54. Costin

"I'll take half of the credit, and you take half. How about that?"

The gambling house, which was originally bustling, was now quiet.

In the private room decorated with colorful flowers, a fat golden pig sat beside the round table.

On the round table, a hanged corpse was dangling from the beam, but the Golden Pig was smiling as if nothing had happened, as if a girl selling smiles in Red Lane was sitting next to him.

Chen Ji sat down across the table and asked curiously, "Master Jinzhu, if we catch the Jing Dynasty spy tonight, it will be a great achievement. Are you just going to give it to me?"

Jin Zhu poured Chen Ji a cup of hot tea and said slowly, "Over the years, the Minister of Internal Affairs trusted me with managing the Secret Service's purse strings. I didn't know much at first, dealing with grain and oil shops, brothels, gambling houses, and clothing stores. I got scammed a lot and lost a lot of money. But the Minister of Internal Affairs didn't say anything, he just told me not to be afraid of making mistakes."

Chen Ji suddenly realized that this golden pig was probably also an orphan adopted by the Internal Minister.

The other party, at such a young age, already holds the financial power of the Secret Service, and even the Internal Minister tolerates his losses. This suggests a very deep relationship between the two. Almost every word of the Golden Pig reveals his admiration for the Internal Minister.

To the outside world, that is a poisonous aspect, but to the Golden Pig, it is a father-like figure.

Golden Pig continued, "Later, I did have a talent for business, and I gradually learned the ins and outs of business. I discovered that third-rate investments involve investing effort, imitating others in running a small business, like a noodle shop. Second-rate investments involve investing in technology, doing things others can't do, like frosting. First-rate investments involve making money from money, with huge returns, like a bank. But none of these investments are considered the best..."

Chen Ji pondered: "Then what is the most brilliant investment?"

Golden Pig smiled and said, "Of course it's investing in 'people'."

He sighed, "Over the years, my best investment was helping Tianma. Back then, I wasn't even Golden Pig yet, and he was just a small-time spy. Every time we caught a spy, he was always at the forefront. After work, no matter how tired he was, I'd just treat him to a bowl of beef noodles and he'd wipe his mouth and happily go to sleep. Watching him eat his noodles, it was as if beef noodles were the most delicious thing in the world."

"Later, I became the Golden Pig, and he was still just a small Pigeon-level spy. I gave him all my credit and helped him obtain a path to cultivation, becoming the Pegasus he is today. Over the years, the lower nine have come and gone like flowing water, but only Black Snake and I have remained stable. Black Snake is because of White Dragon's care, and I am because of Pegasus."

For a moment, Chen Ji actually felt a trace of humanity in the cold and ruthless Secret Service.

He imagined the scene of the smiling Golden Pig, after catching the spy, sitting in a noodle shop with the young Tianma and eating beef noodles. The two of them would probably chat while peeling garlic and say, "That was a close call just now."

No matter how I think about it, it seems a bit unreal.

No wonder the other party, who is obviously only one of the lower nine zodiac signs, is much tougher than Yun Yang and Jiao Rabbit.

"May I ask Lord Jinzhu, at what level can I obtain the method of cultivation?" Chen Ji asked softly.

The Golden Pig drank the tea in the cup in one gulp. "Saker Falcon, this is a threshold. Once you become a Saker Falcon, you will no longer be a small spy. Even those civil servants will not dare to look down on you. At the same time, you will also have the opportunity to peek into the path of immortality."

"Then, if I get promoted, what does Lord Jinzhu need me to do?" Chen Ji asked curiously.

Golden Pig smiled and said, "The position of 'Saker Falcon' in Luo City is still undecided. I don't know if the Minister of Internal Affairs intends to keep it or if there really is no good candidate, but someone has to take it. Many of my properties are in Luo City, so naturally I need someone to look after them. You don't have to do anything else, just don't let anyone bother you."

"What properties does your Excellency have?" Chen Ji asked curiously.

The Golden Pig laughed heartily: "We just added a new family, so it's a good opportunity for you to get acquainted with them... Bring them in!"

…

…

Two spies dragged in a thin and short wealthy businessman and made him kneel on the ground.

