Chapter 40: The Power of Trust

In the time it took to turn around, Fang Eldest Brother had already come over. When he saw the manager, he said, “Oh my, Old Brother, my brother-in-law is young. If he’s offended you in any way, please be understanding.”

The manager held it in for a long time before finally forcing out a sentence. “Nothing of the sort. The young brother was just joking.”

Lu Chuan could not let this turn into a joke. It had not been easy to get this opportunity. “I’m not joking. It’s like this, Big Brother. Old Brother’s project is a bit troublesome, and you’ve never been able to find suitable workers. I was thinking that my brothers have decent skills and it’s easy for them to find people. I wanted to take over the job from Old Brother, but I’d only gotten halfway through explaining it. Old Brother didn’t believe I had that much influence and could bring people in. That’s why I brought Big Brother over for you to meet.”

As soon as the manager learned that this group was led by Fang Eldest Brother, he had already lost any desire to deal with them. But he wanted even less to provoke Fang Tiger. With Lu Chuan saying things this way, he had basically put the manager on the spot.

If he did not give a proper explanation now, then there would be no discussion about the job. Fang Tiger was not someone who could be brushed aside easily.

Over there, Fang Eldest Brother was even more troubled than the manager. Such a major matter had been decided just like that. He did not have that kind of ability.

He immediately pulled Lu Chuan aside. “Taking on a project? How do we have that kind of ability?”

Lu Chuan said, “Big Brother, it’s fine. As long as the price is right, it’ll be easier than carrying bricks. Whatever we can do ourselves, we’ll do ourselves. Whatever we can’t do, we’ll hire people for. Wouldn’t it be easy for Big Brother to bring in people he knows?”

Fang Eldest Brother frowned, feeling anxious and irritated. This brother-in-law of his simply did not understand the seriousness of things. “This business runs deep. Not everyone who takes on work can make money.”

Lu Chuan felt his legs go weak under the pressure of his eldest brother-in-law’s imposing presence, but he still gritted his teeth and persisted. “As long as the manager doesn’t cheat us, we’ll definitely make money at the rates the previous group was getting.”

What gave Lu Chuan confidence was his eldest brother-in-law’s reputation. Who would dare cause trouble for Fang Tiger? The work would definitely proceed smoothly. And the site managers would not dare withhold Fang Tiger’s money.

If he let this opportunity slip away, then Lu Chuan would practically be at odds with money itself. He needed money. He had to seize this opportunity with all his strength.

Fang Eldest Brother frowned, clearly displeased with Lu Chuan’s actions. “You’ve only been here half a day. What do you know? You don’t understand the seriousness of this.”

Lu Chuan thought, I may have only been here half a day, but I need money. Naturally I’ve thought about this more than you have. He had noticed plenty of people slacking off that morning.

But he could not accomplish this on his own. He did not possess his eldest brother-in-law’s authority.

Patiently, Lu Chuan explained to his eldest brother-in-law, “Big Brother, I’ve watched carefully. The way you work is just going through the motions day after day. Nobody’s really putting their heart into it. Several areas were sitting idle.”

His tone was one of discussion, but the situation had already been pushed this far for his eldest brother-in-law.

Fang Eldest Brother replied irritably, “If you take on a project and hire people, it’ll be the same.”

Lu Chuan said, “Big Brother, trust me. There’s really money to be made here. But I’ll need your support. My words carry little weight, and people won’t believe me.”

Fang Eldest Brother was still considering it. For him, this was not simply a matter of profit or loss. If they really took this job, they would offend the labor contractor. Who would his brothers work for in the future? This was cutting off their livelihood. His brother-in-law’s pride was not enough reason for him to recklessly follow Lu Chuan.

Fang Yuan looked at Lu Chuan, then at her eldest brother. Finally, she touched her pocket and made her move directly. “Big Brother, if you’re afraid of losing money, I’ll cover the wages. Even if we lose money, we’ll only lose some labor. I have money.”

Fang Eldest Brother had never seen anyone this reckless. They had only been married a few days, and she was already offering money as a guarantee. “Stop causing trouble. What do you know?”

