"Threats! Intimidation! You're a complete bully and thug!"

Yan Lu was so angry that he pointed his fist at Chao Jiu, but dared not get close to him. He squatted down and pounded the ground in anger.

Nine Fingers said, "Did I say I wasn't?"

"Is there no law? Is there no justice?" Yan Lü roared. "If you have the guts, kill me now! If you let me out, I'll report you to the authorities! Do you think the Prefectural Government is just a bunch of idiots? How much tax do we pay to the court every year? The Prefectural Government will raze you to the ground!"

Nine Fingers smiled and said, "Then why don't you give it a try?"

At that moment, a voice came from the darkness.

"Who wants to report this to the authorities?"

At the same time, Cheng Xu emerged from the darkness and stood beside Xiao Luomu.

"Registrar Cheng!" Yan Lü cried out as if he had found a lifeline, "Registrar Cheng! You must do us justice! This scoundrel, he! He..."

Yin Nan sensed something was wrong and pulled Yan Lü aside, saying, "Clerk Cheng doesn't seem to be here to rescue us..."

At this moment, a chair was placed behind Cheng Xu, and he sat down as well.

The three of them sat there under the beam of light, facing the crowd in the darkness, as if they were being interrogated together.

Cheng Xu turned his head to look at Xiao Luomu, took a pen from the darkness behind him, and said, "Mr. Xiao, let's sign the agreement first."

“Very good.” Xiao Luomu nodded and reached into the darkness behind him, taking out a stack of agreements.

Cheng Xu didn't even look at it before quickly signing his name.

Yin Nan couldn't help but ask, "Registrar Cheng, what... are you doing?"

Cheng Xu didn't even look up, continuing to sign, and said, "The Yan Chuan Prefectural Government agrees to the Eastern Chamber of Commerce opening a supermarket. The Prefectural Government will naturally support such a good project that benefits the people."

Xiao Luomu smiled and said, "After the supermarket is built, it will still need the support of the Prefect's Office. Does the Prefect's Office have any objections to giving the shares to Registrar Cheng?"

"Very good, I look forward to cooperating with you in the future." Cheng Xu handed the agreement and pen back into the darkness and shook hands with Xiao Luomu.

"Thank you for your trouble, Registrar Cheng."

"No problem, no problem."

"Cheng Xu!!" Yan Lü felt a mouthful of blood rise to his chest and roared, "You officials and businessmen are colluding!!"

Cheng Xu then looked at Yan Lü and said, "Mr. Yan, what you said is inappropriate. If it were an illegal project, then my signing a contract with Mr. Xiao would be considered collusion. But for a good project like this, it's not collusion, but rather cooperation between officials and businessmen."

Yan Lü asked, "Does the Prefect know that you are doing this?"

Cheng Xu countered, "What does this matter have to do with the Prefect? ​​I am merely the Chief Clerk of the Prefect's Office, and I have always been in charge of economic matters."

"Cheng Xu, you corrupt official! I'm going to the prefect's office to report you! I'm going to Changsui to file a complaint with the emperor!" Yan Lü wiped his sweat.

Yin Nan pulled Yan Lu back again and said softly, "Boss Yan, please calm down. I feel that things are not good."

Yan Lü, panting heavily, asked, "What do you mean?"

Yin Nan said, "Have you noticed that things are starting to look more and more like what Boss Song said?"

Yan Lu recalled what Song Baiyu had said at the inn.

"Have you ever considered why Xiao Luomu chose Yan Chuan first? What if they were also of one mind?"

"The Right Prime Minister's residence and the Marquis's residence, Dong Twelve, Li Zhi, Zhu Guoneng, as well as the Yan Chuan Prefect's residence and the Central Government Office—if these officials, merchants, and powerful figures collude together, they'll all be connected to Xiao Luomu..."

Upon realizing this, Yan Lü was suddenly startled!

Yin Nan added, "What if this matter is also related to Li Dai? Perhaps Song Baiyu's guess is true; he overlooked one thing—he didn't anticipate that Nine Fingers and Xiao Luomu were also in cahoots. The legitimate world, the underworld, the business world… Boss Yan!"

Yin Nan gripped Yan Lü's arm tightly, his expression beginning to waver, and said, "We can't win..."

Yan Lü grew increasingly alarmed and enraged as he thought about it. He shoved Yin Nan aside, pointed at Cheng Xu, and yelled, "I refuse to accept this!!!"

Cheng Xu asked, "What is it that you disagree with?"

Yan Lü said, "My Yan family has been operating in Yanchuan for over ten generations, working diligently and honestly, never deceiving the court or harming the people. I have always done the same since I took over the family, so why are you treating me like this?!"

"To be dutiful and honest? To never deceive the court?"

Cheng Xu reached into the darkness behind him again and pulled out a booklet as if by magic, saying, "Boss Yan, aren't you ashamed at all?"

"What do you mean?" Yan Lu looked at the booklet in Cheng Xu's hand, a bad feeling rising in his heart.

Cheng Xu licked his finger with the tip of his tongue, then began to flip through the booklet, saying a sentence with each page:

"From the second year of the reign of Emperor Zhishang to the eleventh year of the reign of Emperor Zhishang, the number of hidden households in the Yan family increased to 872."

Boom!!

Yan Lü stood frozen in place, unable to believe his ears.

"From the fifth year of the reign of Emperor Zhishang to the eleventh year of the reign of Emperor Zhishang, the number of hidden households in the Yin family increased to 663."

"From the third year of the reign of Emperor Zhishang to the eleventh year of the reign of Emperor Zhishang, the number of hidden households in the Zhang family increased to 513."

"From the fourth year of the reign of Emperor Zhishang to the eleventh year of the reign of Emperor Zhishang, the number of hidden households in the Lei family increased to 380."

"The Chen family, from the fifth year of the reign of Emperor Gaozu..."

With each sentence Cheng Xu read, a merchant would freeze in place. By the time he finished reading, most of the merchants had collapsed to the ground.

Cheng Xu closed the booklet and smiled, "If I hand this over to the imperial court, even if you manage to save your lives, will you be able to keep your land?"

Boom!!!

Upon hearing this, all the merchants' heads seemed to explode, and even Yan Lü sat down on the ground, collapsing into a pile of mud.

Xiao Luomu secretly glanced at Cheng Xu, marveling at his skill!

He was born into a prominent family and was no stranger to the practice of having hidden households, a common tactic used by powerful and wealthy families.

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