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At this moment, the ship Cheng Xi was on was already drifting on the sea. To her, this was just a precise strike with a deterrent effect.

Now, the Red Flag Gang has more than 300 pioneer warriors trained according to the standard special forces model. It is a piece of cake to pick out 20 or 30 of them to carry out a small mission.

As for whether there will be accidental injuries, there is no need to worry.

Others can set up ambushes, and she can also conduct counter-reconnaissance. The fish stalls in Panyu are not just for decoration. Not to mention the boat gangs and merchants who surrendered, even the garrisons, barracks, and government offices have been infiltrated. The flow of information is no longer what it used to be.

As for those assassins who fell into her hands, although they were not very professional, she knew a little about torture. How could she not be sure where the target was?

Now that she has succeeded in one strike, she doesn't have to worry about what happens next. People have the ability to think. The smarter they are, the more they think.

The fear in people's hearts will become more difficult to suppress, and I am afraid that many people will leave Panyu again.

As for the rest, isn't there still the option of surrendering? They'll deposit money, fly flags, and spend lavishly to ensure their safety. All of this will feed back into the exchange, and this cycle will ensure its complete credibility. Her appearance at the opening ceremony will also remind everyone who owns the newly opened bank. Those hoping to flirt with Lu Jian and undermine the Red Flag Gang will now have to consider their own strength.

In this way, all parties will restrain themselves and the operation of the bank will naturally be smooth.

As for Lu Jian, Cheng Xi was truly not worried. He was a clever man, so how could he not understand the meaning of striking a blow to scare the tiger? With the assistance of Sun Erlang and Zhong Ping, Panyu was finally completely stabilized and brought under his rule.

Of course, it takes longer to truly control a place, and you cannot show any weakness at all.

Just like the Zhu family, who controlled the Panyu grain route, they agreed to invest, were they also waiting for the Red Flag Gang to come and negotiate a grain deal? After all, the loss of Hepu's grain route was a foregone conclusion, and they had to find a way to make up for it.

Fortunately, she had already made arrangements.

…

The long and difficult summer finally passed. With the help of the army sent by the imperial court to suppress the bandits, the banditry in Tingzhou was finally eliminated. However, after such a long period of war, the early rice harvest this year can be imagined.

However, for the Xiao family, this year was not a difficult one. The Lu family suffered from banditry, and the Ye family's fleet was almost wiped out. The two families were not concerned about the consequences, which allowed his family to grow quietly. They took advantage of the disaster to buy land and raise slaves, and bought grain at a low price, so they lived a life of luxury.

Of course, these benefits will not be made public, and what the Xiao family really cares about is the situation in the South China Sea.

In just a few months, two major battles broke out in the South China Sea, but there was only one winner.

Having thwarted the Long Whale Gang's plot and routed the imperial army, the Red Flag Gang was now a household name. This wasn't just due to their reputation, but also due to the attention-grabbing gimmick of being "General Qiu's daughter."

A loyal minister's unjust death, an orphan girl's revenge—how could this story, worthy of being written into a novel, not arouse curiosity? Now that the dust has settled and the court is clearly unable to resort to military force, more people dare to discuss the matter.

However, what Xiao cares about is not this, but the agreement reached before.

After the young woman who had shaken up Tingzhou City left, Xiao Lin sent people to Yancheng to investigate the Jiang family. It would have been fine if he hadn't investigated, but once he did, he became uneasy.

There was indeed a Jiang family in Miancheng, and they did have a son-in-law who married into the family. However, the one who truly controlled the family business was still that son-in-law. The young lady of the Jiang family had never been in the business world, and had never left Miancheng.

So who had signed the contract with him? And what was the identity and origins of the woman calling herself Madam Jiang? She was able to obtain the banner of the Wencheng Qian family and acquire rare Western treasures. Who was behind her? Did she even need to reveal it?

So, did she come to Tingzhou to prevent the Lu and Ye families from forming an alliance, to eliminate the trouble for the Qingfeng and Minoyi Gangs, and to disrupt the situation, or did she have other motives? Would the sale of several thousand dan of grain and fodder still be valid?

That contract was a significant sum. If I stored the grain and the other party didn't come, it would be difficult to dispose of thousands of dan of rice. However, if I didn't store it, how would I explain it if the other party came? Not to mention the breach of contract, what if I offended the new overlord of the South China Sea? What good would that do?

Xiao Lin truly regretted agreeing so readily. He had thought he'd gotten the upper hand, but now it seemed he'd been tricked.

However, before he could worry until his beard turned white, someone actually showed up as promised.

"My name is Wang Cai. I'm here to deliver the goods and collect the grain on the orders of my boss." The slightly fat man smiled and handed over the deed.

Seeing the contract, Xiao Lin was shocked. Wasn't this the one he had given to "Madam Jiang" earlier? She had indeed sent someone to fulfill the contract, and it was a large fleet of ten ships!

After calming himself down, Xiao Lin smiled and said, "Manager Wang, you've arrived just in time. The new rice has just arrived and everything has been processed and is waiting to be shipped. I wonder how much you would like to buy?"

"These days, the more grain the better. If we can have 4,000 dan, that would be the best." Wang Cai smiled amiably, but his tone was quite firm.

Xiao Lin frowned slightly, but didn't get angry. He just said, "Four thousand dan is a bit too much. It's just for one season of early rice. I'm afraid it's a bit difficult to get..."

Before he could finish his words, Wang Cai clapped his hands. The guards behind him immediately brought out several boxes and placed them on the table. He smiled and patted the lid of one of the wooden boxes. "Why don't you take a look at the treasures we brought with you, Mr. Xiao?"

Xiao Lin had an idea and did not let the servants get it. He walked to the table himself and opened the box.

