Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 159 Joining the Chamber of Commerce
Yu Sufeng invited Tan Huaike to discuss important matters, but they arranged to meet in a private room at Yanzhisi Restaurant. Tan Huaike wondered if he was being stingy with his treat and wanted her to pay for the meal. It wasn't that she was worried about the restaurant's profits, but she found it strange. There should always be a distinction between host and guest at banquets between merchants, and this ambiguous invitation was indeed quite peculiar.

However, she soon realized that she had been judging others by her own petty standards. Yu Sufeng had booked the private room for the day well before the invitation was even extended, and had prepaid for lunch, tea, and even compensation for table turnover. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought that he was the owner of Yan Zhisi, and that Tan Huaike was an outsider being invited to the banquet.

Moreover, it wasn't until later in the conversation that Tan Huaike realized that Yu Sufeng had another purpose in doing this.

Upon meeting, Tan Huaike greeted him warmly, saying, "I've been so busy with the opening of the incense shop branch lately that I neglected this place. I was completely unaware that Yu Sufeng had gone to such lengths to give me face, booking a private room to entertain me, the owner. I'm truly ashamed. I should cover all the expenses today..."

Yu Sufeng raised his hand to interrupt her, a smile on his round face: "Please don't say such perfunctory things, Boss Tan. It was precisely because I was afraid you would insist on treating me that I paid all the money early this morning and didn't let them tell you."

His small eyes gleamed with shrewdness. “Boss Tan, my intention in doing this is not to embarrass you, but to let you know my sincerity. After all, there is probably no more suitable place in the entire Andu than Yan Zhisi for the matters we are about to discuss.”

The two sat facing each other at separate tables. Tan Huaike gestured for Pei'er to ladle out the wine and set out the dishes, then asked her to stand guard outside the door.

Once the private room was completely quiet, Tan Huaike asked, "What does Yu Sufeng want to talk to me about?"

Yu Sufeng did not rush to state his purpose, but instead praised, "I heard that Wangchen Incense Shop has been doing very well lately. It has not only solved the problem of supply falling short of the demand for precious spices, but also cleared out the inventory of ordinary spices. Furthermore, it has brazenly acquired other incense shops and opened branches in just a few days. I suppose Boss Tan has put in a lot of effort?"

“Speaking of this, I really have to offer you a toast.” Tan Huaike generously stood up to offer a toast and said, “Yu Sufeng’s words that day were like a wake-up call, which is how I came up with a solution to the problem.”

"Hey? Don't pin this credit on me." Yu Sufeng feigned ignorance. "What did I say that day? I just took advantage of my wealth and shamelessly bought some Huan Yi tent incense from you to give to my wife, and even took the opportunity to rip you off several boxes of ordinary incense. I didn't come up with any of those cunning ideas for you, like setting a threshold of a hundred taels of silver, bribing the servants of powerful figures in the capital to deliver the incense, or suppressing and bribing your competitors."

He verbally declined, but didn't hesitate, tilting his head back and drinking the wine cup clean.

Tan Huaike joked, "Really? I misunderstood. I thought Yu Sufeng came here specifically to give me some pointers."

"Oh dear, putting aside what inspiration I gave you, in all my years in business, this is the first time I've met a businessman with such a shrewd mind as Mr. Tan. It seems that all these business problems can be solved by you with new tricks."

"Yu Sufeng is too kind," Tan Huaike said, ladling out another ladle of wine. "Shall we continue to flatter each other?"

"Have some vegetables, your roasted mutton smells so good." Yu Sufeng patted her plump belly and swallowed hard. "It's making me so hungry."

"Let's fill our stomachs first," Tan Huaike said, unable to suppress a laugh.

She had figured out Yu Sufeng's temperament a bit. He seemed unserious, but he was actually a seasoned veteran in the business world who could make people lower their guard with just a few words.
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Having thoroughly satisfied Su Feng's craving, he wiped his hands and face and finally got to the point.

