Since he decided to invest in Bankui, Zhong Zuo did not go back immediately, but stayed in the city for a few more days.
But he did not continue to visit the factories, he just wandered around the streets every day.
Chatting, eating, looking very relaxed.
But he never hesitates to spend money.
In just a few days, he and Colliver had drawn up more than ten investment intentions and spent all the money and banknotes he brought with him.
Such generosity even made Colliver stunned.
After making sure he had emptied Zhong Zuo's last penny, Colliver put away the contract, which had already been hand-stamped. He sighed, "Honestly, I never expected Mr. Zhong to be so generous."
He takes gold and silver without hesitation, but he is not at all curious about where the money goes.
You know, even Culliver didn't quite understand the terms like "geological structure research" and "water and gas injection system".
Zhong Zuo didn't even ask. Apart from counting the number of zeros at the end of the money, he didn't care about anything else.
It was as if the banknotes in my hand were blown by the wind.
But obviously, Zhong Zuo was not used to spending money in this lavish way.
He patted his empty wallet, a look of pain finally showing on his face. He gave Colliver a wry smile and said, "Your Excellency truly thinks too highly of me. For the past twenty years or so, I've never been known for generosity. I even had a creed for myself."
Colliver was curious: "What?"
Zhong Zuo straightened his face and said word by word: "If you don't pick up the money, it will be considered lost."
Culliver: ...
Are you so stingy and feel justified in doing so?
If someone else said this, they would definitely be despised.
But Colliver still had all of Zhong Zuo's wealth in his arms, which made it difficult for him to look down on him. After a long while, he said dryly, "Well, you're pretty impressive too."
Zhong Zuo waved his hand and said, "Your Excellency, there's no need to comfort me. Look at me now. I've been living frugally for many years, probably just to place my bet on you today."
Speaking of this, Colliver couldn't help but ask, "Why are you willing to throw all your money in there? Can you even figure out what's written in there?"
Zhong Zuo said honestly: "I don't know."
Colliver didn't say anything, but his eyes showed:
Are you Wei people so brave?
Zhong Zuo didn't hide it from him. He reached out and pulled out a stack of contracts he had carefully kept in his arms. As he flipped through them, he said, "Looking closely, I only have a small part of it. The real investment is from the Bankui Kingdom. And with the immortal here, I'm not afraid of you cheating me." He paused. "The more money I put in now, the more Bankui will put in. In other words, if I lose money, you lose even more."
Just one sentence made Colliver nod.
Then Zhong Zuo continued, "I don't know about the rest, but I do know about the past situation of Bankui. You can't come up with so much gold and silver, so you must have received help from outsiders."
Colliver immediately raised his eyes to look at him, a hint of coldness in his eyes: "Where did you get this information from?"
Zhong Zuo ignored the other party's threat and said with a smile, "Don't underestimate us Wei people. When it comes to politics and construction, we actually know nothing about them. But when it comes to making money, I'm afraid there's no one else in the entire continent who is better than us. Some things, no matter how complicated they may seem on the surface, will become clear as long as the source of the money and how it is handled are clear."
As he said this, he rolled up the contract again, stuffed it into his arms and stood up.
Colliver also stood up, his eyes fixed on the other person.
Then Zhong Zuo said, "Although everyone in the Zhong family schemes against each other, there are three red lines that everyone abides by: no official positions, no prostitution, and no gambling. Now, I'm taking this gamble and completely violating all of them. I'm putting my entire fortune on the line. If it doesn't work out, I definitely won't be able to return to the Zhong family. But even if it does, I'll still be expelled for violating group training."
"Your rules are so strict?"
"Not really, but if a large sum of money really came in, it would definitely attract wolves looking to eat meat."
Colliver frowned, feeling unhappy for no reason.
Zhong Zuo smiled and said, "Don't blame them. If it were me, I would also find a way to tear off a piece."
Culliver: ...
I was too young to have felt sorry for the other person just now.
However, Colliver did not ask for more details.
Even though he had spent several years outside and even worked as a conscript for money, he was still a simple green-eyed man who grew up on the isolated island of Banqui. Colliver obviously could not understand the open and secret struggles between those aristocratic families.
