The lake was clear and blue, with green willows swaying gently.
Fragrant tea wafted through the air, filling the elegant private room where Chen Yu and Fu Hua Aier Dun sat facing each other. A gentle breeze rustled outside the window, and the deepening night accompanied by the faint chirping of cicadas created a sense of relaxation.
"Patriarch Fu Hua, please try this."
Chen Yu personally poured a cup of tea for Fu Hua Aier Dun. The latter, seated opposite him, nodded slightly, placed a hand on the cup, and took a sip.
The marvelous taste that flooded his mouth caused Fu Hua Aier Dun to unconsciously raise his eyebrows.
"What kind of beverage is this?"
"Tea," Chen Yu replied with a smile. "This is a beverage I discovered in the cave dwellings. What do you think, does it suit your taste?"
To those outside the cave dwellings, tea was a common beverage.
However, the cave dwellings had not yet discovered it.
The tea leaves were obtained by Chen Yu during a previous demon hunt. When he brewed the tea, Kailin and the others, even the little demon and Sona, were amazed by the unique taste of this beverage.
It was from then that Chen Yu realized the cave dwellings had no concept of tea.
But Chen Yu didn't see tea as a significant business opportunity. Firstly, survivors from other lands were familiar with tea. Secondly, he didn't have any tea seeds.
The tea he obtained was enough for him to brew and enjoy occasionally.
He believed that in the future, tea would hold a significant position in the cave dwellings, and as tea grew there, people would naturally focus on this industry.
Although he couldn't enter the tea market, Chen Yu could understand.
He couldn't possibly gain all the benefits; otherwise, how would the other survivors in the cave dwellings make a living?
"It's very special."
Fu Hua Aier Dun marveled, looking at the tea in his cup.
"It's slightly bitter at first, but upon closer tasting, it has an indescribable fragrance. The taste is mellow and full-bodied, unlike the usual beverages from the cave dwellings. If it were to be promoted, I believe it would capture a significant market share. May I ask, Mr. Chen, how much tea do you have?"
"Perhaps I will have to disappoint you."
Chen Yu shook his head with a smile and spread his hands.
"I don't have much tea on hand. If Patriarch Fu Hua wishes to take some back to your clan for personal enjoyment, I can provide you with some. However, if you intend to develop it into a business, I'm afraid I cannot accommodate that."
As he spoke, Chen Yu snapped his fingers, and Nuoya placed a carefully wrapped gift box on the table.
"Please take this tea and enjoy it slowly," Chen Yu said with a smile in his eyes. "Though the taste you achieve might differ slightly from what I have here."
"Mr. Chen means the Ice Pure Spring Water?"
Fu Hua Aier Dun smiled and glanced at the water in his cup.
Chen Yu smiled without comment.
As the foremost wealthy merchant in the cave dwellings, it was not surprising that he could recognize the Ice Pure Spring Water used for brewing tea. Chen Yu also didn't doubt his ability to procure such water.
The issue was that this tea was enhanced by his cooking skills.
"Mr. Chen truly surprises me. A foreigner… I have no intention of looking down on foreigners, please don't misunderstand."
Chen Yu nodded with a smile, unconcerned.
"I am simply astonished," Fu Hua Aier Dun exclaimed. "A foreigner arriving in the cave dwellings with no background or foundation, yet you have achieved such strength in less than half a year, not to mention brewing tea with this Ice Pure Spring Water, which is something many mages dream of."
"Luck," Chen Yu replied humbly.
"Those who can establish a foothold in the cave dwellings cannot rely on luck alone," Fu Hua Aier Dun said softly. "You still possess your unique qualities. Of course, I will not pry, I merely envy you. If my daughter could possess half your abilities, I would finally be at ease."
"Father."
Roni Aier Dun frowned, biting her lip. Seeing this, Fu Hua Aier Dun laughed heartily.
"See, you don't even let me say it."
"With the protection of the elders, Miss Roni will have more time to grow. I believe Miss Roni will become a trustworthy pillar of the clan in the future," Chen Yu said with a smile. However, upon hearing this, Fu Hua Aier Dun's expression stiffened for a moment.
"Roni, go wait for me outside. There are some things I wish to discuss with Mr. Chen privately."
"Okay."
Roni, who was at the table, casually left the private room. The moment she departed, Fu Hua Aier Dun's expression changed drastically.
"Mr. Chen, now that it's just the two of us, let's speak frankly." At this moment, Fu Hua Aier Dun shed his earlier approachable demeanor, replaced by the absolute aura of a superior. The entire private room was enveloped in a heavy sense of oppression.
However, Chen Yu remained calm and composed in the face of all this.
He simply smiled gently, rubbing his teacup, his mind focused on the fact that he had finally waited for this moment.
"If I'm not mistaken, Mr. Chen should have some knowledge of our clan's recent situation." Fu Hua Aier Dun murmured. Chen Yu nodded in acknowledgment. "I've heard a little. Your clan seems to have provoked a powerful official from the kingdom recently, someone with considerable influence throughout the entire kingdom."
"In recent years, the Aier Dun family's businesses in the royal city and main urban areas have suffered significant setbacks."
"This has forced you to start establishing businesses in towns and cities further out in the periphery, hoping to stabilize the family's decline. Unfortunately, the results have not been particularly good."
Chen Yu calmly stated these facts, not a single word being untrue.
This was the situation of the Aier Dun family.
Although they still appeared to be flourishing, the entire family was in precarious straits. The Aier Dun family desperately needed a lifeline, and in the entire cave dwelling, only Chen Yu could save them.
This was also why Chen Yu was so confident that the Aier Dun family had to cooperate with him.
The Aier Dun family had no one else to turn to!
"Correct."
Fu Hua Aier Dun, after a long silence, softly uttered his reply, his gaze towards Chen Yu filled with disbelief and shock.
How had he managed this?
He was merely a foreigner who had entered the cave dwellings less than half a year ago.
Yet, it was precisely this that gave Fu Hua Aier Dun confidence and further solidified his conviction to cooperate with Chen Yu.
The Aier Dun family within the empire was like a candle in the wind, its flame flickering, just needing a gust to be extinguished. Many within the clan were unaware of this. Only the Elder Council and he, the patriarch, had been searching for a way to break through, expanding outwards, conducting sales at low prices, and increasing the frequency of auctions.
However, the results remained unsatisfactory.
The frequent increase in auction frequency made it impossible for them to provide higher quality products to meet customer demand. Exploration teams also faced attacks, resulting in the deaths of countless clan members and outsourced personnel. Consequently, recruitment for the Aier Dun family in the main urban areas had become completely ignored.
Expanding to the periphery required a massive capital investment.
However, that influential figure in the royal city gave their family no room to breathe. Wherever the Aier Dun family's businesses extended, that figure would issue prior warnings, preventing any family from daring to trade with the Aier Dun family. The invested capital was lost entirely.
The Aier Dun family was truly at its breaking point!
"May I know the details?" Chen Yu quietly asked Fu Hua Aier Dun. "Such a vast commercial empire, now on the brink of collapse. I believe the kingdom would not allow the Aier Dun family to fall. There must be a more deeply hidden secret involved."
Facing Chen Yu's inquiry, Fu Hua Aier Dun raised his eyebrows, gazed at Chen Yu for a long moment, and slowly uttered a few words.
"Recommendation of filial piety and integrity!"