The Bund: Turmoil Chapter 30: In the Face of Businessmen, Profit Comes First

"Alright, the two of you may leave now and discuss how to proceed." Dent waved his hand dismissively, the ash from the cigar held between his fingertips fluttering onto the office desk.

Chen Lin turned and left. The moment he stepped out of the office, his expression darkened—this was clearly a hot potato being tossed into his lap.

Jenny followed him with light, quick steps, the hem of her skirt brushing against the wooden floor of the corridor with a soft, rustling sound.

"Are you happy now? If the mission fails, you’re still the young lady of the house, but I might just be kicked out of the trading firm."

Chen Lin glanced at her, his tone brimming with impatience.

Jenny was not annoyed, however; instead, she blinked playfully. "Come on, stop pretending. I know you can do it. Daddy has given us authorization; this time, we can use one thousand Spanish dollars for public relations expenses."

"I can't," Chen Lin interrupted her without hesitation, his voice as cold as ice.

"You're a man; how can you say you can't?" Jenny continued to smile, her eyes filled with teasing.

"I’m not a man, I’m a boy." As Chen Lin said this, he couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth—the statement amused even himself.

Jenny’s smile faded slightly, and her tone softened, taking on a touch of pathos. "Fine, fine, a boy it is. But we’ve already given our word; we have to find a way. My daddy is hard-hearted. Although I am his only child, if I prove incapable, he will eventually give up on me, or even treat me as a decorative vase to be bartered away in a marriage alliance."

Chen Lin sighed heavily and stopped. "I’m not lying. I only understand chemistry. When it comes to dealing with people, I’m not even one-tenth as good as James. If he couldn't do it, how could I?" He shifted his tone. "However, the die is cast, and I will try my best. Let me go back and think."

"Then what can I do? Just tell me." Seeing his serious expression, Jenny felt a pang of regret.

"Give me some time. I just need to be alone."

Chen Lin walked back to the construction site warehouse alone and locked himself in the laboratory.

The light from the oil lamp was dim and yellowish, reflecting off rows of ceramic jars on the shelves. The air was filled with the mixed scent of sulfur and lime.

He didn't even eat dinner, his eyes sweeping back and forth across the jars. His mentor had once said to solve problems within one's own field of expertise; the only thing he excelled at was chemistry.

Matter can be transformed; even gentle things can become explosive when they encounter specific substances.

People are the same; there is always something that can pique their interest.

Yet, he knew nothing about the Zhejiang silk merchant Gu Fuchang. The man wouldn't randomly take a liking to an adolescent boy, and having Jenny try to seduce an old man was even more unrealistic.

Merchants care most about profit, but James had already tried, and ordinary benefits simply couldn't move Gu Fuchang—whatever Dent could offer, Jardine Matheson could offer as well.

Chen Lin’s gaze fell upon a jar labeled "Coal Tar."

The label was written in pinyin, which only he could understand.

Coal tar was extracted from coal, something he could do right now. It was an important industrial raw material from which many organic compounds could be derived.

Organic chemistry in this era was still in its infancy. He suddenly remembered a case from a chemistry textbook: a pharmacist trying to synthesize quinine accidentally created something else that made his family wealthy overnight. That event seemed to have happened ten years later...

The light of the oil lamp reflected on his face, and the corners of Chen Lin’s mouth slowly curled upward.

***

At the first light of dawn, Jenny arrived at the construction site, stepping through the dew.

She wore a light blue Western-style dress, her hair neatly combed. Clearly, she intended to take Chen Lin to the county town today—this project was tied to the status of Dent’s trading firm and her own standing within the family.

Dent had no other children, but relatives in England were waiting to inherit the estate; she could not afford to lose.

As soon as the warehouse door opened, Jenny covered her mouth and giggled. "Hee hee hee..."

"What are you laughing at?" Chen Lin shot her a glare.

"Your eyes, they look like a panda's." Jenny pointed to the corners of his eyes, laughing even harder.

Chen Lin’s face twitched as he subtly hid the parcel behind him. "Go get me some breakfast and let me change my clothes," he said, his tone sounding like a bossy CEO issuing orders.

Jenny was not angry; instead, she turned and left like an obedient maid, her skirt fluttering in the breeze.

"Wait!" Chen Lin suddenly called out to her. "Change into something more magnificent, bring more money, and tell James to hire two sedan chairs."

"Got it!" Jenny turned her head, smiling in agreement, and waved.

