The Legend of Fangren

Chapter 165 Go is about human nature, business is about connections.

"So, little brother Fang, please have pity on your sister. Even if I make money off your bottles, I won't treat you unfairly. How about I give you a bigger share?"

Huang Ying has tried all sorts of business tricks these past few days, but unfortunately, nothing hard worked, so in the end she could only resort to this soft, self-inflicted beauty trap.

Unfortunately, Fang Shi still shook his head, unmoved by Huang Ying's inspiring goal, and said like a salted fish, "No, it's too much trouble."

"Oh well, so be it." Huang Ying could only give up and not insist. "Anyway, my caravan is only staying here for one last day and will be leaving tonight. Since we've met by chance through this game of Go, I'll leave you a post station. If you ever want to do business with me in the future, you can send me a letter, okay?"

It's clear that Huang Ying doesn't miss out on any good business opportunity.

"Of course." Since the other party had already backed down, Fang Shi could not refuse again. However, upon hearing that Huang Ying was leaving, he had not forgotten his grand chess game.

"Miss Huang, I still believe that Go is not without a future."

"Alright, then tell me where the future lies? You can't make everyone like playing chess overnight, can you? Even if everyone likes playing chess, the sale of chess pieces can't be monopolized by one company."

Fang Shi laughed and said, "But as Miss Huang just said, the Middle Realm, a place with thriving commerce, seems to have endless opportunities, but in reality, it has been completely divided up by various families, leaving no room for outsiders to interfere. Not to mention food, clothing, shelter and transportation, even those places of romance and pleasure are probably controlled by the upper families. The only thing that children love to play is chess, which has not yet been developed into a large industry and has only remained at the level of small workshops."

"Yes, if you put it that way, it is indeed an overlooked gap. It's just a pity that the gap is so narrow and shallow that even if I could put my hand in, I wouldn't be able to reach the depths."

"If you can do business selling chess, why only sell chess pieces?"

After some probing, Fang Shi realized that business in the Xuan Realm was still within the scope of the real economy, and its essence was still the flow and exchange of manpower and materials.

Fang Shi's previous life entered an era of material abundance after the Industrial Revolution, which led to a sharp devaluation of the craftsmanship and technological value of many objects. On this abundant material foundation, the entertainment economy developed rapidly, and the technology for preserving value gradually shifted from the hands to the mind.

Leaving aside those online games for now, let's just talk about Go. In my past life, there were so many Go associations, so many competitions, and so many rankings of Go players. How much money did they generate?

Among so many activities, how can chess pieces possibly be related to a few dollars? But they play the most crucial role, which is that their ease of use and promotion allows a large number of people to share a common hobby. And it is human nature for people with common hobbies to gather together. So, with so many people, how can business not be good?

Fang Shi rephrased these ideas slightly and said to Huang Ying, "Go is not just about the game, but also about people. Miss Huang must have noticed how quickly this game has spread and how easy it is to learn these past few days. It won't be long before it becomes a popular and enjoyable game for everyone. So why not open a Go shop and bring people together?"

Huang Ying thought it made some sense and said, "Doing business and opening a shop are the most common methods. No matter what kind of shop it is, as long as there are many people, there will always be a way to make money. Fang Xiaodi's idea is not bad. It seems I underestimated you in business, but—"

Even though there are many chess players, the extra services a chess shop can offer are nothing more than tea, wine, and meat. Other teahouses and taverns can easily replicate these things. Once Go spreads, it doesn't belong to anyone. It's likely that the shop will only attract a few curious people in the first few days after opening, and eventually it will just become an ordinary teahouse or tavern.

"To put it bluntly, it's because it lacks something unique," Fang Shi said directly. "Therefore, I have a plan, which I call the method of competition."

"Oh?" Huang Ying was even more curious, but then she heard Fang Shi make a crisp move and capture several of her black pieces.

This coordinated attack foreshadowed Fang Shi's next words: "But Miss Huang, my methods weren't given for nothing. This is ultimately a business deal, and one that doesn't require me to spend much time or effort. So, I'd like to have a proper discussion with you."

"Oh, that was my oversight."

After playing chess for a while, Huang Ying's conversation with Fang Shi had subconsciously turned into casual chatter, to the point that she hadn't even gotten into the mood to discuss business.

Then her gaze sharpened, and she asked seriously, "What are Young Master Fang's requests?"

Fang Shi got straight to the point: "If you open that chess shop, I can provide the operational framework, as well as at least five chess games that are no less than Go, to ensure the chess shop's uniqueness and authoritative professionalism."

"Oh?" Huang Ying's eyes lit up when she heard that there were so many ways to play, similar to Go. But she quickly calmed down and asked, "So what's the price? You mean you want to partner with me? Then naturally there will be a profit-sharing arrangement."

"That's right."

"What percentage does Brother Fang want? Thirty percent?"

"No, one-tenth."

"Huh?" Having seen so many business deals where people were willing to devour each other, Huang Ying never expected that Fang Shi would only ask for 10%.

This even prompted Huang Ying to quickly say, "Brother Fang, there's no need to be so polite. Although I can't compare to my older brothers and sisters in the family, running a restaurant is still a piece of cake for me."

"Is it really easy?" Fang Shi stared into Huang Ying's eyes, looking directly at her with a gaze he hadn't shown in days.

After spending time together several times, the two had long since overcome their class barriers, and Fang Shi naturally no longer showed weakness in terms of presence.

He said bluntly, "Miss Huang, with your wealth, opening a grand restaurant in any realm except the Middle Realm is not a problem. However, there is no such place in the prosperous Middle Realm. Go is about gathering people. Among the five realms, the Middle Realm has the most exchanges. If you want the influence of Go to spread rapidly, you must spread it through merchants from all over the world. If you want this great cause of Go to succeed, you must go back to the Middle Realm and compete with your brothers and sisters."

He paused, then continued, "What you just said, Miss Huang, made me realize that competition in the industry is fierce. It's not easy to pioneer a new business. Not only does it have to be unique, but it also has to be fast—so fast that others don't have time to react. If I still insist on a high percentage, it will definitely hinder your access to funds for development. I'm not in a hurry to make money in the short term, so if you'd like, Miss Huang, I can lower the price by another 50%. How about that?"

"This...Young Master Fang, could it be that you intend to place a bet on me?"

Huang Ying was somewhat at a loss. In the past, the people she had met in business were all vying for power and profit, wanting to devour everything. How could she have ever seen someone as crazy as Fang Shi in giving away profits? What he was giving away was not profit, but clearly a favor.

"Haha." Fang Shi laughed, "You're absolutely right. Anyway, I'm just a country bumpkin who wants to make some easy money by relying on my own efforts. All these chess techniques are just little things I've figured out in my spare time. Whether I can make some extra money or not, it won't cost me anything."

"I really don't know how to do business with you anymore. I've never encountered anyone like you before."

Fang Shi's casual demeanor made Huang Ying chuckle. After calming down, she met Fang Shi's gaze with a composed look, as if she were looking at some novel treasure.

"You are really special."