Water elemental became a god, ultimately becoming the master of heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers

Chapter 160 Forming Cliques and Recruiting Troops

The city was bustling and noisy.

Only Chen Shunan remained sitting under the well shed.

He closed the last ledger, his fingertips tapping lightly on the yellowed pages.

He discovered that being the manager of Wohujing wasn't so easy.

First, the country is beset by internal and external troubles, with accumulated problems as numerous as mountains.

The previous manager of Wohujing colluded with outsiders to embezzle public funds and undermine water supply. Before his crimes were exposed, he was dismembered by the Guolu Society for secretly burning hibiscus oil.

There are a lot of bad debts, unpaid debts, and outstanding debts left behind.

The newly appointed manager of Wohujing had only been in office for less than two months, barely settling in before being replaced by Chen Shunan. He could only go and become the manager of Heishajing, though he dared not openly defy Chen Shunan.

But it's still okay to make Chen Shunan feel slightly disgusted.

Before leaving, he took all his trusted confidants and a few second-rate fighters with him.

The huge Wohujing well, including the two water-drawing workers, only had 21 people.

You should know that even the murky water well in the gravel well has more than thirty water sprites.

These mere 21 people are simply not enough. Even if Chen Shunan immediately opens up vacancies and recruits, it will still take some time and will definitely affect the daily water sales revenue.

Moreover, these 21 people may not necessarily be of one mind with Chen Shunan.

For example, Fei Laosan was the most senior old man in Wohujing, with mid-level second-rate strength. Instead of pushing the water cart to deliver water, he stayed under the well shed all day to draw water.

They always work at a leisurely pace, and no amount of urging them on is effective.

They arrive on time and leave on time, never work overtime, and will definitely ask for leave if they have back pain. If they are late with their wages, they will be the first to throw a tantrum.

The previous manager and the manager before that all turned a blind eye to him, and were powerless to do anything about it.

There was no other reason than that Fei Laosan was a relative of Madam Zhao.

According to seniority, Zhao Guangxi should call Fei Laosan "Third Uncle".

How could I possibly offend them?
Let's treat them like our ancestors!
Secondly, the new policies of the employer carry a heavy burden.

Zhao Guangxi was so poor that his eyes were practically green with envy. He actually came up with some kind of new reform policy, using four wells, including Wohu Well, as pilot projects to improve efficiency and profits!
Although power was delegated, the manager had complete control over everything except for the well itself, which could not be sold.

However, an astonishing figure was set: the annual profit from freshwater wells must be no less than 15,000 taels!

That translates to 1250 taels per month, or 42 taels per day.

This is the net profit after dividends.

Chen Shunan did some quick calculations and realized that to achieve this goal, he would need to sell at least 120 taels of water per day.

That's almost double the amount of water we sell today!
This is an extremely difficult task for Wuqing County, whose population structure has remained relatively stable with no significant inflow or outflow over the years.

"Traditional methods of selling water are almost impossible to achieve this goal. Only reform!"

After clarifying the accounts and weighing the internal and external problems, Chen Shunan showed no signs of dejection or fear of difficulties.

Instead, it's like peeling back layers to reveal a clear and bright new world.

Do not break or stand.

Chen Shunan was not afraid of internal and external troubles at Wohu Well, but he was afraid that it would become stagnant and be subject to others' constraints.

As long as he has power, and with Zhao Guangxi backing him up, what is Chen Shunan afraid of?
Chen Shunan stood up, tucked the account book under his arm, picked up his hat, lifted his robe, and walked towards the street.

Upon seeing this, Fei Laosan squinted his eyes and greeted him with a smile.
"Manager Chen, where are you going to pass the time?"

Chen Shunan replied, "I'll go back to Weiheng Street. I'll ask Brother Fei to keep an eye on things for a while. I'll be right back."

Chen Shunan spoke in a calm tone.

After he walked away, perhaps because Chen Shunan called out "Brother Fei", Fei Laosan was incredibly energetic, as if he had eaten a ginseng fruit.

