Chapter 573: The Benefits of Winning People Over
The old lady’s expression darkened at the thought of the past. The second floor was dimly lit, and in the gloomy, shifting light, her gaunt face looked somewhat terrifying. Clayton Xavier wasn’t afraid, but he felt that his grandmother was a stranger to him at this moment.
"Grandma, I believe there’s such a thing as genuine affection in this world. Not every relationship is built on self-interest."
Clayton Xavier disagreed with his grandmother. Adrian Hawthorne, for instance, surely wasn’t helping him for personal gain. ’What could he possibly get from me?’
The old lady scoffed. ’My grandson is still so naive. But it’s no surprise. Growing up always comes at a price. When I married into the Xavier family, I was just as foolishly naive. You learn after you’ve been burned a few times.’
"I won’t interfere with your friendships. The more friends you have, the more opportunities you’ll have. Making friends is good, but Clayton, you need to be shrewd. Don’t reveal your true thoughts to any friend, and that includes Adrian Hawthorne," the old lady warned solemnly.
Clayton Xavier’s brow furrowed slightly. His grandmother’s words today were particularly harsh. ’If you have to be on guard against everyone as if they’re an enemy, then what’s the point of making friends?’
However, he didn’t want to argue. His grandmother’s health was poor, and she shouldn’t get upset. He would just agree for now, but in his heart, he knew what he would do. ’Sincerity is the most important thing in a friendship. If you hide your true feelings from a friend, you can’t expect to find a true friend in return.’
"Yes, Grandma."
Clayton Xavier answered obediently, much to his grandmother’s satisfaction. ’My grandson, whom I’ve poured all my effort into cultivating, is surely more outstanding than that self-made Adrian Hawthorne. I have nothing against the boy personally, but I’m not satisfied with him being the one in charge right now. I’m going to change this situation so that my grandson leads and Adrian assists.’
"And so," the old lady instructed, "Clayton, next time, find a way to go with Adrian Hawthorne when he restocks his inventory and find out where his supply channels are."
’Business sounds difficult, but it’s really not. You just have to solve three problems: capital, supply, and customers. Right now, we’re not worried about capital or a customer base. We’re only missing the supply source.’
’If they could get their hands on those supply channels, she was confident she could guide her grandson in building a major business. Of course, she wouldn’t treat that Adrian Hawthorne boy unfairly. If they established a company, she would give him some shares, ensuring he would be comfortable for the rest of his life.’
’It might not be the most honorable approach, but there’s no room for sentiment in business. Decent people can’t make it as entrepreneurs; they might as well go home to farm or sell their labor.’
Clayton Xavier quickly understood his grandmother’s intention. She wanted him to poach Adrian Hawthorne’s secrets—in other words, to betray his friend. A wave of anger surged through him, and it took a great deal of effort to push it back down.
He was deeply disappointed in his grandmother. He truly never thought his beloved grandmother would teach him to do such a thing.
"I understand. I’ll try to ask around."
Clayton Xavier agreed in a flat tone, but he was certain he would never betray his friend. He just didn’t want to argue with his grandmother.
The old lady sighed. "You must think I’m dishonorable, don’t you, Clayton? Since you want to go into business, you have to forget about being honorable. In the world of business, only profit comes first. ’No slyness, no business’—that saying is absolutely correct. If you want to make big money, you have to be more ruthless than anyone. Otherwise, someone else will be more ruthless than you, and you’ll be eaten alive!"
Clayton Xavier couldn’t help but retort, "But Grandma, didn’t you used to treat the people in Xavier Village for free? You even gave out medicine and didn’t charge a cent."
The old lady gave an enigmatic smile, rolling the prayer beads in her hand. "That’s charity, child. Charity and making money are two different matters. You must be ruthless in business, but once you’ve made money, you have to give some of it away to win people over. Otherwise, back when people wanted to come after the Xavier family, why do you think the people of Xavier Village stepped up to protect us? And even let us keep this house to live in? That is the benefit of buying people’s loyalty."