Chapter 13: The Richest Man in Hangzhou (3)

  Wei Hong looked up and down at the old man in front of him, who was not very old but had a weathered face, as if he had been tempered by the years. His bright eyes shone with a faint light, making him appear extremely wise and calm, far surpassing Lyu Dajiang beside him. "Mr. Li, I am Wei Hong, at your service." Wei Hong slowly stood up from his stool and bowed to Li Yan.

  Li Yan smiled and nodded, then turned his head to glare at Lü Dajiang, as if blaming him. What's the meaning of this? This Wei Hong is polite and courteous, how can he be as arrogant as you said? You're always adding oil to the fire and distorting facts!

  Lü Da Jiang seemed to be afraid of Li Yan, although he had a lot of grievances in his heart, he didn't dare say another word and just stood there with his head hung low.

  After staring at Lü Da Jiang, Li Yan withdrew his sharp gaze and put on a gentle and approachable expression. He lifted the hem of his robe with one hand and walked elegantly to Wei Hong's front, bowing again: "Young Master Wei, would you do me the honor of going to Deju Lou with me to have a chat with my master?"

  Although Wei Hong was mentally resistant to the tedious etiquette of ancient times, seeing Li Yan's elegant and refined demeanor in front of him, he couldn't show weakness either. He bowed again: "Mr. Li, it's not that I, Wei, don't appreciate your face, but rather Mr. Li's sincerity hasn't arrived yet."

  "Oh? I'm not sure how to interpret the two words 'sincerity' that Lord Wei mentioned. How should I understand it?" Li Yan's tone rose by eight degrees, but his facial expression didn't change.

  Wei Hong smiled lightly: "Mr. Li, as the accountant of Hongyuan Business Firm, you must be very familiar with business matters and are far superior to us juniors. Understanding the two words 'sincerity' should not be difficult for Mr. Li."

  Li Yan had been through the business world for a long time and naturally knew the meaning of the two words "sincerity" spoken by Wei Hong, but he was unwilling to say it out loud. After all, the Hongyuan Business Firm held a prominent position in the business world, and today's three visits to invite Wei Hong to dinner were already the greatest sincerity. If they took another step back, they would definitely be strangled in the future, and whoever took the first step back on the business scene would be the loser.

  Seeing Li Yan reluctant to speak, Wei Hong did not urge him on. He raised his head and gazed at the thin white clouds in the distance, seemingly muttering to himself: "Jing zhi, ying zhi, wealth is always abundant... You zhe, jiu zhe, there is no greater benefit..."

  Previously, Li Yan was still very hesitant, neither advancing nor retreating. However, upon hearing Wei Hong's seemingly casual yet insightful remark, his eyes suddenly lit up. Without another word, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed: "Young Master Wei is indeed a rare talent! Not only does he excel in literary pursuits, but also possesses extraordinary business acumen. If I have inadvertently offended you in any way, please forgive me, Young Master Wei. Please wait for a moment, as I will return to report to my master and promise to bring sufficient sincerity when I visit again next time!"

  Wei Hong smiled but didn't speak, stretching out his hand towards the gate of the courtyard and making a welcoming gesture, indicating that Li Yan could leave.

  Li Yan rushed to Wei Hong and made a bow, then led Lv Dajiang out. As soon as they walked out of the courtyard, Lv Dajiang said with disdain: "Sir, I told you so! This Wei Hong is not only arrogant but also unruly. In my opinion, let's just tell our master to stop doing business with him. There are countless people in Hangzhou and even the whole world who want to cooperate with our Hongyuan Business Firm. Having one more or less of him doesn't make a difference!"

  Li Yan fiercely swung his sleeve, staring at Lü Dajiang with an unfriendly gaze: "You don't understand anything! A spoiled child can't be taught, a rotten wood can't be carved! Not to mention other things, just that sentence 'Jing zhi, ying zhi, wealth is always abundant. You also, long also, benefit is the greatest.' It's enough to see that Wei Hong has a deep understanding of business, getting one person like Wei Hong is better than having a hundred people like you!"

  Lü Da Jiang was scolded without getting angry, but in his heart he didn't agree: "Even if Wei Hong has some skills, he's too good at putting on airs. Does he think our Hongyuan business is some small and insignificant household? I came to invite him before, and he didn't even give me a nod of acknowledgement. Now that you, sir, have also been shut out, I'd say he's just pretending to be noble, looking down on our Hongyuan business!"

  Upon hearing this, Li Yan narrowed his eyes, stretched out his right hand index finger, pointing at Lü Dajiang's nose, and didn't say a word for half a day. Finally, with an angry flick of his hand: "You've followed the master for many years in vain! When the master discussed cooperation before, didn't you realize? The master is even more arrogant than Wei Hong! Anyone who does business must distinguish between high and low, those who don't distinguish between high and low are not good at doing business! I... I'm too lazy to waste words with you!" After finishing speaking, Li Yan no longer paid attention to Lü Dajiang and quickly walked away.

  Wan Niang seemed to have already gotten used to Wei Hong's way of doing things. Seeing the famous accountant Mr. Li in Hangzhou being rebuffed by her husband, Wan Niang didn't show any surprise. However, there was one thing she couldn't understand - why did Mr. Li's eyes light up just because of a single sentence from her husband?

  "Husband, what did you mean by 'jing zhi, ying zhi...' just now? I didn't understand a word of it." If Wanyang were born in the 21st century, she would definitely be an excellent student with outstanding moral character and academic performance, perfectly embodying the spirit of asking questions when one doesn't understand.

  "These words may not have much significance for ordinary people, but they are golden phrases for businesspeople. The general meaning is that when doing something, one needs to be constantly striving and making unremitting efforts, only then can things be done well and last long; if one becomes slack after a period of time, things may not turn out well."

  Although Wan Niang is a woman, she can understand the general meaning of a few big characters, but the deeper meaning, I'm afraid only people like Wei Hong and Li Yan who are serious and down-to-earth businessmen can fully comprehend.

  The sky was no longer early, and Wan Niang began to busy herself with lunch. Li Yan, who had just left the Wei family's house, appeared in the second-floor VIP room of Deju Building. Li Yan stood neatly beside the dinner table, which was filled with sumptuous dishes. A man in his fifties, supporting his chin with his arm, stared blankly at the full table. This person was none other than Li Xiehe, the boss of Hongyuan Business Firm.

  "By doing so, managing it well, wealth will always be sufficient; leisurely and long-term, there is no greater benefit... I have been in the business world for over 20 years, seen countless businessmen, but today I am surprisingly interested in this unknown little person. Haha, it seems that Wei Hong's creation of a sewing machine was not accidental!" Li Xiehe seemed to be muttering to himself, with a hint of subtle joy in his tone.

  Li Yan chimed in, "Boss, it's just a matter of sewing machines, but we must win over Wei Hong. Now that he has spoken out of the ordinary, he must be a business genius. If we can get his help, it will be extremely beneficial to our Hongyuan Commercial Firm! Although our firm has been sitting steadily in the number one position in Hangzhou for many years, we have not made progress for too long and need to inject some new blood into the company to achieve better development, just as Wei Hong said, 'The longer, the better'!"