Upon hearing Zhang Fang’s words, John’s brother had no choice but to agree to return to the Land of the Rising Sun as soon as possible. After all, their business empire was still in its infancy and required their diligent efforts! They would certainly have plenty of opportunities to venture east in the future!
Staring at his four sons, Old Mr. Zhang remained silent for a while.
Zhang Dasha seriously told him, “Dad, we really have turned over a new leaf! Although we may not have much ability, we want to help out at the fabric shop! We have sincere hearts! Even if it’s just sweeping the floor, we are willing!”
Old Mr. Zhang continued to be silent.
Zhang Sisha couldn’t help but mutter, “Shouldn’t we just give it up? It seems Dad doesn’t want us to help. Is he afraid we’ll drag him down?”
With a tense expression, Old Mr. Zhang’s feelings were complex.
To be honest, he had often fantasized that if these sons could reform, return as prodigals, and become his obedient children, it would be so wonderful. However, with the fantasy now turning into reality, it felt unreal to him. Old Mr. Zhang was afraid that all of this was merely a beautiful dream.
“Dad, say something! We’re willing to serve tea, fetch water, and sweep the floor! We won’t complain!” Zhang Dasha urged Old Mr. Zhang to respond to them.
Unable to contain himself, Old Mr. Zhang sarcastically retorted, “You think very highly of yourselves. What a choice of easy work!”
Zhang Dasha: …
The implication of his words was that they weren’t even worthy of doing simple tasks like serving tea or sweeping the floor?
Zhang Dasha felt a pang of heartache. Could it be that the four of them were truly so useless that they couldn’t even manage to perform such minor tasks?
“Master! Good news has arrived!”
Old Zhao rushed in from outside, his face full of joy, and he looked extremely excited as if he had encountered a major event.
Old Mr. Zhang stood up and rushed out to greet him. Without waiting for Old Zhao to hand over the items he was holding, he directly snatched them away.
Upon seeing the contents of the newspaper, Old Mr. Zhang was overjoyed, tears of happiness streaming down his face. He repeatedly exclaimed, “Good, good, good! Well done!”
Even though he had already seen the photos from the fashion gala reported by Zhang Fang, seeing them published in the newspaper still made Old Mr. Zhang feel an irresistible thrill.
Zhang Dasha and the others followed him out, curiously crowding behind Old Mr. Zhang to see the newspaper in his hands.
The front page of the newspaper reported on Zhang Fang’s fashion gala in the Land of the Rising Sun. This press release was also provided by Zhang Fang, and the newspaper felt it was exceptionally well-written! They found no need to make any changes, so they published it with both text and images!
“I, the beauty of Huaxia, am favored by the queen of the Land of the Rising Sun, becoming a sought-after fabric in the upper echelons of society!” Zhang Sisha read the headline of the newspaper, rapidly scanning the main content without blinking.
The article’s central theme was very clear. Huaxia fabrics, Huaxia embroidery, Huaxia garments, and Huaxia accessories were all unparalleled gems of the world, unique in the global arena! The beauty of Huaxia cannot be compared!
After reading the article, Zhang Dasha and the others felt a surging emotion within them. It was as if their blood was ignited, boiling inside them. They surged with a fervent desire to excel and a strong cultural confidence!
So it turns out our things are not inferior!
So it turns out our products are so good!
So it turns out we are so awesome!
“Dad, our fabrics, embroidery, garments, and accessories are all excellent. Why do our countrymen prefer foreign goods instead?”
Zhang Sansha was particularly focused on food. Especially when he saw Zhang Fang make a comparison between Eastern and Western cuisines in the article, he felt that Westerners were truly unfortunate! They had never tasted so many delicious foods! He wondered what they had been eating all their lives. It was strange how Western restaurants had such limited offerings with mediocre taste, yet they were pursued by so many. Zhang Sansha couldn’t understand this phenomenon.
“Because of their admiration for foreign goods,” Old Mr. Zhang replied to Zhang Sansha’s question, borrowing Zhang Fang’s words. The origin of this trend was beyond inquiry.
Zhang Dasha asked Old Mr. Zhang, “Dad, how should we compete against foreign merchants now?”
Seeing his son so earnest, Old Mr. Zhang felt comforted. Looking as if victory was within his grasp, he produced a small notebook. This contained the plans laid out by Zhang Fang; everything was progressing smoothly, according to the plan. Next, Old Mr. Zhang would launch a counter-offensive against the foreign merchants! The rise of domestic fabric would surely push foreign textiles out of the market!
Old Mr. Zhang assigned tasks to his four sons.
They were understandably stunned, clearly not expecting that the business world could be so dirty and stimulating!
Narrowing his eyes, Old Mr. Zhang finally warned them, “If I find out that you all are out there enjoying yourselves and not taking care of business, don’t come back!”
Zhang Dasha solemnly promised, “Dad, we will work hard! We will definitely handle this beautifully!”
Zhang Ersha and Zhang Sansha nodded in agreement. Zhang Sisha curiously asked, “Dad, can we see what is written in that little booklet?”
Old Mr. Zhang quickly put the notebook away in a box, securing it with several locks.
Zhang Sisha couldn’t help but twitch his eyes. He asked again, “Dad, who provided this booklet to you? The one who came up with the strategies is truly talented!”
“It’s our youngest son! They are all my sons, why is there such a big difference?” Old Mr. Zhang cast a disapproving look at the four sons, as if the four were not his own flesh and blood, with only Zhang Fang being his true child.
Zhang Dasha and the others: …
“Dad, did the fifth brother go abroad again? When will he be back? I want to accompany him next time!” Zhang Dasha was always worried about that nightmare.
Old Mr. Zhang cast a complex glance at Zhang Dasha and said lightly, “First take care of yourselves.”
Although Zhang Dasha and the others had been fairly well-behaved recently, who could guarantee that these four sons wouldn’t fall back into bad habits?
“Stop standing around! Get moving, do what you need to.” Old Mr. Zhang did not have time to keep an eye on his four sons. He had many things to do! This time, he must take down the foreign merchants!
This news indeed shocked them. They did not expect that domestic fabrics would be sought after like treasures in the West, something the nobility would scramble for. It turned out that even Westerners found their own cuisine unpalatable! Many of their countrymen who had been to Western restaurants claimed the food was good, even if they couldn’t get used to it. They did so just to feel superior in front of those who had never been to a Western restaurant, which encouraged ridiculous praise for Western dishes. Zhang Fang’s article informed the people that even foreigners thought the Western cuisine was bad and that no Westerner could resist the deliciousness of Chinese cuisine!