Chapter 245: 245 just consider it as giving Song Zhi an escape route_1
Due to negotiations with the military on a partnership, Mount Flower had to postpone its card sales event by one week.
As compensation, Mount Flower allowed customers who had pre-ordered blind boxes to receive a specified mini-card for free. These customers could choose any mini-card they were missing, but they only had one month to redeem it.
Because the terms were favorable, not many fans caused a fuss. However, with recent rumors of trouble at Mount Flower, everyone was more worried about whether it would genuinely go under.
Fans cursed those behind the scenes who were undermining Mount Flower.
Of course, some reveled in their misfortune, saying it was Wen Jiang’s retribution for being too arrogant in her dealings.
Regarding the real instigators—the Nobility—netizens naturally dared not speak out, and if they did, it was with subtlety.
After all, everyone knew Mount Flower was likely being targeted.
Of course, Wen Jiang wasn’t without countermeasures. While those people could threaten Mount Flower’s employees and their families using their influence, Wen Jiang could offer higher benefits to recruit them or ensure their loyalty.
She increased the salaries for the factory and the Mount Flower Association’s staff by two to three times. She also promised that if any employee’s family members were consequently pressured into resigning from their own jobs, they could find employment in industries owned by the Jimo Family.
Hua Zhuo had already been planning to expand the factory. If they partnered with the military’s Card Factory, they would need even more people.
Her card production was increasing rapidly; creating fifty cards at once was child’s play for her. Even after increasing the workforce on the assembly line twice, they were still short-staffed, which naturally invited the envy of other nobles.
Of course, this decision would likely attract opportunists looking to fish in troubled waters. Those on the production lines making card components weren’t as much of an issue due to copyright protection; even if trade secrets were stolen, they couldn’t be easily replicated or shared. If other parts of her industry were potentially affected, she decided to use this as a reason to have the military help her screen applicants.
Some people were already slated to work at the military’s Card Factory. There, background checks tracing family history up to eighteen generations were routine, making the military’s vetting process much more thorough and easier for Wen Jiang than conducting her own.
The contract hadn’t been signed yet, but Wen Jiang had already figured out the subsequent steps. The military would not refuse such an attractive offer. Of course, because she appeared overly generous, they would definitely suspect she had ulterior motives.
Then, while harboring suspicions, they would still sign the contract...
When Hua Zhuo heard that Wen Jiang was planning to partner with the military, she wasn’t surprised. She had considered that Wen Jiang might approach the military; she just hadn’t expected Wen Jiang to be so unconcerned about the profits. From the Jimo Family’s perspective, Hua Zhuo could only sigh softly and ask, "Partnering with the military is a good decision, but for the cards you create, their copyrights will be tied to the military. Is it truly worth it for you?"
"The military only has the right to share the copyright for cards I intend to sell publicly," Wen Jiang clarified, correcting the misunderstanding. "It’s not for every single card I make."
For example, if she created new cards and wanted to sell them or allow others to use them, she would have to inform the military. If she only used them herself, the military wouldn’t intervene even if she didn’t report them.
This arrangement solely concerned profit-sharing; it didn’t mean every card she created belonged to the military.
If that were the case, wouldn’t it make the military utterly unscrupulous?
Seeing that Wen Jiang had made her decision, Hua Zhuo nodded. Since Wen Jiang had settled things, Mount Flower’s operations could proceed.
Those who were waiting to see Mount Flower become a laughingstock would likely have their eyes pop out this time. They probably couldn’t imagine that there were actually people in this world who weren’t obsessed with money and wouldn’t hoard their valuable cards.
Having received such a large piece of the pie, it would be remiss of the military not to treat the Nobility to a few celebratory drinks.
「That very afternoon.」
Yan Moling indeed brought a high-ranking military official to sign the contract with Wen Jiang.
Perhaps realizing that Wen Jiang was essentially handing them a windfall, the military didn’t insist on their usual terms. Instead, they proposed a sixty-forty split: sixty percent for Wen Jiang and forty percent for the military.
Wen Jiang’s trust had not been misplaced.
The contract was signed swiftly, effectively tying Wen Jiang to the military’s vessel. When their representatives departed, they were all smiles.
The military also made it clear that Wen Jiang could assign trustworthy managers to be stationed at the military’s Card Factory. They assured her they wouldn’t interfere excessively with the card peripheral production process, and other matters would naturally be handled by the military.
The agreement was mutually satisfactory, with both parties demonstrating great understanding.
「That evening.」
Mount Flower officially announced its partnership with the military.
This news indeed caught the Nobility, who were collectively targeting the Jimo Family, completely off guard.
The Yin Family was especially taken aback. Their Family Head even gritted his teeth, exclaiming, "Is there really someone in this world who just pushes money away?"
The military’s demand for a fifty-fifty profit split and shared copyright were terms that, by any normal standard, no sane person would accept. Yet, Wen Jiang had apparently agreed to them.
So many people would fight tooth and nail for profit, yet she was willingly handing it over?
This was all because everyone knew the cards Wen Jiang held were destined to generate enormous profits. The scorching sales of her Founding Emperor Card Set were a testament to this, not to mention the unreleased Empress Card Set and other popular Mount Flower card sets. And she was giving all of this to the military? She actually dared!
Because it was so outrageous, even Song Ji called Hua Zhuo to ask, "You didn’t try to stop her?"
Hua Zhuo paused for a moment before replying, "Those are her creations. Why should I stop her?"
Song Ji was taken aback.
After a long pause, a hint of amusement laced his voice as he said over the phone, "Her actions are certainly unexpected."
"Song Ji, don’t judge her by your standards. She’s different," Hua Zhuo said earnestly. "She’s different from all of you."
The typical flaws of the Nobility: narrow-mindedness, selfishness, shamelessness. They consider even the most atrocious acts to be trivial and normal.
Wen Jiang possessed none of these traits.
Song Ji fell silent. Hearing Hua Zhuo’s tone, still somewhat combative, actually reassured him.
"Wouldn’t a partnership with me be better than one with the military?"
Hua Zhuo scoffed. "Song Ji, I refuse to believe you can’t see her true intentions. My Senior Martial Brother and his wife went to the border and defended it until their deaths. Would any of you so-called Nobility do that?"
Song Ji let out a rare sigh. "She’s undertaking a dangerous endeavor. If I were you, I would try to persuade her otherwise. After all, she is Jimo Xiao’s daughter."
"I once thought as you do," Hua Zhuo said, recalling the first time she met Wen Jiang. "But I realized how narrow my thinking was. There will always be people capable of achieving what we cannot. She knows what she’s doing, and I believe she can succeed. Besides resorting to such underhanded tactics, what else can you possibly do to affect her?"
Song Ji gave a wry laugh. "Hua Zhuo, you shouldn’t be so hostile towards me. I can assure you that the Song Family had no hand in this matter."
"My hostility towards you has nothing to do with the Song Family," Hua Zhuo retorted. "You claim to know what she’s doing, but even if you do, there’s nothing you can accomplish. If I were in your shoes, I’d start considering the Song Family’s future sooner rather than later."
She paused for a moment, then added one final thought.
"Consider it a way to secure a future for Song Zhi."