Chapter 389: 396: Absolute Advantage

Moreover, compared to the Su Family’s sincere alliance, Chen Li’s thoughts are not so simple. Just looking at her current desire to keep a foot in two boats, it’s clear that if Liu Xiu has any sense, he will know how to choose. Su Wenyue understood from Han Yu’s words that Liu Xiu was not ignorant of Chen Li’s actions, but merely turned a blind eye to certain things because this woman was useful to him.

“Daughter, do you have a plan in mind?” Master Su, seeing his daughter so determined and confident, knew she must have some good ideas. Their son-in-law is now following that person; could it be that she wants the son-in-law to make introductions? Although it is a strategy, it doesn’t guarantee success, nor will it necessarily be valued by that person.

“Yes, Younger Sister, do you have any good ideas?” Su Wenxuan was rather impatient and, when facing his beloved younger sister, he didn’t hide his emotions, asking curiously.

Su Wenyue did not rush to disclose her plan but shared some information she had learned from Han Yu, including the current situation of Liu Xiu and the mention of Chen Li.

Master Su and his son were both smart people. Hearing this, they understood Su Wenyue’s thoughts. They were even more aware of the situation at the Imperial Court than Su Wenyue; coupled with their understanding of Liu Xiu’s circumstances, if they still couldn’t see the opportunity, there would be no point in them continuing in the business world.

Speaking of Chen Li, even Master Su and his son felt a mix of wariness and admiration, primarily because Chen Li’s business brilliance was truly astounding. She always thought of innovative ideas and created novel things. The Su Family, having dominated the market for many years, was not so easily shaken, but even they were affected. Not to mention other merchants who were no match for Chen Li. Initially, these people could use their influence to coerce Chen Li, who had no powerful backing, but once she clung to Liu Xiu and gained support, they no longer dared to target her. Chen Li, with her talent for business, expanded her influence in the market and had become quite reputable.

Su Wenyue had not expected Chen Li to be so capable that even her mother’s family business was affected. But that made sense; thinking back on her previous life, Chen Li, with her business talent and a solid backing, became the number one figure in the business world. What was happening now was just the beginning; later on, she almost monopolized half of the market.

“If we want to establish our footing beside that individual, we must first suppress Chen Li, preventing her from advancing further. This will make that individual rely on us even more.” Su Wenyue saw the situation clearly. As the saying goes, two tigers can’t share one mountain. In the same arena, the Su Family and Chen Li must vie for position. Given Chen Li’s ambition and desire, she would never willingly take a subordinate role, meaning the Su Family could not coexist with Chen Li. If Chen Li knew the Su Family was aligning with Liu Xiu, she would surely devise ways to deal with them. Rather than waiting for Chen Li to plan, it was better to take the initiative to prevent her from growing too powerful, which would only make her more difficult to handle later on.

The Su father and son understood this logic too. They would not underestimate her just because Chen Li was a woman, especially since she had already begun to show her edge.

“Lady Yue makes sense. That woman obviously isn’t to be trifled with, and she employs some rather dubious methods. We can’t let her continue to grow unchecked; she will become a major threat sooner or later.”

Seeing that her father and brother had such an attitude and did not underestimate Chen Li, Su Wenyue’s worries eased. With her father and brother’s ability, plus her guidance, there was no need for concern. Chen Li, despite having some novel ideas, actually didn’t have much of an advantage. In dealing with human relationships and other matters, she even had many shortcomings. In her previous life, she reached that position only because her advantages were too apparent, and with Liu Xiu needing Chen Li’s financial support, he cleared obstacles for her. In this life, due to Su Wenyue’s rebirth, Chen Li’s greatest strength was no longer absolute.

Su Wenyue then inquired about Chen Li’s business dealings, which were mostly the same as in her past life, with little change. Su Wenyue felt even more confident and provided many suggestions to her father and brother. Some ideas, which would later merge with Chen Li’s and suit the era’s trends, were already mature—far stronger than Chen Li’s initial attempts. After all, although Chen Li’s ideas were innovative and unique, many of them bore modern thinking, which did not fit the current era and needed time to integrate smoothly.

Master Su and his son, already worried about Chen Li’s endless tactics and having devised many countermeasures to little effect, were enlightened by Su Wenyue’s numerous suggestions. Indeed, the younger sister was the smart one; Chen Li might be formidable, but these suggestions from the younger sister were even more so. The father and sons selectively forgot that it was only because of her rebirth that Su Wenyue knew these things. In the end, their daughter/sister was the most formidable.

“I was somewhat troubled, but now, with Younger Sister’s ideas, I’m not worried about dealing with Chen Li. Younger Sister is truly clever and formidable.” Master Su and Su Hengyi were quite reserved and not accustomed to expressing their emotions, but Su Hengyi, being more extroverted, beamed with pride as he generously praised his beloved sister.

“I’m merely picking up where others left off, nothing formidable about that,” said Su Wenyue with a smile. She felt neither proud nor wrong about using the advantage of her rebirth, although in her past life, those were innovations spread by Chen Li. Su Wenyue had a feeling that perhaps Chen Li had also encountered something extraordinary to achieve such change, that these things might have been learned from others, just like her. After all, Chen Li wasn’t really a wise woman, merely somewhat clever at best.

“Younger Sister is becoming more and more modest,” Su Hengyi said, looking at Su Wenyue with a gentle gaze, as if he had made a decision, and then turned to Master Su.

“Father, Younger Sister has given us so many ideas; we can’t let her be at a disadvantage. I think for every idea from Younger Sister, we should give her a share of the profits, what that woman would call ‘technology investment.’ With Younger Sister’s talent and her contributions, this is what she deserves.” Su Hengyi didn’t hesitate to share the profits with Su Wenyue, indirectly compensating her and boosting her confidence.

“Hengyi makes a good point; let’s do just that,” agreed Master Su, with a look of satisfaction on his face, pleased to see such affection between his children.

However, Su Wenyue disagreed, seeing this as an obvious advantage taken of her mother’s family. She did not want it: “Father, big brother, what are you doing? It’s just a few suggestions, and now you want to give me a profit share? Does that not risk creating a rift between us? I know you want to boost my confidence, but there’s really no need. I am also planning to open a few stores, so if you want to help me, you’d better find me some competent staff.”