The wealthy businessman said with tears in his eyes: "My Lord, I am Asakura, and I have always run my business honestly. This gambling house has nothing to do with the Jing Dynasty spies.

ah! "

Golden Pig squatted before him and said calmly, "You say it's okay, so it's okay? If it wasn't, why would the Jing Dynasty spies pass right through your door? And why did a fight break out in your shop? Sign the deed honestly, and you'll be spared. Otherwise, your entire family will be executed or exiled to Lingnan... Give him the paper and pen."

The spy threw the written contract on the ground and said coldly, "Boss, please sign and put your fingerprints on it."

Chen Ji: “…”

So this is how all the assets under the Golden Pig's name came from?!

This is not a huge profit at all, it is clearly a huge profit with no investment!

The gambling house owner trembled, but finally pressed his fingerprints and was dragged away like a puddle of mud.

Chen Ji asked doubtfully, "Master Jinzhu, this businessman shouldn't be a spy from the Jing Dynasty... Doesn't the Chief Criminal Department care?"

Golden Pig glanced at him and said earnestly, "Of course he's not, but I manage the Secret Service's purse strings and have so many people to support, so naturally I have to find ways to increase revenue and reduce expenditure for the Minister of Internal Affairs and share his worries. Hehe, Chief Criminal Officer Lin Chaoqing is not in Luo City today, so this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"What if someone finds out?" Chen Ji asked curiously.

Jin Zhu stood up and patted him on the shoulder: "The gambling house has caused great harm to people. That boss Chao has committed serious crimes. He will commit suicide tonight out of fear of punishment. Don't worry, no one will find out."

At this point, he looked at Chen Ji with a smile: "I'm telling you these things because I consider you my confidant. You won't tell on me, will you? Don't worry, following me is much more comfortable than following Jiaotu and Yunyang. From now on, the court will give you 24 taels of silver as salary every year, and I will give you another 24 taels, a total of 48 taels."

Chen Ji thought to himself that forty-eight taels was not enough to cover his cultivation expenses. "Do only a few people have it, or does everyone have it?"

Golden Pig responded, "Everyone has it. Brothers, you're risking your lives, but what can you do with twenty-four taels of silver a year? The civil officials restrict our salaries, but the Minister of Internal Affairs naturally has his own ways. Many people look down on my position, saying that I only stink of money, but what do they know? I manage the allowances and pensions within the Secret Service. Life is tight, so how can I not be frugal?"

He looked at Chen Ji's expression and added slowly, "When you become a Saker Falcon and have a way to practice, I will give you extra practice resources every month."

Chen Ji inquired, "What and how much can an ordinary Saker Falcon get?"

The Golden Pig thought for a moment and said, "According to the cultivation methods of ordinary warriors, if there are no merits in a month, they will be given about six old mountain ginsengs. If there are merits, the more merits you have, the more you will get."

Chen Ji's mind moved. It turned out that this was the most important part. There were more than 200 cities in the twelve states of Ning Dynasty, which meant more than 200 Saker Falcons. The amount of cultivation resources distributed every month was an astronomical figure!

The six ginsengs distributed this month alone cost about one hundred and ninety taels in total, which is more money than many people could earn in ten years!

Jin Zhu looked straight at Chen Ji and said seriously, "But you have to remember, this is given to you by the Minister of Internal Affairs, not by the court."

Chen Ji understood that the Golden Pig was not in charge of the Maritime Customs, Silver Market, Textile Bureau and other government offices, the money earned by those government offices was to be used by the emperor's inner court. Instead, the Golden Pig was in charge of the Minister of Internal Affairs' own small treasury.

He stood up, clasped his fists, and said, "Master Jinzhu, I will go through fire and water for the Minister, even if it means anything!"

Jin Zhu smiled, stood up, and took his hand. "It's a credit to trap and kill the Jing Dynasty spy tonight. If we can capture the defecting spy, it will be another great achievement. I know you're very smart, and this matter depends on you."

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "Master Jinzhu, do you have any clues?"

In fact, this is what Chen Ji cares about most.

This Jingchao spy has seen his appearance, and he must find this person before the Secret Service.

He will feel uneasy as long as he can't find it.

