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His words were a little vague, but his meaning was clear: he was afraid and didn't dare to take the deal.

Even though he didn't know the inside story, Wang Cai vaguely knew that the Wan family got into trouble because they hit a wall.

Looking at this man now, could this iron plate belong to a wealthy man from the sea? Apart from these seafarers, who else could afford to spend thousands of stones of brown rice at once?

How can a small shop like his have the right to negotiate business with others?

This cautiousness made Li Niu laugh. He slapped his hands on the table and said, "My boss wants to open a grain route here and is looking for an honest and reliable manager. Those gentry and wealthy merchants only bully and exploit the good. Naturally, we should choose a businessman like Manager Wang who is fair in his dealings."

This bold statement shocked Wang Cai: "I'm afraid my small shop can't afford it..."

"Manager Wang, don't you want to control the grain prices here so that all the people can benefit?" Li Niu asked back.

Of course he was willing! If he didn't have such a kind heart, why would he only do business and not lend money? The Wang family never used large and small buckets, nor did they sell grain at exorbitant prices during the lean season.

However, the rules passed down by his ancestors are no longer applicable and are almost causing the shop to go bankrupt.

Now someone suddenly appears and asks him if he is willing to control the price of grain and benefit others. How can Wang Cai not be tempted at all?

But how much is a heartbeat worth? He has to face more than just the Wan family. What if the government comes to investigate his business with Dahao? Will he be implicated and his family harmed? Will he be caught in a fight and lose his life for no reason?

Seeing his hesitation, Li Niu laughed and said, "As long as County Magistrate Cao is still here, we can keep you safe."

Wang Cai suddenly looked up, his eyes wide. This, this even bribed the county magistrate?

"Shopkeeper Wang, don't worry. We won't take action immediately and disturb the peace. At least before next summer's harvest, you still have a chance to regret. As long as you have any doubts, we will leave immediately and never bother you. But if Shopkeeper Wang can take over this business, he may not be limited to guarding Dongning in the future." Li Niu put away his fierce and reckless look, spoke solemnly, and actually showed some sincerity.

Looking at the person in front of him, Wang Cai's heart was wavering.

He couldn't tell the truth from these words, but the opportunity was clearly before him. If he truly became a business partner of a wealthy man on the sea, he would gain more than just a small amount of money.

Now the imperial court has no intention of sweeping the sea. Who knows what Dongning will become in the future. Having such a backer who has connections with the government may be beneficial.

After much deliberation, Wang Cai finally gritted his teeth and said, "Since Brother Li has said so, I will try my best. However, the warehouse of our small shop is not big, and I am afraid it cannot store so much food at once..."

Li Niu waved his hand and said, "No problem. I'll bring a few hundred stones first. I'll wait until the payment is settled next month, and then I'll bring the rest."

The rice pounding mill had just been built, and the 1,000 dan of rice had not been pounded yet. It was impossible for him to pull it all over.

Food is a long-term business, and the bigger the business, the greater the impact.

If a grain road could really be built, it would be more than just a small grain merchant's business. With his heart pounding, Wang Cai stood up and bowed deeply: "Then my shop will have to rely on Brother Li from now on."

Li Niu waved his hand: "I am just following the owner's orders. Once the business gets going, Manager Wang will be one of us."

Wang Cai was excited again, thanking him profusely and even offering to host a banquet. However, Li Niu did not stay for dinner, but simply told him when to pick up the goods and then left the shop.

Standing on the street, Li Niu squinted his eyes slightly when he was hit by the dazzling sunlight, but he couldn't suppress the joy in his heart.

When he was in jail, he wanted to eat the thief who harmed him alive more than once. Later, when he was released from prison, he knew who was behind the evildoer, but he could only accept the apology and let the person go easily.

Li Niu originally thought that he had to endure this vengeance, but unexpectedly, there was a sudden turn of events, and he suddenly got a blow with the help of food.