He simply said, "Since you've decided to leave the Zhong family, can the conflict between you and Zhong Yao also be resolved?"
Zhong Zuo looked curious: "It sounds like you and A Yao know each other?"
Culliver nodded slightly.
Back when he was using the alias Wang Hu, he took on the barbarians' business and boldly planned to launch a surprise attack on the Zhou Kingdom. If Zhong Yao hadn't intervened, he would have been thrown into the Zhou Kingdom prison and imprisoned until he died of old age."
So Colliver asked, "Is there any room for maneuver?"
Zhong Zuo still looked sincere, his voice extremely serious: "No, because if I retreat, sir, believe me, when I leave the island, the first person to kill me will be him."
Colliver was a little uncertain. "I don't think he would. Besides, if he really wanted to kill you, why would he recommend you to take over such a huge trade route?"
Zhong Zuo blinked and suddenly laughed: "Of course it's to make me money."
“Isn’t that great?”
"Yes, the pigs should be fattened before they can be slaughtered. Then all the meat will be his, right?"
Culliver: ...
Green Eyes, who had been repeatedly tested on his three views, made a wise decision not to bother with the affairs of these Wei people in the future.
He can't grasp it!
It was ten days later when Zhong Zuo returned to his home in the village.
As soon as I got there, I saw some Weiguo businessmen gathered together talking about something, and Neil was doing his homework on the stone bench outside with his legs swinging.
Seeing Zhong Zuo come in, the Weiguo merchants immediately stopped talking and looked over.
But the first one to pounce was Neil.
Although the little guy is not tall, his legs are very fast.
In just a few steps, he rushed to Zhong Zuo, hugged his legs, and said, "You're finally back! Have you bought all the books I asked you to buy?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Zhong Zuo knew that this kid was here to cover for him.
Most likely he was following his uncle Colliver's instructions and looking for an excuse for his disappearance for ten days.
I'm afraid that Neil took the initiative to find me and ask to be my tutor so that he could monitor me closely.
It's quite comprehensive.
So, Zhong Zuo lowered his head and looked at him intently for a while, then he smiled and bent down to pick him up, saying, "Don't worry, I bought it. But why did you come to see me in such a hurry?"
Neil raised his face, his eyes were clear and bright, and his words were very crisp: "I have an exam soon, I'm waiting for you to come and give me extra lessons."
"Okay, two buns."
"You owed me five!"
"Young Master, if you don't wait for me after the deadline, I'll start the calculation again."
"You've obviously spent so much money these days..."
As soon as these words came out, Neil stopped talking and a look of annoyance appeared on his face.
After all, he was younger, and even though he had received Colliver's instructions before, he unconsciously exposed some of his knowledge in the rush and haste of his conversation.
But Zhong Zuo didn't care. Instead, he smiled and pinched Neil's chubby cheeks: "Yes, I spent a lot, but unfortunately, I spent all the money. Now I don't have a penny left. If the young master doesn't give me some compensation, I'm afraid I will starve to death today."
Although Neil was still thinking about the five steamed buns that the other party owed him, he softened his heart and grumbled twice before not mentioning it again.
On one side, a big and a small man were haggling over a few steamed buns as if no one was around, while on the other side, the merchants from Wei State had disdainful expressions on their faces.
Everyone came here to make money, but this guy did the opposite. He gave it all away, leaving nothing behind.
A businessman chuckled quietly, "They say the Zhong family drove away the golden child Zhong Yao, leaving behind the idiot Zhong Feng. As a result, that kid is still imprisoned in the Zhou Kingdom. But I see there is more than one Zhong Feng. Look at this guy. He offended Ban Kui with his nonsense before and lost his business opportunities. Now he actually went out to buy a book and spent all his money. He is a complete loser."
This statement was agreed by many people, and they all showed their excitement about eating melons.
But Li Zheng is not one of them.
Although he also felt that Zhong Zuo was a little unreliable at the beginning, it was precisely the twists and turns on the beach that made Li Zheng realize that it was rare for this person to be able to go out alone for ten days and return unscathed despite being hated by Banqui.
At least he won't be a waste.