Chen Lin waved her off with a look of disdain, but in his heart, he recalled the words of Marx: "Capital is afraid of the absence of profit, just as nature is afraid of a vacuum. With 100 percent profit, it dares to trample on all laws; with 300 percent profit, it dares to risk the gallows."

He had no powerful family background, no aura of a king, but he could offer Gu Fuchang a profit of over 300 percent.

For a silk merchant, such temptation was impossible to refuse. Even if it meant offending Jardine Matheson or the imperial court, it would be worth it.

Hu San brought over a basin of water. Chen Lin washed his face and realized his queue was a tangled mess.

He tried to undo it to re-braid it, but his fingers wouldn't cooperate, so he had to let Hu San help.

The braid Hu San fashioned was crooked, far less neat than the one Liu Lihua had done—he suddenly realized he hadn't visited the Liu family in several days.

He had originally promised to go to the Small Sword Society with Liu Lichuan to pay his respects, but now that would be delayed.

Changing into a cloud-patterned silk jacket and putting on a skullcap, Chen Lin gradually began to exude a sense of nobility.

Just then, Jenny arrived with breakfast, a tray holding bread and hot milk.

The wind outside was strong, leaving her cheeks flushed and the tip of her nose red.

"Come in," Chen Lin said.

As soon as Jenny entered, she covered her nose, frowning. "What is that smell in here? It’s awful."

"If you can't stand it, go back." Chen Lin was indifferent—he had long since grown accustomed to the smell of these chemical reagents. "There are a few things I need to tell you."

"Mm, go ahead." Jenny covered her nose, nodding earnestly.

"When we get to the county town, you just need to make an appearance. I’ll handle the negotiations with Manager Gu," Chen Lin said.

***

"Fine, no problem! As long as we can close the deal, I’ll do whatever it takes." Jenny’s eyes became even more determined.

"Whatever it takes?" Chen Lin joked half-heartedly. "What if Boss Gu takes a fancy to you?"

"Hmph, you’re a bad person!" Jenny set the tray down on the table and glared at him, pouting.

"Haha, just teasing you." Chen Lin laughed. "No other requirements. Go see if James has hired the sedan chair bearers."

After a quick breakfast, Chen Lin went to find Pan Qiliang.

Pan was arm-wrestling with the stonemason foreman, Li Yunshan. Seeing Chen Lin, he raised an eyebrow.

Chen Lin explained his intention.

Pan immediately bristled. "You want me to dress up as a sedan chair bearer? No way! I told you, I only protect you, I don't do—"

*Clang!* A Spanish silver dollar landed on the ground in front of him with a crisp sound.

Pan’s words halted. His eyes lit up instantly, and he bent down to pick up the silver coin. "Deal! What’s so hard about carrying a sedan chair? No big deal."

He had long since grown accustomed to Chen Lin’s silver-coin offensive over the past few days; he earned more here in a day than he used to in a month.

*Clang!* Another silver dollar flew over. Pan caught it mid-air and gripped it tightly. "Don't worry, I definitely won't tell Lihua about that foreign girl!"

"That’s not it." Chen Lin was speechless. "I want to ask you about someone. Isn’t your Temple Gang known as the 'Shanghai Insider'?"

"Asking about someone? You’ve come to the right person! Tell me, who?" Pan patted his chest, looking smug.

"Gu Fuchang."

"Manager Gu!" Pan said immediately. "He’s a veteran of the Shanghai business scene. He came to Shanghai in the early years of the Daoguang reign. He started as a silk broker, then opened the Gufengsheng Silk Firm. His business is huge."

Chen Lin shook his head. "I want to know about his family background and habits."

"Family background..." Pan stroked his chin, trying to recall. "I heard that when he was young, his family was poor. They wanted him to study, but he didn't want to be a burden, so he gave up his studies for business. He started by setting up a small stall and worked his way up to a fortune. He has three sons: Gu Shousong, Gu Shoucan, and Gu Shouming. He is very strict with them, requiring them to live frugally and focus on their studies..."

The information Pan provided was scattered, but in Chen Lin’s mind, a flesh-and-blood image of Gu Fuchang began to take shape—a self-made merchant who valued his children's education and was extremely sensitive to profit.

"Alright, I see," Chen Lin nodded. "Call me when the sedan chairs arrive. Let’s head out early."

Pan gripped the two silver dollars and agreed with a smile. "You got it! I guarantee there won't be any delays!"

Chen Lin turned and walked back into the warehouse, picked up the small ceramic jar containing the coal tar derivative, and carefully placed it into his parcel.

He knew that the success of today’s trip depended entirely on this.