Nangong Qing put away his folding fan and approached Zhou Yi directly.
He sneered, "Looks like yet another one trying to get something from me."
Zhou clasped his hands and bowed, then chuckled and said, "Yes, I have a big business deal I'd like to discuss with Young Master Shen. It's about herbal oil. If Young Master Shen misses this opportunity, it will be a great loss."
"It seems you guys are very well-informed, knowing so quickly that I wanted to buy herbal oil. You're truly kindred spirits."
Zhou Tan grinned and said, "After all, we're in business. How can we get by without some inside information?"
Of course, businessmen understand businessmen, and Nangong Qing expressed his understanding: "In that case, wouldn't it be a waste not to have some fun and appreciate Master Zhou's kindness?"
Zhou Tan was overjoyed. As long as this young master Shen agreed to go out for a gathering, their plan would be half successful.
“Young Master Shen, it’s a rare opportunity for you to come to Anchangzhou. We must have a great time tonight.”
Nangong Qing smiled and led Axu and Zhou Tan to Hongxiang Pavilion.
After having a few drinks, we enjoyed the beautiful dancers' moves.
After they had enjoyed themselves, the dancers stepped aside.
Zhou Tan raised his wine cup and said, "Young Master Shen, I also have a batch of herbal oil, which is cheaper than that from Ji'an Hall. I wonder if you are interested?"
Nangong Qing had no interest in the dancers or the wine; he was just waiting for the governor to say those words.
"There are principles to business. Since they are all herbal oils, I will naturally choose the one with the cheaper price. However, since the herbal oil comes from Ji'an Hall, it has to be genuine if I get it from elsewhere."
Zhou Meng felt a chill run down his spine, but then he thought that this young master Shen probably didn't know anything, and that his words just now were unintentional.
"Of course, if counterfeit medicine appears in business, then it's not business anymore."
Zhou Meng had already prepared the items. He took out a bottle of herbal oil from his pocket. This bottle was obtained from Ji'an Hall and was genuine herbal oil.
“Young Master Shen, this is the herbal oil I have here. You can try it. I heard that Ji'an Hall charges you 27 coins per bottle, but I can give you 25 coins per bottle.”
In addition, Ji'an Hall has an unwritten rule that if you cooperate with them, the retail price will also be subject to their restrictions.
But cooperating with us is different. Once you take it out, you can sell it for whatever price you want; we will absolutely not interfere with your decisions in any way.
Ah Xu took the herbal oil from Zhou Tan, smelled it, and then applied a little to his temples. This bottle of herbal oil was genuine.
When Zhou handed it to Nangong Qing, Nangong Qing could tell from the look in Ah Xu's eyes that Zhou was using a trick.
Zhou Tan was waiting for him to fall into his trap, but there was an even bigger trap outside the trap, and it was uncertain who would fall in.
"Judging from what Master Zhou said, it seems that it is more beneficial to me. Interesting."
Of course, businessmen are driven by profit. No matter how big a business is, as long as there is profit to be made, they will not be afraid of being argued with.
"Yes, so, Young Master Shen, would you like to consider cooperating with us?"
Nangong Qing did not agree immediately; he wanted to appear as if he had been thinking for a long time.
After a long pause, he said, "Since it's so beneficial to me, I can't just agree to it casually. I need to see your pharmaceutical workshop first."
I also need to check your production capacity; otherwise, how can I feel comfortable cooperating with you?
Now it was Zhou Yi's turn to remain silent, as Nangong Qing wanted to visit their production workshop.
If this isn't handled properly, we could suffer the consequences.
"What? Since Mr. Zhou has made an appointment with me, do you expect me to cooperate with you without even following the normal procedures?"
My Shen Clan Chamber of Commerce is certain that this involves hundreds of thousands of bottles; it's no small sum. Do you expect me to close my eyes and hand over the money based solely on this one sample bottle?
Nangong Qing's expression showed that he didn't care about this cooperation at all, as if whether it succeeded or failed didn't matter much to him.
“Young Master Shen, if you want to go see it, that’s fine. I’ll have someone pick you up from Shen’s Money House first thing tomorrow morning, and we’ll go together.”
Zhou Tan couldn't let this opportunity slip away now that they'd finally gotten this far.
"However, Young Master Shen, as you probably know, Hundred Herbs Oil is the best-selling medicine recently, and people often come to our workshop to steal our formula."
So we've moved the workshop to a more secluded location. Go see it tomorrow; don't worry, the medicine will definitely be good.
There's still one night for Zhou Tan and the others to prepare; there's plenty of time to hide what needs to be hidden.
“My Shen family has been in business for generations, and this kind of thing often happens. I can understand you.”
Nangong Qing chatted with Zhou Tan for a while longer, and only returned to Shen's Money Shop after they had drunk enough wine and seen enough dancers.
"Ah Xu, pass on a message to Luo Luo and Lord Xu: prepare for action tomorrow."
"Yes, young master."
Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.
...
The next morning, Zhou Yi indeed came to pick up Nangong Qing in person.
"Young Master Shen, the journey is quite long, you must be tired."
Ah Xu did not get into the carriage, but followed behind it.
Although the dozen or so people who came with Zhou Tan were all dressed as servants, Ah Xu could tell at a glance that they were all skilled in martial arts.
“Mr. Zhou, as long as there is a profit, what is a little hardship?”
The carriage gradually moved further and further away until it left Anchangzhou.
The mountain road is winding with many forks, and in the morning it is shrouded in mist.
There was a reason why Zhou Tan chose to bring Nangong Qing and the others here so early in the morning.
With such thick fog on the mountain, even a horse-drawn carriage could only see about ten feet ahead.
Just like when Nangong Qing and Axu first came here, who will remember the way next time?
Upon receiving the news, Su Luo and Xu Hongkuo immediately began preparing manpower.
We must catch this fake drug dealer alive today.
Thinking that the person who made the medicine might also have medical skills, Su Luo gave each of the dispatched officers and soldiers a mask just in case.
She soaked the mask in a medicinal solution, which can resist ordinary toxins.
We've been planning this for so long, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Today, we must succeed; failure is not an option.
"Young Master Shen, we've arrived."
Following Zhou Yi's words, Nangong Qing alighted from the carriage. The place was surrounded by mountains and was very secluded.
There was no one around, so doing anything would be incredibly easy.
Ten steps ahead was a manor, its walls high and covered with iron needles.
There was also a strong herbal scent wafting from inside.
If someone climbs over the wall to get in or out, they'll either get scratched or fall and get injured.
"Master Zhou, the scenery here is quite nice."
Nangong Qing was still being ambiguous with Zhou Tan, but Zhou Tan seemed very anxious the whole way, constantly urging the coachman to urge the horse faster.
“Young Master Shen, this is just a remote mountain forest. Why don’t we go in and take a look at the Hundred Herbs Oil? After we’ve seen it, I, Zhou, will invite you to the best restaurant in Anchangzhou. We can drink and chat together.”
Zhou Tan only wanted to take Nangong Qing through the process and get down the mountain as soon as possible, because the thick fog would dissipate soon.
"Alright, Mr. Zhou, please lead the way..."
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