Rebirth and Reversal of Fortune

Chapter 277 A New Crisis, Investigating the Truth

The Hou family's business suffered a series of malicious attacks from competitors in multiple sectors. Shops were vandalized, goods were stolen, and a large number of customers were lost, resulting in heavy economic losses.

This sudden crisis plunged the entire Marquis's mansion into anxiety. Xiao Feng, as the new generation's business leader of the Marquis's mansion, frowned and urgently summoned the core members of the family to discuss countermeasures.

“These competitors may compete with each other on a regular basis, but their blatant collaboration in this suppression must be suspicious,” Xiao Feng said with a grave expression.

Everyone nodded in agreement, and some speculated, "Could it be that our rise in the business world has touched the interests of some powerful figures, and they are behind it all?"

Lin Yu, Xiao Yu's son-in-law, analyzed: "It's also possible that the competitors have noticed the recent expansion momentum of the Marquis's Mansion and are worried that we will seize more market share, so they have joined forces."

At this moment, Su Jinxiu, who had been silent all along, slowly spoke up: "Regardless of the reason, the most urgent task is to come up with a solution as soon as possible to minimize the losses."

Xiao Feng decided to first send people to investigate the competitors' backgrounds and the forces that might be behind them. At the same time, he would strengthen communication with partners in various regions to stabilize cooperative relationships.

However, the investigation did not go smoothly. The personnel sent out were frequently obstructed, and some were even attacked by unidentified individuals during the investigation.

At the same time, some of the Marquis's suppliers were also threatened, with many stating they would terminate their cooperation. This plunged the Marquis's production into difficulties, with many orders unable to be delivered on time and the risk of default increasing daily.

Xiao Yun suggested, "Could we seek help from the imperial court? After all, the Marquis's mansion has always served the court, and I believe the court will not stand idly by."

But Xiao Feng shook his head: "The truth of this matter has not yet been ascertained. Seeking help from the imperial court rashly may cause unnecessary trouble. Moreover, we cannot be sure whether we can get effective support from the various forces within the court."

Just as everyone in the Marquis's household was in a state of panic, their competitors resorted to even more despicable tactics. They spread rumors in the market about the quality of the Marquis's products, causing consumers' trust in the family to plummet.

One of the Marquis's important shops was even set on fire, resulting in casualties. This incident caused public panic and severely damaged the Marquis's reputation.

Faced with such a grim situation, Xiao Feng decided to personally take charge and negotiate with his competitors.

At the negotiating table, the other side adopted a tough stance and showed no sincerity in seeking reconciliation. Xiao Feng argued his case forcefully, but the other side, relying on its numerical superiority, threatened and intimidated him.

Negotiations broke down, and the Marquis's family found themselves in an increasingly difficult situation.

Just then, an old steward of the Marquis's mansion provided an important clue: the joint suppression by the competitors was secretly supported by a powerful court official.

Su Jinxiu decided to investigate the matter herself, starting with details in the business world to identify potential competitors.

Despite her advanced age, Su Jinxiu's eyes still shone with determination and wisdom. She knew that to resolve the crisis facing the Marquis's mansion, she had to find the mastermind behind it all and uncover the true cause.

Su Jinxiu first carefully studied the Marquis's recent business transaction records, looking for any unusual signs. She discovered that in some important cooperative projects, competitors always seemed to know the Marquis's strategies and plans in advance, thus taking targeted measures.

Next, she began visiting various shops and workshops in the Marquis's residence, talking with the shopkeepers and craftsmen. An experienced old shopkeeper mentioned that during a shipment, they had been intercepted by a group of mysterious people, but these people acted quickly and left few clues.

Su Jinxiu keenly sensed something amiss and began investigating the area surrounding the transport route. Through conversations with local residents, she learned that a mysterious group had been lurking in the vicinity during that period, their movements shrouded in secrecy.

At the same time, Su Jinxiu also discovered that some of the Marquis's clients had recently switched to competitors, including many long-term partners. She decided to personally visit these clients to try and understand the reasons behind it.

During a conversation with a former major client, the other party initially hesitated and was unwilling to say much. However, under Su Jinxiu's sincerity and persistence, the client finally revealed that he had been threatened and had no choice but to terminate his cooperation with the Marquis's mansion.

While conducting her investigation, Su Jinxiu also had to deal with pressure from within the Marquis's household. Some clansmen began to question her investigation, believing that she was too old to solve such complex problems.

But Su Jinxiu remained unmoved and continued to dig deeper into the clues. She discovered that the alliance of her rivals was not accidental; it seemed that a powerful organizer was manipulating everything behind the scenes.

After days of hard work and investigation, Su Jinxiu finally identified several of her competitors who were most likely the mastermind behind the scenes. However, just as she was preparing to gather further evidence, she was subjected to multiple assassination attempts and framing.

On one occasion, on her way back to the Marquis's residence, the carriage suddenly went out of control and nearly plunged off a cliff. Fortunately, Su Jinxiu reacted quickly and jumped off the carriage, thus escaping a disaster.

On another occasion, her residence was broken into, and important investigative data was almost stolen.

Faced with these dangers, Su Jinxiu did not back down. She became even more convinced that she was getting closer to the core of the truth.

Just as Su Jinxiu was diligently investigating, the Marquis's crisis escalated further. Competitors used public opinion to launch a massive smear campaign against the Marquis's family, causing its reputation to plummet.

The Hou family's cash flow was also in danger of breaking down, and some employees began to resign one after another.