Although he had no idea how he'd offended Su Huan, Hua Junyan could clearly feel the chill in the conductor's tone.
He paused slightly, set down his wine glass, and said with polished manners, "I was hoping to ask you, Conductor, for a small favor."
There's a simple trick if you want to quickly establish a relationship with someone.
First ask them for a small favor, then send back a slightly more generous gift; next, ask for a big favor, and then return a big gift.
Back and forth like that, the relationship slowly takes shape.
For merchants like the Hua family, who value connections more than money, they have many ways to work people without leaving a trace, but Su Huan's bluntness forced Hua Junyan to abandon all those twists and turns and just lay things out honestly.
To keep things from getting worse.