Thinking of this, Li Zheng frowned slightly, not knowing what he was thinking.
He never spoke, nor did he stop it.
It was not until dark that Zhong Yao sent Neil away and the other Wei merchants returned to their rooms to rest. Li Zheng then straightened his clothes and knocked on Zhong Zuo's door.
Zhong Zuo was not surprised by his arrival. The first thing he said after welcoming him in was: "I really spent all my money in Banqui. I'm not lying to you."
Li Zheng was stunned for a moment, then his expression became complicated: "How do you know what I want to ask you?"
Zhong Zuo smiled and said, "You came to see me in the middle of the night. You can't be asking if I have covered myself with a blanket when I sleep. We don't have that good a relationship."
This was a blunt statement. To borrow Lang Yun's words, it exposed the fake brotherhood in public.
But Li Zheng didn't seem embarrassed at all. Instead, he asked, "Since that's the case, I won't mention other things. I just want to ask you, you brought tens of thousands of gold and silver, did you spend it all?"
"right."
"It's not like I need to buy a book."
"Of course not. I just think Banque is doing well, so I want to help. I also want to see if I can earn some money."
Li Zheng looked at him and asked, "What did you vote for?"
Zhong Zuo said confidently: "I don't know, I just cast it blindly."
Li Zheng: …? ? ?
But Zhong Zuo's words were not false. He really knew nothing about the words written in the contract.
Under normal circumstances, Li Zheng would think that this man was crazy and he would not go crazy with him.
But it’s different now.
This Ban Kui was strange in every way. Not only did he restrict their actions, but he also made it clear that they were only buying and not selling.
This does not conform to economic laws.
And there are often business opportunities there.
Li Zheng didn't want to let it go, but he was still nervous.
Zhong Zuo said slowly, "I'm telling you this because I remember that when I first got off the boat, it was you who defended me with words, which allowed me to avoid being fed to the fish in the sea. This is my reward for you. But whether you want to come with me or not is up to Brother Li."
Li Zheng kept standing, neither leaving nor sitting down.
After a long while, the candle flames jumped several times, and he finally gritted his teeth and said, "I, follow!"
The next day, Li Zheng made the most outrageous investment of his life.
I don’t know what the specific content is, nor do I know when the money will be returned. I just know that I need money.
Li Zheng was still dizzy when he returned.
Zhong Zuo smiled, patted his shoulder and said, "You've earned it."
Li Zheng shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Even if this is a pit, I've jumped in. I just hope it's not too deep so I can climb out."
Zhong Zuo smiled but said nothing.
He was thinking in his heart that he didn't know if he could make his money back. Although there were immortals involved, there was still a chance of something happening.
If it really doesn't work, how should I run?
It would be better to just stay here, grow a big beard, and maybe I can blend in.
Just as Zhong Zuo began to plan his retreat, he saw people outside the village heading towards the beach.
Others may not know, but Zhong Zuo, who already knows a lot about Banqua rules with Colliver, knows that these people are most likely Banqua guards stockpiled near the village.
They came out in full force this time, I'm afraid something big must have happened.
Li Zheng also noticed something strange and couldn't help but take a few more glances, but he quickly looked away.
When doing business, the first priority is to stay out of other people’s business.
The two looked at each other, pretended nothing had happened, turned around and walked quickly towards the residence, and separated tacitly, each packing important items and hiding them on their bodies in case of emergency.
The only difference is that Li Zheng hid banknotes, while Zhong Zuo hoarded steamed buns.
Sometimes, having an empty wallet can also relieve you of a lot of worries.
On the other side, someone also found Colliver: "Sir, there is a disturbance at sea. Captain Donna has already gone there."
Colliver asked hurriedly, "What's the matter?"
The guard replied, "We've spotted several new ships. They might be coming with bad intentions."
But Colliver raised his eyebrows slightly and asked, "The sea is so big, how do you know?"
The guard remained calm: "The immortal next door said so."
What did the Immortal Lord say?
Oh, that’s okay, it must be true.
So Colliver also stood up, ready to help, saying, "What else did the immortal say?"
"They say there are barbarians on board."
Uh-huh? ? ?
