63 Ash 123
Or at least that was an event which was going to have to happen, eventually. The Chisuo may have tried to expand their new initiative too fast and too soon that even their seeming sizable funds had a little dent in it. The usual members of the family did not even notice it until someone who was running over the accounts noticed that one significant change and took it higher. It went higher after that as no one knew what to make of it. Then it went even higher because no one wanted to take responsibility for it. Higher even more because someone wanted to get credit for discovering it but did not want to have to do anything about. And so it kept going higher and higher until it reached the ceiling no one wanted to breach because then it would become too big an issue for the house that some drastic actions would have to be taken. The ceiling here being Shuai's own uncle he had worked with earlier in the season, or was it the season before? The work had been so long and the effort so exhausting that Shuai himself had begun to lose track of it all.
But here was the truth as it was laid down to him...
"We have to make some cuts?"
That was correct
"But we still need to fulfill our obligations..."
Correct again, two for two.
"Even if we don't even have a proper arrangement or agreement because we already sort of are committed to it?"
Ding! Ding! Ding! Now Shuai was getting a handle on how things are done
"Which means we somehow still have to work like we had planned, but with less, so somehow we are going to have to give more? How the fuck is that going to work?"
Of course, there were only so much clues Shuai could be given before he was expected to be able to handle it. Or in plain speak it was Shuai's problem"
"And when will you actually be coming into the picture to help Uncle? You know this is sort of a new thing for us and you gave it to me, who doesn't normally do this kind of work..."
Hopefully the answer to that was never as Shuai's uncle was a busy man and this whole enterprise was meant to be a learning experience for him. Which was why it was able to keep going up with no solutions. Because no one actually cared about the outcome. For most people working in Chisuo, it was enough that they are able to show they did it and claim that... 'we tried!'
There had been another suggestion that Shuai could simply continue with business as usual right until it became noticeable enough that someone would decide to take the task upon themselves. It was highly unlikely but it has happened enough times that his uncle could make that old if he had an aven for each time it happened, he would have a fistful of avens. Or something. But with that assurance from his uncle Shuai was sure that there was at least the suggestion he could simply retain all the resources he had been comfortable with using so far. Right, "you know what? I'll just stick with it" and as Shuai's uncle could not be bothered to dissuade his nephew from the realities of the world, all he did was wish the other good luck and to not bother the older Chisuo until Shuai decided to give up on his foolhardy errand to take up the real, hard solutions.
Setting up his meeting with his usual underlings, Shuai began his hunt for solutions but to no success except to add to the panic among those of the lower positions which were more vulnerable to the much needed solution. "I don't even know why you're all so worried. Even if it fails you'd just be working on something else in Chisuo." Reputation? Oh right, that was something people who were not children of the house destined for greater things were quote concerned about and Shuai? He was one of those who did not need to concern himself with it. A quip which was meant to discourage him actually got the wheels turning and Shuai eventually settled on a great idea. Even if they were only stories, they were still popular enough ideas that there was some merit to exploring them. People after all wrote on things they either have experience or knowledge in. Or maybe they just liked it.
And the important point here, is Shuai liked it too.
"We're going to need to raise funds..."
"We're going to need to do it quickly and without needing more cost and effort on our part,"
"And all of these problems is because we just had to make a commitment to helping those refugees!"
So they were going to have to become part of the solution to their problems and Shuai believed he knew how. "We're going to host an auction. Its too late in the season now but we can do it in the next, or the one after that. Just focus on the planning now. Do some surveys on what are the more prominent changes the refugees have brought to out city and get me...." their contact? The prominent member of the refugees? Pillar of society and all that? "yeah him. Check his availability and get him in here. Or get me to him. Just make it fast."