Chapter 141 — Old Buffon's Origins

And indeed—having sunk the partnership's Moonlight City into a resounding loss, Yang Dashan was sick with worry, at his wit's end, when he suddenly heard that his younger brother Yang Cheyan had shot up in the world and become chairman of Songjiang Mingyang Heavy Industry. True, it was wholly funded by Mingyang Entertainment Group, but at least he was a top executive of Mingyang and could certainly get a word with Hou Lin. If President Hou would do him this favor, he figured, his life would no longer be in danger.

"That much I can smooth over for you, but whether it works, I can't say," Yang Cheyan said with a nod, which passed for agreement.

"That's good, that's good." Seeing Yang Cheyan agree, Yang Dashan finally set his mind at ease. He looked up and saw Yang Ce coming in, and quickly said, "Yang Ce, you're back."

"Yes. Hello, Uncle." Yang Linyue gave a faint nod. He was somewhat vexed inside—this uncle of his simply would not take advice. He had told him long ago not to venture into businesses he did not understand. Now look: he had lost everything, and here he was seeking help.

"Yang Ce, you see what's to be done about your uncle's Muyun City?" Yang Dashan knew Yang Ce was on good terms with the Bao Lin crowd, though just how good, he had no idea.

"Uncle, what exactly is the situation with Muyun City now?" Yang Wenru frowned. "You keep saying you've lost money, but that's very vague. At the very least you have to let me know what state you're in, so I can decide how to help you."

"It's my nephew who understands me," Yang Dashan said, delighted at Yang Cenbin's words. "The situation now is that Yaoguang City simply isn't making money. Every day we spend more than we take in. At first I thought it would be like that only at the beginning, and that after a while it would get better—but who'd have thought it would only get worse, and our reputation has gone downhill too. A lot of people are spreading word behind my back that I'm crooked. How am I crooked? When we opened, I treated them to plenty of free meals, and in the end I'm the one who's crooked? It infuriates me!"

"Uncle, it's precisely because you gave away too much for free when you opened that people turned around and called you crooked," Yang Ce said, shaking his head. "Your freebies in the beginning spoiled these people. They came to think free is only natural, and that charging them is your fault."

"Exactly! That's how a lot of them think," Yang Dashan said with a bitter laugh. "So I was wrong to give things away for free? A pack of ingrates."

"Never mind, let's not talk about that. How much money do you have left on hand?" Yang Yanchuan said.

"None. And I'd thought a few months of business would pay off the bank loan—but now it's not a question of making money; I'd burn incense in thanks just not to be losing it," Yang Dashan said with a sigh.

"How about this, Uncle—since you've come to my door, I can't very well refuse you to your face." Yang Ce was somewhat displeased at his uncle's stubbornness back then, but no matter what, the man was still his uncle, and he could not simply ignore him when trouble came. Most importantly, Tianzixiao City was not solely his uncle's enterprise—half of it belonged to Yang Juehuan.

"I'll have a word with Brother Bao about your situation," Yang Yanzhou said. "President Hou is on good terms with my father. If we work from both sides, I doubt they'll make things hard for you—but as for the management rights to the hotel, I expect those won't be returned to you."

To be continued

663. Mother Zhou Has a Favor to Ask

"Then it doesn't matter anymore, as long as I don't have to repay the bank loan." Yang Dashan was helpless too. He had lost every last bit of the family fortune and still owed the bank money. Now, as long as the bank didn't come demanding payment, he would count himself lucky—what else could he possibly care about?

"Uncle, how should I put this..." Yang Ce hesitated a moment before saying, "You really aren't cut out for business."

"Ah?" Yang Dashan was taken aback, but he had no comeback. After all, he really had lost the money.

"Uncle, the reason your sand quarry made money back then was entirely down to the circumstances of the time. Of the people who went into business in the nineties, hardly any failed to make money—all it took was a bit of drive," Yang Yanzhou said. "But circumstances are different now. Making money takes flexible methods and a sharp head. Especially with a business like Yaoguang City—it's not as simple as being good at handling personal connections. You have to have sound management methods to run it well."

"Yang Ce, when you told me that back then, I didn't believe you. But now I have to admit, Uncle really did let his head get a bit heated," Yang Dashan said awkwardly. "And you know, that's just like me—the sand quarry was running perfectly well, so why did I have to go and get involved in an industry I knew nothing about? The family had more than enough money to live on—why was I so insatiable?"

"Uncle, since you can see the reasoning now, it's not too late." Yang Ce waved his hand. "Just treat it as paying for a lesson. Don't worry about this matter anymore. In the next couple of days I'll find someone to take over Yaoguang City. As for your sand quarry, I'll think of a way to help you get it set up again as best I can. From then on, just run it with peace of mind."

"Really?" Yang Dashan was so astonished his mouth hung open. "That would be wonderful! Yang Ce, you're not pulling your uncle's leg, are you?"

"I won't lie to you, but all I can say is that I'll do my best to work things out for you," Yang Hengye said. "Whether it works out or not, I can't guarantee."

"Good, good. Then I'll wait for good news." Yang Dashan felt that this nephew of his was more reliable in handling affairs than his own younger brother, Yang Cheyan. He was secretly delighted—this trip had clearly not been in vain.

And since everything that needed saying had been said, Yang Dashan did not linger. He declined the invitation to stay for a meal and left Yang Ce's home.

"Daming, are you really going to give your uncle a hand?" Yang Cheyan said once Yang Dashan had gone.

"And if I don't? I can't very well just stand by and watch him struggle," Yang Shuoxuan said helplessly, spreading his hands. "When it comes to relatives, this sort of thing is the hardest to deal with."

"Ah." Yang Cheyan sighed too. "If the money weren't all yours and I couldn't make the decision, I'd have agreed to help your uncle a while ago."

"Heh, I have to say, Dad, you've matured quite a bit these past few days," Yang Xutang said with a laugh. "In the past, you'd probably have agreed on the spot without giving it a second thought."

"You little rascal, what's that supposed to mean?" Yang Cheyan glared. "What do you mean, I've matured quite a bit? I'm your father—of course I'm mature!"

"I mean in business and in handling personal relationships." Yang Shuoxuan knew his phrasing had been vague and hurried to explain.

"You brat, what are you saying?" Yang Cheyan gave Yang Puqi a smack on the head, then dropped his joking tone and said to Yang Ce seriously, "The group company will be officially listed in a couple of days. We've acquired the whole thing, so the factory site stays where it was—only the personnel and organizational structure have changed."

"Mm. Just discuss this with Hou Lin and Uncle Feng. You don't need to clear everything with me," Yang Yuting said with a nod.

"Who's clearing anything with you? Watch your mouth!" Yang Cheyan rolled his eyes. "Your old dad is discussing it with you."

"All right, discussing. Then go ahead," Yang Ce said, not having expected his father to be so particular about the wording.