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The fire burned all night, and by the next day, the entire Yuhang City knew that the Lu warehouse was on fire.

This was a major event that could attract the attention of the government. Countless people used their connections to find out the truth of the matter.

However, before these noble families and clans could act, the silk merchants took action first and raised the price of silk by two coins of silver.

Everyone knows that the Lu family produces one to two thousand dan of raw silk annually. While we don't know how much was burned in this fire, the loss is certain. Now is the season for raw silk, and with such a large amount missing all at once, isn't it inevitable that prices will rise?

Countless people spread the news and gloated over the incident, and the Lu family was no exception.

The steward could hardly suppress his smile. "Master, the price of silk has already risen to one ounce and one coin. Once the government issues a notice, I'm afraid it will rise even further. This time we went to the countryside to collect silk, and we really got a great bargain!"

Faced with the steward's excitement, Lu Jingzhi didn't look relaxed at all. After pondering for a long time, he said, "Have we collected all the silk on hand?"

The manager quickly said, "We've reached over 70% of the way there. The remaining few are a long way to go, so we'll have to wait a little longer."

"Then sell the silk you have on hand first. If you haven't received the goods yet, you can sell the deeds first. Sell all the raw silk as soon as possible." Lu Jingzhi ordered immediately.

The steward was stunned by this and quickly advised, "Master, there's no time to rush now. We need to wait a few more days to see what's going on. I heard that Lu's warehouse was burned down and all the stock inside was destroyed. The price can still go up."

Lu Jingzhi said, "They even dared to burn Lu's silk. How can this matter be minor? Didn't Madam Jiang say before that when the raw silk is put on the market, there will be a surge in prices. We should act quickly then."

The manager was stunned: "Is this what you mean by rising trend? Could it be..."

He didn't dare say the second half of the sentence; it was truly appalling. But if he hadn't known that Lu's warehouse was in trouble, how could he have guessed there would be a surge? Could that seemingly delicate little woman be capable of such a calamity?

Of course, Lu Jingzhi knew what this confidant was thinking. He just sneered, "Anyone who dares to touch the Lu family is no ordinary person. She has already questioned the Lu family's lackeys, so I think there will be other movements. We can't be greedy for that little bit of money and lose our family."

There must be someone behind this, and Madam Jiang probably contacted more than just his family. This was a chaotic battle between the great tycoons of the sea and the Jiangdong family. He didn't want to be the vanguard, so it would be better to get out as soon as possible and watch from the sidelines.

Besides, there are four major surnames in Yuhang. Who knows how the other families will react?

Even Lu Jingzhi, an outsider, could guess what was going on, so how could someone in the situation know nothing about it? Gu Yunkai didn't even bother to discuss it with his family, but went to Zhou Zhenglun first.

"Shenxing, who did that Fang rely on? Was it Lu Mingde?" He didn't say anything polite and asked the key question right away.

Seeing that he had guessed it, Zhou Zhenglun sighed and said, "It is indeed him, and he has already arrived in Yuhang City."

Even though Gu Yunkai was mentally prepared, he was still startled at this moment: "Did you see someone?"

Zhou Zhenglun nodded. If he hadn't seen Lu Jian with his own eyes, how could he have been persuaded to become Fang Ling's guide? But even he hadn't expected Lu Jian to act so quickly and so ruthlessly.

Seeing Zhou Zhenglun like this, Gu Yunkai laughed and shook his head: "Uncle Lu is good in everything except raising a son."

The one he kicked out was a ruthless and clever man, and the one he kept as his lap was a spoiled and domineering fool. How could he not know what was going on? Now that things had gotten this far, I was afraid there was no way they could be resolved peacefully.

But what does that matter? Gu Yun leaned back in his chair. "In that case, I'd like to trouble Shen Xing to make some connections. I really want to meet him."

Simply burning down the Lu family's warehouse and befriending the Wu family was definitely not enough; Lu Jian likely had more tricks up his sleeve. If he had already won over Zhou Zhenglun and Wu Tianming, he, the third son of the Gu family, couldn't stay out of it.