They felt that Chen Shunan was no different from the previous shopkeepers, and they all had to respect and obey him.

He emptied two more buckets of water, but Fei Laosan kept groaning, unable to eat any more. He told the other three to fetch water themselves, and then he hid under the awning to make tea and pick up his pipe.

Seeing this, the group of Shui San'er couldn't help but sigh.
"Sigh, we're already short-handed, and Fei Laosan still doesn't know what's important."

The other person shook his head helplessly: "What can we do? They're just lucky... I need to rest too. I've already made five or six trips today. It's like I'm doing the work of two people."

"The capable should do more work, and you won't be paid a penny less, so what's there to complain about?"

"That's true... But did the boss say that the revenue of our Crouching Tiger Well must double? Do you think Manager Chen has a way to do that?"

"Who cares if there's a way or not? It's best if there is, but if there isn't, will we still go hungry? Even if someone has to be punished, they should make trouble for Manager Chen first. I'm not saying anything more, I need to hurry up and make another delivery. The kids in the house are crying all day long, they're a bottomless pit!"

……

Gravel well.

When Chen Shunan arrived, his former colleagues, including Sun Xiao and others, addressed him as "Manager Chen" and "Master Chen" repeatedly, showering him with compliments.

Chen Shunan's visit here was certainly not a return to his old haunts or a triumphant homecoming.

He found Manager Li.

"Oh, Manager Chen, what brings you here?"

Manager Li, all smiles, pulled Chen Shunan aside and asked in a low voice,

"What brings you here? By the way, you must know about the company's reforms, right? Do you have any countermeasures?"

Chen Shunan's expression turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, "To be honest, Brother Li, I have come here for this very reason, hoping to ask for your assistance."

Human relationships are based on debts of gratitude, and upon hearing this, Manager Li patted his chest and said warmly,
"Manager Chen, please speak freely. Based on our friendship alone, as long as it's within my power, I, Li, will do it without hesitation—"

"I want to poach your people, borrow your people."

Manager Li stopped speaking abruptly, staring blankly at Chen Shunan.

How can you talk about poaching people so confidently?
“Wohujing is short-staffed, and Mr. Chen wants to transfer San Dezi, Liu Daoba, Sun Xiao, and these few others over.” “Manager Chen is joking,” Manager Li said, regaining his composure and waving his hands repeatedly, “Sun Xiao and the others are my elite troops; how can I just give them away like that?”

"It's not a demand, just a temporary transfer. The monthly salary will come from Wohujing, but the person's registration will remain with Shalijing."

Chen Shunan cupped his hands and smiled, a knowing glint in his eyes, "Besides, with Brother Li losing a few men, isn't that a perfect excuse to sell a few more vacancies?"

The gravel well is just a single well for turbid water. Over the years, the number of people working there has not been large, and it has become bloated.

Manager Li had long harbored the idea of ​​profiting from selling off vacancies, but he was troubled by the fact that one well could not support too many idle people, which resulted in a deficit and was not a good thing.

Chen Shunan's words struck a chord with him.

Empathy and incentives are the keys to success in the workplace.

"This……"

As expected, Manager Li hesitated.

He stroked his short beard, hesitated, and his eyes flickered uncertainly.

"Moreover, Mr. Chen has a business deal he'd like to discuss with Manager Li," Chen Shunan said, seizing the opportunity.

"Oh? What business?"

“I observe that our water companies have only collected water fees from one household and delivered water to another for hundreds of years. We own a well, but we have not maximized its value. Therefore, I, Chen, have a method that may make money from water, so that an ounce of water can be worth a thousand gold pieces!”

Upon hearing this, Manager Li looked suspicious and said,
"Could it be a beverage shop or a hot water stand?"

Near Gyeonggi Province, many businesses have sprung up around the water supply.

One of them was a hot water shop.

It's actually very simple; you just boil water.

After all, for ordinary people, preparing firewood to boil water is time-consuming, laborious, and extremely uneconomical.

