Chapter 97: Having money and not making a profit is stupid

Recently, apart from Li Qinglan occasionally causing trouble, everything else has been progressing exceptionally smoothly.

Especially the timber factory's business, which is booming.

Hong Bo isn't careless; he just joined Li Jiaci's team, eager to prove himself, so he didn't have time to check the contract details.

Moreover, these furniture factories have long been Hong Bo's old channels; he never expected them to suddenly scheme against him.

Li Jiaci didn't blame him, but handed over the contract, saying, "Take a look!"

"Okay!"

Hong Bo took the contract.

After just a glance, he immediately spotted the problem.

"If Party B fails to deliver on time, they must compensate at 800 yuan per ton?"

"And for delayed delivery, Party A can outright refuse acceptance?"

Hong Bo read out the issue.

His heart gave a sudden jolt.

Each furniture factory needs at least 20 tons per shipment; if delivery is late, the penalty is at least 16,000 yuan.

Hong Bo examined each contract; every one contained such a clause.

With fourteen factories, at a minimum of 20 tons each, a delay would mean over 220,000 yuan in penalties.

Why, before anything even happened, had Hong Bo already imagined the worst outcome?

He's been in this trade for over a decade; he knows all the ins and outs.

Put simply, this clause is a trap.

Those people secretly teamed up to dig a pit for them.

Furious, Hong Bo threw the contract to the ground and stomped on it hard.

"Damn it, I've worked with them for years, and they pull this nasty trick on me!"

"Boss Li, don't rush; I'll go ask them right away!"

Having said that, Hong Bo was about to leave.

Li Jiaci reached out and grabbed his arm, urging, "Brother Hong, calm down first!"

"How can I stay calm? They're clearly setting a trap for us!"

Hong Bo's anger stemmed from the fact that if the other side succeeded, he'd have no face to keep working for Li Jiaci, let alone stay in the business.

It would cut off all his income and the connections and resources he'd built up over the years.

Li Jiaci said, "They're targeting me, not you!"

"That's still no good; I personally negotiated with those furniture factories!"

"They call me 'little brother' to my face, but behind my back they do nothing but disgusting, sneaky things!"

"I can't swallow this anger!"

The more Hong Bo fumed, the calmer Li Jiaci appeared.

As the saying goes, "Meet force with force, water with earth."

Since we already know their intent, we can just get past it; there's no need to cause a city-wide uproar at this critical juncture, which would bring no benefit to the timber factory's development and only invite gossip.

Because they haven't yet found their footing and can't withstand any disturbance.

In his previous life, Li Jiaci suffered a painful loss due to impulsive actions, losing the person most important to him.

This lifetime he won't repeat the same mistake.

To make business last, the first thing to change is one's temperament and approach.

Meeting force with force only leads to mutual loss.

Better to use some brains.

Li Jiaci smiled faintly and said, "Brother Hong, let's return the contracts and not work with these despicable merchants!"

"Boss Li, can you really swallow this anger?"

Hong Bo was puzzled.

Others are riding roughshod over him, yet he doesn't take it seriously.

Li Jiaci said, "Even if you can't swallow it, you must; you should know that a big tree attracts wind—while we grow stronger, lurking ghouls will emerge one after another, doing everything they can to disgust us."

"That's the reasoning, but..."

"Brother Hong, you've struggled to reach this position; don't let impulsive actions waste your efforts!"

"I truly feel ashamed; if only I'd noticed earlier!"

"Finding out now isn't late; from now on, keep an eye out for everything!"

Li Jiaci had said his piece.

Hong Bo could only nod in agreement.

He picked up the contracts and threw them into the fire bucket.

The contracts were burned, but on his way back Hong Bo swaggered, telling everyone he'd secured orders from over a dozen furniture factories—news that had already spread throughout the timber factory.

At dinner time that evening, Li Jiaci brought food to Wang Yingna, but upon leaving he was intercepted by Li Yihu and Liu Jiang.

"Brother, is our workload going to increase again?"

"I heard Hong Bo brought back orders from over a dozen furniture factories; can our four machines handle it?"

The two didn't complain; instead, they were full of excitement.

The more orders, the more money they earn.

Even if they work themselves to death, it's worth it.

Li Jiaci said calmly, "I've refused them all."

Li Yihu's face froze for a moment, then he shouted: "No, why? This sure‑profit deal—you're not taking it?"

Yeah, bro, this isn't like your usual style!

Liu Jiang didn't understand either.

What's my usual style then?

Li Jiaci asked.

The two exchanged a glance.

Liu Jiang awkwardly stretched his neck, curled his arms, and made a swimming gesture.

No matter how you look at it, he looks like a turtle.

Sure enough, the next second.

Got money and don't make a turtle egg!

Hey, you dare call big bro a turtle?

Li Yihu kicked him.

That kick really hit the spot.

If Li Yihu hadn't kicked first, Li Jiaci would have almost done it himself.

I didn't say that—big bro said it himself!

Don't believe me—ask big bro!

Bro, did you say that?

Liu Jiang brushed off the shoe print on his pants, pointed at Li Jiaci, and shouted.

Li Jiaci did say that.

And he often had it on his lips.

But that was in his past life; to support his five younger brothers, Li Jiaci would do any work, no picking and choosing.

Street‑knife fights and gang brawls were common, and sometimes he'd help Zhang Shiqiang with black‑market jobs—high risk, danger to life, a little carelessness would get him caught by Maozi, and even lightly he'd get three years.

His brothers urged him not to, but with five mouths waiting to be fed, how could he not do it?

So he came up with the saying "Having money and not making a turtle egg!" as his catchphrase.

This life is different.

The days of licking blood off blades are far behind them, and there's no turning back.

Li Jiaci slapped Liu Jiang on the back of the head.

You've got some ulterior motive!

You haven't been cursing me in your heart all this time, have you?

Liu Jiang blurted out "Holy shit," then explained: "Bro, I'm just stating the facts!"

Li Yihu asked: "Big bro, are you worried the brothers can't keep up?"

No, I just don't want to take their business.

Li Jiaci didn't reveal the reason.

Mainly because he's afraid that once these tiger brothers learn the truth, they'll do something rash and stupid.

In business, reputation and word‑of‑mouth matter most.

He doesn't want complications.

At that moment, Wang Yingna's voice came from the dormitory.

Jiaci bro, I'm done eating!

Coming right away!

Li Jiaci replied.

Watching him bustle around Wang Yingna, Liu Jiang clicked his tongue twice.

Big bro hasn't changed—he's just been tangled up by a woman!