Chapter 103: Super Scale

As the weather grew ever colder, Zhu Buhuo and Lord Le Yin returned, weary from their journey back from Linhai City. The two made their first visit to the Yang residence, bringing not only good news but also a generous assortment of local specialties from Linhai.

Yang Cheng, who had nearly forgotten the taste of seafood after so many years away, prepared a meal himself, even taking out some carefully aged hidden wine to entertain Zhu Buhuo and Lord Le Yin. The three gathered around the table, their conversation lively and full of excitement.

Thanks to the efforts of Zhu and Le Yin over the past two months, the Yang family's furniture flagship store in Linhai City had opened smoothly. The commercial associations of Wuzhou City and Linhai City frequently interacted, and with Lord Le Yin’s sociable nature, he had built a substantial network of business contacts in Linhai over the years. Not only did the flagship store enjoy a strong start, but the regional general agent was also swiftly appointed.

They even had the regional general agent’s franchise revenue brought in, with Yang Cheng’s share amounting to fifty percent, totaling 775,000 spirit coins. Yang Cheng did not have the money counted but immediately entrusted Xiao Lan to oversee the storage.

The Linhai flagship store was now managed by the steward of the old Zhu family, a loyal and long-serving servant deeply involved in the family’s business affairs and very experienced. It seemed that Linhai City’s momentum would rival that of Wuzhou City. The three raised their glasses in celebration.

Old Zhu was a hearty drinker; after downing a cup, the sharp burn of the liquor hit him immediately. Once he recovered, he exclaimed, “Excellent wine! Truly excellent!”

Lord Le Yin glanced at the crystal-clear cup and took a sip, praising it highly. Holding up the exquisite, high-end vessel embossed with “Ice Spring Jade Nectar” alongside a bright scarlet character for “Wine,” he recognized it as their own container and asked, “Brother Yang, did you brew this yourself?”

Yang Cheng, not much of a drinker, took a small sip and replied, “Indeed. I recently established a distillery that produces this very type of baijiu.”

“May I ask how much of this wine you have?” Lord Le Yin inquired.

“Currently, we have accumulated several hundred thousand jin, sealed in jars and cellared, with brewing ongoing.”

“And the market price for this wine?”

“I plan to set three tiers: high, medium, and low. The high-grade will be aged longer, with a rich aroma and smooth entry, served in more exquisite vessels, priced at fifty spirit coins per jar. This segment won’t be large, as few can afford it, but some always seek such quality. The medium tier will be priced at fifty silver coins, and the low tier just a little above the current market price—one to two silver coins—so most people can afford it, aiming for small profits but large sales.”

“Is there a quality difference between the high, medium, and low tiers?”

Yang Cheng answered, “Not much difference in quality, mostly packaging and presentation.”

Lord Le Yin sighed, “Where there is a banquet, wine is indispensable. Even if your pricing is higher than others, Brother Yang, you will capture much of the market.”

Yang Cheng smiled, “That is why even the low tier is priced above ordinary wine, to give them room to survive.”

While the two conversed, Old Zhu eagerly downed several cups. Soon, his face flushed red, and he suddenly began to sob loudly, startling the others.

“Brother, have I wronged you?” Old Zhu cried.

Yang Cheng and Lord Le Yin exchanged puzzled glances. “What does Old Zhu mean by this?” they asked.

Old Zhu wept, “Though the distillery business is booming, each family’s trade is fiercely competitive. When you first said you wanted to brew wine, I was full of disdain. I thought there was no way you could surpass others in everything.”

“But after tasting this wine today, I realize the stuff I drank before was nothing but horse urine. Brother, I was wrong. I will never doubt you again; if you say east, it is east; if you say west, it is west.” He paused, then flatteringly added, “Brother, can I have a share in this distillery business?”

Lord Le Yin scoffed, “Old Zhu, how shameless you are!”

Old Zhu shot back, “Le Yin, how can you say that? Your family supplies the wine bottles. Once sales pick up, won’t you profit handsomely? Even my backside can tell this wine will become famous. I want to contribute my modest share to this venture, is that not right?”

Yang Cheng laughed wryly; Old Zhu’s pretense nearly fooled him.

He had considered this himself. The Flowing Cloud Kingdom was vast and could not be conquered alone. Sharing profits and responsibilities would speed development and save him much effort. As sales expanded, his distillery would be too small to support the workforce needed. The only capable manager currently was Steward Su, who could barely handle the existing load.

Yang Cheng said, “The distillery business doesn’t have the high profit margins of furniture; it depends on volume. In Wuzhou City, my plan is to deepen cooperation with taverns, recruiting around two hundred franchisees who will pick up goods themselves. Retail outlets in each region will source directly from them, speeding distribution. Naturally, your taverns will be included.”

“My current scale can only support Wuzhou City; other regions will require expansion. The Flowing Cloud Kingdom is vast and populous. To dominate, the distillery must become a super-large operation.”

Lord Le Yin and Zhu Buhuo nodded. Even just to cover the eighteen cities of the Eastern Capital, such a distillery would employ tens of thousands—practically a village-sized enterprise.

“I don’t want the Yang family’s territory to become all distilleries, nor is there such a large site nearby. We must find another location to build a new factory. The three of us are allies; this new plant can be a joint venture. I’ll hold forty percent, you two thirty percent each. I’ll provide technology and production guidance. Old Zhu will manage personnel, procurement, and safety, and Old Le will handle external sales. What do you think?”

Old Le nodded eagerly, “Of course we agree. This is a tremendous opportunity. If we can capture even a fraction, this distillery will one day surpass the estates of the Four Great Families by many times.”

Lord Le Yin stood and bowed to Yang Cheng. “This is a historic chance. Our resources will surpass the Four Great Families. I thank you, Brother Yang, for this opportunity. I will never forget and will always follow your lead.”

Yang Cheng replied, “Good. This baijiu is highly competitive. I will gradually release various types. For the new factory, use my current plant as a blueprint. I have also identified a site—a gorge near Baixi Village. When I looked from a height that day, I saw a gorge with ample space and good water sources. You should inspect it and choose a suitable spot.”

“The investment will be huge. I estimate you don’t have much capital now, so we can build the first phase initially, then add phases two and three as demand grows. The site must be large enough to accommodate a village-sized population and future ancillary facilities.”

Both Old Le and Old Zhu nodded, their minds racing with the prospect of building a village that would be the exclusive domain of the three families—a thrilling vision indeed.

“Additionally, you must strengthen your own security forces. Safety requires our joint effort. The brewing technology must be kept strictly confidential. Without competition for now, we can quickly seize the market and establish a firm foothold.”

Zhu and Le Yin nodded in agreement.

They discussed late into the night before parting.

Le Yin and Zhu agreed to inspect the site the next day. If confirmed, personnel and materials would need to be transported, with construction taking at least two months before production could begin.

As they prepared to leave, Yang Cheng specially invited them to attend the franchisees’ banquet he was organizing.

With the year’s end approaching, Yang Cheng planned to host a gathering after the first snowfall, inviting about two hundred well-performing tavern owners to strengthen bonds. Old Zhu was quick to agree, knowing there was more at stake than mere socializing.