At the same time, the barbarians who were coming by boat were not so calm, but were seriously preparing their weapons.
Among them, there was a red-haired man huddled in the corner with a distressed look on his face.
He is Chiwu, a barbarian who once participated in an undercover operation, was then turned into an undercover agent, and finally prepared to settle down in the grassland.
But this trip to Banque was not his intention.
Speaking of which, the Barbarian Kingdom and the Zhou Kingdom are now negotiating peace. Although both sides know that the other is holding a grudge, superficial harmony is still maintained.
For the Zhou State, they had never thought about doing anything to the Barbarian State, as long as they did not invade each other.
As for the Barbarian Kingdom, it would be better to sort out domestic affairs first rather than compete with the Great Zhou.
For example, those "rebels" who want to compete with the new king for the throne will be wiped out in one fell swoop!
The reason why Chiwu didn't dare to go back was because he had once stood on the wrong side, and going back would mean death.
But what no one expected was that those who also stood on the wrong side were unable to hide themselves and were wanted by the new king. They were forced to flee and try to find a new way to survive.
Among them were Chiwu’s friends and even relatives.
He had to come.
Fortunately, Tana, the tribal leader who had unified the grassland, did not forcibly detain him. On the contrary, she actively encouraged him to come out with them.
And gave him a small glowing object.
Although Chi Wu didn't know how this little gadget worked, he knew that he was being treated as an undercover agent, and Tana was telling him openly that his every move would be controlled by Tana.
But Chiwu had to agree.
Because he had witnessed the immortal's abilities with his own eyes, and knew Lang Yun's influence on this continent today, he also understood that if they left like this, they would basically have no other way out except to become bandits.
This little gadget looks like surveillance, but isn't it also an opportunity?
So even though he knew it was a conspiracy, Chiwu still set off.
Finally, we arrived at this sea...
Chiwu's seasickness symptoms were very severe, and he hadn't gotten up since the day he went out to sea.
But he stubbornly refused to leave the deck.
Seeing this, the barbarian leader couldn't help but stop polishing his knife for a moment. With a worried look on his face, he said in barbarian language: "If you are not feeling well, you should go to the cabin to rest. You don't have to stay here all the time."
Chi Wu raised his pale face, revealed a weak smile, and said in a weak voice: "Don't worry, I'm fine."
At the same time, he pinched the little thing he had been hiding in his sleeve and sighed.
Doesn't he want to rest?
The reason I stayed here was simply because I was afraid that my fellow tribesmen would do something stupid.
But things in the world are often like this, the more you fear something, the more it will come.
Soon, the barbarian leader said, "You'd better conserve your energy. We have a tough battle to fight later."
Chi Wu suddenly became alert and sat up straighter: "What do you want to do?"
The leader rolled his shoulders and said seriously, "I'll find a way for you to survive."
"...How do we do it?"
"Go to Banque and rob."
These words were spoken briefly and forcefully, but they made Chi Wu's heart tighten.
Now that Zhou and Man have reconciled, they will certainly cooperate with their search. Qi has connections with Zhou, so they cannot go either.
They had no choice but to cross the ocean and seek a way to survive.
At first, Chi Wu thought that they wanted to find an uninhabited island to survive in the wilderness. At that time, he thought that this idea was too risky. If they were not careful, they would have to rely on eating grass roots and drinking rainwater to survive.
But now after hearing this man's plan, it is obvious that in the eyes of the barbarians, Banqui is a soft persimmon that anyone can pinch.
But Chi Wu's expression twisted instantly.
Apart from anything else, the little thing he was holding in his pocket would vibrate from time to time since he went out to sea.
Ban Kui might be related to Lang Yun.
As a result, the people on my side now want to go back to their old business with just a few big knives?
He suddenly thought it would be nice to go to an uninhabited island and eat grass roots!
But Chiwu's seasickness symptoms were too severe, and he suddenly became hot-blooded. He felt a black screen in front of his eyes and fell forward uncontrollably.
The leader hurriedly supported him and shouted to the side: "Come here, send him to rest quickly!"
Chi Wu, however, held his arm tightly, trying to tell him that he didn't need to rest, and that they should turn around and run now, giving up the delusion of fighting with an egg against a rock.
