Chapter 38: What Are You?

  Nie's family suddenly made such a move, completely breaking the conservative faction's expectations. This was something they had not thought of at all. Since the conservatives took control, over the past few months, a wave of crackdowns on speculation and profiteering has risen across the country, and after sentencing some individual businessmen, the momentum for reform has slightly eased up, being somewhat suppressed.

  Just as everyone was rejoicing and preparing to counterattack the reformists, what they did not expect was that the Nie family had become the vanguard of the reformist counterattack.

  On the reform of the party and state leadership system. The title of the article is enough to explain the problem. Moreover, this was said by the leaders of Nanhui a few years ago. In the article, it negated the previous practice of sudden promotion during the period of great turmoil, and put forward the concept of youthization of cadres. All of these have very obvious reformist traces.

  Comrade Akira, at this moment also began to take action, and on several occasions in the central leadership meeting, indirectly criticized this idea. At the same time, made a very severe statement in response to the current situation.

  At the same time, at this meeting of the Military Commission, many members of the Military Commission expressed their opinions. The two brothers of Nie's family, one serving as deputy commander of the military region in Guangzhou and the other serving as deputy secretary of the municipal party committee in Peng City, were enough to make people suspicious.

  Under the instruction of Comrade Akira, several committee members jointly proposed a suggestion to transfer Comrade Nie Rongzhen away from the Guangzhou Military Region and appoint him as the deputy commander of the Tianfu Military Region or the Northwest Military Region.

  Inside the Military Commission conference room, Nie's face was calm and showed no change. At the main seat, the leader seemed to be thinking deeply. He glanced around at the arguing committee members. Then, he knocked on the table and said: "Don't argue anymore. This noise can't solve the problem either. I think we should take a democratic approach. Let's decide by voting."

  Nie Lao heard the Yuan Shou say so, and immediately also raised his head, looked at the Yuan Shou for a moment, and said: "Before voting, I'll say a few words. Comrade Nie Guotang is my son. In order to avoid suspicion, I abstain."

  The final result of the meeting. Nie Rongzhen was appointed as the deputy commander and first deputy political commissar of the Northwest Military Region. Although the rank is the same, everyone knows that the Guangzhou Military Region is the largest military region in the country, managing a vast army group in the south while also being in charge of the South Sea Fleet stationed in the South China Sea.

  Although the same position, but who is better and who is worse. People with discerning eyes can all see it. The conservative side is even more pleased to see others' misfortune. This time, Nie's family has completely fallen apart.

  Similarly, Nie Zhenbang in Beijing also felt this change. With the counterattack of conservative factions, Wumart's expansion across the country was also affected to varying degrees. In many places, agreements had already been signed and were ready for decoration, but with the changing situation, many places backed out.

  Five supermarkets and two department stores on this side of the capital also received various inspections one after another, including tax checks, health checks, and fire safety checks. If Nie Zhenbang hadn't insisted on following standards from the very beginning, perhaps WOJIA Supermarket would have been shut down for rectification by now.

  Nie Zhenbang's original plan to go to the Soviet Union was also temporarily shelved. Sitting in the headquarters of Wofang Supermarket on Wangfujing Street, looking at the business report in front of him, Nie Zhenbang's eyebrows furrowed.

  "Second brother! Second brother! Yang Anbang! Come over here for a moment." Nie Zhenbang shouted, but no one responded. He simply called out the name directly.

  At this time, Yang Anbang walked in from outside, holding a thick stack of materials in his hand, with a gloomy face. He put them on the table and said in a deep voice: "Damn it, I didn't expect to be messed with by an outsider? Dare to bully me, it seems that we brothers haven't shown our power for many years, and now no one in this city takes us seriously."

  "What's wrong? Second Master Yang? Who is this blind person who provoked you?" Nie Zhenbang was somewhat puzzled. Yang Anbang usually had a demeanor of a Confucian merchant, according to the young master's petty bourgeois tone, this was what a noble and gentleman should be like. Today's foul language really wasn't his style.

  "What's going on? This month, the sales have dropped so drastically. Among the five supermarkets and two shopping malls in the city, the sales have decreased by half. Although it's the off-season now, it shouldn't be this bad, right?" Nie Zhenbang pointed at the report on the table and asked Yang Anbang.

  Yang Anbang put down the documents, sat down, and pulled out a pack of special Da Xiong Mao cigarettes from his pocket. He tossed one to Nie Zhenbang and said, "Have a smoke. I managed to get these with great difficulty from my old man at home."

