Chapter 118: Tug-of-War

One week later.

Nian Yong Mu Cai Chang.

Zheng Degui, face grimy, got out of the car.

Ignoring the workers in the factory, he went straight into the office.

Wu Gang, his subordinate, holding a change of clothes, hesitated at the doorway for a long while before forcing himself to go in.

"Boss, change your clothes!"

Hearing that, Zheng Degui exhaled a puff of smoke and signaled with his eyes for him to put the clothes on the sofa.

Wu Gang walked over, heart in his throat.

Before he could put the clothes down, Zheng Degui snatched the ashtray from the table and slammed it hard onto his head.

Bang!

Wu Gang fell to the ground.

Blood poured out.

"Boss…!"

"It's not my fault!"

"It's Li Jiaci—he set a trap for us!"

"The brothers couldn't defend against it!"

Wu Gang, speaking, covered his bleeding head and crawled backward.

He had long expected this.

Zheng Degui had been locked up for a whole week because of the two warlords of Bei Bang Guo.

He had been holding in his anger for a week.

After getting out, he would surely find someone to vent his anger on.

As Zheng Degui's only trusted subordinate, Wu Gang inevitably became the biggest scapegoat.

Most importantly, Wu Gang did not directly participate in this operation.

He had never shown his face in front of Jin Ailing.

Although Zheng Degui had told him to stay in the factory to look after things,

but he surely felt resentful inside.

Zheng Degui approached, fists clenched, step by step.

"Damn it!"

"I was locked up in the detention center for a full seven days! Seven days!"

"Do you know how I spent those seven days?"

The nights in the detention center were cold and freezing.

Zheng Degui felt like he was about to break down.

Only see Wu Gang kneeling on the ground, nervously saying: "Boss, I've been watching Shiqiang Mucai Chang these past few days and saw Li Jiaci send the two warlords of Bei Bang Guo back; I doubt they'll return anytime soon."

"What do you want to do?"

Zheng Degui frowned, his tone displeased.

Wu Gang swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

"Since the warlords of Bei Bang Guo have all gone back!"

"Li Jiaci has lost his backing!"

"Might as well go all the way!"

"Just stab him to death… hey boss, don't hit, don't hit!"

Before Wu Gang could finish speaking,

Zheng Degui, face red and neck thick with anger, grabbed his collar and launched a heavy punch.

After a few punches, Wu Gang was beaten beyond recognition.

Zheng Degui pointed at the worthless wretch before him, his hand shaking with rage.

"I've just been released!"

"You damn well want to send me back in?"

Wu Gang shook his head in fear.

"I dare not… I dare not…"

"I just want to help you get rid of this thorn in your side!"

"To eliminate future worries!"

That's true.

Li Jiaci is indeed Zheng Degui's thorn in the side.

He only wishes he could get rid of it swiftly.

But the experience of being detained for a week left Zheng Degui somewhat apprehensive.

It was a great fortune that this matter could be settled with money.

Thanks to the connections he had bought over the years.

Otherwise, once he went in, he wouldn't think of getting out again.

Zheng Degui sat down and poured himself a cup of tea.

He raised his hand toward Wu Gang, who was kneeling before him.

"Get up! Get up!"

"Your method works on others, but on Li Jiaci..."

"It definitely won't work!"

"Don't forget he still has a boss who runs a song and dance hall behind him!"

"We can only win by wit; we can't keep handing them a knife!"

"Hearing this, Wu Gang trembled as he climbed to his feet."

"Then his eyes rolled."

"Boss!"

"We can steal his customers!"

"As long as Shiqiang Mucai Chang can't stay in business, he has no reason to remain here!"

"Zheng Degui was thirsty."

"He drank all the tea in the tea vat in one go."

"Wu Gang waited eagerly for his reply, not daring to urge him."

"Only after Zheng Degui poured a second cup of tea did he slowly shake his head."

"What do you have to compete with?"

"His timber is the best quality around!"

"His delivery speed is also the fastest!"

"Unless those customers are brainless, who would choose us?"

"Zheng Degui finished speaking and let out a heavy breath."

"If it weren't for this detention center ordeal, he could just move his wrist and threaten those middlemen to join him."

"After all, it was those seven days in detention that scared him."

"Just as Zheng Degui picked up the tea vat..."

"Suddenly his gaze paused."

"Wait a moment."

"There are countless ways to steal customers."

"There's no need to focus solely on those middlemen."

"In terms of timber quality, he can't compete with them."

"What about competing on price?"

"As long as we press down Nian Yong Mu Cai Chang's price, why worry those middlemen won't come to cooperate with him?"

"Thinking of this, Zheng Degui immediately asked: 'How much does Shiqiang Mucai Chang charge per cubic meter?'"

"Wu Gang frowned, then relaxed."

"It seems to be 600 per cubic meter!"

"They intake 300 tons of raw logs daily and still sell out completely!"

"Unlike our plant, we take in a lot but output little!"

"Zheng Degui gave him a glare."

"Let's just talk about the matter."

"How are you still stepping on your own foot?"

"It's 600 per cubic meter, right?"

"Like this, go tell outsiders that our timber price is 550 per cubic meter!"

"Boss, won't this be too much of a loss?"

"Wu Gang was a little worried."

"Nian Yong Mu Cai Chang's price was 620 per cubic meter; this sudden plunge, dropping so much all at once, made those unaware think their factory was doomed."

"Zheng Degui, however, had a resolute face, clenched his fist, and said: 'Just set it at 550 per cubic meter!'"

"But..."

"Damn, what nonsense!"

"Hurry up and spread the word for me!"

"Got it, boss!"

"..."

"The next day."

"Shiqiang Mucai Chang."

"Hong Bo hurried over to Li Jiaci and gave him a look."

"Come on, let's go inside to talk!"

"Li Jiaci followed him to the office with his hands behind his back, calm and composed."

"Just as Hong Bo sat down, before he could even speak, Li Jiaci asked with a smile: 'Has Zheng Degui been released?'"

"He's been released!"

"Damn, as soon as he's out he's causing trouble!"

"I got the news: Nian Yong Mu Cai Chang lowered its timber price from the original 620 per cubic meter to 550 per cubic meter!"

"This means they want to start a price war with us!"

"Hong Bo, puffing angrily, lit a cigarette."

"However, upon hearing this, Li Jiaci lowered his head and gave a soft chuckle."

"Hong Bo asked: 'Boss, what are you laughing at?'"

I laughed at Zheng Degui's ability—one glance and I could see the end!

Li Jiaci pushed the ashtray over to him.

He then continued speaking.

We both know the price of our timber mill: 600 per unit to outsiders, 550 per unit to regular customers. Zheng Degui lowered his price to 550 per unit—at most just tying us; if we compete on timber quality, our mill still comes out on top!

Hong Bo took a drag on his cigarette, then said in a low voice, "What if Zheng Degui keeps pushing the price down?"

Hearing that, Li Jiaci shrugged, his expression meaningless.

Then we'll just mess around with him!

No matter how much he cuts the price, we'll cut ours by twice as much!

You're always out on field work—when the time comes, put out the word for me!

Smoke drifted from Hong Bo's mouth.

No matter how hard I racked my brain, I still couldn't figure out what Li Jiaci was really trying to do.