For a businessman like Deng Zhengde, Wei Yu had long since prepared a countermeasure.
He planned to start with the merchants’ guild.
The current model of the guild in Pingnan Prefecture was still little more than a rudimentary trading post.
They exchanged information on goods, shared local price data—but Wei Yu didn’t see much mutual assistance between the merchants. He doubted there was much harmony to begin with.
After all, everyone has selfish desires. Even ordinary people struggle with mutual help, let alone businessmen who are born to chase profit.
It’s often said that business is like war—there’s no mercy or sympathy in the marketplace, only the exchange of interests. Only when the other party deems you qualified to sit at the table will negotiations begin. If you’re not, even if you die by the roadside, it’s none of their concern.
Of all the merchants Wei Yu had seen and heard at the Pingnan guild, only two caught his eye: the Deng family and Qi Wu, who had bought his glass.
Admittedly, Wei Yu was initially impressed because Qi Wu spent 1,200 taels on his glass—it made him seem like a rich fool with a soft spot.
But!
Spending 1,200 taels on a piece of glass—that also proved the man had guts and the ambition to take risks in pursuit of fortune!Wei Yu had said as much at the guild: the glass was supposedly transported from the capital, exclusively supplied to the Xiqi royal family… Regardless of the backstory, the result was that Qi Wu won.
Winners have privileges, just like how people only remember first place. So, Wei Yu gave Qi Wu a chance.
That opportunity would come later—right now, Wei Yu needed to win Deng Zhengde over.
This was a rare business talent he had his eye on, and for his upcoming profit plans in Jiaozhou, he absolutely couldn’t let Deng slip away!
If Deng Zhengde left, who else could take over?
What Wei Yu showed Deng was a “corporate-style commercial alliance”—something he had taken time to write while in Jiaozhou.
In a private study, with only the two of them present, Deng Zhengde carefully read through a stack of thread-bound pages.
From the first page, his expression shifted from puzzled to shocked, and the deeper he read, the more restless he became—until he couldn’t help but stand up.
“May I ask, young master, who wrote this?!”
Deng Zhengde stared at Wei Yu with eyes like a wolf, fiercer even than when Zhang Qingsheng had seen the math book.
Wei Yu blinked and responded with a question, “Uncle Deng, what do you think of it?”
“It’s excellent!”
Deng Zhengde nodded seriously. “The gentleman who wrote this is truly gifted. I only regret not knowing him sooner. If you could tell me who he is, I’d be willing to work for you!”
Tsk.
Look at that awareness. No wonder this man had the idea to start a guild at such a young age—he already knew what was going on, but simply watched to see how things unfolded!
It’s such a pleasure to talk with smart people. Wei Yu figured it wasn’t right to lie to him, so he came clean.
“I don’t know.”
Deng Zhengde, who had been waiting for an answer: ?
His expression froze. He couldn’t help but ask, “How could you not know? Is the gentleman who wrote this no longer alive? Does he have disciples or descendants? I’d be honored to visit them.”
“Well… he was a loner!”
Wei Yu blinked again, his face sincere. “Yes, by the time I got these writings, he was already gone, and I couldn’t trace the source. There’s no need for you to investigate further. I gave them to you because I trust your abilities—I’m sure you can understand them!”
He’d learned his lesson from Zhang Qingsheng.
There was no way Wei Yu would let Deng Zhengde know that he had written the content himself!
Otherwise, with Deng Zhengde’s current look of “I’ll pester you to death,” if he found out Wei Yu had authored it all, life would be unbearable afterward!
And Wei Yu still had to stay in Jiaozhou for over two more months!
This wasn’t like that time with Zhang Qingsheng—when it was right before parting, with the math book by his side and a kid to tutor. Wei Yu suspected that Deng Zhengde might just nag him to death.
Deng Zhengde was deeply disappointed.
He looked down at the pages in his hand, not doubting Wei Yu’s words.
After all, a prince wouldn’t need to lie about such a small matter. It could only mean the author truly had passed away.
As for suspecting that Wei Yu had written it—sorry, Deng Zhengde hadn’t even considered it.
First, he didn’t recognize Wei Yu’s handwriting. Second, he didn’t believe a prince could be this skilled in business.
Deng Zhengde held the pages reverently and read them again.
Wei Yu glanced at him and didn’t interrupt.
So what was actually written on the paper?
In short, it proposed first establishing a limited liability company—clearly defining the company’s legal representative, shareholders (i.e. the main controller and franchisees). Then the company would provide a platform where consumers could use services across various affiliated merchants, breaking the isolated silos each merchant operated in. This would offer greater convenience to customers and more profit for businesses.
It was somewhat like a large supermarket.
Within this alliance model, Wei Yu also wrote about membership systems, profit-sharing, customer loyalty tactics, member benefits, etc.
Modern society churns out endless schemes to make money. Wei Yu simply jotted down whatever came to mind. He gave examples, but the actual implementation would depend on the real situation.
He planned to leave all this in Deng Zhengde’s hands.
He was going to be the boss—he’d provided the blueprint, so did he really have to do it all himself?
That wouldn’t be very “CEO-like” at all!
It would ruin his overpowered protagonist image.
While Wei Yu waited, Deng Zhengde, reading the papers, couldn’t calm down.
As someone skilled in business who had even tried to meddle in local economic politics behind the scenes, Deng Zhengde thought the ideas on these pages were more valuable than gold.
Establishing a company, using various systems to facilitate transactions between merchants and common people—if this could be implemented, even the poorest places could become the richest in the region within three to five years!
It was far superior to the merchants’ guild he had once founded.
Deng Zhengde had to admit to himself: such a brilliant structure might be something he’d never come up with in a lifetime.
There were still many parts he didn’t fully understand—for instance, the legal responsibilities of the legal representative and shareholders. This obviously touched on legal matters!
Anything involving the law was serious business. Deng Zhengde wasn’t sure if what was written could all be implemented… but since the Wise Prince dared to hand it over, he likely could guarantee its viability.
Deng Zhengde sighed quietly.
He carefully stored the papers and looked up at Wei Yu.
“Your Highness, I am not a capable man. What is written here will not be easy to accomplish overnight. If Your Highness truly wishes me to carry this out, I only hope you will grant me time.”