Someone nearby immediately chimed in, "Besides, the eldest daughter of the Xu family... alas, she passed away a long time ago. Now that the Xu family is no longer bound by that bond, why would they be willing to jump into the fire with him?"
"Old Master Xu is indeed shrewd. At this time, severing ties and preserving the family business is the right thing to do."
Amid the discussions, most attention was focused on the phrase "two routes, one going east and one going north."
Everyone knows that the southern route to the east connects the inland and the port, and the monthly freight volume alone is enough to make people envious; while the newly completed northern route goes directly to the mineral-rich area outside the Great Wall, which is simply two ready-made treasure troves.
Cheng Muyun had previously held onto these two lines tightly, so that no one else could even get close, let alone get a share of the pie.
The Xu family's announcement that they are looking for new partners is tantamount to throwing a boulder into a calm lake.
It wasn't even noon yet, but the entrance to the Chamber of Commerce was already packed with people; a rough count revealed more than thirty people.
The crowd included all sorts of people: several Japanese merchants dressed in kimonos and carrying short swords at their waists were talking in broken Chinese in hushed tones; two Frenchmen with high noses and blue eyes were checking their pocket watches from time to time, their faces showing an air of determination.
Several men dressed in black Zhongshan suits with sharp eyes, clearly sent from Nanjing, stood against the wall, silently observing their surroundings. In addition, there were some stewards from local aristocratic families, dressed in respectable silk robes, holding folding fans, but they only watched from afar.
Everyone wanted to take a bite out of these two lucrative opportunities, but when it came to actually stepping through the doors of the Chamber of Commerce, they all hesitated.
"The Xu family has distanced themselves, but what about Cheng Muyun...? Will he be content with that?" a shopkeeper with a goatee whispered. "Now that someone has taken the credit, given his personality, will he let it go?"
The person next to him immediately nodded: "That's right! If you really want to take over this business, you have to have the ability to suppress Cheng Muyun. You either need power or troops, otherwise you'll be crying when he retaliates!"
"I heard they're from Nanjing, and they're here specifically for Cheng Muyun. If they accept the offer, it might be able to keep things under control..."
"The Japanese are not to be trifled with either; they wield considerable power in the concessions..."
A murmur arose, and the crowd looked at each other, their feet rooted to the spot.
Even though they knew that immense wealth lay within the gate, the thought of Cheng Muyun's cold eyes and his fearless brothers made none of them dare to be the first to step inside.
As the sun climbed higher, its heat made people's backs scorch. More and more people gathered at the entrance of the Chamber of Commerce, but very few dared to push open the door and go in to have a detailed talk with Xu Shinong.
That vermilion gate now stood like an invisible barrier, blocking everyone's greed and their deep-seated fear of Cheng Muyun.
Xu Jixin rushed over, intending to dissuade Xu Shinong from considering a new partner, but Chen He pulled him in.
Next door to where Xu Shih-nong was discussing things with someone, sat Xu Chih-hsin, Cheng Mu-yun, and Chen Ho-te.
"What tricks are you up to this time?" Xu Jixin crossed his arms and looked at the two leisurely people.
Cheng Muyun smiled and said, "I didn't play any tricks."
Xu Jixin snorted coldly, "No tricks up your sleeve? Why is my father looking for a new business partner? What, are you going to separate from the Xu family?"
Chen Hede couldn't help but chuckle. Cheng Muyun glanced at the two of them and said, "It's all to get Lan Qingyi out of here."
Xu Jixin asked, "What do you mean?"
Chen Hede explained, "Lan Qingyi wants to find someone to deal with him. There's no other way but to lure Lan Qingyi out, we have to use the 'Eastern Southern Route' as bait."
Xu Jixin frowned, plopped down next to Cheng Muyun, and punched his shoulder with his fist. "Next time something like this happens, can you at least talk to me first? I rush over like I've caught someone cheating, isn't that embarrassing?"
Cheng Muyun said, "How was I supposed to know you'd meddle in this?"
Xu Jixin pretended to be angry, "We're already splitting up the family, and this is still meddling in other people's business? If it weren't related to Zhuohua, do you think I would want to bother with you?"
Cheng Muyun smiled. He knew that Xu Jixin had always been very good to Xu Zhuohua, and his heart felt warm.
"Okay, I'll let you know before the next plan is implemented."
Xu Jixin glanced at Cheng Muyun, then at Chen Hede, his handsome eyes darting around. "So you've already made up your plans, and I'm just waiting for your notification?"
Cheng Muyun looked at Xu Jixin, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, "Otherwise what? You don't know the situation in Nanjing."
Xu Jixin spent most of his time on the Eastern and Southern routes and was unfamiliar with the situation in Nanjing, but he was not completely blind to it. He knew some things, such as Lan Qingyi's ruthless nature and her determination to achieve her goals.
“You really underestimate me. You’re so well-informed on the Eastbound-Southbound Line. Even if I don’t know the details, I still know a little bit.” Xu Jixin felt increasingly slighted as he spoke, and raised his voice, “We always discussed things together before. Why aren’t you taking me with you now? Are you looking down on me?”
Chen Hede laughed and said, "I didn't mean that. I only found out after he called me here."
Xu Jixin looked at Cheng Muyun and said, "So you're going to isolate the two of us? What do you mean, Cheng Muyun?"
Cheng Muyun shook his head with a wry smile. He felt that what he was going to do was too dangerous, and the fewer people involved in the plan, the safer it would be.
Although they had always worked together before, this time it was too dangerous, and Cheng Muyun didn't want to drag Xu Jixin into it.
"I really didn't mean to not discuss it with you, but it was an emergency. I didn't know what the situation was on Lan Qingyi's side, so I had to take the initiative."
Xu Jixin didn't say anything more, but asked, "If I remember correctly, Lan Qingyi has already arrived. What do you plan to do?"
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