But under the scorching sun, on the swaying deck, he couldn't utter a word. His eyes widened in anxiety, but the sour taste rising from the depths of his throat blocked all sounds.
Just when Chi Wu was considering whether to give himself a cut on the leg to wake himself up, he suddenly saw several more ships coming in the distance.
Far away, not close.
Look at the flag...
Immediately someone exclaimed: "Pirates, it's pirates!"
The barbarians quickly became nervous and picked up things to prepare for self-defense.
Chi Wu's heart also trembled, and he subconsciously clenched the little gadget that was still vibrating from time to time, but he didn't know what he could do now.
But to their surprise, several pirate ships did not approach.
Someone climbed up the mast, put his hands on the awning and looked into the distance, saying uncertainly, "They don't seem to have any intention of coming closer."
The leader frowned: "What do they want to do?"
The man observed for a while and said, "It seems that they are heading towards Banqui, just like us."
As soon as these words were spoken, the leader immediately stood up, walked quickly to the front of the deck and looked into the distance.
As a result, we saw that there were a considerable number of pirate ships, and they were indeed heading to Banqui Island.
This is rare.
Pirates are those who bully others on the sea, but it is rare to see them amphibious.
The Barbarian Leader breathed a sigh of relief, but soon whispered, "Although I don't know how strong they are, a strong dragon can't defeat a local snake. Perhaps we should change our target."
The others looked at each other, not knowing how to make a decision.
However, the dazed Chi Wu tried hard to nod in support after hearing this.
The result is that I feel even more dizzy.
But reality did not give the barbarians much opportunity to hesitate.
Soon, they saw the outline of Banque.
At the same time, more than twenty ships were seen cruising nearby.
This shocked the barbarian leader.
Even though they had been staying inland, they had made sufficient preparations for this escape.
With such a large fleet, it seems that they are not the pushovers we expected!
The pirate ship also felt this.
They practically turned around and ran away, without any of the murderous intent they had just shown.
But at this moment, a ray of light suddenly flashed across the clear sky.
“Swish—bang!”
Beautiful fireworks suddenly bloomed, and even the sunlight did not diminish their beauty.
The barbarian was stunned, his head raised blankly, a look of astonishment on his face.
Their leader was quite knowledgeable, but he still didn't know what this thing was.
Banqua's witchcraft?
Or, immortal magic?
Soon, several more flashes of light were seen.
What followed was a whooshing sound that broke through the air.
All headed towards the pirate ships!
"Bang!"
"Bang!!"
"Bang!!!"
Bursts of muffled sounds and plumes of white smoke surrounded the pirate ship almost instantly.
From the barbarians' perspective, they could not see clearly what was happening on the ships, but precisely because they could not see clearly and hear the screams, they found it even more creepy.
Many barbarians were stunned, feeling weak all over, their fingertips trembling, and their swords fell directly on the deck with a crisp sound.
The barbarian leader was speechless for a moment, his expression stunned.
It was not until they saw a Banque ship heading towards them that they came to their senses.
Someone hurriedly asked, "Boss, should we run away?"
But this question received no response.
Because they had just witnessed the consequences of escaping. Even though they didn't know what happened, everyone had the same thought in their minds -
If you run away, you will die; if you behave yourself, you may have a chance to survive.
Meanwhile, on Banqui's ship, Ji Liang was standing next to Gu Lexin and asked cautiously, "Um, Senior, how are those pirates doing?"
Gu Lexin put down the telescope in her hand and said with a smile: "Don't worry, they are all alive."
Ji Liang: "Senior sister is so kind..."
Gu Lexin: "These can all be exchanged for wanted bounties, so it's better to save them."
Ji Liang: ...Oh.
He looked towards the distance again and saw that some Banqui people were already sailing to the pirate ship to "pick up money."
This made Ji Liang sigh: "Before, I encountered him randomly, but this time it was rare. How come he came to my door?"
Gu Lexin didn't say anything, but looked at Donna.
The female guard captain then spoke at the right moment, "Because the king has announced the opening of trade routes, there will be many merchant ships traveling through this sea area in the coming period. Currently, Bankui can't escort every merchant ship, so he's thinking of clearing them all out at once."