This time, he didn't beat around the bush and reminded her, "When I visited your incense shop last time, I mentioned that I was preparing for something big that would benefit everyone, and I hoped that Boss Tan could provide assistance. That's exactly what we're going to talk about today."

Tan Huai Ke nodded: "Please speak, I certainly won't renege on my debt." Yu Su Feng got straight to the point: "Perhaps you've already heard that I'm the president of the Guangli Chamber of Commerce. I've come here today to invite you to join our Guangli Chamber of Commerce."

Do you want her to join the chamber of commerce?
Having operated in Da Xuan for so long, Tan Huai Ke had naturally heard of the Guangli Chamber of Commerce. Moreover, she hadn't only heard of it after coming to Andu; she had heard many merchants mention it in Zhangye County. Among them were many words of praise expressing admiration, as well as words of resentment about having their business stolen by the Chamber of Commerce. However, she had never dared to dream that one day she could also establish a relationship with such a famous trading organization.

The Central Plains are a vast and resource-rich land, and merchants are often limited to operating within their own territories. Therefore, they often cooperate and distribute materials and goods by signing contracts with each other.

During the Daxuan trade period, there were government decrees such as "equalization of transport" and "price stabilization" that required cooperation between officials and merchants. Private chambers of commerce could act as intermediaries between the two, assisting in the management of tribute procurement and tax collection. The Guangli Chamber of Commerce was the largest in scale, covered the widest area, and recruited the most merchants.

Yu Sufeng was able to become as wealthy as a feudal lord not only because of his outstanding business acumen, but also because of his control and management of the chamber of commerce, which made him highly respected by both officials and businessmen.

Tan Huaike thought for a moment and said, "So the Forgotten Dust Incense Shop was a test for me."

She suddenly realized that Yu Sufeng had been observing and testing her for a long time in order to see if she could handle various risks and whether she was qualified to join the Guangli Chamber of Commerce.

The Ke Guangli Chamber of Commerce has existed for a long time, so why is it said to be a major event that has been prepared recently?

And why do they value her so much?

Tan Huaike voiced his doubts.

Yu Sufeng replied, “The major project I’ve been preparing recently is to establish a special channel within the Guangli Chamber of Commerce. This main road leads westward, aiming not only to cover the four prefectures of Hexi in Da Xuan, but also to extend to the western countries beyond Yangguan. We will lay the foundation for this new trade route, securing countless riches for ourselves.”

Tan Huaike was taken aback: "You want to bring the merchants from the Western Regions under your control?"

“That’s right,” Yu Sufeng said frankly. “The Great Xuan’s ‘Market Law’ states that as a self-governing body of private merchants, the Chamber of Commerce must assist the government in maintaining trade stability. Now that the court’s determination to expand trade in the western border is becoming increasingly clear, our Chamber of Commerce should naturally take the lead. The reason we came to you is that we hope you can take on this responsibility after joining the Chamber of Commerce.”

"Me?" Tan Huaike asked in surprise. "Me, a merchant girl from another race, is that really possible?"

“It is precisely because you have foreign blood and are quite good at business that I have taken a liking to you.” Yu Sufeng pushed open the small window of the private room and looked outside. “And look, your Yanzhi Shop has already gathered many foreign merchants and vendors. Anyone who wants to establish themselves in Andu, whether it is to eat a bite of their hometown food or to learn from your experience in opening a shop, will inevitably gather here.”

"The same applies to Wangchen Incense Shop. If you need more sources of spices, you will inevitably need to establish connections with more merchants from Hexi and beyond the Great Wall. Since you were going to do it anyway, why not do it through the Chamber of Commerce?"

This suggestion greatly shocked Tan Huaike, and he was filled with many thoughts.

At this moment, Yu Sufeng delivered the most tempting blow, saying, "With the Chamber of Commerce as your backing, and the merits of the Assistant Manager, what is there to worry about with the title of Imperial Merchant?"
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Next chapter: Stand taller, see further.