Hua Zhi was not idle during the day of rest in the inn. She asked Xu Ying to go out and get a rough idea of the prices of local businesses. She also learned about the Donglai Business Company recommended by Zhang Xing. She made sure that Zhang Xing had not deceived her before visiting him the next day.
Donglai Commercial Bank is located in the most conspicuous position of the East Gate. You can see the high eaves at a glance.
It was still early, and the shop was very quiet. As soon as Hua Zhi and the others showed up, they were noticed by the shop assistants inside. They had trained their eyes to be very observant. After seeing the group's attire, a manager with a lot of weight immediately came up to greet them with a smile, "We have so many distinguished guests this morning. Our humble house is very honored."
The manager was not tall, but he had a round face and looked particularly friendly when he smiled. He was a natural businessman. Hua Zhi nodded politely after making her assessment, "If the deal is successful, I can indeed be considered a distinguished guest. Please invite someone who can make the decision."
Baoxia handed over Zhang Xing's letter of introduction, and the steward took it with both hands. He couldn't help but look at Baoxia a few more times. The maid was so beautiful, and he didn't know where she came from.
He was not qualified to open the letter, so he personally led the group to sit down, signaled the waiter to come and serve him, and quickly took the letter into the house, while being thankful that the young master had come early today, otherwise things would have been delayed.
The owner of Donglai Trading Company is surnamed Xia, and the company is named after him. In the early years, the Xia family was also a wealthy family in Jingzhou City, but the family fell into decline in the middle, and it was not until Xia Donglai took over that the family became prosperous again. He has four sons, and the eldest son Xia Ling is now running the company, and if nothing unexpected happens, he will be the head of the family in the future.
Xia Yan really lived up to his father's expectations. He acted with reason and method, and was as kind and righteous as his father. Everyone in the firm praised him, but he had not been having a good time recently.
Although Donglai Trading Company is not the only dominant trading company among all the large and small trading companies in Jingzhou, as the trading company with the longest history, no other company can match it in terms of connections or experience. In addition, their style of doing things that values harmony above all else makes them like a fish in water in the city of Jingzhou.
But not long ago, the Zheng family opened a new trading company in Dongmen, doing the same business as theirs. He would not be afraid of anyone else, but this Zheng family was different. The Zheng family was the in-laws of Mu Yunyang, the governor of Jingzhou. No matter how strong the Xia family's connections in Jingzhou were, they could not surpass those of the governor. Although the other party did not dare to touch him easily, they could not gain any advantage in terms of business, and a lot of business had been taken away from them during this period.
When the manager knocked on the door and came in, Xia Ling was looking at the account book with a frown on his face. However, he was used to being gentle in front of his clerks, so when he saw him, he immediately relaxed his expression and smiled, "What's the matter?"
"There are distinguished guests outside. I can't tell where they came from. Here is the letter of introduction they brought."
Xia Ling took the letter, made sure the seal was intact and then opened it. Zhang Xing's handwriting was just barely legible and could not really be called beautiful. However, Xia Ling read it three times from beginning to end. After all, he was young and there was joy in his eyes and eyebrows.
No matter how good Jingzhou is, it is only a small southern corner. How can it compare with the capital? However, the visitor this time is a big man from the capital. Maybe his current predicament can be solved!
"Tell someone to go to the small flower hall and prepare tea."
"yes."
Xia Ling stood up, straightened his clothes and walked out quickly. When he saw the person sitting on the side, he paused. Manager Chen did not tell him that the guest was a woman!
Such a beautiful woman!
But he was a businessman after all, so he reacted immediately and approached enthusiastically, smiling and bowing, saying, "Sorry to have kept you waiting. I am Xia Ling, the young master of Donglai Trading Company."
Young Master, sounds like someone who can make the decision. Hua Zhi stood up and leaned forward slightly. "My surname is Hua. Young Master can call me Miss."
"Young lady." Xia Yan readily agreed, "There are too many people outside and they are gossiping. Why don't we talk inside?"
"please."
The flower hall was decorated magnificently. Hua Zhi took only one glance and then looked away. The glittering golden light was really dazzling.
But in Xia Ling's eyes, her performance was confidence. After they sat down, he asked, "Did you have a smooth journey, young lady?"
"Smooth sailing, probably means that everything will go smoothly for me this time." Hua Zhi flicked her sleeves and looked up at the young man opposite her who was only in his early twenties. Most of the men in Jingzhou are not tall and dark. Although Xia Yan is not white, he is tall enough and has a good appearance. At least he is not offensive when talking about business.
Xia Ling didn't want to appear too anxious, and was just about to say something to soothe the relationship when he heard the other party say, "I came here to do a business, but I don't know if Donglai Commercial Bank can afford it."
Xia Ling was shocked. "I am not bragging. If my Donglai Company cannot handle this business, then there is probably no other company in Jingzhou that can handle it. Please tell me, young lady. I am all ears."
Hua Zhi glanced at Bao Xia, and Bao Xia understood and handed over the pictures that she had shown to Zhang Xing before.
Xia Ling read it from beginning to end and looked up. "It's not that rare. Does a grown-up girl need these?"
"I need a lot. I plan to start a seafood business in Beijing, and the quantity I need is huge. If Donglai Company takes over this business, we will need to send a ship to Beijing every seven to eight days. If business is good, it may only take four to five days or even less."
Big deal!
Xia Ling swallowed to ease the excitement that was overflowing from the bottom of his heart, "The shipping company has it, but is it my company that will receive the goods?"
"I dare not put all my eggs in one basket. What if the basket falls to the ground?" Hua Zhi chuckled. "But I can't buy them from fishermen either. For the sake of everyone, I hope the young master can recommend me some reputable sellers with good products."
"Miss, you are so thoughtful. I admire you. Don't worry, I, Xia Ling, will not destroy the reputation of Donglai Commercial Bank for 30 years."
Hua Zhi nodded slightly, "I like to work with people who are careful about their reputation."
Cooperation cannot be reached in one go, and Hua Zhi was not in a hurry. On the first day, they only negotiated a framework, and both sides left room for the other party before parting ways.
Xia Ling escorted them to the door, watched them leave, and whispered, "Send someone to follow her and see which other business she has contact with."
The housekeeper knew that the young master was guarding against the Zheng family, so he immediately arranged for his smartest servant to follow.
In the carriage, Baoxia poured two cups of water from the kettle for the young lady. Those who often followed the young lady knew that when the young lady drank tea outside, she was just pretending and would never drink it fully no matter how thirsty she was.
The guard's voice came from outside, "Miss, there's someone following you."
Hua Zhi was not surprised at all, "Don't worry about it, let them follow."
"yes."
Shaoyao, who had been holding back her words, was now as happy as a bird released from a cage, "Huahua, where are we going next?"
"Is there somewhere you want to go?"
"No, I just don't want to go back to the inn."
"No, let's go to some small docks."
PS: I get really anxious when I update a chapter, as I always feel like I haven’t written much content. I will definitely update twice a day tomorrow.