, even if I throw in the towel and return the stall, I can’t let this old [expletive] benefit!
Li Shuren beca anxious upon hearing that. If Shi Yang gave up the installation business, the direct victim would be himself. Li Shuren couldn’t just watch his own source of inco be cut off, especially when business was at its peak and most profitable.
Since their interests were aligned, without a word, Li Shuren imdiately joined Shi Yang in facing the situation together, resolute and united.
Li Shuren reached out to pat Shi Yang’s shoulder, his reassurance obvious: "You guys are still too young and impulsive when things happen. Is it really worth it to go head-to-head with him?"
Shi Yang lanted: "I’m at a complete loss too; I’ve already signed the lease for the West District store. Every day without renovations and business is a day’s rent wasted. I really can’t afford to look after the business back ho."
Li Shuren calmly said: "Who says there’s no way? No worries, I’ll work out sothing with the fire departnt for you. For the installation of Naughty Castle, whatever you need, just write an IOU, I’ll have the warehouse send it over. Don’t delay the kindergarten projects; with June 1st approaching, it’s urgent."
Shi Yang’s eyes lit up: "Brother Li, you have a way?"
Li Shuren half-jokingly said: "I have quite a broad circle of friends. I’ll make so calls, wait for my news."
Shi Yang worried: "Brother Li, about the IOU, I have to be upfront with you. You’re being so good to , I can’t cheat you. Without the inco from the Naughty Castle back ho running, I won’t have money to pay you back for the goods you advance ."
Li Shuren smiled at him: "Shi Yang, do you know why I chose you as my downline in the first place? Because I valued your loyalty, your manliness. If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have offered the credit to get the goods upfront."
Shi Yang looked deeply grateful: "Brother Li, thank you."
Li Shuren said: "Don’t worry about it. Leave this matter to . You all go ho and have a good night’s sleep tonight; tomorrow, get back to work as usual."
When it ca ti to pay for the al, Shi Yang insisted on covering the bill. Li Shuren didn’t argue with him. They walked out of the restaurant with their arms around each other’s shoulders, like brothers. After seeing off Li Shuren, Shi Yang and Qu Chaozong returned to his car.
Qu Chaozong was finally convinced by Shi Yang’s crafty nature. The weight that had been hanging over their hearts was sowhat lifted, and both Shi Yang and Qu Chaozong breathed a sigh of relief.
With the renovation money ready for the West District store, there was no rush to lease the store on the comrcial street. Shi Yang assigned the work in the provincial capital to Qu Chaozong and Zhao Wendada, then hurriedly drove back ho the next day. He planned to personally confront Qian Yonggui, who had let him down so much, and see just how vile the man’s treachery could get.
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