Chapter 12 Investment and Rebates

  Axioms only exist within the range of cannons! In the face of power and interests, black and white, right and wrong, being and non-being, true or false, what's the point of distinguishing them so clearly?

  Li Yuan asked about Yang Xiong, which made Hu Zhuang's heart skip a beat. "Report to General Li, Yang Gong has been closing his door and refusing visitors for several days. I was in Xiangyang for several days and couldn't get in." Hu Zhuang lowered his eyebrows and replied with some lack of confidence. Although it was true that Yang Xiong had closed his door and refused to see him during his trip to Xiangyang, another reason was that Hu Zhuang had not made an effort to curry favor with him.

  In Xinyang these days, Hu Zhuang has been staying at Mudan Building, in the gentle village of beauties, Hu Zhuang almost revealed all the details of Li Yuanjun to Gong Sun's wife.

  "Ah, the Peony Pavilion must have spent a lot on flowers. This time, selling off assets to buy grain and cloth, is there any surplus?" Li Yuan sneered and suddenly asked. Hu Zhuang had not seen Yang Xiong, but Li Yuan was prepared. He was just a small clan's manager in the small city of Ruzhou, with limited connections in the official circles of Yingcheng. The other few under Li Yuan were even less capable than Hu Zhuang.

  However, what made Li Yuan unhappy was that Hu Zhuang tried to conceal his absurd behavior. In the later era of advanced information, methods such as hidden cameras, surveillance, and tracking had reached an extreme level. At the same time that Li Yuan sent Hu Zhuang on a mission, he also arranged for another group of people to conduct surveillance nearby.

  "Some, some." Hu Zhuang casually replied, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he knew he had misspoken. His thin and pale face suddenly flushed bright red. Hu Zhuang's weakness was that he was a lecher, and facing the female demons under Gong Sun's command, it was already not easy for him to escape unscathed.

  "A real man should grasp the power of the world, and not be swayed by beautiful women. As long as you focus on your work, there are plenty of women to go around, but if you can't even handle that properly, then don't bother thinking about anything else." Li Yuan said, staring at Hu Zhuang who was fidgeting uncomfortably.

  After the battle with Peng Yue, the Qin army obtained a lot of spoils. Many things obtained from the thieves were not practical. Hu Zhuang took Li Yuan's order and brought some property to Xingyang to exchange for grain and other necessities that the Qin army urgently needed. In this matter, Hu Zhuang did a good job, which was also one of the reasons why Li Yuan still had patience with Hu Zhuang.

  No one is perfect. Under Li Yuan's rule, there were few people who could get things done. People like Hu Zhuang, who came to him for a specific purpose, were not uncommon. Such people had to be used, but they couldn't be completely trusted either.

  Zhang Yuqi, what is being tested is one's grasp of human nature.

  "Don't worry, General Li, I understand." Hu Zhuang's forehead was sweating, and he repeatedly assured him. Li Yuannian was not very old, but his methods were quite cunning, which made Hu Zhuang, who had originally wanted to take advantage of the situation and gain some benefits, feel a chill run down his back and chest.

  "There is merit, then reward; there is fault, then punishment. This time in the transaction, your merits are not small. According to the prior agreement, a commission of one percent of the total price will be deducted as your reward. Later, you can go to Hou's place to collect it." Li Yuan said with a wave of his hand.

  "A small profit is still a profit." Hu Zhuang muttered to himself, beaming with joy as he backed away. Although Li Yuan was young for a leader, his charisma commanded respect. The percentage of the cut might not have been high, but the total amount was substantial, and after calculating it, Hu Zhuang found that his share wasn't bad at all.

  Kickback

  In the era of commodity trading, kickbacks have evolved into commercial bribery and exist in disguise. It is unlikely to completely eradicate them. The only effective way is to increase the income of the handlers and give them a certain percentage. The higher the total transaction amount, the more the percentage, under the incentive of legitimate income, the quality and efficiency of work will be improved.

