In the study of science and engineering, the most important thing is to believe in objective facts.
Zhu Xiaosuo, who had pursued a doctorate, applied his scientific thinking to life, so he was never a stubborn person.
He would actively adopt opinions he deemed correct.
For instance, Zhuang Yun's words and final suggestion.
Zhuang Yun confidently spoke of the negotiation table, based on years of experience.
Zhu Xiaosuo, with no experience, believed him without reservation.
He only instructed Zhu Qigao to focus wholeheartedly on managing the Zhu Clan's medicinal herb business.
The medicinal herb business was the foundation of the Zhu Clan, and it was impossible for it to be divided among the other three families at the negotiation table.
Only these businesses could be guaranteed as their own.
Everything else was just a bonus.
He also frequently discussed negotiation matters with Zhuang Yun, Madam Feng, Zhu Qigao, and Zhu Liude.
Yes, it also included Madam Feng.
Zhu Xiaosuo had always admired Madam Feng's skills and vision.
There are no eternal enemies, no eternal friends, only eternal interests.
Zhu Xiaosuo publicly stated that the Zhu Clan's business would ultimately allocate at least thirty percent to the Zhuang family.
Madam Feng agreed to the cooperation.
Madam Feng mainly managed the inner household and didn't have much insight into business, but she recommended someone.
Zhu Liusong.
He was the former Chief Steward Zhu Qisong, whom she had previously promoted.
After Zhu Xiaosuo took control of the situation, he fearfully lowered his rank, becoming Zhu Liusong.
Zhu Liusong was also very worried about Zhu Xiaosuo's reckoning, as his daughter was the maid who had confronted Zhu Xiaosuo directly.
The name of a cultivator must not be insulted.
However, Zhu Xiaosuo did not hold a grudge.
He even gladly accepted Madam Feng's recommendation.
Zhuang Yun had spent many years in the Immortal Sect, untouched by worldly affairs. Zhu Qigao and Zhu Liude had dealt with matters on the ground all their lives. Madam Feng managed the inner household, and Zhu Xiaosuo was constantly involved in struggles.
No one could have a macro control over the business and territory of Mountain Chicken County.
Now, that person had arrived.
Zhu Liusong.
As Madam Feng's financial steward for many years, Zhu Liusong was well-versed in the business layout of Mountain Chicken County.
Grateful for Zhu Xiaosuo's mercy and Madam Feng's recommendation, Zhu Liusong put all his efforts into researching how to maximize profits.
Given five days, Zhu Liusong organized his thoughts.
During this period, the news of Zhuang Yun and Zhu Xiaosuo turning from enemies to friends and deepening their friendship reached the Niu, Ma, and Yang Clans.
Zhu Xiaosuo and Zhuang Yun soon received a Sound Transmission Order from Niu Shilin, inviting them to a negotiation ten days later, and learned that Niu Shilin had invited a Bone Transformation Stage cultivator to support the Niu family.
Zhu Liusong reported back to Zhu Xiaosuo and the others in the inner hall as scheduled.
"Master, Immortal Master Zhuang, Madam, I am here to report the results."
"Good, go ahead."
"According to the master's requirements, we aim to maximize profits, especially focusing on maximizing profits within five years. Based on this requirement, I have outlined this plan. To explain this plan clearly, I need to provide quite a bit of background information, which may take up some of your time."
"No problem, we're listening, go ahead."
"There are seven major businesses in Mountain Chicken County: grain, cloth, money houses, transportation, ironworking, medicinal herbs, and entertainment."
"Among them, grain is controlled by the Niu family, cloth by the Ma family, money houses are the business of the Yang family, and medicinal herbs are the focus of the Zhu family. These are the foundations each family relies on for survival, and further division won't gain much profit. So what we need to study are transportation, ironworking, and entertainment."
"For decades, the Zhu family's business influence has been limited to Mountain Chicken County. Therefore, the first thing we need to abandon is the business that relies on support from other counties, ironworking."
"Mountain Chicken County has no iron mines, and ironworking requires transportation from Red Ant County. Our Zhu family has no supply sources in Red Ant County. If we engage in ironworking, it would take at least ten years to sort out sourcing, building factories, finding masters, buying tools, and connecting with buyers, which does not align with the goal of maximizing profits in five years."
Zhu Xiaosuo nodded in agreement.
Indeed, professional matters should be left to professionals.
"So, should we focus on transportation and entertainment?"
"No, we can't handle transportation either. The Zhu family's servants have always been the fewest among the Four Great Clans, and transportation requires a lot of manpower. If we temporarily recruit people, the quality of the servants will be uneven, making it difficult to take on large-scale transportation business. No employer would hire a team like ours, assembled at the last minute, to transport goods."
"Then there's only one left."
"Yes, entertainment. Only entertainment has never been fully controlled by any family in Mountain Chicken County."
Zhuang Yun asked:
"But what is there to gain from entertainment? The brothels and teahouses don't make much money."
"Immortal Master, the core of making money in entertainment is one word: new. To keep entertainment thriving, it must constantly innovate. Old forms of entertainment quickly bore the public. Innovation is a very challenging task, and coupled with the low returns in entertainment, no family is willing to invest a lot of resources in it. Currently, entertainment is limited to brothels and teahouses."
Zhu Xiaosuo was not unfamiliar with entertainment.
Hearing that it was a blank market, he considered introducing some entertainment industry practices from his previous life to open the eyes of the cultivators in the Immortal Realm.
But he didn't understand how Zhu Liusong saw the potential in entertainment, which was not yet developed in the current era.
"Zhu Liusong, you singled out entertainment, you must have a plan?"
Zhu Liusong replied:
"Master, you are wise. When I was young, I worked as an apprentice in a medicinal herb shop in the City of Seeking Immortality, so I have some minor insights. In the City of Seeking Immortality, the biggest business is not grain or cloth, but entertainment."
"At night, the City of Seeking Immortality is brightly lit, with various entertainment projects emerging one after another. Although the people of Mountain Chicken County are not as affluent as those in the City of Seeking Immortality, the life of working from sunrise to sunset is indeed somewhat dull. If there were interesting entertainment, the people would surely be willing to spend some money for enjoyment."
Zhu Xiaosuo said:
"Tell me where you plan to start."
"Yes, Master. I remember that there are many opera troupes in the City of Seeking Immortality, with a wide range of plays. From love stories of young masters and ladies to generals leading troops into battle, there's something for everyone."
"Eh, how come I've never heard of this?"
"Mountain Chicken County is relatively poor, and opera troupes mainly rely on rewards to survive, so none are willing to settle in the county. Even in Immortal-Knocking Town, there's only one troupe performing twice a year during the New Year."
"I see."
"I believe that as long as we invite a troupe over to perform at our Zhu family's brothels or teahouses, this novel attraction will surely draw many people."
Madam Feng asked:
"I suddenly remembered. Zhu Liusong, I recall you mentioned this about twenty years ago, but it didn't materialize, did it?"