Chapter 306: Neat and Tidy
Luo Dongchuan weighed the pros and cons in his heart, and in the end, the Shen family still gained the upper hand.
The reason was simple: although Su He had said a great deal, in terms of apparent strength on paper, the Shen family was visibly a notch higher.
Therefore, he said with a half-smile, “Su He, I can’t understand any of this jumbled nonsense you’re spouting. Don’t go talking about tripping people up either—I have always handled matters entirely in accordance with official procedures.”
Su He let out a soft sneer. “Uncle Luo, I originally thought you were a smart man, but I didn’t expect you to truly remain blindly obstinate!
“If it weren’t for Cousin Xiaoling begging so desperately, I would turn around and walk away right now, simply waiting to watch you make a fool of yourself!
“But there’s no helping it; I’m a person who values emotional ties. Since I promised Cousin Xiaoling, I have to exert my absolute best.
“I know exactly why you want to listen to Shen Jiawang’s words—isn’t it just because you feel the Shen family commands immense power? Particularly with that branch in the capital being so highly renowned, you want to cling to the Shen family to climb up, don’t you?!
“A pity you’re mistaken!
“The Shen family looks glorious and dazzling on the outside, but the inside has long since rotted. It only needs a gentle push to completely collapse into dust.
“When that time comes, not only will you fail to bask in their reflected light, but you’ll only end up sharing their catastrophic downfall.
“Furthermore, through that business with Qi Dazhi, have you still failed to read Shen Jiawang’s true character clearly?
“He plays the trick of killing the donkey once the grind is finished exceptionally smoothly. Watch out that he doesn’t push you out to take the blame for him one day!”
Luo Dongchuan’s face shifted like a chameleon, constantly morphing.
His psychological fortitude was actually quite decent—otherwise, he wouldn’t have climbed to the position of section chief—but the words Su He spoke carried far too much raw impact, leaving him without even a chance to manage his expressions.
“Su He, anyone can talk big. What qualifications do you possess to direct and criticize everything here? You probably don’t even know which way the gates of the capital’s Shen family open, do you?!”
“Of course I know—they open to the south! Could they possibly open to the west? Are they planning to head to the Western Paradise?”
Luo Dongchuan: “…”
I was using a metaphor! A metaphor, do you understand?!
“Uncle Luo, when all is said and done, isn’t it simply because you feel I lack a foundation?!
“In this regard, you truly are inferior to Cousin Xiaoling.
“Have you never pondered what exactly enabled An County to secure booths at the Canton Fair? And a joint exhibition on top of that?”
Luo Dongchuan blurted out almost automatically, “Was it not Lu Qifeng pulling connections?”
Su He was thoroughly amused!
This truly is a wonderful misunderstanding!
No wonder no one guessed it was her; it turns out County Chief Lu took the blame!
“This business genuinely shares no relation with County Chief Lu. It was I who leveraged connections within the Ministry of Foreign Trade.
“Oh, right. Don’t you feel the official approval for the simple seed drills arrived remarkably on time?
“You wouldn’t naively assume it was a mere coincidence, would you?
“Oh, right. Our simple seed drills will also be receiving an award very soon!
“There’s a ninety percent chance it will be the Golden Wheat Ear Award. After all, I singled it out and demanded it personally!”
Luo Dongchuan’s eyes nearly popped right out of his head!
Setting all the previous statements aside for a moment, what on earth did “demanded it personally” mean?
Could it be that whatever award you want, the Ministry of Agriculture will just grant it to you?
Just how monumental of a background must that be!
No, wait—Su He, wasn’t she just a countryside girl?!
Where on earth did she get such sky-reaching methods?
The scales within Luo Dongchuan’s heart tilted once more, but this time, they tipped directly toward Su He’s side.
To tell the truth, he didn’t place much trust in Shen Jiawang’s character either; it was highly possible he really would be pushed out to take the blame in the future.
His eyes flickered several times as he looked at Su He. “You have a backer in the capital?”
Su He said with a beaming smile, “You could say that, though whether there’s a backer or not isn’t really important. As the saying goes, ‘Rely on a mountain and the mountain collapses, rely on people and the people run.’ My confidence is myself!
“Uncle Luo, this upcoming Canton Fair is my stage. I will surely shine brilliantly at this Canton Fair.
“I’ll leave my words right here today: within three years, I, Su He, will command at least half of Beiliao Province’s total export volume!”
