John’s brother was voraciously eating delicious food when he noticed that Wei, the manager, seemed off. He mumbled to Zhang Fang, “What’s going on?”
“Someone from the George family has come. They seem to be looking for trouble,” Zhang Fang replied, putting down his chopsticks, his expression showing concern.
“ If they dare mess with you, my brother will definitely make the queen deal with them!” John’s brother exclaimed immediately.
“Let’s invite them in and see what the situation is,” Zhang Fang signaled to Wei to bring the person in.
Finally, the awaited individual had arrived.
Zhang Fang was not only interested in completing his clothing trade business but also wanted to acquire advanced weapons to take back for study.
John had already helped Zhang Fang gather information about the George family’s background. Zhang Fang felt fortunate to have crossed over before this family completely swallowed the Eastern market. Otherwise, if given another six months, the George family would certainly have dominated the Eastern market! At that point, the local cloth would only be able to survive by relying on foreign merchants.
John’s brother recognized people from the George family, but they did not know him. After all, John’s family came from humble beginnings, and it was already a stroke of luck that they could rely on the queen. Families without status or background simply didn’t make an impression and would not attract attention. Even if they temporarily gained the queen’s trust, outsiders would not hold them in high regard.
Logically, Zhang Fang should have invited the guests to sit down. However, he deliberately did not do so; the Zhang family and the George family were destined to have a confrontation. Zhang Fang also wanted to provoke the George family intentionally, making them direct their hostility solely at him. This would allow Zhang Fang to seek John’s brother’s help and request some weapons for self-defense.
The four upper-tier members of the George family were waiting for Zhang Fang to invite them to sit, but the young man’s eyes were provocative and gave no indication of offering a seat. In terms of the etiquette of the Eastern powers, this was truly disrespectful! There was not the slightest hint of courtesy!
“I’ve heard that in the East, your country personally welcomes distinguished guests. Is this how you treat yours?” George Henry said, staring coldly at Zhang Fang.
Zhang Fang smiled lightly and replied, “There is, of course, a way to treat distinguished guests. But are you a distinguished guest to me?”
John’s brother also sensed that the George family members were not here with good intentions, and directly asked, “What do you want?”
George Henry glanced at John’s brother, who was a stranger to him, and coldly threatened Zhang Fang, “Are you implying that I do not deserve to be your guest? Young man, do not be so arrogant. You will pay a devastating price for your arrogance today!”
Since there was no way to have a courteous discussion, it seemed they would have to rip the masks off. George Henry’s purpose in visiting Zhang Fang today was to warn him to leave the Empire of the Sun. If Zhang Fang was sensible, they could let him live and leave. Unfortunately, the young man was too arrogant and needed to be taught a harsh lesson!
Hearing George Henry threaten Zhang Fang, John’s brother became infuriated. He wanted to stand up and help Zhang Fang by berating the opponent. But Zhang Fang restrained his hand, giving him a warning glance.
Seeing this, John’s brother could only bite his tongue and endure the situation.
Zhang Fang stood up, his stature tall and thin, but his shoulders felt as strong as steel. He leveled his gaze at George Henry and mocked, “What can you do to me? Will you make it impossible for me to do business, or do you intend to ruin my life?”
George Henry thought this young man was unbelievably arrogant! He was unlike all those obsequious Easterners he knew. In the parlance of the Eastern powers, this young man was like a hard nut to crack, a stubborn stumbling block! It was truly detestable! He wanted nothing more than to break this kid’s legs and bend his spine, forcing him to kneel like a dead dog and beg for mercy!
“Then let it be as you wish! I hope you don’t regret your arrogance today!” George Henry felt there was nothing more to say to this young man. He would have to use strong measures to force him to submit, chasing him out of the Empire of the Sun!
After leaving behind his harsh words, George Henry departed.
John’s brother angrily exclaimed, “That bastard! He dares to oppose us!”
In his view, even the prime minister had been defeated by them! A mere George family, with their wealth, dared not to oppose them!
Zhang Fang informed him, “The George family must have seen us secure an order from the high-ranking nobility; jealous, they are now trying to take action against us. My foundation here is still too shallow. I’m not sure if we can compete with them.”
John’s brother confidently stated, “With my brother here, we can definitely stand against them!”
Zhang Fang analyzed for John’s brother, “For this trade, I’ve brought some fabrics enough to make a batch of clothing. However, the fabric is ultimately limited. If we want to establish ourselves here and successfully create our brand, we must ensure our fabric supply is sufficient. Shipping is a major issue. I suspect the George family will try to sever our fabric supply.”
Slamming his hand on the table in anger, John’s brother spat, “If they dare take underhanded actions, my brother will definitely not let them off the hook!”
“I want to talk to John personally. After all, this is our major issue!” Zhang Fang insisted on meeting John.
Upon hearing that the George family was causing trouble, John came over that evening to meet with Zhang Fang.
Zhang Fang presented several demands. The first was to guarantee a supply of fabric. This was essential to complete the clothing production and sales. Since the fabric came from the East and was transported through maritime routes, this process was not safe and could encounter accidents at any moment. Therefore, Zhang Fang hoped John would bring this up with the queen to propose safeguarding the interests of foreign merchants. This guarantee would include the ability for foreign merchants to hire the Royal Navy for shipments. The high shipping fees would be covered by the merchants.
The John brothers felt a pang of regret, but for the sake of long-term benefits and becoming the richest in the world, they were willing to make some sacrifices. John felt this should not be too difficult. The queen was already drafting new policies for trade exchanges. He would mention this to her when he returned, and the queen would definitely agree!
Zhang Fang also informed them that the George family might try to kill him. After all, as the leader of the merchant group, if he died, the trade cooperation would be impossible to continue.
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