Chapter 165: Ways to Kill a Bear

**How to Kill a Bear (Part 3): Feiyue's Thoughts – Tan'er's Charisma**

Alas… five online courses simultaneously demanding exams, coupled with urgent work that knows no distinction between day and night, completely disrupted Feiyue’s writing plans. In recent days, I haven’t even had time to check for updates. This morning, I finally got a day off, and when I came online, good heavens! I thought Banana’s updates weren’t usually that fast; how did it finish all of a sudden? Everything has been laid bare, clearer than day; what more can I write? I'm in tears…

Without further ado, here is the third part. (This time, I really have to go all out. I'll try to finish it today, no matter how many words it is… This is truly a tangled mess!)

In the previous part, we examined the "Yiding" strategy. Today, Feiyue will show everyone how this seemingly unsophisticated open strategy truly succeeded due to a key figure: Su Tan'er, and the profound character this woman displayed, specifically embodied in her unparalleled leadership charisma.

Many times, we must admit that Banana is a very understated author with a hidden mischievous streak, because he often doesn't explicitly write out his true intentions. The Imperial Merchant incident was no different. What Banana truly put forward was the protagonist, Li Huan, who initially appeared ignorant and naive, but later, with quiet words, unleashed an invincible, overwhelming presence. Readers like us, many only noticed how shameless, Machiavellian, and satisfying Li Huan's strategy was, but overlooked a truly crucial point: how could such a clear-as-water, straightforward counter-strategy achieve great success? In fact, to truly explain it, Su Tan'er was the real source of its formidable power. However, this reason, this person, was completely hidden by Li Huan's brilliant performance. That said, it cannot be denied that Tan'er's years of prior effort truly laid the foundation for Li Huan's later success.

As is customary, let's first examine how much preparation Tan'er made for the Imperial Merchant event before her father was assassinated.

(These records are very disorganized; Banana's writing style is like a jigsaw puzzle. Only those who read very carefully can grasp the full picture. Alas... Feiyue isn't boasting; it's just my reading habit, a natural inclination. Furthermore, when I'm bored, I re-read my favorite books constantly. For instance, I've read Yue Guan's 'Return to Ming Dynasty' no fewer than 300 times, and I'm currently on my way to 400+... I've strayed too far; let's get back to Tan'er, which is the main topic.)

1. She secretly established a small workshop. Only her true confidantes could enter it, and it was difficult even to know the results beforehand. (No, Scholar Xi was not among them.) This workshop was dedicated to researching new fabrics for the Imperial Merchant commission, and it had been established for at least three years.

2. She spent an enormous amount of money—virtually all the liquid funds of the main branch that wouldn't jeopardize its fundamental operations—fully investing in modifying the weaving machines to ensure that once they secured the Imperial Merchant commission, they could swiftly meet the imperial family's demands.

3. She trained three maids to understand the entire process, cultivating talents and preparing for potential changes in the Imperial Merchant plan. Regarding her family, especially those from the second and third branches, she maintained absolute secrecy. Yet, she was kind and amiable, while her mind was like a clear mirror, understanding everyone's true circumstances...

Is there anything terrifying about this approach? In fact, it's hard to articulate clearly. More accurately, life's path is always full of unpredictable changes. Truly capable individuals know how to handle moments of crisis. Su Tan'er's method was to accumulate strength from the earliest stages, aiming for a single, decisive strike to achieve her goals.

Now, let's examine some details, bit by bit:

**Regarding the Small Workshop:**

Tan'er operated the small workshop under a "three-no" policy: "not transparent, not public, not ostentatious." Banana clearly states that Tan'er is currently nineteen years old in the book. This means when the workshop was founded, she was less than sixteen years old (this is because it definitely involved over three years of research and development, with continuous experimentation on different dyeing possibilities). This in itself is an extraordinary feat. A girl under sixteen had already formed a clear plan for the next ten years. In this regard, it's very clear that her father, Su Boyong, must have been a highly capable person who won the hearts of his subordinates in his youth. Although Tan'er wasn't close to him, her conduct mirrored his; she treated her subordinates generously. Everyone she placed in this small workshop was a truly reliable confidant.

Specifically, we know that in its early days, there wouldn't have been many genuinely concerned individuals. This is because, at the time, the Imperial Merchant commission was widely considered a thankless and arduous task. Tan'er pursued it because she had no other choice; the reasons were mentioned earlier. But she still endured. All the workers in this workshop, along with the two old managers in charge, also endured. They did not make a fuss or complain. Even when they later developed fabrics with excellent color tones, they didn't widely publicize it; they simply buried themselves in their work. Their hearts eagerly longed for the day Tan'er would truly gain power after securing the Imperial Merchant commission and be able to hold her head high.

Therefore, even when Su Boyong was unexpectedly assassinated, and the main branch appeared to fall into disarray, the small workshop remained orderly, continuing its operations as scheduled, just as it should. It was only when the workshop itself discovered a fatal flaw—the fabric faded, rendering the color formula unsuitable for long-term use—that Tan'er fell ill, completely losing hope.

But let us note: even after the fabric faded, Tan'er demanded that all workers keep silent. Inferring from the later revelation of the truth, everyone in this workshop truly did not utter a single extra word. Tan'er asked them to find the cause and try to solve it; although they knew the possibility was slim, they still experimented to their fullest. Then the formula was later stolen (though it was part of a scheme), until they were defeated at the annual meeting, still having to endure a wait of nearly two and a half months... Throughout this entire process, the Imperial Merchant incident spanned at least nearly six months, and the truth could not be leaked... How difficult was this truly?

