I trade in both worlds

The next day, when Xu Tiantian walked into the classroom, what greeted her was no longer the usual tranquility, but a bustle and noise.

The classmates gathered around, their eyes sparkling with curiosity and admiration.

"Xu Tiantian, do you really know martial arts?" A boy asked first, unable to contain his excitement.

Xu Tiantian smiled slightly, that smile was both humble and confident: "Yes, I have practiced for several years."

As soon as this sentence came out, the classroom exploded. Students gathered around and asked questions one after another.

"Can you perform for us?" A girl's eyes flashed with anticipation, her hands clasped together, and her face looked pleading.

"How did you learn martial arts? Isn't it super cool?" another boy asked with envy.

"Are there any particularly powerful moves?" another classmate asked impatiently, with curiosity and excitement in his eyes.

Xu Tiantian was surrounded by the enthusiasm of her classmates. She patiently answered everyone's questions one by one and tried her best to satisfy everyone's curiosity.

She knew in her heart that this was just her classmates' curiosity and exploration of the unknown world, and she happened to be the key to open the door to the new world.

"In fact, martial arts is not as mysterious as everyone imagines." Xu Tiantian said with a smile, "It is just a way to exercise the body. It emphasizes both internal and external cultivation. It can not only strengthen the body, but also cultivate one's will and character."

As time went by, Xu Tiantian's name became more and more famous in the school. She had become a "martial arts master" in the eyes of her classmates and attracted much attention wherever she went.

However, that’s all for later. Now let’s go to Liu Mansion in the capital.

In recent years, the bag workshop has grown from a small workshop with a dozen or twenty people to a large workshop with hundreds of craftsmen.

The bags produced are of various styles, ranging from simple everyday bags to gorgeous party handbags.

And those creative bags based on plush dolls have become fashionable items that are sought after by the ladies in Beijing.

However, as the market continues to expand, competition is becoming increasingly fierce.

Many new bag workshops have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain. They either imitate or innovate, and have launched many creative bag styles.

The rise of these new workshops undoubtedly posed a huge threat to Liu Mansion's bag workshop.

Seeing this, the Liu family also began to cultivate their own design team in an attempt to reduce their dependence on Xu Xu's design.

They selected a group of potential craftsmen and provided them with systematic training and learning, hoping that they could become Liu Mansion's own design force.

Although Xu Xu owned 30% of the workshop's shares, he could get more than 100,000 taels of silver a year at best, and tens of thousands of taels of silver at worst.

The workshop's profitability has declined slightly in recent years, but in the bag industry, the large bags and dolls they produce are the most popular.

In the Liu Mansion's study, the flickering candlelight reflected on the quaint furniture, adding a touch of solemnity.

Liu Yuan was sitting at his desk at this moment. His face was calm and dignified, but his eyes revealed a hint of imperceptible worry.

The chief steward Liu Fu approached quietly, holding a thick account book in his hand, the cover of which looked a little worn.

"Master, this is the latest account of the bag workshop. Please take a look." Liu Fu's voice was low and respectful, and he gently placed the account book in front of Liu Yuan.

Liu Yuan took the account book and slowly opened it. Every page recorded the growth process of the bag workshop - from the initial difficult start to the huge scale today.

His eyes wandered between the numbers, and his brows furrowed tighter and tighter, as if he could pinch a fly to death.

"In recent years, the development of bag workshops has indeed been rapid." Liu Yuan finally spoke, with a barely perceptible sigh in his voice.

"But if you look at the cost and the share given to Xu Xu, it's a considerable sum every year."

Liu Fu had already known what was going on when he heard this, but he still pretended to be puzzled and asked, "Master, Xu Xu's design did bring a lot of income to the workshop, and the share was what we agreed on at the beginning. Why did you suddenly..."

Liu Yuan gently closed the account book and turned his eyes to the window. The night was dark and the stars were twinkling.

"Liu Fu, you and I both know that Xu Xu's design talent is indeed extraordinary. I cooperated with her because I was attracted by her creativity."

"But nowadays, the market competition is getting more and more fierce, new bag workshops are emerging one after another, and their designs are becoming more and more creative. If we continue like this, the share we give to Xu Xu every year will make our profits thinner."

Liu Fu heard this and thought to himself.

He knew that what the master said was not without reason. In the past few years, the Liu family had indeed trained a group of good designers. Although they could not completely replace Xu Xu, they had already begun to take shape.

Coupled with the endless stream of new styles on the market, the Liu family really needs to reconsider their cooperation with Xu Xu.

"Master, what you mean is..." Liu Fu asked tentatively.

Liu Yuan withdrew his gaze and looked back at the account book, with a hint of determination in his eyes.

"I think it's time to talk to Xu Xu. We proposed to use a sum of money to buy back the 30% of her shares. In this way, we can reduce the annual commission expenditure and fully control the design direction of the workshop."

When Liu Fu heard this, he was startled.

Once this decision is made, it means that the cooperation with Xu Xu will change completely.

But he also understood that the master's decisions were always well considered, and as a subordinate, he could only fully support him.

"Master, who do you think would be the most appropriate person to send to discuss this matter?" Liu Fu asked.

Liu Yuan pondered for a moment, and had an idea in mind: "Let's go with Sister Feng. She is smooth and eloquent, and has always had a good relationship with Xu Xu. If she comes forward, it may be easier to convince Xu Xu."

Liu Fu nodded in agreement, but couldn't help feeling a little sorry for Xu Xu.

Xu Xu is a talented woman, but in the business world, she only cares about interests and not relationships. This time, I'm afraid, is no exception.

A few days later, a secret letter was sent from the capital to Jinxiu Pavilion in Guoyue County at full speed and fell into Fengjie's hands.

Fengjie opened the envelope, read ten lines at a glance, and her face gradually became solemn.

In the letter, they clearly expressed their intention to take back 30% of Xu Xu's shares and proposed a seemingly reasonable price.

Fengjie put down the letter with mixed feelings. This was undoubtedly a heavy blow to Xu Xu.

She has seen Xu Xu's dedication and hard work for the workshop over the years. Now, the Liu family is going to abandon this former partner for the sake of profit, which makes her feel deeply helpless and guilty.

As night fell, Fengjie lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

She thought of Xu Xu's lively eyes and her excited look every time she brought a new design, and she couldn't help feeling a pang of sadness in her heart.

She knew that she had to talk to Xu Xu about this matter, but how should she start the conversation to minimize the harm to her?