Fifty million a day, trapped in the county town, can't spend it all.

"Feed?" A deep male voice came from the phone.

"Boss, the plan failed. Now Zhang Yang has signed contracts with all the transportation companies in the county. I can't even find a truck to deliver the goods. I have to get trucks from other places, so I basically have no profit." Zhao Yongchang said with a wronged expression.

"Useless! I asked you to keep an eye on Moore Department Store for me, and you thought you were so clever, saying you'd planted the seeds so you could get it at the lowest price. And what happened?"

"How would I know? Zhang Yang is completely unpredictable. Have you ever met someone who buys such a large building outright after just one meeting?"

Zhao Yongchang was almost in tears, and continued, "With him doing this, how am I supposed to keep my building materials market running? We're already on a low-profit, high-volume model, and now with transportation costs going up, I'm really like a frog in slowly boiling water."

"Alright, you'll have to find a car yourself this time," the man said calmly, then changed the subject, "However, the way he's acting is leaving you no way out. It seems you, Boss Zhao, are getting old and your courage has waned. Do you think I should consider finding someone else to help me manage the building materials market in Mou County?"

Zhao Yongchang was shocked upon hearing this and immediately pledged his loyalty: "Boss, I will find a way to resolve the transportation issue. Zhang Yang has cut off my path, but he can't cut off my connections. I've been in Mou County for twenty years, and I didn't stay there for nothing. Give me another month, and I'll teach him what the rules are."

"Hmph, you'd better watch yourself."

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Yongchang wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face ashen.

After calming himself down, Zhao Yongchang called his secretary.

"Mr. Zhao."

"Go and find me a few transport trucks right now. A shipment needs to be delivered to the provincial capital by Friday."

"The cost of personal transportation..." the secretary reminded her.

"Just deal with the immediate situation first. Make it clear to them that if the price is right, we can cooperate long-term."

"clear."

After the secretary left, Zhao Yongchang lit a cigarette. Zhang Yang's move to cut off his supply lines had really put him in a difficult position. His current situation was not good. The big boss was obviously very dissatisfied with his work. In addition, his business, which had been stable for many years, had suddenly been disrupted, which was really frustrating.

But would Zhao Yongchang admit it so easily?

It's impossible!

Zhang Yang doesn't intend to confront things head-on, but he can't do nothing.

Experienced business people understand one thing: no matter which county you're in, if you want to gain a foothold, it's not enough to just focus on making money. You also need to know who will help you and who will laugh at you.

What Zhang Yang is doing now is challenging what Zhao Yongchang has built up over the past twenty years in Mou County. If he doesn't fight back, those who are waiting to see him make a fool of himself will think he's really old.

But he didn't want to be known as "petty," because in doing business in the county, reputation was more important than money.

Although his methods of making his fortune were not exactly honorable, after so many years in the business, he had long since figured out the rules, so he didn't want to break the rules that everyone accepted unless absolutely necessary.

As he pondered how to break the deadlock, a notification popped up on his phone's memo app. Upon seeing it, Zhao Yongchang's blood pressure spiked.

The reminder was about a private room he had booked at a restaurant, which was originally intended for Zhang Yang's gathering. However, the people he had sent to gather information had now become swords pointed at him.

He mentally cursed Liu Quanyou and his entire family.

After calming down, Zhao Yongchang suddenly thought of a solution. He immediately took out his phone, found a number saved as "Old Hu," and dialed it.

Are you busy?

"Not bad, Mr. Zhao, what do you say?"

"I heard Zhang Yang is buying fresh tea leaves recently. Are the prices reasonable?"

"It's alright, not too high, not too low."

Zhao Yongchang pondered for a moment and said, "I need your help with something. I need you to come up with a solution for Zhangyang Tea Factory..."

"This..." The other party was stunned for a moment after hearing this.

"After it's done, you'll get your share of the benefits. Just one request: don't leave any loose ends."

"it is good."

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Yongchang called a local hardware store owner to invite him to dinner. The private room had already been booked, and it would be a waste not to use it now. It would be better to do something practical.

Just thinking about Liu Quanyou's face made Zhao Yongchang's teeth itch with anger.

"Feed?" A middle-aged man's voice came from the phone.

"Hey Zheng, are you free tonight? How about we get together, guys? It's been a while since we chatted."

Old Zheng laughed and said, "Sure, Boss Zhao invited me to dinner, I have to come."

"Okay, I'll send you the address later. You can call your old buddies."

"I'll definitely be there on time."

In the evening, after the group finished their meal, Zhao Yongchang took them to a teahouse for tea.

Zhao Yongchang placed the tea he had prepared in advance on the table. "It's a gift from a friend. If you can't finish it, you can each take a can later." Then he poured himself a cup of tea and sighed as he drank it.

Seeing that he looked worried, the others asked him what had happened.

Zhao Yongchang gave a wry smile: "It's nothing serious, it's just that business hasn't been very good lately."

"If business isn't doing well for you, Boss Zhao, then we'll starve!"

Zhao Yongchang shook his head and hesitated for a moment: "I can't ship my current goods."

"Can't send it?"

"All the transport fleets in the county have been booked, and I can't find a vehicle to deliver goods."

"Booked it? Who booked it?"

"Zhang Yang, the young man who bought Moore Department Store, signed long-term contracts with two long-distance transportation companies in the county, cutting off all my freight transportation."

Zhao Yongchang was clever; after mentioning it briefly, he changed the subject and never brought it up again. Instead, he asked Lao Zheng how his business was going recently. After chatting about everyday things for a while, seeing that it was almost time, he finished his last cup of tea, got up, and said goodbye.

As he reached the door, he paused for a moment behind the wall. Old Zheng's voice came from inside the private room: "That Zhang Yang... is he really that reckless?"

"I don't know, I've never been in contact with it."

Hearing the crickets chirping softly inside, Zhao Yongchang's lips curled up slightly as he quickly left. He knew that from this moment on, the phrase "Zhang Yang has chartered the entire county's fleet, cutting off Boss Zhao's livelihood" would quickly spread throughout the business circles of Mou County.

More importantly, he didn't say those words.

As Zhao Yongchang predicted, rumors about Zhang Yang began to circulate overnight.

It started with "Zhao Yongchang from the building materials market was bullied by a new young man", and gradually evolved into various versions.

Claims included: "Zhang Yang chartered a fleet of trucks, preventing Boss Zhao from delivering goods," "Zhang Yang, relying on his connections with the Investment Promotion Bureau, cut off the livelihood of local businessmen," and "That new young man wants to monopolize all the businesses in Mu County."

The rumors became increasingly outlandish as they spread.

Upon hearing this feedback, Zhao Yongchang pretended to be a good person and laughed, saying, "It's a good thing that young people are energetic; that's how the county can develop."

This statement sounds like it's speaking up for Zhang Yang, but in this context, it makes people think more than any complaint. Zhao Yongchang seems to be afraid of something, and his words are all polite.

People tend to believe the more negative version.

As a result, the rumors became more and more believable as they spread!

While listening to the feedback in his office, Zhao Yongchang felt that the time was right. He had already spread the message offline, and a final push online would be even more effective. So he sent a message to his secretary.

"Could you contact a few online influencers for me and report on the recent rumors circulating in the county?"