As long as they can occupy the grain route and control the rise and fall of grain prices, the Wan family will inevitably be affected.

The Red Flag Gang's rice comes from Jiaozhi, and Dongning itself doesn't offer such cheap rice. What's Wan Quan supposed to do to compete with them? This is a literal act of stealing money and destroying their lives. But does Wan Quan dare to speak out? If he does, he'll be left with no choice.

This was probably all planned out by the gang leader. With their grand cause, why would they fear a mere grain merchant? Li Niu's heart ignited with a surge of ambition. He got back in his car and headed for the village.

…

Wan Quan is now extremely worried and has a lot on his mind.

This damn Red Flag Gang has become so powerful that they can openly resist taxes. Not to mention the county magistrate, even his adopted uncle has begun to distance himself from him and wants him to pay more money to fill the tax gap.

He just messed with a few fishermen, how could it cause so much trouble?!

Seeing that he couldn't avoid the attack, Wan Quan couldn't help but start to worry about the issue of food prices.

The harvest was poor this year, and the peasants still had to pay off their debts and taxes. There wasn't much new rice circulating on the market. He alone controlled most of the grain reserves in Dongning County, so he had the final say on the price.

Moreover, as long as he changed the price, all grain merchants in the city would have to change it accordingly. By raising the price of rice, he could make up for the losses a little.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he posted the new price, another grain shop changed it to a lower price, with one stone of rice priced at only one tael and two cents of silver. Wasn't this undermining his plan?

Wan Quan was immediately furious and sent people to investigate. Unexpectedly, not long after, the chief steward came running back, sweating profusely. "Master, something terrible has happened! I heard that the new rice coming into the Wang family's shop came from the Li family!"

Wan Quan was startled. "Li family? Which Li family? The one in Donggou Village?"

The chief steward nodded repeatedly: "That's the family! This, this is probably a very complicated place!"

Wan Quan's face turned pale and he clenched his fists. "Are they trying to kill me? They've already paid the money, but they still won't let me go. Do they really think I, Wan, am easy to bully?!"

The steward's knees buckled under the fury of his words, and he knelt down, grasping Wan Quan's arm. "Master, master, please don't be reckless! We're just a family of decent people, how can we possibly defeat these evil thieves? Your uncle doesn't care about those thieves anymore, so we should just stay out of their way!"

This tearful exhortation immediately extinguished the little courage in Wan Quan's heart.

What was the reason for his tyranny in Dongning? It was because of his support, County Magistrate Zhang! Now everyone from the county magistrate to his adopted uncle was playing blind eye, not even daring to intervene against those thieves resisting taxation. What could a small grain merchant like him do?

You know, the Wan family doesn't have much, but they have a lot of land. You can't even take this thing with you. If someone comes to your house and robs you, it will be a barren land, and you won't even have time to cry.

And how many servants and guards did he have? How many of them were willing to risk their lives to protect their master? Thinking of his precious eight-year-old son, Wan Quan couldn't help but shed two lines of tears: "How could I be so stupid? I actually trusted that bastard and provoked the Li family. What should I do now..."

Seeing the boss crying so hard, the chief steward hurriedly advised, "Don't worry, Master. I see that the Wang family's price isn't too low. One ounce and two ounces is fine, we can still make some money, right? At worst, we can just follow the Wang family's price and not squeeze them. Wouldn't that mean we can get away with it?"

Then how can he control the market?

However, at this point, Wan Quan was really helpless and could only cry and endure it.

I don’t know how much food the Li family has transported. Once he buys all the food, he should be able to survive, right?

A sloop was moving slowly along the coast. This section of the route was full of rugged reefs, with turbulent undercurrents and towering cliffs ahead. It didn't look like a port at all.

Standing at the bow, the young man frowned, "Dad, are we really going to join the Red Flag Gang? They're a gang that suddenly appeared, and who knows what they're up to? If they bully us with their power, we're probably going to suffer!"

