Uncle Shazhu, a simple-minded man in a courtyard house, persuades people with reason.

The two exchanged a wistful glance and laughed heartily. Both were shrewd old foxes; a few witty remarks sealed their agreement to cooperate.

Realistically speaking, given the current size of the Fanling Peng family, He Ping'an wouldn't have made this trip at all if it weren't for the letter from Beijing. The cooperation with the Peng family—let's call it a cooperation for now—is more harmful than beneficial!

He Ping'an has money and a plan; all he lacks are space and workers. These are things Hong Kong and Kowloon have plenty of these days. If he just lets the word out, tons of people will come to apply. He has absolutely no need for the Peng family!

Taking a small loss is fine. What He Ping'an is most worried about is that the partnership will become too powerful and difficult to manage...

The Peng family now has people, land, and guns. If they continue to make money, He Ping'an can't stay in Hong Kong and Kowloon indefinitely. Given enough time, it's hard to guarantee that the Peng family won't develop other ideas.

Clan... sharing the same lineage and revering the same ancestor, how united they have been for hundreds of years! In "Overheard 3," a single disagreement from the Ninth Master could risk billions of dollars going down the drain—this is not just a film, but also reality!

If possible, He Ping'an would prefer to gather some manpower himself; if all else fails, finding a gang would be easier than cooperating with them.

Peng Yuansheng gestured for him to enter, but He Ping'an, without any hesitation or regard for the sudden change in expression on the faces of the Peng clan elders and young people, stepped into the Peng clan ancestral hall before Peng Yuansheng.

Whether for the sake of the upcoming negotiations or for the purpose of deterrence, He Ping'an has no intention of giving the Peng family any face today... Just like his late arrival earlier, the road conditions were one factor, but this was also undoubtedly a consideration.

In the ancestral hall, He Ping'an casually sat in the main seat, and the Peng family members' faces grew increasingly ugly. Even Peng Yuansheng's eyelids twitched—this was a slap in the face to everyone in the Peng family.

He Ping'an shifted his position slightly, remaining perfectly steady. "I can make your Peng family rich and ensure that all members of the Peng clan have food to eat. This main seat... perhaps I shouldn't sit here?" With that, He Ping'an made a move to stand up.

"No, no, no... Mr. He, please sit down!" Peng Yuansheng's expression changed, and he quickly stepped forward, almost using brute force to push He Ping'an back into his seat. He then turned to look at the young clansmen, his eyes containing a warning or even a threat.

"Hurry up and prepare tea for Mr. He!"

Using Peng Yuansheng's help, He Ping'an smoothly returned to the main seat, amused by Peng Yuansheng's antics... Tea? If they were only now preparing tea, he'd definitely flip the table!

"Yes!" Under the threatening gaze of Peng Yuansheng, the young people below reluctantly left, leaving the elders of each clan to accompany them.

Please sit, please have a seat of honor! Tea, please serve tea, please serve the best tea!

Given He Ping'an's status, the Peng family naturally wouldn't dare to play the "arrogant at first, obsequious at second" game. However, after he mentioned helping the Peng family make money, Peng Yuansheng and the clan elders noticeably warmed up to him.

Money, it's a damn good thing!

After the brief incident, Peng Yuansheng sat in the second seat, his posture no longer as straight as before, and even his attempt to gain sympathy had a hint of ingratiation.

"Mr. Ho has witnessed the hardships Fanling has faced along the way; we're so poor!"

"Everyone says capitalism is rich, and Hong Kong and Kowloon are overflowing with gold," He Ping'an said, pointing to the small, dilapidated housing estate near the ancestral hall, his voice filled with genuine感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing sigh, regret, and admiration). "Sigh... development is still needed!"

Following up on the conversation, Peng Yuansheng humbly said, "Mr. He is not only accomplished in both literature and martial arts, but also in making money! I humbly request that Mr. He, as a fellow countryman, guide my Peng family in the right direction!"

"Clang!" The teacup slammed shut. He Ping'an, who had just been sighing with emotion, suddenly changed his expression and sneered repeatedly.

"Is Mr. Peng telling me that you have influential friends within our party? Asking for advice? I think it's a warning! A warning to this country bumpkin from Beijing! Mr. Peng, what audacity!"

Peng Yuansheng hurriedly stood up, bowed deeply, and explained in a flustered manner:

"How dare we inquire about Mr. He's background! He's merely a friend within the Party, and we only mentioned you briefly to help us better cooperate with Mr. He. It was my fault for not explaining clearly! Please forgive me, Mr. He..."

"Yes, Mr. He... how could we dare!"

"He Sheng..."

"Heh..." Only after all the elders bowed did He Ping'an leisurely pick up his teacup, take a sip of tea, and consider the matter closed.

"Sit down...please sit down! Mr. Peng made contributions during the War of Resistance Against Japan, so it's perfectly normal for him to have one or two good friends within our Party. Don't be nervous!" He Ping'an's face regained its smile. "By the way, where were we?"

"Yes! Yes..." Peng Yuansheng wiped the fine sweat from his forehead and chimed in. "Development, Mr. He said Fanling needs development!"

"Yes, development!" He Ping'an thought for a moment and said, "Development, in the final analysis, boils down to two things: first, getting more people moving around, and second, selling what we make."

Peng Yuansheng is a great straight man. "Mr. He's words are like a wake-up call, insightful and to the point. We just don't know how to get more people busy right now."

"What are your family's assets...?"

"Waterworks, slaughterhouses, clothing, shoes and hats... we get involved in everything from food and clothing to housing and transportation, but we just can't do any of it well. It's just that it makes life more convenient for our clansmen!" Peng Yuansheng said sullenly.

"Ha... Mr. Peng, what a bold move!" He Ping'an tossed out a nonchalant remark, more sarcastic than complimentary.

"Making life easier for the people"? That sounds nice, but it's nothing more than making money off the people to support the factory. What about food, clothing, shelter, and transportation?

He Ping'an declined to comment on this...

Large families have their own structure, and the patriarch has to take care of everything. If they're struggling, they need relief; if they're in trouble, they need help; and if they get into trouble by getting involved in organized crime, the family has to protect them.

It's only right that the family earns some spare change. It's all money, so what difference does it make who earns it?

This is also what He Ping'an hates most... clans, imperial power doesn't reach the countryside! His orders can only be conveyed by Peng Yuansheng and some clan elders. Whose property is it anyway?

"Mr. He...?"

"Um...heh, it's nothing!" He Ping'an snapped out of his daze, seemingly only then realizing something was amiss, and waved his hands repeatedly, "Mr. Peng, why are you still standing? Sit down!"

"Mr. Peng's idea is good. Business... it's nothing more than clothing, food, housing, and transportation! Housing? You don't have the capital! Transportation, you can build your own roads and collect tolls. Clothing and shoes, that's about it."

He Pingan paused for a moment, then continued, "The key is the word 'food'! What is food? It's nothing more than eating and drinking. In terms of eating, thousands of years of development have established clear patterns. That leaves only the word 'drinking'!"

He Pingan gently tapped the teacup with the lid and took out the prepared recipe:

"Since Mr. Peng has inquired about me, he should know that my traditional Chinese medicine skills are passable. During my time in Hong Kong and Kowloon, I've written down a few herbal tea recipes; you can take them and try them..."

"Thank you, Mr. He!" Peng Yuansheng respectfully accepted the prescriptions. Seeing that He Ping'an didn't say anything more, he could only bite the bullet and say:

"Herbal tea can indeed be profitable, but a profit of only a few cents per cup is really..."