The Bund Chronicles, Chapter 32: A Stunning Shade of Deep Purple, Setting the Terms of Cooperation

Gu Fuchang pinched the deep purple silk handkerchief, his knuckles turning slightly white. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he barely managed to utter half a sentence: "This purp..."

Chen Lin cut him off, his voice steady and devoid of any ripples: "Do not worry, Mr. Gu."

He tapped the handkerchief with his fingertip and said with conviction, "The advantage of this purple dye is not just its vibrancy."

After a brief pause, he leaned in half an inch and lowered his voice: "The most important thing is its resistance to washing and light."

As he finished speaking, Chen Lin raised his hand to offer the handkerchief, his fingers hovering in mid-air. "I cannot demonstrate this right now, but please keep the cloth. Let someone test it, and you will know the truth."

The sunlight from outside the window cut diagonally into the parlor, landing on Chen Lin’s cuffs.

Gu Fuchang stared at the silk. The purple hue glowed with a soft, rich luster in the light, appearing even more vivid than the sappanwood purple found on the market.

With Chen Lin having laid it all out like this, how could Gu Fuchang not believe him?

Yet, he was a merchant who had spent half his life avoiding uncertain ventures. He lowered his eyelids, rubbed his thumb against the armrest of his master chair, and spoke slowly: "Is this technology from your Dent & Co., or..."

Before he could finish, Chen Lin took over.

Leaning back into his chair, a faint smile played on his lips: "It is my own personal technology."

Gu Fuchang’s eyes snapped open.

"Aside from you and me, no third person knows about it yet," Chen Lin added, his tone nonchalant, yet it struck Gu Fuchang’s heart like a heavy stone.

The parlor fell silent for a moment, save for the occasional chime of the brass bell hanging under the corridor roof.

Suddenly, Gu Fuchang laughed, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes bunching together as he slapped the table: "Good!"

He leaned forward, his voice tinged with urgency: "Young man, sell me the technology. The price my Gu family offers will certainly be higher than Dent & Co."

Gu Fuchang understood clearly—if he could grasp this dyeing technique, the Gu family would have a money tree, and a flourishing one at that.

Seeing that Chen Lin remained silent and only picked up his teacup to take a sip, Gu Fuchang increased his offer, his tone softening: "Of course, I can also consider the matter of cooperating with Dent & Co."

Chen Lin set down his cup, the base clinking against the tabletop.

He shook his head slowly, the stray hairs at his temples swaying with the movement.

The smile on Gu Fuchang’s face vanished instantly. He furrowed his brows and deliberately deepened his voice: "What? Are you still not satisfied?"

Chen Lin quickly rose, his hands hanging at his sides, his tone softening: "Mr. Gu, that is not what I meant."

He paused, looking up at Gu Fuchang with bright eyes: "I will not sell this technology. If Mr. Gu is willing, I would like to use this dye technology as equity to jointly establish a dye factory with the Gu family."

He emphasized the latter half of his sentence: "To the outside world, the factory will belong to the Gu family."

Gu Fuchang gasped, his fingers tightening abruptly on the armrest.

This young man was so calculating. He wanted to use this technology to bind himself inextricably to the Gu family.

He stared at Chen Lin, deliberately deepening his voice to intimidate him: "Are you not afraid that my Gu family might swallow your craft?"

In truth, he was calculating in his own mind—it would be best to pay and buy out this dyeing technology entirely.

Chen Lin suddenly laughed, his voice clear and bright: "Mr. Gu is joking."

He leaned in, his tone filled with flattery: "The Gu family is built on integrity; how could you ruin your reputation for such a small gain?"

He paused, his eyes full of certainty: "Furthermore, Mr. Gu is a merchant with long-term vision. If I can create this deep purple dye, I can naturally create vibrant reds, sky blues, and bright yellows. The dye works we build together will be the only one of its kind in the Great Qing."

These words were like a warm breeze, soothing Gu Fuchang’s heart.

