Chapter 97: Negotiating Terms
The store manager of Jinle Square doesn’t dare to underestimate the little girl in front of him.
If it were before, seeing such a young girl managing a shop, he might have had a dismissive attitude. But recently, a few incidents have put Jinle Square at a disadvantage. If she had no skill, how could she have turned peril into safety every time? Clearly, this girl is not simple.
The means of Chen Fugui are so despicable that even seasoned business veterans might not see through his schemes. This girl not only saw through them, but also turned unfavorable circumstances into a favorable wind, soaring high.
Younger generations are formidable, one must guard against underestimating them.
"Jing’er, serve the tea," Su Yaoguang ordered.
Jiang Jing nodded and went to the nearby tea room to brew tea.
The store manager scolded Chen Fugui: "Aren’t you going to kneel and apologize?!"
Chen Fugui, already heavyset, now has an even more swollen face, with multiple injuries on his body, indicating he suffered some punishment.
He meekly knelt on the ground, kowtowing to Su Yaoguang: "Boss Su, I was wrong, I won’t dare again, please forgive me this time!"
Jiang Jing brought over the tea.
Zhang Zhaodi and others stayed by, fearing someone might bully Su Yaoguang.
Zhang Zhaodi said sarcastically: "The first time, let’s not mention it. Although your methods were shameless, at least you paid. But the second time, you even bribed two hoodlums to slander us. Is that something a simple apology can cover? We should report to the government now, hand you over, and let them convict you."
"Chen Fugui is one of ours at Jinle Square. As the steward of Jinle Square, I bear responsibility for not managing our people well. Today, we sincerely come to apologize, and hope to make peace with Boss Su. Boss Su, how can we resolve this feud?"
"Shopkeeper, your sincerity is duly noted, we’re not unreasonable. I can overlook this matter, but let’s put the ugly words upfront. This person’s conduct is dishonorable, if he acts up again, you must report to the government for investigation, and new grievances will be added to old ones. For now, as long as he stands with a placard at our store’s entrance for a day, I’ll decide this matter is resolved, and as long as Jinle Square leaves us be, we won’t trouble Jinle Square."
"What kind of placard?"
"Everything he did to wrong our Taoyao Square and his feelings of remorse and apology must be clearly written."
"Shopkeeper, letting me wear a placard, this..." Chen Fugui pleaded with the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper knew this was humiliating, more so than making them compensate silver. But they were in the wrong, and the opposing requests weren’t excessive, they had no reason to refuse.
"Alright, let him stand here." The shopkeeper instructed, "Jinhua Gold Shop, you two stay to watch over Chen Fugui."
The shopkeeper left behind two trusty assistants to keep an eye on Chen Fugui, fearing he might make further mistakes.
"Boss Su, do you have any other requests? If you need something, feel free to ask. Regarding compensation..."
"Actually, the culprit of this matter is Chen Fugui, unrelated to the shopkeeper or Jinle Square, right? Jinle Square is the leading rouge store here, there’s no need to fuss over minor gains with a newly opened shop like ours. Chen Fugui’s narrow-mindedness led to this mistake, implicating Jinle Square, so you have also faced punishment. I don’t have requests for your compensation actually. If you truly want to compensate, just manage your people well."
"Boss Su really just wants to let this go?"
"Of course, a promise made cannot be retrieved."
"Boss Su is truly magnanimous and generous." The shopkeeper admired Su Yaoguang with respect. "Thus, thank you so much Boss Su."
After the shopkeeper left, Wang Huanzhi wrote down the evil deeds committed by Chen Fugui on the placard, for him to hang on his neck and stand at the gate for public viewing.
Many people saw Chen Fugui standing at the entrance like a dog, with something hanging on his neck, and curiously gathered to see what had happened.
Those who couldn’t read asked those who could, and those who could read loudly recited the words.
"So, the incidents from a few days ago were caused by him. This person is shameless, unable to develop new products on his own, he bought other’s rouge and powders, repackaged them into his store’s containers, claiming they were new products, selling them several times more to those old customers. If not for Taoyao Square uncovering his ploy, those old customers would have suffered a big loss. Losing his chance to profit, he harbored resentment and framed others. Shameless, utterly shameless!"
"The store manager of Jinle Square is honest, but this assistant is something else, thankfully it was discovered in time, Jinle Square should feel grateful."
"The owner of Taoyao Square just let Jinle Square go like that? That’s too generous!"
"I heard them say that the Jinle Square shopkeeper specially came to apologize, asked what compensation Taoyao Square’s boss wanted, and Taoyao Square’s boss just said that as long as this person stands at their store’s entrance for a day, it’s over, as if it never happened."
Outside, people were discussing.
Zhang Zhaodi didn’t understand Su Yaoguang: "Daughter, mother doesn’t get it, that shopkeeper asked how much compensation, why didn’t you ask for it?"
"Then mother, how much compensation do you think is appropriate?" Su Yaoguang asked while working on new products.
"Hmm... Can’t be one or two taels, twenty, thirty taels sounds about right."
"Twenty, thirty taels, that amount is reasonable, but accepting this money would make Taoyao Square seem like it took advantage of Jinle Square. People sympathize with the weak. Jinle Square’s business isn’t doing well now, and the shopkeeper usually has good relations with people, everyone in the city knows his character. This incident was caused by Chen Fugui, resulting in Jinle Square losing business and compensating silver. By then, Jinle Square only loses some fortune but gains a reputation for keeping promises. Taoyao Square already has good business, many in the city are envious. Taking Jinle Square’s silver, we might have been in the right, but turn it into Taoyao Square being seen as greedy and extorting them."
"One or two taels of silver isn’t worth the stigma of greed. Twenty, thirty taels would lose our public goodwill. It’s better to be generous, fostering a reputation of magnanimity, letting more people know that Taoyao Square acts forthrightly, broad-minded."
"Yaoguang is right. With that person standing at the gate, more people understand the whole story, the public will support us more. Now the people outside are praising Yaoguang’s generosity, not troubling Jinle Square after such a big incident, and making peace with Jinle Square’s shopkeeper." Wang Huanzhi said.
"Wang Shu, what are you always watching here?" Su Yaoguang followed Zhou Wangshu’s gaze.
Zhou Wangshu turned back and said: "I’m returning to the academy tomorrow. Tonight is the last lantern festival, I want to stroll over."