Chapter 131 I Want to Join the Enemy's Enemy...
Fu Yun never expected that the person walking towards the hall would be the woman who distributed porridge at the city gate.
He couldn't help but wonder, why would someone he had no connection with come looking for him?
The moment the woman distributing porridge turned her gaze to Fu Jun, a strange light flashed in her eyes. Then, she fixed her gaze on Fu Jun as if trying to see through him.
Only after standing still outside the hall did she avert her gaze, a gentle and polite smile curtsy appearing on her lips, and gracefully bow: "Young Master Su, I have long admired your name."
This person has an oval face, crescent-shaped eyebrows, and delicate features. Her eyes and brows are smiling. She wears a simple apricot-yellow gauze dress, and as she walks, the skirt flutters lightly. Although she is bright and elegant, she does not appear ostentatious or eye-catching.
She doesn't have an aggressive look; instead, she appears gentle and easygoing.
However, appearances can be deceiving. If someone deliberately disguises themselves and hides their true nature, it will not be apparent on the surface.
Fu Jun calmly withdrew his gaze, feigning confusion as he asked, "Who are you? What do you want with me?"
The woman distributing porridge smiled more broadly and asked instead of answering, "Young Master Su, may we go inside for a chat?"
Seeing that she was deliberately giving an irrelevant answer, Fu Yun didn't bother with formalities and said in a low voice, "Come in."
Once the person entered the hall, he gestured slightly towards the chair on his lower right: "Sit."
The woman distributing porridge sat down gracefully, her gaze once again fixed on Fu Jun. Her eyes gradually deepened, a hint of darkness flashing across them: "Seeing is believing. Young Master Su is truly a celestial being. Just one glance from him has shaken my soul and left an unforgettable impression on me."
Fu Jun: "..." How presumptuous! To make flirtatious remarks on the very first meeting?
Wen Jing's eyes turned cold, and she shot a sharp look at the woman distributing porridge: "Please have some self-respect, young lady. Do not be disrespectful to my young master. If you dare to disrespect him, the consequences will be more than you can bear."
As she spoke, she looked at Xiao Jingzi and said, "Serve tea."
"Yes." Xiao Jingzi quickly went over and poured tea and water for the woman distributing porridge.
The woman distributing porridge glanced at Wen Jing indifferently, then looked apologetically at Fu Jun: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend Young Master Su. It's just that it's the first time I've seen such a handsome young man like you, and I was just admiring him. I'm just expressing my feelings. Please forgive me, Young Master Su."
Fu Yun twitched the corner of her mouth, her face expressionless, and said, "No need for formalities. Let's get straight to the point. We don't know each other. I wonder what brings you here?"
The woman distributing porridge said, "You're a businessman, so I've come to find you to do business with you."
Fu Yun twitched the corner of her mouth, her tone indifferent: "I never do business with people whose identities are unknown."
The woman distributing porridge gently picked up the teacup, her ring and little fingers slightly raised, her thumb, index, and middle fingers gently pinching the dropper on the lid, slowly sliding it back and forth along the edge of the teacup, but she didn't drink a single drop of the tea in the cup.
Fu Jun thought to himself, "This person is quite vigilant, as if he's afraid of being knocked down here."
She glanced at Wen Jing standing next to Fu Jun and said slowly, "Young Master Su, please don't be impatient. Let me explain in detail."
“My surname is Wang, and my given name is Linfang. A few years ago, I did some business in Yinzhou and opened a few shops. I was quite well-off. Unfortunately, my good fortune didn’t last long. Two years ago, my family suffered a sudden misfortune. My elders always missed the local customs and culture of Lingzhou City, so I returned here. After a while, I found this place quite nice and decided to stay here permanently. I have come here today because I have a favor to ask.”
Fu Yun knew, of course, that her surname was Wang, and that she was the widow of the former head of the Wang family.
He remained silent, silently pondering the meaning behind her words.
He bluntly stated, "I'm just a tea merchant, how can I help you?"
Wang Linfang shook her head, ignoring whether Fu Yun was interested in her words or not, and explained, "No, no. The unprecedented spectacle at the martial arts arena yesterday truly shocked me. It's said that this was all thanks to the newly opened training camp at the arena. It was just an inconspicuous abandoned open space, yet on its opening day it attracted many people to participate and interact, and the response was enthusiastic, with everyone showing great interest. This shows that the training camp will inevitably expand gradually, like a snowball getting bigger and bigger. I imagine that in a few years, the richest person in Lingzhou City will change hands."
Fu Jun was speechless for a moment. Wang Linfang's words were too exaggerated and gave people a feeling that she was not reliable. Could it be that she was deliberately acting and trying to establish a certain persona in front of him to lower his guard?