There was a dressing box inside. Unlike the square boxes on the market, this one had rounded corners and the surface was inlaid with various gems, pearls, and mica, forming two snow-white swans embracing each other, and there were also intricate gold and silver patterns carved on it. Both the shape and the meaning were of the highest quality.

What’s even more rare is that it does not have the weird feeling of ordinary Western items. It is luxurious but not out of place, which is probably something that many ladies will like.

Seeing the expression on Xiao Lin's face, Wang Cai smiled even deeper: "Mr. Xiao, why not open it and take a look."

Could there be a secret hidden inside? Xiao Lin didn't hesitate, but after opening the box, even he couldn't help but gasp.

There was actually a kaleidoscope in the box, which was about the same size as an ordinary bronze mirror, but much larger than the hand mirrors he had seen before!

"This, this is truly a rare treasure." Even Xiao Lin couldn't help but reach out and touch the silver mirror surface.

Wang Cai laughed heartily. "Mr. Xiao should also know the wonders of the peep mirror. This thing can be stored for a long time without being polished. Such a large mirror is not easy to come by. The boss also respects Mr. Xiao as a person, so he asked me to bring it here."

Bullshit respect! It's obvious they just want to buy more food! However, Xiao Lin had to admit that if he could get his hands on such a treasure, it would easily offset the profit of several thousand dan of grain.

Without hesitation, Xiao Lin opened several other boxes. Inside were hand mirrors, glasses, and small gold and silver utensils with unique shapes. Everything looked pleasing to the eye and was much more exquisite than those Western goods he had bought at random. Some of them could even be put together as a set, which showed the discerning eye of the person who picked them.

Although it is a chaotic time now, there are still many places where people are living in peace and prosperity. Whether it is the capital, Liangzhe, or the wealthy in Shu, they will spare no expense to exchange for such treasures.

It could be exchanged for more than just gold and silver; perhaps even connections. How could Xiao Lin not be tempted? After calming himself down, he reached out and covered it with his hand, smiling, "With such sincerity, it would be hypocritical of me to refuse. Anyway, I'll gather the four thousand koku as soon as possible. Please, Manager Wang, sell all the treasures you've brought to the Xiao family."

Wang Cai also breathed a sigh of relief. He knew better than anyone else where these treasures came from. Not to mention the styles, the patterns on them might have been decided by the gang leader himself.

He felt relieved since even an old fox like Xiao Lin couldn't recognize him.

This thing is much cheaper than shipping it across the ocean. Even if he asks for a higher price, the other party will think it's a concession, right? With Xiao's endorsement of these treasures, shipping them out wouldn't be a hassle!

Putting on a smile, Wang Cai immediately said, "Mr. Xiao, your words are too formal. It's all agreed upon, how could you change your mind? However, the next delivery will take some time. I wonder if the Xiao family has any intention of replacing the Ye family and doing some maritime business?"

Xiao Lin's heart skipped a beat when he heard this. He couldn't help but say, "But the Qingfeng Gang has already occupied the East China Sea. I'm afraid this business..."

Wang Cai smiled faintly. "Mr. Xiao should have guessed our origins. Why bother being polite? As long as we go through Yinjiang, we won't have to pass through the Qingfeng Gang's territory. Although the journey is longer, opening up a waterway is not without profit. Anything that can be produced in the south, such as salt, fragrant wood, raw lacquer, shellac, camphor, and medicinal herbs, can be shipped all the way to Tingzhou."

Xiao Lin really couldn't sit still. This was a real big-ticket deal. If he could make it, any unusual profit would be greater than those Western treasures.

Now that the Ye family has collapsed and the Lu family has been crippled, their positions have been vacated. Why not take advantage of this opportunity to ascend to the top? The only problem is probably opening up the many links in the river channel. This is not a simple matter, but it is not impossible!

After a moment's thought, Xiao Lin said, "Grain, fodder, raw silk, and tea—the Xiao family is involved in all of these. If we can join forces with your gang, we can certainly open up a new shipping route."

This was exactly what he wanted. Wang Cai immediately clapped his hands and said, "Boss is right. Mr. Xiao is truly a decisive person. The Red Flag Gang will handle this deal."

It really is the Red Flag Gang! Although he had already guessed this, hearing Shopkeeper Wang admit it himself still made Xiao Lin's heart beat faster. Then, ecstasy washed over him. He had truly chosen the right person to ally with this time!

When we signed the contract from a high position, how could we have imagined the situation today?

However, the next moment, he suddenly remembered something and coughed dryly: "Forgive me for being so presumptuous, but does the agreement made by Madam Jiang still stand?"

Was he asking about an agreement? Of course not. Wang Cai smiled and said, "Any agreement made by the boss is always valid."

Xiao Lin felt his heart skip a beat. Who else could be addressed like that by the entire Red Flag Gang? Was it Miss Qiu, the one he'd been flaunting his power, threatening, and bribing that day? With only two boats, she'd dared to travel all the way to Tingzhou, and even caused such a scene with the Minotaur Gang? This, this...

Face flushed crimson, Xiao Lin struggled to squeeze out a sentence: "This old man is really blind to recognize the great man. If I have offended you in the past, I hope your Excellency will forgive me and not take it to heart."

He was really scared. Before he even won the fight, he was so bold and cruel.

Now even the imperial army has been massacred, how could he have the ability to provoke others.

I just hope that little girl won't hold a grudge and just treat it as a joke.

Seeing him like this, Wang Cai laughed heartily: "Don't worry, Mr. Xiao. How can the boss be so tolerant? As long as the friendship between our two families remains unchanged, there will always be opportunities for us to get closer in the future."

Looking at the smile on that fat face, Xiao Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Well, from now on, I just need to be careful and not provoke the other party. After all, it can be considered a blessing in disguise...