Fang Yuan said, “I have money.” She pulled out an oil-paper packet from her pocket. When she opened it, there was a thick stack of cash inside. No matter the era, people with money could act boldly.

Besides, Fang Yuan understood her eldest brother well. He was the type who would not act until he saw clear benefits.

The Fang brothers’ eyes widened. Fang Wuhu grabbed Fang Yuan. “Where did you get that money?”

Fang Yuan replied, “Don’t worry about it. Big Brother, even if we lose money, it won’t drag you down.”

Fang Yuan was exactly the type who never considered the consequences. She did not know whether they could make money, but she did know that labor contractors on construction sites looked impressive. Lu Chuan had stepped in and immediately become a labor contractor himself. That absolutely deserved support.

She even thought to herself, A rested brain really works wonders. I should make sure Lu Chuan gets plenty of rest in the future.

When Lu Chuan looked at Fang Yuan, he felt trusted. Even the way he looked at her changed.

Fang Eldest Brother said, “Nonsense. Put that away. Is this just about money?” However, if money was available, then this matter was worth considering.

He looked at his brother-in-law, then at Fang Yuan’s attitude. If he refused to negotiate, he would be embarrassing his brother-in-law, and Fang Yuan would probably make a scene.

Turning toward Lu Chuan, he said, “Go negotiate. Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it. If we lose money, then we lose money. Your big brother isn’t short of money.”

That was what he said, but Lu Chuan understood clearly. Before seeing the money, his eldest brother-in-law had not agreed.

If today’s matter succeeded, it was because of Fang Yuan’s trust. She had fulfilled his hopes. More importantly, she was willing to spend money for his sake. Husband and wife working together had created this opportunity.

Grinning, Lu Chuan smiled at Fang Yuan before saying to Fang Eldest Brother, “Thank you, Big Brother.”

The two men went over to negotiate with the manager. Lu Chuan greeted him cheerfully. “My big brother understands your project. We can handle it. But the price can’t be unfair to us. You could say we’re helping someone in urgent need. To be honest, if we take your project, we’ll offend the previous labor contractor.”

The moment the manager saw Fang Eldest Brother come over, he knew this would not end easily. “Of course, of course. It’s just that... it’s just that I’d hate for Brother Fang to offend someone like this.”

Lu Chuan immediately saw that the man was trying to evade the issue, so he reassured him. “Old Brother, just say what’s on your mind. We’re all friends here. If we come to an agreement, we can draw up a proper contract. If we fail to complete the work according to your requirements, you can hold us responsible according to the contract.”

It sounded perfectly reasonable.

Unfortunately, even with terms like that, the Fang brothers were still not people he could afford to offend.

He could argue a little with the previous labor contractor. But if it were the Fang brothers, he would not even dare argue.

Lu Chuan continued, “Of course, if we do the work properly, then you’ll have to pay us according to the contract as well. Both sides will have protection.”

Fang Eldest Brother nodded along. He had already made up his mind. He was only here to support his brother-in-law’s appearance. He would not put any of his own money into this.

When the manager saw Fang Tiger nod, his expression nearly turned tearful. There was no way to refuse anymore. “That would put everyone’s mind at ease, but... but...”

Watching the manager’s expression, Lu Chuan asked, “Old Brother, is there something difficult to say?”

The manager glanced at Fang Eldest Brother and shut his mouth. It was not that it was difficult to say. It was that he did not dare say it.

This time Fang Eldest Brother showed far more tact. He had no intention of getting involved. He directly led his brothers away, leaving the manager and Lu Chuan to speak quietly together.

The manager said, “Little Brother, you’ve trapped your old brother here. That’s Fang Tiger. Behind him is a whole pack of little tigers. If he starts throwing his weight around with me, what am I supposed to do?”

Lu Chuan replied, “Old Brother, that’s not right. Big Brother is a reasonable man. Besides, what’s the contract for? We’ll all follow the contract.”

The manager said, “Forget the contract. That thing doesn’t work on the Fang family.”