Ji Liang was curious: "Then why did they come? Could it be that you told others about what happened before, and they are seeking revenge for their companions?"
Donna: "Those people live on the edge of a knife every day. They don't care about their own life or death, let alone remember what others have done to them."
Ji Liang: "Then how did this buffet come about?"
Donna: "This was the idea of the immortal on the side. He said there was treasure on the island. Naturally, these pirates would not miss such a good opportunity, so they came here one after another."
Ji Liang: ...
The idea sounded strangely familiar.
Tana from Zhouguo Grassland told the same lie before in order to clear out the bandits there, right?
Will the same trick be used again?
At this moment, their ships were approaching the barbarians.
The boat stopped after maintaining a proper distance. Ji Liang and Gu Lexin stood in the shadows tacitly and did not show up.
Donna stepped forward, drew her sword, and said sternly, "I am the captain of the Banquie guards. Who are you? Tell me your name!"
Then, there was silence.
Some of the barbarians were standing, some were sitting, but in short, they were motionless and their mouths were tightly closed.
Donna frowned and spoke again: "I'll count down to three. If you don't say it, you'll never say it again. Three, two——"
It has to be said that this type of threat is suitable for all age groups.
Especially the frightened barbarians.
The leader who had just been dreaming of causing trouble in Banqui now had no evil thoughts at all. He just wanted to be thankful that he was still alive.
So, before Donna finished counting down, he stepped forward, bowed deeply, and then said in a somewhat awkward common language: "We come from the Barbarian Country and are heading to Banque... heading to Banque..."
He stuttered a little when he said this.
What are you here for?
Of course I can't tell the truth, otherwise it would be tantamount to seeking death.
What about doing business? They didn't bring any goods or money.
Speaking of visiting? But they don't have the documents of the barbarian country, and if they are exposed and sent back, they will basically die.
Fortunately, there was a Chiwu on their ship.
Compared with other barbarians who have never seen the world, Chiwu has lived in the grassland and has also seen many immortals.
Although Ji Liang and Gu Lexin were standing off to the side, he could recognize each other's identities with just a quick glance.
So he immediately struggled to hold on to the deck, forced himself to stand up, and said weakly: "We are here to communicate."
Donna was not expecting this answer and was stunned: "Communicate what?"
The barbarian leader also looked back at him in some confusion.
Chiwu took a few deep breaths before answering in a trembling voice, "Cultural exchange. We want to come and pay our respects to King Bankui and offer him songs and dances."
After saying this, he tugged hard at the sleeve of his leader.
The leader quickly understood and nodded hurriedly: "Yes, yes, cultural exchange, cultural exchange."
Donna stared at him, distrust written all over her face.
The barbarian leader didn't care about anything else. He just stretched his arms and legs and started dancing.
The barbarians on the side were not idle either. They seemed to have found a chance to survive. They hurriedly clapped the rhythm for their leader, and some even sang the barbarian folk song.
The originally quiet atmosphere suddenly became cheerful.
Ji Liang, who was standing in the dark, couldn't help but sigh when he saw this: "I never thought that the barbarians could dance so well."
Gu Lexin, however, maintained a calm expression, her voice as gentle as usual: "That's because they were just frightened and scared, so they chose the entertainment route. This is also the biggest mission we've received since our professional time travel."
Ji Liang was stunned for a moment after hearing this, but then he couldn't help but feel curious.
The major of the people in front of me is undoubtedly the most mysterious in the school. They have made great contributions to protecting the safety of the school, but few people know what their college mission is.
Seeing this person bring it up, Ji immediately asked, "What is your mission?"
Gu Lexin didn't answer immediately, but smiled and said, "When you are poor and weak, all countries want to bring you disaster. But once you reach the peak of military power, you will find that these countries are so versatile and extremely approachable."
As she spoke, she looked towards the barbarians who were already getting excited.
After taking out his phone to take a few photos of the beautiful dancing skills, Gu Lexin continued, "Our professional mission is to create the most powerful weapons and maintain the best peace."
Ji Liang: ...???
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