Volume 3, Chapter 424 – Chi Xiyan’s Business Plan

“It’s just…”

“Just what?”

Chi Xiyan gave a bitter laugh. “Covering this shortfall is genuinely going to be difficult…”

“ Hiss …” Chi Muxue looked at her and asked tentatively, “How… how difficult…”

Chi Xiyan considered it carefully, weighing the tavern’s previous profits against the losses Chi Muxue had caused, and gave a relatively conservative figure. “It would probably take about ten years of normal operation to make up for it.”

“Waaah…” Hearing this, Chi Muxue collapsed onto the table as though all her strength had left her body. “Waaah, Xiyan, I’m finished!”

Chi Xiyan looked at her with amusement.

Although ten years sounded exaggerated, the actual amount of the shortfall wasn’t really that large, at least not for someone like Chi Muxue, the eldest miss of the Chi family. It wouldn’t even sting.

No matter how foolish the Chi family might be, they wouldn’t actually hold her accountable over something this small.

However, what Chi Jingwen had said about not letting Chi Xiyan get involved with the Lingbao Commerce Association was probably meant seriously.

The Lingbao Commerce Association was the core of the Chi family. If Chi Muxue, the eldest miss, was truly barred from having anything to do with it…

Then that would mean she’d lose her chance to control the Chi family’s core.

Of course, because of her Sword Dao Sacred Body, her standing within the Chi family wouldn’t change all that much.

But it would create a considerable obstacle for her ability to control the Chi family in the future.

So… if Chi Xiyan wanted to help her secure control of the Chi family, she needed to help her solve this problem.

“Muxue…” Chi Xiyan reached out and rubbed Chi Muxue’s forehead. “You really don’t need to be this pessimistic…”

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“Hm?” Chi Muxue looked up at her, confused.

“There’s still a way to turn this around.” Chi Xiyan said. “The family head knows exactly what you’ve been doing here.”

“If the family head genuinely thought this was hopeless… he wouldn’t have let you stay here.”

“Hm?” Chi Muxue raised her little head. “Xiyan… what do you mean by that?”

Chi Xiyan smiled helplessly. “The family head must have known long ago that you have no talent for business.”

“But he still sent you here anyway… maybe he wants to see whether you can learn to adapt.”

“…” Chi Muxue thought it over for a moment. “The family head won’t let me borrow people directly from other enterprises, but he allowed me to bring you here…”

“So!” Chi Muxue’s eyes lit up. “So the family head doesn’t actually need me to run this shop well all on my own!”

“Knowing how to make good use of people is also a necessary skill for someone in a position of power! If I can pull together my own team and turn the business around, that should still count as passing the test!”

“Right, that’s exactly it.” Chi Xiyan nodded.

“Xiyan!” Chi Muxue grabbed her hand, eyes brimming with tears.

Like an affectionate golden retriever.

Chi Xiyan felt a little overwhelmed. “I’m already helping you, aren’t I…”

Now that she knew where the problem lay, solving it wasn’t actually difficult.

But Chi Xiyan couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t quite as simple as it seemed.

***

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An hour later.

The back hall of the tavern.

Shopkeeper Fang looked at the two twelve year old girls before him with a smile.

“The two proprietresses have already finished checking the ledgers this fast?”

Chi Xiyan glanced at him. “We’ve only gone through part of it. Does Shopkeeper Fang have any suggestions?”

“No, no!” Shopkeeper Fang said with a laugh. “It’s just that the ledgers are very important to a small shop like this, so please be thorough while checking them, both proprietresses. If there’s any issue with the ledgers, this humble one really couldn’t bear the responsibility…”

“Oh? Does Shopkeeper Fang mean that you’re worried we won’t be able to read the ledgers?” Chi Xiyan said with a light laugh. “Don’t worry, Shopkeeper Fang. I studied for several years at the Chi Family Study Hall. I can certainly read what’s written in black and white on these pages.”

“If there’s ever anything in the ledgers we truly can’t understand, we’ll come to you for guidance.”

Shopkeeper Fang laughed along awkwardly. “Then that’s good! That’s good. As long as both young proprietresses understand the stakes involved, I won’t say anything more.”

“Shopkeeper Fang.” Chi Xiyan continued. “I’ve drawn up a new plan for how the tavern should be run.”

As she spoke, Chi Xiyan took out a small notebook and handed it to Shopkeeper Fang.

“Take a look and tell me if there are any problems with this plan I just wrote up.”

“Oh?” Shopkeeper Fang took the notebook from Chi Xiyan and flipped through it for a moment.

Soon, a flicker of surprise rose on his plump face.

“This plan is extremely thorough, and very seasoned as well!”

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He looked up. “Young proprietress, did you really write this yourself?”

“Ah! I don’t mean to doubt you! It’s just that you’ve only been here for about an hour at most.”

Chi Xiyan’s expression didn’t change. “Of course. There was only me and her here, just the two of us, and this plan was written together by the two of us.”

Shopkeeper Fang glanced at Chi Muxue and received a confirming nod.

“Truly impressive.” He said. “I don’t see any problems with this plan at all. It can be put into use right away!”

Chi Xiyan looked at him steadily for two full seconds.

“In that case, please have the tavern begin operating according to this plan starting tomorrow, Shopkeeper Fang.”

“Of course.” Shopkeeper Fang said. “I’ll go give the instructions right away.”

Shopkeeper Fang hurried out to the front hall, called the staff together, and passed along Chi Xiyan’s plan.

***

Chi Xiyan looked at Chi Muxue. “So, what do you think?”

Chi Muxue thought it over for a moment. “That Shopkeeper Fang has been an experienced shopkeeper for over a decade. Couldn’t he see the flaws in your plan?”

There was no way Lu Zhuxin could have spotted them, anyway.

“Under normal circumstances, he should have been able to.” Chi Xiyan said. “Which means there’s something off about this Shopkeeper Fang.”

The flaws in that plan had been left there on purpose.

Although, Chi Xiyan had never imagined that running a small tavern like this would require her to go through such a troublesome scheme.

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Chi Muxue leaned against the doorway and glanced out at the tavern’s front hall. “Shopkeeper Fang really is carrying out everything exactly as the plan laid out.”

“Unbelievable. If you hadn’t told me beforehand, I never would have guessed there was something wrong with him.”

Chi Xiyan said calmly, “Let’s wait and see a little longer. We might be able to catch him in the act.”

In the tavern’s front hall, Shopkeeper Fang diligently arranged everything according to plan, his gaze flicking discreetly toward the back hall where the two girls were.

The back hall and front hall were separated only by a single door. Even after the crowd in the front hall dispersed, the faint sound of pages turning could still be heard drifting from the inner room.

Shopkeeper Fang chuckled softly and turned to walk outside.

In the back hall of the tavern, Chi Xiyan saw a look of surprise appear on Chi Muxue’s face.

“That Shopkeeper Fang just left together with an unfamiliar waiter.”

“Oh! They walked into the room next door.”

“Huh! There’s actually a perception blocking restriction on that room!”

“Whew! Give me a moment, this restriction is a bit troublesome.”

Chi Xiyan watched as the girl in front of her suddenly formed a simple sword seal.

Yet she didn’t sense any stirring of spiritual energy from a technique being cast.

“Oh! The restriction is broken!”

Chi Muxue puffed out her cheeks. “How dare they go behind my back to do something shady! Let’s listen in and see just what they’re secretly plotting!”