A glass ashtray, hurled at the wall behind Gu Changqing, shattered upon impact.
Gu Changqing, his heart pounding, looked at his father. "Am I your biological son? Are you trying to kill me? You were going to smash that heavy ashtray onto my head. I'm going to tell Grandma to spank you later."
"..." Gu's father was so infuriated by his son's words that he was half-dead. This good-for-nothing son immediately brought out his old mother whenever there was trouble. No wonder he could never be properly taught; it turned out he relied on a powerful backer.
"Go ahead and tell her. Tomorrow, I'll send you away. Then, we'll see if you can still use your grandmother as a backer," Gu's father thought that to discipline this son, he had to get him away from home. With his old mother here, it was impossible to teach him.
"If Grandma is here, do you dare?"
"You ungrateful brat."
The father and son stared at each other, their eyes wide. After a long while, Gu's father finally asked what had happened today.
Seeing his father finally get to the point, Gu Changqing immediately poured out his woes. "On the way back, I ran into some bumpkin who said that the ten-story buildings our family built will be considered short in the future, and that they can't even go up. So I mocked them, and they beat me up. They also beat up the workers on the construction site.
He's just a bumpkin who just arrived here. Apart from his face, he has nothing. He even dared to lay hands on me. When I find him, I'll make him understand why flowers are so red."
Gu Changqing gritted his teeth, remembering all the events of the day.
Gu's father, however, was startled. Ten-story buildings are considered short? This bumpkin actually had some substance?
Gu's father became somewhat interested in this bumpkin, but seeing his son's bruised and swollen face, he also felt angry. It was not for a bumpkin to slap the face of someone from the Gu family.
"I told you not to be arrogant, but you didn't listen. Now you've kicked a steel plate, you deserve it. Let's see if you'll be more restrained in the future."
Gu's father said this, but in his heart, he was thinking that this blind bumpkin dared to lay hands on someone from the Gu family.
He'd better not encounter him, or he would also help his son seek justice.
"Dad, I'm your biological son. You're not helping me get revenge when I'm being bullied, and you're just laughing here. You're really something."
Hearing his father's words, Gu Changqing immediately turned his face away in anger.
"It's precisely because you are my son that I'm trying to teach you. Otherwise, do you think I have the time to bother with you?" Gu's father was furious. He couldn't remain calm when facing this son.
"What I want is not your lecture, but for you to help me get revenge. Otherwise, the people of Pengcheng will think that we Gu family members are easy to bully."
As Gu Changqing said this, he suddenly remembered something and added, "Dad, I remember Uncle Lu has some black iron rods. Can you help me get a couple?"
Gu Changqing referred to guns as black iron rods, which was the term used in their hometown.
Gu's father's fierce eyes widened, and he cursed, "Do you want to die? If you dare to mess around, I'll let the third one take over my position, and you can go back to your hometown to grow sweet potatoes."
Were guns something one could just ask for?
Did he really think their Gu family could cover the sky with one hand here?
He wanted to learn from others and play with guns. Was he out of his mind, rushing to give others an opportunity?
"If you dare to let Sanqing take over, I'll have Grandma spank you." Gu Changqing would not give the Gu family's fortune to his third brother. Their Gu family passed down to the eldest, not the youngest.
This was also why he was so arrogant, because he had a grandmother to back him.
"You ungrateful brat, if you cause a fatal incident, I will immediately disown you and let the third one take over. Even your grandmother won't be able to do anything." Gu's father knew that his son couldn't have guns. If he had guns, he would really cause a death, and he might not even be able to cover for him.
"Hmph! With Grandma, can you really disown me?" Gu Changqing was angered by the warning. After saying this, he rushed out of the study, only to encounter his third brother, who looked very much like a girl, outside the door.
"Still eavesdropping, how contemptible. Oh, do you also wish I'd disappear so you can take Dad's place? I'm telling you, no way. As long as I'm here, there's no place for you, Gu Sanqing."
After speaking, Gu Changqing pushed Gu Sanqing aside and strode away.
Gu Sanqing stumbled a few steps, leaning against the wall. His eyes, however, were fixed on his departing elder brother.
"Sanqing, help me call Old Shi." Gu's father, hearing his eldest son's words from the study, suddenly commanded.
"Okay, Father." Gu Sanqing immediately responded and left upon hearing his father's words. However, a fleeting hint of mockery appeared on his previously expressionless face.
Zhang Liunian was unaware of what was happening here. The next morning, he woke up feeling refreshed, bought breakfast for his wife, asked her to rest at home, and then took Zhang Qian to the Industry and Commerce Bureau.
Then, under the guise of wanting to invest here, he successfully learned about the existing factories in Pengcheng.
According to statistics, excluding processing plants, Pengcheng had five thousand factories.
The most numerous in the same category had over a hundred factories.
It would be relatively easy for Zhang Liunian to find over fifty such businesses here.
Now, as long as he quoted them a price on the spot, and if the price was reasonable, he could generally succeed.
"That's great, Brother Liunian. With so many manufacturers, are we still afraid of not finding cooperating businesses? Once we find businesses to supply, let's see if Zhu Lao San can still laugh."
Zhang Qian followed behind Zhang Liunian. After leaving the Industry and Commerce Office, his expression was excited.
Zhang Liunian was also very happy. This trip to Pengcheng was not in vain. Finding cooperating businesses here was much more reliable than relying on those in the provincial capital.
"Now, let's go check out the largest grain and oil factory first." Zhang Liunian knew that his department store sold these products best, so he wanted to finalize this product first and send it to the provincial capital for continued sales.
"Okay."
The two of them rushed to the grain and oil factory they had recorded. This factory was very large, with eight factory buildings alone, and a large number of office staff.
Fortunately, they were friendly. As soon as they heard that Zhang Liunian and the others were there to cooperate and procure goods, they warmly welcomed them to the factory director's office.
The factory director invited Zhang Liunian and the others to sit down before asking, "Comrade Zhang Liunian, right? May I know what kind of cooperation you are referring to?"
Zhang Liunian nodded and smiled, "I have two department stores in other provinces and want to establish a long-term cooperative supply relationship with you. I wonder if the factory director is interested."
When the director of the grain and oil factory heard that it was the owner of a department store, he was delighted. As far as he knew, the current domestic sales channels really relied on department stores and supply and marketing cooperatives. Although they also had individual businesses here, and they were blooming everywhere, it would take some time for everyone to change their old main sales model.
If what he said was true, then this was indeed a very good cooperating business.
"Department stores? May I know the approximate amount of grain and oil you need per month? And do you support immediate payment?" The last point was very important, as only then would they not have to worry about encountering scammers.
Rice, flour, grain, and oil were valuable commodities, and they did not accept deferred payments or anything like that.
"Of course, it's cash on delivery, so neither of us is at a disadvantage. As for the grain and oil sales situation of my department store, taking rice as an example, the demand is at least 500,000 catties per month. And this is just the demand for one department store; I haven't calculated the other one yet."