"All right, we've bought the clothes and strolled the streets, now can we talk about the expert's opinions on our Xishan Manor? By the way, you haven't told me yet, what kind of expert is it?"

"Actually, he's not really an expert, but when it comes to experience, he's a hundred times more impressive than any expert."

"Who is it that you're talking about in such a mysterious way?"

"It's my college mentor, who teaches marketing and finance. After I mentioned your situation to him, he offered you three pieces of advice."

"What advice, let's hear it."

"Teacher's advice is quite interesting. In general, he summed it up as, 'accumulate provisions, build high walls, delay proclaiming kingship.'

"What does that mean? Speak plainly." Ling Zhenfei was a bit puzzled, wondering what military strategies had to do with running a business.

Han Lian seemed to have anticipated that Ling Zhenfei wouldn't understand and appeared very pleased before she began to explain.

"It's actually quite simple. 'Accumulate provisions' essentially tells you that before running a business, you need to be fully prepared, develop connections, and cultivate various relationships. Only when your relationships and networks are in place have you truly laid a solid foundation for yourself."

Ling Zhenfei nodded. This point actually coincided with his own thoughts, just like what Fatty mentioned today. His development had touched the interests of many people, hence the sabotage. Without connections, there was no way out, and with limited power and few contacts, he faced a significant problem.

How important connections are, he had a deep understanding from the issues at Xishan Manor; because of Zhuo Yue's connections, he could obtain evidence of Tianhe Group hiring internet trolls.

With the relationships he had with Director Guo and Han Lian, he didn't have to be locked up in the police station all day and could finally apprehend Du Kongting.

Because of his relationship with Old Master Qiu, his name was kept out of the newspapers. Indeed, without these connections, he would have struggled significantly in society.

"Very well said. What's the second piece of advice?" By now, Ling Zhenfei no longer thought Han Lian was joking. These words were beyond what a girl like Han Lian could come up with on her own; clearly, her mentor truly was a wise person.

"The second, 'build high walls,' means letting your business scale up and ensuring it's professionalized once it has grown. Only when it is professionalized, and every department is staffed with professional talent, can the company be free from external disturbances. If something like the incident at Xishan Manor occurs again, there would be a PR department to handle it, a sales department to expand the market, and a security department to ensure the safety of the manor. Only with the coordinated cooperation of all departments can the manor function smoothly."

This advice was indeed very practical. The manor currently lacked a sales department; all sales relied on Fatty's connections, developed slowly through building a good reputation.

Not to mention the security department—if there had been one, the incidents of arson and poisoning wouldn't have occurred.

The easiest way to understand was last night's fire at Xishan Manor. All the greenhouses were set aflame, and because Li Ermeng was sleeping in one of them, that particular greenhouse was saved. Imagine if every greenhouse had a duty officer, then all of Xishan Manor's greenhouses would have remained unscathed.

"This advice, it's like having foresight, truly practical. If I had heard this advice earlier, perhaps the tragedy at Xishan Manor could have been prevented. Tell me the third one."

"Actually, the third piece can also tie into the second—'delay proclaiming kingship.' It's quite straightforward. 'Tall trees catch much wind.' When your business isn't strong enough to compete with anyone, don't try to lead the pack. Many companies on starting claim to be the 'world's strongest' or 'top in Asia,' but without exception, all were eventually eliminated by the relentless tide of history."

Han Lian finished offering the third piece of advice and then watched Ling Zhenfei's expression, but noticed that Ling Zhenfei didn't show much reaction, as if he hadn't heard at all.

"Hey, what are you thinking about? Are my teacher's three pieces of advice not good?"

Ling Zhenfei sighed, somewhat helplessly, "It's not that they're not good, they're too good. Golden advice. If only I had someone this wise to advise me earlier, maybe these problems would never have occurred. By the way, where is this teacher now? Could you introduce me?"

"Sorry, my teacher isn't in Binyang. She was just passing through this time, stayed for a day because she knew my father a bit. She told me these things when I was seeing her off at the airport."

Ling Zhenfei felt very regretful not having met such an impressive person, but having her three pieces of advice provided a clear path forward. His primary task now was to start from scratch and slowly develop connections.

"Okay, that's all we needed to discuss. You've bought your clothes, you can go now."

"I'm not leaving. Don't think I don't know what you're up to. You're definitely planning something. Just say it; I can help if I can."

Han Lian and Ling Zhenfei had known each other for quite a while now. She knew Ling Zhenfei well enough not to believe he was someone content with mediocrity.

Ling Zhenfei didn't originally plan to tell Han Lian, but recalling the 'accumulate provisions' strategy she just mentioned, he decided to develop a connection with the police department first.

"Alright, I'll just tell you the truth then. I didn't tell you because I was afraid you'd be scared."

"What could I possibly be scared of? All the bad guys should be afraid of me."

Han Lian didn't take it seriously. With her connections and status, her uncle being a police chief and her parents being government officials, there was nothing in Binyang that she needed to fear.

"Okay, you said it. Let's see who ends up more troubled after I've spoken."

"Go on, there's nothing Han Lian is afraid to tackle."

"Look at that worn-down neighborhood over there, does it look very ordinary? Let me tell you the truth, it conceals a members-only high-end club called the Imperial Palace Club. I'm planning to check it out today. You know, these high-end clubs are the best at concealing dirt. Inside, there are underworld figures and White Path people alike; you might even see your day-to-day superiors there. I'm telling you, this club is involved in illegal activities. Would you dare to touch it?"

Han Lian paused briefly, seemingly pondering the significant connections inside, but quickly regained her composure: "What time are we in now? We fight against corruption, whether they be flies or tigers. I don't care if it's my immediate superior or direct boss, even if Director Guo is inside, I'd still dare to arrest him. But you need evidence to arrest someone. Do you have any?"

"Evidence, someone has to find it. I've already arranged a meeting with an undercover journalist from the provincial legal affairs program. We're going in tonight to see what we can find. Once I have a lead, I'll inform you. All you need to do is get ready this evening and act on my signal."

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