Chapter 141: Gradually Calming Down

Jiang Ying: "..."
He glanced at the hand extended toward him, a strange feeling creeping over him that he had come out on the losing end of this deal.
"Mr. Zhao, you weren't waiting here for me on purpose, were you?"
Zhao Fan raised an eyebrow. "If I recall correctly, you were the one who came looking for me first."
One must not get the sequence of events confused.
Jiang Ying knew this, but precisely because he knew it, he felt even more unsettled. The sensation of having been outmaneuvered was subtle indeed.
"Pleasure doing business with you."
"Pleasure doing business with you."
With that, the partnership was finalized.
When Jiang Ying left, Zhao Fan personally walked him to the company entrance, watching his retreating figure with a faint smile.
It had to be said that Jiang Ying was indeed capable. No sooner had he promised to have the Du family back off than the resistance Zhao Fan had been feeling began to dissolve.
This was primarily evident in the reports about Feiteng in the newspapers starting to thin out, followed by the manager of Chengxin withdrawing their lawsuit. Furthermore, the processing plants that had been adamantly refusing to work with Feiteng began reaching out to Zhao Fan one by one, expressing an interest in cooperation.
All of this seemed slow, but in reality, it was all resolved within a single week.
When all was said and done, the only one still kicking up a fuss was Wang Chengchuan, who had just been released from the police station.
Indeed, after Wang Chengchuan had failed to smash up the Feiteng office, Zhao Fan had promptly had him hauled off to the station. However, since he hadn't actually managed to carry out any destruction, he hadn't been detained for long.
The moment he was out, Wang Chengchuan resumed his antics, attempting to stir up trouble and smear the reputation of Feiteng Supermarket.
He did not realize, however, that during the days he had been locked up, articles on Feiteng Search had already indirectly cleared the supermarket's name.
The ones who needed to be nervous now were not Zhao Fan or Feiteng Supermarket, but the suppliers behind the scenes. Wang Chengchuan’s tantrum had inadvertently dragged his backers into the spotlight.
Those who had operated in Yangcheng for many years were not exactly pushovers. Within a few days of Wang Chengchuan’s antics, his leg was broken, and he was given a stern warning.
At the same time, the elderly man who had been hospitalized for food poisoning was discharged. Having received a call from Liang Yong beforehand, Zhao Fan made a special trip to see him on the day of his discharge.
"Thank you, thank you."
Zhao Fan smiled slightly. "No need for thanks. I am very grateful for the old gentleman's integrity."
The old man’s refusal to lie for the sake of money was indeed a mark of great integrity. It was rare to find someone who could willingly let go of money right in front of them.
The old man felt embarrassed by Zhao Fan’s praise. "A person must be honest. One shouldn't spout nonsense for money; that is wrong."
"The old gentleman is quite right."
After dropping off Liang Yong and his grandfather, Zhao Fan was about to leave when Liang Yong chased after him.
"I will give you an account regarding Wang Chengchuan. Also, take this."
Looking at the slip of paper Liang Yong handed him, Zhao Fan took it and saw the words "IOU" written on it.
"This is..."
"My grandfather's food poisoning had nothing to do with your Feiteng Supermarket. Therefore, the hospital bills shouldn't be covered by you. But I don't have that much money right now, so I can only write you an IOU. I will pay you back slowly."
There was a look of determination in Liang Yong's eyes. Zhao Fan looked at it and smiled as he tucked the note away.
"Very well, I’ll wait for you to pay me back." After walking a few steps, Zhao Fan turned back. "You need to use your head if you want to make it in this world. Go learn a trade; selling food can be profitable too."
Liang Yong was stunned—selling food?
Zhao Fan walked away without another word. He had given the advice; it was up to Liang Yong to decide what to do next.
That evening, a new article appeared on Feiteng Search, starting with the phrase "those who are ungrateful." As for the content, one would have to read it to find out.
With the crisis facing Feiteng Supermarket resolved, the calls to shut down the game also began to fade. However, since the game still involved students, this portion of the opposition did not vanish quickly.
Seeing the situation at a stalemate, Zhao Fan simply approached Han Chen and proposed adding a "lock" for minors.
Han Chen frowned. "Adding a lock is fine, but the key is how to ensure that those being restricted are indeed minors?"
Zhao Fan rubbed his chin. "When registering, require them to input their ID card number. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"No problem. We can add a program for that."
"Those who already have accounts must also re-bind their ID numbers."
"Understood."
"..."
After some discussion, Zhao Fan and Han Chen finalized the decision.
During this period, the boycott of the game had not entirely disappeared. However, there was good news: Zhao Fan had successfully renegotiated supplies with several brands, and with the arrival of the goods, the third Feiteng Supermarket opened for business.
Given the issue of missing receipts during the previous food poisoning incident, Zhao Fan specifically introduced membership cards and implemented member-discount pricing.
After the cards were registered and linked, all data was entered into the computer. Encouraged by the member discounts, almost everyone who entered Feiteng Supermarket signed up for a card.
Of course, the supporting system had been built by Han Chen and his team through many sleepless nights. For this, Zhao Fan had specifically given a bonus to everyone who worked overtime.
Despite the earlier setbacks, the opening of the third Feiteng Supermarket was unaffected and saw a steady stream of customers.
When the supermarket closed that night, Zhao Fan checked the day's revenue and let out a sigh of relief.
Chen Da input the information into the computer. "Mr. Zhao, this is the registration status for today's membership cards. Basically, everyone who entered the supermarket signed up for one."
Zhao Fan glanced at the registration numbers and nodded with satisfaction.
"Not bad at all."
At this rate, they would likely run out of cards soon.
"Go order another batch of cards to ensure we don't run out."
"Right away, I'll go notify them."
After finalizing the accounts, the third Feiteng Supermarket closed its doors. Before this, Zhao Fan had promised all employees that once the supermarket was on the right track, he would treat everyone to a meal.
"Everyone has been working hard lately. There will be a bonus for everyone at the end of the month."
Hearing about the bonus, the employees were overjoyed.
Once the staff had all left, Zhao Fan rubbed his temples. The smooth opening of the third Feiteng Supermarket, unaffected by the recent turmoil, was a good thing for him.
The day after the third supermarket opened, the game restrictions discussed by Zhao Fan and Han Chen were rolled out. At the same time, Zhao Fan published an article on Feiteng Search’s recommendations, detailing the measures.
Subsequently, the parents' boycott gradually subsided, and the turmoil surrounding the game "Myth" was, for the time being, pacified.
At the Feiteng Company office.
Jiang Ying walked into Zhao Fan’s office with a confident air. "Well, Mr. Zhao, are you satisfied with the speed at which this matter has been resolved?"
Zhao Fan raised an eyebrow and put down the document in his hand. "Not bad."
"Since it's 'not bad,' shouldn't we attend to what was promised before, hmm?"
Watching Jiang Ying wink and rub his thumb against his index finger, Zhao Fan smiled slightly. "I can give you three million for now."
The smile vanished from Jiang Ying’s face.
"Mr. Zhao, that is not the amount we discussed."
"It’s in installments."