Chapter Twenty-Two: Stealth on the Reef
The aftershocks of the salt monopoly scandal had not yet completely subsided, and the business world of Chang'an City had returned to its former order. However, Liu Bao'er keenly sensed that beneath this calm, new undercurrents were brewing.
That morning, as she was checking the transaction records of each branch, Hu Liu rushed in to report: "Boss, a batch of counterfeit Silk Road gold certificates have recently appeared on the market. Although the workmanship is crude, quite a few merchants have already been fooled."
Liu Bao'er put down the ledger and took the fake coupon to examine it closely. The paper was rough, the printing was blurry, and it didn't even have the most basic anti-counterfeiting features; it was clearly a hastily made, inferior product.
"Have you found the source?"
"They're still investigating. But..." Hu Liu lowered his voice, "recently, members of the Canal Gang have been frequently loitering around our various branches."
Liu Bao'er tapped her fingertips lightly on the table. The canal gangs controlled the transportation along the Grand Canal, and if they intended to oppose her, the flow of goods at Datong Store would certainly be hindered. These seemingly clumsy counterfeit coupons were probably just the beginning.
She immediately summoned all branch managers: "Effective immediately, all Silk Road Gold Vouchers will use the new seal; old vouchers must be redeemed within a specified period. Each branch should increase the number of personnel verifying vouchers, and any counterfeit vouchers discovered should be reported to the authorities immediately."
Having made these arrangements, she climbed to the attic alone. The abacus hairpin in her hair gleamed with a cold, metallic light in the morning glow, much like her thoughts at that moment—clear and calm. Counterfeit coupons, the canal gang, and the tests of the past few days...were these seemingly unrelated matters connected?
In the afternoon, Cui Jiulang visited, confirming her suspicions.
"Someone is buying up large quantities of raw silk in the Central Plains, at prices 20% higher than the market price." He pushed a confidential report in front of her. "The buyers are all unfamiliar faces, but they're using real money."
Liu Bao'er quickly scanned the confidential report, her brows furrowing slightly. Raw silk was one of the important collaterals for the Datong Guifang Silk Road Gold Certificates, and this unusual acquisition was clearly intended to undermine the credit foundation of the gold certificates.
"It seems some people don't want to see the Silk Road Vouchers grow too large."
"That's not all." Cui Jiulang took out a list. "Recently, caravans in various places have encountered 'accidents' during transport, with the main losses being silk and tea."
Liu Bao'er pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Does Jiulang know who is behind all this?"
Cui Jiulang shook his head: "The method was very skillful, and the clues were completely cut off. However..." He paused, "I found something: three months ago, the second master of the Wang family of Taiyuan secretly came to Chang'an."
The Wang family? Liu Bao'er thought of this powerful family that made its fortune in the Grand Canal. If they were to take action, they could indeed mobilize the Grand Canal gangs and forces from various regions at the same time.
She walked to the window and looked down at the bustling street below. It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the shadows. Her opponent clearly understood this, choosing not to confront her directly, but instead to slowly erode the foundation of Datong Pawnshop from the shadows.
"Since they want to play dirty," she said, a sharp glint in her eyes as she turned, "then we'll play along to the end."
Three days later, Datong Store unexpectedly announced that it would sign an exclusive contract with three major silk merchants in Jiangnan, and that all raw silk corresponding to the Silk Road Gold Vouchers would be exclusively supplied by these three silk merchants.
When the news spread, those who bought raw silk at high prices were stunned – no matter how much raw silk was circulating in the market, it couldn't compare to the inventory of these three major silk merchants.
Meanwhile, through Hu Liu's channels, Liu Bao'er spread a mix of true and false information: important goods will be transported via the Grand Canal on a certain day, a new shortcut has been discovered on a certain trade route... By using a combination of truth and falsehood, she kept the other party busy.
That night, as she was checking samples of the new seal, the mute old servant silently handed her a note. The handwriting was unfamiliar, and it contained only a brief warning: "Be careful of those around you."
Liu Bao'er clutched the note, her mind racing. Datong Pawnshop was now a large and complex operation; if someone had truly been bribed...
She immediately summoned Hu Liu and whispered a few instructions to him.
The following day, a silent investigation began within Datong Pawnshop. On the surface, everything appeared normal, but secretly, everyone with access to core secrets was being investigated. Sure enough, three days later, a bribed accountant was discovered at the East Market branch.
"They're from the Wang family," Hu Liu reported, his face ashen. "They promised him a shop after the deed was done."
Liu Bao'er stroked the gold hairpin in her hair, her expression calm: "Since they're so eager to plant their own people here, why don't we send them a few of our own?"
A silent battle unfolded in the shadows. Counterfeit coupons gradually disappeared, the canal gangs vanished, and the frenzy for raw silk purchasing quietly subsided. On the surface, Datong Pawnshop weathered the crisis unscathed.
However, Liu Bao'er knew that the reef had only temporarily submerged underwater. Standing on the pavilion, she gazed at the last rays of the setting sun in the west, gently turning the gold hairpin in her hair.
The real storm may have only just begun to brew.
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