He glanced at Wen Jing sideways, a hint of something deeper in his eyes.
Wen Jing gently shook her head, her eyes conveying a sense of reassurance, indicating that he shouldn't worry about it and should let the other person continue speaking, since she couldn't cause any trouble within the Su family.
Fu Yun understood the meaning in Wen Jing's eyes. He looked at Wang Linfang coldly and asked, "You came to me just to talk about this?" Wang Linfang put down her teacup and said calmly, "Of course not. I saw you yesterday when you were distributing porridge. I'm sure you've heard people talk about the origins of the porridge distributors at the city gate."
Fu Yun thought to himself, "It seems you are well aware that your background is no secret among the people. I don't believe you didn't intentionally spread this information yourself."
He then revealed a hint of surprise: "Could you be the woman who distributed porridge?"
Wang Linfang smiled slightly, her eyes revealing a hint of determination: "Unfortunately, it is indeed me. I have been distributing porridge to the poor at the city gate for nearly two years, without interruption, regardless of wind or rain, or the scorching heat or bitter cold. However, my family's resources are limited, and the expenses for distributing porridge are too high. To be honest, my savings are no longer enough for me to continue. That's why I came to you this time, hoping you can do me a favor so that I can continue to help those poor people."
Fu Yun is now certain that the groom who suddenly ran away yesterday must know Wang Linfang, otherwise she wouldn't have inexplicably come to visit him this morning.
I don't know what she said to Wang Linfang that made her focus on me. Could it be that her real target is Zhilan?
By deliberately bringing up the matter of distributing porridge, was it an attempt to morally blackmail him into finding it difficult to refuse?
After all, she was doing good deeds. If he refused, it would inevitably arouse public anger and have a great impact on his future plans to open a shop.
He pondered for a moment and asked, "How do you want me to help you?"
Wang Linfang's eyes lit up, and her smile deepened, as if she had been waiting for Fu Yun to say those words.
"I want to join your training camp and become one of your colleagues. I don't need a lot of bonuses, just a small share will do."
Fu Jun was startled and secretly thought, "Wang Linfang probably doesn't know that the fitness training camp is just a front, and the real purpose is to train soldiers, right?"
Why would she set her sights on the training camp? What exactly is she planning to do? Is she trying to use the training camp to deal with the current head of the Wang family?
That's unlikely; the two can't compete with each other, and the training camp poses no threat to the Wang family's business.
"Didn't you used to run a cloth shop? Why are you interested in training camps?"
Before Wang Linfang could respond, he deliberately pressed her for an answer: "Do you have any connection with the Wang family of Lingzhou City?"
Wang Linfang was slightly taken aback, a hint of fierceness flashing in her eyes, before she gave a bitter smile: "If I could get connected with the Wang family, why would I be so short of money?"
Fu Yun thought to himself, "As expected, he refuses to reveal his true identity."
He pressed on: "Then why are you interested in the training camp? You should know that this is an emerging industry, and profitability won't come quickly. It might take a year or two before you can actually start generating revenue. Can you afford to wait that long?"
Although his real purpose in opening this training camp was not to make money, he couldn't let Wang Linfang discover the inside story.
"Don't you still have a tea shop? I heard you're planning to open a few more branches. I wonder if I could join you?"
Fu Yun: "..." You're dreaming. You even want to infiltrate the tea shop.
Seeing that Fu Yun did not respond, she quickly added, "I know you and the Su family are irreconcilable enemies. She even ruined the tools you had prepared two days before your opening."
Fu's gaze darkened slightly, and he coldly shot Wang Linfang: "How do you know that Su Tan was behind this?"
Wang Linfang's expression turned cold, and a hint of chill appeared in her eyes: "Because I despise her, and I wish she would be trampled underfoot and crushed into mud, to dampen her arrogance."
Although she tried her best to control herself, you could still hear the gritted teeth in her voice.
Fu Yun thought to himself, "This doesn't seem like you just want to deflate her arrogance; you seem to want to tear her to pieces."
If he remembered correctly, the Wang family and the Su family were just competitors, so the resentment shouldn't be this strong, right?
Besides, haven't the Su family been suppressed by the Wang family for the past few years, unable to rise up? If anyone should be angry, it should be Su Tan. What is she angry about?
Is this what they mean by "two tigers cannot share one mountain"?
Or is there something else going on here?
Fu Yun said, "So, you've been secretly monitoring her every move?"
"That's right, I'm looking for an opportunity to bring her down and make sure she never has a chance to recover. Working with you will definitely annoy her, and I'll feel good as long as she's miserable."
