Chapter 162: Human Nature That Shouldn’t Be Tested

Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Human Nature That Shouldn’t Be Tested

Gu Nuan Nuan smiled at the thought.

At the same time, she knew that turning this idea of hers into a reality would be no simple task. The difficult job of pioneering this new venture should be left to Grandpa or Eldest Uncle. Her mom really wasn’t cut out for it... In any case, she could predict that she and her mother would never have to worry about money in the future.

’She and her mother would be contributing—one providing the strategy and the meat bun recipe, the other participating in the business.’ No matter who ended up being the "locomotive" to lead this venture, Grandpa or Eldest Uncle, they would never mistreat her and her mother. What was so bad about a future where they could work little to nothing and still have tons of money to count?

"Nuannuan, are you feeling resentful?" Although her daughter ended up smiling, Zhang Minzhen was still worried she might be holding a grudge. "Do you feel like since the recipe and the idea were both yours, you’re just letting someone else benefit for free...?"

"Mom, how could I possibly be resentful? Even though I have the idea and the recipe, this obviously isn’t something the two of us can pull off alone." Gu Nuan Nuan smiled. "The manpower, resources, and money needed to make an idea a reality are unimaginable. The contributions from Grandpa, Grandma, Eldest Uncle, and Eldest Aunt will be significant. If Eldest Uncle ends up leading this train, the effort he’ll have to put in will be far greater than anyone else’s. So it’s only right that his rewards should be greater too."

After speaking, she playfully stuck out her tongue. "But I’ll admit, I did have a little selfish motive. I figured if you, Mom, wanted a taste of what it’s like to be on top, commanding the troops, then of course I’d have to make that happen for you and be your secret strategist."

"My sweet girl." Moved, Zhang Minzhen pulled Gu Nuan Nuan into a tight hug. "If that’s what you really wanted, your mom would have gritted her teeth and done it. I would just have to hang in there for a few years until you grew up and graduated from college. Then I could just pass the responsibility to you."

"Let’s not. Mom, I’m not interested in business either. I’ve already decided what I want to do in the future." Gu Nuan Nuan, startled, quickly waved her hands in refusal.

"Really? You’ve really figured out what you want to do?" Zhang Minzhen’s attention was immediately diverted.

"I have a general idea, but it’s not fully formed yet. I’ll tell you when I’ve figured it all out." Gu Nuan Nuan had no intention of telling her mother that her "grand ambition" was to travel the world. The part about finding energy for Cao Cao was a secret, so if she revealed such a seemingly "unambitious dream," she was afraid her mother would be incredibly disappointed.

"Well, tell me when you figure it out. No matter what you want to do, Mom will support you." Zhang Minzhen nodded, clearly pleased that her daughter was thinking about her future. "Having a dream is a good thing. The people who ultimately achieve their dreams are the happiest, and Mom hopes you can be one of them. If you have a dream, you should start planning while you’re young. This is especially true for girls; once you get married and have children, there are far too many constraints."

"Thank you, Mom,"

Gu Nuan Nuan felt a string in her heart being tugged. ’Most parents in the world probably just want what’s best for their children, don’t they?’ She was lost in thought for a moment before shaking her head and returning to the present. "Mom, between Grandpa and Eldest Uncle, who do you think will lead this ’train’?"

"Your eldest uncle, of course. Didn’t you just say he’d have to put in more work if he were the one leading the ’train’?" Zhang Minzhen replied almost without a second thought. "Now, if your grandpa were twenty years younger, it might be a different story. But he’s older now; his physical stamina, his energy, and his drive just can’t compare to your uncle’s."

"Mhm. Mom, Eldest Uncle already told me today how you all agreed to split the shares," Gu Nuan Nuan said, her nose catching the fragrant aroma of the meat buns as her mother lifted the lid off the steamer on the stove, revealing the buns and mantou inside.

"What are your thoughts on it?" Zhang Minzhen asked, looking at her daughter nervously.

"I think that if Eldest Uncle is going to be the one driving this train, then we have to make sure his share gives him absolute control over the entire operation. Otherwise, if someone else has more shares, they could stage a coup at any moment. How could he be the leader then?"

As Gu Nuan Nuan helped her mother place the freshly steamed meat buns and mantou into two separate, clean wooden pails and cover them with lids to keep them warm, she explained, "So with that in mind, it’s not right for us to hold too many shares. Mom, I want to give 10% from my 30% share to Eldest Uncle. You can keep your 25%, but you should suggest that Grandpa and Grandma give their 5% to Eldest Uncle instead of you. They can just give you the cash equivalent. That way, Eldest Uncle will have a 35% stake. Later, if you add Grandpa and Grandma’s shares, he’ll have at least 50%, giving him a controlling stake. No one will be able to challenge him."

’Since Eldest Uncle was destined to be the leader of this venture, she’d rather have him, Eldest Aunt, and her two cousins feel indebted to her and her mother. She didn’t want to see a day when the business was thriving, and they started to harbor resentment, feeling that the situation was unbalanced. They might think that Eldest Uncle was doing the most work while she and her mother held the largest stake, able to oust him at any moment and reap all the benefits for themselves.’

’When that time came, who’s to say Eldest Uncle wouldn’t be influenced into thinking the same way? The human heart is the most fickle thing in the world; in the face of immense profit, anything can happen. Gu Nuan Nuan genuinely didn’t want to see her mother and uncle become rich only to turn on each other, destroying their relationship as brother and sister...’

’It all came down to one principle: never test the limits of human nature.’

"Your uncle and grandpa will never agree. They even offered you 40% before, and they insisted until I turned it down. To be honest, I don’t think 30% is too much for you as it is," Zhang Minzhen said as she worked. She ladled the water out of the wok, rinsed it, then poured in oil and began to stir-fry some pre-chopped tomatoes. "Worst case, I’ll just refuse the share from your grandparents. Or I can give 5% of my share to your uncle, so yours remains untouched."

"They’ll have to agree whether they like it or not. This is how it has to be." Gu Nuan Nuan explained her concerns to her mother in detail, then added, "Mom, just take the share from my portion. What’s the difference between what’s yours and what’s mine? In the end, whatever is yours will be mine anyway."

"That’s true." The thought struck Zhang Minzhen as right, and she stopped worrying about whose share the portion would come from. She nodded. "I’ll talk to them about it."