The elder shook his head. "You've heard about what happened in Dongning. The Red Flag Gang exempted dozens of villages from salt taxes and also traded grain and imported goods, earning them a good reputation. Now that pirates are rampaging, even if we have a ship, we can't travel. We'll have to join a fleet."

"But the Red Flag Gang isn't a fleet, it's a gang!" the young man said anxiously. "If they hijack our ship, who knows what they might do!"

"They stole the boats and plundered the village?" The elder shook his head. "If it's a gang like that, who would stand up for them?"

The young man was speechless for a moment. Yes, the Red Flag Gang was very powerful, and even people like them who were not in Dongning had heard a lot of stories about it.

Among them, the act of resisting taxation is particularly fascinating. Even the exorbitant taxes and levies imposed by the government can be resisted by one person. Who knows how powerful he might be.

The thought of this calmed the young man's impatience a little. After a moment's thought, he added, "But we still have to be careful on this trip. It's okay to follow them to Hepu, but we can't easily join a gang. If we get implicated and arrested by the authorities, it will be disastrous."

This sounds reasonable, but it is actually not acceptable.

What's the current situation on the coast? The entire clan of the Zhenhai General has been killed, so how many people dare to lead troops to suppress them? The Red Flag Gang is clearly seizing an opportunity to threaten the county government. Their ambition alone shows they are no ordinary people.

Anyway, going out to sea alone is becoming increasingly unreliable these days. You can't just go to Panyu to sell seafood, right? If you want to make a living by the sea, you have to find someone to rely on. Apart from the Red Flag Gang, you really can't find a better candidate for the time being.

The father and son each had their own thoughts, but they both calmed down. Coincidentally, the boat had a favorable wind, and soon they bypassed the dangerous shoal and saw the scenery behind the cliff.

Seeing the scene ahead, the young man's eyes suddenly widened. There really was a port here! It wasn't a large port, but a private port with only a wooden pier. Six ships were moored in front, and countless small boats were busy coming and going at the pier, apparently loading and unloading cargo.

"So many ships..." the young man muttered. A single sloop wasn't enough; there was even a large, two-masted vessel that stood out from the crowd. And every ship flew a red flag, looking incredibly imposing.

The old man breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "Don't talk nonsense later. I'll take care of everything."

How could I not listen to my own father? Stunned by the scene, the young man nodded and said no more.

Before the boat even reached the dock, it was stopped by several smaller boats. After questioning, the father and son were asked to disembark. The young man was a little reluctant and wanted to take more people with him, but his father waved him off, saying, "You only have one boat. How can you possibly defeat them? You can't even run away. Why not be more generous?"

So the father and son went ashore without any followers.

When they saw the situation on the shore, they were even more shocked. Although they could only see tents and straw huts, it was obviously a newly built temporary camp, but the people in the camp looked very energetic.

All of them were wearing the same grey and black clothes, with red cloth wrapped around their waists, and they behaved in a capable manner. In the distance, there were many people brandishing swords and spears, practicing enthusiastically, and the sight of them gave off a murderous aura.

These people are still practicing martial arts? The young man was jealous, but he didn't dare to delay his work. He just glanced at them and followed his father into the tent.

However, when they came in, they still hadn't figured it out and were still wondering what kind of person could lead such a group of men. The guide told them that the young man sitting in the main seat was the leader of the Red Flag Gang.

The young man was completely stunned and opened his mouth to say something, but his father quickly grabbed him and quickly bowed to the man in the seat. "I am from Erzhong Village, Yangxia County. My name is Zhong Ping. This is my son Zhong Daliang. I am here to greet the leader."

The handsome young man nodded slightly. "Captain Zhong has brought his ship here. Do you want to sail with us?"

Zhong Ping quickly said, "That's right. We have already prepared the goods and want to go to Hepu, but there are too many pirates on the sea. I wonder if the gang leader would be kind enough to allow us to accompany you. The fee can be negotiated."

