Chapter 1641 - The Hair-Bandits' Business Sense

This news struck Zhang Yu like a thunderbolt. No other family could ever compete with a business operated by the Hair-bandits themselves. They employed no underhanded tricks or official influence—they could crush opponents to death simply through price and quality.

Take the incident years ago when Owner Guo started selling various Australian coarse papers. Inside and outside the city, papermakers and paper sellers—except for those dealing in fine stationery products who escaped disaster because Australians did not manufacture such items—almost none were spared. Most went bankrupt. Those who barely survived could only make a living by distributing "Australian paper."

That was one matter, because shops selling paper did not produce paper themselves. When Australian paper flooded in, what collapsed were the papermaking workshops and wholesale paper firms. Retail small shops could still make a living, with profits sometimes even better than before.

The problem was that walnut cookies were both produced and sold by their own hands. If the Australians' tea food shop also sold walnut cookies, and their prices were cheaper—small shops like theirs would have to shutter permanently in an instant.

"Mother, don't worry," Zhang Yu forced down the panic in his heart. "We are a century-old shop. Everyone recognizes this brand. What does it matter if their price is lower?"

"Yu'er, you don't understand," Mother frowned. "The retail portion—they indeed can't snatch much of that business. I'm afraid of losing the tea house trade..."

For the Zhang family shop's walnut cookies, tea houses were a major outlet. Their walnut cookies had earned some renown in this area. Nearby tea houses mostly used their goods. Though they could not make large profits, the fixed income was crucial to the small shop's survival.

Tea houses represented wholesale business. Distance did not matter. So long as "price was cheap and goods beautiful," Australians could seize that entire segment. If so, their own shop could no longer be sustained!

When this became clear, Zhang Yu also grew anxious. This was truly pulling the firewood from under the cauldron!

The Hair-bandits were truly hateful! He could not help clenching his fists—yet felt utterly lost. What could be done? The Hair-bandits surely had no regard for his family's small shop; they probably did not even know such a shop existed in Guangzhou City. Why must they open a tea food shop? Could it be they intended to sell "Australian Tea Food"?

Thinking of this, inspiration struck. Right, Australian tea food and Great Ming tea food must certainly differ. Dad said long ago—food customs differ within a hundred li. Australia lies ten thousand li overseas; they surely would not make walnut cookies exactly like our family's.

With this thought, he felt slightly relieved and comforted his mother. "Mother, don't be anxious. I have a senior student who is very familiar with Australian affairs. I'll go find him to verify—see whether this Australian tea food shop actually exists, and what it sells."

He changed into outing clothes and ran out like a wisp of smoke. Opposite his home stood a tofu shop. The boss's daughter was a year older than him, growing fair and delicate, often helping sell tofu at the shop front. The two frequently exchanged glances. Being young, they could not avoid making eyes at each other. Whenever the family needed to buy tofu, Zhang Yu rushed to go. When the girl handed him tofu, her hand would linger in his for a moment.

Seeing him emerge from the shop, the girl was gazing over affectionately—but watched him race past as if his rear were ablaze, not even glancing her way. She could not help spitting in secret annoyance.

He ran straight to the community school. Sure enough, Wu Ming was still there at this hour, sitting beneath the corridor conversing animatedly with several senior students. Seeing this student who had slipped away before noon running back and constantly winking, Wu Ming trusted he had some urgent matter to communicate. He said "Back in a moment" and strolled over at a leisurely pace.

Before Zhang Yu could open his mouth, Wu Ming's fan had already knocked on his head with a pa.

"You little rascal, skipping school all day! Wait until the teacher returns—see if he doesn't beat your backside raw." Wu Ming said with a smile. Though they held the actual relationship of teacher and student, ordinarily they were considered classmates, without formality in their interactions.

Zhang Yu was in no mood to joke with him. He grabbed his wrist and pulled him aside, saying urgently: "I have something to discuss!"

"Oh? Usually getting poor grades on exams doesn't see you this anxious..." Wu Ming straightened his sleeves. "Speak. What's the matter?"

"Senior Student, I know you are generally versed in Banditology. Do the Hair-bandits have tea food shops? Do they sell walnut cookies?"

Wu Ming did not immediately grasp the background and said vaguely: "Probably they do."

"Do they or don't they, after all?" Zhang Yu's eyes were turning red with anxiety.

Wu Ming did not understand why this junior student had suddenly become interested in Hair-bandit tea food. Seeing him so distressed, he offered comfort: "Speak slowly. Why do you ask?"

Zhang Yu then recounted the news he had heard from his mother in full detail.

"...As long as the Hair-bandits handle the business themselves, no one else can continue operating," he said nervously. "What should we do? My family relies solely on this one shop for our livelihood."

This stumped Wu Ming. The Yuyuan Society specialized in researching Banditology, but had never researched Hair-bandit "tea food." However, one thing was certain: if Hair-bandits also opened a tea food shop, the prices would definitely undercut this junior student's family. Moreover, Australian tea food shops would undoubtedly be like the Purple Treasure Studio—paying only normal taxes. The endless miscellaneous "donations" and customary fees would not cost them a single wen. This alone gave them an advantage over the junior student's shop.

