Xia Xiaolan didn’t think she was toxic at all.

She saw herself as a kind sweetheart, honestly doing business. If others wanted to steal her business, of course, she had to rack her brains to take it back.

Being the general manager of the Asia Department Store was worrying. After she’d finished grinding those state-owned department stores into the ground, she needed to find someone suitable to manage Asia so she could step back from front-line management.

Others called her “Manager Xia” with such fanfare – how grand it seemed, but privately, she was exhausted.

Take now – after work, she still had to meet Zhuo Weiping for late-night snacks.

At a humble street stall, surrounded by oilcloth windbreaks against the cold, the billionaire Manager Xia didn’t mind the dirt, ordering a pile of skewers with Zhuo Weiping, eating and chatting.

Zhou Na complained about the place, but when the fragrant grilled lamb skewers were served, she couldn’t resist the temptation.

Xia Xiaolan specifically wanted to thank the Zhuo sisters. Originally she’d planned to treat them at a big restaurant, but since Zhuo Weiping wasn’t particular, she chose this small stall.

“Sister Zhuo, thank you so much. Without you sisters helping to spread the word, this promotion wouldn’t have been so well received by the city’s people!”

Zhuo Weiping didn’t think she’d played such a big role, but she was still happy that Xia Xiaolan was so considerate in handling matters.

Zhou Na, blowing on her lamb skewer, didn’t forget to interject:

“Even without my sister’s help, you definitely would have arranged someone else. Could the shopping cards not have sold?”

Xia Xiaolan frankly admitted: “Of course, I had some preparations, but those were deliberate arrangements, not as natural as what you sisters did. I’m grateful to Sister Zhuo, and also to Comrade Zhou Na.”

Hmph, thanking her – she was slightly older than Xia Xiaolan, so why not call her ‘Sister Zhou Na’?

These thoughts Zhou Na only dared think secretly. If she made Xia Xiaolan call her sister, her actual sister Zhuo Weiping would give her a head full of bumps. No matter how much Xia Xiaolan showed appreciation for old friendships, there was still a gap between them. She was still just living off her parents at school – what right did she have to challenge Xia Xiaolan?

Zhou Na bit into her lamb skewer, listening to Xia Xiaolan discuss maintaining order in Asia with her sister.

From Xia Xiaolan’s meaning, she worried competitors would send people to cause trouble in Asia.

Zhuo Weiping listened attentively.

From the county town to the provincial capital, from the local police station to the city bureau, Zhuo Weiping’s edges had never been smoothed away. Her personality remained the same as before. Xia Xiaolan was doing legitimate business – the store didn’t sell fakes, and the recharge cashback promotion was something Zhuo Weiping had experienced herself, completely genuine!

Were the state-owned stores allowed to join forces and suppress Asia with big discounts, but Asia wasn’t allowed to fight back?

Xia Xiaolan’s counter-tactics were completely legal. If the state-owned stores tried any underhanded methods, Zhuo Weiping was very willing to get involved in this matter.

Zhuo Weiping still hated evil as before, and Xia Xiaolan was also happy. Time flew like an arrow, but the people she knew were still so good – just for this reason alone, it was worth celebrating by eating twenty lamb skewers in one go!

Xia Xiaolan enjoyed this late-night snack and afterward had Zheng Feng drive the Zhuo sisters home.

While she was content, Lu Hongbo and the other state-owned store managers couldn’t sleep at all, collectively suffering from insomnia.

Asia’s stock was sufficient – Lu Hongbo and the others knew their strategy of cutting off Asia’s supply had failed… It wasn’t suppliers secretly helping, but Asia finding other supply channels.

Lu Hongbo and his group could cut off suppliers in Shangdu, but they didn’t have the ability to make manufacturers from other places obediently listen!

Even the suppliers were worried and sleepless.

Two days was enough time for them to inquire around.

Asia had found new sources.

Asia had done what several major state-owned stores wanted but couldn’t do – they bypassed Shangdu’s suppliers and chose to get goods directly from manufacturers.

“How could they manage that?”

“With so many types of goods, even if Asia went to negotiate one by one, it would still take time!”

It was impossible to negotiate in just a few days.

Could it be that Asia had planned to replace suppliers since they first opened, and had been laying the groundwork all along?

Otherwise, it made no sense at all!

One supplier rubbed his nose: “When Asia came to discuss supply before opening, I saw that Hong Kong merchant madam was easy to fool, couldn’t resist raising the price a bit. That Second Madam Du didn’t notice at all, very readily agreed.”

“Me too… but you can’t blame me, right? With money sitting there, how could I not make more?”

Only after sharing their thoughts did they realize they weren’t the only ones who had fooled Second Madam Du.

Indeed, being in the same business, their methods were similar.

Meeting an amateur to discuss supply, they really couldn’t resist overcharging!

They had already really restrained themselves, only inflating the price a little bit.

So, the suppliers’ prices in Asia had always been slightly higher than those of the state-owned stores.

It wasn’t much higher – just a bit more per item. They had always thought Asia didn’t know!

Could it be that Asia’s Manager Xia had known all along, but endured silently, just waiting until Asia found new, cheaper sources before replacing them?

The suppliers couldn’t help but theorize conspiracies.

It was just that Asia’s new supply sources connected seamlessly – just as one side cut supplies, they found channels to get goods from manufacturers, without any gaps. The timing was too perfect, making them suspicious!

Although they had been dishonest at first, now that their interests were affected, the suppliers didn’t want to be reasonable.

“Direct supply from manufacturers? If one Asia does this, other stores will follow suit. Not to mention the whole Yunan Province – just a few major stores in Shangdu learning from Asia would destroy at least half our rice bowls!”

Yes, although they controlled the supply in Yunan Province, Shangdu was the province’s most prosperous city.

This was the province’s economic center – just department stores alone had so many branches. Outside Shangdu, some cities couldn’t even find a department store.

If Shangdu’s department stores didn’t need their supply, wouldn’t that destroy half their livelihood?

“Tomorrow we’ll go to Asia!”

Whatever the case, they still had to win back Asia as a customer. This time they wouldn’t overcharge Asia, they could match the state-owned department stores’ prices… or even take a step further, give Asia even lower prices!

…

Early the next morning, Zhuo Weiping led several colleagues over, wearing plain clothes and hiding among the customers, watching the store’s situation at all times.

The city bureau’s people managing Asia’s affairs wasn’t some privilege trading – it was just Xia Xiaolan and Zhuo Weiping’s personal friendship!

This day was Monday, but the number of people coming to Asia hadn’t decreased at all.

Young people had to work, so they sent retired elderly relatives instead. Afraid of the elderly getting cold, Xia Xiaolan had the store open half an hour early.

She waited in the office for the suppliers.

Xia Xiaolan held back her smile:

“Are you all planning to supply Asia again?”