  Nie Zhenbang smiled and pinched the giant panda. It's funny to say, in his previous life, Nie Zhenbang didn't have this qualification. He had been smoking Zhonghua cigarettes for a lifetime. In the later years, although he was down on his luck, thanks to Yang Anna's support, he never lacked Zhonghua cigarettes.

  In this life, Nie Zhenbang could get the big panda, but he hadn't smoked yet. Immediately, he also skillfully lit it up and took a puff, saying: "Speak up, what's going on that made you, Yang Erlang, so furious."

  Yang Anbang lay on the sofa, puffing out a mouthful of smoke before saying: "Newcomer. The old man at home used to be the Secretary of Jiangnan Province, now he is a member of the Politburo and State Councilor. He belongs to the same faction as Secretary Xu Ri, and it's said that he's one of Xu Ri's most trusted confidants. This kid is the youngest son of this Yu Committee member. He's 23 years old this year, which makes him about the same generation as our old man. After this little guy arrived in Beijing, he gathered a group of people and has been causing trouble for us lately. Either it's making a scene at the supermarket or getting into fights at the mall.

  Nie Zhenbang's eyebrows furrowed as he listened. He said in a low voice, "Second Brother, this isn't your style. They're bullying you right to your doorstep. Didn't you fight back at all?"

  When Yang Anbang heard Nie Zhenbang say this, he became unusually shy and hesitant to speak. At this time, Xiao Yali walked in from outside and looked at Nie Zhenbang saying: "Zhenbang, it was me who didn't let him pass, what? Do you have any opinions?"

  Seeing the two of them, Nie Zhenbang also burst out laughing. He hadn't expected that after the New Year, their relationship would have developed to this extent. It seemed that it wouldn't be long before they could start discussing marriage.

  Nie Zhenbang also smiled and said: "What kind of request did this kid make? It's not his purpose to make such a fuss for no reason, is it?"

  Is it just about locking oneself up? Nie Zhenbang felt that it shouldn't be so simplistic. He wasn't afraid of not having the conditions, but rather that he wouldn't propose any conditions. If one has no desires or demands and truly only wants to lock themselves up, then this matter would actually become difficult to handle.

  "He took sixty percent of the monthly gross income, all for himself. In that case, we might as well close down. The rent, taxes, labor and losses are all on our side, nowadays we're taking a low-profit and high-sales approach. Most things don't have very high profits, at most it's around thirty percent pure profit. In that case, we'd be losing everything to him." Yang Anbang was furious at this moment, the second young master of the Yang family, actually being bullied by a newcomer. If word got out, it would be laughable.

  Thirty percent of the pure profit, this is not a small amount. In later generations, after the goods circulation became rich and under the pressure of competition, doing supermarkets can have more than twenty percent of the pure profit is already a steal.

  Of course, at that time, most commodities were in short supply. In the era when many things still needed planned tickets, only talents like Yang Anbang and Nie Zhenbang could get such complete goods. It was an era of price gouging, and being able to buy things at a normal price, like at WOJIA supermarket, was already considered cheap.

  Sixty percent? Nie Zhenbang's eyebrows furrowed. If it was just a request for ten percent of the pure profit, that is to say, one-tenth of the dry shares, Nie Zhenbang would be willing to give it to him. The conservative faction participating in supermarket operations would at least make him uncomfortable. But so many words, that's just not recognizing the favor. Even if this Ou guy didn't dare accept, Nie Zhenbang wouldn't dare offer. If he gave in, the reputation of the Nie and Yang families would be ruined. People would think they were incompetent. Sometimes, face is more important than anything else. Especially at times like these.

  "I was wondering why Yang Ershao has been avoiding me these past few days. It turns out the master has returned." A shrill voice rang out.

  Right after that, a young man walked in from outside, surrounded by people. He had a middle-parted traitor's head. A big leather shoe matched with jeans. On top was a down jacket which is rarely seen domestically at the time.

  The young man looked at Nie Zhenbang with a slanted gaze, pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it up. The dog-legged boy had already come over to help him light the cigarette. A puff of smoke was blown towards Nie Zhenbang as he said, "So you're Nie Zhenbang? The third young master of the Nie family? Let me introduce myself..."

  Before the man could finish speaking, Nie Zhenbang suddenly waved his hand and looked at the young man, saying in a cold voice: "What are you, daring to be so arrogant in front of me?"