Speaking of the clues about the defecting spy, Jin Zhu also cursed: "This spy was seriously injured. It would have been easy to catch him, but the rain broke off and cut him off. Now trying to find him in Los Angeles is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

”

At this time, a cat's meow was heard outside the window, but no one paid any attention to it, thinking it was just a wild cat taking shelter from the rain under the eaves.

Chen Ji cupped his hands and said, "Master Jinzhu, please continue to wait here for the Jingchao spies. I will go down and see if there is any clue about the defecting spy."

After saying that, he walked out of the private room and lowered his hat.

In the private room, a spy said, "Sir, he already knows about our plan to lure the enemy. Shouldn't we be careful about him leaking the information?"

Jin Zhu nodded. "Keep an eye on him. Don't let him get out of 'Asakura'. Although Meng Ji has tested that he's not a Jingchao spy, it's better to be safe than sorry."

…

…

Chen Ji walked down from the second floor. The spies were guarding each passage with swords on their waists, and almost everyone had a crossbow on his waist.

Under this kind of control, if the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department wants to kill and silence people, they will definitely pay a heavy price.

But what does this have to do with Chen Ji? He only cares about whether he will be exposed.

However, when he was halfway down the stairs, he accidentally looked down and saw a familiar figure: it was his biological second brother, Chen Wenxiao!

It was strange, why did Chen Wenxiao appear in the gambling house in the middle of the night? Could this also be related to the Jing Dynasty spies?

No, the other person looked pale and had dark circles under his eyes. He no longer looked like the elegant and noble gentleman he was during the day. He was clearly a real gambler!

Chen Ji suddenly remembered the rumors about his gambling addiction and felt that there was something else going on.

While thinking, Chen Wenxiao quietly looked up and looked around. Chen Ji pressed down his hat and walked away.

In the gambling house, copper coins and silver coins were scattered all over the floor, and a trail of blood dripped from the door to the backyard. This must be the escape route of the defected spy.

Chen Ji followed the blood trail towards the backyard. Upstairs, the spy next to Jin Zhu was holding the wooden railing, his eyes closely following Chen Ji's footsteps.

When he saw Chen Ji trying to walk out of the gambling house, his eyes tightened and he gestured to the two spies downstairs, indicating them to follow him.

However, Chen Ji stopped before walking out of the gambling house and turned to another corner, and the spies finally relaxed.

Chen Ji came to a corner, bent down as if looking for clues, and said in a low voice: "Dark clouds, dark clouds?"

In the shadow of the corner, the dark cloud was soaked and meowed, "I'm here!"

Chen Ji's expression was shrouded by his bamboo hat. He asked in a low voice, "How did you find this?"

"I wanted to go to the clinic to tell you that Concubine Jing was planning to have Chunhua seduce you, but I discovered you weren't there," Wuyun replied. "I asked a lot of cats along the way before I found you here."

Chen Ji asked in astonishment: "Wait, you asked a lot of cats?"

"Right," Wuyun said, somewhat puzzled by Chen Ji's surprise. "You humans ask other humans for directions, so why is it so strange for us cats to ask other cats for directions?"

"Can they answer questions... I mean, can those who haven't awakened their spiritual intelligence answer your questions?"

"Fat orange and cow cats are definitely not suitable. They are not very smart and it's useless to ask them anything. But tabby cats are suitable. They are smarter, good at fighting, and have a large territory. But tabby cats are not easy to deal with and have bad tempers," Wuyun replied.

Chen Ji's heart was in turmoil. This was a development he had never imagined. There were stray cats everywhere in Los Angeles.

He quickly asked, "Can you ask them to help me find someone? He's seriously injured and has disappeared since escaping from the Asakura Casino at night!"

"Where did you escape to?"

"have no idea."

"That's not easy to find..." Wuyun was silent for a moment. "We need to find a calico cat. They have good luck with cats, so let them go to various places and ask the tabby cats."

"This matter concerns my life and property. I must find this person before the Secret Service does!"

The dark cloud raised its claws and knocked on his chest, making a loud banging sound: "Leave it to me, don't worry!"

…

There is one more chapter that will be released tonight at midnight. There will be a shorter release comment later. You can read it or not.