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The ghost scholar would rather lose!
Even Lu Jian's eyes narrowed at this moment, and he barely controlled his expression.
This was completely beyond his expectations. After all, an incident had just happened in Tingzhou, which not only disrupted the Changjing Gang's plan, but Cheng Xi also attacked Ning Fu.
Just looking at the scars on the other person's face, it is not difficult to imagine the scene at that time.
How come this guy ran to Panyu to meet him, the mastermind behind all this before his injury was fully healed?
How could this ghost scholar not know that this matter was related to him? Just the words "I've heard of you for a long time" made Lu Jian realize that this matter could not be concealed.
But it didn't look like he was here to seek revenge, otherwise he would have been an assassin. Killing the members of the Suoyi Gang was difficult, but killing him, an ordinary merchant, wouldn't be easy? How could he have so openly found someone to introduce him and appeared in front of him?
His mind raced, but Lu Jian put on a refined smile and returned the greeting with a bow: "I didn't expect Mr. Ning to come in person. I'm sorry for not welcoming you."
Ning Fu also smiled, but the scar on his face made his smile even more terrifying. "With my status, it's better to keep a low profile. Forget about the question of whether to welcome you or not."
This made the merchant laugh out loud, thinking he was joking. After all, the ghost scholar was a wanted criminal by the imperial court. He must have kept a low profile when he came to Panyu. How could he be welcomed respectfully?
The smile on Lu Jian's lips deepened a little, but he became more fearful in his heart.
The Changjing Gang is definitely not a good bunch, and the Ghost Scholar is probably not a tolerant person either. Could it be that they have set a trap and are waiting for him to fall into it?
However, no one would show their inner thoughts openly, and everyone sat down in harmony.
Maybe it was because they had something to discuss, or maybe Ning Fu's face was not suitable for others to see. There was plenty of good wine and food, but not a single woman to entertain them.
The host naturally would not let the atmosphere cool down, and he kept urging people to drink, as if he wanted the two distinguished guests to get to know each other.
Ning Fu, however, was not there to eat. As soon as he sat down, he raised his wine glass with great interest towards Lu Jian. "Second Young Master Lu is truly a master of schemes. I am astonished. Tingzhou and his party have truly gained some insights. I would like to offer you a toast."
How could Lu Jian accept such a drink? He smiled and shook his head: "Mr. Ning, I'm afraid you misunderstood something. I have been staying at home recently and have not gone out."
Ning Fu chuckled and downed the wine. The two of them were so tense right from the start, which made the accompanying merchants somewhat uneasy. Fortunately, after Ning Fu drank the wine, he did not continue to be aggressive. He sighed, "Since we are in Panyu, I have put the previous incident aside. Mr. Lu, there is no need to worry. This matter has nothing to do with you. I can still tell the difference."
Did he know that the assassination was a spur-of-the-moment plan of the Red Flag Gang? Lu Jian immediately understood the meaning of this statement.
To be honest, it was only after Sun Yuanrang passed on the news that he learned that the Red Flag Gang was also involved in the Tingzhou incident and had played a significant role. They hadn't even given him any prior notice, and had gone off to pull off such a large operation. Besides wanting him to be indebted, they were probably trying to curry favor with Sun Yuanrang and establish a relationship with the Qingfeng Gang.
Cheng Xi naturally did something like this to kill three birds with one stone. He probably attacked Ning Fu just for the sake of convenience. To put it bluntly, it really had nothing to do with him.
However, Ning Fu was able to reveal such a complicated matter in just one sentence. His insight was extraordinary, and it was no wonder that he was called the "Ghost Scholar".
Lu Jian smiled and said, "I have no grudge against the Long Whale Gang. I've already said it's probably just a misunderstanding."
Ning Fu glanced at him with interest and said, "But Master Lu is a bit too bold. He dares to make friends with anyone. Isn't he afraid of raising a tiger to cause trouble?"
Was this an attempt to sow discord between him and the Red Flag Gang? Lu Jian raised his glass and gestured towards Ning Fu, "If I didn't have some courage, how could I dare to sit across from Mr. Ning and drink together?"
As he said this, he drank it all without waiting for Ning Fu to raise his glass.
This attitude was quite provocative. Ning Fu wasn't annoyed; instead, his smile widened. "It's precisely because I know Mr. Lu is no ordinary man that I dared to come to Panyu. To be honest, the Longjing Gang is now looking to return to the South China Sea and is seeking allies. I understand Mr. Lu's intentions, but the Lu family is deeply entrenched and won't be easily dealt with. Compared to those guys who refuse to identify themselves as gangs, I think the Longjing Gang will be more likely to wish you a speedy success."
Although Lu Jian was determined to bring down the Lu family, few people actually knew about this.
Others would at most guess that he wanted to seize the position of head of the family. How could they have imagined his unethical and rebellious thoughts?
Ning Fu had indeed hit the nail on the head. Cheng Xi was a gentleman, and the Red Flag Gang was not a gang of bandits. Even if he had a lot of tricks up his sleeve, he couldn't force the other party to do something that was immoral.
