As the chief clerk of the prefect's office, Cheng Xu usually dealt with these merchants the most, and was also Li Dai's de facto deputy. In terms of position and ability, he was indeed capable.
Zhao Cheng asked, "Doesn't Registrar Cheng care about his reputation? If you push these wealthy people too far, they might just pay to have you killed, like Du Yucheng did."
Cheng Xu remained bowed and said, "As the young prime minister said, opening a supermarket is beneficial to both the court and the people. As an official of the court, how can I only care about my own interests and ignore the important matters concerning the people's livelihood of the court?"
"I beg the young prime minister and Lord Li to grant this opportunity to earn merit!"
Zhao Cheng and Li Dai exchanged a glance and nodded.
Li Dai took a sip of wine and said, "Cheng Xu, thank you for your hard work."
Cheng Xu breathed a sigh of relief and looked up to see Zhao Cheng staring at him.
Their eyes met, and they understood each other's feelings.
Zhao Cheng knew that Cheng Xu was not a selfless person at all; he was just putting on a grand show to secure a position by Zhao Cheng's side.
It's true that Cheng Xu was promoted by Yuan Yun, but people promoted by Yuan Yun and people trained by Zhao Cheng themselves are completely different concepts.
Yuan Yun's people must be from the imperial court, and they followed the normal official path.
Zhao Cheng's men included officials and businessmen, making them more flexible and able to gain more benefits.
Moreover, Zhao Cheng is on the rise, and truly intelligent people are eager to get on board.
Zhao Cheng needed people at that time, so he decided to test Cheng Xu's abilities and see if he was truly a capable person.
Zhao Cheng tapped on the table, gesturing for Cheng Xu to sit down.
"Registrar Cheng, Xiao Jiu, you two cooperate with Boss Xiao on this matter, like this..."
...
The Yan Chuan merchants, having failed to find anything to eat at the Dongfang Restaurant, returned to the Fulai Inn and continued their feasting and drinking. They booked the largest and best private room, and amidst clinking glasses, they launched into a tirade against the supermarket, cursing Xiao Luomu's ancestors for eighteen generations.
Some people, after drinking too much, even started cursing Zhao Cheng along with them.
"Xiao Luomu is truly despicable! I have never seen such a shameless and unscrupulous merchant!"
"His supermarket isn't even in Jingdong County, but he chose to come to Yanchuan to cause trouble for us. He's up to no good!"
"You think he doesn't want to open a supermarket in Jingdong County? He just doesn't have the ability! When Xiao Tian was alive, he treated the big merchants of Jingdong County like royalty. This little brat Xiao Luomu dares to offend them? He'd probably have his ancestral graves dug up!"
"Why did Xiao Luomu dare to come to Yanchuan?"
"Because he has the young prime minister backing him up!"
While at the Dongfang Restaurant, Yin Nan wasn't much of a talker, but behind the scenes he was incredibly lively, gesturing wildly as he said, "If it weren't for the young prime minister, do you think Xiao Luomu's Dongfang Chamber of Commerce could have even been established? The young prime minister took his immortal wine all the way south, expanding his business to Jiangyang County and Yunjing County, and even signed a cooperation agreement with Nanzhou. If it weren't for the young prime minister helping Xiao Luomu, the Dongfang Chamber of Commerce would at most be just a small chamber of commerce in Jingdong County!"
"I really don't understand why the young prime minister is helping Xiao Luomu. If the young prime minister wants to make money, why can't he support the local merchants of Yanchuan?"
"The young prime minister's thinking is unpredictable, and we can't guess what he's thinking, but as long as we work together, we can definitely have Xiao Luomu completely under our control!"
"I agree with Boss Yin!" Yan Lu clenched his fist and shouted, "Anyway, it's not going to work for Xiao Luomu to open a supermarket in Yanchuan! Gentlemen, let's spend the night in the city. When the city gates open tomorrow, we'll go home and contact the local officials in the county, and make sure they are of one mind with us to boycott Dongfang Supermarket!"
Yin Nan said, "We also need to spread public opinion, claiming that opening supermarkets is actually a way to rip off ordinary people, so that the people will stand on our side!"
"Boss Yin's idea is brilliant! Good, good, let's have a drink!"
Yan Lu picked up his wine glass and suddenly noticed Song Baiyu sitting listlessly in the corner. He asked, "Mr. Song, are you alright? You haven't said much all day."
"I have a really bad feeling about this, and I don't know what to say," Song Baiyu said with a worried expression.
Yan Lü patted his chest and said loudly, "As long as we are of one mind, we have nothing to fear!"
Song Baiyu stroked the jade pendant in his hand and frowned, saying, "Have you ever considered why Xiao Luomu chose Yan Chuan first? What if they were also of one mind?"
"Them?" Yan Lü asked doubtfully, "Who are you referring to as 'them'?"
"For example, the Right Prime Minister's Mansion and the Marquis's Mansion, Dong Twelve and Li Zhi, Zhu Guoneng, as well as the Yan Chuan Prefect's Mansion and the Central Government Office, what if they, officials, merchants and powerful figures, collude together with Xiao Luomu... Of course, I also know that such speculation is not very realistic!"
"That's terrifying!" Yin Nan said with a look of fear. "How could Xiao Luomu have such power?!"
Yan Lü shouted, "That's right! Does Xiao Luomu want to establish an independent country?"
Yin Nan stopped Yan Lü from speaking: "Watch your words!"
"I was just guessing randomly." Song Baiyu stood up and said, "You guys continue drinking, I'm going to the restroom."
Leaving the noisy private room, Song Baiyu walked out of the first floor of the inn, entered the backyard, and took a deep breath.
Although he was older than Yan Lu and Yin Nan, he was more composed and cautious in his actions, always making the best preparations and the worst plans.
This is related to the family education he received in the Song family.
In Yanchuan, the Song family's status and wealth have never reached the top of the business world, but over the past century, the Song family has been the family with the least fluctuations, always ranking among the top five.
In short, it's about stability.
His sense of crisis, cultivated since childhood, made him very vigilant, and he always felt that something was wrong with his trip to Yanchuan City this time.
Especially after Xiao Luomu brought up the supermarket incident in that setting, Song Baiyu suddenly felt that her group of people...
It feels like I've fallen into a trap.
However, he couldn't see the whole picture and wasn't able to analyze the truth, so he dared not say more.
After Song Baiyu finished using the toilet, he shook himself and walked out of the outhouse. Before the first breath of air that wasn't so smelly could enter his lungs, he felt his body being violently pulled, and then his head spun. In an instant, he bumped into a tree in the corner of the backyard.
Song Baiyu looked around and realized that he had been dragged there by two big men.
A slightly thinner figure appeared in front of him.
He was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise, "Ninth Master?"
Nine Fingers emerged from the shadows, the moonlight illuminating only half of his face, making his pointed, monkey-like features appear somewhat ferocious.
"Mr. Song, I apologize for the inconvenience."
Song Baiyu panicked slightly and asked, "What do you want to do?"
"Because of our friendship, I want to give you a chance."
"What opportunity?"
"An opportunity for the Song family to remain stable for another hundred years."
"ah!"
"Bang! Bang!!"
"What are you doing?!"
Hearing the noise coming from the inn behind Nine Fingers, Song Baiyu's expression grew even more unpleasant.
"Don't panic, my men were just a bit rough around the edges."
Nine Fingers said sinisterly, "Now is the time for the Song family to reach a turning point. Heaven or hell, Mr. Song, you choose."
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