339: Chapter 338: The Grudge between the He Family and the Du Family 339: Chapter 338: The Grudge between the He Family and the Du Family The next day, after bidding farewell to everyone in the orphan village, Ning Fan returned to Zhonghai City.
Ning Fan did not go home or to the company first thing, as Xu Ruolan still had her suspicions about the Situ Yuanhua incident, and to avoid being questioned, Ning Fan decided to first visit Qian Nengde.
Qian Nengde had sent the location to him the night before, and after setting up the navigation, Ning Fan entered Zhonghai City and headed straight for the agreed-upon location, while also notifying Qian Nengde’s people.
“God Doctor Ning, it feels like an eternity since we last met, please come in!”
As soon as Ning Fan parked his car in front of the hotel entrance, Qian Nengde, who had been waiting at the door for a long time, jogged over to greet him.
The people around were also surprised by this scene, wondering who could warrant such a reception from Qian Nengde.
When they saw a young man step out of the car, they were all taken aback.
“I apologize for not greeting you from afar, I apologize for not greeting you from afar, God Doctor Ning, do you still remember me?”
After getting out of the car, Ning Fan finally saw Qian Nengde standing next to a man dressed in a suit and looking very stylish.
As for this man, Ning Fan had some recollection, he seemed to be one of the people at the dinner table the last time Qian Nengde hosted a meal.
Looking at this somewhat familiar and smiling face, Ning Fan thought carefully, then put on a polite smile and said, “Du Dewei, Mr.
Du?”
It seemed to be that name, and Ning Fan nodded affirmatively.
Hearing Ning Fan call out his name, Du Dewei nodded, his smile growing even wider.
“Please come in.
I have arranged a banquet to welcome and refresh God Doctor Ning!”
“Then I’ll happily accept the invitation!”
Ning Fan did not decline, and the three of them proceeded to a private room led by the enthusiastic waitstaff.
“Actually, it’s me who has troubled Brother Qian and asked for God Doctor Ning, hoping you could help the Du Family with a problem, I raise my glass to you!”
Du Dewei lifted his glass as a toast to Ning Fan.
Ning Fan smiled and clinked glasses with both Qian Nengde and Du Dewei without losing his composure.
It looked like the friend in trouble Qian Nengde had mentioned was Du Dewei.
They had met once before during a dinner hosted by Qian Nengde, where Ning Fan had demonstrated his skills, leaving Du Dewei in utter shock; Ning Fan’s performance that day was forever etched in his memory.
This time there was trouble at home, and it was a particularly thorny issue that even helping Qian Nengde was somewhat difficult, so Du Dewei thought of Ning Fan.
But they had only met once before at the banquet hosted by Qian Nengde, and they were not familiar with each other, so Du Dewei mentioned Ning Fan’s name again to Qian Nengde, asking him to invite Ning Fan over.
“May I ask what the trouble is that has both of you feeling so troubled?”
After a few rounds of drinks, Ning Fan didn’t beat around the bush and directly asked.
Du Dewei and Qian Nengde’s expressions became serious.
After exchanging a glance, it was Du Dewei, the party concerned, who stepped forward to explain, “Actually, it’s not me who’s in trouble, but my uncle, Du Sanjiang!”
The Du Family was known for its tea business, and Du Dewei himself was a famous tea tycoon.
As for his uncle, Du Sanjiang, he was the one who had taken their tea business to new heights, a legendary figure indeed.
In the business circles, Du Sanjiang was even more renowned than Du Dewei.
The trouble didn’t concern Du Dewei personally, but his uncle, this Du Sanjiang.
Ning Fan did not interrupt Du Dewei and instead signaled with his eyes to continue.
Du Dewei cleared his throat and slowly revealed the secrets within, “My Du Family is famous for tea, yet ten years ago, our tea business was just mediocre.”
Ten years ago, the Du Family’s tea business was not considered good, merely average, vastly different from what it is now.
“But under my uncle Du Sanjiang’s resourceful management, our tea business kept improving, and then the problem also stemmed from here,” Du Dewei sighed deeply, his expression becoming complicated.
“In the tea business, we had a competitor — the He Family, which also specialized in tea — and my uncle clashed with He Fangtuo head to head,” he explained.
“I see, so the trouble your uncle is in comes from He Fangtuo.
However, I feel their relationship isn’t as simple as just enemies, right?”
Ning Fan nodded, sensing that the matter was not so simple.
From Du Dewei’s previous sigh, it seemed his uncle’s feud with He Fangtuo was far from straightforward.
Hearing this, Du Dewei also gave a wry smile, “I won’t lie to you.
My uncle originally had a good relationship with He Fangtuo.
Although they viewed each other as rivals, in some ways, there was a mutual respect between them.”
Ten years ago, the relationship between Du Sanjiang and He Fangtuo was not purely that of enemies; in fact, they got along quite well, far from being bitter foes.
“Back then, although the Du Family and the He Family were competitors, we were cooperating in the tea business.
It was, unfortunately, this partnership that led to a rift between my uncle and He Fangtuo!”
The relationship between the Du Family and the He Family was complicated, one of both competition and past cooperation, not something that could be easily explained in a few words.
“In order to boost our family’s tea business, my uncle continuously experimented, later creating our own channels for trade, so we no longer cooperated with the He Family, or rather, He Fangtuo.
As a result, our family surpassed the He Family, whose business plummeted, teetering on the brink of bankruptcy!”
The key moment arrived, and Ning Fan narrowed his eyes, tapping his fingers on the tabletop.
Du Dewei’s plea concerned his uncle, Du Sanjiang, and the problem originated from He Fangtuo, who was both a rival and a friend in the past.
Since Du Sanjiang had carved out their own business channels, the He Family’s status had plummeted, and the grudge between the two men stemmed from there.
Ning Fan roughly understood the relationship between them.
Du Dewei’s expression suddenly turned wistful, “Afterward, my uncle and He Fangtuo completely fell out, and their relationship couldn’t go back to what it was.
No matter how He Fangtuo tried to save his family’s business,
it still couldn’t compete with my uncle, and in the end, the He Family’s business utterly failed and then went bankrupt.
He Fangtuo blamed my uncle as the primary cause of all his misfortunes!”
“So, is he taking revenge on your uncle now?”
“Not now, he already sought revenge before.
After the He Family went bankrupt, He Fangtuo, unable to take it, hired assassins to target my uncle, hoping to kill him.
Fortunately, my uncle was lucky to survive!”
After the He Family’s bankruptcy, He Fangtuo developed a deep-seated hatred for Du Sanjiang and thus hired hitmen, but the assassination attempt failed.
“Later, my uncle took He Fangtuo to court, and He Fangtuo ended up in prison, only recently released.”