"If you bring your own goods, you need to pay 20% of the purchase price, and you must obey orders at sea, you cannot leave the team, and you cannot disrupt the formation. If you are willing to transport goods for us on the return trip, we can give you another 60 taels as a reward." Cheng Xi said simply.

Before Zhong Ping could answer, Zhong Daliang took a deep breath. "Could they even get back some money?" Their cargo was only worth about three hundred taels, so two-tenths of it was about sixty taels. Could they still get sixty taels for transporting their cargo on the return trip? Even if they had more cargo, they could always bring some valuable, lightweight goods back with them. Wouldn't that make up for all the money they'd spent?

Zhong Daliang was thinking about how much he could earn, but Zhong Ping pondered for a moment and suddenly asked, "What if you help stock the goods for both trips?"

This means providing the ship and the people to run errands. Generally speaking, the risk is lower, but the profit will be less.

Unexpectedly, the young man opposite shook his head and said, "If you are not a member of the gang, you can't do this."

Zhong Ping stopped talking immediately, not even asking what the benefits of joining the gang were. Zhong Daliang, however, became nervous and shouted, "Dad, no..."

These people talk nice things, but I don't know what kind of business they are trying to achieve. If you fall for a little money, you will be in trouble.

However, before he could finish his words, the man standing behind the young gang leader stepped forward and said sternly, "Does the Red Flag Gang just allow anyone who wants to join?"

The man was not tall, but very capable, and looked like a bodyguard.

Now his expression suddenly changed, filled with murderous intent, becoming even more ferocious. Zhong Daliang was frightened and swallowed the rest of his words. Zhong Ping quickly bowed and apologized, "I was ignorant and didn't mean to offend your gang. Gang leader, please be kind and we are willing to accompany you. May I ask when we leave?"

"I will order someone to accompany you back to transport the goods. After preparing food and water, come here directly. We will also have to train for a few days to avoid chaos at sea." Cheng Xi said lightly.

Zhong Ping didn't find it strange that he was being monitored and kept in the dark about the departure time. After all, it was a major sea voyage, so how could they easily learn the departure time and leak the news? What really surprised him was the word "drills." Could it be that the Red Flag Gang actually had a method of sea sailing drills? Barely controlling his expression, Zhong Ping thanked him and said, "Thank you, Gang Leader."

The discussion was over. Zhong Ping pulled his son aside, bowed, and hurried out of the tent. Once outside, Zhong Daliang whispered, "Dad, they're trying to force us into joining the gang. We can't fall for it!"

"Ridiculous! Is this coercion?" Zhong Ping scolded. "Don't you think about it? We're just accompanying us, yet we have to come here for several days of training. If we were serious gang members, what would we have to learn? Who taught those men in black martial arts?"

Zhong Daliang was stunned. "Wait, these people are all trained by the Red Flag Gang? Isn't this a gang?"

How could ordinary gangs train their troops like this? Wouldn't they always lead the stronger ones to fight the weaker ones together and fight to the death? He had never seen such a strange gang before.

"If you didn't have some skills, how could you have stirred up an entire county?" Zhong Ping sighed. "Aliang, you're not young anymore. If you keep going like this, how can I dare to hand over the boat to you? Sailing on the sea requires avoiding storms and reefs, but the most taboo thing about sailing is being timid. What good will it do to hide when faced with trouble? You might as well go home and fish."

These words were indeed harsh, and Zhong Daliang blushed profusely. He forced himself to say, "It's also because the gang leader is too young..."

"He doesn't look as old as you, but he can lead so many people and form a big gang."

Zhong Daliang was completely hoarse this time. After a long while, he murmured, "Then Dad, are you planning to..."

Zhong Ping waved his hand: "Let's talk about it after this is over."

They hadn't even investigated the other party's background, so how could they easily throw their lives away? They had to complete this journey before making a decision.