Wang Linfang stared directly at Fu Jun: "I heard you've broken off relations with her, so I suppose you hate her too. They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend, so, shall we cooperate?"
Fu Yun pondered for a moment before replying, "I do intend to open a branch of the tea shop. It's fine to have more partners. You can also join as a franchisee, but I have certain conditions and requirements for joining."
Wen Jing's expression changed slightly: "Young Master..."
Fu Yun waved her hand: "It's alright, I know what I'm doing."
Wang Linfang's eyes lit up: "Tell me about it."
Fu Yun said, “First, you need to handle the branch store entirely on your own. I will not be involved in anything, whether it's the storefront or the staff. I will only be responsible for supplying the goods. Second, the price of the tea drinks must be the same as the price of the stores under my name. Third, you are not allowed to try to take advantage of the tea drink recipe, otherwise our cooperation will be terminated immediately.”
After a pause, he added, "I will give you the goods at half price, which is enough to guarantee your profit. As for the franchise fee, since you are helping people in need, I will not charge you any more. You can earn whatever you want."
[A shrewd businesswoman, a complete shrewd businesswoman, Mr. Fu, you're practically making her help you sell your goods!]
Fu Yun: "Qingming Pavilion has already made a name for itself, and it's already a great favor that I didn't charge them a franchise fee."
That makes sense. She already has a good reputation and a good name, so she doesn't need to spend extra on advertising or start from scratch, and she doesn't have to worry about foot traffic.
Fu Yun: "That settles it."
【But Mr. Fu, wouldn't you be at a disadvantage like this? After all, you'd be earning half the money for each cup!】
Tell me, why were you willing to give her such a huge benefit? This isn't like you at all.
Fu Yun: "She's a businesswoman too. If I don't give her a little something in return, do you think she'll agree? Besides, she's the one who buys the goods, and I'm the one who sells them. No matter how successful her business is, she still has to buy from me. The only difference is that my profit is reduced because I share a portion with her."
"Furthermore, I can't let her set her sights on the training camp. The tea shop is a quick way to make money by buying and selling on the spot, which should be able to shut her up."
[I see. Mr. Fu is still Mr. Fu, always ready to respond to any move.]
Of course, if they refuse to let her join, she will have an excuse to spread negative rumors about him in front of the refugees, which will affect not only him but also the reputation of the tea shop.
Fu Yun asked, "If you can accept my conditions, then we can cooperate. If you can't, that's okay too. Let's just get to know each other today and cooperate again in the future."
Wang Linfang was silent for a moment, then looked up at Fu Jun with a deep gaze: "As expected of Su Tan's son, he doesn't suffer any loss."
Fu Yun chuckled and shook her head: "You can't say that. I'm essentially giving you half of my profits. You can take all the foot traffic, goods, and store reputation right away. You don't need to put in any more effort to figure it out. Isn't that what you've gained?"
Wang Linfang paused for a moment, then looked helpless: "You're quite the smooth talker. Fine, I'll do as you say."
Fu Yun smiled and said with satisfaction, "Then I wish us a pleasant cooperation in advance."
Wang Linfang smiled, a sly glint in her eyes: "It's a pleasure working with you. About the training camp..."
Fu Yun said indifferently, "You can't get fat in one bite. Focus on what's in front of you first, and we can talk about the training camp later."
Wang Linfang was a smart woman and knew when to stop: "Okay, then we can talk about it later."
Fu Yun looked at Wen Jing: "Have Su Mang liaise with Miss Wang regarding the tea arrangements. She knows what to do."
Wen Jing nodded: "Yes."
Fu Yun stood up and said to Wang Linfang, "I have other things to attend to, so I won't invite you to stay for a meal. Please make yourself at home."
Upon hearing this, Wang Linfang stood up and cupped her hands in greeting: "Thank you for your hospitality today, Young Master Su. I won't disturb you any longer. Farewell."
Fu Yun said, "Take care, I won't see you off."
After Wang Linfang left, Fu Jun continued to say to Wen Jing, "Report Wang Linfang's visit to our residence today to His Majesty without missing a single word, especially about her trying to take over the training camp. See what His Majesty's plans are. It would be best to have someone keep a close eye on her every move, as I am worried that she may have other intentions."
Wen Jing's gaze towards Fu Jun gradually deepened, revealing a hint of admiration: "I understand. It's fortunate that the young master was so thoughtful, otherwise she wouldn't have been so easily dismissed. We can't afford to offend this person yet."
Fu Yun nodded and walked towards the entrance of the hall: "Yes, that's what I considered, which is why I agreed to let her join the tea shop franchise."
"Oh, right." Fu Yun glanced back and said, "There's something I need you to verify."
Wen Jing followed behind him: "What are your orders, young master?"
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