Everything Feiyue has discussed here was initially only lightly mentioned by Tan'er herself in two brief sentences during a night conversation, as written by Banana. Looking back at those two sentences now, a thunderous realization truly strikes the heart. This is because Tan'er's management style here fully embodies the highest level of Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War': "When the people are united with their leaders, they can die with them, they can live with them, and they are not afraid of danger." One must understand, if a business owner's words and decisions can command absolute obedience and persuade followers at all times, this must be because, in the past, they showed consideration for their subordinates' thoughts, and all their crucial decisions proved correct. Only then can such performance be achieved during a later crisis.

Alright, perhaps we can assume that the number of people in this small workshop was not large, not exceeding ten from top to bottom. Excluding the three maids and two managers, there were at least four or five workers. However, for them to still quietly execute all orders after the Imperial Merchant affair intensified and fully came to light, and even when the supreme authority shifted from Tan'er to Li Huan, the entire small workshop showed no questioning whatsoever, this truly highlights Su Tan'er's remarkable quality in both her management of people and her personal charisma.

Regarding this, Yi, who was like a thousand-year-old demon in business warfare, couldn't help but relax after reviewing the ledgers and offered a very fair assessment: "Things aren't that bad..." This, in itself, was the highest affirmation for his nominal wife.

On the battlefield, maintaining morale and not descending into chaos even in defeat is the decisive factor for a commander to seek the possibility of a next decisive battle. In this matter, Su Tan'er had truly done everything she possibly could.

**Next, on the Weaving Machines**

This matter had to be done regardless; it was just a question of when and how. People from the second and third branches were clearly not farsighted; they couldn't see the immense potential of the weaving machines for increasing efficiency, nor their significant importance for later development. This was entirely an early plan made for after the success of the Imperial Merchant event. Although current days would be tougher and funds would be scarce, compared to the calm and order that would follow victory, it was all worth it. This was long-term strategy.

(Of course, these new weaving machines were later used by our cunning and ruthless Li Huan as leverage for massively encroaching upon the basic market share. Although it was a different application, the general direction remained unchanged, and this was entirely Tan'er's contribution.)

**Finally, let's discuss the training of the maids.**

This was the cultivation of high-level management talent. It was also one of the necessary preparations for a successful enterprise before full-scale expansion. Let us remember that Li Huan was, in everyone's perception, always an inexperienced outsider. For Tan'er, who planned to take control of the Su family's power later, this was an unreliable situation. If she succeeded in the Imperial Merchant affair, the workload for the Su family would only increase, not decrease, and her responsibilities would become heavier. It would be impossible for her to control everything entirely on her own. She needed at least a few people who could share the decision-making. Even if the Imperial Merchant venture failed, having a few capable and well-informed female assistants would make crisis management much more stable. This investment was worthwhile no matter how it was calculated; it was absolutely essential and feasible. This addressed immediate concerns, provided a backup plan in case of failure, and was also one of the essential qualities of a qualified decision-maker.

Next, let's analyze character. We won't dwell on Li Huan; that guy is just lazy. It's not that he can't, it's that he doesn't do it, and he willingly doesn't want to. However, from the beginning of the story, Banana, with just a few words, continuously portrayed Tan'er's remarkable ability to understand people and situations. Every person she commented on, whether from her own family or outsiders, was spot on; she hit the nail on the head every time. Only her own husband, whom she couldn't see through at first. However, when she was preparing Li Huan's bath, she finally voiced the protagonist's true nature: "My husband isn't sincere..."

(The words "sincere" or "honest" (实诚) were used by both Tan'er and Banana with remarkable aptness. Indeed, Li Huan was good at everything, except for sincerity, of which he showed not even a shred. This applied to his enemies, and equally to his own family. There might be a dedicated article discussing this in the future; for now, let's put a pin in it.)

Now, we should be able to see clearly:

Without Tan'er's management prowess, the main branch would have been utterly ruined, completely dead. Li Huan wouldn't have even had time to display his Machiavellian aesthetics; they would have been boiled in soup by others.

Without Tan'er's improved technology, even if Li Huan had managed to reverse their disadvantage, he would inevitably have been defeated later when competing for market share. At that point, Xue, Lu, Wang, Chen, and even any 'Tom, Dick, or Harry' would have surged forward, transforming from fish into soaring dragons, still suffocating you. The surname would simply change; it just wouldn't be Su anymore. Grandpa, what meaning would that have then?

If it weren't for years of training female secretaries, ha, Li Huan would have been miserable this time. His workload would have increased dozens of times over. He'd have to constantly remind people to run errands or get things done. And after all that, would anyone still look at you with starry eyes full of extreme admiration? Dream on...

Therefore, we can conclude that Li Huan's success in the spotlight was entirely due to Tan'er being a truly rare management talent. The foundation she laid over these past few years was too stable, and her strategic direction too correct, such that this was not merely an emergency plan, but one that could achieve success far beyond ordinary imagination.

(Therefore, please don't hypothesize and claim that the Wu family could also use the same strategy. Putting aside the fact that a 'monster-level' individual like Li Huan would immediately see through it, the organizational structure and level of preparation from top to bottom would also inevitably ensure that if other families merely copied the same method, they wouldn't achieve the same results. Li Huan's ability to receive Tan'er's help was his good fortune.)

However, the accumulation of strength was for a powerful release later. Because Tan'er's hopes and expectations for the Imperial Merchant opportunity were too heavy, she became overly attached to the outcome and couldn't make the right decisions regarding concrete solutions. At this point, Li Huan's appearance was the perfect collaboration between the two, a match made in heaven. Without Li Huan's counterattack, Tan'er would have been powerless. This was an inevitable outcome due to the limitations imposed by the prevailing societal views of the time. Both were formidable, and neither could have succeeded without the other.

The fate of a certain black bear, in front of these two powerful hunters, was actually decided long ago.

Bear meat hotpot, indeed...