He thought of his own three incompetent sons, all older than Chen Lin, yet none could compare to this boy in terms of ability.

He is truly a prodigy of another family, Gu Fuchang sighed to himself, tapping his fingers gently on the table: "Since it is a partnership, what percentage of equity does young Mr. Chen expect?"

Chen Lin opened his hand, raising his thumb and pinky while curling the other three fingers: "I want sixty percent."

"Hiss—" Gu Fuchang gasped, his eyes widening.

This child was truly asking for the moon!

Chen Lin, however, did not panic, his tone remaining steady: "Mr. Gu, with the technology I hold, I am sure anyone else would be willing to partner with me."

To put it bluntly, Chen Lin was currently in a seller’s market; he held the exclusive technology, while there were many merchants dealing in silk and cloth.

He leaned forward, his voice dropping lower: "I can tell you clearly that the production cost of this item is extremely low."

He paused, emphasizing his words: "So low that you cannot even imagine."

Having spent half his life in the silk and fabric business, Gu Fuchang knew the market for precious dyes perfectly—some were worth their weight in gold, or even priceless.

Unable to contain his curiosity, he leaned in: "How low?"

Chen Lin glanced at the oil lamp on the hall table, the wick burning with a small flame, the lamp oil shimmering in the dish.

He pointed to it casually: "Lower than the lamp oil on your table."

Once these words were out, Gu Fuchang was completely stunned.

Such a precious dye, and it was actually this cheap?

What on earth was it made of?

He was itching with curiosity, yet he knew clearly that Chen Lin would never tell him the technical details.

Just then, Chen Lin turned and pulled a ceramic bottle from his carry-on bag. The bottle was earthy yellow, its mouth plugged with a cork.

He walked quickly to the corner, took the brass basin used for washing hands, and scooped half a basin of clean water.

Next, he pulled out the cork, pinched the bottle mouth with his fingertips, and poured out a single drop of oily solution.

With a "drip," the solution fell into the water.

In the blink of an eye, the water in the basin turned deep purple, as vivid as a freshly picked four-o'clock flower.

Who could have guessed that this drop of dye, now worth its weight in gold, was merely aniline oxidized from coal tar?

As long as Chen Lin did not speak, others would not be able to replicate it even if they held the dye.

Chen Lin moved to pour more, but Gu Fuchang quickly reached out to stop him, his voice filled with heartache: "Stop pouring!"

He stared at the purple in the brass basin, took a deep breath, and said with finality: "It is settled! The Gu family will provide the capital and the labor to build the dye works, and you will be responsible for technical guidance. You get sixty percent of the shares, but the management rights must remain with the Gu family."

"That goes without saying," Chen Lin nodded, his tone without a hint of hesitation.

He had no desire to get involved in management—that was not his strength.

He only wanted to use this technology as a money tree to provide blood for his future business empire.

The Gu family had come this far; they certainly possessed the necessary management skills.

Handing it over to them would maximize the benefits of this technology.

Of course, Chen Lin had no intention of handing over all the technology.

He already had a plan—as long as he controlled the source, keeping the extraction of the key raw material, aniline, in his own hands, he had nothing to fear.

Therefore, he needed to build a coking plant that belonged entirely to him.

Encouraging Dent & Co. to open a steel mill in the concession was done exactly for this reason—steelmaking required coke, and he could then choose another location to build a coking plant and become a supplier for that steel mill.

This way, many things could remain hidden in the background, drawing no attention.

But where would the coking plant be built? And who would manage it? These two questions still lacked an answer.

Chen Lin and Gu Fuchang chatted in the parlor until noon.

A maid came in to report that it was time for lunch.

Meanwhile, Jenny had spent the morning touring the Yu Garden with the women of the Gu family.

The women assumed she did not understand Chinese and had not said a word to her along the way.

Jenny followed behind, bored and restless, her mind constantly preoccupied with Chen Lin.

