Free Web NovelChapter 30: Chapter 15: Parting Ways (2)
Although Gao Yao only received a twenty-percent share of the net profit, it was more than enough for him alone to eat his fill of Sorghum Flour, with plenty left over for oil and other luxuries.
Even for a family of three to five, as long as there were no Entry Grade Martial Artists, it was still enough for everyone to eat their fill of Sorghum Flour. They could even afford to have a better meal every few days.
In this day and age, such an income placed him among a select few within the top 20% of households in Changshan County Town.
And still, he wasn’t satisfied. What more did he want? White flour and meat every day? Did he expect to reach for the heavens?
"Ah, Lord Fang! Lord Fang! Please, I’m begging you!"
Gao Yao bowed repeatedly, his back hunched and knees bent as if about to kneel. He looked truly pathetic. "Please, just take pity on me and throw me a few more crumbs! Old Gao will be eternally grateful! How about just another ten percent of the profit? Just ten percent will do!"
The spot where the two were talking wasn’t particularly secluded, and passersby glanced over at them.
Of course, they only glanced. In Fang Rui’s previous life, even doing a good deed could get you blackmailed. In this era, meddling in other people’s business could get you killed.
Fang Rui’s expression was blank, his eyes devoid of emotion. He uttered a single, cold word: "No."
If Gao Yao thought he could take advantage of his youth, bully him for being soft-hearted, or exploit his pride to make him relent...
...then he was sorely mistaken!
Having lived two lives, Fang Rui was extremely pragmatic. If he couldn’t agree to something, he wouldn’t. He would never pretend to be more generous than he was just to save face.
Besides.
’Heh, this sly old fox,’ Fang Rui scoffed internally. ’Give him an inch today, and he’ll demand a yard tomorrow.’
"Lord Fang, you truly have a heart of stone!"
Gao Yao’s back was hunched and he looked dejected. He suddenly sighed, patting his chest as if sharing a secret. "Lord Fang, I won’t lie to you. These past two days, other Physicians have approached me about cooperating. They’ve offered me a fifty-percent share. So, you see..."
The words carried an implicit threat.
"Fine. Since you’ve put it that way, I won’t stand in the way of your fortune. Let’s part on good terms!"
Fang Rui agreed in an instant.
Admittedly, Gao Yao was a good salesman. The current profits from the finished medicine business were largely thanks to his efforts. Fang Rui didn’t deny his contribution, but he would never allow himself to be blackmailed.
He asked himself, was the twenty percent share he gave Gao Yao too little?
Not at all!
It came back to the same point: besides being the supplier, Fang Rui also acted as a protector. Without him, could Gao Yao collect his money safely under his wing?
In his dreams!
This man, Gao Yao, whether he was trying to bully Fang Rui for his youth or just feigning ignorance, had intentionally or unintentionally ignored that latter point.
If, after they split, Gao Yao partnered with another Physician and didn’t make much money, that would be one thing. But if he actually managed to make the same kind of profit he was making with Fang Rui now... well, that would be a sight to see!
"This... Lord Fang..."
Hearing Fang Rui say they should part on good terms, Gao Yao was completely stunned.
When he brought up the other offers, he meant it as a veiled threat, but it was more an attempt to raise his price by comparing offers.
Gao Yao had expected Fang Rui to be conflicted and unwilling to let him go. Then, he could seize the moment to push a little more, and the matter of increasing his profit share would likely be settled.
But Fang Rui had immediately agreed to dissolve the partnership. What the hell was that?!
And if he hadn’t misheard, was there a hint of... joy in Fang Rui’s tone?
It was like this: freeweɓnovel.cѳm
You go to your boss and demand a raise. The boss refuses, so you play your trump card: you threaten to quit. You expect your boss to be reluctant, to try and keep you...
But you never expected the boss to agree instantly: "You got it!"
Then, you threaten to go work for a rival company...
But the boss just grins even wider: "Double the good news!"
So, what kind of "what the fuck" feeling would that be?
A real-life version of ’Never Expected This’.
In fact, Gao Yao’s feeling was correct. After deciding to dissolve the partnership, Fang Rui did indeed feel a sense of joy and relief.
’Gao Yao is a man of some cunning, but no real wisdom. He can be used as a partner, but he can’t be trusted as a close associate.’
’He’s also purely profit-driven and grows arrogant with success. With a personality like that, if we continue to work together, he’s highly likely to stir up trouble that implicates me... So, it’s better to take this chance to make a clean break with him!’
While Fang Rui was reluctant to let go of the handsome profits, he valued stability and peace even more.