Looking at his friend who was smiling contentedly, Zhou Zhenglun also smiled: "Mingde said that if you come, we can meet tomorrow."

This really was a sure win for them, but Gu Yunkai didn't care: "That's quite a coincidence, where is the meeting?"

"He said he wanted to go boating on the lake." Zhou Zhenglun replied.

The pleasure boat on the lake was indeed the safest place. There was no reason for Gu Yunkai to refuse, so he agreed with a smile.

…

Yuhang has a lake, which is more than ten miles long and wide. The scenery is originally beautiful, and officials of all dynasties have repaired it countless times. It makes scholars and elegant people linger and often go boating on the lake.

For this reason, the lake is overflowing with pleasure boats, from wealthy merchants, to brothels, and even fishermen catering to casual tourists. The variety is truly dazzling. However, anyone in Yuhang knows which pleasure boats are permissible and which are not. For example, the magnificent, towering pleasure boat with its tower above is clearly the property of a wealthy family, and one must steer clear of it early to avoid any trouble.

However, at this moment, there was no sound of stringed instruments coming from the pleasure boat. In the hall on the second floor, three people were sitting opposite each other, with the aroma of tea wafting in the air.

"I haven't seen Mingde for several years, and he still looks the same." Looking at Lu Jian sitting at the guest table with confidence, Gu Yunkai couldn't help but sigh. Although they were both from aristocratic families, there were really few in this generation who could match Lu Jian's demeanor.

This kid has been like this since he entered school. Every move he makes is well-behaved and polite, but he is not as solemn as Zhou Zhenglun, nor as unrestrained as himself. He seems gentle, but in fact he is noble and does not make people feel resistant. It can be said that he has the "style of a noble family" engraved in his bones.

But he was no longer from an aristocratic family. After so many years with the Lu family, he must have personally handled all matters, big and small. How could he not have been tainted by a bit of money and hostility? Seeing him still the same as before was even more depressing.

It was because of what he was thinking that Gu Yunkai spoke with great emotion. Lu Jian just smiled slightly when he heard this: "Sanlang has changed a lot. You were not so calm back then."

Gu Yunkai was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Back then, I was just a silly boy. If I wasn't enjoying the flowers and the moon, I was jealous. I didn't have time to pretend."

After a few words, the atmosphere in the hall eased a lot. After all, they were all acquaintances, and even if they hadn't seen each other for a few years, there would not be any real estrangement.

But joking aside, business still needed to be discussed. Gu Yunkai stopped laughing and asked, "I heard that Uncle Wu went to Pengyue Restaurant early this morning, but he left in a hurry. What did he talk to you about?"

"Of course it's about the order for raw silk. Suddenly, we're short of a certain amount of goods, so we have to plan carefully how to make up for it." Lu Jian really answered the questions and didn't seem to be keeping any of them for himself.

Upon hearing this, Gu Yunkai was displeased: "There's a shortage of so much silk on the market. If you do this, won't the market surge?"

He was a big silk merchant and didn't want the price of silk to go through the roof.

Lu Jian smiled and said, "I know what Brother Gu is worried about, but this time, I don't care about that little bit of raw silk. I'm just waiting for someone to get into trouble."

This statement was completely inconsistent with his demeanor. Zhou Zhenglun couldn't help but ask, "Aren't we using Wu's orders to pressure them?"

He didn't believe that Lu Jian would be so kind.

Lu Jian shook his head. "I made the agreement with Wu. What does it have to do with anyone else? I don't care how he tries to argue with Lu. There are still some businesses to be done in the silk market. For example, after driving up the price, he could spread the news that Lu was involved in fraudulent activities and arson to disrupt the market."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yunkai sat up straight: "Is this really fake?"

"Of course not." Lu Jian smiled slightly.

"How can others believe it?" Gu Yunkai frowned.