Would he be able to persuade the Gu family? From the initial intimidation by Gu Shousong to Gu Fuchang’s stern appearance, Jenny had not felt at ease for a moment.

She kept feeling that this mission was destined to fail. After all, besides the Gu family, no one else could provide enough raw silk for Dent & Co.

Just as she was lost in thought, the group of women received the notice that it was time to eat.

The dining hall of the Gu residence was large, with a big round table in the center.

With such a large family of over a dozen people, the menfolk, aside from the women, were all gathered around the table for the meal.

Because Jenny was present today, the elder of the Gu family specifically had the women of the household accompany her.

Chen Lin was seated next to Gu Fuchang. The two of them were huddled together, whispering from time to time, and Gu Fuchang even wore a smile on his face, looking like a pair of old friends.

Gu Shousong sat at the other end of the table, his brows furrowed. Having knelt in the ancestral hall for hours that morning, his knees were still throbbing with pain.

He looked at Chen Lin, his eyes filled with hatred—if it weren't for this boy, he wouldn't have had to suffer that ordeal.

As they were eating, Gu Fuchang suddenly set down his chopsticks and looked at his three sons, his tone serious: "Shousong, you three should learn more from young Mr. Chen when you have time. He is young, yet he possesses so much knowledge. You must not only study the classics but also learn the learning of the foreigners."

The atmosphere at the table went instantly silent.

The younger grandchildren bowed their heads lower, clutching their bowls and eating quietly, none daring to make a sound.

Sitting nearby, Jenny observed the scene and thought to herself—the upbringing in the Gu family is truly strict.

But the three Gu brothers were left wondering: What could this half-grown boy named Chen Lin possibly have that was so extraordinary? Was it just because he was arrogant enough?

Gu Shousong glanced at Chen Lin and then at his daughter, Gu Jinxuan, who was sitting at the women's table—she seemed to be older than Chen Lin.

He glanced over there again, only to see Gu Jinxuan seemingly eating with her head down, while the corner of her eye was stealing glances at Chen Lin.

Gu Shousong’s heart sank, and he couldn't help but clear his throat. The sound was not loud, but it made Gu Jinxuan abruptly withdraw her gaze and focus her attention back on her bowl.

However, this movement drew Gu Fuchang’s attention.

Gu Fuchang looked at Gu Shousong, his tone brooking no argument: "Eldest, go over to young Mr. Chen’s side more often later on. I plan to entrust you with some matters; in the future, you will be responsible for liaising with him, and you will follow all his arrangements."

The chopsticks in Gu Shousong’s hand paused, and anger flared within him—let him take orders from a child? He could even see his second and third brothers secretly snickering out of the corner of his eye.

Yet, in the end, he dared not retort, merely muttering an "Understood" with his head down.

Gu Fuchang turned his gaze back to Jenny, his tone softening: "Miss Jenny, please trouble yourself to convey to Mr. Dent upon your return that the matter of the raw silk is taken care of by Gu’s."

As these words fell, the stone that had been hanging in Jenny’s heart finally landed.

After the meal, Gu Fuchang personally saw Chen Lin and Jenny out of the mansion.

The stone lions at the entrance looked imposing. Gu Fuchang stood on the steps, watching them board the sedan chair and the curtains drop before turning back into the house.

The moment the sedan left, Gu Shousong hurried to Gu Fuchang’s side, full of curiosity: "Father, what on earth did that boy say to you? You treated him with such courtesy."

Gu Fuchang did not turn back, simply striding toward the study, his voice filled with a touch of pride: "Come, let’s go back and I will tell you."

Gu Shousong scurried after him, his curiosity growing even deeper.

He did not know that from this day on, the Gu family was about to ascend to a new level.

Yet, Gu Fuchang still had one thought in mind—he had to find the old craftsmen in the family and have them test that silk handkerchief to confirm the dye’s wash-fastness before he could be completely at ease.