Chapter 119: Firing the First Shot

As for Hong Bo,

Now Shiqiang Mucai Chang's business is big and stable; there's really no need to take this risk.

The prices of all major timber mills in Pingzhou have a tacit average value.

Doing this not only breaks the average, but also stirs the market into a muddy mess.

It's hard to say that one won't be seen as a thorn in the flesh by peers.

Li Jiaci sized up Hong Bo's worry‑clouded face, then laughed and patted his shoulder.

"Hong Bro, I know what you're worried about!"

"Since you're following me, I naturally won't let you lose out!"

"No matter how low market prices go, your wages will only keep increasing!"

"I'm doing this to give Zheng Degui a heavy blow!"

"After a brief storm, we'll see clear skies!"

Hong Bo, however, wasn't worried about his own wages.

Having followed Li Jiaci for so long, he regards himself as part of the timber mill, sharing weal and woe with everyone.

He only worries about the timber mill's development.

Looking back on Li Jiaci's every word and deed during this period,

Hong Bo couldn't fail to see that this youngster, much younger than himself, would surely achieve great things in the future.

Given that, what reason does he have to object?

"Boss, I'll follow your lead!"

Li Jiaci smiled again and nodded.

After Hong Bo stubbed out his cigarette, Li Jiaci said, "Hong Bro, I still need to trouble you with something!"

"What is it?"

"I want to expand the timber mill; go pick a few suitable warehouses!"

"You want to expand at this critical juncture?"

Hong Bo was dumbfounded again.

He simply couldn't figure out Li Jiaci's intentions.

Li Jiaci said: "I'm confident I can make Zheng Degui take a big fall on this; if the plan goes smoothly, we might even push them out of the market, by then our timber mill will be a hot commodity, with surging customer traffic—how could we not prepare expansion in advance?"

"Even so…"

"Hong Bro, you don't need to think about anything; you just need to trust me!"

Li Jiaci spoke with a determined gaze.

Hong Bo was inexplicably infused with his confidence, nodding: "Okay, I'll go check out nearby warehouses right now!"

However, after Hong Bo left the timber mill, he suddenly stopped midway.

"Will this really work?"

Hong Bo pondered repeatedly.

He stomped his foot and quickened his pace.

"If the boss says it's doable, then it's doable!"

Not long after he left, Li Jiaci also drove off.

Bian Mao Shichang

Xiao Cui was leading his team on patrol when he suddenly felt a heavy slap on his shoulder.

He instinctively curled his hand into a claw, turned, and quickly grabbed the other's neck.

At the same moment, Xiao Cui's several subordinates also turned around.

In unison, they moved their hands to their waists.

"Cough…"

"Xiao Cui, you're going to choke me to death!"

Li Jiaci patted Xiao Cui's hand.

"Me?"

"How come it's you?!"

"All right?"

Xiao Cui cleared his vision of the person before him and couldn't help but startle.

He hastily released his grip and anxiously glanced at Li Jiaci's neck.

Seeing no injury on Li Jiaci's neck, he finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Xiao Cui had the others go first, then pulled Li Jiaci to the side.

"I was on patrol, and you suddenly came up and slapped me!"

"If I hadn't agreed quickly, my men would have drawn… drawn… what was it?!"

"Don't pull this kind of joke next time!"

"It might actually cost a life!"

Li Jiaci coughed a few times.

He rubbed his neck and said, "Next time you lend me ten guts, I still wouldn't dare do that!"

"This is the International Border Trade Market, the turf of Bei Bang Guo!"

"Unlike in Huaguo, where you can casually slap a friend on the back or give them a kick!"

Xiao Cui smiled, his eyes fixed on Li Jiaci's neck.

Li Jiaci fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said: "Actually, our Huaguo wouldn't even kick a friend from behind!"

"Then you still..."

Xiao Cui wanted to speak but stopped.

An expression as if wanting to scold him.

The two sat at a roadside stall for a while.

Xiao Cui watched the people coming and going, saying: "Only when you come can I relax a bit."

"You're just a stubborn blockhead, can't turn the corner!"

"How so?"

"If I were you, I'd definitely go to a deserted place to rest and smoke whenever I had free time!"

"You also said that's you, as a citizen of Bei Bang Guo, many things are beyond your control!"

"Sigh, come have a smoke!"

Li Jiaci felt for the first time a frustration at being unable to comfort the other person.

He took out a cigarette pack, gave Xiao Cui one, then stuffed the pack into Xiao Cui's pocket.

Xiao Cui lit the cigarette, took two puffs, and asked: "Every time you come to find me you have something; speak up, what's it this time?"

"Heh."

"Are you the roundworm in my stomach?"

"You guessed right, I'm looking for you because I have something to do!"

"But it's a good thing!"

Li Jiaci glanced at the car fleet loading cargo in the distance.

Then he moved closer to Xiao Cui, lowered his voice and said: "I want to increase the purchase of raw timber; previously it was 300 tons a day, now I want to double it!"

"Double? That's 600 tons a day!"

"Can you sell it all?"

"No, this isn't a matter of whether it can be sold or not!"

"Can your timber mill handle the processing?"

Xiao Cui had personally inspected the Shiqiang timber mill.

The timber mill has four machines running nonstop 24 hours a day, and even then it barely manages to process 300 tons of raw timber.

Li Jiaci said with a smile: "I've already had someone inquire about a warehouse; I plan to expand the timber mill's scale and purchase a new batch of machines!"

"Oh..."

Xiao Cui responded after a moment of thought.

"Then we've agreed!"

"The sooner the better!"

"I'm waiting to get rich!"

After saying that, Li Jiaci stood up and walked toward the car fleet.

Xiao Cui watched his carefree back and gave a hehe laugh.

"This guy, really is material for getting things done!"

……

A few days passed.

Li Jiaci received a message sent back by Hong Bo.

Currently, the Nian Yong timber mill has already pushed the price down to 500 per cubic meter.

"They really can't hold back anymore!"

"Brother Hong, let's push the price down to 480 per cubic meter!"

"Put the word out!"

Hong Bo nodded.

Taking Li Yihu with him to spread the news.

On the other side.

Nian Yong Timber Mill.

Wu Gang rushed into the office in a hurry.

"Boss!"

"Our plan has worked!"

"Li Jiaci is afraid we'll steal his business, so he proactively lowered the price!"

"Now it's 20 cheaper than ours!"

Upon hearing that,

Zheng Degui chuckled smugly.

"Hahaha!"

"Just making him afraid isn't enough to satisfy my ambition!"

"I want him to feel fear!"

"At the mention of my name, he'll be scared silly, peeing his pants like a frightened turtle!"

Wu Gang was also unable to contain his excitement.

One hand rubbing excitedly, he asked: "Boss, how much should we press next?"

"Press him down by 50!"

Okay, I'll go spread the word now!

Wu Gang turned and left.

Zheng Degui gave a dark chuckle, exhaling a mouthful of smoke, and made two tsk sounds.

"Li Jiaci, what do you have to fight me with?"