The Long Whale Gang was different. They were a group of fierce bandits. As long as the conditions were agreed, what would they not dare to do? Moreover, the Long Whale Gang was far more powerful than the Red Flag Gang. If they formed an alliance, it would be a great help.
It's a pity that he would rather make friends with gentlemen than seek the skin of a tiger. Lu Jian sighed softly: "These are all family matters, not worthy of being discussed in a formal forum, and it's not convenient for others to handle them."
This was a polite refusal, clearly indicating he had no intention of immediately overthrowing the Lu family. Ning Fu raised an eyebrow, "Mr. Lu, you're truly magnanimous. No wonder you didn't take it seriously when the Red Flag Gang went to Tingzhou to transport grain."
Lu Jian hadn't heard of this news, and his hand holding the cup paused. Cheng Xi went to Tingzhou with the intention of opening another grain route? He'd only been gone a few days, and he'd already accomplished something so grand? But considering their previous experience, it wasn't surprising. After all, the Changjing Gang was stationed in Qiongzhou, and they also had to be wary of having their supply routes cut off. Furthermore, transporting grain from Hepu, a long journey, wouldn't necessarily be as convenient as transporting it by inland river.
It seems that the boy is on guard, afraid that he will defect to the Long Whale Gang? Lu Jian chuckled: "Mr. Ning, you are joking. How can you force a deal?"
He didn't know about this, but he wasn't too worried. Was he really afraid of the Red Flag Gang turning on him, or was he just pretending nothing had happened? Ning Fu also smiled: "That can't delay making money. The Long Whale Gang can also help Master Lu maintain the grain route and transport goods."
This was ostensibly a request for cooperation, but in reality it contained a threat. How could Lu Jian not hear it? No matter how things developed in the future, if he wanted to transport grain out of Hepu, he would first have to pass through the territory occupied by the Long Whale Gang. Whether he could wipe out the Red Flag Gang was hard to say, but it would be easy to take down his grain transport ship.
Lu Jian looked at the slightly twisted smile and said after a while: "My business is mostly on land, so why would I need sea transportation?"
This is not wrong. After all, Lu Jian came to Panyu not just to do business, but to trick his good stepmother.
His mother's family was a powerful local family, and the businesses they had run over the years were indeed all onshore, so their demand for sea transportation was not as great as others had guessed.
If sea transportation is really cut off, the impact will be extremely limited. How can others threaten us at will?
This was a clear rejection, which logically should have been enough to infuriate Ning Fu. However, the ghost scholar nodded in agreement, "That does make some sense, but I'm not in a hurry. Mr. Lu, please consider it for a few more days. There's no need to rush to reply."
This calm attitude actually made people more alert. Could it be that the ghost scholar came here just to form an alliance? Lu Jian didn't believe this at all. He probably had other plans.
Seeing that the two hadn't fallen out, the businessman who hadn't dared to say a word finally smiled and said, "That's right, business matters aren't that urgent. Come on, let's drink and eat first. It's my fault for not taking good care of you, hahaha..."
That rather awkward dry laugh really couldn't ease the atmosphere, but Lu Jian didn't care. After talking to this point, it was normal to part ways on bad terms, so there was no need to pretend.
However, Ning Fu picked up his chopsticks and started eating without any care. Every time he chewed, the long wound would be pulled, like a bloody mouth ready to bite anyone.
This is the case of not killing the snake but causing trouble. Lu Jian couldn't help but speculate in his heart, not knowing what the situation was at that time. If Cheng Xi had hit him with another knife, perhaps there would not be such trouble.
Just as he was thinking, the other party suddenly stopped eating and asked, "By the way, Mr. Lu, do you know any famous women in the Red Flag Gang?"
This was completely nonsensical and made Lu Jian stunned. However, when he looked up, the other party had a calm expression and even looked eager to try.
Who was he asking about? Suspicion suddenly arose in his heart, and Lu Jian shook his head: "I really don't know why Mr. Ning asked this?"
Ning Fu looked at him for a long time, and finally sighed and touched the wound on his chin: "Nothing, just a little curious."
This was the first time since entering the room that the other party reached out and touched the wound.
Could it be related to this? But wasn't it Cheng Xi who went there? What does it have to do with the woman?
An idea suddenly flashed through his mind. Lu Jian smiled and did not answer. He also picked up his chopsticks and started eating in an orderly manner.
No banquet is too good to be true, so naturally, no one enjoyed this meal to their heart's content. After leaving the house and boarding the carriage, Lu Jian immediately said to his attendants, "Send someone to investigate what happened in Tingzhou City. In particular, we must find out what identity Gang Leader Cheng used and which company he negotiated a deal with!"
The ghost scholar had already arrived at his doorstep, and he had deliberately given him so many clues and thrown so many questions. How could he be shooting without purpose? I was afraid there was more to this story, and I had to find out before I could make a decision.
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