The capital's midsummer heat felt as if scorched by a blazing charcoal fire. Cicadas chirped incessantly in the branches, their cacophony threatening to tear the stifling air apart. Jiang Xiaocai crouched in the alley behind his newly opened sugar shop, bored, his eyes fixed on the bustling procession of ants moving goods in the corner. His brow furrowed in thought, as if a mystery had settled in his mind. Ever since his last setback in the sugar business, he had poured all his attention and energy into the grand plan of reviving his family's fortune. However, in the past two weeks, as if an invisible hand had quietly plucked the strings of fate, his sugar shop's business had inexplicably plummeted, like a boat teetering in a gust of wind.
"Master Xiaocai, something terrible has happened!" The waiter came running in from a distance, his steps hurried, his face filled with anxiety and uneasiness. "The Sweetheart Candy Shop next door is having another promotion. Their candy prices are a full 20% lower than ours. They've stolen all our customers!"
When Jiang Xiaocai heard this, he stood up like a lit firecracker, patted the dust off his body, and his eyes instantly lit up with fighting spirit: "Let's go! Let's go meet them now! I want to see what tricks they are playing!"
"Sweetheart Candy Shop" is located just across the street, and at this moment, its entrance is already surrounded by a bustling crowd. Jiang Xiaocai put all his efforts into squeezing through the crowd and finally squeezed in. Behind the counter stood a well-dressed young man, who was weighing candies for customers with a smile on his face. The man was about twenty years old, with a shrewd look between his eyebrows, like the cold stars twinkling in the night sky, sharp and smart. He saw Jiang Xiaocai at a glance, raised his eyebrows slightly, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, and said: "Hey, isn't this the shopkeeper Jiang? What's the matter, did you come here specially to visit and learn my business methods?"
Jiang Xiaocai's face flushed with anger. He put his hands on his hips like an enraged lion cub and demanded loudly, "You're deliberately lowering the price to grab business. What kind of skill is that? If you're capable, let's compete openly!"
"Business is all about strategy." The man slowly picked up a rag and wiped the counter, his expression calm and composed, as if everything was under control. "If you have the guts, you can lower the price too. This is how the market works; only the fittest survive."
As the two were arguing with each other, they suddenly heard a loud roar from behind them: "Who dares to bully my nephew!" Young Marquis Su rushed in aggressively, carrying his iconic toy sword. The scabbard made a harsh sound as it dragged on the ground, as if it was going to tear the tense atmosphere apart again.
A flicker of surprise crossed the man's face, but he quickly regained his composure. He bowed slightly and said, "Young Marquis, this is simply a business dispute between us and Shopkeeper Jiang. I'm afraid it's inappropriate for you to intervene. This is a business matter, after all, and we must abide by its rules."
"So what if I interfered?" Young Marquis Su glared, his eyes as loud as copper bells, his momentum undiminished. "If you know what's good for you, give up the business immediately! Don't think I won't do anything to you!"
Seeing the situation about to get out of control, Jiang Xiaocai secretly cried out in his heart, and hurriedly stepped forward to grab his uncle's arm, saying anxiously: "Uncle, don't be impulsive! Impulsiveness won't solve the problem. We can't act so rashly." He turned his head and looked at the man, his eyes revealing determination: "We'll see! This matter today is not over!"
Back at the candy shop, Jiang Xiaocai grew angrier and angrier, his resentment surging like a surging tide. He angrily pulled out the account book and began to study it carefully, trying to find a clue from the dense data. He was engrossed in it when the door curtain was lifted and Nianli walked in with light steps. She looked at her son's focused expression and asked softly, "Xiaocai, what are you busy with? Look at your frown, it looks like you could kill a fly."
"Mom, I suspect someone is behind the Sweetheart Candy Shop!" Jiang Xiaocai anxiously pushed the account book in front of Nian Li, pointing at the data on it with a serious expression, "Look, their sugar prices are so low. According to normal cost accounting, they are not making any profit at all. There must be a hidden conspiracy here!"
Nian Li frowned slightly, her eyes falling on the account book, carefully examining the data, and said thoughtfully: "This matter is indeed suspicious. However, business can't just rely on momentary fighting. We have to calm down and find a way to find their weaknesses. We have to use our wits, not our brute force."
Jiang Xiaocai's eyes lit up, like a bright light suddenly lit in the darkness. He said excitedly, "I know! I'll go check their supply channels! As long as I figure out why they can get such cheap candy, maybe I can find a solution to the problem!"
Over the next few days, Jiang Xiaocai and his men searched the streets of Beijing, visiting sugar merchants one after another, searching for clues. Finally, they learned from a respected veteran that the sugar from Sweetheart Sugar Shop came from the Wang Family Sugar Factory outside the city.
To uncover the truth, Jiang Xiaocai disguised himself and carefully infiltrated the Wang Family Sugar Factory. However, the moment he stepped inside, he discovered the factory was heavily guarded, like an impenetrable fortress. Guards patrolled the factory, making access to the core areas virtually impossible.
Just when he was at a loss, like a headless fly, not knowing what to do, he unexpectedly ran into the owner of "Sweetheart Sugar Factory" who also came to the sugar factory. Jiang Xiaocai's heart moved and he quietly followed him. He saw the man walked straight into the factory director's office with familiarity. As soon as he entered, he called out to him in a friendly manner, "Dad."
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