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Chapter 481: Chapter 480: Do You Plan to Sell Goods Alone?
Shi Yan didn’t take it to heart. He believed that being able to oppress Tong Yao’s shop to closure in just a week demonstrated his ability.
Both he and Lin Man indulged in the pleasure of suppressing Tong Yao.
"Mingqiang, don’t worry about this. Just lend me two thousand yuan. I guarantee that within a month, I will pay back this money and the money from your stock withdrawal."
When Xiao Mingqiang heard this, he instantly understood something. His face turned ashen. "You plan to go and get the goods yourself?"
"Yes." Shi Yan nodded, "Now you are making money and avoiding risk. But I’m different, I am deep in debt. If I don’t do something, when will I regain my footing?"
"You’re really insane." Xiao Mingqiang didn’t know how to persuade Shi Yan anymore. "If you still consider me a brother, listen to my advice for once. Stop this and don’t try to compete against Tong Yao. She has powerful backers. You cannot defeat her. Calm down, run the bubble tea shop properly with Lin Man. Even though you won’t live a lavish lifestyle, it won’t be too bad. You can take your time and repay the money you owe me."
The two had known each other for many years, adventured and done business together. Their relationship was, without any exaggeration, a matter of life and death. Xiao Mingqiang did not want to watch Shi Yan walk into a dead end.
Xiao Mingqiang initially wanted to create some trouble for Tong Yao, but things didn’t turn out as he expected. Before he could stir up any trouble, it was already smoothed out by others.
He believed that Tong Yao had a powerful backer. Now that he had finally reached his current status through difficulty, Xiao Mingqiang dared not gamble with everything he had attained.
Dealing with Tong Yao was no longer his primary goal. The better his life got, the more timid he became, and the less he wanted to take risks.
"Mingqiang, it should be me who says this." Shi Yan downed the drink in the glass in one gulp and heavily put the glass back on the table. "If you still consider me as a brother, lend me two thousand yuan. I promise to pay it back within a month. If you look down on me and worry that I can’t pay back the money, I won’t insist. Even if I need to sell my watch and TV, I will still do what I need to."
The two were partners who made money together. Now, Xiao Mingqiang’s life was getting better while Shi Yan’s was getting worse. Shi Yan felt very unbalanced to have to borrow money from Xiao Mingqiang. Therefore, he became more determined to risk everything, earn some money, and do business properly.
If there were other development projects, he would choose them. If there were none, he would open a few more bubble tea branches.
As for ruining Tong Yao’s bubble tea shop, it was not just for Lin Man, but also a competition between men. He wanted to show Si Chen that a mere doctor was nothing in his eyes.
He also wanted to prove to Xiao Mingqiang that he was capable of ruining Tong Yao’s bubble tea shop.
"You really are insane." Xiao Mingqiang looked at Shi Yan, who appeared crazed, and angrily gulped down his own drink. "I can lend you the money, but you can only use it for sourcing merchandise. You can’t use it to cover the losses of your bubble tea shop. Starting from today, you must restore the prices of the bubble tea shop back to normal immediately."
He genuinely couldn’t bear to see Shi Yan walking into a trap any longer. By now, they were both owners of businesses and were doing better than before. What’s wrong with that?
He just couldn’t understand why Shi Yan couldn’t settle down.
Upon hearing this, Shi Yan turned pale. "I’m helping you ruin Tong Yao’s bubble tea shop, and you’re not even grateful?"
Xiao Mingqiang took a deep breath, poured a drink, and took a sip. He looked at Shi Yan and said, "You’re very clear about what happened back then. Truthfully, not only should we blame the hospital for this affair, but I also take a lot of the blame. I had no place to vent my anger, and so I put all the blame on Si Chen for catharsis. Shi Yan, I am able to see things clearly now. Why can’t you?"
Shi Yan stared at Xiao Mingqiang for a while, then suddenly chuckled coldly. "Mingqiang, I hadn’t expected that you would not only become timid after earning money, but you would also be able to let go of your hatred for what happened to your parents. You really are cowardly."
Upon hearing these words, Xiao Mingqiang didn’t get angry. Instead, he said with self-mockery, "You’re right. I am indeed a coward. If I were brave, I would have committed suicide to apologize to my parents. It was because of my lack of courage that my own mother died on the operating table."
Xiao Mingqiang had regretted more than once. Why didn’t he change his mind? Why didn’t he sign the paper?
If he had signed, even if the surgery had failed, he wouldn’t feel so much self-loathing now.
The two fell into silence for a while before Shi Yan stood up. "Fine, Mingqiang. I see things clearly now. You no longer wish to take revenge on Si Chen or to ruin Tong Yao’s bubble tea shop. You just want to live a peaceful life. Each to their own. Your thoughts aren’t wrong. But don’t try to stop me. I might quit competing against Tong Yao’s bubble tea shop for now, but I must go overseas."
Given how Shi Yan made himself clear, Xiao Mingqiang stopped trying to persuade him. "I will send the money to you tomorrow."
Shi Yan nodded and walked out of the place.
Once Shi Yan left Xiao’s place, the breeze hit him, and he felt the buzz from the alcohol. He stumbled to the phone booth and started making calls to the bubble tea shop telling them to restore the prices back to normal.
Xiao Mingqiang was correct about one thing. Pressuring Tong Yao’s bubble tea shop into temporary closure achieved little. If he really wanted to ruin her shop, he’d need a long-term plan of action. He didn’t believe that with the money from his trips, he wouldn’t have enough to ruin Tong Yao’s bubble tea shop.
At the moment, Shi Yan was determined to ruin Tong Yao’s bubble tea shop. He wanted to show Xiao Mingqiang that his method was right. He could accomplish what Xiao Mingqiang couldn’t.
He also wanted to show Lin Man that a mere doctor like Si Chen, without the support of his bubble tea shop, might even starve to death outside. He wanted Lin Man to realize that choosing him was the right decision.
Just as Xiao Mingqiang raised the prices at his shop, Tong Yao got a call from Deng Wenwen.
"Sister Yaoyao, Lin Man’s bubble tea shop can’t hold on anymore. They’ve restored their original prices."
Tong Yao grinned sinisterly, "Alright, let the other employees know to prepare for business as usual tomorrow." 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝔠𝔬𝖒
"Okay." Deng Wenwen laughed wickedly, her pointed teeth showing.
After hanging up, Tong Yao immediately called Guo Jinnian. She learnt that he had received his visa and would be in Kyoto the next day. Tong Yao hastily called the breeding farm, gently expressing her busyness. She planned to stay with Deng Wenwen for a few days, so they didn’t need to worry.
Neither Tong Yaohui nor Wen Yun suspected anything. After hanging up, Tong Yao started preparing her sourcing strategy.
She had deliberately investigated over the past few days; hairpins and bead string bracelets were quite popular overseas. For this trip, as long as she prepared these two items in abundance, she would surely gain a lot.
The investment amount was not huge—less than a thousand yuan—but the return was manyfold.
Although these items were not heavy, they were numerous. To make the transport of goods more convenient, she had commissioned two sets of wheeled frames for her checked luggage.
