"Do you know where she lives now?"
The man shook his head. "I wasn't in Shangjing before and didn't know many people here. The reason I know this is because I had work handover with her."
Work handover? Li Chonglou's eyes lit up at this. Such work handovers usually required some time to complete, and perhaps this person still had Xian Yan's contact information?
As expected, when he brought this up, the man unhesitatingly pushed Xian Yan's social media contact, which was still accessible, over to him.
"Is there anything else Mr. Li needs help with?"
The reason this guy was so cooperative was entirely due to his fear that Li Chonglou would report him for what happened earlier. People like him, who had only recently come into power, feared complaints the most, as they could easily jeopardize their positions.
Li Chonglou understood this and that's why he directly asked for Xian Yan's contact information. He knew that under normal circumstances, people were not allowed to disclose such information casually. So, he decided to accept the favor and leave. He shook his head and then departed from Xing Street.
He had added Xian Yan's social media contact, but since she hadn't approved it yet, Li Chonglou had no choice but to leave. Shortly after returning to his residence, he unexpectedly received a call from Hu Han.
"Senior Li, I apologize, but something has come up on my end, and I may not be able to help you anymore."
In just a few hours, Hu Han's voice had become very hoarse, filled with a sense of helplessness.
"Do you have time? I have something I want to discuss with you."
Li Chonglou did not elaborate on the phone. Although Hu Han was not in the mood, he eventually agreed, and they arranged to meet again at the same snack shop.
When Li Chonglou saw Hu Han again, the latter looked like a dejected stray dog.
"What happened?"
Hu Han sighed deeply and said, "Senior Li, I might not be able to help you anymore. I might not be able to stay in the Hu family."
Li Chonglou's brow immediately furrowed. It wasn't that he was dissatisfied with Hu Han potentially being unable to help him, but rather with Hu Han's state of mind in dealing with unexpected events.
"Calm down! Problems are meant to be solved. As long as there is a shred of hope, don't let negative emotions consume your will!"
Li Chonglou suddenly admonished him. Hu Han was stunned, but it was as if he had been struck by a forceful blow, awakening him instantly.
"Senior Li, I understand! As long as there is a glimmer of hope, I will not give up!"
After a jolt, Hu Han's dejection vanished. He clenched his fists and suddenly stood up.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to..."
Hu Han stopped mid-sentence, realizing that Li Chonglou had called him out for another matter. He smiled sheepishly and sat back down.
"My apologies, Senior Li. I got too excited."
Li Chonglou rolled his eyes and then said, "Tell me about your current situation. Let's see if I can help you."
Hu Han looked at Li Chonglou with some confusion. He knew Li Chonglou's strength was extraordinary, but that was just in martial arts matters. The problem he was facing now was one of business competition.
What help could a martial arts overlord offer? Eliminate the competitors directly?
However, despite his doubts, Hu Han dared not voice them. After hesitating for a long time, he recounted the series of messages he had just received.
It turned out that after receiving news that the Second Master was feeling unwell, he had immediately rushed back to the Hu family. Upon his return, he understood why the Second Master had suddenly fallen ill: a major business deal he was responsible for had been intercepted!
This was a crucial period in the struggle for succession. Such an event could almost guarantee the failure of their traditional faction and their permanent disqualification from the position of family head. The Second Master, realizing this, had been so enraged that his blood had rushed to his head, causing him to fall ill.
"Alas, I suppose I have disappointed the Second Master. I could have tracked this myself, but due to a lack of confidence, I let someone else handle it. Otherwise, how could such a basic mistake have occurred?"
Hu Han sighed deeply. His only hope now was to personally go and find the other party to see if he could salvage the situation, even if it meant paying a hefty price and compensating them for the breach of contract.
This was something he had thought of after Li Chonglou's encouragement. Although he hadn't been in the Hu family for long, he hadn't been lazy and had grasped most of the family's business matters.
"Is it about the clothing business?"
Li Chonglou suddenly asked. Hu Han was taken aback for a moment, then nodded and provided more detailed information.
"This client is a major foreign buyer who has a batch of high-quality material suppliers. We import a batch of high-quality clothes from him every year and then resell them in the domestic market. Because he's an old client and a stable source, the Second Master intended to put it under my name to give me some achievements."
But no one expected a dark horse to suddenly emerge this year and acquire it at nearly double the price the Hu family offered, leaving him with nothing but an empty order.
"Just a batch of clothes, and the impact is this big?"
Li Chonglou was somewhat puzzled. His understanding of this industry was still very shallow, and he asked this with a desire to learn, as he himself would likely be entering this business soon.
Hu Han explained, "The impact is huge. Because it's a stable source, we take orders from domestic market merchants before the annual procurement. If we fail to deliver the goods to them by the deadline, the compensation for just the deposit alone will be a considerable sum. Most importantly, our company's reputation will be affected, and the losses from this are immeasurable."
Li Chonglou nodded, finally gaining a rough understanding. He then asked, "Are there any style requirements for these clothes? And what is the quantity?"
Hu Han looked at Li Chonglou with confusion but still replied, "The styles change every year, so we only require that the quality meets the standards. However, clothes of this quality are extremely rare in China, and each piece is sold like a treasure. It's also difficult to procure them from other countries because there isn't enough time. The delivery is due in five days at the latest."
Hu Han sighed again as he said this, and then mentioned the quantity.
Thirty thousand pieces.
A quantity that made him feel despair just by mentioning it.
At this moment, Hu Han saw Li Chonglou take out his phone and walk aside. A few minutes later, he returned.
Hu Han asked curiously, "Senior Li, what are you doing?"
His heart was a little anxious because Li Chonglou's actions seemed to indicate he was genuinely busy with his affairs. Although Hu Han didn't really believe Li Chonglou could help, a drowning person will instinctively reach for a straw.
Hu Han also harbored a sliver of hope.