Chapter 478: Seeking Gu Shuo’s Help to Gift Seeds 5
"Sit," Gu Shuo said, pulling out a chair.
Ye Qianning looked away and climbed onto the chair. Her little feet dangled, unable to reach the ground.
Gu Shuo sat down next to her.
The attendant stared, stunned by the scene for a moment before snapping back to reality. "Young Master, the master and mistress have ordered me to bring you to the government office. If you don’t go, I won’t be able to answer to them when I return."
"Go back and tell my father and mother that I have nothing more to do with the Gu family," Gu Shuo said, his voice cold.
"Young Master, please just go. No matter what, you’re still a son of the Gu family. Blood is thicker than water, after all."
"I said I’m not going. I have things to do. If you don’t leave now, I’ll have you thrown out," Gu Shuo said, growing impatient.
"Young Master... If I go back, the mistress will probably kill me. Young Master, please don’t make things difficult for me." Both sides were unyielding, and his job, stuck in the middle, was an impossible one.
"I don’t want a single coin of the Gu family’s fortune. Tell them not to send anyone else. Guards! Throw him out," Gu Shuo snapped, his patience gone.
As soon as he spoke, two guards entered from outside the door.
When the attendant saw them, his face twisted into an expression uglier than tears. "Young Master—MMPH! Young—MMPH..."
Before he could say another word, he was hauled to his feet by the guards, one on each side. They clapped a hand over his mouth and dragged him out the door.
Ye Qianning had done her research on Gu Mingqiu and his wife, Mrs. Dai. The Dai family had been business partners with the Gu family for generations. Before marrying into the Gu family, Mrs. Dai had often handled commercial affairs for her own family.
After she married into the Gu family, Old Master Gu had wanted to give her a part of the family business to manage, but the other branches of the family objected. In response, Mrs. Dai voluntarily withdrew from business matters to manage the household.
She was, by all accounts, a perceptive woman—sharp-tongued on the outside, but soft-hearted on the inside.
Gu Mingqiu, on the other hand, was rather weak-willed and tended to rely heavily on Mrs. Dai for most things.
Gu Shuo turned back to her, the impatience in his eyes fading. "What did you come to see me about?"
"The Gu family is dividing its assets. Are you sure you don’t want any of it?" Ye Qianning asked.
Gu Shuo paused, slightly taken aback. He hadn’t expected her to ask that.
When he didn’t answer, she pressed, "Even a small portion of a business built over so many years would be a substantial fortune. Are you really not going to fight for it?"
Gu Shuo snapped out of his reverie, his voice tinged with a hint of arrogance. "I prefer more of a challenge."
’A challenge?’
’So, the Gu family’s fortune meant nothing to him.’
Ye Qianning was very satisfied with his answer. Arrogant and untamable—that was the man he was.
"What are your plans after you hand over your duties as an imperial merchant?"
Gu Shuo was a little puzzled, but also pleased. ’Is she worried about me?’
"I’ll stay in business."
"Are you planning to establish your own firm?"
"I haven’t thought about a firm name yet." Having left his position as an imperial merchant, Gu Shuo wasn’t planning to start his new venture in the Capital City.
’Establishing a new firm seemed a long way off.’
’What little he had left wasn’t enough to support a new firm.’
"Start thinking about it now," Ye Qianning said.
"Hm?" Gu Shuo was surprised.
"I have a business opportunity, and it requires a proper firm."
"What kind of opportunity?" Gu Shuo asked, inwardly stunned.
"It’s a business venture related to Nanyuan. Our primary partner would be Nanyuan itself."
"Nanyuan?" Gu Shuo frowned. "The road to Nanyuan is long, and they have no specialty products to speak of. A partnership with them would not only be unprofitable, but we’d likely end up losing more than we gain."
"If they don’t have a specialty product, we’ll create one," Ye Qianning stated.
"Create a specialty product?" Gu Shuo’s brow furrowed even more deeply. He didn’t understand what she meant.
"I came to you today because I need you to deliver something to Nanyuan for me." As she spoke, Ye Qianning called out toward the door, "Luo Wen!"
Luo Wen entered carrying two large bundles. He placed them on the table, bowed, and then withdrew.
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