Wu Ming opened his fan, waved it a few times, and suddenly laughed. "What are you afraid of? Walnut cookies are cheap items when you think about it. Your family's shop is inside the city; the Great World is outside the city. Who would travel so far to buy a piece of walnut cookie? Even if they sell it cheaper, foot-travel expenses are still expenses. Besides, your family is a century-old shop. Fine wine fears no deep alley. Australian shops don't have that reputation."

"Senior Student, what you say is correct. But what I fear is them snatching the tea house business. That is bulk trade. As long as their price is slightly lower, tea houses will all go there to stock goods. Without the bulk business, my family's shop cannot hold up!"

"So that's it!" Wu Ming slapped his thigh with his fan, speaking with excitement: "This Way of Economy is indeed fascinating! The Australians truly do not deceive me!"

A look of disappointment appeared on Zhang Yu's face. He did not understand "Way of Economy" or whatever, but he could see Senior Student Wu had no clever stratagem for this either.

Just as he was disheartened, Wu Ming suddenly said: "I actually have an idea. Isn't this Great World currently inviting merchants? I think—why not simply move the shop to the Great World? Since it's Australian territory, those customary fees and miscellaneous donations can all be avoided. Wouldn't that be wonderful!"

Zhang Yu did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Senior Student, you just said: Who would travel outside the city to buy a piece of walnut cookie? Small shops like ours do business with neighbors on a few streets. Moving to the Great World, all that old custom would be gone..." Seeing this, he knew Wu Ming could not produce any clever solution, so he said dejectedly: "I'll find someone else to inquire."

"Don't be anxious," Wu Ming said. "As it happens—I have a good friend who recently arrived from Lingao. How about I take you to see him? He lived in Lingao for a long time; he knows the Australians' situation thoroughly."

"That would be excellent!" Zhang Yu bowed deeply. "Please take me there quickly, Senior Student."

Wu Ming had a warm heart. Immediately requesting leave from the school, he led Zhang Yu to Huang Binkun's lodgings.

Hearing Zhang Yu's words, Huang Binkun sighed long and said: "As expected! The Hair-bandits' evil claws have indeed reached into Guangzhou Prefecture!"

This phrase "Someone's Evil Claws" was rhetoric the Australians commonly used. Huang Binkun, influenced by what he heard and saw, had learned it as well.

"Brother Huang..." Wu Ming opened his mouth, winking at him: This young fellow is anxious—stop sighing and groaning.

"Speaking of tea food shops, Lingao has them," Huang Binkun said. "Walnut cookies—I haven't seen any." He paused. "However, I generally don't care for that item. Perhaps they exist; I simply haven't noticed them personally..."

Zhang Yu was nearly in tears. What manner of answer is this?

Huang Binkun hesitated, then continued: "Actually, this young brother need not be so anxious. The Hair-bandits' way of doing things has always been 'those who submit to me prosper, those who resist me perish.' So long as you go along with them, they always leave room. I imagine this time will probably be the same."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Based on what I've seen and heard, Hair-bandits detest small workshop businesses most. Everything must be gathered into large factories. So this time, if they also intend to open a tea food shop, they will certainly want to open a vast, enormous tea food factory..."

Zhang Yu's face turned white. He could not imagine what a vast, enormous tea food factory looked like, but if there were suddenly an abundance of walnut cookies on the market, the price cuts would certainly lead to total ruin—his family could not afford it.

"...However, they always leave a path for the common people. When the time comes, they will probably organize some 'cooperative,' invite you to join 'joint operation,' then distribute a few small shares to you, asking you to work in the factory. If nothing else, supporting a family without worrying about food and clothing shouldn't be a problem."

"This is being swallowed up!" Zhang Yu shouted. "My family is a century-old shop, a golden signboard. How could we go participate in some 'joint operation'?"

Huang Binkun looked at Zhang Yu and shook his head sorrowfully. "Young Brother, you don't understand the ruthlessness of Hair-bandit methods. Though I haven't tasted your family's walnut cookies, as long as the Hair-bandits wish to make them, they definitely won't make them worse than yours—probably far better. The price would at most be exactly the same. What recourse do you have?"

"Putting it that way, we just wait for death with bowed heads?" Zhang Yu's face was ashen. He remembered that former classmate selling smiles in the gigolo house.

Seeing his dejected expression, Wu Ming knew this matter weighed heavily upon him. Thinking that rather than speak meaningless words of comfort, a direct approach would serve better, he said:

"Don't be anxious. Since the Australians are inviting merchants now, how about you and I go to the Great World tomorrow to take a look? Whether the Australians have tea food shops, whether they make walnut cookies—asking face to face will make everything clear. Isn't that better than tormenting yourself with worries for no reason?"

Zhang Yu thought this was the only way. "That works too."

Huang Binkun's heart ached, and he said: "At least the Hair-bandits still have some conscience—it's not as if they exterminate everyone. How about this: tomorrow I shall accompany you both. To see whether there are True Hair-bandits present. I can also speak a few sentences of Australian Bandit dialect. I can ask clearly, face to face."

(End of Chapter)