Chapter 860
Yue Feng's Background
Li Li watched Yue Feng's car disappear at the intersection, and then replied after a beat: "You've seen what my brother is capable of before!"
"This is nothing! Just think about what happened at the Qiao family warehouse last winter—it caused such a huge uproar!"
Upon hearing this, Manager Wang felt his mouth go dry and unconsciously swallowed.
Manager Wang was able to become the general manager of the municipal-level supply and marketing cooperative in Fengcheng, which means he has excellent connections and information when it comes to the professional issue of resource integration.
Previously, the Qiao family had transported various scarce supplies via waterway. The higher-ups had spoken to Manager Wang, but at that time, Manager Wang could only get less than one-third of the total share. The majority of the rest was consumed through special channels.
With this, Manager Wang could earn quite a bit each month.
As a result, before he could earn this extra money steadily for long, the Qiao family was wiped out.
The information released by the criminal investigation team is that there was internal strife within the Qiao family, and Lao Ji killed six members of the Qiao family in order to avenge his wife and children.
But those in the industry who know the inside story know where the root of the problem lies.
Manager Wang had heard similar stories from at least three different sources: the Qiao family wanted to kill Yue Feng in the mountains, but Yue Feng retaliated and used his connections in Beijing, which ultimately led to the downfall of the Qiao family.
If one person says it, it might be just hearsay, but if several people say it, then it becomes a case of "three men make a tiger."
Moreover, the core of this matter is not much different from the rumors, except that Yue Feng's own friends did not personally get involved, so they did not commit any crimes from a legal point of view.
Seeing that Manager Wang seemed a little confused, Li Li smiled and reminded him, "Brother Wang, don't just space out!"
My brother isn't one of those unreasonable rich kids, so why do you look so unhappy? What are you thinking?
Manager Wang scratched his head and pretended to be clueless, saying, "Now that you mention it, I'm actually a little confused!"
I forgot to mention earlier that Xiaofeng said he was only responsible for connecting the dots, and didn't say whether he wanted any collateral. Should we leave him some room for maneuver?
Li Li smiled slightly and said, "Since we're following the rules, we should naturally leave a portion for him! Not only should he leave, but we at the counter should also get a share! What do you say, my dear Brother Wang!"
Manager Wang is the top leader of the supply and marketing cooperative, and Li Li is the newly promoted second-in-command. With Yue Feng's backing, the two have long been a community of shared interests.
Manager Wang nodded: "Okay, then let's follow the rules!"
I'll put Xiaofeng's share on your tab, and you two can figure out a way to give it to him privately later!
He's young and holds a village official position, so he's probably concerned about his reputation and the potential negative impact on his image. Let's consider that for him in advance!
Li Li nodded: "That's more like it! I see there are quite a few good furs and other valuables on this order! We can keep these to fill in the provincial cooperative's purchase plan for this fall!"
"Yes, I understand! Let's work together a few times first and see how it goes. If there are no problems later, we can consider other options!"
……
Meanwhile, Yue Feng and Zhang Wenhui drove away from the municipal supply and marketing cooperative and continued towards their second target location.
In the car, Zhang Wenhui, who was driving, was surprised that Yue Feng had led the business process discussion so smoothly. In just a few words and a short while, a decision was made, giving her a direct understanding of Yue Feng's connections in Fengcheng.
"Brother Yue, where are we going next?"
Yue Feng pointed to the intersection ahead: "Turn right at the next intersection, that's the Municipal Department Store! I didn't let you add some of the imported goods, like liquor and cigarettes, to your list because the supply and marketing cooperative doesn't work for you! It's more suitable to go through the department store's channels for these things!"
"You know the leaders at the department store too?" Zhang Wenhui continued to ask.
Department stores and supply and marketing cooperatives are not the same thing.
In terms of administrative level, the department store belongs to the Municipal Bureau of Commerce, and its main business is the sale of daily necessities, clothing, home appliances and cultural products.
Supply and marketing cooperatives, especially municipal ones, are subordinate to provincial supply and marketing cooperatives and are managed by the people's government. Their main sales business includes the purchase and sale of various agricultural production materials, daily industrial products, and agricultural products.
With the initial development of the economy, department stores have gradually begun to emerge across the country. In the minds of ordinary people, department stores are much more prestigious than supply and marketing cooperatives.
Yue Feng grinned and said, "My sister-in-law works at the department store. Later, when we were visiting relatives and friends during the Chinese New Year, she got to know their boss through other friends!"