Lu Jian said, "Why wouldn't you believe it? If the silk price skyrocketed and then suddenly collapsed, wouldn't you believe it?"

They were planning to cause trouble in the silk market, probably trying to drag him into the show. However, Gu Yunkai was really tempted. This was a perfect opportunity. If he could manipulate the news a few times, causing the silk price to soar and then fall, countless silk merchants would be bankrupt.

The only victims who hated Lu were those who disrupted the market. The people behind the scenes weren't as conspicuous. After all, the ups and downs of silk prices were definitely good for him. If he handled it properly, he could probably make a fortune.

Gu Yunkai cares about how much money he can make, but Zhou Zhenglun doesn't care about that: "But what good will it do you if you keep doing this over and over again?

Lu Jian smiled and asked, "No matter how we deal with the common people, the noble families are still closely connected. If the Lu family were to bear the infamy, what do you think the scholars would think?"

If Gu Yunkai is concerned about the business world, then Zhou Zhenglun is concerned about the officialdom. If this continues, many people will suffer. Moreover, the Lu family has shown signs of decline this year, and Lord Lu has resigned from such an important position as the Ministry of Personnel. There will probably be many people who want to take advantage of the situation.

Wouldn't this advance and retreat force the Lu family into a desperate situation?

Zhou Zhenglun couldn't help but sigh, "The Lu family's situation won't improve. How does Mingde plan to revive the family business?"

This was also what Gu Yunkai was most curious about. Seeing that they were about to torment the Lu family to death, how could he, the culprit, get away with it? Moreover, now that he was encouraging them to erode the Lu family, how would the Lu family stand among the Jiangnan clans when they truly took back the family business?

"I am now running a bank business in Panyu, so it is not difficult for me to make money. If I can open one in Yuhang, the difficulties at home will be solved." Lu Jian finally threw out his purpose.

Gu Yunkai laughed when he heard this: "But you want to set up that trading platform? This time you're determined to cause such a big disaster, who would dare to short sell in the future?"

"Of course, it's the people who can profit from it. Raw silk, grain, tung oil, raw lacquer, all these bulk commodities have to be in season. With such a gap, it's natural for people to develop a gambling nature. Doesn't Sanlang see the beauty of it?" Lu Jian asked back.

At this point, Gu Yunkai's smile vanished, for he had discovered something: if the Lu family were to fail, there would be no silk merchants in Yuhang City who could compete with him. With a trading venue, it would be much easier to bully and dominate the market. Furthermore, besides raw silk, he might be able to control other things, as long as the trading venue was large enough.

After pondering for a moment, Gu Yunkai said, "If it's a bank, there are probably quite a few people in Yuhang who can do it."

"It doesn't matter who runs the bank, but there can only be one trading venue. Now that the trend is set, with the three companies joining forces and me taking control of Lu Group, who else in Yuhang can make waves?" Lu Jian's smile deepened and his tone became more determined.

Even though Zhou Zhenglun didn't know much about business, he was stunned. This was truly a great way to kill two birds with one stone. If this were to happen, not only the Gu family, but also their family would probably not refuse. With the bank and the South China Sea shipping routes, Lu Jian could restore the Lu family to its rightful place.

Gu Yunkai, however, was even more preoccupied than Zhou Zhenglun. He'd been in the business world for a while, but he'd never imagined someone could be so shrewd. Having someone like him as an enemy was unbearable, but what if they became allies? Even more concerning, it would likely take years for the Lu family to escape their predicament, so Lu Jian would have to rely on them. In that case, it wouldn't be a bad idea for the Gu family to become the leader of the four clans.

His mind wavered for a moment, and Gu Yun laughed: "To be able to win over a clever man like Young Master Fang, I should have guessed Mingde's methods long ago."

Lu Jian knew the meaning of this, but at this moment, he couldn't help but feel happy and said with a smile: "Brother Gu, you are too kind."

He naturally knew how powerful "Young Master Fang" was, but others would never guess how important she was to him.