“President Wan, I am willing to donate all of my assets except for the funds needed for my essential turnover to DaJin,” Nan Feng said, knowing that it was essential to say such at this time.
“That’s all well said now, but will you truly do so when the time es?” President Wan asked.
“President Wan, when I was in Ping County, the Yamen once organized us merchants to donate to refugees; I donated all of my available funds at the time. Although I only had a hundred taels of silver in savings then, the Yamen of Ping County can attest to this fact,” Nan Feng replied.
Only then did Nan Feng gain approval.
After questioning Nan Feng, President Wan soon asked a cloth merchant to vouch. The merchant also had to answer questions, just like Nan Feng did.
“If you were to donate, how much would you donate?” President Wan asked the merchant.
The merchant pondered for a moment, “At least a hundred taels, I suppose.”
President Wan looked quite dissatisfied with the merchant’s reply: “Mr.Chen, isn’t that a bit too less? Your cloth business has grown so big and you’re only donating a hundred taels. Did you hear what Lady Nan just said? She will donate all of her available funds!”
The merchant chuckled and responded, “I have elders to take care of and children to raise; it’s just impossible for me to donate that much. I’ll donate as much as I can.”
President Wan frowned, “You still haven’t thoroughly studied ’Business Morality.’ Well, you better take the time to memorize it properly; make sure you understand its meanings before ing back.”
The merchant immediately lost his posure.
“Next…” President Wan said.
…
Not long after the endorsement gathering had ended, President Wan came to announce the next event – the first feast of this year.
“President Wan, haven’t we been having a bit too many events recently?” asked Nan Feng.
To Nan Feng’s surprise, President Wan responded with a somewhat slighted expression, “It’s not that I want to, but recently, the higher-ups have been applying pressure on us. Just a few days ago, I met with the governor who urged us to improve our overall deportment in business matters. I genuinely have no other choice.”
Nan Feng then asked, “But, wouldn’t reading more suffice to improve our deportment? Why force us to make a donation? You’ve seen how much it embarrassed Mr. Chen from the cloth business the other day, right?”
President Wan’s facial expression changed slightly, but considering Nan Feng was just a young lady, he didn’t really blame her and instead spoke with a paternal tone, “Lady Nan, you must be careful not to use the word ’force’ in the future. If you’re caught misspeaking, you could be severely punished.”
“Okay, I’ll avoid using that term. I sincerely believe that donations should be according to one’s abilities. However, since this view is not favored by the Business Association, I won’t bring it up anymore in the future!” Nan Feng was someone who knew how to read the room.
“You’re young and teachable, have a promising future ahead,” President Wan looked at Nan Feng with appreciation, “Anyway, the reason I asked you like this is because the governor required it of me. But don’t worry, it’s not like you’re expected to donate every day. Besides, you certainly won’t be forced to donate in critical situations, so what’s there to be afraid of?”
“President Wan, your vision is impressive!” Nan Feng praised him, albeit insincerely.
President Wan asked Nan Feng again, “What’s your current consideration regarding my previous proposition about investing in the bank? It’s a fantastic opportunity; you’ll regret missing out on it.”
As for the matter of the bank, Nan Feng had long made a decision.
Such a bank operates similarly to modern-day loan-sharking; lending out money and making profits from the interest collected.
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