They'd shared drinks and learned about each other's backgrounds. While they weren't exactly close, they certainly wouldn't refuse such a mutually beneficial collaboration!
The subsequent business cooperation unfolded exactly as Yue Feng had predicted.
The two men arrived at the general manager's office of the department store. After briefly explaining their purpose, the other party immediately and readily agreed, without even haggling over the price, being even more efficient than Manager Wang.
When discussing business, Yue Feng also stated that he would only act as a go-between and not participate in specific cooperation matters. After hearing this, General Manager Meng of the department store also tacitly avoided mentioning this topic from beginning to end.
After Yue Feng and his men left, President Meng made an internal call and summoned Yu Panpan, who was working downstairs, to his office.
People in their positions are all very competent in their work; it's a tacit understanding.
Yue Feng could refuse the commission in person, but as the boss of the partner company, who was eager to curry favor with Yue Feng and was looking for an opportunity, it became a matter of course to leave him a portion of the commission.
Having secured the department store, the next step is the Municipal People's Hospital.
As mentioned earlier, one of the most valuable and profitable items for those involved in the supply chain is antibiotics and other medicines, which are in high demand.
Yue Feng took Zhang Wenhui to Vice President Hu, briefly explained their purpose, and the other party readily agreed.
Medicines are not like bulk commodities such as grains or liquor; they are small in quantity but high in value. Transactions are very discreet and easy to dispose of. As long as you make a call to the hospital's purchasing manager and keep good records of the inventory, you can get away with it without anyone noticing.
……
Throughout the day, Yue Feng took Zhang Wenhui around the city, arranging reliable buyers for all the goods that the other party mainly smuggled and sold, as well as the goods that needed to be purchased. As evening approached, Yue Feng took Zhang Wenhui to one of his main businesses, the Fengcheng Grand Hotel.
When Zhang Wenhui arrived at Fengcheng Hotel in person, she realized that her understanding of Yue Feng was not comprehensive enough.
After several expansions and renovations, Fengcheng Grand Hotel has now become almost the most prestigious hotel in Fengcheng.
Four signs were hanging at the entrance, and the parking area was full of cars from various organizations. Even though it was still a little before dinner time, the restaurant was already packed with customers, with an occupancy rate of over 70%.
"Brother Zhang, stop standing there! Park the car and come inside!" Yue Feng reminded Zhang Wenhui, who hadn't gotten out of the car yet, and urged her on.
Zhang Wenhui parked the car, looked up at the impressive restaurant facade and the four brightly lit signs, and asked in surprise. "Is this the Fengcheng Grand Hotel you told me about, our own property?"
Yue Feng grinned: "Yeah! I don't come here often; my brother and sister-in-law usually take care of things here!"
The head chef here is my friend. I'll ask him to make some of his signature dishes for us later so we can try his cooking!
You can send some of those imported liquors and such here later; there are plenty of wealthy diners here who can afford these foreign things!
Yue Feng led Zhang Wenhui into the house, where they were immediately spotted by his sister-in-law.
"Oh, Xiaofeng's here! Have you eaten? And who is this...?"
Chen Hong greeted her brother-in-law warmly, while subtly glancing at Zhang Wenhui, who had entered the house with Yue Feng.
Chen Hong, a shrewd woman, had long since developed a keen eye for detail by managing the restaurant and welcoming and seeing off so many customers.
You can get a pretty good idea of a person's character by simply having a short conversation and making a preliminary observation.
In Chen Hong's eyes, the friend Xiao Feng brought had a dangerous look in his eyes. In industry jargon, he looked like someone who walked the gray or black lines.
Yue Feng introduced in a relaxed tone, "Sister-in-law! This is my friend, Brother Zhang Wenhui! We're in the city on business and stopped by for a meal! Do you have any private rooms? Just give us a small private room! And have Chef Niu prepare a couple of his signature dishes!"
Brother Zhang, this is my sister-in-law, Chen Hong! We're all family, no need for formalities!
Zhang Wenhui greeted Chen Hong briefly, and Chen Hong immediately became even more enthusiastic upon hearing that she was her brother-in-law's friend.
Chen Hong: "You haven't eaten yet? You guys go to room number one first, I'll personally go to the kitchen to arrange dinner! Would you like some drinks? I'll have Chef Niu make you some dishes that go well with drinks!"
"Sure, I don't have anything planned for tonight, so I can have a little something to warm up!" Yue Feng agreed without hesitation.
As Chen Hong turned to walk towards the kitchen, Yue Feng glanced at his sister-in-law's lower abdomen and frowned slightly.
