Chapter 158: See who can outlast who!

The phone ringtone continued.

Li Jiaci pursed his lips: "You gonna answer or not? If not, I'll answer!"

"Tsk, you come, you come!"

Wang Yingna handed over the phone.

As long as it's not Liu Yanxi, anyone else is fine to talk to.

Li Jiaci answered the call.

"Brother Wang Zhen, this call came just in time!"

On the phone, Wang Zhen laughed and teased: "My little sister's been bullying you again?"

I can picture my sister even with my eyes closed.

Li Jiaci glanced at Wang Yingna.

"Hard to put into words!"

"Is it really that exaggerated?"

"Ah, Brother Wang Zhen, what do you need?"

Li Jiaci sat back on the sofa, phone in hand.

He lit a cigarette and changed the subject.

Wang Yingna hurried over and placed the ashtray beside him.

If he doesn't throw a tantrum, he's still quite useful.

While Li Jiaci was puffing away, Wang Zhen on the other end said: "Hey bro, my new venue just opened—I'd like to invite you brothers to come show support. Do you busy folks have time?"

"Wow, you opened another venue?"

Li Jiaci asked in surprise.

This Song and Dance Hall is making a killing, huh!

Wang Zhen laughed: "What's there to be surprised about? Compared to you, I'm nowhere!"

"That's true too!"

Li Jiaci replied smugly.

"Hey, kid, you get all puffed up after a few polite words!"

After saying that, Wang Zhen added: "I'll send you the address later; the time is tomorrow night at six—you gotta make time even if you're busy."

"Don't worry, big bro, the brothers will definitely come to support you!"

"Good!"

The call ended.

Li Jiaci's smile didn't fade.

"This guy's a natural for business!"

Hearing that, Wang Yingna crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow: "Just a moment ago you were calling him 'old bro', and now after hanging up you're calling him 'this guy'?"

"You don't know, my relationship with this guy is..."

Li Jiaci trailed off mid-sentence and fell silent.

In his previous life, the last person Li Jiaci saw before his execution was Wang Zhen.

They were locked up in the same cell for quite a few days.

That bond wasn't quite brotherly, but at least they were sworn brothers.

It's a shame Li Jiaci couldn't say those words.

Wang Yingna asked again: "Anything else I don't know?"

"There's a lot you don't know!"

"Um, your brother's new venue just opened—he wants us to go hang out!"

"While everyone's here, go give them a heads-up!"

"Tomorrow night at six, keep your schedule clear!"

Li Jiaci hurriedly waved at her.

The phone vibrated twice.

Wang Zhen sent the address of the new Song and Dance Hall venue; it's located on a bustling street, surrounded by newly built high-rises.

The Song and Dance Hall really does make money.

It's actually able to secure a premises in such a valuable location.

Li Jiaci treated Wang Zhen as a brother, so he didn't compete with him over the Song and Dance Hall business.

Otherwise, he really wanted to open a few Song and Dance Halls in Pingzhou, just eat, drink, and make money—far less hassle than selling timber.

Soon it was the next afternoon.

Hong Bo rode his bicycle back to Mu Cai Chang, his face red from the cold, hunched over and shivering, and gave Li Jiaci a glance.

The two entered the office.

Li Jiaci asked: "How's the cleanup of these workshops going?"

Hong Bo took off his hat and exhaled a breath of cold air.

Then he sat by the fire, chuckling: "Cleaning up isn't hard, we just lack manpower!"

"That's easy—tell Zhao Chen to hire a batch of workers!"

"Workshop cleanup pays thirty yuan per day, daily settlement!"

"If someone wants to stay on, once the workshops are built it's fifty yuan per day, monthly settlement!"

"Same old rule: we'll build the dorms and provide room and board!"

Li Jiaci finished speaking.

Hong Bo immediately nodded and agreed.

However, his expression was not very smooth.

Li Jiaci noticed some clues, handed over a cigarette, and asked: "Did you run into something outside?"

Hong Bo put on an expression as if he had been waiting for him to ask, lit the cigarette, gave a cold snort, and said: "That Wang Zong is really not a decent person; he's dead set on opposing us!"

"What's going on?"

Li Jiaci's face darkened.

"I went to Jiaju cheng in the city today to look at samples. Originally the boss was polite to me, but after Wang Zong went over and muttered a few words to the boss, I got kicked out."

Hong Bo took a strong drag on his cigarette and continued: "I waited at the entrance for half an hour; as soon as Wang Zong came out, I went up to argue with him, but before I could say two sentences, his driver started getting physical with me."

"Didn't Wang Zong stop him?" Li Jiaci said in a cold tone.

"He, he couldn't wait for me to suffer a setback!"

"Not being laughed at is already not bad!"

"This is the biggest furniture market in the city!"

"We're afraid we won't be able to get in anymore!"

Hong Bo said glumly.

The biggest furniture market in the city sells the latest styles, stays at the forefront of fashion, and has the highest customer flow.

Moreover, about half of the furniture produced by the furniture factories near the lumber mill is hauled to this furniture market for sale.

Li Jiaci originally planned to do the same, but he didn't expect Wang Zong to suddenly intervene.

Hong Bo also said: "Boss, if this route through the furniture market doesn't work out, then our business will be hard to continue; if worse comes to worst, I'll invite Wang Zong over for a good talk?"

"Talk about what?"

Li Jiaci asked with a cold stare.

"Just work out a win-win solution, each side stepping back a bit!"

"Wang Zong is a shareholder of the furniture market; the boss will definitely listen to him!"

"Making money on this road isn't easy for us!"

"As the saying goes, 'Endure for a moment, and the sea and sky will open up.'"

"Boss, you..."

Before Hong Bo could finish speaking,

Li Jiaci just waved his hand to interrupt: "Damn it, the more I think about enduring for a moment, the angrier I get!"

"Then what are you planning to do?"

Hong Bo stared blankly.

"If no one offends me, I won't offend them!"

"Wang Zong keeps stirring up trouble; if I keep enduring, I might as well not do anything at all!"

"Does he think that if I leave the furniture market, I can't do business in the furniture industry?"

"Hah, he's not taking me seriously, and he's also overestimating himself!"

"If we don't go to the furniture market, fine; we'll do it ourselves!"

Li Jiaci won't tolerate these petty scoundrels.

Anyone can cooperate with the furniture market.

That's fairness.

But Wang Zong, in order to prevent Li Jiaci from entering the furniture industry, actually teamed up with the boss of the furniture market to beat him.

That's just unacceptable.

Hong Bo looked at Li Jiaci's solemn face, pursed his lips, and said nothing more.

Nowadays, it's whoever is domineering who gets to speak.

If Li Jiaci weren't domineering, this lumber mill would probably have been forced to shut down by Zheng Degui long ago.

Where would there still be such a good thing of picking up money every day afterward?

Since Wang Zong knowingly repeats his offenses, despite past lessons, he still dares to act arrogantly.

Then let's go head-to-head with him!

Let's see who can out-domineer whom!