Chapter Eighteen: The Fight
After a week of operating Project B, Chen Guangliang began training the rickshaw pullers on how to pitch products and what to watch out for.
Generally, at least two training sessions were required, meaning they needed to be with Yangtze River Rickshaw Company for half a month before they could officially start promoting products.
Chen Guangliang’s training meetings rarely lasted more than twenty minutes to avoid irritating the pullers, so he always kept things brief and to the point.
“Our principle in product promotion is to prioritize customer convenience. We must never cause guests any annoyance. After a simple inquiry, do not persist in pushing the sale.”
“Selling products will bring more profit to the Yangtze River Rickshaw Company, and after one quarter, the company will settle your commission for sales labor through dividends.”
“How much each person earns depends on how much merchandise they purchase from me—in other words, the more you sell, the more you earn.”
“Of course, the profits Yangtze River Rickshaw Company makes are actually the earnings of all shareholders, including yourselves.”
One of the pullers asked, “What’s the standard for the dividend?”
Chen Guangliang nodded and explained, “Suppose you sell products worth 100 silver dollars. Our company’s profit is about 20 silver dollars, a 20% margin. Your dividend will be 30% of that profit, which is six silver dollars... Of course, based on my current statistics, a puller selling 10 silver dollars worth of products a month is already doing quite well, so think of it as accumulating small gains rather than getting rich.”
Everyone laughed. This general manager spoke plainly and clearly, making the benefits transparent.
Finally, Chen Guangliang emphasized the importance of unity, receiving wholehearted agreement from all.
In essence, the Yangtze River Rickshaw Company belonged to everyone at this point, and each puller dreamed of turning their investment into a fortune in two or three years. So anyone attempting to sabotage the company would be met with unyielding solidarity.
And indeed, that was the reality.
...
The next day, Chen Guangliang was busy settling accounts and tallying figures at the company’s base, while Zhou Xinggao and others were busy building the base.
After a week of construction, the Yangtze River Rickshaw Company’s base was surrounded with makeshift fences made from bamboo and door panels.
Everything was kept simple, as funds were limited and the leased land could be reclaimed by the owner at any time.
“Move aside... move aside...”
Tang Zhiqing, a disciple of Wang Chengyun, arrived at the base with seven or eight men.
“Chen Guangliang, doing pretty well lately, huh?”
Chen Guangliang calmly rose to his feet and replied with mild courtesy, “Master Tang, you flatter me. It’s just that we’re pooling resources to make a living together.”
He knew Tang Zhiqing well—a trusted enforcer of Wang Chengyun, notorious for his ruthlessness. The pullers at Wang’s Rickshaw Company all feared him.
“Bah! You ungrateful brat. If it weren’t for Boss Wang taking you in, you wouldn’t even have enough to eat. Now look at you, repeatedly poaching from Wang’s company. You must be sick of your life!”
The atmosphere immediately grew tense. Tang Zhiqing’s men bristled with hostility; they were Wang Chengyun’s pawns, usually doing menial tasks but ready to act as enforcers when needed.
Meanwhile, Zhou Xinggao stood expressionless behind Chen Guangliang with several pullers, matching Tang’s group in presence.
Chen Guangliang remained composed and spoke first, “Master Tang, the accusations of poaching are baseless. We all have some spare money; pooling funds to buy a rickshaw and take turns ferrying customers is reasonable. Besides, Wang’s Rickshaw Company never lacks pullers, right?”
Seeing he couldn’t out-argue Chen Guangliang, Tang Zhiqing suddenly drew a knife, snarling, “You little punk, you think you’re worthy of reason?”
At once, his men brandished weapons, and the atmosphere became suffocatingly tense.
Some pullers hesitated, wondering whether to fight back.
Only Zhou Xinggao immediately drew a wooden staff to confront Tang Zhiqing’s attack.
He had recovered his strength; Tang’s group was mere child’s play for him—he was used to guns and close combat.
Of course, Chen Guangliang was quick to react.
Being a leader in society required not just courage but also a sturdy physique.
He grabbed a bench and joined the fray.
Initially, six pullers were scared, but seeing Chen Guangliang and Zhou Xinggao fight fiercely, they grabbed sticks and joined the battle.
Moments later—
“Chen Guangliang, you’ve got guts!”
Tang Zhiqing lay beneath Chen Guangliang’s foot, snarling bitterly.
No one had expected Chen to have such a fierce warrior like Zhou Xinggao under him, or that Chen himself was a formidable fighter, with several pullers willing to stand up and fight alongside.
Chen struck Tang Zhiqing in the face with a punch, making him see stars.
“Go back and tell Wang Chengyun, if he wants a fight, I’ve got thirty men here, each willing to fight to the death because this company is our everything. Ask him how many of his people would die for him!”
Then Chen lifted Tang Zhiqing into the air, laughing wildly.
Sometimes, playing the grassroots hero was not a bad idea.
After all, the enemy had come right to their doorstep.
“Manager Chen is formidable!”
“Manager Chen’s strength is boundless!”
Clearly, showing some strength made it easier to establish oneself.
Just like earlier, Zhou Xinggao fought relentlessly; no thug could get close to him.
...
When Tang Zhiqing returned battered along with his injured comrades, Wang Chengyun was shocked.
“Who did this?”
Wang Chengyun knew Tang was skilled in martial arts and ruthless in combat; an ordinary person was no match.
“Boss, Chen Guangliang is a freak—unbelievably strong and ruthless. Plus, he has an underling who looks like a seasoned killer... He said they have thirty lives here, each willing to fight to the death!”
Wang slammed his fist on the table, realizing Chen Guangliang was threatening him.
“Thirty tough guys are still just lives!”
To Wang, killing a puller was no big deal; usually, they were like a pack of lapdogs.
Tang knew that to gain his boss’s trust, he couldn’t belittle the enemy; otherwise, he would appear useless.
“A few pullers fought back today. They’re not afraid to die; I don’t know why!”
Wang sighed slightly, understanding the logic. These pullers were shareholders now; naturally, they wanted to protect their interests.
“That Chen Guangliang really is strong. When did he get such a fierce warrior under him?”
Tang hurriedly said, “I’ve trained in martial arts since childhood and can easily defeat three or five opponents, but today, facing Chen Guangliang, I gained no advantage. His single strike made my arm numb. And his underling’s moves were fast, fierce, and precise—otherwise, we would have won... You can ask them if you don’t believe me.”
After hearing the report, Wang Chengyun’s expression turned grave.
“Rest up and heal properly. Don’t embarrass me next time!”
“Yes, Boss.”
Wang then paced in the living room. Bowing to Chen Guangliang was out of the question.
If brute force failed, he would resort to cunning.
Wang Chengyun had made it this far in Shanghai for a reason.
His network alone far surpassed what Chen Guangliang had now.
“Hmph, Chen Guangliang, we’ll take our time with you!”
A sinister expression crossed Wang’s face, starkly different from his usual demeanor.