Chapter 104: Boss Jin’s Lesson

TL: Etude

“Hey, just some daily necessities. Brother Hai asked me to buy some prizes for a lottery event he’s planning for the opening,” Fang Aiguo hurriedly explained.

“Oh, then I’ll go with you!” Lin Wanqiu volunteered.

No wonder Chen Jianghai had also asked her to buy quite a few daily necessities. It seemed they were for this purpose.

Chen Jianghai didn’t object and nodded, “Okay, keep an eye on things. Aiguo, you can’t rush your work.”

“Understood.”

Lin Wanqiu answered simply and then left with Fang Aiguo.

Meanwhile, Chen Jianghai continued to work with Zhao Rongxin.

Soon, Boss Jin appeared leisurely at the entrance of the warehouse.

“Jianghai, busy?”

“Yo, Brother Jin, how come you have time to visit?”

Chen Jianghai looked up and asked upon hearing the voice.

Boss Jin grinned, “I’ve always wanted to check out your warehouse. I had some free time today, so here I am.”

Chen Jianghai nodded and then said to Zhao Rongxin, “Little Zhao, continue fixing the things. Ask me if you have any questions. Brother, let’s sit outside.”

Boss Jin glanced at Zhao Rongxin and followed Chen Jianghai outside.

Zhao Changgui, seeing the two sit at the doorway to chat, wisely went into the warehouse.

Boss Jin watched Zhao Changgui enter and suddenly remarked, “Young Brother, your friend seems quite shrewd.”

“Great wisdom can appear foolish; it’s people like him,” Chen Jianghai said with a smile.

Boss Jin was about to take out his cigarette pack but Chen Jianghai was quicker, offering him Hongtashan cigarettes.

“Smoke mine!”

“Alright!”

“Brother, your shop is opening the day after tomorrow, right?” Boss Jin asked, taking a puff.

Chen Jianghai nodded, “Yes, you must come and support me, Brother Jin!”

“Definitely, definitely!”

Boss Jin said without hesitation, “Brother, I’ll definitely support your new store opening!”

Chen Jianghai then asked, “Brother, you didn’t come just for this, did you?”

“You wouldn’t believe it, but I came today just to see you and also to ask about your opening,” Boss Jin said frankly.

Chen Jianghai bowed slightly, “Then I thank you in advance, Brother Jin.”

Boss Jin waved his hand, unconcerned, “It’s a small matter.”

Then, looking towards the warehouse, Boss Jin asked, “Brother Chen, who is that young man inside?”

“Who?”

Chen Jianghai quickly realized, “You mean Little Zhao? He’s the apprentice I’ve recently taken on!”

Hearing this, Boss Jin’s expression changed slightly, hesitantly saying, “Brother Chen, aren’t you taking on an apprentice a bit early?”

Chen Jianghai was taken aback and then asked, “Boss Jin, what do you mean by that?”

Boss Jin pointed towards the warehouse and said, “Brother, as the saying goes, teaching an apprentice can starve the master!”

Chen Jianghai immediately understood his meaning.

“Boss Jin, it sounds like you’ve had a personal experience with this,” Chen Jianghai said, slightly teasing.

To his surprise, Boss Jin’s expression darkened, and he sighed lightly, speaking rather sadly, “I won’t hide it from you, brother. I’ve indeed suffered a great loss in this regard.”

Chen Jianghai’s interest was piqued, and he asked with curiosity, “Oh, Brother Jin, would you mind sharing your story?”

Boss Jin sighed and then recounted his story.

After leaving his job, Boss Jin thrived in business due to his unique insight, managerial skills, and the contacts he had accumulated over the years. This success led him to consider opening a branch in a nearby county.

With this idea in mind, he promptly set it into motion.

Opening a new store required more than just capital; it needed talented individuals, particularly a manager to oversee the branch.

Coincidentally, at that time, Boss Jin had taken on an apprentice who learned quickly and showed great respect towards him.

Impressed by the apprentice’s performance and unable to decide on a manager for the new branch, Boss Jin, as a master, decided to give his apprentice a chance.

To train his apprentice, Boss Jin involved him in all the preparations for the store’s opening.

Initially, Boss Jin was quite worried and even temporarily left his own store to spend time and energy supporting the apprentice in the new store.

Unquestionably, the apprentice had a natural talent for business, and the new store’s business flourished day by day.

Just then, an urgent family matter required Boss Jin’s attention, and he had to leave early, entrusting the new store to his apprentice.

After all, the apprentice had been well-trained and was fully capable of handling things.

When Boss Jin returned to Linghai, the apprentice had managed the new store impeccably.

In this situation, Boss Jin became more relaxed and started delegating more authority to the apprentice, allowing him to take the lead.

Half a year later, the apprentice had most of the operational control of the new store and even began to interfere in personnel matters.

Boss Jin was extremely gratified at that time, believing he had found a good apprentice.

However, what happened next made Boss Jin realize the truth in the saying, “It’s hard to paint a tiger’s skin, but even harder to know a person’s heart.”

It’s a fact that human hearts are unpredictable, and too much trust in someone comes at a cost.

The apprentice used his authority to slowly usurp Boss Jin’s new store.

By the time Boss Jin realized, the new store was nothing but an empty shell.

The apprentice’s true nature was finally revealed, and he vanished without a trace, impossible to find.

After this incident, Boss Jin was so angry that he ended up in the hospital, but fortunately, he recovered.

Having had such a personal experience, Boss Jin felt compelled to warn Chen Jianghai.

After listening to Boss Jin’s story, Chen Jianghai frowned slightly, “Brother, you were too careless!”

Boss Jin said with a bitter smile, “It’s just that I was too young and overly trusting. Young brother, take my experience as a lesson. Be cautious and avoid making the same mistake!”

Chen Jianghai smiled slightly, “Thank you for the warning, Brother. I’ll remember it.”

Boss Jin, looking at Chen Jianghai’s relaxed face, clearly felt that his words hadn’t been taken to heart.

“Brother, just… be careful.” Boss Jin stopped mid-sentence, ultimately deciding not to continue.

There was only so much he could say. If Chen Jianghai chose not to listen, there was nothing more he could do.

It was only because of their good relationship that he felt it was his place to say so much.

“I understand, Brother. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful and won’t make any mistakes,” Chen Jianghai responded, nodding.

Seeing Chen Jianghai’s still confident demeanor, Boss Jin decided not to say more, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then left.

Watching Boss Jin’s departing figure, Chen Jianghai couldn’t help but feel a mix of amusement and frustration.

How could he possibly tell Boss Jin that he wasn’t at all worried about Zhao Rongxin learning and taking away his skills?

…

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