Chapter 249: One Family
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
When Lin Nan returned to seek out Qin Zhenzhen once more, he was taken aback to discover that Butler Chen from the Marquis Mansion was actively assisting Qin Zhenzhen in her endeavors. Together, they ventured into various business ventures, purchasing shops, establishing workshops, and opening health centers.
Lin Nan immediately grasped the situation. He had a desire to collaborate with Qin Zhenzhen, but when he proposed the idea, she insisted on discussing it with Su Bin. Eventually, Su Bin approached the Marquis Mansion for financial support, and to Lin Nan’s surprise, the Marquis willingly provided Mr. Chen to assist Su Bin. This gesture illustrated the high regard the Marquis held for Su Bin.
It became evident to Lin Nan that his hopes of partnering with Qin Zhenzhen were slim. He regretted not offering Qin Zhenzhen a more favorable profit-sharing arrangement, which might have convinced her to join forces with him much earlier. The availability of sufficient profits could have swayed her decision.
Lin Nan had long recognized that Su Bin had no intention of returning to the Marquis Mansion. In fact, there were two reasons why Lin Nan had previously confronted the Old Marquis.
Firstly, he genuinely held disdain for the Old Marquis and disapproved of his behavior. He wholeheartedly supported Su Bin’s decision not to acknowledge the Old Marquis as his grandfather, deeming such a grandparent unworthy of acknowledgment.
Secondly, Lin Nan had deliberately exacerbated the conflict between Su Bin and the Old Marquis, hoping to derail their negotiations. His motive was to create favorable conditions for him and Qin Zhenzhen to collaborate in business, as he was aware that Qin Zhenzhen lacked the financial resources she needed.
Lin Nan also understood that the Jiang family aimed to exert control over Qin Zhenzhen, which she vehemently opposed. Since Su Bin was reluctant to return to the Marquis Mansion and acknowledge his family, Qin Zhenzhen needed substantial financial resources to contend with the Jiang family’s influence. Aside from Su Bin’s aspirations for fame, acquiring substantial funds was a pressing necessity for her.
He was willing to collaborate with her, both for financial gain and to safeguard her in the name of the Lin family. He firmly believed that Qin Zhenzhen would undoubtedly opt to work with him.
However, what he hadn’t anticipated was Su Bin’s ability to secure financial support from the Marquis Mansion without having to return and acknowledge his familial ties. This unforeseen development threw a wrench into all of Lin Nan’s carefully laid plans.
Nevertheless, despite Lin Nan’s reputation as a “profiteer,” he had a principled side. He had no intentions of employing underhanded tactics to sabotage Qin Zhenzhen’s business endeavors.
Instead, he took a step back and assumed the role of Qin Zhenzhen’s distributor in several key cities. His efforts were focused on helping her market seasonings, soy sauce, health supplements, and wellness packages. Initially, he had aspired to acquire exclusive marketing rights in the capital but faced rejection.
It was Mr. Chen who explained, “While the prefecture serves as our headquarters, the capital remains our primary battleground,” echoing words he had learned from Qin Zhenzhen. Indeed, Mr. Chen had gained a wealth of modern business acumen and techniques through his association with her.
Previously, Lin Nan had considered Su Bin to be formidable, but now he recognized that Qin Zhenzhen possessed a comparable level of strength. It brought to mind the saying: “If you’re not family, you can’t enter the same house.”
In a span of less than a month, Mr. Chen’s convictions began to waver. Initially, he had intended to assist them until the year’s end, at which point he would seek alternative employment after twenty years of service to the Marquis Mansion. However, his perspective gradually evolved.
He realized that there was much to learn by aligning himself with Qin
Zhenzhen. Moreover, he held a firm belief that within three years, Qin Zhenzhen’s business would experience exponential growth. Su Bin, too, displayed a complexity that Mr. Chen had not initially perceived.
Although Su Bin had pursued an education at the prefectural school, Mr. Chen had perused the articles and theories he had authored and found them to be on par with those produced by students from the Royal School. Ultimately, he concluded that there was no need to seek alternative employment. It seemed entirely prudent to continue following Qin Zhenzhen and Su Bin.
Before the year’s end, Mr. Chen expressed his desire to remain in Qin Zhenzhen’s service.
Seeing that Mr. Chen was willing to stay and continue helping her, Qin Zhenzhen naturally welcomed him.
She immediately added Mr. Chen’s monthly silver and promised to give him dry shares.
Mr. Chen worked even harder.
His ability to learn and understand was also strong. As long as Qin Zhenzhen gave him a rough idea, he would immediately understand the key..