TYAM Chapter 73

Just a reminder, the 1 kofi = 1 bonus chapter🔥hot deal🔥will end at 11 January!

Du Wenjuan was both surprised and delighted to receive the call, but her concerns were vastly different from theirs.

“I was worried about disturbing your and Teacher Ji’s work. I was even thinking of renting a place nearby,” she said with a polite humility characteristic of family interactions. “Will you be coming home for the New Year this year?”

Jiang Wang responded calmly, “Work is too busy, and my parents have passed away. Staying here is fine.”

Du Wenjuan hadn’t expected to touch on such a sensitive topic and quickly said, “We’re family. Listen to what I’m saying—how thoughtless of me.”

“Then, how about I come over after the New Year? Does that work for you?”

“We’re staying in a small duplex in Yuhan, and there’s more than enough room,” Jiang Wang replied warmly. “You don’t need to overthink it. I might still be out for social engagements on New Year’s Eve and may not even make it back.”

Du Wenjuan quickly agreed but hesitated for a few seconds before adding, “Xingwang hasn’t written back recently. Could something have happened?”

Jiang Wang immediately understood and chuckled, “He’s been… practicing the violin lately.”

“The violin!”

“He’s already learned to play a few children’s songs. I’ll have him call you tonight.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Du Wenjuan said, startled, always worried about being a bother. “Long-distance calls are so expensive, I’d feel bad.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jiang Wang said with a smile. “He’s been missing you a lot.”

As Jiang Wang chatted with his mother, he noticed that frost had formed on the window outside his desk.

It was nearly winter already.

At the end of the year, everything seemed to go more smoothly than before.

Chen Danhong, who had initially worried about wasting money on the shop, found that after a simple renovation and reopening, they made enough money not only to cover the rent but with plenty to spare. Quite a few well-to-do families in the area had started ordering custom-made clothes for their elders.

The QR code initiative, passed along layer by layer, had caught the attention of the higher-ups. Not only was a batch of Japanese QR scanners introduced into Yuhan District, but a professional team was also being assembled for further research. If proven feasible, it could pave the way for a more advanced and efficient logistics system.

Yuhan had already begun pilot operations, and although people were initially unsure how to use it, they soon became hooked.

“This can fill out specs and categories and organize storage with a single click. Highly recommended!”

“Both involve scanning, but this is clearly much easier to use!”

Even Hongcheng brought good news.

This year, Buwang Bookstore was once again a top taxpayer and made significant contributions to public education, earning a red certificate and a gilded plaque, along with praise from various departments!

Jiang Wang was still poring over books about QR codes when his secretary knocked and cautiously entered.

“Boss Jiang… That company has come to poach people near our store again.”

Coincidentally, a company called Dongri Training in Yilong District, which had been rapidly expanding in recent years, had opened a new branch two kilometers away from Buwang Education a month ago.

Although primary and secondary schools across the city were scattered, residential and commercial areas tended to cluster in certain hotspots.

Jiang Wang’s sharp eye had picked out several key promotional spots before opening the branch, with a dedicated team to distribute flyers and hand out fans.

The people from Dongri Training were quite aggressive, taking over prime spots like escalators and subway exits whenever possible, and squeezing in nearby when they couldn’t.

Some observant employees collected a few of their flyers and brought them back to the office for comparison. The results sent their blood pressure soaring.

“This—this is blatant stepping on us!”

The flyers were filled with snarky statements that would go unnoticed by parents but were glaringly obvious to insiders.

“Our company promises never to use gimmicks like grading teachers to justify different pricing.”

“Unlike other training institutions that are broad but shallow and cater to all age groups, Dongri Training focuses on specializing in high school education.”

…

Within a 500-mile radius, the only major training institution that graded teachers and catered to elementary, middle, and high school students was Buwang Education.

When Jiang Wang had initially leased two entire floors, recruited dozens of teachers to start training programs, and invited skepticism from many, people had sneered at him, warning him not to overreach and risk empty classrooms.

Who would have thought that now, not only had Jiang Wang made full use of both floors, but student enrollment was booming, and they were constantly short of teachers, holding interviews and training sessions nonstop.

The secretary, seeing that Jiang Wang’s expression remained calm, carefully elaborated that Dongri’s people were distributing flyers in the nearby residential areas today and even circling around the Not Forgotten Bookstore.

They were now openly poaching customers right on their doorstep.

Not only did they pull such infuriating stunts, but they had the audacity to flaunt it right in their faces. Truly shameless.  

Jiang Wang remained silent for a long time before finally opening the cabinet in front of his secretary.  

The secretary grew nervous, fearing he might pull out a gun.  

But instead, Boss Jiang rummaged through the depths of the cabinet and pulled out a box of mints.  

“I ate a lot of garlic with the dumplings at lunch,” he said as he tossed two mints into his mouth. “Anything else?”  

The secretary wore a face that screamed, ‘Boss, can you stop being like this?’  

“Well… they keep stealing business from us, even taking clients we’re negotiating with. Shouldn’t we respond somehow?”  

She had the whole scenario envisioned:  

The domineering boss slams his fist on the desk, devising a ruthless plan to crush the competition, making them feel they’d rather die than to live, so miserable they’d rather sniff a noseful of pepper than dare to provoke them again!  