Normally, Chen Hong is someone who cares a lot about her figure and appearance, so why does her lower abdomen look slightly protruding, making her look a bit pregnant?
Yue Feng muttered to himself, but said nothing aloud. He lifted the curtain and led Zhang Wenhui into the No. 1 private room.
Before even entering the room, Zhang Wenhui had been observing the restaurant's furnishings, scale, and other details. After entering the private room, she took off her thick cotton coat and couldn't help but exclaim, "Brother Yue, no wonder you look down on the commission I give you for selling goods! You must have put a lot of thought into opening this big restaurant, right?"
Yue Feng grinned: "It's mainly my older brother and sister-in-law who run the business. I helped them with the individual business license in the early stages and also provided some start-up capital!"
Later, the restaurant underwent several expansions, renovating and tidying up the outbuildings in the courtyard and the main house in the north wing, gradually reaching its current size!
"Over the years, I've traveled all over the country and seen quite a bit of the world. But you don't see many private restaurants with four signs hanging on them!"
"Don't even mention Fengcheng, even in Harbin, there are only a limited number of brands!"
"Hehe, I got this restaurant thanks to a friend. I was the first private individual business license holder in Quanfeng City!"
When we first opened, most of the fresh ingredients that our hunting team caught in the mountains were used as the restaurant's signature dishes!
Now that the restaurant has more sources of ingredients, including partnerships with local hunters, our hunting team no longer has to handle those trivial matters!
When Zhang Wenhui heard about the first individual business license issued in Fengcheng, she felt a new wave of emotion.
This thing was extremely sought-after back then, and even now. With it, one could openly and legitimately operate a business in a related category without worrying about the risks of being accused of speculation or profiteering.
At that point in time, this wasn't just a license plate; it was a treasure trove from the God of Wealth!
"This sole proprietorship business license must be hard to get, right?" Zhang Wenhui asked tentatively.
"Indeed, I owe my brother a real favor in order to get this license for me! I had to register with Iron City's system to get the qualification for this license!"
Fengcheng is nominally under the jurisdiction of Tiecheng, right? It's all been divided up through internal channels and connections. This license plate was basically obtained by pulling strings!
After listening, Zhang Wenhui nodded, gaining a deeper understanding of Yue Feng's background.
On the surface, he was just a young hunter serving as the village secretary in a mountain village, but his network of connections extended to almost every system in Fengcheng, and his influence was extraordinary.
It's one thing to be powerful in the city right at your doorstep, but to have your brother's reputation carry weight in Iron City too—just how high-ranking must that person be?
The two were chatting quietly when they heard a noise. It was Yue Shan, who came in carrying a bottle of liquor infused with tiger bones. He knocked on the door and came in.
"Big brother!" Yue Feng immediately stood up and greeted his older brother with a smile.
"What brings you to the shop today! Your sister-in-law told me you brought a friend! Hello, my name is Yue Shan, I'm Xiao Feng's older brother! This wine is the one Xiao Feng kept on the shelf last time, he just couldn't bear to drink it. Since we have such distinguished guests, please have a taste!"
"Hello, my name is Zhang Wenhui, and I'm Xiaofeng's friend!"
Zhang Wenhui shook hands with Yue Shan and had a good impression of the older brother in front of her who looked about 60% like Yue Feng.
Originally, Yue Shan wasn't very good at dealing with outsiders. In Chen Hong's own words, her husband was a blockhead who didn't understand social etiquette.
However, after years of experience greeting and seeing off customers in the restaurant, he has long since shed his naivety and is now capable of handling things independently.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Yue Feng stood up and whispered in Yue Shan's ear, "Brother, is my sister-in-law pregnant? I just saw..."
Hearing his younger brother say this, Yue Shan was slightly taken aback, then habitually scratched his head proudly and said, "You have a good eye, kid. We just confirmed it not long ago! It's only been a little over three months now! The due date isn't until the second half of the year!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, that wine really works!" Yue Feng said with a smile.
"That will definitely work wonders! If it weren't for the business, your sister-in-law and I would have had a child long ago!"
I've discussed it with your sister-in-law, so don't worry. Everything in our shop is running smoothly now. Pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care will only take up to six months at most!
I can manage by myself keeping an eye on things in the store, and with the help of a temporary lobby manager from among the staff, we can manage!
Zhang Wenhui remained calm when she heard Yue Feng and his brother whispering to each other.
After Yue Shan exchanged a few polite words and left, Zhang Wenhui asked curiously, "What were you and your brother talking about about wine just now?" (End of this chapter)