It's much more convenient to go to a hot water shop, spend a penny, and fill a pot with boiling water.

Moreover, many water shops also offer services such as making egg drop soup and decocting medicine.

Besides selling water directly, these were the only ways Manager Li could think of to make money from water.

Chen Shunan shook his head and said,

"No."

Chen Shunan said with righteous indignation: "Now, Wuqing County is plagued by evil spirits that wreak havoc on the people; and by poisonous fire that harms the body and kills people. I, Chen, have learned a method of making a talisman water called 'Ran Yi An Shen Shui' (Ran Yi An Shen Shui), which can not only prolong life but also calm the mind, aid sleep, and regulate the soul."

"This well water, this divine dew, I, Chen, wish to use this sacred water to heal the people and improve their health."

At this point, Chen Shun'an paused, then sighed and said...
"However, this water is quite difficult to produce, taking a lot of time and money, so it is only right to charge a small amount for selling it."

Ran Yi An Shen Shui?
Manager Li looked surprised, but he didn't believe it.

Moreover, Old Chen wouldn't do anything without a profit; although the scene sounded so impressive, Manager Li didn't believe it.

After half a stick of incense.

He drank a small bowl of diluted holy water.

Manager Li felt a surge of refreshing energy rush to the top of his head, instantly dispelling his unease of the past few days.

He suddenly opened his eyes wide, staring intently at Chen Shunan, and asked urgently, "Manager Chen, how much water... can you get in a day?"

Even with Manager Li's discerning eye, he was secretly astonished by the effectiveness of Ran Yi An Shen Shui, which far surpassed the calming drugs available in the large pharmacies of Wuqing County.

Once mass production is launched, making a fortune every day is no joke!

Chen Shunan smiled calmly: "The amount produced is not the key, or rather, I do not intend to sell this water directly."

"What do you mean?"

Chen Shunan continued, “Things are valued for their rarity, and vessels are revered because of the immortals. Manager Li, tell me, if one night, a precious light suddenly shoots from our well, auspicious clouds rise, and the shadows of immortals ride cranes and circle around… From then on, our well will become a treasure well, and the water that passes through your and my hands will become divine nectar.”

Chen Shunan said with a meaningful look, "Tell me, how many people would break down the threshold just to get a drop of calming water?"

Manager Li was a cunning old fox; upon hearing this, his pupils contracted slightly, and he immediately realized what was going on.

Chen Shunan is going to...

Create a god!

To be precise, it's about fabricating stories for Crouching Tiger Well and Gravel Well, adding supernatural elements!

You say this calming water contains many rare medicinal herbs, has been steamed and boiled nine times, and has gone through many processes, and is so rare, but the common people don't understand and don't care.

But if you say that this water was bestowed by the Queen Mother of the West in Yaochi, and that it was created by gathering the essence of the sun and moon, and then perform a miracle before the people, the people will flock to it.

Afterwards, the two began a series of discussions on the matter and quickly reached an agreement.

For example, by 'limiting production', the scarcity of Ran Yi An Shen Shui is maintained.

For example, the saying "sincerity brings results" is one thing, but whether one can actually obtain water is another.

Even if one obtains Ran Yi'an's divine water, it is not guaranteed to be effective. If one's heart is not sincere and one's will is not firm, this water will be just like ordinary water.

For example, "promptly claim credit" means that once the value and replicable function of Ran Yi'an Divine Water are proven, credit should be claimed immediately, thus bringing Zhao Guangxi into the unification battlefield as well.

Share risks, unite with allies, and achieve win-win results.

Chen Shunan had thought things through very clearly from beginning to end.

It is extremely difficult for one person to carve out a path for others and reap the rewards of prayers and offerings in a turbulent dynasty.

He concealed his weapons, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

They conceal themselves within a powerful force, quietly stirring up trouble, yet they do not strive for fame or fortune, silently amassing wealth.

That's the only way to go in the long run.

(End of this chapter)