Everyone in the company knew Jiang Wang’s reputation — shrewd, calculating, and capable of dismantling his small fry rivals effortlessly!  

Jiang Wang chewed on the mints for a while, then exhaled into his palm to check his breath.  

“No response. If there’s nothing else, disperse. Leave work early if you can.”  

The secretary felt like she’d been struck by a heavy blow, her pride and faith in the company crumbling. For the first time, she was genuinely frustrated. “Boss!”  

“You can’t just think about leaving work early every day!!”  

They’ve practically stepped on our faces!!!  

Jiang Wang looked at her, as if failing to grasp her point.  

“Tell me, has that training institution broken any laws?”  

The secretary grimaced, “No.”  

“Have they barged into our store to steal clients directly?”  

“No.”  

“Then that’s that,” Jiang Wang said with a carefree smile. “The ones meant to stay won’t leave, and the ones tempted to stray can’t be kept. Why get worked up?”  

The secretary was simultaneously annoyed and charmed by his demeanor. Somehow, her anger felt weightless in the face of his calm confidence.  

Jiang Wang adjusted his office chair and sat up straight, his expression composed. “We’re already the largest education institution in Luhu District.”  

“If they’re just small fry, don’t waste your attention on them. Understand?”  

Even sparing them an extra second of thought would be a waste.  

The secretary nodded, half-understanding.  

Jiang Wang hummed a tune as he left work and drove home. As usual, Ji Linqiu sat in the passenger seat, with Peng Xingwang in the back.  

Ji Linqiu had picked up the child from school and bought a garland of gardenias at the gate, its scent fresh and elegant.  

“Today… quite a few colleagues at the company were talking about Dongri Training,” he said with mild unease. “If they keep harassing us like this, will there be any impact?” 

Jiang Wang, merging into a different lane and accelerating, glanced at him briefly. “What do you think?”  

“I think we could develop some new services and expand to other districts,” Ji Linqiu replied slowly. “For middle and high school courses in this area, we’ve already maxed out our customer base. Marketing is on point, but our two-story space in Yuhan can’t accommodate many more students.”  

Jiang Wang smiled faintly and nodded.  

“I already have plans for new services.”  

“Oh?”  

“For low- to mid-tier markets, there will always be competition for customers. As word spreads, more players will enter this business.”  

Ji Linqiu quickly caught on.  

“You want to target the high-end market?”  

“TOEFL speaking prep, college admissions training, programming competition coaching—the market for these is still wide open,” Jiang Wang explained slowly. “The sooner we start, the sooner we build a reputation.”  

It was only 2007. By 2017, they’d be a veteran institution with a decade of experience, their reputation and credibility unparalleled.  

Ji Linqiu paused for a moment, then smiled at him.  

“You’re quite ambitious. It’s almost dissonant how restrained you usually seem, but saying things like this suits you perfectly.”  

Jiang Wang turned the steering wheel, his tone casual. “Is ambition good or bad?”  

“It depends on who has it,” Ji Linqiu said, looking ahead. “To others, it’s intimidating and earns respect.”  

‘To me, it’s incredibly sexy.’   

Jiang Wang wasn’t sure if he caught the subtext. He glanced at Ji Linqiu briefly before turning his eyes back to the road.  

After a long silence, he suddenly laughed.  

Peng Xingwang, excited for their spicy fish head dinner, listened from the middle seat, understanding only bits and pieces.  

“Oh, right!” he suddenly exclaimed, a bit giddy. “Zhou Yinxin taught me to play the piano today!”  

Both men glanced at him in unison, ready to hear the gossip.  

“What did she say?”  

“She was playing the piano, and I kept watching from the side. After a while, she shifted over and asked if I wanted to play together.”  

Peng Xingwang eagerly recounted the day’s small interactions, not realizing anything might be amiss. He then looked at the two older men as if seeking advice from strategists.  

“Then she asked how long I’ve been learning the violin and why I suddenly decided to pick it up.”  

Ji Linqiu felt like they were just one step away from the finish line. “And what did you say?”  

“I said…” Peng Xingwang scratched the back of his head. “I want to be an excellent adult, and playing the violin adds points!”  

Jiang Wang let out a long sigh.  

This little blockhead.

Ji Linqiu found the answer acceptable and pressed on, “What did she say after that?”  

“She…” Peng Xingwang squirmed a bit. “She said she’s looking forward to playing a duet with me and invited me to bring my violin over this weekend to hang out.”  

“Not bad. I’ll take Teacher Ji to the movies this weekend, then,” Jiang Wang said with satisfaction. “Remember to bring a small gift when you visit her house, like a teddy bear or something.”  

Ji Linqiu turned to look at him. “I haven’t agreed yet.”  

“You can’t just invite me so casually. What if I’m busy this weekend?”  

Jiang Wang pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot, expertly backing into a space. He turned to Ji Linqiu and said, “Should I make it more formal?”  

Ji Linqiu nodded slowly.  

“Maybe it would be better to bring a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of your favorite wine?”  

“Whiskey. Irish whiskey, to be exact.”  

The kid in the back was a little confused. “Brother Linqiu likes whiskey?”  

Ji Linqiu chuckled softly and explained, “It’s not that he likes drinking.”  

“It’s that he likes being pampered.”