After listening to Zhao Cheng's explanation of the new term "supermarket," Dong Shier became increasingly alarmed, while Xiao Luomu frowned deeply.
Zhao Cheng gave them time to process the information, then asked, "Chairman Xiao, you look so worried. If you have something to say, just say it."
Xiao Luomu took a deep breath and said seriously, "A supermarket that covers almost all daily necessities and popular items not only provides convenience to the people but also implicitly controls pricing power, which is indeed very beneficial to us. But the problem is that this will inevitably harm the interests of other businesses. And behind large businesses are often powerful families with deep roots. By doing this, we are putting ourselves on the opposite side of these powerful families."
"Therefore, sufficient influence is required."
Zhao Cheng tapped his finger on the coffee table and said, "In Yanchuan, I'm confident. And in Jingdong County, you are now the head of the Xiao family, so I believe it won't be difficult for you to succeed."
Xiao Luomu shook his head and said, "The situation in Jingdong County is not as simple as you think. The Xiao family's ability to dominate is not only due to its years of accumulated wealth and connections, but also to its relationships with merchants in both the inner and outer circles. Over the years, no matter how much money the Xiao family has made, they have always taken their interests into consideration. But once the Xiao family opens this supermarket, their overall interests will be harmed, and they will inevitably unite against the Xiao family."
Zhao Cheng said, "I have a private agreement with the emperor, and the amount he receives is not a small sum. After the supermarket is completed, it will also pay taxes to the court, so we are not competing with the court for profits. As for the common people, prices have decreased, and shopping has become more convenient, so we are not competing with the people for profits. What we are doing is competing with merchants for profits."
"We have always had the ambition to make the Eastern Chamber of Commerce the largest, and competing with businesses for profits was bound to happen sooner or later!"
"Chairman Xiao, I told you when the Chamber of Commerce was established that in the future, whether it is the Xiao family, the Zhao family, the Xu family, or the Li family, any family should be subordinate to the Eastern Chamber of Commerce, not above it."
"I hope you can think about this as the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce. Either you let Jingdong County stagnate and give up on doing supermarket business with Yanchuan, or you take drastic measures and use the supermarket issue to suppress all those merchants! If you succeed this time, you can solve the problem once and for all when you start any business that will harm their interests in the future."
"Think about it, can you guarantee that as the Chamber of Commerce and the Xiao family grow stronger in the future, it won't harm their interests?"
Xiao Luomu remained frowning, closed his eyes, and began to ponder.
He said, "It's very difficult to resolve this peacefully."
“You’re not short of weapons,” Zhao Cheng said sternly. “Huang Zhen is now the governor of Jingdong County, and Xiao Luofeng is observing mourning in Qingdong City. In fact, the military and political power of Jingdong County is in our hands. Can’t we even manage some merchants?”
With that, Zhao Cheng stood up and said in a deep voice, "If they don't obey, we'll take care of a few troublemakers!"
Xiao Luomu also stood up and said, "This has blown up. How are you going to explain this to the Emperor?"
Zhao Cheng suddenly became angry and shouted, "He took 50% of my profits, so he needs to help me settle this matter. I don't need to explain myself!"
Zhao Cheng walked up to Xiao Luomu, stared intently into his eyes, and said solemnly, "Brother Xiao, this second step of the Chamber of Commerce's development is crucial. Only by overcoming this hurdle can the future of the Eastern Chamber of Commerce be smooth sailing! Yanchuan and Jingdong are our bases. I don't care about other places, but our base must be decided by the two of us. There can be no dissenting voices!"
"Yan Chuan, I will do everything I can to do it." Qianqian Xiaoshan
"Jingdong, I also hope that you can ignite your passion, even if it means resorting to any means necessary!"
Infected by Zhao Cheng's imposing manner, Xiao Luomu clenched his fists so tightly that they cracked.
He was stunned by Zhao Cheng in front of him. He suddenly realized that although Zhao Cheng was still the same as before, always laughing and joking, the 'spirit' in his bones had changed.
This is confidence, but even more so, it is ambition.
Xiao Luomu's eyes finally hardened!
"Okay! I'll do it your way!"
Zhao Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, put his hand on Xiao Luomu's shoulder, and said, "Brothers united, their strength can break metal. If there's anything you need my support for, just let me know."
Xiao Luomu thought for a moment and said, "I need to borrow someone from you."
Zhao Cheng asked suspiciously, "Who?"
"I need a master."
"Do you want Zhao Wu? Sure, you can have whoever you want."
"No need, I want to have some fun."
Zhao Cheng laughed and said, "It's a good thing Zhao Wu isn't here, otherwise he would be very hurt, hahaha!"
Xiao Luomu explained earnestly, "I know the situation in Jingdong County best. I can roughly guess which families will strongly oppose it and which merchants are troublemakers. I expect that some families in the coastal counties will resort to violence. Gan Lang is good at swimming, so he is the most suitable to help me."
Zhao Cheng nodded and said, "Okay, let Gan Lang stay with you. When the situation is settled, you can let him come back."
Xiao Luomu asked, "When do you plan to make your move in Yanchuan City?"
Zhao Cheng said, "The Oriental Restaurant will have its trial opening in three days. I have asked Li Guanyu to send out banquet invitations to all the merchants in Yanchuan."
Xiao Luomu exclaimed in surprise, "They're making their move so quickly??"
"It's not appropriate to say I took action; I was just giving them a heads-up."
Zhao Cheng smiled slightly and said, "After Su Wansan's death, the only prominent merchants left in Yanchuan City are Li Zhi and Zhu Guoneng. These two are already outsiders of the Chamber of Commerce, so there won't be any trouble in the city. But if the supermarket wants to expand throughout the entire Yanchuan region, then the other prominent merchants in Yanchuan must be of one mind with us, otherwise Yanchuan will not be able to tolerate them."
"When inviting someone to dinner, politeness should come first, then force."
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