Chapter Eighty-Three: Profiting Without Investment

“Buy in as a shareholder?”

Fang Lan was stunned by what she heard.

It was the first time she’d ever encountered such a term.

“To put it simply, your Fang family would provide us with raw materials, shopfronts, and everything else you can offer. Meanwhile, our Little Fishing Village would be responsible for producing exquisite silks, fabrics, garments, and selling them.”

“Doesn’t that mean my Fang family would be working for your Little Fishing Village for free?” Fang Lan couldn’t help but laugh.

Wasn’t this Qin Zhen being a bit too optimistic?

“How could it be free labor? I said, as a shareholder!” Qin Zhen patiently explained, beginning to paint a grand blueprint for her. “Depending on your Fang family’s contribution, it’ll be calculated as shares of profit. For example, say your Fang family provides us with snow silk—consider that one share. Then every time our Little Fishing Village sells a piece of cloth, your Fang family gets a share of the money.”

“You want to swallow up my Fang family?” Fang Lan looked at him in disbelief.

“What do you mean swallow? This is a business partnership! Those with money contribute money, those with strength contribute strength!” Qin Zhen explained tirelessly. “Every effort your Fang family makes will be valued as shares. The more you contribute, the more you earn.”

“But one share is far too little!” Fang Lan finally realized, mulling it over. “That’s a full ten thousand catties of snow silk! And you want to fob it off with just one share?”

“Those ten thousand catties of snow silk will stay with your Fang family. I’ll only take what I need when I need it—it won’t even pass through my hands,” Qin Zhen said with a smile.

Fang Lan understood then.

Qin Zhen didn’t want to buy all ten thousand catties at once, but rather to take and pay for however much he needed, gradually. The so-called ten thousand catties was just a prior agreement, ensuring that the Fang family’s warehouse would always keep at least that much in stock.

That way, it wasn’t a one-off sale, but a long-term arrangement.

“Interesting…”

Fang Lan was no stranger to business. As a woman who had climbed to her position as the Fang family’s head, she was anything but ordinary.

She immediately saw the advantage in Qin Zhen’s proposal.

“But snow silk is expensive, and by your plan, my Fang family also has to store and safeguard that ten thousand catties. That takes considerable effort and expense. One share is just too little!”

“As I said, your Fang family isn’t the only one with snow silk,” Qin Zhen replied calmly, exuding confidence. “Besides, from what I know, your Fang family’s fabric shops have been suppressed by the Huang family for years, and are now in steep decline, suffering huge losses. Why not lend your shops to our Little Fishing Village to run? That would also count as a share.”

Fang Lan had her eyes on Qin Zhen’s textile machines and weaving techniques.

Qin Zhen, in turn, valued the Fang family’s years of reputation and foundation.

The Huang family was powerful—fighting alone could never match the strength of numbers.

“My Fang family owns a hundred shops, spread all over Jiangnan! Just in this coastal city, there are more than twenty, and many are in prime locations! Even if we don’t run fabric stores, they can be used for other profitable businesses! Do you know how much income these bring each year?”

A strange light flashed in Fang Lan’s eyes.

“One share? Aren’t you looking down on my Fang family?”

“If not for the circumstances, it wouldn’t even be worth one share,” Qin Zhen replied with deep meaning. “Miss Fang, do you realize the value of that share? Believe it or not, within a year, I can make your Fang family the top clan in the coastal region.”

Fang Lan’s heart skipped a beat!

Even she was shocked by Qin Zhen’s bold claim.

Looking at the three great families along the coast, which one hadn’t been built over nearly a century? The Huang family, for instance, had been through four generations of hardship and perseverance to build their present legacy!

And yet, this mere youth dared boast that he could topple the Huang family’s century-old foundation in just one year?

She didn’t believe it.

But as she looked at the youth’s calm, unruffled smile, the memory of his actions at Baiyang Tower resurfaced, and an audacious thought crept into Fang Lan’s mind.

What if he’s right?

“Two shares are still too little!” Her expression was complex.

It was difficult to accept that the Fang family would contribute so much, yet only get two shares.

A hundred shops! Snow silk worth a fortune!

“Two shares are plenty. I’m only offering that much because Miss Fang invited me to the table. If it were another family, they wouldn’t get nearly as much.”

Qin Zhen didn’t necessarily have to work with the Fang family. In fact, there were plenty in Jiangnan eager to get a piece of what he offered.

The problem with having too many partners was that simple matters became complicated. The Fang family was big, with interests in many industries; working with just one partner was more manageable.

Besides, he had a good impression of Fang Lan. The question was whether this head of the Fang family had the courage to take the gamble.

Qin Zhen wasn’t in a hurry. He gave Fang Lan a polite bow.

“Miss Fang, take your time to consider. If you agree, come find me at the guesthouse in the west of the city. But please, don’t delay too long.”

“I can’t give you that many shops—ten, at most!” Fang Lan seemed to make a difficult decision.

Just as Qin Zhen wanted to first check the quality of Fang family’s snow silk, Fang Lan wanted to see if Qin Zhen could really rake in gold as he claimed.

The cheongsam at Baiyang Tower had been a stunning debut, but one dress alone wasn’t enough to break into the fabric market dominated by the Huang family.

Fang Lan wasn’t bold enough to go all in.

But to test the waters with a small investment—she had the nerve for that.

Qin Zhen was a bit surprised; he hadn’t expected Fang Lan to actually take that first step.

Originally, if things didn’t work out with her, he’d planned to seek a favor from the city lord and buy a dozen shops to do it himself. But that would put a heavy strain on his finances.

Doing business without enough cash flow was dangerous.

Now that Fang Lan had agreed, all his worries vanished.

“We’ll open in half a month. Miss Fang, please arrange to send one thousand catties of snow silk to Little Fishing Village immediately. Also, vacate the shops as soon as possible—I want to do the renovations myself.”

Vacating the shops was no problem. Every shopkeeper had their own style.

Fang Lan understood.

But one thousand catties of snow silk so soon felt a bit rushed.

“Is that a problem?” Qin Zhen asked, catching the hesitation on her face.

“It’s no trouble.”

There was plenty in the warehouse, so that was fine.

Still, Fang Lan felt uneasy.

“We’re starting just like that? No written contract, no handprints or official agreement?”

“No need—I trust you, Miss Fang.” Qin Zhen smiled.

Little brother, it’s you I don’t trust!

Fang Lan’s mouth twitched, but in the end, she swallowed the words.

There seemed to be a peculiar charm about Qin Zhen, making people want to follow him into madness.

“Isn’t half a month too soon for opening?” Fang Lan hesitated. “Don’t we need more preparation?”

“We have to strike while the iron is hot, with the cheongsam from Little Fishing Village causing such a sensation!” Qin Zhen smiled. “Miss Fang, do you know what day it will be in half a month?”

Fang Lan paused, thought for a moment, and shook her head.

Qin Zhen replied in a tone laced with playful mischief, enunciating each word:

“Half a month from now—it will be the eighteenth of June.”