Luo Dongchuan thought to himself: …Look up at the sky; it’s completely filled with cows because you blew them up there!
Half the total volume?
Do you have any inkling of how much Beiliao Province’s annual export volume actually is?
Aren’t you terrified that a strong wind will slice your tongue!
However, Su He’s absolute arrogance only served to make Luo Dongchuan even more certain that Su He had found a colossal backer!
And a backer far more powerful than the Shen family!
Otherwise, where would a young girl like her get the confidence to cross swords with the Shen family?!
Weighing it over in his heart, he said with a smile, “Little He, my stance remains the same—I will surely handle the Canton Fair matters in strict accordance with official procedures. Whether it’s Old Shen or you, I will treat you with absolute equality.”
How sharp was Su He!
The moment she heard his form of address shift from “Su He” to “Little He,” it indicated at the very least that Luo Dongchuan had transformed from an all-out partisan into a fence-sitter.
As for which side he would ultimately fall toward, that would depend on whichever side blew a stronger wind.
In reality, this lay completely within her expectations. This concerned his own career future, so he naturally had to wait and watch.
Su He said with a beaming smile, “Uncle Luo, with those words from you, I can rest easy. Actually, don’t take the words I spoke just now too seriously either—some were true, some were fake, just joking around.”
Luo Dongchuan: “…”
I have never seen anyone as venomous as you!
By saying that, aren’t you just making me overthink things even more blindly?!
“Little He, I remember you didn’t possess this kind of personality in the past. How did you undergo such a massive transformation?”
Su He let out a sigh. “Uncle Luo, I am a person who has died once!
“If I were still as carefree and mindless as before, the Shen family would devour me until not even a scrap of bone remained.
“I’ve completely figured things out now: as long as one’s skin is a bit thicker, a great many things in this world become exceptionally easy.
“For instance, if my skin were as thin as before, I’m afraid I wouldn’t even have the opportunity to speak with you alone today.”
Luo Dongchuan actually believed this explanation of Su He’s completely. A great many people underwent a massive shift in temperament after sustaining a catastrophic tribulation, so Su He’s transformation could be considered reasonable.
“Uncle Luo, then I won’t disturb you any longer. We’ll see each other through our actions from now on!”
Luo Dongchuan’s mind was currently a total jumble of confusion, and he desperately wished she would leave quickly so he could sort through his train of thought.
Therefore, he nodded. “Alright.”
Su He took a few steps, then paused again. “Oh right, Uncle Luo. If I haven’t guessed incorrectly, Shen Jiawang might have dispatched people to spy on you.
“He’s bound to call you tonight to ask what I discussed with you.
“You had better invent a flawless reason, otherwise Shen Jiawang is going to bite!
“I’ve actually thought of a ready-made reason for you. Just say I came to question you about the delayed handbooks and even played the emotional card with you.
“You had a sudden stroke of inspiration and wanted to play a trick within a trick—which is to look after me on the surface, and then locate an opportunity to deal a fatal blow.
“With Shen Jiawang’s virtue, he will surely agree with a mouth full of praise. That way, you can look after me completely out in the open in the future!”
Luo Dongchuan: “…Then what do I do when he tells me to deal the blow when the time comes?”
“Then it’ll be time for you to make a choice. You can just handle it as you see fit!”
Luo Dongchuan: “…”
You’ve already guarded against me; what on earth can I even do when the time comes?!
Even if I proceed according to what Shen Jiawang says, you won’t fall into the trap anyway!
Aren’t you just blatantly digging a pit for me?!
Furthermore, will Old Shen truly dispatch people to spy on me?
If he really carries out a deed like that, then I truly have to weigh things over carefully.
His eyes flickered. “Aren’t you terrified that I will recount every single word you spoke to Shen Jiawang down to the last detail?”
Su He smiled. “Uncle Luo, since I spoke them aloud, I naturally don’t fear it. It’s just that there is truth and falsehood mixed within, so Shen Jiawang might actually feel you are hoodwinking him instead!”
Luo Dongchuan: “…”
Su He looked at Luo Dongchuan, whose face was filled with deep, bitter misery, and found him highly pleasing to the eye.
You should just submissively serve as a double agent for me alongside your daughter!
When an opportunity arises, I’ll develop your wife into the mix too!
The whole family, neat and tidy. How wonderful!