"Our previous cooperation was pleasant, clear, and straightforward. The terms of our separation must also be laid out plainly!"
"After we part ways, you can cooperate with other Physicians. I have no opinion on that, nor is it my business. After all, to each his own!"
"But,"
Fang Rui’s voice suddenly dropped. "You are not to use my name. Things like ’the progenitor of finished medicines’ or ’working for me’... don’t say any of that anymore."
"We did work together, after all. I’d rather things don’t get ugly later on."
Fang Rui wasn’t a child who, after a fight, would forbid others from playing with his former friend. He was an adult, and he was reasonable.
But being reasonable didn’t mean he was willing to suffer a silent loss.
Just as he said: if Gao Yao continued to use the title ’progenitor of finished medicines’ after they parted ways, it would affect his own business. By using Fang Rui’s name as a shield, he could attract disaster and bring unnecessary trouble to Fang Rui’s doorstep.
By laying out the unpleasantries now, if a problem really did arise in the future, no one could blame him for it!
"Of course not!"
Gao Yao laughed awkwardly.
Fang Rui had hit the nail on the head. Gao Yao had indeed been thinking of being vague, letting people mistakenly believe he was still cooperating with Fang Rui, borrowing his prestige... Even if trouble arose, when Fang Rui came looking for him, he could claim ignorance and say it was all a misunderstanding.
But with Fang Rui laying it all out in the open, that was no longer possible.
If he dared to bluff using Fang Rui’s name again, Gao Yao had a premonition that when Fang Rui showed up at his door, something truly unspeakable might happen.
’This kid... he’s so young, how can he be so shrewd?’
Gao Yao cursed inwardly.
A faint sense of regret crept into his heart. He wondered if he had made the wrong choice.
"You... take care of yourself." Fang Rui gave Gao Yao a deep look, said no more, and turned to leave.
"Hey, Lord Fang, wait."
Gao Yao slapped his forehead as if he had suddenly remembered something and quickly called out to Fang Rui. "That Feng Shui and Geomancy manual you mentioned before—I found it. Do you still want it?"
Originally, he had planned to use it as a bargaining chip to increase his profit share. He never expected Fang Rui to just walk away from the game. Now, he could only treat it as a business transaction.
However, he made up his mind: ’Since we’re not working together anymore, I’m going to make a fortune on this last deal!’
"One tael of silver, and we have a deal." Fang Rui stopped and said flatly.
"I... Hey, no! Lord Fang, this manual was much harder to get than the last one. I paid a much higher price..."
Gao Yao complained, "To be honest, for this manual, not only did I spend the one tael of silver I earned from you the other day, but I also had to add some of my own money... At that price, you’re making things really difficult for me..."
What he said wasn’t entirely a lie.
However.
Upon hearing this, Fang Rui didn’t say another word and started walking away.
’He must be playing hard to get, testing my patience...’
Gao Yao thought to himself.
He stared intently at Fang Rui: one step, two steps, three steps...
And then, he could only watch as Fang Rui walked straight away.
"Fuck!"
Gao Yao wanted to cry but had no tears. "This fucking... Lord Fang... bah, if that Fang fellow doesn’t want it, won’t this thing be stuck in my hands?!"
This Feng Shui and Geomancy manual, just like the Beast Taming Technique, was equally hard to sell. If he kept it, he had no idea when he’d ever make his money back.
But he desperately needed money right now!
"What rotten luck!"
Gao Yao cursed bitterly.
He, a sly old fox, never thought he would suffer one setback after another today.
His plan had been perfect.
Plead softly, banking on a young man’s pride; mention other offers as a veiled threat; use the Feng Shui and Geomancy manual as a bargaining chip...
After such a combination of moves, he didn’t believe Fang Rui wouldn’t give him a raise. As long as he got a foot in the door and created an opening, wouldn’t there be more opportunities to press his advantage later?
But who knew that Fang Rui wouldn’t play by the rules? He was rigid, left no room for negotiation, and just let the whole deal fall apart!
Not only was the matter of increasing his profit share a bust, but even the Feng Shui and Geomancy manual he had gone to great lengths to acquire as a bargaining chip was now likely to be stuck in his hands.
Little did he know that Fang Rui, despite having lived two lives, was still young in both. He knew that if he tried to play games, he might not be able to outwit Gao Yao.
That’s why, before he came, he had already set a bottom line for himself: if the partnership could work, great; if not, they would go their separate ways.
Such self-control was indeed rare in a young man.
"Sigh, the young people these days... they’re really something else!"
Gao Yao sighed. "Forget it, forget it. I can’t let this thing get stuck on my hands. Well, I’ll have to go find that lord again later!"
...