  Using modern business methods to manage the people around him, this is all that Li Yuan can think of. The fledgling Li Yuan army is like a small startup company with few personnel and uncomplicated relationships. As long as they can maintain their unity and momentum, Li Yuan believes that one day he will become the CEO of a large company.

  ——。

  In the city of Rongcheng, there is the ancestral home of the Hu family.

  Hu Zhuang, who had just returned from Li Yuan's place, was beaming with pride and excitement, talking non-stop in front of an elderly man with a head full of white hair, at his feet lay a large bag of rewards he had received from Hou Xi.

  To be honest, Hu Zhuang's decision to follow Li Yuan was initially just a tentative investment for the Hu family, as the old saying goes "don't put all your eggs in one basket". However, after following Li Yuan for so many days, Hu Zhuang felt it necessary to have a talk with his own uncle, who was also the head of the Hu clan.

  Finally returned home in glory, with a proud smile and a triumphant tone, Hu Zhuang's eyes gleamed with arrogance that couldn't be concealed, making the elderly person opposite him feel a pang of discomfort.

  "This is a big deal for our family, we can't afford to lose! I, Hu, can't take the loss!" The old man sighed and his expression was somewhat indifferent. Hu Zhuang had been talking for half a day, trying to get Hu Shi to invest all her might in Li Yuan's high-performing stock, but it seemed that Hu Lao Zu and he didn't share the same views.

  "Uncle, in my opinion, General Li Yuan's strategy is profound and far-reaching, his bravery and strength surpass that of ordinary people. Our Hu family's reliance on him at this time is indeed timely. If we are indecisive, I fear there will be no good outcome!" Hu Zhuang was still unwilling to give up, but in his heart, he thought Li Yuan was cunning as a fox and fierce as a tiger, yet generous and kind to his subordinates. Such a person was not worth following; who else would they follow?

  As for risk, living in this chaotic world is an adventure in itself. It's a gamble on who has better foresight.

  "Hmph, Li Yuan's bravery is indeed not bad, being able to defeat Peng Yue also has some skill, but Li Yuan has no foundation, this mixed in among the various strong powers, one careless move and the whole army will be defeated. My Hu family's business is big, I can't afford to take such a risk. Now, you serving under Li Yuan is already enough!" The Hu clan leader's face sank, scolding.

  The old man obviously didn't take Hu Zhuang's words to heart. In his opinion, this nephew of his didn't stand on the side of the Hu family and consider things carefully, but instead clung to personal feelings and put the whole family in a whirlpool of trouble, which was really unbearable.

  "Uncle, please think thrice!" Hu Zhuang urged hastily. When Li Yuan was still in a difficult situation, investing would yield the greatest returns, and Hu Zhuang, being skilled in trading, naturally understood this advantage.

  "Go out, Li Yuan's situation still needs to be discussed by the clan. If you think Li Yuan is fine, you can tell the village elders during the discussion." Hu Zong shook his hand and interrupted with a displeased face.

  The clan council is a general meeting institution for the major decision-making affairs of the Hu family. Such conferences are held regularly, and the clan leader proposes the agenda, then each elder expresses their opinions, debates and votes. The Hu clan leader allowed Hu Zhuang to propose it himself at the meeting, but without the clear support of the clan leader, the possibility of this proposal being passed is really not great.

  Hu Zhuang returned home in a huff, but the same drama was unfolding in the He clan of Yangwu. The city had just withstood a fierce attack by the Chu army, and although the city walls were intact, many of the He family's businesses had been destroyed. To ensure their survival, the He family had decided to migrate westward en masse.

  If Li Yuan had intended to develop in Guanzhong, He Shi might still have had some dealings with Li Yuan, but for now, everything seems like a dream bubble. What He Ping can do is temporarily leave the He family and return alone to Xingyang.

  Surviving in a chaotic world is a difficult and hard-to-judge thing, the rise and fall of families are intertwined with the prosperity and decline of countries, living or dying together. Ordinary families that have continued for several dynasties without declining in honor or prestige grow into powerful aristocratic clans.

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